After the victory in Cangzhou, all the offensives of this book came to naught. Shandong was trapped, Liaodong was trapped, and Rongcheng Bay was wiped out by the navy. There is no longer anything that can threaten the Qing Dynasty, the former Heavenly Empire is still the same Heavenly Empire, how can the Qing Dynasty be defeated by a small one!

The officials who had been terrified and restless walked slowly as usual. The words are full of unremitting dedication to the book, don't look at the fierceness that he began to fight, it is also that the Qing Dynasty is not ready. No, as soon as the emperor takes the new army to the front, isn't this a great victory? Just that group of Oriental dwarfs, they are not honest enough to be beaten.

Even those banner men who used to worry about the country and the people once again carried bird cages and went in and out of various restaurants and teahouses. This will turn them into half-immortals who will know the prophet, they used to say before the war, "Those who say that I bring water and tea to our banner people are not enough size, if they really want to fight, can he reach it?" At this moment, many flag men felt the same way. For a time, there was an endless stream of boasting among the old men of the flag people.

Dongnuan Pavilion, the core of the decision-making of the Qing Dynasty, has rarely been visited since the emperor's personal conquest. Every time the court is just to respond to the occasion and sign in. But today, the Queen Mother asked people to pass down the decree. Summoned the six ministries and nine qing, civil and military officials to discuss in the Dongnuan Pavilion.

Compared with the jubilant capital, Cixi frowned, and Dong Fuxiang, the commander of the Gan army, who had given her high hopes, could not even pack up the 70,000 troops he commanded. The four beatings were scattered. On the contrary, the emperor's first division, which was less than 10,000 people, beat the army and couldn't find the north. In terms of combat strength, wouldn't it mean that one of the emperor's divisions could clean up the entire 100,000 soldiers and horses she controlled. Now there are not only two divisions under the emperor, and the various departments in Liaodong will also be taken under the emperor's command. When the emperor returns to Beijing, it seems that the court can only return it to Guangxu.

I only heard Li Lianying's duck-like noise shouting: "The Queen Mother has arrived-"

In the main hall is a dragon chair that only the emperor can sit on, even if it is the queen mother who is in charge of the world, she can't sit on it. Otherwise, the literati of this world would not have to scold her to death. Even so, women can't walk in front of the stage. Therefore, I can only hang a curtain behind the dragon chair and listen to the government in the same way as the female emperor Wu Zetian.

Cixi came in with a frown and sat down behind the curtain. Facing the full house chanting "The Queen Mother is auspicious", Cixi just raised her hand slightly.

"Empress Dowager, in accordance with the Empress Dowager's decree, the Military Aircraft Department has drawn up an excerpt to commend the meritorious soldiers on the front line, and please ask the Empress Dowager to judge." The foreman of the Minister of Military Aircraft, Prince Shiduo, holding the fold in his hand, went out of the class to play.

Li Lianying stepped forward to take the fold and handed it to Cixi.

I didn't want Cixi to look at it, but just put the fold on the desk casually: "It's some more imaginary things like wearing yellow coats and nicknames Baturu." Our Qing Dynasty can win this battle, it is all the front-line soldiers who fought with their lives, and just giving some false things doesn't it chill the hearts of the front-line soldiers? ”

Shi Duo was actually very helpless, and he understood what the Queen Mother meant. The emperor fought side by side with the soldiers on the front line and won one battle after another, this move won the hearts of the three armies, and the queen mother naturally felt that the emperor threatened her power and status. At this time, before the emperor, in the name of the imperial court, to commend the soldiers who have made meritorious contributions to the front-line battles, in fact, is to let the soldiers feel the grace of the imperial court, and let the soldiers understand that this grace was given by the imperial court and the queen mother.

However, on the front line. Whoever won the battle, which one was not the emperor's henchman. This grace is heavy and too affordable, doesn't that strengthen the power of the imperial party in the first place? In this way, the imperial party is already an elite army, and the high-ranking real power rewarded by the imperial court is added. In the future, the party will definitely be pressed underneath. There is no benefit when the grace is light, and it does not show the effect of the queen mother's grace, when it is really a dilemma. After weighing all the military positions, they came up with such a discount. As a result, the old man was still not satisfied.

Shi Duo didn't know how to answer, and Sun Yuwen on the side spoke: "Returning to the Queen Mother, in the humble opinion of Weichen, this battle is not easy to win, and the battle of Tianzhuang Tai is even more difficult and dangerous. Weichen thought that in this battle of the Qing Dynasty, Ouyang Zhenhua, the commander of the new army, led a unit, and none of them were defeated. He is well versed in military affairs, and he is very talented, and he is even more Cangzhou abandoned the defense in the first battle, and only half of the army was defeated on the whole line, and his courage was outstanding. Weichen suggested to the imperial court that Ouyang Zhenhua should be awarded the title of secretary of the military department ......"

