Nangong boxers, Tangshan boxers, Tanggu boxers, Cangzhou boxers............ In the city of Forty-Nine, the wind and rain are shaking.

The nine gates of the outer city have been closed, and each city gate is full of Hunan soldiers carrying foreign guns. Just open the city gate for two hours at noon, so that outside can deliver food, rice, and water into the city. The price of firewood, rice, oil and salt in the city has risen by fifty percent.

Refugees have already appeared at the gate of Sijiu City, helping the old and the young, and dragging their families with them. Just waiting for the two hours when the city opens every day, I can enter Yanjing City to escape the wind and rain outside. From their mouths, they could not hear the whole picture of the matter, and it was just a few words.

"Those who burn incense get up and kill devils, kill hair............ The torches all over the mountains and fields illuminate the sky! ”

"Hit the church, the people who died all over the place, mad! There is a divine fire in the sky, but whether it is a foreign devil or an Ermaozi, how many villages smoke during the day and turn red at night! ”

"If there is a foreign fire in the house, it is counted as a second hair, and I watched people cut off their scalps, saying that there was a cross hidden in my heart...... I didn't dare to look at it, I turned around and packed up my burden and took my mother into Sijiu City to join relatives, the world is in chaos, the emperor is here in this city, protected by Liuding and Liujia, and I also have a relationship with my childless mother, how can I survive this catastrophe? ”

“………… However, there are 20 acres of watered land, which have been saved by the ancestors and fathers............ For the Xiangjiao, we are not ambiguous, when they hit the foreign church outside the city circle, the door panels at home were removed to give them anti-foreign lead pills, but they couldn't open it for half a day, we haven't smelled the smell of foreign rice for most of our lives, and Shengsheng was accused of being Ermaozi! The family is wiped out, and only then can it be regarded as struggling to get out of the family's lives, Huangtian, I hope they can't enter Yanjing City! ”

When the gates of the city were opened, they saw a great crowd of people, crying and shouting, pouring into the city. All sorts of cars were crowded together, axles pinned to axles and overturned to the ground, and people shouted and neighed. The officers on horseback were about to leave the city with their procession, and they were swarmed there by a crowd of people, sweating all over their heads, and beating them with their whips, but they could not stand still, and the crowd was crowded and retreated.

The city was also in chaos, and wooden fences were erected in the streets. On the streets, there was a constant flow of troops, and small groups of troops stationed in the city were transferred out of the city. Regardless of the Manchu and Han dynasties, every family is closed, looking out of the window at the chaos outside. Big shops have been put on the doors. The small grocery store that sells shengsheng rice and firewood, which is not open for a day and cannot eat for a day, is still gritting its teeth. It's just that the incense case and the gossip flag of the incense sect are ready, and when they pass the army, they cover it up a little, and when they don't pass the army, they hurry up to add incense. Some idlers walked around the streets and alleys with their hands copied, intentionally or unintentionally exposing the yellow tassel belt around their waists. Seeing them, the people along the street were respectful and polite, and they inevitably asked two questions, and the answer was often one or two sneers.

Yanjing City has become a chaotic and overwhelmed world. No one knows where this Heavenly Son Yanjing will slide. The Forbidden City in the center of the city is still majestic, but no matter how you look at it, it reveals a deep smell of dilapidation.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～.

The rooms of the Yamen, the prime minister of Longzongmen, were crowded with people, and more than half of them looked like officers. Either you are waiting, you are not shouting, you are asking for money and weapons. It is true to follow Tan Sitong to work hard, there are not many people who have two hearts, but the emperor is not a hungry soldier. Usually stationed and training is a price code, and going out to sell your life is another price code!

Riots have risen on all sides, word of mouth, and incense cults are spread all over the mountains! When the soldiers go out, they have to replenish the equipment and ammunition, and they have to pay for the pull-out, otherwise how can these big-headed soldiers be mobilized? Even if you stay near the Jingshi and have to monitor the new Xiangjiao children in the camp, you still have to maintain the law and order of such a big city, and everyone is called by two people, and if you don't pay much, who is willing to contribute?

