Usurping the Qing Dynasty: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 302 Edo destroyed! Meiji surrendered!

If the Franco-Prussian War had not broken out, Su Ye would have found it difficult to attack Japan directly, because he would have been strongly opposed by Britain.

It would even cause a change in Britain's foreign policy.

But after the Franco-Prussian War, the German Empire would have become a challenger to the European order. By that time, the British Empire would have no time to care about China, and would even need China in many ways.

Another point is that the interests of the British Empire in China are now too huge.

So, Su Ye can be willful.

In addition to Britain, the biggest opponent of the war against Japan is the United States.

At this stage, Su Ye has not taken the United States seriously, although its industry is already the world's number one.

"Boom boom boom boom..."

Amid strong opposition from Britain, the United States, France and other countries, Xu Youren and Eugen led a powerful fleet to launch rounds of artillery fire on the buildings in Tokyo.

The sky above Tokyo was filled with thick smoke and flames.

Xu Youren was looking at the map while drawing the targets on it with a pen.

This was not a random bombing.

The focus is on the industrial zone.

Many factories of the great powers in Tokyo were directly bombed.

Of course, the factories of the British Empire in Japan were almost avoided.

But the factories of the remaining countries could not be taken care of so much.

If you want to protest, you can protest as you like.

Anyway, I bombed it by mistake.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime strategic opportunity. If you miss this time, it will not be easy to take direct action against Japan.

After rounds of bombardment.

Next, a fierce landing battle began.

The Japanese army tried its best to resist, but... the gap between the two sides was too big.

At this time, Japan had no time to develop. The reform had just begun, industrialization had just begun, and the new army was only in its infancy.

Whether it was military quality or weapons and equipment, there was a big difference.

But... bravery has been revealed.

Facing the bombardment of the powerful navy, it still stubbornly refused to retreat.

But now the world's military has undergone great changes. In the face of the gap in weapons, this kind of bravery is actually meaningless.

Three days later, the East Asian coalition still landed on the land of Tokyo.

The fierce street fighting officially broke out.

The total number of Japanese defenders was almost over 100,000, nearly twice the number of the Chinese army.

However, it was meaningless.

In terms of the firepower density of both sides, the Chinese army was more than two or three times that of the Japanese army.

Su Ye's orders to Xu Youren, Duolong'a, Lai Wenguang and others were very simple. There was no need to pursue the speed of the war, but to create more casualties, destroy more buildings, and deal a thorough and devastating blow to the entire Tokyo.

These generals implemented this perfectly.

A large number of artillery, plowing over little by little.

Don't be afraid of wasting shells. For this war, Su Ye has been preparing for many years. Steel mills and arsenals have stockpiled a lot of ammunition.

The annual fiscal revenue of nearly 200 million taels of silver is an astronomical figure. Even in the world, this is very rich.

Therefore, it is possible to fight a relatively luxurious war.

Therefore, the entire Tokyo suffered a devastating blow.

It just so happens that most of the houses here are made of wood and are completely unbombed.

One shell went down and the whole house was razed to the ground.

After a few days and nights!

I saw a corner of Tokyo completely reduced to ruins.

Moreover, the ruins are still increasing.

The casualties on the Japanese side are also increasing.

Even generals such as Xu Youren were surprised that the regent seemed to have a special disgust and hatred for this country.

In his order, there was no mention of protecting civilians or not harming civilians.

Su Ye's original words were that the people of this country were very humble in their bones. The more you beat them and the more you kill them, the more obedient they will be.

Typical fear of power but not virtue.

The momentum of this nation is about to rise. We must break their backbone once and for all and directly suppress this momentum.

It was under this will that the coalition forces launched a devastating blow to Tokyo.

The American, French, and Russian envoys came to protest again and again.

Even the British Empire's ambassador to Japan issued warnings again and again.

But... China's Admiral Eugen is still a British aristocrat, so what can I say?

This protest is doomed to be powerless.

What else can you do? Issue a real threat?

Russia, France, we are already at war with you.

America, are you going to go to war with me for Japan at this time?

It's impossible no matter how I think about it. What a joke. How much interest do you have in East Asia?

Just like that, one round after another, they rolled over.

The morale of the Japanese army is also constantly declining.

This is not the period of the Russo-Japanese War. The spirit of their army has not really risen.

This battle was too desperate.

One defeat, another defeat, and another defeat.

Each defeat was so thorough that there was almost no hope of victory.

Whether in terms of firepower, combat quality, or war methods, the Chinese army is far superior.

Even with twice or even three times the troops, it is impossible to win.

The armies of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the Kingdom of Korea, and the Kingdom of Vietnam were completely happy.

It turns out that fighting monsters with my dad can be so fun.

After the Daddy Army bombarded the front and completely defeated the opponent, these coalition forces rushed to clean up the battlefield.

Killing prisoners, looting, etc., the Chinese army didn't care.

Whatever you do.

So the more than 10,000 vassal coalition forces turned into beasts.

Crazy ravage this land.

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Comparatively speaking, it was much more difficult in the northern battlefield.

The Chinese army had mastered the air superiority, and the supplies were more abundant, and the weapons and equipment were better.

