The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

The Qing troops within Tianzhou City were incredibly stubborn. There's actually a peculiar saying in China, and if you were to summarize it, it seems to suggest a significant flaw. For example, Guangxi is known for its "wolf soldiers," so naturally, its people are known for their toughness. The southwest, with its harsh environment, naturally has a tough people. Shaanxi and Gansu have long produced strong soldiers, so naturally, the Northwest also has a tough people. Sichuan, too, has a tough people. Northeastern China, needless to say, has a tough people. Northern Jiangsu and southern Zhejiang are also tough. The Central Plains, plagued by banditry since ancient times, also have a tough people. Yanzhao is home to many heroic and ardent men, so aren't their people tough? Hunan, as the saying goes, "No Hunan, no army." Isn't that a tough people? Thunder God in the sky, Hailufeng on earth, Guangdong, naturally, has a tough people too. If you calculate it this way, there are only a few places in the country where the people aren't tough. The country is full of unruly people! In fact, given these many tough places, China is the world's best source of soldiers. In China, mobilizing millions of troops is no problem at all.

Without further ado, even after the PLA entered the city, the Qing army still refused to give up their resistance. They actually set fire to civilian houses, hoping to stop the PLA's attack and kill those trying to put out the fire. They also created an open area where the Qing army could hide and shoot at the attacking PLA.

The PLA hadn't encountered such stubborn Qing troops in a long time. Although they encountered numerous enemy arsonists, the PLA had no effective solution. So the Qing army's arson did have an effect. To minimize PLA casualties, the PLA chose to use artillery to directly destroy the burning houses. The PLA didn't want to use artillery to destroy the intact houses, so they organized their troops to attack again. Unexpectedly, the Qing army fired a lot of shots from the opposite wall, suddenly attacking the PLA from these firing holes. The PLA soldiers were caught off guard and suffered more than a dozen casualties. A few firing holes could easily suppress dozens of PLA soldiers on the street and make them unable to move.

The commander standing on the city wall watched the Qing army's stubborn resistance and gritted his teeth, saying, "Order the artillery to bomb those walls for me."

The attacking troops quickly withdrew with the wounded. At this time, the artillery immediately carried the cannon forward and began firing at the houses opposite.

This shell was specially made by the People's Liberation Army, specifically for attacking city walls. Its head was cut, so the bullet could penetrate the wall and explode behind it. It took a lot of time, but it finally destroyed the Qing army's carefully prepared defense line, and the infantry continued to attack.

However, the Qing army remained resilient and continued to resist stubbornly. Some Qing soldiers even hid in civilian houses, then suddenly emerged and engaged the PLA with cold weapons, demonstrating the ferocious character of the people of Guangxi. While the PLA ultimately triumphed, casualties were inevitable.

Fortunately, the total number of PLA soldiers reached tens of thousands, and even if they just piled up people, they could still take Tianzhou. These wounded soldiers were continuously sent to the PLA field hospital. In a short time, hundreds of lightly wounded and seriously injured soldiers were sent to the hospital. The PLA paid such a price, so the Qing army naturally paid a price of thousands of people. Generally speaking, this was a relatively rare casualty for the PLA. However, after these brave Qing soldiers died in battle, the Qing army could no longer organize any effective offensive.

At this point, any commander knew that if they pushed harder, the Qing army would collapse. Three sides of Tianzhou's city wall had already been captured by the People's Liberation Army, and the Qing army was now hiding in the city's houses and occupying one side of the city wall, holding out stubbornly. If the People's Liberation Army had used artillery bombardment at this time, regardless of the cost, the Qing army would have been destroyed in an instant.

But reality didn't allow for wasting ammunition. The PLA's current mission was to capture Nanning, and ammunition was extremely precious and vital. With current transportation capabilities, transporting it all the way from Sichuan was simply unrealistic. The pressure on logistics was immense, so the only solution was infantry.

Tianzhou, a Qing army stronghold, had been operating for some time, and its internal defenses were well-developed. Perhaps these defenses were relatively new, but the street entrances were blocked by solid bricks and stones on all sides. At this point, a comrade immediately proposed a wall-penetration method: using explosives to blow down the brick walls. This would render these Qing army fortifications useless.

In fact, the wall-penetrating attack method was one of the required courses in the military academy. Once it was proposed, it was naturally implemented immediately. For the PLA comrades, blasting was also a common practice. So after blasting several walls in succession, the PLA entered the core area of ​​the Qing army. At this time, a large number of PLA soldiers poured in through the gaps and began to shoot the stubborn Qing soldiers from behind. Now, the Qing army finally collapsed completely.

In the Battle of Tianzhou, the PLA used explosives to blast through the walls and penetrate the core of the defenses. The Qing army collapsed immediately. Soldiers outside immediately delivered the final blow. The Qing army could no longer hold on and immediately fled through the last wall that had not been captured.

Running? The PLA was least afraid of running. Now the PLA wasn't in a hurry, and they slowly followed the Qing army. As they ran, the Qing soldiers threw everything that might hinder their escape to the ground. After running for several kilometers, they ran head-on into a pre-ambushed PLA encirclement. The Qing army, now completely empty-handed, faced the ambushed PLA, finally collapsed and began to flee in all directions.