Everyone can see that if they want the regular army brought out by Liu Dashuai to follow the Xiangjiao to fool around, they can't pull this face. But Tan Sitong is not necessarily a long game here, but he just maintains the endgame before the arrival of Xu Yifan, who is bound to go north. maintains it well, and is not guilty of merit in front of Xu Yifan, maybe there is still a chance to be retained. Even if you have to be dismissed at that time, at this time, for yourself and your brothers, you need a little more. When the time comes, it will be far away to return to Hunan's hometown from Yanjing City!

The center of the hustle and bustle was Tan Sitong, and everyone was surprised that Tan Sitong at this time still didn't mess up. It looks more capable and quiet than before, and the handling of things is more neat. One order after another was issued, both clear and clear. Everyone comes and goes, and it's a lot of tricky questions, but no matter how difficult it is, he can always answer one or two ways.

Inside and outside the city, 3,000 and hundreds of officials have been dispatched to quell the chaos in all directions, and the capital is empty. He transferred Nanyuan's troops into the guard.

Nanyuan also needs at least two or three thousand people to watch the eight thousand children of the Xiangjiao who have entered the camp, and once these elites are dispersed and returned to the village, the disaster will be even greater. And he moved what little army he had at hand, both inside and outside the city. During the day, you can draw more men and horses in the Nanyuan military camp, and then transfer troops into the city to guard everywhere at night.

As soon as Liu Kunyi's troops were summoned to such a point, they naturally had to be paid generously, not to mention the yamen of the infantry army in the capital and those officials in Shuntian Mansion, and they had no money. The income and expenditure of the northern land have always been beyond their means, and if they have a little money, they will quickly pay their salaries, and the new army is completely dependent on the silver donated by the old shopkeeper Han, and now that the Xiangjiao is in chaos, the old shopkeeper Han with the background of the Xiangjiao has disappeared, and the silver salary naturally has no way out. He immediately issued an order that the merchants of the capital, regardless of size, should collect a tax of several thousand wen per family, and distribute it temporarily, so as to maintain the morale of the troops at hand............ Every day is as difficult as walking on thin ice, and everyone knows that as long as the chaos of the incense sect expands further. And as long as Tan Sitong still insists on sending troops out to quell the chaos, then one day he will not be able to support it!

But he gritted his teeth every day, and this scholar actually did this. Let the subordinates of the new army, who have been a little shaken, have to obey the dispatch before he falls.

No one thought that Tan Sitong would be able to do this, but no one could imagine what kind of situation would develop!

Seeing Tan Sitong send away a few officers, when the front was a little empty for a while, Yang Rui, who had been waiting next to him for a while, immediately went over and pulled him to the back room.

This back room is where Tan Sitong took a nap when he was very tired, but he didn't get four or five hours of pillows in the past few days. When he arrived in the back room, Tan Si sat on the marching bed with his buttocks, covering his face with his hands and panting deeply. After a few days, the official uniform already looked a little swaying on him.

"Shuqiao, what's the mess?"

Yang Rui looked at him deeply: "............ Resurrection, look at who is still in the yamen now? The Jingshi, who has cultivated thousands of big bureaucrats and small officials, is here for a few of us! People's hearts have fluctuated to the extreme, and you and I have also pointed to the extreme! ”

Tan Sitong smiled bitterly: "How can I not know? Shu Qiao, if you have anything to say, just say it, how many people are waiting for me outside! ”

"The situation is so rotten! Those people in the capital have already started to run again, but we no longer have the strength to take care of them. In the Summer Palace, they are just watching from the sidelines............ Maybe it's still the core of this secretly brewing trend! I have vaguely heard that some people are saying that someone has proposed to unite the righteous people to get rid of the powerful ministers! The human heart is like this, do you still have to maintain it alone? ”

Tan Sitong raised his head, he was emaciated and haggard, his eyes looked deep and black, and he just looked at Yang Rui who was talking there with a white face seriously: "............ Book Joe, we've got it ............."

