Real Histories
Leaders, I would like to report the situation once again. The heretical cult of the Boxers has spread from neighboring counties into our region, extending from the southwest to the northwest. I have repeatedly warned and urged against it, but my warnings have been utterly futile, as if I had never spoken at all. Looking at the current situation, although it is only operating under the banner of anti-foreignism and the common people have not yet participated much, once it gains strength, it will become uncontrollable, and the consequences are unimaginable. Since May of this year, incidents involving the Boxers have been occurring one after another across the regions.
In our state, there have been two incidents within three months. Although they have been resolved before escalating, these are merely stopgap measures. There are simply too many people involved with the Boxers; a single call can summon thousands, and they gather with great momentum, making it nearly impossible to apprehend them. If we act rashly, they will accuse the government of sheltering the cultists, which would only exacerbate the situation. Even if we immediately mobilize troops, it would be too late. The powers of the state and county are limited, so we can only maintain the status quo for now and hope for a temporary peace. The situation in other places dealing with cult cases is similar.
I may be slow to grasp things, but I believe this heretical cult must be dealt with severely and swiftly, or there may still be a chance to turn things around. I think it would be wise to petition the court for a strict ban to assert the court's authority, and then appoint loyal, courageous, and incorruptible officials, equipped with heavy troops, to thoroughly eradicate it by eliminating the key figures and dismantling their followers. Only then can we completely eradicate this cult. Once the situation stabilizes, we can then task the state and county with hunting down the remaining followers, using both rewards and punishments to resolve the issue completely. This malevolent force is currently rampant, and it seems poised to spread further; I fear that the state and county's power will be unable to cope. My character is timid, and in the face of this escalating situation, I do not know when something will go wrong. My personal life or death matters little, but what about the larger situation? What about the larger situation? I earnestly request that you take charge of the overall situation; this would be a blessing for the common people and a fortunate turn for the current circumstances!
I have reviewed all the reports and memorials received. Our department previously had great trust in this governor, believing he was capable and reliable, the best among all governors, thinking that handing over Dongchang Prefecture to him would mean we could rest easy. Who would have thought he would neglect his duties and shelter the boxing bandits, making mistakes one after another! Now, while other areas have cleared out the boxing bandits, only the areas under his jurisdiction still have them, and even major cases have occurred in the prefecture and county. What on earth is going on?! It has become very clear that he has been protecting and condoning the boxing bandits. This governor needs to seriously think about how he can justify the trust we've placed in him. Our department must reflect on ourselves for not recognizing the right person; however, this governor's ineffectiveness will surely be ridiculed by his peers.
Our department has now dispatched Captain Lei Guanzai Zhenchun and Captain Wu Guanzai Fengling to lead troops, along with the acting county magistrate Li Lingjia and others, to capture the boxing bandits. Although this governor has already approved his transfer back to the province for a break, we still require him to supervise Ying County to ensure this case is handled properly. We must ensure that all the criminals involved in this incident, including Master Li Huaizhen, Li Shutian, and others, are captured without letting a single one escape! At the same time, we must order Ying County to dispatch teams to various locations to hunt down any remaining bandits, making sure those who break the law are held accountable and punished, preventing any resurgence. The bandits' property must be confiscated as per regulations; all training and worship sites of the boxing bandits must be burned down. Village heads, leaders, and protectors in places like Jiangguantun, Jiazhuang, and Shengzhuang, who have sheltered the boxing bandits, as well as the parents and siblings of the bandits, will be dealt with according to the rules.
We must completely eliminate the boxing bandits within our jurisdiction to atone for past mistakes. If there’s any more duplicity, we’ll have no choice but to report the truth to warn those who shelter and condone the boxing bandits. As for Cao Ling, who failed to effectively stop the boxing bandits, resulting in a tragic incident, he is to blame, but considering he and Hao Shaomu were both seriously injured, we will not pursue his responsibility for now.
