The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Years of famine are prone to igniting social tensions and leading to popular unrest. Floods flooded affected prefectures, counties, and cities along the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, leaving the area devastated and devastated. The people were displaced and suffered immensely. Zhang Yinghao wasn't actually worried about popular unrest, but the growing food crisis was a matter of fact. Since the Jiang and Anhui regions were grain-producing areas and densely populated, months of continuous rainfall had wiped out the harvest. With the region newly liberated and insufficiently prepared for famine and disaster, food was, for a time, as valuable as gold.

At this time, the total number of victims in the disaster-stricken areas of the Jiefang District was no less than one million, and the flood disaster was the worst in dozens or hundreds of years. The situation of a major epidemic after this disaster was also threatening the lives and safety of the people at all times.

Coming from the future, Zhang Yinghao naturally knew that the best way to provide relief to the victims was through work-for-relief. Furthermore, the liberated areas didn't have enough food to sustain the victims until next year's harvest. The planting habits of people in this era differed significantly from those of later generations. Due to soil fertility issues, many areas only grew one crop per year.

If traditions followed, the next step for these disaster victims would be to flee famine. In China, fleeing famine is not unfamiliar; places like Anhui already have a long-standing tradition. As the Fengyang Flower Drum Dance sang: "Ever since the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang, there have been nine years of famine out of ten."

So many famines have fostered a tradition of people fleeing famine, but this famine is more severe than the previous ones, and the affected area is even larger. If a large number of people really flee the famine, countless people will inevitably die on the way.

"Comrades, do you know why, once the masses begin to flee famine, the number of such refugees increases?"

While some relief workers could rest at this time, Zhang Yinghao couldn't. It could even be said that the real work had just begun. He had to immediately address the issue of post-disaster resettlement for the victims. Otherwise, if the people began to flee, all his previous efforts would be in vain. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao's priority was to unify the thinking within the Progressive Party, making everyone aware of the seriousness of the situation. Then, the Progressive Party would lead the victims through this difficult time together.

"Comrades, the scale of the disaster and the number of people affected are unprecedented. Let's make a simple estimate here. The number of people in the affected areas is at least 10 million, and these 10 million people are 10 million mouths to feed. If the victims in Fengyang, Fengtai and other places that were hardest hit could no longer survive and began to flee, their usual route would be to Nanjing, Shanghai and other places."

Along the way were areas less affected by the disaster. Wherever these refugees passed, they were like a swarm of locusts, devouring these less-affected areas completely, and inevitably dragging the people from these less-affected areas with them to flee. So once these people fled, the number of refugees would snowball, increasing in number. Like a flood, it was unstoppable. The refugees' flight was like dropping a stone into a calm pond; the ripples would spread outward, and it would take a long time for the calm to return.

After listening to Zhang Yinghao's narration, all the comrades of the Forward Party suddenly realized that these principles were not difficult to understand, but if they were not explained clearly, some comrades would not understand the truth behind them.

"Think about our current food reserves. At the turn of spring and summer, families are almost out of food, waiting for the next crop to grow in the fields to feed their families. With such a severe flood, all the crops have been soaked and spoiled. If the food at home is not transported in time, it will also be soaked and spoiled. So what will these disaster victims eat if they don't flee the famine?"

Zhang Yinghao's question intensified the comrades' sense of urgency. Indeed, without food, people will starve to death. How many of the Forward Party comrades present had never experienced hunger? Naturally, they understood the truth. Immediately, one comrade eagerly asked, "Chairman, what should we do then?"

"Well, as long as everyone wants to solve the problem of the disaster victims and doesn't just abandon it, there are always more solutions than problems. Generally speaking, there are two solutions: work-for-relief and drainage and early planting. Comrades, it's only a few months now. If we ignore these disaster victims and don't organize them, they will continue to flee famine for survival throughout the next year. These people are disaster victims, but they are also the most valuable human resources. Work-for-relief means simply organizing all these disaster victims, finding them a place to work, and exchanging their labor for food.

Our Progressive Party believes that those who do not work shall not eat, and we truly need a large labor force right now. We are building railways and highways, including those from Xi'an to Baoji, and from Sichuan to Guizhou and Yunnan, and now from Wuhan to Hunan. These projects require a large number of people. We are organizing some of the disaster victims and sending them to other liberated areas, especially the old liberated areas of Sichuan and Shaanxi, where countless job opportunities await them.

