Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 56

You Tai felt somewhat bewildered. He looked at Ma Quanji and said, "If he wants to withdraw his troops, then let him withdraw. If those Green Standard Army soldiers find out that they are going to fight the British, I think they will definitely cause trouble. In that case, they will be the ones who suffer the consequences. Why are you so anxious?"

Song Shou, the clerk standing nearby, immediately realized what was going on and hurriedly said to You Tai, "If Assistant Zhang takes over the Green Standard Army soldiers, he will definitely demand to receive the army's pay and accounts. Our accounts haven't been settled yet."

It was only then that You Tai realized what was happening. He stood there stunned for a long time before weakly asking, "Then what should we do?"

Another copywriting committee member, Fan Qirong, immediately said, "We should send General Ma to Zhashi City immediately to stop this."

Seeing that everyone else in the room was turning to look at him, Ma Quanji immediately said with a bitter face, "What grounds can I use to stop the assistant minister from mustering troops? Besides, I don't have anyone under my command."

Now Song Shou and Fan Qirong were getting anxious. They yelled at Ma Quanji, "You raise soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one. You're the one who pays the Green Standard Army. Can't you command your soldiers? At this time, you should give your men some benefits. If Zhang Yintang gets hold of something, do you think you can get away unscathed, Commander Ma?"

Guerrilla commander Liu Wentong also advised Ma Quanji, "Brother Ma, you've always been in charge of matters in this military camp. If you don't step in now, who will? You're a commander, after all. Assistant Zhang is still in Norbulingka. Can't you even handle his men? Only by stopping Assistant Zhang's men first can we plead with him for leniency. How about this, you take the guards from the yamen with you. When those local soldiers see them, they'll know that Assistant Zhang isn't the one in charge of the resident minister's office, and they won't say anything..."

After dark, Zhang Yintang and Wu Luzhen rode their horses out of Norbulingka. Seeing that there were only a few servants leading the way with lanterns, Zhang Yintang asked Wu Luzhen in a low voice, "What do you think of today's meeting?"

After recalling the scene of the meeting, Wu Luzhen shook his head and said, "The four Kalons clearly do not advocate continuing the war. However, due to pressure from the Dalai Lama, they are just making excuses that it is difficult to prepare military food and weapons, and it is also difficult to gather more troops to defend Lhasa."

As for the monks surrounding the Dalai Lama, some might be considering abandoning Lhasa to protect him and move him to Qinghai, while the rest are merely paying lip service. Although they verbally pledge to resist evil forces, they lack any strategy on how to do so. The Dalai Lama himself, while somewhat anxious, has not truly given up hope.

Zhang Yintang nodded in agreement with Wu Luzhen's view. He hadn't anticipated the situation would deteriorate to this extent before entering Tibet. Regardless of the type of diplomacy, negotiations always require a stalemate between the two sides. If one side continues its aggressive advance, the other side has no choice but to surrender; they can't offer any diplomatic suggestions.

Clearly, the Tibetans weren't fools. After a series of defeats, they had lost the courage to resist the British army. At this point, could the Dalai Lama's insistence alone really reverse the pessimistic mood among the monks and laypeople of Lhasa? Even the Tibetans closest to the imperial court were now only hoping that the court could mediate the British attack on Lhasa; most had already given up on the idea of ​​repelling the British.

Thinking about how to reverse the pessimistic mood among the upper echelons of Lhasa, Zhang Yintang also felt a tightness in his chest. He looked up at the mansion in front of him, and then asked Wu Luzhen with some distraction, "This doesn't seem to be the office of the Resident Minister in Tibet, does it?"

Wu Luzhen nodded and said, "At the residence of Kalon Tsering Wangchuk Gyalpo, four Kalons who had previously advocated for peace with the British—Kalon Shaza Panjorgye, Kalon Shekhang Tsering Wangchuk, Kalon Lama Chökyi Ngawang Pelsang, and Zasa Horkhang Sonam Dorje—were dismissed from their posts. The Dalai Lama then promoted Tsering Wangchuk Gyalpo to the position of Kalon."

He is aligned with the imperial court, and after we had a minor conflict with the Resident Minister in Tibet, he lent us part of his residence. Now that some ministers haven't given up, it would be inconvenient for you, Lord Zhang, to go to the Resident Minister's office now; it would be better to wait and see.”

