Beiyang Dream

西曆1891年，7月12日，上午8点30分。

Right now, the main gate of the Qing Concession is almost bursting with people.

Chang Desheng, the current head of the Qing concession, was overjoyed!

He was standing at the second-floor window of the telegraph office, peering out through binoculars with a smug look. The gates of the Qing concession were teeming with people, at least seven or eight hundred, and the number was still growing. There were Japanese women in kimonos, holding children, their faces streaked with tears. They must have suffered considerable losses; perhaps their husbands had died, leaving them widows… There were Western merchants in suits, carrying suitcases, their faces contorted with rage. Most were Russians; this place was very close to Russia, and many of those doing business here came from Vladivostok. They dared not stay in the Wonsan Japanese concession any longer; who knew if those Japanese, who had even slaughtered the Russian crown prince, would chop them to pieces? There were also several local Koreans, barefoot, helping elderly people, their faces filled with helplessness. How had their country become like this?

Chang Desheng put down his binoculars, a smug look on his face: "Hehe, now my Qing concession has become the UNHCR."

Luo Shijie, who had just led a few "educated youths" from Borneo to throw several bombs and set fire to the Russian consular office, was now standing behind him. He had even put his fake queue back on, put back on his Huai Army uniform, and was carrying a waist knife; he looked quite smart. He heard Chang Desheng muttering, but didn't quite catch it, thinking that Lord Chang was giving an order, so he asked, "Sir, what did you say?" "Nothing." Chang Desheng waved his hand, "Go down and tell Cao Zhongshan not to block the door and prevent people from entering. The elderly, women, and children should be given priority; able-bodied men should line up for inspection; no weapons are allowed. Anyone who causes trouble should be tied up."

Luo Shijie responded and turned to go downstairs.

Chang Desheng raised his binoculars again and glanced into the depths of the former concession.

Smoke was still rising over there. The fire at the Russian consular office was still burning, and the gaping hole blasted open by artillery shells at the dock was clearly visible. Further away, on the sea, the gray hull of the Azov lay quietly anchored, its guns still pointed towards the shore.

He quickly assessed the situation: the Russian warship had fired three shots in total—one to the dock warehouse, one to the Japanese concession telegraph office, and one tore off half the roof of the Japanese Residents' Association building. The one to the telegraph office was the most devastating; a six-inch high-explosive shell hit directly, completely collapsing the brick and wood structure. Most of the equipment and personnel inside were likely lost.

Now, "Daqing Telegraph" became the only telegraph office in Yuanshan that could send telegrams to the outside world.

After firing three shots, the Russian ships did not fire again, indicating that the captains of the Russian armored cruisers were also observing the situation. Although the Russian Pacific Fleet was stronger than the Japanese Navy, they did not want to start a full-scale war with Japan over Motoyama.

It wasn't that the Russians loved peace, but rather that they had much grander ambitions. They were unwilling to unite the Qing Dynasty, Japan, and Korea into a single, unprepared entity through an unplanned war.

It's estimated that the Russians want to wait until the Trans-Siberian Railway is completed before they try to seize Northeast China... Historically, that's exactly what they did! The Japanese police retreated a little, but they still persisted, indicating that Qiaokou was still holding out; he dared not abandon the concession and flee back to Japan.

In short, both sides are now waiting for a step that will allow them to breathe a sigh of relief.

Only Chang Desheng, a fourth-rank official of the Qing Dynasty, could grant him this rank.

Outside the gate, Cao Kun's voice was almost hoarse from shouting.

"Don't rush, don't rush! Everyone can come in! One at a time!"

Pu Xian, standing beside him, shouted, "Register first! Name! Nationality!"

An elderly Japanese merchant shakily handed over a wakizashi (a type of Japanese sword), its blade tattered and worn. Pu Xian took it and tossed it into a nearby basket: "Knife confiscated! I'll return it to you when you leave! Next!"

