The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 539 Intimidation and Helplessness

Time flies and a month goes by quickly.

Although it was only a month, what happened in this month caused a huge response in the country.

First of all, Li Hongzhang in Baoding, and Yikuang who was later sent to Baoding by Cixi, had many twists and turns in their negotiations with the invading coalition forces.

Under the strong pressure of the vanguard army, Li Hongzhang's negotiations with the great powers not only progressed quickly but also achieved excellent results.

Reporters from various newspapers in Baoding continued to report the latest developments of the peace talks in the newspapers so that the people of the country could keep abreast of the latest developments of the peace talks. This made the hearts of all the scholars and citizens of all large and medium-sized cities who were paying attention to the current situation seem to be beating to the rhythm of the progress of the peace talks.

However, the peace talks that continued to come out of Baoding made people happy and worried at times, and made the hearts of those Chinese people who were closely following the current situation sometimes happy and sometimes tense.

This also makes people from all over the country sometimes happily beat gongs and drums, and even set off firecrackers to celebrate.

Sometimes, they were so angry that they took to the streets, smashing foreign goods and even attacking foreign companies and local foreign churches.

There were also incidents of attacks on concessions and churches in Guangdong, Shanghai, Hankou, Qingdao and other places. Fortunately, the local authorities arrived in time to stop them, thus avoiding major chaos.

In short, in one sentence, any new developments in the peace talks will cause quite a stir everywhere.

However, the attack on the concession frightened the foreigners in the concession, causing the great powers to gather dozens of warships on the Yangtze River at Wusongkou and Hankou, on the sea near Qingdao, and at the mouth of the Pearl River to prepare for response.

It even caused the foreign powers that were negotiating peace to announce a suspension of the negotiations and jointly send a strongly worded diplomatic note to the Qing court in Xi'an.

In the note, the powers claimed that if the court in Xi'an could not effectively control the situation and stop the people from harassing and damaging their interests in China, they would not only massively increase their troops in the Far East, but would also no longer negotiate peace with the court stationed in Xi'an and would no longer recognize the Manchu court as the legitimate ruler of the Qing Dynasty. Instead, they would seek to negotiate peace terms separately with the governors-general of those provinces that participated in the mutual protection agreement, as well as Teng Yuzao of Zhili.

Such a situation was naturally what Cixi least wanted to see. In order to ensure that the peace talks proceeded smoothly without interference, after receiving the note from the powers, Xi'an immediately issued an imperial edict in the name of Guangxu to local governments at the fastest speed.

Local governments were required to ensure social stability during the peace negotiations and not to cause any unnecessary trouble that would hinder the peace process, otherwise the court would hold them severely accountable.

This imperial edict made government officials in various places feel like they were facing a formidable enemy, especially officials at all levels in Shanghai, Hankou, Qingdao and other places. They were all terrified and worried about another attack on the concessions.

He was afraid that something might happen in his place that would cause complications in the peace talks.

Even so, there were two things that caused great chaos in the country.

First, after the peace talks had been deadlocked for several days, the powers that resumed the negotiations suddenly proposed that the peace talks should not be dragged down by local issues, and that priority should be given to chatting with the court before discussing local issues.

Therefore, the powers believed that the issues raised regarding Zhili needed to be put aside for discussion later, and that the issue of Zhili would be discussed after the peace negotiations between them and the imperial court were completed.

In other words, the great powers divided the negotiations into two parts. They would first negotiate peace with the imperial court, excluding issues raised by Zhili regarding compensation, concessions, customs, etc. These issues would be discussed last.

At the same time, newspapers in Shanghai and Hong Kong suddenly reported that the major powers were holding urgent consultations for further troop increases and were preparing to send large numbers of troops to the Far East again.

It is said that Nicholas II of Russia has declared that he will send another 500,000 troops, and the Japanese have also stated that they will do their best to send troops to support the destruction of the vanguard army and the division of the Qing Dynasty. In addition, the Japanese have already begun to expand their military forces at home and are preparing to expand the permanent divisions to 20.

