Chapter 50 Section fifty

At about the time when Li Laizhong and Wang Jixun broke up, a small dispute occurred in Dongjiaomin Lane in the embassy area.One of the parties to the dispute was Klinder, the German minister. Klinder had been to China fifteen years ago. At that time, he was only a third secretary in the legation. He came to China again last year, not only as a minister, but also as a baron by the Kaiser. status is very high.This nobleman was originally known as a handsome man, but now he is nearly middle-aged, as handsome as before, with a bright personality and the courage to do things, so he is very popular in Dongjiaomin Lane, and he has become the leader of the envoy invisibly. In the negotiations of the Boxers, they generally followed his advice and took a tough attitude.

However, Yuanjia Road is narrow, and that day he was walking along the newly built road in Dongjiaomin Lane with a cane and a dog. In a mule cart, besides the driver, there was a man on the side of the cart, dressed in a strange way, with a red scarf on his head, a red belt around his waist, and red cloth wrapped around his wrists and legs.He held a sharp steel knife in his hand, while he raised a foot with one hand and was sharpening the knife on the sole of the shoe. Clint was momentarily stunned.When the car was approaching in front of him, he suddenly realized, and said to himself: "Isn't this the Boxer?"

The thought turned, and then there was an action, and he jumped forward, using a fencing posture, and stabbed with the cane.The coachman was startled, and unconsciously took the reins back, and when the car stopped, Klinde swung his cane across it.The boxer on the side of the car was already timid. Seeing this scene, he became more and more frightened. He took the knife and threw it away. With a sound of "choking", the steel knife fell to the ground, and his feet also fell to the ground. He ran away, and fled to the sidewalk of King Su's mansion. At this moment, the guards from the German Legation also arrived. They saw that there was still a boxer huddled in the car. According to Klinder's wishes, they dragged him down and detained him in the embassy, ​​but the mule cart let go.

The coachman is also a boxer, and his party of three came from Prince Zhuang's Mansion, where an altar has been set up to worship the gods, and there are several senior brothers living there.On this day, according to the established plan, people were specially sent to Dongjiaomin Lane to demonstrate, not wanting to end up with such a disgraceful result, the king of Zhuang was furious and yelled: "We must kill all foreigners!" In comparison, Zai Lan has some knowledge, "Don't scold me, you have to find a way to get someone! I think," he said, "this is a dispute on the ground, and there is no need for the Prime Minister's Office to come forward. Let Chong Shouzhi take a look. !"

King Zhuang had no idea, listened to him, and invited Chongli, the commander of the infantry, to go to the German Legation to claim back the detained Boxers. Chongli looked distressed and a little angry, so he couldn't help complaining: "The imperial court issued repeated orders and repeated orders, ordered the army to lead the yamen, and dealt with the boxers who caused trouble. They would go to the embassy area to cause trouble, but they have no ability to teach others to catch them alive. Instead, the officials should intercede for them! Mr. Lan, how do you think we should do this job?"

If it were someone else, Zai Lan would turn his face immediately, but he also served as the left-wing commander, and was restrained by Chongli, so he couldn't be more polite, so he said perfunctorily: "Yes, yes! This job is not easy to take. After this period, let's find a way to resign. " At this time, the Prime Minister's Yamen sent Zhang Jing to report the news: The German Legation sent the clothes stripped off by the captured Boxers, together with a steel knife, to the General Administration. Before two o'clock in the afternoon, come out to cook, otherwise the lives of the name and the group will be lost.

"Prince Qing means that this matter can only be handled by the three officials of the yamen commanding the infantry. Lord Ying is already in the office. Please hurry up and discuss it!" This is a non-negotiable matter, no matter from which point of view, people have to go and get them back.The two hurried to the General Administration, according to Zai Lan's intention, it was already a great deal of face for Chongli to go alone, and there was no need to go together.However, Chongli was afraid that the negotiations would not be handled well and he would be solely responsible, so he insisted that the generals of the two wings must go together.Zailan had no choice but to do anything, Yingnian had no idea, and finally the same car carried the same car and drove straight to Dongjiaomin Lane.

When I arrived at the German Legation, I saw a dejected shirtless man tied under a big tree in the courtyard.The three of them pretended not to have seen them, and went up to the hall to demand someone face to face with Klinde. "Release is fine." Klinder asked through an interpreter, "The Chinese government must give a written guarantee that the Boxers will not be allowed to invade the embassy area in the future." "This," Chongli replied, "it's easy to discuss. Let us take the person back first, and the Prime Minister's Office will come to meet again."

"No! You must receive a written guarantee before you can be released. There is absolutely no room for compromise on this point." In a few words, the negotiations were on the verge of breaking down.Chongli said to Zai Lan: "I dare not agree to this matter. I have to go back and discuss it." "Just tell him that his unreasonable request is absolutely impossible. This person is a citizen of the Qing Dynasty. If we don't hand it over to the officials of the Qing Dynasty, we will have nothing to do with him! If he doesn't believe it, let him wait and see. How big was the accident?"

