The sun never sets

The US Navy wanted to help the Chinese build a few battleships, but President Lin refused. Battleships are too expensive, and poor people can't afford them. Wouldn't it be better to build a railway or a few more factories with that money?

The Liaoxi Campaign lasted only half a month. When the British and American military observation groups arrived in Jinzhou, the situation was about to change. The American military observation group had a polarized view of the Chinese army. On the one hand, they believed that the Chinese army was poorly equipped and the officers were of low quality. On the other hand, they believed that the Chinese were tactically flexible and that the officers and soldiers were very brave, no worse than the Russians.

In addition to the credit loans given by the government, several large American financial groups also gave the People's Government several loans to allow Chinese people to buy things in the United States. They sold everything, including steel, rifles, cannons, food, cloth, chemical raw materials, etc. No one cared whether it would create a powerful enemy for the United States. Given China's situation, it was still a hundred years too early to challenge the United States!

Besides, the world's hegemon is now the British. Even if the Chinese become stronger, the first thing they will challenge is the British hegemony. At this time, the Americans are only concerned with making money and don't have too many other ideas.

The conclusion of the British military observation group was similar to that of the Americans, except that they were more critical. The British believed that the Chinese army was full of peasants, and many officers and even generals were farmers, small traders, and manual workers, with very poor quality. However, the British had to admit that the Chinese army was very capable.

Even though their strength on paper was only two-thirds of that of the Russian army, they were still able to annihilate nearly 100,000 Russian troops. Their strength should not be underestimated.

At this time, the main force of the British army was still fighting the Boers in South Africa. The British Empire had deployed an unprecedented 450,000 troops on the battlefield, but the battle was not over. The battle continued, and even though both sides were exhausted, the private negotiations had no results, so they had to continue fighting.

All the young and strong men of the Boers went to the battlefield, and even the old and children took up arms. Despite the casualties of more than 50,000 people, the strength of the troops did not decrease much. What does it mean to have everyone as a soldier? What does it mean to have total war? The Boers are like this!

The descendants of the Dutch, the colonists, the farmers, showed an extraordinary fighting spirit, which made the British Empire lose face. The British Empire had already failed once in the Far East, and they must not fail again in South Africa. This was about the empire's global hegemony, and it could not retreat.

Now that the Chinese have proven their strength, it is a mixed blessing for the British. On the positive side, they have found a helper to curb the expansion of Tsarist Russia. Now the British really can't spare the hands to stop Russia. So let the Chinese fight with Tsarist Russia to the death, and the English gentlemen will just watch from the sidelines.

Chapter 200 Mandated by Heaven

Half a month ago, when the Russian army launched the attack, Wu Tingfang's house arrest had been lifted. However, he did not return to Guangzhou immediately, but stayed in Jinzhou to observe the development of the war. Although he was a member of the Guangzhou Military Government, Wu Tingfang was first and foremost a Chinese. He was already in a high position in the Hong Kong British government, but he still gave up his high position and went to rebel with Sun Yat-sen. Just from this point, we can know what kind of person he is.

Wu Tingfang had seen the local troops of Guangdong in Guangzhou, the elite troops from Guangxi, the militia of Hunan, and the new troops under the command of Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong. He thought he knew something about military affairs. In fact, like Yang Du, he only had a superficial understanding of military issues.

As the number of troops increases and weapons and equipment become more advanced, military issues are becoming more and more complicated. It takes a lot of study and practice to master the art of command at the company level. The battles at the battalion, regiment, brigade, and division levels are more complicated. As the number of people under management increases, the military commander has to consider more issues such as supply, morale, marching, and camping. These things are not enough to learn from books, but you need to participate in them in person to understand them.

Just as law and diplomacy require professionals, military affairs also require professionals to do the job well.

When he first arrived in Jinzhou, he saw that the People's Army was losing ground and retreated hundreds of kilometers. Wu Tingfang was very impatient and kept asking whether the People's Army was going to fail and whether it was going to be defeated. The officers in the headquarters had a very bad impression of him. After Lin Yongchang explained several times, he didn't want to explain anymore and no longer allowed Wu Tingfang to express some layman's opinions in the headquarters.

