The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Zhang Yinghao kissed her lightly and sucked Xueer's tongue to lick it. His hands did not stop and he began to help Xueer take off her pajamas. After doing this many times, Xueer cooperated very well. She raised her butt slightly, and Zhang Yinghao bent and stretched her legs. In a few seconds, Xueer's pajamas were up to her ankles. Zhang Yinghao no longer cared about Xueer's pajamas because he knew Xueer would use her toes to take off the pants that were still hanging on her ankles. Zhang Yinghao's palms had already reached the water curtain cave and began to rub it gently with his fingers. Sometimes he gently scraped it, sometimes he kneaded the little bean, and after a while, the water came out.

After releasing Xue'er's mouth, he saw her legs straighten, then bend, her toes spread, then close, her hips and waist occasionally raised. Zhang Yinghao saw Xue'er's chin raised high, her lips bitten, her eyes slightly closed, and her breathing became heavy. Xue'er didn't know where to put her hands.

Seeing the time was ripe, Zhang Yinghao immediately pressed forward. His lower body automatically adjusted its position, and his penis entered the hole. Zhang Yinghao felt a warm and moist place, and breathed a sigh of relief. Xue'er also hummed, opened her eyes and gave Zhang Yinghao a charming look, and immediately stretched out her mouth for a kiss. Zhang Yinghao immediately stretched out his mouth to nibble on her, and his lower body began to move gently.

Zhang Yinghao alternated between asking Xue'er how she felt, offering sweet nothings to cheer her up, and then inquiring about her work. His questions ricocheted wildly, and Zhang Yinghao didn't give Xue'er time to think. She was too distracted to respond, responding with "hmmmm" and "ahhhh." Zhang Yinghao continued to move at his own pace. Unless a man is exceptional, a woman is rarely a match for him. Some impatient men, in particular, seem to be chasing that final thrill, desperately seeking it, eager to unleash their inner energy and experience the thrill of pleasure. But the thrill was over quickly, and then, after that, it was over. For men, this is like a violent storm: swift onset and swift onset. For women, this is like the plum rain: cloudy and sunny, with a drizzle. The mismatch between male and female needs leads to disharmony, so men, especially impatient ones, should have a tool to spice up their relationship. What tool? Uh~ I think everyone should know about it, right? There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Husband and wife understand each other, right? We've done all sorts of embarrassing things, so what's there to be embarrassed about?

Zhang Yinghao was lying on his bed firing his cannon, making a "bang bang" sound, while the soldiers fighting outside were firing their cannons, making a "boom boom" sound. This is the truth of the world.

Chapter 397:

As the saying goes, there are only oxen that die of exhaustion, but no fields that are plowed to death. Zhang Yinghao, having finished his toil, drained all the energy stored in his body, collapsed directly onto Xue'er, unwilling to move, savoring the pleasure of the blankness of mind that followed the shivering. Xue'er, in turn, clasped Zhang Yinghao's head in her arms, wishing she could rub it into her body.

Zhang Yinghao felt his lower body begin to shrink, slowly sliding out of the moist hole, and a sudden chill hit him. They say women have humps that can't be crushed, but Zhang Yinghao was still worried about hurting Xue'er. After Xue'er let go, he took a deep breath, then dismounted and placed a pillow around her waist. Zhang Yinghao knew Xue'er had been trying to get pregnant, but after so long, she still hadn't conceived, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Zhang Yinghao turned sideways and hugged Xue'er, caressing her gently. He looked at Xue'er's face and spoke sweet words to her for a while. At the same time, he took out toilet paper to wipe Xue'er clean. After lying down for a while, Zhang Yinghao soon regained his vitality and looked like Xue'er wanted to go back to sleep. Knowing that it was uncomfortable to sleep like this, Zhang Yinghao did not plan to do it again. Excessive indulgence is not a good thing. There is always a long way to go! Zhang Yinghao quietly got up, fetched some hot water and returned to the bed. After wiping Xue'er's whole body, especially her lower body, he gently covered her with the quilt, kissed Xue'er's forehead, and got up to leave.

After having a simple breakfast in the cafeteria, especially drinking a glass of milk and eating two eggs, Zhang Yinghao came to Chen Linong's office. Unexpectedly, Chen Linong was already working in the office so early. Seeing Zhang Yinghao coming, Chen Linong immediately said: "Good morning, Chairman."

"Good morning, have you had breakfast?" "Just now."

While talking to Chen Linong, Zhang Yinghao walked into Chen Linong's office, pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Would the Chairman like some tea?"

"Just a glass of boiled water."

Drinking tea? Just kidding! I just finished morning exercise. Tea is a diuretic, but it is not so friendly to the kidneys. It is still necessary for health care.

Chen Linong poured Zhang Yinghao a glass of boiled water, and after a few pleasantries, he asked, "Chairman, what brings you here so early?"

Zhang Yinghao didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up the boiling water, blew on it twice, took a sip, and said calmly, "What's the current situation of the secret society uprising in Guangxi? I'm still a little worried, so I came here to ask."

After hearing this, Chen Linong said directly: "Chairman, the secret society uprising in Guangxi is now almost suppressed by the Qing Dynasty. The Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Cen Chunxuan, is in charge of the military affairs of Guangxi. During his tenure, he assembled hundreds of thousands of troops to suppress the secret society uprising in Guangxi. Last year, the secret society uprising was on the rise, and its influence spread throughout the province of Guangxi and expanded to the borders of Hunan and Guizhou. Two centers were formed in Nanning and Liuzhou, shaking the entire province. The secret society's slogans such as "Anti-Qing and Restore Ming", "Rob the Rich to Help the Poor", and "Officials forcing the People to Revolt" can be seen everywhere. The cry of "Kill corrupt officials, kill the emperor" spread everywhere. To join the secret society, one must swear to kill the emperor. This is also one of the progress of these secret societies. Later, the activities of the rebel army went beyond Guangxi and went as far as Guangdong, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. One of them even crossed the sea into Hainan Island.

