1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 77

But this time the situation was special. North Korea was in dire need of reconstruction, had been severely drained of resources, and was also experiencing large-scale famine in some areas. There were rebellious North Koreans everywhere, and Du Qingwu was appointed to the post in a time of crisis.

There was no time to go to the capital to report on his duties, so he had to hurry to take up his post. The central government also sent Zhang Xinghua as a representative to see him off. The questions Zhang Xinghua asked were the same questions Zhao Yan had asked.

Du Qingwu dared not answer rashly, and could only cautiously say: "After I take office, the first thing I will do is to ensure the people's livelihood and maintain order, to stabilize the situation first, and then proceed gradually."

This is a generic, all-purpose answer; it won't be particularly outstanding, but it also won't make a big mistake.

After listening, Zhang Xinghua's expression didn't change much, and he didn't give a reply, but instead silently rode his horse without saying a word.

This made Du Qingwu extremely uncomfortable. "At least give me some feedback! How am I supposed to react like this?"

"Governor Du, don't be in a hurry. I'll say it after we get to your provincial government!" Zhang Xinghua said with a smile.

On the contrary, Du Qingwu, a seasoned veteran of officialdom, lost his composure: "That's true, I was too hasty, please forgive me, Minister Zhang!"

Du Qingwu smiled on the outside, but cursed inwardly. He was over forty years old, and he had been tricked by a twenty-one-year-old. No wonder Zhang Xinghua was one of the five tigers of the Fuxing Party at such a young age.

Du Qingwu no longer dared to underestimate Zhang Xinghua. He had dealt with him once before in Wuhan, and this time he was outmaneuvered.

Among the five tigers of the Restoration Party under Zhao Yan, Wu Zifu was the nominal leader. He was top-notch in terms of ability and courage, and he was adept at both political and military affairs. However, his only flaw was his fierce personality. Even those who had never met him had heard of Wu Zifu's fiery temper and his intolerant nature.

Wang Dingyun, who ranks second, has always served as a party representative in the military. Initially, he led troops to oversee the administration of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan provinces. When Wu Zifu was appointed as a member of the Southern Committee, Wang Dingyun was dissatisfied and led his troops to the Western Regions to quell the rebellion. He is now the party representative of the 10th Army Group and the party representative for Northwest political affairs.

Wang Dingyun is a calm and composed person, but sometimes he is too calm and composed, unlike a young man in his twenties. However, he has a father, Wang Chongshan, who is the Minister of National Defense, and his influence and power in the military should not be underestimated.

The third in line is Zhang Xinghua. Zhang Xinghua has never been too flamboyant, and the outside world doesn't know much about him, but those who have met him usually don't underestimate him.

Zhang Xinghua lacked Wu Zifu's genius and courage, as well as Wang Dingyun's influence and resources in the military. From the beginning, he held authority in the field of party supervision, and later gradually extended his influence into the political sphere, serving as the Minister of Supervision in the Prime Minister's Office.

Zhang Xinghua is the only party member in the Fuxing Party who truly holds a central ministerial-level position. Wu Zifu's position as a Southern Committee member was specially created, while Zhang Xinghua's position is permanent.

Despite his seemingly low-key demeanor, Zhang Xinghua wields considerable power.

The remaining fourth son, Liu Shangsheng, controlled the finances of the Revival Party. His father, Liu Yongfu, was the Vice Minister of Finance, and his uncle, Yu Jingqian, was the Minister of Finance.

The fifth brother, Qiu Xingxun, was the most low-key and inconspicuous. No one knew exactly what power he wielded, except that no one who set his sights on him ever had a good ending.

As Du Qingwu rode his horse and pondered, he kept thinking to himself, "Why would such a small beer hall in Shanghai have so many troublemakers?"

After a hurried journey, Zhang Xinghua and Du Qingwu arrived at the provincial government in the heart of Pyongyang under strict escort. This place was originally the northern palace of the Korean king, later requisitioned by the Japanese army as its headquarters, briefly served as the head of state's residence after being occupied by the National Defense Army, and has now been converted into the Korean provincial government.

