The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"Let's start with the Japanese. No matter when the Russo-Japanese War ends, as long as we're certain that the great powers will intervene and begin forced mediation, we'll ignore Tsarist Russia and strike with all our might, swiftly and with all our might, to kill every last one of the Japanese in Northeast China and completely drive the Japanese out of the Northeast. This is a plan I've drawn up. Read it here, memorize it, and save it."

The ninety squads Zhang Yinghao dispatched essentially followed his original plan. Some helped the Japanese kill the Russians, while others helped the Russians kill the Japanese. They then secretly killed their own Japanese and Russian troops behind the scenes, tipping off the enemy at crucial moments. With these squads profiting and disrupting the situation, the Russo-Japanese War in this life was even more brutal than in his previous one, with both sides suffering even greater losses.

Hu Songhui took the plan from Zhang Yinghao and said, "Chairman, why did you start with Japan?"

"Japan's national strength isn't very strong yet. After such a long Russo-Japanese War, Japan is exhausted and can't fight anymore. We have a better chance of defeating the devils. Secondly, if we attack Japan, Tsarist Russia will most likely sit back and watch the fight. Oh, no, in the eyes of Tsarist Russia, they're probably happy to watch two yellow monkeys fighting, dog-eat-dog, and they'll reap the benefits in the end."

After hearing Zhang Yinghao's answer, Hu Songhui didn't care that Zhang Yinghao compared his side to mad dogs, but asked casually: "What if we lose?"

Chapter 377:

Zhang Yinghao didn't answer directly when he heard this question. Instead, he picked up his teacup and watched Hu Songhui read the plan while he drank his tea quietly. The office suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of Hu Songhui flipping pages from time to time.

Zhang Yinghao's plan was short, but it contained numerous diagrams of marches and attacks. These were strategic considerations, very simple and easy to understand. Of course, to complete the detailed plan and flesh it out, it required the actual executors to implement it according to the actual situation. This was not Zhang Yinghao's responsibility, but the responsibility of the General Staff.

After reading it, Hu Songhui picked up his teacup and took another sip before saying, "Chairman, do you mean that the beginning of a war is a decisive battle?"

Hearing the phrase "starting a war means a decisive battle," Zhang Yinghao's face suddenly broke into a smile. He nodded and said, "Yes, we must launch a surprise attack from the very beginning, fight with all our might, and work together to eliminate all Japanese forces in the Northeast. As for the Japanese, we should either not do anything or never even try."

"Chairman, I agree with this, but we should consider failure before we consider victory. What if we fail temporarily and fail to drive out the Japanese in a short time?"

Zhang Yinghao listened, but he was not angry. He leaned back and relaxed on the chair, but said seriously: "I have taught you history. After any Central Plains dynasty in China unified the world, there is one thing they must do, and that is to resist the invasion and threat of the nomadic peoples in the north. Why do we have to eliminate the Japanese forces first? It is also because our main enemy in the north is Tsarist Russia, and now the country that has taken away the most territory from our country is Tsarist Russia. Only by driving away Japan first can we concentrate all our energy on dealing with Tsarist Russia.

Historically, the Central Plains dynasties rarely achieved complete victory over northern ethnic groups. Even when they did, it took a long period of recuperation after unification. During this period, the Central Plains dynasties often had to live under the tyranny of northern ethnic groups. The Han Dynasty suffered the Siege of Baideng, the Tang Dynasty suffered the Shame of Weishui, and the Song Dynasty suffered the Treaty of Tanyuan. Therefore, we must begin preparing for the future unification of China now.

Haha, as for the issue of failure you mentioned, failure is the norm; victory and defeat are commonplace in the military. If the Northeast Army's combat effectiveness is weak, its fighting will is not resolute, or if some unexpected event causes defeat, then we will need to pay the price with human lives. We will not surrender, negotiate, or compromise. We will wage guerrilla warfare against the Japanese, launching surprise attacks on them wherever they are in the Northeast. This is the ultimate way to wear down and exhaust the Japanese. This is also the only way I have told you that a weak country can defeat a strong one, and a small nation can defeat a large one. I have told you before that capitalist countries' colonization and aggression are based on cost. As long as we maintain instability in the region, make those capitalists lose money, and make their losses outweigh their gains, the capitalists will naturally stop invading our country.

"What if we defeat Japan? When will we take action against Tsarist Russia?" "If we defeat Japan and drive it out of Northeast China, the second thing we will do is to launch a comprehensive anti-Qing movement in Northeast China and completely overthrow the Qing Dynasty's corrupt rule. The third thing we will do is to deal with Tsarist Russia."

"Tsarist Russia is not so easy to deal with."

Zhang Yinghao nodded, then turned around and tapped Mongolia's location on the world map. He then pointed twice at the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was clearly marked in red. Then he smiled and said, "Haha, we will also send troops to liberate the entire Mongolian region."

