Beiyang Dream

Chapter 27, the central hall needs extra money!

September 16, 1889, Berlin, third floor of the east wing of the Prussian War Academy, student dormitory room 308.

Chang Desheng stuffed the last shirt into the closet, straightened up, and looked around his ten-square-meter single dormitory room: a bed, a table, a chair, a bookshelf, and outside the window was the academy's training ground. Simple, but of great significance.

He pulled out his newly received student ID card, a dark blue leather card with the German words "Preußische Kriegsakademie" embossed in gold. Below that was his name.

The Prussian War College is the top military academy in the world.

Chang Desheng, a civil engineer who used to draw blueprints on construction sites in his past life, had somehow managed to get into this field in this life. He held up his student ID to his eyes, squinted at the gilded lettering in the autumn sunlight streaming in through the window, and couldn't help but smile.

Damn, I actually passed the exam!

Hong Zhuangyuan's report praising the Empress Dowager should have reached Beijing by now. The Empress Dowager is delighted; a fifth-rank official position is practically guaranteed. As for Li Hongzhang, he'll at least get a position in his Beiyang clique, right? He'll definitely be of great use after returning to China!

But the thought of "returning to China for great use" made the smile on his lips disappear.

He sat on the edge of the bed, counting the days on his fingers.

It is now September 1889. The Prussian War College has three semesters, each lasting four months, with holidays in between. All told, graduation will be in January 1891. The journey home by ship will take two or three months, and it will be March or April by the time we reach Tianjin.

That was in the spring of 1891.

It's been three years since the First Sino-Japanese War...

Chang Desheng's mood suddenly became much heavier. Three years—not a long time, not a short time. He needed to use these three years to secure a substantive post in Korea where he could command troops, ideally accumulating some merit and training some soldiers, so that when the First Sino-Japanese War broke out…

But how can we really figure this out?

That part of Korea is now Yuan Shikai's territory. That guy is no ordinary man; unofficial histories say he even took his duties to Queen Min's quarters, making him practically a de facto emperor of Korea. To wrest power from him, even a minor position like a deputy director of the military affairs office, and one with real power at that…

difficult.

Chang Desheng was pondering this when there were three loud bangs on the door, so forceful that the door panel shook. Then came Guo Shigui's fluent Tianjin dialect, which drifted in through the door, sounding cheerful:

"Zhenbang, Zhenbang, are you inside?"

Chang Desheng was delighted and got up to open the door.

Guo Shigui's dark, chubby face stood at the doorway, grinning like a blooming chrysanthemum. Today he was wearing an indigo satin mandarin jacket, a melon-shaped hat on his head, and carrying a leather briefcase, looking very formal.

"Brother Guo," Chang Desheng asked with a smile, "has the imperial edict arrived?"

"They're here! They're here!" Guo Shigui grabbed his arm and pulled him outside. "Not only the imperial court, but the Beiyang government is here too! Lord Hong is still waiting at the embassy. We've kept him waiting... We'll talk on the way!"

"Hey, Brother Guo, slow down..."

"We can't slow down!" Guo Shigui moved with lightning speed, dragging Chang Desheng along the corridor, down the stairs, and out of the War Academy gate.

The old horse-drawn carriage from the legation was parked outside. When the driver saw the two of them come out, he quickly lifted the curtain.

Guo Shigui shoved Chang Desheng into the car, climbed in himself, and shouted to the driver, "Back to the embassy, ​​quick!"

The horse-drawn carriage wheels made a "clunk" as they rolled onto the stone pavement and then began to roll forward.

The carriage was dimly lit, but Guo Shigui took out a neatly folded telegram from his briefcase and handed it to Chang Desheng:

"Here, the translation is complete. It's for you, Your Excellency."

Chang Desheng took it and looked down at it in the flickering light coming through the car window.

The telegram was short, so he read the first line.

"Fifth-rank official hat".

His mind went blank for a moment, as if a string had been plucked.

Fifth rank.

According to the Qing Dynasty's official system, a fifth-rank official was equivalent to... a department-level official in later times. Haha, so I'm sitting at the same table as "Director Qi."

Although it's a nominal title without any real position, it's still a full-fledged department head position!

He subconsciously counted on his fingers: from the fifth rank upwards, the fourth rank, the third rank, the second rank, the first rank... and then from the first rank, the first official rank, and then the president.

It seems... not too far off?

His smugness hadn't faded yet when he glanced down and saw the second line.

"The monthly salary of a member of the Beiyang Army Inspection Committee is one hundred taels."

He started calculating again.

One tael of silver is worth five marks, so one hundred taels is five hundred marks. A skilled worker in Berlin earns eighty marks a month, and a university professor earns four hundred marks a month. This salary is more than enough for me!

