The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 393: Xianfeng: Who is loyal and who is treacherous? Hong Xiuquan: I rebel again! (Please subscribe, please vote)
The Old Summer Palace is surrounded by mountains and water, and is serene and quiet.

Zuo Zongtang followed Zeng Jia Linshu through the rocky paths, where eunuchs and palace maids were walking silently. However, Zuo Zongtang no longer had the excitement and novelty he had when he first entered the Old Summer Palace. He just covered his head and hurried on with a heavy heart.

Yes, I am just worried!

He had received secret information from Luo Yaoguo and knew that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had become the Taiping Republic, and that the country of Heavenly Father had become a country of Chinese people where "the great way is followed and the world is shared by all."

This is certainly a good thing, but the problem is that this good thing happened when Zuo Zongtang was in Beijing, which is a bit unfair.

Now there were only two options open to Zuo Zongtang. One was to flee, immediately, and escape from Beijing to Dagukou, Tianjin, and take the fastest ship south.

At first glance, this route seemed the most stable, but the problem was that it was several hundred miles from Beijing to Dagukou, Tianjin. Even if Zuo Zongtang ran as fast as he could, it would take him a day or two, right? And there was Prince Gong, a Beiyang minister, watching over Tianjin!

This Japanese guy is on good terms with the foreigners, and he is well-informed. He might have already known about Luo Xueyan's defection. If he finds out that Zuo Zongtang is coming, won't he arrest him immediately?

The second was to find ways to deceive the emperor and fool Emperor Xianfeng, and then go south to Zhejiang to serve as governor.

If he could resign and leave the capital, Prince Gong would certainly not stop him, and he could also become the Governor of Zhejiang, and after returning, he might even be able to bring several prefectures in Zhejiang to support the republic.

But the question is, is Xianfeng really that easy to fool?
After much thought, Zuo Zongtang gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, immediately wrote a letter accusing Luo Xueyan and personally delivered it to the Old Summer Palace.

After receiving the secret memorial from Zuo Zongtang, Xianfeng immediately asked Zeng Jia Linshu to take him to an audience.

I don't know how long they walked, until even Zuo Zongtang began to admire Zeng Guofan's cheap father's strong body, they finally arrived in front of a Western fountain.

When Zuo Zongtang looked up, he saw an extremely exquisite Western-style building, which was Haiyan Hall.

I’m about to meet Emperor Xianfeng!
Zeng Jia Linshu turned back to Zuo Zongtang and said, "Master Zuo, please wait a moment. I will go and inform you right away."

"Thank you." Zuo Zongtang said as he took out a small folded paper from his sleeve pocket and handed it to Zeng Jia Linshu.

Zeng Jia Linshu knew without even looking that this was definitely "butt tissue" produced by "HSBC" or "Rising Sun Chang". He quickly put it away, then turned around and walked towards Haiyan Hall.

Inside Haiyan Hall.

Xianfeng sat there with a sullen face, and said nothing. Duanhua, Sushun, Senggelinqin, and Shengbao knelt on the ground in fear, and the eunuchs and palace maids who served Xianfeng were all silent. Zeng Jia Linshu immediately knelt in front of Xianfeng, and before he could open his mouth to report, Xianfeng gritted his teeth and said in the gentlest tone possible: "Go and bring Zuo Zongtang in to me."

"twitter!"

Zeng Jia Linshu responded, then stood up and walked out.

Then Sushun said, "Your Majesty, this Zuo Zongtang is probably in cahoots with Luo Xueyan!"

Shengbao immediately suggested: "Your Majesty, let's capture this guy named Zuo!"

Xianfeng glanced at Shengbao and said, "Take them down? Who will control the troops Zuo Zongtang left in Ningbo and Shaoxing? Without Zuo Zongtang's New Nanyang Army, can Zhejiang still remain in the territory of the Qing Dynasty? If Zhejiang is gone, can Fujian and Guangdong still be preserved? Half of the country is at stake!"

Shengbao immediately fell to the ground and dared not say another word.

The atmosphere in the study suddenly became gloomy to the extreme. Duanhua, Sushun and Senggelinqin all lay there, not daring to make a sound.

After a while, Zuo Zongtang finally came in hurriedly. As soon as he entered the room, he knelt down in front of Emperor Xianfeng, and then said loudly in a tearful voice: "Your Majesty, I really didn't know that Luo Xueyan would rebel. When I left Shanghai, everything was fine. I don't know how the world suddenly changed!"

As he spoke, he took out a bulging purse and raised his hands above his head: "Your Majesty, this is the money Luo Xueyan brought to me to help him get a job in Beijing. There are a total of 1.5 million silver dollars, all in HSBC bank notes. I have already spent 660,000, and I have more than 800,000 left. It's all here!"

When Xianfeng heard that there were more than 800,000 silver dollars, his expression immediately softened a lot.

