The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"Mr. Zhou, drink some water to moisten your throat."

Zhang Yinghao had just returned from work and was genuinely thirsty, so he grabbed his water cup and gulped it down. Zhou Weiren smiled and took a sip as well.

"Where did Captain Zhang learn the official language?"

"My father got a book on Mandarin from a foreigner. I'm also self-taught, so there are definitely some things I don't understand well. Come, have some tea."

Zhang Yinghao lied with his eyes open, but suddenly remembered that the person in front of him might be the one who could really speak the current official language, so he quickly offered him some tea to cover it up.

"I see."

They both picked up their teacups and took a sip.

Chapter 31: The Landlord Comes to Make Arrangements

3678 words

Make a concerted effort, and then keep encouraging each other. — Quotes from Zhang Yinghao

"Mr. Zhou has traveled dozens of miles to get here, but what do you want from me?"

"I heard at home that Captain Zhang had caused quite a scene, so I came here to take a look."

"Haha, it's not a big deal at all, just misbehaving."

"Captain Zhang uses the title of Colonel. Is this a title from the foreign army?"

"Yes, that's the regimental name of the foreign army. I set up a security regiment here to protect the peace and prevent bandits. I thought the name 'foreigner' was a good name, so I just borrowed it."

"I see. I heard you also compiled a dictionary?"

"Haha, sorry to have made you laugh, Mr. Zhou. I just compiled a simple dictionary to help the villagers in our village learn to read and write."

"It seems that Captain Zhang has big plans!"

"I don't have any ulterior motives. My biggest wish is to keep my fellow countrymen safe."

......

Since it was just idle chat, Zhang Yinghao would chat with Zhou Weiren to see who could not stand it first, so that he could understand the exact thoughts of the landlord class of that era.

……

"I heard that you are still distributing land to the villagers?"

"Finally, we're getting to the point." Zhang Yinghao thought, this is exactly why you came here!

"Alas, there's nothing I can do. The wealthy family in our village was wiped out by bandits. I still have some prestige in the village, but I don't want to farm myself, so I just divide his land among the villagers."

"Then do you know that what you're doing makes you the public enemy of the world? You're out there killing landlords and stealing their land. Do you have to give it to the villagers too?"

Zhang Yinghao sighed, "This guy doesn't look like a landlord at all. He dares to ask anything. Since you dare to ask, why shouldn't I dare to answer?" Zhang Yinghao thought again. It seems that Zhou Weiren has done a thorough investigation of himself and knows that he has only killed the most heinous landlords. The others have not been killed but are undergoing labor reform.

"Mr. Zhou, you're an educated man. I'm actually practicing Confucian ideals. A world of peace and harmony, where those who till the land own their land—isn't that Confucius' ideal?"

"Then you shouldn't kill and rob the landlords of their land to give it to the peasants, right? The landlords' land was passed down through generations of hard work and effort. If you just snatched it away like this, isn't that robbery?"

Zhang Yinghao laughed and said, "Alas, I have no choice. So many disaster victims have come to me. I just gave them some food. You said those landlords have hidden so much food, but they just don't use it to help the people, and they are hoarding it. If I don't rob these disaster victims, they will starve to death. Mr. Zhou, what else can I do?"

"Captain Zhang, are you taking advantage of the people to gain respect?"

"Haha, if it's serious, the most we can do is punish the criminals."

"You mean the landowners are guilty?"

"I didn't say that. It was you, Mr. Zhou, who said that."

"Are you planning a rebellion?"

"Ha ha ha ha......"

When Zhang Yinghao heard this, he burst into laughter.

"why are you laughing?"

"Mr. Zhou, if I rebel, the Qing government will come and wipe us out. If we are rebels, then what are you doing now? Chatting with rebels?"

"Aren't you afraid that the landlord militia will unite and attack you?"

"Hmm? Any news, Mr. Zhou?"

Before Zhou Weiren could speak, Zhang Yinghao saw Yuan Kesheng rushing in: "Commander, something happened. Something happened, Commander..."

Suddenly he saw Zhou Weiren sitting next to him, and immediately shut his mouth, handed the paper in his hand to Zhang Yinghao, and stood aside.

“Don’t worry about anything, the sky won’t fall.”

Zhang Yinghao took the paper and began to read it. He quickly learned that a group of landlords had gone to the prefectural yamen to file a complaint. It also mentioned that after the complaint was filed, these landlords had gathered at the home of a large landlord. Combined with Zhou Weiren's words, he knew without even asking that this was a plan to deal with him. He just didn't know what tactics these landlords would use.

"Haha, Mr. Zhou, the landlords organizing an attack on me you mentioned might be about to happen. For your safety, I'd like you to stay with us for a while. Do you need me to deliver a message to your family or do you have any requests?"

"Are you planning to imprison me?"

