Beiyang Dream

Chapter 28 New Official Takes Office—I Want People, I Want Money, I Want Power

As soon as the carriage wheels came to a stop in front of the embassy, ​​Chang Desheng jumped down.

Guo Shigui called out from behind, "Zhenbang, slow down! What's the rush?"

Chang Desheng ignored him and rushed towards Hong Jun's signing room with lightning speed. Today was a big day for him, Chang, so he had to be proactive.

Guo Shigui jogged up to catch up, muttering, "That kid's really in high spirits today, just because something good happened!"

Upon arriving at the signing room, Guo Shigui lifted the curtain, and Chang Desheng ducked inside.

Hong Jun was sitting in a grand chair, with two telegrams spread out on the desk in front of him. The old scholar's face was all smiles today, almost squeezing out all the wrinkles. In his report about the matter of the German Emperor and Empress Dowager Kwasi, he had taken credit for himself quite a bit.

"Zhenbang is here!" Hong Jun stood up, smiled and waved, "Sit down, please sit down."

Chang Desheng thought to himself: "Sit down, please. Hurry up and read it." But he said aloud, "Please go first, sir."

Hong Jun picked up the first telegram and cleared his throat: "The Emperor has issued an edict."

Chang Desheng quickly bowed.

"Upon investigation, it has been found that Chang Desheng, a student of the Beiyang Military Academy, was admitted to the Prussian War College with the highest score. His audience with the Kaiser was conducted with propriety, bringing honor to the nation, and is highly commendable. He is hereby awarded the rank of fifth grade official as encouragement. So be it."

Alright, the fifth-rank official hat is confirmed.

Chang Desheng was overjoyed, not because the Qing Dynasty had gained such a "genius," but because of the anti-Qing revolution.

Only with an official position could he return to Korea to lead troops; only with troops could he send the Tartars away. This fifth-rank official hat was the first stepping stone in his rebellion against the Qing!

While his mind was set on revolution, he said aloud, "This student thanks the Holy Mother Empress Dowager for her grace, and thanks the Emperor for his grace!"

Hong Jun picked up the second telegram. This time it wasn't an imperial edict, but an internal document from the Beiyang government.

"The Beiyang Minister Li appointed Chang Desheng as the Commissioner for the Investigation of German Army Affairs, with a monthly allowance of one hundred taels. During his stay in Germany, he was instructed to investigate the Prussian army system, collect teaching materials and manuals, and contact German military personnel. All findings were to be reported to the Beiyang government monthly..."

Chang Desheng took the telegram and immediately began to make plans.

The fifth-rank official hat was nominal; the real title was that of a commissioner, appointed by the Minister of Beiyang. This meant that from this day forward, he had officially joined Li Hongzhang's staff and could begin to be considered based on seniority.

But halfway through calculating the accounts, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

He's got the official position from the Qing Dynasty and the committee member position from the Beiyang government. From this day forward, he's a "high-ranking official at the department level"!

But who is he, this big leader, supposed to lead?

There's no one to help me!

Chang Desheng stared at the telegram and read it again. Li Hongzhang, the client, wrote: "Immediately investigate the Prussian army system, collect teaching materials and manuals, and contact German military personnel. All findings shall be reported to the Beiyang Army monthly."

Good heavens, this is a huge undertaking! Am I supposed to do it all by myself? Won't I be exhausted?

No, I need to recruit some subordinates.

He made up his mind, but put on a troubled expression and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Hong Jun: "My lord, I have a favor to ask."

Hong Jun stroked his beard: "Speak."

"The Grand Secretary entrusted the students with this important task, for which the students are deeply grateful. But this mission is fraught with complications..." Chang Desheng counted on his fingers, "The Prussian army system comprises six major branches: infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, logistics, and staff operations. The textbooks and manuals alone—the Berlin Military Academy alone has over thirty courses; if the manuals were stacked up, they'd be taller than a person. And contacting German military personnel—those German officers aren't like idle lads in Tianjin teahouses, you can't just contact them whenever you want..."

He paused, then spoke with even greater sincerity: "It is truly difficult for one student to handle everything alone. Since Your Excellency has entrusted me with this matter in your telegram, I humbly request that Your Excellency order that Duan, Shang, Wu, and Kong assist me in handling the investigation."

