The sun never sets

It was still Marshal Lin who was so powerful that he completely wiped out the Eight-Nation Alliance. He was very sorry about this. If he hadn't been shot in the shoulder, he would never have missed the big battle to annihilate the foreign devils. Now his shoulder was still wrapped in gauze, and he ignored Dong Fuxiang. After getting off the horse, he shouted to Lin Yongchang: "Marshal, take me with you when you fight the Japanese!"

Dong Fuxiang was chatting with his cheap father-in-law, Oerleheke. Lin Yongchang took a look and said to Meng En, "Don't make trouble. Your injury hasn't healed yet. Why fight? Rest for a few months first. When your injury heals, there will be plenty of battles to fight."

Mengen* Borjigin was the second son of Orilhek and the second elder brother of Wuyun Qiqige. He was brave, but too brave. He was always the first to rush into battle. When attacking Tianjin, he led his troops directly into the city and killed several Japanese soldiers with his own hands. Then he was shot and fell off his horse, almost being trampled to death. He was rescued by someone and recovered for less than a month. Now he is asking for battle again.

After settling Wu Yunqiqige and the others down, Lin Yongchang discussed some issues with Dong Fuxiang, mainly about the Northwest.

The situation in Xinjiang is very complicated. The ethnicity, religion, and race are very different from those in the mainland. In addition, the giant Tsarist Russia is eyeing Xinjiang covetously. Britain also has ideas about Xinjiang. Under the influence of these two empires, the local separatist tendency is very strong.

If Zuo Zongtang had not carried his coffin to the battlefield and gone through untold hardships to preserve thousands of miles of territory in the northwest, that piece of land would not have belonged to China decades ago. When Zuo Zongtang was fighting desperately in the northwest, Li Hongzhang accepted bribes from the British and Russians and actually provoked a dispute between "coastal defense" and "frontier defense", and even submitted a petition saying that he wanted to give up Xinjiang. This alone is enough to shoot Li Hefei ten times!

Among the famous officials of the Tongzhi Restoration, Lin Yongchang only admired Zuo Zongtang. The others, such as Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang, were just useless paperhangers. Seeing that he admired Zuo Zongtang very much in his words, Dong Fuxiang felt very fond of him. He told him everything about the situation in the northwest, just like pouring beans from a barrel.

The main issue in the northwest is the Hui people, which is the abbreviation of the Huihui ethnic group. "Huihui" was originally a name for others, and later evolved into a self-name. The term "Huihui" was first seen in Shen Kuo's "Dream Pool Essays" in the Northern Song Dynasty, referring to the "Huihe" people ("Uighur" people) in the Anxi area (now southern Xinjiang and parts of the west of the Pamir Mountains) since the Tang Dynasty.

"Huihui" may be the transliteration or colloquial writing of "Huihe" or "Huihu". In the Southern Song Dynasty, "Huihui", in addition to the "Huihe" and "Huihu" of the Tang Dynasty, also included some ethnic groups west of the Pamir Mountains. This is different from the "Huihui ethnic group" we are talking about now. In the early 13th century, during the westward expedition of the Mongolian army, a group of people from various ethnic groups in Central Asia who believed in Islam, as well as Persians and Arabs, were constantly issued or voluntarily migrated to my country. They were mainly in the form of garrisons and pastures, and were scattered throughout China in different identities such as craftsmen, merchants, scholars, officials, and religious leaders. They were called "Huihui people" and were the main part of the "Semu people" at that time. Later, they called themselves "Huihui".

After about 200 years, under the influence of Islam, the Hui people, as the main body, merged with the Han, Uyghur, Mongolian and other ethnic groups in China to gradually form a new ethnic community. With Islam as the bond, the Hui people formed a new national identity and had a very strong tendency to independence. They tended to establish an independent Islamic state with other Muslims in Central Asia. They had launched a major rebellion decades ago. Dong Fuxiang made his fortune in the process of suppressing the Hui rebellion.

