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Zhang Mingqi's previously good impression on Zhao Yan suddenly turned sour. This old bastard has no sense at all. Why didn't he send the ledgers over privately? Why did he have to say it so openly? Was he afraid I would pocket it all? Do you think I, Zhao Yan, am that kind of person?
Zhao Yanyi said righteously, "Gentlemen, we must never forget our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind. Our revolution is not for these petty things!"
"Send the detailed accounts to my office, and I will supervise them. I can't let you be subjected to such temptations and tests. Let me take on this responsibility!"
The officials present were all deeply moved. The president, fearing that their corruption would ruin their futures, resolutely chose to face these temptations alone on their behalf. It was truly touching.
Zhao Yan steered the conversation back on track: "You all have three days to write a reflection on your experiences in the revolution and submit it to my office. The reflection must be at least three thousand words long! I will read it personally!"
"Yes, President!"
Writing reflections is more about form than substance, but it's something we have to do. It's great to see the truth in reflections, but it's also okay to see lies.
At least those who wrote it were more reliable than those who didn't. It's like the congratulatory memorials of the Jiajing Emperor. The emperor didn't believe that every official would sincerely congratulate him, but at least those who did it were showing that they were still obedient to him.
"What time is it now?" Zhao Yan asked.
Lu Zhaoxuan immediately replied, "It's past two quarters past noon, it's almost three quarters past!"
Zhao Yan nodded: "The auspicious time has come. Let's issue the announcement. It's time to let the whole country, the whole world, and everyone in the world know what has happened here."
"Go tell them that we have stood up! Go tell everyone that the Chinese people will no longer kneel down!"
"Yes, President!"
None of the officials present raised any objections. After last night's actions, everyone understood that revolution was a road with no turning back and no end in sight; they could only keep going!
Zhao Yan's prestige has risen to a new level after the bloodshed that swept through the city last night. Before, people only admired him, but now they respect him.
At noon, the Changsha telegraph office sent a direct telegram to the entire nation: The Changsha Uprising has begun! Hunan declares its independence from Qing rule from this moment on!
The Provisional Government of the Republic of China and the Revolutionary Army of China were established!
At the same time, a detailed list of officials, along with a notice filled with the signatures of officials from all over Hunan, was also released nationwide.
The whole country was shocked, and the Qing court was in an uproar!
No one expected that Zhao Yan had been holding back such a big move for so long, directly orchestrating the breakout of half of Huguang from Qing rule, and even establishing a provisional government and a revolutionary army, achieving everything in one step.
The speed and efficiency were simply unmatched. Many people were speculating whether Zhao Yan had been arrested by the Qing court and was being tortured, and some even guessed that Zhao Yan was already on his way to the capital.
But unexpectedly, they openly and legitimately launched a rebellion and established a new nation. This was not only a slap in the face to the Qing Dynasty, but also a direct uprooting of the Qing Dynasty.
January 1, 1906, is a day that the whole country remembers, also known as the "Bingwu Incident" and the "Changsha Uprising".
Changsha had just completed the telegram transmission, while other provinces were still in shock. However, all the prefectures and cities under Hunan's jurisdiction had sent telegrams or messengers to express their support for the provisional government and the revolutionary uprising.
In particular, the surrounding prefectures chose to support it without hesitation, and some local officials even took the lead in cutting off their queues.
Last night, a city-wide purge took place. They received the news early this morning that the blood-stained seal of the city's garrison general had been sent to various places for a traveling exhibition.
If you support the revolution, you're one of us; if you don't, you're on the Manchu side. There are no neutral factions. You're either one of us or the enemy on the other side.
The proclamation drafted by Zhao Yan clearly stated that from the day the revolutionary uprising was announced, all 400 million people of China had the sacred duty to eliminate the Manchus and restore China!
The revolutionary declaration is as follows:
Yu Zhaoyan, President of the Restoration Party and Leader of the Revolutionary Army, hereby solemnly declares on behalf of the Provisional Government, the 400 million oppressed Han Chinese, and the countless compatriots who have been brutally slaughtered, in the name of the sacred revolution.
