Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 53

Sichuan Governor Xiliang quickly sent a representative to welcome Zhang Yintang into the city. As for the army entering Tibet, they were guided to the South Training Ground outside the South Gate of Chengdu. The area outside the South Gate of Chengdu was also a mule and horse transportation and hiring center for the Tibetan border and Yunnan, which saved the army entering Tibet a lot of trouble.

The South Training Ground camp was spacious, but there weren't many soldiers. Lin Xinyi was willing to spend money and bribed the camp commander, quickly obtaining a relatively good camp area. Lin Xinyi then hired soldiers from the camp to renovate this area, intending to build it into a logistics base for the army entering Tibet.

Wu Luzhen then began to reorganize the troops entering Tibet, organizing them into a company of six platoons, with 11 men per squad and four squads per platoon. On the morning of the third day, Zhang Yintang went from the city to the South Training Ground camp. Seeing the well-organized camp, he was greatly pleased and soon summoned Wu Luzhen and Lin Xinyi for a talk.

He said to the two men, “I have consulted with Lord Xiliang and the Governor’s Office these past two days. Although Lord Xiliang hopes that we can enter Tibet as soon as possible, the Governor’s Office has indicated that it will be difficult to provide us with funds and provisions in the short term.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Luzhen frowned and said, "What do they mean by this? They're asking for help from Huguang on one hand, but on the other hand, they don't want to take responsibility?"

Zhang Yintang could only smile wryly upon hearing this, but Lin Xinyi spoke up to dissuade him, turning to Zhang Yintang and asking, "Then what exactly can the Sichuan Governor's Office do to protect Tibet?"

Zhang Yintang frankly stated, "I have also reported to Lord Xiliang that to defend Tibet, at least two things need to be done: first, build roads; second, train a new army; and third, implement new policies in the Sichuan-Tibet region. However, these three things are truly difficult for Sichuan, firstly because of a lack of talent, and secondly because of a lack of funds..."

Chapter 181 The Anglo-Japanese Alliance

Wu Luzhen disagreed with Zhang Yintang's view. He said indignantly, "Are there really no talented people in Sichuan? We only preached a few times on the road, and many heroes were willing to follow us into Tibet to defend it. How can you say that Sichuan lacks talent? I think it is the Manchu people of Sichuan who lack talent."

Even now, these Manchus still refuse to let go of the distinction between Manchus and Han Chinese, remaining extremely wary of us Han people, fearing that power will fall into their hands. This Lord Xiliang is said to be one of the few capable men among the Manchus; I think the Qing Dynasty is doomed sooner or later.”

Zhang Yintang could only smile wryly upon hearing this. Although it sounded like a venting of frustration, he truly couldn't offer any defense for Xiliang. To say that Xiliang was truly oblivious to the overall situation was certainly not true. If Xiliang were truly a good-for-nothing who was just waiting to die, he wouldn't have been able to see the risks brought about by the British occupation of Tibet. In this respect, Xiliang was far superior to the Resident Minister in Tibet, You Tai.

Even someone as insightful as him couldn't let go of the Manchu-Han issue. Knowing how dangerous the situation in Tibet was, he still wanted to consolidate power in the hands of the Manchus. Who would be convinced by that? It's no wonder that elites like Wu Luzhen, who had studied abroad, quickly leaned towards anti-Manchuism. Ultimately, they were forced into it by the Manchus' "Manchu supremacy" ideology.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yintang was filled with emotion. Just seven or eight years ago, the Han Chinese reformers, led by Tan Sitong, advocated for comprehensive reforms while preserving the Manchu Qing system. But today, those students sent abroad by the court have become the main force opposing the Manchu court.

Of course, he would only think these things to himself; there was no need to say them aloud. His current feeling was that, even though he knew the Qing Dynasty was about to collapse, he still couldn't help but want to save it. However, he wasn't particularly resistant to the arrival of the new era; he just felt that his own era was about to end.

Lin Xinyi coughed lightly, interrupting Wu Luzhen's complaints, and said, "We had already anticipated that something might go wrong in Sichuan, hadn't we? What we need to do now is to come up with a supplementary plan as soon as possible to ensure that the operation into Tibet is not interrupted. Complaining alone will not solve the problem."

