The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

After Zhang Yinghao finished writing, he handed the document to his secretary and asked him to hand it over to Cai E immediately. He would be in charge of the incident for the time being.

In fact, Zhang Yinghao's recent uneasiness was entirely correct. Ever since the Liberation War began in May 1905, with the People's Liberation Army's successive victories, the great powers, faced with China's growing revolutionary momentum, were genuinely at a loss, even in a state of panic. The British, whose sphere of influence lay in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, were particularly nervous. Their willingness to stir up trouble was a display of force, a demonstration of their presence. This was one of the reasons the British military and police chose to suppress the Wuhan protesters.

However, the next day, photos of the British bayonets killing Wuhan protesters and the dead and wounded people were published in Wuhan newspapers. Other newspapers immediately reprinted the photos and published special editions. The photos and the truth spread rapidly. The British atrocities aroused public outrage and immediately caused an uproar in Wuhan. This was something that all the members of the Forward Party, including Zhang Yinghao, had not expected...

This was a turbulent era, and perhaps the protesters were frightened when they were suppressed by the British military and police. However, the atrocities of imperialism could not scare all the heroic Chinese people. The anger that had been dormant in the hearts of the vast majority of people in Wuhan, especially the industrial workers, finally broke out. The revolutionary enthusiasm of the comrades became unprecedentedly high because of these newspapers. The anger against the imperialist powers that had been suppressed for decades broke out and was completely unstoppable. Even the Forward Party wanted to suppress this revolutionary flame of the people, but it could not be suppressed at all. What's more, many members of the Forward Party originally wanted to make a big fuss and seek justice for the dead and injured people. The workers were extremely indignant about the British military and police's killing of the protesters. They hoped that the blood debt would be repaid with blood, and then Wuhan would be completely liberated...

Unlike previous strikes, demonstrations, and negotiations, this time the resistance of the Wuhan people took on a violent nature. The workers in Wuhan actually had weapons in their hands. Furthermore, the People's Liberation Army had once again led its troops into the city and surrounded the concessions, with artillery already trained on the concessions and the warships on the river...

In a word: We have guns in our hands and guns behind us as a backing. The truth is within the range of the cannons. We have grasped the truth and have straightened our backs.

In this turbulent era, China had no shortage of radicals, heroes who hoped to drive imperialist forces out of China, and even more so, patriots. The Wuhan incident spread rapidly via telegram to the more developed coastal and riverside cities. The Chinese press also provided extensive and continuous coverage. The British military and police's violent suppression of the Wuhan demonstrations, interfering in the Chinese revolution and internal affairs, was reported by newspapers across the country. Coupled with the fact that the imperialist powers had long been tyrannical in China and unwelcome by the Chinese people, this incident began to ferment, sparking great indignation and strong resistance among the Chinese people...

The trend has already formed. Once the hurricane starts blowing, the momentum will not stop until it is exhausted!

Faced with such public outcry and unforeseen circumstances, Wuhan, at the center of the situation, was forced to send a telegram requesting instructions on how to proceed. Upon receiving Zhang Yinghao's statement on "revolutionary diplomacy," comrades in Wuhan and other regions who could be contacted quickly understood the Party Central Committee's intentions. The Wuhan Federation of Trade Unions was the first to publish Zhang Yinghao's "revolutionary diplomacy" philosophy, "Rather die in glory than live in disgrace," in newspapers, demonstrating the Forward Party's anti-imperialist stance. A rally was also held to denounce the atrocities of British imperialism. It was also decided to further mobilize the masses, under the protection of the military and police, to launch a political struggle against imperialism. A telegram was even sent nationwide, calling on the people to unite and oppose imperialist oppression...

This was the nature of the times; the more radical something was, the more revolutionary it was. The Forward Party's radical approach instantly appealed to countless people, especially the passionate and enthusiastic students in Wuhan, who were eager to drive the foreign powers out of China immediately. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the people, oppressed by or even harboring hatred towards the foreign powers, naturally wanted to kill all the foreigners...

The news from Wuhan quickly spread to cities like Nanjing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. A large number of people, already dissatisfied with the atrocities committed by the foreign powers in China, began to gather in the concessions from all directions, shouting slogans in protest.

"Down with British imperialism!"

"Take back the concession!"

“Cancel the unequal treaties!” “Tariff autonomy!”

Hundreds of millions of people are united in condemnation. With the training of Party members and cadres from the previous demonstrations, with the awakened and tempered masses, and with the valuable lessons learned from previous experiences, the Progressive Party can finally begin to attempt to lead a large-scale mass struggle movement...

