The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Zhang Feng had completed his training and was now commanding troops at the front lines. After training, he would be swapped with comrades on the front lines as needed, taking over command positions, freeing up those on the front lines for training at the base. Zhang Feng was standing on a battlefield where a battle had just ended, with the dead lying scattered across the ground.

Zhang Feng was no longer aware of the bodies lying on the ground. As a commander, he didn't need to come and inspect the battlefield after the battle, but in order to obtain firsthand information and gain a direct understanding of the battlefield, he still came to observe the battle scene.

Today's group was a gang of bandits. When Zhang Feng arrived at the front, the troops planned to eliminate them. To understand the combat capabilities of the frontline troops, Zhang Feng personally led his troops into battle. Zhang Feng was quite satisfied with the outcome of the battle. Five of his men were slightly injured, one was seriously injured, including two with broken legs and a sprained ankle.

Over twenty people were killed in the bandit den, and even more were captured. A number of women and hostages were also rescued. As for the loot, there wasn't much money or food, and the guns and ammunition were mostly old. Even if they were new, the troops wouldn't have used them, as they were now using standard weapons. These out-of-date weapons were either shipped back for recycling or used to train new recruits at the training grounds. Of course, they could also be provided to the police to deter criminals.

"Commander, we've found evidence of collusion between this gang of bandits and the landlords. Look, the physical evidence is all recorded here."

He handed a notebook to Zhang Feng, who took it and opened it to read. It recorded the transactions between this group of bandits and several landlords. It also included some things that the landlords were not convenient to do, so they handed them over to this group of bandits.

do.

It also recorded bandits kidnapping and killing men, landlords taking advantage of the situation to seize women, and instigating bandits to plunder goods and hand them over to landlords to sell in order to defeat their competitors. Zhang Feng sneered after reading it. Landlords are not very good people. With this thing, it would be completely legitimate to destroy a group of landlords.

A debate has arisen within the base area over whether the landlords' families should be killed and the land should be distributed to them. For Zhang Yinghao, these aren't really issues. But for those who don't know their future, they're a major concern.

Although the common people had all been allocated land, some still harbored a sympathy for the landlords. Whether this sympathy was good or bad, Zhang Yinghao didn't argue. Even the best arguments often lead to fools; even a liar claiming the sun is sometimes triangular would still convince some. Only facts can convince people. While Zhang Yinghao didn't care and would continue to do what he had to do, he wouldn't directly confront this counter-trend of public opinion. He would simply guide it, as the saying goes: "A journey of a thousand miles tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's heart." Therefore, as long as this evidence was made public, even if many people were killed, there would be no public gossip.

Now that the base had been expanded, Zhang Yinghao would not hesitate any longer. The landlords within the base had already received their due. However, many comrades had not yet received their revenge in areas where the base had not yet reached.

Therefore, this time, leveraging the momentum of the base's expansion, they asked those comrades with grievances to lead the way and eliminate some of the landlords. This was a great opportunity for Zhang Yinghao. Therefore, Zhang Feng also came to the front lines to lead the way, bringing comrades back to his hometown to fight the revolution. There were also many such comrades in other directions. This time, the goal was to force Sichuan Governor Kui Jun to dispatch troops as soon as possible through a nibbling and swallowing-up strategy, so as to eliminate the Qing Dynasty's effective forces in a field battle.

However, upon arriving at the front lines, Zhang Feng discovered a problem. The troops on the front lines were noticeably different from those in training. Initially, Zhang Feng found this strange, but after careful observation, he suddenly understood. After the training, Zhang Feng had spent a few days in the training camp, where the activity was bustling, with both new and veteran soldiers engaged in training.

Because they were wearing new shoes, their gait and speed were noticeably different. Especially since everyone was wearing the same uniform, neat and tidy, exuding a unique spirit. However, the comrades on the front lines didn't have this privilege. They either had to be transferred back to the base for patrol training or be transported to the front lines.

