The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 440:

War is like this, cruel and bloody. Anyone who dares to be careless will naturally pay the price in blood. Modern weapons can kill the enemy from hundreds or even thousands of meters away, even beyond visual range. Personal bravery has little use. Even the most powerful soldier cannot withstand a bullet. The elderly, the weak, women, and children can easily kill the strongest soldiers...

This is one of the reasons why colonialism thrived in this era. As long as these backward colonies lacked steel mills and couldn't produce modern weapons, it was easy to capture them. Backed by powerful military force, and knowing how to use force to suppress the local people before they awakened and united, it was relatively easy for the colonists to rule these backward places.

Zhang Yinghao was completely unaware that the PLA regiment attacking Jingzhou had already suffered heavy losses. He was still lecturing in the classroom when a student asked, "Chairman, um, I've always wanted to know what a Mingzhu is. Does the multi-party system of the great powers really count as a Mingzhu? If that's not a true Mingzhu, then what does?"

Upon hearing this question, many comrades burst out laughing. Isn't this a simple question? Isn't the main idea that the people are the masters of their own country? What's so good about asking this?

But Zhang Yinghao's face turned serious when he heard this question. It was actually quite difficult to fully understand these things. The more you delve into some things, the harder it becomes to answer, until you barely know how to answer them. Furthermore, if you didn't clarify this question, it would linger in your mind. Zhang Yinghao hadn't really considered this question carefully—Master Ming—what exactly does it mean for the people to be masters of their own destiny? This was indeed a question.

However, Zhang Yinghao knew that the "Inscription Master" was a valuable asset, a powerful, bloodless weapon. World hegemons, from Britain to the United States, were a mess, their own asses filthy, yet they'd managed to exploit the Inscription Master's power for centuries, still managing to thrive in the new century without a single problem. Yet, through Inscription Master aid, peaceful evolution, and color revolutions, how many regimes and political parties had been brought down by the so-called Inscription Master wave?

To say that the United States and Britain aren't "Mingzhu" (named "masters") is sheer nonsense. How could these countries have enjoyed such success for so long without being "Mingzhu"? Clearly, these countries are "Mingzhu" countries. However, forcibly imitating these countries and mechanically copying their so-called "Mingzhu" systems is bound to lead to disaster. This isn't something anyone can just do. Without understanding the true meaning of "Mingzhu" and the specific conditions of one's own country, hastily pursuing so-called "Mingzhu" reforms will inevitably lead to disaster, and a country will ultimately suffer a tragic end.

Zhang Yinghao turned around and wrote the word "Master of Inscriptions." He gave himself a moment to think, then turned around and said, "Master of Inscriptions! Haha! Comrades, first of all, you must understand one thing. I've said before that capitalist countries will never allow the working class to control military power. So Master of Inscriptions is actually something within a class, a team, or an organization. For example, our Party Master of Inscriptions discusses everything together, and this is Master of Inscriptions centralism. For example, all the employees at the steel plant offer suggestions to increase production. This is also Master of Inscriptions!"

But wolves only tell the true master to other wolves. To prevent sheep from resisting and being eaten, wolves will also use deception to tell the sheep the master. However, sheep cannot tell the master to wolves. Sheep can't say to wolves: "Look, I eat grass well, wolf! You should eat grass too!" Do you think wolves will listen? Obviously not.

Secondly, the prerequisite for being a proponent is to master science. Without investigation, one has no right to speak. For example, if we were to discuss the manufacture of machine guns and cannons with a group of farmers, who don't understand the technology, what could we discuss with them? Therefore, we must popularize education. If everyone is confused, there will naturally be no proponents.

I've previously stated that the state is a tool of class rule, meaning that classes use the state as a tool to maintain the order they need. So, while the multi-party system of capitalist countries may seem like a form of democracy to them, it's not a form of democracy to us. Because we're not of the same class, we don't have any common sense with them. Forcibly comparing ourselves to the systems of democracy used by the great powers is not only useless, but also extremely harmful...

"Chairman, don't the people of the powerful countries understand this? Can they tolerate these injustices?"

Zhang Yinghao laughed after hearing this and said, "Hehe! So what if you understand everything? It seems that comrades have oversimplified capitalist countries. In fact, party politics itself represents a part of public opinion, and the vast majority of people are the silent majority. If there is no force to back it up, the knife handle will be in the hands of others. This is just a conversation between wolves and sheep. Just like the march in Wuhan this time, thousands of people could not withstand a few guns. This is one of the reasons why peasant uprisings in the era of breech-loading rifles could not succeed. Moreover, the powerful countries have not blocked anyone's opportunity to become a member of the ruling class. In other words, those proletarians always have the opportunity to become capitalists and join the ranks of the ruling class. This can also greatly ease the contradictions in these countries..."

