Beiyang Dream

Chapter 96 Is it really fraud if it's ordered to commit fraud?

When Chang Desheng posed the question, Yuan Shikai did not answer immediately. He leaned back on the cushion, squinted, and tapped his fingers on his knees repeatedly... once, twice, three times. He tapped very slowly, like turning beads on an abacus.

After rummaging around for who knows how long, just when Chang Desheng thought the fat man was about to fall asleep, Yuan Datou finally made a decision.

"We must provoke them!" Yuan Shikai said. "But we must know our limits."

Chang Desheng breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother Weiting, this is about finding the right balance..."

"The most important thing now is..." Yuan Shikai leaned forward, lowering his voice, "To cause trouble is the Empress Dowager's decree. 'Not causing trouble' means disobeying the decree. The old lady may not do anything to us right now, but her memory is excellent!"

Chang Desheng nodded repeatedly.

That makes sense!

Offending a leader is no easy task, especially the Empress Dowager Cixi, the number one leader of the Qing Dynasty.

If they don't "stir up trouble" now, what will become of him and Yuan Shikai if they lose the First Sino-Japanese War and are held accountable? The excuses for their misfortune are readily available: the Empress Dowager has long since ordered them to develop Western affairs and build strength in Korea, but they're both terrified of the Japanese and dare not do anything. Guards, drag them out and execute them! That would be the end of it!

As if hearing his inner thoughts, Yuan Shikai continued, "Besides, if we don't cause trouble, will trouble not come? The Japanese have long coveted Korea, sharpening their knives there every day. There are spies of theirs everywhere in and around Seoul; and there are quite a few pro-Japanese people in the Korean royal court." He sighed, his sigh filled with resentment that had been building up for several years.

"Zhenbang, to be honest, we've had a really tough time in North Korea these past few years."

Chang Desheng didn't respond, just waiting for him to start complaining.

"Over the years, we have been tolerant and have watched the Japanese grow stronger day by day, but we have been like a pair of ties..." Yuan Shikai's words were cryptic, but Chang Desheng understood them.

This was a silent complaint about Li Hongzhang, that old coward.

However, Lao Yuan would not openly speak ill of the top leader.

"Regret in the 'Jiashen Coup' of the tenth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign," Yuan Shikai's voice grew even deeper, sounding painful, ""I didn't even have time to consult Tianjin before leading my troops into the Seoul Palace, crushing the combined forces of the Enlightenment Party and Japan, and rescuing the King of Korea. At that time, we clearly held an absolute advantage. The Beiyang Fleet was more than capable of crushing the Japanese Navy! The Zhenyuan and Dingyuan warships were almost here, arriving in September of the eleventh year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign! Moreover, the armistice agreement with the French was signed on February 19th of the eleventh year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, so we didn't have to fight on two fronts..."

As he said this, his tone revealed a sense of resentment!

"As long as we can hold out until the Zhen and Ding ships arrive, we won't even need to fire a shot at the Japanese navy. We can sink all their small, slow, and poorly armed wooden boats just by ramming them! Although the land forces don't have that much of an advantage, I led the Huai Army and we really defeated the Japanese legation guards!" "So Japan has no cards to play!" Yuan Shikai gritted his teeth in hatred. "Li Zhongtang could have just held out... Japan wouldn't have dared to confront us head-on."

Chang Desheng nodded: Yuan Datou's analysis is correct. Not only would Japan not dare to, but Britain, which is behind Japan, would also not support Japan in sending itself to its death. If Japan really did send itself to its death, it would be beaten to death by the Beiyang Army. Britain would then have no choice but to support the Beiyang Army.

"With such a good hand," he said with a wry smile, "we still managed to get the Tianjin Conference Special Agreement played out... stipulating that both sides would withdraw their troops together."

The carriage fell silent for a few moments.

This is Li Hongzhang's fault!

When the advantage was in my hands, I dared not strike when the enemy was down, and even compromised and yielded to the Japanese pirates.