Cao Kun wiped his sweat, turned to Pu Xian and said, "This is damn tiring, even more so than fighting a war."

Just as Pu Xian was about to reply, he saw a short man squeeze through the crowd. He was wearing a black suit with the collar askew, and his face was covered in sweat; he had clearly run there. The man pushed his way to the door and shouted in broken Chinese, "I'm from the Japanese Consulate! I want to see Lord Chang! Consul Hashiguchi sent me!" Cao Kun's eyes lit up, and he quickly gave Pu Xian a wink.

Pu Xian grabbed the short man's arm and, without a word, dragged him through the gate: "Come with me!"

The second floor of the telegraph office.

Duan Qirui was holding a codebook, translating the telegram Chang Desheng had just dictated to Yuan Shikai informing him of the latest situation in Wonsan into Morse code. After writing down the last set of numbers, he looked up at Chang Desheng and asked, "Brother Zhenbang, should we specify that the Japanese burned down the Russian consulate's office first, and the Russians fired their cannons afterward?"

Chang Desheng didn't even turn his head: "Of course we can't write it down... If we don't write it down, we're the key witnesses, so whoever says first goes first!" That makes sense... I've learned something new!

Duan Qirui nodded, put away the telegram, and got up to leave when he heard hurried footsteps coming from the stairwell. Pu Xian was pulling a short Japanese man up the stairs.

Duan Qirui was taken aback: "Who is this?"

"From the Japanese consulate," Pu Xian gasped, "sent by Hashiguchi to ask for help!"

The short Japanese man knelt down as soon as he saw Chang Desheng and mumbled a string of Japanese.

Chang Desheng turned around, looked at the man on the ground, and raised an eyebrow: "Speak human language. No, speak Chinese. Can you speak it?"

The man quickly switched to Chinese, and although it was halting, it was at least understandable: "I am Masao Kobayashi, secretary of the Japanese consulate in Motoyama! Consul Hashiguchi ordered me to come here to implore Lord Chang to send troops to our aid! The Russians have already taken control of the docks, and our police have suffered heavy casualties. If we do not receive reinforcements, the Japanese concession will be finished!"

Chang Desheng feigned silence for a few seconds.

But he was overjoyed... Great! It's finally here! Now he has an excuse to move into the Japanese concession.

But he didn't show it on his face at all; instead, he frowned and said, "Send troops to rescue them? Mr. Kobayashi, as you know, I am an official of the Qing Dynasty. If word gets out that I'm leading troops into the Japanese concession, it will be difficult to explain to the imperial court."

Kobayashi Masao grew anxious: "Lord Chang! Now is not the time to argue about this! His Excellency the Consul said that as long as Lord Chang is willing to send troops, any conditions are negotiable! His Excellency the Consul can also provide a written invitation!"

Chang Desheng was waiting for this very sentence.

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Never mind, saving lives is the priority. Go back and tell Consul at the bridgehead that I will assemble the troops and set off immediately." Kobayashi Masao thanked him profusely, got up, bowed several more times, and ran off.

Chang Desheng watched his retreating figure disappear at the top of the stairs, a slight smile playing on his lips. Then he turned and spoke a string of German to Duan Qirui, who was still there:

"Zhiquan, after you send the telegram, immediately go to the Kowshing and ask Captain Smith to go to the Russian armored cruiser and tell their captain... that our Great Qing will send troops into the Japanese concession port area to isolate Japan and Russia in order to maintain peace. We also hope to use the Kowshing as a base to arrange a meeting between representatives of Japan and Russia to mediate, clarify misunderstandings, and prevent the situation from escalating further."

Duan Qirui was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

Then he rolled his eyes inwardly: Brilliant! You're the one stirring up trouble from behind the scenes, and now you're jumping out to mediate, controlling the port under the guise of maintaining peace... It's you again! Where did you learn this trick? Was it from the Prussian War Academy?

But what he actually said was, "I understand."

