The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

As soon as one side finished singing, the other side started singing "A Man Should Be Self-reliant":

Pride faces the waves, blood is as hot as the red sun. Courage is like iron and bones are like steel. The mind is as broad as a thousand miles and the vision is as far as a thousand miles.

I work hard to be a good man. To be a good man, I must improve myself every day. A man of passion shines brighter than the sun.

Let the sea and sky gather energy for me to create the world and pursue my ideals.

Looking at the tall and mighty blue waves and the vast and majestic blue sky, I, as a man, should strive to be strong.

Walk tall and chest out, be a pillar of society and a hero, and use my hundred points of heat to shine a thousand points of light.

Be a good man, with hot blood and a warm heart, brighter than the sun.

Let the sea and sky gather energy for me to create the world and pursue my ideals.

Looking at the tall and mighty blue waves and the vast and majestic blue sky, I, as a man, should strive to be strong.

Walk tall and chest out, be a pillar of society and a hero, and use my hundred points of heat to shine a thousand points of light.

Be a good man, with hot blood and a warm heart, brighter than the sun.

This side just finished singing and the other side started singing "My Motherland"

A big river has wide waves, and the wind blows rice and flowers on both banks. My family lives on the bank, and I am used to listening to the boatman's chant and seeing the white sails on the boat.

This is my beautiful motherland, where I grew up. In this vast land, there are beautiful scenery everywhere.

The girl is like a flower, and the boy has a broad mind. In order to open up a new world, they awakened the sleeping mountains and changed the appearance of the river.

This is the heroic motherland, where I grew up. In this ancient land, the power of youth is everywhere.

Beautiful mountains, beautiful waters, and a beautiful place. All roads are wide. When friends come, there is good wine. If the jackal comes, there are hunting rifles to welcome it.

This is our powerful motherland, where I grew up. In this warm land, there is sunshine of peace everywhere.

Then came the news of "Practicing for War":

Practice, practice, practice, practice for war, and only when you become an elite soldier can you be a real man.

Practice, practice, practice for war, practice to become a good man who can win; practice to acquire the ability to kill the enemy; practice to have a heroic spirit that soars to the sky. Practice with strictness and difficulty and don't let up, practice for real combat and preparation.

Practice, practice, practice

......

Zhang Yinghao nodded in satisfaction as he watched the soldiers sing with such gusto. These were simple lyrics, and the arts and entertainment soldiers had explained them to the soldiers, so they should all understand the meaning of the songs. The powerful, sincere, and uplifting tunes still touched the hearts of these young people.

Zhangjiagou has truly become a military camp, with soldiers training everywhere in uniforms designed by Zhang Yinghao. It's also a massive construction site, with a large number of people gathered in the area, aside from some working outside. What are they doing? Building houses, of course!

Zhang Yinghao had long ago promised to organize everyone to build houses. His goal was to transform Zhangjiagou into a model village, a testament to its success. This would allow those without experience or education to gain a direct understanding of what a new rural village truly is, to have a model to refer to and a direction to work towards, so that everyone would no longer be left in the dark, unsure of how to proceed.

Rural houses of that era were actually very simple. Zhang Yinghao used a modular design to build his house. Although Zhang Yinghao didn't know how to build a house, he knew about the assembly line. That is, after organizing people, one group would burn bricks and tiles, another would lay the foundation, another would build the walls, and another group would place beams and pillars, nail the boards and lay the tiles, and then a house would be built.

Of course, building a house sounds simple, but actually, it's a lot of work to build it from scratch. To get planks, you need sawing machinery, a sawmill, and felling trees. To get bricks and tiles, you need kilns to dig and fire. Laying the foundation requires large quantities of stone, cement, and gunpowder, as well as people to heat the cement. Without sufficient manpower, all this preparation would be impossible. However, Zhang Yinghao was well prepared, and before he knew it, he had already completed the preparations. Just like during World War II, when the United States used assembly lines to churn out battleships and aircraft carriers like dumplings, fighting on two fronts and crushing the Japanese. Zhang Yinghao's house construction followed a similar production process, with houses rising from the ground one by one, and the entire village transformed with each passing day.

