The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 730 Hong Rengan: Commander-in-Chief, this is the "Land System of the Celestial Empire"

In the conference room of the New York Federal Building, twelve gas chandeliers illuminated the long oak table palely. Stanton threw the casualty report on the table. The crisp sound of the paper startled the Navy Secretary Wells's hand, and the cigar ash fell on the gold-plated tablecloth, burning a few spots on the spot.

"The Army of the Potomac suffered over 12,000 casualties, and the Army of Pennsylvania suffered 4,000 casualties in its feint attack on Baltimore."

Secretary of War Steiner pointed to the map of Virginia spread out on the conference table and said in a tone of mourning: "McDowell said in his report that the reason for the disastrous defeat this time was mainly because the black brigade in South Carolina showed an extremely strong fighting power on the battlefield of Manassas. With the strength of a brigade, they withstood the fierce attack of the entire Army of the Potomac. In the end, General Lee led the reinforcements of the Southerners to arrive."

Governor Morgan untied his silk tie and said in a trembling New York accent: "This, this, this is ridiculous! The slaves and the slave owners' army are fighting side by side against us abolitionists. What are we fighting for?"

California Senator O'Connor was indignant: "Of course we are fighting for the America of white supremacy! Now, white supremacy in America is at its most dangerous moment! Southern niggers can become white people by killing a few Northern soldiers. In less than three years, both sides of the Mississippi River will be full of fake white people!"

When he said this, he seemed to have forgotten that he had three Japanese wives who had been certified as white by the California District Court. But this is not important. What is important is how Lincoln's Northern federal government will fool the poor white people next?

"President!" Jamie O'Connor gnashed his teeth and said, "Now we should hold high the flag of white supremacy and tell the workers in New York and Pennsylvania that we must fight for a white America and never let those black slaves occupy our country!"

At the end of the long table, Lincoln was overwhelmed!

How can you say that? The slave owners in the South didn't want to liberate the slaves. They wanted the slaves to work like cows and horses, not to carry guns and fight in wars. It was the so-called free states in the North that were looking for trouble and had to liberate the slaves. Now, the slaves in the South don't want to be slaves anymore, they want to carry guns and be masters of the white people! So, the noble abolitionists in the North are not happy again and don't agree to liberate the slaves. Isn't it nonsense to ask the poor white people below to fight for white supremacy?

"President" Seward wiped his gold-rimmed glasses and said, "The puppet government of the South is a puppet government that came to power through a coup. We are fighting to protect American democracy!"

"Mr. Secretary, democracy should be that the person with the most votes becomes president." O'Connor slammed his fist on the conference table. "If we hold high the banner of democracy, what should we do if the Southerners demand re-election? Can we still have an election now? We must make it clear that this war is to defend white America! I propose to add a clause to all conscription orders - only pure white people can join the army!" He swept his eyes over the silent cabinet members, "Of course, three courts on the West Coast have determined that white people are pure white people!"

These words made the people in the conference room roll their eyes - this fat Californian's suggestion was to let the abolitionist politicians in the North slap themselves in the face, and slap them hard!

There was dead silence in the conference room, and everyone turned their eyes to Lincoln - everyone was out of ideas, so they pointed at President Lincoln for a solution.

"The meeting is adjourned." The president stood up, and the legs of his chair made a harsh sound on the floor. "I need...quiet time. I need to think carefully."

New York, Chinatown, True Testament Cathedral.

It was dark, and the empty hall of the church was brightly lit by twelve kerosene lamps. Hong Ren'gan was sitting on a bench at this time holding a copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", reading it carefully page by page in the light.

Yamamoto Gonbei stood by with his sword in hand. His naval uniform, a combination of Chinese and Western styles, was particularly eye-catching - the dark blue double-breasted jacket was decorated with Korean cloud patterns, the epaulettes were chrysanthemum emblems with a red background and gold edges, and the wakizashi scabbard at his waist was engraved with the Chinese characters "Serve the country for seven lifetimes".

The side door of the church was suddenly pushed open, and Nanyun Shichiroemon walked in from outside and bowed to Hong Rengan who was reading a book: "Your Highness, President Lincoln is here to visit."

"Oh?" Hong Rengan snapped the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in his hand, then stood up and turned to the open side door.

Nanyun Shichiroemon opened the side door of the church as wide as possible, and snowflakes wrapped in the cold wind blew in. Then, the tall Lincoln, wearing a top hat and a coat, was seen being brought in by Zheng Yongning.

Hong Rengan smiled and bowed to Lincoln, then asked in fluent English: "The President has come to visit you at night, is it because of the Eight Banners Law of the United States?"

Lincoln took off his soaked hat and nodded to Hong Rengan: "Bishop Hong, it seems you are well-informed!"

