manynovel Page 58
Page 58
In short, the British Empire, which had been soundly defeated by Zhao Yan, made its move once again, and this time it was a royal flush plus four twos as its starting hand, igniting battlefields thousands of miles away one by one.
This time, the British were smarter. They let the Russians take action first, and then followed behind. They absolutely could not allow a situation like the Battle of Gaizhou to occur, where they fought to the death, only to have the Russians turn around and suppress the revolution.
The authority of a world superpower cannot be challenged; it either doesn't act at all, or when it does, it leaves you unable to defend yourself from both ends.
On the Korean battlefield, upon receiving news of Russia's downfall, Japan, as its arch-rival, once again hatched its own schemes. The Japanese army was the main force on the front lines of the Korean battlefield, refusing to accept British command, because Korea was recognized as Japanese territory, and the Japanese army was fighting independently there.
Japan quietly relaxed its offensive on the Korean Peninsula front, making it easier for Chinese troops to return and fight the Russians. Japan was quite happy to do this to the Russians.
They didn't want to suffer a bloody defeat while the Russians stole the spoils from them! They were determined to outmaneuver the other side.
The north was in turmoil, and the south was fraught with danger. At this moment, Zhao Yan was in Shenyang and Liaoyang. Upon hearing the news, he immediately ended his recuperation, got up, put on his cloak again, picked up his riding whip, and walked out of the camp gate.
The head of state's guards followed suit. When the generals saw Zhao Yan riding his horse again, they all stopped taking the enemy seriously. This time, their leader was going to take action personally again.
All the generals eagerly awaited the leader's appointment. To continue fighting alongside Zhao Yan was the aspiration of every soldier in the National Defense Army, and even dying in battle would be an unparalleled honor.
However, Zhao Yan did not take any of the troops that had participated in the Battle of Gaizhou with him, but left this fresh force in the Liaodong region.
First, these troops had not fully recovered after the Battle of Gaizhou. Second, a large force had to be left in the rear of Liaodong. Who knew if a second allied army would suddenly emerge from that disgusting Kwantung State? There was no way around it; this was a consequence of not being able to take Lushun. You had to leave an army behind at all times to guard against that side.
Zhao Yan took only his 500-man head of state guard with him to the Yanbian region of Jilin, where there were still five divisions of the Eastern Route Army that had not moved under his orders, and the Manchurian cavalry that had been transferred there were also ordered to participate in the battle.
From the very beginning of the war in Korea, Zhao Yan kept men on guard against the Russians. He never expected these neighbors, who were always unreasonable, to be well-behaved.
The Russians, whether in the past or in the future, will never be friends of China. Zhao Yan has never intended to get along well with this country!
Chapter 106 This empire is not worth having!
September 15, 1907, inside the Nanjing Imperial Palace.
Wu Zifu was roaring as he held up the secret letter that had just been sent from Beijing, while the officials in Jiangnan were desperately trying to appease the crown prince.
Three days ago, a secret letter arrived from Beijing. It was a handwritten letter from Premier Zhang Mingqi, saying that Zhao Yan was about to die and that Wu Zifu should make preparations. But two days later, another letter arrived, along with a handwritten letter from Zhao Yan, saying that Zhao Yan was in good health and still holding the line, and that Wu Zifu should not worry.
When Wu Zifu saw this first letter, he declared that the entire south was in a state of war, the Sixth Division was expanded into the Sixth Army Group, and a million laborers were conscripted to prepare to go north and participate in the war at any time.
The entire south was in an uproar. Where would they get the money, supplies, and provisions to support the army's northward march? Everyone advised Wu Zifu against this. Just then, a second letter arrived, saying that Zhao Yan was in good health and that stability should be the priority in the south.
Wu Zifu was a man who never hid anything, and he disdained any conspiracies or tricks. He made everything he saw public, and he would openly discuss any secret letters or such matters. However, the final decision on the outcome of the discussion had to be based on his will.
You say Wu Zifu is scheming? He never bothers to hide his intentions when he does anything; he always does things openly and honestly, regardless of whether you like it or not.
