The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

These disaster victims come from the frequent floods and droughts in recent years, especially from the people displaced after the floods, and also from the deeply rooted "jianghu" (rivers and lakes) in Huaibei.

This "jianghu" included the Nian Party, the Heaven and Earth Society, the White Lotus Society, the Gelaohui, the Boxers, the Hongmen, the Pao Brothers, the Green Gang, the White Spear Society, the Red Spear Society... and even the Way of Oneness.

History has long since shaped these diverse gangs and groups. The Heaven and Earth Society and the White Lotus were labeled "anti-Qing and restorationist"; the Gelaohui and Pao Brothers had both a glorious tradition of rebellion and a history of opium smuggling and human trafficking; and the Boxer Rebellion, with its blind, xenophobic drive, was dubbed the "Yellow Peril" by the West.

Since ancient times, the people of the Yellow River floodplain have harbored a strong anarchic streak, suffering immensely and repeatedly at the mercy of the Yellow River floods. Their character has been both scoundrel and fierce, a source of rebellion and rebellion. The rise of the Nian Army here suggests that the blood of the outlaws still flows through their veins.

However, the social system and economy were backward, and the people were poorly clothed and hungry. In addition to paying rent to the landlords, they had to bear various harsh taxes and levies from the Qing Dynasty and the Beiyang government. It didn't matter if the government forgot you, but you couldn't do without the government, and you couldn't forget to pay taxes to the government. This was the current situation.

When neighboring villages are all experiencing the same situation, when everyone is living under the same conditions, there might be a lot of discontent, but people will choose to accept reality and resign themselves to their fate. The hardworking and kind-hearted Chinese people's greatest skill is their ability to endure hardship. As long as a knife isn't at their throat, they will do whatever it takes, endure all the hardships, and live like dogs. As long as they aren't forced into a desperate situation, they will continue to live as long as they can.

There is no harm without comparison. When everything has something to compare with, even the most submissive people will rise up. This is the truest portrayal of these poor places.

The PLA had been liberating Anhui for quite some time, and wherever the PLA went, land revolution was a must, or at least rent and interest reductions were promoted first. Especially after the land reform, farmers only had to pay a maximum of 30% in taxes. In simple terms, they paid the state their dues, and the rest was theirs.

As a nationwide rural policy, both Anhui and the newly established Huaihai Province received preferential treatment, even compared to rural areas in coastal cities. While the policy's focus on inequality, rather than scarcity, was limited to policymaking principles rather than a policy of equal distribution, it still ensured that everyone could enjoy a minimum distribution of benefits.

After the overthrow of the largest landlords in Anhui, Huaihai, and even parts of Shandong, the local people were basically allocated land. Those tenant farmers and poor peasants were able to grow their own rice, corn, wheat, and various vegetables on their own land, and even buy high-yield seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to increase their harvests.

A harsh government is more ferocious than a tiger. Therefore, what most appealed to these impoverished people was that the liberated areas were exempt from dozens of harsh taxes, large and small. They didn't have to pay any other taxes, and they received poverty relief, road construction subsidies, and even absolute support from education policies. The peasants weren't getting richer, but as long as they were willing to work, they wouldn't starve to death.

Under the organization of local government officials, roads were built with minimal effort, allowing surplus agricultural products to be sold to peddlers traveling from village to village, or to distilleries, meat processing plants, and food factories, which often required vast quantities of grain and other industrial raw materials. The proceeds could be used to purchase rare iron farm tools, clothing, and other items, allowing women to work in the fields.

In contrast, in Shangqiu, aside from a few wealthy peasants, the majority of land remained in the hands of large and small landlords. Rents became increasingly harsh year after year, taxes were so high that it made it impossible for people to make a living, and even forced conscription into the militias was required to fill the gap. Especially after these militias cleared out the local "revolutionaries," resentment and misery spread throughout the Beiyang-controlled area.

