Chapter 21

Time passed swiftly, and before they knew it, two days had gone by.

Qingying had volunteered for this mission, boarding the battleship Brandenburg to head to the Far East. His primary reasons were to experience the customs and culture of China at the end of the 19th century and to escape the painful, cramming-style education he endured daily in the Berlin Palace. However, he had not anticipated that the 23rd birthday of the Qing Emperor Guangxu would fall on July 28th. Qingying had barely settled into his bed in Weihaiwei when a telegram from the German ambassador to China, Schneider, arrived on his desk, stating that Emperor Wilhelm II had ordered him to immediately proceed to the capital to attend the birthday celebration of the Qing Emperor, without delay.

Although Qingying had a thousand reasons to be unwilling to attend the Qing Emperor's birthday banquet, he understood the principle of fulfilling one's duties. Having acquired this convenient identity after his time travel, he naturally had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. After cursing the Qing Emperor countless times, Qingying packed his belongings again and set off on a merchant ship from Weihaiwei to Dagu Port in Tianjin. As a key figure in breaking through Germany's neutrality, the girl Loli accompanied him on the ship. Qingying, who had spent three months at sea, had developed a resistance to the rocking of the ship, but it was Loli's first time sailing, and despite the calm sea in the Bohai Bay, she was still seasick.

Since the railway from Tianjin to Lugou Bridge had only just begun construction in 1894 and was far from operational, Qingying had to switch to a carriage to travel to the capital via the official road after disembarking. Transportation in this era was far behind that of the 21st century, and the 300-mile journey took four hours. By the time Qingying arrived in the ancient city of Beijing, it was already dusk on July 24th.

The setting sun cast a dark red and purple glow over the entire ancient city. The carriage slowly moved along the streets paved with blue stone, leaving a long black shadow behind. Qingying lifted the window to look outside. Despite the approaching night, few shops on both sides of the street had closed; the people of the capital were bustling about the streets and alleys, resting and cooling off at various stalls.

On the eve of the First Sino-Japanese War, the capital presented a scene that was hard for later generations to imagine: on one hand, the decaying and declining empire; on the other, the vibrant and thriving new national capitalism. After 30 years of the Self-Strengthening Movement since the Tongzhi era, significant progress had been made in military, economic, cultural, medical, and educational fields. The capital, which had been occupied during the Second Opium War, had recovered its former prosperity, with a bustling population and traffic, even surpassing the imperial city of 35 years ago. The million residents of the capital were filled with hope and gratitude for the apparent peace and prosperity.

Two days later would be the 23rd birthday of the Qing Emperor Aisin Gioro Zaitian, and in three months, it would be the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. In anticipation of these two significant birthdays, the government spared no effort to create a festive and harmonious atmosphere, using this opportunity to promote the idea of a prosperous era under the wise rule of the emperor and empress. Although there were still two days until Emperor Guangxu's birthday, the streets were already adorned with red lanterns, and dragon and lion dance troupes frequently passed by, drawing cheers from the surrounding crowd.

Seeing this scene of festive revelry, Qingying closed his eyes and sighed heavily, a bitter expression on his face.

Japan's designs on Korea and its intentions to invade the Qing had been evident for half a year through a series of large-scale troop movements. However, the Qing government, from top to bottom, was in denial, with few truly considering a decisive strike against Japan to protect the nation's peace. After two centuries of policies to keep the people ignorant, oppression, and indoctrination, the blood of most Han people had been almost entirely extinguished under the Qing's brutal rule, leaving only a desire for self-preservation. Under the white terror of authoritarian rule and the widespread praise for the emperor and empress, who were hailed as wise, great, glorious, and correct, who would dare to defy the old witch and speak out about the Japanese threat, thus spoiling her 60th birthday celebration? Even Li Hongzhang, known as the "Oriental Bismarck" and holding significant power, was wary of the empress dowager's threat: "Those who make me unhappy today will be made unhappy for life."

Moreover, Li Hongzhang wanted to preserve the strength of the Beiyang forces, fearing that any significant loss would affect his hard-earned achievements. Thus, he allowed Japan's provocations in Korea to go unchecked, focusing instead on seeking intervention from foreign powers. In the current Qing court, the power and influence of Empress Dowager Cixi and Li Hongzhang were even greater than that of the Qing Emperor Guangxu, who resided in the Forbidden City. Seeing that these two were not concerned about Japan's actions in Korea, other officials and the public felt justified in their revelry. To them, Japan was a small and barbaric country, and the idea that it could threaten the great empire was as absurd as worrying about the sky falling. Even if the sky did fall, they believed that the pillar of the state, Li Hongzhang, would hold it up, and it would not be their turn to die.

