1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 47

Everyone had gotten used to seeing Zhao Yan as their leader. Zhao Yan would just order everyone to work like crazy and they wouldn't need to worry about anything else. Zhao Yan had the general direction of the state apparatus in his hands.

But what would happen if Zhao Yan were gone? No one had considered this question.

“If I don’t go, my chances of winning are only 20%, but if I go, my chances of winning can reach 50%. Do you think I can refuse to go?” Zhao Yan put down his teacup and looked up at the treetops outside the window where the buds of flowers were blooming.

Zhao Yan said with a hint of pity in his eyes, "A million soldiers have entrusted their lives to me and chosen to trust me, while I stay in the capital and watch them fight bloody battles thousands of miles away."

If I win, I can enjoy unparalleled glory; if I lose, I can use the country's land and the people's blood and sweat to make amends.

Do you think this is how things should be? Do you think this is the original intention of our revolution?

Zhang Mingqi looked up and said, "Take me with you. You brought me out of Changsha and brought me to the capital. You can't leave me behind when we go to North Korea this time."

"You're not afraid to die at thirty-two, so what's there for me to fear at sixty-two? Back in the Xiang Army, I wouldn't dare say I fought like Han Xin or Li Jing, but I was perfectly capable of being a vanguard under orders."

Zhao Yan shook his head: "In this battle, you must support me as you did in Changsha. My rear can only be entrusted to you. The Northern Expedition to Beijing is not the end. The next Northern Expedition is the real Northern Expedition."

This time you must oversee the country. I will leave you 100,000 troops to guard the region. They are all skilled soldiers from various places. Their equipment is so-so, but they are all brave and fearless heroes.

Furthermore, the Northern Fleet will also be under your command. After I personally set off on this expedition, I will immediately order the Northern Fleet to block the Bohai Strait. No matter what method is used, lay mines, sink warships, and prevent any enemy from landing in the Bohai Bay!

I will also deploy defensive forces along the Beijing-Fengtian Railway. The 100,000 troops in your garrison area will be the mobile force in the rear. You must defend the capital!

Zhao Yanlu talked about many things, military matters, political matters, he said everything that should be said, and he also said things that shouldn't be said.

Finally, he entrusted the seals of the capital's defenses and the head of state's office to Zhang Mingqi, solemnly saying, "Old Zhang, if I can come back this time, I'll treat you to a drink!"

"If I don't come back, you don't need to force anything. You must protect yourself!"

Zhang Mingqi was moved to tears. Since ancient times, no emperor has ever entrusted a minister with the responsibility of overseeing the country. It is always the crown prince who is entrusted with this important task. This responsibility is unprecedented in history!

But Zhao Yan quickly added: "In addition, I will appoint Wu Zifu as a member of the Southern Committee of the Supreme Military and Political Council, and immediately give him control of the military and political power in the Southwest, Southeast, and Huguang Jiangnan regions!"

The four divisions stationed in the south, along with the provincial government departments, were all placed under the command of Wu Zifu!

"If I don't come back from this battle, I will take full responsibility. Just shift any blame onto me. Don't worry about anything. If you really can't hold on, just head south and join Wu Zifu, and assist him!"

Zhang Mingqi: "Huh?"

Give me back my emotions, give me back my tears! I'm so old, and you moved me to tears, I thought I could play the role of Zhuge Liang for once? I never expected you had a backup plan?

Now Zhang Mingqi finally understood. No wonder Zhao Yan's planned industrial zones were all in the south, with none in the north, and road construction was also mainly done in the south.

Even now, at this critical juncture, Zhao Yan himself is risking his life, but he refuses to budge the four elite divisions in the south, even though the military academy and shipyard are located in the south!

Zhang Mingqi finally understood. He had just been crying his eyes out, thinking he had really become the regent. Turns out, the clown was himself!

What kind of regent is this? If you, Zhao Yan, don't come back, the North can be completely abandoned. Wu Zifu in the South is the real regent. So he's the crown prince!

