The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

In addition to drawing on the Anshan Iron and Steel Constitution, Zhang Yinghao also drew on the Toyota Production Model. This model, essentially originated at Toyota, is not a set of theoretical knowledge, but rather a set of practical experience. Its practical principles are simple: just-in-time production and no inventory.

This principle is indeed very simple, but very important. Therefore, many outstanding companies in the world have regarded this production model as a classic because it can greatly reduce costs and effectively improve efficiency.

For example, on the production line, even the handling of materials must be precise. The daily production volume is already planned, and the required materials are delivered on time. This has achieved a level of accuracy where problems can be identified with a simple investigation, truly ensuring a clear understanding of the situation.

While there's no way to quickly achieve these goals right now, we can start working towards them. Having a clear idea of ​​how to proceed is better than having no idea at all. With a goal, as long as we're willing to move forward, we'll eventually reach it. However, if we don't even know how to proceed, we won't make any progress. Zhang Yinghao would be satisfied if he could cultivate a group of outstanding management talent, or if these insights were useful to his colleagues.

Zhang Yinghao finished explaining the information and emphasized the importance of confidentiality. He said, "Although this information is currently being circulated within the Progressive Party, it is still classified as confidential and cannot be disclosed externally. You may not be able to use it now, but you must gradually learn to apply it, integrating theory with practice. Once we have a group of comrades who have fully understood and can flexibly apply this information, or once we have established an industrial system, we will gradually release all of this information..."

In other words, Zhang Yinghao wasn't short of money right now. If he were, there's no telling how much these three documents would be worth if sold. At the very least, for an industrial nation, these documents were invaluable assets, capable of boosting a nation's industrial strength. Of course, Zhang Yinghao wasn't a saint; these documents would eventually become part of university textbooks and articles in "Zhang Yinghao's Thoughts," ultimately generating substantial income for him.

In fact, coming to this era also makes Zhang Yinghao feel that it is really easy for the literati of this era to make money. Because of the social turmoil, everyone is actually looking for a way out. Due to the suppression and blockade of the Qing Dynasty, everyone is in a cultural desert and urgently needs various articles to quench their thirst. Therefore, people of this era who can write articles and have their own unique points of view can basically make a fortune and have no worries about food and drink. This is also the reason why there are so many masters in this era, because the benefits of being a master are really too great, and an article can sell for a lot of money, so naturally all the literati will get in. If there is a time traveler who travels to this era and writes "The Rise of Great Powers" or "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", he will instantly become a master. How can he not make money?

Chapter 569: First update!

Zhang Yinghao forcefully suppressed his desire to write books to make money. He had everything he needed and was in his current position, so there was really no need to think about writing books to sell. His greatest responsibility was to write more to leave more spiritual wealth for the Party and the country. As for making money, would the country and the people really treat him unfairly if he had written these things, shared them with so many people, and changed the fate of so many people?

"Chairman, we can certainly build more factories now, but there are many problems. The main one is that we don't have enough technical personnel. Even if we buy a factory, it will take a long time to research and develop it. If no one knows how to operate the factory, many of the machines inside will not know how to use them or no one knows how to use them at all. Foreigners will be reluctant to come to China, and these things will not be able to be solved quickly."

Zhang Yinghao naturally knew this, so he said, "I know you're telling the truth, but if the conditions are there, we must move forward. If not, we must create them and move forward. We can't hold back just because we encounter difficulties. We must leverage the advantages of the socialist system and concentrate our efforts on major tasks. We must also leverage our country's abundant labor resources. We shouldn't aim too high, but start from the very basics and build our country step by step."

"Chairman, the most basic thing you're talking about is road construction?"

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said: "Including road construction. Of course, road construction requires steel, cement plants, mining, transportation, etc. These are actually infrastructure, so don't underestimate road construction. It is actually a systematic project. One move affects the whole body. The great powers actually built and developed step by step in this way. We must also follow the old path of development of the great powers. For example, if we walk from here to the train station, you can choose different roads and different ways, but this distance cannot be shortened. You can't appear at the train station out of thin air. This is the scientific path. It is the same everywhere in the world. This is inevitable.

But the great powers groped their way to industrialization for two hundred years. We already know the path and the shortcuts. Do we need that much time? So, can we complete the process in twenty years by taking small steps and sprinting quickly? Just like walking to the train station, we can choose to walk slowly, sprint quickly, ride a bicycle, or drive a car. So we need to proactively seek out the tools that will help us complete the industrialization process as quickly as possible. Do you understand? We need to be proactive. We should proactively seek out and build what we need.

After Zhang Yinghao finished speaking, he brought over a sandbox from the classroom next door. He then piled a pile of sand into a cone and said, "Our technology tree plan, the technology tree we are climbing now, is just like this pile of sand."

After saying this, Zhang Yinghao slowly added sand to the pile. Layer after layer of sand fell, finally raising the cone higher. Pointing at the growing, taller cone, he said, "The base of this pile represents our infrastructure, such as roads, transportation, steel, chemicals, electricity, and so on. And at the very top of the pile are today's most advanced technologies, such as automobiles and precision machine tools. If we want to advance our high-tech even further, right? Our foundation needs to be significantly expanded, otherwise it won't be able to support it. We can't suddenly add anything to the top of this cone out of thin air, because the cone won't be able to withstand it. If the foundation is not solid, then anything we put on top won't matter. If the foundation is not solid, then, like today, our roads and transportation are not good, and the automotive industry can't develop. Everyone should know that the automotive industry alone directly and indirectly provides employment for tens of millions of people..."

