The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

“Da da da da…”

Like the sound of tearing rags, when the fastest team of Beiyang troops was less than 30 meters away from the defenders on the mountain, the defenders on the mountain finally opened fire.

"Ahhh..."

"Help....…"

"Oh My God......""

In just a moment, most of the Beiyang troops who had already reached the ambush position fell. This sudden counterattack, which was beyond the expectations of General Cao Yin and others, instantly killed hundreds of Beiyang soldiers who had already climbed the mountain. The dense firepower network was like a life-reaping machine from the underworld, constantly reaping the lives of the reactionary army!

"not good!"

The moment the intense machine gunfire rang out, Cao Yin and the others realized something was amiss. No wonder, no wonder he had always felt the ambush troops on the mountain weren't reacting strongly. It turned out the heavy firepower was hidden, to avert suspicion and lure them up to their deaths!

A gust of wind blew by, and Cao Yin couldn't help but shudder. The Red Bandits who could come up with such a plan were truly terrifying, especially since they had guessed their reactions and psychology!

What frightened him even more was that the firepower was so fierce that it was even more fierce than that of the Beiyang Army's most elite First Regiment.

"Where are our artillery? Where are they? Quick, fire at the enemy on the mountain. We must completely destroy the firing points on the mountain!"

"Marshal, a lot of our artillery was destroyed in the attack just now, especially the artillerymen. We still have more than ten artillery pieces that can be used!"

"Use as many guns as you can! Quickly, quickly mark the enemy positions and destroy the machine gun positions on the mountain!"

"Yes!"

After receiving Cao Yin's order, the messenger quickly went down to instruct the remaining artillery battalion to prepare.

Soon, the artillery battalion of the reactionary army in the valley finally started to fire, and the artillery battalion of the reactionary army finally began to counterattack!

“Swoosh…Boom!”

"Hugh... Boom!"

The enemy artillery finally completed its survey, and several shells rained down upon the PLA positions. The deafening explosions instantly deafened everyone. A rock blast pierced the forehead of a machine gunner who was unable to dodge. Despite the soldiers' quick reactions, more than a dozen other soldiers were injured in the Beiyang Army's artillery fire.

—Artillery shells fell near the ambush position on the mountain, but the firepower of the ambush position did not decrease at all.

"boom......"

Shell after shell landed near the machine gun again. After calibration, the firing accuracy improved significantly. The machine gunner, who was firing happily, shook himself up and groaned. It turned out that the exploding shrapnel had hit him hard in the waist, and the flames of the machine gun in his hand were slightly stopped because of his injury.

However, he soon saw that he was gritting his teeth, his face covered with beads of sweat, but he still insisted on continuing to shoot.

"It's blood... Squad leader, you are injured! Let me do it, Squad leader!" The deputy shooter spoke immediately when he saw that the squad leader was injured.

But the machine gunner's eyes were bloodshot, his ears deaf from the explosions. He could only see the frantic Beiyang soldiers charging forward, howling and screaming. His strength was fading as his blood continued to flow.

"Oh no! The squad leader has fainted! Stretcher team, quickly carry him down!"

Two stretcher bearers quickly carried away the fallen squad leader, and the assistant machine gunner quickly filled the gap, raised the machine gun, pressed the trigger and continued firing.

As the reactionary army's artillery fire fiercely counterattacked, the number of casualties near the mountain gradually increased. Fortunately, relying on the simple defense built of rocks, most of the flying bullets and flying bomb shrapnel were blocked.

"Artillery... Artillery, haven't you found the Beiyang artillery yet? Order the artillery to open fire immediately. Concentrate your fire. We must destroy the remaining Beiyang artillery. Keep firing, and the machine guns on standby. As soon as the artillery fire stops, launch a fierce attack on the front positions!"

The Beiyang forces outnumbered the PLA. If they fully reacted, it would be a tough battle. Zhao Zhengyang shook off the fallen leaves from his head and immediately ordered the artillery to counterattack. Facing the artillery, the infantry could only passively take the beating. How could this work? While holding on wouldn't be a problem, these were his own men, many of them young men in their twenties. How could he justify the lives he had lost by letting them die here?

