The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"It should, it should."

As soon as Zhang Yinghao heard it, he knew that the birdman in front of him was not telling the truth. However, when he heard that the landlord Zhang could produce five tons of salt a day, his family must have more than hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. It seemed that he had to dig deeper.

Zhang Yinghao inspected the salt wells and discovered numerous problems. The salt workers, or more accurately, the salt slaves, had been exposed to the high-salt brine for a long time, their finger joints severely deformed, their hands resembling chicken claws. The workers were all emaciated.

For Zhang Yinghao, the working environment was a bloody grinder. Even in modern factories, working overtime was common. But that was just a sweatshop. But working in a factory in the late Qing Dynasty was a bloody grinder.

"Foreman Yang, what do they do?"

"Oh, boss, they are the supervisors. You don't know, these salt workers often cheat and cheat, so they rely on these supervisors to manage them."

Zhang Yinghao listened and nodded without saying anything. A salt worker not far away heard this and immediately looked at Zhang Yinghao. The supervisors saw this and, as if to show their authority, they went up and beat him with sticks. While beating him, they shouted: "What are you looking at? Get back to work."

"Boss, look at these people. They are just cheapskates. They don't work hard and just slack off. Without these supervisors, they won't do any work and will just slack off all day long."

Zhang Yinghao nodded grimly, knowing that this was Yang Tianxi's way of intimidating him.

"Okay, stop fighting."

After hearing what Zhang Yinghao said, the supervisors intensified their fighting. Zhang Yinghao turned and looked directly at Yang Tianxi. Yang Tianxi waved his hand and said, "You blind fellow, if you slack off again next time, I'll beat you to death."

Hearing this, the supervisors stopped, and the salt worker looked at Zhang Yinghao with hatred before stumbling away. Zhang Yinghao felt puzzled when he saw that look, but after thinking about it, he understood that if he had not come here, he would not have received this beating.

Zhang Yinghao himself couldn't believe that the landlord, Zhang, had hired a group of supervisors, or perhaps more accurately, thugs. These thugs had no knowledge of production technology or scientific management. They simply wandered around with sticks, beating up any workers who weren't working diligently. The workers were furious but afraid to speak out, as their families depended on this job for their livelihoods. If they were fired, someone would immediately fill their shoes.

After inspecting the salt wells, Zhang Yinghao left in disgrace. A salt worker glanced at him and was beaten by the overseers, eager to show off. Zhang Yinghao's words were of no use. Seeing the menacing overseers, Zhang Yinghao, with only a few people under his command, dared not move, let alone discuss reform.

"Those overseers must be laughing at my weakness and incompetence right now. Humph, look how smug you are! Show me your power!"

Zhang Yinghao had already made up his mind to clean up the salt wells. Returning to Zhangjiagou, he led his team directly into the salt fields and immediately apprehended Yang Tianxi and other salt well leaders. Then, Zhang Yinghao began to check the accounts. He felt he needed to squeeze oil out of Yang Tianxi and the others, and he also wanted to investigate whether they had committed any murders.

For those who committed extreme crimes and killed salt workers, as long as the salt workers exposed them, their fate was sealed. Zhang Yinghao also removed those who drew less public ire, and then modernized the salt wells and management. He also increased the salt workers' wages, implemented an eight-hour workday, and provided overtime pay. That was all Zhang Yinghao could do.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao established the first trade union in Yanjing, opened a primary school and an adult night school. After a simple education, these salt workers working in the most difficult places quickly became union members and became firm revolutionaries. These people made significant contributions to the future development of Zhang Yinghao.

Among those who went out to recruit people, Luo Zelin was the first to come back. When he came back and saw the current situation in Zhangjiagou, he felt incredible. His destination this time was Chongqing.

When Luo Zelin arrived in Chongqing, he was also confused about east, west, and north. He remembered what Zhang Yinghao said, "When you arrive in a new place, the most basic thing is to know where to eat and sleep. So the first thing you look for is an inn. Then you buy a map, and finally, you find out the route to where you want to go."

Alas, it’s difficult for our Zhang Yinghao, as he needs to take care of everything.

Luo Zelin remembered that Zhang Yinghao, who was the platoon leader at the time, said clearly that this time they would recruit both workers and students, and that they should go among the workers, understand their joys and sorrows, and they would become their best friends.

