The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

First and foremost, stability is paramount. After Zhao Erni familiarized herself with Meishan's basic situation, she immediately set about organizing a police station. While the military was crucial, the police were equally urgent. There were many things the military wasn't suited to, but the police were well-suited. Fortunately, the base had already trained a number of relevant personnel, so Zhao Erni wasn't particularly worried. After all, if necessary, she could always ask the military for help.

She knew that her first step was not to do anything big, but to sort out the prison first. This action immediately achieved immediate results. Some of the people released from the cells could be used by Zhao Erni immediately.

Zhao Erni understood very well that when she first arrived in a place, the most important thing was to gain the support of the locals. Without their support, she and her 180 people would not be able to accomplish anything.

Zhao Erni wanted to directly announce the control of salt and grain prices, issue a notice, respond to Chairman Zhang Yinghao's policy, and abolish the lijin tax.

She did not do so because she knew she could not do it. When she was doing things, she always remembered what Chairman Zhang Yinghao once said: "Do things from beginning to end, or don't do it, and never try." So she did not put

If you have a good grasp of these things, you won't rush them, but take your time.

Due to the drought in recent years, the price of rice in Sichuan has remained high. The prices of salt and cloth have also remained high. Why is there no mention of meat? That is because it is not a wealthy family.

It’s good enough to be able to eat meat once or twice.

Zhao Erni knew that in order to control the prices of grain and salt, a strict household registration system must be implemented, otherwise even if there were a large amount of resources, they would be easily sold.

Go out. In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao felt very strange when watching TV. That is, those unscrupulous merchants hoarded goods, why did the government remain indifferent?

These people are wantonly speculating on the prices of materials.

In fact, one of the most important reasons is that the officials have already been well fed, or they can get a piece of the pie from the rising food prices. Another reason is that merchants, landlords, and officials do not take the poor people seriously and do not exploit them.

less.

Therefore, the government's ability to control prices is too weak. Even if a big problem occurs, the so-called law does not punish the masses, and in the end they will just pick out a few unlucky people who are not well-informed and have no backing as examples to appease the people and the problem will pass. Although Zhao Erni does not have the ability to control the prices of basic living materials, she has developed her own people. Through cooperation and opening her own cooperative

Ways to infiltrate your power into the grassroots.

Although Zhao Erni currently had limited supplies, the most important thing was that she couldn't get them from Chairman Zhang Yinghao without any effort; they basically required an exchange. This meant that if Zhao Erni needed any supplies, she could exchange them for any excess supplies she had for a relatively equivalent amount.

After diligent initial work, Zhao Erni finally grasped the fundamentals of Meishan City. The key to Zhao Erni's rapid control was her unwavering commitment to suppressing grain prices. She targeted anyone who hoarded grain and used grain seized from landlords to stabilize prices. She understood that food was paramount, and as long as everyone had access to food, countless problems would be overcome.

To this end, Zhao Erni took no responsibility. To ensure that all residents could obtain household registration, she partnered with local merchants to establish several paper and pen mills. She also renovated and upgraded local industrial and mining enterprises, significantly increasing production and trading much-needed supplies with the central government. Within six months, Zhao Erni had established control over local grain and salt prices, and land reform proceeded smoothly.

Although some areas were already undergoing peaceful construction, fighting was actually going on all over Sichuan every day, every hour, and even every moment. After Hu Songhui beheaded the counter-revolutionary armed forces that he had already investigated, he quickly joined the ranks of combating militia bandits.

The annihilation of the Eight Banners Army and the elimination of the Manchu forces did not mean the end of the battle. Now in the villages of Sichuan, the war was actually becoming even more cruel and bloody.

In a ditch, more than thirty people dressed in various costumes were sweating and stumbling for their lives. They were part of the Mianyang militia, and not long ago they were bandits kept in the mountains by local landlords.

At the landlord's command, they transformed themselves into a militia, but their bandit habits remained unchanged. Under the leadership of the leader, they launched a counterattack against the poor people who had divided the landlord's land and almost slaughtered all the villagers.

Because of their unyielding banditry, they were too lonely to bear the pain after killing and setting fires, and they didn't know how long it would take them to come down the mountain again, so they wasted a lot of time on harming local women. As a result, they were caught by the revolutionary army who heard the news and were unwilling to let them go. They now knew that they had a blood feud with the revolutionary army.

They also knew the policy of the revolutionary army and there was no room for surrender at this time, so they continued to resist stubbornly all the way.