"yes!"

Chapter 762!

With the Beiyang attack, the whole of China was suddenly in turmoil, with war clouds gathering. Large areas fell into turmoil, and countless people fled to the countryside, trying to avoid the impending war.

The Chinese people love peace and desperately desire it. Yet, facing invasion from the great powers, China faces the threat of partition and the imminent destruction of its nation. Patriots from all walks of life are deeply anxious. Anti-civil war and anti-aggression groups are established across the country, constantly urging peace, advocating for peaceful negotiations between the liberated areas and Emperor Yuan, as well as with the great powers, to restore peace to China.

Zhang Yinghao scoffed at such social remarks that seek peace through compromise. He said that in China, since ancient times, during periods of division, the longer the short period of peace lasted, the greater the energy accumulated, and the more people would eventually die as a result.

As for the question of whether the liberated areas would instigate civil war, or whether, as the Virgin Mary accused him, civil war should not be waged, Zhang Yinghao hadn't even considered it. A short pain is worse than a long one; a rapid unification of the country would be the most beneficial approach for China and the Chinese nation.

"Bang, bang, bang"—a series of gunshots opened a new day and cleared the dark curtain. Crowds of people gathered along the riverbanks of Wuhan, Jiujiang, Wuhu, Nanjing, and other places. The liberated areas arrested a group of criminals who trafficked in opium, engaged in gangs, killed workers and peasants, disrupted production, and sold intelligence.

At this point, the criminals lined up, gunshots rang out, and several fell to the ground. The onlookers murmured among themselves. Some were terrified by the Liberated Areas' brutal tactics, still feeling apprehensive. Others raised their hands, enthusiastically welcoming the Liberated Areas' efforts to rectify society.

Due to the rule of the Qing Dynasty, in modern times, China was filled with corruption and rampant crime. Zhang Yinghao was naturally very dissatisfied with the current social situation. If he did not cleanse some of the crimes, how could he gain the support of the people? How could he let the people know that the Progressive Party stood with the people?

Zhang Yinghao knew that the price of his revolution was extremely high. Since he led the revolution, at least one million people had been killed in the liberated areas. This would be considered brutal and inhumane in any country. However, Zhang Yinghao did not care.

Zhang Yinghao even wrote an opportune article, "Prefer the Girondins to the Bourbons," which he published in a newspaper. He first introduced the period after the French Revolution, then argued: "...China proclaimed two thousand years ago: 'Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers of different species? In the morning, they are peasants; in the evening, they ascend to the throne. Generals and ministers are not of different species; men should strive to be strong...' For most of history, China has been a beacon of human civilization..."

Even though he was extremely jealous, Zhang Yinghao had to acknowledge the greatness of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment. However, Zhang Yinghao's thoughts on these things were not pure. Even France, which had experienced such glory, had not always become a lackey for suppressing revolution? Hadn't it also been repeatedly restored by the reactionaries?

Moreover, if France had used iron-blooded means to suppress the revolutionaries, it could at least be considered a real butcher executioner. However, France eventually degenerated to the point where it did not even let go of a group of socialists who advocated changing the land system... Thinking of the performance in World War I and World War II, and thinking of the future losses of these "civilized" countries, Zhang Yinghao felt really refreshed.

Moreover, after the complete failure of the French Revolution, Europe once again fell into the hands of the upper aristocracy, and the lower class people had basically no possibility of crossing classes.

People of the time naturally didn't know about future "history." Ordinary people from the lower classes who wanted to become rulers of a country had to wait until the age of the mustache. There is no love without reason, no hatred without reason, and no war without reason. If Germany hadn't started World War II and was discredited, the mustache's "revolution" would have been very successful.

One hundred and twenty years after the French Revolution, in 1907, the lower classes had few opportunities to truly rise to the upper class through normal channels, perhaps only in the German army or among British engineers. With the adoption of the General Staff system, Germany at least had military academies open to civilians, as well as a General Staff selection system that prioritized ability over family background. Civilians fought bravely, earned military merit, and ultimately rose to the upper class. Or, through outstanding scientific research, in the highly industrialized United Kingdom, they gained recognition from the scientific community and were eventually knighted by the Queen. As for women, there was virtually no chance of advancement. Even a brilliant scholar like Marie Curie, who won a Nobel Prize, was still not taken seriously in patriarchal Europe...

