Chapter 103 Section 103 "Xin Chou Treaty"

In October, Li Hongzhang and Prince Qing finally sat down at the table to negotiate with the ministers of the eleven countries and the commander of the coalition forces, Vadsi. in front of the prince. The Chief Minister of the Diplomatic Corps and Spanish Minister to China Ge Luogan said: "Before the meeting, please your government approve the "Peace Outline". We have reached an agreement. If your country does not approve the "Peace Outline", we cannot sit together for a meeting. .” After Ge Luogan finished speaking, he waved to the other ministers, who immediately left the table.Prince Qing and Li Hongzhang looked at each other, not knowing what to do.Li Hongzhang handed the "Negotiation Outline" to the translator next to him, and ordered: "Translate it as soon as possible." Then he said to Prince Qing: "After the translation is finished." After speaking, get up first.

The "Negotiation Outline" was quickly translated.According to the procedures of the Qing Dynasty, the "Negotiation Outline" was first sent to Prince Qing for review, and then to Li Hongzhang.When Prince Qing received the "Negotiating Outline", he only browsed it in a hurry, and before sending it to Li Hongzhang to read it, he hurriedly dispatched the messenger and sent it to Tianjin Communications and Telegraph Bureau by flying horse. The Empress Dowager Cixi, who had fled to Xi'an to reside here①, approved the "Negotiation Outline" without difficulty. The "Negotiation Outline" almost included the demands of all countries, including punishing the culprits, prohibiting the import of arms, indemnity, allowing the embassy to station troops, dismantling the Dagu Fort, revising the Treaty of Merchant and Shipping, changing the Zongli Yamen to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, establishing the Supervision and Administration Office, and implementing the New Deal etc., a total of twelve paragraphs.These twelve paragraphs of the "Negotiating Outline" are actually the basis for the treaty between the eleven countries and the Qing Dynasty.

On the sixth day of November in the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu (December 27, 1900 AD), Emperor Guangxu issued an imperial edict to the outside world, approving the "Outline of Peace Negotiation".The chief minister of the diplomatic corps, Ge Luogan, sat down with other ministers of the ten countries stationed in China and the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces Vadesi, Prince Yikuang of the National Day of the Qing Dynasty, Minister of Peace and Plenipotentiary Li Hongzhang, and some ministers staying in Beijing, and formally started negotiations . On the tenth day of December in the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu (January 29, 1901), the Empress Dowager Cixi, who was stationed in Xi'an, continued to issue the "Reform Shangyu" in the name of Emperor Guangxu and in accordance with the requirements of the "Negotiating Peace Outline", declaring that "reformation ".

On the third day of March in the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu (April 21, 1901), Xi'an continued to issue an edict, telegraphing China and foreign countries: The Qing Dynasty established a government affairs office to supervise the government, Zhaoqing Prince Yikuang, Wenhuadian University scholar Li Hongzhang, and Military Aircraft Minister Rong Rong Lu, Wang Wenshao, Lu Chuanlin, and Kun Gang were the ministers of state affairs who were in charge of formulating various measures for the New Deal, in charge of official memorials from all over the country, and handling affairs such as the national government system, schools, imperial examinations, and official administration.

On the ninth day of June in the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu (July 24, 1901 AD), the Qing Dynasty announced that it would change the Prime Minister’s Office of State Affairs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministers of the affairs yamen are the secretary of the meeting office and the assistant minister of the meeting office. Li Hongzhang sent his sick resignation to order the Prime Minister's affairs, Prince Qing Yikuang.In early July, the peace conference moved on to the last item: the amount of reparations.This is the most critical part of this negotiation. Ge Luoqian put the amount negotiated by various countries in writing in both Chinese and English, and placed it in front of Prince Qing and Li Hongzhang.Prince Qing picked it up, took a look, and immediately left the case, plopped down on his knees in front of the ministers of various countries, kowtowed and said: "I beg you, please let me go, Daqing. According to the figures proposed by you, my lord Qing has to beg for the whole country." The translator did not dare to translate this sentence, and the ministers didn't know what kind of trick Prince Qing was playing, so they all burst out laughing.

