The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

The city was relatively closed in the Qing Dynasty, with four gates outside.

The Han people outside could not enter without permission, and the Manchus inside could not go out without asking for leave. The Manchu City was the military garrison of the Eight Banners. It was a city within a city, so there were only houses, government offices and warehouses. Shops, teahouses, and wine shops were not allowed. After the establishment of the Manchu City, the Manchus and the Han people were separated. The Manchus lived in the inner city, which was the Manchu City, and the Han people lived in the outer city. The Manchus and the Han people were clearly divided.

Chu.

In the vast city of Manchuria, the vast majority of buildings were residential, offering a tranquil and comfortable atmosphere. Aside from government offices, which could be built into courtyards, each household's home consisted of a row of three-room bungalows, or perhaps a three-sided courtyard with side rooms, often with gardens, fences, and low walls.

China is such a vast country with a limited number of Manchus, so it is naturally impossible for there to be a Manchu city in every city. The Manchu cities in the Qing Dynasty were mainly distributed in important cities and military strongholds.

As the rule of the Qing Dynasty gradually stabilized, the number and scale of Manchu cities continued to grow. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, in addition to more than 20 Manchu cities built in major cities in the northwest and northeast, there were more than 20 Manchu cities in Zhili Province. In the later period, Manchu cities were built in almost all major cities.

The larger the city, the more strategically important its location, and the larger its scale. For example, in Xi'an, the Manchu city occupied as much as 42% of the city, and was so large that it had a total of 5,000 Manchu and Mongolian troops stationed there, which gradually increased to more than 8,000, not including their families.

For example, Nanjing, the Manchu city, was rebuilt from the Ming imperial city. It was stationed with 4,000 to 5,000 Eight Banner soldiers, and together with their families, the total population was about 30,000. The area of ​​Nanjing's Manchu city accounted for about 20% of the area of ​​Nanjing city.

During the Qing Dynasty, Manchuria was the city's most exclusive residential area, and Han Chinese were strictly prohibited from entering. In fact, it was no different from the Yuan Dynasty, and it was the same as when foreigners put signs outside concessions saying "Chinese and dogs are not allowed to enter." Therefore, the so-called "one family" or "Hanization" of most Manchus and Han Chinese is actually a joke.

Upon hearing this, the people in the temporary command center were filled with indignation and were almost cursing.

"Too deceiving."

"All the Manchu dogs deserve a bad death." "Everyone in the Manchu city deserves to die." "All the good places have been taken over by them." "The Manchu-Han family is a joke."

When Zhang Yinghao heard these words, he couldn't help but think of those people who made TV dramas in his previous life. In order to whitewash the Manchus, they also promoted the Manchu-Han banquet, cold dishes, and so on.

There are 196 hot dishes, 124 dim sum and tea snacks, a total of 320 dishes. Zhang Yinghao really doesn't understand how this Manchu-Han Banquet can represent the Manchu-Han family. It is obvious that they want to eat good food and want luxury, but they also come up with such a name.

It seems that those emperors must have been very happy when they were eating the Manchu and Han banquet.

Since we are one family, then free intermarriage between Manchus and Han people is at least necessary!

Why do we need to create such a trick of a full banquet just to satisfy our own appetite? Can this full banquet really stop the gossips of the people? In other words, in later generations, when people are richer in material things and have stronger tolerance, they will feel that the emperor is

It is only natural for the emperor to enjoy a full banquet. If people of this era knew about this, they would definitely destroy the Qing emperor's job and let him experience the pleasure of eating bran and drinking thin soup.

"There's no need to be so angry. Look at this city. When we were in a dominant position, did you feel it looked like a prison? The Qing government might

I didn't expect that the original intention of building the city was to better control the main

When the war broke out, the Manchu city became the best target. The Manchus who had been confined in the city for a long time had a skill in their lives. Once they left the city,

It is easy to be identified and become a target.

However, there is one thing we must pay attention to. That is, during the Taiping Rebellion, after the Taiping Army broke through Nanjing, the largest city of Nanjing, Manchu, became the last stronghold of the bannermen. The defense of Nanjing Manchu was complete and strong. Because the Taiping Army killed the bannermen indiscriminately, the Manchus were very determined to resist. Women and the elderly also helped to defend the city and even fought to break into the Taiping.

