1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 57

Because those things are more important, the grain transport can be supplied by a large number of laborers, and the loss is acceptable.

Railway and waterway transport capacity is almost at its limit. The railways on the north-south line are now completely military-grade and have no civilian use. The Grand Canal is being dredged at an accelerated pace. If sea transport were not blocked, it is estimated that sea transport would have followed suit.

As the chief steward of the Republic, Zhang Mingqi devoted himself wholeheartedly to the task of logistical support. With massive military expenditures and supplies and equipment flowing in and out of the country every day, Zhang Mingqi had to manage all the officials and sort out these accounts and procedures from a mess to a clear understanding.

Those items are prioritized for transportation and supply, those items can be put on the back burner, those supplies cannot be stored and must be sent over immediately, and those supplies can be stored but need to be stored somewhere.

There are also various transit bases and storage warehouses along the way, as well as information on where laborers were recruited from and where they were assigned.

There are all sorts of problems and issues that need to be addressed, and these issues are not fixed but dynamic, because the fighting on the front lines is also changing, and the rear must passively change accordingly.

When the front lines are attacking, the rear must provide a massive supply; when the front lines are locked in a stalemate, the rear must adjust its transport capacity.

Before the war, Zhang Mingqi's hair was gray and his beard was black. Now, just over three months after the war started, his hair has turned completely white and his beard is silver-white. He looks like he has aged ten years.

Previously, Zhang Mingqi had mocked Zhao Yan for always having ginseng tea in his hand at such a young age. Now, Zhang Mingqi even adds goji berries to his ginseng tea!

War is a severe test for all levels of a nation. Don't just think that young people are bleeding and sacrificing on the front lines while the old men are drinking tea, chatting, and reading newspapers in the rear.

If a real war breaks out, sometimes those in the rear suffer more than those on the front lines. The potential of every department will be squeezed to the limit, and the savings of every level will be indiscriminately drawn away.

Of course, this refers to regimes that are serious about fighting wars. The Qing Dynasty, which built gardens while fighting wars, is not within the scope of this discussion; those are exceptional cases.

Chapter 104 The Role of Beijing

Before Zhang Mingqi could even have a couple of days of peace, another secret letter from Zhao Yan at the front lines arrived. With a heavy heart, Zhang Mingqi opened the letter, wondering if Zhao Yan had passed away and was sending her to receive his coffin.

He breathed a sigh of relief after opening the letter. The letter was simple: Give me another boost, then I have to go clear some landmines again!

After reading the letter, Zhang Mingqi realized that Zhao Yan hadn't died yet, but he was about to die!

The autumn harvest is over, and a major battle has just ended, but Zhao Yan is still not calming down and wants to cause more trouble. Zhang Mingqi almost fainted again. At this critical moment, how could he possibly give Zhao Yan another boost?

The officials around Zhang Mingqi were watching his expression as they analyzed the letter. Zhang Mingqi was usually the one who opened and read the secret letters sent back from the front lines, and then decided whether the letter could be made public for everyone to study together.

Some letters were burned by Zhang Mingqi after he finished reading them, so others couldn't read them and could only analyze them by observing Zhang Mingqi's expression.

Throughout history, only ministers have sent secret memorials to the emperor, but now it is the emperor at the front lines sending secret memorials to his ministers at the rear. This makes everyone angry but dare not speak out. There is no other way. Last year's bloody New Year's Eve has taught everyone a lesson. Now, secrecy at the highest levels is of paramount importance.

The fact that Zhao Yan's attempt to make dumplings failed at the beginning of the Battle of Gaizhou is still being investigated by the military to find out who leaked the information.

If that strategic maneuver had succeeded, and the allied forces had been encircled and annihilated in the Liaoyang area, there wouldn't have been so many fancy maneuvers later on. They could have simply launched a southward offensive with a great victory to try and seize the opportunity to take Lushun.

Getting back to the main point, Zhang Mingqi didn't hide anything this time, but he didn't tell the whole story either. He only said that the front line needed another batch of unplanned military supplies, a considerable amount, and that preparations had to be made according to the standards of a major battle.

In the secret letter, Zhao Yan actually explained the reason: intelligence showed that the Russians were becoming restless. The Russian army in Outer Manchuria had suppressed the proletarian revolution, but was still increasing its troops and showing signs of moving south.

