Beiyang Dream

Chapter 82 Good news! Li Zhongtang has sent warships to protect overseas Chinese!

As soon as Zhang Peilun finished speaking, Li Hongzhang understood.

His good son-in-law gave him a clever trick: to let the Guangjia follow the Germans into Pontianak. It was a cunning idea, but it worked!

The German ship Leipzig was on its way to protect Chinese citizens, as was the Guangdong Navy ship Guangjia. Each was protecting its own territory, nothing wrong with that, right?

But when the two warships anchored side-by-side at Pontianak dock, the Dutch looked through their binoculars... and lo and behold, Germany and the Qing Dynasty had joined forces! The Dutch weren't afraid of the Qing, that much was true. The Netherlands had bullied the Chinese in the East Indies for over two hundred years, and when had the Qing ever uttered a sound? But what about Germany? That was the leading land power in Europe, the one that had crushed the French in the Franco-Prussian War. Did the Dutch dare challenge Germany? Not even if they had the guts!

The same logic applies to the Japanese. These past few years, the Japanese have been buying ships and cannons from the British, clinging to the powerful British Empire, hoping to use British strength to deal with the Qing Dynasty and seize Korea. But now the Qing Dynasty also has Germany backing it up. You cling to Britain, I cling to Germany—we both have powerful backers, so who's afraid of whom?

More importantly, in the eyes of the Chinese in Southeast Asia, this meant that the Beiyang government was actually doing something.

Those wealthy men from Southeast Asia have amassed a considerable amount of money for the Beiyang Army over the years. For example, the Zhang and Luo families lent 720,000 taels of silver just for the Changyuan warship incident.

If you take someone's money, you have to do their bidding!

Now, how long has it been? Less than a year! The Sultanate of Pontianak has been taken care of by the Beiyang government! This efficiency is many times better than donating to the imperial court to build a garden!

If the Beiyang government were to seek funding from Southeast Asia again, those wealthy merchants would be ten times more willing to pay than they are now. With this financial route through Southeast Asia, could those incompetent officials in the imperial court still hold the Beiyang government hostage? No matter how powerful Weng Tonghe was, could he really control the flow of money from the Chinese merchants in Southeast Asia?

"Youqiao," Li Hongzhang said, "send a telegram to the boss."

Zhang Peilun was taken aback: "Boss?"

"My elder brother," Li Hongzhang said, "is the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. The Guangjia is a ship of the Guangdong Navy, and it got his approval."

Zhang Peilun quickly picked up his calligraphy brush, ready to write.

"Tell him: Pontianak's Chinatown is in grave danger, with many overseas Chinese dead or injured. Germany has already dispatched warships to Pontianak to protect its citizens; there is precedent for this, so there is no need to worry about Dutch protests. Please order the Guangjia to sail from Singapore to Pontianak immediately, under the pretext of protecting our citizens, to demonstrate the power and prestige of our Great Qing Dynasty..."

Zhang Peilun wrote quickly and fluently, finishing in a few lines, then asked, "What did the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry) say?"

"Just report this." Li Hongzhang, holding his teacup, slowly skimmed the foam off the surface with the covered bowl. "Just say, 'I have ordered Guangjia to go to Pontianak to protect the overseas Chinese. This concerns the lives of the overseas Chinese; go first, then report.' Add another... 'The German warship has already gone to Pontianak. If I don't go, I fear I will be ridiculed by foreigners and lose the support of the Chinese merchants in Southeast Asia.'" Zhang Peilun paused, his pen twitching. "Is this last sentence... appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it?" Li Hongzhang blew on his tea froth. "The Empress Dowager now considers the German emperor a close friend, displaying a photograph of Emperor Wilhelm on horseback in her Western Garden's Yiluan Hall every day!"

Ah, there's a picture of a foreign emperor displayed in the Empress Dowager's bedroom... Is that appropriate? Wouldn't Emperor Xianfeng be angry if he knew? Zhang Peilun dared not ask further and finished writing. He put down his pen, about to get up to send a telegram, when Li Hongzhang spoke again.

"etc."

Zhang Peilun stopped.

"Use the Beiyang code to send another letter to Chang Desheng," Li Hongzhang said. "Have Zhang Bishi forward it."

Zhang Peilun sat down again and spread out the third sheet of paper.

"Tell him," Li Hongzhang put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, "that the court is about to suspend the purchase of ships and weapons from the Beiyang Fleet for two years. Weng Shuping's memorial must be submitted within the next few days. Tell him to make some connections in Southeast Asia and see if he can raise some more funds. Once it's done... his fourth-rank official position and the Korea Military Affairs Office will handle it immediately."

Zhang Peilun paused here, looking up and asking, "Father-in-law, could we follow the usual practice for fundraising for the 'Changyuan' warship?"

Li Hongzhang frowned: "Is this the usual practice with the 'Changyuan' warship?"

"A loan," Zhang Peilun said, "the kind of loan where you don't actually have to pay it back."