"And the result?" Yuan Shikai looked at Chang Desheng with a helpless expression. "I only have one guard left, about four hundred men, roughly the same number as the Japanese embassy guard. Then there are the customs anti-smuggling team, the concession police, and other miscellaneous armed forces, totaling about fifteen thousand. And then there's the 'Newly Established Korean Imperial Army,' which I can still speak to... I trained them for the King of Korea, so my word still carries weight, about two thousand men." He counted on his fingers, as if reporting a messy account.

"With such limited strength, I, Yuan Shikai, have to win over the Korean royal court, safeguard the suzerainty of the Qing Dynasty, and deal with the covetous Japan and Russia... Moreover, on the Beiyang side, we must abide by the treaties."

He paused, then added, his voice weary: "It's really frustrating."

Chang Desheng listened quietly. He knew it was true. Historical records show that Yuan Shikai was in this situation during the later period in Korea: a nominal "retired emperor" but in reality a "commander without troops."

"But Japan's influence in Korea," Yuan Shikai continued, his tone turning cold, "is growing stronger every day! They have their own embassy guards, their own concession police, a lot of merchants, and all sorts of pro-Japanese factions. Because I don't have any powerful weapons at my disposal, and the Beiyang government and the Zongli Yamen don't really support me, I can't be assertive in my dealings with them, and I don't really have any solutions..."

He looked out the window, where the shadows of the trees on both sides of the official road rushed past.

"If this continues," he said, "the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Chang Desheng nodded repeatedly; he knew this all too well. Historically, before the First Sino-Japanese War, Korea had essentially broken free from Qing Dynasty control, becoming an arena for power struggles between Japan and the Qing. Meanwhile, Yuan Shikai, the Qing emperor, had been at a disadvantage in the pre-war standoff due to various sabotages. "Now it's all right," Yuan Shikai changed the subject, his usual憨厚 (honest and simple) smile returning, "with this imperial edict from the Empress Dowager, we can finally relax our grip."

Chang Desheng finally understood. He understood Yuan Shikai's predicament and how brilliantly the Empress Dowager Cixi had played her card...

She had loosened the reins that Li Hongzhang had placed around Yuan Shikai's neck, allowing Yuan Shikai, who had long wanted to do something, and Chang Desheng, who was originally planning to go his own way, to go free and cause trouble.

Li Hongzhang was a master of riddles, and in such a situation, he couldn't possibly openly tell Yuan Shikai and Chang Desheng, "Ignore that old woman, listen to me." If he kept saying that, his subordinates would be scrambling to sew robes from yellow cloth.

At most, he would prevent the Beiyang government from supplying resources to Yuan Shikai and Chang Desheng. If the two of them could accomplish something on their own, Old Li would have to accept it. Although they couldn't completely let go, at least they could get moving.

"However," Yuan Shikai frowned again, his smile completely vanished, "this matter is something we can provoke. But we can't afford to make things worse. That's a matter of judiciousness! If it blows up, neither of us will be able to escape unscathed. Do you understand?"

Chang Desheng understood, of course, that Yuan Shikai was ultimately a coward. Perhaps he wasn't cowardly during the Jia Shen Coup, but after all these years of hardship, he had lost most of his sharp edges.

However, what he understood even more clearly was that the North Korean bomb was bound to explode. This had nothing to do with whether he and Yuan Shikai caused trouble or not; it only depended on whether the Japanese were prepared, or more precisely, on when that "Centurion" class submarine would be delivered.

Just like in history, the arrival of new cruisers like the Yoshino and Akitsushima marked the beginning of the countdown to the First Sino-Japanese War.

If the Japanese hadn't been able to capture Zhenyuan and Dingyuan, the First Sino-Japanese War wouldn't have broken out.

In today's terms, it would be a battle between a "centurion" and "Chang Yuan"!

Before this, no matter how much trouble Yuan Shikai and his men caused, North Korea could not be bombed.

