"Bang-" A gunshot pierced the quiet night sky, and the sleeping birds flew around in panic, waking up the sleeping city of Beijing.

"Formation on the spot-" The patrolling soldiers immediately looked for the most advantageous offensive and defensive positions, and they put their guns in their hands and prepared for the attack.

"Drop--Urgently assemble-" A sharp whistle suddenly sounded in the barracks, and the sleeping soldiers instantly woke up and rushed out of the barracks. The playground was full of heavily armed soldiers.

"Hurry, hurry—" The police closest to the scene of the incident had already rushed towards the scene of the incident.

Dongjiaomin Lane, the area of foreign embassies in China.

The soldiers of the Central Garrison Brigade of the Qing Dynasty stationed on the periphery of each legation had a platoon of soldiers on duty outside each embassy in China, and at the same time, a company was independently stationed in the embassy area in case it was not needed. The entire Embassy District is deployed by a separate battalion.

In the event of uncertainty, it was necessary to strengthen security, and the platoon commander in charge of guarding the embassy immediately knocked on the embassy door to inquire about the situation. Soon the situation was summarized to the battalion headquarters, and then the battalion commander snorted and said, "It's okay, it's time to go to sleep when the alarm is lifted." ”

The military alarm was lifted, and the ministers of various countries soon learned the truth of the incident -- Japanese Prime Minister Aritomo Yamaguchi shot himself inside the Japanese legation. What does it mean that the prime minister, who is the representative of Japan, is committing suicide at this time, which is the most critical period of negotiations on Japan? Will the negotiations continue? And Youpeng in Shanxian only left one sentence: I was wrong.

There is something wrong in Shan County, and now there is no time to investigate it. Just as the Japanese Legation was sending a telegram back to Tokyo and wailing, the waiter on night duty at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately reported the situation to the emperor. But he was stopped by Secretary-General Yang Du: "There is no need to disturb the emperor's rest for such a trivial matter, and the Japanese officials will report to the emperor tomorrow." "It turns out. Yang Du's judgment was accurate. When Guangxu, who was still jogging in the morning the next day, learned the news, he only asked where was Miko Fushira, the chief representative of Japan? When he learned that Fubai Meizi had arrived in Tianjin last night and could enter Beijing at noon today, Guangxu didn't care about it and stopped asking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, although Prime Minister Yamaguchi, who is the representative of Japan, committed suicide, Princess Miko Tomisha, the plenipotentiary of Japan, is on her way to Beijing. You will be able to see her in the afternoon. Tang Shaoyi first spoke at the peace talks early the next morning: "In view of the fact that Japan has actually lost its ability to make war reparations, China demands that Japan use the profits from the raw silk cloth business to compensate for a period of 20 years. ”

"Japan has effectively ceded Hokkaido to your country, and your country wants to monopolize Japan's raw silk business. Lord Tang, is the taste of Qingguo too big? Ogne said unhappily. At this time in Japan, the raw silk cloth industry was the only industry in Japan that could generate profits. If Qing Guo swallows it. How the interests of the British Empire were safeguarded.

"I hope that the ministers will correct the statement that Hokkaido is not ceded or returned. At the same time, Hokkaido was the name that Japan changed after occupying Ezo Province, and China, which is now the suzerain, naturally had to use its original name to help Ezo Country. Therefore, on the issue of Japan's reparations, China, as the suzerain, will also formally propose Japan's compensation to Japan. Therefore, Japan considers it a reasonable demand for compensation from the profits of the silk cloth business for 20 years. China will not want Japan to bear this burden forever, and no matter how much profit there will be in the past 20 years, China will immediately stop collecting compensation as soon as the time limit is up. ”

Tian Bei on the side was not happy. If you take all the profits, who will repay the Japanese loans: "Lord Tang, Japan still owes the United States nearly 100 million US debts, if your country takes all the profits." So what will Japan do to repay the money owed to the United States? ”

"Mr. Tian Bei, you may not have heard clearly. The mortgage of a Japanese loan is a tax for ten years, while what our country requires is that compensation with profits is not a tax. Profits are naturally the part after deducting taxes and necessary expenses. So I don't think there is a conflict between your two countries in this regard. ”

"Lord Tang. Your country has also demanded that the Japanese army surrender its weapons to your country, and such a huge batch of arms is already considerable. If your country still takes all the profits from the raw silk cloth, how can the interests of the British Empire be guaranteed? Ogne was unhappy. Because there were no Japanese present. Everyone tore off their disguised masks and negotiated their interests nakedly.

