Beiyang Dream

Chapter 14 Mao Qi's "Past Exam Questions" and Chang Desheng's "Military Ord

Chang Desheng finally moved into a single room on the third floor of the Qing Dynasty's legation in Berlin. The room wasn't big, with a bed, a table, a chair, and a tattered wardrobe that wouldn't close properly. But at least he could close the door and read a book quietly by himself for a while, which was better than nothing.

Right now, Chang Desheng is curled up in that hard wooden chair, holding a book as thick as a brick, without even lifting his eyelids.

The book was in German, wrapped in book cover paper, and on the title page was written in cursive script: "Workbook of the War Academy, 1858-1882." Below that was a hastily written signature:

Paul von Hindenburg!

When Chang Desheng first saw this name, he was stunned for a long time.

Hindenburg, the future president of Germany, well, yet another president!

He counted on his fingers: Cao Kun—President, Feng Guozhang—Acting President, and now Hindenburg—President of Germany has appeared.

During his time travel, he met nothing but future presidents!

"Well," he muttered to himself, "since fate has arranged things this way, wouldn't it be a shame if I didn't become president?"

The book was obtained by Reiner.

This German instructor was really helpful. Knowing that Chang Desheng was preparing for the War College entrance exam, he went back and asked his old classmate—Paul von Hindenburg, his brother who had been mischievous and punished with him at the Warstalt Army School and later slept in a bunk bed with him at the Berlin Military Academy—to borrow this huge "collection of past exam questions."

Chang Desheng took the book, saw the signature, and remained silent for a long time.

Then he opened the table of contents, looked at two pages, and immediately perked up.

Wow, there's something real!

This collection contains all the graduation exam questions (tactical scenario questions) from the Prussian War Academy from 1858 to 1882. It covers a wide range of topics, essentially encompassing all the tactical problems that the army might have encountered in the second half of the 19th century.

Moreover, there was a solution personally devised by Marshal Moltke, the Chief of the General Staff!

Every single question has one!

This is a real treasure!

Because the Japanese Army Academy was built based on the Prussian War Academy, its teaching materials, drill manuals, and tactical doctrines were all copied wholesale, and the teachers were all brought in from Germany.

He naturally taught Moltke's fighting style.

The standard answers Moltke wrote in his book were exactly how the Japanese fought on the battlefield.

What is this called? Yes, this is called "question bank leak".

Mastering this "Collection of Tactical Problems" is equivalent to obtaining the original code of Japanese army tactics. In the future, when encountering similar situations on the battlefield, you won't need to guess; you can simply calculate how the enemy will deploy.

"Alright," Chang Desheng reopened the book, "I have to thoroughly understand this book! Not just for the exam, but also for fighting the Japanese devils in the future."

He casually picked up the newly bought notebook on the table—a hardcover, German-made one he bought while shopping that afternoon for a mark—and scribbled a few lines in it.

The text is in Chinese, but it contains many German terms:

"A certain question from a certain year: Flanking maneuver. The key lies in the choice of terrain passages. The Japanese will prioritize river valleys. If I pre-position concealed firing positions on both sides of the river valley..."

He stopped writing here, and the face of Hideaki Tojo began to flash through his mind.

Hideaki Tojo, the top student of the first class at the Army War College. This book on the table, "A Collection of Tactical Problems," Tojo must have read it—no, not just must, it's certain.

This book was a rare find for students in the Qing Dynasty, but it was a standard textbook for the Japanese.

But Tojo read this book to learn "how to win using Moltke's methods".

Chang Desheng read this book and studied "how to defeat Moltke using World War I tactics"!

That's the difference!

As he was pondering this, a shout rang out in the hallway outside: "Zhenbang! Zhiquan! Mr. Rui is looking for you—down in the lobby, hurry!"

That was Guo Shigui's Tianjin accent, extremely loud, like a loudspeaker turned on.

