"Shun must also be smooth. I was very careful every time, but I didn't know that sentence was wrong, so I put my face down at that time! The emperor resented, "I'm really afraid." ”

"What's the use?" Empress Dowager Ci'an smiled, "You kowtow for me, and I'll tell you a way." ”

This is a joke, and the emperor really knelt down and kowtowed.

As soon as the Empress Dowager Ci'an stretched out her hand and pulled him up, let him sit beside her, holding his hand lovingly, a little hesitant, as if she didn't know what she said, should she say it?

Due to the emperor's urging eyes, she finally spoke: "Your mother is a person who can't be idle, unlike me, look at idle books, and pass the day in a hurry." If you want to make your mother happy, there is only one way, find something for her to have a pastime, and then the world will be peaceful. ”

The Emperor listened and nodded deeply. "There is a way," he said, "to build up the garden and ask the two queen mothers to take care of it." ”

Empress Dowager Ci'an's expression was very complicated, as if she was praising the emperor's filial piety, and as if she deeply regretted her words.

"How easy is that?" She said, "I'm afraid that the money spent is more than the wedding." ”

"Humph!" The emperor sneered, "Most of the money for the wedding fell into other people's purses, and if you want to repair the garden in the future, you really have to take care of it." ”

"It's not a hurry, let's wait until you kiss the government!" Empress Dowager Ci'an said.

Not only did the emperor not bear to disobey the will of the Empress Dowager Ci'an, but he also felt that this line of work was indispensable, so he said energetically, "It doesn't cost much." I'll tell them tomorrow. ”

"They" refers to Prince Gong and the Minister of Military Aircraft. To the next day "meeting", the emperor first mentioned this matter, the Empress Dowager Cixi felt deeply satisfactory, so she supported the emperor, saying that it was twelve years of hanging the curtain to listen to the government, fortunately happy to calm the giant Kou, the golden Ou is flawless, not to live up to the trust of the first emperor, but also to comfort the ancestors.

After explaining this matter, it is time for Prince Gong Chen to take the decree, he has two things that must be submitted to the referee, one is that Peng Yulin is unwilling to take up the post of the right attendant of the military department, Prince Gong thinks that there is no need to be reluctant, and suggests that Peng Yulin help the new commander of the Yangtze River Naval Division Li Chengmou, and after the river defense is properly arranged, he will be allowed to return home to recuperate.

In the future, Peng Yulin patrolled the Yangtze River once a year, and allowed him to perform special work, and the governors of Liangjiang and Huguang shared the office funds for him.

The queen mother of the two palaces and the emperor all felt that this method proposed by Shen Guifen was very good, and they all agreed.

Another matter was troublesome, and the envoys of various countries asked for an audience.

This was originally stated in the treaty, but in the past, Chinese etiquette could be used, and the empress dowager of the two palaces who listened to the government was inconvenient to receive male guests and refused, and when the emperor was in power, this reason did not exist.

After a while, he couldn't get the essentials, and the envoys of various countries were waiting to hear the reply, Prince Gong had to convene a meeting of the ministers of the Prime Minister's Trade and Trade Yamen to discuss countermeasures.

In the Sino-British Treaty of Tianjin, which was clearly set in the eighth year of Xianfeng, the "Great British Qincha" met with the Qing Emperor, "it is not feasible to encounter a ceremony that hinders the national system", which refers to the ritual of kneeling.

In the tenth year of Xianfeng, because of the war caused by the "exchange of contracts", Wenzong fled to Rehe, Gui Liang could not negotiate peace, and the British and French troops marched into Tongzhou, and they had no choice but to send Zaiyuan and Mu Yin to reopen peace with Britain and France in Tongzhou.

So the British minister Elgin made a request to meet the Qing Emperor and hand over the British queen's credentials.

Prince Gong started here:

At that time, Zaiyuan and Mu Yin promised the British translator Pasha Li that they could do so. The Zhiyu newspaper was in action, and was strictly reprimanded, and Zai and Mu had no choice but to reverse, but the words had been exported and became a handle. Later, the ministers presided over the pacification bureau, and it took a lot of effort to dispel Elkin's request. ”

Prince Gong then said: "For this reason, in the seventh year of Tongzhi, when the 'ten-year revision of the treaty' was reached, Prime Minister Yamen specially issued a note saying that the first article of consulting the governors and generals of various provinces was 'to discuss the Hajj', and Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang (Shaoquan) both thought that they might as well be allowed to enter the Hajj.

At this point, it is impossible to prevent the envoys of various countries from entering the Hajj! The minister's way to see Shaoquan may be feasible. ”

Prince Gong asked the people who were in the room, "Shaoquan's tricky method, see if it works?" On the day of the pro-government ceremony, let the envoys of various countries arrange shifts among the deacons of the salute, then can't you not kneel? ”

This method is almost incredible, but Prince Gong has expressed his approval, and it is inconvenient for everyone to dismiss it directly, and they look at each other for a long time, and finally they are responsible for negotiating with the ministers of various countries.

"It's a good way, but that's what Li Shaoquan said himself. The envoys of various countries have long had the idea that they are guests, and the host has always refused to receive them, and they have not treated each other with courtesy.