According to the current situation, the most likely scenario is that they will be sent back to the base for training. However, if the Qing Dynasty is more powerful, there may not be enough time and manpower, and these comrades will not be able to undergo adaptive training, and they will have to directly receive equipment and go to the battlefield.

Several soldiers died suddenly from simply marching in rubber-soled shoes. Zhang Feng sincerely hoped these comrades could undergo a period of adaptive training so they would be more prepared for the battlefield and marches. Going directly to the battlefield or marching without adaptive training would inevitably lead to various discomforts.

Zhang Feng looked down at the shoes on his feet. Although rubber-soled shoes always smell bad after being taken off, especially in the military camp, these shoes have been used for many training sessions.

People have foot odor, but they are still full of love for these shoes. According to calculations, the troops who did not change shoes marched at two-thirds the speed of the troops who changed shoes. If it was a forced march, the difference would be even greater.

The implications of this were beyond comprehension. It truly achieved the military strategy of "strike last and arrive first." Zhang Feng knew the base was gathering strength, with personnel being drawn from all quarters for training, including a significant number from the infrastructure construction unit. Numerous cadres were being transferred out, with deputies filling in for their superiors.

Zhang Feng didn't know when the war would begin, and everyone was awaiting Zhang Yinghao's orders. In fact, even Zhang Yinghao didn't know the exact start time. It depended on three factors: if the base had completed its re-equipment, if the Qing launched an offensive, or if the Qing made a serious mistake, then mobilization could begin immediately. However, for now, none of these three factors had occurred, so Zhang Yinghao could only continue internal development and training, forcing the Qing while he continued to gather strength and wait.

Zhang Feng counted the things he found in the bandit's lair and made a list of them before transporting them down the mountain. At the same time, he made public the evil deeds of these bandits and landlords. In this era, human life was worthless, and not everyone hated these bandits.

Because of the times, bandits had to have a mass base to survive.

Therefore, many villagers were actually affected by this. They could still pass on information. Of course, the price they paid was to stand guard for these bandits and pass on information.

In fact, these people are just like the peripheral personnel of the bandits. When the bandits have something to gain, they will also give some to these people. So in fact, these people live better than those who have no contact with the bandits.

In fact, a bandit's lair is actually a way of escape in troubled times. If you really can't survive, just become a bandit and you can always survive.

In Chinese tradition, if you look at the Water Margin, you will know what kind of life countless people admire? In fact, it is just drinking and eating meat. In most TV series, movies, books or other things, as long as they involve bandits, there will almost always be this scene: a long table with a long tail.

The seat was full of people on both sides, and the bowls were filled with wine. The leader said: "Brothers, let's drink."

China has a tradition of resistance since ancient times. When people can no longer survive, they become bandits. It is necessary for the government to suppress bandits, but those who become bandits are not necessarily bad people who kill people without hesitation. Most of them are actually poor people with no other options. However, if these people have the courage to go up the mountain and become bandits, they can also

They were all courageous individuals. Some of these bandits had handled guns before, and were even quite accurate. If they could be reformed, they would have a solid understanding of guns and would learn much faster than the average person.

However, the Qing Dynasty was still in existence, and the warlord era had not yet truly begun. Therefore, in Sichuan, apart from a few long-time bandits, the majority were bankrupt peasants who had recently moved to the mountains. After returning, they adopted the well-established methods of the base areas: after mutual denunciation, those found guilty of killing innocent people or raping women were executed. The rest were either reformed through labor or released.

These measures now have a set of almost mature standards in the base, and Zhang Feng basically no longer asks about it, because the rest is basically the work of other departments.

Chapter 146

Zhang Yinghao has always known one thing, that is, inertia needs external force to break. Just like his own revolution, it is actually an external force that forcibly changes the living habits of the people in the base area. However, it does not mean that all party members and cadres in the local base area are capable enough to do everything.