However, the difference in weapons, equipment, military training and combat skills between the two sides was so great that it was almost unimaginable.

One by one they fell to the ground, and they found themselves almost surrounded. The revolutionary army had already begun to attack from both sides, relying on their speed, and several more of these bandits fell in an instant.

These people had just been slaughtering civilians, so they knew they couldn't fall into the hands of the revolutionary army. So, they mustered their remaining courage and split their forces into two groups to counter the revolutionary army's two-pronged attack. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the bandit leader made a decisive move, abandoning the bandits who were coming to attack him and fleeing with a few of his closest confidants.

At this time, the bandit leader was filled with regret. He had no idea why the revolutionary army appeared so quickly. If he knew, he would definitely take his men away immediately. At least he would find out about the revolutionary army before taking action. Now it was too late to think about anything. He didn't care about the money he had just looted.

Once you become rich, you can no longer take care of your brothers. You should save your own life first.

The revolutionary soldiers wearing Liberation Shoes and the bandits wearing cloth shoes, straw sandals, or even barefoot, started a pursuit battle. Along the way, the revolutionary army's pursuit troops kept firing, and the bandits who stayed behind were either knocked down or simply knelt down and surrendered because they could no longer run.

Zhao Tianlong, a bandit and militia leader, was a local hero. He abandoned his team, gritted his teeth, and fled with the people around him. Soon, only two people were left. These two or three people took advantage of their familiarity with the terrain and fled desperately. He threw away his favorite Hanyang rifle, his favorite broadsword, and anything else that would hinder his escape.

He felt breathless, dizzy, and almost foaming at the mouth. But the revolutionary army behind him continued to pursue him, unyielding. Just as he stumbled and tried to escape into the mountains, the bandits he had abandoned held the revolutionary army back, leaving them still quite a distance away. Zhao Tianlong finally slowed down, but the very act of slowing down overwhelmed the two followers behind him, who fell to their knees and collapsed to the ground.

Zhao Tianlong saw that his only two brothers had diarrhea at this time. He was so anxious that tears almost came out of his eyes. He shouted anxiously: "Hurry up, we can't stop now. If we stop, all three of us brothers will die here."

No matter how Zhao Tianlong yelled, the two brothers just slumped to the ground like soft mud, unwilling to stand up even if they died. Zhao Tianlong hurried over to pull them up, but the two men seemed to have no bones, their bodies limp, unwilling to move at all.

"Ugh."

Chapter 179: Thank you to Liehuo for the tip and urging for more updates

Zhao Tianlong sighed. He finally realized that his two brothers were completely useless at this moment. He regretted it so much! Finally, he made up his mind to live a life of ease. He didn't know where he got the strength from, but he roared loudly, leaving behind his only two remaining companions and continued to run forward.

The two brothers behind saw that Zhao Tianlong was going to leave them alone, and although they were exhausted, they still tried their best to stand up.

When Zhao Tianlong was about to enter the mountain, a snow-white flower suddenly popped out from his head. He stumbled forward two steps and fell directly to the ground. This familiar scene made the two

The bandits who wanted to get up suddenly dared not move anymore, as they remembered the scene of shooting the farmers in the head with guns just now.

Only then did they hear a clear gunshot from the mountain, and Zhao Tianlong fell to the ground. Then they saw several soldiers in camouflage uniforms approaching. The bandits noticed that their guns were different from ordinary ones, with longer barrels and something mounted on them. Of course, the bandits didn't realize it was a scope.

Snipers, or sharpshooters, played a huge role in these battles against bandits and militias. Whether it was to eliminate stubborn enemies, drive them into an encirclement and eliminate them, or eliminate fleeing enemies, these bullets with eyes could inflict fatal damage to the enemy with precise strikes.

While these rural militias were still trying to crush the enemy with their platoon-fire tactics, the revolutionary army had already completed a tactical revolution. Modern tactics were beyond the comprehension of these bandits. Furthermore, these people neither understood the significance of the Agrarian Revolution nor the power of the People's War, much less understood that an army armed with nationalism was no match for these bandits.

Hundreds of militias, large and small, and hundreds of bandit dens in Sichuan, each numbering two to three thousand core members, along with those who were just trying to make ends meet or were just cannon fodder, totaling sixty to seventy thousand people, were annihilated by the fierce attacks of the revolutionary army. Those who survived fled Sichuan to surrounding provinces.

The actual cost of the revolutionary army's regular combat was only eighty or ninety deaths. While there were many injured, many were caused by sprained ankles while running too fast while pursuing the enemy. Because of these militia bandits, it can be said that all the guns in Sichuan were confiscated. After this large number of guns disappeared, the situation in Sichuan gradually calmed down.

