Chapter 89: The Aftermath

It must be noted that compared to the battle of Hanoi at the end of 1873, the Vietnamese army had made significant progress. In 1873, as soon as An Nghia’s offensive began, the Vietnamese collapsed completely. Yet this time, facing Li Weiyeh’s 600 regular troops under intense artillery fire, they held their ground on the city walls for at least two hours and even inflicted light injuries on several French soldiers. However, the fact that 6,000 men collapsed after only 40 deaths could not be changed. Even Li Weiyeh could not understand the Vietnamese reaction—neither surrender nor resistance, but complete indifference, as if the battle to capture Hanoi had never happened at all. It was sheer numbness.

…
Huang Yao’s face was filled with a bitter smile. Covered in dust, his official hat was lost, and one of his shoes was gone as well—his condition was utterly miserable. Just yesterday, he was the mighty governor of Hanoi, but today he was a defeated general. 6,000 of Vietnam’s finest soldiers collapsed after just one hour; they were completely scattered and defeated. Now, the governor could not even gather 50 soldiers. The other civil and military officials in Thang Long City had also disappeared. Huang Yao no longer knew the details of the battle or how he had lost. All he knew was, “It is time for me to fulfill my duty.”

He thought of something—the Western Mountain Dynasty’s letter to the Qing emperor describing Hanoi: “For a long time now, there has been no sign of a royal spirit here.” Eighty years since the founding of the dynasty, the royal spirit of Thanh Hóa had already faded. It was uncertain whether they could overcome this crisis. He said to the heavens, “Your Majesty… I have done my best.” His eyes were filled with despair.

On April 26, 1882, the day after Li Weiyeh captured Hanoi, Huang Yao, the governor of Hanoi, committed suicide. Many others followed suit by hanging themselves—almost as many as those who died in battle.

…
Huang Zuo Yan fainted from anger. Not only because Li Weiyeh was capturing Hanoi, but also because the Xiliu Camp was seizing opportunities for the French during a time of national crisis. Their military action against Thanh Hóa was roughly on par with Li Weiyeh’s assault on Hanoi—they used four infantry companies to encircle the entire province of Thanh Hóa. Of course, nominally, Liu Yu was there to assist the emperor, but he wanted to help not just Thanh Hóa. He intended to go to any area still untouched by the Black Flag Army or the French and offer his aid. In just a few moves, the entire province of Thanh Hóa became under the control of the Xiliu Camp. They sent over twenty advisors to the provincial capitals, taking control of all military and political affairs, even seizing control of the province’s finances. But even Huang Zuo Yan was unable to stop the French from capturing Hanoi, let alone now that Liu Yu and he had not yet fallen out—so the Xiliu Camp still left him enough face and scraps.

Just like in Shanxi Province, some less important counties and locations remained in the hands of the Vietnamese. Unlike in Shanxi, the Vietnamese official troops, which were the backbone of Huang Zuo Yan’s power, were not disbanded; instead, they were given Black Flag tickets according to their troop quotas. It was precisely because of these few thousand official troops that Huang Zuo Yan did not dare to completely break ties with the Xiliu Camp. The reason he became the most powerful figure in Northern Annam was precisely because he had an army—without an army, everything would be in vain. He sneered coldly at Zunshi Yunping and said, “Let’s see how Liu Yongfu handles this time.” Since he couldn’t handle the situation himself, someone else had to clean up the mess. The Xiliu Camp belonged to the Black Flag Army, and this time, even Wu Fengdian’s three orders couldn’t stop them from sending troops to Xinghua. Now that the Xiliu Camp had become so domineering, let Liu Yongfu deal with them. Moreover, as a shrewd strategist like Huang Zuo Yan, he had another plan in mind. Since the Xiliu Camp loved to seize territory, let them expand into Hanoi and fight a life-and-death battle with the French. Even if Liu Yongfu couldn’t subdue Liu Yu, he should still be able to prevent Liu Yu from expanding outward and force him to focus on Hanoi. At the thought of this, his mind became active, and he immediately asked Zunshi Yunping again, “Is there any collusion between the Xiliu Camp and the French?” Zunshi Yunping thought even clearer than Huang Zuo Yan: “What if there is collusion? It will definitely lead to a life-and-death struggle.” Shanxi was only 35 kilometers away from Hanoi, and infantry could reach it in a day’s rush. Having such a powerful enemy right under one’s nose was like a fishbone stuck in the throat—uncomfortable for anyone. Zunshi Yunping even thought further: “The Xiliu Camp taking Xuan Guang and Xinghua is to leave themselves a backdoor; they are ready to take action.” Huang Zuo Yan also realized this. Decades of military experience in the north had given him a thorough understanding of Northern Annam. Now that most of Xinghua had been handed over to the Xiliu Camp, they had completed their strategy. No matter what happened next, they would surely have a mortal enmity with the French. The Xiliu Camp had nearly a thousand rifles and many skilled soldiers, but the French were no pushovers either. They had thousands of reinforcements from Southern Annam, and it was said that thousands more elite troops could be deployed from the homeland at any time. Under such circumstances, the Xiliu Camp and the Black Flag Army would have to go all out. Therefore, Huang Zuo Yan quickly calmed down and said, “Let the two wolves fight each other.” At that moment, the Xiliu Camp was celebrating, just as they had predicted—there was no fierce reaction from the Vietnamese, as any such reaction would be suppressed by the Xiliu Camp. One province was still uneasy, two provinces had gained some confidence, but now with control over three provinces, they had finally moved from quantitative change to qualitative improvement. All the officials were filled with pride. Some thought that even if they couldn’t return to their home country, living as a minor warlord in Vietnam would be like living in paradise, especially since the prospects looked good in the future. Thus, their attention turned to Liu Yu.

