"England ostensibly has the most powerful navy in the world, controlling all the world's most important straits. Firmly stuck in the economic lifeblood of the world. But England has an Achilles' heel. Did Li Qing ever understand? ”

"England has the largest colony in the world and the strongest navy. The minister couldn't understand what the emperor was referring to. ”

"Population." Guangxu smiled after speaking: "England's own population is too small, and there are too many overseas colonies. Not enough to rule the colonies with their own people. This will inevitably lead to Ingie using the natives to help him rule. Nationalism is on the rise in the world. In order to maintain its rule, England had to add more troops to the region. These contradictions are exacerbated by the lack of the country's population. The Boer War in the eighth year of Guangxu had already made England tired. And even more so today, ten years later. Today, England pursues a policy of glorious isolation and non-alignment, and they focus on global strategy. The lack of troops made it impossible for England to wage a large-scale war. Therefore, they need a stable local government axe to maintain their rule. In the Atlantic, France, Germany, and Tsarist Russia all challenged the authority of England. Navy, France in challenging England's first position; In the Middle East, Tsarist Russia never gave up its greed for land. The Kaiser even made it clear that he wanted to fight for the land under the sun. Economically, the United States' vast economic capacity also requires dumping markets. England wants to keep its position as the number one in the world, but it can't afford to guarantee it. So England is looking for helpers all over the world, and today I see that you are strong, so I will support that one to deal with you. Tomorrow, when I see that one is strong, I will support one more family to restrain that one. England was already exhausted. ”

Guangxu said this, looked at Li Hongzhang, who was full of astonishment, and stopped. Guangxu knew to give him some time to think about it.

looked at Li Hongzhang and didn't speak for a long time. Guangxu continued: "England is too far away, let's talk about the Qing Dynasty." Tsarist Russia still wanted to own more land in the Far East. That can only be done to me, and if England wants to curb the ambitions of Tsarist Russia, it must find a helper in the Far East. Of course, it is best to find me in the Qing Dynasty, but I have a population of 45 million in the Qing Dynasty. They understand that when our Qing Dynasty can compete with Tsarist Russia, they will also lose control of our Qing Dynasty. Therefore, in the south, they indulged France to provoke our Qing Dynasty, and in the east, they supported and restrained our Qing Dynasty. So that our Qing Dynasty can fight against Tsarist Russia, but it is in their hands. So as long as we don't provoke him, as long as it's within their tolerance, they won't start a war. Moreover, England is strong in the navy, and the road army cannot enter the eye of me. Li Qing can understand this. ”

Li Hongzhang knelt on the ground: "The old minister has been in foreign affairs for many years, and he thinks that he is the first person in the Qing Dynasty who is familiar with today's situation. Now the emperor's words are like an empowerment. Only then did the old minister understand that the old minister had just lived in vain for many years. ”

"Aiqing is too modest, I think. Qing should be the first capable minister of the Qing Dynasty. Aiqing's strategy of using razing to defeat raze is right, but what is wrong is that we ourselves are too weak. ”

"What does the emperor think about the current situation, how should I deal with myself?"

"Population, the same population."

"Population? What does this have to do with the Qing Dynasty and the Western powers? Li Hongzhang deserves to be the first capable minister of the Qing Dynasty, and after thinking about it, he understood: "What does the emperor mean - the market? ”

However, the huge population of the Qing Dynasty meant a huge market. This is the cake that everyone in the Western powers is nostalgic for. If you put a big piece of cake in front of them at this time, their greedy surname will fight over who can take the cake for themselves. This is the time for us fishermen to profit. Let them build factories for us, build railways. Let them nurture talent from all walks of life for us. When we become stronger, we will be able to take back rights and interests such as customs. At this time, we will develop our own industry and agriculture. In this way, we can stand in the forest of the world. But before we can do that, we need to solve our great problem once and for all. ”

"In the seventh year of Guangxu, less than a year after the "Repair Regulations" were renewed, it was said that under the pretext of the killing of Ryukyu drifters in Taiwan, he brazenly sent troops to attack Taiwan, and then annexed our subject country Ryukyu. In recent years, the army has been strong. In North Korea, it is even more aggressive, which means that I am a Qing Dynasty. The minister has already repeatedly asked the military aircraft department to beware of this book, but no one cares about it at all. ”

