The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

However, individuals like advisors are deeply familiar with the local situation and best understand the source of their power and interests. While advisors and their staff do consider the interests of their masters and seek to align with their own, they also have their own priorities. Therefore, when considering matters, they inevitably prioritize the master's interests. However, when the master's life is in danger, the advisor's best way to shirk responsibility is to shift the blame, otherwise they must bear the responsibility. Naturally, they do not wish their masters any risk; their own safety lies with their masters.

"Governor, Guang'an hasn't raised the banner of rebellion yet. It's probably just the Pao Brothers, the White Lotus Sect, and the Boxers causing trouble. We should be patient for now. Once the imperial court and the foreigners sign a peace agreement, we can deal with this rebellion."

The final decision was to submit a report to the imperial court in Xi'an for the Empress Dowager's final decision. While Governor Kui Jun might appear to have a prominent position, his actual power was limited. With a large contingent of Eight Banners soldiers to support in each province, he simply couldn't afford to maintain many troops. The fact that Sichuan, a populous province, couldn't afford to maintain a large military force was a joke to the warlords.

According to Zhang Yinghao's investigation during this period, the Qing Dynasty's defense system was as follows: the Eight Banners Army was mainly deployed around the capital, mainly in the imperial palace, the capital, Zhili, the northern and northwestern borders, and most of them were stationed in Manchuria, Xinjiang and Zhili.

Power is hereditary.

The Eight Banners were deployed more haphazardly across the provinces, with the general strategy being to form a perimeter around the capital, with large garrisons in the northwestern provinces of Shanxi, Gansu, and Shaanxi, primarily serving as outposts. However, elsewhere in China, with the exception of remote Yunnan and Guizhou, Eight Banners were generally stationed wherever a governor resided.

In Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui, only provincial governors were appointed, and no Eight Banner troops were stationed there. Relatively small numbers of troops were stationed in Henan, Shandong, and Sichuan. There were garrisons in Kaifeng, Henan, Qingzhou and Dezhou, Shandong, and a small number in Chengdu, Sichuan. In Sichuan, the combined Eight Banner and Green Camp troops numbered just over 30,000.

However, the deployment of troops in the Yangtze River Basin was different. In order to control this major waterway, the Qing government arranged a large number of garrisons in the Huguang area in order to control this major transportation artery.

As for the southeastern coastal areas of China, Zhejiang and Fujian were under the control of a Mongolian general, who was stationed in Fujian. The governor of Guangdong Province was stationed in Guangzhou.

With the exception of Shandong and Henan, the Eight Banner armies of all other provinces reported directly to the capital. Their food and wages were provided by the provinces where they were stationed. In the capital, these Eight Banner troops were under the command of a 24-member group of Eight Banner Generals or Vice Generals, each representing a banner and affiliated with the Ministry of War.

These are the general outlines of Zhang Yinghao's investigation into the Qing government's military deployments. In fact, a closer analysis reveals that the Manchu army's primary role was to garrison around the capital or strategic locations. They were the court's primary reliance. The early Eight Banners were valiant and invincible. Another crucial mission was to be ready to prevent and suppress rebellions by governors-general or provincial governors. However, without warfare, these Eight Banners were of no use.

The Qing dynasty supported these Eight Banners soldiers, hoping they would fight for the country when needed. However, the opposite happened, with cockfighting and bird-walking becoming their favorite hobbies. Their decline was so rapid that the Qing imperial family couldn't have imagined it. By the time the Taiping Rebellion was suppressed, the only viable troops left were local militias like the Hunan Army.

Chapter 141:

Zhang Yinghao boldly asserted that, regardless of the Eight Banners or the Green Camp, Sichuan no longer had any rivals. What truly troubled Zhang Yinghao was the Yongying. Those who participated in suppressing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were now old, but even a dying tiger remains unbroken, let alone just old age. As descendants of the army that suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, it could be said that the Qing Dynasty was still thriving because of these individuals, who helped stabilize its base.

