The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Foreign religions, especially Islam, label all believers in other religions and nonbelievers as pagans. They try to persuade these people to convert to their own religion, or even kill them, as a way to glorify God and Allah. Consequently, these religious struggles are extremely fierce, with countless religious wars, such as the Crusades, and countless deaths due to religion.

Once these religions gain secular power, they will attack people of other faiths to maintain their rule. Muhammad's occupation of Mecca and the burning of all the local temples are a clear example. Therefore, foreigners are born with the need to have faith; if they don't believe, they can die. Therefore, Chinese religions have never been able to withstand the aggressive religions of foreigners. It can even be said that Chinese religions are inherently deficient...

Zhang Yinghao went on to say, "There's another striking difference between Chinese and foreign religions. Chinese religions pursue the goal of becoming a Buddha, a saint, a perfect person, or a true person. Therefore, they emphasize self-discipline and prohibition against killing. Foreign believers have no taboos. They don't strive to become anything, but rather to manifest the glory of God. They do things like getting rich, and killing pagans is permitted."

Therefore, Chinese religions instruct their followers not to do certain things, while foreign religions instruct their followers to do certain things, and the results are naturally opposite. Therefore, the doctrines of foreign religions can be changed. For example, Islam stipulates that weapons are not allowed on the Sabbath, but if it is for the glory of God, killing pagans is still allowed, no problem...

Chapter 468:

Zhang Yinghao also knew that relying solely on religion could not save the world. Relying on psychological comfort to achieve liberation was like water without roots and a tree without roots. It was ultimately vain. If religion could really liberate people, then the world would have long since...

If people were saved by religion, they would have escaped from the sea of ​​suffering long ago and would be living in heaven or paradise. Even after thousands of years of development, religion would not be in its current state.

Then Zhang Yinghao continued, "Humans are social animals, and ultimately live in the real world. They cannot live without eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, sleeping, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. They cannot live without birth, old age, sickness, and death. Therefore, all living beings suffer and cannot be liberated.

People cannot live in their own imagination forever, living only on imagination and ignoring everything in reality. This will not bring them liberation.

People need to survive and work to obtain the means of survival, so monks and Taoists cannot solve the problem of productivity and can only try to ease the contradictions. They consciously cannot stand all the worldly disturbances in their practice, and feel that the worldly world affects their practice, so they eventually hide in the mountains and forests.

Therefore, everything in this world revolves around the word "life." Religions address humanity's ultimate problems of birth, aging, sickness, and death through imagination, reincarnation, and the afterlife. But now, through the development of science and through study and research, we, the real people, are ultimately able to resolve these issues, greatly extending human lifespan and solving countless difficult and complicated diseases. If this continues, humanity will ultimately be able to escape the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death on our own...

Religions avoid conflict and ease contradictions through rules and regulations. We, on the other hand, can avoid conflict and ease contradictions by developing production and enriching people's material lives and spiritual worlds. When people no longer worry about survival and live contentedly, humanity will naturally achieve great liberation.

When productivity develops to a certain stage, and everyone masters scientific principles and knows they are solely responsible for their own lives, and no longer has to worry about housing, retirement, or even procreation, then humanity will have reached paradise, a kind of heaven...

Therefore, the communist society that Marx talked about is our ultimate pursuit, and we have already grasped the key to realizing communism. It is no longer a religious fantasy world or the afterlife, but through the development of productivity, we can ultimately achieve our ultimate goal and realize communism..."

"Chairman, you once wrote an article called 'Diary of a Madman,' in which you wrote: '...Eating people was common in ancient times.' I remember it, but I'm not very clear. I opened the history books and looked them up. There were no dates, and on every crooked page were the words 'benevolence, righteousness, and morality.' I couldn't sleep, so I carefully read for half the night before I could make out the words between the lines. The whole book was filled with the two words 'eat people!' Then you said you wanted to eat people, but you were afraid of being eaten by others. They all looked at each other with deep suspicion... Once you let go of these thoughts, you can work, walk, eat, and sleep with peace of mind. How comfortable it is. This is just a threshold, a turning point. They are fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, wives, friends, teachers, students, enemies, and strangers, all united in a group, exhorting each other, hindering each other, and refusing to take this step even at the cost of their lives..."