The translator conveyed his words, but only half of the meaning was translated, and Klinde's face was already ugly. "I am a reasonable request, and it is also the unanimous request of the embassies of various countries. We will not be intimidated!" Negotiations finally broke down.The three resigned from the German legation and returned to the prime minister's office. Zai Lan jumped to his feet and cursed: "Foreigners are all ignorant beasts! Only when he puts a knife on their necks will he know that we Chinese are not easy to bully." Before he could finish his sentence, someone rushed in angrily, and before he had time to salute, he shouted to Chongli: "The Boxers entered the city from Chongwenmen, shouted 'kill' all the way, and ran all the way to Dongjiaomin Lane."

The person who came was a pen post from the yamen of the infantry commander, Chongli couldn't call out his name, so he grabbed his hand and asked, "How many people are there?" "Some say a few hundred, some say a few thousand, anyway, there are many." "It's broken!" King Qing stumbled and sighed, "This is a big mess!" "Uncle Qing," Zai Lan said with a happy expression on his face, "Don't worry! The trouble won't cause a big mess, and it's easy to negotiate a counterexample. If you don't believe it, just wait and see." King Qing ignored him, and hurried back to the mansion in a sedan chair. He was inquiring about the situation of the Boxers burning churches and killing religious people, when a report came from the door: "There is an eunuch in Xiyuan, saying that Lafayette has something to say to the prince." There is no need to set up an incense table to proclaim Yi's decree. King Qing put on his official uniform and stood facing north in the Yin'an Hall, which is the main hall of the king's mansion, to listen to the eunuch's edict.Originally, the Boxers who entered the city from Chongwenmen wanted to attack the embassy, ​​but they were blocked by foreign guns, turned north, walked along Wangfujing Street, burned churches whenever they saw them, and killed anyone who escaped from the churches.Shops were closed, officers and soldiers fled, and the Boxers did whatever they wanted, burning all the way to the Catholic Church in Bamiancao.This hall is called "East Hall". During the Qianlong period, the Italian priest and the famous painter Castiglione lived here for many years, leaving behind many fine brushwork paintings, all of which were burned at this time. At that time, Empress Dowager Cixi was strolling in Xiyuan. She saw the fire in Dongcheng from the rockery. She asked Li Lianying, saying that it was foreigners who shot and killed many people at Chongwenmen first.It is also mentioned that Xu Tong lives in Dongjiaomin Lane, so I am afraid that he has been trapped there.The Empress Dowager Cixi missed her a lot, and ordered King Qing to negotiate with the embassy and move Xu Tong to a safe place. This negotiation is not difficult.King Qing sent someone to the Prime Minister's Yamen to find Zhang Jinglai, and sent eight guards to protect him in Dongjiaomin Lane, acting in camera.This group of people has not yet returned, but there is another news. Xu Tong had already left home when the boxers wanted to rush into Dongjiaomin Lane, and the garrisons of the embassies shot back. It was Chongli, the commander of the infantry who brought the news, and he also brought a piece of paper on which he copied a couplet: "There has never been an anecdote throughout the ages. It is neither left nor evil, attacking heresy and correcting people's hearts, being loyal, filial and honest. The sincerity has not faded away; leave a good story for the world, a surprise and a joy, relying on the power of the gods to intimidate the barbarians, farmers, businessmen, and businessmen, now the resentment and anger can be eliminated." The first paragraph is "Books for Yihe Shentuan Master Brother", and the title of the next paragraph Impressively, "Xu Tong, a scholar of the Prince Taibao Tiren Pavilion".It is said that this couplet is hanging on the boxing arena of Duanwangfu. "What?" King Qing was shocked, "Has an altar been set up in Prince Duan's mansion?" "It happened this afternoon. Not only Prince Duan's Mansion, but also Prince Zhuang's Mansion and Duke Lan's Mansion have set up altars. Tomorrow, altars will be set up in the lobby of the Ministry of Punishment." "Absurd, absurd!" King Qing said in a reproachful tone, "Shouzhi, you are an official of the Ministry of Punishment, why are you acting so nonsense?" "No way! It's all Xu Nanshi's idea." Chongli said with a wry smile: "Zhao Zhanru and I are both Manchu and Han ministers of the Ministry of Punishment, but in fact we can't control anything. Now, only Xu Nanshi is the most airy in the 'six halls' of the Ministry of Punishment." Xu Nanshi is Xu Tong's eldest son, Xu Chengyu. "Hmph!" King Qing sneered, "This man's behavior is a boxer! Foreigners are bad, foreigners should be damned, but you know that foreigners' cigarettes and foreign money are good things!" "Ah!" Chongli sighed, "If this situation continues, I don't know how to deal with it? My lord, I heard that Prince Duan thinks that I am too useless as an infantry commander, and plans to replace the Empress Dowager Ming. This is a wishful thing. , if the empress dowager asks the prince, please help me say something bad." "Only those who help to say good things, how can I say bad things?" "Just say that my health is not good, and it is difficult to overcome the drama." "Who can win the drama?" King Qing sneered, "I can't wait to resign my title!"