Looking at "Toward Peace", was the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War really caused by Empress Cixi's birthday embezzlement of military expenditures of the Beiyang Navy?

Of course not. First of all, Cixi did not misappropriate the military expenditures of the Beiyang Navy on her birthday. Secondly, the military expenditures of the Beiyang Navy were not fully spent in the right place. Even in "Toward Peace", the Beiyang Navy was very corrupt. Huang Ruilan embezzled a large amount of money for artillery shells. Later, during the military parade, these details were doomed, and the Beiyang Navy was bound to fail:

Beginning in 1868, Emperor Meiji of Japan began to implement comprehensive reforms, known in history as the "Meiji Restoration". At the same time, Emperor Tongzhi of China was still fighting to annihilate the Nian Army under the guidance of his mother, the Empress Dowager Cixi.

As rebellions in various places were wiped out one after another, the Qing court began to implement the "New Deal for Westernization", and the Qing Dynasty's national power also increased, known in history as the "Tongzhi Zhongxing".

After Emperor Guangxu came to the throne, he also promoted Westernization under the rule of Empress Dowager Cixi. It was also during this period that the Beiyang Navy formed an army and began to take shape. In 1888, Prince Chun Yizhen, under the instructions of the Empress Dowager Cixi and accompanied by Li Lianying, went to the Beiyang Navy for the first military parade. In 1894, the Beiyang Navy held its last military parade. Li Hongzhang convened envoys and media from various countries for this military parade, which was a grand one.

In "Toward Peace", the director combined these two military parades together, so there was such a ridiculous scene?

1.

After Li Hongzhang inspected the Beiyang Navy, the next step was to prepare for the military parade. Before that, he captured a Japanese spy.

Speaking of this, we have to mention Japan. This is a very strong opponent and should not be underestimated. The Japanese never fight unprepared wars, and they initiated several wars on their own initiative. Don't deny all of Japan by launching the Battle of Pearl Harbor.

Before launching a war, Japan must have spent a lot of time collecting intelligence. When the September 18th Incident occurred, Japan had actually been preparing for it for decades. This includes the expansion of Manchurian railway annexes, the exercise of administrative power, including the operation of mines, seaports and other industries to control the Northeast economy, as well as bribing officials, supporting puppets, finding collaborators, and controlling public opinion.

As well as long-term immigration, plus intelligence collection on the entire Northeast region's politics, military, economy, resources, society, culture and education, folk customs, laws and regulations, etc. To give a simple example, the map of China used by Japan when it invaded China was much more detailed than the one drawn by the Chinese themselves. There are even maps of cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, down to every house and stream, including the size of the building, and even the deployment of troops.

To go a step further, back to the plot, before the Sino-Japanese War, Ding Ruchang reported that he had captured a Japanese spy. Unfortunately, when he turned around, he released the Japanese spy again. For this reason, Li Hongzhang did not Blame: Even if the two countries go to war in the future, relying on these cunning tricks will not make it a big deal. ?

Since ancient times, when fighting a war, we must first send forward soldiers to inquire about the military situation. Such a simple truth would not be understood by Li Hongzhang, the former general of the Huai Army.

2.

Therefore, Li Hongzhang agreed to let the spy go. The more likely reason was that he was afraid of irritating Japan, and more likely because of diplomatic etiquette. The hope is to deter Japan so that Japan will not dare to act recklessly, instead of actively preparing for war and defeating Japan with its true strength.

Sure enough, when Li Hongzhang later lectured the officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Navy, he mentioned his three purposes for this military parade: First, to promote our country’s military power and let those who covet me have The second is to let the imperial court know that the money given to the navy is well spent, so as to calm the material dispute and eliminate the slander; the third is to mobilize morale and unite the morale of the military through the military parade, so that all officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Navy think that the imperial court Be proud to be loyal and proud to be in Beiyang. ?

In fact, it is not difficult to see that Li Hongzhang’s strategy is to pretend to be a big fat man to scare other countries. Of course, this other country is mainly Japan.

Secondly, it is to support the troops and respect themselves, to deter those with different political opinions, and to obtain more resources and power from the Qing court.

Finally, it is to gather the morale of the Beiyang Navy, not only to let others say that the Beiyang Navy is good, but also to think that his own Beiyang Navy is good, and to become Li Hongzhang's own armed force.

In fact, after all, when Prince Chun came to the military parade on behalf of the imperial court, what Li Hongzhang wanted to achieve most was nothing more than the word "money", and the theme was to ask for money!

The best is 5 million, and you can buy a few more warships. The next best thing is 1.5 million to buy rapid-fire cannons, and if not, 600,000. At least it can be maintained. The livelihood of officers and soldiers.

3.

The grand military parade was still held as scheduled, but Ding Ruchang and Li Hongzhang had difficulties with how to arrange Li Lianying's affairs. This is also very understandable, because the Qing Dynasty had Ancestral system: The eunuch level is no more than the fourth rank. He is not allowed to leave the imperial city unless he is sent to do so. Violators will be killed without mercy. ?

The Qing Dynasty mainly learned from the historical lessons of the Ming Dynasty when eunuchs had exclusive power and harmed the country, so they formulated a series of laws to restrict eunuchs. But in Li Lianying's case, several rules were broken, including the rule that the eunuch's official position cannot exceed the fourth level. Li Lianying was personally granted the rank of eunuch of the second rank by the Empress Dowager Cixi. Historically, when Li Lianying went to the military parade with Prince Chun, she changed her official uniform of the second rank into the fourth rank.

In the play, Li Lianying did not wear official uniforms, but wore ordinary people's clothes to avoid violating ancestral rules. But he was a eunuch after all. According to the people's concept at that time, the warships were all masculine men with yang energy, while eunuchs were yin people with strong yin energy. After they boarded the warship, they would ruin the feng shui and be unlucky.

In fact, it is not only unlucky for eunuchs to board warships, it is also unlucky for women to board warships. But then again, what if the Empress Dowager Cixi came to the military parade in person?

The attitudes of Li Hongzhang and Ding Ruchang will inevitably turn 180 degrees. It is the honor of the Beiyang Navy that Empress Dowager Cixi can board a warship. That's for sure, Empress Dowager Cixi's masculinity cannot be matched by a boatload of masculine men.

Li Hongzhang certainly knows the reason why the Empress Dowager Cixi sent Li Lianying here. Li Lianying represents Cixi, and Prince Chun represents Emperor Guangxu. Are you, Li Hongzhang, pro-emperor or pro-empress dowager?