The article continued: "...During the French Revolution, the Girondins issued decrees forcing the nobility to return illegally occupied public land and to rent or sell confiscated church land in small plots to the peasants... During the French Revolution, the slaughter of the nobility and clergy was extremely brutal, with the intention of annihilating them all... Clergy who refused to proclaim the Constitution and escaped nobles were severely punished. On January 21, 1793, the National Convention tried and executed Louis XVI for treason...

After trials, the liberated areas executed a large number of counter-revolutionaries who massacred the people. The liberated area government implemented strict land nationalization, and all farmers who were willing to farm were allocated land, although the land was essentially rented from the government... The liberated area government did not accept any foreign missionary requests... "

Zhang Yinghao used the French Revolution and the Xin Chou Revolution, which he himself led, as examples, to elaborate on the policies implemented in the liberated areas and the ideals of the Forward Party. Zhang Yinghao knew that every generation has its own talented individuals, each leading the way for decades. The heroes hidden among the masses would certainly not submit to him, but they would certainly follow his ideals. Zhang Yinghao was absolutely confident in the ideals he proposed, as they had been tested in past lives.

Zhang Yinghao continued in his article: "The liberated areas do not need any nobility or privilege, and are committed to eliminating any form of nobility and privilege. For example, our trains only have three types of carriages: hard seats, hard sleepers, and soft sleepers. Who can ride in which carriage is determined solely by the needs of the traveler and the duration of their trip. Soft sleepers are more comfortable, but more expensive, while hard sleepers and hard seats are cheaper. However, everyone has only one identity: a laborer..."

The "Xin Chou Revolution" should be more thorough than the "French Revolution" because our Forward Party is committed to the people's revolution. One of our goals is to build a new world without oppression, exploitation, and people bullying others. No matter how much bloodshed and sacrifice it requires, we must carry the revolution through to the end!

In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao was often disgusted by online reports about the West. The double standards were truly awful. The West vigorously promoted peace and equality, yet Britain's new prime minister was required to kneel respectfully before the hereditary king to receive instruction. They also promoted the idea that kneeling in Thailand was backward and feudal, while kneeling before the British king was civilized... It was all a joke.

Anyone who can read can understand what Zhang Yinghao wrote. If what he expressed can truly be achieved, then why not make sacrifices? Zhang Yinghao believes that for the sake of their ideals, as long as someone takes the lead, the Chinese people will support them, no matter how much sacrifice is necessary. As long as there is hope, the people are willing to make any sacrifice, and they will continue to do so.

Zhang Yinghao reflected on how today's European revolutionaries have completely lost the courage of the 1848 Revolution. Back then, the poet Petofi fought bloody battles against the Russian military police on the battlefield, composing the famous epigram "Freedom and Love": "Life is precious, but love is more precious. For the sake of freedom, both can be sacrificed!" This masterpiece has inspired progressive youth around the world for centuries.

However, the European guys who now call themselves revolutionaries and communists have actually chosen parliamentary struggles and peaceful petitions. They can't even defeat a group of policemen. The bourgeoisie can be taken away as long as the police are dispatched. What kind of revolution is this? If those revolutionaries in Europe are like this, then the ordinary people in Europe can only be obedient citizens and their fate is to become cannon fodder in the war.

Immediately after publishing the article "Rather the Gironde than the Bourbon Dynasty," Zhang Yinghao signed an order to attack the Beiyang reactionary-ruled areas. He then issued a public statement entitled "The Final Battle Against the Beiyang Reactionary Group and the Imperialist Aggressors," demanding that all units begin accepting the surrender of the Beiyang reactionary and imperialist aggressor armies and resolutely annihilating all enemies who stubbornly resist surrender... All righteous forces of the Chinese people should launch a nationwide counteroffensive, under all possible conditions, launching a widespread offensive against all invaders and their lackeys who refuse to surrender, annihilating all these enemy forces, seizing their weapons and property, and drastically expanding the liberated areas...