The Pingjun army, commanded by Yang Xiuqing, attacked for several days, suffering tens of thousands of casualties before finally conquering the city. After the city was broken, almost all the Manchus inside were killed, and only then was Nanjing declared fully occupied. Besides Nanjing, Hangzhou and other places also experienced similar situations.

Although the world is now dominated by hot weapons, the archery skills of strong bows and crossbows are vulnerable to long spears and cannons. The Manchus in the city have only two ways to escape, except to be protected by kind-hearted people. One is to escape by climbing over the wall when the revolutionary army is not prepared, and the other is to flee to the church and seek protection from foreigners.

However, we are a revolutionary party, not a party established to kill people, but a party established to save people. We are saving the poor people in the world. From our political standpoint, there is no distinction between Manchus and Han people.

To put it in terms of good and bad, there are good people among the Manchus and bad people among the Han people.

Just like the landlords we killed were also Han Chinese, it is the same principle. We do not kill people casually, but the reason must be made clear so that our comrades can understand the reason. That is to say, we, the progressive party members, must kill those whose hands are stained with the blood of the people and those who do evil things.

But no matter who it is, as long as they obey the rules of our progressive party and maintain order, we will protect them. Of course, we cannot be pedantic about the Manchu issue. If the Manchus inside resist stubbornly and refuse to surrender,

Then we can only start killing people.

By the way, when I said that Manchus and Han people were not allowed to intermarry, I meant that they could marry freely. However, the Qing Dynasty only allowed Han women to marry Manchu men, and Manchu women were not allowed to marry Han people.

When the Manchu cities fell, the women and children were certainly innocent. As long as the men inside didn't resist, shouldn't we tolerate the Manchus inside? We, as progressive people, must possess this kind of magnanimity and generosity. However, the Manchu cities now scattered across the country will gradually be demolished. This is because their existence is no longer suitable for urban development and hinders urban planning. All city walls are no longer necessary from a political, military, or economic perspective. Therefore, in the future, whenever necessary, these walls will be demolished."

"Is the Chairman saying that all these walls must be demolished?"

"Look at how many stones there are in this city wall? Wouldn't it be nice to tear it down and use it to build foundations and houses? Of course, we can leave it as is, but we can tear it down if necessary! If it blocks our way when we're building a road, we can just tear it down."

Zhang Yinghao didn't intend to tear down all of them, but since they were hindering the city's development, it wouldn't hurt to tear them down. Zhang Yinghao had never seen these walls in later generations, so keeping them would at least serve as a tourist attraction. However, Zhang Yinghao knew that as the city developed, these walls would eventually have to be demolished. With the city expanding, what was the point of leaving a wall in the heart of the city, where every inch of land was valuable?

However, with the development of transportation, cities have freed themselves from the constraints of densely packed areas. In fact, a hundred years from now, especially with the emergence of internet celebrities, the value of a complete city wall will be immeasurable. The tourism industry alone can support the local economy, and tourists will also generate astronomical income from spending in the city. However, people today can't imagine what the world will be like a hundred years from now, and Zhang Yinghao can't stop the demolition. After all, cutting off someone's financial resources is like killing their parents. He will only protect them if he can.

Zhang Yinghao continued, "As for the Manchus inside, what do you think? Should we kill them all or what do we do with them?"

When Zhang Yinghao asked this, no one spoke. Killing them all seemed impossible, but not killing them also seemed problematic. So everyone looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

Seeing that no one spoke, Zhang Yinghao said directly: "Then, how about we kill all the men inside and keep the women? The men are a waste of food, but the women! Hehe! They can be used to continue the family line!"

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's words, many comrades suddenly broke into silly grins. I don't know what they were thinking about. However, after Zhang Yinghao's words, the atmosphere suddenly became much more lively.

"Chairman, this..."

Chapter 155:

Zhang Yinghao quickly waved his hand. Naturally, he couldn't bear to have anyone refute his politically incorrect opinion, so he interrupted and said, "I was just joking to liven up the atmosphere. Recorder, don't write down what I just said; it was just a joke. We've said before that what we're going to build next is a modern nationalist state. We're all members of the Chinese nation. This is our political philosophy, and it can't be shaken. If the Manchus inside stubbornly resist, we can certainly kill them. Both sides know that on the battlefield it's a matter of life and death, and we'd rather settle public grievances than personal grudges."