Hu Songhui glanced at the map, then stared at the railway for a while, then looked at the northeast for a while before nodding and saying, "I understand, but what if Japan and Russia join forces to suppress us or the great powers send troops to intervene directly?"

Zhang Yinghao heard Hu Songhui's question and knew that Hu Songhui had thought a lot about it, so he answered directly: "There are still armies of foreign powers in Shanghai, Tianjin and other places. Will it affect us? If the foreign powers dare to go deep into the inland areas, then we will fight them. If they only occupy the coastal ports, we can only endure it now and drive them away after we become stronger. As for Japan and Russia joining forces to attack us, I still say that it depends on whether our Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army can stick to their own ideas. As long as we take root in the local area and integrate with the local people, we will eventually win."

After listening to this, Hu Songhui nodded and said, "Chairman, I know what to do."

"Mr. Chairman, it seems the British are unwilling to negotiate with us. They demand that we immediately release the captured British soldiers and recognize the treaties they signed with the Qing Dynasty. They also want us to give up the vast tracts of land under the jurisdiction of the three chieftains of Ganya, Longchuan, and Mengmao, and return the four passes of Tiebi, Huju, Tianma, and Hanlong to the British. The People's Liberation Army must also immediately withdraw from Jiangxinpo, Hugang Valley, and Menghen area before they will demarcate the border with us. Otherwise, we will be responsible for all consequences."

After hearing what Shen Ruo said, Zhang Yinghao knew that the British had indeed been the world's boss for too long and were used to being domineering and arrogant. He snorted coldly and said, "Humph! The British are just dreaming! If the negotiations can't be concluded, then just drag it out. After all, those British are not just eating and not working. Isn't a day's work worth a meal? Just take your time to negotiate with the British. Isn't it your job to haggle with foreign diplomats? Be patient and see who will get anxious in the future."

"Okay. But when we pass the message to the French, their attitude doesn't seem right either."

"Haha. That's natural. As our territory extends deeper into Indochina, our influence will naturally grow. If we can achieve liberation, defeat the British, and successfully challenge the British and French colonial systems, they will naturally wonder if they can also defeat the British and French colonizers and achieve liberation. Our advancement into Indochina will naturally stimulate the awakening of nationalism among the local people, and Britain and France will inevitably curb our entry into Indochina. This is related to the stability of Indochina, maintaining the stability of Indochina and preserving their colonial systems. Britain, France, and Siam do not want the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army to enter Indochina."

"Chairman, what if the French also object and even send troops?"

"Next time, you can tell Britain and France directly that as long as they agree, we will absolutely not provide any weapons or equipment to the rebels in Indochina, nor will we promote revolution to them. This is the biggest concession we can make for now."

“What if Britain and France still don’t agree?”

Zhang Yinghao was stunned by Shen Ruo's answer, then quickly realized the reason. The Soviet Union, the world's savior, hadn't yet emerged. The Soviet Union was being collectively targeted by Western powers, not only for defaulting on billions of rubles in debt and secretly withdrawing from World War I by making peace with Germany, but also for another reason: the Soviet Union's relentless export of revolution around the world. These seeds of revolution seriously challenged the order established by the Western world.

Moreover, Western countries are strong believers in the domino effect. They believe that if there is one evil communist country, there will be a second and a third. Communism is the nemesis of capitalism and is the system established to overthrow capitalism. Naturally, they are extremely panicked and will inevitably impose a full blockade and use all means to overthrow the evil communist regime.

However, while the Soviet Union hadn't yet emerged, Britain and France were no fools. If the liberated areas truly exported revolution and armed the people of the colonies, it would cause enormous trouble for Britain and France. As for whether Britain and France would accept this threat, Zhang Yinghao had no confidence. However, Zhang Yinghao considered the vast territories to the south his own, so he naturally wouldn't actually promote nationalism in these lands or arm the indigenous peoples. Doing so would bring trouble to his future. If Britain and France did send troops to attack, Zhang Yinghao would rather rely on his own strength to defeat the invaders than arm these indigenous peoples.

In the past, the Soviet Union faced siege from the entire Western world. At that time, the regime was on the verge of collapse, and the country was about to fall apart. Naturally, it cherished every bit of strength and fought tooth and nail to achieve victory. If Zhang Yinghao were to face the same threat from the Soviet Union in his previous life, he would not only immediately and fully unleash the banner of nationalism, but would also not hesitate to resort to racism if necessary. He would also naturally fully support the revolutions in the colonies bordering China, slowing the pace of the imperialist advance and weakening their power. But now, it's just a minor conflict. The People's Liberation Army and the Forward Party should keep a low profile and continue to grow slowly, waiting to show their strength when they are strong enough.

