Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 426 Rewarding the Adoptive Father
In fact, the Hou Party had already started the peace talks.

As early as when Aritomo Yamagata broke through the Yalu River defense line, the Zongli Yamen began to seek help from Britain, Russia, France and the United States, and asked the Western powers to mediate.

But Japan would not buy it. At that time, the Qing Dynasty had not yet been hurt. What they could not get on the battlefield, they could not get at the negotiating table either.

Therefore, Japan refused to negotiate, and even Li Zhongtang's German adviser was unable to meet with the Japanese leader.

Next, the Qing court sent two high-ranking ministers to negotiate.

At that time, Japan was attacking Weihaiwei, preparing to annihilate the Beiyang Fleet.

According to international practice, if the two countries formally initiate peace talks, a truce must be reached.

Therefore, the Japanese representative Ito Hirobumi deliberately found faults and refused to negotiate, so Zhang and Shao had to return empty-handed.

When Nozu Michitsugu swept through the Northeast and was invincible, the Qing government lost important towns such as Niuzhuang, Yingkou, Tianzhuangtai one after another, and Fengtian, Shanhaiguan, and even the capital were facing a huge crisis, Emperor Guangxu had to accept a reality.

It’s not that Li Hongzhang and the Huai Army were incompetent. If someone from his own camp were to command them, the results would be just as bad, or even worse.

Forced by reality, Emperor Guangxu had to revoke the punishment against Li Hongzhang for his failed war and appointed him as the first plenipotentiary minister for peace talks with Japan.

On February 24, Li Zhongtang began peace talks with the Japanese plenipotentiary representatives Ito Hirobumi and Mutsu Munemitsu at the Shunpanlou in Shimonoseki, Japan.

Li Hongzhang first asked to negotiate a ceasefire and then a peace treaty.

Japan took the opportunity to blackmail, proposing that the Japanese army must occupy Dagu, Tianjin, Shanhaiguan and other places, and take over the Tianjin-Shanhaiguan railway as a condition for a ceasefire.

On February 28, Li Hongzhang had to give up the negotiation of a ceasefire and agree to negotiate the peace terms first.

Unexpectedly, on the same day, Li Hongzhang was suddenly stabbed by the Japanese ronin Toyotaro Koyama.

The Japanese government was worried that this would lead to interference from a third country, and at the same time, it was unable to continue fighting, so it signed a peace treaty on March 5th.

However, the truce period was only 21 days and was limited to the northern region. Japan took advantage of the opportunity of the truce and peace talks to send the Fourth Army to occupy Taiwan, Penghu and other places.

When the armistice agreement was signed, Qu Shaoyang led the Dingbian Army, the militia, and the militia and local militia who came to reinforce from Huairen, Tonghua and other places, nearly 20,000 people, fought bloody battles for three days and three nights, and finally captured the city of Andong.

Most of the Japanese troops left in Andong City were killed or wounded, and only a small number broke through and fled to Xiuyan and other places.

After continuous battles, the Dingbian Army and the militia were exhausted. The signing of the armistice agreement gave everyone a chance to catch their breath.

So everyone stayed in Andong City to recuperate and wait for instructions from Zhang Xiulan or the court.

On March 23, Qing court representatives Li Hongzhang and Li Jingfang and Japanese representatives Ito Hirobumi and Mutsu Munemitsu signed a peace treaty at Shunpanlou in Shimonoseki.

The treaty stipulated that the Qing government recognized Goryeo as a completely independent and autonomous country and abolished the system of Goryeo paying tribute to the Qing government.

The Qing government ceded the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan and paid Japan 200 million taels of silver in compensation for military expenses, among many other harsh conditions.

When the news reached China, it was met with unanimous opposition from the people across the country.

Except for a few traitors, everyone was heartbroken and there was a wave of opposition to the treaty in the Qing Dynasty.

The people of Northeast China, especially those in Liaodong, were furious when they heard the news that the Liaodong Peninsula would be ceded to Japan.

