Tuqing: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 300: Great Purge, lots of heads

Chapter 300: Great Purge, lots of heads
After the naval battle, the Chinese navy immediately began to attack the Ryukyu Kingdom.

In recent years, Japan has successively increased its garrison in the Ryukyu Kingdom, much more than in history. At this time, it has reached nearly ten thousand.

But the failure of the naval battle basically means the failure of the land battle.

With the cooperation of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the Chinese marines successfully landed and in the ensuing battle, they easily defeated the Japanese troops stationed in the Ryukyu Kingdom.

In less than five days, Ryukyu was liberated.

Ryukyu King Shotai and Crown Prince Shoudian came to kneel to pick up the angel of the kingdom.

Lin Shigong and others burst into tears. Historically, the Ryukyu Kingdom sent several scholars to study in the Qing Dynasty, but in this world, there were even more, hundreds of them.

After these people returned to Ryukyu, they were almost all pro-China.

"Thank you God for your grace."

"Thank you, Regent Tianen."

"If it weren't for the regent, Ryukyu would have been destroyed."

"From now on, I, the Shang clan of the Ryukyu Kingdom, will be the regent's ministers for generations to come, and I am willing to guard the gate to the East for China."

"Even if your body is shattered to pieces, there is no way you can repay such a huge favor."

King Shangtai of Ryukyu held Xu Youren's hand and said, "I heard that Xu Tiantian is the humerus minister of the regent?"

Xu Youren said: "I don't dare to be a minister of humerus. The regent doesn't think I'm vulgar, so he tried his best to cultivate me. I'm not very capable, but I'm somewhat loyal."

"This is really a great blessing. I have long heard that the regent is like a god descending from heaven to save China from collapse." The King of Ryukyu said: "The little king can't wait to enter the sacred capital and meet the regent. From now on It is better to serve him as a slave than to be a king in this desolate land.”

Xu Youren said: "The regent is currently fighting the Russians in the north. After the victory, he will probably make sacrifices to heaven and earth, and then invite the prince to Beijing."

Shang Tai bowed and said, "Then Xiao Wang, I would like to thank Mr. Xu."

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

After annihilating the Japanese navy and capturing Ryukyu, they basically gained control of this sea area.

Next, a steady stream of troop transport ships and military supplies docked at the Ryukyu Kingdom.

There is no doubt that this war is not over, it has just begun.

The number of troops gathered in Ryukyu increased, eventually exceeding 50,000.

The Ryukyu Kingdom also mobilized three thousand troops.

In addition, there is an army from the Kingdom of Korea, numbering nearly ten thousand.

Let’s fight against Japan together.

The Kingdom of Korea has been really happy recently, and it completely feels the protection of the suzerain.

The last time the French invaded, with Su Yi's strong support, the French were defeated and returned.

Korea has had a feud with Japan since its history. During the Wanli period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea and almost caused the kingdom of Korea to fall.

They never dreamed that there would be a day when they could fight back to Japan.

Therefore, it seems extremely positive.

In the past, wars cost money, even astronomical amounts of money.

For this war against Japan, it is conservatively estimated that the military expenditure will cost tens of millions of taels.

But... Su Yi didn't need to ask for almost a penny of this money.

Many businessmen, especially many British consortiums in China, provide interest-free loans or even subsidized loans.

Nothing but huge benefits.

First of all, Japan has enough silver. If it wins, it will definitely have to pay huge compensation.

In addition, Su Yi was asked to completely crack down on Japan's related industries so that these businessmen's industries in China could complete Asia's monopoly.

The best thing is to let Japan become a source of raw materials and a dumping ground for goods again.

After the army has completed its assembly.

The navy set out again, heading directly towards Japan, began to attack several important Japanese ports, and blocked Tokyo Bay. (formerly known as Edo Bay, changed its name two years ago)
At this point, all maritime trade in Japan was blocked.

Immediately, diplomats from the United States, France, Russia, and Britain issued strong protests and representations to Xu Youren.

This blockade will harm their interests.

Xu Youren and others can ignore the United States, France, and Russia, but there are still British interests involved, so they must be very cautious.

As a result, Xu Youren and Jurgen negotiated with British diplomats in Japan and relevant consortiums.

Negotiate the bottom line of this war and ensure the interests of the British consortium.

Even...invite the British consortium to make a fortune together.

To put it more directly, it means harming the interests of the United States, France and other countries and leaving it to the British side.

Soon after.

