The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Go and reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land.

The continuous famines severely damaged the vegetation in the entire northwest.

The environment continues to deteriorate, with land degradation and desertification becoming increasingly severe. Even places like Xi'an are plagued by sandstorms. So, in this era, some people imagine the natural environment is better without industry, but they are just dreaming. It's safe to say that the environment is even worse than in later generations, and the task of environmental governance is undoubtedly enormous.

"You don't know, Shaanxi has been suffering from severe drought for several years. Cannibalism is not uncommon. Last winter, it snowed for three days. Thousands of people died every day just outside Xi'an. People were living in extreme poverty. It was horrible."

At this time, the soldier in charge of leading the way was introducing the situation in Shaanxi to the officers of the Third Division.

"The Qing Dynasty is incompetent."

"Yes, the rich can't die without cause, and the poor die without being buried. They're just left on the ground and made into human meatballs and sold. You think Empress Dowager Cixi, seeing this situation when she came to Xi'an, could actually stay there? She's truly shameless."

"Haha, if Cixi had any dignity, she wouldn't have fled the capital. Don't worry, now that we've liberated Shaanxi, the situation will naturally be different."

The Third Division charged all the way to the gates of Xi'an. When the revolutionary army's red hammer and sickle flag appeared in Governor Sheng Yun's telescope, he knew that the Sichuan rebels had ambitions for the entire world. After two years of development, they had finally left Sichuan. He seemed to see a roaring red demon, reaching out from Sichuan and heading towards Shaanxi, determined to devour the flesh and blood of the Manchu people.

Last year, the Shaanxi-Gansu Governor-General Song Fan sent a massive army to attack Sichuan. However, not a single soldier returned. It was as if these elite troops had vanished from the face of the earth, causing Song Fan and his men to never again venture into Sichuan. However, they came up with a solution to the massacre of so many Green Camp members. Since there was a rumor that eating human flesh would turn one's eyes red, they spread the rumor that the Sichuan rebels ate human flesh and drank human blood, devouring the attacking Qing troops. They also promoted the idea that the Sichuan Red Bandits were demons with red hair and eyes. They described the Sichuan demons as three feet tall and ten feet wide, radiating blood, invulnerable to swords and spears, and indestructible even to bullets. They also claimed that the red flag of the Forward Party was a talisman, claiming that the hammer and sickle on it would immobilize the souls of those who saw it, causing them to fall ill and die, and their souls would be scattered after death.

Even though the Qing officials spread such outrageous propaganda, many people still believed it. This is because Shaanxi is located in the inland, the road traffic is very bad, and the people are still very closed. Otherwise, during the Xinhai Revolution, Sheng Yun, the temporary governor of Shaanxi, would not have opposed the abdication of the Qing emperor and led his army to take Shaanxi. In the name of serving the emperor, he attempted to capture Xi'an and welcome Puyi to establish a small court in the western region.

After dozens of battles, he captured more than ten cities and deceived the entire Shaanxi Province. After the abdication edict was issued, Sheng Yun still insisted on killing a large number of prisoners of war and revolutionaries.

Later, they retreated because the troops refused to fight.

Governor Sheng Yun naturally would not believe that these propaganda about the radical cause were made up by them. However, when he saw the red hammer and sickle flag

When he saw it, he knew that the legendary revolutionary army had arrived, and his doomsday had also come.

Governor Sheng Yun was seen trembling, his hands shaking as he put away his telescope.

Mirror, mumbling non-stop: "It's over, this divination tool has no form. Didn't the Red Bandits attack Hubei? Yuan 5 and E Ku 3b's Hubei attack west, what a good strategy. These bandits who dare to kill even foreigners, why don't they go to the north and come to this bitter cold Shaanxi? It's over, everything is over

It is. ”

Governor Sheng Yun knew very well that Shaanxi had no one he could rely on.

Even the green writing plus 5 skills m workers in the entire Shaanxi and Gansu region could not be the opponent of this small number of life and death troops. And at this time, he only had two t Yi Yi A hands together, which was not enough to surround Xi'an City. This made him suddenly become six panic

I was at a loss and didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, Governor Sheng Yun knelt on the city wall, kowtowed, and cried out: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it's over! The Qing Dynasty is finished! Everything is over! I feel guilty towards the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and all our ancestors."

