#346 - Taiping 23: Friends From Afar

The Loyal King does everything right. He writes ahead to Shanghai to announce he's coming – as a friend! And only for the Qing parts of the city! His standing orders: no firing on the foreigners, you get your head chopped off. He even signs off wishing them all good health until he can meet them in person.

It's returned unopened. As is the second one.

And so, in the third week of August 1860, an army marching under orders

not to shoot back spends 5 days being shelled outside the walls of a

city they thought friendly… all culminating with the French burning

the suburbs to the ground, with everyone still inside.

And those soldiers holding that wall on the Qing’s behalf? They're the

rear echelon of an expedition sailing north to burn down the

dynasty's capital.Time Period Covered:June-Aug. 1860 CE

Major Historical Figures:The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom:Hong Rengan, the Shield King (Gan Wang), Prime Minister [1822–1864]Li Xiucheng, the Loyal King (Zhong Wang) [1823–1864]

The Qing:Xue Huan, acting Governor of JiangsuWu Xu, the Shanghai DaotaiYang Fang, banker; head of the merchant syndicateHe Guiqing, cashiered Governor-General of Liangjiang [1816–1862]

The Foreigners…At Shanghai:Frederick Bruce, British Minister to China [1814–1867]Thomas Taylor Meadows, acting British Consul at Shanghai [1815–1868]Frederick Townsend Ward, commander, Shanghai Foreign-Arms Corps