The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 307: Sakhalin Island in the north and Lanfang Kingdom in the south (Request for subscription and ticket)
"Open the port in the Ningguta sub-capital?" Prince Gong never expected Luo Xueyan to make such a suggestion. He was stunned for a moment. "Is this what the British mean? But Ningguta is a bitter and cold place. What good is there?"

What's good?
That sounds very grand! Do you not want this beautiful land anymore?

Luo Xueyan just smiled slightly and said calmly: "Your Highness, it is not the British intention to open Vladivostok as a port within the jurisdiction of the Ningguta Vice-Governor, but this matter will benefit Your Highness and the Qing Dynasty in three major ways without any harm.

The British came from afar for tangible benefits, not land. Moreover, Ningguta is a cold and remote place, and it is useless for the British to claim it. It is the powerful neighbor to the north of the Qing Dynasty who has coveted this place for many years! If the British can be led to set up concessions in Vladivostok, set up consulates, and even station warships, it will be difficult for the powerful neighbor to go south. Moreover, this powerful neighbor to the north is about to go to war with Britain and France. At this time, the Qing Dynasty offered the good port of Vladivostok in Shanghai to the British and French navies for use, and it could also help Britain and France to take the Russian port of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far north.

If this port is occupied by Britain and France, the northeast of Qing Dynasty will no longer have any border threats or such great benefits! "

Although the northeast of the Qing Dynasty bordered Russia by land, and the border stretched for thousands of miles, the Russian troops that invaded the northeastern border of the Qing Dynasty did not come by land, but took the summer route of the Arctic Ocean and then entered the Pacific Ocean.

Since the Trans-Siberian Railway is not yet in sight, the cost of deploying troops across Siberia to the Far East by horse-drawn carriage or horse-drawn sleigh would be enormous!

In comparison, it is much more economical to take the Arctic Ocean summer route!
After taking the Arctic Ocean summer route out of the Bering Strait and into the Pacific Ocean, supplies must be restocked at the Port of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Historically, during the Crimean War, the British and French forces attacked this port but failed to capture it.

But if the British and French forces could establish a military station in Vladivostok and get support from some Qing mercenaries, they might be able to take it down.

Once the port of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula was controlled by Britain, France, or even the Qing Dynasty, the Russians' route through the Arctic Ocean, out of the Bering Strait and then south would be cut off.

Then the border threat in the northeast of the Qing Dynasty would disappear immediately!
The areas of Outer Manchuria and Sakhalin Island were naturally preserved.

Even if the port of Petropavlovsk still belongs to Russia, as long as Britain and France set up concessions in Vladivostok and establish a naval base, the Russians will have to think twice if they want to move south in a large scale.

Luo Xueyan continued, "Although the land of Ningguta Deputy Governor and the land of Sanxing Deputy Governor further north is bitter and cold, it is rich in fur! Fur has always been loved by Westerners and is very valuable. In the past, the Russians moved eastward in large numbers, in fact, they were attracted by fur. Therefore, opening Vladivostok Port as a port is definitely not unprofitable for the British and the Qing Dynasty.

Moreover, Ningguta is a vast area with abundant resources and fertile soil. If it can be developed into a port, foreign paddle steamers will sail between Vladivostok, Busan and Tianjin. The sea route of four to five thousand miles can be completed in seven or eight days at a speed of eight knots!
By then, the Qing Dynasty will be able to take advantage of the Westerners to develop the fertile land of Ningguta, which will be the second great benefit!"

After hearing Luo Xueyan’s analysis, Prince Gong’s eyes suddenly brightened.

It was he who first proposed the idea of ​​opening up thousands of miles of fertile land outside the Great Wall, but the project did not progress quickly.

This is mainly because the areas outside the Shanhaiguan that are relatively close to it are already the estates of the Eight Banner nobles, while the transportation costs to areas farther away from Shanhaiguan are too high - to develop them, it is not only necessary to transport people, but also tools, livestock, and food. The time and cost required for land transportation are really unbearable.

If foreign ships could really complete the Tianjin-Vladivostok route within seven or eight days or even half a month, then transporting people and goods would be very easy!

Moreover, it is not necessary to transport food, livestock, and farm tools from Tianjin to Vladivostok. You can just transport them from North Korea, which is only more than a thousand miles away by water.
"Your Highness, this Ningguta Governorship is probably not a lucrative position that everyone is jealous of. Your Highness can ask your confidants to take it. If things go wrong..." Luo Xueyan paused, "This is the third great benefit!"

The third great benefit turned out to be a way out. A way out for him, Prince Gong of the Qing Dynasty.

If the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom took over the world, he could still submit to it by giving away the land of Ningguta, and not lose his title of duke!

Luo Xueyan has already thought about what will happen after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. He is really far-sighted. I guess he must have planned his own retreat long ago, right?
At this time, Luo Xueyan smiled and said, "I respectfully send the prince aboard!"