The Qing government panicked as the rebels moved outward, urgently dispatching hundreds of thousands of troops from seven provinces, including Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou, as well as the Jiangnan New Army, to Guangxi to "jointly suppress" the rebels. They attacked the rebels from all sides. The Qing government brutally suppressed the secret society uprising. The rebels were outnumbered and were successively defeated by the Qing army. Beginning in early November of last year, the Qing army won repeated victories against the secret society in Nanning, Liuzhou, and northwestern Guangxi. In mid-December, after the Qing army captured the strategically important Forty-Eight Caves, a strategically important area for the secret society, serious internal strife broke out among the various factions, which were subsequently defeated one by one. By January of this year, secret society organizations were causing trouble in Wuzhou and on the border between Guangxi and Guizhou. We also incorporated some of their armed forces, and these groups were quickly suppressed. After losing their leader, the Qing army wiped out over 3,000 secret society members in the Qingyuan Prefecture area. Generally speaking, in the spring of this year, the major rebel forces were either defeated or dispersed, or surrendered or rebelled, while the smaller rebel forces dispersed and hid in various places, leading to the failure of the uprising. So, generally speaking, the uprising of the Guangxi secret society failed, but there are still many remnants of the secret society in various places who are still stubbornly resisting. Some wanted to retreat to the Yunnan-Guizhou border and continue to hold high the anti-Qing banner, but they were also incorporated into our People's Liberation Army. The Qing Dynasty also suffered heavy losses in this encirclement and suppression of the secret society uprising. Those who were injured, infected with malaria, and could not be cured were transported back to the camp one after another. The number of soldiers killed in battle, casualties, and malaria deaths was no less than 10,000. Among them, more than 120 Qing army officers with military merits of the fifth rank and above were killed by the rebels. The military pay raised by the Qing Dynasty was no less than 7 million taels..."

Zhang Yinghao listened and nodded. In fact, this was also the reason why Zhang Yinghao launched the solution.

One of the reasons for the war. Although the Qing Dynasty was a rubbish regime, it was still able to organize a million-strong army. Faced with a large number of uprisings across the country, the Qing Dynasty's choice was to first

The plan was to first suppress the Guangxi secret society uprising and other smaller uprisings elsewhere before concentrating forces on the Sichuan Red Bandits. To expedite the suppression of the Guangxi secret society uprising, the Qing concentrated even greater forces in this life than in the previous one. Zhang Yinghao knew that once the massive Guangxi secret society uprising was completely extinguished, the hundreds of thousands of Qing troops would undoubtedly turn their guns and launch a war against the liberated areas. Zhang Yinghao naturally wouldn't allow the war to spread to the liberated areas, so he had no choice but to bring the war to the Qing-controlled areas, with Guangxi as a prime battlefield. Once the hundreds of thousands of Qing forces encircling the Guangxi secret society uprising were eliminated, the Qing would be severely weakened and unable to rise again. The Qing would essentially be consigned to the dustbin of history. The Beiyang New Army alone could not maintain Qing rule.

Zhang Yinghao felt somewhat fortunate at this point. His uprising coincided with the signing of the Boxer Protocol, leaving the Qing Dynasty largely unprepared. Later, in the first anti-encirclement campaign, he completely annihilated the Green Camp in Shaanxi and Gansu, crushing the Yunnan army and leaving them in disarray, completely shocking the Qing. Then, the Jing Tingbin Uprising in Zhili, along with numerous other uprisings by the secret societies in Guangxi, diverted the Qing's attention and bought him considerable time. If he had simply rebelled and the Qing had deployed all its might to suppress him, facing tens of millions of Qing troops, Zhang Yinghao wouldn't have been confident of victory. If the war had become stalemated and drawn into a stalemate, with the Qing holding the entire nation's resources and the support of the foreign powers, he wouldn't have been able to guarantee an easy victory. Even if he were defeated, he could have resorted to guerrilla warfare in the mountains or made a strategic retreat.

"What's going on with the internal strife within the secret society?"

"Haha, Chairman, these secret societies have formed a total of 198 armed gangs of varying sizes, covering more than 10 counties and prefectures in southern and western Guangxi, with dozens or even hundreds of them.

If it goes smoothly all the time, naturally the old Kuomintang armed forces will have no unified leadership and will have difficulty in moving in unison. In addition, they will continue to follow the old peasant style.

The uprisings were characterized by their erratic and volatile fighting style, prompting the Qing government to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops and launch a frenzied counterattack, employing both suppression and appeasement to defeat each and every one of them. The Qing mobilized so many troops to encircle and suppress these secret society armed forces that they were outnumbered and suffered defeat one after another. The Qing also resorted to bribery and co-optation to divide these secret societies, so it's no surprise that they engaged in internal strife.

