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horses were muffled. Arrived within the forbidden precincts, the Manchn Bannermen on duty at the rarious palace gates were all replaced by Li's men, the Empresses having sent out eunuchs to point out which detachments were doubtful or had openly declared for the conspirators. These were at once disarmed, bound, and hurried off to the prisons of the Board of Punishment. The artillery were posted to command the entrances to the Forbidden City, the cavalry were sent to patrol the grounds and pick up any stray conspirators who could be found; and the infantry were stationed so as to surround the palace where lay the Empresses Dowager and the present Emperor, Euang Hs^, then a child of about four years. When day broke the surprise of such of the conspirators as had not been arrested during the night was complete. The disaffected were quietly made away with or sent into perpetual exile to the Amoor, and the next day Prince Gh^un*s little son was proclaimed Emperor with the title of Euang Hsil. Everything being settled, Li marched back to Tientsin with his troops as unostentatiously as he had come. In 1875 he was made Senior Grand Secretary, and in 1876 was nominated Special Commissioner to settle the questions arising from the murder of Margary, in which capacity he signed the document known as the Chefoo Agreement. He arranged treaties with Peru and Japan, started the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, promoted mining and similar under- takings, all the time purchasing considerable quantities of munitions of war and heavily arming the Taku forts. AiBurs in Eorea soon claimed his attention, and it was at his instigation that the ex-B^^nt was carried off prisoner to China. In an attempt in 1884 to settle the Tongking question with the French Grovemment represented by Captain Fournier, an awkward question arose as to which side had committed a breach of faith by altering the memorandum of terms, and the fiimous ^'state of reprisals*' ensued, during which