vncnus Page 13
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"After daybreak, I don't want to see other officials leading their troops to oppose us, understand?"
Zhang Mingqi cupped his hands in greeting: "I understand. Leave this matter to me!"
Finally, only one jailer, Liu Gensheng, remained. Zhao Yan did not let him go either: "Liu Gensheng, you lead the jailer brothers and immediately set to work tonight. Go door to door and spread the news that the army will enter the city tomorrow. All the people must guard their homes and no one is allowed to step out of their homes before receiving the notice!"
Liu Gensheng gripped his cudgel tightly, his expression excited, and said, "Yes, Mr. Zhao!"
With Zhao Yan as their leader, everyone obeyed his orders and began to act separately.
Armed revolution is something that cannot be delayed. Once emotions run high and the flames of revolution are ignited, action must be taken immediately.
This was a lesson Zhao Yan learned from his escape: when it's time to act, you must not hesitate. As for how to act, Zhao Yan was also very clear about it; the Chinese are no strangers to coups and power grabs.
Chapter 22 The Eve of the Revolution
Eight hundred people coup d'état to take control of a city may seem far-fetched, but it actually has some merit.
Late at night, the coup forces began to split up and take action. The first team, led by Zhao Hao, went to the 25th Mixed Brigade of the New Army to contact Wang Dingyun, the Minister of the Armed Forces Department of the Revival Party.
Led by a minor official from the prefectural government, Zhao Hao traveled smoothly without any obstacles. It was under curfew, and there were no pedestrians on the streets.
Moreover, the people responsible for patrolling today are Li An and his group. They have no intention of patrolling at all. The streets are controlled by the men sent by Lu Zhaoxuan from the Prefectural Government, who have begun to set up roadblocks and barricades.
Zhao Hao and his group went directly to the military camp. The discipline of the new army camp was unimaginably lax. The sentries standing guard at the gate were fast asleep. Zhao Hao and his group of more than a dozen people slipped in through the gate without being noticed.
The new army probably never imagined that anyone would target them. This is currently the representative of China's top combat power. The new army is the symbol of China's strongest fighting force. Even if someone rebelled, the new army would never have thought that they would be the first target!
After Zhao Hao entered the new army camp, fortunately, a minor official from the prefectural government led the way, and he did not get lost or take any detours, arriving directly at the garrison of Wang Dingyun's troops.
Wang Dingyun was woken up from his dream by Zhao Hao, which shows how poor the discipline of the New Army was. He was only woken up when someone sneaked to his bedside. Fortunately, Zhao Hao was not an enemy.
When Wang Dingyun woke up and saw Zhao Hao, he immediately perked up.
"Why are you here? Where's the CEO?"
"There's no time to explain! Quickly gather your men and start the uprising immediately! The president is in the city!"
Upon hearing that an uprising was about to begin, Wang Dingyun's face showed panic, but then he heard that Zhao Yan was also in charge of important matters in the city, and Wang Dingyun immediately became full of confidence.
Wang Dingyun stood up, putting on his military uniform as he spoke, "What do you want us to do?"
Zhao Hao immediately relayed Zhao Yan's instructions: "The president has ordered you to spare no expense in winning the support of the new army and getting more people to join the revolutionary uprising."
At the same time, it is imperative to immediately take control of the high-ranking commanders of the 25th Mixed Brigade of the New Army. All Manchu officers must be executed, and Han officers should be persuaded to support them as much as possible. If this cannot be achieved, they must at least remain neutral and unable to influence the New Army.
Wang Dingyun immediately patted his chest and said, "No problem. My father is the deputy brigade commander and the commander of the 25th Mixed Brigade of the New Army. The key to the armory is in the hands of the Wang family. Killing a few Manchu officers will be no problem for us to take control of the 25th Mixed Brigade!"
Zhao Hao nodded: "Then let's act immediately. We must take control of the new army before dawn and join forces with the president to begin the revolution!"
"The President has ordered that all those who participate in the revolution must wear a black cloth strip on their left arm to distinguish friend from foe!"
"Yes, sir!" Wang Dingyun had already put on his military uniform, fastened his belt, and drawn his pistol.
Wang Dingyun led Zhao Hao and others out of the camp and immediately woke up all his subordinates. Nearly two hundred people quietly got up, dressed, and then found the quartermaster who was in charge of the armory key.
With a bayonet pressed against his chest, the Wang family quartermaster immediately followed his young master to the armory. Two hundred men collected their weapons and ammunition, and fully armed, they stormed into the camp, heading straight for the various command centers.
The first to be apprehended were several Manchu officers from the 25th Mixed Brigade. As for the brigade commander, he wasn't even in the camp. He'd been sleeping in brothels in the city for the past few days and wasn't concerned with the affairs of the new army at all.
