Beiyang Dream

Chapter 22 Li Hongzhang, don't be impulsive, impulsiveness is the devil!

10:30 a.m.

It will probably be about five minutes before Chang Desheng realizes that he, this little butterfly, has blown history so badly that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him.

"Your Majesty," Chang Desheng stood respectfully in the center of the room, his back ramrod straight, even the braid at the back of his head seemed tense, "I am merely a messenger. I have not read Lord Yin Chang's letter."

That's true. When that fat man Yinchang handed him the letter, it was sealed with wax and only said, "Be sure to present it to His Majesty the Emperor personally," without revealing a single word more.

But Chang Desheng had been racking his brains ever since he received the letter: Could Li Hongzhang really send Yinchang to write a letter to the German Emperor? Did he really intend to spend money to buy a German warship weighing tens of thousands of tons? It shouldn't be that simple, it shouldn't be that simple, Old Li wouldn't be that impulsive.

This was his original idea.

Now, standing before Wilhelm II, looking at the young emperor's "I'm just looking to cause trouble" expression, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Wilhelm II smiled.

He raised his right hand and waved it toward Count Schlieffen.

"Then let's take a look," the emperor said with a smile.

Chang Desheng's heart sank.

Take a look? Want to see? Read the letter?

Before he could react, Earl Schlieffen had already approached. The old earl, expressionless, picked up a brown paper envelope from the table and handed it to him.

The envelope has been opened.

Chang Desheng's heart pounded twice.

He took the letter, pulled out the paper, and began to read it.

The letter was written in German, in beautiful cursive script, with neat rows of lines.

He took a deep breath and started reading.

The first half was the expected flattery and attempts to get close to him.

"Your Majesty the Emperor of the German Empire and King of Prussia... We admire Your Majesty's great talent and military prowess... The friendship between China and Germany has a long history... The warships Dingyuan and Zhenyuan, which command respect in the Far East, are all thanks to your country's exquisite craftsmanship..."

Chang Desheng thought to himself: This flattery is sure to please William. This guy is a sucker for this.

He continued reading.

Then, his eyes widened.

The second half is all practical information.

And it was absolutely explosive.

The letter stated that Li Hongzhang was very satisfied with the two ironclad warships, "Dingyuan" and "Zhenyuan," sold to the Beiyang Fleet by Germany, praising their excellent performance and their ability to intimidate the enemy. However, he noted that Japan had recently been frequently purchasing new ships, and its naval strength was increasing daily, posing a threat to the Beiyang Fleet.

Therefore, the Emperor intended to order another new ironclad warship of 8000-9000 tons from Germany, requiring a speed of no less than 16 knots and firepower and protection that surpassed the existing "Dingyuan" class, and was prepared to offer 200-230 million taels of silver.

A loud "bang" went through Chang Desheng's mind.

You really want to buy it!

200-230 million... Where did you get the money?

His little mind immediately started racing with calculations:

That plan to optimize the fortifications, reducing the number of large coastal cannons and strengthening the rear defenses, could save up to 120 million taels. Divided among various departments, it would only amount to a little over a million taels in the account. This was something he had mentioned in his policy consultation; if Li Hongzhang had adopted it, this sum of money could have been squeezed out.

But there's still a shortfall of 1.2 to 1.3 million taels.

A terrible thought flashed through Chang Desheng's mind: You wouldn't be thinking of misappropriating the money the Empress Dowager had for repairing the Summer Palace, would you?

The hairs on the back of his head stood up instantly.

Oh no, oh no, oh no... The Summer Palace might be abandoned as a project!

The Summer Palace in history books was built using funds diverted from the navy. But now, what if Li Hongzhang used the money meant for the Empress Dowager's garden construction to buy ships, leaving her with a half-finished project…?

The scene was too beautiful for Chang Desheng to even imagine.

He took a deep breath and continued reading.

What follows is even more frightening.

The letter stated that the British advisor to the Beiyang Fleet, Lang Wei-li, "had family matters to attend to and intended to return to his country," which Li Hongzhang deeply regretted. In order to continue to promote the development of the Beiyang Fleet, Li Hongzhang wanted to invite a German military advisory group to China to help train the army and navy and to "offer advice and strategies."

Special note: Practical experience is preferred.

