Tuqing: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 128 Good news about Su Yi entering the palace! The British army retreats!

Nowadays, the Qing Dynasty is surrounded by wars, but there is still a paradise, and Hangzhou is one of them.

So far, it has not been affected much by the flames of war, and it looks like a paradise on earth.

Of course, if we follow the historical trajectory, such good days will not last long. About three years later, Hangzhou will also be captured by the Taiping Army.

Of course, now that Su Yi is here, whether this result can be changed depends on time and fate.

Inside the Hangzhou magistrate's office, the magistrate Wang Youling was listening to songs and eating snacks, but he was a little upset.

In the past few years, he has been very proud of himself. He has been with He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, and his official career has been prosperous.

Now he is not only the prefect of Hangzhou, but also the salt transport envoy and the inspector of Zhejiang.

However, some time ago, he was impeached by Xu Zheng, the general judge, and even implicated his benefactor He Guiqing.

The key point is that the content of his impeachment is true, and even more serious. He Guiqing originally recommended him to serve as the chief envoy of Jiangsu Province, but he was about to be promoted, but he was stuck.

This is what officialdom is like. If they don't impeach you early, they will impeach you later, and they will get rid of you at the critical moment.

"Sir, someone has come to pay you a visit. This is the greeting card. He is just outside the door." The servant came in and handed over the greeting card.

Wang Youling couldn't help but frown, because people of his level must be very particular.

If you want to visit, you need to send a greeting card one day in advance. You need to give the host enough time to prepare. No matter whether you are going to see him or not, there must be enough buffer. How can you directly shout at the door?

Take a look at the greeting card.

Wang Youling couldn't help but be shocked, it was actually him?

Acting as Su Yi, the prefect of Guangzhou.

Wang Youling is now an inspector, so he has a higher rank than Su Yi and has more power.

But the two are completely different. Su Yi is the emperor's favorite.

Immediately, Wang Youling immediately put on his official hat and led the entire core staff of the prefect's Yamen to personally greet him at the gate.

"Xiaoguan Wang Youling, I have met Brother Su Yi." Wang Youling pretended to salute. He obviously had a higher rank, but he called himself a subordinate.

Su Yi quickly helped him up, then cupped his hands and said, "I've met Mr. Wang."

Wang Youling invited Su Yi into the prefect's Yamen with great enthusiasm.

Next, the two of them exchanged pleasantries.

Su Yi said: "I heard that Brother Wang will be promoted to the Chief Envoy of Jiangsu soon and officially seal the territory. Congratulations."

Wang Youling said: "This is all thanks to Brother Su Yi. If you hadn't won in Jiangsu, we wouldn't have such a day."

Su Yi said: "Does the new Jiangnan Camp coach He Chun and Brother Wang know each other well?"

Wang Youling said: "It's not that we are familiar with each other, it's all because of Mr. He Guiqing's face."

Then, Wang Youling sighed and said: "To be honest, brother Su Yi, the lower official is in trouble. Not only will he not be promoted, he may also be affected by the official, Mr. He Guiqing."

Su Yi said: "Oh? Why?"

Wang Youling said: "I have someone joining me, and there is more than one person. The emperor has been admitted, and Lord He Guiqing is resigning."

Su Yi said: "Who is participating?"

Wang Youling said: "First, Xu Zheng was the general judge, and then many senior officials in the capital, as well as many censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, were also involved with me."

Su Yi said: "Oh, then I will go back to Beijing to inquire. If necessary, I can say a few words in front of the emperor."

As soon as these words came out, Wang Youling was overjoyed.

He immediately left his seat and bowed down, saying, "In this case, I would like to thank you for your great kindness."

To be honest, while Wang Youling was greatly surprised, he was a little confused about Su Yi.

Although Wang Youling was of higher rank, everyone knew that Su Yi was different.

He is not only the coach of the new army, a favorite of the emperor, but also the future prince-in-law.

Therefore, he did not need to sell Wang Youling's favor at all. Regardless of Wang Youling's high rank, once he arrived in the capital, he would have to hand over a greeting card and queue up in front of Su Yi's house.

But he knew Su Yi's reputation.

