Preface
Emperor Daoguang, an aspiring and bewildered monarch. When he learned that the 23-year-old Queen of England had ascended the throne, countless questions surged in his heart, and he asked three questions, what kind of mystery did these three questions imply?
The wheel of history seems to have begun to turn at this moment, and the fate of the Qing Dynasty has changed dramatically, however, what kind of tragic ending is hidden behind all this? The answers to these questions may be people's eternal pursuit of power and fate.
1. The British prisoners were escorted to Beijing
One early morning in 1838, on the streets and alleys of Beijing, a team of escorts was slowly moving forward. In the middle of the procession, surrounded by dozens of Qing Dynasty warriors, was a group of British soldiers in shabby uniforms. Their faces were resolute, and they did not show weakness even when they were captured.
This British army was originally sent to China by the British East India Company to explore the way and reconnoiter the national power of the Qing Dynasty. Who knew that on the way, they were all captured by the Qing army as "disturbing public order". Faced with the Qing Dynasty's growing trade deficit, Britain was looking for opportunities to strengthen its influence in China, and the capture of this army was undoubtedly a major blow.
When the British consul in Canton learned of this, he immediately put pressure on the Qing government through diplomatic channels to unconditionally release these "British subjects". The reason why the Qing court did not directly execute these British was also out of cautious consideration of British strength.
In the process of the game between the two sides, Emperor Daoguang suddenly issued an order to bring these British prisoners to Beijing and personally "interrogate" the British conspiracy. As the ruler of a traditional dynasty, Daoguang did not pay much attention to the plans of the old power, Britain, to come to China. However, as soon as suspicious signs appeared, Daoguang decided to find out for himself.
2. Emperor Daoguang Summoned by the British Emperor
In the autumn of 1838, in the Shanggu Hall of the Forbidden City, Emperor Daoguang wore a dragon robe and sat on a dragon chair with a majestic expression. On the left and right are hundreds of civil and military officials, bowing and standing. It was in this solemn atmosphere that a group of escorted British prisoners were brought in.
Emperor Daoguang looked at these Britons, and couldn't help but wonder in his heart: what are these Western natives plotting? Where is Britain's national power? As the ruler of a traditional dynasty, he really couldn't see through this "island country" far beyond Asia.
So, Emperor Daoguang beckoned to let the leader of the British captives come for questioning. The tall British officer, who was said to be the commander of the entire army, strode close to Daoguang with a look of unyielding defeat written on his face.
"Who dares to be unscrupulous in my Daqing?!" Emperor Daoguang asked straight to the point. Although he captured the enemy, the mediocre monarch was not too wary in his heart.
The British officer did not answer directly, but raised his hand and pointed to the world map on the side, and then said: "Your Majesty, please look here, this is where our England country is located." "
3. Daoguang's three questions and the answers of the British
Emperor Daoguang looked in the direction of the officer's finger and saw that England was a small territory, only a small territory on the edge of the continent. He couldn't help laughing, and said to the minister beside him: "Just a small island, dare to be rampant!" Could it be that you are crazy? "
Hearing such contemptuous words, a trace of displeasure flashed on the face of the British officer, but he quickly regained his composure. He knew very well how superficial the Qing emperor in front of him was about the situation in Western countries.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect," said the officer, "England may be small, but it is by no means a weak country. Our navy is the largest in the world, and our industrial strength should not be underestimated. "
Emperor Daoguang was greatly surprised by these words, and he stared at the other party and asked, "Who is the current ruler of your country?" Could it be you rabble? "
"The ruler of the continent is Her Majesty Queen Victoria." "Her Majesty is twenty-three years old, and she is a man of great intellect and majesty, and is admired by the whole country," said the officer. "
Ruling a country at the age of twenty-three? This is really unbelievable for Emperor Daoguang, who was born in a feudal society. He laughed and said contemptuously, "How can this be! How can a woman control the country? You're taunting you..."
In the face of Daoguang's disdainful words, the British officers finally couldn't bear it anymore. He looked directly at Daoguang, gritted his teeth, and said, "Your Majesty, have you ignored the fact that even though she is not very old, she has already ruled a powerful country of industrial civilization with her extraordinary talents.