"Monsieur Ogne. Germany, Hawaii, and China all suffered casualties of varying degrees in direct battles with Japan. While further discussion may be required on the specific figures of compensation, it is reasonable to seek compensation. Because the United States needs Japan to repay its debts, if it thinks that Japan's taxes cannot be repaid, it also needs to take a part of the profits of other businesses to compensate for this, and for this reason, China can negotiate with 30% or even half of the business. But in the case of Great Britain, if I remember correctly, Japan did not borrow money from your country, and the cost of buying warships was also paid for with American loans. Your country did not enter the war, and Japan did not owe money. Now, several of our victim countries are demanding compensation from Japan...... Not very reasonable. ”

I don't know if it was because of shame or anger, Ogne's face suddenly turned red. Japan has always been a British dependency and a British sphere of influence. Importantly, the British silk merchants in the Far East were gradually wiped out by the Qing resistance, and the heaviest source of raw silk was now Japan. If the Japanese raw silk business was monopolized by the Qing and the United States, the British silk merchants would be forced to withdraw from the Far East because they could not buy raw silk.

"There are still two warships in Japan that have not been paid...... "Ogne had a gloomy face, but he was interrupted before he could finish his words.

"Oh. What Ognes is talking about is that Britain resells the two warships that China ordered. For small money, China will pay in advance on behalf of Japan. Without waiting for Ogne to answer, Tang Shaoyi turned to Tian Bei and said, "Mr. Tian Bei, if your country must take some of the profits from Japan's raw silk, my country thinks it is negotiable. But your country should also be aware of the great sacrifices made by Japan in the war. Therefore, I hope that your country will make a reasonable request. ”

As long as you can talk. Then all is not a problem. As long as the Japanese market can be opened, as long as the Chinese market can be opened, so as to alleviate the huge domestic production surplus. The United States is worth a penny of interest. Tian Beile couldn't see his teeth, and he talked cordially with Tang Shaoyi. Both inside and outside the conversation, they are inquiring about the future development plan of the Qing Dynasty.

Eugene's face darkened. It was because he was keenly aware of Qing China's intention to leave Britain behind in negotiations with Japan. The morning peace talks ended unhappily with Britain's exit. When Ogne turned to leave the venue, he didn't notice Tian Bei's disgruntled eyes.

Japan's plenipotentiary negotiator, Princess Miko Fushira, came faster than she thought. Guangxu was still dealing with government affairs in the State Council, and before he had time to eat lunch, the people had already arrived. It should be said that as a representative of the defeated country, he should first meet Guangxu, and even if he does not see him, he should first enter the Japanese legation to understand the situation. But it's strange that the first place Fushiro Meiko went to after entering Beijing was the Summer Palace! And the news from the Queen Mother is just a meal together and a family chat. What's there to talk about here? This made Guangxu really incomprehensible.

After taking a nap, Guangxu still went to the State Department to continue his work, and the peace talks on Japan continued in the afternoon. Ogner continued to participate even if he was not happy. But to everyone's surprise, Fubai Meizi still did not participate in the talks, but turned to meet the Empress of the Qing Dynasty. The Empress of the Qing Dynasty talked with Fubai Meizi for a long afternoon, and even Guangxu didn't ask what they were talking about.

It seems that this anomaly only happened for one day. From the next day, everything was normal. As Japan's chief negotiator, Miko Tomishaku attended the peace talks, and her beauty immediately tarnished the entire negotiation. But it cannot affect the entanglement of interests. The negotiations lasted for three consecutive days because of the conflict between the Qing and the United States and the British, and there was still no clear result. Three days later, the Qing Emperor's decree came from Yingtai: it was now the end of December, and if the Chinese expeditionary force could not go home for the New Year, it would be better to spend the New Year in Tokyo. So the negotiations began to accelerate.

Qing resolutely gave up the plan to use the profits of the raw silk cloth business to compensate, and it was rumored that due to pressure from the British side, Qing Guo only symbolically demanded compensation of 10% of the profits. Britain and the United States did not oppose this demand. Germany's demands were not in direct conflict with those of Britain and the United States, and Germany demanded the lease of Zoseburg and the recognition of its ten-year tax rights on Japan's island of Kyushu. Hawaii's request was simpler, with only cash compensation, although it did not meet the initial expectations. In the end, however, with the support of the Qing state, a reparation of 1 million pounds was paid, which was still provided by the United States with a loan to Japan. After the agreement was signed, the Hawaiian fleet would help the Qing state transport all the expeditionary forces back to China, and then all of them left the Far East and returned to Hawaii.

Britain is a little tired, but it is still the leader of the world. The United States still failed to compete with Britain for the initiative on the Japanese island. Although the U.S. Pacific Fleet was docked at Yokosuka, it was unable to resist British pressure from the Far East Fleet in Hong Kong. But as compensation, Britain acquiesced in the American occupation of Shikoku Island. So far. Japan was carved up. Japan was officially reduced to a semi-feudal and semi-colonial power.