Zhang Yinghao also pointed out in his statement that a new stage in the Chinese nation's war of liberation and anti-aggression war has arrived, and the people of the whole country should strengthen their unity and fight for the final victory.

While Zhang Yinghao's statement incidentally mentioned the invading foreign powers, the true enemy remained the Beiyang government, and the primary target of this attack. Adhering to Zhang Yinghao's principle of striking hard and fast, and mobilizing the Beiyang forces to engage, the General Staff employed a combination of strategic tactics, directly pinning down the Beiyang army's main garrisons in cities like Zhangjiakou, Shijiazhuang, Luoyang, and Chengde, while other units liberated numerous small and medium-sized cities and vast rural areas. Simultaneously, they mobilized all available resources in a powerful political offensive, winning over more Beiyang clique members to the side of the righteous people, weakening their power and accelerating their disintegration.

The order was given, and the battle immediately broke out everywhere. The PLA and the Beiyang Army started fighting in an all-out battle, and there was no reason to stop until one side fell.

After the PLA launched its offensive, the Beiyang Army's telegrams requesting assistance quickly arrived on Yuan Shikai's desk, and they never stopped coming. Yuan Shikai was utterly terrified, sweat pouring down his greasy face, which he could only wipe with his handkerchief until it was wet.

The Beiyang Army had a good burst of power, but its ability to sustain was too weak. Because the Beiyang inherited the indemnities and debts of the Qing Dynasty, it was extremely poor. Moreover, the military pay was extremely high. In this era of underdeveloped productivity, how many troops could the Beiyang Army afford? Bordering the Liberated Areas on three sides, the Beiyang Army was surrounded. How could it possibly have enough garrisons? Faced with a constant stream of telegrams requesting assistance and urgent calls everywhere, how could the Beiyang Army possibly send enough troops to reinforce?

Faced with the PLA's style of fighting and all-out offensive, Emperor Yuan had never imagined that a war that he could not understand would actually happen. The PLA's completely disorganized style of fighting was also something Emperor Yuan had never imagined. He completely did not understand the purpose of the liberated areas, and there had never been such a similar form of war in history.

How to do?

The People's Liberation Army launched a full-scale offensive, and the Beiyang Army could only passively defend itself by occupying urban strongholds one by one. As the war continued, as the PLA liberated vast swathes of the countryside, and as roads were cut off, what was the point of holding these isolated urban strongholds? The Beiyang Army began to try to rally its forces, then, using its superior numbers, prepare for a decisive battle with the PLA.

The Beiyang Army began preparing to abandon each city stronghold, but they still underestimated the people and the true strength of the People's Liberation Army. Perhaps they forgot, or perhaps they simply could not imagine, what would happen to the retreating troops, without the protection of the city walls, facing ubiquitous attacks and attacks from all sides?

Upon receiving the order, the commanders of the Beiyang County strongholds immediately assembled their troops to prepare for a breakout and then rushed to the nearest larger city. However, after abandoning a large amount of baggage and ammunition and hastily withdrawing from their entrenched urban strongholds, the Beiyang Army was completely caught in the vast ocean of people's war prepared for them by the People's Liberation Army and the militia.

As soon as the Beiyang Army left their city strongholds, they were surrounded by the People's Liberation Army, militia forces, and even local civilians. During Emperor Yuan's seizure of power, many Beiyang troops showed signs of poor discipline, engaging in acts of burning, killing, and looting, which made the local people hate the Beiyang Army to the core.

Around the Beiyang Army, the sound of gunfire, the explosion of mines secretly buried on the ground, the dug-up roads, etc., made all the Beiyang Army nervous and trembling. All of these were aimed at the retreating Beiyang troops.

At this moment, a Beiyang Army of over a thousand men was on a difficult march, plagued by various attacks all around them. This unit had set out from Tai'an, preparing to reunite in Jinan. They had already marched for a day, but during this day, they were constantly attacked by cold guns and artillery, and even a large number of land mines, and their march was less than 20 kilometers.