Although we are currently facing some difficulties, we must not forget that the situation faced by the military and civilians in Tibet is far more perilous. We entered Tibet to protect the Tibetan people, not for personal gain or promotion. Therefore, the primary issue at present is how to accomplish our mission of aiding Tibet.

Lin Xinyi's interruption brought Wu Luzhen back to his senses. He finally sat back down and asked Lin Xinyi, "Although you are right, if Sichuan cannot provide us with support, we may have little hope of receiving follow-up reinforcements. With just one battalion, it will be difficult to make the British army back down."

Lin Xinyi then turned to Zhang Yintang and asked, "Lord Zhang, what kind of cooperation is the Sichuan Governor's Office willing to provide us? Can we directly recruit troops in Sichuan? Can we intervene in the road construction from Chongqing to Chengdu? Can we offer some suggestions on Sichuan's financial issues?"

Zhang Yintang thought for a moment and said, "I don't think it will be possible for Sichuan to train a new army on its own in less than a few years. I think Lord Xiliang would not object to recruiting new soldiers and training them in Sichuan, since this army is to support Tibet. However, after the war ends, this army will probably be detained by Sichuan."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xinyi said, "As long as the officers aren't detained, I don't think there's a problem. What do you say, Commander Wu?"

Wu Luzhen nodded and said, "That's my opinion too."

Zhang Yintang nodded and said, "If that's the case, Lord Xiliang shouldn't have any objections. He doesn't even have a clue how to build a new army right now. How could he refuse if we help him build one? But how do you plan to intervene in the construction of the road from Chongqing to Chengdu? As for the financial issues, what kind of suggestions do you want to make?"

After a moment's thought, Lin Xinyi said, "In the long run, the biggest problem in Sichuan right now is the opium problem. If the opium problem is not dealt with properly, Sichuan will inevitably suffer from a shortage of civilian supplies and social order will be out of control. Therefore, if we want to solve most of the problems in Sichuan's people's livelihood, we must first solve the opium problem."

Zhang Yintang wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "Indeed, Lord Lin Wenzhong had already elaborated on the harm of opium during his lifetime, but to this day we still cannot eradicate it. On the contrary, even the inland areas have begun to cultivate it. If this continues, the country will become poor and the people weak, and the country's demise will not be far away. It is a good thing to eradicate opium, but so far no one has succeeded. Have you really noticed this?"

Lin Xinyi looked at him and said, "It's too early to talk about banning opium in Sichuan. The important thing now is to stabilize the situation and prevent the area of ​​opium cultivation from expanding further. Otherwise, people will have no food or clothing. Can everyone just smoke opium to make a living?"

Zhang Yintang sighed and said, "Go on."

Lin Xinyi then continued, “Establish a Special Product Planting, Transportation and Sales Committee to determine the opium planting area in each region, and then formulate the province-wide opium planting area, prohibiting any region from planting opium beyond the planned acreage, and ensuring that grain-producing areas cannot be converted into opium fields. Then, on this basis, gradually reduce the opium planting area in each region, and guide each region to plant cash crops such as cotton, so as to ensure that farmers obtain a certain income.”

Transportation was regulated; opium was prohibited from being transported by private caravans, and any opium transported by private caravans was to be destroyed as illicit goods. A licensing system was implemented for sales, and the operation of opium dens by individuals was prohibited…

Zhang Yintang listened only briefly to Lin Xinyi's suggestion and immediately realized that it was very feasible. The solution he proposed was not a blanket ban, but rather separate control over the planting, transportation, and sales stages, which would ultimately squeeze individual opium growers and traffickers out of the market. This would inevitably be welcomed by the big opium merchants and would not encounter much resistance.

Just as he nodded slightly in agreement, Lin Xinyi changed the subject and said, "However, this is ultimately just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. If we want to eradicate opium in Sichuan, we must start by developing Sichuan's economy, and the primary task in developing Sichuan's economy is to improve transportation."

Sichuan's transportation hinges on two key issues: the Yangtze River waterway leading out of the province and the land route from Chongqing to Chengdu. Without understanding these two vital transportation routes, the people of Sichuan cannot sustain their livelihoods through normal agricultural production.