On the sixth day of Tomio's entry into Beijing, the "Beijing Treaty" of the peace talks of the Four-Power War between Qingde and Germany was officially signed. Britain, the United States, Russia and other countries also signed as witnesses. The main contents of the treaty are as follows: 1. Japan withdraws from Ezo Island, and Ezo Island and the four northern islands exercise autonomy without separating from Japan. 2. Germany to the Japanese concession of Sasebourg. Japan used ten years of taxes on the island of Kyushu as reparations to Germany. 3. Hawaii received a direct compensation of 1 million pounds. 4. The United States, Japan's largest creditor, will hold Shikoku Island in custody until the Japanese government repays all the payments.

When the Japanese princess Tomilyaku Miko signed the agreement on behalf of Japan in Beijing, the new Japanese prime minister and former Japanese Navy Minister Saigo announced in Tokyo that the Japanese government had recognized and accepted the Beijing Treaty. At the same time, Kurokawa, the former commander of the Japanese 4th Division, who served as Japan's land minister with the support of China in exchange for benefits, ordered the Japanese army to surrender to the Qing army. The Qing Marine Division, which was the rear team, escorted a large amount of supplies, boarded warships and freighters, and began to return home. At the same time, in Beijing, the Qing government issued a statement that due to Japan's domestic predicament, at the request of the Japanese princess, the Qing government would provide Japan with a large amount of grain and cloth to help Japan survive this winter. At the same time, in order to maintain the dignity of the Japanese royal family, the Chinese imperial family transferred the palace maintenance materials ordered from abroad to Japan. However, it is emphasized that this material was originally used for the maintenance of the Chinese Imperial Palace, so this batch of materials is restricted to the maintenance of the Japanese Imperial Palace, and cannot be diverted for other purposes.

So the entire Daqing coast began to get busy. Truckloads of supplies and heads for Japan. It's just that no one knows that these ships are mixed with the fleet of Zhang Pufang, the largest smuggler in the Qing Dynasty. Zhang Pufang, who was dressed thickly, was standing at the bow of the ship looking at his fleet. A contemptuous smile at the departing British merchant ship. Britain has a de facto monopoly on Japan's largest raw silk business, so what? The Qing Dynasty had lower transportation costs and processing costs than the British. This means that the Qing State can take out a part of the profits and rely on the price to snatch the Japanese raw silk business from the British, and the 10% of the profits in the peace talks are used as a cover for this. This is the north, China's territorial waters. It is impossible for a British warship to appear here for no reason, and even if it is discovered, he Zhang Pufang is still an executive of the Pacific Freight Company on the face, and what is found is in the profits. The emperor personally formed a smuggling fleet! How did the emperor come up with such a second in the first place? Zhang Pufang doesn't understand and doesn't need to understand, he only knows that he is doing the imperial mission, and he can do it well. This time, he went to Japan to discuss specific matters with his business partner, Kurokawa Railway.

The war in Japan ended. The Chinese Expeditionary Force is being evacuated from Japan in an orderly manner. But the impact of the Beijing Treaty was enormous, and the key was the enormous sacrifice made by the Qing to restore the vassal state of Ezo.

Queen Liliukarani of Hawaii went to visit the Qing Emperor, but after getting no response from the Qing Emperor, she went to visit the Qing Prime Minister, and vaguely proposed the possibility of the Hawaiian Kingdom being a vassal of the Qing State, but was also vaguely rejected by Li Hongzhang. This strengthened Liliucarani's will to be a vassal of the Qing State, which had to be replaced by the European powers, who had already pounced.

The news that the Qing State helped Ezo restore the country at any cost spread to the world with the "Beijing Treaty", and some people regretted it, and some people sighed. But beyond China's western borders, the old and the young, who had been subverted by the Western powers and were once vassal states of China, were full of passion. They organized secret gatherings, they elected representatives, and they carried a large number of precious gifts. Riding in a carriage and a steamer, he headed towards Beijing under the guise of going to the Qing Kingdom to do business.

Wars are always short-lived, and military merits and rewards are naturally counted by the General Staff Headquarters. The focus of the imperial court again shifted to construction and development, and the ministers and representatives of various countries who participated in the peace talks with Japan were completed. In order to win more orders and more opportunities, domestic and foreign merchants gathered in Beijing.

