Chapter 6 Chapter V Self-Assessment

Americans have their own set of ideas.Starter] They want to get the position of mediator.Because the two sides in the war are often killed or wounded, and the middleman will always get greater benefits. So Britain and France no longer fought for the United States, and made a decision to launch a war against China.Britain handed over the command of the war to Earl Elgin, the ambassador to China, and asked him to solve the following requirements in this war: 1. Compensation for damages to British and French subjects; 2. Fully implement the provisions of the treaty in Guangzhou and other places;

3. Compensation for losses in recent accidents; 4. The British Minister is based in Beijing and recognizes that he has the right to write directly with senior officials there; Amendments to the treaty were made for more commercial convenience, such as adding ports and allowing Chinese merchant ships to go to Hong Kong. After the decision to war against China was approved, the British and French coalition forces were unable to gather together for a long time.At first, the French ambassador to China, Gros, was appointed later than Elkin, so his departure time in Paris was correspondingly much later.When Minister Ge Luo led his army to the China Sea, there was another mutiny in India, and Elgin transferred the army to India to calm the tension.In this way, the armies of the two countries did not come together until the end of 1857.It was December 1857.

That's why there was an ultimatum to the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi Ye Mingchen on December 12. Ye Mingchen was not afraid of danger and showed extraordinary composure.Compared with those officials of the Qing Dynasty who were greedy for life and fear of death or suffering from foreign phobia, Ye Gong looked tall and tall. After all, he did not prostrate on the ground like a dog, and he did not have a slavish face. He still retained the Chinese tradition to some extent. The integrity of scholar-bureaucrats. At least he once gave those foreigners a headache. However, the reason why Ye Mingchen, a lonely tree, is more beautiful than the forest is that it has another spiritual support. Its growth rings are permeated with the dross of feudal culture.

Ye Mingchen paid attention to the monarch and ministers all his life, the monarch guides the ministers, and the father guides the sons. He is not only loyal to the monarch, but also filial and honest.Emperor Xianfeng, like Emperor Daoguang, was a man of ordinary intelligence. He didn't have any good strategies for governing the country when foreigners invaded the country everywhere. His words were not gods, but Ye Mingchen obeyed.He has no thoughts of his own.His thoughts have been harvested by Xianfeng.Xianfeng told him not to irritate the foreigners, not to irritate them, especially not to accommodate the bamboo.It is absolutely impossible to show it softness, showing the shape of restraint, which is suitable for the requirements of Kai Yi.When he was dealing with foreigners, all actions, behaviors, measures, and measures were all guided by the emperor's words.He is a servant of the emperor, his life was given by the emperor, and he is only responsible for the emperor.His future was given by the emperor, and he only ran Bian for the emperor.Except for the emperor, he can not be afraid of anyone.Ye Mingchen is a person deeply affected by the thought of loyalty to the emperor, and his illness is terminal. Therefore, his behavior seems very strange to others.For example, last year when the British navy commander Simon led his ship into the inland river of Guangzhou and captured the Liede Fort, Ye Gongyi was watching the drill in a school yard. The flag officer rode his horse and flew to report the loss of the fort. , but Mr. Ye sat upright and smiled without showing any signs of expression.It is not to say that he has a good plan, or that he has a plan to use the enemy, but that he only believes what the emperor said, and tries not to provoke foreigners.If you foreigners are mobilizing your troops and attacking cities and lands, I will ignore you or provoke you. This is called not fighting back when you are beaten, and not fighting back when you are scolded. This way, you foreigners will lose their motivation and they will automatically withdraw.This is Ye Gong's idea of ​​responding to all changes with the same.He got the idea from the emperor.

Ye Gong was not only loyal to the emperor and listened to the emperor, but also obeyed his father's words.His father was a country scholar, quite learned.Ye Mingchen was influenced by his father since he was a child, he is familiar with poetry and books, and has a profound family education.His father is not only his biological father, but also his spiritual father.His father also helped him many times in his later official career, making him prosper in official career and becoming an important minister of the Qing Dynasty. My father knows divination and likes to help the spirit. Ye Mingchen benefited greatly from it.

Others don't believe it, but Ye Mingchen firmly believes it anyway. Ye Mingchen didn't have any extraordinary appearance when he was young, he was even a little stupid.It's just that he invests with his heart and has the drive to persevere.His father once predicted his future in secret, and it turned out that the white tiger will be a golden official. If he enters the literary career, he will be on the gold list; if he enters the martial arts career, he will make extraordinary achievements.From then on, his father looked at him differently, and he himself felt that he was extraordinary, so he gradually got rid of his stupidity and became more intelligent.When he came to Beijing to take the exam as an adult, his father made another divination before he left. It turned out that it was Wen Wang and Guan Xing.Later, Ye Mingchen really fulfilled his ambition of enrolling in the imperial examination.Therefore, Ye Mingchen firmly believed in his father's forecasting.

