The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

With just this simple sentence, Zhang Yinghao could no longer tolerate the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau being controlled by the Qing Dynasty. Zhang Yinghao was determined to eradicate this cancer, otherwise his hard work in drug control would be ruined by these people. Moreover, with so much opium smuggled in, who knew how many people would be harmed.

However, Zhang Yinghao also knew that with so much opium coming in, Sichuan's sales channels must have already been established. Perhaps even for quite some time. Zhang Yinghao acted decisively, immediately ordering the Anti-Opium Bureau to deal with this batch of opium. He also ordered the Suppression Committee and public security organs to intervene immediately, with intelligence personnel collaborating to dismantle this hidden sales channel and network in Sichuan.

Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao wasn't the type to just deal with the rat droppings when he saw one spoiled the whole bunch; he wanted to kill the rats as well. Therefore, he immediately called a meeting of the Military Commission to prepare for the conquest of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

All along, Zhang Yinghao had been actively preparing for Sichuan's foreign expeditions to liberate other areas. Although Zhang Yinghao didn't know where his next move would be, he had stockpiled a considerable amount of munitions in Chongqing and Xufu, and had also dispatched a large number of comrades to the vast rural areas of Yunnan and Guizhou to carry out the struggle. Now that Yunnan and Guizhou had presented him with an excuse, wouldn't it be a disservice if he didn't seize it?

In fact, Zhang Yinghao didn't know that Ding Zhenduo passed away shortly after the failure of Yunnan and Guizhou's attack on Sichuan. The court had originally planned to transfer Cen Chunxuan, who had saved the emperor, as the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. However, as a talker, he certainly didn't want to go to the Yunnan and Guizhou region, which was already in a precarious situation, so he insisted on not accepting the position.

Therefore, the Qing Dynasty transferred Xiliang to be the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou. During his two-year tenure, Xiliang vigorously rectified the problems of Yunnan and Guizhou, such as lax military discipline and poor training, backward education, financial constraints, and difficult diplomatic relations, despite the strategic geographical location of Yunnan and Guizhou. He focused on rectifying the administration, establishing schools, strengthening the military, building railways, and prohibiting opium.

Unfortunately, his work ultimately came to nothing. Yunnan and Guizhou already needed subsidies from Sichuan or support from the imperial court to survive, and now the situation was even worse. The Qing court had no money to support his reforms, and Sichuan was also in the hands of the revolutionaries.

In addition to the loss of so many Qing troops in the last war, he planned to recruit soldiers on a large scale, intending to build a line of defense on the border and set up checkpoints to block the attack from Sichuan. Unfortunately, the People's Liberation Army attacked the checkpoints set up by Xiliang several times, and destroyed them one by one. The Qing troops guarding the checkpoints disappeared without a trace. The Qing troops in Yunnan and Guizhou were terrified, and from then on, all the orders to Xiliang were based on the principle of "there are policies from above and countermeasures from below". Xiliang's rectification of the administration led to instability in the officialdom. Xiliang reorganized the military and strictly enforced military discipline, but he had no money. Isn't this a joke?

Who doesn't understand the current situation? Sichuan is just not sending troops. If it does, the ones who will die are these soldiers. Who in Yunnan and Guizhou doesn't know what's happening in Sichuan? Can Xiliang alone change this?

After their defeat in the XZ region, the British not only continued their provocations in southern Tibet but also immediately shifted their focus, expanding northward from Burma in an attempt to carve a dent in the Qing dynasty. So, faced with the dual encroachments of Yunnan and Guizhou, and the rotten mess in the middle, Xiliang, even if he wanted to clean up the mess, was powerless, even with the abilities of an old bureaucrat.

Xiliang banned smoking, but he had to rely on opium to survive in Yunnan and Guizhou. In Yunnan and Guizhou, opium was a harder currency than gold and silver. Many chieftains would rather trade with opium than gold and silver. And even Xiliang

Smoking ban, the most big opium dealers can do is to transport the cigarettes to other places to sell them. This thing is now like the emperor's daughter who has no worries about getting married. Are you still afraid that no one will want it? Defending the border line

The Qing army colluded with the big opium dealers to transport opium to Sichuan, thereby making huge profits. Now many people know that there are big customers buying opium, and they have heard that

They said that people from Sichuan were buying the goods. So they contacted some people they knew in Sichuan and planned to ship the goods there, but they were investigated.

