Thanks to book friend 13922.. for the reward!
Yanjing, Forbidden City, Yangxin Hall.
Emperor Guangxu sat high on the dragon throne, while Empress Dowager Cixi hid behind the beaded curtain.
However, both their faces were extremely grim.
As for the high-ranking officials of the Qing Dynasty kneeling before them, they were all pale as death.
“Good-for-nothings! A bunch of good-for-nothings! The Qing Dynasty's empire will be ruined by you lot! An army of 400,000 strong, and you can't even handle Li Thief's few thousand rebels? If this continues, the rebels will march into Yanjing, into the Forbidden City!” Emperor Guangxu was furious.
It hadn’t been a year since he took charge.
He was about to seize power, fulfill his dream of being a wise and enlightened ruler, and realize his ambition to be the emperor.
But at this moment, the Beiyang Army's rebellion directly plunged the Qing Dynasty into a grave crisis.
If things weren’t handled properly, the Qing Dynasty would fall under his watch!
Transitioning from a would-be rejuvenator to a fallen emperor, such a change was too drastic.
Naturally, Emperor Guangxu couldn’t accept it.
The Qing officials hung their heads low, not daring to utter a word. Even though Emperor Guangxu berated them relentlessly, they wouldn’t dare to retort. They truly exemplified their subservience.
“Alright, Emperor, the situation is dire, and we can’t entirely blame these servants for the state of the war!” Empress Dowager Cixi intervened.
Although Empress Dowager Cixi was equally dissatisfied with the current war situation.
She knew very well.
The Qing Dynasty needed to rely on these ministers to quell the rebellion and ensure the continuation of their empire.
Even though she considered these ministers dog-like servants in her heart, she couldn’t reveal it.
Otherwise, if the Qing upper echelon were to become disunited or even turn against each other before the rebels reached Yanjing, then what would they use to fight the Beiyang Army?
How could they even think about pacifying the Beiyang Army rebellion?
They would have to flee Yanjing, flee the interior, and hide in the northeastern wilderness.
“Yes, Father!” Emperor Guangxu could only suppress his anger.
Empress Dowager Cixi still firmly held the Qing Dynasty's military and political power. Even Emperor Guangxu was merely a puppet.
Despite his grand ambitions, Emperor Guangxu could only endure this for now.
Otherwise, if he angered Empress Dowager Cixi, or if she felt that he was disobeying her, that he was slipping out of her control, he would likely be dead.
“My loyal subjects, the battle situation is collapsing, and our Qing Dynasty's empire is in peril. Does anyone have any suggestions?” Empress Dowager Cixi asked.
“Your Majesty, the rebels marching north are divided into three columns. The middle column is about to reach Hejian. The western column is approaching Baoding, while the eastern column is approaching Tianjin.
Our Qing main force has suffered heavy losses under the rebel attack and is probably unable to stop the rebels from advancing north for the time being.”
Xu Gengshen, the Grand Secretary of the Grand Council and Minister of War, looked dejected.
If the Beiyang Army occupied central Zhili, they would undoubtedly launch an attack on Yanjing and its surrounding areas.
Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu clearly understood this.
This made their faces even more grim.
“My loyal subjects, what can we do to withstand the rebel attack? Our Qing Dynasty, standing for over two hundred years, cannot be overthrown by rebels so easily!” Empress Dowager Cixi declared resolutely.
“Your Majesty, besides the rebels marching north, the rebels advancing west have already defeated the various provincial troops led by Shaanxi Provincial Commander Lei Zhengwan and invaded Henan.
The rebels marching south have also defeated the various provincial troops led by Jiangnan Provincial Commander Tan Biali and invaded Jiangsu.
Numerous prefectures and counties have fallen into the hands of the rebels.
If this continues, I fear that Henan, Jiangsu, and surrounding provinces will soon be occupied by the rebels.”
Wu Laxi Chong’a, the Manchu Minister of War and commander of the Eight Banners New Army, replied.
“The rebels have only occupied Shandong, and they have already posed such a serious threat to our Qing Dynasty. If the majority of Zhili, Henan, Jiangsu, and other provinces fall into the hands of the rebels, what will happen then?” A hint of fear flashed in Empress Dowager Cixi’s eyes.
Emperor Guangxu’s face was also ashen.
He also understood that if the Qing army couldn’t withstand the Beiyang Army’s attacks and lost a large number of provinces, it would only make the Beiyang Army stronger.
Conversely, the Qing Dynasty's strength would continue to weaken.
Then, it would be even more difficult for them to resist the Beiyang Army’s advance.
And the Qing Dynasty would undoubtedly face a life-or-death crisis.
This was absolutely unacceptable to Emperor Guangxu.
“Wu Laxi Chong’a, didn't you form the Eight Banners New Army? A force of 200,000 strong, why haven't you led these troops south to pacify the rebels?” Emperor Guangxu urged, “In my opinion, the Eight Banners New Army, equipped with a large number of Western-style weapons, will definitely be able to defeat the Beiyang Army.”
He believed that the Beiyang Army’s strength was mainly due to its superior Western-style guns and cannons.