After Pei Jinquan sent the battle reports from Ryukyu to Shanghai in the form of long telegrams, Lin Yizhe arranged in advance for the high-speed notification ship "Feihong," which had been waiting in Shanghai for a long time, and quickly set sail, sending the telegram to Tianjin in less than four days. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

At the mouth of Dagu in Tianjin, Captain Tsuboi Kozo, the gunboat "Settsu," a Japanese diplomatic mission, was troubled by his inability to move freely.

At this time, not far from the two sides of his "Settsu", the cruisers "Henghai" and "Kangji" were moored respectively.

After sending the Okubo mission to Tianjin, Tsuboi Kozo embarked on another secret mission in the Ministry of War to investigate the coastal defenses of northern China. After Okubo and others went ashore, Tsuboi Hangzo did not delay for a moment, and immediately led the "Settsu" to leave Dagu.

The "Settsu" did not go far when it came across a Japanese merchant ship, the Kinko Maru, and the captain Nakai brought ominous news - I heard that there were three Chinese cruisers in the waters around the area.

This news was immediately confirmed by an American warship, and the American captain even told Tsuboi Kozo more detailed information about the three Chinese cruisers, namely the "Weiyuan," the "Henghai," and the "Kangji," and that these three warships were said to have been ordered to strengthen the defense of the Tianjin area.

Outnumbered and aware of the times, the sensitive Tsuboi Kozo did not hesitate to order the "Settsu" to sail quickly and slip into the Yellow Sea before the Chinese found out.

In the early morning of that day, the "Setjin" sailed out of the Dagu Pass early and headed straight for the ocean. Less than 10 nautical miles from the port, the lookout post of the "Settsu" discovered that the masts of two warships had appeared in the southern sea, and the people who came were two of the three Chinese cruisers that the Japanese merchant ships and the American warships had said.

For the first time, Kozo Tsuboi saw the true face of these Chinese cruisers who had completely annihilated the Japanese Navy in the waters of Taiwan.

These two Chinese cruisers are typical French cruisers, with the signature big nose and horn head and tall mast, tall and majestic hull, and the paint is also French sky blue, sailing from afar, there is a different sense of majesty. Both Chinese cruisers had a firepower tonnage far above the "Settsu". "Settsu" was originally a three-masted gunboat built in the North during the American Civil War, purchased by Japan in 1868, with a displacement of 920 tons, equipped with 8 breech guns, and the fastest speed at launch was 8 knots (now it is no longer reached), in the face of two Chinese cruisers with a displacement of nearly 2,000 tons, 190 mm heavy guns, and a speed of up to 14 knots, it can be said that there is no hope of escaping at all.

Despite the narrow road, considering that the Chinese's goal was Dagukou, Pingjing Hangzo quietly ordered to turn the rudder to the north, trying to fool the Chinese through the pass.

Tsuboi looked down on the intelligence of the two Chinese captains, and at the same time that the "Settsu" was turning the rudder, the two Chinese cruisers "Henghai" and "Kangji" had not only discovered the "Settsu" but also judged its intentions.

The two Chinese cruisers immediately dispersed and pursued at full speed, and in a short time a situation was formed in which the "Henghai" was on the left and the "Kangji" was on the right, and the "Settsu", which was traveling at a speed of six knots, was sandwiched in the center.

Soon, the "Yokokai" sent a signal ordering the "Settsu" to turn the rudder and go with them, but Tsuboi Kozo did not dare to resist, and while obeying the orders of the Chinese, although he protested one after another, and said that the two countries were at peace, which violated international law. But the Chinese simply ignored it, and escorted the "Setjin" back to Dagukou like a prisoner.

After escorting the "Settsu" to the designated anchorage position, Qiu Baoren, the captain of the Chinese cruiser "Henghai," boarded the "Settsu" and met with Tsuboi Kozo. The Chinese captain behaved very politely and politely, declaring that the move just now was on the orders of the upper peak, and in view of the fact that China and Japan are likely to go to war due to the breakdown of the talks, the "Settsu" will not be allowed to leave the mouth of Dagu, the Japanese sailors will not be allowed to go ashore, and the "Settsu" will not be allowed to move its anchorage at will.

Although the Chinese captain Qiu Baoren had always behaved extremely amiably, and even sent people to bring supplies to the "Settsu" and invited Tsuboi to visit the "Henghai," he did not let up at all about the fact that the "Settsu" was not allowed to leave.

