The next day, just after noon, three guests were welcomed to Kulen's Bohai Prison State Yamen, they were Yixin's teacher Zhuo Bingtian, Zeng Guofan's former friend Wu Ren, and Yixin's father-in-law Guerjia. Gui Liang. After Zeng Guofan welcomed the three of them to the study, he drank back from the attendants, and then said to the three Qing officials wearing flower feathers with a wry smile: "We finally meet." I thought you didn't look down on me. ”

Wu Ren and Gui Liang did not answer, but smiled softly and bitterly.

"Disheng, what do you say, how do you sound like you are in the Great Ming and your heart is clear?" Zhuo Bingtian replied half-jokingly, "Aren't you afraid that there are masters of the Jinyi Guard watching?" ”

After Zhuo Bingtian finished speaking, Zeng Guofan said seriously: "As far as I know, the emperor's Jinyi guard does not monitor the ministers, because the emperor is extremely upright in the world, and all the officials are happy and convinced, so this dynasty can't help but talk about the road, does not promote literary prisons, and there are no eunuchs in the palace." ”

"I avenged the Ming Dynasty in the Qing Dynasty, but Zhu Shun will take revenge, and the ungrateful thief still dares to speak up?" Wu Ren smiled coldly and said, "I don't want to build the prison of words, but I hunt and kill scholars on a large scale, has the bloodstains on Gongyuan Street in Chengdu been washed away?" ”

Zeng Guofan shook his head and said: "There was not a drop of blood shed on the streets of Gongyuan, but 19 subordinate officials of the Bohai Mansion were arrested, but the emperor did not blame the Bohai Mansion for this, and after the Chengdu Mansion found out the truth, Su Shun and others were released." Ugong Peak, you're running a little early. ”

"Are you serious? Would he be so kind? ”

"True is true, false is false. I don't know how they appeared in Chengdu, but they really have nothing to do with the Sichuan scholars' troubles, and the Son of Heaven is so capable of adding crimes? Do you think there will be anti-poetry cases such as 'Qingfeng is illiterate, why do you flip through books' in this dynasty? ”

It is true that Zeng Guofan did not deceive Wuren. It is easy to find out whether Su Shun and others have anything to do with the Sichuan scholars. Han Si, Liu Rong and others played truthfully after the investigation was clear. Zhu Jishi didn't use his desire to add sin. In his opinion, Sichuan scholars are not enemies, and there is no need to deal with them by unscrupulous means, as long as the Sichuan imperial examination is postponed indefinitely, sooner or later they will succumb.

If you want to fabricate a crime, even if you don't have Su Shun, you can still press other charges on Sichuan scholars. But in that case, it will lead to a bad head. In the future, Xinming's political disputes will become more and more bottomless. This kind of thing is not conducive to the long-term peace and stability of the country.

"When today's son acts in a dignified and upright manner, so he will not fabricate charges and frame his courtiers, and the Duke of Bohai can enter the court with confidence."

"Into the court!?" Gui Liang looked at Zeng Guofan with blazing eyes, "Could it be that the Zhu family is going to withdraw the Bohai Domain?" If you don't believe your words like this, you can still convince the world!? ”

"The emperor will not take the initiative to order the withdrawal of the domain, but the Duke of Bohai can ask for the withdrawal of the domain and enter the court."

"Asking for the removal of the feudal domain?"

"Not bad. Asking for the withdrawal of the feudal domain was the only way out for the Duke of Bohai. ”

"Humph!"

Gui Liang and Wu Ren snorted coldly at the same time. Zhuo Bingtian frowned and said, "Bohai Gong has no second heart for the Son of Heaven. ”

Zeng Guofan smiled coldly: "Whether there are two hearts is not said with your mouth!" Brother Jingyuan, do you think that the emperor really doesn't know about Bohai Gong's collusion with Russia? The Russian state has an embassy in Kulen...... Didn't the Duke of Bohai know that the Ludao Domain had no diplomacy? ”

Gui Liang said in a deep voice: "I have an army of 200,000 in the Bohai Sea, and it is thousands of miles away from Northern Manchuria. If there is a war, the deer will die. Not sure! ”

Zeng Guofan grinned, and the reaction of Gui Liang and the others was already expected, "Do you think that my Zeng Guofan came to Mongolia to harm the Duke of Bohai?" ”

Zhuo Bingtian sighed and said: "Disheng is here to save Bohai Gong, but ......"

"But Bohai Gong is burdened with the ancestral inheritance." Zeng Guofan continued Zhuo Bingtian's words and said, "It's a pity that now is not the year of the Apocalypse and the Year of Chongzhen in the former Ming Dynasty, and today's son is not Song Huizong, but a generation of heroes like Ming Taizu and Tang Taizong." Do you think there is still any possibility of recovery in the Qing Dynasty? ”

Zeng Guofan sighed and stopped, waiting for the loyal reaction of the three Great Qings.

