Chapter 206: Direction (Part 2)

As a dystopian empire controlling hundreds of millions of people and tens of millions of square kilometers of land, the Qing Dynasty happened to be in an era of great technological advancement, which allowed it to barely maintain its rule. Telegraphy was one of the new tools used by the Qing Dynasty for governance. Although not yet fully established, the empire would no longer be unaware of battles at its borders until one or two months later, as in the past.

Yet their understanding of the situation still lagged far behind reality. A harsh fact was that it was not until the ninth day after Guilin fell that the Imperial Secretariat learned of this devastating news. This was already the fastest message transmission in Qing history, but no one could believe that while the Black Flag Army had just left Zhen Nan Pass and was still deciding how to send more troops to Guangxi, news of Guilin’s fall had already arrived.

“It’s only been a little over half a month—how could Guilin have fallen already? What’s going on? I heard that almost all the Banners in the Western Province have been wiped out!” The speaker was Prince Chun. He was highly sensitive and usually kept quiet, but once he spoke, everyone had to pay attention. After all, he was the biological father of Emperor Guangxu. Normally, Prince Chun was cautious and never reckless, but now he had to think about his son’s empire: “If this pace continues, this Spring Festival will be the last one for us Manchus in Beijing!”

As the ruler of the entire court meeting, Cixi gave Prince Chun a emotionless glance. Since the death of Empress Dowager Cian, she had become the supreme ruler of the Qing Dynasty. But she knew well that some enemies, those hidden among the Banners, were always eyeing her supreme power, aiming to seize it and exile her completely.

Even with her eyes closed, she could tell what Prince Chun was thinking—he was scheming for his own family. This brother-in-law usually seemed meek and harmless, often saying, “We have wealth and property, but later our descendants will bring disaster. Why? Because with so much money, they become bold and fearless, unwilling to stop until they lose everything.”

Yet she could always sense the hidden ambition lurking within him. Before the war with France, this usually humble Prince Chun actually proposed taking control of the military and leading an expedition to Vietnam, reminding her of those words she had uttered decades ago: “There are so many scoundrels among us Manchus!” The man who said those words was already dead at her hands. Just thinking of such scheming people filled her with helplessness, but soon excitement surged within her. It was the desire for power, the craving for struggle: “Exactly! For over 200 years since our ancestors entered the pass, the dynasty has never faced such shocking upheavals. Brother-in-law…”

At the mention of “brother-in-law,” Prince Chun knew trouble was coming. The woman who always clung to power spoke in a terrifying tone: “At a time when the country is in turmoil, you must take on more responsibilities!”

“I am willing to serve the country loyally! But I am old and sick…”

Cixi wore a triumphant smile, her once aged face now glowing: “My Prince Chun, after all these years, you’ve had enough rest. How about stepping forward to lead the imperial guards…”

She could never allow the emperor’s biological father to command an army outside the palace—there can be only one emperor. There are things that are clearly wrong, but for the sake of power, she would commit the greatest mistakes in the world. With the country in turmoil, it was appropriate to establish an adult emperor, yet she and Cixi still craved control through regency and installed the young Emperor Guangxu. As Guangxu grew up, her fear grew deeper by the day. Only in moments of victory did she feel as if her youth had returned: “Prince Li, what do you think the country should do?” “Your Majesty, back then when the rebels rose, the late emperor was also restless day and night, worried about the affairs of state. Later, there were further disturbances, forcing him to retreat to Chengde for the summer. These are all things Your Majesty has experienced firsthand. If we could overcome such great challenges back then, why worry about these bandits now…” Prince Li spoke flawlessly, but without offering any practical advice. The empress nodded and said, “Back then, there were rebels from all sides—Manchu rebels, Nian bandits, Hui uprisings, Miao rebellions—making the situation uncontrollable. There were also conflicts with foreigners, forcing us to retreat to Chengde in the north, but we still managed to handle it…” She already had a plan in mind: “At this point, we must not act rashly. We should bring back the Sixth Prince to fight against the foreigners. He may not be strong enough, but he can protect our Aisin Gioro clan…” As the highest decision-maker of the Qing Dynasty, this woman was accustomed to making decisive choices: “It’s good. Quickly distribute the rifles and cannons from the imperial arsenals to the elite troops…” “And also…” At the thought of that man’s name, Cixi’s mind raced with countless thoughts, but in the end she said, “Li Hefei must take charge of suppressing the rebellion. He should lead the Huai Army southward immediately, with all the Huai troops under his command…” The Huai Army was the most powerful military force in the dynasty, numbering forty to fifty thousand men in peacetime and seventy to eighty thousand in wartime, all equipped with modern rifles. Not to mention the Huai Army units scattered across various provinces. Usually, Cixi used a combination of threats and rewards, but at this moment, she had no choice but to use force against force. “I’ll give him 150,000 troops and entrust the fate of our Qing Dynasty to him.” At this point, she knew what the right strategy was: “Military pay, weapons, and provisions should all be provided according to a force of 150,000 men.” “Also… the generals in Hunan and Hubei are loyal to the country. Now that they have risen up together, the provincial governors are recruiting troops to protect their regions and fight the rebels outside…” Her voice grew louder as she turned to Prince Li and said, “Prince Li, inform the General Office to discuss ways of borrowing troops to help suppress the rebellion!” “Your Majesty is wise!” Though Prince Li was not fit for major responsibilities, he still knew what was important: “I’ll hurry and urge them!” “As long as the foreigners are willing to send troops to help suppress the rebellion, anything can be negotiated—Russia, Japan, France, England, Austria, Belgium…” “The Sixth Prince is enthusiastic about foreign affairs; let him handle this task!” Since the Sixth Prince was so keen on foreign affairs, let him bear the blame. After all, he had to take on this disgrace, as this was the land of the Aisin Gioro clan. “The late emperor once said that whoever first pacifies the rebellion and enters Nanjing will become king…” Cixi became increasingly skilled in wielding power: “Today, I also declare to the whole world that whoever can restore order in Guilin will be granted the title of king…”

A mysterious smile appeared on her lips: “It’s not like back then, when a prince’s title was simply unsealed; this is a true king with an iron crown!”
“Your servant obeys!”
Cixi closed her eyes slightly and thought to herself, “Su Lao Liu! You’re right, but it’s you who will die by the sword, while it’s Lady Lan who will live to rule the world!”