There will always be some places where there are omissions. But this does not mean that the order in these places without the Kadima Party will be disrupted, because the local people will continue to live as before until external forces appear.

A strong fortress is always breached from within, but when the external force exceeds its capacity, it will still crumble. These landlords and gentry weren't strong enough yet, and Zhang Yinghao's external force wasn't indestructible. However, these local armed forces were still swiftly eliminated under Zhang Yinghao's iron-blooded attack. Zhang Yinghao was now pushing forward with such arrogance.

However, absolute change must be addressed from within; external forces can only speed things up or down. Only when things change internally can the problem be fundamentally resolved. Therefore, the newly liberated base areas, under the influence of external forces, actually accelerated internal change in those places. But if the people in those newly liberated areas refused to change, what could Zhang Yinghao do?

After a year of understanding, Zhang Yinghao had almost completely grasped the Qing Dynasty. Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao's intelligence network had almost completely covered Sichuan. After gathering information from various sources, Zhang Yinghao finally breathed a sigh of relief. It could be said that Zhang Yinghao's expansion was no longer like his first expansion, which was without intelligence support. Now, the expansion was planned and carried out in a systematic manner.

Zhang Yinghao knew that the officers were actually gearing up for a big fight.

But now many of these applications to go out have not been approved by the Military Commission, because Zhang Yinghao feels that he is still not ready to accept such

Preparations for the vast territory, especially the field troops, have not yet been truly trained.

Zhang Yinghao might look down on the Qing army, but he didn't want these soldiers to suffer excessive casualties. Therefore, under Zhang Yinghao's coercion, everyone was filled with anger. However, Zhang Yinghao was not worried about this. The army should not be divided into left and right factions, nor should there be the concept of warlike or non-warlike.

The army can only be prepared at all times and dispatch according to orders when necessary. Can the army discuss whether a war should be fought?

Therefore, this war must be fought on behalf of justice and the interests of the people. Otherwise, it will be difficult to give full play to the subjective initiative of the soldiers, and there will be

I suspect.

In the past life, the Republic’s seven foreign wars were all just wars, and the people had no objection to these wars, so Zhang Yinghao

War is a sacred thing. After a year of growth, Zhang Yinghao has a different understanding of the army. The army must be a tool of proletarian rule. The army can have its own ideas, but the army's ideas must be consistent with the people's ideas.

The rulers must represent the fundamental interests of the proletariat and the broadest masses of the people.

The proletariat gains a broader mass base by transforming the masses, but in reality, the masses appear to be its allies and source. The proletariat's ultimate goal is to establish a communist society, so through repeated cycles of self-metabolism and self-elimination, the proletariat will ultimately establish a communist society.

Self-denial, self-elimination, what a painful thing it is! How many people in the world are willing to admit that they are wrong? How many people are willing to self-denial and self-elimination?

In a previous life, when I joined the Young Pioneers in elementary school, the song I sang included a line: "We are the successors of communism, carrying on the glorious traditions of our revolutionary predecessors." As an adult in my previous life, I saw a line online that said: "The biggest lie I've ever heard is that we are the successors of communism."

Zhuangzi once said: "A frog in a well cannot talk about the ocean because it is confined to the void. A summer insect cannot talk about ice because it is bound by time. A crooked man cannot talk about the Tao because he is bound by teachings." The first two sentences are popular because they refer to others. Why is the second one less famous? It's because it takes courage to say it, because no one is always right. It's because it's so well said, so well that it's terrifying.

In the face of time, what does a mere few decades or even centuries of human lifespan mean? So how can someone without a time materialist perspective, someone who doesn't make friends with time, possibly understand this? They've committed the error of leftist adventurism, eager for quick results, imagining a race to communism. They assume that if their generation can't achieve communism, then neither can the next generation or the next. To rush to communism is to fail to see things realistically. However, without a realistic reference point, it's perfectly normal to be divorced from reality; in essence, they just do it.