At this moment, a thousand miles away in Korea, the clouds of war were gathering. Under the command of Major General Oshima Yoshitake, the mixed brigade began attacking the Qing forces stationed in Yashan. Due to the Qing government and Li Hongzhang's indecision on whether to fight or make peace, they neither reinforced the troops in Korea nor allowed them to retreat, nor did they permit the construction of defensive fortifications to avoid creating a tense atmosphere. As a result, the Qing forces, under the command of the cowardly and incompetent Ye Zhichao, abandoned Yashan and suffered a defeat at Chenghuan, retreating in disarray to Pyongyang. According to Qingying's knowledge, the well-fortified city of Pyongyang also only held out for one day.

Five hours later, the Japanese First Flying Squadron would launch a surprise attack on the Beiyang ships transporting troops to Korea. The captain of the "Jiyuan," Fang Boqian, fled at the first sign of danger, leaving his comrades to their fate. Thinking of the historical Fang Boqian, who had twice fled from battle, Qingying glanced at the 13-year-old Loli beside him. Without his presence, this young girl would likely have become another concubine of the cowardly middle-aged officer.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Qingying's face. The girl's appearance bore a striking resemblance to Shixia, the girl he had loved in his previous life, both equally beautiful and serene. Seeing this girl was like seeing her, and although it was not a reunion with an old friend, it brought him great comfort.

Regardless, having a young girl by his side was a wonderful thing.

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On July 28, 1894, the 23rd birthday celebration of Emperor Guangxu was held grandly in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the imperial palace. The string music played, and purple smoke filled the air. The civil and military officials paid their respects, and the sound of "Long Live the Emperor" echoed through the mountains and rivers. The news of the Battle of Fushima, brought back by the "Jiyuan" two days earlier, had been selectively forgotten by these officials. In their minds, the lives of a few hundred soldiers were as cheap as grass, far less important than a fraction of the emperor's birthday.

Through official propaganda, the disastrous Battle of Fushima was exaggerated into an unprecedented victory. The Battle of Yashan, after being embellished by Ye Zhichao's false reports and the skillful writing of the Ministry of Rites, further heightened the festive atmosphere. The people of the capital, unaware of the truth, believed that such auspicious signs before the emperor's birthday were a sign of divine favor and the revival of the Qing dynasty.

The two battles at Fushima and Yashan had a significant impact on the Chinese government and public. Due to the false reports of victory by the front-line commanders, the Qing government overestimated its strength, believing that Japan, a small country, was easily defeated. The voices of the pro-war faction within the Qing court grew louder. As Emperor Guangxu matured, he was no longer content to rely on Empress Dowager Cixi. If he could defeat Japan in the war, he could reclaim the power that rightfully belonged to the emperor. With the tacit approval of the imperial faction, the so-called "reformers" wrote passionate and powerful articles, forming a strong public opinion that forced the pro-peace faction led by Empress Dowager Cixi to make concessions.

On the 1st day of the 7th month of the 20th year of the Guangxu era, August 1, 1894, the Qing court formally declared war on Japan. "We hereby announce to the world that the court has been patient and just, but the Japanese have broken the alliance and provoked trouble, acting without reason. We cannot tolerate this any longer. We order Li Hongzhang to strictly command the dispatched troops to advance swiftly, gather a strong force, and proceed in succession to rescue the Korean people from suffering. We also order the generals and governors along the Yangtze and coastal areas to prepare their troops. If Japanese warships enter the ports, they are to be attacked and destroyed without mercy. Any retreat will be punished."

On the same day, Japan, which had been waiting for this moment, immediately declared war on the Qing court, and the Sino-Japanese War began. Except for Russia and Germany, the other major powers, including Britain, France, the United States, and Austria, declared neutrality. To obtain the latest battlefield news, hundreds of war correspondents from around the world flocked to the Korean Peninsula, disregarding the fact that it had become a true hell.

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First, I admit my mistake for spending too much time on the Qing. My original plan was to write a different version of the Battle of the Yalu River, where I would give the Qing a small boost during the war. However, once I started explaining the background, it became more extensive than I intended... (╯_╰)

After finishing the sea battle, I will conclude this side plot and return to the main storyline.

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