Tianjin, the Yamen Mansion of the Governor of Zhili

"Lord Zhongtang, this is not allowed. It is said that the military fleet is large, and it is the first to protect the ships to control the enemy. However, the emperor ordered the Beiyang Fleet to set sail in order to put it in danger, and furthermore, at the moment, heavy troops should be transferred to prevent the army from attacking our Shandong, and the emperor should take a town instead, which is not conducive to the current war. And the lone army hangs overseas, there is no internal response, and there is no external help. If so, you will be defeated. The emperor's move is very inappropriate. Liu Buyun was anxious to pace around.

"Do what the emperor wills. Zixiang, you should also go to Weihai to supervise the formation. After Li Hongzhang finished speaking, he stood up: "Youqiao, let the various departments deploy along the line from Weihai to Rongcheng." ”

"Nakado-sama, don't ......"

Li Hongzhang waved his hand: "The emperor's will, if you don't respect the will, you will be beheaded from the old man." Zixiang, the emperor said that you are too careful and conservative. After speaking, he slowly walked out: "Beiyang has declined since then......"

Li Hongzhang, who returned to the mansion, had locked himself in the house for a day. Except for his son-in-law Zhang Peilun, everyone blocked the door. For a whole day, I just looked back and forth at the world map that the emperor gave me.

"It's been more than twenty years. I, Li Hongzhang, do my best to handle foreign affairs in an attempt to revitalize the country. Build a navy, develop industry, and strive for self-improvement. Ask yourself, although I, Li Hongzhang, in the Qing Dynasty, dare not say anything about the size, but I am also cautious and do my best. But now it seems. But it's just self-deception. Li Hongzhang is old, and Beiyang has also lost it......" Li Hongzhang showed a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth.

Jiawu really came as the emperor said back then, and Beiyang also fell as vulnerable as the emperor said. A violent wind and rain blew the dilapidated house of Daqing to the ground, and also blew Beiyang to pieces. What an Oriental Bismarck, but a pastemaker.

And in Zhang Peilun's eyes, the Lord Zhongtang, who has gone through wind and rain and the ups and downs of the Huan Sea, no matter how far he goes, no matter how stormy he is, Li Hongzhang has never been so depressed and sad as he is today. Only in his eyes there is still a vague arrogance of the year.

"Lord Zhongtang, now that the situation in the Grange is in danger, this gun has no eyes. At a time when the country is in crisis, you can't fall. ”

"The emperor will be fine, even if he can't let the emperor have an accident. Otherwise, even the emperor of the Qing Dynasty had an accident on the battlefield, so who else would dare to say that he would make peace? If you can't force the Qing Dynasty to the negotiating table, even if the Qing Dynasty is defeated, it will be dragged to death. This is their fate. The Qing Dynasty dragged it up, but I said that I couldn't afford it. The emperor is clever. ”

Since the year before last, the emperor has been planning for the present day, and every military operation of the army is under the emperor's control. First changed the Beiyang Naval Division to the Qing Imperial Beiyang Fleet, and then personally conquered Tianzhuangtai. This Beiyang system, which he established under Li Hongzhang, was annihilated with the artillery fire of the Yue army. also with the artillery fire of the army, a mighty and unyielding emperor was played. The king of a country, in order to stimulate the fighting spirit of the three armies. Put yourself to death, the loyalty of the three armies. Is this scheming? Is it a conspiracy? Or is it the unpredictable imperial mind of the clouds and rain?

"Lord Zhongtang, there is another urgent call from the Military Aircraft Department, asking you to reply immediately." Outside the door, Li Hongzhang's staff said in a somewhat eager tone.

"Don't look! Don't go back! Li Hongzhang waved his hand and said categorically: "At this time, what urgent matter can there be from the Military Aircraft Department, it is just for me Li Hongzhang to come forward and ask foreigners to mediate." Please ask the foreigner to mediate, I, Li Hongzhang, originally intended it. But now the emperor is fighting with Yue himself in the front, but we are making peace with Yue himself in the back. If people in the world hear about it, how do they think of the imperial court, and how do they think of me Li Hongzhang? "We can't repeat the mistakes of our mentor Zeng Wenzheng.

