The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

I thought of these bandits as being like rats, running around everywhere and being impossible to find. Without someone familiar to lead the way, I would get lost easily.

Facing the vast mountains, Li Laohu's new recruits were completely outmatched. However, under the new government's policies, many bandits were disbanded. With these men leading the way, the mountains were quickly divided into distinct bandit strongholds, which were then cleared one by one. Within a short period of time, large bandit groups were wiped out. Those bandits willing to return home to farm were released if they were found not to have committed any crimes. Some bandits specialized in robbing the rich to help the poor, and their reputations were quite good. These bandits were generally strong fighters, so they were given land and plots of land, and some of the most outstanding were even recruited into the army.

Within a month, Li Laohu's troops, with the support of the special forces, had killed over 400 bandits and captured over 1,000. Even more had slipped down the mountain. Northern Sichuan's known banditry had been largely eliminated, and even those that remained were few in number. The group they had just eliminated was the last known one. This group was incredibly vicious, having claimed the lives of 42 cadres, soldiers, militiamen, and villagers.

Chapter 191: Thanks for the tickets for the extra chapter!!

Li Lao Hu hated this group of elusive bandits. After discussing with Hu Songhui, Li Lao Hu deployed defenses on the periphery while Hu Songhui personally led the team to attack the bandit's nest.

Although the revolutionary army couldn't recognize Jia Youde's voice, they all knew that the scarred Jia Youde among the bandits had almost perfect marksmanship, so the attacking revolutionary army immediately killed him. Then the other team members quickly fell down and fired continuously, shooting down several more.

While the remaining bandits remained brave, they were also terrified, knowing their end was nigh. Six or seven of them hid behind rocks and used the bandit corpses as cover to engage the special forces, attempting to stall for time and give Jia Sidao and his men time to escape. In a short while, they were annihilated. However, Jia Sidao had already rushed through the other side of the cave with his men.

The attacking revolutionary army was overjoyed when they saw this. These bandits were now desperate and had become paranoid. In their panic, they had forgotten that there was no way out of the cave. If they went in, they would starve to death.

However, the attacking revolutionary army suddenly realized that there must be an exit inside the cave that the revolutionary army did not know about. They had no choice but to continue the attack and sent soldiers to inform Hu Songhui and Li Laohu to pay attention to the search, in case Jia Sidao and his men escaped from an unknown place.

Although the special forces of the revolutionary army were much more powerful than the bandits, they were not familiar with the situation inside the cave, and the revolutionary soldiers did not dare to advance rashly. They could not use their abilities to the fullest, and could not even use 50% of their strength, so they could not catch up with the bandits at all. At this time, they could only pin their hopes on the troops outside.

Jia Sidao didn't know that the revolutionary army had sent a large number of soldiers to deal with them. He thought that they were the same few who attacked them and that the revolutionary army had discovered them by accident. They didn't know that they were completely surrounded.

Jia Sidao and the remaining bandits pushed open a sturdy stone gate and, preparing to flee, were spotted by the vigilant revolutionary army. The bandits, aware of their heinous crimes, fought back fiercely. After a fierce gunfight, Jia Sidao was shot in the thigh and shoulder and captured. Jia Youyi was killed outright. As for the remaining bandits, all but two of them were wounded and captured. However, even after the revolutionary army liberated the country, no trace of Jia Sidao's women or other family members was found.

Jia Sidao and the two captured bandits were taken to Qingchuan County, where they were publicly tried and executed by the new government. The Qingchuan bandit suppression campaign was declared a success. The remaining bandits in northern Sichuan either went into hiding or fled to neighboring provinces. From that point on, banditry in northern Sichuan was virtually eradicated.

The experience gained from suppressing bandits in northern Sichuan was quickly replicated throughout the province. Although some bandits still slipped through the net, they were no longer a major problem. Consequently, public security in Sichuan saw new changes. Minister of Public Security Zhang Kai even dared to personally announce the conclusion of Sichuan's large-scale bandit suppression campaign. The campaign had achieved significant results, essentially eradicating the bandit problem in Sichuan. Of course, this is a story for another time.

