1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 84

Because the Longhai Railway is almost entirely within the northern region, and the newly planned Longhai Railway will continue to extend to Dihua in Xinjiang, becoming a major east-west artery railway connecting East China, Central China, and Northwest China.

Half of the Beijing-Shanghai railway line is in the north, and the remaining half is in the south. But looking at the railway layout, the north has the advantage, and a significant one at that.

The southern provinces didn't say much either, because they had gained an advantage in the industrial zone planning, but they had to compromise on infrastructure. Otherwise, if they took all the benefits, Zhao Yan would have to teach them a lesson.

Of the 700 million yuan in infrastructure funds allocated to the central government, it is estimated that less than 300 million yuan can actually be invested in railway construction. This is because the central government cannot only build railways. In addition to railways, there are various other construction needs in the infrastructure field, such as highways, water conservancy facilities, waterway dredging, and port construction.

The railway is only the core of the project. It is very difficult to build two railways, one horizontal and one vertical, with a total investment of 300 million Han Yuan, but it must be done no matter how difficult it is.

There was no disagreement at the meeting regarding the construction of the two railways, but there was a debate about their priority. The south demanded priority for the Beijing-Shanghai railway, while the north demanded priority for the Longhai railway.

Each had its own agenda. After the Beijing-Shanghai railway was completed, it would be easier for the south to access the vast markets and raw materials in the north, and it would also be able to transform Shanghai, this important city, into a true pearl of the Far East.

Meanwhile, the North wants to connect the provinces of North China through the Longhai Railway. The Beijing-Hankou Railway, which is almost under construction, already connects the North and South of China, but there is still no railway connecting the East and West.

Therefore, Zhao Yan made the decision to prioritize the construction of the Longhai Railway. This railway is of great importance and can be called the Chinese version of the "Trans-Siberian Railway". Once it is completed, China will be a unified whole from east to west, and even Xinjiang will never be able to break away from the central government's control again.

Zhao Yan once again chose to favor the North in matters of North-South interests, which made the South somewhat unhappy, but they couldn't say anything.

The North-South conflict is something that can't be discussed openly. Anyone who dares to bring the North-South conflict to the forefront is courting death, so it can only be fought behind the scenes.

Zhao Yan's reasons for prioritizing the Longhai Railway are very compelling, and there are solid reasons from the perspectives of national geopolitical strategy, security strategy, and economic strategy.

Even if others were dissatisfied, they couldn't come up with any counterarguments, so the motion had to be passed.

Zhao Yan then stopped favoring the other side and gave the South a taste of its own medicine by bringing up the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge project for discussion at the meeting, which was another strategic project.

These days, there isn't a single bridge connecting the north and south banks of the Yangtze River, not because it's unimportant, but because there's no money to build one.

Building a bridge across the Yangtze River that spans the north and south banks would cost at least tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars to meet the current needs of China's scale, and it would be extremely difficult in terms of both technology and construction.

However, Zhao Yan still made the final decision: without the Yangtze River Bridge being completed, the so-called Beijing-Guangzhou Railway would never truly live up to its name.

At the strategic planning conference, every discussion led by Zhao Yan involved major national-level projects, and the attendees were gradually drawn in by Zhao Yan's grand narrative perspective.

Everyone began to feel confident, and no one questioned whether these major projects would succeed. In the past, during the Qing Dynasty, such matters would not even have had the opportunity to be discussed in court.

But inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony at this moment, the project has entered the stage of practical planning and design. Once the decision is made, no matter how difficult it is, the entire nation's resources will be mobilized to ensure its success.

Chapter 147 A Major Opening of the Defense Budget!

The following morning, before the meeting had even ended, the bigwigs became increasingly excited, each one staring at their dark circles as they chain-smoked, scratching their heads as they engaged in heated discussions.

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Zhao Yan picked up a new document and raised a new topic: national defense!

The first announcement was regarding the promotion of military officers. After the war, the military promoted one general, ten lieutenant generals, and more than thirty major generals.

The only general is Wang Chongshan, the Minister of National Defense and member of the National Defense Committee. The remaining ten lieutenant generals are Chen Qian, the Vice Minister of National Defense. Chen Qian was a veteran of the Changsha Uprising. When the First Division of the Changsha Revolutionary Army was formed, Chen Qian was the deputy division commander and regimental commander. He later served as the brigade commander of the Second Brigade, the division commander of the Second Division, the chief of staff of the Korean War Zone Command, and the deputy commander of the Korean War Zone. After the war, he was appointed as the Vice Minister of National Defense.

