The focus of the whole article is on "planning". Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info is only on paper, but it is also impassioned.

Zhang Zhidong advocated the division of Xinjiang, Jilin, and Tianjin into three fortifications, and instructed Li Hongzhang to break the enemy, and he said eloquently: "Li Hongzhang Gaoxun sent it again, millions of dollars a year, to control the machine, and raise the Huai army, is today, if you can't fight, use the important ministers?"

The West is scratching our regime, the East is thinking of opening the frontier, and now the Russians are provocative, if they are more tolerant of it, from then on all countries are forced to come, as for the unbearable, let no way, what will be helpless?

Regardless of my imperial Russia, there is a reason to win, that is, or the battle of the frontier, blunt and impermanent, although the Russians are fighting, they cannot cross the Jiayu Pass, although they win, they cannot Boningguta, and they will not disturb the overall situation.

At this time, the return to Xinjiang was newly determined, and the morale was high, so the main battle was not only Zhang Zhidong, but also Hanlin and Yushi played one after another, and they were full of spirit and expected.

There are more than a dozen twists and turns on this matter at once, and they are all long speeches, citing the present and the past.

The Empress Dowager Cixi worked very hard, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an couldn't help her, so she only looked at the bottom carefully from the beginning to the end under the quiet service of Li Lianying under the late night light.

Although the Empress Dowager Cixi has learned the key to being less emotional and calm in handling government affairs, it seems that those straightforward and bold statements can't help but be a little excited in her heart.

The foreigner's ironclad warship is indeed a sharp weapon, but it is not necessarily impossible to fight on land, and Zuo Zongtang's fighting spirit is strong and morale is also strong, and Zhang Zhidong's article seems to have some truth.

She was constantly impulsive in her heart, but it was a trivial matter to start a war with foreigners, so she never dared to make up her mind. I'm tired of seeing, I'm tired of sitting, I'm tired of thinking, I put down the folds, rub my eyes and stand up, I want to relax my muscles and minds.

Li Lianying had been watching her movements, so she hurriedly wrung a hot hand towel to serve her to wipe her face, and then brought a bowl of bird's nest porridge, and suggested with concern: "Master, rest early!" ”

"The mourning family asks you," the Empress Dowager Cixi said suddenly, "you see, can you go to war with the Russians?" ”

Li Lianying was slightly taken aback, took a step back, and bowed down: "This is a national event." The minions don't understand, and they don't dare to talk nonsense. ”

"It doesn't matter if you talk about it."

"The minions really don't understand." Li Lianying replied, "Why doesn't the master ask the seventh master?" ”

It's a great idea! The Empress Dowager Cixi thought to herself that if these folds were handed over to the Military Aircraft Department, Prince Gong would not think so, and would still have to hand them over to the cabinet meeting. If it is decided to go to war with the Russians, it is better to appoint Prince Alcohol to defend Gyeonggi and let him participate in the cabinet meeting, so as to understand everyone's opinions first.

So I didn't read a few excerpts, and the next day I summoned the military plane, instructed me in person, and designated Prince Alcohol to attend the meeting.

The Qing discussion was passionate, Prince Gong had heard about it a long time ago, but he didn't expect the crowd to be indignant to such a point! And what he said seemed to have been agreed in advance, first, he did not hesitate to deal with Russia to the end, and second, he was revered and thanked the world.

After roughly reading those shocking twists and turns, Prince Gong felt that there was something he couldn't help but say, "Public opinion is like this, and it is impossible to suppress it hard." Now we have to think about calming everyone's grievances first. ”

He said: "People have the same heart, the same heart, and so am I, this grievance does not come out, and I am forced to go on the road of fighting, and there will be endless troubles." ”

"Yes! The sixth master's words hit the nail on the head. Shen Guifen said very insightfully, "Chongdi Mountain deserves it!" Why don't you ask for a decree first? ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi immediately approved.

The process of handling it was quite confidential, and when the folded pieces were handed over, they were immediately sealed and handed over to Pan Zuyin, the secretary of the Criminal Department. When he opened it, he was startled.

"Chongdi Mountain is terrible!" He sighed and thought in his heart, he was afraid that his life would not be saved! Because it seems that you have to fight, and if you fight, you have to kill Chonghou, otherwise it is not enough to motivate morale.

"In that case, prepare yourselves!" Pan Zuyin looked at the official and said, "Lord Chong is noble, and he is ordered to 'ask'." ”

The officials agreed in unison, and the head of the prison hall went to prepare the "fire room" so as to settle the prisoners.

Chonghou had already been informed by Shen Guifen, Tsing Yi and a small hat, who was waiting for the crime, heard the report on the door, and called open the middle door to greet him.

Pan Zuyin, as an official of the Criminal Department, was about to interrogate Chonghou's identity, so he only said: "Let's go!" ”

So under the teary-eyed gaze of his family, Chonghou was "taken". Riding on a mule cart sent by the Criminal Department, he headed south.

On the afternoon of 26 December, the princes and ministers held a meeting at the premier's yamen, and before they discussed, they first looked at the folds handed over by the "superiors". It is also a big topic that everyone can express their worries about patriotism, so it is fashionable for all Beijing officials who are concerned about the current situation and have come up with opinions to "talk about Russian affairs."

As usual, the officials of the Yamen Hall played on their behalf, and the Empress Dowager Cixi could not see so much, so they were all sent to the Military Aircraft Department, and the Prime Minister Yamen and the Yamen discussed and performed.

Therefore, on this day, they were in groups of three or five, looking at the folds side by side, and discussing a lot on the other, and they were chaotic for a while before they had to calm down. Prince Gong, who presided over the meeting, said: "Today's meeting will not talk about the plan of peace and war, but only about renegotiating the Russian treaty. The General Administration has prepared a draft here, please take a look! ”

Prime Minister Yamen's suggestion was to send another envoy to renegotiate the treaty. This is also the right thing, and everyone has nothing to say. Zhang Zhidong, who was ordered to participate in the meeting, was an exception, and he said that sending another envoy would be an insult to the national system, so he might as well call Shao Youlian, the counselor stationed in Russia and acting minister, to first explore Russia's intentions and then reason.

"The exchange of electricity insurance takes a lot of twists and turns, and I am afraid that it will not be clear in the electricity insurance."

Prince Gong said calmly, "There is no need to delay, even if another envoy is sent to the capital of Russia, it will take two or three months to work, and I don't know when the discussion will be." I see, let's do it! ”

Although Zhang Zhidong had a lot of discussions to make, he had no choice but to speak alone, and he didn't want to fight with Prince Gong too much, so he finally signed the manuscript. It is invisibly equivalent to representing the clear stream and favoring a peaceful conclusion.

As soon as the meeting of the Prime Minister's Yamen was dispersed, another meeting was held in Prince Gong's palace to discuss the selection of another envoy. This is another difficult problem, it is almost impossible to overturn the treaty that has been drawn up and make a new one, and the Qing Dynasty is so indignant that no one will bear the sin of humiliating the country.

Moreover, Russia is thousands of miles away, in a bitterly cold place, and it is in the middle of winter, and this hardship is not something that ordinary people can bear, so among the officials who are now qualified to serve the envoys, they are counted one by one. I can't find the right person.

In the end, Shen Guifen thought of a person, Zeng Jize, who was the envoy to Britain in the fourth year of Guangxu. (To be continued.) )