After the Military Commission meeting and the issuance of the combat deployment plan, Zhang Yinghao immediately went to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to explain the situation. Although Zhang Yinghao could make the decision to send troops on his own, he believed that even if the National People's Congress was a rubber stamp, he could not ignore its existence. If it happened once, there would be a second and a third time. Rules are difficult to establish, but very easy to break.

After the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress unanimously passed the resolution to eradicate the opium cancer in Yunnan and Guizhou, Zhang Yinghao officially signed the order and issued a war mobilization order. At the same time, he notified the propaganda agencies to spread the news that Yunnan and Guizhou had become a drug den, specializing in smuggling opium into Sichuan.

Poisoning the people of Sichuan, while at the same time promoting that the people in the areas of Yunnan are already living in dire straits, the people of Sichuan must help and lift them out of their suffering.

Liberated from hardship.

The news spread instantly throughout Sichuan via telegram, and the entire Sichuan propaganda machine was put into action. Also via telegram, Xiliang in Yunnan and Guizhou quickly learned the news. He knew that Sichuan was about to send troops. He sighed softly, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart, but he still forced himself to issue orders and start the battle against the Red Bandits.

At this time, Cao Qiang seized more than a thousand kilograms of opium in the next few days, arrested hundreds of people involved in the case, found seven drug hiding places, three drug trafficking routes, and even involved three PLA soldiers and five local civil servants. These eight people could not resist the temptation of huge amounts of money and were dragged into the water by drug traffickers to help them cover up the transportation of opium into Sichuan.

That's not all. The Anti-Smoking Bureau and several other departments launched a joint operation. Since ancient times, prostitution, gambling, and drugs have been inseparable. This operation destroyed 16 hidden opium dens, 28 brothels, and 12 gambling houses. They seized a large number of pipes, opium, and gambling funds, arrested over 280 suspects, and implicated 12 government officials for their role as protectors.

After hearing these reports, Zhang Yinghao published them without hesitation. Immediately, public opinion throughout Sichuan was in an uproar. Sichuan had always cracked down on prostitution, gambling, and drugs, treating them as top priorities, and the crackdown on these three had never ceased. Unexpectedly, such a huge loophole had appeared in such a short period of time. If Zhang Yinghao could tolerate prostitution and gambling to some extent, he absolutely could not tolerate drugs.

Zhang Yinghao immediately called in Bai Guangliang, the director of the Anti-Smoking Bureau, to inquire about the situation and ask if the Anti-Smoking Bureau was involved.

"Comrade Bai Guangliang, such a big thing has happened in Xu Prefecture, and now these things are being involved in other places. Are there any colleagues from your Anti-Smoking Bureau involved?"

"Chairman, we conduct regular inspections, and we've already verified that the Anti-Opium Bureau hasn't found any problems. Our opium procurement and sales are a complete process, and everything is under control. This kind of situation wouldn't happen. However, I believe the current situation in Sichuan is related to our opium procurement. After all, people leave traces, and many people have noticed that Sichuan is purchasing large quantities of opium."

Zhang Yinghao established the Anti-Opium Bureau to sell heroin and other drugs solely for profit. Heroin was still a painkiller, and with the Russo-Japanese War, these drugs were extremely popular, with the profit margins being exorbitant. Furthermore, doctors entering Tibet sent telegrams stating that the CCP needed massive quantities of acetaminophen powder to treat their fellow Tibetans, and the demand for opium was enormous. Furthermore, Sichuan's "medicines" were now exported to Japan, Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia, significantly subsidizing Sichuan's financial difficulties.

If European and American countries begin to understand the true nature of heroin, Zhang Yinghao will no longer dare to touch it casually. It can still be sold openly, but even so, Zhang Yinghao does not allow it to be sold openly, but sells it through relevant channels.

"I'm glad you weren't involved. How are the cigarettes you were asked to research?" "Don't worry, Chairman. We've figured out the formula."

