The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 401: Chinese people are coming! (The original text of the previous chapter is in the group file)

"Your Highness, King Wu, your country has not yet completed the unification of the north and the south!"

In the Yin'an Hall of the Prince of Wu's Palace, British Minister Bowring changed the topic and did not continue to discuss the "since ancient" vassal issue with Luo Yaoguo. Instead, he pointed out to Luo Yaoguo: "According to the report from our Tianjin Consulate, the Qing Dynasty in the north has also made rapid progress during this period, which is a bit beyond our expectations. Even if your Taiping Heavenly Kingdom really turns into a United States, it will probably be difficult to defeat the Qing Dynasty in the north, right? Unless your Taiping Heavenly Kingdom can get the full support of Britain and France!"

Bulbron immediately understood what the British envoy meant, and immediately continued with Wenxian's words: "Our consulate in Tianjin also reported to me not long ago that the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty is preparing to reopen the Council of Princes and Ministers, and will also issue an order to each province to select ministers from the Council of Ministers to come to the court to discuss state affairs.

According to our understanding, the Council of Ministers is comparable to the Estates General in French history. If it is held well, it will be enough to unite millions of gentry in the north around the Qing court!"

He paused, as if thinking about something, and then continued: "In the words of you Chinese, the Qing court is now going to 'share the world with the literati'! Those literati are the mortal enemies of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, right?"

Bulbulon said the words "share the world with the scholars and officials" in Chinese.

It seems that this French envoy has some understanding of Chinese affairs. He knows about "sharing the world with the scholar-officials". However, he may not know that China's scholar-officials have long been corrupt, otherwise there would not be "the destruction of the world by both sides".

Can the Qing Dynasty have a good ending if it shares the world with these people?

It is also likened to the French Estates General. What did their Estates General finally do? As a French ambassador, don't you have any idea?

In contrast, although most of the people of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had little education, they were brave, simple, and firm in their beliefs. They were a thriving and vibrant group.

The people of the Kingdom of Heaven are more reliable than most of the scholars and officials!

Thinking of this, Luo Yaoguo said solemnly: "Mr. Wenxian, Mr. Bulbulon, whether the future belongs to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or the Northern Qing Dynasty, you will know it after you see our National People's Congress and their sharing the world with the literati.

On the third day of July this year, our Heavenly Kingdom’s National People’s Congress will be held in Tianjing. As the King of Wu of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, I now invite you two to come to the capital of our Taiping Heavenly Kingdom as guests in July this year to observe the National People’s Congress.

By then, you will know how dynamic our newly emerging United States is, which is incomparable to the decadent and declining Tatar Dynasty in the north!"

Luo Yaoguo's words were once again translated into French and English by Maria.

Wenxian and Bulbrunn both looked delighted when they heard this. They certainly would not miss this excellent opportunity to observe the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's politics up close.

So he immediately said that he would go to Tianjing in person to observe how the people of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom discussed politics.

"Okay, I will definitely go to Tianjing when the time comes."

"Your Highness, we'll see you in Tianjing in July!"

Then British Minister Sir John Bowring smiled and said to Luo Yaoguo: "Your Highness, I hope to wait until the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's National People's Congress proposes a new government for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and then immediately discuss with this fully representative new government a series of major issues such as signing a peace treaty, fighting against Russia together, promoting trade, and determining the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's sphere of influence."

French Minister Bourboulon immediately echoed: "This is also my opinion. Before we formally start discussing a series of major issues, I hope that Shanghai can maintain the status quo to ensure the interests of all parties, both Chinese and foreign."

Luo Yaoguo smiled and nodded: "The status quo in Shanghai can be maintained temporarily, and I believe that the National People's Congress will not affect the prosperity of this first commercial capital in the Far East. Most of the special policies there will be maintained, and British and French businessmen can rest assured to continue investing in this window city of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

In addition, on behalf of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Kings Conference, I welcome you to visit Tianjing in July this year! "

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Tianjing City.

The time has come to the end of June of the fourth year of Jiayin in the Tianli calendar.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's calendar is a few days ahead of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, and now is almost the hottest day of the year. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's capital, Tianjing, is known as a "furnace", and now it is so hot that it is a bit breathless. What is even hotter than the weather is, of course, the enthusiasm of the people of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to discuss national affairs.

In the June weather in the south of the Yangtze River, delegations to the National People's Congress flocked to Tianjing, known as the Little Paradise, from all directions, either by boat or by horse, making the city, which was originally a little deserted due to the war, suddenly extremely lively. In particular, the commercial district of Tianjing along the banks of the Qinhuai River was more prosperous than before, and the vitality was greater than at any time since the Qing army entered this first city in the south of the Yangtze River.

