Early in the morning of the third day, the third telegram arrived, this one from England, sent to him by Minister Xue Fucheng in Britain.

Xue Fucheng turned out to be the number one think tank under Li Hongzhang, and his status was still above Sheng Xuanhuai and Yang Shixiang, and he made suggestions and achievements for Li Hongzhang. Later, the imperial court proposed to send a British envoy to Britain, and was recommended by Li Hongzhang to go to Britain to preside over British and Qing diplomatic affairs. Over the years, Xue Fucheng and Li Hongzhang have had close exchanges in telegrams, and whenever there is a disturbance in Western countries, Xue Fucheng will inevitably call Li Hongzhang first and explain the ins and outs to Li Hongzhang.

In the telegram, Xue Fucheng said that Japan had ordered the Japanese envoy to Britain to operate in Britain, and was discussing a wartime loan of more than five million pounds. At the same time, Japan is actively procuring new types of ships in England and plans to purchase three more new types of cruisers for active service, which has also entered the negotiation stage.

Now that Japan is at war, Japan's actions are self-evident. Xue Fucheng felt that the situation was serious, and hurriedly sent a message to Li Hongzhang to communicate.

In the face of these two telegrams, Li Hongzhang felt that the situation was serious and the pressure had increased sharply, and the three new-type cruisers, all of which were capital ships, were not much worse than those of the Dingyuan Zhenyuan generals. Originally, due to the repeated cuts in military spending in recent years, the Beiyang Navy had outdated equipment, insufficient reserves of ammunition, coal, and other materials, and insufficient training of soldiers, which caused a serious decline in combat effectiveness. If the Japanese army had three more new cruisers or battleships in the ranks, how could it contain the military activities of the Japanese navy?

However, the purchase of new warships and the replenishment of strategic materials are very important, and it is easy to spend tens of millions of taels of silver, and it is not up to them to have the final say, how can the group of idiots in the imperial court understand the important affairs of the military state, and they will definitely obstruct it. He is only a minister of Beiyang, the governor of Zhili, a bachelor with a title, and far away in Tianjin, military affairs, are decided by the execution of the military aircraft, but he can't control it, now the military aircraft department does not even have a person who understands, for foreign affairs are laymen, the only one who understands foreign affairs and military Prince Gong Yi?, and was driven out of the military aircraft by the Queen Mother Lafayette, who can you count on now?

Li Hongzhang was anxious, and the telegram from the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu arrived. Zhang Peilun, Sheng Xuanhuai, and Yang Shixiang came to see Li Hongzhang and sent a telegram.

When Li Hongzhang saw the telegram, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

At least at this time, Lafayette and Emperor Guangxu still knew that they could ask themselves for advice, and the court and China were incapable of asking the right questions. Also, in the entire court in Beijing, the one who is proficient in foreign affairs is already the idle Prince Gong. In the local area, only he is close at hand, and most of the others are far away in the south of the Yangtze River.

However, thinking of the war situation in Korea, Japan's current big moves, and the current embarrassment of the Qing Dynasty, even if it is itself, it is difficult to be caught off guard.

Li Hongzhang sighed and said, "Xingsun, Youqiao, do you two have a plan in your heart?" ”

The two sighed and said, "Dashuai, this matter is very difficult. Don't say that I don't have elite soldiers in the Qing Dynasty, even if there are elite soldiers, first, how to raise this money and food? The army needs silver to pull out, to eat and drink, to pay silver for guns and ammunition during war, and to supply logistics for transporting materials is not a few. This big war together can't be done without a few million taels of silver. Now that the treasury is empty, how is it possible to support such a big war? ”

Li Hongzhang snorted coldly and said: "This group of scholars knows how to act in a hurry, and whenever there is a movement, there is a request to go to war, and go to war. When the fight started, I thought that I had no money at home, and now I have no guns, so what can I do to fight? Now I know that I am in a hurry, why did I go earlier, a group of waste, scholars mislead the country! ”

Sheng Xuanhuai sighed: "My lord, what now? Lafayette and the emperor are summoning you to Beijing, why do you have to come up with a way. ”

Li Hongzhang is also worried, what way, with the silver, any way is easy to think, the big deal is to buy cannons, buy warships, without silver, everything is in vain.

In the end, Li Hongzhang gritted his teeth and said, "That's it, call Nie Shicheng and ask the little Zhuge beside him." Don't say it, the kid said that what he said last time still makes a lot of sense, and we have gained a lot. ”

Zhang Peilun promised to go down and handle it.

In the evening, Zhang Peilun entered Li Hongzhang's room with a telegram and said, "My lord, Nie Shicheng has called back." ”

Li Hongzhang was impatient, snatched the telegram from Zhang Peilun's hand, read it again, his face was much soothed, and he began to pace back and forth in the room.

After a long time, Li Hongzhang said: "Youqiao, immediately let Xingsun prepare a silver ticket of 800,000 taels, and you will enter Beijing immediately with me." ”

Zhang Peilun was shocked in his heart, and hesitated: "My lord, 800,000 taels, this is almost one-third of our Beiyang reserve silver, using such a large sum of money, I am afraid that it will have a great impact on Beiyang, what are you ......?"

Li Hongzhang waved his hand and said: "For the sake of Beiyang, I have to give up one head, the silver is spent, and we can earn it back in the future, once Beiyang collapses, if we want to make silver, we have no place to earn it." ”

Zhang Peilun hesitated: "Even so, you don't have to be in such a hurry." My lord, it's getting late, do you see if it'......"

Li Hongzhang waved his hand and said: "It's okay, the situation is urgent, and we can't afford to delay, go outside to count sixty personal soldiers, get up with me, and rush to the capital on horseback." ”

There was nothing to say all the way, three hundred miles away, Li Hongzhang and his party arrived in only two days, Li Hongzhang entered the post house, arranged the personnel, and did not rest, Zhang Peilun accompanied directly into a wealthy family.

When he came out of it, Li Hongzhang already had a faint smile on his face.

At noon the next day, Emperor Guangxu had just ascended to the palace. The rotating official reported: "Long live, the governor of Zhili, Li Hongzhang, has arrived, waiting for the order outside the noon gate. ”

Emperor Guangxu's spirit was lifted, in the past two days, Emperor Guangxu did not think about tea and dinner, and was disturbed by the Sino-Japanese war. Now that he heard that Li Hongzhang had arrived, he hurriedly said: "Quick, pass the decree, and immediately announce that Li Lao Aiqing will meet you." ”

Li Hongzhang Shi Ran came to the Golden Palace and saluted Guangxu and Cixi.

Cixi said: "That's it, the old hall has a lot of hard work, the etiquette will be exempted, and your age is not young." Come, give a seat. ”