Once he says something, even if it is only six points, he will definitely achieve nine points.

This is just the opposite of ordinary people.

Of course Wang Youling heard that Su Yi was extremely favored by the emperor. For Wang Youling, many big problems may really only require one sentence.

Of course he knew that Su Yi's errand to Guangzhou this time was to negotiate with the British.

This matter was extremely difficult, especially when Su Yi said that the British would withdraw their troops unconditionally, which was even more impossible.

Entrusted by He Guiqing, Wang Youling often went to Shanghai to deal with the British. He was deeply aware of the strength of the British and the difficulties involved.

Therefore, Brother Su Yi may not be able to complete this errand.

So Wang Youling didn't say a word about it.

And he felt that even if Su Yi failed to complete his errand this time, it would not affect his future.

"I wonder if Brother Su Yi is here in Hangzhou this time. Is there anything I can do for you?" Wang Youling asked proactively.

Su Yi said: "I heard that Hu Xueyan is Brother Wang's disciple?"

Wang Youling said: "Friend, friend, you can't be said to be my disciple."

Su Yi said: "I want to meet this Hu Xueyan."

Wang Youling said: "Of course, this is his great blessing. I will send someone over immediately to ask him to come and pay his respects to my brother."

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Although Hu Xueyan is not as wealthy as he would be a few years later, he is already developed.

Wang Youling's money from the Salt Transport Division's Yamen, even part of the salary for the Jiangnan Camp, and all the soldiers' salary from the Zhejiang's Yamen were also in his Fukang Bank.

Before going to see Su Yi again, he first asked his patron and friend Wang Youling for advice.

Hu Xueyan was indeed not Wang Youling's disciple, but he was kind to Wang.

"Sir, I'm a little unclear on how Brother Su Yi wants to see me." Hu Xueyan was a little uneasy.

Although Su Yi did not hold a high official position and did not have much power, as a favored minister of the emperor, he was already considered a powerful one.

Wang Youling said: "It's probably to raise wages or buy weapons."

Hu Xueyan is rich, so many officials will come to fight against the autumn wind. Of course, with Su Yi's level, it's more than that.

But it was very possible to raise wages. Hu Xueyan opened a bank and had dealings with foreign consortiums. Many senior officials later approached him to raise wages. It's just that he doesn't have such great influence yet, and his dealings with foreign consortia have only just begun.

"By the way, on his recent errand, the emperor sent him to Guangzhou to negotiate with foreigners. He publicly said that he would be Zhang Yi and Su Qin, and that he would persuade the British to withdraw unconditionally with his sharp tongue. What do you think?" Wang Youling asked.

Hu Xueyan said: "There is absolutely no such possibility. The British adopted pragmatic diplomacy. This time the troops were sent out with great momentum. Without sufficient benefits, it is absolutely impossible to withdraw the troops. This brother Su Yi, although he won the first place in the civil and military examinations, But after all, we are narrow-minded and do not look at the world broadly.”

Wang Youling said: "So when we meet, don't talk about this matter, and try not to offend him. He is the emperor's favorite. Even if this matter fails, he can only rest at home for a few months at most. The emperor treats him It’s very important.”

Hu Xueyan said: "Then I know it in my heart."

Wang Youling said: "If he wants money, as long as the amount is not too large, you can give it to him and I will find a way for you."

Hu Xueyan bowed and said, "Thank you, sir."

Then, Hu Xueyan took a deep breath and went to meet Su Yi.

When he saw Su Yi, he fully expected to have a large piece of flesh cut off.

In their opinion, Su Yi came here to ask for money, otherwise why would Shi En Wang be old for nothing?

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"Little Hu Xueyan, please give my regards to my elder brother." Hu Xueyan bowed firmly.

Su Yi said: "Get up, your business has not been bad recently."

Hu Xueyan said: "It was all thanks to Mr. Wang's support, and also thanks to Brother Su Yi that we won the great victory in Jiangsu."

Then, he waited for Su Yi to speak.

As long as it doesn't exceed 200,000 taels, he is willing to take it out.

The meaning was very clear. In exchange for 200,000 taels, Su Yi could speak good words for Wang Youling in front of the emperor, help him tide over the difficulties, and successfully be promoted to the chief envoy of Jiangsu.