Zhang Yinghao listened patiently, and before he'd even finished, he already knew what they were asking. "Diary of a Madman" was a work of plagiarism, a rip-off of Lu Xun's previous life. The sharpness of the writing was indeed impressive, but at the time, Zhang Yinghao merely exercised his plagiarism skills and didn't alter the content. Looking back, Zhang Yinghao saw that the article contained quite a few problems.

Sure enough, I heard this comrade ask: "Chairman, you said, 'If we can get rid of this thought, we can work, walk, eat, and sleep with peace of mind. How comfortable it is. But if fathers and sons, brothers, husbands and wives, friends, teachers and students, enemies, and strangers all form a group, encourage each other, hinder each other, and refuse to take this step even at death, how can we get rid of this thought at the same time?'"

After listening to this, Zhang Yinghao naturally realized that Lu Xun himself didn't know how to solve this "cannibalism" problem. Even his final cry of "Save the children" seemed pale and powerless. Seeing suffering isn't the key; knowing how to save the children is the key.

Zhang Yinghao answered without thinking: "The old society is a world where people oppress and exploit each other. It is also a world where productivity is extremely underdeveloped. If you eat one more bite, others may starve to death. Therefore, the old society maintains an extremely cruel and fragile balance. The development of productivity will inevitably lead to social change. However, when productivity has not developed for a long time, and there are no natural disasters or man-made disasters, the old social order is difficult to break. Breaking the old order means a new distribution of interests. The old vested interests will naturally resist with all their might. They form alliances to jointly maintain their old vested interests. Therefore, they are seriously involuntarily and are unwilling to take that step even if they die...

Why is my revolution bound to succeed? It is because our proposition is to develop production, to break the old order while establishing a new order, an order suitable for the development of production. As the cake gets bigger, contradictions will naturally ease, and the pain of the destruction of the old order will naturally be greatly alleviated.

As for how to get rid of this mentality, it's not about trying to change people's minds out of thin air, but about breaking their old relationships through development and violence, smashing the old world, and establishing a new world ruled by our proletariat. We will use the concept of "fairness and justice" that we, the proletariat, uphold to guide people's actions, formulate laws, and everyone must abide by the order that the people need. Only in this way, people will be wary of each other, and the mentality of "cannibalism" will naturally disappear..."

At this point, Zhang Yinghao suddenly remembered the article "The Threshold" written by the Russian writer Turgenev. He immediately changed it and recited it: "I saw a building. A narrow door in the front was wide open, and there was a dark fog inside. Outside the high threshold stood a lonely figure.

A snow-laden wind blew through the thick fog, and a chill seeped from the depths of the building. At the same time, a slow, heavy voice asked, "Ah, what do you want to do by crossing this threshold? Do you know what awaits you inside?"

"I know." The figure replied.

“Cold, hunger, hatred, ridicule, contempt, insults, prison, disease, and even death.”

"I know."

"The alienation from people and the complete loneliness."

"I know, and I'm ready. I'm willing to endure all the pain and all the blows."

"Not only your enemies, but also your relatives and friends will inflict pain and suffering on you."

"Yes, even if they give me this, I will endure it." "Okay. Are you ready to sacrifice yourself too?"

"Yes."

"This is an unknown sacrifice. You will perish without even a soul... No one will know about you, and no one will honor you."

"I don't want gratitude, I don't want pity. I don't want fame." "Are you willing to commit a crime?"

The figure lowered his head in thought for a moment, then said firmly, "I am also willing... to commit a crime."

The voice inside paused for a moment. Then it spoke again: "Do you know that in the future, when you are in trouble, you will deny your current faith and think that you have wasted your youth in vain?"

"I know this too. I just ask you to let me in." "Come in."

A lonely figure stepped over the threshold, and a thick curtain was immediately lowered and the door closed.

"Fool!" someone yelled from behind.

