The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

I just heard what you said. Those counter-revolutionaries who harmed the people must be killed. Not killing them is not enough to appease the public anger. As for those landlords in the areas that will be liberated soon who did not harm the people, we will still treat them differently. Those who are the most outrageous will still be killed. As for others who cooperate with us, if we can spare their lives, we will not kill them.

"Chairman, what should we do next?"

"How to do it?"

Zhang Yinghao frowned, looked around, and then said something that was beyond everyone's expectations.

"We are all Party members here, right? Does anyone have the Party Constitution with them?"

Everyone looked at each other, confused as to what Zhang Yinghao meant. They had already memorized the Party oath last time, so why were they asked to bring the Party Constitution now? Zhang Yinghao patted the stack of papers in his hands and said, "Actually, if you want to know what we Party members and cadres should do, don't ask me. If you want to know what we Party members and cadres should do, just look at the oath we took back then."

As he spoke, Zhang Yinghao distributed the Party Constitution in his hand.

"I volunteer to join the Communist Party of China. I will uphold the Party's program, abide by the Party's constitution, and fulfill the obligations of a Party member. I will implement the Party's decisions, strictly observe the Party's discipline, and keep the Party's secrets. I will be loyal to the Party, work actively, and fight for communism my whole life. I will always be ready to sacrifice everything for the Party and the people and will never betray the Party.

Everyone, please read this oath a few times. You've all been members of the Party for quite some time now, so it seems we'll have to read it twice before any Party meetings. The oath isn't just for the taking; we should engrave it in our bones. Come on, everyone, read it with me a few times: I volunteer to join..."

"I volunteer to join..."

"You can read our program, charter, obligations, and so on yourself. I won't explain them here. Now we're facing something we've never encountered before. So what are our three magic weapons against the enemy? Does anyone remember them?"

"Party building, armed struggle, and the united front." "So what's the ultimate weapon I'm talking about? Who remembers it?" "The mass line."

Chapter 172:

"Then isn't it clear what we should do? Are those counter-revolutionaries our enemies? If they are our enemies, then we must use our three magic weapons. But don't just think about killing. We must uphold our principles as revolutionaries. Stubborn counter-revolutionaries must be killed, but criticism with weapons cannot solve all problems. Sometimes we also need the weapon of criticism.

Many comrades have noticed a problem: the masses are being deceived and intimidated. They are deceived because they don't understand us, and they are intimidated, making them afraid to accept us and fearing retaliation. This means that our united front work is not yet fully underway, and we haven't fully mastered the powerful weapon in our hands. We need to work harder and more meticulously.

Many comrades were now unhappy. After all, they had been working tirelessly, yet they were still being criticized. Some also felt that this was too difficult. What was the point of following the mass line? The masses didn't appreciate it. Isn't this just meddling?

Zhang Yinghao saw the expressions on his comrades' faces and smiled. He said, "Comrades, if you ask me, this counter-revolutionary incident, the landlord class's counterattack, and the fact that the masses have been deceived and intimidated, are precisely the result of our good work. We just need to do better."

Now everyone pricked up their ears to listen to Zhang Yinghao's analysis, because it was rare for Zhang Yinghao to agree with their work.

Zhang Yinghao also knew that morale should be boosted but not deflated, so he smiled and said, "Don't be too nervous, everyone. It's actually nothing serious. We must look at the problem from the perspective of temporal materialism. Aren't the counter-revolutionary incidents and the landlords' counterattack the same thing? We all understand why they want to massacre our comrades and the people. Isn't it actually because these awakened comrades and the people have frightened these counter-revolutionaries? Killing is the only last resort to solve the problem. Remember, this is the landlord class's last resort. As long as we can survive, everything will be fine.

As for the masses being deceived, haha, revolution and counter-revolution are just

—These counter-revolutionaries use deception, intimidation and threats to control the people who are unaware of the truth. However, we must believe that as time goes by,

The people have sharp eyes. They will certainly understand us and see the true face of the landlord class. Therefore, our top priorities now are as follows:

The first thing is to suppress this counter-revolutionary trend. We have no choice but to suppress it. If we don't suppress it, those landlords and gentry will think we are easy to bully.