They proposed that the territory must not be ceded, and asked the Qing government to send troops, cooperate in politics, build strongholds and defend. They continued to fight against the Japanese invaders by clearing the fields and building strongholds.

Chen Yunzhe joined forces with a group of scholars from Fengtian and wrote a joint letter, arguing that the Qing Dynasty's land should not be given to others.

In the letter, Chen Yunzhe and others also analyzed the reasons for the defeat and put forward four tactical suggestions.

Some officials, especially in the northeast, have also called for long-term resistance.

The memorial pointed out that since 200 million taels of silver could be paid as indemnity, why not use the same 200 million taels as military pay for 20 years to train 100,000 elite soldiers?
They proposed a long-term resistance strategy of "abolishing the peace treaty, persisting in the war, and lasting for ten years."

He further proposed that we should rely on the people of Northeast China, or local hunters, as well as the urban and rural militias, and train them seriously, so that we would definitely be able to defeat the Japanese invaders and prevent the loss of the land.

Under the influence of this public opinion, the Qing troops stationed in the Northeast also telegraphed requests to go to war.

The joint memorial from the generals of Shengjing, Jilin and Heilongjiang also stated that the Liaodong army has now been assembled, and all subordinates have their own groups. The soldiers and civilians are still motivated, and they all share the same hatred and are working hard to restore the country.

They believed that with the military strength of Feng Province, they could still fight against the enemy.

Qu Shaoyang also told Zhang Xiulan that the Dingbian Army was not afraid of the Japanese pirates.

As long as the court supports them to continue fighting, they are willing to fight with all their might, even if the Dingbian Army is left with only one soldier, they will never retreat.

But it is obvious that the Qing government had no intention of fighting a protracted war.

For Empress Dowager Cixi, the actual supreme ruler of the Qing Dynasty, her power base, the Huai Army belonging to her party, was wiped out in this war.

If this war continues, only the imperial party can continue to command it.

It is obvious that whoever commands the war will have military power.

If the imperial party took control of the military power, the empress' party headed by Cixi would lose its dominant position, which they did not want to see.

Therefore, no matter how loudly there were voices of opposition to the treaty from the outside world, the imperial court was determined to cede territory and pay compensation.

So, on April 8th, the Qing court formally approved the peace treaty.

Due to the intervention of Russia, Germany and France, on April 11, the Japanese government announced that it would give up its permanent occupation of the Liaodong Peninsula.

In May, the Qing government borrowed a large sum of money from the Russian and French joint banks using customs taxes as collateral, and eventually paid the entire indemnity to Japan in four installments.

After the peace talks were completed, the treaty was signed, and the compensation was paid, the court could finally rest assured.

Of course, Japan has not withdrawn its troops yet, and the two sides are still arguing and discussing the relevant issues of returning the Liaodong Peninsula.

Naturally, Japan was unwilling to return the Liaodong Peninsula easily and wanted to take another bite of the fat meat.

However, this time the military and civilians of Dongbiandao were commended for their heroic resistance against the Japanese invaders.

Zhang Xiulan made outstanding contributions in commanding the anti-Japanese war and was officially appointed as the governor of the Eastern Military Preparations Circuit. His official rank was promoted from the fourth rank to the second rank, and he was given the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Rong Xi, the former magistrate of Andong, deserted the battlefield and abandoned the city of Andong. He should have been punished, but in consideration of his contributions in fighting against the Japanese pirates, he was appointed magistrate of Kuandian.

The same thing happened to Zhang Yue, the co-magistrate of Fenghuang Zhili Hall. He was not held accountable for his past and was transferred to another place to take up a post.

Qu Shaoyang, the former inspector of the Yalu River and the general manager of the East Road Tax, led the Dingbian Army to fight against the Japanese pirates and recovered Fenghuang City, Andong and other places, making outstanding contributions.

