Li Xiang received the order to travel north to negotiate peace in Hefei. When he arrived in Tianjin, he set off on the 18th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. A total of forty single-horse sedan chairs and twenty two-horse sedan chairs were hired that day, but it was still insufficient for everyone to ride, forcing many attendants to walk alongside. The towns seen along the way were all desolate, as people kept their doors shut, and everywhere were broken bodies and white bones, a scene of devastation that left onlookers sighing. When they reached Qihua Gate, the Russian commander sent dozens of cavalry to escort them. They encountered the German army on the way, and both sides did not interfere with each other, and they smoothly arrived at the Xianliang Temple's temporary headquarters. Outside Xianliangsi, Russian soldiers welcomed them with great fanfare and respect.
At that time, Prince Qing was living in the mansion. On the 19th, Li Xiang visited him in accordance with proper etiquette, and also met with various foreign envoys. On the 20th, he continued to visit those he hadn't had the chance to visit the day before. On the 21st, Prince Qing brought the Russian representative Helubin and the customs official Que Xian to visit Li Xiang. Afterwards, Li Xiang met with various foreign envoys and scheduled a peace negotiation meeting for the 27th and submitted the peace proposal.
The proposal was drafted by the tax official, and Li Xiang carefully revised it with a composed yet assertive demeanor. He received responses from various foreign envoys, but the envoys from Russia and Germany were still in Tianjin, so the matter was put on hold for the time being. The more senior Italian envoy was elected as the leader by the other countries, and he came to visit Xianliangsi that day. After exchanging pleasantries, he exclaimed loudly, "What time is it? We’ve already been defeated, and now we want to negotiate? Just follow the conditions proposed by each country without question!"
He was incredibly arrogant! Li Xiang had no option but to stay silent and refrain from arguing with him.
I heard that the envoys from various countries all believe that the court has been too lenient in its treatment of the nobles involved in the rebellion, and that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are still in exile, which makes it difficult for negotiations to succeed. Therefore, the envoys reported to Prince Qing, drafted a memorial, and requested that the Emperor impose severe punishments on these nobles individually, and must not allow them to remain in the temporary imperial residence, to avoid criticism from foreign countries. The memorial also stated: "The German Emperor's reply mentioned dissatisfaction with the handling of the deceased envoy Kellind; those nobles have allowed bandits to harm the people and implicate neighboring countries, and they should be executed as they deserve. Only when the Chinese Emperor personally punishes them can other countries be convinced." The memorial also said: "The U.S. State Department has also called for harsh penalties for Gangyi, Dong, and other ringleaders. Now envoy Kangge has been sent to investigate whether the punishment regulations formulated by the court are severe enough. In addition, who else has escaped justice?"
When the news of Gangyi's death from illness and Duanfang's expulsion came, the envoys from various countries were promptly informed. The court also realized that Dong had military power to protect himself, but he could be dealt with easily. However, they had yet to agree to the return of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to the capital, and the officials in Beijing were hesitant to make another request, fearing it would anger the Emperor. So the envoys once again submitted a memorial, essentially suggesting: "The German Emperor's official letter mentioned that if the Empress Dowager and the Emperor want to return to the capital, they should order the generals to welcome them according to etiquette; the American side also hopes for an early return to avoid accidents. In short, relying on a small territory cannot last long, and relying on military force is also unreliable. The situation of national division is probably caused by ourselves. Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty eventually returned to the ancient capital, achieving prosperity; Emperor Yuan of the Liang Dynasty never returned, eventually leading to the country's demise. At eighty years old and having enjoyed the Emperor's favor for many years, if I did not truly see the danger, how could I dare to speak out?" His words were very sincere. Therefore, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor began to consider returning to the capital.
On December 25th, the Russian ambassador arrived in Beijing, and on the 28th, the German ambassador arrived as well. On that day, the British ambassador invited the Prince and ministers to the embassy, putting forth their proposed five-point plan: first, severely punish the masterminds who protected the bandits; second, repay the military expenses; third, compensate for the damaged property and provide relief to the victims; fourth, jointly manage the national finances among all countries; fifth, establish a government office to manage the affairs of all countries, with only a few skilled diplomats overseeing everything, and not too many. The ministers asked, "How can China possibly raise such a large sum now?" The British ambassador replied, "If the finances are managed by all countries, this amount of money should still be raised." The ministers said, "In that case, China will have no sovereignty." The British ambassador responded, "Given how things have developed, can China still hope for sovereignty?" The ministers fell silent. The ambassadors of various countries were dissatisfied with the memoranda and peace proposals previously submitted by the ministers, making communication even more difficult when speaking.
The Prince found this situation too daunting and was increasingly anxious. His hair had nearly all turned white. He often said to the ministers, "You are the pillars of the country, indispensable figures now, and I need your help in all matters. I will heed your guidance in all matters." Thus, during each meeting, the ministers presented all the arguments, with the Prince adding a few words. Fortunately, despite their age, the ministers remained sharp and had excellent eloquence. They strived for the best results in everything, without yielding an inch.
The ambassadors of various countries finally agreed to submit the terms and began discussing peace negotiations. This clearly shows how significant the ministers' contributions were! Now, let me translate these official documents into straightforward language.
First of all, I have attached all the drafted circulars at the end. Here's the situation: after this year's spring, the Boxer Rebellion bandits caused trouble near the capital, and a series of unprecedented disasters followed. It started with the siege of various foreign embassies, followed by foreign troops pouring into Beijing, and finally even the emperor and members of the royal family fled to safety. Imagine, before this happened, if someone told you, "These things will happen in a few months!" Who would believe it? The court has now realized that the princes and ministers condoned and sheltered the Boxers, leading to this disaster. Therefore, on one hand, according to Chinese customs, we will hand over those princes and ministers to the relevant yamen for strict handling; on the other, I have been appointed as the plenipotentiary minister to negotiate flexibly with various countries as soon as possible to resolve this matter. However, multiple countries are involved in the negotiations, each with different concerns, plus the situation is very special, and all kinds of issues are quite tricky.
After careful consideration, I believe it’s best to first outline the situation and reach a consensus with the various countries, establishing a temporary agreement to which we can all adhere, and then based on the situation of each country, formulate detailed agreements separately. After determining whether the commercial treaties need modification, a follow-up plan should be formulated to specify actions for each province, benefiting everyone and preventing future obstacles. I will send you the draft of this temporary agreement for your review, so that we can discuss it together. At the same time, please inform your foreign ministry of the measures China is currently implementing, in order to quickly handle the necessary matters.
In addition to sending the draft, I have also distributed copies to the ministers of other countries for their reference. I am officially sending you this circular for your review. This should be regarded as an official circular.
