Beiyang Dream

July 24, 1891 (Gregorian calendar), morning. Yuanshan Wharf, rain.

It's been raining for days, but it's not heavy right now, just a light drizzle. The air is so humid, it feels like you could wring water out of it.

Chang Desheng stood on the dock, holding an oil-paper umbrella. The hem of his Qing cloth robe was already splattered with mud. Standing next to him were Cao Kun and Wang Zhanyuan, two "direct subordinates," as well as Oishi Masami, the Japanese minister to Korea, Hill (Xi Zaiming), the British consul-general in Seoul, and a Korean man with a big beard, wearing a military uniform that was a mix of Korean and Huai Army styles, with a samurai sword at his waist. Both the uniform and the samurai sword looked rather sloppy, as if they had been bought on Pinduoduo.

This bearded man is named Lee Jo-yeon, and holds the official titles of Superintendent of the Left Battalion of the Newly Established Imperial Guard of Korea and Military and Naval Commander of South Hamgyong Province. In short, he's a Korean version of a "Beiyang Army leader" trained by Yuan Shikai, and a member of Queen Min's faction. He just recently had a stroke of good fortune in his career and is now the top commander of the entire Korean army in South Hamgyong Province.

But at this moment, the expression on the face of this Korean military governor was even more damning than the dark clouds in the sky.

He stared at the Russian warships in the distance, swallowed hard, lowered his voice, and said to Chang Desheng in heavily accented Chinese, "Lord Chang, those...those Russian ships...won't fire their cannons, will they?"

Chang Desheng glanced at him, thinking to himself: You're such a high-ranking military governor, yet you're so cowardly? But he confidently assured him: "Don't worry, if they wanted to fight, they would have done it long ago. They wouldn't have waited until today."

However, Li Da Jiedu was still not entirely at ease, so he swallowed hard and dared not say another word.

Behind him stood two hundred soldiers of the newly formed North Korean Imperial Guard, dressed in straw raincoats and bamboo hats, along with dozens of ponies led by North Korean soldiers, each carrying empty baskets ready to be loaded with goods. Beside them squatted about a hundred laborers conscripted from nearby villages, all hunched over in the rain, not daring to utter a sound.

Chang Desheng withdrew his gaze and looked towards the sea.

A black cargo ship was slowly passing by the Russian warships. If you could get a closer look, you would see three large white characters painted on the stern: "Kaiyo Maru".

Those Russian warships didn't react at all; they were like they were asleep.

Chang Desheng finally let out a long sigh of relief.

This "Kaiyo Maru" was the first foreign merchant ship to arrive at Wonsan after the Russian troops handed over control of the dock. On board were not only the money and cannons that Chang Desheng had painstakingly swindled, but also a Japanese Foreign Minister, modeled after Takeaki.

Chang Desheng knew this guy from his past life.

This is no ordinary person!

He is the only "President of the Republic" in Japanese history!

Yes, it was the president. Although it was translated as "CEO" at the time, it was a proper president!

Back when the Tokugawa Shogunate collapsed, this figure, unwilling to accept defeat, led a group of former Shogunate soldiers to Hokkaido, where they rebelled for independence, establishing the "Republic of Ezo" (a form of "Ezo separatism"), and even being elected its president. They actually ruled for 125 days before surrendering. And this "Ezo separatist," who split Japan and declared himself president, was surprisingly not executed after his defeat and surrender. Not only was he spared, but he was also pardoned, given a government post, and enjoyed a meteoric rise, eventually becoming Foreign Minister, holding the rank of Second Rank and the title of Viscount. Chang Desheng mentally calculated: Yuan Shikai, Li Yuanhong, Feng Guozhang, Xu Shichang, Cao Kun… and himself, several presidents of the Beiyang government—he'd met them all. He'd even met Hindenburg, the president of the Weimar Republic in Germany. Now, here comes the "only president of Japan." He really does have a knack for being president!

As he thought about it, a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.