But if they give up resistance, we still have to give them a way out and integrate them into the Chinese nation.

If we start a massacre, we have to consider the political impact. There are so many Manchu cities and Manchu people in the country, it is impossible to kill them all. Do the people understand our killing of Manchus? So we should not kill them if we can.

Be compassionate."

Just then, he suddenly heard cheers in the distance. Zhang Yinghao looked up and saw a bright and eye-catching party flag rising at the city gate.

"It seems the city gate has been breached. What a fast pace!"

"It was very fast indeed."

“I can only say that I was well prepared!”

At this time, a messenger came in and reported: "Report to the Chairman, the troops have entered the city gate."

"Haha, great. Tell the comrades to work harder. We're going to Chengdu to have a meal today."

When the people in the temporary command center heard this, they all laughed, and the solemn atmosphere disappeared in an instant.

This surprise attack on Chengdu has been studied by countless people since then, and can be considered a miracle in revolutionary history. These researchers have always wondered how Zhang Yinghao could have the courage to make such a 1,000-mile surprise attack on Chengdu, laying a solid foundation for the revolution. It is also hailed by countless military enthusiasts as a stroke of genius, and one of the few military operations in Zhang Yinghao's early career that he personally commanded. It was even made into a film titled "The First Blossom of Revolution," which depicts the beginning of the blossoming of the revolutionary flower in Chengdu.

At the very moment gunfire rang out at the city gate, followed by signal flares, firecrackers deliberately set off by the revolutionary army, and the crackle of gunfire in the distance. Governor Kui Jun and a host of other high-ranking Qing officials were still puzzled. Why would anyone set off fireworks during a holiday like this? However, the Qing had occupied Chengdu for two and a half centuries, and attacks on the city had rarely occurred. Even if an attack had occurred, they would have received advance warning, so no officials in Chengdu would have suspected that a large army was coming to attack Chengdu.

As the crowd below was discussing the situation, someone finally raised a question, suggesting that the sound wasn't firecrackers, but gunfire. Kuijun was practically pissing himself, and quickly stood up, pacing back and forth, thinking carefully—wasn't that the initial sound of gunfire? Just then, a guard hurried in and shouted, "Governor, someone's attacking the Governor's Mansion!"

At this time, the revolutionary army attacked the Governor's Mansion as if they were in an empty city. The few patrolling Qing soldiers were killed or defeated by them. Because the revolutionary army suddenly appeared before the city defenders, they had no idea how many people had entered the city. The Qing soldiers were in chaos, and they could not see their officers. They ran and shouted: "The rebels have entered the city!"

For a time, order in Chengdu was in chaos. Kuijun, upon learning the exact news, was devastated and hurriedly ordered his guards to close the gates and await reinforcements. Suddenly, a burst of gunfire rang out outside. Governor Kuijun, already stunned by the sudden turn of events, was even more terrified. A moment later, a group of soldiers, dressed in strange clothes, with painted faces and armed with rifles, rushed in. Seeing this, Kuijun's legs suddenly gave way and he sat down on the ground, muttering to himself, "It's over, everything is over. I am a sinner of the Qing Dynasty, I deserve to die..."

At this time, all the high-ranking officials in Chengdu were also facing such an attack. At the same time, the gun depot and gunpowder depot in Chengdu were quickly captured with the cooperation of the intelligence department. At this point, the battle in Chengdu was reduced to a city-wide and some sporadic fighting.

At this point, the large force that had just entered the city, led by their guides, quickly split up and moved through the streets and alleys of Chengdu, heading towards the various city gates, government offices, the Mint, the Machinery Bureau, and other targets. It didn't take long before the famous western Sichuan city, the capital of Sichuan Province, was completely under the control of the revolutionary army.

Not long after, Zhang Yinghao was still waiting for news at the headquarters when he heard the guard report: "Report to the Chairman, Comrade Hu Songhui has arrived to report."

"Please."