"I can't help it. It's such a coincidence. I can only apologize for inconveniencing you."

"Captain Zhang, I think as long as you give up your proposal to divide the land, the government and gentry will not make things difficult for you. I can guarantee you a regular position."

"Hehe, I'll think about it."

"Okay, just find someone to take a message home for me."

Zhang Yinghao turned to look at Yuan Kesheng and said, "Send someone to the home of landlord Zhou Weiren with a message saying that Zhou Weiren is a guest here. Please take good care of Mr. Zhou."

After that, he turned around and pointed at Yuan Kesheng and said to Zhou Weiren: "If you have anything else to convey to your family, just tell this comrade, or write a letter and ask this comrade to give it to your family."

"Comrade?" Zhou Weiren murmured in a low voice.

After hearing this, Zhang Yinghao laughed and walked out the door, saying as he walked, "Words of like mind are as fragrant as orchids. Those of like mind have like virtues, and those of like virtues have like comrades."

Zhang Yinghao walked out the door and said to the guard, "What do you think Zhou Weiren is doing here?"

"Captain, I can't guess. Captain, do you know why he came here?"

"The duck knows first when the river water warms in spring. Zhou Weiren is amazing."

Some of China's great families have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years. Their survival wisdom lies in investing extensively. They invest not only money but also their talents. Even within a family, a closed loop is formed, with multiple backup plans. Unless the family is exterminated, the family can be guaranteed to continue its legacy.

Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and said, "Communicator, immediately notify Comrade Zhang Feng, Comrade Ouyang Jun, and Comrade Bao Shilin to come to the operations room for a meeting."

Zhang Yinghao explained this to his comrades in the combat meeting room. No one was surprised. After all, Zhang Yinghao had warned them many times before that the landlord class would never allow Zhang Yinghao and his men to divide up the land. At this moment, Yuan Kesheng came in from outside, and Zhang Yinghao asked, "How's it going? Is Zhou Weiren still behaving well?"

"Still being honest, Captain, I have something else to report to you. I didn't tell you because there were outsiders here just now."

"Oh, tell me."

"Yes, according to our current investigation, spies sent by the Qing Dynasty have already started investigating us and have contacted many of our people."

"Oh, this is a good thing. It means we have been noticed by the government."

Zhang Yinghao was not anxious when he heard the news. As the orthodox Qing court, how could it not use the tactics of division, disintegration and recruitment? These were just routine operations. After all, no matter who it was, once recruited, they would definitely have an official position, which would bring honor to their ancestors.

"Captain, how do we deal with those spies and the people they come into contact with?"

"How else can we resolve this? If we're sure they're spies, we'll arrest them and see if they can be converted into one of our own. If not, we'll keep them in custody. As for those who have been contacted by spies, we'll ask them to explain themselves. If we find they've been bribed, we'll arrest them immediately and send them to labor reform. If they haven't been bribed, we'll let them continue to work."

"Yes."

"Comrade Yuan Kesheng, this is just the beginning. Your counter-espionage work is very important. Not only do you have to counter espionage, you also have to learn how to send people to collect intelligence."

"Ah good."

When Zhang Yinghao heard the word "ah", he knew that Yuan Kesheng was not suitable to be the chief of this intelligence department.

Zhang Yinghao discussed the matter with everyone for a while and finally concluded, "Then it will be like this. Comrade Ouyang Jun will be responsible for monitoring the movements in the city, especially the movements of the Eight Banners soldiers. Comrade Zhang Feng will be responsible for monitoring the landlords and gentry and the militia. Comrade Luo Zelin will be responsible for inquiring about the bandits and bullies. We must find out who is attacking us and where they are attacking us from. I will be here to train the soldiers and prepare them for battle."

This was indeed the only way to remain constant in the face of ever-changing circumstances. Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and said, "Everyone who sends out must be careful and don't expose themselves. If someone attacks us this time, we will ambush them halfway and wipe them out. Comrade Zhang Feng, how are the comrades in the mountain stronghold doing with their gun training now?"

Zhang Feng replied, "Don't worry, Commander. The newly recruited comrades are all practicing now. Some of the veteran comrades who have fought against you several times already understand the tactics very well and can be deployed to fight at any time."

Zhang Yinghao went on to say, "That's good, but those new comrades should train in the mountain stronghold for a while longer. After all, they are the foundation for future military expansion and may become officers. After all, they are young and have stronger learning abilities and learn faster. After this incident is over, I plan to set up a military academy. Although it is not yet mature, I have no choice but to rush it. You should also summarize the battles you have participated in, how you fought, and what was good and what was not. You must figure it out on your own and teach them later. I can't guide you all by hand anymore. I hope you will grow up as soon as possible. I am very optimistic about you. Come on, everyone."