From this day forward, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China is established, and the Revolutionary Army is established!
Since the Jia Shen Tian Anomaly, the Chinese mainland has been in decline for over two hundred years. During this time, countless Han compatriots have suffered massacres and oppression. The Manchu Qing dynasty was immoral, seizing all power for itself, leaving the Han people with countless hardships and calamities.
Since ancient times, if a ruler treats his ministers as his own brothers, the ministers will treat the ruler as their heart and soul; if a ruler treats his ministers as dogs and horses, the ministers will treat the ruler as a fellow countryman; if a ruler treats his ministers as dirt and weeds, the ministers will treat the ruler as an enemy!
The Manchus seized power illegitimately. They rose from humble origins as slaves and servants, fabricated the Seven Grievances to start a rebellion, and initially massacred the Han Chinese in Liaodong, resulting in over a million deaths.
They later repeatedly invaded the area inside the pass, plundering and massacring Han people!
When China was on the verge of collapse, the Manchu Qing dynasty, under the pretext of avenging Emperor Chongzhen, deceived the Han people, seized the imperial power, and massacred the Ming imperial family. They were utterly shameless!
His illegitimate acquisition of the country is unprecedented in history, and his shamelessness is beyond words.
After the Manchus entered the Central Plains, they forced the Han people to shave their heads and change their clothes, destroying the traditional Chinese attire. As Confucius said, "We all have loose hair and wear our robes on the left!"
The Manchu Qing dynasty forced the Han people to submit with their swords. The Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiading Massacre, the Jiangyin Massacre, and Sichuan were all wiped out!
On behalf of the Provisional Government, the Revolutionary Army, and 400 million Han compatriots, I, Zhao Yan, hereby swear that I will never recognize such a regime and will exhaust all my efforts to overthrow it.
Zhao Yan is of limited talent and virtue, but thanks to the recommendation of countless virtuous and righteous people, he has been fortunate enough to occupy the position of revolutionary leader. In this position, I, Zhao, am filled with fear and trepidation every day.
But I am deeply aware of the sacredness of the rejuvenation of China, and I have worked tirelessly day and night to finally proclaim this to the world.
The Manchu Qing dynasty seized power illegitimately and ruled cruelly. Our provisional government will never recognize the Manchu Qing dynasty as the legitimate regime of China and will never accept any rule by the Manchu Qing dynasty!
Our Revival Party upholds the principles of eliminating the Manchus, reviving China, expelling foreign powers, and achieving national independence. In the name of revolution, we call upon everyone to rise up in resistance until the Manchu Qing dynasty is completely destroyed and foreign powers are expelled!
Chapter 30 Forward, We Must Forward!
Changsha, the temporary capital of the provisional government.
The original governor's office had been converted into the central headquarters of the provisional government. Zhao Yan declared himself the head of the provisional government and established the Headquarters, which included two major civil and military institutions: the Revolutionary Army Headquarters and the Provisional Government Prime Minister's Office.
Zhao Yan felt that the title of president was too petty, but calling himself king or emperor would not conform to revolutionary tradition. Therefore, he declared himself head of state, above the Prime Minister's Office and the Revolutionary Command, and took charge of all revolutionary affairs.
Seven days have passed since the telegram was sent, and Changsha is calm and peaceful. Hunan is also united in its support. No other province has responded to the revolution yet. Although a few small organizations have sent telegrams in response, they are insignificant and not worth paying attention to. Among them is the Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance).
Zhao Yan didn't care about the verbal support from other provinces. Although their support might bring him some fame, the actual benefits were minimal.
At this moment, Zhao Yan's biggest concern was preparing for war. The thicker the gun in his hand, the better. The road to revolution was destined to be full of twists and turns, but if your truth was broad enough and your justice was strong enough, the road would be much smoother.
In the past seven days, members of the Revival Party, who had been scattered throughout the Jiangnan region, have gathered in Changsha. When they first dispersed in Shanghai, there were only 34 members. Now that they have reunited, the number of Revival Party members has surged to 244.