The second issue is, of course, the question of continuing land reform…”

"Chairman, should we slow down the land reform issue? This will only lead to more landlords opposing us, which will only exacerbate the conflict!"

Zhang Yinghao glanced at this comrade, whom he had previously ignored, and silently made a mental note of him. In fact, many others also glanced at him before continuing to listen to Zhang Yinghao. Anyone who had attended Zhang Yinghao's meetings or training sessions knew that Zhang Yinghao disliked interruptions and would allow time for questions whenever time permitted.

Zhang Yinghao ignored the question of whether or not to carry out land reform. He only discussed how to complete land reform better and faster, never discussing whether to postpone or delay it. In Zhang Yinghao's view, now was the best time for land reform. After the revolutionary forces swept through, would they wait until new landlords emerged before carrying out land reform?

Zhang Yinghao wanted to pretend he hadn't heard the comrade's silly question and continue talking. He simply couldn't understand why these people, who had clearly attended the lecture, would still say such foolish things. But on closer inspection, he realized this problem might be shared by more than just one person. Since it had been raised, he couldn't leave it unaddressed.

So Zhang Yinghao could only hold his nose and say, "The issue of land reform is undeniable. Let me say it again. First and foremost, it's the land issue. In China, the land issue is incredibly complex. The most simplified theoretical model of land is that the landlords rent out the land, and the tenants lease the land. As long as we control the landlords and pull the tenants in, everything will be solved."

Zhang Yinghao really couldn't understand why many people in his previous life didn't understand the importance of land reform, and some even said that there was no need for land reform and that they could just develop industry directly. In fact, it was this kind of simple model that was causing trouble.

Zhang Yinghao continued, "The problem is that while such simplified models may appear convincing, they are only convincing in appearance. First, those who rent out land may not actually be the landlords. Countless areas in China are mountainous and lack flat land. After centuries of buying and selling land, property rights and ownership have become intricate."

A person might rent out a small plot of land to a landlord, then later lease a larger plot from the landlord to cultivate. Various types of long-term, short-term, and even seasonal leases are extremely common. I doubt anyone can understand this, and I can only describe it as a tangled mess.

Furthermore, private land wasn't simply owned by individuals. Family land also existed, including "clan fields," "common land," and "school fields" (the produce from these lands was used to support private school teachers, ensuring that all family members received a cultural education). However, as is now widely known, many of these properties were seized by local landlords or clan elders.

Therefore, the land is shrouded in a complex web. If the same piece of land is mortgaged, it may belong to more than a dozen people, families, and merchant groups at the same time. At the same time, it does not belong to any one person, family, or merchant group.

None of us has the ability to understand the relationships involved, and even if we did, we wouldn't be able to resolve them. Therefore, in this era, land conflicts and relationships have become so complex that there's no possible solution except a complete overhaul. In this situation, we must carry out land reform. We must cut the Gordian knot: nationalize all land, abolish all previous property rights, and then redistribute the land.

In our country, land has been granted so much and carries so much. If there are any among us who consider themselves "absolutely righteous," believing they can perfectly manage all relationships and solve all problems, then you can simply commit suicide, because such a view is undoubtedly extremely wrong. Land reform is also the key to winning the hearts and minds of the people. It is one of our fundamental bases and cannot be shaken under any circumstances.

Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao thought of some classic articles, among which there was a passage that impressed Zhang Yinghao so he read it unconsciously: "In the past

In all historical periods, we can almost everywhere see a complete division of society into different classes and a variety of social status.

In ancient Rome, there were nobles, knights, commoners, and slaves. In the Middle Ages, there were feudal lords, servants, guild masters, journeymen, and serfs. Within almost every class there were also special strata.

But our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, has one characteristic: it has simplified class antagonisms. The whole of society is increasingly splitting into two hostile camps, into two directly opposing classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

Reality is always more educative than any sentimental fantasy. Zhang Yinghao knew that in the beginning, many comrades still had some illusions about the landlords and gentry. However, after this counter-revolutionary incident and the counterattack of those landlords and gentry, the vast majority of comrades had agreed with Zhang Yinghao's method.

