The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Even if the great powers sent troops to intervene in the revolution, it wouldn't be the worst-case scenario. At this moment, Lin Chengdong suddenly understood why the liberated areas had seized the opportunity of the Russo-Japanese War to fight a fierce battle with Japan and Russia without liberating the entire country. The Second International held a special meeting to discuss the Russo-Japanese War, with Lenin and others publishing articles and strongly criticizing China at the meeting, arguing that China was militaristic, invading Russia, acting imperialistically, and engaging in great-power chauvinism.

At this moment, Lin Chengdong suddenly realized how right the war against Russia was. If he didn't defeat Tsarist Russia, reclaim the Outer Manchuria, and sever the Trans-Siberian Railway, northern China would face a Russian army of millions, even tens of millions. The long border was riddled with loopholes, making it difficult to defend. Even a million-man army wouldn't be enough. Northern China would be in utter ruin. China's national defense would face the same pressures faced during the Song Dynasty, or at least the same pressures as the Ming Dynasty after it lost the Jinning Line. Northern China would have to maintain at least a million troops, forcing its defense to face a completely passive defense. The people would be terrified, and how could the country continue to develop? Maintaining such a large army would be too much of a burden on the country, and development would inevitably be slow, hindering the country. How could it possibly catch up with the great powers?

At this moment, Lin Chengdong truly admired Chairman Zhang Yinghao's wise decision. The order, which he had previously been unable to understand, grasp, or even comprehend, now became completely clear.

"The Chairman has a very far-sighted vision!"

Lin Chengdong sighed in his heart, then turned around and said, "Lao Fu, send a telegram back to China immediately to report this news first. If you have more detailed information, send another telegram later."

"it is good."

Lin Chengdong didn't ask Karl Liebknecht if the news was true. Since Karl Liebknecht had come to tell him, whether the news was true or not, he should immediately pass it back to the country so that the country could prepare early and be prepared for any eventuality.

Seeing Lao Fu running away, Lin Chengdong immediately said to Karl Liebknecht: "Thank you for providing us with this critical news. This news is very valuable to China. You are China's eternal friend."

"No need to thank us. The proletariat of the world are all comrades. We must oppose aggression and militarism and must not bring suffering to the people of other countries."

Lin Chengdong nodded and said, "Yes, we must oppose militarism and aggressive wars. We must mobilize more revolutionary youth to rise up and resolutely fight militarism."

After saying this, he immediately produced a check for 500,000 marks, wrote it down, and handed it to Liebknecht, saying, "We proletarians need funds to carry out anti-war activities and expose the ugly acts of militarism. This is a small token of our gratitude from the China Forward Party to yours. We hope that Germany can be the first to achieve a successful revolution and become a model for the world. We also hope that the proletariat of the world will unite soon and realize communism at an early date."

Lin Chengdong felt bad for the 500,000 marks, but if it could delay Germany a little, change its attitude a little, and divide the powers a little, then it would all be worth it. In war, everything is about victory; money is nothing. And this money wasn't useless; it was a political donation that laid the foundation for future cooperation.

Liebknecht took the check without hesitation. For capitalist countries, accepting political donations is reasonable and legal. For them, accepting donations is just a transaction. You invest in me and I help you. There is no such thing as bribery.

"It will definitely happen. Communism will definitely be realized."

Lin Chengdong said: "I agree with what you said, but there is still a long way to go. Let's not talk about this. Comrade Liebknecht, can you tell me the specific circumstances of the great powers' joint invasion of China?"

"The news is absolutely correct, but I don't know the specifics. All I know is that countries like Britain, France, Japan, Russia, the United States, and Italy will inevitably get involved, dividing up spheres of influence and even carving up Chinese territory."

Lin Chengdong frowned slightly and said immediately: "Anyway, thank you. Such confidential information is priceless to China. War will not last forever. Peace is the long-term theme..."

After seeing Karl Liebknecht off, Liu Dehai immediately said impatiently: "Look, look, it's over, right? In 00, that old witch declared war, and the great powers united to launch an aggressive war against China, eventually signing the Boxer Protocol. Now the great powers are uniting to invade again, and we don't know what kind of humiliating treaty will be signed to appease the anger of the great powers. I told you a long time ago that it would not work to offend the great powers like that, and what's the result? Look, now the great powers are invading again..."

Lin Chengdong listened patiently to Liu Dehai's words, then waved his hand and said, "Could you contact Sun Zhongshan and his group? Have them publicize this overseas, exposing the nature of the imperialist aggression, and mobilizing the people of the imperialist countries and the Chinese community to protest against the war!"