Zhang Yinghao was well aware that without a vast industrial base and the support of substantial infrastructure investment, developing high-tech would be extremely difficult. Of course, the two were mutually reinforcing. Without high-tech, a vast industrial base would ultimately face a series of challenges, including difficulty upgrading.

"Chairman, Sichuan is still too small to solve the employment problems of so many people, right?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Yinghao suddenly realized that the territory controlled by the Liberated Area was indeed large, and Chengdu was no longer suitable as the political center of the Liberated Area. Sichuan was, after all, inland and located in a remote area. Even with the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway, transportation would not be very convenient. If they continued to stay in Chengdu, it would only hinder the Party Central Committee and the development of the Forward Party. It was no longer suitable for national construction and planning.

Where to move to? Xi'an? Transportation to Xi'an is now even more inconvenient. Xi'an's geographical location isn't as good as Chongqing's, and Chongqing's location isn't as good as Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, a crossroads connecting nine provinces. Zhang Yinghao only briefly considered it before happily making a decision: move to Wuhan. Furthermore, Wuhan has the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant, making it more convenient to plan national construction projects. Zhang Yinghao remembered that Wuhan in his previous life was the largest city in China, so it had the potential to become a modern metropolis.

However, moving away from Sichuan is not something that can be done easily. A broken house is worth a fortune, not to mention that it is a move from a political center. There are too many things involved and it needs to be carefully planned.

Thinking of this in just a moment, he immediately replied: "Haha, for Sichuan today, it's still underdeveloped and is indeed a little small, so we can complete the accumulation of technology now. Of course, it's not that Sichuan lacks population or land. Sichuan actually has both. Sichuan is currently short of educated and skilled workers. So now that we have liberated Wuhan and Hunan, we only need to concentrate our efforts on major tasks. It is completely possible to concentrate a large number of talents in Wuhan to build an automobile industry belt. Therefore, we must incorporate the factories built by the Qing Dynasty in the newly liberated areas into our entire construction system as soon as possible, and re-plan them so that these factories can play a greater role. System, system, the greatest charm of the system is that it is not a single factory, nor is it a place where broken parts can be repaired. Instead, it is interconnected and mutually reinforcing, and it is something that can automatically improve precision and production efficiency..."

After answering the questions from the comrades in the industrial sector, Zhang Yinghao sent them off. He understood the difficulties of developing industry in the Liberated Areas. Their inland location had indeed presented numerous inconveniences, but he couldn't afford to urge them on. He knew too much about himself, and with limited energy, he couldn't accomplish much. He could only desperately urge his comrades forward. Thinking of the diplomatic corps currently on the train to Chengdu, and the newly liberated territory, he realized that perhaps now was the time for the Liberated Areas to truly achieve significant development.

Just as Zhang Yinghao was enjoying the future, Liu Xudong, Li Tianqiao, and Bai Mingliang approached him and said, "Chairman, the mastermind behind your assassination has been identified."

"Huh? So fast? Who is so capable of organizing such a large force in Sichuan?"

"Japanese!"

Hearing these three words, Zhang Yinghao was stunned for a moment. This was an unexpected answer, but upon reflection, it made sense. Given the Japanese devils' vengeful nature, the Fifth Field Army had inflicted a crushing defeat on the Japanese in Northeast China, and he had then ordered the Wuhan Military Commission to forcibly reclaim the Wuhan Japanese Concession. Later, they had sent troops into Korea and completely eliminated all Japanese influence in Northeast China. It would be unusual for Japan not to retaliate against him, the "culprit." However, the fact that Japan had extended its reach into Sichuan was what surprised Zhang Yinghao.

Zhang Yinghao knew that Japan had been deliberately trying to occupy China since the Meiji Restoration, or even earlier, and that continental policy had always been Japan's pursuit. Especially after the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Japan began to plant spies in China, formulate various conspiracies and tricks, and devour China step by step until the complete victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

The most hateful thing about Japan is that they initially cultivated pro-Japanese forces through various channels, including overseas students studying in Japan, Chinese bureaucrats, compradors, merchants, factory owners, and military officers. Influential intellectuals were also important targets for Japan to develop. Through funding and other means, they allowed these unscrupulous intellectuals to promote the disguise of Sino-Japanese friendship for them, misleading the general public. They also desperately belittled and attacked Chinese culture, creating a large number of contradictions, weakening China's strength and the people's resistance. At the same time, they also wanted to learn from the Qing Dynasty's rule over China and cultivate a large number of traitors and bureaucrats. If the Japanese hadn't put in such hard work, how could they have been so full of spies and agents when they invaded China, and how could they have raised such a large number of puppet troops?