The British military and police's violent suppression of the Wuhan protests marked the climax of the Chinese nation's resistance to colonial exploitation and oppression, and the anti-imperialist struggle. It added fuel to the fire of the Revolution's ultimate victory and made a huge contribution.

Chapter 445:

Zhang Yinghao knew that in cities like Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, etc., which were now far away from the liberated areas, as the People's Liberation Army continued to advance victoriously, the reactionaries in these places would become more frantic. They would panic and have extremely low patience with the people, and their actions to suppress the revolutionary masses would become more cruel and bloody.

However, no matter what happened, Zhang Yinghao knew he couldn't directly intervene; he could only offer precautions. While direct remote control via telegraph wasn't impossible, in this age of limited information flow, it was impossible for him to obtain real-time information. Furthermore, he didn't have a good understanding of the specific developments of the mass movements in these areas. Rashly intervening and directing would only lead to huge problems.

In this era of intense struggle, this era of great change, this era of exploitation and oppression, this era of anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism, of overthrowing the three great mountains, this era of irreconcilable conflicts of interest, the awakening of the masses cannot proceed peacefully; it must be accompanied by violence and sacrifice. Because the very act of mobilizing the masses represents the injustice of the world, in this era, if everything is not torn down and rebuilt, it cannot be considered a true revolution.

For example, the "Glorious Revolution" that the British desperately promoted as civilized and incomparable was actually just a peaceful transition of power with a change of king. As for how many people died in the transition of power, how could the bourgeoisie, as the victors and critics of violent revolution, record this? Another example is Gandhi's non-resistance movement in India. In fact, there were a large number of people who supported violence and started riots in various places. Otherwise, if Gandhi relied solely on hunger strike, what would have happened even if he starved to death? Without the support of violence, how could India have achieved independence? In fact, after Gandhi's death, the pace of India's independence accelerated rapidly!

.…….

Zhang Yinghao's anxieties were indeed realized. The first incident occurred in Nanchang. However, the initial events were not as he had imagined, with the foreign powers suppressing the people with bayonets and bullets. Instead, the opposite occurred. This was also the result of Zhang Yinghao overestimating the power of these foreigners in China and underestimating the tremendous power of the people's unity. How could unarmed foreigners be a match for the united people?

In the decades following the First Opium War, religious incidents and conflicts between Chinese and foreigners occurred across China. These incidents were primarily the result of mutual hatred between the masses and religious believers, or conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. As early as the mid-19th century, China had already seen missionary activities by foreign powers. During the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, the people suffered greatly, and religious converts increased in number. Even before the People's Liberation Army entered Nanchang, religious incidents and conflicts were already occurring in the Xinchang area of ​​Nanchang.

Especially after the signing of the Boxer Protocol, some Western missionaries, leveraging their privileges granted by the invasion, established numerous churches. Many local ruffians and hooligans took advantage of this opportunity to convert to Christianity, significantly expanding the influence of the churches. In Jiangxi Province alone, there were over 300 Catholic and Jesuit churches. However, these missionaries and their followers dominated the countryside, bullied the people, and even seized the land of Chinese citizens, leading to extremely sharp conflicts between the people and the religious sects. The religious sects, particularly those patronized by Wang Anzhi, a French Catholic priest in Xinchang, Nanchang, committed numerous crimes.

By this time, Cai Shaonan had already led the PLA soldiers to liberate Nanchang. He heard from his comrades hiding in Nanchang: "...Catholics in Xinchang, Nanchang, are the most rampant; they are the real leaders of Nanchang. For example, a man named Luo Jian in Tangpu, after converting to the religion, teamed up with another believer named Lai to rape a woman. The woman's father reported the matter to the county government, and the county magistrate, Yang Guozhang, actually imprisoned the victim at Wang Anzhi's request. The local villagers were furious, while Luo Jian and Lai escaped unharmed. Last May, Luo Jian was leading a group of believers carrying a Catholic plaque across the Tangpu Stone Bridge. A villager, unable to avoid them, accidentally knocked the plaque sideways. Luo Jian jumped off his horse, grabbed the villager, beat him, and then hacked his head with a knife, leaving him bleeding. He then rode away. The local people were outraged and condemned him, gnashing their hatred...

When Gong Dong, a villager known for his ability to stand up for justice, learned of this, he immediately gathered dozens of young men, dragged Luo Jian off his horse, tied him up, beat him half to death, and threw him into the Tangpu River. They then raided the homes of several Christian believers who had committed crimes and burned them down. When Wang Anzhi learned of this, he immediately filed a complaint with the Xinchang County government. Magistrate Yang Guozhang, fearing the foreigners, ignored the facts and ordered the garrison commander, Wan Chunxiang, to Tangpu to arrest the perpetrators.

