As night slowly enveloped the land of the two lakes, the backyard of the Governor's Palace became brightly lit. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Dozens of round tables are very neatly arranged in the courtyard.

At this moment, the guests invited by Zhang Zhidong began to enter the venue one after another.

Although everyone still doesn't know what the purpose of Zhang Zhidong suddenly held this banquet? However, with everyone's understanding of Zhang Zhidong, these guests still came without hesitation.

Soon, dozens of large round tables were filled with gentry and merchants.

At the beginning of the banquet, Zhang Zhidong didn't say a word, but kept beckoning everyone to eat and drink.

When the whole banquet is halfway through, it has reached its climax. Zhang Zhidong directly asked his personal guards to announce the good news that the Liaodong Army had eliminated the second division of the Japanese army in Guan, which greatly boosted the morale of the people.

Like Zhang Zhidong at the beginning, at first, everyone didn't believe that the news was true.

Although everyone knows that there is a Liaodong Army in Guan, everyone knows that Japan is a great power, and until now, the imperial court still needs to accompany Japan with money every year.

Isn't it a joke that such a great power, which even the imperial court is afraid of and will have to pay for silver, will be placed in the hands of a Liaodong army that is not even a regular army?

Therefore, everyone did not believe that the Japanese would be defeated, and they did not believe that the Liaodong Army could destroy more than 10,000 elites of a main division of the Japanese army.

At this moment, Zhang Zhidong opened his mouth and told everyone at the banquet with his very positive answer. The news that everyone heard was true, the Liaodong Army really wiped out more than 16,000 elites of a main division of the Japanese army.

At this time, there were bursts of applause in the courtyard of Nuoda. Everyone is talking about this Liaodong Army, which once again created a miracle for the Chinese people and slapped the Japanese in the face.

And under Zhang Zhidong's special explanation, this good atmosphere lasted for five minutes before stopping.

Just after everyone's eyes were focused on themselves again, Zhang Zhidong's tone of speech suddenly changed, and he continued: "The Liaodong Army has won a great victory, which has greatly boosted the morale of the country, so that the great powers no longer dare to underestimate us. However, because of all kinds of helplessness. Not only could the imperial court not reward the Liaodong Army, but it couldn't even provide some help to the Liaodong Army......"

"As a person with a conscience, I don't want to see the Liaodong Army wiped out by the Japanese and Lao Maozi because there is no support, so. I decided to support the Liaodong Army in my own name...... Let the Liaodong Army stay in the Guan, continue to fight against the Japanese and Lao Maozi, and strive to one day drive the Japanese and Lao Maozi out of the Guanwai and recover the Liaodong ......"

"In order to support the Liaodong Army. The old man decided to privately take out 10,000 taels of silver as military expenses to support the Liaodong Army...... At the same time, the old man will also select fifty guards from his own escort team according to the principle of voluntariness and send them to the Liaodong Army, so that they can fight the Japanese and Lao Maozi......"

"And the old man is giving you a banquet in his own name today, just hoping that everyone can support the Liaodong Army together like the old man......"

Zhang Zhidong said this, if the merchants and gentry who came to the banquet did not understand Zhang Zhidong's intentions. Then the first half of their lives will be in vain.

In addition, Zhang Zhidong has taken a lead for everyone, and everyone believes in Zhang Zhidong's character, and supporting the Liaodong Army is also a patriotic move, and he can also behave well in front of Zhang Zhidong.

As soon as Zhang Zhidong said this, the hundreds of guests who came to the banquet immediately rushed to tell Zhang Zhidong the amount of silver they had pledged.

When the banquet was over, hundreds of guests left the governor's palace one after another.

The advisor has counted the pledges of all the guests.

Looking at Zhang Zhidong, the strategist directly reported in his excited voice: "My lord, tonight, we have raised a total of 584,500 taels of silver for the Liaodong Army. In addition, there are more than 2,000 family members and guardians, who will follow Yinzi to the Governor's Mansion and go to join the Liaodong Army outside the Guan. Beat the Japanese, beat the old Maozi ......"

