Chapter 774 Neither sacred nor tang dynasty, nor empire

Li Hongzhang and Mathilde looked at each other and followed Feng Guifen down the city wall together. Hundreds of breastplate cavalry known as Jinwu Guards were guarding the city tower. The Jinwu Guards were all blonde men, all of whom were "foreign legions" arranged by Mathilde. At this moment, they were all straightened their backs and wore gold-plated breastplates. The Russian M1856 rifle was cross-shouldered on their shoulders, and white air spurted out from the nostrils of Central Asian horses.

"The king, the queen. Arrive!"

The shouts of the "golden-haired Jinwu Guards" suddenly swept away. There were black knelt on both sides of the streets in the city. The fox fur of Shaanxi and Gansu merchants rubbed against bluestone slabs, and the headscarfs of the Hui tribes of the Western Regions hung to the ground. The old soldiers of the Xiang, Huai and Lu army pressed their waists to their knees, and the red tassels on the hilts trembled like candles in the wind. The famous Confucian scholars wearing long swords were performing bows and bows, and their broad long sleeves hung directly to the ground.

Li Hongzhang and Mathilde, under the protection of the "Blonde Jinwu Guard", rode their horses through the crowded streets of Shattered Leaf, and soon arrived at the Grand Order Hall in the center of the city.

The so-called Anglican Hall is actually a huge building similar to the Hakka earth building. Its tall and thick round walls are covered with cold wind and are radiating yellow earth. There is a seven or eight feet tall Temple of Heaven-style dome on the courtyard in the middle of the earth building, which is still a bit imposing.

When Li Hongzhang raised his foot and stepped over a bluestone threshold of more than half a foot high, he found that hundreds of bronze oil lamps had been lit in the hall inside. Eighteen red sandalwood ring chairs were floating in the light shadow, and a big man who was qualified to "vote for the emperor" sat on each chair!

That's right, the new Tang Dynasty that is about to open is a country that implements the imperial system - this is a system designed by Mathilde for Li Hongzhang, which consists of ten towns such as Zeng Guoquan, Du Han, Luo Zenan, Huang Shijie, Jiang Zhongjun, Li Hanzhang, Yuan Jiasan, Ma Xinyi, Zhang Shusheng, Pan Dingxin, etc., plus the Central Secretariat Kong Fanhao, the Secretariat Feng Guifen, the Left Pushe Guo Songtao, the Right Pushe Zhou Fu, and four other ministers representing the famous religion, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. A total of 18 people form the "Election Court". Whoever becomes the emperor of this sacred Tang Empire will have to vote. Two-thirds of the majority, that is, at least twelve votes, can someone be given to the throne of the sacred Tang Dynasty.

When Li Hongzhang and Mathilde arrived, all the eighteen "Electors" stood up from the chair, everyone was wearing purple, black veil on their heads, and jade gui in their hands. It really seemed like dreaming of returning to the Tang Dynasty.

In addition to these eighteen "Electors", there are 300 congressmen in the hall, all dressed in Confucian scholars with direct appearance - they represent the "three million" nation of the Tang Dynasty! Of course, "three million" is just a claim, but in fact, at most one million people followed Li Hongzhang and others from Shaanxi and Gansu to Shuye City in the Western Regions of Central Asia.

However, these "millions of nations" and the 100,000 "gun-carrying men" collected from them are enough to flatten the entire Central Asia - as long as they can get the support of the two superpowers, the Russian Empire and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

"I respectfully invite the King of Tang to be the first to be the chief throne!"

Kong Fanhao's white beard shone with silver under the oil lamp, and the Yan Shenggong holding Yu Gui's hand was shaking. Behind him, he knelt on three hundred and politicians, and the green cloth was connected into a sea. Li Hongzhang saw Zhou Fu's mouth twitching - the Secretary of Shangshu and the Minister of Revenue were probably thinking of the empty Tang Dynasty's Ministry of Revenue's trunk that could run away.

"What kind of virtue can you do?" Li Hongzhang took a step back with a humble look on his face, "Emperor Taizu still has a legitimate son alive."

Zeng Guofan's son Zeng Jize had already gone to France. It was not because he was afraid that Li Hongzhang would harm him, but because he really didn't want to take on this mess!

Ten Towns Jiedu, 100,000 Tang troops, and millions of refugees whoever likes to pick up the plate! Anyway, Zeng Jize doesn't want to do it. Now he is called the Tang Dynasty's Minister to France. Isn't it a good thing to be his prince in Paris every day?

Before Li Hongzhang finished speaking, Zeng Guoquan stood up suddenly. The leader of the Hunan Army is now the "Dingxi Army Jiedushi". There are 8,000 veterans of the Hunan Army carrying foreign guns and waiting to pay their wages.

"The last emperor's will be here!" I saw a roll of yellow silk pulled out from my sleeve and unfolded it. Zeng Guofan's handwriting was bleeding under the lamp. "The last emperor's will be the only one family and one family. The throne of the emperor should be passed down by a virtuous person. Li Hongzhang, the great guardian of Anxi, has always been kind and has been deeply loved by the people, and he can ascend to the throne."

Mathilde finally showed a satisfied smile. The French princess's dream of empress is about to come true!

But Li Hongzhang still has to continue to pretend to be humble and give in to him!

"What kind of virtue can Hongzhang do? Wen cannot govern the country, and martial arts cannot pacify the world. Now all the land in the east is lost, and only one corner of Anxi is left in the Tang Dynasty. You should choose another person with virtue to take on the important responsibilities!"

