The ship sailed out of the Bohai Bay and first docked at Weihaiwei, where it needed to pick up some British people.
Since the establishment of Weihaiwei in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Weihaiwei and its affiliated Liugong Island have been important coastal defense areas.
The Beiyang Navy was established in 1888, and Liugong Island was also an important base. The island has successively established an engineering bureau, a machine factory, and a coal station, and built a large number of military facilities such as the Beiyang Navy Admiral's Office, Weihai Naval School, naval residences, barracks, iron docks, and forts. There are still many Beiyang Navy ruins on the island.
Later, the Sino-Japanese War was defeated and the Beiyang Navy was completely wiped out. In addition to ceding territory, paying indemnities, and opening more trading ports, the Qing government also allowed Japanese troops to station in Weihaiwei. Liugong Island was occupied by the Japanese army for three years.
Then in July 1898, the British rented Weihaiwei by force and built Weihaiwei and Liugong Island into a Royal Navy training and recuperation base. They used Liugong Island and military facilities along the coast to conduct fleet exercises, artillery training and infantry shooting training, and took advantage of Weihai's suitable climate and beautiful environment to build a summer resort.
Weihai is now also famous as a health resort with a pleasant climate. In those days, every summer, the island would be overcrowded, and the business of the company would also be booming. At this time, Weihaiwei and Liugong Island have become the "back garden" of the Royal Navy's Far East Fleet.
This situation of forced renting lasted until 1940.
The mission was anchored at Weihai Port, and Lockhart, the British Chief Executive in Weihai, personally received Zai Zhen and his party.
Lockhart was a typical colonialist who once conspired to occupy land in Kowloon and the New Territories. This guy has also studied Chinese intensively for several years, even studied Confucianism, and is good at implementing tolerant policies.
Speaking of which, although the Chief Executive of Weihaiwei was also appointed by the British King, his status was lower than that of the Governor of Hong Kong. However, in terms of scope of power, it even exceeds that of the Governor of Hong Kong.
"Honorable Zhenbeizi, sometimes you are welcomed from afar, sometimes you are welcomed from afar!"
Lockhart, who spoke fluent Chinese, came over and shook hands with Zai Zhen.
Zai Zhen actually didn't like him. It was too embarrassing for him to have anything to say to a concession official who forced rent.
Zai Zhen said: "Mr. Locke, please arrange for people to board the ship as soon as possible to prevent the voyage from being missed."
Lockhart said unhurriedly: "The magistrate of Wendeng County under the jurisdiction of Dengzhou Prefecture in your country has also come to our office. Do you want to see Zhenbeizi?"
The accompanying Liang Cheng seemed to have heard the news somewhere, and without waiting for Zai Zhen's reply, he said directly: "Sir Luo Ke, it's not the county magistrate's turn to meet Master Bei yet. Since we have to wait, let's have a cup of tea in the office. .”
Liang Cheng whispered a few more words in Zai Zhen's ear. Zai Zhen frowned slightly and then said, "As a special envoy of the royal family, it is inconvenient for me to meet with foreign officials in the concession, so we should talk inside."
Lockhart seemed to have planned a good show, but since Zai Zhen said so, he had to give up.
After Zai Zhen and Lockhart entered the office, Li Yu walked over and asked Liang Cheng: "What tricks did the British do?"
Liang Cheng snorted: "Follow me."
Outside the gate of the Weihaiwei Administrative Office, there was a row of local officials from the Qing Dynasty standing. They also presented two banners in the name of local businessmen and people.
One of them says "May all nations be happy" and the other says "Wish you the best of luck". "All nations are happy" means that all the countries in the world are happy because of the coronation of Edward VII; "Wish you a great honor" means to wish Edward VII a long life, many blessings, and many descendants.
On the left side of the banner, "The Great British Emperor Rui Lan" is written vertically, and on the right side, "Weihai Wharf Merchants and Citizens Presented".
Liang Cheng walked up to the county magistrate and said angrily: "Who asked you to do this?"
When the county magistrate saw Liang Cheng's second-grade crown, he quickly replied: "Sir, we organized it ourselves. And I heard that Bei Ziye came to this county, and the local people wanted to pay their respects."
Liang Cheng said coldly: "It's not necessary. You can do whatever you want, but it has nothing to do with the Special Envoy and Mr. Bei Zi. Do you understand?"
The county magistrate had originally prepared a red envelope, but unexpectedly he hit a wall.
After Liang Cheng finished speaking, he stopped talking nonsense and turned around to leave.
Li Yu saw the county magistrate and his party hanging a banner of "Happiness to All Nations" under the eaves of a house. There was a portrait of the new British King Edward VII in the house, and then he knelt three times and kowtowed nine times in front of the banner and the portrait. Big gift.
Li Yu felt an inexplicable feeling of nausea welling up in his heart, and spat on the ground. He was really a helpless, servile slave!
No wonder Liang Cheng didn't let Zai Zhen see it, otherwise it would be a diplomatic incident.
More than two hours later, all the people and goods who needed to board the Weihaiwei ship were loaded. The envoy did not want to stay longer and immediately pulled anchor and sailed to Shanghai.
Shanghai was considered a formal docking station, and the welcoming team was much more formal: Lv Haihuan, Minister of Industry, Minister of Industry Sheng Xuanhuai, Yuan Shuxun of Shanghai Road, and Fei Shikai, Deputy Chief Tax Officer came to meet him in person. The British consul also arrived, and even British soldiers arranged by the British Concession Industry Bureau lined up at the pier to greet them, which was a spectacular sight.
Sheng Xuanhuai's minister was a second-rank official, and he was also the minister of railways. Moreover, because of his contribution to the mutual protection of the Southeast, he was rewarded with the crown prince and Taibao. He was an absolutely powerful figure.
Many people may know him more because he brought down Hu Xueyan, but this actually involved a power struggle between Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, who were very difficult to deal with. Hu Xueyan got his start through Zuo Zongtang, and Sheng Xuanhuai was from Li Hongzhang.
In fact, Sheng Xuanhuai made great achievements. He was the first to build the Steamship Merchants Bureau, China's first bank was built by him, and it was through him that Hanyang Iron Works truly became big. It's even worse in terms of education. The most famous ones are Beiyang University and Nanyang Public School. Beiyang University is now Tianjin University, and Nanyang Public School is the predecessor of Shanghai Jiaotong University and Xi'an Jiaotong University.
Sheng Xuanhuai also represented China Merchants Group this time, and it was he who arranged the Anping Steamship.
At that time, few of the royal family and nobles could swim. They were basically landlubbers and had an innate fear of the sea. Therefore, Sheng Xuanhuai also repeatedly told the captain and first mate to avoid wind and waves. It would be terrible if he got seasick.
Fortunately, Zai Zhen was quite satisfied with the trip from Tianjin. Of course, they were happy too soon.
The main purpose of the mission's berth in Shanghai was to change ships. This ultra-long voyage across the ocean had to be undertaken by experienced British ocean liners.
Zai Zhen, Sheng Xuanhuai and others had a simple meal before boarding the British ship Panlentini again. It's not that they don't want to eat, it's mainly because Liang Cheng has repeatedly warned Zai Zhen that the sea is not always so calm, and it's better to have less food in his stomach.
Everything is arranged, the target is directly towards London!