Jin Aduo glanced at Luo Xueyan with complicated eyes, and rushed forward with several royal guards, escorting Prince Gong onto the paddle steamer flying the Union Jack. The gangplank was withdrawn, and Prince Gong stood at the bow, his thoughts flying to who knows where. Luo Xueyan stood on the dock, smiling, clasping his fists and bowing, and when he looked up again, Prince Gong had already entered the cabin. Luo Xueyan turned his eyes and saw that where Prince Gong and his entourage had stood on the dock, there was still a middle-aged Taoist priest with unshaven beard standing alone, looking at him with a smile.

As soon as their eyes met, the Taoist lifted up his robe and knelt down to kowtow: "Jiao Liang from the Tiandihui, I pay my respects to the Five Thousand Year Old King of Wu!"

Luo Xueyan smiled and nodded: "You are really lucky. You have escaped the crime of slow slicing and death. But you can't call yourself Hong Daquan anymore, otherwise I can't protect you."

Then he turned back to Xu Yuegui and said, "Sister Yuegui, your man is a good coaxer. Why don't you join the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Westernization Army Office and be sent to the Lan Fang Republic as an envoy in the future?"

Xu Yuegui bowed and said with a smile, "It's all up to His Royal Highness the King of Wu to arrange."

Yang Family Garden, Shanghai.

Yang Family Garden is the original Huang Family Garden. It has now been transferred to Yang Xiuqing and has become Yang Xiuqing's residence in Shanghai.

When Luo Yaoguo arrived, Yang Xiuqing had just sent off the French envoy Bourboulon. Although Wenxian had quietly killed Zhao Fangji, Bourboulon still went his own way and got along well with Yang Xiuqing. In order to discuss cooperation with him, Yang Xiuqing even left the military affairs in Jiangbei to Yang Fuqing, Yang Yiqing, Yang Runqing and other "brothers" to deal with, and he himself was nailed to Shanghai.

However, everything that needed to be discussed had been discussed almost completely, and in the next two days he was going to board a large passenger boat towed by a small steamer given to him by the French firm of Remy, go up the Suzhou River into the Grand Canal, and then head north back to Yangzhou.

But before leaving, he still had to have a good talk with Luo Yaoguo and confirm an important matter.

"Come on, come on, eight, no, it's the ninth brother now!"

Upon hearing that Luo Yaoguo was visiting, Yang Xiuqing politely stood at the door of his villa to greet him. When he saw Luo Yaoguo coming in, he walked up to him, took his hand, and walked into the villa together.

When they arrived at the living room of the villa, Yang Xiuqing pulled him to sit on the sofa again, and enthusiastically asked the servants to serve tea and snacks to entertain the guests.

After Luo Yaoguo drank a few sips of tea and tasted a piece of dessert, he asked with a smile: "Brother, I want to ask you something. Isn't the Russian Kingdom going to go to war with the French Kingdom?"

"Well," Luo Yaoguo nodded, "the war will be officially declared next year."

"Then who won?" Yang Xiuqing asked.

This was what Bulblom asked him to find out - he didn't know if Napoleon III felt unsure and wanted to find an expert to ask.

"Britain and France won," Luo Yaoguo said, "From the time Britain and France declared war on Russia, the war lasted for almost two years. It was a very hard fight. In the end, Britain and France won!"

"Okay, that's good!" Yang Xiuqing laughed, and then said mysteriously, "The French ambassador asked me to find out about this. Don't tell anyone else about it!"

This Yang Xiuqing is still selling fortune!
Luo Yaoguo smiled and said, "Fourth brother, is this why you asked me to come here today?"

Yang Xiuqing chuckled, "Ninth brother, this is a big deal. The uncle of the French emperor did something bad when he fought against Russia! The French envoy is also worried that the current French emperor will mess up like his uncle, so he asked me to ask."

Luo Yaoguo nodded: "What are the benefits?"

"Benefits? What benefits?" Yang Xiuqing was still pretending to be confused.

"Of course it is the benefit of us giving the French guidance!" Luo Yaoguo asked.

"How hurtful it would be to say good things about a friend?" Yang Xiuqing shook his head.

Luo Yaoguo smiled and said, "You and he are friends, but I am not familiar with him. I have to take advantage of this matter!"

"Then what do you want?" Yang Xiuqing asked.

"I want Lan Fangguo!"

"Lan Fang Kingdom?" Yang Xiuqing was stunned. "Where is this country?"

"On the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia!" Luo Yaoguo said, "The Dutch have always wanted to get that piece of land."

"In Borneo? Then...how do we need that?" Yang Xiuqing was confused.

Luo Yaoguo smiled and said, "A French fleet will come to Shanghai in a few days. I want them to launch a ship to send Luo Dagang and Jiao Liang to the Lan Fang Kingdom in Borneo!"

"What do you want?" Yang Xiuqing looked puzzled.

"The fox borrows the power of the tiger to bully the barbarians!" Luo Yaoguo said.

Yang Xiuqing thought about it, nodded and said, "Okay! Ninth brother, I'll take care of this!"

(End of this chapter)