Beiyang Dream

Chapter 105 Li Zhongtang, we must first protect our ships and defeat the enemy, and then use barbari

"Brother Weiting, we can't let the Grand Secretary take away our trump card of resisting Russia!"

The speaker was Chang Desheng, and the location was a suite in the swaying first-class cabin of the Gaosheng. It was late at night, and there was only an oil lamp lit in the cabin. The flame flickered with the movement of the ship, and the roar of the steam engine came from the engine room below, rumbling and making one's head spin.

Yuan Datou, who was listening to Chang Desheng speak, remained silent.

He was engrossed in a bowl of extra-rich Yuanfu Special Spicy Soup, his late-night snack—his eighth or ninth meal of the day? He couldn't remember. He scooped up a piece of "beef cube" the size of a mahjong tile, blew on it twice, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, swallowed it, and then scooped up another spoonful. His face was expressionless, as if Chang Desheng's earlier words were just nonsense, something he'd simply ignored.

Chang Desheng wasn't in a hurry. He leaned back in his chair and waited for Lao Yuan to finish swallowing that mouthful of spicy soup.

Just because Fatty Yuan seemed to be only focused on eating and not saying anything didn't mean he wasn't secretly thinking things through.

He took three more sips of soup, put down his spoon, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and then slowly spoke: "Brother Zhenbang, what do you mean by that?" Chang Desheng leaned forward: "Brother Weiting, think about it. Isn't this resistance against Russia in Wonsan the first major task and achievement our Korean Affairs Office has accomplished in recent years? What have we been doing in Korea since the Gapsin Coup? Collecting customs duties, managing overseas Chinese, arguing with the Japanese, appeasing King Yi and Queen Min... all sorts of mediocre jobs. If we do them well, no one will praise us; if we mess them up, plenty of people will criticize us." Yuan Shikai didn't reply, picked up another piece of mutton with his chopsticks, and continued his late-night snack.

"But resisting Russia is different." Chang Desheng lowered his voice even further. "If we do this well... our authority, financial power, and military power in the Korean military affairs department will all rise significantly. The Grand Secretary, the Emperor, and the Empress Dowager will all think we are capable. Moreover, in front of foreigners, especially the British, it will make us brothers seem more important."

Yuan Shikai paused in mid-air with his chopsticks in hand, then put the mutton in his mouth, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and put down his chopsticks: "Explain in more detail."

Chang Desheng's eyes lit up; Old Yuan still wanted to improve!

In this day and age, anyone who could simultaneously appease the Grand Secretary, the Emperor, the Empress Dowager... and even the foreigners was a pillar of the Qing Dynasty; it would be difficult for them not to progress! "Brother Weiting, think about it... Did the Russians send troops to Yuanshan this time to deal with us? Not at all. They were trying to scare Japan. It was the Japanese who tried to behead Japan's crown prince... Although they didn't actually behead him, if the Russians didn't make a move, would they still be a great empire? But how much strength do the Russians have in the Far East? Just a dozen or so ships and a few thousand officers and soldiers. How could they possibly fight the Japanese while also waging war against our Great Qing?" Yuan Shikai picked up his teacup, took a sip, and remained noncommittal.

Chang Desheng continued, "The Grand Secretary wants to send the Beiyang Fleet to the east coast of Korea for exercises. Ultimately, he just wants to use this opportunity to demonstrate the presence of our Great Qing Navy and show off to the foreigners. But the problem is... once the Beiyang Fleet is deployed, the Russians will most likely back down. Their three armored cruisers are probably no match for our Zhenyuan and Dingyuan. Once the Russians back down, the threat from Wonsan will be eliminated. Once the threat is eliminated, the Japanese will no longer be afraid, and the British will no longer be in a hurry. If the Japanese are no longer afraid, will they still provide money and artillery to help us defend against Russia? Will they still allow us to expand our influence in Korea? And if the British are no longer in a hurry... will they give us, or the Beiyang Fleet, any benefits?"

Yuan Shikai put down his teacup and looked at him: "Do you really think Your Excellency doesn't understand this principle?"

Chang Desheng thought to himself: If that old man really understood, would the First Sino-Japanese War have ended up like that? He was the one who protected the ships and defeated the enemy when he should have drawn his sword, and he was the one who acted when he should have protected the ships and defeated the enemy... For example, now he is showing off his strength again.

But he didn't dare speak ill of his leader, instead smiling and saying, "Of course the Grand Secretary understands... Who is our Grand Secretary? He's the most capable minister of our Great Qing Dynasty, how could he not understand?"