The people caught, such as Wang □ and □ Yulin, are not serious criminals; they still need to be interrogated again, questioned thoroughly, and investigated for their accomplices. They claimed to have heard that the believers secretly captured two members of the Divine Fist sect. We need to find out who they are and which village they are from; they must come clean and not make excuses! Once we have apprehended the criminals and conducted thorough interrogations, we will impose strict penalties in accordance with the rules.
This case is of great importance, and you officers need to stay vigilant and fully cooperate in solving this case to prevent any further incidents; don't let your guard down again! This is a critical matter, so get moving! (Zhe Cun)
Dear Sir: I take the liberty to inform you that I have committed an offense. Receiving your letter of consolation deeply moved and shamed me. However, I feel stifled and distressed, and I can't help but look up to the heavens and weep bitterly! I was honored to serve under you, commanding the troops, and all actions were in accordance with your directives; I didn’t dare to take any initiative. This is the duty of a subordinate, and it is also because I admire your loyalty to the country that I dared to exert all my efforts, risking public anger and disregarding everything to serve you.
In August of the Wuxu year, you took extraordinary actions and on July 29 ordered me to lead troops into the capital, which I complied with immediately. Regarding the Boxer Rebellion last year, I received your orders several times to pacify Li Laizhong and to attack the embassy. Because this matter was of great importance, I hesitated, but you urged me on, and I did not dare to disobey your orders. Later, I received your commands and direct instructions to besiege the embassy multiple times, even to the extent of opening fire.
At first, I was worried about offending various countries by killing their envoys and feared that I lacked sufficient military strength, bearing this significant guilt. You also instructed me to fight against foreign enemies with all my might, sharing both fortune and misfortune. I’m just a soldier, lacking in knowledge, relying solely on you, serving you like a dog. Now you’re still in a high position of power, while I’ve fallen into disgrace; although I am foolish, I truly do not understand why this is so. I can honestly say that I’ve served you to the best of my ability! You asked me to undertake very dangerous tasks, and I took the risks to do so; you wanted to pacify the Boxers, and I recommended Li Laizhong; you wanted to attack foreigners, and I fought desperately. Now, I am solely to blame! My subordinate soldiers have all disbanded, each feeling wronged, and some have even discussed your inconsistency. I am devoted to serving the country and willing to die. The soldiers are very resentful, and I cannot suppress them! I can only ask you to help me find a way out of this.
I found that there is constant conflict between ordinary folks and the church members, mainly because they always sue each other. It is difficult for local officials to achieve fairness and justice because of various pressures. Fortunately, things have been going well this year; we've had good weather, and the ordinary folks and the church members have been getting along relatively peacefully, without any major conflicts.
Recently, Archbishop An returned to the cathedral, and two things came up out of the blue: a female church member named Liang Li accused Yang Huaizhen from Ziyi of oppressing her; another church member named Liang Caifu accused his cousin Liang Fengju of disregarding the law. Both of these cases have been dragging on for many years, with troublemakers stirring up trouble. I got the files of these two cases sorted out and wrote a simple summary of the situation, reporting it to Archbishop An. The next day, I visited Archbishop An and detailed the church members giving each other a hard time. Archbishop An finally understood and immediately promised that in the future, if disputes arise among church members, they are not allowed to use the word "church member" in legal documents, and all matters will be fairly handled by local officials. The next day, I received his reply, confirming the same.
I believe that although this gangster incident involves spreading rumors and endangering the country, the reason they were able to deceive the ordinary folks is also because of the deep-seated grievances accumulated by them over time. I had previously discussed with Archbishop An, and from now on, church members are not allowed to use the word "church member" in legal documents, and all matters will be fairly handled by local officials. This way, the ordinary folks and the church members can coexist peacefully, and there won't be any more wrongful cases. However, although Archbishop An has informed other regions, our local officials are still unaware. Could you do me a favor and write a letter to Archbishop An to show your support and notify all regions to show the letter to the ordinary folks, so everyone knows what's going on?