He originally rebelled with the people in Lingxia, Gansu, and later surrendered to Zuo Zongtang. There were many people like him at that time. For various reasons, people in the northwest naturally wanted to rebel, and it had been like this for a long time.

Chapter 128 Talent

The Huihui problem is very similar to that of Tibet and Mongolia, but even more serious. Outside of Tibet and Mongolia, there is no Islamic world, so the rebellions in Mongolia and Tibet can only be confined to one place. The Huihui's tendency to split and become independent is even stronger than that of Tibet and Mongolia.

Lin Yongchang is now out of reach of the Northwest. Before the railway is built to Xinjiang, it will be very difficult to use troops in the Northwest, just like in Tibet. For a long time, there must be a hard-line person like Dong Fuxiang who is loyal to the central government in the Northwest to prevent the further growth of local separatism.

But Dong Fuxiang is old. In this era, half of the body is already buried in the ground when one is sixty. Dong Fuxiang has fought in battles all his life and has suffered many injuries. Although he looks quite energetic now, he may fall down at any time.

Lin Yongchang said to Dong Fuxiang: "After we drive away the Japanese invaders in Dagukou, General Dong should return to the northwest as soon as possible. You should shoulder the responsibilities not only in Liangzhou but also in the affairs of the Western Regions."

Dong Fuxiang shook his head and said, "We need to send a general to guard the Western Region."

"Does the General have any suitable candidates?"

"Maybe Ma Fuxiang can do it."

"Ma Fuxiang? He sounds like a Hui person."

"Marshal, please understand. Although Ma Fuxiang is a Hui, he is loyal to the central government." Dong Fuxiang said, "He is outside. Marshal, do you want to talk to him?"

"Ma Fuxiang can be used, but he cannot govern a region!"

Lin Yongchang said: "What is Dong Tianchun doing now?"

Dong Fuxiang was moved and replied, "I am working as a farmer in my hometown."

He had no son. Dong Tianchun was originally his elder brother's son, and was adopted by him to inherit the family business.

"Why don't we let him come out and do something for the country?" Lin Yongchang said with a smile, "Brothers fight tigers together, and fathers and sons fight together in battle! Let him train with the general for a few days, and then take over the Western Regions Protectorate. What do you think, General Dong?"

What else could Dong Fuxiang say? Of course, a warm welcome. He is already sixty years old, how many days can he live? It is time to consider the family. In the past, the court used to beat and pull these old subordinates of Zuo Zongtang, but was never willing to let their descendants take over their fathers' official positions, otherwise Dong Tianchun would not have farmed in his hometown.

Lin Yongchang has no such concerns. If he does a good job, he will continue to work. If he does not do a good job, he will be dismissed. He is not afraid of the power on the ground becoming stronger. There is no condition now. After a few years, we can get tens of thousands of people to settle there and set up several construction corps in the Western Regions. The local separatists will not be able to make any waves!

Even though the Western Regions are bitterly cold, desolate, and the conditions are difficult, I'm afraid not many people would be willing to go there to guard the border.

But this is not a big problem, there is always a way. If it really doesn't work, we can learn from Emperor Wu of Han and get some criminals to marry into the family.

Dong Fuxiang excitedly accepted the troops, equipment and military pay, and before leaving, he introduced Ma Fuxiang to Marshal Lin. In another world, Ma Fuxiang was one of the founders of the Ma Family Army in the northwest, and the armed forces in Qingma, Ganma and other places were all descendants of Ma Fuxiang. He was loyal to the central government, but his descendants might not be.

Lin Yongchang knew Ma Fuxiang, and comforted and encouraged him, but he was very wary of the Ma family army and would never give it a chance to grow. On the other hand, Ma Fuxiang was still a young man of twenty-four or twenty-five years old, and he probably hadn't thought about establishing an independent kingdom in the northwest.

After meeting Dong Fuxiang, Ma Fuxiang and others, there were new guests. This time it was Qiu Jin and her husband Wang Tingjun, both of whom were from Hunan. Wang Tingjun donated money to become an official in the Ministry of Revenue, and Qiu Jin followed her husband to the capital. When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded, the couple was preparing to flee back to Hunan. On the way, they heard that the Eight-Nation Alliance was completely annihilated by Marshal Lin, so Qiu Jin strongly requested to meet Marshal Lin.

