On the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in spring, there is no peace of the past, only one wave overshadowing the other, in the passionate Marseillaise.
At this time, the Champs Elysées was like a sea of red. Thousands of Parisians gathered on the streets, shouting their slogans.
"Long live the Republic!"
"Long live the Republic!"
In response to the shouts of the people, groups of cuirassiers rode on horses, galloping forward along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, which runs through Paris.
The breath of the horse was like white mist in the cold air, and the metal decorations of the helmet and breastplate shone silver in the sun. The whip in the hand of the cuirassier was waving, hitting the bodies of the crowd.
The commotion on the street was mixed with roars and hurried footsteps. Soon the people singing songs were dispersed, leaving only a mess on the ground.
Pedestrians on the roadside stopped to watch the procession and whispered to each other. Among the crowd, two Orientals wearing mandarin jackets and melon-pipe hats looked particularly unusual.
"There is no king and no father. It is true that there is no king and no father..."
This scene that happened on the street made Liu Xihong standing on the roadside excitedly say,
"The French people do not want to serve their king and father, but they do such treacherous things without a king and a father. If it happened to our Qing Dynasty..."
When the words came to his lips, Liu Xihong swallowed them back. This is France, not the Qing Dynasty. Of course, he will not behead people, let alone the nine tribes.
History has changed a little here.
Five years ago, after Zeng Shao's "Siege of Tianjing" was broken by King Li Zhong, the Taiping Army went upstream, captured Anqing, Wuhu, and went down to Jiujiang. After controlling the Yangtze River with an "iron-armored heavy artillery ship", they moved into
According to Jiangbei, troops approached the Huaihe River, forming a confrontation between the north and the south.
Facing the threat from the Kingdom of Heaven, Li Zhongtang started his "Westernization Movement" in the north, taking even greater steps than in the other world. After all, the military threat from the Kingdom of Heaven was a reality. Not only did he build factories and mines, and built railways,
I started training as a navy master.
Even Liu Xihong was sent abroad a few years in advance to serve as the first minister of the Qing Dynasty to the North German Federation. He came from London to use the passage to go to the North German Federation to submit his credentials. Well, he also served as the ambassador to Austria-Hungary.
, the Dutch Minister, although he has such heavy powers and responsibilities, he does not speak foreign languages.
I originally traveled through France to investigate, but I didn't expect to encounter this scene just after arriving in Paris. This naturally greatly irritated Liu Xihong, who regarded himself as a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty.
He couldn't even imagine that there were such inconsiderate people as the French in this world!
That's right, these people are just toys, not even as good as things!
"These French people really don't know what is good or bad. As far as I can see in the past few days, France has a harmonious government, the king is wise and the ministers are honest, and the people have no worries about food and clothing. In such a peaceful and prosperous time, these French people are not only ungrateful, but they act without a king."
What my father did was simply heartbreaking!"
Looking at the messy streets, Liu Xihong felt a little heavy. He couldn't understand why these Westerners were so ignorant of good and bad. If the people of the Qing Dynasty could live and work in peace and contentment like the French people, then the people would definitely be grateful.
I am grateful for the kindness of the imperial court and am living in a prosperous age.
But France is full of unscrupulous people!
With such unscrupulous people everywhere, the country's fortunes must be in trouble!
Thinking of this, Liu Xihong couldn't help but feel happy and thought to himself.
At this time, France is in a state of constant civil strife, and unruly people are everywhere. Although there are bandits in our Qing Dynasty, when the bandits are suppressed in the future, with the good and obedient people of our Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty will definitely revive in a few years.
At that time, wouldn’t the Qing Dynasty be able to overtake France?
From this point of view...ah! France is full of unruly people, which is a good thing for the Qing Dynasty!
God is really wise!
This is really a blessing from God!
Just as Liu Xihong was secretly happy, a carriage passed by on the road. On the black carriage compartment, the red Chinese-style Suzaku badge was very eye-catching. Seeing the Chinese-style badge in France made Liu Xihong raise his eyebrows.
There was a little surprise in his eyes.
"Mr. Liu, look, that is the carriage of the Nanhua Embassy."
Next to him, a young man named Yan Fu reported respectfully.
Four years ago, Yan Fu entered Jiaozhou Naval Academy. This year, he and many of his classmates who just graduated this year went to England to study the navy. This time he accompanied Liu Xihong to France because he was ordered by the envoy of the mission, Guo Songtao, to serve as his temporary concubine.
translation of.
"Nan Hua!"
Upon hearing these two words, Liu Xihong raised his eyebrows and said with disdain.
"A group of abandoned people from the Celestial Dynasty who have fallen into self-destruction and have no king or father. Even if they achieve a little bit, it is just the merit of the time. When the internal troubles of our Qing Dynasty are calmed down, we can use the manpower of our Qing Dynasty to surpass these abandoned people."
It’s just a matter of day and night!”
Liu Xihong was no stranger to Nanhua. He had heard of this place when he was in Singapore. After the ship arrived in Europe, the impact Nanhua had on him and the people accompanying the mission was unprecedented - what a group of abandoned Chinese people had done.
Nanhua actually defeated the foreigners and even destroyed their country!
This makes the Qing Dynasty’s national situation embarrassing when it comes to foreign countries!
However, they soon found the reason. What is the root of all this?
Isn’t it because of banditry?
If there had been no bandit rebellion, the Qing Dynasty would have been revived.
"What your Excellency said is true. Your Excellency Zhongtang is carrying out Westernization in Xuzhou. There are not enough iron factories and coal mines near Xuzhou, so even the railway has been built to Xi'an. Although the northwest rebels are very brave, Zhongtang's elite new army and armored train soldiers
How can he be defeated by the bandits..."
Mentioning Li Zhongtang's achievements, Yan Fu's tone was full of awe. Since his teacher Zeng Laozhongtang defeated Jinling, Li Zhongtang and his Huai army became the backbone of the empire. They resisted bandits in the south and rebelled in Xiping.
What does the Qing Dynasty rely on now?
That’s 360,000 Huai troops!
Yan Fu attended the Jiaozhou Naval Academy, which was founded on the initiative of Li Zhongtang. The butterfly wings are also reflected here. The Shipbuilding Academy was originally supposed to be built in Mawei, but it was moved north because it was considered that Jiangsu and Zhejiang and other places had been occupied by the Taiping Army.
When we arrived in Jiaozhou, even the Beiyang Navy, which historically had to wait ten years to be built, was put on the agenda in advance.
After all, real threats cannot be ignored. Compared with foreign threats at sea, the threats from heaven are more direct and more deadly. Even Yan Fu and others came to study in the UK several years in advance.
Changes in history are always so unexpected.
"Huh, Li Hefei, the so-called launching of Westernization and establishing business and colonization is just an act of "sacrificing the basics and pursuing the weak". One more merchant among the officials means that the country has one more fool and the people have one more thief. How can it be that the government orders are not followed and the people's livelihood is not taken care of?
Is it possible to rely on ships, artillery and machines to control evil in the world? In the past few years, it opened its headquarters in Xuzhou, supported hundreds of thousands of troops, and continued to be disobedient. It is like an empire. How can such a disobedient thief be a minister of ZTE...
"
Liu Xihong's accusation made the young Yan Fu so frightened that he couldn't speak. He rationally chose to shut up. Looking at Master Liu's angry look, he thought to himself.
"Master Zhongtang is really confused. How can he be the minister..."
Looking at the carriage going away, Yan Fu was very curious in his heart. What was Nanhua like? It could actually defeat the country of foreigners.
When Yan Fu became curious about Nan Hua, he never thought that Nan Hua's name would finally spread to the imperial court...