The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Yi Tuan was ushered into the conference room. As expected, seeing so many envoys staring at him in unison, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat. This instantly brought back memories of him and Li Hongzhang negotiating the Treaty of Boxer. His mind went blank, wondering if the foreign powers were plotting something against the Qing. Yi Tuan's back instantly doubled. The envoys' gazes were more potent than the sun, causing him to sweat even more. As he walked, Yi Tuan wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, appearing completely bewildered. Manchu officials were accustomed to conducting shady, secret politics in private, coordinated exchanges of interests. Their discussions were concealed from the public, lest they imply treason. So, when Yi Zhu was asked to speak publicly and present his views, especially regarding the loan, he immediately faltered.

Under normal circumstances, even if Yizhu had made his point, it would have been useless. Which country would dare to lend money to the Qing at this point? Isn't this a case of throwing meat buns at a dog, with no return? With the Sichuan Qianjin Party's stance uncertain and the war situation still uncertain, no country would be willing to lend money to the Qing court. While this was common sense, politics was complex. Since Sa Daoyi and his men didn't intend to destroy the Qing immediately, they naturally needed to save it. Therefore, they introduced banks from various countries to Yizhu and asked them to discuss loan options.

Yuan Shikai was currently in charge of the Ministry of War, but as time passed, his Beiyang Army grew increasingly hesitant to move. In Shandong, the headquarters of the Beiyang New Army, riots broke out. Red bandits rose up in the Yimeng region and overran a vast area centered around Yizhou Prefecture. The Beiyang Fifth Regiment, stationed in Jinan, Shandong, was relegated to a garrison position following the rebellion.

The Beiyang Army could only take care of itself first and quell the rebellion on its territory, rather than obeying Cixi's orders and fighting the Red Bandits to the death. Now, almost all knowledgeable people have seen clearly that even if the Qing Dynasty does not die this time, it will be crippled, so it is better to plan a retreat for themselves first.

At this time, Zhang Yinghao did not know that the great powers had made up their minds to interfere in China's revolution. After learning that the Pingxiang Coal Mine Uprising was successful and ordering them to march into Changsha and Youxian, he returned to his office to continue studying the map.

At the end of 1904, the unequal treaty between China and the United States, restricting the entry of Chinese workers into the United States and protecting Chinese residents, expired. The Chinese people, especially those living in the United States, strongly demanded the abolition of the treaty. Under pressure from public opinion, the Qing government demanded that the US government revise the treaty. However, the US government flatly refused, unreasonably demanding its renewal, sparking a movement to boycott American goods. Although the movement only officially erupted this year, under the leadership of the Forward Party, the movement has intensified on both sides of the Yangtze River. With the Qing government's continued suppression, the foundation of Manchu rule in the Yangtze River basin has been completely shaken.

The Qing court was indeed repeatedly defeated in foreign wars, but it fought again and again until the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China, completely conquering the Qing court and forcing it to submit completely to foreign rule. While not as effective in foreign policy, the Qing court was truly adept at suppressing the people, or rather, at suppressing them in a systematic way. However, the current movement to boycott American goods is in full swing. The People's Liberation Army has long deployed large numbers of Party members and cadres to establish organizations across the Yangtze River Basin. Therefore, even in the Yangtze River Basin, not only are there no "leading party" in every place the PLA arrives, but ordinary people along the Yangtze River are generally aware of the Forward Party and are not opposed to its organization.

Due to the enormous amount of the Boxer Indemnity, the Qing Dynasty, having lost Sichuan, a key financial and taxing region, exploited its own territories even more severely than before, exacerbating class contradictions across the region. Meanwhile, as the People's Liberation Army advanced, the Forward Party immediately organized uprisings, strikes, school boycotts, and business boycotts in areas such as the Yangtze River Basin, the Beijing-Hankou Railway, and the Pingxiang coal mines. These movements exhausted the Qing army, effectively containing them and supporting the PLA's operations.

In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao was well aware of the Amethyst incident and had experienced the British bombardment of Wanxian. He naturally knew that the great warships and artillery of the imperialist powers would indeed bombard cities along their route in an attempt to force the Forward Party to surrender. Fearing that the imperialist powers would aid the Qing in shelling the PLA, the PLA did not dare to use the entire Yangtze River route, restricting it to the Three Gorges section and landing immediately after reaching Yichang, Hubei.

Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao knew that the Qing had another way to deal with the PLA: sending its navy to aid. Although the Qing navy suffered heavy losses during the First Sino-Japanese War, it was not completely destroyed. It still possessed numerous warships, such as the "Haiche" and the "Haichou," which posed a significant threat to the PLA. Although the Qing was now impoverished and its navy was essentially in name only, even so, it was still far beyond the PLA's reach.

