Li Shaoquan, the minister handling foreign negotiations, felt that since Allied Commander-in-Chief Waldersee was also in Beijing, he should pay him a visit to get to know each other better. Moreover, the peace talks were about to begin, so a bit of a chat might help things along. Therefore, on September 24th, he and Prince Qing, along with their translator, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Yinwulou, went to see Waldersee.
Upon Li's arrival, Waldersee quickly took off his hat to greet him and even shook his hand in respect.
After a bit of small talk, Li said, "You're looking well, Commander." Waldersee replied, "I'm fine, thank you. The weather in China suits me well. I met you a few years ago in Germany, and I'm glad to see you still in good health." Li said, "When I was in Germany, I was too busy to have a proper chat with you. I am delighted to meet you today." Waldersee said, "I have heard of your high reputation in China, Li. It is truly an honor to meet you again today."
Li asked, "Commander, how old are you this year? Around seventy?" Waldersee replied, "I am sixty-eight years old!" Li remarked, "It's amazing you've come all this way to China at your age, Commander." Waldersee said, "I have always longed to visit China, to see the sights." Li said, "Most Chinese people don't travel abroad much, which is quite the opposite of what you said." Waldersee said, "Perhaps you could encourage them to travel more, Minister." Li said, "I was really struck by how wealthy Europe was."
The commander: "In the book written by the Britisher, William Lockhart, he mentioned your ministerial matters, which I have read. Lockhart said, 'If you can sway the Chinese people like you did before, you'll be doing the country a great service.' " Li Xiang: "Unfortunately, those in power in China aren't exactly known for their brains, which has caused great harm to China, and the common people are also unwilling to build railways and power lines, that sort of thing." The commander: "In the past, the Germans were also like this. When railways first appeared, Germans were very unwilling, but after a long time, they realized that this was something the country needs." Li Xiang: "After the peace treaty is signed, China should immediately start building railways." The commander: "If the peace treaty is signed, various European countries will lend a large sum of money to China for building railways." Li Xiang: "I hope the intelligence of the Chinese people can gradually improve." The commander: "I know China's rich; it just needs to find a way to change the current situation. Railways will be even more useful later on." Li Xiang: "China is still very poor now." The commander: "I have been to many places in Europe and America, and I am well aware of the usefulness of railways. When you were a minister in Germany, you mentioned General Maoqi. General Maoqi was my teacher, and he also knew the usefulness of railways." Li Xiang: "When I was in Germany, General Maoqi had passed away for several years, and I got to chat with Bismarck for a couple of hours." The commander: "I am also well aware of this." Li Xiang: "You were stationed near Hamburg back then, and Prime Minister Bismarck's mansion was not far from Hamburg." The commander: "It would take about an hour to get there." Li Xiang: "You and Bismarck were pretty good mates, weren't you?" The commander: "Yes, our friendship has always been good." Li Xiang: "Is Prince Hohenlohe now the Prime Minister of Germany?" The commander: "Nope, he's retired."
Li Xiang said, "Who will succeed him as Chancellor?" The Commander said, "It is Count Bloch. This Count is not too old." Li Xiang remarked, "Prince Hohenlohe is over eighty years old, right?" The Commander responded, "He is over eighty years old." Li Xiang asked, "Is Count Bloch the Chancellor of Germany now?" The Commander said, "Yes." Li Xiang inquired, "Does General Maqi have a son?" The Commander replied, "General Maqi does not have a son, but he has many nephews." The Commander also mentioned, "It's freezing in Beijing." Li Xiang asked, "Do you have a heater?" The Commander said, "Yes. The weather here suits me well. Germany has a lot of rain in autumn and winter, but Beijing is not like that." Li Xiang said, "I am looking forward to snow now."
Li Xiang asked again, "Is the German Emperor in Berlin now?" The Commander said, "The German Emperor is in Berlin now, in good health, with quite a few princes." Li Xiang noted, "When I was in Berlin, there were not so many princes." Li Xiang asked again, "How is the health of the German Empress recently?" The Commander said, "The Empress is in good health." Li Xiang said, "When I was in Berlin, I was once invited by the Empress, and I also saw the princes. How many children do you have, Commander?" The Commander said, "None." Li Xiang asked, "Are you married, Commander?" The Commander replied, "I am married." Li Xiang inquired, "Commander, have you been leading troops since 1870?" The Commander said, "Yes, sometimes I am also involved in diplomatic affairs."
