I want to know the answer to the following question:
Who performed the tasks of the Zongli Yamen before it was created?
All the background I'm provided with is that "It was not until 1861 — a year after losing the Second Opium War to the Anglo-French coalition — that the Qing government bowed to foreign pressure and created a proper foreign affairs office known as the Zongli Yamen.". Is that enough to answer the question?
Answer: no