“My brothers, the court suspects my Li family of harboring ambitions and seeks to eliminate us, forcing us to rebel! Well, we are not lambs to be slaughtered.
From this day forward, we shall rise against the Qing dynasty, drive out the barbarians, and restore the Han dynasty to its rightful place!”
Li Jingyuan declared to his assembled troops.
Then, he drew a dagger and severed the queue on his head.
He had long wanted to cut off the pigtail, a symbol of humiliation.
However, Li Hongzhang, his father, considered himself a loyal subject of the Qing Dynasty. As his son, Li Jingyuan knew that any attempt to cut off his queue would result in severe punishment. He might even be beheaded.
The Qing had issued a strict order: “Heads, but not hair; hair, but not heads.”
When the Qing army invaded, countless Han people refused to shave their heads and were promptly executed.
In another time, over two hundred years later, the Qing dynasty collapsed, and the new government issued a decree to cut off queues. Yet, countless Confucian scholars, clinging to tradition, chose death rather than part with their braids.
Li Jingyuan had discussed this matter with his trusted officers, who all understood the implications.
While he pretended to be driven to rebellion, everyone knew that Li Jingyuan had harbored rebellious thoughts from the start.
However, his loyal officers would not betray his act.
Wang Shizhen, Duan Qi Rui, and Feng Guo Zhang led the way, immediately cutting off their queues.
Seeing this, the other officers hesitated no longer.
As for the ordinary soldiers, they wouldn't even consider refusing.
Since forming the new army, Li Jingyuan had placed great emphasis on cultivating the loyalty of his soldiers.
He often ate and slept with them, trained alongside them. Every evening, he ensured they received literacy and cultural education. During pay day, he personally oversaw the distribution, ensuring no soldier was shortchanged.
After two years, these soldiers had come to view Li Jingyuan as their spiritual leader.
Even if he ordered them to face certain death, they wouldn't hesitate.
Cutting off a queue was nothing. It was just a symbol.
The soldiers, one by one, drew their bayonets and severed their queues, demonstrating their unwavering resolve.
Li Jingyuan nodded with satisfaction and proceeded to lay out his plans.
“From this moment forward, our army shall be known as the Beiyang Army, with me as its Commander. The 1st Division will be renamed the Beiyang Army 1st Infantry Division, under the command of Wang Shizhen. The 2nd Division will be renamed the Beiyang Army 2nd Infantry Division, under the command of Duan Qi Rui. The 3rd Division will be renamed the Beiyang Army 3rd Infantry Division, under the command of Feng Guo Zhang.
The 1st Division will advance westward from Laizhou Prefecture to Qingzhou Prefecture, Wuding Prefecture, Jinan Prefecture, Tai'an Prefecture, Dongchang Prefecture, and Linqing Prefecture.
The 2nd Division will advance westward from Laizhou Prefecture to Yizhou Prefecture, Yan Prefecture, Jining Prefecture, and Caozhou Prefecture.
The 3rd Division will leave a single infantry regiment to defend Laizhou Prefecture. The rest will advance eastward to Dengzhou Prefecture.
We will send messengers to contact the Beiyang Navy, as well as other Beiyang forces and Green Battalions in Shandong. If they are willing to join us, we welcome them as brothers. If they remain loyal to the Qing, they will be considered enemies and eliminated.
I have already ordered a large shipment of arms from the Germans, and our own factories are working overtime to produce weapons and ammunition.
We will continue to expand our army!”
Li Jingyuan declared.
Though he had expanded his army to three divisions, it was not enough.
A month ago, he had placed an order with the Germans for a large shipment of arms: 100,000 Model 88 Mauser rifles, 500 Maxim heavy machine guns, 200 75mm field cannons, 100 105mm light howitzers.
He had also ordered 100 155mm heavy howitzers.
These arms were already on their way and would arrive in Shandong soon.
Li Jingyuan hoped to quickly secure control of the entire province of Shandong. This would provide him with a foothold.
In this era, Shandong had a population of nearly 40 million. If he secured the province, he would be able to quickly raise a massive army of hundreds of thousands, with the resources and wealth at his disposal. He could then openly challenge the Qing dynasty for control of the nation.
If the Huai Army and the Beiyang Army also joined his cause, victory would be even more certain.
The Qing army, though numbering over a million, was scattered throughout the empire.
In remote areas, they posed no immediate threat to Li Jingyuan's forces.
He planned to quickly seize Shandong, Zhili, Beijing, and the eastern coastal provinces, establishing a dominant position.
“Yes, Commander!” replied the officers in unison.
With that, the three divisions of the Beiyang Army moved into action, advancing towards their assigned objectives.
The flames of war ignited first in Shandong.