Just as Zhang Yinghao was studying a map in his office, he heard Liu Qi come in and say loudly, "Chairman, good news, good news! Our airship has successfully arrived in Yichang. With this batch of secret weapons, we now control the Yangtze River waterway in Yichang. Haha, I just received a telegram that the front-line troops have also liberated Tumen Wall. As long as we capture Jingmen, Hubei, we will be invincible in Hubei."

Liu Qi was also one of the comrades who had seen the airship bombing and knew the power of aerial bombs. Although he knew that airships had many shortcomings, he naturally knew that it would not be a big problem to use these airships to blockade the surface of the Yangtze River.

Zhang Yinghao, upon hearing this, pointed to Jingmen Mountain and Huya Mountain below Yichang on the map and said, "Come and take a look. Du Fu wrote in his poem, 'Thousands of mountains and valleys converge at Jingmen, where the Ming concubine was born.'" In the era of cold weapons, Jingmen Mountain and Huya Mountain faced each other across the river, forming a natural pass controlling the Yangtze River shipping lanes. If we control these two places, we can block the Yangtze River, ensuring that no foreign powers or Qing Dynasty gunboats can sail upstream, and thus guaranteeing the safety of our troops and supplies transported through the Three Gorges waterway."

"What does the Chairman mean?"

"Go and convey the order. Command the troops to capture this place, and then temporarily block the Yangtze River with artillery. Also, order the airships not to take off to block the river yet, but to load bombs and await orders. If you encounter foreign powers' gunboats and warships, tell them to leave the battle zone immediately. As long as the foreign powers' gunboats don't open fire and don't force their way into Yichang, our army will never fire the first shot."

"Chairman, what if the great powers open fire?"

Deep down, Zhang Yinghao really didn't want to offend the imperialist powers right now. If their warships didn't fire and didn't interfere with his efforts to liberate the country, Zhang Yinghao felt he could tolerate their rampage on the Yangtze River for a while. However, Zhang Yinghao knew that the imperialist powers were accustomed to being arrogant, and things might not develop to Zhang Yinghao's liking. But Zhang Yinghao was still willing to give it a try to see if he could temporarily maintain peace. However, Zhang Yinghao knew that if he went to war with the imperialist powers this time, then in the short term, Zhang Yinghao would basically have no choice but to go all the way and fight them to the end.

Zhang Yinghao gritted his teeth and said firmly: "If the foreign powers' gunboats fire, I will not tolerate it. We will fight them to the end, so of course we have to fire back. If the foreign powers fire, we will also send out airships to bomb them. It is unreasonable for the People's Liberation Army to not fight back when the enemy attacks."

"I understand. Chairman, we've already captured such important locations as Huya Mountain and Jingmen Mountain. The captured New Army artillery has also been brought up. Blockading the Yangtze River should be no problem. The troops are still advancing towards Yidu and Zhijiang. Should we ask them not to advance along the river?"

Zhang Yinghao, realizing the General Staff had already considered these issues, said directly, "Be sure to inform the comrades on the front lines: Beware of bombardments from the foreign powers. Beware of them finding excuses for armed intervention in our revolution. Never fire the first shot. Anything else?"

"Chairman, up to now, the Hubei New Army trained by Zhang Zhidong has not yet left Wuhan. Now it seems that they are planning to defend the three towns of Wuhan to the death. This is not going to be easy!"

Zhang Yinghao was stunned after hearing this. He really didn't know why Zhang Zhidong had already planned to hold the three towns of Wuhan before the war even started. But if that was true, it would benefit the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army. If the People's Liberation Army and the Forward Party liberated all other places, how long could Wuhan hold out? With the Beijing-Hankou Railway still not open, Zhang Yinghao didn't worry about any large-scale reinforcements from Wuhan.

After figuring this out, Zhang Yinghao laughed and said, "Haha, Zhang Zhidong plans to use these 10,000 people to defend Wuhan? That's a bit of a joke, right? But seriously, the Qing court treated the Beiyang New Army as the Imperial Guard, and most of them were stationed near the capital and unwilling to move. Now Zhang Zhidong has placed the Hubei New Army in Wuhan to defend it to the death. It seems that these old-fashioned people don't know the role of the new army. Moreover, in this era, there are almost no unbreakable fortresses. The Russian Port Arthur Fortress was powerful, wasn't it broken by the Japanese? A city this big, even if all the Hubei New Army had three heads and six arms, what can they do? More than 10,000 new army troops, even if they hold hands, are not enough to surround Wuhan. And Zhang Zhidong doesn't even see how the Hubei New Army has been infiltrated by us? It seems that Zhang Zhidong can't defend Wuhan. No matter how Zhang Zhidong fights, I still say that you fight yours and I fight mine."

