Beiyang Dream

Chapter 102 Introduction to Warlordism: Using Barbarians to Control Barbarians

On the second day of the fifth month of the seventeenth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, in the back garden of the Chang family residence in Tianjin.

A table of food was laid out in the pavilion: braised pork hock, mutton soup, longan buns... all steaming hot. Just looking at it made you feel hot, let alone eating it! But Yuan Shikai, the fat man, wasn't bothered by the heat. He sat on the stone bench, sweating profusely, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan in one hand and eating buns with the other, his mouth dripping with oil. Cao Kun sat next to Yuan, his clothes open at the front, fanning himself vigorously, holding a bowl of cold tea, sipping it intermittently. "Brother Weiting," Chang Desheng began, "I invited you here today to talk about what has happened since I arrived in Korea."

Yuan Shikai swallowed another steamed bun, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and then slowly said, "Zhenbang, let me tell you first, how many men will you have under your command when you get there?"

He started counting on his fingers: "The embassy guards number four hundred, the police forces from the three concessions of Incheon, Wonsan, and Busan add up to three hundred, and the customs anti-smuggling team has about seven hundred. That's a total of around fifteen hundred."

Cao Kun added a sobering remark: "It sounds like there are three battalions, but they're scattered across four different places. The customs anti-smuggling team and the concession police aren't exactly regular troops either. They're fine for regular guard duty, but they'd be in real trouble if they were sent out to fight. To put it bluntly, the only ones who are truly capable of fighting are the four hundred men at the embassy." Chang Desheng felt a little annoyed.

How come there are only four hundred people?

No wonder he became a "Yuan Pao Pao" (a derogatory term for Yuan Shikai) during the First Sino-Japanese War.

With only four hundred people, the same number as the Japanese embassy guards, they wouldn't have enough to drive the Korean King and Queen Lee away!

He picked up his glass of cold tea, took a swig, caught his breath, and looked at Yuan Shikai: "Brother Weiting, we still need to train a few more new battalion commanders." Yuan Shikai picked up a slice of watermelon and took a bite: "How many?"

"First train two battalions, 1,600 men, fully equipped with German weapons."

Yuan Shikai nearly dropped the watermelon in his hand: "Are you crazy? The Tianjin Convention clearly states that we must notify the Japanese before sending troops to Korea. If you send two more battalions, the Japanese will inevitably follow suit! Then China and Japan will be facing off in Korea, and the Grand Secretary will not agree to it!" Chang Desheng cursed inwardly: What kind of treaty is this? But he also knew that this was history.

He put on a smiling face: "Brother Weiting, don't worry. Let's not openly send troops to Korea, let's go in quietly... find a reason, like forming some kind of customs anti-smuggling team, and don't report 1,600 people, just say 500 or so. 500 or so, 1,100... no problem!" Yuan Shikai shook his head repeatedly: "Zhenbang, do you think the Japanese are blind and deaf? 500 or so, 1,100... even 500 people wouldn't agree!" "They will!" Chang Desheng said, "They won't last year, they won't next year, but for the rest of this year, they'll just turn a blind eye!" Yuan Shikai put down the watermelon rind, looked at Chang Desheng, and suddenly thought of something: "Is it because of the assassination of the Russian Crown Prince?" "That's right!" Chang Desheng slapped his thigh, "Brother Weiting, this attack by the Japanese has given us a rare opportunity, we have to seize it. Now the Japanese are worried every day that the Russians will use the assassination of Crown Prince Nicholas as an excuse to take action on the Korean Peninsula..." ...And they themselves dared not escalate the conflict with the Russians or strengthen their presence in Korea, fearing they would be no match for them in a real war. Therefore, this was our chance to break through the Tianjin Treaty and increase our military presence in Korea—a chance we couldn't afford to miss!