"Okay, the Yunnan-Guizhou region is most suitable for growing tobacco. You should cultivate it according to local conditions and gradually transition to tobacco leaves. The handling of opium will be handed over to the Drug Administration in the future. Soon, these things will no longer be able to be sold on a large scale and can only be used as medicine. Even if any are seized, they will either be destroyed, researched, or used as medicine."

"Chairman, this smuggling network must have been established independently by Yunnan and Guizhou. As far as I know, the Qing Dynasty was unable to stop the economic and trade exchanges in southern Sichuan, so the number of people involved increased. Many merchants from Yunnan and Guizhou also sold their specialties to Sichuan. With so much traffic, it's normal for oversight to become flawed. After all, some people will risk their lives, but few will lose money. When they entered Sichuan, they knew that smoking was prohibited there, so as long as they could find a way, they would make huge profits. And how can the money made in Yunnan and Guizhou compare to the quick returns of opium?"

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "Is the situation in Yunnan and Guizhou very difficult right now? Have you heard anything from the people there?"

"Chairman, as far as I know, the total annual salary of the Yunnan and Guizhou troops is only a few hundred thousand dollars, not even a fraction of what we get in Sichuan. However, they have to face the dual pressure of the British and us, so they maintain a large number of soldiers. The soldiers lost in the last war with us have long been replaced, and even expanded a lot. The Qing troops in Yunnan and Guizhou used to be well treated with support from us in Sichuan. Each person was given a pound of white rice and 20 coins per day. Later, the treatment gradually deteriorated, and was reduced to only a pound of rice per day, and there was no money. Later, the treatment was even worse. There was no rice, no clothes, and it was impossible to guarantee two meals a day. In some places, the army had no rice to distribute, and each person was only given 18 coins per day, so many troops could only eat porridge to survive. If it weren't for the money earned from selling opium, how could Yunnan and Guizhou have the money to buy arms and pay the soldiers?"

Sichuan's annual military expenditure is indeed considerable, but much of it goes into research and military industry. The military's treatment is quite good, not to mention the food itself; it's arguably among the best in the entire liberated areas. There are also allowances and tax breaks for family members. If all of this were calculated, it would be significantly higher than a working man's income, so the People's Liberation Army never lacks recruits.

Outside the liberated areas, the Yunnan-Guizhou army had made little progress. The Qing was now like Wang Xiaoer enjoying a new year, each year worse than the last. With no extra funds to re-equip the Yunnan-Guizhou army, the Qing's attention was now largely absorbed by the war in the three northeastern provinces. Those within the Forbidden City, hearing about the brutal fighting, could hardly sleep peacefully. Yuan Shikai and the entire Beiyang government were also terrified of the Japanese, perhaps due to the brutality of the Russo-Japanese War.

"Now that Yunnan has smuggled so much opium into us, what's the situation in Guizhou now?"

"Chairman, Yunnan and Guizhou are one, and Guizhou also grows opium extensively. It can be said that the Guizhou army relies on opium for its survival."

Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment, then laughed and said, "Since ancient times, Sichuan has been rich and Yunnan strong, while Guizhou has been poor and weak. Aside from Kweichow Moutai, I've never heard of anything else produced in Guizhou."

"Chairman, we currently purchase large quantities of opium every year through the Anti-Opium Bureau for refining. However, we only purchase less than half of the total; the other half is smuggled. As long as we can cut off their opium smuggling network, the finances of the Yunnan-Guizhou region will immediately go bankrupt, and we will be able to conquer Yunnan and Guizhou without a fight."

Zhang Yinghao smiled and said, "Although time is on our side, it waits for no one. There's a saying that goes, 'Opportunity is fleeting.' The Qing dynasty won't let us take over Yunnan and Guizhou so easily. You've underestimated the Qing dynasty's resilience."

"As for the opium destruction, I'll leave it to you. It would be a shame to destroy it all, but we must destroy some to show the people our determination to ban opium. I will send a telegram to Chongqing and Xuzhou, asking them to unite and carry out a large-scale drug crackdown. You, the Anti-Opium Bureau, remember to destroy some of the seized goods in public to boost morale and promote our upcoming march into Yunnan and Guizhou."

"yes."

After Zhang Yinghao understood the situation, he immediately sent a telegram to Chongqing and Xuzhou, urging them to jointly launch a large-scale anti-drug operation in the area bordering Yunnan and Guizhou. This powerful administration and its operation quickly dealt a devastating blow to the local drug smuggling and trafficking networks.