Zhao Yan understood that this was another bombshell played by the British, and it seemed that the British had other preparations as well. However, due to a lack of intelligence channels, Zhao Yan couldn't figure out how many more hidden traps there were, so he could only prepare in advance and deal with them as they came.

This is the tragedy of the weak. Even if you win a battle, it's not of much use, because the other side still has plenty of tricks up their sleeve.

The advantage of the strong is that they can lose many times, but only need to win once to make you unable to get up, while the weak must win from beginning to end!

Anyone who has played cards knows that, assuming no cheating, the winner is usually the player with the most chips.

Even if you win with a straight flush when you have no chips left, that's all you get. The other person still has plenty of chips, so you'll have to keep playing like crazy next time.

The Republic government is now facing an embarrassing situation where it has no bargaining chips. When the officials heard that Zhao Yan was asking for unplanned supplies again, and even supplies that would meet the standards of a major battle, they all looked at each other in bewilderment.

The autumn harvest isn't even over yet, and the autumn taxes haven't been collected. Where are we going to get extra supplies? The money that was just borrowed in the national treasury is all earmarked for supplying the front lines for the winter; it absolutely cannot be touched!

Zhang Mingqi pondered where to get his blood drawn. He figured he couldn't get any more blood from the local areas; if he did, they'd rebel. Besides, there was no money to be made from poor people. After thinking it over, Zhang Mingqi saw a map of the capital and suddenly realized he was in the dark. Right in front of him was a huge blood bag!

Zhang Mingqi expressed his idea of ​​drawing blood from the capital. Previously, he had only plundered the Manchu princes and nobles, and hadn't touched many Han gentry. Now that it's a republic, there's a new era and new atmosphere, everyone is equal and all ethnic groups are in harmony. Other ethnic groups are equal and in harmony, so these Han people should also accept the new republican atmosphere!

Some officials have raised concerns, saying, "Isn't it inappropriate to do this in the capital city, right under the emperor's nose?"

Zhang Mingqi was furious. "Under the Emperor's nose? The Emperor himself has gone on a military campaign. Shouldn't these people in the capital show some respect?"

Once these words were spoken, no one in the court dared to object anymore. The leader was risking his life on the front lines, so why weren't you people ready to shed blood?

The ministers of the central government, including Zhang Mingqi, were all from out of town. Almost all of them had been promoted from local areas and had little affection for Beijing or much personal connection there. So let them draw lots!

The Prime Minister's Office quickly reached a collective resolution to issue the first batch of 80 million taels of war bonds within the jurisdiction of the capital, Beijing, as a trial, with everyone who saw them entitled to a share!

The national debt was distributed to various jurisdictions, and officials received strict orders: those who were willing to cooperate would take the money and food but leave the national debt notes; those who were unwilling to cooperate would not be left with a single needle or thread and would be sent to reformatories for re-education.

The central government issued a stern warning to its subordinates: do not touch the poor; only target the wealthy and powerful. As for who the powerful are, the central government knows. Do not try to deceive them, or your property will be confiscated as well!

The issuance of the new bonds coincided with the afterglow of the great victory at Gaizhou, and all the wealthy households within a hundred miles of the capital received notices to attend a meeting at the government office.

Upon arriving at the meeting place, he discovered that the officials inside all looked hostile, and there were heavily armed soldiers all around. He immediately felt cheated and regretted bringing a pen to the meeting instead of a gun!

Fortunately, the government didn't take it for nothing; they left you with high-interest government bonds, which will be gradually repaid in the future.

The wealthy Han Chinese families around the capital managed to evade punishment, but they couldn't escape it all. In the end, the central government, blinded by greed, relentlessly pursued equality and harmony with them.

After the central government in Beijing plundered the wealthy households under its nose, it then squeezed out more people in North China, barely managing to gather the supplies and laborers Zhao Yan needed, which were all sent to the Northeast for use.

This is the significance of Beijing! Many people wonder why Zhao Yan chose to launch a northern expedition against the capital instead of Nanjing, which was so close at hand. Was it really to quell the Manchu Qing dynasty?

The main reason was definitely to completely destroy the Manchu Qing regime, but there was also a secondary reason, which was to quickly obtain that national savings account!

