The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Zhang Yinghao also laughed and said: "Haha, is it true that Mr. Ding

I know it in my heart. The Qing Dynasty just doesn't tell the truth and forces everyone to lie.

So, is it meaningful to sing praises? What about the Kangxi and Qianlong prosperous eras? They only had to eat bran and drink porridge.

What a perfect old man, he is very good at bragging! But he can't change the facts.

If our progressive party builds a strong country in the future, perhaps the Qing Dynasty will

Those old and young people still sing praises to the Qing Dynasty and say that they should be grateful to the Qing Dynasty.

The weakness and demise of the Qing Dynasty allowed us to build a strong nation."

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's harsh words and thinking about the Qing court, it was indeed

Seeing the real image, Ding Hongchen laughed out loud, but after a while, his eyes

My eyes were red, I felt like crying, and my nose was sore.

When I think of the Qing dynasty, isn't that what it was like?

At this time, Ding Hongchen did not express his own views, but quoted Zeng Guofan's

When asked about the fate of the Qing Dynasty, Zhao Liewen replied: "The world has been peaceful for a long time, and it is bound to be

However, the main virtue is heavy, the atmosphere is not open, if there is no heart rot, then

A situation of collapse will not succeed. The disaster of the future must first fall, and then the state will be in chaos.

My Lord, the rule of man has hardly lasted more than fifty years!

The meaning of this passage is that Zhao Liewen told Zeng Guofan that the unification of the world has taken too long.

will split, although the emperor of the Qing government has always had prestige and the central government still

It can function, and the Taiping Rebellion has been pacified, so there will be no split for the time being.

The future trend is that the central government will collapse first, and then the country will be in chaos.

It is estimated that the situation will be like this in fifty years, with each region dividing and ruling its own territory.

After hearing this, Zhang Yinghao immediately thought of a passage from The Communist Manifesto: "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the violent overthrow of all existing social conditions." "Let the ruling classes tremble at the communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win." "Workers of all countries, unite!"

Thinking of this, Zhang Yinghao recalled China in his previous life. It took the Communist Party only 28 years from its founding to the liberation of the country. After the liberation, the new China would immediately be able to compete with the United States. Therefore, the phrase "the world is in chaos" was of no use to Zhang Yinghao.

"Haha, well said. It's been over thirty, almost forty years since the Taiping Rebellion was suppressed. It seems Zhao Liewen's predictions were quite accurate! There's a saying that goes, 'It's better to be a dog in peacetime than a man in troubled times,' but I believe even more in the saying, 'Great chaos leads to great order.' Mr. Ding has also been to Japan, so he should know what industry is. Do you think, if China had continued to be ruled by the Qing Dynasty, would Japan's national strength have grown faster, or would China's national strength have grown faster under Qing rule?"

"this...…"

Seeing Ding Hongchen speechless, Zhang Yinghao continued, "Well, Mr. Ding, you have the answer, don't you? Jiang Taigong of the Zhou Dynasty said: 'Natural disasters and man-made disasters can be planned.' He also said: 'Multitude, deluded by the common people, boundless lust, these are the signs of a nation's downfall. Observe the fields, weeds prevail over crops; observe the people, the crooked prevail over the straight; observe the officials, they are tyrannical and cruel. Laws are broken, and neither the upper nor the lower ranks notice. This is the time of a nation's downfall. Think about it, doesn't the current Qing court have all of these characteristics? There have been years of natural disasters, and now the north is still suffering from a severe drought. There have been continuous man-made disasters, and social unrest. Consider: internally, there were the Taiping Rebellion, the Tongzhi Hui Rebellion, the Nian Rebellion, the Boxer Rebellion, and so on. Externally, we have been repeatedly defeated by foreigners, leaving us in ruins, and now the capital is occupied by foreigners. In which dynasty in history has such a situation ever occurred? Opium growing in the fields outnumbers crops, and the court is full of greedy and insatiable people. Which of these is not a phenomenon typical of the end of a dynasty?"