Ye Mingchen worshiped the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi as an official, and he did not forget his father's kindness in nurturing.He picked up his parents from the countryside and built a special house in the suburbs of Guanyin Mountain in Guangzhou. Ye Mingchen wrote the four characters of Changchun Xianguan in his own handwriting. The two sages, Lu Dongbin and Li Taibai, were enshrined in the hall. He let his father study and play chess here and make friends , self-cultivation, and concentrate on the study of astrology, gossip, Zhouyi and other predictions. British and French disturbances, Guangzhou's daily turmoil, Ye Mingchen asked Guanyin Mountain several times, his father helped him find a better way to avoid disasters, and in retrospect, he felt that only what his father said was the best.Since there is the emperor Shengming and his father Zuoyou, Ye Mingchen feels reassured that he can calm down in times of panic and chaos. The above are his main spiritual pillars.He is a paranoid unscientific loner.Lin Zexu is also lofty and aloof, and he is also a character that foreigners find difficult to grasp.Because he has great insights and good strategies to defend against the enemy.He didn't underestimate the skills of the barbarians, and had earnestly studied and studied western science and technology, as well as offensive and defensive strategies on the battlefield.He is also loyal to the emperor, but he can give full play to his subjective initiative and make down-to-earth preparations for the construction of coastal defense. He mobilizes the people to unite as one, and constantly improves military equipment, reforms the military system, and actively prepares for war.

Ye Mingchen, on the other hand, is only loyal to the emperor and filial piety, only believes in Wuxuan's feudal superstition, has nothing in his heart, and no sharp weapons in his hands.Therefore, being so arrogant like him is often ridiculed as a typical example of stupidity. When the city of Guangzhou was handed over to officials like Ye Mingchen, it basically became an undefended city. When the Anglo-French coalition forces appeared in the sea of ​​Guangdong again and Ye Mingchen was given 10 days to reply to the request on the ultimatum, Ye Mingchen was not prepared for anything except that he would still be tough without content.Hong Kong scouts reported to him that the Queen of England ordered Elgin not to act rashly. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that the ultimatum received was actually intimidation, and war could not be fought.

This is one reason why Ye Mingchen lived up to his preparations. For the second reason, he once again asked his father to divination, and his father said that as long as December 30 passed, nothing would happen.Ye Mingchen firmly believed in this.He thought, how can I survive fifteen days, but if I can't do it, I will hide in a place where I can't be seen, even if you foreigners enter the city of Guangzhou and can't find me, what can I do?After the critical period, I will come back, and I will be in good luck.Thinking about it this way, I didn't care, and the British and French allied forces entered Guangzhou City smoothly.

The British and French allied forces began to attack the city in the early morning of December 28, only two days before the date calculated by Ye Mingchen's father.As soon as the war started, the city of Guangzhou fell before December 30. It cannot be said that Ye Mingchen's father was inaccurate.His father said that if December 30th passed, there would be no slaps. In fact, the slaps started without waiting for this day. But Ye Mingchen escaped the day of December 30th.He hid in Yuehua Academy when foreigners entered the city, and then transferred to Zuodu Tongfu. This day is January 5, 1858.It has been more than 5 days since the ominous period that my father predicted.Ye Mingchen thought to himself, the evil period is over, the foreign devils should go, and the foreign devils can take everything away, only the city of Guangzhou can't be carried away, as long as the city of Guangzhou is still there, it belongs to my Qing Empire, and it belongs to my master Ye Mingchen.Unexpectedly, when he closed his eyes and thought about it in the octagonal pavilion in the back garden of the Zuo Metropolitan Administration, a group of foreigners surrounded him with rifles, and he was captured.

