The Blue Dress Girl

by E. V. Thompson

  Kernow was startled by the suggestion. ‘I have authority from my commander-in-chief only to train your troops, not to lead such a brigade into battle.’

  ‘I am thankful you did not remember that when I was so hard pressed by the Taiping rebels, Englishman. I would also like to point out that the rebel Chang is in personal command of the Eastern Army. I think you would like to have a hand in his defeat?’

  As Kernow hesitated, Shalonga said, ‘I seem to remember you telling me you are sanctioned to take part in the fighting if British interests are at risk. Your country has much trade through the port of Ning Po and a European community is resident in the town. There is every excuse to involve yourself in the fighting should you so wish.’

  The offer tempted Kernow greatly. He was a professional Royal Marine officer who had been trained for warfare. He had enjoyed leading his training regiment into battle. To command such an army of men in the field would give him the power and responsibility usually reserved for a brigadier, or even a major general. Then there was Chang….

  ‘The Fan Qui is too young to command so many men in battle.’

  The comment was made by Tingamao, as though Kernow were not present.

  ‘Was I any older when you sent me with the whole of your army against the Vietnamese war lords?’

  ‘You are my son. You were born to command fighting men and I knew you.’

  ‘Major Keats is a friend who has saved my life and the lives of many of your own men. I have seen him in battle, fighting both for and against us. I know him.’

  Tingamao’s glance rested briefly on Kernow. ‘Very well, Shalonga. You are to be in supreme command of the army. The decision is yours to make – but I have not yet heard him agree to do as you ask.’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ declared Kernow, speaking in Chinese. He added, in French, ‘What is to happen to the women?’

  Shalonga was pleased with Kernow’s acceptance and he replied to his question in the same language. ‘What you really mean is, “What is to happen to She-she?” You need have no fear for her safety. The women will travel with us when we are on the move. When a battle is imminent they will be escorted to safety and guarded well. I have not lost a woman to the enemy yet. I have no intention of doing so now.’

  It was rudeness to speak in another language in front of others, but now Tingamao spoke in a language that Kernow had heard before but did not understand. He guessed correctly that the war lord was speaking in a Tartar dialect.

  Those in the room who understood what he was saying smiled suddenly and approvingly at Kernow before Tingamao rose abruptly from his chair. With a brief nod in Kernow’s direction he left the room, closely followed by the other generals.

  ‘What was all that about?’ Kernow asked of Shalonga.

  ‘My father was honouring you, Englishman. He said that to commemorate your success in saving his son, the red sash worn by the men under your command will henceforth be worn with pride by all the men you have trained, wherever they are sent to serve. He also gave orders that the banner you will carry into battle will have a red band running from corner to corner. You are now the commander of your own brigade, with your very own banner. I am well pleased, my English friend. We will fight well together, you and I.’

  Chapter 38

  SHE-SHE WAS apprehensive about Kernow becoming involved in full-scale fighting between the Imperial army and the Taiping rebels, but there was never any question of her not accompanying him into battle. She was Kernow’s woman. She would go with him anywhere for as long as he wanted her to be there.

  Esme decided she too would go along. She was giving religious instruction to Shalonga’s women and enjoyed the hours-long discussions she frequently held with the young Tartar commander.

  Of them all, Kernow had the most self-doubt about the wisdom of going into battle with the Imperial Chinese army. He was aware of the embarrassment it might cause to the British government if word got back to London.

  Before Shalonga’s army set off, Kernow sat down and wrote a long letter to the commander-in-chief in Hong Kong. In the letter he explained what he was doing and gave his reasons for the action he was taking. He was convinced, he wrote, that it was in the best long-term interests of Britain to drive the Taipings from Ning Po and re-establish normal trade between Europe and China in the treaty-ports.

  He sent the letter off in the certain knowledge that it would take many months to reach Hong Kong. By that time anything might have happened. If the Imperial army’s campaign ended in a decisive victory it was fairly certain his explanation would be accepted. Only if Shalonga’s army were to be defeated would there be any serious recriminations from the government in London.