The expenses for the field trip were managed and allocated by the students; the purchase of teaching materials, liaison with the German side, translation and compilation were all assigned by the students; the monthly reports to Beiyang were also drafted by the students, but their contributions were clearly listed.

That sounds nice, but on the surface it's about "helping students," but in reality it's about "wanting people, money, and the right to sign documents."

Hong Jun stopped stroking his beard.

He's such a shrewd person, how could he not tell that this kid wanted to expand his power? Originally, the inspection committee members were only responsible for the inspection, but now he wants to bring all four of them under his control, manage the funds, assign tasks, and write the reports. That's a huge amount of power.

But Hong Jun reconsidered: Duan, Shang, Kong, and Wu were all from the Beiyang clique, and Chang Desheng was a commissioner handpicked by Li Hongzhang. Since Li Hongzhang valued him and he wanted some power, why should he be the villain?

Besides, Chang Desheng just gave him a huge boost in terms of face, so it wouldn't be appropriate to renege on that now.

Hong Jun smiled: "Zhenbang has thought things through thoroughly. Since it is the Grand Secretary's will, Duan Qirui and the others should obey your orders."

He picked up a pen and wrote a few words on a notepad, then handed it to Guo Shigui: "Jichuan, accompany Zhenbang on this trip and talk to them. Tell them it's my idea! To unify authority and facilitate the investigation, the Standing Committee will temporarily take charge of related matters. You young people can discuss the specifics of cooperation yourselves."

Guo Shigui took the note, secretly glancing at Chang Desheng, thinking to himself: This kid, he really dares to ask for it. He's only in his early twenties and already knows how to expand his power. What will he be like when he gets back to China?

Chang Desheng bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir."

"Alright," Hong Jun waved his hand, "Go on, and do your job well."

......

After leaving the signing room, Guo Shigui led Chang Desheng toward the dormitory building, and they walked to the dormitory corridor.

Shang Dequan, Duan Qirui, Wu Dingyuan, and Kong Qingtang were already waiting.

Shang Dequan was the first to step forward, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, and said in a loud voice, "Brother Zhenbang! Congratulations! You've been awarded the fifth-rank official hat and appointed a member of the Beiyang clique—double happiness!"

Wu Dingyuan chuckled along, his smile practically overflowing: "Brother Zhenbang, we came out in the same batch, and you're already an official of the Qing Dynasty! You'll have to mentor us brothers in the future!"

Kong Qingtang remained as reserved as ever, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect: "Congratulations!"

Duan Qirui stood at the very back.

He had a smile on his face, but it was a suppressed smile. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Brother Zhenbang, congratulations."

But what he was really thinking was: a fifth-rank official hat... I, Duan Zhiquan, will earn one sooner or later.

Chang Desheng thought to himself: Look, look, even Duan Zhiquan's smile is so forced.

He smiled and cupped his hands in thanks to the four of them: "Thank you, thank you. Actually, I'm just taking a step ahead in the officialdom. All of us brothers will eventually have our day in the cabinet or be appointed to high positions, so there's no rush."

He exchanged a glance with Guo Shigui.

Guo Shigui understood, took a step forward, pulled Hong Jun's note from his briefcase, and cleared his throat: "Gentlemen, Lord Hong has given an order..."

He paused, then continued, "The Grand Secretary has appointed Chang Desheng as the investigation commissioner, who is fully responsible for investigating the Prussian army system, collecting teaching materials and manuals, and contacting German military personnel. Lord Hong has ordered that, from today onwards, you all shall be at the disposal of Commissioner Chang. All matters required for the investigation will be assigned by Commissioner Chang."

After he said that, there was a full three seconds of silence.

Shang Dequan was the first to react; his eyes lit up instantly. The boss now had real power! And he was Chang Desheng's staunch ally...

Wu Dingyuan stepped forward, smiling enthusiastically, "Brother Zhenbang... no, Committee Member Chang, please feel free to give me any orders from now on!"

Kong Qingtang nodded, his expression remaining calm: "That's how it should be."

Duan Qirui stood at the very back, his smile completely gone.

