Beiyang Dream

Chapter 93 The Victorious Meeting of Empress Dowager Cixi in Changde

On the third day of the fourth month of the seventeenth year of the Guangxu reign, in the morning.

Outside the east gate of the Summer Palace, the bluestone road was worn and uneven from the constant traffic of large carts. A black, flat-topped carriage came to a stop with a creak, and two people stepped out of the door.

One tall, one short; one thin, one fat; another dish of fried dough sticks and flatbread.

This time, the "fried dough stick" is Chang Desheng, dressed in a brand-new fourth-rank official robe with a cloud-and-goose insignia, looking like a tall "zombie." The short and fat "pancake" is Yuan Shikai, a second-rank official with a pheasant insignia. This guy is really fat, his belly making the front of his official robe round.

"Zhenbang, remember this well." Yuan Shikai pulled Chang Desheng toward the palace gate, his Henan accent low. "Don't look around inside, keep your head down and follow. When you get there, kneel when told to kneel, and stand up when told to stand up. When you're questioned..."

"Eyes down, nose up, and when you reply, look at the Empress Dowager's chin and forehead." Chang Desheng replied fluently, "Brother Weiting, you've been saying that eight times last night."

Yuan Shikai glanced at him: "Even if you repeat it eighty times, you'll remember it perfectly! And there's the red envelope..."

"I know, I know." Chang Desheng reached into his sleeve, pulled out a brocade pouch, and waved it. "Ten small purses, two hundred taels each. One large red envelope, five thousand taels, for Steward Li. Everything is ready."

He spoke casually, but his mind was racing: ten times two hundred equals two thousand, plus five thousand equals seven thousand… not to mention the odds and ends for bribing other connections. Good heavens, before even seeing the old lady, nearly ten thousand taels of silver had already gone! What kind of client is this? Collecting ten thousand taels as a "deposit" upon meeting? Ten thousand taels! A battalion of soldiers, with all their food, drink, and pay, only earns about twenty-five thousand taels a year. Just entering the Summer Palace wipes out half a battalion's annual allowance.

Bah! This godforsaken place, I'll never come back again... No, I'll still come, but this time with my troops!

"What are you standing there for? Come on!" Yuan Shikai nudged him.

Chang Desheng quickly followed, his face plastered with an expression of "boundless gratitude and tears of thanks," but inwardly he was cursing the heavens.

A eunuch in blue robes stood at the palace gate, his eyelids drooping as if he didn't see anyone—what arrogance! The two future presidents have arrived, and he doesn't even know how to greet them!

Yuan Shikai took half a step forward, his sleeve drooping, and a purse slid past. The eunuch flipped his hand, the purse was gone, he grunted, and parted his body slightly.

Chang Desheng followed suit and also stuffed one into the fold.

Upon entering, the view suddenly opened up, only to be choked by a cloud of dust.

Good heavens, the entire Summer Palace is like a giant construction site.

The scaffolding was densely packed, Taihu stones were piled up like small mountains, and timber was stacked as far as the eye could see. Craftsmen scurried up and down like ants, the sounds of chiseling, sawing, and shouting mingling together, and the air was filled with the smell of lime and wood.

Chang Desheng followed the leading eunuch, his steps uneven as he walked on the dirt road, his mind already racing with plans:

This is a huge undertaking... renovation? This is more like reconstruction!

The timber, judging from the cross-section, is South Sea ironwood, costing at least eighty taels per cubic meter. The stone, Taihu stone, has transportation costs exceeding the stone's price. The labor force, estimated at no less than two thousand, at two qian per day, amounts to four hundred taels per day…

How much did this dilapidated garden cost? More than ten million, right? The "Changyuan" warship cost over two million each; this could buy four of them! Professor Hannagan budgeted for the Beiyang Fleet: training 100,000 German-equipped new troops, the annual salary and equipment would only cost ten million. Well, one garden consumed four ironclad warships and 100,000 new troops! No wonder the country perished!

He glanced at the several supervisors in silk robes, gesturing wildly, and sneered inwardly: Those Manchu officials and bondservants in the Imperial Household Department, they must have skimmed off quite a bit of money, right? This project needs me…

I can get it done for you without spending a single penny! I'll fence off the land near the Summer Palace, build a few "Royal Garden Landscape Luxury Residences" projects, and sell pre-sale apartments. All the rich and powerful people in the world will want to buy them, right? The deposits alone will be enough to recoup the cost of building the gardens!

They're so stupid and greedy, a bunch of vermin. No wonder they couldn't win the First Sino-Japanese War...

"Lord Chang." The eunuch leading the way suddenly stopped and coughed softly.

Chang Desheng quickly stopped, almost bumping into someone's back. Looking up, he saw a palace in front of him, with a hipped roof, yellow glazed tiles, and a plaque hanging under the eaves that read: Hall of Joyful Longevity.

