Zhou Fu knew why Li Hongzhang said, "This is a big excitement."

The envoys of the Taixi countries, asking to meet the Qing Emperor, is not a problem in itself, and the reason why it has not been possible lies in etiquette.

How to ceremonial this ceremony, starting from the British envoy Magalny of the Qianlong Dynasty, and continuing to the "Sino-British Tianjin Treaty" in the eighth year of Xianfeng, finally pulled out a famous hall.

Zhou Fu said: "There is a group of people - there are still a lot of them, and they are always unwilling and reluctant to bow to foreigners. The United States is no more, it is a 'blood alliance'; Britain, France, Russia, and the Netherlands, what is the matter? The master doesn't want to meet, and you call the door and force the master to extend the meeting, isn't that a 'wicked guest'? ”

After a pause, Zhou Fu smiled slightly bitterly and said: "However, with the "Tianjin Treaty" there, the Americans have made another start, and the four countries of Britain, France, Russia, and the Netherlands are rightly arrogant. ”

Li Hongzhang said: "Yushan, you wait for me. ”

With that, he stood up, lifted his robe, took a bunch of keys from his waist, opened a large cabinet, searched for a while, and found a file.

"This is a copy of the Sino-British Treaty of Tientsin."

Li Hongzhang returned to his seat, opened the file, and at a glance, he found what he was looking for: "It's the third paragraph -- well, 'The independent state of Britain is equal to China, and the British Qincha, as a member of the power of the country, when he visits the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, it is not feasible to encounter a gift that hinders the national system. This means that when the British envoy meets our emperor, he does not follow Chinese etiquette and does not kneel and bow. ”

After speaking, he handed the file to Zhou Fu: "Yushan, you can also take a look." ”

Zhou Fu took it. After staring at it for a moment, he said: "Prime Minister, there is another sentence after this, 'But whenever the British monarch sends someone to Taixi to worship the lord of the country, he also worships the emperor of the Qing Dynasty.'" With a uniform respect. That is to say, the British envoys came to our emperor with the rites of an audience with the monarchs of their own country and with the nations of Tessie - that is, they knelt on one knee. ”

Li Hongzhang pondered for a while and said: "This sentence only says 'Taixi and the country', and does not mention England itself. ”

Zhou Fu was slightly stunned and fixed his eyes. And so it was.

"This, is it ......?"

Li Hongzhang nodded and said, "I'm afraid that's the case-the British envoy naturally knelt down on one knee when he met the queen of his country; This ritual may not be practiced when meeting the 'Tessie and the Kingdom'. Some 'with the country', maybe just bow and be done. ”

Zhou Fu said "hey" and said: "That is to say, the British secretly made the idea of bowing to our emperor!" ”

He thought for a while, and then spoke, and his voice was already full of resentment: "The Sino-British Tianjin Treaty was signed by Gui Yanshan, and this mission can be done ......."

Guiyan Mountain. That is, Gui Liang, the father-in-law of King Gong, the former minister of military aircraft. The old man is retired, and Guan Zhuofan enters the military machine, which is to take his position.

Li Hongzhang sighed and said: "In all fairness, it is really no wonder that Gui Yanshan - the Sino-British Tianjin Treaty was originally a delaying strategy, and when it was signed. The imperial court did not intend to fulfill the contract seriously. Otherwise, two years later. Xianfeng ten years, how can he fight with Britain and France again? ”

Zhou Fu said: "When Xianfeng signed the Sino-British Tianjin Treaty in the eighth year. The loss we have suffered is actually not too big; But Xianfeng has been ten years, and it will be miserable to lose! So that Wenzong went hunting, and finally Rehe ascended! Alas, if you know today, why bother in the first place? ”

Li Hongzhang breathed out from his nostrils: "In this world, how can there be regret medicine to take?" ”

After a pause, he asked: "What does it mean when the ministers of Britain, France, Russia, and the Netherlands request an audience?" ”

"The meaning of 'above' is not clear - it probably depends on the meaning of King Xuan, right? As for King Xuan, he only said one sentence, 'Don't be impatient, there will be a practical answer.' ’”

Li Hongzhang smiled slightly and said: "To put it mildly, this trouble was caused by King Xuan himself--if he hadn't let the Americans in, Britain, France, Russia, and the Netherlands would not have been so vigorous. Okay, let's take a look, how do we, the new prince, collect this tent? ”

"By the way," Li Hongzhang said, "the Americans have already seen it, how is the situation?" There are more than 200 people, where are they arranged? ”

"Qianqing Palace."

