In the Xinchou Treaty signed that year, one of the provisions was to increase the number of guards in the embassy area of Dongjiaominxiang.
Since then, a mini Eight-Nation Alliance Army has been stationed in the capital all year round, with more than 2,000 troops.
Strictly speaking, this is not a concession, but it is better than a concession.
Public security is handled by the police composed of the mini-Eight-Nation Allied Forces, and the Qing court military police are not allowed to intervene.
There are walls and bunkers built around it. There are eight entrances and exits, all of which are guarded by foreign military police.
Standing guard in the embassy area is a routine task. In addition, there is a small playground for military and police daily training.
Every time we train, many people from the capital gather to watch and praise them loudly. They are worthy of being a foreign army. Their spirit is different.
At this time, the trained foreign military and police officers were proud of themselves, with their chests and belly raised, their guns and bayonets raised, showing off their power.
It can be said that that pride comes from their centuries of accumulation of aggression and exploitation, and also from the awe-inspiring eyes of the people in the capital.
Wherever there are people, there are business opportunities.
Some foreigners, seeing so many military and police officers with nowhere to vent their energy except standing guard and training, rented a house next to Dongjiaomin Lane and opened a bar to exclusively serve the foreign military and police officers.
In a few years, a red-light district-like commercial street has been formed here, with bars, casinos, brothels, hotels, etc.
The foreign police did not care, but the Qing police did not dare to control it. Over time, it naturally harbored filth and evil, forming a lawless and lawless place.
The mixed land of dragons and snakes next to the embassy district, starting from Suzhou Hutong in the north, to the Tatar City Wall in the south, and to Harde Gate in the west, is full of people and adventurers who were forced to flee their homeland to make a living in foreign lands, and many adventurers. Some are engaged in the skin and meat business.
This area is called bad land by the people in the capital.
Many years later, even the daughter of the future British minister was killed here. The bad land was caused by them, and they also had to swallow the bad consequences.
This is the bar that Backus mentioned to Rebecca Levy.
Foreigners are open-minded, but they also have a certain degree of openness.
Even if it’s a foreign woman, who from a good family would go to a bar in the Bad Land
Rebecca Levi shook her head, and at the same time took out a silver coin and handed it to Bacchus, "Mr. Bacchus, thank you. This is the reward you deserve."
Bacchus is as bold as Zhao Chuanxin, but the difference is that Zhao Chuanxin is vicious, while Bacchus is a wretched villain.
What he likes to do most is to fool politicians. The more powerful they are, the more excited he is.
He is well-known in foreign circles. Everyone calls him China Hand, and they believe that the news coming from him is usually reliable.
If given a suitable springboard, he would even dare to fool the court of the British Empire.
How could such a person like Rebecca Levi’s small reward?
He refused with a straight face, “Rebecca, what do you mean by looking down on me? Take it back quickly."
Rebecca Levi's temperament seems to be gentle and gentle, but she is actually from Shandong County. She is as stubborn as a stone. "Mr. Bacchus, you must accept it, otherwise I will have trouble sleeping and eating. ”
“I won’t accept this money. ”
“You must accept it. "
""
Bacchus had no choice but to accept it.
He tried his best to say some wisecracks, but found that Rebecca Levi was unconscious. His eyes were wandering, as if he didn't even hear a word, and the smile on his face didn't bloom because of him.
So he excused himself. I went to the bar street.
Even the air here was filled with the smell of drunkenness.
I walked into the bar and just ordered a glass of whiskey. , someone sat down next to him.
“Mr. Bacchus, you are so brave. ”
Bacchus felt nervous and turned around to see a short middle-aged Asian who looked to be in his forties, looking at him with a smile.
"Who is your Excellency?"
"It doesn't matter who you are, what's important is that I admire Mr. Backus' courage. "
"What do you mean?" Bacchus said fiercely.
"Fooling the special envoy, fooling Zhao Chuanxin's lover. You are not afraid of Zhu Erdian, are you not afraid of Zhao Chuanxin?"
It is a lie to say that you are not afraid.
But walking on a tightrope is very exciting, and Bacchus is a little twisted because of his childhood experience. , I prefer this feeling.
He pretended to be calm: “I don’t know what you are talking about, so don’t disturb me. ”
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll talk to them later, maybe I can prevent them from being fooled.” "
Bacchus' hand shook and the drink spilled.
He showed an awkward smile, "You are Japanese, right?"
"What are you doing with me? It doesn't matter who you are, just to remind Mr. Backus that you can't fool everyone. "
"What I said is true. Do you have proof that I lied?" A sly look flashed in Bacchus's eyes.
