Smoke rolled over the shattered waterfront.
The fires spread fast along the piers. Broken beams burned where they had fallen. Sections of the quay had collapsed into the water, and the few remaining river craft were either drifting loose or already sinking.
From the bridge of the Napoleon I, Admiral Maisonneuve lowered his telescope.
"Cease fire," he said.
The gunnery officer nodded at once and relayed the order below.
The forward turrets fell silent. The barrels remained trained on the port, but no further shells followed. Only the sound of crackling fire and distant shouting carried across the water.
Behind the flagship, the rest of the French fleet held position exactly as ordered.
They watched.
Villeneuve stood with his hands behind his back, eyes fixed on the damage ahead. The port had not been erased, but it had been broken. The batteries were gone. The docks were no longer usable. Smoke covered most of the shoreline.
"They will not mistake this," he said.
Maisonneuve glanced at him.
"No."
Villeneuve turned.
"Then it is ti."
The admiral understood without needing further explanation.
"You want to send a party ashore."
"Yes."
Maisonneuve considered it for a mont, then nodded once.
"You will have an escort."
He turned to a nearby officer.
"Prepare a landing detachnt. Marines. Full kit."
"Yes, Admiral."
Villeneuve looked toward Remy, who had been standing a short distance behind them.
"You will co with ."
Remy did not hesitate.
"Of course."
Within minutes, the lower deck of the flagship was in motion again, but this ti it was controlled and asured.
A launch was prepared at the side of the Napoleon I. Marines assembled in formation bolt-action rifles checked, uniforms straight despite the heat and smoke drifting from the shore.
An officer stepped forward and saluted Villeneuve.
"Landing party ready, monsieur."
Villeneuve gave a small nod.
"Good."
Remy stood beside him, adjusting his coat slightly as he looked toward the burning port.
"You intend to speak to them directly?"
"Yes."
"And if they refuse again?"
Villeneuve stepped toward the ladder.
"They already have."
He climbed down first.
The marines followed in ordered movent, boots hitting the wooden floor of the launch one after another. The officer took position near the bow. Two sailors pushed them off from the hull.
The boat moved toward shore.
From above, the crew of the Napoleon I watched in silence. So leaned slightly over the rails. Others stood at their posts, eyes forward, disciplined but attentive.
Behind them, the rest of the fleet remained still.
The launch cut through the water toward the damaged port.
As they drew closer, the scale of the destruction beca clearer. Sections of the quay were gone. Burned timbers floated in clusters. A capsized river craft drifted near the edge of the harbor, its hull blackened.
Onshore, movent had slowed.
So Qing soldiers were still present, but their formation had broken. Many stood at a distance from the waterfront, watching the approaching boat. Others moved among the ruins, pulling wounded n away or trying to put out fires with buckets and sand.
No one fired.
No one advanced.
The launch reached what remained of a usable section of the dock.
The marines disembarked first.
Boots hit wood.
Rifles ca up to ready position.
They ford a periter without needing to be told.
Villeneuve stepped onto the dock next, followed by Remy.
For a mont, no one spoke.
The air carried heat from the burning structures nearby. Smoke drifted past them in uneven waves.
A group of Qing officials stood farther back near a partially intact building. Their robes were marked with dust and ash. One of them stepped forward slightly, though not enough to close the distance.
Remy looked at Villeneuve.
"I will speak."
Villeneuve gave a short nod.
"Make it clear."
Remy stepped forward.
He raised his voice, speaking in Chinese.
"We co under authority of the Emperor of France."
The words carried across the damaged dock.
Several of the Chinese soldiers shifted.
The officials remained still.
Remy continued.
"The fleet you see before you has already demonstrated its strength. What you witnessed here is not its full capacity."
Villeneuve stood behind him, hands at his sides, posture straight.
The marines held their line.
No one moved unnecessarily.
Remy pointed slightly toward the ships behind them.
"If resistance continues, those ships will fire again. Not once. Not twice. Until nothing remains."
The translation carried clean and direct.
One of the Chinese officials spoke quickly to another.
Remy did not stop.
"We are not here to trade. We are not here to wait. We are here to et your Emperor."
He paused just long enough for the words to settle.
"You will arrange it."
The official who had stepped forward earlier spoke now.
Remy listened, then answered.
"He asks under whose authority you make such demands."
Villeneuve spoke quietly behind him.
"Tell him the truth."
Remy nodded once and translated.
"Under the authority of force already demonstrated."
The words landed harder than before.
The official’s expression tightened.
He spoke again, longer this ti.
Remy listened.
"He says you cannot simply demand audience with the Son of Heaven."
Villeneuve stepped forward this ti.
"Then tell him this."
Remy turned slightly.
Villeneuve’s voice remained even.
"We are already here."
Remy translated.
Silence followed.
Behind them, the fleet waited.
The smoke over the port had begun to thin, revealing more of the damage beneath it.
Villeneuve continued.
"They may resist if they wish," he said. "But they must understand what that ans."
Remy translated again, word for word.
Villeneuve did not raise his voice.
"If they choose to resist, we will proceed regardless. And the next bombardnt will not be limited to the port."
Remy delivered the line without hesitation.
This ti, there was no imdiate reply.
The officials stood in place.
One of them looked toward the fleet.
Another glanced at the burned remains of the batteries behind them.
Villeneuve watched them.
He did not rush.
He did not repeat himself.
After several seconds, the sa official spoke again, quieter now.
Remy listened carefully.
"He says... he will send word inland."
Villeneuve nodded once.
"You will do it quickly."
Remy translated.
The official gave a short, stiff nod.
Villeneuve stepped back.
"Good."
He turned toward the marines.
"We are done here."
The officer gave a hand signal.
The formation shifted.
They began moving back toward the launch in the sa disciplined order they had arrived.
Remy took one last look at the officials.
"They understand."
Villeneuve did not look back.
"They have no choice."
They boarded the launch again.
Oars pushed them off from the damaged dock.
Behind them, the port of Tianjin smoldered.
Ahead of them, the Napoleon I waited with the rest of the French fleet, silent but ready.
And sowhere beyond the river and the roads inland, the ssage would now be carried to Beijing.
Whether the Qing court accepted it or not no longer mattered.
The French were already on their way.
User Comments
0 comments from readers