While suppressing bandits, the revolutionary army also targeted the militias, gangs, local hooligans, and feudal superstitious elements left over from the Qing Dynasty. As the new government gradually consolidated its power in the region, these relics of the past were gradually swept into the dustbin. As the revolutionary army's control expanded, the people of the liberated areas welcomed a rare period of peace and prosperity.

Although Sichuan residents gradually welcomed a rare period of good public security, the situation in Sichuan, far from calming down, actually became even more chaotic. For Zhang Yinghao, the most important thing was the rapid progress of land reform, the degree of which was once again beyond Zhang Yinghao's expectations. Zhang Yinghao finally understood a truth: when land reform became a trend, everyone learned to compromise.

By the time Zhang Yinghao had finished handling the Guangyuan situation, it was already January 1902. He immediately set off for Chengdu. On his way back, he witnessed countless delightful things. He knew that things had calmed down in Sichuan. The Sichuan Revolutionary Party's rebellion had faded from the Qing Dynasty's radar screen, like a cloud of smoke.

In reality, Sichuan had not faded from the radar screen of the Qing Dynasty and the foreign powers; it was simply that the Qing was preoccupied with its own affairs. Li Hongzhang had recently passed away, depriving the Qing of a key figure. Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Cixi had just returned to the capital, requiring time to reorganize. The success of the Sichuan Revolution had intensified the restiveness of various regions, and clandestine movements were beginning to gather momentum. In the north, the Boxer Rebellion, though ultimately defeated, was still raging in the vast rural areas. Inspired by the Sichuan Revolution, the people continued their anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle.

"Chairman, there's an urgent telegram." "Oh, what does it say?"

"Chairman, we've just received word that 30,000 to 40,000 people from Guangzong, Julu, and Nangong in Zhili, led by military scholar Jing Tingbin, are opposing the Qing government's extortion of indemnities for imperialism. With slogans like "Resist the grain tax and all land tax contributions," they've launched an armed uprising in Julu County. They've raised the banners of "officials forcing the people to rebel" and "sweep away the Qing and destroy the foreigners," and are fighting alongside Zhao Sanduo, the renowned Boxer leader. Wherever they go, they severely punish corrupt officials, attack churches, and punish missionaries who have committed numerous crimes, earning them widespread support."

"Well, that's good. But it's a pity." "Chairman, what's a pity?"

Zhang Yinghao shook his head and handed the telegram to Li Lao Hu, saying, "Lao Hu, take a look at it. Then, based on the little information in this telegram, use our analytical method to analyze Jing Tingbin and his group's uprising."

"Yes, Chairman. Our three magic weapons in the struggle against the enemy are armed struggle, Party building, and the united front. As far as armed struggle is concerned, the weapons Jing Tingbin and his men currently possess are certainly not very good, at least not as good as those of the Qing Dynasty's Green Camp. Moreover, Jing Tingbin and his men probably don't have the ability to manufacture guns and ammunition. They only have a desire to resist the Qing Dynasty. So, in terms of armed struggle, they are clearly lacking."

As for Party building, their ideology was to resist the taxation and taxation, but there's no clear answer as to what they were to do after that. As for organizational development, it's not mentioned above, but since the Boxers were directly involved, it's likely a feudal-era approach. And, like Li Zicheng, they likely didn't do much to build grassroots government. After all, we all know the difficulties of grassroots government building.

As for the united front, based on phrases like "officials forcing the people to rebel" and "clearing out the enemy," it's clear that the Qing court was the enemy. Resisting taxes and exterminating foreigners meant that foreigners were also enemies. Since they considered foreigners enemies, it was natural that foreigners wouldn't sell them machinery, and their armed struggle was inevitably no match for the Qing court and foreigners.

As for the Chairman's "mass line," which is a powerful weapon, it is necessary to encourage the people to rebel against the Qing Dynasty.

"It's still relatively easy to defeat them, but no matter how many unarmed civilians there are, they can't defeat machine guns and cannons. Flesh and blood can never withstand a storm of steel. If nothing unexpected happens, the Qing can still suppress them if given enough time. If the Qing colludes with the foreign powers, their uprising won't last long."

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "You heard it, right? Just based on the telegram information, we know that they are just an old peasant uprising. In fact, in the era of breech-loading rifles, peasant uprisings are no longer successful.