Every new Party member undergoes at least a one-month probationary period, with a senior Party member acting as a recommender, before being formally admitted to the Party and entering a new Party member observation period. Only after this observation period of at least three months can they be officially admitted.
As for Changsha, there are countless people who want to join the Party, but no one has yet passed the probationary period of at least one month. Even Wang Dingyun's father, Wang Chongshan, wants to join the Party, but he also has to abide by the rules and endure at least a one-month probationary period before he is eligible to enter the review process.
After more than 200 party members gathered, the five departments of the Revival Party reunited. Zhao Yan ordered the establishment of a Propaganda Department and appointed Zhao Hao, the former action team leader, as the Minister of Propaganda.
All members of the Revival Party and all five departments must devote themselves fully to the construction and development of the Revolutionary Army, and must strengthen the combat effectiveness of the First Division of the Revolutionary Army to the greatest extent possible in the shortest possible time, so as to make full preparations for the upcoming Northern Expedition.
Yes, Zhao Yan is preparing for the Northern Expedition, but not to attack Beijing. Instead, he is preparing to attack the three towns of Wuhan, especially to take Hanyang, where the Hanyang Arsenal and Hanyang Ironworks are the future foundation of the revolution!
A revolution without steel and guns is nothing but a castle in the air. In Zhao Yan's eyes, the Hanyang Ironworks and the Hanyang Arsenal were more important than the gains or losses of an entire province.
The support from other provinces is just empty talk, but if he gets these two factories in Hubei, Zhao Yan can really have a lot of power!
There are plenty of people to recruit, but you need guns and cannons to get them. If you only have soldiers, how can you expect them to go to the battlefield wielding swords?
The revolutionary army and the provisional government are not short of money right now, and their morale is high. If they don't seize the opportunity to fight out now, and the Qing government in the north reacts and mobilizes a large army, then the enemy will have invaded!
Zhao Yan speculated that within three months at most, the Qing court would organize a large army to march south and quell the revolutionaries. If you asked the Qing court to send troops to resist foreign aggression, they would be absolutely incompetent, and it might take a year and a half to prepare.
But if you ask the Qing Dynasty to suppress internal rebellions, their response and preparation speed will be absolutely lightning fast. This court is just a large parasite. When the host is invaded by a virus, it will share its profits to fatten the virus and invite the virus to parasitize together.
But if the host starts to resist, this parasite will take action immediately!
Zhao Yan estimated that one month of the three-month period would be spent negotiating with the Beiyang Six Divisions. If the Beiyang Six Divisions and Yuan Shikai agreed readily, the Qing army would probably advance south in less than three months.
Zhao Yan would not engage in any North-South peace talks with the Beiyang Army and Yuan Shikai like the Tongmenghui did, and he would certainly not accept stopping the revolution and handing over the position of national leader to Yuan Shikai as soon as the Qing emperor abdicated.
Putting aside everything else, the Restoration Party, the Revolutionary Army, and the officials in the Prime Minister's Office simply could not accept negotiations or any compromise, because they had already massacred the entire city and there was no room for compromise. As long as they were enemies on the revolutionary path, they had to fight to the death.
Changsha is now united, with all forces aligned around the presidential palace. There are no factional disputes or infighting; everyone is focused on making things bigger and pushing things to the limit.
Under the jurisdiction of Zhang Mingqi's Prime Minister's Office, including the original treasury and all the spoils from the cleansing of Manchuria, the revolutionary army's finances are now relatively abundant. Zhao Yan paid out the bonuses to the soldiers and officials based on their annual salaries, and also set aside 30% as rewards for the participants.
Everyone received this money; even the subordinate prefectures only wrote letters of loyalty, and Changsha also issued bonuses. Zhao Yan made it clear that this money was not a reward from anyone.
It's what everyone deserves. It's not a reward, it's a bonus. There's no need to thank anyone; you only need to thank yourself for your efforts.
Zhao Yan, who had always been all talk, finally offered real financial benefits for the first time, which showed his subordinates what true equality meant.
When it comes to dividing the spoils, if I get a share, that's what I deserve. I don't need to kneel down or beg for anyone's gift; this share is rightfully mine!
