My Splendid Concubine (77 page)

“
This is different,” Robert said. He was desperate. It was frustrating how the imperials seemed so blind. It was as if they didn’t believe there was any real danger to the Dynasty. He suspected that Prince Kung and the other royals thought heaven was on their side. Surrounded by tranquil gardens while writing poetry and creating ink paintings of nature, they were in denial.

“
This isn’t like the last time the Taipings occupied Shanghai.” Robert said, “In 1854, the export, import duties were insignificant because of the old system of corruption and bribes. Today, it is different. Most of the imperial treasury flows through Shanghai. Without those gold and silver taels, it will affect the ability of the Dynasty to continue fighting the Taipings. Trade must not be disrupted. I urge that you act soon.”

Prince Kung carried the message to the Dowagers. A few days later, Robert was instructed to contact representatives from England and France and ask for military assistance. This resulted in England and France warning the Taipings to stay away from Shanghai.

However, the warnings were ignored, and t
he Taiping army continued to advance. Foreign and Imperial forces fought together and drove the Taipings back.

With the situation in the rest of China growing worse, Prince Kung visited Robert at the Tsungli Yamen.

“Your help gaining the support of the British and French against the Longhaired Bandits was much appreciated,” Kung said. “The Dowagers want to know if you have any other suggestions to defeat the rebels.”

The
Tsungli Yamen was crowded with busy Han and Manchu ministers. There had to be a reason Kung was asking this in public. Could it be that Prince Kung and the Dowagers wanted others to know about his contributions without an official proclamation?

Robert resisted the desire to look around and study the rea
ction. There probably would be nothing to see anyway. In public, the Chinese were experts at hiding their feelings.

Be bold, he thought. With so many listening, it was possible his opinions would be taken seriously.

“First,” he said, “I want to point out that since 1644, no Han Chinese has been allowed to command a significant army. There are talented Han generals, but they are being held back. That is hurting the Dynasty.”

Robert knew this because he had talked in confidence with several Han Chinese officials. He had also heard conversations at the tea and bathhouse he visited on Saturdays.

“There is a reason the Han do not command powerful armies,” Prince Kung replied.

Robert detecte
d discomfort in Kung’s eyes and realized he was stepping outside what was considered polite talk.

“
If we allow the Han too much power,” Kung said, “they might eat the Dynasty. Putting Han generals and ministers in important positions in the government and the military is a risk.”

“
It is a risk that must be taken,” Robert replied. “The Taipings are a greater threat. The recent defeats are evidence that there is not enough talent among the Manchu generals.” It was important to keep a serious expression, so Robert did not smile.

He imagined that everyone in the room was mentally gas
ping in shock. No one else dared to say what he had just said. The only reason he felt confident that he would get away with such impertinence was because he was a foreign devil and the royals called him Our Hart. Even the Dowagers called him that.

“
I have heard that General Tseng Kuo-fan is someone the Dynasty can rely on to change the situation,” Robert said. “He has a talent for winning battles. From what I’ve learned, he would not be a threat to the Dynasty. His loyalty is beyond question. I urge you to give General Tseng Kuo-fan a chance. Put him in command of an army that’s fighting the Taipings.”

He knew that the Manchu called Tseng Kuo-fan
Head Chopper
. Tseng was a Han Chinese officer that had risen in rank as high as the Dynasty would allow. It was time for the Manchu to make an exception. He hoped that the Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi might be the one who tipped the scales and made that happen.

Although Robert had never met the empress, he had learned enough to suspect that she was levelheaded, unlike many of the hotheaded Manchu living in denial of China
’s tenuous situation. He suspected she had made the difference in the decision to bring the French and English into the fight against the Taipings around Shanghai.

“
This recommendation will be considered,” Prince Kung said. “Have you anything else to say?”

Robert noticed the hush. Normally, the
Tsungli Yamen was a noisy place with people coming and going. Now, no one was talking or moving. They weren’t watching either. Their eyes were glued on the papers they were reading or writing. However, he was sure every ear in the room was focused on his words.

This was Prince Kung
’s real reason for starting this conversation, Robert thought. He wants the others to hear, so he can sound them out later to see what they think. That is the only plausible reason this discussion is taking place in a public forum.

He raised his voice so everyone heard. It was time to see if he could gain a big win.
“China needs a modern navy.” Robert remembered the difficult trip up-river to Hankow the previous year. He’d also talked with General Li Hung-chang about this, and Li felt the same.

“
The Dynasty needs to control the rivers and coasts. I suggest that I go to Shanghai and work with Governor Xue Huan to see if we can generate enough money to buy a squadron of naval ships from Europe. China cannot stand on its legs if it has to rely on England and France for naval support.”

“
How can you possibly squeeze more money?” Prince Kung said. “All of China’s national, annual income goes to pay for war penalties imposed by foreign powers. The imperial ministers will be reluctant.”

“
Let me think about that.” Robert started to pace. Everyone watched him walking back and forth. Work had been forgotten. Losing the Opium Wars had created this debt for China, Robert thought. Why not use opium to solve the current crises? At least for a short time.

He turned to Kung.
“Lift the ban on opium,” he said. Someone gasped. Kung started to protest, but Robert held up a hand. “Hear me out. If we do this right, it will stimulate the merchants and boost trade. This will increase revenues. This is our only choice. I know it sounds like we are cutting out part of China’s lungs to patch its kidney but our immediate objective is to buy time. The opium trade cannot be stopped anyway. Instead of smugglers getting all the profits, we will get a share through taxation. A sacrifice must be made so China can survive.