The North Korean issue is a time bomb, not a landmine that explodes at the slightest touch.

Li Hongzhang failed to grasp the difference, thinking that if he didn't cause trouble, trouble wouldn't bother him.

Thinking of this, he sat up straight and started counting on his fingers with Old Yuan. "Brother Weiting, how about we do it this way?" Yuan Shikai looked up at him: "How?"

"Let's figure out how to make money first," Chang Desheng said. "Once we have money, everything else will be easier. With money, we can train a new army in Korea, build concessions, buy machinery, hire foreign craftsmen... and then we'll have the confidence to cover up all the troubles we've caused."

Yuan Shikai frowned: "What do you want to do? Even if we don't care about the Japanese, there are still Britain, France, Russia, the United States... the eyes of all the great powers are on our heels."

"Let's hold a public tender," Chang Desheng said quickly, as if reporting a plan. "Let's take the mines from Korea—the Unsan gold mine, the Gapsan copper mine—these are all good mines. Let's put them up for international bidding, the highest bidder wins. The foreign powers won't have anything to say, right? That's the Western rule, fair competition." Yuan Shikai shook his head repeatedly: "I'm afraid Korea won't agree. The old fogies in Korea are truly stubborn; they still dream of closing the country off one day. Do you think that's possible?"

"Brother Weiting," Chang Desheng smiled, "you can vouch for it to the King and Queen of Korea. We have the means to secure this bid; it will definitely fall into the hands of our Beiyang business syndicate, which is jointly owned by the Min family of Korea. We will absolutely not allow foreigners or Japanese to get involved."

Yuan Shikai was taken aback: "Our trading company in partnership with the Min family? What do you mean... we can't let foreigners touch it, but we're letting Queen Min's side get involved too?" "That's right!" Chang Desheng slapped his thigh, his face full of calculation. "Think about it, what does Queen Min need most right now? Money! The Japanese, the Enlightenment Party, and the Daewongun's people are all plotting to bring her down. She needs an army that obeys her more than we do. To win over the army, she needs money. And where will the money come from? Only by selling mining rights. Selling them to foreigners and Japanese is risky. She's afraid those old fogies will use that as an excuse to cause trouble. Selling them to a trading company that's a partnership between the Qing Dynasty and Koreans, what can those people say then?" "Our Great Qing Dynasty is the suzerain of Korea! Besides, Queen Min's family can make another fortune. Wouldn't she speak up for you, elder brother?" Yuan Shikai stroked his chin, his eyes darting around. "That makes sense... King Gojong of Korea is afraid of his wife. As long as Queen Min agrees, half the battle is won. So... let's set up a trading company jointly owned by the Beiyang government and the Min family, and use that name to bid!" "Brother Weiting, you are wise!" Chang Desheng gave a thumbs up. "On the surface, it's a 'joint venture between the Qing Dynasty and the government for joint development,' but in reality... how the money flows and how the people are used is entirely up to us, isn't it?"

Yuan Shikai nodded, then pondered for a moment: "Okay. This matter... I'll give it a try. I should be able to persuade Queen Min. Her relatives in Seoul used to make a lot of money doing business with our Beiyang Army. This is a piece of fat meat delivered to our door, there's no reason not to take a bite."

He paused, his brow furrowing again, his Henan accent revealing worry: "But what about the money for this bidding... what are we going to do with it?"

"Borrow it!" Chang Desheng answered decisively. "Go to Nanyang Bank and get a short-term bridging loan."

"Short-term?" Yuan Shikai pressed. "How short-term?"

"Three months, at most," Chang Desheng said, gesturing with his fingers on his knee.

"And what about three months from now?" Yuan Shikai leaned forward.