A short while later, Zhang Yinghao saw Hu Songhui, dressed in camouflage uniforms and covered in paint. After saluting, he said, "Reporting to the Chairman, the Sichuan Governor-General, Chengdu General Kuijun, Deputy Governor-General Changchun, General Sun Liequan, Sichuan Admiral Ma Weiqi, Admiral Ding Hongchen, Civilian Provincial Supervisor Chen Ju, and other high-ranking Qing officials have been captured and brought here. The armory and powder depot have been completely captured and handed over to the comrades who entered Chengdu. Three of our troops are slightly injured. Please provide instructions."

"Well, you've done a great job. I know our soldiers are invincible, and I must commend them for their achievements. But you don't have time to rest now. If we quickly capture Chengdu, all of Sichuan will be ours. Our troops will immediately launch attacks in all directions to completely eliminate the Qing forces. You must cooperate. Also, you, 007, must now target the bandit lairs known to the intelligence department. You must be swift, accurate, and ruthless, and carry out precise strikes. Clean out these lairs thoroughly and restore peace to the people. Under the rule of our Forward Party, there is no room for bandits and bullies to survive."

"Okay, I'll give the order right away." "Oh, right, wait a moment."

Zhang Yinghao took out a piece of paper, wrote a few words, turned around and handed it to Zhang Feng, saying, "Don't bother two people with one thing. Send a telegram to Comrade Zhang Feng immediately, telling him that we have succeeded and that they should take action immediately to capture Chongqing and then proceed according to plan."

"Yes."

After Hu Songhui saluted and turned to leave, Zhang Yinghao turned to the temporary command center and said, "Let's hold a simple meeting here. I'll explain everyone's upcoming tasks. Here are a few ideas:

First, Chengdu was the first major city we conquered. We were faced with the allure of a big city, a dazzling array of beauties. There was undoubtedly a wealth of dazzling, chaotic things, and these things also came rushing towards our Party members, comrades, soldiers, and cadres. Under these circumstances, we fell not to the enemy's guns and cannons, but to the enemy's extravagant and decadent lifestyle, the enemy's sugar-coated bullets, and became slaves to their desires.

Therefore, the Political Department must take action to educate the soldiers, urging them to reject corruption, maintain their true colors, and continue to be iron warriors in the hands of the Forward Party, absolutely without change or degeneration. Comrades of the Safety Committee for Eliminating Counter-Revolutionaries and Sabotage, the police, and the judicial organs must immediately be organized in Chengdu and jointly act to clean up the entire Chengdu area.

In the areas under our jurisdiction, we must ensure that there are ten things we don't have: no opium dens, no brothels, no casinos, no places of feudal superstition, no corrupt officials, no bandits and bullies, no extortion, no gangs, no local tyrants and evil gentry, and no one dares to profit from the national crisis.

Second, what is Chengdu? It's the provincial capital, the political and cultural center of Sichuan, and the largest city in several southwestern provinces, with a population of several hundred thousand. The significance of Chengdu's capture is self-evident. It not only demonstrates the strength of the revolutionary army but also greatly inspires the revolutionary fervor of the people across the country. Soon, a large number of aspiring young people will flock to the base area. From a military perspective, our occupation of the Chengdu Plain represents a vast granary, providing ample manpower and the foundation for a competitive struggle against the Qing. Strategically, our capture of Chengdu would give us a partial advantage over the Qing, and the impact and impact on the Qing court would be self-evident.

Therefore, the Qing Dynasty will absolutely not allow us to develop peacefully in Chengdu. Once they learn of this, they will undoubtedly quickly draw troops from surrounding provinces to attack us, attempting to nip us in the bud. However, we cannot allow the war to spread to the Chengdu Plain, otherwise it will be extremely disadvantageous to us. Therefore, one of our most important tasks now is to quickly stabilize Chengdu and immediately replenish and expand our forces. We have captured a few fat sheep in Chengdu City, which will allow us to raise sufficient food and supplies.

So, we split our forces into four groups. One group would advance towards Deyang and Mianyang, defending against possible attacks from Shaanxi. Another group would advance towards Ya'an and Dajianlu, defending against attacks from the Qing troops stationed in Tibet. Another group would advance towards Meishan and Leshan, another towards Ziyang and Neijiang, and finally join forces with Zhang Feng and Ouyang Jun to defend against possible Qing attacks from Yunnan and Guizhou.