Now, with foreign troubles arising one after another, it all boils down to the strained relations between the common people and the missionaries. The Boxer Rebellion last summer and autumn shocked the palace, forcing the emperor to flee, something unprecedented in history.
We Chinese should feel deep sorrow over this, learn from the lessons, and avoid repeating the mistakes. We absolutely cannot, as we did before, act out of momentary anger and do things that harm national interests. Our department has visited various provinces, investigated many incidents involving missionaries, and found that as long as local officials can mediate with the missionaries at the very beginning, restrain the common people, strictly adhere to the treaties, and handle matters fairly and justly, the incidents can be immediately quelled. However, if they always procrastinate and fail to address issues in a timely manner, the missionaries will seek help from the consulate, leading to a stalemate between both sides, resulting in more disputes, which can drag on for years and ultimately cause a major disaster. By then, local officials will inevitably face punishment, and the common people will also suffer, resulting in a lose-lose situation.
Consider the incidents involving missionaries in various provinces over the years; has any of them benefited the country and the people or played a role in maintaining internal stability and warding off external threats? The treaty is about to be signed, and all unresolved incidents involving missionaries must be dealt with promptly. In the future, if conflicts arise between the common people and the missionaries, they must be resolved in a timely and proper manner to avoid a chain reaction that could affect the overall situation and lead to further chaos, thereby maintaining social harmony. Recently, the emperor has repeatedly issued orders requiring local officials and gentry to protect churches.
The treaty also stipulates that places where incidents involving missionaries have occurred must suspend both civil and military examinations, which must be approached with extra caution. “The current foreign troubles largely stem from the inability of the common people and missionaries to coexist peacefully. The Boxer Rebellion last summer and autumn shocked the palace, causing the emperor to flee, which is unprecedented in history.” “The treaty also includes a clause to suspend civil and military examinations in areas where incidents involving missionaries have occurred, which requires utmost caution in handling.”
Local officials must not be perfunctory as before; they need to promptly handle the educational cases. If any issues arise again, our department will report to the court based on the actual situation and enforce strict penalties without leniency. In addition to sending documents to the Disaster Relief Bureau and the Foreign Affairs Bureau to investigate the unresolved educational cases in various regions and urge for reporting and review, we must issue a joint order. Upon receiving the documents, your offices must immediately comply with the orders, notifying all regions to strictly adhere to the instructions outlined in the documents and handle matters properly. In the future, when conflicts arise among the congregation, strict guidelines should be implemented, with time limits for resolution, and records of commendations and reprimands should be maintained to encourage and discipline.
Our department suggests that each state and county can establish educational affairs offices, with local officials selecting gentlemen who are widely respected to be stationed there. In situations that require suppression, these gentlemen should be tasked with restraining their peers to prevent disturbances. If there are respected individuals among the clergy and congregation in China, it would be beneficial to invite them to the office to build rapport and prevent conflicts, making it easier to control the situation. When local officials handle matters and summon them for inquiries, it will have a clear direction. Previously, there were local militia and defense bureaus in various places, with gentlemen overseeing affairs, and the government responsible for assessing results; establishing offices can draw on this practice. However, the issues that the office is responsible for must be clearly defined and stated to be solely for mediating educational affairs, and must not interfere in other local affairs to avoid complications. Our department's intention is to pacify the congregation, and whether the situation in other places can be coordinated or if there are obstacles needs to be thoroughly investigated and verified.
Perhaps the offices can be established, but finding suitable gentlemen may be difficult, and we should not compromise on quality. In summary, effectiveness should be our benchmark. Your respective provincial offices must immediately notify all regions to take a comprehensive view based on the actual circumstances and then report.
The province should determine the regulations, ensure detailed execution, and absolutely must not treat it as a formality; this is very important! I emphasize this again.
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