The Forward Party had truly never experienced the brutality of political struggle, the terror of the purge, or the capitalists' suppression and slaughter of the proletariat. Sometimes, they were even quite naive and ridiculous. However, the comrades had all grown up in the war years and naturally understood what the army meant. Now, after hearing what Zhang Yinghao said, the comrades naturally understood that the unarmed masses were no match for the enemy, who were armed to the teeth. At the sound of gunfire, no matter how many people there were, they would kneel!

"Chairman, if that's what you're saying, how long will capitalist society last?"

Zhang Yinghao smiled faintly upon hearing this question and said, "The first sentence in the reaction chapter of Guiguzi is: 'The great changes of the past were born with the invisible. Look back to observe the past, and look back to examine the future; look back to understand the past, and look back to understand the present; look back to understand the other, and look back to understand this. The principles of movement, stillness, emptiness, and reality do not conform to the present, so look back to the past to seek them. There are things that can be reversed and then restored; this is the intention of the sages, and it is important to observe.

We have no way of knowing when humanity was born, or when primitive society began. However, the "Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors" were all leaders of tribes or tribal alliances at the end of primitive society. While primitive society was a long period, its exact duration is unknown. The Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties were China's slave society, and slavery existed in China for approximately two thousand years. Of course, things have both contingency and inevitability, universality and particularity, so cases like the slavery of the Tang Dynasty can be considered exceptions.

Then, from the time Qin Shi Huang unified China, feudal society was defined as the beginning of the feudal era. China's feudal system has existed for about two thousand years. If we follow the order of development from primitive society, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society, to communist society, how long do you think the capitalist system will last?

"Two thousand years?"

Hearing the comrades' uncertain answers, Zhang Yinghao smiled and said, "No one can be sure how many years the capitalist system will last, nor do we know what the landmark event will be, or when it will occur, that will mark the end of capitalist society and the transition to communism. But we can be sure that this time will not be short, at least in the hundreds of years. Comrades, do you all agree with this conclusion?"

"agree."

After hearing the comrades' unanimous responses, Zhang Yinghao continued, "However, humans can actively understand and transform the world. For example, we want to avoid the flaws of the capitalist system and avoid the old path of capitalism by directly embarking on the socialist path, and then directly transitioning to a communist society. And like [Z], we plan to let her skip feudal society and capitalist society and progress directly to a socialist society. Comrades, do you think this can be done? Is it feasible?"

“I can do it!” “No problem!”

After hearing the answers from his comrades, Zhang Yinghao continued: "As long as we understand the laws involved, we can naturally do it. However, because of the first-mover advantage of the great powers, we are still in the catching-up stage. Now that productivity is still developing at a high speed, the gap between us and the great powers will continue to widen. Comrades should be mentally prepared for this. If we use the acceleration of physics to express it, it is

Even if the acceleration of capitalist countries gradually decreases in the future, the speed of the great powers will still increase continuously.

Even if there is no acceleration, the great powers will still advance very fast. It is definitely not something that can be done in a short period of time to stop them.

Our socialist countries started late, and it will take a long time to catch up with, or even surpass, Europe and the United States. Therefore, I can assert that for the next two hundred years, the capitalist system and the socialist system will remain neck and neck. Comrades, therefore, we must have a time-based materialist perspective and be patient. We must not attempt to destroy the capitalist system with one blow. We must be prepared for a long-term struggle against the imperialist powers, and we must not be impatient. As for our generation, we will definitely not see the day of victory.

Most importantly, the evolutionary direction of capitalist society is actually communism, and the direction of socialist society is also communism. Different paths lead to the same destination, so who can say which social system will definitely be the first to achieve communism? We choose socialism because our national conditions require it, because only in this way can we save China and allow China to embark on the path of independence, self-reliance, and prosperity...”

Zhang Yinghao absolutely speaks the truth in Party lectures. He absolutely refuses to follow the propaganda of his past lives, from the 1920s and 1930s, 1960s and 1970s, or even later, and desperately criticize the European and American powers, a practice often contradicted by facts. However, if future propaganda calls for it, there's nothing wrong with singing such a tune.