The Commander asked, "There is nothing inconvenient for your ministers here, right?" Li Xiang replied, "No." The Commander remarked, "War is inconvenient for everyone." Li Xiang asked, "How are Minister Meng and Vice Marshal Likete recently?" The Commander said, "Minister Meng and Vice Marshal Likete are both in good health. Vice Marshal Likete has returned to Baoding, and he has always admired you, Minister." Li Xiang said, "Vice Marshal Likete and Colonel Hilkeshin are first-rate army instructors." The Commander said, "I hope China will continue to hire German instructors in the future." Li Xiang said, "If the coalition, led by Germany, proposes ideas, other countries will definitely be willing to adopt them." The Commander said, "I hope so too. But we need to work together, Minister, and things will go much smoother."
Li Xiang said, "I heard that the Eight-Nation Alliance is going to Zhangjiakou." The commander replied, "No, they're just going to the Great Wall, where they say there are Chinese troops." Li Xiang countered, "If there are Chinese troops there, it's only to suppress local rebellions." The commander noted, "There are also Chinese troops near Baoding Prefecture, and these troops have not eliminated the Boxers." Li Xiang added, "The Chinese troops in the north are specifically for suppressing local insurrections and not causing trouble for foreigners." The commander remarked, "Many of the Chinese troops here are undisciplined, and the northerners resent their presence." Li Xiang responded, "I think this is just rumor and unsubstantiated." The commander stated, "If you can guarantee that the Chinese troops will not approach the Eight-Nation Alliance, then I won't send troops everywhere." Li Xiang said, "I'm not sure which areas the Eight-Nation Alliance controls." The commander replied, "I'll have the staff show you the map." Li Xiang thanked him and then asked, "Are the German troops going to Zhangjiakou?" The commander replied, "If the Chinese troops resist, the German troops will definitely go. I also heard that there is a church there being mistreated by the people." Li Xiang said, "I know that church; there won't be any danger. I have already been to Beijing, so there won't be such things." The commander insisted, "This army must be dispatched." Li Xiang remarked, "Baoding Prefecture used to be the stronghold of the Boxers, but now it is very quiet."
At this point, Prince Qing arrived. The General sent guards to line up in the palace to welcome him. The General asked, "Your Excellency, have you received news from the two emperors in the palace recently?" Li Xiang replied, "The situation of the two emperors is pretty much the same." The General asked again, "How is the communication between Beijing and the two emperors?" Li Xiang explained, "We send telegrams to Shanghai, then on to Hankou, and finally to Xi'an. Your emperor once advised our emperors to return to Beijing, but our emperors are too scared." At this time, Prince Qing had arrived, and Li Xiang brought him in.
King Qing expressed his long-held desire for friendship. General Waldersee replied, "I am very happy to meet you today, Sir." King Qing continued, "I have long wanted to visit you." General Waldersee said, "I have also long wanted to come to China, and I'm finally here. Although I have never been to China before, I have learned a lot from books. Unfortunately, I am here because of the war."
King Qing mentioned, "I have met Prince Henry before." General Waldersee responded, "Prince Henry told me that the people of Beijing treated him very well." King Qing added, "I have had many conversations with Prince Henry as well." He then spoke about the murder of the German envoy, expressing regret and apologies on behalf of both our royal family and the Chinese people, and asked, "Is Beijing cold, General?" General Waldersee replied, "I have already put on a fur coat according to Chinese customs to keep warm. You won't find furs like these anywhere else."
King Qing inquired, "Is the climate in Germany the same as in Beijing?" General Waldersee answered, "It's pretty similar, but German winters are shorter. I actually prefer Beijing's winters." King Qing asked, "How old are you this year?" General Waldersee said, "Sixty-eight. I think you're at least ten years younger than me." King Qing responded, "I am sixty-three." General Waldersee then asked, "You have a palace here in Beijing, do you?" King Qing replied, "Yes, but it's quite small, just nearby." General Waldersee asked, "Do you have a summer resort?" King Qing said, "Yes, when Prince Henry came to China, he had breakfast there." General Waldersee asked, "Is it close to the Emperor's summer resort?" King Qing confirmed, "Yes. Did you travel here by carriage?"
General Waldeck said, "Yes, the locals were quite surprised to see it." Prince Qing said, "This is pretty rare around here." General Waldeck said, "Carriages are really practical in Europe; China could use them too – they're almost like railroads." Prince Qing asked, "Are those two-horse carriages?" General Waldeck said, "Yeah, four horses for longer trips." Prince Qing said, "The roads are pretty rough; carriages aren't ideal." General Waldeck said, "With good horses, it'll be fine. The city's well-planned, especially the Imperial Palace." Prince Qing said, "It's all ruins now, sadly." General Waldeck said, "I hope the Imperial Family returns to Beijing soon." Prince Qing said, "Getting Beijing back to normal will be the hardest part." General Waldeck said, "I just talked to Li; he said things stalled when you arrived. I asked about the Emperor returning to Beijing." Prince Qing said, "I hope he gets back soon, but it's tricky right now. Please tell the foreign envoys to hurry up and finalize the peace treaty." General Waldeck said, "It should be done in a few days." Prince Qing said, "I hope so. The Emperor just issued an edict: 'Once the peace talks are done, I'll return. Your Emperor invited me back, too.'" The general said, "Your Highness, I've been ordered to treat the Emperor with full imperial honors." Prince Qing said, "Very good." He added, "We gave Prince Henry the same treatment a year ago."