Today, Liu Yu walked hand in hand with Jiang Ningxue, looking especially energetic. Dressed in an imported British officer’s uniform, he appeared even more imposing as he said to the officers with a smile, “Once we arrive in Xinghua to support the emperor, we’ll have confidence—nothing will scare us anymore.” Everyone cheered in response. Everyone understood what it meant to support the emperor. Liu Yu continued, “Next, Governor Huang intends for us to go to Hanoi to support the emperor. I want to be honest with you all—we definitely have to go, it’s just a matter of time.” Everyone understood that since they controlled Shanxi, those in Hanoi would surely be worried and just waiting for war to break out. “Of course, as for when to go, follow Ningxue’s lead. Ningxue, follow mine.” This statement caused laughter throughout the room, but Liu Yu spoke seriously, “Let me tell you the truth—this is the time to support the emperor. Everything must revolve around military efforts; military matters take top priority.” Everyone understood this principle. “Understood!” Liu Yu shouted, “We call this…” “Military-first politics!” …… Guangxi. Liu Yongfu was in a desperate situation today. He never expected that just a few months after returning to his country, with no food, no pay, and no ammunition, the Vietnamese would already lose Hanoi. They were truly the worst of the worst. Yet Liu Yongfu remained calm under pressure. “Quickly summon General Huang Guilan’s envoy.” In his heart, he hoped to return to Vietnam soon to command the Black Flag Army in battle, but he knew he couldn’t rush—hurrying could lead to mistakes. The more anxious he became, the slower Huang Guilan’s envoy arrived. The envoy came slowly, carrying Huang Guilan’s message. As soon as they met, he said, “General Liu, since the French have taken Hanoi, why don’t you return to Vietnam immediately to take command?” His tone carried a hint of blame. The French had captured Hanoi precisely because Liu Yongfu had returned to his country. Moreover, Liu Yongfu had returned without Huang Guilan’s approval, which was a grave mistake. All his actions should have followed Huang Guilan’s orders. Huang Guilan was very proud, and his envoy naturally carried such arrogance. After all, Huang Guilan was a famous general of the Huai Army, a hero who rose to fame alongside Li Zhongtang! What was Liu Yongfu? Just a bandit from outside the empire. Liu Yongfu also wanted to return to Vietnam to command the Black Flag Army, but he knew what he wanted by returning this time: “I once asked the imperial court to send 20,000 troops to defend the lands I’ve recovered. I’m willing to take on the role of frontline commander. When will the imperial troops be dispatched?” The envoy immediately snorted, “No!” 20,000 troops was a huge force in any battlefield. With the Qing Dynasty in such disarray, it was extremely difficult to deploy such a large number of troops in a small vassal state. “Then I’ll return to Vietnam to mobilize the Black Flag Army to resist the French! But our army has only 5,000 soldiers, and our annual military funds amount to only 100,000 taels. If war breaks out, our funding will dry up. Recruiting new soldiers will require a huge amount of money. I wonder if the Western Province can provide some support?”

