Xiao Letian did not show up at the grand occasion of Jin Changsen's execution. Not only did he not show up, but none of the senior officers of the New Army showed up. This was not because they were ruthless, but because they had more important things to deal with.
This incident sounds surprising, because the Tanggu Industrial Zone has been surrounded by troops sent by the Qing Dynasty. 300 new troops and more than 500 foreign engineers, including more than 3,000 workers, are all being defended in the future. Within the established special zone, there has been a stalemate with each other for ten days now.
The starting point of the whole thing still has to be pushed back to when the French warships had just started bombing Ryukyu and the news had just been passed to the Four Nine Cities.
In the spring of 1866, Xiao Letian left East Asia and crossed the ocean to fight in Europe. His behavior was difficult to understand in the eyes of Asians at the time.
Even Zeng Guofan said with regret, "You are so arrogant. You are so arrogant. You have only been established in East Asia for a few years, just like a young tree that has just taken root. How can you easily leave the foundation of your career? Just look at it, and the disaster will turn out in the blink of an eye." Just get it.”
Facts have proved the commander-in-chief's judgment. As soon as Xiao Letian left East Asia, the Manchu nobles were a little bit ready to make a move. Not only did the construction of Tanggu Industrial Zone encounter many constraints, but even the business of Lotte Foreign Company increased. Spies tried to steal secrets. If it weren't for The torture hall is running smoothly in Wang Huaiyuan's hands, and something big might really happen.
The big change that followed was that after the news of Xiao Letian's death reached the capital, the conservatives represented by Cixi were agitated. Under the instruction of the Queen Mother of the West, the Eagle Claw Suns of the capital came out in droves. They would rather catch a thousand by mistake than by mistake. Following the principle of letting one go, he launched an attack on the execution hall led by Chun Shisanniang.
In just a few days, the prison of the Ministry of Punishment was already overcrowded, and even the general Tie Yaozi under Chun Shisanniang was arrested. From that day on, the punishment hall began to evacuate Beijing on a large scale, and the Manchu and Qing court became extremely arrogant. .
Thanks to the loyal Ermao who had done Ci'an's work, the Empress Dowager of the East Palace even came up with the secret killer Xianfeng Secret Edict, which suppressed Ci Xi's arrogance.
That is to say, in the following days, Xingtang used countless manpower and material resources to carry out a large-scale rescue. In the end, Shengsheng spent money to buy out the half-broken Tie Yaozi who had been tortured.
But the good times did not last long. Ci'an used secret edicts to suppress Cixi, but it did not solve the fundamental problem. She seemed to be pouring cold water on the fanatical Manchus, but she had no idea about the charcoal burning under the pot. Can't withdraw.
Just when Ci'an was struggling to stabilize the situation, an accident happened. During a heavy rainstorm in the capital, an intelligence message from Ryukyu shocked the Forty-Nine Cities. The French opened fire on Ryukyu without warning. The sound of artillery in the East China Sea completely ignited Cixi. The enthusiasm of that group.
After experiencing two Opium Wars, foreigners were invincible in the eyes of the Manchu government. The French, in particular, were one of the culprits who burned down the Old Summer Palace, and they were untouchable.
Now that the French have taken action against Xiao Letian, the Manchus suddenly feel that they have received a powerful foreign aid. All the trump cards of Xiao Letian in the past have lost their deterrent effect at this moment.
More importantly, the Kirigakure kid deceived Cixi at the last moment. Although she squeezed out the accurate information about Xiao Letian's life and death, she secretly concealed it. It was her deception that broke Cixi's last concern. Let this famous ruthless character in history show her fangs in advance.
This was a secret war without gunpowder. Under the instigation of Kirigakure, Cixi finally made up her mind. The ancestor of the Forbidden City and several of his disciples were sent to the capital to perform tasks. Kirigakure was finally allowed to leave the Forbidden City. The imp is on the rampage.
Several herbs that can make women have sexual intercourse were mysteriously missing from the Imperial Pharmacy, the officers of the Shenji Battalion who guarded the palace walls unexpectedly made a few 'small fortunes', and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs became seriously ill... one after another, one after another was bizarre. The events have formed a noose, slowly tying it around the neck of Empress Dowager Ci'an.
Cixi and Kirigakure are waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to ruin Ci'an's reputation. "This bitch, why haven't you met the foreign minister yet? As long as you dare to meet a man, the powerful aphrodisiac prepared by the ninja will make you lose all your possessions." Be sensible, you will pounce on men like a bitch, and when the time comes, someone will naturally break in and expose your true face..."
"Hehehehe..." Cixi and the Kirigakure kid smiled sinisterly, and at that moment they actually felt like confidants.
The opportunity finally came to them. On the third day when rumors were flying around the capital, Ci'an unexpectedly summoned Fuhui and Fuqing. Xiao Letian's uncle Qing Sanye was the ideal target to frame the blame.
Cixi's men finally started to take action, and this time they were more vicious than those in history. In Xiao Letian's previous life, Ci'an only died of a sudden illness, but in this life, Cixi wants her to be ruined, which shows how cruel she is. high.
The purpose of Ci'an summoning Mr. Qing was to listen to the analysis of the situation by the enlightened Manchus. Yes, in the late Qing Dynasty, the Manchus were not all Eight Banners dandies. There were still a group of young talents who were willing to accept new things. , and since Mr. Qing is close to Xiao Letian, he is naturally a broad-minded person among the Manchu nobles, so it is natural to listen to his analysis of the situation.
Unfortunately, no one expected that Cixi would dare to secretly poison Ci'an and destroy Ci'an's reputation. This party suddenly became the starting point of the chaos in the capital.