If the Qing dynasty continues to rule, and those unequal treaties continue to suck blood from China, the nation's strength will not only not continue to increase, but will instead continue to weaken due to their vulnerability. Therefore, the sooner the Qing dynasty is overthrown, the more the nation can preserve its vitality, and the less suffering the people will suffer from war.

"But the Qing dynasty was, after all, the central government, maintaining national unity. And how can we guarantee that the newly established government will be stronger than the Qing dynasty?"

Ding Hongchen's question was both reasonable and correct. Wasn't it like this not long ago? The Qing Dynasty fell, but the country was torn apart. Warlords fought each other, and the people were in dire straits. People's living standards were actually no better than during the Qing Dynasty. While the Kuomintang government that was later established was progressive, its progress was only ideological and organizational. Instead of developing productivity, they destroyed the factories built during the Qing Dynasty. Did the Kuomintang rely on themselves to hold out for so long in the war? No, they relied on purchases in the early stages, and aid in the middle and later stages. Was the Kuomintang willing to cooperate with the Communist Party? It was only because they were forced to do so when their survival was at stake. The Kuomintang couldn't even deal with the local warlords, so they had to resort to underhanded tactics to divide and win over people. This was completely uncharacteristic of the central government.

Zhang Yinghao was delighted to hear Ding Hongchen's question. He immediately said, "Mr. Ding, that's a good question. We say that practice makes perfect. Without investigation, we have no right to speak. Seeing is believing. So, we ask Mr. Ding to take a look around our base. I believe you'll get the answer soon."

"Of course I'd like to see it, but since you have such ability and want to revive the country, why don't you serve the court?"

"Haha, I'm not bragging. Someone like me wouldn't last three rounds in the Qing court, and my grave would be erected. What you see now is just a wild grave covered with green grass. The Qing system wasn't designed to provide a good life for the people. It represented the interests of the landlord class and protected the privileges of the Qing imperial family. The Manchus were a giant bloodsucking leech, sucking the blood out of China. I think Mr. Ding, as someone who once worked within the Qing system and was a member of the ruling class, and who has traveled abroad, should have a clear understanding of this."

Seeing Ding Hongchen nod, convinced he was being led, Zhang Yinghao continued, "We are marching forward in the revolution for the poor people of the world who can't afford food. We unite with them and work together to ensure everyone has food to eat, clothes to wear, and that their children can go to school. Honestly, our enemy has never been the Qing Dynasty. In my eyes, the Qing Dynasty is a terminally ill patient on its last legs, dying. For me now, overthrowing the Qing Dynasty is a piece of cake. I only need to send a small force into the capital, and easily accomplish the task of changing the dynasty. We could even have sent Cixi to meet the Qing ancestors while she was in Xi'an, but we didn't, because there was no need. We must strengthen ourselves while the Qing Dynasty still has a breath. When it falls, we will be able to quickly take over power and unify the country, reducing internal friction and preserving more vitality for the nation."

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's words, Ding Hongchen subconsciously recalled the soldiers who had captured him, and instantly knew Zhang Yinghao's words were true. If these soldiers suddenly appeared at Cixi's camp, who could stop them? The thought gave Ding Hongchen a chill, and his gaze on Zhang Yinghao completely changed, as if he were confronted with a humanoid monster. He hadn't imagined that the man before him could possess such a broad mind and bearing, that he could truly control the world, and that conquering the world seemed so simple to him.

Zhang Yinghao ignored Ding Hongchen's strange look and continued, "Mr. Ding, the Qing Dynasty cannot solve China's current problems. They are doomed to perish. Now that we have captured you, we will not let any of you go again. If Mr. Ding wants to contribute to the well-being of China, to alleviate the suffering of the people, and is willing to stand by the people and fight for the country, then you can come to our side."

"Haha, I'm almost sixty years old, what else can I do here?"

