Beiyang Dream

Chapter 260 Li Hongzhang: The Qing Dynasty is destined to lose.

The 16th day of the sixth month of the 20th year of the Guangxu reign, which corresponds to July 18, 1894 in the Gregorian calendar.

The Hall of Longevity in the Summer Palace.

Li Hongzhang knelt on the military affairs mat, his knees aching from the pressure.

This cushion has been used for who knows how many years; the cotton inside is all stiff, kneeling on it is almost like kneeling on bricks, and now they're actually letting him use it...

Sigh, kneeling is definitely not as comfortable as sitting... If he were twenty years younger, he would really like to try sitting on it and see what it's like to see others kneeling.

It's a pity... youth never returns!

The Empress Dowager Cixi sat there, holding a teacup in her hand, coldly watching Li Hongzhang.

The room was eerily quiet. Even the maids and eunuchs serving there held their breath, not daring to utter a sound.

Empress Dowager Cixi slammed the teacup down on the table with a loud bang.

"Li Hongzhang".

"Your subject is here," Li Hongzhang replied respectfully.

"Was this battle a victory or a defeat?" the Empress Dowager Cixi asked.

So close, so very close!

Li Hongzhang thought to himself: If my Beiyang Army had another 10,000 men, even if it was just one force, not as powerful as the Nanpu Army, but just the likes of the Yufang Army, stationed at Dagukou and Beitang Fortress, I would be confident of winning!

But I can't say that.

He said it was because he was dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager Cixi's disbandment of the Huai Army!

When the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was first quelled, the Huai Army had 70,000 men, but they were reduced to just over 30,000.

Later, after Sengge Rinchen was annihilated by the Nian Rebellion, Empress Dowager Cixi realized the Qing Dynasty was doomed and gave the Huai Army another opportunity to expand. Around the sixth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, due to the enormous expenses of Zuo Zongtang's western expedition, the Huai Army was reduced by over 10,000 men, while its pay was cut by 40%. After several more reductions, the Huai Army's elite troops were reduced to just over 30,000, plus the Zhili training army, totaling 53,000...

With such a small number of people, they were scattered everywhere like pepper sprinkled on the ground!

But what could he say?

Li Hongzhang remained silent for a long while before speaking: "Your Majesty, this battle—there were wins and losses. But ultimately, I fear we will lose..."

His words were not simple; ordinary people could not understand them, and even the Empress Dowager Cixi might not have understood them.

A victory awaits – Changde wins!

There was a loss—Li Hongzhang lost!

Ultimately, the Qing Dynasty was destined to lose!

Empress Dowager Cixi frowned.

"Did you lose a lot?"

Li Hongzhang shook his head: "Not many—not many at the moment."

He paused, then added, "The main force of the Beiyang Fleet is still intact. Although most of its warships are damaged and unable to go to sea, only the cruiser 'Guangyi' of the Guangdong Navy was sunk."

"On the Japanese side, they actually sank two high-speed cruisers, the Akitsushima and the Takachiho. In terms of fleet losses, we actually have the upper hand."

As Li Hongzhang said this, he also sighed inwardly.

That was so close again!

If the deceased Emperor Guangxu's "real father" had diverted less naval funds, allowing him to buy just one more fast cruiser... just one! With a speed of 23 knots and 10 15cm rapid-fire guns, Japan's loss wouldn't have been just two fast cruisers!

But I can't say that!

Empress Dowager Cixi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

This time, the loss was perfectly timed!

If we lose too much, the Qing Dynasty will be finished.

We won't lose. The Beiyang Army is too strong. The Qing Dynasty will eventually fall.

Only by losing in this precise and moderate manner could the imperial court reclaim the strength accumulated by the Beiyang Army over the years...

That old fellow Li Hongzhang finally did something that pleased her.

"And what about Tianjin?" the Empress Dowager Cixi asked again. "Can Tianjin be defended?"

The old lady's voice was a little strained when she asked the question.

If Tianjin falls, the Japanese pirates might just invade Beijing... and the Qing Dynasty might be doomed again!

Li Hongzhang replied decisively, "Yes!"

"How to defend it?"

Li Hongzhang replied, "Your Majesty, there are currently over ten thousand Huai Army soldiers in Tianjin, but the force is not sufficient. I have already telegraphed Yuan Shikai in Lushun..."

"Sir, have him lead three thousand New Army soldiers, three thousand Qing Army soldiers, and four thousand Yi Army soldiers back to Tianjin via the Guandong Railway. With these ten thousand men, the garrison in Tianjin will reach over twenty thousand. This old minister dares to guarantee that with these twenty thousand men, Tianjin will be absolutely safe!"

After hearing this, the Empress Dowager let out a long sigh.

What she fears most now is that Tianjin will be taken over by the Japanese!

Tianjin is the gateway to Beijing!

