1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 321 The visitor is evil

Finally, the American mission, headed by U.S. Minister to China, Mr. Masali, and Acting Vice Consul in Shanghai, Mr. Kim Neng-hyung, extended their greetings to Peng Gang.

To Peng Gang's surprise, after they met, Kim Neng-hyung exchanged a few pleasantries with him in Chinese.

Kim Neng-hyung's main business was running the Russell & Co. trading company, and he also did diplomatic work on the side. He was on the front lines dealing with Chinese people for many years, and his spoken Chinese was quite fluent.

Although Kim Nung-hyung has a strong accent when speaking Chinese, his pronunciation is clear and his tones are accurate, making him easy to understand.

After meeting with the key members of the British, French, and American delegations, each delegation presented a list of the gifts they had brought.

The gifts on the British mission's list included: a sextant, a marine chronometer, a precision model of a Nasmyth steam hammer, a set of mechanical textile machine models, a quarter-size model of a Class A 2-4-0 steam locomotive manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry in Newton, England, and a matching half-mile of railroad track.

In terms of books, there are "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy", "Optics", "Principles of Geology" and a combined edition of six volumes of "The Journal of Species".

In addition, there are some Sheffield steel products, Scotch whisky, fine Scottish tweed, English fine wool fabrics, cashmere shawls from Indian princely states, ivory carvings and other small items.

The gift list from France included: a set of Daguerreotype photographic equipment, a set of metric weights and measures, a microscope, a telescope, a high-pressure steam engine, and a model of a jacquard loom with customizable patterns that can be programmed using punch cards.

In terms of books, there are titles such as "Basic Theory of Chemistry", "Theory of Analytic Functions", "Celestial Mechanics", and "Mathematical Research".

The American gift list included: a complete Morse telegraph machine and a mile-long wire, a hand-cranked sewing machine, a model of the steam paddle steamer "Clermont", a globe, and a world map.

His writings include a bound volume of the Journal of the American Philosophical Society, Ornithology, Franklin's Autobiography, and his papers on electricity.

Other items include Kentucky cigarettes, cotton from the American South, oil paintings depicting American customs and traditions, prints, and other small objects.

What surprised Peng Gang the most was that the American delegation had actually prepared two purebred southern specialties for him, which were completely black.

Peng Gang had always assumed that the two black men were servants of the American diplomats.

At that time, there was a saying in the American South: you can't show off the gold coins, silver coins, and dollar coupons in your wallet to every passerby, but as long as you have a black servant, even without deliberately showing off, everyone on the street knows that you have a black servant and are powerful, and they will cast envious glances at you.

In short, it's about subtly showing off wealth and status.

After all, at that time, the powerful and wealthy in the slave states of the American South regarded black slaves as important assets and liked to show off their wealth and power by taking their black slaves around.

In the first decade of the American Civil War, the price of black slaves in the slave market in the American South soared and became extremely expensive. The price of an ordinary adult male black slave was at least eight hundred dollars. If the slave was healthy and had some skills such as blacksmithing, carpentry, cooking, tailoring, or gardening, the price would more than double.

At that time, the monthly salary of northern workers in the Laozhou factory in Northeast China was only around six or seven US dollars.

Of course, the British, French and American delegations did not forget to send Peng Gang samples of the weapons they wanted to sell.

Aside from the southern specialties sent by the American mission, which Peng Gang politely declined, he accepted all the other gifts.

“We need a large area to lay the railway tracks and show His Highness the steam locomotive model we brought,” Aleksandr said arrogantly, not forgetting to emphasize his point.

"After all, you know nothing about trains."

Although Aleksander's statement was true, the Qing Dynasty had been isolated from the world for over two hundred years.

Residents near coastal ports have been able to access some industrial products from the West in recent years, while inland areas are quite isolated and have very limited understanding of new technologies from the outside world.

Apart from Peng Gang himself, no one else really knew how to handle the steam locomotive model.

However, the contemptuous expression in Ali's words made Peng Gang and his entourage feel very uncomfortable.

Peng Gang kept a straight face and did not reply to Ali Guo.

At this moment, Kim Neng-hyung from the American delegation stepped forward and said to Peng Gang in Chinese: "Your Highness, the Northern King, our country's telegraph service also needs a venue. We earnestly request that you provide us with a venue so that we can demonstrate to you the miracle of completing a thousand-mile message in an instant."

