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"Here!" Wang Chongshan stood up straight, his soul trembling. Anyone who knew Zhao Yan well knew that he was very particular about how he addressed people. If he called you by your name plus your position or rank, it meant that something bad was going to happen to you.
Zhao Yan continued, "Your First Division of the Revolutionary Army is quite impressive, isn't it? Strong and well-equipped, with a large force. It's almost 30,000 strong now, isn't it?"
Wang Chongshan immediately understood the implied meaning and explained, "Your Excellency, we are wronged. It's not that we expanded the force without authorization, but that the people's revolutionary enthusiasm is too high. We can't persuade them to go back. They insist on following us, asking for nothing but food and no pay or equipment."
We're all from Hunan, so there's nothing anyone can do but reluctantly accept it.
Zhao Yan slammed his fist on the table and said, "Everyone's joined the army to fight, who's going to farm? Spring planting is just around the corner, and you've dragged all the Hunanese to the battlefield. Are we all going to starve this year?"
Wang Chongshan lowered his head and explained humbly, "This is nothing. We've already tightened our grip, and this is all we've collected. If we loosened our grip, we wouldn't be able to stop at 200,000, Your Excellency!"
They didn't join the army because they didn't want to farm; it's because they had no land to cultivate, so they decided to take a chance! Hunan isn't a large region with a sparse population. Even if you conscripted another million able-bodied men, it wouldn't affect farming, because there simply isn't enough land for everyone to cultivate.
Zhao Yan slammed his fist on the table and said, "You still want to explain to me? What do you want to do? Just listen to me obediently. Otherwise, you come sit here, you become the head of state, and I'll go to the First Division and become its commander!"
"I dare not, I would never have had such an intention!" Wang Chongshan dared not explain any further and stood obediently to receive the scolding.
Zhao Yan angrily rebuked, "You have 150,000 men. It's easy for you to secretly expand your ranks one by one, but how will you feed them after you've finished? Where will the military pay come from?"
Wang Dingyun suddenly reminded him, "President, 150,000 is yesterday's figure. Today it's estimated to be 200,000. People from all provinces are catching up, and there are still quite a few on the road. There are even more in Hunan, and people from Hubei across the river are also coming to join us every day."
All of this can only be blamed on Zhao Yan's loose tongue. He said all sorts of things, such as the Forbidden City collecting tens of millions of taels of silver every year, the tiles on the palace roof being made of pure gold, and a single wooden pillar in the Summer Palace being worth 500,000 taels of silver.
It would be one thing to say this in private to fool people, but Zhao Yan said it openly and honestly, so it spread everywhere, and people kept embellishing and exaggerating it.
In the end, it turned into the Northern Expeditionary Army's goal of conquering Beijing so everyone could get rich together. First come, first served, and the money would be distributed immediately after the battle. Tens of millions of taels of silver! How much would each of the 100,000 people get? Who could pass up such a chance to get rich? Even if they didn't get any silver, they could still scrape some gold paint off the Forbidden City and still be satisfied!
The fact that the revolutionary army stopped recruiting made everyone even more convinced that this claim was true, because the revolutionary army wanted to keep everything for themselves and was unwilling to bring more people, since each additional person meant one less share of the money.
The revolutionary enthusiasm of the people today is supported by three-tenths of their revolutionary ideals and beliefs, and the remaining ninety-seven-tenths is supported by their dream of getting rich and turning their lives around!
Chapter 39 Scattered like stars across the sky!
"No, we can't go on like this!" Zhao Yan finally made the decision.
"If we gather together, we're a pile of shit; if we scatter, we're a sky full of stars. If we keep clustering together, everyone will starve to death. Changsha's rear can't withstand such an absurd supply intensity."
"We must divide our forces! If we keep them all together, we'll drink up the entire Yangtze River in a few months!"
Zhao Yan looked at the map and began searching for Mancheng. Every time this happened, Zhao Yan was incredibly grateful to the person who invented Mancheng. He wondered who invented this thing; it was practically a gold coin bonus dungeon!
Taking a city would enrich them for a long time without any side effects. They could slaughter the entire city and loot it all, since it was originally Han Chinese wealth. As long as they didn't massacre and plunder Han cities, but only Manchu cities, the revolutionary army's prestige would only increase.
