Chapter 006: Tan Sitong

Tan Sitong remained as calm and composed as ever: "The Emperor would never issue such an edict; Tan Sitong refuses to accept the decree"

Li Guoyong looked at the man with disdain, wishing he could kick him far away. Suppressing his annoyance, he tried to soften his tone and said, "Lord Du, where do you think we should start?"

Looking at this sycophant, Li Guoyong had a plan (in fact, Li Guoyong had forgotten that he himself was the number one sycophant). He wore a broad smile and said: "Lord Du, you flatter me. We both serve the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and there will be many instances in the future where we will rely on each other. How could I dare to take all the credit for myself? How about this: I will take half of the men to capture Tan Sitong, Kang Guangren, Lin Xu, and Liu Guangdi, while I will leave the task of capturing Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Yang Rui, and Yang Shenxiu to you, Lord Du."

At this moment, in the vast and dimly lit hall of the Liuyang Guild, a burly man was earnestly persuading the unyielding Tan Sitong: "Third Brother, please hurry and leave. Lords Kang and Liang sent an urgent message over half an hour ago. The imperial decree has been issued, and the reform has failed. The two lords are likely already at the Japanese embassy. I, Wang Wu, will risk my life to ensure the lords' safe departure"

Tan Sitong smiled faintly and said: "You have all arrived late; I have been waiting for quite some time. May I ask which esteemed official has brought the troops?"

Tan Sitong watched as Wang Wu and Hu Qi, with tears in their eyes, leaped onto the rooftop to escape, and he walked out of the Mangcangcang Study with a smile.

Li Guoyong shook his head helplessly: "Lord Tan, please!"

On the afternoon of September 28, Tan Sitong and five others were escorted from the Ministry of Justice prison to the execution ground at Caishikou outside Xuanwu Gate in southern Beijing. Before his execution, Tan Sitong recited his farewell poem aloud: "With the intention to kill the traitors, yet powerless to turn back the tide. Dying for a just cause, how delightful it is!" He then passionately declared: "In order to save the nation, I am willing to shed my blood. However, the sacrifice of each individual today will inspire hundreds and thousands to rise up and continue the work of reform."

The term "General" refers to the difference between executing officials and civilians during the Qing Dynasty. The knife used for executing officials is called "General". It is used less frequently, has a dull edge, and when it strikes, blood spurts out, but the head does not fall off. It requires a second or third strike... This essentially does not belong to beheading; it is more akin to sawing off the head.

The heads of Tan Sitong and others were ordered to be displayed at the execution ground for three days. On that day, Liu Fengchi, the gatekeeper of the Liuyang Guild Hall, risked his life to transport Tan Sitong's headless corpse back to the Liuyang Guild Hall. Three days later, Liu Fengchi retrieved Tan's head, had it sewn onto the body, and temporarily buried it after the funeral rites. The following year, Liu Fengchi escorted Tan's coffin back to the foot of Shishan Mountain outside Liuyang City in Hunan for a formal burial.

On September 21, Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly returned to the palace from the Summer Palace. After reprimanding Emperor Guangxu, she issued an edict in the name of Emperor Guangxu, citing "I am unwell" as the reason, and announced the "Regency," taking over the authority to handle state affairs. She then ordered that Guangxu be placed under house arrest at Nanhai Yuantai Hanyuan Hall, assigning trusted eunuchs to closely monitor him and severing all his connections with the outside world

The mastermind behind the coup was Empress Dowager Cixi, while the vanguard of the coup was Li Guoyong, who was inexplicably drawn into it from another era.

Du Ziqi was so delighted that he was bubbling with joy. Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao were indeed the prominent leaders of the Reformist faction. If he could manage to get close to them, it would not be impossible for him to secure a position as a governor or something similar under the Empress Dowager.

On September 20, 1898, the 24th year of the Guangxu era, this day would inevitably become one of the darkest in Chinese history. From this day forward, the Reform Movement, which represented China's awakening towards progress and self-rescue, would be completely stifled

Yuan Shikai, who had made contributions by informing on others during the Wuxu Coup, was appointed as the Governor of Shandong in 1899, gradually moving closer to the power center of the Qing court. In contrast, Li Guoyong, who also played a significant role in suppressing the reform movement, received favor from Empress Dowager Cixi even more quickly than Yuan Shikai.

In prison, Tan Sitong remained calm and unperturbed, having long set aside concerns of life and death. He composed the poignant poem "Inscription on the Wall in Prison," which has been passed down through history: "Looking towards the gate, I think of Zhang Jian; to endure death for a moment, I await Du Gen. I laugh with my sword pointed at the sky, regardless of my fate, my heart and guts are as steadfast as Kunlun."

The military minister in charge of executions, Jian Zhan, fearing that Tan Sitong might say something further, hastily ordered the beheading of Tan Sitong and the other six with the official executioner's sword "General".

