The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Next, in order to execute these criminals and comply with the strong demands of the masses, the comrades from the public security, procuratorial and judicial departments performed various types of hangings for the Russians, including hanging of one person alone, hanging of two people in pairs, hanging of three people together, and even hanging of ten people together, which vented all the resentment in the hearts of the masses.

As for the foreigners who were watching, especially the remaining Russians, they all had pale faces and trembling legs, feeling deeply frightened. They avoided the gazes of others, fearing that they would be spotted by the Chinese and sent to the gallows.

This incident was eventually exposed, and the great powers considered it a massacre and an unacceptable atrocity. Zhang Yinghao just sneered and said lightly: China's internal affairs are not subject to foreign interference.

Of course, that was a story for another time. At that moment, Zhang Yinghao was preoccupied with establishing the Production and Construction Corps, developing an immigration plan, selecting locations, and compiling a production plan. Liaoning alone could easily accommodate a million immigrants, and now, across the entire north, providing land for a million people to produce would be a simple matter. Immigration would not only alleviate the pressure of a large population and limited land in China, but would also develop the northern economy, making it a vital part of China.

Russia was very poor, but the Russians exploited the Chinese wantonly. They monopolized resources and accumulated a lot of wealth, but it all fell into the hands of the liberated area government. Not only the money in their hands, but also the railways and mines were all confiscated. This wealth was completely worth the price of launching the war.

Just when Zhang Yinghao was busy, Liu Wenxiu and others also received a call from Zhan Tianyou and others, and the pace of construction in Northeast China was officially launched.

"Hello, Mr. Zhan Tianyou, welcome to Northeast China."

"It's my duty. I'm just working, but you guys are working your ass off. You can't compare. You're the ones who are working hard."

"Haha, we have different divisions of labor, but we are all working for the country." "That's right, we are all working for the country."

"Sir, you've been traveling a lot. Rest up today. I'll welcome you tonight!" "Then I'll obey your orders. But I came all the way here by train, so there's no need to rest. Now, tell me about the situation."

"I don't know much about the other details, but many of our railway workers have previously built railways for Japan and Russia, so we have a sufficient number of workers. I wonder when Mr. Zhan Tianyou plans to start construction? We will definitely give our full support."

"I spoke to the Chairman when I came to the Northeast. He said that we should focus on building railways now, and all work should revolve around the railways in the Northeast. The specific route of the railway to Kulun still needs to be surveyed on the spot. However, these existing railways must be built into double tracks, and the narrow gauge built by Japan and the wide gauge built by Russia must be converted to standard gauge. So my plan is to have the comrades repair the lines first, ensure that the railway is unobstructed, and then change the gauge. Finally, we will focus on building a railway directly to Kulun."

"We don't have any problems here, but we need to explore the route as quickly as possible. There are many Russian prisoners in Kulun, and they are all high-quality labor. We can start construction on multiple sections simultaneously. We can start in Kulun first, and with multiple locations moving forward simultaneously, I believe we can complete it soon."

Liu Wenxiu was now reaping the benefits of being captured by the Russian army. These Russians were tall and strong, and, having been born serfs, they were very hardworking and a very good labor force. An extra day of food or a day's less work for these people was a waste of money, especially with so many prisoners. If each person wasted an hour, that would amount to hundreds of thousands of hours! Only by getting these people back to work as quickly as possible could they create sufficient value for China.

With hundreds of thousands of free laborers contributing to infrastructure construction, the pace of construction would be boosted. China's ambitions to completely liberate Xinjiang, and even reclaim the northwest and advance into Central Asia, are hindered by transportation. Solving this problem would ensure the PLA's logistics, allowing the army to advance westward with confidence.

"Of course. I'll handle the track detection myself. The construction of the double track and the gauge change will be handled by the students I brought with me."

"Thank you for your help, sir, and these students. Come this way. You must all be hungry. I just prepared some noodles. It's enough to fill you up. Let's talk while we eat."

"Haha, okay, then I'll obey your command."

Zhan Tianyou now naturally knew that the liberated areas were desperately building railways. Fortunately, when the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway was built, several special engineering corps and schools were formed. Otherwise, how could several railways be built at the same time? In fact, Zhan Tianyou is now very puzzled. Where did the liberated areas get so much money to build railways? You know, building railways is very expensive.

Zhan Tianyou had no idea that the liberated areas relied on the materials in their hands. Since money is a general equivalent, as long as they controlled most of the materials in the liberated areas,

The liberated areas controlled the prices of food and equipment, and now the liberated areas are still in the stage of printing money, plus they copied

The wealth of so many landlords and evil gentry was still considered relatively wealthy at that time.