"What Qing Zhi thinks is exactly what I am worried about, and I am here to ask you. If the Qing Dynasty starts a war, how sure are you of victory? ”

"It's just a small country, a small place. The territory of the Qing Dynasty is dozens of times that of it, and the fiscal revenue is also dozens of times that of it. No matter how old the Beiyang Naval Division is, it is also the first fleet in Asia. If Ben really waved his troops to come, I couldn't wait too much, and he would be defeated. ”

"My first powerful minister in the Qing Dynasty is so despised, no wonder the Manchu Dynasty civil and military are not taken seriously. I asserted that if the Qing Dynasty started a war, our Qing Dynasty would be defeated. I ask you, how much does Ben spend on the military every year, how many troops and ships do they have, and how will they behave? Gu Youyun "Knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent can lead to victory in a hundred battles" I can have a few people in the Qing Dynasty know, how can I not be undefeated enough. ”

"I come to tell you that 7 to 8 percent of the annual treasury revenue is used for military spending, and in the thirteenth year of Guangxu, Xiao Chuan of the army staff once again gave their emperor a discount, and the name is called "Qing State Expedition Strategy", I have seen it. In this strategy, we have the number of brave defense troops in each province of the Qing Dynasty, the amount of military salaries, the number of weapons and equipment, the number of ships, the number of batteries, the amount of ammunition, and so on. This strategy is clearer than the recital written by the courtiers. It's a pity that I burned it in a rage. ”

"Your Majesty, although the ministers have not been able to see it, they have heard what the emperor said, and the ministers also understand. It takes a long time to write this strategy, and the amount of manpower used is unimaginable. It can be seen that Ben has been planning for me for a long time early in the morning. ”

"The most terrifying thing is that this book has been done in our country so much and penetrated deeply. And your Beiyang is defenseless against this. Wherever I think, the cold rises from my heart. After speaking, he looked at Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang watched Guangxu staring at himself, and didn't know how to reply for a while.

"A few days ago, I asked people to go to Tianjin. Do you know this? ”

"I don't know about it."

"Looks like they're doing a good job. Qi Yide came in with your things. ”

Qi Yide came in with a cannonball, and before he could let it go, he was frightened by Li Hongzhang and fell to the ground with a loud shout.

Li Hongzhang watched Qi Yide come in with a cannonball, and hurriedly blocked in front of Guangxu in fright, pointing at Qi Yide and shouting: "What does this mean? Li Hongzhang was really scared, although it was possible that the emperor asked Qi Yide to show him, but this must be the palace, bringing a knife in is the crime of killing the head, not to mention a cannonball.

Guangxu smiled and said, "I asked him to bring it." Qi Yide, get up and tell me what you've been doing in the past few days. ”

"Emperor Xie, I have seen Li Zhongtang. Seven said that the former ministers went to Tianjin on the emperor's secret order, but actually went to Weihai. Five days ago, Chen infiltrated the ammunition depot of the Beiyang Navy Base in Weihai and stole five shells. Three of them are so average. After speaking, Qi Yide removed the warhead and poured out the sand from it: "In a fit of anger, the minister put the sand from the other two shells in the medicine bag, one in the ammunition depot of the Dingyuan ship, and the other in the ......"

"Needless to say. I'm sure Nakado-sama will find out. Guangxu interrupted Qi Yide and looked at Li Hongzhang with a gloomy face: "If this is done by the enemy, what do you think." In that way, only three or five people would be needed to abolish the Beiyang Naval Division of the Qing Dynasty. ”

Li Hongzhang knelt on the ground: "The minister is guilty of capital crimes." ”

Guangxu stepped forward and helped Li Hongzhang up: "This is not the crime of Qing, but the crime of the Qing Dynasty." I always thought that it was the kingdom of the Heavenly Empire, and I didn't want to forge ahead, so I just got here. I want you to establish a security system for reading. I'll let people go again in a month's time. But maybe it's Lushun. ”

Guangxu waved his hand at Qi Yide, and Qi Yide took out the list that had been prepared and handed it to Li Hongzhang. Guangxu said: "These individuals don't need to be tried, find an excuse to raid all their homes." The proceeds are still put in the Qing first, and I have another use. There's no way I'm poor. ”

Before the words fell, Liu Mei came to report: Li Lianying came to the imperial study.

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