The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Ju Junsheng immediately rejected this approach. While stopping the march was possible, what justification did the Progressive Party have for forcibly ending the masses' victory parade? If the Progressive Party halted the mass march now, the people would naturally conclude that the liberated areas were also afraid of foreigners, which would be detrimental to rallying public support. Did the Progressive Party Central Committee intend to retain these concessions for the time being? Were the comrades' previous speeches and propaganda all bullshit? In this situation, public confidence must be leveraged; public morale must be encouraged, not deflated. This led to the telegram Zhang Yinghao had received earlier.

After receiving Zhang Yinghao's call back, Ju Junsheng naturally understood the central government's stance. He immediately contacted Comrade Li Tong, intending to mobilize the People's Liberation Army to escort the parade. This, however, was due to the comrades' inexperience. For the safety of the parade's participants and to prevent unnecessary incidents, armed forces should have been deployed along the route, and the parade route should have been carefully planned, rather than allowing the public to march freely as was currently the case.

Moreover, at this point, Ju Junsheng still felt that sending troops into the concession was too sensitive. He even discussed with Li Tong that the troops should immediately remove their uniforms. Due to a shortage of police uniforms, the soldiers were simply dressed in work clothes before being dispatched. However, it was this delay that led to a series of irreversible consequences.

While Ju Junsheng and his team's response was certainly swift, it was still a step too late. The people of Wuhan, deeply hurt by the Concessions, had repeatedly attempted to organize against the colonial powers. However, with the military backing and the assistance and support of the Qing court, all attempts ended in failure. By this point, public sentiment against the foreign powers was boiling over, reaching a breaking point.

Pan Jisheng, one of the leaders of the victory parade, was a former worker and now serves as a leader of the Wuhan Federation of Trade Unions. His grandfather and father were both killed by Qing troops. He had a revolutionary spirit from a young age. Inspired by the education of the Progressive Party, he fully understood the cruelty of the world and set his sights on overthrowing the Qing Dynasty, expelling the foreign powers, and establishing an independent, self-reliant, and prosperous nation.

After joining the Forward Party, Pan Ki-sheng worked diligently, willingly and willingly, and was eager to learn. He soon became a leader of the Wuhan Federation of Trade Unions. He led the parade, but soon noticed that the closer the procession got to the Hankou British Concession, the more excited it became. The parade participants seemed to be gripped by an inexplicable emotion, unable to control themselves. He turned and saw many of the student-like marchers, their faces flushed, their eyes sparkling, and their faces brimming with excitement...

At this time, Pan Ki-sung had already sensed that something was wrong, but he also knew that even if he desperately shouted at the parade to stop, it would be useless. Not to mention whether the marchers would listen to him or not, even if his team stopped, there would still be other teams moving forward. He could only continue to follow the team and watch how the situation developed.

Before reaching the Jianghan Customs, the marchers' slogans suddenly changed. One of the demands was the immediate reclaiming of the concessions. Pan Ki-sung, upon hearing the crowd's chants, had a premonition: something was amiss! He didn't know where this premonition came from, but he trusted it so strongly that he immediately moved from the center of the procession to the side. He saw that the group at the front of the march was now completely excited. They chanted anti-British slogans like "Get British imperialism out of China," danced, and waved their fists as they continued forward.

If the powers had completely ignored the victory parade and allowed the marchers to pass through the concessions, the concessions might have been affected, but the incident would have been resolved. Because the Chinese people are incredibly kind, and this was also a victory parade, and the people were unarmed, if the powers showed even a little weakness, the Chinese people would generously forgive them.

However, the Wuhan people's march toward the concession reminded the foreign powers of the Boxer Rebellion, when the rebels besieged Legation Quarter, and the Chinese people's killing of missionaries and burning of churches. Naturally, the foreigners in the concession would not trust their safety to these demonstrators...

When the procession reached the Jianghan Customs, Pan Jisheng saw that the British had already set up roadblocks there. From the concession, a group of Indian policemen armed with clubs and a group of British military policemen with bayonets in hand rushed out aggressively, attempting to block the road and prevent the marchers from passing through the concession. As for the Chinese policemen, they had previously been absent from their posts, and naturally, at this particular time, they were not trusted by the British.

More and more people were blocked, and the crowd became increasingly excited and impatient. Just when Pan Ki-sheng thought things had almost stopped and was about to call on the crowd to march back, a man who looked like a student suddenly stood on a high platform and shouted: "Down with imperialism, the powers get out of China!"

Pan Ki-sung immediately wanted to wrestle the young man, who continued to incite the protesters, to the ground and seal his mouth. However, the crowd was too dense, and even if he wanted to rush over, it was too late.