Wang Dingyun's biological father, as the deputy brigade commander, was the highest commander of the 25th Mixed Brigade at that time. When he saw his son, who had completely removed his fake queue and had a black cloth strip on his left arm, the old man immediately understood what was going on.
Wang Dingyun's father didn't say much, he just asked his son what he wanted to do, and then did as he was told. When his own son, especially his eldest son, did something like rebelling and revolution, he, as the father, could only support him unconditionally; he had no other choice.
All the officers of the New Army's high command were invited to the command post by Wang Dingyun's heavily armed soldiers. The 25th Mixed Brigade was only a brigade-level unit, with a total of just over 3,500 combat personnel.
Among them, officers at the company and battalion levels had long been infiltrated by Wang Dingyun, with more than 80% becoming temporary members of the Fuxing Party. Officers at the regimental and brigade levels were also kept in the dark.
Late tonight, they saw revolutionary soldiers rushing into the room with guns and cornering them on the bed. These high-ranking officers immediately understood and agreed to cooperate. Anyone who did not cooperate would be executed immediately.
Zhao Yan's instructions were to try to gain cooperation, and if they refused to cooperate, to take control of them, and to treat the Han Chinese officers as gently as possible.
But Wang Dingyun and Zhao Hao had no concept of neutrality; it was either support or die with those Manchu officers!
Once the soldiers involved in the revolutionary coup took action, they showed no mercy. All the Manchu officers and soldiers within the 25th Mixed Brigade were indiscriminately executed in the first instance.
Even Wang Dingyun's own father was forced to personally execute a Manchu deputy commander. Almost every high-ranking officer had to pledge allegiance and personally take action against the Manchus, and they had to do so openly in front of everyone.
At 3:30 a.m., the entire 25th Mixed Brigade of the New Army was taken into control by the revolutionaries led by Wang Dingyun and Zhao Hao. All the soldiers of the New Army received the maximum amount of weapons and ammunition, left the camp fully armed, and headed to the governor's office to assemble.
On the other side, the Green Standard Army outside the city faced no obstacles after Li An stepped in. The Green Standard Army was composed of locals, and Li An held a very high seniority in the patrol camp, with many superiors having to call him uncle or elder brother.
Li An led his troops back to the patrol camp, making no attempt to hide anything. He immediately began to gather the Green Standard Army soldiers who had deserted and returned home.
There were no Manchu generals in the Green Standard Army because even the Manchus considered the job too lowly.
Ang Lee assembled nearly three thousand fully armed men and entered the city. Without any further mobilization slogans, Ang Lee asked everyone only one question: Did they want to live a life of servility and obsequiousness, or risk their lives for wealth and power?
At first, everyone was confused, but when Ang Lee said that he had the famous leader of the revolutionary party, Zhao Yan, above him, everyone immediately understood what was going on, and they all grabbed their weapons and prepared to fight alongside Ang Lee.
The local armed forces of the Green Camp are all related by blood or marriage. They are all bound by the same fate, and if one prospers, the other prospers; if one suffers, the other suffers. If Ang Lee rebelled, even if the other relatives did not rebel, they would not be able to escape the consequences afterward.
Under Ang Lee's influence, half of the people participated in the revolution and rebellion, and it was even more impossible for the other half to remain uninvolved.
Most importantly, even if someone rebels and gets caught and beheaded, their fate won't be worse than it is now. Everyone is struggling to survive, so rather than enduring a hopeless existence, it's better to fight a fierce battle.
Every Green Standard Army soldier carried a knife and a gun, and their left arms were tied with black cloth strips. If they couldn't find black cloth strips, they would just tear off their clothes and throw them into the mud pit to mix them up.
The new army left the camp, and the Green Standard Army entered the city. Nearly 7,000 troops entered Changsha and began to assemble at the governor's office. All the soldiers carried torches and looked menacing.
Fortunately, Liu Gensheng, the prison guard, led his men from house to house, following the troops entering the city to reassure the people and tell them not to go out and to wait for further notice at dawn the next day.
Tonight, the entire city of Changsha is sleepless. Everyone is awake, but no one can stop the revolutionary momentum.
The officials in the city had all received a notice from Governor Zhang Mingqi to attend a meeting at the governor's office. Some Manchu officials sensed something was wrong and wanted to escape outside the city or go to the military camp.
But as soon as they stepped out the door, they were taken into custody by men sent by Lu Zhaoxuan, the prefectural governor. All the city gates and major thoroughfares were guarded by the prefectural governor's men.