When the comrades who hadn't been home for a while heard the chorus, they felt a sense of freshness and immediately sought out the lyrics to begin learning them. The cultural and art corps also immediately mobilized, organizing these comrades to learn the songs. Soon, Zhangjiagou became a sea of ​​singing. Gradually, some comrades sensed a difference from the past in the lyrics, as they spoke volumes about the nation, ethnicity, and revolution, leaving many deeply reflective. This was the effect Zhang Yinghao desired: to gradually instill these concepts into his comrades.

Zhang Yinghao also planned to slowly write down all the red songs that he liked in his previous life, but scarcity makes things valuable, and it would be bad to release too many songs at once, which would cause aesthetic fatigue. So he has only written a few songs now, and these comrades will slowly sing them. However, the effect Zhang Yinghao wanted has been achieved.

When these returning comrades saw so many new houses, they were all in disbelief. Some smart people quickly discovered the benefits of this method through investigation and quickly volunteered to join the labor and experience this method of rapid house construction.

Zhang Yinghao told all personnel early on that they must vigorously cultivate and discover talent. While talent is currently far from sufficient, especially in the industrial and technical fields, a number of talents in other fields have been discovered. It's no wonder Li Hongzhang remarked that being an official is the easiest thing to do; it's all about staying out of trouble. If it weren't for the purpose of getting things done, there would be plenty of officials. However, engineers and experts, who require extensive professional knowledge, are the most difficult to cultivate.

To put it simply, being an official can avoid important tasks, but when doing things, one must face challenges head-on. For example, in steelmaking, if the temperature doesn't meet the requirements, there will be no steel at all. All conditions must be met before steel can be produced, and there is no room for carelessness.

Zhang Yinghao knew that industrialization was impossible without sufficient accumulated knowledge, extensive experience, and time. In his previous life, the reign of Emperor Taizu was a time of accumulation, the reign of Emperor Taizong was a time of quantitative transformation, and subsequent eras were times of qualitative change. Countless people in later generations have dismissed the achievements of the preceding decades because of the tremendous successes of the reform and opening up era. This is an absolute mistake. The subsequent rapid progress was inseparable from the rich accumulation of the preceding decades.

Before the New Year, Zhang Yinghao convened another general meeting. This time, he made it clear that the core members had to come, and that they had to bring along those comrades with outstanding work abilities, and those who were studious and hardworking. So this meeting could be considered a gathering of 500 people. Zhang Yinghao wasn't sure if there were any true revolutionaries among them, but he certainly had some opportunists. There was no other way; the team was expanding too quickly.

Those who came back this time had to make a work report to Zhang Yinghao first, which was considered as a summary of their work in the past six months. Now they could say that they were still responsible to Zhang Yinghao for all their work.

The new ironmaking furnaces have been delivered and are now operational. After listening to Zhang Yinghao's lectures, the craftsmen have made some improvements, and with the addition of some equipment, the furnaces are now performing well. However, Zhang Yinghao still knows that this is not enough. Latecomer industrial nations can no longer gain technological accumulation through ironmaking furnaces and surpass established industrial nations. The price of steel purchased from overseas can easily surpass the cost of ironmaking furnaces. Therefore, they must import technology from abroad and learn from them.

At this time, the land reform work had been slowly launched. Since all the landlords had been cleared out, there was no resistance for the time being, and everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

Water conservancy projects are now being built in the newly constructed villages, and land distribution will begin as soon as the projects are completed. The local people are very enthusiastic about the construction.

As the territory expanded and a large amount of income was obtained from conquering the landlords, the expansion of the security group was once again put on the agenda. Thanks to the support of the tax reduction policy, young people signed up enthusiastically, and the soldiers were now of very high quality.

The paper mill has built two branches. It produces less high-quality paper, but it can now produce paper of poor quality in large quantities and achieve uniformity.

The iron and coal mines have also completed their expansion work and have begun large-scale excavation.

There are also other companies that have been established, such as a bamboo weaving company established by bamboo craftsmen. Currently, the base can no longer absorb so many products, and the products produced by the company have begun to be sold outside.

The mining of salt wells has also been increased, which can provide a large amount of cheap salt to the base.