The crowd immediately followed suit and shouted slogans: "Down with imperialism, the powers get out of China!"

At this time, some of the marchers in front were extremely impatient. They shouted slogans and began to prepare to push away the roadblocks and continue marching into the concession.

Indian policemen tried to stop the crowd with sticks. Some of them hit several marchers with their sticks, while some policemen stabbed people randomly with their sticks. Two people were stabbed in the nose and bleeding profusely.

The scene quieted down for a moment. Seeing more and more people bleeding, more and more people became furious. Many people in the crowd began to spit at the Indian police and British police in the concession.

Someone shouted, "Foreigners are not allowed to hit Chinese people!"

It was this sentence that seemed to vent the emotions of the crowd, and they immediately shouted: "Don't hit the Chinese, don't hit the Chinese..."

For a moment, the shouts shook the earth.

Perhaps startled by the shouting, another group of British sailors rushed out, one group even set up machine guns and pointed them at the demonstrators. Other sailors also carried live ammunition and pointed bayonets, pretending to be ready to attack at any time.

At this time, Pan Jisheng was also desperately pushing forward from the back, trying to stop the actions of the people in front, and kept shouting: "Calm down, don't be impulsive..."

However, Pan Ki-seong's shouts were drowned out by the noise at the scene. Except for a few people who heard it, it was useless to shout as loud as he could.

People don't fear death, so why should they be frightened by it? Humans are such amazing creatures. Often, when they are filled with passion, they can't feel any pain, their nerves become numb, and they can do many things they wouldn't dare to think about in normal times. As for the ultimate question of life and death, they will be directly thrown out of their minds. Just like those who commit suicide, many of them are just impulsive at the moment. Who would really commit suicide if they calmed down?

But when you are passionate, you don't care about anything! It's just death, am I afraid of death?

So, seeing the British being so arrogant, some people immediately started to disregard everything, unzipping their shirts, exposing their chests, and continued to move forward while facing the bayonets of the British soldiers and police, shouting: "Stab, stab me in the chest..."

Some soldiers and police retreated in fear, and many British soldiers and police shouted: "Back off, back off immediately, or we'll shoot..."

Chapter 435:

The situation was extremely critical, and the standoff between the two sides was truly on the verge of breaking out. On one side were heavily armed British soldiers and police, while on the other were the unarmed civilians of Wuhan. If Zhang Yinghao were in Wuhan, he would never allow such a thing to happen, and would never allow unarmed civilians to parade before the military and police of the powerful countries. Because if a conflict or accident really did occur, it would undoubtedly be the Chinese people who would suffer, and this loss could cost their lives.

In fact, it was this group of unarmed civilians who, relying solely on their courage and indignation, were able to force the heavily armed British police to retreat. This alone demonstrates the profound impact of the Liberation War and the revolutionary movement on the people of Wuhan, greatly boosting their morale.

Faced with the thousands of angry, fearless people, the British police, especially the Indian patrolmen, were terrified and retreated. Seeing the expressions on the faces of the armed foreign police and soldiers, and their retreating steps, the people in front of them suddenly felt a surge of pride. They couldn't stop shouting in their hearts: "Haha, the foreigners are scared! The arrogant foreigners are really scared..."

Seeing these foreigners behave in this way, the people naturally felt extremely happy and felt that they had finally let out a sigh of relief. For decades, the concessions had been a parasite on China, a cancer, a place of sin, a den of filth, and an eternal pain in the hearts of the people today.

In the Hankou concession, Chinese rickshaw pullers had to wear prison uniforms to solicit customers. The Hankou French Concession Police Station's Health Inspection Office publicly issued drug licenses for as much as fifty yuan each. In casinos, deceived Chinese people lost all their savings, sometimes even losing everything, and were then forced to sell their wives and children. Many were even driven to commit suicide by jumping into the river...

In the concessions, the Chinese suffered all sorts of oppression, injustice, humiliation, and abuse. But if the concessions were hell for the Chinese, they were paradise for the foreign powers. Imperialist powers exercised consular jurisdiction, and Western colonists and adventurers, including scoundrels, rogues, gangsters, and fugitives, flocked to China's concessions, committing all manner of evil with impunity under Chinese law. Prostitution, gambling, drug trafficking, and human trafficking were all openly carried out within the concessions, protected by imperialism.

Faced with such a lawless place, the Chinese people didn't question whether they wanted to eradicate the concessions, only whether they could. The marchers, seeing the possibility and hope of overthrowing the concessions, were naturally inspired and excited. Driven by collective consciousness, slogans like "Down with British Imperialism," "Charge into the Foreign Street," and "Liberate the British Concession" grew louder and louder.