But you could say he's a sensible person, yet he's incredibly impulsive. Once he decides to do something, no one can stop him; whoever tries to stop him becomes his enemy. Apart from Zhao Yan, he listens to no one and submits to no one.
What's even more crucial is that Wu Zifu is now the Grand Commander of the military, both domestic and foreign. He is not required to bow when entering the court, nor is he required to be named when receiving imperial homage. He has been granted the Nine Bestowments and is stationed in Nanjing to oversee the country and rule over the entire southern China. This power has been clearly stated by Zhao Yanming.
Zhang Mingqi, the so-called prime minister and regent, was seen by everyone as a potential scapegoat for the North. Only Wu Zifu was the real successor handpicked by Zhao Yan. Although he was not Zhao Yan's biological son, he was the de facto crown prince of the entire Republic.
The power and righteousness that Wu Zifu held were almost unprecedented in history; no crown prince had ever possessed such power.
Now Wu Zifu openly resides in the Nanjing Imperial Palace, and all matters concerning the southern provinces must first pass through the Nanjing Imperial Palace before they can be implemented. However, no one objects, because Zhao Yan has inexplicably delegated power to him.
This makes it clear that if Zhao Yan can't handle things in the north, then Wu Zifu will take over.
Everyone understood Zhao Yan's previous arrangements. It turned out that all the industrial zones were located in the south, and the north was almost entirely mobilized, but the elite divisions in the south remained untouched, all to preserve Wu Zifu's foundation.
Those officials who understood the situation naturally chose to support him, and were also impressed by Zhao Yan's magnanimity. He treated his apprentice more reliably than his own son, showing complete and unconditional trust.
But what's most troublesome is that Wu Zifu is too headstrong. Upon hearing that his master Zhao Yan seems to have encountered trouble in the north, he immediately decided to abandon everything and head north.
If they really go, it would mean that all of Zhao Yan's previous entrustment was meaningless, and the whole of China would be completely in vain, with no hope of making a comeback left.
Zhao Yan entrusted everything to you not so that you could save him, but so that after his failure, you, Wu Zifu, could endure the humiliation and continue to carry the banner and wait for the next opportunity.
If he were just an ordinary 21-year-old, the officials would be easy to fool. But the key is that Wu Zifu has never been an ordinary person. His ability and courage are not limited by age.
This is a true genius. At the tender age of twenty, he led an army of 20,000 men south alone and swiftly pacified the entire southern China. He was even more impressive than Huo Qubing, and his abilities rivaled those of Li Lao Er, the Grand General of the Heavenly Strategy.
This young hero was entrusted to Zhao Yan's final mission not simply because of connections, but because this man truly had real ability!
However, this capable, well-connected young man, who has already shouldered heavy responsibilities, also has a fatal flaw: he is not mature enough, not in terms of age, but in terms of political immaturity.
The officials and ministers in the south had already abandoned all pretense of decency and made their point completely clear. At this moment, Zhao Yan seemed to be enjoying great success, but in reality, he was walking a tightrope a thousand meters in the air, dancing on a hundred eggs, and was in danger of collapsing at any moment.
Zhao Yan himself understood this matter, which is why he entrusted you, Wu Zifu, with such an important task. He hoped that even after his passing, you, Wu Zifu, could take up the mantle and continue leading everyone forward.
But Wu Zifu saw everything clearly, except when it came to his master Zhao Yan, he just ignored it all!
Those around them were indeed moved by the bond between the master and disciple. Master Zhao Yan entrusted his son to him without reservation, treating him as his own son even though he wasn't his biological son. He gave him everything he should have, and even things he shouldn't have, without a trace of suspicion or reservation.
As a disciple, Wu Zifu lived up to the trust placed in him by his master, Zhao Yan. When it came to the crucial moment, he gave up everything. Such trust left the officials and ministers at a loss for what to do.