He finally did not escape the disaster.An official named Baigui betrayed him.After Bacharley got the information that Ye Mingchen was hiding, he immediately sent 100 quick-shooters to search for Yuehua College, but the building was empty except for one gatekeeper.The gatekeeper was taken back to torture him, but the gatekeeper was very strong and did not mention the governor's whereabouts.At this time, Bai Gui, who surrendered to the British and French allied forces, found Pachari and said that he knew Ye Mingchen's whereabouts. The Rapid Guns surrounded the Zuodu Command Office.In the Zuodutong lobby, an official of the Qing Dynasty sat upright in the lobby, stood up majestically and unyieldingly under the gaze of foreigners and foreign guns, and said: I am Ye Mingshen.However, Bacharley had met Ye Mingchen.This person is Zuo Dutong Shuangling.The rapid gun team continued to search and finally found Ye Mingchen in the back garden.Ye Mingchen was escorted by foreigners and walked back to the British headquarters.He wears a plume on top, court clothes and court boots.As a governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, he walked dignifiedly, as if inspecting the post-war Guangzhou city.Foreigners with rifles on their shoulders lined up on both sides, and their high leather boots stepped on unfamiliar Western drumbeats.Ye Mingchen walked sluggishly and slowly, not in tune with foreigners.But he still walked with great charm, walking with unprecedented tenacity, which finally disturbed the whole procession, and the foreigners had to stop and go to accommodate his steps. A man who looked like a military officer walked up to Ye Mingchen and whispered to him to hurry up. Ye Mingchen was furious and scolded with eyes wide open: What rank are you?How dare you urge the heavenly officials?Stand down and let your envoy speak to me! The streets were crowded with Guangzhou citizens watching the excitement.People were all moved by Ye Mingchen's majestic appearance and this scolding in a straight voice. Some people applauded excitedly, and many women and old people shed tears. In the evening, Ye Mingchen was put on a warship and moored in Baietan.After dinner, Ye Mingchen said to the accompanying British military officer, why hasn't your Minister Ergin come to see me?According to the rules, when the ministers of the Celestial Dynasty come, the ministers should come to pay a visit. It is impolite for you to do so.I'm here to meet Mr. Elgin, and if he doesn't come, I'm off the ship.However, Ye Mingchen is already a prisoner, and his words will only attract ridicule from the British.Later, the warship Intrepid, where Ye Mingchen was imprisoned, sailed to Hong Kong. British Minister Bao Ling once went to the ship to force Ye Mingchen to sign the amendment, but Ye Mingchen sternly refused.Ye Gong denounced the shameless crimes of Bao Ling and others angrily, and his proud head never lowered. Furious, Bao Ling and others hated Ye Mingchen very much, so they escorted him to Calcutta, India, and imprisoned him in Fort William.Ye Mingchen was accompanied by family members Xu Qing and Hu Fu, cook Liu Xi, hairdresser Liu Si and policeman Lan Bin, with clothes, food, money and other things.Like Su Wu back then, they wandered in foreign lands and became Su Wu at sea in the nineteenth century. Finally, Ye Mingchen was moved to live upstairs in the garden of Darien Temple.When the food brought from China ran out, the family asked to go to Calcutta to buy some to avoid freezing and starving to death, but Ye Gong firmly refused.He said, as a minister of the Celestial Dynasty, the reason why I came here without fear of humiliation and hatred was not that I was afraid of death, but that I came to hear what the British said about how civilized their country was and how sensible their monarch was.I came here with this idea in mind. I wanted to meet the King of England and discuss the country's right and wrong with her face to face.I don't want the British to be so barbaric and not let me go to England, but let me stay here.I have lost confidence in such unreasonable people like them. Since I can't reprimand this barbaric country and its monarch face to face, what should I do?What face do I have to eat food from other countries?Since then, I have never eaten. On April 9, 1859, Ye Mingchen died without eating Zhou millet. Although Ye Mingchen had various flaws and deficiencies, his death was still heroic and extraordinary. He still deserves to be respected and commemorated by future generations.He is a complex patriot. Just when Ye Mingchen died tragically, that is, one day in April 1859, the newly appointed Minister to China, Bossons, arrived in Hong Kong. During his stay in Hong Kong for several days, Bruce talked with Hong Kong Counselor Marshall many times on the issue of seizing the Kowloon Peninsula. Marshall was ordered to draw up a detailed memorandum: 1. Benefits to Hong Kong: First, it can prevent other powerful countries from occupying Kowloon.The second is to facilitate the jurisdiction of Hong Kong port.By making the Kowloon peninsula part of the Hong Kong colony, the harbor becomes Hong Kong's territorial waters and English law can be applied.Furthermore, violence in the Tsim Sha Tsui area is increasing, and it is extremely necessary to occupy the peninsula in order to maintain peace and good order in the Hong Kong colony and its adjacent areas.In addition, the city of Hong Kong is developing too fast and is overcrowded. The occupation of Kowloon can provide Hong Kong residents with convenient facilities and improve their health conditions.Through the sale of land in Kowloon, the income of the Hong Kong colony will also be greatly increased. 