Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Xianfeng was so angry that he coughed rapidly. Concubine Lan was so scared that she gently hit Xianfeng on the back.

Sushun, who was standing by, saw it clearly. Just now, Xianfeng's face was flushed, and Concubine Lan's face was rosy. Needless to say, the two of them had just done something good.

This emperor, his body is already so weak, yet he still refuses to stop. He really thinks his death is too slow! And Concubine Lan is a slutty vixen. Seeing that the emperor is at the end of his life, she still seduces him into doing ridiculous things. Once His Majesty Long Yu passes away, it will be of no benefit to anyone!

Sushun was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but he didn't dare to say a word. At this time, he should say less and do less. A thousand words are not as good as silence.

Xianfeng took a long time to recover and shouted, "That's all, Sushun, is there any other news?"

Sushun whispered, "Not for now!"

Xianfeng waved his hand and said in a hoarse voice, "If there is nothing left, go down first. Gather all the ministers and quickly discuss countermeasures!"

Before Sushun could leave the study, the eunuch chief Lu Xi's voice rang out again outside: "Your Majesty, the Minister of War Zai Ling requests an audience. War reports from the front, urgent, seven hundred miles away!"

Xianfeng covered his forehead with his hands and said, "Oh my God, please don't let it be any more bad news. My heart really can't bear it!"

Sushun also wiped the sweat from his forehead, his heart was pounding, and he kept chanting Buddha's name, asking the Buddha to bless him and hope that it would not be bad news.

"Let him in."

Zailing rushed in from outside, knelt on the ground, and said urgently: "Your Majesty, this is bad! Senggelinqin just sent an urgent message seven hundred miles away. The Qing army can't withstand the attack of the British and French forces. The Mongolian cavalry has been completely destroyed. The Chaoyangmen, Dongzhimen, Chongwenmen, and Xuanwumen gates have all fallen into the hands of the foreigners. Senggelinqin has led the remaining troops to Deshengmen and continues to fight a desperate battle with the foreigners!"

Ah!

Xianfeng couldn't bear it any longer. As soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy and fell backwards!

Sushun was so shocked that he no longer cared about the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects. He rushed forward and hugged Xianfeng. Concubine Lan behind him was also panicked and shouted repeatedly: "Imperial Physician, quickly call the imperial physician!"

The entire Rehe Palace was in chaos!

The news spread quickly. In just one night, the news of Liu Ye's "death in battle" spread throughout the Rehe Palace.

The first thing to do at the morning court is to discuss how to deal with the next step!

Because it was obvious that Senggelinqin alone could not withstand the fierce and ferocious British and French forces! He did not have the ability!

Minister of Rites Lin Kui was the first to stand up and request posthumous honors for Liu Ye. This was indispensable. Since the war with foreigners, Guo Ye had won battle after battle. Not only had he made meritorious service in the military, but in diplomacy, he had also thwarted the joint abdication of Britain, the United States, France and Russia. He was very good at maneuvering and had trained an elite firearms battalion for the court. It could be said that if it were not for his young age and lack of experience, he would have been more than qualified to be a governor-general now, and even a governor-general would have been barely enough!

What's more, this time he died for his country, not only to show his loyalty, but also to save his comrades and colleagues, and to show his loyalty. It is unjustifiable not to posthumously honor such a loyal minister and righteous man.

Xianfeng was even more distressed. The bad news yesterday knocked Xianfeng down and he was bedridden again. This morning court was held in the palace and was summoned at the last minute. There was no other way. Xianfeng vomited blood and almost died.

After much discussion, Emperor Xianfeng finally made the decision to posthumously award Liu Ye the title of First Class Earl of Loyalty and Bravery, the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Governor of Shandong. He was given a grand burial as a second-rank official, and a Martyrs' Shrine was built at the place where Liu Ye died for his country, where sacrifices were offered to him all year round!

However, this matter is easy to explain. What about the things in the capital next?

The latest news has arrived. Khorchin Prince Senggelinqin could not withstand the attack of the British and French forces. He was defeated in successive battles, all the way from Tongxian and Chaoyang to outside Deshengmen. Of the nine gates in the entire capital, seven have now fallen into the hands of foreigners. The fall of the capital is inevitable!

Moreover, it takes one day to travel from the capital to Rehe, even if it is 700 miles by express train. In other words, this battle report was released one day ago. Now, more than a day has passed, and I am afraid that the entire capital has fallen into the hands of the Anglo-French coalition forces. Countless princes and ministers, countless nobles and relatives, countless gold and silver treasures, and rare and precious curios will probably be robbed by that group of cruel people!

The most important thing is not these. The most important thing is that Beijing, the heart of the entire Qing Dynasty and the capital of a country, has now completely fallen into the hands of foreigners. This is the pain of national destruction and a great shame!

Lin Kui, standing aside, whispered, "Your Majesty, now we have only one path left, which is peace talks. The Anglo-French coalition is at its peak, and we are no match for them. We can only meet their unreasonable demands. As long as they are willing to withdraw their troops, we will consider any conditions. After all, the country is the foundation and the most important thing!"

"Lin Kui, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Sushun was furious. Everything else was fine, but although Sushun was greedy for power, he was also the most xenophobic and had a very high opinion of himself. He thought it was unbearable for the great Celestial Empire to succumb to the tyranny of foreigners. This was a great shame and humiliation, and he would not even have the face to see his ancestors after his death!

Lin Kui replied, "Mr. Su, I don't want to do this either, but there's nothing I can do. Between two evils, I have to choose the lesser of two evils."

Su Shun snorted coldly, "Master Lin Kui, I don't believe those foreigners can stand in Beijing forever! Sooner or later, they will retreat!"

Lin Kui said anxiously, "Mr. Su, you have such a petty mindset! If the foreigners don't leave, are we going to stay in Rehe forever? What about the south? Zeng Guofan and his men in the south are still doing their utmost to suppress the bandits. If the imperial court is unstable, how can Zeng Guofan deal with those bandits? Are you going to let the emperor continue his hunting tour in Rehe? How can such a thing be justified? If it's delayed for too long, it will definitely shake the foundation of the country!"

Sushun was speechless immediately. What Lin Kui said was not unreasonable, and it was not entirely out of cowardice!

Xianfeng, lying on the bed, sighed and said, "Alright, that's it. Immediately send someone to the capital to convey the imperial decree, appointing Prince Gong Yixin as the plenipotentiary minister to be responsible for negotiating with the British and French forces. We must do our utmost to minimize the benefits demanded by the foreigners and facilitate peace talks as soon as possible!"

Xianfeng had just finished speaking when there was a great chaos outside. No one knew what was going on. What could be happening outside at this time?

At this moment, the guard commander Airen ran in and said urgently, "Your Majesty, there's a mutiny in the Firearms Battalion!"