At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the first troops to enter Beijing were not the Eight-Nation Alliance, but the Huayong Corps recruited by the British in Shandong. At that time, wars were fought based on "battalions," such as ten battalions or twenty battalions. According to formal organization, a battalion typically had 500 men, but on the Qing government’s side, a battalion usually only had about 300 men, with the rest being officers, all on empty pay. Even the 300 or so men who received wages often had them heavily deducted, so the actual amount they kept was minimal. This practice was called “Chuan Kou” (passing the mouth). To make a living, Chinese had to enlist in the army. Naturally, some Chinese also joined the Huayong Corps recruited by the British.

Later, a problem was discovered: these foreigners were truly “not very smart.” They didn’t drink soldiers’ blood like Qing officials, didn’t pocket the pay, and didn’t deduct wages. As a result, many people signed up. The British recruited several thousand at once. Originally, their goal was to use these men as cannon fodder. But when it came time to attack Beijing, the British ordered the Huayong Corps to go first. Why? Because they were paid three times the salary of the Qing troops. Do you know how stubborn these foreigners were? When they died, they were truly given pensions, and the money was actually sent to their families. So the Huayong Corps wasn’t afraid of being cannon fodder; it was fine because the foreigners were stupid—they paid money. Unlike the Russians, who would report someone missing and drag things out for days.

During the attack on Beijing, the British originally planned to use the Huayong Corps as cannon fodder to reduce their own casualties. Unexpectedly, the Huayong Corps defeated the Qing army in one battle, with minimal casualties themselves, and the Qing troops basically fled. Therefore, the first people to enter Beijing were not the Eight-Nation Alliance, but the Huayong Corps recruited by the British in Shandong.