Usurping the Qing Dynasty: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 226 Su Yi captures the capital! Ultimatum!

In the Chengde Palace, Seng Gelinqin knelt in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi.

"The Queen Mother, my servant has failed to discipline me well. Please forgive me, Master."

Once he figured it out, Senggelinqin was still smart and never made any excuses, or even said that it was someone's attempt to alienate him.

Just admit your mistake.

What Cixi wanted was this attitude.

Cixi said: "King Monk, you are unjust. Someone is trying to alienate me. In fact, I am also a little scared. This alienation plan almost succeeded."

"At that time, I didn't want to see you. I kept you indifferent for a while, and I was really angry. Now it seems that I have completely fallen into a trap."

"I also want to make amends to you here. You have also suffered an unreasonable disaster. I really can't vent my anger on you."

These words made Seng Gelinqin feel warm in his heart.

Immediately, he kept kowtowing and said: "Master, you never dare to say that. Every mistake is your slave's fault."

Cixi said: "Why don't others drive a wedge between others, but they drive a wedge between the two of us? One is because you, Seng Gelinqin, are my pillar of strength in the Qing Dynasty, and the other is because we are alienated and do not understand each other well."

"To be more precise, the Monk King doesn't know me well enough. I still know the Monk King well. He is loyal, courageous and proud."

"As for this person, the Monk King has come to know him in the future. He is not only tolerant of those who are capable and loyal, but he even looks up to them."

Seng Gelinqin said: "I am ashamed. If Lord Ronglu hadn't scolded me and woke me up, I would have been kept in the dark by bad people, making me stupid."

Cixi said: "Okay, okay, let's stop talking about Che Zhuluan. I heard that Sushun promised to give an iron hat king, and a family with two princes?"

Seng Gelinqin continued to kneel down and kowtow with all his strength: "This slave is so confused by the phlegm that he has done nothing, and he almost did stupid things. What kind of iron hat king, even if he gives it to this slave, he will never dare to accept it, no Dare to think, slaves don’t deserve it.”

Cixi said: "No, you deserve it! Seng Gelinqin, you also saw it a few days ago. Just a few days after Emperor Daxing left, Sushun openly waved his fist and roared at the court, scaring the emperor to tremble. This is a show-off. He clearly wants to bully us orphans and widowed mothers, but the late Emperor dares to be so domineering even before his body is cold. What will he do in the future? "

"They all say that Sushun wants to be Obai, but in my opinion, even Obai can't compare to Sushun. At least Obai has been well-behaved for several years."

"Don't forget, this Sushun is also Aixinjueluo. I'm afraid he will do more than just Obei."

Seng Gelinqin said loudly: "This country and the country were left to the young master by Emperor Daxing. The slave is a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Daoguang and Emperor Daxing are extremely kind to the slave. If it were not for Daoguang, the slave would not be able to return the favor." Sheeping in Mongolia, how can it be like today? I have two hundred kilograms of slaves and tens of thousands of Horqin cavalry, and I will kill anyone who dares to have different intentions!"

"Good, good, good." Cixi praised him enthusiastically: "What I want is the words of the Monk King."

"Suppressing a party, roaring at the court, disrespecting the great emperor, and intimidating the new emperor are like treason." Cixi said: "If this person is not removed, the country will not be peaceful and the court will not be upright."

"The iron hat king Sushun promised, he can't give it to. But I can give it to you. I can also give it to your double prince, and only I can give it to you."

Seng Gelinqin cried: "This is a matter that belongs to slaves. You must never dare to do it. You must never dare to do it."

Cixi said: "This is a great contribution to supporting the country, and it must be rewarded!"

Next, the three discussed forming an alliance.

Set a time to launch a coup and overthrow the Sushun party.

Ronglu said: "Queen Mother, the monk king is loyal and courageous, so the servant dares to put his life in his hands. Then the servant goes to lobby Prince Gong. He is the Prince Heshuo canonized by Lord Daoguang. He is noble regardless of his status and virtue. , I believe you must know the choice.”

Seng Gelinqin said: "Queen Mother, I am willing to go with Ronglu to lobby Prince Gong!"

Cixi said: "The Monk King is indeed a chivalrous and brave man. During the Yongzheng Dynasty, the Thirteenth Master was called the Chivalry King. I think there is also a Chivalry King in this dynasty."

Seng Gelinqin kowtowed and said, "I don't dare to praise the Queen Mother."

……………………

Next, Ronglu and Seng Gelinqin came together to meet Prince Gong secretly.

"Now? So soon?" Prince Gong asked: "Aren't we going to eradicate Su Yi first? How come Su Shun is eradicated first?"