Chang Desheng closed the book, pulled out the drawer, stuffed it in, and locked it. This thing is now a closely guarded secret, and Duan Qirui can't see it—not out of stinginess, but because he's afraid Duan might not understand it even if he saw it, and it would easily distract him; it's all for Duan's good.

He pushed open the door and went out. Duan Qirui also peeked out from the opposite room, his face a little pale. He was probably also making the most of his last moments to cram for his books!

Downstairs in the lobby, Reiner was already standing there. Shang Dequan, Wu Dingyuan, Kong Qingtang and the others also emerged from their respective rooms, all with expressions that said, "What's going on now?"

Reiner started shouting in his Tianjin-accented Mandarin, his voice booming through the embassy corridor:

"Zhenbang, Zhiquan! Good news! Lieutenant General Brauchitsch, the director of the War Academy, has approved you two, along with the four graduates of the Japanese Army War College, to participate in the War Academy's entrance examination next month!"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Chang Desheng thought to himself, "Oh," as the image of Tojo Hideaki's long, rectangular face and his small mustache flashed through his mind.

Is this a competition against the Japanese Tojo?

Tojo is very strong, but he has four subjects he's guaranteed to win in—mathematics, physics, English, and his major.

Tactical planning is a variable, but what changes is the ranking, not life or death.

Even if he can't get high scores in tactical planning, the score difference in the four core subjects will allow him to compete with Tojo.

The top student from the Beiyang Army defeated the top student from the Japanese Army Academy... That's exactly the effect we wanted!

Duan Qirui also came down and stood next to Chang Desheng. He pursed his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed his words. Shang Dequan and the others looked at each other, all a little worried—not worried about Chang Desheng, this genius, but worried about Duan Qirui... They were all classmates from Beiyang University, and none of them wanted to see him embarrass himself.

Reiner seemed quite pleased, patting Chang Desheng on the shoulder: "Zhenbang, this is a rare opportunity! Prepare well and bring glory to your Great Qing Dynasty and our Military Academy!"

Chang Desheng grinned and said, "Don't worry, Instructor Rui, I definitely won't let you down."

I added to myself: The main thing is that I can't embarrass myself.

.......

That evening, Guo Shigui started shouting outside again:

"Zhenbang, Zhiquan, Zichun, Wenchi, Yuchen—Minister Hong requests your presence in the signing room on the second floor of the main building. Please come over there now."

Chang Desheng had no choice but to put down his copy of "A Collection of Tactical Problems" again and follow the others out of the dormitory building, through the courtyard, and towards the main building.

The main building of the Qing Dynasty's legation in Berlin was a three-story stone structure in the Baroque style, but it was somewhat incongruous to have two stone lions placed at the entrance and red lanterns hanging under the eaves. The Imperial Envoy, Hong Jun, mainly conducted his daily work and received guests on the second floor.

The signing room was on the west side of the second floor, simply furnished. There was a large rosewood desk, behind which was a grand master's chair. On the desk were the Four Treasures of the Study, several stacks of official documents, and a kerosene lamp with a glass shade. Hong Jun sat behind the desk, dressed in casual clothes, without his official hat, looking down at a document.

He only looked up when he heard footsteps.

He was in his fifties, somewhat thin, with little flesh on his cheeks, slightly protruding cheekbones, and three long, graying beards.

Chang Desheng and his group went in and bowed according to protocol. Hong Jun grunted in acknowledgment and pointed to the chairs at the head of the table: "Please sit down."

His voice was soft, with a slight Suzhou accent, and he spoke slowly and deliberately.

The group thanked them and sat down properly, their backs ramrod straight. Chang Desheng was no exception; after all, the client was also there!

Hong Jun picked up the covered teacup beside him, gently skimmed off the foam with the lid, took a small sip, and then put it down. His gaze swept over Chang Desheng and Duan Qirui's faces, finally settling on Chang Desheng.

"Zhenbang, Zhiquan," Old Master Hong spoke, his tone flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. "I heard from Reiner that the Prussian War Academy has granted permission for the two of you to take the exam together with those four talented Japanese students?"