Anhui's banditry and the Nian Rebellion were long known throughout the country, but after the Land Revolution, coupled with the development of water conservancy projects, the local people's lives rivaled those of Zhejiang. Perhaps the only benefit Shangqiu enjoyed from the liberated areas was education. Regardless of where a student came from, as long as they registered at the school across the street, they would be accepted and receive a modern education.

The result is that many students can eat some white flour buns, meat and the freshest vegetables at school at noon, but after school, when they return home, they can only eat leftover steamed buns with chili peppers and pickles to fill their stomachs.

Many students, out of pity for their families, would even eat less at lunch and take the leftovers home to share with their families. They might go six months without the taste of meat. That's fine all the time, but after a few times, no one can stand it anymore. That's human nature!

The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 764: Big Update!

Because of the lack of information, many uneducated people could not understand why Anhui, just across the border, could have enough food and clothing, and why Huaihai Province, just a stone's throw away, could enjoy various people-friendly policies. They could not understand why the landlords in Henan regarded the Forward Party in Anhui and Huaihai as a scourge.

Why is it that although they are all Chinese, Huaihai and Anhui are living well, and even getting better, while their lives in Henan are getting worse and worse, and they can even only eat bran and drink porridge.

Qin Shousong was one of the first students from rural Shangqiu to cross the provincial border and enroll in Anhui Province at the age of sixteen. He first arrived in a small town in Anhui Province. With the idea of ​​giving it a try, Qin Shousong approached the teacher at the local primary school and tried to register. However, when filling out the registration form, the teacher was faced with a dilemma: the student was from Henan Province.

At that time, Anhui had just been liberated, schools were still in their infancy, and policies were still incomplete. Just as Qin Shousong was about to return home in despair, the teacher, who was only in his twenties, asked him to wait a day, took him to her home, and then went to the county education bureau to consult.

It was then that Qin Shousong realized that this young man in his twenties was actually the principal of this primary school.

The result of the request delighted Qin Shousong. The county education bureau immediately reported the matter to their superiors, and that same day, they received a personal call from Zhang Yinghao: "Hundreds of millions of Chinese are all members of the Chinese nation. Education is a long-term project that should not be divided by national boundaries. Anyone who comes to study, regardless of their origin, will be accepted."

For Zhang Yinghao, every additional student willing to learn in this era means more strength for the country, and an additional senior construction worker, something he was naturally extremely happy about. As for tuition and fees, those weren't issues Zhang Yinghao had to consider personally, but rather for institutions like the Education Bureau to address. Zhang Yinghao focused on results, so he simply needed to grasp the principles.

Because of land reform, newly built schools also required local land reform, so the new government allocated a significant amount of land to the schools. This land allowed teachers and students to work together, with the produce providing a portion for the school cafeteria and teachers' meals. Some schools even built small farms to raise chickens, ducks, and pigs for the school cafeteria, significantly reducing the cost of education.

It is impossible for Zhang Yinghao himself to prohibit these things, and he may even applaud them. This is the way the times are. Zhang Yinghao really cannot afford to support so many full-time teachers. Teachers must find ways to overcome difficulties and support themselves.

In this way, Qin Shousong became one of the first lucky ones. When this policy of close-to-school education was implemented under the advocacy of Zhang Yinghao, he did not rush to enroll in school, but returned to his village and brought more children to enter the new school together.

Time flies. After Qin Shousong skipped a grade and completed his primary school education, he entered the local county junior high school, where his grades were also excellent. He graduated in a short time and entered Haozhou Junior Technical School.

After entering the school, he studied hard and actively approached the party. He was soon recommended and joined the Progressive Party.

After graduation, he did not rush to work in those factories, nor did he rush to join the civil service in the liberated areas. Instead, he returned to his village in Shangqiu and, through hard work, established a branch of the Party organization.