"That's hoping to keep the north from falling into a bloody storm before Xu Yifan goes north! But resurrection, you are concerned about the exchange of messages everywhere every day. There are a lot of telegrams sent by governors from various places to Jiangning, and the telegrams from the north will pass through Tianjin, so they can be copied to us............ The world is indeed counting on Xu Yifan to clean up the situation, and it is true that he no longer takes the capital seriously, and Xu Yifan is almost the heart of the world............ As soon as he goes north, he can take his place! But does Xu Yifan have any movements? It's just a telegram to invite the governor of the world to come to Jiangning to discuss matters, but it's just a compliment, and the fake model wants the imperial court to quickly quell the rebellion in the north! ”

"Brother Chuan Qing ............"

"What is he? Resurrection, don't you understand? Xu Yifan just wanted to take advantage of this chaos to let you and me die with his parted generations, so that all the entrenched forces in the north would be wiped out. Let the local governor no longer have a name to rely on, so that the new dynasty after the Ding Revolution will be the source of chaos............ It's not white, the land is so clean, he won't go north! We can't wait for him! ”

Tan Sitong looked sluggish and didn't say a word.

Yang Rui sighed deeply: "Resurrection, let's go, leave Yanjing." We can go away............"

Tan Sitong smiled faintly: "If I leave, no one in the capital will be able to control the situation............ The incense sect said that it would enter the city, and the consequences would be unimaginable............"

Yang Rui quickly cut off his words: "Then no matter what the chaos outside the city looks like, don't transfer troops out again, close the city and defend it, the situation in the city can still be maintained!" Let Xu Yifan see that there is no opportunity to take advantage of it, and he can't let the north land really mess out of control, and then he will only go north! ”

Tan Sitong looked at him strangely: "Shu Qiao, I waited for the resolute north from Shanghai just to save my surname?" Xu Yifan can't, we can make the Northland out of control? I might as well have stayed in Jiangning in the first place! If I can save a little people, it is a little, and if I can save a little vitality for the country in the future, it is a little, how can I not transfer troops! ”

Yang Rui was speechless, just looked at Tan Sitong, clapped his hands and smiled bitterly: "So you are a scholar, and Xu Yifan is a hero............ I knew I couldn't persuade you, so I said ............ in vain."

Tan Sitong also smiled: "Brother Chuanqing is also half angry, Shu Qiao, you all read him wrong............ Without a scholarly anger, even if he has all kinds of heroic means, he can stir up this lifeless world? ………… Heroes are true Confucianism, do you know? ”

He stood up slowly, a little glint in his eyes: "............ We can wait for him! Now gritting our teeth and working hard is the only thing we can do after this road has reached a dead end! ………… I believe in Brother Chuanqing! ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ the deserted village where the old South Korean shopkeeper of Yanjing City is stationed in the festival, there have been many more guests in the past few days.

Since the Xiangjiao Rebellion, he has completely cut off contact with the Nanyuan military camp. Tan Sitong's little soldiers will either be transferred away, or they will be fully contracted. It is even less likely to threaten his safety here. Old Han was guarding here, while sending fast horses through Yan Shuqin every day to dispatch the second chaos in the north, and on the other hand, like a very patient beast, quietly waiting for the last opportunity to come in the closest place to the prey.

He had been waiting for more than 30 years, and he would never miss this final blow.

The Northland is already bloody, but the village is quiet and peaceful, but it seems to be out of this world. The uninvited guests who found here through countless open and secret channels also seemed polite and leisurely. He had a great conversation with the Venerable Yan Shuqin Yan who came forward to receive them, and occasionally drank and feasted, and still staggered cups and drinks, like a prosperous age.

Only a few miles away from the village, there were large groups of refugees, struggling in the direction of the capital. It had been overcast for so long, and finally there were scattered snowflakes falling.