Wang Tingjun did not want to meet the bandit leader, but he could not resist his wife Qiu Jin's strong request, so he had to return to the capital.

"Lady Jianhu," Lin Yongchang stepped forward and shook hands with Qiu Jin enthusiastically. "Please take a seat. This is Mr. Wang, right? Please take a seat too. What is the important matter for you two to visit together?"

Qiu Jin was a remarkable woman who was recorded in history books. She was as brave as any man. Lin Yongchang admired her very much. As for Wang Tingjun, he didn't even know this name before. Qiu Jin was not a particularly beautiful woman. She was not charming, gorgeous, or graceful, but she had a unique heroic spirit. She was a hero like Lin Heier, not a beauty who entertained people with her appearance, figure, and singing voice.

"President Lin," Qiu Jin shook hands with Lin Yongchang enthusiastically and said cheerfully, "We heard that the President had annihilated the Eight-Nation Alliance. We are very excited, so we took the liberty to come and disturb you."

"No, no! Haha!" Lin Yongchang said, "Now that the Republic has just been established, we need great talents like Mr. Qiu Jin and Mr. Wang to contribute to the construction of the country. I sincerely ask you to join the People's Republic Government. What do you think?"

After annihilating the Eight-Power Allied Forces, Lin Yongchang gained unparalleled prestige, and a large number of talents came to join him. Some of them wanted to serve the people, the republic, and the country, some to realize their own ambitions, some for speculation, and some for other purposes.

Most people are used to following the powerful. The Republican government is now in its heyday, so naturally, talented people from all over the world come to join it.

Wang Tingjun still wanted to return to his hometown in Hunan, but Qiu Jin wanted to stay and join the People's Republic Government. Wang Tingjun once again gave in and chose to stay. This is Wang Tingjun. He is not a fighter. He will not fight for his principles and will not change his mind. It can even be said that he has no ambitions or ideals. In front of Qiu Jin, he is weak.

Lin Yongchang understood this in a short time, and also understood why Qiu Jin's name was recorded in history books, while Wang Tingjun was obscure and lost in the long river of history. The weak man and the strong woman may not have mattered in later generations, but it is not appropriate in this era.

But this has nothing to do with Lin Yongchang. Whether Qiu Jin and Wang Tingjun have a happy or broken relationship, he doesn't care, and he doesn't have the idea of taking advantage of the situation to be a thief. He has too many things to consider, and his time and energy are not enough. He has no energy and time to spend on love and romance.

After meeting Qiu Jin and others, he also met Yang Du, Wang Kaiyun and others, among whom people from Hunan accounted for a large part. During this era, Hunan produced many talents, and later someone shouted "As long as the people of Hunan survive, China will not perish."

The reason for this is not because Hunan is particularly blessed with talented people or because of destiny. No, it is not like that. The main reason is that Zeng Guofan won the battle and the Hunan Army returned home with a large amount of spoils. With so much money injected, Hunan's economic activities and living standards have been upgraded, and the education level has also been improved, so there are so many talents.

This is just like Japan. The Japanese won the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, received a large amount of compensation, and obtained Korea and Taiwan, which is why all those things happened later. Victory is the first priority, and victory can bring national destiny. This was the case in the past, is the case now, and will be the case in the future.

Chapter 129: The Blue World

Tokyo.

This was the fourth pre-month meeting in a month. In response to the changes in China, a fierce argument broke out among the ministers. One faction believed that the army should be mobilized immediately, a new division should be formed, and 200,000 troops should be dispatched to take over the entire North China! The other faction insisted on resolving the issue through negotiations and firmly opposed continuing to use troops.