However, the industrial age has its own rules. China had never experienced this era, and neither had the great powers. This was a completely new thing, and both sides would continue to evolve through practice. Even before Zhang Yinghao's time travel, the capitalist system still had vibrant vitality and strong momentum, and the living standards of the people in the European and American powers were generally higher than those in developing countries...

The course had already strayed from the topic at this point. Zhang Yinghao, not wanting to hide the truth any further, asked directly, "Comrades, I have a very simple question: What is the purpose of our discussion of the Mingzhu (name of the master)? Just like why do our villagers choose their village chief? What is the purpose of our meetings?"

"To gain everyone's support and unify opinions."

"What's the purpose of gaining everyone's support and unifying opinions?" "To get things done."

"To get things done!"

Zhang Yinghao nodded when he heard the answer he wanted, and said, "That's right. Talking about the 'Master of Mingzhu' is actually about getting things done. We elect a village chief to lead the villagers in doing things. We talk about the 'Master of Mingzhu', hold meetings to gather opinions, and unify ideas, all for the purpose of getting things done better. Comrades, you must understand this: simply talking about the 'Master of Mingzhu' without addressing production development and solving problems is hooliganism. To unite the people and gain their support, we don't rely on representing so-called public opinion or shouting empty political slogans, but on production development. Just like when we built the railways or opened the steel mills, tens of thousands of people worked together. These people are naturally our own people, and we can talk about the 'Master of Mingzhu' with them. Therefore, 'Master of Mingzhu' can't actually directly improve our lives. Only production development can do that, and the prerequisite for developing production is mastering science and technology..."

At this point, Zhang Yinghao asked: "Comrades, now you understand why the political systems of the great powers can exist, right?"

"Chairman, it's because of developing production."

Zhang Yinghao nodded with satisfaction and said: "Yes, it is to develop production. If two or more political parties in a country are campaigning solely for power and profit, ignoring public interests and trampling on basic consensus, then the country will inevitably be torn apart and have class conflicts. But if it is for the development of production, the country will only become stronger. For example, the political parties representing the interests of the big bourgeoisie in the powerful countries will promise to introduce policies that suit the interests of the big bourgeoisie during the election, and the political parties representing the petty bourgeoisie or citizens will promise to introduce policies that are beneficial to the petty bourgeoisie and citizens. These policies actually have one thing in common, that is, they are suitable for the class or The working class develops production. Developing production is, in fact, the only common language between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Is there any sovereignty between the exploiting and exploited classes? Actually, there is. For example, if the original output is ten, and the capitalists take nine, the proletariat will naturally be dissatisfied. However, with the development of productivity, if, under the same circumstances, the output can be one hundred, the capitalists take ninety, and the proletariat gets ten, the contradiction will naturally be greatly alleviated. Therefore, if one does not understand that the essence of Western party politics and sovereignty is based on the development of production, and instead believes that it is based on the public opinion they represent, one will never know how to achieve true sovereignty...

At this point, Zhang Yinghao suddenly understood the bizarre political situation in Thailand. The establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1932 marked the official beginning of Thailand's transition to constitutional monarchy. However, this transition has been remarkably uneven. Over the decades, the Thai government has promulgated as many as twenty constitutions and experienced twenty coups d'état. The saying "a small temple harbors powerful demons, a shallow pond harbors many turtles" perfectly describes Thailand's political landscape. Frequent military coups and political dictatorships have kept the country in constant turmoil.

If someone supported by the Yellow Shirts becomes prime minister in Thailand, the Red Shirts will wreak havoc across the country, causing a major recession in the capital, Bangkok, and a rapid economic decline. If someone supported by the Red Shirts becomes prime minister, the Yellow Shirts will wreak havoc across the country, again causing a major recession in the capital, Bangkok, and further economic decline. Then, factional fighting will escalate, and street politics will take turns. The "Red Shirts" and "Yellow Shirts" will take turns, closing airports, occupying parliament, and burning shopping malls. Ultimately, both sides will suffer heavy casualties. Their pursuit of their master comes at the expense of economic and social development...

As the country descended into chaos, the Thai military declared a coup, imposing martial law and temporarily silencing the "two armies." While the coup ended the street confrontations, it only temporarily brought the situation under control, reducing violence and casualties. It couldn't fundamentally end Thailand's political trauma. Therefore, it wasn't long before both the Red Shirts and the Yellow Shirts joined forces across the country, leading to large-scale anti-government rallies and escalating tensions. Finally, under Western scrutiny, the military was forced to call new elections and return power to the people. The Yellow Shirts and Red Shirts then engaged in a resurgence of their rivalry, followed by another military coup, repeating Thailand's classic cycle of "coup, election, and coup." This triggered a cycle of social unrest, and Thailand's economic development was thwarted.

