Chapter 54: The Second Minister (Part 2)

  Jade's words furrowed Yuan Shikai's brow, but in his heart, a surge of excitement arose, and his original despair suddenly turned into ambition, like a stone thrown into a pond, stirring up ripples.

  If the great powers could stand by his side, he had every confidence that he would be able to supplant the moribund and decadent dynasty.

  Yuan Shikai suppressed the excitement in his heart and tentatively said: "I don't have complete control over the Beiyang New Army, you know, it's been almost a year since I left my post as the governor of Beiyang and haven't been in charge of this army. The imperial court has also planted many banner people and my political enemies within the army."

  "Don't worry at all, Your Excellency." Zhū Déng took a puff of his cigar. "I think the Beiyang Army is not something that can be controlled by the Manchu nobles, and I also believe in your ability. Moreover, there are currently two British cruisers anchored at Dagu, and at Weihaiwei, there are two more British armored ships on standby, ready to serve you if Your Excellency deems it necessary. I believe that those few small warships of your country will not be able to intervene, and the British land forces stationed from Dagu to Beijing can also take action when necessary to prevent anyone or any army from interfering with Mr. Yuan's actions. The British troops stationed at Shanhai Pass can also coordinate with your actions."

  "Is this the unanimous opinion of the diplomatic corps?" Yuan Shikai asked hastily. The "principle of concerted action towards China" was a tacit understanding reached among the powers in 1900, and without the unanimous consent of all countries, no one could take major actions against China, especially military actions.

  "The British, French, American and German ministers have reached a consensus to support you, Mr. Yuan, in taking charge of restoring order in this country. Moreover, if necessary, the banks of these four countries can also provide loans to Your Excellency to maintain the army. As for other countries, you don't need to worry." Zhu Zhitian rolled down the window and threw out the half-smoked cigar. "I believe that as long as they are made aware of the benefits of having Your Excellency in control of this country, they will join in on the collective action."

  "I don't understand the minister's meaning. Can't each country take a stand and jointly defend the imperial court? If the powers form an allied army again, I believe the imperial court will definitely agree to let the allied army participate in suppressing the rebel forces. Wasn't that how the Boxers were eliminated in 1900? Wouldn't our country's order be restored to stability then? The imperial court is currently promoting new policies and preparing for constitutionalism; reform is always better than revolution." Yuan Shikai was somewhat perplexed, although he had a good private relationship with Zhu Jiedian, but the latter could actually provide convenience for his rebellion, which was indeed puzzling.

  "The reason is simple, our diplomatic corps unanimously believes that the Manchu court has lost all popular support. Although it tries to use so-called 'constitutionalism' to save its rule, in reality it cannot achieve this point. As for 'new policies', they are just an excuse for bureaucrats and nobles to embezzle money. This dynasty has no hope left, as you Chinese say, 'it's impossible to paste mud on the wall'. It would be better to support a new rising power than to prop up this one. Of course, the precondition is that this new power must guarantee all the rights acquired by various countries in China and also ensure continued absolutely friendly relations with various countries in the future!" Zhu Jiedai emphasized.

  "Last month, the rebel telegram issued in Jiujiang made it clear that if the revolutionaries of the South were to gain control over all the rights and interests of your country, not only would British interests in China be harmed, but also those of other nations. The friendly relations between your country and the Powers would also suffer. In fact, the Southern revolutionary army is a group of fanatical nationalists who have an instinctive hostility towards the Powers. At present, they are weak and can only make diplomatic protests, but once they gain strength, who can guarantee that they will not deprive the British Empire of all its rights and interests in China? Therefore, with regard to China's relations with foreign countries, the Southern revolutionary army is a serious threat, and our diplomatic corps cannot but be concerned about this. Rather than supporting them, it would be better to support a statesman who takes a friendly attitude towards the Powers and is mature and stable. Obviously, Your Excellency meets these requirements."

  "Since that's the case, wouldn't it be better for various countries to form a coalition and send troops to intervene?" Yuan Shikai was using the tactic of loosening the reins to control.

  "This is your country's internal affair, and it would be inappropriate for foreign powers to intervene directly, as it will have a negative impact internationally and create cracks in the relationships between countries. After all, the current Manchu dynasty has an extremely bad image internationally, just like the Ottoman Empire in Western Asia, representing everything that is dark and backward, and is a stumbling block to world civilization. On the other hand, the influence of revolutionaries abroad is growing daily, and Britain will not gain the reputation of being a 'revolutionary executioner' for the sake of such a declining dynasty. Perhaps the Russian Tsar would not mind, but Britain's glorious image cannot be tarnished."