The leading eunuch turned around. The man was in his forties, with fair skin, sparse eyebrows, and a kind appearance. Chang Desheng remembered that his surname was Cao, and he was from Yangliuqing, Tianjin. He was a "fellow townsman" specially arranged by Yuan Shikai.

"Eunuch Cao," Chang Desheng leaned closer, his Tianjin accent coming through, "Have we arrived?"

Eunuch Cao glanced at him, then switched back to his local accent, lowering his voice considerably: "Just wait. The one who comes out later is Chief Eunuch Li. Be smart."

After saying that, he turned and went into the palace.

Chang Desheng inwardly gave Yuan Shikai a thumbs up. The arrangements were thorough. Even fellow townsmen could offer a word of advice.

He already clutched the five thousand taels of silver in his sleeve. The banknotes were from one of the "Four Great Heng" banks in Beijing, and could be redeemed on sight. Yuan Shikai had specifically instructed him: People like Li Lianying only recognize the most prestigious names; they might not even dare to accept banknotes from the Nanyang Bank.

A moment later, a person came out of the palace gate.

Chang Desheng didn't dare look directly at him, only catching a glimpse of a blue satin robe, the hem embroidered with exquisite river and sea patterns. Above that was a round, fair face with light eyebrows, narrow eyes, and a naturally smiling mouth, but the gaze that swept over him was cool and devoid of warmth. This was Li Lianying.

Chang Desheng quickly stepped forward, bowing just right, and handed over the red envelope with both hands: "Manager Li, thank you for your hard work."

Li Lianying didn't even lift his eyelids; he stretched out his hand, and the red envelope was gone. Without a word, he turned and walked inside, only waving his hand as if to say, "Follow me." Chang Desheng breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed. Well, five thousand taels for a mere "waving hand." But it doesn't matter; once the Qing Dynasty is over, we'll catch this guy and get our money back with interest!

Upon entering the Hall of Joyful Longevity, the first thing you smell is a deep, rich sandalwood scent. The hall is quite spacious, with light slanting in through the windows. You can see the gray dust floating in the air. Directly in front of you, eight bright yellow gauze screens are lined up in a row. Behind the screens, you can vaguely see a figure reclining on a couch.

A bright yellow cushion was placed in front of the screen.

Chang Desheng mentally went through the procedure Yuan Shikai had taught him: enter the room, spot the third gold brick, and kneel.

He counted his steps as he walked over, stopped in front of a cushion, flicked his sleeves, lifted his robe, knelt down, and touched his forehead to the ground:

"Your subject, Chang Desheng, a candidate for the position of Circuit Intendant of Hubei and appointed by imperial decree to oversee affairs of the Korean military camp, respectfully wishes the Empress Dowager good health!"

The sound echoed slightly in the empty hall.

There was a moment of silence behind the screen.

Then, a voice drifted out. The voice wasn't loud, it was flat and even, with a distinct Beijing accent; its age and emotion were unreadable.

"Lift your head up."

Chang Desheng straightened up, but his eyelids drooped, his gaze fixed obediently on the lower edge of the screen. This was the highest point he could see while kneeling. "Chang Desheng," the voice rang out again, "you handled Li Hongzhang's affairs in Southeast Asia?"

"Your Majesty, it is my duty to carry out this order." Chang Desheng's lies came out without hesitation.

He was clearly the one who handled the Borneo affair alone, but Li Hongzhang still had to shoulder the blame.

Who could blame him when Li Keqiang was the leader of the Beiyang clique?

As the eldest brother, you have to be able to shoulder responsibilities!

"How many people died?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked.

Here it comes. Chang Desheng's back muscles tensed instantly.

"Reporting to Your Majesty," his voice deepened, but each word was clear, "we have killed the rebellious chieftain Sultan Pontianak and his cronies, numbering over four hundred. His vassals scattered, and countless were wounded. In total, the number of dead and wounded is approximately two thousand."

In reality, the death toll had far exceeded five thousand, perhaps even eight thousand. However, Old Yuan didn't allow him to report that many; that would be too threatening and might frighten the Empress Dowager. Besides, not all those who died were soldiers serving the Sultan…

There was no movement behind the screen.

Chang Desheng quickly added the words he had agreed upon with Yuan Shikai: "This battle is only to rescue thousands of my captive citizens. Once the fighting begins, it's either death or life... I feel truly reluctant whenever I think of this. However, the rebel chieftain has harmed my people. If the court does not intervene, what will become of the imperial authority? What will become of the hearts of our citizens?" The only sound in the hall was the faint noise of construction work coming from outside the window.

After several breaths, Empress Dowager Cixi's voice rang out again, still flat: "How many people from your Beiyang Army went?"

"Your Majesty, the Beiyang Army is acting on imperial orders, how could we dare to be negligent? We five are spies sent by Your Excellency to make contacts and plan, to set the record straight." Chang Desheng's speech became steady. "Those truly serving at the front are tens of thousands of loyal and righteous Chinese people in Borneo who are devoted to the court. It was they who, upon hearing that the royal army was approaching, offered food and drink, and followed with weapons."