After taking Tianjin, the Japanese might just march into Beijing... Who knows if it will end up like the Anglo-French forces, or like the story of Yelü Deguang?

She didn't want to take that gamble.

"And Lushun?" the old lady asked again. "And Fengtian? And Korea? Who did you arrange for them?"

Li Hongzhang gave a wry smile.

"This old minister intends to have Nie Gongting guard Korea, and Chang Zhenbang guard Lushun and Weihaiwei —"

"No!"

Empress Dowager Cixi's face immediately turned cold.

"How did Chang Desheng defend Weihaiwei? He only cared about his own victory, neglecting Yantai! Shandong Governor Fu Run impeached Chang Desheng."

The report has arrived! It says he only cared about protecting the northern forts of Weihaiwei and Liugong Island, abandoning even the southern forts and destroying many cannons.

"Without the southern fortresses tying them down, the Japanese army can advance on Yantai without any worries... If Yantai falls, the Japanese army can use it to launch their warships, and then they can land anywhere—Tianjin, Luanzhou, western Liaoning, eastern Liaoning!"

"Tell me, what kind of battle is this guy surnamed Chang fighting?"

Li Hongzhang was a little confused about what the old lady was thinking.

Logically, the defense of the entire Shandong province was under the jurisdiction of the Shandong Governor, while the Beiyang Army only controlled Weihaiwei. What does the loss of Yantai have to do with the victory of Changde?

Similarly, Liaodong and Liaoxi were both under the jurisdiction of the Shengjing General, while only Lushun and Dalian were under the responsibility of the Beiyang Army. If Chang Desheng successfully defended Lushun and Dalian, his mission would be accomplished. Liaodong and Liaoxi were beyond his control. Those areas should be guarded by the Shengjing General Ronglu with the elite Eight Banners troops of Shengjing.

But could the Eight Banners of Shengjing defend it?

impossible!

Can we really count on Changde to win this?

It seems like we can't count on that.

If Yuan Shikai's troops, the Qing Army, and the Yi Army, totaling 10,000 men, were still in Liaodong, and Chang Desheng's 10,000-plus men stationed in Korea were transferred back to Liaodong, along with Duan Qirui's 4,000-5,000 new troops, then more than 10,000 mobile troops could be freed up.

Wherever the Japanese soldiers landed, they could go there to fill the gaps.

The problem is that Li Hongzhang had already transferred Yuan Shikai and 10,000 troops from the Qing Army and Yi Army back to Tianjin.

In this way, Chang Desheng would have to send 10,000 men to defend Lushun and Dalian... This number cannot be less!

Because after the Japanese army captured Yantai, they were able to land in Jinzhou Bay, west of Lushun and Dalian!

The terrain of Jinzhou Bay is very suitable for landing, but there are no fortifications built. The Nanpu Army must be used to defend it, otherwise the Japanese army could land easily.

If Chang Desheng's main force of Nanpu Army remained in Lushun and Dalian and could not move, how could Duan Qirui's four or five thousand men defend such a long coastline in western and eastern Liaoning?

Li Hongzhang gritted his teeth: "Then let Nie Gongting go to Shengjing to provide assistance."

Nie Shicheng now controls the forces of Wei Rugui, Liu Shengxiu, and Ye Zhichao, with a total strength of over ten thousand men.

Bringing him back from North Korea could barely fill the gap left by the transfer of Yuan Shikai, Qing Army, and Yi Army... but North Korea would have to give up.

Empress Dowager Cixi was still not satisfied: "What about Korea? Should we just give it up?"

Li Hongzhang was taken aback.

A thought popped into his mind: What exactly do you mean?

Before he could answer, the Empress Dowager continued, "Isn't Chang Desheng a capable fighter? Fine, let him fight. Make him an imperial envoy to oversee military affairs in Liaonan, Korea, and Weihaiwei! Send his men to guard Korea, Jinzhou, Fuzhou, and Haicheng..."

"Gaiping these areas, and Weihaiwei as well. As for Nie Shicheng, he'll be in charge of defending the rest of Fengtian."

Li Hongzhang was completely bewildered.

Isn't this putting all the burden of Korea, Liaonan, and Weihaiwei on Chang Desheng's shoulders? How many soldiers does he have? How could he possibly hold them? Do you really want to punish him after he loses Korea?

Empress Dowager Cixi continued, "Let Ronglu, the General of Shengjing, lead the cavalry from beyond the Great Wall to reinforce the capital and provide support for you and Yuan Shikai. Also, you will continue to oversee the military affairs of the Beiyang Army. Chang Desheng will only be his assistant."

Li Hongzhang finally understood.

The old lady was making him continue to shoulder the blame for Korea, Lushun, Weihaiwei, and even the entire Liaonan and Liaodong regions. Chang Desheng was taking the lead, but if something went wrong, the first person held accountable would still be Li Hongzhang.

It has to be said, this old lady is quite shrewd.

