Beiyang Dream

The Hall of Joyful Longevity in the Summer Palace.

Yuan Shikai is gone... I wonder if he will ever come back.

Empress Dowager Cixi watched his figure disappear outside the vermilion gate, remaining silent for a long time.

After a while, Emperor Guangxu finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly: "Dear Father, what... what should we do?"

Empress Dowager Cixi glanced at him and sighed deeply.

"Your sixth uncle," she said, "said the day before yesterday that he was going to move the Hunan Army north. I wonder what his plans are."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Guangxu immediately perked up.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Emperor Guangxu nodded repeatedly. "Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang! Their Xiang Army was a great contributor to the preservation of the Qing Dynasty! Back then, the Taiping Rebellion was so fierce, wasn't it the Xiang Army that wiped them out? And the Hui Rebellion, and the Xinjiang Rebellion, were all fought by the Xiang Army! My father said, mobilize the Xiang Army! Quickly mobilize the Xiang Army!"

Weng Tonghe, still kneeling inside the Hall of Joyful Longevity, quickly echoed, "Your Majesty is wise! The loyalty and bravery of the Xiang Army are known throughout the land. As long as the Xiang Army marches north, the Japanese pirates will certainly not be able to run rampant anymore! This old minister believes that this matter should be handled swiftly and without delay. An imperial edict should be issued immediately, ordering the governors-general of Liangjiang and Huguang..."

He went on and on, praising the Hunan Army to the skies.

Hearing the master and apprentice's back-and-forth banter, the Empress Dowager Cixi became even more annoyed. The old lady understood the thoughts of Emperor Guangxu and his tutor... They were unwilling to admit defeat and still wanted to fight!

What troubled the old lady even more was that there were many people in Beijing who refused to admit defeat! Most of them were still her confused eighth brother.

These fools, seeing all sorts of "great victories" reported in the newspapers, became like they'd been injected with adrenaline, clamoring for war and completely ignoring the fact that the battle lines were getting closer and closer to Beijing...

What's even more infuriating is that the Beiyang Army and the Beiyang Fleet would frequently report victories and "win photos"—emphasizing that there was photographic evidence! Sometimes, there were even foreigners to testify, so you couldn't accuse them of fabricating achievements!

But this battlefront is getting closer and closer to Beijing...

Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Cixi could only sigh: "Go and summon Prince Gong!"

There's nothing we can do... The front lines are winning every time, so even if she wanted to cede territory and pay reparations, she couldn't bring herself to do it!

Otherwise, her subordinates would regard her as a traitor!

……

Before long, Prince Gong Yixin arrived with a worried look on his face.

He knelt down on the military aircraft mat, kowtowed, and then knelt there listlessly.

Emperor Guangxu was anxious. As soon as he saw him arrive, he immediately asked, "Sixth Uncle! How's the matter of mobilizing the Xiang Army to defend the emperor going?"

Prince Gong paused, glanced at Emperor Guangxu, and then said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, the Xiang Army has always been loyal and brave, and there are indeed many capable men. The Governor-General of Liangjiang, Liu Kunyi, and the Governor of Hunan, Wu Dacheng, have both replied, saying that as soon as the court issues an edict, they will immediately recruit troops to march north. Liu Kunyi said he can gather a dozen or so battalions, and Wu Dacheng said he can also gather about ten battalions..."

Emperor Guangxu did not understand what Prince Gong was saying at all. What Prince Gong said was, "Immediately recruit soldiers and march north..." In other words, the soldiers were not yet available, but they were to be recruited!

This "Grand Secretary of the Qing Dynasty" turned to Empress Dowager Cixi and said, "Dear Father! Did you hear that? Immediately issue an edict to mobilize the Xiang Army!"

Empress Dowager Cixi did not respond to his words.

She looked at Prince Gong and asked, "Prince Gong, how many Xiang Army troops are readily available?"

Prince Gong sighed: "Your Majesty, the Hunan Army that is immediately available... consists of five battalions of Li Guangjiu's old Hunan Army, four battalions of Liu Shuyuan's Hunan Provincial Military Command, three battalions of Yu Hu'en's Zhenzi Army, and three battalions of Chen Shi's Jiangnan Army. In total, there are fifteen battalions of soldiers, about six or seven thousand men."

"How much?" Guangxu's smile froze.

"Six or seven thousand."

"How come there's only so little?!" Emperor Guangxu exclaimed anxiously. "Back when we were fighting the Taiping Rebellion, didn't the Xiang Army boast 300,000 men?!"

Prince Gong gave a wry smile: "Your Majesty, that was thirty years ago. After the Xiang Army defeated the Taiping Rebellion, most of them were cut off. Later, Zuo Zongtang took another batch with him on his western expedition, and then some more were used in the Sino-French War. There are really not many of the old troops left."