Let me reiterate the philosophy of our Progressive Party: labor creates wealth. Think about it: if these disaster victims were to flee the famine, with few job opportunities, they might not be able to participate in the labor force for at least a year. During this time, the people would simply be consuming wealth, not creating it. Even if we had more food and supplies in the liberated areas, it wouldn't be enough to feed tens of millions of people. Therefore, we must put these disaster victims to work; we can't just foster a bunch of lazy people.

Seeing that his comrades all nodded in agreement with his point of view, Zhang Yinghao continued, "After the flood, the local surplus food will definitely not be able to feed all the local people. So after we organize some of the disaster victims to leave, the local surplus food should be enough for the local people to consume.

So, should we just leave the local people waiting for our relief? Not at all. After the flood, many fields were banked and ridges completely washed away. The so-called white expanse is truly clean. The flood completely ripped apart the traditional forces' control over the local area. We can now mobilize the masses without restraint, connect the Party with the masses, and lead them. Isn't this the perfect opportunity and place for our Forward Party to flex its muscles? All contradictions at this time were overshadowed by the life-and-death struggle of food and clothing caused by the natural disaster. Survival was the people's greatest need, and any force or individual who stood in their way would be ripped to shreds. Therefore, our land reform in the newly liberated lands was a smooth and seamless process, and it couldn't have been easier.

Draining the water and rushing to plant means organizing the masses to build water conservancy projects. This is the best time. Few of us here have ever farmed before. After the flood, the soil has completely turned to mud and silt. If the water isn't drained away, the seeds will spoil. This is a fact everyone knows. Therefore, we must dig drainage ditches to drain the water from the fields and dry the soil before we can rush to plant.

"Chairman, is it too late to plant now?"

Hearing this question, Zhang Yinghao smiled and said: "It's not too late. September and October are the golden months, and it's still early. We will not plant crops like rice this year, only potatoes. The growing period of potatoes is 60 to 100 days, so it's not too late even if it's a little later. As long as we plant potatoes, there will always be some harvest. The potato sprouts can also be eaten, which is better than eating Guanyin soil, tree bark and other things! I have already instructed our comrades in charge of agriculture to start breeding.

So now is the most critical moment. How strong is our Progressive Party's fighting capacity? How strong is its execution? Can it lead the local people in building water conservancy projects, draining water and ensuring rapid planting? Can it organize the local people and keep them there? It all depends on the action of our comrades. It all depends on whether our comrades can work in the fields with the people, whether they can organize the people through labor and face this disaster together, whether they can prevent the local people from fleeing famine and gain their trust. This is another test given to our Progressive Party by Heaven. Whether we perform well on it depends on the efforts of our comrades. I believe that comrades from all over the country will submit a satisfactory answer.

Seeing many of his comrades eager to try, Zhang Yinghao was quite pleased. The Chinese people have a profound historical tradition, and ordinary people share a deep desire to save people from suffering and disaster. After all, while people live in reality, their hearts live for their ideals.

"So, for this disaster relief, apart from the necessary personnel on duty, all other comrades of the Party Central Committee must go to the front lines to organize the masses to produce and save themselves. My lectures here are very simple, just a few words and it's done. But real work can never be solved with just a few words. It requires the hard work of countless people and countless sweat to water it. The more difficult and dangerous it is, the more our Forward Party must rush to the front lines.

If before, our bond with the local people wasn't thicker than blood, if they didn't recognize us, then after this flood relief effort, saving their lives, we are now closer than blood. A nation thrives through adversity; no matter how much hardship we face, as long as we unite, we can overcome it together. Crisis brings danger, but within danger lies countless opportunities, which our comrades must seek out in their work.

At this point, Zhang Yinghao once again wrote a few large characters on the blackboard: "Self-reliance, Hard Work." Then, turning around, he said, "Everyone present here is a senior cadre within our Party. You all know the current situation of our Forward Party. To achieve victory in the war against Russia, we have mobilized a large amount of supplies. We are facing great difficulties, but as long as all comrades unite as one, there will be no hurdle that cannot be overcome. We must overcome this hurdle now. Our Forward Party's revolutionary song says: 'There has never been a savior, nor do we rely on gods or emperors. To create human happiness, we must rely entirely on ourselves.'"