Rong Lu said: "Sixth Master, you must first settle the internal affairs when fighting foreign affairs. Only by uniting the will of the imperial court can we deal with Su Yi, the foreign enemy. Otherwise, if the Sushun party and the empress dowagers of the two palaces continue to be in such opposition, I am afraid they will be destroyed." Su Yi took advantage of this. If the Queen Mother of the two palaces senses danger and directly brings Su Yi into the center to deal with Su Shun, it will be too late!"

"First eradicate the Sushun party and let the two palaces listen to politics behind the curtain and take control of the power. In this way, the queen mothers of the two palaces will not be able to tolerate other powerful people. Su Yi has lost all the space."

"So, if you want to eradicate Su Yi, you must first eradicate Sushun and let the two palaces handle politics behind the curtain."

"When the two palaces don't have the power, Su Yi looks like a strong support. But once the two palaces gain power, they instinctively feel that Su Ye is a threat."

"This is the hegemony of power."

Prince Gong was silent, feeling a little unhappy in his heart at this time.

In his opinion, even if the Queen Mothers of the Two Palaces wanted to deal with the Sushun Party, they should look to themselves first. He was their greatest help.

As a result, Ronglu and Seng Gelinqin were approached first.

Ronglu said: "The Queen Mother said that in this major event, the Sixth Master is the most important and decisive role. Once Sushun's party is eliminated, the future government will rely on the Sixth Master. Originally, I said that I would go south to invite Wenxiang, Baojun, and Shengbao, but the Queen Mother said that it is not your turn to invite these three adults, Rong Zhonghua, and it is necessary for the Sixth Master to recruit them."

Obviously, Cixi did not say such a thing.

But Ronglu obviously saw that after the fall of Sushun's party, many positions would be vacant, and they would definitely be filled by Prince Gong's party.

So, it was clearly a condition, but it sounded so appropriate.

Then, Ronglu bowed and said: "For this major event, we will follow the lead of Prince Gong."

Senggelinqin next to him also bowed and said: "We will follow the lead of the Sixth Master."

At this time, Senggelinqin was extremely respectful in his heart. From beginning to end, the organizer and planner of this matter were all Ronglu.

He fought for Senggelinqin to be the iron hat king, a double kingship in one family.

He won the position of the ruling prince for Prince Gong, and helped Prince Gong's direct line to enter the ranks of ministers of state.

But from beginning to end, he did not seek any official position for himself.

In this way, why worry about not accomplishing great things?

Prince Gong narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists and said: "For the country, do it!"

Suddenly, the three giants completely set the tone.

A coup is about to be launched.

So at some point, the inertia of history is really strong.

Even if the situation in this world has changed so much, the Xinyou coup will still happen.

And we really can't underestimate these political figures in history.

For example, Ronglu this time, there was nothing about him in history, but Emperor Xianfeng dragged him into the historical stage in advance, and he immediately moved the world and became the protagonist of this coup.

And he knew deeply that he replaced Su Ye's role.

Originally, Su Ye was the most suitable person to launch this coup, but Ronglu made a decisive decision, rushed out with a sword, and immediately snatched this role at the fastest speed.

Destroy Su Shun first, then fight Su Ye.

Just looking at the strategy he set, we can see that this person's political struggle level is still very high.

……………………

However, Su Ye is not Emperor Xianfeng.

He is a completely different level of opponent.

When Emperor Xianfeng faced such a situation, he did not have the determination and courage to break through and build up. He would only try his best to plan a layout that seemed perfect.

But Su Ye was different. When he saw this trend forming.

Even before things really happened, just a trend, he would decisively attack. Even before Rong Lukai started to arrange a coup, he had already taken action.

Moreover, it was a thunderbolt.

During this period, one of the struggle issues between the two Empress Dowagers and Su Shun's party was the emperor's return to Beijing!

The two Empress Dowagers proposed that they should return to Beijing as soon as possible.

The people of the world should not be abandoned for too long.

Chengde is the best. Although the capital is important, the new emperor must enter the center as soon as possible to stabilize people's hearts.

The remains of the late emperor should not be left in Chengde for a long time.

In short, it is only legitimate to let the new emperor return to the palace.

After all, the new emperor has ascended the throne, but the coronation ceremony has not been held yet.

How many officials are there in the Chengde Palace?

Most of the court officials are in the capital, and they have not seen the new emperor yet.

If you don't enter the Forbidden City and don't worship the heaven, earth and ancestors, you can't become a real emperor.

In short, the two Empress Dowagers raised the new emperor's return to the capital to an unprecedented political height.

