Secret edicts are always the most frightening when hidden. Once they are made public and the enemy is on guard against them, their deterrence will be greatly reduced.
Ci'an's intestines were almost green with regret now. Why did he suddenly become angry and why couldn't he control his emotions.
Cixi was also stunned now, but his fear was mixed with a hint of joy. What was scary was that he did not expect that the late emperor would leave a secret order to Ci'an, and what was happy was that Ci'an's killing move was unnecessary for one time. The conflict was exposed.
Now that you have exposed your trump card, I will have a way to defend myself in the future. At this moment, Cixi cried even more aggrieved: "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, sister, don't be angry, my sister didn't think well, and she obeyed her in everything... Uuuuuuu, but I hope my sister can understand my sister's painstaking efforts for the good of the Qing Dynasty... …”
The matter has come to this, and there is no use regretting it. Ci'an has to give Cixi face at the critical moment. The stability of the court is the most important. Ci'an sighed and pulled Cixi up, "Sister, my sister's words are a bit harsh, don't take it to heart... Well, how about we wait for half a year on what to do with the group of people left behind by Xiao Letian?"
"By the end of this year, I think the news from Europe will be transmitted. After the news of the death is clear, can we take action? At that time, we will do what you said, sister..."
In the end, Ci'an won the quarrel, and Ermao was protected. Although he was forbidden by the Queen Mother to contact the emperor, his job in the gold treasury was not lost, and his position as the eunuch was not removed.
The more than a thousand peripheral members of the execution hall have become prisoners of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Punishment. They are indispensable for beatings with whips dipped in cold water every day. They just need to relax a little to try not to kill anyone.
At the same time, Shuntian Prefecture also issued a notice to calm the people. It was written clearly that the court was arresting criminal thieves and remnants of bandits this time. This operation had nothing to do with the rumors in the market.
When a series of actions of the Qing court reached Wang Huaiyuan's ears, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Ermao was risking his life to buy time for everyone. As for what will happen in half a year, it will really happen. It depends on God’s arrangement.
Although the conflicts within the Qing Dynasty have eased, far away in the East China Sea, Xiao Letian's last base camp, Ryukyu Island, is now in complete chaos.
On the docks, in factories, in commercial shops... and even in the Shuri Imperial City, wherever there were people, people were talking about the rumor that Xiao Letian was dead. Hundreds of thousands of people in the entire Naha Port fell into panic.
Due to geographical reasons, Naha received this news much earlier than Beijing. However, since Xiao Letian was already somewhat deified in the hearts of Ryukyu people, no one would believe such rumors at first.
"Who is the Prime Minister? He is a hero who was transported by fate, a hidden dragon who single-handedly changed the fate of a country, a god who can perform blood-changing magic and summon whirlwinds out of thin air... Such a person will be disappointed if his success fails. Die when you are not worthy of your reputation? Stop teasing us..."
Xiao Letian's prestige in Ryukyu is so high that the people's trust in him is completely subconscious. However, if the rumors are repeated too many times, no matter how strong the belief is, it will be shaken. Zeng Shen's mother is not unkind, but after hearing the rumors that her son had killed someone three times, she finally chose to believe it and ran away.
British merchant ships, French merchant ships, Dutch merchant ships... merchant ships of different nationalities all brought the same news, that is, Xiao Letian was dead. He was stabbed to death by a French bayonet in Besançon.
Gradually, the atmosphere in Naha City changed. People began to loosen their tone. More and more people cried without saying a few words, and more and more people came to pray at the Prime Minister's shrine in the Japanese gathering area. .
Speaking of which, we cannot fail to mention the 100,000 Japanese left behind by Naha. It has to be said that the Japanese have the gene of worshiping the strong since ancient times. Although Xiao Letian led the Han people to defeat them time and time again, and organized them into households to punish their crimes with the highest taxes, and the laws enacted were also the lowest. Strict continuous sitting method.
It stands to reason that the Japanese should hate Xiao Letian, but what is very strange is that in the year after the riots were suppressed, the most law-abiding group was actually these Japanese, and it was they who used practical actions to suppress Naha Countless Japanese-style shrines have been built in every corner of the city to pray for Xiao Letian.
At first, Xiao Letian didn't understand why the Japanese did this, but after he had a careful chat with Noheita, Hyoutaro and others, he suddenly realized it.
Japan is not a nation-state at all. It is a decadent and backward feudal country. The people only know that there is a lord but not a country.
The stronger Xiao Letian acted and the more ruthless he killed, which made these Japanese people want to take refuge. Not only that, Xiao Letian's deeds of saving Ryoma Sakamoto with his blood, and the strange whirlwind in Shuri Castle, all gave Xiao Letian's image some myths.
Of course, the most important thing is Xiao Letian's business skills. The entire Naha is extremely prosperous under his rule, and everyone can find a job that can support their families as long as they are willing.