Lin Chengdong naturally thought of the united front. Even if the Progressive Party despised the Tongmenghui and the Three Principles of the People, the fact that they now had a common enemy didn't prevent the formation of a united front. He was too far away from home, so he couldn't do much except to maximize his own strength and weaken the enemy's.

Liu Dehai seemed to have just woken up from a dream. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, yes. I will send a telegram immediately and ask Premier Sun and others to intervene and stop the foreign powers from sending troops to China."

Would the powers listen to Sun Zhongshan? Wasn't that a joke? However, Lin Chengdong didn't correct Liu Dehai's brazen words. He now belatedly recalled some of the intelligence he had received, such as France transporting a large number of soldiers away and Russian bonds stopping their decline and even rising slightly. However, it was no wonder Lin Chengdong was insensitive to this information. After all, who could have imagined that the powers would actually unite to invade again and carve up China?

Zhang Yinghao was still lecturing at this time. It was already time for students to ask questions, and one student asked, "Chairman, why do there always seem to be large-scale peasant uprisings in China, but not in Europe?"

Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and said, "This question requires a little historical knowledge. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China, a country called Jin emerged. Jin was hollowed out by the four families of Han, Zhao, Wei, and Zhi. The founder of Zhao was called Zhao Xiangzi. He saw that a lot of land had been abandoned due to years of war, so in order to reclaim wasteland and obtain taxes, Zhao Xiangzi set a precedent for abolishing slavery. He announced the liberation of all slaves in Zhao and allocated 30 mu of land to each person. He also announced to other countries: As long as you are a slave who escapes to Zhao, not only will you be exempted from slavery, but you will also be given 30 mu of land.

Slaves from other countries began fleeing to Zhao, forcing the rulers of other countries to abolish slavery as well. If the kings of other countries didn't follow suit, their own slaves would find ways to escape to Zhao. As a result, slavery in China was largely dismantled in a short period of time. China then formed two opposing classes: the landlord class and the poor peasants. Consequently, China's first large-scale peasant uprising was the Dazexiang Uprising, which occurred at the end of the unified Qin Dynasty.

In modern civilization, the so-called European and American powers still had large numbers of slaves in Europe until the 18th and 19th centuries. How long had slavery been abolished in the United States? The earliest slaves were actually sold to Europe. Later, after the discovery of the New World, due to the unruly Indians, many of them were slaughtered, and then black slaves were brought from Europe and Africa to the Americas.

This means that slavery persisted throughout Western society until modern times, leaving the lower classes without personal liberation. Furthermore, ancient Europe was dominated by manor lords, whose slaves were private property and lived in isolated, isolated communities. Due to the limitations of the times, these slaves' rebellions were only directed against their own lords, and large-scale uprisings were unlikely. "Are there no kings, princes, generals, or ministers of different races?" From this perspective, it's not unreasonable to say that China was two thousand years more advanced than Europe. Its rebellious spirit was unmatched by the European and American powers.

Seeing the comrades nodding, Zhang Yinghao decided to expand on his point, so he continued, "Comrades, the three major spontaneous workers' uprisings in European history were the two silk weavers' uprisings in Lyon, France, the Chartist movement in Britain, and the Silesian textile workers' uprising in Germany. Furthermore, the current demonstrations in Europe and the textile workers' strike in St. Petersburg are essentially no different from the peasant uprisings and land grabbing in Chinese history."

Seeing the puzzled looks in his comrades' eyes, Zhang Yinghao smiled and said, "Why do you say that? Isn't Europe today characterized by a class conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat? Is one class becoming increasingly wealthy while the other finds it increasingly difficult to survive? For example, before the Lyon silk weavers' uprising, they were brutally exploited by the capitalists and languished on the brink of despair. They worked fifteen to sixteen hours a day, sometimes as long as eighteen, for meager wages, and could barely afford to eat or sleep year-round. Child laborers were particularly miserable, with half of them tortured to death before they were ten. After the July Revolution in France, under the rule of the financial aristocracy, workers' conditions not only failed to improve, but became increasingly difficult. Silk weavers toiled from morning till night, earning only enough to buy a pound of bread. They struggled to support themselves, let alone their families. The workers complained, "We silk weavers are so poor we're naked. High officials wear coats and brocade sashes. We weave all this, but if we starve to death, we won't even have a piece of cloth to bury us." "This is a silk worker, not a silkworm farmer! When the workers made the legitimate demand for a wage increase, the governor of the July Monarchy said: 'It is absolutely impossible for me to ask employers to increase wages and reduce working hours.'"