"Just talk to them slowly. At most, it'll just be a war. It's a war! Who's afraid of who? Of course, if there's no central government order, fighting without breaking is the quality a diplomat needs. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Chairman, now that you've said that, I feel more confident."

After hearing Shen Ruo's answer, Zhang Yinghao suddenly sat up straight, stared into Shen Ruo's eyes, looked at Shen Cao seriously, and said, "Comrade Shen Ruo, generally speaking, diplomats are not in any danger of life, but in my eyes, diplomacy is a very important position, because you need to accurately express what the central government needs to express to foreigners, so that foreigners can clearly understand our meaning without any errors. And convey to us accurately what foreign countries want us to know. Diplomats also represent the image of a country, so they must be careful about their words and actions."

"I know this."

"But China is now a poor and weak country. You will deeply feel that a weak country has no diplomacy. As a Chinese diplomat, you often feel very angry and even have to argue with others until you are red in the face..."

Seeing Shen Ruo nodding repeatedly with an understanding expression, Zhang Yinghao continued, "Diplomats must have keen insight, understanding what their interlocutors are trying to express from the words and even their body language. Diplomats will also encounter many unexpected situations, so you need strong on-the-spot adaptability, extremely high emotional intelligence, and a thick skin. Diplomats must be able to smile and let others spit on your left cheek, even if they spit on your right cheek. In other words, you must hide your true emotions from everyone, but you can express whatever expression you want."

“Chairman, this isn’t necessary, is it?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yinghao immediately knew that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs still needed to conduct in-depth training. Even though it sounded a bit offensive, Zhang Yinghao spoke directly: "All diplomats in the world are merely officials in charge of specific matters, executors of specific affairs, and employers of people's rights. You have no power to formulate policies or implement government affairs. Diplomats are even less qualified to decide on foreign wars. So, it doesn't matter whether you know the situation or not. Diplomats cannot intensify conflicts just because we are not afraid of war. What you need to do is to express our intentions clearly and then accurately convey the other party's intentions. As for whether there will be war or how the problem is resolved, it is not your responsibility. If a war does break out, will diplomats be held responsible? You represent your country. If you speak harshly, it may affect others' correct judgment of us. If this actually causes huge losses or even a war, then diplomats will truly be held responsible. Do you understand?"

At this point, Zhang Yinghao suddenly understood why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his previous life seemed so "weak." That's because within the Chinese government's structure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs isn't a decision-making body, but rather a communication arm. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespersons are known for playing Tai Chi and speaking incoherently, primarily because they lack decision-making power.

The reason is very simple. The decision-making power of diplomatic affairs lies with the top leadership, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is only responsible for conveying the leadership's decisions! It is precisely because of this sole "communication function" that China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has completely lost its diplomatic functionality. In order to convey the meaning of the upper level without making mistakes, many of China's diplomatic styles, words and other external forms are very conservative, such as "strong condemnation" and "solemn protest". This has also led to Chinese diplomats completely losing their diplomatic mediation capabilities.

After a while, you will feel that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs always says the same thing to everyone, just like a tape recorder, and naturally feel that its diplomatic stance is very "weak".

But what is the reality? Due to China's unique national conditions, Chinese diplomats convey the message of the highest level, which is actually the most tough! Before the top leaders express their views, diplomats naturally believe that fighting without breaking is the truth. But once the top leaders express their views, it is time to take action.

In the past, the internet described the Central Propaganda Department as a scumbag. In reality, the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are essentially the same thing; they're just a tool for communication. Furthermore, China's political education courses have already made it clear that foreign reactionary forces or their representatives are smearing China in the media. But our people have understood the truth, are awakened, and are easily able to criticize the smears themselves. What role does the Propaganda Department have? They feel the Propaganda Department is inferior to them! Naturally, it appears to be a scumbag.

However, Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" states: "To see victory as no more than what everyone knows is not the best of the best; to win and be praised by the world is not the best of the best." Therefore, lifting a hair is not considered excessive strength, seeing the sun and moon is not considered good eyesight, and hearing thunder is not considered good hearing. The ancients called those who are good at war victorious those who are easily defeated. Therefore, the victory of a skilled warrior is not due to the reputation of wisdom or the merit of bravery. Therefore, his victory is unerring. Unerring means that every move he makes is sure to win, and he wins over those who are already defeated. Therefore, a skilled warrior positions himself in an invincible position, without missing a beat to defeat the enemy...

Therefore, for these organizations, the best evaluation is for the people to call them "trash" or "weak." When the people all say they're good, powerful, and resolute, they're doomed. Of course, trash can't become the fifth column, or they'll be doomed too. However, the occasional fifth columnist is a good thing, as it constantly reminds the people of imperialism's undying desire to destroy us.