Han Lao's shopkeeper was wearing a fox fur and stood at the edge of the village, just looking at Yanjing City in the distance under the gray canopy. Behind him, Zhang Yu stood respectfully, and the two were silent for a long time.

The sound of footsteps sounded next to him, stepping on the ground Dongdong sounded, and he didn't have to look back to know that it was Yan Shuqin who was coming.

Sure enough, there was a smell of wine, and then I heard Yan Shuqin's laughter: "Old man, do you know who is here this time?" University scholar Xu Tong! The old man's beard was white like that, and he hurried over. After talking about things, I asked for a gossip flag to take back with me............ Fuck, these officials are not things! At this time, I forgot to call myself my parents and officials, and I can't wait to stick to you and call you uncle! Let us make trouble, desperately! The more people who die, the better, we are not the remnants of the White Lotus, we are fucking righteous people! He also said that in less than three days, Tan Sitong would be able to ............"

Before he finished speaking, he gave a loud wine burp: "............ Tan Sitong has to leave Yanjing City! ”

Han Zhongping turned his head slowly and said with a smile: "Who is he?" ”

"That old! To be honest, the price offered by this old lady is more generous than the surname Kang who came last time...... Compile 100,000 new troops, in addition to Zhili, let us pick two local governors! As long as you can get rid of Tan Sitong, help them watch what [***] the emperor is! Do you still expect that we, the millions of righteous people, can resist Xu Yifan............ Haha, when the time comes, it will be another 830,000 army to go to Jiangnan! Isn't this old lady afraid that we will rebel against him? ”

Yan Shuqin obviously drank high, one sentence at a time.

Han Zhongping turned his head to look at Zhang Yu, but Zhang Yu was silent, and the old man just smiled: "If you really want to be an official, you can't fight the Queen Mother Lafayette............ Don't talk about this, promised to come down? ”

"I've been looking forward to entering Yanjing City for decades, these guys want to open the city for us, can you still agree? As long as Tan Si moves his ass to the same place, let's go into the city! Grandma's, the sky has finally turned over, and it is not unjust to die more than 100,000! When we enter the city, we are the eldest of the heavens, and we are the second! ”

Han Zhongping owes his body: "Old Yan, you are taller............ Go back and rest, recuperate your spirits, you have to do a lot of big things! These people are just an add-on, so that we can enter the city in the future, and if we really want to turn the sky upside down, it depends on our ability! ”

Yan Shuqin laughed, waved his hand and said hello, turned around and walked back, humming all the way. I can't wait for everyone all over the world to know that he is in high spirits now.

Han Zhongping looked at his back and sneered slightly.

Zhang Yu looked at him and said hesitantly: "Old man............ Don't you believe that those who come to contact can open the city? ”

Han Zhongping shook his head: "No............ I have long seen through these people in the court. It is difficult for them to succeed, but they have a hand in failure, they really want to open this city, as long as Tan Si goes to Yanjing City, we are settled. ”

"That ............"

Han Zhongping didn't want to answer, but looking at Zhang Yu, he said slowly: "...... I'm laughing at Yan Shuqin, I really think that in the future, I will be the world of incense............ It's easy to set off everyone to make trouble, but if you really want to enter the city, who doesn't want to be glorious and rich, and who doesn't want high-ranking officials to do it? Millions of incense teach children, but millions of scattered sand. Whether it is Cixi or Guangxu, there are ways to divide and disintegrate them, so they dare to open the city and release incense to teach into the city............"

Zhang Yu's words became more and more slow, but the expression on his face still did not change at all, as if the incense sect in Old Man Han's mouth had nothing to do with him: "............ Even if the queen mother and the emperor can control the situation afterwards, Yanjing City is almost peaceful............ Can they not know, can they not care? And there is also Xu Yifan in the south............"