"I don't know much about you, but I Your understanding of Zhao Chuanxin must be beyond your expectations. "
Bacchus turned around and looked at the man steadily. "Sir, tell me what you want to do."
"I can tell you responsibly, Zhu Erdian. Anyone who offends Zhao Chuanxin will definitely die. Before he dies, he still has value and we can cooperate."
To be able to become the Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to China, Zhu Erdian is not stupid at all.
But he also has shortcomings and cannot be distracted from work. The second use can only grasp one line.
For example, he first thought that Tianjin Wei was not as safe as the capital, so he came to the capital.
He met Bacchus after someone recommended him.
Instead of thinking about all the escape routes in Tianjin Wei, we can only grasp one line and keep moving forward.
Dangba.In order to emphasize the reliability of his words, Kes mentioned that he knew Zhao Chuanxin's lover and lived in the capital. Zhu Erdian continued to dig deeper along this line.
When Bacchus left, he immediately sent someone to follow him and found the hotel where Rebecca Levi was staying.
As soon as Bacchus leaves, the place will be monitored secretly.
Zhu Erdian was still uneasy, but now that he had a life-saving straw, he had no time to worry about anything else.
The Forbidden City.
Since the weather was hot, Cixi went to the Chengde Mountain Resort to escape the summer heat. She contracted dysentery and never recovered after returning.
She always felt weak all over and had ringing in her ears and dizziness.
I have diarrhea from time to time.
Cixi knew to some extent that she had half her foot stuck in the loess and her time was running out.
Today, she summoned Zhang Zhidong.
The old Zhang Zhidong has long lost the courage he once had.
He has a white beard that reaches his chest, is short in stature, has a pale face, his eyes are cloudy, and his speech is weak and hollow.
He himself refuses to accept old age, but the fact is that he is also in his final years.
Cixi was indeed domineering and would not allow Zhang Zhidong to resurrect, but she would still come to him for political consultation when something happened.
"Xiaoda, you still have many cats"
"I like cats in my life. I always have dozens of cats in my bedroom, and they never decrease. Practice the method of keeping cats in good health, and you will benefit. "A lot"
"Hey" Cixi looked helpless and learned health-preserving techniques from cats. Except for the one in front of her, she had never heard of them. It was really strange. After the greetings were finished, she didn't want to talk about cats anymore and changed the subject, "I called you here because I wanted to discuss what to do with the traitor Zhao Chuanxin and how to deal with it."
What she wanted to say was "disposal", but After thinking about it, I don’t have the confidence, you know?
If you can live for another twenty years, you may have to fight with Zhao Chuanxin to the end, one of them must die.
Now it seems that maybe she is the only one who is dying
Zhang Zhidong understood immediately.
Lafayette’s health is deteriorating this year, and his end is approaching. He must overcome all difficulties for future generations.
If Cixi wanted to discuss the establishment of an heir or the mobilization of troops, Zhang Zhidong might answer cautiously.
However, Zhao Chuanxin has nothing to do with their interests and power, and he can speak freely.
"Why not restrain it with official positions?"
Cixi shook her head, "I tried it a few years ago. This animal is rebellious and has no regard for the court's laws. I'm afraid it won't be effective. ”
Zhang Zhidong’s beard trembled, “Why not give him a real job?”
He said in his heart that you are fooling fools, Zhao Chuanxin is a monkey spirit, he will eat you. Is this a scam?
"Zhao Chuanxin is a martial artist. Without him, he would have been training privately. If he had been given a real job, he would have gone against the grain."
Although the insurance team has not continued to expand , but also became a local hegemon. Neither the soldiers nor the Japanese could do anything to them.
In the face of untouchable forces, CixiIt will automatically transform into an ostrich. Once you hide your head, you can act like an insurance team and the local prince, Yangfuwei, and self-governance. You can do whatever you like.
Just like Zimmer’s specialty Muppets.
Fortunately, Zhao Chuanxin and Lugang Town fell out later, at least they believed it to be true.
Without his powerful wings, although Zhao Chuanxin is still a cancer, it is at least barely benign.
Zhang Zhidong shook his head, "Real duties are given in vain, recruitment is in vain, and misfortunes are diverted to the east."
Cixi rolled her eyes and said, "What do you mean?"