In this way, the "Settsu" became neighbors with the two Chinese cruisers for many days. During this period of time, Qiu Baoren, captain of the "Henghai," and Lu Lunhua, captain of the "Kangji," repeatedly invited the Japanese naval officers and men of the "Tsuboi" and the "Settsu" to visit the Chinese cruiser and organized a contest between the officers and men of the two sides.

These days, Tsuboi Kozo has gained a lot of knowledge, and through visiting the Chinese cruisers, he also understands where the Japanese Navy lost this time, because although he did not complete the task assigned by the Ministry of War, he did not worry about not reporting the difference.

Tsuboi Kozo had not discovered at this time that this trip to Tianjin, China, would have a huge impact on his future life.

At this time, the "Henghai" signaled again, saying that the captain was visiting, and without waiting for the "Settsu" to answer, he put down the dinghy, and when he saw Qiu Baoren who was leisurely on the dinghy, Tsuboi Hangzo lost his temper at all.

Soon, Qiu Baoren and several Chinese officers came to the "Setjin" and greeted him like an old friend of Pingjing Hangsanxiang. As usual, Kozo Tsubai welcomed the arrival of the Chinese naval officers.

The two sides were chatting with each other, and at that moment, they were interrupted by a long whistle from the distant sea.

Tsuboi Hangsanxun followed the prestige and saw a smoking black dot in the distance growing rapidly.

Soon, the figure of a Chinese warship appeared.

The Chinese warship was long and narrow, and its speed was extremely fast, and it rushed in front of him almost instantly, and its fast speed surprised Tsuboi Kozo.

From birth to now, it was the first time he had seen a boat running so fast!

"...... this?" He asked Qiu Baoren tentatively.

"This is the 'Feihong', a high-speed notification ship built by my country, and Pingjing-kun may have seen it for the first time." Qiu Baoren looked at Pingjing Hangsan's stunned appearance, and said proudly, "The speed of this class of ship can reach 20 knots at the fastest, and it is the first express ship in the Qing Dynasty at present. ”

Hearing Qiu Baoren say that the speed of this warship could reach 20 knots at the fastest, Tsuboi Hangzo couldn't help but feel a shock in his heart.

Accustomed to the slow speed of Japanese warships, he couldn't imagine what it was like to sit on a warship with a speed of 20 knots.

"The 'Feihong' is passing news back and forth between Tianjin and Shanghai, and it is running so fast at this time, I think there is some important news coming." Qiu Baoren said.

After listening to Qiu Baoren's words, Tsuboi Hangzo somehow suddenly thought of the peace talks that were going on in Tianjin, and his heart couldn't help but hang again.

At this time, Tsuboi Kozo did not know that the news of the restoration of the Ryukyus brought by the "Feihong" would indeed have a fatal impact on the negotiations in Tianjin.

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"Li Wenzhong's Public Collection: Diary":

"At noon today, I got a ship report, and more than 1,000 people from the ship's master and navy division went to Shuri, the capital of the Ryukyus, to comfort the overseas Chinese, and now the Japanese have been expelled, and the position of the lord of the Ryukyus has been restored. Ryukyu has been occupied by Japan for many years, and the king of Ryukyu has sent many envoys to plead, with a long distance, the army is not as good as the aid, and the Japanese are cunning, and they have negotiated with them for many years, and they do not know the essentials. Yu will send this letter to the Beijing Division, hoping that the General Administration will be helpful in the peace talks with the Japanese. …… The Japanese people had already returned to the meeting, and Okubo said that he was not sick, and the deputy envoy Kido Ito and the acting minister Yanagihara were to talk. The Japanese people pleaded for a reduction, the love words were pitiful, and they had lost their arrogance in the past, and Kunyu insisted on the number of eight million and refused to reduce it a little. …… Eight million pounds is really embarrassing, and the total amount of reparations paid by the Japanese should be about two million pounds......"