Chapter 441:

The world is a colorful place, with diverse civilizations and cultures. The vast majority of people still prefer to live in a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and affluent place. The Inscription Master is just one of the means to achieve these goals, and the Inscription Master is just one of the driving wheels that promote social progress.

However, in order to conform to the so-called "masters" of the West and the mainstream Western thinking, politicians and deceived people in many countries in the world deliberately ignore the fact that "oranges grown in the south of the Huai River are oranges, while those grown in the north of the Huai River are tangerines." The success of Western masters in Europe and the United States does not mean that they will be successful elsewhere. In fact, the people do not know what a true master is and have become a tool for a few people to fight for power and profit.

.."….

Military coups often evoke images of a weak, dysfunctional state, and can cause social unrest and instability, as seen in many African and Latin American countries. Military takeovers can also involve profound ideological conflicts, such as when a right-wing military forces force out a left-wing government.

However, in Thailand, these common characteristics of military coups often don't hold true; the Thai people actually welcome them. Even though Thailand faces deep-seated, irreconcilable social contradictions, such as the unequal distribution of benefits between different social classes, the vast majority of ordinary people, regardless of their political affiliation, simply want the government to stop causing trouble and allow them to live a good life.

Ultimately, the chaotic state of capitalist rule around the world stems from a failure to understand that capitalists are divided into classes. The Communist Manifesto states: "The bourgeoisie, during its less than one hundred years of class rule, has created more numerous and colossal productive forces than all preceding generations combined." Therefore, the capitalist system in the Western powers is because they have already established a state with capitalists as the ruling class. Therefore, they can naturally talk about "bourgeois rule" within the limits permitted by the bourgeoisie.

If a country does not form a ruling class that focuses on production development, it will be a very tragic thing. Especially when some people still fantasize about being the master of the whole nation and being able to represent the people of the whole country and unite the people of the whole country only by relying on political slogans, it will be a miracle if the country does not fall into chaos.

"Chairman, you're not just talking about developing production, you're also talking about distribution, right?" "Of course we have to talk about distribution. But what makes us say we can transition directly to socialism without going through the capitalist system? How can we be so sure that China can transition directly to socialism without going through the feudal and capitalist systems? I'll give you a very simple example and you'll understand. After our land reform, has our per-acre grain yield increased significantly?"

Zhang Yinghao didn't wait for his comrades to answer, and answered directly: "Because the farmers were allocated land, they cultivated it carefully, and grain production may have increased a little, but it is definitely not a lot! Although we have reclaimed a lot of wasteland and added a lot of irrigated land, overall, we still use the same amount of grain as before to feed all the people in the liberated areas. Shouldn't this be wrong?"

"That's right!"

Hearing the comrades' affirmative answers, Zhang Yinghao directly said: "There are still the same number of people, and we are still producing and creating so much wealth. But we have also built so many water conservancy facilities. Are these water conservancy facilities wealth? We have built so many roads. Are these roads wealth? The railways I built are worth tens of millions of taels of silver. Are these wealth? We have built so many factories. Are these factories considered wealth? Comrades, do they count?"

"Calculate!"

"Comrades, do you understand? Was our land reform a distribution of benefits? It was indeed a distribution of benefits. But what then? It was gone after the distribution. Therefore, the premise for discussing distribution must be the development of production. Without discussing the development of production, how can we discuss distribution? Only when production develops more will there be more distribution."

"Chairman, there will inevitably be people who want to be given more, right?"

"That's right, so we need to talk about ownership and develop a reasonable distribution system! We're always worried that some people will get more and some will get less, so we all have to sit down together and discuss how to distribute it! Because capitalism is based on exploitation, capitalists must make profits, so there is no true ownership between workers and capitalists, but there is a true ownership among the bourgeoisie. Workers can pursue ownership within the scope allowed by capitalists, just like a sheep talking to a wolf about ownership. The sheep can try to persuade the wolf to be more restrained or let the sheep eat more, but the sheep will never be able to convince the wolf not to eat the sheep.