Moreover, this "commissioner" position was a formal appointment, dispatched by the Minister of Beiyang. This means that from this day forward, he has officially joined Li Hongzhang's staff and can be considered to have seniority.

He continued reading.

The next few lines of text slowly froze his smile on his face.

"The German Emperor has promised to sell ships, and the Beiyang Fleet does indeed intend to acquire more vessels. However, there are many in the court who oppose the Beiyang Fleet's purchase of ships... Do you have any good strategies to help the Beiyang Fleet accomplish this great undertaking?"

"If you succeed, upon your return to the country after completing your studies, I will recommend you for the position of a fourth-rank official. I will not break my promise."

Chang Desheng stared at those few lines of text and read them three times.

Then he cursed under his breath.

Li Hongzhang really wanted to buy ironclad warships! This wing of mine was really powerful; it directly stirred up Li's desire to buy warships for safety!

But if you want to buy it, go ahead. It's not like we don't have the money in the account. We can take out half of the 2.6 million taels of coastal defense donation, plus the 1 million taels saved from the fortifications, for a total of more than 2 million taels, which is more than enough to buy an 8,000-ton warship.

She just wouldn't move, and I had to figure out a way to coax the old lady...

What can I do?

We still have to find a way to team up with the Germans and "deceive the emperor" together, right?

Buying ironclad warships for the Qing Dynasty, and still being accused of deceiving the emperor, resulted in a fourth-rank candidate official position...

enough?

Chang Desheng's mind started racing, meticulously calculating risks, benefits, costs, construction period, labor... finally arriving at a conclusion:

not enough.

"Zhenbang," Guo Shigui leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Can this... be done?"

The carriage was quiet for a while.

The only sound was the "clatter" of horse-drawn cart wheels rolling over the stone pavement.

Chang Desheng raised his head and looked at Guo Shigui.

In the dim light, Guo Shigui's dark, chubby face showed a serious expression, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"Yes," Chang Desheng said.

Guo Shigui's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Really!" Chang Desheng paused, then added, "But it'll cost extra."

"Add money?" Guo Shigui was taken aback. "How much?"

"No," Chang Desheng corrected himself, "it's not more money, it's more work."

"A job?" Guo Shigui was even more confused. "What job?"

Chang Desheng's mind raced. He wasn't thinking about how to "coax the old lady" anymore; he was thinking about where he would go and what he would do after he returned to China.

In his mind, even with Emperor Wilhelm's instigation, Li Hongzhang wouldn't dare to "strike first" against Japan. As long as he didn't dare to strike first, the war in Korea was inevitable and would definitely have to continue.

After completing his studies in Germany, he returned to China in 1891 and had to go to Korea to work on the anti-Japanese war effort. He had to build up his troops, train soldiers, and accumulate merit.

It would be best to start planning this job now.

"The North Korean military affairs office," Chang Desheng said to Guo Shigui, enunciating each word clearly, "remains a fourth-rank candidate for the post. I will change positions once I return to China."

Guo Shigui stared at him for several seconds, then burst out laughing.

"Zhenbang," he chuckled and shook his head, "do you even know what the Korean Camp Affairs Office does?"

"I know." Chang Desheng nodded. "He assists Lord Yuan stationed in Korea and is in charge of all aspects of Korean land defense, military organization, supplies, and transportation. To put it bluntly, he is the second-in-command of the Qing army in Korea, with the power to mobilize troops, train troops, and raise funds."

"Do you know what the situation is like in Korea now?" Guo Shigui's smile faded, and his tone became serious. "It's a poor and desolate place, with Japan and Russia watching closely, and the Korean royal family is constantly fighting amongst themselves. It's true that Lord Yuan is the de facto ruler there, but that position isn't exactly a privileged one."

"What I want isn't a prestigious position," Chang Desheng said seriously. "Brother Guo, what I learned at the Prussian War Academy was leading troops into battle, staff work, and building fortifications and training soldiers. It's not about sitting in a Tianjin government office drinking tea and reading newspapers. Korea is the place to put my skills to use in defending against Japan and Russia."

Guo Shigui fell silent.

He picked up his pipe, took out a match, struck it with a "hiss," and began to puff away.

After a long while, he finally spoke:

"Zhenbang, the position you want, the Grand Secretary might not refuse to give it to you. But the prerequisite is..." He looked at Chang Desheng through the smoke, "You have to make the Grand Secretary feel that you are worth this price."

"I can make the old lady smile and hand over a million taels of silver," Chang Desheng said.

"Talk is not enough." Guo Shigui shook his head. "You need to have a concrete plan, a plan that can persuade the Grand Secretary."

