1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 100

Wu Zifu's first decisive move was to use barbarians against barbarians. He transferred Mongol cavalry from Mongolia to the northwest region of Xinjiang, where these Sinicized Mongol cavalrymen disguised themselves as "rebels" to attack and kill the Green Green tribes who refused to submit to the king's rule.

There were already Mongols in the Northwest region, though not many. Wang Dingyun brought over genuine Sinicized Mongols from their homeland on the Mongolian Plateau to use as a weapon, which proved very useful. It directly transformed the official ethnic massacres and religious oppression into internal conflicts within the region.

The second step was for Wang Dingyun to propose a policy of great ideological liberation in the Northwest, demanding that all ethnic groups immediately abolish all traditions and religious regulations that were not free or human rights-based, and stop discriminating against the Han people.

Wang Dingyun directly reversed the Tiangang faction, labeling Lvlu as the initiator of discrimination, while claiming that the Han people were the ones being discriminated against. He argued that Lvlu's prohibition of intermarriage between women of her own ethnicity and Han people constituted a lack of freedom, and that Lvlu's forced wearing of headscarves and prohibition of women from appearing in public were violations of human rights.

Furthermore, Green Green followers consider anything that Han Chinese have been involved in as impure, which is racial discrimination. In the Northwest region, Han Chinese who do not believe in Green Green are unable to obtain the right to safety and work. This is blatant religious oppression and discrimination against Han Chinese.

With a single document, Wang Dingyun redefined the Greens as the least free and human rights-deficient group in Northwest China, portraying the Han Chinese army wielding butcher knives and the menacing armed immigrants as victims of oppression and discrimination.

This gave Wang Dingyun a legitimate reason to act, and he was no longer infamous.

The third step is the complete nationalization of the Northwest region. Whether it's land, pastures, grasslands, or lakes, anything that the "greens" (a derogatory term for pro-Russian separatists) cannot produce legal land deeds and procedures for will all become state property.

Furthermore, the infamous "eleventh tax" must be implemented in the Northwest region! Going forward, the National Defense Force will focus its efforts on cracking down on all illegal ethnic armed groups and cult organizations that violate freedom and human rights and resist taxes!

The fourth step was to incite and escalate conflicts between local tribes and different ethnic groups. Simply sending in Mongols to stir up trouble was not enough; Wang Dingyun also wanted the local Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and Huis to fight amongst themselves.

While waving the banner of freedom and human rights, the National Defense Forces crack down on the most united and prominent groups, using military means to eliminate those powerful leaders.

Then the government used the administrative measure of "eleven taxes" to destroy the economic foundation for these greens' survival.

Finally, let the remaining infighting fight it out, and then use the Mongol cavalry as weapons.

With multiple approaches, Wang Dingyun refused to believe that he couldn't stop the spread of green belts in northwestern Xinjiang. He wanted to become a logger and cut down Xinjiang until there was no green left!

Chapter 170 You'd better be more careful, Old Wang!

It was early morning again, and amidst the cries of a baby, Zhao Yan was frantically processing documents, his head spinning.

"Honey, can't you take these two crybabies somewhere else?" At this moment, Zhao Yan, the father, felt no joy at all, only annoyance.

He had no idea that a child's crying could be so unbearable. Even on the battlefield, Zhao Yan could calmly sleep and eat while listening to the sounds of artillery and machine gun fire.

But now, he gets a headache whenever he hears his child crying.

"I'm responsible for giving birth to your child and raising it. Can't you even spend some time with the child? What kind of father are you?" Wu Xia's temper has grown since giving birth, and she never hesitates to confront Zhao Yan when she finds something disagreeable.

Zhao Yan reached out and touched his forehead helplessly: "I am the head of state, busy with countless affairs every day. I have to hold my bowl while reading documents even when I eat. How can I have time to hold a child? I would rather spend this time signing a few more documents."

"Men, you have so many important things to do, and you, a woman, only know how to cause trouble!"

Wu Xia, in a fit of temper, ripped open her chest and stuffed two enormous canteens into the child's mouth to stop the crying. After that, she launched a full-scale attack on Zhao Yan: "If you're so capable, then kick me out! When you were after me, you said all sorts of sweet words and used all sorts of tricks."

