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Guan Xuqing went to Yonghe Palace to see Concubine De, and heard Wang Shang say that Feng Xianghua was in the study. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 info"I summoned you to find out what role the Russians played in this Northwest rebellion? ”

According to the confession given by the traitors before their deaths, they had reached an agreement with the Russians in advance, and once a war broke out in the country, the Russians would immediately send an army from Vladiwalker into the three northeastern provinces, control the area around Shanhaiguan, and lock the gate outside the pass. But later, when the Russians saw that the limelight was not right, they didn't even dare to send a single soldier. Feng Xianghua, as usual, obtained tangible information from Zhao Bingjun before this recital.

The Russians have coveted our territory three times and twice, and it is tolerable and intolerable. Guan Xuqing knew very well that Russia was the most barbaric and greedy among the Western countries, and that the Tsarist royal family that controlled him also had an almost crazy desire to expand its territory. The border between China and Russia was long and narrow, and Russian expeditions and Cossack cavalry went in and out of the border as if they had crossed the threshold of their own homes, trying to encroach on Chinese land little by little. Such a long border line cannot be defended by stationing one or two divisions, but both the Northeast and Mongolia are far away from Beijing, and the placement of too many troops there will inevitably occupy a lot of manpower and material resources. The contradictions between China and Russia are accumulating little by little, and to a certain extent, the contradictions will inevitably turn into war, but now that the domestic rebellion has just been put down, it is not the time to fight the big stick.

"Note to Vasilev that they have made it clear to me what they are doing on the border, and if they don't stop it immediately, I will immediately shut down all trade with the Russians on the border."

"China and Russia have signed a peace agreement, and I don't think they dare to tear up this contract rashly now." Feng Xianghua asked cautiously.

"The so-called agreement is just a blank slate, and when it really makes a fuss, anyone can find a thousand reasons to tear up the agreement. As a military secretary, you must understand a truth, all the great powers are wolves, their nature is greed, when have you ever seen a wolf that does not eat meat. ”

"The emperor is sage, the minister remembers."

"The military situation in the northwest has just been pacified, and it is best to focus on deterrence against Russia, and recently you will transfer four artillery regiments and a cavalry division to the northeast border to conduct a small-scale military exercise, which can be regarded as a warning to the Russians. I have thought about it for a few days, the most important thing now is the hearts and minds of the people in China, I originally implemented the new policy, which will definitely hit the interests of some people, so I will let Prince Li, Wu Guang and others take advantage of it, so I plan to carry out a national award ceremony, on the one hand, to reward meritorious personnel, on the other hand, to attract people who are dissatisfied with me, or even against me, even if they do not give them real power, it can be effective to give a certain honor, and you will start to organize it tomorrow. Guan Xuqing stared at the world map on the wall, China and Russia, two countries with heavy land plots, are close together, and sooner or later there will be a big battle between bears and elephants.

Two days later, a grand ceremony was held in front of the Zhengda Guangming Palace, and the Minister of Zaifu, who made outstanding contributions in the Sino-French War and the Sino-Japanese War, was naturally commended by the emperor, Guan Xuqing personally awarded Zuo Zongtang (deceased), Li Hongzhang, Feng Xianghua, Zeng Guofan (deceased), these four people Imperial First-Class Medal, although Peng Yulin was a famous minister of Zhongxing, but he provoked two rebellions, and naturally did not get this medal. In order to encompass the widows and young of the Eight Banners, Guan Xuqing also awarded Yi Yu, Zai Lian, and the eight Iron Hat King Empire first-class medals that were originally executed. The remaining two or three princes of the Manchu Qing Dynasty are now powerless, and the prestige of the year has long been gone, but I didn't expect the emperor to be sympathetic to the old feelings and award himself the supreme honor, so he was naturally grateful.

The second-class medal of the empire is awarded to the generals who have made great achievements on the battlefield, on the one hand, the old minister Nie Shicheng (to return to his hometown), Liu Mingchuan, Liu Buchan, Deng Shichang, Liu Yongfu and so on; On the one hand, there are young and middle-aged generals who have risen in recent years, such as Lu Yiwei, Dong Liang, Wang Feng, Luo Ming, Zhao Bingjun and so on.

The third-class imperial medal faced the Chinese officials of the DPRK and the more junior young generals, Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Yan Fu, Yuan Shikai, Duan Zhigui, Pan Dongmin, Wan Tianjie, Lu Rongting, Fang Shizhen, Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang, Zhang Yu and so on.

In order to strengthen ethnic integration, Guan Xuqing also issued a special medal for the protection of the country, which specially commended the leaders of ethnic minorities such as the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, the leaders of the Turghut tribe, and the kings of Mongolian counties.

Guan Xuqing's move has greatly strengthened the integration of different interest groups in the country, and has used a small gold medal to bring together the hearts of the country's civil and military personnel. Officials everywhere praised and admired the emperor to an unprecedented degree, and even the Manchu princes, who had always been critical of the new policy, said that the emperor could be sympathetic to his subordinates and not forget his roots.

Of course, there are also some young officers who are worried that they have not received a first- or second-class medal, and they are gearing up to make new contributions in the future wars, and this is exactly what Guan Xuqing hopes to see.

Guan Xuqing stood in front of the 1:2000000 world map and said to Feng Xianghua and Li Hongzhang behind him: "What I want to know most now is what has changed in the world in the past two months. Especially here. Guan Xuqing put his hand on the Strait of Malacca.

"The British have been moving around a lot here lately." Feng Xianghua looked at Li Hongzhang, the two of them were like mirrors in their hearts, and the emperor's restless heart was about to become restless again.

"Some people say that whoever controls the Indian Ocean controls the whole of Asia, but all the military ports in the south are in Southeast Asia, but Malacca is China's only outlet to the world." Guan Xuqing stared at the Strait of Malacca on the map, his eyes were extremely deep. "The British want to block this exit, what do you think I should do?"

"The emperor means to break the blockade of the British?" Li Hongzhang asked tentatively.

"As long as the Chinese fleet breaks out of Malacca, the whole world will come into our field of vision." Guan Xuqing's eyes flashed, and his tone was extremely confident.

Feng Xianghua and Li Hongzhang glanced at each other, they knew that the emperor was an ambitious and wise monarch, but they didn't expect that the emperor was pretending to be the whole world, although China has made rapid development, but there is still a certain gap compared with the powerful Britain and France, but no one can change what the emperor decides.

"Call Zhang Yu to me." Wang Shang led the order to go out.

There was not much time, Zhang Yu came to see the emperor, when Peng Yulin rebelled, Guan Xuqing transferred Zhang Yu's army to Tongzhou, ready to respond at any time, and after quelling the rebellion, Guan Xuqing transferred Zhang Yu to his side and temporarily took charge of the defense of the capital, which seemed to convey some kind of signal to Zhang Yu, and it would soon be reused by the emperor.

Although Zhang Yu is young, he is calm, especially in the face of major events, he is not impatient or impatient, and he has the demeanor of a general, he listened carefully to Feng Xianghua's narration of the Strait of Malacca, and looked at the emperor from time to time.

"I ask you a question, do you dare to fight a big battle with the British and retake Malacca?" Guan Xuqing stared at Zhang Yu with a smile, and he used this matter to test this young man.

"Dare! The things that the emperor explained were not shirked by the ministers. Zhang Yu said categorically, without the slightest hesitation.

"If this battle is won, I will give you the Order of the Second Class of the Empire!" The medal only represents a symbolic meaning, and Guan Xuqing's meaning is obvious, if he wins, he will promote Zhang Yu to a senior general at the military region level.