  Shalonga’s army made slow progress through the Chinese countryside. There was an occasional skirmish with Taiping rebels, but only twice were they called upon to fight anything resembling a full-scale battle. On both occasions Kernow’s ‘Red Sash’ Brigade acquitted themselves well. Their morale was high and Kernow would have happily matched them against the troops of any nation in the world.

  The slow progress of Shalonga’s force was a deliberate policy. He wanted to put off having a decisive battle with the Taipings until winter was about to set in. If he could prise the rebels from Ning Po then they would be driven into the countryside. It would be quite impossible for such a large force to feed themselves from the land and they would be forced to retreat to a Taiping-held town, throwing a strain on resources there too.

  The Taipings did not make a stand until Shalonga’s army reached the very walls of Ning Po but the battle here was fierce. It ended with Kernow’s brigade taking many prisoners. From these, he learned with disappointment that Chang was no longer with the Taiping garrison inside Ning Po.

  He also learned that the commander of the Taiping garrison in the treaty port was Peng Yu-cheng, Kau-lin’s brother. She and her women’s regiment were also part of the town’s garrison.

  Kernow had always been very fond of Kau-lin and the last thing he wanted was to fight against either her or her brother if it could possibly be avoided.

  Before he could discuss his predicament with Shalonga, a company of Tartar horsemen arrived bearing dismal news.

  Tingamao, great war lord of the Vietnamese borders and veteran and victor of more than a hundred battles, had been stricken down with a battlefield disease. He was lying seriously ill in a town not more than fifty miles from the Taiping capital of Nanking.

  They brought other momentous news. Hsien-Feng, Emperor of all China, had died in the palace to which he had fled when the Allied armies closed in on Peking. His successor was a five-year-old boy, son of one of his secondary wives.

  The secondary wife, Tsu-Hsi, to be known as the Dowager Empress, had been appointed co-regent of her son, together with the first wife of the late emperor. However, said the messenger, Tsu-Hsi would be the real power behind the Imperial throne, and likely to remain so for very many years to come. She had already foiled a coup. Supported by the Prince Kung, she had a firm grip on the reins of power in the Chinese kingdom. She had appointed her own supporters to key positions throughout the land and was likely to continue the purge.

  Among those appointed was a new Viceroy for Chekiang, the province where Ning Po was situated. Li Chau was the name of the new Viceroy and he was reported to be on his way.

  All this news was told to Kernow by Shalonga as the Tartar general dressed for the long journey he intended making to be with his sick father.

  The weather was turning cold and Shalonga’s coat was of bearskin, as was his hat and the leggings that a servant bound around his legs.

  ‘Li Chau is not known to me, but as he has been appointed by the Dowager Empress with such great speed he is undoubtedly loyal to her. It stands to reason therefore that he has been sent to the province for a purpose. I wish I knew what it was.’

  Shalonga fastened the clasp of the coat about his neck. He needed to be warm and was not concerned about the difficulty he might ha
ve in removing his clothes. He would ride day and night to be with his father, pausing to sleep only when he was ready to drop. He would not remove his clothes until he reached his destination. This was his way.

  ‘Should Li Chau arrive before my return, treat him with extreme caution. My father’s clan is too powerful for the Dowager Empress to risk our displeasure, but we are not beloved by her people. She also has a dislike of Europeans and will never forgive you for forcing her and the Emperor to flee from Peking during the recent war.’

  ‘I’ll do my best to keep out of the way of this Li Chau, should he come to this part of his province.’

  ‘It may not prove easy, Englishman. I am giving you command of the army in my absence. Don’t look so surprised. You are familiar with the conduct of a campaign and have a natural caution which is important in a leader if he is to win wars as well as battles. My men will fight for you – and fight better than any other warriors in the world – but they are headstrong. In the heat of battle they cease to think of anything but killing. However, they will die for you, should the need arise. Remember this before you send them into battle, Englishman. I do.’