Yuan Shikai was silent for a moment: "Over five hundred men... As long as the Japanese don't cause trouble, this pretext shouldn't be difficult to obtain. It will cost at least 100,000 taels a year. But where will this money come from?"

Chang Desheng thought to himself: Silver? The wealthy tycoons from Southeast Asia have provided it. There's still 200,000 taels left from the loan from Pontianak, and the down payment from the Southeast Asian escort agency is another 700,000 taels of silver, totaling 900,000 taels, or over 600,000 taels of silver. But he didn't reveal his true intentions, only looking at Yuan Shikai: "Brother Weiting, how much can you help me with?"

Yuan Shikai shook his head: "Every penny of Beiyang's silver has a destination; I can't transfer it out."

Chang Desheng cursed inwardly: "Fine, it's the same old story again. I'll figure out how to pay myself and take the blame myself."

"Then what can you give me?"

Yuan Shikai thought for a moment and said, "I'll give you a post—'General Manager of Patrol and Anti-Smuggling Affairs in Chinese-Controlled Ports of Korea.' The patrols in the concessions and the anti-smuggling efforts at the customs will all be under your jurisdiction. Once you're in Korea, you'll have a legitimate position."

Chang Desheng's eyes lit up.

There's a lot going on in this system of patrolling. Patrol officers can collect "security fees" and other charges. If smugglers uncover contraband, they can take a cut of the confiscated goods... let's say 100%.

It's not impossible to make several thousand taels of silver a month.

Most importantly, once the 900,000 silver dollars reached Korea, they became "confiscated" illicit funds, and the court couldn't find anything wrong with the accounts. "Alright. I'll accept this assignment."

He then pointed at Cao Kun: "Cao Zhongshan, along with Wang Zichun, Wu Yuchen, and Kong Wenchi, will all be under my command. Is that acceptable?"

Yuan Shikai waved his hand: "Okay!"

Chang Desheng began assigning tasks: "I'll recruit 150 men in Tianjin first, but publicly say 50, as my personal guard. You three will each have 50 men, and you have 20 days. I need these 150 men to be able to carry rifles and march in formation. Can you do it?"

Cao Kun patted his chest and said confidently, "No problem!"

"How do we get guns and ammunition?" Cao Kun asked again.

Yuan Shikai said, "The Beiyang Military Academy's warehouse still has some Linmingdun breech-loading rifles, old stock that have been phased out, but they're still usable. I'll give you 150 of them, plus some bullets. Once we get to Korea, you can find a way to exchange them for better ones."

Chang Desheng cursed inwardly: "Lin Mingdun? That thing's been used for twenty years, hasn't it? It's practically ancient." But he said aloud, "Fine, a gun is better than no gun. Remember to get the bayonet too."

He picked up the herbal tea, took a sip, and started thinking about it.

One hundred and fifty Linmingtun soldiers, trained for twenty days, plus about twenty German advisors, and about twenty "educated youths" from Pontianak who could be trained as officers, totaling nearly two hundred people.

This guy is practically a beginner-level Beiyang warlord.

One must take things one step at a time, and one must rise through the ranks of warlords. Let's start with these two hundred people.

Having made up his mind, Chang Desheng put down his teacup and changed the subject: "Brother Weiting, could you tell me again about my assignment to handle affairs in the Korean camp... just how capable am I?"

Yuan Shikai had just picked up a longan bun when he heard this question, and his appetite immediately diminished: "Brother Zhenbang, to tell you the truth... well... before the Tianjin Treaty was signed, you, as the head of the department, and I, as the general manager, could indeed accomplish quite a few things. For example, I currently have a commissioner in charge of Korean defense affairs, and you are my deputy, so as usual, you can be appointed as an assistant in charge of Korean defense... In other words, you can manage our troops in Korea, and you can also manage the Korean army!"

Chang Desheng asked, "And now? Can I still be appointed as an assistant in charge of North Korean defense?"

"Sure!" Yuan Shikai nodded. "I'll give you a position as a committee member. But..."