Now, he was about to do something, something he had been planning for two years. He clearly remembered the following words from his political science teacher at junior technical school: There are two ways to reform society: one is for one regime to overthrow or conquer another. The other is to rely on the power of the people, the power of society, to advance this kind of social reform. The power of the people often manifests itself in revolution, while the power of society manifests itself in public opinion and public opinion. However, the latter is more common in the West, while in China, when the power of the people is mobilized, it can only lead to revolution.

After returning to the village, Qin Shousong spent almost all his time visiting his neighbors. His footprints were all over the county and even several nearby counties.

At the beginning, he used the agricultural knowledge he had learned to guide farmers, and at the same time he promoted various welfare policies and people's lives in the liberated areas to local people in detail.

Gradually, people everywhere began to believe what the young man said and liked to listen to his fresh stories. However, slowly, people discovered that the good life Qin Shousong talked about could only exist in the liberated areas across the country. In the areas ruled by the Qing Dynasty and the Beiyang government, where they lived, it was always dark and impossible to achieve.

The locals faced a dark and hopeless life without despair, for it had always been this way. But when hope emerged, the old ways became unbearable. They began to ask Qin Shousong for advice on how to change, how to achieve a life as livable as in the liberated areas.

Qin Shousong told the people who asked that the best way was for every household to take action, either to go to the liberated areas or to let the People's Liberation Army attack.

The revolutionary propaganda was very successful. The people of Shangqiu have always been tough and civilized, with a strong sense of struggle. The theoretical knowledge Qin Shousong learned from political classes at school made him almost the only hope in the eyes of local people. Some religious people even believed that he was sent by God.

"Fellow villagers, why should we continue to be oppressed by the damned landlords? Why should we continue to be exploited by the damned imperial court? Why should we continue to live a life worse than that of pigs and dogs? Why don't we stand up? Why don't we unite and use our own strength to transform society and usher in hope?"

"Fellow villagers, you've all seen what life is like in the liberated areas across the country. They're still poor, but they're full of hope. The People's Liberation Army hasn't arrived yet, so why don't we take the initiative? As long as the people's power is concentrated, we can drive out the imperial court and welcome the People's Liberation Army. I've already written to teachers and classmates in Anhui, and they promised to deliver the 'Petition to the Liberated Areas' to the government and newspapers there as soon as possible."

"Fellow villagers, take up arms! Our first goal is to defeat Chen Paopi and his family."

Over two hundred villagers and hundreds of people from near and far surrounded Qin Shousong, listening to his final mobilization. Each of them held hoes, axes, sickles, and even pickaxes—these were the most powerful weapons these farmers considered themselves capable of. However, in front of Qin Shousong lay over twenty concentrated muskets.

Looking at the group of villagers in front of him, Qin Shousong was silent for a long time. These were the peasants who had been oppressed all their lives! These were the peasants who could no longer live happily and were forced to take up their kitchen knives and hoes to resist! They had no food to eat, no clothes to wear, and could only go to school secretly hiding under the window. They had no money to treat their illnesses, no medicine to treat their injuries, and no coffins to bury their dead. In this evil old society, the peasants were living worse than pigs and dogs. If that was the case, then let the old society go to hell. Qin Shousong's heart was now filled with a raging fire.

After a brief preparation, the villagers took up their weapons and set off. Qin Shousong had been working tirelessly for this day, to introduce the People's Liberation Army and liberate Shangqiu.

"Fellow villagers, let's go and defeat Chen Baopi!"

At exactly 1:00 p.m. that day, the farmers in Shangqiu, unable to bear the Beiyang government's heavy taxes and the oppression of the landlord class, launched a peasant uprising.

"Down with Chen Ba Pi, fight the local tyrants, and distribute the land."

When the peasant team arrived at the gate of the landlord Chen Tianhu's mansion, the number of people had grown from hundreds to thousands. Wherever the team passed, men, women, young and old all joined in. Among these people were tenant farmers who participated in the action, the poorest people, and middle peasants who were just watching the fun.