Li Hongzhang remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you remember the 'Southern Seas loan plus investment' fundraising scheme that Chang Desheng arranged for Beiyang? Do you remember it?" Zhang Peilun put down his brush and started counting on his fingers. "The Southern Seas Bank provides the silver, which is then lent to the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company; the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company then lends it to the Beiyang government; the Beiyang government uses this silver to buy ships and cannons. On the books, it's the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company's commercial funds, bypassing the Ministry of Revenue, so Weng Shuping can't interfere even if he wanted to. When it comes to repayment, Beiyang doesn't have to pay a single tael of cash. Instead, they use the coal produced by the increased production at the Kaiping Coal Mine, which the Southern Seas invested in, to be transported to the Southern Seas and sold, using the proceeds to repay the loan. After this whole process, Beiyang gains more ships and cannons, the Kaiping Coal Mine gains more sales channels, the Southern Seas Bank earns interest, and now the powerful Chinese in the Southern Seas have a foundation... all four parties win." He paused, looking at Li Hongzhang: "If we could borrow a few million more of this kind of silver... Father-in-law, our Beiyang government wouldn't have to put up with the whims of those incompetent officials in the court."

Li Hongzhang looked at his son-in-law for a long time.

"Several million?" He gave a bitter smile. "The Ministry of Revenue only allocates two to three million to Beiyang Army every year. If we could raise these millions, Beiyang Army's life... would indeed be much better off without having to depend on others."

"Isn't that great?" Zhang Peilun's eyes lit up. "From now on, my father-in-law won't have to put up with those people's bullying anymore."

Li Hongzhang smiled and shook his head, waving his hand: "If that's really the case, I'm afraid many people in the court will have sleepless nights. Alright, go... send telegrams to Zhang Bishi, Chang Zhenbang, and my elder brother."

Zhang Peilun picked up three sheets of telegram paper, blew on the ink, and turned to leave.

"Young Woodcutter".

Zhang Peilun stopped again.

Li Hongzhang sat in his armchair and slowly said, "Tell Chang Zhenbang and the other students who studied in Germany that the supply lines to Southeast Asia were hard-won and must be secured. As for Pontianak, those who should be kept must be kept, and the necessary rules must be established. Don't let the war end like a bear picking corn, picking one and then dropping it." Zhang Peilun was taken aback: "This... is it written in the telegram too?"

"Write it down." Li Hongzhang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "The business in Southeast Asia, my Beiyang clique, must continue for the long term!"

Zhang Peilun nodded, turned around and added another paragraph to the telegram before leaving.

The signing room fell silent again. Li Hongzhang leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. He closed his eyes and muttered to himself, his voice so low that only he could hear, "Chang Zhenbang, Chang Zhenbang, this time you've really made a mess of things in Southeast Asia."

Then he gave a soft, cold laugh.

"Good job!"

March 14, afternoon, Pontianak.

It has been a full six days since Xiao Lanfang's battle.

Chang Desheng had been busy for six days and finally had some free time today. He squinted at the six figures bound like dumplings on the newly erected platform in the palace square. Sultan Rahman's fat head drooped, his brocade turban was askew, and his face was covered in mud and tear stains, a far cry from the imposing figure of the "Napoleon of Borneo".

A faint scent of soapberry wafted from the side, mixed with a hint of herbal fragrance.

Chang Desheng didn't turn around: "Why are you here? It's bloody here, young ladies shouldn't look."

Luo Jingrou took half a step forward and stood next to him. This "super-rich woman" had been very busy these past few days, rescuing the wounded, settling refugees, preparing food for the front lines, and even helping to wash bloodstained clothes. Where was the air of a pampered young lady?

"Bloodshed?" She chuckled. "I've seen countless bloody scenes like this since I was a child. Only this time, I'm killing my enemy!"

Chang Desheng watched this incredibly wealthy woman who had "dazzled herself with silver paper" for a while and thought to himself: It's not easy being a wealthy woman in chaotic times!

Above, Liu Shi'an had already begun reading the "Special Security Regulations of the Pontianak Autonomous Committee." It was drafted by the hastily assembled Pontianak Autonomous Committee, and its contents were extremely harsh—a classic example of using severe measures in chaotic times!

"...colluded with Aceh rebels, poisoned the local area, and harmed our overseas Chinese..." Liu Shi'an's voice rose and fell.

The crowd began to stir.

"Kill him!"

"Avenge him! Avenge my grandfather!"

"A blood debt must be paid in blood!"

The shouts grew louder and louder. Many people, their eyes red, were about to surge forward, but were stopped by the newly formed "Pontianak Autonomous Army" with their rifle barrels. These soldiers wore ragtag uniforms, but stood ramrod straight, holding 1888 rifles with bayonets fixed and Dutch 1871 rifles, looking quite professional. Chang Desheng glanced at them and nodded inwardly: They're starting to look good; it wasn't a waste of Hessmann's German training.

As he was thinking, a hoarse howl suddenly came from above, and the rag in his mouth was pulled out.

"I demand to see the governor! I am the Sultan appointed by the King of Holland! This is a rebellion! This is murder..."

Liu Shi'an slammed the booklet shut and sneered, "Save your energy. You can keep calling out to him on your way to the underworld."