After dividing the money, Zhao Yan didn't save the silver for raising more children. Instead, he went on a crazy spree to purchase all kinds of military uniforms, weapons, ammunition, as well as horses, medicines, vehicles, and even a donkey and a mule. He spent real money on all of them without any limits.
At this time, you absolutely cannot be stingy with money. You must be willing to spend money and do a better job of preparing for war than the enemy. If you are stingy with a tael of silver now, you will lose an advantage that is hard to buy even with ten taels of silver when you get to the battlefield.
Military uniforms and food were manageable, horses could be purchased from Yunnan horses in Guizhou, and some medicine could be bought as well.
However, weapons and ammunition were a problem. Despite the Self-Strengthening Movement having been going on for so many years, Hunan had not gained any benefits, and there wasn't a single decent factory in the province.
Zhao Yan had no choice but to spend money to purchase weapons and ammunition from the civilian population. Yes, you heard right, he purchased weapons and ammunition from the civilian population.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the civilian population still had a lot of weapons. Of course, if you wanted to buy heavy machine guns or infantry cannons, you couldn't, but you could buy quite a few older Mauser or Manchari models.
The Changsha New Army was only the size of a mixed brigade, and its arsenal was not large. It could only replenish what it could. At present, many new recruits in the First Division of the Revolutionary Army were still using muskets and matchlock guns, which was too inadequate.
At Zhao Yan's command, everyone below began to carry out the order with great enthusiasm. No one dared to slack off. Crystal Night was just around the corner. If you dared to play tricks on Zhao Yan, he would send you to the mass grave to keep those Manchus company.
The news that Zhao Yan had massacred the Manchus in Changsha shocked the entire country. He didn't mention this in his public announcement, but the fact that 70,000 Manchu bannermen disappeared in Changsha was undeniable.
Otherwise, why do you think the entire Hunan province was pacified by a single proclamation, with no one daring to refuse the revolutionary army's goodwill? Because if you dared to refuse, the words "counter-revolutionary" would be written on your forehead, and the consequences would be self-evident.
Zhao Yan used "appropriate" violence and good order to deploy every bit of his forces into the war machine in the shortest possible time.
The reform of the new army, including the reorganization of mixed brigades into divisions, is progressing very smoothly. The government is spending money on bonuses and procuring military supplies everywhere, using the resources of an entire province to build an infantry division. This disregard for cost and sacrifice is all to use manpower, material resources, and financial resources to buy the most precious time.
Zhao Yan stated directly at several high-level meetings that any conservative or compromising behavior would be irresponsible to the revolution, and that given the current revolutionary situation, the provisional government and the revolutionary army had no other choice.
We can only move forward, forward without paying any price!
We must never wait for the enemy to attack; we must strike first and seize the initiative.
Few people at the meeting were truly insightful. Despite the presence of Zhang Mingqi, Lu Zhaoxuan, and Wang Chongshan from the military, all of whom were capable officials during the Qing Dynasty, their perspectives and understanding remained stuck in the old era after the revolution began.
Zhang Mingqi thought it was during the Taiping Rebellion, and assumed that the Qing Dynasty would be slow to react and that it would take at least a year and a half to mobilize a large army.
Lu Zhaoxuan even suggested heading south to Guangdong and Guangxi, saying that the region was more prosperous and easier to defend than attack, which clearly reflected his desire for a peaceful and isolated existence.
Wang Chongshan, a member of the military, was equally despicable. He actually hoped that neighboring provinces would support the uprising and send troops to support Hunan. He even claimed that he had acquaintances serving in the New Army in other provinces.
If Wang Chongshan weren't Wang Dingyun's biological father, Zhao Yan would have wanted to dismiss him immediately. What kind of time is this? You've already raised the flag and established a nation, yet you still expect others to help you? Don't you understand the principle that you have to be strong yourself to succeed?
Zhao Yan was also having a headache, but there was nothing he could do. His group of loyalists from the Restoration Party had simply not grown up. Otherwise, he really wouldn't want to use these old bureaucrats.
