Tianjin, Zhili Governor's Office. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

A person braved the goose feathers and heavy snow, hurriedly entered the government office, handed over a letter to a master, and then left in a hurry, the master did not dare to slack off after seeing the letter, and hurriedly ran into the back hall and entered Li Hongzhang's study.

"Bang dang!" There was a crisp sound of objects falling to the ground from the study next door, as if someone had broken something, and Mrs. Li Zhao Xiaolian, who happened to be passing by, was startled and hurriedly entered the study with several maids.

Zhao Xiaolian entered the study and saw Li Hongzhang sitting at the table, with an angry face, one fist resting on the table, clenched tightly, while the master Lou Chunfan stood aside with bated breath and silence, not daring to look at him.

Zhao Xiaolian noticed a letter spread out on the table, and the corners were already wet with tea.

Zhao Xiaolian came to Li Hongzhang's face, squatted down, and carefully picked up the pieces of the teacup at Li Hongzhang's feet one by one, she looked up and saw that Li Hongzhang's hand was still holding the table, and she was unaware of the fact that she had dropped the teacup!

"Shaoquan ......," Zhao Xiaolian called worriedly.

"Ah......" Li Hongzhang turned his head, and Zhao Xiaolian immediately saw the eyes that were almost spewing fire, and couldn't help but be startled.

"What's wrong? Shaoquan? Zhao Xiaolian asked worriedly.

"His heart can be punished!" Li Hongzhang suddenly punched the table again, and his eyes were already murderous!

"This official system is the worst thing. Therefore, the death of the former Ming is the death of the speech official! Li Hongzhang picked up the letter and handed it to Zhao Xiaolian, "Take a look!" Someone wants to put me and Lin Kunyu to death! ”

Zhao Xiaolian took the letter and glanced at it, and her face immediately changed.

"Didn't you just meet Lin Kunyu on the boat? How did it become a party for personal gain, greedy for Mexican national funds? Zhao Xiaolian asked in surprise. Where did they hear about it? How can there be such a truth in slandering without discerning the truth? ”

"If you only want to make the topic bigger, thinking that it is the level of promotion, what does it matter what the truth is! In their opinion, our handling of foreign affairs is the first major sin! It's to kill me by not wanting to find an opportunity all the time! Li Hongzhang said angrily, "Lin Kunyu and I both know that they deliberately did not meet this time, and only had a small meeting when they saw off on the ship, and they didn't want to be taken into their eyes and make such a big article!" ”

"Lord Taiwan, don't be impatient, you have to let Lin Kunyu know about this matter quickly. He is now far away in Fuzhou, and I think he doesn't know anything about Beijing yet. Master Lou Chunfan said on the side, "My lord hurriedly repaired a letter to Lin Kunyu, explaining the situation, and asked him to take precautions." ”

"That's all there is to it." Li Hongzhang thought about it and nodded, at this time the maids had already cleaned up the juicy tabletop, Li Hongzhang took a pen and paper, wrote a few words, but suddenly stopped.

"My lord? ......" Lou Chunfan saw that Li Hongzhang suddenly stopped writing and asked carefully.

Li Hongzhang waved his hand, thought for a while, and re-wrote, and after a while, the letter was finished, but Li Hongzhang did not write the envelope, but took another piece of paper, wrote a few words, and handed it to Lou Chunfan along with the letterhead.

"You immediately arrange for someone to go to Shanghai, to the foreigner's telegraph office, and send this credit telegram to this Rothschild office in Hong Kong." Li Hongzhang said, "The sooner the better, arrange a boat to carry them over." ”

"Your Excellency, you mean, so that the shipmaster's side will get the letter?" Lou Chunfan's voice was full of surprise, because this was the first time he had seen Li Hongzhang send a message by telegram since he entered Li Hongzhang's shogunate, "Is this line reliable?" He asked, not without concern.

"Sure, faster than letters, without delay. This telegram was sent to Hong Kong, and someone would rush to report to Lin Kunyu. At most five days, at least three days, Lin Kunyu will get the news. Li Hongzhang did not hide it from his cronies, "This is the emergency line agreed between Lin Kunyu and me, and once there is a major military situation, we will exchange news with the help of the telegraph lines of foreigners in Shanghai and Hong Kong." This time it just worked. ”

Lou Chunfan heard Li Hongzhang say this, and put his mind at ease: "I'll do it." ”

Lou Chunfan hurriedly left the study with the letter, and Zhao Xiaolian was relieved to see his back disappear.

"The foreigners' telegraph lines are really powerful, if Tianjin and Fuzhou have their own lines, there is no need to ask someone to run this trip......" Li Hongzhang couldn't help but sigh when he remembered that he wanted to lay a telegraph line but was blocked by public opinion in Shilin.

"Shaoquan, this matter, isn't it that Zuo Ji Gao ......" Zhao Xiaolian looked at Li Hongzhang's uncertain face and reminded him softly.

"It's hard to say if it's him, these two people who impeached me and Lin Kunyu, one is Zhang Yuzao, the imperial history of Zhili Dao, and the other is He Zihuan, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, these two people seem to have nothing to do with Zuo Jigao." Li Hongzhang said, "But as far as these two official excerpts are concerned, they are indeed bursts of killing intent, which is chilling, and he has the style of Zuo Jigao!" ”

"What are you going to do about this?" Zhao Xiaolian asked.

"I can't always go their way!" Li Hongzhang sneered and said viciously.

