1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 109

"Hmph, the results of the exercise are all classified. The Navy should just wait for the Ministry of National Defense's notification and not ask around." Wang Chongshan prepared to put away the documents in his hand. These things should be arranged before the results are announced. It would be too troublesome to start a fight beforehand.

But Sa Zhenbing didn't play games with you at all, and directly grabbed the document: "You little brat, you think you're so great? You're just lucky to have followed the right person."

"Come here, let me see!"

Sa Zhenbing snatched the document away, stopping Wang Chongshan while carefully examining it.

"Wow~ The Kong family is really rich! They managed to seize 260,000 mu of land in one go! Tsk tsk, 12 million taels of silver, 180,000 taels of gold, and all kinds of cultural relics and treasures!"

"Good heavens, the Kong family's granaries are larger than our army's reserves. More than 87,000 tons of grain have been seized from granaries across the country?"

Seeing that Sa Zhenbing had almost finished reading, Wang Chongshan could only helplessly give up struggling: "You old Sa, you're getting more and more unruly! Don't you even respect me as the Minister of National Defense?"

Sa Zhenbing returned the documents: "Why are you taking this so seriously? It's not like we're at war. Who are you trying to impress with this serious demeanor?"

"If there really is a war, you, Old Wang, can tell me where to fight, and I, Sa Zhenbing, will not utter a single extra word. I'll do exactly as you say!"

"But normally, the Navy is under the Ministry of National Defense, right? We're all brothers, so what's wrong with you taking extra care of us?"

Wang Chongshan was secretly pleased by these few words, but he still said seriously, "Whether it's wartime or peacetime, there must be rules!"

Sa Zhenbing nodded: "Yes, yes, there are rules!"

"Let's get down to business. How much of this money will the Navy get?"

Wang Chongshan stated officially: "Of course, it's the old rule, a 30/70 split, with the army taking 70% and the navy taking 30%."

"Including what can be quickly converted into cash, and after converting the silver and gold, it's roughly 30 million yuan. The Navy will get 9 million, let's round it up for you."

The total amount confiscated from the Kong family this time is definitely around 100 million yuan, after all, it's accumulated wealth over generations. However, not much of it can be directly converted into cash and used for military expenses.

In the past two years, the government's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the military have invested too much land and real estate in the market, which has slowed down the central government's intention to raise fixed asset prices and create a reservoir of funds. The market cannot absorb too many assets unless they are sold off cheaply, but the central government is certainly not happy about that.

The Confucius Mansion did not collect many Han Yuan coins; most of the money was precious metals. These people seemed to completely despise the republican government, even refusing to accept the currency issued by the republic.

"This is so unfair! The navy put in a lot of effort this time, they didn't just freeload, why should they only get nine million? Even if the military budget is split 30/70, this kind of windfall should at least be split 50/50, right?"

Sa Zhenbing strongly opposed it, saying that nine million was not enough to build even three destroyers. The shipyard had raised prices again, which was giving the navy a huge headache. If prices continued to rise, what would be the point of building any destroyers? They could just add more money and buy cruisers from abroad.

Sa Zhenbing said, "Add a little more, let's split it 50/50, 15 million, and the navy will build a main warship. How about we name it Confucius?"

"The army will definitely be deployed in the future. Whether it's advancing eastward to Japan or heading south to Southeast Asia, the navy will be indispensable. If we don't build it now, it will be too late when we think about it later!"

"The navy is not like the army. The army can prepare for battle at the last minute, but the navy can only rely on its past achievements. You can't be unaware of this, can you?"

Wang Chongshan said, "How big of a face do you think you are, Sa Zhenbing? How many people are there in your navy? You want fifteen million? Aren't you afraid you'll eat your words and throw them up?"

Sa Zhenbing said without hesitation, "What do you care how many people are in my navy? I have to eat, even if I can't finish it. I won't throw it up, and I certainly won't poop it out!"

"If you don't agree, I'll go to the Imperial Study and talk to the President. What kind of Defense Minister is so biased? Isn't my Navy part of the national defense forces?"