He thought to himself, "Luo Xueyan probably didn't expect things to get to this point, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Zuo Zongtang to come to Beijing with so much money, a total of more than one million!"

Thinking of this, Xianfeng asked Zuo Zongtang: "Zuo Zongtang, I want to ask you, what are you going to do now? Stay in Beijing or return to Zhejiang?"

"Your Majesty, I am already the governor of Zhejiang, and I have the responsibility to defend the territory. Moreover, I have more than 10,000 foreign riflemen in Ningbo and Shaoxing! They are all Hunan troops that I have raised with my own hands. If I don't go back, they are likely to be won over by Luo Xueyan."

Zuo Zongtang replied after careful consideration.

"Humph," Xianfeng snorted, "Won't you be lured over by Luo Xueyan?"

Zuo Zongtang shuddered and said with his forehead pressed against the ground: "Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not." "Say it!" said Xianfeng.

"I think Luo Xueyan had no choice but to side with Taiping."

"Zuo Zongtang, how dare you defend the traitor!"

"Zuo Zongtang, how dare you collude with the thieves?"

Before Zuo Zongtang could finish his words, Duanhua and Shengbao started yelling.

However, Sushun and Senggelinqin did not even glance at him.

"Sushun, what do you think?" Xianfeng asked Sushun the question first.

Su Shun said: "Your Majesty, the foreigners should not support him turning to the Taiping Rebellion. At least Britain and France do not support it!"

"Oh?" Xianfeng looked at Sushun.

Su Shun said: "The biggest request of Britain and France to Luo Xueyan and the Qing Dynasty is that the Qing Dynasty declare war on Russia and send troops to help Britain and France to attack the Russian fortresses in the northeast. Luo Xueyan originally agreed and even planned to send the new Nanyang Army to participate in the war."

"Really?" Xianfeng's pockmarked face showed a puzzled expression.

"Your Majesty, it is true," Zuo Zongtang said loudly, "Luo Xueyan even gave me the task of leading the troops to the battle! I never expected..."

Xianfeng turned his gaze to Senggelinqin again: "Senggelinqin, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty," Senggelinqin said, "the imperial army can't reach Shanghai now. Shanghai is an enclave surrounded by the Taiping rebels on three sides! He may have been planning to side with the Taiping rebels for a long time, or he may have been coerced by his subordinates and had no choice. But no matter what, the imperial army can't defeat him. And he has more than 20,000 new troops in his hands!"

Xianfeng frowned: "His new army. Senggelinqin, what do you mean?"

"Your Majesty, what I mean is that since we can't attack Shanghai, it's best not to let the 20,000-plus new troops in Shanghai come out to attack us!"

"Your Highness is right!" Zuo Zongtang secretly cast a grateful look at the monk prince - the money was not wasted!

"Zuo Zongtang, what do you mean?" Xianfeng asked.

"Your Majesty, Luo Xueyan was a vassal in the Qing Dynasty. He is also a vassal in the Taiping Rebellion. And he is your brother-in-law!" Zuo Zongtang reminded, "It doesn't matter which side he stands on in name! The key now is to prevent more vassal states from turning to Taiping Rebellion's Republic!"

Xianfeng narrowed his eyes and reached out to pick up a secret letter on the desk that Prince Gong had sent from Tianjin at an express speed of 600 miles.
"Okay! I can tell who is loyal and who is treacherous." Xianfeng gave An Dehai a look, indicating that the latter should take the silver note presented by Zuo Zongtang - he was short of silver now!
Then he said to Zuo Zongtang: "Zuo Zongtang, you stay in Beijing for a while. I have important matters to discuss with you, Zeng Jia, Guofan and Li Hongzhang. After the discussion, you can go back to serve as the governor of Zhejiang."

What's the big deal?

Although Zuo Zongtang had some doubts in his heart, he still obeyed the order respectfully.

Tianjing, Golden Dragon City, Sun Palace.

Hong Rengan, who had just been named King Gan, was kneeling in a side hall of the Sun Palace at this time, staring at a brand new tablet.

The tablet is engraved with seven large characters: "Our Lady of Glory Mary".

Why is this offering to the Virgin Mary?

When Hong Rengan was wondering, Hong Xiuquan, who was pacing in the side hall, suddenly spoke up: "The Virgin Mary is also my biological mother in heaven!"

Yup!

Hong Rengan remembered that Hong Xiuquan and Ji Du were both legitimate sons of God the Father!

In other words, their mother in heaven is the Virgin Mary.

Hong Xiuquan continued, "My fellow countrymen, the Holy Mother supports me. She has sent her disciples to the mortal world, and now they have arrived in Tianjing. She has also brought the magic weapon, the Longnukis Spear, which can send that fallen angel to hell. It is a magic weapon that can even kill Ji Du!"

There was a buzzing sound in Hong Rengan's mind, and he understood.

Hong Xiuquan wants to rebel again!
(End of this chapter)