The former saw the rich harvest after the easy victory in the Sino-Japanese War, while the latter saw the huge difficulties faced internationally. In addition, the fact that Britain was deeply involved in the Boer War also made Ito Hirobumi and others wary. Japan's capital was not as strong as Britain's. Britain sent 300,000 or 400,000 troops to fight the Boers but failed to solve the problem. The Chinese were much more numerous than the Boers. Could 200,000 Japanese troops solve the Chinese problem?

"How can the samurai of Great Japan be compared with the British?"

Dashanyan slammed the table and shouted, "We should attack Beijing immediately. As long as we occupy Beijing, the Chinese will have to sue for peace! If we can occupy North China, even if it is only half, the strength of the empire will be greatly enhanced!"

He was born in Satsuma and made great contributions in the Anti-Shogunate War and the Sino-Japanese War. Oyama Iwao witnessed the process of the Franco-Prussian War with his own eyes. After returning to Japan, he purged the army generals such as Tani Kanjo, Soga Yujun, Torio Koyata, and Miura Goro, abandoned the original practice of learning from the French Army, and turned to learn from the German Army. Later, in the Sino-Japanese War, he relied on active "offensive tactics" to defeat the Chinese army. Because of his merits, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal of the Army and served as Japan's first Minister of War. He was a powerful figure in the army.

Oyama Iwao's opinion represents the thoughts of many people in the army, who only see the glory and benefits of war, but turn a blind eye to the dangers inherent in war. He himself is already an army marshal, and he cannot be promoted any higher, but the younger generations in the army still have room for promotion, and everyone wants to continue fighting and have another glorious war like the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.

Ito Hirobumi said slowly: "The British will not agree to our occupation of North China. Even if we occupy Beijing, what if the Chinese still refuse to surrender? Didn't the Eight-Nation Alliance occupy Beijing? Everyone has seen the result."

Unlike Oyama Iwao, Ito Hirobumi was born in the Choshu clan. The Satsuma clan controlled the army, while the Choshu clan controlled the navy. Ito Hirobumi naturally represented the interests of the navy and had some conflicts with the Satsuma clan's army, but his prestige was too high and his skills were too strong, so not only the navy bowed to him, but also the army.

In front of Ito Hirobumi, Oyama Iwao and other army leaders had to be courteous. This man had great talents and abilities, but he had the common problem of the Japanese, he liked to do some small tricks secretly, and he was not generous enough. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Ito Hirobumi forced Li Hongzhang to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki, gave Li Hefei a lot of benefits, and helped Li Hongzhang to become famous, turning Li Hongzhang into a patriotic hero and a man of lofty ideals. He also said things like "Li Hongzhang's talents are better than mine, but I was born in Japan and he was born in China", which was really insidious.

This is the true case of “his hero is my enemy”. Ito Hirobumi is one of China’s most dangerous enemies.

Ito Hirobumi said slowly: "You have only seen the benefits of occupying North China, but not the dangers. The Russians are approaching Korea, don't you see it?"

"It is precisely because we see the danger that we must occupy North China as soon as possible!"

Oyama Iwao said passionately: "Only by strengthening the empire as quickly as possible can we better fight against the Russians in the future!"

Kodama Gentaro, Togo Heihachiro, Nogi Maresuke, Matsumura Motomu, Yamagata Aritomo, Matsukata Masayoshi, Saigo Tsumichi, Matsukata Masayoshi, Kuroda Kiyotaka and others were divided into two factions. The elders had different opinions, while the division commanders unanimously demanded "punishing the violent Chinese". The destruction of the 5th Division greatly dampened the morale of the army. The psychological foundation of the Chinese people built up during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 was broken. The army and the people were very angry. Some angry people had smashed the glass of Yamaguchi Motoomi's house, and some people were clamoring to burn down the house of Lieutenant General Yamaguchi, and even let the lieutenant general's family die.

Although Ito Hirobumi had a high prestige, he could not completely suppress the will of others. When he was young, he sneaked into the British embassy with Takasugi Shinsaku, Kusaka Gendan and others to set fire. He was obsessed with the cause of "expelling the barbarians" and later became a "founding party". Past experience made him know that he could not convince other elders with words. If their own thoughts could not be changed, no matter what others said, it would be useless. Therefore, he brought out Emperor Meiji and wanted to use the method of "imperial judgment" to unify the opinions of the elders.