Only then did Zhang Yinghao fully understand that if these landlord militias were allowed to develop unchecked without the support of regular troops, it would be difficult to deal with them. However, after all their backers fell, these landlord militias became rootless duckweed, completely unable to withstand the wind and waves. In the temptation of land distribution, the militia bandits could not be stopped from fleeing, and the speed of their collapse was completely beyond Zhang Yinghao's imagination.

This led to the landlords and gentry quietly adopting a non-cooperative attitude after the apparent opposition had largely disappeared. Zhang Yinghao knew that there were only individuals who betrayed their interests, not classes. He didn't dare to simply cut off these traitors. Just as the British didn't dare to do anything to Gandhi during his non-resistance movement, some landlords even threatened to retaliate against anyone who dared to cultivate their land.

However, with the general trend of nationalizing land and distributing it, a wave of land distribution had already begun across Sichuan. In many places, the moment the land reform cadres arrived, land distribution could begin immediately. Few landlords and gentry could withstand the pressure, but these places became the last strongholds of the diehards.

Faced with this situation, although some places have done a good job in land reform, in many places the work is completely blocked. In the reports received by Zhang Yinghao, there are many places where the masses are not happy after the land is divided.

Go to the territory. Or the landmark sign was just put up today and was pulled out at night. Or the whole village is under strict clan control, and everything in the village is clan-controlled.

The elders have the final say, and basically no one can get in the way.

Zhang Yinghao didn't have any quick solutions to these problems. However, after several meetings, he came up with a number of solutions. The first was to launch a province-wide conscription campaign. Where conditions permitted, every village would have to recruit at least one soldier.

Zhang Yinghao initially estimated that a force of over 200,000 would be necessary to completely pacify Sichuan. However, Zhang Yinghao overestimated the power of the landlord class at the time and underestimated the growth rate of his comrades. Despite a severely understaffed army, the soldiers demonstrated a relentless spirit of perseverance, sustained high-intensity exercise, and continuous combat, resulting in the swift pacification of Sichuan.

But pacifying the situation was only the first step. To control such a vast area required considerable manpower and resources, especially during the late Qing Dynasty, when transportation was extremely underdeveloped. Some areas would receive no news for extended periods. All of this required manpower, so Zhang Yinghao's first instinct was to quickly recruit his comrades. Recruiting soldiers was the only option.

The second solution, a familiar one, was to temporarily remove the local landlords and gentry. Once they left, the local masses would lose a core group and no one to fear, making the comrades' work much easier. In reality, most of the local landlords had already been taken away during the army's sweep, but the army couldn't reach every village, and many landlords still had a significant number of people who slipped through the net.

Almost none of the gentry were taken away, as many of them did not own much land, but they generally had good prestige and reputation in the local area, so the army did not touch them. However, many gentry now saw the true face of the revolutionary army and began to use their prestige to stir up trouble in the local area.

After wiping out those open armed forces, Zhang Yinghao was no longer polite to these old forces. He directly issued an order to sweep away all the local celebrities, literati, and remaining landlords like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.

They would be detained and then divided into teams for forced labor.

In the past, Taizu used great perseverance to transform these people and make them self-reliant workers, but the effect was almost non-existent. After Taizu left,

Zhang Yinghao now has almost no interest in these gentry and scholars. He is afraid of such a heaven-defying project as transforming these people. So there is only one way to deal with these people, and that is to force them.

Labor. Why did Zhang Yinghao want to reform the officials? It was because these officials were actually laborers. They just worked for the Qing Dynasty to make a living.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know what kind of infamy he would receive in the future for doing this, but he didn't care at all now, because Zhang Yinghao felt that instead of reforming these old literati, it would be more practical to teach his own students.

Not long after these people were taken away, the whole of Sichuan seemed to come alive. At this point, time was completely on their side.

The Boxer Protocol, signed by the Qing court, provided Zhang Yinghao with a legitimate opportunity to establish control over Sichuan. It also significantly accelerated land reform and bolstered popular support for the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army. While many were unaware of the meaning of the "Forward Party," this did not deter them from supporting and cooperating with their efforts.

The development of the situation once again caught Zhang Yinghao by surprise, leaving him feeling a bit amused and helpless. When he had initially planned to combat the landlord class's counter-offensives and counter-revolutionary rebellions, he hadn't anticipated how vulnerable those armed forces were, and how easily they could quell the situation.