So I spent seven or eight days conducting a simple investigation and found that every worker worked over 12 hours a day, with some even working as many as 18 hours. Some factories employed large numbers of child laborers, who were subjected to beatings and verbal abuse, with the inhumane screams of children often heard from the factory floor. Some textile factories employed female workers, and because they were forced to work, taking leave was equivalent to quitting their job. As a result, some female workers stayed at their posts on the day they gave birth, sometimes even giving birth while on the job.

So, after learning all this, I thought my job search would be easy. However, when everyone heard I was going to Guang'an, Sichuan, they expressed skepticism. Many people knew where Guang'an was, but the fact it offered relatively stable jobs was questionable. The better the conditions, the more skeptical they became. Everyone also understood that jobs were hard to find these days, and with my family relying on myself for support, I'd likely go hungry if I didn't work for a day.

Later, I thought of the method my platoon leader had used to recruit me: go to the workers' gathering areas. Through open recruitment, I promised that they could bring their entire families along. This quickly led to the recruitment of more than a dozen people, which, including their families, would make 40 to 50 people. I could have hired more, but I couldn't afford to do so. Later, some people came, but I only took in those who didn't need to bring their families, and then hurried back.

When Luo Zelin came back, he was shocked to see the situation in Zhangjiagou. The flat land near Zhangjiagou was full of shacks. It turned out that many disaster victims in Guang'an City heard that there was a way to make a living here, so they all ran to Zhangjiagou.

Later, during the handover, I asked Bao Shilin and learned that the reservoir construction had begun shortly after I left Zhangjiagou. I knew all this. But I didn't expect that after the construction started, after the battalion commander said he would hold a group training after the class that night, things would be completely different. Zhang Yinghao's class continued, and more and more people came to attend, and people's mood gradually changed.

After a few days of training at night, Zhang Yinghao suggested working half a day and training half a day. This slowed down the construction process, so Bao Shilin arranged for people to go to the state capital to continue recruiting workers. In this way, the news of the reservoir construction in Zhangjiagou spread throughout the state capital. In particular, the word that there was a way to make a living in Zhangjiagou spread out, and the victims gathered in Zhangjiagou with their families. Now everyone had no way to make a living, so they all rushed to Zhangjiagou. Zhang Yinghao did not refuse these people and mobilized the victims to build thatched houses. Although the people who came sometimes only had a mouthful of porridge to drink, they were still alive. As long as they were alive, there was hope, and now there was more work to do.

Now Zhang Yinghao was leading this team to attack the landlords. He felt like he was dreaming, and nothing was going according to his plan. Initially, Zhang Yinghao's lectures were quite successful, with more and more people attending in the evenings. Some people didn't come at first, but their families did. They went home and brought their families with them.

After forming the security group, Zhang Yinghao appointed himself battalion commander. The members' enthusiasm for training was beyond Zhang Yinghao's imagination. As a modern man, Zhang Yinghao couldn't possibly be that enthusiastic. Then, Zhang Yinghao sensed something was amiss. He saw something like fire in some people's eyes. Word of Zhang Yinghao's lectures somehow spread throughout the neighborhood, and soon the mood in Zhangjiagou deteriorated into the state Luo Zelin had witnessed.

Zhang Yinghao still remembers a villager running up from a distance, breathlessly announcing that a landlord in the neighboring village had forced people to death by collecting rent. Everyone was outraged by the news, and Zhang Yinghao, dazed and stunned, led his troops over and quickly wiped out the landlord's rent collectors. The villagers quickly gathered around and started pointing and criticizing the rent collectors. At this point, Zhang Yinghao regained consciousness and immediately ordered a siege on the landlord's house.

Zhang Yinghao knew that public sentiment was a powder keg at this point, and he couldn't incite the masses now. While that was what he hoped for, he was currently short on ammunition. He recalled the stories of his revolutionary predecessors, especially the valiant spirit of Comrade He Long, who had fought with two kitchen knives, and felt a pang of shame. However, he had no comrades, no foundation, so destruction was easy, construction difficult. If the brave men of Chengdu, Chongqing, or even Guang'an Prefecture gathered together, he wouldn't be able to withstand them. So, for now, he had to endure.

They could only rely on themselves, so Zhang Yinghao immediately ordered the rent collectors to be separated from the masses. Zhang Yinghao said to the crowd: "Fellow villagers, I am Zhang Yinghao. This time I am here to uphold justice for you. Everyone please stay away now to avoid being accidentally injured."

We Chinese are very smart and can see the situation clearly. When the villagers saw Zhang Yinghao coming with a gun, they immediately realized that the landlord's family was doomed, and they would definitely not be buried with the landlord's family.