Han Zhongping laughed quietly, as if Zhang Yu was saying something interesting, and his white beard shook: "It's nothing more than the power struggle in front of you!" Who cares if it's a big disaster? It's all rotten to the bone............ Wasn't the kingdom of heaven the same back then? Zhong Wang Ye is the mainstay, and he has to rely on him to mobilize soldiers and horses to repel that Zeng Jiu, but the most jealous of the King of Heaven is also him, that is, he is not allowed to go out of the city, or the prince He used his private wealth to buy the two elder brothers of the King of Heaven before leaving the city, and the time was delayed, the winter clothes were too late to prepare, and the grain was too late to be stored, and hundreds of thousands of people beat Zeng 90,000 or 20,000, and they quickly dispersed in winter............ It's all the same! ”

He turned his head and looked at Zhang Yu's face that seemed to have been bitter all his life: "Yanjing City is peaceful, they don't care, do you care?" ”

The muscles on Zhang Yu's face twitched, and he said coldly: "If the people of Yanjing City want to die, he will die." I don't care if Yanjing City is flat............ I've never thought about it............ I only care, when will Tan Sitong go out of the city? If he just doesn't leave, what if he has to wait until Xu Yifan comes north to save him? ”

Han Zhong smiled lightly, and his expression was indescribably tired: "Xu Yifan won't come............ I can see the hearts of the people in this world too clearly............ Even if Tan Sitong stays in the capital and doesn't leave, I have a way, where can I not borrow the power? Zhang Protector, don't worry, this day, I have been thinking about it for thirty years, too long, too long............"

His cloudy old eyes gradually overflowed with tears. The crushed snow flakes fell on his shoulders, and it was already a thin layer: "Prepare the carriage and horses............ Tonight, let's go to Yanqing to meet the guests from the south! ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Xu Yifan's signing room in the Jiangning Governor's Office, several of Xu Yifan's henchmen sat solemnly, listening to Zhang Peilun read telegrams sent from governors from all over the country. Xu Yifan leaned back on the chair, with a cold expression on his face, just unconsciously tapping the armrest with his hand.

The chaos in the Northland finally began, and everything was just as he expected. The last bit of authority in the center has finally been lost. The Governor of the Northland was afraid that this chaos would spread to them—especially the magistrates in Lu and Henan, where the Incense Sect was also quite powerful. The southern governor finally understood the situation, knowing that the center had no way to deal with them, and the foreigners had no hope of possible support for the center.

Every telegram respectfully asks Xu Yifan to give instructions and hopes that the marshal can clean up the situation as soon as possible. Some of the governors and ministers in the south who have learned a lot of new terms also want Xu Yifan to quickly organize the guard of the political axe, and the center will not exist. Everyone has to discuss how to do it in the future, and the future positions under Xu Yifan will also be lined up. Many governors have already said that as soon as the telegram was sent, they had already said that they wanted to go to Jiangning in person and ask the marshal to instruct the opportune time............ In the north, there is still a Tan Fusheng who didn't send a telegram, but he was just gritting his teeth and holding on............ Do you really think you'll be able to make it through? What kind of hope has you had as a scholar to persist until now?

Listening to Zhang Peilun's somewhat excited voice, Xu Yifan was slightly distracted, and on such an occasion, he actually thought of going elsewhere.

It was easy to wait until Zhang Peilun finished reading the telegram and coughed, Xu Yifan came back to his senses and smiled reluctantly: "...... That's it, when the wall falls, everyone will push it, and now that we are in an absolutely dominant position, it is natural that someone will add icing on the cake............ Now Li Zhongtang has full authority to handle this matter of contacting the governor of the world, and he is familiar with ............"

Tang Shaoyi raised his hand: "Dashuai, what do the foreigners say?" ”

Xu Yifan smiled and motioned to Zhang Peilun. Zhang Peilun said with a smile: "The British Prime Minister's special envoy Salisbury has already expressed to the marshal that personally, he believes that the Qing Empire's political axe has lost the ability to maintain stability in East Asia, and he also hopes that the British political axe will express its support for the marshal in the near future............ A genius commander who defeats a country with his own strength has the best hope of stabilizing the situation in East Asia. Whether in terms of strength, prestige, or ability............ Hey, foreigners talk a lot of twists and turns, in fact, it means that at least Britain will immediately issue a statement in support of the marshal going north to clean up the situation! ”

Tang Shaoyi slapped the table, and her face was flushed with excitement: "China and foreign countries return to their hearts, the overall situation has been decided!" ”

He couldn't help but be excited, a boy who didn't want to be seen anywhere at the beginning, his career was stumbling, and he was stuffed under a 25-way platform, and he was originally a very high-spirited person. has come all the way to the present, and there is hope for the championship, how can he not shout out uncontrollably?

