The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Why did Yamashiro Jiro call for a mutiny? It was because Japan was in dire straits at the time, and the soldiers on the front lines weren't doing well. More importantly, he knew that Japan itself was facing serious difficulties, with widespread rice riots. These were essentially demonstrations where people lost control of their emotions and engaged in looting and burning. Because of the war, rice prices were skyrocketing, and Japanese financial tycoons were hoarding and driving up prices. Many housewives couldn't afford rice, and to avoid starvation, they robbed rice shops. So Yamashiro Jiro subconsciously concluded that this was a mutiny in the Japanese army.

The stationmaster's face immediately turned pale when he saw this scene. He was the stationmaster of Lushun Railway Station who was transferred from China and was a spokesperson for the rich. He had never experienced the baptism of war and was terrified when he heard about the "mutiny".

"Sir Yamashita, what should we do now?"

Yamashiro's eyes were as fierce as a wolf's, as he looked at the soldiers on the platform killing people as if they were dead. Hearing the stationmaster's question, he turned around and saw the stationmaster's cowardly look. He cursed him inwardly, "Good-for-nothing." But he couldn't afford to offend this local figure, so he said, "Call your superiors immediately and tell them there's been a mutiny at the train station. Request guidance. At the same time, tell the mutinous soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender immediately."

"Hai, I'll hit you right now, right now..."

The stationmaster realized that he had neglected to use the loudspeaker, so he ran to the phone and started dialing to report the situation.

Yamashiro left him alone after saying that and immediately ran to his battalion headquarters, intending to mobilize troops to immediately suppress the mutiny, otherwise his position as battalion commander would be over. He secretly swore in his heart that no matter which unit started the mutiny, they would all be killed, and it would all become a credit sent to him.

Mutiny? It was indeed difficult to tell whether it was real or fake at this point. When the Japanese soldiers on duty boarded the train to check, they were all slaughtered with bayonets by the well-prepared soldiers. Then, the field army soldiers immediately rushed towards the bunkers, offices, and freight stations inside Lushun Station with their rifles raised without hesitation.

Not a single soldier fired a shot. Instead, they kept repeating in Japanese: "The soldiers have mutinied. Surrender and you won't be killed!"

All the soldiers tried to resolve the situation with bayonets, fighting silently. Unfortunately, everything was seen by the stationmaster and Yamashiro. However, as Yamashiro ran downstairs, he ran into three field army soldiers, and both of their pupils shrank sharply.

One of the soldiers immediately raised his voice and shouted: "The soldiers have mutinied. Surrender and you will not be killed."

Yamashiro Jiro had no time to waste with these three rebels, so he immediately raised his pistol and prepared to shoot.

To avoid accidental discharges and exposure, the field army did not load their rifles with bullets. Only after the first shot was fired could the soldiers begin loading and firing.

Of course, this is extremely dangerous for the soldier who first encounters the enemy and opens fire, but in this era of inferior strength, this risk is a necessary price to pay. The advantages and benefits of being able to eliminate the enemy silently are enormous. If you open fire from the outset, the enemy will be prepared, and a counter-fire situation will inevitably occur, and your casualties will not increase by just one or two. The principle is clear, and the soldiers understand it. However, understanding is one thing, but when you actually encounter the enemy who opens fire first, you really can't just blame yourself for your bad luck.

Of course, the commanders and political commissars at all levels of the field army naturally couldn't let their soldiers just go out and fight the enemy with bayonets at their fingertips, leaving them to their own devices. The field army's snipers would always immediately take up high ground, observing the enemy on all sides. If there was any sign of trouble, they could freely shoot and kill the enemy, while also providing fire support to the front lines. Furthermore, these bayoneted soldiers were protected by soldiers with loaded ammunition not far behind, providing immediate protection for these frontline soldiers.

So when the three soldiers saw the Japanese soldier in front of them actually pulled out a pistol, even though they were mentally prepared for the first enemy to shoot, they were still terrified. However, the soldiers were mentally prepared. One of the soldiers immediately shouted, "Get down!" The other two soldiers immediately lay down and rolled to the side to avoid the bullets.

The soldiers lay down immediately to avoid being shot, and also to expose the enemy in front of them to the shooting range of their own soldiers as much as possible. If their position just blocked the sight of the soldiers who provided them with protection, wouldn't that be the end of it?

However, upon hearing the Chinese pronunciation of "lie down," Yamashiro was visibly stunned. Suddenly, he realized that the enemy before him was not a mutineer. He immediately roared, "Baga! Chinese!"

Seeing the soldiers rolling around, Shan Tilang immediately wanted to take two steps forward, get closer, aim more closely, and then shoot the three enemies. It would be best if he could capture one alive and find out what was going on.

However, his attempt was doomed to fail. Just as he took a step forward, two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously. This was the first shot fired by the protecting soldier and the sniper.

One shot hit Yamashita's left shoulder, and another hit his lower abdomen. But Yamashita Jiro was also a ruthless man. Even though he was seriously injured and bleeding, he still held the pistol steadily, his fingers hooked, and shot at the soldiers who were constantly rolling in front of him. He was also a wise man. In this situation, it was better to kill one than to injure three. He immediately fired several shots at one of the soldiers, one in the thigh and one in the arm. Just when the soldier thought he was doomed, the Japanese soldier stopped moving completely, because he was shot twice more, one of which was a direct blow to the head. No matter how ruthless he was, he could only fall to the ground unwillingly.

When the soldiers rushed into the stationmaster's office, they heard the stationmaster still holding the microphone and shouting: "...Baixi, there has been a mutiny at the train station. We need support. Please provide support immediately..."

Chapter 508:

Since ancient times, people have been afraid of teammates who are as bad as pigs, not as god-like opponents. No matter how strong the opponent is, there is always a loophole to exploit and a solution to the problem. However, teammates who are too bad are like useless people who cannot be helped and are beyond help.

When the comrades of the field army heard the Japanese devil shouting into the phone in the stationmaster's office, they naturally knew that this was an important figure at the railway station. However, when they heard what the devil shouted, they were naturally very happy.

For the attacking field army soldiers, the Japanese also considered them mutinous, which was a good thing. Although the Japanese army showed no mercy when suppressing their own people, the way they handled the relationship between the enemy and the people and the internal contradictions of the people were still very different. When dealing with the enemy, they would naturally use all means to physically eliminate the enemy, but when dealing with mutinous soldiers, the Japanese would more likely use force to force them to surrender.

Upon hearing that the Japanese truly believed they were Japanese mutineers, Commander Du's eyes flashed with an idea. At previous seminars, all comrades had unanimously agreed that the greatest difficulty in capturing Port Arthur lay in the soldiers stationed within the fortresses. If these soldiers remained in hiding, resisting stubbornly, especially with a strong will and a willingness to fight to the death, it would be extremely difficult for the field army to attack these fortresses, resulting in heavy casualties and a significant time-consuming operation. Furthermore, if word of the mutineers' fraudulent existence were leaked or the Japanese launched a desperate, large-scale artillery attack, everyone inside the train station would be in real danger.

Since the Japanese army now regarded their own side as a mutiny, they were a perfect target to exploit. They would certainly send a large army to suppress it, and it was impossible for them to launch an indiscriminate artillery attack without saying a word. Moreover, because this rebel group was isolated and had no backup, the Japanese army in Port Arthur could not imagine that this group of soldiers actually wanted to completely control Port Arthur, which would have a high probability of luring the Japanese troops inside the fortress out.

Since the field army was about to engage in a desperate battle with the Japanese near the train station, it would be best to turn this place into a defensive battlefield. Defense always results in fewer losses than offense. Furthermore, the defenders of Port Arthur were limited, so they needed to deplete the Japanese army's manpower as much as possible. Ideally, they could draw out all the Japanese troops from the various fortresses in Port Arthur. By keeping all the Japanese troops outside, it would be easier for the field army to take over the fortresses in Port Arthur.

It was a good idea, but its effectiveness would depend on Japanese cooperation. Commander Du, without hesitation, immediately ordered the capture of Baiyu Mountain behind the Port Arthur train station. This small hill, only a little over a hundred meters above sea level, was a commanding position, and it contained fortifications left by the Russian army. However, facing an attack from the train station, these fortifications were largely ineffective. Under the attack of the elite soldiers, the hilltop quickly fell into the hands of the field army.

Commander Du then began to deploy his positions, preparing to meet the first wave of fierce attacks from the Japanese. At the same time, he ordered the soldiers to quickly unload all the ammunition and supplies from the train and store them in separate locations to prevent them from being hit by Japanese artillery fire and causing explosions.

Commander Du's worst fears ultimately didn't materialize. If the Japanese garrison had opened fire upon receiving word of the mutiny, the munitions and supplies on the train would have exploded, and the field army would have suffered heavy losses, let alone defending the train station. Now, by simply dispersing the supplies and moving them elsewhere, this deadly powder keg was resolved.

After Commander Du gave the order, his eyes rolled again and he came up with a brilliant idea. He immediately ordered the comrades who could speak Japanese and occupied the stationmaster's office to start shouting in Japanese, saying that their mutiny was completely forced, and they hoped to improve the treatment of the soldiers and end the war. They wanted peace talks instead of war.

Stopping the war and improving treatment are the two things that all soldiers want. Commander Du naturally hopes that this can slightly divide and disintegrate the morale of the Japanese army, and also use this to delay time and give follow-up troops more time.

Commander Du may not have fully realized at this point that he had chosen the perfect time to lead his field army into the Port Arthur offensive. There were practically no Japanese naval vessels in the Port Arthur harbor at that time. The Japanese warships were either engaged in combat with the Russian warships or searching for them. Only a few small gunboats were on patrol.

After the Japanese army received the news of their victory in the Battle of Tsushima, the tense situation in Port Arthur disappeared without a trace. The Japanese army in Port Arthur was worried that the Russian navy would launch a surprise attack on Port Arthur, just like the Japanese navy did. Such a surprise attack might not be able to capture Port Arthur, but it would still cause them considerable casualties and losses. Naturally, no one wanted to die if they could avoid death.

At this time, the Russian navy was defeated and destroyed, and the Japanese army in Port Arthur suddenly relaxed their tight strings, because they also knew that they could no longer be attacked by the Russians, or even attacked at all. Just as they were celebrating, they suddenly received news of a mutiny, which was naturally a blow to the Port Arthur defenders.

Upon receiving the news, the Japanese garrison in Port Arthur naturally moved out immediately to suppress the mutinous soldiers. However, the first to react were the Japanese gendarmerie. The Japanese gendarmerie had been in existence for quite some time, having been established before the overthrow of the shogunate. However, after the First Sino-Japanese War, the gendarmerie's responsibilities expanded to include intelligence gathering. After 1895, overseas intelligence gathering and maintaining law and order in occupied territories became key functions of the gendarmerie. During the Russo-Japanese War, this responsibility was further strengthened in order to quickly resolve issues in the newly occupied territories. The bloody rule and brutal repression in places like Port Arthur and Korea significantly expanded the gendarmerie's authority. For the gendarmerie at this time, the Port Arthur mutiny presented an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

However, since the field army wanted to talk, the military police naturally had to pretend to talk too. Although they wanted to suppress the rebellion immediately, they still had to communicate. Moreover, the military police and the Japanese garrison headquarters were also wondering which unit had mutinied? Why had there been no news before?

The comrades in the stationmaster's office also fully understood Commander Du's meaning at this time. After a little thought, they heard the comrades in the stationmaster's office continue to shout into the microphone: "The reason we mutinied is not because we are afraid of war. We are not afraid of death, but we want to die with value. Now that the country is facing many difficulties and rice riots occur every day, we have won the naval battle and should immediately negotiate with Russia to end this costly war and obtain the benefits of South Manchuria.

We cannot achieve a complete victory over Russia because we cannot reach St. Petersburg, we cannot force Russia to surrender, and we cannot completely defeat Russia. Russia can continuously transfer troops to the Far East, keeping us stuck in the quagmire of war. Now our First, Second, Third and Fourth Armies have all suffered heavy casualties, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers already killed or wounded.

Although a large number of new soldiers have been added, the battle sword production is insufficient. Guang should immediately stop Lucia from continuing to fight and urgently need to repair and restore strength. Therefore, the empire should immediately stop

Stop the war and let the whole country recuperate, instead of having another conflict on the front line, which would expand the war..."

These words are extremely reasonable, and they appear to be completely concerned with Japan, and can even be said to be heartfelt. But coming from a group of mutineers, they sound particularly awkward. The decision to fight or not is naturally up to His Majesty the Emperor, and now that Tsarist Russia is the first to provoke, can't we fight back? Aren't you rebels holding the country back by mutinying here?

The military police captain didn't care about the rebels' excuses; he only saw their achievements. If this rebellion couldn't be suppressed quickly, his tenure as military police captain might be over.

"Whether or not to wage war is naturally decided by His Majesty the Emperor. Your mutiny is absolutely unacceptable. It is a rebellion and must be suppressed. You now have ten minutes to surrender, otherwise we will immediately mobilize our troops to suppress it..."

The soldier who was shouting seemed to be irritated and immediately shouted excitedly: "We are all soldiers of the Empire. Imperial soldiers should not be soldiers of the Empire. Naturally, everything we do is for the Empire, for the Empire's bright future. Why can't you listen? We have taken the South Manchuria region. If Lucia dares to lead her troops south, I will be the first to lead the battle against Lucia."

.-………-

In this way, the field army and the gendarmerie began a brief and quick dialogue trying to persuade each other. Of course, in the end, everything was just talking to a deaf ear, and both sides were just spitting.

At this time, the first commander of the Port Arthur Naval Base was Shibayama Yahachi. He did not participate in the Russo-Japanese War and had no merit in the bloody battle. The reason why Japan appointed him as the first commander was mainly to use his military expert talents to salvage the Russian warships sunk in the harbor and eliminate the dense mines laid outside the harbor. As an officer with no war experience, he did not have the ruthlessness of those generals who had truly experienced the blood and fire of the war. As an expert commander, he naturally just wanted to concentrate on salvaging his own Tsarist Russian warships and not let anyone disturb him. The best sinking was to peacefully resolve the problem of the mutinous soldiers.

Chapter 509:

When Shibayama Yahachi heard the news that Japanese troops had mutinied at Port Arthur Railway Station, his mind went blank, and he couldn't sit still. His first reaction was to immediately send someone to contact the mutineers and put an end to the rebellion, which would make everyone happy. This was the thinking of an expert; officers were the least tolerant of military mutiny. As for the crazy idea of ​​directly using coastal defense artillery to bombard the mutinous soldiers, it didn't even occur to him.

Therefore, the Japanese military police quickly received orders from Shibayama Yahachi, which was to try to resolve the mutiny peacefully. If the soldiers inside were truly unwilling to give up and firmly resisted, they could use infantry to suppress it. However, they must protect the entire military port and prevent it from being too damaged or causing too much damage. If necessary, they could mobilize troops from the fortress to participate in the suppression.

At this point, all the Japanese officers in Port Arthur subconsciously believed that these mutinous Japanese troops would not cause any significant trouble. After all, they were isolated troops, surrounded at the Port Arthur train station. With no more men or ammunition to replenish, their numbers would shrink with each death and ammunition used. Surrendering was only a matter of time; no one doubted that the mutiny would fail.

If Oyama Iwao or Nogi Maresuke were here, their response to the mutinous soldiers would likely be a single word: utter slaughter. Using artillery to completely suppress the rebellion would have served as a deterrent to all Japanese troops, given the Japanese army's obedient nature. Japan is an island nation, lacking much room for negotiation. If the mutinous soldiers remained unharmed, the entire army would be difficult to manage, and the country would be in chaos.

However, reality does not allow for assumptions. Shibayama Yahachi is now the highest commander in Port Arthur, and the gendarmerie has to take this into consideration to some extent. They can only pretend to continue negotiations, which gives the field army soldiers more time to prepare.

Commander Du listened to the shouting from both sides and called the radio operator, dictating a telegram to Liu Wenxiu: "Send a message to the headquarters immediately, saying that our army has temporarily controlled the Lushun Railway Station and swears to live and die with the railway station!"

This description of the situation and statement was enough. Requesting for reinforcements was useless because Commander Du knew that all the troops were doing their own thing and that he only needed to do his own thing. So, after sending the telegram, Commander Du lit a cigarette at the temporary command post, took a deep puff, and then said, "We are now in the heart of the enemy. In order to mobilize as many Japanese troops as possible stationed in the fortress and to buy more time for the follow-up troops, we must first fight a long offensive and defensive battle at this train station. Therefore, all troops must save bullets and artillery shells as much as possible. Sharpshooters and snipers should pay special attention to injuring as many Japanese as possible, so that the Japanese can be temporarily injured and lose their combat effectiveness. Don't always think about headshots. This will tie down more Japanese troops and allow the Japanese to mobilize more soldiers to attack us. Of course, Japanese officers are not included. If they are confirmed to be Japanese officers, they can be killed. Also, as long as the Japanese don't fire, we will definitely not fire..."

Just when Commander Du gave the order, he received excellent news. The field army attacked the West Port of Lushun and seized several warships under repair, which also contained a large number of maintenance workers.

Commander Du's pupils shrank when he heard the news. Even the calm commander cried out in his heart: "Oh my god, this luck is too good! God is really helping me!"

Commander Du was fortunate. West Port, near the railway station, was 220 meters wide, boasting vast, ice-free, silted-free waters and excellent shelter and windbreak. Furthermore, the Tiger Tail Peninsula formed a natural breakwater, rendering West Port like an inland lake. Besides the two warships under repair at East Port, Shibayama Yahachi had temporarily docked all of the salvaged Russian warships at West Port, giving Commander Du an opportunity to expand his victory.

Before Commander Du could calm down, he heard another voice shouting, "Report, we found a prisoner-of-war camp with a large number of Russian prisoners!"

Hearing this, Commander Du was extremely excited. This was an opportunity to form a united front! Moreover, there must be a large number of excellent artillerymen among the Russian prisoners. These were the soldiers and talents he urgently needed. If the cannons in the warships could still be used, this would be an unexpected super-killing weapon!

"Report, a large number of our laborers have been discovered."

Commander Du was aware that there were a large number of laborers captured by the Japanese in Port Arthur, forced to rebuild the Port Arthur naval base. Among those captured were even many comrades from the Progressive Party. This was one of the driving forces and missions of the march into Port Arthur: to rescue these captured laborers and comrades.

Commander Du and his men knew that the Russians had originally employed a large number of Chinese laborers to build the Port Arthur. If some laborers were working on unimportant structures, they might spend the rest of their lives working in the coal mines, eventually dying from overwork. If they were building a crucial fortress, to prevent leaks, they would be mercilessly slaughtered.

The Japanese captured laborers to rebuild Port Arthur, and their fate was no better than that of the laborers captured by Tsarist Russia. It's easy to imagine that Japan, a small and poor nation, treated its laborers even more harshly and cruelly.

Commander Du naturally had no time to think about anything else at this point. He immediately began to issue orders to recruit Russian prisoners of war and sort them into different categories. The Japanese were very meticulous. There wasn't a single Tsarist officer among these Russian prisoners. Perhaps the officers had all been sent elsewhere by the Japanese to enjoy a comfortable life. This was exactly what the recruiters wanted, greatly reducing the recruitment effort. At the same time, the field army also had to accommodate the laborers. These people were now an indispensable and valuable resource. Not a single one of them could be wasted, not even a minute.

Just when Commander Du was busy arranging personnel and preparing for war with various units of the field army, it didn't take long before Shibayama Yahachi arrived at the front line of the confrontation at Port Arthur Railway Station. Since Shibayama Yahachi had not experienced the Russo-Japanese War, he had neglected his own protection and had appeared within the shooting range of snipers many times. When Commander Du got the news, he naturally saw at a glance that this was a senior official from Port Arthur, and even the decision of war or peace was in the hands of this person. However, considering that the Japanese army had not yet attacked, it might be at the instruction of this person, and even the decision of whether to bombard and mobilize the garrison troops required this person's order. Since there was no immediate artillery bombardment and not even much infantry attack, Commander Du had reason to believe that this person was not a decisive and strong soldier, so Commander Du specifically issued an order not to shoot this person for the time being. Perhaps this person would give the field army an unexpected surprise?

At this point, Commander Du knew that his decision might affect the lives of all the soldiers in the train station and the outcome of the war, so he had no choice but to be cautious.

After Shibayama Yahachi arrived at the front and inquired about the situation, he immediately picked up a loudspeaker and shouted, "Imperial soldiers inside, we are aware of your devotion to our country, and we will report this to the nation. However, your mutiny at the train station has severely impacted the transportation of supplies to the front lines. You all know that a war is underway. You should know that the fighting had originally ceased, but it was Russia that attacked us again, forcing us to retaliate. If supplies cannot be delivered in time, how many Imperial warriors will die on the front lines? If we lose, South Manchuria will inevitably be retaken by Russia. Therefore, you must immediately defeat Russia. This will ensure the Empire's victory at the negotiation table and end the war early. Therefore, you must immediately withdraw from the train station, resume the transportation of supplies, and ensure the safety of the railway. I assure you that you will not be treated unfairly, and your lives will be protected..."

Shibayama Yahachi's words made sense. "Aren't you going to cease fire? Now it's Russia that's provoking the war again. Go and defeat Russia, and the Empire will naturally cease fire." Shibayama Yahachi's assurance was most important; with this assurance, the Japanese army that had mutinied could be greatly divided and disintegrated.

Unfortunately, the field army was not a mutineer. If they were, they would have surrendered after Shibayama Yahachi arrived and made some promises. Unfortunately, the negotiations were only to buy more time.

Just as the two sides in Lushun continued to talk and spit, Liu Wenxiu finally received a telegram from Du Lisha. It can be said that Liu Wenxiu had been waiting and looking forward to the content of this telegram for a long time.

Liu Wenxiu read the short sentence very carefully and said, "Comrade Du Lisan, commander of the Seventh Corps, sent a telegram saying they have successfully captured the Lushun Railway Station. The progress of the war has been greatly accelerated."

Lian Cheng Jue was still feeling a little uneasy. "Are we really going to issue a 'Kill the Japanese Order'? This would conflict with our political stance to some extent. Should we consult the Chairman again?"

"It's better not to use it. As the Chairman said, this matter cannot be discussed..."

After hearing Liu Wenxiu's words, Sun Tongpao thought something was wrong and said immediately, "These Japanese devils should all be killed. They came to plunder the wealth of Northeast China, and their deaths are not a pity. I think the "Kill the Japanese Order" should have been issued earlier to let the Japanese devils know how powerful we Northeastern men are."

Liu Wenxiu and Lian Cheng Jue looked at each other and then shook their heads. This was typical blind and xenophobic speech. But they all understood, because they immediately recalled what Chairman Zhang Yinghao had said: "The Qing government was weak, and the vast majority of the Chinese people didn't know the path to strength—that is, how to make their country strong. The Chinese people today also don't recognize that the current world rules a world where the strong prey on the weak, where the winner takes all. Both the Qing government and the vast majority of the Chinese people still attempt to use the old ways of benevolence, righteousness, and morality to deal with foreigners, believing that the great powers shouldn't do this or that, but should do that. They dictate to the foreigners, even trying to tell them what's right. They don't understand that this is an age of guns and cannons, an age of industry, an age where the strong dictate the rules for the weak, an age where the strong plunder the weak as a matter of course. It's okay to reject the rules of this era, but clinging to the rules of the old era leads to blind xenophobia, as exemplified by the Boxer Rebellion. They sought to restore China to its previous traditional past, rather than proactively changing its own order and rules. They cling to the old ways. This is as ridiculous as a sheep trying to persuade, or even try to force, a wolf to eat grass..."

In fact, when Chairman Zhang Yinghao made these remarks, some comrades criticized them as a theory of force or strength. Many also refuted this by saying that while one can conquer the world immediately, one cannot rule it immediately. They believed that overemphasizing and relying on force to resolve problems could ultimately lead to the destruction of a nation and its people. Many also listed the many dynasties that perished due to war...

Liu Wenxiu and Liancheng Jue both remember Chairman Zhang Yinghao's two-sentence answer to this question: "Whether or not you have the power to defeat the enemy is one thing, whether or not you use that power is another. The initiative must be in your own hands. Only in this way can you protect your own interests. Taoism, Taoism, we cannot just practice Taoism without practicing the techniques. While we practice Taoism and pursue communism, we must also have the magic to protect the Tao. Without the magic to protect the Tao, no matter how high our Taoism is or how good our theories are, the final outcome will be death!"

Chapter 510:

Chairman Zhang Yinghao's words are irrefutable truths. This is a self-centered attitude, the mindset of a central power. While the Boxer Rebellion was blindly xenophobic, its essence was also based on this "my turf, my rules, my territory" mentality. Unfortunately, their strength didn't allow it.

Chairman Zhang Yinghao's words also made everyone understand the truth and the essence of reality, and made students such as Liu Wenxiu and Lianchengjue admire him very much. Whenever they thought of these two sentences, they felt that they had not done enough, because their current strength was indeed not enough to protect the Tao.

Liu Wenxiu and others may not know what consequences would result from issuing the "Kill the Japanese Order". In history, Emperor Ran Min had issued the "Kill the Hu Order". This order played an irreplaceable role in rallying people's hearts and could greatly inspire people's will and determination to resist.

However, in modern times, under the guise of popular enlightenment, the West as a civilized world and the East as barbaric and backward, issuing orders for xenophobic genocide against the Japanese, even before Japan had inflicted significant harm on China, is clearly an act of radicalization. Therefore, if a "Kill the Japanese Order" were issued in the name of the Progressive Party or the Field Army, and such genocide were committed, the ultimate evaluation would inevitably be mixed. Of course, in the future, as the world integrates, the evaluation would be even more mixed.

After much deliberation, a solution was finally found. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao advocated issuing a "Kill the Japanese Order" under the guise of patriotism and unbearable oppression, allowing the people to take action themselves. This "Kill the Japanese Order" should be spread among the vast number of Northeastern bandits and other armed groups, and should come from the mouths of the vast majority of Northeastern people, so that the "Kill the Japanese Order" can spread word-of-mouth among all Northeastern people. In other words, there should be no official document issuing the "Kill the Japanese Order." Instead, the killings should be framed as a spontaneous act of resistance by the Chinese people against the oppression of the Chinese people by Japanese imperialism.

This characterization is also well-founded today. After all, the Russo-Japanese War brought profound disaster and tragic damage to the people of Northeast China. At this time, the people of Northeast China had no good feelings towards either Japan or Russia. The people had suffered from the Tsarist Russia for more than four years and the Russo-Japanese War for a year. Unable to bear the burden and oppression, it is natural for them to violently fight back. The people's actions are just actions, and the people's choices are the right choices.

Of course, such a task is doomed to fail without a core leadership, just as Ran Min's "Kill the Hu Order"—if Ran Min had not actually killed the Hu people, but merely shouted slogans, such success would never have been achieved. Therefore, after the "Kill the Japanese Order" was issued, the government and field army formed by the Forward Party took full action.

At this time, there weren't many Japanese in Northeast China. The surge in Japanese numbers came after Japan won the Russo-Japanese War. Kodama Gentarō, a veteran Japanese strategist, planned to permanently occupy South Manchuria by migrating 500 million Japanese to the region. With the support of the state, the number of Japanese in Northeast China truly began to surge, and Japan established the foundation for its rule over the region. In the eyes of this veteran Japanese strategist, Manchuria was acquired at a cost of 2 million yen and the deaths of 10 people, and China would have to shed blood if it wanted to reclaim Northeast China.

Since Commander Du had already reached Lushun Railway Station, the time had come to launch a decisive battle against Japan. With the Chinese Eastern Railway and the Anfeng Railway severed, the Japanese troops in Northeast China were now isolated and without logistical support. Even if the field army could not achieve a quick victory over the Japanese, it could at least hold them back until they ran out of ammunition and food. Therefore, the key to this battle lay in mobilizing the people. As long as the people supported the war against Japan, victory was inevitable. How could we gain the people's long-term and unwavering support? This was the question.

After all comrades understood this, after a brief discussion, Sun Tongpao, a former outlaw, was tasked with issuing a "Kill the Japanese Order" across the vast Northeast, prompting all Chinese who hated the Japanese to collectively strike back against them. Wrongs were to be exacted, and revenge was to be exacted. This was a rare opportunity, and one that must be missed. Simultaneously, all bandit militias were to be mobilized to launch armed attacks against the Japanese army and their strongholds, ensuring that the "Kill the Japanese Order" spread throughout the Northeast as quickly as possible. Even though everyone knew the origins of this "Kill the Japanese Order," the Forward Party and the Field Army would not openly acknowledge it, as political correctness demanded.

Liu Wenxiu and his men quickly issued a final mobilization for war. The well-prepared field army launched an all-out attack, clearing out all Japanese strongholds near the Eastern China Railway. Zhao Yong was ordered to continue expanding his defense northward, and Zhao Yong personally led his troops north along the railway line, preparing to engage the Japanese in a defensive battle.

Telegram after telegram was sent from the General Headquarters, and soon, the entire South Manchuria region was in turmoil. All the previously dormant forces now emerged and took action, attacking the enemy-occupied areas and seizing territory. That's right, it was to seize territory. The comrades in the Northeast had also trained a large number of local cadres and had a lot of experience in managing cities. If the Forward Party didn't take advantage of this extreme chaos in the Northeast to seize more territory and establish grassroots political power, then when would it wait? Only with territory can there be people, and only with people can there be unlimited troops and a large amount of supplies!

Kong Changqi, the Northeast director of the Security Committee for the Elimination of Counter-Revolutionaries and Work Sabotage, and Li Shuai, the head of the Northeast Branch of the Central Intelligence Agency, joined forces to capture large numbers of suspected Japanese. Kong Changqi and Li Shuai naturally had no mercy on the Japanese and would kill any enemy who dared to resist.

During the Russo-Japanese War, these Japanese spies needed to provide intelligence to the Japanese army and collect supplies. Many Japanese could not help but reveal their true nature and began to act arrogantly in front of the Chinese. As a result, many Japanese hiding in the Northeast were exposed, which greatly reduced the work of the Purging Committee and the Intelligence Bureau and reduced the pressure. Naturally, these people were the targets of this purge.

Kong Changqi and Li Shuai both knew that these Japanese came to China not to help the Chinese, but for their own and their country's interests. These Japanese and their hired lackeys were the eyes and ears of the Japanese army in the Northeast, so these eyes must be gouged out and their ears must be plucked out.

Li Shuai looked at the captured people and said expressionlessly: "During the training, the Chairman once said one thing. Except for a very small number of Japanese who came to the Northeast due to life's pressure, the vast majority of Japanese who came to the Northeast will be inseparable from the word "spies". They are the basis for Japan to profit from China. Moreover, no matter what the reason for these Japanese to come to the Northeast, there is no doubt that these people will constitute the foundation of Japan's future rule in the Northeast. If all the Japanese were killed, there might be a few who were indeed wronged. But if only one is left, then it is certain that this one must have slipped through the net. Now these Japanese and their running dogs are the eyes and ears of the Japanese army. We used to do everything possible to guard against these eyes and ears. Now this opportunity is rare, we must dig out their eyes and cut off their ears first, and solve the problem at one time."

Kong Changqi listened to Li Shuai's murderous words without feeling uncomfortable. Instead, he nodded and said, "Yes, regardless of whether these people have done anything bad to harm the Chinese people, their birth and position have temporarily doomed them to be enemies. Moreover, there is no one in Northeast China who does not hate the Japanese and the Russians. It would be best to kill them all. Now that the "Kill the Japanese Order" has been issued, I think there will definitely be a "Kill the Mao Order" in the near future. Therefore, our goal this time should not only be against Japan, but also against Russia. Only by finding these lurking people and making Japan and Russia lose their eyes and ears, can our victory in Northeast China be considered a great victory."

"Haha, that's right, that's right. We'll take advantage of the chaos of war to expand our victory. I've long wanted to carry out a major cleanup of Northeast China. Only by clearing out these ants and restoring order can the people live a good life."

"Yes, those tyrannical ants must be eliminated. The people are the ones who ultimately suffer in war. We're using war to end wars so that the people can live a good life. Damn, even in the Northeast, where you can even pinch a handful of oil, it would be truly bizarre if the people can't live a good life."

Li Shuai nodded, brushed off his clothes, and replied, "Yes, the Chairman said that during the land reform in Northeast China, the unit of land distribution was 'Kun'. With so much land, there was no way we couldn't make a living."