However, Sushun's party did not want to return to the capital so early.

Because they felt that the two Empress Dowagers felt that they were weak in Chengde and could not fight them.

There are many officials in the capital, and the ministers of Prince Gong's line are also in the capital.

Sushun felt that the Chengde Palace was their home court.

Once they return to the capital, it may become the home court of the two Empress Dowagers.

Therefore, Sushun's party firmly believes that many struggles must be completed in Chengde, such as eliminating dissidents, such as taking the initiative from the two Empress Dowagers.

It is precisely because of this that the day for the emperor to return to the capital has been delayed again and again.

On this issue, the two Empress Dowagers really grasped the righteousness. What if the emperor did not return to Beijing, did not receive the audience of the court officials, and did not receive the audience of the people?

What if he did not hold the coronation ceremony and did not offer sacrifices to the heaven?

He returned to Beijing on September 9th, and held the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven on September 15th.

This was the date set during the fierce struggle between the two sides.

Although Sushun's party had not yet completed the struggle to eliminate dissidents, all officials in the capital city submitted memorials one after another, requesting the new emperor to return to Beijing to offer sacrifices to the heaven and host the ceremony. This pressure was really like a tidal wave. ,

Sushun's party had to agree.

After it was decided, the two Empress Dowagers immediately announced it to the world.

On September 9th, the new emperor arrived in Beijing and accepted the kneeling worship of all officials and the people.

On September 15th, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven.

These two days suddenly became extremely sacred.

However, there was less than a month before this day.

The envoys of the four countries of Britain, France, Russia, and the United States officially entered Beijing.

Of course, this was nothing, it had been decided long ago, and the envoys of the four countries came to Beijing, just in time to present their credentials to the new emperor and formally meet the emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

But...

They brought troops to Beijing.

Without any notice, the ships of the four countries appeared again off the coast of Tianjin.

Then, more than 3,000 troops entered along the Baihe River, landed in Beitang, and occupied Tanggu first.

This time, there was no resistance. The troops in Tianjin and Dagukou were few in number, and they panicked instantly.

Then, the foreign troops ignored Dagukou and headed directly for the capital.

Suddenly, the capital was in panic.

The officials stationed in the court immediately questioned the British and French diplomatic officials. Why did they send a large number of troops into the capital when they had already withdrawn their troops?

Sir Bruce, the new British envoy to the Qing Dynasty, claimed that this was for the safety of the envoys of the four countries.

Because not long ago, a tragedy occurred in Calcutta, India, and the Governor of India was brutally murdered.

In order to avoid repeating the same mistakes, the four countries felt it was very necessary to send enough troops to the capital of the Qing Dynasty to protect the safety of the four countries' envoys.

Wenxiang had previously followed Prince Gong to negotiate with Britain and France, so he went out again to question the British and French authorities. The "Beijing Treaty" stipulated that the four countries' envoys would enter Beijing, and most of the security would be provided by the Qing army. The four countries' envoys were only allowed to retain a small number of military personnel to maintain order in the embassy.

The total number of military personnel cannot exceed 300.

Why did 3,000 people come all at once?

Wenxiang and Baojun, on behalf of the Qing court, lodged an extremely strong protest.

However, their protest was regarded as fart.

The four foreign envoys were determined to lead 3,000 people into Beijing.

Suddenly, countless people in the entire capital fell into panic again.

Oh my God!

Are the British and French forces going to attack again?

The tragic scene of last year is still vivid in my mind.

I don’t know how many royal gardens were burned and looted, and how many families were looted and killed.

I don’t know how many women were humiliated.

If the British and French forces enter Beijing again this time, or even stay in Beijing, wouldn’t Beijing become a hell?

The last time Su Ye led his army to fight fiercely, he saved the Old Summer Palace and the imperial palace.

Can it be saved this time?

The military minister Wen Xiang said in great grief and indignation: "Are you going to break the agreement?"

The new British envoy Sir Bruce said coldly: "This is entirely to protect the safety of the four ministers. You can stop us if you want. Use military means and use the army to intercept us."

Wen Xiang was icy cold all over.

The most elite troops are in Chengde now. Where is the army to intercept you?

Even if there is, wasn't the last battle of Baliqiao tragic enough? Who has the courage to stop you?

Just when the capital was in panic, Zhili was in panic, and even countless people fled.

That hero stepped forward.

Su Ye led his army north!

And sent special envoy Shen Baozhen to meet the four ministers.

"Lord Su Ye said that the guarding military force of the four ministers must not exceed 300 people."

"If you really want to lead 3,000 troops into Beijing, it means war!"

A few days later!

Su Ye's new army of 4,000 elites appeared outside the capital again.