"A saint!" came the reply from somewhere. Zhang Yinghao finished reciting in a deep voice, gave his comrades a bowl of chicken soup, and then said, "Now, regardless of whether we are fathers, sons, brothers, spouses, friends, teachers, students, enemies, or even strangers, we must all unite as one, encourage each other, and support each other, refusing to take this step even at the cost of our lives. In other words, no matter what others do, no matter what they think or say about us, we must work hard and not worry about the lack of friends on the road ahead. We must resolutely follow our own path, no matter what the road holds, we must forge ahead, develop productivity, and serve the people wholeheartedly. The people will naturally follow us, and ultimately, we will be able to build a beautiful and happy new world that we cannot even imagine now..."

Chapter 469:

After finishing the lecture, Zhang Yinghao returned to the office, sat down on the chair, poured himself a glass of water and took a sip, then picked up his courseware and started to revise it.

Zhang Yinghao hopes that he can gain something, improve and progress after each lecture, so as to enrich his lecture content, make it more logical and achieve the purpose of education.

The main purpose of this class was to connect religious imaginaries, or the wonderful afterlife, with reality, and to teach students how to realize these beautiful religious fantasies. Zhang Yinghao knew that the future world would be even more beautiful than religious imaginations, and that even the current generation of students could not comprehend or imagine it, no matter how much they imagined and speculated about it.

Zhang Yinghao hadn't been writing for long when a messenger came to him and said, "Chairman, urgent telegram."

Zhang Yinghao put down his pen, took the telegram, and began to read. The content was actually very simple, just a report on the resumption of the Russo-Japanese War in Northeast China. Zhang Yinghao knew that the General Staff must be conducting war simulations at this time. Zhang Yinghao could imagine the bustling scene of people coming and going over there...

Zhang Yinghao smiled faintly and continued reading. The rest of the article briefly mentioned that the Fifth Field Army in Northeast China was about to take military action according to plan.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know why this news had reached him. After all, these matters could be handled by the General Staff and other departments themselves. But then he thought again, there really was no one in the entire liberated area who was capable of commanding a war of this scale. His comrades had little experience, and they didn't know much about the situation on the front lines or the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army. It was understandable that they were worried and even guilty.

A general's success is built on the bones of countless soldiers. To put it the other way around, cultivating a qualified general requires the accumulation of countless bones. Without sufficient practice, how can a general grow up without the bones of thousands buried and the corpses filling the fields? Only by learning war from war and constantly summarizing experience and lessons can an invincible army be trained. Since Zhang Yinghao regarded the Northeast as a training ground, he could bear the necessary sacrifices.

Zhang Yinghao felt he had nothing else to say, so he immediately wrote out the academy's educational policy: a firm and correct political orientation, a hard-working and simple work style, and flexible and maneuverable strategies and tactics...

After finishing, Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and continued writing: "Let us mobilize the masses, stand with the people, and closely connect with them. We will surely achieve final victory..."

In the vast land of Northeast China, Zhang Yinghao didn't really care about temporary military victory or failure. In this era when willpower and material strength could still coexist in battle, as long as he had the support of the vast majority of the people in Northeast China, there was no reason not to win.

In the past, the Northeast was established as the puppet state of Manchukuo and was occupied by Japan for so many years. Why didn't it ultimately secede like Outer Mongolia? Ultimately, it was the result of the arduous and unremitting struggle of the people of Northeast China. Of course, relying solely on the power of the people was not enough. Ultimately, the CCP's series of political and military actions in Northeast China also played an important role. They liberated the grassroots people and made the possibility of Northeast China's secession impossible...

After Zhang Yinghao finished writing, he handed it to the messenger and said, "Forward it to Chief of Staff Liu Qi and other comrades for reference."

Just as Zhang Yinghao decided to train his comrades and give them a free hand in the war in Northeast China, the Fifth Field Army's command room was filled with a cheerful and lively atmosphere. The comrades could not help but be happy. This attempt to instigate an offensive against Japan and Russia had fully achieved its intended goal...