The envoy refused outright, saying, “This matter might be possible to address in the Eastern Province. The Western Province has always been poor; it can barely sustain itself, let alone provide support to other provinces year-round. General Huang also needs to recruit new troops and currently lacks the means to support existing units, as they are all in arrears. General Liu must find funds on his own.” What he said was indeed true. Huang Guilan had also taken the opportunity to establish some new troops, and he couldn’t even ensure his own troops’ pay, let alone support the Black Flag Army. Liu Yongfu asked further, “Then can the Western Province provide military supplies? The Black Flag Army currently has 5,000 men, but they lack rapid-fire guns. We hope to receive 800 such guns, two rapid-fire cannons, and 100,000 rounds of ammunition.” The envoy had already received instructions from Huang Guilan: “The Western Province has always had very few rapid-fire guns, so it’s unlikely they can divert resources to help. Commander Huang has already given his instructions…” Hearing this, Liu Yongfu felt a glimmer of hope. The envoy continued, “Your troops can purchase weapons in Hong Kong and transport them in from the Red River…” Officials like Huang Guilan in the Qing Dynasty always feared taking responsibility, especially in matters involving foreigners, which they feared the most, with few examples of those willing to take action. He knew that providing weapons to the Black Flag Army would be the most cost-effective way to cause maximum damage to the French forces, but the problem was his fear of taking responsibility. If things went wrong and the French came to demand answers, Huang Guilan would have to bear the responsibility alone. It was for this reason that Huang Guilan came up with this clever plan: “Hong Kong has all kinds of foreign guns and cannons. Your troops have considerable savings; they can go there and purchase what they need without worry.” Liu Yongfu no longer had the strength to speak. If he could transport large amounts of military supplies from the Red River, why would he need to return to his homeland for help? Now, Huang Guilan had given him such a good idea. He felt utterly exhausted; this time, he had lost everything. The French having taken Hanoi was extremely unfavorable for the Black Flag Army, and his attempt to seek help back home had failed completely—he couldn’t get a single penny, a single bullet, a single grain of rice, or a single gun. Moreover, his plan to have Wu Fengdian lead the entire army in Vietnam also failed. Now, the troops on both the front and back lines of the Black Flag Army no longer obeyed Wu Fengdian’s commands. It was said that the Xiliu Camp took advantage of this situation to seize control of the territory in Xinghua. Although the Xiliu Camp still belonged to the Black Flag Army, they had completely overtaken Liu Yongfu’s forces in terms of territory, manpower, and equipment. After returning from Vietnam, he didn’t know how to deal with the Xiliu Camp. No! He no longer had the ability to deal with them at all. He let out a long sigh. Where was the way forward? … Governor Lu Mei kept repeating, “This is terrible… utterly terrible.” Yet his face was beaming with joy. The goal he had longed for since taking office had finally been achieved. Dongjing, also known as Shenglong or Hanoi, was now French territory. “I must say, Governor Li Weiyeh was too reckless. His forces were too weak, and he was in a dangerous situation in Tonkin.” But everyone knew that the governor was actually praising Colonel Li Weiyeh for making the perfect decision. The victor is not condemned—Colonel Li Weiyeh had captured Hanoi, and that was the result of victory. Governor Lu Mei was very satisfied with this.

According to the report, no soldiers or officers were killed or seriously injured in the battle. Li Weiye had completely destroyed Hanoi’s defenses and artillery, now firmly controlling the largest city in Tonkin. His forces in Hanoi and Haiphong were sufficient to handle any situation, and he could receive reinforcements from Cochinchina at any time, which reassured the governor-general. What concerned him more were the gains from this battle. Colonel Li Weiye had taken control of the two customs posts in Haiphong and Hanoi, seizing a large amount of money—over a hundred thousand silver piastres. This loot was enough to cover the expenses of this military operation, and according to Li Weiye’s report, they could earn even more in customs duties since the customs were now fully under French control. A substantial amount of silver could be obtained from the customs each month to cover occupation costs, with even a considerable surplus left over. Li Weiye eagerly suggested forming a native auxiliary unit in Tonkin, which could be established at little cost, requiring only a few French soldiers. Governor-General Lu Mei agreed to this request and even allowed Li Weiye to establish some police forces so that the people of Tonkin could govern themselves. The only problem now was the Black Flag Army entrenched upstream in the Red River. He glanced at the map and saw the words “Liu Family Bandits”…

Relatively speaking, among Liu Yu’s women, Sister Teresa was the most enthusiastic. Perhaps having spent too much time in abstinence in the convent, she had become quite open-minded; whenever Liu Yu had a need, she was willing to adopt any humiliating posture. Now, once again, she served little Liu Yu through the column opening. After enjoying herself, she made a request to Liu Yu: “Husband, should I be in charge of handling religious affairs in Hanoi?” Liu Yu wasn’t expecting such a request. Leaning back on the bed with his eyes closed, he said, “I might not want to part with you!” He indeed didn’t want to, especially since Sister Teresa had just joined the Huajian Church system and hadn’t yet stabilized herself before being assigned to the most responsible Hanoi diocese—a very dangerous task. Among all the dioceses of the Huajian Church, Hanoi was only considered a medium-sized diocese, with four thousand believers so far, two-thirds of whom were converts from the Catholic Church. However, further development would be much more difficult, as the Catholic Church had mobilized fully to defend itself and prevent further loss of believers to the Huajian Church. Anyone in this situation would be extremely frustrated—the Huajian Church didn’t even make an effort to win over believers; it simply took what was already there, stealing entire villages of loyal believers and leaving nothing behind. Such heresy was the very devil the Catholic Church would never tolerate. Now, the Archdiocese of Hanoi had ordered strict surveillance to prevent any more believers from being taken away, and clergy were required to do their best to bring back those who had already been taken. The religious war between the two sides was fierce, with the Huajian Church at a disadvantage. But now, with Li Weiye having captured Hanoi, the Catholic Church held a decisive advantage.

