Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Continuing Crisis (4)
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"My lord, what do you mean? Negotiating with those rebels?!"
A bit earlier, when Yuan Shikai had received orders from Prince Chun to suppress the rebellion and set out on campaign.
During the strategy meeting, when he suddenly brought up compromising with the revolutionaries, Duan Qirui—the man Yuan Shikai favored most, the Tiger of Beiyang among the Beiyang Three Elites—could only stare in disbelief.
Of course, Duan Qirui harbored some sympathy toward the revolutionaries and hoped this whole affair could end as peacefully as possible.
But that was just Duan Qirui's personal view. Yuan Shikai had no reason to end the southern rebellion peacefully.
He didn't seem inclined to, either.
He'd already been promised the position of the emperor's father-in-law, and by seizing the premiership to boot, he'd risen as the foremost powerholder in the Qing dynasty.
So as far as Duan Qirui could see, Yuan Shikai had zero need to go easy on the revolutionaries.
Their army's quality and strength were far superior, after all.
Yet here he was, talking about negotiating with the revolutionaries right after leaving Beijing, before the fighting had even begun.
It was absurd. Yuan Shikai couldn't possibly sympathize with revolutionary ideals now, and no amount of thought could make this make sense. Duan Qirui was utterly confused about what his lord could possibly mean.
"I will take that Republic of China for myself."
"Pardon?"
But as Yuan Shikai revealed the ambition he'd kept hidden, Duan Qirui's confusion turned to shock.
"The revolutionaries are no match for our Beiyang Army. And they know it. So I'll go to them and demand the presidency."
"My lord, that's...!"
It was betrayal of the Great Qing and the emperor.
Yet Yuan Shikai continued in a calm voice, as if it were no big deal.
"A real man dreams big. Heaven's mandate has come to me of its own accord—how could I turn it away?"
"But that's treason!"
"Hmph, only if I fail. And I won't."
Yuan Shikai had always planned to dispose of Prince Chun when the time was right and seize control of the Qing.
But now a faster, easier path had opened up, so there was no need to take the long road.
"I will stand at the pinnacle of heaven."
Better to die than live as the emperor's servant—he would be the peak himself.
That was Yuan Shikai's ambition, the principle behind his repeated betrayals.
"Haha! As expected of you, my lord. Truth be told, I've thought that following the revolutionaries' great cause is righter than clinging to a crumbling Qing. But I kept it to myself, never daring to speak it aloud. Now you've scratched that itch for me—my heart feels light. With such resolve, I'll follow you to the death!"
While Duan Qirui reeled at Yuan Shikai's lust for power beyond all bounds, Feng Guozhang—one of the Beiyang Three Elites, thumping his chest heartily alongside Wang Shizhen, the Dragon of Beiyang, who looked less than thrilled—shouted his pledge.
Duan Qirui could only gape in disbelief.
And small wonder. Just moments ago, Feng Guozhang had been yelling that they should slaughter every last revolutionary.
Yet now that Yuan Shikai was abandoning the Qing for the revolutionaries, he flipped sides without a second thought.
Typical of Beiyang's greedy, corrupt dogs, Duan Qirui thought with a click of his tongue.
But whatever Duan Qirui thought, Yuan Shikai did secure the position of Grand President from Sun Yat-sen—and promptly ordered Duan Qirui himself to seize Beijing and the emperor.
Yet for the first time, Duan Qirui refused Yuan Shikai's command.
No matter how patient he tried to be, he simply couldn't stomach his lord's actions now.
It was only natural, given Duan Qirui's character.
He was so upright it was hard to believe he was Yuan Shikai's confidant, and utterly uncompromising when it came to what he believed was right.
In the Xinhai Revolution, he'd faithfully followed Yuan Shikai's orders. But when Yuan Shikai betrayed his deal with Sun Yat-sen to pursue the throne, Duan had fiercely opposed it as unjust.
And this situation was no different for him.
"I won't apologize, my lord. It seems I can no longer walk the same path as you."
After deep deliberation, Duan Qirui murmured those words, bowed one last time toward his former lord, and buried his loyalty to Yuan Shikai.
Then he led his Beiyang troops toward Beijing.
To do what he believed was right.
Crash!
"How could Yuan Shikai do this to me?! I set aside old grudges for the greater good, elevated him, even offered him the role of imperial consort—and this is how he repays me?!"
Duan Qirui rushed straight to Prince Chun upon arriving in Beijing and reported Yuan Shikai's betrayal.
When he heard how Yuan had betrayed even the nation itself, just as he'd once betrayed his half-brother the Guangxu Emperor, Prince Chun exploded—hurling a cherished porcelain vase.
He'd promised his daughter as empress of the Great Qing, appointing Yuan Minister-President despite the other imperial clansmen's warnings.
Sure, he'd planned to dispose of him once he controlled the army. But he'd given Yuan everything he could—and the wretch repaid it with betrayal.
Prince Chun's rage was justified. With Yuan Shikai—the commander of the Qing's main force, the Beiyang Army—joining the revolutionaries, the Qing court faced a bleak outlook, like a conscript counting down his final days till discharge.
