The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 286 He is not a demon, he is my brother! (Please subscribe and vote)

Yangzhou, Geyuan, the headquarters of General Fuyuan.

The Mongolian warriors borrowed by Prince Gong from Senggelinqin and the officers and soldiers from the Heilongjiang cavalry between the Baishan and Heishui rivers formed four crooked horizontal columns outside the Geyuan. More than a thousand short and sturdy Mongolians, Solon people, and warriors selected from various tribes outside the Great Wall all carried foreign rifles and sabers, standing with their chests and bellies protruding. They were in good spirits, at least their faces were clear. A burly military officer with a big waist, a sword on his waist, a face full of flesh, and a fierce look in his eyes was walking back and forth in front of the team.

The gate of Geyuan Garden was wide open. The staff of General Fuyuan and Jiangbei Camp, as well as the military leaders who were ordered to come, were all waiting inside the gate. However, Prince Gong Yixin and the Imperial Commissioner Qishan of Jiangbei Camp did not show up, but stayed in the hall of the headquarters according to the etiquette. They both had the title of imperial commissioner, so naturally they did not need to greet the Minister of Trade of the Five Ports who also had the title of imperial commissioner. The two sides also performed the equal ceremony when they met. In addition, Prince Gong was the younger brother of the current emperor, the "half-step emperor". It was a bit too grand to hold such a grand ceremony to welcome Luo Xueyan's arrival today. If he and Qishan went out to greet him, the intention of winning him over would be too obvious.

Among the waiting subordinates and military leaders, Shengbao and Jin Aduo were both there. One of them wore the uniform of a second-rank civil official, and the other wore the uniform of a fourth-rank military official, but they stood side by side, and were accompanied by a group of Eight Banners officers from the Demon-Subduing Camp, forming a system of their own.

Standing face to face with them were Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Huang Shijie, Li Wenxuan, Miao Peilin, a short fifth-rank civil servant with a big head, and a 30-year-old sixth-rank civil servant of medium build and gloomy face. The positions of these people were also of different ranks. Zeng Guofan, the most senior official, was a second-rank assistant minister, while Miao Peilin, the youngest official, was a commoner. The reason they could stand together was that each of them had some soldiers in their hands.

Luo Xueyan, the upcoming Shanghai warlord and minister of trade for the five ports, was obviously a fellow soldier like these military leaders, and was the focus of their whispered discussions at this moment.

"Ji Gao, you and Luo Xueyan are old acquaintances, right? Did you work together in Luo Futai's office? The battalion of soldiers he started out with was assigned to him by you, right?"

"Master Di, Brother Xueyan and your brother Wenfu are also close friends! Moreover, he started with more than one battalion of soldiers. He also had a battalion of Guangxi soldiers from the late Huguang General Cheng Zhijun. It was handed down to him by the son of General Cheng Zhijun."

"This Marshal Luo Xue is really one of my generation! Speaking of which, my son Hongzhang is also his friend. Before Hongzhang went abroad this time, he got a lot of help from him. The foreigners in Shanghai also think highly of my son because of Marshal Luo Xue."

Zeng, Zuo, and Li were talking about Luo Xueyan with more affection than each other, and they were just short of shouting out "Xue Marshal is my brother". Huang Shijie, Miao Peilin, the big-headed man, and the gloomy sixth-rank official were not related to Luo Xueyan, but they all looked eager at this moment, as if they were waiting to make friends with this long-admired Xue Marshal.

Their loud discussions reached the ears of Shengbao who was standing opposite, making him suspect that his brothers were "blind", so he whispered to Jin Aduo beside him: "Aduo, you have to look carefully."

"Don't worry, I've seen that demon many times, I'd recognize him even if he turned into ash!"

Jin Aduo patted his chest and made the assurance, but his eyes kept moving between Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang and Li Wenxuan.

While the people at the Fuyuan General's headquarters were discussing and looking forward to it, the motorcade of the Shanghai Governor and Minister of Trade of the Five Ports also entered Yangzhou City.

This time, the team was unusually large. There was a whole regiment of Shanghai New Army who "ate the food of Marshal Xue" and "wore the clothes of Marshal Xue", a total of 2,000 new soldiers! Led by Feng Zicai, they came in an orderly manner, shouting the commands of "one, two, one" and "left, right, left". Everyone carried a foreign rifle with a bayonet. When the autumn sun shone on them, the cold light was shining, which was really scary.

In addition to Xue Shuai's soldiers, there were two companies of foreign soldiers, all of whom were hired by Luo Xue Shuai! Led by French Captain Jean Pierre, they all wore French military uniforms and carried foreign rifles with bayonets, walking in front and behind Luo Xue Shuai's carriage.