Li Hongzhang couldn't help but sigh softly: "Forbidden City?!" The Son of Heaven is right?! ”

After a pause, he endured it, but he still didn't hold back, he let out a long sigh: "This world is really different!" ”

Two hundred red-haired and blue-eyed foreigners, mighty and mighty, rushed into the Forbidden City, this scene, a little thought, makes people's hearts shake.

In the eighth year of Xianfeng, the imperial court signed the "Treaty of Tianjin" with Britain, France and other countries, saying that it would "exchange the treaty" in the coming year. But when the time came, the British and French ministers wanted to enter Beijing to change the treaty, but Wenzong and a group of pro-noble ministers regarded Yangyi's entry into Beijing as a "great shame" and "elbow trouble", and insisted on changing the location of the "exchange of contracts" to "Shanghai".

Britain and France regarded China's proposal as a breach of the treaty, not to mention that they had spent a lot of effort in order to be stationed in the Chinese capital in order to carry out normal diplomacy with China, so they resolutely refused to allow it. After two times, it was stiff, and Britain and France forcibly knocked on the gates, resulting in a great change.

At that time, when more than ten or twenty envoys from foreigners entered Beijing, the imperial court refused to do so, and even did not hesitate to fight each other; Today, there are ten times as many foreigners, but they have not only entered Beijing, but also entered the Forbidden City - the residence of the Son of Heaven, the center of the world!

The "American delegation to China" was not the first foreigner to enter the Forbidden City, and there was a Doolittle in front of him. However, although Du Little was a foreigner, he entered the Forbidden City, not as a foreigner, let alone as an envoy -- he "entered the palace to thank him" as a viscount of the Qing Dynasty.

Also, what is the Qianqing Palace? That's the head of the inner court, the Son of Heaven!

"Where to meet the Americans," Mr. Zhou said, "has been controversial." Someone once mentioned yì - it seems to mean that King Gong is there, the emperor and the two palaces, in the Ziguang Pavilion in the West Garden, summoned the Americans. It's more appropriate. ”

The West Garden is divided into the Middle Sea and the South China Sea, and the Purple Light Pavilion is in the Middle Sea, and there is a gallop road, and you can go to the horse. Among them, there is a high platform. Name "Platform". In the former Ming Dynasty, when there was a destiny to go on the expedition, Sizong always summoned the general and gave a banquet and reward in the place of "platform", that is, the so-called "platform summons".

"The place in the Purple Light Pavilion is spacious." Zhou Fu said, "However, what the prime minister knows, Emperor Gaozongchun painted 100 portraits of meritorious heroes after returning from Pingping. Hanging in the purple light pavilion, and the royal pen for the most meritorious author of 50 people to write praise, the so-called 'Letu painting wall thinking great achievements'. Later, he designated the Purple Light Pavilion as a place of vassal worship. ”

Li Hongzhang nodded and said: "Gaozong's move is intended to show off his might and deter foreign vassals, and the United States is an 'ally'. It doesn't seem appropriate to meet you at the 'Purple Light Pavilion'. ”

"That's what happened," Mr. Zhou said. "Therefore, this mention was eliminated by King Xuan."

"The 'American delegation to China' entered the Forbidden City," Zhou Fu smiled, "It should be what King Xuan meant, the people on his side." Let out the wind very early: if you don't enter the Forbidden City, what kind of 'blood alliance' can it be? ”

There was a pause. continued: "However, I heard a saying: as long as Americans can enter the Forbidden City. King Xuan was satisfied, and he didn't have to pick such an important place as the Qianqing Palace to meet him, the Imperial Qianqing Palace received the 'American delegation to China', and the most energetic one was not King Xuan, it was—"

Speaking of this, Zhou Fu raised his right hand, clenched his fist, cocked his thumb, shook it slightly, and lowered his voice slightly: "It's here." ”

Li Hongzhang was stunned for a moment, and then reacted: facing south and sitting north, then left, east, right and west, the "here" in Zhou Fu's mouth is "west".