Of course, some comrades wanted to resolve issues through compromise rather than struggle. So Zhang Yinghao went on to say, "We, the members of the Forward Party, represent the interests of the proletariat and the vast majority of the impoverished people. In our struggle against the landlord class, there is no room for compromise. Peace exists through struggle, but it dies through compromise. Only through a resolute and continuous struggle against the landlord class can we achieve peace; any compromise would be timid and vulnerable."

Therefore, at this time, the only compromises are those of the landlord class. We are working hard to educate the people and awaken them. When these awakened people become a major trend, when the landlord class senses this incomparable power, when they feel the overwhelming tide of the people, they will naturally compromise with the people.

After Zhang Yinghao finished speaking, fortunately no one asked what we should do next.

"The third is the issue of propaganda, which is actually one of our weakest areas. Why do I say that? Think about it, can ordinary people understand the newspapers and magazines we print? In fact, they are illiterate, so how could they understand? And most of those who can really understand are in our enemy camp. Who holds the right to speak in our country? In fact, it is in the hands of the local landlords, gentry and officials. So it is normal for us to suffer losses in this area as newcomers.

We should now organize more meetings to explain the truth and to settle accounts. We should use words that ordinary people can understand to explain our truth.

Clear. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Chairman, what should we do if those counter-revolutionaries slander us?"

"Haha, since the landlords are slandering us, and the common people still listen to them, it just proves that we common people are capable of learning, of reasoning, and of reasoning! Can't our reasoning be stronger than that of the landlord class?"

"That's the truth, but there are always some people who don't listen to reason!" "Haha, we only tell our truth to those who want to listen to our truth. What does it have to do with others? He has his own reason. As long as he doesn't stop us from dividing the land, we will do what we want to do."

He committed a crime. We have laws, and we can use the dictatorship of the people to investigate. If democracy still cannot satisfy him, then we can use the dictatorship of the people.

Is it possible for one person to act recklessly in our base area? Comrades, do you have any other questions?"

Seeing that no one wanted to speak, Zhang Yinghao continued, "Yesterday was cruel, today is cruel, and tomorrow will be cruel as well. But the day after tomorrow will be beautiful, and yet countless people will die tomorrow night to see the sunrise the day after tomorrow. Comrades, this is the final struggle. If we persevere, we will surely achieve final victory. Since you have no other questions, please go back to your work. Difficulties are only temporary. I won't waste any more of your time here. Let's adjourn. Oh. By the way, Comrade Zhang Kai, Comrade Hu Songhui, Comrade Li Tianqiao, and Comrade Yuan Kesheng, please stay for a while."

After everyone left, Zhang Yinghao asked, "How is it? Have you verified the information you received?"

"Chairman, it has been verified that the Gelaohui's spies and matchmakers were indispensable. Moreover, the news of our liberation of Chengdu spread so quickly, and the Gelaohui also played a role in this."

"Yes, some Pao Brothers organizations have great prestige in the local area. When they give an order, many people obey them."

"Many Pao-ge organizations have actually opened branches and recruited disciples in many places. They simply don't take us seriously."

"Well, then the intelligence department, the anti-counterrevolutionary committee, and the police department should unite to launch a purge operation, eliminating these leaders one by one and letting them know that they can't touch the tiger's butt. Songhui, you will lead the troops to carry out precise long-range strikes on the identified counterrevolutionary armed forces and completely dispel their arrogance. Tianqiao, you will also inform Chongqing of what happened in Chengdu and let them be vigilant."

"Yes."

After taking Chengdu, Zhang Yinghao, overly optimistic about the future, sent Hu Songhui to lead the special forces to suppress the bandits. Zhang Yinghao wanted to give them more training, and secondly, those bandits really needed to be eliminated, otherwise there would be no peace at all.

Although the situation in Sichuan later developed beyond Zhang Yinghao's expectations, and the special forces were called back in a short time, thanks to the strong cooperation of the intelligence department, 007's attack was still effective, and a large amount of supplies were seized, which can be said to be a huge profit.