"During the Far East War, if it weren't for our navy's desperate defense of the Bohai Strait, your army's vital railway at Shanhaiguan would have been bombed to smithereens by the Japanese Combined Fleet long ago!"

"Fine, if you don't want to give it to me, I'll just transfer the navy south to Jiangnan and Guangdong. I won't care about things in the north anymore. When you fight the Korean Peninsula, Sakhalin Island, or Japan, you can come to whoever you want!"

Sa Zhenbing spoke out of anger. As a strategic matter like the naval relocation to the south, not only Sa Zhenbing, but even Wang Chongshan could not make the decision. Only Zhao Yan could make the decision.

But with this attitude displayed, Wang Chongshan had no choice but to reconsider: "Alright, we're all soldiers, let's not waste any more time. One price, twelve million. Don't ask for more, and I won't give you any more."

Sa Zhenbing nodded, but added, "With so much land, if you allocate another 100,000 mu to my navy, everyone in the army will be practically a landlord. The navy will have trouble even eating. I'll also help my brothers build some property."

Wang Chongshan held up his hand: "Fifty thousand mu, no extras, take it or leave it!"

Sa Zhenbing laughed: "Deal! I'll go back and tell the brothers right away that the stingy Minister Wang has finally shown mercy! The disaster relief funds from the imperial court have finally come through!"

Sa Zhenbing laughed loudly and left, leaving Wang Chongshan alone in the office. Wang Chongshan suspected that he had been tricked, but he had no evidence.

After much thought, Old Wang simply stopped thinking about it. As the Minister of National Defense, he always understood things immediately and simply ignored things he couldn't figure out.

The reason why Sa Zhenbing dared to be so presumptuous was that he had figured out Old Wang's personality. If it were anyone else, even if it were an unknown lieutenant general like Qin Yong, Du Zihua, or Zheng Baiyao who had become the Minister of National Defense, Sa Zhenbing would not have dared to be so outrageous.

Wang Chongshan's biggest weakness is that he lacks shrewdness and wisdom, but that is also his greatest strength, because those who lack shrewdness and wisdom are usually kind and honest.

Honest people generally don't scheme behind others' backs or use underhanded tactics. The armed forces are a large group of proud and fierce soldiers. Although they all acknowledge that this Minister of National Defense is somewhat lacking in competence, not a single person opposes him or tries to undermine him, because everyone is happy to have such a guileless minister in the position.

Within the National Defense Forces, the Army's initiators, followers, Beiyang faction, and new generation faction, as well as the various factions in the Navy, were all willing to unite under Minister Wang Chongshan. After all, in the decades of ups and downs and deceit and treachery in modern times, it was not easy to encounter a kind and honest superior like Wang Chongshan, and they had to cherish it.

After seeing Sa Zhenbing off, Wang Chongshan began to consider what to do with the money. He knew he couldn't keep it; whether it was civil officials or the military, they all spent as much as they had, and they never even considered the concept of a surplus.

On the military side, new weapons are being deployed, uniforms are being procured, barracks and bases are being built for troops stationed in various places, and logistical supplies are being stockpiled – all of these are urgently needed and applications are being submitted continuously. It is estimated that the remaining 18 million will not be available in the accounts for long.

A bunch of green-eyed wolf cubs were watching closely. At this crucial moment, Wang Chongshan's wisdom came to him. If he couldn't figure it out, then he shouldn't think about it. There were other smart people below.

"Hey, get the Joint Logistics Commander, Dai Mingde, to my office right now!"

Wang Chongshan decided to assign this potentially offensive task to Dai Mingde. This guy was capable and hardworking, so he couldn't be left idle.

"What a pity, there's only one Kong family left. It won't be easy to find such a fat sheep again in the future!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Chongshan felt a little unsatisfied. The feeling of receiving such unexpected wealth was really great, but he also knew that it would be difficult to have such windfall in the future.

After all, there are plenty of fat sheep, but fat sheep like the Confucian and Buddhist families who recklessly court death are extremely rare. The republican government is unlikely to take action against those law-abiding fat sheep like the Qing Dynasty did.

