In the Qing Dynasty, there was a shortage of grain in the north, and about three or four million shicao grains were sent to Tianjin through the Grand Canal and then to Beijing. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoAfter the Taiping army occupied Nanjing, Zhenjiang and other places, the canal transportation was cut off. In the early summer of each year, the grain from the south is shipped from Shanghai to Tianjin through Dagu. The Dagu area is also the most important salt-producing area in northern China, and the salt tax is a large part of the Qing Dynasty's income.

Tianjin Wei, Dagukou.

On the bustling road, the pedestrians flow endlessly, the traders on both sides of the road are selling their goods hard, this since the Ming Dynasty Chengzu Zhu Di launched the battle of Jingjing from here to the south, after returning to Beijing victoriously, he was complacent and changed this place to "Tianjin", which means "the crossing of the Son of Heaven", and now Caoyun is from Tianjin into Beijing, and the market is becoming more and more lively.

In the distance, there was a long clean street gong from Dangdang, and the pedestrians knew that it was the official master who came, and this place was not as serious as the Jingshi, everyone just flashed to the side, and the vendors also packed up their goods, flashing out a passage that could be passed.

First there were two soldiers who sounded the gong, followed by two rows of guards with knives, so after passing, there was a pair of number plates, the first pair was written "Jinshi", the second pair was written "Hanlin", someone whispered: "Yo, it turned out to be a Hanlin master," after the third pair of number plates came out, the whispering stopped, the street was silent, more people bowed their heads to show respect, the third pair of number plates was written "Governor of Zhili"!

The official of the first good place, the governor of Zhili stationed in Baoding, Master Tan!

After such a few pairs of cards passed, a green clay eight-person sedan chair went forward very steadily, the official authority was so, Tan Tingxiang in the sedan chair did not have the slightest smile, he was worried about the new errand he received, the Son of Heaven said the most clearly in the edict to himself, what should he do, clearly, according to the emperor's will to do it casually, but. Tan Tingxiang shook his head slightly, and sighed softly, there is no such simple thing.

The meaning of the emperor's edict is very clear, "showing peace" to Russia; "Try to restrain the United States." Try to appease; For France, they knew the benefits and disadvantages, and gave advice; Britain will be severely reprimanded.

The United States and Russia are just that, but the British and French warships have opened their guns to Dagukou! If it weren't for the fear of the newly built fort that Monk Lingqin had planned for a rainy day, he would have probably been drinking tea in Tianjin City. You also need to know the reason. This is not chanting sutras to the tiger, but also the tiger is a vegetarian.

Just when it was at the end of the sedan chair, the sedan chair stopped, and the voice of the soldiers outside the sedan chair sounded, "My lord, the monk's tent has arrived." ”

Tan Tingxiang stomped on the cloud board, the sedan chair was put down smoothly, and the sedan curtain was opened in person, and Tan Tingxiang, who was wearing a crane mending uniform, bent over and walked out, looking up before he could look at the sky. The relatives on the side hurriedly whispered, "The monk king personally greeted him." ”

Tan Tingxiang saw some people standing in front of the gate, led by the "Tuan Duo Batulu" Monk Greenqin, the prince of Boduole Gatai, who was wearing the four regiments of dragon supplements, and the monk Greenqin shook his horseshoe sleeves and was about to kneel, and the "Respectful Greetings to Sheng'an" in his mouth had already said half of it, Tan Tingxiang stepped forward with an arrow step, and supported the half-squatting monk Greenqin in an upright posture that a civil official should not have, "What is the monk king doing this, how can the lower officials receive such a great gift from the monk king!" ”

Monk Grinqin was a little confused. But he also took advantage of the situation to stand up, and some of the generals behind him who were ready to push the golden mountain and fall to the jade pillar couldn't hold it anymore and fell to the ground.

The scene was slightly embarrassing, and Tan Tingxiang quickly said a word in Seng Lingqin's ear. Taking advantage of the fact that Monk Greenqin was a little stunned, Tan Tingxiang faced Monk Greenqin a court staff - the prince is a superb, and the governor of the first grade will also salute the prince. Monk Greenqin helped Tan Tingxiang up, and the two of them put their hands into the camp tent.

Two rows of generals followed Monk Greenqin and Tan Tingxiang into the tent, Goshha brought tea, and Monk Greenqin only looked at the governor of Zhili, who came with the emperor's order. Tan Tingxiang's eyes were half-closed, and he seemed to be very useful to the dragon well before the rain in the cup, and kept boasting, "The dragon well in the monk's camp tastes really good, and the next official will definitely bring some to taste when he goes back." ”

Monk Greenqin waved his hand, the military attache in the tent got up and retreated, and when there were only himself and Tan Tingxiang in the tent, Monk Greenqin said helplessly: "Lord Tan, the Longjing here is not a good thing, there are no outsiders here, you can just say anything you want?" ”

Tan Tingxiang put down the teacup that he regarded as a treasure just now, a wry smile appeared on his face, and he arched his hand at Monk Greenqin, "Monk King, presumably you want the emperor's edict?" ”