"Yes, sir," Chang Desheng and Duan Qirui replied simultaneously.

"Hmm." Hong Jun hummed again, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk. "A spirit of enterprise is good. Our glorious China, and its students studying abroad, should have this ambition."

This was just polite talk. Chang Desheng knew perfectly well what was going on and was waiting for the "but".

Sure enough, Hong Jun changed the subject, his tone becoming more weighty: "However, I have also heard that those four Japanese candidates are the best of the class at the Japanese Army Academy. They have been immersed in German military strategy since their junior school days, and have probably studied diligently for over a decade. They have come prepared and are determined to succeed!"

He paused, his gaze lingering on Chang and Duan's faces for a moment, seemingly pondering something.

"You two are undoubtedly outstanding talents at the Tianjin Military Academy. However, given the limited time and the rushed examinations, if... if your results differ significantly," he carefully chose his words, speaking slowly, "it may not only hinder your personal futures but also cause friendly nations... even Japan, to look down on the level of military talent in our Great Qing. We must carefully consider the gains and losses involved."

The signing room fell silent.

Chang Desheng sneered inwardly. Here it comes, the standard client rhetoric. First, they praise you a couple of times, then they lay out the difficulties and risks, and finally they hint, "This project is too difficult; perhaps you could choose an easier one?"

He forced a look of "gratitude" and "compassion" onto his face, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, sir. I understand your concerns. Competing against the Japanese is indeed stressful."

Hong Jun nodded slightly: "Good that you understand. Young people should guard against impetuosity and value composure. In my opinion..."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "The Berlin Military Academy is one of Germany's top military academies. My three brothers, Shang, Wu, and Kong, will be taking the exam soon. With your talents, if you go with them, passing the exam is a sure thing. When you return home after completing your studies, I can speak well of you before Minister Li. Isn't this steady and reliable approach better than taking such a risky step and adding unnecessary complications?"

The meaning is clear: they don't want them to take the exam for the War Academy because they think the risk is too high and they're afraid that if they fail, they'll embarrass him and affect his "diplomatic performance."

Duan Qirui's breath hitched slightly. He glanced quickly at Hong Jun, then lowered his head again. His lips moved, but he didn't say anything. It took courage to refuse his superior's "kindness," and Duan Zhiquan had only taken the exam with a try-it-and-see attitude, with no real confidence.

Chang Desheng had already finished calculating his own little account.

Risk? None!

He not only had the goods, but also a letter from Yin Chang (actually Li Hongzhang) to Emperor William!

If all else fails, we can always use that as a backup plan—as the director of the Prussian War Academy in Germany, how could he not be involved in politics? War is a continuation of politics!

As for the profits, they would be enormous.

Going to the War College was like entering the "General Staff Preparatory Class," and those who graduated would become disciples of the Emperor (the German Emperor's protégés), a completely different starting point and circle.

As for Hong Jun being afraid of losing face? That's none of my business.

"Your teachings are indeed correct," Chang Desheng said again, his tone still respectful, but his posture seemed straighter. "A steady and methodical approach is certainly the right thing to do. However..."

He raised his head and looked at Hong Jun: "This student dares to offer a few humble opinions. Your Excellency said that if the results are too disparate, it might cause our friendly nations and the Japanese to look down on the talents of our Great Qing. This student wholeheartedly agrees with this statement. However, this student believes that precisely because of this, this examination... is even more necessary for this student to participate."

"Oh?" Hong Jun raised an eyebrow slightly.

"My lord, please consider this," Chang Desheng said calmly, as if explaining the pros and cons of the plan to a client. "The Japanese have deployed their elite forces, determined to win. If we fear their strength and avoid battle, what will outsiders say when the news gets out? Won't they say that the scholars of our Great Qing are cowards before even engaging in battle, lacking even the courage to compete with the Japanese? This is not only contempt, but a blatant mockery of our lack of talent!"