Having shaken off those distracting thoughts, Wang Chongshan began writing promotion orders and commendation decisions for the soldiers who had contributed to the recent crackdown.

The first to be affected was Colonel Zhang Zongchang, the Shandong garrison commander who had been the first to breach the Kong family mansion. He had a stroke of bad luck when attacking the mansion; Kong Lingyi himself opened the door and came out cursing, which resulted in him being killed. Zhang Zongchang easily broke down the door and wiped out the entire family.

After the battle, Zhang Zongchang was the first to understand the leader's instructions. His mind worked faster than a steam engine. In addition, he was quite senior. Although he came from the Beiyang Army, he was still a member of the troops that followed Zhao Yan into Beijing.

During the Far East War, he also followed Zhao Yan on his expedition to the northern desert, contributing a toy car, which set a good precedent for Zhao Yan's reputation as the "Khan of the Heavenly Chariot" on the grasslands.

It's said that this young man has good literary talent, is good at writing poetry, and is also a scholar-general. It would be unreasonable not to promote such a person.

Wang Chongshan signed an order transferring Zhang Zongchang to a front-line field army, reassigning him to the cavalry division under the Eighth Army Group of the Grasslands as chief of staff. This was considered a minor promotion, as his future prospects were completely different from that of a garrison army.

As for military rank, there's no way to get promoted. At most, such an action is considered an outstanding performance in an exercise, not a military achievement. Without military achievements, one can only wait out the years for promotion. Zhang Zongchang, a major, has only been promoted to lieutenant colonel for less than two years, so he's not qualified to be promoted any further.

After writing the promotion orders for the army officers, Wang Chongshan treated everyone equally and also promoted Major Chen Shaokuan, the commander of the Marine Corps who participated in the operation, to the rank of Navy Lieutenant Commander. As for his position, that would be arranged internally by the Navy.

Although Chen Shaokuan's qualifications were not enough to be promoted to lieutenant colonel now, his academic qualifications were high enough. Chen Shaokuan graduated from Jiangnan Naval Academy, which has now been reorganized and expanded into Jiangnan Naval College, a standard higher education institution.

Chen Shaokuan flipped through the personnel file and the most eye-catching thing was that the academic qualifications were higher education. These young officers were the first to be promoted.

Unlike Zhang Zongchang, who came from humble beginnings and whose academic record only showed a primary school education and some supposed literary talent that didn't play a significant role.

If Zhang Zongchang hadn't had the opportunity to further his studies at a military academy, he would probably have reached the rank of lieutenant colonel and would have had little chance of rising any higher.

Chapter 184 The Korean Spring

May 5, 1909, Pyongyang, North Korea.

Inside the North Korean Garrison Command, Lieutenant General Yan Bicheng, the highest-ranking commander in charge of the armed forces of the entire North Korean province, is changing into a new military uniform.

"The Joint Logistics Command has finally done something worthwhile. It's time to replace our uniforms, which have been worn for three years in a row."

"This time, Dai Mingde was really generous; he even issued woolen military uniforms!"

Yan Bicheng changed out of his old military uniform and put on the latest two-year-old general officer's uniform, instantly transforming from his former bulky appearance into a dashing and heroic figure.

Before this, the uniforms of the National Defense Forces were made up as best they could be, with all sorts of different styles and colors, and there was almost no uniform design.

Only the military rank insignia and the national flag armband are uniform, used to distinguish friend from foe.

In the second year of the Republic, the military began to tender for new uniforms. The tendering process was completed quickly and the design was finalized, but war broke out immediately, and there was no time to change into new uniforms.

It wasn't until the fourth year of the Republic that the new uniforms were finally issued after the Ministry of Defense made a fortune.

Wang Chongshan didn't know how to allocate the money, so he simply passed the buck to Dai Mingde. Dai Mingde didn't hesitate and treated everyone equally. The 18 million yuan was used for a major overhaul of the uniforms of the National Defense Army, giving a complete makeover to the uniforms, bedding, helmets, shoes, carrying equipment, and water bottles of more than 700,000 troops across the country, including the army, navy, and garrison.