As the war progressed, the atmosphere in Jinzhou became increasingly tense. Horse-drawn carriages carrying food, bullets, shells, raincoats, shoes and other supplies came and went in an endless stream. On one hand, various supplies were transported to the front line, and on the other hand, a large number of wounded and sick soldiers were transported back.

The wounded and sick were sent back to Jinzhou after being rescued in the field hospital. Seeing this, Wu Tingfang became more and more anxious. He had seen the same situation in Changsha. When the Hubei New Army entered Hunan, the number of wounded in Changsha was increasing day by day.

However, the situation in Jinzhou was somewhat different. At that time, Changsha was in a state of panic, with three shocks a day. Although the atmosphere in Jinzhou was also tense and everyone seemed very busy, everything was in good order. Officers, soldiers, and workers were all doing their own things.

After being denied entry to the command center, Wu Tingfang ran to the yard next door to discuss the war with Yang Du.

Yang Du's main task was to develop theories, but he was also interested in military issues. The two idiots squatted on the ground and drew a crude map of Liaodong and Liaoxi, then used a few stones as the armies of both sides, and then discussed endlessly. The two men, one old and one young, were 20 years apart in age. They argued endlessly, and even when they were dry-mouthed, they still felt that they had not said enough.

"Mr. Yang, dinner is ready!"

A soldier outside called out loudly, awakening the two men who were immersed in discussing military issues. Yang Du and Wu Tingfang smiled at each other, "Mr. Wu, please stay here for dinner."

Wu Tingfang clapped his hands, dusted himself off, and said, "Okay."

Everything in the army was kept simple. Even Marshal Lin ate the same food as the soldiers below him. Yang Du and Wu Tingfang were no exception. Although the food was simple, they both ate very quickly. They were not hedonists. Neither Yang Du nor Wu Tingfang advocated luxury in their lives.

But they were different from the soldiers after all. After dinner, Yang Du made a pot of tea and continued to chat with Wu Tingfang while drinking tea. They did not continue to talk about military matters. Both of them knew that they had no say in how to fight. Apart from military affairs, there were many other topics to talk about.

In the next few days, Wu Tingfang watched the movement of troops and the coming and going of carriages in the city every day, and then chatted with Yang Du. Wu Tingfang not only learned Western law, but also learned a lot of other things. Later, he also studied Confucianism, Buddhism, and even Islam.

Although Yang Du did not study Western things in detail, he had a deep understanding of Chinese culture and East Asian affairs.

The two men were of different ages, but they had similar temperaments and talked about everything when they were together. While they were talking, good news suddenly came: the Seventh Division succeeded in an ambush in Huludao, annihilated and captured more than 10,000 Russian troops, sank 11 Russian warships and transport ships, and seized six Russian warships!

When the news of victory came, the whole city cheered.

Wu Tingfang was incredulous at first, because there was no news before, how could they suddenly win a battle in Huludao? Then he was ecstatic. Since the Opium War, China has been beaten by Europeans for a whole sixty years! Not only was it beaten by Westerners, but it was also beaten by Japanese!

China needed a big victory, so after the Eight-Nation Alliance was annihilated, so many people went to Taiyuan to help Marshal Lin. But a victory was not enough. There were still many people who were worried and feared foreigners, especially in the south. The humiliation of the past sixty years was not so easy to wash away. Although they won in North China, it was the result of the combined effect of time, place and people, and could not be regarded as a normal situation.

Lin Yongchang's prestige was too high. In order to offset the influence of Baldy Lin, many forces in the south made various analyses of the situation of that battle and said a lot of nonsense with their eyes open. Although the National Government of Nanjing and the military government of Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing were fighting fiercely, they adopted the same strategy in belittling Baldy Lin.

Wu Tingfang had been in Guangzhou for a long time, so it was inevitable that he would be affected. But now he had won another great victory. The People's Army annihilated tens of thousands of Russian troops in Huludao and seized Russian warships! Wu Tingfang was so excited that he danced with joy, not like a man in his fifties at all!

He was so excited that he wanted to share his joy with Marshal Lin, but was turned away by the guards. Frustrated, Wu Tingfang found Yang Du and asked him to help. Yang Du went to Lin Yongchang's residence and came back to tell Wu Tingfang that Marshal Lin had personally led his troops to encircle the Russians.

