The Queen Mother went on patrol, no matter how much she "dismissed the Luanyi story", no matter how she saved, no matter how low-key, it was not a backpacker traveling poorly, and she had to make careful and careful planning in advance. Where to set up the palace, how to arrange the guards, what to prepare for the worship, and how to arrange the schedule must all be determined in advance. And these matters, once determined, are hardly changeable.

For example, if the Queen Mother is walking, and suddenly on a whim, she thinks of some famous mountain and ancient temple nearby to pay homage to the Buddha and enter the incense, then, in a hurry, how to prepare the meal? On and off the mountain, inside and outside the temple, without detailed investigation in advance, how to set up the guard? The Queen Mother worships the Buddha, but it is no more than ordinary pilgrims, and there are hundreds of them, how to prepare their sedan chair meals?

In the rush and chaos, it is most likely to go wrong; Even if there is no big basket, it is difficult to be satisfactory all the way to the furnishings. Even if the Sacred Heart were to understand, those below would complain. "Running a grain table" for the Queen Mother has become the most thankless errand.

To make matters worse, the rest of the trip was disrupted.

Originally, Shen Zheng was supposed to rush to the palace where he was stationed at the second moment, but because of the delay on the mountain, it became the first moment to arrive. So, in the end, is it "the belly from the public", everyone is in a hurry with a hungry stomach in the dark? Or camp on the spot? If you camp on the spot, don't go to the village in front of you, don't go to the store in the back, and the team doesn't carry any baggage, is it asking the Queen Mother to hold the kettle and eat dry food? Or do you ask the Queen Mother and Guan Belle to roll out of the marching bed?

Cixi generally knew about this situation, and she asked this question. Between the words, it is tactfully expressed. Actually, it's not "complaining". Rather, it is "considerate".

But. Guan Zhuofan's answer was not a false consolation.

First, there was no change of course, no increase in offerings, i.e., no additional trouble; Second, the team is an all-cavalry stream, and the speed of travel is quite flexible. That is to say, the previously arranged itinerary has a certain "redundancy". The horse was just walking slowly, picking up slightly. It's a very easy thing to do. The "sharp station" for lunch arrived about two quarters of an hour later than originally planned; The palace where I stayed at night was still sure to arrive on time.

Therefore, Guan Beile has enough confidence to "lie in bed" endlessly with the Queen Mother.

Without further ado, the book gets back to business.

There is a white fold on the top of the kang table - before, when Guan Zhuofan came out to pick up the royal sister's clothes, he picked up the fold and put it away.

Guan Zhuofan rotated the knob on the base of the kerosene lamp, lengthened the cotton core that had been burned short, and the light of the kerosene lamp was lit up again.

Cixi sat on the edge of the kang. Picked up the fold and pointed to the other side of the kang. said, "You can sit down too." ”

Guan Zhuofan shook his head with a smile and said, "This minister can't be edicted. Now it's not in bed...... Well, now it's time to discuss government affairs, and the monarch and the minister are separated, so we must be clear. ”

The royal sister glanced at him gently, and her eyes were sparkling. Then she smiled and said, "Whatever you want—then you can sit in your chair." ”

"Yes, Empress Dowager Xie will sit down."

Cixi began to scrutinize the excerpts.

The excerpt was sent by Zuo Zongtang, the minister of military affairs in Shaanxi and Gansu and the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu.

