On June 23, the fifty-ninth year of Qianlong's reign, that is, July 26, 1794 AD, the ancient city of Beijing was covered with dark clouds from early in the morning, weighing heavily on people's heads. Occasionally, dull hidden thunder would roll across the sky, but no rain would fall.
Two brown sparrows carried insects in their mouths, spread their wings across the Tongzi River, flew up to the branches of the weeping willows on the bank, chirped a few times, and then climbed over the tall palace wall. When they landed on the golden glazed roof of the Yangxin Hall of Qianqing Palace, several small sparrows chirped uneasily. In the courtyard under the roof, the messy footsteps and the faint sobbing of the eunuchs and maids all indicate that something big is going to happen in this ancient palace.
Eighty-three-year-old Aixinjueluo Hongli was lying on his imperial couch, breathing slowly from his nostrils. Several concubines stood aside, with red and swollen faces and unstoppable tears. Some of them were in their prime and some were old and wan. Jiaqing Wang Yongyan, Prince Ding Mian'en, Military Minister Wang Jie, Qing Gui, Dong Gao and others all stood in front of the couch, paying close attention to the old emperor's movements.
Speaking of which, Qianlong had been in good health since he was a child. When he was in the vassal residence, he had practiced archery and bowing, horse riding, and exercised his muscles well. Before Beihai Town appeared, he had never been seriously ill. However, since the winter after Fukangan was defeated in Fuldan City, he began to be invaded by the wind and cold, and sometimes he groaned unconsciously at night. Although many of his ministers, including He Shen, tried their best to persuade him to work less and rest, he was so self-centered that he had no such intention.
The idea of pacifying Zhao Xin always affects his heart. The Manchu Qing's successive retreats outside the Pass, Khalkha, Shandong, and Xinjiang have made him physically and mentally exhausted, and Heshen's betrayal has dealt him the heaviest blow. .
Since returning to the Forbidden City, he has been holding on, waiting for Yongyan and Fukangan to come back. Although it is difficult to speak and write, because Wang Jie, Qing Gui and others are with me, I can communicate more or less through eyes, nodding and shaking my head. But when nothing happened, what Qianlong thought about most was why He Shen betrayed him.
He Shen ran away without a trace, taking with him his family and wealth, as well as Qianlong's most beloved Princess Hexiao. Because this was so embarrassing, the Ministry of Punishment did not dare to issue an arrest warrant. People from the Ministry of Punishment, the Supervisory Office and the Infantry Command Yamen chased him all the way to Tianjin and found no trace of him. However, "people leave their names when they pass by, and geese leave their voices when they pass by." As time passed, several veterans from the Ministry of Punishment finally discovered clues at Zhigu Pass. After Qinggui learned about it, he immediately judged that He Shen was most likely to sail out. Out of the sea.
Don't mention it, he must have gone to join the Northern Pirates! As for whether he went to Anping Port or Jiaodong, he could only send a detective to investigate. But He Shen had always been in charge of Shang Yu's backup department, and Qianlong was speechless. For a while, the Manchu Qing Dynasty completely cut off contact with those undercover spies in Beihai Town.
But here in the capital, with He's mansion being raided, He Shen's defection finally came to light, causing civil and military officials to talk about it. When Prince Cheng Yongxuan, Prince Li Yongen and others who were responsible for the inspection saw many shocking prohibited items such as the Nanmu Hall and the Fuzi Monument, they were all shocked. They had all heard in the past that the He Mansion was as wealthy as a prince, but no one had seen how wealthy it really was. This time it was a knife stabbed in the butt - it opened their eyes!
By this time, He Lin, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, had also become a source of instability and had to find a way to solve it. However, the whole court had become a mess, people were in panic, and no one made the decision for a while. Wang Jie and Qing Gui had no choice but to fly 600 miles away to report to Yong Yan and ask him for advice.
Prince Jia Yongyan was shocked when he received the emergency in the capital. Three souls and seven souls were lost. Two souls and five souls were lost. If Dong Gao hadn't begged so hard, he was so angry that he almost sent people to Yungui to capture He Lin. Because there are too many civil and military officials in the world who are attached to Heshen, if the prison is built, they may all rebel. In order to prevent any changes, he and Dong Gao discussed behind closed doors for a long time and finally decided to keep it secret. At the same time, he sent a secret letter to Fukang'an, the acting governor of Sichuan, asking him to rush to Chengdu from Xining immediately to shock the Sichuan Green Camp first.
After everything was arranged, Yong Yan hurried back and finally arrived in the capital last night. Then he entered the palace without stopping to meet the emperor. After the father and son talked for more than half an hour, Qianlong's condition deteriorated sharply, and any None of the decoctions helped. At seven o'clock in the morning, Qianlong, who had been in charge of the world for 59 years, fell into a coma again. Although his heart was still beating tenaciously and his life had not yet ended, for the Manchu Qing court, a monarch who was unable to exercise the power of the Ninth Five-Year Plan had no meaning. As the saying goes, "throw everything away".
Amidst the low sobbing of everyone, Qianlong, who was on the edge of life and death, suddenly moved his fingers slightly, as if he was aware of the noise in the outside world.
