The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 1018 The Prime Minister stationed in Persia, Minister in charge of diplomatic and trade affairs
On the Mediterranean Sea, December 1888.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's battleship "Tianwang" cleaved through the deep blue waves, sailing eastward toward the Suez Canal, escorted by a "Jingyuan"-class armored cruiser and a "Jinshan"-class cruiser. On deck, Luo Yaoguo paced back and forth, the sea breeze ruffling the hem of his uniform. Beside him stood a short, stout official in a gray woolen uniform, not yet thirty, yet already displaying a seasoned and shrewd demeanor—none other than Yuan Shikai.

“Weiting,” Luo Yaoguo suddenly spoke, his voice calm, “Li Shaoquan wrote to me saying that you are ‘loyal and courageous, intelligent and quick-witted, capable of handling the overall situation and doing the difficult work alone.’” He paused, glancing sideways at Yuan Shikai beside him, “and also said that you quelled the rebellion in Persia, traversed Asia Minor, and even with the Russian Revolution, you were able to retreat with your entire army intact, a truly great achievement. He added at the end that you would definitely be able to help the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom govern the Persian Gulf.”

Yuan Shikai wore a forced smile, but his eyes twitched slightly. He knew perfectly well that his title of "Minister for Trade and Economic Affairs in Persia and Imperial Commissioner for Peace Negotiations in Rome," while sounding prestigious, was essentially a hollow shell—Li Hongzhang had taken advantage of his trip to Rome to withdraw the troops he had brought to Asia Minor. Without military power, how could he, as "Prime Minister," possibly keep the covetous chieftains and religious leaders in Persia in check?
However, it was understandable that Li Hongzhang stripped him of his military power. His actions in Persia, where he colluded with the Russian Cossacks to launch a coup, were essentially acting alone! How could Li Hongzhang tolerate this? If this army got used to acting alone, wouldn't it eventually overthrow the Li family?

In 1887, after helping the Russian army quell the unrest in Asia Minor, Yuan Shikai arbitrarily expanded the "Great Tang Expeditionary Army," recruiting many Turkic-speaking soldiers from Central Asia, bringing its strength to over 20,000 men at one point. This army obeyed only Yuan Shikai's orders and even dared to outwardly comply with but inwardly defy Li Hongzhang's commands.

In early 1888, Yuan Shikai, without seeking permission, directly negotiated with the Russian Revolutionary Army, selling out the White Army that had returned to the Caucasus from Asia Minor on the condition of "abandoning support for the White Army." This ended the hostile relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the People's Will Party authorities, effectively relinquishing intervention in the Russian Civil War and support for Nicholas II. When this news reached the new Chang'an, Li Hongzhang was furious: "Isn't Yuan Shikai afraid that the People's Will Party will bring the flames of revolution to the Tang Dynasty?!"

Therefore, Li Hongzhang, under the guise of the Rome Peace Conference, sent Yuan Shikai to Rome to attend the conference, while secretly ordering his trusted generals to take over the "Great Tang Expeditionary Army." By the time Yuan Shikai arrived in Rome, his core troops had already been disbanded and reorganized, leaving him with only a few dozen personal guards. Later, he even wrote to Luo Yaoguo, recommending Yuan Shikai, who was familiar with the "Persian Gulf situation" and proficient in Hui affairs, to help Luo Yaoguo manage the sphere of influence in the Persian Gulf.

What is the Persian Gulf?
It was a barren land where the sectarian forces of Islam were intertwined, and where Britain, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire were engaged in open and covert struggles. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom nominally obtained a "sphere of influence in the Persian Gulf," but whether it could actually implement it depended on how skillful the officials sent by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's "experts in Western affairs" were adept at dealing with Catholicism and Christianity, but they were not so good at dealing with Islam.

In this respect, Yuan Shikai, who grew up in Central Asia, could truly be considered an expert.

"Premier Luo, rest assured, I, Yuan, have my own solutions for the Persian Gulf matter." Yuan Shikai straightened his back and spoke with certainty.

Luo Yaoguo nodded slightly: "Tell me about it."

Yuan Shikai had already made his plans: "To govern the Persian Gulf, we can use barbarians to control barbarians—using the 'barbarians' of the Tang Dynasty in Central Asia to govern the 'barbarians' of the Persian Gulf."

"Oh?" Luo Yaoguo raised an eyebrow.

"This method is in line with the ancestral laws of the Persian Gulf!" Yuan Shikai said confidently. "The Seljuk Turks ruled the Persian Gulf in the past, and later the Ilkhanate of the Mongols followed suit. Now it is only natural for us to do it again."

He paused, then added, "These Central Asian 'barbarians' were mainly responsible for suppression, while governance was left to local Persian officials. After all, Persia is an ancient country with a history of producing officials. Many of the Semu officials who helped the Mongols oppress the Han people during the Yuan Dynasty were Persians."

Luo Yaoguo pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Alright, it seems Li Shaoquan was right—no one but you, Yuan Weiting, is capable of governing Persia!"

Yuan Shikai was secretly pleased, but on the surface he remained humble: "Premier, you flatter me. I will do my best."

But he knew in his heart that his real bargaining chip was not the vague idea of ​​"using barbarians to control barbarians," but the private army of Turkic peoples he had recruited from Central Asia when he was in Asia Minor. Li Hongzhang would not use these soldiers; as long as Yuan Shikai could pay their salaries, they would follow him.