Of the 4,000 Qing troops who fled, more than 600 were killed. Except for a few who escaped, all were captured in the pursuit. The PLA's evaluation of the Qing troops that encircled and suppressed the secret society armed forces in Guangxi was simple: they were not regular troops, but just some trained militia.

After receiving the victory report from Guangxi, Zhang Yinghao was not happy about the People's Liberation Army annihilating tens of thousands of Qing troops in Guangxi, because Zhang Yinghao's office was full of people at this time, and Zhang Yinghao was looking at three documents on the desk in the office. The first one was an ultimatum from the British Empire forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Andy, the Consul General of the French Consulate in Chongqing. It stated that the British Empire had significant interests in the Yangtze River Basin, warned the liberated area government not to damage the British Empire's interests in the Yangtze River Basin, and stated that the British Empire would send warships to patrol the Yangtze River to safeguard the British Empire's interests in the Yangtze River Basin.

The second document was a telegram from a frontline observation post regarding the foreign warships sailing up the Yangtze River. The telegram indicated that the foreign warships had formed a fleet and were nearing Jingmen Mountain and Huya Mountain. The third document was a telegram from a frontline artillery unit requesting instructions on whether to open fire to stop the foreign warships from continuing their journey up the Yangtze River.

Zhang Yinghao looked at the three documents in front of him, his brows gradually furrowed. The thing he was most worried about was about to happen. What the hell was Murphy's Law!

Chapter 410:

It turned out that after several days of planning, the British warships "Pheasant", "Warbird", "Rage" and other gunboats and the French warships "Orly", "Dajiang", "Anali" and other gunboats formed a fleet and went upstream along the Yangtze River, attempting to use their huge ships and artillery to intimidate the People's Liberation Army again.

Zhang Yinghao knew that small warships like the "Shanying" and "Shanji," with a displacement of only 150 tons and a crew of only 25, would appear enormous to the uninformed Chinese. However, in Zhang Yinghao's view, there was really nothing to fear. These small gunboats, primarily armed with naval guns and tasked with patrolling inland rivers and coastal areas, bombarding enemy coastal targets, and covering troop landings; they could also lay mines and attack enemy submarines with depth charges. Without the support of infantry, they were not very effective in a region like the Yangtze River, and they had little intimidating effect, except, of course, against the corrupt Qing Dynasty.

Because the Progressive Party led the revolutionary army to liberate Chongqing in time, although the French warship "Oly" also sailed into Chongqing in this life, the Progressive Party naturally could not allow the French to build a French naval camp on the river bank below the Danbishi Wharf. In the end, the French warship had no choice but to withdraw from Chongqing, and Japan no longer had the opportunity to open a concession in Chongqing.

As for all the unequal treaties signed between the great powers and the Qing Dynasty regarding the Liberated Areas of Sichuan, Yunnan, and others, for example: in 1896, French Consul in Chongqing, Hashi, colluded with Sichuan businessman Zhong Yuling and others to explore for coal and oil in Chongqing, Luzhou, and Xufu. They also seized coal mining rights in eight counties, including Baxian, Qijiang, and Hechuan; in 1898, the Americans obtained coal mining rights in the Zhenwu and Laojun Mountains; and in 1899, British financier Morgan colluded with Li Hongzhang to sign the "Draft Sichuan Mineral Treaty," which granted him 50 years of mining privileges for coal, iron, and oil throughout Sichuan. Naturally, the Liberated Areas rejected all of these privileges and unequal treaties and unilaterally abolished them.

When the revolutionary army marched into XZ to resist the invasion of British imperialism, British gunboats secretly passed through the Three Gorges and sailed into the Chongqing section of the Yangtze River. They bombarded Wanxian and created the Wanxian Massacre. They were eventually repelled by our heroic artillery units. From then on, no warships of any country sailed on the surface of the Yangtze River in Chongqing.

According to international diplomatic conventions and the principle of equality and mutual respect, a country has no right to station troops or berth warships in another sovereign state. However, due to the numerous unequal treaties signed by the Qing Dynasty, major powers such as Britain, France, the United States, Russia, and Germany long maintained garrisons in China, with numerous foreign warships stationed in coastal and river ports. Naturally, the Liberated Area government resolutely refused to recognize these privileges granted by the major powers in China.

Therefore, on May 6th, the second day of the Liberation War, the Liberated Area government issued a proclamation: China's territorial sovereignty must be defended by the Chinese people themselves! Foreign governments will absolutely not be permitted to infringe upon it. The Chinese People's Liberation Army demands that the warships, troops, and other armed forces of Britain, France, the United States, Italy, Germany, and other countries stationed along the Yangtze River and Huai River, as well as elsewhere in China, immediately withdraw from Chinese territory, territorial waters, and territorial seas and refrain from aiding the Qing court, the enemy of the people. The Chinese people will not recognize any special rights in China for any country or region that has not established diplomatic relations with the Liberated Area! The proclamation also designated the Yangtze River basin as a war zone, disclaiming any responsibility for any accidents involving warships and armed forces of any foreign country.