"I was bewitched. I took care of you, cleaning up your excrement and urine, and brought you back from the brink of death to a lively and energetic life. I even had your child."

"Now that you've succeeded, you're disgusted with me and the children, aren't you? If you don't want to see us, just say so. I'll take the children back to Guangzhou! Anyway, we've been bullied for so many years, we're used to it!"

Zhao Yan helplessly put down the documents and pen, and sighed: "You used to be so virtuous, how come you changed after giving birth? You even went back to Guangzhou and bullied the widow and her child. Do you think I'm dead?"

"Stop fooling around, I'll spend time with the kids when I have time!"

Wu Xia remained silent and continued breastfeeding the baby, refusing to leave.

She came from a peasant family and had little worldly experience, but she possessed the most traditional Chinese virtues for women. She didn't understand the principle that the emperor's family had no private affairs, but she knew what a qualified father should be like.

Zhao Yan is definitely the kind of scumbag who doesn't care about anything after he gets what he wants. The child is three months old, but Zhao Yan has only met the baby five times.

Previously, Zhao Yan had also been quite hands-off with his stepson Wu Zijian, meeting him occasionally and exchanging a few words when he had time, but ignoring him for a whole month if he didn't have time.

Wu Xia didn't think much of it at the time; she was already grateful to have her stepson by her side and didn't ask for any other treatment.

But after giving birth to Zhao Yan's biological son, Wu Xia realized something was wrong. Zhao Yan treated his biological son and stepson the same way, completely leaving them to their own devices, relying entirely on her, his biological mother, to raise them.

How can this be? How can a son grow up without his father's care? Wu Zifu had his biological father with him when he was young, so he was full of manly spirit, and also intelligent and decisive.

But the second son, Wu Zijian, lost his father at a young age and was always timid and effeminate, never daring to speak loudly. He was the complete opposite of his brother. It wasn't until he came to Zhao Yan's side that Wu Zijian gradually became more cheerful and even dared to be mischievous, all because he had a father backing him up.

Wu Xia is very clear about the differences in growth and development between children who have fathers and those who do not.

She doesn't concern herself with national affairs, but when it comes to her children's growth, Wu Xia is uncompromising. A father should act like a father!

Wu Xia's silent resistance left Zhao Yan completely helpless. This woman's greatest strength was that she didn't understand politics and didn't interfere in it, but that was also her greatest weakness. She still thought Zhao Yan was just an ordinary husband from an ordinary family!

"Report! The Minister of Defense is here to see you!"

At the critical moment, a voice came from outside the door to help, and Zhao Yan's face immediately lit up with joy.

No matter how unwilling Wu Xia was, she could only button up her clothes, pick up her child, and leave the Imperial Study.

After Wu Xia left, Wang Chongshan followed her in. Upon meeting, a large stack of documents was piled on Zhao Yan's desk.

These are all important military development and construction decision documents. Wang Chongshan couldn't make up his mind, so he brought them all to see Zhao Yan, and also chatted about other things.

"Are you fucking looking for trouble for no reason, Lao Wang? What the hell is all this??"

"The navy plans to build several destroyers and torpedo boats, and you want me to sign off on that too?"

"New rifles and submachine guns are being deployed? I have to sign off on that? Do I have to go to the firing range and fire a few rounds myself?"

"New uniforms being issued, new ranks being added—what kind of nonsense is this?"

Zhao Yan glanced through a few documents and immediately became furious. What were these things? They all seemed to involve major issues concerning the military system and development, but the Ministry of National Defense could handle them on its own if the Minister of National Defense were to be more assertive, take on more responsibility, and use his brain more.

Zhao Yan was not a teacher. He never said that matters concerning the Ministry of National Defense required his signature to be effective, nor could he be like Zhuge Liang, who had to review and concern himself with every matter in the army involving more than fifty strokes of the cane.

Wang Chongshan said somewhat embarrassedly, "Your Excellency, I come from a humble background and only attended a private school for a few years. I have never taken the imperial examinations. I feel that I can only feel at ease if Your Excellency helps me take a look at these important matters."

Zhao Yan promptly swore: "You son of a bitch, Lao Wang! You think I'm not tired enough already, are you?"

