Chapter 327 Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Special Envoy Hong Daquan (please order, please vote)
Brown's Hotel, London.
"What? Join forces with Britain to attack Russia? Shaoquan, do you know how ferocious the Russian soldiers are, and how empty our Mongolia is in the northeast? They say that there is still trouble in the south, and even if the world is at peace, we can't win.
Russia!"
Hearing Li Hongzhang talk about the alliance with Britain to attack Russia, Sushun suddenly jumped up because of the matter of negotiating with Britain, and looked at Li Hongzhang as if he were a fool.
Li Hongzhang, the "Secretary of the Emperor of China", has been very busy these two days. He is either dancing with the queen or sleeping with the princess in his arms. He is really blessed. But "Prince Sushun" has a lot of headaches!
He had to organize diplomatic negotiations with the British government.
Sushun came all the way to Europe this time to seek "devil-conquering assistance," but how can there be free assistance in the world?
The British don't recognize the idea of ​​destroying devils!
If the Qing Dynasty wanted to receive military assistance from Britain, it had to pay a sufficient price.
And the UK wants a lot!
Not only does it require the opening of more ports, ensuring that British merchants can freely enter and exit open port cities, and allowing British missionaries to preach freely in China, it also requires co-management of customs and ensuring that British goods can flow unimpeded in China after customs clearance and no longer pay any toll taxes.
,
Otherwise, the customs duty must be refunded!
It was okay to open the ports and ensure the free entry and exit of British merchants, but Sushun would never agree to allow British missionaries to preach freely, co-manage customs and ensure that British goods could pass through China smoothly after customs clearance.
To allow free preaching but not to publish teaching plans frequently? Teaching plans are actually a means of preaching! It’s okay if we don’t allow it. But if we really allow it, then we can’t make big cases happen every now and then? Then the trouble will be endless.
Jointly manage customs and ensure that British goods can move smoothly after customs clearance, otherwise it will be even more difficult to refund the tariff...\n.\n..\n. How can the Qing Dynasty ensure that British goods can move smoothly in the territory of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? Sushun must agree to this.
, which is tantamount to agreeing to exempt British goods from tariffs.
If Sushun did not agree to these items, the British would try to prevent the Qing Dynasty from importing arms, euphemistically calling it "outsider neutrality", not to mention sending foreign generals and soldiers to help the Qing Dynasty train new recruits!
And now where is the war in the Qing Dynasty?
Sushun's head almost exploded when he thought of this.
But Li Hongzhang and Wang Libin still wanted to cause trouble for Mr. Su. They went to see the Queen of England a few times, but they were fed some ecstasy soup. They actually ate the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard, and wanted to drag the Qing Dynasty to fight with the British.
Form an alliance to defeat Russia....\n.
"Master Su, don't be anxious, just listen to me and explain slowly."
Li Hongzhang was confident. He had already analyzed the situation with Wang Libin on the way back and felt that the Queen's suggestion was feasible. He said sternly: "It doesn't matter whether we can defeat Russia. What matters is that Britain and France are now
These two powers are going to war against the Russian Empire...and once we help Britain and France deal with Russia, then we will be Britain and France's allies!
We have formed an alliance with Britain and France, so why should the British court block our neck and not sell us arms? Not only do they have to sell us arms,
We also have to send foreign generals and soldiers to help us train the new army, and even help us open our own factories to make foreign guns and cannons!"
Wang Libin echoed from the side: "Master Su, this opportunity is not to be missed! Don't be afraid of the strong Russian army...\n...\n. The British and French armies combined are no weaker than the Russian army, and the British navy is invincible! As long as
If Britain can send a fleet to our northeast, we won't be afraid of Russian soldiers going south. After all, Russia's northeastern coastline is also very long, and I don't know how many troops it will take to defend it."
Sushun was a little moved when he heard what these two people said, but he didn't nod so quickly. Instead, he turned to look at Bai Siwen, the "Russia-knowledge faction". Bai Siwen said: "Master Su, Lan Qing is right. The people on both sides of the Heilongjiang River are
The territory is vast, sparsely populated, and densely covered with old forests.
The army must move by waterways. And Heilongjiang is the main stream of the waterways in that area! In other words, whoever can control Heilongjiang can advance and retreat freely and remain invincible. If the Russians want to invade our territory, they must come from Heilongjiang.
Just do it."
"Traveling from Heilongjiang? How are they going to do it?" Sushun still didn't quite understand.