Following the PLA's announcements, warships from the United States, Italy, and other countries successively departed the Yangtze River basin. The United States, in particular, had already infuriated the hardworking and courageous Chinese people due to its Chinese Exclusion Act. At the end of the previous year, the United States had unreasonably demanded renewal of the unequal treaty, the Sino-American Treaty, which had restricted the entry of Chinese workers into the United States and protected Chinese residents. This sparked a boycott of American goods, which quickly spread from the Shanghai Concession to the rest of the country. American goods were left unsold, and in just six months, US exports to China had fallen by nearly 50%, further tarnishing the image of Americans in China. To mitigate the negative impact, the United States, fearing further antagonism towards China, a country experiencing a resurgence of nationalism, obediently sailed its warships downstream and departed the Yangtze River.

However, warships from Britain, France and other countries are not only unwilling to leave, but are also trying to continue expanding their interests in China.

No Chinese person in the world understands the vast interests of the great powers in China better than Zhang Yinghao. Since 1840, Britain has continuously expanded its interests in China, placing great importance on the Chinese market. Currently, the Far East and the Yangtze River Basin contribute tens of millions of pounds annually to the British Empire, practically feeding an invincible fleet. Furthermore, Britain's interests in China continue to grow rapidly, making it unwilling to relinquish this vast market and its enormous benefits.

After centuries of external expansion, Tsarist Russia benefited greatly from China, acquiring millions of square kilometers of fertile land. The Japanese, meanwhile, feasted on vast swathes of China, rising to become one of the world's great powers by trampling on the remains of the Qing Dynasty. It can be said that China fed Japan, one-third of Tsarist Russia, and one-quarter of Britain. Germany, the United States, and other countries also held substantial interests in China. Without war, China would have no chance of reclaiming the interests these powers had seized.

China is described as semi-colonial, but the Qing court was a foreign court at this time, aiding the foreign powers in suppressing its own people. It's no exaggeration to call it a colony, and even worse, because the Chinese people had more wolves, tigers, and leopards to feed. Previous history books describe China at this time as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. This actually emphasizes that the Chinese people suffered from a double dose of cruel oppression and exploitation, not just half and half. However, the term "semi-colonial and semi-feudal" actually downplays the meaning, giving the illusion that the oppression and exploitation of the Chinese people were reduced.

Zhang Yinghao had long anticipated the British sailing their warships with impunity, otherwise he would not have ordered the artillery to block the river surface and strictly prevent the warships of the foreign powers from entering the section of the Yangtze River controlled by the People's Liberation Army since the liberation of Chengdu.

Looking at the three documents in front of him, Zhang Yinghao knew that it was time for him to make a decision that would change the direction of China and even the world.

Seeing Zhang Yinghao's frown and dazed expression, Liu Qi knew that the front line was still waiting for a reply from the telegram! The situation was extremely urgent. Liu Qi immediately interrupted Zhang Yinghao's thoughts and asked, "Chairman, the front line is still waiting for a reply!"

Zhang Yinghao came to his senses, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. He immediately said, "Send a message to all units. Any warships that enter our battle zone and interfere with our operations will be warned. If they refuse to obey, they may be bombarded. No further instructions are needed! One more thing to note: the airships will remain stationary for now. If the foreign warships continue to retaliate against our artillery and advance instead of retreat, order the airships to bombard their warships."

"Yes!"

Zhang Yinghao didn't specify whether the warning would be through flag signals or artillery fire. These were decisions made by the frontline troops based on the specific circumstances. Zhang Yinghao knew he only needed to give them the order to fire. As for the current order prohibiting airships from bombing the foreign powers' warships, it was simply because Zhang Yinghao didn't want to prematurely liberate the foreign powers' self-satisfied, closed-minded mentality.

Some might see Zhang Yinghao's current acrimony with the powers as a sign of political immaturity. After all, politics is about making more friends and fewer enemies. Much like the Bolshevik Party's immature diplomatic strategy of forcibly nationalizing all resources and denying all Tsarist debts, which angered the Allies and led to the intervention of the powers in the revolution. Or perhaps, some might argue that Zhang Yinghao should be patient and wait until World War I to reclaim all lost rights. After all, the countless YY hegemony novels Zhang Yinghao read in his past life followed this same formula.

However, Zhang Yinghao was more convinced of the principle: Who are our friends and who are our enemies? This is the primary question of revolution. Zhang Yinghao always believed that since the Forward Party was a revolutionary party, its current political ideals, such as anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism, were more important than temporary economic gains and losses. The correctness of its revolutionary principles would determine the future of a country and a nation for thousands of years. If it insisted on its political ideals and resisted the foreign powers, the most it would suffer would be some economic losses and a few more lives during the liberation of the country.

Just like the Soviet Union's decrees that led to the deaths of over ten million people during the civil war, didn't the Soviet Union quickly become even stronger in the end? Only by completely casting off the shackles imposed by the great powers can one march forward with ease. Moreover, such a courageous act of resistance would greatly boost the morale and fighting spirit of the entire nation, allowing all Chinese to instantly hold their heads high and stand tall, no longer needing to grovel and submit. As for the slight loss of economic benefits, just like WG, which lost a lot of economic benefits, it can be quickly recouped through construction. As for the loss of population, haha, in the face of war, people are just expendable. As long as victory is achieved in the end, everything is worth it.