"Chairman, I understand."

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "I will only take care of the general direction in diplomacy. I will also go to relevant meetings and training to offer suggestions and learn. You still need to worry about the specific matters. Comrade Shen Ruo! We will have more and more contacts with foreign countries, and diplomatic work will become more and more important in the future. The abolition of the unequal treaties signed by the Qing Dynasty still requires diplomats to negotiate. We don’t have much experience now, so you should take the initiative to find diplomats from countries such as Britain, France, the United States and Germany to communicate and learn more about how to be a good diplomat. However, you must be careful of those thousand-year-old foxes. These people have empty hair and eyelashes. Don't let those old foxes get us to keep secrets! Haha!"

Shen Ruo also laughed and replied, "I understand. I know what to do now. I will go and learn from those old foxes."

"Well, not only you, but all comrades in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must study hard. Of course, you must also systematically study the so-called international conventions and international laws, carefully learn the rules established by the great powers, and learn how to deal with them..."

,

Even as Zhang Yinghao was beating up Shen Ruo, the People's Liberation Army troops in Qinghai and Gansu continued their military operations. Because the Gansu Ma, Qinghai Ma, Ningxia Ma, and other Qing forces had already been largely annihilated in Lanzhou, coupled with the Dong Fuxiang uprising in Jinjibao, Ningxia, there were no longer any significant resistance forces in Gansu or Qinghai. Therefore, although the pace of liberation in Gansu and Qinghai slowed slightly after winter, without the obstruction of the Manchu Qing forces, the People's Liberation Army's liberation of various regions proceeded smoothly. After hearing that the main force had liberated Lanzhou, the People's Liberation Army comrades in Longnan and Gannan also accelerated their advance. Minxian, Xiahe, Wudu, and Wenxian were successively liberated.

Chapter 378:

After liberating Lanzhou and Xining, the PLA continued its westward advance. Continuing westward along the Hexi Corridor, the PLA pursued the remaining enemy forces, liberating cities such as Dajing, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Anxi, and Dunhuang. With this, the entire Gansu region was liberated. In particular, the cavalry, after liberating Xining, immediately entered Qinghai upon receiving orders. Braving wind and snow, they crossed the northern Qinghai grasslands, crossed the Qilian Mountains, and stormed into central and western Gansu from Biandukou, liberating Minle County. Then, with the cooperation of Ma Jinxiang, the Ganzhou governor's military affairs officer, they liberated Zhangye, directly intercepting the Qing army officers and soldiers fleeing Lanzhou and completely severing their route to Xinjiang. With the PLA's valiant pursuit, all but a few surrendered and were annihilated.

At that time, Company Commander Chen Boping led his company through the arduous journey through the Tanggula Mountains. A native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, he was born into a family of officials and prominent members of the Pingshui clan. According to historical records, two years later, he, along with Xu Xilin and Ma Zonghan, died in the Anqing Uprising, becoming known as the "Three Martyrs of Eastern Zhejiang" of the Xinhai Revolution.

When Chen Boping was five years old, his father passed away, leaving the family impoverished. While his father was still alive, he had a close friendship with the historian Fu Jiezi, who was well-versed in late Ming history. Chen Boping had read most of Fu's books and was deeply influenced by Fu's anti-Qing and pro-Ming ideology.

Chen Boping was a bright child who loved reading and listening to stories. He attended the Fujian Military Academy in 1898 but dropped out. In 1901, he enrolled at the Shimen County School in Hunan Province. Unable to bear the humiliation of Japanese teachers, he left school in anger and returned to Shaoxing, where he secluded himself and diligently practiced martial arts. He also frequently interacted with the poet Liu Dabai, forming a close friendship that impressed Xu Xilin.

Xu Xilin was also a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, born into a prominent family in Dongpu, Shaoxing. His father, Xu Fengming, was a scholar and a former county official. The family owned over 100 acres of land and owned two shops, Tiansheng Silk Shop and Taisheng Oil Store, in Shaoxing City, making them a well-known local gentry.

Although Xu Xilin was initially yearning for the Forward Party's revolution in Sichuan, the Forward Party's policies such as land reform were widely slandered by landlords, gentry and secret society organizations, and his family opposed it, which discouraged him. He even felt that such a revolution was not the right way, so he never thought of entering Sichuan to join the Forward Party to carry out the revolution.

However, the year before, in 1903, during the 29th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Xu Xilin visited the Osaka Exposition in Japan, where an ancient Chinese bell was on display. He was indignant that the powers were bullying China too much. Coincidentally, the Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations contacted him at the time and brought him Zhang Yinghao's poem, "Dead Water."

The Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations produced a special promotional pamphlet containing not only poems by Zhang Yinghao, such as "Dead Water" and "The Revolution Will Win," but also patriotic songs such as "Chinese," "The Great Wall Will Never Fall," "We Walk on the Great Road," "The East is Red," "The Helmsman Depends on the Sea Voyage," and "My Chinese Heart." With this kind of promotional material, the Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations often achieved success in its work, which is one of the reasons for its remarkable success in overseas work.

Perhaps due to his state of mind, the poem "Dead Water" had a profound impact on him. When he read the last paragraph: "This is a ditch of hopeless dead water. It is definitely not a place of beauty. It is better to let ugliness to cultivate it and see what kind of world it creates", he instantly thought of China's current situation and immediately thought: Yes, so many cultural relics in the country have been looted, which one is not more valuable than the fields at home? What's the use of those hundred acres of land? As long as it can make the country rich and the people strong, just divide it up! It seems that a thorough revolution is now necessary.

Xu Xilin immediately changed his stance on the Forward Party. After returning to China, despite opposition from his family and friends, he resolutely led a group of people to Sichuan, hoping to join the People's Liberation Army and defend his country. Unfortunately, Xu Xilin had an eye disease and failed the physical examination, so he could not join the People's Liberation Army and could only work in other departments. However, Chen Boping and others successfully joined the People's Liberation Army.

Chen Boping has been practicing martial arts, is in good health, and is well-educated. In addition, he is brave in combat and lives a simple life. He is very much loved by his comrades, so he has now been promoted to company commander.

Tanggula, meaning "mountain on the plateau" in Tibetan, is known as the "snow warehouse" due to its constant wind and snow. It forms the natural boundary between Qinghai and Tibet provinces, offering expansive views. At the Tanggula Pass, 5231 meters above sea level, the average annual temperature is only -4 or -5 degrees Celsius, with nights dropping to -20 degrees Celsius—colder than a refrigerator or ice cellar. Even though the soldiers wore thick winter clothing, the biting cold still seeped through them. Their faces, hands, and other exposed skin were covered in cracks and bloody scabs.

The oxygen content in the air here is only 60% of that at sea level. Driving through Wudaoliang, an area with an average altitude of over 4700 meters, is known as "cry for your father and mother when you get to Wudaoliang." Therefore, people usually experience obvious altitude sickness when passing through the Tanggula Pass.

Chen Boping glanced up at the sky, so close at hand, and recalled the magnificent and diverse scenery along the way. The sights of grasslands, salt lakes, Gobi Desert, mountains, and even desolate landscapes truly captivated him, leaving him in awe. He couldn't help but admire the magnificent beauty of his motherland. If he were still stuck in Zhejiang, he would never have dared to imagine such scenery.

But the beautiful scenery couldn't completely calm the young man's rage. After the Lanzhou massacre, the army's political commissar once again took out the "Liberation Manual" for a brief study. Furthermore, the Political Department issued two more documents: "Regulations on the Treatment of Hui Muslim Prisoners" and "Instructions on the Preferential Treatment of Prisoners of All Ethnic Groups." Chen Boping knew that everything in them was correct. PLA comrades strictly adhered to the customs and habits of all ethnic groups and refrained from borrowing their cooking utensils. Since religious reform hadn't yet begun, conversations with Hui women were forbidden, and entering Hui houses was avoided as much as possible. The troops camped outdoors when they were staying, a fact Chen Boping understood.

However, as they advanced into remote areas, particularly Qinghai, they discovered that these areas were being severely ravaged by the Qing imperial forces, represented by the Qing Ma Army. Along the way, the soldiers witnessed many local people suffering from the brutal oppression of the reactionaries, living in poverty and subsisting on a diet of bran and vegetables. They even saw teenage girls, young wives, and young men, barely clothed, shivering in the cold wind, looking at the PLA with fear in their eyes.

Such poverty was something he had never imagined as a Zhejiang native. Whenever he thought of this, Chen Boping would feel a surge of anger deep in his heart. He was so angry that he wanted to kill all the reactionaries, revive the Qing Ma movement and kill them all again, to avenge the people of all ethnic groups in Gansu and Qinghai provinces!

Chen Boping took a deep breath, turned around and glanced at the group following behind him. The cold air in his lungs irritated him and he couldn't help but cough twice. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and nauseous. He knew that if he dared to bend over and cough or move too much, he would immediately get a splitting headache. Chen Boping knew that the comrades entering Tibet from Sichuan had faced even greater difficulties. Now, looking at the comrades behind him, he couldn't help but wonder how much hardship those comrades who had entered Tibet had endured.

Suppressing the nausea and calming himself, Chen Boping shouted in his soft Mandarin, accented by Jiangsu and Zhejiang, "Comrades, the troops entering Tibet from Sichuan have no experience, yet they have crossed more than a dozen mountains like this. They also face constant attacks from Tibetan soldiers, and they have no reinforcements. But what about us? We have all been trained on the precautions for crossing such mountains, and we have lessons learned. We are almost free from enemy attacks, and after crossing the mountains, we have comrades from Xz to support us. We have had it much easier than the comrades who entered Tibet before us, but we must not let the other teams lag behind. Come on, comrades, keep moving forward."