Chapter 173:

Zhang Yinghao's summary of all the reactionaries in Sichuan is nothing more than the landlords and gentry, the Qing court they represent, bullies, gangsters, and other social dregs, as well as bandits and other public security cancers. But are these people isolated? Absolutely not. They are inextricably linked.

During his time in Guang'an, Zhang Yinghao eliminated numerous bandits, many of whom were the property of the landlords themselves. For the sake of land, these bandits, often employed by the landlords themselves, were easily able to murder families and extort money, often doing things they themselves were not comfortable doing. Zhang Yinghao's eagerness to eliminate the bandits, regardless of the remnants of the Qing dynasty, was primarily motivated by a desire to prevent the landlords from gaining access to these armed forces. Once these landlords joined forces with the bandits, the difficulty of their suppression would increase exponentially.

In Zhang Yinghao's eyes, the Gelaohui was actually a gang organization. This kind of organization has never been seen in later generations. Wherever the iron fist of the proletariat passed, these organizations either disbanded or completely hid themselves.

However, these Gelaohui weren't specifically recruiting bandits to attack Zhang Yinghao. The underworld, while loyal to its subordinates and worshipping Guan Gong, was actually a group of people who only cared about profit. Zhang Yinghao didn't know who the top leaders of the Gelaohui were. However, with the implementation of land reform, entire villages were being opened up as "shantang" (mountain halls) and everyone was accepted as a disciple.

Those who used Kaishan Hall to recruit disciples and protect these people from being bullied were the most powerful in the eastern Sichuan region. Now, they were stirring up trouble during the middle of the night.

At the same time, the suppression of the Gelaohui in Chongqing was also worth mentioning. The upper echelons of the Zhang family were full of hostility towards Zhang Yinghao and the revolutionary army led by Zhang Feng.

Yinghao still has a lot of things unclear about.

It was precisely this coincidence of factors that led to dozens of counter-revolutionary incidents. Among them were those who actively sought to incite the evil, fueling the flames and aiding the evil. It was this all-powerful power of the Gelaohui that led to Zhang Yinghao's occupation of Chengdu. Rumors of communism and the spread of the "Cultural Revolution" spread throughout the province, and Zhang Jianhao believed that the news would spread even further along the Yangtze River.

Zhang Yinghao was not familiar with gangs like Gelaohui, so when Hu Songhui reported the intelligence he had to Zhang Yinghao, Zhang Yinghao issued an order, and Hu Songhui was to dig out all the members of the first five rows of Gelaohui in the liberated areas.

In fact, joining the Pao Ge group is not cheap. First of all, you need to have a clean background. If you check for three generations, there is no such thing as robbery in the mountains... In addition to having a clean background, if you have made more than 1 million yuan, you cannot join the game. For example, you can't make money, or you can't get a high degree of education. These so-called low-level professions are not allowed to enter the company. After reading this information, I know that the two clans are still there.

In addition, government officials are also not allowed to join the Pao brothers. Zhang Yinghao knows that there may be such a rule now, but it was not required later, especially during the Republic of China, when many Pao brothers joined the government civil service and the army.

Moreover, it is impossible to join the Pao Brothers by paying money. It is easy to buy an official, but difficult to buy a Pao Brother. Later, this rule also changed. The Pao Brothers welcomed wealthy people to join to increase the income of the society.

However, there are always countermeasures to every policy, and the people who opened the sect didn't matter. When a village opened a sect, they naturally wanted everyone to join. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao knew that the Pao Brothers were still a very strict organization at this time. Their organizational structure might not be simpler than that of the government, but fortresses are most easily breached from within. In the face of revolutionary ideas, the Pao Brothers' control was greatly weakened. Therefore, Hu Songhui easily understood the internal breakdown of the Pao Brothers.

Hu Songhui easily understood that each branch of the Pao brothers divided the brothers into ten rows, which was equivalent to ten levels.