With all due respect, you should reflect on whether the ancient system you rely on can still maintain the Qing dynasty's place in the world today. "
These remarks caused an uproar among the civil and military officials present. They never imagined that a captive would dare to defy the king in such a way, it was an unforgivable sin!
Emperor Daoguang was not a magnanimous person, and when he heard such presumptuous words, he immediately became furious: "Shut up! I'm going to ask you one last question today, what else do you have to say? "Please preach, your subordinates must be sincerely afraid." The British officer replied with a blank face.
4. Discussion about the Queen's marriage
Emperor Daoguang groaned for a while, and when his anger subsided a little, Fang opened his mouth and asked, "Then Queen Victoria, is she married?" What is the status of her husband? "
To this question, the British officer did not hesitate to answer: "Her Majesty married our Crown Prince four years ago, and after that the marriage the Prince became the Queen's husband. According to English tradition, the queen is the supreme ruler of the entire kingdom despite having a husband. "
"Oh? In other words, does your country allow a woman to rule over her husband? Emperor Daoguang asked with some puzzlement.
"Exactly." The British officer replied, "Her Majesty, with her great political skill and foresight, has been loved and supported by the whole country even after her marriage." "
Emperor Daoguang shook his head, as if he couldn't comprehend such an unfamiliar approach at all. In his cognition, it is natural that men are inferior to women, how can women be allowed to be in power? Look at this small island of England, with a population of hundreds of millions, where is it worthy of the splendid China that you rule?
Just as Emperor Daoguang was deep in thought, an official beside him cautiously spoke: "I see that although Britain is small, it also has the demeanor of a great country. Besides, now that the queen is still young, it is difficult to guarantee that her strength will not become stronger and stronger in the future..."
"Nonsense!" Emperor Daoguang interrupted the official, "How can you be confused by a small country? This palace said that the Qing Dynasty has been majestic for thousands of years, where will it be shaken by a small Western country? "
5. Daoguang's attitude towards the UK
For Britain, a powerful country in the world, Emperor Daoguang has always held a contemptuous attitude. In his cognition, Britain is just a small island country that does not enter the stream, how can it be compared with the Qing Dynasty? Not to mention that it was ruled by a young woman.
However, after the conversation, Emperor Daoguang did have a slight concern about the strength of Britain in his heart. After all, as the officer said, Britain has begun to enter the era of industrial civilization, and its national strength is growing.
So Emperor Daoguang issued an edict and instructed his ministers to carefully investigate the situation in Britain in order to prevent trouble. Soon, however, some of the old ministers from the family began to obstruct it.
"Britain is tens of thousands of miles away from us, how can it pose a threat to us?" One minister said, "Besides, we have a deep background, so we don't need to pay attention to those Western natives at all!"
"Exactly, how can such a small island country shake the Daqing River?" Another old minister chimed in, "Your Majesty still weighs the pros and cons, and you don't need to be confused by a momentary trick." "
When Emperor Daoguang heard these words, he began to take it lightly again. In his opinion, how could thousands of years of ancient dynasties be so easily shaken? Besides, Britain is still thousands of miles away, so why be careful?
As a result, under the dilution of Emperor Daoguang, the order to investigate the situation in Britain was soon shelved. Daoguang is content with the status quo and has no precautions against external threats. As everyone knows, at this time, the crisis faced by the Qing Dynasty was already brewing.
6. The eve of the Opium War
Since Beijing's interrogation of the British prisoners, the Daoguang Emperor has not had much memory of the British threat. In his opinion, it was just an insignificant episode. As long as the Qing Dynasty is stable, where will it be shaken by the small "island country"?
In fact, it wasn't long before the British government began to play the opium card in China in order to expand its trade and political influence in China. Large quantities of opium were transported into China's coastal areas, causing serious social problems.
The final trigger was the seizure of opium in Guangzhou. At the insistence of Emperor Daoguang, the Qing government resolutely and resolutely banned it and destroyed all the seized opium. And all this is in the hands of Britain.
In 1840, the British army took the opportunity to sail to China, close to coastal cities such as Guangzhou. At that time, there was a fierce exchange of fire in Guangdong, and the British army, with advanced weapons, quickly crushed the Chinese resistance.
When the news reached Beijing, Emperor Daoguang was immediately furious. That "small island nation" that he once despised so much, dared to do anything wrong on his territory! However, at this time, it was too late to regret it, and there was a serious gap in strength between the Qing army and the British army.