Before the Chartist Movement, Britain's rulers lived in extravagance while the ruled suffered from hunger and poverty. For example, Queen Victoria's daily income was £164, 17s, and 60p, while her husband, Prince Albert, earned £104, 20p. Millions of workers, on the other hand, each earned only two or three pence a day—not enough to make ends meet. Consequently, workers were forced to rebel and even launch armed uprisings to survive.

Zhang Yinghao clapped his hands and continued, "The opposition between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat in European countries is just like the opposition between the vast number of poor peasants and landlords in China in the past. Let's make an analogy. In order to overthrow the rule of the landlord class, the peasants must unite and mobilize more peasants. There is strength in numbers. And in order to overthrow the rule of the bourgeoisie in European countries, the proletariat must also unite, otherwise they will not be able to defeat the bourgeoisie at all. For the Chinese peasant uprising to succeed, it must rely on natural disasters and man-made disasters. So, for the European proletariat to succeed in revolution, it must also rely on natural disasters, wars, and other natural disasters. Now comrades, you understand why the European proletariat has carried out so many uprisings and so many resistances but the revolution has not succeeded, right? Comrades, you should also know what the European proletariat should do to achieve a successful revolution, right?"

Zhang Yinghao didn't intend to let his comrades answer, but continued to speak to himself: "If China were at the peak of its imperial dynasty, a peasant uprising would never have succeeded. Now that European capitalist countries are developing in full swing and their strength continues to increase, a proletarian revolution will never succeed. Therefore, if the European proletarian revolution wants to succeed, it must have enough patience to wait for the capitalist countries to make major mistakes themselves, and must quietly accumulate strength before that. Moreover, if the European proletariat wants the revolution to succeed, it must immediately master four things when major changes occur in its own country. It must abandon the idea of ​​a successful revolution with the European proletariat and take the lead in completing the revolution at home. Otherwise, the revolution will inevitably fail."

"Chairman, what does it mean to be the first to complete the domestic revolution?"

Zhang Yinghao immediately responded, "The specific conditions of each European country are different. No matter how serious the problem, it is impossible for all countries to be in the same situation. Therefore, it is impossible for the conditions for revolution to mature in all countries at the same time. If the countries where conditions are ripe hesitate and fail to immediately and decisively complete their domestic revolution and prepare for anti-intervention war, then the bourgeoisie in other countries, who fear revolution, will inevitably unite and do everything possible to stifle the revolution, and ultimately the revolution will inevitably fail."

"Chairman, what are the four things that the proletariat must immediately master when a major upheaval occurs in the country?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Yinghao immediately said seriously: "All the successful teams in our ancient peasant uprisings, without exception, established their own rear base, formed their own political power, and had their own army. Only in this way can they achieve great things. Therefore, in times of great change, proletarian revolutionaries must have their own solid army, must have a base to establish their own political power, must control finance and a sufficient number of factories. These four complement each other and are indispensable.

Of course, the united front and Party building, two of our three magic weapons, are also indispensable. The united front must mobilize the proletariat of all countries, unite all those who sympathize with the proletariat's plight, and advance the revolution in their own countries while also buying time for those countries that have already achieved or are about to achieve revolution.

As for Party building, I've always said that our ancient peasant uprisings were merely a cycle of succession, the fruits of which were plundered and stolen, ultimately disappearing, a cycle that repeats itself time and again. Therefore, after the success of the proletarian revolution, we must strengthen Party building, always upholding proletarian fairness and justice, adhering to the Party's revolutionary ideals, and not allowing the situation to change. Otherwise, if there were a backlash, the revolution would regress or even fail, and the people would inevitably suffer a second wave of punishment and hardship...

At this moment, there was a rapid knock on the door. Zhang Yinghao stopped and said immediately, "Come in."

The secretary pushed open the door, walked breathlessly to the podium, handed Zhang Yinghao a telegram, and said, "Chairman, emergency."

Zhang Yinghao took the telegram and glanced at it. His pupils shrank. He waved his hand and said, "Go back and notify the Central Military Commission and the members of the Central Committee to hold a meeting. I'll be there soon."

"it is good."

Zhang Yinghao placed the telegram between the courseware and continued, "In capitalist countries, workers' demonstrations, even strikes and uprisings, are as inevitable as the peasant rebellions of ancient my country. my country needs to build factories, develop industry, and carry out industrialization. How can we solve the workers' problem? How can we avoid following the old path of the bourgeoisie? Write an article of no less than 1,000 words on this question. You can go to the library to look up information. It's best not to discuss with others and interfere with your thinking. In three days, the study committee will collect the homework and place it on my desk in my office. You still have a little time to study on your own. Don't make noise and disrupt other classes."