The first row is the helmsman of the hall, called the "big uncle". Generally, there are two helmsmen in a hall: one is the deacon helmsman who is responsible for the specific affairs of the hall, and the other is the helmsman who is just a title and does not take care of the affairs, which is a bit like the honorary president.

The second row is called the Second Master of Sages, and this seat is usually left vacant. Because the underworld respects Guan Erye very much, and Guan Erye ranks second, no one dares to infringe on his divine power, and he must be avoided.

The third row is the head of the clan, and there are often many three masters in a clan. Each three master is responsible for different matters, such as law enforcement, external relations, personnel, finances, and logistics... a bit like a minister.

The fifth platoon is the steward. There are many stewards in a hall, but the division of labor is quite detailed and varies from hall to hall. Generally speaking, the steward of the fifth platoon is a bit like the leader of a thug team.

There are no fourth or seventh rows. Legend has it that Zheng Chenggong founded an organization called the "Mingyuan Hall," where two members, Qian Si and Hu Qi, later became traitors. The Pao brothers hated betraying their brothers, punishing them with three swords and six eyelashes. Therefore, there are no fourth or seventh rows in the Pao brothers' halls.

There are also the sixth, eighth, ninth and tenth rows, all collectively referred to as the youngest. These people are basically just ordinary members of a gang, and there is no clear hierarchy.

There are many rules for those who join the Pao Brothers. There are usually four things that are forbidden. The first one is not to betray your brothers. The second one is not to divide money fairly. The third one is not to have a relationship with the wives and daughters of the Pao Brothers. The fourth one is not to drink alcohol.

Going crazy with alcohol.

Hu Songhui followed the clues and got the names of many members above the fifth platoon, and then reported to Zhang Yinghao. After reading the information, Zhang Yinghao also made up his mind to eliminate these people and completely ban this organization.

organization.

Zhang Yinghao just couldn't believe that more than 10 million members of the Gelaohui disappeared like dust in later generations, and he still couldn't defeat this underdeveloped Gelaohui organization.

Just when Hu Songhui was preparing to lead his team to eliminate those members of Gelaoyun who were more than five rows high, Zhang Feng, who was far away in Chongqing, received an invitation. It was from Yu Xinzhong, the leader of Gelaohui in Gengqing area, inviting Zhang Feng to Yu's house.

Attend a banquet.

"Commander, Yu Xinzhong is the most senior member of the Gelaohui. I heard he's very powerful, known as the Governor of Southern Sichuan. He's invited you to a banquet this time, so it's definitely not a good thing. You never know if he'll resort to violence. After all, when we were suppressing the rebellion in Chongqing, the Gelaohui were the first to bear the brunt of the attack. I think if we're going to meet, it should be in this military camp."

"Hehe, we still have to meet the Governor of Southern Sichuan. We're not afraid of him surfacing. If he's secretly doing something, we'll be in even more trouble! I'm also curious and want to see what the Governor of Southern Sichuan can do. If he plays tricks or does something shameful, then it's not my fault."

Zhang Feng immediately made arrangements, personally leading a team of special forces to the Yu residence for the banquet. He also dispatched a battalion of troops to support the Yu residence, ready to attack the Yu residence if necessary. Zhang Feng had also heard Zhang Yinghao talk about the Hongmen Banquet and knew that this one would be a bad one. So, after making all the necessary arrangements, he arrived at the Yu residence accompanied by his guards.

The Yu family compound wasn't far from Chongqing, nestled against the mountains and surrounded by water, offering breathtaking scenery. If Zhang Yinghao had seen it, he'd have said, "A villa this size, just the land, must be worth hundreds of millions."

But now the Yu family's door was filled with various members of the Gelaohui who had gathered. All the uncles gathered together, clamoring to give Zhang Feng a good show.

In the center of the hall sat an old man in his seventies. Although his face was covered with wrinkles, he was still energetic and imposing. Most importantly, everyone treated him with the utmost respect.

"Brother Yu, you're our senior, you have to save us. This Zhang guy is pushing us to death! He killed hundreds of our brothers in the Chongqing chaos, and then he chopped off dozens of our brothers' heads in the street! Now he's even shutting down all the opium dens, brothels, and casinos. These are all gooses that lay golden eggs. Brother, for the sake of our long-standing friendship, you have to take the lead."