At this time, the peasant army did not target the middle peasants; even the small landlords were treated kindly. Qin Shousong knew very well that without the support of the People's Liberation Army, before the people understood the principles of revolution, before they had armed forces, before the revolutionary storm had begun, everyone still retained a Chinese-style warmth and tenderness. Only the treacherous and evil landlord Chen Paopi would be baptized by thunder.

The villagers also began to move, and thousands of them surrounded the enclosure where Chen Baopi was, making it impossible to get in or out. Everyone looked at the ten-foot-high wall, no one spoke, and everyone was waiting for the order to attack.

The guards atop the enclosure had long noticed these men. The iron bells on the high watchtowers and the large bells within the enclosure had been ringing for a long time. The walls were thick with men, rifles and other firearms, their muzzles pointed outward. Long-speared spears and broadswords flashed with sharp gleams. At least four hundred men were on full alert. Compared to the civilians' crude weapons, Chen Tianhu's weapons were thoroughly armed.

Chen Tianhu is the owner of the enclosure. He is only in his early fifties, but years of privileged life have turned him into a fat man. He appears kind and gentle on the surface, but is actually a cowardly and cruel man.

At this moment, looking at the fiercely guarded enemy lines on the fence, Qin Shousong still didn't realize his mistake. He had read Zhang Yinghao's famous statement: "All reactionaries are paper tigers." Furthermore, his understanding of struggle was still limited to textbooks, and he had no idea of ​​the landlord class's brutality against the poor.

Faced with the pressure of the People's Liberation Army, the landlords in Henan and other regions had already been organized when the revolutionaries were suppressed in the province. At this time, Qin Shousong did not realize the gap in power between the landlords and the peasants, and did not arm and organize the people, so he acted hastily, which was absolutely a mistake.

Organization is superior to disorganization. In vast rural areas of China, the landlord class still possesses advanced productive forces and relations compared to the impoverished peasants. Otherwise, Comrade Lao Zhu would not have abandoned the grassroots uprising and joined the landlord class. This is because the landlord class can easily organize dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people to fight against these unorganized people. They have money and food, so how can the hastily mobilized people defeat them?

As with other enclosures, Chen Tianhu strictly prohibited the opening of the gates, maintaining order within the enclosure and resolutely forbidding outsiders from entering. Chen Tianhu was a highly respected figure within the enclosure. Like others who built the enclosure, his ancestors rose to prominence by suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Rebellion, forging their fortunes through battle. With looted property, his family acquired tens of thousands of acres of land, becoming major landowners in Shangqiu. Within the enclosure were all his Chen family relatives, divided by proximity, living from the inner to the outer reaches. Those allowed to reside on the periphery of the enclosure had to be relatives within the four generations of mourning. As the master of the enclosure, Chen Tianhu firmly believed that the mob before him would never be able to breach the enclosure he guarded.

At least half of the servants guarding the enclosure were members of his Chen family, and many more men were armed with spears and swords at the foot of the wall. Chen Tianhu and his brothers climbed up to the watchtower, pistols in hand. The vantage point from above was excellent; the unruly villagers were still outside the range of their muskets, confronting the enclosure.

Chen Tianhu looked down at the wall. The golden liquid in the cauldron was boiling. As long as the group of unruly people on the opposite side dared to attack the fence, he would pour a few buckets of this golden liquid on them. It would be enough to terrify these unruly people who attacked his fence and cripple them if not kill them.

Suddenly, Chen Tianhu saw some women among the victims outside. That was great! If these women were captured and sold to Qingdao, Jinan could make a lot of money.

Chen Tianhu shouted loudly: "Whoever drives away the bandits will be rewarded with 100 coins each. If you kill one person, you will be rewarded half a tael of silver. If you kill two people, you will be rewarded one tael of silver. If you kill ten people, you will be rewarded an extra tael of silver. For every additional ten people killed, you will be rewarded an extra tael of silver..."

