The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Xiangyang was crucial to both the northern and southern regimes, and was the base for them to seek unification. For example, during the Three Kingdoms period, Guan Yu attacked Xiangyang. If Xiangyang was captured by Guan Yu, Nanyang and other places would be within his attack range, which made Cao Cao very worried. For example, during the Song-Yuan War, the Mongols spent 39 years to capture Xiangyang, and then the Southern Song Dynasty perished. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Xiangyang was a military stronghold that both the Southern and Northern Dynasties wanted to obtain.

Therefore, Xiangyang and Nanyang are equivalent to a whole. If the southern army captured Xiangyang, it would be difficult for the northern regime to defend it and it would be in a disadvantageous position. Many wars broke out around Xiangyang in history.

In Jin Yong's The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Guo Jing defended Xiangyang. Of the many heroes he created, the one Jin Yong admired most was Guo Jing, a hero dedicated to his country and his people. In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Guo Jing helped Genghis Khan unify the Mongol tribes and destroy the Jin Dynasty. Genghis Khan was so impressed by Guo Jing that he offered him the title of consort.

However, when Guo Jing heard that Genghis Khan was about to attack the Song Dynasty, he resolutely gave up all the glory and wealth of Mongolia, returned to his country secretly, and saved the important border town of Xiangyang for the Song Dynasty free of charge.

Afterward, Guo Jing and his wife could have wandered the world freely, or even retired to Peach Blossom Island. But Guo Jing chose not to do so, remaining loyal to his country. For decades, he fought off numerous Mongol attacks in Xiangyang, ultimately dying in battle there. Guo Jing became the only hero in Jin Yong's novels to perish alongside his country.

While there was certainly no such person as Guo Jing in history, the Song army did indeed face off against the Mongolian army in Xiangyang for a long period, and fighting did occur in the Xiangyang area. The historical event of Xiangyang's capture was far more tragic than the Guo Jing depicted in Jin Yong's novels, as the defenders of Xiangyang held the city on their own for six years, isolated and without any support. The hardships they endured can only be imagined.

Without reinforcements and no contact with the outside world, soldiers and civilians perished one by one. The city was often short of food and fodder, and the enemy could attack at any moment. They held out like this for six years. Although Xiangyang finally surrendered, the soldiers and civilians within had truly given it their all. It wasn't that the soldiers and civilians within the city were unpatriotic, nor were they cowardly, but rather that the corrupt imperial court had abandoned them and the city itself, failing to send regular reinforcements.

Finally, Xiangyang City was occupied by the Mongolian army. The Southern Song Dynasty immediately had no strategic location to defend and was soon destroyed.

The Mongolian army's destruction of the Song Dynasty is certainly a shameful page in history. However, the Southern Song Dynasty was also very good at suppressing the people internally, and was no less inferior to the court in seeking peace with humiliating foreign countries and ceding land and paying indemnities. In fact, the Song Dynasty was no different from the current Qing Dynasty. It also faced a greedy and powerful enemy, so its eventual demise was reasonable.

New things emerge from old things, but the demise of old things will allow new things to rise faster. Metabolism is always going on...

In Zhang Yinghao's view, in a China before trains and cars became widespread, cities like Xiangyang, Wuhan, and Jingzhou were like the transportation hubs of Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang in the past. The Jiefang District naturally attached great importance to this, having already laid out plans here early on...

After Zhang Yinghao led the revolutionary army to liberate Chongqing, the Qing army began constructing fortifications in Xiangyang. Fortifications were built on Yanghu Mountain, Hutou Mountain, Fenghuang Mountain, and Wenbi Peak in Xiangyang. Of course, the Qing army didn't do the work themselves; they instead recruited laborers from Yunyang and other places. Because Xiangyang also implemented the baojia system, every household in the city was assigned by their baojia head to carry trees and bricks up the mountains to build fortifications. While building fortifications, the Qing army also had trees of all sizes cut down, both inside and outside the city walls. This left Xiangyang bare and barren, leading to widespread complaints from the people of Xiangyang.

Peng Changqing's father passed away early, leaving him to be raised by his mother. With a younger brother and sister, his mother had to work for other families to support the family. With no other options, young Peng Changqing stepped up to shoulder the burden of supporting the family. Peng Changqing was frail, but the overseer didn't care and still required him to carry ten bricks at a time. Peng Changqing had to trudge through the mountain for three hours to reach the top...

It turned out that a tall and large fortress was being built here.

