Chapter 967: All the Great Powers Miss the Qing Dynasty (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
Sometimes, no one can explain the fate between people.
Although it was already the 1880s and there were steamships, airships and telegraphs, separation across oceans in that era often meant a farewell forever, and it was naturally a joy to meet again with friends who one had thought they would never see again in their lifetime.
Soon at the call of Zheng Haisheng, classmates in Zhongdu held a welcome banquet for the returning classmates. However, Zhan Tianyou had just arrived in Daming, and he opened up the situation by relying on the friendship between classmates.
For diplomats, it is undoubtedly extremely rare to have such resources, but not all diplomats have the experience of studying in the host country for a long time like Zhan Tianyou. Some diplomats may even have never set foot in the country they visited in the past.
As for Prince Qing Yixin, the special envoy of the Qing Dynasty, he had never been to Britain before and he couldn't even speak English. He embarked on his journey to Britain in September last year, when Li Xuzhou had just started a rebellion. The purpose of his visit to Britain was simple, which was to win Britain's support.
But before he could "persuade" the British Prime Minister, the Qing Dynasty fell. The only thing that made the father breathe a sigh of relief was that, when Li Ni's army was approaching the capital, the Qing Emperor Guangxu, the Empress Dowager and others were finally able to escape under the protection of Britain.
Now, after learning that the Queen Mother, the Emperor and a entourage of hundreds of people had arrived safely in Hong Kong, he would of course go to Downing Street in person to express his gratitude.
The black BMW sedan was driving towards Downing Street in the city center. Although Prince Qing, who was sitting in the car, looked depressed, his heart was vaguely filled with expectations as he watched the Imperial Avenue passing by.
After all, the British Empire did not give up the Qing Dynasty.
"As long as you don't give up, it's fine..."
While Prince Qing was thinking this in his heart while sitting in the car, the car had already driven into Downing Street and stopped at Number 10 Downing Street.
About half an hour later, Prince Qing finally met Prime Minister Gladstone again and expressed his gratitude to him in person. However, they all knew that the so-called "thanks" was just a pretext, and in the end, they still had to get back to the topic.
"Your Majesty, the British Empire has not forgotten its friends. Don't worry, your emperor, queen mother and others will live safely in India under the protection of the British Empire."
Gladstone looked at the prince of the Qing Dynasty in front of him, and he felt very melancholy. Once upon a time, he thought that the Qing Dynasty could hold on for a while, but who would have thought that they would lose the world in just a few months. If it were not for the protection of the British Empire, they would probably have to wait for death in the capital.
Such incompetence is rare in the world. Oh, how can the friends of the British Empire be so unreliable!
"Mr. Prime Minister, how could the Qing Dynasty forget the kindness that Great Britain has shown to the Qing Dynasty? All the people in the Qing Dynasty are grateful to Great Britain for its kindness."
While expressing his gratitude, Yizhen said again.
"That's why I'm so worried. After Li Ni seizes the capital, he will definitely join forces with the Ming Kingdom. At that time, Li Ni will definitely be willing to be driven by them. How can the interests of the British Empire in China be preserved? Every time I think about it, I feel very anxious."
As he spoke, Yizhen's face was full of worry, as if he was really worried about the interests of the British Empire being compromised.
How could he not worry!
If the Qing Dynasty fell, not only Britain's interests would be lost, but also Prince Qing's interests. Without the Qing Dynasty, he, the prince... would be nothing.
"Well, British diplomats will naturally worry about Britain's interests, so there is no need to trouble Your Highness. Now that your royal family is about to arrive in India, I think Your Highness might as well go to India as soon as possible to meet with the royal family."
Yes, this is an order to expel foreigners! After learning from the translator that the foreigners had issued an order to expel foreigners, Yi Xun felt mixed emotions. When had he ever been treated so badly in the past?
Half an hour later, Yi Xun walked out of 10 Downing Street with a sad face and got into the car unhappily. He didn't know how he ended up in such a job.
"What kind of special envoy is this? It's clear that they are just trying to please someone who doesn't like them. These foreigners pat their chests when accepting gifts, but when it comes to getting things done, none of them are reliable."
As for giving gifts, he has given a lot of gifts in the past period of time, and they were all antiques and curios brought from China. Now that the gifts have been given out, nothing has been accomplished.
“What a pity!”
After Yixuan left, Gladstone took out an exquisite blue and white porcelain vase from the gift box and said with some regret.
"What?"
Secretary George, who was standing nearby, looked at the Prime Minister in confusion.
"It's a pity that there is no such wonderful government in the world anymore."
George finally understood what the Prime Minister meant and followed suit.
"That's true. Only countries like the Ottoman Empire and the Qing Empire would do everything they can to befriend us in order to maintain their own rule, even at the expense of their national interests. After their demise, it will be difficult for us to encounter such a country that is willing to sacrifice its own interests to please the British Empire!"
"Yeah, it's hard to come across it again!"
What a pity, Gladstone said.
"George, do you know why?"
"Because their monarchs never considered themselves Chinese. To the monarchs of the Qing Dynasty and the Tatars, the Qing Dynasty was just a tool for them to enslave the Chinese. The purpose of their rule was not to make the country strong, but to enslave and exploit the Chinese. Of course, they also had a certain desire for a strong country, but if the former conflicted with the latter, then their choice would always be to enslave the Chinese better."
The secretary's answer made Gladstone nod.
"Well, this is probably the biggest characteristic of foreign colonizers. For the Qing imperial family and the Tatars, they will always be a group of colonizers. The interests of the empire are far less important than the interests of their ethnic group. It's a pity that such a wonderful regime is gone forever..."
The Prime Minister's sigh puzzled George.
"Sir, since supporting them is more conducive to the interests of the United Kingdom, why don't we support them?"
"There is a saying in China, 'You can't prop up a wall with rotten mud'. Such a regime has long been hated by the heavens and the people. Even if we support them, how can they resist Li's hundreds of thousands of troops? Compared to them, supporting Nanjing and letting China's civil war continue is the most beneficial choice for Britain. After all, this is the most realistic choice and is most in line with Britain's interests."
As an old imperialist country, they will always adjust their foreign policy according to changes in the situation. After realizing that a certain option has failed, Britain will always quickly and decisively abandon its former allies and make certain targeted adjustments.
After completely abandoning the Qing Dynasty in just a few words, Gladstone said in a rather helpless tone.
"George, the world today is no longer the world we are familiar with. France, Ming Dynasty, and Russia are now challenging the British Empire in all aspects... How can the British Empire meet their challenges?"
(End of this chapter)
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