"But what?"

"However, according to the Tianjin Treaty, neither our nor Japanese instructors are allowed into the Korean army. If the Koreans want to train their troops, they can only hire foreign instructors." Yuan Shikai spread his hands. "If our own people can't even get in, how much weight do we have left in our words?"

It's the Tianjin Special Treaty again!!

Chang Desheng wished he could tear up the "Tianjin Special Treaty"!

He tapped his fingers on the stone table and suddenly said, "Brother Weiting, I have an idea."

Yuan Shikai asked, "What idea?"

"Didn't the Tianjin Treaty say that neither we nor the Japanese could serve as instructors in the Korean army? Only foreigners could," Chang Desheng leaned forward. "I happen to have many friends in Germany. Let them enter the newly established Imperial Guard in Korea as 'foreign instructors,' and no one can complain, right?" Yuan Shikai put down his chopsticks and narrowed his eyes: "You mean... let the Germans train our troops?"

"Exactly!" Chang Desheng said. "North Korea wants to train a new army, so it's only right that we help them hire some German instructors. The Germans have taken our money, so naturally they'll listen to us. Besides, our instructors can't go in, but our interpreters can! The German instructors' orders will still have to be conveyed through our interpreters, right? When the new North Korean elite troops are trained, who will they listen to? Won't they listen to us!"

Yuan Shikai didn't reply. He picked up a slice of watermelon, took a bite, chewed for a while, and then slowly said, "Using the Germans... that's one way to go. But I need to discuss this with Queen Min properly, so the Koreans don't feel like we're undermining them."

"That's where Brother Weiting's going," Chang Desheng nodded, thinking to himself, "I wonder if he's connected to the higher-ups or the lower-ups." Yuan Shikai waved his hand: "Leave it to me."

Chang Desheng added, "There's one more thing... the defenses of Yuanshan Port need to be strengthened!"

Yuan Shikai frowned: "Yuanshan? That place is too remote, why would we strengthen it?"

"Brother Weiting, think about it, what are the Japanese most afraid of right now?" Chang Desheng lowered his voice. "They're most afraid that the Russians will use the Otsu Incident to cause trouble and seize Wonsan. Wonsan is very close to Vladivostok, but it's an ice-free port with deep water and a vast sea. With some development, it could become a fleet home port. If the Russians plant a foothold there, the entire Sea of ​​Japan will be under the threat of the Russian Pacific Fleet. The Japanese are so scared they can't sleep well right now, fearing that the Russians will make a move."

He paused, then drew a circle on the table with his finger: "If we strengthen the defenses of Yuanshan now, and say it's to 'defend against Russia,' the Japanese will not only not stop us, but they'll thank us for taking the bullet for them, and might even help us out."

Chang Desheng chuckled and lowered his voice: "The defenses of Wonsan have been strengthened. It can hold off the Russians, and it can also hold off the Japanese... In a critical moment, Wonsan can even be used to lure the Russians into the Korean War!"

Yuan Shikai stared at Chang Desheng for a long while before muttering, "Using Yuan... to bring Russia into this mess? You really dare to dream!" Chang Desheng sneered, "That's called using barbarians to control barbarians!"

Tokyo, General Staff Headquarters.

In the operations room, under the dim light, a nautical chart of the east coast of North Korea was spread out on the table. The area around Wonsan was circled repeatedly in red, almost completely red. The current Deputy Chief of Staff, Kawakami Soroku, sat at the table, one hand supporting his forehead, the index finger of the other repeatedly tapping on the Wonsan area, again and again, in a muffled tone. It was clear from his tone that he had run out of ideas.

Former Deputy Chief of Staff Ogawa stood by the window, hands behind his back, gazing at the indistinct outline of the Imperial Palace in the night, a look of frustration on his face. The two cups of tea on the table had long since gone cold.