他那幺高兴，当然不是因为这个模本，而是开洋丸的船舱内装着的14万日本龙洋（折合白银10万两）和6门阿姆斯特朗6英寸大炮、3门15公分克虏伯大炮，外加1800枚炮弹。

The business of swindling money and sex has finally begun!

It's not easy!

Just as Chang Desheng was pondering how to make up for his shortcomings, he saw a man in a suit coming down the stairs of Kaiyang Maru from afar.

The man was carrying a black umbrella and was tall, easily over 1.75 meters. Among Japanese people in those days, he was definitely a towering figure. Behind him followed a group of shorter people, who, in comparison, made them all appear even taller and more imposing.

Oishi Masami leaned close to Chang Desheng and whispered, "Chairman Chang, that's the Model Minister."

Chang Desheng said "Oh" and strode towards the pier to meet him.

Hill and Big Rock followed him forward.

Neither Cao Kun nor Wang Zhanyuan moved. Cao Kun raised his binoculars, warily watching the Russian warships in the distance. After a while, confirming that there was still no movement, he let out a long sigh and turned to Li Zuyuan, saying, "Supervisor Li, send half the men to keep watch, and the rest prepare to move things." Li Zuyuan nodded quickly, "Yes, Lord Cao."

"In addition," Cao Kun added, "thanks to Lord Chang's kindness, after the goods are transported back to the Qing concession, everyone will receive a Japanese silver dollar. Officials will receive ten dollars each, and you will receive fifty dollars."

This reward money was actually secured for these Koreans by Cao Kun. This "Cao the Fool" is anything but foolish when it comes to winning people's hearts! Li Zuyuan's eyes lit up when he heard this.

His annual salary was only fifty or sixty taels of silver, but Lord Chang gave him fifty silver dollars in one go. Working for the Lord of the Upper Kingdom was definitely not a bad deal! He loudly replied, "Yes!" and then turned around to make arrangements, his voice booming, "Did you all hear that? After you finish moving everything, one silver dollar each! Hurry up!"

The dock suddenly became lively.

Chang Desheng didn't turn around or pay attention to any of that. He had already walked onto the pier and was face to face with the tall Japanese man.

This model, Takehiro, is in his fifties, with gray hair and beard. But his features are deep-set, with a high nose bridge and slightly sunken eyes. He has a very "Europeanized" face. No wonder some say he's the least Japanese-looking diplomat.

The model also saw Chang Desheng.

The Japanese Foreign Minister stepped forward, extended his right hand, and spoke fluent German:

"You must be the Chief of Staff? I am Takeaki Momoto, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs. It's an honor to meet you."

Chang Desheng sized up this "former president." He clicked his tongue inwardly: "His German is even more authentic than mine!"

He smiled and shook Moben's hand, replying in German, "Minister, I've long admired your name. It's an honor to meet you today." Moben smiled and nodded, "I heard from a friend who returned from Germany that you were a top student at the Prussian War Academy?"

"I can't compare to you, Minister," Chang Desheng said with a smile. "When you were studying in the Netherlands, I wasn't even born yet."

The model laughed heartily and switched to Chinese: "China is indeed a civilization that has long been established, producing outstanding figures throughout the ages!"

Chang Desheng switched to Chinese: "Since the end of the Edo period, your country has truly produced a great number of outstanding figures. Among the heroes of that era, you are undoubtedly one of the most outstanding. It is my great honor to meet you today."

There's some truth to that; he did both the job of being president and the division of Japan all by himself!

Who else could it be?

Upon hearing this, the model's smile deepened. He took another half step forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Since we are both heroes of East Asia, we should fight together for the interests of the East Asian people. We must make Westerners understand: East Asia belongs to the East Asians!"

Chang Desheng sneered inwardly.

This "Japanese president" has a face that screams "leaving Asia and joining Europe," but his mouth is that of an Asiatic... Quite the acting! But Chang Desheng's expression remained impassive, and he smiled, saying, "That's exactly what I was thinking!"

He turned to the side and pointed in the direction of the Japanese concession: "Your Excellency, please!"