Wu Tingfang couldn't believe the news. As the president, he had to go into battle himself?

Sun Yat-sen would lead troops to the front line? Wu Tingfang imagined the scene in his mind and felt it was unreliable. Even Huang Xing, who was known for his military knowledge, could not lead troops to fight in person!

"The president carries the hopes of the world, how can he be so reckless?"

Wu Tingfang beat his chest and stamped his feet, saying: "If something happens on the battlefield, what can the world do?"

Yang Du was not worried, but smiled and said: "This is the first time that Mr. Wu has called the Grand Marshal the President."

Wu Tingfang was stunned for a moment, then said as a matter of course: "The divine weapon should be in the hands of a virtuous person. The Grand Marshal was appointed by heaven, so he should be the president!"

Chapter 201 Improving Relations

After returning to Beijing, Lin Yongchang found that Wu Tingfang's attitude towards him had improved a lot, too much. But he didn't find it strange, because the same thing happened last year. Winning the war would naturally strengthen the authority of the Central People's Republic Government and enhance his personal prestige.

Lin Yongchang had seen many such things. After Wu Tingfang expressed his feelings excitedly, he smiled and asked, "Mr. Wu, you don't believe in Protestantism, right?"

When Chinese intellectuals learn Western knowledge, they often accept the dregs as well. For example, Lu Zhengxiang was a good diplomat, but he was a devout Protestant. His religious beliefs were inherited from his parents. Lu Zhengxiang's parents probably pretended to believe in Catholicism in order to integrate into the Western world and live a better life in the Western world. Lu Zhengxiang really believed in it and tried to spread his faith to Lin Yongchang.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs secretly launched an investigation into Lu Zhengxiang. He did not commit any corruption or abuse of power, and his personal integrity was acceptable, but he was trying to convert the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs into Protestants. Lin Yongchang had some understanding of the fanaticism of converts and could understand why Lu Zhengxiang was keen to convert others to Protestants, but his understanding was one thing, and Lu Zhengxiang's approach was unacceptable.

First of all, it was due to the ideological superiority and the infiltration of foreigners. Secondly, the Catholic and Christian teachings had no basis at all and were clearly cults. Lin Yongchang was very reasonable. If God or Christ descended and performed a true miracle, then the matter could be discussed.

But Jehovah Jesus has always been just a legend, and there has never been any real miracle. As for those who spread Christianity and the like, Lin Yongchang's method is very simple, that is, to test through practice, because practice is the only way to test the truth. President Lin once said to people that if someone could be crucified and buried in the ground for three days and still be resurrected, he would consider converting to a certain sect.

Of course, it's just a consideration. The greater possibility is to capture that guy and torture him to see what tricks he is playing. If it is found that he really has magical powers, he will be locked up in a small dark room for research. Since he has magical powers, he can contribute to the progress of society.

In short, in short, Lin Yongchang was not impressed by European beliefs. In his opinion, the three major Semitic religions were all cults, and they were essentially the same. In comparison, China's native Taoism and localized Buddhism were much better, but they were not completely without problems. It was not uncommon for Buddhism to harbor filth and corruption, while Taoism... Taoism was tamed.

In the early days, Taoism was very powerful. The three brothers Zhang Jiao, Sun En, Lu Xun and others had all created huge waves.

The Boxer Rebellion actually had some elements of local religion, but there is nothing wrong with that. You can't say that the illegitimate Christ is superior, and Erlang Shen and the Monkey King should be despised, right? The "invulnerability" and other things in the Boxer Rebellion are of course dregs, and Christianity is not much better.

Now that Wu Tingfang has changed his attitude, Lin Yongchang feels that he can recruit him... Well, it is shown on the [Sun Never Sets in the Celestial Empire] system that there is one more consultant available for recruitment in the recruitment list, [Wu Tingfang: Diplomatic Advisor, Improve Relations +20%, Diplomatic Points +3/Month].

Lu Zhengxiang is also a system-certified diplomatic advisor. The effect of recruiting him is diplomatic reputation +1. Diplomatic reputation +1 is very useful. Lu Zhengxiang's ethics are also acceptable, but he is a devout Protestant. When Lin Yongchang knew this, he wanted to change the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Now it seems that Wu Tingfang is a good candidate.