Chapter 470:

It turned out that after Comrade Liu Haoren and his disguised comrades retreated, the strength accumulated by the Japanese and Russian forces during the truce was completely unleashed. The two sides were generally facing each other along the line from Changtu to Siping, neither daring to start a war, maintaining a strange peace. However, both sides were constantly sending supplies and troops to the front line to accumulate strength...

A fist only gains power when it is retracted and then struck out again. At this moment, both Japan and Russia had retracted their fists, accumulating sufficient strength. If, as history had it, Britain and the United States had intervened to mediate and the Russo-Japanese conflict had ceased, this accumulated strength would have ultimately been channeled towards the heroes and heroines of Northeast China who fought against them, and even the bandits there would have been annihilated. But now, this strength, coaxed by Liu Haoren and others, has been unleashed, and both Japan and Russia have unleashed their retracted fists.

With both Japan and Russia accumulating such strength, and clashing at a critical juncture where the Russian navy had been completely annihilated, the more intelligent individuals naturally speculated on each other's intentions. The high-ranking officials on both sides naturally understood the consequences of retreating after a defeat, so the scale of the conflict escalated. Battles fought over the Changtu-Siping front, ultimately resulting in numerous casualties on both sides.

At this time, Comrade Liu Tongpao introduced to the officers: "...The Japanese and Russian sides have been continuously accumulating strength along the Changtu-Siping line. The Russian army hastily retreated from the previous Battle of Fengtian and lost a large amount of supplies. These supplies were captured and divided between the Japanese army and us, greatly weakening the Russian army. However, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. The Russian army has been preparing for a period of time and has stockpiled a large amount of combat supplies, so the conditions are relatively favorable. In this Russo-Japanese conflict, the Russian army dispatched 180,000 troops and more than 630 artillery pieces along the Siping line to fight against the Japanese army's 140,000 troops and more than 580 artillery pieces..."

After briefly introducing the numbers and deployments of the Japanese and Russian troops on the front lines, Sun Tongpao continued, "According to current information, Russian General Linevich learned from Kuropatkin's previous tactic of relying on frontline fortifications to resist and tire out the Japanese attack, then attempting to counterattack, thus handing the initiative to the enemy through passive waiting. The artillery fire never stopped, and he even ordered the Russian army to charge and attack fiercely, resulting in a very fierce battle.

The fighting on the Russian right flank was fierce from the outset, thanks to the efforts of Liu Haoren and other comrades. The Japanese, exploiting the vacuum left by our advance into the Russian positions, launched a two-pronged, flanking attack against the Russians under cover of darkness. One Japanese division drove a wedge through the Russian positions, while another circumvented the Russian flank and launched a test attack. To recapture the position, the Russians proactively changed course, turning eastward and emerging from concealed woods on their flank. They suddenly repelled the Japanese offensive with bayonet-to-hand combat, temporarily turning the tide in their favor...

After their frontal advance was blocked and they were driven back, the Japanese army immediately employed their usual tactics: a combination of open and covert attacks. While simultaneously attacking, they also sent a division to encircle the enemy from the right flank. To prevent being surrounded, the Russian army proactively deployed its reserve forces to attack the Japanese, and the fighting between the two sides became increasingly fierce.

The Japanese, buoyed by their naval victory, were eager to achieve further success on land, often taking the initiative. The Russians, using machine guns, artillery, and bayonets, held off the Japanese attacks. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle, often conducted in darkness, with both sides vying for control.

At some points, the Russian army nearly reached Changtu, but the desperate Japanese counterattacks proved fruitless and forced them to retreat. The Japanese also approached Siping at certain points, with both sides engaging in desperate battles against these advancing armies. The Russians shouted "Ura!" and the Japanese shouted "Board!" Bayonet fighting even ensued, with division-level clashes involving bayonets.

After listening to Sun Tongpao's story, the comrades couldn't help but imagine the brutal battle between Japan and Russia in their minds. It was a test of blood and fire, life and death. But even so, the comrades still felt their blood boiling. Of course, the comrades naturally hoped that the battle between Japan and Russia would be as fierce as possible.

