1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 93

Correspondingly, domestic land and real estate prices are also rising steadily. The central government, led by Zhao Yan, has been deliberately driving up domestic land and real estate prices to create a bubble.

The military's major downsizing is not just about reducing the size of the army, but also about cutting off the army's slush funds. Zhao Yan has already regarded real estate as his future financial reservoir, so how could he tolerate his subordinates continuing to hold so much?

Zhao Yan didn't want his army to become like the Vietnamese army of later generations. He thought the National Defense Force could just focus on fighting and not worry about the real estate developers.

The unruly national defense forces, having just finished a battle, are quite arrogant and disrespectful to everyone. They even get angry if Premier Zhang Mingqi says anything to them.

But Zhao Yan only needed to say one sentence to make these generals obediently hand over their treasuries. No matter how proud you were of your achievements, in front of Zhao Yan you were still just a nobody.

Do you think you can overshadow the emperor with your achievements? The greatest war god in the entire Far East war was Zhao Yan!

Under Zhao Yan's will, the slush funds of each garrison area and army group will be confiscated by the Ministry of National Defense as a supplement to the military budget for the next ten years. The annual fiscal budget only accounts for 13 percent of the military budget, which is not enough to accomplish anything. There must be extra funds to make the army rich.

However, Zhao Yan would not delegate this financial power to local authorities; he would only feel at ease if it was centrally managed and operated under his watchful eye.

Zhu Jing's actions this time were playing on the edge. The Ministry of National Defense had a need, so he pretended to be generous and offered it, even putting on an act for Liu Ting by pretending to be angry.

Actually, it was all an act for Dai Mingde, to let Dai Mingde know his attitude and appreciate his favor.

Liu Ting was completely confused and asked, "Minister, what do you mean?"

“My meaning is very clear. It’s just a business matter. This isn’t Zhu Jing’s private property. Why is he in such a hurry? We didn’t put a single penny into our own pockets. Why should we owe him a favor?”

Dai Mingde pulled back the blanket and sat up: "After you're done, just focus on your work at the Joint Logistics Department and don't meddle in other things! Come back to Beijing with me tomorrow!"

Liu Ting was overjoyed to hear this, as he could hitch another free train ride. He couldn't possibly pay for his own train ticket when he was going back to Beijing with the minister.

"Thank you for your kindness, Minister. You even waited for me in Wuhan. I am truly unworthy of your humble service!"

Dai Mingde looked up at Liu Ting and said, "Have you gone stupid from reading too much? Who do you think you are that a lieutenant colonel would make a major general like me wait for almost half a month? How dare you?"

Liu Ting was taken aback: "Then what are you doing?"

Dai Mingde said, "I'm just avoiding trouble! The capital is a battleground right now, and with my small arms and legs, I can only run far away and not get involved in those messy affairs!"

"Don't let my rank as a major general and Minister of Logistics fool you. I'd be a big shot in the provinces, but in the capital, under the emperor's nose, I'm just a nobody. I understand the workings of the central government less and less."

Liu Ting asked in surprise, "You mean the matter between Committee Member Wu and Representative Wang?"

The three factions of the Revival Party were the extremist Wu Zifu, the radical Wang Dingyun, and the conservative Liu Shangsheng. Wu Zifu and Wang Dingyun were not convinced of each other's superiority and had been secretly fighting each other since the Northern Expedition.

Liu Shangsheng remained largely unknown, while Zhang Xinghua, one of the other five tigers of the Fuxing Party, openly supported Wang Dingyun, and Qiu Xingxun, the least noticeable of the five, only listened to his teacher Zhao Yan.

On the surface, the radical faction is the most powerful because the head of state has made it clear that nationalist revolution is China's signature, so the nationalist line adhered to by the radical faction is officially recognized.

Wang Dingyun is also the biological son of Defense Minister Wang Chongshan, and has a wide range of supporters in the military. Zhu Jing is a typical example. Zhu Jing also came from the Changsha New Army and is Wang Dingyun's uncle in terms of seniority, so he is a core member of the radical faction.

However, the group led by the extremist Wu Zifu was also powerful. Wu Zifu gained the support and recognition of a large number of young party members, and he established his base in the army by virtue of his military achievements. He also had a wide influence on the political circles in Jiangnan.

It also has a considerable influence among the general public. The propositions and ideas of proletarianism are very attractive to young people and passionate youths, and it naturally has an added influence on the working class and peasantry.

Moreover, Wu Zifu holds a special place in Zhao Yan's heart. Even though they disagree on some of his ideas, Zhao Yan still dotes on this eldest disciple.