Liu Qi nodded and said, "Chairman, is it really okay to advance into the Dabie Mountains like this now?"

"Of course, the problem is huge, but what can be done? The Dabie Mountains are too vast to concentrate all the troops together. They've divided the troops into so many groups and marched from multiple directions, which is also a problem. The entire Dabie Mountains are semi-encircled, and those long mountain roads are not easy to navigate. But now it seems that this is better. The Hubei New Army can hold Wuhan better, and comrades can disperse and attack without fear of being defeated one by one. Comrade Li Tong and his men have worked very hard to liberate such a large area."

"Yes, no one expected that Comrade Li Tong's performance would be so outstanding."

"It's true that the efforts of Comrade Li Tong, Bai Jianyong, and others were indispensable. However, there's a saying that goes, 'When luck arrives, heaven and earth unite, but when luck is gone, heroes are helpless.' The Dabie Mountains truly possess the best of both time, location, and people. Not to mention the timing; the entire region depended on the weather. Speaking of location, the Qing Dynasty's rule in those areas was actually quite weak, with many existing in name only. Each region was isolated from the others, and information flow was extremely poor. Therefore, the Qing Dynasty received almost no information, and even if they did, they lacked the ability to suppress it. As for people, the Dabie Mountains, for the most part, consisted of seven parts of mountains, two parts of rivers, and one part of farmland, or seven parts of mountains, one part of rivers, and two parts of farmland. Spontaneous struggle has existed since ancient times, and with the foundation for struggle in place, as long as someone took the lead, a revolutionary storm would have immediately erupted in that area."

"Yes, it won't work unless the Qing Dynasty falls."

"Is there any news from Pingxiang now?"

"Yes, they have already started to enter Liling, Hunan by train in batches."

"Ha! Having trains is so convenient. In the next few decades or even hundreds of years, we'll have to keep building railways to connect all parts of the country."

"Yes, it's a good thing the Beijing-Hankou Railway hasn't been completed yet, otherwise, there would be so many variables involved."

Zhang Yinghao heard this, but waved his hand and said, "The Beijing-Hankou Railway can't change the final outcome. There may be variables, but if it is completed, it will be more beneficial to us. As long as we can organize the workers to revolt, the railway will actually help us, and it will become a decoration for the Qing Dynasty."

Chapter 403:

Given Zhang Zhidong's fear of being defeated piecemeal by the PLA, and his plan to concentrate his forces in Wuhan for a decisive battle with the PLA, the General Staff immediately activated Plan No. 2. The PLA no longer aimed directly at Wuhan, anxious to engage in a decisive battle with the Hubei New Army, but instead focused on controlling large swathes of Hubei and isolating Wuhan.

After securing Yichang, Zhou Baogui's vanguard regiment, following the General Staff's plan, immediately divided its forces to capture key positions such as Jingmen Mountain and Huya Mountain to expand its defense depth. They also established coastal artillery batteries to prevent warships from sailing upstream to attack PLA transport vessels. Subsequent troops continued to land in Yichang. Unable to freely traverse the Yangtze River, the troops, departing from Yichang, planned to cross Dangyang and enter Jingmen.

During the Guangxi secret society uprising, the secret society's armed forces were unstoppable. Almost all officers and soldiers fled as soon as the secret society arrived, making it easy to capture cities. However, the People's Liberation Army was a specially trained army, and its combat effectiveness was naturally far superior to that of the secret society's armed forces. They captured cities and strongholds along the way, unstoppable, and numerous combat heroes emerged.

The combat hero Li Wuhua was born into a poor farmhand family in Batang, western Sichuan. After the People's Liberation Army liberated Batang and distributed land, in order to protect the fruits of the revolution, he resolutely joined the People's Liberation Army and embarked on the revolutionary path.

Li Wuhua was tall, intelligent, and a fierce fighter. He was successively promoted to squad leader, deputy platoon leader, platoon leader, deputy company commander, company commander, and company commander of a reinforced company, while also serving as the leader of a spearhead platoon. Early in the morning of May 5th, Li Wuhua led his troops on a forced march, covering over a hundred miles in a single day, reaching Dangyang. After a short rest, the company's fighting spirit was at an all-time high. Li Wuhua immediately led the entire company in an assault on the city, using mortars and heavy machine guns to clear the way. The Qing defenders, unaware of our strength, were terrified by the sound of gunfire and fled in panic towards Jingmen. The PLA soldiers liberated Dangyang before they had even begun to exert their full strength.

Li Wuhua left a platoon to temporarily control Dangyang, and led the vanguard platoon and the other two platoons to pursue the remaining enemies. He captured countless prisoners along the way and intercepted all the Qing troops in front of Zhangshui and forced them to land. In the end, no Qing soldier was able to escape into Jingmen and report the news to the Qing army.