For the troops currently advancing into Tibet, improving transportation conditions from Hubei to Chengdu, and from Chengdu to Tibet, is undoubtedly of strategic significance. Therefore, dredging the Three Gorges waterway and constructing the Chengdu-Chongqing railway are top priorities. Only by completing the Chengdu-Chongqing railway and reducing travel time between the two places to within one day can the transportation costs to Tibet be significantly reduced.

Zhang Yintang clapped his hands and praised, "Indeed, the importance of the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway lies in this. However, last June, Lord Xiliang petitioned the court to build a railway passing through Guangshui, Yichang, Kuizhou (now Fengjie), Chongqing, Luzhou, Yibin, Leshan, and Chengdu. This January, the government-run Sichuan-Hankou Railway Corporation was also established. The company plans to raise 50 million taels of capital and is expected to complete the project within 5 years."

Lin Xinyi interrupted him, saying, "Building the railway line from Guangshui to Chengdu is too long, too slow to yield results, and requires too much capital. I think it will only delay the railway's completion. What we need now is the Chongqing-Chengdu section of the railway, and the faster it is built, the better."

Therefore, Lord Zhang should suggest that the railway from Chongqing to Chengdu be built first, perhaps even starting with a narrow-gauge line, which can be expanded to standard gauge later. Each section should be opened to traffic as it is completed, to benefit the border affairs of Tibet. Only by showing the people of Sichuan the benefits of a railway can we encourage them to build one. Furthermore, it would be best to use locally sourced materials for this railway, which would both stimulate Sichuan's economy and save on construction costs…”

Zhang Yintang and the two talked at dusk, then hurriedly returned to the city to see Xiliang again. On April 25, Wu Luzhen sent a group of men with a radio (German-made Slaby-Alco wireless equipment) to Dajianlu to prepare for the departure of the main force.

On April 25th, Japan and Britain finally signed the alliance agreement. Looking at the agreement in front of him, Prime Minister Ito carefully flipped through each page. After a long while, he looked up at Foreign Minister Komura and asked, "Once it's signed, there's no going back. Are you sure now is the best time to sign?"

Komura Jutaro calmly said to Prime Minister Ito, "Now is the time to sign. The Trans-Siberian Railway will be completed in less than six months. At this point, the pressure is on Britain. If we wait until the Trans-Siberian Railway is completed, it will be the British who will hesitate about the agreement."

Prime Minister Ito sighed and said, "Does Elder Ito also see it that way?"

Komura nodded and said, "Russia has been lingering in Manchuria for almost four years. Since they refused to withdraw their troops before, it will be even less likely that they will withdraw once the Trans-Siberian Railway is completed. There is no way to reach a Japan-Russia agreement, so Ito Genryu will naturally not obstruct the formation of the Japan-Britain Alliance."

Moreover, this agreement is far better than we originally planned. Previously, we merely intended to reach an agreement with Britain to safeguard peace in East Asia, in which case Japan would have no say in East Asian issues. But the essence of this agreement is that Japan will become a facilitator of the East Asian order, which means we have gained a voice in East Asian affairs. Your Excellency, could there be a better option?

After a long silence, Ito murmured, "Perhaps there still is."

Komura looked at Ito with a surprised expression and asked, "Did you say something, sir?"

Ito looked at him and said, "No, I mean, we still need to explain the Anglo-Japanese Alliance to Germany, France, and Russia."

Komura nodded and replied, "That's natural. Originally, it was a four-power alliance of Japan, Germany, China, and Britain, but now Germany is excluded, and there are no signs of further contact between China and Britain. It is indeed necessary to explain the Anglo-Japanese Alliance to Germany and China to avoid both countries feeling abandoned..."

Chapter 182 Naval Personnel

After Komura Jutaro left with the agreement, Ito Sukeyuki had his secretary summon the Minister of the Navy Yamamoto Gonnohyōe and the Chief of Staff of the Naval General Staff Kawahara Yoichi to his official residence.

Upon their arrival, he stated bluntly, "The Anglo-Japanese Alliance has been concluded. I would like to know the navy's preparations and whether they are confident in their ability to win this war."

