Early the next morning, Li Hongzhang took Li Jingfang to the British Consulate in Shanghai to meet with the British Consul in Shanghai, Warren.

But after arriving at the British Consulate, Li Hongzhang found that the atmosphere was not right, because it was not only Huo Bilan who was waiting to greet him, but also the French Consul General in Shanghai Bezaure, the US Consul General in Shanghai Goodnow, the Russian Consul General in Shanghai P.A. Dmitriyev (P.A. Dmitriyev), the Japanese Consul General in Shanghai, Oda Kiri Mansusuke and other consul members of various countries.

Li Hongzhang is such a shrewd person, as soon as he looks at this frame, he knows that there must be a big event, but after all, he is a person who is very deep in the city, and he is still silent at this time, and he salutes the consuls one by one, and sits down.

After everyone was seated, Huo Bilan said, "Lord Zhongtang, I don't know what news your subordinate from Tianjin brought you?"

Li Hongzhang was calm and said, "Mr. Consul, I'm afraid the result will disappoint you, and this subordinate of mine has not brought me any news." ”

Huo Bilan was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but say, "What?"

Li Hongzhang said: "In other words, this group of overseas Chinese did not pass on any news to me through my subordinates, and they just asked me to come down to Shanghai to see me. ”

When the consuls heard this, they all looked at each other, exchanged their heads to each other, and talked in whispers, and after a while, the Russian consul Dmitriev said: "Lord Zhongtang, how can this be, isn't this group of overseas Chinese ready to negotiate with us?"

Li Hongzhang forgave in his heart, and the foreigners were too late to understand, so they had to say: "I can't say that, they didn't bring me a letter, and it doesn't mean that they refuse to negotiate." ”

Huo Bilan looked at Li Hongzhang before he said: "Lord Zhongtang, it is difficult for this subordinate of yours not to tell you that overseas Chinese have abolished customs in Tianjin. ”

Li Hongzhang was stunned for a moment and said: "What's going on, the overseas Chinese have abolished Tianjin Customs, and my subordinates haven't told me about it." ”

Huo Bilan said: "Lord Zhongtang, this is the news we only received last night, the overseas Chinese just yesterday canceled the blockade of Tianjin, and reopened the route to Tianjin, but at the same time, it is also stipulated that all merchant ships arriving in Tianjin must go to the maritime affairs bureau opened by overseas Chinese to notify and pay tariffs. The original Tianjin Customs has already existed in name only. ”

When Li Hongzhang's father and son heard this, they couldn't help but be surprised, Li Hongzhang said: "How can there be such a thing?"

The French consul Bai Zao Tai said: " Moreover, overseas Chinese have formulated a new tax rate, almost all commodity tax rates are more than 10%, and there are more than 70 kinds of commodity tax rates of more than 15%, of which more than 20 kinds of commodity tax rates are more than 20%, and now the average tax rate of Tianjin Customs has reached 16.6%, and there are more than 500 kinds of goods after entering the Tianjin market, they have to pay income tax, and the average tax rate has reached 11.4%, such behavior has greatly damaged the commercial interests of our countries, and we will not hesitate to use any means to protect our own interests. ”

After listening to this, Li Hongzhang's father's and son's faces changed, both of them were people who had been engaged in foreign affairs for a long time and engaged in foreign affairs, and they had a considerable understanding of the situation of various countries, and they knew that Western countries were all based on business and attached great importance to commercial interests, and the Opium War that opened China's door back then was, in a sense, a war that was caused by commercial entanglement.

Originally, according to the information obtained before, after the overseas Chinese captured Tianjin, they did not embarrass the merchants of various countries too much, except for recovering the property plundered by the Eight-Nation Alliance, they did not infringe on the property of the merchants and shops, on the contrary, they also maintained public order and protected them, which made people feel that this group of overseas Chinese still understood international rules, so after the end of the defense of Tianjin, all countries had the idea of negotiating with overseas Chinese, after all, it was easier to negotiate with people who knew the rules. Knowing that this group of overseas Chinese had raised the tariffs in Tianjin so rashly, did they not know that this was in the interests of all countries? I am afraid that all countries are now discussing the matter of expanding the war.

Of course, in the past, the Qing court's tariff was only 5%, and after foreign goods paid tariffs, they did not have to pay other taxes, so no one considered whether such a tax rate was unreasonable.

During yesterday's discussion, Li Hongzhang also planned to kick the ball to the foreigners and let the foreigners decide how to deal with the behavior of the overseas Chinese, but now it seems that he still underestimated the courage of this group of overseas Chinese, and originally thought that they only wanted the foreigners to propose negotiations first, but he did not expect that this group of overseas Chinese would have even more amazing means. And now it seems that overseas Chinese are obviously really annoying foreigners.

Li Hongzhang said: "So how do the countries plan to deal with the overseas Chinese? Will they expand the scale of the war?"