Their situation is doomed to fail. They will also become a case in our textbooks. Our main task now is to deal with the affairs of Sichuan. There is no need to be distracted by things thousands of miles away. Their sacrifice is worth it. It bought us a lot of time and delayed

The power of the Qing Dynasty distracted the attention of the great powers."

After Zhang Yinghao finished speaking, he suddenly felt that he had become cold-blooded and ruthless. The disappearance of tens or even hundreds of thousands of lives did not seem to have any psychological impact on him.

Zhang Yinghao continued, "But since the uprising has occurred, let's talk about how this peasant uprising can succeed? How can it last longer?"

"Chairman, I think we can't engage in a positional war with the Qing Dynasty without sufficient weapons and ammunition!"

"Chairman, I think we should turn passivity into initiative and lead the Qing Dynasty's suppression forces around the world. We can't let the Qing Dynasty form a siege!"

"Chairman, I think we should secretly build up our strength and then break down into smaller groups and go into the rural areas!"

"What you say is all very well, but you have to understand that the rebel army they lead is like a man's penis: once erect, it can only be used for a short period of time. If it loses its power, it's doomed. If the rebel army disperses into the countryside, the leaders will lose control of the army. How dare they do that? If they don't fully represent the interests of the people, how dare they wantonly mobilize them?"

"Chairman, can't we send someone to help them?"

Zhang Yinghao smiled after hearing these childish words and said, "Have you ever heard of the scene in Water Margin where Wang Lun fights against him?"

Seeing many of his comrades shaking their heads, Zhang Yinghao said, "Back then, Mount Liang was occupied by Wang Lun. Chao Gai and his men wanted to join them, but Wang Lun was unwilling. In the end, they had no choice but to kill Wang Lun and take his place."

After recounting this story, Zhang Yinghao recalled two bandit leaders from Jinggang Mountain in his previous life: Wang Zuo and Yuan Wencai. Taizu had devoted considerable effort to reforming these two, but they were ultimately killed. Even Taizu couldn't prevent the tragedy of Wang Lun's infighting. Even after the liberation of the country, Taizu still harbored a grudge against him.

Zhang Yinghao went on to say, "Everyone must understand one thing: when it comes to controlling power, the leaders of these peasant uprisings are much more powerful than our comrades. It's no exaggeration to say that these people have such enormous appeal in the local area. They are truly not incompetent. They are talented people picked from a million people in the natural environment, and they fully understand where their interests come from. Therefore, if our comrades join the uprising army, they must absolutely not reveal their identities, otherwise they will definitely die.

Regardless of whether Jing Tingbin can fight or not, they are still just a simple peasant uprising. If we send comrades to join Jing Tingbin and his uprising team, do you think Jing Tingbin will be willing to accept our ideas? Our Forward Party is a very exclusive organization. Jing Tingbin's birth as a landlord means that it will be difficult for him to join our organization for the time being. After our comrades join the rebel army, they will inevitably need to gain some leadership. If they gain leadership, what will Jing Tingbin and his team do if they feel their position is threatened?

If we spread our ideas openly among their rebels, would Jing Tingbin allow it? If we do it secretly, what would Jing Tingbin and his people think if they found out? Jing Tingbin rebelled because his life was getting harder and harder, but if we were to build a world where everyone was equal, he might not be willing to do so. Another problem is that if we lead them to fight stronger and stronger, it would inevitably lead to another Taiping Heavenly Kingdom-style stalemate, with tens of millions, even tens of millions, of people ultimately drawn into the war and suffering countless casualties. This is not what we want to see."

"But, Chairman, a lot of this is just speculation on our part. I also think we should still help them."

"Okay, Tiger, give me a reason."

"Chairman, Jing Tingbin's peasant uprising was spontaneous, and the people he led were far from self-aware. If he doesn't understand the difference between revolution and rebellion, then he's just an armed leader like the Liangshan heroes. I agree not to give him any support. But we are not here to help Jing Tingbin, but to help the people who participated in the uprising. I think we need to send someone to seize the leadership and command of this uprising army. We can ignore Jing Tingbin's life or death, but we cannot ignore the lives of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people."