"The Emperor has taken action!"
"Amma! Amma!"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Unexpectedly, Qianlong's throat made a "gurgling" sound, and then he slowly exhaled, and his originally rising and falling chest came to a standstill. When the imperial doctor came forward to check and knelt on the ground in frustration, and said the four words "Long Yu Bintian", there was a sudden burst of crying in and outside the palace.
At this time, in the dark sky outside the house, a thick bolt of lightning suddenly cut through the sky, making the huge city of Beijing shine brightly. Not long after, a huge roar of thunder shook the sky, and the long-simmering downpour came in an instant accompanied by strong winds.
Wang Jie cried for a while, then calmed down, and said to Yong Yan, who was holding Qianlong's arm and crying bitterly: "Your Majesty, please express your condolences. The most important thing now is to summon all the kings and Baylor to gather at Qianqing Palace to listen to Emperor Daxing's last edict. A country cannot live without a king for a day!"
Yongyan thought that he would take over a hot coal that was hotter than a hot potato, and that he would probably be the king of a country that would be subjugated. His heart became increasingly miserable, and he hugged Qianlong's arm and burst into tears. Faced with the situation where the Northern Navy was fighting inside and outside the pass, and Shengjing was not protected, Yongyan really didn't want to be the emperor in his heart!
After that, all the royal ministers in Beijing came to the Qianqing Palace. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the red sandalwood box fixed with iron hoops under the "Upright and Bright" plaque was removed. When opened, there was a small gold box as big as a Go box. Then open it, and you will find the edict covered with yellow silk and edged with gold thread.
Wang Jie held the edict in his palms, raised it up with both hands for everyone present to see, and then said in a deep voice: "Now the edict of Emperor Daxing will be read out, and all the ministers will kneel down to listen!"
This edict was written in both Manchu and Chinese. First, Qinggui read it in Manchu and Wang Jie read it in Chinese. However, none of the king's ministers present could understand Manchu. They all looked confused when they heard Qinggui chattering. However, Yongyan bowed his head and kowtowed repeatedly, saying words of thanks in Manchu. After Wang Jie finished reading the content in Chinese, all the royal ministers in the palace kowtowed in unison and said, "I respectfully obey the late emperor's orders!"
After that, it was necessary to give Qianlong a temple name and Yongyan himself a reign name. The temple name was "Emperor Gaozongchun", and the year name was, needless to say, Prince Dujia. Naturally, "Jiaqing" was used just like in other time and space. As the new emperor succeeded to the throne, a Qianlong posthumous document prepared by Wang Jie, Dong Gao and Qinggui and approved by Jiaqing was also drawn up late at night and published to the world the next day.
"I only believe that the emperor is born with destiny and enjoys a long life. He must be sincere in his actions and be consistent with heaven and earth. Then his virtues will never return and he will be blessed forever. Therefore, he must work diligently, without slackness or waste, and fulfill the throne of the emperor every day. That is to say, I am enjoying the heart of heaven for a day, and I sincerely know that it is difficult to maintain a profit and maintain peace, and it is not easy to be cautious in the end. I look up to the blessings of God, and the saints have made plans, and my love has grown since I was young. I am loved by the emperor very much. Emperor Kao Carefully choose Yuan Liang and give him the divine weapon. Since he took the throne, he has been careful every day and meditated on the virtues of the master, which are only respecting heaven, Dharma ancestors, diligent government, and loving the people. And these numbers are not difficult to understand, but difficult to practice. Numbering is difficult. In the past ten years, I have been strict and respectful, and I have become more pious without slacking off. Every time I meet with a big sacrifice in the suburbs, I will do it personally and prepare it with utmost care. I will not hesitate with my age...
My body is strong and I have never had any disease. In the last year, I had a bad temper and occasionally caught wind and cold, but I recovered after conditioning. My energy is a little less than before. On the first day of the new year, I will be congratulated by the Qianqing Palace. My diet is decreasing day by day, I cannot see and hear as usual, and I am getting older. The emperor showed filial piety and sincerity, and took care of him in every possible way, hoping to recover. "I am already very old and I am afraid that medicine cannot be effective..."
News of Qianlong's funeral reached the Beijun Intelligence Bureau the next morning, and not long after, Zhao Xin, who was in Kaiyuan, also learned about it. He felt a little pity that he hadn't met Qianlong yet! If it weren't for the mind-numbing security surveillance of the Forbidden City in another time and space, I would have taken a night trip to the Forbidden City and swept away all the treasures in the "Sanxi Hall".
Why? Wait! It seems that Qianlong of another time and space buried many treasures with him. Where did they come from? I have to check it out quickly when I have time.
Zhao Xin was rolling his eyes and wondering about what was there when Deng Fei opened the door and walked in. He waved the telegram in his hand at him and said with a smile: "The East India Company has signed an agreement!"
"oh?"
Zhao Xin took the telegram and read it, and saw that it read: "Northern Naval Staff, I have taken charge of the Governor's Mansion locally today, and signed a preliminary armistice agreement with French India, Mysore, and the plenipotentiary representatives of the East India Company. .The text of the treaty has not been changed. Ding Guofeng, July 26th."