The second lieutenant general was Zheng Baiyao, a veteran who also came from the Changsha Uprising. He was the commander of the Hunan New Army Battalion, and later served as the chief of staff of the First Division of the Revolutionary Army, deputy commander of the First Division, commander of the Fourth Division, chief of staff of the Korean War Command, and after the war, he served as the chief of staff of the Ministry of National Defense.

The third lieutenant general was Qin Yong. He was not a veteran of the Changsha Uprising, but he joined the revolutionary army with his own funds. He came from the Hubei New Army and served as the deputy commander of the 8th Division of the Hubei New Army. Later, he was appointed to organize the infrastructure corps to be responsible for the construction of the Changsha-Guangzhou Highway. He single-handedly built the famous infrastructure system in the National Defense Army. Later, he served as the commander of the Central Route Army in the Korean War Zone.

After the war, Qin Yong was transferred to serve as the commander of the Northeast Garrison Area and concurrently as the deputy chief of staff of the Ministry of National Defense, and was promoted to lieutenant general.

The fourth lieutenant general, Du Zihua, came from the Hunan New Army. He served as the commander of the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Division of the Revolutionary Army, the chief of staff of the 1st Division, the deputy commander of the 1st Division, and the commander of the 1st Division. He participated in and commanded the annihilation battles of Chipyong-ri and Ryongwon-ri. He made outstanding military achievements during the Far East War. After the war, he was promoted to lieutenant general and served as the commander of the 1st Army Group and the deputy commander of the Northeast Garrison Area.

The fifth lieutenant general, Fu Mingsheng, came from a local army in Guizhou. After the Changsha Uprising, he led more than 1,200 officers and soldiers to join him from afar. He then served as the brigade commander of the 7th Brigade and the division commander of the 7th Division. He participated in the Liaodong Peninsula Campaign and the later stages of the Battle of the Isko Valley. After the war, he was promoted to lieutenant general and served as the commander of the 4th Army Group.

The sixth lieutenant general, Li An, came from the Changsha Green Standard Army. He participated in the Changsha Uprising and followed Zhao Yan on the Northern Expedition. He then served as the commander of the Sixth Division, leading his troops to Outer Mongolia. He persevered for nearly two years before following Zhao Yan in the Battle of Mobei and the expedition to Irkutsk. After the war, he was promoted to lieutenant general and served as the commander of the Eighth Army Group, continuing to be stationed in Mobei.

The seventh lieutenant general, Yan Bicheng, came from the Changsha Military Academy. After joining the revolutionary army, he served as the director of the revolutionary army's military academy. During the Northern Expedition, he served as the director of the officers' office of the revolutionary headquarters. After the Northern Expedition, he was transferred to Nanjing National Defense University as its president. After the outbreak of war, he served as the commander of the Shenyang Camp in Northeast China. After the war, he was promoted to lieutenant general and served as the commander of the Seventh Army Group.

The eighth lieutenant general, Sa Zhenbing, needs little introduction. After the war, he was awarded the rank of vice admiral for his meritorious service in defending the Bohai Strait and served as the Minister of the Navy of the Ministry of National Defense.

The ninth lieutenant general, Cheng Biguang, needs little introduction. After the war, he was awarded the rank of vice admiral and served as vice minister of the navy, concurrently as commander of the Northern Fleet.

The tenth lieutenant general, Lu Dingkang, came from the Xiangjiang Navy, later joined the revolutionary army, and then served as the commander of the Yangtze River Defense Fleet. After the war, he was promoted to vice admiral and currently serves as the deputy commander of the Northern Fleet.

There is also a large number of other officers promoted to the rank of major general in the army and navy, which will not be listed here.

This list of military generals to be promoted was only announced at the meeting and not discussed. It was simply to inform all the attendees that from now on, the people on this list would be core military generals.

After all, the promotion of generals requires approval from the Ministry of National Defense and the Supreme Council before it can take effect. In addition to the promotion of generals and lieutenant generals, the most eye-catching thing in the promotion list is the promotion of two brigadier generals.

The rank of brigadier general was a special rank created by Zhao Yan, ranking below major general and above colonel. There were only two positions available: one for Zhao Hao, commander of the 1st SS Division, and the other for Qiu Xingxun, director of the National Military Intelligence Bureau.

