I, Zhu Houzhao, join the US imperialist chat group

Chapter 236: French version of Jing Ke assassinating Qin! Cleveland: Roosevelt, help me get re-elected for three terms!
"Four hundred and fifty million taels of silver!"

"Pay it off in 39 years!"

"The principal and interest total 980 million taels! Nearly 1 billion!"

"One billion taels of silver..."

"How can we get this Qing Empire?"

"Twenty-five million taels of silver a year... given to eleven countries just like that?"

"What else are they going to do?"

Xiaoling Mausoleum, Xu Yunmiao immediately calculated the bill for the Qing Empire under the rule of Cixi. The shocking indemnity made her dizzy: "It is equivalent to our Ming Dynasty not eating or drinking, and still have to pay for 40 to 50 years!"

“Is this still a country?”

"How can they be so humiliating! No! So useless!"

"After they stole my great Chinese artifact, is this how they took control of China?"

"This... Even the Song Dynasty didn't pay so much in compensation!"

"It will take the entire country's finances 50 years to pay it back! That would be a huge blow to the people!"

"This is such a shame! How could there be such a thing in all dynasties?"

Zhu Houzhao couldn't even sit still. He walked back and forth in the Xiaoling Mausoleum with his fists clenched, wanting to kill or beat people!
Although the Qing Empire and the Ming Empire are no longer the same, and this matter is also the business of the Aisin-Gioro family, but this land is still the land of the Han people!
If you change the person doing the farming, this will happen!
The key point is, after the Ming Dynasty, there was the Qing Empire!
This was also because the Ming Dynasty was too weak, which allowed the foreign races to seize the country.

Zhu Houzhao was very self-aware of this responsibility and took the initiative to shoulder part of it!

"Yes, there has never been such a thing in all dynasties!"

"This woman... is even more destructive to the country and the people than Wu Zetian!"

"What happened to the Qing Empire?"

From a woman's perspective, Xu Yunmiao could not understand Cixi, and even felt that she was even worse than Wu Zetian.

"A Shou, don't... don't be angry... This is something that will happen in the next three or four hundred years. There's no point getting angry now. You should hurry up and ask them what they have done to China."

When Xu Yunmiao saw Zhu Houzhao's furious look, she immediately comforted him.

"Yes! I want to see what kind of harm she can do to the Qing Empire!"

Zhu Houzhao forced himself to suppress his anger. Was the foundation built over thousands of years going to be destroyed just like that?

【Tang Xizong Li Xuan: Cleveland, you seemed to have said before that they were also defeated by Japan... Roosevelt, I find it very difficult to understand the later rulers of the East! Can you tell me what humiliation we have suffered under their rule? How bad and terrible can it be! Why do you, so many countries, unite to bully us?】

Zhu Houzhao finally wanted to ask what had happened.

【Louis XVI: I am also very curious about this question. During the period of Emperor Qianlong's Eastern Empire... it was very powerful. It even felt like it was one or two times more powerful than France. How come they were bullied like this in just a hundred years? And we bullied them together...】

Zhu Houzhao's question also aroused Louis XVI's curious questioning.

The Qing Dynasty, which was of the same period as him, was a very powerful country in the eyes of France.

He was also curious about this kind of thing happening all of a sudden.

【Messenger Roosevelt: How can I answer this question? I can only say that maybe the lion is weak and old. During the time of Louis XVI, the Qing Empire could indeed be considered the world's most powerful empire! Because at that time, their population was almost over 200 million, their military strength and various political influences were also very strong, and they were the absolute hegemon of the East and even Asia.】

[I am a lion in the world, no one dares to mess with me! ]

[But how should I put it…]

[He must be British! ]

[The British declared war on them in 1840 and 1860, beginning a tentative test of the country's power.]

[Even Queen Victoria might have been prepared for failure! ]

[However... the results of the two wars were unexpected. In the first war, Britain only deployed 4000 troops in the early stage, and increased the number to 10 within a year. However, these people, facing more than Qing troops, actually achieved brilliant results and occupied several important cities of the enemy! The Qing Empire began to seek peace...]

[The second war took place 20 years later. The British and French allied forces only had about 17,000 soldiers, but the Qing Empire had nearly 300,000 soldiers. They invaded their capital and forced their emperor and empress dowager to flee the capital...]

[Anyway, after these two wars... we discovered their weakness! They turned out to be a sick lion. Of course, Russia and others took advantage of the opportunity to occupy their land... they were powerless to fight back! ]

[So... facing such a seemingly powerful but actually weak country...]