2. The gains and losses of the Chinese: they have no authority in Kowloon, and it is estimated that they will not get taxes from there.The land in Kowloon is of no value to them.The location could be extremely bad for them if it brought them into conflict with other nations or lawless foreign bandits.The British occupation would strengthen the Qing officials in Kowloon and avoid a repeat of the August 1854 shipment. 3. The scope of the occupied land: Malmesbury's letter designates Kowloon Headland and Stonecutters Island.Kowloon City and Kowloon Fort are not included. Compensation to the Chinese Government: The site is not only worthless to them, but also in the way and dangerous.Only a minimal payment is required to be legal compensation. At this time, a new British cabinet government has been established, with Russell as Foreign Secretary and Newcastle as Colonial Secretary.They still insist on the policy of occupying the Kowloon Peninsula.Elliott, Under-Secretary of the Colonial Department, wrote in a letter to the Foreign Office: I am ordered by the Duke of Newcastle, and for the reference of Lord Russell, I would like to inform you that in view of the information received from the Governor of Hong Kong, it shows that people living in the Kowloon Peninsula The lawlessness of the Chinese, and the difficulties caused by the peaceful administration of the Hong Kong colony by the present state of affairs there, the Duke considered it necessary to communicate with the Secretary of State for War in order to order the Commander of Her Majesty's Forces in China to occupy the peninsula at the first appropriate opportunity.Now the Duke would like to submit his opinion to Lord Russell for consideration: at any time in the future to adjust the relationship between the empire and China, this piece of land should be preserved. After intensive theoretical and practical preparations, the claws of the invaders have quietly extended to the long-coveted Kowloon Peninsula. The doom of Kowloon is coming. On May 30, 1858, the British Ambassador Plenipotentiary Elgin, the French Ambassador Gero, the American Minister Levi Lien, and the Russian Minister Putiyatin sailed along the Baihe River to Tianjin in two gunboats. They arrived in Tianjin as victors. Behind them—on the sea outside Dagukou, a battle just took place.This was a battle ten days ago. After the British and French allied forces captured the city of Guangzhou, they joined forces and went northward. In Shanghai, they joined the American Minister Levi Lian and the Russian Minister Putiyatin, and went to Tianjin to press them. A total of 32 warships from various countries, nearly 500 artillery pieces, and about 4,000 invading troops gathered outside Dagukou.Among them, there is 1 British ship, 1 carrier ship, 124 cannons, 13 ships and gunboats, 61 guns, and 2054 troops.2 French ships, 100 guns, 9 ships and gunboats, 64 guns, and 1,500 troops.There are also American and Russian ships and so on.Like bloodthirsty sharks, they spread their teeth and claws on the ocean, watching the city of Tianjin trembling in the wind.After the envoys of the four countries conspired, they decided to use force to subdue the Qing government.Although the envoys of the four countries have their own concerns and insincere words, they are still consistent in amending the treaty and seizing China's interests. At 8 a.m. on May 20, the British and French allied forces sent an ultimatum to Tianjin Governor Tan Tingxiang, ordering the withdrawal of the Dagu Taiwan defenders within two hours, otherwise force would be used. Two hours later, the British warships Luhe, Naro and French warships Shotgun and Rocket began to attack. The Taku Fort was filled with smoke and was shot in many places. The northern and southern defenders of Dagukou bravely blocked the British and French invading forces. They fired very fierce artillery fire at the enemy ships, and then used fire rafts to attack the landing enemies down the river, making it difficult for the enemy to parry.Although the defenders' cannons were not accurate, their rotation was not working, and their shells were not very lethal, they still caused heavy damage to the enemy. In the end, due to being outnumbered and running out of ammunition, most of the defenders died in battle.Among them, Sha Chunyuan, the guerrilla of the North Fortress, Chen Yi, the governor of the South Fortress, and Chang Rongkui, the general manager of the Qianbai, died for the country. The invaders also paid a heavy price, with 110 British and French casualties and 4 warships sunk. The gunpowder smoke over the mouth of Dagu hadn’t cleared away, and the bloodstains of the defenders were still floating on the sea. The envoys of the four countries rushed into Tianjin and aimed their loaded guns at the throat of the Qing Dynasty... While the Dagukou defenders were fighting bloody battles, Emperor Xianfeng was listening to the melodious sound of water in front of the Great Water Dharma in the Old Summer Palace.He is not the master who sings across the river that the flowers