Li Hongzhang pondered for a moment and said: "Well, it's not surprising -- the Qianqing Palace is the official office of the Son of Heaven, if it weren't for the name of receiving the 'American delegation to China', where would the Empress Dowager have the opportunity to come to the palace?" ”

"The Lord has seen it thoroughly!" Zhou Fu said, "Some people mentioned that the original intention of receiving the 'American delegation to China' at the Ziguang Pavilion was not necessarily to disparage the Americans, but to—"

Speaking of this, he hesitated for a moment, and was thinking about how to phrase it, but Li Hongzhang didn't have any worries about him, smiled slightly, and said, "Suppress the Queen Mother?" ”

Zhou Fu didn't expect Li Hongzhang's words to be so straightforward, his heart jumped big, and he said: "Yes--the student is thinking wildly, and I don't know if that's the case." ”

Li Hongzhang smiled slightly again and said: "The curtain of the two palaces is not available in the ancestral system, and the relatives and noble ministers can't put a little more thought." ”

"Yes."

"But, it seems, it's a little bit of a stretch now?"

"Yes, now, the two 'above' are not alone."

"Yushan, you're right." Li Hongzhang had a faint smile on his face, "However, these things, we are not in the central center, so we don't have to worry too much." What's more, this ...... In fact, it's someone's housework! ”

"Also," the smile on Li Hongzhang's face became a little unpredictable, "I think that the current situation of the 'above' is not necessarily a bad thing for the country." ”

Zhou Fu couldn't figure out this sentence for a while, so he had to answer vaguely "yes".

"The Qianqing Palace and the Heart Cultivation Palace are next to each other, right?" Li Hongzhang tried to recall the situation when he saw His Majesty - the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces received him from the Yangxin Palace, "From which gate did the Americans enter the Forbidden City?" ”

"Enter through the noon gate - through the side door, of course. After entering the Forbidden City, cross the Jinshui Bridge, enter the Taihe Gate, and pay homage to the Taihe Hall - of course, you will not enter. Then go out of the right wing gate in the west, all the way to the north, to the Longzong Gate, turn right and enter, to the Qianqingmen Square, enter the Qianqing Gate, and the Qianqing Palace is in sight. ”

"Yushan, it's hard for you to remember refreshing!" Li Hongzhang said with a smile, "This road is enough for Americans to walk!" ”

*

*

The next day, Zhou Fu sorted out the relevant content in the notes, copied them on the white fold, and gave them to Li Hongzhang before dinner.

After dinner, Li Hongzhang returned to the study and opened Zhou Fu's fold.

He quickly found the content he was most interested in - the lyrics of "Singing the Motherland":

"The Xuanzi military flag fluttered high, and the victory song was so loud.

Singing about our great motherland, from now on to prosperity and strength.

Singing about our great motherland, from now on to prosperity and strength.

Over the mountains, over the plains,

Across the surging Yellow River and Yangtze River.

The vast and beautiful land is our dear hometown.

Heroic Chinese people, stand up!

We are united and fraternal, strong as steel!

The Xuanzi military flag fluttered high, and the victory song was so loud.

Singing about our great motherland, from now on to prosperity and strength.

Singing about our great motherland, from now on to prosperity and strength.

We are industrious, we are brave,

Standing tall is our ideal.

How many hardships have we overcome to get to where we are today!

We love peace, we love our homeland,

Whoever dares to trespass on us will bring him to ruin!

The Xuanzi military flag fluttered high, and the victory song was so loud.

Singing about our great motherland, from now on to prosperity and strength.

Singing about our great motherland, from now on to prosperity and strength. ”

Li Hongzhang was covered with jin on his back, his palms were sweating, and he was slightly trembling.

*(To be continued)

ps: Note: This chapter does not include the lyrics of "Singing the Motherland", which has exceeded 3,100 words, so this paragraph of water will not affect the rights and interests of book friends.

*R580