Zhang Yinghao later realized he'd made a mistake, bringing the militia he'd witnessed in his past life into this one. This was the reason for his overreaction and his overemphasis on the current armed forces. After all, these landlord militias hadn't experienced the baptism of warlord warfare, nor had they fought against the guerrillas of later generations, let alone the backing of the People's Liberation Army. They hadn't learned guerrilla warfare, mobile warfare, or other tactics, and their thinking was still entrenched in centuries-old tropes.

Even countless times when the revolutionary army encountered these militia and bandit armed forces, the revolutionary army, wearing Liberation shoes, easily chased them and wiped them out. So now, when faced with a few stubborn places, many comrades hope to use force to resolve them.

In reality, for Zhang Yinghao right now, any method is fine. However, he shouldn't resort to violence in every situation; that would be a serious problem. When taking up arms to criticize, he should also consider using the weapon of criticism. However, Zhang Yinghao's main goal is to propose solutions; the ultimate solution is not up to him.

At this time, Zhang Yinghao was reading Ding Hongchen's "Diary of Military Training in Japan". As a military attaché, Ding Hongchen recorded the advanced military management methods and academic models of the Japanese army and its military schools, and gave a relatively detailed introduction and commentary. As it says: The Japanese army is strong, but the navy is only one-tenth of that of the British.

One of them, but its full strength can be focused on the Pacific Ocean... Japan is so strong today that it can be independent in the East. And it is predicted that within two or three years, the war between Japan and Russia will not be a disaster.

Even as a later generation, when I read these articles, I am still moved by the sharp vision in them. Such a life was wasted in the hopeless late Qing Dynasty.

Zhang Yinghao originally planned to let the Qing civil officials go, but later changed his mind. Except for Kui Jun, he had no intention of letting these civil and military officials in Sichuan go. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao only relatively restricted their freedom and did not lock them up or put them under house arrest completely. Therefore, they were able to collect a lot of information about the base.

Ding Hongchen had been arrested for a long time, and although his freedom was restricted, he still had a considerable degree of freedom and saw the various policies issued by the Progressive Party. He was not a mediocre person and was capable of discernment and deep thinking.

He had already spoken highly of Zhang Yinghao for sparing the Manchus in the city, but now, his opinion of Zhang Yinghao and the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army he led was growing even higher. Sichuan, at this time, was already showing signs of a resurgence. QQ group 813175933

In terms of culture and governance, when he learned that the Progressive Party compiled dictionaries, established a large number of educational institutions, and taught various courses, he specially purchased textbooks compiled by the Progressive Party. The content in the textbooks was quite refreshing and beneficial to him.

Needless to say, his martial arts prowess was unparalleled. The Revolutionary Army had captured him with lightning speed, and even defeated the Qing army, leaving them in disarray. Although the Revolutionary Army had used some tactics to capture him, he had to admit that their strategies and tactics were beyond his ability to cope. He simply couldn't believe that the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army had only been established for so long. They gave him the impression that they were not of this era, and their philosophies were beyond his ability to grasp in such a short time.

Ding Hongchen was deeply impressed by the energetic young people of the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army, especially Zhang Yinghao's position in the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army. As a military attaché, Ding Hongchen naturally knew the combat effectiveness of the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army led by Zhang Yinghao.

Even though Ding Hongchen was a high-end talent of his time and had been abroad, he had to admire the bandit leader Zhang Yinghao. This time, the guard took him to see Zhang Yinghao, and he was quite excited, wondering what he was looking forward to.

On the way to see Zhang Yinghao, they passed a primary school. Inside, students could be heard singing cheerfully. It was a song Ding Hongchen had recently learned about: "We Are the Successors of Communism." It was said that Zhang Yinghao had written the lyrics. Ding Hongchen deliberately slowed down his pace to listen to the children singing:

We are the heirs of communism, carrying on the glorious traditions of our revolutionary predecessors. We love our motherland and our people, with our bright red scarves fluttering on our chests.

Not afraid of difficulties, not afraid of enemies, study hard, fight resolutely, and move towards victory.

Li bravely moved forward.

Move forward bravely toward victory, move forward!

March forward bravely towards victory, we are the successors of communism.

We are the successors of communism, following the glorious path of our revolutionary predecessors. We love our motherland and our people, and Young Pioneers is a name we are proud of.

Always be prepared, make achievements, wipe out the enemy, and advance bravely for your ideals.

Go forward bravely for your ideals!

We are the successors of communism, marching forward bravely for our ideals.