Li Wuhua immediately ordered his troops to rest. After the arrival of follow-up troops, Li Wuhua led his troops on a relentless march through the night to Jingmen Prefecture, forcing them to march over a hundred miles, arriving before dawn the next day. Time was precious at this point. Li Wuhua immediately gave his comrades two compressed biscuits and a few bites of Lao Gan Ma (Lao Gan Ma), then blasted open the city gates with cluster grenades. The comrades hidden within the city immediately coordinated the operation, quickly controlling the situation. The Qing officials had no idea the PLA would descend upon them. They either trembled in fear in their homes or immediately packed up and retreated eastward.

Li Wuhua knew his limited military might meant he couldn't do much. So, after capturing Jingmen Prefecture, he immediately imposed martial law on the city, closing all gates, sending soldiers to patrol the streets, and imposing a citywide curfew. Martial law wasn't lifted until the army arrived at noon that day and captured nearly all Qing officials. Li Wuhua and his company, thanks to two surprise attacks, were awarded first-class merit both individually and collectively. They were also awarded the title of "Heroic Company" and issued certificates of honor for their exceptional endurance and combat prowess. The entire company, decorated with red flowers and riding majestic horses, looked impressive.

Encouraged and stimulated by this, the various units, now aware of the Qing army's combat effectiveness, no longer had any fear and boldly advanced with great strides. During the march, each unit began to clamour for victory, striving for the main attack, and all began to compete for merit and great achievements. It was not uncommon for a squad to capture a town, a platoon to conquer a county seat, and a company to capture a prefecture or even a provincial capital. This contrast between the PLA's combat prowess and the Qing's corruption and incompetence was vividly demonstrated.

At the same time, another army marched down the Han River from Shaanxi into the Shiyan area, and with the support of the Wudang Mountain comrades, they quickly marched towards Xiangyang and soon disappeared from the people's sight. At this time, Li Tong ordered Peng Wei's troops to attack Wusheng Pass and were about to reach the designated location.

Wusheng Pass, located at the border of Hubei and Henan provinces, is a crucial pass between the Dabie and Tongbai Mountains. It has been a key military location since ancient times. Its unique geographical location has earned it an undeniable reputation as a formidable pass, a battleground for military strategists. Nestled between two mountain gorges, Wusheng Pass boasts a formidable terrain. Its precarious position was described in ancient times as "carriages cannot run parallel, and horses cannot ride side by side." Known as the gateway to Ezhou in the south and the Central Plains in the north, Wusheng Pass is considered one of the ten great passes in the world.

Thousands of years of constant warfare in China have resulted in countless strategic passes across the country. Almost every province is dotted with strategic passes, and Wusheng Pass is one of them. However, these passes were primarily designed for close-quarters combat, making their protection against modern weaponry, such as artillery and, especially, aircraft, significantly reduced, or even completely ineffective. While Zhang Yinghao advocated for an all-out offensive, this did not mean the PLA's offensive was aimless or unfocused. The PLA prioritized capturing strategic passes and targets of military importance. This would allow them to fragment the Qing forces with minimal effort, ultimately dispersing and consuming them.

Wushengguan, with its high walls and thick fortress, would have truly achieved its goal of locking down Ezhou in the south and protecting the Central Plains in the north, effectively controlling the north-south traffic. Our army could defend the pass, weakening the Qing army's morale and buying time for the various PLA lines. If the pass remained in Qing hands, and the Qing army advanced southward through Wushengguan, Hubei's vast Han River Plain would be left defenseless, placing our PLA at a significant disadvantage.

Previously, Wusheng Pass had been attacked because of organizing workers' strike. In order to prevent further incidents inside the pass, Zhang Zhidong dispatched a patrol battalion to Niuxinzhai outside Wusheng Pass, which served as an early warning outpost and barrier for the Wusheng Pass fortress.

Ever since this patrol battalion took up residence here, the surrounding civilians have suffered greatly. These veteran soldiers have been causing constant trouble for the locals. Besides extorting money and capturing police officers, they're also proficient in all sorts of thieving and theft. I'm not sure if these guys are any good at fighting, but they're definitely known for bullying the locals. By now, most of the nearby residents have fled, and they're largely responsible for this.

Without the civilians to bully, other entertainment options were naturally needed, and officers immediately took the lead in secretly setting up gambling games. Battalion commander Zhou Dazheng initially turned a blind eye, but eventually joined in. From then on, gambling became rampant in the barracks.

"Come on, come on, bet big or small. I shake it, place my bets, and it's open!" "Big, big, big! Hey... small!"

“Lost again!”

"Haha, we win!" "One more round..."

