The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Chapter 175 Principal Shen

Seven men burst from their hiding place, charging forward while firing their guns. The bandits fled in disarray.

Seeing that the battle was going so smoothly, a dozen or so bold villagers also rushed out with harpoons and clubs in hand and began to beat the bandits who were lying on the ground.

"Surrender, or we won't kill you! Surrender, or we won't kill you! Hands up!" the seven men shouted as they fired their guns.

More and more bandits, unable to escape, dropped their weapons and knelt by the roadside. The men ignored them and continued their pursuit.

"Commander, you can't pursue them!" A guard stopped Zhang Tieniu.

"Alright!" Zhang Tieniu shook his head. There was nothing he could do; at his level, there wouldn't be many more opportunities for him to personally take the lead.

Zhang Tieniu ordered the villagers to take the surrendered bandits aside and tie them up. As for those who were injured, he ignored them. There was no medicine to save them now; whether they lived or died depended on their luck.

Half an hour later, the guards brought a group of people back.

"Sir, I'm reporting him! I know all the bad things Cao Bao has done, and I know where his hideout is. I'll take you to arrest him." As soon as they met, Huang Zhi knelt down in front of Zhang Tieniu with a thud.

Unable to defeat him in a fight and with no way to escape, Huang Zhi wisely surrendered. Moreover, in order to save his life, he immediately confessed to a great deal of the evil deeds Cao Bao had committed.

With a "snap," Shen Lian received a telegram from the military in the Quancheng Marquis's residence.

"How audacious and greedy! They actually dared to ambush officers of my new army! Ha! They really don't know what death is coming to them!" Shen Lian slammed his hand on the table.

"Immediately send a telegram back to the garrison in Teng County, ordering them to launch a rescue operation for Zhang Tieniu and his men. Wipe out that patrol inspector!" Shen Lian ordered immediately, and the staff officer rushed out to send the telegram.

"My lord, what has happened?" Wang Kaiyun and his apprentice rushed over upon hearing the news.

"Master Wang, take a look!" Shen Lian handed them the telegram.

"I've already treated them very well, so why are these people still so greedy! They oppress the people, collect taxes privately, and ambush military officers..."

"Heh! Do they think I only know how to kill foreigners? That I dare not touch them?" Shen Lian laughed angrily.

As a modern person, Shen Lian was indeed not as ruthless as the officials of that time. He rarely took harsh measures against his own people; it seems he had been too soft-hearted!

"Immediately dispatch ten motorboats and a regiment to Tengzhou County!" Shen Lian turned to his staff and gave the order.

"Mr. Wang, summon the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's men. We'll go to Tengzhou together tomorrow. Let Mr. Ye and the others come along too!" Shen Lian instructed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

It seems the Marquis is preparing for a major campaign, so Wang Kaiyun hurriedly went to make arrangements.

On the Xujiaying side, Qiu Xiaojun led more than a hundred troops and arrived at the camp on a forced march.

"The garrison from Teng County arrived late to provide assistance. Please punish us, sir!" The major battalion commander ran quickly to Zhang Tieniu, stood at attention, and saluted.

"It's alright! You've arrived quickly enough!" Zhang Tieniu returned the greeting.

"Commander, are you alright? Have any of the brothers been injured or killed?" Qiu Xiaojun asked, wiping his sweat.

"Heh! A bunch of rabble, how could they possibly harm me?" Zhang Tieniu shook his head. He had already fought in the bloody battles of Tianjin, and he didn't take these bandits and pirates seriously at all.

"You've come at the right time. Cao Bao has escaped. Take some men and go capture him. The rest of you, stay in the village and await orders from above!"

These matters should have been handled by the local authorities, and even though Zhang Tieniu was the regimental commander, he didn't dare to interfere. In Shandong, the military and political affairs were clearly separated.

The next day, Shen Lian arrived with a large group of men and went directly to Xujiaying Village.

The fishermen here had never seen anything like it before, and they all knelt down on the ground in a panic.

"Fellow villagers, please get up! I'm sorry I'm late!" Shen Lian quickly stepped forward and helped up several elderly fishermen.

"My lord!" Several old fishermen trembled with excitement.

"Fellow villagers, get up! I'm here, and I'll definitely give you an explanation! I'll make sure you all live a good life from now on." Shen Lian waved his hand.

"Thank you, Lord Marquis! Thank you, Lord Marquis!" the fishermen shouted gratefully.

"Principal!" Zhang Tieniu stepped forward, stood at attention, and saluted.

The soldiers in their army still preferred to call Shen Lian "General," but officers who had attended military academies preferred to call him "Principal Shen Lian." This made them feel closer to him.