The provincial government building was heavily guarded inside and out by soldiers with live ammunition. An army general with the rank of lieutenant general and two major generals were standing at the entrance of the provincial government building to greet the two.

The lieutenant general in question is Yan Bicheng, commander of the 7th Army Group. Standing behind him are Major General Du Zihua, deputy commander of the army group, and Major General Liu Zhaocheng, chief of staff.

The officers saluted, and the soldiers present followed suit with their rifles at the ready—all standard military salutes, not the chest-pounding salute and shouts of "Revive Han!" Only one person could accept such a salute: Zhao Yan.

Apart from Zhao Yan, the head of state, the military disdains to beat their chests when anyone else comes, and even if they beat their chests and shout for the restoration of Han, you can't stand it.

After exchanging pleasantries at the entrance of the provincial government building, the group went to a meeting room to chat behind closed doors.

Upon entering the conference room, Zhang Xinghua, as the central representative and a veritable fourth-rank minister, naturally took the seat of honor, with the others sitting in order.

After the attendants brought tea and pastries, Zhang Xinghua waved to dismiss the others and closed the conference room door.

Everyone present tensed up, until the important information was about to be revealed.

Zhang Xinghua coughed twice to clear his throat, and without wasting any words, he began to relay the central command's instructions.

"Gentlemen, the central government and the head of state are very concerned about the future of North Korea Province, especially the administrative planning of North Korea Province. They talk behind closed doors, so I won't hold back."

We do not recognize the armistice and peace treaty; it's all a charade. The Korean administrative region includes the Japanese-controlled occupied areas and the northern peninsula of Sakhalin Island. We only occupy the northern half of both territories, which the leader is very dissatisfied with. As long as the leader is dissatisfied, it's all temporary.

The leader's instructions regarding the future planning of North Korea Province were simple, summarized in twelve characters: "The sky's the limit, restructuring and upgrading, and unification!"

"The sky is three feet high, which is simple: continue to plunder and exploit the manpower and resources of the North Korean region. The central government can't provide much material support to North Korea, but the leader said that there is as much spiritual support as needed, so let everyone go all out and make the North Koreans suffer. The leader will personally bear the blame!"

I know that North Koreans are currently experiencing constant uprisings and rebellions, and there is also a famine with corpses everywhere.

North Koreans attribute all of this to our excessive depletion of North Korea's manpower and resources, and to our tyranny that caused all this disaster. It is understandable that the leader is angry and curses, but it is wrong to take action to resist!

Therefore, the head of state decided to launch the "Hardship March" plan in North Korea, further exploiting local resources and using a "Hardship March" to purify the mind and test the loyalty of North Koreans to the Republic.

This leads to the second step: the replacement of outcasts. The leader himself said that North Koreans should not be treated with any kindness or favors; only endless authority and punishment can subdue them.

The government is responsible for exploitation, the army is responsible for suppression. If the North Koreans can't stand it, let them escape to the Japanese-controlled area and let the Japanese support them. We don't care!

Clear out the cages, drive away the Korean birds, and replace them with our Han Chinese birds. Any Korean who dares to resist or is not in accordance with the rule of the Republic must not stay here. This is the bottom line.

After the extreme exploitation and sifting through the sands of time, the docile North Koreans who remain are the ones worth assimilating, after all, it's all about enduring hardship before enjoying the rewards.

The third part is to unify and assimilate them, abolish all Korean national culture and writing, and implement absolute Han culture and Han language rule. The leader said that the Han people are the greatest and most perfect people in the world. Only the Han people, only those Koreans who have undergone the test of suffering, are qualified to be assimilated into the Han people.

The leader's will is clear: one country, one nation, one leader!

As he finished speaking, Zhang Xinghua spoke with a murderous intent, standing up and placing his hands on the table, staring intently at everyone present.

Everyone immediately stood up straight: "Yes, Your Excellency!"

Zhang Xinghua waved his hand: "Please take a seat, sir. Ultimately, the leader's will still depend on your specific implementation."

