1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 92

That evening, Liu Ting checked out of the hotel and then moved into Lao Wang's house with his luggage.

Old Wang, the driver, tidied up his small courtyard and then gave his best room to Liu Ting. He also had his son, Wang Xiaoman, stay with Liu Ting and serve him.

Liu Ting didn't hesitate either. He got a set of training uniforms without rank from the local garrison and had Wang Xiaoman change into them, so that Wang Xiaoman could follow him around like a servant.

Fortunately, Wang Xiaoman's ID card had been processed in advance. Liu Ting arranged for him to have a temporary new recruit file stored with the local garrison. When he returned to Beijing after everything was settled, he could simply bring Wang Xiaoman and his file back to the capital to complete the remaining procedures.

Wang Xiaoman is currently a recruit without a military rank, considered a half-soldier. He will only become a formal soldier after completing full recruit training and going through a set of procedures.

Seeing his son in military uniform, even without rank, just looking at his spirited appearance, Old Wang was very excited.

Head of State Zhao Yanzhao has never been ambiguous in his treatment of his subordinates, which is universally acknowledged. The welfare and benefits of soldiers are even better than those of civil servants, and it is not a problem for them to directly transfer to civil service after retirement.

Compared to the past when good men didn't join the army, the current Republic is completely different; joining the army is definitely a path to success.

Old Wang then drove Liu Ting even harder, since his son's future was entirely in Liu Ting's hands.

Meanwhile, Liu Ting finally managed to contact Dai Mingde, who was away on a business trip, and sent his thoughts to Wuhan via telegram. Although Dai Mingde had somewhat tricked Liu Ting in this matter, he was still clear-headed when problems arose.

The telegram sent back by Dai Mingde did not provide a precise answer, but it did give him a contact address, instructing him to go to the headquarters of the Second Army Group in Shanghai and find Major General Zhu Jing, the army commander and commander of the Shanghai garrison. Dai Mingde indicated that he had already spoken to Major General Zhu Jing.

Liu Ting didn't dare to delay and hurried off to find the person.

After receiving a word from a powerful figure, Dai Mingde had no trouble getting through the process and went directly to the Songhu Garrison Command to meet with Major General Zhu Jing to discuss the artillery procurement plan.

However, Liu Ting seemed somewhat reserved because Dai Mingde had emphasized in the telegram that they should only discuss official business and nothing else.

Although Liu Ting didn't understand the power struggles among the top leaders, he still had some political acumen. This clearly showed that Dai Mingde was somewhat wary of Zhu Jing.

Dai Mingde and Zhu Jing are both major generals, but the prestige of this major general title is completely different. Dai Mingde is a newly promoted major general with little experience.

Zhu Jing, on the other hand, is in a truly perfect state, half a step into lieutenant general, and could be promoted at any time. Moreover, setting aside military rank, his position alone is incomparable.

Dai Mingde was the Minister of Logistics under the Ministry of National Defense, in charge of logistics, but Zhu Jing was a real army group commander and commander of the Shanghai-Nanjing Garrison.

More importantly, Zhu Jing is a key figure in the core circle of radical leaders at the top level, and has close ties with Zhang Xinghua and Wang Dingyun.

Furthermore, Zhu Jing was a founding member of the Changsha Uprising, the first chief of staff of the First Division of the Revolutionary Army, and the first commander of the Second Division.

During the Northern Expedition, Zhao Yan divided his forces and formed the second division-level unit of the revolutionary army. He was the division commander and was almost on par with Wang Chongshan in terms of rank.

Why hasn't such a high-ranking official even reached the rank of lieutenant general? The reason lies with the central leadership: Zhu Jing and Wu Zifu are at odds!

After Zhu Jing led the Second Division into Jiangnan, it became the stabilizing force in the southeast and a powerful weapon for the Republic to deter Jiangnan. However, this also caused him to miss the later Northern Expedition, the Central Plains decisive battle, and the Far East war, resulting in Zhu Jing's military achievements being far less than those of other veterans.