What is a national savings account? It's definitely not the red booklet printed with the name of a rural credit cooperative; it's something else—something that allows the government to withdraw money.

Ordinary people need bank cards, passbooks, or checks to withdraw money from banks. The government also needs to have something to rely on when it takes money from the people. These things are called national household registration records, land registers, legal codes, and other documents.

These materials are far more important than the extermination of Manchu princes and nobles, because these seemingly worthless documents are the only valuable work done by the Manchu regime in nearly three hundred years, and are of great value to the new republican government.

When Zhao Yan decided to march straight to Beijing, Zhang Mingqi wholeheartedly agreed. Why? Because of this!

Given the circumstances at the time, it seemed more prudent to establish the capital in Nanjing. At least there would be no obstruction from the six Beiyang Army divisions in taking over Jiangnan, and the expansion of territory would be much faster. It could even be accomplished by issuing a proclamation, since Zhao Yan and Zhang Zhidong had already reached a compromise and announced it, and the officials had no burden regarding surrendering to Zhao Yan.

However, Zhao Yan decided to tackle the tough challenges first, and Zhang Mingqi fully supported and agreed with this decision.

They were both smart men, and they understood very well that it didn't matter how much territory you conquered, because the area of ​​land you occupied was not always proportional to the growth of your power.

Occupying territory is not important; what matters most is whether you can effectively extract resources from it. If you can acquire territory and also obtain soldiers, pay, and food, then you have effectively controlled the territory and increased your assets.

But if you conquer it but get nothing, you still have to expend troops to defend it. That's an ineffective resource asset or even a liability.

Some might say that these things also exist at the local level, with various government offices at all levels possessing documents and records related to household registration and land ownership.

Yes, that's right. Local governments also have their own savings accounts, but those can't compare to the national savings account held in the central capital. That's the real unlimited super black card.

Instead of calling each branch one by one to find your passbook, you might as well just go straight to Beijing and get that unlimited super black card from the head office.

China has never been a feudal dynasty. The term "feudal" only applies to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. After the Qin Dynasty unified the country, China should be called a unified dynasty. What is the difference between a unified dynasty and a feudal dynasty? It is not the prefecture-county system, nor is it the unification of the whole country by territory.

Instead, every dynasty after the Qin Dynasty created a nationwide levy system, which included all kinds of resources you could think of, from taxes and corvée labor to poll tax and minerals.

Just like the poem "A rider gallops through the dust, bringing smiles to the imperial concubine's face, but no one knows it's lychees that have arrived," delivering fresh lychees from Lingnan to Chang'an, while a negative example, is still an act that demonstrates the capabilities of a unified dynasty.

This conscription system was built upon a vast array of documents and archives from the central capital, including laws, household registrations, land records, and various postal routes.

Any new regime that wants to replace the old regime must acquire these things. Only by acquiring them can you unlock the full map. Without them, you will always be facing the world in complete darkness, surrounded by the fog of war. You must explore these things step by step to understand them.

The reason why the current republican government is able to drain the country's resources is because it has this national savings account. The central government has a clear understanding of the logistics situation, product types, land resources, mineral resources, population size, agricultural output, and other information of each province and even each city.

The higher-ups clearly knew the financial situation of each locality, whether they had cheated or swindled, and how much they had handed over. By comparing the accounts with those of previous years, the localities simply could no longer deceive the authorities.

Because everything is clearly written on the passbook, you can know exactly what your subordinates have in their pockets. You can ask for whatever amount you want without having to test them, and you don't have to worry about them rebelling.

This passbook is only found in Beijing; it's not available anywhere else in China. In fact, some things that other places don't even exist in their own cities are available in Beijing.

The reason why Zhao Yan dared to confront the foreign powers so directly was because he had obtained this savings account. He was now confident and unafraid. Even if the local authorities did not send troops to garrison the area, they would not dare to play tricks on him. They would have to hand over what they were supposed to hand over honestly, otherwise the accounts would not match, and the central army would immediately come to kill them.

Why did the Beiyang Government in Beijing take power after the Xinhai Revolution, instead of the Nanjing Nationalist Government? Could the Beiyang Army's six divisions have done it? They certainly couldn't; it would have been like the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

It was because the Beiyang government obtained this passbook that they were able to survive for another ten years. It was only later that these brutes only knew how to withdraw money and never knew how to deposit anything, which led to the failure of this passbook.