Moreover, throughout history, both in China and abroad, has there been any country or era that hasn't suffered massive population losses during dynastic changes? The Han Chinese were nearly wiped out several times! But what was the outcome? Within a few decades or even centuries, the population was able to recover. Unless a nation was completely exterminated or assimilated, especially in today's rapidly advancing medical world, lost populations can be replenished in record time. If the Native Americans hadn't been suppressed for so long by the Americans, their population would have recovered quickly.

However, once there is a problem with political ideology, at best the country will disintegrate like the Soviet Union, at worst the regime will change, the country will be destroyed, or the people will suffer again and again.

Zhang Yinghao knew that he absolutely could not be soft now, the People's Liberation Army absolutely could not be soft, and the Progressive Party absolutely could not be soft, otherwise all the propaganda of the Progressive Party before would be in vain.

Perhaps it was Zhang Yinghao's order to allow the front-line artillery to open fire that made many comrades feel uneasy. One comrade immediately summoned the courage to speak up: "Chairman, in 1860, the Qing Dynasty also bombarded the British at Dagu Fort. That time, we Chinese paid an extremely painful price! Not only was our capital Beijing occupied, but the Old Summer Palace, known as the "Garden of Gardens," was also burned by the British and French forces! The Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China, but the Dagu Fort still failed to stop the foreign powers, and ultimately signed the humiliating Boxer Protocol."

Zhang Yinghao naturally understood that the coastal defense artillery was no match for the enemy's warships and artillery, so he laughed and said, "Our Forward Party is not the corrupt Qing Dynasty, and the enemy's warships cannot reach the shore. This time, we must make the great powers, represented by the British, understand that the Liberated Area Government is no longer the corrupt Qing Dynasty! The Chinese are not to be bullied! I really want to see whether the great powers will send troops to directly intervene in our Liberation War!"

"What if the great powers actually send troops to intervene in our revolution?"

Zhang Yinghao said firmly: "From the resistance against foreign missionaries in various places and the independent resistance of the people in the border areas to invasion, it can be seen that the Chinese people have never feared any imperialist provocation! The only ones who fear imperialism are the corrupt Qing court, or rather the Qing royal family. Even if the imperialists help the Qing Dynasty and personally fight in the war with bare arms, we have nothing to fear as long as we stand firmly with the people. If they dare to come, we will deal with both imperialism and the Qing Dynasty together!"

At this time, a comrade from the Ministry of Commerce also said: "If we confront Britain and France on all fronts, or even go to war, the war will be protracted. Even if we win in the end, even if we liberate the country, we will still face a blockade by the great powers. In this case, we will not be able to buy the machines we need."

Many comrades nodded in agreement. Many had already tasted the bitter fruit of the blockade. Zhang Yinghao could only say, "England and France waged a Hundred Years' War! Germany's unification relied on battles, America's independence relied on war, and China's successive dynasties also required war. If war is necessary to liberate our nation, then let it be even more intense! I believe that the ultimate victor will be the Chinese people, who are unafraid of violence!"

These words excited the comrades. Zhang Yinghao paused and continued, "If the great powers wish to impose a blockade on us, let them do so! A blockade of ten or eight years will solve all our problems ourselves. I have always firmly believed that we Chinese are no worse than the great powers. As long as we work hard for ten or eight years, we will have everything and all our problems will be solved."

At this time, a comrade from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said: "Chairman, at least we should pay attention to the international impact now. After all, the worst has not yet happened. International influence is still very important to us!"

Zhang Yinghao waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about international influence. In this era, the only way to solve China's problems is through blood and iron. Truth is only within the range of cannons. This is the current international standard. We must show the momentum to overcome everything and the attitude of not fearing anything. Imperialism is a paper tiger. It looks ferocious on the surface, but in fact, it can be easily penetrated. So there is no need to be polite to the imperialist powers! Weak countries have no diplomacy. Fists are the real force. Status is earned through fighting. If we want to have an equal dialogue with the great powers, we will eventually have to go to war with them. Only by hurting the imperialist powers will they respect us..."

Zhang Yinghao spoke passionately, but he knew full well that the Liberation War was progressing so rapidly that the imperialist powers could not immediately send a large army from Europe to interfere with the Chinese revolution. Even if they did, it would take at least three months. Furthermore, the only countries truly capable of deploying large numbers of elite troops against China were Japan and Tsarist Russia. However, Japan and Russia were currently engaged in a bloodbath in Northeast China, and they could not currently spare troops to interfere with the Chinese revolution. Zhang Yinghao's real concern was that the European and American powers would pay for the invasion of China, while Japan and Russia would provide the manpower. This would be the real danger, a war that would involve the entire Chinese people fighting tooth and nail. However, what benefit would it bring to the European and American powers if they financed Japan and Russia to fight China? As for the United States, such as Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, they simply could not send many local troops to attack China. As for the colonial vassal armies, would the People's Liberation Army be afraid?