  Pulling the dark-furred hat down over his ears, Shalonga strode from the tent to where an escort and a string of ponies awaited him.

  That evening Kernow discussed the unexpected situation with She-she and Esme. The missionary had only just heard of Shalonga’s abrupt departure and had come to Kernow’s tent to learn what was happening.

  ‘I’d like to resolve the situation with as little loss of life as possible,’ declared Kernow. ‘All our intelligence reports suggest the Taipings have very little food in Ning Po. If I maintain a tight cordon about the town I might starve them into submission before Shalonga’s return. It’s certainly worth a try.’

  ‘I have a better idea,’ said She-she unexpectedly. ‘Why don’t Esme and I go into Ning Po and try to persuade Kau-lin and her brother to surrender? We can be certain that Kau-lin will see us and she has influence with her brother.’

  The suggestion startled Kernow and he had doubts about the likelihood of its success.

  ‘It’s not likely that a general like Peng Yu-cheng will take any notice of what two women have to say over a matter like this.’

  ‘Then make us your official messengers,’ said Esme. ‘I think She-she’s idea is a most sensible one. I’ve met Peng. He’s an intelligent and courteous man. I know he’ll listen carefully to anything we have to say to him. I also know he has been disillusioned with the Tien Wang and his increasingly erratic behaviour for some time now. The war is going against the Taipings, there is now no hope they will ever win. The opportunity for victory was lost a long time ago. If Peng fights on to the bitter end he will forfeit his life and the lives of all his family and followers.

  ‘It’s my opinion that if anyone offered him a means of bringing his own war to a satisfactory conclusion he would take it. Write him a letter, Kernow. Offer him honourable terms for surrender. I and She-she will take it to him. With God’s help I’ll persuade him to lay down his arms and so avoid the bloodshed that will follow if he decides to fight.’

  Kernow spent much of that night composing his letter to Peng Yu-cheng. He called in Shalonga’s senior officers and explained to them what he was doing. Not all agreed with him. There were spoils to be taken in Ning Po, and women.

  After a long discussion, Kernow won a majority of the Tartar officers over to his side. They had a great respect for the Taiping general who held Ning Po. He and his men would defend the town with fanatical zeal. The weather would be on their side if they could oust him from Ning Po. It would work against them if they did not. They agreed that Kernow should attempt to negotiate the surrender of the town.

  She-she and Esme took Kernow’s letter to Ning Po the following morning. Kernow was greatly relieved to see Kau-lin leading the party who came out from the gate to meet the two emissaries and escort them in through the gate. Now he had the difficult task of waiting for their return, wondering and worrying about what might be going on inside the high walls.

  Chapter 39

  FOR TWO DAYS Kernow sat outside Ning Po, gradually convincing himself it had been a disastrous mistake to place She-she and Esme in the hands of the Taipings. He had actually sent out a message for an emergency meeting of the senior Tartar officers to discuss his next move when a messenger bearing a white flag emerged from the encircled town.

  The messenger carried a letter to Kernow from Esme. The two women had spent most of the two days talking with Peng Yu-cheng. He had held a meeting of his officers and was now ready to meet Kernow.

  The meeting would take place on open ground halfway between the main camp of the besieging forces and the main Ning Po gate. As added insurance for Peng’s well-being, the two women would remain within Ning Po until a conclusion had been reached in the talks between the two men.

  Esme explained this by saying that while Peng had full trust in Kernow, he did not have the same confidence in the Tartar army. For this reason, neither man would be accompanied for the preliminary discussion between them.

  Kernow agreed to the Taiping commander’s conditions. An hour later he crossed the open space between Tartar and town, feeling extremely vulnerable and alone.

  Not until he had reached the allotted place did the town gate swing open to allow Peng to come out. The two men met and shook hands and after exchanging the customary pleasantries, Peng said, ‘Your offer of a conditional surrender interests me, Fan Qui. What are your conditions, and how will you be able to guarantee that the Tartars of General Shalonga will accept them?’