  In fact, since the "Moroccan Crisis" two years ago, the European situation has been escalating step by step. The reason why war hasn't broken out yet is that all countries are not yet fully prepared for war. Recently, a revolution broke out in the "Sick Man of Western Asia", the Ottoman Empire. Austria-Hungary took advantage of the fire to loot and brazenly tore up the Treaty of Berlin, formally incorporating Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were originally controlled by the Ottoman Empire and later "administered" by Austria-Hungary, into its territory, leading to the outbreak of the "Bosnian Crisis", making the European situation even more tense. The European powers have long been too busy to look east - Russia has not yet emerged from the shadow of its defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and is still licking its wounds and rebuilding its military strength. France is worried about a sudden attack by Germany and is busy repairing fortifications, while rapidly drawing closer to Britain. As for Britain, its navy is still engaged in a shipbuilding competition with Germany's navy, resulting in severe delays in land construction. Moreover, since the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, a view has emerged within Britain that the expansion of the empire has reached its limit and it is already difficult to maintain existing interests, so there is no need to continue expanding and attention should be focused on the increasingly tense European situation.

  Under this guidance, Britain not only allowed South Africa and Australia to achieve autonomy in exchange for the loyalty of their subjects, but also actively promoted the establishment of the "Triple Entente". Last year, France and Russia formally signed a military agreement, and a military alliance against Germany has been established. What's left is who will fire the first shot.

  In short, although the shadow of war is not yet visible in Europe today, a faint smell of gunpowder has already begun to spread in the air. The great powers are busy with their own affairs and have no time to intervene in China's revolution. In case intervention fails, it may lead to a new anti-foreign movement. Who can guarantee their existing interests in China? Therefore, if you want to maintain your interests in China, the best and most convenient way is to "change horses". Since the people have already abandoned the Manchu dynasty, why not support a person who is friendly to the great powers to control this country, while continuing to play the role of "tax officer" for the great powers in China.

  It's like the relationship between a playboy and a prostitute, staring at one face for a long time will produce aesthetic fatigue, changing to a new prostitute may bring unexpected surprises, and the Beiyang Group is that new prostitute in the eyes of the powers.

  This oriental nation cannot fall into chaos, which would only make the world situation more tense and provide an opportunity for the rise of new international forces. The Republican Army's Jiayang anti-British telegram not only made the British government quite angry but also made German politicians rejoice for a while. The Germans are closely watching the Southern Revolutionary Army's every move, and no one knows what actions they will take next. Therefore, it is necessary to stabilize China's situation as soon as possible, not giving Germany an opportunity to take advantage of it, and even less allowing an anti-British military regime to appear in the Far East.

  On the other hand, in the eyes of British politicians, if China were to be fragmented due to the collapse of the Qing dynasty, not only would Britain lose some of its rights and interests, but it would also provide a rare opportunity for Russia's southern expansion. For Japan, that emerging small power, it could take advantage of this opportunity to further expand into China and realize its continental ambitions.

  The map of the world should be fixed in this era and cannot have any major changes, otherwise it will disrupt the balance of power. For the British Empire, that means the rise of new powers, also means the permanent decline of the British Empire, which is not what the British want to see, nor is it what Lord Curzon wants to see.

  Yuan Shikai didn't manage to get Zhu Zhiqian's true intentions, but he did figure out his stance. As a seasoned official, however, he wouldn't reveal his thoughts so quickly to a foreigner. Just as he was thinking about how to phrase things, he heard several British soldiers outside cheering.

  The wheel of the horse carriage has been repaired and we can continue our journey now.

  Yuan Shikai leaned back, hiding his head in the shadows, with a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. He said to Zhu Jidong: "Mr. Minister, I can consider your suggestion, but for now, let's continue our journey. Once we arrive at the concession, I'll calm down and discuss it further with you. I also hope that the previous promise of Your Excellency is still valid. If I want to take my family abroad to escape, I hope your country's warship can spare a few cabins."

  Zhu Er nodded and said: "I, on behalf of the British government, guarantee you that even if your decisive action is not effective, the British Empire can still ensure the safety of you and your family. However, I also ask you to make up your mind as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the southern revolutionary forces attack northward, some countries may take drastic actions, and at that time, the British Empire will be powerless to help."