Although he was a little older, being older also had its advantages. He knew many people and could attract more talents. However, Lin Yongchang was now cautious and would first ask about the other party's religious beliefs. So he asked Wu Tingfang, "Is Mr. Wu a Protestant?"

Wu Tingfang shook his head, "No."

Lin Yongchang felt relieved and continued to ask, "What about Catholicism?"

Wu Tingfang twirled his beard and smiled, "I don't believe in those Western gods. I don't believe in any foreign gods. Even if they are real, they will not protect the Chinese."

Lin Yongchang was completely relieved. As long as he didn't believe in those evil gods in the West, everything else would be easy to deal with. Wu Tingfang had good character and knowledge, and he didn't believe in Jesus Christ, which was good. "Mr. Wu, why don't you come with me to Taiyuan to see how our People's Party promotes industrialization? Just send someone from Guangzhou to deliver the letter."

Wu Tingfang shook his head and said, "I still have to tell Mr. Sun. There are many talented people in Guangdong and Hunan. I can introduce a few to the President."

Lin Yongchang smiled and said, "That's good. I'll be waiting in Taiyuan. By the way, can you give a letter to Mr. Sun for me? Ask him to provide some convenience to Jian Dashi when it's convenient for him."

In this era, when talking about China's elite talents, Guangdong and Hunan cannot be avoided. Due to geographical and historical reasons, these two places quickly accepted various Western thoughts and produced a large number of people who "opened their eyes to the world" and "learned both Chinese and Western knowledge". Many of them also studied and lived in the United States and Europe, bringing back a lot of advanced foreign knowledge and ideas.

Hunan alone is said to have one-third of the country's elite talents, and Guangdong is a little less, accounting for one-quarter. Of course, some of them have suffered from conversion fanaticism, but many still persist in the ideal of saving the country and are willing to sacrifice their lives for it.

If we want to build China well, we cannot do without intellectuals. Not only are talents in science and engineering important, but talents in the humanities are also important. If we do not occupy the ideological field and the public opinion front, the enemy will occupy them.

As Wu Tingfang returned to Guangzhou, the news from the north was further verified, and Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren, Chen Jiongming and others were stunned. They had spent a lot of effort to fight Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang, and they had not won. To this day, one-third of Hunan is still occupied by Hubei people. How can the northerners just drive over foreigners at will?

Hearing that Baldy Lin had annihilated another 100,000 Russian troops, the Nationalist and Military Governments in Nanjing were somewhat discouraged. Even if the battle reports from the north were exaggerated, Nanjing and Guangzhou liked to do so, and they judged others by their own experience, they thought that the battle reports from Taiyuan were the same, so if they cut it in half, they still killed 40,000 to 50,000 Russian troops.

Isn’t this kind of combat power a bit too strong?

Out of fear of the strong fighting power of the northerners, the south has temporarily calmed down. All major forces have temporarily stopped fighting and chose to continue to accumulate strength. The number of troops in various places has increased again and again. Two years ago, the troops in each province were only 100 million or 200 million, of which there were several thousand to 10,000 new troops, which were considered elite troops, and the rest were miscellaneous soldiers. Now, without 50,000 or 60,000 troops, it is impossible to survive, and 50,000 or 60,000 troops in each province are not enough. All places are still continuing to expand their armies, and the whole of China has entered the stage of an arms race.

But the most exaggerated one is Sichuan. The name of the Land of Abundance is well-deserved. It can easily mobilize an army of 200,000 or 300,000. The Pao brothers in Sichuan are expanding their army while fighting, and their power is extremely fragmented. If there are a thousand brothers who occupy a county, they can appoint themselves as the garrison commander.

The various forces in Sichuan fought each other, but they were still very united. They could fight among themselves, but outsiders could not get in. Whether it was the Hubei New Army or the Shaanxi People's Army, they were blocked at the door. This is very characteristic of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty used counties as countries, but now, some people have shouted the slogan of "provincial autonomy".

Chapter 202 Heroes

Song Jiaoren put down a copy of the People's Daily, which had not yet been published, and said with emotion: "The People's Army is truly a force of tigers and wolves!"