Therefore, Zhang Yinghao now dared to conclude that the British and French warships sent upstream this time might have been ordered by their own countries, but this was definitely a test and blackmail by the imperialist powers against the military strength and attitude of the liberated areas. The War of Liberation had not yet concluded, and Britain, in order to safeguard its tangible interests in China, wanted to strike first! If the PLA showed the slightest sign of weakness, the great powers would surely press their advantage. Therefore, in this conflict, the PLA could not retreat a single step. If the great powers wanted to fight, then they would fight, even if it took years and destroyed the coastal areas.

As for the blockade and threats? If it were a year or two ago, had the powers joined forces, Zhang Yinghao might have chosen to yield, just as he had maintained the status quo in the face of the foreign powers' concessions and customs. Of course, if the powers had actually joined forces to blockade the Liberated Areas, Zhang Yinghao would have been helpless, but it really wouldn't matter. The Qing Dynasty had been closed to the outside world for over two hundred years, and the people had managed to survive just fine. If the powers really did blockade the country, Zhang Yinghao would have led the people of China, starting with railway construction, exploring the path to industrialization from scratch. Zhang Yinghao knew it would be difficult, but no matter how difficult it was, he had to do it! He also had absolute faith that the Chinese people could overcome numerous difficulties and, through their hard work and ingenuity, build their country together.

As for the blockade of the liberated areas by the great powers, Zhang Yinghao is really not afraid at all. It can even be said that he is fearless because Zhang Yinghao firmly believes that the armies of the great powers cannot enter Sichuan.

At this time, Sichuan built the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway with its own strength and built a large number of factories according to the technology tree. Among them, there were not only steel mills, cement plants, and refineries, but also upstream iron mines, coal mines, and oil wells. Railways and ports were built from the mines to the steel mills, and downstream machinery factories, a series of steel products industries, such as small hardware, etc., as well as the largest sales channel in the liberated areas - the supply and marketing cooperatives. Of course, in order to solve the series of problems brought about by the monopoly and increase personnel competition and vitality, Zhang Yinghao set up a department store chain in the more prosperous areas to specifically compete with the supply and marketing cooperatives.

The liberated areas also established three arsenals to meet the needs of the war to overthrow the Qing Dynasty: one in Chongqing, one in Chengdu, and one in the Northeast. As for gun repair factories, there was one each in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Yunnan. They now also had their own research institutes, including the Engine/Electric Motor Research Institute, the Materials Research Institute, and the Machinery Research and Manufacturing Institute. They also had the Science and Technology Commission and the Science and Technology Research and Management Commission, and established a simple education system...

Chapter 411: Thanks to the book friends for the reward and extra chapter!

While these things are still fragile, like tender seedlings, they will eventually grow into towering trees. This is one of the reasons why Zhang Yinghao keeps fighting. "Violence" is the "midwife" of every old society that gives birth to a new one. War does consume vast amounts of wealth, but it also creates immense demand. The expanded liberated areas become vast markets and suppliers of industrial raw materials. War also yields rich spoils, allowing war to sustain itself.

Only with demand can we continue to produce and improve. Once there is a technological demand in society, this demand will push science and technology forward better than ten universities.

Industrialization requires three elements: capital, resources, and markets. However, the Liberated Areas now face a blockade from the great powers. With no international capital, resources and markets rely almost entirely on self-production and self-sale. This forces the Liberated Areas to embark on a path of self-reliance and hard work. Internally, they exploit the people's labor force, while externally, they plunder the landlords. War is the only path Zhang Yinghao has chosen, and it is the best way to divert the conflicts among the people in the Liberated Areas.

But Zhang Yinghao believed these were short-lived. The great powers inevitably needed China's vast market and the raw materials it provided for its industries, especially those unique to China. Therefore, they could never completely blockade China for long. Just like how relations between the Soviet Union and the great powers were so bad when it was first established, after Lenin implemented the New Economic Policy, didn't a large number of merchants still flock to the Soviet Union to seek their fortunes?

Furthermore, with the ongoing global economic crisis, the great powers would absolutely not want to lose the vast Chinese market. Even if the British wanted to join forces with the great powers to blockade the liberated areas, Zhang Yinghao believed that it would not take long before Germany and the United States would break the blockade in pursuit of the market. Zhang Yinghao was still confident of this.

Today, Britain remains the world's leading power, dominating 60 percent of global trade. Its currency, the British pound, is the world's most powerful currency. Although Britain was the first country to adopt the gold standard, the pound's status was not sustained by gold but by Britain's global fleet and its ability to project power across the globe.

In fact, at this time, the great powers, especially Britain, sent a large number of people to Asia, Africa, and Latin America to seek their fortunes. This was because the average income of ordinary people in Europe at that time was not much different from that of most people in China. The great powers also had a large number of proletarians and poor people. With the exception of the United States, the living standards of people in various countries were not much different. Many people still worked hard to provide for their families. This was one of the driving forces behind the emergence of "The Communist Manifesto."