In a short period of time, three more networks were dismantled, over a hundred drug traffickers and users were apprehended, and over twenty officials, both high and low, were implicated. This was the first major case since the establishment of the revolutionary government, and both the People's Daily and the Chongqing Daily provided extensive coverage, drawing intense attention from across Sichuan and Chongqing.

Twenty percent of the smuggled opium came from Guizhou, ten percent from other regions, and seventy percent from Yunnan. The fact that Guizhou and Yunnan were drug dens was once again proven, and the entire Sichuan province was abuzz with discussion. Newly opened newspapers also began reporting on the situation. In this era, journalists never lacked news or material. In this era of emphasis on freedom of speech, they could speak freely.

"A major opium case was uncovered in Sichuan, and Yunnan and Guizhou are the culprits." "A large amount of opium is smuggled in Yunnan and Guizhou, and Sichuan's drug control measures are empty talk." "The disaster started with opium. Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou are at war again."

Chapter 329:

While Sichuan was promoting the event, other provinces, under the joint efforts of Zhang Yinghao and other journalists, also began to report on it. Once the masses were mobilized, everyone's anger would shift to the culprit, the Qing Dynasty. While the people were paying close attention to the development of the situation, they also condemned the Qing Dynasty's incompetence.

Now, most of the local governors in various parts of the Qing Dynasty rely on opium to make huge profits and maintain the operation of the army, especially in poor areas such as the southwest and northwest. Although everyone does this, these governors still have a bit of shame. They know that this is a disaster for the people. The money earned from opium is also a dishonest money that will destroy their descendants. Once it is exposed, it may be a big deal that ruins their reputation.

Therefore, many governors ostensibly wanted to ban smoking, but in reality, only they themselves knew whether they would ban smoking or not. In an era when imperial power did not extend beyond the county level, truly banning opium was definitely harder than ascending to heaven. The interests involved were so huge that no ruler of the Qing Dynasty had the ability to completely sever these chains of interests. Unless he could tolerate chaos in the world and the risk of losing his country, and completely betray his own interest group to do this, unfortunately, such a person would not be able to become emperor.

While Sichuan was vigorously promoting its propaganda, Zhang Yinghao brazenly began mobilizing heavy troops toward Xuzhou. Meanwhile, the Yunnan-Guizhou Governor-General, Xiliang, while seeking aid from the Qing, also constructed extensive fortifications along the Sichuan-Yunnan border, leading to a standoff between the two sides of the Jinsha River. Zhang Yinghao intended to draw the Qing troops toward him and then defeat them directly from Xuzhou. Everything was a blatant conspiracy, a deliberate attempt by Zhang Yinghao to create confusion.

If Xiliang did not withdraw troops to the Sichuan-Yunnan border, then Zhang Yinghao would make a real move and send his army directly there, sweeping across Yunnan and Guizhou. If Xiliang withdrew troops to garrison the Jinsha River and other places, then Zhang Yinghao would not have to enter from there. Now the initiative was on his side.

Zhang Yinghao did not rush to attack. Instead, he immediately telegraphed his comrades in Shaanxi and Chongqing, urging them to secure the passes and prevent the Qing from resorting to the tactic of "encircling Wei to save Zhao." He then assembled a crack army and secretly arrived in Sichuan, Guizhou, and concealed themselves on the Sichuan-Yunnan border.

As the investigation into the opium network deepened, more and more people were implicated. Knowing that public sentiment in Sichuan had reached its peak, Zhang Yinghao immediately issued a telegram: urging Xiliang to surrender immediately, not to engage in futile resistance, and not to deceive the people of Yunnan and Guizhou into resisting the PLA's liberation of Yunnan and Guizhou...

As soon as the telegram came out, Xiliang knew that it was a prelude to the Red Bandits sending out troops. To be honest, the Yunnan-Guizhou Army was a little afraid of the Red Bandits since the last battle. Although in his eyes the Red Bandits' combat capability was not as good as that of the Yunnan-Guizhou Army, now no matter in terms of manpower, financial resources, weapons and equipment, the Yunnan-Guizhou Army could not match it. Therefore, the Yunnan-Guizhou Army had no confidence in confronting Sichuan head-on.