"Guo Wengong Collection: Diary":

“…… Since the Middle Ages, the two states of the Ryukyus have been under attack for a long time, and it has been difficult to carry out reforms, so that today, China has been restored as a state, and it is an act of immortality, and it is enough to show the effectiveness of the Ryukyus as part of China's territory and to sever its relations with Japan. …… Since Japan had changed the Ryukyus into a vassal domain, it was flexible to discuss the small and if necessary, and if necessary, it could waive the tribute as a basis, and at the same time send envoys to protect the Ryukyus together with the ministers of various countries, and let them be left to their own devices. The Ryukyus have been subjugated to China for a long time, and it is advisable for China to take the initiative and protect the Ryukyus. It is heard that there are five islands in the north of the Ryukyus, which are also their land, and they were occupied by the Japanese during the Ming Dynasty, and they have not yet been returned, so they should try to ask for them, and after the demarcation is specified, they will never interfere with each other, and how China will try to preserve the Ryukyus in the future, Japan should have no way to put its beak. ”

"Li Wenzhong's Collection: Draft: Preparing for the Ironclad Ship and Inviting the Envoy Film":

"Again, in the middle of the fold, the Minister of Military Aircraft secretly sent an edict on September 18 to present an edict to Wen Xiang to pay tribute to Chen Guanjian. Taiwan's affairs have not yet been concluded, and the future troubles are in danger. Japan and Fujian and Zhejiang are navigable, and the Japanese people are used to breaking their promises, and it is difficult to ensure that there will be no more branches. In the past, due to the discussion of buying ironclad ships and water forts, there was no way to do anything, and now the situation has been slowed down, so it is urgent to plan quickly, in order to take precautions. Shen Baozhen and others carefully prepared for the business, and Li Hongzhang and Li Zongxi discussed the purchase of unfinished ironclad ships, water forts, and the application of ordnance, and quickly raised funds for the purchase. Chin this. And the banknote recorded Wen Xiangyuan folded to the minister. ”

"Now that the peace talks have begun, and although the Japanese have tried their best to show their cunning, they have learned that the Ryukyus have been restored and that our ship is close at hand, so there will be no further changes. Wen Xiang considered that Japan is too close to Fujian and Zhejiang, and it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no future troubles. In recent years, the country has changed the old system, and the feudal people are not satisfied. However, if he changed his Western art of war, imitated railway trains, added telegraph coal and iron ore, and minted foreign money, he did not have no interests in the national economy and people's livelihood, and sent more students to the West to learn the arts, and borrowed more foreign debts to secretly form party aid with the British. Therefore, he dared to claim dominance in the East and despised China, and there was a move to spy on Taiwan. Although Taixi is strong, he is still 70,000 miles away, and Japan is close to his elbows. Although he is reluctant to comply now, he is deeply deliberate, coveting the abundance of our products and people, and hoping that my weapons and ships are not ready, and in the future, I am afraid that he will still be cunning. It is an ironclad ship, a water fort and other items, and it is necessary to rush to prepare. However, the huge amount of money is not specified, and it will take time to make it, and the minister has already reconsidered the Prime Minister's Yamen Shipbuilding Article in detail. In the past, there were discussions on buying ironclad ships, but many foreign merchants had submitted pictures, and because they were too far apart, they would have to spend too much, and they did not dare to buy the old ships by mistake, so it seemed that it would be appropriate for the committee members to go to the country to negotiate the purchase. One of its water fort ships, Prime Minister Yamen is now asking the British about the value, and Shanghai Ocean Bank has contracted the order. According to Feng Zhuoguang, a member of the Shanghai Bureau, and others, the bureau has made a copy, which can be completed next spring, and it seems that it is not difficult to add it one after another. But those who are prepared and have no patients, the foundation of the country, and those who surrender without a fight, attack the heart. Since the preparation of the border control, the talent, the two can not be wasted. All countries send envoys to the city, so joint diplomacy can also get a glimpse of the enemy's situation, and China and its close ones are not the way to drive and control from afar. In the tenth year of Tongzhi, Japan first discussed the treaty, and after the minister and Zeng Guofan both appealed to the country, China should send personnel to Japan to control our merchants and people, and to investigate the movements of the other people, hoping to contact and contain and eliminate future troubles. After the contract was renewed last year, there was no time to prepare, and the country sent troops to Taiwan this spring. If there is an envoy stationed there, he should be able to distinguish the obstacles in advance and deal with the business quickly, otherwise he can also fight with the monarch and ministers of the country after sending troops, which is more effective than discussing and handling in Beijing. It is planned to ask His Majesty's Prime Minister, Yamen Wang, to select the third and fourth rank Jingtang members who are familiar with foreign affairs and have a clear understanding of border affairs, and ask for a reward for the title of Chong, and send them to the Japanese envoy stationed in Zazai, so that they can report the appointment to their neighbors and answer the sincerity of the Chinese people's hope for Ze, and if they have other tricks, it is not difficult to detect their situation, and the camera will control them. It is said that there are nearly 10,000 Chinese businessmen and citizens in Yokohama, Nagasaki, and Hakodate in the country, and that once the agreement has been made, it should not be left out of the way, and once the minister arrives there, he should set up a prime minister and an official at the port, and take care of the lawsuit on his own, so as to maintain the national system. Not hereby also, that is, the great states such as Britain and France, such as Taixi, should also be sent to the special station, and the reward will be heavy, and the number of years will be determined to proclaim prestige and affection. In the event that he could not negotiate a conclusion in his negotiations in China, or if the treaty he had made was seriously inconvenient, he would go back and forth with the Prime Minister of the country, Yamen, and try to negotiate at any time, so as to gradually eliminate the disadvantages of deceiving and blackmailing the envoys, and it seems that the overall situation of trade would be beneficial. Is there a when? The attached piece of Lihe is overwritten, and the begging saint is instructed. Sincerely. ”