Why do I say that the inscriptions are divided into classes? It's because when we distribute things, just like when we distributed rewards when we built the railway, we are all one family, all comrades. In the end, how to distribute things can be discussed by everyone, and whatever the majority thinks is fair is the way to distribute them..."

At this point, Zhang Yinghao suddenly thought of something and continued, "We say that the proletariat can only liberate itself by liberating the whole world. Many people don't understand what this means. How can we, the proletariat, be considered liberated? It's just as Marx said: Only when material wealth is greatly enriched, spiritual realm is greatly elevated, and everyone develops freely and comprehensively can the people of the world be considered liberated. In other words, at that time, everyone will be prosperous, there will be no more oppression, no one can bully anyone, and everyone can live the life they want according to their own geographical location..."

But comrades, think about it, in such a world, can so many proletarians be liberated all at once and then jump into a communist society to live such a happy life? Obviously, it is impossible! So what should we do?

Seeing everyone looking at him, Zhang Yinghao said directly, "That is, in the future, we will formulate a constitution based on our political philosophy, and then govern the entire social order according to the law. What are our political philosophies? What should we say when we discuss our political philosophy in future political education classes? One sentence should be: Adhere to Marxism, adhere to Zhang Yinghao Thought... and adhere to the proletarian ideals."

After Zhang Yinghao finished speaking, he turned around and wrote the words "Proletarian Ideology," then said, "What kind of class is the proletariat? In the words of the Tao Te Ching: 'The highest good is like water; water benefits all things without contending. It stays where others dislike it, and therefore is close to the Tao...'"

In reality, how many people in this world would voluntarily become proletarians? However, reality is so cruel that, out of necessity, a vast majority of people have become proletarians. We, the proletariat, are at the very bottom of the social ladder. To survive, we, the proletariat, must sell our labor to obtain the material means of survival. Therefore, we, the proletariat, are the lowest class in the world, the most revolutionary, the most selfless, the class that most pursues fairness and justice, and the class that least desires to be bullied, oppressed, and exploited...

So, in the future, when our nation becomes independent, strong, and prosperous, and even when all of humanity enjoys ample food and clothing, what will we rely on to govern our country? We will rely on the ideals pursued by the proletariat. Comrades, will the realization of communism eliminate contradictions and struggles? In reality, contradictions and struggles are everywhere. The more society develops, the greater the need for fairness and justice. Even the smallest of issues can intensify conflicts.

Therefore, even if communism is achieved, all of humanity must still uphold the ideals of fairness and justice that represent the proletariat, bravely stand up, and fight against all unhealthy tendencies and evil forces, because only these pursuits of the proletariat are political ideals that truly represent the common interests of all mankind...

Therefore, in order to thoroughly implement these ideals representing our proletariat and maintain the social order we need, we must uphold the dictatorship of the proletariat and firmly grasp the military and other instruments of violence, without any relaxation. And the most important thing we must do now is to create a working class that develops production through production and construction under the leadership of the Party and the state...

"Chairman, do you mean that there will be no class contradictions in the future?"

Zhang Yinghao laughed when he heard this question and said, "The reason we believe communism is achievable is because it is not like the Buddhist paradise, the heavens of Western religions, or the Confucian ideal of a harmonious society, which are all based entirely on fantasy. Communism is based entirely on science, and therefore is completely achievable."

Comrades, why must we carry out land reform now? It is not because we have a grudge against the landlord class, but because if we do not carry out land reform, a large number of people will starve to death every year because they have no food to eat. We are a political party that stands with these people. We cannot let the people starve to death because they have no food to eat. Therefore, the class contradiction between us and the landlord class is irreconcilable and it is a life-and-death contradiction.

However, with the development of productivity, through the development of production, material wealth has been greatly enriched, and the people's living standards have been greatly improved. In the future, everyone will have no worries about food and clothing, and everyone will understand scientific principles. At that time, it's not that class contradictions will no longer exist, but that class contradictions will no longer be such a life-and-death struggle, and will be greatly alleviated. Think about it, if our land can now produce 1,000 kilograms of grain per mu, and the output of other grains has also increased greatly, that is, we have more food than everyone can eat, do I still have to eliminate the landlord class? That is absolutely unnecessary. With so much grain, people with large amounts of land can plant more land if they want to. What's wrong with that?..."