Yamamoto immediately replied, "We have made all the necessary preparations. Now we just need to see if things will go according to plan. The biggest uncertainty lies in the southward movement of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the fact that its European fleet will inevitably anchor at Cam Ranh Bay when it comes to support them. All our preparations are currently focused on these two points. If these two points change, then we will be in trouble."

Ito turned his gaze to Kawahara, who retorted to Yamamoto, "I disagree with the Minister of the Navy's opinion. Although our plan is based on these two points, if such an event had not occurred, we would still have a plan, which is to blockade Vladivostok and Port Arthur according to the original version, cutting off the connection between the two places."

This war was not initiated at the Navy's request, but rather the Navy cooperated with the Army. Therefore, if the events we expected do not occur, then the Army should bear greater responsibility, which was originally their responsibility.

Of course, given the current situation, I don't see how the events we're hoping for won't occur. After the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was formed, the Russians lost the opportunity to attack us first, because starting a war would have been tantamount to declaring war on Britain.

Therefore, the Russians would certainly resolve the status of Manchuria and Outer Mongolia before China joined this alliance. This meant they would either have to use diplomacy to force Beijing to accept reality, or launch a war to force Beijing to submit.

If the former scenario occurs, a revolution will break out in southern China, or a revolutionary government will replace Beijing and enter into a state of war with Russia, or Beijing will request the Russian fleet to go south to assist in suppressing the rebellion, in which case the southward movement of the Russian Pacific Fleet would be a highly probable event.

If the latter scenario occurs, Russia would either have to move its army towards North China or its Pacific fleet to the Yangtze River basin; otherwise, it would be unable to force Beijing to surrender. Therefore, this is still within our contingency plan.

As for support for the Russian European Fleet, after repeated analysis, we found that apart from Cam Ranh Bay, there were no other ports suitable for the Russian fleet to anchor and replenish coal, unless Britain developed a port for the fleet.

Now, Yulin Port on Hainan Island has at least been renovated to the point where it can accommodate wartime fleets, and we have also made sufficient preparations in Cam Ranh Bay. If the Russian fleet does indeed appear there, then apart from divine intervention, no one can help them.”

Yamamoto Gonnohyōe was speechless at the confident Kawahara Yoichi. Originally, he should have been the only one to speak on behalf of the Navy in such a report, but with the rise in the status of the Naval General Staff, it had the ability to represent another voice of the Navy. No matter how dissatisfied the Ministry of the Navy was, it could not refuse the Naval General Staff's presence on this occasion as another voice of the Navy.

Of course, Yamamoto Gonnohyōe could not deny the fact that in the southward expansion strategy and the contingency plans for the Russo-Japanese War, the Naval General Staff completely suppressed the Ministry of the Navy and became the dominant force in the Navy. It was precisely because of this de facto achievement that the Ministry of the Navy could not use its power to suppress the Naval General Staff, otherwise it would have caused a split within the Navy.

The internal division within the navy would soon escalate into a full-blown confrontation between him and Ito, and he had no chance of winning. This wasn't just due to Ito's seniority and veteran status, but also because Ito had just gained the Imperial Household's approval through the signing of the Japan-US Friendship Agreement, becoming a true veteran of the navy. If a conflict were to break out, the Imperial Household would likely abandon him and support Ito.

Yamamoto Gonnohyōe could only hope that this war would bring no more glory to the Naval General Staff. After a moment of contemplation, he said to Ito, "I hope that Lieutenant General Togo, rather than General Hinatsu, will be in charge of commanding this major battle."

Ito hesitated for a moment before asking, "Wouldn't changing the commander at this time cause chaos within the Navy?"

After a moment of contemplation, Yamamoto Gonnohyōe said, "This battle concerns the fate of the nation. If we lose, not only will the navy cease to exist, but Japan itself will cease to exist. We've already placed such a huge gamble, we have to... we have to..."

Seeing that Yamamoto was still struggling to find the right words, Ito Sukeyuki actually understood that the most capable people in the navy were not the high-ranking admirals of the Japanese Navy. The truly capable naval commanders had actually been excluded from the navy because they were not from Satsuma.

Within the Satsuma faction, Hidaka wasn't particularly outstanding, but he was considered a small power within the faction, which is why he held his current position. Of course, Hidaka, who was a contemporary of Yamamoto, was more popular among the frontline commanders because Yamamoto had spent too long in the administrative offices and lacked the ability to rally support among them.