“Tomorrow I will provide your delegation with the same dedicated space for placing the telegraph machine and laying the telegraph lines,” Peng Gang said with a slight nod.

Among the diplomats from the British, French, and American missions, Peng Gang felt more comfortable getting along with the diplomats from the American mission.

This may be related to the United States' relatively weak national strength and its relatively inferiority complex.

At that time, Europe considered itself the high ground of civilization and looked down on countries in other continents, including the United States, which was not significantly behind Europe in terms of science and technology.

When faced with Europe, the United States felt quite inferior. Both the North and South's top officials tried to appear cultured and emulate the so-called elegant and civilized lifestyle of European aristocrats, attempting to integrate into the circles of European high society.

However, the United States is a republic, while at that time, the mainstream system in Europe and even the world was still imperial.

The European kingdoms and the United States had ideological conflicts, and the mainstream attitude of European countries towards the United States was one of vigilance and prevention rather than acceptance and recognition.

Upon hearing that Peng Gang had promised the American mission the venue, they became indifferent to the British mission.

Aleksandr then humbled himself and had a former Jardine Matheson interpreter relay his request to Peng Gang in Chinese.

Peng Gang replied indifferently that his people would take them to the venue tomorrow.

The members of the British, French and American missions and business representatives of foreign firms arrived in Wuchang at 4:30 p.m.

Peng Gang hosted a banquet for them. After the banquet, Peng Gang, citing the fact that the delegation representatives were tired from their journey and needed to rest, sent soldiers from the training battalion to take them to their pre-prepared lodgings.

In the evening, Peng Gang summoned Tang Zhengcai, Chen Alin, and others to the West Flower Hall of the Northern King's Mansion, and learned in detail about the main demands of the three delegations in order to prepare for the formal negotiations the next day.

According to the report and account provided by Chen Alin.

Peng Gang roughly understood that the main demands of the British side were to open the port, protect the opium trade between Britain and France, and hope to obtain the same rights in the three towns of Wuhan as they had in the Shanghai port.

Chen Alin wasn't quite sure what exactly the Englishmen meant by "equal rights" at the Shanghai port, but Peng Gang had a pretty good idea of ​​what rights the Englishmen wanted.

It was nothing more than demanding the cession of leased territories, granting foreign nationals extraterritorial consular rights, and the right to negotiate tariffs.

While France also had similar commercial and trade demands, compared to England, the more devoted Catholic France had a stronger desire for freedom of missionary work and the construction of churches.

As for the American representatives, according to Chen Alin's description, the American delegation mentioned Russell & Co. more often throughout the journey, clearly showing that they cared more about Russell & Co.'s interests in China than about America's national interests.

After listening to the conversation, Peng Gang felt that Ma Shali, Jin Nengheng, Smith and others were more like representatives of Russell & Co. than diplomatic representatives of the United States, since Jin Nengheng and Smith were both high-ranking executives at Russell & Co.

The most useful information obtained from Chen Alin and Tang Zhengcai was that the relationship between the representatives of Britain, France and the United States was not as united and harmonious as it seemed on the surface. On the way from Shanghai to Wuchang, there were three or four arguments that turned into quarrels.

"Chen Alin, Tang Zhengcai said you are fluent in English. You will stay by my side for the next few days and act as my interpreter," Peng Gang said to Chen Alin after hearing his report.

"Your Highness thinks highly of me, I am extremely honored," Chen Alin said somewhat nervously.

"However, I only learned a few words of foreign language when I worked in a school church in the United States in my early years. I only know some pidgin English."

Pidgin English, or pidgin English, was a semi-baked form of English spoken by Chinese and foreigners in 19th-century treaty ports. Its grammar was extremely simplified, lacking complex tenses, plurals, and word order rules. It was a mix of Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shanghainese, and while comical, it was practical.

Phrases like "long time no see," "chop-chop," "topside," "look-see," and "no can" are typical examples of pidgin English.

Chen Alin could speak English, but wasn't fluent. He felt he couldn't handle the job and lacked confidence. "Just do your best," Peng Gang interrupted Chen Alin, giving him no chance to refuse.

