The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 295: Prince Gong's Selling the Country, Emperor Xianfeng's Reform (Requesting Subscription, Requesting Tickets)

Shanghai, Tongshun Building.

The day after Prince Gong Yixin arrived in Shanghai, the British Minister to China, Sir John Bowring, brought a missionary from the London Missionary Society named James Legge, who was in his thirties, slightly fat, bald, and had a big nose, and a white and fat Chinese youth who was in his early thirties, to visit this Qing prince who came to investigate Westernization.

Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue, grandparents and grandchildren, came here with Wen Xian, Legge and the plump young man.

Today's meeting was relatively formal. Not only did Wu Jianzhang and Legge serve as translators for both parties, but Wu Chaoyue and the fat young man were also responsible for taking notes in Chinese and English.

"Where's Aliguo? Why didn't he come?"

When Prince Gong Yixin looked at the three people led by Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue, he remembered the British consul who had visited him in Yangzhou.

"Reporting to the prince, Consul Aliguo has been promoted to Consul General in Suzhou."

Wu Jianzhang answered respectfully.

"Go to Suzhou?" Gui Liang raised his eyebrows. "Isn't Suzhou occupied by Tai Mao?"

Wu Jianzhang said: "The Taiping regime also had its own foreign affairs office, and they signed a treaty with the foreigners, and were preparing to send someone to the Straits Settlements as consul general. Beyond."

When Wu Chaoyue heard his grandfather calling him, he immediately took out an envelope and handed it over with both hands.

Jin Aduo hurried forward, took the envelope, and passed it to Prince Gong.

Prince Gong took out the letter and took a quick look at it, then said calmly: "The treaty signed between the foreigners and the Taiping is much more favorable than the one signed with the Qing Dynasty. Ask Minister Wen, who are their friends?"

Before Wu Jianzhang could speak, the foreigner named Legge had already translated Prince Gong's words into English, and then Wenxian spoke a lot of English words.

"Your Highness, Mr. Minister, please pay attention to this reality. It was not the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom that was defeated by us, the British, ten years ago."

Legge said in a calm tone.

Prince Gong's face darkened and he was about to say something tough.

Legge added: "Moreover, it is not the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom that is in danger of extinction, but the Qing Empire! If the British Empire, the French Empire, and the United States of America stay completely out of this war in China, then based on the current situation, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will become the final winner!"

Prince Gong immediately sensed something wrong in Legge's translation.

He looked at Minister Bonham and said, "Does Minister Bonham mean that the British Empire will not stay out of this matter completely?"

This time it was Wu Jianzhang who translated Prince Gong's words into English.

Wenxian did not answer directly, but smiled slightly: "Your Highness, in fact, in other parts of the world, there are also some countries that were once powerful and encountered similar situations as the Qing Dynasty. They became weak because of their greed for comfort and lack of ambition, and after their weakness, they encountered powerful challengers.

For example, the Mughal Empire in India, the Ottoman Empire in Turkey, and the Russian Empire in the north of the Qing Dynasty were once weak because of their conservatism and isolation. However, the different policies adopted by the rulers of these three countries when faced with severe challenges have made their countries present completely different appearances now. Your Highness, do you understand the current situation of these three countries? "

His words were translated into fluent Mandarin by Legge.

Prince Gong Yixin had already opened his eyes to the world. He nodded and said, "Russia is now one of the great powers in the world. Although the Ottoman Empire of the Turks was suppressed by Russia, it is still a powerful country. As for the Mughal Empire in India, it seems to be dying!"

Wu Jianzhang translated Prince Gong's words into English.

Wen Xian smiled and said, "Your Highness can come to Shanghai from Yangzhou. It seems that the Qing Dynasty is willing to learn from Europe and implement new policies like the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. So I have reason to believe that the Qing Dynasty will never end up like the Mughal Empire in India!"

This was translated into Chinese by Legge. Prince Gong Yixin nodded heavily: "Minister, you are right, I came here to implement new policies in the Qing Dynasty and train new troops!" He looked at Wenxian expectantly, "Now the Qing Dynasty needs a large number of foreign guns and cannons and foreign generals and soldiers. The Qing Dynasty has plenty of silver. Is Britain willing to provide us with it?"

Wu Jianzhang immediately translated these words into English.