Emperor Meiji was very wary of military leaders. In Japanese history, the emperor was sidelined by the generals, and the generals were sidelined by the daimyo. Those things made Emperor Meiji learn from them. Ito Hirobumi vigorously promoted "constitutionalism", which was good for Emperor Meiji and the royal family. Emperor Meiji also knew that Ito Hirobumi's approach was correct. Japan's capital was too small. Warships, steel, gunpowder, machinery and raw materials had to be purchased from Britain. The economy and technology also needed to rely on Britain. It had no ability to compete with the great powers.

However, the military's call could not be ignored, so Emperor Meiji adopted a compromise method. While sending diplomats to negotiate with the People's Government of North China, he strengthened Nishi Hiroshiro's Second Division and tacitly allowed the Second Division to attack the enemy on the opposite side. If they won, they would follow the military's wishes and expand their territory and interests in China. If they could not successfully defeat the Chinese army in front of them, they would withdraw the Second Division back to the country.

Even if there is no war, a division stationed in Dagukou will consume a lot of resources, and the daily military expenditure is a considerable expense. If you can fight, then fight. If you can't fight, then withdraw quickly. What are you doing standing there?

Ito Hirobumi was very dissatisfied with the Meiji Emperor and the compromise. The compromise seemed to have the best of both worlds and took care of both sides, but this approach was often the worst. If you want to go to war, you should put all your capital on it. If you want to solve the problem through diplomatic means, you should show goodwill and withdraw the troops immediately.

But that's how things are in this world. We know what is the right thing to do, but we have to choose.

The worst option was to choose the one that would be best for the enemy. Ito Hirobumi had no other options but to wait for news from the Second Division.

The current Meiji government was a joint government of the Choshu and Satsuma clans. No one person had the final say, and all matters needed to be discussed. The Meiji Emperor was nominally the supreme commander, but in reality his power was not that great, and the leaders of the army and navy all had their own interests.

Apart from Ito Hirobumi, others were no better than Li Hongzhang and his ilk. Yamagata Aritomo misappropriated the army's military funds to do business, and lost one-tenth of the army's annual budget. If it were Zhu Yuanzhang or Li Shimin, they would have chopped off Yamagata Aritomo's head long ago.

However, Emperor Meiji had no way to deal with army leaders like Yamagata Aritomo and could only pretend that nothing had happened.

The reason why Japan was able to defeat China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 was not because Japan was so outstanding, but because the Chinese court was even worse.

Chapter 130 Funakoshi Fumio

The attack of the Second Division was just a show. After the army was deployed, it advanced several hundred meters towards Tianjin. After being warned by the People's Army's artillery fire, it immediately retreated. Nishi Hirojiro was not a fool. He knew that he could not defeat the enemy with only 15,000 people.

Yamaguchi Sushin's Fifth Division was completely wiped out. Could the Second Division be much stronger than the Fifth Division? If he really wanted to defeat the Chinese, he should mobilize the country and pull out all the troops, just like five years ago. That's how to fight a war. Now he can only do probing things if he is asked to make a tentative attack.

Now he tried, and the Chinese opened fire without hesitation, so Nishi Hirojiro immediately withdrew his troops.

Some members of the Fifth Division escaped. The Japanese propaganda said that they suffered some setbacks, but not that they were completely wiped out. However, that was only propaganda for the people and the army. People in high positions like Nishi Hirojiro knew very well what happened. The annihilation of the Eight-Nation Alliance shocked the Japanese generals. The people and the army clamored for revenge. The headquarters could only obey the people's call. Oyama Iwao and Yamagata Aritomo said that they would "punish the violent Chinese", but secretly asked Nishi Hirojiro to be cautious. The Empire of Japan could not afford to lose another division.