However, Xiliang still held onto his illusions. After all, this time they were fighting in Yunnan and Guizhou. The Red Bandits were a foreign force, and with transportation being difficult, their strengths might not be fully utilized. On the contrary, the superior military quality of the Yunnan and Guizhou armies would ensure victory, and the Qing would not sit idly by and allow themselves to lose the Yunnan and Guizhou regions. Therefore, although Xiliang was a little nervous, he was eager to fight the Red Bandits, to avenge his previous defeat, and to prove to his colleagues that he was indeed a great general.

Of course, there are also some people who dream of getting promoted and getting rich, and are ready to work hard to get rich.

The PLA's preparations were already underway, even before those of the Yunnan-Guizhou army. After careful consideration, Zhang Yinghao ultimately decided to dispatch the 5th Brigade of the 5th Division of the People's Liberation Army, led by Li Laohu, as the vanguard to liberate Guizhou. He also ordered the PLA to launch a large-scale feint attack along the Jinsha River, aiming to penetrate Anjiang and Qingning, the border region between Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces, to contain the Yunnan-Guizhou army.

In addition, a division was drawn from the troops stationed in Chongqing as the main force to follow Li Laohu to clean up the situation. After conquering Zunyi, Li Laohu marched towards Guiyang as soon as possible, making sure to take control of the situation in Guizhou before the Qing army returned to support.

Zhang Yinghao simply issued a few orders and then essentially left them alone. He increasingly felt that the higher his position, the less he could interfere with the specific operations on the front lines, as doing so would inevitably leave his subordinates feeling overwhelmed. In his previous life, Jiang Guangtou loved commanding his troops, even commanding those below him. His emissaries would dare to defy the leadership with his orders, leaving the troops unsure who to obey.

Taizu basically didn't care about the specifics of what should be done, his main concern was the strategic direction. Unless absolutely necessary, Taizu would not interfere with the flexible combat methods of his comrades.

In fact, no matter what kind of organization it is, whether it is a factory, a company, a political party, or a country, as long as it is an organization, the top leader's job is never to do specific things, his job is to point out the direction, set goals, and ensure that the people below are not at a loss as to what to do and are not left in a state of confusion.

But it is not enough for just one person, so the top leader must establish a spiritual community with the top management of the entire organization, let these top management also worry about this goal, and all the top management must have a sense of ownership. There is no need for financial incentives or honorary rewards, and the top management will take the initiative to do this.

The more people involved in a task, the more likely it is to succeed. If the top leader alone handles everything, and everyone else is merely a tool to follow him, then the organization is doomed. Those below him will be at a loss as to what to do, unsure if they're doing the right thing, and they won't follow him. It's like a leader screwing a screw. How will the person screwing the screw think of him? This is putting the cart before the horse!

Whether an organization can achieve great success and whether it has a future depends on whether its top leaders truly possess this ultimate goal. All other vision and ambition are merely derivatives of this ultimate goal. There are century-old companies and centuries-old countries in this world, but religions are essentially the only things that have lasted more than a thousand years. Whether it's Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or Taoism, their highest pursuits are never real, but rather imaginary. Although humans live in reality, their highest pursuits are inevitably imaginary. Communism, too, is derived from productivity; it's imaginary, not real. Therefore, top leaders and the highest levels should pursue this ultimate goal. They can use imagination to establish the highest spiritual community, thereby achieving immortality and a lifelong transcendence. Many great countries, great companies, and great organizations have ultimately vanished into the long river of history. The fundamental reason is a lack of this ultimate goal. This is something every leader needs to consider.

Top leaders should establish a shared purpose with middle management. This approach is adopted by many companies, countries, and organizations: setting goals and achieving them step by step. Middle managers are generally neither as good as their superiors nor as good as their subordinates, and they don't have any other aspirations. Therefore, a clear promotion mechanism and sufficient honors are essential for these middle managers. Middle managers should be informed of the rewards and promotions they will receive for their achievements, thus motivating them to continue striving for the overall goal. Such an organization can maintain explosive momentum in the early stages and even in the later stages. However, once such an organization reaches a bottleneck and lacks the spiritual support of a shared future, it will inevitably fragment and even disappear.