Wang Dingyun is currently in Xinjiang suppressing rebellions and stabilizing the region, while Wu Zifu has led his troops to the Tibetan Plateau. Both are far from the capital, and they are both determined to outdo each other.

The competition between these two men also affected the central government and local areas, especially in the capital. Although the struggle between the extremists and radicals was low-key, it was by no means gentle. It was impossible to tell that these two factions actually came from the same school!

Even Liu Ting had heard a little about this, and Dai Mingde was even more involved.

"Sigh, the battle just ended, can't we just take a break for a while? This endless struggle against heaven, earth, and man, isn't it exhausting?" Dai Mingde sighed helplessly.

"Then why don't you just hide out for a while longer? Go back in February, when it's almost Chinese New Year," Liu Ting suggested.

Dai Mingde said, "I am the Minister of the Joint Logistics Command, directly under the Ministry of National Defense. How could I possibly hide outside the capital all day long? Besides, you can hide for a day, but you can't hide forever."

"The First Lady is due to give birth next month. Anyone who dares to hide outside at this time is disrespectful! If we go back now, they'll definitely behave themselves!"

Liu Ting exclaimed in surprise: "The head of state actually has a wife? And she's about to give birth?"

The affair between Zhao Yan and Wu Bai was a closely guarded secret to those outside the inner circle. Liu Ting was completely unaware of it, but Dai Mingde knew everything.

Wu Baishi has now changed her name to Wu Xia. Except for a very few people, no one else knows Wu Xia's previous identity, all for the sake of her official appearance at the end of this year.

Of course, if she gives birth to a daughter, she will definitely continue to hide her identity, but if she gives birth to a son, then she will have to make a formal appearance.

Zhao Yan's son could not have been unknown; his birth must have been announced to the world to reassure the people.

Chapter 160 The Joy of Birth of Twins

December 23, 1908, inside the Forbidden City.

The Imperial Study has been temporarily converted into a delivery room, and a highly paid German doctor is currently delivering a baby inside.

Zhao Yan and his confidants waited outside. Compared to the thick-skinned Zhao Yan, the civil and military officials Zhang Mingqi, Lu Zhaoxuan, and Wang Chongshan seemed extremely anxious, as if they were having a son. On the contrary, Zhao Yan, the biological father, seemed to be completely unaffected.

Regarding the birth of Zhao Yan's offspring, Zhao Yan, who used to make decisions on his own, no longer had much say; all matters were handled personally by Zhang Mingqi.

Even Wu Xia's name change was handled by Zhang Mingqi. Originally, Zhao Yan wanted to send Wu Xia to the hospital to give birth, but Zhang Mingqi insisted on giving birth secretly in the Imperial Study in the Forbidden City.

Zhao Yan couldn't persuade him, so he impatiently gave up and ignored it. In his opinion, it was just having a baby, why make it so complicated?

The subordinates were helpless and could only do their best to clean up Zhao Yan's mess. Who told their boss to be unable to control himself? Of all people, why did he have to choose such a woman with a sensitive background?

It's not that Wu Xia is unworthy of Zhao Yan. Just based on the status and power that Wu Zifu has earned through hard work, Wu Xia is already among the top socialites in the Republic.

However, Wu Xia's identity is somewhat sensitive. Her son, Wu Zifu, is leading troops in the field, and this teacher of hers is having an affair with his elderly mother in the capital, even causing her death. If this gets out, it will be a serious political incident that will make the people laugh their heads off.

If we keep it a secret for now, we'll continue to hide it if we have a daughter. But if we have a son, there's nothing we can do. We'll have to make Wu Baishi appear under a completely new identity and then announce it to the world to reassure the people.

None of the imperial physicians in the Forbidden City were involved in this matter; all the deliveries were handled by foreign doctors, in order to maintain secrecy.

"It's a baby! Congratulations, Your Majesty, on the birth of your precious son!"

Accompanied by the sound of a baby crying, Zhao Yan suddenly became a father.

Outside the imperial study, all the officials breathed a sigh of relief. Upon hearing that it was a son, everyone was beaming with joy, even happier than if they themselves had given birth to a son.

Zhao Yan was completely dizzy and was constantly being congratulated by everyone.

"Don't worry, we haven't finished yet, there's another one! It's also a young master!"

"Huh? Twins, twins?"

Everyone was immediately astonished and looked at Zhao Yan with admiration.

Goodness, twins in one pregnancy! That's incredible! The seeds are good, and the soil is even better.

Only then did everyone realize how sharp Zhao Yan's eye was! At first, everyone thought that Zhao Yan was being despicable, targeting Wu Xia's big millstone.

Unexpectedly, having a big butt really made her more powerful; she gave birth to twins in one pregnancy. Now everyone was speechless and no one cared about Wu Xia's sensitive identity anymore.