"I have always stressed that our Progressive Party must be self-reliant and work hard. If we rely on mountains, they will collapse; if we rely on rivers, they will dry up. We can only rely on ourselves. There has never been a savior, which means we are not the savior. We go to save the people, organize them to work together, and provide them with a way to survive, but we are not the savior.

Those people are our compatriots and our relatives. As the ruling party, as government officials, and as public servants of the people, we have the responsibility and obligation to help the people overcome difficulties. Letting the people live a good life, making the country prosperous and strong, and making the nation independent is not a matter of benevolent governance or good governance, but the responsibility and obligation of our progressive party. We have the responsibility and obligation to build the country well, let the people live and work in peace and contentment, and let our future generations no longer have to live in poverty like we do now. We are the public servants of the people, we must always put the interests of the people first and safeguard the interests of the people, do you understand? "

The comrades present had already been indoctrinated with these concepts countless times by Zhang Yinghao, so they all answered in unison: "Understood."

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "Then there are a few things to keep in mind for disaster relief. Let's discuss them together. The first is housing. With people now displaced, housing is paramount. It doesn't need to be luxurious, just a place to shelter from the wind and rain is enough. Sichuan has already learned enough lessons on how to standardize temporary housing, how to manage living quarters, and how to temporarily separate men and women. I won't go into detail here."

The second issue is the epidemic. The old saying that major disasters are followed by major epidemics is absolutely true. After a flood, the air becomes humid, causing mold to grow on everything. The water is also filled with large numbers of dead animals, making it extremely unsanitary. We've all seen bacteria and viruses using microscopes, and they thrive in warm, humid weather. Therefore, in disaster-stricken areas, we must educate people not to drink raw water, but to boil it, and not to eat raw food.

The people have just experienced a flood and are physically and mentally exhausted. Many of them have no food and are emaciated from hunger. Their physical resistance is reduced and they are extremely susceptible to illness. Therefore, it is imperative that they pay attention to their personal hygiene and remove lice and fleas from their bodies, as these are small creatures that can transmit viruses.

Disaster relief requires a large amount of food and other supplies. We are currently collecting these supplies from Sichuan and other areas, and we are also calling on people who are not affected by the disaster to donate money and supplies to overcome this difficult time together. Supplies will be mobilized to the disaster area, but they will certainly not be in large quantities, and they will definitely be prioritized in the hardest-hit areas. So everyone should be mentally prepared. We may not be able to provide a large amount of supplies to support your work. Of course, even if there is no material support, I believe that comrades can do a good job. I also believe that as long as our party members and cadres take the lead, the local people will naturally follow us...

Chapter 661: Second update!

Although the flood was extremely severe and the affected area was large enough that even many county towns were flooded, the county towns of this era had one advantage: the city walls were almost never demolished, so many places were able to keep the floods out of the walls. There were also many enclosures on both sides of the Huai River. Although they were breached by the army, the liberation period was short. Before the water conservancy was built and the land was distributed, the walls of the enclosures were not simply and crudely demolished. Therefore, when the flood came, many people consciously took refuge in the enclosures, and the army also sent people to the enclosures to rescue them.

Zhang Yinghao knew that in his previous life, after the liberation of the country, water conservancy projects were being developed nationwide, with the Huai River being a key priority. Naturally, Zhang Yinghao wanted to improve the Huai River's management. However, many difficulties arose, and before he could issue a mobilization order, the flood arrived. However, this flood was also an order. Now that the Forward Party was determined to control the Huai River, no one in the public would object, and there was no need to worry about manpower.

After enduring the most difficult period of the flood and finishing his work, Zhang Yinghao finally found some time to deal with other things. Zhang Yinghao never imagined that the Qing Dynasty would actually resort to the method of printing paper money, which was a temporary solution to solve its financial problems.

After Zhang Yinghao finished reading the information, the secretary next to him said, "Chairman, I didn't expect that the Qing Dynasty Ju Qingran really adopted the method of printing paper money to solve the financial problem. Will this effectively alleviate the Qing Dynasty's money shortage problem in the short term?"

The secretary also said this after listening to Zhang Yinghao's course on sucking blood from the Qing Dynasty.

Zhang Yinghao nodded and smiled, saying, "Haha, the Qing Dynasty is actually just like that. It's rotten inside, but they feel very good about themselves. Of course, if the Qing Dynasty is really sober enough and just prints a small amount of banknotes, perhaps the problem won't be too serious, and it may even be able to alleviate the money shortage to a certain extent. However, people are greedy and will never stop wanting more! The interests involved are too great, which will inevitably lead to intensified internal struggles within the Qing Dynasty. Doing so will only accelerate the pace of the Qing Dynasty's demise.