The hearts of these people were filled with sacred enthusiasm, and they felt even more powerful. They had completely sensed the boundless power of the masses, like a flood being stopped by a dam. The power was gathering, the momentum was growing. The masses shouted loudly, united as one, and the people's momentum was rising, completely overwhelming the foreigners before them. These people even felt that if they exerted just a little more strength, just a little more push forward, the dam formed by these foreigners would be washed away and submerged by the flood formed by the people. They even saw victory at hand...

If it were simply a clash of wills, the Wuhan people would naturally emerge victorious. If it were a clash of steel against steel, the party with more steel would naturally prevail. If it were a clash of steel and will, it would depend on which side amassed greater power. However, if it were simply a clash of steel and will, how could flesh and blood be a match for steel? Pure will would ultimately be ruthlessly and thoroughly crushed by steel...

The marchers didn't yet understand that while their display of strength might seem powerful and imposing, this strength and momentum were completely groundless. It had no material basis, and for the time being, no military force to back it up. It was like a balloon tiger: no matter how much it inflated, no matter how majestic it appeared, it was essentially a balloon that would burst at the slightest pinch, unable to withstand any harsh test. It was just a toy tiger. Moreover, the more it inflated, the more dangerous it became. Without recognizing reality, in this cruel era, blind action would inevitably result in a heavy price to pay.

Therefore, after many people entered the concession, the Indian police immediately received orders from their British masters, and immediately waved the sticks in their hands and began to beat the people who had entered the concession. The people had no weapons and were outnumbered, resulting in many people being injured and falling to the ground.

The demonstrators were thoroughly enraged by the foreigners' brutal assaults, many shouting, "British troops are beating people," "British troops are killing people," while eagerly rushing to help. Those at the back, unaware of what was happening ahead, continued to surge forward, eager to see what was happening. The radical students, in particular, ignored the British troops' threats and immediately forced their way into the concession, engaging in fierce clashes with British soldiers and police.

When many people stepped forward to fight the foreigners with their bare hands, the British soldiers and police began to be outnumbered and could only retreat. The angry demonstrators refused to give in, shouting slogans and trying to tear down all the roadblocks, trying to let more people rush into the concession...

Perhaps the foreigners were used to being arrogant and looked down on the Chinese from the bottom of their hearts; perhaps they really believed that they had the so-called "consular jurisdiction" and could commit crimes in China with impunity; perhaps the fact that the PLA had not attacked the concessions during the previous attack gave them a mysterious confidence, believing that the PLA would really be afraid of them and would not dare to attack the concessions; perhaps...

Whatever the reason, just as Pan Ki-seung was about to push his way to the front, and the crowd was about to break through the British military and police blockade, several gunshots suddenly rang out. It was the British soldiers firing into the air. Although the British soldiers were firing into the air, and the people in front also saw it, the crowd further back was unaware and continued to squeeze forward out of inertia, wanting to see what was going on.

Upon hearing the gunshots, many people immediately became distraught and overly excited. Many were so disoriented that they began running in all directions. Many people were thrown to the ground, and a serious stampede eventually occurred. Of course, the British were ultimately fully responsible, and they owed the Chinese people another blood debt!

Many people were indeed panicking and running around. Some ran in the wrong direction and directly broke into the concession, while others tried to take advantage of the chaos to rush into the concession...

The scene descended into utter chaos. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control and the prospect of a large influx of people entering the concession, the British military and police began stabbing the crowd's legs with bayonets. Many British soldiers even fired at the crowd standing on the ground. Instantly, the sound of gunfire was accompanied by the sounds of beatings, blood, and screams. The wounded collapsed one after another. A scene of hell finally descended upon the world...

At that moment, Pan Jisheng felt as if he had traveled through time and space, as if in a dream. As he pushed his way through the surging crowd and reached the front, he witnessed this horrific scene. His brain and eyes instantly filled with blood. The world fell silent in that instant, and he felt a sense of emptiness. Then, his ears were quickly filled with the screams of the crowd. He felt the fleeing people around him move like flowing shadows, making them blurry. But his eyes could see with remarkable clarity, even making out every pore on the hideous faces of the foreign devils. He watched his compatriots fall to the ground one by one, wounded, and his ears were filled with their screams of pain...

The masses entering the concession collapsed to the ground, wounded and utterly devastated. The scene resembled a descent into hell, a sea of ​​blood and wailing. Although the British police showed some leniency, stabbing and shooting at thighs and shoulders rather than deliberately killing people, the incident still resulted in eighteen deaths, fifteen deaths despite medical treatment, eighty-three serious injuries, over thirty of whom suffered lifelong disabilities, and over three hundred minor injuries.

