On the ground of North Korea, since Xu Yifan put down the Seoul Rebellion, it seems to be very peaceful. After his telegram was sent, the two sides immediately began a battle of negotiating notes back and forth. You protest and I protest back. They are still calling each other out, and they have not yet reached the point of substantive negotiations. Those diplomats of the great powers who eat this bowl of rice can still miss this opportunity? They all made a suggestion on the left and a statement on the right, and in the clouds, everyone was in no hurry to talk about specific issues.

As soon as the matter came to this point, the tense atmosphere between the two armies of the DPRK and China was suddenly relaxed. Everyone knows that for the time being, it will not be able to fight. The warships and warships of the two sides were released one after another, all in the name of protecting overseas Chinese and evacuating overseas Chinese. The sailors of both sides, who did not go ashore, just walked around the sea, and only occasionally approached the pier, and they were heavily guarded by each other.

The representative of the Qing Dynasty has no shadow yet. The representative of the negotiation did not seem to be in a hurry to take it out. In North Korea, the Qing Dynasty is still Xu Yifan, and he is still the acting minister of Sugimura. North Korea is caught in the middle, and it does not dare to talk about things.

In the aftermath of the Great Rebellion, there was a strange atmosphere of peace in Seoul. Everyone seems to know it, and it seems that they are too lazy to continue to entangle.

After a bloody hand-to-hand boxing, both sides of the contestants returned to their side with both hands to catch their breath first.

Everyone understands that this is not the end, but the beginning.

On a riverboat wharf on the edge of the Han River in Seoul, two small steamers whined and roared, and they saw that they were all fully upgraded and ready to pull anchor and set sail. The flags hanging on the two small steamers are also one in the same direction, and the direction of departure will also be opposite. The small steamer of the Qing Dynasty will go straight to Tianjin, and the steamer of Yuben will go to Busan, where it will change to a big ship and return to Yuben.

On the pier, there are few characters, and there are clear barriers. Both sides looked at each other with strange eyes. Only one or two foreigner-looking reporters walked between the two lineups, occasionally taking pictures. After being rejected by the Qing side with a smile, he was dragging the acting minister of Sugimura to talk.

On both fronts, they are seeing them off.

Jiang Feng hunted, and among the Qing side's pile of men and horses, dozens of sergeants wearing Praetorian Guard uniforms guarded a carriage. The wheels had been yellowed, and the windows had been covered with mulberry paper. Several of Ronglu's old family members and old attachés followed the carriage with gloomy expressions, and they wanted to leave a little left and right, but they were pushed back by the Praetorian Guards. Rong Lu was naturally in the car, except for the old family and old soldiers, those flag attachés had long since disappeared. Some of them are still waiting for the errand, which one is not the change? Some of them were also cold, and they wanted to take a boat back to China as soon as possible, but they didn't dare to follow Rong Lu on the same boat, because they got the mold on him. Being an official is a must-have skill.

The desolate appearance of Rong Lu being escorted, the people on the side of the book secretly looked at it from time to time. Among the crowds of ministers from Sugimura who were surrounded, there was a middle-aged man with a straight body and a black beard, wearing an old Western dress and pressing a civilized stick, but he just kept his eyes on those Praetorian Guards who were neat and tidy.

The whistle sounded again and again, and the gangplank was lowered, urging the two sides to board the boat. The commander who escorted Rong Lu was Li Xing, but he did not give the order to get on the ship, and his subordinates who followed Rong Lu did not dare to talk nonsense. Li Xing just twisted his eyebrows to look at those people for a while, and then looked at the way he came. It's like waiting for something.

The interview with Minister Sugimura over there had ended, and the crowd buzzed and began to prepare to board the ship. At this moment, he heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance, Li Xing raised his eyebrows, and the whole military uniform greeted the distance. The remnants of the Kumamoto Zhentai who were wearing civilian clothes and preparing to return to China in the crowd also quietly put their hands into their clothes and surrounded the middle-aged man with a mustache even tighter.