Another characteristic of the Qing Dynasty was its penchant for stirring up regional conflict. As a consistently oppressive ruler, they feared nothing more than unity among their subjects, and so they spared no effort in sowing interprovincial discord. This is also why, after the Xinhai Revolution, nearly every province had its own warlord group, each viewing their province as their own, fearing interference from other provinces.

Especially after some proposed the idea of ​​federal autonomy, they openly began to promote the American system, a system even Taizu had supported in his youth. Didn't these people really know that so-called federal autonomy was a breeding ground for warlords? But without a unified national force, they were lucky enough to control a single province. So, driven by self-interest, they were bound to follow the path of self-sufficient warlordism.

Of course, another reason is that the Manchu army had poor discipline, and wherever it went, there was suffering. If the people in power did not trust their own troops to maintain good discipline, would they trust troops from other provinces to enter their province?

Then there's the issue of names. A name that carries a strong sense of regionalism is actually detrimental to the development of that power. Take the Beiyang Army, Huai Army, Chu Army, and Xiang Army—armies whose very names suggest regional identities struggle to gain national recognition. When Zhang Yinghao was a child, watching television and hearing about the Beiyang Army, he immediately assumed there must be a Nanyang as well, even going to internet cafes to find out. If the Beiyang Army marched south, people would easily wonder, "What are you doing here in our south?" Similarly, with the later Northeastern and Northwestern Armies, their very names clearly indicate regional warlord forces. Zhang Zuolin's hope of unifying the country with these armies was a complete impossibility. He couldn't even crush the Northeastern Army's dominance.

Kui Jun sent a telegram to Xi'an and expedited the delivery of relevant official documents. Of course, as a provincial leader, he couldn't just sit back and wait for the emperor's judgment. He immediately summoned his subordinates to discuss the matter. Although Kui Jun was nervous, he remained as calm as an old dog in front of his subordinates. Although Kui Jun was not a capable person, his subordinates were certainly not all good-for-nothings. There were also those who wanted to get promoted and make money. At least Zeng Guofan and his generation had passed away recently, and Li Hongzhang still held the power.

Since there was a precedent, it was very likely that this group of people would have the opportunity to be promoted. However, such people were a minority after all, and generally, such people were rarely given important positions at the end of a dynasty. Without war, these people could not reach high positions. Only after a period of war, when those who were useless had abdicated or died in battle, would these people have the opportunity to rise to the top.

So after much discussion, the final outcome was still lukewarm. Lord Kuijun felt that since his documents had already been submitted, the responsibility no longer lay with him, and that the wise and unparalleled Empress Dowager would make the final decision. Furthermore, he had no intention of fighting or making money. Lord Kuijun was a skilled general, but in terms of military affairs, he was only slightly better than Xiaobai.

However, it wasn't without results. After all, Lord Kuijun and the other civil and military officials were not fools, and they still had to consider their own lives. So the final result was to reorganize military affairs, wait for orders, and prepare for war.

In the late Qing Dynasty, there was no army without empty salaries. "Xian" originally refers to military rations, and by extension, it means the salary of soldiers. The original meaning of "eating empty salaries" is that commanders falsely report the number of soldiers to receive military salaries, and this practice has existed since ancient times.

For example, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, there were many malpractices in the management of the military registration of the imperial army. "The old numbers were removed without checking", so that "the number of soldiers could not be recorded", which provided convenience for officers to conceal the number of soldiers and draw empty salaries. Soldiers were not deregistered after death, were not deregistered after desertion, and vacancies in the military were not filled by recruits.

By the time of Emperor Huizong of Song, this trend had intensified. "Wenxian Tongkao" said that during the Chongning period, nearly 40,000 soldiers from Xihe Road alone deserted, but "the generals and deputies sat back and watched without asking any questions" in order to embezzle military pay.