The most serious problem was that the route from Tai'an to Jinan required passing through Mount Tai, which involved traversing countless mountainous and barren lands. This provided countless opportunities for the hidden enemy to attack them. The three teams dispatched within a single day had been surrounded and annihilated. Furthermore, nearly one hundred soldiers had been killed or wounded in the continuous attacks that day. The injuries, which had rendered them incapable of combat or even mobility, significantly slowed the army's march and dampened morale. However, they could not abandon these wounded, or else someone would actually shoot him, the commander.

However, after only one day's march, they had lost one-tenth of their troops. If they continued to lose troops at this rate, they would be completely wiped out before reaching Jinan. Even if they managed to reach Jinan, would the remaining troops still be able to fight?

Chapter 763: More!

No one understood the power of people's war better than Zhang Yinghao, but no one understood the horror of cold weapons and cold artillery better than the Beiyang Army, who had suffered so deeply from it. Zhang Yinghao knew that when the people in the Beiyang-controlled areas wanted liberation, with the People's Liberation Army there, no one could stop them from achieving liberation.

What Zhang Yinghao needs now is to play a game of chess. In important and necessary places, all soldiers must attack or defend at the cost of their lives. In other places, he only needs to implement the sixteen-character policy: when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy stays, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue.

Under the sixteen-character policy, deadly bullets were fired from a place that the Beiyang Army originally thought was safe. No one could bear it. This made all the Beiyang Army suspicious and they saw enemies everywhere. A sound in the grass or a shaking of the trees and plants would frighten the Beiyang Army.

As night fell, the Beiyang Army began to prepare to set up camp with fear in their hearts. However, the Beiyang Army commander looked at the corpses in front of him and listened to the painful howls of the seriously wounded. He couldn't help but tightly grip the command knife in his hand. His mood at this moment could really be described as terrible, because he had never fought a truly cowardly battle! As night fell, the commander felt as if a giant beast was lurking beside him, making him feel uncomfortable.

Just half an hour after the Beiyang Army set up camp, problems arose. As the commander was worrying about the upcoming march and the casualties, a staff officer ran up to him and reported: "Commander Li, the kitchen teams are reporting that they have searched the surrounding area and found no drinkable water."

"What do you mean? No water? How could that be? What are you waiting for? Then dig a well immediately and ensure there is enough water."

The Beiyang Army's movement was blocked, and they could not find a water source, so they had to dig wells overnight. Tired after a day of work, the Beiyang generals naturally refused to dig wells themselves, so they had to gather the coolies who were transporting supplies and force them to dig wells.

However, digging a well was no easy task. Success wasn't guaranteed even during the day, let alone in the darkness of night. Of course, digging deep enough would provide some water, but supplying over a thousand people was no easy task. Furthermore, the Beiyang Army lacked specialized well-diggers or a professional well-drilling team, so digging a good well was truly a matter of luck.

Sure enough, after struggling for most of the night, they still couldn't find any water. The commander could only give the order: "Have the soldiers gather all the water and have the kitchen staff start cooking. No matter what, eating must come first. People are made of iron and food is steel. If you don't eat tonight, you will be too hungry to fight tomorrow."

In this way, more than a thousand Beiyang soldiers had to eat a half-cooked meal due to lack of water. What's more important is that after this meal, there was not a drop of drinking water left in their canteens.

However, half-cooked rice and lack of water were just the appetizers for tonight. Just as the Beiyang troops finished their half-cooked meals and were resting by the bonfires, feeling drowsy and replenishing their energy from a day's march, a burst of gunfire rang out. All the Beiyang soldiers immediately stood up in panic, guns drawn, and prepared to fight.

However, just as they were ready to fight and searching for the attackers, the sporadic gunfire stopped in just twenty seconds and then disappeared.

The final result was that more than half of the three patrol teams were killed. As for the attackers, after destroying the patrol teams, they disappeared into the dark night, and it was impossible to tell east from west or south. There was no way to pursue them.

The Beiyang Army could only complain bitterly, cursing the guerrillas to vent their fear and anger. Before long, the Beiyang Army had no choice but to put away their weapons and prepare to rest.