Therefore, Party members and cadres must stand with the people, unite with them, and respond to their needs. Only then can they unleash unparalleled strength. Acting independently or fighting alone is unfeasible and unacceptable. We must find ways to make the masses understand and spontaneously stand together to safeguard their own interests.

When productivity and production relations are not adapted to each other, it is normal for numerous problems to arise. This is a problem that any country must face during the process of industrialization.

The process of transitioning to an active society will inevitably be accompanied by blood and pain, but it will also give birth to beauty and hope.

There is an old saying: The sacred artifact has no owner, and it is occupied by those with virtue and strength. It is also said that if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. It is also said that if you bear the disgrace of the country, you are the master of the country. If you bear the misfortune of the country, you are the king of the world. Zhang Yinghao knows that there are many things that he must do. Infamy, bad reputation, good reputation, bad reputation or anything else, Zhang Yinghao no longer cares about it. There is a saying that the final judgment is made after the coffin is closed. In fact, many people

It has reached the point where even the final conclusion cannot be made.

That’s why there is a saying that there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Why? Because the results of analyzing a thing from different angles will be different.

Just like writing an article, you can get full marks even if you approach it from different angles. Why is there no second place in martial arts? Because only a life-or-death contest can determine who is truly first. How can there be second place in a contest where life and death are not the two?

However, Zhang Yinghao is still quite satisfied with the military's development. After all, the Military Commission is not a freeloader, and its members are all experienced fighters. Moreover, these people only have to consider one issue: how to fight. Therefore, their progress is still very great.

If a person only needs to think seriously about a problem, his growth will be obvious to all. The current members of the Military Commission have grown well. However, Zhang Yinghao has now received reports from the front line that the casualties in the attacks on landlords and gentry and the Qing Dynasty are increasing. Sometimes, more than ten people have been killed or injured at a time.

Now Zhang Yinghao has figured out one thing, which is why the Qing Dynasty suffered defeat in many foreign defensive wars. The main reason is not that the commanders were afraid of death, but that the Qing army did not know who they were fighting for.

Why did Taizu dare to call imperialism a paper tiger? It was because imperialism was doomed to fail in the face of people's war. However, launching a people's war is no easy task; it requires immense effort to educate the people before they awaken. Once an awakened people understands who they are fighting for, they will be invincible.

After a day of classes, Zhang Yinghao returned to his office and drank a few sips of water. Suddenly, he remembered something very important he hadn't done: he couldn't lose the public opinion battleground. He was going to start his revolution openly and honestly, no longer having to sneak around like he was doing now. Therefore, open publicity would be necessary.

So Zhang Yinghao called a short meeting with people from the organization department, selected suitable personnel to form a newspaper and a magazine, and planned to publish a newspaper and a magazine. Zhang Yinghao named them "People's Daily" and "New Youth" respectively.

Publishing a newspaper was something Zhang Yinghao had always wanted to do, but the conditions hadn't been ripe. Therefore, he could only communicate internally about necessary matters, to prevent Party members and cadres in the base from being blinded. In fact, internal reporting of information has existed in China since ancient times, and in ancient times, we called it a "Dibao."

During the Qing Dynasty, the "Dibao" (Palace Report) had a large circulation, surpassing the "Jiang Bao" (Stone Rice Report) and becoming a newspaper accessible to officials, scholars, and even ordinary people. In the late Qing Dynasty, in addition to the "Dichao" (Palace Report), the "Jingbao" (Beijing Newspaper) emerged: "The newspaper was managed and operated by the newspaper office of the government office, becoming a regular newspaper, and the initial prototype of a newspaper began to take shape.

In general, the court report is actually an official internal notice in all dynasties, which conveys the relevant matters of the court to the people below.

Those who reported it were almost all high-ranking officials and their relatives, and had almost nothing to do with ordinary people.