If there were no other reasons, Zhu Jingguang could have easily earned the position of lieutenant general through his seniority and hard work, but his position was just too awkward.

Zhu Jing had always stayed in Jiangnan, but above him was a prince, Wu Zifu. At his peak, Wu Zifu was stationed in Nanjing, controlling the military and political power of the entire southern China, and was also a member of the Southern Committee of the Supreme Governing Council.

Zhu Jing's Second Division was placed under Wu Zifu's command. However, Zhu Jing and Wu Zifu had different ideologies. Zhu Jing disliked the extreme views advocated by Wu Zifu and did not agree with Wu Zifu's proletarian revolutionary ideas.

Wu Zifu was also a hot-tempered person and did not tolerate Zhu Jing at all. Zhu Jing's seniority and influence were too deep to touch him, so Wu Zifu simply blocked him.

Afterwards, Wu Zifu went to various places in the south to quell rebellions and suppress bandits, threaten Hong Kong, control the Yangtze River, and go south to Burma. He did not take Zhu Jing with him in any of these military operations.

When it came time to evaluate merits after the war, Zhu Jing was embarrassed to find that he had nothing to show for it. He had no merits to speak of, only hard work. Wu Zifu also suppressed him, which caused him to remain stuck at the threshold of major general.

Only after Wu Zifu was dispatched by the central government to lead a large army to quell the rebellion on the Tibetan Plateau, and after the Crown Prince left Nanjing with the Sixth Army Group, did Zhu Jing finally catch his breath and begin to exert his influence again.

There was no way around it; Wu Zifu, a young hero, became unstoppable after meeting Zhao Yan. He was decisive in suppressing internal rebellions and tough in counterattacking external ones. He was a natural at fighting, just like Zhao Yan, and he was also a master at governing. Although he had many flaws and even more people were dissatisfied with him, no one dared to question his abilities and methods.

This time, Dai Mingde also took a risk to ask Zhu Jing for help, since he was the Minister of Joint Logistics Command and needed Zhu Jing's help to complete the mission.

However, Dai Mingde was still unwilling to get involved in the open and covert struggles between the extremists and radicals. None of Zhao Yan's five subordinates were easy to deal with, so he would avoid such matters if possible.

“Director Liu, I understand why you’ve come. This matter is a bit troublesome, but Dai Mingde used to be my subordinate. Back in Wuchang, I was the division chief of staff, and he was my deputy.”

"Although we're now worlds apart, our friendship remains. I'll help you with this!"

Zhu Jing sat behind his large mahogany desk, looking relaxed yet dignified. His understated general's uniform was made of the finest wool, and the general's stars on his shoulders shone brightly. He exuded the aura of a big boss.

Liu Ting sat halfway down in the chair, feeling incredibly uncomfortable listening to Zhu Jing's words. She kept talking about her old subordinate and their friendship, and even if Liu Ting were a fool, he could understand the deeper meaning behind her words.

"Commander Zhu is truly a righteous man. I had long heard that he was known for his fairness and impartiality when he was in the revolutionary army. Minister Dai said before he came that as long as it is for official business, Commander Zhu will not make things difficult for anyone."

Liu Ting's answer was watertight; it's all thanks to reading a lot of books. That makes you quick-witted and able to distinguish right from wrong.

In short, it was all about handling business strictly by the book, neither offending Zhu Jing nor betraying Dai Mingde.

Hearing Liu Ting's words, Zhu Jing's smile faded slightly, as if she had sensed something, but she didn't get angry. Instead, she continued to smile and pointed out the thick stack of evaluation registration forms on the table to Liu Ting.

"These are all the real estate appraisal and registration forms held by the military in Jiangnan. All the registered but currently unused properties of the Second Army Group, including the Songhu Garrison Area, are listed here."

"Take whatever you need, wherever you need it. Just take as much as you like. Just provide a Joint Logistics Department receipt afterward. Oh, and it has to be a receipt personally signed by Minister Dai!"

Looking at the stack of rosters, which was a full foot thick, Liu Ting swallowed hard. Any page he randomly picked from this stack of registration forms contained land and real estate worth thousands or tens of thousands of yuan.