"Good, good...... You immediately arrange for people to send the silver and more than 2,000 soldiers to the customs by boat and hand them over to the Liaodong army......"

What Zhang Zhidong didn't expect was. In addition to raising hundreds of thousands of taels of silver for the Liaodong Army and sending more than 2,000 recruits to the Liaodong Army, his banquet tonight also brought a very huge benefit to the Liaodong Army.

The people who can be invited to the banquet by Zhang Zhidong are all people who have some great influence in the territory of the two lakes.

Under the spread of these people, the news that the Liaodong Army had wiped out more than 16,000 elite Japanese troops in a field division of the Japanese army was like a plague, which quickly spread in the territory of Lianghu and quickly spread to other surrounding provinces.

For a time, everyone was talking about the Liaodong Army.

Among them, some people of insight, or young people who were increasingly dissatisfied with the cowardice shown by the imperial court, immediately pinned their hopes for the future on the Liaodong Army.

Especially when they heard that the Liaodong Army, which had won a great victory in Liaodong, urgently needed all kinds of reinforcements.

Many people carried their luggage and embarked on the journey to Guanwai, preparing to support the Liaodong Army and join the Liaodong Army.

The Forbidden City, the true ruling center of the Qing Empire.

As the Empress Dowager Cixi got older, the time that could be used to deal with national affairs became shorter and shorter.

After just more than an hour of approval, Cixi who was sitting in the chair became tired.

The eunuchs who were waiting on the side hurriedly helped the Empress Dowager Cixi to the side to rest, serving tea and pinching shoulders, so lively.

At this moment, Cixi, who was squinting at a pair of eyes, suddenly spoke: "Lianying, is there any interesting thing outside the palace recently, tell the mourning family, and let the mourning family follow Lele." Every day in front of these twists and turns, the mourning family is tired of ......"

"Lafayette, there is really a big event outside the palace, and it's a good thing......" Li Lianying hurriedly replied.

"Uh...... Let's hear it. Cixi's eyes lit up and she hurriedly asked.

Li Lianying replied with a smile: "Lafayette, that's the case." Now it is rumored outside the palace that the Oriental Japanese, who wanted to occupy our Liaodong, suffered a big defeat in Liaodong. ”

"I don't know if Lafayette still remembers the Liaodong Army, the Japanese were defeated in the hands of the Liaodong Army. The entire field division of more than 16,000 elite Japanese troops was all killed by the Liaodong Army......"

"Now it is rumored outside that Lafayette, you were wise enough to let Yang Xingguo form the Liaodong Army in Liaodong, which is a very wise decision......"

"Some people also say that God will bless the Qing Dynasty again, let the Japanese also suffer at the hands of the Qing Dynasty, and let the great powers know that our Qing Dynasty also has soldiers to fight, and it is not something they can bully if they want to......"

"It's a good thing, it's really a good thing......" Cixi, who was already shrouded in a thick smile on her face, said with a happy face.

"This Yang Xingguo, the mourning family still remembers...... The mourning family has long wanted to reward him, but in order to avoid causing a diplomatic conflict, the mourning family has never made an order. Now it seems that this Yang Xingguo really did not disappoint himself, and sent such a big surprise to the mourning family......"

After finishing speaking, Cixi continued to ask Li Lianying: "What do the courtiers below think of this matter......

"The courtiers are admiring Lafayette's wise decision......"

However, in order to avoid causing diplomatic conflicts, there was no performance to repay the Liaodong Army. However, in order to support the Liaodong Army, the adults discussed and allowed the people to go to Liaodong spontaneously to support the Liaodong Army......"

"Very good...... Tell the local government that there can be no embarrassment for the people who go to Liaodong...... As long as Japan and Russia do not stand up against it, the imperial court will use this method to continue to support the Liaodong Army......"

"As for the merits of the Liaodong Army, the mourning family will remember it for him. When he has the opportunity, the mourning family will definitely reward him. (To be continued.) )