Prime Minister Yamen is not without progress, these days of negotiations, tariffs and other cooperation projects have been completed, but the most crucial thing, the issue of British troops stationed in Burma has not been able to solve, Bazali gradually lost patience, three days later unilaterally sent a note to Chinese Prime Minister Yamen, "The relevant shares of the Suez Canal will be returned to China within a month." ”

What shocked Guo Songtao even more was the news that the Privy Council Secretary seemed to have inadvertently revealed the next day: "Britain will sign a contract with Japan to purchase an ironclad ship with a displacement of 7,000 tons." ”

Shen Baozhen, minister of the Nanyang Naval Division, and Peng Yulin, Admiral of the Beiyang Naval Division, folded their bullets one after another to impeach the Prime Minister Yamen for his unfavorable handling and handed over this giant ironclad ship to the Japanese.

"The British simply won't sell us seven thousand tons of ironclads!" Guo Songtao was furious in Zuo Zongtang's duty room, "This was the case in the past, just to give us those two or three thousand tons of broken ships!" ”

"Yun Xian, pay attention to your wording," Zuo Zongtang skimmed the tea powder in the teacup, "What a broken ship, those are the main ships of the Beiyang Naval Division today, and the Nanyang Naval Division has only been equipped with a few more ships in recent years, two or three thousand tons are shark warships in the sea, not broken ships, as soon as you say it, it seems that now my Daqing Naval Division is invincible in the world." ”

"Compared with a 7,000-ton ironclad ship, isn't that a broken ship?" Guo Songtao spread his hands, "The speed is as fast as a warship of two or three thousand tons like Jingyuan, and there are ten more guns!" You said that Jingyuan was a shark, but I said that these 7,000 tons were the dragon king of the sea, invincible! How many times have I begged the British, but they just won't let go and want to sell it to us, and Xisheng has already said it, regardless of the price. As long as the British are willing to sell, they will not sell! What do you say This is the top secret of the British Navy, and it must not be given to foreign countries easily, okay, now they," Guo Songtao pointed outside. "I was willing to sell it to Japan! I can see it, we haven't been seen by the British at all! ”

"That's because the British are afraid of us," Zuo Zongtang said indifferently, "Otherwise, they won't give us a 7,000-ton ship, they always think in their hearts that we will compete with them, and it is the same reason to test us with the kneeling salute before, they selfishly want to think about whether we will challenge him, this is also our China's honor." ”

Guo Songtao shook his head. "These Britons, what do you think about the balance of power on the continent, are they crazy? Thinking about what kind of balance of power between China and Japan will be created in East Asia? And Franco-German in general? ”

"I'm afraid it can't be wrong," Zuo Zongtang said, and at this time, the eunuch who was doing the matter came to pass the decree, saying that the Queen Mother summoned the Minister of Military Aircraft and Guo Songtao. "Let's talk to the Imperial Palace."

The military planes all arrived at the Qinzheng Palace, and when everyone finished saluting, the Empress Dowager Cixi asked anxiously. "Is it true that Britain wants to sell 7,000 tons of ironclad ships to Japan?"

"It was the British themselves who came up with it. Wechen thought it was unlikely that the news would be true. Zuo Zongtang took the lead in speaking, Prince Gong frowned displeasedly, "It's just that the British want to use this trick to force us to comply." ”

"Obey? I'm afraid they'll do it! Empress Dowager Cixi looked restless, "In the situation in East Asia, if we are a little weaker in the naval division, the Japanese, the French, and the Russians will be a little stronger. Now the British have added weight to the Japanese again, if this continues, how can they get it, a 7,000-ton ironclad ship! Although the Empress Dowager Cixi didn't understand warships, she was willing to spend money to buy them. At this time, the 7,000-ton ironclad ship is like an aircraft carrier in later generations, the overlord of navigation, Guo Songtao described it as the dragon king in the sea, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and suddenly I heard that the Japanese have such naval strength, why not make the Empress Dowager Cixi anxious.

"It's not that we don't have it, the 7,000-ton ironclad ship that Germany helped us build can be delivered, and the officers and men of the Beiyang Naval Division have already trained on the warship, and once they return to China, they can be used immediately." Prince Gong said, "Once this ironclad ship arrives, my Beiyang Naval Division will still be the first in Asia, don't worry about the Queen Mother." ”

Last year, Japan's financial expenditure was only 50 million yen, and the cost of a 7,000-ton ironclad ship was about 4.5 million yen, and the British have always asked for a higher price for warships, and 5 million yen is always wanted, and even if Japan has money, it can't take one-tenth of a year's expenditure to buy a warship. First, there is not enough silver, and secondly, warships must be built, and it will not be possible to build them without a few years. Bao Jun said that he explained from a financial point of view that this time it was just a false shot.

The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded approvingly, "When Gong Fu said this, I was a little relieved." ”

"Britain is so anxious, the minister thinks that they are still concerned about the situation in India so they will act like this, the minister asks for an order, quickly cut off the contact with Shi Dakai and others, the west of Burma, China will not ask anymore, and agreed to the conditions of the British, presumably the British will return the favor, and the promised things will be fulfilled."

The Empress Dowager Cixi looked around at everyone, "Is this what the big guys mean?" ”

Zuo Zongtang closed his eyes and said nothing, although he liked to disagree with Prince Gong, but after the foreman and the Minister of Military Aircraft had already expressed his opinion, he jumped out to oppose it, this is not assertive, it is too naïve, the previous debate The Queen Mother already knew her opinion, so there is no need to say more at this time.

Everyone lowered their heads and didn't speak, and no one could understand how much direct effect the Queen Mother could have in India by letting Shi Dakai and others go, especially in Baojun's view, spending so much money really outweighed the losses.

Everyone didn't speak, but the Empress Dowager Cixi spoke slowly.

"A few days ago, I accompanied Edward to Changchun Garden, and saw those Western scenery, among which there is a big water method, and there are twelve bronze statues of the zodiac in front, and when the time comes, they will spray water in turn, I think about those bronze statues, if they are taken out to exchange for money, but I don't know how much money can be exchanged?"

She looked around at the ministers, "Back then, the British and French coalition troops landed at Dagukou together and invaded the Beijing Division, if it weren't for me and the King of Yizheng to stay and rely on that little bit of morale, then a little bit of luck defeated the foreigners, the Three Gardens of the Old Ming Dynasty would inevitably be destroyed under the hands of the British and French coalition forces!" (To be continued.) )

PS: Excerpt from Daqing Daily:

A few days ago, a spokesman for the Imperial Court said that Vietnam must not be allowed to secede from China's vassals, especially under the coercion of the French, which violates the Vietnamese people's right to make their own choice. In response to a question raised by a reporter from France Libre TV about the Chinese government smuggling weapons into Vietnam, the spokesman declined to comment: "This is not the competence of the Imperial Court, you should ask the Ministry of War about this question." ”

Prime Minister Yamen Guo Songtao was interviewed by the British BBC TV, he talked about the good five years in London, and missed the friendly exchanges with the British royal family, BBC reporter Bean raised the matter about the Ganges River Valley, Guo Songtao learned from the British shrugged, "Dear Bean, we cannot be responsible for the behavior of every Chinese, especially when these Chinese do not regard themselves as Chinese, the traitorous party represented by Shi Dakai broke away from China and did not submit to the rule of our Empress Dowager, From a certain point of view, they are also our enemies, they are messing around outside, which really makes us very embarrassed, of course, we fully support the British rule of India, because India is not civilized enough, and it needs elders to teach" The day after the report, the last queen of India officially protested through the column of the Daqing Daily, protesting against Guo Songtao's racial discrimination.