The navy is ultimately different from the army. Naval front-line commanders have more autonomy than army commanders. As the commander of the standing fleet and a representative of front-line commanders, Hidaka often clashed with the Ministry of the Navy, which made Yamamoto feel embarrassed. When Saigo was alive, he could keep Hidaka in check, but after Saigo left, Yamamoto became less confident when facing Hidaka.

Of course, Ito's opinion of Hidaka was also lukewarm. Although Hidaka and Yamamoto were his juniors, before he was promoted to elder statesman, these two juniors treated him as a washed-up senior, only showing obedience to Saigo. It was under the pressure from these two juniors that Ito had to declare that he had little interest in power, thus withdrawing from the power struggle within the Navy.

However, after such a windfall, Ito was no longer as indifferent to fame and fortune as before. Just as he was pondering the entanglement between Yamamoto and Hidaka, Yamamoto Kaisō finally found a suitable way to phrase it, "...we need to find someone with better luck. In the Battle of the Yellow Sea, Togo was clearly much luckier than Hidaka."

Ito chuckled inwardly. Was it just good luck? No, it was a matter of judgment. While Togo's abilities might not be much stronger than Hidaka's, Togo's decisiveness was clearly superior. However, Ito didn't admire Togo's decisiveness. He felt that Togo hadn't fully grasped the wartime etiquette expected of a naval commander, and sometimes went too far, as seen in his handling of the Kowshing's crew.

However, Yamamoto Kaisō was right about one thing: in this gamble where Japan was risking everything, a decisive commander was clearly superior to everything else. Like Yamamoto, he didn't want to say this directly to avoid incurring Hidaka's resentment, so he nodded and said, "Indeed, Togo, with his good fortune, might be more suitable for this great battle."

Hearing that Ito agreed with his opinion, Yamamoto Gonbei breathed a sigh of relief. In the past, he would not have worried about Ito hindering him, but now Ito's position gave him the power to veto his personnel decisions. Without Ito's approval, he naturally could not transfer Hidaka away from the front-line fleet.

After the meeting, Ito had a general understanding of the navy's preparations for war. As the two were about to part, he stopped Kawahara at the door to discuss operational communication with the army. Yamamoto then took his leave first. After discussing the operational communication between the army and navy with Kawahara, Ito casually asked, "How is Nobuyoshi doing in China? Will he be able to return if war breaks out?"

Kawara no Miyako: "It is said that he is traveling along the Yangtze River into the heart of China. There is still some time before the outbreak of war, and I think he should be able to finish his business trip in China before the war breaks out..."

Lin Xinyi, whom the two were talking about, was at that moment debugging the German-made Slaby-Alco radio equipment that had just been installed. In 1895, the Italian Marconi invented the radio device, completed the first radio transmission in 1898, completed the test crossing the English Channel in 1899, and completed the transatlantic radio transmission in 1901.

German professor Slaby and his assistant Alko were the main technical supporters in helping Marconi complete this series of radio experiments. Therefore, after the transatlantic radio test was completed, Slaby and his assistant Alko immediately demonstrated the technology to Walter Rathenau, the manager of General Electric in Germany.

Although Marconi had already registered a radio patent in Britain in 1900, Rathenau unhesitatingly adopted Marconi's radio technology and named the device the Slaby-Alcor Radio Equipment. Due to Germany's industrial manufacturing capabilities, this radio equipment was superior to Marconi's British-made equipment, and naturally sold better in the European market.

While GE's actions certainly angered British capitalists, Rathenau, backed by the German Emperor, completely ignored Marconi's lawsuit. Of course, this British government support led to obstacles for GE's wireless equipment in markets outside Germany, but this was not a concern in China.

Everyone knows that discussing patent law in a country like China, which lacks a solid legal framework, is not only a huge waste of effort but also essentially advertising for counterfeit goods. Previously, Chinese consumers were unsure which products to buy, but after the crackdown, they do. This is because counterfeit and substandard products are far more prevalent in the Chinese market than pirated goods. The Germans even went so far as to sell the Model 1888 Commission rifle as a Mauser rifle to the Chinese government.

