Chapter 191 Pan Fei’s verbal battle with Xixiang
On June 17, 1874, Fuzhou Shipping Minister Shen Baozhen, together with Fujian Chief Secretary Pan Fei, Taiwan Dao Xia Xianlun, and Shipping Supervisor Ri Yige, led more than a thousand troops and took the "Anlan", "Fubo", and "Feiyun" Three battleships arrived at Anping Port in Taiwan.
Shen Baozhen said to Pan Fei and Xia Xianlun: "My emperor wants to be calm and observe first." The two masters, Laofeng Fan and Dao, immediately went to meet the Japanese to find out what happened.
Pan Fei and Xia Xianlun both said: "I will fight for my country even if I die!"
On the morning of June 22, Pan Fei, Xia Xianlun and others went out to sea from Anpingtao, landed at Langqiao in the afternoon, and arrived at the Japanese camp early the next morning.
Pan Fei said: You guys have entered our Qing Dynasty territory without permission, burning, killing, looting, etc. This is extremely hateful!
Saigo Congdao, a scholar of the Satsuma Domain, said: Last year, our envoys went to your country to negotiate about the murder of fifty-six of our countrymen by the Taiwan Peony Club. The Prime Minister of your country, Mao Changxi, said that all murderers are born. Therefore, people outside of Hua will not accept Wang Hua. The students of the Peony Society killed people and killed others, but your country refused to take care of them. Our country has come to investigate.
Pan Fei said: Last month, our company went to Shanghai and met with your country's minister to the Qing Dynasty, Yanagi Yuan Senmitsu. Yanagi Yuan said that your country sent troops to Taiwan just to kill people and create resistance. After that, they made a strict agreement and could withdraw the troops. This is a letter from the minister of your country. Please take a quick look at it.
Xixiang Congdao read the letter and said, "I am here to organize the Peony Society. I have notified the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang beforehand, and I have no other intentions." However, everything in the future must wait for the decree of our emperor.
Pan Fei said: Your country's minister is your country's minister abroad and has full authority to speak for your country. How dare you speak nonsense! The envoy is appointed by the emperor, and the envoy’s will is the emperor’s will! Although the Peony Society harmed Ryukyu people, the place belonged to our country and our country should send troops to deal with it.
Xixiang Congdao said: Shengpan was under the jurisdiction of the country of Er. There are records in various countries at home and abroad. This is said by the British, French, American, Italian, and Dutch countries.
Pan Fei said: "Since there is a record, there must be evidence. Please tell the cashier."
Xixiang Congdao said: I came in a hurry and forgot about it.
Pan Fei said: This is unreasonable! Wherever your soldiers appear, will the Peony Society become a scorched earth?
Xixiang Congdao said: The governor has led his troops to kill Alugu and his son, the leader of the Mudan Society. All the people of the Mudan Society have fled, and our troops have entered the mountains to station themselves. If the students of the Mudan Society repent and plead guilty, the governor will act according to the opportunity.
Pan Fei said: "How about I ask the people of the Peony Society to come and apologize?"
Xixiang Congdao said: "This recipe is very good. If we could have done this three years ago, nothing would have happened today."
Pan Fei said: "Before our departure, we have been informed that each of the company's divisions will issue a knot, and we will protect them forever from now on. We will not dare to bully, kill, and rob again. This matter has been handled according to the letter from Minister Yanagihara. Now we will hand over the knots to each division." Si Ji and Minister Liuyuan checked. Minister Liuyuan sent a letter to approve it. You must withdraw your troops.
Xixiang Congdao said angrily: Yanagihara Maemitsu has no right to decide whether to retreat or not! Our troops advance and retreat, and your country does not need to hear about it!
Pan Fei was also angry and said sternly: "This is what our country should do. It is unreasonable for our country not to take care of it." It is said that the ambitions of our country are not trustworthy, and the communities in the hard-line schools are not under my control. For example, Nagasaki is under the control of the Japanese country, and the hard-line schools are not under the jurisdiction of your country. Is this reasonable? If you insist, I will go back immediately!
Xixiang Congdao said: It was just now that I was feeling hot and upset, so I said this. If the three items in Minister Yanagihara's letter are agreed upon, the reconciliation will be permanent.
Pan Fei said: If the treaty mentioned in Article 3 can be fulfilled, we will protect it forever from now on, and we will not dare to bully, kill or rob again, that is, all countries, both Chinese and foreign, will benefit. It's nothing more than this if you do it yourself. If all countries are invited to comment publicly, they will all agree that it is true. This is the meaning contained in Liuyuan's letter, so there is no need to discuss it further. If it is settled now, Liuyuan can be notified and other countries can be notified.
