The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 706 What? Li Hongzhang wants to sell Tang Dynasty Kazakhs to Tsarist Russia?

Luoyang headquarters.

When Luo Yaoguo and Shi Dakai were discussing how to let Zeng Guofan, the ignorant "saint" of the orthodox religion, know the power of the industrialized Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, there was a sound of horse hooves outside the yard. Then Luo Yaoguo heard someone shouting, "The Eighth Thousand Year Old King of the West has arrived!"

It turned out that Xiao Chaogui heard that Luo Yaoguo, Shi Dakai and Maria had arrived in Luoyang, so he rushed back from the Tongguan front line at full speed.

"Eighth brother, ninth brother, sister Maria, you came really fast!" Xiao Chaogui threw the whip to the guard, and then walked into the meeting hall of the headquarters at a brisk pace. Seeing that Luo Yaoguo, Shi Dakai, and Maria did not look tired at all from a long journey, he couldn't help but sighed: "They must have come by train, right?"

Luo Yaoguo smiled and nodded: "Yes, the train can run 160 miles in one hour, and it can run non-stop for twelve hours a day. Pukou to Luoyang is only more than 2,000 miles, and it will take less than two days to get there."

Shi Dakai smiled and continued, "My ninth brother, sister Maria and I each had a special train. We ate, drank and slept on the way and arrived. We were not tired at all!"

Xiao Chaogui sighed, "I got the telegram from the Tongguan front and rushed to Luoyang as fast as I could. I wanted to welcome you, but you got there first!"

Maria chuckled, "That's why the King of Wu insisted on building a railway to Luoyang first, and then he could march westward. A journey that would take a month to walk can now take two days at most by train. Moreover, trains can not only transport people, but also food, supplies, and weapons. The things that a train can carry cannot be compared to tens of thousands of civilians!"

Chief of the General Staff Shi Dakai laughed and said, "That's right. The civilians who transport grain eat horses and have a delivery rate of only a little over 2000% for miles. It is much more economical to use trains. You pay the same amount when you get on and get off. At most, you can burn some coal. In the future, there will be as much grain as there is in Jiangnan!"

Luo Yaoguo nodded gently: "Now the cost of transporting grain from Java to Luoyang may be lower than transporting grain from Luoyang to Tongguan. I think the Longhai Railway should be built westward! Wherever the road is built, the holy soldiers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom can conquer there!"

"But Zeng Guofan won't be idle either!" Xiao Chaogui took the cup of herbal tea from Maria and took a big sip. "This old guy said in the past two years that he wanted to emulate the powerful Han and Tang dynasties to open up the Western Regions, but in fact he was colluding with foreign countries and selling out his country for glory. Eighth and ninth brothers, do you know that Li Hongzhang, a general under Zeng Guofan, is now the Protector General of the Western Regions of the Tang King, and he has even sold out his country to Suiye City!"

"They've all been sold out!" Luo Yaoguo frowned - there are still many people who are selling out their country nowadays. Li Hongzhang sold out his country in Kazakhstan, and Yang Xiuqing sold out Japan.
Xiao Chaogui grabbed the cup of warm tea offered by Maria and drank it all in one gulp: "Li Erguizi is really good at making connections! He hooked up with a French woman named Mathilde. Two years ago, he went to Moscow under the pretext of visiting his relatives. When he came back, he brought back 300 boxes of firearms, all engraved with double-headed eagle emblems. I heard that she also reached a secret agreement with Tsar Alexander II to cede two-thirds of Kazakhstan's land to Russia! Recently, she may have taken Li Hongzhang to Russia to sign a traitorous treaty!"

Maria suddenly chuckled. This "foreign princess" of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and a good disciple of the Virgin Mary knew Mathilde: "Although Mathilde is a 'third hand', she is really lucky for her husband. Li Hongzhang really made a good deal by marrying her! He sold the country to Kazakhstan. He sold two-thirds of Kazakhstan, but what about the remaining one-third? And what about the territory of Hezhong Prefecture?"

"Of course those belong to Li Hongzhang!" Xiao Chaogui took another cup of hot tea handed to him by Maria, took a sip, sat down on a royal chair, and said with a smile, "But the territory of Hezhong Prefecture has not been conquered yet. I guess we will continue to use troops after Li Hongzhang and Mathilde return to Suiye."

Luo Yaoguo nodded: "Once he conquers Transoxiana, he will probably continue to sell out the country. He might even sell out the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea! Brother-in-law, myna, we can't let Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang sell out the country!"

"That's right!" Xiao Chaogui nodded, "Ninth brother, now the railway has reached Luoyang, and the army in Tongguan has a lot of soldiers and food, so we can fight however we want!"

Shi Dakai said: "The first artillery regiment has also been delivered, 36 70mm breech-loading guns, I don't believe that the people of Mingjiao can handle it!"

Luo Yaoguo said sternly: "In that case, I order you to take Tongguan for me within three months!"

"Three months?"

“Is this it?”

Shi Dakai and Xiao Chaogui were both stunned.