After hearing this, Cai Shaonan naturally knew that the local people had been badly bullied. He said indignantly: "These corrupt officials of the Qing Dynasty are like mice seeing cats when they see foreigners. They are timid and afraid to avoid them. But they treat the people like jackals and tigers, always sucking the marrow out of their bones and bullying them. This is the typical example of being tolerant on the outside but cruel on the inside. When our People's Liberation Army arrived, these corrupt officials still wanted to lead the Qing army to resist stubbornly. They are simply not knowing how to live or die. Such corrupt officials, foreigners and bullies are all the same and should be killed with a single blow."

"These corrupt officials are now in prison. Whether they will be executed or not depends on whether they have committed enough evil. However, these foreigners and bullies have not yet been dealt with..."

"What are those foreigners doing now?"

"Hey, those foreigners really value their lives. After our People's Liberation Army left Sichuan, especially when we were advancing with unstoppable force, many foreigners packed up their belongings and fled to Nanchang with their families. There really aren't many foreigners left in Nanchang, but..."

Just as Cai Shaonan was about to learn more about the situation, the messenger ran in breathlessly. After stopping, he saluted and said, "Report to the division commander, the people in Xinchang lost control during the demonstration. The people were too angry and beat to death nine foreigners including Wang Anzhi. They also beat to death more than 20 Christian believers who committed crimes, including Luo Jian. Many churches, schools, and Christian houses were looted and burned..."

After hearing this, Cai Shaonan felt that good and evil would eventually be rewarded, but he still found it unbelievable that so many people were killed at once. He asked in shock, "Why didn't you control the situation at that time?"

"We couldn't control the situation at all. We had released some wrongly accused people from prison, and these victims were right there in the procession. With these people leading the instigation, no one could stop them! Once the people got excited, they just..."

Cai Shaonan knew what was going on without asking. In fact, the People's Liberation Army killed quite a few foreigners. Not to mention the foreigners killed in XZ and Yunnan, even when Sichuan was liberated, all the evil foreigners who lived there were hanged.

However, if so many foreigners were killed at this critical moment, once the news spread, the matter would inevitably become a big deal, and it would not end well...

How to do?

Since the problem has already happened, what we need to do now is to solve it. Complaining and blaming others are of no use at all.

He immediately turned to the chief of staff and asked, "Our vanguard regiment bypassed Nanchang and marched directly to Jiujiang. They should have arrived in Jiujiang by now, right? Have you received any news?"

"There's no concrete news yet, but if nothing unexpected happens, the vanguard group should have arrived in Jiujiang by now."

Cai Shaonan immediately said: "We can't care less now. The foreign powers dared to suppress our protesters, causing so many casualties. Now these foreigners and bullies who deserved their punishment should be killed."

Cai Shaonan said this simply because he didn't want to hold the masses accountable. In his heart, he felt these foreigners deserved to be beaten to death. Just as he'd heard Chairman Zhang Yinghao say: "Who allowed these foreigners to come to China? Did they report to anyone?" These foreign devils relied on extraterritoriality to do whatever they wanted, committing countless evils. Now that they've all been beaten to death, few of them are innocent. It's all karma; they deserve it.

Then Cai Shaonan continued, "Orders, immediately control all radio transmitters. Keep the news of the killing of foreigners secret as long as possible. Collect evidence of the murdered individuals and issue a death sentence if necessary. Also, clean up the bodies of the foreigners and take photos. Cremate them immediately, but keep the ashes safe for the time being. Also, send a telegram to the Central Committee immediately, reporting the incident in detail and requesting their instructions. Now, order the main force to move out immediately, heading for Jiujiang..."

Cai Shaonan now knew the focal point of the conflict, which was Jiujiang. Only by liberating Jiujiang and then firmly controlling it would the foreigners have no way to deal with the inland areas, and the newly liberated Hunan, Hubei and other places would become a safe rear area. As for the foreigners who were killed, hehe, just like the Wuhan civilians who were killed and injured by the British in Wuhan before, they would have to be left alone for the time being. If the foreign powers wanted to take revenge in the future, at most they would have to go to war, but this was not a matter that Cai Shaonan could decide on his own, and he didn't need to worry about it...

