Tuqing: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 199 Toward victory! The British Crown Prince visits!

Father Surana and the four missionaries died violently.

This directly shocked the Fuzhou Consulate.

After the news came out, Lieutenant Colonel William, the commander of the two warships in the Min River, directly ordered the firing.

"Boom boom boom..."

A total of three artillery shells were fired, falling into the suburbs of Fuzhou and exploding violently.

The guards of the Fuzhou Consulate immediately ordered the arrest of Tian Yugong, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang during the hunger strike.

At this time, countless people were finally angered and stormed the Fuzhou Consulate.

British soldiers opened fire on people in Fuzhou.

Bloodshed once again.

The situation worsened further.

I dug all over the capital, but couldn't find it.

Perhaps these deaths are very strange.

Although the instigator, Ma Fu, has always been a little nervous, he has also been under tremendous pressure in the past few months. And opium alone was no longer enough, he had begun injecting large amounts of morphine.

This is already considered a very serious diplomatic incident.

The reason why people died at that time was because he took a large amount of opium and injected a large amount of morphine.

But he didn't expect that he would be so crazy that he massacred his compatriots and shot himself.

Open the window slightly and look outside.

You can see countless densely packed people, surrounding the entire consulate, their eyes filled with hatred.

The Fuzhou consul ordered: "We must treat this Qing governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. We must not let him die in our hands."

The emperor issued an order: "Clear both sides of the canal immediately, and no one is allowed to come into contact with people from Su Yi's fleet. Su Yi must not let Su Yi know the news."

And the other side.

Su Yi was originally called to Beijing in the name of marriage, so he had to come.

There is no ghost here, no one believes it.

As a result, the princess now became a nun, which suddenly put the court into a passive position and made Su Yi a victim.

The deaths of these missionaries had nothing to do with the Chinese, but the warships had opened fire.

Start cleaning up along the canal to prevent the news of the princess's escape from the marriage from leaking.

But it has nothing to do with the Chinese.

Suddenly, thousands of soldiers and horses rushed out of the capital.

Moreover, the hiding place of these five missionaries is top secret, and it is absolutely impossible for the Chinese to know it.

In an instant, Tian Yugong's reputation as a hero quickly spread.

The prefect of Fuzhou, the admiral of Fujian and others also immediately submitted memorials to report to the court.

Unlimited criticism of the British.

..............................

This... this isn't murder.

But the instigator, the missionary Ma Fu, became insane after taking a large amount of opium. He shot and killed Father Surana, killed three other missionaries, and then committed suicide.

The Fuzhou consul said: "Report to Count Elgin immediately."

Moreover, the letter he left spread throughout the capital in a very short time.

This time he became extremely passive.

Fortunately, the Qing Dynasty has always been extremely weak. It fired artillery when it fired, and arrested governors when they caught them.

however……

At this time, on the Tongzhou Pier.

No, it was murder to be precise.

All officials in Fujian officialdom sent countless memorials to the capital.

At this time, the emperor in the capital did not know what was happening in Fujian.

He was in a state of extreme rage.

"Whoo!"

Full praise for Tian Yugong, Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang.

The emperor immediately sent people to Mount Wutai in Shanxi to look for traces of Princess Shouxi.

And they also arrested the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang in China.

However... when the British sent professionals to investigate the death scenes of the five missionaries, they were very surprised and very embarrassed to find out.

Princess Shouxi has disappeared!

There are still lanterns and colorful decorations, and the atmosphere is full of joy.

Officials from the Zongren Mansion were waiting on the dock.

Several hundred soldiers from the Ruijian Battalion were hiding in the dark.

Su Yi's old acquaintance Fu Qi, the former first-class bodyguard, was also waiting at the dock with eight guards and an official sedan.

Everyone had smiles on their faces, waiting for Su Yi's arrival.

Even if the princess disappears, she still has to find a way to trick Su Yi into the capital.

As a result, Su Yi's ship really arrived, getting closer and closer to Tongzhou Pier.

The people on the dock suddenly became extremely nervous.