Chairman, to be honest, the secret society uprising was truly doomed to failure. Generally speaking, secret societies are backward organizations with many serious weaknesses. Not only do they fail to engage in construction, they also possess a profoundly destructive influence. Their blind vandalism, severe decentralization, and lack of clear political objectives make them easily co-opted and exploited by reactionary forces. Secret societies plundered and looted wherever they conquered territory, committing crimes in and around the areas they controlled. Because their core members were divorced from production, their economic activities tended to focus on parasitic and illegal sectors. These often involved smuggling, operating gambling dens, opium dens, brothels, and engaging in various forms of banditry, including theft and robbery. The secret societies' backward behavior detracted from their righteous nature as anti-oppression forces, and their demise was inevitable. Many bankrupt peasants initially supported the secret society uprising, but after seeing the secret society's true nature, they ultimately abandoned the organization. Especially after the Qing Dynasty's pacification, many secret society leaders chose to join the Qing and enjoyed promotions and wealth...

After listening to this, Zhang Yinghao said: "Yes, the secret society is like this. The secret society is the easiest to bribe and use. However, the success of the Guangxi secret society uprising this time also has a deep popular support base. Guangxi has been a place with a large population and little land since ancient times. It is known as eight mountains, one water, and one field. Now the population of Guangxi has reached eight million, but the cultivated land area is only a pitiful nine million mu, which means that each person has only a little more than one mu of land on average. What can you do with more than one mu of land? In recent years, Guangxi has suffered from famine, which has led to the decline of the local economy. The people were destitute. Bureaucrats, local chieftains, and gentry were rampantly annexing land, imposing exorbitant taxes, levying heavy levies, plundering, and abusing their power, leaving the land awash with famine, beggars, and countless victims. Guangxi's local finances had always been insufficient to cover their expenses, and after the signing of the Boxer Protocol, the Qing Dynasty imposed 300,000 taels of silver as the Boxer Indemnity on the people of Guangxi, further exacerbating the situation and leaving them in dire straits. Guangxi was known for its resilient people, and the vast majority of farmers, landless, starving, and unable to bear the oppression, had no choice but to join the rebellion.

Chen Linong listened, nodded, and said, "The Chairman is right. The key is that the people of Guangxi can no longer survive. If the people can live well, who would be willing to do such a thing that would cost them their lives?"

Zhang Yinghao listened, and remembered the saying: "Revolutions are the work of poor people. Why would people with enough food and drink risk their lives to engage in such business?" It was truly similar. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why communist revolutions didn't happen in Britain, France, the United States, and Germany. The capitalists' mere scraps were enough to appease the lower classes. Who would risk their lives to revolutionize when they had enough food and drink? As for Japan? In a past life, he had read fantasy novels about revolutions in Japan, but now he thought it was basically impossible. The Japanese ruling class was not only ruthless to their enemies, but also to their own people, killing countless people. Moreover, the Japanese reactionaries were so powerful, but Japan was so small, without any strategic depth or room for maneuver. The communist revolution would be suppressed before it even began. There was basically no soil for communism.

After figuring this out, Zhang Yinghao burst into laughter, and after laughing for a long time, he said: "The peasant uprisings in our country since ancient times are actually very easy to solve. Basically, they are caused by droughts and the people have no food to eat. In the feudal era, as long as the officers and soldiers kill a lot of people, and then wait until the weather gets better, most farmers will naturally think about farming, and the peasant uprisings will naturally disperse, and the peasant uprisings will naturally subside. Of course, there are also examples like the late Ming Dynasty, when Shaanxi suffered a series of severe droughts and eventually destroyed the Ming Dynasty. But in fact, if the Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers had chosen to suppress the rebels instead of appeasing them, Li Zicheng would not have been so successful. Those people were finished in Chexiang Gorge long ago, so where was the future glory? The same is true in Guangxi today. The secret society armed forces and the Qing army have been fighting for several years, resulting in countless casualties. The entire province is in chaos. When chaos reaches its peak, people want to govern; when in danger, they want to be safe. The people have now seen the true face of the secret society uprising and no longer want to follow the secret society in its chaos. Without the support of the people, the secret society uprising in Guangxi will naturally be quickly suppressed. Guangxi currently has a large population and limited land, and the contradictions and struggles are extremely fierce. The conditions for land reform in Guangxi are now fully mature. Guangxi is also a good place for recruiting soldiers, and even tens of millions of them will not be a problem at all.

Chen Linong nodded and replied, "The conditions for land reform in Guangxi are indeed ripe. The policy of land distribution is very much in line with the current aspirations of the Guangxi people. Therefore, many people, after hearing about the Sichuan policy, are very eager to adopt it. In fact, several secret society leaders in Guangxi have attempted land reform, but they were opposed by the majority of secret society leaders. Haha, for the secret society leaders, land distribution is a prerequisite for them to gain power and profit. These secret societies have no political platform, so even if they wanted to distribute land, they would end up making a mess. Moreover, what benefits would land distribution bring to these secret society leaders? If land is distributed rashly, the people will want to settle down and farm, and will no longer follow these secret society leaders in rebellion. As for the issue of conscription, Guangxi has experienced years of war, and many of its people have handled guns. It is indeed a good place to recruit soldiers. With a little training, these people can become excellent soldiers and be deployed to the battlefield in a short time..."

"Are there many French people in Guangxi now?"

"Not many. For the secret society, killing foreigners is the politically correct thing to do. Most of the French in Guangxi have already fled Guangxi. However, according to reliable information, the Germans are smuggling arms to the secret society in Guangxi."

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "This is one of the reasons why we must liberate Guangxi. With access to the sea, it will be easier for us to do business with the foreign powers! Okay, let's get back to the point. I asked you to contact those secret society armed forces to enter Annan. What was the result?"

This was also a temporary move that Zhang Yinghao planned to make. There was no need for these secret society armed forces to make any big noise or occupy much territory in the northern part of Vietnam. As long as they could gain a foothold, they could act as guides for the army's advance in the future.

