Chapter 48: My Jin Army's First Victory

  After the Japanese representative paid the full ransom as promised, Kang Fan only responded with a cold smile and silently faced his officers and men, waving his hand. Thousands of Jin army officers and soldiers retreated in unison, their military boots rumbling, and smoke and dust filled the sky.

  At this time, the famous Qing general Nie Shicheng led more than 10,000 Wuwei troops to line up on both sides of the official road in Tianjin City, welcoming the Jin army, which was very unexpected for Kang Fan!

  The old man here welcomes General Kang's triumphant return! Nie Shicheng, on horseback, clasped his fists and bowed, with a smile that could be seen from afar.

  Nie Shicheng had joined Li Hongzhang's Huai Army in his early years and spent half his life fighting, with outstanding military achievements, especially in the Qing dynasty's wars against foreign countries, where he led the Qing army to fight bravely and shook the world. Nie was so moved by this national hero that he hastily jumped off the carriage, ran a few steps, rushed to Nie Shicheng's horse, bowed his head and said: "Nie senior has come, which is enough to kill me!"

  Nie Shicheng also hastily dismounted, clasped his hands together and said: "Governor Kong, your words are not quite right! The Qing dynasty has many generals as numerous as the hairs on an ox's body, but how many of them can achieve your military achievements? Don't mention the two words 'killing'!"

  Kang Fan bowed again.

  Nie Shicheng ordered his men to send several carts of wine and meat, then bid farewell to Kang Fan: Recently, the Boxer rebels have been causing trouble in the Beijing-Tianjin area, I have received an imperial edict to go to the capital to assist with military affairs, so I will take my leave here.

  Kang Fan then respectfully held the reins of Nie Shicheng's horse. Nie Shicheng smiled, nodded his head, made a fist, and mounted his horse in one swift motion.

  Governor Kang, take care! I will definitely visit you in person after this and discuss state affairs together. said Nie Shicheng.

  Kang Fan got back on the car after seeing her off for a long time. Judy was sitting in the car, looking around with a surprised expression. When she saw him get on, she leaned over and snuggled into his arms, her fragrance wafting up, her delicate face right in front of Kang Fan's eyes, those eyes that were completely different from Mei Xiang's, clear and blue like two pools of seawater! Kang Fan's heart was shaken.

  Nice to see you, Judy. Convan playfully hooked Judy's chin.

  Judy burst out laughing, and tears immediately followed, choking with sobs: "Kang Fan, I went through great difficulties to come to your country... I did all this for you, do you know?"

  After Judy returned to the United States from South Africa, she had a strong desire to come to China. She resisted her parents' pressure and, through her own efforts, successfully transferred to work at the US Embassy in Beijing. However, due to having just taken up the new post and being busy with handover work, she hadn't had time to visit Tianjin until now. It was only this time, upon the invitation of the American mediation team, that she came to help resolve the armed conflict and had the opportunity to meet these familiar faces again. Finally, she saw Kong Fan again, her long-held wish fulfilled, how could she not be overjoyed?

  Keith didn't know what to say, so he just held Judy tighter. Judy sobbed uncontrollably, almost wailing. Keith felt a warmth in his heart and his eyes moistened too.

  The Tianjin base has returned to calm, the destruction caused by the Japanese artillery fire is still visible, and the Jin army engineers are clearing the ruins and unexploded Japanese shells with the help of several iron horse fire trucks, obstacle removal vehicles, and engineering vehicles. Medical personnel are rushing around with medical boxes and stretchers, rescuing the wounded. Kang Fan's heart aches: If the torpedoes and submarines under development can be put into use as soon as possible, they can form torpedo boats and submarine units to give the Japanese warships a fatal blow below the waterline, where would the Japanese warships have the opportunity to get close to the shore for artillery fire!

  Duonowan, Captain Li and He Shuikuan all came to greet warmly, and everyone was overjoyed to meet each other. At this time, everyone arrived at the base camp, where they had a meal together with the officers and soldiers in the canteen of the camp. The logistics department specially prepared a sumptuous meal, and after obtaining Kang Fan's consent, they also prepared white wine and beer for the officers and soldiers. The logistics department provided good logistical support for the participating officers and soldiers during this operation, and received universal praise from them. Other troops such as engineers, medical personnel, communication personnel, scouts, etc. also gained valuable combat experience through actual combat training, whether good or bad. In addition, a considerable number of grassroots officers and soldiers performed exceptionally well in this battle, and the issue of promotion should be considered.

  Before dinner was served, the imperial edict of Empress Dowager Cixi arrived, urgently summoning Kang Fan back to Beijing. Zhu Di also had to return to the embassy to report for duty and couldn't stay in Tianjin for long. The two of them hastily ate a few bites before bidding farewell to everyone and setting off on their journey. The Jin army officers and soldiers swarmed out of the dining hall to see Kang Fan and Zhu Di off, leaving the large dining hall empty in an instant, with only the food on the tables quietly emitting a fragrant aroma... It's completely normal for this situation to occur. After the Battle of Tianjin, Kang Fan had thoroughly conquered his Jin army officers and soldiers. He was now their idol, the object of their admiration and worship! How could they not have a drink before he left?!

  Kang Fan helplessly took a cup of white wine handed over by a soldier, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, furrowed his brow, and drank it all in one gulp.

  The officers and soldiers, there is a long way to go! Kang Fan made a fist to bid farewell, looking at the reluctance in the eyes of one officer after another, his own eyes also became moist.