Newspapers, however, are different. Whether it's China's "Di Bao" or the West's "Daily News," they are both ancient media. While they have the rudiments of modern newspapers, they are still very different from the common concept of newspapers. Modern newspapers have three main characteristics: publishing news; regular publication; and public distribution.

In 1895, the 21st year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the famous reformist Kang Youwei

In 1892, Liang Qichao and his colleagues founded the Qiangxue Society in Beijing and published the Zhongwai Jiwen (also known as the Wanguo Gongbao), one of the most influential early Chinese newspapers. At the time, Beijing alone had dozens of newspapers, with a daily print run exceeding 1,000 copies.

After 1900, with the successive establishment of newspapers, six major newspaper houses emerged in Beijing: Juxing, Juheng, Hecheng, Xinyi, and Jiwen. These controlled the distribution rights of all newspapers in the capital, making them the earliest such establishments in my country. Each employed a messenger, uniformly dressed in a long blue cloth gown with a long blue cloth bag over their shoulder containing the daily newspapers. They would briskly deliver the newspapers to subscribers at various government offices, official residences, major businesses, and banks.

Zhang Yinghao was now preparing to publish newspapers and magazines. The newspapers would be distributed within the base area, while the magazines would also be disseminated along both sides of the Yangtze River. The People's Daily had four pages: one covering events within the base area, one promoting the base area's policies, and the remaining two covering international and domestic events.

As for the magazine, it naturally advocated revolution, criticized imperialism, criticized the Qing court, and promoted vernacular Chinese. Zhang Yinghao hoped to use it to attract more patriotic young people seeking to save the nation. As for how to distribute it? It certainly couldn't be sold openly. He could only distribute the magazine through secret channels to potential comrades or sell it in the concessions.

Several secret study and gathering bases had been established on both sides of the Yangtze River, recruiting tens of thousands of comrades. Zhang Yinghao didn't know the exact number, and even the comrades responsible for recruiting them probably didn't know. Even Li Tianqiao, the head of the intelligence department, didn't know for sure.

After all, the lists delivered each time were always relatively outdated, and the names of some comrades on the covert front would never appear on paper. In fact, Zhang Yinghao was actually shocked when he first received the list, considering how many people had been recruited in just a few months. However, the information on the list was not deceptive, and it made Zhang Yinghao realize that the Qing Dynasty's demise was inevitable. The foundation of its rule had been shaken, and this broken house could no longer withstand the wind and rain.

Zhang Yinghao now completely ignored the domestic and international disturbances, focusing solely on completing his training. In his previous life, when Zhang Yinghao read Qing Dynasty novels, many protagonists had to go to Mexico or the United States to drill for oil, obtain large amounts of funds to purchase machinery and equipment, and then carry out large-scale construction.

Zhang Yinghao wanted to do the same, but he couldn't think of any oil fields. He only knew there were plenty along the Gulf of Mexico and the Persian Gulf, but that was useless. He even read a Qing Dynasty novel about a man who ran out of money and went to a mine, and then built up his industry.

Chapter 147:

Zhang Yinghao was becoming increasingly envious of these protagonists. Their cheats allowed them to easily stand on the shoulders of countless people's wisdom and single-handedly accomplish unprecedented feats. It was like those reborn entertainers, churning out hit after hit, seemingly so impressive.

What's the reality? These hits are the fruit of countless people's wisdom. How many people have become famous because of them? If you, the protagonist, wrote them all by yourself, can't you become a dominant figure in the entertainment industry? With the entire world's song resources being shared by one person, what else can't you achieve?

Unfortunately, there is no place for these resources in Zhang Yinghao's mind. His mind is empty of those oil resources. There are many songs, but Zhang Yinghao can't write some love songs to confuse people. Since he has chosen the path of revolution, then he will continue on this path.

And Zhang Yinghao counted the resources he brought with him when he traveled through time, and it was really just the knowledge of revolution and rebellion. He didn't have any other things.

I have learned something, but it is not useful in this era.