Moreover, the political philosophy of the Progressive Party is that labor creates value. After maintaining the basic living conditions of the people, it is enough to lead the people in labor. At this time, the people affected by the disaster in the liberated areas only need to be fed. By exploiting this cheap labor, the liberated areas are able to create astonishing wealth. Therefore, the economic theories of the current era cannot be applied to the liberated areas at all.

Capitalism uses money to lure people into labor, thereby creating surplus value. The Forward Party relies on the cheap labor of the people at that time. Their labor creates sufficient wealth, including railways, reservoirs, etc.

Zhang Yinghao certainly knew that inciting the people in this way, which was beneficial to public opinion and made everyone selflessly dedicate themselves, would not last long and would be unfair. However, the country was now poor and weak, and it would take at least three generations of sacrifice and selfless dedication to build a sufficient

A powerful country. Zhang Yinghao really has no way to deal with this. What Zhang Jianmeng can do is to ensure that the wealth produced by the people is still shared by the people as much as possible.

Do not seek other special interests.

At Zhang Yinghao's request, Zhan Tianyou had been teaching at the school since the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway was completed. The reason Zhan Tianyou was invited back to the school this time was also because of the complex situation in Northeast China. The sooner the railway was completed, the better. A capable person was needed to lead the overall project and solve the difficult problems encountered in the construction of the railway. At that time in China, the best candidate for this position could only be Zhan Tianyou.

Since joining the Liberated Area government, Zhan Tianyou has devoted himself to these efforts. He wanted to build more railways, more roads, and cultivate more talent. However, the basic conditions left by the Qing Dynasty were too poor, so he could only force things forward. Ultimately, one must eat one bite at a time; one cannot eat a fat man in one go. His anxiety was pointless, so he desperately tried to educate more talents in schools. However, without breaking the talent bottleneck, many things remained unsuccessful.

However, what made Zhan Tianyou happy were the countless ordinary people in the liberated areas. They just didn't have the opportunity to study before, and they just had a low starting point. But after they came into contact with the outside world, they were thirsty for knowledge, willing to study hard, and did not miss any learning opportunities. After training, many people were able to become talents that the country could use, taking on important responsibilities and fighting for the country.

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Chapter 701:

When Zhang Feng learned about Zhan Tianyou's arrival in the Northeast, he simply asked the comrades guarding the prisoners to cooperate with the work. At this time, Zhang Feng was really busy. Not only did he have to renovate Kulun City, but he also had a lot of other work to do.

Mongolia suffered heavy casualties during this war. To stockpile supplies, large numbers of livestock were slaughtered, dried, and used as military rations. To compensate herders, the Forward Party began teaching silage production methods in herder settlements. Only when herders learned to store food for their livestock would their allotments be meaningful, and only then could they fully break free from the nomadic lifestyle of moving from place to place and settle down. Without silage technology, land reform would fail to solve the livestock fodder problem, forcing herders to leave with their livestock. Instead of helping herders, land reform would create significant problems for their livelihoods.

Silage, often called "canned grass," is juicy and palatable for ruminants, with a sour and fragrant aroma, high digestibility, and rich nutrition. It is a premium feed for livestock, including cattle and sheep. Furthermore, silage can be made from a wide variety of raw materials: any green plant that livestock consumes can be used as silage. Of course, Zhang Yinghao personally instructed the agricultural authorities to develop this silage technology. While it may not require high-tech expertise, its significant impact on animal husbandry makes it a natural priority for widespread adoption across grasslands. This technology is essential for herders to achieve a better life. Only by mastering silage technology can herders find peace and stability, escape the precariousness of nomadic life, and settle down in peace.

In arranging various tasks, Zhang Yinghao, in addition to his far-sighted and visionary mandate for various departments to research numerous topics, placed his greatest focus on agriculture and heavy industry. Regarding agriculture, Zhang Yinghao proposed the slogan "Plant where you can plant, fish where you can fish, graze where you can graze, and raise livestock where you can raise livestock." The simple meaning was to adapt to local conditions: any land that could grow crops should be planted, any ponds and lakes that could raise fish should be raised, and any livestock that could be raised should be raised. Zhang Yinghao even issued documents such as "Guiding Opinions on Adapting to Local Conditions and Seasonal Conditions and Intercropping Fields," "Instructions on the Private Development of Pigs, Chickens, Geese, Ducks, Cattle, Sheep, and Other Livestock," and "Instructions on Various Issues Concerning the Private Raising of Domestic Animals and Livestock," all with the goal of stimulating a public enthusiasm for animal husbandry and increasing their income.