Chapter 425:

Perhaps in the eyes of the Qing army and ordinary people, these fortresses they built were not only tall and sturdy, but also extremely easy to defend and difficult to attack. It would be impossible for the Red Bandits to conquer these fortresses, or at least they would have to pay a huge price. But if Zhang Yinghao saw these so-called sturdy and tall fortresses, he would definitely laugh like a pig. Isn't it the best thing for the People's Liberation Army if the Qing army is more backward and conservative and does not seek progress? And when the Qing army begins to pursue progress, it is actually the time for them to abandon the Qing Dynasty. After understanding this, Zhang Yinghao is now even less worried about the Qing Dynasty.

To the PLA, these fortresses were mere targets for their artillery fire. The Qing army hadn't even begun to absorb the advanced experience gained during the Russo-Japanese War in Northeast China, still blindly applying their outdated methods to address the situation. Even if a few officers tried to absorb this experience, what would it really do? What would change? It wasn't certain whether the low-quality soldiers below would cooperate.

The Qing troops in Xiangyang had already received news of the Red Bandits' attack on Hubei. Although they didn't know where the bandits were, they knew they would eventually reach them, and were therefore extremely vigilant. Therefore, the PLA didn't plan to resort to tactics like disguised PLA soldiers infiltrating the area. They were still able to capture Xiangyang with just one blow.

That morning, Peng Changqing was working on the construction site, moving bricks, when he suddenly heard a rumbling sound in the distance. Everyone stood up straight, craning their necks to see what was going on.

But at this moment, someone suddenly shouted: "Everyone run, the Red Bandits are coming."

Hearing this cry, everyone was suddenly awakened, dropping their belongings and running home in panic. Peng Changqing was no exception, and he immediately ran away without even moving the bricks. Even many of the supervisors started running as well.

Why is this so? Because of the current lack of information, the Chinese people outside the liberated areas have long been subjected to the Qing Dynasty's reactionary propaganda, which claims that the Red Bandits have red hair, green eyes, murder and arson, loot, eat human flesh and drink human blood, and practice communism and sharing wives. In reality, this propaganda only deceives those living in a narrow and uninformed environment. However, it is undeniable that such people do indeed make up the vast majority of people in China today. In fact, anyone with even the slightest bit of information already knows the truth.

Peng Changqing himself was actually puzzled, because some people said the Red Bandits had red eyes, while others said they had green eyes. But every time he asked, no one could give a definite answer. However, Peng Changqing soon stopped being curious, because he would soon be able to see the legendary Red Bandits.

Only one brigade of troops was dispatched to liberate Xiangyang. It was not because the People's Liberation Army looked down on the Qing army stationed in Xiangyang, but because if the battle was unfavorable, the People's Liberation Army in other places could still rush to support Xiangyang immediately.

In order to liberate Xiangyang completely at one time, the People's Liberation Army divided its troops into two groups. They first attacked Taipingdian north of the Han River, then attacked the outer Qing troops in places such as Cihe south of the Han River, and then attacked the fortresses built by the Qing Dynasty such as Pipa Mountain and Yanghu Mountain outside the city.

At this time, Brigade Commander Li Tieniu looked at the map and asked the Chief of Staff: "Has the Xianghe Navy not been found yet?"

The Chief of Staff immediately replied: "They haven't appeared yet. They are either hiding in Xiangyang or have left downstream. However, they are still equipped with homemade artillery, so they don't pose much of a threat to us."

This is one of the reasons why the PLA was divided into two groups. Perhaps the PLA could concentrate its forces to quickly liberate Xiangyang or Fancheng, but there was a problem for the PLA to cross the river, and that was the navy located in Xiangyang.

Xiangyang has a long history of naval power. As early as the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Xiangyang Navy under Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, commanded a fleet of warships known as Mengchong, commanding a fleet that dominated the world. Even Zhou Yu was wary of them. While the story goes that Zhou Yu resorted to a scheme similar to Jiang Gan's theft of a book, using a different knife to eliminate the former Xiangyang Navy commanders, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, who had surrendered to Cao Cao, it also reflects the extraordinary combat power of the Xiangyang Navy. Even in the late Qing Dynasty, Xiangyang still maintained the Xianghe Navy. Its jurisdiction covered the Han River waters from Hankou to Xiangyang and Laohekou, with Xiangyang serving as its right camp.

The chief of staff said that the Xianghe Navy could not pose a threat to the People's Liberation Army because these gunboats were all made of wood, similar to the blasting boats in the liberated areas, with only a homemade cannon on the bow, so they naturally posed no threat.

