The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 345: Shao Quan, are you a descendant of the royal family of the Li family? (Please subscribe and vote)
The short and fat man who was talking to Princess Mathilde was named Alexander Colonna Walewski, the son of Napoleon I born out of wedlock.

Because he was born without God's approval (marriage), he could not have the surname Bonaparte and could not inherit Napoleon's political legacy.

However, Walewski was still highly valued by his cousin Napoleon III, and now he is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Empire to the United Kingdom, helping Napoleon III to organize the Anglo-French alliance to defeat Tsarist Russia. If this succeeds, he will be the next Foreign Minister of the French Empire.

Napoleon's illegitimate son had a very good relationship with Mathilde. They were just good half-siblings, and naturally he was concerned about Mathilde's future. Judging from the current situation, it was obviously impossible for Mathilde to become the Queen of the French Empire, and no European king or crown prince was willing to marry her.

So her dream of becoming a queen may be difficult to realize in Europe. But is there a possibility that Mathilde can become a queen outside of Europe?

"Matilda, do you know that Li Hongzhang's surname is quite prominent in Chinese history?" Walewski said tentatively. "I have asked several China experts in London. The ancestors of the surname Li once established eleven dynasties, and more than fifty people were crowned and ascended the throne!"

"Ah? Eleven dynasties and more than fifty emperors?" Mathilde was surprised. "Hongzhang's bloodline is so noble?"

Walewski nodded: "This is just mainland China. Among China's vassal states, there are two other Li dynasties, the Vietnamese Li Dynasty and the Korean Li Dynasty. The Korean Li Dynasty still exists today and has passed on more than 20 kings!"

"If we include the Vietnamese and Korean dynasties, wouldn't there be hundreds of emperors under the Li family?"

Mathilde couldn't believe it: "Thirteen dynasties, hundreds of kings, there is such a noble bloodline in the world. Is it possible for him to revive the Li Dynasty in China?"

"It's possible," Walewski said. "While in England, he asked Queen Victoria for military aid for his family's army!"

"His family also has an army?" Mathilde's eyes sparkled. She was also a Bonaparte! The Bonaparte family had no royal blood, but was established by the military force of Napoleon I.

Li Hongzhang's family was of noble descent, having established eleven dynasties in mainland China and produced more than fifty emperors. With such prominence and a private army, if he could marry a princess from a powerful country who could bring him strong foreign aid, it would be entirely possible for him to establish the twelfth Li Dynasty.
At this time, the train stopped and people got off.

"Matilda, the Qing delegation has gotten off the train," Walewski said, "and the first one to step off the step is Li Hongzhang!"

"I saw him. He looks really majestic!" Mathilde said as she went to meet him. She waved her white arms to Li Hongzhang who had just stepped off the train and said in the Chinese she had just learned, "Li, welcome to Paris!"

Li Hongzhang frowned slightly when he got off the car. He was worried about the bad news he received from home when he was leaving Britain.

Since there was no direct transoceanic telegraph to the Qing mainland at that time, news from China could only be sent by express mail to the British and French embassies in Egypt via steamships that regularly sailed between Egypt, Ceylon, Malacca, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and then from Egypt to Italy, and finally telegraphed from Italy to Paris and London.

The journey from Shanghai to Italy is about 15,000 kilometers and takes two months.

现在是公元1854年的2月，也就是说李鸿章得到消息是1853年12月以及12月之前的。那时大清正在苏北、苏南、安徽、江西等各个战场遭遇溃败。

The armies of his teacher Zeng Guofan, his father Li Wenxuan, and his classmate Huang Shijie were fighting in northern Jiangsu and Anhui! Needless to say, they must have suffered heavy losses! Maybe they were completely wiped out.
But as a son of man and a disciple, he was far away in England and could do nothing!
Besides, if the Qing Dynasty was gone, what future would he have as the Qing Dynasty’s ambassador to England?

Is he really going to be exiled to a foreign country and die there? But how can he make a living in a foreign country? He only knows how to be an official.
"Li! Li!"