Zhang Yinghao organized the women who made clothes and pants to form the Meiyi Clothing Manufacturing Company. The company's clothing is now sold along the Yangtze River. Next, Zhang Yinghao plans to establish a textile factory, which will provide employment for a large number of women.

The farm has expanded considerably, and the first batch of chickens, ducks, and pigs are almost grown, with the pigs already being marketed. Some villagers have seen the benefits of earthworm farming, and several households have started doing so, along with raising chickens and ducks.

Zhang Yinghao knew that chicken and duck feathers, as well as pig bristles, were valuable. He had already begun making down jackets, shipping the bristles to Chongqing to sell to foreigners. As for the villages that had received their land, Zhang Yinghao was actively promoting the idea of ​​planting cotton on those hillsides.

After listening to the report, Zhang Yinghao felt satisfied. He could say that everything was so beautiful now and everything was developing in a good direction.

For this meeting, Zhang Feng also brought someone to Zhang Yinghao, and Zhang Yinghao was very happy after getting to know this person. Sometimes, no matter how good the intelligence work is, it's not enough, and you can never have too much accurate intelligence information. Although Comrade Yuan Kesheng had previously worked in this field, he clearly lacked talent. People who work in intelligence also have unique thinking patterns. Zhang Yinghao had always wanted to establish an intelligence network.

Chapter 36: Cultivating Talents and Lectures

3826 words

If a sapling wants to grow into a towering tree, it must not only grow upwards but also, more importantly, take root deep into the ground. This way, it can establish a strong foundation and live a long and prosperous life. — Quotes by Zhang Yinghao

Zhang Yinghao himself had no idea how to construct an intelligence network. The little intelligence he knew came from spy films on TV, and nothing else. He did know a little about training, but military training was essential for intelligence personnel, and included poisoning, assassination, technical eavesdropping, and so on.

While Zhang Yinghao certainly didn't advocate poisoning or assassination, the idea of ​​using revolutionary terror to counter counter-revolutionary terror was meaningless to him. In his view, since he was right, he should persevere. The people had sharp eyes, and he should trust them to distinguish right from wrong. Furthermore, revolution and counter-revolution were inherently contradictory. The more revolutionary he was, the more he would highlight the counter-revolutionary nature. No matter what lies the counter-revolutionaries told or how they governed, they would only educate the people more profoundly.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao himself wasn't planning on poisoning or assassinating someone, but he had to be on guard against others doing the same to him. If the person he had worked so hard to acquire was assassinated by the enemy, or if the enemy sabotaged his cause, Zhang Yinghao would have no place to cry.

Zhang Yinghao had long been involved in identifying bandits, militias, landlords, and others. He had gradually discovered some individuals with keen information processing skills, adept at spotting flaws in minute details. However, none had surpassed the man before him, Li Tianqiao. Not only was he able to glean clues from the actions and words of his captives, he personally apprehended two bandit leaders and several informants working for the landlords and the Qing dynasty. He even proposed that bandits should be categorized as either actively or passively involved, arguing that those who actively participated should be severely punished, while those who passively participated could receive lenient sentences.

Zhang Yinghao was overjoyed when he heard about this and began to read Li Tianqiao's information. Li Tianqiao was from the village he later conquered. His family had been farmers for generations, and he was the eldest of three siblings. As a child, he had shown remarkable intelligence, but he hadn't had the opportunity to attend school. After Zhang Yinghao liberated the village, they were able to attend classes. Li Tianqiao became particularly fond of studying, especially after learning pinyin. He began to collect numerous speeches and articles written by Zhang Yinghao. He then joined the security corps and, due to his hard work, was quickly promoted to squad leader, then platoon leader, and now he is deputy battalion commander.

This time, the person in charge of the screening process suddenly showed an unusual talent, and then immediately found a number of spies in the investigation. His outstanding performance had already earned him the position of candidate battalion commander. However, Zhang Feng, knowing that Zhang Yinghao had been scouting for candidates to form an intelligence unit, recommended Li Tianqiao. However, Zhang Yinghao did not want to make the final decision on how to use these talents. He required a meeting to discuss and pass a resolution before any action could be taken. While dictatorship is good, it can lead to endless troubles. As long as it did not violate principles, Zhang Yinghao preferred to consult with everyone.