Of course, the Japanese were rampant with assassinations in their own country, and naturally, they were also unscrupulous in China. Many important figures in China were assassinated by the Japanese. The world may know that Zhang Zuolin, the King of Northeast China, was killed by the Japanese army. In fact, Zhang Zuoxiang, Wu Junsheng and other Northeastern military officers were also assassinated by the Japanese. Of course, many assassinations during this period were also strange. The strange deaths of a large number of determined anti-Japanese elements and outstanding technical talents are probably inseparable from the big black hand of Japan.

"You departments should work together and take advantage of the crackdown to dig deep. The Japanese alone can't pull off such a meticulous plan. They definitely need internal and external support. It would be best if we could root these people out completely. Also, thoroughly inspect some of our core factories and research institutes to prevent spies from infiltrating..."

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's words, Liu Xudong and the others received the order they wanted and immediately replied happily: "Yes.

There are really quite a few super projects being researched in the liberated areas. For example, although penicillin cannot be industrialized and mass-produced yet, clinical trials have been completed, and the small amount produced has already entered military hospitals and become a life-saving medicine for soldiers. This stuff will be liquid gold in the next few decades. If these secrets are stolen by powers such as Japan, the loss of the liberated areas will be huge. Even Yunnan Baiyao and Dansheng Drops, which were previously advertised as "secret recipes of Miao medicine", are now the targets coveted by powers. It is so difficult to keep secrets in inland Sichuan.

In coastal cities, the task is even more arduous and long.

A day later, Zhang Yinghao finally got the news that the diplomatic corps of the great powers had finally arrived in Chengdu. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Propaganda and other departments received the personnel of the great powers. Now they have arranged for these foreigners to rest in the hotel. The next day, they will be taken to see Chengdu, and the formal negotiations will begin on the third day.

Zhang Yinghao listened, nodded slightly and said: "Why not take these foreign devils to our elementary and junior high schools to have a look? It would be best if they could feel the revolutionary enthusiasm of the students in our liberated areas..."

Even as Zhang Yinghao listened to the itinerary for the foreigners, they were still discussing the changes in Sichuan. Having traveled all the way here by train, they had already learned that Sichuan was vastly different from the areas under the Qing Dynasty's rule. Not only did Sichuan build its own train tracks, but even the tall chimneys along the route showed a difference. While these changes were insignificant in the eyes of the foreign powers, they also knew that Sichuan was no longer the Sichuan they had once known. Furthermore, after the land reform in Sichuan, the rural people had each received their own land, settled down, and worked hard. The decadence of the Qing Dynasty had vanished, transforming the Chinese people in the liberated areas into a new kind of Chinese that these foreigners didn't recognize. The image of Chinese people they had previously viewed was completely different.

The great powers, having experienced "revolution" or "transformation," were naturally well aware of the changes in the liberated areas and were therefore deeply concerned. Diplomats from Britain, France, Japan, and Tsarist Russia, who held significant interests in China, were especially aware of the mission this entailed and felt immense pressure.

Therefore, after obtaining permission to use the telegraph machine, the ministers began to send telegrams to the minister in China to report the situation, especially what they saw and heard along the way.

Although the intelligence agencies also intercepted these telegrams, they did not have the code books and did not know the specific content sent by the great powers.

The next morning, after breakfast, Li Jie, a student who had returned from the United States and was now in charge of reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took these foreigners to tour Chengdu.

The first place they took these foreigners to was a primary school. It was a coincidence, but when they passed by, a neat, childish voice rang out from inside the school:

Blow the trumpet, da, da, da.

Beat the small bronze drum and you will get the sound of dragon and dragon dong.

Holding a knife and a gun in hand, he charged into the battlefield.

Kill the spy with one sword and shoot the enemy with one gun.

I'm not afraid of being young, I'm only afraid of not resisting.

Foreigners who were able to come to China as diplomats naturally had no problem understanding Chinese. Even if they didn't understand at the time, there were English translators in the liberated areas who would translate the content for these foreigners to enjoy.

After listening to the children's chorus, Li Jie said, "Your Excellencies, this children's song was written by Chairman Zhang after he heard about the Boer War, the American War of Independence, the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France, and the Russo-Japanese War in Northeast China. He also observed the various invasions of China by the great powers, summarizing the lessons learned. Chairman Zhang believed that the key to China's independence and freedom was to mount the most resolute resistance. He also said that this kind of work must be taught from a young age, so he wrote this children's song specifically for distribution in the liberated areas."

These diplomats' eyelashes were empty. How could they not know the meaning of the Liberated Area's arrangement? They all thought it was a show of force. In fact, Zhang Yinghao really had no intention of showing force, because China was not capable of showing force to the great powers at the moment. Through this, he only expressed to the great powers the Liberated Area's determination not to succumb to them.

As for the wars mentioned in this children's song to Comrade Li Jie, Zhang Yinghao deliberately included them when writing it. Chinese people often share a Ye Gong-like fondness for dragons, summarizing so many wars in one sentence, and everyone will attach great importance to that sentence. After all, concentration is essence! However, the phrase "only fear not resisting" is truly the only way for small nations to defeat large nations and weak countries to defeat strong ones. Especially since Western white people in China have a clear-cut relationship between friend and foe, if Western powers led their troops to invade, the devastating impact of this song can be imagined. The British, who experienced the Boer War, could not imagine this.

“How many schools like this do you have?”