Always be ready to order someone to be taken.

As soon as the boat stopped, the sound of music sounded.

But the person who walked out was not Su Yi, but Su Quan.

Su Quan said angrily with a cold face: "My brother Su Yi just sent out troops to defeat tens of thousands of rebels, saved Suzhou, and saved the war situation. Is this how the imperial court humiliates its heroes?"

"I ordered my brother to go to Beijing to get married, but Princess Shouxi disappeared. What does this mean?"

"If you want your subject to die, I have to die, but killing someone is just a nod."

"Why do you do this to my family and my brother?"

Fu Qi couldn't help but stepped forward and said, "Master Su Quan, where is Brother Su Yi?"

Su Quandao: "Fu Qi, you were once my brother's friend. You know clearly that the princess has disappeared, but you are still waiting here with a sedan. What do you mean?"

Fu Qi's face suddenly became embarrassed. He and Su Yi were indeed friends.

But after all, he was a minister of the emperor, and the friends had not interacted with each other for several years, so any friendship had faded.

Of course, the most important thing is the emperor's will.

The emperor was disgusted with Su Yi, so of course Fu Qi had no choice but to draw a clear line.

So, Fu Qi asked again: "Where is Brother Su Yi?"

Su Quandao: "On the way, after I learned that the princess was missing, my brother Su Yi no longer wanted to go to Beijing and be humiliated, and had already returned to Jiujiang."

Then, he ordered: "Return!"

Fu Qi said: "Wait a minute."

Su Quandao: "Why, are you going to arrest me again?"

Fu Qi said: "What are you talking about? It's just that we have prepared many gifts for you to take back."

"Come here, bring the things on board."

Next, soldiers from Ruijian Camp took the opportunity to move things and checked several ships to make sure that Su Yi was not on board.

How to do?

Su Yi is really not here.

And he returned to Jiujiang early as a victim.

Do you want to arrest Su Quan?

Are you kidding? In what name was he arrested?

Su Yi has already run away, so what's the point of catching Su Quan?

So, with extremely complicated eyes, Su Quan ordered to return.

The fleet had just docked, but without even landing, they headed south again, back to Jiujiang.

Fu Qi and others, full of absolute uneasiness, returned to the capital to report to the emperor.

....................................

In the palace, the emperor was furious when he heard the news that Su Yi had run away.

Another Yu Ruyi was thrown down hard.

"Have you found Princess Shouxi?" the emperor asked angrily.

"Back to the Emperor, not yet!"

The emperor said: "Have you checked the people close to Princess Shouxi and are they related to Su Yi?"

"Also, go to Mongolia's Naiman Palace to check on Princess Shou'an to see if this matter is related to her?"

His anger at this time was completely beyond words.

Princess Shouxi, as a royal princess, didn't want to repay the country and him as the emperor, so she actually colluded with Su Yi.

Her disappearance seemed to embarrass Su Yi, but in reality? It was completely to help Su Yi get out of trouble.

And it also put Su Yi in a victim position.

Who would believe that there is no collusion among them?

At this time, he really wanted to issue an order immediately and send a team of guards to Jiujiang to arrest Su Yi directly.

But, how is this possible?

Su Yi has just made a great contribution, and you won't reward him at all.

The wedding was just announced, but the princess ran away.

Aren't you afraid of chilling people by treating heroes like this? How to block the mouth of the world?

"Guiliang, pass on Guiliang!" the emperor said angrily.

Two quarters of an hour later, Guiliang rushed in.

"Count Elgin, why haven't you taken action yet? When will you take action?" the emperor asked.

Guiliang said: "He needs to transfer warships from Hong Kong, and it will take some time."

The emperor said: "Hurry, tell him to hurry up and hand over Su Yi's Yangtze River Fleet to me. In addition, allow his troops to land in Jiujiang and search if there are any British in Jiujiang. If there are any, clear them all out. Get rid of the British All people’s property will also be cleared out.”