Under the sun of North Korea, I saw the dust flashing in the distance, and more than a dozen fast horses came, like dragons! The first horse was a knight, controlling the healthy horse purely with his legs, holding a Qincha Dragon Festival flag with both hands, and the banner moved in a flutter. Although it is only a dozen people, it is a unique majesty and pride!

The middle-aged man with the mustache had already put his feet on the springboard, but his eyes were bright at this time. Stabilized his figure, stared at the direction the horse team came from, and waved the Qincha Festival flag, at this time in North Korea, who else could there be besides Xu Yifan? He spent a lot of time fiddling with the Chinese stick, and the officers and soldiers in civilian clothes around him looked at him sweaty, but he ignored it.

Someone came, naturally it was Xu Yifan, Rong Lu's line, he was going to send it.

After he sent a telegram to the imperial court, the imperial court replied, and only warm words comforted him, saying that he would be rewarded after the agreement, and now he first reinstated his two titles of Qincha, so that he could temporarily maintain the situation in Korea and wait for the imperial court to send a large official to handle the aftermath negotiations. It is also necessary for Xu Yifan to do a good job of guaranteeing his performance as soon as possible, and the imperial court will promote the meritorious personnel who have contributed this time as soon as possible. As for Rong Lu, Huang Blockade took it back to Beijing, handed it over to Si Shen to convict him, and then sent it down.

Before the official sent by the imperial court to preside over the overall situation arrived, Xu Yifan could still be the king of Joseon. Of course, there are still some dark market transactions with powerful people in the imperial court, but this is all something that Tang Shaoyi in the capital is busy with. North Korea's original structure, after this change, is tantamount to overthrowing and rebuilding, and there will definitely be countless rounds of games to re-form a stable power system, but they are all things to see step by step, and they are not in a hurry, as long as they can stabilize the strength at hand, then it is easy to say.

Today, he's focused on seeing him off.

In the blink of an eye, the horse team arrived in front of the dock and strangled one after another. Xu Yifan is high on the horse, and today he is wearing the uniform of a second-class master, wearing a top, and the horseshoe sleeves are snow-white. His eyes swept over the crowd at the dock with a smile. The Western reporters who had just finished interviewing Minister Sugimura seemed to have discovered the New World and rushed over. Goshha beside him quickly dismounted, blocking the way of the Western reporters. A reporter in a top hat was still jumping to his feet and shouting in broken Chinese.

"Lord Xu! Lord Xu! Do you have any comment on the current situation in East Asia and North Korea? ”

Xu Yifan beckoned to them with a smile, and his mouth was actually in English: "Everyone, wait a minute!" Wait! I said that I will talk to you specifically, my brother is just looking at this stall for the time being, what else can I think? Today, I'm here to see off Lord Rong! ”

Xu Yifan's fluent English startled the reporter, including all the people on the dock, and everyone seemed to remember that they were university scholars who had returned from European travel for ten years! But this dress, speaking in English, that's really a bit of that.

Li Xing came up, saluted upright, Xu Yifan got off the horse and patted him on the shoulder, and walked towards the carriage without stopping, reprimanding Li Xing as he walked: "What did you do?" On a hot day, Lord Rong's car sealed the window, how could it be good to be hot? ”

After scolding Li Xing, he walked right in front of the carriage. The soldiers next to the car dispersed, and Rong Lu's family also cowered and let go. Now the status of Xu Yifan and Rong Lu is one heaven and one underground, and there is no comparison.

A long sigh sounded inside the carriage: "What? Lord Xu still wants to come to see Rong's jokes? ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw that the curtain of the car was lifted, and Rong Lu bowed his head and walked out. After a few days, he had lost a lot of weight, dressed in plain clothes, with a yellow silk strip around his neck, which replaced the shackles of the prisoners. It's just that his eyes are still unruly, he glanced at Xu Yifan, and jumped out of the carriage gently.

Xu Yifan smiled, waved his hand, and Pu Yang behind him had already followed quickly, not knowing where to conjure up two wine cups. I don't know if it's wine or water.

