Next month is the Queen's Thousand Autumn Festival (birthday), and the ceremony is routinely held in the Jiaotai Palace, and the Empress will sit on the main hall to receive congratulations from the imperial concubines, concubines, concubines, concubines, princesses, fortunes, and women, and the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Guanglu Temple, which is in charge of the feast, have begun to prepare nervously for this.

Unexpectedly, at noon the day before yesterday, news came out in the palace that the queen was courteous in the palace during the Qianqiu Festival, but the banquet was stopped, and the princess, Fujin, and the wife did not need to enter the palace to salute.

Just when Han Xiufeng was wondering why the emperor and the queen were so frugal, he received a letter from Xu Naizhao to Zhang Guangcheng, in which he said that as early as six days ago, he had asked him to go to the Jiangnan camp to serve, and the emperor not only gave permission, but also ordered the right attendant of the military department, Lang Chunyou, to take charge of Guanglu Temple.

Han Xiufeng knew very well that he didn't want to be a "ridiculous" official, thinking that he would go back to Jiangsu early tomorrow morning, he felt a little uncomfortable, put down the letter and said: "It's a pity to go back like this, why don't you persuade Lord Xu!" ”

Zhang Guangcheng said helplessly: "Fourth master, you don't know Lord Xu's temper, and it's useless for others to persuade him to think about good things." ”

"The officials of various ministries and institutes in Beijing move so frequently, no matter who is the secretary of Guanglu Temple, he can't do it for a few days, why can't he do it first, and just go back this trip in vain?"

"It's not in vain, Lord Xu said that at least he has found a real shortage, even if he is in the Jiangnan camp to help with military affairs, he is still Guanglu Siqing, which is better than having no official and no position before."

"And what's next for the dude?"

"Naturally, I went back to Jiangsu with Lord Xu, but this trip was not in vain, not only went to the Ministry of Officials to cast the arch, but also distributed the Jiangsu Poor Committee as an alternate magistrate."

"Congratulations, I know that with Lord Xu and Xu Zhongtang taking care of me, my brother will have a bright future."

"Let the fourth master smile, the situation over there in Jiangsu, you know best, but although you have planned to be released, when will you be able to make up for the shortcomings. Even if you are lucky enough to make up for the gap, don't expect to be a justice of the peace. ”

"I don't know about others, but brother, you and I, Han Xiufeng, know best, this lack can be filled sooner or later, and no matter how complicated the situation is after filling the gap, you will definitely be able to cope with it." Han Xiufeng smiled, then turned around and said, "Yu'er, Lord Xu and Brother Zhang will go out of Beijing tomorrow morning, you are also ready to prepare, Ming'er will go into the city with me early in the morning to see off Lord Xu and Brother Zhang." ”

"Okay, I'll get ready later." Ren Yu'er hurriedly said.

Zhang Guangcheng knew that Han Xiufeng was asking Ren Yu'er to prepare for Cheng Yi, so he hurriedly got up and said, "Fourth master, Miss Yu'er, I explained to Master Xu before I came, and he said that he had been bothering you for so long, and he couldn't bother you anymore." If it weren't for the fear of rudeness, he didn't want me to let me know, and repeatedly told me not to send him off tomorrow morning. ”

"How can this work?"

"Lord Xu said that he is all his own person, and there is no need to be so outside. He also said that the future will be long, and if there is a fate, we will be able to meet again in the future. ”

……

Zhang Guangcheng walked like this, he walked very freely, and he has not changed much over the years, giving people the feeling that he is still the high-spirited Young Master Zhang before.

Looking at his disappearing back, Ren Yuer couldn't help but think of the scene in Taizhou, and couldn't help asking: "Fourth brother, why didn't he let us send it?" ”

"It's not that he won't let us send it, but Lord Xu won't let it."

"Then why doesn't Lord Xu let us send it?"

"Nine times out of ten, I can't figure out what kind of relationship I have with Bochuan, and I can't figure out what my relationship is with Su Shun, so I don't dare to get too close to me. After all, even if he doesn't think about himself, he has to think about his second brother Xu Naip. ”

"According to what you say, his second brother Xu Naipu neither wants to make friends with Lord Wen, nor does he want to get too close to Lord Sushun?"

