Chapter 76

Shen Tao said dismissively, "Isn't it just setting a fire? What's so difficult about it?"

Zhang Hua sighed, as if teaching a child who didn't understand, and said to Shen Tao, "Setting a fire is a profound science. For example, what do you use to start the fire, and how much of it do you need? You can't push a cart full of firewood to set a fire, or people would see you right away. There's also the issue of wind direction. I want you to burn the British embassy, but don't set fire to the surrounding civilians."

Zhang Hua concluded seriously, "The most important point is: I want you to set the fire, but the British must believe that no one set it, and that it was purely an accident. Can you do that?"

Shen Tao pondered for a moment, then remained silent. Zhang Hua said, "I know it's not easy. The confidential room is heavily guarded. No matter how skilled you are, you can't avoid them. Even if you can get into the confidential room, do you know which documents to take?"

Shen Tao blushed and said sheepishly, "I don't recognize many characters."

Zhang Hua laughed and said, "In the British confidential room, the documents are all in English. Do you know English?"

Shen Tao shook his head.

Zhang Hua knew that in this era, it was already difficult for people to recognize their own names, let alone understand English. He said, "Alright, let's think of another way."

Shen Tao asked, "Brother Zhang, if I can set the fire, what's your plan?"

Zhang Hua said, "I know there aren't many British soldiers in the embassy, and the buildings are all wooden. It's winter, and the air is dry. The British definitely can't put out the fire. They will definitely ask the nearby Qing soldiers for help. I'll pretend to be a Qing soldier and mix in with them, acting as the situation dictates."

Shen Tao saw Zhang Hua smoking and suddenly had an idea. He asked, "What if the British soldiers don't leave the confidential room when the fire starts?"

Zhang Hua laughed and said, "They won't. Those documents are more important to us than the British lives, but to the British, which is more important: those pieces of paper with writing or the lives of living people?"

Shen Tao laughed and said, "Brother Zhang, I have an idea. You and I can wait at the Qing army camp. One of the leaders there is my defeated opponent. We became friends after fighting, and now we're good buddies."

Zhang Hua asked, "How are you going to set the fire?"

Shen Tao said, "There are few British soldiers in the embassy, so they focus on guarding the places where the British live. I can sneak in, light a cigarette, and put it on a cotton curtain. The fire will start, and when the British investigate the source, they'll think someone was smoking and accidentally caused the fire."

Zhang Hua put down his cigarette and said, "We can give it a try." So, he and Shen Tao went to the camp, which was in a large house at the street corner, originally a prince's residence that had fallen into disuse.

Shen Tao got Zhang Hua a Qing soldier's uniform. At midnight, when people were asleep, a fire suddenly broke out at the British embassy. The wind fanned the flames, and soon the fire was raging, with people shouting in panic.

The Qing soldiers immediately ran to help extinguish the fire. Zhang Hua mixed in with the crowd and entered the embassy. Shen Tao pulled him aside, and they found a quiet path to the building serving as the confidential room. The British soldiers guarding the room had all gone to fight the fire, leaving the building empty.

Shen Tao entered the room and saw cabinets filled with file boxes. He asked Zhang Hua, at a loss, "Brother Zhang, which of these files do we need?"

Zhang Hua whispered, "Just keep watch at the door for me."

After a while, Zhang Hua came out with a bag of documents. Shen Tao couldn't help but ask, "Brother Zhang, how did you find them?"

Zhang Hua said, "We need to leave quickly. I'll tell you when we get back."

The two found a quiet place, climbed over the wall, and left the embassy. They returned to the Qing army camp, changed their clothes, and went back to their lodgings under the cover of night.

Shen Tao saw Zhang Hua take out the documents from the box and asked, "Brother Zhang, how did you find these among so many files?"

Zhang Hua pointed to a series of numbers on the box and said, "This is the file's reference number. I can tell the date the file was archived from this number. We only need to look at the files from the past few days."

Shen Tao nodded and asked, "Will there be the British military plans in these files? For example, how many troops they have, where they will attack, so we can set up an ambush on their route?"

Zhang Hua laughed and said, "Military documents at the campaign and tactical level are not kept in the embassy, even if they are, they wouldn't be in the confidential room. What I have are recent telegrams from the embassy."

Shen Tao looked at the wavy English letters and said, "Brother Zhang, teach me to recognize these English letters."

Zhang Hua laughed and said, "First, learn to recognize all the Chinese characters." Then he lowered his head and started reading the intelligence.

Shen Tao chuckled and thought to himself that he must learn both Chinese and English. He then asked, "Brother Zhang, what are we looking for in these telegrams?"

Zhang Hua said, "We need to analyze whether the British are determined to start a war, and if so, what their strategic objectives might be."

Shen Tao nodded. Zhang Hua pulled out a telegram reporting the assassination of Kelsall to the British government, and the government's reply: "Be prepared, and evacuate British citizens in China at any time."

Evacuating citizens is usually a prelude to war. It seems the British are serious this time.

After reading a few more, he found a telegram from Britain: "Notify the Guangzhou consulate to prepare 4,500 tons of high-quality coal in Hong Kong."

Zhang Hua stared at the telegram for a long time. Shen Tao asked, "Brother Zhang, what are you looking at?"

Zhang Hua said, "It seems the British are really going to act. Look, the British Royal Navy patrols the world's seas to protect their trade. Hong Kong is an important supply station for the British patrol fleet. Why would they suddenly prepare such a large amount of coal? You know, this coal can supply four King-class battleships to travel 5,000 nautical miles at 10 knots."

Zhang Hua read a few more telegrams, including information about the tides in Guangzhou Bay and the residential areas in Guangzhou. He concluded: The British are likely to occupy Guangzhou City. Collecting information about Guangzhou Bay is probably for a landing operation, and collecting information about residential areas in Guangzhou is likely for preparing to occupy the city.

Zhang Hua thought, "If the British are really going to act, when will it be?"

Their marines can be mobilized from the colonies, and India is a good choice. However, the fleet must come from Britain, as the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing is still a formidable force on paper. It would take about 20 days for the ships to travel from Britain to Guangzhou. It's December 10th now, so 20 days later is early January. January 26th is the most important traditional Chinese festival, the Spring Festival. Will the British choose to act at this time?

Zhang Hua reviewed the useful intelligence again. Intelligence analysis is never 100% accurate. He decided to send the information back to the Beijing ship: "There is a high possibility that Britain will declare war on the Qing Dynasty! The time is likely to be January 1895! The strategic objective is likely to be the occupation of Guangzhou City."