in the backyard don't know their worries. He is worried, he hates, and he is afraid.What he worries about is internal and external troubles, what he hates is the barbarian boxers, and what he fears is that Zongsheji will be defeated in his hands.But he can't help it.The national treasury was empty, and almost all the silver accumulated by the ancestors fell into the war reparations.It is okay for the unscrupulous generals in the court to join forces to deal with the Boxers, but if they compete with foreigners, the heat is not yet ready.There is also my own body and bones, although it is in the prime of life, it is sick all day long, even if the eyes are full of concubines and concubines, they can only flow away. Suddenly it was reported that the envoys of Britain, France, the United States and Russia had pressed Tianjin, and the battleships behind them destroyed the city, and the soldiers approached the city.Xianfeng really couldn't think of an idea.He only felt that the rifles raised by the green-eyed long-haired man were pointing at his chest. This situation was too dangerous, and he should send someone to negotiate with the foreigners quickly to relieve the urgent need. He hastily sent Guiliang, a senior scholar, and Huashana, the official secretary, to Tianjin to negotiate as plenipotentiaries to ease the pressure on the Beijing-Tianjin area as soon as possible. On June 2, 1858, the two ministers rushed to Tianjin, stayed in Zhenshi Street outside the North Gate, and prepared to start negotiations with envoys from various countries.In order to ensure the success of the negotiation, preserve face as much as possible, and minimize the loss of interests, Xianfeng sent Qiying to help in the battle as a backing.Qiying is a veteran diplomat who has accumulated a lot of experience in dealing with the British more than ten years ago. Xianfeng believes that foreigners will rely on him, and Qiying will do things that Guiliang and the others cannot do. On June 4, British Ambassador Plenipotentiary Elgin made his first appearance at the Haiguang Temple outside the South Gate.He is the core figure among the envoys of the four countries, and he is also the initiator of the revision of the treaty. As long as this hard-to-shave head is solved, the rest will be easy to deal with.Therefore, he is the top priority. Guiliang and Hua Shana decided to hold the first round of talks with him first. Elgin appeared on the stage. A military band was playing Didi Dada.White uniform, white gloves, shiny riding boots, shiny bugle.The musical notes rushed like golden snakes in the desolate air.Sunshine and dust smeared on this huge guard of honor with 150 people.Wrapped in gleaming metal and raucous tones, Elgin emerges like a clown in a circus.He wants people's attention.Because he is a winner. But Elgin forgot that this is Chinese land.Although his actions have attracted people's attention, more of them have aroused hatred and resentment from the Chinese people.Guiliang and Huashana had already bowed outside the temple gate because of lack of confidence.Ergin sat down arrogantly, and as soon as Guiliang and Huashana sat down, he very impolitely offered to inspect their plenipotentiary minister Guan Fang.Guiliang showed Emperor Xianfeng's imperial decree as evidence.But Elgin still didn't think it counted. He arrogantly said that if you didn't close your defenses, the meeting would not be legal and authoritative.But when Guiliang got everything done as required, Erjin didn't show up again, and only handed over the power of negotiation to his attache Witoma, translator Li Taitai and Magis. Wei Tuoma and Li Taitai are two rough and uneducated people. It is a great insult to the Qing government to use such unranked and uneducated people to negotiate with the plenipotentiary ministers of the Qing Empire.But it is already a defeated country, so why talk about self-esteem?I had to let these vulgar barbarians roar at the hall of etiquette. Just when the negotiations encountered difficulties, Qiying walked from behind the scenes to the foreground.On the second day after Qiying arrived in Tianjin, he notified the envoys of the four countries about his arrival in Tianjin.Both American Minister William William and Russian Minister Putiyating met with this important Qing minister.In the four countries, the Americans have always acted as mediators, and their basic national policy is to reap the benefits and use the least investment in exchange for the greatest profit.The Russians came to China with the mentality of picking cheap ones.They are neither prepared to send troops nor to invest, they just want to fulfill Russia's greedy dream of earning a fortune.Because the British and French sent troops, money and efforts, they just took advantage of the fire to loot. But Elgin and Ge Luo didn't pay much attention to Qiying's arrival.They said indifferently that they are now negotiating with the official representatives of the Qing government and have no time to meet with you. You should wait for a while. Finally, when Li Taitai and Witoma came to visit, the two British came to the hotel where Qiying was staying. When Qiying heard that the British were coming, he ordered his staff to prepare a sumptuous table of wine and food.When he was full of wine and food, Qiying talked excitedly about Ya Gobait.He asked the two Britons about the whereabouts of his old