Therefore, the bourgeoisie instilled in its people the idea that a poor London worker should be proud of the British Empire, because the cannons and bayonets of the British Empire gave him, the most pitiful of the poor, the power to oppress other peoples. If the poor British were willing to venture out, they could become emperors and grandfathers in other places, such as in colonial and semi-colonial countries. In culturally and economically backward countries, even British coachmen could become teachers.

In fact, the first period of rapid growth in European wealth didn't occur until after World War I, and the second after World War II. This was because the establishment of the Soviet Union after World War I forced capitalists to spend money to buy off the proletariat and increase workers' incomes. Furthermore, the widespread use of electricity and internal combustion engines led to a widespread and significant improvement in the living standards of ordinary Europeans, significantly widening the gap in living standards between industrialized and non-industrialized countries.

The navies of the great powers actively protect their national interests, and this protection of national interests allows for retaliatory measures after threats or violence. National interests naturally require the efforts of their own citizens, whether through business, missionary work, or local labor, all of whom collectively safeguard national interests. Therefore, the primary mission of warships is to protect the lives, safety, and rights of their own citizens.

The great powers signed numerous unequal treaties with the corrupt Qing Dynasty, one of which granted them "extraterritoriality" in China. This meant that the great powers were not bound by Chinese law and enjoyed diplomatic immunity in China. This meant that the commanders of these warships could use whatever diplomatic and naval tools they needed to protect their countries' interests. When the naval officers of the great powers believed their national interests were being compromised, they enjoyed unfettered discretion. This meant that their warships had full authority to fire on Chinese ports, dock armed landing craft, or have landing troops fire on the Chinese, without any significant concern for diplomatic details.

Just as Zhang Yinghao was unifying the top leadership's thinking, Shen Ruo suddenly ran in and said hurriedly: "Chairman, the French have sent another telegram, stating that the People's Liberation Army must not attack Guangxi. We must immediately withdraw from Guangxi, and... and we must also withdraw our troops from Yunnan and Guizhou, recognize that Guangxi and Yunnan and Guizhou are France's sphere of influence, and recognize France's special interests in Guangxi and Yunnan and Guizhou. If the People's Liberation Army does not withdraw from Guangxi and Yunnan and Guizhou, we will be responsible for all consequences..."

Before Shen Ruo finished speaking, the office was completely silent, a pin drop audible. Everyone stared at Shen Ruo, listening intently to his news. Many of the comrades who had returned from studying abroad even began to show signs of fear.

If the Liberated Areas were to simultaneously offend both Britain and France, it would be unthinkable. Zhang Yinghao listened to Shen Ruo's statement with a smile on his face, observing the comrades in the office from the corner of his eye. He soon discovered that the comrades who knew more about the great powers and their power became more terrified and confused. The comrades who grew up in the region, perhaps because they were completely unaware of their power, instead adopted an air of ignorance and fearlessness.

In fact, the French are also getting impatient now. In the Sino-French War, France finally won the war and unexpectedly got Annam at the negotiation table. However, colonists are greedy and they are naturally not satisfied with just getting Annam. Britain has the Yangtze River Basin as its sphere of influence, so the French regard Guangxi and Yunnan and Guizhou as their sphere of influence.

However, the People's Liberation Army, led by the Progressive Party, suddenly invaded Yunnan and Guizhou, stripping the foreign powers of their privileges there. The French suffered particularly heavy losses. Although Britain and France intervened directly, their intervention ultimately proved ineffective. Although the PLA ultimately released all captured French troops, the feud between the two sides was firmly established. Throughout history, not only the British were deploying troops to Burma and the Indo-Tibetan border; France also consistently deployed troops to Vietnam. If the Progressive Party's liberation of Yunnan had inflicted significant losses on France, then France would certainly not allow the PLA to advance into Guangxi and threaten French interests.

After Shen Ruo finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Zhang Yinghao, waiting for Zhang Yinghao to make the final decision.

Zhang Yinghao saw all his comrades looking at him and said with a smile, "This telegram from the British was clearly forwarded by the French, but the French took so long to send their own telegram. It seems that France must have thought this decision through carefully!"

Zhang Yinghao scoffed at the French ultimatum. Although Zhang Yinghao knew that France was powerful in Europe, transporting troops from Europe to Asia was no easy task. France's troop deployment capabilities were severely inadequate. Moreover, for a country that couldn't even defeat the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Yinghao truly looked down upon France.

Zhang Yinghao also knew that after World War II, France sent a "powerful" expeditionary force to attack Hanoi and other places. At the same time as China was fighting the US and aiding Korea, it also began to support Vietnam in its fight against France. China did not even directly send a large army into Vietnam, but simply sent a military advisory group to command the Vietnamese army to defeat the French army, forcing France to sign the armistice agreement, and Vietnam was liberated...

"Chairman, what are we going to do here?"

Without a second thought, Zhang Yinghao began issuing a series of orders. He then said, "The order to block the warships of the foreign powers from sailing upstream remains unchanged. Order the troops entering Guangxi to slow down their advance and intensify the reorganization of captured Guangxi armed forces. Order the Party members in various parts of Guangxi to continue to grow and develop, and implement land reform in advance in places where conditions are ripe. Order the troops liberating Hubei to speed up their advance and capture Wuhan as soon as possible. We need the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant. Order the comrades dispatched by the arsenal, steel plant, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and other departments to immediately rush to Shanxi and devote all their efforts to the construction of the Taiyuan Arsenal..."

