Zhang Peilun, who took the train for the first time, finally realized why the "Shibo" Li Hongzhang and Lin Yizhe, who was hated by the Qing gossip officials, insisted on promoting the construction of the railway. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

When the train passed through the fields and villages, Zhang Peilun deliberately observed the farmers who were looking at the train, and he was surprised to find that these people looked at the train and did not mean to be frightened or afraid.

Their eyes were full of joy and envy!

Could it be that the scholars keep saying that "the will of the people do not obey" is like this?

Zhang Peilun gradually fell into contemplation......

About an hour later, the train drove to the "heaven and earth family spring", Zhang Peilun and others got off the train, everyone was the first time to see the beautiful scenery of "heaven and earth family spring", and all of them were fascinated by the attractive lakes and mountains here. They stopped in front of the platform to watch, and one by one they were intoxicated, and it was not until the eunuch came to guide them that they came back to their senses.

At this time, Zhang Peilun did not look at the beautiful scenery of "Heaven and Earth, One Spring" and the surrounding buildings like fairy palaces, but quietly looked at the small locomotive decorated with a golden dragon on the railway for a while.

Now Zhang Peilun's mind is no longer on the queen mother's birthday.

Soon, under the guidance of the eunuchs, Zhang Peilun and other officials came to the Shou Palace, met the Empress Dowager Cixi, and congratulated the Empress Dowager Cixi on the throne, and accepted the congratulations of the officials.

After returning from the birthday celebration of "Heaven and Earth, One Family", Zhang Peilun returned home, pondered for a long time, and the image in his mind turned out to be all the railway.

On the second day, Huang Tifang actually did what he said and really handed over the excerpt of the impeachment of Lin Yizhe. After Zhang Peilun learned the news from Baoting and Zhang Zhidong, he couldn't help but secretly worry about Huang Tifang.

But to Zhang Peilun's surprise, the imperial court did not arrest Huang Tifang like the previous officials who impeached Lin Yizhe, such as Yu Leisen, Yu Lingchen and others, who were raided by the criminal department, but only "demoted by one level and fined for one year".

Although relieved, Zhang Peilun still couldn't help but worry in his heart, because the specific content of Huang Tifang's excerpt was not copied in the palace, only the sentence "the reference is untrue, and the words are absurd", he wanted to know what Huang Tifang wrote in the excerpt, so Zhang Peilun set off to meet the teacher Li Hongzao's mansion on this day. When the porter saw that Zhang Peilun was coming, he immediately led him into the mansion.

As soon as Zhang Peilun entered the Li Mansion and came to the back hall, he heard a quarrel.

“…… The last time you went on the fold, you hurt Mao Dong's second father! See, what did you write in this excerpt? "Impeaching Lin Yizhe for instigating the Ministry of Internal Affairs to secretly build a railway in Dianyuan", "Clever words and bewitchment, selling himself as a foreign slave, wanting to invite the envoy of the foreign Yi to participate in the birthday ceremony and opening his eyes for the foreigners", "In the name of the parade of ships, he wants to make the emperor and the queen mother out of the palace and plot against him", this is the words of a minister? Do you feel that your life is long? Li Hongzao's voice echoed in the courtyard, and the sound penetrated the roof tiles, startling Zhang Peilun.

In his memory, the teacher had never been so angry as he was today.

"I told you not to participate in the garden anymore, but you didn't listen! Don't you know that this garden is the queen mother's reverse scales, and it can't be touched? Don't you see those who impeached Lin Yizhe to help the garden worker, which one got a good end? Especially in the stall of the Queen Mother's longevity, don't you want to die? ”

Hearing Li Hongzao's voice, Zhang Peilun couldn't help but slow down and listen carefully.

"Don't worry about your own death, don't worry about it, don't drag everyone into it with you!"

He wanted to know who the teacher was angry at.

