The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 886 The Iron Curtain Falls
On September 1877, 9, under the dome of the Capitol Hill in Washington, the air in the Senate Chamber was suffocating. Republican leader James Garfield stood on the oak podium, his figure casting a long shadow under the gas lamp. After President Hayes announced that he would give up his re-election, he received the support of Lincoln and his son (Lincoln was not assassinated in this time and space) and became a political star in the Republican Party. At this moment, he was scanning the packed chamber with his eyes wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

"Gentlemen!" Garfield suddenly raised his voice and slapped his right hand heavily on the parchment cover of the "Naval Shipbuilding Act of 1877" which was about to be voted on. "According to the Naturalization Act of 1789, citizenship of the United States of America is only granted to free white people!" His voice was like a sharp dagger, piercing the heavy air in the conference hall.

The members of the "Black, Red and Yellow Caucus" shrank back into their seats as if they were scalded, while the old white male members in the hall burst into a tsunami of stamping sounds - regardless of whether they were Republicans or Democrats. Garfield's blue eyes swept over the 22 Chinese, black, and American senators who were sitting in silence in the hall, and a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The 22 senators are indeed a very important force in the US Senate, where the two parties are in a confrontation! If they were white, their leader, Zhao Si, would definitely become the next US president!

Unfortunately, they are all people of color, people of color who do not belong to the United States!
"Colorado? California?" He deliberately drawled out his voice, tapping his fingers on the podium in a dangerous rhythm. "How dare these so-called state legislatures give voting rights to Mongolians, Africans, and Indian bastards! They have defiled the Constitution! They have defiled our founding fathers!"

"Wow!" White gloves flew up from the seats of the old white male congressmen like snowflakes. A senator from Texas even jumped onto the table, waving the Bible and shouting: "Purification! Must be purified!"

The state he represents, Texas, has been at the forefront of the fight against the "Black, Red and Yellow State" in recent years! The fighting power of the Texas Cowboys is quite tested!
James Garfield's speech gradually became more and more crazy, and his voice echoed under the dome of the conference hall: "They are not citizens! They are parasites! They are illegal immigrants who took advantage of the civil war to exploit legal loopholes!" He suddenly turned and pointed out the window. The outline of the Rocky Mountains was looming in the twilight. "When our fifteen ironclad ships are completed, the Marine Corps will throw all these yellow-skinned and black-skinned illegal immigrants into the Pacific Ocean!"

The applause was like a thunderstorm. The reporters in the meeting room frantically recorded every word, knowing that it would be the headline of all the newspapers tomorrow.

When James Garfield walked down from the podium, his shoes made a crisp sound on the floor, like a victorious general (he really was a general, and was a division commander of the Northern Army during the Civil War). When he passed by Zhao Si, the leader of the "Black, Red and Yellow Party", he deliberately slowed down his pace and said in a low voice: "It's a pity that you are a yellow monkey, otherwise you would have become the President of the United States."

Zhao Si said coldly: "I think you are the next president of the United States. I hope you are not the last one!"

The two "political enemies of the same party" did not continue to bicker, and the Senate vote began immediately. The "Navy Shipbuilding Act of 1877" was passed with an overwhelming vote. Except for 24 votes against from the twelve western states (two senators from the Mormon white states surrounded by colored states also voted against), all other senators voted in favor! The construction plan of fifteen "Constitution-class" battleships and thirty fast cruisers was officially launched.

"Long live America!"

"Crush the rebels in the West!"

As the congressmen walked out of the Capitol, the rednecks outside waved the American flag and cheered in the square in front of Capitol Hill.

Nicholas Zhao Si walked behind the white Republican congressmen, watching all this with a blank expression. His "black, red and yellow congressmen" followed him silently. Twenty-two congressmen from twelve western states of the United States - Chinese, blacks, Americans, and two Mormon elders from Utah - all had stern faces, with anger and anxiety flashing in their eyes.

"Senator," the New York World reporter pressed forward, pencil and notepad raised, "what do you think of the passage of the Naval Shipbuilding Act of 1877?"

Zhao Si glanced at him coldly, with a hint of sarcasm on his face: "Opinion? Haha... The last nail in the coffin of the United States has just been driven in."

The reporter was stunned, and before he could ask any further questions, Zhao Si's black knight guards had pushed through the crowd and escorted him to the carriage.

The carriage slowly drove away from the Capitol. Zhao Si leaned back in his seat and took out the book "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic" given to him by President Hayes. He turned to the page with the red pen writing: "When a republic cannot resolve its internal conflicts through peaceful means, power will inevitably be concentrated in the hands of military strongmen."

He closed the book and looked out the window. On Pennsylvania Avenue, the marching crowd was still shouting "Get out of here, Yellow Peril!", while in the distance, the huge silhouette of the Union Navy's battleship USS Constitution was slowly sailing into the Hudson River.

"The United States of America..." Zhao Si murmured in a low voice, "will eventually perish."

California Militia Headquarters, San Francisco.

"salute--!"

