The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 751: Recruitment can be broken!
In November 1862, the cold wind blew from the Hudson River, freezing New York, the capital of the Northern Confederacy of the United States. The charcoal fire in the fireplace of the presidential meeting room crackled, but the heat it generated was not enough to dispel the coldness in the hearts of a group of American masters!
Lincoln stood in front of a long table, holding the latest issue of Harper's Weekly in his hand. The picture showed Union soldiers frozen into ice sculptures after the Battle of Buffalo Gulch, their expressions frozen in fear and despair. The painting was so lifelike that it made Lincoln's heart tremble.

There was a "pop" sound.

Lincoln slammed the picture on the table, immediately attracting several eyes that were concerned about the country, the people and the president.

"Gentlemen!" Lincoln's voice was low and hoarse, full of disappointment in the federal army. "Is this how our army performed in the Western Theater? Seven thousand federal soldiers were slaughtered like sheep by a bunch of black slaves and Chinese?"

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton adjusted his glasses, his old face full of grief and indignation: "Mr. President, it's not that our federal army didn't work hard, but Zhao Si was too cunning and cruel. He did everything he could to provoke Brigadier General Black and our brave federal soldiers! He is simply an unforgivable criminal!"

"Cunning? Cruel?" Lincoln sneered. "This is the best compliment to the enemy! This cunning and cruel guy, with a group of black slaves and desperadoes, can run rampant in Missouri and Kansas! Now that he has crossed the Missouri River, Nebraska is undefended and there are rich farms everywhere. He can easily raise food for the winter, and next spring, he can cross the Missouri River again to cause trouble for us!"

Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase coughed and interrupted, "Mr. President, Zhao Si is indeed a big problem, but the real crisis of the Federation lies in finance..."

"Finance?" Lincoln turned his head sharply and cast a tired gaze at Chase. "What's going on? Is our federal dollar..."

The federal dollars Lincoln referred to were "greenback notes" that could not be exchanged for gold or silver.

Chase nodded and said, "The Pennsylvania Army has lost 50,000 men in the war of attrition on the Sahaquinas River, and military expenditures have far exceeded expectations. And with Zhao Si appearing in the West, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?" Lincoln demanded.

"I'm afraid Wall Street will lose confidence in the federal government," Chase said. "Not only will the greenback collapse, but even federal bonds will not be issued."

The room suddenly became quiet.

More fatal to the New York federal government than the military failure was the collapse of its currency.

Because the New York federal government is not a "completely legal" government, the Southern Federation in Washington is more legitimate than the Northern Federation in New York. Currently, among the world's major powers, only the Kingdom of Korea recognizes the New York government.

Therefore, the greenback dollars and federal bonds issued by the New York government are somewhat like "illegal currency" and "illegal bonds". If the greenback dollars and the bonds of the Northern Federation collapse, can the world's second largest industry of the Northern Federation still operate without the dollar? Can the 400% food self-sufficiency rate ensure that more than 2000 million people are well fed and well-dressed?

"Mr. President, I suggest you calm down."

Army Commander-in-Chief William Sherman, who had just returned to New York from the front-line headquarters in Harrisburg, finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, and it seemed that he had not had a good time these days on the Sahaquinas River front.

"Calm down?" Lincoln narrowed his eyes. "General Sherman, do you mean that I should let Zhao Si wreak havoc in the West?"

Sherman walked to the map and tapped his finger heavily on the Mississippi River. "The battles in Kansas and Missouri are just a minor annoyance. The real battlefield that can decide the outcome of the war is here - the Mississippi River! As long as Grant can take Vicksburg, control the Mississippi River, and cut off the east-west connection of the South, Robert Lee's army will be like a snake with its throat strangled. No matter how ferocious it is, it will not last long."

He paused, his eyes sharp as a knife: "No matter how good Zhao Si is at fighting, he is just a bandit. He has neither a stable base nor sufficient industrial support. His old nest, Colorado Territory, lacks everything except gold and silver. Even if he takes over the whole of Nebraska, what can he do? There are no railways, no arsenals, and even no black people! There are few black people west of the Mississippi River. Sooner or later, his army will run out of ammunition and food, lack of personnel, and eventually disintegrate on its own."

Secretary of the Navy Gideon Wells could not help but interject: "But his atrocities in Missouri have caused panic, and the newspapers are scolding us for our incompetence every day!"

"Newspapers?" Sherman sneered. "Let them curse. Wars are not won by newspapers."

"But Wall Street," Chase said worriedly.

Lincoln waved his hand to stop his Treasury secretary from talking about "vulgar" money: "So, General Sherman, what do you propose?"

"Let's put the West aside for now and fully support Grant in opening up the Mississippi River." Sherman said firmly, "Once the South loses the war, we will turn around and deal with Zhao Si and the Chinese on the West Coast hiding behind him!"