[It seems like anyone who goes up there can win! Why don’t we all go up there and bully them! ]

[Anyway... since 1840... they are no longer the overlord of Asia to us. To us, they are just a big piece of fat meat...]

[They almost all failed in their foreign wars...]

[Paying compensation after losing the war...]

Roosevelt briefly described the decline of the Qing Empire.

This helped Zhu Houzhao, Louis XVI, Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and others to completely understand the causes and consequences.

[Tang Xizong Li Xuan: 20,000 people against 100,000 people, and they were defeated? 17,000 people against 300,000 people... and they let people break into the imperial capital... Okay, I understand, I really understand... They are at the end of the dynasty, they deserve it! ]

Zhu Houzhao finally understood everything.

This world has always been a world where the strong prey on the weak.

If you are not strong, others will bully you.

What's more... when he brought in the history of the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, he quickly understood it.

At that time, Taizu and his people were just warlords, and their military strength was still quite weak compared to the entire Yuan Dynasty.

As long as the Yuan Dynasty maintains internal harmony, they will surely be able to work together to wipe out everything.

But what can I do?

Let's bring up the history of the Tang Dynasty. During the An-Shi Rebellion, An Lushan and his army only had an army of 100,000 or 200,000, but they still managed to capture Chang'an, didn't they?

What's more... hundreds of thousands of people fighting against 10,000 or 20,000 people were defeated...

[Louis XVI: Your Majesty, how did you understand that? Can you accept this? Your empire has 300,000 troops, but was defeated by an army of 10,000 or 20,000. Is this reasonable?]

[American Emperor Washington: I don’t quite understand either. They have so many troops...how come? ]

[Tang Xizong Li Xuan: Why don't you understand? This is a sign that their luck has run out! In the past, Wang Mang's army of 400,000 was defeated by Liu Xiu's army of 10,000 or 20,000... This is called the end of fate! If God wants them to die, they have to die! ]

Zhu Houzhao gave an example in annoyance.

[Meilizong Grant: Huh? Has this happened in your history? ]

Grant wanted to say it was a technological factor, but Zhu Houzhao gave an example. [American Yingzong Cleveland: Your Majesty, it is not what you gave as an example... nor is it what you understand as Your Majesty Louis XVI! It is... The army of the Qing Empire was indeed very strong, at least in Asia at that time, it could sweep across the country! But... The reason they lost! It has nothing to do with the demise of the dynasty, but... The British army, the French army... They used hot weapons! ]

[Mercius Roosevelt: President Cleveland is right! President Washington, their hundreds of thousands of troops...are actually just like hundreds of thousands of Indians...Can they pose a threat to you?]

[And... Your Majesty! This kind of defeat... even if it was during the Qing Empire, which belonged to your ancestor Li Shimin! It belonged to... the army led during the Napoleon era, it was inevitable to lose! The difference is that our losses are much greater! An army with hot weapons, facing an army with cold weapons, is simply crushed! ]

Both Roosevelt and Cleveland hurried to correct Zhu Houzhao and his colleagues' misconceptions.

[Li Xuan, Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty: Huh? 】

Zhu Houzhao frowned. Is the gap between the East and the West really that big?
[Louis XVI: Like an Indian army?]

[American leader Washington: Are they so bad? ]

Taking the Indians as an example, Louis XVI and Washington immediately understood the real gap here.

[Meishezong Roosevelt: Your Majesty, it doesn't matter if you don't understand... Anyway, won't there be a chance for you to lead your army to participate in our civil war? When you go to the civil war scene in person, you will know the difference.]

Roosevelt also knew that it would be difficult to change the ancient kings' ideas about new-style warfare with just a few words, so he did not explain any further.

[Tang Xizong Li Xuan: Well... I hope to see it with my own eyes. ]

Zhu Houzhao no longer worried about this matter.

【Meishezong Roosevelt: Well, it seems that I have changed the subject unconsciously. Your Majesty, I know it is difficult for you to accept... but after all, it is something that will happen to you in the next thousand years, so there is no need for you to worry about it and empathize with them. So, let's skip this topic, okay?】

[Tang Xizong Li Xuan: It’s not that I want to empathize! Anyway, you don’t understand! Continue your topic! ]

Zhu Houzhao also did not explain to Roosevelt what cultural heritage meant.

【Messenger Roosevelt: Okay. Then the next one is you, President Cleveland. 】

[Mei Yingzong Cleveland: I don't need it for now, let His Majesty Li come first... What if His Majesty Li also triggers a group task? To be honest, I also want to go to His Majesty Li's time and space to appreciate the charm of ancient China. ]

Cleveland decisively gave this opportunity to Zhu Houzhao.