But since things had come to this point, there was no point in Zhang Mingqi saying anything more; he could only nod and accept it.

Chapter 86 Letter of Appointment

Even late at night, the lights in the Imperial Study were still on.

Liu Shangsheng, Qiu Xingxun, Zhang Xinghua, and Zhao Hao were all summoned to the Imperial Study. These men were all Zhao Yan's most trusted confidants.

"Teacher!" After they entered, the group of people respectfully addressed Zhao Yan as "Teacher." Ever since Zhao Yan had his heart-to-heart talk with Zhao Hao that day, all the veteran party members from Shanghai had started calling Zhao Yan "Teacher."

Zhao Yan nodded with satisfaction, a smile finally appearing on his face: "Please sit down. I called you all here so late at night to explain some things. Time is limited, so I won't ramble on. Just listen."

The group found seats and sat down, then listened attentively to what Zhao Yan would say next.

"First of all, it's me. I'll be going to Korea soon. The outcome of this battle is uncertain. I don't know whether we'll win or lose, but I know that if we lose, I definitely won't be coming back."

Several apprentices immediately stood up and spoke without hesitation.

"Teacher, we are willing to live and die with you! Regardless of victory or defeat!"

"Teacher, I'll definitely fall before you. Anyone who tries to touch you will have to step over my dead body first!"

"If things become impossible, we will let you go first. Teacher, China has a future, and the revolution has hope only if you live!"

Zhao Yan listened to his disciples' words with a happy smile. If this were two years ago, when he was still a swindler, he definitely wouldn't have let such a naive young man go.

But now that he has developed feelings for these foolish disciples, Zhao Yan feels more of a sense of responsibility for the young lads who have entrusted their lives to him.

Zhao Yan waved his hand: "Listen to me, I will personally lead the front line. Zhao Hao will accompany me with the Presidential Palace Guard. The rest of you will each have your own tasks!"

You are no longer teenagers or children; you are members of the Revival Party. When you took the oath upon joining, you said you would obey all the Party's orders!

"Liu Shangsheng!"

"Here!" Liu Shangsheng immediately stepped forward.

Zhao Yan took out a letter and handed it to him, saying, "Take this handwritten letter with you and go back to Jiangnan immediately. If I am not here, give the letter to your father or uncle. It contains my explanation of my support for the Huaiyang Chamber of Commerce and Jiangnan. I estimate that they will not be able to repay their money by then. Just give the letter to them, and then go to Changsha to seek refuge with Wu Zifu!"

"Let me give you a few more words of advice. You're a bit naive, so from now on, don't believe too much what other people say besides your brothers. If you encounter any problems, ask Wu Zifu and Wang Dingyun for advice. They are more decisive."

You need to be especially careful when managing the money. What money can be given out, what money cannot be given out, and whoever signs off on it is responsible. Never put money into your own pocket!

Liu Shangshang wanted to say more: "Teacher..."

Zhao Yan glared and said, "Don't be willful, this is an order from the Party!"

Liu Shangsheng put away the letter: "Yes, teacher!"

Zhao Yan then took out another letter and handed it to Zhang Xinghua: "Xinghua, take this letter to Chengdu, find Wang Dingyun and give it to him. If there is any trouble, you and Wang Dingyun must listen to Wu Zifu. It doesn't matter if you have disagreements in ordinary times, but you must unite in critical moments!"

“I know your and Wang Dingyun’s personalities and I acknowledge your abilities, but in this era of great competition, ability and composure alone are not enough. At crucial moments, you need to have a ruthless streak.”

In this respect, you two are not as good as Wu Zifu. Although he is a bit extreme, he would never harm you. When it comes to making decisions in critical moments, consult Wu Zifu more often. That guy is never ambiguous in his judgments, but he is too ruthless in his actions. You should also try to persuade him more.”

Zhang Xinghua took the letter: "Yes, teacher!"

