Chapter 192 Special Agreement between China and Japan in Beijing (1)
Emperor Tongzhi received a letter from Shen Baozhen and told the cabinet that the Japanese country still has an iron-clad ship No. 2. Although it is not perfect, it is more than enough to destroy ordinary ships. They have it but I don't have it. The soldiers and uniforms will be intercepted when they cross Taiwan. The naval force must be captured, and the armored ship must be purchased. The Japanese slaves stationed alone in Langqiao and had nothing to fear could only rely on their ears. Shen Baozhen was allowed to purchase iron-clad warships, and Shen could transfer deposits from Fujian Province to use them at his discretion; if there was insufficient money, he would temporarily borrow foreign money as requested to meet urgent needs.
In the land of Langqiao, Taiwan, I have more than a thousand soldiers, and the Japanese have only four thousand. They are standing tall and low. Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, immediately ordered the 13th Battalion of the Tang Dingkui Division of the Huai Army's elite Wu Yi Army to have 6,500 men, 20 guns, 2,000 Congreve rockets, 560 Snyder breech-loading rifles, and 40,000 pounds of gunpowder. Go to Taiwan. The rest of the items will be carried out according to Shen Chen's report.
After the edict was issued, Emperor Tongzhi sighed.
Prince Gong Yixin's son Zaicheng observed his words and said to the emperor privately: "The wine shops and restaurants outside the Forbidden City are bustling with people in the fireworks and willow alleys. Why don't our emperor learn to be Qianlong Lord and pay a private visit incognito? One is to view the beautiful rivers and mountains of the Qing Dynasty, and the other is to eliminate them." The bad luck of filth.
Emperor Tongzhi was so bored that he nodded to himself. For the next few nights, Emperor Tongzhi wandered around the world, never wanting to return.
When Prince Gong Yixin heard about it, he cried bitterly, drank with sticks, and denounced him for causing harm to the country. He summoned Wenxiang, Yizhen, Shen Guifen, Baojun, Li Hongzao and other central ministers, and said: Xinjiang and Taiwan of our country belong to our vassal. The Ryukyus and Vietnam are all in danger; our emperor is indifferent to politics and prefers to leave the palace without returning home at night, just playing and wandering. How shameful is this!
Prince Chun Yixuan said: If things continue like this, where will the country be? We cut off our livers to make paper, drained our blood to write inscriptions, and respectfully recited the memorial to invite our emperor. We should be kings and stop at benevolence. The people should not forget the virtues and goodness of the Tao!
On July 16, 1874, ten ministers including Prince Gong Yixin, Prince Chun Yixuan, Minister of Military Aircraft Wenxiang, and Prince Qing Yikuang jointly paid tribute to Mr. Chen and asked the emperor to make timely decisions to help those in need.
When Emperor Tongzhi watched the performance, he was filled with resentment and remained silent.
Three days later, Prince Gong, Yi Xin and other ten ministers came to the palace to meet the Holy Spirit.
Emperor Tongzhi said angrily: Why is such a battle happening?
Yi Xin said, "I and other ministers jointly implore my emperor to stop the garden work, abstain from traveling in a small way, keep the ministers from distant temples, and the villains, police the Yan Dynasty, open up the road, punish the barbarians, and go to have fun."
Emperor Tongzhi said angrily: "Everything I have done is a sin. There is nothing feasible in the world. How about giving up my position to my sixth uncle?"
Wen Xiang, the military minister, was in great mourning when he heard this. He gasped for breath and fell to the ground in a coma.
Prince Gong Yi Xincheng was frightened and rushed to help him without saying a word.
Prince Chun Yixuan cried and said: "Long live my emperor's body of gold and jade. It's just a private visit incognito. You should never go to that place of fireworks and willow alleys."
Emperor Tongzhi became angry again and said: I dare to ask the seventh uncle, who dares to make such nonsense and deserves death!
Prince Gong Yixin said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I am Zaicheng."
Emperor Tongzhi was in great embarrassment. He was upset for a long time, and then he angrily said: "Quickly pass on my decree. Prince Gong Yixin has no courtiers and should be severely punished. He will remove Yixin from all positions including minister of military and aircraft, demote him to the position of auxiliary Yuan Gong, and pay the clan title." The people's government strictly discussed it; and his son Zaicheng was given the title of king of Baylor County to prevent him from walking among the imperial ministers. To show punishment and warning; Prince Chun Yixuan, Prince Qing Yikuang, Minister of Military Aircraft Wen Xiang, Shen Guifen, Bao Jun, Li Hongzao, etc., were dismissed immediately if they behaved improperly.
The empress dowagers of the two palaces heard about this and quickly came to give advice.
Empress Dowager Cixi cried and said: For more than ten years, how could Prince Wu Gong be here today? The emperor has not changed the matter, so yesterday's order was revoked.
Emperor Tongzhi also cried and said in panic: Since the late Emperor Daoguang, since the beginning of the Opium War, for more than thirty years, internal and external troubles have not subsided, and I dare not turn a deaf ear! Starting from today, all the projects in the Old Summer Palace will be stopped immediately. Construction will be resumed in the future when the border is safe and the treasury is sufficient.
