Chapter 299 Ministers and Sirs, meet God! (Please order and vote)
Shanghai, British Legation.
On the afternoon when Yang Xiuqing arrived in Shanghai, British Minister Bonham was gathering with American Minister Marsali and French Minister Bourblon in his embassy to exchange views on future changes in China's domestic situation.
"Gentlemen, according to reliable information, the Shanghai Governor's Office has reached a vassalage agreement with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and will surrender in exchange for the autonomy of the six counties under its jurisdiction: Shanghai, Jiading, Baoshan, Chongming, Nanhui, Fengxian and Chuansha. Although the Shanghai Governor's Office
I will still maintain my allegiance to the Qing court for some time to come, but the development of the situation is obviously very unfavorable to the Qing Dynasty."
British Minister Wen Xian's tone was full of worries about the future. He paused and then said: "The future situation is likely to have two possible directions. One is that the Qing Dynasty will be defeated in the decisive battle in the future, and China will be defeated by the Taiping Rebellion.
unified!"
"This is simply a disaster!" French Minister Bourblon shouted, "We must prevent this from happening!"
British Minister Bonham turned and looked at American Minister Marsali. Marsali tilted his head: "Then what is another possible direction?"
"North-South confrontation!" After saying this, the British Minister Bonham picked up the coffee cup on the coffee table and began to sip it.
Marsali raised his eyebrows: "Sounds great! If a large country with a population of more than 400 million is unified by a dynamic military and political group, it will not be a good thing for us anyway, right? What if?
They are always in the middle of the Civil War, which is undoubtedly the most beneficial to us!"
Bourblon shrugged and said seriously: "Although our French Empire has always been merciless to the enemies of Catholicism, the confrontation between China's north and south is still acceptable!"
Bonham and Marsalis could not help but smile sarcastically when they heard that "France shows no mercy to the enemies of God."
Think about who originally formed an alliance with the Ottoman Empire against the Holy Roman Empire? Wasn't it the French?
"Okay," Wen Xian cursed for a while, then put down the coffee cup, then picked up a stack of documents beside him, and handed them to Marsali and Bulbulon with a smile, "Look at this, this is me
There are six supplementary agreements in total to the "Jiangning Treaty" reached with Prince Gong. By the way, he is in Shanghai now, living in Tongshun Building in Wu Daotai."
"What? Prince Gong came to Shanghai?"
When Marsali received the copy of the Supplementary Agreement to the Treaty of Jiangning, he seemed a little surprised. He seemed not to know that Prince Gong Yi? had already arrived in Shanghai.
The French Minister Bourblon took the document handed over by Wen Xian with a normal expression, took out a spectacle lens, put it on, and read it carefully.
There were only six short articles in the "Supplementary Agreement", and Marsali and Bourblon read them quickly. Then the Americans showed surprised expressions, while the French Minister had a look of surprise.
"Thirty thousand flintlock muskets, one hundred cannons, six hundred thousand rounds of fixed-load ammunition, and ten thousand barrels of gunpowder. What a big deal!"
"You still need to provide officers to help train at least 50,000 new troops? You also need to help the Qing Dynasty build a firearms manufacturing factory and a cannon manufacturing factory in Saliol in Tianjin. Are you, the UK, really ready to side with the Qing Dynasty?"
Wen Xian smiled slightly and said to his American and French colleagues: "Britain is obviously neutral! But the empire's interests in China must be safeguarded. If the Taiping Rebellion is truly willing to protect the empire's interests in China, we don't mind sitting back and watching these heretics.
Christians unify China."
"Then what does it mean that the Taiping Rebellion is really willing to protect our interests in China?" American Minister Marsali asked.
Wen Xian smiled and said: "Of course, allow free trade in opium, open more trade ports and allow us to demarcate concessions at these ports, give us extraterritoriality, give us one-sided most-favored-nation treatment, and negotiate with us to formulate a reasonable low tariff.
, Condominium Customs, that’s all I can think of at the moment. What about you?”
French Minister Bourblon said: "France will not support the Taiping Rebellion to unify China under any circumstances! Unless they are willing to give up their wrong heretical beliefs!"
Wen Xian said "Oh" without comment.
Marsali thought for a while and said: "Major General Mathieu Perry hopes to get an island off the coast of China as a trade base."
"Where does he want?" Wen Xian asked.
"Taiwan!" Marsali said.
"Ah?" Wen Xian stared at the American in front of him in surprise, "Is he serious? That is China's second largest island!"
Marsali nodded: "I think he is serious! But this is not an instruction from the US State Department, it is just his personal suggestion. If the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is willing to agree."
He finished speaking halfway, then looked at Wen Xian with burning eyes.
This is still an era when the British Empire dominates the oceans!
The United States has just "rammed" Japan's national gate with a black ship, and now it is coveting China's second largest island. Its ambition is really too big.
