What Ai Liguo said is not wrong at all. One of the most important tips for the Manchus to rule China was the issue of face. You can do without the lizi, but you must have face.
During the Second Opium War, the American Minister Hua Ruohan was going to the Forbidden City to meet with Xianfeng to adjust the war. However, the issue of kneeling could not be reached, and in the end Hua Ruohan did not meet Emperor Xianfeng.
In fact, during the entire British-French allied attack on the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Xianfeng did not meet any foreign envoys in person. The fundamental reason was still during the kneeling ceremony.
It is difficult for future generations to understand the Manchu Qing Dynasty's paranoid requirements for the kneeling ceremony. It seems that if the kneeling ceremony is abolished, the sky will fall. In fact, this is not a joke. For the Manchus, abolishing the kneeling ceremony will be like heaven to them. The ground collapsed.
This is a very deep psychological question! It is already a miracle that an alien race, especially a sparsely populated alien race like the Manchus, could rule the Central Plains for more than two hundred years.
To be honest, even the Manchus themselves thought their rule was a miracle.
The minority ruling the majority requires more than just strong force. It also needs cultural legitimacy and continuous brainwashing of the people to promote the legitimacy and rationality of its regime.
Deep in the hearts of the Manchus, even subconsciously, there is a deep sense of insecurity. The Han people have too profound a culture and a large population. As long as there is a chance for a few heroes to appear, they can overthrow the Manchus in a matter of minutes. The rule of man.
It is precisely because of this extreme lack of confidence in the heart that it leads to a strong vanity on the outside!
Whether you kneel down or not is a very important indicator for the Manchus to verify your loyalty. They need you to kneel three times and nine times before you, with your butt in the air and your braids as long as you can, in order to make him feel how much you care about him. loyal.
What about Westerners? The kneeling ceremony is an important basis for proving that Manchu Qing is the king of the world.
For a long time, the Manchus have been brainwashing the Chinese people. They have always claimed that they are the masters of the world and that all foreign countries in the world are vassal states. They use this scam to paralyze the Han people in the world and make them believe that accepting the rule of the Manchus is natural.
Well now the Europeans are coming! The ships are equipped with powerful guns, which can not only blow up your customs but also refuse to kneel down and worship, which makes it very difficult for the Manchus.
The British, the French, the Americans...are these foreign nations the Manchu vassal state you are promoting? Are you not the Lord of the world? Can you command these countries?
The answer is no, let alone orders. Even if you beg them hard, they won't kowtow to you.
Isn't this a big show? The Europeans refuse to kneel down and use cannons to fight you. This has torn apart the lies spun by the Qing Dynasty and the cynics. How can the Qing Dynasty not be afraid?
Fortunately, there was relatively little information at that time, and the common people did not know what was happening in the court. The strategy of fooling the people could still barely work, and this was how the Qing Dynasty could maintain the face of the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, in the first and second Opium War, the emperor's imperial envoys negotiated with foreigners. There was no problem in ceding territories and paying compensation. It would be difficult for the people to know without telling the outside world.
But if foreigners want to see and negotiate with the emperor on an equal footing, that is absolutely not possible! Because there are many paintings that can be really exposed as soon as you meet them.
This is the fundamental reason why Xianfeng would rather die than meet the Western envoys. In the final analysis, it is due to inner fear.
This time, Xiao Letian even forced and deceived Emperor Tongzhi to take him out of Beijing, and he kept promoting European civilization and wealth to him. If a teenage boy knows anything, he will naturally go wherever it is fun.
But Zai Chun had no idea that what his master gave him was an arsenic pill covered in honey, which would completely tear his paintings to pieces as soon as he visited Europe.
Emperor Tongzhi was recognized by all countries as the legitimate emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He was able to deign to personally visit Europe. This was actually a major breakthrough in the civilizational diplomacy of the entire Europe.
Emperor Tongzhi's visit to Europe proved that the relationship between the Qing Empire and European countries was actually on an equal footing. There was no question of who was subordinate to whom, and there was no question of who was bigger or smaller.
Europe is naturally proud. Once this equal relationship is established, they will be able to break through the corrupt and numb bureaucracy of the Qing Dynasty and gain a lot of initiative in both commercial negotiations and diplomatic disputes.
Benjamin heard reports from Eastern governors and envoys more than once, saying that they were helpless when contacting the Qing bureaucrats. They would invite you to various banquets, including banquets with prostitutes, and they would take you on sightseeing tours. You can listen to operas and sing songs, but no one will talk to you about actual government affairs.
Whether you want to buy land, expand a dock, build a church, or buy a school... you will encounter endless resistance in any serious matter.
In the final analysis, the entire bureaucratic class is immersed in the false dream of a heavenly kingdom and is unwilling to wake up. In their eyes, Westerners are just barbarians from a foreign country who are just greedy for some silver coins. They only need to earn some compensation. Real equality. Negotiating business? Grandma's, they won't accept it.
Benjamin believed that the fact that Emperor Tongzhi was able to visit Europe this time completely shattered the hypocritical lie of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. From now on, the monarch of the Qing Dynasty could no longer deceive his bureaucrats and subjects. The so-called king of the world came to court from all nations. , it’s all just lies.
Benjamin was very happy about this visit. He knew that Emperor Tongzhi's visit would definitely bring endless practical benefits to Europe, but why did he feel sour in his heart?
"Damn it! Such a huge diplomatic breakthrough, such a historic opportunity that will go down in history, why wasn't I the one who brought it about? Damn it, why is it still the same Xiao Letian?"
"Prime Minister? Prime Minister... what are you talking about?" Minister Ai Liguo asked in confusion. He found that the Prime Minister had been stunned for five minutes, and he was gritting his teeth and not knowing what he was talking about.
"Oh! Oh? Oh...I'm sorry, I am analyzing the pros and cons of this matter for the empire...Actually, I am mainly thinking about Xiao Letian's problem..."
"Because...because of this breakthrough in diplomatic history, the biggest beneficiary is likely to be Xiao Letian. How should we deal with this person?"
"Your Majesty... we must face up to Xiao Letian. Everything he does is one step count. There is always a knife behind his smiling face. There will always be poison in the honey. We, the British, The empire cannot be fooled!”
"Let's see how he dealt with the Qing Empire! This time he took Emperor Tongzhi to visit Europe. On the surface, it was for the benefit of the young emperor, but in fact, he also had a plan in his heart to destroy the legitimacy of the Qing Empire..."
"He just bullied the young emperor and forced him to drink honey mixed with poison. This visit is definitely harmful to the Manchu rule!"
"What a powerful character. I dare to say that in the next twenty years, this person will be a serious problem for our British Empire... I think this person should... be killed!" m.