"But Brother Weiting, think about it again... If the Grand Secretary really understood, why did he still send the Beiyang Fleet out? Sending the Beiyang Fleet out now only incurs expenses, no income, only risks, no benefits... It's a sure loss! And it's really screwed us over!" Yuan Shikai didn't say anything.

This wasn't the first time he'd been tricked by Li Hongzhang...

"I think our Grand Secretary isn't treating this as a long-term strategy," Chang Desheng said, emphasizing each word. "He just feels that the Russians loitering around Wonsan is unsightly and they need to be driven away. As for what to do after they're driven away, or what the benefits are of not driving them away for the time being, he hasn't given it much thought. As his subordinates, and in charge of the affairs of Korea, we need to give him a heads-up!"

Yuan Shikai was silent for a moment, then slowly asked, "So what do you want to do?"

"We can't let the Beiyang Fleet get involved," Chang Desheng said decisively. "If the Beiyang Fleet gets involved, we'll lose our cards, and the Japanese will be out of trouble. Brother Weiting, what do you think... should we explain this to the Grand Secretary, or should we make up a lie, exaggerate the strength of the Russian armored cruisers, and fool the Grand Secretary?"

Yuan Shikai raised an eyebrow: "How are you going to fool them?"

"Take the Russian Pacific Fleet for example. They have four large ships of over 5,000 tons each, including one of 8,000 tons. Our Beiyang Fleet only has two large ships of 7,000 tons each, giving them a tonne advantage. Although our Zhenyuan and Dingyuan have powerful firepower, they can't possibly emerge unscathed in a real battle. What if those precious ironclad ships are damaged by the Russians? Can we repair them ourselves? They might have to be towed to Germany for major repairs, which could take several years. Meanwhile, the Japanese will reap the benefits, weakening both us and Russia at the same time."

Yuan Shikai seemed to be deep in thought: "China..."

"On the other hand, the Russian Navy is the second largest in the world; they can build their own ironclad warships and armored cruisers. One can build them themselves, while the other has to buy them from abroad. How can they be compared?"

Yuan Shikai nodded: "That makes some sense."

"And..." Chang Desheng leaned forward, adding more firewood, "We can't assume the Russians wouldn't dare to fight just because we think we're safe. The Russian navy is notoriously reckless. Do you know about the Battle of Cheshme in 1770?"

Yuan Shikai was taken aback: "What is that?"

"The Battle of Cheshme...that happened in 1770. Catherine II's lover and admiral, Orlov, led a hastily assembled, dilapidated fleet around Europe, from the Baltic Sea to the Aegean Sea, to fight the far superior Ottoman navy. And guess what? The Russians, with nine battleships and three cruisers, faced the Ottomans' sixteen battleships and six cruisers. The total artillery ratio was over 800 for the Russians and over 1400 for the Turks. The Russians had traveled a long distance, outnumbered the Ottomans, and were fighting in familiar waters. And the result? A single fire, and the entire Ottoman fleet was burned to the ground..."

Yuan Shikai's eyes widened in astonishment: "Is that so?"

"Would I lie to you? Besides, it's written in black and white in foreign history books." Chang Desheng smiled bitterly. "It seems that His Excellency doesn't know... He probably thinks all Russians are as cautious as he is. Russia is a young empire, only a few hundred years old, and extremely warlike, having grown from a small principality of Moscow into what it is today. Do you think two ironclad warships can scare the Russians away? I think that's not a sure thing."

Furthermore, the Russians are truly daring to fire the first shot! They've done this countless times throughout history! Would our Beiyang Fleet Commander Ding dare? I doubt it... If the Beiyang Fleet were to truly confront them, and the Russians' four large warships, with dozens of cannons over 15 centimeters in diameter, opened fire simultaneously, the Zhenyuan and Dingyuan, with their thick armor, might be able to withstand it, but what about the other ships? Several would surely sink!

Yuan Shikai was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "So what you mean is..."

"We must fully explain the risks of war with Russia to His Majesty... We must let him know how reckless the Russian navy is!" Chang Desheng said, emphasizing each word. "We must first have His Majesty 'preserve the ships to control the enemy,' sending the Zhenyuan and Dingyuan ships to patrol the west coast of Korea to bolster our strength, but not to venture all the way to Wonsan. Then we must 'use barbarians to control barbarians,' showing Britain and Japan that the Qing Dynasty opposes Russia's use of the pretext of attacking Japan to seize the port of Wonsan." Yuan Shikai nodded: "Anything else?"