If Zhang Yintang were to enter Tibet alone, he might not have adopted the suggestions made by Wu Luzhen and Lin Feng. After all, he was exercising power in Tibet with the imperial court as his backing, so why would he need to play any tricks with You Tai and the others? He could have simply made his identity clear and used his power to overwhelm them.

However, considering the perilous situation facing Tibet, he simply couldn't afford to devote his energy to You Tai and his men, so he had no choice but to let Wu Luzhen and Lin Feng take charge. He also wanted to take this opportunity to see just how capable these two were; this wasn't like managing an army, where brute force would only backfire.

When Ma Quanji led his men into the military camp in Zhashi City, Lin Xinyi, Liu Gong, Li Tang, and several others were checking the identity and background documents of the Green Standard Army soldiers registered that afternoon. Under the light of the butter lamp, Liu Gong's eyes were getting blurry. He put down the documents in his hand and said, "What are these documents for? What are we looking for?"

Everyone else stopped what they were doing, but Lin Xinyi, without looking up, said, "Have you ever seen the radio crew install the radio? Why do they have to check every single component?"

Liu Gong subconsciously said, "Of course, we're afraid of encountering a faulty part; otherwise, all the work would be for nothing. But what does that have to do with us reading these documents?"

Lin Xinyi then looked up at him and said, "The army and the radio station are similar. If we don't check everyone and put unreliable people in positions that require reliability, then we will fail. Although the information in these documents may not be entirely true, at least most of it is. We only need to pick out those who are idle and come from well-off families, and the rest are the ones we can use. Otherwise, are you planning to go fight for the British army yourself?"

Liu Gong could only silently pick up the documents again and begin reading. Just as everyone was quietly reviewing their papers, a gunshot suddenly rang out outside. Everyone else immediately stood up alertly, except for Lin Xinyi, who first protected the butter lamp on the table before slowly rising and saying, "Don't be alarmed, it must be guests. I thought they would wait until dawn. You all continue reading, Li Tang and Liu Gong, come with me to take a look..."

Standing in front of the barracks, seeing the torches illuminating his official robes, Ma Quanji regained his courage. He glanced at his trusted military officer, who was lying on the ground groaning while clutching his thigh, and with a livid face, he shouted at the New Army soldiers pointing their guns at him, "Are you all crazy? You dare to fire your guns just because you heard my name? Are you trying to rebel?"

Li Yuan, also known as Kishida Gentaro, stood in front of the soldiers and said to Ma Quanji nonchalantly, "Whether it's day or night, if you charge at a checkpoint without permission, you can kill him. The fact that you didn't kill him is already giving you face, Commander Ma. Commander Ma, have your men hand over their weapons so we don't have to do it ourselves."

Ma Quanji glanced around and realized that the soldiers surrounding him were indeed wearing modern uniforms and had shaved heads; they were clearly not his Green Standard Army soldiers. He immediately felt guilty. However, he was unwilling to simply lay down his weapons and surrender. He could only shout, "I am the commander here! What right do you have to block my path? Have you no manners? Show me your heads! I want to see who is so lawless and lawless…"

Seeing Ma Quanji throwing a tantrum at the door, Li Yuan was somewhat at a loss. He really wanted to shoot him dead, but it didn't seem like the conflict had escalated to that point yet. Just as he was frowning and considering whether to take action, footsteps sounded from behind him. Li Yuan glanced back and stepped aside.

Chapter 192 Persuasion

Lin Xinyi walked over, glanced at the wounded on the ground, and then looked at the Qing Dynasty military officer and more than ten Qing soldiers surrounded by soldiers at the door. He then said, "If someone is injured, they should be sent to the hospital for treatment first, and then we should ask them for statements. What are you doing blocking this place? You soldiers, lift up your comrades. Li Tang, take them to the medical room for treatment, and take their statements separately while you're at it."

The Qing soldier named by Lin Xinyi looked at Lin Xinyi, then at the cavalry commander beside him, unsure whether he should obey the new officer's orders. Frankly, although they had been soldiers for so long, they usually only helped protect government offices and officials; this was truly the first time they had witnessed such a grand scene. The most eager to prove himself was already lying on the ground, so the rest were naturally less impulsive.