"The future development plan of North Korea will be led by Governor Du Qinghua, with Lieutenant General Yan Bicheng as his assistant. Military operations on the Korean Peninsula will mainly be coordinated with the provincial government's arduous march plan. The military must unconditionally cooperate with Governor Du Qinghua's series of actions and provide him with military support."

"At the same time, the head of state specially approved the establishment of a provincial-level garrison district in North Korea. The garrison district is allowed to establish an armed police brigade with no more than 6,000 personnel, which is directly under the command of the provincial government."

Upon hearing this, Du Qinghua's eyes widened in disbelief. Only then did he understand what made his position as a high-ranking fourth-grade provincial governor so valuable and special.

As the highest-ranking provincial governor in the Republic, holding the rank of fourth grade, he was also the first provincial governor to possess a certain level of military power. The fact that he had an army group of about 30,000 men working alongside him was already quite remarkable.

In any other province, if the governor dared to communicate with the military for assistance, Zhao Yan would have your head chopped off the very next day! The National Defense Force is strictly prohibited from interfering in local government affairs, and local governments are equally strictly prohibited from meddling in military affairs.

In addition to a 30,000-strong army group, the head of state even granted him special permission to directly command an armed police brigade with a total strength of 6,000 men, which was even more outrageous than the former governor's standard battalion.

In that case, he'll probably enjoy being the governor of the province even more than the minister of the central government!

"But!" Before Zhang Xinghua could finish speaking, Du Qingwu immediately calmed down after he uttered the word "but."

Zhang Xinghua continued, "The local government will only provide the Seventh Army with basic supplies and salaries; everything else will be raised locally!"

Du Qingwu understood. It seemed that the central government was short of funds, so they were giving him a title and a designation to develop on his own. But he shouldn't think about becoming powerful and influential. He only had a maximum of 6,000 armed police officers under his command, but the 30,000 troops of the Seventh Army Group were still under the control of the central government. He shouldn't have any other ideas.

In addition, you are also responsible for supplying the army. The basic salary and food of the 30,000-strong army group are provided by the central government, but if you want to get them to work, you have to find a way to provide extra bonuses and rewards yourself.

Chapter 136 Luo Ming's Vacation Experiences

"Have you heard? Our division is going to stay in Korea."

"What's the big deal? As long as I don't have to stay in the trenches anymore, it doesn't matter where I am. If we stay in Korea, we'll be border troops. Border troops are treated much better than those transferred back to China. The leader certainly won't mistreat the border troops!"

"That's true. It's just that seeing other troops returning home one after another makes me feel uneasy. This foreign land is not as good as home!"

"Don't talk nonsense. North Korea Province is now part of China. What do you mean by 'foreign land'? Be careful the Party Representative doesn't mess with you!"

"The party representatives have been removed long ago. It's said that all the party representatives in the military have been removed, and the local SS has been formed. They've all gone to become the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"You idiot, you're always spouting nonsense. You'll die from that mouth of yours sooner or later!"

Inside the headquarters of the 272nd Regiment, two staff officers were chatting when suddenly the regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yang Dingtian, returned with Captain Luo Ming, the battalion commander of the first battalion. The two immediately shut up and pretended to be very busy.

Yang Dingtian gestured for Luo Ming to sit down. Luo Ming looked much better; at least he wasn't as lifeless as before. He seemed much more serious, and although he still didn't talk much, he was at least much more normal.

“Smile a little more now. You always have such a long face. You're even more serious and rigid than those German instructors I had at the Nanjing Military Academy. What's the point?”

Yang Dingtian poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Luo Ming, who replied succinctly, "Thank you, sir!"

Yang Dingtian sat down and said, "Your matter is settled. You can continue to serve in the army, but you still have two options. The first option is to stay in Korea and do things like clearing out villages, collecting grain, and suppressing rebellions every day. There's not much technical difficulty, but it's quite annoying and won't do much for your future."

The second option was to study at the Nanjing National Defense University. I also came from there. I studied there for half a year, which almost killed me. That place was very tiring and grueling.

But it also has a great effect. You come from humble backgrounds and don't have a formal diploma. At most, you've studied in a military academy for a period of time. This kind of foundation won't get you far. At best, you can only become a deputy regimental commander.