Chapter 442:

Just as Zhang Yinghao was lecturing, the secretary of the confidential office knocked on the door and hurried in, handing him a telegram. Zhang Yinghao immediately stopped talking, took the telegram, and began to read it. Zhang Yinghao had long ago said that when he was lecturing or sleeping, no matter how good the news, no one would bother him unless it was extremely important or very bad news that he had to deal with personally. Zhang Yinghao knew it must be something serious, otherwise the confidential secretary wouldn't be so eager to deliver the telegram to him. Zhang Yinghao knew what was important and what was urgent, so he stopped lecturing without hesitation and dealt with the telegram.

When the students saw Zhang Yinghao pause his lecture to read the telegram, they all looked up, their eyes fixed on him, as if hoping to see through the blank paper to the contents of the telegram. At the same time, many comrades also wanted to see how Chairman Zhang Yinghao usually handled the problems he encountered.

Zhang Yinghao saw the first sentence about a regiment attacking Jingzhou being bombarded by the Qing army, suffering heavy losses. The regiment's commander, Long Tongxu, was seriously injured and unconscious. He immediately felt furious. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe him as furious. If Long Tongxu were in front of him right now, Zhang Yinghao would definitely point his finger at him and scold him.

"Fuck, how did Long Tongxu fight this battle? They gave me back all the strategies and tactics I taught them so quickly?"

Zhang Yinghao could only talk to himself in his heart. In fact, Zhang Yinghao himself knew that although

During training, the PLA soldiers were taught how to survive the enemy's powerful firepower. However, fighting too many favorable battles can easily lead to complacency. Comrades underestimated the Eight Banners Army's combat effectiveness and naturally underestimated the enemy. Now, the consequences of this underestimation are inevitable. Secondly, some things can never be learned without personal experience. Unfortunately, the sacrifices of these hundreds or thousands of PLA soldiers naturally became a price to pay. They never had the opportunity to summarize their experience and test their combat skills.

Zhang Yinghao continued to read and soon frowned. However, having watched so many anti-Japanese dramas, Zhang Yinghao could easily imagine the situation at that time: when the Qing army's artillery fire had not yet stopped, Hengling completely ignored the possible accidental injuries to the Qing army and issued the order to attack: "Everyone put on bayonets, charge!"

The Eight Banners Qing army responded loudly: "Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"

After Hengling finished boosting morale, he took a deep breath, fixed his sharp bayonet, and shouted to the officers and soldiers, "Everyone, attack! Follow me and charge out to kill the Red Bandits!"

With Hengling taking the lead, the officers and soldiers of the Eight Banners Army immediately showed their fearlessness and bravery, and rushed forward with bayonets in hand.

The regiment commander Long Tongxu was seriously injured and unconscious. The political commissar and deputy regiment commanders temporarily took over the command. However, the PLA soldiers were also stunned by the Qing army's artillery fire at this time. For a while, they began to fight on their own and failed to find a way to curb the Qing army's advance in time. As a result, the Qing army rushed into the PLA formation in one breath.

Thousands of Eight Banners officers and soldiers braved the artillery fire from both sides and rushed into the PLA army, fighting with their comrades.

Suppressed, now they were dumbfounded. If they continued to bombard, the accidental casualties would be too great, even for mortars with curved trajectories. The artillery had to stop firing and watch their comrades fighting bloody battles with the Qing army that rushed out of their positions.

Logically speaking, the PLA, led by Zhang Yinghao, was known for its bayonet-wielding prowess, while the Qing army was practically paralyzed by the mere sight of hand-to-hand combat. However, with Qing officers leading the charge, the Qing soldiers were equally fearless. While the PLA's tactics were more advanced, the Qing army held a significant numerical advantage, and most PLA soldiers lacked the experience of actual bayonet-wielding combat. The Qing army fought desperately, but it wasn't long before the attacking PLA soldiers' thin defenses were breached. Now, with heavy losses and their defenses broken and morale crumbling, they were on the verge of a crushing defeat...

Seeing this, the political commissar knew that the invincible PLA had no chance of victory, so he immediately ordered a retreat. However, the enemy and our forces were now completely entangled, making a simple retreat extremely difficult. If the PLA dared to retreat hastily, the Qing army would actively pursue them, with disastrous consequences.

It was time to sacrifice. Ultimately, the soldiers of the Eighth Company volunteered to stay behind to block the Qing army's rearguard, but ultimately, the entire company was killed in action, leaving no one alive. If the retreating comrades hadn't received timely artillery support, which blocked the Qing army's pursuit, the remaining PLA soldiers in this regiment would have had no hope of escaping the Qing army's pursuit. They would have been killed by the Qing army in the remaining positions and on the road of retreat...

