He Long's Three Cleavers Raid the Salt Bureau
He Long's Three Cleavers Raid the Salt Bureau. In the past, a salt tax bureau was set up at Bamaoxi in Sangzhi, with twelve soldiers and twelve Mauser rifles. The salt tax officers took one part in three as tax, and seized people and goods from those who couldn't pay. He Long, then in the salt trade, was also extorted by them. In March 1916, He Long (also known as He Wenchang and He Yunqing) gathered He Xunchen, He Zhanqing, Wei Shouyun, Wei Shou...
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He Long Seizes the Salt Bureau with Three Kitchen Knives
In the past, a salt tax bureau was set up in Bamaoxi, Sangzhi, with twelve soldiers and twelve Mauser rifles. The salt tax officials took one out of every three for salt tax, and if you couldn't pay, they'd detain people and confiscate goods. When He Long was in the salt business, he was also extorted by them.
In March 1916, He Long (also known as He Wenchang and He Yunqing) gathered 21 people, including He Xunchen, He Zhanqing, Wei Shouyun, Wei Shouqing, Gu Jiting (He Long's eldest brother-in-law), Wang Zhanbiao, Wang Jinmen, Wang Yunzhou, Qu Yuncheng, Diao Ba Er Lao (nickname), Li Yuezhi, Chen Xinzhi, Chen Yuqing, Li Daye, Zou Yuqing, Sun Xiangting, Hou Chunzhi, Peng Dongting, Tian Ziyun, and Ruan Fengwu, to prepare for an uprising. Everyone busied themselves tying belts, wrapping turbans, and binding puttees. When word got out, an old man said, "You boys are really asking for trouble!" He Long thought for a moment and said, "It's not quiet at our doorstep; let's go to Mr. Zhu's house in Qiaoziwan." Mr. Zhu's name was Zhu Decheng, a bachelor who ran a lodging house in Qiaoziwan. So everyone carried some rice and meat to his place to cook and eat, discussing while eating. They needed to choose a "leader." Everyone pushed and deferred, unable to decide. He Long said, "If no one will do it, I will! You're afraid of getting your heads chopped off, afraid of your houses being burned—I'm not!" He was the youngest, only twenty, full of youthful vigor, and everyone unanimously supported him. He Long and everyone studied the battle plan. First, they sent Wei Shouqing and Hou Chunzhi ahead as scouts, while the others prepared their "tools." He Long, He Xunchen, and Wei Jingzhai each took a kitchen knife; Wei Shouyun and Qu Yuncheng took broadswords; the others tucked "xiao qianzi" (daggers) into their clothes. They also wrapped cloth around the outside of oil-paper umbrellas, dipped them in tung oil, to use as torches for "lighting red" at night. Everyone rushed from Qiaoziwan to Bamaoxi overnight, over a hundred li, arriving by the fourth watch. When they reached the small river two li from the salt bureau, the two scouts returned and reported that some soldiers in the salt bureau were smoking opium, some had gone whoring, and the remaining five or six were sound asleep. Immediately, He Long took three men to knock on the door, Wang Zhanbiao took four men to follow and charge, Wei Shouyun, He Xunchen, Chen Xinzhi, and Sun Xiangting were responsible for torches, and He Zhanqing and nine others formed an encirclement, guarding the outside. The salt bureau was a two-story wooden house. The main door was barred tightly with a pole, and there was no sound from inside. He Long, Wei Jingzhai, Zhou Yuqing, and Qu Yuncheng, four who had learned "da" (martial arts), rammed the door open with a shoulder strike. Due to excessive force, they fell to the ground along with the door plank. We lit torches and rushed in together. Captain Jiang of the police team was awakened and swept over with a staff from the side door. Wei Jingzhai was quick; he grabbed the staff and used a "lead the sheep by the hand" move. He Long swung his kitchen knife and brought Captain Jiang down. Wei Shouyun and the others opened the right room door, and four people rushed in, dragging Director Li of the salt bureau out from under the bed. Ruan Fengwu and Tian Ziyun quickly gathered the eight Mauser rifles in the room. He Long asked Director Li where the other four rifles were. Director Li was already shaking like sifting chaff and hurriedly pointed upstairs. The enemies upstairs had been awakened and were pulling up the ladder, grabbing small chairs to guard the stairway. At that time, Mauser rifles were inconvenient to load; you could only insert one bullet and fire one shot. The people above were so panicked that they couldn't even use their weapons properly. Our people climbed up one on another's shoulders. The first two were injured by the enemies' small chairs. He Long stepped onto Wang Zhanbiao's shoulder. An enemy smashed a small chair down; He Long lowered his body, flicked it away with his knife, and the chair flew far. Then with a backhand slash, he cut off one of the enemy soldier's legs. Then he pushed up with both hands and leaped upstairs, killing the more daring and stubborn one. Immediately two more people followed up. The three enemy soldiers upstairs, seeing this, quickly surrendered their guns. Four torches lit the courtyard red. It was almost dawn. The villagers, thinking the salt bureau was on fire, all gathered to watch. He Long ordered Director Li to hand over all account books and official documents, which were carried to the courtyard and burned. Then two cabinets of small copper coins were opened and distributed to the common people.
At dawn, a red sun hung over the mountain pass. Everyone shouldered their guns, surrounded He Long, singing all the way, and withdrew from Bamaoxi, returning to Hongjiaguan. The villagers of Hongjiaguan set off firecrackers to welcome the warriors. Some had red cloth from Bodhisattva statues wrapped around them, and carrying guns, they swaggered into the main street. The old people who had previously been afraid of trouble gave a thumbs-up: "He Wenchang, that boy, has guts and skill." Not long after, this group raised the banner of "Oppose Yuan, Protect the Republic" in Hongjiaguan, and He Long became the commander-in-chief of the people's army. Later, the story of He Long making revolution with three kitchen knives spread throughout the country.