Chapter 181:

Zhang Yinghao laughed after hearing this and said, "Mr. Ding, Cao Cao pacified the north, led a million troops to drink water from the Yangtze River, and wrote poems with his spear in hand. He was already 53 years old when he was still ambitious to unify the world. Moreover, although the revolutionary army was built by me, I have not attended a regular military academy in a systematic way. Many professional branches of the revolutionary army can only be explored on their own. If you are willing to do something for the country, then I will arrange for you to be our teacher. An old man in the family is like a treasure! Since you predicted that there would be a war between Japan and Russia, did you predict that there would be a war between China and Japan? And it would be a war between the whole country. Are there any soldiers familiar with Japan who can tell us how we will face Japan in the future?

The army will suffer.”

Ding Hongchen naturally knew about the problems between China and Japan. He did not speak at this time, but just picked up the tea and drank it. Zhang Yinghao also took a sip and said: "Mr. Ding can think about it slowly when he goes back. Mr. Ding is also one of the outstanding representatives of this era. He should know that the great powers are now nation-states. We and

The Manchus are all members of the Chinese nation. We are in revolution, not overthrowing the Qing Dynasty to take over the throne. Therefore, there is no such thing as a loyal minister not serving two masters.

This is for the country, for our nation, not for surrender or double-thinking about me, Zhang Jianhao, or the Forward Party. There is absolutely no need to have any psychological burden. As for the safety of your family, as long as we continue to win, the Qing Dynasty will not dare to do anything to them. If you are really worried, we can also take them to

Sichuan is here to reunite with you. Moreover, the victors should not be condemned, and history cannot condemn the victors. When you go back, look around and see the liberation

What is the difference between the people under the rule of the Qing Dynasty and the people under the rule of the Qing Dynasty...”

"The victors should not be blamed, and history cannot blame the victors..."

Zhang Yinghao even convened a meeting of the Military Committee to discuss the matter of recruiting Ding Hongchen and enrolling him in the military academy. In reality, many comrades on the Military Committee were dismissive of Ding Hongchen, believing him unqualified to lecture the revolutionary army. It was like Li Yunlong in the film "Bright Sword" listening to the lectures of his defeated generals. The thought of a loser lecturing the victor was absurd.

However, Zhang Yinghao's prestige was there, and since he had asked Ding Hongchen to give the lecture, he had his reasons. Of course, Zhang Yinghao would not give Ding Hongchen the opportunity to lead the troops, so he just let him be a teacher. Being a teacher is also a member of the working class.

The work in Sichuan was progressing steadily, and at this time, the consuls of Britain, France, the United States, and Japan in Chongqing had already reported the intelligence of Sichuan. The countries were also discussing the killing and expulsion of missionaries in Sichuan, as well as the harm of Zhang Yinghao's rebellion and the harm of this rebel group to the

The attitude of the great powers will be evaluated.

A meeting was currently underway at the British Residence on Dongjiaomin Lane. A few years prior, Sichuan had experienced the sensational Chengdu Incident, and now, unexpectedly, an anti-Qing armed public trial and execution of foreign missionaries had occurred. How could the foreign powers still occupying the Qing capital tolerate this outrage? Calls for severe punishment of the thugs were overwhelming.

But the great powers' loud cries were merely attempts to gain a share of the spoils. The Yangtze River basin was a British sphere of influence; no nation could send troops there without British permission. Sichuan's location also made it difficult for the great powers. Not only was it inland, but it was also surrounded by the Three Gorges and mountainous terrain.

Even if the powers wanted to send troops to attack Sichuan, they would have to consider their ability to deploy troops. They had no way to stop Cixi's escape; they were driven back. Furthermore, attacking Sichuan would be ineffective with fewer troops, while larger numbers would present a significant logistical challenge. Furthermore, the British did not want other powers to enter the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River too much, so the decision on how to deal with Sichuan was a difficult one for them, and they remained undecided. Without the British's approval, the other powers could only fret and closely monitor developments in Sichuan.