At present, although the Americans have made it clear that they will no longer send additional troops to the Far East, Britain, France and Germany are still in intense consultations.

I don't know if Cixi was frightened by the news, but before Teng Yuzhao could express his attitude towards the powers' request for phased talks, Cixi quickly sent a secret telegram to Li Hongzhang and Yikuang on the same day, conveying her imperial decree by telegram.

In her imperial edict, Cixi stated that the court accepted the proposal of the great powers and could negotiate separately. At the same time, she also required Li Hongzhang and Yikuang to conclude the peace negotiations as soon as possible before the consultations between Britain, France and Germany on the issue of increasing troops were completed.

Since it was a secret telegram, Li Hongzhang and Yikuang naturally did not dare to make the news public.

Even Teng Yuzhao did not receive any news. He only learned that Li Hongzhang and Yikuang suddenly made a decision after discussion that they agreed to the demands of the great powers and could negotiate separately.

Then, since the issue of Zhili had to be put aside, Yikuang strongly demanded that Yang Shixiang and Xu Shichang, who had always maintained a tough attitude, should not participate in the subsequent peace negotiations.

The two men went to ask Li Hongzhang the reason. Li Hongzhang, who already needed someone to support him, just shook his head and smiled bitterly, but kept his mouth tightly closed and did not say a word.

The two asked Li Jingfang privately, but Li Jingfang was also confused and had no idea.

Because he was concerned about Li Hongzhang's health, Li Jingfang did not dare to ask too many questions.

Even during the negotiations, Li Hongzhang prohibited Li Jingfang from entering the peace negotiation venue.

After learning about these situations from the information sent back by Yang Shixiang, Xu Shichang and Li Jingfang, Teng Yuzhao seemed to have a premonition that something he did not want to see would happen. As he was temporarily unable to make any changes, he was extremely depressed and frustrated, so he locked himself in the courtyard of the back yamen.

Every day, the guards would bring in jars of liquor, and then there would be no sound. Even the food was brought in and brought out the same way.

Not only the Chinese and foreign reporters who were blocking the Yongqing County government office, which had become the temporary headquarters of the Zhili Governor, could not see Teng Yuzao, but even Yang Shixiang and Xu Shichang, who had rushed back from Baoding overnight and had only met Teng Yuzao once, and even a group of senior generals including Wei Jinghai and Wu Peifu who had rushed to the county after hearing the news, could not see Teng Yuzao either. He refused to see anyone.

Liu Shijiu was even so anxious that he wanted to break in, forcing Xu Ting, who also had a worried look on his face, to order with tears in his eyes that the special guard squadron should surround the cross-courtyard where Teng Yuzao was, and the guns were loaded with bullets, warning everyone that if anyone dared to break in without Teng Yuzao's order, he would order to open fire.

This forced Wei Jinghai, Li Xiangze, Liu Yuzhi, Wu Peifu, Liu Changfa and others who had originally planned to follow Liu Jiujiu to break in and check on Teng Yuzhao's condition, to forcibly stop the furious Liu Jiujiu.

Although Liu Shijiu was so angry that he pointed at Xu Ting's nose and cursed him, the special guard squadron, which always obeyed Teng Yuzhao's orders, remained unmoved.

When this news came out from Baoding and Yongqing, although it confused the Chinese people, at most some people scolded Li Hongzhang and Yikuang for being confused. At the same time, apart from expressing concern about Teng Yuzao, they only speculated on the reasons for Teng Yuzao's actions, and it did not cause chaos in large and medium-sized cities in the country.

During this period, Li Hongzhang conveyed a message to Teng Yuzao through Li Jingfang, and Zhang Zhidong, who heard the news about Teng Yuzao, hurriedly sent a telegram.

Li Hongzhang's message to Teng Yuzao was very concise, with only one sentence, "Stay useful."