Li Hongzhang had been ill for many days, and he came here because the indemnity was too important and related to the survival of the Qing Dynasty.Now that he saw Prince Qing kneeling down, he also felt strange, so he couldn't help but bring the amount proposed by various countries to his eyes.Seeing this, he was also taken aback.It turned out that the amount of indemnity proposed by various countries was 1.75 billion taels of flat silver, which would be paid off in ten years with an annual interest of 6%. Li Hongzhang stroked his beard with a sneer and said, "Ministers, I think the amount of compensation you proposed is too small, isn't it? 1.75 billion taels of kuping silver? 17 billion taels of kuping silver, isn't it more okay?"

Ge Luoqian said with a cold face: "Li Zhongtang, this is the minimum amount of compensation proposed by our countries. The eight countries that participated in the war are 200 million taels each, and the three countries that did not participate in the war are each 50 million taels. This is the most fair distribution plan. " Li Hongzhang glanced at Prince Qing who was kneeling on the ground in a daze and said, "My lord, get up, what are you doing?" Prince Qing stood up and whispered: "Shaoquan, I was frightened by them! They don't want us to live!" Li Hongzhang pondered for a moment, then suddenly heaved a long sigh and said, "Minister Ge, please tell all the ministers that I am in the Qing Dynasty now, let alone more than a billion yuan, even a hundred million yuan, I can't even take it out! No more, look at the guns used in our barracks. They should have been replaced a long time ago. They have been standing like this because of lack of money. Our country has complied with some of the conditions put forward by various countries in our meeting. Only the compensation However, I can’t do it. What the old man said today is not pleasant. My Qing Dynasty has already used up a hundred years of income in advance! The old man and most of the ministers here are familiar with it. Is what the old man said just now correct? Everyone should know the truth. After the old man’s words, let’s discuss what to do.”

At this time, an official came in quietly and said, "My lord, it's time for you to take medicine." Li Hongzhang had no choice but to get up and said, "I'll excuse you for a while. Let's talk about it after everyone discusses the solution." The messenger helped Li Hongzhang go out to take medicine.Prince Qing hurriedly followed, and whispered, "Shaoquan, how much can they reduce?" Li Hongzhang said as he walked, "This Yuxian, he has done a lot of harm to my Qing Dynasty!" Li Hongzhang did not mention Prince Zhuang and Prince Duan, nor did he even mention Gangyi and other noble officials, but only mentioned Yuxian.Yuxian was a member of the Zhenghuang Banner of the Han army, a man between Manchu and Han.Li Hongzhang could only use such people to vent his dissatisfaction with the court.

Prince Qing could only sigh along with Li Hongzhang, and then returned to the peace negotiation table.After Li Hongzhang finished taking the medicine, the envoys of various countries really discussed a new amount of compensation, which was 950 million taels of Kuping silver, and the annual interest was still 6%, and it was still paid off in ten years. Ge Luoqian said: "Li Zhongtang, we'll give you face, so it's okay, right?" Li Hongzhang said with a smile: "Ministers, please listen to what I said. If you want to continue to communicate with my Qing Dynasty in the future, you should first find a way to keep my Qing Dynasty alive. Now, my Qing Dynasty, what can I come up with?" The 900 million silver, so I don't care about the reduced 800 million. Since the ministers are willing to give me face, I will say a number. For this compensation, I can only pay 300 million Kuping silver, how much I can’t even get one tael out. How many years will it take to pay it off? It will take forty-five years to pay it off. What about the annual interest? It can only be paid up to 3%. The old man’s words are finished, let’s discuss it.”