Li Jie laughed dryly when he heard this question and said, "Haha, I haven't really counted this, but there are at least 300 such primary schools in each county. Sichuan should have at least 3,000 such schools!"

"Oh my god!

"

"Oh shit."

"idiot!"

......

Upon hearing this number, the foreigners couldn't help but burst out with a stream of their most cherished "truths." If there really were that many schools, it would be unimaginable. Of course, Li Jie wouldn't say that elementary school teachers were essentially trained quickly. Without Chairman Zhang Yinghao's practical tools like the Chinese Pinyin alphabet, dictionary, and multiplication tables, there wouldn't be so many teachers. Furthermore, most of these teachers had to rely on farming to support themselves, and the liberated areas simply couldn't afford to support so many full-time teachers. Furthermore, many schools often had one teacher teaching multiple subjects, with older students even teaching younger ones. Music teachers, for example, were even more scarce, often traveling back and forth between several schools to teach. This was a difficult situation, a testament to the extremes of frugality and hard work.

Li Jie then took the foreigners to a junior high school, where they also sang "Chinese Revolutionary Song." He even took them to a boot camp, allowing them to see firsthand how the PLA was conducting formal military drills, like drill formations. This was a genuine exercise in training. This was intended to demonstrate to the foreign powers a fact: the PLA was a real army, not bandits, peasant armies, or militias. Furthermore, the liberated areas were no longer targets for the foreign powers to arbitrarily bully.

Not convinced? Then let's fight!

Chapter 570: First update!

After wandering around for most of the day, they were taken back. Returning to their hotel, the foreign diplomats sent another telegram to their ambassador in China, reporting their day's observations. For Zhang Yinghao, regardless of what the foreign powers reported, as long as he made himself invincible and waited for the enemy to be defeated, always prepared for battle, that was all that mattered. "You threaten me, I won't be threatened," he said. "You must be determined to fight the foreign powers if they want to."

Of course, war is the last resort. If the problem can be solved through negotiation, Zhang Yinghao will naturally be happy to do so. At present, fighting without breaking should be the most advantageous option for the liberated areas.

After sending the foreign diplomats back, Li Jie went to the conference room to report the situation to Zhang Yinghao and the others. Never fight a battle unprepared; this is the consistent style of the Forward Party. The conference room was now filled with comrades from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry, the Bank, the Intelligence Department, and other departments, listening to the report and making final preparations for tomorrow's negotiations and subsequent individual talks with diplomats from various major powers. Zhang Yinghao leaned back in his chair, listening attentively to Li Jie's report on the day and his assessment of the performance and state of the diplomats from various major powers.

"...So, to summarize, Japan and France are extremely hostile to our liberated areas. They are very eager to gain economic benefits through political privileges. Britain is relatively silent, and Tsarist Russia remains arrogant and conceited, but is also very hostile and wary of us. Countries like the United States, Italy, Belgium, and Germany are more inclined to seek economic benefits. Of course, gaining benefits from the liberated areas is one of the common goals of the great powers..."

After Li Jie finished speaking, the comrades from the Intelligence Bureau distributed the data they had collected from various countries and the interests of the great powers in China to all the members present. Then they heard Li Tianqiao say: "The great powers have common interests in China. For example, the Boxer Indemnity and the unequal treaties signed by the Qing Dynasty all enabled the great powers to obtain huge benefits in China. However, these great powers appeared in China at different times and their national strengths also varied. For example, Mongolia in the north, northern Xinjiang, and Tsarist Russia in the northeast, Fujian and the northeast were Japan, Guangdong and Guangxi, and southern Yunnan were France, Tibet, western Yunnan, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Guangdong and other places were Britain, Shandong was Germany, and so on. As for the United States, Belgium, and Italy, their interests are not very significant at the moment, especially since the previous boycott of American goods caused serious damage to the United States' interests in China... Because of the diversity and complexity of the great powers' interests in China, we have the possibility of dividing the great powers..."

A comrade from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said: "We held a meeting and discussed the diplomatic philosophy outlined by the Chairman. We certainly hope to have good relations with all major powers, but this is obviously unrealistic. Therefore, we will continue to adhere to our diplomatic philosophy and maintain the strategy of making friends with distant countries and attacking those nearby, dividing and winning over them..."

Hearing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs begin to ramble, Zhang Yinghao bluntly interrupted, saying, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' job is simply to uphold our diplomatic philosophy and promote it. Making friends with distant powers, attacking those nearby, or dividing and co-opting them is not your job. What you want is to be friends with all the great powers as much as possible, understand? Maintaining relationships, fighting without breaking them, is what your Ministry of Foreign Affairs should always consider. As for whether or not to break them, that's not your concern. Even if a great power declares war on us and a war breaks out, you should face them with a smile. Even if it's a hundred-year war, it will eventually end, and your Ministry of Foreign Affairs should always focus on ending the war as soon as possible, finding ways to get what you want at the negotiating table... As for making friends with distant powers, attacking those nearby, dividing and co-opting them, those are only references for other departments' actions, an exchange of interests and promises... Since the current situation of the great powers is roughly the same as we previously estimated, with the exception of Japan, tomorrow we should listen carefully to their exact situation and what conditions they will propose. Then, prepare to contact their diplomats privately and have a thorough discussion with them. Ideally, we should divide and disintegrate their alliances and secure sufficient benefits for us..."