Just like the Qing Dynasty sent the Eight Banners out of the capital. In fact, perhaps the Qing Dynasty itself did not realize what would happen after releasing the Eight Banners soldiers from the capital, but when the Eight Banners soldiers began to loot, the money they looted actually helped alleviate the financial shortage in the capital. The Qing Dynasty nobles were not fools, and naturally knew immediately that this was a way to solve the financial crisis. However, perhaps the Qing Dynasty itself did not realize that the people they released were not the weak chickens they had always thought had no fighting power, but hungry wolves who would do anything for money. These hungry wolves will only accelerate the dragging of the Qing Dynasty into the grave.

When the Qing Dynasty printed money and forced merchants and even the people in the areas under its rule to trade, they suddenly discovered that this piece of worthless paper could be exchanged for goods. How comfortable and refreshing it was! They didn't have to do anything, just print money. However, we say that currency is a general equivalent. Since it is equivalent and everything has a price, how can the currency maintain its value? What is the price after the goods are received?

Gold and silver are natural currencies because they are accepted worldwide. However, currency is not necessarily made of gold or silver. If the Qing Dynasty had relied on printing money and forcing its use through administrative means, it would have been unable to maintain monetary stability, inevitably leading to severe inflation. Furthermore, merchants, unable to use Qing-issued currency to purchase goods and unable to circulate funds, would have become less willing to trade, inevitably leading to the collapse of the entire economy and a widespread depression.

Moreover, the Qing Dynasty had no way to withdraw its currency. Since the common people could not exchange the paper money issued by the Qing Dynasty for goods, they would naturally abandon the Qing Dynasty immediately. Haha, now that the Qing Dynasty has issued paper money, it will be overthrown immediately, and we don’t need to take any action at all.

"Chairman, if the Eight Banners soldiers were strong enough and had looted enough money, wouldn't the Qing Dynasty's economic problems be effectively alleviated?"

"Haha, looting can indeed solve the economic problems of the Qing Dynasty to a certain extent, but the gold and silver in the areas under the rule of the Qing Dynasty are limited. The money is in the hands of the rich. These rich people are the foundation of the Qing Dynasty's rule. How much can they rob? They plunder the people, so Shandong is now full of flames. The most important problem is that the Qing Dynasty needs to repay a large amount of money to the foreign powers. This is a real bottomless pit. They are constantly bleeding the Qing Dynasty. No matter how hard the Qing Dynasty tries now, there is no way to fill this big hole.

We call ourselves workers because labor creates wealth. The Qing court was an exploiting class, and they couldn't have created wealth out of thin air. They needed to eat and drink every day, all of which consumed wealth. If the Qing court had acquired wealth through trade, perhaps it wouldn't have mattered if they had consumed it themselves.

But their wealth was not acquired through trade, but through exploitation. In the past, they had the entire country to exploit, perhaps allowing them to maintain the lifestyle they desired. But now, with nowhere to exploit them and no place to create wealth themselves, they can only rely on unconventional methods like plundering and issuing paper money to solve their problems…”

Seeing the secretary's bewildered expression, Zhang Yinghao continued, "Economic issues are far too complex to be fully addressed in a few words. Our base's monetary policy is still tied to the price of grain and salt. So, as long as we continue to work hard and create wealth, our currency will inevitably increase, and our people will become increasingly wealthy. But the prerequisite is that we must control the prices of daily necessities, impose purchase restrictions when necessary, and use the price-gap between industry and agriculture to consolidate the currency. Otherwise, the economy will inevitably collapse."

"Chairman, if you say that, doesn't that mean some people have no ability to make money and will inevitably become poorer and poorer?"

"Haha, as long as you're a worker, you can't get poorer and poorer. You're just getting poorer and poorer relative to others."

"Chairman, I don't understand. Could you explain it to me?"

Zhang Yinghao never disliked those who were eager to learn, and he was always happy to answer their questions. After all, his words were recorded and compiled by a dedicated team, so he wouldn't let his words go to waste. So he immediately said, "As I said last time, whether we are encouraging women to work or providing job opportunities for those with limited labor, the goal is to turn previously unsalable or cheap labor into valuable labor and increase their value. These people can earn money through their labor and live a better life. Do you understand?"