Zhang Yinghao now understands why many people in later generations would rather deliver food or deliver packages than work in a factory. Working in a factory is a labor-buying relationship, while not working in a factory means countless opportunities outside. This raises the question of opportunity cost and sunk cost.

There are countless opportunities outside to earn higher wages than in factories, and even if the wages are lower, it's not as tiring as factory work, so factory work is generally considered a last resort. In my past life, countless articles criticized the large number of lazy people who lived off boxed lunches employed by film and television studios.

While this is inevitable, this isn't the 21st century, and finding a job isn't a simple matter. Just like when Zhang Yinghao first traveled through time, finding a job was a real challenge. This is why Zhang Yinghao dared to revolutionize now: because so many people couldn't afford to eat.

As long as there's a chance to have enough food and clothing, the people won't let it go, and this is the basis of Zhang Yinghao's current revolution. The more oppressed and poor they are, the more they hope to change their fate, and the easier it is to sow the seeds of revolution. If someone in the future asked him to revolutionize, Zhang Yinghao would definitely look at him like an idiot. He has enough food and clothing, so why would he want to revolutionize?

After Zhang Yinghao established the newspaper and magazine, he thought for a while and wrote an inaugural speech for New Youth. This was the same article that Chen Duxiu had written:

Youth is like early spring, like the morning sun, like the budding of hundreds of flowers, like a newly sharpened blade. It is the most precious period of life.

Youth is to society what fresh, lively cells are to the human body. Metabolism constantly eliminates the old, decaying, and decaying, while the fresh and lively take their place in space and their life in time.

If the human body follows the principles of metabolism, it will be healthy; if it is filled with old, decayed and useless cells, it will die; if society follows the principles of metabolism, it will be prosperous; if it is filled with old, decayed and useless molecules, it will die.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao also opposed the ideas developed by the late Qing Dynasty intellectuals. For example, on January 15, 1919, Chen Duxiu published "A Defence of the Crimes of This Magazine" in the first issue of Volume 1 of New Youth, vigorously advocating "Mr. Democracy" (the author of the inscription) and "Mr. Science" (the author of the inscription).

"Mr. Democracy" means "Democracy", which means "master". The so-called "master" refers to the master's ideology and politics.

"Science" means "Science". The so-called "science" refers to the laws of modern natural science and the scientific spirit.

Zhang Yinghao really didn't understand why these people came up with Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science. Do these literati have to use Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science when talking to each other in order to appear cultured? Zhang Yinghao remembered that when he was studying history class, he never understood what Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science were, and why they were called Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science.

Zhang Yinghao now felt that if he could come up with a Mr. Democracy and a Mr. Science, he wouldn't be just an idiot. Zhang Yinghao was certain that if he used Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science to describe science and the Lord of Inscriptions, only one in ten thousand people in the country would understand what they meant.

Using Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science to represent science and science is a complete act of isolation from the public. It's completely inappropriate to express the message in a way that appeals to the masses. Countless people are completely bewildered by the terms "Mr. Democracy" and "Mr. Science." Such expressions can only circulate among a narrow circle of intellectuals and are meaningless.

But what is the reality? These unscrupulous scholars have gained a position they should not have by monopolizing the interpretation of these terms, such as science and inscription.

He monopolized the academic world and authority. He was just like the public intellectuals invited by later generations, who were arrogant but incompetent and had no idea what was going on.

Although Zhang Yinghao had promoted adaptive Chinese and simplified Chinese from the beginning, he never forced anyone to speak vernacular Chinese or simplified Chinese. However, Zhang Yinghao himself was incapable of writing in classical Chinese or traditional Chinese, so he could only use traditional Chinese. Furthermore, official documents at the base were all written in vernacular Chinese, so Zhang Yinghao couldn't control much else.

The conciseness of language does not depend on whether it is written in vernacular or classical Chinese. As long as the words are used appropriately, vernacular Chinese can be more concise than classical Chinese.