Finally, there was Qiu Xingxun. The letter Zhao Yan handed to Qiu Xingxun was exceptionally thick: "You did a very good job in this purge in the capital. I'm very satisfied. I'll take the blame. Don't get involved in such matters any more."

Xingxun, you are the least noticeable among us, but I have seen and remembered what you have done.

Remember what your master said: it's okay to do intelligence work in the future, but never become a tool. Try to stay away from things like the Great Purge and the Manchurian Rebellion, or you won't have a good ending.

Take this letter to Guangzhou and give it to Wu Zifu. He'll know what to do after reading it!

"I have appointed Wu Zifu as the Southern Committee Member of the Supreme Military and Political Council of the Head of State, to oversee all military and political affairs in the South. This is my last resort."

"Time is too short. I can only leave behind this little bit of foundation. If the North is ruined, I will be a traitor to the country and the nation. You must all take responsibility. If I fail, my reputation will depend on you to turn things around."

"Alright, it's getting late. You should all go back and get some rest. We'll be setting off early tomorrow morning!"

Several people stood in front of Zhao Yan and solemnly knelt down to kowtow. Zhao Yan accepted it calmly. He said, "I certainly can't let you kowtow if you call me 'Head of State,' but if you call me 'Master,' then I can accept it."

But after the third kowtow, Zhao Yan couldn't take it anymore: "Get out of here! I'm not dead yet!"

After the others left, only Zhao Yan and Zhao Hao remained in the imperial study. Zhao Yan jokingly asked, "I'm only taking you to the front lines. You won't blame me, will you?"

Zhao Hao showed no sign of displeasure: "It's not my fault!"

Zhao Yan sighed and said, "There's no other way. We have to keep the guards with us. Without you, you blockhead, the guards' combat effectiveness is halved. But I won't let you take the bullets for me. I'll find a way to get you out of trouble if it's a critical moment."

Zhao Hao said, "No, we've been through thick and thin together, even others don't get this kind of treatment. I, Zhao Hao, am getting a good deal! Teacher, you've finally shown me some favoritism this time!"

Zhao Yan laughed and said, "You rascal, go back and get some rest. Don't linger here with me."

Zhao Hao walked out happily, but the light in the imperial study remained on for a long time, and Zhao Hao could only sigh helplessly.

Three days later, at Chaoyangmen in Beijing, Zhao Yan bid farewell to Zhang Mingqi with a small entourage and embarked on his journey to the Northeast.

Since Zhao Yan had not met with officials or held meetings for the past three months, everyone assumed he was still in the Imperial Study. After all, no one dared to inquire about Zhao Yan's whereabouts.

Therefore, apart from a very few people, no one else knew that Zhao Yan had secretly left the capital.

Zhang Mingqi originally wanted to arrange a special train to escort Zhao Yan to the Northeast. The train would start at the train station outside the city and end at Huanggu Tun train station outside Shenyang. Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan immediately refused, saying that the precious train cars should be used to transport military supplies and there was no need to waste them for him alone.

The Beijing-Shenyang Railway, connecting Beijing to the area outside the Great Wall, has been completed. However, the most critical South Manchurian Railway, also known as the southern section of the Chinese Eastern Railway, was controlled by the Japanese after the Russo-Japanese War. The northern section of the Chinese Eastern Railway is still controlled by the Russians. These two railway lines are the most crucial transportation lines in the inland areas of the three northeastern provinces.

Without these two railway lines, the military's combat readiness work in Northeast China has been slow.

目前国防军已经在东北部署完毕了七个整编师，分别是陆军第1、3、6、10、11、12、13师，京师附近驻扎的总预备队14、15、16、17、18五个师处于随时可以出击状态。

As Zhao Yan left the capital, five divisions near the capital also began to break camp and head to the northeast region.