Chen Tianhu's voice was so loud that his bounty could be heard from far away. He was very proficient in this trick. Whether it was the Qing Dynasty or the Beiyang era, whether it was the Hunan Army, the Chu Army, the Huai Army, or the Beiyang Army, they all relied on this trick to fight. When the servants, who were originally very nervous, heard that there was money to be won, their eyes flashed with excitement, and they looked at the people in the distance with different eyes. The thousands of people in the distance were not just people, but five or six hundred taels of silver!

Silver was very valuable in those days. Half a tael of silver was the monthly expenses for most urban families. If you lived in the countryside, it would take three years for a new item to be worn, three years for it to be mended, and another three years for it to be repaired. Even in half a year, you wouldn't be able to spend that much money.

Qin Shousong began to order the attack, and several brave comrades immediately carried the wood to ram the door and began to lead the villagers in the charge. Unexpectedly, Chen Tianhu was very patient and just watched the people rush to 20 meters outside the fence.

Looking at the mob below, Chen Tianhu immediately shouted, "Shoot!" The instant the gunshots rang out, several brave comrades rushing in front were knocked to the ground. Seeing the dead ahead, the other civilians dared not continue to charge and immediately turned around and fled.

“Keep shooting.”

The rifle's effective range was several hundred meters, forcing the villagers to flee, leaving behind numerous corpses. Zhao Tianhu, watching the fleeing villagers, laughed heartily, "A mob like this dared to attack us! They must be tired of living. If we had known this would happen, we should have set up an ambush at the gate. When these bandits fled, we should have taken the opportunity to chase them down, perhaps killing them. That way, no one would dare to attack us again."

Hearing this, everyone nodded frequently. Yes, what if hundreds of people attacked? They would be defeated after just a few shots.

Only after they had rushed out of rifle range did the villagers turn their heads, looking at the fence with hatred and fear in their eyes, unconsciously shouting "Kill!"

At this time, Qin Shousong was a little confused. He suddenly remembered a sentence in "Zhang Yinghao's Thought": In the era of breech-loading rifles, peasant uprisings have no chance of success.

Qin Shousong truly witnessed the immense power of the breech-loading rifle. A small number of soldiers could truly suppress a large number of people. The ruling class had a firm grip on the power, leaving the oppressed class powerless and unable to rise again. Furthermore, even if soldiers infiltrated the oppressed class, they wouldn't be able to control the factories producing high-tech consumables like firearms and ammunition, and thus remain powerless and unable to launch a revolution.

Why didn't Zhang Yinghao say there was no revolution in the age of breech-loading rifles? Because Zhang Yinghao knew that while there wasn't a class that betrayed its interests, there were individuals who betrayed theirs. The ruling class isn't the ruler; it's merely a status, while ideology is a product of reality. In fact, judging by their status, Marx and Engels were undoubtedly members of the aristocracy. Lenin's father was the inspector and director of public education in Simbirsk Province, and Trotsky was the son of a large landowner. So, no matter how you look at it, they were all members of the ruling class. However, if they betrayed their class, the revolution still had a chance of success. The ruling class is never monolithic.

This is the reality and the facts. Although the proletariat produces weapons, they do not own the factories or the weapons. The factories that produce weapons are firmly in the hands of the rulers. Unless the nation is destroyed or the dynasty changes, these factories will never change their owners. If the proletariat wants the revolution to succeed, control of the factories that produce weapons is essential. Otherwise, the revolution will inevitably be suppressed and ultimately fail.

Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. At this time, Qin Shousong suddenly realized how necessary armed struggle, one of the three magic weapons of the Forward Party, was. The Forward Party must firmly control the army and the factories that produce weapons, otherwise it will inevitably destroy itself in the end.

Thinking of his own demise, and looking at the sacrificed villagers before him, Qin Shousong suddenly felt that death wasn't anything to be feared after all. It was as if a warm current rose from his chest, making Qin Shousong feel light and airy. At this point, what was there to fear about death? But the thought that if he died now, these villagers before him would immediately scatter like birds and beasts, being defeated one by one by Chen Tianhu, or even being slaughtered, immediately calmed Qin Shousong down.