Zhao Hao had previously served as the head of the Führer's bodyguard without any military rank, but suddenly he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed as the commander of the 1st SS Division. No one else had any objections, and it seemed quite reasonable.

However, there were some objections to Qiu Xingxun. It wasn't for any other reason than that many people had never heard of this name before, and his relevant resume and file were blank. Suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere, and many people wondered who he was.

Only a very small number of high-level core members knew Qiu Xingxun's identity and status, and these insiders kept quiet about it.

Zhao Yan was also mindful of Qiu Xingxun and Zhao Hao's ages. Qiu Xingxun was only twenty-three years old, and Zhao Hao was only twenty-two. They were practically still young, having risen through the ranks solely based on their revolutionary experience and merits, with no impressive resumes before the revolution.

This time, Zhao Yan mixed their names into a large group of generals and promoted them by taking advantage of the chaos, which was also a way of giving an explanation.

As for Zhao Yan's other disciples, they disdained this mere military rank; their ambitions were far beyond what a general's badge could satisfy.

After a large number of promotion lists were announced, the top military official began to propose a national defense development plan for the next five years. Wang Chongshan stood up with great momentum and handed out draft development plans to the attendees.

The army has a total strength of 700,000, of which 500,000 are regular troops. It is divided into ten regular army groups, each with a strength of about 45,000. Each army group has three divisions, each with a strength of about 13,000.

The total strength of the front-line field standing army is about 450,000, with the remainder organized into the Ministry of National Defense, the Logistics Department, military academies in various regions, and base support personnel.

The total strength of the garrison is 200,000, with the basic structure being a garrison brigade. Each brigade has between 3500 and 6000 personnel. Each provincial-level administrative unit will have a garrison brigade stationed there. In border provinces such as Xinjiang, Outer Mongolia, and North Korea, the garrison brigades have a maximum strength of 6,000 personnel.

In provinces with stable situations in the interior, such as the coastal and central plains regions, there are garrison brigades with a strength of about 3,500 people stationed. Every province has one, and they are generally stationed in the provincial capital. They will not be deployed unless there are special circumstances. Except for the North Korean garrison brigade, the other garrison brigades are only under the direct command of the Ministry of National Defense.

The core of the Army's five-year development plan is to purify the ten standing field armies on the front line. These 450,000 front-line field troops, which were reduced after the war, will be the elite force of China's future land warfare.

The army's requirements were simple: the 450,000-strong force must be fully modernized and equipped with mules and horses, and the post-war standing field forces must be equipped with standardized, domestically produced advanced rifles, artillery, and light and heavy machine guns.

In addition to weaponry and equipment, the logistics system also needs comprehensive reform and development.

Previously, the uniforms, equipment, and gear of the National Defense Forces were inconsistent, the organizational structures of different units varied, and the logistics supply system was also chaotic.

Everything was done half-heartedly, and any attempt to be lenient was merely done perfunctorily. The military had long been unable to tolerate this situation.

Going forward, there must be a unified organizational structure and a unified level of equipment, and training and logistical support must also keep up.

The development plan did not involve much equipment upgrading; it was still carried out according to the original Class A unit standards. The only changes were to fill the gaps in heavy artillery equipment and to complete the missing mule and horse mobility forces.

However, the military requires complete domestic production, which is quite expensive. It's like replacing the entire equipment system of the national defense forces, from rifles to artillery, from military boots to uniforms and gear.

Moreover, the military's logistics reform is even more expensive. The military requires soldiers to increase their average daily food allowance to 18 cents per person per day, and military salaries also have to be raised accordingly.

The military must become professionalized, ensuring that soldiers are well-fed every day, with three meals a day including meat, and that their income is sufficient to support their families.

The logistical requirements were outrageous. Each person was owed 18 cents a day for food. When the officials heard this, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. That was equivalent to one qian of silver per person per day for food. For 700,000 soldiers, that would be 70,000 taels of silver a day for food. Was this how you supported an army? It was like supporting a retired emperor!

There is also an increase in military personnel's income and salaries. The military requires that the income be doubled from the current level, meaning that newly enlisted privates can receive a salary of eight yuan. This is also a basic requirement for the professionalization of the military, and military personnel's income must be able to support their families.

Even if all 700,000 people were privates, the monthly expenditure on personnel salaries alone would be more than 5.6 million yuan. How much would that be in a year?

The military can gradually replace equipment and update logistics, and the huge costs can be spread out over five years. However, personnel and logistical expenses are required immediately.