Tokugawa Yoshiki, the shogun who had returned to power, appeared in the Ryukyu Kingdom, claiming that a group of rebels had kidnapped the emperor's will and dragged the country into the abyss of destruction. He implored people with lofty ideals in the country to stand up and resist the illegal government of Japan today. .

But this actually did not meet Su Yi's conditions.

Su Yi asked Tokugawa Qingxi to establish a shogunate in exile in China and voluntarily become a vassal state of China. He invited China to send troops to Japan to help him regain power.

However, Tokugawa Kexi was unwilling to do this.

………………

Ryukyu Royal Palace.

Bai Feifei talks with Tokugawa Qingxi.

"Your performance is very far from our expectations." Bai Feifei said: "When do you plan to go to the capital of our country to meet the regent and the queen mothers of the two palaces."

Tokugawa said happily: "I'm very sorry, Mrs. Bai, I'm not feeling well and I really can't travel far."

This last general also had close contacts with foreigners. Under the supervision of the French minister, he was also willing to carry out reforms, and he had a good relationship with the previous generation of Emperor Xiaomei.

After Emperor Meiji came to power, Tokugawa Keki's political ideas completely failed, the war failed, and he lost power.

However, deep down in his heart, the former master of Japan was completely unwilling for Chinese troops to enter Japan and interfere in Japan's internal affairs, let alone let China dominate Japan's destiny.

On the other hand, he is young and strong and unwilling to lose power.

So it seems very contradictory.

Bai Feifei said: "I know what you are waiting for, waiting for the results of the Sino-French war in Vietnam, waiting for the results of the Sino-Russian war in the north."

"You think our country underestimates its enemies and is arrogant to challenge two world powers at once, so you don't want to be on the loser's side."

In the current situation, Su Yi really needed a sufficient reason to land the army in Japan.

And the invitation from the last general in front of him was the best reason.

"We have enough patience and we are not in a hurry at all." Bai Feifei said slowly: "But I also want to warn you that the regent is an absolutely charismatic leader, but this is also a double-edged sword. One day late, he will They will doubt your sincerity even more, and the treatment of you and your country will be even worse in the future.”

"The three-nation coalition forces of China, North Korea, and Ryukyu are ready and ready to land in Japan at any time to help you regain power."

"And we have enough military spending. We can wait as long as we want. I don't know how many businessmen are lining up to send us military spending."

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

Vietnamese royal palace.

King Ruan Fu of Yue was overjoyed.

The army of the Celestial Dynasty finally arrived, and there were more than 50,000 troops.

"Thank you so much for your great kindness from heaven and thank you to the regent for your great kindness." Nguyen Phuc Thi paid homage to Bao Tuan, the minister in Vietnam.

Baojun said: "If you want to thank the regent, you have the best opportunity."

Ruan Phuc said: "I would like to hear the details."

Baojun said: "On behalf of Vietnam, we formally declare war on Japan and send an army to join the coalition."

Now that Vietnam is at war with the French, how can they send out troops?
But Nguyen Phuc said: "The king is willing and willing to send the crown prince to lead the army to join the coalition to attack Japan."

A few days later, the Kingdom of Vietnam, facing a war, assembled an army of 3,000 people. Under the leadership of the Crown Prince of Vietnam, they headed north to the Kingdom of Ryukyu and joined the coalition forces against Japan.

This is the end.

All major countries in East Asia have joined the coalition, completing the prototype of the East Asian order.

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

Generals such as Chen Yucheng, Feng Zicai, Liu Yongfu, etc. led an army of more than 50,000 people all the way south. A few days later, they reached the gates of Hanoi City.

More than 30,000 French troops defended the city.

But the home field here is more like that of the Chinese and Vietnamese troops.

Because Hanoi had just fallen, the French had not yet exercised real rule here. Even if they occupied the city, countless rebels in the city secretly sabotaged it.

When the Chinese army was building a defense line, more than hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians came to help.

After several years of experience, Chen Yucheng's temperament has become more stable, instead of rushing to attack the city immediately.

Instead, we build layers of defenses.

Su Yi's original words were, don't rush for success, but pursue the maximum result.

Not only to recapture Hanoi City, but more importantly, to teach the French a lesson, causing huge casualties.

Likewise, the military expenses for this war do not need to be paid by oneself.

All food and other basic supplies are provided by the Kingdom of Vietnam.

Ammunition, military expenses, etc. were also paid by the King of Yue. It's just that he doesn't have much money now, so he borrows from China first and pays it back slowly later.

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

The war outside is raging.

In China, Li Hongzhang and others also began a journey of beheading.

