Volume 1 Chapter 23: Relying on the Mountain to Walk Away

  Kim Ok-gyun was a member of the Korean aristocracy, who had passed the civil service examination and served as a royal secretary and minister. In 1884, Kim returned to Korea from Japan and joined the Progressive Party, attempting to use the experience of the Meiji Restoration in Japan to carry out reforms in Korea. In December 1884, the Progressive Party staged a coup d'etat, seizing King Gojong and declaring Korea's independence from China, an event known as the Gapsin Coup. However, under strong pressure from Qing forces stationed in Korea, the coup failed after only three days, and Kim Ok-gyun fled to Japan.

  During the coup, Gabo reformists carried out a brutal purge of the royal court's conservative officials, and within three days, countless old-fashioned ministers were dragged out of Gyeongun Palace and executed. The Joseon royal court hated Kim Ok-gyun to the bone, and although Daewongun and Min clan were like fire and water, they were completely consistent in their attitude towards Kim Ok-gyun. After Kim Ok-gyun fled to Japan, Joseon sent out many assassins to kill him one after another, but due to Japan's strict protection, he was never caught.

  However, Kim Gu was assassinated by a Korean assassin in Shanghai, Qing dynasty China.

  Feng Guozhang shook his head and said, "Brother, you only know one side, but not the other. Jin Yuzhen's identity is very special, the Xinhai Revolution he launched was actually supported by the Japanese in secret, it is said that some Japanese military officers participated in the revolution."

  "What's going on here?" Zhou Xuanzhang angrily said: "Korea is a vassal state of our Great Qing, Japan intervening in Korea's internal affairs is interfering with the internal affairs of our Great Qing!"

  "Feng Guozhang said: "It's precisely because of this that Kim Ok-gyun has many sympathizers in Japan, from the Japanese government to ordinary citizens. Many Japanese people sympathize with Kim Ok-gyun. This time, when Kim Ok-gyun was assassinated in Shanghai, Japanese public opinion believed that the assassin had received help from our Qing dynasty, otherwise, how could they have succeeded so easily while he was living in a concession leased by America."

  Zhou Xuan Zhang sneered: "Even if the Great Qing helped the assassin, what does it have to do with the Eastern foreigners? Jin Yu-jun is a Korean, not a Japanese!"

  "Regardless of whether he is Japanese or Korean, he is first and foremost a human being. To subject a dead person to such inhumane punishment goes against the moral principles of humanity!"

  "What's going on? Didn't Jin Yujuan die?" Zhou Xianzhang asked.

  Feng Guozhang said: "The problem lies here. After Kim Ok-kyun's death, the Korean side asked our Qing dynasty to extradite his body and the assassin Hong Jong-u back to Korea. The Korean request was not unreasonable at first, as they were all Koreans and should naturally return home for trial. However, the problem is that the Korean authorities claimed they would mutilate Kim Ok-kyun's corpse, which goes against the mainstream values of today's world. Japan seized on this point and demanded that our country not hand over the body to Korea. Even Britain, Germany, Russia, and the United States, these Western powers, stood on Japan's side on this issue."

  "Only a coward would humiliate his opponent's corpse!"

  "Don't hand over the body to the Koreans then." Zhou Xianzhang said, "These Koreans are also done for. If there's any deep-seated hatred, now that they're dead, it can be considered settled."

  Feng Guozhang said: "However, Li Zhongtang disregarded the protests of Western powers and Japan, and still handed over Kim Ok-kyun's body to Korea. Just yesterday, the Korean court publicly mutilated Kim Ok-kyun and hung his head in Yanghwajin, Kyongsong for display. As a result, international public opinion was outraged, and foreign powers criticized the Korean authorities. In Japan, public sentiment was stirred up, with many Japanese people demanding war against Korea, and some extremists even calling for war against our great Qing dynasty!"

  Zhou Xuzhang shook his head: "Korea's approach is a bit excessive, but on the other hand, Li Zhongtang handing over Kim Ok-kyun's body to Korea was not wrong either. After all, he was a Korean. If Koreans want to mutilate Kim Ok-kyun, we can't control that. Japan going to war with our Qing dynasty over this is also a bit of a far-fetched reason."

  "It is not sufficient to use Kim Ok-gyun as a reason for war, but it is enough to be the driving force behind it! In the civilized world, your Qing dynasty and Korea still retain medieval punishments, which are really incomprehensible! Korea's actions seriously violate human values, and on this point alone, if Japan sends troops to Korea, Western public opinion will stand with Japan."

  "Because of Kim Ok-kyun's death, Japan has taken the moral high ground, which gives Japan a moral basis for support. Once Japan sends troops to Korea, our Great Qing can only fight back in order to maintain its suzerainty over Korea!" Feng Guozhang said.

  "Big brother, are you really going to fight?"

  Feng Guozhang smiled and said, "Younger brother, don't be nervous first. It's not necessarily so. In a fight, both sides must want to fight and have the ability to fight. One palm can't make a sound."