Moben didn't rush to leave. Instead, he turned around, waved to the group of "dwarf attendants" behind him, and called out in Japanese, "Okura-kun!" Two people emerged from the crowd, holding an umbrella.

One of them, dressed in a suit, was none other than Kijuro Okura, whom Chang Desheng had met briefly in Tianjin. The other…

Wearing a purple kimono and with her hair in a bun, it was Haruko Okura.

Chang Desheng's eyes met hers for a moment.

Haruko smiled sweetly at him and gave a slight bow.

Chang Desheng wondered to himself: Why is this girl here too?

Moben Wuyang, oblivious to the change in his expression, smiled and introduced, "Chairman Chang, this is Mr. Kijuro Okura, the manager of the Okura Group's Korean branch. The 140,000 silver dollars you requested for military expenses were advanced by the Okura Group. Mr. Okura has always been concerned about the overall situation in East Asia, and upon hearing about the situation in Wonsan, he insisted on coming to see for himself."

Chang Desheng cursed inwardly: "Concerned about the overall situation in East Asia? I think he's more concerned about Japan's colonial ambitions."

But what he said was, "I will always remember Mr. Okura's noble character."

Kijuro Okura bowed and said sincerely, "Mr. Chang, you're too kind. The Okura Group isn't contributing for nothing; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already handed over the docks and warehouses in the Yuanshan Concession to the Okura Group for management... In the future, we hope Mr. Chang will take good care of the Okura Group's business in Yuanshan." Oh... well, we'll have to "take good care" of them.

Chang Desheng thought to himself: It seems I can continue to swindle money and sex in the future!

Thinking of this, he glanced at Haruko Okura again.

Haruko was also looking at Chang Desheng. Their eyes met, and she immediately smiled gently.

Moben Wuyang watched from the side, his smile deepening. He reached out and patted Chang Desheng's arm: "Chairman Chang, I've prepared a small... worthless book for you."

Chang Desheng was taken aback: "Oh? You're too kind, Minister. What is it?"

"A set of the original English edition of *The Law of Nations*," Moben chuckled. "Back in my days in St. Petersburg, when I was dealing with the Russians, this was the book I relied on. I even added a few annotations to the pages with a brush. I heard your English is excellent, and you also enjoy studying *The Law of Nations*, so here you go." Chang Desheng thought to himself: Although I'm good at "faking official documents," I've never actually read this *The Law of Nations* before. But the original English edition with Moben Wuyang's handwritten annotations...it's definitely worth a look!

He solemnly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your generous gift, Minister. I will certainly study it carefully."

Moben nodded, his gaze passing over Chang Desheng's shoulder to look at the gray Russian warships in the distance. His expression became somewhat complicated, and he said in Chinese, word by word: "Whale waves lock the cold clouds for thousands of miles, sailing together, how could we not have our own opportunities; lips and teeth are in vain to talk about East Asia, the swords of the West are shrouded in twilight!" Why is he reciting poetry now?

Chang Desheng was truly at a loss... In his previous life, he was a civil engineer who drew blueprints; writing poetry... he couldn't do that!

However, he could still understand what the model was saying. He had come to Yuanshan to wave the banner of "Asianism" and wanted to use this "ism" to fool Chang Desheng!

Fortunately, Chang Desheng was no match for poetry. But he did have some understanding of doctrines.

Moreover, he knew that the Japanese attitude of "leaving Asia and joining Europe" remained unwavering even more than a hundred years later, and had even become stronger. The rain continued to fall, pattering softly against the umbrella.

At the dock, North Korean soldiers had already begun unloading items from the cabins of the "Kaeyang Maru".

The first wooden crate was hoisted out of the ship's hold and landed on the wooden planks of the dock with a dull thud.

Cao Kun walked over and pried open the box lid with his bayonet.

A silvery-white light flashed briefly in the rainy weather.

All of them are silver dollars! One by one, piled up to the brim.

Cao Kun reached out and grabbed a handful, then let the silver coins clatter back into the box with a crisp sound that invigorated everyone. "Five thousand coins in one box!" Okura Kijuro shouted to Chang Desheng in Chinese. "This is the first box; there are twenty-seven more to go!"

