In the barracks, Li Hongzhang looked at Wang Sirui opposite, and couldn't recover his emotions for a long time.

Shocked, except shocked or shocked.

At the age of only twenty-three, he is able to do things that others may not be able to do for decades. Through a brief conversation, Wang Sirui gave Li Hongzhang the feeling of being an old man in his twilight, and he couldn't hear the arrogance of young people at all.

"Do you know what kind of talent the imperial court needs now?" Li Hongzhang sighed secretly in his heart, and the intention of cherishing talents in his heart couldn't help but trigger.

Li Hongzhang is a very upright person, and ordinary people will never enter his eyes.

is like the father of the nation, the father of the country directly found Li Hongzhang and wanted to seek an official position under Li Hongzhang, but Li Hongzhang didn't look down on the father of the nation, so he didn't agree.

After being rejected several times, the Father of the Nation began an anti-Qing plan.

Although looking at this history from the perspective of later generations, I feel that if Li Hongzhang accepts the father of the nation, the Qing Dynasty may be able to survive for a few more years in the future.

But from another point of view, Li Hongzhang was not optimistic about the father of the nation back then, and it was not without reason. And the father of the nation at that time happened to have a mouth that could speak, but he didn't let people see the real talent.

And Li Hongzhang is a person who cherishes talents, and even did not hesitate to let his twenty-two-year-old daughter marry Zhang Peilun, who is in his forties and has been married for three times.

Similarly, the current Li Hongzhang has seen Wang Sirui's talent.

It was Wang Sirui's talent that attracted Li Hongzhang's attention and made Li Hongzhang feel sorry.

If Wang Sirui could have been born thirty years earlier, his current status must not be worse than his own. Maybe it was Wang Sirui who Zeng Guofan finally recommended back then, not Li Hongzhang.

"Now the imperial court doesn't need any kind of talent!" Wang Sirui shook his head, he didn't plan to lie to Li Hongzhang.

This is not because Wang Sirui plans to follow Li Hongzhang, but there is a trace of resonance between the two, and Wang Sirui firmly believes that Li Hongzhang will never leak today's conversation.

Of course, about some important ideas, Wang Sirui also has a bottom line in his heart, what can be said and what cannot be said, Wang Sirui knows better than anyone else.

"Oh? Why? Li Hongzhang was slightly stunned, he thought that Wang Sirui was more stable, like an old man in the twilight, but then Li Hongzhang saw his arrogant and rampant side.

"The two palaces are fighting, and the court is not safe!" Wang Sirui said.

Li Hongzhang looked at Wang Sirui in astonishment, and some didn't believe that this sentence actually came out of Wang Sirui's mouth.

But what Wang Sirui said was to the point, which made people have to be convinced.

Today's court is indeed like Wang Sirui said, the two palaces are fighting, and the court is not safe.

What the Queen Mother needs is obedient, honest, and doesn't have too many ideas. As long as the Manchu Qing Dynasty can be defended, the stability of the country can be guaranteed.

And what the emperor needs is talented, thoughtful, and people who dare to break the rules.

But the two palaces competed, and the only one who won was the more sophisticated Empress Dowager Cixi, and most of the people on the emperor's side were young people, full of spirit, but their means were not good.

Therefore, after Guangxu failed, the talents gathered around him were either killed or degraded, and none of them were reused.

"You know this, but why do you want to show your edge?" Li Hongzhang continued to ask.

Li Hongzhang's meaning is obvious, since Wang Sirui already knows his future, why should he work so hard to kill the enemy and serve the country?

Rather than fighting with the enemy with enthusiasm, not only did he fail to seal the territory and worship the marquis, but was disposed of by the imperial court, it is better to be a couple, relying on the power in his hand to occupy one side, and be a soil emperor.

"The Manchurians are unreliable, and they can't watch thousands of Han people being slaughtered by foreigners like pigs, and the great disaster of the nation, who am I not going to do?" Wang Sirui said in a heavy tone.

There was a sense of helplessness in the voice, giving people a sense of loss and sadness.

"This must never be said again!" Li Hongzhang reminded sharply, and immediately changed the topic, he knew that if the discussion continued, he was afraid that it would cause more dissatisfaction with Wang Sirui.