After the Nationalist government came to power, it simply established its capital in Nanjing. From the beginning to the end, they never rebuilt this nationwide conscription system; they just made do with what they had.

It wasn't until the newly established People's Republic of China that this system was rebuilt, after a great deal of manpower, resources, and time were spent.

The central government's legitimacy and orthodoxy have never been something you can achieve simply by raising a flag, nor can you conquer the world by being militarily powerful.

By directly obtaining this passbook in the capital, Zhao Yan saved at least five years in creating a national operating system. All of this material consisted of readily available code, which could be slightly modified to form the new regime's national operating system.

Why didn't the local areas dare to act recklessly? After Zhao Yan occupied the capital, all the provinces became obedient because their resources were now in the hands of others. They not only had soldiers, but also all their information. Zhao Yan knew exactly how many people they had, how much land they had, and how much tax they could collect each year.

In this situation, what can you use to compete with Zhao Yan? What can you use to challenge the new central government?

Zhao Yan is now relying on this ready-made national operating system and national savings account to bleed the entire country dry, maintaining the war that seems impossible but he has managed to endure.

Despite this massive draining of resources, no rebellions broke out across the country. This was not only due to national interests, but also because the central government knew your situation well and knew how to squeeze every last drop of blood out of you. This was all done systematically, not recklessly.

Chapter 105 A Pincer Attack from North and South

The late summer of 1907 was a momentous time, which came to an end with the world-famous Battle of Gaizhou.

As September arrived, the autumn harvest and autumn taxes were being collected in full swing across China, with a steady stream of grain, laborers, weapons, ammunition, and military uniforms being sent to the northern front.

Of course, the adversaries did not stop either, and the British Empire's tradition of being a troublemaker was triggered once again.

The British sensed that China, this sleeping dragon, was beginning to awaken, and that suppressing it on their own was proving difficult. But no matter, they had allies.

In early July, the British sent a special envoy to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to meet with the Tsar, promising a great deal of benefits without costing them anything. In short, they offered political support, such as supporting Russia's southward expansion to acquire ports and territories within China.

The British said they wouldn't cause trouble this time, and neither would the Japanese. The main force of the Chinese army was currently tied up with them on the Korean Peninsula, allowing the Russians to easily interfere with Zhao Yan's plans.

Such a promise and support was very tempting to the Tsar, and Tsarist Russia quickly expressed its willingness to participate.

The British originally anticipated that the Allied offensive in Liaodong and the Russian offensive in the south would be launched simultaneously, so that they could attack from both the north and the south. Even if Zhao Yan had the ability to turn the tide, he would be powerless to reverse the situation.

But as times progress, some inexplicable coincidences always occur, and it was such a small event and a nobody that began to influence the course of history.

In early August, Tsarist Russia amassed 100,000 troops in the Far East. Although the Russians suffered heavy losses in the Russo-Japanese War, they had completed the Trans-Siberian Railway. With the support of this railway, it was not too difficult for them to assemble 100,000 troops.

When the Anglo-Japanese Allied Forces launched their offensive on the Liaodong Peninsula, a Tsarist Russian official in Vladivostok, a city in the Russian Far East, insulted the sister of a railway worker. He then threatened her and took her home to continue insulting her.

This incident occurred shortly after the last railway workers' uprising was quelled! This time, there was no need for Rinnoor's instigation; the railway worker who was the older brother happened to be a key member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation!

Unsurprisingly, another revolution broke out at the Vladivostok train station. Last time, Tsarist Russian officials offered various benefits to appease the revolutionary uprising, but then broke their promises. Not only did they break their promises, but they also dared to oppress the people like this. Who could tolerate this?

This revolutionary uprising was very fierce, with more than 3,000 workers and peasants in Vladivostok participating. A few days later, the uprising spread to areas such as Shuangchengzi and Khabarovsk, with a large number of workers and peasants along the railway line joining in.

A military train carrying supplies was intercepted by the insurgents, who obtained a large amount of military equipment and weapons that were originally needed by the Russian army for its southward campaign.

The rekindled flames of revolution caught the Russian army off guard, and even affected the military, causing some soldiers to waver.