What could be more important than two "princes"? Let alone messing with his disciple's mother, he would have to tolerate it even if it meant messing with his own wife.

Wu Xia truly lived up to her reputation as a "big millstone." After giving birth, she acted as if nothing had happened, simply lying in bed covered in sweat. During the delivery, Wu Xia didn't scream or shout at all, not even uttering a sound of pain.

After the doctor and palace maids finished tidying up inside, Zhao Yan led a group of people into the imperial study to see his son.

The two sons, the elder weighing five pounds and seven ounces and the younger weighing six pounds and four ounces, were both big, chubby boys, lying in cradles covered with silk and crying loudly.

Originally, only Zhao Yan was allowed to enter this kind of occasion. In the previous dynasty, anyone else entering would have been guilty of a capital offense and would have been beheaded. However, Zhao Yan didn't care about such things and directly invited everyone to see his son. He also wanted to show off his assets.

Zhao Yan personally lifted the silk quilt, revealing two chubby little boys named "Queque" to everyone. Everyone stared at them for a while before feeling relieved.

The period of peace after the war was short-lived, but it was turbulent. Within the capital, the two major factions of Wang Dingyun and Wu Zifu gathered a large number of people, who engaged in open and covert struggles.

The reason is that Zhao Yan's foundation is unstable. He is already 33 years old and has no offspring. He doesn't even have a daughter, let alone a son.

In the 21st century, someone who is 33 years old and still doesn't have a wife or children will most likely never have one.

At the beginning of the 20th century, 33 years old was almost the age to be a grandfather. If a ruler of a country did not have a son at that age, how could his subordinates feel at ease and secure?

With the people's hearts unsettled, the officials below could only form factions and fight among themselves around Zhao Yan's disciples. Even Wu Zifu and Wang Dingyun were not very clear about this matter, and then many military and political officials in the capital started fighting in their name.

This is the norm in politics. In officialdom, everyone will try to take sides and then start fighting and maneuvering. No matter when, politics is always a mix of struggle and cooperation.

Now that Zhao Yan has a son, the previous struggles will inevitably ease, because no one will ignore Zhao Yan's own son and support Zhao Yan's disciple. Even if the relationship between master and disciple is like that of father and son, it is still not as close as that between a biological son and a biological son.

"May God bless our country!" Zhang Mingqi looked at the two young masters of the Zhao family lying in the cradles, his expression filled with excitement. As the founding prime minister, he valued the survival of the country more than anyone else.

If the empire continues to exist, even if it lasts only a hundred or two hundred years, let alone a thousand or ten thousand generations, Zhang Mingqi will be recorded in history books as a high-ranking minister of the empire.

If Zhao Yan had no son and the dynasty hadn't continued, ending after only two generations like the Qin dynasty, Zhang Mingqi's place in history would have been very different.

One's own sons and grandsons are merely for carrying on the family line and bringing glory to the family, but the continued existence of Zhao Yan's descendants will help him to be remembered in history!

Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhang Mingqi burst into tears, leaving Zhao Yan completely bewildered: "Old Zhang, what do you mean by this? I gave birth to a son, why are you crying?"

"What divine blessing? It's clearly my hard work, what does it have to do with God?"

Zhang Mingqi was already used to Zhao Yan's usual nonsensical behavior, so he ignored Zhao Yan and turned around to go find the historian to discuss how to write this part of the story.

After the bystanders confirmed with their own eyes that Zhao Yan had two sons, they all dispersed. Once this was confirmed, they could rest assured and there was no need to keep watching it; it was already a done deal.

Zhao Yan has always maintained a modern attitude, believing that his family affairs are private matters and he does not care about the opinions of others.

It wasn't that Zhao Yan didn't understand; he did understand the principle that the imperial family should not have private affairs. However, he still had a stubborn belief, or rather, a insistence: he didn't want to be completely assimilated by this era. He wanted to preserve his last private garden as his spiritual pillar.

Throughout his journey, he never imagined he would reach such a position of absolute power. In the beginning, he simply wanted to swindle some money to live a carefree life abroad.

But life is unpredictable. Once he started something, the subsequent developments were no longer driven by his will, but rather by the general trend of history.

A conman was promoted to the position of national leader in just three or four years, and led millions of soldiers to wager the fate of 400 million people in a war with little chance of success.

To say that Zhao Yan is well-adapted would be a complete lie. He has been pushed to this point step by step, and the fates and futures of too many people are on his shoulders, leaving him with no way to retreat.

While Zhao Yan maintained the wisdom and prowess expected of a monarch in matters of state, he was extremely willful and even reckless in his private life.

