The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 445 Big training

Four months later, in early February 1901, on the mountain road outside Licheng City, Luzhou Prefecture, Shanxi Province.

"Follow up! Keep up!"

The low-ranking officers in the vanguard army were running back and forth on the mountain road, sweating profusely, and shouting loudly to their troops.

In front of them were teams of fully armed vanguard soldiers, who were also sweating profusely and running in formation on the mountain road.

These vanguard officers and soldiers, wearing leggings and cotton-padded clothes, not only carried their guns, ammunition, water bottles, and wooden-handled grenades, but also neatly bundled bedding.

A considerable number of soldiers also had short engineering shovels inserted on their left waist belts.

Teng Yuzhao, who was also wearing leggings and even had a pistol on his belt and a Mauser rifle on his back, and was sweating profusely, was also running in the queue.

This is the troops of the newly formed Fifth Town of the Vanguard Army conducting a five-kilometer mountain armed cross-country morning exercise.

The vanguard troops have been carrying out this kind of weight-bearing morning exercises that are like actual combat for three and a half months.

This is the expanded vanguard army, which is currently training according to the expanded training plan.

The training plan after the expansion of the Vanguard Army includes not only morning exercises, but also evening training before dinner. At other times, there are also drills, shooting, bayonet fighting, tactical skills, etc., all the technical and tactical training required by the army.

Four months ago, Teng Yuzhao hurried back to Luzhou the day after he met with Cixi.

The audience process made Teng Yuzhao both surprised and worried.

What surprised Teng Yuzhao was that not only did the audience with Cixi achieve its overdue purpose, but he was also surprised by the high-level courtesy that Cixi gave him.

What surprised Teng Yuzhao was that not only did Zai Yi personally go to Teng Yuzhao's residence to accompany Teng Yuzhao to the audience, but Xiao Dezhang also greeted Teng Yuzhao respectfully in front of the gate of Qiao's compound and led the way for him.

At the gate of the courtyard where Qiao Zhiyong lived, Ronglu, who was in poor health, and his trusted eunuch Li Lianying were arranged to welcome Teng Yuzhao.

Teng Yuzao was still very grateful to Ronglu. After all, it was Ronglu who promoted him first. It was reasonable and moral that Teng Yuzao should show enough respect to Ronglu.

Teng Yuzao directly gave Ronglu a thumbs up. Towards the popular Li Lianying, Teng Yuzao also had a warm smile on his face and a kind and friendly attitude.

Ronglu was extremely delighted by Teng Yuzhao's respect. His face, which had been pale due to his frail health, instantly became rosy.

Although Teng Yuzhao was first promoted by him to become the captain, the one who was promoted all the way up the chain was not Ronglu, but Yulu.

Teng Yuzhao is now a high-ranking official in the imperial court and the governor-general of Zhili.

He is even the president of the vanguard army, which is now famous all over the world and whose fighting power is not inferior to that of foreigners.

Even though he was in a high position, Teng Yuzhao could still remember his kindness. How could Ronglu not be excited and happy!
The slight worry that had remained in Ronglu's heart disappeared in an instant.

While Ronglu kept saying that it was impossible, he helped Teng Yuzhao up with great effort, and praised Teng Yuzhao for his numerous military achievements.

Although Ronglu's favor for Teng Yuzao increased greatly, he knew that today was not a good time to praise Teng Yuzao or even reminisce about the past with him, after all, Cixi was still waiting inside.

This time, when Teng Yuzhao came to meet the emperor, Cixi still put a lot of thought into it.

Although Qiao Zhiyong's main room was not very large, it could easily accommodate dozens of people.

However, Cixi was accompanied only by a few trusted eunuchs such as Li Lianying and Xiao Dezhang, and the only ministers and officials were Zai Yi and Ronglu.

Although there were not many people accompanying Cixi, it does not mean that Cixi did not attach importance to this meeting with Teng Yuzhao.

After a brief and warm opening speech, Cixi began to ask about the vanguard army's breakout from the capital and the subsequent fighting situation, as well as Teng Yuzhao's views on the subsequent fighting.

Although the battle situations of each war had been reported in memorials, Teng Yuzhao still took the trouble to describe them in detail to Cixi.

Of course, since it was narrated by Teng Yuzhao himself, the content and specific plot were naturally much richer and more tense than what was described in the memorial.

Everyone was excited after hearing this, especially Zhou Fu and Yang Shixiang, whose hearts were shaken and their blood was boiling.

Even Ronglu and Zai Yi, who had already known the battle situation described by Teng Yuzao through memorials, felt their hearts pounding as Teng Yuzao, who was personally involved, narrated the story.

