Weng Tongyi said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, although the Beiyang Navy has suffered heavy losses, after all, it was Ding Ruchang who repelled Japan, severely damaged its navy, and made me **** majestic." In this battle, several main warships of the Japanese army were sunk, and the results were brilliant, and while striking Japan, it also made the Western powers dare not underestimate me and no one. Admiral Ding Ruchang has made great contributions, the Beiyang Navy Division is tantamount to the Great Wall on the sea, how can you investigate and deal with the heroes, this is a stupid thing that makes the enemy feel painful! ”

Sun Yuwen said angrily: "Master Weng, how is it stupid to investigate Ding Ruchang? You have done everything possible to encourage the emperor to go to war, have you ever thought about the suffering of the people? A warship of millions of taels of silver was killed in a battle, how many hundred people could have enough food and clothing for these money and food? Ding Ruchang is really an unforgivable crime! ”

Emperor Guangxu said in a deep voice: "Sun Shangshu, don't talk nonsense!" Ding Ruchang won a battle in the Yellow Sea, although the loss was not small, after all, it was a victory in battle, and at the time of the war, it was advisable to boost morale and reward meritorious heroes, how could it chill the hearts of the former enemy soldiers. Passed the decree, gave Ding Ruchang dazzling eyes, a yellow jacket, and the title of secretary of the military department. Deng Shichang served the country loyally and bravely, sacrificed his life for the country in every battle, and was really a model soldier. posthumously presented Deng Shichang to the crown prince Taibao, the second earl of Yongyi, and ordered his heir to enter Beijing to be entitled; posthumously presented Huang Jianxun with Prince Shaobao; Liu Buyun had the courage to do things before the enemy, and planned well, and was promoted to the deputy admiral of the naval division, hung the rank of admiral, and the others were rewarded, and handed over to the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War to discuss and report, and the household department allocated silver taels to the Beiyang Navy, and seized the time to rectify the warships to strictly prevent Japan from launching another sneak attack from the sea. Ordered someone to pass the decree, urgently summoned Liu Mingchuan to Beijing to listen to the call, sit in Fengtian, coordinate the rear, and do not delay! ”

After Guangxu finished passing the decree, he turned around, bowed his head and said to Cixi: "Dear father, the son-in-law disposes of it like this, but it is appropriate, please show your father." ”

Cixi was expressionless, and said coldly: "Your Majesty, yes, yes, you have grown." It's just, Your Majesty, you just want to start a war, where did the elite soldiers of the Qing Dynasty come from? Nie Shicheng said, the Japanese army is not afraid of death, the people are fierce, and the army has hundreds of thousands of people, once they gather in Korea, ask the emperor, where do you plan to mobilize elite soldiers to fight? In the Qing Dynasty, where is there such an elite and strong general as Lutai Lianjun? ”

"This ......" Emperor Guangxu has limited experience after all, Cixi questioned for a while, and suddenly had no words, so she had to glance at Weng Tongyi and Li Hongzhang.

Weng Tongyi is only a civilian official, and he has no military affairs, how can he know where there are elite soldiers, so he can only show Li Hongzhang with a look.

Li Hongzhangya was unwilling to stand up for Guangxu in front of Cixi, no matter how he said that he was also labeled as a post-party, Lafayette was already unhappy, and he was still standing on top of the court and openly supporting the emperor, which was very unwise. It's just that now that he is riding a tiger, he can't think of it, so he has to bite the bullet and say: "Queen Mother, now there are still 30,000 Huai troops under the command of the minister, and there is still a line of Chu army left over from Zuo Zhongtang in the northwest, and the combat power is not bad, and there is still a Hunan army under Liu Kun in Jiangnan to drive, plus the training army in other places, I think there are not a few troops in the Qing Dynasty who can fight now, even if I don't have many elite soldiers in the Qing Dynasty now, I can just continue the Sino-Japanese war and forge an elite army." Just imagine, which of the children of the Eight Banners who swept the world back then was not honed from the battlefield through the war? ”

Cixi's expression was shocked, a slight cold glint appeared in her eyes, and she said coldly: "Li Zhongtang, as you said, what are my chances of winning the battle between China and Japan?" ”

Li Hongzhang's forehead sweated slightly, and he bowed down and said: "Queen Mother, according to the minister's opinion, I have a sixty percent chance of winning in the Qing Dynasty, and more than eighty percent in the tie game, as long as the Western powers do not forcibly intervene, the possibility of my Qing Dynasty defeat is very small, the premise is that my Qing Dynasty must share the same hatred and hatred, and the monarch and ministers are of the same heart, so that the day of defeat of Japan is not far away." ”

Empress Dowager Cixi's eyes were lonely, and she sighed: "Now that the Qing Dynasty is weak, the mourning family really doesn't want to see the imperial court raise swords again. It's just that once the battle is defeated, how can this mess be cleaned up......"