Xu Yifan held the cup in his hand, and just smiled: "Don't dare, Xu is just a big name, this time, there is something to ask Lord Tuorong." ”

Rong Lu laughed, as if he had heard some ridiculous joke. Xu Yifan brought him down in one fell swoop, and there was still something to ask him for!

He took the cup and asked with a smile, "What do you ask me for?" I'm a prisoner! ”

Xu Yifan smiled lightly, send Rong Lu today, if you want to say something, there is a turning point in the middle, but he has gone back and forth countless times in his mind.

The reason is that the position of the Praetorian Guard is really embarrassing. This new army, speaking of which now, has no top boss! The master of the Qing Dynasty has changed a lot over the past few hundred years. Up to now, it is the original two armies of flag and green, plus the training of various departments that arose after the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

The Eight Banners are subordinate to the Eight Banners of the Beijing Division, and there are also local garrison Eight Banners. What kind of names does the Beijing division have such as the cavalry battalion and the military battalion, and each banner is under the command of the left leader, and there are Manchurian generals in the locality. Regardless of whether or not the war can be fought, the command is the restraint of the Manchurian magnates at all levels. It is the foundation of the banner organization. And the green battalions in various places are the deputy generals and commanders of the general army who participate in the tour all the way, and the power of control is in the hands of the governors, governors and admirals of the provinces, each with its own jurisdiction and mutual containment. Even if it is the training of the army in various departments, it is also under the command of the feudal officials with real power. All have a head boss who is restrained in scheduling.

And he, the bannerman of the Praetorian Guard, is a freak. That's why the imperial court sent Rong Lu, according to the system of decentralization and moderation, he is probably the commander of the army, but Rong Lu is the minister in charge of the army to balance him. Rong Lu is responsible to the court again, and he barely becomes the same.

But the current situation is that the Korean chaos and the fall of Ronglu have led the army, and he, who should have been controlled and controlled, is not only a commander of the army, but also a civil servant who controls the army! And, to whom is he responsible?

The military department of the imperial court can't control it, the Eight Banners don't have his system, and the green battalions set up in each province can't be talked about, but it's a bit similar to the training of the army. However, the formation of the training army was all based on the tradition of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and he was not a feudal official!

Even after Rong Lu went, it is estimated that no Manchurian official will come to pick up this hot potato. The imperial court naturally lost interest in this Praetorian Guard freak, and the best way was to cancel it quickly. An army of 8,000 people is insignificant for the Qing Dynasty, as long as it doesn't give those bigwigs a headache for this freak.

Now Tang Shaoyi is running with all his might in Beijing, and it is the status of this Praetorian Guard. Xu Yifan did not ask the imperial court to immediately recognize the status of the Praetorian Guard, which was also impossible. As long as the war breaks out, then the position of the Praetorian Guard will be incomprehensible, as long as he can win part of the war, then the future status of the Praetorian Guard will be unshakable! Become a solid support for him to rise to the top and seize it instead!

Now, don't look at his brilliant victory, but it's also the time when the wind and waves are at its highest. He has been moving forward with his sword, and every step is frightening, which is also a normal thing.

Xu Yifan just looked at Rong Lu, this question, it is estimated that Rong Lu also thought of it. Rong Lu's laughter gradually lowered, and he slowly turned his head away, just looking at the wine cup in his hand.

Xu Yifan didn't care, and asked with a smile: "Lord Rong, what do you think of the future of this Praetorian Guard?" ”

Rong Lu turned around and said coldly: "It's not good! If you get me away, the imperial court will not let you take charge of Korea alone, and I have also read the telegram that you asked the imperial court to send a senior official to preside over the affairs of North Korea, which is also the proper meaning. If you want to take on North Korea, I'm afraid the court will ask you to resign and go back to account! On this ship, it is you and me as companions, but you don't have a yellow seal, I have a yellow seal! But someone else has come to take charge of North Korea, and I don't think you'll be able to grow long! ”

He was angry, Xu Yifan sent him to the door, what else could he be polite.