Su Yi smiled and said: "I know what you are thinking. You think that I gave Wang Youling a favor for no reason and was willing to speak good words for him in front of the emperor just to ask for money from you. And you probably have a number in mind, as long as it does not exceed ten I am willing to take out hundreds of thousands taels."

Hu Xueyan was startled and immediately said: "I don't dare to speculate on my elder brother's thoughts."

Su Yi said: "On the contrary, the reason why I helped Wang Youling was because of you."

Hu Xueyan was even more surprised and said: "I don't know where I can relieve my brother's worries. Xueyan will do his best."

Su Yi said: "I know that you are loyal and cannot betray Mr. Wang Youling. I don't mean that. It's just that in half a year, you and I will have a business cooperation. It will be a purely equal business cooperation. You don't have to be afraid."

How could Hu Xueyan not be afraid?

In this era, businessmen are most afraid of officials.

Especially Su Yi, a favorite of the emperor.

Of course, if Su Yi really wanted to have any thoughts about Hu Xueyan, it would be difficult to do so. After all, behind him were Wang Youling and He Guiqing, the real local gangsters.

However, Su Yi really had no intention of touching the other party's property, she just took a fancy to his talent.

Su Yi said: "Guang Yong, have you ever thought about taking the semicolon to the capital?"

Of course I do, even in my dreams.

But it can't be done. Without a backer, who would dare to open a bank in the capital.

Su Yi said: "If you want, I would be willing to help."

Hu Xueyan was even more afraid, Brother Su Yi, why do you always say things that are superficial and profound?

But this is Su Yi's style, which may make people uncomfortable at first, but after it becomes a signature, this method becomes especially useful.

Hu Xueyan didn't know what to answer for a moment.

Answering that you don't have this idea is lying and will leave the other party with a hypocritical impression.

If yes, what should I do if the other party directly says, "Come on and I'll help you?"

Hu Xueyan said: "It is being planned. I will definitely have the nerve to worship the Bodhisattva, my brother."

Su Yi smiled and said no more.

He knew clearly that he still did not have enough weight in Hu Xueyan's eyes at this time.

Although he was a favored minister of the emperor, his power in his hands was not great enough. He was not as powerful as Wang Youling, let alone a high-ranking official like He Guiqing.

But I came here specifically to get to know each other.

After all, this is a talent, and it is a talent that has been verified by history.

Wang Youling was not enough as his backer, and neither was Zuo Zongtang.

After Zuo Zongtang died, Li Hongzhang and Sheng Xuanhuai joined forces with foreign businessmen to bankrupt Hu Xueyan in less than a month.

Su Yi said: "Goodbye then. I may ask you to see you again in half a year."

Hu Xueyan said: "Yes, Xueyan will definitely arrive by then even if he is thousands of miles away."

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Leaving Hangzhou, we took a boat out to sea along the Qiantang River and continued north.

At this time, Hei Gong and others did not follow them on the ship, but went to Tianjing of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to perform another lurking mission.

The Tianjing Incident has not yet broken out.

On the contrary, Yang Xiuqing became more and more fierce in the power struggle, which was not good.

Su Yi must find a way to get history back on track, and it's best to stick to his timeline.

Along the way north along the coast, the sea is very sluggish.

The usually busy trading ships were very few at this time, because the entire eastern sea was covered with war clouds.

And business is most risk averse, especially the risk of war.

Originally, Su Yi was supposed to go to Shanghai again, visit Wade and Sir Henry, and invite them to join his Jiujiang Economic Pilot Zone plan.

But it can't be done now. This is within the scope of Minister Bao Ling's responsibility and he will not get involved.

This economic pilot zone is so important. It is not only the beginning of Su Yi's foundation, but also the beginning of the industrialization of China as a whole.

There can be absolutely no mistakes.

In this way, Su Yi landed directly on the sea in Tianjin.

"Boom boom boom boom..."

Far away, a rumbling explosion was heard.

This is the sound of naval gunfire.