The senior officers wearing the uniforms of the Praetorian Guards also looked at each other excitedly, but they were a little more comfortable than Tang Shaoyi, and they didn't say anything. Only Chu Wanli still had a calm face, and he didn't show any emotion.

Xu Yifan also noticed it and pointed to his name: "Yunzong, what do you want to say?" ”

Li Yunzong sat up straight, looked at Xu Yifan with unblinking eyes, and asked almost word for word: "Handsome...... When to go north? ”

Xu Yifan looked at him silently, and asked rhetorically, "When do you think it's good?" ”

Li Yunzong replied quietly: "This time it is a political and strategic march, not a military march, and there is no opponent worth mentioning in the north...... So there is no need to consider the military timing............ The Praetorian Guards were just waiting for the commander's orders. ”

Xu Yifan smiled, turned his head to look at Zhang Peilun: "Political strategy march, it's very good!" Youqiao, you are my secretary, a think tank, and Shaochuan, who also eats political strategy, when do you think it will be good? ”

Tang Shaoyi shut up, Xu Yifan finally informed them of the information from the north. The inside story, these most intimate henchmen, also know a little bit. This kind of thing should be Xu Yifan's sacred heart, and he said that there are many mistakes. Put a destined prime minister or prime minister position in the future, and at this time, don't do anything out of the ordacity.

Zhang Peilun didn't care, he was the one who decided to hang the crown. Anyway, it's already a second-in-class minister in other people's mouths, so there's nothing to care about. He looked at Xu Yifan seriously, it stands to reason that everything has been going well in the past few days, but Xu Yifan's face is very ugly, looking pale and haggard, as if there is always something that can't be let go.

"Dashuai, I have repeatedly told Dashuai............ This time I made it clearer. Xingsun called, and all parties in the capital were ready to contact Xiangjiao to enter the city............ It is absolutely impossible for Tan Fusheng to support this situation for a long time! The incense sect will inevitably enter Beijing............ And when they entered Beijing, it was the time for us to go north! Liaoning is guarded by 10,000 people, regardless of sea and land, it is only a matter of three or five days to the capital, and the destruction will not spread, and the original intertwined forces in the capital will also be destroyed! Does Da Shuai want to keep the Queen Mother and the Emperor as a reason for people with a heart to oppose Da Shuai, or do you want to keep Tan Fusheng and continue to take a different path with Da Shuai? Let's talk about the heart, do you want to keep millions of nostalgic banner people in the north? Let them ache, they will be in pain, and the handsome will survive and die, so that these people will not have more thoughts! This road was originally taken by themselves! ”

Everyone's face was pale, and Zhang Peilun said it so clearly, everyone felt a little thrilled.

Imperial ............ This is the art of kingship. In addition to continuing to learn for the sake of the saints, the scholars also think of peace for all generations. Another point is for the emperor's teacher............ These imperial techniques have been passed down from generation to generation............ Xu Yifan closed his eyes.

Zhang Youqiao is out of the way............ He was right. Very Machiavellian and rightly so.

Everyone looked at Xu Yifan, even Li Yunzong, who had always been quiet, and looked straight at Xu Yifan's pale face with eyes as sharp as a sword.

After a while, Xu Yifan finally opened his eyes. He smiled in his heart, but he was afraid that he would not be in the mood to play frivolous in the future............ "Okay............ Keep an eye on the Northland. We, don't move............ When the incense sect enters the city, it is the time for us to go north! It doesn't matter how many fucking people are going to die! ”

(To be continued)