The six-dimensional pictures of emperors of all dynasties were exposed, and the ancestors panicked

Chapter 782 The Second Opium War

[Just the Taiping Rebellion alone caused Emperor Xianfeng to suffer from heart failure. What should he do in the face of so many rebellions? ]

【However, from the many edicts issued by Emperor Xianfeng, we can see that he had a warning line in his heart, which was the Yellow River. 】

[He was most afraid of unrest north of the Yellow River, which would endanger the capital. As for rebellions south of the Yellow River, he dealt with them according to geographical distance.]

[For example, the Nian Army was right beside the Yellow River, and he ordered his generals to mobilize troops to suppress it.]

[The Tiandihui in the southeastern coastal area was also strictly ordered to all governors and governors to do their utmost to suppress it.]

[As for the Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan regions, because "the emperor was far away", Xianfeng had no intention of paying attention to them. Apart from saying some harsh words in his edict, he had no practical countermeasures.]

[Even though the “rebellions” mentioned above were all serious problems in normal dynasties, the court should have responded greatly.]

【But by this time, Xianfeng could no longer care about so many things, nor did he want to care about them. 】

[As long as the battle doesn't extend north of the Yellow River, he doesn't seem to care much.]

[Because, the big one is coming! ]

……

Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period
"Bastard!"

Kangxi threw the teacup in his hand to the ground.

All the attendants in the hall knelt down skillfully.

"He wants to live in seclusion in a corner! Is he imitating the Southern Song Dynasty?"

"Does he know what he is doing?"

Kangxi was really going crazy this time.

Once Xianfeng let go, the responsibility fell on the local officials of each province.

They have to mobilize their own soldiers, recruit their own brave men, and raise their own funds; they cannot rely on the imperial court at all.

But rights and obligations have always been equal!
Since the emperor failed to fulfill his obligations, his rights were also eroded.

"The emperor's edict will be set aside by local officials and dealt with at will!"

Kangxi paced back and forth in anger, deducing the inevitable future from past historical experience.

"They will see how powerless the emperor is!"

"They still sing praises of wisdom in their memorials, but deep down they begin to doubt this wisdom!"

"They are just following the Confucian teachings, being loyal to the emperor and serving the country, but once they start to doubt, the altar in their hearts will begin to collapse!"

The emperor's angry voice echoed in the hall!

"The Son of Heaven is supposed to be a god!"

The eunuchs and palace maids were trembling with fear.

Some words can be listened to, and some words cannot be listened to.

Some things can be said, and some things cannot be said.

And the words that cannot be spoken are spoken to those who cannot hear...

Kangxi seemed to have seen what was happening next.

Provincial officials no longer turned to the imperial court for help, but to neighboring provinces.

Private armies from all over the country moved in and became the main force of the local Qing army.

Some cross-provincial bureaucratic groups will gradually begin to form.

The final result is the division of power among warlords!
Yinzhen murmured softly:

"He's only in his twenties."

Kangxi said coldly without even turning his head:

"But he is the emperor."

……

[Just as Xianfeng was struggling in the quagmire of civil war and had no idea how to escape, foreign invasion came again.]

【Britain and France launched the Second Opium War against China, and the Qing Dynasty had to face internal and external troubles.】

[The war was caused by Britain, the United States and other countries' demands for the Qing Dynasty to revise the treaty.]

[As early as the third year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (1853), Britain used the most-favored-nation treatment and Article 34 of the Sino-US Wangxia Treaty, which stipulated that trade and sea areas could be slightly changed after 12 years, to ask China to revise the treaty.]

[In May of the same year, the British government instructed the British ambassador to China, John C. Johnson, to raise the issue of revising the Treaty of Nanjing, and asked him to propose to the Chinese side that China should open all cities and ports to the British without reservation, and that the British should be able to travel throughout China without any restrictions.]

[When Wenhan received the order, the Taiping Army's Northern Expedition troops had already attacked near Tianjin. Wenhan felt that it was hard to predict who would win or lose between the Taiping Army and the Qing Dynasty, so he shelved the order.]

[In July, the United States offered the Qing Dynasty help in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, using this as bait to revise the treaty to expand its rights and interests in China.]

[The Qing government was suspicious of the United States' motives and did not accept it.]

……

{This intuition is quite sharp.}
{The British request to revise the Treaty of Nanjing is without any basis, because the Treaty of Nanjing is a political treaty, not a commercial treaty, and there is no provision for revision, and the revision of the treaty itself cannot be included in the most-favored-nation treatment.}
{The British simply took advantage of the Qing government's lack of knowledge of international relations and deceived and defrauded it, so the Qing government was led by the nose.}
……

Ming dynasty.

