After intensive arrangements by the Qing court, before six o'clock in the morning, the messenger set off from the capital and rushed to Tianjin at an accelerated speed of 600 miles.
Fu Chang'an received the edict in the afternoon and saw that the imperial court had issued an edict to the troops stationed in various places in the east of Zhili. He felt a little relieved. Then he ordered people to find Tianjin Daoqiao Renjie and ordered him and the British to go to peace.
Negotiations with the North Korean Navy.
Qiao Renjie is forty-four years old this year and was born in Juren. He learned martial arts when he was young and was quite courageous. After becoming an official, he became famous for catching thieves, so he was specially promoted to be a fellow magistrate of Shuntian South Road. In another history of time and space, Qiao Renjie
So he is famous not for catching thieves, but for being responsible for entertaining the Macartney delegation who went to Rehe to meet Qianlong.
However, because of the appearance of Beihai Town, Qiao Renjie and Macartney met in advance. The famous little Stangdong was only nine years old at this time and also lived on the "Dingbei" with his father.
Qiao Renjie first took people to Dagokou, and then boarded the "Dinghai" by boat to meet Macartney. After hearing the other party's request, Macartney was of course very willing, but he also mentioned
a condition.
"Master Qiao, all of us are living on the boat now. Can you find a place for us to live on the shore? This will make it easier to communicate if something happens."
How could Qiao Renjie dare to agree to such a thing, so he replied that the matter would be conveyed to the higher authorities, and please wait patiently. All matters concerning the Qing Dynasty must be decided by the emperor, and even the imperial envoy in Tianjin had no right to agree.
However, the capital is very close to Tianjin, so there will definitely be news within a day or two.
Macartney was very happy to hear this, and immediately consulted with Sir John Jervis, the leader of the officer corps. After some selection, Horatio Nelson and his deputy, Mr. Staunton, became the final candidates. So the next day
Early in the morning, the three of them, the translator, and Qiao Renjie, who had changed into civilian clothes, boarded a 300-stone sand ship, carried some gifts brought from England, and sailed towards the ship in the North Sea.
When the sand ship was one nautical mile away from the Thor, a black assault boat sped towards the sand ship. When they saw long white waves coming out of the rear of the assault boat, the British on the sand ship let out a burst of shouts.
Marvel.
Horatio Nelson said to George Standing next to him: "Their ships have no sails or oars. I don't know what they use to drive them. It is really amazing. If they can obtain this technology, the British Empire's navy will definitely dominate
Atlantic and Indian Oceans.”
Stangdong nodded and said nothing. According to the intelligence obtained by the mission from the Governor of Madras and Macao, this force, which had been confronting the huge Qing Empire for several years, relied on super powerful weapons and ships to dominate the Qing Empire.
Along the coast, even the Governor of Guangzhou and the Macao authorities suffered heavy losses.
What shocked him the most was a rumor he heard in Macau. Two years ago, the "king" in charge of Beihai Town landed in Guangzhou. He only brought a few dozen people with him and captured a large number of local officials in Guangzhou.
What he faced at that time were thousands of heavily armed elites.
From the Manchu navy general, Stendong also heard that the "king" was leading an army to fight against the Tsarist Russian Empire in the north.
This is too bizarre! He really can't think of anyone in the world who can challenge two huge empires at the same time. Even the British Empire would not dare to do this.
And his son Xiao Si stood beside his father and looked curiously at the two large ships not far away. What he was thinking about was that the deck was so big, could he ride a horse on it?
After the North Korean Navy's speedboat approached the sand ship, it ordered the other party to lower its sails and slow down, and then boarded the ship for inspection.
Qiao Renjie felt panicked when he heard that the other party was speaking very fluent Mandarin. Although he was from Tianjin, a man from the Qing Dynasty, he was also a Han; strictly speaking, he was from Shanxi, but he had nothing to do with the Qiao family in Qi County.