The newspaper was brought back by Wu Tingfang from the north. There were also ships from Guangzhou that would bring back some newspapers from the north every now and then, but they were often delayed by ten days or half a month. The newspaper Song Jiaoren read was three days old, and it detailed the course of the Liaoxi War, including the comparison of the forces and weapons and equipment of both sides, the changes in the battle line, the results of the battle, and the casualties on both sides.

The People's Army destroyed and captured 9.8 Russian troops at the cost of more than 170 casualties, and seized six warships, more than cannons, and more than rifles. Such a decisive and hearty victory greatly boosted the morale of the Chinese people. Although Song Jiaoren disagreed with many policies of the North, and the military government and the people's government were in a state of competition, this did not prevent him from praising the achievements of the People's Army.

"Tiger and Wolf Division" was not a good word for a long time in history. If an army was called "Tiger and Wolf Division", it was both an affirmation of its combat effectiveness and a criticism. For example, the Qin army at the end of the Warring States period was called "Tiger and Wolf Division" and was also the target of criticism by literati of all generations.

But the situation is different now. After being beaten so many times by the foreign devils and bullied by them for so long, the Chinese people urgently need a "tiger and wolf army". Being able to defeat the foreign devils is the hard truth, and moral issues can be put aside for the time being.

Wu Tingfang disagreed with Song Jiaoren's view, "No, Dunchu, you are wrong. The People's Army is not a tiger and wolf army. Using tiger and wolf to describe the People's Army is an underestimation!"

Song Jiaoren, with the courtesy name Dezun, the pseudonym Dunchu, also known as Dunchu, Dunchu, Yufu, and the pseudonyms Jianzhai, Songlian, and Zhongdao, was from Xiangchong, Shangfang Village, Xianrui Township, Taoyuan County, Changde City, Hunan Province. He and Chen Tianhua, who was also from Hunan, were both progressive elements. They had long been dissatisfied with the previous court and had always wanted to rebel.

Huang Xing led people to stir up trouble in Hunan, and Chen Tianhua and Song Jiaoren joined them. They were all intellectuals, and Huang Xing was unwilling to let them go to the front line as infantry. There were many elite talents in Hunan, and they could not be used in this way. However, young people like to act on impulse, and Chen Tianhua and Song Jiaoren wanted to fight with the Hubei people after they were excited. Huang Xing could not dissuade them, so he sent them to Guangzhou to discuss the merger of the military government with them.

The rebels were still fighting on their own, but Zhang Zhidong, Li Hongzhang and others had united. Yuan Shikai led a group of Beiyang officers south and joined the National Government in Nanjing. The National Army became more vicious, and the military government had to unite. If they continued to act on their own as before, they would be defeated one by one.

Song Jiaoren was young and full of vigor. He had always been proud of the troops in his hometown of Hunan. When he heard Wu Tingfang praising the People's Army so highly, he was a little dissatisfied. "Isn't it enough to describe the People's Army as a division of tigers and wolves?"

Wu Tingfang looked at Song Jiaoren as if he saw his former self. He twirled his beard and smiled, "Not enough."

Chen Tianhua, who had been reading a newspaper nearby, looked up and said, "Mr. Wu, tell us why the People's Army always wins battles."

Wu Tingfang was a jack of all trades in military affairs, and he also learned and applied what he learned. He took some summaries from Marshal Lin and started selling them when he came back. In another time and space, most of the so-called masters of the Republic of China did the same thing. Many of them did not produce any results or make any contributions. They just translated some foreign things into Chinese and then got the title of master.

"There are many things worth mentioning in the People's Army, such as the Soldiers' Committee and the unity of officers and soldiers, which can boost morale. But what impressed me most was the learning atmosphere in the People's Army. That is the biggest difference between the People's Army and all other armies!"

Wu Tingfang spoke to the young talents who gathered around him, "There are various cram schools in the People's Army. Soldiers must know 500 commonly used characters and learn addition, subtraction, multiplication and division within 100. Officers must master 3,000 characters and learn to read maps. Technical officers, such as artillery officers, must also know how to draw parabolas. Generals need to master even more knowledge. I heard that Mahan's The Influence of Sea Power is also taught in the Army University."

Chen Tianhua was a generation older than Song Jiaoren and was much calmer. He smiled and asked, "Does the Army also need to study The Theory of Sea Power?"

"It makes sense."