"When the official does his second brother's part, the first thing he thinks about is how to protect himself, so that he will not take refuge in whoever he says like Chen Fuen." Han Xiufeng thought for a while, and sighed again: "Peng Zhongtang is the same, after all, they are already extremely popular ministers, and there is no need to get involved in disputes between the Manchurians. ”

Han Xiufeng was in a bad mood every time he said goodbye, because there were too many friends who had died in the war over the years, and it was difficult to say whether today's farewell would be a permanent secret, just when Ren Yuer wanted to change the topic and solve the problem, the big head who had not seen him for more than a month actually rode over.

"Fourth brother, you're here! In just right, I don't have to go to the school to look for it! The big head turned over and dismounted, wiped a handful of sweat and shouted heartlessly.

His face was covered with dust, and it was good not to wipe it, but when he wiped it, it turned into a five-flower face.

Han Xiufeng didn't bother to let him wash his face first, so he crossed his arms and asked, "Why are you back again, don't you have to be on duty today?" ”

"No, I'm here to give you a message!" The big head looked back behind him, confirmed that there was no one else, and smiled proudly: "Fourth brother, this is the first time I have passed the decree!" Look at it, what is this horse, this is a royal horse that can only be ridden when you go out of the palace on an errand! ”

The imperial guards sometimes have to be in charge of summoning like the imperial ministers, and it is reasonable that the emperor did not let him pass on the decree before, after all, he has a bad braincase, and it is difficult to say whether he will mess up the errand.

Seeing his elated appearance, Han Xiufeng couldn't help but smile and asked, "Then do I want to kneel down to accept the order?" ”

"There are no outsiders here, kneel and kneel, and besides, the emperor just asked me to give you a few words."

"Then what are you waiting for, hurry up."

"Oh," the big head reacted, and hurriedly said: "The emperor asked you to hurry up and follow me to the Old Summer Palace, let me go and meet Lord Sushun first, and then hand over the sign to meet you." I don't know what happened to you in the past, and the emperor didn't tell me. ”

"Got it, you're waiting outside, I'll go change my clothes first."

"Fourth brother, I'll ask them to prepare the car."

"Go ahead." Seeing that Ren Yu'er turned around and was about to call Xiao Shandong, Han Xiufeng instructed again: "Remember to talk to Rong Lu and Wang Qianli when you go back, so that they won't be able to find me if something happens." “

"I know, you should go in and change into your official uniform."

……

Changed into official uniforms, drove with the big head to the Jixian Courtyard on the south side of Shuchun Garden, it was already evening, but did not see Su Shun, but was invited into a flower hall in the backyard by a pen post.

The pen post respectfully said that Lord Su Shun didn't know when he would be able to come, but he explained before leaving at noon, and asked him to take a look at the official documents piled up on the case after he arrived. Even knowing that the big head would come, he actually prepared several plates of dim sum and let the big head cushion his stomach first. When he helped light the candles and bowed down to exit the flower hall, he did not forget to introduce that this mansion was the place where Macartney, the envoy of Yingyi during the Qianlong Dynasty, stayed.

"It's time for the emperor to rest now, Lord Sushun doesn't know when he will be able to come over, fourth brother, I guess you won't see the emperor today, I'm afraid you won't be able to go back." Big Head muttered as he ate.

"I can't stop your mouth if I eat a little heart, where do you get so many words!"

"Oh, I don't talk anymore, look at yours."

The big head realized that he had something to do and didn't dare to squeak again.

What Su Shun left here were all the secret folds on Gui Liang, Hua Shana, Seng Lingqin, Ruilin, He Guiqing, Huang Zonghan and other big officials and the secret decrees sent to them by the emperor's military aircraft department, Han Xiufeng even suspected that there were many secret folds, and even Wenxiang, the minister of military aircraft, had never seen them.

I thought that the emperor and several princes and ministers and the governors of Liangguang, Liangjiang and other places were repeating their old tricks this time, first coaxing the foreigners away, and then playing Tai Chi with the foreigners, which could drag on for a day.

However, judging from the secret edicts issued by Gui Liang and others and the secret edicts issued by the military aircraft, the emperor and several princes and ministers not only did not take the foreigners to heart as before, but also agreed on a secretly frightening countermeasure through the exchange of secret edicts in the past few months, and it seemed to be very thorough.

To sum up, the foreigners who broke into the mouth of Dagu were first coaxed away, and then Huang Zonghan, the governor of Liangguang, and others summoned the group to practice, "using eastern Guangdong as the momentum of the horse and bending the bow" to deal with the foreigners, and if they were sure, they would recover the city of Guangzhou in one go, so as to achieve the goal of "using Cantonese affairs as an excuse for one day, so that the Yi people could not enter Beijing for a day, and in the long run, the former agreement was turned into a contract".