When I looked closer, I found something even more incredible. After leaving for a month, the size of this fleet has actually increased. It includes not only the British fleet, but also the French fleet and the American fleet.

Moreover, they not only opened fire on the sea, but also opened fire on Tianjin's coastline.

Even... some shells have already landed on the ground in Tianjin.

As soon as Su Yi's ship approached, it was immediately surrounded by warships, and British soldiers boarded the ship for inspection.

However, it was quickly released.

Because Su Yi not only had a letter from Sir Bao Ling, but also a letter from the rear admiral.

However, he did not say anything about withdrawing the troops. This order was given by Bao Ling.

Because Bao Ling was not only the British Minister to China, but also the highest British commander in China.

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Su Yi got off the boat and went to the New Army barracks first.

In order to avoid the artillery fire of the British fleet, the new army had already gone to the new barracks and abandoned the original naval camp.

The second batch of new troops was originally planned to be 3,500 people, but it turned out to be only 1,500 people.

I have been training for more than three months now.

Su Yi is not here and Wang Shiqing is on the front line, so the current top officials of the New Army are Ronglu and Zhaobu.

As the head coach of the new army, Su Yi observed the drills for several hours.

He couldn't help but frown.

The reason why the number of soldiers recruited has been halved is simple: there is no money.

Because the entire Eight Banners, as well as the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household Affairs, are hostile to the new army.

Therefore, even under heavy pressure from the emperor, he only allocated less than one million taels.

Of course, to some extent, the Ministry of Revenue is really out of money.

And the emperor was unwilling to pay out of his own pocket.

These 1,500 recruits are not as good as the first batch of new troops in terms of performance and spirit.

However, this is also normal.

This first batch of new troops was trained by Su Yi personally. In just a few months, they experienced the baptism of spirit and blood, and even spontaneously organized a mutiny. Of course, it was completely different.

"Commander, this subordinate is incompetent. Please punish me, Commander-in-Chief." Zhaobu and others knelt down neatly in front of Su Yi.

Su Yi said: "Zhaobu, last year's new army had many opportunities that were hard to come by, so they won't be available again. Right now, this new army has only one path, be strict and ruthless. As for the rest, we'll talk about it later. "

Zhaobu kowtowed and said, "I obey!"

Su Yi also wanted to train this new army in person, but he had too many more important things to do.

And this second new army does make him very dissatisfied now, but when it is brought to the battlefield and surrounded by veterans, it will still transform.

Although there are already many veterans in this new army, and the officers are almost all sent by veterans.

But it's still not enough.

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After only more than two hours, Su Yi left the New Army barracks.

Continue to gallop into Beijing.

When I passed Tianjin, I found that it was already in chaos, and the rich and powerful businessmen inside had already escaped.

Moreover, sixty-seven out of ten people fled.

Tianjin Green Camp was defending the city, as if facing a formidable enemy, its face was earth-colored.

Although Su Yi's side has finished talking, on Tianjin's side, war is about to break out.

Unexpectedly, the situation turned out to be so critical at this time.

He couldn't waste any more time and continued to speed towards the capital.

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And this time!

Rumors have spread throughout the capital.

Su Yi has been away for more than a month, but there is no news.

It's not just negotiations that have failed.

Su Yi might have been arrested.

What's more, Su Yi's tough attitude completely angered the foreigners, which made the situation even more precarious.

Su Yi may have died in the hands of the British.

And so on.

Above the court, there were even more dark clouds.

For the emperor, this was another extremely painful month.

Su Yi went to negotiate for more than a month, but there was no news.

But the battle reports from Guangzhou came one after another.

It was a huge defeat every time.

During team training around Guangzhou, Green Camp kept going to rescue Guangzhou and wanted to take it back.

Twenty to thirty thousand people were dispatched.

But all were defeated.

I heard that the British army in Guangzhou only numbered more than 4,000 people.

Tens of thousands of people cannot defeat four thousand.

The combat effectiveness of this British army is actually so strong.

And I heard that Britain is still recruiting troops.

We must immediately expand the scale of the war and occupy the entire Guangdong.

Guangdong is another financial source for the imperial court besides Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If it is lost, it will be even worse.

Of course, what is even more terrifying is the situation in Tianjin.

