The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

June 21, 1900 AD, the 26th year of the Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty!

Empress Dowager Cixi, in the name of Emperor Guangxu, issued an edict declaring war on eleven countries: England, France, the United States, Germany, Russia, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Japan.

The whole world was in an uproar! And then? And then nothing happened!

Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Li Hongzhang, declared war on the "chaotic order," clearly indicating that Guangdong and Guangxi would not obey the order.

Liu Kunyi, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, and Zhang Zhidong, the Governor-General of Huguang, said, "Go play somewhere else!"

Both men had previously submitted memorials to the imperial court, requesting the suppression of the Boxers and the protection of foreign merchants and missionaries. Now that the court had declared war, they simply went privately to negotiate the "Southeast Mutual Protection Treaty" and the "Regulations for the Protection of Shanghai's City and Suburbs," stipulating that the Shanghai concessions would be jointly protected by various countries.

The Yangtze River and the inland areas of Suzhou and Hangzhou were under the protection of the provincial governors and viceroys.

Meanwhile, other local governors and viceroys also joined the "Southeast Mutual Protection Pact," which covered the vast majority of provinces.

Just as the local governors and viceroys were busy with their own calculations and observing the outcome, a telegram from Shandong, like a lightning bolt piercing the night sky, blinded everyone.

Shen Lian, in the name of Taiwu Linfen Shoudao, issued a telegram to the world, first stating that the court's declaration of war against eleven countries was a "reckless" act. He asserted that there must be treacherous individuals deceiving the emperor and requested a thorough investigation.

Then he changed his tone, warning Western countries not to act rashly and to resolve disputes through negotiation. If any country dared to invade China, he would have no choice but to lead his First Division of the Shandong New Army to "serve the emperor" and resist the invaders to the death.

Officials and soldiers have the responsibility to protect the country and its people, and the people also have the responsibility to defend their homes and country! Shen Lian called on all patriotic Chinese people to unite and resist the invaders.

The telegram, several hundred words long, was powerful and inspiring. If Shen Lian hadn't known he himself had commissioned its draft, he would almost have been moved to tears!

I'll first establish the moral high ground, and no matter how powerful you governors and viceroys are, you won't dare to do anything to me!

As expected, Shen Lian's telegram caused a great stir throughout the land. Countless passionate young people traveled far and wide, clamoring for the support of Marshal Shen.

The governors and viceroys, however, felt as if they had swallowed a fly, yet dared not openly criticize Shen Lian. They could only curse him in secret, thinking, "You're asking for trouble, and now you're disgusting us!"

Upon receiving Shen Lian's telegram, Empress Dowager Cixi was overjoyed, exclaiming that she had not misjudged him. She issued an edict praising Shen Lian and ordering him to immediately lead his troops to the capital.

"Great! Another talented person has emerged from Hunan! I must report this to my mentor!" A young man from Hengyang in southern Hunan held a newspaper in his hands, his face flushed. A moment later, he picked up the newspaper and hurriedly rushed into the city.

"Xi Zi, did you come for Shen Zhiyuan?" In an ancient courtyard, an old man with a gaunt face but a radiant spirit stroked his beard and smiled as he looked at his beloved disciple.

"As expected, nothing is hidden from the teacher! What do you think of this person?" Yang Du said, bowing respectfully.

"Assessing the situation, having keen insight, skillful tactics, and audacious!" the old man slowly uttered a few words.

Yang Du was overjoyed upon hearing this, never expecting his teacher to give such high praise. People with these qualities are invariably destined for greatness and are destined to be influential figures.

"Teacher! I want to visit him and meet him in person." Yang Du bowed excitedly.

"Don't rush, Xizi! Let's observe for a while longer! This boy's foundation is too shallow. It's hard to say whether his insistence on standing out this time will bring him fortune or misfortune!" the old man said regretfully.

. . . . . .

At this moment, Shen Lian is in the governor's office, challenging Old Yuan to a duel!

"Your Excellency, the foreigners are currently launching a fierce attack on Tianjin. Once Tianjin falls, they can attack Beijing within days! When should we send troops to defend the Emperor?"

“Nephew! Your soldiers have only been trained for half a year, and they probably haven’t even fired a gun a few times! If you take them to fight the foreigners, aren’t you just sending them to their deaths?” Old Yuan had no choice but to persuade his subordinate with earnest words.

"So what if we die! It's an honor to die on the battlefield defending our country!" Shen Lian said, displaying the hot-blooded enthusiasm of a young man.

"Besides, my soldiers are indeed all new recruits! But the men under your command are all well-trained elite soldiers! They should have no problem fighting the foreigners! I will lead my troops to follow Uncle and learn how to fight."

"Cough cough cough!" Old Yuan, who was smoking, choked on a puff of smoke, his eyes watering. "You fucking think of that? These are soldiers I've painstakingly raised, and you want me to use them to fight the foreigners? Absolutely not!"

"Your Excellency, if you do not agree to send troops, I will have no choice but to submit a memorial to the court, impeaching you for abusing your power and watching the emperor suffer!" After speaking for a long time, seeing that Old Yuan still refused to send troops, Shen Lian suddenly stood up.

"Insolence!" Yuan Xiangcheng slammed his hand on the table and stood up, about to berate Shen Lian. But then he thought better of it and sat back down. There was no point in using force against this hot-blooded youth.

“My dear nephew! It’s not that I don’t want to send troops, but you know the current situation. The security of the entire Shandong province rests on my shoulders. There are German and British concessions in Weihai and Qingdao, and they also have troops stationed there!”

"What if they take the opportunity to send troops away if we leave with our troops? If Shandong falls, we will be guilty of an even greater crime! I'm in a difficult position too!" Old Yuan sighed in a mocking manner.

“In that case, I will have no choice but to lead the troops to the capital alone. However, my men are all new recruits, and we are short of weapons, ammunition, pay, and provisions. I would be grateful if you could provide some assistance, Uncle.” Shen Lian suppressed his excitement and said in a deep voice.

"My dear nephew! I don't have many weapons and ammunition here..." Old Yuan was very happy that Shen Lian was willing to go and die.

He was always cautious and didn't dare to offend the court yet. Shen Lian was also considered his subordinate, so his sending troops was a way for him to give an explanation to the court. As for the foreigners, he could say that Shen Lian acted without authorization and that it had nothing to do with him.

Shen Lian had long understood Yuan Shikai's character; he was a typical hypocrite. Even ten years later, when he held considerable military power, he was unwilling to openly rebel against the Qing Dynasty, let alone now.

Under Shen Lian's persistent pleading and threats, Yuan Xiangcheng had no choice but to grit his teeth and squeeze out a thousand rifles and 100,000 rounds of ammunition for Shen Lian. He also gave Shen Lian two thousand dan of military rations and two hundred thousand taels of silver. Only then did Shen Lian leave satisfied!

Who knew that just two days later, Shen Lian sent a telegram impeaching Yuan Xiangcheng for abusing his military power and being passive in serving the emperor!

Enraged, Yuan Xiangcheng jumped up and cursed Shen Lian as despicable, shameless, and ungrateful!

Shen Lian, having received the benefits, did not rush to send troops. Instead, he inspected various prefectures and counties, checking the garrisons everywhere, making it seem as if he was about to mobilize the entire army of the region to the capital.

. . . . . .