Of these fifteen battalions, Liu Shuyuan's Fourth Battalion of the Hunan Provincial Military Command was not a remnant of the old Hunan Army; it was newly recruited. Only eleven battalions, with over five thousand men, could truly be considered part of the old Hunan Army…”

Emperor Guangxu's face turned pale instantly.

"This..." Emperor Guangxu's lips trembled. "This is far too few... Does the Qing Dynasty have no soldiers left to use?"

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Prince Gong thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that there aren't any. There are still some usable troops left behind by Zuo Zongtang during his western expedition."

Emperor Guangxu had grasped at another lifeline.

He quickly said, "Then! Then quickly transfer them to Zhili!"

Prince Gong was too embarrassed to tell Emperor Guangxu that the Western Army couldn't actually muster many soldiers... That's just how things are in the Qing Dynasty!

Most of the military budget was used to support the Eighth Brigade, and the remainder was divided among the Re-enlistment Battalion, Training Battalion, and Brave Battalion.

The Green Standard Army and the Eighth Route Army were few in number and practically useless. The Training Army consisted of the "elite" of the Green Standard Army and the Eighth Route Army, trained according to the methods of the Xiang and Huai armies, and were slightly better. However, the Training Army only cost a few million taels of silver a year... With such an expenditure, how many people could be trained? After deducting the largest number, the "Huai Clique," how many would be left?

Prince Gong remained silent for a while, then finally sighed: "Dong Fuxiang, the Kashgar Commander, came to Beijing to offer birthday wishes to the Empress Dowager. He just arrived in Beijing yesterday. He still has some of the old Gansu Army troops under his command, both cavalry and infantry, numbering about several thousand. If the Emperor and Empress Dowager wish to mobilize the Western Army, they can summon him for questioning."

Emperor Guangxu was about to say "good," but he swallowed the words back.

He remembered—his word was not law, even as emperor.

He had no choice but to turn back and look at Empress Dowager Cixi.

Empress Dowager Cixi sighed: "Let's leave it at that for now... Tell Liu Kunyi and Wu Dacheng to quickly recruit soldiers... At the same time, send over the soldiers we have on hand to deal with the emergency. As for Dong Fuxiang, tell him to come to the garden to pay his respects tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

Prince Gong kowtowed to receive the decree and was about to rise and leave when the Empress Dowager Cixi spoke again: "Prince Gong, I think we should expedite this peace negotiation!"

She paused, then continued, "I don't think Yuan Shikai can hold Xinhe. Once Xinhe falls, Tanggu and Dagu will definitely fall... Next, it will be Tianjin and Beijing!"

As she spoke, the Empress Dowager Cixi glanced at the reluctant Emperor Guangxu out of the corner of her eye!

She continued, "Sixth Brother, go find some foreigners again and ask them to mediate. Our Great Qing will never forget their kindness... Oh, right, didn't we arrest a Japanese prince last time and imprison him in the Censorate? Release him and send him to the British Embassy first..."

Upon hearing Cixi's words, Emperor Guangxu felt somewhat unwilling and muttered under his breath, "Dear Father, perhaps Yuan Shikai really can win..."

Empress Dowager Cixi turned and glared at him: "Win? Chang has been winning all the way and retreating all the way! If Yuan Shikai really wins at Xinhe, the Japanese pirates might really head straight for Tianjin and Beijing... I think we should focus on a peace now!"

After saying that, the old lady glanced at Prince Gong again.

Prince Gong quickly kowtowed: "This old minister obeys the decree!"

Emperor Guangxu's face turned pale.

What do you mean by "receiving the imperial decree"? I've already assumed power! I should receive the imperial decree first, then I'll deliver the decree to you... How could you bypass me and receive the decree directly?

"Sixth Brother, Master Weng, you may both kneel and take your leave..."

Empress Dowager Cixi waved her hand, dismissing Prince Gong and Weng Tonghe. Watching their departing figures, the old lady suddenly heard someone mutter beside her, "If only Yuan Shikai had won..."

......

At the same moment that Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu summoned Prince Gong, north of Xinhe Town.

Outside Xiaowangzhuang Village, twelve 7-cent mountain cannons were lined up in a row, firing directly at Xinhe Town!

"Bang!"

"Bang! Bang!"

"Bang bang bang!"

One shell after another flew from the cannon barrels, trailing screams, flying more than three miles before crashing into the city wall and the earthen embankment surrounding Xinhe Town. Puffs of black smoke rose up, obscuring the entire section of the city wall. Bricks and tiles flew everywhere, and many of the abatis on the earthen embankment were overturned.

Prince Fushimi Sadaya stood on a small earthen mound outside the village, holding up binoculars, watching the billowing smoke and dust over Xinhe Town, and nodded in satisfaction.