friend Pudingcha, and mysteriously talked to them about his deep friendship with the former plenipotentiary ambassador to China and the first Governor of Hong Kong.He said they were in-laws.At a banquet after the signing of the Humen Treaty, Pu Dingcha talked about his family and son, and asked about Qiying's family situation.The two were about the same age, they were both fathers and ministers, and they were very prominent in their respective countries, so they talked very speculatively.Qiying proposed to let Pu Dingcha be the father of her child, and asked him for the family portrait photos just taken... More than ten years have passed in a blink of an eye.Qiying said emotionally, I really miss this old friend! However, Li Taitai interrupted Qiying very coldly. He said, Your Excellency may not really miss any British friends as you said yourself, right?I have here the memorial of your dealings with us in Guangzhou, you can see for yourself!As he spoke, he threw a stack of letters to Qiying.This is archival material. These archival materials are usually difficult to see.It was only because when the foreigners captured Guangzhou, they seized a large number of archives in Ye Mingchen's Governor's Mansion, which contained the memorials and letters sent by Qiying to Emperor Daoguang more than ten years ago.At that time, Qiying was shuttling between the Qing government and the foreigners. In order to complete the contract as soon as possible, he often pretended to be a snake, cheated and coaxed, in order to let Emperor Daoguang understand that some words did not come from his heart, not his original intention. , he reported to Emperor Daoguang in detail that this was all to tease the barbarians.Because the Yi people are as difficult to raise as villains, as vicious as pirates, and as cruel as wolves... Li Taitai knew Chinese characters. He pointed to these old characters and read them to him... Qiying's old face was completely humiliated. He could no longer stay in Tianjin as an old friend, so he returned to Beijing in despair.Because the emperor's will was not fulfilled.Emperor Xianfeng was furious, and on the grounds of leaving his post without authorization, he gave him a very strong and beautiful silk and made him hang himself. On the evening of June 26, 1858, the Sino-British Treaty of Tianjin was formally signed.Prior to this, Sino-US, Sino-Russian, and Sino-French treaties were signed one after another.The main contents of the Sino-British and Sino-French Treaty of Tianjin are as follows: 1. British and French ministers stationed in Beijing shall use equal etiquette in their diplomatic contacts with the government; 2. Open Niuzhuang, Dengzhou, Taiwan (Tainan), Danshui, Chaozhou, Qiongzhou, Dukou, Jiujiang, Nanjing, and Zhenjiang as treaty ports, and the customs employ foreigners; 3. Outsiders can travel to the Mainland; 4. Congratulatory documents for disputes between Chinese people and foreigners shall be examined and handled by the consulate of the country in conjunction with the Chinese Embassy; 5. Jesus and Catholics can freely preach in the interior; Amend the tax rules to reduce the tonnage tax on merchant ships; 1. Foreign warships may visit various treaty ports; 2. Compensation: 4 million taels for the UK and 2 million taels for the French; 3. Enjoy the most-favored-nation treatment... The main contents of the Commercial Regulations are: 4. Recognize the legality of the opium trade, change its name to foreign medicine, and collect a tax of thirty taels of silver per hundred catties; 5. All imported and exported goods are taxed according to the current price; Foreign goods are sold in the mainland, and the import tax of 2.5 foreign is charged according to the current price, and the likin and regular customs duties are no longer paid... After signing the Tianjin Treaty with Britain, France, the United States and Russia, Xianfeng Emperor Yisuo was very dissatisfied.In particular, among the four items proposed by Britain and France to send personnel to Beijing, inland river trade, inland parades, and compensation for military expenses, he was the most annoyed at sending personnel to Beijing and inland river trade. As the emperor of the Celestial Dynasty, Wei Jia Hai Nei.Is there any king in the world, and I am the only one in the four seas.In the past, when foreign barbarians came to Beijing, they either paid vassals or paid tribute. Who would have imagined that today they come to be stationed in Beijing?You foreigners have strong boats and sharp guns. You are majestic and prosperous everywhere. It doesn’t count if you disturb my Shenzhou. Today you want to sleep next to my couch. Isn’t this another foreign emperor?Where is the face of my real dragon emperor?no! Emperor Xianfeng thought about it and felt that the Treaty of Tianjin should be amended or abolished.Before signing the contract, Emperor Xianfeng told Guiliang and others that if foreigners proposed to do business in Beijing and Neijiang, they must not be allowed.Unexpectedly, Guiliang said that it is better to lead a war than to take care of him, otherwise not only Tianjin will not be protected, but Beijing will also be endangered. At that time, the more extravagant it is to ask for what you want, that is, to ask for it according to the current item, it is too late.It's better to pretend to agree to them and coax them away. At that time, we will