Although Li Hongzhang is also Han and agrees with Wang Sirui's idea, he knows very well that it is not the best way.

Nowadays, the only way to make the Han people live a stable life is to gain a firm foothold in the imperial court as much as possible, and then to fight for more benefits for the Han people.

A stable life, this is the life that the Han people want most.

"I see that your troops are all equipped with Japanese weapons? And there are quite a few heavy machine guns? Li Hongzhang asked.

If Wang Sirui's troops were equipped with Wanguo brand rifles, then Li Hongzhang would naturally not ask that.

But everywhere you look, there are Japanese Type 30 rifles, and at least two heavy machine guns at each city gate.

Now in the barracks where they are, there are no less than ten heavy machine guns.

For heavy machine guns, Li Hongzhang has a deep impression. This kind of thing, even the imperial court can't withstand a large amount of equipment, but Wang Sirui, a temporary army that has only been started for a few months, is equipped with so much.

In addition, the capital has long been swept away by foreigners, and the money has disappeared, which also makes Li Hongzhang have some doubts in his heart.

Of course, if Wang Sirui had not had a previous conversation, Li Hongzhang would not have suspected him. But now, Li Hongzhang has absolute reason to suspect that at least part of the wealth in the capital has been taken away by Wang Sirui.

Otherwise, according to his property, he would not be able to support such a large army at all.

You know, the army fights desperately, there is no high salary, if you just release empty artillery, who will give you your life?

To say that Wang Sirui just wrote empty promises to deceive the troops to fight, I am afraid that even a fool will not believe this.

"A batch of about 2,000 pieces was seized, and a few heavy machine guns were extorted from foreigners. He also snatched more than 4 million taels of silver from the Japanese, and then bought several thousand rifles and 50 heavy machine guns from foreign arms dealers. Wang Sirui adapted it slightly.

Anyway, the money was stolen from the Japanese, and I don't know where they got it, and besides, if the court doesn't give me money during the war, am I not allowed to figure it out myself?

As for the gold and silver treasures in the city that were collected by foreigners, they had long been hidden by Wang Sirui.

Otherwise, why did you create the illusion that there were still a large number of remnants in the city some time ago? The purpose was to cover the transfer of these gold and silver treasures.

Where the gold and silver treasures need to be moved, empty guns are fired in that area, making the sound of battle, so that the people dare not show their heads to see what is happening outside.

Where are the treasures of gold and silver? is still in the capital, and even in the military camp where they are currently located, otherwise Wang Sirui would be stupid to deploy so many troops here, don't look at the surface there are only ten heavy machine guns, in fact, there are no less than fifteen heavy machine guns in secret.

And this military camp has always been garrisoned by two battalions of troops, and the external declaration is resting.

Li Hongzhang nodded, although Wang Sirui generously admitted it, but he didn't believe that it was really only four million taels of silver.

But Li Hongzhang didn't want to pursue anything, after all, Wang Sirui didn't snatch it directly from his own people. The silver was robbed by the foreigners, and it was nothing for him to snatch it back from the foreigners for military expenses.

No matter what others think, anyway, Li Hongzhang didn't plan to expose Wang Sirui's incident, so it should be regarded as compensation for him.

"What are your plans after this battle?" Li Hongzhang continued to ask.

"Plans? The money is more than one million taels of silver, which is enough for me to live the rest of my life. Wang Sirui looked like he was resigned to his fate.

"Alas, go to the United States, I have some ways in the United States, but I can keep you safe." Li Hongzhang said.

"Lord Zhongtang, no matter how good it is abroad, it is not as good as my hometown, instead of going to the United States, which is thousands of miles away, it is better to go to Hong Kong, which is separated from the country, at least I can still see my hometown people there, and when the wind is not tight, I can also return to China to visit." Wang Sirui replied.

Li Hongzhang nodded, closer to the closer, but in any case, Hong Kong is also the territory of the British. And Li Hongzhang's relationship with the British is not bad, and it is not impossible to arrange for Wang Sirui to go to Hong Kong.

It's just that the imperial court also has some forces in Hong Kong, and if Wang Sirui goes to Hong Kong, Li Hongzhang will have to spend some effort to persuade the imperial court not to use those forces to deal with this meritorious hero who has contributed to the country.

"Okay, let's go to Hong Kong!"