Chapter 57 Empress Dowager Cixi's Super Birthday Party

Yuan Shikai was short, bloated, and had a thick neck. He failed two of the three indicators of "tall, rich and handsome".However, as an envoy of the Heavenly Kingdom, and a man of undeniable integrity in North Korea, there are still people who claim power over him. Yuan Shikai generally never refused the kindness of others, so he took three beautiful concubines before and after North Korea. Although there are flowers, fragrant cars, and beauties, the national strength of the Qing Dynasty was weak, and with Yuan Shikai's ability, it was very painful to deal with the great powers.Spring and autumn come and go, and the years flow, and Yuan Shikai walked all the way to 1894 with pain and joy.

In 1894, another major event occurred in North Korea, and the Donghak Party revolted! Dongxue Party is a radical non-governmental organization. Its intention is to fight against the West, so it calls itself "Dongxue". Its situation is very similar to the Boxer Movement that occurred in China later. During this period in Joseon, the king was ignorant, Concubine Min exercised power, officials were corrupt, bandits were rampant, the people were destitute, and there were no pedestrians on the road.A picture of subjugation!Under such circumstances, it is normal for the Donghak Party uprising to break out in North Korea.

It can be said that the Dongxue Party uprising is a major event, but if compared with the subsequent events triggered by this incident, it is nothing. According to the agreement between the two countries and North Korea, China and Japan sent troops to quell the chaos at the same time. On the side of the Qing army were two armies led by Li Hongzhang’s subordinates Ye Zhichao and Nie Shicheng. After the Qing army arrived in Asan, North Korea, they notified Japan in accordance with the previous agreement that “Korea must notify each other when sending troops in the future”: the Qing Empire also sent troops.Before Japan's reply, the Qing army heard an unbelievable news: the group of unarmed mobs of the Dongxue Party, after learning the news that China and Japan sent troops, they voluntarily disbanded!

Bai is here, since it's all right, then get ready to go home. The Qing army planned to withdraw, but the Japanese didn't think so. After the Japanese army arrived in North Korea, they had no intention of leaving. Therefore, Yuan Shikai approached the Japanese: Since the rebellion has been put down, according to the agreement, the two countries should immediately withdraw their troops! The Japanese replied to Yuan Shikai: The situation is still unclear. In order to protect the interests of our people, we cannot withdraw our troops for the time being. Why don’t your Qing troops also stay and help North Korea reform its internal affairs together...you go back and think about it first?

In the next few days, the Japanese army still stationed heavy troops in strategically important places, and continued to increase their troops. Yuan Shikai is a sensible person, and he can tell at a glance: After years of accumulation, Japan is ready for an all-out war.Yuan Shikai immediately told Li Hongzhang the news of Japan's refusal to withdraw troops and his own judgment, and asked Li Hongzhang to send more troops into the DPRK to deter Japan. Li Hongzhang reported the matter to the court.The imperial court had a heated discussion on "fight or peace". At this time, the legal representative of the Qing Empire Group Company was Guangxu, but the chairman of the group was Cixi.

As a passionate young man, Guangxu couldn't see that Little Japan was so rampant. He really wanted to teach the opponent a lesson. After all, the Qing Dynasty did not lose in the Sino-French war, let alone against Little Japan, which seemed to be far behind France. But Cixi is going to celebrate her 60th birthday this year, and she doesn't want the war to delay her birthday celebration. Strictly speaking, Cixi's "big birthday" in recent decades has not been very happy. In 1875, the year of her 40th birthday, her own son Tongzhi was dying of illness. Of course, the mother was sad, and she was in no mood to celebrate her birthday.

In 1885, the year of her fiftieth birthday, China and France went to war, which spoiled her good mood again. It is now 1894, and the 60th birthday is about to come, so it should be a good time, but it is a pity that a war between China and Japan will soon break out to determine the fate of the country! In fact, Cixi's urgency to hold a super birthday party can also be imagined.Since she listened to the government behind the curtain, she pacified the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Nian Army, and took back Xinjiang. Lord of ZTE"?Ever since, as 1894 approached, Lafayette Cixi began to think about giving herself a decent 60th birthday.

Therefore, Cixi only wanted to make peace, not to fight.She thought that if she took a step back, the sea and the sky would be brighter, and the Japanese would not cause trouble, and she would be able to organize a birthday party, but she didn't know that Japan was determined to start a war.