On the industrial front, Zhang Yinghao's current focus is on the chemical, steel, and cement sectors. Cement production is no simpler than steelmaking, but cement is the cornerstone of construction. Zhang Yinghao knows that China's demand for cement will reach astronomical figures in the future, creating a truly seller's market. The market's demand for cement could generate dividends for centuries, leading to his full support for the cement industry.

In just a few years, the global cement industry has experienced tremendous growth, with breakthroughs in production technology. Cement plants have been established across the Jiefang District. By May of this year, ten plants had been put into operation, with an annual production capacity of 250 million barrels. Three new plants are expected to begin operations by the end of the year, employing new technologies and production lines, reaching an annual production capacity of 500 million barrels.

Even the great powers would be baffled by the Liberated Areas' disregard for market size. However, Zhang Yinghao knew that roads were the nation's lifeblood, requiring a significant amount of cement. Furthermore, the Liberated Areas were undergoing massive construction projects across roads, railways, canals, bridges, buildings, and hydroelectric dams. The daily demand for cement was astronomical, and even now, supply was insufficient. For example, the Jialing River hydropower station, currently under construction and supplying electricity to the aluminum plant, was filling 4000 cubic meters of concrete per day, consuming over 1 barrels of cement daily.

Thanks to continuous investment in the cement industry, the Jiefang District now manufactures the vast majority of the machinery and equipment for cement production lines. Achieving complete domestic production is only a matter of time. Cement and steel are both essential cornerstones of national development, and the Jiefang District has pulled out all the stops to achieve domestic production and production capacity breakthroughs.

In this era, the people suffered greatly, the country was impoverished and weak, and they desperately needed development. Zhang Yinghao wasn't the only one who saw the world as it truly was. Thanks to the full support of the Liberated Area government, which mobilized vast manpower and material resources, the Liberated Area established a wide range of industries, including steel mills, cement plants, textile mills, rubber plants, chemical plants, foundries, power plants, machinery processing plants, automobile factories, oil refineries, and countless others. These factories formed a complete industrial system, forming a coordinated network.

With Zhang Yinghao's support and the guidance of the technology tree, these industries are developing at an incomprehensible pace. Many industries have broken the technological monopoly of foreign companies, and a variety of emerging industries have been developed, many of which have reached world-leading levels. China is still very poor, and the per capita level of all products is still very low, but when the scale is displayed, it will be shocking.

However, there is still a shortage of talent. Large units are basically supported by two or three talented people. This is the fundamental reason that truly restricts the industrial development of the liberated areas. If the liberated areas had not introduced a large number of foreigners, the situation of talent shortage would have been even more urgent.

Just as Zhang Yinghao was enthusiastically reading the SASAC's new investment plan, his secretary brought in the day's cut newspapers. These only contained the important information. Zhang Yinghao's time was precious, so junk information naturally wouldn't reach his desk. If Zhang Yinghao needed it, he could still bring in the entire newspaper.

Suddenly, a piece of news caught Zhang Yinghao's eye. The newspaper reported that precious cultural relics had been stolen from the imperial palace, and that large-scale reselling of these artifacts was occurring in the capital, with the majority of buyers being foreigners. Having suffered humiliation in China and on the verge of being consigned to the dustbin of history during the Qing dynasty, in this era of rapidly awakening nationalism, such a revelation immediately captured the public's attention. After all, it was a serious offense against national sentiment, and the Qing court naturally became a target of public criticism.

However, Zhang Yinghao could fully understand why such a thing happened. The Qing Dynasty issued paper money, causing prices in the capital and other places to rise to the sky, and even to increase several times. The people were suffering. Many farmers went bankrupt, workers lost their jobs, and even the landlords had no surplus food. It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Selling cultural relics for money is a conceivable means. It can even be said that certain people in the palace condoned or even supported this. Moreover, even if prices were normal, there would always be people who were blinded by profit to steal the treasures in the palace and sell them. Otherwise, how could so many treasures flow into the private sector or out of the country?

Although there were no immediate plans to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Yinghao naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to play the victim. He immediately ordered the propaganda department to vigorously publicize the Qing court's perverse actions. With the Qing Dynasty on the verge of destruction, losing its legitimacy and its status as a central government, any mistake could be fatal. Countless people were now trying to climb to power by stepping on the Qing's corpse, either to gain glory or profit...