Their only hope now was Duan Qirui, who'd turned against the traitor and upheld his loyalty to the Qing.
"You're all I can trust now, General! Protect the Qing, the emperor—from those traitors!"
"I'll do my utmost with what little strength I have."
Prince Chun, struck by yet another massive spiritual blow since the Triple Kneel and Nine Prostrations fiasco, clung to Duan Qirui's hand with a face on the verge of tears. Duan nodded gravely.
At least, for Prince Chun, there was some relief: Duan was an elite German-trained scholar, the Qing's top military expert. And even after their lord Yuan rebelled, Duan's Beiyang troops stuck with him.
Duan's unpretentious nature and emphasis on righteousness earned the soldiers' respect. Plus, he'd been their officers' teacher.
"Going to full-scale war now would disadvantage us. To fix that, we must bolster our forces."
"Bolster how? Who in this mess would still aid the Qing?"
"Governor-General Zhang Xun of Liangjiang is loyal—he'll come at a word. And aren't the constitutionalists like Kang Youwei still around?"
"Even with them and the court, I doubt we can turn the tide..."
"Yes. That's why we must draw in the Western powers."
"The powers? But..."
Prince Chun trailed off, visibly reluctant.
He understood there were no other options, but the price of involving the powers terrified him.
Yet Duan persuaded him firmly.
"Your Highness, the Qing has no fallback now. Survive first—then we can think ahead."
He was right. The Qing teetered on collapse.
And if those republican rebels succeeded, it might mean the guillotine for him and his son Puyi, just like the French revolutionaries did to their king and queen.
He didn't care what happened to himself—but Puyi had to be protected.
With a heavy sigh, Prince Chun accepted Duan's proposal.
"Can't these guys just collapse cleanly...?"
Yuan Shikai betraying Prince Chun and the Qing? That was just Yuan being Yuan, the beast of betrayal. Fine, whatever.
But why had Duan Qirui betrayed Yuan to side with Prince Chun?
I hadn't done a thing to China yet, and this was already happening.
Was it really just because of that Triple Kneel and Nine Prostrations bit with Prince Chun?
Damn it, butterfly effect has limits!
And the real problem was elsewhere.
Duan Qirui, suddenly the Qing's last hope, was pulling out all stops to save them—dragging the powers into China's mess.
In the worst way for me and Germany, too.
He was bluff-threatening us: "Help us, or we'll hand all Qing interests to Russia and France." And vice versa to them.
He was even tempting a shaken Republic of China, Japan (fresh off a Pyrrhic draw in the Russo-Japanese War with Pacific interests), and America across the ocean. The flustered republic started yelling too.
"Is this Duan Qirui fellow sane? If they wanna fight, let 'em fight among themselves—why drag us innocents in?!"
"Calm down, Foreign Minister Schöll. I don't want to intervene in China either."
I had no bandwidth for it anyway.
Balkans, Persia—places demanding our attention were already overflowing beyond China.
And above all, World War I was less than five years away.
War prep alone had me swamped. Meddling in China—where chaos and warlordism awaited regardless of who won—would make my head explode.
But Duan's dilemma—"What if we sit out and they gobble up China's interests?"—left me no choice.
Worst case, we might end up with an unwanted great power summit in China.
"So what should we do?"
At Foreign Minister Schöll's question, I drummed my fingers on the desk, deep in thought.
Duan's goal was Qing survival, plain and simple.
Even siding with the Qing, toppling a Republic bolstered by Yuan was unrealistic without internal strife there.
The Republic's top priority was crushing the Qing too—but above all, ensuring the revolutionary government's survival.
Its fall meant revolution's failure, the revolutionaries' worst nightmare.
So in the end, that's the only way.
Tch. Wasn't planning to pull this out yet, but no choice now.
"Foreign Minister, summon the British ambassador. Russian, French, and American ones too."
"You've got a solution, then."
I nodded at Schöll's brightening face.
This would seal China's headache—for a while, if not forever.
The rest... leave it to future me.
"Let's partition China."
Best option for now.
"Sounds good. Britain accepts Germany's proposal."
"Balkans and Persia already hurt my head—no desire to bleed over China. Russia agrees to partition."
"No helping it this time. France concurs."
And so, the powers—suddenly saddled with China's revolutionary headache—under my and Schöll's lead, agreed to split the Qing and Republic clean apart. Like the Baby Slayer Solomon's judgment.
Not hard to convince them.
Powers always gripped each other's throats—until crises like this, when they clasped hands like nothing happened.
Better to prop up both sides and keep carving up China piecemeal than fight over aiding one.
Thus, the German Empire, Britain, France, Russia, and America set aside grudges for a moment. China's piggy bank was slimmer but still plump—they'd cooperate briefly for its "peace."
Japan—courted by both sides but excluded here—couldn't join. Original-history Japan post-Russo-Japanese victory might've, but this flailing version? No chance.
Snubbed again by Western hook-noses, Japan itched for "shed Asia, enter Europe"—scrambling solo for scraps.
Fine by us powers.
Thus, late 1909.
Under mediation by German Consul-General to the Qing Arthur von Rex, peace talks between the Qing and Republic began in Jiaozhou Bay.