After reading the telegram, Zhang Yinghao felt that his previous understanding of the Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty was greatly inaccurate. He believed that since the rise of the Taiping Rebellion, the Eight Banners Army had completely given way to the local Han armed forces of the Hunan Army and the Huai Army; and that the Eight-Nation Alliance defeated Senggelinqin's Manchu and Mongolian cavalry, and the Eight Banners were completely extinguished; and later, with the training of the new army, the Banner Army was completely abolished and disbanded.

However, Zhang Yinghao now knew he was wrong. Although the Eight Banners Army had lost its presence by the end of the Qing Dynasty, its organizational structure remained unchanged. The army still existed. Cixi's younger brother, Guixiang, even served as the deputy governor of the Bordered Yellow Banner. Moreover, the army was the army, and its organizational discipline was undoubtedly more effective than other groups.

Zhang Yinghao also recalled that in his previous life, if the Qing emperor had not abdicated, leading to a split in the Qing army in Shaanxi and Gansu, the Shaanxi and Gansu Governor-General Sheng Yun would have led the Qing army to capture Xi'an and attempted to establish a small northwestern court. As for the militia in Shaanxi and other places at the time, they were even more utterly decimated by the Qing army...

Zhang Yinghao also realized at this time that the revolution of the Forward Party was completely different from the invasion of foreigners. The foreigners came to demand money, cede territory and pay indemnities, which actually had little to do with the Eight Banners. Because the Eight Banners did not represent the interests of the Qing imperial family, the Eight Banners did not want to fight and die for their masters, so they could pretend not to see it and would not rush forward. However, the Forward Party came to overthrow the Qing court. Even though many Manchus were indeed living a hard life and needed revolution, there were still many Manchus with vested interests. The Forward Party's revolution was to kill people. These people, while protecting their own interests, led the Eight Banners to fight desperately. As long as they had enough weapons and equipment, they would be even more combat-effective than ever before...

Moreover, Zhang Yinghao suddenly seemed to recall that the First Regiment of the Six New Beiyang Regiments and the later Imperial Guards were also primarily composed of Bannermen. The Qing court didn't rely solely on these legitimate troops for survival; the Eight Bannermen were also adapting to the times. Bannermen from various regions were often organized into units and sent to the local new armies for training, absorbing new military philosophies, tactics, and firearms. The Jingzhou Eight Bannermen were trained in the Hubei New Army, and they were well-equipped, well-trained, and quite capable.

However, after reading the telegram, Zhang Yinghao almost let the matter go immediately, because he knew that no matter how bravely the Eight Banners soldiers of Jingzhou fought, they would only be trapped beasts fighting hard and would eventually be doomed to destruction.

Zhang Yinghao picked up his pen and wrote at the end of the telegram: The Qing army has no logistics.

Then he said to the secretary in the confidential office: "Submit it to the front-line headquarters for reference!" "Yes."

The secretary turned to leave. Zhang Yinghao turned around and saw the expectant eyes of his comrades. He said directly: "A telegram was sent from the front line. One of our regiments attacking Jingzhou was attacked by the artillery fire of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty and suffered heavy losses. Comrades, do you think we can defeat the Eight Banners soldiers in Jingzhou?"

The comrades didn't even need to think about this question. They answered directly: "Yes!" "Why? The Eight Banners soldiers in Jingzhou are well-equipped and well-trained. Comrades, why are we sure we can win?"

Zhang Yinghao pointed to a comrade who had raised his hand, and he stood up and replied, "Chairman, because we can afford to lose, but the Qing Dynasty cannot!"

"Oh? Why can't the Qing Dynasty afford to lose?"

"A righteous cause enjoys many supporters, while an unrighteous cause has few. The Qing dynasty represents corruption and backwardness. Every death of a loyalist means a loss of one, while the number of those who stand up and want to overthrow the Qing dynasty will only increase. Even if the Qing dynasty defeats us in Jingzhou and achieves a partial or temporary victory, it still cannot reverse the overall situation and will eventually perish..."

Chapter 443:

Zhang Yinghao was thinking the same thing, which was why he had let the matter go immediately after the sacrifice of so many soldiers. The reason was simple: the general trend of the world is unstoppable, those who follow it prosper, those who go against it perish. Even if the Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing Dynasty had improved in both morale and firepower, what would it matter? The Qing Dynasty was now on a path to inevitable failure. Generally speaking, the decline was difficult to reverse. In this situation where everyone pushes down, no one can turn the tide and save the collapsing building.