The military camp was bustling with activity, but outside, someone still had to stand guard to keep the atmosphere lively. A patrol officer named Wang Chengnan led a group of Qing soldiers on a mock patrol. Wang Chengnan was so named because his mother had given birth to seven daughters in a row. She longed for a son, almost going crazy. She used names like Zhaodi, Laidi, Pandi, Wangdi, Chengdi, Gaidi, and Biandi on her sisters. Others believed that after giving birth to seven fairies, a son would surely follow. His mother believed this, and indeed, she had a son in her old age, so she named him "Chengnan."

What Wang Chengnan's parents couldn't imagine was that Wang Chengnan did become a man, but instead of bringing honor to the family, he ended up destroying the Wang family. Perhaps it was the result of being overly spoiled since childhood. This kid started doing bad things before he even reached adulthood, gambling, smoking opium, visiting prostitutes, and picking up gang fights. Soon, he squandered the family fortune, sold his sister, and ultimately drove his parents to death. They had no choice but to join the army. Unexpectedly, his luck turned, and he met a sister. His brother-in-law was even the commander of a patrol battalion. This was incredible, and even his brother-in-law became a scout.

To take care of his brother-in-law, Zhou Dazheng assigned Wang Chengnan to patrol the Wusheng Pass area. Wang Chengnan felt his northern guard duty was completely unnecessary, as the north faced Wusheng Pass. Standing guard at this time, where could the enemy come from? It was a sheer waste of time. Wang Chengnan ordered several of his men to stand guard in the tower, rotating shifts. Satisfied, the soldiers responded loudly, Wang Chengnan pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a puff, nodded with satisfaction, and headed back to his dorm, ready to go back to sleep.

Before leaving, Wang Chengnan casually glanced off into the distance, and what he saw startled him! Oh my god, there seemed to be someone in the distance. He hurriedly checked and saw that there were indeed a large group of people observing him. Wang Chengnan, a man of all vices, should be considered audacious, but in the face of death, he was a coward. He fully understood the dangers of war. He screamed in alarm and hurried to report to his brother-in-law.

Who were these observers? They weren't Peng Wei's troops, but Comrade Zhao Zhengyang, a member of the Forward Party stationed in Yingshan, who had been assigned to organize workers on the Beijing-Hankou Railway. Following the organization's orders, Zhao Zhengyang, after receiving the order to revolt, mobilized over 600 Xinyang peasants that evening. Worker leader Bao Zhiqiang led over 300 railway workers, armed with rifles, cannons, and spears, to Wushengguan. They united with their revolutionary comrades within Wushengguan, organized their forces into a regiment, and officially launched the uprising. Their first target was Niuxinzhai, so, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, they devised a detour to reach the area. Unexpectedly, their surprise attack plan was foiled by a small-time rogue. Truly, man proposes, but God disposes.

Zhao Zhengyang heard the screams and knew he had been exposed. He immediately rushed over with his comrades without hesitation. Unfortunately, they were discovered at a distance and missed the surprise of the attack.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law..."

Zhou Dazheng listened, glanced at his panicked brother-in-law, laughed and said, "Is there a tiger chasing you and biting your butt?"

Wang Chengnan was in no mood to joke. He immediately cried, "Brother-in-law, it's bad! Someone is coming to kill us."

Hearing his brother-in-law's call, Zhou Dazheng was startled. He suddenly stood up and overturned the table with force, and the silver and gambling tools were scattered all over the floor. He shouted loudly: "There are enemies, grab your weapons."

The officers and soldiers were stunned for a moment, then cried out in surprise. Their minds immediately cleared, and they searched for their uniforms and weapons. If the Qing army had been in this state, the rebels could have successfully launched a surprise attack. Unfortunately, success cannot be based on the opponent's mistakes, but on careful preparation.

Zhou Dazheng grabbed his gun and tried to walk out, cursing, "Who are these blind bastards who dare to come here and cause trouble? I'll tear their heads off and kick them like balls..."

He was cursing when he suddenly heard the sound of gunshots. It seemed someone fired a gun in the distance, and then the sound of gunfire rang out. The cowardly Wang Chengnan was so scared that he found a place to hide when he heard the gunshots. Zhou Dazheng took a look and cursed: "Are you scared? It's still a long way to go! Follow me."

Zhou Dazheng no longer cared about his brother-in-law. He immediately led the nearby Qing troops and bent over to move towards the place where the gunshots were heard. Then he found a higher place and observed quietly.

At this time, the rebel troops had launched a "fierce attack", but it was not very effective. After all, the rebel troops lacked guns and artillery, and their weapons were backward. Although each of them was brave, more than 20 people were sacrificed in a short time. Morale gradually declined, and for a while there was no sign of taking down Niuxinzhai. This made Zhao Zhengyang feel a little anxious.