The Qing government blocked information outside the customs very strictly, and people in the officialdom only knew that the court had suffered repeated defeats and wars. For many people, whether it was the Jinchuan or Jinchuan, Myanmar, or the Junggar tribe, which one did not lose first and then win later?
Win? What are you afraid of if you lose occasionally? There is still peace in the country, and no one will think that the Manchu rule is unstable.
However, for Qiao Renjie, when he saw the big ship of the Northern Navy with his own eyes and heard the fluent Mandarin spoken by the soldiers, he finally understood that the other party was a far more terrifying existence than any previous opponent. He looked back and glanced at the five huge ships.
The sailing battleship is not even a bit inferior to the Thor and Thunder in front of it.
At this moment, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind, which immediately made him sweat.
"Since ancient times, the Hu people have never had a national destiny that lasted for hundreds of years!"
After some inspections, the soldiers of the Marine Battalion ordered the British on the sand ship not to bring any weapons on board; except for a few people in charge of negotiations, no sailors were allowed to board the ship.
In the eyes of Horatio Nelson and others, everything about the Thunder and the Thor was new. Although the two ships had the same shape, their sizes were more than twice the size.
Whether it's the huge anchor chain hanging down from the bow of the ship, the towering "flagpole" on the bow, or the dizzying ship building, or the rifles in the hands of the Marine battalion soldiers, or even the boat parked in the distance.
Sail merchant ships of more than a thousand tons were also full of question marks in Nelson's eyes.
When a group of people walked up the gangway and boarded the deck, their eyes suddenly opened up. The width of the deck made them all open their mouths and couldn't close them for a long time. Qiao Renjie's legs were so weak at this time, he was dizzy, and he almost collapsed on the deck.
superior.
Many years later, when Qiao Renjie recalled the moment he boarded the Thunder God, he couldn't help but feel a little proud. Except for Chen Xinhuai from the Guangdong Coast Guard Yamen who had boarded the Thunder God, he should be the first Manchu official to board the Thunder God;
The most important thing is that he was not a prisoner at that time!
Nelson saw the cannon covered with colorful tarpaulins on the deck at a glance. He tried to figure out what kind of weapon it was from its appearance. However, an officer on the deck interrupted his reverie. After a brief greeting,
He led a group of people into the poop of the ship.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The group of people followed the officer in circles and climbed the stairs, with two soldiers holding guns behind them. When Qiao Renjie felt that he could no longer climb, the officer led
He followed them to the door of a cabin on the third floor.
"Report! The other party's negotiators have arrived!"
"Invite them to come in." Following the order of a man with a southern accent, Qiao Renjie, Stauntong and his son, and Nelson walked into the cabin and met Deng Fei, the head of the Northern Navy's naval department.
"Gentlemen, please take a seat."
Nelson and Staunton looked curiously at the Oriental man across the long table. He had short hair, less than six feet tall, and was wearing a spotted green dress. He had a thin face, although
A smile on the face, prominent cheekbones and pursed lips show a character that is soft on the outside but strong on the inside.
The most striking thing is that this man also wears a pair of extremely exquisitely crafted double-lens glasses on the bridge of his nose. He looks less like a soldier and more like a scholar.
Behind this man, standing against the wall, was a taller man, wearing a dark green helmet, standing straight like a guard. And this man also wore a pair of glasses, but the lenses were actually
It was black, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
"Are you drinking coffee or tea?"
"Ah, you actually have coffee? Then give me a cup." Horatio Nelson was very surprised. He didn't expect that there was coffee here, but he didn't know how it tasted.
Stangdong said: "I'd better have a cup of tea. What kind of tea is there?"
Deng Fei smiled and said, "How about black tea? It's winter. Drinking some black tea is good for your stomach." After saying that, he looked at Little Stendong, who was looking around with big eyes, and asked, "How about a cup of hot chocolate for you?"
Sample?"
After hearing what the translator said, Little Stendong nodded hurriedly. Since leaving Madras, he has not had hot chocolate for a long time.
After Deng Fei explained to the soldiers at the door, he immediately said to Standong: "This is your child? He is so cute. What is his name?"
