Unable to resist the French invasion and having lost a third of the country's territory (the entire seven provinces of Nam Ki were in the hands of the French), the small court of the Nguyen Thi family in Vietnam saw Liu Renyi's Black Flag Army as a lifesaver. Emperor Nguyen Phuc Thi of Vietnam personally issued an edict to canonize Liu Renyi, granting him the title of Qipin Qianhu and the official position of Baosheng Defense Envoy (in fact, it is to officially confirm Liu Renyi's identity as the local master from the legal point of view), Liu Renyi was regarded as obtaining the official establishment of the Vietnamese government, and the "temporary workers" were converted into "regular workers", and the Black Flag Army became the legal armed forces of Vietnam.

After being captured by the French army led by An Nye in Hanoi, the Vietnamese heir Emperor Nguyen Phuc Thi, who had always been resistant to the French and unwilling to be controlled by the French, thought of using the Black Flag Army to fight the French, and intentionally or unintentionally planned to drag the Daqian Empire into the water, hoping to prevent the French from further encroaching on Vietnam. It was only then that the Black Flag Army, which occupied the Red River waterway and wanted to rush to Baosheng, attacked and killed An Ye.

The Black Flag Army's attack on An Ye was a matter of pride in the eyes of the Qingliu of the Daqian Empire, but Prince Jing understood that the negative impact of that incident on Daqian was far greater than the so-called "victory" and "great victory" in which An Ye and several other Frenchmen were killed!

At the time of An Ye's killing, Japan was about to make a move against Moswan, and at this time, the relations between the two countries were in a honeymoon period, and the cooperation in various fields was intimate, especially the Fuzhou Shipping Bureau, which can be called a "model project of cooperation between Japan and France," was in a period of rising wind and fire, and the French side was unwilling to tear its face for the sake of Vietnam's small pie and the Great Qian Empire, and cut itself off from this huge market. In order not to hinder the military action against the Japanese invasion, Prince Jing asked Hong Yun to mediate in Paris, and at the same time, he also allowed Lin Yizhe to take advantage of his personal relationship with the French vice admiral. It was easy to calm the situation. In the ensuing campaign against the Japanese invasion of Moss Bay. France is still on the side of the big guys.

Prince Jing knows. This time, Bao Hai asked his opinion on Vietnam in a private capacity, probably because the Black Flag Army had always held Baosheng and threatened the interests of French merchants, and Bao Hai, as the minister stationed in Qianguo, did not want to cause a rift between Paris and Beijing because of the Black Flag Army, so he asked his opinion in this way.

And if the Black Flag Army is allowed to escalate and expand the tense situation in Vietnam, it is very likely to undermine the cooperation between the Great Cadre and France that it has single-handedly promoted, and even push the Great Cadre and France to the brink of war!

For the sake of a half-hearted nominal vassal, all the achievements made before are lost. Only a fool would want to!

"Personally, I very much agree with your opinion that the Daqian Empire and the French Empire should play an important role in the peace and tranquility of Vietnam." "I will urge my government to pay attention to the situation in Vietnam, and if necessary, the Daqian Empire and the French Empire will act together to put an end to the chaos in Vietnam," Prince Jing said. ”

Hearing Prince Jing's words hinting that the Great Cadre would recognize France's position in Vietnam, Bao Hai understood it and had a better impression of this highly respected Prince Bingzheng.

Baohai had no doubt that Prince Jing would exert favorable influence on Empress Dowager Renxi and France.

"I've heard that Baosheng, the stronghold of the Red River waterway, has become a den of bandits." "This will greatly harm the business interests of foreigners in Vietnam. Personally, I am deeply concerned about this and have been following this aspect of the matter for a long time. A few days ago. I've heard a suggestion that thinks it's good, I don't know if you want to know. ”

"Of course I'm very interested in your suggestion." Baohai said, a look of concern on his face.

"That's right, my suggestion is to change the existing commodity trading location, that is, to hand over goods in Hanoi, and set up a special area for handing over goods in the inner and outer cities of Hanoi, and the rest will be left to us." Prince Jing said, "In this way, whether it is the caravan of Daqian or the caravan of France, it will be safer, and the bandits in Baosheng will be powerless against it." ”

Hearing that Prince Jing was so familiar with the situation in Vietnam, Baohai was surprised for a while.

