The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 659: Master Karl, the Yellow Peril is coming, what should we do? (Please vote, please subscribe)

January 1859, 1, 15 Downing Street, London.

The coals in the fireplace crackled, and the Dutch Navy Minister John Waters pushed the gilded war report across the long mahogany table. Viscount Palmerston tapped his silver spoon three times on the rim of his bone china coffee cup, and the Prime Minister of Great Britain frowned more and more.

"Two 'Seven Provinces' class steam cruisers sank on the Java Sea north of the Sunda Strait," Waters formally informed the British Prime Minister in a trembling voice of the heavy losses suffered by the Dutch Navy in Southeast Asia, "two 'Batavia' class three-level battleships sank, three 'Surabaya' steam gunboats sank, and nine more"

British Foreign Secretary Earl Clarendon suddenly coughed. In front of him was a copy of the Anglo-Taiping Covenant. The clauses in the treaty, such as Article 2 "Non-Aggression", Article "Mutual Defense", and Article "Coordination of Colonies", were so stinging that it hurt his eyes. This treaty was signed two years ago, and it was valid for a full thirty years.

If the British Empire did not want to ruin its international credibility by breaking a treaty, then in the next 28 years, Britain could not openly fight the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Of course, even without this treaty, Britain would most likely not dare to go to war with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom—it was a powerful country with a population of 40 million and had already begun industrialization!

Moreover, the Taiping Army showed great fighting enthusiasm in the Battle of Sevastopol Fortress and the Battle of Petrovsk Fortress on the Kamchatka Peninsula, and also displayed the enthusiasm that only a revolutionary army could have in the Battle of Sunda Strait - all signs show that the current Taiping Army and the French army that suddenly burst out with super combat effectiveness after the French Revolution are simply cast in the same mold.

The population of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was more than ten or twenty times that of France at that time.
It was precisely because of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s strength and revolutionary enthusiasm that the British authorities gave up their glorious isolation in the East and chose to sign the "Thirty Years' Alliance" with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

"Your country's losses in the Sunda Strait are regrettable," Palmerston tapped the report sent by the East Dutch with his pipe, "but according to our intelligence, your army also suffered heavy losses on Java Island. Your largest fortress on Java Island, Banten Fortress, has fallen. The Java War is actually over! If you had come to us earlier, perhaps we could have helped. But now, everything is too late."

Dutch Foreign Minister Van Zuyren stood up suddenly, his chair legs scraping against the oak floor. "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, are you going to sit back and watch the Yellow Peril devour the civilized world? Four hundred and fifty million yellow people have armed themselves with the power of industrialization."

"But China is also a huge market!" Finance Minister Gladstone sneered and interrupted, "Last year, our exports to my country increased by 40%, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom also sent 20,000 soldiers to help the Queen suppress the Indian uprising. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom proved with practical actions that they are the most loyal ally of the British Empire."

The Dutch Navy Minister John Waters said in a deep voice: "If I remember correctly, the British Empire has no eternal friends. When fighting against the Napoleonic Empire, Britain's most loyal ally was the Tsar!" The Dutch Navy Minister suddenly raised his voice: "You want to allow 400 million yellow people to rush out of Malacca with steamships?"

The First Lord of the Admiralty, Charles Wood, took over the question and frowned, asking: "What do you Dutch want from 10 Downing Street? Do you want to continue the war?"

The Dutch Foreign Minister looked into the gray-blue eyes of the British Prime Minister and said, "We need to form an alliance. An alliance to jointly curb the Yellow Peril!"

"Joint containment." Palmerston met the Dutchman's gaze. "Then, how should we contain them?"

There was dead silence in the conference room.

The gilded clock on the mantel chimed, and the Dutch Foreign Minister finally smiled: "Prime Minister, am I right in understanding your words? Can we now discuss containing China, the evil dragon from the East?"

That same afternoon, at the Whiteswin mansion in Rovner Square, South Kensington.

Bai Siwen threw a piece of crystal clear ice into the whiskey, then gently shook the glass with one hand and picked up a copy of The Times with the other hand, looking at the headline on the newspaper: "The Dutch fleet was completely destroyed - the era of the Eastern ironclad ship is coming?"

"Four hundred million people have finally awakened!" said Mikhail Bakunin. "This will inspire the working people of Europe!"

This Russian revolutionary arrived in London two weeks ago as a special envoy of the Grand Duchy of Alaska, seeking diplomatic recognition from Britain. However, compared to serving his monarch, Grand Duchess Natalia, he was more interested in discussing revolution with Moll Friedrich.

