I've brought my team to Taiyuan this time. Before leaving, I sent Ronglu, Xu Tong, Kungang, Chongli, Yude, Jingxin, Pushan, Akdan, Natong, and Chen Kuilong, et al., to stay in Beijing to handle political affairs. I also sent Prince Qing Yi 劻 back to Beijing to work with Li Hongzhang to negotiate with foreign countries on various matters.
This Boxer Rebellion is entirely their doing, and now to solve the problem, we must deal with them decisively. The Boxers are especially rampant in Zhili. Before Li Hongzhang took office, the court can't pass the buck. Therefore, the Zhili governor was ordered to crack down hard on the Boxers and ensure their complete eradication. If local officials are still protecting them, or even resisting our troops, commanding officers must decisively eliminate them, quell the unrest, and restore order. That's the plan.