"Don't worry, Captain. We'll crawl to Lhasa even if we have to." "Yes, we'll crawl into XZ even if we have to."

"Okay! Comrades, let's work hard together!"

Chen Boping also knew that his comrades were in high spirits and full of a spirit of sacrifice, and that they would eventually be able to cross the Tanggula Mountains and successfully advance into XZ.

As Chen Boping struggled through his march, on the other side of the Tanggula Pass, a road construction team, under the direction of Zhang Yinghao, was furiously working to build a road from Anduo to Nagqu, then to Dangxiong, then to Lhasa. A shorter, better-maintained, and safer road to Lhasa could be built from here. Once the Qinghai-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet highways were completed, the long-standing problem of difficult access to Tibet would be greatly alleviated. With these two highways, even if Tibet were to experience further unrest or even secession, Zhang Yinghao would be able to quickly deploy troops to support and fight in Tibet.

The Tibetan Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, and the Panchen Lama, Choekyi Nyima, were still working in Chengdu. Even though reports from Tibet were frequent, Zhang Yinghao didn't stop them. Although small-scale riots had broken out in parts of Tibet, the situation there remained largely stable and under control. Zhang Yinghao truly owed it to the British to eliminate so many of the reactionary Tibetan troops, effectively reducing Tibet's power to a freezing point.

Furthermore, due to the British invasion, Tibet and Britain were in a state of hostility, which meant that the Tibetan nobles had lost a source of support, a fallback. Furthermore, the British were perhaps the only support for these slave owners. Without their support, when the slaves tried to rise up, it would be hard to imagine how these slave owners would react.

The PLA was hard at work building the road, and many nobles had already chosen to align themselves with the Progressive Party and the PLA. Of course, the majority remained silent, following the tide of change blindly, and quietly observing the Progressive Party and the PLA.

The Tanggula Mountains are a permafrost region, with moisture in the soil frozen year-round. The weather at the mountain passes is extremely volatile; even in summer, roads are often blocked by heavy snow, and hail, frost, and snow are common.

Among the road construction team was a serf named Qiangba, who had escaped from his slave owner and was taken in by the People's Liberation Army. The PLA's road construction forces generally took in these escaped Tibetan slaves. Those who were taken in in eastern Tibet were taken to another location to avoid encountering their slave owners. If they were unfortunate enough to be encountered by their owners, the PLA would redeem them with gifts.

Although Qiangba couldn't speak the language, he worked tirelessly, always at the forefront. Early in the morning, he shouldered his tools and stepped onto the frozen ground, ready to work. The ground was too slippery, and he accidentally fell. His foot got stuck on a rock, and the sharp ice shards cut his foot. Blood immediately flowed, staining a large area red. Soon, it froze to the ice.

Qiangba said nothing, took a deep breath, and, enduring the pain, pulled his foot out of the ice crack. He then tied up his calf with a rope. He continued to work on the road, ignoring the blood still flowing from his foot. When his comrades noticed something was wrong with Qiangba and discovered his foot was injured, the blood had already dried up. Several comrades quickly carried him to the infirmary. The doctor untied Qiangba's ropes, took off his shoes, and found that his foot had turned completely blue and swollen like a steamed bun.

The doctor quickly examined and tested Qiangba's foot. Seeing Qiangba's reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief. "How painful it must be to have your foot tied up like that in such a cold place!" If the injury hadn't been discovered and untied in time, it wouldn't have taken long for the foot to be completely broken. It's hard to say whether this young Tibetan man is strong-willed or simply ignorant.

The doctor immediately treated Qiangba's wound, applied some medicine, and prescribed him some anti-inflammatory and analgesic tablets, telling him to work less and rest more. Qiangba listened to the doctor's instructions, holding back tears. He had never been cared for before, and the slightest mistake would have been met with the whip of the slave owner. Now, listening to the doctor's gentle words, he suddenly felt that these Han people were the best people in the world.

The next day, Qiangba did not follow the doctor's advice and went out to work again, limping with his tools on his back.

The vast majority of farmers and herders in the Communist Party of China (CCP) suffered from hunger and cold, struggling to survive. Countless people died from hunger, cold, and disease. Even in cities like Lhasa, Shigatse, Chamdo, and Nagqu, beggars swarmed the streets, with elderly people, women, and children begging for food everywhere. The People's Liberation Army welcomed these vulnerable groups, willing to work alongside their comrades, uniting them in a common struggle for survival.

