Last winter, the allied forces of Germany, the UK, Italy, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire arrived, totaling over 2,500 soldiers, including various military units, along with 24 artillery pieces and around 70 supply and food wagons, under the command of Count von York from Germany. In mid-September, they arrived as reinforcements from the Beijing direction. First, they reached Shahe and burned the yamen there; then they went to Changping Prefecture and burned the yamen of Baichang Road in Changping Prefecture. They opened fire on the Chinese troops upon sighting them. General Ma, who commanded the troops defending Juyong Pass, heard the news and withdrew his troops outside the pass, fleeing to Xuanhua Prefecture. The allied forces attempted to pursue them with great force, and they were unstoppable. They traversed counties like Yanqing and Huailai, and the local population suffered immensely. (The original text here omits certain parts.)
General He Haifeng of Xuanhua Town, the newly appointed Inspector of Ling Shou Zhi in Koubai Province, had long been aware of Shen Jundun's military prowess. Shen Jundun had previously dealt with German officers in Jiangnan, managed foreign affairs, and had a good reputation. So General He quickly reported and requested that the Commander-in-Chief of Chahar, Starry Night, dispatch Shen Jundun to Xuanhua. At this time, the Allied forces were approaching Xuanhua with a fierce advance. All the officials and merchants in the city pleaded with Shen Jun to negotiate. Fearless, Shen Jun rode out alone to meet the Allied forces and met the vanguard cavalry at Jiming Post. Just then, some Chinese cavalry quickly ran past, and the foreign troops opened fire, killing them. They suspected Shen Jun of being a military officer and ordered the cavalry to surround him, preparing to shoot him. Shen Jun pleaded his case in German, but they still didn't believe him. Just when it was dangerous, a former German officer who had served in the Ziqiang Army arrived and recognized Shen Jun. He quickly ran to the commander to plead on Shen Jun's behalf. The commander then relaxed and smiled, shaking hands with Shen Jun in a friendly manner. By this time, the main force had already entered Jiming Post. Shen Jun and the local gentlemen greeted the commander, offering to supply food and other essentials and requesting protection for the city to ensure the Allied forces did not disrupt the local residents. Once approved, I invited Mr. Shen and the German commander to jointly inspect the city's defenses.
We camped in the city for a night, and the army did not engage in any looting. Mr. Shen took the opportunity to discuss with the commander ways to protect the cities of Xuanhua and Zhangjiakou. The commander said, "In June and July, the Boxers and anti-Christian factions burned, killed, and looted in Xuanhua and Zhangjiakou, which was inhumane. This time, under the orders of General Wu (referring to Wade-Giles, or Wadeshi), we came here for revenge; bombarding the city wouldn't be enough to atone for their crimes. Moreover, we must continue westward to Guihua City and Taiyuan to express our wrath, capture Boxer bandits, appease the Christians, and rescue the besieged British general Zhou Nisi (transliteration)." After saying this, he dispatched several hundred cavalry westward and sent over a thousand infantry and artillery to attack Xuanhua and Zhangjiakou first. After receiving the orders, each unit set off eagerly. Mr. Shen repeatedly pleaded and voluntarily took on the tasks of capturing Boxer bandits in Guihua City and rescuing the British general, also agreeing to pay 15,000 taels of silver as a guarantee to protect Xuanhua from foreign soldiers entering the city to burn, kill, and loot. He also promised to pay 12,000 taels of silver and provide 1,000 sheepskin military uniforms to protect the two cities of Upper and Lower Zhangjiakou. Thanks to the efforts of the German commander of the Self-Strengthening Army who persuaded back and forth, the commander finally agreed and ordered all the cavalry units advancing westward to be transferred to Zhangjiakou for further discussion.
On the 27th, over a thousand allied troops had arrived at Zhangjiakou. By the afternoon of the 28th, the cavalry units advancing westward also arrived at Zhangjiakou, and by evening, the entire army had arrived. Mr. Shen earnestly requested that the commander assign 120 German infantry soldiers to be stationed at the gates of Upper and Lower Zhangjiakou, as well as at key locations like large leather goods stores, banks, pawnshops, and government offices to provide security. Mr. Shen also patrolled day and night with Mr. Sha, the German commander of the police camp, and apprehended several Chinese soldiers involved in theft. As a result, both sides maintained a standoff for six days and nights, and the allied forces caused no disturbances or damage to the local area.
Speaking of the Allied forces stationed in the area around Shengou, they were deceived by bandits, who burned down a pawnshop and robbed a store, and caused great damage. On the first day of the tenth month, Mr. Shen attended a meeting with the commander and Allied generals, and it was decided to withdraw the troops on the second day. This saved Zhangjiakou. Mr. Shen also agreed to the request of the people of Xuanhua Jimingyi to accompany the Allied forces to Jimingyi and then return.
The places Mr. Shen passed through were all safe, but the places like Shacheng and Huailai that he did not visit were in a terrible state of robbery. Therefore, the merchants and people were very grateful to Mr. Shen, praising him. On the sixth day of the tenth month, when Mr. Shen returned from Xuanhua, all the merchants and people along the seven-mile road knelt in welcome. Mr. Shen got out of the car and greeted each of them, comforting them. Later, everyone was so grateful that they discussed building a shrine in his honor as a token of gratitude.
The two commanders, Chaha'er and Kui Kui, immediately reported to the court. On the eighteenth day of the tenth month, the emperor issued a decree: "Pardon Shen Dunhe's punishment and hand him over to Kui Shun for deployment." He was then appointed as the head of the Zhangjiakou Foreign Affairs Bureau in Chaha'er. Mr. Shen also recovered over 14,000 boxes of tea lost by Russian merchants in various parts of Mongolia between May and June, worth 500,000 taels of silver, and executed several Boxer rebels. He also comforted the suffering Christians and recruited and trained a foreign police force to protect the goods and travels of foreign merchants.
From that point on, the roads were peaceful, and trade flourished. Everyone said that Mr. Shen was the lucky star of the northern frontier, a living Bodhisattva of the north.
On the second day of December, suddenly another decree arrived: "Restore Shen Dunhe's original official position and insignia, and hand him over to Kui Shun for deployment." When the merchants and people of Mongolia, Xuanhua, and Zhangjiakou heard this news, they were overjoyed, thanking the emperor for his great grace. Everyone made countless umbrellas to express their gratitude; the number was countless.