Seeing that someone capable of making decisions had stepped forward, Ma Quanji finally grasped at a straw and shouted at Lin Xinyi, "Who are you? How have you disciplined your subordinates? The Qing Dynasty's resident minister's office in Tibet will certainly not let this matter rest..."

Lin Xinyi turned his head to the side and asked Li Yuan, "Who is this?"

Li Yuan subconsciously replied, "He calls himself Commander Ma."

Lin Xinyi turned his gaze to Ma Quanji and said, "Since you claim to be Commander Ma, then come in and let's talk. We've encountered quite a few bandits posing as government soldiers who attacked the Assistant Ministers on our way to Tibet, so we've been quite cautious. If you really are Commander Ma, then we'll follow the proper procedures and let the higher-ups handle it. If you are bandits, then don't blame us for being impolite."

Upon hearing Lin Xinyi's words, Li Yuan immediately gestured for the soldiers to raise their guns and aim at the Qing officers and soldiers within the encirclement. The Qing soldiers who had been hesitant immediately had some experienced men rush out to help their wounded comrades on the ground, urgently saying, "Old Zhang has lost a lot of blood. Please, gentlemen, have mercy and let me take him to get treatment."

Realizing they might be mistaken for bandits and beaten to death, the twenty-odd Qing soldiers immediately carried the wounded away, even Ma Quanji's close followers followed them out of this dangerous place. Standing alone, Ma Quanji looked at the Qing soldiers who had abandoned him, too exhausted to even curse. He began to regret why he had come at night; now that he was being beaten to death, he didn't even know who to seek revenge against.

Just as he was caught in a dilemma, Lin Xinyi stepped aside and invited him, "You're not really an imposter, are you?"

Ma Quanji glanced at the soldiers around him, then stamped his foot, flicked his sleeves, and strode forward, angrily saying, "Outrageous! How could I be an imposter? Tolerating subordinates bullying their superiors, I want to see how Assistant Zhang explains this to the court. This matter is not over."

Lin Xinyi signaled Li Yuan to continue his duty, then followed with Liu Gong and two soldiers. Soon, Ma Quanji was brought to a bungalow. At that moment, two soldiers suddenly stepped forward and subdued him, searching his entire body. Just as Ma Quanji panicked, the two soldiers released him and said to Lin Xinyi, "Report, he is not carrying any weapons."

Startled by this, Ma Quanji trembled with rage. In all his years as an official, this was the first time he had encountered such unruly barbarians. He even began to doubt whether these people were still part of the Qing Dynasty's army. However, he also realized that there was no reasoning with these soldiers. They were all fools who listened to their superiors and had no idea what the imperial system was.

He glared fiercely at Lin Xinyi, memorizing his face, determined to make him pay once he left at dawn. He refused to believe there was no law in the world.

Lin Xinyi ignored Ma Quanji's changing mood. After lighting the butter lamps inside the house, he asked Liu Gong and the soldiers to wait outside. Then he sat down next to Ma Quanji, with a small, old square table between them. Although it looked worn, the table was made of fine hardwood, which gave it a warm glow under the lamplight.

Lin Xinyi glanced at the table's material, feeling it was a bit of a waste to use it for such everyday furniture. However, he quickly regained his composure, looked at Ma Quanji sitting opposite him with his arms crossed, and, ignoring the other's uncooperative attitude, said directly, "The troops have just entered Tibet, and I have many matters to attend to as soon as possible, so I won't beat around the bush with you, Commander Ma..."

Filled with resentment, Ma Quanji finally couldn't help but retort sarcastically, "What, now you think I'm Ma Quanji again? Your attitude changes way too quickly!"

Lin Xinyi smiled slightly, ignoring the question, and continued speaking to himself: "The sole purpose of our headquarters entering Tibet is to protect the Tibetan people. We don't really care about investigating corruption cases or anything like that. Therefore, as long as it doesn't interfere with our main task of protecting the Tibetan people, other matters can be put aside for now."