"Exactly, now it is the arrow on the string, and I have to send it," Monk Greenqin nodded, and then saw the bitter smile on Tan Tingxiang's face deepen, thinking about it slightly, thinking of an incredible thing, he couldn't sit still anymore in shock, and stood up on the ground, and half of the yellow auspicious clothes under the stone blue dragon supplement were exposed, "Could it be," even though Monk Greenqin had been on the battlefield for a long time, and Taishan collapsed in front of him without changing his color, he couldn't help but feel a huge jump in his heart at this time, "Didn't the emperor issue an edict to declare war?!?!?!?!? ”

Tan Tingxiang nodded, and spread his hands helplessly, just now when he was saying that the leisure and elegance of the tea soup had disappeared without a trace, "Not only has there been no declaration of war, but even the lower officials are not Qincha." "Tan Tingxiang is from the old criminal department, and he attaches the most importance to the law, "So how dare you accept the gift of the monk and the king?" ”

Monk Lingqin nodded, and then shook his head again, "But Lord Governor, if you don't have the name of Qincha, how can you discuss with foreigners." ”

"It is precisely this reason, if you make up your mind to compete with foreigners, this errand of the lower official is just a false and wrongful snake, it doesn't matter if this title of Qincha is not," Tan Tingxiang has not stopped with a wry smile on his face since the generals withdrew, "But now that the center is chaotic, whether the war is or not yet unified, and it is difficult for the emperor to make up his mind by arguing and shouting in front of the emperor all day long," Tan Tingxiang said vaguely, but Seng Lingqin was dumb and ate dumplings, and he knew it very well, and the meaning in this sentence was not that the Lord of Ten Thousand Vehicles had not yet made up his mind.

As a general, Seng Lingqin's attitude is naturally to like to use force to solve problems, "Hmph, foreigners are rude, not to mention the capture of Guangzhou, but also all the way to show off their might, north to Dagukou, if foreigners don't want to take something in China, how can they be willing to come to China thousands of miles away?" ”

This is really a strange thing in the history of world wars, from the capture of Guangzhou by the British and French forces, to the defeat of the Shengbao Department, and finally to the Dagu mouth, the British and French have declared war on China for about half a year, but Emperor Xianfeng wants to defeat foreign enemies in the world; I also wanted to use money, or use the majesty of the Celestial Empire, which did not exist, to make the enemy retreat, but I didn't want to reorganize the armament, so I never declared war on Britain and France, failed to unify the hearts of the military and the people in the world, and by the way, I didn't punish with economic policies.

"That's exactly what I mean," Tan Tingxiang is also the main combatant, "In the old days, the Yi people invaded Guangzhou, and the lower officials asked to close the customs and stop trade with foreign countries, but the emperor replied that 'the sea is on the way, and the excitement changes, and the empty voice is useless, and it is not allowed.'" ’”

"What does Governor Tan want this king to do next?" Monk Lingqin inquired about Tan Tingxiang's meaning, this Governor of Zhili, who received the emperor's order to come to extinguish the fire, would not really come to drink tea in his tent.

"Although there is no will, this is the invitation of the lower officials themselves," Tan Tingxiang stood up, the wry smile on his face was swept away, and the color of firmness emerged, Tan Tingxiang stood up, walked in front of the monk Greenqin, flicked the horseshoe sleeves, and bowed, "Please ask the monk to rectify the armament and build a fort, if there is disharmony, it will not be at a loss, and you can defeat the enemy if you have the opportunity!" ”

Only the sound of gold and stone made by Tan Tingxiang could be heard in the room, and Monk Lingqin stood up, but he didn't help Tan Tingxiang, who was kneeling in the dust, and looked up at the top of his tent with his hands behind his back, "Your Excellency, this is not what the emperor meant. "The emperor's intention is to let Monk Greenqin prepare properly and do a good job of defense.

"This is what Xia Guan meant!" Tan Tingxiang knelt on the ground and said loudly, "The fortune of the country is difficult, and it is impossible for the lower officials to think about it, if you can't strike first, then you can't be arrested!" If Britain and France dare to attack Dagukou, they can't let the enemy country easily get it! ”

"Good!" Monk Lingqin turned around and helped Tan Tingxiang up, "Your Excellency the Governor is dedicated to the country, how can this king not follow him?" Please rest assured, with this king in one day, you must not let the foreigners capture Dagukou! (To be continued.) )

PS: Li Boyuan's "Nanting Notes" recorded: Zhao Shuqiao, who presided over the prison of the Six Gentlemen of Wuxu, hated foreign affairs deeply and was like an enemy. Once chatting with a friend of the scene, the friend talked about the word "Honolulu", and Zhao asked: "Where is the mountain?" The friends of the curtain will be foolish, and said in an official tone: "This mountain is in Tibet, for the Tibetan people to be a good Buddha, this mountain is pure with sandalwood, and people worship the Buddha." Zhao Shuqiao was speechless. There is also a joke that has been widely circulated, and it is contained in various notes: when European countries come to Canton to ask for trade, a Manchurian official says solemnly: "Grapes have teeth, Spain also has teeth, how can there be so many countries in the world?" Isn't this a foreign devil who brought it up to scare us? ”