He, Duan Zhiquan, has served Li Hongzhang since his grandfather's generation. His great-grandfather, Duan Pei, was a general in the Huai Army; his father, Duan Congwen, also served the Li family. Three generations have served under him, shedding countless drops of blood and sweat. What are you, Chang Desheng? The son of a clerk in Tianjin, what makes you think you can do this?

But the telegram from Beiyang was there, and Hong Jun's order was there. No matter how arrogant Duan Qirui was, he dared not disobey.

He gritted his teeth, then forced a smile, and after a beat's delay, cupped his hands in greeting:

"Follow the instructions of the Standing Committee member."

Chang Desheng thought to himself: You're not convinced, are you? Fine, I like your unwilling yet forced-to-accept look.

His smile remained unchanged as he waved his hand, "Forget about being a committee member, just call me Brother Zhenbang. We're brothers, no need for all that formalities."

After saying that, he changed the subject, his tone becoming concerned: "By the way, how did you all do on your exams? Have the results from the Berlin Military Academy been released yet?"

Shang Dequan nodded: "They all passed the exams. Brother Zhiquan is in the artillery department, I am in the artillery department, Dingyuan is in the infantry department, and Wenchi is in the infantry department."

"And the ranking?" Chang Desheng asked.

Before Shang Dequan could speak, Duan Qirui sighed.

"Brother Zhenbang," Duan Qirui's voice was a little dry, "this year's top foreign student ranking was taken by a Japanese student. And..."

He paused.

"All the Japanese exchange students are ranked ahead of us. Not a single one is left behind."

The room fell silent again.

Chang Desheng understood perfectly well. These Japanese students were all top students from the lower grades of the Army Officer Academy, having grown up immersed in the Prussian education system. Duan Qirui and his group, on the other hand, had only learned so much at the Beiyang Military Academy; they were worlds apart from them.

The reason he was able to rank first in the War Academy entrance exam wasn't due to the Beiyang Army's military equipment, but rather the power of the new China's education system. Mathematics, physics, foreign languages, and engineering—these were all foundations he had built in his previous life. Duan Qirui and his contemporaries didn't have such advantages.

He took two steps forward and patted Duan Qirui on the shoulder: "Brother Zhiquan, brothers, it doesn't matter if we fall behind. Didn't we come to Germany to learn?"

The four of them looked at him.

"As a member of the Central Committee, my first priority is to collect German military textbooks and manuals. I can't do this all by myself..." He counted on his fingers, like a contractor on a construction site, "Let's divide the work, each of us will be responsible for a subject, and when we go back, we'll be experts in that subject."

"Brother Zichun," he looked at Shang Dequan, "the artillery textbook is yours, you must thoroughly understand it. Translate all the related textbooks for me, and if you don't understand anything, come and ask me."

Shang Dequan puffed out his chest: "Brother Zhenbang, don't worry!"

"Brother Yuchen," Chang Desheng turned to Wu Dingyuan, "you've got the infantry drill manual and light weapons doctrine covered. The German infantry's formations, tactics, and shooting techniques are all in this manual. When we train the new army in the future, we'll follow this."

Wu Dingyuan nodded vigorously: "Leave it to me!"

"Brother Wenchi," he looked at Kong Qingtang, "you'll handle the logistics, supplies, and military supplies management. Warfare is all about logistics, and Prussia's logistics system is the best in the world. We must bring back this knowledge."

Kong Qingtang nodded: "Okay."

Finally, Chang Desheng looked at Duan Qirui.

"Brother Zhiquan," he said with particular sincerity, "the cavalry tactics and cavalry manual are yours."

Duan Qirui frowned.

He took half a step forward, his voice tinged with displeasure: "Brother Zhenbang, I majored in artillery at the Berlin Military Academy. Cavalry tactics... I haven't studied them. You want me to translate the cavalry manual? Isn't that forcing me to switch fields?"

Chang Desheng smiled.

That's exactly what he was waiting for.

"Brother Zhiquan," Chang Desheng sighed, his tone utterly heartfelt, "Well, I'm at my wit's end. Look... Brother Zichun has already taken over the artillery textbooks, Brother Yuchen has taken over the infantry, and Brother Wenchi is in charge of logistics—he's switched fields too. As for me, fortification is my old profession, not to mention the courses at the War Academy—more than a dozen courses, I had to learn them all thoroughly myself before compiling them..."