Queen Ma said with a hint of meaning:

“You still have to open your eyes and see the world.”

"We still need to communicate more with the outside world."

"Otherwise, let people sell it and count the money for them."

Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyes and said unhappily:

"We know it. Isn't it advancing step by step?"

"Governing a country is like cooking a small fish! If you take a big step, you may break your egg!"

Queen Ma would not indulge him, she curled her lips and said:
"I never saw you take smaller steps when you were playing Battle Royale."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were stunned at first.

Then he reacted.

Zhu Biao tilted his head, his shoulders relaxed.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned red.

"We...we did that for Ming Dynasty!"

Queen Ma looked at his stumbling appearance and said with a smile:
"Then you have to rebuild the Ming system."

"Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty will still perish."

……

In 1855, the United States appointed missionary Peter Parker as its ambassador to China. His mission was to obtain three major rights from the Qing Dynasty: to station an ambassador in Beijing, to expand trade without restrictions, and to remove any restrictions on personal freedom.

[Bogard knew that the Wangxia Treaty only provided for minor revisions after twelve years, but he believed that "in order to achieve the greatest interests of all governments, not only minor revisions but also drastic changes are indispensable", and for this "tough measures must be taken."]

[Before coming to China, he visited the Foreign Ministry in London and Paris and reached a consensus.]

In August 1855, the fifth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, Peter Parker hoped to go north to the Bohai Bay to force the Qing government to negotiate the revision of the treaty. British Minister to China John Bowring said: "There is no hope of obtaining any important concessions from China by acting alone without strong military pressure."

[Because warships from various countries had not yet been transferred to the Far East, there was no military support, so this northward movement could not be carried out. ]

In the sixth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (1856), the Sino-US Wangxia Treaty had been in effect for twelve years. With the support of Britain and France, the United States again proposed to revise the treaty. Britain and France also took the opportunity to make the same request, which was again rejected by the Qing government.

[In this way, launching a new war against China is on the agenda. ]

……

Datang.

Li Shimin sat up straighter with a serious expression.

"I don't understand."

The Guanzhong accent carries a heavy sense of confusion.

"It is so obvious that they intend to use war to force the Qing Dynasty to agree to revise the treaty."

"Is there no one in the whole court who can see this?"

"The war is approaching China, and the Qing Dynasty is still unaware of it?!"

Fang Xuanling and others looked at each other.

It is indeed difficult to see in the fog.

After all, not every emperor is as good at fighting as you.

"Even if there are people with good eyesight in this place, I'm afraid they will..."

Everyone understood Du Ruhui's unfinished meaning.

Just look at the Qing Dynasty officialdom, which only cares about having fun today and doesn't care about dying tomorrow.

Plus the pride of being the Celestial Empire...

"If we don't win this battle..."

It's useless.

But could the Qing Dynasty win?

Everyone recalled the series of actions taken by the Qing Dynasty since the First Opium War and had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

It’s a guaranteed loss.

……

[In the sixth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (March 1856), the Crimean War ended and Russia was defeated.]

【At this time, Britain, France, Russia and other countries all turned their attention to China, and warships from various countries could be moved to China. 】

[Opponents fighting on the battlefield in Crimea became cooperative partners in China.]

[The use of war has already been decided, and the invaders will always find a plausible excuse. ]

【At this time, the Father Ma incident occurred. Although this was a sudden individual incident, it was a good excuse for France, but it was not very strong for Britain. Soon, the "Arrow" incident also occurred. 】【In the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng (February 1857), British Prime Minister Palmerston strongly advocated expanding the invasion of China. 】

[A member of the House of Lords proposed a motion condemning the abuse of force by British officials in China, but it was rejected by a vote of 110 to 146.]

[At this time, a member of the House of Commons proposed a similar motion, which was passed by 263 votes to 247.]

[Palmerson immediately dissolved the House of Commons and called a new general election, in which Palmerston's faction won.]

[On February 1857, the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (March 3, 20), the British government sent Earl Elgin as a senior envoy to prepare for formal military action against China. It also frequently contacted France and the United States to plan joint actions.]

……

{You are awesome. You can solve the problem with one size fits all. If you solve the problem, the problem will no longer exist. How many people still do things this way?}
{The British House of Commons still had some knowledgeable people at the time, but the Prime Minister dissolved the House of Commons after passing a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister. This shows that democracy is vulnerable to the interests of capital, and the hypocrisy and absurdity of Western democracy have long existed.}
{In addition, the so-called House of Commons represents the common people, which is a misunderstanding. It is probably even more difficult to find members of the British House of Representatives who truly represent the interests of the common people and have a conscience.}
{The Second Opium War occurred because the capitalist invaders’ desire to maximize their interests was not met.}
{After the signing of a series of unequal treaties such as the Treaty of Nanjing, although the Western powers obtained many privileges from China, they still wanted to obtain more privileges.}
{The reason why Britain launched this war was largely to force the Qing government to legalize the opium trade in order to protect Britain's biggest economic interest in China at the time - the opium trade.}
{Seeking comprehensive economic and political benefits in China is their fundamental interest.}
{So, if this fundamental interest cannot be obtained, a new war of aggression will break out sooner or later.}
……

Qing Dynasty Yongzheng Period
“This level cannot be locked.”