The shouts from below grew even louder, almost shaking the entire square.

Chang Desheng then turned his gaze to the two Dutchmen, Kemp and Bohr, who were hiding in the shadows. The two men were pale, their foreheads were covered in sweat, and their eyes kept glancing downstream along the Pontianak River, looking like they had done something wrong.

Chang Desheng thought to himself: These two are truly loyal friends. They're more eager than anyone else for Rahman to lose his head. If these two are rescued by a Dutch warship that might arrive at any moment and taken back to Batavia for trial, all their shady dealings in Pontianak over the years, including accepting bribes from the Luo family and betraying the Sultanate of Pontianak, will be exposed. They'll be locked up for life!

Sure enough, Liu Shi'an bowed to the two advisors and asked in Dutch, "What should be done according to the law?" Kemp and Bohr shouted "Death penalty!" and "Immediate execution!" louder and more righteously than Liu Shi'an.

Chang Desheng's lips twitched. This is what you call having a heart that yearns for the light and hating evil like an enemy!

"Verify his identity! Escort him to the execution ground!"

Liu Shi'an roared the last eight words with a deafening sound.

Rahman was dragged to the heavy wooden anvil in the center of the high place. Three bare-chested executioners pressed down on his struggling, fat body. As his head was forced into the groove, he made a wild, guttural sound, his eyes wide open as he stared intently at the river.

Then, Chang Desheng saw the fat man's body suddenly stiffen.

Then he began to struggle violently, as if struggling a little more would save his life.

Chang Desheng quickly looked towards the river.

Then, three plumes of smoke appeared where the water met the sky in the lower reaches of the Pontianak River.

coming.

Luo Jingrou saw it too. Her breath hitched slightly, and she asked in a low voice, "That is...?"

"There might be a Dutch ship..." Chang Desheng's eyes were fixed on the river. "But there's only one Leipzig!"

"Then..." Luo Jingrou's voice tightened.

"Cut them all off without hesitation!" Chang Desheng interrupted her. "The sky won't fall."

He spoke lightly, but countless eyes were fixed on the three increasingly thick plumes of smoke. The roars of the crowd gradually subsided, and unease began to spread among them. Kemp and Paul exchanged a glance, both growing anxious. Kemp impatiently gestured a "kill quickly" signal to Liu Shi'an above.

Liu Shi'an's face darkened, and he immediately pulled out the vermilion death warrant from a divination tube, threw it to the ground without even looking at it!

"Cut it!"

The command slip landed with a crisp sound.

A burly executioner spat into his palm, gripped the long handle of the executioner's knife with both hands, and raised it high.

The blade was so sharpened it was practically gleaming; beheading must have been incredibly painful!

Rahman's eyes remained fixed on the three increasingly clear black dots on the river's surface. They're coming, they're coming... Help! I'm going to die if this happens again...

Almost simultaneously, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the direction of the dock, followed by a young man's hoarse shout:

"Warships! The Beiyang Fleet's warships have arrived!"

"Li Hongzhang has dispatched warships to protect overseas Chinese!"

"German warships have arrived! And Dutch ones too! Three ships in total!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Then, ecstasy erupted like a volcanic eruption!

Roars, cries, laughter, and screams mingled together, soaring straight into the sky!

Many people jumped and shouted, throwing their hats, handkerchiefs, and anything else they could grab into the air.

Luo Jingrou suddenly raised her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes instantly reddening, and tears streaming down her face.

This is the joy of victory!

Chang Desheng didn't cheer. He squinted, shading his eyes with his hand, carefully discerning the ship's silhouette on the river.

The lead ship was long and slender, with a tall mast and a yellow dragon flag fluttering in the wind... It might be the Guangjia or Guangyi! What a surprise!

Following behind was a German warship of over a thousand tons, its black eagle cross flag fluttering in the wind; it was undoubtedly the Leipzig, which had been arranged to arrive. To the side and rear of these two ships was a smaller steam gunboat, flying the Dutch tricolor flag, following at a leisurely pace; it looked easily defeated.

Just then, the broadsword swung down!

With a soft "pfft".

This was the dull thud of the blade of the demon-headed broadsword cutting through flesh, severing the neck bone, and striking the wooden anvil, drowned out by the deafening cheers. No one heard it except Rahman himself.

His fat head rolled onto the wood, his eyes wide open in death, as if he were still shouting: "Just, just a little bit more..."

The other five heads also rolled off almost simultaneously.

Six headless corpses lay sprawled to one side, blood pooling on the ground, two of them still convulsing.

The execution is now complete.

Just as the Dutch warships were about to dock, they swiftly beheaded everyone!

At this moment, the cheers in the square became even more intense, as if they were about to overturn the entire city of Pontianak.

Chang Desheng then withdrew his gaze and turned his head. Luo Jingrou was still crying, but she had lowered her hand from her mouth, and there were still some tear stains on her face. Her eyes were fixed on the three warships of different sizes on the river.

"Brother Zhenbang, ships from the Beiyang Fleet, Germany, and the Netherlands are coming together," she turned to Chang Desheng in Hakka and said, "There's going to be a show soon!"