Then, wouldn't that be the scene in a traditional drama? Everyone suddenly became excited, killing people and rebelling, stealing money, food, and women. So one of the villagers immediately shouted something that made Zhang Yinghao laugh bitterly: "King Zhang, we are not afraid of death."

"I'm afraid you'll die!"

Zhang Yinghao shouted loudly. He then raised his gun twice in the air, knowing that this was a crucial moment. He immediately said, "Don't worry, everyone. We won't take any of this landlord's food. It's all yours. I know everyone's out of food. No matter how much food you have, each of you will take 50 kilograms back home. What do you think?"

No one answered, and everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. This wasn't what they'd imagined. How could you be the one distributing the food and then grabbing it yourself? Everyone's enthusiasm for grabbing quickly waned.

Seeing that no one spoke, Zhang Yinghao continued, "Everyone go back and prepare bags to fill with food. Everyone at home should bring 50 kilograms each. If that's not enough, I'll transport it from Zhangjiagou for everyone."

At this time, some people understood that Zhang Yinghao was not going to let them participate in attacking the landlord, which meant he was not going to share the money. Although they were a little unwilling and even wanted to speak several times, Zhang Yinghao just didn't look at them. They could only go back to get the bag, looking back every few steps.

Chapter 18: Fighting the Landlord Again Must Be Clear

3910 words

Everyone has a master in their heart. — Quotations from Zhang Yinghao

Zhang Yinghao didn't want to start playing Landlord or fighting against the rich right now, but the current situation forced him to rush forward.

Zhang Yinghao had already found out what kind of people the landlords in this area were. He immediately ordered a siege on the courtyard of the landlord Liu Youcai's house. When everything was ready, Zhang Yinghao began to shout: "Listen up, everyone inside. We are here to seek justice for the landlord Liu Youcai who forced people to death while collecting rent. It has nothing to do with the other people inside. Liu Youcai, you forced people to death while collecting rent. Come out and explain now, otherwise we will break in immediately. Listen up, everyone inside. When we break in, we will hide in the room. As long as you don't attack us, we won't attack you. The women in the landlord Liu's family are hiding in the room, and we won't go in to search. If you resist, my bullets here have no eyes. If you don't think about yourself, you should think about the children in your family. Now I tell you to go home immediately. If you don't go home, we will go in and lie on the ground immediately. Did you hear that, everyone inside? I'll say it again..."

The main purpose of Zhang Yinghao's shouting was to divide the people inside. The main targets of his shouting were those who helped Liu Youcai guard the yard. They were now guarding the gate and preparing to fight Zhang Yinghao.

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's call, landlord Liu Youcai noticed that some people nearby were starting to stir, with some turning their heads to observe him. Liu Youcai knew that today's situation would not end peacefully, and he had no choice but to speak up. He immediately said, "People from Zhangjiagou, what business do we have here in your village? We, the Liu family, are not to be trifled with. You brought so many people here, are you trying to rebel?"

Zhang Yinghao certainly knew that he had no reason to attack Liu Youcai. If these people had not worked in his village and listened to his lectures, they would not have come to him for help. Zhang Yinghao naturally would not miss such an opportunity. If he did not plead for the people this time, no one would believe him next time.

Zhang Yinghao didn't care about other people's reactions after hearing about the rebellion, and said loudly: "Liu Youcai, why are we rebelling? You forced people to death and you still think you are right. Everyone inside, listen up. I will attack when I count to 100. If you don't want to die, lie on the ground immediately." After that, Zhang Yinghao patted a young soldier next to him and told him to start counting slowly.

"one."

"two."

......

Zhang Yinghao whispered to Zhang Feng again, "Comrade Zhang Feng, lead your platoon around to the back. I'll attract Liu Youcai's attention at the front gate. The wall isn't high; you can easily climb over it with just your shoulders. Once you're inside, charge forward immediately. Fight back resolutely if you encounter resistance. Liu Youcai only has three or four guns at most. They should all be out front. When we hear your gunfire, we'll charge in through the front gate. Go! Stay hidden."

"Yes, do you want to wait until the count is finished?"

"Warfare is the art of deception. No need. Just attack when you are ready."

Watching Zhang Feng lead his men away, Zhang Yinghao turned around and whispered, "Everyone listen up! Divide into twos and immediately climb over the wall and attack when you hear gunfire. If the people inside don't surrender, shoot them."

