The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 655 Luo Yaoguo on the Yellow Peril, Emperor Xianfeng Returns to Beijing (Request for Subscription, Request for Tickets)
The fifth day of the first lunar month in the ninth year of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

The fireplace in the West Flower Hall of the Wuwang Mansion in Tianjin was burning warmly. The glass windows were covered with a layer of steam. Luo Yaoguo took the coffee cup and took a sip, then knocked on the South China Sea map on the sandalwood table with his knuckles: "At least 2000 Dutch died in the Sunda Strait, and another 3000 were killed in the Banten Fortress. In addition to the more than 320 people who died in Batavia, Semarang, and Surabaya, and the hundreds of people who died in the Battle of the Karimata Strait, nearly people have been wiped out by us. A small country with a population of million. Hehe, I don't think they can continue to fight!"

Wei Changhui, who had just stepped down from the position of Patriarch of the True Covenant Sect and became the Deputy Prime Minister, was still a little worried about his brother Wei Jun's career in the Java Heavenly Kingdom, so he muttered, "I wonder if Britain and France will interfere?"

"Interference?" Luo Yaoguo first glanced at the senior adviser Nathaniel Rothschild - he was a Rothschild, a core figure in the European political and economic circles. His family was extremely influential in Britain, France, Austria, and Prussia, so he was naturally very well-informed.

Nathaniel Rothschild took off his gold-rimmed glasses and wiped them, the lenses reflecting the flickering firelight from the fireplace: "Prince Albert had already privately discussed the 'Yellow Peril Theory' with senior members of the House of Commons - those people said that the Taiping Army was the reincarnation of Genghis Khan's cavalry, and even Tsarist Russia was privately discussing the formation of an anti-China alliance with Prussia."

Rinko, wearing a Taiping Heavenly Kingdom skirt, huddled in a rattan chair, her fingertips touching the diamond ring given to her by Prince Napoleon: "Prince Napoleon said that Napoleon III intends to support Japan to contain China"

Before he finished speaking, the True Yue Patriarch, Nan Wang Feng Yunshan, interrupted and asked, "Who are the British going to support?"

"The Kingdom of Korea plus Japan!" Nathaniel said. "The Rothschilds have received information that the Palmerston Cabinet has been discussing the 'balance of power in the East' since the Battle of Karimata Strait - just like the policy they implemented on the European continent."

Wei Changhui suddenly slammed the table and said, "Is this Palmerston crazy? No one in East Asia is worthy of balancing power with the great China!"

Luo Yaoguo suddenly burst into laughter. He grabbed a red and blue pencil and drew a circle around the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago. "It seems that Fourth Brother's proposal for a united Korea and Japan is exactly what they want! This is great - Rinko, you will take a French cruise back to Europe tomorrow."

Rinzi looked at Luo Yaoguo and said, "Your Highness wants it."

"Don't they want to support the Korean Heavenly Kingdom and Japan to contain our Taiping Heavenly Kingdom?" Luo Yaoguo sneered, "Okay! Let them try. Rinzi, when you get to France, you must find a way to push Britain and France to support the Korean-Japanese union."

Rinzi was also quite superstitious about Luo Yaoguo, and nodded without saying anything: "Yes, Rinzi will definitely do her best to push forward."

Nathaniel was a little puzzled: "Your Highness, aren't you afraid that after the unification of Korea and Japan, the country will become stronger with the support of Britain and France?"

"How can 450 million people be afraid of 50 million people?" Luo Yaoguo sneered, "Japan and Korea have always been the secondary civilizations of China. Now Korea has become the Korean Heavenly Kingdom. If Japan becomes the Japanese Heavenly Kingdom again, then the Emperor of Japan will become the junior of us kings. There will be a war in the future, but after the war, Japan and Korea will become loyal dogs of the Heavenly Kingdom, so there is no need to worry! Besides, it is probably difficult for Fourth Brother Yang's Japan-Korea Union to have a good result!"