"understand."

"You said some people are unable to work. Well, it all depends on whether they're willing to work. As long as they're willing to work, there's basically no problem supporting themselves. As social wealth increases, the wealth of these people decreases accordingly. But as long as we keep the prices of food and other supplies unchanged, these people can maintain their basic living standards. Do you understand?"

“I understand this.”

"The new government established by our Progressive Party is a government that serves the people. We've invested heavily in infrastructure, which has increased social wealth, and this wealth is shared by all people. Even if their income hasn't increased, they're able to enjoy more and more wealth. Just like the buses in Chengdu now, even if your income is low, taking the bus isn't a big burden. This is the benefit of increased social wealth. So, relatively speaking, people are enjoying more and more material wealth. How can we say they're getting poorer?"

"But something doesn't feel right."

"Haha, the only thing wrong is that this person is considered poor in the eyes of others."

"Yeah."

"Alas, thousands of years ago, Jiang Ziya said: The world does not belong to one person, but to all the world. Those who share the benefits of the world will gain the world; those who monopolize the benefits of the world will lose it. Heaven has its time, earth has its treasures, and those who can share them with others are benevolent. Where benevolence is, the world will follow. To save others from death, relieve others from hardship, save others from suffering, and help others in times of emergency is virtue. Where virtue is, the world will follow. To share the worries, joys, likes, and dislikes of others is righteousness; where righteousness is, the world will follow. All people hate death and enjoy life, love virtue and return to benefits, and can bring benefits is the Tao. Where the Tao is, the world will follow.

This passage clearly articulates everything, encompassing everything about governing a country. However, due to historical limitations, Jiang Taigong failed to recognize the immense wealth that scientific and technological development could create, nor did he clearly understand that labor creates value. However, he did say that the ability to generate profit is the Way. Where the Way is, the world will belong to it. Our Progressive Party has grasped the essence of this. When we say that labor creates wealth and value, we are actually generating profit. The value created through our labor is then used to develop science and technology, increase productivity, and create even greater wealth. This wealth is then shared by all through public services. Shouldn't the world also belong to it?

As for your perception that this person is poor compared to those who work and earn money, that's correct. Therefore, we need to have a historical materialist worldview. He appears poor because our productivity isn't high enough, and we haven't yet eliminated disparities in the value of labor. This is just like what our Progressive Party has always advocated: there's no distinction between high and low work, only differences in the division of labor. Two thousand years ago, Confucius earnestly taught us that a gentleman should not be an instrument, and this is precisely what he meant.

But we can only try to narrow the income gap between people, but we cannot eliminate it because the value of labor is different. But one day, these gaps will eventually disappear. "

"Chairman, then wouldn't virtue, benevolence, and righteousness also be able to conquer the world?"

"So many people don't understand our proletarian ideals, often using superficial or ambiguous words to describe the so-called sage way, and using these words to judge our Forward Party. This is actually a huge mistake. When we talk about the way and the art, the way is the foundation, and the art is the means. Look at the content of your own records. Whether it is saving someone's life, resolving someone's difficulties, saving someone from suffering, alleviating someone's urgent needs, or sharing worries, joys, likes, and dislikes, these are just means. Aren't these the political ideals of our Forward Party?"

We put women to work, making worthless and cheap labor valuable. We organized the masses to build water conservancy projects, bridges, and roads. We also promoted the idea that the Field Army was a contingent of workers and peasants, the people's army. And our Forward Party was the vanguard of the people, wholeheartedly serving them. These claims were, in fact, mere tactics.

In Buddhist terms, all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows, like dew and lightning; they should be viewed in this light. This propaganda is driven by necessity. In reality, our fundamental principle is to put people first, develop productivity, and create more wealth. We adjust production relations to foster greater productivity.

Developing productivity manifests itself in practical terms through building bridges and roads, developing water conservancy projects, and promoting education, so that more people can master science and technology. This requires supporting measures such as education. Ideologically, this requires breaking free from misconceptions, uniting the people, and unifying their thinking. Therefore, relevant propaganda is essential, and all obstacles to the development of productivity must be eradicated. The economic base determines the superstructure, and the superstructure reacts on the economic base. Ultimately, it comes down to one principle: eradicate all obstacles to the development of productivity. Development is the ultimate truth; anything that hinders development will eventually wither and must be revolutionized.

