Instalment 5 (1894)
Scene 1: At Li Hongzhang’s residence; lightening and rain
Li Hongzhang and Admiral Ding Ruchang, commander of the Beiyang fleet, are talking to each other. In an open letter to Li Hongzhang, Ding’s superior, Weng Tonghe has publicly condemned Ding Ruchang, arguing that Ding was evidently unable to command the fleet. Li is annoyed by the letter. Since Ding does not wish to cause trouble for Li, he asks Li to grant him permission to resign from his post, but Li adamantly refuses to do so. Instead, he praises Deng’s honesty, supports him against the Imperial Court and stresses Deng’s important role and responsibility in the restructuring of the navy.
Scene 2: In a building of the Beiyang Fleet at Weihai
The Beiyang commanders march into an assembly hall together. Their names are called and they have to report personally: Commander Fang Boqian is missing.
Scene 3: At the port; clear sky
A commander (Fang Boqian) dancingly crosses a pier heading for a battleship. When two sailors inform him that all commanders have been requested to re-port, Fang hurries to the assembly hall.
Ding Ruchang first holds a speech in front of the assembled commanders. He is then followed by Li Hongzhang. Li criticises the morals of the commanders and the sailors who freely go on and off the ships. He orders the death penalty for Huang Ruilan, who is an old dedicated follower of his and who was transferred as a captive from Lüshun to Weihai, to show his determination to end corruption and bad habits. Fang Baoqian, who has reappeared after his visit to his “home”, is spared, though. Deng Shichang, on the other hand, is praised for his loyality to the troops, and finally Li admonishes Liu Buchan, the opium addict, to dedicate himself more strongly to his task. Thus Li attempts to strengthen the solidarity and courage of the troops by treating different cases in a distinct manner.
Ding Ruchang is talking to Li Hongzhang about the latter’s manner of instruction to the commanders. He admires Li’s ability to make wise and differentiated judgements.
In the „Wanmu Caotang“, a school founded by Kang Youwei, Kang himself is lecturing his students about political changes which he holds are necessary. He believes that the system must be changed from within. Japan’s Meiji Reforms are to serve as the model. Kang opposes immediate actions such as proposed by one of his students. He rather wishes the students to first reaffirm and strengthen their allegiance to him and his ideas.
Li Honzhang is meeting with Admiral Ding Ruchang on the balcony of the main building of the Beiyang naval base in Lüshun. They are talking about the upcoming military parade for which Li’s advisor Sheng Xuanhuai has already calculated the overall costs. Li Hongzhang’s hopes to achieve three major goals as a result of holding this parade: First, he wishes to publicly showcase the gran-desse, splendour and immense power of the Beiyang Navy. For this purpose he has invited foreign ambassadors, consuls and journalists. Second, he hopes to il-lustrate to the Imperial Court how its funds have helped to strengthen the navy, and finally he hopes to raise the fighting spirit and solidarity of the troops. Ultimately, he hopes that these three goals will persuade the Court to grant him more funds.
During the parade the sailors are standing in rank and file. Li courteously welcomes the Chun Prince Yihuan and accompanies him and the foreign ambassadors to a military ship which is docked at the port. On the way, he takes the chief eunuch Li Lianying, whom Cixi commissioned to accompany the prince, aside and advises him to stay ashore in order to “avoid sea sickness”. Li Hongzhang’s veiled intention though, is to avoid having a eunuch on sea because of widespread beliefs
that this would bring bad fortune (a eunuch weakens the male yang). Of course, Li Lianying perfectly understands the situation and feels humiliated.
A different scenery:
Three sailors are shown sitting in a small boat eating noodles, surrounded by bags of ammunition. They are talking to each other about the upcoming demonstration of the canons. They are not sure what will happen, but they nevertheless reconfirm the order in which the fuses are to be lit. A large naval ship approaches them rapidly.
On the deck of the military ship anchored at the port,
Ding Ruchang welcomes the Chun Prince and the other guests who have seated themselves on
the chairs provided. He asks the prince to give orders to begin the presentation. But since the prince looks rather lost, Li loudly gives the order: “Go!”
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