Chapter 217: Thank you for your reward and urging me to update more

The more he imagined, the more terrified Shengyun felt. Finally, he fell into a corner of his mind and couldn't get out, and he collapsed.

At this moment, the advisor beside him could no longer bear to watch. What was the point of kneeling on the city wall? If he had the guts, he could just jump down and show his loyalty. Of course, the advisor was just thinking about it. He immediately leaned over to Sheng Yun's ear and whispered, "Sir, please don't be sad. Of the thirty-six strategies, running away is the best one. We should pack up and ask the Governor-General for help! Once we get to Lanzhou, we can go to Governor-General Song Fan. He will make the decision for you. Who knows, you might even lead the troops to retake Xi'an in the future."

Upon hearing this, Governor Sheng Yun suddenly came to his senses: Yes, we must run quickly, otherwise we will be doomed.

Governor Sheng Yun immediately staggered and tried to stand up. If it weren't for the timely support of the legal advisor and others, he would have fallen to the ground again. The legal advisor knew that Governor Sheng Yun was dying, and he immediately shouted: "The red-haired bandits who eat human flesh are here. If you don't want to die, defend the city wall with all your strength. Otherwise, not only will you die, but your parents, wives and children will also be eaten by the red-haired bandits. The long-haired bandits were suppressed by the court back then, and now the red-haired bandits are the same. Sooner or later, they will be suppressed. The red-haired bandits are human beings, and so are we. Why should we be afraid of them? Kill one red bandit and you will be rewarded with ten taels of silver. Kill two and you will be promoted one level. Governor Song Fan is already on the way to support us. Our city walls are so high. As long as we hold on until dark, we will be saved. Anyone who escapes will be killed without mercy..."

The advisor was also a man of talent. He suddenly thought of the long-haired people and gave the revolutionary army the nickname "Red Hair". Regardless of whether what the advisor said was true or not, after hearing about the brutality of the army outside, and hearing about the reward of ten taels of silver and the promise of promotion, and that Governor Song Fan was on the way to rescue, the morale of the Qing army suddenly lifted, and they all expressed their willingness to fight to the death.

After making the arrangements, the advisor led the governor Sheng Yun and his entourage to rush into the city. The Qing soldiers felt relieved when they saw the direction Sheng Yun was heading.

It is understandable that Lord Fu is in command in the city.

Sheng Yun rushed into the house with a group of people. As soon as he entered, he immediately asked his family to pack up their valuables. He planned to sneak out of the city while the revolutionary army was not besieging the city, and then immediately ride at full speed to Lanzhou, thinking that the red bandits could not catch up with them.

Seung-yoon thought his family would quickly pack up their valuables, but after a while, they still hadn't managed to sort them out. They were moving bags and boxes like they were moving house, and some of the larger boxes were so heavy they couldn't even lift them. Seung-yoon immediately recognized them as the boxes where he'd stored his money. "I should have moved them earlier or buried them in a cellar," Seung-yoon thought bitterly.

At this time, Shengyun knew that he didn't have much time, but he was reluctant to let go of the money he had worked so hard to get. He was anxious and immediately began to order his wife, concubines and guards to move the money.

"Oh, I don't want that anymore. I don't want this box either. Take that painting, the one by Tang Bohu..."

While Shengyun was still arguing, his advisor came rushing over carrying a small bundle. Seeing that Shengyun was so reluctant to part with his belongings, he felt a sense of disappointment and immediately said to Shengyun, "Sir, there is no time. No amount of money will help. We should report the situation here to the Governor-General as soon as possible. As long as there is green, there will be firewood."

Shengyun immediately came to his senses. That's right, as long as he escaped

Go, and get back what you lost somewhere else. Sheng Yun was also very happy, so he immediately ignored everything and shouted: "Everyone get in the car, what

I don’t want anything else, just leave now.”

Then he took his most beloved concubine and boarded the carriage. After the legal advisor got in, the driver shouted, "Go!"