Xu Yifan smiled, after the difficulty of Seoul, he was pushed to the cusp of the storm, don't look at it now, but the undercurrent is surging to the extreme, and if he is a little careless, he may have come to the end of this road.

It's frustrating to think about it, why is he so tired all day long, with a bunch of flower-like women in the house, it's rare to find time...... It's not good to do anything if you have nothing to do, you have to go through, and you chose such a path!

"Lord Rong, you see, who will be in charge of the overall North Korean affairs in the future, and how will he deal with me Xu Yifan?"

Rong Lu is in this situation now, and he doesn't have to hide it with Xu Yifan, I wish he could say that the more poisonous it is, the better. He fell so much, and he thought about it before and after. Now when Xu Yifan asked, he pursed his lips and spoke coldly.

"Who else can there be besides Li Hongzhang? To negotiate with the Orientals, the Beiyang army was about to enter the court. He can't be tough on the foreign devil Lao Li, and he still has a small oriental nose. In the entire Qing Dynasty, only Beiyang can guarantee the supply of salaries for the army stationed in Korea! They have boats, and one boat is enough for thousands of people to chew. Unlike you, you can only grab North Korean places! Even if the imperial court does not withdraw the Praetorian Guard for a while, Beiyang will definitely seize the power of Seoul, and with the support of their army, you still dare to blackmail North Korea for supplies in the area of Seoul? Only obediently go back to the north. Beiyang further forces north, so that you can't blackmail North Korean supplies in the north, if you dare to move, he will dare to impeach you! If the supply is cut off, how long can you hold on to that little body? Naturally, the Praetorian Guards will not die, and without me, the Praetorian Guards will all die! ”

This Rong Lu is really a veteran of officialdom, and this power struggle can be seen through and through. Xu Yifan secretly thought that it took him so much brains to figure out his situation. Rong Lu is blind to thought, and it is the same as seeing it in person, the experience of rolling over the past few decades is really not to be underestimated.

However, do they really think that they can build such a brand-new army by blackmailing the North Korean region? They're going to keep thinking like that......

Seeing that Rong Lu's eyes were full of schadenfreude, Xu Yifan was not angry. What's there to be angry about when people tell the truth? He groaned and smiled: "Don't hide it, Xu has been thinking about this recently." Xu's subordinates are also trying their best to run for this matter in Beijing, as long as the imperial court does not withdraw the Praetorian Guards immediately, Li Hongzhang comes, and Xu can deal with it...... This time, I came to see off the adults in person, that is, I asked the adults to say a word......"

"What?"

Xu Yifan smiled, waved his hand again, and Pu Yang touched another box. Rong Lu hesitated to take it, saw that the lock was not closed, opened it gently, and closed it again with a snap! There is a stack of silver tickets with four constant ticket numbers in the box, and the top is a thousand taels, this box of silver tickets, a minimum number of 100,000 taels!

Xu Yifan made him so feathered and bloody, and he was also full of thoughts to return to Beijing to take revenge. But I didn't expect Xu Yifan to come to such a show!

He immediately snorted coldly, and was about to stuff the box back: "Don't dare to suffer if you don't have merit!" ”

Xu Yifan just smiled and said lightly: "Lord Rong, did Lafayette send you to take charge of the Praetorian Guard just to deal with me Xu Yifan?" I don't expect you to take charge of the Praetorian Guard, and you will be able to share a piece of the Beiyang pie in Zhili in the future. You can even replace Li Hongzhang! On the side of the couch, it is still the flag keeper who reassures Lafayette. Now, although you have a small mistake, as long as the Praetorian Guard is there, and the force that is holding Li Hongzhang back is still there, you still have a chance to turn over! After all, the banner man of the Manchu Dynasty, the characters who are familiar with the Praetorian Guard, no one has ever beaten you! If the Praetorian Guard swallows Li Hongzhang again, Lafayette may also give up his mind and don't want to divide the Beiyang forces anymore. …… I'm begging your lord, it's just a sentence, Lafayette will ask your lord if there is any need for the Praetorian Guard to exist, as long as the lord says that he still needs to keep it for the time being! You are returning from North Korea, and you are a flag bearer, so don't go too far! ”

Rong Lu held the box and stood there blankly. Xu Yifan's mind was used so deeply! Even if the Praetorian Guard stays temporarily, don't want to take charge of Seoul alone, you will be forced and oppressed by Li Hongzhang's Beiyang forces everywhere. Is he so sure to hold on?