The Ming Dynasty was not much better in this regard. In order to collect more empty salaries, military officers falsely reported the number of soldiers to the court. There were only 47,000 soldiers, but they falsely reported 100,000, thus doubling the amount of money they earned.

On the other hand, officers did not prevent soldiers who "suffered from hunger, were driven by greed and cruelty, and could not make a living, and fled in droves," but instead took advantage of this, sometimes deliberately punishing soldiers to force them to flee. This allowed them to embezzle military pay and extract bribes from fleeing soldiers. Under such harsh labor and exploitation, the soldiers' best option was to flee.

The Ming Huiyao records that during the Zhengtong period, deserters accounted for one-tenth of the country's total military personnel; during the Hongzhi period, deserters accounted for six or seven-tenths of the total number of soldiers during the Hongwu period. When the court actually decided to deploy troops for war, the emperor would look at the roster and, believing it to be a million-strong army, had actually been emptied out by the officers.

Anyone who has read Ming Dynasty history or even worn Ming Dynasty clothes knows the flaws of the Ming Dynasty's Weisuo system in its later years. Zhu Yuanzhang was a stingy man, his ideal was to confine the people to a single location and force them to do the same jobs for generations—that is, the descendants of artisans would become artisans, the descendants of soldiers would become soldiers, and the descendants of merchants would become merchants. This is somewhat similar to the Indian caste system.

The people in the Weisuo system had been soldiers for generations, so it was not difficult for the Ming Dynasty to have a million soldiers. However, due to population growth and land annexation, the number of soldiers in the Weisuo who could fight was reduced to eighty-nine. What else could they eat if not to collect empty salaries?

The Manchu Qing dynasty also failed to learn from this hereditary system, and the practice became even more prevalent. As early as 1838, before the outbreak of the Opium War, Huang Juezi, an anti-smoking official, wrote in a memorial, "If too much grain is falsely claimed, there will be money but no soldiers."

In 1853, Ai Renze, the right vice-minister of the Ministry of Personnel, reported to the emperor that the capital's "infantry camp has a total of more than 21,000 armored soldiers, and it is rumored that more than half of them are vacant", which shows the seriousness of the phenomenon of ghost soldiers.

这种事,到清末新政和民国,还是特别晋遇。T21头际上就是不把兵额招足,比如一个营额年5uU欢，个军官就按官阶但向上报,还是500。其余250个名额车铜:儿1牛与就投机勇大小给分了。单这一口,就比平时小打小闹地克扣军饷好处要

Much more.

During the Qing Dynasty, the Green Camp generals did not have the land to exploit, unlike local officials. The Qing Dynasty also implemented a low salary system, and even high-ranking officials such as the governor and general had relatively low salaries.

When the money is limited, it is difficult to live a rich life with this. But once you pay your father A or something, you have to be decent, and the salary is even more sufficient.

Drawing a salary without working has become their main way of making money, among which the latter is more commonly used.

By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the phenomenon of "ghost payroll" had become quite serious. The Green Camp typically had between a quarter and a third of its staff vacant, with some even seeing over half. The Manchu imperial family was aware of this problem, but they had no effective solution. Their only recourse was to dispatch personnel to check and verify the records.

Like the imperial envoys who came to investigate, few of these inspectors were serious about their work. Most saw the assignment as an opportunity to make money. Consequently, each unit had developed a set routine for dealing with these inspectors. Of course, the first step was to ensure proper preparation, to fill the necessary baggage before moving on to other matters. Secondly, they would temporarily hire local civilians, dress them in military uniforms, and have them take up arms to stand guard.

If the inspectors also wanted to inspect the soldiers' drills, that was easy enough. Each unit employed a number of skilled warriors, archers, and horsemen, who would then be brought out to perform for the officers. Horsemanship, archery, and swordplay were all very impressive. Furthermore, every inspection featured a special performance: climbing a large flagpole several feet high.

The climbers performed various tricks during the climb and finally took off the colored ball on the top of the pole.

