A few weeks after returning from the Bergmann Arsenal, Hans led an ordinary life in the New Palace, with nothing particularly remarkable happening.
Since he became a baron, he had been working on The Pirate King of the Ming Dynasty and received weekly reports from the Schmeisser family on the progress of the submachine gun development.
Although his life was peaceful and busy, as the days passed, the date on the calendar had shifted from August to September.
"Come to think of it, haven't I received a reply to the letters I sent to Fessenden and Tesla yet?"
It seemed that due to the great distance across the Atlantic Ocean, it took a long time for letters to go back and forth.
If it weren't for the telegraph, letters sent from the United States across the ocean were usually transported by passenger ships.
Take the famous RMS Titanic, for example. It was not only a passenger ship but also a mail transport ship.
In fact, the prefix RMS comes from the Royal Mail of the United Kingdom, which means that it had signed a mail transport contract with the Royal Mail.
Of course, after the Titanic sank, all the letters on the ship also sank to the bottom of the ocean.
"Could it be that the same thing will happen to my letters?"
Hans was a bit worried.
He had to check it later.
If he just sent a telegram, the letter should reach the United States quickly. But even so, it didn't seem very sincere to do so.
This kind of thing really requires some thought.
Moreover, since the recipients were Fessenden and Tesla, Hans believed that he should show even more politeness and respect to them in order to make them have a good impression of him.
"Baron Hans, His Majesty is summoning you."
"Kaiser is summoning me?"
Just as Hans was writing the article for the newspaper serialization, one of Wilhelm II's secretaries came in and said to him.
He remembered that the Kaiser usually didn't send someone to summon him.
"What on earth could it be?"
Hans had a premonition that something unusual was about to happen.
"Your Majesty, Baron Hans von Qiao is here."
"Oh, let him in."
Wilhelm II's voice sounded cheerful, although Hans didn't know why. And as soon as the Emperor gave the permission, the guards opened the door of the office.
Entering the room, Hans saw not only Wilhelm II and Chancellor von Bülow, but also a serious-looking elderly man.
"Is this person from the military?"
He was obviously not a soldier. If he were a soldier, he should be wearing a military uniform.
However, this man, like Chancellor von Bülow, was dressed in a neat suit.
Could he be an official in the cabinet?
"Your Majesty."
"Welcome, Hans."
The Kaiser greeted Hans warmly and then turned his gaze to the elderly man.
"You surely know Chancellor von Bülow, and this is the first time you've met this person. He is the Foreign Minister, Baron Oswald von Richthofen."
So that's it.
From the surname and title of Foreign Minister Richthofen, it could be seen that he was a member of the same family as the legendary German pilot, the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen.
Although they might not be close relatives, they were at least distant relatives.
"Nice to meet you for the first time, Foreign Minister Richthofen. I am Baron Hans von Qiao."
"Finally, I get to meet the hero who gave the French a hard time. Nice to meet you, Baron."
Foreign Minister Richthofen smiled and shook hands with Hans.
Obviously, Hans' previous actions in France had left a good impression on him.
However, apart from Chancellor von Bülow, even the Foreign Minister was present. What on earth was the reason for the Kaiser to summon him?
This question was soon answered in Wilhelm II's speech.
"Hans, I summoned you because of something related to the Qing Dynasty."
"The Qing Dynasty? What about it?"
Currently, in the Qing Dynasty, a treaty is being signed."
"Is it about the Boxers?"
The Boxer Protocol.
It is also known as the Treaty of Xin Chou or the Peking Protocol.
As the name implies, this is a treaty signed to end the Boxer War, and it was signed today, on September 7th.
Because of the Treaty of Xin Chou, the Qing Dynasty became a semi-colony of the Western powers and gradually declined. Ten years later, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and the Qing Dynasty finally perished.
For the Qing Dynasty, this was actually a "death sentence."
And all of this stemmed from the corruption of the upper echelons of the Qing Dynasty.
The Treaty of Xin Chou and the previous Boxer War were all the consequences of the actions of the Qing Dynasty and the upper echelons such as the Empress Dowager Cixi.
In the end, it was the vast number of innocent people in the Qing Dynasty who paid the price for this.