However, due to the lack of cooperation from the Tibetan garrison and the military, headquarters has no choice but to reluctantly investigate the case. Actually, investigating embezzlement is quite simple. The difference between the total amount of military pay allocated by Sichuan to the Tibetan army over the years and the actual pay received by the army must have been embezzled. We have now re-registered the garrison personnel in Tashilhunpo. Once we obtain the camp's roster and pay disbursement records, we can roughly determine the amount embezzled.”

Lin Xinyi paused here, observing Ma Quanji's expression. Sure enough, the other man only gave a cold snort and remained silent. Lin Xinyi then nodded and continued, "Of course, if we want to obtain the roster and distribution records, and then impeach you all to the court, I foresee that the case might not be closed until next year. There's really no point in handling cases like this. The British army has already captured Gyantse. Today is July 13th. If the British are determined to advance on Lhasa, they might arrive by the end of the month. In the chaos of war, how can this case be investigated? Right, Commander Ma?"

Ma Quanji then said with a cold laugh, "I thought you were a hothead, but I didn't expect you to know a bit about the ways of the world. Young man, let me give you a piece of advice: don't go too far. You need to leave yourself a way out. If something really happens, Assistant Zhang might not be able to protect you. After all, he is a Han Chinese, while some ministers are Manchus."

Lin Xinyi laughed and said, "Commander Ma is a straightforward man, so I won't play games with him. First, the reason I went to Tibet is not to serve the court. In such a life-or-death situation, those loyal to the court would not appear. Because dead people can't get promoted or make money."

Besides, judging from the current situation, I don't think the Qing Dynasty will last long. It will either die from an internal popular uprising or inevitably fall to the hands of foreign powers. So who would be loyal to a dying man?

Ma Quanji was genuinely shocked. He instinctively lowered his hands, grabbed the armrests of the chair, and exclaimed in surprise, "You're a revolutionary?"

Lin Xinyi avoided answering, but continued, "So, keeping you corrupt officials around and letting you bankrupt the court sooner is not necessarily a bad thing. First of all, the deficit of the Tibet government definitely exists. Although everyone in the government is trying to cover it up now, the deficit will only accumulate and eventually become impossible to cover up."

I believe that constantly covering up and dragging things out is not a solution. The best approach is to have one person take the brunt of the losses while the others get away with it.

Therefore, I plan to cooperate with you. You will confess all the corrupt activities within the Qing Dynasty's resident minister's office, and then Lord Zhang will protect you. Alternatively, I can take your will to Lord You and his associates to cooperate in shifting the blame for the embezzlement onto you, and that will also resolve the matter.

In short, all I want is command of the Tibetan garrison and the cooperation of the Qing Dynasty's resident minister's office. As for corruption cases and such, I have absolutely no interest in them. Commander Ma, what do you intend to choose?

"You, you dare to murder an official of the imperial court? This is treason..." Ma Quanji's voice changed with tension. He stared intently at Lin Xinyi, fearing that the other party would make a move against him.

Lin Xinyi waved his hand and said, "Commander Ma is joking. You committed suicide, and the ministers will definitely prove it to the court. What does it have to do with me? You have one night to think it over."

As Lin Xinyi spoke, he stood up and called out, "Lord Liu, bring paper and pen. Commander Ma wants to write a confession."

Ma Quanji watched helplessly as the young officer opposite him left without hesitation, as if a pair of hands had grabbed his throat, rendering him speechless. Soon after, another young officer brought in pen and ink, and then left without saying a word.

The next morning, when Lin Xinyi got up and washed, Liu Gong brought over a thick stack of papers and said excitedly, "He confessed! He confessed everything! When I went over this morning, he was incredibly well-behaved. Your trick really worked! Now we can go into the city, right?"

Lin Xinyi glanced at the papers in Liu Gong's hand, then rinsed his mouth and said, "Keep these for now. Get your platoon ready; you'll be coming into the city with me later. Also, invite Commander Ma over for breakfast; I need to discuss what to do after we enter the city..."

As a plateau region, the weather in the Lhasa Valley is actually quite good. It's warm in winter and cool in summer. Apart from being a little glaring when riding a horse in the sun in the morning, there's not much else to complain about.