Zhang Yinghao saw quite a few people growing very quickly this time, and he was quite satisfied. Of the thirteen people who initially followed him, some are now struggling to keep up. This is perfectly normal; learning ability, work aptitude, and initiative all determine a person's rate of growth. Since some of them can't keep up, Zhang Yinghao can only lead those willing to move forward quickly, but he certainly isn't giving up on those who are slower. As long as they're still making progress, growing, and learning, their future achievements are very promising, and they'll at least have the opportunity to lead a region.

While there were many positive aspects, this year-end inspection also revealed some issues, such as corruption. With most of the money now concentrated in Zhang Yinghao's hands and managed by Bao Shilin, major problems have not arisen. However, minor issues continue to crop up, especially during the seizure of landlords' mansions, where concealment and underreporting of funds are common.

Zhang Yinghao knew that corruption was a major issue, not something that could be solved overnight. While campaign-style solutions had proven effective, Zhang Yinghao knew it was a protracted war, relying on oversight, self-discipline, and severe punishment. Furthermore, the primary issue at hand wasn't corruption at all. Of course, Zhang Yinghao had zero tolerance for those involved in corruption; he would punish them if caught, with no room for leniency. Tolerance would be the nurturing of wickedness.

After Zhang Yinghao's efforts over the past few months, the construction has achieved remarkable results. Some talented individuals have been able to share some of the work, and he is already brimming with confidence. He no longer needs to build an organization as advanced as the Communist Party of his past life. With only three-quarters or even three-fifths of the number of people, liberating the country would be easy, and there would be no need for so much warlordism.

However, even if the party members reach three-fifths, the number of troops is also essential, at least one million troops. There is still a long way to go, but I have relatively ample time. From the dozen people I started with to the thousands now, it can be said that I have completed the accumulation process of zero to one, one to two, and two to three. What follows is the process of three giving birth to all things, which is a viral growth process.

Almost a year had passed since his time travel, and after careful reflection and reflection, he had fully prepared for what lay ahead. That was why Zhang Yinghao had called this general meeting, knowing that organizational construction was urgent. Without it, the group would lack a core. If anything were to happen to Zhang Yinghao, the group would quickly fall apart. Or if someone with ulterior motives appeared within the group, Zhang Yinghao would never allow someone else's crops to grow on his own land.

Now that he had a group of people gathered together, Zhang Yinghao naturally wanted to build them into a combat-ready group. He planned to organize the right people together, just as he had done with his previous personnel, so that they could unleash greater power. An imperfect organization would lead to numerous problems. Previously, when the base was small, Zhang Yinghao could manage it alone. Once the base expanded to a county or even larger, it would no longer be manageable by just a few people. At this point, effective management would require a team and a system.

Zhang Yinghao, who came from a later era, was very concerned about the word "order". He knew that if order in the conquered territory could not be quickly restored, it would be of no benefit to Zhang Yinghao, and would instead cause the masses to suffer. Only with a strong force and a strong organization, and order quickly restored, could construction be carried out and the change of power be completed inadvertently.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao knew this was wishful thinking. While ideals are beautiful, reality is brutal. How could talent development possibly keep pace with the pace of territorial expansion? When the People's Republic of China crossed the Yangtze River, it mobilized hundreds of thousands of cadres and millions of troops south of the Yangtze River. But what was the result? Still, problems arose. By the time they reached Guangdong and other places, they were running out of talent.

Taizu once said that this direction is wrong; the more knowledge one acquires, the more reactionary one becomes. Some people are simply stubborn and unwilling to change. They refuse to learn, adapt, or adapt to new circumstances. Instead, they cling to the past, unable to seek truth from facts, unable to keep pace with developments, and unwilling to actively pursue progress. How can they always wait for you to change or force you to change? You know, forcing a bull to drink is useless, and a forced melon won't taste sweet.

Before calling a meeting for all staff, Zhang Yinghao had already organized these comrades to study. Zhang Yinghao intended to establish a learning organization, which would give the staff within the organization greater room for growth.

After all relevant people finished reporting to Zhang Yinghao, Zhang Yinghao started the training lecture.