He knew that by this time, although the people were shouting "kill," they no longer had the courage to attack again. Soon, the rebels began to get a little restless, with many holding small meetings. Some advocated charging forward, others retreating, and even more began to clamor quietly. Everyone was talking and discussing. The peasants, who had received no formal training at all, had fought hard, but their energy was exhausted after three drums, leaving them at a loss as to how to proceed.

Qin Shousong swallowed hard, he knew he was wrong, he was indeed not a genius, he felt good about himself in school, but now the uprising he organized was in chaos after encountering a little setback, if the other party organized their servants to attack, the team would probably be dispersed.

Just when he was stuck in a dilemma, the letter he sent actually worked. The PLA scouts arrived here in time, giving everyone confidence.

It turned out that the comrades in Haozhou took the letter very seriously after receiving it and immediately reported it to their superiors. Moreover, the uprising was not limited to Shangqiu. After Zhang Yinghao received several telegrams about peasant uprisings, he immediately realized that the sooner the people were organized, the weaker the enemy would be and the less likely they would dare to attack. At this time, even though the coastal areas were bombed to pieces by the foreign powers, Zhang Yinghao felt that liberating the entire country was more valuable than not liberating the coastal provinces.

Furthermore, the more frantic the enemy becomes, the more their actions will educate the masses, allowing them to see the true nature of the reactionaries and join the Progressive Party in fighting the enemy together. Zhang Yinghao now had a glimpse into why the British hadn't yet engaged in a major conflict on the Yunnan-Burma border. Any reasonable British person, with only a simple calculation of military logistics, would refrain from launching a large-scale attack on Yunnan and Guizhou.

Because these areas were mountainous and densely forested, even if the British conquered them quickly, they would have been unable to completely eliminate all resistance. If organized resistance still existed, British blood would have been shed in these security battles in the Far East. Therefore, facing this vast border, the British could only nibble away at it through threats and intimidation, much like the historical encroachments of North Korea on Manchuria and Vietnam on North Vietnam. They might seize a mountain here today, a piece of land there tomorrow. They could even advance an inch today, then fight a battle tomorrow, ultimately acquiring vast territories.

Faced with the uprising of the people, especially when the land revolution occurred, Zhang Yinghao knew that killing was absolutely inevitable for the landlord class in the face of the resistance of these poor people.

Zhang Yinghao once again issued orders to the army: "The safety of the civilians must be protected. Except for leading the way and providing transportation, the civilians must not be allowed to participate in military operations."

This was Zhang Yinghao's reply. The battle plan for liberating Shangqiu had already been drawn up, so upon receiving Zhang Yinghao's telegram, the troops of Haozhou immediately dispatched scouts to prevent the civilians from taking any risky action. This was also due to Qin Shousong's prior rest and recuperation, and since this was a military operation, the troops' speed of information transmission was far superior to normal. They quickly received orders from Haozhou, and the troops, depending on the situation, attacked the enclosure and liberated Shangqiu. However, they were ultimately a step too late, and over twenty villagers were killed in the battle. Even if they had killed all the landlords inside the enclosure, they would never have been able to bring these people back to life.

The scout saw the civilians fighting the landlord militia from afar and breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately found a long bamboo pole, tied the military flag to it, and began waving it back and forth. The civilians' eyes followed the bright red flag. The soldier suddenly stopped waving and, with both hands, firmly stuck the bamboo pole into the ground.

The hearts of the people immediately calmed down, and the thousands of people crowded in this small place immediately became quiet, looking at the team of PLA soldiers with anticipation.

"Fellow villagers, we are the People's Liberation Army, and we are here to help you."

The scene suddenly erupted in discussion. Some were curious, some were afraid. Everyone started talking. At this time, Qin Shousong's nose was sore and tears began to flow. If the People's Liberation Army could have arrived half an hour earlier, then those twenty or so people would not have died.