Ma Quanji followed behind Lin Xinyi. After a night's rest, he seemed to have lost several pounds, and the arrogant attitude he had displayed in front of the New Army the previous night was nowhere to be seen. He had thought about it all night and finally figured something out: regardless of whether the leader of the New Army was a revolutionary or not, his method of handling the matter was indeed very effective.

Many in the court would likely accept this method of settling the deficit, since the resident ministers in Tibet were all Manchus, and if the deficit were exposed, many would suffer. Now, by using one person's death to cover the deficit, it means everyone is out of trouble; only the deceased's family will feel resentful. But, with the person dead, what human connection remains?

Chapter 193 The Office of the Resident Minister in Tibet

Somewhat agitated, You Tai picked up the teacup on the table, only to find it empty. He frowned and put the cup down again. At that moment, Lin Xinyi, sitting opposite him, picked up the teapot and poured him a cup, gently advising, "Drink tea, drink tea. Wait a little longer and they will reach a conclusion. Minister You won't have to wait too long."

This was the small reception room of the Resident Minister in Tibet, but the person in charge was no longer You Tai, but the young officer in front of him, dressed in a new military uniform. If this were in mainland China, You Tai wouldn't even give such a minor figure a second glance, because the other person was far inferior to him.

The full title of the Resident Minister in Tibet was the Imperial Minister in Charge of Tibetan Affairs. In the fifty-eighth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, Fukang'an, together with various figures, formulated a comprehensive set of regulations and detailed rules for the administration of Tibet, namely the "Imperially Commissioned Regulations for the Administration of Tibet," which consisted of 102 articles.

Politically, the Resident Minister in Tibet was stipulated to have an equal status with the Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, and Chanchen Lama; in terms of religious supervision, the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, and other high-ranking lamas and Living Buddhas was to be conducted through the Golden Urn lottery system, with the Resident Minister personally overseeing the drawing of lots; in terms of administration and personnel, local officials from the Kalon level down were to be selected by the Resident Minister in conjunction with the Dalai Lama; in terms of foreign affairs, power was centralized in the central government and handled by the Resident Minister in Tibet; in terms of military affairs, the Resident Minister was to inspect the borders and review the Tibetan troops annually, rewarding the good and punishing the bad; in terms of finance, the Resident Minister in Tibet strictly managed finances and taxes, supervised the production of currency, and reasonably apportioned taxes and corvée labor, etc.

This means that the Resident Minister in Tibet was actually on par with the Governor-General. So, after Lian Yu was appointed, he was immediately given the title of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Manchuria. Lin Xinyi was just a clerk, so what right did he have to sit down and talk with him?

However, in a wild and untamed place like Tibet, once the protection of the system was lost, You Tai immediately realized that he simply couldn't reason with these warriors. He wasn't one of those Eight Banner warriors who took pride in their martial prowess; he was a genuine scholar. He could use the power of the system to discipline his subordinates, but he couldn't bring himself to fight others to the death with his own strength.

He looked at the teacup in front of him, half dissatisfied and half aggrieved, and said, "Why has it come to this? If there's anything you want me to do, Officer Zhang, just say it to my face. I'm not an unreasonable person. This way, no one will have a good outcome. Even if he wins against me here, the court will not accept the result."

Lin Xinyi, holding his teacup, sipped his tea and said, "Some ministers have misunderstood. Assistant Zhang doesn't want to win against you; he just wants to unite the resident minister's office in Tibet."

You Tai's face twitched, suppressing his anger as he said, "Is this how he unites people? Tolerating subordinates falsely accusing superiors? What is he trying to do? You should know that he is not the Resident Minister in Tibet; Lian Yu is. Did he even ask Lian Yu before doing this?"

Lin Xinyi maintained his smile and said, "How could the Minister of the Alliance object? Before taking office, someone cleaned up the deficit of the Resident Minister's Office in Tibet. It wasn't his doing, so he will definitely remain neutral. If you, Minister, were to acknowledge these deficits, many people in the court would probably breathe a sigh of relief. After all, it would be a good thing to settle some old scores."

You Tai finally couldn't hold back any longer and jumped up, excitedly saying to Lin Xinyi, "I've only been in office for less than two years. How could I have caused these deficits? If this gets out, how can I convince the world?"