"I said why did the teacher turn a blind eye to these things that changed Xia Da Da, it turned out that the teacher was afraid!" Huang Tifang's voice came from afar, "Teacher, you know that your words and deeds like this have already caused a loss to the leader of Shilin!" ”

"You...... Arrogant! Li Hongzao said angrily, "You dare to talk to the teacher like this!" ”

"It's not that the students are arrogant, it's that the teacher no longer has the courage to 'write to death'!" Huang Tifang protested, "For that Lin Yizhe, as long as I Huang Tifang still has a breath, I will join him to the end!" If the teacher is afraid that the Queen Mother will blame her, the student will bear it all by himself, and the judgment will not affect the teacher! ”

"You! …… I worked hard for the teacher, I was afraid that you would suffer an unforeseen disaster, but I didn't expect you to be like this...... Let's go! The sound of crutches hitting the ground came, and it was obvious that Li Hongzao was already furious, "Since you insist on going your own way, I should never confiscate you as a student!" ”

"In that case, it's useless to stay longer, so I'm leaving!" Huang Tifang snorted, then strode out of the back hall and went straight to the door. It may be that he was dizzy and just wanted to leave quickly, but he didn't see Zhang Peilun standing in the corridor.

Zhang Peilun heard Li Hongzao's heavy wheezing sound from the back hall, he was worried about the safety of his teacher, so he didn't call Huang Tifang, but walked quickly into the back hall.

As soon as he entered the back hall, Zhang Peilun saw Li Hongzao lying on a chair with half of his body crooked, his face was pale, his hair was shaking, and he was trembling all over, and the crutches that he was holding in his hand had fallen to the ground at this time.

Zhang Peilun and the porter were shocked, Zhang Peilun hurriedly stepped forward to help Li Hongzao, and the porter hurriedly brought a cup of hot tea.

Zhang Peilun helped Li Hongzao sit down, served him and drank a sip of hot tea, and after working for a while, Li Hongzao eased up.

Seeing that it was Zhang Peilun coming, a hint of relief flashed in Li Hongzao's eyes.

Li Hongzao's mouth moved, Zhang Peilun thought that Li Hongzao would scold Huang Tifang, but he didn't expect Li Hongzao to let out a worried sigh.

"Shulan...... I'm afraid a catastrophe is coming! ”

At this time, Li Hongzao did not hold a grudge and anger because of Huang Tifang's rude collision, but was worried about Huang Tifang's life.

"Why did the teacher say that?" Zhang Peilun didn't want the teacher to know that he had heard their quarrel just now, so he pretended to be puzzled and asked.

"Youqiao, do you know what is said in the fold on the orchid? Every sentence is a statement that angers the Queen Mother! And it was even on the auspicious day of the Queen Mother's longevity! He's ...... Isn't this self-defeating? Alas! Li Hongzao sighed.

"When I went to Yodoyuan to congratulate the day before yesterday, I heard Shulan talk about this on the train, and I wanted to persuade him to come at that time, but because of the large number of people in the car, I couldn't persuade him." Zhang Peilun remembered the scene on the train that day, and couldn't help sighing.

"It's a good thing you didn't say it, but if you did, he might not listen to it, but it also involved you." Li Hongzao's face was full of helplessness, and he said, "Heaven is evil, it is still violated; You will not live! It's up to him! ”

"Teacher, what did Shulan write in the excerpt that made the teacher so uneasy, why should he make this assertion?" Zhang Peilun asked.

"He participated in the impeachment of Lin Yizhe's four major crimes, one was to secretly build a railway in Dianyuan and destroy the dragon vein; the second is to secretly urge foreign envoys to participate in the birthday ceremony to change the summer; the third is to bewitch the emperor and queen to go out of the palace to inspect the sailor, wanting to do wrong; Fourth, the merchants who were greedy for ink were robbed of two pieces of silver. Li Hongzao said, "And the words are extremely unbearable, he didn't discuss with me in advance, so he made his own own decision on this fold, it is said that the emperor was furious after seeing it, and wanted to hand it over to the criminal department to discuss his crime strictly, for Weng Shuping's birthday of the queen mother, it is not appropriate to dissuade him with heavy blame." ”

Hearing Li Hongzao's story, Zhang Peilun couldn't help but be secretly frightened.

"Although the emperor is not responsible this time, it is not necessarily that he will not reopen the old accounts in the future! I said a few words to him, and he didn't repent, alas! Li Hongzao sighed, "I heard that the Queen Mother knew what was written in his fold, and there were words such as 'I am unhappy today, and I will make him unhappy for life'!" Don't you know the temper of the Queen Mother? If he does this, maybe one day, a catastrophe will come! ”

"That's what the teacher said. I'm afraid this matter won't end here. Zhang Peilun sighed.