The road construction team faced countless difficulties, including a lack of medical care, altitude sickness, injuries, severe cold, and hunger. For a long time, the comrades could only eat a little flour paste and a small spoonful of Lao Gan Ma for each meal. When they were really hungry, they would catch rats and dig up grass roots to eat and keep warm.

Zhang Yinghao knew the troops entering Tibet were short of food, but he had no other options except to try to gather enough supplies. In those days, there were no airplanes, so the troops had to rely on carrying supplies on their backs or on camels. Almost two-thirds of the supplies were consumed along the way, so how much could reach the front lines? Fortunately, labor was cheap in those days, otherwise Sichuan would have been dragged down to its knees.

Zhang Yinghao still remembers his initial plan for worker wages, which followed a minimum wage standard. Based on an eight-hour workday, with room and board included, each hour's wages were calculated as half a jin (approximately 100 grams) of rice. Without room and board, the wages were calculated as at least 0.8 jin (approximately 100 grams) of rice. This meant a worker had to earn at least four jin (approximately 100 grams) of rice per day, and at least one hundred jin (approximately 100 grams) of rice per month. Workers between eight and twelve hours were paid 1.5 times the wage. In principle, a workday could not exceed twelve hours. However, in special circumstances, workers working more than twelve but no more than sixteen hours would be paid double the wage.

Zhang Yinghao certainly knew that labor should be paid, and that not paying for overtime and demanding selfless dedication from employees was tantamount to humiliation. No, it wasn't humiliation, it was outright exploitation, a crime. However, even with the low wages Zhang Yinghao stipulated, he ultimately had to shamefully admit that he simply couldn't keep them.

If workers of this era continued to eat white rice every day, Zhang Yinghao was certain that the conflict between workers and peasants would soon become irreconcilable. But reducing workers' wages wouldn't work either; words couldn't be broken. What could he do? Ultimately, Zhang Yinghao could only rely on inflation to solve the problem. While rice prices were falling, he could still buy the same amount of grains.

After this lesson, Zhang Yinghao became even more cautious about the distribution of benefits. He no longer dared to arbitrarily set limits on anything, let alone act recklessly. In this era of low productivity, the slightest carelessness could inevitably lead to human tragedy. Indeed, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; one must be extremely cautious and tread carefully.

"Chairman, good news! Gansu and Qinghai provinces have been completely liberated. The troops are heading into Tibet via Qinghai and the Tanggula Mountains, and have already joined our earlier troops heading into Tibet."

Chapter 379:

Zhang Yinghao was sitting in the office processing documents when he suddenly heard the news from Liu Qi and immediately felt happy.

During the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongolian army entered Tibet via the Qinghai and Tanggula Mountains route. Earlier, the battles between Tubo and Tang were mainly in the northwest region. Later railways to Tibet also started from the direction of Qinghai, which shows that it is actually easier and safer to enter Tibet from here, and the road should be more travelable.

Furthermore, Chinese philosophy emphasizes the balance of yin and yang, just like Tai Chi, where yin contains yang and yang contains yin. Go cannot be surrounded; Traditional Chinese Medicine states that pain indicates blockage, and pain indicates blockage; Military Strategy states that the two sides should be like corners, responding to each other; even when building a house, doors and windows should face each other, ensuring ventilation and unobstructed access. Furthermore, Military Strategy states that before you think of victory, you must first repeat defeats. You must have a way out, a retreat, and a plan for retreat. If the only route into Tibet were through Sichuan, having your retreat cut off would be extremely dangerous, and comrades deep within Tibet would feel deeply insecure. However, if the route into Tibet through Qinghai and the Tanggula Mountains were opened, comrades deep within Tibet would no longer have to worry about being trapped inside Tibet without support, and the entire situation in Tibet would instantly be revitalized.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhang Yinghao uttered the word "good" three times in a row, showing how excited he was. With the army entering Tibet again from Qinghai, Tibet basically had no worries anymore, and its territory could basically be guaranteed to be intact. How could Zhang Yinghao not be excited?

However, the development of things will not stop because of Zhang Yinghao's personal mood changes. Everything in the world still moves according to its own laws, and things will not change based on Zhang Yinghao's personal will or unwillingness.

As Zhang Yinghao expected, the British colonialists sent a large number of envoys including Ingma to win over a number of border chieftains, and Ingma went to visit the regent of the Kokang chieftain Yang Guozheng with gifts.

The Yang family, who occupied Kokang, were descendants of refugees who had fled there during the Southern Ming Dynasty. During the 1867 invasion of the Mubang chieftain, they defeated the leader of the Menggu region west of the Salween River at the Battle of Yangkuang and captured the Mubang leader alive at the Battle of Haixiushui. From then on, Kokang's jurisdiction expanded from the eastern part of the river to the western part of the Salween River.

