Chapter 11 1. Only remember to eat but not to fight

During the Qing court's war with Britain and France and the annihilation of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the imperial power was replaced unconsciously.The Qing Dynasty's attitude towards Westerners changed from confrontation to compromise, which was related to the young master's accession to the throne and the change of decision makers. Emperor Xianfeng has always been tough in handling foreign relations.Prince Gong almost had no choice but to sign the "Beijing Treaty" in Beijing, where soldiers were approaching the city. However, all major domestic and foreign policy decisions still had to be made by Emperor Xianfeng who fled to Chengde.Emperor Xianfeng was not willing to compromise. After the Second Opium War, the officials who stayed in Beijing had a wonderful change. They began to have illusions about foreign invaders, and they turned from resisting foreigners to being close to them. The new order, and has been trying to maintain this relationship for many years, which is very different from the Xianfeng court who fled.

At a dramatic moment in history, Emperor Xianfeng died of illness in Chengde.Next to Emperor Xianfeng, there were several tough resistance factions, represented by Sushun, eager to maintain the rule of the Qing court, hoping to correct the government's various shortcomings.Sushun's style is pungent and strict.Sushun was well appreciated by Xianfeng, and gradually gained real power.Before Xianfeng's death, he made a will, making his only son Zaichun, 5 years old, the crown prince, and appointed eight assistant ministers including Sushun to assist the young master in handling political affairs.Cixi, Zaichun's biological mother, is ambitious and hopes to take this opportunity to seize the supreme ruling power.Cixi was good at playing tricks, discussed with Prince Gong, launched a coup, and executed Sushun who returned to Beijing with his coffin.This move was supported by the big powers. On November 11, 1861, the young emperor ascended the throne, with the reign name Tongzhi.Empress Dowager Cixi listened to politics behind a curtain, and Cixi would become the true ruler of China for the next 47 years.This coup was called "Xin You Coup" in history.

After the Qing government changed its regime and pacified the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the regime maintained stability for a certain period of time.Afterwards, the Qing government had Yi and Wen Xiang presiding over the government, and Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang and other governors outside, and the scene seemed to be completely new.This period is also called "Zhongxing".Some scholars once said: "The arrival of Europeans, the expansion of the territory of the Chinese Empire, and the doubling of China's population. The interaction of these three factors determined the direction of modern Chinese history." External invasion and the internal self of Chinese society The need for restoration drives Chinese society to transition to another era.

Although the defeat of the Taiping Army brought security to the Yangtze River basin, the strength of another armed group, the Nian Army, was gradually growing, and it made North China itself face a huge threat.Taking advantage of the turmoil in the Taiping Army, the Nian Army began to develop from a scattered organization to a joint operation.The Qing government's suppression was no less powerful than the suppression of the Taiping Army.After gaining a firm foothold in a rural base in the northwest corner of Anhui Province, the Nian Army frequently attacked neighboring provinces, triggering rebellions on a large scale.It was a headache for the Qing court.

The problem of the Nian Army is getting more and more serious, and it is threatening to endanger Beijing.Their troops used earthen artillery and simple firearms, so their ability to resist the small local green battalion was even stronger.Some state and county officials even paid them to leave their jurisdiction. The imperial court continued to send Zeng Guofan to suppress the Nian army.The turbulent situation in various places made the imperial system established by Confucian culture undergo a severe test.In the towns recovered from the rebel army, the hearts of the people need to be appeased and the civil affairs need to be restored. This is also a test for the rulers of the Qing Dynasty.The Qing Dynasty introduced a set of methods for extracting financial resources from various provinces, exempting land tax for places damaged by war.In other places, farming is encouraged and grain seeds are distributed to appease the people's resistance.In the confrontation with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the local armed forces were gradually established. Zeng Guofan's Hunan Army, Li Hongzhang's Huai Army, and Zuo Zongtang's Chu Army all had powerful military forces.The Qing court restrained its usual arrogance, vigorously promoted the imperial examination, increased the number of exams to win over talents, prevented the emergence of a similar Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and won over more talents to maintain the rule of the Qing court, which objectively caused the further corruption of modern Chinese thinking.The establishment of Westernization is mainly in the diplomatic aspect, seeking joint cooperation with foreign powers.