"Well, I called you here just to give you a sense of participation."
"Ah?"
"Hans, weren't you from the Qing Dynasty before? But now you are also a baron of the Empire."
Hearing this, Hans and Foreign Minister Richthofen exchanged a glance.
Obviously, the Foreign Minister also didn't expect the Kaiser to say such a thing.
'It's really difficult.'
The two of them exchanged a quiet glance and let out a sigh.
It was really foolish of him to have had any expectations of this low EQ Kaiser.
...
At the same time.
The Spanish Legation in Beijing, Qing Dynasty.
"... I believe that all of you have no objections or comments regarding this treaty."
Li Hongzhang, the imperial commissioner of the Qing Dynasty, nodded expressionlessly.
In the eyes of this now elderly man, there was deep sorrow.
Today was the day when the treaty that would later be known as the Treaty of Xin Chou or the Peking Protocol was signed.
This day was also the day when the fate of the motherland that he had dedicated his entire life to was determined.
"Then, let's confirm the content of the treaty again."
Bernardo J. de Cologan y Cologan, the plenipotentiary ambassador of Spain in charge of the treaty, slowly spoke, his gaze still fixed on the treaty text that had not yet completely dried.
He was the plenipotentiary ambassador who had worked in Beijing for the longest time during this conference.
Therefore, he served as the representative of the Treaty of Xin Chou.
"... Article 5, the Qing Dynasty is prohibited from importing weapons and the equipment required for weapon manufacturing for two years. If the various countries deem it necessary to continue the prohibition, it can be extended for a maximum of two more years. Article 6, the Qing Dynasty shall pay indemnities...."
Ambassador Cologan's words continued.
As he said more and more, Li Hongzhang's heart seemed to be on fire, and his heart ached as if it were being roasted.
The Qing Dynasty would pay an indemnity of 450 million taels of silver, with an annual interest rate of 4%. Starting from 1902, it would be repaid over 39 years, and the final payment would be more than 982 million taels.
A legation quarter would be established in Beijing, in effect acknowledging the stationing of foreign troops in Beijing.
All the fortifications between Beijing and Tianjin, including the Dagu Fort, would be demolished, and so on.
There were hardly any favorable clauses for the Qing Dynasty.
Once this treaty was signed, the Qing Dynasty would lose everything and become a semi-colony of the powerful Western countries.
"If only I had more power...!"
If he could do something, even just a little bit, he might have been able to try to revise those unfavorable clauses.
However, although Li Hongzhang stood here as a representative of the Qing Dynasty, he had no real power to make decisions. He was just a puppet without real authority.
The real representative was the plenipotentiary minister, Prince Qing Aisin-Gioro Yikuang.
He was the most incompetent and corrupt figure in the Qing Dynasty.
It seemed that Prince Qing had long since decided to sell the country established by his ancestors to the powerful Western countries. He accepted the ruthless demands of the powers without any resistance.
But for Li Hongzhang, his heart was filled with anger and unwillingness.
"Then, I will sign first."
After confirming all the clauses, as a representative, Ambassador Cologan signed the treaty first.
"Finally, the Boxer War is over. It's really been a painful year."
Ernest Mason Satow, the British plenipotentiary ambassador, said and followed Ambassador Cologan to sign the treaty.
"I feel the same way."
Next was Mikhail Nikolaevich von Giers (Михаил НиколаевичГирс), the plenipotentiary ambassador of the Russian Empire.
Then came Komura Jutarō, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan, Paul Beau, the French plenipotentiary ambassador, William Woodville Rockhill, the special envoy of the United States, Alfons Mumm von Schwarzenstein, the plenipotentiary ambassador of the German Empire, and others.
"Alright, now only the two representatives of the Qing Dynasty need to sign, and the treaty will be completed."
"Understood."
Ambassador Cologan said after confirming that all the plenipotentiary ambassadors of the 11 countries had signed.
Subsequently, Prince Qing Yikuang nodded and signed the treaty.
Finally, it was Li Hongzhang's turn.
'I'm personally putting an end to the future of the Qing Dynasty.'
All his unremitting efforts over the years had ultimately amounted to nothing.