  At this time, the Boxer Movement had already spread to the Beijing-Tianjin area like wildfire. Although Empress Dowager Cixi issued a decree restricting the movement, the Boxers' hatred towards foreigners, foreign goods, foreign missionaries and Chinese nationals who believed in foreign religions or used foreign goods had reached an unprecedented level. In Shandong and Hebei provinces, there were multiple incidents of burning churches, killing foreign missionaries and Chinese converts, and destroying foreign property. To ensure safety, Governor Yüan Shìkǎi ordered the Shanxi provincial troops to seal off the border with Shanxi, control the influx of Boxers, and put all troops on high alert to prevent any damage to military or civilian facilities and protect foreigners working in Shanxi. A reinforced battalion of Shanxi troops was left behind at the Tianjin base to coordinate with the artillery units defending the Dagu Forts and guard the Tianjin base. The rest of the Shanxi troops were withdrawn back to Shanxi, but later a contingent of provincial troops was dispatched from Shanxi to reinforce the Tianjin base and assist in maintaining order within the base. Governor Yüan Shìkǎi also telegraphed General Hū Fēng, suggesting that he take similar action to maintain stability in his jurisdiction and focus on reconstruction efforts. The 5 million taels of silver indemnity received from Japan was divided into three parts: one part was used to compensate the families of fallen soldiers and reward those who had fought; another part was entrusted to General Duan Qirui to be delivered to the American embassy; and the remaining amount was retained by Governor Yüan Shìkǎi for use as construction funds for the Tianjin base.

  After making all the arrangements, Kang Fan and Judy entered Beijing under the escort of the guard camp. They were originally going to take the train, but the train gave priority to transporting the main force of the Jin army back from Shanxi, and it was not necessary to disrupt the established withdrawal plan for their own entry into Beijing. It just so happened that Judy was also happy to travel quietly with Kang Fan, so they set off together in the sx2300 towards Beijing.

  The wind was strong in the wilderness, with fine rain drifting, and a chill ran down the spines of the officers and men of the guard battalion, who closed the car doors tightly, leaving only the machine gunner on the roof to keep watch. Because the rooftop weapon station was open, the machine gunners on duty all wore camouflage uniforms that could block the wind and rain, and wore wind goggles. In the 2300 car where Kang Fan was being escorted, it was very comfortable, with the air conditioning temperature just right. Judy sat in the driver's cabin for a while, then moved to the living room in the back, scanning every part of the car several times, as if she had gotten restless syndrome.

  Kang Youwei, on his way to Beijing, revised a memorial and made detailed explanations of the historical events that had occurred between 1899 and 1901, using his own predictions as an excuse. He presented to Empress Dowager Cixi the severe consequences of the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China due to the indulgence of the Boxers and the anti-foreign actions of some officials in the imperial court. He also proposed his plan: With our current national strength, there is no possibility of winning a war against the powerful nations. Among them, the "policy of maintaining China's territorial integrity and open door" of England and America is the most useful for us. The intention is to maintain long-term trade with us, which will benefit both parties. However, Russia and Japan have sinister intentions, and their desire to occupy our territory and enslave our people has been evident for a long time. We must mobilize national strength to fight against them and cannot compromise or show weakness. But because the plots of Russia and Japan are contrary to the hopes of England and America, threatening the interests of England and America in our Qing dynasty, if the contradictions can be intensified, we can use this to our advantage and create divisions among the powers. Now, I have already defeated the Japanese pirates in Tianjin, and the powers are still shaken. For the time being, they do not have the intention to invade us. The current threat is mainly from Russia, and I have already joined forces with General Shoushan to defend our northeastern border. I request that Your Majesty show goodwill towards England and America, adopt a conciliatory and cooperative attitude towards them, seek temporary peace, and accumulate strength for future wars. The Boxer Rebellion is not a war of national affairs but a war of party strife. At present, we should disperse the Boxer crowds, enlighten them with reason, soothe the emotions of the people, ease the contradictions with the powers, and prepare for war as our top priority.

  The Empress Dowager Cixi was hesitant to either appease or disperse the Boxers due to two main reasons. Firstly, she feared the military strength of foreign powers and knew that if war broke out, China would be no match for them. Therefore, she did not dare to provoke foreign powers lightly and also refrained from openly supporting the Boxers, instead opting to disperse them. Secondly, influenced by the memorials submitted by officials such as Gang Yi, Yu Xian, and Zhao Shuqiao, who were sympathetic to the Boxer cause, as well as the anti-foreign sentiments of princes such as Zaixun, Zaiyi, and Zailan, she considered appeasing the Boxers in order to enlist their support against foreign powers. At this critical juncture, after reading Kang Youwei's memorial, Cixi was impressed by his bravery and military prowess, which reminded her of the rare victories China had achieved in recent years, such as the Battle of Zhennan Pass during the Sino-French War. She realized that with Kang Youwei's strong military power and the loyal support of officials like Shou Shan, Nie Shicheng, and Luo Rongguang, she could consolidate her own power and better resist foreign aggression. With this in mind, Cixi decided to adopt Kang Youwei's suggestion, disperse the Boxers, and strive for a stable domestic and international situation, which would also provide a suitable environment for implementing her new policies.

  Kang Youwei was overjoyed when he received the Empress Dowager's affirmative reply and immediately took his leave. This time in Beijing, the Empress Dowager showed great concern for Kang Youwei's well-being in all aspects of life, but did not mention a word about his disobedience to the imperial edict demanding indemnity from Japan. However, Kang Youwei had no intention of accepting the Empress Dowager's kind arrangements and only requested that the officers and soldiers of the Guards Regiment be properly taken care of before he would take action on his own.