Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Continuing Crisis (3)
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"How... how could something like this happen?!"
Prince Chun clutched his head and wailed in despair.
Not only had massive rebellions erupted across the provinces, but a republican revolution as well!
He had genuinely tried his best, yet he couldn't fathom how things could have deteriorated so drastically in just one year.
Of course, he couldn't claim to have no regrets, but he believed those choices were unavoidable for the sake of reform.
However, unlike Prince Chun's thoughts, a close examination of the reforms implemented over the past year made it clear to anyone why they had led not just to failure, but to this catastrophe.
First, to quell domestic unrest and chaos, Prince Chun had proclaimed constitutional government and promised reforms to the Qing people.
But the direction of those reforms was fundamentally flawed.
Prince Chun believed the humiliation he suffered from Germany stemmed from the Qing's feeble military, so he prioritized building an army to protect the nation from foreign powers and internal enemies.
As a result, his reforms devolved into Prussian-style militarism, pouring everything into the military. And with his daughter betrothed to the Xuantong Emperor Puyi—earlier than in original history—Yuan Shikai, appointed Premier earlier as well, offered no real opposition.
After all, a stronger army would only bolster Yuan Shikai's own power, as he controlled it.
Yet, like Bulgaria's ill-fated Prussian games in the Balkans, Prince Chun's dream of an East Asian German Empire only worsened the already unstable Qing situation—as one might expect.
Armies, as everyone knows, are money pits, and focusing on them meant military spending skyrocketed exponentially.
This was a problem that had even troubled its patron, the German Empire. There was no way a Qing Dynasty on the brink of collapse could handle it.
In the end, to resolve military funding, Prince Chun resorted to the traditional method: raising taxes.
The Qing people's reaction was, predictably, far from positive.
"Oh, sir! If you take even this, what am I and my family supposed to eat?!"
"It's all for the sake of the nation. Endure it, and you'll be rewarded someday."
Officials sent to collect the extra taxes all gave the same canned response on Prince Chun's orders, but not a single Chinese—officials included—believed them.
Regardless of the people's sentiments, Prince Chun believed the greater good justified their temporary hardships.
With money now flowing, Prince Chun redoubled efforts to expand the military. It was then that Sheng Xuanhuai—Postal and Communications Minister, who in original history sparked the Xinhai Revolution—poured oil on the fire.
"Your Highness, why not nationalize the railways while we're at it?"
"Nationalize the railways?"
"Yes. Right now, railway construction and operation rights are in private hands. But as you know, railways hold immense military value. And since they represent national strength, they should be in the court's hands, not those of lowly merchants."
"Hm, Prussia certainly benefited greatly from their railways in the war against France. That's a good idea."
Pleased with Sheng Xuanhuai's proposal, Prince Chun appointed him to head postal and communications affairs. Thirsting for nationalization for years, Sheng promptly seized the Sichuan-Hankou (Chuanhan) and Guangzhou-Hankou (Wuhan-Hankou) railways.
However, while nationalization made practical sense, it was utterly mismatched to the Qing's current plight and provoked massive backlash from the people.
For one, the private capital invested in Qing railways wasn't truly "private"—it was ethnic capital scraped together penny by penny from gentry, merchants, even street beggars and actors.
Yet Sheng Xuanhuai forcibly reclaimed the rights with nothing but a worthless state IOU promising repayment after completion.
Not content with that, to fund nationalization, he borrowed £6 million from Britain, Germany, France, and America, pledging domestic coal mines, salt taxes, and transit duties as collateral.
Tax hikes were bad enough, but now railway nationalization turned their hard-earned savings into worthless paper—and to top it off, inviting foreign capital made it look like they'd sold "their" railways to the Western powers. The Chinese finally exploded.
"Selling the railways we built with our own money to the foreigners? Is this a country?!"
"We can't take it anymore! The court must halt nationalization immediately!"
In the end, anti-nationalization protests erupted across China on a scale even larger than in original history.
Panicking, Prince Chun ordered troops to disperse the demonstrators by force—but like original history, it backfired spectacularly.
"Your Highness! Rebellion has broken out in Sichuan!"
"Massive armed uprising in Wuhan too..."
"W-what?!"
The people's fury ignited further at the army's brutal crackdown.
Protests evolved into full-scale armed revolts, and revolutionaries—who had lurked nationwide dreaming of Qing's fall and a republic—seized the moment.
Before the Qing could respond, revolutionaries captured Sichuan, Wuhan, and Nanjing, finally proclaiming the Republic of China.
Wary of the incompetent Manchu court, the Chinese hailed the new Han government. What was the 1911 Xinhai Revolution in original history accelerated two years into the 1909 Giyou Revolution.
But Prince Chun refused to despair just because the world didn't bend to his will. He hadn't given up yet.
The southern revolts were spontaneous and only just beginning.
Act swiftly, and he could crush this so-called Republic of China.