I got you a recommendation for further study through Major General Liu Zhaocheng, the army group chief of staff and division commander, at the division headquarters. If you're willing to go, it'll be a study period of about a year and a half.

"After you graduate, I guarantee you'll get a major's rank, starting as a regimental chief of staff and battalion commander. How about that?"

Luo Ming stood up and said, "Thank you for your guidance, sir!"

Yang Dingtian nodded in satisfaction: "Sit down!"

"That's right. So many fellow villagers risked their lives to pave a great road for you. It would be a real shame if you didn't take it. If you really give up on yourself, then all those fellow villagers and your own brother died in vain."

"Though it may sound harsh, I'm the kind of person who likes to speak the truth. Minister Wang of the Ministry of National Defense takes good care of you special officers and has ordered that your needs be given priority. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the face to recommend you for further studies at the National Defense University in Nanjing."

"After you complete your advanced studies, with your combat achievements and experience, there will definitely be no ceiling to your future promotion. Once you get promoted, you will be able to take care of the descendants of those fellow villagers who died in battle."

The deceased are gone, their blood staining your hat, but you must work even harder in the future to repay them, so their sacrifices are not in vain. It's not easy for someone from the countryside to rise to prominence!

Yang Dingtian felt this deeply. A few years ago, he was just an mediocre Green Standard Army soldier, destined to be a slave and wait to die. Fortunately, he was appreciated by the leader, which led to his smooth sailing and promising future.

No one understood the difficulty of climbing the social ladder better than him. Luck, ability, the help of benefactors, and the sacrifices of himself and those around him were all indispensable!

It's that hard for people from the bottom to climb up, but Luo Ming now has it all; it all depends on his future destiny.

Yang Dingtian took a sip of tea: "The meeting at the top is over. North Korea has become North Korea Province. There won't be any war for the next few years. Take advantage of this time to get some experience."

Army Commander Yan Bicheng was an old acquaintance of mine. Back when I was a battalion commander in the First Division, he was the division chief of staff. He was also a veteran who fought alongside me in the uprising in Changsha. I had some connections there.

"Do a good job, and I won't treat you unfairly. This time, the division is implementing a rotation system for officers and soldiers, and I've applied for a two-month leave for you. Use this time to go back home and relax. After your leave, report to the National Defense University in Nanjing!"

After leaving the regimental headquarters, Luo Ming returned to the battalion command post to give some instructions, and then packed his luggage in a canvas backpack.

Outside the command post, soldiers were drawing lots to decide who would get leave. Both China and Japan in Korea were licking their wounds after the armistice and were no longer capable of launching a major war.

Other units withdrew back to China, but the 7th Army could not, so it had to rotate leave. The 1st Battalion was allocated seven leave slots for officers and thirty-five leave slots for soldiers.

Luo Ming was too lazy to assign anyone; he had already taken one, so the rest were left to be decided by drawing lots.

Before long, the lucky ones received their best fortune slips and excitedly began packing their bags, preparing to leave the camp and start their vacation.

Luo Ming didn't say goodbye for long. After packing up briefly, he took his backpack and went to the military cemetery more than ten kilometers away from the Kaesong garrison, where he buried his younger brother and more than a hundred fellow villagers.

Luo Ming brought two bottles of wine and some precious canned goods specifically to mourn his fallen comrades.

The soldiers' cemetery is very simple, consisting of earthen mounds with a stone tablet. Some tablets are simply stones with inscriptions. The tombstones vary in size and shape, but they are at least much better than those made of wood.

The military was not able to send the bodies of the fallen soldiers back to the country intact, so they were basically buried wherever they died.

Even after the armistice agreement was signed, the National Defense Forces still had to relocate some of the graves of fallen soldiers in the Japanese-occupied area to the north of the 38th parallel for reburial, but it was all worthwhile.

Luo Ming didn't shed tears or roar for revenge in the cemetery. Some feelings can only be repaid slowly when he climbs up in the future, and some things don't need to be shouted out. It's enough to keep them in your heart and do them slowly.