"And another thing!" Chang Desheng said firmly, "In order to convince Britain and Japan of our determination to resist Russia, you can send me, your humble servant, with a newly established battalion of the Korean Imperial Guard and two hundred embassy guards to Wonsan to set up defenses and carry out resistance against Russia. Of course, the so-called embassy guards will not include your troops, Brother Weiting; it will just be my two hundred men."

Yuan Shikai looked at him and remained silent for a long while: "Brother Zhenbang, are you really going to fight against Russia?"

Chang Desheng chuckled: "Brother Weiting, to be honest, I don't have any intention of resisting Russia. But I do have many ideas about using the name of resisting Russia to seize territory, expand our strength, build our reputation, and become pro-British... not only do they, but they are numerous!"

Yuan Shikai was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "You, you, you..."

After laughing for a while, he looked at Chang Desheng seriously and asked, "Aren't you afraid... a real fight will break out?"

"I'm not afraid." Chang Desheng shook his head. "Fighting the Russians will at most result in skirmishes, nothing serious. The Russians will only send a few dozen marines at most. I have seven or eight hundred men, and I have a way to hold the position... As long as we hold firm, that will be enough to make the great powers look at us differently."

"Are you really confident? That nothing will go wrong?" Yuan Shikai frowned.

"There won't be any mishaps." Chang Desheng counted on his fingers as he explained to Yuan Shikai, "Brother Weiting, think about it... The Grand Secretary dared to send out warships because he was betting the Russians wouldn't open fire. If the Russians open fire on us, it means the Grand Secretary made a mistake. Even if we lose, we'll still have our ironclad warships. If I win... then we'll both be famous and rich!"

If the Russians don't dare to fight and continue to confront us... then we can use the opportunity of resisting Russia to expand our military capabilities, bring Wonsan under our control, and strengthen our control over the newly established Korean elite army.

If the Russians really withdraw, then Brother Weiting and I will both be credited with the withdrawal of Russians. The Grand Secretary, the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, our friendly nation of England, and the entire Korean state will look at us with new respect.

He paused, then looked into Yuan Shikai's eyes: "Brother Weiting, let's do it. It's a sure thing."

Is it really a sure thing, with no risk of loss?

Chang Desheng's words seemed to make a lot of sense, but Yuan Shikai remained silent for a long time.

The steam engine was still roaring, and the two people in the cabin remained silent.

After an unknown amount of time, Yuan Shikai suddenly spoke up, asking, "Brother Zhenbang, this is a gamble with lives! Those are the infamous Russians!" Chang Desheng smiled and said, "We've taken the gamble... the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish!"

Then Yuan Shikai raised his wine glass: "Zhenbang, since you dare to gamble with your life, then this matter... ...I, your old brother, will drink with you." The two wine glasses gently clinked together in the dim light.

Tianjin, inside the Zhili Governor-General's Office.

Li Hongzhang slammed the telegram he had just received onto the table: "Youqiao, take a look at this. It was sent jointly by Yuan Shikai and Chang Desheng, saying how powerful the Russian fleet is, that the Beiyang Fleet cannot act rashly, that we must protect our ships and defeat the enemy, that we must use barbarians to control barbarians... They also said they are going to deploy defenses at Yuanshan." Zhang Peilun shook his fan, not in a hurry to reply.

Li Hongzhang added, "They even fabricated a story about the Battle of Cheshme, claiming that the Russians are always reckless in battle, opening fire at the slightest provocation... Isn't this just alarmist talk?"

Zhang Peilun then slowly spoke up: "Father-in-law, about this matter... I think it would be best to listen to Chief Inspector Ti's opinion." Li Hongzhang looked up at him.

"The Germans are the Russians' old neighbors," Zhang Peilun said, closing his fan and patting it lightly in his palm. "Their capital, Berlin, was captured by Russian troops 150 years ago. They know best what kind of people the Russians are when they fight."

Li Hongzhang pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Just then, the curtain was lifted, and Luo Fenglu walked in, lifting the corner of his robe. He bowed and said, "Your Excellency, Commander Ding and General Ti have found out." "Please." Li Hongzhang put down the telegram in his hand.

Luo Fenglu turned and went out, and a moment later, he led two people in.

Leading the procession was Ding Ruchang, the admiral of the Beiyang Fleet, dressed in a deep purple official robe. His old face was ruddy, clearly showing he had spent much time exposed to the sea breeze. Upon entering, he respectfully bowed to Li Hongzhang, saying, "Your Excellency."

Following behind him was a middle-aged foreigner in a dark blue uniform. He sported an exaggeratedly large beard; it was Tirpitz. He stood at attention, raised his right hand, and gave a standard German salute.