"But ......" Zhang Peilun hesitated, looked at Li Hongzhang's haggard expression, and swallowed the sentence on his chest.

"Nothing! The old man is old, and Beiyang is over. Li Hongzhang smiled abruptly: "As soon as Beiyang goes, although there is unwillingness in my heart, there is nothing to be nostalgic for." Now that the sky of the Qing Dynasty has changed, as long as the emperor returns victoriously in Tianzhuangtai, who else in the world can stop the emperor's edge? I can't stop it, I can't stop it, the Queen Mother is also old......"

"Zhongtang ......" Zhang Peilun swallowed before he could say it, and his eyes were red.

"The ministers of the DPRK and the Central Committee were originally afraid of the power of the old man Beiyang, so the old man has been sitting firmly in this Zhili Governor for many years. However, after the defeat of Jiawu, the old man without the support of Beiyang had to step down. The emperor returned victoriously and took over the power of the world. In the past 20 years, the emperor has been hidden and not released, but he shocked the world in the First Sino-Japanese War. ”

"Over the years, the old man has offended countless powerful people. Now, once he loses power, he will be met with countless retaliations. The old man was unable to maintain the safety of the Li family, but the Jing Fang was not enough to support him. Only the chrysanthemum root has a deep friendship with the emperor, and I hope that you will use it to ensure the safety of my Li family. ”

"If you have the opportunity, let the chrysanthemum root remind the emperor that a hundred years of silence is not changeable, and it is the right way to slowly figure it."

After being silent for a moment, Zhang Peilun asked in a low voice: "Lord Zhongtang, the telegram from the Military Aircraft Department always has to be replied, I don't know how to phrase it?" ”

Li Hongzhang raised his head and thought about it, and suddenly shook his head a little lonely: "Let's just say that the old man is seriously ill and bedridden." The old man can no longer afford the infamy of betraying the country and seeking glory. ”

"Okay, now the Qing Dynasty is a wall in the world, and everyone is pushing it." Cixi slapped Li Hongzhang's telegram on the case: "How is the contact with that person?" ”

Shi Duo dealt with it carefully, and the queen mother's face was not good: "Go back to Lafayette's words." It was said that the present side proposed that Li Hongzhang should not talk about it. ”

"If the Qing Dynasty is great, except for him, Li Hongzhang can't come with anyone who can talk?"

"Lafayette, with a humble opinion. Do you want Prince Gong Yixin to come out of the mountain? ”

When Cixi heard this, she finally nodded after a long time: "Let's come to Beijing." ”

Outside the Jietai Temple, a carriage has already been settled, and it can enter Beijing just waiting for the prince to come out. The coachman on the carriage looked festive, and it has been ten years since he moved here from the capital with his master. Now, the court finally knows the ability of my prince, and at this time, I will invite the prince to return to Beijing to preside over the overall situation. The gate of Jietai Temple was opened, but Prince Gong Yixin at this time did not have the joy of a coachman, and his face was sad. For him, this is for him to clean up the mess of the First Sino-Qing War.

"Phew—" After a long hiss, a carriage came galloping from afar and came to a slow stop at the gate. Li Hongzhang, who was dressed in civilian clothes, walked down.

"Shaoquan, don't come unharmed." Yi Xin laughed and greeted him.

"I have seen the prince in my humble position, and now all the departments in Beiyang have been defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War. Only the emperor refused with all his might, and he was so humble that he was brisk. Li Hongzhang stepped forward to salute and said respectfully.

As soon as Yi Xin heard it, she knew that Li Hongzhang had something to say, and then said: "It's rare for Shaoquan to come here, so don't rush into Beijing first." ”

In the courtyard of the North Palace, it is still the big tree, the tea table, and the teapot...... Here is exactly the same furnishings as when Li Hongzhang came two years ago, but the time is changing, and the Jietai Temple in winter has long been withered, and there is no regret of spring.

