Gong Ning, Governor's Palace.

The outside of the Governor's Mansion was heavily guarded, and even several nearby street entrances were three steps, one post, five steps and one sentry, and Chu Hongzhi, the chief of the Gongning Police Station, who was ordered to go to the Governor's Mansion to meet and listen to the truth, was stopped by the guards with loaded guns.

Although he showed his identity, and explained that it was because of an official meeting, the officers and soldiers of the guard still did not let him go, and the other party who saw it was quite unreasonable, Chu Hongzhi had the intention to make a big deal about it, and directly led people to break in, and the officers and soldiers of the guard were not vegetarians, and more than a dozen spears were directly aimed at the group, and the sound of bullets being loaded one after another made the atmosphere extremely tense.

Chu Hongzhi, who was in his early fifties, was originally from the army, but he was not afraid at all in the face of more than a dozen black hole guns, he was sure that the other party would not dare to shoot, and immediately pretended to be annoyed, took out a pistol and fired two shots into the sky.

As soon as the director fired his gun, the policemen accompanying him, even though they were terrified of their lives, also mustered up the courage to take out their guns and aim them at the officers and soldiers, and a tense situation suddenly formed.

The dull sound of gunfire caused a huge response, not only the officers and soldiers in charge of the vigilance around rushed over, but Qin Youliang, who was hiding on the side, also rushed over with a team of armed police officers and soldiers.

Seeing that the situation was expanding, the officers and men in charge of the guard still did not have the slightest intention of letting them go, but were ready to fight, and even set up their machine guns.

Listening to the sound of gunfire, the Praetorian Guards in the Governor's Mansion quickly entered a state of battle as if they were facing a great enemy, and the entire Governor's Palace was suddenly filled with a scene of slaughter.

Ci'an didn't know what was going on, and immediately ordered someone to go and investigate, after experiencing the hijacking of Prince Yi, she was much calmer, and after thinking about it, she ordered someone to transfer Guangxu and hide it.

Just when she was nervous in her heart, the chief eunuch came to report, "Zhu Shanhai is outside asking to see." ”

Knowing that Zhu Shanhai came to meet her alone, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Let him in." ”

After Zhu Shanhai came in to greet him, he did not hide it, and truthfully reported the situation outside succinctly, although Ci'an had not asked about government affairs for many years, he was very sensitive, and immediately said in a deep voice: "Commander Zhu took over the peripheral defense, the purpose is to put the palace and the emperor under house arrest?" ”

"The Queen Mother is angry." Zhu Shanhai hurriedly said: "If Weichen has the heart of disobedience, how dare he come to see him alone?" This move is to protect the Queen Mother and the Emperor. ”

As he spoke, he handed over a telegram, "The Zhennan Wang train was ambushed near Turpan, and the train was blown up........ ”

The Zhennan King train was blown up? Ci'an was shocked, took the telegram and quickly glanced at it, the telegram was sent by the Turpan Zhili Hall, the content was that the special train was ambushed, the special train was blown up, and it was suspected that the vigilant troops had done it.

Ci'an didn't believe this telegram at all, and after a deep sigh, she spoke: "Does the king of Zhennan have any news?" ”

Zhu Shanhai said truthfully: "The vigilant troops along the way blew up the special train and intercepted another train, after searching, did not find the king of Zhennan, and after interrogation, it was learned that the king of Zhennan was still in Hami." ”

Yi Zhicontent was not assassinated? Ci'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, but she was skeptical of these words, and said: "This palace wants to see Zuo Zongtang and Tang Bingcan." ”

"The two of them are afraid that they will not dare to come to the audience." Zhu Shanhai said straightly: "However, the Empress Dowager can call to inquire, and the major government offices in Gongning City have opened telephones. ”

Phone? Ci'an glanced at him and said coldly: "The Governor's Palace's external calls have been controlled? ”

Zhu Shanhai didn't answer this, and said directly: "The patrol troops of the Northwest Army along the way openly ambushed and blew up the Zhennan Wang special train, the military and political officials of the two northwest provinces, the crime is unforgivable, and the two provinces are self-reliant is the only way to survive, and the Empress Dowager earnestly prays that ......the Queen Mother will think twice." ”

"Self-reliance?" Ci'an said quietly, but in fact, his heart was already turbulent.

Zhu Shanhai said unhurriedly: "After 30 years of uninterrupted immigration and development, the population of the two northwestern provinces has exceeded 10 million, and the grain is self-sufficient, and it has a strong agricultural and industrial foundation, has a variety of rich natural resources and convenient railway transportation, of course, the most important thing is to have strong military strength and potential, and already have the conditions for self-reliance."

The most important thing is that the two northwestern provinces are self-reliant, and can obtain the strong support of Russia, Persia, Ottoman, and even Britain, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy in Europe.

With the strong foundation of the two northwestern provinces, coupled with the support of the surrounding countries and major European powers, we are fully capable of confronting Yuanqi, and once we gain a firm foothold, we have the ability to gradually annex Tibet, Mongolia and other places, and revive the majesty of our Qing Empire. ”

Wish for the moon! Ci'an sneered secretly, how much silver Yuan Qi has invested in the northwest in the past thirty years, if not one billion, there are also 800 million, and the construction of the railway alone is as high as hundreds of millions, not to mention the continuous large-scale immigration and investment education, and he actually wants to stand on his own, Yuan Qi will inevitably use all his national strength to quell the chaos.

Vainly trying to use the corner of the two northwestern provinces to compete with the power of the whole country is simply a fool's dream! It also revives the majesty of the Qing Empire, which is purely to bury the Qing Dynasty!