Chang Desheng's lips curled up slightly.

140,000 dragon dollars, equivalent to 100,000 taels of silver.

Each soldier in the Zhenzi Battalion received four taels of silver per month. With 1,500 men, that's six thousand taels a month. One hundred thousand taels would be enough to support them for sixteen months. Add to that the five thousand pounds given by the British and the thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver in monthly Korean customs allowance—it's hard to calculate right now, but it could sustain them for a long time.

Of course, it's not enough to just pay military salaries; we also need to buy food, ammunition, build fortifications, and conduct daily training... But no matter how you calculate it, this sum of money is enough for him to settle down in Yuanshan.

As he was calculating, a louder commotion suddenly broke out on the dock.

The cannons have begun to be unloaded from the ship.

The first Krupp cannon was slowly hoisted from the ship's hold, its condition obscured by its cover. The cannon was heavy, the crane boom creaked, and the cables were taut as if they might snap at any moment.

Duan Qirui and Tian Zhongyu stood on a two-story building outside the dock, watching from afar as the cannon was harnessed to a horse-drawn carriage and slowly drove towards the Qing concession, pulled by four horses and propelled by seven or eight Korean soldiers and laborers.

"A 6cm breech-loading rifled cannon..." Duan Qirui muttered to himself, a hint of admiration creeping into his voice. "He really fooled us!" Tian Zhongyu stared intently at the cannon: "With these cannons, it won't be so easy for the Russians to take Wonsan!" Chang Desheng stood by the dock, watching as chests full of silver dollars and cannons were pulled away from Wonsan dock towards the Qing concession. Only when the last British-made 6-inch cannon was dragged away from Wonsan dock did Chang Desheng finally breathe a sigh of relief, feeling incredibly satisfied. He wouldn't leave all nine cannons at Wonsan... Three Krupp cannons were enough for Wonsan. The remaining six 6-inch Armstrong cannons and three 12cm cannons "borrowed" from Li Hongzhang would be taken to Pyongyang and Zhennanpo later. In addition, the British promised nine gates and six British troops... This will be a force to be reckoned with on the future Korean battlefield.

He turned to Moben Wuyang and smiled, "Your Excellency, please. The Qing Concession has prepared a small feast to welcome you." Moben nodded, opened his umbrella, and walked towards the Qing Concession.

Kijuro Okura and Haruko followed behind him and Tokusatsu Cho.

At the same moment, on the bridge of the Russian Pacific Fleet flagship "Azov".

Baron Kolf lowered his binoculars, his expression unreadable. He rested one hand on the railing, motionless, lost in thought. Behind him stood Colonel Leontiev, whose expression was far less pleasant. The colonel clenched his fists, looking as if Chang Desheng had stolen six months' worth of his pay.

"Your Excellency, nine 15cm cannons!" Leontiev said through gritted teeth. "The Japanese are arming the Qing army in Wonsan. The rumors of a Sino-Japanese alliance... are probably true!"

Kolf didn't turn around, but simply gave a soft "hmm".

Nissin and Sin Chew Group?

Baron Kolf's lips twitched slightly.

The closer Japan and China got, the less Russia dared to act rashly... If a few rounds of salvo had been fired just now, it would have pushed China and Japan together.

Modern Russia... must divide and conquer Japan and Qing China before it can be defeated one by one!

He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Send a telegram to Vladivostok, saying that the Japanese Foreign Minister has arrived in Yuanshan today, carrying nine large-caliber cannons on board... The Sino-Japanese Alliance may become a reality."

He paused, then added, "I suggest immediately seeking Germany as a mediator to initiate six-party peace talks. I also suggest inviting Count Bülow, the German consul in Tianjin, to serve as a special envoy for mediation... He is a true expert on China."

Leontiev paused, then said, "Your Excellency, we're still going to talk to them? They're making every minute to strengthen the defenses of Wonsan!" "Of course we'll talk!" Korf said. "If we don't, we'll be facing a united East Asia..."