1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 64

The newly discovered Qimuge tribe, though numbering over 8,000 and including more than 3,000 archers, was of no use. They were completely unprepared for the harsh winter and never expected that 5,000 fierce and heavily armed cavalry would suddenly appear to attack them.

When the National Defense Army cavalry stormed in, the group was still sleeping in their tents. The one who reacted the fastest was their leader, Qimuge. He led a dozen or so trusted men and fled. Before the National Defense Army even noticed, he had run almost two miles away. Zhao Yan couldn't catch up and had to give up.

Under the threat of thousands of guns, the Qimuge tribe became obedient. Especially after seeing the appearance of Naqin, the guide of the Naqin tribe, they didn't hate Zhao Yan for taking advantage of the snow, but only hated Naqin and her group for their deliberate revenge.

After Chief Qimuge ran out, he quickly realized that the snow was falling heavily and everything was white. He only had a dozen or so people with him and nothing but horses. Running away would only mean certain death!

Qimuge was helpless. Even though he had already escaped, he still shamelessly came back to Zhao Yan and surrendered.

This time, Zhao Yan didn't hold back. He feasted and drank to his heart's content. All the tribe's horses were conscripted for the army, some of the cattle and sheep were slaughtered for military supplies, and the rest that couldn't be taken were given as rewards to the "Guide King" Naqin and his tribe for their meritorious service in leading the way.

After resting for a night, Zhao Yan didn't worry about anything except the guards in his own camp. The newly captured Qimuge tribe was handed over to the Naqin tribe for safekeeping.

The next day, Zhao Yan gathered all the people of his Muge tribe and began his "leadership-style persuasion." Because he was in a hurry, he didn't have much time to waste. Zhao Yan's first order was to find a wheel.

Zhao Yan was a leader who greatly respected ethnic customs and culture. He consistently promoted a policy of ethnic harmony and showed great respect for the customs of all ethnic groups.

For example, the Manchus liked to wear queues, so Zhao Yan ordered all Manchus, whether they were Manchu Eight Banners or Han Eight Banners, to be forced to wear the "money-tail" hairstyle.

Zhao Yan also respected the Mongols. He had heard that when Mongol tribes fought each other on the grasslands, the defeated tribes were executed by measuring their height with a cartwheel. So Zhao Yan respected and followed this custom.

Upon hearing Zhao Yan's order to search for the wheels, Qimuge and "Guide King" Naqin both changed their expressions. These Han people were too barbaric!

Even the Mongols didn't use wheels like that. You have no grudge against us, you've already robbed us, you've already eaten and drunk your fill, why do you still want to serve us with wheels?

If the fighting between Mongols wasn't based on deep-seated hatred, they wouldn't have used wheels!

Naqin kept sighing that she had surrendered earlier and looked quite relaxed, but Qimuge's face was whiter than snowflakes. "I escaped but came back to surrender. And now you want to measure me with a wheel?"

But Zhao Yan gave the order, and his army obeyed unconditionally. Soon, a cavalry major who came from Shandong and was a bandit leader came to find "Wheel".

Zhao Yan's expression changed drastically when he saw this, but the cavalry major named Zhang Zongchang looked like he was trying to take credit.

Zhao Yan looked at the wooden toy carriage in his hand, which was only two inches tall and whose wheels were at most an inch in diameter. He then looked at Zhang Zongchang with a complicated expression and said, "Major, state your name!"

Zhang Zongchang immediately dismounted and stood at attention, saying, "This humble officer is Zhang Zongchang, former communications officer of the 2nd Regiment of the 13th Division, with the rank of major! I humbly request instructions from the Commander-in-Chief!"

Zhao Yan's lips twitched as he asked, "Where did you find this car?"

Zhang Zongchang proudly said, "Your Majesty, my wife gave birth to a son back in our hometown, so I bought this toy, intending to send it back when I had the chance. Since Your Majesty needs it now, I will naturally contribute unconditionally!"

Zhao Yanshen nodded with a complicated expression: "Yes, I'll remember you, Major Zhang Zongchang!"

Zhang Zongchang was overjoyed and kept expressing his gratitude.

But when the Mongols saw Zhao Yan walking over carrying such a tiny toy car that was only two inches tall, they felt as if the sky had fallen!

What are you even measuring with this wheel? You couldn't even measure a newborn baby lying down! If you want to kill us, just kill us directly, why make up excuses?

Fortunately, Heaven has a benevolent heart, and Zhao Yan wouldn't be foolish enough to condemn everyone indiscriminately. This is Inner Mongolia, and the Mongolians in Inner Mongolia are considered compatriots, while the Mongolians in Outer Mongolia are considered foreigners. This was Zhao Yan's concept before he transmigrated.

Therefore, Zhao Yan offered a choice: "Chinese people go left, Mongolians go right!"