"Use the mining rights of Jiashan Mine and Yunshan Mine as collateral," Chang Desheng's finger traced a smooth arc in the air, as if the financial chain was already spinning before his eyes, "find a long-term loan from the German-Chinese Bank. Use this long-term loan to plug the short-term hole in the Nanyang Bank. As for the remaining money, we'll divide it into three parts: one part to acquire a plot of land in Zhennanpu and build a new concession specifically for these two mines. That area is by the sea, making it convenient to transport ore; one part to hire German engineers and buy German machinery; and the third part to recruit experienced old miners from Nanyang."

He spoke faster and faster, the financial trick of "getting something for nothing" had already been figured out in his mind, just like the schemes he used to finance real estate projects in his previous life.

"How much can we borrow?" Yuan Shikai asked, still somewhat skeptical.

"Sure!" Chang Desheng slapped his thigh, his tone as confident as if he'd already made arrangements with someone. "As long as the interest is paid in time, the collateral is solid enough... and we agree to let the lender send some people to participate in the management... we can even let them control the port management of the Zhennanpu Concession!"

Yuan Shikai's eyes widened, and the flesh on his cheeks trembled.

"This...this..." He pointed at Chang Desheng, his voice rising slightly, "Isn't this almost the same as reselling it? What's the difference?" "The difference is huge!" Chang Desheng gave him a "you just don't understand" look and started explaining, "Selling it? Even if the Korean royal family is muddle-headed, they can't agree to it. How can they just sell off their ancestral property? Borrowing, that's a different story. Look at how much foreign debt Korea has borrowed in recent years. One more or one less won't make a difference. We call this 'rationally utilizing international capital, developing Korean resources, promoting local employment, and increasing the government's tax revenue...' When people say it out loud, that's Westernization, that's progress!"

Yuan Shikai stared at him for a full five breaths, his eyes never leaving his face.

Then he spoke slowly, each word sounding as if it were being ground out from his back teeth:

"Zhenbang, how could this be... a scam?"

Changde was overjoyed.

He stared at Yuan Shikai and asked, slowly and deliberately:

"Brother Weiting, this was ordered by the Empress Dowager, a deliberate act of fraud..."

"Can it be called a scam?"

No sooner had he said that than the carriage came to a steady stop with a thud.

Immediately afterwards, the attendant sitting on the carriage shaft—a trusted confidant Yuan Shikai had brought from his hometown in Henan— deftly opened the carriage door, speaking in a thick Xiangcheng accent:

"Sir, the matter in Hexi has arrived!"

Yuan Shikai raised his hand and touched his round belly. His harmless and honest smile returned instantly, as if the secret conversation about "deceiving on imperial orders" in the carriage had never happened.

"We're practically glued to each other..." he said to Chang Desheng with a smile. "There's a restaurant called Huilinchun in Hexiwu. Their 'Menkou' is absolutely amazing. Come on, I'll take you to try it."

Chang Desheng grinned as well: "What delicious food could make Brother Weiting so eager to eat it?"

"Try it and you'll know," Yuan Shikai said, lifting his robe and getting out of the car first.

Chang Desheng followed behind, and as soon as he stepped off the pedal, he caught a glimpse of the post station entrance out of the corner of his eye.

Oh, what a coincidence!

There was another carriage parked there. It was black, Western-style, with an emblem on the door—the eagle of the German consulate—shining brightly. Two people stood beside it.

A blonde Western woman, dressed in an ivory-white Western travel dress, was craning her neck to look at the sky, seemingly lost in thought. It was Nathalie von Bülow.

The other one, dressed in a royal blue silk robe with a black satin jacket over it, was looking down at a pocket watch. It was Luo Xinglan.

The two looked like they had just arrived and were waiting for the innkeeper to unload their luggage.

Upon seeing the two men, Chang Desheng's face lit up with a smile. He quickly pulled Yuan Shikai aside and pointed at them, saying, "Brother Weiting, how about we join them for dinner today and chat about mining development in Korea?"

Yuan Shikai glanced over, seemingly understanding something, and immediately nodded, saying, "Alright, let's eat together. The more people, the more lively it will be!"