If it weren't for the murderous "guard" standing behind the other party and the accompanying Qiao Renjie, Stendong and Nelson would have thought they were guests at someone else's house.
"Dear Sir, I am the deputy envoy of the British East India Company, George Staunton." After speaking, Staunton introduced Nelson next to him, and finally touched his son's shoulder and said: "This is
My son, George Thomas Staunton."
Qiao Renjie and the translator also hurriedly handed over their hands, saying that one of them was responsible for recording the content of the meeting, and the other was the translator. After that, Qiao Renjie took out paper, ink, pen and inkstone from the pocket he carried with him and put them on the table.
When he heard Nelson's name, Deng Fei was stunned for a moment and thought to himself, isn't this "the seasick Admiral"? Why did he come to China?
In March 1787, Nelson, who had just concluded a lawsuit, married a young widow, Frances Finney Nisbey, on the island of Nevis, and then the two returned to England.
Since his expenses during the lawsuit had to be borne by the government, Admiralty officials were very dissatisfied with him. In addition, the number of warships in peacetime was small, so Nelson never had the opportunity to take the ship to sea.
At this time, the five second-class sailing ships built by the Admiralty for the Qing Dynasty were nearing completion, and it was necessary to send a group of retired officers to China for training. So on the recommendation of Sir John Jervis, Nelson took his wife aboard
The fleet headed for China. However, because the Manchus did not allow Western women to board the ships, Francis and some other family members stayed in Macau.
However, no one noticed that when Deng Fei was introducing himself to several people, the eyes of the "guard" behind him, hidden behind his sunglasses, kept staring at Little Stendong.
Nine-year-old Stendong seemed to have noticed something. He tilted his head and looked at the guard. He felt a little scared, so he tightened his father's hand.
"Little bastard, it turns out it's you!" Zhao Xin cursed in his heart.
George Thomas Staunton was an extremely important figure in the history of Sino-British relations in the nineteenth century.
It was he who brought the technology of cowpox vaccination to China; it was also he who opposed Palmerston's motion to "establish a court in China."
However, it was he who refused to kneel to Jiaqing and declared that the dignity of the British Empire was inviolable. In the famous debate in the House of Commons in 1839, he strongly endorsed the invasion of China, influencing many MPs to vote in favor.
"...I still hold, after the fullest consideration, the views previously expressed. But the actual breakdown in our relations with China cannot be entirely attributed to a lack of vigilance or foresight on the part of Her Majesty and the present Ministers if we should have succumbed to such outrages.
and business in China, without any attempt to defend it, the consequences will be transferred to our vast empire in India, where our political dominance will be seriously undermined, the day will not be too far away. Therefore, I am very
Agree with the expedition to China."
Everything was due to economic interests, and it was all because of Lin Zexu's "smoking opium campaign" in Humen.
What a bullshit Sinologist! What a bullshit peace envoy! He is so unforgettable about this period of history that Zhao Xin wants to pounce on him and strangle him to death!
Just when Xiao Si Dangdong felt that the man wearing black glasses opposite him was exuding "murderous aura", which scared him so much that he pouted his mouth and was about to shed tears, a cat meow suddenly came from outside the door.
"Meow~~"
So Little Stangdong let go of his father's hand, walked to the door against the wall and looked out, and found a fat and big orange cat squatting in the aisle. After a while, a figure appeared at the corner of the aisle.
Flash, a very beautiful girl came over with a long black ponytail.
"Duofu, why are you running around? Hurry up."
When King Duofu turned over and exposed his white belly, he meant that he wanted to be hugged by A Miao. A Miao said: "I won't hug you anymore, you'll get me all hairy. Let's go quickly."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Little Stendong walked out of the cabin, came to Duofu, and asked curiously: "This cat is really fat. What is its name?"
A Miao blinked and spread her hands like Zhao Xin, expressing that she didn't understand at all.
(Blessed: "Another slave!")