In addition to the twelve standing divisions, there were also 300,000 construction troops who had arrived in Northeast China to carry out anti-bandit operations, 20 garrison brigades drawn from various places, totaling 120,000 people, 19 militia divisions, totaling 210,000 people, and about 60,000 people of the "armed police force" formed locally in Northeast China.

These troops will complete their final assembly and mobilization this month, fully entering combat readiness and ready to launch an attack at any time.

With a total of approximately 940,000 troops participating in the war, this was all the resources Zhao Yan had to deal with the upcoming war. At least in the early stages of the war, this was the strength he had. This force was also built by exhausting the last bit of resources of the national machinery.

The Class A standing divisions were elite units with complete infantry and artillery, equipped entirely with imported equipment, all German-made. Each division was equipped with an expensive imported 105mm howitzer artillery battalion, all of which were custom-made by the Germans and were very costly.

Each regiment has a light artillery battalion, mainly equipped with imported German-made 75mm guns.

The officers of the Class A divisions are all young and capable soldiers who have undergone intensive training at the National Defense University, while the rank-and-file soldiers and non-commissioned officers are all veterans with at least one year of service.

Class A troops are the backbone and vanguard of warfare, and the mainstay of the future battlefield.

The Class B Army Construction Corps, a combat unit that had undergone more than a year of military training and was under militarized management, underwent a thorough armed reinforcement after being transferred to the Northeast.

The Class B units mainly used Hanyang rifles and some imported American Springfield rifles. The artillery used were old artillery pieces that had been phased out by the Class A units. Each division had only one directly subordinate artillery battalion. Infantry regiments mainly relied on domestically produced mortars as a firepower supplement, and battalion and company-level units all relied on heavy machine guns as the core firepower output.

The Class B divisions will be the backbone of the fighting force during the upcoming war. Although their combat effectiveness is not as good as that of the Class A divisions, they are large enough to be deployed and can fight.

Category C units are garrison brigades and armed police forces. These units are all lightly armed and do not have any artillery. A company has one heavy machine gun, a battalion has one mortar company, and the firepower of regiments and divisions is also composed of machine gun and mortar companies.

The troops were equipped entirely with second-hand or brand-new Hanyang rifles that had been replaced by the main force, and the heavy machine guns were all domestically made Maxims. These troops were typical filler troops, unable to undertake major combat missions, but capable of handling secondary combat missions.

The last category of troops was the militia division. These temporary conscripts had only undergone three months of military training at most, barely meeting the standard of cannon fodder on the battlefield.

There are quite a few Category D troops, but they are mainly used for tasks such as maintaining and defending the rear supply lines. They are generally not deployed to the main battlefield for attrition, unless the front line cannot hold out.

Class D militia divisions could only equip each soldier with a rifle and a few grenades as their main combat equipment, along with a small number of light and heavy machine guns. The artillery was mainly provided by a machine gun company under the division's firepower.

The Republic has spent 470 million taels of silver so far, most of which has been used to purchase equipment, but that's all it can do.

Zhao Yan was unsure of the actual level of his troops' weaponry, and he couldn't find much enemy intelligence to compare with. He also didn't bother with comparisons; he simply decided to spend money like crazy to improve firepower.

With huge sums of money being poured in, even the military advisors brought in by Germany were saying that Zhao Yan was too crazy. The firepower of the Class B divisions was almost comparable to that of the German army, and the Class A divisions were even more advanced than the German army.

At least the current standing divisions of the German army are not equipped with ridiculously large 105mm howitzer battalions, but the Chinese are.

Zhao Yan, who had even gone to extremes, wanted to equip the army with anti-aircraft guns, but the Germans had never even heard of such a weapon. Zhao Yan explained that it was a rapid-fire gun that could fire at high elevation angles into the air.

The Germans were speechless after hearing this. These days, there's nothing in the sky except birds. What kind of thing do you want?

Chapter 87 What do the Chinese want to do?

"Find an excuse to get the railway first. What's the point of fighting a war without a railway? How can we leverage the core advantages of the Zhao family's tactics without a railway?"