"Come from the Arctic Ocean, go upstream from the entrance to Temple Street." Bai Siwen said, "As long as the British can send a team into Heilongjiang, then we have nothing to fear. As for the Russian military strength...\
n.\n:.\n. As long as they cannot transport troops by sea, they will not be able to maintain large numbers of troops in the Heilongjiang Basin. As long as we have thousands of British troops to help train the new army, we can ensure that no inch of territory in the Northeast is lost, and even
We can also expel the Russian soldiers on Sakhalin Island!"
Although according to the Treaty of Nerchinsk, Sakhalin was still the territory of the Qing Dynasty, as early as the Qianlong period, the Russians landed on Sakhalin and occupied most of the territory on Sakhalin. There was still a little left.
, was not in the hands of the Qing Dynasty, but was occupied by the Japanese.
In addition, Tsarist Russia’s plan to invade Heilongjiang with armed forces has actually been prepared for a long time!
Russia's Governor-General of East Siberia Muravyov had already submitted to the Tsar a plan to lead an armed fleet from Temple Street into the Heilongjiang Basin for an armed cruise, and to establish a Cossack settlement near the mouth of the Heilongjiang River.
If nothing unexpected happens, this plan will be put into effect in the spring of 1854.
Moreover, establishing a stronghold at the entrance of Heilongjiang is only the beginning. Muravyov's goal is to eventually annex the entire north bank of Heilongjiang by establishing a stronghold along the coast of Heilongjiang, deploying a fleet, and even wants to eat up part of the land on the south bank of Heilongjiang that is close to the sea.
"Mr. Su, this is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone!" Li Hongzhang didn't know much about the situation in the Northeast at first, but now after hearing Bai Siwen's introduction, he immediately became more energetic, "It seems that the queen has good intentions, can we
You can't refute other people's face, otherwise this foreign mission will be ruined."
Sushun frowned and said, "But our country still has long hair that needs to be flattened. Where can we spare the energy?"
Yuanbao reminded: "Master Su, if our Qing Dynasty becomes an ally of Britain and France, then wouldn't the long-haired Taiping Heavenly Kingdom become the enemy of Britain and France?"
"That's right!" Sushun's eyes lit up, "As long as we form an alliance with Britain and France, Changmao will be the enemy of Britain and France... This alliance must be formed! Yuanbao, Siwen, Shaoquan, Lan Qing, let's
Let’s make some careful calculations and see how we can negotiate an alliance with the British.”
Huangpu River, Yangshupu Pier.
A wooden-hulled steam paddle-wheel armed merchant ship with a displacement of only 600 to 700 tons was moored quietly at the corner of the pier. It was surrounded by armed Shanghai New Army officers and soldiers, guarding three floors inside and three outside. Dock workers were standing guard on two floors.
Under the command of the New Army officers, packages of goods were loaded onto this small armed merchant ship.
This wooden-hulled steam-armed merchant ship originally belonged to an American company called Thomas Hunter Company. It had just arrived in Shanghai to engage in trade not long ago. Somehow it got caught up in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Wu Palace and was bought by King Luo Wu. The captain
James Gough and more than 20 sailors from Southeast Asia and the Philippines were all employed by the Wu Palace of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Now this wooden-hulled steamship has become the "capital ship" of Prince Wu's Navy, and was also named the "Holy Angel".
However, the "Holy Angel" moored at the Yangshupu Pier in Shanghai at this time did not display the flag of the Taiping Rebellion, but a listless Stars and Stripes flag.
Luo Yao Guozheng, Jiao Liang, and Xu Yuegui were explaining something while walking on the dock next to the "Holy Angel".
"Daqo, I originally wanted to build a two- to three-thousand-ton ship to take you to Nagasaki, Japan, so as to strengthen the prestige of our Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but such a large paddle-wheel gunboat cannot be bought with money. This 'Saint'
"Angel" is already the largest paddle-wheel armed merchant ship I can buy...::.\n. There is only one 32-pound cannon and two 12-pound secondary guns on the ship. It cannot be used violently after entering Nagasaki Port.
!」
Jiao Liang smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, it's enough to have this steam gunboat as a pretense...\n.\n.\nWhen I was trapped in Qingyao's prison, I could do it just by not being broken.
Come out, now there are gunboats, guards, and the credentials of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Japan, even a small country, dare not not treat you with courtesy."
Luo Yaoguo nodded: "Okay! Then I wish you smooth sailing!"
Jiao Liang cupped his fists and said, "Thank you King Wu for five thousand years!"
It turns out that this "Hong Daquan" went to Japan as a special envoy of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to handle diplomacy.
Luo Yaoguo originally planned to let him go to Nanyang to serve as Luo Gang's deputy, but now the situation has changed. Luo Xueyan has already negotiated with the ministers of Britain, France and the United States about the four countries' joint effort to attack Japan.
Chapter completed!