In Zhang Yinghao's view, the debate between vernacular Chinese and classical Chinese is inevitable. The trend toward vernacular Chinese replacing classical Chinese is inevitable. He once said, "I've never heard a class taught entirely in classical Chinese. It's unthinkable for people to use classical Chinese in their daily conversations."

But Zhang Yinghao wouldn't actively criticize classical Chinese. When it comes to speaking and composing sentences, he uses whatever works best. However, as long as government documents or exams prohibit the use of classical Chinese, its elimination is inevitable.

Zhang Yinghao's newspapers and magazines were all written in vernacular Chinese. He couldn't even write classical Chinese. Among later students, those who could write in classical Chinese were rare. At least Zhang Yinghao had only read about them in his books; he had never met such a person in real life.

It took Zhang Yinghao several days to set up the newspaper and magazine racks, and arranging the staff's work and daily routines was also challenging. Zhang Yinghao had ample resources at his disposal, so he handled these tasks with ease. It wouldn't have been easy for his subordinates, who were all new to the task and unsure of their roles, their responsibilities, or even their specific duties.

Zhang Yinghao also needed to organize the staff into different categories and conduct relevant training. Many people don't understand the difficulty of doing something. They always see others completing the work easily and always feel that they can do it too. In fact, this is an illusion. If someone with limited resources has no idea how to organize so many people to work together unconditionally, how can they do it? And how long will it take to organize so many people?

Zhang Yinghao could have directly contacted the workers involved in printing and typesetting, or even the relevant factories, but if an ordinary person didn't understand these things, how much effort would they have to put in? How much legwork would they have to do? Most importantly, Zhang Yinghao never considered profitability. For him, the purpose of publishing newspapers and magazines wasn't to make money, but to use them as tools to accomplish something. As for the base Zhang Yinghao currently controlled, while making money was essential, he never expected it to be much.

This is the difference between the government and businesses. The purpose of a business is to make money, so anyone must find a good sales channel before even starting a business, otherwise they risk losing everything. However, the government's consideration in these matters isn't profit, but rather political power. Of course, Zhang Yinghao knew that publishing newspapers and magazines was an undeniably profitable industry, one that could continue to generate profits for at least a hundred years.

In this era, the Chinese people's understanding of foreigners is extremely limited. Many people even still think of foreigners in myths and legends.

It's like the Western Paradise promoted in Buddhism. I don't know if it's a coincidence or something, but the Western world and the Western Paradise actually overlap in people's imagination.

The Chinese people of that era were completely clueless about foreign history and culture. Even in later generations, when Zhang Yinghao first arrived in Guangzhou to attend university, he'd stare at the occasional Caucasian person as if they were a rare animal. However, Zhang Yinghao later discovered that many foreign women perfectly matched Chinese aesthetic standards, especially Russian women, with their tall figures, incredibly long legs, small, firm noses, and pointed chins.

Only after the first batch of newspapers had been printed and the second batch had begun did Zhang Yinghao finally let go of the work. The magazine "New Youth" was also freshly launched amidst Zhang Yinghao's intensive planning, and its content incorporated a large number of Zhang Yinghao's own articles. Of course, there weren't many people in the base area capable of writing in this field, but there were some. Zhang Yinghao also used several articles written by students and sourced a lot of material from their work diaries and exercise books.

Zhang Yinghao knew that the Qing Dynasty still represented orthodoxy, and that a large number of elites still worked within the court. Furthermore, the entire nation's elite class was almost entirely drawn from the landowners and gentry, so to underestimate them at any time was to court disaster. These people might not have a specific concept of class, but they were very knowledgeable about protecting their own interests and were well aware of where their interests came from.

Therefore, Zhang Yinghao's first magazine avoided many important issues and did not address many issues clearly. If those who are interested read these articles, they can naturally learn the essence of them through study classes. If they are not interested, there is no need to study so deeply for the time being. This is also a way for Zhang Yinghao to protect his comrades.