All of a sudden!

The people of the capital cheered!

Countless people took to the streets.

The great savior has come.

The capital is saved.

The people are saved.

At this time, the attitudes of the four ministers were also extremely tough.

The battle between the two sides seemed to be on the verge of breaking out again.

The two most powerful military forces began to confront each other dozens of miles away from the capital!

……………………

Suddenly, the entire Chengde Palace fell into a dead silence.

Originally, at this time, the three followers of Prince Gong, Ronglu, and Senggelinqin should have launched a coup.

In fact, the signal for the coup has been activated.

Censor Dong Yuanchun has already submitted a memorial requesting the two Empress Dowagers to rule the country from behind the curtain.

This suggestion immediately caused a frenzied suppression by Sushun's party.

Prince Gong, Senggelinqin, Ronglu and others also submitted memorials requesting the two Empress Dowagers to rule the country from behind the curtain.

Sushun's party once again strongly counterattacked.

Immediately afterwards, the troops of Senggelinqin and Ronglu began to mobilize.

The army controlled by Sushun's party also began to mobilize.

The struggle between the two sides was about to enter the daylight.

Moreover, even in Chengde, once it evolved into an armed conflict, the two Empress Dowagers would have the upper hand.

Because Senggelinqin and Ronglu both stood on the side of the Empress Dowager and controlled the strongest military force here.

Just when the coup was about to be decided and the armed conflict was about to break out.

The news from the capital immediately suppressed the coup.

The Indian Governor-General Earl Elgin was assassinated in Calcutta. For their own safety, the envoys of the four countries had to lead their troops into Beijing.

Anyone who blocked it would face war.

Wenxiang's negotiations failed.

At this time, neither Sushun nor the two Empress Dowagers had the courage to lead the army to stop the British and French coalition forces, even if there were only 3,000 people.

But what if a war broke out again?

Ronglu, who was extremely skilled in political struggle and decisive in killing, and Du Han also lost their voices for a short time.

Lead the army south to stop the coalition forces?

You can do it, go ahead!

Just like that, all the struggles in the Chengde Palace were frozen in an instant, as if they were paused.

Then, another shocking news came.

Su Ye, once again led his army north.

In an instant, Ronglu's face turned pale, as if he was struck by lightning.

"Conspiracy, this is a huge conspiracy."

"Su Ye colluded with foreigners to create the righteousness of the army entering Beijing."

"Otherwise, how could Su Ye's new army be so fast? In just a few days, it appeared outside the capital?"

"Even if it takes the canal, it's too fast."

"What are Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, the governor of Shandong, the governor of Henan, and others doing? What is the governor of the Grand Canal doing, just letting Su Ye's army march into Beijing again?"

Ronglu locked himself in the room for several hours.

It was really amazing.

Su Ye's actions were too fast, too decisive, and too big.

He just sent someone to talk to the Queen Mother, and just sensed the development trend of Chengde, and immediately attacked decisively.

And the first move was such a big move.

What to do? What to do?

Go and talk to the Queen Mother?

No, you can't talk to the Queen Mother, you have to talk to Su Shun first.

……………………

Ronglu decisively came to see Su Shun.

"Su Zhongtang, Su Ye is the big tiger, he must not be allowed to lead his army into Beijing, he must be stopped." Ronglu said.

Su Shun said coldly: "What a joke, when you were going to take action against me, why didn't you think of Su Ye, the big tiger?"

How could you not think of it? It was because Su Ye was too powerful, so you had to kill Su Shun first, and then fight Su Ye.

Who would have thought that Su Ye would be so decisive?

Ronglu said: "Su Zhongtang, at this moment, do we still need to settle old scores? It's extremely urgent. We all know that once Su Ye takes action, he will be swift and resolute, and very fast."

Du Han said on the side: "Yes, Ronglu is right. The struggle between us is a brotherly struggle after all. And once Su Ye comes in, no one will have a good life."

Duanhua said: "Now he is in control of the righteousness. In order to resist the foreigners and protect the people of the capital from entering Beijing, what should you do?"

Ronglu said: "Then take away his righteousness, and our main force will rush to Beijing first."

Su Shun said: "That's good, Senggelinqin's cavalry and your Tianjin New Army are the most powerful, you lead the army south to Beijing."

Fuck!

This is where the fate lies.

Some of you in Sushun’s party also have some military power.

Duanhua, especially Jingshou, also has soldiers in their hands.

If Senggelinqin and I lead the army south to Beijing, won’t we be wiped out by you in Chengde?

Ronglu said: "Su Zhongtang, why do you still say these angry words at this critical moment?"