Top leaders must establish a shared interest with the lower classes. Work yields what it takes, a value exchange, equal exchange—simple and clear. The land reform led by Zhang Yinghao established a shared interest between the Forward Party and the people. Only by following the Forward Party could the people obtain land, cheap farm tools, and so on. Is that enough? Bringing people together through profit attracts them; without it, they disperse. Consequently, many companies and factories are in this state, with employees entering the workforce with little prospect of future employment; they are drawn solely to the money. As for the fate of the factory or company, many employees are unconcerned.

Therefore, any organization must have a smooth top-down mechanism; otherwise, it will eventually fail. Once the top leader establishes these three communities, is that the end? In fact, there's still one missing link: the constant instilling of a sense of community within the organization, encouraging more people to voluntarily join and proactively strive for the ultimate goal.

This feeling is like a monk in a temple. What is a monk's highest goal? Many people would say reaching paradise, attaining liberation, or something like that. In reality, the highest goal of Buddhism is to liberate all sentient beings. A temple abbot leads a group of monks in chanting sutras. Some monks pretend to chant or even don't chant at all. Should the abbot be angry? There's absolutely no need to be angry.

The abbot is saving people. There's a saying that goes, "Buddha saves those who are destined to be saved." If the abbot gets angry, he's not saving people, but forcing them. Even if the monks below are unwilling to save themselves, the abbot will continue to chant, and some will eventually awaken and follow him to save all living beings. Any organization should be like this: the leader sets a goal and then unwaveringly pursues it. What impact does it have on the leader if employees come and go? As long as he unwaveringly pursues the goal, followers will naturally follow. Just like Jesus, Muhammad, Sakyamuni, and Marx, they established a goal, promoted it, and relentlessly advanced toward it. Then, followers naturally followed them.

So Zhang Yinghao's job now is more about telling his subordinates what to do, leaving the specifics of how to do it to them. All he wants is a result. He just needs to keep moving forward, and followers will naturally follow him to achieve the ultimate goal.

The Sichuan army was mobilized, and the three parties moved together. After receiving the report on the Sichuan-Yunnan border, Xiliang had to respond carefully. On the one hand, he drew troops to strengthen the defense of the Sichuan-Yunnan border, on the other hand, he strengthened the defense in the Guizhou direction, and on the other hand, he asked the Qing Dynasty for help.

The areas under the Qing Dynasty had no industrial development and were simply unable to transform entire positions, or even entire countries, into trenches like European countries. There was not enough steel to make barbed wire, not enough cement to build bunkers, and even a shortage of shovels to dig trenches.

Moreover, the Yunnan and Guizhou armies had not received modern, systematic military training and were even illiterate. Using an army educated in national culture to fight a feudal army was as easy as a child stepping on an ant. They simply crushed the enemy. The march into the southwest wasn't difficult; the difficulty lay in the subsequent suppression of bandits, road construction, and land reform.

On the other hand, the landlords and gentry were scattered across the vast countryside, and the Qing army could only deploy its forces to reach the county seat. In fact, they were like isolated islands, easily defeated one by one. In the face of the PLA, which was equipped with a large number of mortars and grenade launchers, the Qing army could no longer hold the city.

Moreover, the Progressive Party had already made plans for the Yunnan-Guizhou region, and the vast rural areas were filled with comrades who had been deployed there to develop the situation. Wherever the People's Liberation Army arrived, comrades familiar with the local conditions immediately led the troops, turning their status as visiting troops into that of home troops.

The PLA's previous campaigns into Shaanxi and Xinjiang had not involved troops stationed on the Yunnan-Guizhou border. This liberation of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau marked the PLA's first war of liberation since its name change. The comrades, already brimming with enthusiasm, collectively roared: "We will take Kunming and Guiyang, liberate Yunnan and Guizhou, and never let the Party Central Committee down."

"Very good, comrades, work harder and speed up your pace towards liberation."

Accompanied by this majestic military song, the comrades set out on their journey, traversing the winding and rugged mountain roads, gliding across rivers and ravines, and advancing through sparsely populated areas. Overcoming the limitations of the terrain, the army, like a tiger descending the mountain, stormed Zunyi and Guiyang.