It is said that since the South Asian continent entered the rainy season in May, although Mysore, Maratha and Hyderabad have ceased their activities, Ding Guofeng has not been idle. After Dundas, the colonial officer of the East India Company, left, he once again ordered Guo Xuexian's South Asia Squadron to go north, impose a naval military blockade on Madras and Calcutta, and forcibly inspect all merchant ships entering and leaving the Bay of Bengal, which made Cornwallis brainless. It's going to explode.
After nearly a year of war, the British East India Company not only failed to take advantage, but also suffered huge military expenditures. In addition, the Northern Navy fleet's frequent naval blockades resulted in a large backlog of goods, causing prices to plummet, causing heavy losses to merchants.
Correspondingly, French India caught a ride on East Asian trade because it closely followed the Bourbon royal family and Beihai Town. In the past six months, they have replaced the Dutch, happily transporting Borneo diamonds and Guangzhou tea back to local management, and then sold them to those Hong Kong merchants, making a huge profit. With huge interests and the military support of the Northern Navy, the businessmen in French India became staunch royalists in an instant. They even proposed to Leclerc to build a gorgeous palace locally and invite Crown Prince Louis Charles back.
After many discussions, the Bangladesh Senate finally reached an overwhelming opinion that this damn war must be ended, otherwise the company will have no choice but to go bankrupt. So under the detailed instructions of Governor Cornwallis, Dundas came to the local government again in early June 1794, accompanied by some members of the Senate and military representatives, and North Sea Town, French India, and Mysore. The representative sent by the Kingdom of Er, Prince Ali, son of Tipu Sultan, launched four-way negotiations.
It was said to be one-on-three, but the East India Company mission knew very well who was the boss at the negotiating table, and the other two were just trying to cling to each other. If they hadn't stormed out of the North Sea town, the French would have been ravaged by them thousands of times, and Mysore could only continue to survive.
By early July, the difficult written negotiations finally made progress, and all parties jointly drafted a preliminary agreement. Afterwards, with the approval of the Bangladesh Senate and Cornwallis, representatives of the four parties signed a preliminary agreement at the Governor's House of local governance on July 26, and decided to announce it the next day. As for the formal agreement, it can only be signed after Cornwallis, who has resigned as governor, returns to the UK to report on his duties and is approved by King George III. It is expected to be completed within 15 months.
Since a large number of international agreements signed by European countries in these years were written in French, in many cases French was the only agreement text, and English was not available at all. Therefore, the treaty texts were written in French and Chinese respectively. The main provisions include:
1. The British East India Company recognized the existence of Beihai Town in India and respected its legal rule over its territory. Recognize Beihai Town's sphere of influence east of the Strait of Malacca. The above-mentioned areas include but are not limited to all of Java Island, southern Sumatra Island, Kalimantan Island, the Malay Peninsula, the Thousand Islands and other areas.
2. As the legal regime that will rule China in the future, Beihai Town will vigorously develop cotton trade with the British East India Company. From 1794 onwards, the annual quantity of cotton landed will be no less than 150,000 bales. British merchant ships were allowed to dock at Malacca City and Bacheng for supplies, and British merchant ships were allowed to trade at Anping Port.
3. After the formal agreement is signed, the British East India Company will withdraw from the Negapatan region of India and Penang in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. The above two territories will belong to Butterworth Town. The company is not allowed to sell opium to the area east of the Strait of Malacca. The customs in Beihai Town has the right to detain British merchant ships smuggling opium on the basis of obtaining sufficient evidence, and to try and punish the ship owners and cargo owners in accordance with the laws of Beihai Town. The British government and companies have no right to interfere.
4. No later than the end of 1794, the British East India Company will return part of the Mysore territory it ceded after the "Third Anglo-Mysore War" in 1792, that is, the Mysore territory between the Kingdom of Travancore and the Kali River. Sol Malabar Coast Region, Salem Region. 33
5. On behalf of the British government, the company recognizes and supports the French Bourbon royal family represented by Louis Charles, maintains its rule over the French colonies, and does its best to support Louis Charles' return to the French throne.
In general, Beihai Town and Mysore are the biggest beneficiaries of this agreement. The French, who are like cowards, have obviously not benefited from the British. However, Ding Guofeng told Leclerc privately that they would sign a secret agreement with Lady Elizabeth to transfer the Negapatan region in the south of the country to the Bourbon royal family. This move also told the French that Beihai Town had no intention of expanding its rule in India.
Then there is the problem of Tranquiba. After Ding Guofeng signed the agreement, he and Dundas went outside to get some air. When he mentioned his views on the Danish territory intentionally or unintentionally, Dundas's pupils shrank sharply and he was stunned for a few seconds. Then he quickly returned to normal and said with a calm face that the company had no intention of intervening in any affairs in South India, except Ceylon.
"General, the weather is nice today. I propose a toast to our bright trade prospects!"
"No problem." Ding Guofeng raised his hand and made a gesture of invitation. Dundas also smiled and asked Ding Guofeng to go ahead.
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Some people died, but not completely...