Xixiang Congdao said: This matter should be done as a matter of course, and I hope that these three things will be settled early and it can be completed. How does Peony Society apologize? Please make your decision as soon as possible.
Pan Fei said: If the Peony Society repented, they would vow not to kill anyone in the future and hand over the bodies of the Ryukyu people who killed them the year before last, which would be considered an apology.
Xixiang Congdao said: Since our country has used troops, it has cost a lot. We originally raised a total of 2.1 million yuan, but now we have spent 1.2 million yuan. How to calculate this cost? The three items mentioned by Yanagi Yuan are all easy to handle. If the three items are completed, the troops can also be withdrawn. However, one of the costs will be subsidized by your country.
Pan Fei said: "It is extremely difficult for our country to subsidize this fee!" If your country raises troops without authorization, you should pay for it yourself. If your lieutenant general is in a dilemma, he can only write to Liuyuan for discussion. Now that the withdrawal of troops has been decided, your lieutenant general should first move the troops from each community back and not move, and tell your country that there is no need to send more troops in the future.
Xixiang Congdao said: "In accordance with your proposal, I will write to Liuyuan immediately and send a letter back to China via Xiamen telegraph. After the report, there is no need to mobilize troops."
Before the war broke out, the imperial envoy Shen Baozhen said happily: Pan Fantai used words instead of war, and the Japanese country began to want to return troops. Our country's campaign to appease Fan began, and the establishment of Taiwan was a key issue. However, the people of the Japanese country are cunning and fickle, and they are willing to give up on me. This matter will not end here; if there is a recurrence, a decisive battle will be necessary.
Pan Fei said: "Master Shen's words are true. The Japanese Xixiang Congdao is fierce and eloquent. If I retreat an inch, he will advance ten feet." The humble official has summoned 500 brave natives to station in Fengshan to guard against any danger.
Shen Baozhen said: Team training can help to win, but it is not enough to save defeat, and training can help officials but there is no trick. There is not a single cannon in the platform for more than a thousand miles. Since the rise of the army, our country's troops have always focused on eliminating internal troubles, but they are not enough to defend against external humiliation. The Japanese soldiers are nearly four thousand, and we have more than a thousand. It is extremely difficult to defend, and we will definitely lose in battle. .
Ship Administration Supervisor Riyige said: Within the Taiwan Strait, the Japanese have three warships and thirteen transport ships; once a war breaks out, the two Japanese armored warships "Ryuxiang" and "Dong" will definitely provide reinforcements. The "East" armored battleship has a displacement of 1,358 tons and is equipped with a 280 mm front-loaded cannon. The thickest part of the hull is more than 140 mm; the "Ryuxiang" armored battleship has a displacement of 2,571 tons and is equipped with two 160 mm caliber guns. , 10 German Krupp field guns with a diameter of 140 mm, and the hull armor is 125 mm thick. Although I have more than twenty ships, the guns, hulls, and armor are all inferior to them.
Shen Baozhen said: "Although this is the case both on land and at sea, please don't be alarmed. Last month, I, the minister, sent me to the emperor to speed up diplomatic relations, stock up on sharp weapons, stock up on talents, and speed up the communication of news." Soon, our reinforcements will arrive.
Pan Fei said: The most fierce soldier in our Qing Dynasty is undoubtedly Li Hongzhang's Huai Yong! Liu Mingchuan reported that more than 10,000 Ming troops were stationed in Xuzhou. Lord Shen also quickly reported to the imperial court to send Ming troops to help.
Shen Baozhen said: On the day Lord Pan entered the Japanese camp, I had already reported to the emperor. We have received official letters from Governor Li Henian of Fujian and Zhejiang and General Wen Yu of Fuzhou. Within seven days, our 8th battalion of powerful troops will arrive in Taitung. We will "Yangwu", "Feiyun", "Anlan", "Qingyuan", "Zhenyuan" The six warships "Wei" and "Fubo" will soon arrive in Penghu, our "Fuxing" ship will be stationed in Taipei, our "Wannian" ship will be stationed in Xiamen, and our "Ji'an" ship will be stationed in Fuzhou. The minister's military order was quickly conveyed, and Taiwan Dao Xia Xianlun was dedicated to the north, and Taiwan Town Zhang Qiguang was dedicated to Tainan. The two princes each led their headquarters and set up brief defenses to prevent conflicts. But when my inscription army arrives in Taiwan, the decisive battle will begin.