Chapter 714: Second update!

Zhang Yinghao finished speaking and quickly turned and left the classroom, leaving behind a group of students ready to wail. After all, for most comrades today, the level of education is still relatively low, and writing a 1,000-word essay is truly no easy task. Of course, Zhang Yinghao also knew that human potential is limitless. Without pushing, how could one know that they couldn't achieve it? It was precisely because of the comrades' low level of education that Zhang Yinghao urged them to learn to think.

Zhang Yinghao knew that it was extremely difficult for the proletariat to overthrow the rule of the bourgeoisie. In his previous life, it was after the establishment of the Soviet Union that the capitalist world lost a corner and a gap was opened. With the help of the Soviet Union, a number of countries embarked on the path of socialism. However, none of the developed capitalist countries still embarked on the socialist path. The fundamental reason was that the proletariat in these countries chose to engage in parliamentary struggle with the bourgeoisie, instead of controlling the army, political power, factories, etc., and did not choose armed struggle, and naturally ended up on the road of failure.

Zhang Yinghao suddenly thought that as a revolutionary leader of a country, he must control the army, the political power, the finance and factories, etc. Otherwise, he would only lead the country onto the road of chaos and the revolution would not be thorough.

In his previous life, Sun Zhongshan simply didn't control the military and government. He was indeed a fighter, having weathered the Xinhai Revolution, the Second Revolution, the Protection of Law War, and so on, yet China remained in ruins upon his death. Chiang Kai-shek, on the other hand, seized control of the military, government, and finance from the moment he came to power. He greatly advanced the revolution and formally unified the country. Unfortunately, Chiang Kai-shek betrayed the revolution and quickly degenerated into a powerful landlord and comprador bureaucratic capitalist. However, even so, if the Japanese invasion hadn't given the Communist Party and its Eighth Route Army the opportunity to grow and prosper, would the War of Liberation have proceeded so smoothly and swiftly? Could the Communist Party truly have achieved final victory under the relentless suppression wrought by Chiang Kai-shek and the foreign powers? Even if it had, it's unclear how long the revolution's triumph would have been delayed.

The same thing happened in India. Gandhi, the spiritual leader, chose a hunger strike in protest. He had no military power or political power, and after being shot, India was doomed to be in chaos. Fortunately, India still had religion to govern the people, and the geographical concept of India was transformed into the concept of a nation and a nation in a timely manner. All forces compromised with each other, otherwise India would have been the worst country.

South Africa was once a developed country in propaganda, but in the process of demanding equal rights, black people disrupted South Africa, disrupted production, and forcibly downgraded it. Is this true? Not entirely. Developed countries are for white people, and the fruits of development have all gone to white people. What benefit has it brought to black South Africans?

And what's more! Mandela, the spiritual leader who fought for equality and freedom in South Africa, was imprisoned repeatedly, spending 27 years in prison. Finally, the white people, unable to bear the torture, negotiated and released Mandela to clean up the mess. However, by then, the country's wealth had long been divided up by the whites, and local separatism among the blacks had become a reality. Mandela himself had no military power, no political power, and no control over finance or factories. So no matter how much Mandela campaigned, the final outcome in South Africa was inevitably a mess. Isn't it obvious who the culprit is?

Comparable to these leaders is Lenin, whose writings particularly emphasized the need to seize state power, control the military, manage finance, and manage factories to develop production. The great leader, Taizu, also said, "Political power grows from the barrel of a gun, and it saves the revolution from peril," a principle he consistently adhered to. Then there's Tito of Yugoslavia. Any leader capable of forcefully transforming a country, carrying out a thoroughgoing revolution, and achieving success inevitably wields one or more of the key powers of the Party, government, military, and finance.

Zhang Yinghao knew that the liberated areas were no longer vulnerable to the great powers, and the dangerous period had long passed. Although the unified China was still poor, it was a country that the great powers feared. Moreover, the liberated areas had unified leadership. The Progressive Party controlled the military, government, finance, factories, etc. Zhang Yinghao still led the Progressive Party, and power was not excessively dispersed. Therefore, when faced with the great powers jointly launching another war of aggression against China, Zhang Yinghao remained calm, believing that if the enemy came, the general would stop him; if the water came, the earth would block it.