However, Li Tieniu's concern wasn't whether there was a threat, but rather that these ships seemed to have little combat power. That was only for regular troops like the People's Liberation Army, but for pirates and merchant ships, they were a formidable threat. Therefore, the navy could still patrol the waters and take on river security at towns and docks along the Han River, such as Shayang Town, Xiantao Town, Shuanghekou, Zhuantouwan, and Liushuigou. This played an irreplaceable role in preventing banditry and maintaining water transport safety.

Of course, no matter how much he valued the Xianghe Navy and wanted to capture it, Li Tieniu would not issue an order to capture them or prohibit bombardment of them. Now that the PLA had cut off the Han River, if the Xianghe Navy knew the situation, they would know that they were at a dead end and that their best option was to join the Liberated Areas. Of course, the officers could also abandon their ships and flee. However, if these naval soldiers chose to make a tragic pledge of loyalty to the Qing Dynasty, Li Tieniu would also be willing to grant them this wish.

After just two days of attacking, the entire Qing army outside the city retreated from the mountains back into the city. Besides the patrol battalions and the Eight Banners Army, the city also held militias and security groups organized by the landlords and gentry. Among these groups were local ruffians and vagrants from Xiangfan, who routinely bullied men and women and committed all manner of evil. The common people had long hated them...

The Qing army also built fortifications and barricades on every street in Xiangyang, preparing for street fighting with the People's Liberation Army. There was also a barbican on Xiangyang's southern wall, where the Qing soldiers built a three-story bunker and added a defensive wall inside the barbican.

At this time, most of the people in the city did not know about the People's Liberation Army. Faced with the "extremely vicious" red bandits, the people were full of uncertainty about their future. They had no idea what to do and could only hide at home and tremble.

Peng Changqing began to hear the sporadic explosions of PLA artillery shells from outside the city. The next day, the artillery fire intensified, and everyone on the street fled home in fear. Peng Changqing's home, with only a dozen square meters of living space, was occupied by the Qing army, who used it as a place to house the wounded.

Peng Changqing's family of four lived in a cramped space of just a few square meters. Meals were cooked in a thatched hut behind the house and quickly eaten. His mother even smeared charcoal ash on her face and neck, making them look unsightly. Peng Changqing still couldn't understand why. At night, his mother slept in the bed, and the children slept below. The cries of pain from the wounded kept Peng Changqing and his family terrified, unable to sleep.

Starting the next afternoon, sporadic gunfire could be heard from outside the city walls. As darkness fell, the gunfire intensified. By this point, the people of Xiangyang were no longer able to sleep, awaiting the end of the battle. Soon, Peng Changqing could clearly hear bursts of artillery explosions and intense gunfire coming from the city gates. Soon, Peng Changqing's home was filled with Qing troops who had retreated in fear of the battle.

That evening, the PLA arrived outside Xiangyang. Without stopping, they launched an offensive, attacking the west gate. Controlling the gate was crucial to attacking Xiangyang, as it was surrounded by water on all sides, with a moat and the Han River on one side. The PLA lacked warships, so they had to find ways to seize the gate. Forcing a crossing of the moat would be no problem, though it would only result in casualties.

At this time, the Xianghe River Navy of the Qing army also came to join in the fun. They planned to drive their ships to the moat to bombard the city and prevent the attacking People's Liberation Army from crossing the moat. However, the PLA artillery unit had long been prepared for this move of the Qing army. The moment they saw the Xianghe River Navy appear, mortar shells fell like raindrops. The first small gunboat leading the way was blown to pieces in an instant without firing a single shot. The Qing troops on the other gunboats saw this and dared not join in the fun. They were frightened and retreated immediately. This was also one of Li Tieshan's strategies. He wanted to scare the Xianghe River Navy at one time. At the cost of losing a ship, he hoped to exchange it for the surrender of the entire Xianghe River Navy.

Having driven away the Xianghe Navy, the PLA could finally boldly attack the city. PLA artillery units immediately began bombarding the city walls. Mortars also began moving forward, firing at close range. After a barrage of mortars, Li Tieshan was certain that there were very few Qing troops left alive on and below the city walls.

Li Tieshan said: "Send signal flares and illumination flares to let the comrades in the city open the gates and drawbridges. Order the engineering troops to immediately build a pontoon bridge nearby. If the comrades in the city fail, we will immediately launch a strong attack."