Pan Jisheng knew he had to stop the British devils' atrocities. He immediately overcame his fear of death and staggered while shouting: "Stop, you executioners, murderers, stop, I will take them away immediately..."

But who would listen to him at this moment? Just as he was trying to stop an Indian policeman from beating a fallen civilian, a bayonet pierced his thigh from the side. Then he felt the bayonet stirring inside his thigh. The pain made him scream and fall to the ground. He could only clutch at the wound desperately, unable to move...

The Hankou Massacre, perpetrated by British imperialism and shocking both China and the world, fully exposed the brutal nature of the imperialist powers. This incident also served as an ironclad reminder to the Chinese people that any contempt for, illusions about, or underestimation of the brutality of the imperialist powers will be met with tragic consequences, even death. This incident also fully demonstrated to the Chinese people that in this cruel era, weakness is the original sin, and weak nations lack human rights...

Meanwhile, a regiment of PLA soldiers, now in uniform, was also rushing toward the scene of the conflict. However, the protesting crowd completely blocked the road, preventing them from reaching the front lines quickly enough to protect the people. Upon hearing the gunfire, the soldiers, though anxious, were still unable to advance quickly in the face of the surging crowd. Finally, Political Commissar Liu Zhenyi came up with a solution. He immediately led his troops against a wall, bent over, and, without paying attention to anything else, pushed past the crowd in their path and charged forward, advancing at full speed.

However, when the comrades arrived at the scene, they were stunned by the sight. Blood was everywhere, the ground stained red and black, and the ground was littered with people wailing in pain...

After a brief silence, the comrades' faces turned pale with anger and indignation. All the soldiers raised their guns and turned their eyes to Liu Zhenyi. As long as the political commissar gave the order, they would immediately launch an attack on the British Concession...

The People's Liberation Army adopts a dual-chief system. In actual work, the regiment commander and the regiment political commissar will naturally be divided into good and bad, strong and weak. When the political commissar's ability surpasses that of the regiment commander in all aspects, the soldiers will naturally be more willing to obey the political commissar's orders.

Liu Zhenyi only took a look at the British Concession at this time and knew that it was already on high alert. All the military and police inside had entered the positions, and machine guns were deployed, with the muzzles all pointing at the comrades who had just arrived, as if they were determined to defend the concession to the death.

Liu Zhenyi didn't know at this moment that the British were preparing for something far more. Perhaps even after the PLA artillery sank the HMS Shanying, the British were already preparing for this conflict. By then, all the warships on the river had lit their fires and weighed anchor, their massive guns pointed directly at Hankou. If Liu Zhenyi dared to attack the British Concession, they would face a devastating barrage, a saturation attack, and ultimately heavy losses. The situation was desperate, and war was truly imminent.

Liu Zhenyi was unaware that, with the exception of the weak Belgian Concession, which was unable to resist the marchers' entry, the Japanese, German, French, and Russian concessions all blocked the marchers' entry. Because the main force of the march was in the British Concession, while no bloodshed occurred in other areas where the marchers were attempting to enter, the clashes between the two sides were still intense. However, after the bloodshed on the British side, the victory parade was considered over, and the marchers dispersed.

The comrades of the Forward Party and Zhang Yinghao were unaware that the principle of unanimity among the great powers had once again come into play, dragging all the other great powers into the fray. The concessions represented a shared interest among the great powers in China, and they naturally worked together to safeguard them. Whether the PLA invaded the concessions or the protesters entered, it would have severely damaged the interests of the great powers in China. It was understandable that the great powers had united for the interests of the concessions, and this was one of the reasons for their tough stance. In their minds, there was no way a madman could challenge all the great powers. Even if such a madman did appear, they believed that with a little unity, they could defeat him. If the Forward Party and the PLA hadn't grasped this point in time, they would have suffered greatly.

Liu Zhenyi had learned his politics well, so he didn't act rashly. He simply glanced in the direction of the British Concession with resentment, then immediately suppressed his grief and composed himself. He knew now was not the time to attack the concession. What they needed to do now was to immediately send the injured people to the field hospital for treatment. As for the British Concession? Liu Zhenyi snorted inwardly. There would be plenty of time to deal with them later. None of the executioners would escape...

Liu Zhenyi naturally saw the comrades' eyes that wanted to fight, and he also knew what they were thinking, but he just shouted loudly: "Comrades, I know what you think, and I know that you are all willing to fight and not afraid of death. However, there are priorities. We cannot abandon these injured people. Now time is the lives of these injured people!

So, I order, quick, quick, quick, everyone, act immediately, carry all the wounded to our field hospital as quickly as possible, and immediately classify them according to the severity of the injury, the method of injury, and the location of the injury. Remember to help the wounded who are still bleeding to apply pressure to the wounds, do not let them go into shock due to excessive blood loss, pay attention to hygiene, and reduce the infection of the wounded..."