More importantly, it allows the army's desires to have an outlet, preventing them from erupting towards their leader. Uniting against external enemies is the key to victory.
"The First Division of the Revolutionary Army shall immediately move into the three towns of Wuhan, take over the city's defenses and key locations such as factories. Once inside the city, military discipline shall be paramount; there must be no misconduct whatsoever! Party Representative, keep an eye on things!"
Wang Chongshan immediately objected: "Your Majesty, our First Division is an elite force! How can we be left out of the arduous task of capturing cities and seizing territory? Those newly attached troops can't handle tough challenges!"
Wang Chongshan's scheme was so cunning that it could be heard throughout Beijing. The other provisional brigade commanders were indignant. "It's just an attack on the city! Why are you acting like you can't do anything? What's with all this talk about elite troops and newly attached troops? Why are you so special?"
"Hey Wang, haven't you Hunan people had enough yet? Those who try to take everything for themselves will never have a good ending. I'm only giving you face because I respect you as a superior; if you want to take everything for yourself, don't blame me for turning on you!"
"That's right, we're all revolutionary soldiers. Only your First Division can fight, and the rest of us are just tofu dregs? It's just a matter of one life. If we can't take Manchuria, I, the brigade commander, will personally sink in. It doesn't matter if we all die!"
"We're all here to make a revolution. Why should you be on the front lines while we can only watch helplessly? You First Division soldiers are all full-fledged and don't know the hunger of the starving. You're all in official ranks and you're getting double the pay and bonuses we do."
But we're all still in temporary ranks. Without a tough battle, how can we possibly turn things around?
Wang Chongshan argued, "In the Northern Expedition, the first battle determines morale. Only by winning the first battle can the army's morale be boosted. Without the elite troops, how can we let your newly recruited army lead the charge?"
Zhao Yan slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Enough! What elite troops, what bullshit newly attached troops! Saying any more of this will be considered disrupting morale!"
When Zhao Yan got angry, all the military leaders present immediately fell silent and continued to sit obediently.
Seeing that everyone was relatively obedient, Zhao Yan said without room for doubt: "First Division, carry out the orders. After entering the city, I will add another task for you: cleanse the entire city, arrest the Manchu bannermen and the Han people who collude with them to oppress their compatriots! Select a location to establish a centralized prison for all those arrested!"
"The Second and Third Brigades, two provisional brigades, are attacking Mancheng in Jingzhou. Do you have enough troops? If not, I'll add more!"
The Second and Third Brigades were transformed and expanded from the Eighth Division of the Wuchang New Army. Their personnel were mainly from Hubei. The two brigade commanders immediately stood up and forcefully suppressed the eager eyes of the other brigade commanders.
"That's enough. Two brigades are sufficient. If we can't take Jingzhou or conquer Mancheng, there's no need to waste military law. We'll all die under the city walls!"
"Very good! Very spirited!" Zhao Yan nodded and continued, "The Fourth and Fifth Brigades should immediately move up the river and enter Sichuan to take over Chengdu. Be quick and decisive, don't let those local opportunists make the first move."
Anyone who obstructs the way will be considered a Qing Dynasty lackey resisting the revolution and will be resolutely eliminated. Are your two brigades sufficient?
The officers and soldiers of the Fourth and Fifth Brigades were a mixed force of soldiers from Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. There was only one city in the southwest, Chengdu, so we had to trouble the troops from the three provinces to share one target. Let's eat first and worry about the rest later.
"The Sixth Brigade will immediately return south to take over the troops stationed in Guangzhou and Guilin from Guangdong and Guangxi, and control the military affairs in both places. There is also a small Manchu city in Guangzhou, which is now in your hands!"
"Yes, Sixth Brigade, receiving orders!"
"The remaining 7th Brigade is going to Wuhan for reorganization and training. Don't complain. You have everything that the others have. The division of labor in the revolution may be different, but the distribution is the same!"
Wang Chongshan's eyes widened as he listened, and he was consumed by jealousy. According to regulations, Manchu cities in various places were divided into major Manchu cities, minor Manchu cities, and unranked Manchu cities.
The main Manchu cities were built under the strong leadership of the Qing Dynasty in the early period of the Qing Dynasty, and were the largest in scale. They included Liangzhou, Ningxia, Taiyuan, Qingzhou, Xi'an, Chengdu, Jingzhou and other places.