The carriage left its spot and headed towards the city gate. Seeing how abruptly Seung-yoon left, his wife, guards, and concubines abandoned all thought and, grabbing their most valuable gifts, boarded the carriage and followed. A few shrewd guards, however, carried a box and disappeared into the crowd, no longer following Seung-yoon.

As soon as Seung-yoon's carriage left the gate, he heard gunshots outside the city gate. Seung-yoon shouted anxiously, "Go, go quickly. Go in the opposite direction of the gunshots."

At this point, the driver knew what to do without Shengyun telling him. Shengyun wasn't the only clever person packing up to leave. Officials of all ranks in the city, including the numerous Manchus and those lesser-known officials, all knew what the Sichuan Forward Party and the revolutionary army were up to, and they too packed up their belongings and fled.

At that time, every house in Xi'an was locked and shut, and the streets were almost deserted, save for dignitaries like Shengyun, who were fleeing in their horse-drawn carriages. When Shengyun arrived at the city gates, they were already fully open; it seemed the guards had also fled. The driver, without even a moment's pause, rode his horse forward, dashing out of Xi'an.

The revolutionary army in the city had no idea that Shengyun had simply abandoned the city and fled. At this time, they had already attacked towards the city gate, intending to cooperate with the troops outside the city to capture Xi'an.

The vanguard of the Third Division arrived in Xi'an and, with the help of their comrades within the city, easily captured the city. The revolutionary army quickly received the news. They had never expected Sheng Yun and his men to escape so easily, nor had they expected the Qing army's resistance to be so insignificant. The scattered Qing resistance crumbled under the revolutionary army's rapid-fire rifle fire, and the revolutionary army spent far more time and energy capturing prisoners than fighting the battle itself.

The commander of the Third Division immediately began to investigate the situation. He soon realized that half of the Qing troops in Xi'an were heading in the direction of the revolutionary army's attack, while another half had already fled to another city gate, following the Manchu dignitaries before the attack. That's right, not retreating, but running away. Where had the Qing troops in the city received any training in retreat? Retreating is far more demanding than attacking, and a single mistake could lead to the collapse of the army.

Zhang Feng was overjoyed when he received the telegram that the Third Division had captured Xi'an. He ordered the Third Division to send a pursuit force to drive the fleeing Qing army to Weinan, and try to meet up with the troops in Tongguan as soon as possible.

The Fourth Division had already entered Baoji and was about to launch an attack. Zhang Feng ordered the Fourth Division to eliminate the Qing Dynasty's active forces in Baoji and cut off the passage from Gansu to Shaanxi.

The Fifth Division was also marching at a rapid pace, crossing the Qinling Mountains and likely catching up with the baggage train in Meixian. The Fifth Division's plan remained unchanged, tasked with clearing out the Manchu Qing forces in Xianyang and other areas.

Zhang Feng looked at the map and estimated that the straight-line distance from here to Xi'an was less than 90 kilometers. Now that Xi'an had been captured, there was no particular rush. Moreover, the troops were too tired from continuous marching, so they stayed overnight in Zhouzhi County.

The moon was dim and the stars were sparse. A brisk breeze blew in from the Wei River, making the soldiers from Sichuan feel uncomfortable. Zhang Feng surveyed the streets of Zhouzhi. It was dark everywhere, with only the occasional howl of wolves. Zhang Feng knew the locals had probably already fled, and the population was sparse. He finally understood what Chairman Zhang Yinghao meant when he said the conditions for revolution were ripe. Furthermore, before the troops left Shaanxi, Bai Guangliang had told him that the Shaanxi authorities could trade him for supplies in exchange for opium paste. Although Shaanxi had just emerged from a severe drought, the local landlords were eager to plant poppies, which they now knew would be a perfect solution to their urgent needs.

Back at the camp, Zhang Feng took out the plan and appointment letter and began to read them. During the discussions in Sichuan, it was planned that after the liberation of Shaanxi, seven cities would be established: Xi'an, Weinan, Tongchuan, Baoji, Hanzhong, Northern Shaanxi, and Shangluo. Military control would be temporarily implemented, with a garrison unit established in each city, also serving as a primary reinforcement force.