Chapter 446:

Cai Shaonan sent the telegram to the Central Committee. Zhang Yinghao didn't know what to say after reading it. Of course, the incident had already happened, but it was still being covered up. It would be inappropriate to say anything now. Of course, the Liberated Areas and the powers did not have formal diplomatic relations. Moreover, the relationship between the Liberated Areas and Britain was at a freezing point. The British used force to suppress the Wuhan people's demonstration, resulting in so many casualties. Killing a few British missionaries was naturally no big deal. However, Wang Anzhi was a French missionary, which made it a bit difficult to deal with. Perhaps another enemy would be established.

The French are known as the Gallic roosters. Anyone who's seen them fight and peck knows this. Sometimes they won't react even to being hit or scolded. But other times, they'll suddenly rear up, spread their wings, and peck at someone as you walk past them. It's a bit neurotic and unpredictable. Furthermore, the French are becoming increasingly overwhelmed by German pressure, and they might just find a weakling to make an example of, and the liberated areas are a good choice...

Just when Zhang Yinghao was thinking about how to deal with this matter in the future, another telegram suddenly came in. Zhang Yinghao took it and looked at it, and he was immediately furious, his eyes really red.

After reading the telegram from Jiujiang and then the one from Cai Shaonan, Zhang Yinghao felt that he and his comrades in the Forward Party were being too merciful. Damn, wasn't it just a few foreigners being beaten to death by the masses? What a big deal! They were still thinking about how to deal with the aftermath. How merciful!

Cai E saw that Zhang Yinghao looked strange, and immediately asked, "Chairman, what does the telegram say?"

Zhang Yinghao did not answer and handed the telegram over directly. Cai E took it and started reading it. His face immediately turned red, and it was obvious that he was also angry.

It turned out that what made Zhang Yinghao and Cai E so angry was that after the comrades in Jiujiang learned that the British had used force to suppress the mass demonstration in Wuhan, the Jiujiang trade union immediately organized a workers' strike movement, and people from all walks of life responded and rose up in protest...

According to the Jiujiang Land Lease Agreement, Britain acquired 150 mu of land west of Jiujiang City and east of the Longkai River as a permanent leasehold. Within this area, Britain established various facilities, including a consulate, club, police station, hospital, church, bank, factory, dock, warehouse, and storage. Consequently, a large number of foreigners settled there.

As the People's Liberation Army advanced, rumors spread among foreigners that the Red Bandits were hostile to them. Consequently, numerous foreign tycoons within the British Concession in Jiujiang, as well as those who had fled to Jiujiang from elsewhere, began fleeing with their families to Shanghai and other destinations. Naturally, this required Chinese laborers to carry their luggage and other belongings onto the ships. One laborer accidentally bumped into a British tycoon. Perhaps feeling humiliated and angry about having to leave Jiujiang, a paradise, the displeased tycoon, no matter how much the laborer bowed and even knelt to beg for forgiveness, was in vain. Instead, the tycoon, who already looked down on the Qing people, felt even more disgusted. He waved to the British sailors, who struck the laborer unconscious with a few rifle butts. He later died despite medical attention. Several other laborers who intervened were also seriously injured...

After the tragedy, the trade unions quickly turned their attention to the British soldiers responsible. Angry crowds flocked from all corners of Jiujiang, gathering in the concession area, chanting slogans like "Blood debt must be paid with blood," "Down with British imperialism," and "Reclaim the concession." Tens of thousands of Jiujiang residents held a demonstration to mourn their fallen compatriots and demanded the British consul hand over the perpetrators. They had five hours to respond, threatening a blockade of the British concession and a general strike against the British.

With the precedent of suppressing the protesters in Wuhan in mind, the union troops did not enter the concession this time. Instead, they allowed the crowd to spread out, forming a subtle encirclement. However, despite this, British imperialism, accustomed to tyrannical oppression in China, was unlikely to compromise. Faced with a crowd of tens of thousands, a large number of armed British troops suddenly landed, fired guns to intimidate and forcibly expel the people, and then charged into the crowd with bayonets drawn, killing and hacking. At the same time, police officers were dispatched to beat the crowd, resulting in over 80 casualties on the spot. British imperialism had incurred a new blood debt...

If that were all, perhaps British imperialist sailors and police would simply be using force to suppress the Chinese people's movement once again. However, the trade union comrades in Jiujiang were well prepared. They knew the People's Liberation Army had already arrived in Jiujiang, and they now had to persist in resisting until the PLA arrived. Therefore, the comrades began to evacuate the masses facing the British troops, while simultaneously occupying advantageous positions to fire at the British troops, blocking those who attempted to pursue the evacuated masses. At the same time, they led the masses to attack the concession, surround the consulate, occupy the streets, seize key points and institutions, and arrest the police...