Afterwards, the Yang family cooperated with the Qing court in suppressing the remnants of the Hui uprising. Because of this military achievement, the Yang family of Kokang was officially recognized by the Qing as a Kokang native county. The six households originally belonging to Zhenkang Prefecture, namely the upper, middle, and lower six households, were designated as Kokang native counties. The Yang family leader was granted the hereditary title of Kokang native county magistrate, officially becoming the chieftain of Kokang. Due to the hereditary system of the chieftaincy, Yang Guozheng could only serve as regent of Kokang after his brother's death.

After conquering Burma, the British army occupied areas such as Mubang in Upper Burma and divided the Kokang people. They persuaded them to secede from China and submit to the British. The British also presented gifts to the Kokang chieftains and their leaders, using these small favors to change their attitudes toward the British invaders. They also promoted Britain's superior weaponry and its friendly attitude toward its people. Secretly, the British, working with the Mubang people, collected extensive firsthand information on Kokang's geography, society, and humanities to inform their colonial decisions.

As the chieftain of Kokang, Yang Guozheng reported the British arrival to the Qing army in Yunnan, but received a categorical response. At this time, the chieftains on the border had no concept of nationhood; they simply believed in "cooperating with whoever offers the most benefits." After weighing the pros and cons, Yang Guozheng began to side with the British, formally handing Kokang over to them, allowing British residents to register in Kokang, agreeing to pay an annual tax of 400 taels of silver, and allowing British troops to station there. In 1897, the Qing government and Britain signed the "Supplementary Agreement on Yunnan-Burma Boundary and Commercial Affairs." Kokang was eventually incorporated into the British Indian Province of Burma, named "Kokang County of the Great British Burma Mubang Xuanwei Division." The Kokang chieftain was renamed "Kokang Maozhaguan." Yang Guozheng was awarded a gold medal by the British colonial authorities for this achievement.

After fleeing to the Kokang region during the Southern Ming dynasty, the Yang family diligently established themselves there for over two hundred years. As a local power, especially as a legitimate power under the Qing dynasty, they wielded immense control over the region. Kokang sits at the starting point of the ancient Tea-Horse Road, and with over two hundred years of accumulated wealth, the Yang family likely lacked a clear understanding of their wealth.

The Forward Party was engaged in the revolution in Sichuan. After the liberation of western Sichuan, they had already learned about the Sichuan revolution through the ancient Tea-Horse Road, and also understood the relevant policies of the Forward Party.

After the PLA entered Yunnan and Guizhou, these border chieftains were already in a state of panic. When the PLA arrived in the border areas, some of them even made contact with the PLA. However, when the PLA began extensive road construction and implemented land reform in areas where conditions were ripe, these chieftains were immediately furious, and many fled to Burma with their families. By then, Kokang was already British territory, so the Yang family naturally did not flee. However, some members of the Yang family did contact the Progressive Party, hoping that the party would lead troops to liberate the Kokang region.

The PLA's advance into the Menghen region put the entire region east of the Salween River to Siam within its reach. The British troops stationed in Kokang were vulnerable, but Yang Guozheng, having tasted the sweetness of power, feared the PLA would simply seize his family. After the PLA entered Kokang, he and his men, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, escaped. However, Yang Guozheng only crossed the Salween River and then stopped, awaiting further developments.

The reason why the PLA dared to march into the Menghen area despite being at a disadvantage was that the area was mainly populated by Han people, and the Yang family was a descendant of Han people. This military action by the PLA directly conflicted with the interests of the Yang family. If the Yang family was determined not to be Chinese, then it would be better for them to take some people away. However, if

The Yang family was unwilling to leave and wanted to take back the land, so the next military conflict was inevitable. The Yang family was a local tyrant in the Kokang area and had deep roots.

The people also saw this clearly and knew that the Yang family was the target they must fight for, so they put in a lot of effort. The leaders, big and small, all brought gifts, just to make these people serve like dogs and fight for the British colonists.

When Yinggema met Yang Guozheng, they exchanged a few polite words. Then Yinggema immediately changed the subject and began to criticize the land reform policy of the Progressive Party, saying that it was a policy to divide up the property of their chieftains, while they, the British, were very good to the chieftains and would guarantee their interests. After taking back the land, they would still be powerful land chiefs.

Yinggema was very smart. He knew that these policies of the Progressive Party violated the interests of the chieftains, which gave them a common topic. Their common interests were to eliminate the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army, retake the land, and consolidate their chieftain status.

Yang Guozheng was already sixty-five years old, and had been regent for twenty-five years. He could be said to have become a standard politician. Although he looked a little tired, his eyes were slightly narrowed. A closer look revealed that his eyes were often bright and his mind was extremely active.

After Ingmar criticized the PLA's policies, he then began to criticize