Zhang Yinghao could actually guess what conditions the great powers would propose, and therefore knew that negotiating with all of them together would result in absolutely no results. Of course, if the Liberated Areas recognized all of the great powers' interests in China, or even if they could satisfy the interests of Britain, Japan, Tsarist Russia, and others, then negotiating with all of them would be completely fruitless and could almost always reach an agreement. However, this was precisely what the Liberated Areas could not accept. Therefore, they could only exploit the differences in the great powers' interests and adopt a method of attacking them one by one, seeking common ground while reserving differences to gain benefits. Negotiating with the great powers together meant understanding their single highest demand, the sum of all their demands, and nothing more.

However, Zhang Yinghao was unaware that the foreign envoys stationed in Beijing had been keeping a close eye on the situation in Sichuan, especially since arriving in Chengdu. Just as Zhang Yinghao and his entourage were preparing to negotiate with the foreign powers, telegrams arrived one after another. The envoys, having received the news, immediately gathered in the British Embassy's conference room in Dongjiaominxiang.

The atmosphere in the conference room seemed a bit serious at this time. The diplomatic corps of the great powers in China would often hold cocktail parties or meetings. The purpose was naturally self-evident, which was to obtain more benefits and reconcile the conflicts between the great powers in China.

The Japanese Minister to China, Yasuya Uchida, who was wearing a black suit, glanced at the ministers from Britain, the United States, France, Germany and Russia who were present at the meeting. Although ministers from Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries also attended the meeting, all the ministers knew that only these countries had the real power to make decisions.

Japan is currently the most anxious and unwilling to compromise its interests in China, so this time it took the lead in proposing interference in regime change in China. However, Japan's current economic and political difficulties have forced it to seek help from other countries, leaving it with no bargaining power before the great powers. Even if it means paying a price, even if it means being treated like a dog, Japan must protect its interests in China. For example, the Boxer Indemnity and Wuhan's cheap mineral resources are extremely important to Japan, even indispensable resources.

...I and the Imperial Japanese Government are strongly opposed to the so-called "revolution" in the Qing Dynasty. There is no doubt that if the Sichuan Progressive Party overthrows the Qing government, it will inevitably severely damage the interests of various countries in China. In other words, the major powers have already begun to lose their interests in China, as exemplified by the previous boycotts of American and Japanese goods, the forced revocation of customs and concessions, the refusal to recognize normal treaties signed by the Qing central government, and the non-recognition of the extraterritoriality of the major powers. I believe that all the ministers should have no objection to this! To this end, the Imperial Japanese Government hopes that the foreign diplomatic corps will act in unison, even resorting to war, to force the Sichuan Progressive Party to abandon its refusal to recognize the treaties signed between the Qing central government and the major powers! It may even be necessary to support the Qing central government against this mob of the Sichuan Progressive Party...

If anyone among the foreign envoys most disliked the emergence of a unified revolutionary regime in China, it would undoubtedly be Uchida Yasuya. Keeping China ignorant and backward, and weakening its national strength through persistent unrest, has always been a core policy of Japan's China policy. Even in the current period of extreme economic hardship, a severely devalued yen, and ongoing rice riots, Japan has not relaxed its attention on China's political situation, has not ceased its efforts to woo and support pro-Japanese factions, and has not given up on its widespread spies. Simply because Japan's industrialization depends on continuous sustenance from China.

Uchida Yasuya was very smart. He knew about interests! Only interests were what the great powers cared about. Sichuan had already seriously damaged the interests of the great powers. As long as there were enough interests, Uchida Yasuya had no doubt that the great powers would send troops to attack the liberated areas led by the Forward Party. In that case, the great powers would have to ask for the help of the Empire of Japan. The Empire of Japan would then have the possibility of immediately cutting flesh from the Qing Dynasty again to make up for the war losses and restore its overdrawn national strength.

In the eyes of the great powers, even if there was a regime change in the Qing Dynasty, it should follow the rules of the game of the great powers. The new government must recognize and be willing to respect the vested interests of the great powers and recognize the various treaties signed by the central government before. Only then would it be possible to gain the recognition of the new government from the great powers. The great powers would never allow a new government that had nothing to do with them to rule China. That would be too disadvantageous to the great powers.

This was the case in previous generations. After the Xinhai Revolution, the Nanjing Provisional Government established by Sun Yat-sen dared not say a word about this. Yuan Shikai continued to do so after usurping the power of the Republic of China, even having to sign more treaties to maintain his rule. After Yuan Shikai's death, Duan Qirui, Li Yuanhong, Cao Kun and others still bowed to reality, respecting all treaties and not allowing them to be arbitrarily changed in exchange for the support and recognition of their regimes by various countries. The revolutionary Chiang Kai-shek government did the same thing. When the People's Republic of China was founded, these treaties were abolished. It can be said that the amount of indemnity signed by the Qing Dynasty was basically paid, except for the amount due to war and the voluntary abandonment of the great powers.