"...Overall, the Japanese-Russian battle lines in Changtu and Siping remained largely unchanged, as we anticipated. The two sides engaged in a chaotic battle over these dozens of kilometers. However, the fighting was brutal, with at least 20,000 Japanese and Russian casualties on both sides. According to the Chairman, this was practically the limit of Japanese and Russian casualties. Our greatest advantage was that logistics for both sides were difficult, but the battle had a significant impact on their munitions and other supplies. Both sides' frontline ammunition reserves must have been largely depleted, otherwise the bayonet clashes involving tens of thousands of people would not have occurred. Therefore, the operation led by Comrade Liu Haoren fully achieved its tactical and strategic objectives..."

Chapter 471:

If Zhang Yinghao had heard Comrade Sun Tongpao's analysis, he would have immediately recalled the Korean War. During the fifth battle, although Marshal Peng Dehuai had seen through Van Fleet's plan, the troops advanced too quickly. Although he had ordered the participating Chinese People's Volunteer Army units to retreat north before the situation deteriorated, many units, upon receiving the order, found it difficult to retreat. Furthermore, the US military's advance had completely entangled the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the US Army, creating a chaotic situation. Military commanders were constantly on the alert, and the fighting was a mess. No one knew when to turn the corner and encounter the enemy.

With so many troops stationed along the Changtu-Siping line, once the situation got out of control and a major battle broke out, the brutality of the fighting on both sides can be easily imagined. Even Zhang Yinghao, who was thousands of miles away, could imagine the heroic scene of the Japanese army shouting "Aboard" and the Russian army shouting "Ura" as they charged forward.

After several hours of marching, the soldiers of the Fifth Field Army, through several lines of troops, had quietly moved closer to the city of Shenyang. Tens of thousands of men, a seemingly endless column stretching for several kilometers, stretched as far as the eye could see. The troops began to stop for food, rest, and replenishment.

By this time, the latest information about the Shenyang defenders had been delivered to Comrade Liu Wenxiu by the special forces and scouts. Liu Wenxiu had already thoroughly studied Zhang Yinghao's plan and had a clear understanding of the operational intent. After reviewing the intelligence, Liu Wenxiu summoned all cadres at the division level and above to assign combat tasks.

The Japanese army in Manchuria was now in a herringbone formation. Why did they fail to advance past Changtu? Besides domestic economic factors, a more significant factor was the Japanese army's heavy reliance on the Chinese Eastern Railway for logistics. Changtu-Siping was the balance of power between Japan and Russia. Furthermore, Japanese munitions and other supplies still needed to be shipped from mainland China to Manchuria or Korea via sea, significantly weakening the Japanese army's war potential and impacting its combat effectiveness.

The head of this zigzag snake formation was naturally Changtu, where a large number of troops were stored. The tail of the snake was Lushun, Dalian, Jiuliancheng, and even Korea. The Japanese army's logistical supplies needed to be transported through these two routes. Shenyang was the seven-inch point of this zigzag. If this seven-inch point was pinched, it would no longer be possible to take care of both ends.

The Russo-Japanese conflict at this time had greatly weakened the snakehead's power, leaving it unable to turn back and protect its weakest points. Shenyang was also the political, cultural, and economic center of Northeast China, serving as a connecting link to Shanhaiguan. Liberation of Shenyang would greatly facilitate the subsequent liberation of the entire Northeast and the confluence of forces entering the pass.

Moreover, the Japanese army at this time was a typical weakling. The Japanese troops in Northeast China were scattered across the Chinese Eastern Railway, in places like Anshan, Liaoyang, and Haicheng. From Liu Wenxiu's perspective, they were just pieces of fat meat. The Japanese army was seriously short of manpower and personnel, and these places were full of loopholes. The Japanese troops stationed in various places might be able to deal with bandits, but they were no match for the Northeast People's Liberation Army, which outnumbered them several times and was well-trained and well-armed.

