Page:Tseng Kuo Fan and the Taiping Rebellion.djvu/344

Rh released, and the prefect and magistrate condemned to banishment in Heilungkiang.

Meanwhile, through the assassination of Ma Sin-yi in Nanking, that governorship again became vacant, and Tsêng, being practically persona non grata to the higher officials in the capital and yet too powerful to degrade or dismiss, was appointed to fill it, by edict dated August 30, 1870. When the general terms of the settlement were agreed to, he was ordered to hasten to his new office. On the way to Nanking Tsêng stopped at Peking, where he was received in audience, October 20 and 21. Again the questions were asked by the empress dowager, Ts'u Hsi:

Question. On what day did you leave T'ientsin? Answer. On the twenty-third [October 17]. Q. Have the chief offenders in T'ientsin been executed yet or not? A. They have not yet been punished. But according to the consul's word the Russian minister will come to T'ientsin, and the French minister [chargé] Rochechouart is sending men as witnesses, so it has not been possible to execute them. Q. When does Li Hung-chang think he will be able to punish Win and his fellow culprits? A. On the night of the 23d [October 17] a letter was received from Li Hung-chang stating that he expects that all the culprits will be punished by the 25th [October 19]. Q. Is the populace of T'ientsin just now restless and hard to manage? A. The populace is already quieted now and not hard to manage. Q. Whatever possessed the prefect and magistrate to make their early escape to Hsünteh and other places? [In other words why were they allowed to go ?]