General said: "At that time, the Kaiser was very pleased when he heard about it. Germany, of course, sought peace with China. When conflicts occur in the Middle East, the Kaiser has said this." Prince Qing said: "I know that the Kaiser is very good to China. What position do you hold in your country?" The general said: "I oversee the German army's inspections." At this point, he turned to the interpreter and said, "Please explain my position to His Highness." Prince Qing said: "It's a high-ranking position, but demanding. Do you often see Prince Henry?" The general said: "I often see him in Kiel." Prince Qing asked: "What regiment does Prince Henry command now?" The general said: "Prince Henry is currently on vacation and will return in the spring of next year."
Li Xiang asked: "Is the German Crown Prince still studying at school?" General Waldersee replied: "No, he has already joined the military. He'll go to university in a year or two. He's well-placed." Prince Qing asked: "How old is he this year?" General Waldersee said: "Eighteen years old." Li Xiang said: "I have also met him." General Waldersee explained: "The Crown Prince must study at the military academy, because a strong army is essential to a nation." Prince Qing said: "As you said, I have also served as a military officer." General Waldersee turned to Vice Commander Yinwulou Fang and asked, "Your German is very good. How long have you lived in Germany and Austria?" Yin said: "I lived in Germany and Austria from 1877 to 1882." General Waldersee asked, "How old were you at that time?" Yin said: "Seven years old." General Waldersee asked: "So, Berlin or Vienna – which do you prefer?" Yin said: "Each has its charms, I suppose."
Li Xiang also talked about the map of the areas occupied by the Allied Forces. General Waldersee said, "The Allied Forces are building a railway from Yangcun to Beijing, which will be operational soon. The residents near the railway must keep their heads down. I hope there are no more Boxer rebels there. In the future, this railway can also be used for ordinary people's use." Li Xiang said, "The Russians are still building the railway." Prince Qing said, "The Boxers previously destroyed the railway there." Li Xiang said, "The Boxers are dead and buried; let's not talk about them anymore. But can the railway from Beijing to Yangcun be restored?" General Waldersee said, "I believe it can be restored. But the nearby residents must keep their heads down; otherwise, they’ll be shot. If anything goes wrong, the locals will be in trouble." Li Xiang said, "If the military protects them, such incidents won't happen, because they're terrified of the army."
General Waldersee asked, "Are there still many Beijing residents who have not returned?" Prince Qing said, "About half have returned. Lots of shops are still closed because they're short of cash." General Waldersee said, "For the residents who have stayed in Beijing, their property may be preserved. There's been a lot of looting among the locals." Prince Qing said, "You are right." General Waldersee said, "My experience comes from many battles. During times of war, residents with property should not go elsewhere. If things calm down in the north, I'll be even happier." Prince Qing said, "Thank you. I hope we can all get along in the future." General Waldersee smiled. Li Xiang said, "I hope peace talks start soon."
General Waldersee said, "We can get started in a few days. But once the negotiations begin, they must end as soon as possible. However, China will have to pay a price. If it ends early, we can keep the losses down." Li Xiang said, "I need to communicate with the Chinese army, but without a telegraph, it's a real pain. Please provide me with a passport, General." General Waldersee said, "That's not really necessary. Your postal system's pretty good already, so we don't need to add extra hassle." Li Xiang said, "A passport would make things a lot easier." General Waldersee said, "If the Chinese army isn't in the occupied zone, I can get someone to deliver the message." Li Xiang said, "Passports aren't just for messages; they're for sending people around, too." General Waldersee said, "If I know what's in the letter, I can think about it." Prince Qing said, "All communication content is not related to military matters." General Waldersee said, "Since it's not military related, we can handle it." Li Xiang said, "We'll need a passport if there's an imperial decree." General Waldersee said, "Let me think about that. I'd like to meet with your ministers regularly going forward." Prince Qing said, "All the letters are being held up." General Waldersee said, "I doubt that, but we can't issue passports right now. I need to give it some serious thought." Prince Qing said, "If the letters are delayed, we can let the messenger go." Li Xiang said, "If I don't have a passport, how can I get anything done?" With that, Prince Qing and Li Xiang took their leave.