According to the minions, it is impossible to ask them to kowtow, and now there are only two ways to discuss, one is to think of a plan and not teach them to enter the Hajj? One is whether you can persuade the emperor to show extra tolerance? ”

"Even if the emperor is tolerant, there are still people who gossip." Dong Sui shook his hair and complained.

As soon as the two of them started, there was a lot of discussion, gossip, and inconsistencies.

In the end, there is only one way to delay, so that Chonghou can repay the ministers of various countries, saying that it is too early to be pro-government, and then we will talk about it.

A meeting ended with no results.

An Dehai is gone, Cixi always feels that there is something missing around her, and no one laughs with her to relieve her boredom, and she takes a few old maids who serve her to comb her hair all day long, Cui Yugui sees it in her eyes and remembers it in her heart.

He immediately thought of Li Lianying, and said that he was skillful, but he didn't know if he could comb his hair, and he would have the opportunity to test him.

In the evening, Li Lianying went to see Cui Yugui, and he asked casually, "Can you comb your hair?" ”

As soon as Li Lianying's mind turned, she added branches and leaves to the skills she had learned, and Cui Yugui was full of joy when she said it.

At that moment, he told him in detail about Cixi's temper, preferences, taboos, how to offer tea and ask for peace, how to bow three times and bow nine times, and the places that should be carefully paid attention to, and finally did not forget to tell him: "The opportunity is given to you, it depends on your creation." ”

Li Lianying nodded and wrote it down, and only waited for the next day to go on an errand.

Early the next morning, Li Lianying had already made preparations. Hearing the summons, she straightened her hair and braided her hair, and followed Cui Yugui to Changchun Palace with great ambition.

The two of them entered the door gently, and Li Lianying only felt a strange fragrance rushing in. Cixi was dressing up at the moment.

The two hurriedly stepped forward and knocked on the door to say goodbye, Cui Yugui said in a panic: "Master Jixiang" retreated, leaving only Li Lianying kneeling on the ground.

He peeked and saw the Queen Mother sitting in front of the crescent-shaped dresser, the dresser was extremely exquisite, it seemed to be made of rosewood, with a faint woody fragrance, and the table was carved with hollow patterns everywhere, with a large glass inlaid in the center, and small pieces of glass were inlaid on the left and right.

The indirectly parts of the glass are extremely tight, like an inseparable whole. Sitting in a chair, you don't have to turn your body to get an unobstructed view of all parts of your upper body.

I saw the Empress Dowager Cixi slowly and methodically rubbing the powder on her face with a white silk cotton puff, and then smoothed the powder evenly, dried it meticulously, and then nodded her lips and eyebrows.

After a long time, Li Lianying's knees were numb before she turned around and ordered; "Get up!"

Li Lianying just got up from the ground, bowed her head, and waited for the dispatch. I only heard Cixi reply slowly:

"It was Cui Yugui's bad old man who recommended you, what's your name?"

Li Lianyingdao; "If you go back to the master, the slave's surname is Li, and his name is Li Lianying."

"How old are you?"

"If you go back to the master, the slave is seventeen years old this year!"

"Oh! Where are you from home? ”

"The slave's family lives in Dacheng County, Hejian Prefecture, Zhili!"

When asked this, Cixi Fang changed her lazy tone before, as if she suddenly understood something: It turned out that he was the child who ran back to Beijing from Rehe to report the news, and now he has grown up! I almost forgot about him.

"Get up!"

If you go back to your master, you have to kneel, so just now Li Lianying just stood up and knelt down again, this time she stood up again, Cixi said to let him raise his head, Li Lianying raised his head as he said, looked at each other, and both sides were taken aback.

Cixi chooses people, has always been based on appearance, if it is not pleasing to the eye, at least it will be angrily reprimanded, and at worst, it will be beaten indiscriminately, if it is pleasing to the eye, everything will be easy to do.

Cixi took a look at it, and saw that the person in front of her was long, with good facial features, two thick eyebrows, straight into the sideburns, and a pair of amorous "peach blossom eyes" looking at her affectionately at the moment.

Li Lianying was also fascinated by this, he didn't dare to peek at it just now, but then he saw it clearly, only to see Cixi's rectangular face, slightly pointed chin, slightly outturned lips, and a pair of big black eyes overflowing with autumn waves, which seemed to be more delicate and moving than what he saw in the abrupt and hurried side ten years ago, and there was a lot more charm of a mature woman.

She wore a jade butterfly on her head, delicate and warm, wearing a blue satin robe, embroidered with many butterflies and bats, covered with a purple short shoulder, and many beads under the robe, one of which was as big as an egg, and even the shoes were full of jewels, embroidered with all kinds of flowers and plants, dazzling, burning and attractive.

Cixi asked again, "What else do you do besides combing your hair?" ”

"The slave can talk about the Xihe drum, can sing a few plays, and knows a little bit of medicine, and ......"

Cixi interrupted him impatiently and asked, "What do you belong to?" ”

"If you go back to your master, the slave belongs to the sheep."

Cixi was finally satisfied, looking at the beautiful young man in front of her who had the demeanor of a prince and prince, she was happy in her heart, she nodded slightly, flashed slowly, and smiled.

Cixi always thought that she was extremely smart, but she was deceived by Li Lianying's glare. (To be continued.) )