He spread his hands: "No one in our group majors in cavalry, but we can't leave the cavalry textbooks untranslated, can we? I don't trust anyone else with this task."

He paused, leaned closer, and lowered his voice: "Besides, think about it. You majored in artillery and are also proficient in cavalry. When we return to Tianjin, the Grand Secretary will be training a new army. How many people can command a battalion of artillery and also manage the cavalry? Won't you be of great use then? At least you'll be able to command a battalion!"

Duan Qirui fell silent.

He was still angry, but he couldn't really refute Chang Desheng's words. Chang Desheng had taken on a lot of work himself, not just adding to his workload. And while his statement, "I don't trust anyone else with this," sounded awkward, it wasn't entirely without merit. Among this group, he and Chang Desheng indeed had the most solid academic foundation.

Seeing that he was wavering, Chang Desheng pressed his advantage: "Alright, alright, it's settled then. Don't worry, this job won't be for nothing..."

He scanned the four men and began to paint a rosy picture: "The research funds are all in my hands. Buy books when needed, treat people to meals when needed—I won't be stingy. At the end of each month, we'll hold a meeting to check on the progress. I'll meticulously record how many textbooks we've copied and how many manuals we've translated, and include it in the documents submitted to Beiyang. I'll personally recommend you to the Grand Secretary. If the funds are insufficient, we can apply for more!"

He paused, then raised his voice slightly: "If we spend a year and a half in Germany and none of us can even earn a fifth-rank official hat when we get back, then I, Chang Zhenbang, am truly incompetent!"

Upon hearing this, Shang Dequan was the first to clasp his hands in a fist salute: "Brother Zhenbang, you are truly righteous!"

Wu Dingyuan echoed, "Committee Member Chang, from now on, we brothers will follow you!"

Kong Qingtang rarely spoke up: "Brother Zhenbang is fair in his dealings, and Wen Chi is convinced."

Duan Qirui remained silent for a few moments.

He glanced at Chang Desheng, then at the other three, and finally cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "Leave the cavalry tactics and manuals to me."

Chang Desheng nodded with a smile. He thought to himself: Once we return to China, these people will all be considered his direct subordinates; at most, Duan Qirui might betray us...

"Alright," he clapped his hands, "we've finished the important business, time for the less important stuff. It's my treat today!"

He turned to Guo Shigui: "Brother Guo, which is the best restaurant in Berlin? Don't try to save me money."

Guo Shigui's eyes lit up, and without thinking, he blurted out three words: "Kempinski".

Kempinski?

Chang Desheng was stunned for a moment. Why did this name sound so expensive?

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask, "Just how expensive is this restaurant?" but swallowed the words back. Whatever, Guo Shigui said okay, so they went. A fifth-rank official with the title of inspection committee member, earning one hundred taels a month, could afford a meal.

"Walk!"

A group of people hurriedly walked out.

As Shang Dequan walked, he muttered to himself, "Kempinski... just the name sounds incredibly expensive. Brother Zhenbang, you'll have to spend a lot of money on this."

Chang Desheng waved his hand and said in his Tianjin accent, "Hey, what's money to worry about? Just have some fun."

After saying that, he added in his mind: In my past life, I worked overtime until I died and never got to enjoy myself properly. In this life, I should spend money as I please.

The group chatted and laughed as they walked toward the old horse-drawn carriage in front of the embassy.

The carriage wheels rolled forward with a "clatter" as they trotted across the cobblestone streets of Berlin.

Chang Desheng sat up straight in the carriage and straightened his uniform.

Well, the first meal of a new broom sweeps clean should be a good one for the underlings... that's how a boss should act!

As for the money, it's alright... Once Li Hongzhang approves the "birthday ship plan," I can apply for another one!

The carriage slowed down.

Chang Desheng looked up.

Outside the window, a magnificent Baroque-style stone building stands on the street corner. It is at least forty meters wide, three stories high, and has four large pillars at the entrance, with acanthus leaves carved on the capitals.

The mental tally was flipped open again: This stone, this carving, this size... If this were a design institute in the modern era, the cost per square meter would be close to five thousand!

As he did the accounting, Chang Desheng pushed open the car door, his feet barely touching the ground...

Then I heard a clear, crisp female voice speaking in Chinese:

"Chang Zhenbang!"