As Zhang Yinghao issued his orders, Lieutenant Commander Walker Cavendish, Captain of the HMS Mountain Oriole, and his deputy, Captain Smith, were both atop the watchtower, telescopes in hand, observing both banks of the Yangtze River. Anyone familiar with the British aristocracy knew the significance of the Cavendish surname in Britain. Indeed, Walker Cavendish's captaincy was purchased. For the invincible British, the benighted and backward Far East offered a golden opportunity for these aristocratic scions. As long as the deputy captain was competent, the captain's responsibility lay in safeguarding the interests of the British Empire, requiring a deep understanding of various methods for the benefit of the state and their families.

This time, the Qing Dynasty's Sichuan rebels launched another war. The British Empire had already received the news, and the Qing Dynasty's Beiyang New Army in Shanxi was completely unable to withstand the rebels' offensive. Even more serious, the Qing rebels had also advanced into the Yangtze River Basin, advancing with unstoppable force. The Yangtze River Basin was within the British Empire's sphere of influence, and this war seriously threatened British interests in China. The British Far East Fleet was forced to deploy its fleet as a demonstration of British power and a warning to the Qing rebels not to infringe on British interests in China.

Walker Cavendish, unaware of Zhang Yinghao's later origins, naturally knew of the Beiyang Army's formidable strength. Consequently, the PLA never ceased its focus on the Beiyang Army, conducting a thorough study of it, perhaps even understanding it better than the Beiyang Army itself. The PLA's assessment of its combat style was particularly strong: its armaments and training were at the highest level among Chinese forces, resulting in a high degree of combat effectiveness. However, the Beiyang Army's shortcomings were equally pronounced. They were inept at mobile warfare, and even more so at mobile counterattacks under adverse circumstances. Simply put, the Beiyang Army's training, shaped by the rigidity of their instructors, overemphasized the hierarchical relationship between superiors and subordinates, and was tactically rigid. They excelled at frontal, positional warfare, offensive and defensive battles, using heavy cavalry and heavy bridges, but lacked the ability to maneuver and adapt.

The second-in-command lowered his telescope, pointed toward the Yangtze River, and exclaimed to Walker Cavendish, "Commander, look! What a magnificent view, what fertile land! Yet, this country, despite possessing the best territory, lacks the slightest ambition to improve itself. A population of hundreds of millions has been brutally conquered and ruled to this day by a nation of less than a million. It's truly incredible."

Walker Cavendish immediately replied, "Smith, it's precisely because of this country's corrupt rule that our warships are able to operate rampantly on the Yangtze River and safeguard the interests of the British Empire. Look at how Tsarist Russia has taken chunks of this country's flesh. That's not even a Hong Kong Island, but millions of square kilometers of land, almost the size of the entire European continent. Yet this country is so utterly corrupt that they dare not even protest, let alone resist. But, my lieutenant, you must know that the people of this country have never stopped resisting! Moreover, I deeply detest these despicable rebels, because their use of violence will harm the interests of the British Empire..."

Walker Cavendish was interrupted by Smith before he could finish his words. "Lieutenant Colonel, look over there. It looks like someone is signaling with a flag."

After Smith finished speaking, he immediately looked through the telescope. Walker Cavendish also stopped talking and looked towards the shore through the telescope.

It turned out that the artillery troops on the front line, after anxiously awaiting their arrival, finally received a reply telegram from Chairman Zhang Yinghao. With Chairman Zhang Yinghao's telegram as a foundation, officers at all levels had a clear mindset when facing the provocation of British warships: to resolutely strike back at the imperialist arrogance!

Luo Dazhong, commander of the artillery unit on the front line, looked at the warships of the foreign powers in the distance and immediately shouted with a telegram: "I have said long ago that since the Chairman has ordered the artillery to protect the Yangtze River, we must be allowed to fire. Flag signalers, send a flag signal immediately to warn the warships of the imperialist powers to retreat immediately. Otherwise, they will be responsible for all consequences."

The Liberated Areas currently lack a navy, but Yan Fu, president of a university in the Liberated Areas, graduated from the Fujian Naval Academy and the Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom. He served five years as an intern aboard the ships Jianwei and Yangwu. While teaching at the Beiyang Naval Academy, founded by Li Hongzhang, he later became its general manager, cultivating some of China's first modern naval talent. Therefore, the PLA troops blocking the river specifically consulted President Yan Fu about warships and even trained flag signal soldiers to prepare for a situation like the current one.

Upon receiving the order, the flag signaler immediately waved the flag and issued a signal: "Warning! Warning! You have entered our combat zone. Please leave immediately! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

If Walker Cavendish was a loser, then the deputy captain, Smith, understood clearly what the PLA flags were saying. He immediately said, "Captain! The Chinese have issued a warning! Should the "HMS Oriole" continue its advance?"