However, what made Zhang Yinghao more angry was that the news of the joint invasion of China by the great powers was not discovered by the intelligence organization, but came from faraway Europe. It must be said that this was a dereliction of duty by Li Tianqiao and his team and their slow response to information.

So after leaving the classroom, Zhang Yinghao didn't go to the conference room. Instead, he went to the Intelligence Bureau and found Li Tianqiao. He started by scolding him: "What's going on with your Intelligence Bureau? Are you all just eating and not working? The imperialist powers have united and are preparing to launch another war of aggression against China. Such a big thing, and you don't even know anything about it? What are you doing? You know that your slow intelligence gathering ability will cause irreparable damage to the country and the people. Do you understand? Do we have to wait until the powers attack Wuhan and put guns to our heads before we can get any information?"

Li Tianqiao did not defend himself, but said, "Chairman, it is true that we did not do our job well enough. We were slow to respond to intelligence and were not sensitive enough. I request punishment."

Zhang Yinghao became even angrier after hearing this and immediately said, "Can punishment solve the problem? If punishment can solve the problem, wouldn't it be better if everyone just sat in the office and signed the penalty notices for the comrades below? Do you know what's wrong?"

"knew?"

"You, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, have now been demoted to Acting Director. If a similar situation arises again, we will replace you. If you are capable, you can do it. If you are not, you can get out. Do you accept this?"

"Clothes!"

"Everyone in this office who has come into contact with relevant intelligence will be punished once. Write a self-criticism of at least 500 words, explaining what went wrong with the Intelligence Bureau. You will handle this matter personally. If you are not competent for the job, you will be replaced. Do you understand?"

"clear."

Zhang Yinghao sighed and said, "Tell me how much you know now?"

Li Tianqiao also knew that the matter was over for the time being, but he was also very angry. He secretly blamed himself for being so slow in handling the intelligence. He didn't know what he was thinking at the time and was actually confused.

"Chairman, according to the intelligence we've received so far, the foreign powers have increased their troop strength in Shanghai to 50,000, and have added 18 warships. They've also increased their forces in Tanggu, Yantai, and other places, though the exact number is unknown. France has also increased its forces in Guangzhou Bay, and in Hanoi to the north. Furthermore, the foreign powers have sent representatives to contact Duan Fang, Zhou Fu, and others, but the specific content of their discussions is unknown. The Beiyang government's overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and Yuan Shikai's enthronement were both supported by the foreign powers..."

"Where are the Japanese soldiers in Korea? What's going on over there?"

"North Korea is under strict blockade by Japan, and Japan is still controlling the epidemic. There is no specific valuable intelligence."

Zhang Yinghao glanced at the world map behind him and immediately asked, "What about Britain?" "No new information."

Zhang Yinghao knew that the situation was very confusing, but he could already sense that a large net was enveloping the liberated areas. Zhang Yinghao knew that Britain must be the instigator of this coalition attack and could not have been inactive. They must be plotting something bad.

Zhang Yinghao looked at the vast territory of the Liberated Area with a hint of a sneer. No matter how large the net woven by the great powers was, it would be impossible to capture the entire Liberated Area. The net would eventually break, but the fish would not die. Instead, they would be trained, becoming stronger and more vigilant.

Zhang Yinghao immediately pointed at the map and said, "Collect all the relevant intelligence obtained along the entire border, summarize it and submit it quickly. Don't leave work until you finish it."

"Yes."

Just then, a comrade from the Intelligence Bureau came in and reported: "Chairman, Director, something's happening in XZ. We've just received intelligence that the Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, has been imprisoned by the Han Chinese. Riots are breaking out simultaneously in Lhasa, Gonggar, Shigatse, Gyantse, Dinggye, and other places. Slave-owning aristocratic monks are deceiving and inciting the serfs to attack the People's Liberation Army, the work teams, and the road construction teams. The situation is showing signs of escalating."

Zhang Yinghao knew immediately that the British had finally begun their attack. He knew he could no longer remain at the Intelligence Bureau and immediately told Li Tianqiao, "Send any new intelligence to the command center immediately. Focus on troop movements in border areas and contact the Military Intelligence Bureau. In particular, investigate the borders of Britain, France, Japan, and Russia thoroughly."

After saying that, without waiting for Li Tianqiao to answer, he turned around and quickly left the office, got in the car and rushed to the meeting room.

Although Zhang Yinghao's car resembled other cars on the outside, it was actually quite different. The difference was easily noticeable to anyone with a keen eye. Furthermore, cars were a rarity in that era, making them easy targets for enemy agents. With the car, Zhang Yinghao's security became exponentially more difficult, forcing him to reduce his university lecture schedule.