"How about this, each of us will send 10,000 troops, a total of 20,000, and immediately go south to enter the capital to prevent Su Ye from entering Beijing."

Sushun said: "Are you sure that the foreigners are really colluding with Su Ye to act? If it is not an act, we drive away Su Ye’s army and lead the main force into Beijing, and then the foreigners come back, can we bear the consequences?"

Once that time comes.

How many of these 20,000 people will be lost?

The key is that we cannot afford the consequences of another war.

Ronglu said, "How about I guarantee it with my life? Su Zhongtang, please stop fighting for now!"

Du Han nodded and said, "Su Zhongtang, the most urgent thing is to deal with Su Ye."

……………………

The next day, the court.

Ronglu petitioned the two Empress Dowagers, saying that the foreigners broke the agreement. For the sake of the majesty of the court and the people of the capital, it is necessary to send troops south to garrison the capital to prevent the foreign troops from entering the capital.

In addition, Su Ye's troops went north to help, and their loyalty and courage are worthy of praise.

However, local troops are not allowed to enter the capital. Please ask Su Ye's troops to garrison outside the city and not enter the capital.

This time, the nine ministers of state unified their will.

Ronglu's petition was passed.

Soon, an imperial edict was formed, and the two Empress Dowagers used the seal.

On this side, Senggelinqin, Ronglu, and Su Shun's party gathered 20,000 troops, with Boyan Nemohu as the commander-in-chief. As long as everything is in place, they will immediately go south.

And he sent an order to the ministers who stayed in the capital as quickly as possible, telling the troops who stayed behind to not allow Su Ye's troops to enter the capital.

But... it was too late!

……………………

"Boom boom boom..."

Outside the capital, an armed conflict broke out between Su Ye's troops and the foreign troops.

Su Ye's side firmly stated that the four countries should abide by the treaty and that the number of military personnel entering the capital should not exceed 300.

Otherwise, any means would be used to prevent anyone from entering the capital.

The envoys of the four countries were also very tough, saying that these 3,000 people were not troops at all, but security guards.

They were not targeting anyone at all, but only to protect the safety of the diplomats of the four countries.

Anyone who blocked them would mean war.

Both sides were very tough and unwilling to do anything to the other side.

So, the conflict broke out.

The people of the capital were once again in panic.

At this time, there were actually quite a few troops guarding the capital, all of which were the Eight Banners Beijing Camp.

But... the combat effectiveness of this group of people was completely needless to say.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh..."

Many shells fell directly outside the gates of the capital.

On the top of the city.

"Su Ye was defeated!"

"Su Ye lost!"

"The foreign army is going to break into the city."

Then, fierce artillery fire once again hit the city gate.

Suddenly, the soldiers of the Eight Banners Beijing Camp guarding the city gate fled.

An hour later!

Su Ye's army entered Beijing!

Took over several city gates.

The people cheered!

At this time, the people of Beijing felt a great sense of security.

Even the strange thing was that even the soldiers of the Eight Banners Beijing Camp inexplicably felt much safer.

…………………………

Wenxiang and Baojun came to see Su Ye and angrily shouted: "Su Ye, are you going to rebel?"

"Without an order, lead the troops directly into Beijing?"

Su Yi said calmly: "Lord Wen, the last time the British and French forces wanted to burn the Old Summer Palace and the Imperial Palace, all the troops fled, and you also fled. At that time, I led the army into Beijing without an imperial decree!"

"Do I want to watch the people of Beijing being looted by foreigners again? Do I want to watch the Old Summer Palace and even the Imperial Palace being burned down by foreigners?"

"Lord Wenxiang, look outside, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people?"

Wenxiang looked outside, and it was densely packed with people from Beijing.

They were welcoming Su Yi's new army into the city.

"This is the greatest righteousness." Su Yi said.

Wenxiang roared: "In short, you can't lead the army into the city without an imperial decree!"

Then, Shengbao walked in angrily.

"Su Yi, you led the army into Beijing without an imperial decree, are you planning a rebellion?"

This time, Su Yi did not explain, and just sat here quietly.

Then, another minister rushed in.

Ministers rushed in one after another, accusing Su Ye of treason?

Su Ye gave an order to arrest all the ministers who rushed in to accuse him!

Then, spread the news to the outside world.

In the last negotiation, some people accepted bribes from foreigners and instructed to sign some humiliating treaties.

Not only that, when the British and French forces looted the capital last time, someone provided maps to the foreigners.

In addition, some officials, in order to strike down political enemies, also specifically informed the foreigners that which minister had what treasures.

Some officials were full of resentment towards the court and took the initiative to lead the way to the royal gardens for precise looting.