It was presented to the proofreader with great respect, and the proofreader immediately said something, and everyone understood. Not only the Green Camp, but also the Eight Banners

This is how we deal with it. In a unit, except for a few professionals, no one else can even ride a horse.

The upper level conducts regular inspections, while the lower level copes with the situation. A strong tradition has been formed, passed down from generation to generation. For the lower level units, they can be careless in everything, not only careless but also

Tigers, even those who break the law and discipline, are not very serious.

However, whenever a superior came to inspect, they would make sure to present themselves as perfectly as possible. They would behave in a restrained manner and act in a proper manner. They would even stop work they were supposed to do, saying they would wait until the inspectors left, to avoid finding any mistakes.

As long as the inspectors were still there, everyone would walk differently than usual. As for cheating, it was commonplace.

The problem is, those who inspect the work, including the superiors who sent them, are also aware of how they're being treated. We've all been there, so who doesn't know who else? Those little tricks used by leaders when they were subordinates themselves were also used. The so-called inspections are nothing more than a formality. At best, they're a serious formality.

The people below deceive those above, and the people above know that they are being deceived. Everyone knows this, and they go through the motions year after year, day after day. They are deceiving people, but in reality, you can't deceive people; you can only deceive ghosts.

Of course, if they encountered a few conscientious individuals, these military officers who were drawing empty salaries would also run into trouble. During the Republic of China era, when Duan Qirui was Minister of War, his most trusted advisor, Xu Shuzheng, was Deputy Minister. Every time a salary was paid, Xu Shuzheng would personally or send someone to verify it. If he found any vacancies, he would simply withdraw the funds.

After Yuan Shikai's death, Duan Qirui took over the Beijing government, but Xu Shuzheng continued to behave this way. During the Qing Dynasty, inspectors became more rigorous, and officers found to be drawing salaries without working could be directly reported, but Xu Shuzheng couldn't do that. Despite this, Xu Shuzheng's actions still deeply resented the Beiyang military, and he became a denouncer. Eventually, the Zhili-Anhui War erupted, and during the telegraph war, the Zhili and Fengtian cliques attacked Xu Shuzheng instead of Duan Qirui.

The phenomenon of ghost employees is a barometer of the situation. Its widespread occurrence often signals significant institutional flaws and the erosion of the state apparatus. Historically, ghost employees were limited to soldiers unable to extract income from the land. If even local officials with benefits to gain were to engage in this practice, one can imagine how serious the problem would become.

In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao had read some articles about time travel. The solutions in those articles either involved increasing military pay, in the spirit of high salaries to maintain integrity, or personally distributing pay to soldiers, bypassing the officers who handled it, like Yuan Shikai did, or establishing a logistics department to distribute it uniformly.

In reality, these are only temporary solutions, not fundamental solutions, much like Yuan Shikai's Beiyang New Army. Even if Yuan Shikai personally paid the soldiers' salaries, the superiors held your future in their hands, gambling with you for a few rounds of drinking. Your money would still flow out the door. As long as the feudal system remains, as long as the army remains feudal, as long as information about promotions and other matters remains open, and as long as there is no way to file complaints, problems are bound to arise in the military.

Therefore, whether those seeking to fight and achieve great things or those seeking to retreat and seek peace, their forces were never fully staffed. As for the deployment changes Zhang Yinghao had previously investigated, they were essentially self-protection measures by Governor Kui Jun. After all, despite the rampage of the Boxers in Sichuan, the Governor-General hadn't made any significant moves.

Manchu officials actually shared an implicit sense of self-awareness: they all knew how their ancestors had gained control of the world. Their access to the world was a stroke of luck, a chance that could easily have been exploited to exploit the absence of heroes, allowing the unskilled to rise to prominence. It was like a wicked neighbor taking advantage of a family's illness and weakness to seize their land.

Chapter 142:

The Qing imperial family knew very well that if they got it, they would make a profit.

