Ai Xin Jueluo. Zaifeng, Prince Alcohol Aixin Jueluo. Yi Xun's fifth son, Guangxu Emperor Aixin Jueluo. Zaiyan's younger brother [Note], Emperor Xuantong Aixin Jueluo. Pu Yi's father -

"So," Qin Lang looked at the young nobleman who was saluting the President of the Senate, and whispered to the senators and senior staff of the president beside him, "That's why you asked me to come to Washington?" ”

-- Four days ago, just as he was returning to San Diego after a brief meeting with Situ Meitang, Qin Lang received a telegram from Bush and Harriman, asking him to go to Washington immediately and that he must hurry. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoSo he had to change his itinerary and rush to a new destination.

He had expected Bush and Harriman to tell him something of particular importance, or to discuss with him some very important plan, but he did not expect that they would want him to rush to Washington immediately only because of a Manchu aristocrat who was only seventeen years old—of course, he knew that Zaifeng was in the United States. He was reported in the daily newspapers, and Umbrella had a team of agents monitoring him round-the-clock — but, apart from his royal background, was this man worthy of the attention of Bush and Harriman? And, outside of the two of them, he smelled something else.

Not only the smell of the conglomerates, but also the smell of the US government and politicians, who were all interested in the younger brother of the Guangxu Emperor, as can be seen by the number of congressmen and government officials who came to the station to see him off: it was like sending off a head of state of a Western power, not a young Chinese envoy who had to go to Germany to apologize for the Boxer Rebellion[note 2].

Moreover, according to newspaper reports, the welcoming ceremonies held in New York and Washington on the occasion of the envoy's arrival in the United States were equally grand and warm, unusually extraordinary.

Qin Lang didn't want to blame anything, and he didn't want to say that this kind of etiquette that violated diplomatic conventions was enough to make people think a lot, but there was no doubt that Washington's behavior was definitely not without reason.

"What are the plans of the Senate and the White House, for that young Manchu aristocrat?" Qin Lang asked, unusually open and direct.

For those plans that he didn't come up with on his own, he likes to take the attitude that he can't let others control the pace of the conversation, because he has lost the initial initiative.

However, for Bush and Harriman, since they are both familiar with him, this trick is not very effective.

"There's no definite plan yet," Harriman replied, "just the Foreign Affairs Committee and us" — "we" referring to the president's aides, and Qin Lang knows what he means — "assessing the possibility of supporting the special envoy for his crimes." ”

"Judging by the various statements made by the special envoy for his crimes, as well as his hints on different occasions," Bush continued, "I think he needs the support of the United States." ”

"Oh." Qin Lang nodded, very calm, not surprised at all, and did not ask Washington about his intention to support Zaifeng - the answer was obvious, a member of the imperial family, the son of Prince Alcohol, the younger brother of Emperor Guangxu, and the future son-in-law of the Minister of Military Aircraft Rong Lu, if Washington intended to support him, then it could only push him to one position - the next Chinese emperor.

A political attempt that is a matter of course, but at the same time an urgent one: If Capitol Hill and the White House are serious about doing so, they would do well to do so.

Because the honorable Guangxu Emperor, and the de facto ruler of the Manchu Dynasty, the Empress Dowager Cixi, who was even more noble than him, now has her fate hanging by a thread, and is about to ascend to Bliss—an open secret; Although there is no official communiqué and no one dares to discuss it publicly, well-informed people in China, Japan and the West are well aware that, given their health, it is unlikely that the mutually hating mother and son will survive this summer – and the most pessimistic prediction is that they will die before the end of spring.

So, it is now clear to everyone who knows this inside information that the world's most populous country has a very urgent need to establish a new ruler.

A new ruler who can be accepted by the majority of interest groups.

Ai Xin Jueluo. Zaifeng. Qin Lang looked at the young nobleman who was approaching him little by little. He was supposed to be the only member of the royal family who could succeed his unfortunate brother - although there was once another heir, the Duanjun King Aisin Jueluo. Zaiyi's son Aixin Jueluo. Pu Jun, however, since his father's misfortune for the Boxers, the boy who was once canonized as the eldest brother was deposed and sent to distant Xinjiang, never to return to the center of power in China - so now there is only one choice.

At least, the only option acceptable to the United States.

Also German.

"According to the information we have received, the Germans have a very good impression of the envoy." Bush's whisper drifted over again, "Emperor Wilhelm II privately told his minister that if Zaifeng became the new emperor of China, he would send a heavyweight envoy to Beijing to attend his coronation." ”

"By the way, sign another treaty." Harriman mockingly said, "The British are trapped in South Africa, and the Germans will not let go of this opportunity." ”

However, that is what every country that supports Zaifeng hopes to achieve, and there is no difference - this is true of Germany, and this is also true of the United States - Qin Lang smiled. "It seems that there is a high probability that Zaifeng will become the new emperor of China, and the Germans, we and the British will support him......"

