The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 660: The First Chinese State in the Chosen Country (Request for subscription and votes)

The setting sun in London shone into the Blue Room of Buckingham Palace, stretching Prince Albert's shadow long and casting it on the "North Pacific Situation Map" that had just been hung on the wall.

The prince tapped the Japanese archipelago with his index finger, and said in a low and firm voice: "The Korean-Japanese Union is the first link in the chain - the coal and iron of Korea, the gold and silver mines of Japan, and the industrial equipment we export are enough to make this chain stop the expansion of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom!"

Viscount Palmerston sat in an armchair, frowning. "But we are still allies with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. If we support the Korean Heavenly Kingdom against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, will it cause a complete breakdown of our relationship with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and cause the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to ally with Russia instead?"

Prince Albert turned his attention to the British Foreign Secretary.

Foreign Secretary Clarendon suggested: "The Kingdom of Korea is now also an ally of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. We just need to convince the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom that our support for the Korean-Japanese Union is to resist the southward advance of Tsarist Russia and to prevent the republican ideology from spreading! One of the conditions for our support for Yang Xiuqing is that he sends troops to suppress the republicans in Japan. I believe that the 'gods' of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will not like the Nagasaki Republic either."

Admiral Charles Wood frowned and drummed his fingers on the table: "But who can ensure that Yang Xiuqing will not bite us back in the future?"

Sir Bonham stood up from the conference table, bowed to Queen Victoria, and said in a steady voice: "Your Majesty, perhaps you should send someone who understands both the East and industry to serve as the Empire's Minister Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Korea and Japan - such as Mr. Moore, who once called Korea the 'Ruhr area of ​​Asia' in "Red Star Over China"."

The blue and white bone china teacup in the Queen's hand stopped in mid-air, and her brows slightly frowned: "Let my teacher Karl go to the East as an envoy?"

"That's right!" Wen Xian glanced at Prince Albert and raised his lips slightly. "If he is appointed as ambassador to Korea and Japan, he can not only promote industrialization, but also" he deliberately dragged out his tone, "use his theory of a workers' state to deceive Yang Xiuqing."

Prince Albert suddenly clapped his hands, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness: "Excellent! The wages of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom workers are only one-third of British workers or even less. Once they are exposed to that system, they will definitely cause trouble every day, which will greatly delay the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's industrialization process."

The Queen looked out the window at the winter sunset in London and sighed, "But will he be willing?"

Wen Xian pulled out a stack of manuscripts from his briefcase, and the papers rustled. "Master Karl has been going to the British Museum to look up information recently. He is preparing to write an economic book on how to build factories by the state and workers without business owners and achieve optimal efficiency."

Lord Palmerston muttered, "That sounds like nonsense. Without factory owners, who will invest? Who will keep an eye on those workers who want to slack off all day long?"

Prince Albert smiled and said, "Then let him go to Korea and Japan and try first. I will go and convince him!"

The pleasant ticking sound of the telegraph machine echoed in the newly built telegraph room in the Zongli Yamen - after several years of hard work and massive investment, the Sino-British joint venture "Great Eastern Telegraph Office" finally extended the telegraph line to the city of Tianjing.

Maria rushed into the meeting room with her skirt lifted up, her cheeks flushed from running: "Shi Dakai's expeditionary force has arrived in Calcutta!"

Feng Yunshan's hand holding the gilded pipe trembled, and the ash fell on the "Map of Java Enfeoffment" on the table: "So soon? Didn't Elgin say that the Queen of Jhansi could at least hold out until the middle of this year?"

"Our Sword of True Covenant can cut people faster than Elgin's words." Luo Yaoguo lazily leaned back in his chair, flicked his fingertips on the brass globe, and the sphere rotated. His eyes fell on the Sunda Strait, "Let Myna take his 20,000 elite soldiers to Java Island!" His eyes swept to Wei Changhui, "With the support of the Sword of True Covenant, Wei Jun's position as the King of Java is secure."

Wei Changhui smiled with satisfaction: "Now that my fourth brother has Korea, and my family has Java, shouldn't we also give my third brother, seventh sister, eighth brother, and ninth brother a vassal state?"

"I'll forget it," Feng Yunshan interrupted Wei Changhui and said, "Let's make some arrangements for the young king first. How about giving Borneo to the young king?"

Luo Yaoguo smiled and said, "That depends on what Fourth Brother thinks. The Young King is still in North Korea. In addition, the Hong family's territory is on the west coast of the United States. We also have to listen to what King Gan thinks. Maybe the Hong family wants the Young King to be the governor of the United States."

After listening to Luo Yaoguo's words, Feng Yunshan and Wei Changhui both found it quite interesting. While they were pondering, Maria lowered her voice again and approached Luo Yaoguo: "Yang Xiuqing sent a secret telegram from Seoul, saying that the British want to help him to unite Korea and Japan." Luo Yaoguo's smile suddenly withdrew, and he lightly swiped his finger on the globe, turning the location of Japan and Korea in front of him: "Let them unite! Isn't he the King of the East? He should be in charge of Japan and Korea in the East."