The most important thing now is to rescue Lieutenant General Yamaguchi and a group of captured soldiers and find out the reason for the defeat. Otherwise, they will suffer more the next time they go to war with the Chinese. In order to rescue Lieutenant General Yamaguchi and others, the Japanese government came up with many ways and sent diplomats and many people who knew China well.

In today's Japan, as in China, many people believe that diplomacy is achieved through private relationships. Many diplomats are actually compradors who speak from the perspective of foreign countries. They rely on the right to communicate with foreign countries to benefit themselves and cannot understand that diplomacy is for safeguarding national interests.

Perhaps they did not fail to understand the nature of diplomacy, but their desire to gain benefits for themselves overshadowed the interests of the country. Just like Li Hongzhang, who ruled the country for more than 30 years and ceded more than 1.5 million square kilometers of territory, he made a lot of money, but the national interests suffered great damage. Li Hongzhang made a lot of money when he was in office, so much so that there was a saying that "the prime minister of Hefei makes the world thin", which shows his despicable character.

In order to bring back Yamaguchi Sushin and others, a large number of Japanese came to China to make activities, including the "Tang Shou Master" Fumio Funakoshi. Fumio Funakoshi was a Ryukyu, and after the Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan, he also became a Japanese. As a boxing master and martial arts master in Japan, Fumio Funakoshi was on good terms with many people such as Huo Yuanjia. Huo Yuanjia is now the mayor of Tianjin, and Fumio Funakoshi was ordered to go and build relationships with Huo Yuanjia and others.

"In 1900, the nd year of the Meiji era, I was ordered by the Army Department to enter China with the army. Originally, I was a ronin, and it was not my place to participate in such military operations. However, the generals of the Army Department said that after research, they had decided to let you go. So I came to China. The moment I received the reply, I recited two lines of poetry on the spot..."

-- "Military Service in China" by Fumio Funakoshi

Fumio Funakoshi was almost 40 years old when he was ordered by the bigwigs of the Army Ministry to follow the Second Division to China. When he was young, it was the time when the anti-shogunate faction and the reformist faction were killing each other. The uncle in his thirties who came from the old era was not like those young people who were brainwashed by the spirit of Bushido. Fumio Funakoshi did not have the so-called samurai integrity and had no special respect for the emperor. For most of the time in Japanese history, the emperor was just a puppet. When Fumio Funakoshi and his friends talked privately, they all agreed that the current situation had not changed much. The warlords and the consortiums had just sidelined the emperor.

After more than a decade of reform, the country has become stronger, but the lives of the people do not seem to have improved much. Extortion, brutal repression, and the poor selling their children are everywhere. Even though Japan won the Sino-Japanese War a few years ago, the situation is still the same. By cruelly exploiting the Koreans, Japan's economy has improved a little. However, this war dividend will eventually run out. When that day comes, what will Japan become?

Fumio Funakoshi was very pessimistic about this. As a person at the bottom of society, he had seen the misery of the people at the bottom, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

and the brutality of the warlords, but he could not come up with a better way to govern the country. As he grew older, he had accepted this reality. Anyway, the world is so dark and brutal. Since it is unfortunate, he will look forward to the next life.

With this belief, he followed others to Tianjin, China. Tianjin was the largest port city in northern China at that time, located in the Bohai Bay. It was a concession a year ago, and changed hands several times during the Gengzi War. Now it has been recovered by the Chinese.

In the first half of the war, Fumio Funakoshi saw the cruelty of foreigners in domestic newspapers. It was a cruelty that treated people from other countries as livestock. The Japanese police and army were also cruel, but that was still human behavior. Compared with the behavior of those foreigners, the Japanese army with strict military discipline could be called cute.

He took the "Asahi Maru" to Dagukou, and then changed to a horse carriage to Tianjin. Funakoshi saw the city of Tianjin, which had its walls torn down and was devastated by war, and the spider-web-like trenches outside the city. Passers-by whispered to each other. They had heard the soldiers talk about the trenches dug by the Chinese, and had read the book "Defense Tactics" written by the President of the People's Republic of China, Lin Yongchang, and were very curious about the so-called "trench warfare."

