Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Ci Xi looked at the map that Li Hongzhang opened with understanding, and saw Mexico across the Pacific Ocean in the east, the narrow southern Mexico, like a small waist, and the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

Li Hongzhang pointed to the southern protrusion of Mexico on the map and said: "This is the Yucata Peninsula. There are currently 30,000 Austro-Hungarian troops. To the north is the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which is a relatively low-lying area. The basin is where Mexico mainly grows food and sugar cane, and also produces fruits. The Netherlands calls this zone the tropics. It is currently said that the Mexican army deployed here is no less than 50,000."

"The two powers are colliding!" Ci-Xi said with interest: "Mexico has newly joined the Group of Thirteen, and the Netherlands and other congresses just watched Mexico being invaded and ignored it?"

Li Hongzhang said firmly: "No, I very much doubt that the Netherlands has started to operate again."

Ci-Xi didn't like riddle-like conversations, so she ordered: "Master Li, please be direct."

Li Hongzhang naturally did not dare to refute and said: "The Netherlands may have prepared a trap long ago, waiting for Austria-Hungary to fall into it."

Ci-Xi: "Then where do you think the Netherlands will start?"

Li Hongzhang took the newspaper and pointed to the "European Times" report about the lack of response from the Group of Thirteen, and said: "I suspect that the Group of Thirteen will not give up. They may be waiting for another country to enter a good harvest. net"

Ci-Xi was stunned for a moment, and then guessed: "You mean they are waiting for the German Empire to get involved?"

Li Hongzhang: "I think so, but Bismarck is very cunning, and he will not be fooled easily."

He looked up at Ci Xi and said seriously: "Perhaps it will be Austria-Hungary that will suffer in the end."

"Why?" Cixi asked.

"Because, maybe both sides are plotting against Austria-Hungary, and Austria-Hungary just doesn't know it."

Li Hongzhang said: "Austria and Hungary are the great grievances."

Ci-Xi: "In your plan, how can we, the Qing Dynasty, benefit from it?"

Li Hongzhang: “I think it’s time for us to take the opportunity to immigrate more to Latin America.”

Ci-Xi: "Why?"

Li Hongzhang: "The Qing Dynasty had the largest population in the world, with a population of 300 million. Even if 10 million people immigrated to Latin America, it would be nothing to the Qing Dynasty. But you must know that the total population of the Netherlands' thirteen allies in Latin America is only 30 million. People, even some small Central American countries, have a population similar to ours. If more Qing people immigrate, then the relationship between these places and us will be better.

Naturally, it is more important to safeguard the interests and influence of the Qing Dynasty there. It is not realistic for the Qing Dynasty to expand its territory at present, but we can take advantage of the huge population to expand the influence of the global periphery, which is also a kind of expansion."

The Empress Dowager Cixi finally showed a smile: "Okay, Mr. Li is still as capable as ever. I will leave this matter to you. The Ai family is sleepy, so please step aside."

Li Hongzhang bowed in response, then slowly backed away, and did not turn around until he reached the door.

Emperor Guangxu said from the side: "Queen Mother, do you really support Li Hongzhang's statement?"

Cixi sneered and said: "Li Hongzhang is a Han, so Han officials naturally have Han considerations. His interests are not necessarily consistent with ours, but in general, they can still be operated."

"Then Queen Mother seemed to think highly of him just now. I can't see through Mother's thoughts." Emperor Guangxu asked puzzledly.

Cixi touched Emperor Guangxu's head and said lovingly: "My child, people's hearts are separated from each other. It has been more than two hundred years since our Qing soldiers entered the Pass. The Han people are still very dissatisfied with us, especially They are Han people from the south.

Alas, child, Li Hongzhang is a representative promoted by Huizhou merchants. These people are now rich, powerful and united in our Qing country. Don’t attack them easily unless necessary.”

Emperor Guangxu was born in 1871 and became emperor in 1875. He is only 10 years old now and has been emperor for 7 years.

There are many things that I don't understand, but Empress Dowager Cixi still controls the country's domestic and foreign affairs. , everyone said that she was obsessed with power, but in fact, who knew her sorrow as a widow.

Forget it, thinking too much will only lead to tears and fatigue.

Guang = Xu = Emperor: "Didn't my mother teach me to apply Britain's balance of power diplomacy to our internal affairs? How should we check and balance Li Hongzhang?"

Ci-Xi laughed, and then said happily: "Your Majesty, you are right. Balance-of-power diplomacy and balance-of-power internal affairs are both the same. The Hui merchants and the Huai army are his representatives. At that time, my husband, Emperor Xianfeng, and I My son, your predecessor, Emperor Tongzhi, used Li Hongzhang to check and balance Zeng Guofan's Hunan Army. You have also seen the effect. The Hunan Army fell into disarray after Zeng Guopan's death in 1872."

Emperor Guangxu's eyes lit up, and he seemed to understand what Cixi meant.

He raised his head and said, "Does the Queen want to promote a force to check and balance Li Hongzhang like she did with Zeng Guofan?"

Ci-Xi nodded and said: "Yes, the Huai Army is getting stronger and stronger, especially the relationship with the Netherlands in recent years, which has allowed the Huai Army to be the first to obtain the most advanced weapons.

At present, the Minister of Eastern Military and Aircraft in the cabinet, Li Hongzao, a bachelor of the cabinet, pays great attention to the Guangdong and Guangxi areas in the south. It is said that he has a close relationship with the Thirteen Foreign Companies. Kang You-this person is said to have received his attention. Your Majesty, I see, you Just stand up and support Kang Youwei's reform and let him share the heavy burden with Li Hongzhang."

It is said to be a heavy burden, but in fact it is not an influence. The Thirteen Foreign Companies in the South have existed since Emperor Qianlong and have been the base of the Qing Dynasty's foreign importers and exporters for more than a hundred years.

In the past ten years, the diplomacy with the Netherlands has expanded the port, so that the Qing Dynasty is no longer the only foreign import and export port in the south, but the south is still the largest foreign trade location.

Therefore, if Li Hongzao, who was born in the north, and Thirteen Lines from the south were to fight against Li Hongzhang, who was born in Huaihe, they were really evenly matched.

Ci-Xi not only praised her own ideas.

Mother and son did it as soon as they thought of it, so the instructions were passed on secretly and openly.

After that, the news quickly reached Li Hongzhang, but he had no way to fight it and could only lick his wounds in a muffled voice.

And again, he felt even colder towards the widow in Cining Palace.

At 12 noon on September 7, 1881, according to a news release from the Mexican Ministry of Defense, 1,000 soldiers from the Austro-Hungarian Empire crossed into the Tehuantepec Isthmus under Mexican rule. After Mexico warned the other side, the other side ignored it and continued to advance 50 kilometers, and Arrive at La Muta, the nearest town between Mexico and the Austro-Hungarian area. A minor gunfight ensued, with both sides suffering injuries.

The two sides are currently gathering troops there from various regions. Mexico said that the Austro-Hungarian Empire may have gathered more than 5,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers in the town of Lamuta by that night.

At present, the Mexican Ministry of Defense is reassuring that Mexico will not turn a blind eye to the Austro-Hungarian invasion and that it is ready to repel the invaders.