At the same time, He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, together with Gui Liang, the minister of the Qin Mission, used the pretext of discussing the detailed rules of trade in Jiangsu to stabilize the envoys and soldiers of the British, Foshan, Mi, and Russian states. The monk Lingqin hurriedly built the fort destroyed by Xiyi, and dispatched troops to arrange the blockade.

In the words of He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, "If there is still something that is not allowed to go, it must be suppressed." At this time, it is still advisable to remain quiet, so that there is no doubt, and I will first prepare the water and land of Tianjin Haikou, and then the ministers will try their best to plan, help the army with salaries, and gather and annihilate them when the contract is renewed in the coming year."

As the governor of Liangjiang, he He Guiqing has not only dealt with foreigners, but also seen the power of foreigners, Han Xiufeng can see that his original intention is to remind the emperor euphemistically that if he wants to change the peace agreement, he must first be armed. But the emperor obviously didn't see this meaning, and actually criticized Zhu on the fold, "Look at it with Prince Hui equally, this fold is quite related, and I will carefully discuss it." Yesterday, Prince Hui played a method, which is feasible, but if I think about it late, there will be changes, so why not use the hair system first."

Monk Greenqin's request to the emperor was fully approved, and he planned to rebuild five forts on the original site of the fort demolished by foreigners, and build a stone crack fort about a mile north of the fort. At the same time, it was planned to build a connected barracks wall and barracks in front of and behind the forts, and dig trenches to prevent foreigners from landing and outflanking.

Due to the loss of artillery in Dagukou and other places, it was planned to cast 12,000 catties, 10,000 catties, 8,000 catties of copper and iron cannons in Tongzhou and other places, and mobilize copper and iron cannons from all over the Beijing division to transport them to Tianjin Haikou.

The military system at Dagukou should also be changed, and the Dagu Association originally only had two battalions on the left and right, with a total of 1,600 soldiers, but now it will be expanded to six battalions, and the garrison must not be less than 3,000 soldiers, and in addition, troops must be transferred from Beijing, Mongolia, and Guanwai.

The emperor not only approved it, but even ordered the establishment of a grain station in Shuntian Tongzhou to specifically handle the salary of the Monk Lingqin military camp. And the household Sushun is not idle, because the Beijing division and Tianjin need to handle the blockage prevention needs to be more complicated, please all Sichuan, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, should be relieved of the Beijing salary. Wang Qingyun, Chong'en, Hengfu, Yinggui, Yingdi, Zeng Wangyan, etc., each allocated a number of silver according to the department, supervised the division of the domain, quickly raised funds, sent a proper commissioner, and successively released Beijing without delay!

In short, there is going to be a war, not only to attack Guangzhou, but also to "gather and annihilate" the foreigners who will come to exchange contracts next year!

Han Xiufeng didn't care about why the emperor summoned him, and he didn't care about why Su Shun asked him to see this, he only knew that it was easy to start a war and difficult to deal with the aftermath, even if he could win this battle by luck in the coming year, it would definitely attract more fierce revenge from foreigners.

The more Han Xiufeng thought about it, the more frightened he became, and muttered: "The major affairs of the soldier country, if you are not sure of victory, how can you say that you will start fighting?" ”

Datou was stunned, and couldn't help but turn around and ask: "Fourth brother, are you talking about Dagukou?" ”

"Hmm." Han Xiufeng said perfunctorily absentmindedly.

To his surprise, the big head wiped his mouth, stood up and said confidently: "Fourth brother, we won't lose the battle in Dagukou." There are only two battalions of soldiers guarding the fort, but how many foreigners come? If they hadn't been outnumbered, they would have taken advantage of this! ”

"Really?"

"Prince Zheng, that's what they all said." The big head thought about it and said: "Besides, the foreigners are not fighting this battle, the court didn't plan to fight them, Lord Guiliang talked to them well, and they didn't start fighting, so we are too particular about suffering this time, I didn't expect the foreigners to be so unreasonable." ”

"Yes, you're right......"

Han Xiufeng sighed secretly, got up and walked to the door to look up at the night sky, thinking that the battle of Dagukou was lost, but both the emperor and the civil and military officials were unwilling to lose, and they all wanted to fight a big victory to wash away the humiliation. It's just that they only know that they lost, but they don't see with their own eyes how they lost, let alone think about whether they will lose again if they fight again.