It was precisely with the support of mercantilism that the cargo throughput of Naha Port increased tenfold in one year, including Western cotton cloth, foreign guns, and gunpowder, Qing Dynasty silk, porcelain, tea, and rice, and Korean ginseng, Crude medicine... A steady stream of goods poured into Naha like a great tide during the full moon.
Needless to say, countless Japanese people go to shrines to pray for Xiao Letian every day just for the rice they can eat with every meal. This kind of happy life where they can eat rice every meal can even be found in some small restaurants in Japan. None of the lords dared to think about it.
Naha is now the paradise on earth in East Asia. Xiao Letian armed the country with heavy artillery and mercantilism. In just one year, this ancient kingdom underwent a complete transformation.
Now, right now, Xiao Letian was actually killed by the despicable French. Uneasy clouds suddenly rolled over the entire city, and everyone's mood gradually became violent.
"Regardless of whether the Prime Minister is dead or alive, the French have indeed hurt you. We must avenge this. We are the sword-drawing team under your Majesty. We are the Foreign Legion of the Prime Minister. We have to do the dirty work. ! Gentlemen, let’s take action tonight!”
"Hey! Dare you disobey me..."
The first ones to start the attack were the soldiers of the Japanese Foreign Legion left in Naha. Then under the cover of darkness, these warriors with white cloths tied tightly on their foreheads, ribs in their mouths, and swords in their hands, quietly approached all the people in Naha Port. of french industry.
"You duck... kill these French people and avenge the Prime Minister!" Countless squad leaders gave the order, and the desperate Japanese soldiers slashed the French businessmen with their swords.
Fire suddenly shot into the sky, French shops and warehouses were smashed open, and murderous soldiers rushed in and out.
"No one... there is no one here... there is no one here... Damn, these French people are so cunning, they actually escaped..."
"We were too slow to take action. We should have taken action when the rumors first started. The French may have expected that we would take action..."
"Damn it, let's go to the dock, attack those French merchant ships, and avenge the Prime Minister..."
The crazy Japanese soldiers could not hide themselves at this time. They ran and shouted all the way, and in a short time they had engulfed countless people who were also angry.
The dark crowd rushed to the pier, but what they didn't expect was that at this time, several French merchant ships that were supposed to dock at the pier had already weighed anchor and left the pier, and they also ran away.
In the dark harbor, the captains and sailors of the French merchant ships looked at the dense crowds of people on the harbor and listened to the curses carried by the wind, and they all sighed secretly.
"Your Majesty the Emperor, I hope your choice is right, and I hope the expedition fleet can be victorious... If you fail, France will completely lose all the interests in this city, and China's offshore will become a place of sorrow for all French merchants. land……"
"Okay, boys, let's leave. The task assigned to us by the special envoy has been completed, and the dirty work that follows has nothing to do with us..."
The French merchant ship fled in despair, and the docks were filled with angry roars that could not vent their emotions. The roars rolled along the mountains like thunder, and finally even His Majesty King Shantai at the top of Shuri City heard them.
"Jin Aiqing, do you think the Prime Minister is really dead?" A sad-looking King Shangtai faced the night wind and looked at the chaos at the port. Next to him was Jin Changsen, a pro-Japanese official who was forgiven by Xiao Letian.
"Your Majesty, I can't confirm it. After all, we are tens of thousands of miles apart, which is no longer a distance we can imagine..." At this point, Jin Changsen suddenly fell silent, and then said, "But no matter what, your Majesty should consider our Ryukyu Kingdom." There is no way out!"
"A way out?" King Shangtai obviously didn't expect that Jin Changsen, who came to visit him at night, actually came to discuss a way out, but after a brief shock, the young king became angry.
"Jin Changsen! Are you doing your old habits again? You must know that you were pardoned by the Prime Minister, and you must be grateful as a human being!"
Jin Changsen fell to his knees without saying anything, "Your Majesty, I am definitely not a villain, and I am not an ungrateful person! In my heart, I only have you, Your Majesty, and our Ryukyu Kingdom!"
"We are a weak country, a small country. We can only survive by following the strong. This has nothing to do with loyalty. This is a bloody law of survival. Isn't this how weak countries have survived for thousands of years?"
Jin Changsen burst into tears with excitement and banged his forehead against the ground. "The country cannot be destroyed. Your Majesty, wake up. People cannot be resurrected after death. Our country cannot be buried with Prime Minister Xiao, right? You have to think about the dead people." As the late king, in order to protect the country, they endured humiliation and endured much more hardships than you, Your Majesty... Wake up, Your Majesty, wake up!"
After all, King Shangtai was young. After Jin Changsen's begging, the young king felt a little relieved. But at this moment, a low roar suddenly came from the darkness of the city wall.
"Jin Changsen! Do you think you are a loyal minister of the Ryukyu Kingdom? You are wrong, you are the executioner who dug the grave of our Ryukyu Kingdom. If His Majesty listens to you, our country will be really doomed!"
[This book was first published from, be the first to see the genuine content! ]
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