In the autumn of the twelfth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign (1886), a telegraph office was established in Chengdu. The following year, wired telegraph lines were laid, running from Shanghai through Wuhan, Yichang, and Chongqing to Chengdu, Leshan, Mianyang, Neijiang, and other places.

However, there was no telegraph line from Chengdu to Tibet, and the telegraph office was mainly controlled by Sheng Xuanhuai. The establishment of radio communication between Hankou and Chengdu marked the first time the Workers' Party had brought the power of information under its control.

At 1:30 PM on April 27th, Lin Xinyi sent his first telegram: "Chengdu is cloudy today. What's the weather like in Hankou?" Fifteen minutes later, he received a reply: "Light rain in Hankou." Lin Xinyi finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to Zhang Yintang and Wu Luzhen beside him, "The radio is usable. We can set up a radio station in Lhasa to contact the mainland..."

Chapter 183 March

Xiliang was very interested in the suggestions regarding the control of opium trafficking and the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing railway first. He also accepted the request from Huguang to recruit troops in Sichuan to enter Tibet. Sichuan provided support in terms of venues and funds. However, after the military operation to support Tibet ended, this army would be reorganized into part of the Sichuan New Army.

On April 3, news of the Qumi-Xingu massacre spread back to China. British troops broke through the Nathu La Pass and arrived at the Qumi-Xingu Gorge on March 31, where they were intercepted by Tibetan troops. During negotiations, the British troops suddenly opened fire, resulting in the deaths of nearly a thousand Tibetans.

Colonel Francis Younghasburn, the British commander in this battle (translated as "Younghasburn" in Chinese newspapers), described the battle to British journalists who had accompanied the army: "In that instant, the Tibetans almost broke through our thin defenses and captured our envoys and officers. But that moment was fleeting; seconds later, our rifles and artillery unleashed a deadly barrage of destruction upon the Tibetans… Within minutes, the entire battle was over. Dead Tibetans littered the plains, and our troops ceased fire automatically without direct orders…"

No matter how the invaders tried to whitewash their actions, they still revealed a flaw: they fired during negotiations with the Tibetans. Otherwise, the Tibetan general would not have exposed himself to the invaders' guns. The claim that the British counterattack was caused by the Tibetans attempting to attack them cannot explain the Tibetans emerging from behind the defensive stone walls and exposing themselves to British fire.

If the Tibetans were truly so foolish as to charge into a British formation that was ready to fire, then why did they build stone walls as defensive fortifications in the first place? Wouldn't that be a complete waste of their energy?

Lin Xinyi quickly pointed out the lies of the British journalists who were covering up the British army's treacherous massacre and demanded that the Party launch a counterattack in public opinion. At the same time, he also advised Zhang Yintang that if China did not hurry to enter Tibet, its diplomatic room for maneuver would be even smaller, because the defeated cannot make any demands.

Zhang Yintang also realized this. He bid farewell to Duanfang and decided to set off on May 1st. Before their departure, the two platoons left behind were very dissatisfied and came to protest to Wu Luzhen and Lin Xinyi. These soldiers' representatives believed that they had joined the army to fight against the British army in Tibet, but now they were left in Chengdu. What was the point of their joining the army?

Faced with the high morale of the new recruits, Wu Luzhen was actually tempted. In his opinion, they had too few troops at present. These new recruits selected by Lin Xinyi had at least a primary school education and basic patriotism. They were really good sources of soldiers. Even if they were trained on the way, they could still be used in Tibet.

However, Lin Xinyi criticized the new recruits who came to demand an explanation without any mercy: "Defending the country does not mean that everyone has to fight on the front line. Without farmers to grow crops, what will the army eat? Without workers to manufacture clothes and weapons, what will the army use? Without teachers to educate and nurture people, how will the army know who it is fighting for?"

Why are we keeping you here? Because your current task is to stay here. The team heading to Tibet needs logistical support, a continuous supply of personnel, and the spiritual encouragement of the people… What we need is for everyone to fulfill their duties, not for impulsive, undisciplined enthusiasm.

We entered Tibet to protect the Tibetan people in order to resist the British oppression of our Tibetan compatriots, but that doesn't mean we have no other enemies to fight here. I hope everyone understands this fact: besides external enemies, we also need to face internal enemies. Those who remain need to protect the rear of the troops entering Tibet; your responsibility is equally heavy.