"Premier! Take the Beiyang Army and suppress those rebels at once!"
"Understood."
Having decided, Prince Chun summoned Yuan Shikai and ordered him to lead the Beiyang warlords against the revolutionaries.
Unlike original history—where he reluctantly recalled the exiled Yuan amid crisis—Prince Chun and Yuan were allies, so there was no hesitation in calling him.
No matter how untrustworthy Yuan was, as the Emperor's father-in-law, Qing's fall meant the end of his power too.
Prince Chun might not trust Yuan, but he trusted the man's lust for power.
Besides, thanks to his military buildup, the Beiyang forces were far stronger than in original history.
Mere ragtag revolutionaries wouldn't stand a chance.
'But do I really have to suppress the rebels?'
However, Prince Chun didn't know.
Yuan Shikai's ambition and thirst for power dwarfed his imagination. He was no man to settle for Emperor's father-in-law.
"What did you just say?"
Sun Yat-sen, who had rushed back to China upon hearing of the sudden revolution—serving as the Republic's provisional president in name only despite being abroad—stared in shock at Yuan Shikai across the table and asked again.
When word came that Yuan was marching with the Beiyang Army, the Republican leadership hesitated to fight.
Like the Xinhai Revolution, the Giyou Revolution had erupted abruptly. Pitting themselves against the Qing's only intact force—the Beiyang Army—meant almost certain defeat.
But inexplicably, Yuan Shikai—who came to fight the revolutionaries—halted advances and secretly proposed negotiations to the Republican government.
If Yuan had fallen out with Prince Chun, it might make sense. But as Emperor's father-in-law and Qing's number two, what could he possibly want negotiations for?
Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren, Wang Jingwei—who hadn't even attempted to assassinate Prince Chun due to the early timing—and the rest racked their brains over Yuan's intentions, but to little avail.
In the end, Sun decided to meet him.
No matter Yuan's scheme, he couldn't let this—his last shot at revolution—fail.
"I said I'll cooperate with the Republic of China."
But Yuan's words at the negotiation table horrified even Sun Yat-sen, burning with zeal to topple the Qing.
"...So, you're saying you'll abandon the Qing Dynasty?"
"Exactly."
"The Emperor too?"
Yuan nodded without hesitation.
His eyes gleamed with such raw ambition and lust for power that even Sun felt a chill.
"But you're the Emperor's father-in-law..."
And yet, he'd truly abandon the Emperor?
Yuan remained utterly composed.
"It's just a betrothal—no wedding yet. Father-in-law? Hardly. Ah, of course, there are conditions."
He grinned, revealing his true intent.
"Hand over that presidency you hold to me."
"!!!"
At the demand for the presidency, Sun finally understood why Yuan would betray Qing and Emperor.
This man preferred being number one in the Republic over number two in Qing.
Of course, Yuan's ambitions didn't stop there—he aimed higher—but that alone stunned Sun.
'Betraying the Emperor once wasn't enough; now the country too? Is this even human?!'
Sun might understand if Yuan had been ousted from power.
But Prince Chun had promised his daughter as Empress and granted him Qing authority.
Yet here he was, betraying his lord, the Qing, and even ally Prince Chun without a shred of conscience.
No Han Jian was this treacherous.
Still harboring pure ideals, Sun felt nausea rising and couldn't bear looking at Yuan's face.
But with the Republic's fate in this man's hands, he couldn't dismiss him.
"I can't decide alone. Give me time to consult my comrades."
"Naturally. But I have little patience—I won't wait long."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
Sun staggered out and relayed Yuan's proposal to the waiting Republican leaders.
Their faces twisted in instinctive revulsion, just like his.
"Hah, ambition has its limits."
"Unpleasant as it is, we can't easily refuse. If Yuan and Beiyang betray Qing, its fall is assured."
Sun nodded gravely at Song Jiaoren's words.
He wouldn't mind handing leadership to comrades nearby, but to a man like Yuan? No.
Yet without his help, neither Qing's fall nor the Republic's survival was guaranteed. They had to decide.
"You're back at last. So, what's your answer?"
"We accept your proposal."
Yuan's lips curled to his ears at Sun's words.
"But!"
Sun wasn't done.
"The new government must be a republic. And the capital moves to Nanjing. Promise these two conditions."
"Easy enough. Negotiations concluded."
Of course, Yuan had no intention of honoring them—it was all empty talk.
But now wasn't the time to show his hand.
Yuan flashed a fake smile and shook hands with the reluctant Sun.
Then he pivoted and acted.
He ordered his confidant Duan Qirui to march on Beijing, seize the Forbidden City, and secure Prince Chun and the Xuantong Emperor.
"Lord Yuan! Duan Qirui has defied your orders!"
"What...?"
"Not only that—he declares he won't follow you anymore, betrays you, and sides with Prince Chun!"
"????"
And China's history twisted once more.