  ‘The Tartars are under my command at the moment. They will do as I say. You have my word. As for conditions – all I ask is that you leave Ning Po and hand in your arms. If you wish I will arrange transport to take you and your men back to Canton.’

  ‘Our lives would not be safe there. We would be hounded by both the Imperial authorities and those of our own people who resented our return. No, Fan Qui, we are fighting men. I will surrender to you on condition we are taken into the Imperial army as a fighting unit. Not to do battle with our fellow Taipings, you understand, but sent to one of the northern provinces to fight rebel tribesmen or the Mongols.’

  ‘I will need to consult the new Viceroy of the province before that can be agreed. It might take time.’

  ‘We have sufficient food in Ning Po for our present needs. Time is of more consequence to you than for us.’

  Kernow did not know whether the other man spoke the truth, but if bad weather set in it would be the Tartar army that would be hard-pressed to find sufficient food to survive. ‘Very well. You’ll release Esme and She-she in the meantime?’

  ‘Of course. It was courageous of them to bring your message to me and both are friends of Kau-lin. They will be with you by this evening.’

  She-she and Esme arrived at the Tartar camp before dusk. They were accompanied by Kau-lin who intended staying with them for a few days. Kernow was not at the camp. He had gone to the capital of the province, to find Li Chau, the new Viceroy, and discuss Peng’s surrender with him.

  Hangchow was a two-day ride to the northwest, but Kernow and his escort had travelled less than half the distance when they met with the new Viceroy. He was on his way to see for himself what was happening at Ning Po.

  Kernow was kept waiting by Li Chau for more than two hours before the provincial Viceroy sent for him.

  Matters were not improved when Kernow refused an order to kow-tow to the new Viceroy. His anger showing, Li Chau snapped, ‘I am told you come with a message from Shalonga. Deliver it and you may go, Fan Qui.’

  Kau-lin’s brother had also called Kernow a Fan Qui. Kernow had found it far less offensive than the same words from the tongue of this man seated in splendid robes in front of him.

  ‘Shalonga has gone to the bedside of his sick father. I am in command of the Tartar army besieging the town of Ning Po.’

  Before the Viceroy had recovered from the shock n
ews, Kernow continued, ‘I have spoken to Peng Yu-cheng, Commander of the Taiping army occupying the city, and discussed his surrender. He is willing to lay down his arms if you agree to take him and his men into the Imperial army and send them to fight rebels in the north of the country.’

  ‘Peng is in no position to demand terms. He will be treated as would any other rebel commander who surrenders to the Imperial army. He will write his confession and then be beheaded as a traitor to the throne.’

  ‘Then he will refuse to surrender and is likely to hold on to Ning Po for the whole winter. I doubt if that will please any of the traders, Chinese or European.’

  ‘You will not allow him to remain at Ning Po. You and your army will attack him immediately.’

  ‘I have ten thousand men outside the walls. Inside Peng has at least twice that number. I think he will also have the weather on his side. If there is snow it will favour the Taipings.’

  ‘You fear what will happen to you if you storm Ning Po? What sort of soldier are you?’ Li Chau spoke contemptuously.

  ‘I am an experienced soldier. However, should you wish to lead an assault yourself, I will place the army at your disposal. I will also ensure you are buried with all the honours due to a Viceroy of his Imperial Majesty.’

  Li Chau looked at Kernow in silence for a very long time before saying, in a much less arrogant tone of voice, ‘This offer made by Peng to surrender and serve the Emperor – do you believe he will keep his word?’

  ‘I am certain of it. Peng is a man of honour.’

  ‘He is a rebel!’ Li Chau spat out the word. ‘However, since you refuse to attack the town it would seem I am left with no choice. Very well, tell him I accept his terms.’

  Kernow should have been delighted by Li Chau’s words, but he was not. The Viceroy had capitulated too easily.