not admit it. It must not be used as real evidence; The crime of mismanagement can be used as waste paper. Emperor Xianfeng saw that Guiliang was speaking clearly and logically, and after thinking about it, he agreed to sign the contract.But Emperor Xianfeng Yining insisted on one more requirement: envoys are not allowed to bring their family members with them when they come to Beijing, and all kneeling etiquette must follow the Chinese system. However, negotiators such as Guiliang did not make the emperor's request to the foreigners at all.Gui Liang and others were more afraid of foreigners than the emperor. They were completely scared out of their wits by the foreigners. The foreigners pressed each other step by step, and they would not give up until they achieved their goals.And Xianfeng sits in the nine-fold imperial palace, shutting off the sight and hearing, so it's easy to fool.Gui Liang and others are not thinking about the country and the nation, they are mainly thinking about themselves.Since this unlucky errand is on the table, if it is not handled well, it will lose its head and lose the official, so it is better to deal with the errand. Emperor Xianfeng was ready to resort to force, and confessed to Gui Liang and others that the withdrawal agreement could not be approved at all.What sending people to Beijing, what inland river trade, bullshit!Tell the foreigners, we will fight them!I will send Seng Gelinqin, the most capable fighter in the Qing Dynasty, to fight!Tell them that we are ready to fight... Regarding this point, Gui Liang has seriously considered it. The result of the consideration is that it is difficult for Yiqing to beat foreigners with his combat strength. Therefore, foreigners are not afraid to use war. threatened. But it cannot be said that the emperor did not understand the situation, that would be disrespectful to the emperor.So I can only give the emperor a sloppy eye.After asking the emperor to agree to the terms, sign the contract, and then talk about other things after completing the mission. In this way, Guiliang and others signed the Tianjin Treaty with the ministers of the four countries.When the Treaty of Tianjin was signed, Emperor Xianfeng felt like a choke in his throat again, and he couldn't swallow this breath. He wants to go back on his word. Therefore, Yi Ning decided to cancel the Treaty of Tianjin when negotiating the commercial charter with Britain and France in Shanghai. In mid-January 1858, the envoys of the four countries gathered in Shanghai except the Russian envoy Putiyating, preparing to discuss tax issues and trade regulations with the Qing government.The Russian envoy went back to China because he first reached out to China and had no problems with maritime trade and tariffs. Because of the outstanding performance of the British plenipotentiary Elgin in this war, the French and American ministers elected him as the general representative of this negotiation.Elgin has made a lot of preparations for this meeting. Although the Tianjin Treaty has been signed, this meeting is related to specific implementation issues and how to further seize interests in China. He cannot be careless.He specially sent Witoma and Li Taitai to this meeting.Witoma attended the talks on his own behalf, and Li Taitai attended the meeting. Before the meeting, the tax rules and regulations had been unilaterally drafted by the British.The creator is Li Taitai. Who is Li Taitai?He was originally an official in charge of customs duties at the Shanghai Customs, an insignificant person. Why does Chinese customs allow foreigners to serve as customs officials?It's a long story.Tariff autonomy is a manifestation of the exercise of sovereignty by an independent country. Once the power of tariffs falls, it marks the complete loss of national sovereignty.The Treaty of Nanjing stipulated the principle that China’s tariffs must be negotiated with the UK. Later, in the five-port trade agreement, it stipulated a tax rate of 50% of the value of British import and export goods. A tax rate of 2.5 per cent.This tariff, which is worth 7.5 per cent, is set by foreigners, not China, which marks that China has lost its autonomy in customs duties.The tariff of five out of one hundred was the lowest tariff in the world at that time, and it actually fulfilled the open plunder of imperialism against China.This unique tariff in the world has been maintained for decades, and not only the United Kingdom, but also France, the United States, Russia and other countries have enjoyed such low tariffs, making the Chinese market a place for Western powers to wreak havoc. In 1853, after the Shanghai Small Knife Society uprising, the Shanghai Customs in the concession was destroyed by the public at one stroke, and the Qing government's Su Song Taidao Tai Wu Jianzhang hid in the concession.He was the chief tax officer of Shanghai, Suzhou, Songjiang, Taicang and other places. Once he escaped, no one paid any attention to the tax collection. This situation lasted for half a year. The British Consul in Shanghai, Ali, and the American Minister felt that if the chaos continued, if it was too uneconomical to affect vested interests, they sent troops to occupy Shanghai Customs and decided to temporarily represent the Chinese side to collect taxes.They also promulgated six provisional measures for Shanghai Customs.The British and American