Zhang Zhidong stroked his beard and already had a manuscript: "Earlier this year, Xu Shichang and Zhou Shumo petitioned to abolish the deputy governors of Aihui, Mergen, and Hulunbuir, and to add Aihui and Hulunbuir, and to add Heihe, Manzhu, and Foshan. , Nenjiang Four Prefectures. Last month, the imperial court approved the Hulun Army Preparation Road, and set up the Zhili Hall. As for the Manzhu Prefecture, the imperial court did not adopt the name Manzhu as the Russian court, and the officials named it Lubin. Prefecture. Why not appoint Zhao Chuanxin as the prefect of Lubin Prefecture, and also serve as the chief card officer of the six Karens."
Reorganization outside the customs, withdrawing generals, and establishing provinces.
This is not something that happens overnight, but changes slowly.
The so-called Manzhu Mansion actually means "Manchuria". At that time, it was transliterated as Manzhu and written as Manzhu. This was the name given by Tsarist Russia because it was the first stop of Tsarist Russia's Middle Eastern Railway outside the customs.
Xu Shichang wanted to build a palace there, but Tsarist Russia naturally did not allow it. It was clearly the territory of the Qing court, but it was occupied by Tsarist Russia. Now it is only the land of the Qing court in name only, but it has no jurisdiction.
So it could only be located two kilometers outside Manzhouli in later generations, isolated in the wild, and its position was very embarrassing.
Cixi’s eyes lit up instantly.
I blanch, I can only say that I blanch.
Sure enough, ginger is still spicy.
A real job is indeed a real job, but that place is far away from the frontier. Maybe a fart could be smelled by Tsarist Russians outside the border. Friction is inevitable in a place like this.
Given the actual post of prefect, Zhao Chuanxin does have military power.
In the bitter cold land, he could only lead troops to patrol the border posts, manage Karen, and constantly argue with the Tsarist Russians over the national border in the devastated meadows every day.
First, the court could not allocate money, so Zhao Chuanxin could only find a way to raise it on his own. Second, the Tsarist Russians also hated Zhao Chuanxin, but they were also afraid of him. With Zhao Chuanxin around, maybe Tsarist Russia would not dare to arbitrarily occupy territory and act across borders, pushing this disaster to Tsarist Russia. Third, Zhao Chuanxin was entangled in busy affairs every day and was far away from the capital. Naturally, he would not threaten the newly succeeded Puyi. Fourth, it was too shabby and poor. Even if Cixi had never been there, you could still imagine what it was like. Zhao Chuanxin went there, even if he was rebellious, he couldn't make a big splash. Fifth
In short, there are countless benefits.
Cixi breathed rapidly and almost wanted to applaud Zhang Zhidong.
She suppressed her excitement, "But this beast is unruly and untamed, if he starts a provocation"
Zhao Chuanxin has beenI have set up a character for myself to be bearish on life and death. If I don’t accept it, I will do it. Whoever loses will get the box lunch.
"You can send a deputy, um, let's say a special Russian translator, to restrict and dissuade him from acting. If he fails again, he will be demoted, fined, and replaced with a new prefect. As long as he gives an explanation to the Russian court , everything is easy to talk about." Zhang Zhidong laughed.
Is Zhao Chuanxin still afraid of being dumped? At worst, he could be transferred elsewhere to appease him.
Tsarist Russia didn’t dare take Zhao’s salary anyway.
Cixi couldn't help but "This is also very good"
She was overjoyed
Then Zhang Zhidong poured cold water on her, "Lest Zhao Chuan "I won't get paid"
The two of them were discussing in full swing. It would be embarrassing if Zhao Chuanxin said, "I won't do it by myself."
The key is that this is very likely to happen.
Cixi was a little angry that the dog did not know how to praise.
She said "I'll think about it again"
Zhao Chuanxin and Bai Wenwei got off the bus in Tangshan at the same time.
Bai Wenwei was in a hurry to report, and Zhao Chuanxin went to Kailuan Mining Bureau, found Zhao Xilong and Zhou Xuexi, and showed up for dinner in the canteen of the Mining Bureau.
"Mr. Zhao, you are making a big noise again." said the obese Zhao Xilong.
Zhao Chuanxin greeted the staff who came to eat from time to time, nibbling on Xun's soft pig's trotters dipped in garlic sauce.
His occasional visit has the effect of stabilizing the "military morale".
"Bah" he spat out the bones and said, "Damn, there's even a pig hair on this pig's trotter. Go back and tie up the cook and beat him."
Zhou Xuexi and Zhao Xilong""
Zhao Chuanxin threw away the bone, wiped his mouth, and took a sip of tea. "If you don't read the newspaper, you will know nothing. If you read the newspaper, you will be misled. I guess, there must be something in the newspaper." It's cruel to slander me. It's all slander, a bunch of unqualified fake reporters." Zhao Xilong sneered, "There are still positive reports in foreign newspapers."