"In detail, he participated in Lin Yizhe's four articles, and the first two seemed to have nothing to do with Lin Yizhe. The railway was built by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and foreign envoys congratulated him, and there was already a precedent. Li Hongzao said, "But Lin Yizhe asked the emperor and queen to go out of the palace to Tianjin Dagukou to review the water division, although his intention was good, it was to show the countries that our Da Qing Shui Division was strong in defeating Japan, and it was not like two opium battles, allowing people to cross the sea, but it was not in line with the etiquette, it was not necessary for Meng Lang, but it was not a big crime." There is no solid evidence for the embezzlement of ink, but I heard that he had taken millions of taels of silver from the Japanese to plunder the merchants from the captured Japanese ships, all of which went into his private pocket. If such a thing happens, it is a great sin. ”

"The students have inquired that this 'parade style' is a Western ceremony, and it is extremely inappropriate to use the Western ceremony as the queen mother's birthday congratulations and change the ancestral system. But you need to be reasonable, otherwise, you will only get into trouble. Zhang Peilun nodded and said.

"This 'parade', I think, it's better not to be on the fold." Li Hongzao said to Zhang Peilun earnestly, "Lin Yizhe takes this as the birthday gift of the Queen Mother, and the timing of the fire is very exquisite, this is the method of accomplishing things through the Queen Mother's birthday ceremony, which is really smart, at this time, the excerpt will definitely anger the Queen Mother, so, Youqiao, it is not that the teacher does not have such courage, but the time is not right, it is not only ineffective, but it will harm itself, it is not worth it!" ”

"What the teacher said is that the students will not participate in this matter, so please rest assured." Zhang Peilun said.

"A few of you, it's the most reassuring to count you as a teacher, alas!" Hearing that Zhang Peilun agreed not to fold, Li Hongzao showed a look of relief and nodded again and again.

At this time, Li Hongzao didn't know that Zhang Peilun had no intention of impeaching Lin Yizhe from the beginning.

In Zhang Peilun's mind, the face of the little eunuch named Ran Xingcong on the train suddenly appeared, as well as the figures of the people on both sides of the road when the train was moving. The words that Ran Xingcong said also echoed in his ears again.

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The Times: Beijing Express:

“…… It has long been said that when the railway entered China, the common people were worried that it would damage feng shui and tried their best to hinder it. This kind of rhetoric existed in a large number of letters from Qing officials, even among enlightened officials within the Qing Empire, such as Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, and Shen Baozhen. ”

"But strangely, during the construction and operation of the first railway on Chinese soil, this phenomenon did not occur. When China's first small railroad appeared on the outskirts of Beijing, the reaction of the residents of Beijing to the royal railway was not too unusual, but similar to that of the inhabitants of London: not only did they not oppose the railway, but on the contrary, many watched and even followed it with curiosity. Adams, a reporter from this newspaper, went to the railway site to report on the people's reaction: In addition to the residents near Beijing, even residents dozens of miles away came to watch the railway by horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws, two-wheeled vehicles, and other means of transportation, and the number of them reached more than 1,000 people every day. Merchants also took the opportunity to set up shopping malls along the railway line. Touring the railway became a major event that the Chinese people talked about at that time. Some people who live in the city and don't go out all year round also bring their relatives and friends to watch, and the parking lot, which was originally deserted, has become a lively area. ”

"For the officials of the Qing Empire, somewhat contrary to their previous expectations, there was no opposition from the Chinese in this area. On the contrary, in the middle of the project, there is a growing interest. …… When the mile road has been completed, the stone foundation has been laid in layers, and the railroad tracks have been moved, the whole countryside is filled with joy. Thousands of residents of neighbouring towns and villages flock daily to watch the work unfold and discuss everything from small locomotives to paving stones. Everyone was very happy, and it was evident that they were eagerly looking forward to a pleasant day. Old men and children, old women and little girls, scholars, artisans, peasants - all classes of society are represented. ……”