Zuo Zongtang opened with a clear meaning: "If you want to appease the west, you must first clear the hinterland." When entering Gansu, the thieves of Shaanxi must be cleared first; The garrison in Lanzhou must first clear out the thieves from all walks of life. Today, the thief atmosphere in Shaanxi Province is cleansed, there is no trouble in the middle of the road, the guest army has no worries, and the division is unhindered, so it has to be single-mindedly attacked. In this way, the recovered land will not be disturbed by thieves again, and when it enters the war, it will reap the aftermath in advance, and there will be no risk of containment! The people's will is determined, and the army is always surplus. Although it seems to be delayed in advance, it is appropriate to look at it in hindsight. ”

This passage is very interesting. Although he was not named, he said that "the thief atmosphere in Shaanxi Province has been cleansed", and he admitted that he benefited greatly, but in fact, he praised Guan Zhuofan in a down-to-earth manner. It is not easy to talk like this with the eyes of the "left mule" above the top. However, this is not the point, the point is to use this to lead to Zuo Zongtang's own strategy of suppression: advance step by step, fight steadily, solve it once, and not repeat.

Cixi saw Zuo Zongtang's meaning, but she couldn't judge whether Zuo Zongtang's strategy was correct or not. After all, Guan Zhuofan's decision in Shaanxi between the months and months, and the speed of success impressed the queen mother of the two palaces too deeply.

Regarding Cixi's question, Guan Zhuofan replied in a very positive tone: "Back to the Queen Mother, Zuo Zongtang's plan is very appropriate. The situation in Gansu is not quite the same as that in Shaanxi. Before the ministers entered Shaanxi, the Hui rebellion in Shaanxi, the east was fierce in the area of Tongzhou and Chaoyi, and the west was fierce in the area of Fengxiang. At the time of Dolong Adushaan, the officers and troops had the upper hand for a time. ”

"The Hui bandits in Gansu, because Shaanxi is not peaceful, the court whip is out of reach, and the chiefs have to operate calmly and wreak havoc. The place where the imperial court can control zhì is nothing more than an isolated island in the ocean. Therefore, Gansu is back in turmoil, and the situation is sinister, in fact, it is too Shaanxi. ”

Guan Zhuofan said this, which is equivalent to thinking that Shaanxi is easier to fight than Gansu. Cixi looked at the lover with warm eyes and talked eloquently, and said in her heart: This man is really open-minded and beautiful!

"Also, the rebellion in Shaanxi and the back of the enemy can be regarded as a surprise to the bandits. Now that the Hui bandits in Gansu are on full alert, it is not easy for Zuo Zongtang to carry out this plan again. ”

Guan Zhuofan continued: "When Zuo Zongtang was in Beijing, the ministers and he repeatedly discussed and believed that the affairs of the northwest, after the Qin and Han dynasties, often 'could not be blown by wildfire, and the spring breeze blew and reborn'. This time we should learn from the past, do not be greedy for merit, do not rush forward, do not make the mistakes of the previous dynasty, cut the grass and eradicate the roots during the service period, and do it once and for all. Therefore, the military in the northwest should not make a quick decision, but should set up a steady pace, fight steadily, advance step by step, and set the foundation for a hundred generations with a few years of work. ”

With a few years of work, set the foundation of a hundred generations!

Hearing this sentence, the royal sister's eyes were blazing.

Guan Zhuofan said: "'Although it seems to be delayed in advance, it is appropriate to look at it in hindsight', Zuo Zongtang's sentence is really incisive, and it is really the words of the old man to seek the country. Now a large group of Gan bandits have been forced into Dong Zhiyuan, and our army is just gathering to annihilate them. The minister thought that this was the effect of Zuo Zongtang's step-by-step operation. Please wait patiently, the minister dares to pack the ticket, it won't be long before there will be news of a big victory. This battle was won, and the door of Gansu was completely opened. ”

Cixi smiled and said, "It seems that you were really entrusted with the 'Left Mule' in the first place." ”

"The queen mother's award, the ministers are afraid."

"Okay, don't be so polite to me. Well, this 'Dong Zhiyuan', is such a place? ”

Guan Zhuofan said: "Back to the Queen Mother, this is a large plain in Qingyang Mansion, known as 'the first loess plain in the world'. However, before talking about Dong Zhiyuan in detail, Rong Chen first explained the situation of the rebellion in Gansu for the Queen Mother. ”

*(To be continued......)