The people had suffered deeply from the concessions and naturally longed for their disappearance. The union-led occupation of the concessions once again demonstrated the power of the masses. However, weak nations lack diplomacy, and might is right. Furthermore, occupying the concessions was tantamount to asking the powers to disgorge their own fat, a task of foreseeable difficulty. Naturally, the powers refused to comply and immediately chose to attack.

The battle became increasingly fierce. Although many of the union comrades were from the Liberation Army, many more had never experienced combat. They were no match for the British and were beaten back step by step. They could only rely on the advantageous terrain to delay the British offensive...

Seeing that the British army was about to enter the concession, the scouts of the Vanguard Regiment finally arrived and naturally joined the battle without saying a word. With these battle-hardened comrades, the British army, which was already small in number, naturally began to be unable to resist, and the battle immediately entered a stalemate.

The vanguard regiment naturally also heard the gunshots, and they immediately accelerated their pace. After contacting the scouts, the regiment commander Xu Congzhi asked about the situation and immediately asked the scouts to lead the troops to take a detour, trying to cut off the British army's retreat and wipe out the British sailors and police who had landed in one fell swoop.

Seeing this, the captain of the British warship naturally did not want the British army to be surrounded, so he immediately gave the order to open fire. The warship began to frantically bombard the attacking PLA, trying to delay the PLA's offensive and give the British army time to retreat.

Shells roared and exploded everywhere, with great momentum. However, the damage caused by such bombardment to the PLA was actually very limited. However, the bombardment by British warships damaged thousands of houses and shops, and caused hundreds of casualties.

The vanguard regiment, having marched quickly, had no heavy artillery and could only watch helplessly as the British warships bombarded Jiujiang. Zhang Yinghao received a telegram from his regiment commander, Xu Congzhi, about the British bombardment of Jiujiang. How could such a telegram not make Zhang Yinghao and Cai E furious?

Chapter 447:

Faced with such imperialist atrocities, Zhang Yinghao truly felt powerless and unable to respond. The fact that so many things had happened at the same time had left Zhang Yinghao feeling unprepared. Zhang Yinghao knew that no force could extend infinitely; it must have its limits; even the strongest force would eventually be exhausted if faced with resistance. Jiujiang was now his weakest point.

Jiujiang has suffered a great loss due to such a cruel incident. Complaining is pointless. We cannot blame others. We should blame ourselves for being too weak and allowing others to bully us. The only way to completely solve this problem is to develop industry and become self-reliant. However, the situation is urgent now. There is no time to wait for ourselves to become stronger or for artillery to arrive in Jiujiang to slowly solve the problem.

How to do?

Zhang Yinghao couldn't think of a way to stop the British warships' bombardment. While his comrades were listening to the telegram, he paced back and forth twice. Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao remembered a sentence from Shangjunshu: "So to end war with war, even if it means fighting. To end killing with killing, even if it means killing, it means nothing."

How fitting this is!

Damn, isn't it just wanton killing? Isn't it just a competition of who is more cruel? As if everyone is not capable of the same thing?

Zhang Yinghao immediately wrote: "Immediately inform the British on the warships that if they dare fire another shot, we will kill a foreigner in the concession. ...At the same time, to reduce casualties and losses among the people, take all captured foreigners out to shield them from the shells, and let them die under the atrocities of their own country..."

After Zhang Yinghao finished writing, he handed the paper to the confidential clerk and said, "Send it immediately to Comrade Xu Congzhi in Jiujiang and have him follow this."

Zhang Yinghao didn't know how future history would judge this military coercion of foreigners after this telegram was sent, but he didn't care. After all, history is written by the victors. Moreover, this was the only solution Zhang Yinghao could think of at the moment. Besides this, what else could make the British warships stop their bombardment immediately? In such a short time, Zhang Yinghao really couldn't think of any solution.

Watching the confidential clerk running away, Chen Linong turned and asked, "Chairman, have you found a way to stop the British warships from bombarding Jiujiang?"

Chen Linong's job was to arrange for Party members to join local forces, establish a nationwide presence, and seize leadership and control over these local forces. Cai E's primary mission had shifted from seizing the British concessions in Wuhan and Jiujiang to overseeing a nationwide demonstration, with seizing the concessions becoming a secondary task. Chen Linong had arranged for a large number of Party members and cadres to work in various locations, and naturally, they also joined the temporary committee formed to handle this incident.