"Weichen thinks it's inappropriate." Xu Tong stood up: "Although Ouyang Zhenhua has not lost a battle, he only commands more than 20,000 people. And the secretary of the military department is the soldier who commands the whole country, and he is afraid that he will not be able to do the job. After speaking, he looked at Sun Yuwen in surprise.

Xu Tong's words expressed the thoughts of many ministers, and in the end, it was a struggle for power. The emperor is already in the hands of the three armies, and you, Sun Yuwen, also want to add Ouyang Zhenhua's right to command the whole country, but your Sun Yuwen is a close confidant of the Queen Mother, who are you talking to?

Although Cixi understood. I only heard Sun Yuwen continue: "Liu Shengxiu can break through the blockade of the army with only a few hundred remnants of soldiers, and be the first to rescue Tianzhuangtai, and his courage and talent are not under Ouyang Zhenhua. Weichen also thought that Liu Shengxiu could be allowed to take over as the commander of his new army. Liu Shengxiu once fought side by side with the emperor, and the emperor would not object. In addition, Duan Qirui, Lei Zhenchun, Meng Enyuan and others, their soldiers are even more meritorious. The commanders of various places can be appointed, and with their talents, they can train elite soldiers for the imperial court. Feng Guozhang made a long-distance attack to regain Pyongyang, and could appoint him as governor of the Korean war. As for other meritorious people, the court should be promoted, and those who should be rewarded should be rewarded. In particular, the New Army of the Second Division made great contributions to this battle. In this battle, the defeat of the Beiyang Huai Army everywhere is no longer of great use. Weichen thought that the new army should be transferred to guard various key places in Liaodong and Shandong to show the determination of our court to reuse meritorious soldiers. ”

In fact, there is no need to wait for Sun Yuwen to finish speaking, which of the people present is not an old man who has been practicing in the court for a long time, and now they all understand what Sun Yuwen means. In fact, it is just hanging high, don't look at Ouyang Zhenhua as a military secretary. With Sun Yuwen pressed on top and Rong Lu on top, he couldn't mobilize a single soldier, and even if he had great ability, he couldn't show it. What's more, the general of the emperor's army was transferred to the locality, although the official rank was large. But there is no human accident in the local area, and there is no help to help, and you can only grow old slowly in government affairs. Moreover, let Liu Shengxiu and Nie Shicheng, who were formerly from the Beiyang Department, lead the emperor's new army, and naturally they were also under control. In this way, everything is in the hands of the Queen Mother and his old man.

"Listen, you all listen, Laishan's words are the real old Chengmou country." A slight smile appeared at the corner of Cixi's mouth. In this war, my Cixi lost a game, even if I return this court to you Guangxu, this court and the world, in the end, it is still my Cixi's.

In the praise of everyone, Weng Tongyi knew that he couldn't change anything. I could only go back and hurriedly send the news to the emperor.

Compared with the intrigue in the Forbidden City of the Qing Kingdom, the base camp of Yuben at this moment is lifeless.

It is said that there are still quarrels in the base camp for Osaka and Wakayama. Unbeknownst to him, in the room inside the base camp, there was a deathly silence.

The Second Division, once hailed by Ito Hirobumi as the last dawn of the empire, was once again completely defeated half a day after winning the Battle of Cangzhou. Who would have imagined that at the same time that the Second Division was violently attacking Tianjin, the First Division of the Qing Army uncharacteristically gave up the position that had been built for many days and chose to counterattack in an all-round way. In the course of the pursuit, the 2nd Division was routed by the 1st Division of the Qing Army before it could gather its troops. The headquarters of the 2nd Division fought until the last moment, and until the total annihilation of the army, it could not change the fate of the 2nd Division, and also lost the last chance to change the fate of the empire.

Subsequently, the Qing army launched a full-scale pursuit battle, and those Qing troops who were defeated by the empire in Cangzhou became a force composed of life-seeking demons under the organization of the first division of the Qing army. began to hunt down the warriors of the empire all over the mountains. All the senior officers, including the division commander and staff officer, did not survive, and the two wing commanders were also killed. Only the last wounded captain gathered the remnants of his army and retreated to the narrow peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River, awaiting the final judgment of the Qing people. The Imperial warriors scattered around were either killed or captured, and finally sent to the construction corps established by the traitor Nozu Michikan in Jinzhou for the Qing people to contribute to the construction of the enemies of the Empire.

The dawn still failed to dispel the gloom, and China, which had been pressing on the head of the empire for thousands of years, not only did not show signs of becoming weaker after this war, but seemed to be getting thicker and thicker. Liaodong suffered a crushing defeat and Shandong defeat, and the imperial army was completely annihilated. Rongcheng Bay was defeated, and the Imperial Navy was completely annihilated. This war between the Qing and Qing Dynasty has ended for the Empire, but it has only just begun for the Qing State.