Even Empress Dowager Cixi, who was always calm and composed, was worried and excited about the vanguard troops, and her face sometimes turned pale and sometimes flushed with excitement. After Teng Yuzao finished his report, Ronglu, who was probably instructed by Empress Dowager Cixi in advance, began to ask Teng Yuzao questions one after another.

Cixi listened quietly to the question and answer between Ronglu and Teng Yuzao without any expression. Zai Yi, who was preparing to help Teng Yuzao persuade Cixi to agree to the vigorous expansion of the vanguard army, became a complete spectator and had no chance to interrupt.

The questions raised by Ronglu mainly include the following aspects.

First, whether the vanguard army has the ability to ultimately defeat the coalition forces of the great powers.

Of course, although he was talking about the vanguard army, he was actually asking Teng Yuzao to see whether Teng Yuzao thought he could eventually defeat the coalition forces.

Second, after this great defeat, will the great powers stop fighting and make peace?

Third, if the great powers proposed peace talks, how should the court respond?

The implicit meaning of the first two questions was to ask Teng Yuzhao whether there was still a need for the vanguard army to expand significantly when the army was winning battles one after another.

Teng Yuzao already had clear ideas about these issues. As Ronglu kept asking questions, he spoke eloquently and gave convincing answers one by one.

The main content of Teng Yuzhao's reply was that under the current conditions, the vanguard army could not defeat the coalition forces of the great powers in a short period of time.

Although the Allied Forces suffered several devastating defeats, they would not stop fighting for the time being, at least Tsarist Russia and the Japanese would not.

In order to prevent Japan and Russia from monopolizing the benefits of the invasion, other countries, especially Britain, France and Germany, would not withdraw alone. They would grit their teeth, withdraw troops from their own countries and rush to the Far East, striving to force the court to surrender through war.

As for negotiating peace and ceasefire, we cannot wait for the great powers to negotiate peace. To cease fire with dignity, we must have a strong military force to back us up. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the vanguard army. As the saying goes, only those who can fight can negotiate peace. Otherwise, we will have to cede territory and pay indemnities, repeating the mistakes of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.

As for the court's peace talks, although Teng Yuzhao declined on the grounds that he was not in the court and it was inconvenient for him to discuss state affairs, he still suggested that once peace talks were held, the court must firmly adhere to three points.

First, all the troops of the great powers must withdraw.

Second, we will never cede territory or pay compensation.

Third, the Boxer Rebellion was handled by the imperial court itself.

Fourth, all local officials and court ministers who committed faults could only be dealt with by the court itself, and the great powers had no right to interfere.

There is no need to pay any attention to the so-called culprits raised by the great powers, and the relevant officials of the Grand Council must not be dealt with at all, so as to give foreigners the impression that the imperial court is weak and can be bullied.

Afterwards, at the signal of Cixi's eyes, Ronglu tactfully raised the issue of military expenses for the vanguard army.

The meaning was exactly the same as what Zai Yi had revealed to Teng Yuzhao in advance, that is, the court also wanted to greatly strengthen the strength of the vanguard army, but after the expansion, the huge amount of military expenditure would definitely not be affordable for Zhili Province alone, and the court could not afford such a huge expenditure every year.

Teng Yuzhao already had a plan for dealing with the military expenditure issue. He immediately stated that as long as the court did not require taxes from Zhili, he could raise the funds himself in Zhili.

Moreover, this is done while ensuring that the livelihoods of the people in the province are not affected.

Once the country is no longer threatened by the great powers and their armies have all withdrawn from Qing territory, he will begin to reduce the vanguard troops to a level that the court can afford, and then the court will provide military funds.

The entire audience lasted for two hours before it ended.

In the end, Cixi made the final decision and agreed to Teng Yuzhao's plan to significantly expand the vanguard army. At the same time, she finally gave Teng Yuzhao the title of Beiyang Minister and asked Teng Yuzhao to take charge of the Beiyang Navy after driving away the foreign powers.

After the audience, Teng Yuzhao rushed to Luzhou the next day and devoted himself to the intensive expansion and training of the troops after the expansion.

"teacher."

Wu Peifu's breathless voice sounded behind Teng Yuzhao.

Before Teng Yuzhao could turn around, Wu Peifu had already caught up with him.

"Teacher, I have to order the troops to speed up their march, otherwise our town will fall behind the Fourth Town again today."

Teng Yuzao said with a smile while maintaining his running speed.

"Are your subordinates coveting the two ounces of meat?"

(End of this chapter)