Chang Desheng leaned back against the carriage wall and closed his eyes.

The carriage was still rolling forward with a "clunk-clunk" sound.

Making the old lady happy...

Empress Dowager Cixi is fifty-four years old this year. She loves flattery, is concerned with her image, and enjoys being praised as "wise," "benevolent," and "comparable to virtuous empresses of past dynasties." Currently, she is overseeing the renovation of the Summer Palace, but funds are running low, so her mood is probably not very pleasant…

You have to get her to happily hand over one million taels of silver to the Beiyang Fleet to buy ships, without making her think that the Beiyang Fleet is asking for money...

Chang Desheng suddenly opened his eyes.

"Brother Guo!"

Chang Desheng looked at Guo Shigui and slowly extended three fingers.

"Three words," he said.

"Which three words?"

"Celebrating birthdays, the ship."

"Zhenbang," Guo Shigui said, completely bewildered, "you...say it again?"

"A birthday celebration ship," Chang Desheng repeated. "A brand-new ironclad warship, a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II to Empress Dowager Cixi for her 60th birthday... practically sold off. This ironclad warship is meant to protect the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration. As long as this ironclad warship is there, neither the Russians nor the Japanese will dare to disturb the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration. I've already thought of a name for the ship: 'Longevity' or 'Ci Shou'."

Guo Shigui stared at him, his eyes glued to him.

"Of course," Chang Desheng added, "the Germans won't give it away for free. The German Emperor is poor too. Our Great Qing is so rich, we can't let the foreigners suffer too much. The Great Qing has to pay half the cost, which is considered a 'cost'... more than 200 million. But internally, we can tell the court that this was made with the German Emperor's sincere intentions, half-selling and half-giving away, specially made to protect the Empress Dowager's longevity and health."

Guo Shigui was so shocked by these words that he forgot to smoke and stood there stunned for a full three minutes.

"Brother Zhenbang," he finally spoke, "can this matter... possibly succeed?"

"It's sure to work out," Chang Desheng nodded, "because for Kaiser Wilhelm II, this is a good deal."

He began to calculate Guo Shigui's accounts.

"First, his support for the Qing Dynasty's purchase of warships was precisely to expand Germany's influence in the Far East. As for the ship's name, it has nothing to do with the Kaiser; whoever owns the ship names it! Of course, we can't report it like this..."

"Secondly, it's a 'half-sale, half-gift' deal, which is essentially raising the price first and then offering a discount. A ship worth over two million is first doubled in price, then halved. The Germans not only suffer no losses, but they can also take the opportunity to send more advisors and technicians to China and improve relations with the Beiyang Fleet. Why not?"

"Thirdly, the He Shou ship is also a genuine ironclad warship! Once the news spreads that the Beiyang Fleet will acquire this ship, the Japanese will definitely follow suit and buy new ships! At that time, the Beiyang Fleet will definitely have to buy more ships... the business will still belong to the Germans..."

Guo Shigui's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he listened.

"Then..." He swallowed hard, "What about the Empress Dowager?"

"Could the Empress Dowager refuse?" Chang Desheng laughed. "A foreign emperor presenting her with a warship as a birthday gift is unprecedented since the founding of the nation. Any upright official in the court who dares to object is considered 'unwise and disrespectful to the Empress Dowager.' If the Japanese were to attack on the Empress Dowager's birthday without the Jietiao warship, anyone who objects would be executed!"

He paused, looking at Guo Shigui:

"As long as the Empress Dowager gives the word, wouldn't the 2.6 million taels of coastal defense tax in the Beiyang Army's accounts be able to be used legitimately? At least half of it can be used, which should be enough."

The carriage fell silent again.

Guo Shigui, with his pipe dangling from his lips, took deep drags for a full minute before slowly speaking:

"Brother Zhenbang, your idea is... brilliant."

Chang Desheng didn't reply, he just looked at him.

"But this is a very big matter," Guo Shigui continued, "I have to consult with the Grand Secretary. And..." He paused, "I will also report your request as the Korean Camp Affairs Committee member."

"Thank you for your trouble," Chang Desheng said with a smile. "But please tell His Excellency that the proposal for the 'Longevity Ship' is worth a Korean military affairs commissioner and a fourth-rank candidate official."

Guo Shigui stared at him for three seconds, then nodded emphatically: "Understood."

The carriage was still rolling forward.

Chang Desheng closed his eyes, listening to the sound of wheels rolling over the stone road, and began to sort out the accounts in his mind again.

He Shou ship...

Kaiser...

Empress Dowager...

Korean Military Affairs Office Coordination...

He suddenly realized how wonderful it felt to push the wheels of history forward!