Lin Xinyi replied calmly, “My lord, please calm down. Who in the world cares about this issue? If Tibet is lost, the court will only think that you are good at taking the blame. If you hadn’t embezzled so much money from Tibet, how could the Tibetan garrison not be able to fight? At that time, anyone who defends you will be defending a traitor. Does the truth still matter?”

You Tai finally broke down, pointing a trembling finger at Lin Xinyi and saying, "You, you all, you're spouting nonsense..."

Lin Xinyi picked up the teapot and poured himself some water, then casually said, "Actually, my suggestion to you, sir, was quite effective. If you had pushed all the deficits onto those people below and then cooperated with us in resisting the British army, then we might have chosen to cooperate with you, sir."

Without the backing of power, You Tai was no different from an ordinary old man. He knew all too well that no one outside the government office would support him. After several successive Resident Ministers in Tibet adopted a policy of compromise with the British, the Tibetans no longer held the Resident Ministers in the same reverence as before. In particular, the young monks from the major monasteries had deliberately blocked the Resident Minister's procession on Barkhor Street more than once. As a result, You Tai now dared not use the Resident Minister's procession when he appeared in public, and instead chose to travel light and simply.

It was the arrogance and open provocation of the Tibetan monks towards the Qing Dynasty's resident minister that led You Tai to believe that the British invasion of Tibet was a way of venting the anger of the Qing court, letting these Tibetans know that without the court's protection, they were nothing. Therefore, even if he rushed out of the government office to ask for help now, he estimated that the Tibetans would only watch the show rather than help him fight against these lawless soldiers.

You Tai ultimately wanted to leave Lhasa alive. He slumped into a chair, not immediately begging Lin Xinyi for mercy, but already considering how to surrender to him so as not to lose face.

However, the question of how You Tai should surrender was quickly forgotten, because less than an hour later, someone had already reported You Tai for embezzlement. Lin Xinyi glanced at it and handed it to You Tai, saying, "Minister You, would you like to take a look? But don't tear it up; it's too much trouble to have someone rewrite it."

You Tai took it with trembling hands, first glancing at the signature and seal at the end, and couldn't help but curse, "That little bastard Song Shou, he's supposed to be a Manchu, and I still consider him one of my own. Even the Han people haven't betrayed me, but he's the first to turn spineless. He's a real scoundrel..."

Lin Xinyi, seeing that You Tai was in a bad mood, took the document from his hand and said, "You, sir, don't get angry. It's bound to happen sooner or later anyway. Does it really make any difference whether you report it sooner or later?"

Lin Xinyi's words were not wrong. After Songshou, several more confessions were sent up. You Tai finally couldn't help but speak up: "Please let Wu Xiaojin come up here. He knows more about the affairs of the yamen than I do. He came to Tibet with me and he will not betray me."

Lin Xinyi shook his head inwardly at You Tai's performance. It seemed that even being an official was tiring, and he needed to find a Han official to do his bidding. He got up and went to the door to give an order, and soon a middle-aged man was brought in.

By noon, Lin Xinyi had obtained the testimonies of the main officials in the Taiji government office. He then called everyone to the main hall for a meeting, less than four hours after he entered the office of the Qing Dynasty's resident minister in Tibet.

Lin Xinyi took the seat of honor without hesitation. You Tai and several confidants sat to his right, while the other military and political officials in the yamen sat to his left. The difference in numbers between the two sides was quite large. However, the officials on the left all lowered their heads and dared not meet You Tai's gaze. You Tai also only dared to look at these officials and did not dare to stand up and scold them.

Lin Xinyi clapped his hands and addressed the officials in the hall: "I won't waste any more words. We followed Inspector Zhang into Tibet to protect the Tibetan people, not to investigate a case. As for you, you just want to cover up the embezzlement, not to obstruct our efforts to protect the Tibetan people. If anyone has a different opinion, you can stand up and speak. You can say anything now, but if you don't speak now and then spread rumors afterward, don't blame me for being impolite."

Under Lin Xinyi's pressure, You Tai finally succumbed to the pressure and said, "I have no objection." After You Tai spoke, the others also expressed their opinions, stating that they had no intention of obstructing Zhang Bang's official duties.