This includes 310,000 mu of land in Jiangnan and more than 70,000 properties in various places. All of these were seized by Zhu Jing after he led his troops into Jiangnan. Among them, there are many in the Songhu area, as well as a large number of prime assets in the concession areas.

After the Republic government moved into the capital, it began to incorporate the illegal assets of the former dynasty's nobles and royal families that had been confiscated from various places into the management of the Ministry of State Assets. Theoretically speaking, the military should not have held these assets.

When Zhao Yan was clearing out the Manchu cities in various places, he set a rule that cash and other valuables would be divided into three parts: the army would take three parts of the spoils, and the remaining seven parts would be distributed to the public. As for fixed assets, the army would not participate in the distribution at all.

But where there's a will, there's a way. These dirty jobs are all done by the military, so how could they possibly hand them all over? The military also intercepted the fixed assets, but no one dared to go too far in front of Zhao Yan. Usually, taking about 10% was enough.

As for reasons and excuses, there are too many to list. For example, the military needs barracks, training grounds, logistics bases, and spacious training grounds, so it is reasonable to leave behind some fixed assets.

The generals would not put these assets in their own names. Anyone who dared to do so would have their head chopped off by Zhao Yan. On the bloody New Year's Eve, many military personnel were also killed.

Therefore, these assets are all registered under the military's name and belong to the military; no one dares to put them into their own pockets.

Even if Zhao Yan realized this, he couldn't say anything, let alone speak up, so he could only tacitly accept it.

Liu Ting flipped through these registration forms, looking at the appraised prices on them, and felt completely numb.

Who says the military is poor? Who says the military is about to go broke? The military just doesn't have cash for its expenses; in reality, it still has a lot of money to be made!

However, these assets are unusable. Any general who would dare to sell these "barracks," "bases," and "training grounds" to line their own pockets would be courting death. Even Wang Chongshan wouldn't dare.

However, if the money is used for official business and to make up for the shortfall in military spending, Zhao Yan would turn a blind eye even if he knew. For the sake of official business and national interests, it is acceptable for subordinates to embezzle a little money, as long as it does not interfere with the main business.

Water that is too clear has no fish, so who can guarantee they won't be greedy? Even decades later, won't those same people still be greedy?

At this moment, Liu Ting felt no joy, only trepidation as if walking on thin ice. Zhu Jing told him to choose whatever he wanted, but he really didn't have the guts to choose anything.

Taking too much would only create problems for Dai Mingde. Moreover, the liquidation and transactions of these assets would definitely be handled by Zhu Jing's people. Liu Ting has no way of knowing how many twists and turns are involved, and Dai Mingde has even less of a chance to know, but they both have to sign the acceptance documents in the end!

Under the existing system of the Republic, there are not many things that can be kept from Zhao Yan. Once he signs, it means permanent accountability. If something happens in the future, Zhu Jing can stay out of it, but Liu Ting and Dai Mingde, as signatories, will definitely not be able to escape.

But what I fear most is that Zhu Jing won't do those things; she'll genuinely give you a favor. The more you take, the more favors Dai Mingde will owe her. And one day in the future, when Zhu Jing asks you for a "helping hand," will you be able to refuse?

Liu Ting was now covered in sweat, his forehead was covered in water droplets, and his hands were trembling. At the top of the list were a large number of land and properties along the Huangpu River, including the famous Cathay Hotel.

Putting aside everything else, the landmark building, the Chinachem Hotel alone, plus the 700 acres of land near the Huangpu River estuary in Baoshan, is worth at least four million. This is not farmland, but a high-value commercial and industrial site!

The gun manufacturing bureau would absolutely be willing to accept these assets to offset the military purchase quota, but the question is whether Dai Mingde dares to accept them.

Zhu Jing smiled meaningfully, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned but not quite: "What, are you not satisfied? Or are there too many to choose from?"

Liu Ting forced a smile: "Commander Zhu, I'm just taking a look and broadening my horizons. How could I possibly dare to make a choice?"