At this time, Chen Linong also said: "Chairman, Comrade Lao Hu is right. Didn't you say before that when our comrades go to a new place to carry out work, they must develop the local people? Since we need to develop the local people, then the people under Jing Tingbin's command will be the best comrades to return to their hometowns to work in the future. Without the cooperation of the local people, and being isolated from the people, the power obtained by our Forward Party is only a superficial power, and its words are not counted. If we rescue some of the rebels and they return to their hometowns to work in the future, then we can be said to have truly taken root in the Zhili area in the future."

At this time, Hu Songhui also said: "Chairman, I also think we should send people to infiltrate the uprising team. Jing Tingbin and his men have a local appeal because they have the final say in the local rules, and the people naturally have to follow them in the rebellion. But since Jing Tingbin and his men are from the landlord class, their interests are naturally inconsistent with those of ordinary people. They are only now resisting foreign donations and dealing with foreigners. Their interests are the same. I think the comrades we send should hide their identities and choose to stand with the people of Zhili. In fact, we don't need to discuss the personal success of Jing Tingbin and other rebel leaders, or their personal life and death."

Chapter 192: Toxic Book Friends 1314 Urge for More Updates

After hearing the comrades' reasons, Zhang Yinghao burst into laughter, leaving them baffled. As they exchanged glances, Zhang Yinghao stopped laughing and said, "You're quite right. Haha, you don't really think I'll just sit back and watch them perish, do you? Where else do you think this information came from? But let's just watch them stir up trouble for a while. Revolution is not without its share of casualties. When they face a massive Qing encirclement in the future, our comrades can lend a hand to the common people. They can lead their troops south into the Dabie Mountains or west into Shaanxi. Alternatively, they can simply hide in the vast rural areas, where the Qing will still be powerless."

After saying this, Zhang Yinghao turned around and said directly to Chen Linong: "Comrade Linong, your part of the work is now handed over to Comrade Bai Jianyong. You go and cooperate with the Organization Department, and you will take over this matter specifically in the future. Arrange party members to join forces in various localities, make plans across the country, and seize leadership and dominance in those places. This time, taking advantage of Jing Tingbin's chaos in Hebei, we must take root in Hebei, rather than follow Jing Tingbin. We must be local leaders and establish our own rules like Jing Tingbin did, rather than becoming Jing Tingbin's confidants or staff. We still insist on you fight yours, I fight mine, and I will take the lead and not rely on anyone else."

"Yes, we will complete the task resolutely."

"Okay, you'll be responsible for arranging any future uprisings. If you encounter any problems, you can directly ask Comrades Li Lao Hu and Hu Songhui, who also agree to support Jing Tingbin. But I have one request, and that is that after these comrades are sent out, they must not be exposed if possible. Safety is the top priority."

"Yes, Chairman."

At this time, Zhang Yinghao had Sichuan as his blueprint, which was enough for him to freely write. At the time when land reform was in full swing, the entire Sichuan was like a blank sheet of paper, allowing Zhang Yinghao to create his own ideas.

What's most important in Sichuan right now? Zhang Yinghao's answer is undoubtedly education. "Education is the foundation of a long-term plan." This isn't just empty talk; Zhang Yinghao actually intends to do it.

On the way back from Guangyuan, every time he arrived in a town, Zhang Yinghao's first question was about land reform. In Zhang Yinghao's eyes, land reform was a prerequisite; failing to do it well or complete it would be the greatest dereliction of duty in the local government. During this time, Zhang Yinghao continued to study, and he suddenly realized that a certain viewpoint was actually quite correct.

China's numerous changes of dynasties over the past millennia were, in reality, a veiled transfer of land ownership. From one family to another, it was like a village: your land became mine. Sometimes disputes required war, sometimes peace, and sometimes the village was annihilated by another. In reality, the land remained the same, only the owners. The saying "the barracks are permanent, but the soldiers are transient" is a fitting metaphor.

Therefore, there are currently only two ways to solve the land problem. The first is to nationalize the land, giving everyone only the right to use the land, not the ownership. The second is to completely ignore the completely unfair land issue, simply change the dynasty, and then solve the land problem through industrialization.

Zhang Yinghao undoubtedly chose the first option. He wanted revolution, not dynastic change. He wanted the people to no longer suffer twice as much hardship and punishment, not to live in perpetual precariousness. The poor had no land to stand on, while the rich enjoyed vast fertile fields. The wealth of the land should be enjoyed by the state and used for the benefit of all citizens. There should not be a large number of landlords enjoying the dividends brought by the land, sucking blood from the country's industrial development.