But... the whole battle was still very stalemate.

It was really like a sea of ​​blood and corpses.

The ground that stretched for hundreds of miles was densely packed with artillery fire.

There were corpses everywhere.

The heavy machine gun did not create the glory of the Battle of the Somme, but it was already very awesome.

The most important point is that with the blessing of stronger weapons, the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army has at least caught up with the Tsarist Russian army.

So, at least on every front, the Chinese army has the upper hand.

But...

The whole war was still very difficult.

Almost every line of defense was stalemate.

At this time, the combat effectiveness of the Russian army was still higher than that of Japan.

And for Russia, this was also a war that it could not afford to lose.

But... it would still lose in the end.

Not only did the Chinese army make such a judgment, but even the Russian army almost made the same judgment.

Although the Chinese army did not achieve great results, it was at least winning.

It was just that the final price would be very high, but it must win... it must win.

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After the Sino-Vietnamese coalition defeated the French army and recovered Hanoi, it did not stop the war, but it no longer needed 50,000 or 60,000 troops.

Feng Zicai, Liu Yongfu and others led 30,000 troops to stay in Vietnam, preparing to cross the sea to the south, and then help Vietnam recover the three provinces of Cochinchina.

The ultimate goal was to completely drive France out of the Indochina Peninsula.

At this time, the Franco-Prussian War broke out, and France could no longer increase its military forces in East Asia.

And Chen Yucheng led the army of another two divisions to sail north to join the battlefield in the north and Russia.

Although 300,000 troops were invested, it was still not enough.

Still need to increase troops continuously.

This is a war that is destined to win. The key is how much it costs and how many casualties it will suffer.

At least not as much as the Russo-Japanese War.

……………………

For many people, these three wars have not ended.

But for a few people, the outcomes of these three wars have been determined.

Russia, France, and the United States have held secret consultations again and again.

They tried every possible way to interrupt China's rhythm.

The most extreme methods have been proposed.

Assassinate the empress dowager, assassinate the emperor, and create civil strife.

Assassinate Su Ye's family.

Incite internal rebellion, etc.

Even relevant implementations have been made.

But without exception, all failed.

These countries do not have such great power in China to complete such a difficult assassination.

As for inciting civil strife?

Su Ye's domestic purge is still continuing. Zuo Zongtang, Ma Xinyi, Li Hongzhang and others are extremely cruel, killing people by taking advantage of the imperial examination fraud case.

Moreover, it is not just a fraud case.

There are also tax evasion, private salt trafficking, private soldiers, land annexation, etc.

I don’t know how many people have been killed and how many clans have been destroyed.

This group of people cursed secretly, but rebellion?

There is really no such power. How many soldiers do you have? The Green Camp soldiers and the regiment training soldiers were disbanded a few years ago.

Of course, you can incite the people to besiege the government and the imperial envoy’s headquarters.

But if you dare to besiege, I dare to kill.

These imperial envoys came with garrison divisions.

As long as you besiege, it is treason.

It doesn’t matter if you are a scholar or a peasant.

Those who don’t know the truth and are used are useless.

How many people did I, Zuo Zongtang, kill in the northwest? How far have you come?

I love your group, but it is specific to a certain person or a group of people.

Then I only ask one question, see if my butcher knife is sharp.

I killed three waves in total, countless.

The most important thing is the genocidal attack on the mastermind behind the scenes, which has completely cut off the thoughts of many big families in this regard.

So far, this big purge has not only affected the local big families, but has also spread to the court.

The six ministers, the three dukes and nine ministers, the military council, the upper study room and other key departments have all been demoted.

More than ten first- and second-rank officials were also killed.

The ministers of the Manchu and Mongolian ethnic groups were secretly happy and said nothing.

In the past few years, the regent has been tormenting us and killing us to death.

You Han officials are enjoying it on the side, with a detached look.

Now it's your turn to be tortured, and we are watching the show on the side.

It seems that the regent treats everyone equally.

He is cruel to us and to you Han people.

You spineless people, why don't you stay at home on the pretext of illness? You can skip the court.

When the Regent punished us, half of us did not attend the court or go to the government office.

Now it's your turn, and you don't even dare to strike, how cowardly.

We bannermen still have backbone.

Hehe, strike?

At this time, don’t say you are not sick in the court. Even if you are sick, you dare not ask for leave, and you have to appear in the court.

Are you recuperating at home?

What does it mean? Are you dissatisfied with the regent? Or are you dissatisfied with the two empress dowagers?

The regent is not here.

However, this group of executioners is in the court.

Especially Ma Xinyi and Li Hongzhang, the two bastards, who are eager to kill as many people as possible, and wish to dye their hats red with blood and heads.

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"Sima Zhao's heart is known to everyone, everyone knows it!"

"After this crazy killing, who dares to mention the emperor's personal rule in the future?"

"This war has been fought for more than half a year, and it is militaristic, militaristic!" Prince Dun Yihuan roared.

But Prince Chun Yihuan has not said a word.

Now, it is 1871, and the emperor will be sixteen years old (nominal age) this year, which is considered an adult.

