Ding Richang got 500,000 yuan, turned back to the General Soldier's Mansion in a hurry, and before he entered the lobby, he heard Li Hongzhang's broken gong voice singing about the empty city plan.

"I was watching the mountain scenery from the castle tower, and my ears were full of people. The banner waved the flip, but it turned out to be a soldier sent by Sima.

I also sent someone to inquire, and I found that Sima you were leading your troops to the west. One is that Ma Tan has no strategy and few talents, and the other is that the generals will lose the street pavilion if they don't get along.

You have won three cities in a row, and you are insatiable, and you have taken my west city again. I, Zhuge waited, in the enemy building, waiting for Sima you to come here, let's talk, talk, talk about our hearts

Li Hongzhang sang very ugly, which made people get goosebumps.

But this is a rare thing to hear, Li Henian and Wen Yu are clapping their hands next to them, beating for Li Hongzhang. Ding Richang knew that there was a great thing, so he rushed into the lobby, waited until Li Hongzhang finished singing, and asked with a smile: "Master Fu, why are you so happy?" ”

Li Hongzhang laughed loudly, and the whole room was laughing, which made the beams tremble.

"Li Guolou opened the flag victoriously and sank the Japanese Fusang." Fan Shirun waved the folding fan, clearly the first hero, and everything was in his planning.

"Oh! I see. Ding Richang took a telegram and laughed wildly, God helped the Qing Dynasty, and let the Great Qingshui Division win the victory.

Fan Xianrun sighed: "Ding Futai, don't be too happy, although our northern and southern naval divisions won a great victory, but also suffered huge losses, the battleship Yangwei was sunk by the enemy, and five battleships were also lost. Li Guolou led the sailors and hid in Magong Port to rest. ”

"Ahh Li Guolou ran to Magong Port, how could this be, didn't he say that he landed at Keelung Port, Liu Mingdeng had already moved to Keelung Port, this is not a joke. Ding Richang was shocked and ran to look at the military map in shock.

Li Hongzhang looked at Ding Richang, as steady as Mount Tai, and said: "Ding Futai, since Li Guolou is the commander-in-chief of Taiwan, he cannot tie his hands and feet, and he can land wherever he wants." Although Magong Port is a little smaller, it is also a deep-water wharf, and our army's sailors will be fine. ”

Ding Richang was scolding his mother in his stomach, slandering the eighteenth generation of the Li family's ancestors, treating him as an outsider, and hiding such a major military deployment from him. Just because he likes to say a few words in foreign languages, Li Hongzhang and Li Guolou don't give him face, saying that he is also the highest military governor in Fujian.

Ding Richang saw that the telegram said that the naval division needed 2,000 armor-piercing shells, and he couldn't help but feel a pain in his flesh. Li Guolou fought a war, which was to smash silver, and the 500,000 silver dollars he had just taken back were going to be spent again. blurted out: "Master Fu Xiang, you can't hide anything from me, you must know that if I pick a pick, no one will pull me back." ”

Li Hongzhang smiled and said: "Little ghost Ding, it's not that I want to hide it from you, even I don't know Li Guolou's tactical deployment. If I knew that Li Guolou relied on the divination of the White Snake Langjun and went to Diaoyu Island to intercept the Japanese fleet, do you think I would make him the commander-in-chief of the sailors? ”

Li Hongzhang is cunning and cunning, and there is no flaw in his expression, as if every sentence comes from the bottom of his heart. Ding Richang is good at intrigue and is a tumbler in officialdom, but he is a cut worse than Li Hongzhang, and he was deceived by Li Hongzhang, so he vented his anger on another person.

Ding Richang gritted his teeth and said: "If the stinky boy dares to lie to me, I will borrow money and not pay it back, and the debt of five million silver dollars will be delayed for twenty years, and let the turtle grandson pay it back." ”

There was a lot of laughter in the lobby, and the great victory of the Great Shimizu Division made everyone happy, as long as Li Guolou won the victory and expelled the Japanese troops from the island of Taiwan, the cause of inviting the bank to a higher level. On the contrary, if Li Guolou is defeated, the bank will be in danger of bankruptcy if he is invited in.