It will eventually be returned, so now you can do whatever you want to do with it, anyway, no matter how much you get, it is a profit. With this mentality, there is the saying of Cixi: measure the material resources of China and win the favor of the country. Because they have never regarded themselves as the masters of this land and integrated into this land.

Instead, I chose the parasitic way. Since I can't beat them, I'll just share them!

Therefore, it was wishful thinking for Zhang Yinghao to expect the Qing Dynasty to mobilize all its forces to attack him.

Even if Cixi issued an order, the number of troops mobilized would not be very large. However, the Manchus might not have learned other things, but they were very good at using the policy of "using the Han to control the Han, and using the barbarians to control the barbarians".

So while Kuijun was drawing troops to gather in Chengdu, he also ordered a group of landlords and gentry to form a militia, appointing a bunch of leaders such as battalion commanders and thousand commanders, and asked them to establish a militia to protect the country and the people. Whoever was in power would work together to eliminate the Shunqing group.

After the landlords and gentry left, either in high spirits or with heavy hearts, the news quickly reached the intelligence personnel in Chengdu. The intelligence personnel then quickly sent the news to the base through channels for analysis.

Summarize and classify, and then distribute the information to relevant personnel.

The militia was a fascinating phenomenon during the Qing Dynasty. Unorganized and unregistered, they were administered by the imperial court, but were instead local militias formed entirely by local gentry. Their role was nominally to protect the territory and the people, but in reality, they served as thugs deployed by the Qing court, akin to the Qing militia. However, the militia remained a vassal army of the Qing court, assembled when needed and discarded like garbage when no longer. Consequently, the Xiang, Chu, and Huai armies, while once powerful, quickly vanished into the depths of history.

The Qing officials, landlords, and gentry were extremely poor at keeping secrets. Many of them knew little about Zhang Yinghao and his men's actions, leaving little room for compromise. However, not all of them had the courage to confront Zhang Yinghao, nor were they considering whether it was truly worth risking their entire families' lives.

The dangers of war weren't just a playful phrase; they were a real threat to lives. Although many landlords backed out, some remained determined to train militias to eliminate the traitor Zhang Yinghao. With the Qing Dynasty still looming, these retreating landlords and gentry didn't dare to back out easily, continuing to pledge money and manpower. Those who recognized Zhang Yinghao's brutality left no stone unturned, seeking every possible means to eliminate this evildoer.

When the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom first started its rebellion, the Qing Dynasty was completely unaware of their true situation. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom certainly didn't wear pigtails, but they didn't dare shave their heads, so they tied their hair up. Therefore, the Qing Dynasty called the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom "long-haired" or "hair bandits," while the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom called the Qing Dynasty "Qing demons."

For example, Zuo Zongtang was called "Zuo Yaotou" and Zeng Guofan was called "Zeng Yaotou." Later, Zeng Guofan wrote the "Exhortation to Suppress the Guangdong Bandits," leading the Qing government to officially call the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom "Yue Bandits." Why was the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom called "Yue Bandits"? One theory is that Hong Xiuquan was from Guangdong, so they called the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom "Yue Bandits." Another theory is that during the Qing Dynasty, Guangdong and Guangxi were called the Liangguang region, also known as East Guangdong and West Guangdong, so they called the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom "Yue Bandits."

However, the reason the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, or the Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuzhen rebels, are so famous, and why they were so deeply hated by the landlords and their defenders, the Qing Dynasty, is because of their call for land distribution. Any landlord or gentry would grit their teeth at the mere mention of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or the Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuzhen rebels, as they were trying to undermine their very foundations, a far more serious act than digging up their ancestral graves. Why was Wang Mang reviled for so long in history? It was because his policies undermined the interests of the landlord class.

In fact, in the eyes of these landlords and gentry, the revolutionary army is now more terrifying than demons and monsters.

The landlords and gentry, who were full of peasants, seemed to have seen the end of the world. In their minds, the idea of ​​a peasant being in charge and becoming the master of the house was unimaginable and unforgivable.