Fighting the British was actually easier, because we knew who the enemy was. But the most difficult thing was keeping those who survived, because none of you knew who the enemy was. We all say that in the army, we are comrades, brothers, because we are bound together by life and death.

But I must say, the troops entering Tibet should be comrades, because we are gathered together for a noble ideal, not for some people's dreams of promotion and wealth, nor for chivalrous spirit or brotherhood…”

After Lin Xinyi's speech and the persuasion of several Labour Party members who had arrived, the newly recruited Sichuan soldiers finally dispersed. However, as they left, they all gave Wu Luzhen and Lin Xinyi a solemn salute. This was to show their respect for the two officers and to indicate that they would obey orders.

While horse-drawn carriages could be hired from Chongqing to Chengdu, only mule and horse caravans were available from Chengdu to Dajianlu. Therefore, most supplies were stored at the Chengdu logistics office. The caravan entering Tibet could only carry about 80 tons of supplies and hired approximately 2000 mules and horses. Even traveling through the countryside, this was considered a large caravan. According to the caravan leader, large merchant caravans entering Tibet sometimes had over 4000 mules and horses; their current caravan was only considered slightly above average.

The road conditions from Chengdu to Yazhou were quite good, and the scenery along the way was no different from other parts of Sichuan. Most of the time, you could see farmland and farmhouses, so the march was relatively smooth, although it took three days to get there.

After passing Yazhou, the area truly becomes a desolate and impoverished place, not much different from the plank roads leading in and out of the Three Gorges. Farmland and farmhouses are rarely seen along the roadside anymore, and even when you stop for a meal in a village, the villagers' accents are quite difficult to understand.

Of course, the most significant change was the temperature. In early May, it was warm enough to wear a light jacket in Chengdu, but after passing Yazhou, it felt like we were back in late autumn and early winter. Fortunately, we had enough supplies, otherwise, the drastic climate change alone would have taken a toll on many people.

The journey through Daxiang and Feiyue Mountains reminded Lin Xinyi of his teacher's three short poems: "Mountains, the swift horse gallops on without dismounting. Startled, I look back, only three feet and three inches from the sky." "Mountains, like overturned seas and surging rivers, rolling up huge waves. Rushing and turbulent, like ten thousand horses still fiercely fighting." "Mountains, the sharp edge that pierces the blue sky is not broken. The sky is about to fall, but it is supported by them."

He thought that perhaps the instructor had seen the mountains here, which inspired him to write these three short poems. His suspicions were not unfounded, because the Luding Bridge was right in front of them.

When climbing Daxiangling, the head cook told the soldiers that they must not speak while crossing the mountain, otherwise the mountain god would send down hail. Daxiangling, also known as Chengxiangling, is named in honor of Zhuge Liang. This mountain range is indeed towering; even at the summit, there is still snow, and there are cliff inscriptions left by Prince Qingguo.

However, this army had many new recruits, and the young men were not easily intimidated; the more they were forbidden to do something, the more they wanted to do it. Moreover, Lin Xinyi was in charge of military discipline and always relied on persuasion and education rather than corporal punishment. Although this made Wu Luzhen, who had graduated from the Japanese military academy, quite dissatisfied, he felt that if the army did not strictly enforce discipline, how could it train soldiers to fight?

Ultimately, Wu Luzhen couldn't stand up to Lin Xinyi, who had the support of the branch meeting and the soldiers' committee, and could only accept the organization's decision. However, he felt in his heart that the navy was indeed weaker than the army, although he didn't dare to say it to Lin Xinyi.

When they passed Daxiangling, someone finally caused trouble. A few young soldiers mustered their courage and shouted a few times. At first, nothing happened, but as others responded and shouted, the sky suddenly changed, dark clouds gathered, and then it really started to hail. The hailstones were as big as a person's fist, and many soldiers and mules were injured by the hail.

After descending the mountain, Lin Xinyi had no choice but to apologize to the head of the army and offer to compensate them for their losses. He then began to enforce strict military discipline. On the one hand, he demanded that the platoon and squad leaders set an example; if they violated military discipline first, how could they possibly discipline the soldiers below them?