Just when Ci'an accepted the fragrant tea with spices from the palace maid, before he could drink it, a group of people suddenly broke in from outside the palace. The leaders were Ermao and Ancestor. God knows how they got together.
It turns out that the Kirigakure kid was so careful that she forgot to seal the biggest loophole in her operation, which was the French intelligence officer whom she tortured. The brother of the torture hall who stayed in the capital followed the lead and finally dug out this secret from the Frenchman. , they also got important information that Xiao Letian was still alive.
Ermao, who had obtained accurate information, heard the outrageous rumors in the capital, and combined with some bizarre actions in the palace, it was not difficult to analyze Cixi's conspiracy.
Er Mao had already formed a secret alliance with Ci'an at this time. Of course, such information would not be hidden from the Queen Mother of the East Palace. What is even more gratifying is that the ancestor is a very traditional loyal minister. In his mind, the East Palace is naturally better than the West Palace. Noble, Ci'an's orders are certainly more important than Cixi's.
Er Mao took the poisonous tea from Ci'an's hand. The ancestor smelled it with his nose and knew the medicinal ingredients in it. The furious ancestor and his disciples instantly controlled all the palace maids and eunuchs. At this moment, the ancestor was responsible for guarding The soldiers of the Shenji Battalion on the walls of the Forbidden City, led by Ande Hai and the deputy director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, charged in aggressively.
"Come here, the Za family heard that there is a foreign minister in the palace, how brave..." The arrogant Andehai just rushed into the palace, and before he finished shouting the scene, he was stunned by the scene in front of him.
Ci'an didn't look like he was in heat at all, and why were Ancestor and Ermao here? Andehai was so frightened that white hair and sweat broke out all over his body. This kid was so smart that he slapped the little eunuch next to him with his backhand.
"You little bastard, how dare you lie to the Zajia family...take me out and peel your skin and cramp..."
But just when An Dehai was looking for steps to retreat, suddenly there was a sound of shattering glass in the back hall of Zhongcui Palace, Ci'an's palace, and the Kirigakure kid dressed as a palace maid rushed to the roof with a bright yellow in his hand. of cloth rolls.
"And Hei hasn't done anything yet... The late emperor's secret decree has been obtained..." After saying that, Kirigakure kid lit the fire in the wind, and the Xianfeng secret decree that Ci'an regarded as life turned into a torch in the wind.
"No..." Ci'an screamed and rushed forward three steps, but his vision turned black and he suddenly fainted. The person closest to Ci'an was Mr. Qing.
How dare the Third Master let the Queen Mother hit the floor, so he quickly raised his hand to support the Queen Mother, but when he moved his hand, he inevitably touched the Queen Mother's chest. This time, Andehai got the handle.
"Hahaha...Fuqing, you are so brave. If you dare to touch the Queen Mother, you are going to kill the nine tribes...Everyone has seen it, let's go shoulder to shoulder..."
On the roof of Zhongcui Palace, two of the eldest disciples of the ancestors were fighting with the Kirigakure kid. This crazy female ninja was holding her ribs in one hand and a burning torch in the other, and was still shouting crazily. .
"You guys without eggs are so useless. There are obviously more people than them. Why don't you fight? History is written by the victors. As long as you win..."
There are no eunuchs in Japan, so Kirigakure brats sincerely look down on people like An Dehai. Now this chaos is all about talking with a knife. Win or lose first, and talk about negotiations later.
Ande Hai was also scolded and got angry. How dare this damn Japan call me a man without balls? It's too disrespectful. "Grandma, wealth comes from danger. I'll win this wealth... kill me." Kill these rebellious people and save the Queen Mother."
This guy was so insidious. In the end, they were at each other's swords, and he even spread rumors.
"Kill the traitor...save the Queen Mother..." There were as many as 200 officers and soldiers of the Shenji Battalion who had been brainwashed by money and official positions. The roar was like thunder on the ground, and the entire Zhongcui Palace was shaken.
"Let me see who dares to make a mistake. Disciples will protect you..." The ancestor led more than a dozen disciples and rushed in against the flow of people. There was a sound of weapons clashing outside Zhongcui Palace, mixed with the screams of the injured. .
"Gather, gather quickly...retreat to the back hall..." At the critical moment, Ermao and Qing Sanye protected the loyal eunuchs and maids around Ci'an and began to retreat.
The strong eunuchs formed a circle outside. Qing Sanye broke two red sandalwood chairs, stuffed a chair leg into Er Mao, and held one himself to cover everyone's retreat.
Among the eunuchs, there were one holding a chair, two carrying a table, and one even holding a spit bucket as a weapon, all of them trembling with tremors.
Thanks to Mr. Qing Sanye's high martial arts skills, those fish that slipped past his ancestors were no match for him at all. The enemies were often knocked down after just a few or two moves. However, there were too many rebellious people in the Shenji Battalion. , after a while even Qing Sanye was a little unable to resist.
At the most critical moment, there was suddenly a burst of footsteps and the sound of weapons being unsheathed from the north of the palace. Zhou Daoying, the eunuch beside Emperor Tongzhi, actually brought sixty or seventy guards with swords in the emergency.
"Passing His Majesty's decree, the pro-military camp is here to escort you... Your Majesty has asked us to protect the Queen Mother..." Zhou Daoying led the elite pro-military battalion and rushed over like tigers and wolves, fighting with the people from the Shenji Camp with a flurry of swords. , the situation immediately changed drastically.
"The Queen Mother is well, the Queen Mother is well... Wuwuwu, what happened to the Queen Mother..." When Zhou Daoying saw the unconscious Ci'an, his knees went weak and he knelt on the ground crying loudly.