"According to the intelligence reported by our scouts and other comrades, the Japanese and Russian armies are still engaged in a ceaseless battle. The defenders in Kaiyuan, Tieling, and even Shenyang are showing signs of mobilization. Due to the demands of war and the geographical location, the Japanese army has stored a large amount of supplies in Shenyang. If we can act quickly and successfully, liberate Shenyang, the Japanese logistics base, and sever the routes connecting the three parties, the Japanese troops on the front lines will be essentially trapped. Furthermore, as long as we empty the city of Shenyang of its supplies, even if we ultimately withdraw, our military operation will be halfway to success..."

The importance of Shenyang is self-evident. If nothing unexpected happens, upon receiving the news that Shenyang is under attack and in imminent danger, the Japanese troops in Liaoyang and Tieling will surely rush to reinforce Shenyang. The Japanese troops in Anshan, Haicheng, Lianshan and other places will also be dispatched immediately to support Shenyang. The Japanese army will certainly recapture Shenyang at all costs to ensure the safety of the front line. This is one of the reasons why Liu Wenxiu said that they might withdraw in the end.

"Shenyang currently only has one infantry battalion and one supply regiment of the Japanese garrison, totaling just over 5,000 Japanese troops. However, during the Battle of Shenyang, the Russians retreated hastily and abandoned a large amount of supplies. Therefore, Shenyang now has a lot of everything except supplies..."

"West of Shenyang, Benxi, Heitaigou, and other places are still in ruins due to the war. This is just in the best position for us to advance covertly and attack..."

"We must gather a large force to attack Shenyang, and we must attack Shenyang with all our might. We must capture Shenyang and its supplies as soon as possible. However, we must also create an illusion for the Japanese headquarters that Shenyang is in imminent danger and can be breached at any time. They will definitely mobilize their forces to provide full support. This is our opportunity. What Li Hu and his men need to do is ambush the Japanese reinforcements on the way, killing their active forces and reducing the enormous pressure on us in the upcoming decisive battle with the Japanese army."

Seeing everyone's faces showing an expression of both anticipation and nervousness, their eyes fixed on him, Liu Wenxiu decisively gave the order.

"We have never fought a battle this large, with forces several times greater than ours. Therefore, comrades must do their utmost, learning and summarizing while fighting. It would be best if we could completely drive the Japanese out of Northeast China in one battle, leaving them to linger in Korea..."

“Why not attack North Korea as well?”

"We can't go to sea. We can't defeat the Japanese warships. Even if we all rush in to block the gun holes, it will be useless. It will still be a dead end. Moreover, the Japanese army can land at any point. It's impossible to defend against it. In the end, it will be a chaotic battle and drag us into the abyss of war..."

Comrades, do you think we are leaving so many coastal provinces unliberated because we are truly incapable of liberating them? In fact, we are worried that the Western powers will bombard our coastal cities. When we are unable to defend these cities, we still leave these places to the Qing Dynasty...

Chapter 472:

If Zhang Yinghao had heard what his comrades were discussing, he would have been shocked. However, upon closer examination, it was all understandable. In this era, without control of the sea and with a clear enemy, the Korean Peninsula, surrounded by the sea on three sides, was extremely difficult to unify. Even a careless move could easily lead to being dragged into the quagmire of war.

Because Kim Il-sung of North Korea had done this in his previous life, he was naturally excited when he saw that China had accomplished the great cause of unification with its own strength. After obtaining help from the Soviet Union, he also wanted to unify the entire Korean Peninsula. The Korean People’s Army did indeed beat the South Korean army to tears, conquering cities and territories along the way with great momentum.

However, due to the rapid advance, the liberated areas had not been absorbed. Furthermore, the intervention of the "United Nations" forces led by five-star American General Douglas MacArthur, who landed at Incheon, exposed the Korean People's Army to attack from both sides and forced it to retreat. Ultimately, it was completely defeated and suffered heavy losses. If it were not for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's entry into the Korean War, Korea might have become a historical figure.

At this point, the comrades immediately understood why the coastal provinces hadn't been liberated, not because of a lack of capacity but because the timing wasn't right. The liberated areas weren't yet capable of protecting the coastal cities. They immediately recalled the British warships' wanton bombardment of Wanxian. If the PLA and the foreign powers came into conflict or even war, the Western powers would undoubtedly bombard coastal cities, and they would absolutely not care about the lives of the Chinese. The Forward Party and the PLA naturally wouldn't be threatened by foreign bombardments of coastal cities, but they were willing to minimize losses and prolong the liberation period.