Zhang Yinghao had never intended to peacefully resolve the Qing Dynasty issue in the past few years. The Qing Dynasty was still reselling state property, and this account would naturally be settled in the future. However, now was not the best time to resolve the Qing Dynasty issue; we had to wait.

However, the scandal that erupted during the Qing Dynasty at this time was enough to make countless traditional "scholars" bow their heads in shame. Because of the "brutal" policies of the Forward Party, many of these people had once dreamed that the Qing court might one day be able to revive, defeat the People's Liberation Army, and regain their former status. After this incident, many people became disillusioned with the Qing Dynasty.

The Progressive Party's attitude towards old-fashioned scholars who refused to accept learning and reform was completely scornful, stemming from Zhang Yinghao's attitude towards these scholars. Zhang Yinghao simply looked down on today's scholars, as countless of them still didn't understand the true purpose of studying. These traditional scholars were completely incapable of completing industrialization, and it could even be said that they had no idea what industry was or how to operate it.

Even in later generations, countless people still don't know the true purpose of studying. Zhang Yinghao once heard a saying in his previous life: "Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the lost knowledge of the sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity." This is what a scholar should do.

At first glance, this statement makes perfect sense, stirring my blood. It truly seems like what a scholar should do. Just like upholding the principles of Heaven and suppressing human desires, scholars have misinterpreted the sutras. Upholding the principles of Heaven and suppressing human desires, because Heaven is unfeeling and desireless, supremely impartial and supreme, so humans should not harbor selfish desires either. This is actually integrated with the principle of "investigating things and seeking knowledge." What is the principle of Heaven? It is the inherent laws between Heaven and Earth, meaning the truth that is not subject to human will.

But these unscrupulous scholars have misunderstood the content. Like Wang Shouren, who didn't understand the principle of "investigating things to gain knowledge" and instead investigated bamboo, ultimately becoming ill, these old-fashioned scholars simply don't understand what "investigating things to gain knowledge" actually means. These scholars are all working in isolation, blindly pursuing truth, and naturally, they will gain nothing. The ultimate result is that since preserving Heaven's principles is impossible, everyone will instead advocate the elimination of human desires. If human desires are eliminated, wouldn't what remains be Heaven's principles? Therefore, the direction is wrong; the more knowledge one has, the more reactionary one becomes.

Worldview and methodology are inseparable; neither is indispensable. As previously stated: Establish a mind for Heaven and Earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the legacy of the sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity. This is truly a worldview. Since studying is for these four things, then the next step should be to put them into practice, right? The fundamental question in this sentence is: How do we establish a mind for Heaven and Earth? How do we establish a destiny for the people? How do we carry on the legacy of the sages? How do we bring peace to the world for all eternity?

But the reality is that no one can do it, otherwise there wouldn't be so many cycles of order and chaos in history. These old-fashioned scholars still promote the theory of nobility and inferiority, such as scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, and the theory of rulers, ministers, fathers, and sons, and look down on the skills of craftsmen, calling them lowly occupations.

Therefore, if reading is not combined with practice, there will be no good results. Here, we must distinguish a fact: the difference between reading and the reader, and between labor and practice, and the dialectical relationship between them. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao made it clear from the beginning when educating his comrades that words, dictionaries, and pinyin are merely tools, tools to improve our learning and work abilities. Reading and writing are not something to be boasted about. Once a person thinks that he is great because he has attended university or passed the graduate school entrance examination, he has gone astray.

What determines a person's worth is their ability to work, both mentally and physically. So, from this perspective, whether a person can earn money depends on their ability to work. Of course, this doesn't include those who inherit ancestral property or earn interest on it.

And it is said that this is to carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages and to bring peace to the world for all eternity. How can one carry on the lost knowledge and bring peace to the world? The limitations of the times meant that all scholars had no correct answers. They did not even seek answers or have no idea of ​​practicing their ideals. Naturally, there was no way to carry on the lost knowledge and bring peace to the world. It was all just a matter of imagining it in their minds. How refreshing it would be! However, the road was blocked in reality. Ideals are beautiful, but reality is cruel.

Perhaps it wasn't until Marx proposed scientific communism, expounded on dialectical materialism and historical materialism, and proposed the concepts of productive forces and production relations that these problems were finally resolved. Whether it's to carry on lost knowledge, to bring about peace, to preserve the principles of heaven while eliminating human desires, or to pursue knowledge through the study of things, we can find methods and answers here.