Zhang Yinghao was ostensibly cheering Zhang Feng and the others on, but in reality, he was also mostly cheering himself on. Zhang Yinghao had already made up his mind: after this hurdle, he'd rest and gather his thoughts. He'd been working non-stop for so long, and he'd sensed something was amiss. Furthermore, with the land divided between the two villages, it was time to start summarizing the lessons learned and expanding the revolutionary base.

Zhang Yinghao and Bao Shilin were not joking, but this was indeed his plan. After the Agrarian Revolution began, Zhang Yinghao had no intention of stopping. Zhang Yinghao now thought clearly that it was difficult for him, but since the Guang'an County Magistrate had not said a word about his major action, it meant that the enemy was even more difficult.

Zhang Yinghao now had reason to believe he was suffering from time-travel paranoia. Being confined by his past life's history was actually restricting him, preventing him from looking at the current Qing Dynasty realistically. Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao had gradually come to understand that it was impossible for him to build an industrial center in Guang'an. His current construction was already at his limit.

No matter how hard you try, it's like building a temple in a snail shell in such a small space. All the talk and rhetoric is useless. Low-key development isn't the right path. A larger territory means more people, and more people means more talent. As for the idea of ​​cultivating talent on your own, Zhang Yinghao now thinks it was a bit naive.

Was he going to be stuck in Guang'an for years? It takes six years to train a primary school student, four at the shortest, and three for a junior high school student. Could a junior high school student be of much use? He might be able to be a laborer, but becoming a scientist was far from possible.

Looking back now, Zhang Yinghao found his former self naive and ridiculous. He thought he could solely rely on the people he had trained to support industrial development, especially in such a small mountain village. And with a half-baked, loser from his previous life as a teacher, how could he possibly cultivate any decent talent? After realizing his own incompetence and weakness, Zhang Yinghao faced reality and began to worry about talent again.

What will be most valuable in the future? Talent, of course. So what is most valuable to Zhang Yinghao now? Again, talent. His approach now is to identify talent in the workplace, vigorously promote and utilize those discovered, and strengthen training and education.

Right now, I can't really worry about that much; whatever I dig into the basket is good, and whether the work is done well or not is a question of ability. But I must give my comrades the opportunity to make mistakes. Zhang Yinghao believes that people always want to get things done, not just jerkish people who want to do bad things. I must trust them.

Chapter 32: Tactical Explanation of Enemy Agglomeration

3867 words

People live in reality but in imagination. If you want to live a wonderful life, you can only live for your ideal. If you don’t have an ideal, then create a goal. - Quotes from Zhang Yinghao

After the meeting, Zhang Yinghao headed to the training ground. In Zhang Yinghao's view, the purpose of military training is to be able to prepare for and deploy combat at any time and in any location. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao utilized the terrain and felled trees to create a large training ground for physical and technical training.

Zhang Yinghao told the soldiers during the training that the brave will win when two meet in a narrow road. In the situation where we don't have many guns and artillery, sneak attacks and bayonet fights will be the battles we encounter frequently, and they are now the conventional tactics.

Zhang Yinghao had come here today to see if his troops could actually be deployed for combat. As soon as they began formally expanding, the name "Security Corps" would no longer be appropriate. Zhang Yinghao was training these men as future officers, but he himself had never served in the military and didn't know the specific organizational structure of the military in his previous life. He'd only learned about political commissars and instructors from TV series like "Bright Sword" and "I Am a Special Forces Soldier." As for military combat, Zhang Yinghao knew only about the three-three system, infantry squad and platoon tactics, and concentrated firepower. He only knew about bayonets in groups of three. The rest was up to the soldiers to practice and learn.

After a tour of the barracks, Zhang Yinghao was quite satisfied. The comrades were training well, their expressions focused and their attitude serious. They felt like a group of cubs roaring. Zhang Yinghao knew that only troops that had been through the test of blood and fire could be considered elite, and now they were just empty talk. But Zhang Yinghao didn't have much to do. Soon these people would leave the training camp and be assigned to lower-level units. Whether they were dragons or worms would soon be known, but he still had to teach them what needed to be taught.

Zhang Yinghao gathered all the officers and soldiers above the rank of squad leader who could be assembled and began today's lecture: "Comrades, none of us have fought many major battles. Is this something you all agree on? But even though I have never fought in a war before, the few battles I have commanded have resulted in very few casualties. Why have I commanded so few casualties in the battles I have commanded? I have summarized the following reasons:

First, our numbers and firepower were overwhelmingly superior. The landlords' armed forces were outnumbered. While they had guns, they were few in number, and they also had many outdated muskets and matchlocks. For every shot they fired, we could fire several. With a few shots, would the enemy have a chance to fire? These few shots would kill them.

Second, we take the enemy by surprise and attack them when they are unprepared. In several battles, we either launched surprise attacks or divided our forces into two or even three groups, with one group making a feint attack and the other or two group suddenly attacking from behind or to the side. When the enemy saw us appear from the side or from behind, they immediately collapsed. Don't you agree?