Zhang Yinghao left the intelligence bureau and felt uneasy the moment he got into the car. He was very sensitive to this and was very concerned about his subconscious. This was because Zhang Yinghao had experienced this situation many times in his past life. For example, he would suddenly remember to bring an umbrella when he went out, but then forgot about it. Then it rained halfway and he regretted it. Or he would suddenly decide to bring some change when he went out, but then forgot about his phone. As a result, the phone died and he had to walk a long way or spend more money to get back.

Zhang Yinghao was in a state of anxiety at the moment and couldn't figure out what was going on. He thought it was because of what he had just heard about the joint invasion of China by the great powers and Britain's actions in Xz. After a little thought, he let the driver drive away.

The car was halfway there when two long carts suddenly collided with each other. Old Liu slammed on the brakes. Zhang Yinghao, having seen similar scenes in countless TV dramas, felt his scalp tingle. He shouted, "Old Liu, back up and get out of here!" He pulled his pistol from his briefcase, loaded it, and prepared to fire. Zhang Yinghao, a veteran of military service and combat, was incredibly quick and efficient. The security guard nearby also grabbed his pistol and prepared to fire. The driver, Old Liu, also professionally trained, immediately realized what was happening and quickly shifted the car into reverse, moving the car back.

At this moment, the two people pushing the cart, who had originally planned to pretend to argue, realized their plan had failed and that they might have been exposed. One of them immediately pulled out a pistol and fired at the car, while the other picked up a grenade, pulled the string, and threw it at the car. The sound of gunfire and explosions immediately rang out, and the people in the car immediately confirmed the enemy relationship and knew that they were facing an assassination attempt.

Zhang Yinghao's driving route was specially planned, and there were two cars escorting him not far away, so it didn't take long for him to get support. Zhang Yinghao was also frustrated by this era. If two or three cars gathered together, it would indicate their location. Moreover, it was very easy for the enemy to transport weapons into Wuhan now, and it was completely impossible to defend against it.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know how many enemy spies were involved in the assassination attempt on him, but while Zhang Yinghao chose to trust the quality of the car, he was also prepared to jump out of the car. Because if the enemy had explosive packs or heavy weapons, then this car would be a living coffin.

Lao Liu's skills are truly remarkable. Reversing the car is almost as quick and agile as driving forward. If the car weren't so heavy with the added steel plates, he could have easily escaped with a drift. Even for safety reasons, the tires are solid, so there's no risk of them bursting from enemy fire. It's safe to say that with current technology, this bulletproof car is incredibly safe.

However, since the enemy spies carefully planned this assassination, it was impossible for them to let the car leave so easily. Two carts had already appeared behind to block the road.

Zhang Yinghao looked at the spider veins on the front and rear bulletproof glass left by bullets. Perhaps this was the only thing the enemy agents hadn't anticipated. Without the protection of bulletproof glass and steel plates, Zhang Yinghao would have met his end. Who could have imagined someone could turn a car into a tortoise shell? Perhaps the enemy agents had never dreamed of such a thing.

Zhang Yinghao knew he couldn't stop the car, so he immediately shouted, "Just run into it. We have to break out of the encirclement."

Zhang Yinghao knew that while bulletproof glass could protect against bullets, it couldn't protect against a few rounds. Once it was breached, it would be truly dangerous. Meanwhile, the security guard sitting nearby had already opened the glass and, through the gap, rapidly fired at the enemy. He was indeed a professionally trained and skilled comrade, his shooting skills unmatched by ordinary men. After several rounds, two of them pierced the chests of two of the enemies, sending them falling to the ground.

Zhang Yinghao immediately followed suit, pulling back the glass, sticking out the muzzle of his gun and pulling the trigger. Zhang Yinghao's shooting skills were good, but he was not used to shooting like this. He missed a single shot after several consecutive shots. However, Zhang Yinghao continued to fire, hoping to suppress the enemy with firepower. After a few shots, Zhang Yinghao immediately got used to it. He shot one of the enemies in the head, and the horse-faced man's head exploded, blood and brain matter splattered all over the ground, and his body fell to the ground motionless.

At this moment, the bulletproof glass behind him shattered. Zhang Yinghao quickly lowered his head and hid himself. Then he heard the sound of a huge object hitting something. It turned out to be the sound of a car crashing through the roadblock.

At this moment, another bullet was fired, and a large hole was broken in the bulletproof glass in front. However, the car had already escaped the encirclement and was relatively safe. It was possible to quickly get away to a safe distance. At this time, the street was in chaos. Seeing that the assassination attempt had failed, the enemies had already planned to blend into the crowd and escape.

