I heard that Li Guolou's squadron was going to compete in the afternoon, and Yao Cuo and others said that after lunch, they would go to watch it together. The competition, which was originally a joke, became grand because there were so many chiefs to watch. Li Guolou was not in the mood to eat, so he took a step forward to arrange it first.

On the way, Ai Hai said with a bitter face: "Deputy Li, the people of my team, you know in your heart that they are all people who are not wanted by other teams, many of them are short-sighted, and there is no chance of winning in the shooting. ”

Li Guolou refuted: "Ai Bald, don't embarrass yourself, I have done my best to put you on the throne, if you don't fight anymore, I have nothing to say, what am I going to do, I can only eat meat if I rise up with the skills in my hands." Got it? ”

Ai Hai said angrily: "Understood! Xiao Lizi, you are popular now, you can't look down on me as a bald man, and you want to dump me, don't you? No way! ”

Li Guolou said: "That's right, go and prepare, you are old people, you can't say anything if you lose to a newcomer, you can wear glasses to compete if your eyes are not good, this is not ashamed, you see how flattering Song Shixiong is wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and everyone loves pistachios." After saying that, Li Guolou blinked obscenely, which meant that Honggu was Ai Hai's pistachio.

Ai Hai was angry, aroused his ambition, and said hurriedly: "Little Lizi, you go slowly, give me ten minutes, I will go to train those eight kings first, if they lose, I don't want them." After saying that, Ai Hai held down the "watermelon hat" and ran down the street, with an amazing speed, and soon disappeared around the corner.

Li Guolou looked at Ai Hai's back, and praised Ai Hai's flexible body, exercise is good, people's physical fitness has changed a lot, and his subordinates will not embarrass him. Bao Tong spent blood on him, he only had to die with all his might, and the one who was a confidant died.

It was freezing cold, and the ice and snow on the martial arts training ground had already been shoveled clean, and four snowmen were piled up in the four corners. The two teams under Li Guolou were running around the martial arts training ground in a clear manner, they were not running fast, and they were still warming up. The old man and newcomer were running with their hair braided and only wearing thin ties, and Li Guolou was running last even though his body was just right.

When the warm-up ran for 800 meters, Yao Cuo came with people, Li Guolou was taken aback when he saw it, and Bao Yitong and Wu Defu also came with a group of officials from the Criminal Department.

Li Guolou yelled: "Keep running for me, don't stop without an order." ”

There are only "one, two, one, two, three, four······ in the venue" Rhythmic shouting.

Li Guolou trotted to the front of the review stand, stopped and stood up for a military salute, and said solemnly: "Report to the chief, the personnel of Team C are neat, please review it." Although he was dressed thinly, Li Guolou remained unmoved, with his eyes and nose and heart, and he had a military demeanor.

Bao on the review table looked at Li Guolou approvingly and said, "Well, that's good! If the official suddenly attacks, you can also lead by example, and the criminal department should have fresh blood injected to rejuvenate it. You say, don't you? ”

There was immediately a burst of flattery on the side, Wu Defu said smoothly, and gave Li Guolou a thumbs up, he believed that Li Guolou would not fool people, and a surprise attack would not disgrace him. As it turned out, Team C was all working out on the muddy field.

Li Guolou was a little annoyed in his heart Wu Defu gave him this hand, which caught him off guard, and wanted to change the project of today's competition, and show the chief that in addition to the process to be seen, there must also be a wonderful project, otherwise how can he leave a good impression in the heart of the chief.

The review stand is an open high platform in front, there is a canopy on it, the seats are ready-made benches, and the chiefs sit down without scruples, everyone is their own people, and they are not in public, an internal drill, many problems can be seen, otherwise the chief will not come in vain.

Thirty men lined up in three rows in front of the review stand, Li Guolou stood in the front, and began to play boxing exercises, the movements were fierce and there was no return, punching and kicking, every punch and kick was strong and powerful, and the mouths of the thirty people let out a unified cry.

Wu Defu of the review platform said: "Master Bao, this boxing exercise has been modified by Li Guolou, he removed the fancy frame in the boxing exercise, every move is a killer move, and the move is fatal." Now Team C is definitely at the top of the Criminal Department, and it can be pulled out to fight. ”

A stout bearded official was not convinced, and Wu Kefan pulled up his sleeves and said: "Lord Bao, why don't I go down and see if they are embroidered with fists." ”

At first glance, this person was born in the army, and he looked very arrogant, and he didn't take such an unknown person in the audience in his eyes, and the bearded official was also promoted by a knife and a gun back then.

Of course, Bao Tong knew the virtues of his subordinates, and waved his hand and said, "Old Wu, forget it." It's already old arms and legs, and if you don't know the rules, don't you ruin your life? ”

A burst of laughter broke out on the stage, and when the commander inspected the drill, there were often military attachés who came down to make a show, which was extremely violent, and could defeat several warriors who practiced the drill. It turned out that a military attache fought three at a time, all of which were fake, and if he did his homework in advance, the military attache would win and lose in the next competition.

The bearded official Wu Kefan laughed and said, "Next time I must get off the field, I haven't moved my muscles and bones for a long time." ”

Everyone continued to watch the drills on the dirt floor, although it was only a performance drill, but they also knew the way after watching more. The spirit of people cannot be faked, the actions are standardized and uniform, not afraid of dirty and tired, and the indomitable ruthlessness is worthy of praise. Officials still praise a lot, and there are also criticisms, which is to tell the truth, and know where to correct it after seeing that it is not enough.