In the end, with no other choice, Qiu Xingxun, who was heading south, had no choice but to take out the secret letter that Zhao Yan had personally entrusted to him before he left Beijing. Zhao Yan had instructed that if Wu Zifu did not act impulsively, he would not need to take out the letter, but if Wu Zifu did act impulsively, he would have to show it to him.
This is Zhao Yan's final memorial before his expedition. His letters to his other junior brothers were all instructions and entrustments, but his letter to Wu Zifu was tantamount to a will.
When Qiu Xingxun stepped forward, all the officials breathed a sigh of relief. At this point, no outsiders could persuade them anymore. Only the fellow disciples had a chance. In fact, everyone was complaining that the imperial edict had been prepared long ago, so why did they have to wait until now to reveal it?
When Wu Zifu saw Zhao Yan's handwritten letter before his departure, he temporarily regained his composure. However, as he read the letter, his anger only intensified.
The contents of the secret letter were quite simple:
“Zifu, I know that among all my disciples, you are the most determined and capable. In critical moments, you are the only one who can take on the responsibility and lead everyone to continue working.”
This time, as your teacher, I am going to war. Life and death are uncertain, and I may not be able to come back. A million-strong army, countless comrades trust me and follow me to risk their lives. If something goes wrong and we can't come back, I will have no face to return and will only be able to die with everyone in a foreign land.
But even if I am gone, the revolutionary cause must continue. Looking around, I can only find that you, this hothead, are the only one who can continue to carry the flag.
As your teacher, I'm not just going to walk away and abandon you. I've left the food in the pot for you (the three major industrial regions of Central China, South China, and East China), and I've put all the money in the drawer (the southern provinces have their own fiscal and tax policies). If there's anything difficult to handle, just hold the knife in your hand (the 4th, 5th, and 6th permanent teachers).
This time, I'm going to pave a bright future for everyone, but the opponent is really formidable. Words alone are useless; you need real physical strength to make a difference.
Teacher, if I win, everything will be fine. If I don't win, I probably won't come back, but at least I won't die too badly. I can at least buy you young people a few more years.
Zifu, you must not act impulsively. Stay obediently in the South, develop industry, and strengthen national defense. Those old geezers are very wicked, so don't listen to them. Do things your own way.
I've already given instructions to your junior brothers. Tell them to listen to you in everything. Don't mistreat them. You must show the magnanimity of the senior brother. It's normal for brothers to have some minor squabbles, but they must stay united.
You're too hasty. I told Zhang Mingqi to tell the old man that if he can't handle it, he should come south and come to you for help. The old man has a lot of experience, so listen to him more often.
Zifu, to tell you the truth, what I said in the Shanghai tavern was just me bragging, talking nonsense when I was drunk. Whether I could actually do it, I have no idea.
You are young and smart enough. If you can take what I say to heart, then do it. If you can't, then just ignore it.
But this time, you have to listen to me. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. I'm going to gamble on the future. You can't gamble. You should stay in the south and build up your strength.
There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, and you have plenty of time, so don't rush!
I've laid the foundation for you, but not much. My abilities are limited, and this is all I can do. From now on, it's up to you.
If I can come back this time, I can keep going. If I can't come back, then I can only rely on you!
Zhao Yan's handwritten letter contained no subtle foreshadowing or hidden details; everything that needed to be said was clearly stated, and everything that needed to be explained was stated directly.
After reading the letter, Wu Zifu threw it away: "I'd rather not have this empire!"
"A teacher for a day is a father for life. I, Wu Zi, will never be a coward who merely prolongs my life!"
After the letter was thrown out, everyone quickly picked it up and passed it around. After reading it, they were all speechless. This was more thoughtful than even the old emperor's will for the crown prince. Everything was arranged for him, and he still insisted on doing things his own way.
It's obvious that the throne is being handed over to you. If Zhao Yan runs into trouble on the front lines and doesn't come back, you will be the new emperor. If you win and come back, you will be the undisputed number two.
At this point, Wu Zifu still only wanted his master, not the throne! This left his subordinates speechless; there was no way to persuade this child, he was too stubborn!