Chapter 662: First update!

Zhang Yinghao knew it was a bit difficult to explain this to these comrades. Although they were all top-notch talents in the liberated areas, they had not experienced the information explosion, and ultimately lacked some knowledge and experience, and had not truly experienced the terrifying power of productivity. Of course, Zhang Yinghao did not believe that productivity alone could solve all problems, but without development, nothing could be achieved. As the saying goes: Money is not everything, but without money, nothing can be achieved.

"Mr. Chairman, how does this superstructure react to the economic base?"

Since the comrades have asked to this extent, and Zhang Yinghao has also talked about it to this extent today, Zhang Yinghao doesn't mind saying a little more.

"The superstructure refers to politics, law, religion, art, philosophy, and other systems built on the economic foundation, as well as the political, legal, and other systems that suit these viewpoints. In ancient times, when productivity was extremely underdeveloped, the corresponding social system was primitive society. Think of China; that's a slave society. Feudal society is the current Qing Dynasty, and capitalist society is the current Western powers. After the founding of our country, we will establish a socialist society, and in the future, we will develop into communism.

Did primitive society, slave society, feudal society and capitalist society emerge on their own initiative? In fact, not at all. It was the development of productivity that changed the structure of society, thus completing the change of the social system. The social system is to adapt to the development of productivity, and people have subjective initiative and actively adjust production relations, thereby promoting the development of productivity.

If you're interested, you can read the book. They promote and coordinate each other, and I've covered this in previous lectures. The point I've made today is simply this: the development of productivity leads to changes in social systems. Now that we understand this, we should actively unleash our subjective initiative and proactively change social systems, thereby promoting a leap forward in productivity.

Therefore, we skip the development process of capitalist society and transition directly to socialist society. Our ultimate goal is to realize a communist society, but our productivity is low, and we need a long-term process of developing productivity and a long-term process of adjusting production relations. We call this process socialist society, which is the primary stage of communism.

Socialism and capitalism are both historical products of human social progress. Their natures are fundamentally opposed: "human independence based on material dependence." China, as it evolves from a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society to a communist society, must pass through a primary stage of socialism to liberate and develop productive forces, continuously break free from material dependence, and create conditions for the free and all-round development of humanity.

Simply put, socialist society refers to a social form that takes public ownership as its basic economic foundation, the people's congress system as its fundamental political system, and practices the principle of democratic centralism. It is the primary stage of communism.

"Chairman, what kind of development process will this primary stage go through?" Zhang Yinghao looked at the comrade who asked the question, then said, "This primary stage is a rather long historical process. We must make long-term efforts and strive for it without any slackness. We must promote agricultural modernization, urbanization, economic marketization, education, and cultural development. The broad masses of people must firmly establish the common ideal of communism, strive for self-improvement, forge ahead with determination, work hard, be frugal, and strive to build spiritual civilization while building material civilization. This is a historical stage;"

Zhang Yinghao finished his speech, took a sip of tea and continued: "Everyone should still remember what measures we will take to achieve socialism!"

Upon hearing Zhang Yinghao's question, the comrades immediately responded:

"Expropriate landed property and use the rent for state expenditures." "Impose high progressive taxes."

"Abolition of inheritance rights."

"Confiscate the property of all emigrants and rebels."

“The concentration of credit in state hands through a state bank with state capital and exclusive monopoly rights.”

"Concentrate all transportation in state hands."

"Increase state-owned factories and production tools according to the general plan, reclaim wasteland and improve the soil."

"Universal labor conscription and the establishment of an industrial army, especially in agriculture."

"Combining agriculture and industry, and gradually eliminating the contradiction between town and country." "Providing public and free education to all children, and abolishing the present form of factory labor for children. Combining education with material production."

Hearing the comrades' answers, Zhang Yinghao nodded and smiled, saying, "Comrades, very good, you are all right. These are all things that everyone needs to memorize. Although our country has unique national conditions and many things cannot be achieved all at once, nor can they be copied and pasted, these goals are correct. When the conditions are ripe in the future, these can be gradually achieved. Of course, if we want to fully realize these without any setbacks, it will take hundreds of years..."