Dmitriev said: "Of course, the interests of the country cannot be infringed upon, no matter who it is, it is unforgivable, so it is inevitable to expand the scale of the war." ”

Huo Bilan frowned and said, "At any time, war is one of the options, and our British Empire and other countries will not waver in their determination to protect their national interests, and Lord Zhongtang should understand this." ”

When Li Hongzhang heard this, he had to smile bitterly, nodded, and said, "I naturally know this." ”

Huo Bilan glanced at the Russians and said: "But after all, war is the last choice, and we don't want to develop to that point, since the overseas Chinese sent people to contact Zhongtang, we hope that Lord Zhongtang can convey our attitude to the overseas Chinese, and hope that they can see the situation clearly, and don't think that after a few victories, they can challenge the low line of interests of various countries." ”

The situation has developed to this point, and Li Hongzhang does not dare to play any scheming tricks with the foreigners, after all, at this point, the peace talks are already extravagant, but he must try his best to avoid the expansion of the war, so Li Hongzhang immediately said: "Okay, after I go back, I will immediately arrange for someone to go to Tianjin to convey the attitude of the consuls to the overseas Chinese." ”

Huo Bilan nodded, and said: "Then there is Lao Li Zhongtang, as far as I know, now that our countries have started consultations on the affairs of overseas Chinese, I hope that before the results of our consultations come out, Lord Zhongtang can negotiate a result that satisfies all countries, I think the Qing Kingdom may not be able to withstand the dismantling of the war anymore." ”

Li Hongzhang nodded, of course he could hear Huo Bilan's threat, so he didn't dare to slack off, and immediately got up to say goodbye to the consuls of various countries and returned to his residence.

As soon as he left the consulate, Li Hongzhang immediately ordered someone to invite Zhou Fu and Sheng Xuanhuai, so after Li Hongzhang arrived home, everyone had already arrived. Li Hongzhang didn't have time to be polite, and told them the news he got from the British Consulate,

After everyone heard this, they were all shocked, they never thought that this group of overseas Chinese would really dare to provoke foreigners, Zhang Peilun said: "Father-in-law, do you want to call Zhao Weizhong to ask, what is going on." ”

Li Hongzhang waved his hand and said, "No need, I don't think Zhao Weizhong may know these things, and it is useless to ask him." ”

Sheng Xuanhuai said: "I have said a long time ago, you can't count on this group of overseas Chinese, what is happening now, they are completely asking for their own death, and now they have not only blocked the door to peace, but I am afraid that it will also affect our Qing Dynasty." ”

Zhou Fu frowned and said, "What's the use of talking about this at this time." However, before the overseas Chinese are resolved, the foreigners will probably not negotiate with us anymore, and even if the negotiations are completed, it will be useless. I think yesterday's suggestion was good, now we should immediately send people to Tianjin to meet with the overseas Chinese, first find out their intentions, and then try to persuade them to restore the tariffs in Tianjin, and if they can't be persuaded to do so, we should also return the favor as soon as possible, so that we can be prepared, and we should try our best to dissociate ourselves from the overseas Chinese. ”

Li Hongzhang nodded, pondered for a while, and then nodded, "Which of you is willing to go to Tianjin." ”

Everyone's eyes suddenly focused on Li Jingfang's body, and at this time Li Jingfang's heart secretly complained, yesterday he volunteered to go to Tianjin in front of overseas Chinese, indeed, as Li Hongzhang said, he hoped to find an opportunity to move overseas Chinese and support Li Hongzhang. Li Jingfang dared to persuade Li Hongzhang to betray the Qing court, but he also did not dare to provoke the foreigners, and at this time he dared to go to Tianjin again to face the overseas Chinese, let alone persuade them to support Li Hongzhang. It's just that Li Jingfang said too much yesterday, and now he can't take it back, so he is also very embarrassed at this time.

At this time, Zhang Peilun said: "Father-in-law, I'll go here." ”

Seeing that someone came forward to take this errand over, Li Jingfang also breathed a sigh of relief, and thanked Zhang Peilun in his heart, after all, he was relieved of the siege for himself, originally because Zhang Peilun dissuaded Li Hongzhang from appointing Li Jingfang as a general, the two once had a quarrel, and now Li Jingfang has some in his heart

Li Hongzhang glanced at Li Jingfang, then turned to Zhang Peilun's body, nodded and said: "It's okay, you have always been calm, I can rest assured that you can go to Tianjin, so let's go and prepare, first let Zhao Weizhong send a telegram to Tianjin, explain it, and see what the attitude of overseas Chinese is." ”

At this time, Zhou Fu said: "Zhongtang, I think this matter should also be notified to the court as soon as possible." ”

Li Hongzhang listened to it and nodded, such a major event was naturally notified to the exiled imperial court, and also let Cixi and Guangxu know that this group of overseas Chinese is not good at stubble, and their ability to cause trouble is much stronger than that of the Boxers, and they can also use this matter to suppress those officials in the exiled court who are clamoring for full support for overseas Chinese.