He was specially granted the fourth-rank military merit and was appointed as the Inspector General of the Eastern Road, the Training Commander of the Eastern Road, and concurrently the Taxation Supervisor, a fourth-rank official position.

Chen Yunhan, the former commander of the Kuandian militia, led the people to fight against the Japanese pirates and recaptured Kuandian. He was specially awarded the fifth-rank military merit and was appointed as the garrison commander of the Eastern Road and deputy envoy of the militia, a fifth-rank official.

Chen Yunzhe, a scholar from Kuandian, was an outstanding scholar with outstanding talents and both civil and military skills. However, he was unable to take part in this year's spring examination due to his involvement in the anti-Japanese war.

In recognition of his achievements, Chen Yunzhe was specially appointed as the Tongzhi of Fenghuang Zhili Hall, and he is to take office today.

The Dingbian Army was brave and good at fighting in defending the country, so the court specially approved its retention. It was still led by Qu Shaoyang and was under the control of the Dongbian Road, responsible for maintaining public order in the Dongbian Road and eliminating border threats.

Zhao Zhengguo, Zheng Tiezhu and others were rewarded and stayed in the Dingbian Army. After the imperial edict was read out, Zhang Xiluan and others saluted respectfully.

Afterwards, Zhang Xiulan gave a wink, and someone presented a generous gift to express his gratitude, and then accompanied the messenger to rest somewhere else.

After the official who delivered the imperial edict left, everyone congratulated each other. After a lively conversation, Zhang Xiulan ordered a banquet to be held in the mansion in the evening to celebrate.

"Congratulations to Lord Qu for being appointed as the Inspector General. From now on, you will rise to a high position in the world. Congratulations."

Zhang Xiulan called Qu Shaoyang to his study room alone and congratulated him with a smile on his face.

“Shaoyang is where he is today, thanks to your cultivation and support.

Thanks to your Excellency for not abandoning me and for helping me several times, Shaoyang has the opportunity to serve the court and make great achievements. Your Excellency's kindness to Shaoyang is as great as the sky, please accept my greetings. "

Qu Shaoyang, however, was very respectful and bowed deeply to Zhang Xiulan to thank him for his support.

If Zhang Xiulan had not rescued him, Qu Shaoyang would have never joined the army and served the country. He would have been stripped of his official position by Yilin and returned home to farm. How could he have the glory he has today?

Therefore, Qu Shaoyang was truly grateful to Zhang Xiulan.

"Oh, no, no, no.

Lord Qu is now also a fourth-rank official. We are officials in the same court, but I dare not accept such a great gift from you."

When Zhang Xiulan saw this, he hurriedly supported Qu Shaoyang.

“Sir, you treat Shaoyang like a nephew and show great love and care for him. This tribute is not about official position, but personal feelings.

Shao Yang respects and admires you as a person, and would like to ask you for more guidance in the future. If you don't mind, I would like to take you as my foster father."

Qu Shaoyang refused to do so no matter what and insisted on bowing, and even made such a request.

The experience of the past six months has made Qu Shaoyang increasingly realize that if he wants to make it in the officialdom, he must have a strong background.

At the moment, the highest-ranking official that Qu Shaoyang can have a say over is Zhang Xiulan.

Moreover, Zhang Xiulan obviously admired Qu Shaoyang very much, so Qu Shaoyang took the opportunity to propose that he wanted to make him his godfather.

Zhang Xiluan was stunned at first, then overjoyed, "Shaoyang, are you serious?"

"Every word Shaoyang said came from his heart, not a single word was false." Qu Shaoyang nodded sincerely.

"Good, good, good, Shaoyang is a young man of talent, wisdom and courage. It is a blessing to have such a good son.

Since you are sincere and I really like you, I will take advantage of my age and accept you as my adopted son."

Zhang Xiulan also realized that Qu Shaoyang was indeed no ordinary person. He was a fourth-rank official at a young age and commanded 8,000 soldiers of the Dingbian Army.