The area gradually quieted down, with only a soldier shouting out numbers. At this moment, Zhang Yinghao didn't know what Liu Youcai was thinking, and whether he was under great pressure after hearing the death toll.

Liu Youcai also knew Zhang Yinghao's reputation and what Zhang Yinghao had done in Zhangjiagou, but Liu Youcai never imagined that the first person Zhang Yinghao would attack would be himself.

"Zhang Gou Wa, our village's affairs don't need you to intervene. If there is any intervention, it should be the government's business. You are meddling in other people's business like a dog trying to catch a rat."

After Liu Youcai finished shouting, he listened quietly to the noise outside. Surprisingly, the only sound was the sound of numbers being shouted. Liu Youcai was completely panicked.

"Boss Zhang, take your men away first. We can talk later. You attacked my house for no reason. You are rebelling. Ah, you thief Zhang, I knew you were a nuisance. You are such an untrustworthy person..."

Zhang Yinghao listened to Liu Youcai's call in silence. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard not far away. Without wasting any words, Zhang Yinghao immediately shouted, "Bugler, blow the charge! Everyone else, follow me."

"Beep beep beep beep!"

A loud, melodious, urgent charge blared, and Zhang Yinghao was the first to rush out. When he reached the wall, he immediately leaned his back against it, half-crouched, and said, "Quick, step on my shoulders and shoot at the people standing there."

A soldier stepped on Zhang Yinghao and looked inside. After a moment, he said, "Captain, there's no one here."

Zhang Yinghao immediately said, "Go in and open the door."

Zhang Yinghao immediately stood up with all his strength, and the soldier used inertia to immediately climb over the wall and jump in. The other soldiers followed suit and immediately climbed over the wall and jumped in.

Zhang Yinghao immediately stood up and walked towards the gate. Seeing the gate open, Zhang Yinghao immediately grabbed a soldier and ordered, "Go and ask Comrade Bao Shilin to bring some people over to receive the supplies. Tell him that we've captured landlord Liu Youcai, and Battalion Commander Zhang asked you to bring some people to receive the supplies. He'll understand what I mean."

"Yes."

After watching the soldier leave, Zhang Yinghao turned and headed for the fortress built by Liu Youcai's family. When Zhang Yinghao entered through the main gate, the scene he saw was enough to infuriate him to death. Soldiers were running around like headless flies. Some were shouting at those lying on the ground, some were gathered around to look at the two dead men, and some were standing there in a daze, unsure of what to do next.

Zhang Yinghao grabbed a soldier and asked, "Where is Comrade Zhang Feng?"

The soldier was probably too excited, and was so stunned that he couldn't understand what Zhang Yinghao was saying. Zhang Yinghao sighed and grabbed another soldier to find out that Zhang Feng was currently gathered in the courtyard of Liu Youcai's main house. Zhang Yinghao rushed over and saw a group of people at the door. Zhang Feng was nowhere to be seen, so he didn't ask any more questions.

Because Zhang Yinghao saw a group of people gathered at the gate, with no one taking the lead. Instead, they were huddled together in a mess, discussing how to open the closed wooden door. More people had their hands relaxed, huddled together helplessly, listening to others' opinions with a serious look on their faces, and some were pushing the door hard.

Zhang Yinghao felt very lucky that it was 1900. If it were a dozen years later, guns would have flooded China. Which landlord didn't have a dozen guns in his home? Would this group of people gather together and get shot? A volley of bullets would have knocked a whole bunch of them to the ground.

Now that he was sure the situation was under control, Zhang Yinghao was no longer anxious. He watched this group of peasants as if they were watching a play. Some of them had only been training for twenty days, some for only a few days. They were a group he had forcibly bonded together through interests and education. Even if they trained, it was only half a day each day, and the other half was spent working.

These people had no desire to destroy a wooden door, because they had no desire to do so. They were still a bunch of honest peasants whose mindsets hadn't yet changed. They were born to be builders, not destroyers. Thinking of Yuan Shikai, who was now slaughtering people just like them in Shandong, his title of "Human Butcher" wasn't just a boast, it was earned through the sheer volume of human lives. The Beiyang New Army was awe-inspiring, and this wasn't just talk. Even Chiang Kai-shek's Communist Party army wouldn't be able to defeat them. Thinking of this, Zhang Yinghao sighed. Training these people into qualified soldiers was a long and arduous task.