Everyone could see that the British fleet was growing.

Compared to before, the fleet size has almost doubled.

Moreover, their actions have become more and more radical.

The day before yesterday, artillery shells even landed on the outskirts of Tianjin, and there were already casualties.

Tianjin City is within the range of naval guns. Once opened fire, the consequences would be disastrous.

It's like the world is falling apart.

Su Yi, how's the conversation going with you over there?

Why do you need some news?

And the bad news is not just for foreigners, the war situation in the south is also terrible.

After breaking through the Jiangnan camp, although Fa Ni failed to pursue the victory, Shi Da, the puppet king of Fa Ni, had already entered Jiangxi with his expeditionary army to the west. He had won consecutive battles and had captured most of the prefectures in Jiangxi.

Seeing that the whole of Jiangxi is about to fall.

The emperor's mood was completely bad.

"Your Majesty, we can't wait any longer. Su Yi's negotiations must have failed. New preparations must be made."

"Your Majesty, Su Yi is young and energetic. He must have angered the British, which is why the British retaliated so violently and continued to increase their troops."

"The top priority is to re-send experienced ministers as imperial envoys to renegotiate with the British."

"The slave recommends He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang."

"My slave recommends Qiying and Yilibu. After all, these two have talked with the British and have experience."

"Please recall Su Yi to prevent him from further aggravating the situation."

"I request the emperor to issue an order to reprimand Su Yi and give the British an explanation first to appease them so that the situation will not deteriorate further!"

And at this time.

The eunuch rushed to report: "Your Majesty, Su Yi has returned to the capital and asked to see you outside the palace!"

Everyone was shocked, he suddenly came back?

Wasn't it seized by the British?

The emperor said: "Quick, pass quickly!"

After a while, the dusty Su Yi entered the palace.

For a moment, all eyes were fixed on Su Yi.

The emperor stood up directly and asked urgently: "Su Yi, how was the discussion? How was the discussion?"

For the emperor, even for the courtiers.

As long as the compensation is less than eight million, it is considered a success.

It was more important to get the British to retreat first.

Su Yi said: "Your Majesty, fortunately, we have fulfilled our orders and the negotiation has been concluded. The British are willing to withdraw their troops."

The emperor asked: "What conditions? What conditions do the British have?"

All the courtiers in the room pricked up their ears.

As long as the compensation is less than 8 million, they won't say anything now. As long as the British can withdraw their troops, 8 million is worth it.

Even if there is a liquidation, it will be done after the fact.

Su Yi said: "The British promised to withdraw their troops unconditionally. This is the letter of credence handed over by the British Minister Bao Ling. This is the treaty signed between me and the other party. Please read it to your Majesty!"

The emperor was shocked, and the civil and military officials in the court were shocked.

Unconditional withdrawal?

How is this possible?

With the situation in front of us, how could we possibly retreat unconditionally?

The emperor took over the treaty signed by both parties. Of course he couldn't understand English and could only read the Chinese part.

It is indeed written clearly that the British are willing to withdraw their troops unconditionally.

At this time, a faint sound came from below.

"Your Majesty, has Su Yi been deceived by the British? They are constantly increasing their troops. How can they withdraw their troops? Is this their plan to slow down the troops?"

It would be fun if Su Yi here said that the British were willing to withdraw their troops unconditionally, and the British fleet on the sea over Tianjin opened fire directly on Tianjin.

Then this Su Yi should probably be beaten to the end.

This is completely the crime of deceiving the emperor.

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However, destiny only allows some people to get their wish.

Above the Tianjin sea, the combined fleet is continuing to threaten Tianjin City, and the artillery fire is getting closer and closer.

When the pace of war is getting closer and closer.

Suddenly, a British ship appeared on the southern horizon.

On board the ship was the commander of the British fleet in China, Rear Admiral Simachi.

His battleships entered directly into the combined fleet.

give an order.

The fleet retreats!

Then, the semaphore was waved on the battleship.

The entire army retreats!

Then, the combined fleet turned around and headed in the opposite direction of Tianjin City, heading east.

In just over half an hour, the combined fleet retreated cleanly.

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(End of this chapter)