However, less than half an hour later, a series of explosions rang out, and the Beiyang Army repeated its previous actions. Of course, the guerrillas wouldn't risk close range shooting every time. Often, simply setting off a string of firecrackers from an iron barrel would have the same harassing effect. Could the Beiyang Army dare not prepare for battle? The PLA could test them countless times, but if even one proved true, the Beiyang Army would suffer heavy casualties.

Every time a gunshot rang out, the Beiyang Army, who had just closed their eyes, had to force themselves to stay awake, grip their guns tightly, lie on the ground again, and prepare for battle.

This guerrilla group didn't have any cannons, but if they had a mortar, they could easily kill this Beiyang Army group. In the following time, the sound of bullets still occurred from time to time, making the Beiyang Army feel uneasy.

Throughout the night, the camp was constantly ringing with the sound of gunfire, some of which would take the lives of several, even dozens, of Beiyang soldiers. More importantly, after a night of harassment, none of the over a thousand Beiyang soldiers dared to rest; all were yawning and drowsy.

Finally, the sun, long awaited by the Beiyang Army, finally emerged, and the surrounding gunfire temporarily ceased. The overnight losses were reported to the commander: "What? Another 38 lost in one night, with over a hundred injured?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Damn it! What the hell are the patrols for? They keep getting ambushed by guerrillas."

"Sir, the patrols suffered the most losses. The Red Bandit Guerrillas are familiar with the situation here. They appear and disappear with great swiftness, and we cannot defend ourselves against them."

"Fuck, if we had known this would happen, we might as well have held on to Tai'an. Inside the city, we at least have the city walls to protect us, and we have enough food and drink to hold on for a long time."

"Sir, this isn't the worst. After eating half-cooked rice last night, many soldiers have diarrhea. Even a tough guy can't handle a few rounds of diarrhea. Now their legs and feet are sore, and we can't continue the march with the wounded and sick today."

The commander gritted his teeth and said angrily, "We can't stop. The Emperor has ordered us to go to Jinan, so we must go to Jinan. Our only way out now is to keep moving forward. Order the troops to assemble immediately and set off immediately, leaving the seriously injured and sick behind to stop the guerrillas' attack."

The commander-in-chief was determined to take drastic measures. More than a thousand Beiyang soldiers, who had little energy left, took their weapons and set out on the journey again under the shouts of officers at all levels.

After Zhang Yinghao issued the order for the entire army to attack, the progress of the war was almost the same as what the General Staff had expected. Faced with the ubiquitous attacks, the Beiyang Army indeed began to sacrifice the small to protect the big, gathering scattered forces, and always trying to engage in large-scale offensive and defensive battles with the People's Liberation Army to decide the outcome of the war in one fell swoop.

After all, the Beiyang Army's organization was completely modeled after Germany's, and was a completely heavily armored infantry division organization. Given China's road traffic conditions at the time, it would have been difficult for the Beiyang Army to fight without railway transportation.

Although the Beiyang Army was formed by the Qing government as a modernization drive, its military system and ideology remained relatively outdated and backward. Problems such as chaotic management, lax discipline, and inadequate training hampered the combat effectiveness of its soldiers. Furthermore, the Beiyang Army lacked modern equipment and tactical thinking, making it unable to adapt to the demands and challenges of modern warfare. The army was unable to self-sufficient in ammunition, artillery shells, and firearms, and their use was limited. This put the Beiyang Army at a significant disadvantage when facing the armies of powerful nations like Britain, Japan, and Russia. Most importantly, the Beiyang government did not represent the fundamental interests of the people, making it difficult for it to integrate with the local population.

The Beiyang Army faced significant rifts and conflicts with the local population, making it difficult to gain local support and assistance, and depriving them of crucial logistical and intelligence sources during the war. Furthermore, trained by Japanese and German instructors, the Beiyang Army, from its inception, was taught outdated tactics. During the conquest of Mongolia by Xu Shuzheng, his army still employed the "line formation" of the flintlock era. Despite improvements made after battles with the People's Liberation Army, the old system persisted, and offensive tactics remained largely unchanged. While improvements were made to this system, the formation became a "scattered line," still maintaining the traditional tactic of a single row of soldiers firing rifles as they marched.