He turned to the photographer behind him and said, "Come on, take a picture of me. Make sure you capture the cannon fire over there, and the city walls."

The photographer quickly set up his wooden box-like camera, stuck his head inside the black cloth, fiddled with it for a while, and then poked his head out to say, "Your Highness, please stand in that spot, yes, next to that rock. Turn your body slightly to the side, okay, like that. Hold it, don't move."

The prince stood there, one hand on his hip and the other holding a telescope, striking a pose of command.

With a "bang," the magnesium powder exploded and ignited, sending up white smoke.

The photographer emerged from under the black cloth, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "The photo is done, Your Highness."

King Jeongae then asked, "Could we capture the artillery fire over there?"

The photographer nodded: "Yes, Your Highness. The smoke from the exploding shells has been captured."

"Excellent!" Prince Zhen was delighted!

When he fought in Beitang before, he wasn't quite used to this kind of "photo battle," but he adapted quickly and has now become a "photo-winning enthusiast."

He pretended to cross his arms and said, "When we charge later, you'll go up with the warriors of the Fourth Regiment. Make sure to take pictures of the Imperial Army capturing Xinhe Town."

"Hai!" the photographer bowed.

The shelling continued.

The twelve mountain guns fired for a good half hour, firing at least two or three hundred shells.

Looking at the city wall of Xinhe Town, it was riddled with craters, and several places had collapsed. The outer fortifications were also largely destroyed.

Prince Zhen'ai guessed that there were definitely no survivors on the city wall!

His Fourth Brigade won this battle again!

If we keep winning like this, we'll soon be able to win our way into Beijing, right?

Ha ha......

He snapped out of his reverie and turned to Colonel Nakagi beside him, saying, "Cease the shelling. Send the First Battalion up... One hour. In one hour, I need to get into Xinhe Town!"

Colonel Nakagi nodded confidently: "Hai!"

There shouldn't be any constant here... then we're sure to win!

The shelling stopped shortly afterward.

Then, the infantry charge began.

On the open field north of Xinhe Town, seven or eight hundred Japanese soldiers were divided into three skirmish lines. The front row carried rifles, the back row carried ladders, and some carried explosive packs. They swaggered forward.

Why are they swaggering around like that?

The shelling had lasted for over half an hour, and the city walls were completely destroyed. The Huai Army soldiers on top weren't made of iron; they must have been overwhelmed by the bombardment.

Anyone who stood there and took half an hour of shelling would be fucking broken!

And they even "won photos"!

If the Imperial Army were to cower and timid, it would be detrimental to its international image.

The group of Japanese soldiers walked forward while shouting "Banzai," "Banzai."

It was quite rhythmic; the sound grew louder and more urgent.

The morale was incredibly high!

The Japanese soldiers were getting closer and closer to the city wall of Xinhe Town.

We're about to climb into the city!

Princess Zhen'ai lowered her binoculars and smiled at Colonel Nakagi beside her, saying, "Nakagi-kun, look, our Fourth Brigade has won again..."

The word "win" had barely left his lips when Prince Zhen'ai suddenly stopped.

Because he heard that voice again, which was somewhat incompatible with "winning"!

"Da da da da da..."

The sound was coming from under the city wall; it didn't sound good.

Prince Zhen'ai quickly grabbed his binoculars to look.

On the city wall of Xinhe Town, near the northeast and northwest corners, there seemed to be several "small graves" that were...spitting fire!

No, it's spraying bullets!

That's a Maxim machine gun.

This is... an encounter with Chang?

When Prince Zhen'ai thought of this name, four words immediately came to mind: "Defeat is inevitable when facing Chang!"

Thinking of this, he quickly looked ahead again and saw that the row of Japanese soldiers at the very front had fallen down like wheat cut by a sickle!

The Japanese soldiers in the second row hadn't reacted yet and were still charging forward with their heads covered!

But the Maxim machine guns weren't going to tolerate them!

Keep harvesting!

"Da da da da da..."

Another row of people fell down.

In the blink of an eye, at least a hundred Japanese soldiers in front had fallen down, and the rest dared not continue and all lay down on the spot.

Then, King Jeong-ae heard a sound that clashed with the word "win".

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Then he saw seven or eight black dots flying out from behind the city wall of Xinhe Town.

Those black dots drew an arc in the air and landed in the charging Japanese troops.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

Several fireballs exploded!

That's a mortar!

At present, they only have a small amount of equipment with the Qing Dynasty's Beiyang Army!

It's definitely Chang again!

The Fourth Brigade can't win again, damn it!

No, it's not that we can't win, but that the Fourth Division has to find a different way to win!

Thinking of this, Prince Zhen'ai turned to look west, where Beijing was located...

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