Zhang Zhidong's telegram was also very simple. It seemed that he, like Li Hongzhang, was very frugal with words. In fact, Zhang Zhidong's telegram had one less word than Li Hongzhang's verbal message. It only contained four words: "wait and see how things develop."

Although the senior generals of the vanguard army, who had been waiting outside the gate of Teng Yuzhao's courtyard like ants on a hot pan and were extremely anxious after receiving the telegrams from Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong, were confused and did not understand these extremely concise words, they still felt like they had found a treasure. Although they did not understand the meaning of Li Hongzhang's message and Zhang Zhidong's telegram, they still decided to ask Xu Ting to deliver it to Teng Yuzhao immediately.

However, according to the news from Xu Ting, after reading it, Teng Yuzao burst into tears and sobbed. This news finally made the generals outside the door feel that Teng Yuzao's self-imprisonment was completely due to his premonition that something unfavorable would happen in the peace talks in Baoding. This made these generals suddenly clamor. Except for Hu Dianjia who sighed and groaned, everyone else was furious. Liu Shijiu even shouted that he wanted to learn from Gao Huaide and also launch a mutiny in Chenqiao.

Amid the uproar among the generals who felt greatly indignant, Xu Shichang was worried, but Yang Shixiang remained calm and just watched silently and coldly from the side.

Fortunately, this period of unbearable pride did not last long. Just two days later, news of the results of the peace talks and some developments of the great powers suddenly came from Baoding, which immediately caused an uproar among the Chinese people.

The contents of the "Peace Negotiation Outline" that were circulated are as follows:

1. The imperial court must send a special envoy from the prince to Germany to apologize for the murder of German ambassador Clemens von Ketteler, and to erect a memorial archway at the place where he was killed;

2. Severely punish the culprits, and suspend scientific research in towns and cities that kill and insult foreigners for five years;
3. We must use the best of honor to apologize to the Japanese government for the murder of Japanese secretary Sugiyama Akira;
4. Tombstones must be erected where the graves of peoples have been desecrated;

5. No arms or equipment for making arms may be brought into the Qing Empire;

6. Fair compensation for the loss of personal and property value of foreigners;
7. Each country stationed troops to guard the embassy and demarcate the embassy area;

8. Level the Dagu Fort;

9. Troops from various countries will be stationed from the capital to the seashore;

10. Forever prohibit the military and civilians from joining groups that are hostile to other countries;

11. To amend the treaties concerning trade and navigation;
12. Reform the etiquette of the Zongli Yamen and the audience with foreign ministers.

Moreover, Li Hongzhang and Yikuang had already signed the "Outline of Peace Negotiations".

Their signatures meant that the imperial court had acknowledged and accepted this humiliating agreement.

The issue of the great powers demanding compensation from the imperial court made the Chinese people extremely angry.

It is said that the Russians were the first to demand that the Qing court pay Russia 1.3 million taels of silver as compensation.

The amount of compensation proposed by the Allied Commander Waldersee on behalf of Germany was 4 million marks, which is more than billion taels of silver.

The amount of compensation demanded by France was much less than that demanded by Russia and Germany, but it was still as much as more than 7 million taels.

Although it is said that the amount of compensation demanded by the Japanese has not yet been finalized in their country, considering the heavy losses suffered by the Japanese army, the amount of compensation demanded by the Japanese is estimated to be no less than 100 million.

According to the news, the major powers such as Russia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and Belgium all had a unanimous demand that the compensation be settled in cash in one lump sum. The Russians even said that they would not withdraw from the three northeastern provinces until the compensation was paid in full.

There are also reports that countries such as Britain, the United States, and Japan are afraid that excessive pressure from paying reparations will weaken the purchasing power of their domestic markets, thereby damaging their own business interests.

Based on the opinion of Robert Hart, the British Commissioner of Customs in the Qing Dynasty, they believed that the indemnity could not be paid in cash because the Qing Dynasty had no reserves.