Some clever Manchus even tried to go to the telegraph office to send out an alarm, but before they even reached the door, they were stopped by the governor's men in the distant street. If the governor's personal guards found out that someone was Manchu, they would immediately execute them on the spot without any mercy or leniency.
A large number of people and officials gathered at the governor's yamen, which was now surrounded by revolutionary soldiers. Almost all the officials who came to the meeting were forcibly brought there.
All the high-ranking officials in Hunan were gathered at the governor's office. Looking at the menacing army outside the office and then at Governor Zhang Mingqi, who was resting with his eyes closed, they all guessed what was going on, but no one dared to step forward.
These officials are all smart people. They understood pretty much everything from Zhang Mingqi's posture. Even though Zhang Mingqi is currently resting with his eyes closed and hasn't made any statement, he still seems to be quite clever.
But the other side is just waiting for someone to stand up and then slaughter them as a sacrifice.
Chapter 23 Revolution, Officials!
"Zhao Yan, President of the Revival Party, is here!"
The guards at the door shouted loudly, and soon a tall figure walked steadily into the main hall of the governor's office.
Surrounded by several commanders from the New Army and the Green Standard Army, Zhao Yan entered the main hall. Under such a grand display of power, even a fool would know that this was the person in charge.
Zhao Yan entered the hall and saw dozens of officials seated there. He nodded in satisfaction.
Officials from all the government offices, including the Prefectural Government, the Governor's Government, the Provincial Administration Commission, and the Provincial Judicial Commission, were present. In fact, all officials of the fifth rank and above from the entire city of Changsha had come.
Zhao Yan turned around and asked with some concern, "Are all the officials here?"
Zhang Mingqi immediately stood up and gave up the main seat: "The Han officials are all here, as for the Manchu officials..."
Zhang Mingqi made a throat-slitting gesture, then added, "There are still a few who spent the night in the city, and we didn't have time to take action."
Zhao Yan nodded: "Very good, everyone in the city will be dealt with immediately!"
Zhao Yan took the seat of honor without hesitation, while Zhang Mingqi and Lu Zhaoxuan sat on his left and right, respectively. The newly appointed officers and soldiers, armed with guns, surrounded them, exuding a murderous aura.
Zhao Yan surveyed the room, gently tapped the coffee table, picked up his teacup and took a sip. Seeing that the room was completely silent and no one dared to speak up, Zhao Yan couldn't help but sigh with regret.
"I am Zhao Yan, the president and leader of the Restoration Party, and a revolutionary whom the Qing government considers utterly wicked. I'm sure all of you here have heard of me!"
As soon as Zhao Yan finished speaking, a large number of officials below immediately began to flatter him.
"So you are the renowned Mr. Zhao! It is my great honor to meet you today!"
"Mr. Zhao, we have long been devoted to the revolution, but we have no way to do so, which is why we have submitted to the Manchus!"
"Yes, with Mr. Zhao's arrival, it's like dawn has broken in Hunan. Everyone has been looking forward to this day for a long time!"
Various supportive comments and flattery emerged one after another, leaving Zhao Yan dumbfounded. Shouldn't a few staunch supporters who swore to be loyal to the Qing Dynasty and serve their emperor with their generosity and passion have emerged?
There's no one standing out here. I can't make an example of anyone, and I certainly can't deter others. Everyone's cooperating like this is putting me in a difficult position!
Zhao Yan was unaware that these officials had been forcibly brought here, and along the way they had watched helplessly as Manchu officers and officials in Changsha were slaughtered like chickens, their heads chopped off right there on the roadside.
The revolutionary officers and soldiers showed absolutely no mercy when they started fighting; they went straight for the kill.
Uncooperative Han officials never even had a chance to reach the governor's office; they were killed on the way, dying in a humiliating manner. The revolutionary soldiers didn't even bother to waste bullets, simply having new recruits stab the enemy to death with bayonets.
The soldiers who came to invite the officials knew nothing of etiquette and immediately started talking about revolution. Would you support them or not? If you support them, then follow me; if you don't, then follow the previous emperors of the Qing Dynasty. There is no third option!
"I am deeply grateful to you all for your understanding of the greater good and your choice to support the great revolutionary cause. I believe that you have made a choice tonight that you will be extremely grateful for for the rest of your lives."
Zhao Yan took a couple of sips of tea to moisten his throat, then immediately stood up, his face displaying the familiar, crazed, and obsessive expression.
The governor's personal guards, Zhang Mingqi, Lu Zhaoxuan, and others present all understood that their revolutionary leader was about to give another speech!
As expected, Zhao Yan continued to speak!
"Gentlemen, I, Zhao, have gathered people here today to start an uprising, all for the sake of revolution!"