To open China's doors and secure sufficient markets and profits, the great powers were even willing to launch wars. Therefore, Uchida Yasuya's words immediately resonated with the entire conference room. Ministers like Britain's Sadao, France's Lubin, Germany's Alphonse von Mummer, and Tsarist Russia's Kekedi all began to exchange opinions in whispers.

It was indeed inappropriate to ignore Sichuan's development in the past and even do business with Sichuan and allow Sichuan to purchase machinery and equipment, because the Progressive Party has previously expressed its attitude towards the privileges of various countries in China.

However, although the Forward Party was not welcomed by the great powers, Rockefeller knew that Sichuan and the United States had a large amount of trade. Moreover, Rockefeller was a scholar-diplomat with literati idealism and also upheld the American "open door" policy, so he stood up and said: "Dear ministers, the interests of various countries in China are indeed one of the key points we should pay attention to, but here I would also like to ask everyone to pay attention to one thing! China's current changes have already taken place and are inevitable! Now the Forward Party in Sichuan actually controls more than half of the land and two-fifths of the population of the Qing Dynasty. There is no doubt that the central government of the Qing Dynasty is no match for Sichuan. Even at the request of Minister Yasuya Uchida, the great powers supported the central government of the Qing Dynasty to fight against Sichuan. But the result What will it be? Don't you know the combat effectiveness of the Qing army? Moreover, ministers, don't forget one thing, Sichuan promotes nationalism, which means that nationalism has slowly awakened in this country. They have also formed political parties, which is even more terrifying than the Boxer Rebellion that occurred in the Qing Dynasty before. If we unite, or even send troops, it will only push the entire Sichuan-controlled area to the opposite side. Almost 200 million Chinese will eventually become our enemies. This is unacceptable and unimaginable. Therefore, the United States has temporarily reserved its opinion on sending troops to Sichuan. Your Excellencies, have you forgotten that a few years ago our army couldn't even invade Shanxi? And, don't forget what our most powerful weapon against the Qing Dynasty has always been?"

The United States is now a true upstart, with domestic capital seeking outlets everywhere. The Progressive Party has repeatedly expressed its desire to deepen cooperation and increase trade with the United States when conducting business with the United States. China is now essentially divided up by other powers, so the United States proposed the Open Door Policy simply to grab a piece of the action. If the Progressive Party chooses to cooperate with the United States, the United States will essentially regain a massive market. The so-called privileges in China are simply insignificant compared to such a large market and potentially tens of millions of dollars in monthly trade!

Hearing Rockefeller's words, it seemed that for countries like Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Austria-Hungary, which didn't have significant interests in China, free trade would naturally bring more benefits and be more advantageous than those privileges. For smaller countries like Portugal, as long as China was willing to show some leniency, they would be able to reap the benefits to their heart's content. Sending troops would be just a minor act, and it seemed unnecessary.

Everyone looked at Rocky, who excitedly answered himself, "The reason we were able to sign a treaty with the Qing central government was because our army conquered the Qing capital, Beijing, which forced the Qing government to sign a treaty with us. Secondly, we maintain our interests in China by controlling the Qing customs, salt taxes, railways, etc. But is all this useful for Sichuan? Sichuan can build its own railways, and Sichuan has forcibly taken back the customs and salt taxes. They are now located inland. Can we threaten them? The truth is only within the range of cannons. We cannot get even a tael of tariffs and salt taxes from the Forward Party, so naturally we cannot get even a tael of compensation. Therefore, facing Sichuan now, we do not have any strong means to deal with them for the time being. The best way is actually the "open door" policy proposed by the United States, free trade..."

After Rocky finished speaking, the ministers of various countries no longer had much desire to speak because they had no new ideas. In the end, everyone looked at Sadow, who was hesitating. This core soul figure of the diplomatic corps of various countries had the military force to become the world hegemon. His decision was enough to influence the decision of the diplomatic corps, but he was a veteran British diplomat and would not express his opinion easily.

Sadaoyi didn't express his opinion, but Uchida Yasuya couldn't stand it anymore, so he immediately asked angrily: "Then, Your Excellency, Minister Rockefeller, what should we do if the Progressive Party takes full control of the Chinese government and initiates negotiations that infringe on the interests of various countries? Do we need to give up the rights and interests in China that other countries have gained over half a century just for the sake of current short-term trade interests? Does the US government hope to sacrifice the rights and interests of other countries in China in exchange for US interests?"

"The interests of all countries will never be sacrificed! The rights and interests we have acquired over the past half century were actually for the sake of trade. The Progressive Party has always emphasized maintaining the status quo, so the vested special interests of all countries have been respected by the new regime! At least in the short term, the special interests of all countries in China will not suffer any substantial losses. This is beyond doubt!"

Rockhurst's argument was justified. The great powers had opened the Qing Dynasty's borders through war for the sake of trade. This was the essence of the matter. However, Uchida Yasuya shouted, "The problem now is that the British Empire's Jiujiang and Wuhan Concessions, as well as the Imperial Japanese Empire's Wuhan Concessions, have been forcibly reclaimed by the Sichuan Progressive Party. Our rights and interests have suffered great losses."