To them, this was something more terrifying than the end of the world, and they would prevent it from happening even if it meant their own demise. These landlords and gentry were, in fact, a ruling class that fully understood where their interests came from and resolutely defended them. Although China's landlord class lacked an autonomous class identity, they unconsciously maintained the foundation and interests of their rule. This is why there's the saying, "There are only individuals who betray their interests, not classes that betray theirs."

If these landlords and gentry cannot be eliminated or eradicated, and if the grassroots ruling base cannot be established, then the revolution cannot succeed, or it can be said that it is not a thorough revolution. No matter how good the policies are, no matter how wise the upper echelons are, as long as these landlords and gentry remain in power, then these reforms will inevitably come to an end.

Why can't China learn from the West and adopt a parliamentary system to rule the country? It is because China's national conditions are completely different from those of foreign countries.

Who were the people in the council? They represented the bourgeoisie, supporting the development of capitalism and some even being major capitalists. Therefore, the policies they proposed were undoubtedly in line with the development of capitalism. At that time, capitalism still represented advanced productive forces, so the policies proposed by the council naturally served their interests.

But does China have the soil for a parliament? Yes, it does. In fact, the Chinese are far more advanced than foreigners. The Donglin Party already existed during the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty's system was not far removed from parliamentary systems and constitutional monarchies. Just think about how the Ming emperors could avoid court for many years, yet the government still functioned well. However, the Donglin Party represented the interests of the landlord class, and China only had the soil for a parliament for the large landowners.

After the Xinhai Revolution, parliament was convened. What kind of people filled it? Almost all were representatives of the landlord class, with only a few from the bourgeoisie. Would the policies proposed by these people develop productivity? Would they promote industrialization? No. All they had was endless quarrels over profit.

They only pursue their own local or provincial interests, regardless of whether their actions reflect the broader interests or harm the national interest. This is because they are not representatives of the entire nation, but rather representatives of a specific region. If they cannot represent the interests of a specific region, they will never again be elected as a councilor for that region. These councilors, clinging to their vast private holdings, yearn for sky-high food prices. These councilors were once wealthy landowners, and now that they have finally gained power, they naturally want to make a killing. While it's true that they're capable of vying for power, they can't formulate policies for development.

So, the character of the Kuomintang during the Republican era can be directly compared to the Donglin Party of the late Ming Dynasty, as they represented the same class: the landowners. The entire Republican government, whether military or political, was riddled with betrayal and bribery, and internally rife with profiteering. The front lines were tight, the rear was tight, and the War of Resistance enriched the four major families. Fighting corruption would destroy the party, and not fighting corruption would destroy the nation. Yet, in the end, Baldy still chose to lose the nation; he did not betray the class he represented.

Therefore, some novels describe the implementation of parliamentary politics and parliamentary struggle in China as simply self-humiliating. Landlords in agricultural provinces, for example, would absolutely not want a population migration to industrial provinces, or rather, the landlord class would absolutely not want population movement, and the road to industrialization inevitably involves rapid population movement. Therefore, the landlord class, small-scale peasant economy, and development are inherently in conflict. Western countries also beheaded numerous emperors and slaughtered countless landlords before embarking on the path of capitalism. To expect to reform the landlord class without bloodshed is simply wishful thinking.

Another point is that scholars in the old days had the tradition of taking apprentices, just like in the movie "Detective Di Renjie", many officials called Di Renjie "teacher". Di Renjie represented the interests of a group of people. In China, people who betray their teachers and ancestors will be despised. So scholars have been passed down from generation to generation. They hold the right to speak in the country, they are members of the ruling class, and they rule the country. Stealing books is not stealing. How can it be stealing for scholars? Why do scholars dare to say this blatantly? It is because they are the ruling class and they set the rules. Stealing books is naturally not stealing. Who dares to object?