Peng Gang had no one under him who spoke foreign languages, but someone who knew some pidgin English and could understand simple conversations was better than having no translator at all.

"I will do my best." Seeing Peng Gang's resolute and firm attitude, Chen Alin had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept the task.

"You've been in Shanghai for a while now. Do you know anyone here who is fluent in Western languages?" Peng Gang asked Chen Alin casually.

Chen Alin pondered for a moment and said, "There are quite a few people in Shanghai who can speak some pidgin English, but if we're talking about those who are truly proficient in Western languages, apart from the interpreters trained by foreign firms and mission schools, I'm afraid it's only Gong Cheng. However, he has an eccentric and strange personality, is addicted to wine and women, and is difficult to deal with. I don't know much about him."

Gong Cheng was the son of Gong Zizhen. Like his father, Gong Cheng was well-versed in a wide range of subjects from a young age. He was known for his extraordinary knowledge and photographic memory. His scholarship and poetry were all first-rate.

However, he was not good at the imperial examinations. After failing the examinations as an adult, he became self-destructive, dissolute, and associated with a group of cronies, indulging in drinking and prostitution.

During her time living in the capital with her father, Gong Cheng learned multiple languages ​​and scripts, including Manchu, Mongolian, and Tangut, and even became fluent in English.

However, in terms of personal character and private morality, Gong Cheng was almost the complete opposite of Gong Zizhen, and had a very poor reputation.

His most criticized act was serving as an interpreter for the British minister Thomas Wade during the Second Opium War, leading the looting of the Old Summer Palace.

Perhaps this is why sons of famous fathers often become morally corrupt.

"Is there no one else besides this person?" Peng Gang asked, frowning.

Peng Gang's ideal candidate for interpreter was Yung Wing, who later advocated for sending young children to the United States at government expense to study in order to raise funds for the establishment of the Jiangnan Arsenal and purchase machinery.

Yung Wing once visited Nanjing and got along very well with Hong Xiuquan's clan emperor, Hong Rengan. He was willing to serve the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and put forward many constructive suggestions, such as establishing military equipment, naval academies, and a modern education and banking system.

However, at that time, even Hong Rengan's "New Treatise on Governance" was shelved by Hong Xiuquan, let alone adopting Rong Hong's suggestions.

Unfortunately, Yung Wing is currently studying at Yale University in the United States and cannot be contacted in the short term.

"There might be one in Guangzhou, but in Shanghai, I only know of one person," Chen Alin said, shaking his head. He had only heard of Gong Cheng because of his fame, let alone the others.

Guangzhou, as the only treaty port in the past, is relatively close to Hong Kong, so there might be an interpreter that Peng Gang needs there. However, Chen Alin has never worked in Guangzhou and does not know the situation there.

"Alright, I understand. You can all go and get some rest now. Tomorrow you'll accompany me to negotiate with the foreign representatives."

After Tang Zhengcai and Chen Alin left, Peng Gang examined and played with the firearms given to him by the representatives of Britain, France and the United States.

The English delegation presented two new flintlock brown basses, while the French delegation presented two new flintlock Chalvilles.

The American representative presented a relatively large number of weapons, including twelve Colt revolvers and four Springfield M1842 rifles, which appeared to be similar on the surface.

In fact, there are four completely different models: an early flintlock smoothbore version of the Springfield M1842 rifle, a rifled version of the Springfield M1842 rifle that can fire Minié rounds, and a smoothbore and rifled version of the Springfield M1842 rifle that is percussion cap fired.

In terms of sincerity in arms deals, the American delegation, or rather the delegation from Russell & Co., demonstrated greater sincerity.

Britain and France wanted to clear their inventory, and the United States also had the idea of ​​clearing its inventory. However, at least the United States provided Peng Gang with a variety of options and was willing to sell more advanced percussion caps.

The following morning, after breakfast, Peng Gang instructed Huang Dabiao to take the British delegation's technicians with steam locomotive models and railway tracks to Yue Ma Chang, and to take the American delegation's technicians to set up wired telegraph lines.

Rather than showcasing the achievements of advanced Western technology to Peng Gang, the British, French, and American delegations were more eager to discuss the opening of ports with him.

Before Peng Gang could extend an invitation, British Consul Alvin took the lead in requesting negotiations with Peng Gang.