Guiliang said: "When Count Elgin's fleet assembled at the mouth of the Yangtze River in Shanghai, I immediately proposed this condition, and it was reasonable. Because the Tianjin Treaty has not been renewed and has not yet come into effect, Jiujiang is not yet a treaty port city. The British do not yet have the right to enter Jiujiang, and all business is illegal."

"Hurry, hurry, hurry...my patience is exhausted."

He really didn't expect that Su Yi would be so difficult to deal with.

Then, Guiliang said: "Your Majesty, once Su Yi's Yangtze River Fleet is eliminated, then Zeng Guofan's side will be the most powerful on the entire Yangtze River."

"Now the governor of Anhui is empty, and the governor of Liangjiang is also empty."

This meaning is very clear. Li Xubin fought desperately to attack Luzhou and made his first contribution in the battle to regain Luzhou.

There must be a reward.

The emperor said: "What do you think?"

Guiliang said: "The power of the Hunan Army is too great, and it is not of the same mind as the imperial court."

..........................................

Court the next day!

No matter how awkward the atmosphere was, the meeting still had to go on.

Today, we mainly discuss two things, the governor of Anhui and the governor of Liangjiang.

"I recommend Li Xubin to serve as governor of Anhui."

"I recommended Hu Linyi to be the governor of Anhui, and Li Xubin to be the chief secretary of Jiangxi."

"I recommend Li Hongzhang to serve as the inspector of Anhui."

Logically speaking, Hu Linyi should take over as governor of Anhui. After all, he had a relatively high official position before.

But Li Xubin was the first to recover Luzhou.

The emperor said: "Drawing up the decree, Li Xubin will be appointed governor of Anhui, and Li Hongzhang will be appointed inspector of Anhui."

"In addition, He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, died in battle, who will replace him?"

There was a brief silence in the venue.

Everyone knows that Zeng Guofan is determined to win this position.

According to Zeng Guofan's plan, he would be the governor of Liangjiang and Hu Linyi the governor of Hubei.

In this way, the Hunan Army has one governor, three governors, and four provinces.

However, the emperor did not want to give it to Zeng Guofan for the time being.

So next, several people recommended Zeng Guofan, but the emperor did not respond.

"I recommend Xu Youren, governor of Jiangsu, to concurrently serve as governor of Liangjiang."

"Xu Youren has made great achievements in guarding Suzhou. I recommend Xu Youren to serve as the governor of Liangjiang."

According to history, Xu Youren did briefly serve as governor of Liangjiang two years later, and then died in the war.

But the emperor had a grudge in his heart because Xu Youren had fought together with Su Yi before.

Although I haven't heard of any friendship between the two, Su Yi has saved Xu Youren's life, right?

Anyway, Guiliang is now responsible for negotiating with foreigners, so let him do it temporarily.

So the emperor issued an order: "Guiliang, please work hard for a while."

"It is proposed that Guiliang, a scholar in the cabinet, be appointed governor of Liangjiang and Minister of Commerce of the Five Countries."

Guiliang came out and said, "My lord, please accept the order and thank me."

....................................

On the ship back to Jiujiang, Su Yi had a letter in his hand.

It was written to him by Princess Shouxi.

"There are thousands of words, I don't know how to describe it. I have already gone into hiding, and the fourth sister has not returned to Prince Naiman's Mansion. Both of us are hiding in a very safe place."

"I'm full of anxiety and excitement. I've never done anything so bold, but I'm very happy to be able to help you."

"I don't know what the future will be like, I don't know what tomorrow will be like? If there is a tomorrow, I will still be willing to fulfill your personal relationship with Fourth Sister."

"But don't be delusional about the Jenga music you're talking about. I don't understand what it is."

This was the first time Princess Shouxi wrote to him, which made Su Yi dumbfounded.

But I was slightly moved.

This is a very lonely, extremely beautiful girl with an extremely rich inner world. However, even Su Yi, her fiancé, did not have the time or energy to explore her inner world.

As a result, Princess Shouxi was always lonely from beginning to end.

Even if the fourth sister, Princess Shou'an, can alleviate her loneliness a little.

But Su Ye knew that his fiancé was fully capable of entering her inner world and defeating her inner loneliness.