consuls collected taxes from the British and American businessmen on behalf of the Chinese government, and the taxes were escrowed by the consuls. However, this is just talk. Many foreign merchants and entrepreneurs don't take it seriously, and tax evasion exists on a large scale.In view of this situation, the British and American consuls came up with an administrative organization for foreigners to participate in the Chinese customs. The personnel were designated by the consul, who served China, received Chinese salaries, and worked under the command of Chinese officials.In this way, the consuls of Britain, the United States and France negotiated with Su Song, Tai Daotai and Wu Jianzhang, and appointed a three-member customs committee appointed by the consuls of the three countries. They were French Mies, American Carl, and British Witoma. Lee Thai later replaced Witoma. Li Taitai replaced Witoma a year later.He is proficient in Chinese and proficient in tax work. Compared with the officials sent by the French and American consulates, he seems to work harder.To be fair, this is much better than the unmanned situation of Chinese customs.Due to the support of the consuls of the three countries, foreign businessmen had to pay taxes according to the regulations, and because the barbarians were used to rule the barbarians, many cases could not be sloppy, and the tax situation was even higher than when the Chinese customs were healthy.In 1859 alone, 2,902,397 taels of silver were collected, which was a great income for the Qing government's finances... Therefore, Prince Gong Yijin made a big deal in the memorial in March of the eleventh year of Xianfeng, He said: Li Taitai has handled taxes in Shanghai and other customs for many years, the collection is very high, and the salary he gets is extremely generous, and he is still unwilling to make troubles and breed disadvantages. This is the so-called Li Taitai with a special identity.Although he is a foreigner, he works in the Chinese customs.In his capacity, he can only attend the meeting as a non-voting delegate. However, Li Taitai's professionalism cannot replace his crimes.It is his habit to work conscientiously and conscientiously, which is the result of the British education in this area since childhood.But when he drafted the tax rules and trade regulations, he completely stood on the aggressive position of the British and spared no effort to blackmail China.He didn't put it in his own pocket, just like Prince Gong said, he didn't want to make trouble out of it, but put it in the pocket of the British state.He is such a patriot. Emperor Xianfeng made a big mistake when he set the negotiation on tax rules and trade regulations in Shanghai and expected to exempt the two points in the Tianjin Treaty about sending personnel to Beijing and inland river trade in the negotiations.It turned out that the officials in Shanghai and Jiangsu had long colluded with the British and French consuls, and Xianfeng could not count on them at all. After uprisings such as the Small Knife Club in Shanghai broke out, local Qing officials such as He Guiqing, governor of Liangjiang, had privately sought help and support from foreigners. They owed foreigners, so Li Taitai and others drew up a list. It is best for Jiangsu governor Zhao Dezhe and Su Song Taibing Dao Xue Huan to be the Chinese representatives in this negotiation.In this way, they can control the situation and ensure the interests of Britain and France without fail.He Guiqing then also played to Emperor Xianfeng, suggesting that Zhao and Xue should participate in the negotiations.Unexpectedly, Emperor Xianfeng had other plans. Emperor Xianfeng was still thinking about the clause of sending officials to Beijing.As long as you foreign devils don't show up in the capital and don't dangle in front of my eyes, everything will be easy.Don’t you foreigners come to China to grab benefits? Okay, I’ll give it all to you, and I’ll exempt you from tariffs. It’s interesting enough, it’s generous enough, but you also have to give me face, so don’t mention it anymore Sending personnel to Beijing and inland river trade... 咸丰帝单方面想好了如意算盘，就决定仍派原先签订天津条约的一班人马去谈判，如桂良、花沙纳、明善、段承实。何桂清因在他的辖地会谈，也令他参与谈判。至于薛焕则令他实地交涉，有决断宜则由桂良等全权大臣作主。 因为桂良等人无法操纵，何桂清见谈判人员难以更改，便指示薛焕、吴煦先和李泰国等拟好通商章程草案。此通商章程和税则毫无疑问完全听命李泰国的，是彻头彻尾的英人意志。何桂清深知桂良、花沙纳是被李泰国、威托玛早在缔结天津条约时就击败的主儿，此番见到这个草案，谅他也不敢不签字。哪知桂良等人却不敢做主。 皇上一心想用免去关锐作为条件，去换取天津条约的有关条款，临行时再三告诫桂良等人，不能辜负使命。但洋人的态度也异常坚决，条约以外之事，均可商量，条约本身的事，一个字也不能更改。这样，就把桂良等人夹在中间，左右为难……皇帝不敢辜负，洋人更不敢招惹。 硬着头皮，桂良等人联名上奏皇帝说，关于放弃关税事，实在有辱国体。百万银两轻掷不说，天津条约也不可能废除，到后来，只能落得个赔了夫人又折兵的结果。 但是，咸丰帝奕宁主意已定，说不能更改。于是桂良又陈述，若废条约，夷人又要北窜，万一再兵临城下，大局实难预料…… 这下才算使咸丰有所松动，表示虽不能全部废除条约，也要部分修改。 谈判完全是在走过场。既然咸丰帝连关税都不想要，这些税则和通商章程也只是过过目，基本按英人草案所定：但凡商品，除却鸦片、茶叶、生丝之外，一律值百抽五。鸦片每担30两税银。茶叶每担2500两税银。丝为每担10两税银。外国纸烟、酒、香水、肥皂、面粉、黄油、干酪等全部免税。军火、盐、粮食、铜钱等绝对禁止贸易和出口。此外还确定了秤码丈尺，取消银两倾熔费，北京不许外商活动、外国进口货、输出外国的中国产品的内地税抵代办法，海关手续和征收的划一制度将在所有的通商口岸实施等一系列通商章程。 谈判期间，桂良等人对咸丰帝提出的要求连提也不敢提。还是额尔金提出要乘兵舰去汉口时，桂良才战战兢兢地说，既然阁下要求去汉口，那么我们也有一个要求，能否暂缓公使驻京？ 额尔金急于沿江查看将要选择的港口，对于桂良提出的要求表示了允准。他说，他将向英王建议：如果在来年换约的时候，女王陛下的大使能在北京受适当的接待，并在所有其他的细节上，天津所议定的条约都能获得全部实施，那么就训令女王陛下的驻中国代表在北京以外的其他地方选择一驻扎点，或按期访问京师，或仅视公务上的需要随时前往，这确乎是充实的。 这使桂良等人喜出望外。 这样一来，咸丰皇帝的使命就算有了交待，他们可以放心回京了。 为了表示感谢，桂良等人不仅同意额尔金沿江游历，并且特意安排了一位中国官员伴随，沿途向各地方官府联络。 1858年11月8日，英国全权大使额尔金签署中英《通商章程善后条约》之后，便乘坐狂怒号巡洋舰，在报应号、驱逐号、迎风号、鸽号等舰艇的护航下，离开了上海，开始了他为期近一个月的考察。 额尔金经过实地考察，最后定下镇江、九江、汉口为对外开放的通商口岸。 之后，额尔金就回国了。