In the first half of the 19th century, the British imperialists imported large quantities of opium into China, and the people suffered greatly from it. Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty ordered Lin Zexu to go to Guangzhou as an official minister to prohibit tobacco use; Mu Chang'a, the leader of the opposition, and Qishan secretly informed the British opium traffickers of this matter.

Lin Zexu arrived in Guangzhou, immediately took action, united with the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi, strengthened the sea defense, and notified the foreign traders in three days to surrender all the stored opium and tobacco, and at the same time, detained the suspicious British merchant ships, seized a large number of opium and tobacco; then, Lin Zexu personally supervised the collection of more than 20,000 boxes in the public destruction of the beach at the Humen.

The move to eliminate opium at Humen seriously touched the interests of the British imperialists in China. They then launched the Opium War in May 1840, waving their armies northward to Tianjin to deter Beijing.

The Daoguang Emperor was incompetent, in order to curry favor with Britain, Lin Zexu was dismissed from his post on the grounds that he was ineffective in combating smoking, and Qishan was sent to Guangzhou to discuss surrendering to Britain. After the Daoguang Emperor and sent Lin Zexu to Xinjiang, but the British imperialism is not satisfied, the invasion of China from the coast to the interior of the war, the face of the enemy's aggression, Guangzhou Sanyuanli people launched a heroic anti-British struggle.

The Sino-Japanese War

In 1894, the Japanese Empire, which had been planning to invade China for a long time, provoked and created trouble in Chinese territorial waters. Li Hongzhang, the Minister of the North China Sea, and his close associate Fang Boqian, who was in charge of the Jiyuan ship, strongly advocated for peace. Japanese invaders sank Chinese merchant ships, to "Zhiyuan" ship steward Deng Shichang as the representative of the patriotic officers and soldiers and the people of Weihai, resolutely demanded war against Japan, but Deng twice asked for war were rejected by Li, and because of the revelation of the Fang Boqian and was dismissed. The Japanese invaders undeclared war, public anger, Li Hongzhang was forced to rise Deng Shichang.

In the naval battle, Liu Buchan, the chief of the right wing of the Beiyang naval division, was greedy for his life and intentionally fought under the wrong flag (which is not consistent with history), and then his flagship was wounded by the Japanese. Deng instead of the flagship command battle, led the "Zhiyuan" officers and men fought bravely, hit the Japanese flagship "Yoshino". Finally, because of the bullet exhausted, Deng Shichang decided to sink the enemy ship "Yoshino", but unfortunately was hit by a torpedo, the ship officers and men died.

The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan

In 1852, Yulan, who was born into a family of eunuchs and was quite beautiful, was chosen to be enshrined as a noblewoman in the palace. But because of the Yulan belongs to the Yehe Nara family and the Aisin Gioro family have a long-standing grudge, and failed to get the attention of the Xianfeng Emperor. Yulan hard to think of a way to get into, and finally to a song of lingering sad ditty to attract Xianfeng, and then won the favor. Afterwards, the clever and clever Yulan often accompanied by the emperor. A year later, Yulan because of the birth of a son Zai Chun, was named by Xianfeng as a noble consort, the status of the palace has been similar to the Empress.

At this time, the Qing Dynasty was in a state of internal and external crisis. Britain, France and other eight allied forces attacked Guangzhou, Tianjin, and then directly to Beijing, the court was in chaos. Xianfeng adopted Yi Guifei advocate, ordered the Prince of the Sinhalese to lead the troops to defend the enemy.

Baliqiao battle, the Qing troops lost, all the soldiers killed in action. Xianfeng that rate of concubines and ministers such as Su Shun fled to the palace in Jehol, leaving his brother Prince Gong - Yi? He left his younger brother, Prince Gong, Yi-Yi, in Beijing to negotiate with the foreigners. In the Jehol Palace, Xianfeng ignored the government, but from the whole day to seek pleasure, the Zhangzhi Yi noble consort for the approval. The arrogance of the British and French allied forces to deceive his mediocrity, by virtue of foreign guns and cannons, attacked the city of Beijing. Burning and looting everywhere, no evil, the world-famous "Garden of Gardens" Yuanmingyuan robbed empty, and put to the torch.

(Yi Guifei is the later Empress Dowager Cixi 。。。。)