She didn't think so, and she didn't scold, after all, the current situation was not clear, she slowly stood up, "This palace wants to call Zuo Zongtang and Tang Bingcan." ”

As soon as Zhu Shanhai took over the peripheral defense, he cut off all the telephone lines and telegraph lines, and when he heard this, he bowed slightly and said: "The external lines of the palace have been damaged, and Weichen will immediately arrange for someone to repair them." ”

After a while, Ci'an said softly: "Kneel down." She had the intention of detaining the other party, but she did not dare to act rashly, and in the case of unknown circumstances, she did not dare to aggravate the situation, nor did she dare to take risks.

The situation outside the governor's palace is constantly intensifying, as Qin Youliang gets involved, a large number of armed police officers and soldiers continue to increase troops to several nearby street entrances, and the field soldiers of the military region responsible for the vigilance also continue to send more troops to the street entrances, but fortunately, no one on either side dares to expand the situation, and they all try their best to maintain restraint and wait for orders from above.

The courtyard of Zuo Zongtang's temporary office is only a stone's throw away from the street, and he is naturally clear about the situation at the street, but he has no intention of interfering, the incident happened suddenly, and he did not dare to act rashly, after all, it is related to the safety of the Empress Dowager and the Guangxu Emperor, and he is really in a hurry, and he can't end it.

In addition, he does not interfere, or deliberately indulges, but in fact there is another meaning, that is, to show his attitude, and in the current situation, as the governor of Xinjiang, he must take the lead in making an attitude.

A cavalry squad galloped forward and did not stop until the gate of the courtyard, Tang Bingcan glanced at the situation at the entrance of the street, and without saying a word, he dismounted and strode into the courtyard.

Seeing Tang Bingcan coming quickly, Zuo Zongtang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, the other party was able to come quickly after receiving the call, which in itself was enough to explain a lot of problems, and after the other party came in to greet him, he said in a gloomy tone: "What's going on?" ”

"The last general doesn't know." Tang Bingcan's face was bitter, "Judging from the current situation, the ambush of the prince's special train and the hijacking of the queen mother and the emperor should all be planned by Zhu Shanhai ......." ”

Zuo Zongtang stared at him and said, "Zhu Shanhai has so much courage? How capable is that? No one behind your back? ”

Tang Bingcan looked at him with his eyes level and said, "The last general also wants to know who is behind it. ”

What does this mean? Is it suspected that the main department is behind Zhu Shanhai? Zuo Zongtang muttered to himself in his heart, wasn't it instructed by Feng Renxuan? As soon as the matter came out, he suspected that Feng Renxuan was making trouble behind his back, Feng Renxuan's prestige in the Northwest Army was far from being comparable to him, and all the middle and high-level generals in the Gongning Military Region were Feng Renxuan's old subordinates. And the other object of suspicion is the Empress Dowager Ci'an........

"Your Excellency." The door outside the door reported: "Deputy Chief of Staff Liu Changxing is out asking to see him. ”

"Liu Changxing?" Zuo Zongtang looked at the other party suspiciously.

Tang Bingcan said: "This person should be Zhu Shanhai's henchman. ”

"Let him in."

Liu Changxing walked in quickly, and after giving a military salute, he said unhurriedly: "I'm here to be a lobbyist......." ”

Zuo Zongtang snorted coldly, "Who are you a lobbyist for?" ”

"It doesn't matter." Liu Changxing glanced at him and sat down directly, "The Zhennan Wang train was ambushed and blown up by the Northwest Army, and the King of Zhennan himself can be said to have escaped by luck, this is a major case of rebellion, and the military and political officials of the two northwest provinces will be dismissed from their posts at best, exiled from their homes, and sentenced to capital punishment at worst, and they will be ........ the nine clans." ”

Tang Bingcan said coldly: "The matter is in Xinjiang, what does it have to do with Anxi?" ”

Liu Changxing said: "It was the Northwest Army that ambushed the special train, whether it was Xinjiang or the Anxi Military Region, they were all subordinate to the Northwest Army. ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "The assassins who came to the fore in Gongning before were all from Andijan, did you deliberately pull Feng Zhitai into the water?" ”

"At this point, there's no point in pursuing this." Liu Changxing said: "The ambush and bombing of the Zhennan Wang special train has spread throughout the two northwestern provinces, and now the military and civilians of the two provinces are all panicking. ”

Self-reliance? Zuo Zongtang said coldly: "What Ming Road? The dead end is almost the same, with the two northwestern provinces can compete with Yuanqi? ”

"What if there was strong support from Russia, England, France, Persia, the Ottomans, etc.?" Liu Changxing said unhurriedly: "Dismantle the railway connecting the inner provinces, the railway between the northwest and Russia can be opened to traffic in half a year, with the strength of the Northwest Army, coupled with the support of various countries, it is definitely enough to protect itself." ”

Speaking of this, he looked at Zuo Zongtang, "Part of the family members of the Ministry Hall, we have already brought Gong Ning. ”

Zuo Zongtang couldn't help but be stunned, and then said: "Impossible!" ”

"It's not too difficult to send a few telegrams in the confidential room of the Governor's Palace." Liu Changxing said in a flat tone: "Later, the Lord of the Ministry will be able to reunite with his relatives." ”

Hearing this, not only Zuo Zongtang's face changed, but even Tang Bingcan's face was a little pale, and sure enough, Liu Changxing continued: "As for some of Commander Tang's family members, they have already gone to sea under our arrangement and are going to Persia to turn around, and it may take some time." ”