After all, the gifts brought by Britain, France, and the United States were merely a bonus to please Peng Gang; the real purpose of their trip was to sign treaties and open ports for trade.

Peng Gang received the envoys from Britain, France, and the United States in the main hall of the Northern Prince's Mansion.

Peng Gang sat upright in the main seat of the main hall, while the officers of the training battalion on both sides stood with their hands on their swords, scrutinizing the three Western envoys below with piercing eyes.

Representatives from Britain, France, and the United States took their seats in turn.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the British Consul, Alcock, with a smirk, launched the first attack on Peng Gang: "Your Highness the King of the North, please allow me, on behalf of the great Queen Victoria, to express my sincerest gratitude for your generosity and foresight."

At this point, Alcock turned slightly to the representatives of France and the United States, attempting to create an atmosphere of unity among them.

French Consul Mintini lightly brushed his meticulously trimmed goatee with his fingertips and nodded elegantly in acknowledgment; American Minister Marshalley also politely returned the smile.

"In order to strengthen our friendship and establish a long-term, stable and mutually beneficial relationship,"

Aleksandr continued speaking, slowing his pace to ensure the French and English interpreters beside him could accurately translate his words, even though he knew the French consul Mintini could understand him, and Peng Gang, seated in the hall, might also understand him.

"We believe that the most effective and convenient way is to apply without reservation and equally to Your Highness's territory all the terms of the existing treaties of friendship, trade and navigation between our country and the Tatar court in the capital, as well as all the rights, privileges and immunities granted thereto, especially the most-favored-nation treatment that symbolizes trust and reciprocity in international relations."

Upon hearing Alcock's words, the French consul Mintini and the American minister Marshally, though their expressions remained unchanged, both subtly shifted their gazes.

They immediately understood Aleksander's intentions; the so-called most-favored-nation treatment Aleksander spoke of was actually more accurately interpreted as unilateral most-favored-nation treatment.

Their diplomatic policy with the Qing government was based on this clause.

This is a common tactic used by Britain in its Far East diplomacy. Once Peng Gang agrees, it means that Britain will automatically enjoy any hard-won results from future negotiations between France and the United States without lifting a finger, and vice versa.

This effectively tied Britain, France, and the United States together from the very beginning of the negotiations, greatly increasing their bargaining power.

As the only professional diplomat among the British, French, and Spanish delegations, Alcock's performance was much more seasoned than that of the French and American representatives, consistently leading them by the nose.

Aleksandar glanced at Peng Gang. Seeing that Peng Gang remained silent and could not discern any extra expression or reaction from his face, Aleksandar paused slightly, waiting for the interpreter to finish translating his words, before striking while the iron was hot and speaking.

"Your Highness, by accepting this principle, you will gain the foundation for immediate, formal diplomatic recognition and the strongest support from the entire civilized world. This will be an immeasurable boost to consolidating your new regime and completely defeating the hostile Tatar court in the north. We firmly believe that with your wisdom, you will be able to see the opportunities within this."

Of course, to ensure the smooth implementation of this great friendship and to provide our businesses with a safe, stable, and predictable environment, we have also put forward some specific and reasonable supplementary terms, all of which are detailed in this memorandum. This is a touchstone for our sincere friendship.

As he spoke, Ali waved his hand, signaling the interpreter to present the drafted Chinese-English bilingual treaty to Peng Gang's desk.

The guards around Peng Gang did not allow the English interpreter to get too close to Peng Gang. They raised their hands to signal the English interpreter to stop, stepped forward, took the treaty text from the English interpreter's hand, carefully untied the ribbon and unfolded it, and presented it to Peng Gang for inspection.

Peng Gang's gaze slowly swept over the Chinese and English text side by side on the treaty text.

After only a cursory glance at the contents of the treaty, Peng Gang understood why Aleksandar had been humiliated and driven out of Tianjing by Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing before coming to Wuchang.

Peng Gang now also has the urge to directly drive Ali Guo out of Wuchang City.

The terms of the treaty provided by the Algerian government were so harsh and outrageous that Peng Gang was speechless.

Peng Gang once suspected that Aleksandar viewed him as an equal to Qing officials, thinking that his Wuchang regime was just as easy to intimidate and manipulate as the Qing government.

(End of this chapter)