Seventh, Qingying confrontation
The Opium War was on the verge of breaking out, and the situation in which the two sides could not open diplomatic relations was a foregone conclusion. However, in the early days of the war, Emperor Daoguang did not take the war seriously, and still believed that the expulsion of the invading "Western devils" was just a trivial matter that could be solved by killing a few.
But this is far from the case. In the coastal area, the Qing army was losing ground and was simply unable to resist British heavy artillery fire. Even the famous Humen Fort was captured by the British in just a few months. Immediately afterwards, the British army took advantage of the situation to attack Guangzhou and capture this once prosperous city.
When the repeated defeats in the war were exhausted, panic began to arise in the upper and lower ranks of the government and the opposition. Countless civil and military officials repeatedly begged Daoguang to make peace with the British, but the self-contained monarch was still unwilling to comply.
"No matter how strong Britain is, it is only a small country. I'm clear, how can I bow my head here? As long as they fight with all their might, they will definitely be able to beat these planthoppers back to their nest!" Daoguang said in a resolute tone.
The ministers looked at each other and sighed secretly in their hearts: Your Majesty, Your Majesty, why can't you see through the strength of the West? You have asked the British officers question after question, and they have already explained to you that Britain is indeed ahead of civilization. It's a pity that Daoguang didn't hear it, and he still rested on his laurels. This doomed an impending disaster.
8. The fall of the Qing Dynasty
The Opium War intensified, and Emperor Daoguang tried every means to maintain the dignity of the Qing Dynasty and fight to the death with the British. Unfortunately, the lack of governance and the serious backwardness of military strength led to the defeat of the Qing army in this war.
In 1842, the British captured Nanjing and forced the Qing government to sign a hegemonic treaty that paid 21 million silver dollars in compensation and ceded Hong Kong. And this was just the beginning, and in the decades that followed, the great powers continued to exert pressure on the Qing dynasty, gradually stripping the ancient dynasty of its sovereignty and territory.
Some blame the root of all this on Emperor Daoguang's ignorance and complacency. The inquiry in Beijing should not have been a farce, and if Emperor Daoguang had calmed down and seriously considered the English warnings, perhaps the fate of the Qing Dynasty would have been different.
However, it backfired. When Daoguang was faced with a new world that was unrecognizable, he was completely unconscious. In his mind, China still occupies the center of the world, and Britain is just a small island country worth nothing. Eventually, this blind arrogance, combined with the corruption of the ruling class, led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty!
IX. The Source of Sorrow
The defeat in the Opium War shocked the Qing Dynasty. It is really an unimaginable shame that a dynasty that was once proud and complacent fell at the hands of a "small island country" that was despised by Emperor Daoguang.
At this turning point in history, people began to reflect on the root causes of such a tragedy. Knowledgeable people quickly pointed out that Emperor Daoguang's ignorance and complacency were the culprits.
As in the interrogation of prisoners in Beijing, Daoguang repeatedly revealed his neglect of Western power. The British sincerely explained the queen's ruling ability and the development of industrial civilization, but all this sounded nonsense to Daoguang.
How can a woman rule a country? How could industrial machines shake the national strength of the Qing Dynasty? Emperor Daoguang scoffed at this, believing that adhering to Chinese tradition was foolproof. It's a pity that this way of thinking of his is destined for tragedy.
And by Daoguang's side, there is also a lack of far-sighted advisors. On the contrary, most of the ministers of the court and the central government were born into families and were conservative in their thinking, and not only failed to guide the emperor to establish a new strategic vision, but instead blindly flattered him, which contributed to the emperor's arrogance and arrogance.
After the Opium War, Emperor Daoguang never reflected on his past mistakes and remained complacent. As a result, the Qing Dynasty was increasingly encroached upon by the Western powers until its eventual demise. A once proud dynasty was ruined in the quagmire of ignorance and self-containment.
epilogue
We can see from this history that in the face of the torrent of world change, resting on our laurels will eventually be eliminated, and only with an open and inclusive mind can we ride the wind and waves and keep pace with the times.
For any country and nation, maintaining a humble and studious attitude, and opening up one's heart to embrace change, is the only way to maintain vitality.