"Fellow villagers, let's not rush now. Let's wait until our main force arrives and then attack together. Who is in charge here?"

Hearing this, Qin Shousong immediately stood up and stated that he was the boss. The soldiers saw the pile of corpses in front of the fence, but they didn't show any intention of collecting them immediately. As long as this group of people launched an attack, casualties were inevitable. As scouts of the People's Liberation Army, it wasn't that they were hardened, but they had seen too many of these things. In this day and age, people die everywhere.

"You must calm the people down immediately and wait for the arrival of the main force. You're attacking the landlord's compound like this, isn't that just foolish? Don't fight an unprepared battle. Without preparation and good weapons, let alone yourselves, even if there were more of you, you still wouldn't be able to take this compound."

Qin Shousong's face flushed upon hearing this. However, he knew the soldier was telling the truth, so he didn't argue and immediately went to appease the civilians. The soldiers immediately sprang into action, using their shovels to dig trenches to thwart any attacks from the landlord militia and the Beiyang armed forces.

This was just a force sent out to stop the people from moving recklessly. The mobilization of a large force would not happen overnight. By the time the main force of the People's Liberation Army arrived to reinforce, half a day had passed.

Chen Tianhu's blood pressure spiked upon seeing the PLA arrive, and he felt dizzy. All these landlords knew the Forward Party and the PLA were forces they couldn't afford to offend. Upon seeing the PLA arrive, Chen Tianhu immediately sent someone to Shangqiu to report the incident, though he felt it might be useless. But Chen Tianhu could only delay the matter for as long as possible.

If nothing unexpected happens, Chen Tianhu knows that his family is finished. Thinking of this, all the fat in his body began to tremble. He kept muttering: "What should I do? What should I do? What should I do..."

Although the Chen family had already moved some of their property and family members to Shanghai and other places, due to the PLA's delay in attacking Shangqiu and other places, some of their family members gradually returned. Chen Tianhu was actually the most fearful of death. This time, he only returned to prepare for farming and then planned to leave again. Unexpectedly, he ran into the gun this time.

Chen Tianhu's name was impressive, but now he was pampered and overweight, lacking the courage his ancestors had shown in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Rebellion. He was an educated man, and as he stood on the wall, he felt a sense of impending storm clouds.

Although Chen Tianhu lacked the bravery of his ancestors, he was able to inherit such a large family business, and the land continued to grow to hundreds of thousands of acres. Naturally, this was not due to morality, but ruthlessness. On the surface, Chen Tianhu smiled like a Buddha, but it was the stab in the back that Chen Tianhu loved to do. He just liked to pretend to be righteous and full of morality.

Chen Tianhu, armed with both money and weapons, committed countless evil deeds. Owning tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and serving as the head of the local militia, Chen Tianhu routinely broke into the homes of ordinary people, extorting money and property under the pretext of searching for revolutionaries, leaving them miserable. Whenever he took a fancy to a tenant farmer's wife or daughter, he would summon her to his home under the pretext of military service and rape her. Marrying a wife and not having her in Chen Tianhu's bed on their wedding night was considered treasonous and immoral, often drawing criticism from village elders who considered her a violation of the collective interests of the village.

This is the right of first night.

Furthermore, Chen Tianhu was a perverted lecher, with a catchphrase called "trying new things." He also said that if a girl was good, he would sleep with her more often; if she wasn't, he would sleep with her just once. Almost every female servant in his household had been raped by him, whether old, ugly, pretty, or even those with scars and pockmarks. He would abuse them all, simply for the pleasure of bullying women and the power he felt in controlling their fate.

The reason Qin Shousong was able to mobilize so many people this time was because they had suffered so much from the Chen family, and hearing that they had the support of the People's Liberation Army, they were able to come in large numbers. Otherwise, the conflict would have escalated to the point of a life-and-death struggle, as it is now. This is definitely not what the villagers want to see. Who wouldn't be afraid of retaliation?