When Wen Xian was thinking whether he or Luo Yaoguo should stop the American ambitions, his secretary, a young man who looked very young and handsome, walked in quickly, handed him a note, and then
He stood aside politely.
"What is this?" Wen Xian picked up the note and was stunned when he saw it.
"Sario, what happened?"
asked the American minister.
Wen Xian frowned and said, "It seems that the God of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom came to Shanghai and now lives in the Huang Family Garden next to Tongshun Building!"
"What?" the French minister looked surprised.
"What is he doing in Shanghai?" The American minister was interested in the purpose of this "God".
Wen Xian said: "He came to see us!"
"No, there is absolutely no way I can see him!" the French minister shook his head and said seriously, "unless he is willing to give up his heretical beliefs and sincerely repent to God!"
The American minister said "hmm" and was noncommittal.
Shanghai Yuyuan.
The Shanghai Governor's Mansion is now in a state of chaos.
Now that Luo Xueyan is not in Shanghai, the Governor's Mansion is presided over by Wang Dalong, Wang Kuiyi, and Xu Yuegui. These three are the heads of the Shanghai Beach Army, Government, and Special Forces. Logically speaking, there is nothing they can't handle.
But this time something unexpected happened that they couldn't deal with!
Just this afternoon, Ye Zhifa, the attendant of the Eastern King Yang Xiuqing, arrived at Yuyuan and asked to see Xu Yuegui by name. Of course, Xu Yuegui did not dare to miss the Eastern King's envoy, and after seeing him, Ye Zhifa told Xu Yuegui that the Eastern King was visiting Shanghai incognito. , and ordered her to go to the Huang Family Garden to meet him immediately!
Dong Wang is coming to Shanghai!
Still living next door to Prince Gong Yi?
Did they agree?
And now that Luo Xueyan is away, Yang Xiuqing suddenly comes to Shanghai. What does he want to do?
Are you here to capture Prince Gong Yi? and force Luo Xueyan to reveal his identity and break with the Qing Dynasty?
Xu Yuegui couldn't make up her mind, so she had to call in Wang Dalong, the commander of the Shanghai New Army, and Wang Kuiyi, who was taking care of government affairs while Luo Xueyan was away from Shanghai, to discuss it.
As a result, Wang Dalong and Wang Kui arrived first, and someone came from the back to report that the spring official of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was favored to be the prime minister again!
Xu Yuegui, Wang Dalong, and Wang Kui had no choice but to immediately invite Meng Deen into the Dianchun Hall.
Then
"What? The King of Heaven is coming to Shanghai?"
"The King of Heaven has left the capital?"
"Where is the King of Heaven?"
After hearing Meng Deen pass on Hong Xiuquan's secret edict, Xu Yuegui, Wang Dalong and Wang Kuiyi all jumped up.
To be honest, Prince Gong has already given them a headache, and now Yang Xiuqing is here. They don't know how to deal with it. Hong Xiuquan is coming again!
Is Shanghai that fun?
What are you all doing here?
Xu Yuegui couldn't help but think: "Who else will be next? It won't be Xianfeng, right?"
Seeing the reaction of these three people, Meng De'en couldn't help but frown slightly: "The King of Heaven only came in disguise and came by water. He should be here in two or three days.
You just need to arrange for some foreigners to read the "True Testament" in the church! Oh, it would be even better if you could arrange for some beautiful foreign sisters to read the "True Testament".
At this time, Meng De'en found that Xu Yuegui, Wang Dalong, and Wang Kui were all stunned, so he frowned and asked: "What? Can't you do it?"
Huang Family Garden.
Yang Xiuqing had just finished dinner and was leaning on the second-floor balcony of the Huangjia Garden Mansion, observing the situation in the Wujia Garden next door. There was still a melodious singing in her ears, and it was still the "Skinny Horse" given by Huang Xiqing. Little song.
Of course Huang Xiqing had reported to him that Prince Gong of the Qing Dynasty lived next door to him, but Yang Xiuqing did not order anyone to arrest Prince Gong - he was "God", so of course he knew the principle of "loving the enemy", so How can we not take good care of our incompetent enemies?
But he was still curious about why Prince Gong was hiding in Shanghai?
Could it be that he was afraid that after losing the war, it would be hard to explain when he returned to Beijing?
At this time, a four-wheel carriage suddenly stopped outside the Huang Family Garden. A foreigner got out of the carriage and patted the gate of the Huang Family Garden. A servant of the Huang Family opened the small door installed on the gate and leaned out. He went to ask a few words, and then rushed towards the Huang family mansion. After a while, he saw Huang Xiqing carrying his robe and running all the way to Yang Xiuqing. He knelt down and said respectfully: "His Royal Highness the King of the East, Minister Bourblon of France." ask to see!"
Chapter completed!