Zhao Chuanxin rinsed his mouth, looked at his watch, stood up and said, "Let's leave it at that, I have to go to Tianjin Guard. Who told me, Zhao Chuanxin, that I am a great man who always keeps his word?"< /p>
Zhou Xuexi shivered, "Uncle, seeing that tomorrow is September 18th in the Western calendar, are you going?"
"Don't think about it, what do you mean?" Zhao Chuanxin said after the meal He held a cigarette and walked out of the cafeteria. "Yes, I can tell you for sure that Zhu Erdian is about to be killed."
""
It's a pity that I can't post the news, otherwise Zhao Chuanxin had to make a noise that was known to the whole world.
Bacchus was also shouting everywhere.
Whenever he met, he said he was going to bring Zhao Chuanxin and Zhu Erdian together to turn their feud into friendship.
Not only did he shout in the Badlands area, he also went to the capital to publicize it to the people.
At night, even Tianjin Wei received the news.
Yuan Datou also sent a congratulatory message to Zhu Erdian.
JulesDianfa was confused "What happened?"
He asked someone to ask, and when he learned about the situation, he jumped up in anger.
Immediately send someone to call Bacchus for questioning.
Bacchus vowed, "Sir, I have made an appointment with Zhao Chuanxin to negotiate at the Beijing Hotel at noon tomorrow."
When Zhu Erdian saw the certainty of his words, he believed it to be true.
This kind of face-to-face confrontation cannot be faked.
So the preparations began.
Zhao Chuanxin also arrived in the capital.
He went to Dongxinglou to eat Dunlu cuisine. During the meal, he heard the diners talking about a British guy named Bacchus, who wanted to resolve the conflict between him and Zhu Erdian.
Zhao Chuanxin was puzzled as to why I didn’t know
The time, place, and person were all there, so to speak, they had noses and eyes.
This matter has made a big fuss. The people in the capital still remember that Zhao Chuanxin bombarded the Forbidden City. Now he is going to cause trouble again. How can you not be excited?
In just one meal, Zhao Chuanxin listened to the matter in detail.
The man named Bacchus is said to have a close relationship with him.
The place for peace talks was behind the barracks, at the Beijing Hotel opened by the French.
The hotel was booked, and Bacchus spent generously.
The time is set at noon.
The above is what Zhao Chuanxin heard.
It can be said that except for Zhao Chuanxin, everyone has been informed and the arrangements are clear.
Originally, Zhao Chuanxin wanted to go to the post and telecommunications office to send a telegram to Yang Yide tomorrow to ask about the situation. Now it seems that someone has paved the way for him.
The next day, the weather in Beijing was fine.
The air is crisp in autumn, and the yellow ginkgo leaves everywhere look like quills from a distance, floating all over the street, and they are so brilliant.
The crows were circling over the church.
There are wealthy families who have just moved to the neighborhood, hoping that the streets here will be dry.
Tables, chairs, dressing tables, and wooden beds are all painted with lacquer and carved with squirrels, grapes, bats, auspicious clouds, or pine and crane carvings to show their financial strength.
The wardrobe, which requires three people to move, must also be engraved with a sense of style, engraved with cloud brocade, Tian Sun Weaving, and colorful clothes, Yue Sister Tailor.
Nothing to say, noble
There are bannermen who carry bird cages at regular intervals and come to the area to see if there is anything lively to see.
But I found that there were so many people today.
“Hey, you took the melon seeds, why don’t you eat them?”
“Hey, in the land of foreigners, who dares to throw melon seed peels around?”
“This is also the case . But why are you here to join in the fun?”
“Hey, something big is going to happen today.”
“Tell me about it”
"Zhao Chuanxin, do you know?"
"How can you say this? Butcher Zhao, who doesn't know that Lafayette hates him so much?"
Two As the saying goes, there are more people.
And it was just breakfast time.
Suits and leather shoesZhao Chuanxin, wearing a top hat, was among the crowd.
In his hand, he was also carrying a foreigner's civilized stick that he had walked into the restaurant last night.
I could hear the people gossiping and gossiping. I kept walking and walked half a circle around the Beijing Hotel, but I didn't see anything famous.
Zhao Chuanxin slapped his palms with his hands, "Could it be that all the swordsmen and axes were ambushing the restaurant?"
Looking at it, he suddenly found a familiar face in the crowd. face.