Chapter 180:

After hearing the song, Ding Hongchen quickened his pace. Just as he turned a corner, he saw elementary school students, led by their teacher, quickly forming lines, counting, and running drills. The students and their teacher might not understand the significance of this, but as a military attaché, the fact that so many students were being subjected to a quasi-military education at the school itself spoke volumes, and the implications were self-evident.

Although these children do not have to go to the battlefield now, some of them will definitely become soldiers when they grow up. Compared with these young people who have received training and cultural education since childhood, those temporarily conscripted farmers are already far behind.

After the report, Ding Hongchen, filled with thoughts, met Zhang Yinghao again. He saw Zhang Yinghao reading the book he had written, looking quite serious. Ding Hongchen's heart moved, and he observed Zhang Yinghao carefully. Zhang Yinghao looked almost the same now as before. If there was any change, it was that Zhang Yinghao looked more confident.

Zhang Yinghao saw Ding Hongchen come in, raised the book in his hand and said: "Mr. Ding's book is well written, what a pity!"

Ding Hongchen asked hurriedly: "What a pity?"

Zhang Yinghao didn't answer, but put down the book in his hand and said, "Mr. Ding, please sit down."

As he spoke, he stood up and shouted to the door, "Waiter, serve Mr. Ding some tea."

Ding Hongchen quickly said: "No, no."

Zhang Yinghao asked, "Mr. Ding, are you used to living here?" Ding Hongchen laughed and said, "It's quite good. There's food and drink."

Zhang Yinghao didn't care what Ding Hongchen meant by "hehe" and said, "That's good. I've been really busy with mundane things lately. Please forgive me if my hospitality is not good enough."

"You're welcome, you're welcome. Mr. Zhang just said it was a pity, what was a pity?" You know, this book was written by him with great effort, and it can be said to be his masterpiece. Naturally, he wanted to hear the opinion of the rebel leader.

At this time, an orderly came in to pour tea. After pouring tea for Zhang Yinghao, he said, "Chairman, please have some tea."

"Thank you! Thank you for your help." "This is what I should do."

Ding Hongchen felt an unprecedented shock as he listened to this seemingly normal, yet in reality, utterly absurd, conversation. He could tell that Zhang Yinghao's "trouble" came from a sincere heart, and his "thank you" was instinctive, like someone pouring him tea, and he felt obligated to say thank you. After they finished speaking, they let the matter go, without a trace of affectation or pretense.

Moreover, the rebel leader in front of him has so many people under his command, but he does not have the slightest of those Qing Dynasty officials. He seems to have no idea how much power he has now, and he is not aware of the difference between himself and others. Ding Hongchen did not know that he was a guest. In order to maintain the Forward Party, the party had

The image of the comrades, so there will be service personnel to pour the remaining, the eyes m-zhenglintan, thank you - is not it right? If it is his comrades who come over, Milinhao will also personally make tea for the comrades. Of course, Zhang Yinghao will not

An outsider said this, so they can think whatever they want.

The attendant poured Ding Hongchen a cup of tea, placed it in his right hand, and said, "Be careful, your tea is hot."

Ding Hongchen wanted to say thank you, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He just nodded slightly. Zhang Yinghao saw it but said nothing. It's not easy for people who are used to being high and mighty, members of the ruling class, to let go of some things.

"Mr. Ding, please have some tea."

After saying this, Zhang Yinghao picked up the teacup, blew on it gently, and took a sip. He put the teacup down and said, "Mr. Ding's writing is good, but no matter how good it is, it will only become historical data. Future generations will only sigh in regret when they read what you wrote. They will praise your talent, but they will also curse the Qing Dynasty for its incompetence."

"What do you mean?"

"Haha, Mr. Ding, what do you think of the current Qing Dynasty?"

After hearing Zhang Yinghao's question, perhaps Ding Hongchen thought of something, his face suddenly turned ugly, and he closed his mouth and stopped talking.

Zhang Yinghao saw the change in Ding Hongchen's expression and continued, "You see, even if the Qing Dynasty knew about the Russo-Japanese War, they could not do anything. Moreover, Empress Dowager Cixi had completely knelt before the foreigners at that time, and the Qing Dynasty did not dare to confront the foreigners.

So no matter how good your writing is, it can only be eaten.

Ashes can only be used as materials for historical research in the future, nothing more.

Hearing this, Ding Hongchen suddenly laughed and said: "Mr. Zhang is indeed

He is eloquent, good at confusing right and wrong, and very powerful.