Zhang Yinghao continued his lecture in the training class. After discussing productivity, he continued, "The essence of politics is interests, compromise, and class rule, and the state is a tool of class rule. The Qing dynasty slaughtered all those who opposed their rule, and only then could they safely unite with the landlord class to rule. Our Progressive Party incorporates the vast majority of working people into the ruling class, achieving the broadest possible sovereignty and dictatorship."

"Chairman, how does Emperor Wu of Han abolishing all schools of thought and respecting only Confucianism relate to class rule?"

"Haha, you also said that it was about abolishing all schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone. Emperor Wu of Han did not acquire a school of thought, but a technique, which separated worldview from methodology. Rulers need obedient people, and Confucianism can educate the people to become the ruled class. The fact is that simple. Why not say abolishing all schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone? But Confucianism alone? The meaning here is very rich. Let's look at the word "Ruzi". On the left is a person, and on the right is the character "Xu". We don't know what the original meaning of this word was when it was created, but just looking at it, we can tell that "Ru" refers to human needs. As long as we are human, we have needs, so this word is actually quite well used.

But are human needs static? Definitely not. Those who study "Confucianism" today have a serious problem. Confucianism rose to prominence because it was a popular choice for officials, meaning that only those who passed the Confucian exam could become officials. This led everyone to focus on the art of Confucianism and its techniques. Consequently, Confucianism is essentially doomed.

If Confucianism satisfied people's needs, it would undoubtedly have continued to develop. However, when Confucianism became a discipline for officialdom, people began to delve into its lexicon. Confucius learned the principles of the Six Classics after completing his studies, but later Confucian scholars achieved status through the Six Classics, thus reversing the priorities.

The difference between the two is truly as vast as the distance between heaven and earth, beyond logical comprehension. One emphasizes self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, and world peace, while the other focuses on social advancement. Ultimately, the Six Classics were lost. Why? Because they were no longer useful to examiners and officials. And why were they useless? Because they were no longer needed for exams, not for everyday life. Naturally, no scholars studied them, hence the decline of the Six Classics and the rise of Six Classics scholarship.

Zhang Yinghao paused briefly and continued, "However, this is not the fundamental reason for the demise of Confucianism. The fundamental reason why Confucianism must be completely destroyed is that those who study Confucianism do not work. Therefore, our Progressive Party must abandon Confucianism, taking its essence and discarding its dross, and it can only serve as a supplement to our lives and practice.

Throughout history, countless impoverished students studied to become officials, and becoming an official was a way to escape poverty. Just as Confucian scholars sought privilege, so too did they seek it. Think of the landlords and tyrants we eradicated. Their ancestors had officials or colluded with officials. Scholars, in particular, often acquired property and land for themselves and their families. They had preemptive rights over nearby land, even leveraging their privileged status to seize it with impunity.

Therefore, these scholars no longer need to work after becoming officials. They only need to seek personal gain and study Confucian knowledge. After all, they can have all kinds of privileges to exploit the working people. At the same time, they also discriminate against the working people, calling them "mud legs" and "untouchables". These words refer to the working people at the bottom.

But in a feudal society with low productivity, as we have said before, everyone is playing a zero-sum game. If the people eat more, these people will eat less. If these oppressors and exploiters eat more, then who knows how many working people will starve to death. Do the exploiters and oppressors care about the lives of the people? In fact, they are just afraid that the people will rebel and kill them. They don’t actually care about the lives of the people. Just like what is sung in the "Revolutionary Song", these people are: the most hateful are those poisonous snakes and beasts who eat up our flesh and blood. Therefore, our Forward Party represents the interests of the poor people. What we have to do is to insist on distribution according to work as the main body and the coexistence of multiple distribution methods. Although this is an extremely difficult thing, as long as we comrades unite and stand with the people, we will surely break the precedent and win the final victory!"

Almost all the comrades who came to listen to the lectures had suffered from hunger, cold and hardship. When they heard Zhang Yinghao's lectures, they were naturally excited and wanted to overthrow the exploiting class immediately and create a new world with bright and clear sky. Therefore, they also understood what Zhang Yinghao said very well.

"Some people may think that if the workers take more or even all the money, then those who don't work will either starve to death on the streets or become rich and powerful. If this is done, cutting off people's financial resources will be like killing their parents. Wouldn't these people fight us to the death? In fact, these are minor problems for our Progressive Party. We have liberated so many provinces and killed tens of millions of landlords, evil gentry, bandits and bullies.

In fact, the most difficult thing for our Progressive Party is not how to get rid of these people who are now domineering, because as long as the political and production levels of our comrades are improved to a certain level, then the old way of life of these people will definitely be shattered. Once the world changes, no one will follow these people.