"You disrupted the status quo, but we must learn to cut our losses. Everyone, please understand this: the Progressive Party is a group of nationalists, but they are by no means fanatical thugs like the Boxers. They released prisoners of war, are willing to resolve issues in a civilized manner, and are willing to take back everything they want from the negotiating table. Everyone! The Chinese say that times change, and we must change our policy toward China. Simply using force is not the solution. The Progressive Party is willing to acknowledge the status quo and learn from us. Previous policies toward China may no longer be suitable for this ancient country, where nationalism is beginning to awaken. Furthermore, once the Progressive Party gains control of the coastal provinces and cities, and the political center of Beijing..."

Everyone was confused when they heard this. Sadoy understood exactly what Rocky was saying and said immediately, "Sir Rocky! I believe the interests of the great powers in China are aligned! We have no conflict."

Sa Daoyi suddenly realized that blindly relying on past diplomatic tactics in this era of change was undoubtedly foolish. In times of change, more flexible diplomatic tactics must be employed to safeguard vested interests! There is only one China. As long as the great powers unite and raise the banner of the principle of solidarity with China, China will be inseparable from the great powers. Will China not eventually submit?

However, Sadaoyi did not know the superiority of socialism at this time; he did not know that the Second Industrial Revolution had just begun and was in full swing; he did not know that the Chinese people would do anything to develop industry; he did not know that there was a global war waiting for the great powers, which would buy China enough time and space for development; and the great powers did not know that Zhang Yinghao was a variable from more than a hundred years later. In Zhang Yinghao's eyes, these methods of the great powers were as transparent as ever, without any novelty. As long as the Progressive Party was given sufficient time to develop, China's confidence in facing the great powers would only grow stronger, and eventually it would even be able to ignore the general great powers, return to the top of the world, and regain the status that a central power should have.

Chapter 571: First update!

After Sa Daoyi expressed his opinion in one sentence, the ministers of various countries began to discuss in low voices, while Uchida Yasuya looked at Rou Keyi with a slightly angry look on his face.

"Bakayarō! The Omi demons are truly utterly awful. They have plenty of time, but how can the Empire of Japan afford to wait any longer? The Fifth Field Army in Northeast China has sent troops into Korea, burning, looting, and smashing everything, creating a large number of refugees. Mines and mining machinery have been severely damaged, and the ore they have mined can no longer be shipped out. Wuhan has even stopped selling ore, and the Yawata Iron and Steel Works is about to halt production. Domestic companies are also running out of raw materials. The entire Japanese leadership is jumping up and down, frantic. And now domestic supplies such as food are in dire straits, and the people are starving. If there is still no significant income, the Empire of Japan will be in dire straits."

Of course, the Japanese never reflected on how they ended up in this predicament. Japan is now like a starving wolf, desperate to capture its prey, regardless of whether it's poisonous or not. If the great powers had agreed to intervene in China's revolution, Japan would have had the opportunity to reap a fortune in record time, but now that hope has been dashed. Fortunately, Japan no longer has the national strength to invade China alone; otherwise, if these beasts were allowed to enter, who knows how many tragedies would have occurred.

However, Uchida Yasuya was no simple man. Since he couldn't directly benefit from the Progress Party, he had to make things difficult for them and not let them unify the country easily. Uchida Yasuya said, "China is a great country. We must not let the Progress Party unify the country easily. Even if the Qing government is overthrown, we should do everything we can to prevent China's unification. Therefore, we should cultivate more forces in China that are close to the great powers. Only in this way can we better protect the interests of the great powers in China..."

The words of the old devil Yasuya Uchida immediately aroused strong resonance in the diplomatic corps. Facing a big country like China, although it was already poor and weak, extremely backward at that time, and had been pinned to the ground and rubbed several times by the great powers, it was still an existence that made the great powers extremely afraid.

Even when China was still in the midst of warlords' civil war and the gap between the Chinese people and them in economy, military and technology was as huge as a chasm, they disguised themselves as "democratic Jesus" who seemed to be able to "save the suffering" and took advantage of China's chaos to grab profits by any means. The Chinese people, who were in disarray, could not pose any threat to them, let alone remove their "veil of civilization."

Yet, the imperialist powers were in reality deeply terrified of the hardworking, gentle, respectful, frugal, and modest Chinese people. This deep-seated fear led them to coin the "Yellow Peril" theory, to view the Chinese as a "monster," and to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, which strictly guarded against them. The imperialist powers constantly wondered, "How can the Chinese be so resilient? Why don't they die out? Why are they so gentle and respectful, so unyielding and unconquerable..."

At this time, Zhang Yinghao didn't know that the old devil Uchida Yasuya had come up with another evil idea to harm China. The great powers didn't even need to do anything specific, they just needed to express their support. Now that the Qing Dynasty's control was almost zero, some Chinese officials could quickly transform into warlords, causing tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of deaths in China.

However, Zhang Yinghao should also feel fortunate. China's geographical location is favorable, its territory is vast, and Japan and Russia are currently exhausted. Even the neighboring nations of Japan, Russia, Britain, and France cannot send many troops to attack China from the border at this time, even if they fight to the death. As for the naval forces, with dozens or even hundreds of warships and tens of thousands of soldiers gathered on Shanghai's beaches, they have basically reached the limit of not starting a war.