There's no way around it, the pressure is too great. If he's truly brilliant and capable in public affairs, yet still has to maintain complete impartiality in private, Zhao Yan would go crazy in a few years. After all, he's also a person, a normal human being with flesh and blood.

Zhao Yan dared not act recklessly on matters of state that concerned the lives and fortunes of tens of thousands of people, so he could only act recklessly in his own private life. He needed to find an outlet for his frustrations, otherwise, if he kept holding back, he would eventually break down.

Many emperors in ancient times were very clear-headed when it came to important matters, but became debauched and immoral in their private lives. They were all pretty much the same, because they were under too much pressure.

Zhang Mingqi, Wang Chongshan, and the others were unaware of Zhao Yan's true thoughts. They simply thought that their leader was good in every way, skilled in both civil and military affairs, except for his promiscuous private life.

They didn't realize that this was Zhao Yan's resistance against the historical tide of this era. He didn't want to become a complete political machine; he wanted to maintain his humanity, reminding himself that he was just an ordinary person, and his family was his only anchor.

The path to godhood is destined to involve giving up a lot. Moreover, Zhao Yan never wanted to become a god from the beginning; he only wanted to be an ordinary person. It was just that the tide of history chose him.

From the very beginning of the revolution, Zhao Yan was all talk and no action, constantly thinking about how to make a quick buck and leave.

The Changsha Uprising forced him to lead his troops in rebellion. The massacre that engulfed Changsha overnight completely cut off Zhao Yan's escape route, leaving him no choice but to move forward and unable to retreat.

During the Northern Expedition, Zhao Yan even deceived diplomats of foreign powers, playing a harmless joke on the era in his own way.

After settling in the capital, Zhao Yan began to make fundamental changes. When the fate of the great nation of China weighed on Zhao Yan's shoulders, he realized that this was no joke.

Before the Far East War, Zhao Yan was almost neurotic. He couldn't imagine that he was about to lead a million soldiers to fight a war with an uncertain future. Perhaps a million people would be buried with him, four hundred million people would become slaves of a conquered nation, and China would be completely reduced to a colony because of his defeat. Such terrifying pressure made Zhao Yan hide under the covers at night and cry out loud.

During the Far East War, Zhao Yan risked everything, leading his troops to fight throughout Northeast Asia, from the towering mountains of Korea to the white mountains and black waters of Liaodong, then to the blue coast of Outer Northeast, and finally to the snow-covered desert of the Gobi.

More than 100,000 soldiers perished in battle, their lives used to solidify Zhao Yan's power.

If you can handle this overwhelming momentum as if nothing happened, and still feel no pressure, then it's not a historical novel, but a fantasy novel where people defy the heavens at every turn.

Especially when commanding large-scale battles involving hundreds of thousands of troops, Zhao Yan's brain was almost completely drained. He hadn't slept for days and nights, and his body was almost exhausted.

He was mentally exhausted, almost to the point of mental breakdown, and just a step away from going insane.

Zhao Yan commanded three or four such large-scale battles in just six months. When he finally returned to the capital, he was unsure whether he had gone mad.

It wasn't until he met Wu Baishi that Zhao Yan found an outlet for his emotions, preserved the last vestige of his humanity, and maintained his last bit of stubborn resistance against this era.

"What are you thinking about? Our son is almost crying from hunger, didn't you notice?"

Wu Xia held her two newborn sons, one in each arm, and without any outsiders present, she opened her arms and began breastfeeding.

Zhao Yan stared out the window, smoking, seemingly lost in thought.

Wu Xia's two biggest advantages are her big hips and big breasts. Big hips make childbirth easier, and big breasts make raising children easier. Her two sons can't finish eating even if they eat from both sides.

Zhao Yan extinguished his cigarette, looked at Wu Xia breastfeeding and the two babies in her arms, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"They come, the security!"

"So be it, I've already established myself here, so I'll just leave this seven-foot body to this era!"

Chapter 161 Naming Difficulty

The following day, news of Zhao Yan's twin sons spread throughout the land. On the day the sons were born, the news was transmitted to various places by telegram, and the next day, the headlines of major newspapers across the country were all about the head of state having sons.

The only pity was that the head of state was very stingy; he neither granted a general amnesty nor exempted anyone from taxes, and there were no celebrations whatsoever.

The official announcement only revealed the identity of the First Lady and the birth dates of the two sons, all of which were brief details.

Officials in the capital were all waiting for Zhao Yan to announce two days of paid leave, but Zhao Yan himself didn't even have time to take a break, so how could he possibly give his subordinates a break?

For three or four days after my son was born, the people of Beijing were filled with joy. They spontaneously organized various celebrations, and shops started offering discounts. But the government did not hold any celebrations. Don't ask why; the answer is no money!