Although the Qing knew that the Sichuan army was about to be dispatched, they calculated the PLA's marching speed based on their estimates, so the relevant defense measures and troops were basically not deployed in place. When the PLA appeared, they immediately became scrambled, and the PLA easily captured those cities.

"Brigade Commander, is the advance going smoothly?"

"Political Commissar, everything is going smoothly now. We will definitely be able to enter Zunyi as planned!"

Political Commissar Chen Qingzhi nodded and said, "Brigade Commander, please don't be careless. Guizhou has rugged terrain and unpredictable weather. Zunyi is a key city in northern Guizhou, so it won't be easy to capture. This is our first time fighting outside Sichuan, so we must not lose face for our brigade!"

Li Lao Hu said, "Commissar, rest assured. No matter how difficult Guizhou is, how could it be more difficult for our comrades to enter the Communist Party? Furthermore, the Chairman and his men are far-sighted and have provided support along the way. I will also naturally send scouts. It will be very safe."

"I'm quite confident in the brigade commander's leadership. However, our army must ensure that no harm is done to the locals! Otherwise, subsequent work will be difficult."

This young officer was Li Lao Hu. He had once worked alongside Zhang Yinghao against the Green Camp in Gansu and Shaanxi, and now commanded a brigade. As the vanguard of the army, leading the advance troops into Guizhou, he naturally understood the weight of the burden, but a fighting spirit burned within him. The political commissar was not much younger than himself, and Chairman Zhang Yinghao was even younger.

He had previously been in a recruit camp for so long without any opportunities before being promoted to the position of brigade commander. Now it was time for him to show his abilities. Therefore, Li Lao Hu was full of confidence and led his army straight to Zunyi, a major city in northern Guizhou, to take the lead for the People's Liberation Army!

The fact that Sichuan once again emerged from the Sichuan Peninsula shocked everyone, drawing everyone's attention and temporarily overshadowing the Russo-Japanese War in Northeast China. After all, Northeast China was thousands of miles away, and the conflict was between two imperialist powers. However, Sichuan's re-emergence from the Sichuan Peninsula was a clear statement—Sichuan had begun its struggle for supremacy, determining the fate of this ancient nation.

Since entering Guizhou, the PLA has maintained strict discipline and committed no crime. Furthermore, with the help of numerous advance teams originally deployed to the region, they have been able to capture cities and strongholds along the way. Their advance has been rapid, and Li Laohu and his troops have already reached Zunyi.

Zunyi, a major city in northern Guizhou and renowned for its history and culture, was garrisoned by Xiliang with a battalion of Qing troops. Their commander, Liu Shikang, was one of the newly promoted officers Xiliang had recruited since arriving in Yunnan and Guizhou. However, when Liu Shikang learned that the People's Liberation Army had entered Guizhou and was headed straight for Zunyi, he nearly pissed himself and became completely uneasy.

Of the three provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, Sichuan was wealthy and its Yunnan army was powerful, while Guizhou was both weak and poor. If Sichuan attacked, Guizhou would be powerless to fight back. He truly felt powerless to contend with Sichuan, but Liu Shikang also knew that the most crucial task now was to stop the People's Liberation Army and force Governor Xiliang to send reinforcements to Zunyi as soon as possible. This was a matter of life and death. Therefore, Liu Shikang could only desperately boost morale, even personally inspecting the city walls at one point.

After Li Lao Hu gathered information, he learned that a regiment-sized Qing army was stationed in Zunyi, well-equipped. Apparently, Xi Liang, aware of the importance of the city in northern Guizhou, had sent a heavy force to defend it. While the enemy lacked a numerical advantage, a desperate attempt to hold the city could inflict significant losses on Li Lao Hu's forces. While it was reasonable to prepare thoroughly before attacking, Li Lao Hu knew that speed was paramount, so he decided to seize Zunyi on his own.

Chapter 330:

Following Li Lao Hu's orders, Xiong Binkui and his special forces dressed in Qing army uniforms and attempted to disguise themselves as defeated Qing troops and infiltrate Zunyi. Some of these special forces were from Guizhou. You have to know that in that era, the differences in dialects between different places were huge, even like foreign languages. If you are not proficient in the dialect, you will be exposed immediately.