The Huajian Church has not collapsed yet thanks to the full support of the Xiliu Camp, but without any changes, it will face setbacks in the near future. Now, this newcomer, Sister Teresa, has asked Liu Yu to let her take charge of Hanoi: “Only if I am in charge of the Hanoi diocese can I ensure complete control.” After a brief thought, Liu Yu understood—Zi Ning was after all a senior nun who knew everything about the affairs of the Hanoi archdiocese. More importantly, she was very assertive and eager to seize power. With a faint smile, Teresa said, “I’ll come back to Shanxi to be with you when I miss you.” But Liu Yu asked, “What do you want?” Teresa replied promptly, “Give me twenty Snider rifles—I know you have them—and… ten revolvers.” She was asking for a lot; usually, Liu Yongfu wouldn’t dare ask Liu Yu for such a large amount of weapons, but Liu Yu agreed. She was his woman, so what did it matter if she had weapons? Liu Yu only considered the issue of loyalty. But he quickly realized that Sister Teresa had already made her presence known in the Huajian Church and had tried to win over important Catholic figures on multiple occasions. As a result, no fewer than two hundred believers had joined her side. Someone who had once sided with the devil had no future even if she returned to the Catholic camp. Her only option was to follow the path of the Huajian Church. And the Hanoi diocese was indeed her best choice—it was the most challenging diocese, but also the one Liu Yu placed the greatest hopes on. After all, it would become the main battlefield in the Sino-French War. Historically, the Black Flag Army had fought on foreign soil and often faced attacks from believers, but Liu Yu believed he could change this history. Now that Zi Ning was willing to step forward, Liu Yu offered his fullest support: “I’ll give the Huajian Church forty Snider rifles and ten revolvers… but half will remain at the main church.” After all, the Huajian Church currently only had twenty Snider rifles in its guard force. If Teresa got too much, it would disrupt internal balance. After consideration, Teresa could receive twenty Snider rifles and five revolvers from Liu Yu. As a result, the Huajian Church would become a powerful military force with seventy rear-mounted pistols—a number even exceeding that of many battalions in the Black Flag Army. But whether it was Luo Yanqiu or Sister Teresa, they were both Liu Yu’s women, and these were weapons from his own camp. “But for the half that stays, I’ll insist they be stationed near Hanoi, ready to support the Hanoi diocese at any time.” Mission work in Vietnam required not only sacred texts but also rifles as the most practical weapons. The French used Li Weiyeh’s cannons for missionary work, and Teresa would respond with guerrilla tactics. This was a religious war—a battle of survival! Liu Yu thought for a moment longer: “Do you know Shen Sheng?” “Yes, he’s one of your subordinates.” Shen Sheng used to belong to the Tiandihui and had served as a search platoon leader in the Xiliu Camp. Now, Liu Yu planned to send him out: “I’ll have his platoon assist you, but be sure to stick to the principles.”

“I don’t want to fight the French too early, so… you are only allowed to defend yourselves.”
Defending oneself only—this was the principle set by Liu Yu. Perhaps Sister Teresa wanted to carry out her underground work as much as possible without provoking Li Weiye and the Catholic Church too much, but if they did come to harass her, she could still fight back and even take some revenge afterward.
Sister Teresa knew these would be difficult times; she could only rely on the two revolvers in her hands.
Her marksmanship was no joke—it was honed through real training. Moreover, she was convinced that if she decided to flee, Li Weiye would find it hard to catch her.
More importantly, she could run into Shanxi at any time. With the troops from Xiliu Camp stationed along the border, Li Weiye surely wouldn’t have the courage to pursue her.
She had thought of everything. She looked at Liu Yu and said, “I’ll be waiting for you in Hanoi!”
“Waiting for me for what?”
“Waiting for my husband to lead his army to Hanoi. I’ll be there.”
Sister Teresa was full of confidence.
By then, the Hanoi diocese would surely be half under the control of the Flower Sect, and she would be Liu Yu’s most trusted wife.