Chapter 123 The Boxers (please subscribe and vote monthly)
Really crazy!
Senior Brother Li and other core members of the Boxers changed their unruly behavior at the wine table and transformed themselves into confidant big brothers with all kinds of words, constantly comforting the wounded hearts of the Boxers, and constantly provoking the long-hidden anger in their hearts.
Very awesome!
A group of young and vigorous locals, but due to the hardship of life, poor health, sallow complexion, severe malnutrition, and gradually being smoothed by life, they kept echoing Brother Li's remarks loudly, as if they had gained hope in life.
A maddening gesture of screaming and screaming.
"The world is tough and life is not easy for us!"
"Foreigners are arrogant, and those who rely on foreigners are even more evil. Poor people like us are the targets of being oppressed and robbed!"
"The government is incompetent and cannot protect the lives and property of poor people like us, so we can only find ways to become stronger ourselves!"
"Practice boxing to strengthen your body is one of the few ways for poor people like us to fight against foreigners and their bastards!"
"Everyone, practice boxing with me!"
Standing on the high platform, the high-spirited Senior Brother Li raised his arms and shouted, which immediately attracted a chorus of agreement: "Practice boxing, practice boxing, practice boxing..."
Senior Brother Li, who was in the center of mania, was as if he had taken Shiquan Dabu Pills. His whole body was in an abnormally excited state.
He stood on the high platform and directly practiced Plum Blossom Boxing.
The foot steps on the plum blossom pile, the body is erratic like a plum blossom, the shadow of the fist is continuous, the angle of the shot is tricky, and the whistling wind of the fist gives people a very strong impact.
It turned out to be an extraordinary performance, and he performed a high-level punch in one breath.
Tsk!
Seeing this from a distance, Wu Dong couldn't help but click his tongue.
Could it be that spiritual power has such a promoting effect on boxing performance?
There was a slight turmoil in his heart, but he made no unnecessary moves and continued to observe the reactions and actions of the boxers.
According to the descendants of the Yan family who served as guides, Brother Li's altar attracted many young people from poor backgrounds in the county and surrounding towns.
Although it was very popular, it was not well received by the county government, and the local gentry and landlords were also very wary.
After all, the Nian bandits back then had so much trouble in Shandong that they even echoed those of the Changmao in the south.
The leading figures in the county will never allow a force that is too powerful to appear again in the local area.
Senior Brother Li is eloquent and has strong martial arts skills, but he can only attract a group of young and middle-aged people who are living in poverty and are almost in dire straits.
For example, the squires and landlords, as well as the small merchants and hawkers in the county, have little interest in participating in this and have little to do with them.
Wu Dong understood that this was because the power of the foreign church had not yet reached out to the landlords, gentry, urban business class, and small citizens.
It is clearly stated in later history books that when the Shandong Boxing Rebellion was at its most intense, the person in charge ordered the whole province to respond, and hundreds of thousands of young men with boxing experience gathered in a short period of time.
Among them, there are not only poor people who are suffering from the pressure of life, but also many gentry and landlord forces involved.
Otherwise, simply having hundreds of thousands of young people gather to respond is not something that can be accomplished easily. How could it be successful without the cooperation of local gentry and even the government?
The scene of hundreds of young men practicing boxing together is still very visually impactful.
Especially when they follow the veteran boxers, shouting and shouting every move, the momentum is really amazing.
At the very least, all the passers-by walked away in panic.
Even the children of the Yan family beside him had expressions of surprise on their faces.
Naturally, Wu Dong wouldn't care. Compared with the military drills of the Black Flag Army and the training of the militia, it was difficult to see the hundreds of young men standing in untidy ranks in front of him.
And the plum blossom boxing they practice is obviously a simplified version.
It only has the simplest moves and routines, and no corresponding pile skills. It is inferior to the basic martial arts training of the Foshan militia.
After all, the basic martial arts training of the Foshan militia was created by the martial arts master Huang Feihong. Although it is simple, the ceiling is not low.
Obviously, the boxing skills practiced by the boxers in front of them are not even the slightest bit worse.
"Is this plum blossom boxing taught by Senior Brother Li?"
After looking at it for a few times, he lost interest. Wu Dong turned around and planned to look elsewhere, and asked casually: "It's a bit crude, but of course it is suitable for beginners!"
"How could it be Senior Brother Li?"
The disciples of the Yan family were stunned for a moment, then shook their heads and said: "This set of Plum Blossom Boxing was created by the senior brother from the main altar. As the teacher said, it is quite suitable for young adults without any foundation to practice!"
Wu Dong nodded and had no intention of continuing to ask.
The Boxers are a new, loose organization.
The conflict with the foreigners has not yet reached its peak. The government is still mainly repressive, and it has not yet formed a climate.
However, as time goes by, the government's suppression will gradually loosen, and then hundreds of thousands of boxers will respond to each other from afar, a scene that will shock the world.
After that, Wu Dong followed the Yan family's children and walked through them all in the county and surrounding villages.