Walker Cavendish also saw the flags waving by the PLA flag signalmen at this time. After listening to Smith's words, he immediately remembered the instructions given by the headquarters before they set out: do not intervene in the civil war in the Qing Dynasty for the time being, but must demonstrate the British Empire's determination to defend its interests in China.

Walker Cavendish strongly agreed with this instruction, but he also had his own opinions regarding the Qing rebels. Especially after the Qing rebels defeated the Imperial Army in Xinjiang and Yunnan, captured a large number of Imperial soldiers, and greatly disgraced the British Empire, he had long wanted to teach these Qing rebels a lesson.

Walker Cavendish immediately said, "Ignore them! Order full speed! They won't dare fire! Full steam ahead!"

"I'm warning you again, please leave immediately! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

"Captain! I don't think the Qing rebels are kidding! Should we return?"

Walker Cavendish seemed to sense that our army was serious and immediately ordered, "Uncover the guns, load the shells, and prepare to fire."

"What?"

Deputy Captain Smith asked back in disbelief. You know, he also knew the instructions from above. They clearly instructed that the British Empire should not directly participate in the civil war in the Qing Dynasty for the time being. Needless to say, he knew that the empire was not yet prepared for war.

"Ready to fire. Do you understand?" "Why?"

"I am the captain, Your Excellency the deputy captain." "But, the order from above..."

"The British Empire has never chosen to yield or compromise. The Royal Navy will not tolerate any provocation, especially in this country. Do you understand?"

Smith naturally understood this. In Asia, the British Empire could fire at anyone it wanted. Did it need any reason or explanation?

Chapter 412:

As a descendant of the British aristocracy, Walker Cavendish naturally possessed a wealth of information. He was well aware of the growing domestic anti-war sentiment stemming from the Second Boer War, which lasted three years and resulted in tens of thousands of casualties among the British army. British politicians also understood the high cost of modern warfare. The economic and strategic impossibility of waging war while simultaneously defending the British Empire's overseas territories and the British mainland was no longer viable.

But Walker Cavendish knew even better that the British Empire must never give in in the Far East, because once they gave in, the result would inevitably be that all warships would eventually withdraw from the Yangtze River and even eventually withdraw from China. The British Empire's influence in the Yangtze River Basin would decline sharply, and ultimately the British Empire would lose its traditional sphere of influence in the Yangtze River Basin, lose its interests here, and lose the rights and interests that the British Empire had obtained over the past decades. This was unacceptable to the British Empire.

Walker Cavendish's assessment was certainly accurate, but he didn't realize that the Second Boer War marked the end of Britain's overseas expansion. Following the war, Britain began a global strategic contraction, even transferring some of its overseas influence to white dominions or territories like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Britain's strategic focus shifted back to Europe. He simply felt that domestic support for the Far East was gradually waning.

Walker Cavendish also didn't know that although Britain had seized the Rand gold mines through the Boer War and thus became the dominant force in the global gold market, it had mobilized 400,000 to 500,000 troops and incurred nearly 220 million pounds in direct military expenses. The war nearly emptied the British treasury. This war heralded the complete decline of Britain, a decline that was a multifaceted decline in the fundamental strength of the British Empire.

Walker Cavendish was even less aware that Britain was no longer concerned with appearances. The British Army's dismal performance in the Second Boer War had already alerted European nations to its weakening strength. However, these nations were also concerned that Britain would gain greater influence and voice by controlling the world's gold. Amidst this conflicting mentality, they began to test and challenge Britain's international standing, hoping to dethrone it from its position of global dominance and redistribute the world's colonies. This was a natural progression.

Seeing Walker Cavendish's resolute attitude, Second Captain Smith immediately gave the order to prepare to fire. As for whether firing was the right move, Smith didn't actually see anything wrong with it. Wherever there were conflicts of interest between countries and regions, the British Empire was present. Even if there weren't conflicts of interest and the region was peaceful, the British Empire would still try to intervene and profit from them, especially since the Qing rebels were seriously undermining the Empire's interests. He simply felt it would be difficult to report to his superiors after firing, that was all.

At this time, Luo Dazhong was also observing the leading warship "Mountain Oriole" with a telescope. He saw that the warship had no intention of slowing down and turning around. Instead, he saw the British officers and soldiers lifting the gun covers, and the black cannons were clearly visible on the deck. It was obvious that they were cannons temporarily moved onto the deck to increase firepower. A group of officers and soldiers were busy loading shells behind the cannons.

At this time, the flag signalman was also sending out the final round of flag signals: "Final warning! British warships, please leave our waters immediately, otherwise our army will launch an attack!"

At this moment, the artillery rangefinder officer immediately reported to Luo Dazhong: "Report to the artillery team, the British pilot warship has entered our range."

Luo Dazhong immediately said: "Our army has repeatedly sent flag signals to the foreign warships, demanding that they leave immediately. Not only did they ignore the warnings and continue to move forward, they even pointed their guns at our army. This is aggression and we must resolutely fight back."

Then Luo Dazhong shouted loudly: "Order all artillery units to prepare and wait for the order to fire. Gun position No. 1 will fire shells into the Yangtze River as a final warning to the warships of the foreign powers."