The hideous naval guns of the fleet cruising along the coastline. It is a sharp weapon to ensure national security. The troops who came back from Japan, they walked in front of the ** and from Chang'an Avenue under the gaze of the emperor. Then with the belief and pride of victory, they set out to their respective stations. The Qing Dynasty used its complete victory in the war against Japan to establish the confidence of the people, and the Qing Dynasty was no longer a country that could be bullied by foreigners. The people of the Qing Dynasty, who used to always walk with their heads down, also involuntarily walked on the street with their heads held high, and dared to face up to the foreigners. The huge investment plan has turned the entire Qing Dynasty into a huge construction site, and these can make more and more people have enough to eat. Sun Yat-sen, who stayed in Hong Kong, found it desperate to find that it was becoming more and more difficult for the ZTE to develop members.

Since Guangxu was in power, the court has always been noisy day after day. The imperial court did not open the local treasury, and the funds could directly participate in foreign investment. Therefore, in order to win more investment from the state treasury, local governors even put down their local work and came to the capital to participate in the court meeting, just to win a little more investment from the state treasury. It's not just for the sake of political performance, because it makes the people under his rule richer. Then these local parents and officials can get the support of the people, and the reputation of the Buddha of ten thousand families, who doesn't want it. China is a country of upward and downward efficiency, and the governors enter Beijing to ask for money, and the magistrates at the lower levels wait for the governors to return to their posts, and then rush into the governor's mansion for a new round of quarrels.

These are what Guangxu is happy to see, no matter what kind of mind they have, they are always firmly carrying out the will from the emperor, and with this loyalty, there is nothing that cannot be tolerated. But today Guangxu couldn't bear it, and Guangxu was furious at the court meeting. The court meeting was well held, and suddenly received a decree from the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces from the Summer Palace: to accept the Japanese princess Fushiro Miko as the imperial concubine. It is reported that the etiquette of accepting concubines in the early stage has been completed, and they are waiting for the emperor to go to the Japanese legation to take people into the palace. Without waiting for the ministers to congratulate, Guangxu stepped on the dragon chair and jumped like thunder: "Say, who did it?" ”

The emperor is angry, and millions of corpses are ambushed. This was not an empty word, all the courtiers felt the emperor's anger, and the cold murderous aura suddenly filled the entire hall. The courtiers first felt the wrath of the emperor, who had always been giggling, and they believed that the emperor would dare to abandon them all.

"Prime Minister, don't you want to say something?" Guangxu stared at Li Hongzhang, who was kneeling motionless.

"The minister failed to discover the tricks of the imperial concubine, and the minister is guilty."

Li Hongzhang respectfully kowtowed and pleaded guilty, but Guangxu in anger was at a loss. Li Hongzhang is right, the Empress Dowager's decree has been issued, and Fubai Meizi is no different from the imperial concubine. Guangxu was angry not because he had a concubine for some reason, but because he felt deceived. Guangxu inspected the palace and glanced at the ministers, and Guangxu felt that they were afraid that they would have known about this matter for a long time. Does this mean that as long as the Manchu ministers join forces, they can overthrow him as an emperor, which cannot be tolerated. But these are the teams that followed him all the way, without their support, Guangxu, the emperor, would be unstable in front of him.

Guangxu kicked angrily, and with a sound of "Bang Dang", he kicked the dragon case over, and left the hall with his hand. The murderous aura in the hall slowly disappeared with the emperor's departure, and only then did Wang Shizhen dare to get up to support Li Hongzhang.

Wang Shizhen said with a bitter face: "Li Xiang, help-"

When Li Hongzhang got up, Wang Shizhen found that he was indeed worthy of being the prime minister of the dynasty, and he was still calm as usual under the emperor's anger, and even smiled slightly. As the emperor's minister, Sun Jianai, Weng Tongyi and Zhang Zhidong and other old ministers were also supported one by one, and then Wang Shizhen deeply realized the gap between himself and several old ministers. I was worried about it here, but several old ministers didn't care about it.

Li Hongzhang smiled and didn't speak, Wang Shizhen could only go to Master Sun. Sun Jianai didn't answer Wang Shizhen, but asked a question: "Have you followed the emperor for so long, don't you see that the emperor is also afraid of his wife?" ”。 Wang Shizhen suddenly realized.

Zhang Zhidong smiled: "On this expedition to Japan, I heard that it is not good to bring back something. Mr. Wang, shouldn't you please take a look at it? ”

Wang Shizhen, who was relieved, replied respectfully: "That's that, these things are still being counted and not put into storage, and they are naturally the masters of the later life." Late in life, I sent the official to the Sihai Hotel, and asked you to appreciate it. ”

"It is estimated that the emperor has no intention of doing government affairs today, and his appearance is lazy. And all the ministers went together to appreciate and appreciate. ”

With Li Hongzhang's words, the hall was suddenly beaming. Everyone giggled and hugged a few old ministers and ran towards the Sihai store. At this point, the war against Japan ended perfectly. For the Qing Dynasty, there was no need to worry about Japan within ten years. (To be continued......)