Every officer and soldier in the entire army is issued two sets of combat uniforms and one set of regular uniform, two pairs of rubber-soled shoes, one pair of leather military boots, a leather outer belt, a soft cap, and a peaked cap.

The package also included shirts and other clothing, and even underwear and socks were provided separately.

The army's combat uniforms are all iron gray, made of cotton-wool blend khaki fabric. Because domestic cotton production was tight, but after the recovery of the northern grasslands, the supply of livestock resources surged, so military uniforms generally began to be mixed with wool for textile production.

The regular uniform was dark gray and made of wool. Officers were issued high boots, while soldiers only had leather boots.

Both combat uniforms and civilian uniforms feature a fitted waist and a split hem. The civilian uniform jacket has four pockets, while the trousers only have two pockets.

The training uniform has four pockets on both the jacket and trousers. The regular uniform has shoulder straps, while the training uniform has collar straps.

Whether it was their regular uniform or their combat uniform, the design was personally modified by Head of State Zhao Yan, making the soldiers look very smart and handsome.

The Republic Year 2 uniform also came with a steel helmet, which Zhao Yan personally requested to be designed and issued. Needless to say, it was copied from someone else's homework, and it was definitely the M35 style.

The National Defense Forces became the world's first army to fully equip itself with standard steel helmets. Many domestic manufacturers made a fortune from this. While producing other products might be somewhat difficult, manufacturing steel helmets is still manageable for the current industry of the Republic.

The Type 2 uniform was initially only implemented by the 1st SS Division. After all, the SS was stationed in Beijing and was the face of the army, so they had to maintain a good image.

The total cost of purchasing a complete set of new military uniforms, including helmets, water bottles, equipment, shoes, and boots, is approximately thirty yuan per soldier.

The military could not easily come up with this money. Fortunately, the Duke of Yansheng sponsored it exclusively this time, otherwise the army would probably have to wait another two years to change its uniforms.

"The collar is a bit tight, it's really troublesome to tie this knot!"

"General, this is called a top button; it was designed by the Führer himself!"

"Ah! I know, I only said it was troublesome, not wrong! This design is great, it reminds officers and soldiers to pay attention to military appearance and discipline at all times. The leader is truly brilliant!"

Yan Bicheng struggled for a while but couldn't fasten his uniform button properly. In the end, his orderly helped him fasten it.

Finally, Lieutenant General Yan Bicheng put his peaked cap on his head, fastened his belt around his waist, and attached a pistol case to it. He looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.

"Pass down the order: the headquarters and all directly subordinate units must assemble in their new uniforms at lunchtime. I will personally inspect them then!"

"Yes, General!"

Patting his shirt hem and tugging at his sleeves, Yan Bicheng turned around in front of the mirror, found nothing wrong, and then strode out of the office door in his high military boots.

At lunchtime, the duty officer at headquarters blew a whistle to conduct a large-scale assembly. Officers and soldiers from all departments of headquarters, as well as officers and soldiers from the guard battalion, totaling over a thousand people, quickly and tensely assembled in the square in front of the building.

The officers were all dressed in civilian clothes, wearing peaked caps and high boots, while the soldiers were all dressed in combat uniforms and wearing helmets. The square formations stood there in neat rows, and both their imposing presence and appearance were a whole level higher than before.

Yan Bicheng was very satisfied and ordered an extra meal in the evening, allowing a limited amount of alcohol to be consumed so that the soldiers could relax.

Besides being expensive, the new military uniforms have another drawback that has been noticed: they don't differentiate between spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It's the same uniform all year round, so there's nothing you can do when it's hot, and you can only add layers when it's cold.

It was already a bit warm in North Korea in early May. The soldiers' new uniforms were not as cool as their previous cotton combat uniforms. Even Yan Bicheng was sweating profusely while eating.