Other comrades quickly seized power in Chengdu and immediately began organizing production, especially the Sichuan Machinery Bureau, which was required to immediately organize production to provide the troops with weapons, ammunition, and other logistical needs. After the army swept through the Manchu and landlord forces, they immediately implemented land reform in the area. Land reform was our trump card. No matter how the situation changed, as long as we firmly grasped land reform, our foundation would remain unaffected.

China's thousands of years of development history is a history of war, the most essential content of which is the struggle for land ownership. The experience of the Shunqing Liberated Area has proved that as long as the land issue is resolved, the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army will be able to gain the support of the people, the base area will be completely stabilized, and the people's food problem will be solved.

We must elevate village-level elections and the establishment of grassroots political power to a strategic level to ensure the continuation and long-term progress of the revolutionary liberation war. Only by building a good grassroots political power can we establish an indestructible political system and a revolutionary bastion...”

Seeing that his comrades were all thinking and taking notes, Zhang Yinghao began to assign tasks, calling out their names: "Zhao Jinshan, Comrade Long Aotian."

"arrive."

They both stood up and answered.

"You are still responsible for recruiting new soldiers in the Chengdu area. The key is to focus on two aspects: First, ideological education. The political department must eliminate all feudal, ignorant, and backward ideas in the minds of the new recruits and replace them with the idea that our revolutionary army is the people's soldiers, obeys the party's command, seeks happiness for the poor, creates a better future, and serves the people. Through the grievance campaign, we must dig out the roots of suffering and find the source of suffering, so that these new recruits can attribute their personal suffering to national and class suffering. Let them realize that only by overthrowing the reactionary rule of the Qing Dynasty and driving out the foreigners can the working people rise up and be liberated.

The other thing is to focus on training, such as soldiers' endurance, shooting, bayonet fighting, etc., to improve the combat effectiveness of the troops. However, the plan must be more rigorous. I can only give this batch of new recruits two months. After two months, these new recruits will be assigned to the troops and quickly adapt through the model of veterans guiding the new. Only through combat can new recruits truly improve their combat effectiveness and become veterans. Is there any problem?

"No."

"Okay, sit down. Wu Chengze." "Here."

"You are in charge of the propaganda department. You must take immediate action. Referencing the propaganda content from the base area, you must ensure that every citizen of Chengdu understands the Qing Dynasty's betrayal and the harm those unequal treaties have inflicted on the people. Comrades, as an outside force, how can we integrate into the local community and become confidants of the people here? We must let them know that we are protecting their interests and standing with them. Therefore, we must vigorously publicize the ten 'no' policies. These measures are not for us, but for the people."

"Yes."

After issuing a series of directives regarding the Women's Federation, the Children's League, the Cooperatives, the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, the Credit Union, and other organizations, Zhang Yinghao breathed a sigh of relief. Taking Chengdu was a good start to the revolutionary expansion. The situation he faced next was completely different from his previous life. Zhang Yinghao rubbed his brows, feeling sleepy. Never mind. There's always a way out. Let's just take it one step at a time.

"Everyone, let's take a look at what the Manchu officials in Chengdu are like!" After saying this, Zhang Yinghao said to the outside: "Bring in Kuijun, Sun Liequan and the others."

Chapter 156:

Zhang Yinghao heard the guards outside say from a distance: "Let's go, our chairman wants to see you."

Then I heard someone cursing outside: "You traitors, you rebels, you will not die a good death, just let us go..."

Zhang Yinghao had no regard for this shrew's taunting. He walked out the door, took a look, and said, "Anyone who curses again will be shot twice. If you refuse to behave after being caught, aren't you asking for a beating?"

"Yes, let's go."

The comrade who was guarding him immediately pushed the high-ranking Qing official in his hand and shouted with full energy.

Now no one dared to talk nonsense. Zhang Yinghao took a closer look and found that almost all of these Manchus stood straight, maintaining their last bit of so-called decency. After coming in, they all raised their heads, with an attitude of not accepting defeat.

At this time, the comrade who was guarding the prison introduced Zhang Yinghao one by one. When he called someone's name, the man snorted loudly from his nose.

Zhang Yinghao didn't care about their so-called integrity or what they were thinking now. Zhang Yinghao directly said to Kui Jun, the leader: "Master Kui Jun, we haven't started fighting in the city yet. Do you think the Manchus inside will surrender?"