"Is your Ministry of National Defense just for show? Didn't I give you any power or what? I gave you a lot of power and even made you independent from the Prime Minister's Office, just so you would be more careful and have more to worry about!"

"I have to lead the troops into battle myself, and after the battle, I have to personally teach them how to manage the troops. Are all the generals in your Ministry of National Defense just eating shit? All they do is collect their salaries and don't know how to do any work!"

Zhao Yan was responsible for the implementation of the First Five-Year Plan reforms, the execution of various policies, decisions on sensitive local affairs, foreign policy formulation, and the review of the Prime Minister's Office's major policies. These mountains of tasks meant that Zhao Yan had to keep an eye on his watch even when he was taking a dump.

He repeatedly reprimanded Wang Chongshan about military matters, telling him to stop making a fuss. Unless it involved fundamental systemic reforms, such as large-scale troop reductions or expansions, his personal approval was required. Otherwise, it was a minor matter!

Don't be fooled by how TV dramas depict the General Secretary and Marshals of the Central Military Commission holding meetings to discuss even the style of their military uniforms and ranks; Zhao Yan simply doesn't have time to deal with such things.

If Zhao Yan has to personally handle several new weapons and new military uniforms, then he shouldn't do anything else; he should just become the Minister of National Defense!

Zhao Yan couldn't ignore the affairs of the civil service; his newly cultivated system of officials for the new era hadn't yet matured, and he still had to rely on the old bureaucratic system to maintain his rule.

Zhao Yan was terrified of those crooked monks reciting scriptures indiscriminately, so he had to oversee every detail. After all, government affairs involved the livelihood, well-being, and basic needs of 400 million people. Even if he was exhausted, Zhao Yan couldn't let go and had to keep a close eye on things until the new generation of officials he had trained were ready to take over.

But an army of only a few hundred thousand is still not as important as the entire country.

To put it bluntly, even if these hundreds of thousands of national defense troops were to rot away, as long as the country's economy and industrial scale develop, given China's size, it would only take a few years to rebuild from scratch.

Moreover, no matter how incompetent Wang Chongshan was, it was impossible for him to completely ruin an army of hundreds of thousands.

After hurling insults for a while, Zhao Yan also sensed something was wrong. Seeing Wang Chongshan's hesitant expression, Zhao Yan simply asked directly, "Old Wang, tell me the truth, has something happened?"

Wang Chongshan's face flushed red, and he stammered, "Your Majesty, there are constant rumors circulating outside. They say that my father and I are hoarding military power and that I, Wang Chongshan, am trying to become Sima Yi."

"Pfft, hahaha!" Zhao Yan was drinking tea, but upon hearing Wang Chongshan's words, he spat out a mouthful of tea before the other party could finish speaking, and then burst into laughter.

"You? Sima Yi? Hahaha!" Zhao Yan was overjoyed, while Wang Chongshan's expression turned strange as he laughed.

Wang Chongshan straightened his neck and said, "Your Excellency, what are you laughing at? How can you look down on people like that? I, Wang Chongshan, am the Minister of National Defense. In the past, that would have been the position of a general who commanded all the military power in the country. What's so funny about that?"

"Hahaha, okay, okay! I won't laugh anymore, don't be angry, Lao Wang!" Zhao Yan smoothed out his expression and suppressed his laughter: "I'm not trying to be mean, Lao Wang, if you had Sima Yi's abilities, I would accept it if you plotted to usurp the throne. I would be happy to have a peaceful life and not be exhausted. I don't want to be Zhuge Liang either."

"But the fact is, you can't even compare to Xiahou Yuan, let alone Sima Yi. Xiahou Yuan was at least the commander of the western war zone of Cao Wei, capable of holding down a region on his own."

"Look at your conscience. After that war on the Korean Peninsula, if I hadn't risked my life to build the stage for you, would you have been able to finish that performance on your own?"

Zhao Yan couldn't help but laugh after he finished speaking. Someone actually suspected that Wang Chongshan wanted to become Sima Yi? That was funny enough, but what was even funnier was that Wang Chongshan himself thought he was at risk of being suspected!

Zhao Yan knew all about his abilities, yet he dared to compare himself to a great general who controlled all the military power in the world. Zhao Yan didn't know whether to say that Wang Chongshan was ambitious or just liked to brag.