The result was somewhat shocking.
The hardship of ordinary people's life here was beyond his expectation.
Regardless of the Boxer rallies, which targeted foreigners and the lackeys who took refuge with foreigners, in fact, the land annexation situation, which was the main contradiction before, showed no signs of improvement at all, and instead became more and more serious.
According to the Yan family's children, all the fertile farmland in the village has basically fallen into the hands of the landlords and gentry.
It would be good for ordinary people to have one or two acres of land in their homes.
But even so, the landowners and gentry in the countryside still want to incorporate it into their own names.
However, the current situation was unstable and they did not dare to go as far as before. Especially after the Boxer rally appeared, they acted more cautiously.
In this regard, I have to say that Boxer meetings still have some effect.
At least, the poor people who have a certain amount of force and organization have made the always arrogant landlords and gentry restrain themselves.
Of course, being restrained does not mean that they will be merciful when exploiting their tenants.
When it comes to land rent, the most conscientious landowners only give 50% to 60% to 70% to 60% to 70% to 80%.
Coupled with the government's exploitation, those days were really sad. Children were often sold and daughters were sold, and human tragedies occurred from time to time.
When passing by the "Renshi" next to the county seat, I strolled over and took a look.
Even with his character, he couldn't help but have thoughts that he couldn't bear to witness.
In this way, I followed the Yan family's children around the county and surrounding villages for almost three days.
After getting a clear understanding of the surrounding environment and the general situation nearby.
Wu Dong had some concerns in mind. When talking to Yan Zhendong after dinner that day, he said bluntly: "The surrounding environment is indeed a bit bad. The forces of the gentry and landlords are intertwined, and the forces of the government and foreigners are involved.
, it’s just a mess!”
Yan Zhendong couldn't help but smile bitterly and said helplessly: "To put it shamefully, I really couldn't see the situation clearly before. I always felt that something was wrong, so I didn't dare to act rashly!"
"Senior Brother Li opened the forum and held a massive boxer rally. It seems like it will be a hit all at once!"
"But I have also experienced the Foshan militia and encountered difficulties caused by the dignified governor of Guangdong Province. Naturally, I know the power of the government and it is no joke!"
"Besides, the nearby squire and landlords place too much emphasis on land and other interests than their counterparts in Foshan, and they are not the same as the Boxers organized by Brother Li!"
"I can finally see that the interests of these country gentry and landlords have been impacted by the foreigners' lack of legs, and they seem to want to use the Boxers organized by Brother Li to resist and counterattack!"
Having said this, he shook his head and said: "With the relationship between me and Senior Brother Li, it is simply unrealistic to want to share the profits from the gentry and landlords!"
"Master Yan, do you understand clearly?"
Wu Dong was a little surprised, nodded and said with a smile: "After a few days of observation, things are indeed similar to what Master Yan said!"
"However, there is no chance!"
"Oh, what chance?"
Yan Zhendong became interested and hurriedly urged: "Stop being so pretentious!"
"I noticed that there seems to be no escort agency in the county?"
Wu Dong said directly: "With the current chaotic situation outside, it is not easy to do serious business, but it is a great environment for doing escort business!"
"Escort agency business?"
Yan Zhendong was a little disappointed, shook his head and said: "Among the children of the Yan family, I am the only one who has reached the Ming Jin level. The rest are only at the Condensing Jin stage. How can I do the job of a bodyguard master?"
"Isn't there Senior Brother Li?"
Wu Dong smiled and said: "Boxers from all over the world are one family. As long as Senior Brother Li is willing to join in, a lot of trouble of opening an escort agency and running escorts can be avoided!"
Yan Zhendong's eyes lit up, this was indeed a good idea.
When he was still in the Foshan militia, he knew that the escort agency that had been split off from the militia, with the help of Guangzhou's superior business environment and the support of a fleet from the same sect, was really prosperous.
However, if you cooperate with Senior Brother Li, will you be taken over by a dove?
You know, there are hundreds of boxers under Brother Li, and the number is still increasing. It can be said that his power is getting stronger and stronger.
The Yan family has a limited number of children, and there is no top master in charge. Who knows if something unexpected will happen after opening an escort agency to make money?
Seeing Yan Zhendong's hesitation, Wu Dong quickly guessed his worries and couldn't help but chuckled and said, "Let's spread the stall first and open up the situation before talking about anything else!"
Yan Zhendong was a little embarrassed and said with a wry smile: "After all, I have to consider the livelihood of the whole family, so I have to think more about what is available and what is not!"
"Nothing bad!"
Wu Dong didn't take it seriously and said with a smile: "Besides having connections, the most important thing for opening an escort agency is to have experts to establish authority. Master Yan can't just sit idly by!"
"rest assured!"
Yan Zhendong was quite confident in his own martial arts skills and said directly: "As long as I don't offend my martial arts colleagues for no reason and just come to discuss and exchange ideas, I can still do it!"
After saying that, he looked at Wu Dong and said nothing...
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