Reports indicate that the Southern Army has captured Changsha. Indeed, the negative phase of the Hunanese movement to oust Zhang Jingyao is finally drawing to a close. The people of Hunan should now go further and vigorously advance the “Abolition of Military Governorship” campaign. The crucial question before them is how to abolish the system of military governors and establish genuine popular rule. For several years, calls for abolition have been made, yet no governor has ever been removed. The abolitionist rhetoric of Lu Yongxiang and Tang Jiyao had virtually no practical impact. However, now that Zhang Jingyao appears poised to depart, Hunan stands at a significant juncture to effect real change.

(1) The Hunanese expulsion of Zhang stems from their own self-determination, free from the sway of any dark forces. If they are truly convinced that the system of military governors must be abolished, all they need do is take decisive action to dismantle it.

(2) The armies operating in western Hunan have been levying grain requisitions for seven or eight years. Although they have now seized Changsha, the province’s economy has long since become a barren wasteland; meanwhile, the Hunan Provincial Bank has already collapsed, racking up losses of fifty to sixty million yuan. Both the official treasury and the private sector are on the brink of ruin. Even if the troops are not formally disbanded, they will inevitably disintegrate. With the army dissolved, the military governor would have no forces under his command, making abolition the most sensible course of action.

(3) Tan Yanqiu himself has firsthand experience of the privileges and burdens of holding the post of military governor. This latest effort to drive out Zhang can only serve as a chance for him to atone for past misdeeds. It seems reasonable to expect that he would be willing to relinquish such power once and for all. Having already demonstrated the courage to oust Tang Xiangming, Fu Liangzuo, and Zhang Jingyao, why should the people of Hunan lack the resolve to abolish the entire system of military governorships? The Hunanese have always possessed a streak of stubbornness, resistance, and even destructiveness. Regrettably, what has been sorely lacking is a constructive, nation-building spirit. Should they once again let this valuable opportunity slip away, it would be an immense waste.

In my view, comprehensive national democratization in China remains entirely unattainable within the next decade. The coming ten years should be regarded merely as a preparatory phase. And the groundwork for this transformation must begin at the provincial level, with each region independently addressing its own pressing issues—abolishing the military governorship and reducing the armed forces, while simultaneously promoting education and industrial development. If Hunan takes the lead this time, and other provinces facing similar circumstances—such as Shaanxi, Fujian, Sichuan, and Anhui—follow suit, then in roughly ten to fifteen years’ time, these efforts could converge to bring about a nationwide solution. I urge the people of Hunan to take a broad view of the global situation, reflect on the hardships they have endured over the past eight or nine years, and summon the determination to seize this critical moment.