These soldiers had been on the battlefield before and knew that they had to obey orders and march in unison to achieve victory. Now that the political commissar's reasons had been made clear, they could only suppress their anger and immediately begin to assist the wounded. All PLA soldiers were taught basic science and had courses specifically designed to teach them how to assist and care for wounds. Simply treating hundreds of wounded was no problem.

As for classifying the wounded, it's naturally to allow doctors to prepare for more expeditious treatment. Gunshot wounds, knife wounds, and club injuries all require different treatments. Simply classifying the wounded can save doctors a considerable amount of time. Perhaps even just this little bit of time saved can save a single wounded person's life.

Seeing that the People's Liberation Army was rescuing the wounded and had no intention of attacking the concession for the time being, a British officer came out and spoke a few words in English to Liu Zhenyi with an arrogant look on his face.

In fact, this foreigner could speak Chinese himself, but in order to show his superiority and belittle the Chinese, he specially found an interpreter to communicate.

As soon as the foreigner finished speaking, the Chinese translator next to him said arrogantly: "We are here to tell you that these mobs are ignoring the British Empire's warnings and forcibly rushing into the Empire's concession. This is absolutely not allowed. The British Empire has the right to shoot any invading enemy."

Chapter 436:

The current international order is based on the principle that might makes right, and under the principle that the great powers are united in their approach to China, the British Empire speaks with such confidence, because truth lies within the range of their artillery. Furthermore, due to the weakness and incompetence of the Qing government, China gradually lost all sovereignty within the concessions. Now, the concessions have effectively become disguised imperialist colonies, with administrative and judicial systems completely independent of China's—the imperialist colonial system.

When facing the Qing Dynasty, the foreign powers naturally had the final say in matters within the concessions. As long as they deemed it right, they could force the Qing government to yield. Even if the foreign powers were truly at fault, the Qing officials and the Chinese people would ultimately be punished. As for serious incidents like mass demonstrations against the concessions, the foreign powers viewed them as absolutely unacceptable and naturally dealt with them as they pleased. Currently, they mostly resorted to bayonets, and even machine guns were no big deal; these mobs deserved their punishment. Furthermore, in the eyes of these foreigners, the more brutality and bloodshed they displayed, the more stable order in the colony. Now, speaking out specifically, the foreigners in the concessions considered it a gesture of respect for this new government, which had emerged from banditry.

Liu Zhenyi really didn't want to talk to the foreigner at this moment. He lowered his head slightly, tilted his head, and glanced at the yellow-skinned translator with a slanted eye. He then tilted his chin to look at the arrogant British officer, a sneer on his face. He saw his comrades quickly packing up the wounded and corpses and preparing to carry them away. Liu Zhenyi gritted his teeth and said to the translator, "You said it, tell this foreign devil, I know!"

After saying that, he turned around and left quickly without looking back. Liu Zhenyi felt that he really had nothing to say, because he believed that the foreign devils had provoked the wrong person and this was an act of suicide. They would soon meet on the battlefield, and the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army would make these executioners pay the price they deserved.

Seeing Liu Zhenyi's attitude, the translator shouted before his British master could say anything: "Stop! What's with your attitude? You're a bunch of country bumpkins, ignorant natives. These untouchables dared to attack the British Empire without listening to advice. They deserve to be killed. Who are you trying to show your displeasure to?"

Liu Zhenyi paused for a moment, then resumed his pace, quickly leaving. He had originally wanted to look back at the translator and say, "This is China," but on second thought, he decided against it. He felt the suppressed rage within him was about to explode. If he stayed here for another second, looked at this disgusting translator, or even looked at those ugly foreigners in the concession, he would lose control of his rage and would want to chop these enemies into pieces...

After walking for a while and taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Liu Zhenyi immediately thought of something he needed to do. He said to the captain of the Sixth Company, who was still stranded, "Captain Wang, hand over all the wounded to the other comrades. You will block the intersection here and prevent the Chinese from entering the concession. You must also prevent some people from taking irrational and radical actions. At the same time, send a few comrades to monitor the British concession and report any developments to me immediately."

"Yes."

At this time, comrades were carrying hundreds of wounded soldiers and marching rapidly on the street. All the people who saw this scene made way for the avenue and retreated to the roadside. Everyone was talking about it. There were also many people on the street who had participated in the parade. They were still in shock at this time and showed complicated expressions to the wounded. They felt relieved because they were not the ones injured and they had escaped this time. But more of them felt extremely sad. So many people marched, but the foreigners still suppressed the parade. So many people were stabbed by the foreigners, but no one avenged them. Could it be that the great powers really couldn't drive them away? Couldn't the red bandits from Sichuan do the same? Didn't they say that the red bandits from Sichuan also sank British warships?