The loan of 5 million silver dollars is guaranteed by the government, so how can there be any reason to borrow money and not repay it? Ding Richang's words were reversed, he was scolding Li Guolou on his lips, and he was praising Li Guolou in his heart, or he was wise and discerning, and gave power to Li Guolou, otherwise how could there be a joint operation between the north and south naval divisions. As for the burden of logistical supply, only he can bear it. There is a war in the front, money is burned in the rear, the national strength of the Qing Dynasty is thriving, 2,000 armor-piercing bullets, Xiao Kaisi!

Li Hongzhang is a strategist, he does not need to directly command the army, and after completing the strategic deployment in Fujian, he is about to leave for Beijing, and there are more arduous tasks waiting for him. Negotiating with foreign powers, combining horizontally and vertically, and attacking from afar and closely, depended on his diplomatic skills and rich talents. Li Hongzhang, who is good at dancing with long sleeves, is immersed in excitement. The first joint operation of the Great Qingshui Division and the victory of the Diaoyu Island Naval Battle, the first meritorious man, of course, was him, the first assistant of the Qing Dynasty.

"I'm going to have a treat tonight and set up thirty tables for a hot pot feast. First, for the sake of my great clear water division's victory, I will rejoice with all the generals. Second, I want to return to Beijing, and I hope that after I leave, you will be able to sincerely unite and let the war in Taiwan end in the clarion call of victory. In the future, you will all be the ministers of Zhongxing in the Qing Dynasty, and you will surely go down in history. Li Hongzhang has a clear distinction between public and private, and he speaks quite horizontally in a few words. Let the subordinates here effectively realize the death.

Ding Richang shouted: "In Fujian, you have to eat seafood, not brush mutton." Master Fu Xiang wants to follow the customs. ”

Li Hongzhang laughed, didn't have time to pay attention to what he ate at the dinner? He went to send a telegram to Prince Gong, asking his lover to know the outcome of the naval battle on Diaoyu Island. He still needs to verify the exploits reported by other people, Li Guolou will not talk nonsense, and Li Hongzhang is relieved to boldly add icing on the cake and make a big deal about the telegram

The General Army's Mansion was decorated with lanterns and a banquet, and Li Hongzhang paid for a treat and enjoyed with the generals.

Li Henian, Ding Richang, and Wen Yu, after the three of them discussed, invited all the big donors in Xiamen into the General Military Mansion. This is not thirty seats, the flowing water seats are placed from the inner house to the gate of the General Soldier's Mansion. There are at least hundreds of tables, and the spectacular pomp and circumstance will never be forgotten.

That night, firecrackers were set off outside the gate of the General Army's Mansion, and notices of the great victory of the Great Qingshui Division were posted on the main roads along the way. The officials sounded gongs on the streets and announced the news of the naval battle of the Diaoyu Islands to the people of Xiamen, and Xiamen was immersed in a joyful and festive atmosphere, with every household burning incense and praying, and a portrait of Zhao Zilong was hung on the altar.

Xiamen was the first place to announce the news of the victory of the Great Qingshui Army, and the merchants who were able to pass on the good news of the victory to their relatives and friends through the telegram of the Post and Telecommunications Bureau.

The next day, news of the naval battle over the Diaoyu Islands spread throughout the motherland, and various forms of celebrations were held in various places. Thousands of students from the Jingshi Gongyuan carried the statue of Guan Gong and held a victory parade. After that, the other colleges heard the wind and moved, and the mighty team met victoriously on Chang'an Avenue. Chang'an Avenue welcomed tens of thousands of students, young students generously spoke, sang patriotic songs, expressed patriotic enthusiasm, formed a phalanx, wave after wave of cheers, fanatically chanting "long live".

The organizer of the parade, Fan Dahui, took the lead in singing:

"The earth of the morning, the great empire of Yadong, let us sing your praises together.

In the clouds of your sky, in the mountains and seas, we see everywhere the dazzling light of free radiation.

The sacred country, the cradle of heroes, where the invaders do not want to climb ashore.

The flag of the Yellow Dragon will always fly, and the beautiful country, brilliant, will be happy in your arms.