"President," Chase waited for Sherman to finish speaking, and then immediately spoke up, "Although I agree with General Sherman's strategy in principle, we must also come up with a way to appease Wall Street's emotions, especially the federal bond auction in two months!"

"Got it. Let me think about it." Lincoln slumped down in his chair, waved his hand laboriously, and adjourned the meeting.

After everyone left, his personal secretary John Nicholas hurried in and whispered, "Mr. President, Hong Rengan is back from California!"

Lincoln suddenly perked up: "Prepare the car. It's just the two of us going to Chinatown. Don't alarm others."

The True Covenant Cathedral is located deep in New York's Chinatown, with red walls and green tiles, flying eaves and corners, and two stone lions in front of the door standing silently in the snow. When President Lincoln, who was visiting incognito, stepped into the archbishop's study, Hong Rengan was writing something at the desk? There was an unfinished English manuscript on the desk, and Lincoln glanced at it and found the title was: "By the Water".

"Mr. President, why are you here? You didn't even let anyone know." Hong Ren'gan hurriedly stood up to greet him.

Lincoln glanced at the manuscript. "What is this? By the water? What's by the water?"

"This is one of the four great classics of China." Hong Rengan placed a thread-bound copy in front of the American president. "It tells the story of 108 heroes who gathered at Liangshanpo and were eventually recruited by the imperial court."

Lincoln raised his eyebrows: "Recruitment? What does that mean?"

"When the government army cannot defeat local bandits or separatist forces, they use official positions, money or territory to bribe the leaders of the bandits or separatist forces." Hong Rengan explained, "In order to obtain temporary peace, the country will find a way to deal with them when it has spare strength!"

"Oh." Lincoln was certainly not unfamiliar with Hong Rengan's method. Such a thing also happened in the United States! Isn't the current status of the three Chinese states on the west coast "recruiting"?

He suddenly thought of something and looked at Hong Rengan: "Bishop Hong, do you think I can recruit Zhao Si?"

"Of course." Hong Rengan smiled. "Zhao Si is now like a Liangshan hero. He seems powerful but has no roots. If the president is willing to give him the title of 'Governor of the West' and allow him to rule Colorado, Idaho, Utah and other western territories, why should he be an enemy of the federation? As an outsider, relying on inciting black slaves to revolt, does he dare to dream of becoming the president of the United States?"

Lincoln snorted and laughed: "What he did in Missouri and Kansas will not only arouse hostility from the North, but I'm afraid those slave owners in the South will not tolerate him either!"

Hong Rengan picked up the teacup and took a sip. "That's it. For him, occupying some land in the western United States and becoming the King of Pingxi is the best choice."

Lincoln stood up and looked at the flying snow outside the window: "Okay, as long as Zhao Si withdraws from Nebraska and Kansas, the four territories of Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Nevada can be handed over to him to rule. He will be the King of Pingxi in America!"

Hong Rengan smiled and suggested: "We can let the Archbishop Hong Daquan of the True Covenant North American Diocese act as a middleman. As long as this Archbishop comes forward, Zhao Si will definitely obey."

"Okay!" Lincoln nodded. "Then I'll trouble Bishop Hong to ask Archbishop Hong to act as a middleman."

"Okay, okay." Hong Rengan smiled and wrote four Chinese characters on the cover of the unfinished manuscript of "By the Water":
"Recruitment can be broken."

In the newly built Chinese-Western style building of the Tianjing Prime Minister's Office, Wu Wang Luo Yaoguo was playing chess with his chief of staff Zhao Liewen. Wu Wang's Go game was so bad that Zhao Liewen was embarrassed to lose to him, so whenever Luo Yaoguo got addicted to Go, he would use a set of chess to deal with it.

Just when Luo Yaoguo pushed the big "car" that could go both horizontally and vertically across the Chu River and Han River, the female secretary Fu Shanxiang was already standing outside the door holding a telegraph box.

"Your Highness, the secret message from King Honggan," Fu Shanxiang said softly, "has been translated."

"Shanxiang, bring it here for me to see." Luo Yaoguo picked up the cup of Biluochun, took a sip, and took the telegram handed to him by Secretary Fu. He took a look and showed his joy, "Haha, Zhao Si is really going to become the King of Pingxi in America!" As he said that, he handed the telegram to Zhao Liewen: "Huifu, what do you think?"

Zhao Liewen, like Luo Yaoguo, knew what Zhao Si was like. He said, "Your Highness, Lincoln is using a delaying tactic. After he has cleaned up the South, he will eventually attack the West Coast. And this Zhao Si is a hidden danger. We must be on guard!"

"Shanxi," King Wu stood up and paced a few steps in his large study room with his hands behind his back. "Please take the train to Shanghai and invite Mr. Nathaniel Rothschild to come to Tianjing. Tell him that I have a big deal and need his help."

(End of this chapter)