At this time, Stangdong saw his son going out, and quickly apologized to Deng Fei. When he walked to the door, he was stunned. Deng Fei also probably knew what was going on, so he came over and said to Stangdong in English: "Mr. Deputy Envoy, if
If you don't mind, let's talk about business first. As for your son, you can let this girl take him to the restaurant next door to wait. The delicacies on our ship will make your son a little fat man."
After that, he told A Miao the situation again, and A Miao agreed with a smile.
Stendong was stunned. He did not expect that the other party actually spoke fluent English. However, thinking of his mission, he immediately expressed his gratitude, gave instructions to his son, and then returned to the conference room.
At this time, coffee and tea were served. Nelson picked up the cup and smelled it, and said in surprise: "You actually have coffee beans from Jamaica?"
Deng Fei said: "Actually, I prefer tea, but there are people on the ship who like coffee, so they have two cups every day."
Nelson and Staunton looked at each other and wondered, are these people still in the Caribbean? I haven't heard of it!
Come to think of it, he's French! According to the representative of Thirteenth Bank, the gentleman who was stationed in Guangzhou from Beihai Town had a very good relationship with the French.
Next, the negotiations between the two parties began in a strange atmosphere.
Two British people came, but they represented the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Although Deng Fei represented the Beihai Navy, Zhao Xin stood behind him.
At the beginning of the meeting, Stangdong asked Deng Fei about the Northern Navy's intention to come to Dagukou and whether it planned to start a war with the Qing Empire. Nelson expressed that he wanted to visit the Thunderbolt after the meeting, or if it was more convenient, he could take a look at the ship.
Sailboat.
What were you thinking?! Deng Fei immediately rejected Nelson's request.
Not to mention that the two sides are still divided between friends and foes. Even if the armistice negotiations are concluded, you British people will not be able to find out a single thing. For the British Empire, which has stirred up troubles all over the world, and has continued to stir up troubles into the twenty-first century.
Troublemakers, whether Zhao Xin or Deng Fei, will regard them as enemies.
Deng Fei told Stangdong that the Beihai Town fleet purchased soybeans in the Liaodong Peninsula and traded them fairly. As a result, they were attacked by the Qing army and naturally they had to fight back.
Qiao Renjie, who was typing notes on the side, cursed in his heart for being shameless, "Why do you want to attack the Jinzhou Water Camp stationed in Lushun when buying soybeans? With your ships and cannons, even the Jinzhou Water Camp would not dare to provoke him even if he had ten guts!"
However, Nelson and Staunton expressed their understanding of the North Navy's approach. First, they did not understand the pitiful combat effectiveness of Jinzhou Shuiying, and secondly, as a robber country that carried out overseas colonization everywhere, the North Navy's approach was in their eyes.
There’s nothing wrong with that, absolutely no problem!
Later, Deng Fei said that since the Manchu Qing could launch a sneak attack shamelessly, it should bear the consequences of the failure. The Beihai navy came to Dagukou this time in the hope of starting negotiations with the Qing court on personnel mobility matters.
After listening to this, Stangdong asked: "What if the Qing emperor does not agree to negotiate?"
"Gentlemen, what I want to reiterate again is that the Beihai Navy is also Chinese, just like the people under the Qing Dynasty, they are descendants of Yan and Huang! If Qianlong does not agree, we will sink all five sailing ships and bombard Dagu
Exit and land in Tianjin."
Deng Fei glanced at Qiao Renjie and the translator, saw them wiping the sweat on their foreheads with their sleeves, and sneered: "At that time, it will be easy for the Bei Navy to break into Beijing. Please tell the Manchus what I said.
Officials, I only give them three days. If there is no reply, at six o'clock in the morning three days later, we will bombard the Dagukou Fort. At that time, please move to other ships in advance to avoid danger."
Staunton and Nelson showed regret on their faces, and finally asked: "May I ask what level of officials in the Qing Empire you want to negotiate with?"
"Grand Bachelor, Minister of Military Aircraft!"
"Whoa!" Qiao Renjie's hand suddenly shook, and the brush drew a long ink mark on the paper.