Zhang Yinghao heard Chen Linong's question and saw that many of his comrades were curious. He didn't keep them in suspense and said directly: "Stop the war with war, stop the killing with killing."

After Zhang Yinghao finished speaking, many comrades immediately understood the general idea of ​​how to do it. However, Zhang Yinghao didn't intend to leave his comrades guessing, and explained directly: "Comrades, do you know where the word 'wu' in wugong comes from? It means to stop fighting, we must maintain absolute military force. In other words, peace requires force to ensure it. This is similar to what we say: peace can be achieved through struggle, but peace will perish through compromise. Right now in Wuhan and Jiujiang, especially Jiujiang, our strength is evenly matched with the British. The British have the advantage on the water, and we have the advantage on land. If we choose to compromise and ask the British to stop the bombardment, the British will think we are afraid of them, and they will become even more unscrupulous. Therefore, the only way to stop the British is to strive for peace through struggle. The British dare to fire at will, killing and injuring large numbers of Chinese civilians. Since we cannot stop them by force, we can only use our own advantages, play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, and adopt a mutually assured approach to stop them. That is, by killing foreigners, we will force the warships to stop the bombardment and killing Chinese civilians, achieving the goal of stopping war with war, and stopping killing with killing."

"Mr. Chairman, will the foreign warships stop their shelling because they are threatened?"

Zhang Yinghao answered without thinking: "Whether the warships of the great powers stop bombarding is their own choice. We cannot interfere now. We have no way to stop the great powers from bombarding. However, no matter whether the British warships stop bombarding or not, we can only do what we should do. As for those foreign devils, we can only say that we are not strong enough. If we are strong enough, and the great powers dare to fire the first shot, we will not give them the opportunity to fire the second shot. If they dare to fire the first shot, we will not give them the opportunity to fire the second shot. Why do the foreigners dare to fire and bombard our people wantonly now? It is because we are a weak country. The foreigners think that we cannot beat them. It is also because our People's Liberation Army has not killed enough foreigners and has not beaten them hard enough. So we must now sharpen our weapons and horses. Next time on the battlefield, we will get rid of these foreign devils and make them pay the price they deserve for this incident..."

"What if the British warships continue to bombard us? Should we really kill them?" Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "If the British warships don't stop, we must kill them, and we must kill them where they can see us. This will let the British know that our PLA is not afraid of them, and the great powers will restrain themselves. If we just talk big but don't deliver, the British may immediately look down on our PLA and the Liberated Areas. Although it's okay to let the British look down on us, it will be detrimental to many future tasks. We must do what we say."

.a.…-

After receiving Zhang Yinghao's telegram, Xu Congzhi quickly understood what to do. He immediately passed the telegram to the political commissar and others for circulation, then said, "At this point, the only way to get the British to stop their shelling is the Chairman's. Let's divide the work. Political commissar, you arrange for two comrades to go negotiate with the British under the white and red cross flags. I will personally oversee the arrest of the foreigners..."

This was not the first time that the People's Liberation Army entered the enemy camp with white flags and red cross flags. Previously, during the Xz period, the People's Liberation Army surrounded the invading British army. Comrade Zhao Tieshan had already had the experience of leading soldiers into the British military camp to negotiate with the British and leaving safely. The Political Department also conducted special training for this, so it was relatively easy to find two comrades to negotiate with the British.

As for the personal safety of the comrades who went to negotiate, neither Xu Congzhi nor the political commissar raised the issue. Once inside enemy territory, life and death were no longer in their own hands. If the British truly wanted to kill the negotiators, the PLA would be completely helpless, except to offer a promise of future revenge. That was all.

As I said, if you are afraid of death, don't join the revolution. If you join the revolution, you are hanging your head on your belt and are ready to sacrifice at any time...

Chapter 448:

Xu Congzhi and his men were leading the vanguard, and the constant bombardment from the British warships had really driven them crazy. The men in the vanguard were all excellent soldiers, but to be forced to take the beating without being able to effectively fight back was a humiliating experience for the comrades. They were practically on the verge of engaging the British warships with rifles in hand.

However, not only had the comrades dug numerous trenches and anti-artillery holes, but crucially, the PLA's infantry tactics were based on the Infantry Drill Manual personally compiled by Zhang Yinghao. Whether in charge or defensive formation, and with guaranteed firepower, a mortar round could typically only hit two people, a 105mm grenade could only hit two small groups, and the most formidable side-firing heavy machine guns had to react after killing five or six people. These were all scientifically calculated. Therefore, the British warships' bombardment at this time did not cause many casualties to the PLA.