The provinces surrounding Sichuan were as concerned about the province as the foreigners. This was because they knew full well that the revolutionary army's rebellion was a deadly threat to their lives. The Manchu officials knew the bloodshed they had committed when they conquered the country, so they feared these rebels to the core. Especially after learning about the revolutionary army's policies, they tightened their defenses against Sichuan. Not only was news of Sichuan blocked, but even the roads were sealed.

While Cixi was still on her way back to Beijing, Ronglu, impatiently contacting Li Hongzhang, urged him to ascertain the foreigners' stance. While Ronglu's analysis struck him as plausible, Li Hongzhang remained intent on gaining their support and mobilizing troops to eliminate Zhang Yinghao and his bandits, who had yet to establish themselves. Li Hongzhang, however, was deeply concerned. Although he had gathered extensive information on Sichuan, it was fragmentary and often contradictory. This left him perplexed, uncertain of the current situation in Sichuan. However, he did know that Sichuan was distributing land to the poor. As someone who had suppressed the Taiping Rebellion, he understood the power of the land revolution. Therefore, his perspective, diametrically opposed to Ronglu's, was that the Sichuan issue was far more thorny than the foreigners'.

Foreigners came from afar in order to seek wealth, so the compensation and opening of ports for these people to sell goods were enough. But now Sichuan has lost provincial capitals such as Chongqing and Chengdu, and occupied the land of abundance such as Sichuan.

The necessary conditions for success were met, and in a short period of time, they would be qualified to compete with the Qing Dynasty. At that time, it would be another Taiping Rebellion or another Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Anyone who looks at a map will know that Sichuan is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Furthermore, the rebels are native Sichuanese, and their roots are deep in Sichuan. The difficulty of suppressing them is probably exponentially greater than that of suppressing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Ronglu and his colleagues sent a telegram to Li Hongzhang, asking him to immediately ascertain the foreigners' attitudes towards the killing of foreigners in Sichuan from the foreign powers. Ronglu's telegram was a timely help to Li Hongzhang. Upon receiving the telegram, he immediately ordered Kuijun to rush to Tianjin to meet him. He needed to ascertain the details of the situation in Sichuan and needed first-hand information so that he could negotiate with the foreign powers.

After Ronglu received the telegram and reported Li Hongzhang's attitude to Cixi, Cixi immediately took it seriously and immediately asked Kuijun to go directly to Tianjin to meet Li Hongzhang.

Kuijun recalled his capture, and it still felt like a dream. He looked at the intelligence he had obtained about the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army in Sichuan, and even he found it baffling.

"...Master Zhongtang, this is all the information I have gathered from Sichuan."

"Well, Master Kyujun, do you have anything to say?"

"Master Zhongtang, when I left Chongqing, I heard that those rebels were slaughtering landlords and dividing up land..."

"Are you sure those rebels are killing landlords and dividing their land?"

"Yeah, what's the matter? They're just a bunch of suicidal people. They're offending everyone in the world by doing this. They're just a bunch of ignorant people."

Kui Jun noticed that Li Hongzhang hadn't replied. He immediately glanced at him and saw that his face was ashen, his mouth was trembling, and his hands were shaking. Kui Jun hurriedly said, "Li Hongzhang, what's wrong with you? Do you want to call a doctor for you?"

Li Hongzhang waved his hand, picked up the teacup, picked up the lid and stirred it on the tea, then forced himself to remain calm and drank it quietly.

Although Li Hongzhang was born into a prominent family, he was also a soldier who climbed up from the bottom. He also fought against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Naturally, he was not Kui Jun.

As one of the representatives of the landlord class, he could not imagine what the world would be like without landlords.

But he knew clearly that those common people who had land were fearless and unafraid of death.

In Li Hongzhang's heart, he already vaguely knew that another Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, or even a force more powerful than the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, was rising rapidly.