"Yes."

"So from this we have extracted several combat principles:

First, there must be reserve forces to prevent accidents.

Secondly, you must do everything you can to get behind the enemy or attack from the side. This brings us back to the first point, which is to launch a surprise attack from the rear or side."

Zhang Yinghao added: "When we fight out..."

At this point, Zhang Yinghao paused and then continued, "When the enemy comes to attack us, and they are numerous, that is, when they have more guns and artillery, we are no match. Since we are outnumbered and weak, we must adopt flexible strategies and tactics. It can be summed up in 16 words: When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy stays, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."

Zhang Yinghao turned around and wrote these four words on the blackboard. Then he turned around and said, "The simple explanation is that when the enemy arrives and is at the peak of their power and arrogance, we should avoid their attack. We should retreat a little to block the enemy, or move to either side of the enemy. When the enemy settles down, we should harass them constantly, making sure they don't eat or sleep well. When the enemy is exhausted by us, we should concentrate our forces and launch a surprise attack, killing them. Those who are not killed will definitely retreat. If the enemy wants to retreat, we should chase them and fight them. That's the principle, don't you agree?"

"Yes."

Many comrades laughed out loud at Zhang Yinghao's effortless delivery. However, Zhang Yinghao knew that while his words were simple, the actual implementation was anything but straightforward. He could only teach in this way; whether they could grasp the essence of the teachings depended on their own understanding, as they would soon have to put them into practice.

Zhang Yinghao continued, "There's a strategy involved here. We can't just retreat. For example, when we retreat, we need to hide or move all the food and bury all the wells. We need to fortify our defenses and clear the fields, so that the enemy can't find food or water. If they send it from somewhere else, we can seize their supply lines. Then, wouldn't the enemy be sending us food and water? Isn't that right, everyone?"

The comrades all shouted in unison: "Yes."

"Of course, if we can't move all the supplies we captured, we can hide them. If that doesn't work, we can burn them. Don't be reluctant to part with them. The more we burn, the more the enemy will deliver."

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Yinghao continued, "When fighting, you must concentrate superior firepower and manpower to form a striking force to break through the enemy's defenses. Defense alone cannot win a war; you must attack within defense, and defend within offense. For example, if you use the same force to hit someone next to you, once with your fist and once with your finger, which one hurts more? The finger poke will definitely hurt more!"

The same principle applies to our wars: if you disperse your forces or firepower, you won't be able to defeat the enemy, and you must concentrate your firepower and forces to attack. You might be wondering, isn't concentrating firepower the same as concentrating forces, and isn't concentrating forces the same as concentrating firepower?

No, I'd say that's the case for us now, but now there's something called a machine gun that can fire 600 rounds per minute. What does 600 rounds per minute mean? A rifle like ours has a five-round magazine, and a good marksman needs to reload after firing every five rounds. Let's say it fires 10 rounds per minute, which means one machine gun is firing at the same rate as 60 of us. In other words, even if 60 of you fired non-stop, you might not be able to fire as fast or as many rounds as one machine gun. Imagine what that would be like? The bullets would come pouring down like water, forming a barrage. It's no exaggeration..."

At this point, Zhang Yinghao saw someone raise their hand to speak. Zhang Yinghao gestured, and the soldier stood up and asked, "Captain, this machine gun is so powerful. How are we going to deal with it?"

"Haha, where there's a spear, there's a shield. The best way to counter machine guns is naturally with cannons. One cannon can destroy any machine gun. Another option is a machine gun duel; it all comes down to who has more bullets and higher accuracy. If you're a sharpshooter, you can take down the machine gunner with one shot. We can go around him and drop a bomb, and he'll be finished too. There are many methods, and it's up to everyone to choose the specific method based on the situation at the time.

This question has been passed. I just said that when we fight, we must concentrate our superior forces and kill the enemy in one fell swoop without giving him a chance to turn the tide. It is better to cut off one of the enemy's fingers than to injure ten of them. Think about it, if our ten fingers are injured, we can just take care of them, but if we break one finger, can we reattach it? Will it be useful if we reattach it? If we can't reattach it, then it will be useless even if we reattach it. So by the same token, when attacking the enemy, we must kill their living strength, be brave and fierce, and not let the enemy recover easily. If we attack once and the enemy comes back again within a few days, the enemy will become more experienced each time, and finally it will become a stalemate, and our losses will become greater and greater. How did the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fail in the end? That's how it failed. So the best situation is either not to fight or to kill them all at once..."

After finishing his lecture, Zhang Yinghao returned to the lounge. He sat back in his chair, closed his eyes, and recalled how he had almost given up on teaching today, because leading troops into battle was no easy task. Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao realized a question he had to address first: for whom was he sending these people to fight?