Then he said, "Comrades, we have gathered you all for this meeting to determine the direction of our future work and our future positioning. It is even about determining the fate of China and, of course, your future as well. Some of us may have noticed that I mentioned China, not the Qing Dynasty. Is that wrong? Absolutely not!"

"We all have ancestors. If you don't have ancestors, please raise your hands."

Everyone laughed. Who doesn't have ancestors? Naturally, no one raised their hands.

"We are not Sun Wukong. We did not pop out of a stone, nor did we fall from the sky or be picked up from a garbage dump. Our ancestors passed it down from generation to generation. Don't you agree?"

"agree."

"Since it has been passed down from generation to generation, the Qing Dynasty has only been around for a little over two hundred years. It's just one dynasty in China, just like the Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties we know. It's just one dynasty. The Qing Dynasty has never been the whole of China, right? Is that understandable?"

"Yes."

"understand."

......

"So we must first clarify two concepts: what is the Chinese nation, and what is China."

At this point, everyone gradually got into the mood and began to listen attentively. Zhang Yinghao then narrated, "First, let's talk about what the Chinese nation is. Our Chinese history stretches back at least five thousand years, from Pangu creating the world, Nuwa creating humans, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the present day. It's a continuous and clearly traceable history. However, our ancient people never used the term 'Chinese nation'."

"Before the Han Dynasty, we called the people living on this land the Huaxia people. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, as well as Qin Shi Huang, were all Huaxia people. "Hua" means beautiful clothing, and "Xia" means elegant, meaning great etiquette. This means we are a nation that wears colorful clothes and pays attention to etiquette. After the Han Dynasty, we gradually developed and grew into the Han ethnic group.

I've recently been reading through every book I could find, and I've coined the term "Chinese Nation" based on history! All ethnic groups living in our country today are part of the Chinese nation. Historically, the term "Chinese Nation" originally referred specifically to the Han ethnic group, but later expanded to encompass all ethnic groups in China. For example, the Mongolians, Tibetans, Hui, Zhuang, and others are all part of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese nation is a nation with a strong ability to integrate. Historically, the Xiongnu, Turkic, Xianbei, and Mongolian peoples of the Northern Di all entered the Central Plains. The Manchus still rule China today, but they will eventually be integrated into the Chinese nation. In other words, all ethnic groups that share our culture are part of the Chinese nation! Everyone is a member of the Chinese nation.

Zhang Yinghao then explained the second concept: "What is China? To understand what China is, we must explore the meaning of China and the four barbarians. This requires discussing the ancient worldview. Before the Han Dynasty, the ancients had no concept of the world. The word world is a Buddhist term, where "shi" refers to time and "jie" refers to space. We all know the saying "one flower, one world; one leaf, one bodhi." When we talk about the world, we generally mean the Earth."

"Before the Han Dynasty, the ancients believed that the sky was round and the earth was square. Just like when we look at the sky now, don't we feel that half of the pot lid is covering us? Therefore, the ancients had the saying "The sky is round like a canopy, the earth is square like a chessboard, the earth tilts to the northwest and is not full in the southeast."

What does this mean? It means the sky is round, covering the earth like a canopy. The center of the sky is the location of the North Star and the Big Dipper. The Emperor of Heaven sits atop the North Star, overlooking the world and controlling the changing seasons. The earth is square, centered near Luoyang. Duke Zhou once measured Dengfeng as the center of the earth. The earth is like a chessboard, with mountains, rivers, and streams like chess pieces and lines, dotted across the landscape.

"The Earth leans to the northwest" means that the terrain of our planet is high in the northwest, which is what we call the Northwest Plateau today. "The Earth is not full in the southeast" means that the southeast is all sea, and the earth ends there. The later "Tianya Haijiao" reflects this idea and understanding. Thus, the ancient people's view of the world was formed, that the Emperor of Heaven was high above, controlling the movement and change of the four seasons.