Li Hongzhang was just feeling worried when he suddenly heard a voice that he expected. He looked up quickly and saw a French beauty with skin as white as snow, a graceful figure and round features walking towards him. It was Mathilde.

Li Hongzhang, who was in the "low tide" of his life, suddenly felt warm in his heart - he was down and out, but this high and mighty woman had not forgotten him!
"Nice to meet you." Li Hongzhang spoke English much more fluently and wanted to bow to Mathilde, but the latter held his face, stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss.

This scene happened to be seen by Sushun who got off the train behind Li Hongzhang. Sushun was shocked. Who was this woman? Why was she hugging Li Hongzhang and kissing him in public? And she was wearing so little clothes? Was she a decent woman? Could she be a prostitute who picked up customers at the train station?

Li Hongzhang was also "kissed unconscious" by Mathilde. Although he had already slept with her, he was now in a busy train station, and Sushun, Yuanbao, Bai Siwen and others were all present.
"Li, let me introduce him to you," Mathilde said after kissing Li Hongzhang, holding his hand and pointing at Walewski, "This is the next Foreign Minister of our French Empire, Count Alexander Colonna Walewski. He is also my cousin, and his father is Napoleon I!"

Li Hongzhang had met Walewski in England, but he didn't know that he was such an important person, a French prince! So he hurried forward to salute and said to Walewski in English: "Hello, Count."

Walewski smiled and said, "Call me Alexander. What should I call you?"

Li Hongzhang thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Shaoquan, this is one of my nicknames!"

"Then I will also call you Shao Quan."

Mathilde said with a smile.

"Okay, then I should call you." Li Hongzhang and Mathilde held hands and asked with a smile.

"Marty," said Matilda, "Just call me Marty."

"Okay, Marty, let me introduce you to Prince Sushun, Guard Yuan, and Lord Bai."

Li Hongzhang introduced Sushun, Yuanbao, Bai Siwen and others to Mathilde and Walewski one by one in fluent English, and then introduced Mathilde and Walewski in Chinese.

In the past few months, Li Hongzhang's English and mathematics have improved by leaps and bounds!

He could already ask Moore and Friedrich about algebra and geometry in English. By the way, he was a man who respected teachers, so he also called Moore and Friedrich teachers!

However, Sushun, Yuanbao and Bai Siwen were shocked by Li Hongzhang's "wide range of friends"!
This guy had been getting along well with Queen Victoria in England before, and even danced with her several times! He just arrived in France and immediately hooked up with a "princess" and a "prince". What's going on?
Although Sushun, Yuanbao and Bai Siwen were suspicious, they had no way to ask Li Hongzhang for information. Wang Libin, who had been very close to Li Hongzhang, did not come with them. He had already taken several large boxes of books, dozens of machines, and dozens of highly paid foreign craftsmen, and followed the British Navy Captain Asben, who was "supported" by the British Admiralty to Luo Xueyan, and boarded a steam frigate leased by Britain to the Qing Dynasty's Nanyang Navy to leave Europe and return to the Qing Dynasty.

So Sushun, Yuanbao and Bai Siwen had to deal with the greetings of Mathilde and Walewski who came to greet them, and they were also thinking about asking Li Hongzhang after getting on the carriage.

Unexpectedly, Mathilde did not avoid any gender distinction at all and directly pulled Li Hongzhang into her luxurious carriage, not giving Sushun and the others a chance to inquire.
"Shaoquan, dear, are you a descendant of the Li Dynasty?"

As Mathilde's carriage rumbled, the French princess asked with a smile whether Li Hongzhang had royal blood.

"The Li Dynasty?" Li Hongzhang was stunned. "Marty, which Li dynasty are you talking about? There are 11 dynasties of varying sizes established by the Li family in China, and there is one each in Korea and Vietnam. Which one are you referring to?"

It is indeed a noble bloodline!

Mathilde smiled and asked, "Any one will do."

"All are fine?" Li Hongzhang thought to himself: None of them has anything to do with me!
(End of this chapter)