"Why do you think so?" Feng Yunshan asked.

Luo Yaoguo did not answer his question, but looked at Rinzi: "Rinzi, you just came back from Japan, tell me!"

"Yes!" Rinko nodded and said to Feng Yunshan, "Father, Fourth Uncle Yang only wants the union of Korea and Japan, but he does not want to liberate the lower classes of Japanese people. He wants to use dynastic marriage to let his prince marry the sister of the Japanese emperor so that he can obtain the Japanese throne in the future and establish the Korea-Japan Federation. But the lower classes of Japan will not get any benefits."

Luo Yaoguo laughed and continued Rinzi's words: "What can he give? Your Fourth Uncle Yang still wants to continue sucking Japan's blood to develop North Korea's industrialization. If he liberates the lower classes of Japan when unifying Japan, how can he force the Japanese to sell their children for him to suck blood? So Japan before unification was a semi-colony, and after unification, Japan will become a full colony. The good days of the Japanese are still to come!"

The official road outside Yongding Gate was covered with a foot of snow. Zeng Tianyang, the newly appointed governor of Northern Zhili, pulled the reins and pointed the whip at the gray tower in the distance: "Mr. Zhao, Yongding Gate is ahead. Lord Zuo has prepared a welcoming banquet at the Zhili Governor's Office, saying that he wants to invite you to try mutton hotpot. By the way, you are also from Beijing, right?"

Xianfeng was wrapped in a sheepskin cloak, snowflakes fell on his sparse beard. He was trying to hide his anxiety - he was sent to Beijing by Xiao Chaogui, the Western King who was in charge of the military in Luoyang, to negotiate with Zuo Zongtang, Qi Junzao of Shanxi, and Senggelinqin of Mongolia, two "legacy" of the Qing Dynasty, to recruit them!
What you fear is bound to come true!

Zuo Zongtang and he were already very familiar with each other. Senggelinqin was his cousin in name only and had served as the Minister of the Imperial Guard for a long time! Qi Junzao had been a military advisor for many years and met him every day.

Even if Emperor Xianfeng turned into ashes, he would probably be recognized by Qi Junzao and Senggelinqin.

But he didn't dare to say "no" to Xiao Chaogui, so he had to bite the bullet and go north with Mr. Zeng Tianyang, who was transferred from the governor of Henan to the governor of northern Zhili.

Zeng Tianyang was an old subordinate of Feng Yunshan, so he naturally took good care of Feng Yunshan's son-in-law Zhao Si, and was also considered Zhao Si's (Xianfeng) backer.

So Xianfeng always smiled at Zeng Tianyang and said, "Beijing's shabu-shabu is more delicious than New York's!" Chiyoko, wearing a cotton hand muffler, suddenly exclaimed, "It seems like someone has come out of Yongdingmen!"

A skinny old man wearing a warm hat came out from Yongding Gate. He was wearing the official uniform of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and riding a Mongolian pony. Behind him followed a group of Taiping soldiers wearing gray-blue cotton coats and carrying foreign rifles.

When he looked up and saw the "Zeng" and "Zhao" flags behind Zeng Tianyang and Xianfeng, he hurriedly spurred his horse forward.

"Your subordinate. Your subordinate is Luo Bingzhang, the chief counselor of the Zhili Governor's Office," the old man rolled off his horse and bowed, speaking in Cantonese Mandarin, "I am here to welcome the Southern Yi Prince Consort by order of the Left Governor-General."

Xianfeng secretly cried out "not good" - Luo Bingzhang was an old acquaintance of his, but he did not expect that he would be invited by his old subordinate Zuo Zongtang to be the chief advisor!
Luo Bingzhang was halfway through his words when his presbyopic eyes suddenly widened - this "Southern Yi Jin Gong Ma" was clearly the Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty who reviewed memorials in the Qianqing Palace! Luo Bingzhang stumbled back, his official boots sank into the snow, and his warm hat tilted to his ears.