On the streets, people were talking about the upcoming National People's Congress. For example, what exactly are nationals, what exactly will be discussed at the National People's Congress, what is the Taiping Constitution, whether the King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is the greatest, and so on. People from all walks of life were discussing all kinds of things.

The Guoren Daily, published by the Taiping Lecturers' Group in Tianjing, Suzhou, Shanghai and other places, is selling like hot cakes in Tianjing. As the official newspaper of the lecturers' group, this newspaper has been advocating that the people of the country participate in politics recently. It has opened a special edition to explain to everyone what "the world is for the public", "the way of the great way", "the rise and fall of the world, the responsibility of every man", "the country of the people", "education of the people of the country", and of course "how to become a Chinese", etc., and also encourages readers to contribute to the newspaper and express their own opinions. It is an open-minded spirit to open up the way for speech!
This has finally ignited the enthusiasm of the people and ordinary citizens in Tianjing City to discuss politics and "politics on the keyboard"!
"Oh, it turns out that our Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is not the kingdom of the Hong family king, but a kingdom of the people under heaven. This is really unheard of!"

"What do you mean by unheard of? Isn't it clearly written in the Book of Rites? When the great way is practiced, the world will be shared by all."

"Isn't that written in the book? Is this Taiping Heavenly Kingdom real?"

"You don't know this, right? This is what the Heavenly Father Haotian Emperor God meant. Even if King Hong Tianwang is a hundred times unwilling, he has to do it!"

"What does the higher-ups mean? How does the Heavenly King down there know?"

"Of course it is the King of the East, King of the West, and King of Wu in the meeting of kings who have a way to contact the upper world!"

"Contact the upper world? Why does it sound so much like The Investiture of the Gods?"

"No matter whether it is The Investiture of the Gods or The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, after this National People's Congress is over, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will be the country of all Chinese people!"

"A country where all people are united. This is truly a country that has never existed before!"

The enthusiasm of the common people for discussing politics has risen, and the kings and officials of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are even more enthusiastic about this National People's Congress. If the ordinary people and common people discuss the National People's Congress more as a beautiful expectation for an unprecedented country, then the real middle and high-level officials of the Heavenly Kingdom are the real participants in this National People's Congress.

They had many things to consider, such as whether the "holy angel" Luo Yaoguo was protecting criminals by protecting the gentry and merchants who came to Shanghai from Jiangnan and Jiangbei, and even the evil officials of the Qing Dynasty? Luo Yaoguo invited the leaders of the Southern Kong clan, as well as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, Jiang Zhongyuan, Luo Bingzhang, Luo Raodian and other leaders of the scholar-official armed forces to discuss state affairs. Was this considered betrayal of God?

Furthermore, today’s God Worshipping Society neither destroys idols nor smashes Confucius Temples or closes down temples, nor burns the Four Books and Five Classics, and even kills fewer gentry. Does this mean they want to compromise with the gentry, to “surrender”?
Somehow, these various discussions suddenly became more and more frequent, and were widely circulated among the middle and high-level Chinese people who had gathered in Tianjing.

With a "pop", a chess piece landed gently on the chessboard, and Hong Xiuquan whispered, "General!"

Feng Yunshan, who was sitting opposite him, could only smile bitterly and shook his head: "Your Majesty, your chess skills are really getting better and better. I lose!"

Hong Xiuquan laughed and said, "My fellow countryman, how good is my chess playing? How can I not have any points? You let me win again in this game!"

"Heavenly King, look at what you said. We are brothers, so why should we give in?" Feng Yunshan said with a smile.

"Mountain compatriots," Hong Xiuquan looked at Feng Yunshan and asked leisurely, "So, will you let me, your brother, take the place of your elder brother at the National People's Congress?"

"Heavenly King." Feng Yunshan frowned and looked up at Hong Xiuquan.

Hong Xiuquan simply said: "Mountain fellow, don't you think he has fallen? He is a fallen angel. A fallen angel is a devil!"

Feng Yunshan's eyelids jumped: "Heavenly King, what are you talking about? The situation in the Kingdom of Heaven is very good now, how can there be any fallen angels?"

Hong Xiuquan looked at Feng Yunshan and lowered his voice and said, "My fellow countryman, let me be frank with you. Someone has been sent down again! This time, it was sent down by my mother in heaven, the Virgin Mary."

(End of this chapter)