Prologue

Gutian, Ancient Field, is a hilly county 120 kilometers northwest of Fuzhou, capital of the coastal province of Fujian. The night of July 31, 1895 was hot and humid, and a thick fog blanketed the hilltops. In a shabby house, six leaders of the Vegetarian Society kneeled before a green banner and chanted, “The Dragon of Heaven shall conquer the foreigner’s god”. The drone of their voices, however monotonous, held a note of edgy anticipation. A rice bowl was passed around, from which they each took a gulp of the strong, clear liquor. After a brief discussion, it was decided that Long Nails the Planner would stay at home base. Minqing the Seventh, still under the spell of the solemn ceremony, grabbed the banner and whisked outside to where his Vegetarian brethren waited with swords and spears in hand. “Light the torches and let’s go!” he commanded, and with a quick wave of the green banner, more than two hundred members of the Vegetarian Society gathered behind to follow the five leaders to Huashan.

A scattering of summer cottages belonging to British and American missionaries dot the hills of Huashan, Flower Peak village, located ten kilometers south of Gutian county center. Each year the western missionaries came to Huashan seeking refuge from the sweltering tropical summers. Robert and Louisa Stewart from Church Missionary Society had five young children, the oldest at thirteen. With the Stewarts were two female missionaries and a nurse. In an adjacent cottage were five ladies from the Zenana Society.

The Vegetarians traveled loosely in darkness, the line of torches forming a giant centipede that snaked through hills and valleys. Occasionally, the cold edge of their swords and tridents gleamed when caught in the flickering light of the torches. Founded in Gutian three years ago by Liu Xiangxing, who proclaimed the healing powers of a good vegetarian diet, the Society adhered to an anti-Manchurian stance, and had a history of escalating conflicts with Christian missionaries and their converts.

Thursday started out as a typical summer day for the Stewarts. Eager to embrace the cool morning air, Hilda and Lucy, the two eldest daughters, woke up early to run outside and play. In the distance, the sky behind the mountains had become the color of a fish belly. Tranquil valleys, creeks and hills were still half-hidden by fog, and the grass was heavy with morning dew. It seemed as if the entire kingdom of heaven was still fast asleep. Ambling playfully to the crest of a hill, the girls came upon the column of men marching along the valley floor, their weapons pricking the air. For a startled moment, they stood frozen. Starting to inch backwards out of sight, it was too late. “Sha!” Mingqing the Seventh cried to his men as he pointed to the two hapless children. The killing command echoed across the valley, shattering the peaceful idyll. Shrieking, the girls turned and ran toward home while the band of brothers began their howling charge amidst the din of exploding firecrackers. The Stewart girls didn’t stand a chance.

The Vegetarians burst into the main bedroom. Minqing the Seventh, flagstick planted firmly on the ground, proclaimed, “The Dragon of Heaven shall conquer the foreigner’s god”. And with that, the Stewarts’ heads were lopped off. Two female missionaries and a nurse were also beheaded, and the house meticulously looted. It was then set ablaze.

Another group of Vegetarians rushed the neighboring Zenana Society’s cottage. Du the Red Jacket pointed his sword at the two ladies of the house. “Search them”, he ordered. Miss Codrington had a ring, which Du demanded. When she refused, he threw her to the ground and, with his sword at her neck, snatched it from her finger. “The Dragon of Heaven shall conquer the foreigner’s god”, he smirked as he greedily began to examine his new prize. Miss Codrington managed to survive by feigning death after Du slashed at her. Others were not as lucky. Charging out the back entrance, Du came upon a missionary girl in her twenties. Without a word, he stepped up and drove his sword into her chest.

Long before a hazy sun climbed above the hilly treetops, the Vegetarian Society had departed, leaving behind eleven dead, four wounded and a score of missionary homes in flames. This was the infamous Gutian Massacre, one of the bloodiest anti-missionary uprisings in Chinese history. To Great Britain, the leading western power in China, this was the last straw: someone was going to be made to pay. That someone would be the Viceroy of Sichuan province.