What is this guy trying to do?

The alarm bells in Chang Desheng's mind were already ringing loudly.

Li Hongzhang needed a military advisor? And one with real combat experience…

He... he wouldn't be thinking...

"Regular student".

Wilhelm II's voice suddenly rang in his ears, startling Chang Desheng.

He looked up and saw Wilhelm II had somehow gotten close to him, his angular face only a foot away, a smile that seemed to say "he'd love to stir up trouble"—this emperor, you could tell at a glance, was someone who liked to cause trouble!

The emperor lowered his voice and asked in German:

"I've heard that the Qing Dynasty has been vying with Japan for control of Korea. Recently... is war about to break out?"

Chang Desheng's heart nearly jumped out of his throat for a moment.

Is war about to break out?

Even Wilhelm II realized it! Li Hongzhang really wanted to create some "friction"!

Chang Desheng's mind went blank for a moment, filled with the passage he had written in the policy inquiry:

"For example, if the Koreans seize a Japanese merchant ship, claiming it's smuggling opium and confiscating it, the Japanese will inevitably mobilize their navy to put pressure on Korea. We can act accordingly—if the Japanese launch a large-scale attack, the Beiyang Fleet will also launch a large-scale attack, feigning a show of force but actually launching a surprise attack. We'll fire the first shot and give the Japanese a hard time..."

How could I have been so foolish as to give Li Zhongtang such an idea?

Wait a minute, how could Li Hongzhang be so bold? It can't be...

Chang Desheng's mind was a complete mess, but the rational calculation part belonging to a "civil engineering dog" was still stubbornly running.

He quickly deduced:

If Li Hongzhang had indeed provoked a conflict with German support before the commissioning of the fast cruisers Yoshino and Akitsusuke…

To create a maritime standoff in North Korea, followed by an accidental clash...

With the Beiyang Fleet's existing "Dingyuan" and "Zhenyuan" plus a few cruisers, facing Japan's current few old ships (Naniwa and Takachiho) and the "Three Views" ships that have little combat capability and can only be used for show—these three ships are small boats carrying big cannons and have little protection. If they are beaten by the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan at close range, their chances of survival are slim!

Perhaps, the Beiyang Fleet might actually achieve a great victory!

If they really win, Li Hongzhang will have the money to buy 8-9 tons of ironclad warships from Germany! If he wins, will money still be a problem? Would Master Weng dare to refuse? If he diverts some of the money meant for Empress Dowager Cixi's garden renovations, would the Empress Dowager really object?

If the Qing Dynasty's navy suffers a severe blow and loses all its interests in Korea, and then buys another German ironclad warship... the Qing Dynasty might have to prolong its life!

Chang Desheng's face turned pale as he thought of this.

Wilhelm II looked at his expression and felt smug.

You guessed it! How could the tricks of the East possibly fool Emperor William the Great?

(In fact, he had just carefully read Reiner's report on the situation in the Far East and was very familiar with the situation of the Sino-Japanese confrontation.)

He patted Chang Desheng on the shoulder and said with a smile:

"Our German Empire is a friend of your Great Qing Dynasty; you can trust me completely. Tell me... is war between the Great Qing and Japan inevitable?"

Chang Desheng swallowed hard.

He knew that he couldn't say "I don't know" at that moment; that would be too fake.

He nodded and said in as calm a tone as possible:

"Your Majesty is wise. Japan has long coveted Korea, and Korea... is the last vassal state of the Qing Dynasty."

Emperor William chuckled and then sauntered around the map room with an air of self-importance.

He walked up to the world map, his eyes fixed intently on Japan, Korea, Northeast China...

Based on his unparalleled strategic vision, he could tell at a glance that a war between Qing and Japan was inevitable!

Japan has been expanding its military and preparing for war for years, increasing its navy and army, and even borrowing money from Britain at exorbitant interest rates. Isn't it all for the purpose of expanding into the Korean Peninsula? What else could it be expanding into? Jump into the Pacific Ocean?

This is Germany's chance!

Wilhelm II also had his own set of calculations in mind, which he found quite interesting:

The Qing Dynasty wanted to buy new warships—a move fueled by both encouragement and a large order.

The Qing Dynasty needed to hire advisors to cultivate a pro-German faction.