Zhang Mingqi often mocked Wang Chongshan in front of Zhao Yan, saying that he was just lucky to have caught up with the revolutionary uprising and had a good son, Wang Dingyun, to support him, which allowed him to secure the position of Minister of National Defense. Otherwise, with his actual abilities, he would have had a hard time becoming a lieutenant general.

He followed Zhao Yan around all the way, picking up the credits, and inexplicably ended up in the position of Minister of National Defense.

Wang Chongshan was really embarrassed, but he still forced a smile: "Your Excellency, you're just looking down on me. I'm capable and ambitious, you know!"

Zhao Yan suppressed a laugh and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, you are very capable and ambitious."

"But I'm just curious, what exactly are those rumors saying?"

Wang Chongshan said, “Some people outside are saying that my father and son are trying to turn the army into the Wang family army. I just arranged for Zhou Yongquan to be the army commander in the Northwest to take care of my son Wang Dingyun, and they say that I am abusing my power!”

“I, Wang Chongshan, have many sons, but only this one is successful. How can I not take good care of him?”

Zhao Yan almost burst out laughing again; Old Wang's talent for telling jokes far surpassed his talent for leading troops.

Wang Chongshan still believes that his family's status is due to his father's influence, and that his father, Wang Chongshan, as a minister, is taking care of his party representative son!

But it's clear to everyone that Wang Chongshan's position is entirely due to his son; his son, Wang Dingyun, is half the reason he holds both the ministerial and military leadership positions.

Back when the Northern Expedition was underway, Zhao Yan only reluctantly helped Wang Dingyun's father reach his current position because of Wang Dingyun's influence. Otherwise, he would have replaced him long ago, and there would be no need for him to work so hard to help Wang Chongshan gain military merits everywhere.

Fortunately, although Wang Chongshan was not very bright, he was honest and hardworking. He was self-aware on the battlefield and never acted recklessly. He carried out whatever Zhao Yan arranged and never made any trouble by being too clever for his own good. That's why he was able to steadily climb to his current position.

But when it comes to things outside of military matters, especially politics, Wang Chongshan is adorably naive. He thinks that all the rumors outside are directed at him, Old Wang, but little does he know that people don't care about Old Wang at all and are only eyeing his son, Little Wang!

Although Wang Dingyun's abilities are not as comprehensive as Wu Zifu's, he has the advantage of being calm, not impulsive, and thoughtful, so he doesn't need Wang Chongshan's support or care at all.

Wang Chongshan arranged for Zhou Yongquan to go to the Northwest. He himself believed that he was taking care of his son and using public resources for private gain. However, others saw Zhou Yongquan as someone who went there to gain prestige and follow Wang Dingyun to earn credit.

"Your Majesty, you must say something fair. Although I, Wang Chongshan, am capable and talented, I have absolutely no ambition. I serve you faithfully, and I have never thought of becoming Sima Yi. I only want to be Zhuge Liang!" Wang Chongshan started his stand-up comedy again.

"Haha, Lao Wang, I understand your intentions. Don't worry, I won't believe those rumors." Zhao Yan continued to say a few more words, taking advantage of Wang Chongshan's attempt to amuse him.

"Actually, Lao Wang, you can be a little ambitious too. You should be brave enough to try! So what if Sima Yi was exceptionally intelligent?"

Wang Chongshan said aggrievedly, "Your Excellency, am I not smart?"

"Ah, you must be smart too, but you're just a tiny bit less smart than Sima Yi," Zhao Yan said against his will. To be honest, Wang Chongshan's brain wasn't even good enough to be Zhao Yan's apprentice.

It's a joke that a soldier can't get involved in politics, but even Zhao Yan has a headache when he actually encounters a defense minister who's a political idiot.

If you, Wang Chongshan, truly possess Sima Yi's abilities, leading a large army to single-handedly govern a region, not to mention being able to simultaneously suppress Britain, Japan, and Russia, as long as you can subdue one of these countries at the same time, Zhao Yan's first reaction would not be suspicion or suppression, but rather great satisfaction, praising you, "Old Wang has grown in skill!"