Yongzheng took a sip of tea, looked at Hongli lying on the couch opposite him, and said softly:
"This is completely like being at the mercy of others."

Hongli's face darkened, and he whispered:
"But there are so many Han people..."

The teacup made a clanging sound when it hit the wooden table.

Yongzheng looked at him and said angrily:
"Don't I know?!"

"Then what?! Learn from the six kingdoms and serve Qin?"

"Would you believe it?"

Yongzheng pointed at the sky, his tone filled with anger and sadness.

"Once the ships arrive, Emperor Xianfeng will agree to any conditions!"

"why?"

"Because I can't beat him!"

"That's the truth!"

Yongzheng's eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth and said:

"Even if the Manchus return to Shanhaiguan, they will still be inferior in skills!"

"But how can we face our ancestors when our ancestral heritage is sold to foreigners?"

Hongli lowered his head and said softly:
"What does Amma want to do?"

Yongzheng slowly calmed down his anger and said coldly:

“Know yourself and know your enemy.”

"Trick them first while the dignity of the Celestial Empire remains."

"They'll just rip off as much as they can about those industries and stuff."

"Search for the descendants of the former Ming craftsmen and have them participate in the reproduction."

"I am the Qing Dynasty, and we have many people."

……

[In November, American Minister William Levin and Russian Minister Putyatin arrived in Hong Kong separately.]

[The British and French coalition forces also gathered together: the British army had 43 warships and about 10,000 naval and land forces, and the French army also had 10 warships. They gathered at the mouth of the Pearl River.]

[October 12, the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign (December 12)]

[Britain and France sent a note to Ye Mingchen, demanding that: 1. he be allowed to enter Guangzhou; 2. he be compensated for all losses in the "Arrow" incident and the Father Ma incident; 3. the Qing Dynasty send a "Minister of Peace" to negotiate with Britain and France for the revision of the treaty.]

[The note required Ye Mingchen to promise the first two items within ten days, otherwise Guangzhou would be attacked.]

[Ye Mingchen ignored it, but did not prepare for battle. ]

……

{What is he going to do? What does he want to do?}
{According to historical records, he sent a large number of spies to Hong Kong and other places to collect intelligence.}
{There is a huge amount of intelligence, but he does not analyze it from an international strategic perspective and still uses outdated concepts to judge.}
{He believed in four pieces of information the most: First, the British Queen's "letter of credence" had been sent to Hong Kong, ordering "China to resolve past grievances" and "not to rely on force or bully others."}
{Second, Britain was badly defeated in the Crimean War and paid Russia more than 78 million taels in military expenses, so it demanded to enter the city and collect 10,000 taels of rent each day inside and outside the city, and another 10,000 taels of tax each day, for a total of 900,000 taels of silver per month.}
{The British had exhausted their financial resources to suppress the uprising of Indian native soldiers and could not even pay the soldiers.}
{Third, Elgin was badly defeated in suppressing the uprising of soldiers. He fled by land and was chased by soldiers to the seaside. A French warship happened to pass by and fired several shots, scaring off the pursuers. Elgin survived.}
{Fourth, the King of France instructed Gros before he left that if China and Britain went to war, France "should only abide by the treaty and maintain peace, and must not help the enemy."}
{All of these are completely untrue.}
{Relying on this information, Ye Mingchen was very confident and believed that Elgin's ultimatum was a "peace" action by the British side after failing to change the treaty! Its purpose was to extort some money.}
{I really don't know where Ye Mingchen got this information from. Maybe his spies were double agents who sent false information?}

{As for others, from the perspective of the Qing Dynasty: the powerful vassal and the emperor of the previous dynasty joined forces to cause chaos, just like the Southern Ming Dynasty joined forces with the Three Feudatories, which was much more powerful than the Taiping Rebellion. The British barbarians must have suffered a lot. }
……

Yanhan·Lingdi Period
Liu Hong felt that the Qing Dynasty was full of "talents"

"Gentlemen, who can help me solve this puzzle?"

"The enemy has traveled thousands of miles to reach the port with warships."

"How did he think the other party was just here to ask for money?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Maybe... you mistook the Western Barbarians for the Xiongnu?"

