Chapter 14 4. Undefeated and defeated, undefeated and victorious

China used to be a country with many states.Myanmar, Annan, North Korea, and Nepal are all.The only hope we have for our vassal states is that they will pay tribute. We will not interfere in the domestic and foreign affairs of the vassal states, let alone have an economic policy of colonization and trade.The relationship between these vassal countries and China is not bad, they pay food on time, request canonization, that's all.Moreover, whenever there is a rebellion in the country, China will go all the way to settle it regardless of pay.Therefore, the vassal state is supported by us.

China likes to have its own vassal state, which is a kind of tradition.Because of the relationship between Chinese culture, the ancient sages and kings all sought to make Siyi fall in love with each other, and then spread some money to spread the culture.Most of these countries are our neighbors. Vietnam is in our southwest, Mongolia is in our northwest, and Ryukyu is in the southeast. In addition to direct attacks on the Qing Dynasty, Western capitalism also invaded the vassal states.The French occupation of Annan began during the heyday of Kangxi and Qianlong.Ningxiang typed in by hand. During the Second Opium War between Britain and France against China, France began to invade and occupy southern Vietnam by force, making six provinces in southern Vietnam a French colony.The French turned their attention to northern Vietnam because the Mekong was not suitable for shipping, and soon captured Hanoi.Vietnam was unable to resist, and asked Liu Yongfu, who was stationed on the Sino-Vietnamese border at that time, for help.The Black Banner Army led by Liu Yongfu assisted in resisting the French invasion.The Black Banner Army defeated France in the outskirts of Hanoi. Liu Yongfu took the lead and charged at the risk of death, beheading hundreds of French people. The French army was forced to retreat to southern Vietnam.Later, the French army repeatedly violated Vietnam, and repeatedly attacked the Qing army stationed in Vietnam.In order to realize the colonial rule of Vietnam and achieve the goal of occupying Vietnam and invading Southwest China as soon as possible, the French invaders began to deal with China with all their strength.The crisis of confrontation between China and France is getting closer.

On the issue of war and peace, there were endless disputes within the imperial court.The main combat faction represented by Zuo Zongtang, Zeng Jize, and Zhang Zhidong repeatedly asked the imperial court to adopt an anti-French policy. Zeng Jize also sent a note to France, and tried his best to maintain the status of the suzerain state without retreating.The peace faction headed by Li Hongzhang finally took control of the situation. At the end of 1883, the French army launched an attack on the defense line of the Chinese army in the Red River Delta.The Sino-French War broke out. In 1884, the French fleet forcibly entered the Mawei base of the Fujian Navy, and the war expanded to the southeast coast of China. On August 26, the Qing court issued an imperial edict condemning France for "extorting unexplained military expenditures and arbitrarily demanding" and "initiating military operations first", ordering all land troops to advance quickly, and strictly guarding against French invasion along the coast.This edict was actually a declaration of war against the French invaders.

In the same year, the French army invaded and occupied Taiwan.Separately invaded Taiwan's Keelung and Tamsui, Liu Mingchuan judged the situation, abandoned Keelung, concentrated his forces to defend Tamsui, and repelled the invaders.In turn, the French army captured Lang Son and invaded Zhennan Pass.Feng Zicai led his troops to fight against the enemy bravely and won the great victory at Zhennan Pass.Feng Zicai took advantage of the victory to pursue the French army, and the Qing Dynasty sent an order to take advantage of the victory, and on April 7, 1885, he announced a truce and withdrawal of troops.In this regard, Zhang Zhidong asked the imperial court to delay the withdrawal time so as to conquer Hanoi.However, the imperial court did not adopt his suggestion, which led to a peculiar ending in the Sino-French war. China was defeated without defeat, and France won without victory.

When the Qing government was victorious, it signed the humiliating "China-France Agreement on Vietnam Clause" with France. Zuo Zongtang couldn't control his grief and indignation, and died of illness in Fuzhou.Before he died, he left the following words: "But this war in Vietnam is the key to the strength of China. The ministers and supervisors have gone south, but they have not made a big attack on our country. I will regret it all my life. I can't rest in peace." Since then, Southwest China With the door open, French aggressors used Indochina as their base and drove straight into Yunnan, Guangxi and Guangzhou Bay (now Zhanjiang City), which once became the sphere of influence of France.