He mentioned Britain, although Bush and Harriman have not mentioned it, but Qin Lang knows that Britain will never oppose Zaifeng's succession to the throne, of course, everyone else knows: Zaifeng is a member of the imperial family and the younger brother of Emperor Guangxu, and his coronation as the new emperor is a normal royal succession, which is enough for the rigid British, who adhere to the aristocratic tradition, to support him.

Moreover, the ground military forces of the British Empire were all trapped in southern Africa. The expeditionary force captured Orange, captured the Transvaal, and forced Kruger and his government into exile in the Netherlands, but the Boer guerrillas continued to fight, launching frequent attacks on British army logistics lines and clearance troops. Lord Roberts had declared "the end of the war", but now London had to continue to invest in troops, increasing the number of military personnel to 400,000, and issuing war bonds for this purpose—as he had told Morgan and the senators of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the British were unlucky to be bogged down in a quagmire that they could not pull out anytime soon.

The British do not have more power to pay attention to and intervene in what is happening in China, this is an opportunity for all countries. Qin Lang already knows what the United States and Germany think, but what about other countries?

"What is the attitude of other countries?" He asked.

"France and Austria, quite possibly." Bush replied, "The attitude of Italy and Russia is not clear for the time being, as well as Japan—but my view is that the attitude of these countries is of little practical significance." ”

Harriman largely agrees with him, except for a slight disagreement. "Russia's attitude deserves attention. After all, it is right next to China, and it has a large number of troops stationed in the northeast. If the Tsar is against it, and insists on supporting the heir to the throne of his choice, the crown......"

"I don't think His Majesty the Tsar would have the heart to do such a thing." Qin Lang smiled. "If he had known that Japan would go to war with Russia within a year."

"You're going to leak that loan agreement to the Russians?" Bush looked at him, "Do you think the Russians would worry about the Japanese, Qin?" ”

"For His Majesty the Tsar, the Japanese were not a threat worthy of his concern. However, if the Japanese still have the shadows of the British, the Germans, and the Americans, and the main source of financing for Russia, France, takes an absolutely neutral posture very untimely......" Qin Lang finally said, "I believe that His Majesty the Tsar will not rashly oppose the coronation of Zaifeng." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Bush immediately turned to Harriman and spread his hands to him. "You see, that's what I said to you the other day."

"You didn't tell me that the second loan agreement stipulated that the Japanese would need to declare war on Russia within a year." Harriman defended himself, "Nobody told me, and no presidential aide knew about it." He began to complain, "Maybe it's just because it was a consortium's plan and didn't go through the government, so some people were ignored......"

Harriman paused, then joined Bush and quickly straightened up—Zaifeng had already walked within ten yards of them, so the conversation ended for the time being. The three of them began to wait, watching the future Chinese emperor salute each other with the congressmen in line ahead of them, talk, and then say goodbye - and then it was their turn.

First Bush, then Harriman, and finally Qin Lang.

What made Qin Lang find it funny was that when the Secretary of State introduced him to Zaifeng, he used the title "Duke of the Abyssinian Empire, Brigadier General of the U.S. Army, Chairman and CEO of the Board of Directors of the Umbrella Security Services and Military Industrialization Group" - he believed that Zaifeng must have been mistaken by the duke title that he couldn't even think of himself, so that his smile became slightly stiff, and it took him a while to remember to greet him.

"I have admired the great name for a long time, Qin ...... Checkmate. He hesitated, clearly not knowing what to say. See you today, uh......"

Of course, there is also some embarrassment and reluctance. Qin Lang could understand that Zaifeng had no experience in dealing with someone with a special status like him, and he was not prepared, and according to the kind of education he received since he was a child, white etiquette should never be used between them, it should be that he knelt in front of him, kowtowed, and used the most respectful and humble posture.

He wasn't used to it, and certainly didn't like to talk to a Chinese in the way he was now. However, Qin Lang thought that he had better adapt to this way as soon as possible, because there would be many such experiences in the future.

And it was by no means a "later" too long later—because after he took off his hat and saluted Zaifeng, and then the two exchanged a few brief greetings and praised each other's youth and promisingness, the Secretary of State immediately said: "Your Excellency, Qin Lang will also take the same train back to California." I am sure that during the journey, you will be able to have a pleasant exchange and reach some common ground. ”

Very explicit insinuation. Qin Lang commented. It appears that he has been given a new task: to negotiate with Zaifeng to force him to accept the terms offered by the United States to support his coronation as emperor, and then to reach a written agreement. It's not good work, it's not that supporting Jae-bong or putting forward those conditions is a bad thing, it's just that the ownership of this matter is clearly on Wall Street and in Washington – at least for now.

