Instalment 25 (1900)
Scene 1: At the Imperial Palace; seizure of the Forbidden City
The allied forces of the eight powers (Germany, Japan, Russia, Great Britain, USA, France, Italy and Austria-Hungary) are seizing the Forbidden City in Beijing. The entire city is divided in eight different occupation zones. German troops are raiding the Imperial Palace and stealing precious art objects. Many court officials and members of the Imperial Family who live in Beijing commit suicide.
Scene 2: In Shandong
In Shandong, Yuan Shikai is offering temporary shelter to many imperial relatives who have fled the Forbidden City. Just the Chun Prince Zaifeng, the emperor’s younger brother, who disdains Yuan because of his “treason” against the reforms and the consequences this incurred for his brother, ignores Yuan who is trying to ingratiate himself by offering shelter to members of the imperial family. But ultimately Zaifeng is forced to accept Yuan’s offer for lack of alternatives. He gives Yuan a piece of jade as a “deposit”; in doing so, he emphasises that he does not wish to accept “favours” but intends to pay.
Scene 3: At Sun Yatsen’s residence; a meeting of the revolutionaries
Sun Yatsen convinces the revolutionary Zheng Shiliang to abandon his idea of a military upheaval. In Sun’s opinion, the revolutionary troops should be especially vigilant in such restless times and should not act hastily while the Boxer conflict is still underway. Sun believes they should spare their energies and wait for a favourable opportunity.
Liang Qichao pays Li Hongzhang, who is now the Governor General of Guangdong and Guangxi, a visit.
Liang proposes three possible ways to lead China out of the current crisis. The best way, he believes, would be to set up a
constitutional monarchy. He proposes that the provinces Guangdong and Guangxi, under Li’s guidance, should first declare
their independence and then press on into the North. The second way is a less good alternative according to Liang:
Li could advise the emperor to suppress the Boxer Rebellion in order to re-establish friendly relations with the
foreign powers. The third way, the worst solution, would be to enter peace negotiations with the foreign powers.
China would be forced to cede territories to the foreign powers and pay reparations. However, Li Hongzhang favours
this last solution since he believes that the former two would necessitate conspiracy and rebellion in the first
case, or are simply too unrealistic, as in the second. At the end of the visit, Liang requests Li’s permission to
author Li’s biography at a later state. Li happily agrees and hands all his letters, documents and other writings
to Liang. (Liang did indeed author this biography years afterwards, and his visit to Li is, in the end, shown to
be more “successful” than the parallel one by Sun Yatsen earlier).
The Empress Dowager Cixi has taken up temporary residence in the home of the devoted official Cen Chunxuan in Shanxi. There, Cixi discusses the possibility of peace negotiations with the foreign powers with the ministers who have also escaped the capital.
Li Hongzhang, who is ill, has commenced peace negotiations with the foreign powers as the delegate of the Qing dynasty in Beijing. The foreigners produce a list of names (including the Empress Dowager and 174 officials) which specifies people that they believe should be executed as the ones responsible for declaring war on them.
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