Furthermore, the Cossack corps of the Persian Kingdom was now without a master—the Tsar could no longer control them, and the People's Will Party would certainly not want them. If Yuan Shikai could gain the support of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he could naturally recruit these people to his own cause.

With the troops from Central Asia and the Cossack brigade, coupled with his skillful tactics, controlling Persia and dealing with the tribes across the Persian Gulf would not be difficult.

Moscow, December 1888.

The winter wind, carrying snowflakes, swept across Moscow's Red Square. Tens of thousands of workers waved red flags and sang "The Internationale." On a high platform, Zhelyapov, leader of the People's Will party, raised his arms and shouted:
"Comrades! The Tsar's army is collapsing! The Cossack cavalry have defected! The Black Sea fleet has mutinied! Odessa and Sevastopol are now the people's cities!" A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

Over the past six months, the People's Opposition Party's offensive has been unstoppable:
In July 1888, the Black Sea Fleet stationed in Sevastopol was forced to revolt due to the threat posed by the "German-Turkish Combined Fleet" in the Mediterranean. In September, armed workers in Odessa seized an armory and occupied Russia's largest city on the Black Sea coast. In November, 200 Krupp field guns secretly transported by Germany arrived at the port of Riga, and the People's Will artillery bombarded the royalist defenses in Novgorod overnight.

Today, the People's Will party controls Russia's wealthiest central industrial region, managing 60% of the country's steel and textile mills. Even more alarming—they have received open support from Germany!
On the issue of the Russian Civil War, the German Empire and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had reached a tacit understanding: the German Empire would support the People's Will Party, while the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom would support Nicholas II—this way, everyone would have a backer, and neither of them would have to worry about not having weapons and ammunition to fight the civil war!
This civil war could easily drag on for a very long time!
Therefore, Germany not only provided arms but also sent instructors to train the People's Will's "Red Guards." With the support of German tactics, this army, composed of workers and peasants, actually drove the royalist regular army into a series of defeats.

Compared to the burgeoning popularity of the People's Will Party, the monarchists were practically a disorganized mess: Tsar Nicholas II was holed up in the icy wilderness of Murmansk, unable even to send out imperial edicts. The Cossack leaders of the Caucasus were fighting their own battles, some even secretly negotiating with the People's Will Party. Even the Siberian Governor's Office was outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant towards the young Tsar.
Most fatally, a pervasive sense of pessimism filled the royalist army:

"Is the Tsar always ready to flee to Britain by ship?"

"I heard that the court attendants have already purchased a residence in London..."

Will Grand Duchess Natalia become Empress of Russia after Nicholas II's death? Will the Grand Duchess of Siberia become the future Tsar of Russia?

This suspicion spread like a plague, leading to the surrender of entire units at the front.

Murmansk, late December.

On the snow-covered shores of the Arctic Ocean, the armored cruiser "Bering Sea," belonging to the Principality of East Siberia-Alaska, slowly entered the harbor of Murmansk. On deck, Grand Duchess Natalia, wrapped tightly in her mink cloak, her breath quickly dissipated in the cold wind. Beside her stood Luo Xinbei—Grand Duke of Siberia, heir to the Principality of East Siberia-Alaska, and Minister of the Navy in the Tsarist government.

On the dock, a line of thinly dressed Russian soldiers stood to greet them. Their uniforms were worn, yet they still tried their best to keep their backs straight. In the distance, Tsar Nicholas II's carriage slowly approached. The curtain was lifted, revealing a pale and youthful face—Nicholas II, only twenty years old, with a mixture of fear and stubbornness in his eyes.

That evening, in the temporary palace in Murmansk, the firelight from the fireplace illuminated the faces of everyone present.

“Your Majesty,” Luo Xinbei said bluntly, “Yekaterinburg is more suitable than Murmansk as a temporary capital.”

Finance Minister Witte immediately retorted: "Yekaterinburg is deep inland; if it were surrounded by the People's Will..."

"Murmansk can be defended?" Luo Xinbei sneered. "It's only a thousand kilometers from St. Petersburg. If the People's Will Party's army really attacks, what will they rely on to stop them? This icy and snowy land?"

He unfolded a map and pointed heavily at Western Siberia: "Yekaterinburg is backed by the Ural Mountains, bordered to the east by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Beiting Protectorate (which ruled Mongolia), and to the south by the Tang Empire of Central Asia. It can advance to contact the royalist Cossacks, or retreat to seek help from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Tang Dynasty—this is its true foundation!"

Admiral Alekseev frowned: "But our fleet..."

"A fleet?" Grand Duchess Natalia interrupted him, her voice icy. "The Black Sea Fleet has defected, the Baltic Fleet is paralyzed, what fleet do you still expect? A few ships from Murmansk? What we need now is not warships, but an army! An army that can stop the People's Will Party on land!"

Nicholas II gripped the armrest tightly, his knuckles turning white. He looked at Luo Xinbei, his voice trembling: "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom... will they really support us?"

Luo Xinbei and Natalia exchanged a glance and slowly nodded: "As long as His Majesty moves the capital to Yekaterinburg, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's arms and advisors will arrive within half a month."

(End of this chapter)