However, Su Yi didn't do that.

And now, at the most critical moment, this fiancée rushed out to help him without hesitation.

Even if he offends the emperor, he must save Su Yi.

Braving the disapproval of the world, she became a princess who escaped from marriage.

As a result, she will definitely not be able to keep her title as Princess Heshuo. Once caught by the emperor, he would probably be imprisoned.

However, the Secret Service people will protect them very well.

....................................

Count Elgin has been a little anxious recently.

Because the Fujian incident has caused too much trouble.

After repeated investigations, the answer is still the same.

The missionary Ma Fu took a large amount of opium and injected morphine. In a state of madness, he shot four missionaries and then committed suicide.

Any evidence shows that this has nothing to do with the Chinese.

However, the battleship has already opened fire.

The defenders of the consulate had also opened fire.

The governor of Fujian and Zhejiang was also arrested.

At this time, you must not give in.

Anyway, if the Qing court is weak, it will be tough to the end.

The most important thing is that Count Elgin smelled a strong smell of conspiracy in the deaths of these five missionaries.

This is just his intuition.

Now, more and more people are surrounding the Fuzhou Consulate.

That means someone is still maintaining order, otherwise tens of thousands of people would have rushed into the consulate.

The people inside the consulate felt like they were facing a formidable enemy.

Hundreds of British troops were armed and ready to fire at all times.

However, all important officials in the consulate have been evacuated.

Tian Yugong, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, was also evacuated to the warship.

The situation is frozen there.

Elgin could even smell that the tens of thousands of people outside the consulate were secretly organized and led by someone.

As long as someone gives the order, the tide will rush in and destroy everything.

In fact, he almost felt that this conspiracy might even be directed at him.

........................

Gui Liang, governor of Liangjiang and Minister of Commerce of the Five Countries, negotiated again with Count Elgin in Shanghai.

"Count Elgin, why haven't you fulfilled your promise and destroyed the fleet on the Yangtze River that shouldn't exist?" Guiliang said.

Count Elgin said: "Right now, tens of thousands of people have surrounded our British Consulate in Fuzhou. Unforeseen conflicts may break out at any time. My fleet and my army need to keep an eye on Fujian."

Guiliang said: "You have violated the majesty of our Qing Dynasty by rudely detaining Tian Yugong, an official of the Qing Dynasty. You are intensifying the contradictions in Fujian."

Count Elgin said: "I want to clarify two things. First, we are treating Tian Yugong, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, rather than arresting and detaining him. Second, five of our missionaries were killed, and you must give us an explanation."

Guiliang said: "Those five missionaries died under your protection and have nothing to do with the Qing Dynasty."

After a long while, Guiliang said: "Count Elgin, now is not the time to intensify conflicts. Let's deal with the most important issue at hand first and destroy the fleet on the Yangtze River that should not exist."

Count Elgin said: "Add a condition. Tian Yugong, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, must admit his mistake to the Fuzhou Consulate in person, hand over the murderer of the unknown missionary, and compensate the family of the deceased two hundred thousand taels of silver."

He refers to a deer as a horse and beats him up with a rake.

How ridiculous? How humiliating?

Earl Elgin said coldly: "Lord Guiliang, if the situation in Fujian continues to develop. Once the chaos really attacks the consulate, we will have no choice but to open fire. In that case, war will come again. Will you Can you bear this result?"

Guiliang said hoarsely: "We can secretly compensate the families of the five deceased people with two hundred thousand taels of silver."

"In addition, I can send people to drive away the rioters surrounding the Fuzhou Consulate."

"But we did not kill the person. It is ridiculous for us to hand over the murderer and for the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang to publicly admit his mistake and apologize to you."

Count Elgin said: "Either you agree completely or you refuse. There is no possibility of even half of it."

Guiliang thought for a long time, gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, we agree! But we also have a condition."

Earl Elgin said: "Say."