The heads of the three people drooped, none of them believed that the Qing Dynasty could recover, and it would be good to survive for a few years. Gui Liang said coldly: "The Qing Dynasty also has Mongolia, North Manchuria, Tibet, Xinjiang and most of Gansu. ”

"Is there really one?" Zeng Guofan said with a smile, "The four Khans of Khalkha Mongolia rushed to send their daughters to Yingtian, and the imperial court has more than 500,000 troops in Northern Manchuria, do you really think you can hold Mongolia and Northern Manchuria?" ”

Zhuo Bingtian shook his head: "I can't keep it." ”

"Since you can't hold it, why can't Bohai Gong take a step back to save his life and his people?" Zeng Guofan said, "I really came to protect the surname of Aixin Jueluo and hundreds of thousands of lives in the Eight Banners, if you all spare your lives, then there should be no such thing, the daughters of the four Khans of Khalkha Mongolia have been sacrificed, I can go back to restore my life, you can do it yourself." ”

After speaking, Zeng Guofan picked up the tea bowl and was about to send off the guests. Zhuo Bingtian hurriedly said: "The matter of withdrawing the feudal domain is urgent, there must always be a time to prepare." ”

Gui Liang and Wu Ren stood up abruptly when they heard this, but they wanted to speak but were stopped by Zhuo Bingtian with his eyes, Zhuo Bingtian said again: "And the cost of withdrawing the feudal domain is huge, the 200,000 army must be disbanded, and hundreds of thousands of Eight Banner disciples must also follow...... I'm afraid I can't withdraw it without two or three million silver! ”

"Twenty or thirty million ......" Zeng Guofan laughed, "Zhuo Jingyuan, now the Aixin Jueluo clan and hundreds of thousands of people of the Eight Banners want to save their lives, not the Ming Emperor wants to spend money to buy peace, you don't cherish this most difficult way to survive at all?" ”

The three loyal ministers of the Qing Dynasty looked at each other, Gui Liang's face was pale, Wu Ren's brows were furrowed, only Zhuo Bingtian was calm, shook his head and said: "This matter is very big, let's go back and discuss it with the sixth master." ”

……

After receiving the reports of Zhuo Bingtian, Gui Liang and Wu Ren, Yi Xin summoned Yi Xin's envoy Guerjia. Changshou, the Russian envoy Baron Zaitsev, Yixin's fifth brother Yi Cheng and others were discussing the possibility of war with the Ming Dynasty.

"He must be following the example of my Qing dynasty to win over the Mongols. This Zhu Jishi is too cunning! ”

"But the strength of the Khalkha Mongol Four Khans is weak, and there is no new army at all, what role can it play?"

"Logistics and intelligence! As long as there is the support of the Khalkha Mongol Four Khans, Zhu Jishi doesn't have to worry about being led by our nose at all. If we can't take advantage of the vast terrain to deal with him, we will not be his opponent at all in a real decisive battle. ”

"It seems that we must unite with the fourth master, and we can retreat to Gansu and Xinjiang if it's a big deal." Gualca. Changshou stood tall and looked at Yi Xin with blazing eyes, "No matter what, you can't withdraw the annex of the domain, this is surrendering to Zhu Yi!" ”

"Of course!" Yi Xin said. "Zhu Jishi is a villain who has no faith in his words, once it is attached, our hundreds of thousands of clansmen will become fish on the chopping board!"

"That's right! Can't include it! ”

"The problem now is the Khalkha Mongol Four Khans, once they take refuge in Zhu Yi's side, we will be isolated."

Everyone immediately closed their mouths and looked at each other - the four sweats had clearly taken refuge in the past, not just in case.

"Then we have to fight with them." Yi Xin said coldly. "You have to start first! Destroy the Khalkha Mongol Four Khans! ”

This decision is bold enough when the time comes, but the question is how to destroy it? The people in the room immediately launched various imaginations: first capture the thief and capture the king first, summon all the high-ranking officials of the four khans to Kulen, and then secretly deploy troops to wipe them out......

"So it's not necessarily certain, do you want to ask Governor Muravyov for help?" Gualca. Changshou also proposed, "If there are 5,000 Russian soldiers, it should be possible to sweep away the Khalkha Mongol Four Khans." ”

Zhuo Bingtian reminded: "It's not enough to get rid of the leaders of the Four Khans, the key is to avoid collusion between the remnants of the Four Khans and Zhu Jishi, I heard that Zhu Jishi has 6,000 guards cavalry is very powerful, and it will be troublesome if he sends it to Mongolia." ”

Wu Ren gritted his teeth and said: "Then you can't let the county lord of the Four Khans and Jebu Zundamba go to Yingtian, otherwise things will be difficult to handle!" ”

"But they're going to leave soon!"

"Then you can only do it immediately! Kill the King of the Four Khans and the Prince of the Four Khans in Kulen! Wu Ren said in a deep voice, "Even Zeng Guofan was killed together!" ”

"You can't kill ...... now" Yi Xin stood up abruptly and slapped the table, "Go and invite Zeng Guofan to come to the mansion for me, I want to talk to him about the withdrawal of the domain!" (To be continued......)