Fighting Tongguan, 3 months? There are 36 70mm breech-loading guns and picric acid shells. How can we fight this war? No way!
"Yes, that's three months!" Luo Yaoguo stressed, "Not even a day less! Just fight slowly!"

Suddenly, thunder roared outside the window, and the tiles crackled as the early summer rainstorm hit them. Xiao Chaogui and Shi Dakai looked at each other and nodded heavily - the task was difficult, but as the best commanders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, no matter how difficult the task was, they had to complete it!
Petersburg.

Natalia, who had just returned to her hometown a few days ago, rushed into the Amber Room of the Winter Palace with her skirt lifted. Her cousin Alexander II was playing with a Turkish scimitar. The inscription on the handle read "Produced by Anxi Protectorate". It was a "national treasure" given to the Tsar by Li Hongzhang and Mathilde - it was said to have been used by Li Shimin! Well, after looking at it for so long, the ivory handle has turned yellow!
"Your Majesty, you have been deceived by Li Hongzhang and Mathilde!" She looked at the "treasure sword" in the Tsar's hand, "The Tang Empire ceased to exist almost 1000 years ago. The Tang descendant of Li Hongzhang was simply packaged by Mathilde.

The Tsar slowly unfolded the copy of the treaty. The edges of the parchment were decorated with gold thread, which looked particularly "real": "What the people need is a victory on the front page of the newspaper. Crimea lost its access to the Black Sea, and Alaska was given to you, but today" he tapped the title of the "Russo-Tankan Border Treaty" with his fingertips, "the "St. Petersburg Daily" will say that the Romanov family conquered the vast land of Central Asia and forced the thousand-year-old dynasty in the East to bow down!"

The Tsar’s court attendants suddenly sang: “Prince Don’s gift has arrived!”

Eight burly "Tang soldiers" carried wooden boxes and filed in. When the box lid was opened, the miniature landscape of Suiye City carved with Kunlun white jade startled the Tsar to exclaim. Li Hongzhang stepped over the threshold in a four-clawed dragon robe, while Mathilde was wearing the latest Parisian whalebone skirt.

"Li Hongzhang, the Grand Protector of Anxi in the Tang Dynasty, respectfully wishes the Emperor of Russia good health." Li Hongzhang bowed and appeared very respectful.

Mathilde knelt and saluted, deliberately showing the Orthodox cross around her neck: "The Patriarch of Moscow has agreed to send missionaries to stay in Suiye City. Of course, there will be two battalions of guards accompanying them."

Tsar Alexander II laughed loudly, pointed at Natalia and said in French: "This is my cousin, the Grand Duchess of the Grand Duchy of Alaska under the Russian Empire!"

Natalia smiled and lifted her skirt, and also knelt down to Li Hongzhang and Mathilde - she was now also part of the Tsar's Russian victory, and there was absolutely no such thing as ceding Alaska!

Alaska was simply "granted" to a Grand Duchess of the Romanov dynasty to facilitate rule.

Moreover, Alaska will always be named Romanov. No matter who the father of Natalia's child is, his or her last name must be Romanov (wa)!
America, Washington, White House.

Xianfeng was walking back and forth anxiously in the presidential office in the "White House", shaking his head from time to time as he looked at the calm President Davis.

Suddenly, a White House intern walked in: "President! Maryland by-election results: Democrats won two Senate seats!"

"By-election? When will it be held?" Xianfeng could no longer bear it and stamped his feet. "Lincoln's army is almost reaching Baltimore, and you are still talking about 'procedural justice'!"

Vice President Raymond adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and slowly unfolded the U.S. Constitution: "According to the Constitution, more than half of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives must be present for the resolutions passed to be legal and valid. Due to the departure of Constitution Party members and some unsteady Democratic Party members, we are still short of dozens of people. So the by-election is the top priority at the moment! Moreover, only after the election of absent senators and representatives is completed in states such as Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky, can they truly become one of us!"

It turned out that after Davis was elected president, many congressmen who were loyal to the North fled! Many of them were Northern Democrats, which made it difficult for the Congress in Washington to get half of the people.

Therefore, we can only organize by-elections. First, fill the vacancies of senators and representatives in those states in the South that are within reach. This will be legal enough.

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war!" Xianfeng roared, "The industry and population of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois alone are enough to overwhelm all the states we have. Our chance to win is to use speed. While the North has not completed mobilization, we will rush into New York City in one go!"

Secretary of the Army Bradridge shook his head: "Bishop, this is how you Chinese do things, not how the United States does things. The United States is a society ruled by law. As leaders of our country, we should set an example and abide by the law."

If you obey the law, why are you trying to stage a coup? If you obey the law, you should just stay at home!

Xianfeng was speechless.

And Bradridge fell silent.

Davis took out his pocket watch and looked at it: "The Tennessee by-election will end in two hours. In a week, Congress will be able to pass a resolution declaring Lincoln and his followers to be enemies of the United States of America!"

Another week. Xianfeng thought: Will you Americans have a civil war? It has been delayed for almost a month. A month! You just watched Lincoln organize the government in New York and recruit militia? You just watched the arsenals in New York and Pennsylvania produce guns and cannons at full capacity to arm the Northern Army?
(End of this chapter)