Feng Yunshan narrowed his eyes: "Do the British really want to use the Korean-Japanese Union to contain us?"

"Contain?" Luo Yaoguo sneered. "They want to use North Korea's coal and iron, Japan's gold and silver, and Britain's industrial technology to build a chain to lock us in East Asia." He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sun outside at eight or nine o'clock. "Unfortunately, they forgot - we are not Russia or Prussia, we are the overlord of East Asia, a Rome that has never weakened! Any technology they provide to the North Korea Federation, we will also get!"

North America, Tianwang City Pier.

In the luxurious cabin of the "Lucky" steam paddle steamer that had just docked, a map of the United States of America was hung on the teak-paneled wall.

Xianfeng, who was already used to the ups and downs of the sea, changed into a Western suit, stirred a cup of coffee with a silver spoon, and scanned the dense red and blue marks on the map: "The conflict between the southern slave states and the northern free states is more dangerous than the Manchu-Han conflict in the Qing Dynasty." He turned his eyes to Xu Jishe, who was wearing a Chinese robe, "The reason why Washington did not establish the title of emperor was not because of his noble character, but because the United States of America was not owned by one family or one surname. This country belongs to a large group of powerful families! You can think of it as the hundreds of aristocratic families in the Eastern Jin Dynasty abolishing the emperor of the Sima family together, and then establishing a general to act as the emperor. In order to prevent this general from becoming too powerful, the Congress was established to divide the power of the general, and it was also stipulated that the general must take turns to be the boss. And the method of producing this general is that the powerful people in thirteen states, now thirty-three states, recommend him.

For their own interests, the 33 states have adopted a policy of strengthening the local areas and weakening the central government. The local areas can not only elect the general leader, but also the senators and the House of Representatives. They also pass congressional legislation to limit the central government's troops and strengthen the local militia. Today, the central government of the United States has only more than 10,000 troops, while the local militia is unlimited. As long as the state legislature approves, any number of militias can be formed. The local states are controlled by political families. Makita, do you understand what the United States of America is now?"

Xu Jishe nodded gently: "Your Majesty, I used to think that the founding fathers of the United States were all upright people, but I didn't expect that the politics of their country were similar to those of the Eastern Jin Dynasty! No wonder there are disputes between the northern and southern states over slavery and abolition. Bishop, according to your analysis, there will be a war between the North and the South of the United States?"

"Of course!" Xianfeng took a sip of tea. "There is not only a dispute between the North and South of the United States over slavery and abolition, but also a dispute between federal power and state power, and a dispute over the industrial and agricultural route of vigorously opening factories and vigorously growing cotton for export. If the northern states' wishes are fulfilled, the federal government of the United States will abolish slavery in the states and impose high tariffs on the states, which will mean the death of the masters of the southern slave states. Those masters are all full of martial virtues, and they only know about states but not federations. How can they not fight?"

"Then ours is great." Xu Jiyue wanted to say "Qing Dynasty", but was glared at by Emperor Xianfeng.

"There is no Qing Dynasty anymore!" Xianfeng paused, and then said, "In terms of race, we are not the same as those masters in the South, but if we talk about strong state power and weak central government, we have something to say to the slave owners in the South. The greater the state power, the more chances the true Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese will have to take over the territory of the West Coast of the United States."

Before he finished speaking, there was a hasty knock on the cabin door, and Chiyoko's voice rang out: "Fourth brother, Luo Hou and Archbishop Hong are here."

"Archbishop Hong?" Xianfeng was stunned, and a look of surprise suddenly flashed across his face: "Please come in quickly!"

Luo Dagang was the chief general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's American Army. He not only controlled Tianwang City, but also the Duchy of Alaska. He himself was stationed in Tianwang City. Now Xianfeng (Zhao Si) was the consort of the Southern Yi Kingdom, the national patriarch, and the archbishop of the East Coast. Of course, Luo Dagang had to come to greet him.

But Hong Renzheng is Hong Xiuquan's cousin, and he is also the Archbishop of North America, based in San Francisco. Today he is in Tianwang City, and he came to greet Xianfeng (Zhao Si) in person, which must be a good thing.

"Zhao Si, the time has come!" Hong Renzheng sat down with a dignified manner, and said to Xianfeng with a smile, "We will soon have the opportunity to take over one, or even two Chinese states!"

Luo Dagang unfolded a translation of "The Columbia River Development Case": "The U.S. Congress is arguing over the Oregon Territory. The South wants slavery, the North wants freedom, and we just took the opportunity to squeeze in a state."

"A state of Washington!" Hong Renzheng pointed his finger at the Puget Sound on the map. "According to the Northwest Land Ordinance, as long as there are 60,000 people, we can establish a state. Now, there are 57,000 Chinese workers and Japanese women from Seattle to Portland. If we include the white gold diggers, there are more than 70,000."

Luo Dagang also raised his hand and pointed at the Washington Territory: "It's called Washington State! The first article of the state constitution states that 'all citizens of the state have equal rights', and the second article 'prohibits any form of slavery' to please the Yankees. Bishop Zhao, do you think it's okay?"

(End of this chapter)