"The Russian armored cruiser 'Vladimir Monomakh' refueled in Motoyama the day before yesterday," Kawakami finally spoke, his voice sounding a little hoarse. "It's a telegram from the consul in Motoyama. After refueling, it didn't leave, saying it was for 'machine maintenance,' and has been in port for forty-eight hours."

Xiaochuan didn't turn around: "Forty-eight hours is enough to measure the depth of the channel once."

"It's more than just deep water." Kawakami gave a wry smile. "Motoyama's tides, anchorage capacity, weak points in coastal defense... are enough for them to draw a whole detailed tactical map."

Ogawa turned around, walked back to the table, and looked at the nautical chart: "Vladivostok begins to freeze in November and doesn't thaw completely until April. Motoyama, on the other hand, is the closest ice-free deep-water port to Vladivostok along the entire Sea of ​​Japan coast. Once the Russians establish a foothold in Motoyama, the Pacific Fleet will have a forward base usable year-round. At that time..."

"By then," Kawakami continued, his voice lowering, "all of the Empire's plans for Korea will be ruined."

He looked up at Xiaochuan: "We can't possibly go and compete with the Qing Dynasty for control of Korea while the Russians are in control of Wonsan. That would only allow the Russians to take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits."

Ogawa didn't respond. As a radical "anti-Qing" advocate, although he was very unwilling, he knew that Kawakami was right.

For Japan to rise to power, it needed to conquer Korea. Conquering Korea meant challenging the Qing Dynasty's suzerainty over the country. But if Russia stationed troops and deployed its Pacific Fleet in Wonsan, Korea, how could Japan possibly conquer the Qing Dynasty?

Why go through all that trouble to fight the Qing Dynasty to the point of mutual destruction, only to let Russia benefit from it?

"Then let's strike first," Ogawa said coldly. "Let's garrison troops at Yuanshan before the Russians do."

"I'm afraid that won't work!" Kawakami retorted. "The Otsu Incident isn't over yet. The Russians currently have three armored cruisers and two protected cruisers near Japan... The largest of them, the Parmiyat Azov, has a standard displacement of 6,000 tons, a maximum speed of 17 knots, and is armed with two 8-inch main guns and thirteen 6-inch main guns. Sending troops to Motoyama at this time would be tantamount to launching a provocation against the Russian Empire."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "That bunch of useless naval idiots can't beat the Russian Pacific Fleet!"

Xiao Chuan Chuan fell silent.

This question does not need an answer.

Including the Pamyat Azov, the flagship of Tsar Nicholas, the Russian Pacific Fleet now has three armored cruisers with a standard displacement of over 4,000 tons and one protected cruiser with a standard displacement of over 5,000 tons.

Currently, the Japanese Navy has zero cruisers with a standard displacement of over 4,000 tons!

If we were to go to war with Russia now, we'd be handing it over!

In the Far East today, the only two warships that could give the Russians any pause are the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan of the Qing Dynasty's Beiyang Fleet... "So..." Ogawa's voice was filled with resentment, "we can only watch helplessly and do nothing?"

Kawakami did not answer.

Silence fell over the room again. Only the clock on the wall ticked away, each tick a reminder that time was running out for Japan.

Just then...

Hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Both of them looked up at the same time, their hearts pounding in their throats!

Please, please don't let it be news that the Russians have occupied Wonsan!

The door was pushed open, and Major Hideaki Tojo entered, clutching a telegram in his hand. He was panting as he ran, clearly having come on foot. "Lord Kawakami, Lord Koichi..." Tojo's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Urgent telegram from Tianjin, from the Okura Group!" Kawakami took the telegram and glanced at it.

Then, his expression changed.

First he was stunned, then his brows relaxed, and finally he breathed a sigh of relief.

He handed the telegram to Xiaochuan: "Take a look."

Ogawa took it, read it quickly, and then frowned: "Chang Desheng of the Beiyang clique... is going to Korea to defend against Russia?"