Seeing the PLA's lack of immediate retaliation against the foreigners who had harmed them, many residents assumed the PLA feared them, and naturally began to look down on them. Strange things began to emerge, and they even began to distrust the PLA. As for the propaganda the Forward Party had previously preached, many were now skeptical. Liu Zhenyi followed the procession carrying the wounded, gazing at the silent crowds or whispering on both sides of the street. Seeing their flickering eyes and their expressions of deep secrecy, he sensed a deep sense of alienation among the crowd.

He knew the profound psychological damage the British suppression of the march had inflicted on the people, utterly shattering the small amount of public morale that had just gathered. He also fully understood this alienation. After all, it was the Progressive Party that had initiated this victory parade. However, due to inexperience and poor consideration, the Progressive Party had failed to mobilize the People's Liberation Army for full escort, failing to fulfill its obligation to protect the people. It was only natural that the people felt resentment and distrust towards the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army.

However, China has been weak for a long time. Rather than blaming the Progressive Party, the Federation of Trade Unions, and the People's Liberation Army, the masses blame the country's poverty and weakness, and their own weakness and inability...

Just as Liu Zhenyi was leading the wounded to the field hospital for treatment, news of the British atrocities spread like wildfire throughout Wuhan. All PLA comrades who received the news were immediately enraged, yet also felt a deep sense of self-blame. After all, the army was in Wuhan, yet they had failed to protect the civilians. Comrades like Ju Junsheng, who had seen Zhang Yinghao's telegram, were particularly overwhelmed with guilt. However, the PLA's discipline was strong. Even in such a situation, the lower-level officers and soldiers did not act on their own, but immediately flocked to Li Tong's makeshift headquarters to request action. The comrades did nothing, said little, and simply stood there, awaiting orders from their superiors. Soon, the open space in front of the headquarters was filled with people.

Zhang Zhidong, who had just arrived at the PLA's temporary headquarters to discuss the reorganization of the Hubei New Army, was naturally the first to receive news of British imperialism's atrocities. Upon hearing this news, he immediately recalled the recent series of unusual actions by the foreign powers and the massive evacuation of foreign nationals. While the comrades of the Forward Party were new and inexperienced, only aware that British warships were poised for battle, Zhang Zhidong, a veteran bureaucrat with decades of experience, saw clearly that all the foreign powers had now united on a united front and were ready for war...

Through his conversation with Comrade Deng Lugang, Zhang Zhidong now fully understood that the Forward Party was indeed too young. The organization was young, and the people were young. Youth meant inexperience, impulsiveness and immaturity, casualness, and...

The Progressive Party was indeed full of a strong sense of struggle, the PLA's combat effectiveness was also strong, and its soldiers were educated to be fearless. However, precisely because of this, they tended to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to many issues. Although he ultimately lost the war, he was naturally concerned about leaving such a large country in the hands of this group of young people. So, of all the things Deng Lugang said, it was the statement that the Progressive Party needed oversight that truly moved him. There's nothing wrong with being young, and there's nothing wrong with making mistakes. As long as one is humble and eager to learn, and avoids arrogance and impatience, youth is actually better. This old country needs young people to innovate...

Many PLA officers were present to greet Zhang Zhidong as a sign of respect and honor. The temporary headquarters was packed with officers. Not only were there PLA officers, but also officers from the Hubei New Army, such as Zhang Biao and Li Yuanhong. A messenger brought news of the conflict to the command room. Faced with the brutality of British imperialism, the meeting was forced to end. The Hubei New Army officers remained silent, while Zhang Zhidong quietly observed the performance of his PLA comrades.

Upon hearing about the British brutality, Li Tong and his comrades, like the rest of their comrades, were overcome with emotion and filled with remorse. However, with the presence of the Hubei New Army, the comrades exercised restraint, instead stepping forward to demand an immediate march toward the British Concession and liberate it. For the comrades in the army, they were machines of violence, skilled at using weapons to criticize. The best response to British atrocities was a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood...

At this time of fervor and warlike enthusiasm, even if some comrades felt that attacking the concessions was inappropriate, they dared not openly voice their opposition. First, with "outsiders" like Zhang Zhidong present, they could not give them the impression that there was dissension within the PLA. Second, expressing a stance to attack the British concessions was politically correct. Anyone who raised objections and refused to help the masses avenge their actions might be seen as timid, even fearful of death. Worse still, they might be seen as having a flawed stance, and then forget about getting a job in the Forward Party or the PLA...