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's question, Chen Linong immediately sat up straight. This was a task Zhang Yinghao had given them before. That is, when these secret society uprisings were facing the encirclement and suppression of the Qing Dynasty and failed, they were asked to take their armed forces and pretend that they were forced by the Qing Dynasty and had to flee to the northern part of Vietnam, so as to do some preliminary work for the future liberation of Annan.

"Chairman, we have contacted several leading Zhuang leaders such as Huang Jiugu, Qin Laofa, Wang Heshun, etc...."

Zhang Yinghao was stunned when he heard the name Huang Jiugu. He had researched this name online in his previous life. The information stated that Jiugu's rebel army had strict military discipline, refusing to kill anyone or plunder the civilians. Her tolerance for others was particularly remarkable, earning her the deep support of her subordinates and the respect of her friends. She led the charge in every battle, conquering the enemy with her own hands. In the end, Jiugu surrendered to the imperial court but remained stationed at Shahe. Unfortunately, she was lured and captured by Qing officials and soldiers, taken back to the county seat, and tortured to death by skinning alive. On the execution ground, she remained alive, still eloquently speaking and cursing the enemy before dying. Truly a hero.

Wang Heshun was also a remarkable hero. He was one of the leaders of the secret society uprising and later launched the Hekou Uprising. After its failure, he was sent to Singapore by the French authorities to serve. After the Huanghuagang Uprising in the third year of the Xuantong reign, he returned to China and persevered in the revolution. After the Wuchang Uprising, Wang Heshun went to Guangdong to organize a militia, which captured Huizhou and Guangzhou. In 1915, Wang Heshun organized the National Protection Army to denounce Yuan Shikai's restoration of the monarchy. In 1922, he launched an expedition in Wuzhou to suppress Chen Jiongming. Chen Jiongming fled to Hong Kong, and Sun Yat-sen established the Generalissimo's Office in Guangzhou. Wang Heshun retired after his victory.

Chapter 398:

This is one of the reasons why, now that Zhang Yinghao has firmly established his position, he has gradually changed his stance towards secret societies, even allowing the People's Liberation Army to incorporate their armed forces. While banning secret societies is imperative, secret society organizations are a unique product of this era. In this era, they are more likely to be spontaneous organizations of mutual aid. Figures like Liu Yongfu, Wang Heshun, and Lu Rongting, as well as other grassroots heroes from the late Qing Dynasty, all had secret society backgrounds. Their decision to join secret society organizations was a forced choice. The oppression and plunder of the imperialist powers and the corrupt rule of the Qing Dynasty were unjustifiable. Without the support of an organization, individuals were subjected to the tyranny of corrupt officials and powerful clans, with no means of redress. In his past life, secret society organizations had indeed produced many heroes. Zhang Yinghao knew he couldn't exclude them all from the ranks of the people, let alone exterminate all those who joined them. Ultimately, he had to liberate them, incorporate them into the ranks of the working people, and transform them.

Based on the fundamental question of revolution—who are our friends and who are our enemies—the Forward Party's primary enemy in Guangxi at this point remained the Qing Dynasty. While the Forward Party knew the secret society forces would inevitably join the ranks of the counter-revolutionaries in the near future, it nonetheless insisted on sharing its share of the pie with them, and the secret society forces remained a target of its unity and patronage. Many might later view the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army as completely unsympathetic, claiming that the secret society forces, previously allies in the anti-Qing struggle, had turned against them after the liberation of Guangxi. However, Zhang Yinghao disagreed. He knew that after the PLA's liberation of Guangxi, the secret society forces had essentially become the enemy of the revolution. The policies implemented by the Forward Party would immediately harm the interests of these secret society forces. If they refused to be liberated, absorbed, or disbanded and lost to history, they would inevitably engage in a desperate struggle, perhaps even sparking a wave of secret society rebellion. At that time, it was the opportunity for the People's Liberation Army to completely eliminate the secret society armed forces in Guangxi. If the People's Liberation Army advanced at this time, both the secret society armed forces and the Qing army would be listed as targets for elimination. The scope of the attack was too wide, which would inevitably increase the resistance of the Forward Party to liberate Guangxi.

As Zhang Yinghao and Chen Linong discussed Wang Heshun and other secret society leaders, they were also making their final decisions. The Qianjin Party had been operating in Guangxi for a long time, and those comrades there had already thoroughly understood the secret society forces there and had documented their activities. Upon receiving orders and learning of the PLA's advance into Guangxi, they immediately began contacting and encouraging the secret society forces to attack the Qing army, cooperating with the PLA's offensive, relieving the PLA's military pressure and making the liberation of Guangxi easier. The Qianjin Party's own armed forces also immediately revolted, tying down the Qing forces and assisting the PLA in liberating Guangxi. These actions by the Qianjin Party sparked a new surge of resistance against the corrupt Qing rule in Guangxi. Suddenly, uprisings erupted throughout Guangxi, effectively tying down a significant number of Qing troops, making it easier for the PLA to eliminate the Qing troops piecemeal and liberate Guangxi.

At this time, Wu Zhongsheng, a comrade from the Forward Party who had come to persuade Wang Heshun, had already met Wang Heshun in person. After Wang Heshun had dismissed his subordinates, Wu Zhongsheng said in a serious tone: "Hello, Mr. Dexin (Wang Heshun's courtesy name), let me introduce myself again. I am a member of the Sichuan Forward Party. I am currently working to join the armed forces of the Guangxi secret society and overthrow the corrupt rule of the Qing Dynasty. Mr. Dexin should have some understanding of our Forward Party, right?"