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I rule the world together with the people." However, he failed to break the literati's monopoly on discourse, their monopoly on knowledge, or the civil service system. He also failed to mobilize the people's ideas and incorporate them into the ruling class. Therefore, no matter how he killed corrupt officials or manipulated the literati, he was doomed to fail.

It was several days later when Zhang Yinghao received the news that Kui Jun had ordered the landlords and gentry to form their own militia. Zhang Yinghao carefully read the information in his hands. He knew that these landlords and gentry could quickly organize an armed force. After all, they only needed to organize their tenant farmers. Moreover, these people's families more or less understood the rules of the military, and their basic skills were much better than Zhang Yinghao's. Furthermore, these landlords had money and food. As long as they were given weapons, they could quickly organize a large militia.

But Zhang Yinghao wasn't worried at all. This wasn't the era of a few hundred years ago when victory could be won simply by conscripting men. Without adequate training, military personnel were no different from sitting ducks. A three-man bayonet formation had an overwhelming advantage over scattered troops.

The most important thing is that an army armed with modern nationalism, even with only simple training, cannot be easily defeated by a feudal army. Revolution and counter-revolution are a pair of contradictions. When these counter-revolutionaries begin to take action, they are both at their strongest and at their weakest.

Moreover, Zhang Yinghao knew that the militia, like bandits, were adept at fighting favorable battles, but not so adept at fighting unfavorable ones. Because they didn't know what they were loyal to, they believed that if they died, they would die in vain, leaving their families without anyone to care for them. Therefore, these people generally valued their lives and wouldn't fight in decisive battles. They were simply united by profit, nothing more. When the profit wasn't enough to keep them fighting, they would disperse.

After reading the message, Zhang Yinghao immediately wrote: "Order, Chongqing comrades, to closely monitor all ships on the Yangtze River entering Chengdu. No arms or ammunition shall be allowed to enter Chengdu. If necessary, ships carrying weapons shall be directly seized and all ammunition shall be confiscated."

Although Zhang Yinghao didn't intend to give these landlords and gentry too much time, after all, bullets would still kill people. As long as they could cut off their source of weapons, the militia would be nothing more than a toothless tiger. Zhang Yinghao even wanted to thank these landlords for organizing the local people.

Sichuan is plagued by natural disasters, as if the Qing dynasty's debt from two hundred years of neglecting water conservancy projects is about to unleash itself. Disaster victims are everywhere. If the landlords and gentry raise a banner to recruit soldiers, countless starving people will surely come to their doorsteps, begging for food. If the landlords organize these victims, they can take them in directly in the future, saving Zhang Yinghao a considerable amount of time.

Meanwhile, at the Chongqing docks, Chen Yiwei was already unloading the steel mill he had purchased. Due to its heavy weight, oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages were deployed to transport the machinery to its designated destination. Upon arrival, the crew quickly set to work, assembling and debugging the equipment.

Upon arriving, Chen Yiwei immediately reported to Zhang Yinghao. Zhang Yinghao wasn't being pretentious, but he was unaware that Chen Yiwei had returned to the base, otherwise he would have gone to greet him. Chen Yiwei had already made a significant contribution during his time out. The importance of the machinery and equipment he purchased to the base was self-evident. Most importantly, Chen Yiwei had returned with a number of overseas Chinese, who could be considered skilled workers, exactly what Zhang Yinghao needed in large quantities.

Chapter 143:

Chen Yiwei also brought back a large number of books and materials, which Zhang Yinghao urgently needed. For Zhang Yinghao, cultivating outstanding talent was always his top priority. Broadening the understanding of the comrades in the base area was essential. While most of these books were on basic subjects, Zhang Yinghao also entrusted Chen Yiwei with Marxist political texts.

However, these books are still in foreign languages ​​and haven't been translated. Even in later times, those who could translate a foreign book authentically were considered talented, and could live an upper-middle-class life regardless of their job. But in this era, foreign language proficiency was scarce, and those who could afford to learn were well-off. Translating books might simply be a hobby for them. Furthermore, some technical terms were difficult for outsiders to translate, so the challenges remained significant.