  Zhou Xuan Zhang's eyes widened: "You're saying that Japan is beating our door, and we, the great Qing Empire, are to swallow our anger and humiliation?" Zhou Xuan Zhang was afraid that if the Qing Empire went to war with Japan, his own head would be in danger of being chopped off. However, if the Qing Empire really had to swallow its anger and humiliation in front of little Japan, Zhou Xuan Zhang felt he couldn't stomach it either.

  "It's not about being timid," Feng Guozhang said: "Sometimes, as long as one side of the war is well-prepared, the other side will see that there is no opportunity to take advantage and will retreat. Or, when one side finds that their strength is vastly different and there is no possibility of winning, they have no choice but to give up the war. So, until now, the imperial court is still hesitating whether to fight or not."

  Zhou Xuanzhang's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be that tomorrow, Li Hongzhang and Weng Tonghe are coming to our school because of this matter?"

  "I don't know their specific purpose, but it's likely related to the Jin Yuquan incident." Feng Guozhang said: "I won't be able to attend the exam tomorrow, the school has given me special permission to set out early tomorrow morning for the Yalu River to meet with Taiyuan General Nie Shicheng."

  "What? General Nie has already arrived at the Yalu River!" Zhou Xuan Zhang was shocked. Nie Shi Cheng was the most powerful general of the Qing Dynasty, and his troops were currently the most elite forces of the Qing Dynasty. Nie Shi Cheng's arrival at the Yalu River meant that the Qing army would likely enter Korea to fight.

  "Little brother, don't be afraid. My mission is to help General Nie investigate the terrain of the Yalu River. This doesn't mean we're going to fight." Feng Guozhang comforted him: "Besides, little brother, I'll tell you a true fact. Even if our Great Qing Empire really does go to war with the Easterners, they won't cut off your head."

  "Why?"

  "You are his proud disciple, he has only you as a disciple in this life, how can he bear to part with you! Moreover, even if he is willing to let you go, who dares to cut off your head? He is a master of great men, which fool would dare to behead the disciple of such a master!"

  "Big brother, is this true?"

  "Absolutely true!"

  Zhou Xuanzhang let out a sigh of relief. Ever since he entered the Military Academy, this bet had been like three huge mountains, weighing on him and making it hard for him to breathe. But now that Feng Guozhang had spoken up, it turned out to be a false alarm.

  Zhou Xuanzhang was relieved from the crisis of being beheaded, and he increasingly felt that Feng Guozhang was a good big brother. As Feng Guozhang was about to leave for a distant journey, Zhou Xuanzhang's emotions surged: "Big brother, I heard it's especially cold on the other side of the Yalu River, you must bring more clothes."

  Feng Guozhang had been in the army for so many years, and no one had ever cared about his clothes. As soon as he heard Zhou Xuanzhang's words, he felt a sour nose: "Brother, I know you have a grudge against me, Feng Guozhang. I brought you into the school, let you become a soldier, and used your brain to make a bet with Jin. All of these were my wrongdoings, and I apologize to you."

  Feng Guozhang has always been very proud of himself and never condescended to apologize to anyone, but today he was moved by Zhou Xuanzhang's words and unconsciously apologized to him.

  Feng Guozhang was not his usual overbearing self, neither putting on airs as a big brother nor as a teacher, but instead had the demeanor of someone who is about to die and whose words are all good. Zhou Xuanzhang was greatly frightened: "Big Brother, what's wrong? In our old home in western Hunan, whatever Big Brother does is right!"

  "Doesn't Brother find Big Brother strange?" Feng Guozhang asked.

  "No wonder, of course no wonder."

  Feng Guozhang nodded and made a fist at Zhou Xuanzhang: "Brother, take care of yourself, farewell." With that, he turned around and left.

  Eddie also shook hands with Zhou Xianzhang: "Mr. Zhou, see you on the exam tomorrow."

  Two men left, one in front of the other. Zhou Xuan Zhang looked at Feng Guo Zhang's back disappearing behind the barracks, his nose sour, and he actually shed two clear tears.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was washed away by a flood to the Qing Dynasty, his eyes were black, he looked up and had no relatives, if it wasn't for Feng Guo Zhang taking him in, this ignorant ghost who didn't understand the national situation of the Qing Dynasty would have been beheaded countless times by the officials of the Qing Dynasty.

  In the Qing dynasty, Feng Guozhang was his own elder brother!

  Brother is gone, Zhou Xuan Zhang's heart feels empty and deserted, his back is chilled - his reliance is gone! He seemed to have returned to the riverbank of the canal alone, watching the crows flying in the sky.

  The Yalu River is thousands of miles away, and who knows when we can meet again. Moreover, looking at the situation, a real war is about to break out, and if Feng Guozhang follows Nie Shicheng across the Yalu River, it will be a hail of bullets, with life and death uncertain.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang had a taste of the bitterness of life's separations and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

  Suddenly, a figure came running towards me on the small path.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was overjoyed and quickly walked a few steps forward: "Big brother, aren't you leaving?"

  Feng Guozhang returned, panting heavily, and said: "Brother, I have something important to tell you."