The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 384: Oh no, a revolution broke out in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom! (Please subscribe and vote)

"We have met each other a few times, Sister Maria. You seem to be very interested in him?"

This was not the first time that Maria had asked Li Hongzhang about Luo Xueyan. When she was studying Chinese with Li Hongzhang before, this woman had asked about Luo Xueyan in a roundabout way several times.

"Of course. He is probably one of the most outstanding figures in China today. In my opinion, the only Chinese who can be compared with him is Luo Yaoguo, the angel of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom."

Maria did not hide her interest in Luo Xueyan, and also mentioned Luo Yaoguo. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I hope you can introduce this Shanghai governor to me."

Maria's uncle is now the cardinal of the Nanjing Diocese, which has just been upgraded to an archdiocese. The bishop's church of the Nanjing Patriarch is not in Nanjing, but in the Dongjiadu Church in Shanghai. In addition, Maria herself has a public identity. She is the principal of the Shanghai Zhao Fangji School, a church college that is about to open. So it is natural for her to want to meet Luo Xueyan, the lord of Shanghai.

Li Hongzhang smiled and nodded: "Okay, okay, once we settle down in Shanghai, I will introduce Luo Xueyan to you and Bishop Duo."

When Maria was talking to Li Hongzhang, she could already sense Mathilde's somewhat cold gaze, so she smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Lord Li. I am going to pray to God now. Excuse me."

After saying this, she curtseyed to Mathilde again, then walked lightly off the deck and returned to her cabin.

Li Hongzhang watched her leave, then turned back and said to his lover Mathilde: "Marty, we have to stay in Shanghai for a few more days this time. Luo Xueyan, the governor of Shanghai, is a very important person. He has the most powerful Western-style army in China and controls the richest city. If he can help us, then our chances of success will be much greater."

"We are still some distance away from the Shanghai dock, right? I'm a little seasick. My lord, can you help me back to my room?" Mathilde glanced at her lord Li, her eyes as clear as water, rippling people's hearts.

Li Hongzhang smiled and nodded, then made a "please" gesture, and went back with Mathilde to the most spacious and luxurious "Princess Suite" on the ship.

When the two of them came out of the "Princess Suite", the "Orient", a steam-powered express ship from France with a tonnage of more than 3,000 tons, was slowly approaching the Qichang Foreign Trade Company Wharf on the Bund in Shanghai with the help of a small steamer.

A prosperous new industrial and commercial city with Chinese and foreigners mixed together, Chinese-style flying eaves and brackets and Western-style houses and buildings, has appeared in front of the two people. Compared with when Li Hongzhang left, the city has changed significantly. Several tall chimneys with billowing black smoke have been erected in the North Bund area north of Suzhou River, adding a bit of industrial atmosphere to this Far Eastern city.

As soon as the "Orient" stopped, several sailors skillfully dropped anchor and lowered the mooring rope, and the gangway was quickly lowered. There were already some people waiting on the dock. Those people, wearing formal hats and patched clothes, were obviously officials from the Nanyang Minister's Office and the Shanghai Military Governor's Office.

When the "Orient" entered Wusongkou, the small steamer of the Wusongkou Naval Camp under the jurisdiction of the Shanghai General Military Office had already approached and inquired. There were also express messages between the dock of the Wusongkou Naval Camp and Shanghai Yuyuan, so the officials of the Shanghai Military Governor's Office and the Nanyang Minister's Office should have been notified long ago.

Imperial Commissioner Su Shun is also on the "Dongfang" now, and local officials in Shanghai will of course come to greet him.

Because Bai Siwen was left in the UK by Su Shun to serve as the Qing Dynasty's chargé d'affaires in the UK and France, only Yuan Bao, Li Hongzhang and others followed Su Shun to get off the ship. The three of them had already changed into their official uniforms and immediately walked down the gangway to get off the ship. The second-rank military officer who led a group of officials to greet Su Shun on the dock was an elderly military officer. When he saw Su Shun and his friends getting off the ship, he smiled and rolled up his horseshoe sleeves. He clasped his hands and said from a distance: "Master Su, you have come a long way to work. Your humble servant, Yu Wanqing, the general of Shanghai Town, is sorry for not welcoming you!"

Sushun and Li Hongzhang both clasped their fists in return. Before they could take a few steps forward and exchange greetings with the officials on the other side, Yuan Bao, who had followed them off the boat, suddenly shouted, "Yu, Yu Yu Wanqing? Are you the late Hunan governor Yu Wanqing? Didn't you die for your country? How, how are you alive again?"

After hearing Yuan Bao's words, Su Shun also remembered who Yu Wanqing was. So he looked at him with a look of astonishment. Yu Wanqing was used to it, and he laughed dryly and explained, "It was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I didn't die for my country before. I was just wounded and hid in the mountains. Later, I joined the Zuo Lord's school. Finally, I made some contributions. A few months ago, I was promoted by Zuo Lord and Luo Lord, and finally became a general again."