At this moment, for the safety of the capital, they must kill one to warn the hundred.

Then, Su Ye's army rushed into the homes of several officials like wolves and tigers, arrested them, and put them in jail.

Next, he will write a memorial and ask the two empress dowagers and the emperor to deal with it.

Suddenly!

The officials who stayed in Beijing were completely quiet.

I only dared to hide at home and curse, and I dared not rush to Su Ye to accuse him of treason.

Then!

Wei Jun led 5,000 Jiangxi Green Camp troops to Beijing for support.

A few days later.

Xu Youren led 5,000 people to Beijing to support and resist the foreigners.

A few days later.

Zhang Guoliang and Feng Zicai led 5,000 Zhejiang Green Camp troops to land in Tongzhou.

A few days later!

Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, Tian Yugong, led 6,000 troops to the north to support and resist the foreigners.

The people of Beijing were excited!

If so many troops had entered Beijing to defend the king last time, there might not have been the tragic events that followed.

So far!

The army of the Southern Seven Provinces Alliance in Beijing has reached 25,000.

…………………………

The Chengde Palace fell into silence again.

Originally, Senggelinqin, Sushun, Ronglu and others had assembled 20,000 troops to go south.

But... they stopped halfway.

I dare not go forward.

"Conspiracy, conspiracy, a huge conspiracy."

"How long will it take to gather the army? How long will it take for the army to go north, whether it takes the sea route or the canal?"

"Can Xu Youren's army, Wang Youling's army, and Tian Yugong's army all fly?"

"In less than a month, they all marched into Beijing?"

"Su Ye and the foreigners must have colluded, there must be collusion."

"Otherwise, how did the foreign army come so coincidentally?"

It would be fine if he didn't say anything, but this made people even more panicked.

In this case, should the 20,000 troops led by Boyan still go south?

Once they go south, if Su Ye and the foreigners really colluded as Ronglu said.

Then...what if the foreign army turns its guns and directly attacks the court's army?

"Where are the foreign troops?" Sushun asked.

"Probably, they retreated to Tanggu."

Su Shun said: "Where are the troops in Tianjin? Where are the defenders in Dagukou? Why did they let them march straight in?"

"The foreigners came along the Baihe River and into the Yongding River in the name of a mission. No one dared to stop the defenders of Dagukou and Tianjin."

Last year's war frightened the Qing army.

And a series of major events have prevented the defenders of Dagukou, Tianjin, and even Tongzhou from fully recovering.

Without the imperial decree, who dared to stop the foreign delegation from coming so suddenly?

…………………………

At the same time!

Tanggu.

The Russian, American, and French envoys are meeting in secret.

"Gentlemen, we seem to have been used. We are involved in a conspiracy."

"We originally wanted to take the opportunity to blackmail the Qing court and create a fait accompli so that our army could be stationed in the capital of the Qing Dynasty. Not only would we protect the safety of the embassy, ​​but we would also be able to maintain a military presence in the capital of the Qing Dynasty."

"But we seem to have given Su Ye a reason."

"All this is just a coincidence."

The American envoy said, "Only one-third of our army is British colonial troops, and the rest are mercenaries, hired by Minister Bruce."

The French envoy said, "Sir Bruce is Earl Elgin's younger brother, and he is completely irreconcilable with Su Ye. He can't possibly collude with Su Ye."

"It is very necessary for us to get in touch with the top leaders of the Qing court. Su Ye's rise to power may be beneficial to the British Empire, but it is very disadvantageous to the United States, Russia, and France."

After a secret meeting, the envoys of the three countries decided to send two people to secretly go to the Chengde Palace.

And the other party.

Sir Bruce, the new minister of the British Empire, said slowly: "Bashari, I have fulfilled my promise."

Bashar said: "No, this is not enough. Sir, please don't forget that the scandal broke out in India about your brother Count Elgin. The Parthenon statue he sold to the British Empire Museum was fake. He He defrauded the treasury of tens of thousands of pounds."

"Before, you competed with Sir Wytoma for the position of Minister to China, and you were completely at a disadvantage. You competed for several months, and this position was still unresolved. In the end, it was Prince Albert who helped you obtain this position."

"But now, your brother Count Elgin's successive scandals will bring great passivity to your political status."

"You need us more than we need you."

Sir Bruce said: "But, I am now leading the army of the empire and cooperating with a warlord of the Qing Dynasty. Isn't this ridiculous? The Russian minister, the French minister, and the American minister will soon see through, and they will immediately attack me. I will report to London immediately and I will face even greater pressure."