Li Tieshan never places his hopes on others. He must be responsible for this battle, so he must ensure that nothing goes wrong.

At this point, the early deployment showed its immense power. The Forward Party already had its own organization in Xiangyang, or in other words, almost all the major cities in Hubei had Forward Party organizations. These early comrades who had been hiding in the city gathered and ambushed near the city gate, their arms conspicuously tied with white towels, waiting for the order to attack.

Seeing the signal flares shot skyward, and then seeing the flares already emitting a blinding white light, illuminating the darkness like day, the comrades immediately charged towards the city gates, either with pistols or rifles used by the Qing army. Before the Qing troops could adjust to the white light, they unleashed round after round of deadly bullets. The remaining Qing troops beneath the city walls were caught off guard and were shot down one after another by the comrades from behind.

No one could have imagined the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army would be so cunning, employing a strategy of internal and external cooperation despite their overwhelming advantage. Facing the bright light of day and the incoming bullets from behind, the Qing army was momentarily stunned before collapsing. Many Qing soldiers cried out, "Oh my God!", dropped their weapons, and fled, tearing at their uniforms as they ran. Naturally, the comrades would not shoot at these fleeing Qing troops; their current goal was to support the main force entering the city.

Comrades supporting them inside the city lowered the drawbridge, allowing the PLA to completely seize the city gate. Seizing the gate meant the battle to liberate Xiangyang was halfway to victory. These comrades, wearing white towels, immediately led the PLA in capturing key points in Xiangyang, while the main force began advancing along the city streets to capture the various gates. Soon, bursts of gunfire could be heard throughout the city.

Soon after, Peng Changqing heard the shouts of soldiers from both sides coming from outside his house:

"Listen up, Qing soldiers inside! We are the glorious People's Liberation Army. Chinese people don't fight against Chinese people. If you don't want to work for the Qing Dynasty anymore, lay down your weapons and surrender! The People's Liberation Army treats prisoners well..."

"Come in, we'll surrender immediately!"

"Put down your weapons and come out immediately, or we'll drop bombs." Peng Changqing observed from a crack in the wall that the Qing army was completely silent. Many of them looked at each other, each with their own thoughts, and no one spoke. Naturally, some officers wanted to surrender, while a few were determined to fight the PLA to the bitter end.

Then one of the officers shouted, "If you come in, we will surrender. If you don't come in, we won't surrender."

The PLA soldiers were advancing along the eaves of the people's houses. They had already surrounded the Qing troops inside. How could the PLA soldiers risk their lives? So they immediately shouted: "I will count to ten. If you don't come out, we will drop bombs."

The PLA ignored the Qing troops inside the house and immediately began counting down: "Ten, nine..."

Through the cracks in the wall, Peng Changqing could feel the solemn atmosphere. There were constant gunshots coming from the distance, but here there was only the sound of a countdown.

When the number "five" was called, a squad leader gestured to a soldier, who immediately pulled the string of a grenade and threw it towards the door. There was a loud bang, and the door was blown open by the grenade fragments, and shrill screams were heard from inside.

It was this sound that destroyed all the courage of the Qing army to resist, and the Qing army chose to surrender without hesitation.

By daybreak, the battle was over. Peng Changqing was extremely curious and wanted to find out if the Red Bandits were as they were advertised. That would have been a rare sight. Unfortunately, the Red Bandits he saw looked just like ordinary people, which disappointed him greatly, but also made him bolder.

After Peng Changqing and his family emerged from the house in fear and trepidation, and after confirming that no one was inside, a PLA soldier entered the house with a rifle and fired a shot under the bed to see if there were any Qing officers or soldiers hiding there. He then conducted a brief search before leaving. As for why he fired first, it was naturally for the PLA soldiers' own safety. If there were an enemy under the bed, the PLA would be putting themselves in danger if they bent down to look, something the PLA naturally tried to avoid.

Peng Changqing noticed that the PLA soldiers were all young, their uniforms neat and uniform, and they looked very impressive and handsome. Having won a victory, many soldiers were singing, and the majestic singing made Peng Changqing's blood boil.

At this time, the wounded PLA soldiers were quickly transferred for treatment or burial. There was not a single PLA corpse on the streets. Instead, rows of Qing soldiers' bodies were neatly arranged by the PLA and still lying on the ground, demonstrating the martial arts of the PLA soldiers.

Meanwhile, the PLA was already identifying officers and soldiers from the Qing army. In fact, it was relatively easy to distinguish between officers and soldiers during this era. The difference between officers and soldiers was obvious, as officers were generally plump and fair-skinned, with few calluses on their hands. As for the soldiers, they were basically like ordinary civilians, serving in the army to make a living.