However, in recent years, there has been a surge in translated books on the market. This is because intellectuals have begun to seek outsiders for a path to saving the nation and the people. They have begun translating foreign works, hoping to find a way and a path to salvation. Zhang Yinghao actually needs such translators, and he desperately needs them, but he currently lacks the ability to attract such talent to work in the base area.

Zhang Yinghao believed there were always more solutions than problems, but without computerized translation, everything depended on manual labor. English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionaries were essential reference books, but there was no rush. The base was severely short-staffed, and even the current staffing level was insufficient, making it impossible to organize the staffing required to create such a dictionary. Since Zhang Yinghao couldn't compile such a dictionary himself, he could only rely on the times and purchase an English-Chinese or Chinese-English dictionary. As expected, Zhang Yinghao was not disappointed. The Chinese-English Dictionary had been published as early as 1808, so he simply ordered the latest version of the reference book he needed.

The base also needed to compile student textbooks. Fortunately, Zhang Yinghao was a time traveler and remembered some of the elementary, middle, and high school curriculum. Therefore, almost all of the student textbooks in the base were written by Zhang Yinghao. He couldn't remember much of it, so he also referenced textbooks from foreign schools.

Who in the base area is not Zhang Yinghao's student now? The base area implements examination-based promotion. As long as you pass the sixth grade graduation exam, you will have a primary school cultural diploma. So far, no junior high school graduate has been trained in the base area.

When the security guard came in to report that Chen Yiwei was at the school gate, Zhang Yinghao was stunned. He had been quite busy lately, lecturing, studying maps for military preparations, and even getting married. He was so busy that he had almost forgotten about Chen Yiwei.

Coming back to his senses, Zhang Yinghao hurriedly said, "Please come in. No, I'll go greet you myself."

As he spoke, Zhang Yinghao stood up and was about to walk out. Perhaps he had been sitting for too long, and when he stood up suddenly, he felt a black screen in front of his eyes and a sense of emptiness in his waist. He almost bumped into the corner of the table. He quickly held on to the table and stood still, his mind going blank.

When the black mist dissipated, Zhang Yinghao immediately stood up straight, put his hands on his hips, and rubbed his waist. It felt like his kidneys were hollowed out. Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao felt that his gums were empty and his teeth seemed a little loose. He wondered if he was calcium deficient. Why did his health deteriorate so much? Why did he feel so weak?

Suddenly Zhang Yinghao remembered a poem:

The body of a beautiful woman in her twenties is like butter, and she carries a sword at her waist to slay common men. Although you don't see their heads cut off, she secretly makes your bones wither.

Oh my god, this is really talking about me, isn't it? Zhang Yinghao shuddered and quickly calmed down and cheered up. He still had to save money in the future.

Please note that eating too much meat is not good. It will really drain your energy and make you feel weak.

I thought I must eat more meat and eggs to replenish my body.

I should exercise more. I can't sit here in the office all the time. If I get a stroke, it will be hilarious. Suddenly, I remembered that I stood up to meet Chen Yiwei, and hurried out of the desk.

As they walked, Zhang Yinghao asked the correspondent, "How long has Comrade Yiwei been here?" "Chairman, Director Chen just arrived. I saw he was carrying his luggage."

Zhang Yinghao walked quickly to the school gate and saw Chen Yiwei standing there from a distance. Chen Yiwei saw Zhang Yinghao and hurriedly waved and shouted: "Chairman, here."

Zhang Yinghao quickened his pace, shouting as he walked, "Haha, Chen Yiwei, you're so good! You came back early without even sending anyone to notify me."

"Haha, Chairman, I'm just too late. Even if you send someone back, they might not be as fast as me!"

Zhang Yinghao walked up to Chen Yiwei, looked him up and down, and stretched out his right hand. Chen Yiwei also hurriedly stretched out his right hand.