Prince Gong Yi Xin said: To report to the emperor, Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, reported that Ningxia General Mutushan's horse-riding troops were mixed in each camp. Since entering Gansu, he has not won a single battle. If he leads the way out of the pass, it will seriously hinder the overall situation. It is difficult to succeed, so I beg my emperor to choose another good general.
Emperor Tongzhi said: Mu Tushan's troops will be disbanded immediately, and his cavalry will be temporarily stationed in Jingzhou to clear out the remaining bandits. Jing Lian, the capital of Urumqi, defended Anxi and Dunhuang, and repeatedly defeated the Agubai, Bai Yanhu, and Tuoming rebels, with outstanding achievements. Jing Lian was appointed as the imperial envoy minister, and Jin Shun was the assistant minister. They prepared their troops and horses to attack Xinjiang on a certain day. Yuan Baoheng, the left minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, quickly moved to Suzhou to help with food and wages; Zuo Zongtang stayed to supervise Shaanxi and Gansu to protect the way back.
Yi Xin was about to speak but stopped, and Minister of Military and Aircraft Wen Xiang hurriedly said: To inform the Emperor, the most urgent task is not in Xinjiang, but in the Taiwan Strait. Zuo Zongtang reported that all the troops in the Taiwan Strait must be under the command of Shen Baozhen, so as to put an end to the evil tendency of avoiding misfortunes and seeking blessings, and to strengthen the morale of our troops. However, the slave thought that although Shen Baozhen was proficient in ship management, he was a little inferior to the left in marching formations; Zuo Zongtang had established Ganlong and his morale was blazing, so why not recruit other brave men to quickly mobilize the Taiwan Strait and coordinate the overall situation.
Emperor Tongzhi said: "How could I not recognize Zuo Zongtang's talent and outstanding achievements?" However, the distance between Taiwan and Suzhou is six thousand miles, so Zuo Qing even rushed six hundred miles to deliver it by air immediately, but it was not a matter of delay. Tang Dingkui's Mingying Camp was originally under the command of Li Hongzhang of the Huaibei Province. If Shen Baozhen could effectively dispatch the troops, and Mingying Camp could also obey the instructions effectively, it would be a blessing to the country.
It is my decree that the residents of Taiwan's Fanshe community, now that they are living on Chinese soil, should be treated equally and should not be called foreign vagrants, and should be allowed to suffer the cruel abuses of foreign barbarians. Now according to the orders of various societies, people are begging for naturalization, namely, Shen Baozhen, Pan Wei, Tang Dingkui, etc., and they will consider the opportunity, properly accept them, and build momentum to strengthen their hearts and prevent them from being tempted by other tribes.
In late July 1874, the registered admiral Tang Dingkui led 6,500 Huai troops to Taiwan. Baozhen was very happy and ordered the Tang troops to station in Fengshan and divide them into villages.
After hearing the news from Tao, the Japanese troops in Xixiang ordered the Japanese soldiers to retreat to Guishan to avoid their attack.
The Japanese army commander Huashan Ziji was very puzzled, so he told Saixiang Congdao: Our Taizheng Minister Sanjo Sanimi and the Right Minister Iwakura Tomoshi both said that Taiwan can be said to be the throat of Asia, with fertile land and rich products. Many European countries covet this island. If I don't get this place but get it for him, the difference between the advantages and disadvantages is self-evident. Moreover, the war with Taiwan is to train our soldiers on the ground. This is also true. .
Xixiang Congdao said: Our march to Taiwan has not been approved by His Majesty the Emperor. We acted like thieves and went straight to Shengfan's lair. If the Qing Dynasty held us accountable, we would be acting like rogues. Nowadays, evil diseases are prevalent, and many of our troops are sick and dying; the Qing army is coming again, and they are greatly outnumbered. Whether it is war or peace, we should wait for my emperor's order.
Saigo was in a dilemma. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Okubo Toshi, sent a message to Meiji: The ronin samurai have become corrupt, and our country should use the military system of the British Empire to form a Western-style army. The army formed by Saigo is all samurai ronin of the Satsuma Domain. , the raid is acceptable, but the battle is extremely difficult. His army should retreat temporarily and wait until our emperor's personal troops form an army before they can forge ahead and fight again.
The Meiji Edict states: Taiwan has tribes that are beyond the reach of the Qing government. It is the obligation of our government to retaliate for the crime of killing the Ryukyu people of our vassal, and the justice of the war can also be obtained from this. However, dysentery is rampant in Taiwan, and our army is in a disadvantageous position in the war. There is nothing we can do. The Minister in charge of the Qing Dynasty, Yanagi Yuanmae, went to Tianjin at the speed of light to discuss the peaceful withdrawal of our troops from Xixiang.
If the Qing Dynasty develops the theory of two tributaries on the grounds that Ryukyu sent envoys to pay tribute to that country, I should ignore it and should not discuss it with them. The real power to control Ryukyu lies with our empire. The insolence of preventing Ryukyu from sending envoys to pay tribute can be used as a basis for the subsequent conquest of Taiwan. At present, we cannot argue with the Qing government in vain.