So, even if the Eight Banners troops of Jingzhou had considerable combat effectiveness, and even temporarily defeated the ill-prepared People's Liberation Army, what would it matter? The ultimate demise of the Qing Dynasty and the Eight Banners troops was already sealed. Even if the generals of Jingzhou or the Qing imperial family tried to turn the tide, what would they soon experience? When luck arrives, the heavens and the earth unite, but when luck is gone, heroes are powerless, and they would experience the insignificance of individual power!

Zhang Yinghao had just returned to his office after class when he received another telegram. Starting from Wuhan, cities along the Yangtze River and the coastal cities were once again experiencing a wave of demonstrations, protesting the British suppression of demonstrators in Wuhan and the killing of Chinese people...

Zhang Yinghao's scalp tingled when he saw the telegram, for he was now certain that the source of his unease, caused by the British suppression of the Wuhan protests, had finally surfaced. He now understood that the protests, which had begun in Chongqing and spread across the country, ultimately resulted from the Qing collusion with the foreign powers. Demonstrators in Tianjin, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Shanghai were brutally suppressed, resulting in numerous casualties.

If Zhang Yinghao's premonition was correct, the British crackdown on the Wuhan protests would trigger another nationwide wave of protests, perhaps even an even more severe wave of xenophobia. Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao also had a premonition that these protests would be met with even more brutal suppression in unliberated areas...

However, Zhang Yinghao knew that the Chinese people's awakening was insufficient, even too little. Could he issue orders to stop mass demonstrations across the country? Zhang Yinghao was truly unsure. Suppressing the people's revolutionary enthusiasm? Zhang Yinghao hadn't considered it. Because Zhang Yinghao knew that in China today, there were far too few mass movements, and far too few awakened people. Regarding such mass movements, Zhang Yinghao knew that not only could he not stop them, but on the contrary, he should strongly encourage them...

At this moment, Zhang Yinghao thought of a sentence again: Revolution is not a dinner party, not writing an article, not painting or embroidery. It cannot be so elegant, so leisurely, so refined, so gentle, courteous, frugal and modest. Revolution is an uprising, a violent act of one class overthrowing another class...

Zhang Yinghao raised his head slightly and closed his eyes. Thinking of the masses who were about to be suppressed by the Qing Dynasty and the foreign powers, and the many casualties that might occur, he felt his own helplessness again. Thinking of those who marched and demonstrated for their country and nation without hesitation, and being unable to protect them, tears welled up in his eyes...

However, Zhang Yinghao quickly made a decision. Everyone should be held accountable for their own actions. As the saying goes, a merciful army is incompetent; as long as the goal is achieved, even sacrifices are worth it. Only large-scale mass movements can now draw the vast majority of people into the current of history, allowing more people to see the truth of the world and awaken more people. Therefore, even if the Qing Dynasty and the foreign powers collude to suppress the protesters, resulting in countless casualties, he must not prevent mass demonstrations from occurring across the country. On the contrary, he should even encourage the people to take to the streets to fight for the rights of the country and the nation...

Chapter 444:

The proletariat's ideals are based on struggle, and sometimes fighting for ideals requires sacrificing lives. So what does a few casualties matter now? The world's most brutal struggles are those over ideas. Political, religious, and other ideologies lead to irreconcilable conflicts. The Crusades, the slaughter of pagans by various religions like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, were all ideological struggles. For example, after Muhammad led the Muslims to capture Mecca, he immediately ordered the destruction of the three temples of Ouzan, Menati, and Hubaili, where the Meccans worshipped their gods. He then sent large numbers of Muslims to burn down temples near Mecca. In less than a month, nearly a thousand temples were burned...

Therefore, Zhang Yinghao had thought it through. What was the point of suppressing the people's revolutionary enthusiasm? Only by allowing the masses to fight for their rights, from spontaneously to consciously, could we create a world of fairness and justice that truly conforms to the ideals of the proletariat and maintain the order required by the proletariat. Contradiction and struggle are the eternal themes of the world...

After figuring this out, Zhang Yinghao wrote: "In dealing with this mass demonstration, the safety of the people should be guaranteed as much as possible. "Revolutionary diplomacy" should be practiced in dealing with the foreign powers." After proposing this concept, Zhang Yinghao went on to write: "Revolutionary diplomacy means adopting all decisive revolutionary measures, standing with the people, persevering to the end, preferring death to disgrace..."