These major Manchu cities were all built in core areas, strategically important locations. The location of these cities fully demonstrates that the Manchu Qing dynasty never trusted the Han people, nor did they regard the Han people as compatriots of the same country. Otherwise, why would they implement two sets of national defense systems? Whom they were defending against is self-evident.
Secondary Manchu cities were places like Guangzhou and Fuzhou, while unranked Manchu cities were places that originally did not have Manchu cities, but whose wealth attracted a large number of Manchu bannermen to settle there.
The noble Manchus certainly disdained living with the Han people who were like pigs and dogs, so they chose the most prosperous and central place in the city to create a Manchu-only residential area, thus forming the "non-quasi-Manchu city".
The specific location of Manchu cities varied. Even the main Manchu cities, such as the Manchu city of Liangzhou, were not necessarily as wealthy as the non-quasi-Manchu cities in the Central Plains and southern regions.
The Manchu cities of Jingzhou and Chengdu that were just assigned are the main Manchu cities in wealthy areas. They are much wealthier than the non-quasi-Manchu cities in Changsha. How can we prevent Wang Chongshan from being envious and jealous?
But at this moment, Zhao Yan also began to give a warning: "Don't think that just because the emperor is far away, he can't control the detachments you've sent out."
All the veteran party representatives of the First Division were transferred to serve in the southward and westward troops. Wang Dingyun, you will go to the westward army corps as the full-fledged party representative!
Wu Zifu, your hometown is Guangzhou. You will first serve as the plenipotentiary party representative in the Southern Expeditionary Force, and the affairs of the Organization Department will be managed by your deputy!
"Everything is the same old rule. Thirty percent is distributed among the brothers, and every officer and soldier, regardless of rank, receives one. The remaining seventy percent is all turned over to the national treasury. All fixed assets, including land and houses, that cannot be moved cannot be distributed and must be turned over to the national treasury."
"The rest that can move—silver, women, whether inanimate or alive—can be divided 30/70!"
“Remember, take only what you deserve. It is your right, not my reward.”
"But if anyone dares to reach out and take what they shouldn't, the Party representative isn't one to be trifled with. If I hear the news and get the evidence, don't blame me for treating you to a free meal!"
White meat rice was the last meal before execution. The revolutionary army practiced humanitarianism and would give prisoners a bowl of rice with a piece of boiled white meat before they were executed.
"Furthermore, the reason we sent you down here wasn't just for the sake of a mere city, but more importantly, to control the region!"
"The task of clearly identifying the Manchu bannermen is entrusted to you, but the more important task is to seize local military power. Remember, apart from the registered revolutionary armed forces and those under the leadership of the revolutionary army headquarters, all other armed forces are Qing Dynasty lackeys and must be resolutely eliminated!"
"After seizing local military power, the next step is to supervise those opportunistic officials and make them promptly hand over taxes and treasury funds to continuously support the frontline operations!"
"Anyone who dares to feed themselves and abandon the brothers on the front lines; anyone who dares to harbor thoughts of abandoning the revolution and establishing their own independent forces; no problem, feel free to try. I, Zhao Yan, hereby declare that I will exterminate their entire family, down to nine generations, leaving no one behind, guaranteeing their complete annihilation!"
Zhao Yan braced himself on the table, stood up, and stared at everyone with a hawk-like gaze: "Remember, the revolution is inviolable, and even more so, it is inviolable!"
"The revolutionary army treats traitors more cruelly than enemies. I don't want to hear the news that there is a traitor among us!"
"But if I hear this, I will personally execute you, in the name of the revolution!"
A sweet treat is always accompanied by a big stick.
Zhao Yan's reputation for keeping his word is now known throughout the world. If he says he will kill your whole family, then he will definitely send your entire family on their way.
Everyone present held their breath, and they all immediately stood up: "Rest assured, Führer! We are loyal to the revolution, even unto death! Betray the revolution, and our whole family will be wiped out!"
"Loyalty to the revolution is a vow to die a thousand deaths; betrayal of the revolution will result in the extermination of your entire family!"
Zhao Yan nodded and waved his hand: "Sit down, everyone!"
"We are all intelligent people. We can certainly tell the difference between being full at one meal and being full at every meal. Remember, after the revolution succeeds, I will not enjoy the glory alone, but I will bear the blame alone!"