At the same time, the Shaanxi Military Sub-district was established, with Zhang Feng as commander and party secretary, Cai Zhonghe as political commissar, and Zhao Jinshan as chief of staff. The three divisions were directly expanded and upgraded to corps, with seven divisions under its jurisdiction (list attached), namely the 5th to 1st Divisions of the Shaanxi Military Sub-district.

Every time Zhang Feng saw this letter of appointment, he felt the sheer force of it was beyond his imagination. His three divisions would leave Sichuan and be directly expanded into a military sub-district, recruiting seven divisions. Although many of the officers within it had yet to arrive, once the plan was implemented, Shaanxi would be as stable as a rock.

The following evening, a telegram arrived: the Third Division reported that they had captured Weinan and Tongguan, completely annihilated the remaining Qing forces, and captured Shaanxi Governor Sheng Yun alive. The Fourth Division reported that they had captured Baoji and were now in the process of eliminating the Qing forces. The Fifth Division reported that they had captured Xianyang and, having eliminated the Qing forces, their main force was heading towards Tongchuan.

After Zhang Feng arrived in Xi'an, the first thing he did was to ask the people in the city to come out and surrender. With the example of Chengdu as a reference, some Manchu officials

With the help of their persuasion, the entire city of Xi'an was soon taken.

The next thing Zhang Feng did was neither to promote himself nor to release grain to aid the people. Instead, he immediately contacted Comrade Zhao Liang, who sent a comrade to lead the way and launched a large-scale arrest of the landlords, evil gentry, Qing officials, and bullies who had committed numerous atrocities in recent years.

Although these people had heard about Sichuan's policies, they were naturally fearless because the revolutionary army had not left Sichuan.

A few quick-witted individuals escaped, but the vast majority were killed or captured by the revolutionary army. The revolutionary attack was so sudden, and the capture of Xi'an was so swift. The entire Xi'an area received virtually no news. The revolutionary army launched an abrupt attack, and the city gates were breached in an instant. With Tongguan captured, the vast majority of the enemy forces in Shaanxi were trapped, with nowhere to flee.

In the countryside, under the speed of the revolutionary cavalry, those who had just received the news, or even before they received the news, the revolutionary army had already arrived in front of them. Even if they resisted stubbornly, they would not be able to save their lives. The final result would be the same. Confiscate the landlords' floating property and the opium paste they harvested.

These are the first things the revolutionary army must do.

After imprisoning these captured enemies, Zhang Feng did not execute them immediately. Instead, he posted notices and recruited laborers to start working.

When the time comes, countless people with stuttering will unconditionally follow the Progressive Party.

Zhang Feng clearly remembered what Zhang Yinghao had said: "In our current situation, we simply can't provide large-scale disaster relief. The only measure we can take is work-for-relief. Shaanxi has been plagued by war since the late Ming Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty owes Shaanxi over two hundred years of infrastructure, water conservancy, roads, and so on, all of which require a large labor force to complete. And Shaanxi is such a large province, with an estimated population of only 5.5 million. We don't have enough food to feed so many people. Even if we did, we can't transport it now."

But in reality, bad things can be turned into good things. This is our perfect opportunity to unite with the people of Shaanxi and seize power in Shaanxi. If we can capture or kill those evil landlords, Manchu officials, and bullies, we will control all their food. In this way, we can control the vast majority of Shaanxi's food.

At this point, if we build roads and water conservancy projects, and organize people to open up wasteland and cultivate the land, the people will naturally follow us. Whether you can survive this year depends on how much grain you can harvest this autumn. Without grain, no one can handle the situation in Shaanxi. Therefore, whether you can have an easy time in Shaanxi depends on whether you can crack down hard on the landlords and gentry who have grain. After that, it will depend on whether you can grow enough grain from this year to next summer harvest. In short, do everything you can to get grain."

Zhang Feng understood Zhang Yinghao's words, and he acted accordingly. With the first batch of grain seized from the landlords, he immediately began organizing a large-scale effort to cultivate wasteland, planting potatoes he had brought from Sichuan. He also exchanged all the opium harvested by ordinary Shaanxi residents in May and June for grain and wasteland. While combating pornography, gambling, and drug trafficking in the liberated areas, he also sent people to escort opium paste back to Sichuan to exchange with Bai Guangliang for supplies to support Shaanxi's construction. Simultaneously, he recruited a large number of young men to form engineering and police corps.