Chen Tianhua put down the newspaper and thought about the battle in western Liaoning. He couldn't help but feel fascinated. "It's a pity that I didn't see the scene of the great defeat of the Russian army. If I had known that this would happen, I would definitely follow Mr. Wu to the north."

Wu Tingfang smiled and said, "It's not too late now."

Chen Tianhua was a little surprised, "Sir, are you going to Taiyuan?"

Wu Tingfang nodded and said, "I will go there after I finish handing over the affairs in Guangzhou. Xingtai, come with me then. China's hope lies in Taiyuan."

Chen Tianhua laughed, "Sir, you once said that only Mr. Sun Yat-sen could save China."

"Mr. Sun is a hero, but the president is a hero. This is different."

"Sir, you speak so highly of President Lin. I want to go to Taiyuan to see him. When will you book your boat ticket? I will definitely go with you then."

"Let's go together, let's go together!" Wu Tingfang laughed and said to the young people around him; "If anyone wants to see China, come with me to Taiyuan!"

Many people were convinced by Wu Tingfang and admired the achievements of the People's Army. They expressed their willingness to go to the north with him. Many people were Sun Yat-sen's supporters and were very dissatisfied with Wu Tingfang's betrayal and poaching of his own people.

"What I pursue is the truth! I come out to do things in order to save the country! I will support whoever can save the country!"

Faced with the accusations, Wu Tingfang did not flinch and said loudly: "I have never been anyone's subject, nor have I pledged allegiance to anyone! I used to think that only Mr. Sun could save China, so I came to Guangzhou to work! Now I think President Lin is the one who can save China.

So I decided to go to Taiyuan!"

"The People's Army has made peace with the Russians! They betrayed Northeast China!"

Someone shouted: "They signed a traitorous treaty with the Russians!"

This is what the Japanese newspapers said. After sending tens of thousands of troops, spending a lot of military funds, and suffering heavy casualties in the bitter battle, the Japanese government was very dissatisfied and believed that the Chinese let the Russians off the hook, which led to the Japanese army's failure at the gates of Liaoyang. Although this statement makes some sense, it sounds like the howling of a defeated dog.

"Nonsense!" Wu Tingfang said angrily: "The People's Army has recovered the entire western Liaoning, isn't that enough? If they fail to recover the entire Northeast, they say President Lin is a traitor? What a ridiculous statement! The People's Government is making diplomatic efforts to demand that the Russians withdraw from the Northeast. Only if diplomatic negotiations break down will they continue to use force!"

"If any of you are dissatisfied with this, you can go to Liaodong to see for yourself! Although the People's Army is making diplomatic efforts, it has not given up the use of force!"

Everyone knew what kind of person Wu Tingfang was. He was not afraid of death and would never speak nonsense with his eyes open. Many of the young people were convinced by him, but some still insisted on their original views.

Chapter 203: Holding a Knife and Looking at the Eight Desolations Alone

"Wu Tingfang spread rumors and misled the people. He deserves death!"

"That's right! After returning from the north, Wu Wenjue has been talking nonsense all day, shaking the morale of the army!"

"We can't let him continue doing this!"

“The impact is so bad!”

Inside the temporary presidential residence, the military government elders angrily suggested to Sun Yat-sen that Wu Tingfang should be captured and beheaded. Even if he was not killed, he should be driven away. He should not be allowed to spread his heresy in Guangzhou. The People's Party's land distribution was clearly intended to bring disaster to the country and the people!

Sun Yat-sen was in a dilemma. He personally agreed to distribute land to the poor people, and he knew that doing so would win the support of the poor people. But what the north could do might not be done in the south. What Lin Yongchen could do, Sun Yat-sen could not do. Which of the generals of the Guangdong Army did not have thousands of acres of land at home?

Divide the land? Sun Yat-sen just let out a hint, and was blocked by the generals.

Kang Youwei said that Sun Yat-sen was a "long-distance revolutionary" who could only swindle money everywhere and then let others die. Some people in later generations seized on the fact that Sun Yat-sen was obsessed with lolita and expressed envy, jealousy and hatred. The real "revolutionary pioneer" was certainly not a saint, but he fought again and again, remained steadfast in his determination, and did not change his mind despite countless difficulties and obstacles. This alone was better than 90% of people, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was better than 99% of people.