Li Hongzhang's eyes were slightly red, and his trembling hand raised the pen.
Swish——
"The Peking Protocol has been officially signed. Thank you all for your hard work, representatives of various countries."
Clap clap clap clap clap——
Amidst the thunderous applause, the fate of the Qing Dynasty had been determined.
The plenipotentiary ambassadors of the powerful Western countries smiled, shaking hands with each other to celebrate their victory.
However, Li Hongzhang could only stand there blankly, his eyes filled with emptiness and helplessness.
This was the sorrow of a defeated country.
This was the tragedy of the era.
Bang!
Just then.
A young man, possibly a staff member of the legation, burst into the room where the treaty signing ceremony was taking place, holding something in his hand.
Ambassador Cologan frowned.
"Diego, do you know where this is? How dare you make such a commotion!"
"Huff... huff... I'm sorry, but I think I must tell this news to all the representatives as soon as possible...."
"Is it such an urgent matter?"
"Yes, please take a look at this."
The young man handed the item in his hand to Plenipotentiary Ambassador Cologan.
"... A newspaper?"
That's right.
This was literally a newspaper.
"Yes, it just came out. Now the whole of Beijing is in an uproar because of this!"
"What on earth has happened... Cough?!"
Plenipotentiary Ambassador Cologan wore a puzzled expression, and his eyes suddenly widened.
"No, what exactly is the news... Eh?!"
"Goodness me..."
"Hehe! I'm really sorry, hahaha!"
The reactions of the other ambassadors were the same.
The British ambassador looked at the newspaper in his hand as if he was doubting whether what he saw was real. He stared blankly at the staff member who had handed the newspaper. The French ambassador couldn't help but start praying.
The only one present who showed a different reaction was Plenipotentiary Ambassador Alfons Mumm von Schwarzenstein of Germany, who was trying hard to hold back his laughter in the corner.
"... What on earth is written on that paper to make everyone so excited?"
"That is..."
Li Hongzhang, feeling uneasy, spoke up.
Plenipotentiary Ambassador Cologan hesitated for a moment and finally handed the newspaper to Li Hongzhang.
"What on earth has happened... Cough!"
Li Hongzhang took the newspaper with trembling hands.
What did this mean?
What on earth was this absurd thing!
[Prince Shun, Aisin-Gioro Zaifeng, personally expressed his apologies to Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, "apologizing and confessing his guilt"!]
"Prince... Prince Shun... Apo... apo... apologizing and confessing his guilt..."
"Zaifeng is apologizing and confessing his guilt? Li Hongzhang, what on earth is going on here!"
Since he didn't understand foreign languages, Prince Qing Yikuang, who had been silent, looked stunned.
Li Hongzhang, in a trance, showed the illustration in the newspaper to Prince Qing.
"Huh, huh?!"
"Thud!"
Prince Qing's legs went weak, and he fell directly to the ground.
In the illustration, Prince Shun was bowing his head and apologizing to Wilhelm II.
As a representative of the Qing Dynasty, Prince Qing couldn't rationally accept this shocking fact.
"How... how is this possible... How could such a thing happen? What on earth did those who assisted Zaifeng do!"
"I don't know either. It is said that Prince Shun did it voluntarily..."
Li Hongzhang threw the newspaper on the ground and couldn't continue speaking.
It was impossible that he did it voluntarily.
There must have been all kinds of threats, collusion, and false accusations.
"Huff... haha..."
In the end, Li Hongzhang was physically and mentally exhausted and let out a bitter laugh.
How could the Qing Dynasty have declined to such a state?
To what extent would the Qing Dynasty still sink?
"It's over."
The Qing Dynasty is over.
The Qing Dynasty has perished!
Cough!
"This... this..."
"Doctor! Call a doctor quickly!"
Li Hongzhang spat out blood and fell to the ground.
Diplomats such as Plenipotentiary Ambassador Cologan, who were frightened, quickly helped him up and called for a doctor. But Li Hongzhang no longer had the strength to endure this cruel and dirty world.
"Darn Yu Xian! He has ruined the country to this extent!"
After squeezing out his last bit of strength and shouting these words, he lost consciousness.
And this old man never opened his eyes again.