The second thing Zhang Yinghao did was to visit the town's primary school. Sichuan didn't have a decent modern middle school yet. A few of his followers might have had a middle school education, but a proper middle school had only been built during Zhang Yinghao's time in Chengdu, and Zhang Yinghao had no idea how many students were there.

Zhang Yinghao had only one requirement for school buildings, which was that they could not be worse than those of the town government. The relevant documents had already been sent to the relevant personnel. Each town had at least one primary school. This was Zhang Yinghao's rigid requirement. Primary school students were still young and it was very inconvenient for them to run to the next town. When it came to middle school, perhaps several towns could be combined to run a middle school. After all, middle school students were not as good as primary school students.

In comparison.

Zhang Yinghao looked at the primary schools with great interest. He was particularly moved when he saw a slogan: "People's education is run by the people, and education is run for the people." Education cannot be separated from the support of the people. Education is used to educate the people. Through "education," the people educate the next generation, so that their descendants will become what the people hope they will become.

Zhang Yinghao was delighted to see the classroom filled with children. He immediately instructed, "It takes ten years to grow a tree, and a hundred years to cultivate a person. Education must start from childhood and continue unremittingly."

Walking along the way, Zhang Yinghao saw some new classrooms with new desks.

The accompanying teacher said: "Chairman, these are the new tables and chairs we have just bought."

Zhang Yinghao nodded as he listened, and immediately said to his companions: "No matter how poor we are, we must not neglect education, and no matter how hard it is, we must not make our children suffer. Even if we have to tighten our belts to make ends meet, we must ensure that our children go to school."

"Chairman, this is the textbook we are preparing for next year."

When Zhang Yinghao saw that the textbooks the school was about to distribute to students were the latest versions, he said, "Education must be oriented towards the modern world, the world, and the future. It must keep pace with the times and respect science. This textbook is excellent, and the content is up to date."

Zhang Yinghao went to the teachers' dormitory again and saw that the teachers were not living well. He immediately instructed: "We can assign some land to each school so that teachers can grow some vegetables in their free time to improve their lives and reduce their burden. We can also arrange some labor classes so that students can participate in the labor and help teachers dig some land and grow some vegetables."

Zhang Yinghao's instructions and words were not random. They would soon spread through the newspapers and educational channels in the base area, letting everyone know Zhang Yinghao's attitude towards education.

At this moment, a children's song "Listen to Me Say Thank You" suddenly rang out from the classroom. This is one of the songs Zhang Yinghao wrote specifically for elementary school music classes.

He immediately stopped and listened.

I give you a little heart and a flower.

You have touched so many things in my life. You are my angel, guiding me along the way. No matter how time passes, I will sing my love for you.

Listen to me say thank you, because you have warmed the four seasons. Thank you, thank you for making the world more beautiful.

I want to thank you, because of you, love is always in my heart. Thank you, thank you for being there and passing on happiness.

Listening to this song, Zhang Yinghao once again felt like he'd traveled through time. Children singing these beautiful songs, when heard by adults of this era, can bring immense strength. Everyone hopes these little angels can grow up safely and happily.

However, when Zhang Yinghao was visiting a primary school, he happened to hear the teacher teaching inside. Zhang Yinghao and his friends listened for a while outside the wall.

Teacher: What person? Who is the person?

At this time, a skinny-looking child stood up and said, "People are the landlords, and we are cattle and horses. My grandmother said we are worse than cattle and horses."

Everyone fell silent after hearing these words. Zhang Yinghao also felt that he had a long way to go and couldn't be complacent with just a little success.

Along the way, Zhang Yinghao saw that most of the local schools had already been built. Some had already started classes last year, while others planned to begin enrollment after the New Year. Zhang Yinghao also understood that with such a large scale, some progress would be slow, and others would be slow. However, with the expansion of his territory, Zhang Yinghao couldn't cover everything as he had in Guang'an. The vast majority of the work still had to be done by these grassroots colleagues, which left Zhang Yinghao feeling frustrated.

When they were almost at Chengdu, Zhang Yinghao saw a soldier on horseback galloping towards them. Zhang Yinghao and his men immediately stopped. The soldier stopped in front of the team.