The British, American and French consuls also came, each with some foreign soldiers as escorts, totaling more than a hundred people.

There were also dozens of American sailors who came to Yangzhou with them in a swagger.

These are all Matthew Perry's men. Their American consul is coming to Yangzhou to meet Prince Gong, so of course he has to send a large ship to help support the situation! These people all got off the ship that was parked at Guazhou Wharf. In addition, Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang sent a battalion of soldiers to Guazhou Wharf to pick up people in order to show that they are good brothers with Luo Xueshuai, and now they are here too.

Even with this kind of scene, the Eight-Nation Alliance was not yet complete, but the Five-Nation Alliance was definitely there - the Qing Dynasty, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, England, the United States, and France were all together.

Luo Xueyan rode in the same car with Zeng Guohua and Wang Kui. The three of them talked and laughed all the way, and they were very affectionate.

In a blink of an eye, the "Five-Nation Alliance" arrived outside the Geyuan Garden. As soon as the announcement was made, the military officer Duolong'a, who commanded the Mongolian soldiers and the Heilongjiang cavalry, shouted, "Raise the cannons, signal!"

The roar of three-barreled guns and the wailing of military bugles immediately sounded. The Mongols and the "elite soldiers" recruited from outside the border were all in high spirits. Unfortunately, compared with the new battalion led by Feng Zicai and Pierre's two companies of foreign soldiers, they were really not as good as them.
The Fuyuan General's headquarters, the Jiangbei camp's staff, and a group of military leaders waiting in Geyuan all rolled up their sleeves and said, "Your humble servants are here to see the Imperial Minister of Trade for the Five Ports!"

As soon as the carriage door opened, Luo Xueyan came out, and immediately a dozen personal soldiers carrying American pistols surrounded him, looking very impressive. Zeng Guohua and Wang Kuiyi came out of the carriage and followed Luo Xueyan with smiles on their faces.

Zuo Zongtang was the first to come out from the garden to greet him. As he walked, he clasped his fists and laughed, saying, "Brother Xueyan, it has been more than half a year since we last met in Changsha. I didn't expect that you have achieved such success. You are truly a genius in Westernization!"

Zeng Guofan also followed him out of the garden gate, saluted with his fists, and said with a smile: "Brother Xueyan is truly a rare talent. I admire you!"

As soon as they took the lead, the other military leaders followed suit to greet them.

In the general's camp and the Jiangbei camp, Shengbao pulled Jin Aduo aside and asked in a low voice: "Is he a demon? Is he?"

Jin Aduo had met Luo Yaoguo many times, so of course he recognized the latter at first sight.

But how could he dare to point it out? Zuo Zongtang, Zeng Guofan, and the foreigners in Shanghai were now in the same boat with Luo! How could Jin Aduo dare to go against these masters? He knew the allusion of calling a deer a horse!

Moreover, he was also familiar with Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of "Fan Jing". In the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty today, some people may not have read the Four Books and Five Classics, but as long as they can read, they have definitely read "Fan Jing"!
So Jin Adou also knows that it is the end of the Yuan Dynasty!

Did the Yuan Dynasty still want to overthrow Richard Khan, Wang Baobao, Li Siqi, Zhang Liangbi, and Brotemur? If they were all overthrown, wouldn't the Yuan Dynasty be doomed immediately? And they couldn't be overthrown!
Eighty percent of the troops in Yangzhou were led by these military leaders. If there really was a fight, it would be that Prince Gong intended to rebel, and was killed by Luo Xueyan, Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang and others!
Thinking of this, Jin Aduo shook his head firmly: "No! He is definitely not Luo Zhongcheng's staff. I have seen him in the Iron Buddha Temple, but I didn't know his name was Luo Xueyan."

Shengbao breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately dragged Jin Aduo to the garden. Soon they arrived at the lobby where Prince Gong and Qishan were staying. He quickly walked to Prince Gong's side, leaned over to the prince's ear, and whispered, "No, Luo Xueyan is not a demon in disguise. Zeng Disheng and Zuo Jigao are very familiar with him. Jin Aduo also saw him at Luo Ruzhai's place, but didn't know his name at that time."

"Huh!" Prince Gong also took a long breath, then smiled and said to Qishan beside him, "Jing'an, let's go out and welcome Luo Xueyan!"

Qishan, who was already a little tired due to his age, was a little drowsy. After hearing what Prince Gong said, he immediately nodded and said, "Okay, I will listen to you, Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)