Trenches are not new. They have been used frequently in wars since the emergence of flintlock rifles. However, it is the first time in military history that trenches have been combined with "defensive tactics" and elevated to a strategic level. The Japanese Army learned from the German Army, emphasizing "offense" and "initiative". In order to promote the German Army's "offensive concept", Oyama Iwao purged a large number of generals.

It's not that those generals were killed, but that they were kicked out of the active army, either transferred to the reserve or expelled from the army. Now the Chinese have proposed a new military theory, what should the Japanese army do? Should they follow it or pretend that it never existed?

The problem of military theory is not only a problem of military theory, but also a problem of the legitimacy of the power held by Oyama Iwao. The Satsuma clan was the only one in the army, but there were also many people who opposed the Satsuma clan. There were many factions and forces within China, and the same was true for Japan.

Chapter 131: Roasting Fire

"Brother Junqing, sorry to bother you."

Funakoshi put down his chopsticks and politely said to Huo Yuanjia: "You should understand why the military sent me here. I didn't want to take on this job, but firstly, my dojo is very poor, and secondly, I think China and Japan should work together to jointly assume the responsibility of leading the yellow race."

Huo Yuanjia is now the mayor of Tianjin. He has made a leap from a footman to a senior official. He is very proud and confident. He laughed and said, "What are you talking about, Mr. Funakoshi? We met when we were in humble positions. We are like-minded friends. No matter when or under what circumstances, Huo Yuanjia's door is always open to you."

Funakoshi smiled and said, "I thought Junqing would be different after becoming a high-ranking official, but now it seems that Junqing is still Junqing. I toast you again."

Huo Yuanjia waved his hand. "No more drinking. I really can't drink. The government strictly prohibits officials from getting drunk. If I'm discovered by the disciplinary inspection department, my term as mayor will be over. It's because Mr. Funakoshi came that I made an exception and had a couple of drinks with you."

Funakoshi Fumio was surprised and asked, "Is your government so strict?"

Huo Yuanjia spread his hands, "It's so strict."

"Isn't it too strict?" Funakoshi put down his glass. "If it's too strict, it will probably cause a lot of complaints."

Huo Yuanjia smiled and said, "Who dares to complain? The Grand Marshal is a master of martial arts and has a great reputation. Whatever he says goes."

The original meaning of the word "martial arts" does not refer to the level of personal strength, but to the merits and achievements in war. The previous emperor Qianlong claimed to have "ten great martial arts", which does not mean that he was good at boxing or swordsmanship, but refers to the fact that his officers and soldiers pacified the battles of Jinchuan and Hezhuo, etc.

"Even if I have complaints, I only dare to complain in private."

After hearing what Huo Yuanjia said, Funakoshi Fumio said thoughtfully, "Junqing, do you disagree with some of the Grand Marshal's policies?"

Huo Yuanjia looked around and whispered, "The Grand Marshal is good in everything, but there are some lucky villains around him."

Then he smiled and said, "But no matter what, the president defeated the foreigners and boosted the morale of the Chinese people. The president will hold a public trial of those foreigners in Beijing in a while. If I hadn't been busy with so many things in Tianjin, I would have gone to Beijing to watch the public trial of the foreigners."

"Public trial of foreigners?"

Funakoshi Fumio was very interested in this matter. "What's going on?"

Huo Yuanjia explained the whole story to his old friend. Those foreigners committed various crimes in China. In order to boost morale and demonstrate the legitimacy of the regime, President Lin was going to bring all the foreigners out for public trial. Those who deserved to be beheaded would be beheaded, and those who deserved to be sentenced would be sentenced. Everything would be done openly.

After annihilating the Eight-Nation Alliance, the People's Army, also known as the former Volunteer Army, seized a lot of things, including photos taken when the Eight-Nation Alliance committed massacres, rape and looting in Beijing, which were irrefutable evidence of their crimes. The Republic Daily continuously reported photos, videos, texts and other evidence for propaganda purposes, and also confirmed Yuan Shikai's nickname of "traitor".

The Republic and the newspapers of the People's Republic Government