Suddenly, a soldier saw Zhang Yinghao and shouted, "Battalion Commander Zhang is here, Battalion Commander Zhang is here, why don't you just let Battalion Commander Zhang open the door?"

Zhang Yinghao didn't answer. Just as he was about to walk over, a gunshot suddenly rang out from inside.

"boom!"

Then Zhang Yinghao heard Zhang Feng yelling, "Don't move! Get down!" A moment later, the door opened, and Zhang Feng walked out, escorting Liu Youcai and the others inside. The people outside cheered as they saw this.

"Gag them and take them to Zhangjiagou."

When Zhang Yinghao saw Liu Youcai being captured alive, he immediately ordered people to gag the landlord's family. Zhang Yinghao also felt that it would be very troublesome if Liu Youcai went out and shouted something inappropriate.

"Comrade Zhang Feng, blow the horn to assemble the troops."

"Yes."

After dealing with Liu Youcai, Zhang Yinghao immediately asked Zhang Feng to gather the team at the door of Liu Youcai's house. Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao felt that something was wrong. He looked left and right, up and down, but he just couldn't remember it. Zhang Yinghao had no choice but to give up thinking about it.

The troops were now scattered, and it took a long time to regroup. Zhang Yinghao currently had no qualified military personnel under his command. Those with more training time were fine, but those with less time couldn't even stand in a straight line, and many were still excitedly discussing the events of the recent attack.

Zhang Yinghao saw that the soldiers below were still talking among themselves and lacking much discipline. He knew that they still needed training. He turned to Zhang Feng and said, "Comrade Zhang Feng, please go and interrogate who was the one who abandoned the gentle exploitation under the guise of the clan system and chose naked exploitation, which resulted in the death of people?"

"it is good!"

Zhang Feng took a look at the messy team and walked out quickly.

Zhang Yinghao could be heard saying from a distance: "Stand at attention, at ease, stand at attention. Look to the right, look forward."

Zhang Yinghao organized the team and continued, "I just said when I was outside that we should not enter other people's houses. I have walked all the way here and did not see anyone enter other people's houses. I am very happy about this because everyone listened to the order. We are all ordinary people. We all know that life is not easy. Let's put ourselves in their shoes. If someone broke into your house without knowing the reason, or took things, or robbed your money, what would you think? You would definitely fight to the death. Even if you can't win, you will definitely want to kill the robber. Isn't that the truth?"

"Yes."

"I can't hear you, can I?"

"Yes"

"So aren't those who rob money and food bandits? If I saw this kind of bandit, I would chop off the head of each one I caught and hang his head on a tree. You might say, Battalion Commander, then aren't we being bandits when we break into Liu Youcai's house? What I want to tell you is that this is not robbery. I've said this in previous lectures: who eats more of the grain you grow? The landlord or you? The landlord, right? Will people die every year because the landlords collect taxes? Yes, they will! And people die every year. It's because the landlords have forced people to death that we are here to seek justice for the deceased's family. If we don't take down Liu Youcai and catch him, how can we seek justice for the deceased? Some people say we can report him to the authorities, but everyone knows in their hearts, will reporting him to the authorities be useful? It's useless. So, for landlords like Liu Youcai, now that we have taken down his house and caught him, we should say to him: Liu Youcai, for all these years, please spit out what you have eaten from me, and give me back what you have robbed."

Then Zhang Yinghao shouted, "This is our justice. This is why we beat Liu Youcai. If the world doesn't give us justice, if the government doesn't give us justice, then we will rely on our own hands to seek justice for ourselves!"

Hearing Zhang Yinghao say this, Wu Decai, who was standing in the team, immediately recalled a previous lecture given by Battalion Commander Zhang Yinghao. The theme of the class was the question of who feeds whom. Wu Decai could no longer remember the specific content, but he remembered one paragraph very clearly. He still remembered the battalion commander's rhythmic tone at the podium: "We rent land from landlords. Are we feeding the landlords or are the landlords feeding us? This is a question that must be clarified. Do we eat more or do the landlords eat more? There is no doubt that the landlords eat more. We farm, but the landlords eat more. Why is this? It is because the fruits of our labor are taken away by the landlord class, so we are the ones feeding the landlords. Our fathers fed the landlords, and we ourselves feed the landlords. If the world does not change, then our descendants will still have to continue to feed the landlords..."

When Wu Decai thought of this, he couldn't help but say loudly: "Yes, I want him to spit it out, I want him to return it, I want him to have no easy time."

The faces of those who were originally a little confused immediately brightened up. This is the truth. Zhang Yinghao only talks about our own principles.