At that moment, two security vehicles arrived. The comrades immediately got out and fired round after round at the enemy agents. Soon, Zhang Yinghao received a report that all seven assassins had been killed. The injured assassins who survived had all died of poison after biting poison in their mouths. It was confirmed that they were assassins sent by the enemy.

Zhang Yinghao did not get out of the car, because he didn't know if there was an assassin pointing a rifle at him in the distance, ready to shoot him fatally at any time. Zhang Yinghao had watched a lot of such movies and TV series, and knew that the last assassin was like a poisonous snake and the most dangerous one.

Zhang Yinghao leaned against the steel plate and calmly ordered, "The army will blockade the concessions. All departments will mobilize the masses and conduct a city-wide search. Simultaneously, we will launch a joint crackdown operation against gangs and hooligans, eradicate pornography, gambling, and drugs, confiscate all privately held weapons, investigate all suspicious individuals, and identify all unregistered foreigners... Clean the house before inviting guests!"

After giving the order, Zhang Yinghao said expressionlessly, "Old Liu, drive."

Chapter 715: First update!

Zhang Yinghao was well aware that such political assassinations were carried out with the determination to kill, making them difficult to track. Indeed, at a time when facing invasion by foreign powers, assassinating Zhang Yinghao beforehand was the most cost-effective option for all enemies of the Chinese people. Eliminating Zhang Yinghao would inevitably plunge the Forward Party and the Liberated Areas into chaos, making it difficult to achieve a united front. It could even lead to the division of the Liberated Areas, giving the Beiyang government and the foreign powers an opportunity to manipulate.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao never thought that he could win the battle against the invasion of China by eliminating the foreign powers. Even if he really sacrificed himself, the next person who inherited Zhang Yinghao's legacy would only need to use the banner of revenge to continue to unite the people and eventually win, drive the foreign powers out of China, and fulfill Zhang Yinghao's will. Otherwise, he would definitely not be able to sit firmly on the throne.

However, Zhang Yinghao's assassination placed the comrades of the Ministry of State Security with a heavy responsibility, a serious dereliction of duty, and a significant burden on them. Zhang Yinghao's schedule was undoubtedly kept secret, and now that he's being targeted, it means some of his whereabouts were already known. However, Zhang Yinghao knew that he was going to give a lecture at the school, and it was impossible to keep it completely secret. If someone were to stake out the school, it would be easier to track down Zhang Yinghao's movements, which would mean there must be a traitor inside.

What Zhang Yinghao could think of, the comrades in the Security Department who were responsible for this task could naturally think of as well. With the exception of the head of the Security Department, all comrades were anonymous. Recruiters or special operations personnel were required to look as ordinary as possible, not in uniform, and could investigate anyone in the liberated areas.

Zhang Yinghao didn't go to the Security Department to teach anyone a lesson this time. His assassination was a serious matter, and naturally someone needed to take the relevant responsibility. Zhang Yinghao couldn't be too kind or too generous, or he would appear weak and vulnerable.

At the time of Zhang Yinghao's assassination, the great powers had already united to make a desperate move against Yuan Shikai and put pressure on him to negotiate. The great powers' support for Yuan Shikai's enthronement was not a selfless act of kindness, but rather a demand for more rewards. If there were no rewards, why would they let Yuan Shikai sit in that position?

At this time, Yuan Shikai was looking at the documents submitted by the great powers for his signature and the conditions on them. Even though the weather in the capital was still cold, he was still sweating profusely and could only wipe the sweat from his greasy face with a handkerchief.

"My dear ministers, don't you think these conditions are too extreme? For example, no foreign country is allowed to interfere in the affairs of China, Mongolia, Northeast China, or Xinjiang, and no foreign personnel or agents are allowed to enter the border. No railways, roads, power lines, mineral resources, or other rights are allowed to be enjoyed by foreign countries or their nationals. If such rights are allowed, then the corresponding or equivalent rights should be given to the governments of the great powers. No revenues from China, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Northeast China, or goods, gold, silver, or other currencies may be used as collateral for redemption by foreign countries or their nationals. Isn't this dividing up all of China? And you want me to send troops to attack the Communist bandits? You are just assisting from the sidelines. Am I not being sold out by you and having to help you count the money?"

The great powers are now focused on resolving the pending issues in the Mengjiang and Xinjiang regions, expanding their interests in China, legitimizing their own gains, and creating conditions for the division of China. How could they care about the Beiyang government?