Zhou Dazheng watched for a moment and realized they were just a bunch of peasant soldiers. Even though they were numerous and powerful, they definitely couldn't break into his camp. He immediately knew his chance to make a name for himself had come, and said, "Use the stun gun and shoot all of them."

This was the only Maxim machine gun in their battalion, specially approved by Zhang Zhidong for them to guard Wusheng Pass. The machine gun began to fire intermittently. Fortunately, the patrol battalion was not familiar with this deadly weapon. Not only did the bullets often jam, but they were also inaccurate. Some bullets were even lost.

The two sides continued to fight back and forth, and for a while neither could do anything to the other.

At this time, Comrade Peng Wei and his comrades arrived at the designated location and immediately discovered this situation. Hearing the sound of gunfire in the distance, Peng Wei made a decisive move without hesitation. While sending people to contact the rebel army, he organized his troops to attack from the front and join the offensive. At this time, the attention of the patrol battalion soldiers was all focused on the rear. As a result, the People's Liberation Army easily broke through the patrol battalion's camp and fought deep into the enemy. With the addition of regular troops, it was different. In one encounter, the People's Liberation Army shot and killed many Qing soldiers, including Qing officers, and the remaining Qing troops collapsed and retreated.

Hearing the sound of gunfire from the front, Zhou Dazheng felt his hands and feet go cold. He turned and saw at least a thousand soldiers in colorful uniforms, arranged in a slightly scattered formation, hunched over and using the terrain to rapidly press forward. Behind them, he could faintly see a dozen artillery pieces being pushed forward. He knew the enemy's strength was too great; this battle was impossible. The moment the cannons fired, they were instantly reduced to ash.

Without the slightest hesitation, he shouted "retreat" and took off running. He didn't even care about his brother-in-law anymore, so he took the few people around him and fled towards Wusheng Pass. That was the only way he could think of to survive. As for the rest, he would wait until he could escape with his life.

"Report, the enemy's flank has been captured!" "Report, the enemy has completely retreated!"

There was no suspense in this battle. Using an entire regiment to attack a patrol battalion, and by surprise, how could they not win? After hearing this, Peng Wei said immediately: "We can take prisoners now."

Peng Wei didn't need to say much. After the Qing army was completely defeated, comrades were heard shouting "No death if you surrender your weapons" and "No death if you surrender."

At this time, Zhao Zhengyang arrived with a group of people, looking dusty. Seeing Peng Wei, he said, "My name is Zhao Zhengyang. Comrade, who are you?"

Peng Wei walked over with a smile, shook Zhang Zhengyang's hand and said, "Hello, Comrade Zhao. I am Peng Wei, commander of the 6th Regiment of the 7th Division of the Dabie Mountain Column."

"Hello, Captain Peng. Thank you for arriving just in time. Otherwise, we would all be dead here."

Peng Wei took a look at the people opposite him and roughly knew who they were. He immediately said: "This is not the place to talk. We must take

After we take Wusheng Pass, if possible, we will also capture Jiuli Pass and Pingjing Pass, two of the three passes in Yiyang, to clear the way for our march north to liberate Henan."

Zhao Zhengyang heard this and immediately said, "Captain Peng, we can also contribute. We have comrades hiding inside Wusheng Pass. When we launch a large-scale attack later, they should be able to achieve the desired effect."

Peng Wei smiled and said, "That's great! With the help of both inside and outside, it seems we won't have much trouble taking Wusheng Pass. Is there anything you need us to do?"

Zhao Zhengyang said embarrassedly: "Can you temporarily give us the captured weapons?"

"Of course, you can take whatever weapons you want from the captured weapons. Then we will set out immediately to prepare for the attack on Wusheng Pass."

"it is good!"

Meanwhile, inside Wusheng Pass, Zhao Guoxian was anxious. He was the leader of the Forward Party, a group lurking in Wusheng Pass, and now a battalion commander. He had heard that the People's Liberation Army had sent a large force to liberate Wusheng Pass, and naturally hoped to arrive sooner, so he could lead the army north to capture Xinyang and achieve great success. The rank of battalion commander was still too low for him.

At this time, there were three patrol battalions stationed at Wusheng Pass: one from Henan, one from outside the mountain, and the third, the one he led. Hearing the faint sound of gunfire in the distance, Zhao Guoxian grew even more anxious. He was currently stationed on the Henan side, and if the PLA launched a strong attack from the other side, he would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses.

Zhao Guoxian suddenly felt that he shouldn't just wait here quietly, but should take the initiative. With a quick thought, he came up with a plan. Although the two battalion commanders stationed at Wusheng Pass generally didn't have much in common, if he led his troops directly to reinforce, no one would be able to say anything.

So Zhao Guoxian led his team directly to the other battalion commander stationed at Wusheng Pass and said to the battalion commander, "Captain Chen, what's with the gunfire outside?"