Moreover, the Qing Dynasty was now a country with expenditures exceeding its revenues, with annual revenues of approximately 88 million taels, while its expenditures required 101 million taels.

More than one fourth of the annual revenue is employed in paying the interest on existing borrowings; and the deficit, or the difference between requirements and revenue, remains a debt, because there is no money to pay it.

Hart also believed that "the most appropriate method of repayment" was "for all governments to agree to accept the Qing government's use of customs duties, regular taxes and salt taxes as collateral, and to guarantee payment in annual installments over a number of years."

In addition, there is even more news that makes the Chinese people angry. It is rumored that Russia is determined to occupy the three northeastern provinces. Regarding the issue of the three northeastern provinces, the Russians believe that this is a matter between Russia and the Qing Dynasty and does not fall within the scope of interference by the Eight-Nation Alliance. They insist on conducting separate negotiations with the Qing court.

It was also reported that the Russian army occupied Fengtian on October 10, the year of the Gengzi Rebellion, and then forced Shengjing General Zengqi to sign and approve a charter that clearly violated the "independence and sovereignty of the Qing Dynasty" with the intention of occupying the three northeastern provinces for a long time.

The content of this charter had been disclosed by The Times' Qing correspondent Morrison a day earlier.

On the same day, Li Hongzhang also made it clear on behalf of the court that Zeng Qi had no right to represent the court, and any documents signed by him involving sovereignty and territory were invalid and would not be recognized by the court.

In response, Russia publicly denied it on the one hand, and on the other hand forced Yang Ru, the Qing Dynasty's ambassador to Russia, to sign in order to create a fait accompli.

After being firmly rejected by Yang Ru, the Russians put pressure on Li Hongzhang and arrogantly claimed that if the Qing court "listened to the slander of various countries and was unwilling to sign the treaty, the three northeastern provinces would forever belong to Russia."

In addition, although the great powers had agreed not to pursue war criminals and so-called culprits against each other, the outline of the treaty contained clauses requiring the imperial court to pursue the culprits, and there were even clear attached documents.

Although the tone of the great powers was much milder than before and they no longer demanded that the court execute the so-called culprits, they still demanded that the court punish them.

The 12 people who were originally demanded to be executed were replaced by dismissal and investigation, namely: Prince Rui Zai Yi, Duke Fuguo Zailan, Prince Zhuang, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate Yingnian, Minister of Punishments Zhao Shuqiao, Governor of Shanxi Yu Xian, Minister of Rites Qixiu, Left Vice Minister of Punishments Xu Chengyu, Grand Secretary Xu Tong, Associate Grand Secretary and Minister of Personnel Gangyi, Governor-General of Sichuan Li Bingheng, and Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu Dong Fuxiang.

There was also a list of local officials who were demanded to be severely punished, involving as many as 142 people, most of whom were listed based on "hearsay evidence."

The last piece of news came from the special guard squadron that was protecting Li Jingfang.
After paying a visit to the British and German envoys, Li Hongzhang caught a cold and is now bedridden.

After Xu Ting sent the peace terms and the news into the cross-courtyard, Yang Shixiang, Xu Shichang, Wei Jinghai and a group of senior generals who were anxiously waiting outside the door soon heard noises coming from the yard.

Although there were obvious "bang bang, crash" sounds of things being smashed, it also made everyone who had been waiting outside the yard for the past two days breathe a sigh of relief. Teng Yuzhao still had the strength to smash things, which meant that he was still safe.

After a round of thrashing, Teng Yuzhao, who was emitting a strong smell of alcohol and looked extremely haggard, finally strode out of the courtyard with firm steps.

"Commander!"

"Commander!"

Teng Yuzao's appearance immediately attracted a burst of excited and joyful shouts from the crowd. Everyone rushed forward to ask about Teng Yuzao's health, as he hadn't eaten for two days.

(End of this chapter)