"We have ample manpower for this battle, but we must still adopt the strategy of surrounding them on three sides and leaving one side vulnerable. After all, even a cornered beast will fight, and even a cornered rabbit will bite. Furthermore, it's not easy to remain in Shenyang. Street fighting is something we don't want to see. Eliminating the enemy in a field battle is the best option..."

"Comrade Li Hu, you take the Sixth Corps. Comrade Zhao Yong, you take the Fifth Corps. I will also give you an independent artillery regiment. You will lead the comrades to attack Shenyang from the front. Charge and attack fiercely with lightning speed. You must liberate Shenyang as quickly as possible and fight until the Japanese troops in Shenyang request assistance. And you cannot give the Japanese troops in Shenyang too much time to do so..."

"Commander, what if the Japanese engage in street fighting and turn Shenyang into ruins?"

"Pots and pans can be rebuilt if they're lost, but there's nothing we can do about them turning into ruins. If the old doesn't go, the new won't come! Just fight like we have to. The lives of our comrades are worth more than those dilapidated houses. But I doubt it. Shenyang is such an important place. Do the Japanese dare to leave it to us? If you can capture it in a short time, the Japanese reinforcements will only increase..."

After hearing this, Li Hu and Zhao Yong's eyes lit up and they said loudly at the same time: "Please rest assured, Commander-in-Chief, we will ensure that the mission is completed."

Liu Wenxiu nodded, then turned to the rest of the group and said, "Once Comrades Li Hu and Zhao Yong start fighting here, the situation in the entire Northeast will immediately change dramatically. It will become a chaotic mess, so we must leave a reserve force behind for emergencies. After dark, we must also secretly lurk between Liaoyang and Shenyang, or between Liaoyang and Tieling, to prevent the Japanese from bypassing the ambush sites set up by the comrades on the front lines and rushing to the Shenyang battlefield..."

"We have already made preparations for the liberation of Shenyang. We have already dug secret passages. Right now, the special forces have already lurked inside the city, awaiting orders. Commander Li, Commander Zhao, when the time comes, they will join you in attacking from both inside and outside, taking Shenyang. Furthermore, they will eliminate the Japanese troops stationed at some important locations inside, giving the Japs no chance to blow up their supplies..."

At six o'clock in the evening, after a day's journey, Li Hu and his men finally arrived at the designated location for the attack on Shenyang. He took a deep breath and said, "Comrades, time is limited. We can only rest and eat dinner at the same time. Tell the soldiers to work hard tonight, overcome their fatigue, and prepare to fight the Japanese and kill the foreign devils..."

After Li Hu finished speaking, he suddenly felt a surge of strength. He recalled a lecture by Chairman Zhang Yinghao, in which he said that there were no righteous wars in the Spring and Autumn Period, and that the world today is still fighting for profit, with no justice to speak of. But he suddenly understood that resisting aggression between enemies and ourselves is the greatest justice, and protecting the Chinese people from harm on Chinese soil is the greatest justice. He also realized that a just cause will ultimately triumph!

At this point, the soldiers of the field army were extremely excited, and they all knew what they were going to do next. The people of Northeast China had suffered greatly from the Russo-Japanese War, and the comrades had long seen it with their own eyes and hated it in their hearts. Their hearts were already filled with anger, and they had long been eager to fight the foreign devils to the death.

There is no more inspiring slogan in this era than the three words "Kill the foreigners"! Comrades also believe that as long as the just banner of resisting aggression is raised, the people of the entire Northeast and even the whole country will support the just actions of the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army.

The comrades were relieved to find no echeloned defensive positions outside Shenyang. The Japanese army's situation had completely changed after driving the Russians away. As the victors, they naturally enjoyed the treatment that the victors deserved. Many of the trenches dug during the Russo-Japanese War had been filled in. The surroundings were bare, and even the Japanese were unwilling to suffer outside Shenyang...