Ba Xiali sneered: "Our envoy heard the news that Count Elgin was killed, so he felt fear and temporarily hired troops to protect himself. He also tried to create an established fact and let the empire station troops in the Qing capital in the future. Which one is not right? For the sake of the empire.”

Sir Bruce said: "But the key point is that we cannot really complete the garrison fact. According to your requirements, we need to be forced to retreat."

Basharli said: "At least we tried hard, right? Does London have any right to accuse us?"

Then, Baxali said to a colonel next to him: "Viscount Jurgen, what do you think?"

The former pirate leader Jurgen was promoted to colonel after being made a viscount, transforming himself into a senior military attache of the British Empire in the Far East.

Most of the mercenaries threatening the capital this time were his work.

Viscount Jurgen said: "I think what you said is very reasonable."

Then, he said to Minister Bruce: "Sir, supporting Sir Su Yi to ascend to power will be of great benefit to us all. Your brother, Count Elgin, was once our political enemy. But he is him, and you are you. , he is already dead. This big ship of ours carries a huge amount of benefits, and you can get on board at this time. "

Sir Bruce said: "Sir Basile, Wetoma will definitely not let me go in this turmoil. They will try their best to criticize me in London. You are sure to be able to help me block this turmoil and keep me." Your position will not be taken away by him?”

Basharli said: "I'm sure, absolutely sure!"

Viscount Jurgen said: "I heard that Sir Baoling has been successfully promoted to Postmaster General, right?"

Sir Bruce said: "Yes, although it is a bit far from the position he wants."

Bashar saluted: "Cheers to Sir Baoling."

Viscount Jurgen said: "Sir Basari, not only have you been promoted to the title, but you have also become the consul of Tianjin, and you will even serve as the counselor of the legation. I also want to congratulate you."

Bashar saluted: "I also want to congratulate you, Viscount Jurgen, you are now a big shot in the Far East."

Viscount Jurgen said: "Then can I ask you to reimburse me for the expenses of these mercenaries?"

"Of course, after a very complicated procedure, the money will be returned to your account in London," Basharli said.

"Cheers to Master Su Yi!"

"I wish him to enter the center of the Qing Dynasty as soon as possible!"

Then, Ba Xiali said to Sir Bruce: "Your Excellency, no matter how the ministers from the other three countries express their opinions, your attitude towards the Qing court must be extremely strict, okay? Don't worry, in the eyes of the Qing court, the United States is The combined weight of Russia and France is not as large as half of the British Empire. They will feel your threat. "

…………………………

Next up!

The whole situation turned into a confrontation.

The three thousand foreign troops were entrenched in Tanggu and could not leave.

British Minister Bruce repeatedly told the Qing court that for the safety of the ministers from the four countries, he must lead the security team to Beijing.

The British Empire did this at any cost.

If necessary, additional troops can be added.

This threat was, of course, Bruce's personal.

At this time, London had no interest in using force against the Qing Dynasty.

But for the Qing court, this threat of war was indeed real.

After all, in just the past four years, Britain had launched three wars against the Qing Dynasty. It seemed that increasing and sending out troops had become commonplace.

The 25,000-strong army of the Seven Southern Provinces Alliance was completely stationed in the name of protecting the capital.

All the people in the capital are satisfied, countless middle and low-level officials are satisfied, and even the officers and soldiers of the Eight Banners' camp in Beijing are even more satisfied. Finally, we no longer have to face the threat of foreign barbarians.

It would be great if someone helps us guard the capital.

then!

Tian Yugong, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, petitioned the empress dowagers and emperors of the two palaces to return to Luan.

……………………

"We must not allow the Queen Mother and the Emperor to return!"

"Absolutely not!"

Sushun, Ronglu, Senggelinqin, Prince Gong and others seemed to have completely abandoned their past grievances at this time.

Su Yi's army has completely occupied the capital.

What a waste of time to come back to Luan at this time.

"Rong Lu, the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces and the Mother Queen Mother don't like to make decisions. The key is the Mother Queen Mother. You have to make her resist the pressure."

"At this time, it's up to you."

"If at this time, the Holy Mother Queen Mother decides to side with Su Yi and decides to take the emperor back to Luan, then we are all doomed."

"As long as the empress dowagers and the emperor are on our side, we have great justice. The foreign troops must either fight Su Yi or retreat. They cannot stay in Tanggu for a long time."

"Once the foreign troops are gone, Su Yi will lose his sense of occupying the capital."

"If he continues to occupy it, his rebellious intentions will become clear."

Seng Gelinqin slammed the table and said, "Otherwise, I'll hit you!"