Soon, the PLA soldiers began paying local residents to collect the bodies of the Qing soldiers. They also began helping residents repair damaged doors and windows from previous battles. The PLA rarely entered residents' homes, leaving immediately after completing their work, with a warm and friendly attitude. After treating the wounded, the military doctors in their white coats also began providing free medical care to residents.

The Progressive Party truly works for the people, winning their hearts and minds in all aspects. Seeing this, the people of Xiangyang immediately lost all fear of the PLA. Some children even ran after them, imitating their walk, and even began to sing military songs...

A platoon of the People's Liberation Army was stationed on a vacant lot not far from Peng Changqing's home. When the PLA soldiers were ready for dinner, they would gather in a circle, placing a wooden barrel in the middle for their staple food. They would also bring out a few canned foods for their side dishes, including both meat and vegetables, and they looked incredibly delicious. After the comrades had their food, they would squat on the ground to eat, a very quick and convenient meal.

Chapter 426:

Now the logistics of the People's Liberation Army have undergone earth-shaking changes. Through continuous wars, the army's logistics support capabilities have been trained to be better and better, which is really important for war.

This is actually quite understandable. Wars are about death, and there's a great deal of terror between life and death. In this age of war, everything revolves around war, so for the sake of their own safety, soldiers naturally want everything to be the best, fastest, strongest, and most...

Canned food, instant noodles, compressed biscuits, and Liberation Shoes might seem insignificant, but they were enough to revolutionize the People's Liberation Army. A squad only needed a box of canned food, a case of instant noodles, or even just a few boxes of compressed biscuits, and they were enough to last them a week. Once the comrades in the army understood the benefits of such supplies, how they saved time, and how they improved combat effectiveness, factories in the liberated areas naturally ramped up production. Agriculture and animal husbandry in the liberated areas naturally flourished. This was especially important for the Communist Party. Trade in the Kham region was booming, and the Light Industry Bureau even established canneries and wool textile mills in Lhasa, bringing more and more Chinese people into large-scale industrial production.

When the military needs it, they don't care about the economy, or anything else. All they want is to defeat all enemies and achieve victory. Zhang Yinghao knows that in China, the only way to develop the economy is to strengthen the military enough to resist foreign invasion. In this era, for a country like China, without a strong military to back it up, no matter how much economic development there is, it's in vain and can't stop the exploitation of others.

The PLA's approachable attitude and distinctive work style in Xiangyang resonated deeply with the people of Xiangyang. The PLA's youthful spirit and disciplined demeanor, their marching formations, songs, and slogans, were a revelation to the children. Many children rushed over to watch the PLA comrades eat. Of course, some parents immediately called their children home, while others hugged their children, craning their necks to see if the PLA would eat human flesh.

A PLA soldier saw Peng Changqing's younger brother and sister standing nearby, their thumbs still in their mouths, their eyes wide with longing as they watched their comrades eat, nearly crying with greed. He immediately took out a steamed bun, broke it in half, and gave each of them half. Peng Changqing's family was poor, and they hadn't eaten white flour buns in months. The two children looked timidly at the PLA soldier and didn't take any. The soldier touched their heads, took their hands, and placed the buns in their hands. Then he picked up a bun, gestured to the two children, and bit into it, chewing hard and making a deliberate "crunch, crunch" sound.

The two children were staring at the cans of food on the table, refusing to eat the steamed buns in their hands. The PLA comrade immediately knew the children had learned their lesson, and without hesitation, he immediately gave the two children two pieces of spare ribs. Seeing that they were finally being treated the same as PLA soldiers, the two children immediately began to eat with gusto, holding the steamed buns in one hand and the spare ribs in the other. Seeing this, the other comrades immediately smiled.

After finishing their meal, the comrades sealed the remaining food in the cans. Naturally, these leftovers couldn't be saved for the next meal, so they either gave them to the children playing nearby to take home, or asked the hired workers to take the leftovers back home. For these people, not only were the delicious food inside the cans delicious, but the cans themselves were also a rare item these days, making them perfect for storing seasonings and other items.

Peng Changqing was certain that the canned food his siblings had brought back was the best he had ever tasted. He could even say that even in his later years, when he had plenty of food to eat, he still missed the taste of that canned food. Furthermore, he had never tasted anything so delicious again.