As soon as Zhao Yan said this, everyone, including Wang Naqin who was leading the way, swarmed to the left. No one, not even a fool, would go to the right.

Zhao Yan nodded with satisfaction and solemnly put the toy car in his pocket: "Very good. It seems we are all Chinese. Since we are compatriots, I won't stand on ceremony."

"By order of our army, Qimuge is hereby appointed as the King of Deserters. The elite troops of the Qimuge and Naqin tribes shall join the army at a later date, while the elderly and weak shall remain in place and be provided with supplies for the winter!"

"Everyone, head to Xilin Gol immediately!"

Zhao Yan had exhausted many horses on the sidewalk. After this raid—or rather, after being reformed—he was back to having three horses and two thousand auxiliary cavalry to assist him.

The more than 7,000 men continued their advance. This time, Zhao Yan didn't need to speak up; "King of Deserters" Qimuge took the initiative to lead the way, searching for the next "reformed tribe."

Upon arriving at the next tribe, more than seven thousand fierce-looking cavalrymen surrounded them. After a pointless resistance, the next tribe lay down and spread their legs.

Zhao Yan followed suit, holding up a toy car to "influence" the tribe. The Mongols had never seen such an outrageous wheel in their lives, not even the legendary Genghis Khan.

The tribal chief had previously boasted about his connections in the capital, his close relationship with the Manchu prince, and his influence, but after seeing the mini toy car in Zhao Yan's hand, he dared not utter a word.

It wasn't until Zhao Yan explained the principle of "Chinese to the left, Mongolians to the right" that the leader jumped three feet high on the spot, ridiculously becoming the first to leap to the left and stand firmly.

Hearing that he had a powerful background, Zhao Yan bestowed upon him the title of "King of Background." After slaughtering livestock and requisitioning horses, he dispatched over a thousand people from the tribe to continue the advance with the army.

Then the next step became a headache for Zhao Yan. The army grew larger and larger along the way, and the needs became greater and greater. In the end, the most difficult thing was not marching, but choosing which tribe to attack.

There are too many collaborators, such as the King of Collaborators, the King of Deserters, the King of Background, the King of Mountain Bandits, and the King of Horse Bandits. Zhao Yan personally appointed a whole bunch of them. They eat three meals a day, and after influencing a tribe, a bunch of random kings appear.

Zhao Yan's bestowal of titles of kings was almost as outrageous as that of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In just five days of advancing, he had more than twenty kings of various kinds under his command.

But the most troublesome thing is that these kings seem to be very disunited. They keep telling Zhao Yan how many tribes are around and urging him to convert them as well. This is the "not worrying about scarcity but worrying about inequality" on the grassland. It seems that even after they become kings, they don't forget their old enemies and want to drag their enemies into becoming kings as well.

Finally, Zhao Yan pulled the toy car out of his pocket, and all the chaotic kings finally fell silent. They wanted to settle personal scores and use Zhao Yan as a tool to kill someone, but Zhao Yan knew very well that he hadn't finished his business yet.

These haphazard kings only joined me because they had nowhere else to go in the dead of winter and were forced to work for me. Once spring arrives and the grasslands are vast enough for them to go anywhere, these people will probably all rebel.

Without a bloody victory, without the heads of tens of thousands of enemy soldiers to intimidate these guys, these seemingly honest kings are actually full of evil intentions!

When Zhao Yan took out that toy car, it became the sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads. Although Zhao Yan never told them to compare their height to the car's wheels, everyone understood what he meant.

Zhao Yan's 5,000 menacing troops were no joke; wiping them out would be a piece of cake.

Privately, these various Mongol kings had already secretly honored Zhao Yanzun as "Tianche Khan," a title even more prestigious than Emperor Taizong of Tang's "Tian Khan."

At least Li Shimin wouldn't use a wheel that was an inch tall to deal with them, but Zhao Yan really dared to!

The toy car wheel in Zhao Yan's hand is destined to shake the entire Mongolian grasslands for a hundred years, and to re-establish a blood-stained path for the grasslands.

Chapter 117 Our Führer Has Returned!

October 29, 1907.

In the Sunite region of Inner Mongolia, the Eighth Division was nearing the end of its second month of siege, and winter had also arrived on the grasslands.

Before the snowfall, supply convoys departing from Zhangjiakou in the interior of China were still able to provide some supplies to maintain the basic needs of the Eighth Division.

However, since the onset of winter, no friendly convoys have been seen arriving, and the 8th Division has not received any supplies for more than ten days.

The entire division had slaughtered the last batch of cattle and sheep, and the chief of staff advised the division commander, Colonel Li An, that they could distribute ammunition and prepare for the final breakout operation.