"It's not 400 million people," said Moore, wearing a well-tailed coat with a gold watch chain sticking out of his pocket - it was obvious that the revolution had sufficient funds. "It's actually 450 million people, plus 50 million in Japan and Korea."

He opened his draft of "Journey to the East": "The Korean Heavenly Kingdom, like the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, has also awakened and is working hard to industrialize. Japan is a living hell, ruled by a group of the most reactionary feudal lords I have ever seen!" Friedrich opened his notebook: "And some people want to promote the union of Korea and Japan, and then turn the united Korea and Japan into chains to lock up the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Oriental dragon!"

In Friedrich's notebook was a copy of a telegram forwarded from Singapore, and the person who sent the telegram was named Luo.

"But a republican revolution has already broken out in Japan!" Bakunin's beard trembled with his gestures. "The Nagasaki Republic was established at the end of last year! If Japan becomes a republic..."

The doorbell suddenly rang. Lord Bonham, who had become the chief advisor to the Magic Committee, rushed in with a chill, slamming his calfskin briefcase on the coffee table: "Svenson, Moore, Friedrich, and Mikhail are all here! Great, the Queen is calling urgently - the Eastern Question Conference at Buckingham Palace needs your brains."

As the carriage rolled through the remaining snow in Kensington Gardens, Moore polished a Cuban cigar and smiled at Bonham, "Do you know what the factory owners who produce various machines in Birmingham call the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom?"

Wen Xian was stunned, obviously unable to answer this question.

Friedrich smiled and said, "I know. It's called the Manchester of the East. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's demand for machines is as great as that of Manchester."

Moore looked out the window at the busy traffic and said, "These fools haven't realized yet that their gallows have already been built."

Buckingham Palace.

Queen Victoria sat at a table covered with a map, and Prince Albert pointed his finger at the Strait of Malacca: "Wu Chongyao said: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is a Pacific country, and their sphere of influence will never cross the Strait of Malacca!"

The Queen turned her attention to Moore, who was now the British royal family's advisor on Eastern issues and was almost a lord: "Mr. Karl, you are an expert on Eastern issues, can you give me some advice?"

Moore and Friedrich exchanged glances, then pointed to the Japanese archipelago: "The chain is here. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom can only rule the North Pacific if it completely controls Korea and Japan. And after ruling the North Pacific, it will be possible to move south and west in a big way!"

Bakunin shook his head and said: "Under the oppression of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the feudal samurai in Japan, the republican revolution in Japan has already broken out. This shows that Japan is not hopeless."

"The Kingdom of Korea is also full of hope," Friedrich continued. "If the progressive forces of the Kingdom of Korea and Japan can receive strong support from Britain, it will be much more difficult for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to control them in the future."

Wen Xian nodded and said in agreement: "The combined territorial area of ​​Japan and North Korea is close to that of France, and the combined population is close to 50 million. In addition, North Korea has coal and iron, and Japan has gold and silver. There is great hope!"

Prince Albert looked out the window at the frozen fountain and said thoughtfully: "Perhaps we can let the Dutch help Japan develop its industry. In addition, we can send a secret letter to Yang Xiuqing, saying that London is willing to support the union of Korea and Japan - on the condition that he must suppress the Republic of Nagasaki and ensure Britain's interests in Japan."

When the carriage that Moore and Friedrich were riding in drove away from Buckingham Palace, Moore suddenly said to the driver, "Go to the editorial office of The Mercury." He pulled off the golden brooch that symbolized the royal advisor and said to Friedrich, "You can call our angel friend back. In addition, we should also promote the Nagasaki Republic recently! Although this republic will inevitably perish soon under the joint suppression of feudal forces within Japan and imperialism outside, every day it exists will illuminate the dark Japanese archipelago. Even if it fails, the flame of revolution will surely spread in Japan."

Late at night, on the Thames, the Dutch mission's steamboat blew its whistle. Standing on the deck, Dutch Navy Minister Waters watched the brightly lit London gradually fade away, and finally sighed: "Although this country is more powerful than our Netherlands and is at its peak, it has not truly realized that a new power that will replace it has emerged."

Van Zuylen took a puff of his cigar and said, "No, the British have realized it. It's just that these short-sighted guys don't know how to deal with such a terrible enemy like China. But as long as they start to think of ways, they will always find the right way slowly. And we should also make more European countries aware of the threat of the Eastern Yellow Peril! This country has defeated two white countries in a row in the past two years! I think people in Europe should be vigilant."

"Then our next stop," asked the Dutch Navy Minister.

"France, go to France!" Van Zuylen said. "It's time to tell Napoleon III to beware of the dragon from the East."

(End of this chapter)