Like most people in Xiangyang, Peng Changqing gained a very intuitive understanding of the PLA and the Forward Party after interacting with them. He quickly realized that the Forward Party was a party for the people, and the PLA was the people's army. Many families began to lean towards revolution. Women are inherently weak, but mothers are strong. For the sake of her three children, Peng Changqing's mother, always self-reliant and strong, quickly became the director of the neighborhood Women's Federation. Peng Changqing also joined the Youth League and went to school. After graduation, he joined the revolutionary work and devoted his life to the cause of communism.

"Brigade Commander, after being bombarded by our artillery, I wonder where the Xianghe Navy has gone?"

Li Tieniu smiled and said, "The ships can't land, and they can't escape. It's all the result of counting money in a sack. The Xianghe Navy has been frightened by our artillery fire. As we expand the area we liberate, the navy, having witnessed the power of our artillery, should soon be ours. However, we can't let this navy sail freely in the Han River. Otherwise, it will not be a good thing for our use of water transport for logistical supplies. Therefore, we must prioritize liberating the cities along the river and cut the Han River and other rivers into sections, blocking the waterway. Without supplies, these ships will be useless."

Li Tieniu had previously overestimated the Xianghe Navy, but after seeing how its boats could not withstand the ravages of mortar shells, his interest in the navy plummeted. However, it was still an armed force, and Li Tieniu naturally did not want to completely destroy it, nor did he want to let it operate outside the jurisdiction of the People's Liberation Army.

After Li Tieniu finished talking about the Xianghe Navy, he immediately said: "Let's keep the wounded in Xiangyang for treatment. We can arrange for these comrades to work in the police department or in the new government..."

Li Tieniu did not stay in Xiangyang City for long. He left a regiment to guard outside the city, maintain order, and be responsible for conscription and other tasks. He even allocated personnel to help establish a new government. The large army quickly left Xiangyang and began to move downstream along the Han River.

Forward! Forward! Forward!

Our team faces the sun, stands on the land of our motherland, and carries the hope of the nation on our shoulders. We are an invincible force.

Now that most of Hubei had been liberated, the troops no longer needed to hide their tracks. All the PLA needed to do now was to take advantage of this Liberation War to conduct a major armed march through Hubei, carrying out extensive propaganda in the liberated areas, allowing people to reacquaint themselves with the PLA and the Progressive Party, while also deterring those who were treacherous. Therefore, as the troops marched, resounding songs could be heard from time to time.

The same resounding singing could also be heard in Changsha. The PLA troops that had originally marched from western Hunan to liberate Changsha finally joined forces with their comrades in Changsha after a long march. The two sides were now comrades fighting for a common goal, and naturally they felt very close after joining forces. How else could they express their excitement except singing? However, the comrades' excitement had not yet ended, as their new combat orders had already arrived. After Zhang Yinghao's suggestion, the General Staff took into account the warships of the foreign powers in the Yangtze River Basin in Hubei and temporarily changed the combat plan of this section of the PLA. They would no longer participate in the battle to liberate Wuhan, but would return to Pingxiang again, and then, unexpectedly, make a thousand-mile leap to liberate Nanchang, and then march into the Jiujiang area to control this strategic location and strangle the foreign powers.

War is like this. Accidents are always happening, and the progress of a war can never proceed exactly as planned. Adjustments must be made based on strategic objectives, and these adjustments must be made constantly...

Wuhan was one of the key targets for liberation this time. At this time, more and more troops had gathered outside the city of Wuhan. The Dabie Mountain Column led by Li Tong finally marched to Huangpi, the gateway to Wuhan. Their troops had already reached Wuhan.

Li Tong stood on the high platform, giving the final mobilization to the soldiers standing below. Looking at the neatly arranged troops below, Li Tong shouted loudly: "Dear revolutionary comrades, dear brave PLA soldiers, tell me loudly, what are we doing?"

"Revolution, revolution."

The comrades below had all been through repeated trials and tribulations, so they naturally knew the standard answer. Their unison of shouting made the entire room vibrate.

"Comrades, what is the responsibility of our People's Liberation Army?" "To defend our country, to protect our people."

The roar of slogans resounded, and the atmosphere suddenly became even more heated. "Very good, comrades! We want revolution. We want to smash the old world and usher in a new world where we, the poor people, are the masters of our own destiny. We will eliminate the exorbitant taxes and levies imposed on us by the Qing Dynasty. Comrades, to protect the fruits of our revolutionary victory, to eliminate the numerous exorbitant taxes and levies, and to uphold the ideal of land for all, we must fight to the bitter end and eliminate all reactionaries!"