Li Hongzhang gestured for the two men to sit down, and without further ado, picked up another translated telegram from the table. It was in English, and handed it to Luo Fenglu: "Jichen, take this to the Chief of Staff for review."

Luo Fenglu took the telegram, turned around, and handed it to Tirpitz.

Tirpitz took the paper, glanced at it from top to bottom, then looked up at Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang spoke up: "Fenglu, ask him if the Battle of Cheshme mentioned in the telegram really happened? Was the Russian navy really as reckless as the telegram says?"

Luo Fenglu translated the words into English.

Tirpitz listened and answered without hesitation.

As Luo Fenglu listened, he translated: "Ti Zongcha said: The Battle of Çeşme did indeed happen. It was in 1770 when Count Orlov, under Empress Catherine II of Russia, led the Baltic Fleet around Europe and launched a surprise attack on the Ottoman fleet anchored at Çeşme. The Russians, outnumbered, defeated the Ottomans by setting fire to their battleships with fire ships, burning fifteen capital ships overnight."

He paused, then added one last sentence: "Tichondriac said: That was a glorious moment for the Russian Navy, and it also laid the foundation for the Russian Navy's tradition of daring to take risks."

Li Hongzhang's expression changed slightly, and he thought to himself: How reckless are those Russians!

Ding Ruchang paused for a moment, the hairs on the back of his head standing on end... He was genuinely terrified! Not that he was a coward, but he certainly didn't dare to fire the first shot!

He cannot bear the charge of instigating border conflicts without authorization!

But the Russians have to fire first... Four large ships, each over 5,000 tons, with at least thirty eight-inch and six-inch main guns firing simultaneously! The Dingyuan and Zhenyuan can withstand it, but other ships in the Beiyang Fleet would be severely damaged after just a few hits.

At that time, he still won't be able to bear the blame for losing warships!

Li Hongzhang remained silent for a moment, then asked, "In your opinion, how should this matter be handled?"

After listening to Luo Fenglu's translation, Tirpitz gave his judgment almost without pausing.

Luo Fenglu translated: "Chief Inspector said: The suggestions made by General Yuan and the Standing Committee in the telegram are feasible. With their current forces, although they are not enough to directly confront the Russians, they are enough to make the Russians make their stance clear: whether to fight or not. In this way, if the Beiyang Fleet really does encounter the Russians in the future, they will have a clear understanding of the situation."

He added, "Furthermore, the fleet cannot be permanently stationed in Wonsan, but the coastal defense artillery can."

Li Hongzhang's eyes darted around, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice: "How about the Tianjin Special Treaty..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Peilun chimed in, "Father-in-law, why don't we consult the British Minister first?"

Li Hongzhang turned his head to look at him.

Zhang Peilun fanned himself and said unhurriedly, "Just say that our Beiyang Army intends to set up artillery battalions at Yuanshan to prevent the Russians from occupying the port. Ask the British if they can provide ships to assist in transporting artillery. In addition, we can also invite the Japanese to jointly defend Yuanshan."

Li Hongzhang pondered for a moment, then clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent! Excellent!"

After laughing, he stroked his beard and said, "I reckon the Japanese won't dare send troops. They're terrified of the Russians right now, how could they dare openly join forces with us for defense? That way, Yuanshan will be under the sole control of the Beiyang Fleet! And for that, the Japanese should thank us! The British are different. The British are most afraid of the Russians moving south, they'd love for someone to be stationed on the top of Yuanshan. If we bring it up, they'll definitely agree. With the British involved, the Russians will have to think twice." He paused, his face darkening again: "However, the Beiyang Fleet can't remain indifferent forever. Otherwise, those upright officials in the court will say that I'm a coward."

He extended his index finger and tapped it lightly on the table: "One month. A month later, the Russian warships were still stationary outside Wonsan Harbor, so the Beiyang Fleet went to the east coast of Korea to conduct exercises and forced the Russian ships to retreat."

Old Li's plan is quite shrewd!

If Chang Desheng had stayed in Yuanshan for a month without getting beaten, it would mean that the Russians were just bluffing. If the Beiyang Fleet went there at that time, there would be no chance of failure!

If Changdesheng gets beaten, then the Beiyang Fleet will have to protect its ships and fight the enemy. Even if they have to go, they'll have to take British and Japanese warships with them, and go together.

Incheon Pier.

Chang Desheng read the telegram sent by Li Hongzhang over and over again, cursing inwardly for a whole month... What can you do in a month? They finally got a deal to resist Russia; wouldn't it take a year or two to win?

No, a month is absolutely not enough...