Li Tong listened to his comrades' requests for battle. Even though he knew that impulsiveness was the most unacceptable thing on the battlefield, he still wanted to give the order to advance. He knew that impulsiveness could sometimes rally people, and if he said no at this time, the pressure from his comrades would be too great, so he had to obey public opinion...

But maybe it's because I'm a bystander or because I've been engaged in political work,

At this time, Comrade Bai Jianyong, the political commissar of the column who had just rushed to Wuhan from Dabie Mountains, saw Li Tong's expression and immediately kicked him. Feeling the pain, he immediately calmed down a lot and swallowed the order he was about to say.

Li Tong was furious with himself at this moment. If the PLA had not chosen to withdraw from the city after liberating Wuhan, but had immediately taken precautions against the foreign powers, then this tragic situation would never have occurred. If Wuhan had been liberated entirely by force, and the central government had not ordered the retention of the concessions, he would have undoubtedly issued the order to attack the concessions immediately. Even if the foreign powers' warships bombarded Wuhan wantonly, he would not hesitate. He believed that the PLA would definitely achieve the final victory. However, these were all hindsight, and naturally there was no point in speaking them out. They could only be used to summarize the experience and lessons.

Bai Jianyong and Li Tong were old partners when Zhang Yinghao sent them to the Dabie Mountains to establish a base, and they had a perfect understanding. Bai Jianyong kicked him, and he naturally knew that Bai Jianyong had a different opinion on the matter. At the same time, he also felt something was wrong, so he immediately shut up and let the political commissar handle the problem.

Bai Jianyong immediately stood up, patted the table to quiet the comrades, and then said, "All actions must be carried out under command. We cannot resolve the current situation simply through war. If our soldiers were at the scene of the conflict at the time, we would have attacked the British Concession to save the people. But now, whether or not to attack the concession still depends on the orders of the Central Committee. I will report the situation to the Party Central Committee immediately. Everyone, please wait here for orders."

Bai Jianyong knew that regardless of whether or not the concession would ultimately be attacked, the comrades' calls for war would have to be suppressed. The military was a disciplined organization, subject to orders and command. The order to declare war could only come from the central government. Furthermore, the only parties with sufficient authority to suppress these bellicosity were the Central Military Commission and the Party Central Committee.

After Bai Jianyong finished speaking, he turned to look at Zhang Zhidong and said, "Marshal Xiang, do you have any understanding of the current actions of British imperialism? What do you think Britain will do next?"

Bai Jianyong now has a deep understanding of the essence of politics and knows that he needs to make more friends and fewer enemies, so he asked Zhang Zhidong this question very directly, which was actually seeking help from Zhang Zhidong.

Zhang Zhidong glanced at Bai Jianyong in surprise, and immediately admired him in his heart. He said directly without hiding his feelings: "If we are determined to attack the British Concession, the gunboat troops and the new army troops in Wuhan will fight to the death."

This statement shows Zhang Zhidong's position, telling the People's Liberation Army that although the new army has lost the battle, they are not enemies of the country. At the same time, he is also fighting for the rights and interests of the new army.

Upon hearing Zhang Zhidong's statement, the dying officers of the Hubei New Army immediately stood up and shouted: "We must fight to the death!"

Then Zhang Zhidong said, "I don't know much, but one thing is certain: Britain has already roped in the powers of France, Germany, Russia, Japan, and the United States. They have reached an agreement to jointly defend the concessions. This is in their common interest. If we attack the concessions and the powers are really willing to fight to the death, Wuhan may become a ruin. Even if we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory. If the army does not approach the concessions now and does not provoke them, I believe the powers will not take any extreme actions now."

Bai Jianyong nodded and said immediately, "Thank you, Marshal Xiang, for reminding us. We understand and will report this to the Central Committee."

After saying that, he immediately walked out of the command center quickly, looked up at the field full of officers and soldiers, turned around and walked into the telegraph room next to it.

Zhang Yinghao was also discussing the foreign powers' concessions with his comrades. Comrade Li Tianqiao, on the stage, was giving a lively presentation, explaining the conditions in the concessions. He said, "...crime, exploitation, and oppression weren't limited to the Hankou concession. Prostitution, gambling, and drugs were legal in all concessions. For example, on the Shanghai Concession trams, first-class carriages were reserved for foreigners, while Chinese could only ride third class. At the entrance to the Shanghai Concession Park, a sign read, "No Chinese or dogs allowed." The Shanghai Gongji Hospital, ostensibly a "charity," even grabbed a Chinese man off the street, forcibly removed his scalp, and transplanted it to the foreigner, in order to "respect" a foreigner with dysentery on his head. Furthermore, foreign police in the concessions used Chinese people as live targets for shooting practice, and they even beat Chinese civilians at will."