But can these three wars end this year?

In this environment of butcher's knife, who dares to mention the emperor's personal rule?

You are not afraid of death, but what about your family?

Su Ye was okay when he was in Beijing, and he seemed a little tolerant, but he was not in Beijing, but in the northern battlefield.

Zuo Zongtang, Ma Xinyi, Li Hongzhang and others, when they exterminated the clan, they were not soft at all.

It just so happened that the power of the Westernization Party was too great now. The power vacuum that appeared after the extermination of many big clans here was immediately filled by the Westernization Party over there.

Now Su Ye's faction is telling the literati and officials of the world that I don't have to have you.

After the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, the bones of you guys were soft.

Could it be that after being enslaved for hundreds of years, your bones have become hard for no reason?

This year is a critical year, and this year we won't mention the emperor's personal rule.

Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen years old, that may not be mentioned.

Prince Dun Yihuan said, "After these three wars, will Su Ye usurp the throne?"

Prince Chun still did not speak.

Yihuan said, "The emperor is our nephew. If Su Ye dares to usurp the throne, I will fight him even if I die."

"Is the kingdom of Aisin Gioro going to fall into the hands of Gioro?"

Prince Chun Yihuan did not speak, but he thought in his heart that he might not be willing to be a Gioro.

Maybe, he will just change his surname to Su.

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Under this massacre.

Yehenala was completely scared, and the little emperor was also scared.

No extra actions were dared.

Before, many Han ministers tried to get close to the little emperor and the Empress Dowager Cixi, taking the opportunity to protect their own interests, hoping that there would be a force in the court that could compete with Su Ye.

And now...

The Empress Dowager Cixi and the little emperor did not dare to contact these Han officials.

And these Han officials hid far away to avoid suspicion.

"Mother, do I have to be so cowardly all my life, like Emperor Xian of Han?" The little emperor couldn't help but said.

"Shut up, shut up." Yehenara said: "From now on, don't say a word like this."

The little emperor said: "This is not in front of mother, but in front of others, I didn't say a word."

Yehenara said: "Don't say a word in front of me."

Then, she said: "You should keep writing letters to your Master Su, asking him a lot of knowledge, saying that you miss him very much, and asking him when he will return to Beijing."

The little emperor said: "I know."

Then, Yehenara went to Zhongcui Palace to see Empress Dowager Ci'an, and she had an idea.

She missed her daughter Su Jue, and asked if she could raise her again.

Ci'an refused directly. You hid far away after giving birth to this daughter to avoid it. Now you want to take her back to raise, how is it possible?

I have raised this girl for several years and have made her my sweetheart. How can I bear to let her go?

After being rejected, Cixi just smiled awkwardly and did not insist.

…………………………………………

In the three major wars.

The scale of the battlefield in Vietnam was already very small, but the French were still losing ground because they were even worse in the battlefield in Europe.

And along with the defeat on the battlefield, a few months ago, the French emperor wanted the Prussian army to surrender in Sedan, and 100,000 French troops surrendered.

The so-called Second French Empire has perished, and the Third French Republic has replaced it.

Of course, even at this time, France's colonists in East Asia still have a lot of autonomy, but that is under the circumstances of smooth battlefield.

Now facing the increasingly powerful Sino-Vietnamese coalition, the colonial army has no power to resist.

It is only a matter of time before they are completely expelled.

And the first to end is still the Japanese battlefield.

After Xu Youren and other generals thoroughly implemented Su Ye's destructive policy, two-thirds of Tokyo became ruins.

Japan organized its army to counterattack again and again.

But, it failed again and again.

In the end, the Japanese army completely lost its morale.

Then, Meiji sent envoys to ask for peace from the Chinese army.

Then, the two sides had a negotiation tug-of-war for several months.

The Chinese representative proposed that Japan become a vassal state and expel the relevant powers.

In addition, in terms of diplomacy and military, it must accept my country's guidance.

Another important point is that the Emperor and the Shogun will form a coalition government, one in the east and one in the west, to jointly govern Japan.

There is no doubt that Meiji will definitely not accept such conditions, and even the Shogun will find it difficult to accept.

However, our representatives are not in a hurry, and you'd better not agree so quickly.

Because now this war has begun to make a profit.

The results of looting are really rich.

It is entirely possible to fight and talk at the same time and make a fortune at the same time.

But in the end, the two sides still completed the armistice.

Meiji agreed to the relevant conditions, especially changing the relevant domestic policies and returning to closure.

Moreover, he agreed to form a coalition government with the Shogun.

In addition, he paid 40 million taels of silver to China.

However, there is still a tug of war on the conditions such as the number of garrisons.

But in any case, our country's war on the land of Japan is basically over.

This war lasted for nearly a year and brought a devastating blow to the entire Edo.

Countless Japanese soldiers and civilians were eliminated.

This country has not yet begun to rise, just sprouted, just started reform, but its backbone was completely broken, its skin was peeled off and its tendons were pulled out.

In the foreseeable future, it will no longer pose any substantial threat.

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Note: It is still 5,000 words, sorry sorry, but the pace is still quite fast.