"Someone is attacking the patrol camp outside." "Don't we need support?"

"We just need to defend Wusheng Pass. I've already requested assistance from Xinyang, and reinforcements should be arriving soon!"

Hearing this, Zhao Guoxian was completely certain that this Captain Chen in front of him was definitely not his comrade, because at this time, the comrades of the Forward Party would definitely not ask for help from Xinyang. Even if they wanted to use deception to mobilize the Qing troops in Xinyang to leave Xinyang and destroy them in the wild, they would definitely wait until the main force of the People's Liberation Army liberated Wusheng Pass before doing so.

Zhao Guoxian had made up his mind, and without further ado, he pulled out his gun and shot the battalion commander in the head. He then fired three shots into the air, leaped onto a platform, and shouted, "The Qing Dynasty is unjust, bringing disaster upon the nation and its people. They have betrayed the nation through treaties, humiliated the nation, and corrupt officials are rampant, leaving the people in dire straits. The officials are forcing the people to rebel, and we have no choice but to rebel. Comrades, we revolt today! Open the city gates, welcome the People's Liberation Army, and together we will overthrow the Qing Dynasty and establish a republic!"

Other clever comrades immediately shouted: "Overthrow the Qing Dynasty and establish a republic." When Peng Wei and his men arrived at Wusheng Pass, they were faced with a fortress with its gates wide open.

Chapter 404: Thanks for the gift of anti-currency for every reader!

The Qing troops guarding the pass were utterly unaware of this sudden change. Faced with this situation, no one wanted to resist, but even if asked to lay down their weapons, they wouldn't dare. Without officers, the patrol battalion lacked any initiative, becoming a loose collection of loose sand, a herd of lambs to the slaughter. Zhao Guoxian knew what these Qing soldiers were thinking; they simply wanted a guarantee before they could lay down their weapons.

Then Zhao Guoxian continued to shout: "Brothers of the Qing army, don't worry. If you are willing to continue to serve in the army and eat food, you can continue to serve with me. I will definitely not treat you unfairly. If you don't want to serve in the army anymore, we will also pay you double the military pay, send you away, and ensure the safety of your life and property..."

As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, dozens of Qing soldiers who had initially considered resisting dropped their weapons. Clearly, the battalion commander had been killed, and the army's morale had collapsed. With these dozen or so leading the charge, the rest of the Qing troops immediately lost all will to resist. Following their example, they dropped their weapons and surrendered the defense of Wushengguan's south gate. Those who were still willing to serve would be thoroughly scrutinized, disbanded, and then reorganized.

Peng Wei led his troops to Wusheng Pass, where Zhao Guoxian was already waiting outside to greet them. After a round of greetings, and after hearing about Zhao Guoxian's feat of capturing the fortress with only four bullets fired, Peng Wei smiled and said, "This fully demonstrates the truth of the saying: 'Fortresses are always conquered from within.' Haha, Comrade Guoxian, you are the first to achieve this victory in capturing Wusheng Pass."

"Haha, this is all thanks to our comrades. Commander Peng, do you have any orders for the next move?"

Peng Wei took out a map and said, "The next step is to capture Jiuli Pass and Pingjing Pass, cutting off the passage from Henan to Hubei."

However, Zhao Guoxian said after hearing this: "Captain Peng, Henan has no new troops now. Although we are short of manpower, we have barely enough troops to form two regiments. It is a waste of resources to just take two checkpoints. We can still take Runing Prefecture directly. In my opinion, we should attack all the way along the Beijing-Hankou Railway and take Xinyang, Queshan, Suiping, and Xiping..."

Before Zhao Guoxian finished speaking, Zhao Zhengyang continued, "If we attack along the railway, we can recruit railway workers and arm them along the way. Our strength will only grow stronger."

Peng Wei remained silent, for the PLA emphasizes mission-based warfare, giving frontline commanders considerable autonomy. As long as their mission is accomplished, they can exercise discretion in other areas as appropriate. Peng Wei, understanding the importance of fleeting opportunities, immediately stated, "Our regiment can assist you in liberating Xinyang, and then we can provide assistance from the rear. Further north is out of the question; we must ensure safety here. Furthermore, if necessary, we will support Hubei and participate in the liberation of Wuhan."

Zhao Guoxian and Zhao Zhengyang agreed immediately. As long as they liberated a few cities, they would be able to recruit enough people and seize enough supplies. With the captured supplies and supplies, they would be able to continue fighting until they encountered the resolute resistance of the Qing Dynasty.

After completing their first target, each unit rushed to attack their next target. Cai Zhonghe's troops had already entered the Hetao region. The PLA had advanced into Gansu the previous year, launching the Battle of Lanzhou. Following the liberation of Lanzhou, and especially the peaceful liberation of Ningxia Prefecture, the PLA had continued its military operations along the Yellow River. After liberating Shaanxi, the PLA had been preparing to advance northward beyond the Great Wall.