He dismounted, saluted, and said loudly, "Report to the Chairman, I am Li Zihao, a soldier from the Communications Company, reporting to you."

"Oh, I remember you, come here."

"Report to the Chairman, Minister Bao and his team are waiting for you outside Chengdu..."

Hearing this, Zhang Yinghao's face instantly turned dark.

"Oh, what do Bao Shilin and the others want to do? They have so much work to do and come to greet me. What should I greet? Isn't this just imitating the Qing Dynasty's official system?

What is bureaucratic style?"

"Hey, Chairman, they probably wanted to see you earlier too."

"Haha, do you believe this? I'm not a great beauty, so why should we meet sooner or later? I still have a meeting in Chengdu. Isn't it time to meet now? I see,

They didn't learn the good things, but they learned the ways of the Qing Dynasty officialdom very quickly! Humph."

Zhang Yinghao turned around and saw the communicator open his mouth. Knowing that he hadn't finished speaking, he said, "Go ahead, what else?"

"Reporting to the Chairman, Minister Bao said that the people of Chengdu now know you have returned and have come out to greet you. However, they are concerned about your safety and hope that the Chairman will walk slowly until they have finished cleaning the streets before entering."

"Nonsense! They're just fooling around. Do I, Zhang Yinghao, fear that the people will harm me? Do they want to separate me from the people? Do they want me to break away from the people? We must always stay among the people. Ride back immediately and tell them not to clean the streets."

After saying this, Zhang Yinghao forced Li Zihao onto his horse and told him to go back immediately. "Don't you think they're just going to cause trouble? They're still cleaning up the streets. Looks like some of them are going to the cadre academy again."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, not knowing how to persuade Zhang Yinghao.

Zhang Yinghao paced back and forth for a while, then waved his hand and said, "Let's go into the city."

It's unclear whether Bao Shilin was stopped before he even started clearing the streets, or after he had already done so. However, by the time Zhang Yinghao reached the city gate, it was already packed with people. Many citizens were offering boiled eggs, steamed buns, or some household rations for the returning revolutionary army.

When Zhang Yinghao arrived at the city gate, a large number of people wanted to come up to watch, and the comrades in charge of security immediately stopped these people who wanted to come forward.

"Chairman Zhang, Chairman Zhang..."

Seeing the people so enthusiastic, Zhang Yinghao quickly waved and greeted them.

At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted: "Long live the Forward Party, long live the Revolutionary Army, long live Chairman Zhang.

Someone started shouting and everyone followed suit.

"Long live the Forward Party, long live the revolutionary army, long live Chairman Zhang."

Zhang Yinghao didn't know if it was arranged by someone, but he didn't say anything. He immediately took off his hat, waved it, and shouted loudly: "Long live the people."

After Zhang Yinghao joined Bao Shilin and his men, he walked ahead without saying a word and began to enter the city. Then, Zhang Yinghao and the people formed an interactive relationship. The people in the city shouted, "Long live the Forward Party, long live the revolutionary army, long live Chairman Zhang."

Taking advantage of the break, Zhang Yinghao waved his hat and shouted, "Long live the people."

Seeing that the people in Chengdu were indeed in good spirits, Zhang Yang's family relented. After Zhang Yinghao and the others had walked for a while.

"Long live the Forward Party, long live the revolutionary army, long live Chairman Zhang." "Long live the people."

At this time, some people in the army began to sing "Unity is Strength".

"Unity is strength, unity is strength, this strength is iron, this strength is steel..."

This song, echoing the revolutionary army's advance, had spread across Sichuan, deeply beloved by the working people. Instantly, the city's citizens joined in the singing, the surging sound like a giant wave, reaching every corner of Chengdu. For a moment, the nation erupted in passion, all singing along.

"Open fire on the counter-revolutionaries, let all systems that do not honor the Lord perish, and shine brightly towards victory, towards prosperity and strength, towards a new China."

When the song ended, the soldiers were naturally reluctant to leave, and the general public was even more excited. Then another soldier took the lead and sang "We Are Walking on the Road".

We march on the great road, high-spirited and full of fighting spirit. The Forward Party leads the revolutionary contingent, forging ahead through thick and thin. Forward, forward, forward, the revolutionary momentum is unstoppable.