Suddenly, he thought of himself again, and he was being the right envoy, and Lafayette was hand-picked. When he arrived in North Korea, he was in order to deal with Xu Yifan, and he used a first-class trick, but the result was that he fell, and Xu Yifan's Praetorian Guard was in charge of North Korea for a while, and he was out of the limelight! Now even if it's Li Hongzhang, can you deal with him? If Li Hongzhang is like himself again, who can restrain him?

What exactly does he want to do?

Thinking of this, Rong Lu shuddered.

Back in Beijing, if Galeries Lafayette really asked, how should he answer? Is it to keep the Praetorian Guard as Zhang Ben to borrow strength in the future, or to quickly strangle this incomprehensible Xu Yifan to death when he can still control it?

At this time, Xu Yifan smiled and raised his voice: "Congratulations to Lord Rong on the boat!" ”

Dozens of guards surrounded Rong Lu and retreated. The springboard was withdrawn on board. Rong Lu stood on the bow of the ship, and his soul was not guarded. Xu Yifan stood on the horse's head, smiled and bowed to his fists, and then raised his head, Rong Lu had already returned to the cabin. As soon as Xu Yifan turned his eyes, he saw a middle-aged man with a mustache on another boat, who was dressed in casual clothes but full of military demeanor, looking at him with electric eyes.

When the two of them looked at each other, they both smiled slightly. The middle-aged man slowly stood up and gave Xu Yifan a Western-style military salute, then pointed to the Korean land under his feet, shook his finger slightly, turned around and got on the boat.

The river breeze blows in the face, the whistle whistles for a long time, and the two small steamers whimper, and the opposite path gradually fades away.

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Inside the Summer Palace, in the Le Shou Hall.

Cixi Lafayette only got up after resting, and summoned Li Hongzhang. It took more than two hours for the two to play right before Li Hongzhang quit and withdrew. The well-maintained old woman sat in front of her couch, holding the excerpt presented by Li Hongzhang in a daze.

It was scorching heat outside, but the room was full of shade inside Leshoutang, and Li Lianying stood silently behind Cixi with her hands down, also with a blank face, as if she didn't think about anything.

I don't know how long it took before Cixi slowly opened her mouth: "This Li Hongzhang, playing the right thing here, is different from what he said in the old sixth mansion......"

Li Lianying muttered in her heart, that is, you still don't pay attention to the every move of Devil Six Lafayette? Seeing such an important minister, Xiuning Xiaogege had already presented all the conversations between Li Hongzhang and Devil Liu, and Li Hongzhang himself woke up and explained again. I don't stop until both sides are right.

What Li Guizi said in Prince Gong's mansion didn't want to deal with Xu Yifan. This is perfunctory, who doesn't know that Prince Gong and Weng Tonghe have been in contact for a while? The emperor is quite optimistic about Xu Yifan. He can't talk about his true thoughts. When I got to Lafayette, I told the truth.

Xu Yifan's Praetorian Guards can't stay! The best way is for the imperial court to quickly cut the number of the Praetorian Guard, and transfer Xu Yifan back to Beijing to raise him, or in a few years, he will be silent. Even if the situation in Korea is to be maintained for the time being, this army cannot be disturbed, as soon as the Beiyang army arrives, it is necessary to force him out of Seoul and let him return to Pyongyang. Support the North Korean political axe, so that Xu Yifan can no longer scavenge local supplies!