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Beijing, Forbidden City, Qinzheng Palace.

"Emperor, these excerpts today are all from the impeachment of Lin Yizhe?" The Empress Dowager Cixi saw that Emperor Tongzhi had put some folds aside with only a slight flip, and after a while, she stacked a thick dozen, and couldn't help frowning and asked.

Hearing the Empress Dowager Cixi's question, Emperor Tongzhi, who had been yawning for a long time, suddenly became much more sober.

"Back to the emperor's mother, these excerpts are all impeached by Lin Yizhe." Emperor Tongzhi replied with a little weakness.

The reason why he picked out these folds and put them aside was that he wanted to concentrate on this batch after the important folds were approved, and he was lazy, but he didn't expect to be seen through by his mother at a glance.

"Who are the officials?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked again.

"If you go back to the emperor's mother, there are Yu Leisen, the young secretary of Dali Temple, Yu Lingchen, the political envoy, Liu Haoliang, the superintendent of the imperial history, Wang Shimata, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, and others." Emperor Tongzhi said the names of the four speech officials in one breath, and the reason why he was able to remember the names of these four people among the speech officials who participated in the impeachment of Lin Yizhe was entirely because the excerpt they wrote made too "profound" impression on him.

"What are these excerpts about Lin Yizhe?"

"Back to the emperor's mother, this ...... Yu Leisen participated in the impeachment of Lin Yizhe and Meng Shengcong, changed the old system, exceeded his authority without authority, and took the opportunity of the peace talks to ask the Japanese for a huge amount of money in order to enrich himself......" Emperor Tongzhi looked at his mother's face carefully, and said, "He said that whether to make peace or not is up to the Son of Heaven, how can he easily pay his subordinates ......"

Empress Dowager Cixi snorted disdainfully, "What else did he say?" ”

"Yu Leisen also said that the reason why Lin Yizhe so coerced the Japanese and demanded money that they could not repay was intended to break down the peace talks and resume the war, so that he could greed for heavenly merit as his own......

"What a bastard!" Anger surged on the face of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and Emperor Tongzhi hurriedly stopped.

"Who else said anything?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked again.

"Back to the emperor's mother's words, the general political envoy Yu Lingchen said that Lin Yizhe was bent on persecuting Japan, but for his own selfishness, so that the imperial court would give him more silver to build ships, and he deliberately demanded a huge amount of money, making things difficult for the Japanese, and wanted to make the two countries break up, so that he could profit from it, and the battle of Taiwan was originally because of the people, and the Japanese because of the people of the people who killed their shipwrecked boatmen, it was to raise troops to ask for the crime, which was originally a righteous act to protect the people, and Lin Yizhe in order to please the concubines, he disregarded the overall situation and provoked provocations, so that the court was overwhelmed with labor, and the court was burdened with the notoriety of belligerence, and the intentions were extremely dangerous......"

"What a 'righteous act to protect the people'! I can't tell right from wrong, and black and white are reversed to this point! After listening to Emperor Tongzhi's relay, the Empress Dowager Cixi was furious, "It's really a bald pen, turning your hands into clouds and covering your hands for rain!" ”

Seeing his mother angry, Emperor Tongzhi's heart couldn't help but tremble.

"The emperor's mother is angry! These officials are always like this, they are too thoughtful, and they don't have to be taken seriously......"

"Don't take it seriously? Is this still what the Qing courtiers said? I think he Yu Lingchen has received the Japanese silver! If not, how could he speak to the Wako like this? Empress Dowager Cixi said angrily.