But for the sake of face and image, no one said a word. As long as they had new clothes, they were happy; they had no choice about anything else.

After lunch, Yan Bicheng took a carriage to the provincial government for a meeting, as he did every week. Other provincial governments did not call their local commanders to a meeting every week; the separation of military and political affairs was something everyone had to be mindful of.

However, in provinces such as North Korea, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Outer Mongolia, local military commanders are required to attend meetings at the provincial government whenever they have time.

If a war breaks out in the area and a state of emergency is declared, the provincial governor may even have to personally go to the military headquarters for a meeting.

The weather was lovely today, with bright sunshine, but Yan Bicheng, stubborn as a man, refused to take off his coat, even though he was in a stuffy carriage.

Upon arrival at their destination, when Yan Bicheng got off the train, the government officials who came to greet him noticed a conspicuous "human print" on the back of the train seat after he left his seat.

"Wow, General Yan, you really catch my eye today! That outfit is quite impressive!" Governor Du Qingwu said with envy as he looked at the dashing military uniform.

Civil officials didn't have this privilege. The republican government abolished the zombie government of the former Qing Dynasty, but it didn't introduce new official robes for the current dynasty. The reason was simply a lack of funds. Salaries were already in arrears, so official robes were just a pipe dream.

Civil officials generally wore whatever they had on hand, with no specific dress code ever set. However, officials all sought to appear presentable, so they followed Zhao Yan's example, shaving their heads and wearing white shirts, and black overcoats when it got cold.

The military often jokingly refers to civilian officials as: "From afar, they have bald heads; up close, they wear white shirts; in winter, they wear black overcoats; they look like the grim reaper from the underworld."

This tradition stemmed from the cutting of queues during the revolution. Insurgents all shaved their heads. The army later wore hats to cover it up, but civil officials kept it. Zhao Yan was a leading example.

Yan Bicheng had been holding back for most of the day, all for this moment of showing off. He shook his clothes and sat down with a swagger: "For soldiers, what they wear is not important. What's most important is the spirit and energy within them."

Other key provincial government officials, including Du Qingwu, could tell that this guy was putting on a brave face; beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead. Didn't he feel hot?

At this moment, the civil servants wearing white shirts felt a sense of group superiority. On such a hot day, wearing a shirt and shaving one's head was so cool!

"Alright, everyone's here, let's get started, don't waste time!" Du Qingwu steered the conversation back on track.

After the meeting began, officials from various departments jointly reported on the recent labor transfers within North Korea and the progress of immigration work from within the country.

Labor transfer involved drawing away local Korean populations and dispersing them to other regions, while immigration from within the Great Wall involved bringing in Han Chinese populations from the mainland to fill the local gaps.

The combination of these two elements constitutes one of the core administrative tasks of North Korea Province—restructuring and upgrading!

In 1909, Korea conscripted about 200,000 able-bodied men to go to the Northeast to participate in the large-scale development strategy. Their main tasks included building bridges and roads, constructing water conservancy projects, reclaiming farmland, mining, and building canals.

In addition, 12,000 North Korean young men were sent to Sakhalin Island to participate in development work, mainly cutting down trees and reclaiming land.

These conscripted North Koreans were a group that was not good at Chinese, had low cultural levels, and had a weak sense of belonging to Chinese civilization. Since they were difficult to assimilate locally, they could only be sent away to places where they could be more easily assimilated.

Their treatment was much better than that of the reform camps; at least nominally they were all free citizens, simply responding to the nation's call to go to hardship areas to build the motherland.

They will receive their wages and the necessary benefits. The higher-ups have no intention of deliberately harming them. However, if they cannot learn Chinese and understand Chinese characters, they will not be able to go anywhere and will have to obediently continue to build up the motherland.

The work of introducing immigrants is also being carried out simultaneously, and a large amount of North Korean land that had been "nationalized" has been allocated to Han Chinese immigrants from inside the Great Wall.

More than half of the Han Chinese immigrants assigned to the Korean Peninsula were single, and they would most likely find women and start families in North Korea in the future.