Upon arriving at the Shenyang headquarters, Zhao Yan's first order was to reclaim control of the railways, especially the section of the South Manchurian Railway from Harbin to Dalian and Lushun, which was entirely in the hands of the Japanese—this was utterly absurd!

With the battle about to begin, Zhao Yan was furious to hear that the main railway line behind his own lines belonged to the enemy!

"Wang Chongshan, I've had you in the Northeast for almost four months now, and apart from sorting out the troops' preparations and supplies—things I assigned you—you haven't done a single thing. Are you like a candle? Do I have to light you before you'll even light up?"

Wang Chongshan looked aggrieved. He had a typical military mindset: he did whatever he was told to do, obeyed orders, and simply fulfilled his duty as a soldier. But with Zhao Yan, he was extremely lacking in initiative.

Mid- to low-ranking officers only need to obey orders, but for a high-ranking core officer like you, a general involved in strategic matters, the Minister of National Defense and the only lieutenant general in the army, to only know how to obey orders and have no ideas of your own makes Zhao Yan very dissatisfied.

Wang Chongshan explained, "Reclaiming the railway involves diplomacy. If not handled properly, it could lead to a drastic change in the situation and affect your war preparedness plans. I dare not do that!"

Zhao Yan cursed, "War was already on the horizon. The enemy has even prepared a coalition army, just waiting for another Eight-Nation Alliance invasion of Beijing. What are you afraid of? Hurry up and find me an excuse to take back the railway!"

Wang Chongshan said, "We have no excuses to make. Ever since the army entered Northeast China, the Japanese have been incredibly obedient. They haven't given us any excuses at all, and they've started bowing and scraping to Chinese people they see on the road!"

Zhao Yan stared at Wang Chongshan, pondering what excuse he could find to get rid of him. He really couldn't stand this kind of scum, but considering the other party's merits in serving him all the way, and also for Wang Dingyun's sake, Zhao Yan gave up the idea.

"You, you don't even have a tenth of the courage of my disciples, and you're still making excuses and stalling!"

"Do I have to teach you this? Kill a few Japanese soldiers. If you really can't find any Japanese soldiers, just kill a few Japanese people, put on their uniforms, throw them next to the railway line, and then blow up a section of the railway."

Wang Chongshan opened Mengmeng's big, innocent eyes and continued to ask, "And then?"

Zhao Yan sighed: "Then, you just say that the Japanese launched terrorist attacks in China, intending to destroy China's core infrastructure. In order to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the Middle East Railway and the commercial interests of various countries, the Chinese army had no choice but to forcibly take over the railway. Now you'll understand, right?"

Wang Chongshan nodded emphatically and quickly turned to give instructions.

Zhao Yan continued, "There's also the northern section of the Chinese Eastern Railway, from Manzhouli to Suifenhe. It's not appropriate for this railway to remain in Russian hands. With a major war imminent, regardless of who pays for the railway, it must belong to the Chinese! We must find a way to get our hands on it!"

Jean Sinor, the party representative of the First Division and a veteran member of the Revival Party, immediately stepped forward: "Your Excellency, I have a way to handle this!"

Zhao Yan asked, "Oh? What method? Is it also about disposing of corpses?"

Jean Sinor shook his head and said, “No, Your Majesty, I have already developed a large number of socialist radicals within the Russian railway workers’ community on the northern railway. The northern railway union has now been established, and we can launch an uprising at any time with just an order from the Revival Party.”

Then we can rightfully take over the northern line with the cooperation of the railway workers' union! The railway was built by the working class and the proletariat; it does not belong to imperialism, but is the property of the broad masses of working people.”

Zhao Yan quickly reached out his hand: "Stop, stop! This is a military meeting, not a party lecture! I'm leaving the task to you. I don't care about the process, I just want the result!"

Jean Sinor gave a standard Wehrmacht salute, pounding his chest: "Yes, Your Excellency!"