Lin Xinyi then continued, "Since everyone feels that we have no conflict of interest, I have a suggestion: as long as you cooperate with us to repel the British army, I can help you destroy all the things you wrote this time afterward. From now on, we'll go our separate ways and have no further connection. How about that?"

Ma Quanji was somewhat stunned. This was not quite what he had expected. Under Lin Xinyi's coercion, he not only betrayed his colleagues in the yamen, but also personally threatened and lured them, finally forming an anti-Youtai group. Why was the other party now planning to let Youtai go?

However, his dissatisfaction did not affect others. Neither You Tai nor the other officials in the yamen wanted to really break off relations. Although letting the other party die would solve everything, they were worried that if things really came to that point, they might not have a good outcome themselves. It would be best to smooth things over and have peace and tranquility.

Hearing the officials echoing his sentiments, Lin Xinyi continued, "Since everyone supports Lord Zhang and wants to smooth things over, I'd like to state a few demands. First, the seal of the Resident Minister's Office in Tibet should be handed over to us immediately, and all officials, high and low, must obey our orders. Does anyone have any objections?"

Of course, no one would object. The reason they refused to hand it over before was because Yoo Tae was going to take over as the new assistant minister. Everyone was in the same boat and had no choice but to support Yoo Tae. Now, who would object?

Seeing that everyone nodded in agreement, Lin Xinyi said, "Secondly, I won't concern myself with past deficits, but this year's military pay of 60,000 taels of silver must be made up within three days. I don't care whether you use your own money or borrow it, I want to see this money in the treasury within three days. As for how much each of you contributes, you can distribute it yourselves afterward; I don't care."

Although everyone looked mournful, no one voiced any objection. They knew that this was a rather lenient condition; if it were reported to the imperial court, even their family property in the interior would be confiscated.

Lin Xinyi then mentioned the third point: "Since we need to settle the deficit, fighting and road construction are the fastest ways to do so. Therefore, for your own sake, you must support us in this battle. Thus, you should request funds from the court in the name of the Resident Minister in Tibet to fund road construction and pay the military expenses of the troops entering Tibet, and I will help you settle the previous deficit..."

Chapter 194 The Second Day

On the morning of July 14, Zhang Yintang and Wu Luzhen met again with the Dalai Lama, representatives of the three major monasteries of Lhasa (Ganden Monastery, Drepung Monastery, and Sera Monastery), and officials of the Kashag (Tibetan government). During this meeting, the decision was finally made to convene the Chundu Conference to decide whether to continue fighting the British army.

Although the 13th Dalai Lama refused to make peace with the British army, he needed to rebuild his army and raise money, food and weapons if he wanted to continue fighting the British army.

Currently, Lhasa's armed forces consist only of the monks of the three major monasteries and the private armies of the nobles. Mobilizing these soldiers is not a problem that the Dalai Lama can solve with a single word. Moreover, raising money, food, and weapons again now requires donations from the monasteries and nobles, as the serfs can no longer afford to sacrifice much.

After Zhang Yintang and Wu Luzhen pointed this out, the Dalai Lama finally realized his mistake and stopped insisting that his assistant ministers send troops to repel the British army as soon as possible. The Kashag and the three major monasteries also felt that holding the Chundu Conference could curb some of the Dalai Lama's unrealistic ideas. Although some young monks were determined to fight the British to the end to defend Buddhism, the upper echelons of the three major monasteries softened their stance after the British army burned down Naining Monastery and Zijin Monastery.

In the view of these senior monks, if they could not resist the British army's entry into Lhasa, they should at least preserve Tibetan traditions, such as not allowing the British army to pin the war crimes on the Dalai Lama, and not allowing the British army to continue destroying temples.

Under this premise, it is not impossible to negotiate with the British army. However, the Dalai Lama's attitude makes it impossible for anyone to make such a suggestion to him. If a consensus can be reached at the Spring Capital Conference to change the Dalai Lama's mind, it would not be a bad thing.

The Chundu Assembly is actually a Tibetan assembly of monks and laypeople. Generally speaking, there are three levels: The first level of the assembly is attended by senior officials of the Kashag (excluding the four Kalons), the heads of the two important institutions under the Kashag, the Yicang and Zikang, or the abbots of the three major monasteries, the Khenpo.