After learning the Forward Party's platform, Chen Tianhu knew he and the Red Bandits were locked in a life-or-death struggle. But who could have known that the people in front of him were actually backed by those same Red Bandits? Chen Tianhu was practically slapping his thigh, his intestines turning green with regret. If he had known the People's Liberation Army would attack at this moment, he would never have returned. The money he had saved in the concession was enough to last him three lifetimes.

"Brother, what should we do now? I have sent two groups of people to Shangqiu to report the news." Chen Tianhu's younger brother Chen Tianbao said.

"The Red Bandits are strong. Send more people to report the situation. Once we defeat them, we will pack up and leave immediately."

Chen Tianhu knew full well that he couldn't escape now. He could only hope that the Beiyang troops would repel the People's Liberation Army, and then he would leave immediately. He had already made up his mind to immediately forfeit all his land in Shangqiu and never return after leaving.

At this moment, Chen Tianhu felt that he could still hold out for a while in this enclosure, after all, there was plenty of food inside. As long as he could delay the PLA, he would still have a chance of survival, otherwise he would just have to wait for death.

At this enclosure, a PLA battalion arrived and without any rest, they lined up and began preparing for the attack. Just as Chen Tianhu and Chen Tianbao were still discussing how to hold on, they suddenly heard the sound of gunfire outside.

Chen Tianhu immediately knew that the Red Bandits had begun their attack.

Hearing the sound of cannons, Chen Tianhu no longer had any illusions about holding on. Among the thirty-six strategies, running away was the best one.

Having made up his mind, Chen Tianhu immediately told his housekeeper, "Organize the servants and double the reward, not triple it. Have them all go into the houses, bunkers, and walls within the enclosure and hold them until dark."

In order to cheer up the housekeeper, Chen Tianhu pretended to be calm. He first encouraged the housekeeper by saying that the Red Bandits were not scary. Weren't the Taiping Army and the Nian Army fierce back then? Weren't they also wiped out? Then he threatened the housekeeper, saying that the housekeeper had done so many bad things and would surely die if caught by those bandits. The housekeeper was so scared that he kept saying that he would fight to the end and would never retreat.

As soon as the housekeeper left, Chen Tianhu ordered his younger brother and his wives to pack up their belongings and prepare to escape.

If it were a regular army, like the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty or the Green Camp, they might have let Chen Tianhu escape. Because this enclosure was built by the Chen family themselves, their father was a veteran of many battles and naturally knew how to defend against an enemy attack. Furthermore, this place had been managed for so many years, so there must be tunnels and other facilities to protect against any eventuality.

Unfortunately, the people who came were the People's Liberation Army. The soldiers had conquered countless fortifications and captured countless towns. They were extremely experienced and had long been familiar with the twists and turns of the landlords' armed forces. How could they be so helpless against a small Chen family?

As expected, before Chen Tianhu and his family could even prepare their valuables, his servants surrendered. As for the steward, who was shouting and commanding the servants from the city wall, he was shot dead by a sharpshooter. With the steward dead, the servants immediately collapsed. The wise ones immediately surrendered, while the foolish ones chose to flee.

The People's Liberation Army blew up the gate with a few shots and attacked the enclosure that the Chen family, a large landlord, had occupied for half a century. Their movements were so smooth that Qin Shousong and the other people were stunned and dumbfounded.

When the battalion commander walked into Chen Tianhu's yard, Chen Tianhu had already been tied up by the soldiers and was lying on the ground.

The battalion commander was also a veteran of the war and was well-informed. However, when he saw the grandeur of the Chen family and the food supplies in the warehouse, he couldn't help but say, "I thought that Shangqiu should be a prosperous area, but so many people are fleeing famine and begging for food and running to our liberated areas. It turns out that the money and food are concentrated in the hands of these big landlords!"