"Our army is twice as large as his. He only has 4,000 new troops. The rest of the army are just idiots. We don't have to worry about being defeated."

Ronglu said: "It's impossible to fight."

Du Han also sighed: "Yes, it's impossible to fight."

Ronglu said: "The key is the foreigners. Prince Gong, do you know anything about this new British Minister Sir Bruce?"

Yidao: "I don't understand it at all."

As for this new minister, since he has not yet submitted his credentials, the court does not know the relationship between him and Count Elgin.

Ronglu said: "Send someone to Shanghai to find out the truth first. At least the Shanghai Consul Mai Huatuo and Sir Wetoma are Su Yi's political opponents. He will not have any reservations about us."

"The key problem lies with the foreigners. As long as the foreigners retreat, everything will be easy and Su Yi's army can be driven out of the capital."

"You must be quick, otherwise...I'm afraid!"

What are you afraid of? Of course, they were afraid that the empress dowagers of the two palaces were weak-willed and chose to abandon the Chengde group and take the emperor to Beijing.

At that time, Su Yi's side would become the center.

Prince Gong said: "Okay, I will immediately send someone to Shanghai to contact Mai Huatuo and Weituma."

Here, following Prince Gong's order, a team immediately rushed out of Chengde and headed south.

……………………

And this time!

An unexpected messenger came to Chengde Palace, and the eunuch who had not been seen for a long time increased his salary.

This man was once the emperor's most trusted eunuch and Su Yi's close friend.

But because he was too close to Su Yi, and every time there was bad news, others were unwilling to report it. He only wanted to share the sorrow with the emperor, so he was the one who reported it, and was rejected by the emperor.

When Su Yi broke with the emperor, the eunuch Zenglu was also relegated to the cold palace.

"My slaves and servants have increased their salary, and if they go to see the Queen Mother, she will be blessed with good fortune, longevity, and good fortune."

The eunuch increased his salary and kowtowed respectfully.

Empress Dowager Cixi looked at Zenglu with complicated eyes and said slowly: "Did Su Yi ask you to come?"

Eunuch Zenglu said: "Yes."

Then, Zenglu said: "Originally, it was not my turn to come. It was my slave who requested this errand."

Cixi said, "Just tell me."

Eunuch Zenglu said: "Empress Dowager, last time Gui'er came to see you. If you had told the truth frankly and then directly issued an order to summon Lord Su Yi to the center to help, nothing would have happened by now."

Cixi did not respond.

Eunuch Zenglu said: "The Queen Mother, it's not too late for all this."

Cixi said: "Is it still too late?"

Zeng Lu said: "Of course it's in time. As long as the two empress dowagers bring the emperor back to Beijing, there won't be any turmoil. You are still the supreme empress dowager, and Mr. Su Yi will also petition the court to ask the two empress dowagers to listen behind the curtain."

Cixi thought for a long time and said: "Zenglu, you are also an old man in the palace. You were once the emperor's most trusted confidant. You put aside Su Yi's position as an envoy. If the Ai family asks you a question, can you answer it honestly?" I."

Zenglu said: "Queen Mother, please tell me."

Cixi said: "Do you think Su Yi will rebel?"

Zenglu said: "Of course not. How could Mr. Su Yi rebel? The Queen Mother is too worried."

Then, he melancholy said: "However, Mr. Su Yi asked me to tell you something."

Cixi said, "Say it."

Zenglu said: "The imperial court announced to the world at that time that the new emperor would return to Beijing on September 9th, and the new emperor would hold a ceremony to worship heaven on September 15th. The people in the capital were looking forward to it, and the world was looking forward to it. If the emperor didn't arrive at this time, how could he Didn’t you offend your ancestors and God?”

"I promised to offer sacrifices to heaven, but didn't offer sacrifices to heaven. How can I get it!"

"The Queen Mother, time is getting tighter and tighter. If you want to catch up with the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony, you must prepare to leave south."

Cixi said: "Zenglu, this...is actually Su Yi's ultimatum to us? We must return to Beijing before the ninth day of September, right?"

Zenglu was silent for a long time, because as a royal servant, he really didn't want to say anything strong, and he didn't dare to say anything.

However, the will conveyed at this time must be very firm.

So, he nodded and said: "Master Su Yi didn't say that, but I think it should be."

"This should be an ultimatum!"

Empress Dowager Cixi's cold face suddenly changed.

This word seems too harsh.

An ultimatum? !

Is Su Yi so tough?

……………………

Note: I finally finished writing it at 10:30. Dear benefactors, can you give me your guaranteed monthly pass? Try to come earlier tomorrow.

I’m a little anxious seeing the monthly ticket rankings slipping, so please help me!