Once the motherland is violated, we will rush to the battlefield, fight for the country, and drive the aggressors out! Drive the aggressor out

"Drive the invaders out! Drive the aggressor out

"The lyrics are catchy, *square, sung in unison.

The teahouse is full of people, and the storyteller has made up the highlights of the naval battle of the Diaoyu Islands. The vendors carried the good news of the sailor's victory and sold cheap food. The Japanese goods store was closed, and there was not a single Oriental in the entire Kyoto Division. The firecracker shop was sold out, the restaurants were all full, and the entrance of the Li Guolou family's property was full of lion dance teams.

* The square below is the square where the emperor inspected the expedition procession, which witnessed the enthusiasm of the children of the Eight Banners, and the generations of Eight Banners soldiers set off from here to embark on the road of marching for the country. In the past 40 years, the soldiers of the Eight Banners set out from here, but they returned with a feather, only a majestic departure ceremony, but no triumphant ceremony with complete merits.

* The previous triumphal ceremony was brought by the Han ministers for the Qing Emperor, and there was no part of the elite soldiers of the Eight Banners. The last time was when Li Hongzhang eliminated the East Twist, and the 40,000 Huai army brought the head of the bandit leader Lai Wenguang.

Today, Li Hongzhang and Li Guolou, a double master, create brilliance again, and bring joy and joy to the * square. The entire Jingshi was celebrating the victory of the Great Qingshui Division, and the Tongzhi Emperor couldn't bear it and wanted to celebrate with the people.

Emperor Tongzhi brought the Empress Alut, Concubine Hui, Fucha, Yu Concubine, and Concubine Xun, surrounded by many eunuchs and palace maids, to climb the city tower and enjoy the spectacular scene of Chang'an Street. Emperor Tongzhi's harem seems to be pitifully small, with only three concubines with tablets.

These four women represent the noble royal family, let the people watch, establish the status of the mother of the country, and can replace the status of the queen mother of the two palaces in the future. At this time, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the four mothers of the country are graceful and generous. The queen Arut is triumphant, the day has come to turn over and be the master, you don't need to look at the face of the Empress Dowager Cixi, she is the mother of the Qing Dynasty, and the two empress dowagers have become a figure of the past. Although it was a victory brought by Li Guolou, the queen Arut never looked at Li Guolou with a straight eye, Li Guolou was the face of the queen mother of the two palaces, and the queen Alut hated Li Guolou to the core, and one day, she wanted Li Guolou to be martyred for the queen mother of the two palaces.

The Tongzhi Emperor's wings are not yet full, but he already has the bearing of a Ming monarch, and he wants to prove to the world that the Qing Dynasty has risen and can be on an equal footing with the Western powers in the new era. Emperor Tongzhi has been the emperor for more than ten years, and has been living under the wings of the queen mother of the two palaces. The news of Taiwan's victory in the naval battle kept him awake all night, and it was he who had the insight to promote Li Guolou. The slave is angry, and the master is happy. Emperor Tongzhi watched the grand scene on Chang'an Avenue with great interest, the scene of the students cheering, a generation of heroes standing proudly on the * city tower, the great cause of reviving the Qing Dynasty was completed in his hands, and he could finally comfort the heroic souls of his ancestors.

Emperor Tongzhi was ambitious, looking at the sea of people, twisting a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, and pretending to be righteous and said: "Well, this is my people of the Qing Dynasty, this is the Great Wall of steel of my Qing Dynasty, and today the people of the Qing Dynasty can finally raise their eyebrows." ”

Queen Arut said gracefully: "Yes! This is all the emperor, you have a good plan and a proper use of people. Li Hongzhang's old ministers seek the country, Li Guolou is resourceful, and they are all ministers of Zhongxing, and the Taiwan campaign will surely be reported frequently. ”

Although the Empress Arut clan will be petty, in the face of major rights and wrongs, she will also welcome the emperor of the contract, and before she establishes authority, she will also say a few good words for Li Guolou.