"Are you sure that our merchant ships will not be attacked by the Baosheng bandits?" Baohai asked.

"Yes." Prince Jing nodded, "The gunboats of the Great Qian Navy will escort merchant ships. ”

The reason why Prince Jing gave such a suggestion was after careful consideration. And to make such a proposal to the French, he also has his own plans!

Now that Hanoi has fallen into the hands of the French, changing the place of trade between the two countries to Hanoi and keeping away from the victory controlled by the Black Flag Army as much as possible will not only avoid a direct conflict between the French and the Black Flag Army, but also avoid a diplomatic dispute between the Great Cadres and France over the Vietnam issue.

After all, Vietnam is an unloyal vassal to the Great Cadres, and Vietnam has always been riding a wall between the Great Cadres and France, relying on the Great Cadres when they need them, and alienating them when they want to get support from France. And Daqian's war with France because of Vietnam is the most unwise thing in Prince Jing's eyes.

As a matter of fact, Prince Jing had in his heart that he already had the most favorable draft for how to deal with Vietnam, but now the time has not yet come, and he cannot implement it.

"I have always been very concerned about what happened in Vietnam, and I will report the situation there to the Empress Dowager in detail, believing that the Empress Dowager will make the wisest and most wise decision for the sake of the friendship between the two countries." Prince Jing said to Bao Hai, "I believe that no matter what happens in Vietnam, the friendship between the two countries will not change." ”

Baohai was very happy to listen to Prince Jing's reassuring proposals, and in his opinion, the purpose of today's talks could be said to have been achieved.

"By the way, Mr. Hokai should have heard about the unfortunate war that took place in Japan." Prince Jing duly turned the topic to the Japanese Civil War, "Now that this war is over, the joint action of our two navies and the British navy can be said to have played a very crucial role in ending this disaster, and Mr. Baohai has any insight into the possible impact of this war on the future?" ”

After hearing the explanation, Baohai knew what Prince Jing was worried about, so he couldn't help but smile slightly, and said to Prince Jing: "This war that happened in Japan has greatly affected the interests of our three major countries, and among them, it has the greatest impact on Qianguo. I have heard that a large number of fugitives have left Japan. Arrived at the Ryukyus. The Ryukyus were one of the important protectorates of the Qianguo, and many of these fugitives were military personnel who had participated in the war, and if they entered the Qianguo by way of smuggling, it would have an extremely adverse impact on the Qian, France, and Britain, so it was necessary to deal with these people properly. Our two countries are aligned, please rest assured that His Royal Highness. ”

Hearing Baohai's answer, Prince Jing had fully understood Baohai's intention, and couldn't help but secretly admire the French in his heart for their shrewdness.

But in any case, the French have already made it clear that they want to support the Qianguo to accept Lin Yiqing and the Satsuma soldiers and civilians under his command.

Bao Haixiong knew what Prince Jing was thinking in his heart, and said with a smile: "Your Royal Highness, what I just said completely represents the opinion of the French Imperial Government, please rest assured." You must know that His Excellency Lin Yiqing is the brother of Mr. Lin Yizhe, the 'savior of France'. He is a hero with a sense of justice, His Majesty the Emperor of the French Empire and the French people have never forgotten the kindness of Mr. Hayashi Yizhe, so they will fully support the decision of the Great Qian Empire, please rest assured. If you wish, the Government of the French Empire will send a written note hoping that His Majesty the Great Emperor of the Great Qian Empire will become the protector of Mr. Lin Yiqing, and if the government of the Great Qian Empire is in great difficulty, the French Empire is willing to accept Mr. Lin Yiqing. ”

"The Great Qian Empire is Lin Yiqing's mother country, Lin Yiqing is the grandson of Lin Wenzhong, the younger brother of Lin Wenxiang, motivated by the righteousness, went to Japan to help the Satsuma army and civilians, and now he is returning from poverty, like a wanderer returning to his hometown, how can there be a reason to reject it?" After listening to Baohai's words, Prince Jing made up his mind and said, "I am very grateful that your country can be like this. ”

After the two talked again, Baohai said goodbye, and Prince Jing personally sent Baohai out, and when he returned to the house again, he let out a long breath.