Chang Desheng and his fellow military academy students and teachers from Nanpu were mostly hot-blooded and penniless. If the imperial court dared to punish them or strip them of their power, they might actually rebel.

As for Li Hongzhang... he's old!

He and the group of old men who followed him have made their money.

What can they do if they suffer a little injustice?

They're just taking the blame; the old lady won't really do anything to them.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Li Hongzhang has passed away.

Inside the Hall of Joyful Longevity, the Empress Dowager Cixi said to Li Lianying, "Go and invite the Emperor here."

Li Lianying responded and bowed as he withdrew.

A while later, Emperor Guangxu arrived. He came in a hurry and entered the Hall of Joyful Longevity to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager Cixi.

"Greetings to my dear father."

"Please sit down."

Emperor Guangxu sat down next to the Empress Dowager Cixi. Observing her expression, he cautiously began, "My dear father, you have summoned me. What are your instructions?"

Empress Dowager Cixi said slowly, "I just met with Li Hongzhang."

Emperor Guangxu hurriedly asked, "What did he say?"

Instead of answering his question, the Empress Dowager Cixi countered with, "Have Weng Tonghe and his associates been arranging for your sixth uncle's reinstatement lately?"

Emperor Guangxu was startled.

He thought to himself: What does my father mean? Is he going to punish Master Weng and his men? Master Weng and his gang are really something. Even if Li Hongzhang's battles are not going well, they can't expect Prince Gong to do it!

He's been eating the same old rice at home for ten years now.

Now look what's happened, even the biological father is angry!

He quickly explained, "It's all because Master Weng and the others were anxious seeing the battle going badly, so they—"

"They are also loyal."

The Empress Dowager Cixi spoke in a gentle tone, not at all like she was angry.

Emperor Guangxu became even more confused.

He tentatively asked, "Does Dad mean—that Sixth Uncle—"

"Given the current situation, only he could handle it."

Emperor Guangxu was startled.

Ah! Are they really going to let Prince Gong return to power?

Empress Dowager Cixi had already begun making arrangements: "Reinstate Prince Gong to his positions as Minister of the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry), in charge of military affairs, in charge of the navy, and in charge of the inner court. All these duties will be given to him."

What? A minister in the Zongli Yamen, in charge of military affairs, in charge of the navy, a court official... etc., was it you, "Dad," who instructed Master Weng and the others to arrange Uncle Liu's comeback?

Emperor Guangxu finally understood...

He quickly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Empress Dowager Cixi seemed to have remembered something else: "Oh, right, the Japanese pirates might land in Tianjin at any time. Issue an edict to pardon Ronglu's punishment and let him lead the elite troops from beyond the Great Wall to defend the capital."

"In addition, Yuan Shikai was ordered to lead his troops, along with the Qing Army and the Yi Army, to reinforce Tianjin, under the command of Li Hongzhang and Ronglu."

"Let Nie Shicheng lead his troops back to Fengtian to provide reinforcements, and also let him assist in the affairs of the Beiyang Army."

"Yu Lu, the General of Xi'an, was transferred to be the General of Shengjing."

Emperor Guangxu, the Grand Secretary of the Qing Dynasty, made a detailed note of everything.

Then he asked again, "What about Port Arthur and Korea?"

Empress Dowager Cixi looked at him coldly.

"Leave it all to Chang Desheng."

She paused, then said, word by word, "Give him an imperial commissioner to oversee military affairs in Liaonan, Korea, and Weihaiwei. I want to see if he can hold out."

At the very moment that Emperor Guangxu, the "Grand Secretary of the Qing Dynasty," left the Hall of Longevity and Happiness in the Summer Palace, on the iron pier of Liugong Island...

Chang Desheng, Duan Zhigui, Zhang Wenxuan, Cao Kun, and Li Chun are all here!

They are waiting for the ship here.

Soon, the mast appeared in the distance.

First one, then another one —

Cao Kun was the first to shout, "They're here! They're German ships! Two of them!"

Duan Zhigui's expression suddenly changed: "No—that ship behind isn't German!"

Zhang Wenxuan also saw it clearly: "It's the British Union Jack! Those are British cruisers!"

The group exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with surprise.

Now, Qing and Japan have officially declared war!

Weihaiwei was the front line of the battle between the two sides. At this time, British and German warships swaggered into the dock of Liugong Island and picked up Chang Desheng, the Qing army's commander-in-chief, from the port that was under Japanese surveillance, and sent him to the Nanpu Army's headquarters in Zhennanpu. What does this mean?

This is telling everyone that Chang Desheng is jointly supported by our Great British Empire and the German Empire!

However, Chang Desheng was not as excited as Duan Zhigui, Cao Kun, and Li Chun.

Because he knew that imperialist support wasn't so easy to obtain!

Later at sea, there will likely be another challenging "interview" to pass.

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