"It's just you and me here, Shaoquan might as well say it if you have something to say." Yi Xin picked up the hot tea and took a sip gently.

"Hongzhang has nothing else to do, I heard that the prince was ordered by the Queen Mother to return to Beijing, so I came to dissuade him."

Li Hongzhang's first sentence made Yi Xin's brows twist: "I don't know, but it's hard to disobey my will." I'm not a young Quan Ke pretending to be sick. This must be the world of Aixin Jueluo, how can the descendants of Aixin Jueluo abandon their ancestral inheritance at this time. ””

"The emperor is still fighting a bloody battle in Tianzhuangtai, but the court is negotiating peace with the enemy in the back. Once the rumors go out, the famous general ......" Li Hongzhang sighed: "Don't be afraid of the prince's blame, the famous prince will die on the pillar of shame in history, and future generations will spit on it." ”

Yi Xin doesn't understand this truth. Maybe I still have some hope for returning to Beijing, maybe there will be some luck. But Li Hongzhang's words really made him restless.

"Lord, even if you return to Beijing, you should persuade the queen mother. The emperor must not negotiate peace with the enemy when he fights with the enemy, and he should mobilize soldiers and horses from all over the world to reinforce Tianzhuangtai. With the emperor in charge, this battle may not be lost. ”

"I heard before that Shaoquan's return to Tianjin was really crowded out by the imperial court. Now looking at the meaning of the DPRK and China, there is a great sense of idleness. It's rare that you still have this loyalty. But this is the reason, but it is not the case. This battle was not only the battle between the Qing Dynasty and Yueben, but also the battle between the Queen Mother and the Emperor. ”

Li Hongzhang was slightly stunned, looked at Prince Gong and hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Could the prince be referring to the queen mother and the emperor...... But now it is a national war, and the foreign enemy is uneven, this ...... This ......"

Li Hongzhang had long understood in his heart that after this battle, the emperor and the queen mother would have a fight, but he never thought that the war on the front line had not been settled, and the battle had already started later. However, after all, he is a foreign minister, so he naturally does not dare to speak casually like Prince Gong's side. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment and said, "It's just as the prince said." However, Hongzhang has a lot of worries in his heart, and he is not happy to vomit. Our Qing Dynasty was already weak, and it was not possible to revitalize the country overnight. However, when the battle of the Qing Dynasty was in full swing, the dispute between the emperor and the queen would be incompatible. I'm afraid it's not the blessing of the world and the blessing of the community. No matter how much you fight, you have to wait until the foreign enemy is at peace! ”

"Shaoquan is in the picture. If the foreign enemy has been pacified, there will be no turmoil between the emperor and the queen. Yi Xin smiled slightly: "Shaoquan has also been up and down in the sea for a long time, and when he is out, he can understand." ”

From the capital to the Jietai Temple, there is a 70-mile road, how long does the carriage take? No one seems to have counted yet. It was just a decree sent early in the morning, and it was not until the evening that Prince Gong Yixin entered the capital, and then entered the palace to greet the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother and Prince Gong have been talking for a long time, and no one knows what they are talking about. It's just that Prince Gong didn't look good when he came out.

"My lord, the fleet is ready, and all will set sail after dawn. It's just that I don't understand, why should I help that Manchu Tatar emperor? They are full of people, and foreigners have taken away my great rivers and mountains. Now he can't beat outsiders, but he wants us to save him. "Wu Deren commanded the fleet as a good hand, and he absolutely obeyed orders. It's like he's willing to go to war, but the fleet is ready. It's just that I can't let go of it on this matter. After being kidnapped that year, I heard that my parents died due to excessive sadness, so I hated the Qing Dynasty, and countless times of consolation still couldn't change his idea of unfilial piety. Why do we Han fleets have to give their lives to the Manchurians.

"Yes, that's how it should be. ......" echoed the voice. These captains who studied overseas saw a whole new world and had new ideals, and the key was that they were all Han Chinese. Only a few captains bowed their heads and did not speak.