The committee members and officials present strongly opposed the plan, which aimed to empty the national treasury and encourage militarism. They argued that anyone who approved the plan was a fool. The annual fiscal revenue was only five or six hundred million yuan, but the military expenses would take more than one hundred million yuan away. What would happen to everyone else?

Oh, and I almost forgot about the navy. The navy also requested the launch of the "Reconstruction of Beiyang" plan. Sa Zhenbing was also at the meeting, and he also presented a five-year plan on behalf of the navy.

The navy should rebuild on the existing defense industry developed during the Self-Strengthening Movement, with a plan of equal domestic production and imports, to increase its current meager total displacement of 17,000 tons to 200,000 tons.

The goal is to create a "three-three fleet" within the next five years, consisting of three main dreadnoughts and three armored cruisers, along with a large number of torpedo boats and auxiliary vessels.

At the same time, military ports and bases should be built on coastal areas and overseas islands, and supporting shipbuilding and gun manufacturing industries should be developed. Advanced technologies and finished warships should be imported from the international community, with both domestic production and imports being carried out simultaneously.

As for the exact cost, the Navy didn't say, probably because they were afraid that revealing it would scare the people present.

After reading the military's joint land and sea plan report, the committee members and officials attending the meeting all stared wide-eyed at Zhao Yan, their meaning clear: was this something you instigated?

Zhao Yan himself was also somewhat bewildered. He had instructed the military not to go too far and to divide the pie within a reasonable range.

But now the military is showing an appetite that's no longer about sharing the cake, but rather about wanting to eat it all by itself.

Zhao Yan was also furious and looked at Wang Chongshan, wanting to question him about why he had acted on his own initiative.

But Wang Chongshan only gave him a look that said "Don't be impatient." Zhao Yan slowly realized that this old Wang had also gone bad and was now playing the trick of asking for exorbitant prices.

The military's current exorbitant demands are clearly aimed at tearing the roof off, which is impossible to pass. However, the military doesn't expect to pass them. They just need to back down later and abandon the idea of ​​tearing the roof off, and when they propose opening windows, they just need to get the civilian government to agree.

Zhao Yan also came to his senses. A battle between civil and military officials! He liked this kind of drama!

When the military clashed with the civil officials, Zhao Yan chose to remain on the sidelines and had no intention of getting involved.

However, the civil service group was not to be trifled with. Zhang Mingqi, as the leader of the civil service, stepped forward immediately to counter Wang Chongshan's attack.

Wang Chongshan directly rejected all of the military's proposals, stating that what was being implemented was the national five-year strategic development plan, which focused on industry, technology, economy, and people's livelihood, and that the military budget was not included in this plan.

But Wang Chongshan was not easily appeased. He quickly retorted that the allocation of the country's fiscal budget expenditures for the next five years would be decided at this meeting.

If the civil servants have already allocated the budget, what will the army eat? The current national stability and external security are all thanks to the army's hard work and sacrifices. Are we going to blame the cook after we finish eating, or abandon the monks after we've finished chanting the sutras?

Wang Chongshan sternly condemned the civil service group led by Zhang Mingqi for their treachery, betrayal, and abandonment of their usefulness.

Zhang Mingqi was so scolded that he couldn't even open his mouth. He couldn't understand why Wang Chongshan, that blockhead, had suddenly become so clever today.

Where did the once clear-eyed yet foolish Wang Chongshan go? How come after his journey on the battlefield, he suddenly became enlightened and even started using his brain to engage in political struggles?

Zhao Yan watched the show from the sidelines, refusing to help anyone. He was quite pleased to see Wang Chongshan leading the military against the civilian system.

Amid the conflict between civil and military officials, the civil officials suppressed the army's idea of ​​tearing down the roof, but they could not stop the army from opening the windows.

Military spending is a must, but the specific amount is a matter of debate. In any case, we can't give money to the military based on the standard of supporting a prince, because nobody can afford that!

The civil officials have set a firm bottom line of 10% of the annual fiscal budget expenditure and will not budge. It is estimated that the national fiscal revenue after the war this year will reach about 600 million Han Yuan, and 10% is only 60 million yuan.

This amount of money is far from enough for the army; they are far from it!

Wang Chongshan insisted on taking 20%, Zhang Mingqi continued to bargain, and others also helped to put pressure on him. There were only a few military representatives in the meeting room, but a large number of civil servants.