Guiliangdao: "The Tianjin Treaty has not been replaced and has not yet come into effect. Jiujiang is not yet a treaty port city, but a large number of British people have appeared on the ground in Jiujiang. This should not be normal. We suspect that they are doing illegal business in Jiujiang. After destroying Su Yi's illegal fleet, I hope you will land in Jiujiang, take away all these British people, and completely seize their properties in Jiujiang."

Earl Elgin narrowed his eyes and said slowly: "Do you know how much silver there is? Your Su Yi invested more than ten million taels."

Guiliang said: "I don't know this. I only know that it is illegal for these British people to do business in Jiujiang. Please take away your people and your property."

Count Elgin said: "The governor of Fujian and Zhejiang confessed and apologized, handed over the murderer of our five missionaries, and paid two hundred thousand taels in compensation."

Guiliang said: "Deal."

"But please don't delay any longer, quickly assemble the fleet and launch operations."

Earl Elgin said: "I will show you what it means to act vigorously and resolutely."

But at this time, Count Elgin's heart was filled with infinite ridicule. The people of the Qing court were really weak to the extreme.

This country is hopeless.

Even if an elite like Su Ye struggles, it will be useless.

....................................

London!

It took Basiali nearly a month to travel from Shanghai to London.

Next, it took half a month and countless money and connections to expose the Xiamen teaching scandal.

After several struggles, it finally came under the authority of Prince Albert.

The Times and other major newspapers finally published relevant reports on the Xiamen teaching scandal.

The photos inside are shocking.

Children who lost their lives, women who were trafficked.

The Xiamen church is full of infinite sin.

In an instant, this scandal instantly detonated London and the entire UK.

Countless people condemned it.

The Catholic diocese of the British Empire also issued a statement.

This Mafu is just a local ruffian, not a serious missionary at all, but a wanderer heading to the East, pretending to be a Catholic.

The bishop will severely punish the entire Xiamen diocese.

Basharli lived up to expectations and won the public opinion war thousands of miles away in London.

When the victory of this public opinion war reaches China, it will be a great victory.

During this time, Prince Albert was under tremendous pressure.

Since Su Yi was dismissed as governor of Jiangxi, Prince Albert was immediately pushed to the forefront.

He said that with the dignity of a prince, he actually endorsed the Jiujiang Economic Experimental Zone.

And Su Yi is just a liar, he is not a member of the royal family at all, and his Jiujiang Economic Experimental Zone has no support from the Qing court at all.

This economic experimental zone is in danger and may be banned at any time.

At that time, the investments of British Empire businessmen will be in vain, and the interests of the British Empire will be damaged.

What is even more serious is that the authority of the royal family of the British Empire will be harmed as never before.

Moreover, there are many rumors about Prince Albert.

It made him so angry that he almost relapsed.

But he is a determined person who never gives up or compromises and still moves forward at the original pace.

Continue to promote the holding of the 1860 World's Fair.

However, he was pushing very hard at this time, and encountered huge obstacles at every step.

Moreover, another mainstream voice emerged in the London Congress, that is, Japan should be supported in the Eastern world, not China.

In short, the diplomatic route with China opened by Prince Albert is shaky.

At this time, Basharli returned to London.

Taking advantage of the Xiamen teaching case scandal, they launched a beautiful public opinion counterattack.

Then, Ba Xiali revealed Su Yi's plan.

Seven provinces secret agreement, Southern Economic Cooperation.

This is the richest place in China, accounting for about 60% of China's economy.

Prince Albert said: "Are you sure that Su Yi has successfully won over the governors of these seven provinces?"

The word governor was too difficult to understand, so he just said governor.

Basharli said: "I am sure, absolutely sure. Once the Southern Economic Cooperation is established, it will be able to compete with the conservative northern emperor in terms of economic scale and political momentum."

Prince Albert said: "Sir Su Yi is really a genius politician and an excellent ally."

It is difficult for the prince to think of this.

After Su Yi encountered a serious political crisis, not only did he use such a large-scale approach to solve the political crisis, but his first thought was to provide political support for him thousands of miles away.

Basharli said: "Sir Su Yi has a plan to drive Earl Elgin out of China. But this plan may be a bit offensive and risky to the royal family."