However, the PLA comrades were all brothers in the same trench, and any casualty would anger the other comrades, and each wanted to avenge the dead and injured comrades. Moreover, the heavy losses of civilians and houses were unacceptable to the PLA comrades. Therefore, the comrades were holding their breath and wanted to fight the British fiercely.

After Xu Congzhi issued the order to capture the foreigners, the comrades immediately rushed towards the foreign concession like wolves and tigers. The army is a place where orders are strictly enforced and executed with swift and decisive action, even where victory is achieved without distinction between right and wrong, and any means necessary. At the command of a superior, even if the road ahead is filled with danger, they must bravely advance without hesitation...

By this time, workers and citizens of Jiujiang had already stormed the British concession, tearing down the wooden stakes, sandbags, and barbed wire surrounding it, and occupying it. As the soldiers entered the concession, they encountered foreigners cowering in fear at the revolutionary fervor and strength of the Chinese people. Many had been beaten black and blue by the angry masses. Their usual swagger had vanished, replaced by a look of trepidation and trembling...

If these foreigners had remained as stubborn as ever, willing to die rather than surrender, the comrades might have felt better. However, the comrades saw the stark contrast between these timid foreigners and the roar of artillery in the distance. Thinking of the dead and wounded comrades and civilians, as well as the ruins, they were naturally furious.

Unable to deal with the warships, the comrades naturally took out their anger on these foreigners. If these foreigners showed any resistance, they would be hit by the butts of their rifles. Every time the comrades fired a butt of their rifles, there would always be people cheering nearby...

The people of Jiujiang and the PLA soldiers immediately cleared out the foreigners from the concession, unaware of the significance of their actions. When the Jiujiang people and their comrades entered the concession, they had completely and forcibly reclaimed it. Was there any need to sign a treaty with the foreign powers abolishing the concession? Absolutely not. Expelling the foreigners and effectively occupying and managing the concession was far more effective than a treaty.

At this time, the PLA negotiators had already boarded the ship according to the time. When they saw the British commander, they raised their fingers and said on the warship: "If you continue to bombard, please believe that even if you don't hit anyone, there will definitely be British people killed in the bombing."

This statement couldn't be clearer. As long as the warships continue to bomb, there will definitely be foreigners buried with them. It's indeed despicable and shameless, but the negotiating comrade felt very happy just raising his finger. In fact, he wanted to shout twice in his heart: "Come on! Let's hurt each other!"

The commander of the warship followed the pointing finger of the negotiators who had come aboard and saw the foreigners who had been escorted out by the People's Liberation Army to shield themselves from the shelling. What else could he do? Unless he killed the negotiators immediately and pretended he knew nothing about it, he could continue the shelling. Otherwise, if he continued the shelling and all the foreigners in Jiujiang were killed because of their shelling, the officers and soldiers on the warship would not be able to escape responsibility.

At this point, even if the British warships wanted to continue firing, they had to ask their superiors for permission, otherwise they could not bear the responsibility. Of course, the captains of the British warships were no fools. They knew that they could not defeat the PLA with just a few warships, nor could they recapture Jiujiang. Continuing the bombardment was actually meaningless. If they could defeat the PLA, the best solution would be to defend the British Empire and continue the bombardment to the end, without being threatened by the PLA.

Now that the PLA was negotiating with them, they naturally took advantage of the situation and stopped the shelling, then reported the situation to their superiors. Their superiors would naturally consult with their superiors back home, so they naturally wouldn't bear any responsibility at all. So, although the British warship captain ordered the shelling to stop with a sullen face, he actually breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Zhang Yinghao's strategy, thousands of miles away, had forced the British warships to cease their bombardment. This was undoubtedly one of Zhang Yinghao's masterstrokes, destined to be chronicled in history books and even featured in a future television series, showcasing Zhang Yinghao's extraordinary wisdom, strategy, and maneuvering skills...

After receiving the telegram informing him that the British had ceased their bombardment, Zhang Yinghao, though delighted, remained expressionless. He continued, "These threats alone are not enough. We must strike at the most vulnerable part of the British, strangling their lifeline. What is the British lifeline? Trade. Immediately send a telegram to comrades everywhere, especially to trade union comrades in cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Nanjing. Use this bombardment and the repossession of the Jiujiang concession to mobilize people from all walks of life in industry, commerce, and academia to protest. Refuse to load or unload British ships, halt trade with Britain, and initiate a boycott of British goods. We can cause a large number of American goods to remain unsold, causing US exports to China to drop by nearly 50%. We can also cause British goods to remain unsold, causing British merchants to suffer heavy losses. I don't believe that capitalist Britain will not compromise..."