He paused, noticing Hong Jun's slight frown, and knew his words had hit the nail on the head. What these supposedly upright officials cared about most was nothing more than maintaining a semblance of dignity, wasn't they?

"On the contrary," Chang Desheng raised his voice slightly, with a youthful vigor, "if the two of us fight with all our might, even if... even if we fall slightly short, we can still be considered 'honorable in defeat,' demonstrating that our nation has capable people who are not afraid of strong opponents. If we are lucky enough to succeed, even if only one of us succeeds, it will greatly enhance our national prestige, enough to make the Japanese take notice and our friendly nations look at us with new eyes. I hope Your Excellency will understand the importance of this matter."

Hong Jun looked at him but didn't speak immediately. This kid certainly knew how to put it, turning a "personal adventure" into "bringing glory to the country." But behind this "glory" lay real risks. What if he did terribly on the exam? That wouldn't just be embarrassing, it would be a huge loss of face.

"Chang Sheng," Hong Jun drawled, leaning back in his chair, his superior's authority returning, "Your ambition is commendable. However, the dignity of the nation is not a game. Do you know that if your performance is unsatisfactory, I will have no choice but to report the evaluation of 'ambitious and disgraceful to the nation' to Minister Li and the General Administration of Customs based on the facts?"

Duan Qirui shuddered, his face turning pale. The pressure was immense; if he were to be labeled as "disgracing the nation," it would mean the end of his future!

Chang Desheng cursed under his breath, but suddenly smiled, a smile that exuded confidence.

He stood up, faced Hong Jun, and bowed respectfully.

"I understand your concerns, sir. This responsibility is indeed too great. So, sir, I am willing to sign a pledge."

"A pledge?" Hong Jun repeated.

"Yes." Chang Desheng nodded. "In this examination, either I or Brother Zhiquan will definitely be in the top three. If we don't, we will both bear the consequences. As for the 'disgrace to the nation' assessment, you can simply put it on me and Brother Zhiquan. Brother Zhiquan, what do you think of this?"

His words made Duan Qirui's face turn black!

If we get into the top three... but we don't, then we'll both bear the burden of "disgracing the nation"?

I definitely can't do it, are you fucking capable? Don't drag me down with you!

But Duan Qirui dared not back down now; to back down would be to retreat without a fight... If Chang Desheng failed the exam, that would be fine, but what if he passed? How would he continue to serve in the Beiyang Army? Thinking of this, his competitive spirit flared up, and with a determined stomp of his foot, he bowed to Hong Jun: "Sir, this student is also willing to swear a military oath!"

Seeing that Duan Qirui had followed suit, Chang Desheng smiled and continued, "But what if... what if we are lucky enough to fulfill our mission and win some face for the court..."

He looked at Hong Jun and slowly asked, "Sir, my brother Zhiquan and I have been working hard for the past month, getting up early and staying up late to study German and do math problems. Don't you think so...?"

Hong Jun stared at him for several seconds.

Then he suddenly laughed: "Well done, Chang Zhenbang, he hasn't even taken the exam yet, and he's already asking for a reward."

He put down his teacup and tapped the table twice with his fingers.

"If either you or Duan Shengzhong can rank in the top three, I will do two things. First, I will reward the successful candidate with two hundred taels of silver, which will come from my allowance for maintaining integrity. Second, after returning to the country, I will write to Minister Li and recommend him for a substantive post."

Chang Desheng's eyes lit up.

That works!

Two hundred taels of silver plus a recommendation... This client is alright!

"Thank you, sir!"

"Don't thank me yet." Hong Jun's smile vanished. "What if I don't get in?"

"If I can't get in," Chang Desheng said without hesitation, "I won't go back to the Qing Dynasty; I'll die in this Germany!"

Duan Qirui, standing to the side, dared not say "die in Germany," as he didn't want to court death. He simply kept quiet, and Minister Hong didn't argue with him, merely waving his hand: "Alright, all of you, step back!"