By this time, the PLA had already mastered various tactics, including defense in depth and skirmish tactics. For example, squads, depending on the enemy situation and terrain, employed attack formations such as left echelon, right echelon, front triangle, rear triangle, and wedge. Individual soldiers and squads employed alternating cover, advancing in stages to attack enemy defensive positions. Compared to the Beiyang Army's tactics, this was a true dimensionality reduction attack.

If the Beiyang Army engaged in a large-scale, rigid positional battle, they might have had a significant advantage, but compared to the subjective initiative of their soldiers and commanders, and the flexibility of their tactics, the Beiyang Army was far inferior. The more the Beiyang Army wanted to concentrate its forces for a large-scale decisive battle with the PLA, the more the PLA should delay them. Once the Beiyang Army launched a swift attack, they would have no fighting power left.

Zhang Yinghao thought about this, and suddenly felt that the Beiyang government was actually quite similar to France at this time. In the early stages, it was full of momentum and explosive power, but it was difficult to sustain.

Zhang Yinghao was studying a map in his office when a messenger ran over and handed him a telegram. It said that within the Beiyang Army in Dingzhou, Hebei, members of the Forward Party had risen to command and were now in control of the army. They had sent a telegram briefly outlining the course and outcome of the uprising and requesting further instructions.

Zhang Yinghao saw the telegram and although he didn't know who was responsible for the Dingzhou Uprising, he couldn't just ignore it now that the request had come. If he knew that the Forward Party was involved and that these uprising forces were wiped out by the Beiyang reactionary army, it would be a great loss for the party and the country.

Zhang Yinghao immediately gave the order: "Attack Shijiazhuang from the rear to relieve the Beiyang army's urgent attack on Niangzi Pass. If we are attacked by the Beiyang army, we can try to retreat to Shanxi. All units should attack with all their forces, leaving no room for retreat..."

Zhang Yinghao had just finished processing the telegram he had received when he received another urgent telegram.

"A peasant uprising against Beiyang rule has broken out in the border region between Shangqiu, Henan, and Anhui. They are approaching the border of Haozhou, Anhui, and are demanding to join the liberated zone..."

The place where the uprising took place in Shangqiu is located at the junction of Anhui, Shandong, Henan and Huaihai provinces. It is almost a no-man's land where heaven and earth don't care about Anhui, Shandong, Huaihai and Henan. There are no institutions of the Beiyang court and no policies of the liberated areas. There are only clan traditions and clan supervision and deliberation systems formed spontaneously by the people.

The Xuhuai area was originally considered a prosperous place, but the Yellow River has flowed into the Huai River many times, and the eastern Henan, northern Anhui, northern Jiangsu and southwestern Shandong regions in the Huaihe River basin have become areas where the Yellow River floods frequently occur.

The Yellow River's 600-year-long encroachment on the Huai River caused significant changes to the Huai River basin's drainage system. Land degradation and the decline of agricultural civilization in the Huai River region led to the formation of vast Yellow River floodplains. Farmers, unable to sustain themselves on the land, naturally became refugees, who were highly susceptible to banditry.

Since the Yellow River changed its course in the Song Dynasty, this mother river of the Chinese nation has become increasingly turbulent and full of crisis with the passage of time. It has continuously encroached on the old course of the Huai River with its southward flow, bringing endless disasters to the Huaihe River region.

China is one of the four ancient civilizations, and the Yellow River is its mother river. The Yellow River basin prospered due to water conservancy, but the loss of control of the Yellow River also pushed the once young and vigorous nation to the old and aged state it is today.

Nearly a thousand years ago, this place, which was once the richest in the world, reached its final peak after hundreds of years of flooding caused by the southern flow of the Yellow River, when the Tongwaxiang Dam burst in the fifth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign.

The embankment of the Hanging River, which had been in disrepair for a long time, completely collapsed during the digging of the embankment. The turbid torrent that poured out, once unleashed, poured down, pushing countless hungry people and disaster victims who were already groaning on the line of life into the abyss of chaos, darkness and death.

The Yellow River's frequent flooding naturally led to a large amount of siltation in the Shangqiu area, resulting in insufficient grain production and a constant stream of disaster victims and famine victims. Uprisings were frequent, and banditry was rampant.