"I hope that at the victory celebration banquet in the Forbidden City in the future, I can still raise a glass with everyone present and drink heartily. I also urge you all to be loyal to the revolution and do your utmost!"
Chapter 40 Meeting with Zhang Zhidong
In 106, the revolutionary army entered Wuhan without bloodshed and began to divide its forces to move south and west.
Zhao Yan was solely in charge of the Wuhan area, and nearly 300 new and old Party members under his command were all dispatched to the southward and westward advancing corps to supervise the battle.
Although Zhao Yan said he fully trusted the troops he sent out, he took no shortage of necessary supervision measures, and they were even more stringent than those for the main force in Wuhan.
Zhao Yan knew very well that people's hearts are susceptible to temptation, and he would never be foolish enough to test people's hearts.
Just think about the momentous Northern Expedition of the Kuomintang, and you'll know that it was truly a hasty and chaotic Yuanjia Revolution! After the war, China was nominally unified, but in reality, it was still a fragmented and divided nation.
Zhao Yan refused to accept this outcome, so from the beginning he sent out an absolute authority to supervise, sending out his two core ministerial-level party members, and all party members except those in the Changsha rear area also went there.
This is what it means to be responsible in your subordinates. Verbal trust is useless. The military is just like the officialdom. Before officials become corrupt, they all talk about being honest and upright. They can even use their party loyalty as collateral when pushed to the limit.
But in reality, once they have power, they can mobilize countless resources at will. Let alone officials, even Tang Sanzang would become a corrupt official.
So the most important thing is not to listen to what they say, but how you, as the leader, should supervise them and use swift and decisive measures to prevent them from being greedy or betraying you.
After the four brigades of 80,000 troops were divided and sent out to conquer the south and west, Zhao Yan immediately felt that the pressure on his side was greatly relieved. To be honest, Zhao Yan would rather face the entire army of 100,000 from the six Beiyang divisions than face the nearly 200,000 hungry mouths under his command.
Even without the supervision of the Party Representative, the main force under Zhao Yan's sole command would not dare to act recklessly, because Zhao Yan's prestige was undeniable, and he himself was personally leading the troops on the front lines.
Zhao Yan is the most senior leader, having fought his way up from Shanghai to the top, a leader who has fought his way through the entire process. He is incomparable to Sun Dapao and the others from the original Time-Space Alliance.
Look at what those high-ranking revolutionaries like Sun Dapao in the original timeline were doing – remotely directing everything while they were abroad and their troops were in China.
The second-in-command, Huang Xing, was a man who dared to fight and was involved in the battle from the front lines, but it was all for naught. The core power was in the hands of the most powerful figures who remotely controlled the revolutionaries.
That's how he handled things. No wonder he couldn't outmaneuver Yuan Shikai, and no wonder he was repeatedly betrayed by his subordinates and military leaders.
If you can achieve this so easily, who will respect you? Throughout history, which founding emperor didn't fight alongside others to conquer the land? Who has ever secured their throne without first fighting for it?
Even Li Yuan, such a powerful founding emperor, ultimately failed to secure his throne and was posthumously granted the title of Retired Emperor.
No matter how hard or tiring it is, Zhao Yan is determined to stay on the front line and maintain his position as the main damage dealer, refusing to be a remote revolutionary from the rear.
On the stage of history, you have to stand on it to make it yours; what good is it to act as a middleman behind the scenes?
Zhao Yan did just that; wherever he was, that was the stage of history, the main battlefield that determined the fate of the nation.
After entering the three towns of Wuhan, the first thing Zhao Yan did was to visit Zhang Zhidong, the former Governor-General of Huguang of the Qing Dynasty. This old man did not run away. After the uprising in Hubei broke away from the Qing Dynasty, he resigned from his position as Governor-General of Huguang, left the Governor-General's office, and returned to his own residence.
His subordinates had been strongly urging him to return to his hometown of Cangzhou in Hebei and not stay in Hubei. But who knew what the revolutionaries' attitude was towards this veteran minister of the Qing Dynasty? What if they tried to sabotage him?
But Zhang Zhidong refused to leave no matter what. He had devoted most of his life to this place, and at the age of 68, he didn't have many years left to live. He said frankly that the revolutionaries could take his life if they wanted it, as long as they didn't harm the land and people of Hubei and Hunan.