"Fight to the end, fight to the end."

"Comrades, this Battle of Wuhan is crucial to our ability to achieve the early success of the revolution. It is a matter of great importance to the overall situation. Chairman Zhang Yinghao of the Party Central Committee is always watching us, and the poor people all over the world are also watching us, expecting us to liberate them. Although we are poorly equipped now, I want to tell you that what constitutes a main force is not determined by the unit number, the length of time it has been established, or the quality of its weapons, but by whether it can defeat and annihilate the enemy.

Chairman Zhang once said that in his eyes, the real main force is the force that can defend, win, and cannot be defeated. This is the main force. In my eyes, our Dabie Mountain Column is a well-deserved main force. This Wuhan Battle is our first battle, and it will also be our battle of fame and merit. After this battle, I hope that our Dabie Mountain Column can be as invincible as other PLA troops, and make the Qing Dynasty tremble with fear. Do you have confidence?"

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Even as Li Tong was making his final mobilization call for the PLA comrades, the trade unions in Wuhan didn't wait for the PLA's arrival or for Wuhan to be liberated. Instead, they convened an immediate, expanded meeting. Ju Junsheng, head of the Wuhan Federation of Trade Unions, had already received orders: the unions were to mobilize and organize the workers, arming them if possible, to protect themselves and the machinery and equipment at the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant, the Arsenal, and other factories.

After the Wuhan Federation of Trade Unions experienced the last march and demonstration, and especially after experiencing the imperialist massacre of the Chinese people, the Forward Party further strengthened its leadership over the trade union organization, and the organization quickly matured. Now the trade union organization has become more complete and more combat-ready.

The launch of the Liberation War in the liberated areas, especially after the PLA bombarded British warships, greatly boosted the morale of the vast majority of Party members. However, many worker representatives from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions attending the meeting also expressed deep misgivings about the British's sudden intervention in the Liberation War. This is understandable. After all, the more knowledgeable one is about industry, the more one understands the power of the great powers and naturally understands what this represents.

Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, was not unaware of the existence of trade unions, but the Forward Party would naturally not openly use the name of the Forward Party. Moreover, although guilds have existed since ancient times, trade unions were introduced by foreigners, and many people did not understand how they operated. This gave the comrades the best cover. In the eyes of the vast majority of Qing officials, the trade union organization in Wuhan was at best a civil organization among workers. Moreover, for comrades who joined the Forward Party, the organization would first investigate them and strictly prohibit the infiltration of labor scabs. The trade union also set up a picket team specifically to deal with labor scabs. This led to the growing strength of the trade union organization in Wuhan under strict conditions.

Naturally, Zhang Yinghao would not allow the workers in the steel mill to rashly launch an armed riot, because in Zhang Yinghao's view, the workers in these factories are the most valuable wealth in China now. They are even worth 10,000 times more than those machines and equipment!

The name "Westernization Movement" was even first coined by Zhang Yinghao after he arrived in this era. Because in this era, the Westernization Movement was a continuation of the efforts of some elites and bureaucrats of this era to maintain the rule of the Qing Dynasty during the Taiping Rebellion.

The so-called Westernization Movement lacked legitimate leadership; it consisted of individuals who saw the value of learning from the West and simply opened factories. Just as their slogans suggested: self-strengthening and the pursuit of wealth. Within the Westernization Movement, there were even internal attacks and sabotage, as they represented different interest groups. Consequently, it was simply a spontaneous, top-down, self-help movement. There was virtually no public participation, and these individuals certainly had no intention of mobilizing the masses. The Qing Dynasty supported the Westernization Movement because they believed its promotion had no negative impact and would, in fact, strengthen the nation and aid their continued rule.

The Qing Dynasty demonstrated its military might by suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and then launched the Westernization Movement, which silenced the foreign powers for two or three decades. It wasn't until the First Sino-Japanese War that Japan finally exposed the Qing Dynasty's false image, shattered its dreams of becoming a powerful East Asian nation, and exposed its inherent weakness. This spurred the foreign powers' ambitions to invade and divide China, leading to the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China and Tsarist Russia's invasion of Manchuria.

So, if we compare the Westernization Movement over the decades to Japan's Meiji Restoration, its achievements, in terms of technology and scale, were in no way inferior. The Hanyang Iron and Steel Works alone was completed and put into production almost ten years before Japan's Yawata Iron and Steel Works. So, although the great powers were a bit late, a few years later, they essentially learned everything they needed to. China had ships, railways, large machinery, factories, and wired telegraphs... It seems that the Qing Dynasty could basically achieve everything the great powers could...