Empress Dowager Cixi, of course, did not believe this.

If it really was those five men leading tens of thousands of armed followers, the Dutch would have already sent troops to massacre them. How could they have just protested to the Prime Minister's Office through the minister? Do you think the Dutch are so easy to talk to?

The Dutch didn't massacre them because they couldn't bring themselves to do so.

Why couldn't they kill them? Just five Beiyang students? How could that be? It must be that the Beiyang clique colluded with the German Empire behind the back of the court! Empress Dowager Cixi fell silent again.

After an unknown amount of time, Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly changed the subject, her tone sounding like casual conversation: "Those merchants from Borneo... they're quite lucrative, aren't they?" Chang Desheng's nerves were on edge. He knew he couldn't afford to say anything wrong. His "Zhenzi Battalion" hadn't even opened for business yet! He had to be extremely careful.

"Your Majesty, the Chinese merchants of Southeast Asia have a difficult life, living far from home. Their willingness to serve the country is truly out of gratitude for the boundless grace of Your Majesty and the Emperor, and they deeply feel that the court is their support."

"How much did they donate to the Beiyang government?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked directly.

Chang Desheng took a deep breath: "The Beiyang Army is acting on imperial orders, protecting the Qing Dynasty's overseas Chinese and upholding the imperial authority. The 200,000 silver dollars donated by the overseas Chinese merchants are all a token of filial piety to the Empress Dowager. As for the Beiyang Army..."

He paused, his voice carrying a heartfelt sincerity:

"The overseas Chinese merchants discussed with the Beiyang government the possibility of jointly establishing some industries—mining, road construction, and banking. With profits from these industries, taxes could be collected, dividends distributed, and the national treasury replenished to strengthen the military. This is the way of 'teaching a man to fish,' and ultimately every drop of water would be used to consolidate the Qing Dynasty's maritime borders, serve the court, and repay the grace of Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

These words were, of course, taught to Chang Desheng by Yuan Shikai and Xu Shichang, and he memorized them perfectly.

After he finished speaking, there was silence behind the screen for a long time.

Chang Desheng's knees were sore from kneeling for so long...

Finally, Empress Dowager Cixi's voice broke the silence, but it remained devoid of emotion:

"Okay. Don't rush off today."

Chang Desheng's heart skipped a beat. "Don't rush off? What's this all about? Staying for dinner?"

"Yes, Empress Dowager." He could only agree for now.

"Li Lianying".

"Your servant is here." Li Lianying's voice drifted out from somewhere.

"Remove that unsightly screen. And send word to the German consul's wife... I think her name is Natalie? Bring her here. Tell her I want to see what kind of blueprint Emperor Wilhelm sent me."

It turned out that Natalie had finally managed to get the matter of presenting the Great Waterway Map to the Empress Dowager through the Prime Minister's Office.

"Well."

Several eunuchs entered silently and deftly removed the eight bright yellow gauze screens one by one. With the obscuring elements gone, the light inside the hall seemed to brighten considerably.

Chang Desheng kept his eyes downcast, but his peripheral vision was darting around.

A few steps ahead, a large rosewood daybed stood. Leaning against it was a woman dressed in a gaudy robe embroidered with a chaotic jumble of things. Her hair was styled in a "large wing" style, with a kingfisher feather phoenix hairpin in the center and other headdresses on either side that Chang Desheng couldn't identify. Her face was heavily powdered, and her lips were painted with bright red rouge, giving her an air of Qing Dynasty zombie.

The most deadly thing was those eyes. The eyelids drooped loosely, but the pupils inside were eerily dark, and that gaze was silently fixed on him. Chang Desheng quickly lowered his head even further, his gaze fixed on the seam of the gold brick in front of his knee. After a slight pause, he secretly lifted his eyelids again to peek at Empress Dowager Cixi. This time, he spotted a rosewood kang table beside her couch. Besides tea sets and fruit dishes, there were several other items on the table. There was also a gilded, carved photograph frame. Inside the frame was a black and white photograph. The photograph showed a young man in a Prussian military uniform, with a thick, upturned mustache, riding a tall horse, looking ahead with a proud posture and sharp eyes.

It was William II.

It turned out to be a photograph of Wilhelm II with "Dear Empress Dowager Cixi" written on the back...

This zombie empress seems to quite like the imposing "Little William"!

I wonder what Empress Dowager Cixi's reaction will be when she sees Natalie and the little gift she brought from Emperor Wilhelm—the Sanssouci Grand Fountain Map? What stance will she take on the matter of the Beiyang government's collusion with Germany?

Just as he was thinking this, Li Lianying's voice rang out at the door: "Your Majesty, the wife of the German Consul in Tianjin, Nathalie von Bülow, has been ordered to have an audience."

"Let her in," Empress Dowager Cixi said, her tone still calm.