Prince Albert said: "You say."

So, Ba Xia Li revealed his plan.

Prince Albert's face twitched slightly, it was really risky.

Bashar said politely: "Your Royal Highness, we sent the royal family to participate in the signing ceremony of the seven-province secret treaty and to participate in the establishment of the Jiujiang Economic Cooperation. This is of great significance in itself and is also a great political action that can further support your plan in London. .”

"Moreover, Count Elgin's existence has seriously threatened the survival of the Jiujiang Economic Experiment. He may send a British fleet at any time to carry out a military attack on Su Yi's patrol fleet in the Yangtze River. He may even collude with the Qing emperor, Send troops to Jiujiang, forcibly take away the British people there, and demolish the industries there."

"Because our route is a huge threat to their route."

"And the Qing emperor is very likely to use Count Elgin's help to attack the Jiujiang Economic Experimental Zone."

"Because the treaty between us and the Qing Dynasty has not officially come into effect, the Qing court has this name."

"According to Su Yi's plan, the diplomatic scandal surrounding the Xiamen Mission Case and Count Elgin's order to bombard the royal family members were two big mistakes that were enough to drive him out of China."

"This plan, although risky, was very effective."

"Facing the alliance between the Qing emperor and Count Elgin, we must demolish it."

"Removing Elgin from power is our only option."

Prince Albert took out the cigarette that Bashar had given him as a gift, but instead of smoking it, he put it under his nose and smelled it.

After a long while, he slowly said: "Okay, I agree!"

"I will send Prince George to follow you back to the Central Government and secretly visit the Jiujiang Economic Experimental Zone."

Of course, he did not say anything else, but he wanted to offend Count Elgin and drive him out of office.

Prince George. (George FitzGeorge)

The great-grandson of King George III of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cambridge, and son of Prince George William Frederick Charles, Commander-in-Chief of the British Imperial Guards. Although there is a certain risk, both Prince George and Prince George are serving in the military, and Prince George even participated in the Crimean War. This risk is nothing.

In Basiali's mind, Princess Alice is the most suitable candidate.

Because she was a woman and the apple of Queen Victoria's eye.

Count Elgin ordered the bombardment of Princess Alice's ship, which was more likely to arouse public opinion.

However, it is obvious that Prince Albert is not willing to let Princess Alice take risks.

Prince George is also considered a very important member of the royal family, and is also very high in the ranking of heirs to the throne.

It was enough for him to secretly visit Jiujiang, and it was enough for him to touch Count Elgin.

Moreover, since the failure of George Macartney's visit to the Qing Dynasty, the British Empire has been very repulsive to nobles visiting the Qing Dynasty.

The situation is on fire.

Prince Albert immediately dispatched a ship, mixed with the British Empire fleet, to China.

Basile and Prince George were hiding on this ship.

Because I had to visit secretly, I also brought a large number of newspapers, all about the scandal of the Xiamen teaching case.

Criticize these missionaries almost completely.

However, when the boat reached normal speed, Basiali realized that something was wrong.

Because, there is a person who should not be here, mixed with Prince George's entourage.

When Basiali saw this man's face clearly, he was immediately horrified.

Prince Edward!

Son of the Queen of England and Prince Albert.

Crown Prince of the British Empire and first in line of succession.

This audacious and extremely rebellious crown prince secretly boarded the ship.

The young Crown Prince Edward said: "Sir Basile, in this matter of yours, George's political weight is still too low. It will be enough for me to go."

Ba Xiali said tremblingly: "Her Majesty the Queen will not agree, and Her Majesty the Prince will not agree."

Prince Edward said: "There is a proverb that once an arrow is shot, it cannot be turned back. As a son, I want to help my father. Is it wrong?"

"Sir Basiali, shut your mouth and take me to the east. Let's experience an adventure together and accomplish a big thing together!"

"I want to prove to my mother that I am not useless."

..............................

Note: This is the first update. My parents are coming today and I can still sleep for four hours.

I'm going to bed, thank you.

(End of this chapter)