"Your Majesty, I think it's perfectly reasonable. We still recognize these lands as Chinese territory. We are simply seeking to extract some benefits from them. Of course, you can refuse, but you will bear all the consequences."

After hearing this, Yuan Shikai's face immediately turned pale. Not only did the Beiyang government have to recognize the treaties signed during the Qing Dynasty, but it also had to continue to sign more harsh treaties. If he signed his name, he would never be able to get rid of the label of traitor.

After hearing the Japanese's aggressive words, Zhu Erdian immediately tried to smooth things over, saying, "Your Majesty, this is a secret treaty, and we have also promised to assist in sending troops to eliminate the Red Bandits and help you unify the country. Can you not provide some military funds? These benefits are just collateral. Moreover, no matter what happens, we will guarantee the status of Your Majesty the Emperor and the safety of your family. We will also severely crack down on the revolutionary party and Chinese students. At the appropriate time, we will discuss the return of the concession..."

Yuan Shikai and the foreign powers had been negotiating for a long time, but Yuan Shikai could only stall for time, seeking wiggle room through various means. To expedite the process, the foreign powers pressed the Beiyang government to schedule and hold more meetings, hoping to force the Beiyang government to accept indefinite negotiations and prevent leaks.

Yuan Shikai was filled with indignation at the pressure from so many envoys, but he could only try to continue resisting. He pointed at a sign and said, "How can the Chinese central government employ capable people from powerful countries as political, financial, and military advisors? You are trying to seize control of China's political power..."

"This is a consultant. If you don't know or don't understand something, you can come and ask. Didn't Mr. Hart manage the customs very well? You don't understand modern management. We are just providing you with assistance so that the Beiyang government can manage the country well."

"And this: All hospitals, temples, churches, schools, etc. established in mainland China are allowed to own the land. You are rich, and China is poor. You can buy up a lot of land, and eventually become a country within a country. No one will agree to this."

"It is only for the establishment of public service facilities. Private places are not included. These places will also provide services to Chinese people, such as going to the hospital for medical treatment and going to school, which are all allowed."

Yuan Shikai didn't care whether this was a secret treaty or not. He also knew he couldn't sign his name, so he could only bite the bullet and say, "Many of the clauses you proposed interfere in China's internal affairs and infringe on its sovereignty. I find it difficult to agree to them and we need to discuss them further. We have already agreed to attack the Red Bandits and recognize the treaties signed during the Qing Dynasty."

Due to the weak position of the Beiyang government and Yuan Shikai's personal selfishness, Yuan Shikai could not firmly reject the demands of the great powers. On the other hand, Yuan Shikai was unwilling to be criticized by all parties for making too many concessions. After all, he still needed the support of the great powers and even more so, they needed to lend him money. Yuan Shikai decided to delay the negotiation process for a while and try to bargain with the great powers.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know what Yuan Datou was going through at the moment, but even if he knew, he wouldn't have the slightest sympathy. He was blinded by greed and thought that everything was his own fault, and it was his own destruction. Anyway, Zhang Yinghao also planned to disown and invalidate all the treaties signed by the Beiyang government, just like the unequal treaties signed during the Qing Dynasty. In fact, what hurt Zhang Yinghao the most was the more than 200 million taels of silver paid to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki signed by the Qing Dynasty. Because under the pressure of Japan, the Qing government actually borrowed money from Britain, France and other countries to pay off the indemnity early. Zhang Yinghao felt particularly uncomfortable when he thought about not being able to shirk this debt to the Japanese devils.

As soon as Zhang Yinghao entered the conference room, he heard Cai E explaining the current situation to his comrades. The large map was covered with various symbols, and Zhang Yinghao had a clear understanding of the current situation at a glance. He listened to Cai E's introduction: "In this war of aggression by the coalition forces of the great powers against China, if the great powers are truly willing to pay a huge price and spend a lot of money, then the greatest threats to the liberated areas are the Beiyang Army, the Japanese Army, and the coalition forces in Shanghai. Other enemy forces faced by other border areas such as Tibet, Yunnan, and Guangxi are just minor problems. Tsarist Russia must rely on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Even if it wants to attack us in the future, it will take some time."

“Who is the biggest threat to us?”

"Japan. Because if Japan receives the full support of the great powers, then Japan can send tens of millions of troops to fight in Korea at any time. The Japanese army fights tenaciously. Now, with only the Yalu River between them, they will definitely be able to invade Northeast China. Northeast China will inevitably fall into a difficult battle and ultimately suffer heavy losses..."