The French sent more troops to Annan, and the pressure on the Black Flag Army increased greatly. The King of Annan began to ask for help from the imperial court. He sent three letters of help in a row, and his words were sincere. He was not stingy with the words 'superior country of the Heavenly Kingdom',' little king of a vassal country', and 'sage king'.
He had never seen them pay tribute all these years! He didn't have the power of a suzerain!
However, Li Ye smiled when he received the last distress letter.
Although everyone knew that it was just a temporary measure and was impossible, Li Ye understood that it could also be a legal basis.
"Report! The French occupied Hanoi, Annam, and the Black Flag Army and the Vietnamese Army retreated!”
"Report! The French Navy has entered our East China Sea and is showing off! Soldiers cannonball sponge provocation!"
"Reporting to the emperor! The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an official letter of credence asking us to recognize their colonial status in Annan and to transfer the power of the suzerain.”
With the arrival of the three telegrams and memorials, the situation in the entire court was completely ignited.
Li Hongzhang's idea of buying time for development had to be wrong. He saw the gap between the two countries. The French were one of the few great powers, with the second largest industrial economy in the world and the second largest number of colonies in the world.
The army was known as the world's number one, while the navy was second.
No matter how one looked at it, the difference in strength between the two sides at this stage was huge. It was not easy to start a war.
"We may not be a match for the French in a full-scale war, but if we fight a local war in Southeast Asia, we can definitely win.”Ma Cheng made up his mind.
The French had their opponents in Europe. It was impossible for them to send their navy and army over. Otherwise, the French would take the opportunity to tear them apart.
After inspecting the military camp, he was now very confident in the new army.
"The Chinese Empire!" The four words appeared on the paper.
Now, he needed prestige! Whether it was earning points or attacking the Manchu people to push forward the reform of the political system, the support and support of the people needed prestige.
"Kou Lian, announce Zheng Guan's response!" Li Ye threw down his pen.
Those who submit to me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish. Those who hinder the development of the country must give way.
If he wanted to develop quickly, he needed a large amount of money. He could not just take action with evidence! Dealing with so many officials and nobles at once, otherwise the world would definitely be in chaos.
Only with enough prestige could the civil and military rule suppress everything. The army alone was not enough. This country was already rotten beyond recognition. More than half of the officials had problems.
The easiest way to gain unquestionable prestige was to win a war…
"Selling newspapers! Selling newspapers! France sent more troops to the south, and the Black Flag Army was outnumbered and defeated!”The paperboy was still trying his best to sell his newspaper.
The passers-by's expressions changed as they rushed to buy the newspaper. Some people even threw a piece of silver at the newspaper and snatched it over. They did not care if they had change.
"This is too much! He actually sent an unreasonable note to humiliate our Subordinate Country!”
"The French want to annex Annan and make the Qing Dynasty give up its position as the suzerain!”
"What exactly is going on? This time, our Imperial Court isn't going to make peace and cede territory again, is it?”
"Then what's the use of training a new army? The Imperial Court is still a bunch of cowards!”
"The Emperor has the intention to send troops, but the provincial governors and officials of the Imperial Court are pushing the blame on each other! I don't want to send troops.“
There were discussions everywhere in the streets and alleys. Many Manchester United people were angrily cursing the government.
"Brother, it's useless for us to scold him like this. We have to go to the governor's yamen and beg the governor to write a letter requesting a battle!" "A scholarly-looking man said in front of the giant who was cursing loudly.
"Yes, yes! I'll go to Teacher Zhao right now. I must invite him to the imperial court! "The scholar suddenly realized something and ran towards the yamen.
"Let's go, we'll also go to the governor's yamen. Today, Second Brother must write the memorial!"“
"I will contact my classmates and ask the Lord for advice. Let him also write to the Emperor to request for battle!“
The scholar turned into a small alley. When he came out, he had already changed into a different outfit and squeezed his way to the other group.
All of a sudden, all parts of the country were crusading against France. The willing students came in waves, and all the places received lecturers. The squires also wrote letters to petition.
The various commanders and admirals also had many people who worked for Zuo Zongtang. They immediately took the opportunity to apply for a license to the fishing vessel.
Many governors were overwhelmed by the pleas and could only submit them obediently. Many of them were unwilling to submit their pleas. The yamen entrance was tightly blocked by the angry commoners and students.
When the door was filled with rotten vegetables and eggs, and the heads of all the people in the yamen were covered in egg whites, they finally gave in...
"These people really know how to avoid the important and dwell on the trivial!”
The king tier was filled with requests for battle. He knew that he had won.
However, in the crusade against the French, they were arguing about how to help Annan, whether to send troops, when to send troops, and how many troops to send.
The kidnapping of the fishing vessel had been successful, and sending troops was the general trend. However, this was no longer up to them!
He immediately issued four orders.
"Order the Northern Navy to escort Liu Mingchuan's troops to the south!“
"Nie Shicheng's troops will guard the capital like Xiao Xiao, while Zuo Baogui's troops will immediately head south to Guangxi!”
"Xu Bang's Dao Department is stationed in Rehe, ready to support Great Desert and Korea at any time.”
"Nanyang, Fujian, and Guangdong Navy, get ready to face the enemy at any time!”
In history, Liu Mingchuan had always fought well in Taiwan, so he was not prepared to switch. Japan took the opportunity to stir up trouble during the war between China and France, so he had to be on guard.
The history of the Mawei Sea War could not be repeated.
"Men! He ordered the Ministry of Rites to draft an edict to declare war on France! Abolish all the relevant agreements with France and take back the French concession!”
Li Ye let out a long sigh of relief after saying this. He felt that the blood in his body was already burning.
He could finally take back the humiliation that the foreign powers had given him bit by bit. He had been waiting for this day for too long!
As soon as Zhao Zhao's proclamation was released, the world was in an uproar. Britain, America, Germany, Russia, and other countries sent notes one after another to inquire about the specific situation.
Ministers from various countries even broke through the door of the Prime Minister's office. Because it involved the abolition of the treaty, Li Hongzhang could only repeatedly guarantee that this time it only involved France and had nothing to do with other countries.
The French cabinet and parliament were in a panic. They never expected that the weak country would dare to declare war on them.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。