Such people must be recruited under your command and cannot be taken away by others.

So Zhang Xiulan went with the flow and agreed.

"My godfather, please accept my greetings." Upon hearing this, Qu Shaoyang immediately knelt down and kowtowed in a proper manner.

This time, Zhang Xiulan did not stop him. He sat upright on the chair and accepted Qu Shaoyang's kneeling worship.

"Okay, okay, get up quickly, get up quickly." After Qu Shaoyang finished his worship, Zhang Xiluan hurriedly helped him up.

"Oh, look at what happened. I didn't even have time to give you a gift." Zhang Xiulan slapped his forehead and said in annoyance.

"It's my turn to honor my adoptive father, but you see, I'm not prepared.

In this way, when Shaoyang returns to Maoer Mountain, he will definitely prepare a big gift to honor his adoptive father. "Qu Shaoyang smiled when he heard this.

Qu Shaoyang's words made Zhang Xiulan very happy and smiling.

Taking the opportunity, Zhang Xiulan taught Qu Shaoyang a lot of rules of officialdom in person, and Qu Shaoyang benefited a lot from it.

The two chatted in the study for a long time until they received a message from outside saying that the banquet was ready. Then they left the study and celebrated with a group of officials.

The banquet lasted from the afternoon until quite late, and in the end, everyone was drunk and left.

The war is over. Although Japan has not withdrawn its troops and is still arguing, everything has calmed down on the eastern side.

There was a lot of work to be done, and all the officials were busy rebuilding the city walls and protecting the people.

Although Qu Shaoyang was promoted, his main responsibility as an inspector was to maintain stability in the Yalu River Basin and the upper reaches of the Songhua River, and he had to inspect various places under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Circuit every year.

Relatively speaking, Maoer Mountain is located in the middle and is more suitable.

Therefore, Qu Shaoyang does not need to stay in Phoenix City to serve. He has to go back to Maoer Mountain, and the Dingbian Army will also take most of them away to continue maintaining public order.

Just like that, on the eighth day of the intercalary fifth month, Qu Shaoyang bid farewell to his two uncles and led Zhou Chuanyong, Wang Musen, Zheng Tiezhu and others back to Maoer Mountain.

However, Zhao Zhengguo and several other fellow disciples stayed in Kuandian and Phoenix City to garrison.

After all, this place is closer to Liaoyang, and it will be more convenient to bring my family over later.

Qu Shaoyang and others have been away from home for more than half a year and are eager to return home. They wish they could go back home immediately.

So we traveled day and night, without stopping, and after a few days, we finally returned to Maoer Mountain.

The people in Maoer Mountain had received the news long ago, and almost everyone came out to greet them.

The families of the soldiers who followed Qu Shaoyang to the battlefield were all stretching their necks and waiting for their family members to come back for a reunion.

"Here he comes, here he comes, he's back." As soon as they saw a figure from a distance, everyone here started shouting and ran towards the direction of the person who came.

"Master Qu, you are finally back. Where is our second son? Is he back?"

Everyone came forward and asked questions at once.

"My fellow villagers, Shaoyang is sorry to all of you.

I led more than 5,000 people out, but now only 3,000 have returned with me." Qu Shaoyang felt depressed when he saw the faces of people who were looking forward to their family members' return and reunion.

This time, he led his troops to fight against the Japanese pirates, suffered huge losses, and countless people died on the battlefield.

Qu Shaoyang recruited a total of more than 6,000 people from Maoer Mountain, Shuangdianzi and other places. Excluding the 1,000 who returned early with the Xing family, there are only over 3,000 left of the remaining 5,000 people.

Upon hearing this, everyone became even more anxious and rushed forward to look for their relatives.

Everyone is naturally happy when their loved ones return safe and sound.

Some of the soldiers who died on the battlefield had no time to be buried and could only bring back one or two personal belongings.

When the family saw the relics, they couldn't help but burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)