After paying his respects, Luo Ming left the cemetery with regret, carrying his bag. Before leaving, he specially placed a can of fruit in front of his younger brother's grave, because his brother Luo Liang loved sweets the most.

Luo Ming walked until it was almost dark before he reached the main road. Even though it was dark, torches stretched along the road and vehicles kept coming and going. Squads of soldiers were withdrawing back to China along this strategic highway.

This road was built by North Koreans last winter and this spring at the cost of countless manpower, resources, and lives, even at the cost of the great spring famine.

Originally, the road was planned to extend to Seoul, but after the armistice, the National Defense Army withdrew from Seoul, and the road ended at Kaesong.

Luo Ming did not rush on his way, but instead found a military post nearby to stay at. He could enjoy free accommodation and meals by showing his officer's ID.

This strategic highway, stretching from the banks of the Yalu River all the way to Kaesong, is dotted with military outposts. These outposts serve two purposes: to provide services to friendly forces passing through the area and to prevent attacks and sabotage by North Korean rebels.

This road is known as the "Road of Blood and Flesh" by North Koreans, and those who built it hate it to the core!

These outposts, like the Japanese pillboxes in the original timeline, were also hated by the Koreans.

After Luo Ming checked in, the people at the military station asked him if he needed a warm bed. They said that for just 50 cents, a North Korean girl would warm his bed for him. Luo Ming resolutely refused, and at the same time, he understood why the North Koreans had suddenly started to protest one after another this year.

You've exhausted the men building roads to death, and now you're conscripting women to warm your bed? Even a battlefield veteran like Luo Ming would find that a bit excessive.

The next day at dawn, Luo Ming got up, ate a simple meal, and left the military post. He waited by the roadside for a vehicle to join the troops heading north.

Before long, a group of strangely dressed soldiers from the National Defense Army marched in, looking rather disheveled, as if they had suffered a defeat, completely lacking the victorious spirit of the other northward-bound troops.

The team was full of old rifles, with no heavy equipment at all, and looked like a militia.

Luo Ming felt strange, but he still joined in. The journey north was long, and there was a great risk of being shot by North Koreans before crossing the Yalu River, especially if he was alone.

After North Korea was established as a province, the authorities not only did not stop exploiting North Korea, but intensified their efforts. North Koreans who could not survive either went south to the Japanese-controlled areas or became bandits in the mountains.

Luo Ming didn't want to die at the hands of the North Koreans without knowing why, so he followed this strange group northward.

The new army of over three thousand men was led by a major, who was also dressed in a shabby uniform and carried no extra weapons. Like the other infantrymen, he carried a tattered Hanyang rifle. If it weren't for the silver star on his shoulder insignia, Luo Ming wouldn't have recognized him.

When the major met Luo Ming, he was very humble and showed no airs of a superior. He even felt honored to have Luo Ming join the team and kept inviting Luo Ming to be the leader of the group.

Luo Ming was completely baffled. After asking around for a long time, the other party finally replied that the more than 3,000 people who went north were all prisoners of war. After the ceasefire negotiations, in accordance with the treaty, the two sides exchanged prisoners of war, and they were released by the Japanese army.

The Japanese army did not dare to mistreat the prisoners of war of the National Defense Army. After being captured, they received a certain degree of reasonable treatment. The seriously wounded would definitely not be able to withstand it and would die in the prisoner-of-war camp. The Japanese army did not make things difficult for the others, so they were lucky enough to live to be released after the war.

After these people were released, the frontline defense forces command did not discriminate against them excessively. They were all given some self-defense weapons according to normal procedures and were sent back to their home countries to await retirement.

Regarding the captured personnel, the central command has given clear instructions: as long as they are not cowards who surrendered voluntarily out of fear of the enemy, they will not be prosecuted and will be treated as normal soldiers. They will receive all the benefits they are entitled to, except for any extra rewards. They will also receive the retirement benefits they are entitled to.

This is only because of the post-war troop reductions; otherwise, the military wouldn't have forced those who wanted to stay and continue serving.

The head of state personally gave the order that anyone who participated in the war was a brave warrior fighting for the country and should not be discriminated against or treated unfairly!