If the Japanese knew the PLA was coming, they would have left the trenches from the Russo-Japanese War in place, and would have expanded their city-centered defense system to at least 20 kilometers outside the city, digging trenches and communication trenches. It would have been no easy task for the PLA to capture the city now.

Since the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Japanese army has looked down on the Chinese army. A small group of Japanese soldiers dared to chase the large force of the Qing army and attack. What was there for the Japanese army to be wary of in the Chinese army? This was even more so for the Russian army, because the losses suffered by the Russian invasion of the Northeast were minimal. The Russian army took advantage of the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China and invaded when the Qing Dynasty was preoccupied with itself. The Qing army in the Northeast did not resist the Russian invasion at all. Our imperialism was unstoppable and successfully took over the entire Northeast.

Imperialism bullies the weak and fears the strong, and faced with the weak and incompetent Qing government, they naturally looked down on the Qing people. In addition, the Russo-Japanese War was in full swing, and the focus of both sides was on the other. Even though they knew that a powerful force had grown stronger, the inherent psychology of the Japanese and Russo-Japanese imperialists would still look down on the Fifth Field Army and could not imagine that the Chinese army would dare to launch an offensive against them.

At this point, the field army easily surrounded Shenyang from three directions. Under the cover of darkness, the Japanese troops defending Shenyang were unaware of the danger. They now fell back into the traditional fortified city defense model. While this was foolish from the Japanese perspective, it saved the PLA a lot of effort.

"The Fifth Column will launch an attack from the north of Shenyang. Once the attack begins, build momentum and present a double-strength force."

"The Sixth Column will attack south of Shenyang. Also, arrange them in twos. I will command the rest of the troops. They will attack from the west and launch a full-scale attack. The troops will pour into Shenyang like a tide, penetrate every hole, and drown the Japanese troops inside. Leave the east side open for the Japanese to break through. It is now night.

Seven o'clock, the attack will start at nine o'clock in the evening, start setting the clock now..."

Chapter 473:

Zhang Yinghao's troops hadn't yet vigorously advocated for saturation artillery fire, nor had they been taught about large-scale offensives. Instead, they were taught to fight the war based on the weapons and personnel available. In reality, Zhang Yinghao felt his teaching was like a panacea, applicable anywhere. He was only teaching his comrades how to conduct warfare from a theoretical and principled perspective, leaving the comrades to analyze and research specific situations.

Zhang Yinghao knew that practice was the key to true knowledge. He had never experienced war in his previous life, and in this one, he had only led his comrades in a few battles against the Qing Dynasty. His combat experience was too scarce, and the lessons he learned from anti-Japanese dramas were not enough to guide his comrades in large-scale military operations. Zhang Yinghao also had self-awareness and knew that he didn't intend to be a soldier forever. He had led his comrades in the battle against the Qing Dynasty out of necessity, because there were no available subordinates. He was forced to lead the troops himself. The revolution needed him to lead his comrades in battle, and Zhang Yinghao told his comrades to go to war...

Now that the situation had changed and his comrades had gradually grown, Zhang Yinghao wasn't someone who intended to be solely dedicated to the military, so he naturally wouldn't offer guidance to the experts, much less specific instructions on how to fight. Zhang Yinghao knew that although few of his comrades had graduated from regular military academies and hadn't received comprehensive, systematic training and education, since they had chosen this path, they naturally had to love their craft and excel at it. How to study the laws of war and how to conduct it naturally required their own exploration and practice.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao comes from the future. He has watched so many anti-Japanese dramas. He has a certain understanding of the strategies and tactics of World War I and World War II, if not proficient in them. He has also learned about the three major battles of the Liberation War in history classes. Zhang Yinghao's vision and height are not comparable to those of today's comrades. Therefore, the content of marching and fighting is taught in strategy and tactics classes, but it is all at the theoretical level. How to do it specifically? It still requires comrades to practice it themselves. Just like what Zhang Yinghao said about the inevitable victory of the people's war, without practical verification and examples, who knows how to do it?