Just as Zhang Yinghao was giving a lecture to his comrades during his free time, Russian General Bolivar, commander of the Russian Army, had arrived in Kyakhta, in the northern part of the Mongolian steppe. Crossing the Kyakhta River would lead to Chinese territory, to the famous Maimaicheng. The once bustling trading port was now deserted and devastated. Maimaicheng had long been abandoned by the Forward Party. All the Chinese merchants there had evacuated when the Siberian Cossack Cavalry Corps entered Mongolia. Even the herders living in northern Mongolia had retreated to southern Mongolia.

"We are about to enter Chinese territory, but after this battle, this will become the territory of the Russian Empire. And this will also be the racetrack for our great Cossack cavalry. We will, like our imperial ancestors, expand the territory for the great Russian Empire. Those despicable yellow monkeys are not worthy of owning such a vast and fertile land."

The generals, staff, and other personnel accompanying Bolivar had no objection to his words. After all, the Tsar's Yellow Russia plan only left the area south of the Great Wall to China, and everything north would be Yellow Russia, including the entire Mongolia and Northeast China. Although the field army had almost occupied the Maritime Province and the Amur Province at this time, the Russians actually did not care much. They all believed that as long as Russia had completely freed up its hands, those territories would still be easily acquired. This is the confidence of the old imperialist powers. If there is no other way, the imperialist powers will not be able to argue.

However, these generals and staff were mesmerized by the vast army marching past them, which made them feel filled with boundless power. As a result, they had selectively forgotten the recent field army sweep across the Far East and annihilated a Cossack cavalry regiment. While the Russian army this time only had over 200,000 soldiers, it actually had far more personnel, including logistics. As for the outcome of the war, only time would tell.

Kulun, the headquarters of the Mongolian Field Army, was built from the ground up. Even those familiar with the city would have thought they had come to the wrong place if they hadn't participated in its construction from the beginning. Kulun was completely different now. The original low walls had been reinforced, the tents inside had been removed, and all flammable materials had been removed to prevent them from igniting and causing billowing smoke during artillery fire.

Not far from the city walls, low bunkers built of wood, stone, clay, brick, and even cement lay quietly. Most of them were only a dozen or so centimeters above the ground, covered with grass and soil. Without a close look, who would have known that they were hidden firing points? The city was also densely packed with fortifications, a precautionary measure in case the walls were breached and street fighting broke out. Of course, if street fighting really came to a head, the soldiers in the city would be completely wiped out!

As for the area outside the city, the field army constructed four lines of fortifications around Kulun. Each line consisted of trenches, tunnels, anti-artillery holes, barbed wire, heavy machine gun firing points, artillery positions, and minefields. Each trench was connected by communication trenches to ensure ammunition supply to the frontline soldiers and the timely evacuation of the wounded. Furthermore, if the fortifications ahead were breached, the soldiers could retreat along the communication trenches, preserving their manpower.

Between the penultimate and third trenches, the Field Army had forcibly dug a deep moat-like trench. This trench was peculiar: two meters deep near the outside, it sloped directly down to the penultimate trench. This artificial slope meant that if the Russians broke through the defenses and charged here, they would inevitably jump down. This jump would expose them to the Field Army's guns without any cover, leaving them with no hiding place. This gave the Russians the feeling of being shot before their eyes.

With such a defensive network, the entire Kulun was a war fortress. Without tanks, armored vehicles, or heavy artillery, it would be impossible to capture it with infantry alone without sacrificing countless lives. The field army was ready to bleed the Russians dry here. With a close railway connection and a thousand-mile logistics line, the Russians could be slowly worn down.

In addition to Kulun, Uliastai was also fortified to this standard. It was uncertain whether the Russians would focus their attack on Kulun or Uliastai, so both locations had to be prioritized. The infantry in Mongolia was evenly divided between the two cities. Regardless of which city the Russians planned to attack, they would be met with a fierce counterattack from the field army.

At this time, the Mongolian commander-in-chief of the field army led his men to inspect the fortifications. These fortifications were related to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and over one million square kilometers of land, so no care was allowed. After the battle began, the ability to stop the Russian attack and destroy its effective forces would depend on these fortifications. Therefore, Zhang Feng had to go to the scene to inspect it in person, otherwise he would be unsure.