The most convenient way for the Qing Dynasty to supply Korea was by water, which was undoubtedly in the hands of the Huai forces with the Beiyang Naval Division. By land, we could not afford to supply an army of 8,000 men stationed abroad. It turned out that Xu Yifan relied on coercing North Korea to supply and support the army, and if he was cut off this way, would the Praetorian Guards still survive?

As long as the Beiyang Army Division arrives, the North Korean political axe has the backing, and he dares to show Xu Yifan's face. With this method, Li Hongzhang is also confident that he will be able to defeat Xu Yifan within a few months! He is not Rong Lu, he has no fists and no courage, he just relies on a brand of Qincha Zhengyi to deal with Xu Yifan, he has the entire huge Beiyang force behind him!

In the recital between Li Hongzhang and Cixi, the main content is to repeatedly state this matter. Devil Li seems to be iron-hearted. As for the rest, how to negotiate with the emperor, what name Li Hongzhang bears, and how to subordinate the army into the court, they are all trivial matters, and when the time comes to issue the edict, they will have to go through the motions with the emperor.

Cixi's eyes slowly turned, obviously weighing it repeatedly, and whispered to herself, not knowing who she was talking to.

“…… This Xu devil, why do I always feel a little untouchable? It's been more than a year, and everywhere I go, it's like something, and I'm really worried...... Rong Lu also forced him back. There are two Qin differences, and the court is worthy of him, what else does he want? With 8,000 soldiers in his hands, Lao Li is also afraid of it...... Did you really withdraw the Praetorian Guards? What kind of name do you give this Xu devil a squire or Xiao Jingqing, and raise it? I'm really afraid of tossing, but the big guy is good, but he has to toss! …… Lianying, what do you see? ”

When Li Lianying heard the question, she seemed to have just woken up, and after thinking about it carefully, she said carefully: "Lafayette, this is not a matter of your words?" If you want to withdraw, Xu Yifan can still escape from the palm of your hand? Speaking of which, this kid is really unconscious, and he should have been sent home to farm a long time ago. But as soon as it comes, North Korea can't leave for the time being, and he is still making trouble! Second, Li Zhongtang is there...... On the North Korean side, two legs are supported, it's better than one leg, isn't it?

No matter how domineering Xu Yifan is, no matter how foolish he is, can he surpass Zeng Guofan and them? Bah! That's lifting him up! Those old guys, Lafayette is not smooth and smooth. Things have calmed down in North Korea, and he will clean him up as he should be, and there is no need to be polite. Besides, whether he kid has that good luck or not, Li Zhongtang is holding back to deal with him, but I'm afraid that without the court coming forward, he will blow the lamp and pull out the wax earlier! Let's just look at it......"

Li Lianying thought that she was slick and slippery in her words, and it was appropriate and appropriate. Cixi turned around and smiled: "Lianying, Xu Yifan stuffed money into you, didn't he?" ”

With a bang, Li Lianying knelt down and swore to the sky: "There is only Lafayette in the heart of the slave!" There was a cold sweat behind him, Tang Shaoyi sent him money one by one during this time, and the numbers of hundreds of thousands were there, just to buy a vague position in the Praetorian Guard here and last for a year. Galeries Lafayette also knows this?

Cixi looked a little tired, didn't continue to ask, and waved her hand: "Xu Yifan is not Zeng Guofan, I don't look like it at all, where it doesn't look, and I can't say." Let's take a look, when Rong Lu comes back, I will ask him...... Lianying, give an explanation to the emperor, and in the name of Li Hongzhang, it will be sent. And said that my own business, early and good......"

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In the nineteenth year of Guangxu, on August 6 of the third year of A.D., the imperial court issued an edict. Li Hongzhang is the plenipotentiary minister of the Central People's Republic of China and the minister of the Korean Propaganda and Comfort Mission. Discretionary authority shall be granted to the matter. The land division and the sailor are transferred, and they act cheaply.

In the edict, for Xu Yifan's affairs in this regard, it is only mentioned that Xu Yifan should be determined to work hard in Hancheng, and he will be given the title of squire of the military department. Not a word about the Praetorian Guard.

(To be continued)