Chapter 88

The first item on the British envoy's document read: "The British Empire shall lease the Kowloon Peninsula north of Boundary Street and 262 nearby islands from the Qing government for a period of 99 years."

In history, Britain's occupation of Hong Kong was not completed in one go but in three stages. This demand was originally proposed in the 1898 treaty, but due to the穿越 of the Beijing warship, it was advanced to the present.

The second item read: "The Qing government recognizes the independence of Tibet."

Upon seeing this, Lin Yuan felt a surge of anger. In the Qing dynasty, Britain had invaded Tibet twice, once in 1888 and again in 1904. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, several riots in Tibet were supported by Britain.

Lin Yuan said, "We'll discuss the lease later. Let's talk about Tibet first."

The British envoy said, "Tibet was never part of the Qing Empire; it is an independent country. The Dalai Lama and the Emperor of the Qing Empire are merely religious leaders and religious followers."

Lin Yuan laughed and said, "If we follow your logic, only believers bow to high monks, not the other way around, right? Then why did the Dalai Lama kneel to the Qing Emperor when he received his investiture? In the Qing Empire, all subjects must kneel to the Emperor, so the Dalai Lama is a subject of the Qing, and Tibet is part of the Qing."

The British envoy asked, "Do you have evidence that the Dalai Lama knelt to the Qing Emperor when he received his investiture?"

Lin Yuan said, "Of course, if you want to check, you can."

The British envoy said, "You should know that our fleet is anchored in Hong Kong. We have just defeated your Beiyang Fleet. If you do not agree, we can advance north and capture your Beijing and the Forbidden City!"

Lin Yuan thought, "With our aircraft carrier, your fleet won't even get to Beijing."

So Lin Yuan "hmmphed" and said, "Come if you want, but I have a question for you."

The British envoy said, "What question?"

Lin Yuan said, "I wonder if the envoy has studied the marine life of the East China Sea."

The British envoy angrily said, "I have no interest in discussing such a boring topic!"

Lin Yuan said, "I just want to warn the envoy that there is an explosive sea monster in the East China Sea. I hope your fleet is careful when navigating there, so you don't encounter it."

The British envoy was startled. The explosion and sinking of the HMS Resolution, a King-class battleship, was known to only a few people. Could this Qing official be hinting that the explosion of the Resolution was related to them?

The British envoy thought, "This matter needs further discussion back home." So he said, "If you do not agree to our terms, be prepared for the British Empire to capture Beijing." With that, the British envoy stormed out.

Seeing the British envoy leave, Chen Fei entered the room. He saw a few pastries on the table, picked up a few to taste, and said with a smile, "Captain, our Chinese cuisine is truly renowned. In the future, we must develop the food industry and use these things to make money from the foreigners."

Lin Yuan was moved and thought, "Yes, this is a good way to make money, as future development will require substantial funds."

At this moment, Li Jingfang entered and said, "Mr. Lin, my father requests your presence."

Lin Yuan and Chen Fei followed Li Jingfang to a warm pavilion in the backyard. Li Hongzhang was sitting on a kang, not wearing his official robes, with a blanket over his legs. Seeing Lin Yuan, he said, "Please sit."

Then he pointed to Chen Fei and asked, "Who is this?"

Lin Yuan said, "He is my sworn brother, Chen Fei."

Li Hongzhang nodded slightly and said, "In Japan, I witnessed Mr. Lin's diplomatic skills. Now that our Qing Empire is negotiating with various countries, it is the time for Mr. Lin to show his talents."

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Lord Li, I am not here to help with the negotiations."

Li Hongzhang frowned, and Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Lord Li, I am here to lead an army for the Qing Empire and reclaim the lost territories in Northeast China."

Li Hongzhang coughed several times, clearly startled by Lin Yuan's bold idea.

Li Hongzhang shook his head and said, "This is not advisable. We should focus on negotiations, as this is the will of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

Lin Yuan said, "Lord Li, Japan and Russia have troops in Northeast China, and Shanhaiguan is in danger. If Japan and Russia advance into the Bohai Bay and reach Beijing, what will we do?"

Li Hongzhang said, "The court has already ordered the defeated troops from Fengtian to be incorporated into the forces defending Beijing, and elite forces are being drawn from various regions to resist the enemy."

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Local officials will surely find excuses to delay. By the time they arrive, the war may be over."

Li Hongzhang, experienced in the bureaucracy, knew all too well the excuses officials would use. He sighed helplessly, and Lin Yuan said, "The best defense is offense. Instead of sitting and negotiating, we should directly advance and reclaim the lost territories!"

Li Hongzhang said, "This matter must be decided by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

Lin Yuan said, "Could you, Lord Li, arrange for me to meet the Emperor and the Empress Dowager? I have a way to convince them to send troops."

Li Hongzhang was taken aback by Lin Yuan's request, but he thought, "This Lin Yuan might have some real skills. In Japan, he didn't even fear Itō Hirobumi and Mutsu Munemitsu." So Li Hongzhang smiled and said, "Alright, I will send a telegram to the Emperor tonight. You should go to Beijing and prepare."

The Beiyang Commercial Office was located in Tianjin. Lin Yuan took Li Hongzhang's personal letter, which allowed him to visit the Ministry of Rites to meet the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The protocol for such a meeting was complex, so he and Chen Fei hurried to Beijing.

Lin Yuan said to Chen Fei, "You go to the Ryukyu embassy and find Zhang Hua and the others. I need to see someone."

Chen Fei asked, "Who are you going to see?"

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "The leader of the Qingliu officials, Weng Tonghe."

Chen Fei asked, "Why are you looking for him?"

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "To silence those Qingliu officials, of course!"

Lin Yuan knew that the greatest fear of military leaders was the Emperor's lack of trust, and the people who spoke the most to the Emperor were these officials. Chinese officials have always had the noble ideal of "dying in protest if a civilian and dying in battle if a military officer." So these officials would say anything, but they often lacked practical experience and a clear understanding of the situation, and their idealism often led to well-intentioned mistakes. Therefore, to lead an army and reclaim lost territories, it was essential to silence them.

When Lin Yuan arrived at Weng Tonghe's residence, it was already dinnertime, and snowflakes were falling. Weng Tonghe was the Emperor's tutor, a key minister, and the leader of the Qingliu officials. It was not easy for Lin Yuan to see him.

Lin Yuan saw many people waiting at the entrance to Weng Tonghe's residence, knowing they were all trying to see him but could not. He knew that Weng Tonghe and Li Hongzhang did not get along, so he did not show Li Hongzhang's letter. Instead, he borrowed paper and pen from a nearby shop, wrote a letter, and gave it to the gatekeeper to pass to Weng Tonghe.

The gatekeeper returned quickly and smiled, "Sir, our master requests your presence."

(Next episode preview: What did Lin Yuan write in his letter that allowed him to see Weng Tonghe immediately? What method did Lin Yuan use to silence the officials? How did Lin Yuan convince the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to agree to send troops?)