Zhang Feng now understood that only by organizing people could they possess greater strength and withstand future risks. Although he didn't understand where these risks lay or how severe they might be, Sichuan's successful experience had taught him the true power of organizing ordinary people.

Gradually, more and more disaster victims gathered around the gate of Xi'an, and those from farther away also slowly gathered towards Xi'an.

Chapter 218: I can’t see the stock market, so I’ll add more code

At the same time, more and more disaster victims were organized by the revolutionary army, and they were busy again. After several years of despair, the people finally saw the arrival of hope, and many people were moved to tears.

At this point, Zhang Feng set up several porridge stalls in and around the city, specifically to provide food for women, children, and those unable to work. Near the porridge stalls, the cries were heard the most. Many people hadn't eaten any hot food for a long time, and they could only shed tears, trying to swallow the soup.

Of course, there were always those who wanted to get something for nothing, always trying to beg for a bowl of porridge. In particular, there were quite a few hooligans who publicly molested the women, even forcibly snatching the porridge they had received. Many people were angry but dared not speak out. Seeing the women's reluctance to speak out, Zhang Feng didn't say much, except to leave a soldier to secretly monitor the hooligans.

If you walk too much at night, you'll always encounter ghosts. Even bullying has its limits. A woman was carrying porridge meant for her child's life, but these hooligans snatched it. The woman finally fought back, and the public began to criticize her. The incident finally went viral, and Zhang Feng, eager for an opportunity to assert his authority, seized the public's excitement, apprehended the hooligans, put them on trial, and then publicly executed them.

From then on, Zhang Feng's rule in Shaanxi was firmly established. Killing people to establish authority was a practice that existed since ancient times, and the effect was remarkable. Word of this establishment of authority gradually spread, and when people entered and exited the city gates and looked up to see the hanging heads, Zhang Feng's orders became even more effective. Shaanxi was known for its fierce character, but in reality, such places were more in need of power, and their people were more afraid of it. Because they themselves believed in the supremacy of strength, and knowing the power of the revolutionary army, they would obey it even more.

This method of establishing authority was actually taught to them by Zhang Yinghao. He still remembered Zhang Yinghao saying, "Mobilizing the masses to fight against the masses is one way to quickly draw them closer to us. The masses will spontaneously fight for their own interests. When they can't win, they'll seek support. If we support their struggle, they'll immediately draw closer to us. We educate and transform them, allowing them to transition from spontaneous struggle to conscious struggle and become part of our team. We're not trying to create conflict, but what we say and do can't represent the interests of everyone. There will always be some who sabotage and dissent. At this time, the best way to deal with these people is to mobilize the masses to fight against the masses."

Our policy is to protect the weak and promote fairness. However, excessive protection of the weak and fairness is precisely unfair. If the weak take protection for granted, then we are violating our original intention, and at that point, the weak are no longer weak. Therefore, we must let the weak fight for themselves, protest, and make their voices heard. When those who feel unfairness speak out, we can then deal with them more effectively.

Zhang Feng knew he could directly deal with the bullies who robbed women of their food and the hooligans who molested them. But what would that accomplish? Would it be better to let these women feel protected, or to let them know that someone was upholding their grievances? To support their weakness?

So when these women comrades know that only when they struggle can they have support, they will dare to fight.

When they are in trouble, they will choose to retreat and tolerate. Zhang Feng knows that what Zhang Huojia meant is that there is no savior in this world, and we cannot rely on gods or emperors.

The Progressive Party and the Revolutionary Army are willing to protect them, but not to protect their weakness and retreat, but to protect them in defending their own interests.

Zhang Feng was already arranging work in Xi'an. Just as the situation in Shaanxi was raging, the Qing court finally got the news. The official finally received the news, so frightened that he dropped the report to the ground, muttering, "It's over! The tiger is out of the cage..."