"This is not just a matter of money," Wenxian smiled. "Does Your Highness really want to keep importing British weapons and equipment through Shanghai? After the Taiping Army won a great victory in Jiangbei, General Luo Xueyan in Shanghai may have reached some agreement with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in order to protect his own territory. Perhaps, he is no longer just a servant of the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, but also a subject of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's King Hong!"

This was translated into Chinese again.

Prince Gong Yixin raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Envoy Wen, what do you want to say?"

Wu Jianzhang said this again in English.

Wenxian said: "Your Highness, the Qing Dynasty should open several northern port cities including Tianjin as trading ports, allowing British consulates and merchants to enter northern China directly. In this way, our foreign guns and cannons will not have to go to Shanghai first and then be transported to the north."

After Legge translated Wenxian's suggestion into Chinese, Prince Gong Yixin took a deep breath and nodded without hesitation: "Okay! No problem!"

When Wenxian saw Prince Gong nod, he knew that the other party had agreed to his proposal. Then, without waiting for Wu Jianzhang to translate, he added: "Your Highness, I have a few more suggestions:
1. Having foreign guns and cannons alone is not enough to exert power without a European-style army, so the Qing Dynasty should follow the example of the Shanghai New Army and hire British officers to help train the European-style new army.

2. Britain needs to lease land at the Tianjin Port and open up a concession for use by merchants and embassies from various countries. The leasing and management systems of the concession are all based on the "Shanghai Land Lease Regulations".

3. Britain hopes that Tianjin Customs can follow the example of Shanghai Customs to achieve high efficiency, transparency and integrity, which will benefit merchants from all countries and the Qing court. As far as I know, since two months ago, the revenue of Shanghai Customs has increased by one to two times compared with before the reform! If you, the Qing court, don’t know how to manage the customs, Britain can provide consultants.

The above three points, plus the opening of several ports in the north including Tianjin as trading ports, and the permission for the British embassy and consulate to be stationed in Tianjin, make up a total of four points, which we hope can serve as a supplement to the Jiangning Treaty. "

James Legge translated Wenxian's words into Chinese word by word.

Prince Gong came to sell out China and save the Qing Dynasty, so of course he would not care about opening up the northern ports, establishing concessions in Tianjin, and jointly managing customs.

If the Qing Dynasty cannot quickly establish a new army, it will probably be finished soon!
By then, all of China would belong to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and the Qing Dynasty would have nothing to sell even if it wanted to.

"Okay! I will agree to all the envoy's requests. I have only one request!" Prince Gong said, "Now my Qing court is training a new army in Wanping outside Beijing. This new army is in urgent need of foreign guns, foreign cannons and foreign generals! If the British Empire can provide 30,000 foreign guns, dozens of foreign cannons and dozens of foreign generals as soon as possible, then after I get the foreign guns, foreign cannons and foreign generals, I will sign a treaty with Lord Wen immediately!"

After listening to Wu Jianzhang's translation, Wen Xian could no longer conceal the joy on his face.

This is a major diplomatic breakthrough!

However, he did not immediately agree to Prince Gong's only condition, but looked at the young Chinese prince seriously: "Your Highness, you are not the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty after all. Will the condition I just proposed be rejected by the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty?"

As usual, these words were translated by James Legge.

"No, absolutely not!" Prince Gong said firmly, "I will immediately ask the emperor for permission. Please ask Minister Wen to send a steamer to take my memorial and the messenger to Tianjin. I guarantee that the emperor will agree to sign the contract immediately!"

When Wu Jianzhang translated this, the worry on his old face could no longer be concealed. Prince Gong had sold out his country too blatantly. Could Lord Luo continue to serve as the Minister of Trade for the Five Ports?

"Good! Great!" Wen Xian was relieved. The foreigner laughed and said, "Your Highness, I believe that in the near future, a brand new Qing Empire will stand on the land of the Far East!"

As he said this, his eyes swept over the plump Chinese youth who was sitting nearby and taking notes. The young man had come from Hong Kong with Legge. If Legge was not mistaken, his name was Hong Rengan, and he was the brother of Hong Xiuquan, the Heavenly King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom!

He should be able to meet that king soon, and then King Hong will have to think carefully about how to gain more support from the British Empire than the Qing Dynasty!

Selling out one’s country can also be a competition!

(End of this chapter)