Fuzhou, Lin Yizhe's house.

Lin Yizhe, who was on vacation, was watching his daughter Lin Yuxi and son Lin Guanchen chasing and playing in the garden, and saw Xu Run hurriedly coming over from a distance.

Seeing Xu Run appear, Lin Yuxi and Lin Guanchen ran over quickly, Lin Guanchen was young, he ran too fast, he couldn't retract his momentum, and he actually crashed into Xu Run's robe and almost fell, Xu Run's hands were fast, leaned over and helped him with a smile.

"Mr. Xu!" Lin Yuxi screamed crisply and grabbed Xu Run's arm affectionately.

Lin Guanchen, who was in front of Xu Run, jumped up and down, stretched out his hand, and wanted to hook Xu Run's white beard.

Xu Run was a little distracted for a moment.

The pair of lovely sisters and brothers in front of him made him involuntarily recall the past ten years ago.

At that time, he was also a master for others, and he taught a pair of innocent brothers and sisters......

Xu Run quickly came back to his senses, laughed, took out the two candy men with paper sleeves he bought from his sleeves, and shook them in front of the two children, who happily took them over and jumped around him.

Lin Yizhe noticed that Xu Run's eyes looking at Lin Yuxi and Lin Guanchen were full of love, and he couldn't help but raise his sleeves and gently wipe the corners of his eyes. He knew that Xu Run remembered his granddaughter Yan'er, who was no longer alive, and couldn't help but glance at Chen Wan beside him.

Xu Yan'er is the same age as Chen Wan, if she is still alive now, she should have children......

Chen Wan saw his mind from Lin Yizhe's gaze, she smiled slightly, and glanced at him, meaning to let him pay attention when he spoke, so as not to evoke Xu Run's sad past.

"My lord, a telegram from Li Zhitai in Tianjin." Xu Run came to the front and handed the telegram in his hand to Lin Yizhe.

Hearing that it was Li Hongzhang's telegram, Lin Yizhe couldn't help but be stunned.

"Li Zhitaiguo is a pioneer in foreign affairs, and he knows the benefits of this telegram so quickly." Lin Yizhe said.

"The matter is urgent, and Li Zhitai is anxious to warn the adults, so he used the telegram." Xu Run said, raised his hand, and motioned for Lin Yizhe to read the telegram first.

Lin Yizhe opened the newspaper and read it, he only glanced at it a few times, and his brows furrowed.

Chen Wan noticed the change in Lin Yizhe's face, and her heart also hung up.

During Lin Yizhe's time as a "ghost envoy", the impact on her hometown in Xiangxiang had made her nerves tense for a while. The news of Lin Yizhe's assassination in Europe also made her restless, worried day and night. Now although Lin Yizhe has returned safely and has been promoted, she knows that similar turmoil will not stop there.

"What's going on? Li Zhengtai wants to warn us? After Lin Yizhe finished reading the telegram, Chen Wan asked impatiently.

"Let people sue." Lin Yizhe said and handed the telegram to his beloved wife, and at this time his face had returned to his usual calmness.

"Li Zhengtai hurriedly warned him, which shows that the matter has reached the center." Xu Run asked, "What do you think you should do about this?" ”

"Respond to change with the same." Lin Yizhe smiled faintly and said, "I don't have to give any explanation, and I don't need to explain." ”

"Don't explain?" Chen Wan was stunned, "Why is this?" ”

"Every time the shipmaster builds a ship, all the usage accounts and details of the size of the ship are reported to the Ministry of Industry and Household Department, and there is a record for reference." Lin Yizhe sneered, "If they want to make a fuss about this, they are killing themselves!" ”

"Hehe, what the adults said is very true, don't worry, madam, this is what old people mean." Xu Run also laughed, and when he saw the worried look in Chen Wan's eyes, he comforted her.

"Mr. said it's okay, then I'm naturally relieved." When Chen Wan heard Xu Run say this, her face softened slightly, but her heart was still hanging.

"Don't worry, it's okay." Lin Yizhe smiled and patted his beloved wife's shoulder, turned his head, and looked at the two children frolicking in the garden, a gentle smile appeared on his face, which made Chen Wan's hanging heart gradually calm down.

"The Queen Mother, I'm afraid she won't let these two guys go."

Beijing, Forbidden City, Palace of Nourishing Hearts.

The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at the fold in her hand, and her face slowly became gloomy.

“…… In front of Zhili, the imperial history of Zhang Yuzao and Zhang Yunlin Yizhe had a private meeting with Li Hongzhang, and I don't know what to talk about. Rumors and dissenting words, it has not been a day, and recently there has been a discussion outside, pretending that Lin Yizhe and Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, are friends on weekdays, and it must not be without reason if it is a matter of discussion. The minister investigated that the shipping master planned to transfer three Weiyuan express ships to Beiyang, one of which was completed and two of which were still under construction. The ship has not yet been allocated, but the minister is still building the second ship, and the Beiyang Xu subsidy shipping price can be bought with 80,000 taels of silver per boathouse. However, Lin Yizhe reported that the price of the Weiyuan Clipper exceeded 300,000 taels of Kuping silver, which did not include the price of guns and armaments, why did Beiyang only subsidize 80,000 taels to take it away? That is, 80,000 taels can lead the ship, then the price of the ship 300,000 taels must be untrue. In this way, the actual price of the ship built by the Harbour Master before the real price and the reported price should be a world of difference! If there is something unspeakable here, it is not known to the minister......"