Chapter 449:

If Zhang Yinghao's move succeeds, it will undoubtedly hit the British hardest. The British launched several wars of aggression against China in order to open up the Chinese market and obtain cheap industrial raw materials. If the Chinese stopped working for them and were to boycott British goods, they would ultimately suffer heavy losses. This is the last thing capitalist countries can tolerate!

The recapture of the British Concession in Jiujiang was a triumph for Zhang Yinghao's concept of "revolutionary diplomacy," a product of the awakening Chinese people's desire for national self-reliance and self-strengthening. It also reflected the Chinese people's resentment of being oppressed by the "weak nation has no diplomacy" mentality. The recapture of the British Concession in Jiujiang was a classic example of a revolutionary breakthrough in advancing national liberation. The Progressive Party and the Chinese people readily reaped the benefits, having learned a way to resist imperialism.

But the story wasn't over yet. News of the PLA's liberation of Jiujiang and the reclaiming of the concessions naturally reached Wuhan through various channels, sending the remaining foreigners into a panic. No foreigner seeking gold in the Far East was foolish, and they knew the dire situation they would face if Jiujiang were blockaded by the Red Bandits. Faced with this predicament, they naturally sought out Zhang Zhidong and asked him to convey their desire to meet with Li Tong and his men for immediate negotiations.

After receiving Zhang Zhidong's message, Li Tong and his team immediately consulted the Central Committee, and Zhang Yinghao naturally agreed to the negotiations. Regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, whether they went smoothly or failed, it didn't matter. As long as the foreigners were willing to negotiate, Zhang Yinghao would not refuse to negotiate and would maintain communication channels. This was Zhang Yinghao's attitude. However, Zhang Yinghao was no longer able to grasp the specific situation in Wuhan. The situation was complex, but Zhang Yinghao was extremely clear-headed. He knew he couldn't offer any negotiation tips at this time, so he could only go with the flow and watch the situation unfold step by step.

However, since Li Tong and his team had asked the Central Committee for instructions, it was imperative that the Central Committee provide some principled support, otherwise the negotiating comrades would be unsure. Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and sent a telegram to them: "Time is on our side. Compared with our side, where public opinion is overwhelming, the British side will undoubtedly face a greater disadvantage, as they must protect both the concession area and the overseas Chinese, and it is difficult to balance these two demands. Therefore, as long as we persevere to the end, we will be victorious..."

When Li Tong and his companions saw the instruction telegram sent by Zhang Yinghao, they naturally understood what it meant. They immediately had an idea in their minds and knew how to negotiate: the goal of taking back the concession remained unchanged, only the means had changed.

Faced with the surging revolutionary situation in China, British imperialism was forced to drag in the other five powers, feigning negotiations with the liberated area governments, in an effort to buy time and find a solution. Indeed, the idea of ​​forming a six-nation negotiating group was a product of the unanimous agreement of the great powers.

However, the comrades of the Forward Party naturally would not be fooled. To isolate the British authorities, the new government immediately issued a foreign declaration. The gist of it was that the new government believed that China's liberation from the yoke of imperialist powers did not require a nationalist China to engage in armed struggle with the powers. Therefore, the new government was fully willing to resolve all remaining issues between China and the powers through negotiations and agreements... This government was willing to initiate any form of negotiations with any power individually to discuss the revision of the treaty and other ancillary issues. However, such negotiations must be based on the principles of economic equality and mutual respect for each other's sovereignty...

The new government's intentions are clear: talks are welcome, but they must be conducted individually with each major power. The new government will not negotiate with a joint negotiating team formed by the major powers. This is completely understandable. The specific conflicts between China and other countries are not the same. Talking together will not solve any problems and will only create more problems. It is better not to talk at all. Furthermore, the current struggle is primarily aimed at Britain, so dragging the major powers into the negotiations is completely unwise.

Seeing that the situation was imminent, the British had no choice but to negotiate with Dadi and others. Comrade Bai Jianyong was worthy of his political background and fully understood the concept of "revolutionary diplomacy" proposed by Zhang Yinghao. He led the negotiations with the British.

The two sides were at loggerheads, and he explicitly stated that "the Liberated Area Government will never yield due to intimidation" and "after the British concession is recovered, it will absolutely be managed by the new government."

Decades later, Bai Jianyong's son read the contents of the negotiations in his diary, which provided real material for the film and television drama about the recovery of the British Concession in Wuhan, and also allowed later generations to glimpse the real scene of the negotiations: