The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"Our annual fiscal revenue is limited. Besides repaying the debt, we also have to support domestic economic development, education, military construction, as well as the salaries of the army and navy, and the purchase of military equipment. We really don't have any money now."

Takahashi Korekiyo explained helplessly. Originally, Takahashi Korekiyo, who borrowed money for the Russo-Japanese War, was to be overthrown, but Prime Minister Saionji Kimmochi felt that Takahashi Korekiyo's economic construction ability was indispensable to the empire, so he saved him.

"Bagaya Road."

Katsura Taro cursed inwardly. As a former prime minister, he naturally knew the reasons for Japan's financial difficulties. The Russo-Japanese War had been fought during his term. After finally holding on until they were on the verge of victory, the Chinese reaped the benefits. The military expenditures had been enormous, of which 14 billion yen was borrowed. Furthermore, during the negotiations with Russia, no reparations were received. To make matters worse, Japan's finances were hit by a freezing cold snap, plummeting to the freezing point, practically freezing to death.

You should know that during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Japanese army spent only 200 million yen on military expenditures, but received 230 million taels of silver in compensation, equivalent to several years of Japan's income. This made Japan gain a huge profit. The Russo-Japanese War, on the other hand, cost more, but the fruits of victory were plucked away. The price Japan paid was too high. This led to constant rice riots in the country. It took this small island nation half a year to completely quell the rice riots, and the losses it suffered can be seen.

"Regarding the issue of military expenditures, can we borrow from domestic banks and large corporations?" During the Russo-Japanese War, the money Japan borrowed didn't vanish into thin air; it was used to purchase war supplies. With the support of the Japanese government, much of this money actually remained in the pockets of the Japanese people. This opportunity also gave rise to the prototypes of several famous conglomerates, which were fully established after World War I. While the Japanese government may be short of funds, these banks and large corporations are now incredibly wealthy, and it's no exaggeration to say they're as wealthy as a nation.

"Impossible. The Ministry of Finance has already thought of a solution, but several financial groups are very determined." The old Finance Minister shook his head and said.

"Damn it, these parasites of the empire, how could they possibly develop without the support of the Empire of Japan? Now that they are required to pay, they are making excuses and making excuses. These people have absolutely no conscience." Katsura Taro roared in frustration.

After hearing these words, everyone immediately fell silent. You have to know that the reason these consortiums were able to grow up was because of the support of the people present. Which of them did not benefit greatly from it? There was collusion between officials and businessmen, and many people in the cabinet were the spokespersons for these consortiums.

"I think we should borrow money from the European and American devils. They certainly don't want the Chinese to become too powerful, nor do they want the Forward Party to unify China. Besides, France is an ally of Russia. Now that the Russians have lost troops and territory, they can't just sit there and do nothing, right?"

"Mr. Takahashi Korekiyo, what do you think?"

"Borrowing money is difficult. We still owe these countries over a billion yen. Even if we were to borrow, we'd need collateral, and we're not sure how much we can borrow, but it certainly won't be much," Takahashi Korekiyo said honestly. Europe and the US aren't philanthropists, so they won't take risks.

"Then let our Ministry of Foreign Affairs contact the European and American demons first to see what their attitude is. However, according to intelligence, their attitude towards this war with Russia is extremely ambiguous. It is hard to say whether they will agree. After all, France has only lent a small amount of francs to Russia." The Foreign Minister took over the conversation directly.

In fact, when Japan was driven out of the Northeast, it had already asked European and American countries for money, but these countries refused to provide Japan with loans again. After all, if the Japanese invaded the Northeast again, it might be another Russo-Japanese War, and the cost would be huge. Would they spend more than 1 billion yen again? No matter how rich Britain, France, and the United States are, they can't throw money into this bottomless pit.

Most importantly, the Boer Wars had taught Britain the power of guerrilla warfare. Consequently, Britain launched the Second Boer War over gold, which marked the beginning of Britain's decline. Although Britain announced the annexation of the Transvaal and Orange, the gold-mining regions, the war continued. Boer forces waged extensive guerrilla warfare in the countryside, forcing the British to retaliate with the brutal "Three Alls" policy.

To end the war quickly, starting in March 1901, the British army resorted to extreme measures, including building bunkers and prisoner-of-war camps, and destroying Boer homes to force their surrender. The British army also changed its previous lenient policy toward guerrillas and their families to exile and summary execution; women, the elderly, and children were all sent to British-built camps. Due to a lack of medical care and harsh conditions, an estimated 28,000 Boers died there from various causes. The British army's brutality was unanimously condemned by European countries.

As the war drew to a close, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Nearly all Boer men were mobilized for military service, leaving them short of workers to cultivate their land and their livestock on the verge of extinction. Britain, on the other hand, saw three changes of commander, deployed 450,000 troops, suffered nearly 100,000 casualties, and spent £2.23 million. This heavy price tag fueled widespread anti-war sentiment at home and sparked strong criticism from international public opinion. The aging Queen Victoria, consumed by the war's daily anxieties and worries, coupled with domestic political strife and the untimely death of her husband, ultimately died in January 1901.

On May 31, 1902, Britain realized that it could no longer kill the Boers, so it signed the Treaty of Vereeniging with them, stipulating that Britain was the legal sovereign of the Boers, but recognizing the Boers' freedom and property, and allocating funds to help the Boers rebuild their homes and establish an autonomous government.

Zhang Yinghao understood the British better than any other nation in the world. Having tasted the bitter fruits of guerrilla warfare at the hands of the Boers, the British naturally knew that if the Japanese attempted a counterattack in Northeast China, they would face the same fate as the British during their time under the Boers, perhaps even worse. Without the wealth of the British, the Japanese were doomed to fail. Therefore, they could not even think of borrowing money from the British.

"Okay, Your Excellency the Foreign Minister, please contact the European and American demons first to test their support. If they support the war between the Empire of Japan and Wild China, then we will join the war. If they do not lend money or even oppose it, then we will have no choice but to give up." Kimmochi Saionji made a concluding speech.

While this was a golden opportunity to seize control of Northeast China, it wasn't uncommon for even a penny to stumble, and missing this golden opportunity was inevitable. While Japan might appear to be calming down, undercurrents remained. Without the support of the European and American nations, they simply couldn't launch a large-scale war. Furthermore, this war would have to be won quickly, with sufficient reparations secured. Otherwise, Japan would be of little use in the short term.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, should we allow the army to mobilize first now? After all, the field army has also deployed a lot of troops on the Sino-Korean border. Now, except for the border troops deployed in Korea which are fully staffed, the other divisions are seriously understaffed. If we mobilize hastily, it may take a lot of time in the future." The old devil, the Army Minister, intended to confirm this matter and said immediately.

After a brief hesitation, Saionji Kimmochi said, "Let's wait until we have contact with Britain, France, and Russia. We can't do anything now without money. Moreover, if Russia does not agree to join us in destroying the field army, then we cannot fight independently."

"How could the Russians disagree?"

"Even if the Russians agree, we still need the consent of Britain, France, and the United States. You have to understand what's going on with the revolution in Russia right now."

Lu Xiang stopped talking immediately.

What Saionji Kimmochi was talking about was the story of Akashi Motojiro, which fully illustrates that in war, one can use any means necessary to win.

After graduating from Army University, Akashi Motojiro served as a military officer in countries including India, the Philippines, China, and France. He quickly learned the local language and became familiar with the local customs and culture, allowing him to communicate seamlessly with the locals. In total, he learned seven foreign languages.

In 1904, war broke out between Japan and Russia over their interests in China. With the recommendation of Fukushima Yasumasa, the father of Japanese intelligence, Akashi Motojiro became the military attaché of the Japanese Embassy in Tsarist Russia and worked part-time as a special agent stationed in St. Petersburg.

It was during this period that Akashi Motojiro gained a clear understanding of Russian society, deeply studying its superficial weakness. While Russia possessed a formidable external military might, it was plagued by internal conflicts and threatened revolution at any moment. Akashi Motojiro took this information to heart, and through his acquaintance with Lenin, he ultimately helped Japan defeat Russia.

Before the outbreak of war between Japan and Russia, Japan's leaders had already compared the strength of both sides, and the results of this comparison frightened them. In the event of a direct conflict, Japan's chances of victory would be extremely slim, and even if it did succeed, it would inevitably come at a heavy cost. The Americans also advised the Japanese not to attempt a direct conflict with Russia, preferring to avoid its attack and expose Russia to attacks from both sides. The Japanese accepted this advice and decided to weaken Russia by overthrowing the Russian regime, thus reaping the benefits.

Japan directly engaged in a war with Russia, the Russo-Japanese War, but the battlefield was in China. Just as Russia was about to transfer its main military forces to the Far East to beat the Japanese, Lenin launched an uprising in Russia, causing Russia to be attacked from all sides and actually lose the Russo-Japanese War.

Not only did Russia lose the war with Japan, but it also laid the groundwork for the subsequent fall of the Tsarist regime. It can be said that without Japan's financial and military support, Lenin's revolutionary cause would not have been able to flourish. A few years later, Lenin overthrew Russia, and the once powerful country was completely defeated.

Later, Japan followed suit, supporting Puyi in the Northeast and Wang Jingwei in Nanjing, both of which were influenced by Akashi Motojiro's strategy.

However, there is no such thing as an impenetrable wall. Once the Russians learned that the Japanese were involved in the revolution in their country, the consequences would be self-evident. Even if Russia reached a truce with the Forward Party, it might not care about Japan's desire to monopolize Northeast China.

Moreover, Saionji Kimmochi knew that the Japanese army liked to act alone and rebel against their superiors. These were the Japanese army's traditions. If the army completed mobilization but Japan did not borrow money, the cabinet would be in an awkward position. Should they send troops to Japan? Or should they offend the army and not allow them to send troops? Therefore, Saionji Kimmochi directly rejected the old Japanese request.

Even if Terauchi Masayoshi was unwilling to do it, there was nothing he could do. Poor people have limited ambitions and naturally lack the confidence to speak.

After the meeting, the Japanese Foreign Minister urgently met with the British ambassador to Japan and told him that Japan wanted to join the war and work with Russia to eliminate the field army. Of course, Japan would not say that it wanted to annex China's Northeast, but that it was helping Britain stabilize the situation in the Far East.

"Your Excellency, the Chinese have now occupied Russia's Far East and captured Chita and other places. If the Field Army wins again in Mongolia, they will be greatly developed, which will be a huge threat to the Empire of Japan. It will also seriously endanger the interests of the British Empire in the Far East. As an ally of the British Empire in the Far East, Japan has the responsibility and obligation to help the British Empire solve the problem of the Field Army. We hope that the British Empire will support us in joining the war against the Field Army."

The British ambassador frowned, looking at the little file before him, his heart suddenly speechless. Even though the situation at home hadn't yet subsided, his inner ambitions were already soaring. At this point, the ambassadors had received instructions from home. They were unwilling to see the war between the field army and Russia continue to escalate, but instead wanted it to end as soon as possible.

The situation was no longer under British control. If Japan joined in, the scale of the war would undoubtedly expand. Britain no longer wanted to speculate on the ultimate consequences. Germany was now aggressive, and another reason Britain supported the Russo-Japanese War was to divert Russia's attention from the Far East and return it to Europe.

If Japan joined, Russia would certainly have to increase its military strength again. No matter how the war situation would eventually develop, the interests of the British Empire would definitely suffer losses. Therefore, the British would naturally not support Japan's involvement in this war again, so he refused without hesitation.

"Your Excellency, Foreign Secretary, your desire to join the war is not a good idea. This is a war between Russia and the Qing Dynasty, and hundreds of thousands of casualties have already occurred. This not only affects world peace, but also the interests of the British Empire. Therefore, the British Empire does not want the war to continue to escalate."

“What?”

The Japanese diplomat was stunned. He had heard many high-sounding excuses, but this response from the British caught him off guard. He had assumed the British would support Russia and attack the field army. After all, Britain's sphere of influence lay in the Yangtze River basin, which was now the liberated area of ​​the Forward Party. Now that British warships could not enter the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, it was unknown how much damage was done to British interests.

"Sir, if the Progressive Party overthrew the Qing Dynasty and took control of China, it would still seriously damage the interests of the British Empire."

Compared to the interests of the Far East, Europe is the place that concerns Britain's core interests. So the British said without hesitation: "The Sino-Russian War should be stopped as soon as possible. It is not appropriate for Japan to join the war now. The land in the Far East was originally acquired by the Russians from the Qing Dynasty, but compared to the vast territory of Russia, it is just a barren corner. It is only a minor loss and will not cause any serious damage."

Of course, this is not the case. The loss of Vladivostok alone would be an irreparable loss for the Far East and Siberia. If the field army reclaimed the previously occupied Russian territory, then all Russian land would lie on the ice sheet. How would this land be developed? Anyone with a discerning eye could see that a protracted war between China and Russia was inevitable.

Britain's stance deeply hurt Japan. Without British support, Japan would have little chance of participating in the war. After all, without Britain taking the lead, France and the United States wouldn't have dared to intervene. To do so would have challenged the authority of the British Empire as the world's hegemon. As expected, when diplomats visited France and the United States to propose loans, they were very interested in providing loans to Japan, but they required collateral. As for asking them to support Japan in the war, they were just a thought.

Not long after, Japan held another meeting. When the foreign minister told them the information, the civilian group, who had never wanted to send troops, were naturally happy, but the military group had already started cursing.

"Bakayaro, what on earth do those Omi-kuns want to do? They'd rather Russia be defeated and China rise than the Great Japanese Empire rise?"

Former Prime Minister Katsura Taro was so upset that he was about to explode and roared in rage.

Kimmochi Saionji glanced around and said, "Omi and the others are unreliable, but what can we do?"

Yes, what else can they do? They have no money now, which is a small matter. They are still in debt, which is the big problem. Now Europe and the United States have clearly expressed their opposition and do not support Japan's military deployment. If Japan is determined to send troops, it will offend the European and American powers. As long as the European and American powers impose a slight blockade on Japan in terms of trade, Japan will immediately be defeated.

"We can contact the Russians and see if they can support us with a loan so that we can join the war," said Army Minister Terauchi Masayoshi.

"But what will Britain and France say?" the Foreign Minister asked, frowning. "Hmph, the fate of the Great Japanese Empire is in our own hands. We are now one of the great powers and do not need to depend on other countries. As long as all our people are united, united in a single goal, and fully obey, then we can overcome all difficulties."

Once again, I heard the army idiots' outrageous rhetoric, the same old talk about everyone sacrificing themselves for nothing. Such unrealistic words were uttered, and the civil servants had no idea what was going on in the minds of these army idiots.

After a heated debate, the Japanese cabinet reached a consensus that if the Russians were willing to provide a loan and join forces with the Imperial Japanese Army to attack the field army, and hand over the Northeast region to the Empire of Japan after victory, then the Empire of Japan would not hesitate to go against the wishes of the British and join the war.

At present, Japan has no strategy to move south, so if Japan wants to truly rise and become a world power, it must obtain resources from China. And this treasure trove of resources is the Northeast. As long as the Northeast is obtained, Japan will have enough resources. If the field army rises, given the relationship between Japan and the field army, Japan will completely lose the opportunity to occupy China. Therefore, as long as it can occupy the Northeast, even if it offends Britain, it is worth it.

Sadly, the Japanese seem to have forgotten that the Russians are also incredibly poor. Their own military expenses are financed by loans from France, and they're still desperately trying to get more money from France to fund their war. The Russians can barely afford to take care of themselves, so how can they afford to lend to the Japanese? Furthermore, the Russian treasury was emptied by the Russo-Japanese War, so borrowing money from Russia now is a pipe dream.

In response to the Japanese demands, the Russians directly replied that the Empire welcomes any attack on the Chinese. However, if they want money, forget it; they must find a way. As for the latter request, they said that the Northeast could be surrendered to Russia, but the Chinese Eastern Railway must be handed over to Russia...

Under such circumstances, Japan knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, but they had no choice but to miss it. There was nothing they could do but watch the opportunity slip away.

Chapter 659:

Zhang Yinghao didn't know that Japan had failed to borrow money and was temporarily unable to launch another large-scale war against China. At this time, Zhang Yinghao did nothing, but quietly read the newspapers sorted by his secretary in his study, especially the newspapers in the concession that contained the voices of opposition.

Because of the great victory in the war against Japan and Russia, the people still support the Progressive Party. However, if it drags on for too long or there is a defeat, Zhang Yinghao knows that the voices of opposition will become louder and louder.

Zhang Yinghao had to admit that the Chinese nation was indeed one of the most gentle, courteous, modest, and modest peoples in the world. Even with the current favorable war situation and territorial expansion, some still advocated that the PLA should withdraw and not enter Russian territory, thus maintaining peace with friendly nations and maintaining good neighborliness. Perhaps this would naturally lead to the withdrawal of the Russian troops invading Mongolia. They even argued that if the war continued and angered the foreign powers, China would begin to suffer losses, even facing further invasions and the destruction of the nation...

Zhang Yinghao knew exactly what he was doing. He scoffed at the idea of ​​recognizing the unequal treaties signed between the imperialist powers and the Qing Dynasty. He and the Progressive Party had never recognized these treaties. The only question was whether they could be abolished. The Progressive Party was simply maintaining the status quo; there was no question of whether they should be abolished. If these unequal treaties were not abolished, even if the Qing Dynasty fell and the Republic was established, the imperialist powers would still look down on them, and the people would not be able to stand up straight.

In the Chinese revolution, if you want to participate in the revolution in China, you must be prepared to sacrifice at any time and throw your head and blood. If you are not aware of the willingness to sacrifice at any time, it is best not to join the revolution. The bright red flag of China is dyed red with the blood of martyrs. This is no joke.

However, the Chinese people might be willing to follow the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army to defend their country. They might also be willing to accept the Forward Party's leadership to resist the Japanese and Russian invaders and drive the enemy out of their country if they actively attack. The Chinese people still have the courage to fight a war against aggression on their own territory.

However, as the People's Liberation Army drove out Japan, expelled Tsarist Russia, and won several battles, the resentment and anger that had accumulated in the hearts of the Chinese people were vented, and then everyone began to want to live a peaceful life, and wanted to return to the traditional life of a peasant woman with mountain springs, a little land, a wife and children, a warm bed, working from sunrise to sunset, and men farming and women weaving.

Every soldier is related to a family. Whose husband are they and whose son are they? This kind of nationwide psychological change cannot be stopped by Zhang Yinghao and the current Progressive Party.

In this era of widespread illiteracy and slow information flow, Zhang Yinghao may be a bodhisattva-like figure, and his prestige may be sufficient, but the Progressive Party has not yet achieved the level of guiding public sentiment. Over the past few decades, China has had little chance of victory in foreign wars. Even when it gained a slight advantage against the French, it ultimately signed a treaty of defeat. Consequently, discerning individuals harbor a fear of the great powers. Even with the recent victories against Japan and Russia, people still perceive these victories as opportunistic.

Zhang Yinghao was well aware of the long road ahead. Since the Qing Dynasty's rule, how many Chinese people had received patriotic education? How many had a sense of national identity? The current national education rate is less than 10%, and the vast majority of rural women have no access to education at all. If the Progressive Party hadn't won victory after victory in foreign wars and persevered in promoting nationalism, how could it have awakened this sense of national identity among the people? Without universal compulsory education, where would the next generation's sense of national identity and patriotism come from?

Furthermore, China's traditions are too strong. Young people who have received a traditional education cannot change their thinking without fierce struggle. Old-fashioned scholars are even more stubborn defenders of tradition. With such a deep-seated mentality, how could the Progressive Party, born in an agricultural country, truly compete? Zhang Yinghao knew that with the prestige of founding the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army, he would only be able to mobilize the army to fight abroad many times, and each time would overdraw his credibility and prestige. If he didn't seize this opportunity to expand the war and draw in a long-term enemy, internal contradictions would become the primary contradiction, and the difficulty of launching future wars would increase exponentially. If the people of the country were unwilling to fight again, Zhang Yinghao would risk being abandoned if he forced another war.

Zhang Yinghao was clearly aware of the consequences of abolishing the Treaty of Nerchinsk, even going so far as to challenge the order established by the world's great powers. Some, filled with fear, believed that the war against Russia could be stopped in time. Abolishing the Treaty of Nerchinsk would be an act of aggression against Russia, a war to the death with disastrous consequences, and an act of imperialist aggression. However, simply abolishing all the unequal treaties between the Qing Dynasty and Russia after the Treaty of Nerchinsk would be futile. The war between China and Russia would be impossible to stop unless the two countries fought to exhaustion, unless Britain, France, and the United States intervened forcefully.

From what Zhang Yinghao knew of history, the Liberation Area's war against Russia at this time could be said to have seized the best opportunity in modern history, bar none. The war between the United States and Spain had destroyed the last vestiges of glory for the aging Spanish empire, while the First Sino-Japanese War had exposed the weakness of the Qing Dynasty to the foreign powers, leading to the Eight-Nation Alliance. The Russo-Japanese War had nearly destroyed the Russian Empire. If war with Russia was to occur, there would be no better time than now.

In this cruel colonial era, this era of aggressive imperialism, this era of the survival of the fittest, the great powers do not regard the people of Asia, Africa, and Latin America as human beings at all. Instead, the weak can only become food for the strong and stepping stones for the rise of other countries. Japan's swallowing of the Qing Dynasty and the great powers' colonies all over the world are the best examples. The winner takes all. The victory or defeat of a war determines the happiness, peace, and even life and death of a country or a nation. How could Zhang Yinghao dare to pin his own safety on the mercy of the enemy?

The reason why Zhang Yinghao took the Treaty of Nerchinsk lightly was because this treaty did not exist since ancient times. It was only signed between the Qing Emperor and Tsarist Russia. Why couldn't this treaty be torn up? The man with a mustache said that treaties are meant to be torn up. Is there any treaty that is unchanging forever? Times change with times, and the world changes with times.

Many people simply don't understand that the Progressive Party aims to establish a republic for the working people. The nation the Progressive Party leads the people to build isn't a descendant of any state or dynasty, but rather a patriotic alliance of all ethnic groups fighting oppression and exploitation. Therefore, for Zhang Yinghao, it wasn't him, the Progressive Party, or the People's Liberation Army that overthrew the Qing Dynasty; it was the people themselves who abandoned the Qing Dynasty. The Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army merely played a facilitating and leading role. If revolutionaries recognize the unequal treaties signed by imperialism with oppressed nations or ethnic groups and continue oppression and exploitation, they are changing dynasties, taking turns to be the boss, and betraying the revolution.

Lenin said that the Russian Empire was a vast prison for all peoples; Lenin also said that Siberia was a prison. For the Forward Party, wasn't liberating Siberia a matter of course? Wasn't it legitimate? Were those unearthed bone pits fake? Therefore, liberating more land was a question of whether it could be done, not whether it could be done.

The last line of the poem "Born in Worry, Die in Comfort" states: "If you have no law at home and no rules for your people, and no enemies abroad and no enemies for foreign enemies, your country will surely perish." Zhang Yinghao knew he simply didn't have the capabilities of Taizu and his men. He also knew that taking Outer Manchuria and Chita would leave a scar with Tsarist Russia and even the future Soviet Union that would last a century or more.

Zhang Yinghao, born a century from the future, naturally knew that achieving communism in the future was a distant prospect. The idea that World War I and World War II would have been the easiest time to plant red flags across the globe was, unless there were some sort of super-powered hack, absurd and wishful thinking. Considering the fact that many tribes in Africa still exist in primitive societies in the 21st century, one can see that achieving communism is a long and arduous task. One could even argue that achieving a socialist society isn't so easy either. Two world wars simply aren't the solution.

Of course, the proletariat's rule doesn't guarantee everything will be over; it's just the beginning. Furthermore, without resolving the issues of nation and ethnicity, the world cannot enter a communist society. Eliminating nation and ethnicity is even more difficult than eliminating race and skin color. In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao saw no hope.

As a second-best option, Zhang Yinghao knew his current role was to maximize benefits for China, and then for the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. Increasing national territory meant increasing national wealth, and land represented the most fundamental interests of the nation and its people. Zhang Yinghao prioritized national interests over national interests, prioritizing them. He would sacrifice his life for the nation, regardless of calamity or fortune. Whether he was an imperialist, an invader, or a warmongerer, he cared little. He only cared about what he believed was right.

Zhang Yinghao believed that all his actions were centered on China's national interests and the interests of the people. The starting point of war or peace between the liberated areas he led and the great powers was also based on this. Apart from this, he had no special interests for individuals or political parties.

Therefore, no matter what China will be like in the future, Russia has already been confirmed as an enemy. Facing a major enemy in the north, the Forward Party always needs to maintain its advanced nature. Even China needs to remain vigilant at all times, otherwise the party and the country may be destroyed.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao was also confident that even a century after his death, future leaders would not dare risk the wrath of the world and be branded traitors by returning these territories. With this foreign threat, as long as the Party didn't commit serious, catastrophic acts, even if problems arose within China, it wouldn't dare slack off. This was Zhang Yinghao's gift to those who came after him—no, a gift. Of course, if this led to the demise of the Progressive Party in the future, it wouldn't be a big deal.

As for the issue of harming the future Soviet Union and the Russian proletariat, let's wait until the Russian proletariat overthrows the Tsarist Russia and seizes power. The Forward Party will not yield in the slightest just because of what Zhang Yinghao knows, and why would Zhang Yinghao yield just because he knows what's going to happen? Is Tsarist Russia offering him a piece of juicy meat and he's being so hypocritical as to refuse to eat it? Isn't that just plain sick?

Chapter 660: First update!

Zhang Yinghao shook his head, clearing away all the unnecessary information, put down the newspaper, and breathed a sigh of relief. The situation in Mongolia was tense, but the liberated areas no longer had much capacity to provide support. In the short term, they had to rely on themselves, as the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army had once again activated disaster relief mode.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang set fire to Sima Yi in Shangfang Valley. Sima Yi and his son were about to die, their eyes closed, when a sudden downpour doused the blaze, allowing Sima Yi and his son to escape. Watching Sima Yi and his son flee in panic, Zhuge Liang sighed, "Man proposes, God disposes; it cannot be forced." At this point, Zhang Yinghao followed up with a line: "Unremitting efforts lead to a brilliant life."

The Forward Party felt this way in 1906, but at this time, God was too disrespectful!

Ever since the Forward Party led the People's Liberation Army in launching the War of Liberation, taking advantage of the lull during the Russo-Japanese War and suddenly sending troops to liberate Hunan, Hubei, and other areas, its actions in local areas have never ceased. After each liberation, one of the most important tasks for the PLA comrades who subsequently arrived was water conservancy construction. Of course, before water conservancy construction could be achieved, there was another area that needed to be developed: the local Party organization.

Throughout Hunan, Hubei, Shanxi, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and other regions, the core of the work of the Progressive Party revolved around these two things. After the comrades of the Progressive Party took office as local county heads, they quickly began their grassroots work as "officials."

To maintain local stability, the Progressive Party had to compromise with local gentry and powerful factions. The former government offices were transformed into new-style schools. Former legal advisors, constables, yamen runners, and other local tyrants in important county positions were investigated. If suitable, they would receive training and be reassigned. If unsuitable or found guilty of corruption, they would be dealt with separately.

Due to the rapid expansion of the liberated areas, the Party was severely short of Party members and cadres. The Progressive Party, however, maintained only formal control over local government. This shaky foundation was destabilizing. Fortunately, the Wild Army swept through these areas, clearing out the old forces and forcing many influential figures to flee or be physically destroyed. This allowed many areas to maintain relative stability.

This gave the Progressive Party comrades time to familiarize themselves with the local area, time to elect grassroots village cadres, and time to organize the masses to build water conservancy projects. Without these months of hard work, Zhang Yinghao believes the losses from this flood would have been several times greater. However, adversity is the foundation of a nation, and the flood also gave the Progressive Party an opportunity to unite the local people and organize them to overcome difficulties. Of course, it also gave the Progressive Party an opportunity to recruit new members.

Most of the comrades of the Forward Party now knew that Mongolia and Northeast China were at war with the Russians, and that a large amount of supplies had been withdrawn from the liberated areas. This was also the time when the liberated areas were at their weakest. The Central Committee had already issued an order for Party members and cadres in various places to vigorously organize local people to engage in production, and these Party members and cadres were also preparing to work hard.

It began to rain, and it rained day and night. Zhang Yinghao hadn't known about this flood in his previous life. After all, China had suffered so many disasters in the late Qing Dynasty that even a minor flood wasn't recorded by the literati. And even if it was, who would care about a flood that happened hundreds of years ago unless they specialized in hydrology and geography?

The relevant history books record it as follows:

In 1906 (the 32nd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu), Anhui Province was hit by heavy rain for more than 60 days at the turn of spring and summer. Mountain torrents broke out, and the Huai, Si, Sha, Ru, and Fei rivers all rose at the same time. The water depth on the flat ground was several feet, and "more than a thousand miles up and down became a swamp." "Forty to fifty people died of starvation every day. Whole families of men and women committed suicide by jumping into the river. Some people died along the way while migrating. The sight of corpses along the way was unbearable."

Zhang Yinghao had experienced floods in his past life, and even personally participated in flood control efforts in Sichuan the previous year. However, Zhang Yinghao had never witnessed a flood of this magnitude. They say that strong winds don't last all morning, and torrential rains don't last all day, but this flood truly opened Zhang Yinghao's eyes. It rained continuously every day, as if the sky had been pierced with a gaping hole, pouring down endless water. He watched as the depressions turned into pools, then expanded into lakes, which continued to expand, submerging vast tracts of land until each hilltop became an isolated island, leaving only the tops of the several-foot-tall trees barely visible above the water.

There were basically no reinforced concrete houses in this era, and many were even thatched houses. Some of them floated directly on the water, not to mention the fields.

Everything was submerged and invisible. The people who escaped were trapped on the hills. If the Progressive Party had not immediately organized and evacuated the masses, it would have been a disaster.

The troops sailed around in the heavy rain to rescue people, free the trapped people, and take the people trapped on the mountain to higher ground. Otherwise, who knows how many more people would have died in the first few days of the heavy rain alone.

The floods affected eight prefectures and one state in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, with Xuzhou and Huai'an suffering the most severe damage. The relentless downpours destroyed many homes, and ordinary people's homes were often made of mud, making them vulnerable to flooding. Furthermore, due to poor drainage in Jiangsu's rivers, streams, and lakes, continuous rainfall was highly likely to cause flooding.

Of course, during the spring and summer of that year, it rained not only in the Huaihe River basin, but also in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Dikes collapsed in various parts of Hunan, and floods swept across the country, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of people and affecting hundreds of millions of people.

Disasters are orders. Members of the Progressive Party and government officials at all levels must personally lead disaster relief efforts. Leaders at all levels are prohibited from abandoning their posts under any pretext. Torrential rain and raging floods are everywhere, making rescue efforts by boat extremely dangerous. Falling into the water can be swept away and killed. Although the Progressive Party mobilized every safe and reliable vessel it could find, casualties were inevitable.

In just the first ten days of disaster relief, the Forward Party paid a heavy price. Although everyone on the boat would tie ropes around their waists when it was dangerous, twelve comrades unfortunately fell into the water and died on the Huai River alone. The number of comrades who collapsed from exhaustion and illness reached over a hundred at one point.

The heavy rain continued, and the People's Liberation Army and the Progressive Party could not stop their disaster relief and rescue operations. They went out everywhere and rescued countless people.

Although it is said that "saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda", the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army are also people. If it were not for Zhang Yinghao and the party members and leading cadres who personally led the people every day,

If it weren't for the fact that many of the members of the Progressive Party are local party members who have been developed during this period, and that they are from the same hometown and have a deep affection for each other, and that as locals, they also sincerely hope to be able to save

Without these words, it is far from enough to just rely on the slogan that the Party and the people are closely connected and the People's Liberation Army is the people's army.

Despite this, after the seventh or eighth day, the Party members and leading cadres were exhausted, and the wounded PLA soldiers were also very tired. After all, people are made of flesh and blood, not steel!

However, the disaster relief operation still cannot be stopped. There is no other way. The Military Commission can only announce that some troops will temporarily rest, and each army will take turns to rest and rest for a few days before going out to rescue people. Otherwise, if the soldiers fall ill before people are rescued, it will be a waste of time.

Although everyone knew that if some comrades rested, it would mean that some of those trapped outside in the floodwaters would basically have no chance of survival. However, everyone had already worked hard for more than ten days, and the lives of the comrades were also their lives. The order was issued from above, and the lower levels had no choice but to start resting. Of course, the Forward Party also pulled troops from other places, especially Sichuan, to replace them. Even if these soldiers were not as familiar with the flood environment here, hadn't everyone been through this before?

At this point, Zhang Yinghao realized that the flood was not scary, but the mess left behind after the flood was truly scary. For the current Progressive Party and the newly established local government, the real test has just begun.

The incessant rains have ensured that many affected areas will have no future harvests. With their homes and farmlands destroyed, the people are displaced, starving and destitute. If the Progressive Party and the new local governments fail to provide adequate disaster relief, the desperate victims will be forced to gather together and beg on the streets of city after city.