The praise of Li Guolou is the affirmation of Yao Cuo and Wu Defu. The two men were fluttering and complacent, as if they had drunk.

In the dirt field under the stage, thirty men have been beaten in the mud, and they started to put on a show in pairs, this can't really fight, a move to defeat the enemy is a move to hurt people's muscles and bones, how can you really practice in peacetime. One fights one, one fights two, and there are group fights, which is dazzling to watch.

Li Guolou showed his face, fought three at a time, won a duel in danger.

There was a cheer from the review stand, giving Li Guolou enough face. The officials on the stage all know that Li Guolou is being pampered now, and everyone carries the sedan chair, and they will not suffer a loss if they hold it a few times.

The team regrouped and saluted the stands, and thirty people trotted out of the training ground to prepare for the next performance.

The officers stepped down from the review stand, and the next step was a real combat drill and a shooting performance.

Yao Cuo said as he walked: "We now change the original way of training and learn the three-stage shooting of Westerners, so as to maximize the effectiveness of the musket." As long as the commander does not retreat, the soldier cannot take a step back, the charge is a wave charge, and the retreat is also alternate cover. Only by turning actual combat into drills can our team become a team of steel. ”

Bao Tong said: "There are a lot of ills now, you must work hard to change the status quo, don't use the rules of the ancestors to prevaricate, the muzzles of others are already facing us." What are we going to do? Sticking to the rules, or lying on the salary and tasting the guts, are all in the thoughts of the kings. There are no foreign guns and cannons in our ancestors, and now is a great time for us, the civil war is about to end, and the rectification of the government must start from within us. ”

The answer is also the same guarantee, the motivation is to take more silver, every official is complaining, their department is not in place of money. There will be new ideas, and everyone is tacitly waiting for the good days to come. Why is Lord Bao so active, it's not a silver in vain. If you turn your face with other departments, you can only get the benefits of Jingshi if you are tough. The Criminal Department and the Zongren Mansion are facing each other, and the matter of the Household Department has not yet made a final decision, so we still have to see where the holy will is?

Now is the time when the Criminal Department is most united, everyone sees hope, there is no need to fight the autumn breeze during the New Year, and they can sit at home and sing by themselves. In the New Year, you can get a share of the benefits, everyone is holding the moon around the bag, is it the blue sky? No! It is the God of Wealth who is alive.

The benefit fee is exploited layer by layer, as a chief, everyone can get benefits, of course, depending on the level, there is a big head, and there is also a shortage of fat and thin in the criminal department. However, this year's Chinese New Year is much better than last year, there is no need to donate money to the treasury, and there is a reward for silver, which has not happened for many years, so all the officials have no complaints even if the northwest wind blows, and follow around Bao Tong in high spirits.

Bao Tong and the others came to the shooting range, and Li Guolou and the others had already changed their clothes and were waiting for them with a new musket.

The commanders raised their binoculars to watch the shooting performance, and Li Guolou shouted the command to shoot. "Ping Pong" burst into gunfire, the shooting range was filled with smoke, and the choking smell of gunpowder filled the air.

Shooting costs money, and every time you shoot a shot, you shoot out the money, so training is a waste of money. Now the Criminal Department has some money to spare, so it can train the troops, but if it has no money to train the troops, even the muskets are rusty, so they can only shout slogans. As soon as the shots rang out, the officers who were standing became agitated, and they hadn't heard the shots for a long time.

There were several elderly officials with tears already flowing from their eyes. Excitedly said, "Okay, good! The Qing Empire finally has money, and with the best muskets, the days of foreign devils running rampant and domineering are over, and one day the Qing Empire will be able to take back the concession. ”

After receiving the praise, Li Guolou said: "Lord Bao, foreign devils are not fools, they sold us the latest muskets, but the new cannons will not sell." We are now walking with one foot crossed, and we still have a long way to go to change the ending. ”

Bao Tong said: "Team Li, then what do you say is the best?" ”

Li Guolou glanced at the surrounding chiefs, bowed his head and knelt on one leg, and said: "Forgive me for being reckless, the Beijing division is too close to Tianjin, even if countless forts are built along the way, foreign devils can still make a detour." I suggest that the capital be moved, so that there will be no more incidents where the Eight-Nation Coalition will directly enter the heart of the Qing Empire, and Emperor Xianfeng's escape to Rehe will not happen again. Without the right to control the sea, the Beijing division has no danger to defend, and building a fort is a waste of silver, and there is no point in it. ”

Bao Tong pointed in the direction of the palace and sighed: "The palace of the Jingshi is too luxurious, the queen mother is reluctant to leave here, and it is useless for us to persuade her." There is no room for negotiation on the matter of moving the capital. We still do a good job of public order in Beijing, and civil strife does not occur around us. We can't interfere in foreign affairs. After saying that, Bao Tong sighed, he was the official who suggested moving the capital, but the Empress Dowager Cixi did not agree, and the proposal to move the capital ended in failure.

Thinking of the scene of the invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance, Li Guolou, like everyone, had tears in his eyes, choked up and sobbed and cried bitterly, humiliation is a pain that cannot be erased. Everyone is ashamed of the national shame, but the royal nobles such as the Aixinjue Luo clan and the Yehenara clan are unwilling to lie down and taste the courage, and they have to live the luxurious life of the emperor, and are willing to live under the strong guns of foreigners, and completely expose their weaknesses to foreigners with ill intentions. Was the Qing Empire saved? It's a topic that can't be said.