Upon hearing the news of the loss of Shaanxi, the Qing court was in a state of turmoil. The debate raged over whether to immediately dispatch troops to suppress the Red Bandits or to train a new army before doing so. Of course, no one would be so foolish as to suggest a retreat. The bandits had already taken control of two provinces, and the situation was clearly a matter of course. To suggest a retreat was like hanging oneself—a sign of longevity.

In fact, everyone wanted to suppress the rebellion, but the previous experience was obvious to all. The 4 attacking troops all suffered heavy losses, and Ding Zhenduo even caught a cold on the way to escape.

The most important thing is that sending troops requires money. The problem is that the money is constantly being distributed. I don’t know how to settle the debt owed to foreigners. How can I have the extra money to send troops?

What about suppression?

In fact, by this time, everyone had an answer in mind, which was to rely on borrowing money from foreigners. However, this could not be said by the county lord. It was not pleasant to be labeled a traitor, and Li Zhongshi was a living example of this.

—After arguing for a while, the officials immediately looked at each other, waiting for Cixi to get angry, and then everyone knelt down and shouted: "We are incompetent and deserve to die." And then nothing happened.

After mumbling for a while, Cixi suddenly seemed to think of something and hurriedly picked up the memorial to read it again. When she saw that Tongguan had been lost, she knew that she had to either recapture Tongguan and Shaanxi and open up the northwest passage, or prepare to lose the northwest. Cixi suddenly felt that she was really exhausted. There was no one in the court who could share her worries and difficulties.

Of course, not all of them were fools. At this time, a eunuch came in with a telegram. Eunuch Li Lianying took it and saw that it was a telegram from Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang. The content inside made him very happy, and he quickly presented the telegram to Cixi.

Cixi took it and began to read. The general meaning was: "Today there are rumors that the Red Bandits have captured Shaanxi, and the Red Bandits' newspapers have published several pages reporting on this." As I read the newspaper, I noticed that Shaanxi is now a burden to the Red Bandits. The drought in Shaanxi and Gansu is severe, and people are starving and exchanging their children for food. If the Red Bandits capture Shaanxi at this time, there will be no benefit, and it will only tie up a large number of Sichuan troops...

Is there anyone who knows the situation in Shaanxi better than Cixi? She arrived in Shaanxi after a long journey, so doesn't she know the situation in Shaanxi? Cixi skipped the previous nonsense and read the strategy directly.

...The Red Bandits' ban on opium created irreconcilable conflicts with Western powers. Foreigners, driven by profit, promised the British to open mines in Sichuan and Shaanxi for a decade or two, borrowing vast sums from the British, using Sichuan's salt tax as collateral. Promising sufficient benefits would ensure the foreigners' exploitation. The Qing Dynasty should immediately reform its policies, purchase ammunition, train new troops, and join forces with foreign forces to suppress the rebellion. This would be the best strategy...

Cixi reviewed Zhang Zhidong's strategy, summarizing it as borrowing foreign funds, building strong alliances, purchasing munitions, and training new soldiers, repeatedly. Though still dissatisfied, she felt helpless; this was the only way. Furthermore, the turmoil across the country hadn't subsided, and Cixi lacked the strength to initiate another war. However, Zhang Zhidong's telegram reminded her that rebels in Zhili needed to be suppressed with the help of foreign forces. With her mind made up and no longer anxious, she quietly looked at the Manchu ministers kneeling below.

In fact, upon receiving the telegram announcing the fall of Xi'an, Zhang Yinghao immediately printed a pre-prepared newspaper and circulated it throughout Sichuan at top speed. The newspaper, of course, described the devastation in Shaanxi and the Qing dynasty's incompetence. The message consisted of a few words: "Shaanxi is a burden, the Qing dynasty cannot save Shaanxi, we Sichuan will go to rescue the people." The message also called on the people of Sichuan to donate money and supplies to aid the people of Shaanxi.

Of course, the Qing Dynasty interpreted this information differently. After all, Sichuan and Shaanxi were in trouble, which was a fact.

This information reached the Qing Dynasty in an instant via telegram. In fact, by the time the Qing Dynasty received the news, Zhang Yinghao had already received the news from Xi'an. It can be said that the Qing Dynasty's news came from Zhang Yinghao. As for Zhang Zhidong's telegram, it was simply because Zhang Zhidong himself was unwilling to send troops to suppress the Red Bandits in Sichuan.

