Zeng Guofan, who was burdened with a thousand catties, negotiated with several important ministers such as Wen Xiang and the ministers of the four countries, and for four days, there was no progress, no progress at all!

Although Zeng Guofan is slightly stronger than Yixin, Wenxiang and others, but he is too square, dull, and flexible, and his student Li Hongzhang is indeed a big difference, the ruler is short, the inch is long, this is not what anyone can force, maybe Zeng Guofan is a good hand in governing the local government, regents the government and putting face, but diplomacy is really not good. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

Five days ago, the armies of the three Western countries had already left Europe, and now there is no progress in the negotiations, not only the imperial court is on fire, but also the foreigners are angry, and they are particularly procrastinating.

However, having said that, Guo Ye was really replaced to preside over the negotiations, and they are not having a good life now, Zeng Guofan was afraid of foreigners, and he didn't dare to let go of his courage to fight against foreigners, but Guo Ye didn't have this scruples, it was time to masqueeze them, and he would definitely not be polite!

Prince Gong's Mansion.

Zeng Guofan's expression was heavy, and he said: "Lord, now the situation is very clear, the foreigners will definitely not give in, we are even more difficult to bear such conditions, a big war is afraid that it will be difficult to avoid......"

Yixin's face was gloomy, and he went to war? What's more, the imperial court has just quelled the rebellion of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Twist Army, this breath has not yet breathed, only less than half a year has passed, and then it will usher in a more difficult war, and the three Western countries have to fight, and also add a Japanese, 100,000 troops, a few years ago, the British and French forces only dispatched 30,000 people to capture the city of Beijing, this time dispatched 100,000 troops, I am afraid that the whole of North China can not be saved!

But just bend your knees and surrender and accept the conditions of the foreigners? That's too much, 33 million taels of silver, where can the court get so much silver? If such a treaty is really signed, it is really shameless to see the ancestors and ancestors!

"So what's next?"

Yixin asked.

Zeng Guofan hesitated for a moment and replied: "Lord, now the green battalion in Gyeonggi has been taken to the Shaanxi and Gansu areas by Shengbao, and the third division of the Lu army and Baoding Town have also gone to Shaanxi and Gansu, and now I am afraid that they have also entered Shaanxi, and the defense of the Gyeonggi area is too weak, and the protection of the Gyeonggi area must be strengthened immediately, so as not to fall into the situation of hunting the Rehe River in the north like the first emperor." ”

Zeng Guofan's meaning is very clear, the transfer of troops, the rapid transfer of troops, and the reorganization of the army for war, now it is urgent.

Yixin hesitated for a moment and asked, "Digong, if you are asked to run the Gyeonggi military affairs, what do you think?" ”

The corners of Zeng Guofan's mouth twitched, his own governor of Gyeonggi military affairs? It's a hot potato! The 100,000 Western army is coming in a surging manner, but it is not so easy to resist, and he doesn't even have the slightest certainty.

It's just that looking at the ministers of the imperial court, only one can bear such a heavy burden, unless Guo Ye, Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang can rush back to Jinggi in a short time!

"Lord Wang, to resist the barbarian invasion, the minister is naturally duty-bound, but the minister's ability is limited, I am afraid that it will be difficult to shoulder such a heavy responsibility, and the minister thinks that it is better to recall the Yasukuni Duke as soon as possible......"

Zeng Guofan replied.

"This is nature,"

Yixin replied, "It's just that Guo Ye is far away in Shaanxi and Gansu, and yesterday's two groups of seven hundred miles of urgent envoys have returned, saying that now Guo Ye has entered Shaanxi and is confronting the rebels, and the war is about to break out, I am afraid that I will not be able to count on it in a short time, in the Gyeonggi area, where is there a more suitable candidate than you?" ”

Zeng Guofan felt a toothache for a while, and now he was chasing ducks to the shelves, and he had nowhere to run if he wanted to, so he could only grit his teeth and hold on.

"Lord Wang, since this is the case, please also issue an order to immediately recruit troops from all over the country into King Qin, Yan Chunyu's Lu army in Shandong, Li Hongzhang's Huai army in Jiangsu, Zeng Guoquan's Hunan army in Anhui, and as for the Chu army of Zuo Zongtang's army in Fujian, they can also transport troops to the Gyeonggi area by sea......"

Yixin nodded and said: "This is needless to say, the foreigners dispatched more than 100,000 troops, all of them are brave and good at fighting, the ships are strong and the guns are sharp, and there is no heavy defense in the Gyeonggi area, it is absolutely not good, in addition to these few troops, this king also plans to mobilize a green battalion from outside the customs to participate in the battle, and all the Gyeonggi troops are handed over to the control of the Digong, Digong, this thousand catties of heavy burden is handed over to you......"

Zeng Guofan could only bite the bullet and accept this hot potato.

"Lord, in addition, take advantage of the gap when the foreigner's fleet has not yet arrived, seize the time to negotiate with the foreigners, even if there is a slight possibility, we can't give up, as long as we can avoid the suffering of the sword soldiers, even if it is to lose some silver, as long as it is not too much, three or five million taels of silver, give it, the imperial court can not withstand a large-scale war, once the war starts, the loss of silver by the entire country will not be less than tens of millions of taels......"

Zeng Guofan replied.

Yi Xin replied with a sad face: "Of course I know, if there is a war in the area, then the entire coast is under the attack of foreigners, and the coast is our richest area...... However, how to negotiate? Now people don't accept the invitation, and they don't give in to life or death, but how can it be good? The Manchu Dynasty's civil and military affairs are also of use to you and Bochuan, and there are no capable talents, what can you do? ”

"Transfer!"

Zeng Guofan replied: "Lord, seven hundred miles urgently, summon Shandong Governor Guo Songtao into Beijing, Guo Songtao once worked as a staff member under my account, this person is the most proficient in foreign affairs, and later made friends with Guo Ye, and Guo Ye has been tempered with each other for several years, and now it is more mature, Shandong is full of foreigners' factories, and even foreign schools, and now Guo Songtao can only try......

Guo Songtao?

That's right!

Yixin's eyes lit up, how can I manage Shandong now? As long as this controversy can be settled, it is worth summoning all the governors of the world to the capital!

"Come, immediately draft an order, add Shandong Governor Guo Songtao as the left waiter of the Ministry of Rites, the Prime Minister's Deputy Minister of State Affairs, as of the date of entry, immediately enter Beijing without delay!"

Yixin shouted, now that the emperor is young, the Queen Mother of the West is far away in the United States, the Queen Mother of the East does not ask about mundane affairs, and all her efforts are handed over to Yixin, the king of the council, and Yixin is also out of the way, and he can't avoid suspicion, and the will is directly issued from himself.

invited Guo Songtao to enter Beijing, and now he can only use dead horses as live horse doctors.

"In addition, send seven hundred miles to expedite again, so that Guo Ye must lead the army back to Beijing, and all the Lu troops will be handed over to Zuo Guigui for the time being, and Guo Ye will return to Beijing first!"

No matter what, only by getting Guo Ye into the capital can Yixin have a certain degree of certainty that he can deal with this crisis, and he must not throw this life-saving straw.

(To be continued.) )