"Master Luo, be careful!" Xianfeng dismounted, took a few steps forward and supported Luo Bingzhang, "I am Zhao Si from New York. I am favored by the Southern King and his adopted daughter Qian'er is betrothed to me. Now I am here with General Manager Zeng to do some work in Beijing. I hope Master can take good care of me."

Luo Bingzhang shivered and adjusted his warm hat, squinting his eyes to study Xianfeng: "They look exactly like him."

Xianfeng's heart trembled - it was all over! This old fool had exposed everything!

But Luo Bingzhang continued, "I saw a man selling candied haws at Zhengyang Gate last year, and he looked like him."

Fortunately, fortunately! Xianfeng breathed a sigh of relief - the two lists were different after all, and their brains were flexible. I wonder what happened to Zuo Zongtang?
"Who does he look like?" Zeng Tianyang suddenly frowned. "Master Luo, is he confused by the cold? Nan Yi Jin Gong Ma is the son-in-law of His Royal Highness the Southern Prince. How can he be compared to a street vendor?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Luo Bingzhang said with a smile on his face, "I am really confused, really confused." He tried to cover it up, and quickly made a gesture to scare the guests away, "Lord Zuo has already set up a banquet at the Governor's Office. Please follow me into the city!"

Xianfeng nodded: "Enter the city, enter the city"

As he spoke, his heart ached and he almost cried.

Now that the Lunar New Year has just passed, Zuo Zongtang's official residence is still decorated with lights and colorful decorations, with red candles reflecting the newly painted plaque that reads "The World Belongs to the Public."

The former Hunan Army commander was now wearing the Taiping Army's standard blue satin cotton robe - this was the latest service uniform issued to officers and soldiers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It looked simple and austere, with a bronze plate of "Governor-General of Zhili" pinned on his chest.

"Prince Consort Nanyi, Lord Zeng, you have come a long way, thank you for your hard work." Zuo Zongtang personally went out to the second gate to greet him, but he was only halfway through greeting him when he was stunned like Luo Bingzhang - why did this Prince Consort Nanyi look a bit like Emperor Xianfeng?
Like a bearded Xianfeng!

Luo Bingzhang was still quick-witted and quickly took over Zuo Zongtang's words: "General Manager, this is not the place to talk. Please invite Prince Consort Nanyijin, the Princess, and Mr. Zeng into the house!"

"Ah," Zuo Zongtang also reacted. He quickly made a gesture to ward off the guests and smiled as he invited Xianfeng, Zeng Tianyang and Chiyoko into the second hall of the Governor's Office.

In the second hall, the welcoming banquet was already set. However, his eyes were attracted by the "Complete Map of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom" hanging on the wall. He suddenly remembered the "Map of the Great Qing Dynasty in its heyday" in the Yangxin Palace, which had long disappeared.
"Is everything going well in Beijing now?" Xianfeng tried to force a smile. "When I entered the city just now, I saw that the market was a bit..."

Zuo Zongtang stroked his beard and smiled bitterly, "It is indeed a bit depressed, but the court has already designated Beijing as the northern capital of the Heavenly Kingdom. The railway from Tianjin to Beijing has been surveyed and will be built next year. By then, the Southern Yijin Prince Consort will be able to take a train from Tianjing all the way to Beijing to visit the Forbidden City and the Old Summer Palace."

Chiyoko asked with interest: "Master, are the Forbidden City and the Old Summer Palace interesting?"

Zuo Zongtang turned his gaze to Emperor Xianfeng: "Of course it's fun! That was where the emperor and empress lived in the past. Now the carved railings and jade bricks are still there, but Zhu Yan has changed to Princess Zhu and Nan Yi has changed to Prince Consort Nan. Why don't we ask Master Luo to take you to visit the Forbidden City and Yuanmingyuan tomorrow?"

(End of this chapter)