Emperor Tongzhi listened to it well, and said: "Tonight, the whole world celebrates, the imperial garden sets up wine, let the prince, Beizi, and Baylor come, first set up a family banquet, wait until the day of victory, and then celebrate with the courtiers." ”

Emperor Tongzhi knew very well that the Taiwan campaign had just begun, and the Japanese minister Fukushima Yasuken was still tough and did not go to Prime Minister Yamen to ask for diplomatic negotiations. Before it was time to celebrate the victory, the family could only set a few tables of wine.

"Zha! The minion will do it. The great eunuch Liu Deyin bowed down with a smile and went to prepare a banquet, there are hundreds of royal relatives, and the number of people at a family banquet must be at least more than 30 tables, and the imperial dining room will be very busy. However, since the master is happy, the slave must be dutiful.

After the Tongzhi Emperor watched the ceremony, he sat on the royal chariot and came to the military plane, and the state affairs were important, and he did not dare to slack off.

The Qing Dynasty was full of smoke and waves, and wave after wave of peasant uprisings made the land fall and became a sweet spot in the eyes of the Western powers.

Xinjiang only has one-third of its territory left, and it relies on the loyal and brave Xinjiang commander Jing Lian to hold half of the southern Xinjiang. At this time, the Tongzhi Emperor had not yet seen the hope of recovering Xinjiang, and before the Great Northwest was pacified, the battle to recover Xinjiang could only be talked about on paper, and the greatest dream of the Tongzhi Emperor was to recover Xinjiang.

Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, was still fighting with Ma Zhanao's Hui army near Suzhou, and the main force of the Qing Dynasty had not yet crossed the Yellow River to attack Xining, the base of the Hui army.

Liu Jintang commanded the main force of 40,000 Qing troops, and used the strategy of attacking by water, digging the embankment of the Yellow River, flooding Jinji Fort, and causing hundreds of thousands of people to suffer. Ma Hualong, Ma Yaobang and his son are still fighting as trapped beasts in Jinji Fort, and they have not yet handed over the table.

Emperor Tongzhi could only turn a blind eye, pretending not to know where the flooding of the Yellow River came from, and regarded the bursting of the Yellow River as a spring peach blossom flood.

Now, the Japanese took advantage of the civil strife in the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese army invaded Taiwan in the name of the colonial reclamation group. He is no longer in the mood to have fun, and he wants to be a good gentleman, and he is also a Qingping.

Emperor Tongzhi sat on the couch and read the war reports in various places to understand the progress of the war in various places. Wars cost a lot of money, and more than half of the year's fiscal revenue is spent on wars. As a military department, it will spend more than 20 million yuan a year. If there are deficiencies, the government also needs to borrow money from the banks that invite them in. In the current naval battle against Taiwan, Fujian borrowed 5 million yuan from the bank that invited it to come in with the guarantee of customs tariffs.

What a remarkable thing it is for a private bank to bear the burden of a country. Emperor Tongzhi wanted to nationalize the invited banks and assume the responsibility of the trust of the Qing people. But there are still concerns and fear of a run. In case the country goes bankrupt, wouldn't it be a big laughing stock, and let Li Guolou work hard and continue to raise funds for the Qing Dynasty.

Emperor Tongzhi wanted to be a generation of heroes who opened up territory, but when he looked at the financial expenditure statement, he wanted to stop and be a peaceful and hedonistic emperor.

Emperor Tongzhi looked at Wen Mu and said to himself from the bottom of his heart: "Li Guolou pacified Taiwan, you can enjoy the three-eyed flowers, and it is not an exaggeration to seal a shellfish." ”

Prince Yixun, the first assistant of the military aircraft, and the minister of the military aircraft, Prince Yixun, Shen Guifang, Li Hongzao, and Weng Tongrong sat on the Taishi chair. Originally, they all looked serious, and when they heard Emperor Tongzhi speak, they couldn't help but be stunned, and they all kept silent, as if they hadn't heard Emperor Tongzhi's question.

Emperor Tongzhi saw that no one responded, so he immediately took a step back and said loudly: "Everyone Aiqing, reward Li Guolou's three dazzling feathers, is it okay?" ”

"Good! The emperor is the king of the Holy Wisdom. The five ministers of military aircraft spoke in unison.

Li Guolou was originally a double-eyed flower feather, and adding a flower feather is the status of a prince and a heavy minister, which is completely in line with Li Guolou's military exploits.