Xiong Binkui led his team members straight to Zunyi. At that time, Zunyi was heavily guarded. Liu Shikang knew very well that if Sichuan invaded Zunyi, he would be in trouble. Therefore, he was extremely careful and defended strictly.

"Captain, please let us into the city! The Red Bandits are coming!"

Liu Shikang was patrolling on the top of the city wall. When he saw a dozen or so defeated Qing soldiers running towards him, he had no doubts in his mind. According to common sense, these defeated soldiers should not be allowed into the city, but this situation has been happening every day in recent days. Zunyi is seriously short of troops. At this time, hundreds of defeated soldiers have been gathered. These defeated soldiers can make up for the shortage of troops in Zunyi. Liu Shikang is also happy that more Qing troops will enter Zunyi.

Liu Shikang just asked the usual questions: "Where did you guys come from? How many Red Bandits are there? How far are they from here?"

"Sir, we're from Renhuai, and we couldn't clearly see how many Red Bandits there were. They were everywhere in the mountains and plains. We were scattered before we could even see clearly!"

Liu Shikang knew that these were all useless people who would flee at the first sign of the enemy. They ran away before even seeing the enemy. They were complete losers. However, if he wanted to defend Zunyi, he had to

After all, more people mean more strength. When the I-she fighters gathered at the city gate, Liu Shikang ordered his men to open the city gate and let these people in.

Come.

Soon, Liu Shikang saw a group of PLA troops approaching Zunyi City from the top of the city wall. They stopped two kilometers away from Zunyi and began to build field fortifications. It was the troops marching into Guizhou who were coming to kill them.

The People's Liberation Army still followed the old routine and sent soldiers to call for surrender. Regardless of whether it was useful or not, these were things that had to be done.

Liu Shikang hurriedly ordered his men to be on high alert and not to relax at all. This was his first head-on confrontation with the Red Bandits, and he absolutely could not be careless.

After listening for a while and looking at the camp under construction opposite, he found that the Red Bandits had no intention of launching an attack immediately, but started cooking. Soon, the aroma of meat wafted to the top of the city wall, and many soldiers couldn't help swallowing.

"Sir, you see, the Red Bandits must have stewed meat to eat. They came from far away and they can eat so well. We are defending the city, but we eat the same as pig food. Sir, please have mercy on our brothers!"

The food of the Qing army is naturally not as good as that of the Guizhou army, but Liu Shikang

He wants everyone to work for him, so how can he not let everyone eat well? Nei L lied: "Brothers, I will not treat you unfairly. I will send people to the city and come for a few days. Today, everyone will definitely have meat to eat, but everyone must remember that the stomach is full.

"If you don't fight for your life when the Red Bandits attack, you will be court-martialed. Do you understand?"

The Qing troops in Yunnan and Guizhou were well aware of Sichuan's policies, so the threat of a general was useless. However, the nearby Qing troops were delighted when they heard about the improved food, and immediately replied, "As you command!"

Liu Shikang saw that the Red Bandits outside would not attack for a while, so he immediately sent people to break into the wealthy households in the city and immediately began to demand money, food, and meat. These Qing soldiers did not care whether you were innocent or not. Since the superiors ordered to rob, it was justified.

The order to start looting was given by the commander. The Qing troops now knew what was going on and could no longer hold back, especially the defeated soldiers who had gathered together. If they were asked to fight the enemy, they would naturally run as far away as possible, but if they were asked to rob civilians, they would be more brutal than each other.

After Xiong Binkui and his men sneaked into the city, they had been mixed up in the Qing army. Everyone knew that they were incompetent people who would collapse at the first sight of them, so they didn't pay much attention to them.

They found a good position to attack and were ready to support the main force into the city. At this time, a team was given dozens of kilograms of pork to give to their soldiers.

Xiong Binkui and others were idle.

"Who among you knows how to cook? Prepare the pork immediately, put it in the big pot and start stewing it."

Hearing that there was meat to eat, Xiong Binkui naturally didn't hesitate and immediately agreed: "Okay."

As a special forces soldier, cooking skills are a must. Xiong Binkui's cooking skills are not bad at all. Soon, the aroma of meat wafted out, and the surrounding Guizhou troops gathered around, each of them drooling with greed.