In the minds of people like Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, and Zeng Guofan, the ideal society is this: landlords and gentry control the basic political power of the local area, control their desire for land annexation, and rely on local public order and good customs to rule.

The local people have the right to speak, and they can persuade those who have gone astray. In bad years, the landlords and gentry will help the common people, and in good years, they will help the common people.

The common people should pay more to the landlords.

This is how they achieve their ideal world.

Landlords and gentry can rule forever. Why did China lose 100 million people when suppressing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? In fact, in the eyes of landlords like Zeng Guofan, the common people who had experienced the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s propaganda that everyone had land to farm and clothes to wear were already a group of hopeless people. These people were unstable.

These people are the seeds of mob.

Wherever the Hunan and Huai armies went, they practically massacred cities and villages along the way. No one cared how many people they killed. Zeng Guofan famously commented on these massacres: "Thunderous measures reveal the heart of a bodhisattva." The simplest implication was that by killing all the rioters, there would be no need to kill them again, and then the teachings of a sage could be used to govern properly.

And what had Li Hongzhang heard? He knew clearly that Sichuan was once again killing landlords and dividing up land. How could this not terrify Li Hongzhang? How could this not make him panic? But Li Hongzhang was also a man who had seen the world, someone who hadn't batted an eyelid even when signing a traitorous treaty. His loss of composure was only a brief moment.

Putting down his teacup, Li Zhongtang asked, "Any other news?" "Oh, and when we were in Chongqing, we heard that all the opium dens, brothels, and casinos in Chongqing were forced to close. I heard that it was these rebels who banned smoking, gambling, and even prostitution. Do those rebels think they are saints? Isn't this courting their own destruction? This is something that will offend the foreigners. Oh, by the way, they also hanged a lot of foreigners and almost drove out all the foreigners in Sichuan."

Li Hongzhang felt a little uncomfortable when he heard the words "foreign masters". But when he knew that those traitors had banned drugs and killed foreigners, he felt much better because there was a lot of room for maneuver.

"You said you met the leader of the rebels?"

"I see him. Humph, he's just a young man who doesn't know his place, probably under 20 years old. Those rebels call him Chairman."

"Oh, Chairman? Chairman..."

"Master Zhongtang, I originally planned to die in battle. Even if I am a Manchu,

I will never surrender even if I die in battle. But I was ambushed and captured. Those rebels are threatening the lives of 20,000 people in our city. I can’t do anything…”

"You see how many rebels there are!"

"Li Zhongtang, I... don't have... I have about 3,000 men. Yes, at least 2,000. Do you think we'll start to wipe out this group of rebels?"

How could Zhang Yinghao possibly let Kuijun see or know how many troops he had? Wouldn't that be courting death? Kuijun had been under strict surveillance since his capture. How could he possibly let him access more information? Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao was planning to let him go. Any confidential information that could be kept from him was kept secret.

"This, we must wait until the Empress Dowager returns to Beijing before making a decision." "Now the Empress Dowager has ordered all provinces to immediately attack Sichuan and eliminate the bandits. So we must immediately ascertain the attitude of the foreigners and see if we can get their help. If the foreigners can send troops to participate, that would be the best."

Hearing Kuijun's confident hope for foreigners' help, Li Hongzhang did not feel unnatural at all. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was quelled with the help of foreigners, and this time they would definitely need their help. Moreover, if Sichuan was occupied by rebels, then there would be no way to pay the foreigners. Thinking of the compensation, Li Hongzhang thought of the military expenditure issue. The military expenditure of the Qing Dynasty was also a big problem after paying the foreign powers money. Now he could only ask the foreign powers to delay the payment of compensation, otherwise. Where would he get the money to send troops?

Li Hongzhang dragged his sick body and Yizhu to meet the British Minister to China, Sir John Smith. At that time, Sir John Smith was worried about how to deal with the Sichuan issue. He did not expect that he would find something special when he was sleepy. The Qing people came to ask for their advice.