"Revolution is not a rebellion, but a pursuit of fairness and justice, and the resurgence of the Han Chinese nation!"
The reason our Revival Party is called the Revival Party is to revive China, revive the Han people, let China stand at the top of the world again, and let the Han people once again become the world's dominant force!
The Han Chinese are the most perfect ethnic group in the world, and the Han people are the most perfect human beings in terms of bloodline!
Throughout global history, among all ancient civilizations, only the Chinese civilization created by the Han people has continued uninterrupted for five thousand years. This is the most perfect and irrefutable proof that we Han people are the best!
However, more than two hundred years ago, China was submerged, and the Manchu Jurchens stole China's sacred treasures and began to enslave us Han people, plunging Chinese civilization into the darkest period in five thousand years!
We, the proud Han people, have actually been reduced to slaves of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and have been exploited and humiliated by them. This is simply intolerable!
Who were the Manchus? More than two hundred years ago, during the Ming Dynasty, the Manchus were nothing more than Jurchen tribes. When we Han people saw them being oppressed and having nowhere to turn, we took it upon ourselves to protect the Jurchens with a benevolent heart.
However, the barbarians feared our power but did not appreciate our kindness. They showed no gratitude for the help we Han people had given them. Instead, they harbored wolfish ambitions and wanted to seize the throne!
The former Manchu chieftain, Nurhaci, the so-called founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty, was nothing more than a lowly maid who had her ass played with by my Han general Li Chengliang.
The so-called seven grievances of the Manchus that led to their uprising were nothing but nonsense and a complete joke!
Even so, the Manchus were still fortunate enough to steal China's sacred treasures and enslave us Han people for nearly 1300 years. What Han man of seven feet could tolerate such a humiliating disgrace?
As Zhao Yan spoke, he became more and more excited, gesturing wildly and waving his hands. His expression grew increasingly frantic, and he was covered in sweat, his unkempt hair swinging wildly everywhere.
"Now, at this time and place, our Revival Party raises the banner of righteousness and is determined to rise up and carry out a thorough revolution!"
"Our goal is not to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, much less to subvert the Qing court, but to completely annihilate the Manchus and the entire Qing Dynasty!"
"The Manchus and all the bannermen are the most despicable and shameless ethnic group in the world. They leech off our great Han people and treat us Han people as slaves."
They never did any labor, nor did they fulfill any obligations to the country, yet they enjoyed wealth and privileges.
This is unjust and utterly shameless!
Gentlemen, please recall that lost history: the Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiangyin Massacre, the Jiading Massacre, and the Sichuan Massacre after the Manchus entered the pass, where tens of millions of Han compatriots died under the Manchus' swords.
How can such a deep-seated hatred not be avenged?
The Manchus attempted to suppress our thoughts through literary inquisitions, causing us to forget our own nation and enslave our bodies with the Eight Banners system, turning us into slaves.
Furthermore, they stripped us of our Chinese attire with a braid that resembled a rat's tail, leaving us ashamed to face our ancestors.
Now is the time for revenge, the time for us Han people to thoroughly settle scores with the Manchus!
This is not a rebellion, but a revolution to shatter the old world and build a new one. The Manchus have no right to accuse us of rebellion, because we simply want to reclaim what we have lost; we simply want revenge!
The impassioned words ended there. The officials below were all well-versed in history. The tricks of the Qing Dynasty could fool the common people, but they could not fool these elites.
Every word Zhao Yan said was the truth, the reality of what had happened. All the officials present who still considered themselves Han Chinese and believed in the legitimacy of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and the Chinese civilization were filled with patriotic fervor.
Having said what he meant by stirring up emotions, Zhao Yan was now ready to get down to business.
"All of you here are well-versed in the classics and have been buried in your books since childhood. I believe that you are all working so hard for the most sacred ideal in the hearts of scholars: to cultivate oneself, govern the country, and bring peace to the world!"
But now, the Manchus have completely extinguished our hope. The Qing court has abolished the imperial examination system and begun to consolidate power in the imperial cabinet!
"Think about it, everyone. You are all officials now, but what about in the future? Without the imperial examination, those Manchus can easily become officials by virtue of their despicable bloodline and shameless means."
And what about our descendants? What about the sons and daughters of the Han people? They will all be nothing more than the lowest of slaves, with no way out! If we do not resist, if we do not stand up and fight...
Can you accept the ending where our descendants will forever be slaves and servants?
A nuclear bomb exploded, and all the officials present could no longer sit still, because what Zhao Yan said was the truth!
The Qing dynasty abolished the imperial examination system and never used it again. But even if you abolished it, you could at least have created some system of recommending candidates based on filial piety and integrity or a system of hereditary privilege.