The secret letter was stamped with Zhao Yan's official seal and his own signature. It was clearly a will, but Wu Zifu just threw it out without a care.
The political significance of this thing is beyond words. Even if Zhao Yan wins and returns, having this letter in your hand makes you the undisputed second-in-command of the Republic.
But Wu Zifu, this hothead, didn't care about any of that; he only cared about his master, Zhao Yan! This unprecedented master-disciple relationship in the political arena left everyone speechless.
From the perspective of the teacher-student relationship, Wu Zifu's actions were correct, even exemplary. However, from the perspective of national interests, Wu Zifu's actions were too impulsive, a complete all-in gamble with no way out.
Zhao Yan was perfectly clear-headed about this. He knew that this expedition was a gamble, but he still left the country with one last chance to turn things around. He did the right thing in this regard, and it was a choice that everyone could trust.
But they happened to run into Wu Zifu, a stubborn and headstrong young man, and no one knew how to persuade him.
If you were to run out at this point and try to persuade Wu Zifu not to lead his army north to fight, you wouldn't even have the chance to be Wei Zheng, because if Wu Zifu killed you, you wouldn't have anything to say!
The four cardinal virtues of the Chinese people are Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher. Zhao Yan is not only Heaven and Earth, but also all of them. He is Wu Zifu's ruler, parent, and teacher, possessing all three. Wu Zifu's all-out effort to save Zhao Yan perfectly aligns with traditional Chinese morality. Anyone who dares to obstruct him is considered disloyal, unfilial, and unjust!
The ministers looked to Qiu Xingxun, their last hope resting on this junior brother. Only he could possibly persuade Wu Zifu, this reckless man.
Qiu Xingxun was also dumbfounded. The teacher only gave him a letter, saying that when the time was right, he should take out the letter and Wu Zifu would definitely not act impulsively.
The courtiers were dumbfounded. In such a life-or-death matter of state, you and your disciple judge it based on timing? Do you think you are Zhuge Liang?
At the critical moment, an urgent messenger, foaming at the mouth, rushed in from outside the palace and entered the Nanjing Imperial Palace without any hindrance.
"Report! The southwest is in dire need of help!"
"British troops have deployed a large number of troops to Hong Kong with the intention of invading Guangdong!"
"A large number of enemy troops have invaded the Yunnan-Myanmar border, and the southwest is in grave danger!"
The opportunity has arrived! The ministers' eyes lit up, marveling at the emperor's brilliant foresight—how could he have predicted this!
In the past, when foreign powers invaded the southern border, all the officials would have been frowning with worry. But now that the foreign powers have invaded, this is a golden opportunity!
The British arrived at the perfect time, giving everyone the best opportunity to advise this hothead Wu Zifu!
Your master Zhao Yan is defending the north against foreign aggression, and you, Wu Zifu, cannot rest in the south either. The bond between master and disciple is important, but you cannot ignore the peril of the nation.
Before, no one had any reason to advise you, fearing you would be executed as a disloyal, unfilial, and unjust person. But now that the enemy has reached our borders, we are now advising you to stay, which is for the national interest!
Enraged, Wu Zifu heard that someone had come to his death at this critical moment, and seeing the gazes of the assembled officials, he had no choice but to compromise.
Wu Zifu knew perfectly well what the purpose of the revolution was; faced with the greater good, the bond between teacher and student had to take a backseat.
"Issue my order: assemble the army and conscript laborers! This time, I will fight my way out! My master said, 'If the enemy can go, so can I!'"
"I must win this battle quickly, and then lead my troops north to rescue my master!"
“I will have my mother and younger brother sent to Beijing. If my master dies, I, Wu Zifu, will not survive alone!”
The officials immediately obeyed, saying that as long as you don't take the last of the South's best resources and go all in, everything is negotiable!
Traveling thousands of miles north to aid Liaodong is a completely different matter from fighting in Guangdong, the southwest, right on their doorstep. As long as Wu Zifu is willing to take a step back, none of his men would object!
Chapter 107 You're not taking the road to heaven!