The Purification Committee and the Intelligence Bureau took action, and at this time, the soldiers of the Field Army also took action in various places. However, as a military force, the Field Army's three major precautions and eight points of discipline are no joke. The army is merely a violent machine in the hands of the Party and the people, a tool, so the army cannot abuse prisoners. This is a matter of discipline and principle. There are no special circumstances that can justify the abuse of prisoners. If such a precedent is set, it will cause endless trouble.

However, there are always different levels of understanding, and different skills for different specialties. These tasks naturally have their own dedicated personnel: the comrades of the Security Committee for the Elimination of Counter-Revolutionaries and Work Sabotage. During this attack on the Japanese stronghold and the elimination of the Japanese, those captured were not all soldiers, but also ordinary citizens, even a number of Japanese women prostitutes. Therefore, the aftermath of this matter would be handled by the Security Committee for the Elimination of Counter-Revolutionaries and Work Sabotage.

The field army also needed to obtain intelligence. To obtain intelligence on the Japanese, they naturally had to interrogate them. However, this task could not be done by comrades in the army. Therefore, comrades from the Security Committee for the Elimination of Counter-Revolutionaries and Sabotage and the Central Intelligence Agency also had to undertake the task of interrogating and obtaining intelligence.

Chapter 511: Second update!

Because of the victory in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Japan, a nation that was originally inferior but now proud, generally looked down on the Chinese. Especially after conquering Port Arthur and driving Tsarist Russia out of South Manchuria, they began to become arrogant and domineering.

The comrades of the Purification Committee and the Intelligence Bureau had a deep understanding of the Japanese, and were particularly familiar with Chairman Zhang Yinghao's description of the Japanese's diode-like personality: radical yet conservative, extreme yet harmonious, loyal yet fickle, barbaric yet civilized, peaceful yet cold...

Therefore, at this time, those captured Japanese who have intelligence value must be tortured to death. Yes, that means literally. The Japanese must be made to face reality and obey.

Moreover, intelligence is generally time-sensitive. In order to obtain timely intelligence, since ordinary torture and interrogation of the Japanese cannot quickly obtain the required information, severe torture is the only option.

Many of these captured Japanese were also quite arrogant. In their minds, the Japanese army was already invincible and unstoppable, and with so many troops in the Northeast, could these Chinese really dare to do anything to them? If they were discovered, these Chinese would have to bear the wrath of the empire. Would the Chinese dare to take such a risk and abuse them?

When these Japanese were locked up, they were cursing and shouting, "Bakayarō, the Empire of Japan will never let you Chinese go. If you don't release us immediately, the army of the Empire of Japan will definitely retaliate..."

These rhetoric was actually a tactic developed by the Japanese themselves, particularly effective against Qing officials and the Manchu armed forces. Intimidation was their favorite tactic, often achieving unexpected results. Even before the Russo-Japanese War, some spies used this same rhetoric when recruiting bandits to fight the Russians. For example, they claimed: "If anyone aids Russia in fighting Japan, Japan will absolutely retaliate." "If the Japanese lose, the Russians will definitely plunder Northeast China."

Faced with a powerful Japan, if the Japanese threatened to retaliate and declared irreconcilable, the Qing Dynasty bureaucrats and the army would naturally be terrified. Faced with the threat of the Japanese, who among the bandits in the Northeast would not compromise, unless they were nomadic bandits or those with territories? If they offended the Japanese, they wouldn't even need the Japanese army to take action themselves; they could simply provide the enemy with some weapons and ammunition. Who wouldn't be worried and afraid? This is also the essential difference between having one's own production capacity and not having one's own production capacity. Without one's own production capacity, guns and ammunition are not guaranteed at all, and one cannot stand up straight. This is one of the reasons why Zhang Yinghao insisted on building an arsenal in the Northeast.

Moreover, Chinese society has remained essentially unchanged for over two thousand years. Like a rotating cast of characters, one emperor takes the throne, and the next reign lasts an average of four years or so. No one knew when the person they had offended would rise to prominence and retaliate. There were even stories of county magistrates being devastated and prefects being exterminated. Therefore, ancient Chinese people rarely offended others unless absolutely necessary. The Chinese believe that having more friends means more opportunities, and that harmony brings wealth and ensures everyone has food to eat. They fear retaliation the most. Therefore, when threatened or intimidated, traditional Chinese people habitually yield. This is ingrained in their genes over millennia, as concessions are more conducive to genetic inheritance.

Normally, the Chinese would begin to kowtow to the Japanese once they spoke harshly. Unfortunately, this time, the Japanese miscalculated. The captured Japanese had no idea they were facing a hostile force that had no fear of them at all, so threats and intimidation were naturally ineffective. Faced with the stubborn Japanese, the Chinese were forced to resort to corporal punishment in order to obtain relevant intelligence as quickly as possible.