Chapter 37: Keeping the Revolution in Mind

3829 words

The easiest thing to change in the world is thought, and the most stubborn thing is also thought. — Quotes from Zhang Yinghao

Zhang Yinghao continued, "Who, then, governs the affairs of the earth? Only the son of the Emperor of Heaven. Therefore, the King of Zhou was called the Son of Heaven. The capital city where the king resided was called the Royal Capital or the Capital Region. Since space is like a chessboard, the earth is like a chessboard, or in the shape of a Chinese character "回" (Hui), extending from the center to the surrounding areas. Therefore, the first circle of the earth is the central circle, the Royal Capital; the second circle is the various Chinese people, or the Huaxia people; and the third circle is the surrounding barbarians.

Later, Confucianism refined this concept, proposing the Five Suits. Luoyang, the imperial capital, was the center of the empire, known as the Wangji. The 500 li surrounding Luoyang was called the Dianfu, meaning the suburbs of the Wangji. Another 500 li beyond that was called the Houfu, governed by a feudal lord. Another 500 li beyond that was called the Suifu, meaning the ropes on the sides of a carriage, primarily to prevent passengers from falling off. Another 500 li beyond that was called the Yaofu, meaning "agreement," meaning both parties agreed to submit and become a tributary state, but with a certain degree of independence. Another 500 li beyond that was called the Huangfu, meaning the emperor merely paid tribute. The emperor's jurisdiction was considered too desolate, and the area was too desolate for the emperor to care for.

Therefore, in the eyes of the ancients, this five-thousand-li (5,000-li) area of ​​land was the world. "All under heaven is the king's land, and all the people are his subjects" was the ancient worldview. This concept was formed in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, but it continues to influence us today.

"Once we understand the ancient worldview, the concepts of China and the Four Barbarians emerge. So what is China? In ancient times, the character zhong originally meant flag, referring to the place where the battle flag was raised during a battle. Since the battle flag of a large army was usually placed in the center, the meaning of zhong or center was extended. The word guo, meaning city or state, did not exist in the Shang Dynasty and only appeared in the Zhou Dynasty.

The word "China" first appeared in the Book of Songs. In the "Book of Songs" there is a poem called "Min Lao" in the "Da Ya" section, which contains the line "Benefit this China". This is the first time the word "China" was used in ancient literature. The word "China" means "the central country", generally referring to the Central Plains, that is, the area directly governed by the emperor.

"The term "China" corresponds to the Four Barbarians, which we often refer to as the Eastern Barbarians, Western Barbarians, Northern Barbarians, and Southern Barbarians. The Eastern Barbarians originally referred to the area around present-day Shandong. With the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty and the division of feudal fiefdoms, the area was gradually developed and assimilated. Later, the term "Eastern Barbarians" came to refer to more distant regions, becoming the Daoyi, which encompasses overseas areas such as present-day Japan."

"Western Rong refers to the western region, which evolved into the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty and encompassed as many as 36 states. Southern Man originally referred to the undeveloped Jianghuai region. This region was later developed most significantly, particularly during the Qin Dynasty, when 500,000 able-bodied men migrated to Guangdong. They thrived, multiplied, and gradually assimilated with the local ethnic minorities, transforming this region into China."

Everyone should understand that the concept of China evolves and changes. For example, the Jianghuai region was originally considered the Southern Barbarians, but after development, they also called themselves China. The Lingnan and Sichuan regions were considered the Southern Barbarians, but after Lingnan and Sichuan were developed, they also called themselves China. Only the Guizhou region and Vietnam were considered the Southern Barbarians. Later, even Vietnam, Japan, and North Korea claimed to be China, or Huaxia. Even Japan calls itself Shenzhou. Why is this so? It is the result of the influence of traditional Chinese culture.

"Now let's focus on the Northern Di. Historically, they were the ones who caused the greatest harm to the Han people. They were primarily composed of three groups. East of the Xing'an Mountains, the main group was the Donghu. This group later gave rise to the Xianbei, who once occupied the Central Plains and the present-day Manchus, who now rule China. The Mongolian Plateau was primarily populated by the Mongols and the Xiongnu. To the west of the Xiongnu were the Yuezhi. These three ethnic groups were all powerful, and they successively inhabited and developed in my country's northern plateau. The Xiongnu were the first to clash with the Han, a war that lasted for over 400 years..."

However, the Chinese nation is a nation with a strong ability to integrate. Therefore, in history, the Xiongnu, Turkic, Xianbei, and Mongolian peoples of the Northern Di once entered the Central Plains and integrated into the Chinese nation. The current Manchu Qing Dynasty is also just a member of the Chinese nation.