Just as the imperialist powers intervened in the Russian Revolution primarily to seize territory and plunder resources, it was still the White Russian army that truly fought against the Red Russians. The imperialist powers, hoping to interfere in the Chinese revolution, first had to support China's domestic troops as cannon fodder. If the imperialist powers simply engaged in the battles themselves, without the support of local forces, it would not be a war of intervention but a war of aggression. While the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China enriched the invading soldiers through looting and reaped enormous benefits for the nations, how much longer could the imperialist powers have sustained their presence in China if the Qing Dynasty had not compromised and signed unequal treaties, instead retreating inland to continue resisting the imperialist powers? If Japan's million-strong army couldn't devour China, what would a few tens of thousands of imperialist soldiers have meant? Without the Qing Dynasty's cooperation in suppressing the Boxers, the more the imperialist powers slaughtered the Boxers, the more resistance they would have intensified, and the resistance they would have faced would have intensified, ultimately forcing the imperialist powers to withdraw from China. It is a profound irony that, having forced the Qing Dynasty to sign the treaty, the imperialist powers were able to openly maintain their military presence in China.

Because Uchida Yasuya's proposal really hit the G-spot of the great powers, it was easily passed. After the meeting, Uchida Yasuya went to the embassy and began to think about how to use his proposal to make huge profits for Japan.

The next day, Zhang Yinghao led his comrades to formally prepare to start negotiations. The negotiation was held in a conference hall. All the original tables and chairs had been moved away and replaced with a long table. This was a semi-circular long table for people to sit face to face at based on the photos he had seen in his previous life of the great powers and the Qing Dynasty signing a treaty. The two negotiating parties sat on each side to negotiate.

The side room of the Great Hall had been converted into a small lounge. Tea, glasses, snacks, fruit, candy, sugar, honey, and so on were placed on the table. Five or six foreigners were already sitting there. Some drank their tea, frowning in thought; others grabbed candy and slurred it, chewing it with a crunch; or occasionally whispered something in a foreign language. A few foreigners were also sitting in the conference room, constantly criticizing and whispering to each other...

Zhang Yinghao brought a group of comrades in, and the scene instantly became lively. In order to let the comrades experience firsthand what the great powers were and see their true face, Zhang Yinghao specially arranged for a few more outstanding comrades to come in and listen, which was also a way to boost his own momentum. After all, there is strength in numbers!

Zhang Yinghao's arrival naturally attracted the attention of the diplomats. Those who had met him were fine. Those who hadn't had only heard about him from Zhu Erdian, Andy, and the others. They hadn't imagined that Zhang Yinghao, the leader who had founded the Forward Party, established the Liberated Zone, and conquered such a vast territory, could be so incredibly young. It was simply unbelievable. Zhang Yinghao's age alone frightened the diplomats; he was simply too young. Compared to Zhang Yinghao, they all seemed to be living like dogs.

If only Zhang Yinghao was young, it wouldn't be a problem—geniuses are everywhere, after all—so it's understandable. But the fact that none of the people Zhang Yinghao brought in were particularly old was truly terrifying. Seeing this vibrant group of people, everyone knew the Qing dynasty's demise was inevitable, and that this group would undoubtedly rule China. However, if such a group were allowed to take control of China's political power, no one could predict what would happen to China in the future.

After the two sides introduced themselves and shook hands, they sat down to prepare for negotiations. This was not the first time Zhang Yinghao had received foreigners for negotiations. After the liberation of Chengdu, Britain and France had sent the head of the Chongqing Customs to inquire about the Forward Party's attitude towards the treaty.

Zhang Yinghao knew that the demands of the great powers would definitely exceed the bottom line of the liberated areas. This time, the great powers were collectively forcing the palace. The more they forced the palace, the more they would fight for every ounce of benefits. Although he knew it was a palace forcing, and although it was impossible to meet the demands of the great powers, Zhang Yinghao still wanted to hear how the great powers acted and learn from their faces.

Hubei, situated in the heart of China, boasted concessions and a comprehensive network of international consulates and other institutions. Even Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar, visited Hankou in 1891 to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of the Shuntai Brick Tea Factory, founded by Russian tea merchants. On a whim, he even donated money to build an Orthodox church. The PLA's advance into Hubei effectively marked the official entry of the Progressive Party from its privileged position in Sichuan into the region and its conquest of power.

The PLA attacked Wuhan, and the relevant departments, especially those in the foreign powers, established connections with merchants from these powers, intending to do business. Naturally, problems arose. The foreign powers knew that there was a rebel group in Sichuan, China, and that they were conquering cities along the way. However, apart from doing business, this rebel group had always avoided dealing with foreigners.

In the past, the great powers were unwilling to cause trouble except for collecting information. However, when the rebels finally began to take actual control of the three towns of Wuhan, the great powers demanded that the Forward Party must clearly express its attitude towards foreign countries.

The Wuhan Party Committee didn't actually have a specific attitude toward the foreign powers. If it did, it was because it hoped they wouldn't cause trouble in the short term as it liberated and took over various local governments. In the long term, the comrades naturally hoped to eliminate the foreign powers and let them go their separate ways.

Therefore, all along, when facing the great powers, the Progressive Party has always given a unified answer, which is to simply maintain the status quo and discuss everything later.