The Qing Dynasty and Japan are about to go to war—another huge arms deal.

Moreover, help shouldn't be given for nothing, and trouble shouldn't be stirred up for nothing. Once the Far East descends into chaos, Germany might be able to lease a port in Qing China or Korea to serve as the home port for its Far East cruiser squadron.

By then, Germany will have a foothold in the Far East! It can sell even more arms and rival Britain and Russia...

perfect!

Thinking of this, Wilhelm II turned around and said to Chang Desheng with a solemn expression:

"Please tell Li Zhongtang that our Consul General in Tianjin will be in contact with him to discuss the purchase of ironclad warships and the dispatch of a military advisory group."

Chang Desheng sighed inwardly.

There's no other way.

I was just a messenger. Now that my mission is complete, I'll just send a telegram to Old Li, and that'll be all.

He could only suppress his anxiety and bow to William:

"On behalf of Li Zhongtang, I thank Your Majesty for your great favor."

Wilhelm II nodded, indicating that he could leave.

Chang Desheng bowed again, turned around, and walked out of the map room with stiff steps.

The door closed behind me.

Chang Desheng stood in the corridor, looking out the window at the neatly trimmed hedges in the Sanssouci Garden, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

Even if Old Li wants to strike first, he should at least wait until I finish my studies at the Prussian War College! I can at least earn some merit when I get back and maybe even become a battalion commander.

If we had played too early, I wouldn't have been able to do anything in Germany, and all the credit would have gone to others.

Furthermore, how should I report to Li Hongzhang? Should I tell the truth through the legation? Say that the Kaiser is very enthusiastic and willing to sell ships and send advisors?

That doesn't seem right. We can't let Hong Jun know that Old Li is discussing the sale of ironclad warships with the German Emperor... That old man is a man of integrity; if he finds out, he'll definitely report it to Weng Tonghe.

If I do this, Old Li might think I've sided with the Tartar emperor... and become a "party member of the emperor"!

This is really difficult!

As Chang Desheng pondered this, he walked out along the corridor.

......

In the map room.

As Wilhelm II watched the direction Chang Desheng had left, the smile on his face slowly faded.

He walked to the window, put his hands behind his back, and watched the Chinese student's departing figure.

"Count," he suddenly spoke, without turning around, "do you think they'll fight?"

Count Schlieffen stood beside the map table, tapping lightly on the East Asia section with his finger.

"We definitely can." The old count's voice sounded very confident. "Even if Qing doesn't make a move, Japan will strike once it's ready. Japan's naval expansion plan is based on Qing as its hypothetical enemy. Their 'Three Views' and 'Yoshino' were built to counter the 'Dingyuan' and 'Zhenyuan'."

Wilhelm II nodded.

"Then," he turned to look at Schlieffen, "who can we send? Do you have any candidates?"

Schlieffen remained silent for a few seconds.

He quickly went through the list of active-duty officers in the German Navy in his mind—they had to understand naval tactics, preferably have combat experience (even in small-scale conflicts), be shrewd, be able to adapt to the complex environment of the Far East, and also… be loyal enough to become Germany’s “eyes” in the Far East.

"There is one," Schlieffen said.

"Who?"

"Lieutenant Commander Tirpitz," Schlieffen said, "34 years old, currently the Torpedo Inspector General. He served in the East African colonies, commanding torpedo boat squadrons and also serving as captain of a capital ship. He is proficient in modern naval tactics, especially the use of torpedoes and fast ships. More importantly—he has a complete vision for building a blue-water fleet, which is exactly the kind of person we need in the Far East."

Wilhelm II's eyes lit up.

"Tirpitz...that torpedo expert?" The Emperor walked to the map and pointed to Tianjin. "Very good. Have him prepare. Once our Consul General in Tianjin has reached an agreement with Li Hongzhang, he will go to Tianjin as the head of the advisory group."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Schlieffen bowed slightly. "Lieutenant Commander Tirpitz has been pushing for the Imperial Navy to operate at sea. This mission to the Far East may allow him to test some of his ideas."

As Wilhelm II looked at the vast Far Eastern land on the map, a smile returned to his lips.

The Far East is about to get lively.

And the German Empire will now be in the center of the stage.