"I'll take whatever you give me, and I won't complain if you don't. This is such an important matter, how could I, a mere lieutenant colonel like Liu Ting, be so picky?"

Zhu Jing nodded: "No wonder someone as slippery as Dai Mingde values ​​you so much and entrusts you with such important responsibilities. So that's why."

“You’re smart, and you’re a lot like that guy, Dai Mingde. Alright, these few pages are all what the Gun Bureau needs.”

"They've been pestering me for ages, but I haven't given in. Now, for Dai Mingde's sake, you can take it!"

Without hesitation, Zhu Jing handed the top few pages of the registration form directly to Liu Ting.

"I'm going to the capital next month to report on my work. Tell Dai Mingde to prepare a good feast for me. I want to drink with him until we drop."

Dai Mingde's reputation for being a good eater is well-known in the army. I like everything he prepares, haha.

Liu Ting left the garrison command headquarters with stiff steps, carrying the things. Although the matter was accomplished, he felt that things had become even more troublesome.

Chapter 159 Dragon and Tiger Clash

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting stayed in Shanghai for a full half month and finally finalized the largest artillery procurement order in the history of the army.

一共180门105mm/L30榴弹炮、240门75mm/L20山炮，还有200门左右的80mm迫击炮。

The gun manufacturing bureau was happy to accept the order, with a total purchase price of 45 million yuan, of which 4 million yuan was paid in cash and the remaining 11 million yuan was settled in the form of land and real estate.

After the procurement agreement was signed, the military paid an initial payment of four million yuan, half of the payment was made during production, and the remaining payment was made after the goods were delivered without any issues.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting received a great deal of support from Zhu Jing, but the favors he owed and the risks he took were also enormous.

But there's no way around it; if you want to get things done, you have to take responsibility. If you don't take any risks, you'll never get anything done.

Major General Dai Mingde, who was behind Liu Ting, also gritted his teeth and shouldered the responsibility, instructing Liu Ting not to worry about other things and to focus on doing a good job in this artillery procurement plan. He would take care of the follow-up matters.

Dai Mingde stated that he took responsibility for the unseen political risks during the procurement process, but Liu Ting was fully responsible for the overt technical issues and procurement standards.

Under immense pressure, Liu Ting made the decision to lower the technical standards for the procurement of army artillery, sacrificing performance for lower prices, prioritizing quantity over quality.

The army previously required that the performance of its artillery should not be inferior to that of the navy. The navy wanted to purchase 130mm/L45 artillery, and the army also wanted to use this model as its main heavy artillery, but this was obviously unrealistic.

The price difference between low-caliber and high-caliber artillery is enormous. The barrel caliber of artillery is not calculated in multiples, but rather increases exponentially.

With a little haggling, you might be able to get a bare 75mm mountain gun with a barrel length of 10-15 caliber for around 10,000 to 20,000. But if you're looking for a 75mm field cannon with a barrel length of 35 caliber or more, 50,000 to 60,000 won't be enough.

The main heavy artillery used by the National Defense Force during the Far East War was the 105mm howitzer, with a barrel diameter of thirty calibers. It was imported from Germany, and the landed price was as high as 110,000 yuan per gun.

The price offered by the Jiangnan Gun and Cannon Bureau for the 105mm howitzer has been reduced to 150,000 yuan. This is because the production technology is not mature and the yield rate is low, resulting in high product costs.

This artillery piece is designated the Type 3 Republic 105 howitzer and is expected to be delivered to the army next year.

The small and medium caliber artillery pieces were all mountain guns with a 7.5-caliber barrel length of 20. They were lightweight, had a barely adequate range, and a fairly good rate of fire.

These cannons are all recoil-operated, equipped with imported hydraulic recoil carriages, which greatly improves firing continuity and rate of fire.

Hydraulic recoil technology was not the patent of the Frenchwoman, Miss 75. This technology existed as early as the First Sino-Japanese War and was already in use by naval guns.

The army's artillery has not been widely adopted due to concerns about weight and equipment costs, as everyone's tactical thinking is still stuck in the Franco-Prussian War era.