However, Colonel Li An, the division commander, refused to allow it and insisted on staying put and holding out for as long as possible. If they were to break out now, in the freezing cold, not even one out of ten soldiers would be able to return to the pass alive. It was better to drag the enemy down with them.

It's better to have the tens of thousands of Mongol-Russian allied troops stuck here than to chase them all the way to the Great Wall. As a junior officer at the division level, Li An was well aware of the situation.

Now, apart from the Eighth Division, no one else can deal with these tens of thousands of enemy cavalry. If these more than 50,000 Mongol-Russian allied troops are allowed to follow the retreating Eighth Division and approach the Great Wall, threatening the capital, then the entire Eighth Division will be a traitor to the nation.

Even if the entire army is wiped out, the Eighth Division will never be the sinner. They may die, but they must die with value.

Division Commander Li An rejected any requests to retreat or break out, and strictly ordered his troops to hold their ground.

Ang Lee told a white lie, saying that the Führer was already on his way and that the Führer had not abandoned them!

In fact, after sending out the entire division's roster and farewell letter, Li An received no more information from within the Great Wall. But there was nothing he could do; what his troops needed most now was hope.

Ang Lee was no fool; he was a smart man. Before the Changsha Uprising, he was the commander of the Changsha Patrol Battalion's Green Standard Army. Under Zhang Mingqi's orders, he secretly arrested Zhao Yan and imprisoned him.

Finally, Zhao Yan's speech in prison shocked Li An. Zhao Yan did not blame or complain about Li An leading troops to arrest them, nor was he afraid of the Manchu execution. Instead, he reasoned with them and explained things that they had never understood in their lives.

Li An ultimately joined Zhao Yan without hesitation and led all the Green Standard Army soldiers of the Changsha Patrol Battalion to participate in the Changsha Uprising.

Li An was then incorporated into the First Division of the Revolutionary Army and followed the Northern Expedition. After the capture of Beijing, Li An was promoted to colonel and served as the commander of the Eighth Division of the Standing Division, leading more than 20,000 Hunanese soldiers to Mongolia to defend the border.

This heavy mission seemed like a desperate, isolated mission, but in Li An's eyes, it was a precious entrustment from Zhao Yan.

Now facing a desperate situation, Li An blames no one, not even Zhao Yan. He only blames himself for the more than 23,000 men from his hometown who followed him from the south to the north to defend the Mongolian border.

In the end, he couldn't bring anyone back with him, and he had no words to face his hometown folks!

As a founding member of the uprising, Ang Lee was well aware of the national leadership's plans and strategies, and he also understood that at this critical juncture, the country could no longer spare any reinforcements to save itself.

Being able to withstand North Korea and Liaodong was already the greatest miracle. Ang Lee had given up on his fate. Anyway, he had died a worthy death. He had lived his life to the end and was able to die for his country on the frontier. It was not a wasted life. No matter how stingy the historians were with their words, there should be a line about him and the Eighth Division in the annals of history.

What Li An didn't know was that Zhao Yan's army, having set out from Shenyang, had traveled over 1,100 kilometers in just eight days and nights, and was now already twenty miles north of Sunite.

Ang Lee has never let Zhao Yan down since the beginning of his career in Changsha, and Zhao Yan has never abandoned Ang Lee in crucial moments.

When Zhao Yan started out in the underworld, he lost all his integrity, reputation, morality, and legal discipline, but his only bottom line was loyalty!

When Zhao Yan was a fraudster, he never betrayed any of his accomplices. No matter how the police interrogated him or tried to coerce or entice him, even if someone else betrayed him, he would never betray his own accomplices.

Zhao Yan is incredibly adept at deceiving outsiders, but he never deceives his own people. Once you join his group, Zhao Yan will be loyal to you.

Zhao Yan never betrayed that ruthless fraud gang before, so he would never betray his revolutionary comrades who had risked their lives for him!

“Master, the enemy camps stretch for several miles, with an estimated strength of 4 to 8 troops, along with a large number of cattle, horses, and herdsmen. The brothers of the Eighth Division are trapped there.”

I have sent several small teams that speak Mongolian to infiltrate the area. Once the frontal attack begins, they will set fires and cause chaos.

"It would be best to attack after nightfall, and then join forces with our Mongol auxiliary troops. That would maximize our chances of success!"

After conducting some covert reconnaissance, Zhao Hao came to Zhao Yan to report.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan immediately expressed his dissatisfaction: "Wait until dark? How can we wipe out the enemy army in the dark?"

Zhao Hao was dumbfounded: "annihilate the enemy army?"

"Master, there are tens of thousands of people on the other side, plus the herdsmen accompanying the army, at least 100,000 in number. We only have less than 5,000 elite troops from our own army, plus more than 17,000 Mongol auxiliary troops, each with their own ulterior motives. To annihilate them is just too outrageous, isn't it?"

Zhao Yan asked, "Have they discovered our presence?"