Following a loud shout from the officer on duty, the officers of the Taiping Navy's "Hailong" all stood at attention, raised their right hands to their temples, and saluted Hong Tiangui who walked into the hall.

Hong Tiangui was wearing a grey officer's uniform, with medals all over his chest and the Seven-Star Sword given by Luo Yaoguo on his waist. He strode to the battle table and slammed a telegram on the table.

"Everyone!" His voice was low and cold, "The United States Congress has just passed the Naval Shipbuilding Act of 1877!"

The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on him. "This is not an ordinary shipbuilding bill!" Hong Tiangui drew his sword fiercely, and pointed the tip of the sword directly at the Pacific route on the sand table. "This is an 'extermination bill' against the colored people in the twelve western states of the United States! It is a 'war preparation bill' for the Second American Civil War! Once the battleships and cruisers stipulated in the bill are built, and the Nicaragua Canal is completed, the war will begin!"

Luo Xinhua stood in the line of officers, looking at Hong Tiangui's eyes burning with fighting spirit, and felt awe in his heart: This guy probably can't wait for the fight to start sooner, right?
"I have suggested that the 12 state legislatures recall all federal senators and representatives in Washington!" Hong Tiangui continued, "At the same time, representatives from the 12 states will gather in San Francisco to discuss countermeasures!"

Luo Xinhua thought: Before the passage of the Naval Shipbuilding Act of 1877, it would be impossible to summon senators and representatives from twelve states from Washington, let alone get representatives from twelve states to gather in San Francisco to discuss countermeasures.
Hong Tiangui's gaze swept across everyone and finally fell on Luo Xinhua.

"Xinhua," he suddenly grinned, stepped forward and patted Luo Xinhua on the shoulder, "Tell your father when you return home - the western United States needs more escort ships! We have mastered the construction technology of the 'Zhenyuan class' and can build them ourselves, but we need a faster modified ship with a speed of at least 18 knots!"

Luo Xinhua nodded solemnly: "I understand."

"Also," Hong Tiangui lowered his voice, "the order for the 'Sea Dragon II' will be finalized as soon as possible by the Twelve States Representatives Conference. Tell the Jiangnan Factory not to delay any longer."

Luo Xinhua knew: Hong Tiangui was going to let go and prepare for war in full swing!
10 Downing Street, London, September 1877, 9.

The day after the U.S. Congress passed the Naval Shipbuilding Act of 1877, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli convened an emergency meeting of cabinet members.

"Gentlemen," Disraeli said as he stirred the tea in his cup slowly, a faint smile on his lips, "I have just received news that the U.S. Congress has passed the Naval Shipbuilding Act of 1877."

A low voice suddenly broke out in the meeting room. Finance Minister Northcott took off his gold-rimmed glasses and wiped the lenses with a silk scarf, unable to hide the joy on his face: "Fifteen battleships, thirty cruisers... The Americans are going to empty the treasury."

"Not only that," Foreign Secretary Lord Salisbury took the telegram and squinted his eyes as he read it, "They also plan to send battleships and cruisers into the Pacific Ocean to block the waterway between the West Coast and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom after the Nicaragua Canal is completed."

"Ha!" Admiral William Hunt slammed the table. "Do they really think they can blockade the Pacific with a few iron turtles? The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's 'Flying Eagle' class can run 22-24 knots!"

"Let them build it," Disraeli sipped his tea, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "The Constitution-class is actually okay. When they fight the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom..."

"We can then sit back and reap the benefits!" Colonial Secretary Earl Carnarvon replied impatiently, tapping his fingers on the map. "Let them consume each other on the American continent and in the Pacific Ocean. When both sides are exhausted, the Imperial Fleet will control the Pacific route in one fell swoop."

"That's right." Disraeli nodded with satisfaction. "Just," he looked around at everyone and said slowly, "you just need to be patient."

Secretary of State for War Frederick Stanley cleared his throat and said, "According to the latest intelligence, the militia in California have been secretly stockpiling munitions, and factory owners in the eastern United States are frantically expanding production to supply the navy and army."

"Let them expand production," Finance Minister Northcott sneered, "The more arsenals they open, the more motivation they will have to start a war. It will be impossible to stop them!"

A low laugh echoed in the conference room.

"However," Disraeli said in a deep voice, "we must also be prepared! Let the Governor-General of India speed up the construction of the Singapore Fortress. Once the Pacific War breaks out, we must ensure that the Strait of Malacca is firmly in the hands of the Empire. In addition, the navy must also strengthen its deployment on Kyushu Island. Once we decide to intervene, it will be the best base for the Royal Navy to blockade the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom."

"Mr. Prime Minister," asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, "will we be involved soon?"

Disraeli pondered for a moment and shook his head. "No, unless one of them is about to win a decisive victory, the Empire will never end easily." He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the merchant ships on the Thames. "The longer this war is, the better."

The meeting ended in a happy atmosphere. As the cabinet members left one after another, Disraeli stood alone in front of the map, his finger gently running across the Pacific Ocean.

"Fight," he whispered to himself, "the harder you fight, the more secure the empire's crown will be."

(End of this chapter)