Thankfully, though, he still had plenty of opportunities to regain control - and then Qin Lang found that his ideas were a little too far ahead.

"We can only leave this matter to you, Qin." As soon as the secretary of state and Zaifeng left, Bush said, "You have to figure out whether this young man deserves our support." ”

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow. Figuring it out? Qin Lang was confused for a moment, and then began to laugh - in his stomach. He thought that Washington had decided to support Zaifeng, but Washington was only ready to support him, and had not yet made a final decision, and it was up to him to complete the final assessment.

It's so much fun. He thought happily. The initiative of the matter is still in his hands.

"Looks like I'm busy." He shrugged, "But why doesn't Washington make a decision right away?" We don't have a lot of time. ”

Not a lot of time, but not as little as he claimed. Although, if the United States fails to make a statement before Jae-bong is confirmed as the heir to the throne, it will make American support meaningless, and cause the United States to lose many of the expected gains...... However, the chances of his status being confirmed are not high until Zaifeng's official wedding, and the likelihood of Cixi and Guangxu dying during this time is similarly low.

Strictly speaking, it is very low: according to the latest news that Qin Lang has gotten, due to the fear of "Concubine Zhen's ghost", the mother and son who hate each other have moved to live elsewhere and have not continued to stay in the original palace. This will allow them to live a little longer – of course, a little late, so they will still die within this year.

So there is actually plenty of time. It's just that for his personal interests, Qin Lang needs to create a little tension, and this tension is taken for granted in the eyes of Bush and Harriman.

No one can predict the date of death of the Empress Dowager and Emperor of China, and that reason alone is enough for everyone to be cautious.

However, an assessment is still a must.

"You know," Bush said, "even if he has the support of the entire Western world, if the Chinese bureaucracy and military oppose his coronation as the new emperor, he is unlikely to become the new emperor of China, or make us pay a higher price than expected." ”

"And more importantly, we need to know his attitude towards the United States, and his inclination towards Western countries." Clearly, Harriman's statement is the real point: if Zaifeng had been closer to Germany or Britain, or even outright resentful of the United States, the United States would not have supported his coronation – the United States would have received more, if not all, than other countries, but it should still be most.

"I'll figure it out." He assured, but did not take his mission seriously.

The question that Washington wants to know is actually not a question at all, because he knows it all: Aisin Jueluo. Will Zaifeng be able to get the support of the Chinese bureaucracy and the military? Of course, he was the younger brother of the Guangxu Emperor and had always been supported by the conservative Qing school ministers; His future wife is Rong Lu's daughter, so naturally he can get help from the military group; In the end, as long as the West supports him, the Westernist ministers will never stand against him.

He could, of course, be crowned the new emperor of China. Like he just said, he was the only option.

So what is his attitude towards the United States?

Qin Lang became more pleasant. Is Zaifeng's attitude toward the United States something to be concerned about? Unfortunately, no. Because as soon as his plan is fully implemented, the history of the Qing Empire will come to an end quickly, and it will never take more than five years - in that case, is it necessary to pay attention to the thoughts of a short-lived last emperor?

Fortunately, Washington, and even Wall Street are not clear about this, although it is only temporary, but it still gives him a chance, otherwise, Qin Lang believes that Capitol Hill and the White House will definitely leave him alone and unilaterally implement the plan.

It has nothing to do with race or anything else, it's just that a lot of people feel that he has already gotten too much and should give the new benefits to someone else......

However, he will get more things.

A pleasant smile turns into a sneer. Qin Lang once again set his sights on the last emperor who was gradually moving away. From the father of the last emperor to the last emperor, Aixin Jueluo. Jaefeng should pay a sufficient reward for what he has done, exempting his eldest son from the pain and stupid experiences that he would have had to bear and endure.

"I'm not greedy." He said to himself, "I only want my share of ......."

At this moment, an agent of the Ministry of Internal Affairs squeezed through the crowd with difficulty, interrupting Qin Lang's thoughts. "Sir." The agent whispered in his ear, "Our men engaged in a brief exchange of gunfire with Japanese troops and police south of Formosa......"

He said too much. Qin Lang glanced at his companions beside him and announced, "You just need to tell me the result." ”

The agent paused, thought for a few seconds, and then completed his report in the simplest way he knew: "Mission accomplished, sir." ”

That's the news he wants to know.

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Note: Yi Xun has a total of seven sons, the eldest son, the third son and the fourth son all died young, and the second son is Guangxu, so it is Zaifeng who inherits the title of Prince Alcohol

Note 2: Historically, due to the killing of Klinder in the Gengzi Incident, Zaifeng set off for Germany in 1901 as an envoy to apologize to the German government - considering that he was born in 1883, in this book, his age is too young compared to his identity (to be continued, if you want to know what happened next, please log in to the www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!) (To be continued.) )