"Humph, there are only Manchus who died in battle, but no Manchus who surrendered."

"Haha." Zhang Yinghao laughed twice and said, "So now that Empress Dowager Cixi has signed a traitorous treaty, isn't that surrender? You all know that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom massacred all the Manchus in Nanjing back then."

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's words, the captured high-ranking officials all changed their expressions. "Hmph, stop threatening me! The Hongyang rebels were eventually suppressed by the imperial court."

"Haha, this is the Civilian Censor Chen Ju, right? You are already seventy-five this year, right? Naturally, you are not afraid of death. Even if you die, it will only enhance your reputation for loyalty. However, even if we are finally suppressed by the imperial court, you will have no chance of survival, because you will surely die before us."

As he spoke, Zhang Yinghao carefully observed Kuijun's expression. Sure enough, Kuijun's eyelids twitched and his expression changed slightly. Zhang Yinghao ignored Chen Ju and addressed Kuijun directly, "Initially, I don't want to kill the Manchus. But if they rebel against us like they did against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, we won't mind wasting a few bullets. But if we start a massacre, then once this precedent is set, those Manchus in Manchu City will probably fight to the death. Then, not only will you Manchus be exterminated in China, but at least a million will be killed. So, Lord Kuijun, your choice will determine the life and death of at least a million Manchus. Of course, until those Manchus in Manchu City are killed, you will definitely have no chance of survival."

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's words, Kuijun's face suddenly turned pale and he was speechless for a moment. At this time, the deputy governor Changchun, who was also a Manchu, said: "What do you want? Your wanton killing will not benefit you."

"Mr. Deputy Governor, you are wrong. In fact, killing all the Manchus inside will benefit us. At least the money and land inside will become ours directly, and we don't have to worry about you Manchus causing trouble or rebelling. To be honest, I don't care how many of you Manchus I kill. After all, you Manchus got this world by killing people. The Ten Days of Yangzhou, the Three Massacres of Jiading, and the Guangzhou Massacre were all done by you Manchus. Your ancestors' hands are stained with the blood of us Han people. However, God has a merciful heart for you Manchus. I just don't know if you are willing to accept this kindness? Let the Manchus in the city give up resistance and surrender directly."

At this time, the commander-in-chief, Ding Hongchen, spoke up: "Even if you show mercy to the Manchus in the city, they won't necessarily appreciate it, right? If we surrender, I wonder what you plan to do with the Manchus inside?"

Hearing this, Kuijun, Changchun and others immediately glared at Ding Hongchen. Doesn't this clearly mean that the Manchus inside will still hold a grudge? This is encouraging these rebels to kill the Manchus inside.

Upon hearing such a thoughtful question, Zhang Yinghao immediately said, "Compassion isn't a business deal where you're talking about fair trade, or that if I treat you well, you must treat me well, or even better. If you Manchus resist, I will naturally kill them without mercy. However, when it's possible to avoid killing more, choosing not to kill is compassion. Whether they harbor resentment or seek revenge is not within our consideration for now. If they rebel in the future, we will suppress them. If they no longer resist, we believe in the principle of no labor, no food. We will transform the Manchus inside into self-reliant workers."

Zhang Yinghao was speaking from the heart. In his previous life, when he was in college, he had a Manchu female teacher who was very humorous. She was originally from the Yehenara clan, but later changed her surname to Chen.

For Zhang Yinghao, even if the Manchus of this generation still have the so-called hatred of losing their country, then one or two generations later, they will still be one of the forces building the motherland. Moreover, Zhang Yinghao is carrying out a nationalist revolution, not a racial revolution.

If racism were to arise in China, regardless of whether there was a precedent or not,

The way to do this is to see whether it can be accepted by the people or not. There are too many people to kill.

The higher the country, the worse it gets.

Zhang Yinghao also has his own plan for dealing with Mancheng.

It is impossible to stay here, and the land will be confiscated.

We still need to provide people with a way out, but how to deal with it specifically needs to be discussed in a meeting.

However, the principle of dispersion and digestion is unchanging. It is impossible to let these people still

gather together.

Ding Hongchen nodded and said nothing more. As a person who had been to Japan