The Mekars: On the East (1883):

“…… Obviously, the emergence of railways in China does not conform to the consistent glorious description of 'the Chinese people oppose the construction of railways in China by Western imperialist countries', nor does it conform to the popular critical expression of 'ignorant people reject railways as a modern civilization on the grounds of destroying feng shui'. But this is precisely the truth of the facts: the collective rationality of the people pursues profit, and no one voluntarily becomes a captive of the ******** under conditions of free choice. ……”

"Dianshizhai Pictorial: Imperial City Railway":

“…… It is given to board the bus for the first time to travel. Only to see the railway on both sides of the onlookers gathered, the number of people who want to take the bus is innumerable, and the passenger car is really not enough. The train was unseen by the Chinese, and they did not know that it was dangerous, and women and children lived in most of them. Hear the sound of the rattle bell first, and the cover shows that everyone must be in place, and they must not board the car again. The passengers in the car were all happy, and the onlookers were all applauding, staring, and the car was speeding away in an instant, and the body felt as far away as a hanging. ……”

The British "Daily Telegraph": When the Chinese are no longer afraid of the waves:

“…… The parade fleet was lined up in a long line, and the huge red dragon flag fluttered on the ship. These dragon flags, the naval flags of the Qing Empire, now serve as national flags, and a total of more than 40 warships - including 16 warships of the Qing Imperial Navy and warships from Western countries - assembled at Dagukou in Tianjin on November 22, 1874, to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Empire. ”

"A total of 12 warships of the Chinese Navy and four warships captured from Japan were reviewed, and their names showed the confidence of a powerful empire: 'Fujing', 'Jianjing', 'Weiyuan', 'Chengqing', 'Yuyuan', 'Henghai', 'Kangji' and 'Longxiang'. This spectacular and deterrent parade was for both friendly and non-friendly countries to see the power of the Qing Empire. What's more, the build-up of such a large fleet did not require the drawing of a single ship from the detachments defending the Ryukyus and other shipping lines of the empire. ”

"The frenzy brought about by the victory over Japan swept through the whole of China. Some foreign newspapers wrote, 'If any Chinese is indifferent at the sight of such a magnificent and exciting scene, he is clearly not a patriot or a true subject of the empire.' ’”

"The strait where the parade took place was packed with small boats carrying tanned sightseers that shuttled between the huge warships. Only when the royal yacht 'Yongqing' sails by, these sightseeing boats will automatically give way to a passage. The ship, called the Yongqing, originally belonged to China Merchants and is now used as a royal yacht. The royal yacht carried two queen mothers, two princes, Prince Gong and Prince Alcohol, and it is strange that there was no figure of the emperor on the royal yacht. He was supposed to come to inspect on behalf of his mother. It is reported that the emperor himself was not feeling well and was very tired from the other activities of the celebration, so he could only stay in the palace on the shore and watch the grand parade with binoculars. ”

"Traditionally, there is a parade on coronations and other national celebrations, and this time the Queen Mother's birthday celebration was also the case, and the fleets of Western countries in Asia were invited to participate in the first parade of the Chinese Navy. The Chinese Navy saved the country in this war against Japan. But in the invited fleet, we can still see Japanese warships. …… After two fierce naval battles, the current Japanese Navy was left with a pathetic empty shell. Japan's defense ministers and civilian officials, who are responsible for naval armaments, are so embarrassed by the fact that they are silent about the parade, hoping that no one will notice the role of the Japanese navy in this week's celebrations. ”

"I have interviewed whether the Japanese Navy is holding a parade, and a captain of the Japanese Navy who recently completed his duty said that Japan's Ministry of Defense has made it clear that no one is allowed to comment on the matter in public. He said, 'Otherwise it would be too embarrassing.' There were not many of our warships, and some of them were captured by the Chinese. There are only a few poor boats left in the country, and it is too difficult to have a spectacular parade. Insisting on holding a ship parade can only make Japan embarrassed. When I asked him what the Japanese Navy would look like if it were to do a parade, he said, 'Because the number of warships has been so drastically reduced, Japan is trying to figure out how to find a way for our latest ship, a pole minecraft that we have purchased from the United States, .......'" There was unspeakable frustration in his words. ”