What Zhao Yan lacks now is capable generals. As for ambition, what capable man doesn't have ambition? Fools don't have ambition, but would Zhao Yan dare to use them?

Seeing that Lao Wang was still unconvinced, Zhao Yan took out a battle report from the Northwest and earnestly said, "Lao Wang, you should learn more from your son, Xiao Wang!"

I only mentioned a few words in the telegram, and Dingyun was able to understand them; that's true skill.

"Look at Ding Yun now, overseeing the Northwest, holding high the banner of freedom and human rights, firmly occupying the moral high ground, slaughtering countless people in the Northwest, and newspapers at home and abroad have reported on him as a human rights fighter of the new era!"

"Try to ask your son for advice when you have time. Don't be afraid of losing face. You're all family. Your son definitely won't laugh at you."

"As for now, don't cause me any trouble. Take the documents and go back to the Ministry of National Defense to play by yourself. Be a good boy!"

Wang Chongshan was furious, but he could only obediently carry a pile of documents back to the Ministry of National Defense. He cursed all the way, feeling that Zhao Yan was coaxing him like a child, but he couldn't find any evidence.

After getting off work that day, Wang Chongshan complained to his old friend Lu Zhaoxuan. Lu Zhaoxuan almost laughed his back teeth out after listening to him.

Chapter 171 Star-class Destroyer

March 15, 1909, Shanghai, inside the Jiangnan Shipyard.

Jiangnan Shipyard is a shipbuilding branch of Jiangnan Gun and Cannon Bureau, and is one of the first five major shipyards in China to be built and developed.

In the first five-year plan, the central government listed Jiangnan Shipyard, Mawei Shipyard, Dalian Shipyard, Guangzhou Shipyard, and Qingdao Shipyard as the five major state-owned shipbuilding enterprises, investing a large amount of capital in them.

Among them, Jiangnan Shipyard is of paramount importance. Jiangnan Arsenal was a naval supplier during the Beiyang period and still is today.

At this very moment, several destroyers are under construction in the dry dock of the shipyard. These warships under construction are the first part of the naval reconstruction plan – the Star-class destroyers.

Navy Lieutenant Commander Chen Shaokuan accompanied his superior, Major General Zheng Shiyan, to inspect the construction progress of the destroyer project at the shipyard. Chen Shaokuan needs little introduction; he is from Fujian.

Zheng Shiyan was different. Born in Hebei, he worked as a translator in the capital in his early years. Later, he was sent by the Qing Dynasty to Britain to serve as a military officer. During his time in Britain, he studied at his own expense, majoring in gunnery, and also interned in the Royal Navy for a period of time.

In 1906, Zheng Shiyan was seriously ill and almost died. Fortunately, the newly established republican government received the telegram and sent him a sum of money for treatment, which saved him.

After returning to China, Zheng Shiyan discovered that the country had completely changed. He chose to join the military and was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel in the navy. He served in the newly established Northern Fleet Command and participated in a series of operations in the Bohai Sea Defense War. He even commanded a gunboat to sink a Japanese gunboat.

He was immediately promoted to colonel after the war ended, and last month he was promoted to rear admiral by the Ministry of National Defense and appointed as the Director of Naval Equipment.

The higher-ups are very dissatisfied with the dominance of the Fujian faction within the navy. They are promoting capable generals who are not from the Fujian faction in order to create a check and balance by introducing outsiders.

Major General Zheng Shiyan is a prime example. His promotion was meteoric, and he was promoted just before the Ministry of National Defense's rank reform.

Otherwise, he would at most be a senior colonel now. There is now a senior colonel rank between colonel and major general. Those who were promoted in the past took one less step, but those who were not promoted now have to take one more step.

Zheng Shiyan paced around the dock, his eyes never leaving the warships under construction on the slipway. Even when the arc light from the welding dazzled his eyes, he still stared greedily at the warships.

While watching, he kept offering suggestions, never stopping his feet or his mouth.

"General, the current construction speed is already at its maximum limit. Your military's demands are simply too many." The German engineer continued to complain with a dissatisfied look: "Twin-mounted turret design, superimposed design, oil-fired boiler, square stern, and they even require it to be manufactured using welding technology!"

"You're not building a destroyer, you're conducting a miniaturized capital ship construction experiment!"