The envoys of the eleven countries naturally refused to agree.If you don't agree, you can only negotiate again, and the negotiation comes and goes, and finally the amount of compensation is 450 million taels of Kuping silver, which will be paid off in 39 years, with an annual interest of 4%. On July 25th of the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu (September 7, 1901 AD), the peace treaty signed by Prince Qing Yikuang, Wenhuadian University Scholars and Plenipotentiary Minister Li Hongzhang and the ministers of eleven countries was recognized by the Qing Dynasty. Court approval.Because the year of the contract was the year of Xin Chou, it was called "Xin Chou Treaty" in history.

The treaty is as follows: China will pay 450 million taels of indemnity, which will be paid off in 39 years, with an annual interest of 4%, and will be mortgaged by customs duties, regular duties and salt taxes; Chinese people are not allowed to live there; the Dagu forts and forts that obstruct the passage from the capital to the sea are demolished, and foreign troops are stationed in Beijing and twelve important areas along the line from Beijing to Shanhaiguan; the Chinese people are forever prohibited from establishing or participating in the All kinds of organizations that are "enemies of the countries" will be punished with death; officials of the provinces must immediately suppress incidents of "harming the people of the countries" that occur within their territories, otherwise they will be dismissed and never employed; The Qing government agreed to discuss the repairs or other trade matters that should be done, and improved the two waterways of Beihe and Huangpu; Li Hongzhang wrote in his "Painting with the Parliament" not without pain: "In the past few decades, the ministers and others have been investigating. Every time there is a provocation, there will be one more loss. The incident last year was particularly hasty. Deep pain, Bo Hai frightened. Today's peace negotiation has been completed, the overall situation is not settled, I still hope that the court will stick to its decision, make peace outside, and become prosperous and strong inside. There may be a turn for the better. For example, many sick people seek medical treatment without authorization I am still afraid that my vitality may be damaged, and if I fight bravely again, my life will be in danger." Almost at the same time as he was negotiating peace with the foreign powers, Li Hongzhang was ill and held separate talks with the Russian Minister to China Cassini on the issue of Manchuria. At that time, due to Britain and Japan discussing the establishment of an anti-Russian alliance, Russia did not want to make things too difficult for China, so it agreed to partially withdraw its troops in the early stages of negotiations.Subsequently, Cassini was instructed by the country to propose the conditions for the return of the Northeast, and Li Hongzhang was appointed as the Minister of Plenipotentiary to negotiate the agreement with the Russian businessman. However, the negotiations between China and Russia did not go well this time. After the signing of the "Xin Chou Treaty", China and Russia have not yet reached an agreement.Li Hongzhang was exhausted physically and mentally, and his condition worsened. Xiaohong waited until late every day before going to bed. On the sixth day after signing the "Xin Chou Treaty" with the foreign powers, it was midnight, and Li Hongzhang took a long time to calm down after coughing for a while.While beating his back and stroking his chest, Xiaohong comforted him. Li Hongzhang held Xiaohong's hand, and said weakly: "The treaty for peace negotiation has been signed, and the deadline for this old man has come. The situation in the country has become so bad, and this old man has no other options. Even if my teacher comes back to life, I'm afraid There is no way to recover. The old man will not think about what will happen to the scriptures, scriptures, and scriptures in the future. As the old saying goes, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. As for the wife, someone will naturally take care of them. The only thing I can't worry about It's you, Hong'er! Hong'er, before the Queen Mother returns to Luan, you can go back to Jiangxi tomorrow. The old man has asked someone to pack for you, and all the land deeds, house deeds and other documents have been packed in Inside. The old man asked an old officer who has been with me for twelve years to escort you. After you arrive in Jiangxi, just change your name, and after a year or two, find a better family. If you want old man, just Take the time to melt a piece of paper in front of the old man’s grave in Hefei.” Xiao Hong cried and said: "Master, you should take good care of your illness, but you have not signed a treaty with Russia yet! When it's time for the servant to leave, I don't need you to push me away, the servant will leave by myself. If the servant doesn't want to Let's go, it's no use pushing you all the time."