With her tall, plump figure and stubborn little eyes, who else could she be but Rebecca Levi?
What kind of place is the capital?
Pigeons, crows, The towering city walls, the eight flags carrying birdcages, the awesome style that even though it’s obviously not a good thing, has to be whitewashed, the distinction between lazy and proud and hasty and humble, the people passing each other on the street might be some high official. , arrogant foreigners with high noses and deep eyes full of fishy smell
A place that makes people want to define it but cannot define it specifically.
Rebecca Levy simply doesn’t fit in here.
Her face is full of anticipation, anxiety, timidity, and shyness. She is clearly tall but still standing on tiptoes and biting her lips. It is almost impossible to miss Zhao Chuanxin's eyes. she.
Rebecca Levi looked on and was tapped on the shoulder.
She turned back.
The person I thought about day and night seemed to have jumped out of the cracks in the bluestone bricks.
"Zhao"
"What are you looking for? Who dropped the money?" What the hell?"
As soon as I heard the word "money", the eyes of the people around me lit up and they were hurriedly looking around.
Zhao Chuanxin took the opportunity to press Rebecca Levi's head, "Lower your head and follow me out."
Rebecca Levi was obedient and immediately complied.
The two of them bent down and disappeared into the bustling crowd.
Outside, several foreigners suddenly became anxious.
In the blink of an eye, the person was gone. What happened
Zhao Chuanxin took her northward and stopped when they almost reached the base of the city wall.
Rebecca Levi’s heart was pounding so hard that she couldn’t say a thousand words.
In the end, he just said, "Mr. Bacchus did not lie to me. You are really here."
Zhao Chuanxin helped her pat the ginkgo leaves off the shoulders of her windbreaker. "Bacchus You recognize him just fine, take me to see him."
I almost recognized this name from last night to this morning.
Rebecca Levi felt inexplicably happy when she was stirred by Lao Zhao's actions.
He almost didn't turn his head, "Okay, I'll take you to find him."
"Then you should go and watch what I'm doing. Why are your eyes watery because of the sand in them?" "
Rebecca Levi""
As expected, some people almost never become
The place where the two of them are, is far away from Bacchus The residence is not far away.
Rebecca Levy called this place Morrison Street.
Because that’s what the foreigners in the concession call it.
In fact, it is Wangfujing Street.
Rebecca Levi pointed to a courtyard house, "Mr. Bacchus' temporary residence is here, adjacent to Mr. Morrison's library."
It's a coincidence, Zhao Chuan Xin saw Morrison's courtyard door open and Morrison walking out.
Morrison also saw Zhao Chuanxin, with surprise on his face, "Shopkeeper Zhao, why are you in the capital?"
Rebecca Levi looked at Zhao Chuanxin in surprise , I didn’t expect these two people to know each other.
The first time Zhao Chuanxin met Morrison in Lanzhou Prefecture was at the post and telecommunications office.
Later, Morrison chased him into the sky.
But he still doesn’t know Zhao Chuanxin’s true identity.
As he spoke, he wanted to drag Zhao Chuanxin into the hospital.
He also looked Zhao Chuanxin up and down, "I almost didn't recognize shopkeeper Zhao."
When they first met, Zhao Chuanxin was wearing Taoist robes.
Flying in the sky, Zhao Chuanxin always wears jeans and Henley shirts.
Seeing Zhao Chuanxin dressed so neatly this time, he was not used to it.
It just failed to attract Zhao Chuanxin.
Zhao Chuanxin raised his chin and said, "Go to that courtyard and look for Bacchus."
"Bacchus used to be my assistant. I will show you the way."< /p>
Morrison was very enthusiastic.
He is one of those rare people who can be sure to judge from his appearance, words and deeds that he is a kind and sunny person.
Zhao Chuanxin bared his teeth and smiled. He liked to give such people a little shock.
Bacchus drank too much last night, opened the door, and looked at the visitor with a pair of hazy drunken eyes.
"Mr. Morrison, Rebecca, why are you here?"
He looked at Rebecca Levi's intimate and smiling face with some taste. Next to Zhao Chuanxin.
Maybe I didn’t wake up and couldn’t turn my head.
Rebecca Levi and Morrison were about to introduce themselves, but Zhao Chuanxin stretched out his hand, grabbed Bacchus's ears under his disheveled hair, and ushered him into the room.
"How dare you act in my name"
Bacchus screamed "Ah"
Rebecca Levi and Mo Please remember to bookmark the rationale "", the latest and fastest website is free to read without anti-theft