According to Li Hongzhang's opinion, local reforms should not be rushed. First, create big cases, kill some, exile some, and remove others.

We want to make the Han people panic and make the Han people fearful.

Your power and your official position are not so stable.

What the regent gives you is yours.

If the regent doesn't give it, your family's property and your life will not be saved.

So, create a big case.

In order to combat the power of the Hunan Army, Cixi expanded the Yang Naiwu Xiaobaicai case and dealt with more than 100 officials.

But for Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang, a case of this level is too small.

Which case has the most involvement?
What case can attack the foundation of a local powerful family?
Of course it was an imperial examination fraud case.

It must be said that the Qing Dynasty was quite strict in imperial examinations.

But Su Yi had one characteristic when he came to power: he was relatively indulgent in the imperial examination.

Other powers are held very tightly, but regarding the imperial examination, they are relatively cold and do not interfere much.

During the Xianfeng Dynasty, the examiners and banner men also occupied a certain dominant position in the examinations and palace examinations.

But after Su Yi came to power, he seemed to particularly trust the Han officials and let go very completely.

At first, many Han officials were cautious. But seeing that Su Yi really let go, she became more and more courageous.

Therefore, there was a lot of secret fraud in the imperial examinations in the past six years.

It can even be called rampant.

With deliberate indulgence, this decay can occur extremely quickly.

The scope of corruption in the imperial examination is completely unbelievable.

And what’s even more ridiculous is that after Su Yi let go, many Han officials and local wealthy people really felt that the imperial examination was their sphere of influence, and they actually started to enclose their territory, suppressing and excluding the scholars of the new schools, and suppressing the Westernization faction. .

After six full years of fishing, it’s finally time to harvest.

Su Yi was not in the capital, on an ordinary day, at an ordinary court meeting.

More than a dozen censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate suddenly uncovered the imperial examination fraud case in the Jiangnan Provincial Examination.

Immediately afterwards, thousands of failed scholars jointly signed a memorial to report the fraud in the Jiangnan rural examination.

The empress dowagers of the two palaces were furious and ordered Zuo Zongtang and Ma Xinyi to serve as imperial ministers and go to Nanjing to thoroughly investigate the Jiangnan rural examination fraud case.

Just one day later, Zuo Zongtang and Ma Xinyi went south with hundreds of officials and thousands of garrison divisions to thoroughly investigate the imperial examination fraud case.

This momentum really scared people.

then……

This case of imperial examination fraud is getting bigger and bigger with each investigation.

The more I checked, the more shocking it became.

Not just Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan and so on.

The more you investigate, the wider the scope.

More and more officials and local wealthy families are being implicated.

More and more people are being arrested.

It is about to become the biggest case in this dynasty.

Many local officials also saw that this... this was not for the imperial examination fraud case at all, but for a general purge.

This is for future local reforms.

Or to put it more directly, this is because of the controversy over the emperor's pro-government.

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

Capital Palace!

"The Queen Mother, among the candidates and scholars who jointly came to Beijing this time, there are dozens of them involved in the imperial examination fraud case."

These scholars and scholars who came to Beijing were the driving force behind the emperor's pro-government.

Thousands of people signed it.

It created a huge momentum at that time. If three wars had not broken out, there would still be a big discussion at this time.

Empress Dowager Ci'an took the list and looked at the fraud cases on it.

"Kill those who deserve to be killed, arrest those who deserve to be arrested, and exile those who deserve to be exiled!"

Then, Empress Dowager Ci'an looked at Cixi and said, "Sister, what do you think?"

Ci Xi looked slightly unnatural and said, "I, I feel the same way."

Ci'an said: "Then kill him!"

She picked up the brush and drew a cross on the list of these people.

This is definitely an excessive sentence, but I am a woman, so I don’t need to think about it so much. It doesn’t matter even if I make a mistake, and it doesn’t matter if I have a bad reputation.

With the strokes of Empress Dowager Ci'an's ink pen.

The soldiers entered various guild halls like wolves and tigers to arrest people.

The Metropolitan Procuratorate and Dali Temple immediately tried the case.

A few days later, more than a dozen scholars who had cheated in the imperial examination were taken to Caishikou.

"kill!"

Following the order, more than a dozen people's heads rolled down.

The whole capital was shocked.

And it wasn’t just the capital city that was beheaded.

Killings are happening across the country.

Kill local wealthy people who commit fraud, and kill examiners at all levels.

Remove a large number of people who have gained fame and dismissed a large number of officials.

There was a purge all over the country.