However, the Qing Dynasty lost to Japan because it failed to change its political system, lacking institutional reform. The development of technology and productivity inevitably leads to social change, and only through social change can the Western powers be truly challenged. However, developing industry within a feudal system inevitably leads to revolution, as was the case in countries like Britain and France. Anyone who thinks Qing officials and the royal family can't understand these principles, and ignores their ability to learn, is treating others as fools, when in reality, they themselves are fools...

Chapter 427:

Learn from the barbarians to defeat them; Chinese learning as the basis, Western learning for practical application... In fact, these sayings all illustrate the same truth: the Qing Dynasty bureaucrats merely forcibly draped a veneer over the feudal system. What is Chinese learning and Western learning? In fact, they just wanted to maintain the existing system unchanged. They never thought of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty's rule or changing its political system. They simply wanted to strengthen themselves and protect themselves by learning the advanced technology of the great powers. Why is this so? Don't these people know that the great powers are powerful because of their institutional advantages?

As vested interests, members of the ruling class, and even rulers themselves, they naturally knew more. It's impossible to say they understood everything perfectly. After all, the phrase "the state is a tool of class rule" has never appeared in Chinese history, and it's not even well-known abroad. Yet, they also had a conscious desire to maintain their rule. So, to gain the support of the Qing central government, or at least maintain neutrality and non-opposition, and to achieve good political achievements and thus climb the career ladder, could these officials truly shout slogans against the Qing or overthrow the current system? Furthermore, these people didn't actually know what kind of system they would replace the corrupt Qing feudal system with after overthrowing it.

They didn't understand the limitations of the times, the capitalist system, and they didn't recognize the power of the people. Just like Zeng Guofan, after suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, he wasn't crowned a king. His subordinates urged him to rebel, but why didn't he? Instead, he chose to "clip his own wings"? Zeng Guofan may not have heard that the state is a tool of class rule, but in fact, Zeng Guofan himself knew that he only represented the interests of the Hunan Army during the war with the Taiping Rebellion. He couldn't represent the interests of the vast majority of the landlord class, nor could he even represent the interests of the Hunan Army after suppressing the Taiping Rebellion. If he rebelled, whose interests would he represent? For which class would he seek benefits?

After suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, it was no longer the time to take advantage of the chaos. If one did not know how to create a profit class at that time, one would have lost the opportunity to fight for the world. Even those who had originally supported him in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion or those who had persuaded him to rebel would soon betray him.

For the dictatorship of the proletariat to prevail, there must be enough proletarians to form a class. In the past, during the era of New China, even decades after liberation, when workers had already formed a class, the number of workers and peasants remained roughly equal. Therefore, one of Zhang Yinghao's current tasks is to maintain the operation of factories through administrative decrees, essentially creating a large number of working proletarians.

Ju Junsheng looked at the comrades present at the meeting, and thought of the steel plant now, a wave of emotion welling up in his heart. He had been working in Wuhan for two years, having returned to Sichuan many times to report on work and attend training sessions. He now understood more and more clearly what Chairman Zhang Yinghao had said to them. He still vividly remembered Zhang Yinghao's eloquent words during one of the training sessions: "...If China wants to become an independent nation and reclaim the privileges and territory seized by the foreign powers, it must establish a strong national defense industrial system and arm the Chinese people with everything from weapons to ideas to defend our own country..."

The so-called Westernization Movement, launched by the Qing dynasty's Westernization faction, was merely a patchwork effort, introducing a few factories without planning or supporting infrastructure. This approach failed to address many of the problems the Qing dynasty faced. The factories they established relied on foreign workers, key positions remained in their hands, and even broken machines required repairs. In other words, the lifeblood of these Qing-era factories remained in the hands of the foreign powers.

The industry that our Progressive Party wants to build and the industrialization it carries out are aimed at developing an industrial system with a complete industrial chain.

What is the entire industry chain?

We must start with the most basic work, from building railways, mining coal, and smelting iron and steel, all the way to manufacturing machinery and equipment using steel as raw material. In other words, we must encompass everything from upstream raw material production to downstream finished goods production and sales. We must develop all of these industries comprehensively, ideally achieving self-sufficiency and enabling self-improvement. Even in the future, even without foreign products, we will still be able to complete the construction and production of the entire production chain.