He turned and went downstairs, thinking as he walked: I need to be careful of Chang Zhenbang in the future. He's too calculating—no, not too calculating, but too daring! He's willing to scheme against anyone!

Japanese Concession, Minato Ward.

Naoemon Hashiguchi stood behind a house riddled with bullet holes, looking toward the docks, his face ashen.

Borovkov's Russian soldiers had already taken control of the dock. They had erected a makeshift fortification at the end of the pier using planks and large sacks of unknown contents, setting up Berdan rifles with the muzzles pointed directly at the Japanese concession. Meanwhile, Inspector Shimada, with twenty or thirty policemen, had set up a defensive line outside the port area, using furniture and planks to create a roadblock. The two sides were less than a hundred paces apart, neither daring to make the first move, but neither willing to back down.

Hashiguchi was dictating a telegram to a subordinate: "...The Russians, using the pretext of an explosion and fire at the consular office in Motoyama, opened fire on the port warehouses and launched a bayonet assault with their marines. Fourteen of our police officers were killed, eleven were seriously wounded, and Police Chief Shimada was shot in the head and has died in action. More than fifty civilians were killed or wounded, including five women and three children. The telegraph office has been destroyed by Russian naval fire, and we can only rely on the Qing Dynasty for external communication. We have now withdrawn from the dock area..."

He sighed bitterly as he finished speaking.

It's over! The Yuanshan Japanese Concession is probably doomed!

He was just thinking about whether to add a phrase like "prepared to die for the emperor" to the telegram when he suddenly heard a commotion behind him.

"Qing reinforcements have arrived!"

"The Great Qing Dynasty, Banzai!"

Qiaokou quickly turned around and saw a large Qing army marching down the street. Seven or eight cavalrymen led the way, their horses' hooves clattering on the stone pavement. Behind them were dozens of infantrymen, carrying rifles with bayonets fixed, arranged in two neat columns. A Qing dynasty dragon flag fluttered in the wind at the head of the procession.

The man surrounded by seven or eight cavalrymen was Chang Desheng, dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank Daoist official and riding a short horse.

Our savior has finally arrived!

The man at the bridgehead breathed a sigh of relief.

He felt his eyes getting hot.

He turned to the telegraph director and said, "One more thing: Lord Chang, the Qing Dynasty's garrison commander in Korea, has led Qing troops to aid our concession." (On the armored cruiser Azov)

Colonel Leontiev stood on the bridge, holding up his binoculars, watching the scene on the shore.

He saw a troop of Qing troops marching into the Japanese concession. The young official leading them was riding a horse; he was quite tall and wore a gaudy official uniform, and he did have a certain air of authority.

After the Qing army entered the Japanese concession, it continued to advance and finally stopped outside the dock, where it deployed along both sides of the street, effectively separating the Russian and Japanese troops.

Leontiev put down his binoculars and breathed a sigh of relief.

The time to know when to quit while you're ahead has finally come.

He turned to the officer on duty and said, "Please ask Captain Smith to wait in the officers' lounge. I'll see him shortly."

The officer on duty paused, taken aback: "Captain Smith of the Kworshing? Didn't you just refuse to see him..."

"That was just now, and this is now." Leontiev straightened his uniform. "Just now, the Qing army hadn't even entered the Japanese concession yet, but now... they've arrived and become the armed force controlling most of the Japanese concession. Of course, they can be served."

The officer on duty turned to relay the order. A moment later, an Englishman in a dark blue captain's uniform with a greyish-white beard entered the captain's cabin. Captain Smith removed his hat and nodded slightly to Leontiev: "Colonel, it's a pleasure to have you see me."

Leontiev gestured to the sofa and said in English, "Please sit down, Captain. Are you here to deliver a message for the Qing people?"