Therefore, the concessions have always been a bridgehead for imperialist aggression against China, a base for economic plunder, a stronghold for cultural invasion, and a paradise for Western colonizers and adventurers. British Consul in Shanghai, John Alcock, once bluntly stated, in the tone of a colonialist, that the Shanghai Concession "is an independent and sovereign country."

Imperialist capital exports were concentrated in the concessions, where they built numerous docks, warehouses, and banks. Foreign merchants controlled the vast majority of foreign exchange, warehousing, and shipping, while also controlling customs. They exploited their control of the ports to plunder my country's vast supplies and dump their industrial products. Foreign capitalists also established processing industries within the concessions. This was not originally stipulated in the treaty, but the corrupt Qing government dared not prohibit it. Thus, foreign capitalists exploited China's cheap labor and raw materials within the concessions, operating modern industries without the slightest protection for workers' rights.

Imperialism also established churches, founded schools, and published newspapers in the concessions, engaging in spiritual and cultural aggression. Take, for example, St. John's Catholic University, founded by the United States in Shanghai in 1879. Under the guise of "not being political" and "focusing on academic research," this university steered our nation's youth away from politics and toward a disregard for the future of the motherland and the destiny of the nation.

This university also used academic exchanges and book publishing to provide the United States with intelligence on China's politics, economy, military, industry, agriculture, commerce, meteorology, and resources, thereby aiding U.S. imperialism in its invasion of China. Classes were taught entirely in English, cultivating pro-American traitors.

Our comrades once hoisted a Qing Dynasty dragon flag at St. John's University, and the university's president, Bu Fangji, was so enraged that he publicly tore it down. This fully demonstrates that this imperialist who shouts "Don't care about politics" is precisely committed to destroying the national pride of our youth, extinguishing their revolutionary will, and serving the imperialist policy of cultural aggression as his highest principle...

Chapter 437:

Zhang Yinghao was a little surprised to hear that the United States had already begun cultivating pro-American elements so early, and his face turned very sour. The Americans were probably the first to recognize the intelligence of the Chinese. After all, the first children sent by the Qing Dynasty to study in the United States were Chinese children. Therefore, the Americans had long been trying to make the Chinese elites pro-American.

But think about it, the Americans are indeed treacherous. In a few years, a university built with the Boxer Indemnity from the Qing Dynasty will suddenly open in Beijing, causing most Chinese to lose their guard against the Americans and even develop a favorable impression of them. Because of their natural connection with the Americans, students graduating from this school naturally develop a deep understanding of the United States through osmosis. It's understandable that students from this school would choose to study in the United States, and it's also natural that they would choose to stay and work in the United States, contributing to the American cause.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know at the time that St. John's University President Bu Fangji was an imperialist. In a previous life, in 1935, he directed the university's biology department to study Chinese insects. Later, US imperialism used inhumane biological weapons in the Korean War, and three locust species were identified among the 249 locust species Bu Fangji had reported to the US.

But now, Zhang Yinghao had made up his mind. This imperialist-built university must be dismantled after he liberated Shanghai. As for the university that hadn't yet emerged, Zhang Yinghao also intended to strangle it in its cradle. Even if the Americans wanted to use the Boxer Indemnity to build a university, Zhang Yinghao would never allow it. However, Zhang Yinghao believed that the Americans were extremely insidious and would naturally find other ways to cultivate pro-American factions. For example, if the Americans wanted to establish a scholarship, Zhang Yinghao knew he would be powerless to stop it. But as the sky is going to rain and the mother is going to marry, he could only let it go...

Just as Zhang Yinghao was pondering these questions, a comrade from the confidential office hurried into the meeting room and handed him a telegram. Zhang Yinghao knew the matter was urgent, otherwise the telegram would not have been handed to him at this time, so he immediately picked up the telegram and read it.

After just reading the beginning, Zhang Yinghao was really shocked and heartbroken. Who gave the British such courage to suppress the demonstrators at this time? Was the British crazy? Was the person who gave the order full of shit? When he saw hundreds of casualties, Zhang Yinghao was really speechless about the army in Wuhan. He had specially warned them, so how could they let such a tragedy happen?

However, after seeing Zhang Zhidong's statement and his reminder that the powers had united, Zhang Yinghao felt relieved. In this era, in the eyes of the powers, there was indeed nothing that could not be resolved by the powers' unity. If it still could not be resolved, it was simply because the powers were not united enough.

Although Zhang Yinghao wasn't afraid of a coalition of powers, he certainly didn't want to be boycotted or even completely blockaded by them because of the concession issue. He certainly didn't want a large-scale war with them now, which would reduce coastal cities to ruins and kill millions or even tens of millions of people...