Li Hongzhang followed the imperial guards into the Heart Cultivation Gate. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoOn this day, Jing Shou, the minister of the guard, led the class and led it into the East Warm Pavilion of the Heart Palace.

The morning sun is full of room, warm as spring, the Empress Dowager Cixi wears a magenta satin cheongsam, covered with satin shoulders, and a huge silk flower on the two hairpins, rich and prosperous, looking like a thirty-odd person, Li Hongzhang feels that she is more offspring than what she saw in her fifties last year.

And that's just a glimpse. After walking a few times, I have approached the mat, knelt down to remove the crown, met and asked the Holy Ann, how the Empress Dowager Cixi had as usual, how the harvest was abundant, the people's livelihood was suffering, and whether the living was comfortable.

"I came to you this time to discuss a lot of important things." The Empress Dowager Cixi confessed her wish before getting to the point.

"The emperor is almost an adult, and the responsibility of the mourning family can also be relieved. The mourning family often thinks that after more than 20 years of hard work, something must be done! As officials, talk about thinking and bereavement.

This is what mourning means, after the curtain is removed, someone can often read it and remember the benefits of mourning. These more than 20 years of hard work are not in vain! ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "The long hair and twist have been flat for 20 years, and now a group of juniors, do you know the difficulties that our monarchs and ministers worked hard to support back then?" Ignorance of conscience and nonsense is really hateful!

The words of the first two years were too arrogant, and even the princes and ministers were not in their eyes, what kind of system did this become, and what kind of discipline did they talk about? I really have to put it in order! ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi paused for a moment and said: "Before returning to politics, the mourning family has a few important things to do, and it all depends on the help of Prince Alcohol and you to succeed." ”

"Yes! The minister did not dare not be unsatisfied. ”

"The first thing, of course, is to run the navy." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Have you ever seen the twists and turns of the provinces?" ”

"The provinces should set up a large or small navy, and there should be differences between different opinions, but they should set up a special yamen, especially simple and pro-domain, and take charge of the overall situation, and everyone's views are no different."

Li Hongzhang then put forward his own opinion, "The minister thinks that today's matter must first calm down the floating discussion, and to calm the floating discussion, it is necessary to return to the right of the matter first. Since ancient times, the government has been in the people, there is the queen mother, the emperor's presiding, and there are the seven coastal provinces and Xinjiang ministers to do things. ”

This is the Prince of Baoju Alcohol, taking the overall picture.

But Prince Alcohol is also the respect of the emperor's father as a close relative, or he is ashamed to be recommended. Li Hongzhang has been an official for decades, and no one's experience is as deep as his, so he refuses to be presumptuous.

The Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help sighing: "When China and France started a war, the military needs of the provinces were reimbursed more than 30 million yuan, and they owed a lot of foreign debts, how did they get it?" ”

"That's exactly what it is." Li Hongzhang then said, "Regardless of the fact that foreign debts have to be repaid with principal and interest, if the navy is an example, if it costs more than 16 million silver to build a ship, build forts, make ammunition, set up schools, and supply food and salaries for the officers and men of the navy, how much should it be?"

According to Zhang Zhidong's fundraising regulations, half of the tariffs and cents of gold imported from foreign medicines for five years were used to build ships, and half of them were used to cover various expenses.

In recent years, the state has collected tariffs on foreign drugs as the bulk of the tax, and I don't know how much this tax has been designated as income? Not to mention anything else, just the foreign debts borrowed by Zuo Zongtang and Zhang Zhidong were guaranteed by foreign drug tariffs, but they were afraid that if they wanted to use this money, the foreigners would not agree to it first. ”

"Borrowing foreign debts is by no means a good strategy for seeking the country." Li Hongzhang took the opportunity to say: "It's better to open source yourself." The minister entered Beijing this time and brought several Chen, and he couldn't play it at this time. ”

"The mourning family also listened to Prince Alcohol say, your intentions are all good, as long as you can think of more income and have money to do the right thing, there is nothing disapproving of the mourning family."

The Empress Dowager Cixi paused for a moment and returned to the topic: "The navy has to be done no matter what, but there must be a sequence, and Beiyang has a scale first." The mourning family will start with one and expand slowly. What do you mean? ”

"The Empress Dowager Shengming." Li Hongzhang replied, "This is the way to be big and long-lasting." ”

"Training is not only expensive, but also requires people. You have always been willing to pay attention to talents, and there are those who can serve in the navy, although they are protected by the navy. The Empress Dowager Cixi asked again: "Look, are there any good generals?" ”

Li Hongzhang came here, he was full of money, and wanted to pour out, originally planned to obtain the consent of Prince Alcohol first, and obtain the support of the ministers of the Military Aircraft and the General Administration.

Now after listening to the repeated encouragement of the Empress Dowager Cixi, she changed her mind, and felt that at this time, she seized the opportunity and said that if the Empress Dowager Cixi was moved, she could coerce the Son of Heaven to order the princes, and it would be much more convenient to negotiate with her, wouldn't it be a shortcut to do things?

made up his mind, without hesitation, and first mentioned the matter of building the railway that hindered the most, "The Queen Mother has seen thousands of miles. In recent years, the minister has been determined to prosper and profit, and has been quite jealous, if it is not for the mercy and protection, even if the minister has three heads and six arms, he will achieve nothing. ”

He turned to this topic: "Take the matter of building a railway, Liu Ming in the sixth year of Guangxu passed into the pilgrimage, and asked to build a railway, he saw that as soon as the railway opened, the east and west, the north and the south, breathing together, thousands of miles away, a few days away, millions of people, one call and gathering, eighteen provinces into one gas, one soldier can be worth ten soldiers."

These words are really insightful. In the last year, the army was used against France, and Wang Shi prepared a lot of strength, and the courage of recruiting in the hinterland could not be sent to the border provinces to resist the enemy for a while. Coupled with the inconvenience of the transfer of military supplies, how can there be any reason to be invincible?

If at that time, according to Liu Mingchuan's performance, the 'South Road' was built first, one from Qingjiangpu through Shandong, and the other from Hankou through Henan, all to Beijing, at that time, the troops were dispatched and the command was as Ruyi, and the French army would never be allowed to be so rampant.

Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.. Nowadays, the navy is built in a big way, and it is the foundation of coastal defense to resist foreign threats, and the construction of railways has nine major benefits in military administration, Gyeonggi, people's livelihood, transshipment, postal post, mining, investment promotion, steamship, and travel, and we should really catch up in a hurry! ”

When this incident was mentioned, the Empress Dowager Cixi remembered the discouragement on the road, frowned and said: "It is said that the railway breaks the feng shui, and this matter must be carefully calculated." ”

This reply made Li Hongzhang a little frustrated, but once the words were spoken, he could not help but argue.

"The vicissitudes of life, that there is a thousand years of unchanged Linggu? In those years, Western countries emphasized various new policies, and there were often opposition from the people, all of whom had to uphold perseverance and perseverance in order to overcome the bottom line.

The minister remembered that Zuo Zongtang also played a concert in favor of imitating the railway, saying that foreign countries 'build roads because of business, manage soldiers because of roads, and transport poor roads, and there is no disadvantage. Before it was built, the obstruction was very solid! Once it is done, the people will be rich, the country will be strong, and the characters will be prosperous, which will be beneficial and harmless, and the inherent signs will be clear.

The telegraph steamer, which China does not have, is indispensable once it exists. This is a matter of experience, and it is very clear. (To be continued.) )