Why didn't previous rebels truly succeed in liberating the people? Or did they immediately turn to the landlord class after their rebellions succeeded? It's because the world hasn't changed, the principles of the world haven't changed, the way of life hasn't changed, the social environment hasn't changed, and the political ideologies haven't changed. So even if they achieved short-term success, they ultimately became losers and reactionaries. The dragon slayer eventually became the dragon.

"Chairman, can industrialization solve these problems?"

When Zhang Yinghao heard this question, he suddenly thought of the "third generation of silver," "third generation of iron," "third generation of smokers," "third generation of police officers," "third generation of alcoholics," and so on, who were gloriously publicized in the media in his previous life and were rooted in grassroots positions. These people generally did not hold high positions, and their entire families or even entire clans worked in the same unit or related units, but they were the real power holders. They held power and lived the life that countless people dreamed of. Their superiors needed them to do things, and those below them also followed them to gain benefits, forming interest groups. No matter how reforms were carried out, these people were vested interests and could completely do their own things and watch the world change. There is an ancient saying that governing a country is governing the officials. These people are the "officials" who truly control political power and interests. No matter the size of the cake, no matter how the cake is distributed, their share is always indispensable.

Zhang Yinghao shook his head inwardly and replied, "Industrialization can only delay these problems. Comrades, remember, industrialization cannot solve all problems. The most feared thing in the process of industrialization is the privileged class and the solidification of interests. Therefore, reform needs to continue to deepen. Revolution is endless, so we can only constantly reform ourselves and each other, and then revolutionize and reform, and reform and reform, constantly changing from within and without. This is the attitude to carry on the lost knowledge of the sages and bring peace to the world for all time. It is the attitude we should have to move forward and ensure the eternal stability of our party and our descendants. Otherwise, they will eventually become as useless as the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty."

Zhang Yinghao sighed and continued, "I've said before that we're constantly improving productivity and adjusting production relations. We're constantly increasing everyone's average wealth, eliminating the gap between the rich and the poor as much as possible, allowing everyone to gain more wealth... We're gradually eliminating everything that hinders the development of productivity, and ultimately achieving communism..."

Chapter 702:

Zhang Yinghao was extremely busy at this time, with numerous tasks to schedule and meetings to attend. The Liberated Areas were bustling with activity, creating a scene of prosperity. The great powers knew that a quick outcome between the Liberated Areas and Russia was irrelevant. Although the Liberated Areas did not report the outcome of the Battle of Kulun, the news quickly spread throughout the world, shocking and stupefying everyone.

As a powerful country, Russia, the fierce European gendarmerie, is now so weak that it is easily defeated by the Chinese? How unbelievable! The entire Far East Governor's District, except for Vladivostok, which is still struggling, is basically occupied by the Chinese.

After learning that the Liberation Army in Kulun had forced the Russian troops to surrender, even the British and French mediation efforts temporarily subsided, hoping to wait and see how Russia would react. However, they soon learned that after the Liberation Army captured Verkhniy Udinsk, its elite troops continued to advance westward, destroying the West Siberian Railway once again.

After the destruction of the West Siberian Railway, it became impossible for the Russians to send a large army anytime soon. Furthermore, after destroying the railway, the People's Liberation Army retreated to the vicinity of Maimaicheng, carrying a large amount of captured supplies. However, Zhang Yinghao didn't need to remind them; Zhang Feng and his men knew that the liberated areas must be wary of Tsarist Russian cavalry. Tsarist Russia's standing army included numerous Cossack cavalry regiments, capable of arming hundreds of thousands or even more if it so desired. It was foreseeable that after the destruction of the West Siberian Railway by elite soldiers, the agile and mobile cavalry would naturally become the Russian army's most powerful offensive arm. In the short term, at most, a few guerrilla units would remain.

Before Russia resolved its internal revolution, holding onto Eastern Siberia should have been relatively easy. As long as pressure on the West-Siberian Railway was maintained, the Russians would be unlikely to send heavy troops to Eastern Siberia anytime soon. Conversely, the PLA would be unlikely to send large forces westward. From this point on, both China and Russia understood that the war between them had entered a strategic stalemate, requiring them to conserve their forces and avoid any drastic changes in the short term.

The victory over the Russo-Japanese War greatly enhanced the prestige of the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army. However, Zhang Yinghao did not feel much about the battle. Zhang Yinghao chose not to publicize it, but there is no such thing as a wall that cannot be penetrated. After the news quickly spread throughout the country, all newspapers reprinted it crazily, and the people were all in an uproar.