When these words reached Zhao Yan's ears, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Zhao Yan had barely entered the city and hadn't even settled in when he had to rush to Zhang Zhidong's official residence to pay a respectful visit to this old man with the courtesy due to a junior.
There was no way around it; their words carried too much weight! "Take only my life, but don't harm a single person in Hubei and Hunan!"
When these words come from the mouth of a 68-year-old man, can this 31-year-old young man sit still? This is a classic case of political extortion and taking advantage of one's age.
Once someone says something like that, they're not afraid of you killing them. If you dare to kill them, you'll lose the hearts of the people and officials in Hubei and Hunan provinces. Besides, killing a 68-year-old man like that would be pointless.
On the contrary, the best thing you can do is to visit them as soon as possible, not just visit them, but pay a proper visit. Visit them with the respect due to a junior and show your sincerity. That is the surest way to win.
When Zhang Zhidong heard that Zhao Yan, the leader of the revolutionary army, had come to his doorstep to request an audience, he gave him a great deal of face and personally went out to greet him.
In politics, as long as there is no fundamental conflict of interest, everything else can be resolved through compromise. How to compromise? Of course, it's about giving each other face!
Zhao Yan personally paid a visit with the courtesy due to a junior, and Zhang Zhidong personally went out to greet him; this was a matter of mutual respect.
The two stood at the entrance of the mansion, facing cameras, reporters, and even witnesses from foreign powers in the concession, putting on a harmonious political show. Zhao Yan acted like a real grandson, while Zhang Zhidong was as kind as a real grandfather.
There's no way around it; Zhang Zhidong played a huge role in the development of modern Hubei and Hunan. Just based on his historical achievements, if you want to inherit the Hanyang Ironworks and Arsenal in the future, you'll have to act like a grandson now.
Of course, this grandson was not just a figurehead; it was very meaningful. Zhao Yan's kindness and respect for Zhang Zhidong also reassured officials in other provinces that had revolted.
Seeing the treatment Zhang Zhidong received, the other Manchu veterans and Han officials naturally stopped excluding the revolutionaries who were reasonable, since at least they adhered to political rules.
To be honest, Zhao Yan's previous massacre of the Manchu city and his implication of Manchu lackeys frightened many Han officials, because strictly speaking, they were also Manchu lackeys, just in different ways.
The Han Chinese who were implicated were all accomplices who bullied and oppressed their fellow countrymen, but this was limited to a single place, city, or street.
These Han officials, however, extended their influence to the entire country, province, prefecture, and county. If we're being really serious, they deserve to die even more from the perspective of the revolutionaries.
In other words, after the Changsha Uprising, Zhao Yan did not touch the Han officials, but instead continued to appoint them. This is why other provinces and regions rose up one after another. Otherwise, if Zhao Yan had really carried out a large-scale purge of the Han officials, these provinces would have already desperately suppressed the revolution.
At the entrance of Zhang Zhidong's official residence, Zhao Yan delivered a public speech to everyone. He first criticized the fact that Han officials had acted as accomplices to the Manchu Qing court in suppressing the Han people, and accused them of lacking national beliefs and the courage to overthrow oppression and humiliation.
However, it also acknowledges the contributions of the Han officials to the preservation and continuation of Chinese civilization, as well as their role in national development.
Zhao Yan concluded his speech with the words: "What's past cannot be forgotten, but what's to come can still be pursued!"
This is a powerful summary, just a short sentence. You can look up the source and meaning yourself, but it means that the past is the past, it's over, and I'll only see what you do from now on!
Some people may wonder, if ordinary people who acted as lackeys of the Manchus were to be punished and executed, why can officials just gloss over it with a single sentence?
If you ask this question, you definitely don't understand what the value of united front work is, and your political affiliation is definitely listed as "the masses"!
Throughout history and even into the future, officials have possessed an incredibly powerful right. In ancient times, it was called "the law does not apply to high-ranking officials," in modern times it's called "administrative immunity," and what it will be called in the future is anyone's guess.
Even if the revolution succeeds, the main bureaucratic structure of the Qing Dynasty, especially the Han officials, will still be composed of them for at least ten years, and Zhao Yan has no way to change this.