Looking at Wu Zhongsheng and listening to his high-sounding words, Wang Heshun laughed a few times and said, "Haha, I do understand. What do you want from me?"

Wang Heshun was naturally aware of the Forward Party, but he would explain the revolution to the peasants in the base area, so the presence of the Forward Party was irrelevant, as long as they were united in their anti-Qing struggle and didn't cause trouble. However, he was indeed unaware that Wu Zhongsheng was actually a Forward Party member. Wu Zhongsheng naturally didn't tell Wang Heshun that these dispatched personnel needed to undergo appropriate training, and the first lesson of the training was not to reveal their Forward Party identity, but to integrate into the lives of the local people, work diligently and peacefully, and quietly accumulate strength for the future. This was not only for their work, but also for the consideration of their fellow Forward Party members, and even more so for their own personal safety.

Listening to Wang Heshun's laughter, Wu Zhongsheng didn't care, but continued: "We comrades in the Forward Party unanimously believe that you are a hero. Although you were born into a poor farming family, you participated in the Black Flag Army to fight against the French invaders and are a national hero. You launched the anti-Qing armed uprising in 99 and have persisted for six years now. You have also commanded your men to defeat the Qing army many times. You are a brave anti-Qing warrior. We have recorded all of your achievements, and they are destined to be recorded in history. History will eventually give you a complete and correct evaluation. Our descendants will also read in books about your unremitting efforts to overthrow the corrupt rule of the Qing Dynasty..."

Listening to Wu Zhongsheng's brief account of his life experience, and even describing him as a brave warrior, a national hero, and especially when he heard that his name would go down in history, Wang Heshun was not only happy, but also suddenly felt like he had met a confidant. Although he did not revolt for fame or profit, and certainly not for anyone's approval, now someone clearly told him that the Forward Party, which was also part of the uprising organization, fully recognized his efforts, which still made him feel excited.

However, Wu Zhongsheng changed the subject and continued, "After so many struggles, we believe that you should be able to see the truth of some of the facts here. The Taiping Rebellion has proved that the old-style peasant uprisings could not overthrow the corrupt rule of the Qing Dynasty; the poor peasant uprisings such as the Boxer Rebellion were no match for the machine guns and artillery of the great powers, and were doomed to fail; although the uprisings of the secret societies in Guangxi once spread throughout the province, think about the "Zhou San Rebellion" and the "Te Yan and Cai Gang Rebellion". The Qing Dynasty actually believed that they were given official titles and honors. These leaders of the uprising were massacred en masse by the Qing, and the government troops, driven by rewards, slaughtered many innocent people. You should be familiar with the morals of secret societies, right? Secret societies are a product of the past. They lack clear political objectives and are easily co-opted and manipulated by reactionary forces, easily divided and disintegrated. Many former anti-Qing patriots ultimately defected to the Qing and pledged their allegiance. Just like Liu Yongfu, the leader of the Black Flag Army you previously joined, who ultimately chose to join the Qing court. Just like Lu Rongting and others who have close ties to secret societies, they have also joined the ranks of suppressing secret society uprisings.

The Guangxi secret society uprising is now at a low ebb, and the Qing government has mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops from seven provinces, including Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi, to launch a frenzied crackdown, employing both suppression and appeasement. Currently, the Guangxi secret society's armed forces are only a few thousand strong. If nothing unexpected happens, the rebel forces in various regions will be gradually suppressed. Ironclad facts have proven that under the Qing's powerful encirclement and frenzied counterattacks, the secret society uprising will not be able to accomplish its historic mission of overthrowing the Qing."

Wang Heshun fell into a deep silence after hearing what Wu Zhongsheng said. He understood everything Wu Zhongsheng said, and now the secret society uprising was indeed about to fail. As for the "Zhou San Rebellion" and the "Te Yan and Cai Gang Rebellion", they happened last year, and he knew about them. Last year, the secret society uprising in Guangxi gradually declined, and Wang Heshun left Wuming. But on September 23, the Qing Dynasty Wuming

Si'en Prefecture's Fu Jisun used a trick to send the bad gentry Xia Yunkaihe Tuanzong Li Zhanti, Huang Pinshi and others as hostages to trick the rebel leader Zhou San and others into entering the city to be promoted to an official position.

Believing it to be true, they brazenly entered the city, while their followers remained outside. The moment they entered the city, ambushes were launched from all sides by government troops, leaving the rebels vulnerable. Zhou San, Wang Teyan, Lu Caibang, Wei Guanting, and others were beheaded and displayed for three days. Fu Jisun also announced a reward of 26 yuan for anyone who captured a "bandit" and turned in their head. Consequently, the soldiers, driven by the reward, went on a killing spree in Wuming, resulting in the deaths of many innocent people. This was known as the "Zhang San Rebellion" and the "Teyan and Caibang Rebellion" in Wuming.

The Qing government now hated Wang Heshun to the core, calling him the "bandit leader" and offering a reward of 10,000 yuan for his head. Facing the Qing government's bloody suppression of the peasant rebels and their all-out and frenzied counterattack, Wang Heshun remained unyielding and continued to fight. However, he was ultimately outnumbered. He had already begun to assess the situation, breaking up into smaller groups, concealing his secret society, and looking for an opportunity to rise again.

"The secret societies cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty, but can you?"

"Our Progressive Party is no match for this. It is the broad masses of the people who want to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. As long as the people unite to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty will inevitably perish."

"So what do you want from me?"