As he passed by Li Guoyong, he saw the immense hatred in Guangxu's eyes directed towards him

"My lord, the brothers are all ready, what do you think?" a cautious officer from the Inner Nine Gates inquired.

Li Guoyong looked at the overjoyed fellow who was almost dancing with excitement, and he coldly sneered to himself, enjoy it while you can; soon enough, you will have your moment of sorrow. According to the agreement in the secret letter sent by Li Hongzhang earlier today, he should have dispatched someone an hour ago to secretly inform Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao about this capture operation. If you, Lord Du, manage to apprehend them, that would truly be a remarkable event. He stopped Du Ziqi, who was still pretending to decline: "There is no need for you to be courteous, Lord Du; I think we should proceed as planned. Let's take action." According to the agreement in the secret letter sent by Li Hongzhang earlier today, he should have dispatched someone an hour ago to secretly inform Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao about this capture operation. If you, Lord Du, manage to apprehend them, that would truly be a remarkable event. He stopped Du Ziqi, who was still pretending to decline: "There is no need for you to be courteous, Lord Du; I think we should proceed as planned. Let's take action."

This man is none other than the renowned hero of the late Qing Dynasty, Wang Wu, the Great Blade.

The sound of hooves in the distance grew closer. Wang Wu knew that further persuasion was impossible, so he knelt down beside Hu Qi and said, "Third Brother, I, Wang Wu, swear here that as long as I have breath left, I will avenge this great grievance for you!"

It was this Dadao Wang Wu and Hu Qi who later almost succeeded in assassinating Li Guoyong, though that is a story for another time

Having received prior notice, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao first sought refuge at the Japanese embassy, and later escaped abroad under the protection of Li Hongzhang, who was then the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.

Wang Wu still needed persuasion, but Tan Sitong waved his hand to stop him. He took off his sword and handed it to Wang Wu, saying: "Brother Wu, my mind is made up, no need to persuade me further. This sword is named 'Feng Ju', and I hereby present it to you, Brother Wu. I only hope that you will use this sword to sweep away the injustices in the world alongside Brother Qi (Wang Wu's sworn brother, Hu Qi). That is all I wish for!"

Tan Sitong shook his head and smiled: "A true man either does nothing or acts with integrity; death is nothing to lament. Reforms in various countries have all been achieved through bloodshed. Today, China has not witnessed any bloodshed resulting from reforms, which is why this nation does not prosper. If there is to be such bloodshed, let it begin with me, Sitong." (Original words of Tan Sitong)

The leading young man, Li Guoyong, although he had long known from history about Tan Sitong's fearless attitude towards death, was still deeply impressed by Tan Sitong's demeanor when faced with the moment: "I am Li Guoyong."

Thus, the vigorous reform movement has failed. This reform began on June 11, 1898, and ended on September 21, totaling 103 days, historically known as the "Hundred Days' Reform"

Tan Sitong displayed a mocking expression: "No wonder, it turns out that Lord Li has been promoted. I, Tan, congratulate you, my lord!"

The officer named Du Ziqi is keen to curry favor with his newly favored superior: "My lord, in my humble opinion, the primary task is to capture the three leaders of the Reform Party, Kang, Liang, and Tan. This achievement, along with the books, will undoubtedly be credited to you. I will take five hundred soldiers to apprehend the remaining traitors, and I hope to share in a bit of the glory as well"

"Bold!" shouted a soldier beside him, "This is the first-class guard personally appointed by the Empress Dowager, Lord Li, the Chief of the Anti-Thief Unit!"

Looking at the dense mass of soldiers ready for action, Li Guoyong felt a sense of confusion in his heart

In 1898, China was on the verge of great upheaval

Li Guoyong sighed and took out Empress Cixi's edict from his sleeve, reading aloud: "Regarding the Minister of Works Kang Youwei, the Assistant Director of the Translation Bureau Liang Qichao, and the Grand Councilor Tan Sitong, who have not received the Emperor's grace and are secretly plotting rebellion, they are to be handed over to the military commander’s office for interrogation by the Ministry of Justice. Thus it is decreed!"

With a loud bang, the door of the Liuyang Club was smashed open, and a large group of soldiers surged in, escorting a young man of about twenty years old.

This small rogue from over a hundred years later found himself standing at the forefront of a great era's arrival due to a single car accident

A coup that would completely drag China into a state of poverty and weakness, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation, has begun.

On the night of September 20, 1898, in the 24th year of the Guangxu era, Tan Sitong was arrested at the Mangcangcang Studio; Yang Rui was captured in bed; Lin Xu was taken while on duty at the Grand Council; and none of Kang Guangren, Liu Guangdi, or Yang Shenxiu escaped arrest

Upon hearing this name, Tan Sitong's expression changed slightly: "So it is the recently appointed third-class imperial guard, Lord Li."