"Okay, then we're not going." Li Enfu smiled slightly.

"Master Li, are you also ......" Xu Shichang stood up violently, pointed at Li Enfu, and stared at him fiercely.

"Lord Xu, don't worry, you see this is the desire of the people." Li Enfu still said unhurriedly: "Since we won't go this time, then we have to trouble Lord Xu to go to South American countries again to see which country is willing to buy our warships." ”

Sell warships? When Wu Deren heard this, he jumped up like a cat with his tail stepped on: "If you don't go to the war, you don't need to sell warships." "It's not easy to drive the warship back and pull out a fleet, don't you just don't go to the capital, then you don't need to sell the warship!

"No way, no money." Li Enfu spread his hands: "If you want to continue to maintain the size of this fleet, at most a month, the Hawaiian Kingdom will go bankrupt." ”

"It's not...... We don't usually train...... Is the training too intense? We can train less! In short, it can't be sold. "I want to sell warships, but Wu Deren doesn't agree anyway.

Just when the captains looked at each other, Cheng Cheng, as the chief of the general staff of the Navy, stood up and spoke: "Commander Wu, and all the captains, when you are still happy that we finally have the reputation of the First Pacific Fleet, and when you are still training hard, have you ever thought about where the money for buying warships and training shells comes from?" If you think about it, the kingdom of Hawaii has only a large population, and it has a large area. How can you raise such a large fleet? ”

"Isn't it profitable to sell sugar? Isn't there still a gold mine? Wu Deren's voice became quieter and quieter, because he also knew that the sources of these two places were not enough, but as long as he had a fleet and cannonballs, he didn't bother to think about other things.

"White sugar is not enough, not to mention that the gold mine itself is not enough, once the gold mine is leaked. Do you think those white-skinned devils can give us peace of mind mining? In fact, the fact that we can be here today is secretly arranged by the Tatar Emperor in your mouth. The money for the purchase of warships and training was all provided domestically. You know, the gold mines cannot be used on a large scale, and it is difficult to sell sugar to maintain the factories on the island. And why did the emperor do this? Have you thought about it? ”

Only then did Li Enfu speak: "If you want to maintain a fleet, in addition to the supply of artillery shells, you must also have enough maintenance materials. You all think about it, this island country has no resources, once it is surrounded by people, what will the injured warship take to repair? Or do you have the ability to challenge the world's navies with your current fleet? If we want to maintain a strong fleet, we must have our back on the mainland, and we must have a steady stream of resources from the mainland. ”

"Besides, in this battle of the Qing Dynasty, if the Qing Dynasty is defeated, it will be a land reparation. It is still our Chinese's land that is cut, and it is our Chinese's money that is compensated. Then I will use our land and our money to arm more people, and then I will fight the Qing country to get more land and more money. In the end, the unlucky ones are not the Han people? Therefore, it is said that this must be fought. ””

"Also, you went back this time according to a secret agreement, and the Hawaiian Kingdom packaged and sold the warship to the Great Qing Kingdom along with you. You have not forgotten the situation when you came out, the emperor secretly sent you frustrated but talented people out for training, in order not to let foreign countries bully us Chinese. You say he is a Manchurian Tartar, but do you know it? You often talk about the Tang Dynasty in the prosperous Han and Tang dynasties, and the Li Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was not a Han person, but a Xianbei person. ”

Li Enfu looked at the captains with surprised faces, and said slowly: "Do we regard the Tang Dynasty as the source of foreign races in the system?" Not really. Look at your heads, and who else has braids? In fact, this was all agreed by the emperor. The emperor said that don't let clothing become a barrier to this country, and the world should be colorful. Look at the emperor again, apart from the costumes, what else is different from the Han people? Let me tell you a secret: the emperor and his wife don't know the Manchu script. ”

"That'...... So is he still a Manchurian emperor? The shocking secret surprised everyone present, including Xu Shichang.

"Count it or not, see it with your own eyes. Remember, whoever is the court is the country's own. Put the country first, let's start tomorrow. Tell the Motherland that you are back. (To be continued.) )