Think about it...

It really makes some sense!
Liu Hong didn't understand, but was greatly shocked!
"You've been beaten into that state?"

"You lost all your calves?"

"Are you still targeting the Huns?"

"I thought they didn't have a Great Wall floating on the sea, did they?"

No one knew how to respond to this.

The Qing Dynasty...isn't it magical?

……

[The ten-day deadline passed, and Britain and France did not attack.]

[On the ninth day of the eleventh month (December 12), China received a note from Britain and France, claiming that the affairs had been handed over to the military.]

[On the same day, the British and French naval and land commanders also sent a note, requiring the Qing army in Guangzhou to withdraw 90 miles within two days, but Ye Mingchen still refused in a reply.]

[The two-day deadline has passed, and the British and French have still not attacked the city. ]

[Ye Mingshen thought that the British and French were just making empty threats, and he was also a fan of spirit writing, so the prophecies he had read in the past two days were all very auspicious.]

[God's will was telling him that the most difficult period was about to pass.]

……

Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period
Kangxi was now gritting his teeth in hatred.

Yinzhen lowered his head silently.

"If anyone dares to speak of prophecies in the future, I will chop off his head!"

……

Qing Dynasty Yongzheng Period
Hongli glanced at him secretly out of the corner of his eye.

Yongzheng's face turned black.

"It is indeed misleading..."

……

[On November 1857, the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign (December 12, 27), fifteen days after receiving Elgin’s ultimatum, Ye Mingchen enthusiastically submitted a memorial of more than words to Emperor Xianfeng, claiming that “the British have now asked for peace, and trade will be allowed soon.”]

[He said he would "take advantage of this time when the crimes are rampant and when all other strategies and efforts are exhausted" to "cut off all the entanglements of the British demands once and for all"]

[This memorial took twenty-one days to complete.]

[On the third day of the twelfth month of the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign (January 1858, 1), Emperor Xianfeng received this memorial. He was overjoyed that the Sino-British dispute, which he had been worried about for a long time, could have such a satisfactory ending.]

The edict issued that day said:
"Ye Mingchen has seen through the background, and the barbarians have exhausted all their tricks. Once there is a follow-up note, the overall situation can be roughly settled. We must cut off the entanglement of entering the city, paying compensation and changing the treaty, so that the problem can be solved once and for all."]

……

Song Zhenzong period
"It's not strange to deceive superiors and subordinates."

Zhao Heng looked at the sky in surprise.

“But to be so defrauded so badly with such centralized power… it’s unbelievable.”

Liu E held her chin with one hand and stroked the rim of the wine glass with her other hand, saying lazily:

"The situation is so bad that no official can survive without using the art of deception and delay."

“The more centralized power there is, the more deceitful it is.”

"As long as the result is good, isn't that enough?"

"What a pity, such a living heart is used in the wrong place."

……

[On November 1857, the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign (December 12, 28), the day after Ye Mingchen reported to the British that they were at their wit’s end, the British and French allied forces attacked Guangzhou with warships and more than ground troops.]

[Ye Mingchen remained calm as he searched for documents in the office, and claimed: "It will only take a while, and everything will be fine after this."]

【On the 29th (th), the British and French allied forces entered the city and Guangzhou fell. 】

[The streets were filled with fleeing citizens, but Ye Mingchen still lived in the city and did not flee.]

[In response to his subordinates' various requests for peace, he still insisted on not allowing the British to enter the city, and only agreed to give them some silver.]

[On November 1858, the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign (January 1, 5), the British and French allied forces searched various government offices in Guangzhou.]

[Ye Mingshen lived in the fifth courtyard of the Left Vice-Governor's Office. When the enemy came to search for the first time, they did not reach the fifth courtyard. The servants advised him to leave quickly, but he still refused.]

[Soon the enemy troops arrived again, captured him, and sent him to the British ship.]

[Until this time, he still maintained the dignity of an imperial envoy, preparing to have face-to-face negotiations with the British and French envoys! ]

[After that, he was sent to India, still calling himself "Su Wu of the Sea", and died three months later at William Battery in Calcutta.]

[On November 1858, the seventh year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign (January 1, 7), all the senior officials of Guangdong, led by Guangzhou General Mukden, jointly submitted a memorial to report the fall of Guangzhou.]

[On December 1 (January 27), this memorial was delivered to the emperor.]

[Ten days ago, Emperor Xianfeng had just read Ye Mingchen's report of safety. When he heard that Guangzhou had sent another memorial, he thought it was good news. But he didn't expect such a thing to happen. He was so confused that he wrote a few big words at the end of the memorial with a red pen.]

【I was deeply surprised after reading this report! 】

(End of this chapter)