After decades of humiliation, repeated defeats, repeated cessions of territory and indemnities, and repeated signing of unequal treaties, the apathetic masses were finally awakened by the PLA's repeated victories. The people were already turning their attention to the liberated areas, and many were wondering: since the Qing court couldn't be independent and lead the country to prosperity, why not let the Progressive Party take power? Now, countless people have become diehard fans of the Progressive Party, eagerly awaiting its further actions.

Since the PLA was able to defeat the Japanese and Russian powers, the Chinese people would no longer be inferior to others and could naturally hold their heads high and live a stable life. The PLA's repeated victories greatly boosted the morale of the people, inspired their fighting spirit, and united their hearts.

Of course, there are those who are happy and those who are sad. The PLA's victory over Japan and Russo-Japanese was not only unwelcome to the great powers like Britain and France, but also to the Qing Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty's view, the great powers were all extremely powerful, and their army would not be a match for the great powers, even if the tiny country of Japan, which they had previously looked down upon, became a great power.

The capital city seemed to be in a carnival at this time, but it was not a celebration of the victory of the People's Liberation Army, but a final indulgence. The Eight Great Hutongs were bustling every night, as if they were having their last moment of enjoyment, living a life of drunkenness and dreams.

At the end of a dynasty that is about to be destroyed, most officials have given up and are just living one day at a time. Being in a daze is a true portrayal of them.

In the Qing Dynasty court, a number of high-ranking officials were still kneeling on the ground, and the atmosphere was filled with dead silence. Cixi could only continue to rule the country from behind the curtain despite her sick body. At this time, Emperor Guangxu still could not regain power and continued to be a puppet, which was extremely pitiful.

In reality, the PLA's victory over Japan and Russia was something Qing officials simply couldn't believe, unwilling to acknowledge, or face. For China, victory in a foreign war should have rejoiced all Chinese and inspired the nation. However, the PLA's victories were not only bad news for the ruling Qing clique and its lackeys, the Beiyang clique, but rather a death knell. Every victory for the Forward Party and the PLA sounded a death knell for the Qing.

No one could have imagined that the mighty Russo-Japanese forces would be so vulnerable. Perhaps it wasn't that they weren't strong enough, but rather that the PLA was too powerful, causing all Qing officials to lose confidence in their resistance. Initially, the Qing court had hoped to leverage the powerful armies of Japan and Russia to weaken, or even eliminate, the PLA and the Forward Party, a major threat to the Qing. Ideally, both sides would suffer losses, allowing the Qing to reap the benefits. However, the PLA's repeated victories made the Qing afraid to make any more desperate attempts.

Cixi looked at the officials kneeling on the ground with cloudy eyes, and she no longer had the energy to shout "waste" again. However, looking at these wastes, looking at these good-for-nothings, Cixi still felt furious and wanted to drag them all out and chop off their heads.

Cixi knew she was dying, but she still tried her best to speak calmly and steadily, asking, "Gong Bao, I just want to know, if we go to war with the rebels, how long can you hold out?"

Upon hearing Empress Dowager Cixi's pessimistic question, many loyal Qing officials immediately fell to the ground with tears streaming down their cheeks. If the occasion had not been inappropriate, they would have burst into tears and cursed themselves for being incompetent and unable to share the worries and difficulties of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

Yuan Shikai immediately straightened up and said, "Empress Dowager, please rest assured. The Beiyang army will fight to the death. Even if the entire army is wiped out, I will personally go into battle and kill the enemy. I will never let your kindness down. Also, Your Majesty, please don't say discouraging words. Although the traitors have temporarily defeated Japan and Russia, the two countries are not convinced. Without an armistice agreement, Japan and Russia will not admit defeat. They are both preparing to continue the war. The Japanese and Russian armies will definitely be able to hold back the traitors and will not end the war easily."

Cixi listened to Yuan Shikai's words and nodded slightly, then continued to ask: "How are the other powers?"

Tie Liang immediately replied, "Empress Dowager, the interests of Britain and France are seriously threatened by the traitors. They are ready to provide us with loans specifically for military expansion and preparation to fight against the traitors. Now that the traitors have fought against Japan and Russia, they must have suffered heavy losses. Their forces have been tied up by Japan and Russia. The traitors need to deploy heavy troops in the Northeast and Mongolia to guard against Japan and Russia... Under these circumstances, the traitors are surrounded by enemies and it is impossible for them to attack us for the time being."