Zhao Hao replied, "No! The Mongolian-Russian allied forces on the other side haven't even sent out scouts; their attention is all on the Eighth Division."

Zhao Yan made the decision: "That's settled then. We can attack the unprepared with preparedness. The enemy will never dream that there will be a large army that has traveled more than a thousand kilometers from Liaoyang and arrived here in less than ten days."

Five thousand against a hundred thousand, the odds are in my favor, the advantage is mine! What's there to be afraid of?

A mere 100,000 rabble, they are nothing but clay chickens and dog ears in my eyes. One wave of attack will crush them. The brothers of the Eighth Division will be in full bloom, and then the grassland will be stained with blood!

I will use the blood of these 100,000 people to dye Sunit red, to tell everyone that those who dare to offend China will be punished!

Zhao Hao swallowed hard: "What about our more than 10,000 Mongols? Should they all charge with us?"

Zhao Yan scoffed, "These people are useless. Let them stay behind and watch how we kill people. Their knives haven't been stained with much blood along the way, and their minds are getting more and more confused."

I specifically chose to fight this battle in broad daylight, so that these Mongols behind me could see how the National Defense Army's bayonets kill the enemy.

After this battle, I will ensure that the entire northern desert region will not dare to have any disloyalty for the next twenty years!

The Mongolian Zhao Yan behind him was brought along as an audience, to let them know that he was not only scary, but also capable of killing.

Simply scaring them along the way is far from enough; the wheels of a vehicle are only so-so intimidating. Unless you actually take up a knife and slaughter them, leaving the grasslands covered in blood, they won't learn their lesson.

Moreover, as more and more kings were granted titles, the Mongol auxiliary army gathered behind them grew larger and larger. Now, those Mongols felt that they outnumbered the national defense army and became increasingly disobedient.

This is a perfect opportunity to make an example of them. If we push through and cut off the heads of those 100,000 enemy soldiers, the 10,000-plus Mongols behind us will never have any disloyalty again.

People on the grasslands will never listen to reason; they only follow power. The more ruthless you are, the more they will submit to you.

Zhao Hao said worriedly, "Should we leave some people to keep an eye on them? What if these people turn against us? It would be troublesome if they stabbed us in the back."

Zhao Yan wasn't worried at all: "Haven't you seen the true nature of this group of people along the way? They only obey the powerful and even betray their own people. What's the use of you watching them?"

If we launch a full-scale attack and win, they'll definitely help us. If we lose, even if you just watch, they'll still stab us in the back!

Zhao Hao fell silent, turned around and went to relay the order. That was the only thing about Zhao Hao; once he finished explaining, he had no objections and would carry out your orders without reservation.

Soon all the Mongol auxiliary troops were ordered to observe; they were not required to worry about this battle, let alone take action.

The entire national defense force was mobilized, reducing the number of soldiers with three horses to one person and one horse, and all military equipment was put into combat readiness.

Five thousand menacing soldiers mounted their horses, and Zhao Yan personally led the army to the front, drawing his gleaming saber.

"Soldiers, today I will lead you into a battle where each of you can take on ten men, but I am fearless and I am confident that we will win this battle!"

"For thousands of years, the northern barbarians have treated our Han Chinese homeland as their backyard, taking whatever they wanted. Whenever they wanted, they would ride south to plunder our wealth, steal our women, and make us their slaves!"

"Now let's use our rifles and sabers to show them that the tables have turned! We want more than just land; we want the grasslands! It's no longer their turn to plunder our grain and gold! Now it's our turn to plunder their cattle, horses, and lambs!"

"I hereby declare that each survivor will be granted 7,000 mu of pasture, and each fallen soldier will be granted 10,000 mu of pasture. You may choose any cattle or sheep captured!"

"Let us use steel and blood to tell them that the Han people of the future need not only the yellow earth to cultivate crops, but also the green grasslands to graze cattle and sheep!"

"In the future, our children and grandchildren will be able to drink a glass of milk every day, eat a piece of meat every day, wear wool sweaters, and wear leather boots!"

"I have given you permission to kill in the name of the Führer. No matter how great the atrocities we commit in this war, God will forgive us!"

"We came, we killed, we conquered!"

Zhao Yan rode his horse forward, raised his saber high, and shouted a chilling, bloodthirsty slogan.

Every soldier under his command didn't care how many enemies were in front of them. Each of them wore a cruel smile, their eyes filled with longing for everything on the vast grassland!

Chapter 118 Sharing the Same Hatred!

An endless curtain of snow fell from the sky, leaden clouds covered the entire sky, and the boundless snow covered the entire earth.

Squads of cavalry silently reined in their horses and moved slowly, maintaining only the most basic marching pace. In order to conserve their strength, they would only launch their most rapid charge in the last two kilometers.