Li Hongzhang's heart was cold, knowing that the Empress Dowager Cixi was going to prepare for the Autumn Festival, and it seemed that he had to be more cautious.

Li Hongzhang said in a deep voice: "The Queen Mother can rest assured, the old minister will live up to the trust of the Queen Mother and the Emperor!" ”

Emperor Guangxu's face was a little gloomy, and he said: "Li Zhongtang, what do you think should be done about the mobilization of reinforcements?" ”

Li Hongzhang replied: "Your Majesty, there are now about 16,000 troops in the Korean Nie Shicheng Division, and Ding Ruchang has transported 4,000 people from the inscription battalion to land in Korea by sea, and they will arrive in a few days. At that time, there will be 20,000 troops in Kaesong, and although the attack is still insufficient, self-protection should not be a problem. The old minister had heard that the Heilongjiang general Yiketanga was loyal and brave, and he could pass on the order that Yiketanga led his men and horses to enter the court quickly, thinking that he would invoke and assist Nie Shicheng. The Chu army left behind by Zuo Zhongtang has always been brave, and now the commander of Lord Ronglu happens to be in Beijing, so he can order him to return to Shaanxi quickly and lead the main force of the Chu army to wait outside the pass. The first part of the Hunan army can be led by the general Song Qing to go out of the customs and stand by. These roads are all elite soldiers in a hundred battles, and the total should be no less than 50,000 people, and the ministers will send the remaining 20,000 Huai troops to Korea by sea in the near future, under the personal command of Nie Shicheng. In this way, the DPRK's military strength will not be less than 50,000, and it is a perfect strategy to gather 50,000 troops outside the border to support them at any time. ”

Emperor Guangxu nodded and said with a smile: "Lao Zhongtang is really the pillar of the country, according to Lao Zhongtang's intentions." ”

Li Hongzhang continued: "Your Majesty, please ask the emperor for his permission, as soon as possible to allocate military resources to various domestic manufacturing bureaus, step up the production of guns and ammunition, now in the big war, there must be no shortage of firearms, once the supply is not available, tens of thousands of Qing troops will become cannon fodder in the short term, a complete defeat, this matter must not be delayed, please the emperor seriously." ”

Emperor Guangxu sighed softly: "The big war together, the national strength will be more difficult, the court still depends on the efforts of the ministers, this battle, we must win the battle." ”

Li Hongzhang hesitated for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, the minister heard that there is Zhang Yi under Nie Shicheng, there is a great material that has passed through the heavens and latitudes, and North Korea has won a lot, and this prince has made a huge contribution, and he is quite respected by Nie Shicheng." Before the minister came to Beijing, he called Nie Shicheng to ask about the strategy of China and Japan, and this person once said that the victory of the Qing Dynasty was certainly full of joy, but then, the Western powers could not tolerate the rise of China, and they would inevitably make things difficult in every possible way to prevent our Zhongxing; After the defeat of the Qing Dynasty, Japan will wantonly embezzle the territory, money and grain of the Qing Dynasty, satisfy its selfish desires, and the Qing Dynasty will be in danger of sinking; However, the Sino-Japanese war and the situation, to promote peace with the war, so that Japan retreated in the face of difficulties, our Qing Dynasty was able to recuperate, and it was the best trend to rise calmly, Japan's small country, weak national strength, far inferior to the Qing Dynasty, even if there was a British loan, it was difficult to support the war for a long time, our army delayed the war, so that it was unable to fight again, and the other severely damaged its main force, intimidating its heart, and the momentum of peace negotiation came naturally, and our Qing Dynasty did not have to suffer from the Japanese extortion. ”