"Yes, this is to kill us. We are running an honest business, yet they treat us like this."

Yu Xinzhong didn't say anything for a long time, just closed his eyes quietly. After an unknown amount of time, Yu Xinzhong finally spoke.

"Everyone, please be patient. We are all brothers and we are all from the underworld. Now the Red Bandits have driven out the Qing court and are acting as the government. If you want revenge, you can go and surrender to the Qing court. However, Chongqing is where we brothers make a living. If the Red Bandits really don't give us brothers a way out, I will fight for a way out for our brothers even if I have to sacrifice my own life."

"Brother, you are more influential than us younger generations. Today, we are here to declare that all of us Chongqing Pao brothers will follow your lead. We Pao brothers will never be lazy and servile."

Yu Xinzhong nodded slightly, turned around and asked his men, "Has Commander Zhang arrived?"

"Sir, we're almost there. Do you want to follow the rules of the underworld and show him some strength?"

"Nonsense! He's now in charge of all matters in Chongqing, and the Red Bandits have tens of thousands of soldiers under their command. How can we, the Jianghu people, compare to him? Besides, we are guests, so how can you be so rude?"

"Brother, don't worry about it. Zhang doesn't take us seriously. He kills people at will. How many of our Chongqing gangs have he attacked? How many of our brothers have died at his hands? If we don't teach him a lesson, he will only look down on us brothers even more."

Immediately, a group of brothers below started shouting. Yu Xinzhong shook his head: "Alas, you are roasting this old man on the fire!"

After saying this, he realized that no matter how much he said, it would be useless. His brothers would not give up until they had vented their anger. He simply shut up, like Xu Shu entering Cao Cao's camp, without saying a word, clearly tacitly agreeing. In fact, Yu Xinzhong also wanted to understand Zhang Feng's quality, so he didn't forcefully stop him.

Zhang Feng and his men had arrived at the Yu family's main gate. But instead of a welcoming atmosphere, the atmosphere was tense and tense. Outside, over a hundred burly men stood in two rows, armed with a variety of swords, spears, and clubs. They looked incredibly imposing. A man who resembled a butler, who was leading the charge, saw Zhang Feng arrive and ran over, saying, "Commander Zhang, welcome! Your Excellency is waiting in the main hall. Please follow me."

After saying this, the housekeeper went straight into the house. After the housekeeper left, the strong men standing in two rows quickly crossed their swords, guns, sticks and clubs and said, "Master Zhang,

You have the ability to drive out the Qing Dynasty in Chongqing and rule the area yourself. You dare to carry out land reform and implement new policies. You must be a first-class hero.

How about you, the people of Jianghu, come and see it?"

After saying that, the man who looked like a butler stood behind the crowd, smiling, and watched Zhang Feng make a decision quietly.

Zhang Feng snorted inwardly. Is there any justice in the world if the Qing Dynasty doesn't fall? How dare these local gangsters be so bold? Who gave them the courage? He has tens of thousands of troops under his command, yet these people dare to be so rude. If he were an ordinary person, wouldn't he be at their mercy?

"Butler, what does this mean?"

"Commander Zhang, we just want to see a hero like you. We have absolutely no other intentions. And this is the rule of the underworld. Please forgive me. If you don't dare to pass, I can also ask them to retreat. My uncle is still waiting for you inside!"

"Haha, it seems I have to abide by your rules." "If you look down on us Jianghu people, forget it."

Zhang Feng laughed heartily and said, "These people are illegally in possession of controlled weapons and are attempting to commit crimes. Prepare to shoot! If anyone dares to resist, they will be shot on the spot."

At Zhang Feng's command, the special forces soldiers around him each held their guns in both hands, their black muzzles pointed at the men wielding swords and knives. The butler-like man hadn't expected Zhang Feng to be so forceful, giving the Gelaohui no respect at all, but he didn't dare to show weakness easily. He also didn't think Zhang Feng would dare to shoot and kill, after all, there were hundreds of people in front of him.