On the other hand, they organized several literate soldiers to compile a guide for entering Tibet, requiring them to collect all sorts of strange tales and theories at each location. These so-called supernatural events were obviously distortions of incomprehensible natural phenomena. The army needed to learn from these strange tales and theories to avoid suffering the same fate as the Daxiangling Mountains again.

However, he still opposed physically punishing the soldiers who caused the trouble, instead requiring them to care for the wounded and to make self-criticisms in front of the entire company. Although Wu Luzhen thought Lin Xinyi was being overly compassionate, he also found it strange that the morale of the company had not weakened much during the march, and even the wounded soldiers tried their best to keep up with the troops, without any of them dragging their feet and wanting to go home.

On the sixth day after passing Yazhou, they finally saw the Dadu River. There were six or seven hundred households on both banks, making it a large town, a rare sight after Yazhou. However, the treacherous nature of the Dadu River made the soldiers extremely cautious when crossing the bridge, no longer daring to be playful. After all, the bridge was just seven thick iron chains spanning the river, covered with a layer of wooden planks. People and horses swayed precariously as they walked on it, with the rushing waters of the Dadu River flowing below. The bridge was at least a hundred feet above the water; a fall would certainly be fatal. How could they not be nervous when crossing the bridge?

After crossing the bridge, Wu Luzhen saw Lin Xinyi standing at the bridgehead, staring at the iron chain bridge for a long time without saying a word. He couldn't help but ask him what he was doing. Lin Xinyi turned his gaze back to him and asked, "Tell me, if you were leading an army and were stranded on the other side with a large group of pursuers behind you, and the defenders on this side removed the planks and were guarding the bridgehead, do you think you could send warriors to seize the bridge and cross?"

Wu Luzhen glanced at the Dadu River in front of him and shook his head, saying, "You mean Shi Dakai? In a place like this, one man can hold off ten thousand. Don't even mention guarding this place with a rifle, even if you were guarding it with a spear or a broadsword, no warrior could get through unless they were heavenly soldiers. If there really were heavenly soldiers, Shi Dakai wouldn't have been wiped out along the Dadu River."

Lin Xinyi remained silent for a long time before finally nodding and saying, "Indeed, only heavenly soldiers and generals can seize this iron chain bridge, so we still have to rely on the people."

Wu Luzhen was somewhat puzzled, wondering what Lin Xinyi was talking about, but Lin Xinyi quickly changed the subject, so he didn't pay any more attention. Two days later, they arrived at Dajianlu, a small town located in a valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides, shrouded in dark clouds and thick fog all day long, with howling winds and an unusually cold climate.

This cold wasn't the kind of cold from the wind, but a cold that you could feel directly on your skin. Everyone had already put on thick leather coats by the time they arrived.

Chapter 184 Arrow-Making Furnace

All that someone could remember about Dajianlu was the Kangding Love Song, but the Dajianlu of today was not as sunny and bright as the lyrics suggested. It was a rather complicated small town, where Han, Tibetan, Buddhist, Catholic, and Protestant forces all coexisted, like a tangled ball of yarn.

The current chieftain's Han name is Jia Yizhai, his Tibetan name is Jia Mucan Qiongpo, and Tibetans call him "Jiala Jiabo" (meaning King of Jiala). Westerners also refer to him as the King of Chala, while Han Chinese call him "Mingzheng Tusi." He is 36 years old and is the younger brother of the previous chieftain. According to the Qing court's investiture, all the chieftains on both sides of the Jinsha River are under his jurisdiction, making him the head of the four major chieftains in Kham.

In Lin Xinyi's eyes, Mingzheng Tusi was a rather complex figure. He presented himself as the emperor's subject to Qing officials, yet acted no differently than the emperor in front of the people of Kham. The Tusi was a follower of Lamaism and had a family temple, but Jia Yizhai, like his father and brothers, was also a protector of Catholicism in Kham.

In 1865, the Paris Foreign Missions Society established a diocese in Tibet. Unable to enter Tibet at the time, they temporarily resided in Dajianlu, where they stayed for nearly 40 years. However, while the Catholic Church was powerless against the Tibetans, they were quite adept at manipulating the imperial court, a fact clearly exploited by the Mingzheng chieftain's faction.