......

"Last class, I told you about China and the Chinese nation. This is how we've been passed down from generation to generation, and we're all members of the Chinese nation. Next, I'd like to explain a word: 'revolution.' When we were learning a song, someone asked me what 'revolutionary soldier' ​​meant. There's no need to explain the word 'soldier,' as everyone knows. But what is 'revolution'? I'd like to announce that our security group will be renamed the Chinese People's Revolutionary Army. This isn't the main point of this class; we'll discuss it later."

"Comrades, what is 'revolution'? What does 'revolution' mean? The original meaning of '革' is leather. Animal hides are processed to make soft leather. It implies reform and change. The Miscellaneous Hexagrams says: '革' means to get rid of the old.'"

The Tang and Wu Revolution is described in the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) chapter on the Ge and Tuan. "Tang and Wu, also known as Wu Tang, were the leaders who overthrew the Xia Dynasty and established the Shang Dynasty. The four seasons came into being as a result of the transformations of heaven and earth. Tang and Wu's revolution followed the will of Heaven and responded to the will of man."

"The meaning is: The four seasons are formed by the transformations of heaven and earth, nurturing all things. King Tang of the Shang Dynasty and King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty were the founding monarchs of the two dynasties. They launched revolutions and established new dynasties, conforming to the will of heaven and the will of the people. This was an inevitable action."

"Reform and innovation are a natural law. Heaven and earth are constantly changing, giving rise to the four seasons and nurturing all things. Reform and revolution are also inevitable social phenomena in human society. Only through reform and revolution can human society eliminate old, decadent systems and establish new, progressive ones.

However, such reforms and revolutions should follow the laws of human society and nature and be carried out without delay. Only by "following Heaven and responding to the will of the people" can they meet objective requirements, align with the will of the people, and gain their support and endorsement. King Tang of Shang destroyed King Jie of Xia and established the Shang Dynasty, and King Wu of Zhou overthrew King Zhou of Shang and established the Zhou Dynasty. Both of these actions followed the right time and won the support of the people, ultimately achieving success and building great achievements.

"Comrades, some people have been asking me if I want to rebel. I tell you, I am not rebelling. Why would I rebel? We want to revolutionize. What we want to do is to follow the will of Heaven and respond to the will of the people. So whose lives are we overthrowing? We are overthrowing the lives of the landlords, the local tyrants, the corrupt officials, the bandits and the tyrants. Simply put, whoever doesn't allow us to live a good life, whoever bullies us, we will overthrow. As long as these people who exploit and oppress us are around, we have no good life, and we poor people have no hope of getting ahead."

"An ancient poem goes like this: 'The rich have wine and meat, while the poor freeze to death on the roadside. There's no idle land in the world, yet farmers still starve to death. When prosperity flourishes, the people suffer. When declines, the people suffer.' This means that from ancient times to the present, the rich have no worries about food and drink at home, with so much wine and meat that it spoils if left at home, while on the roadside there are people freezing to death or starving to death. In other words, there have always been people who can't get enough to eat."

"Look, isn't it the same now? The land is brimming with grain, yet people still die of starvation and freezing every year. Comrades, you all know that we've defeated many unscrupulous landlords. The grain in their granaries has gone moldy, and they haven't given a single cent to the people. Comrades, it was like this in ancient times, and everyone sees it's still like this today. In other words, over the thousands of years since ancient times, countless people have rebelled, but have the lives of ordinary people changed fundamentally?

No, it's always been us ordinary people who have suffered. So when someone asks me if I'm rebelling, I say, why would I rebel? I'm just leading everyone to live a good life, that's all. Everyone, tell me, who wants to stop us from living a good life? Li Tianqiao, what do you think?

Li Tianqiao stood up and said loudly, "Captain, you just said it was the landlords, the local tyrants, the corrupt officials, the bandits and the bullies."

Zhang Yinghao nodded in satisfaction and said, "Everyone heard it, right? I want to lead everyone to live a good life. They will come to stop us, so what should we do? Of course, whoever prevents us from living a good life will be defeated.