Hong Rengan smiled and pointed to an empty bench, inviting Lincoln to sit down, then sighed and said, "I never thought that the black slaves in America were so easy to deceive, and were coaxed to the battlefield by the "Provisional Measures for the Eight Banners of America". I never thought that the farmers in the South would actually use this method of drinking poison to quench their thirst. It seems that their situation is also very difficult!"

"Drink poison to quench thirst?" Lincoln sat down on the empty bench opposite Hong Rengan. "You mean the Provisional Regulations of the Eight Banners of the United States is poison?"

Hong Rengan laughed and said, "It depends on who it is for. For the slave owners in the South, it is poison!"

"Really?" Lincoln frowned. "But before they die of the poison, I'm afraid we've already failed." Hong Rengan took out a copy of "The System of the Celestial Empire" and placed it on the table. "Then, let them die of the poison quickly!"

Lincoln glanced at the book "The Land System of the Celestial Empire" on the table - this was an English version of "The Land System of the Celestial Empire", and Lincoln certainly knew that it was an oriental "ghost book".

"Bishop Hong, it is impossible for us in the United States to implement the Celestial Land System!" Lincoln's tone was a little heavy. "The national conditions of the United States are different from those of China."

"I know." Hong Rengan gestured to Nanyun to unfold a map of the United States. His finger ran across the "slave states" in the southern United States. "The Land System of the Celestial Empire is not for you, but for Davis."

"For Davis?" Lincoln looked at Hong Rengan and shook his head. "That's impossible. Davis can't do that. Absolutely impossible!"

"Of course I know," Hong Rengan said with a smile, "Davis will not adopt the Heavenly Land System, but your spies can spread false information in the South, making those white masters in the South believe that the Davis government wants to redistribute land in the South - to redistribute land to blacks, poor whites, and plantation owners! Everyone will have a share, those with greater contributions will get more, and those with less contributions will get less!"

"This..." Lincoln's eyes widened, "Will, will anyone believe it?"

"Of course someone would believe it!" Hong Rengan sneered, "The Provisional Measures for the Eight Banners of the United States, which kills white people to become white, is even more absurd than the Land System of the Celestial Empire. But it was implemented anyway? Moreover, black people can raise the flag to become white people after they have made contributions. What benefits will white people get after they have made contributions? It seems that the only benefit is the distribution of land?" He tapped the Land System of the Celestial Empire on the table with his fingers and laughed, "As long as this book is widely circulated in the South, those slave owners in the South will become your supporters, Mr. President!"

Well, the slave owners supported Lincoln and Lincoln didn’t know what to say!
"Bishop Hong," Lincoln looked at Hong Rengan, "besides distributing the "Tianchao Tianmu System" to the South, is there any other way to deal with the Southerners?"

"Yes!" Hong Rengan said with a smile, "and a lot of them"

As he spoke, he took out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms that he had just opened out of boredom and placed it on the table. "Mr. President, this book contains many conspiracies and tricks that can be used to deal with the people in the South. Find someone to translate it and then take a good look at it!"

In the study room of Prince Wu's mansion in Tianjin, the scent of sandalwood is wafting.

Luo Yaoguo, who had just finished dealing with a thick stack of official documents, sat back on a faded wooden chair and took the telegram handed to him by Maria. There was the laughter of children outside - Luo Yaoguo's children were returning home from school.

"The American Eight Banners System." Luo Yaoguo shook the telegram paper and laughed out loud after just one glance. "The Eight Banners System created by the Southerners has brought our ancestors' military merit system to life."

Maria, who is pregnant again, poured hot tea into a Jingdezhen blue-and-white bone china bowl: "If a black slave kills twelve Union soldiers, he can become a white man. Isn't this a mess?"

"It's better to be chaotic!" Luo Yaoguo slapped Maria's plump buttocks. "If I were a black slave in America, looking at a mistress like you every day, I would definitely want to be white!"

Maria frowned and said, "I don't like black people. Besides, can black people say they are white with a certificate?"

"Of course a certificate alone won't do," Luo Yaoguo said with a smile, "What if we add a large manor?"

"Manor?" Maria was stunned. "But Zhao Si's telegram didn't say that he wanted to divide the manor?"

"It will be divided!" Luo Yaoguo sneered, "It's just that the Americans are stupid and don't know how our military merit titles are obtained. If they knew, they would think about it carefully."

Maria nodded gently. She was not a naive American, but an Italian, so she also understood the truth that "out of the barrel of a gun comes a manor" - now American blacks have shown their fighting power! And the "American Eight Banners Law" applies to more than just blacks.

You can guess what will happen next just by thinking about it.

"Your Highness, this is a good opportunity. Should we place more bets in the United States?" Maria blinked her blue eyes. "We can place some bets on both sides!"

"Of course!" Luo Yaoguo nodded, "Who told us that there are so many people in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom who need to eat?"

(End of this chapter)