Now he knows that what he has to face is the court meeting in a few days.

December 24, 9080 (the 6th year of Daqian Guangxu, the 13th year of the Meiji era in Japan), Beijing, Forbidden City, Qinzheng Palace, Chaohui.

When all the ministers gathered in the Qinzheng Palace, many people were surprised to find that not only Emperor Guangxu and Prince Jing were all there, but behind the curtain, the queen mother of the two palaces was also present together.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager Intae, who does not often appear, also appeared at the court meeting, all the ministers had a premonition that today's court meeting was extraordinary.

Soon after the death of Emperor Xianfeng, Renxi and Prince Jing Yixin made a plan to launch a coup d'état in Xinyou, executing the regent Chengwei and the group of auxiliary ministers under his control, and seizing the supreme power of the Daqian Dynasty. On the surface, the Empress Dowager of Rentai and Renxi are commensurate with each other as sisters, and they listen to the government together and hold the highest power in the country. But the Empress Dowager Rentai generally lives in a simple place, and political affairs are basically handled by the Empress Dowager Renxi. So much so that outsiders have come to the impression that Rentai is "superior to virtue" and Renxi is "superior to talent".

In fact, Rentai is not only very deep in the city, but also a wise and foolish woman. In fact, if you compare her with Renxi, you can find that the Empress Dowager Rentai is by no means useless. decided to make a big deal in the government, and many of them were Rentai's final decision. It's just that Rentai is not interested in power, so the daily government is mostly handled by Renxi. And Renxi "is afraid of the distinction between the concubines and the concubines, and he does not dare to be rude". When encountering major government affairs, Renxi did not dare to make assertions, and still had to consult Rentai's opinion. Therefore, the Empress Dowager Rentai also has a very good set of methods in controlling the situation and controlling power.

"Today, there is civil strife in Japan, and more than 100,000 remnants of Satsuma have fled to the Ryukyus," Prince Jing looked around at the ministers and said loudly, "The head of the Satsuma people, after my dynasty Lin Wenzhonggong, Lin Wenxiang's brother Lin Yiqing, expressed his feelings to the Empress Dowager and the emperor, and wanted to belong to my great cadres, how should I deal with it?" If you have any suggestions, you should know them in detail with the Queen Mother. ”

Prince Jing's voice was very loud, and all the ministers in the palace could hear it clearly, and the government and the opposition were arguing fiercely about the return of the Satsuma army and people, but now at the court meeting, no one spoke out.

For a long time, the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and the Minister of the Prime Minister's Yamen Chonghou went out to play: "The Queen Mother, Your Majesty, the Japanese government has failed to govern the people, which has provoked this turmoil, and the Sa people are unbearable and abused, and they rebelled and rebelled, and the army was defeated and took refuge in the Ryukyus. Allow him to be my people forever. Quiet living in the Ryukyus......"

"This must not happen!" Hear Chonghou say a suggestion to accept the Sa people. Zuo Jigao let out a loud shout and interrupted Chonghou's words.

It may be that Zuo Jigao's voice was too loud, the little emperor sitting on the dragon chair was startled, his face turned pale, and he couldn't help but look back at the two mothers, Empress Dowager Renxi frowned, and a trace of dissatisfaction flashed in her eyes, but it was fleeting. Seeing the frightened look of the little emperor, she showed a comforting smile to the little emperor, and the little emperor calmed down and sat down again, but he still looked at the white-bearded old man Zuo Jigao who had already rushed out of work below with some horror.

Zuo Jigao didn't notice this small scene at all, his heart was now full of thinking about how to mess up the matter of Lin Yiqing's return to the country, after he hurried out of class, he glared angrily at the same white-haired Chonghou, and said loudly: "This is a move that will bring disaster to the country and the people." Not to be felt! ”

Chonghou was also startled by Zuo Jigao just now, and came back to his senses at this time. He was very dissatisfied with Zuo Jigao's interruption of his speech in disregard of Chaoyi, and he was even more annoyed when he heard Zuo Jigao say that his suggestion was a move that would bring disaster to the country and the people. Ask for advice! ”