Under Zhao Yan's strong advocacy, the National Defense Forces promoted the reform of artillery technology in this field. During the Far East War, the military felt it was good and continued to do so.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting dared not cut the rate of fire or firing stability of the artillery, so he could only cut the range and caliber, ostensibly to reduce weight, but in reality, he simply couldn't afford the price of cannons and could only buy howitzers.

The military doesn't have a customized approach yet, so they use whatever the logistics department provides, as long as they have the equipment. Getting so many artillery pieces is a pleasant surprise.

After finalizing and signing the relevant procurement agreement, Liu Ting hurriedly left Shanghai with his orderly Wang Xiaoman, traveled up the Yangtze River to Wuhan, and then returned to Beijing via the Beijing-Hankou Railway.

The Beijing-Shanghai railway line is not yet completed. The fastest way to travel to Beijing by land is still to take a train via Wuhan, which is fast, safe, and cheaper.

Liu Ting took a small steamer from Shanghai to Wuhan. He and his orderly, Wang Xiaoman, spent 40 yuan on tickets, and Liu Ting trembled with heartache at the cost.

Wang Xiaoman enjoyed the scenery along the way, finding everything new and exciting. He had never left Shanghai since he was a child, and this time, as he accompanied his new superior to Wuhan, he was both excited and reluctant to leave.

However, Liu Ting was very worried. The original budget for this artillery procurement plan was four million, but it eventually increased to forty-five million, more than ten times the original amount.

The majority of the funding came from the Songhu Garrison Command, with only a small portion allocated by the Joint Logistics Department. To raise enough funds, Liu Ting made over a dozen trips to the Garrison Command Headquarters, taking away most of the assessment and registration forms from Zhu Jing. Eventually, Zhu Jing couldn't hold back and repeatedly lost her temper.

When your savings are almost completely depleted, anyone would lose their temper.

Liu Ting didn't know how much of a favor his superior, Dai Mingde, owed Zhu Jing this time, but he knew that this matter would definitely cause a lot of trouble later.

After a bumpy journey by water, Liu Ting finally arrived in Wuhan on November 20th. Upon arrival, he discovered that his superior, Dai Mingde, was still there and remained in the Wuhan office building.

Liu Ting originally planned to stay in the free guest room in the office building for one night before leaving, but unexpectedly Dai Mingde was also there. He was immediately called to his private room by Dai Mingde to give a report.

Liu Ting didn't dare to hide anything and told the whole story without reservation.

"Minister, here's the situation. I feel we've really gone too far in rigging the Songhu Garrison this time; the favor we've incurred is far too great!"

"Commander Zhu has been furious several times. I really have no choice. The Ministry of National Defense sends telegrams every day, demanding this much quantity without giving a single penny."

"In the end, I had no choice but to raise more money and lower the standards to complete this procurement."

Dai Mingde lay on a recliner, covered with a blanket, holding a small stove to keep warm. Wuhan has now entered winter, and it is terribly damp and cold.

Even Dai Mingde, a southerner, couldn't stand the damp cold. He closed his eyes and frowned as he warmed himself by the fire, seemingly troubled.

Liu Ting carefully observed Dai Mingde's expression and, noticing something amiss, quickly added, "This time it was all my own doing; all the responsibility lies with me!"

Dai Mingde opened his eyes and said irritably, "What responsibility can a mere lieutenant colonel like you shoulder?"

"Besides, do you think you have the influence to get Zhu Jing to empty her family's savings to support you? Dream on! He's being generous with other people's money, using public funds to do personal favors!"

"That old Zhu is still the same as ever. He looks like a kind and steady old man, but he's actually quite scheming!"

“The Ministry of National Defense has already planned to gradually reclaim all surplus assets held by local garrison areas and army groups starting next year. They will have to let go of them sooner or later.”

"Since it's destined that we can't keep them, let's do them a favor before we let go. What a clever plan!"

The central government was well aware of the large amount of assets held by local garrisons and various army groups before their post-war reorganization. In the past, there was no time to clear them out, but after the war, the domestic situation stabilized, the economy continued to recover and was booming.