[Tang Xizong Li Xuan: I have nothing to say here. To be honest, the weapons you gave me... I dare not let others use them, and even... I dare not show their power in front of the eunuchs. If the eunuchs knew that I had such weapons, they might kill me in my sleep without knowing it...]

[So, in this month, my life has basically not changed. ]

[Huang Chao and his men are about to attack Chang'an. I feel that I urgently need your help. ]

Zhu Houzhao briefly fictionalized Xiaohao's life.

[Louis XVI: Hmm? Your Majesty, you have such a powerful weapon, are you still afraid? Will you be killed by your servants? ]

Louis XVI gained a lot of knowledge.

[Mei Yingzong Cleveland: Your Majesty, in their dynasty, there were several emperors whose retainers died by their side. Your Majesty Li is right to be cautious...]

【What's more, Your Majesty, wasn't your King Henry III of France also assassinated? 】

[And there are some perfect coincidences with a story in the East! ]

[Louis XVI: This... we do have this story, but Henry III was not killed by his attendants, he was assassinated accidentally.]

Louis XVI immediately understood what Cleveland was saying.

【Tang Xizong Li Xuan: Oh, your emperor was also assassinated? 】

[American Yingzong Cleveland: It is a French version of the story of Jing Ke assassinating Qin Shi Huang. The story goes like this, Your Majesty Li...]

Cleveland immediately began to introduce the French version of The Emperor's Assassination, while also popularizing the story of The Emperor's Assassination.

On August 1589, 8, Henry III was camping with his troops at Saint-Cloud near Paris when a young monk, Jacques Clermont, arrived, exhausted, and lied that he had important confidential documents to hand over to the king in person.

The king's guards gave him a quick check and found nothing unusual, and since the man was indeed carrying a thick file, they let him into the camp.

While the king was reviewing the documents, Jacques Clermont pretended to be mysterious and claimed that he had a very secret message to tell Henry alone. The king believed it and dismissed his attendants and let Jacques come forward. But when he listened to the monk's muttering, the latter suddenly pulled out a hidden dagger and stabbed it deeply into the king's lower abdomen.

【Tang Xizong Li Xuan: Huh? Jing Ke's assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang failed... but in France, the dagger was revealed and he succeeded?】

This little episode also surprised Zhu Houzhao a little.

[Louis XVI: Our French king... Alas, our fate is not good! Your Majesty, how could your Qin Shi Huang escape such an assassination? ]

【Tang Xizong Li Xuan: Maybe it’s destiny! 】

Zhu Houzhao didn't want to talk any more.

【Tang Xizong Li Xuan: Forget it, let’s not talk about this. Roosevelt, please continue. It seems that I haven’t triggered the group task here. Next one.】

He changed the subject directly.

【Mei Yingzong Cleveland: It's my turn. This month, my life has changed a lot... Especially since I recharged Carnegie Steel's 100,000 tons of steel... Now Carnegie and the consortium behind him have taken the initiative to approach me. 】

[Roosevelt, I am also planning to run for a third term as president. Do you think it is possible?]

[No, this doesn’t count as my third term in office. This should be considered a continued term in office…]

【After me, it's McKinley, right?】

[How did he get re-elected? What scandals are there? ]

【Who are the people supporting behind this? 】

[What kind of benefits do I need to give in order for other financial groups to support my re-election? ]

Cleveland obviously had a strong sense of purpose and went straight to his goal right from the start.

[Mercy Roosevelt: Well... President Cleveland, are you really planning to run for re-election?]

Roosevelt did not expect that Cleveland would also bluntly expose his ambitions.

[American British Emperor Cleveland: Obviously, I want to continue to be president! Now the group leader will give us a longer life, plus we have to help Napoleon unify Europe and help President Lincoln fight the civil war... This will take a year or two. If I don't run for re-election... I can't mobilize so many resources! I may also miss a lot of opportunities. ]

Cleveland put it bluntly.

[Messenger Roosevelt: Regarding this matter, President Cleveland, the first thing that comes to my mind is that you should start a war right now and directly advance the Spanish-American War! As the police chief, you can directly promote me to the Secretary of the Navy, and then get the help of our family...]

[As for other more detailed information, it may not be possible to provide you with it during this chat. ]

[American British Emperor Cleveland: Start the Spanish-American War right away? Then... I'll give you a plan, do you think it's feasible...]

Cleveland was clearly unhappy.

(End of this chapter)