Wu Zhongsheng didn't answer directly, but said, "I don't think anyone knows what Guangxi was like before better than Mr. Dexin. The secret society followed public opinion and launched an uprising, and its influence spread throughout Guangxi in a short period of time. Therefore, as long as the people are mobilized, the Qing Dynasty is doomed to be overthrown. Our People's Liberation Army is marching forward to eliminate the Qing troops that are encircling you in Guangxi and completely liberate Guangxi. Naturally, we hope to incorporate the secret society's armed forces, or to obtain their assistance, and jointly overthrow the Qing government in Guangxi..."

Wang Heshun listened to these words and sighed inwardly. Faced with such a precarious situation, the Qianjin Party's arrival to recruit and incorporate these secret society armed forces truly gave them another way out. However, he knew the Qianjin Party's policies and actions, so Wang Heshun had his own concerns. He didn't know if the Qianjin Party would keep its word. Wang Heshun could be said to not only know the Qianjin Party but also have a certain understanding of its policies. Would the Qianjin Party tolerate secret society? Would it tolerate secret society armed forces? He was skeptical. He didn't know what the Qianjin Party's attitude was towards these secret societies. Was it simply using them to deal with the Qing Dynasty now, with the intention of settling scores later, or was it truly intending to incorporate them? This was unreliable no matter how he looked at it. However, facing the current situation, he was indeed running out of time and options.

Wang Heshun even knew that the Forward Party had already gained considerable influence in Guangxi, and he also knew that there were Forward Party members in his team. But he really didn't understand why the Forward Party had been watching coldly, still lurking underground, and had no intention of intervening in the Qing Dynasty's suppression of their rebel forces and saving the armed forces of the secret societies. But when their uprising was about to fail, why did the People's Liberation Army suddenly march into Guangxi? Group number: 775111838

Of course, Wang Heshun couldn't have known that, for Zhang Yinghao, revolution was innocent and rebellion was justified. This wasn't just a revolution for the Forward Party, which he led. Revolution wasn't exclusive to him or the Forward Party; the entire nation could oppose the Qing Dynasty. In Zhang Yinghao's view, opposing the Qing Dynasty was the politically correct thing to do, and he absolutely wouldn't and couldn't stop it. Even more so, he absolutely couldn't fire the first shot against the anti-Qing secret society armed forces, otherwise he would completely lose his political legitimacy in opposing the Qing Dynasty. When the secret society armed uprising in Guangxi was rapidly developing or spreading throughout the province, the People's Liberation Army couldn't enter Guangxi. Otherwise, it would inevitably lead to unnecessary conflict with these anti-Qing secret society armed forces, which would see the PLA as stealing their victory, thus losing the PLA's political legitimacy in liberating the people.

These politically correct concepts may seem illusory and pedantic, but they are actually crucial. Soldiers will only maintain their fighting power if they consistently do the right thing. Once the military becomes lost and confused, doubting or even questioning its own actions, not only will its combat effectiveness be significantly reduced, but it will also lead to endless consequences.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao wouldn't tell anyone that he simply wanted to watch the Guangxi secret society uprising ultimately fail. He wanted to observe the actions of these secret societies during the uprising, and the treatment of the Qing army against the rebels and the people in the uprising areas, in order to educate his comrades. Perhaps such a spectatorship would cause great losses to the Guangxi secret society armed forces, and perhaps the people of Guangxi who experienced the war would also suffer greatly. Such an approach was cruel, but Zhang Yinghao still believed it was worth it. Only when his comrades recognized the truth of the world would they be more determined to follow the path he had set. If his comrades made mistakes or even acted recklessly in the future, the losses would undoubtedly far exceed the current losses in Guangxi. Of course, without experiencing the turmoil of war, how could the people of Guangxi appreciate the new life and new atmosphere brought about by the Forward Party's liberation of Guangxi? Only through experiencing war could one understand the value of peace. When the people yearn for a peaceful life, it would lay a solid foundation for the future elimination of the secret society armed forces.

Wu Zhongsheng continued, "...Mr. Dexin also knows that wherever our Forward Party goes, we must thoroughly implement land reform. Mr. Dexin came from a poor family.

Farmers should know what land means to the people. As long as the Liberation Army eliminates the Qing army, Guangxi will no longer have the Qing forces. I think it will not be difficult to implement land reform.

How many people will follow the secret societies to rebel against the Qing Dynasty? We will certainly not allow the secret society armed forces to cause trouble in the liberated areas and rebel against the Qing Dynasty.

Wang Heshun nodded in agreement. This was one of the reasons the Forward Party had to speak individually with the secret society leaders. Different strategies were employed for different negotiating partners. Some secret society leaders were rough and tumble, but could be persuaded simply by appealing to loyalty. Others, however, harbored deep hatred for the Qing Dynasty and would act without hesitation at the mere invitation to join the fight against the Qing.

If you want to convince someone, you must use the truth that the other person knows.

Otherwise, it is like talking to a cow. And when persuading others, it is best to do it in front of a group of people. It is indeed powerful to argue with a group of people, but in reality,

It's also the least efficient. When one person tries to persuade a group of people with different perspectives and interests, resistance naturally sets in. When you're trying to borrow money, it's wrong to go to their home or ask over the phone. Instead, you should invite them to your home, treat them to a good meal, and then ask them to lend you the money. This will make it harder for them to refuse.

"How can I trust you?"

“Yes!”

Hearing these words, Wu Zhongsheng's heart suddenly brightened, but his expression remained unchanged. It's good to have questions; that way, you can solve the problem in a targeted manner.