There's a saying that goes, "The Yellow River brings a hundred harms, but only one benefit." The name "Hetao" dates back to the Ming Dynasty. The "History of the Ming Dynasty" states: "The great river surrounds it on three sides, hence the name 'Hetao.'" The geographical scope of the "Hetao" generally refers to the vast area north of the Great Wall and south of the Yellow River. The general concept of the "Hetao" generally refers to the area north of 37 degrees north latitude, east of the Helan Mountains, west of the Luliang Mountains, south of the Yin Mountains, and north of the Great Wall, including the Ningxia Plain, the Ordos Plateau, and part of the Loess Plateau. The "Ningxia Plain" is referred to as the "Western Collection." The "Hetao" is simply divided into the "Front Collection" and the "Back Collection." The Front Collection includes Hohhot and Baotou, while the Back Collection lies between the south and north of the Yellow River.

At this time, the Hetao region was not new to land reform. Although the two regions were separated by the Great Wall, they still knew about the vigorous land reform movement in Shaanxi. After the land reform, they also knew that the living conditions of local people had improved. It was just that in Baotou and other places, no one would have thought that land reform would come so quickly. But generally speaking, these places were places where the Qing Dynasty was weak, and Zhang Feng planned to make the Hetao region a frontier for the northward advance into Mongolia.

To enter the material transfer base, it is natural to use the Heart Sutra Palace, so Ping sent people to transport the main team to do the preliminary work.

Wherever the Forward Party went, the first priority was land reform. Whether forced or voluntarily forced by the landlord class to relinquish some of their land, land reform was essential. By this time, the Forward Party's approach to land reform was becoming increasingly sophisticated, and a standardized process had gradually been established. The entire land reform movement generally went through several stages: investigation and survey, mobilization of the masses, establishment of peasant associations and militias, class division, struggle against landlords and bullies, land distribution, seizure of unauthorized assets and other gains, and review and correction. Before the full-scale land campaign was launched, each region would conduct pilot projects to summarize experience, then expand from a small point to a large scale. Zhang Yinghao knew that the further north one went, the more cautious land reform would be, especially in arid and semi-arid regions where grazing was the only option. Land reform policies from other regions could not be simply copied; they required careful study.

Coming from a rural area in the later era, Zhang Yinghao naturally understood the necessity of land reform. It could even be argued that thorough land reform only had one chance. Once the vast majority of the people had become vested interests in land reform, it would be extremely difficult to fight the landlords, adjust the land held by the people, or even get them to give up some of their land. This was the case in Zhang Yinghao's own village in his previous life. After the land was redistributed in the 1970s, some families had many children, while others were completely wiped out. Decades later, the previously allocated land was no longer equitable. However, when it came time to adjust the land again, it was even more difficult. No one was willing to initiate land reform, and even minor adjustments were prohibitively expensive.

Now, work teams were dispatched throughout the Hetao region to carry out land reform among the local people. Comrade Cai Zhonghe, the political commissar of the Shaanxi Military Sub-district, had, by chance, saved the daughter of a capitalist who had escaped from marriage. The liberated areas were somewhat lenient with capitalists. As long as these individuals engaged in fair trade, refrained from hoarding goods, and relied on their own labor to become wealthy businessmen or capitalists, Zhang Yinghao was willing to accept them.

This family, however, was a relatively feudal capitalist family. After a political review confirmed that Lin Weiyi had escaped from feudal despotism and was willing to betray her class background and devote herself to the revolution, she passed the review and married Comrade Cai Zhonghe. This trip north with the People's Liberation Army beyond the Great Wall was intended to hone her abilities and allow her to participate in the work. She even served as the team leader.

In fact, many comrades in the liberated areas have married so-called "ladies of noble birth." After all, many comrades were born into humble circumstances, and many are still itching to marry a lady of noble birth. And now, there are indeed many people trying to curry favor with them, so this practice cannot be stopped. Rather than having the opposite effect, it is better to talk things out directly.

If the woman passes the political review, she will then be retrained on the relevant confidentiality regulations and other matters. This will also make it easier to hold someone accountable if problems arise in the future. Simply put, don't say you didn't warn me. There's nothing wrong with marrying a woman from a wealthy family, but you must also bear the consequences of your marriage. It's a matter of giving what you gain and what you have to bear.

Their work team consisted of more than ten people, a strong and capable force. One of them was Song Baoshu, a cadre who had been sent from northern Sichuan to northern Shaanxi to assist with land reform; another was Chen Xin, a veteran revolutionary from Shaanxi; another was Yelu Ce, an underground Party member from Baotou; and a squad of PLA soldiers.