48 THE GOVERNOR THE GOVERNOR 49 to be stationed some distance away from the Metropolitan.Prov- haps the best contacts with foreigners in Shanghai,where he re- ince,where the Boxer War broke out in 1goo. sided but was in the enviable position of not being a local official. Once the Shantung Boxers entered Chihli,they received support from many Manchu dignitaries,including Yu-lu,the viceroy. Thus Yuan sent the telegram to him instead of directly to Liu or Through these officials,they won the favor of the august dowager Chang. Yuan's first message was ignored,but the second fell on sym- empress.Rebels and officials collaborated in attacks on Christians pathetic ears.Dissension between Peking and the southeastern and all those suspected of foreign contacts.Killing and plunder- ing were the order of the day.Hu Yui-fen,the commissioner for provinces inevitably grew,as the capital looked on the Boxers as railway affairs,was nearly killed and had to flee to Yuan Shih-k'ai an effective force against foreign encroachment and the provin- cial leaders saw them as members of an absurd but dangerous for protection.Tung Fu-hsiang's Kansu Army was particularly ac- movement.Provincial criticism was temporarily silenced,however, tive in supporting the Boxers.Nieh Shih-ch'eng,who questioned by a Boxer victory. how effective the Boxers'magic was and what good the movement Sir E.H.Seymour,the British naval commander at Tientsin, could do the country,tried to oppose the rebels.After receiving a severe rebuke from the empress for what she called rash action, was anxious to lift the siege of the legations and,with some 2,000 Nieh backed down.Jung-lu was of two minds.He was afraid of soldiers,attempted to fight his way to Peking.From June 1o to June 18,his force clashed with the Boxers and Nieh Shih-ch'eng's what might happen if the Boxers continued to provoke the foreign and Tung Fu-hsiang's divisions.The British were compelled to powers,but he was also afraid of the empress's wrath. In June 1goo;the Boxer forces besieged the legation quarter in retreat after suffering heavy casulties.To many conservatives,this proved the Boxers'abilities.The empress atonce called her offi- Peking.The embassies expected reinforcements on the 11th. cials to the palace for a conference;here they resolved to award When none came,hope soon dwindled to despair.A chancellor of the Boxers 100,000 taels of silver and to set up altars of worship the Japanese legation volunteered to break through the blockade everywhere.They also decided to attack the legations.Jung-lu to find out what had happened.His driver soon returned to report was appointed commander of the operation.Still indecisive,he that the chancellor had been decapitated and his body mutilated wrote to Liu K'un-i in Nanking,forecasting the lamentable results by Tung Fu-hsiang's army near the Temple of Heaven. News of the murder and the siege reached the capital of Shan- of a weak country's provoking several strong ones. By then eight nations-Austria,Britain,France,Germany,Italy, tung on the 13th.Yuan sent a telegram to Jung-lu,exhorting him either to protect the legations or to evacuate all the diplomats from Japan,Russia,and the United States-had formed a loose alliance and had dispatched forces to Taku.On June 17,the strong fortress Peking.At the same time,he telegraphed Sheng Hsuan-huai in Shanghai:"About 8,o00 foreign troops near Tientsin and Peking; there fell,exposing Tientsin to attack.But in the capital,provoca- tions continued.The German Minister von Ketteler was murdered 10,000 more on their way.Dare not surmise what will happen. at the order of a Manchu prince on June 20,and the next day Please advise me.Do Viceroys Liu K'un-i and Chang Chih-tung the empress declared war.A battle for Tientsin began soon after- have any good suggestions?"As the junior governor,Yuan was ward.General Nieh Shih-ch'eng died in action on the outskirts of not in a position to advocate an independent policy and assume the city on July 9,and five days later his troops were completely leadership.But this telegram strongly hinted to the other provin- scattered.The Left Division was now under the command of Gen- cial leaders that something must be done to secure southern and eral Ma Yu-k'un,who firmly believed in the Boxers'invincibility eastern China,something more than the talk of reinstating Li and ordered an attack with disastrous results.On August 5,when Hung-chang as viceroy of Chihli.It also implied Yuan's willing- ness to cooperate with them in a conceried action.Sheng,Li Hung- the city of Tientsin fell,his division was put out of action.With the city went the biggest arsenal in northern China.On the same chang's lieutenant aud a key man in economic matters,had per- day,the viceroy of Chihli,Yu-lu,committed suicide. 1法，5