Zuo Jigao sneered and said: "Recruiting rebellion, it is taboo for all dynasties, take in the Satan people, Japan and Russia will join forces to raise troops to invade the border, as soon as the war starts, the southeast and northwest are full of war, and hundreds of millions of soldiers and people are in misery, what is it that is not a disaster for the country and the people?" ”

After Zuo Jigao finished speaking, without waiting for Chonghou to refute, he went straight to the Jinshui Bridge, and bowed to the little emperor on the dragon chair and the two queen mothers who were blocked by the curtain behind the little emperor: "This matter is absolutely impossible!" The minister implored the Queen Mother to behead the person who proposed this proposal to thank the world! ”

Seeing that Zuo Jigao actually said that he was going to cut off his head, Chonghou remembered the past when he almost had his head cut off because he mistakenly believed Zuo Jigao's words, and he was furious for a while.

Chonghou word mountain, is the Bohai White Tiger people, and those who rely on blood, family background into the officialdom of the eight children of the difference, Chonghou after ten years of cold window examination in the people, and open-minded, is the officialdom at that time famous Western-style figures, Tianjin Machinery Bureau was founded in Tianjin as the Minister of Commerce of the three mouths, Fuzhou Shipbuilding Bureau built the first steam warship in China and the first steam warship "Wan Nianqing", was reviewed by him, that time he and Lin Yizhe who came with a ship to wait for the review had a relationship, Lin Yizhe had a good impression, and both sides belonged to the Western-style factionIt is because there will be many things in the future, and this time Chonghou helped the Satsuma people to say good things, on the one hand, from the fear that there would be a "disaster in the season", and on the other hand, because the leader of the Satsuma people is Lin Yizhe's younger brother Lin Yiqing, in order to repay the feelings of the deceased, so he said this.

The lofty suggestion can actually be said to be not unreasonable, and it is also the theory of "Zhongzheng and peace" in the opinion of many ministers in the DPRK, but Zuo Jigao did not wait for him to finish his words, so he labeled him as a "disaster to the country and the people", and asked the Empress Dowager to cut himself by order, no matter how good his temper is, he can't bear it.

Moreover, the punishment of "three levels of demotion and retention, and a three-year fine" on his body is completely thanks to Zuo Jigao!

After the Great Qian Empire restored its rule over Xinjiang, it met the conditions for the return of Ili promised by Russia. However, as the Russian envoy in Beijing repeatedly delayed the discussion of this issue, Prime Minister Yamen instructed his newly accredited legation in Russia to make representations on the question of the return of Ili. Chonghou who led the mission was awarded the title of Minister of the First Rank, which means that Chonghou had the power to act cheaply at this time.

The Russians were determined to get the most out of the Ili situation. The Russian government had been under pressure from the industrialists and merchants of the central provinces and the Urals to secure new trade routes to Mongolia, Gansu, and Shaanxi; There are no British and American goods and competition in these places. This prospect of trade, along with mining rights in western China, where precious metals are abundant, is said to be sufficient to resolve the Russian economic crisis, which has been clearly exposed. Under the direction of the Russian Minister of War, a special commission was formed to formulate Russia's policy toward China. It decided to make the following demands in return for the return of Ili: the right of the Russian caravan to enter the interior of China; ceding the Turks River valley and the Muzat Pass to Russia; amnesty for the inhabitants of Guleza; and several other requirements.

Chonghou was completely unprepared for this mission, he did not know anything about the intricacies of international diplomacy and the geographical situation of Ili, before leaving for Russia, he sent a telegram to Zuo Jigao, asking about the situation in Ili, and also had the meaning of asking Zuo Jigao, Zuo Jigao did not introduce the geographical situation of Ili and the situation at that time, but said that "the Russians do not intend to occupy Ili for a long time", "only for trade, as soon as the envoys arrive, they will return it", and mentioned that "the Russians are looking forward to resting their troops to open a mutual market, and the army of the Western Expedition has not enough food to meet before, Purchased from many Russian merchants", "the Russians invited trade to help the needs of the border people", implying that the Russian side had good intentions towards the Qianguo and believed in it with great respect, and after arriving in the Russian capital, Petersburg, the Russian sycophancy made him dazed and lost his guard, and in addition, he was anxious to return home to take care of the urgent household chores, so he hastily concluded the Treaty of Livadia. (To be continued......)

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