"Indeed." Smith sat down and said unhurriedly, "Mr. Ping Desheng, the Qing Dynasty's military commander in Korea, asked me to convey to you that he will send troops into the Japanese concession port area to separate our two sides and maintain peace. At the same time, he hopes to use the location of the Kowshing ship to arrange a meeting between your country's and Japan's representatives for mediation in order to prevent the situation from escalating further."

Leontiev was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Can the Qing people... guarantee that the Japanese won't take the opportunity to attack my marines?" "Lord Chang said he can guarantee that," Smith replied. "His troops will be positioned between you. Whoever fires first, he'll attack." Leontiev snorted but didn't refute. He stood up, walked to the porthole, looked at the dragon flag fluttering on the shore, remained silent for a long while, then turned around: "Tell Lord Chang that I accept mediation. But on one condition: my naval infantry must remain on the dock until the negotiations are over. This is to ensure the safety of our nationals."

Smith nodded. "Okay, I'll pass it on."

Seoul, the Qing Dynasty's Zongli Yamen (Office of Foreign Affairs) in Korea.

Inside the signing room, Yuan Shikai was discussing matters with Tang Shaoyi.

A telegram lay open on the table, the first telegram Chang Desheng had sent this morning. It had just been translated and read: "This morning, Russian troops ascended Yuanshan Mountain, entered the Japanese concession, and clashed with Japanese police. Gunfire has been heard..."

Yuan Shikai, holding his teacup, said slowly, "Shaochuan, what do you think of this matter... is it a blessing or a curse?"

Tang Shaoyi thought for a moment: "Whether it's a blessing or a curse depends on how Chang Zhenbang handles it. If he handles it well, it will be an opportunity for us to establish our authority in Korea. If he handles it poorly..."

"If he doesn't handle it well, he'll have to take the blame," Yuan Shikai continued. "But I believe in this kid; if he dares to start a fire, he has the ability to put it out." Tang Shaoyi nodded and then asked, "What about the Grand Secretary...?"

"Wait a minute," Yuan Shikai said, setting down his teacup. "Let's see if Chang Zhenbang sends a second telegram..."

He had barely finished speaking when the door was kicked open.

A servant burst in carrying a telegram, his voice so loud it could be heard throughout the corridor: "Lord Yuan! A telegram from the Chief Secretary! A fight has broken out!! A fight has broken out!"

Yuan Shikai jumped to his feet: "Read it!"

The attendant, panting heavily, stammered, "The Japanese set fire to the Russian consulate; Russian warships opened fire, bombarding the Japanese concession. Russian soldiers and Japanese police clashed in the harbor, resulting in casualties on both sides. The Commissioner General led troops into the concession to quell the unrest, end the conflict, and invited both Japan and Russia to meet at the Kowshing to discuss peace talks."

Yuan Shikai was stunned for two seconds after hearing this.

Then he burst into laughter, startling Tang Shaoyi. Yuan Shikai ignored him, simply snatched the telegram, read it again himself, and then lowered his voice to say to Tang Shaoyi, "Shaochuan, this Chang Zhenbang is quite the character! He not only started the fire, but he's also turned himself into a firefighter!" Tang Shaoyi was taken aback: "Brother Weiting, you think Chang Zhenbang started this fire?"

Yuan Shikai chuckled: "Most likely..."

He slammed the telegram on the table: "Quickly! Send a telegram to His Excellency! Say that Russian troops have landed at Yuanshan and clashed with Japanese police; Russian warships have shelled the Japanese concession in Yuanshan; the Russian consulate's representative office in Yuanshan has been set on fire by the Japanese; Chang Zhenbang has led troops into the Japanese concession to maintain peace; and requests that both sides negotiate on the Gaosheng ship. Please, His Excellency, quickly decide on a strategy!"

The attendant responded and turned to run away.

Yuan Shikai picked up the telegram again, waved it, and said to Tang Shaoyi, "Very good, very good. This shot from the Russians has completely revitalized the Beiyang government's chessboard in Korea. Now, we should seriously consider how to break free from the shackles of the Tianjin Convention!"