Wu Zhongsheng paused and said directly: "Mr. Dexin, we now know that many people like you joined the secret society out of necessity. The world is too dark, and it is difficult to survive without joining an organization. We in the Forward Party now know that the Guangxi Secret Society is a heroic anti-Qing hero, so our Forward Party has now changed its previous policy towards the secret society and has even incorporated some escaped secret society armed forces in the Yunnan and Guizhou border areas. Moreover, after we liberate Guangxi, we can also issue a notice stating that you are a righteous army that resisted the brutal rule of the Qing Dynasty and are anti-Qing heroes. All those who sacrificed their lives are martyrs who resisted the oppression of the Qing Dynasty and are heroes who died for the people. With this notice, the safety of the Guangxi Secret Society is guaranteed."

"you sure?"

Chapter 399:

This completely shocked Wang Heshun. If what Wu Zhongsheng said was true, this notice was truly significant. If this notice was truly issued, then these secret societies would be able to make a brilliant turnaround and become heroes of the revolution. If the Qing Dynasty was overthrown in the future, they would be among the heroes who overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Moreover, they would also have a good explanation for the people who died in the anti-Manchu movement.

"No wonder the Progressive Party now has the momentum to sweep the world. Their methods are truly extraordinary."

Wang Heshun was shocked and said something silently in his heart.

Wu Zhongsheng said frankly: "I am not lying! However, Mr. Dexin should know that our people's government is committed to making the people in the liberated areas live and work in peace and contentment, so our Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army will not tolerate the existence of uncontrolled armed forces in the liberated areas. You should have heard that our People's Liberation Army sent a large number of troops to eliminate the bandits in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and western Hunan, and you must have heard that we suppressed the armed forces of the secret societies. For the secret society armed forces like those in Guangxi, in the Qing Dynasty, you may be heroes who resisted the Qing Dynasty, but in our people's government, you are the root cause of local disturbances, just like the secret society armed forces in Guangxi who fought against the Qing Dynasty for several years. The secret society uprising armed forces did not engage in production, but they were very powerful in robbing the land. And they also plundered on a large scale. "Is this what an uprising should be about? Mr. Dexin, you can go around and see for yourself—there are ruins everywhere. You haven't brought any benefit to the people of Guangxi, you've only wreaked havoc everywhere, you've lost the righteousness of opposing oppression. Therefore, the Guangxi secret society uprising is bound to fail. Perhaps, Mr. Dexin, you've already sensed this: at the beginning, the vast majority of the people supported you, but when they realized that the secret society uprising only benefited a few, not the vast majority of poor peasants, they immediately abandoned you. Therefore, we will absolutely not allow the secret society and its armed forces to continue to exist..."

Wu Zhongsheng constantly called them bandits and the root of trouble, disparaging the uprising of the secret society armed forces to nothing, without even considering Wang Heshun's face. Any ordinary secret society leader would have been furious after hearing Wu Zhongsheng's words, as if they were unforgivable villains. Such words would be difficult for anyone to accept, let alone a self-proclaimed righteous anti-Qing warrior who raised the banner of rebellion. However, Wang Heshun was no ordinary man after all, and nodded decisively. He naturally knew what the war had brought to Guangxi in recent years. Even he could only maintain local order. As for construction? That was absolutely impossible.

This was Wu Zhongsheng's strategy in this negotiation with Wang Shunhe. For a savvy individual like Wang Heshun, a political target for conquest, the more candid he was, the better the outcome. By making things clear upfront, and ensuring both sides understood the bottom line, they could have a clearer idea of ​​what to do next. Furthermore, the power of the Guangxi secret society had plummeted to a freezing point. The publicly visible secret society armed forces numbered only a few thousand, with the rest already hidden within the vast sea of ​​the people. This was the perfect time to demonstrate the Forward Party's stance and the PLA's determination to disallow the existence of secret societies and their armed forces. Although these secret society leaders had been defeated by the Qing army, they remained arrogant. If they weren't suppressed, they wouldn't know how powerful the Ma family was.

"How do you plan to deal with the armed forces of the secret society now?"

Wu Zhongsheng listened and said directly: "For the secret society armed forces that surrendered to the People's Liberation Army or fought alongside the People's Liberation Army, or even the Qing Dynasty armed forces that rebelled, our measures are to resettle the elderly and weak, eliminate the core members of the secret society, and then incorporate them all. For those armed forces that dare to resist the PLA's liberation of Guangxi, we will first persuade and educate them. If they still ignore the people's desire for a stable life and resist with arms, the PLA will definitely resolutely and thoroughly wipe them out. As for how to deal with the core members of the secret society, the Central Committee will definitely give corresponding instructions in the end."

The strategy of the PLA's march into Guangxi this time is to emphasize both suppression and appeasement. For the armed forces that have helped the PLA, they will be merged and reshaped by the army, which is a melting pot. In the end, a large number of soldiers will be recruited in Guangxi. Of course,

Finally, these people do not have to be assigned to the People's Liberation Army. They can be assigned to the Shangzhu Army, Railway Corps, etc. These positions can still accommodate a lot of people.

The leaders of secret societies will definitely be investigated in the end. The Qianjin Party organization will naturally be open-minded and accept people like Wang Heshun, but those secret society leaders who have caused trouble and committed numerous evil deeds will naturally not escape the public trial of the people. Of course, there is no need to say these words to Wang Heshun, after all, he is not yet a comrade!

Wang Heshun listened, nodded, and said, "As long as we can overthrow the Qing Dynasty, I am willing to do anything! How do you want us to cooperate with you?"

