Chapter 56

On October 27, 1894, one day after the September Incident, the villagers were still in a state of extreme panic. Although the Qing soldiers did not search the village for "rebels," the villagers were afraid of the poisoned water. At this moment, Xu Feng stepped forward and told the villagers, "The water has become toxic, but this toxicity will soon pass. Do not drink the well water for the next two days."

To protect the villagers, he did not mention the relationship between the Russians and the toxic water.

Because the Russians dismantled all the alchemy equipment and destroyed all the documents when they left Northeast China, historians have never been clear about the secrets of the church or the nature of the toxic water. However, despite the significant controversy among scholars regarding the September Incident, one thing is certain: this event, like the nail in the horseshoe in Western folk songs, influenced the course of history.

(For your information: The nail in the horseshoe. A Western folk song goes: "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the rider was lost; for want of a rider, the battle was lost; for want of a battle, the kingdom was lost." Different versions of this song exist, but the core message is about how small details can affect major events.)

On October 28, 1894, the Russian envoy to the Qing Empire, Cassini (usually written as Kashi in historical records, but changed here for smoother reading), came to the Zongli Yamen and found Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang held an urgent telegram from General Changshun of Jilin in his hand. The conflict between the Qing soldiers and the villagers outside the church made him uneasy. The Qing Dynasty had ruled for over two hundred years, and they had not been driven out like the Mongols, largely because the Manchu nobility embraced Han culture and heavily relied on Han officials. Despite this, the deep-seated suspicion between Manchus and Hans remained, which is why the ineffective and lazy Eight Banners soldiers had not been disbanded.

Now, with such an incident occurring in the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, the higher-ups would certainly be displeased. The Empress Dowager's birthday was approaching, and nothing was more important than this. Therefore, the church incident had to be minimized. Domestically, it could be handled by labeling it as "a rebellion incited by the White Lotus Sect." The tricky part was dealing with the Russians!

Upon hearing that Cassini had arrived, Li Hongzhang quickly had his attendants welcome him in. They sat down, and after some polite conversation, Cassini smiled and said, "I offer my congratulations to Your Excellency!"

Li Hongzhang smiled in return, "I wonder what there is to celebrate?"

Cassini smiled, "In a few days, it will be the 60th birthday of the Empress of the Qing Empire. Is this not a cause for celebration?"

Li Hongzhang, unsure of Cassini's intentions, could only smile. Cassini continued, "However, our Russian Empire and your country have had some unpleasant incidents recently, which might tarnish the Empress's birthday."

Li Hongzhang replied, "This incident was entirely incited by the White Lotus Sect. Our Qing Empire has always been strict in dealing with such rebels. Your country also has rebels like the People's Will, don't you? Both our countries have such traitors, and we should stand together."

The People's Will was a progressive organization in Russia that opposed the autocracy of the Tsar. Tsar Alexander II was assassinated by their bomb.

Cassini smiled, "Your Excellency is absolutely right, but our Emperor Alexander III was extremely angry upon hearing about this church incident. My days are not easy!"

Li Hongzhang thought, "This old Russian is going to make a big demand again! The Russians have already taken over 1.5 million square kilometers of our land, including the territories east of the Heilongjiang and Ussuri rivers! What more does he want? Xinjiang?"

Li Hongzhang thought this way because the Russians had long coveted Xinjiang, and their influence was evident during the Xinjiang rebellion.

Cassini smiled, "Your Excellency, I have come to offer you a great gift."

Li Hongzhang knew this was a threat using the church incident as leverage. If he did not agree to his conditions, more trouble would follow. So, Li Hongzhang asked, "I wonder what gift you have for me, Your Excellency?"

Cassini smiled, "We plan to build a railway with your country. This railway will start from Vladivostok, pass through Harbin, Kuanchengzi, Fengtian, to Lüshun and Dalian. Once completed, it will greatly facilitate economic exchanges between our two countries, benefiting both peoples."

Kuanchengzi is today's Changchun in Jilin, and Fengtian is today's Shenyang in Liaoning.

Li Hongzhang thought, "Once this railway is built, the Russians can easily send troops into Northeast China." So, he smiled and said, "This is a major decision, and I cannot make it alone."

Cassini smiled, "This is not a big deal. What can Your Excellency not decide?"

Li Hongzhang coldly smiled, "If this were not a big deal, why would Your Excellency come to me personally?"

Cassini was speechless. He coldly smiled, "Since Your Excellency does not agree, I have no choice. However, the church incident will not be easily resolved." With that, he left in a huff.

A month later, under Russian pressure, the Qing court finally agreed to sign the "Sino-Russian Railway Cooperation Agreement." From then on, Russia gained the right to build railways in Northeast China, facilitating the rapid deployment of Russian troops in the region.

While Li Hongzhang was negotiating with Cassini, Itō Hirobumi was in Germany, where Emperor Wilhelm II received him in the reception hall.

The reception hall still hung a large yellow painting, and Wilhelm II stood in front of it, as if he were the archangel in the painting.

Wilhelm II pointed to the painting and said, "Mr. Itō, you said that the Chinese dragon is no longer under anyone's control, right?"

Itō Hirobumi smiled and nodded. Wilhelm II continued, "Our German Empire is growing stronger. During your visit, you have seen that we can build cars powered by internal combustion engines, which run much faster than the best warhorses. We have also invented generators, and electricity will change the course of human history."

Itō Hirobumi did not speak. He knew the emperor's character—ambitious and arrogant. Itō Hirobumi smiled, "The meat of the Qing Empire will not be so easy to eat. Moreover, I have noticed that the situation in the Qing Empire is deteriorating. In Shandong Province alone, there have been several church incidents, and many Germans have lost their lives."

Unlike Britain, France, and Russia, Germany, as a Western power, had not gained the same benefits from China as the others. The rising Germany was eager to take a bigger bite out of China!

Wilhelm II smiled, "To protect our citizens, our fleet has already set sail!"