According to the information transmitted from the Qing State, in Lushun, Dagu, and Weihai, the damaged Beiyang Fleet began to be urgently repaired, and a large number of trains loaded with supplies traveled to and from various places. In Guangzhou, the Qing Nanyang Fleet had already sailed out of the port and headed north. And the Pacific Fleet, which was close at hand, burned and looted the coastline of the empire. The military defeat has already led to the imminent humiliation of the empire, and what price will the empire pay for future political negotiations? Thinking of this, Ito Hirobumi couldn't help but shake his head painfully.

On the blackboard, the staff officer had already written down the last power of the empire. In the Navy, only ten torpedo boats and six gunboats converted from temporary cargo ships remained in the Gulf of Tonkin. This is already the last naval force that the empire can come up with at the moment. The list of the only remaining ships made the faces of every powerful man in the conference room show a look of despair. Although the empire can still arm hundreds of thousands of land forces, and it is already being implemented. Not to mention whether there are so many weapons and ammunition, just losing the navy as a branch of the army, the army with hundreds of thousands of empty can only sigh with admiration.

Hokkaido had been cut off by enemy blockades, and Okinawa, far to the south, had long since lost contact with the Empire.

Although in Liaodong, in Shandong, the empire has failed. However, the empire was not without gains. In Liaodong, there are still 20,000 imperial warriors. In Shandong, there were also 6,000 remnants. They are all waiting for the empire to take it back, and although this time it failed, there is still a long way to go. More importantly, in Korea, the valiant Imperial warriors repelled the invading Qing army on the banks of the Han River, and now the two armies are facing each other on both sides of the Han River. Perhaps the current strength of the Qing army is insufficient, once the Qing army completely destroys the imperial ** team in Liaodong Shandong, then the Qing army can attack Korea without any worries, and then North Korea will not be guaranteed. As long as half of Korea can be saved, there is still hope for the future of the empire.

"Did Qing Guo make a request?" It was Hirobumi Ito who spoke, and as the current prime minister, he has a responsibility for the current situation.

"We haven't received any official news from the Qing side so far, only the Pacific Fleet has someone to bring back. Demand that the Empire compensate for war losses and cede territory. However, no specific requirements were made. Shao Zuo replied.

What to do? Everyone is asking the same question in their hearts.

Prince Arisugawa Gong Chihito lowered his head, as the chief of the general staff of the Imperial Army and Navy, he was tormented in his heart. Finally he raised his head: "In England, two battleships have already laid their keels!" His Majesty the Emperor is also ready to purchase warships again. Although the empire has lost the war in front of us, for the sake of the future of the empire and the dream that the empire has been fighting for for decades, let's end this war. To keep the last warriors of the empire in the Qing Kingdom is to preserve a vitality for the empire and strive for a more favorable situation for the future of the empire. ”

"Is that all we have to do is give up? Could it be that the empire surrendered to the weak and cowardly Qing state like this? Kita-Shirakawa Nengjiu shouted in a voice of unwillingness and pain: "No, we have not failed. The Empire will not fail! We also have hundreds of thousands of the most elite army soldiers! ”

But everyone knows that the Qing State will not be stupid enough to attack the empire itself. For an island nation that is not even self-sufficient in food, it is enough to have an invincible naval fleet.

"No, we will not surrender, and the Empire will never surrender. As long as the Qing State does not attack the main island of the empire for a day, the empire has not lost this war! Ito Hirobumi clenched his fist and waved it vigorously, which was his expectation for the future of the empire: "Don't forget that although the Qing Kingdom is still the old empire in front of you, they are weak and decaying. There are many contradictions between various strata and nationalities in their country, the bureaucracy [***], the people are ignorant, and the economy is in chaos. Even if their emperor wanted to change the country, it would not be possible to carry out a reform with only a handful of people. Because their emperor also had to deal with the conservative elbows from their queen mother. Their Westernization campaign is a precedent. But the empire is different. Although the empire is small, the empire is very clean and pure. Every citizen of the empire is working for the glorious future of the empire. The empire is already ahead of the curve, with a well-developed industrial system and an efficient political axe. Five years, ten years at most, as long as the empire has been enriched and rejuvenated. That will be the time for us to set foot on the land of the Qing Kingdom again, and it will also be the most glorious moment of the empire......"

Ito's words were undoubtedly motivating, and after his words, everyone bowed their heads to face reality.

"Yamamoto-kun, take your troops and block the Uraga waterway." Prince Arisugawa Miyashihito admitted defeat: "Mutsu-kun, please immediately contact the ambassadors of Britain and the United States, on behalf of the emperor and the empire, and ask them to come forward for peace talks." ”

Mutsu Munemitsu nodded, but Ito Hirobumi asked again, "Your Excellency, how to deal with the North Korean side?" ”

"North Korea must not be abandoned! That continent was the cornerstone of the rise of empires. Prince Asugawa Palace sighed deeply: "Go ahead." ”

Everyone slowly walked out of the inner room, except for Ito Hirobumi who silently looked at the trees swaying in the cold wind. (To be continued.) )