Wu Zhongsheng did not speak. Based on the understanding of the Forward Party about Wang Heshun, since he said this, the conditions were ripe and he could speak frankly.

So Wu Zhongsheng took out a map and said: Derong Liusheng once joined the Black Flag Army to fight against the French invaders in the northern part of Vietnam, so you

You should be familiar with Baosheng, Xinghua, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Xuanguang and other places, right?"

Seeing Wang Heshun looking at the map, he nodded slightly and said, "I used to be quite familiar with it, but since then many of the wanderers have returned home, so I don't know exactly what it's like there now."

Wu Zhongsheng nodded and continued, "Our Chairman has said that Britain has a precedent of armed intervention in the French Revolution, and Britain also joined France in intervening in the unification of Germany. So we are worried that Britain and France may directly intervene in our revolution to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, just as Britain, France and other countries participated in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, the Boxer Rebellion and other peasant uprisings in various places."

Hearing this, Wang Heshun's eyes widened. However, thinking of what the great powers had done in China, he immediately felt that this possibility was very high, so he asked directly: "What should we do then?"

Wu Zhongsheng said directly: "So, we now need a force to enter Annan, that is, the northern part of Vietnam to lurk. We hope that Mr. Dexin can

Lead an armed force to open up a small base in these places, and you can make a big move at any time. You only need to quietly gain a foothold and, by the way, you can overthrow the Qing Dynasty. If the unfortunate thing really happens, the imperialists will intervene in our country to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

If you want a revolution, then we need you to make a big noise here and spread the flames of war to the British and French colonies to tie down the British and French troops and support the domestic revolution..."

Wu Zhongsheng didn't mention one thing, that is, this place used to be called An

In the future, the Progressive Party will drive out the French colonists and recover the country, but there is no need to talk to Wang Heshun about this matter now.

If they had contributed their efforts, they would have surely become heroes in expanding the country's territory and written a brilliant chapter in history.

Listening to Wu Zhongsheng's words, Wang Heshun was really stunned. He was very serious.

After measuring Wu Zhongsheng for a while and confirming that he was not joking, he came over from the Wan Guo Xi. Perhaps this is why the Guangxi secret society uprising is not as good as the Sichuan uprising. Now the Sichuan Progressive Party has not yet liberated Guangxi, but its layout has already reached the current "abroad". Thinking of the situation after the national revolution, it is really extraordinary.

Yes. It really is thinking about things that ordinary people dare not think about, and doing things that ordinary people dare not do.

If he had been asked to fully cooperate with the People's Liberation Army advancing into Guangxi to eliminate the Qing forces, he would indeed have done so wholeheartedly. But now, the Progressive Party offered him a different option: a chance to bring honor to his family and become a true national hero. If they truly led their armed forces into northern Vietnam and established a firm foothold, they would serve as a deterrent if faced with a future British and French intervention, and they would naturally be indispensable to the revolutionary cause. However, Wang Heshun didn't dwell on this at the moment. He simply assumed that if China faced an invasion by the great powers, invading the British and French colonies would be the best option. Of course, he understood the difficulties that would arise from advancing into northern Vietnam, but he was willing to face any challenge to overthrow the Qing. However, he also needed to understand that the Progressive Party wasn't just using the French colonists to eliminate them, but was truly intent on placing them in such a crucial position.

Having made up his mind, Wang Heshun asked directly: "How can I trust you?"

Hearing this answer, Wu Zhongsheng knew that the matter was settled. Seeing that Wang Heshun had made up his mind after just a moment's thought, Wu Zhongsheng sighed in his heart, and then looked directly at Wang Heshun and said, "I will accompany you to retreat into the Annan region."

After saying this, Wu Zhongsheng extended his hand and said, "Comrade Dexin, please take care of me in the future."

Wang Heshun was stunned for a long time again, and then said with a look of admiration and emotion: "It is a sacrifice to accompany a gentleman."

After saying this, the two of them looked at each other and burst into laughter. The "Tactics of Self-Inflicted Harm" in the "Thirty-Six Stratagems" says: "If a man does not harm himself, the harm he suffers will be real." Since Wu Zhongsheng was willing to accompany him into the French colonial zone, what else did he have to worry about? He was just sacrificing his life for a gentleman!

The two laughed for a while, and Wang Heshun said, "If we go into these places, it would be best if we could get someone to help us!"

"Old General Liu Yongfu, right? He led the Black Flag Army in North Vietnam and made numerous military achievements. We will naturally not forget him. He has already sent Wu Fengdian, a former Black Flag Army general, to organize the strong Han Chinese soldiers from the Qinlian and Zuojiang areas into a special forces unit to fight alongside the upcoming People's Liberation Army. He will also send some former Black Flag Army generals to help us. Don't worry about this. After all, withdrawing from North Vietnam was also a lifelong pain for General Liu..."

"Haha, great minds think alike."

a……-

After the victory reports from Shanxi's promising start reached headquarters, other advancing armies followed suit. Who could have anticipated the PLA's sudden and ferocious attack? Before the Qing troops in the cities targeted for liberation by the various PLA armies could fully react, the PLA had already penetrated the core areas. Aided by flares, the battle was swiftly resolved, with many areas captured before even a telegram could be sent.

When Zhang Yinghao left Chen Linong's office and returned to the headquarters, he heard joyful sounds inside. Just as he was about to go in, the guard saluted him. Zhang Yinghao returned the salute. As he entered the room, he saw Liu Qi, a beaming man. Zhang Yinghao asked, "Chief of Staff Liu, what's the news? You're so happy?"