Chapter 15: Haiyang (Part 1)

Si Ma Tai returned triumphantly with a group of men, saying, “I’ve fulfilled my mission!” His face was red as if he had drunk half a jin of wine. “We’ve already secured half of Haiyang. These are all friends from the Tiandihui; they’re willing to act as our insiders!” It was as if someone had brought a pillow just when he wanted to sleep—Liu Yu tightly hugged Si Ma Tai, saying, “Thank you so much! Thank you!”
Si Ma Tai had a great reputation in the vicinity of Haiyang. The members of the Tiandihui laughed and said, “When Old Si said he wanted to take control of Haiyang, we were willing to risk our lives for you!”
Si Ma Tai had always been eager to help others and was already known as the “Young Meng Chang.” With just one call from him, many heroes and chivalrous men would gather. Most of these Tiandihui members had already received his help, so they agreed to cooperate immediately upon meeting.
The Tiandihui could be considered the most mysterious underground society in modern China. Throughout the Qing dynasty, it had been working to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming dynasty. When the Taiping Rebellion broke out, the Tiandihui even formed hundreds of thousands of troops to fight alongside the Taiping forces. After the Taiping regime fell, many of its members sailed overseas to continue their struggle against the Qing.
Vietnam was adjacent to Guangxi, which was the province where the Tiandihui was strongest. Thus, the Tiandihui had significant influence in Vietnam. Si Ma Tai introduced the leader, saying, “Cai Yunnan, the head of the Tiandihui in Haiyang. He has nearly a hundred followers—trustworthy people!”
Although Cai Yunnan was surprised by Liu Yu’s young age, he bowed respectfully and said, “Indeed, heroes often emerge from youth. But with Old Si’s guarantee, we’re willing to risk our lives!”
The Tiandihui was originally founded for the purpose of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming by rebelling against officials. Hearing that someone was planning to attack Haiyang and even bringing foreign guns, they were overjoyed.
Si Ma Tai and Cai Yunnan were close friends, so Si Ma Tai said without hesitation, “Once we capture Haiyang, I’ll treat the young commander to a drink!”
All these developments deeply shocked Zhang Biao, who had just joined their ranks. He had heard that Liu Yu’s army had nearly a hundred foreign guns and a large number of troops ready to attack Haiyang, so he decided to join them right away.
However, some of his men were skeptical. He made a quick decision to proceed with the attack despite their doubts, keeping only twenty or so core members.
But after joining Liu Yu’s army, he found that they only had twenty or thirty foreign guns and a little over a hundred men. It was uncertain whether their attack on Haiyang would succeed.
Just when he was at a loss, help came in the form of Si Ma Tai bringing Cai Yunnan from the Tiandihui. He knew well the power of the Tiandihui. Although there were less than a hundred Tiandihui members inside and outside Haiyang City, they had great influence, knowing all kinds of tricks. Even among the Vietnamese military, they had connections.
With them as insiders, the success of the attack was uncertain.
At that thought, Zhang Biao became determined: “In life, just like plants that bloom once in spring, one must make a name for oneself!”
Meanwhile, Cai Yunnan and Liu Yu were discussing the plan for a coordinated attack from within and outside, while Si Ma Tai asked, “Where’s Lian Jincheng? I wanted him to get us some gunpowder.”
“Tch!” Liu Yu said, “He’s not a man—he’s gone back to Boss Deng. We have no money; only by capturing Haiyang can we survive!”

The members of Liu Ziying didn’t even bother cursing this weakling: “We can’t trust those two foreigners; we have to rely on ourselves!”
“Right! The leader is spot on—only by taking Haiyang can we survive!”
Cai Yunan had been in the Tiandihui for many years and was quite experienced, but this was the first time he saw such a young leader. At first, he was uneasy. However, after spending time with them, he found this leader to be quite mature: “Good! Although our Tiandihui has nearly a hundred members and can gather two or three hundred people usually, those we can truly trust—real men—are only in the twenties. Then, I’ll follow the plan we agreed upon to coordinate the uprising.”
“Good. Let’s share hardships and joys together.”
“Share hardships and joys. We’re still waiting to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming, and drive the Manchus back beyond the Great Wall.”
Among the Chinese in Vietnam, there has always been a distinction between those inside and outside the Great Wall, with the Great Wall referring to the Sino-Vietnamese border wall centered around Zhenan Pass.
The members of Liu Ziying longed for the day when they could return home in glory, while the Tiandihui members also dreamed of using Vietnam as a base to gather tens of thousands of troops one day to break through the wall and drive out the Manchus.
Throughout the Qing dynasty, they worked hard both at home and abroad. Though they faced repeated setbacks, they were indeed a great help to the cause of overthrowing the Qing.
Now, they were determined to take their first step from Haiyang.
Haiyang City.
The governor of Haiyang held a high position, overseeing all military, political, and civil affairs in Haiyang and Guang’an provinces. But precisely because of the heavy responsibilities, Fan Fushu never dared to make decisions on his own to avoid disputes.
It should be noted that Vietnam traditionally based its state on Confucianism. However, since the Franco-Vietnamese treaty, the Catholic Church and pro-French factions grew increasingly powerful. From the first day of his tenure, Fan Fushu was surrounded by them and couldn’t move an inch.
Yet Fan Fushu was a traditional Vietnamese scholar. Though not an able administrator, he still resisted foreigners and foreign religions at heart. Faced with constant pressure from the foreigners, he tried to outmaneuver them while shifting the burden onto others.
After taking office, he submitted many memorials, insisting that the Black Flag Army stationed in Shengbao be moved to make way for the Mekong River route—their main source of wealth and livelihood—to facilitate trade between France and Vietnam. He even had many disputes with Huang Zuoyan, the son-in-law who protected the Black Flag Army.
Now, dealing with Liu Ziying was driven by the same mindset.
Give in a little, and things will calm down.
Governor Fan sat in the backyard, enjoying the shade of the trees and the blooming flowers, free from the constant pressure from the French. It was truly a peaceful and carefree moment, which inspired him to stroll around.
Before he could finish his poem, a servant rushed over: “Your Excellency, General Li, Hu Guanqi, and several others are asking to see you!”
His mood was ruined. Fan Fushu had to put aside his poetic thoughts and turn around, saying, “Are they here to demand payment again? Damn it, I’m coming right away.”
Six or seven military officers knelt there and said to the governor, “We heard that you want us to attack Liu Ziying?”
“Yes. Your salaries will be paid soon. Get ready for battle immediately.”
The officers said in unison, “Your Excellency, Liu Ziying are fierce bandits. Isn’t our army force…”
“A bit too small?”