Wang Chongshan was ultimately outnumbered and had to settle for spending 13% of the fiscal budget on military expenditures. However, the military was still quite satisfied with this standard. Their actual bottom line was 10%, so being able to get an extra 3 percentage points was already a bonus.

Chapter 148 New Life After the War

The meeting in the main hall was gradually coming to an end. The major projects had all been discussed, and the remaining minor routine expenditures were also approved. After the long meeting, no one had much energy left to argue.

The entire national strategic planning conference lasted four days, with a break of less than twenty hours in between; the rest of the time was spent in meetings.

After the meeting, Zhao Yan felt completely exhausted, and the others were even more weak.

However, the results are also remarkable. Many national development strategies have reached a consensus, which is very important because it is the foundation for the implementation of development.

Everyone participated and discussed, and even if each outcome doesn't align with everyone's interests, it's at least balanced.

Once a consensus is reached within the superstructure of national politics, then all levels of society can smoothly begin to implement it from the top down.

Changsha, Hunan, August 30, 1908.

After a long journey, Captain Luo Ming finally reached his destination and found his family in Changsha.

Luo Mingyuan's family in Guizhou has been relocated to Changsha to settle down nearby, and the government's compensation for the families of fallen soldiers has been fully implemented.

The Luo family received more than 270 mu of irrigated farmland along the Xiangjiang River. This was Luo Ming's own reward for participating in the war, as well as the compensation for his younger brother Luo Liang's death in battle.

When Luo Ming brought Cui Yingzhi to their new home in Changsha, his parents and younger siblings were all overjoyed and wept tears of happiness. No one complained or blamed Luo Ming for not bringing his younger brother Luo Liang back. Everyone was relieved that Luo Ming had returned alive.

If one of the two brothers manages to return alive from the expedition, that would be quite an achievement.

Luo Ming's parents were also an older generation who had experienced war. They knew very well the cruelty of chaos and war, so it was not surprising that both brothers died in battle.

Luo Ming's family lives outside Changsha city. Houses inside the city are too expensive for them to afford. The Luo family lives in government-subsidized housing, which was purchased for free from the Manchu bannermen. The government now rents it out to the people at low prices to generate income.

Families of fallen soldiers are entitled to a 50% rent reduction, meaning they only need to pay 50% of the rent as others to move in.

Another option is to buy resettlement housing, such as the small courtyard with white walls and blue tiles where the Luo family now lives. It has an area of ​​more than 200 square meters and is priced at 600 yuan per square meter. The price is not low, but it is very cheap compared to houses in the city.

After the strategic planning meeting concluded, real estate prices surged across the country. The government was the biggest real estate giant because it acquired a large amount of real estate during the process of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty, clearing out the Manchu cities, and eliminating the Manchus.

In order to recoup funds, the post-war government took the lead in raising real estate prices and selling a large number of houses, thus continuously bringing back private funds.

The government indirectly linked the Han Yuan to real estate, which led to a more stable value for the Han Yuan. Despite the government's continuous printing of money and monetary easing, the Han Yuan paper currency showed no signs of devaluation because the massive amount of fixed assets held by the government became the anchor.

No matter how generous Zhao Yan was, he would never use houses as rewards. The rewards for soldiers who participated in the war were limited to land, and Zhao Yan did not loosen his grip on real estate at all.

To live and work in peace and contentment, one must first have a place to live before one can work in peace and contentment; housing will always be a basic necessity.

At this moment, Luo Ming sat on the threshold of his courtyard gate, holding a rice bowl, gazing at the small ditch in front of the gate and the misty rain in the alley, quietly feeling the tranquility that belongs to Jiangnan.

It was breakfast time, and children skipping and jumping on the streets were being searched for by their parents. A peddler carrying fresh tofu, river fish, and other groceries weaved through the streets and alleys, constantly calling out his wares.

Such a scene is rarely seen in Guizhou. You can never find flat land like this in Guizhou; it's all mountains, making it difficult for neighbors to visit each other.

Luo Ming thought that settling down in Changsha, a city in the misty rain of Jiangnan, would actually be quite nice.

Before the Changsha fire, the city was a model of Jiangnan, with its small bridges and flowing water, white walls and black tiles, pleasant climate and comfortable environment, making people not want to leave.

Changsha's prosperity and wealth reached their peak after the Taiping Rebellion ended, when a large number of Xiang Army soldiers brought wealth and cultural influence from the south of the Yangtze River and carried out a thorough transformation of the Hunan region.