Chapter 182: Thanks for the update!

Sadaoyi was very happy to meet Li Hongzhang and his men. After explaining the situation of the Sichuan rebels killing foreigners, Li Hongzhang said, "Sir Sadaoyi, we hope that the British Empire will also send soldiers to help suppress the rebellion, just as my country and the British Empire cooperated to suppress the Taiping Rebellion."

During the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China, Britain had over 10,000 troops. While Britain would have had no problem sending troops at this time, the situation in Sichuan was unclear, and the British naturally wouldn't go into battle bare-handed. The Qing Dynasty had to determine the strength of the revolutionary army, and only after they were certain victory was in sight would they personally intervene. Not only would Britain not intervene personally at this time, but they also wouldn't allow other countries to enter Sichuan.

"No, no, no, this is your internal affairs within the Qing Dynasty, but we will give you the necessary support so that you can put down the rebellion as soon as possible."

"Sir Sartorius, Sichuan has a population of over 40 million. According to the treaty we signed, Sichuan should pay an indemnity of over 40 million taels, plus interest of approximately 100 million taels. If we cannot quickly quell the rebellion, we will have no way to collect the money Sichuan owes. You will have to go to the Sichuan rebels to demand it. Furthermore, in order to quell the Sichuan rebellion as quickly as possible, we need to delay the payment of the treaty indemnity. Sir Sartorius needs to convince other countries to do this, otherwise we will have no money to quell the rebellion. And you should also support us in suppressing the rebellion, because the Sichuan rebels are also harming the interests of the British Empire!"

Sa Daoyi fell silent after hearing this. Li Hongzhang's words made sense. The Sichuan rebels did damage the interests of the British Empire, and he received

The reply was that Britain could send troops to help the Qing Dynasty suppress the rebellion if necessary. As for the issue of reparations, Britain had no concerns about the Qing Dynasty defaulting on its payments. A delay would be fine, as interest would be charged anyway. Furthermore, Britain had a vassal, Japan, so if things got tough, it wouldn't be a problem for the Japanese army to come to its aid.

The most important thing is that once the British army entered Chengdu, it would no longer be up to the Qing Dynasty to decide whether to withdraw.

Thinking of this, Sa Daoyi nodded and said, "We can concentrate our troops in Wuhan. After you attack those footholds by land, we will sail into Sichuan to assist you in suppressing the rebellion. As for the issue of indemnity, I can try to persuade the various countries to postpone it for a year, but you will have to pay double the interest for that year. You will also have to pay the military expenses and corresponding pensions for our troops. Otherwise, we will not actively participate and can only provide other assistance."

The troops Sadaoyi was referring to were, for now, only British and French. Sadaoyi did not want to see any other foreign forces enter the Yangtze River basin. Of course, the foreigners did want to enter Sichuan by land, but they were also concerned about the ubiquitous Boxers and the Qing dynasty's reneging on its promises, cutting off their retreat. However, on the Yangtze River, the British Empire was the undisputed hegemon, with its final say, and no such problems arose.

Yizhu was delighted to hear Sa Daoyi's words. As long as the Sichuan rebellion was quelled, the Qing would still rule the vast land. Why worry about that little money? If the Sichuan rebellion ultimately succeeded, what good would it do to give him more money? So Yizhu, without waiting for Li Hongzhang to speak, directly agreed: "No problem. Not to mention double interest, even triple interest is no problem. As for military expenses and pensions, we should also give them. I wonder when your army will be ready?"

"This requires you to attack first and give us a foothold. Our army, under the cover of our gunboats, will advance along the Yangtze River and eventually reach Chengdu to assist you in eliminating the Sichuan rebels. However, if you cannot give us a foothold, then we will not send troops to help suppress them."