"The army is marching south, and we are conscripting laborers. They will be paid two taels of silver per month, and will have three full meals a day!"
"When the Crown Prince personally leads the expedition, those who join the army will be granted five mu of land, those who die in battle will be granted ten mu, those who are beheaded will be granted an additional mu, and those who are beheaded ten times will have one member of their family granted an official position!"
"The Southern Commissioner will lead his army on a southern expedition! The land in Southeast Asia will yield three harvests a year. Those who join the army will be rewarded with land, and those who perform meritorious service will be granted official positions and titles!"
With Wu Zifu's order, all the southern provinces gave their full support. As long as this man didn't take the last bit of the south's resources and go all in on the northern frontier, the southern officials would support him with their lives.
As for the war in the north, the south was almost completely drained. National debt, taxes, food supplies, military provisions and all sorts of other things were suffocating the southern provinces.
Transporting resources from the south to the northern front lines wasn't like the express delivery services of later generations, using highways, railways, and cargo ships. Instead, it involved a slow and arduous process!
These days, there isn't even a meter of paved road, let alone any hardened national highways, and the railways are all single-track.
About 60% of the supplies and provisions transported from the south to the northern front had to be carried by laborers and mules, meter by meter, which was extremely costly.
If Wu Zifu were to send another 200,000 to 300,000 troops north to reinforce the south, the south would immediately explode. There's no way around it; the losses on the way would be just too great.
If you had a double-track high-speed railway with three main lines and three horizontal lines, as well as a dense network of highways and national roads, and a continuous supply of locomotives and heavy trucks, it wouldn't matter if the South provided money, grain, supplies, and military equipment. The key issue is that you don't have any of these.
All the supplies were conscripted, and the people from the south still had to be conscripted to carry them by horse and saddle, which was going to be a nightmare.
Before modernization, the core issue in procuring war supplies was not whether you could procure so many supplies; procuring supplies and money was something anyone could manage if they gritted their teeth.
But the core and critical issue is how to transport these supplies and money to the front lines. You can't just send banknotes and silver to the front lines, can you? What use is silver to soldiers fighting in battle?
The water network in the north is terrible. Water transport, which used to be the most convenient logistics channel in modern times, is no longer usable. The only remaining waterway, the Grand Canal, was abandoned decades ago.
The most fatal flaw in China's topography is the lack of a large natural river connecting the north and south. Logistics between the north and south can only rely on land transportation. Otherwise, why do you think the Grand Canal was built in ancient times, and why is the South-to-North Water Diversion Project being implemented in modern times? Are we just bored?
The same ton of supplies, when transported within the south, can yield at least 500 kilograms to its final destination. However, when transported from the south to the north, 30% of the supplies are lost by the time they reach their destination.
This is the fundamental reason for the differences between the North and the South throughout history: the cost of material circulation at the grassroots level is too high!
Now that Wu Zifu is willing to go south first, all the southern provinces are in full support, because Wu Zifu has finally given up on tearing down the roof and chosen to open the window. What more do you want?
As for standing up against Wu Zifu's tyranny? It's not that no one has tried, but those who did are already overgrown with weeds, and their whole families went down together.
Wu Zifu, this military and political genius, has some shortcomings in his personality. He will reveal his flaws when faced with problems related to his master Zhao Yan. However, he is flawless when facing other problems. He can be called a genius!
Now that this genius is finally willing to use the manpower and resources of the South to solve the practical problems of the South, everyone has no choice but to support him.
It's better for such a killing machine to deal with foreigners than to deal with himself.
The common people now respectfully call Wu Zifu the Crown Prince, the number one person after Zhao Yan. At his command, all the gentry and landlords in the south quickly dug out the last silver melon in their cellars, bought national bonds, and sent this Crown Prince south to wreak havoc on the British, so that they would stop watching them!
Throughout the southern provinces, since Wu Zifu took office, the wealthy have not had a good life at all in the past two years. The poor contribute manpower, and the gentry contribute money. This is the rule of the Revival Party.