Chapter 19: Clearing your mind and encountering an unexpected situation

3699 words

Remembering the past is a lesson for the future, and being good at summarizing and reflecting is the right attitude for learning. — Quotations from Zhang Yinghao

One of the tasks Zhang Yinghao has to do now is to instill in these comrades the idea that revolution is not a crime and rebellion is justified, and that they must be justified in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty, overthrowing the landlords, and overthrowing the evil gentry.

Zhang Yinghao left a group of people guarding the gate of Liu Youcai's house and ordered a squad to start patrolling. He also instructed them to guard the gate and not allow anyone else, especially the villagers, to enter the enclosure while they waited for Bao Shilin and his men to count the supplies. Then he told the squad leaders to lead the troops out to continue training.

Zhang Yinghao knew his first priority was to enforce discipline on this team. He'd mentioned this several times before, but he'd assumed the situation wouldn't escalate so quickly. The first battle wouldn't happen until after the Lunar New Year, so it wouldn't be too late to emphasize it then. But he hadn't expected it to happen now, so far in advance. Now that there's already been one action, there's no guarantee there'll be a second or third soon. Discipline must be enforced. Zhang Yinghao wouldn't punish without warning.

It's not always possible to ignore discipline like this time, but there were no problems. This time, it was because Liu Youcai was easily captured, and I was the first to enter. Furthermore, all the soldiers heard what I shouted at the door, so they didn't enter the closed houses, so there was no looting. Furthermore, only Zhang Feng and his men had been inside Zhang Youcai's house, and no one else had entered since they came out. I also stood at the door the entire time, so there was no chance for them to sneak in and take advantage of the situation.

This time, Zhang Yinghao didn't mention the money he took, and it was even more impossible for him to search people and kill them to establish his authority as described in the novel. However, these things must be paid attention to and prevented from happening.

Zhang Yinghao silently watched the departing team. The strange feeling came over him again. Zhang Yinghao gently closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift, trying to recall the difference between the modern team and his own. Zhang Yinghao thought of the modern team who bravely fought against an enemy several times their size, and who had not collapsed during the 25,000-mile Long March. It was an ideal, a belief.

Then Zhang Yinghao opened his eyes abruptly. He understood: it was his identity, it was the flag, the flag guiding the way. Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao thought that if he died unexpectedly now, his team would immediately lose its direction and collapse, or a few people would take over and start doing quick money business, which he could not tolerate.

The flag represents identity. With this identity, they know what they must do and what they face. They will be unbreakable and unyielding. These are not simple tasks; they must be supported by ideals. Ideals alone are not enough; they must also unite people and remind them that they have comrades. That is the flag, that is the direction.

When battles fail, when faced with the frenzied suppression and slaughter of the counter-revolutionaries, one must maintain a firm conviction, knowing that one has comrades who, like oneself, persevere in the struggle. From the moment the flag is hoisted, the hearts of the people are united, knowing the cause for which they are fighting, and seeing the flag reveals the direction to move forward. With this guiding direction, those unwilling to be oppressed will gather under it. As long as the flag remains, no matter how many difficulties or arguments arise, there will always be those who carry it forward.

Zhang Yinghao once again glanced at the squad of soldiers before him. Their eyes were devoid of the spirit of revolutionary comrades, for Zhang Yinghao himself felt he wasn't a revolutionary. Foolish people repeat history, while wise people repeat it precisely. All he had to do was repeat the history he'd experienced before. Why would he need a revolutionary spirit? Revolution meant burning, it meant death. New China was a great achievement accomplished by a group of people who dedicated their youth, their lives, and their descendants. Zhang Yinghao shuddered at the thought, and a headache returned. It seemed his laziness had begun to strike again.

Could she accomplish such a feat? Doubt? Afraid? What was she afraid of? Did she regret having asked her husband to seek a title?

Zhang Yinghao thought again about why he had just suppressed the masses' revolutionary enthusiasm. Then he realized he was afraid. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to control the situation, afraid of being surrounded and suppressed by the enemy. In essence, he was afraid that things would spiral out of his control. Perhaps this was the same for every time traveler: they held themselves to high standards, unwilling to bear the consequences of a major loss. That feeling of looking down on others, of superiority, would not tolerate any infringement. He also felt he possessed the absolute truth, that others could only follow his lead and learn from him, and he was a teacher. He also felt his foresight was so profound that it could overshadow all the heroes in the world.