Zhao Yanli overruled all objections and personally made the decision to take the initiative to attack northward to the three towns of Wuhan and unify Hubei and Hunan. After he made the decision, no one else had any objections.
Zhang Mingqi even complained that Zhao Yan could have just said what he had already decided, why did they need to discuss it?
Zhao Yan himself was speechless. He thought, "Why do you guys have to do everything yourself? The point of military democracy and political democracy is not to separate power, but to prevent the boss from being overworked and exhausted!"
Moreover, if such a decision is made unilaterally and succeeds, then you are naturally credited for your decisive action; if it fails, the responsibility rests solely on you.
If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't manage these subordinates, Zhao Yan really wouldn't want to shoulder such a huge burden all by himself.
Chapter 31 Intense Training
On January 10, 1906, ten days had passed since the Changsha Uprising.
The revolutionary army did not seem to make any obvious moves. The reorganization of the division was still in progress. Under Zhao Yan's strict orders, the first reorganized division of the revolutionary army had to conduct drills and training every day.
Of the more than 16,000 officers and soldiers in the entire First Division, only more than 3,000 were former soldiers of the New Army, 4,000 were Green Standard Army soldiers, and the rest were all civilians who had just joined the army.
Zhao Yan wouldn't dare take such a team out to fight. Although the late Qing Dynasty was an era of comparing who was worse, you should at least have something to compare with, right?
The First Division now provides three meals a day, all of which consist of plain white rice, and there is always a meat dish every day, whether it is meat soup or meat porridge.
They lavishly spent money, allowing these revolutionary soldiers to eat and drink to their heart's content, but they also had to train like madmen every day.
In order to standardize the military system and showcase the new look of the revolutionary army, Zhao Yan not only changed the organizational name of the revolutionary army, but also reformed the military ranks and uniforms.
To make it easier to distinguish friend from foe, the revolutionary army adopted iron gray for its new uniforms, mainly because it was cheap to dye. The uniforms were designed in the style of training uniforms, which looked much better than the loose-fitting uniforms of the Qing Dynasty's New Army and Green Standard Army.
Military ranks were also based on a three-tiered system of five grades: soldier, sergeant, lieutenant, colonel, and general, which clearly defined the hierarchical relationship and command chain of the revolutionary army.
However, the military uniforms currently being distributed are mainly thin training uniforms, and the winter coats needed are still in short supply.
Even without cotton-padded clothes, we still have to train like crazy!
This afternoon, the 25th Regiment of the 13th Brigade of the First Division of the Revolutionary Army was training. Squads of soldiers were practicing handling their rifles in the snow and ice. It was the middle of winter, and light snow was falling near Changsha.
Snowing was useless; after eating their fill, they still had to be dragged out for more training. Zhao Yan personally instructed: "Train them to death as long as they don't die!"
We've given you everything we were supposed to, and even things we weren't supposed to. We've taken everything, so we have to act like we're going to risk everything.
Major Dai Mingde, the director of the training department of the Revolutionary Army Headquarters, led a group of trainee party representatives to observe and assess whether the soldiers' training met the standards. The training department was also a department personally ordered and supervised by Zhao Yan. It brought together more than a dozen officer cadets who had studied in Japan and Europe and also hired two foreign instructors.
After the training department was established, it immediately formulated the training regulations for the revolutionary army based on the standards of the great powers' armies. Zhao Yan only gave them one month. After the Spring Festival, the training would end in the first month of the lunar calendar, and everyone would have to be sent to the battlefield to start the Northern Expedition.
"Fellow Party Representatives, you've been interning at headquarters for several days now, haven't you?" Major Dai Mingde turned his gaze to the dozens of Party Representatives behind him who were shivering from the cold, and then spoke.
"You are all elites of the Revival Party. The President specifically instructed that you should not only learn about office and command center matters, but also about training ground matters."
I see everyone is terribly cold, so why don't we go to the training field and warm up with the soldiers?
There is no room for joking in the military. Major Dai Mingde’s tone seemed to be asking a question, but the implication in his words was that there was no room for negotiation.