After listening to Yu Wanqing's explanation, Sushun frowned, but he did not argue with Yu Wanqing. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "Who is in charge of Shanghai now? What is Lord Luo's current position?"

"Shanghai is of course still Lord Luo's territory. He is currently the Governor-General of Shanghai and Minister of Nanyang, but Lord Luo is not in Shanghai now." Yu Wanqing replied.

"Not in Shanghai? Where did you go?"

Yu Wanqing said, "There seemed to be some trouble in Jiangning a while ago, so Lord Luo led his troops to Lou County and Qingpu to see if there was any chance to recapture these two counties."

"What? There's a commotion in Jiangning?" Sushun was shocked. "What kind of commotion has happened?" "It seems to be an internal conflict!" Yu Wanqing said.

"Internal strife?" Sushun's eyes widened. "What's going on?"

Yu Wanqing looked around and said with a smile, "Master Su, this is not the place to talk. I have already arranged a guesthouse for you. It is not far from here. It is a good place to talk in a quiet place in a busy city."

"Hurry, lead the way." Sushun didn't have time to greet Yu Wanqing anymore, and quickly asked him to lead the way.

Nothing is more important now than the internal strife in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom!
"The situation is like this. Now the situation in Jiangning City has really changed! The power of the fake king Hong Xiuquan has been seized by someone, and a meeting of kings composed of ten fake kings and one fake princess has taken control of the military and political power of the Changmao Kingdom. It is said that they are also formulating a "Provisional Constitution" and convening a national congress to establish something, a republican system!
In short, it was a case of traitors meeting traitors! May God bless our Qing Dynasty."

"crash"

In the living room of a garden house covering an area of ​​20 to 30 acres in the central area of ​​Xujiahui, Yu Wanqing had just finished talking about the "internal strife" of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom when Sushun smashed the tea bowl in his hand to the ground.

Yu Wanqing, the owner of the mansion, Wu Jianzhang, and Shanghai prefect Wang Kuiyi looked up and saw the three people sitting opposite them, Sushun, Yuanbao, and Li Hongzhang, all of whom looked inexplicably surprised. Sushun even smashed the tea bowl in his hand!
"Master Su, what are you saying?" Yu Wanqing asked, "did this humble official say something wrong?"

"Of course I'm wrong!" Sushun said in a trembling voice, "The internal strife among the Taiping rebels is no ordinary one!"

"It's not just an ordinary internal conflict?" Yu Wanqing was still pretending to be confused. "What kind of internal conflict is it?"

"It's the revolution!"

Li Hongzhang said: "It is a revolution like the French Revolution. A revolution that changes the world and completely subverts the monarchy!"

"What?" Shanghai prefect Wang Kuiyi was also inexplicably surprised. "What does this mean?"

Yuan Bao's face turned pale and he said, "Didn't they say that they want to establish a republic? It's bad, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom wants a republic, and our Qing Dynasty will be defeated."

"Republic?" Yu Wanqing still looked confused.

Li Hongzhang said: "When the French Revolution broke out, France was like a man who had eaten gunpowder. In just a dozen years, the French army swept across the European continent. Wherever the French army went, the powers bowed down. Only England relied on the Channel and Russia relied on the severe winter to resist the emperor's iron hoof!"

Lord Li was an expert on the French Revolution, and he immediately realized the destructive power of the republican revolution on the corrupt feudal dynasty of the Qing Dynasty! So he said to Su Shun: "Lord Su, we must hurry to Beijing to see the emperor. The Qing Dynasty cannot turn a blind eye to the Maoist republican revolution. If we cannot reform politics and implement reforms in time, within a few years, when the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has completely turned into the Taiping Republic, the Qing Dynasty will be finished!"

"The Qing Dynasty is about to end?" Yu Wanqing is still pretending!

"Why not?" Yuan Bao knew Luo Xueyan's true face. He didn't want to stay in Shanghai for even a minute, so he said to Su Shun with a sullen face, "Sir Su, why don't we not wait for Sir Luo to return to the army, and go to Beijing to see the emperor as soon as possible! Our Qing Dynasty can't sleep any longer, otherwise in a few years, Luo Yaoguo, Yang Xiuqing, Xiao Chaogui and his ilk will lead the Republican army to the north. What can our Qing Dynasty do to resist?"

Sushun nodded: "Keqin, you are right. Time is running out. The Qing Dynasty must revitalize and reform! As long as our Qing Dynasty can revitalize in time, even if the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom becomes a republic, we are not afraid!"

"Yes!" Li Hongzhang nodded heavily, "Lord Su is right! You and Lord Yuan go north first, and leave the affairs in Shanghai to me!"

(End of this chapter)