Why are Boy Scouts frequently used in some countries? During the Qing Dynasty, when the Boxers fought against foreigners, the children who fought and died the most were young boys, meaning the children who died the most. Next were the young adults, and the least casualties were among the teachers and senior brothers, the masters. Why is that? According to the records in the "Tianjin Monthly," the Boxers would place children at the front line in battle, with young boys rushing ahead, teenage boys in the middle, and teachers and senior brothers behind to oversee the fight. When foreigners opened fire at the front, the first to be hit were the children, who would fall to the ground. Once the children fell, the teachers and senior brothers would immediately retreat, and everyone would run away. The "Jinxi Bi Ji" records that the Boxers always used children as vanguards, with strong young men in the middle, and teachers and senior brothers at the rear to supervise the battle. It is said that the Boxer’s magic relies on children, claiming they can communicate with spirits. This magic might be most effective when used by children, so every battle would have dozens of children leading the charge because they are believed to be most spiritual. Therefore, these children would be at the forefront.

According to the "Red Lantern Chronicle," the Red Lantern bearers were all young girls aged thirteen or fourteen. The Boxer command was to let these young girls lead the charge. When fighting, these thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls would rush ahead, and when the foreigners opened fire, countless young girls would be killed. Can these children withstand foreign guns? British journalist Botlen Lennox Simpson wrote a book titled "The Siege of the Legations," documenting the entire process of the Beijing Legation Quarter siege during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. This record states that the Boxers advanced with children at the front, and when they opened fire, the children fell like grass in the wind.

Are these children really willing to rush to the front? The "Chronicles of Fist Chaos" records that children believe that gunfire and arrows do not harm them, and they would rush to the front during battles. The children have been brainwashed; they truly believe they have magic, so they dare to charge forward. But believing is one thing, and magic is another. So many children died in battle—how does the Boxer movement explain this? According to the "Tianjin January Record," the Boxer’s explanation was that children have little magical power, so they suffered the most casualties. Some young adults were well-trained, while others were not, leading to varying casualties. The teachers and senior brothers, with their profound magic, remained unharmed.

Based on the "Red Lantern Chronicle," the Boxers also offered another explanation: the young girls rushing ahead, aged thirteen or fourteen, did not actually die but transformed into red clouds and disappeared.