Zhang Feng stood on the city wall, watching the convoys of supplies arriving from the south. A strange feeling welled up in his heart. When the tens of thousands of combat troops entered Mongolia, they were accompanied by 38,000 supply troops. Relying on thousands of horse-drawn carts, other means of transport, and their units' nearly extreme load-carrying capacity, they were able to transport around 5,000 tons of supplies at a time. Zhang Feng always remembered Chairman Zhang Yinghao's lecture: War is all about logistics, so the PLA's logistics must be equine, and eventually mechanized. Relying on human transport was simply too inefficient. He now had a profound understanding of this.

Zhang Feng knew that the liberated areas had nearly exhausted their accumulated resources to support this protracted war. He also knew that the liberated areas were now flooded, making it extremely difficult for the army to participate in disaster relief. Future supplies would inevitably decrease or even cease. Just as the Russians imagined, if they could capture Kulun or Uliastai in a very short time, they would indeed have a very rich spoils of war.

The Field Army couldn't place all its hopes on Kulun and Uliastai. If the Russians used part of their forces to surround these two cities, while the rest continued to advance southward, the liberated areas would suffer heavy losses, and the Field Army would be in trouble. Therefore, further south, the Field Army's secret weapon, which had been used to annihilate the Gansu cavalry, was an improved secret weapon.

If the Russians ignored their logistics, or plundered southwards for their own, these secret weapons would teach them a lesson. This was also the reason why the field army dared to concentrate its forces to defend Kulun and Uliastai. After all, without any worries, they could naturally kill the enemy with confidence.

By this time, the people of Kulun had all evacuated. Kulun would soon become a battlefield, and if the people stayed, unnecessary casualties would be likely. After the Russians were driven out, they would return and rebuild their homes. Furthermore, the liberated areas were already planning to rebuild Kulun into a pearl city on the grasslands, a steel jungle, and an impenetrable fortress.

"Some areas of the defense line need to be reinforced, and more hidden backup firepower points should be added so that we can unexpectedly kill the Russian army. The Russians have more than 200,000 people this time. If they attack us with all their strength, we will be attacked by an enemy more than six times our number. Therefore, the more backup firepower points we have, the better. We can guard against Russian artillery fire, and the more solid the defense line is, the better."

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief. Commander-in-Chief, do you think the Russian army is now living up to the saying in Sun Tzu's Art of War: if they are ten times your number, surround them; if they are five times your number, attack them; if they are twice your number, divide them; if they are your enemy, fight them; if they are fewer, flee; if they are inferior, avoid them."

"Haha, that's exactly what they said. If someone is five times stronger than me, I will attack immediately. But that was in ancient times. Now it's the age of steel. It's not something flesh and blood can resist."

"Commander-in-chief, do you think the Russians will attack Kulun or Uliastai with all their strength?"

"Well, Kulun has a better chance. After all, Kulun is the political, economic, and cultural center of Mongolia. Its importance and representativeness cannot be compared to Uliastai. However, the Russians think that occupying Kulun is equivalent to occupying Mongolia. This is feudal thinking, and they are dreaming. In fact, even if we leave Kulun to them, they will not be able to completely occupy the Mongolian region with hundreds of thousands of troops."

"Yes, no matter how many Russians come, they will never be able to completely wipe us out. If you don't come to Mongolia, you won't know how big this place is."

"That's right, over 1.5 million square kilometers. Hey, how many people would the Russians need to fill it? Even if it's 1.5 million square kilometers, there's only one person per square kilometer on average?"

"The Northeast was able to defeat the Russians in the Far East Governorate, and we can also defeat them on the Mongolian grasslands. We want to make sure that no matter how many Russians come, they stay here and fertilize our grasslands."

"That's right. No matter how many Russians come, the Mongolian grasslands can bury them all." Everyone understood the importance of this battle. While it didn't mean the survival of the Forward Party, the sheer volume of supplies required couldn't be easily dismantled. A defeat would be a massive blow to the Forward Party, and future national unification would create new issues with public opinion. While the Forward Party didn't mind, it was still a bad thing.

If we lose this war and Britain, France and other countries form an alliance to interfere with China's revolution, then the variables may increase a lot. So now we can only try our best to fight this battle. Even if we have to break out in the end and Kulun is occupied by the Russian army, we must defeat the Russians and bleed them dry.

"Report to the commander-in-chief, the Russian army has entered Mongolia and arrived at Maimai City." At this time, a communicator ran over to report.

"Haha, the Russians are finally here. I was a little worried that their main force would go east to attack Chita or even Uliastai. Otherwise, our fortifications would be in vain. Now it's our turn to make a contribution."