Another choice? This is not possible! Mathilde's blue eyes swept through the meeting hall. Li Hongzhang is the tallest and strongest man in this lobby, so she won't change it!

Maybe everyone knows the thoughts of the Queen of the Tang Dynasty, and the third round of persuasion will come soon!

Three hundred famous scholars and political affairs were all knelt down for Li Hongzhang, their foreheads pounding on the blue bricks, and they shouted in unison: "Please ask the King of Tang to ascend the throne!"

The famous scholar Kong Fanhao cried and cried: "If the King of Tang does not ascend the throne, the famous scholar will be destroyed!"

I don’t know which Jiedushi threw his sword on the ground and cried, “If the king doesn’t become the emperor, what hope will we have, and what hope will the famous sect have.”

Li Hongzhang looked up at the dome, looking worried about the country and the people. After a while, he sighed helplessly: "To protect the Holy Church." He looked at Mathilde affectionately, "I have three things to tell the world!"

The meeting hall suddenly became quiet.

"First, any famous emperor must pass through ten ministers and axes, and the four prime ministers and three hundred priests and officials discussed it together!"

This is now the formal determination of the imperial election system of the "Sacred Tang Dynasty"!

"Second, immediately announce the restoration of the territory of Anxi of the Tang Dynasty. All the broken leaves and the earth in the river will be the world of the Tang Dynasty!"

This is the formal determination of the territory of the sacred Tang Dynasty, or the announcement of whom will be attacked next?

Although the Holy Tang Dynasty is known to have the Shizhen Jiedu, the actual control territory is the Chu River Basin on the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains - the wheat fields and grasslands in this area are the foundation for the millions of people of the Holy Tang Dynasty to support their lives.

But Li Hongzhang and Mathilde's goal is more than that. They also want to take over the Amu River and Sir River basin and stuff the heart of the sacred Tang Dynasty into the Fergana Basin - there is the new Guanzhong of the Tang Dynasty!

"Third." Li Hongzhang suddenly turned to Mathilde. The French woman's eyelashes trembled. She heard her husband pausing in Chinese: "Suppose the Taixue is a scholar, and the imperial examination will be restored, the enlightened classics, and the Jinshi will be the first to be a master of the teachings!"

"Long live my emperor."

Three hundred Confucian scholars cheered immediately!

The Tang Dynasty is still Confucian!

Mathilde, who had a cross hanging on his chest, also raised his arms and shouted: "Sage Kong blesses the Tang Dynasty!"

The sacred Tang Dynasty must be blessed by Saint Confucius! Because the national policy set by Li Hongzhang and Mathilde for this country is to "burn the river and recite scriptures in a flat manner" - this sacred Tang Empire is neither sacred nor tang, nor empire.

Because the sacred Tang Dynasty was destined to be difficult to achieve industrialization from the very beginning!

In the mid-19th century, when industrialization was doomed to fail, the best way out was to live a peaceful life in a peaceful and stable manner, with any other great pursuits.

Of course, the only scriptures that the sacred Tang Empire can recite are the Confucian scriptures!

"Report!" Li Hongzhang had just sat on the dragon throne with everyone's support, and a "golden Jinwu Guard" came over there, "The Minister of the Rakshasa Kingdom brought the letter to congratulate him!"

Zhu Zi in the hall immediately stood in two shifts and sat down.

Li Hongzhang and Mathilde were the two saints who came to the court and sat on the dragon throne together.

Then a red-bearded Rakshasa man came in with his head held high.

"Lev Balizek, according to the will of His Majesty the Tsar." This Rakshasa man spoke quickly and urgent Russian, only Mathilde could understand, "Congratulations to His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty for ascending the throne, may God bless His Majesty the Emperor!"

Li Hongzhang smiled and took the letter of nationality, looked at it, and handed it to Mathilde.

Mathilde opened the book of the country and then said to Li Hongzhang in Chinese: "His Majesty the Tsar needs a stable and pro-Russian Central Asia."

"His Majesty the Tsar is willing to help the Tang Dynasty restore its former land in the river," the Russian minister said with a condescending aura. "As long as the trading corridor ten miles wide was drawn on both sides of the Chu River, the Russian Empire had the right to pave the railway on this trading corridor. Moreover, the Tang Empire could not allow any other country except the Russian Empire to build railways on its territory!"

The sacred Tang Dynasty was just opened, and the unequal treaty of the Russians came!

In fact, Li Hongzhang had signed an unequal treaty when he visited Russia before! But Alexander II obviously felt that it was not enough and he had to continue to give Li Hongzhang some strength, so he developed a "rail-exclusive" and "trade corridor" - this is to complete the business roads that lead to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom through the Kazakh Grassland!

Li Hongzhang was thinking in his mind how many rubles should he want to find the Russians this time? The country must sell it. The question is just how much value it is? To pacify the "homeland in the river", he probably has to ask for millions of rubles!

"Report!" Dominic, the commander of the Jinwu Guard, walked in quickly with a box used to hold a 600-mile emergency report. "His Majesty the Emperor, His Majesty the Queen, the Taiping Army Mission has arrived at the Yili Fortress. The leader of the mission claimed to be Weng Tonghe, the deputy general manager of the Western Regions of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He said."

The veteran Mathilde brought from France glanced at the Russian minister, and then louder his voice: "He told our people that the Tang Dynasty must not sign any diplomatic agreement with Russia without the consent of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom! Otherwise, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will not recognize the Tang Dynasty's neutrality and buffer status in Central Asia! The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's army will continue to advance westward!"
Chapter completed!