He was unwilling to waste his little capital like this, because if the Qing Dynasty decided to suppress the Red Bandits, his Huguang region would be the front line, and he would have to send troops. That's why he racked his brains to write this telegram. If Zhang Yinghao knew about this, he would just smile. When it came to their own interests, it was normal for Qing officials to damage the interests of the Qing Dynasty. Otherwise, there would be no Southeast Mutual Protection Agreement.

However, the senior officials of the Qing Dynasty naturally did not want Sichuan to become bigger. Zhang Zhidong believed that time was on his side, while Zhang Yinghao believed that time was on his side. What Zhang Yinghao lacked most now was time, and Zhang Zhidong just bought time for Zhang Yinghao. This has to be said to be an extreme irony.

At this time, the traditional virtues of the Chinese people were fully demonstrated. Zhang Shihao called on the people to donate money and materials, and the relevant departments organized a donation activity.

The vast majority of Sichuan people generously donated their recently earned banknotes, both new and old

All the clothes and pants were donated, and every donation activity brought in a lot of benefits. This batch of supplies did solve some of Zhang Yinghao's urgent needs.

Zhang Yinghao gathered the party members and cadres assigned to Shaanxi and sent them to Shaanxi with the transport team. At this point, Zhang Yinghao discovered a problem: many steps in the process of donating materials, especially the money, were completely unmonitored. Relevant personnel only needed to change a single number, and large sums of money would go into their own pockets.

Under the current communication conditions, it is impossible to achieve comprehensive and effective

In this regard, Zhang Yinghao could only deal with a few fools who were not even greedy for money, and he was powerless to do anything else.

Not to mention now, even in the future, it is the same, otherwise there would not be such a thing as people from the Red Cross living in luxury houses and driving luxury cars, and these people are actually desperately trying to show off, what else could this be but idiots?

If we really want to put an end to this situation, we can only enter the information age of complete data transparency. Every penny you donate can be tracked through the Internet to see how it is spent. Otherwise, it is absurd.

Apart from the Qing Dynasty, the powers that were most affected by the Red Bandits' escape from Sichuan were the foreign powers. They originally thought that they could trap the Red Bandits in Sichuan and keep them under their complete surveillance, so that they could easily control the development of Zhang Yinghao's armed forces. However, they were severely slapped in the face by Zhang Yinghao.

The British were the ones who were really angry and embarrassed. They saw that the Sichuan monkey had actually jumped out of their Five Finger Mountain. It can be said that this group of rebels is really

Just as the sea is wide and the fish can leap, the sky is high and the birds can fly. With the influence of the two provinces, the British are extremely disgusted and have even reached the limit of 100 million. As the leader of the Western powers, the British are like a gang boss. Any uncontrolled force may threaten his territory in the future.

By this time, the British no longer regarded the Sichuan rebels as a mere spectacle.

Treat it as an internal Qing affair. Should the government continue to allow the Sichuan rebels to exist, or should it encourage the Qing to eliminate them as soon as possible?

After all, now he can no longer limit the expansion of Sichuan. As long as Sichuan expands northward, the British can only sigh in despair.

They were at the level of overlords, but they were beaten to the ground by the Qing Dynasty. However, when they reached the inland areas, Guan Guoba's Wen River could not reach them. Moreover, at this time, news from Shaanxi was almost completely blocked to him, because the missionaries in Shaanxi were in the drought of 1900.

At that time, Governor Duan Fang sent them all to Wuhan. Now the only information they could get was through the official channels of the Progressive Party.

However, the British were not to sit idly by. This old scoundrel had quietly set his sights on the snowy plateau beyond Sichuan, a place Britain had long coveted. The British reasoned that the powers were well aware of Shaanxi's situation. Furthermore, Sichuan had just swallowed up a province and was struggling to govern it, so there were likely no military forces left to mobilize. Furthermore, the Sichuan newspapers described the plight of Shaanxi, and the British reasoned that it was a complete money-eating beast. Even plundering Sichuan would be futile in their quest to restore Shaanxi's vitality.