Hearing the word "Northeast," Cixi immediately felt bad. Northeast China was the birthplace of the Manchus, and now it was occupied by the rebels. This left the Manchus with no way out. How could she explain this to her ancestors? If the rebels had not sent troops to the Northeast, how much better it would have been. At least the Manchus could have withdrawn from the Central Plains and returned to the Northeast, perhaps there would have been a chance to start over.

"Tell the Japanese that as long as they eliminate the rebels outside the Great Wall, they can mine the minerals outside the Great Wall. Any other conditions are negotiable. If they can help the Qing Dynasty eliminate the rebels, we can agree to any conditions. Also, tell the Russians, tell the British, tell all the foreign powers that as long as they help the Qing Dynasty eliminate the rebels, we can agree to any conditions. Let them build railways and allow the foreign powers to trade..."

It was a blessing that Cixi could still speak so much. If Zhang Yinghao had heard, he would have wished the old witch would die without even catching her breath. Everyone understood that Cixi was completely committed to eliminating the traitors. However, there were also those who were not afraid of death who immediately kowtowed and cried out in grief: "Empress Dowager, no! If this continues, our Qing Dynasty will be despised by 400 million people, and our demise will not be far away..."

Cixi knew the current situation, but if she did not allow allies to help the Qing Dynasty at this time, then the country would be truly destroyed. The allies were just a little greedy and wanted a few of the Qing Dynasty's wealth. The Qing Dynasty would still be the Qing Dynasty, the royal family would still be the royal family, and they could still live a life of luxury.

If the Qing Dynasty were to be overthrown by the rebels, not only would all the Manchus be killed, but the royal family would certainly be imprisoned. At this time, Empress Dowager Cixi still had a mysterious confidence in England and other countries. She believed that as long as England was willing to help the Qing Dynasty, the rebels would be wiped out. As for the 400 million people spitting on them, huh, huh, can the sword of the Qing Dynasty no longer kill people? Didn't the Qing Dynasty have the support and recognition of the people when it entered the Pass? In the end, didn't it still hold on to the throne?

Cixi ignored the crying official and just glanced at Li Lianying. Li Lianying immediately understood and shouted, "Come on, drag the crying people out."

Cixi knew she couldn't tolerate anyone daring to stand up against her. She had to intimidate everyone, or else everything would be over.

So Cixi immediately said lightly: "Chop him off!" Li Lianying immediately shouted loudly: "Drag him out and chop him off." Guangxu immediately shouted: "Wait!"

Then he turned to Cixi and said: "Dear father..."

Cixi's cloudy eyes immediately became sharp. When Guangxu saw this, he became frightened and swallowed the words he was about to say. Cixi just snorted and waved her hand.

The guards saw this and, ignoring Guangxu's words and the official's cries of "Empress Dowager, this can't be done, this can't be done, Empress Dowager...", immediately dragged the man out. With a sharp movement of the knife, a head fell to the ground and was quickly placed on the imperial table.

Everyone was trembling with fear. Cixi simply said softly, "Tieliang, do it immediately. As long as the foreign powers are willing to help the Qing Dynasty eliminate the traitors, all conditions can be negotiated. Do you understand?"

Cixi was well aware of the situation the Qing Dynasty was facing. She was about to die, so what was there to fear? After I die, who cares about the flood?

How could Tieliang dare to say no? He immediately shouted: "I understand."

Just as Cixi was carrying out her final crazy act of treason, Zhang Yinghao was also meeting an uninvited guest from Tsarist Russia. When Zhang Yinghao heard the Russian name Yakov Mikhailovich Sverdlov, he knew that what he had to face had finally arrived.

In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao specifically looked up the famous figures who overthrew the Tsarist Russia. Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Dzerzhinsky and many others were very famous, but apart from Lenin, the one who impressed Zhang Yinghao the most was Sverdlov, because it was such a pity that this person died because of his talent.

Zhang Yinghao also remembers Sverdlov as one of the leaders of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and Soviet Russia, a close comrade of Lenin, and a man of exceptional organizational ability. During the October Revolution, he liaised with all parties involved, ensuring that Lenin's line was implemented throughout Russia and that the Soviets acted in unison.

After the revolution, he served as Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets and was the first nominal head of state of the Soviet Union. However, in 1919, at the age of 34, Sverdlov died in Moscow due to a worsening of the Spanish flu.

It can be said that if Sverdlov were still alive, there might not be any Stalin. After all, there were many people supporting Sverdlov, and Sverdlov had very strong leadership skills and was considered to be Lenin's successor.