In reality, Sa Daoyi and his foreign counterparts were still unfamiliar with the Forward Party and the Revolutionary Army. They still believed the Sichuan rebellion might be similar to the Boxers they had encountered in the capital—namely, a group of fearless, supposedly invulnerable Boxers who, despite knowing they were no match, continued to fight to the death. This was why Sa Daoyi argued that their army would not leave the protection of their naval guns; as long as the guns were there, no matter how many Boxers came, it would be in vain.

"Yes, we will send a telegram to the Empress Dowager immediately and will immediately encircle and suppress the rebels in Sichuan. Soon, your army will be able to advance along the Yangtze River..."

In reality, the order to suppress the rebellion arrived much sooner than Li Hongzhang had anticipated. On her way back to Beijing, Cixi received Li Hongzhang's analysis of the Sichuan rebellion and naturally could no longer sit still. If it was as Li Hongzhang had predicted, then it was unknown how many years and how much money it would take the Qing to suppress the rebellion in Sichuan.

Suddenly, she reflected on the hardships she had endured since fleeing the capital, feeling a surge of resentment she couldn't vent. The ministers' declaration of self-preservation in the southeast had caught Empress Dowager Cixi off guard and made her realize the hidden danger these southern governors posed to Qing rule. Now that Sichuan was in turmoil, it was time for these southern governors to step in and weaken their power through the petty violence.

Empress Dowager Cixi didn't care about military expenses or food supplies. If you didn't dare fight the foreign devils, I'd let you go. But if you didn't dare fight the Sichuan rebels, you'd be beheaded. So before Empress Dowager Cixi even left Tongguan, the order had already reached Li Hongzhang, who was in charge of the overall situation and ordered the provinces neighboring Sichuan to immediately send troops to suppress the Sichuan revolutionary army.

Although Li Hongzhang was willing to contribute, his health deteriorated after the signing of the Boxer Protocol. Unable to lead the important task of suppressing the rebels, he resigned and recommended Zhang Zhidong, then Governor of Huguang, to take charge of the overall situation.

In fact, Zhang Zhidong now had the foundation for using troops. After he was transferred to the post of Governor-General of Huguang in 1889, he launched a large-scale Westernization Movement in Hubei, which focused on training troops, promoting education, and establishing factories, with "training troops as the top priority."

In 1896, Zhang Zhidong petitioned the court to transfer 500 soldiers from the former Jiangnan Guard Front Battalion who had been trained in the Nanjing Self-Strengthening Army to Hubei on the grounds that "Hubei is located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, where bandits are rampant, and military preparation is particularly important. The Hubei province is short of funds and cannot recruit foreign soldiers." The request was approved by the Qing court. Then, these 500 people were divided into two battalions, front and back, with Zhang Biao and Yue Siyi as the commanders of the two battalions, and the German general Behrensdorf as the chief instructor. The German military system was adopted, and brave soldiers were recruited to fill the number of the two battalions. The Hubei Guard was organized with a total of 1,000 soldiers and more than 100 horses. Wu Dianying was appointed as the drill officer to train the new army.

If the new army he trained were combined with the Qing patrol battalions and the Green Camp, they could still fight. Of course, Li Hongzhang could have mobilized his own Wuwei Right Army, Yuan Shikai's army. However, this was not approved because the Boxer Rebellion in Shandong and Zhili had not yet been quelled, and these areas also needed troops to garrison and deter.

Finally, the result of the discussion was that the Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, Song Fan, the Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Ding Zhenduo, and the Governor of Huguang, Zhang Zhidong, marched in three directions. As a member of the Guwalgiya clan and a member of the Bordered Blue Banner, Song Fan, the Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, was loyal to the Qing Dynasty, so he was the most active in mobilizing troops.

They are also skilled in archery and horsemanship, and are a rare elite force in the world. After all, the environment in Shaanxi and Gansu is

The army trained in harsh places has extraordinary combat effectiveness.

The Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou during this era was also very powerful. Although for decades,

Plague has been rampant in Yunnan and Guizhou, killing millions of people in just a few decades.