“
We tried to tax opium,” Kung replied. “It did not work.”

“
The situation is different now. The corruption has been removed. I am confident that my people are ready to make this happen, and I trust them.”

“
I will take these recommendations to the Dowagers,” Kung said.

Robert was sure that the imperial court would be buzzing about this.

Later that night, when the
Tsungli Yamen was almost empty, one of the lower-ranked Han ministers told Robert in confidence that the Han respected him for speaking out.

“
None of us could do that without risking assassination or getting beheaded. You are the only one who can speak out,” the Han minister said. “Forgive me, but even as a foreign devil, you are probably the only man in China the Dynasty will listen to.”

That did not mean he would always win, Robert thought. He also re
alized that he must not let this go to his head.

In a few days, Kung let Robert know that the Dowagers had agreed to his recommendations. General Tseng Kuo-fan was put in charge of the conflict against the Taipings. The general’s orders were to start marching toward Nanking, the Taiping capital.

The imperial government appointed Robert to act on Ch
ina’s behalf to purchase a small fleet from England. Robert returned to Shanghai and raised eight hundred thousand taels, enough to purchase a fleet of four medium-sized naval vessels and three smaller ships with equipment and ammunition.

He wrote to Horatio Lay, who was still recovering in London from his knife wounds. He asked Horatio if he would act as China
’s agent and purchase the ships since he was already there.

Weeks went by before Horatio
’s reply arrived. Lay suggested that his friend, Captain Sherard Osborn, an officer in Britain’s Royal Navy, command the fleet during the voyage from Europe to China.

Robert replied with instructions to proceed.

In September, Robert was
in Hong Kong when he learned that Ayaou had given birth to a boy. On his way back to Peking, he stopped in Shanghai and stayed a few days.

He named his son Herbert. That afternoon, he carried the sl
eeping infant to the garden and was tempted to wake the child so he could show him what Guan-jiah had done to the place. He hoped Herbert would appreciate nature, but he never woke up.

Hours later, he said,
“Herbert is quiet compared to Anna when she was this age.”

They were in bed and Ayaou was resting her head on his sto
mach. She snorted. “You are not always here. Even Anna had her quiet times. When you go, Herbert will notice. Then he will wake the house. He knows who the master is.”

“
Herbert has a lot of dark hair. Have you been feeding him black sesame seeds?”

“
No,” she said. “I want his hair to be the same color as yours. When he is older, I will feed him golden sesame seeds.”

“
That won’t work.”

“
Of course it will.”

He wanted to laugh. This sounded more like the Ayaou he
’d known in Ningpo. “It’s not easy leaving,” he said. “I’m sick of being alone.”

“
You are an important man,” Ayaou replied. “We are proud of the work you are doing for China. With your rank and pay, you can afford to buy more concubines and have two or three in Peking, so you will not have to sleep alone.”

“
I know. Prince Kung has hinted the same thing.” He shook his head. “That won’t happen. I am determined that you will be my only lover. Besides, when I’m in Peking, I’m so busy, I wouldn’t have time.”

“
That might not be wise,” she said.

“
I want to talk about where Herbert should go to school. Now that I am going to be a rich man, I want him to go to Eton, Harrow or Rugby.”

“
What do you mean?” she said. “What is Eton?”

“
It is a boarding school in Britain where the children of the nobility and the wealthy go to live. Since the fathers are too busy to educate their boys properly, the children are sent to places like Eton.”

“
A school where Herbert would live?” She sounded worried. “But England is a smelly place. He will be lonely.”

“
Herbert will manage. Schools like Eton produce gentlemen. It is a luxury I never experienced. I was lucky to attend the Queen’s University in Belfast. Our son will have the best education money can buy. When he is old enough, he will live at the school with boys who will one day rule the British Empire, and his best friend could be a member of the royal family.”

Robert was back in Peking a week later to discover that a letter had arrived from Horatio detailing what he would do to purchase the fleet. Robert presented the imperial court with the entire list of items, such as cannons, rockets, and the number of foreign captains, operators and technicians that should be recruited. The court did not like the idea of having their navy crewed by foreigners.

Robert wrote to Lay.
“There should be no more than fifty foreigners in the fleet, and I want them to train the Chinese.

“
Once trained, the Europeans must leave. I do not see a need for the ships to arrive in China with full crews, since the goal is to have a Chinese navy.”

The imperial court debated keeping Horatio Lay as China’s acting agent in Europe. They had not forgotten Horatio’s haughty, superior attitude.

Robert had put his re
putation on the line by recommending Horatio for the job. If anything went wrong, it would be his loss of face. He realized that he had to find someone he could trust to act as his agent. Maybe he should find someone he had already hired to work for him in China, and send that man to London.

“
Who else can work on our behalf?” Robert asked during a meeting with Prince Kung and the other Manchu ministers. “Horatio Lay’s father was in China for years as a diplomat for Britain. Horatio speaks Mandarin. He is still the inspector general. One day he will be back, and then I will return to Canton. He understands China’s needs better than a stranger.”

The imperial court approv
ed the recommendation. Robert remembered Horatio’s feelings about the Chinese being an inferior race and hoped he had not made a mistake.