The second-level assembly, in addition to the above-mentioned personnel, also includes the abbots of the three major monasteries who have already stepped down, as well as representatives of ordinary officials from the Kashag, the Yicang, and the Tsekang.

The third-level assembly, besides Lhasa local officials representing monasteries, also includes representatives from monasteries throughout Tibet, officers of the Tibetan army, the lowest-ranking tax collectors, plus thirty clerks and craftsmen. This third-level assembly is only convened at one time: for major events such as determining the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama favored the first option, as he was focused on quickly determining a way to resist the British army, which was already close to Lhasa. However, representatives from the Kashag and the three major monasteries favored the second option, arguing that the first option could not defy the Dalai Lama's will. Zhang Yintang leaned towards the second option, but Wu Luzhen insisted that representatives of the Lhasa citizens must be included, otherwise the assembly would lack representativeness.

Ultimately, the Dalai Lama conceded, agreeing to convene a second meeting, but with the addition of thirty citizen representatives, scheduled for tomorrow morning. Prior to this, he once again demanded that Zhang Yintang send troops to take over Qushui, west of Lhasa, the ferry crossing at the confluence of the Yarlung Tsangpo and Lhasa rivers, a crucial point for British troops entering Lhasa.

After exchanging views with Wu Luzhen, Zhang Yintang assured the Dalai Lama that as long as the conference made a preliminary decision the next day, the Han troops would go to Qushui. When Zhang Yintang and Wu Luzhen came out of Norbulingka Palace, they saw Liu Gong waiting outside the palace.

The two learned from him that Lin Xinyi was already at the resident minister's office in Tibet, and asked Zhang Yintang to come and hand over the office's authority. Zhang Yintang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Didn't he come to Lhasa with me yesterday? How did he manage to figure out the affairs of the military camp and the resident minister's office so quickly? How did he get a minister to agree to hand over power?"

Zhang Yintang originally thought that after appeasing the Dalai Lama, he would start dealing with the issues between him and You Tai. However, he never expected that You Tai would take the initiative to back down. So what exactly was You Tai insisting on before?

Faced with Zhang Yintang's doubts, Liu Gong replied vaguely, "Lord Zhang, you should go to the yamen to see for yourself before making a decision. I don't really understand it either."

Seeing this, Wu Luzhen said to Zhang Yintang, "Then why don't we go to the yamen first and then ask Lin Feng directly?"

Zhang Yintang thought it made sense, so he spurred his horse forward. Compared to the area of ​​Lhasa, Lhasa's population was indeed smaller. In fact, the city was mostly populated by merchants from other places, with Nepalese merchants making up the largest group, numbering over 1000 households. Han Chinese merchants followed with 700-800 households. However, when Han Chinese were included, along with artisans, soldiers, and officials, their numbers exceeded those of other outsiders.

The total population of Lhasa is between 30,000 and 40,000, but monks make up more than a third of the population. Most monks live in monasteries, so the streets are naturally deserted. In front of the Potala Palace, there are even large stretches of wilderness, looking almost like the wasteland outside the city. Only around the five major markets of Chongsaikang, Tiebenkang, Jianbukang, Wangdui Xingga, and Barkhor Street can you see scenes of people coming and going.

Therefore, Zhang Yintang did not dismount until he reached the vicinity of Chongsaikang, and walked to the gate of the yamen (government office) on the north side of the Jokhang Temple. At this time, the Green Standard Army soldiers in front of the gate had been replaced by the New Army. The New Army soldiers, carrying rifles with fixed bayonets, were clearly much more imposing than the Green Standard Army soldiers with their swords at their waists. So much so that many Tibetan children squatted at the gate watching the spectacle.

When Wu Luzhen saw his men guarding the yamen, he was now certain that Lin Xinyi had truly taken control of the yamen. He was just a little worried that the other party might go too far, after all, Zhang Yintang was not a revolutionary.

However, when he followed Zhang Yintang into the yamen courtyard, he found it very peaceful, with no signs of a fight, which puzzled him. They soon arrived at the main building, a three-story courtyard-style building. Although the exterior looked Tibetan, the interior was laid out like a typical inland dwelling.