The Russian army could no longer afford to worry about its southward expansion plans; it had to turn back to suppress the revolutionary uprising and restore the paralyzed Trans-Siberian Railway first.

While the Russian army was busy suppressing the revolution, the unsuspecting British confidently led the Allied forces northward, only to run headlong into Zhao Yan's army, which then suffered a series of humiliating defeats.

Until the Battle of Gaizhou broke out, the British were puzzled as to why there had been no movement from the north.

Even now, Tsarist Russia has barely managed to quell the revolutionary uprisings in the Far East, suppress the workers, and restore the Trans-Siberian Railway to normal operation.

But the Russians also embarrassingly discovered that they seemed to have missed the best opportunity; just one month later, the situation on the battlefield had changed dramatically.

Zhao Yan actually routed a nearly 300,000-strong allied army in Gaizhou. The Russians were quite intimidated by this battle, but there was nothing they could do, as His Majesty the Tsar had ordered an offensive.

This time, the Tsar insisted on fighting, not for any other reason than that damned revolutionary uprising.

The proletarian revolution in the Far East sent a chill through the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, thousands of miles away. The serfs and peasants who had been tamed by the Tsar for hundreds of years had united in rebellion. This was a political event that touched the very foundation of Russian rule.

The Tsar was furious. Even without the British's request, he had to fight this time because the revolution originated in China, and he couldn't let it go unaddressed.

The Chinese will certainly export revolution more extensively and without restraint. What if there are uprisings and revolutions in Europe later? Such worker-peasant revolutionary uprisings are simply undermining the foundation of the Romanov dynasty's rule.

The core ruling group in St. Petersburg also agreed to fight this war, resolutely suppressing the proletarian revolution domestically and finding and eliminating its root causes abroad.

His Majesty the Tsar was furious. "You, Zhao Yan, are utterly shameless! You're promoting a nationalist revolution domestically, but exporting a proletarian revolution abroad. Isn't this just a case of false advertising?"

The Tsar liked it when you came to Russia to promote nationalism, but he was furious when you came to promote a proletarian revolution!

Besides the Far East, the Russians also began to increase their infiltration of Outer Mongolia. Zhao Yan exported revolution to them, and they naturally wanted to get back at him. If you export revolution to me, I will directly plan for your territory to become independent.

At present, Tsarist Russia has not yet recovered and does not have the strength to launch wars in both Outer Mongolia and the Far East at the same time. It can only launch wars in the Far East and provide military assistance to Outer Mongolia to help the Mongols break away from China and gain independence.

The Russians provided a large amount of weaponry, which was transported from the Trans-Siberian Railway and then delivered to the Mongolian princes and nobles, persuading them to rise up in rebellion and seek independence.

The only force stationed in Outer Mongolia is the 8th Division of the National Defense Army, with just over 18,000 men. The Mongolian steppes can easily muster hundreds of thousands of cavalry. How could they not handle that? With Russia backing them up, what are they afraid of?

On September 11, the Tsarist Russian government declared war on China, citing reasons such as the Chinese people's illegal occupation of the Chinese Eastern Railway, their intention to export revolution to overthrow the Tsarist government, and their illegal occupation of Russian concessions. The government then assembled a large army and set off from Vladivostok to invade Chinese and Korean territory.

On September 15, many princes of Outer Mongolia gathered and announced the establishment of the Outer Mongolian Independent Army and Military Government, breaking away from the Republic of China and declaring independence. At the same time, they launched an offensive against the 8th Division of the National Defense Army stationed in Outer Mongolia.

On September 17, several nomadic armed groups from Central Asia also appeared in Xinjiang, launching frequent attacks against Republican government officials and the national defense forces.

Suddenly, the entire northern border of China was plunged into turmoil and instability. The national situation, which had just been turned around by Zhao Yan's victory in Gaizhou, took a sharp turn for the worse.

In addition to the north, a British Far East Fleet, which departed from Singapore, was also slowly approaching Hong Kong from the South China Sea, escorting a Home Infantry Division and two Commonwealth Divisions.

In the southwestern region, within the British Burmese colony, large numbers of Indian troops and Burmese native auxiliary troops also appeared, their numbers unknown, but they continued to approach the Yunnan border.

If the Himalayas weren't so difficult to climb, Tibet would probably have been engulfed in war.