After the return of the conquest fleet, Lin Haijiang led 11 main ironclad ships and 16 third-class battleships to Guangzhou to practice to Ye Mingchen, the governor of Liangguang, and Bai Gui, the governor of Guangdong.

Because he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble, Lin Haijiang's fleet did not enter the port and was anchored outside the port of Guangzhou, but this is also a matter of the lice on the bald man's head!

In order not to cause unnecessary trouble to Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui, Lin Haijiang ordered Gao Qi to dispatch 12,000 people to carry out a strict public security rectification activity in the whole city, which was used to cover his quiet entry into the city.

But often the more this happens, the more it backfires, on the third floor of the Defu Building, after Lin Haijiang and Ye Mingchen and Bai Weizhu sat down, Lin Haijiang looked at Ye Mingchen, Ye Mingchen looked at Bai Gui, Bai Gui looked at Lin Haijiang again, and the three of them were embarrassed.

Lin Haijiang found that Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui were not wearing official uniforms, but were dressed in short coarse cloth clothes, each with two old family members, and seven or eight donkeys? It seems that he is ready to go on a tour.

In the end, Ye Mingchen broke the embarrassment and sighed helplessly: "The court decreed that I should wait for the old man to return to my hometown, and say goodbye to Lord Lin when I say goodbye!" I hope that Lord Lin will be self-respecting, self-respecting, loyal, and filial, although this world is said to be the court's, but it is also the common people all over the world! Once the war breaks out, in the end, the family is ruined and the wives are separated, but the people of the world are still the people! ”

Bai Gui silently drank a cup of self-drink and interjected: "Presumably, Lord Lin also has a plan in his heart, I also see the changes in Guangzhou in the past few years, I am also in my eyes, in my heart, I and Lord Ye are not as good as you, the court is not as merciful, but we still have to have more respect in our hearts as courtiers, thunder, rain and dew are all gentlemen!" I just hope that you will think twice before you do everything in the face of the people of these two Guangli people! ”

Ye Mingchen picked up the wine glass in front of him and said bluntly to Lin Haijiang: "I am all old, Ye is useless when I am old, the woman I liked in the past few years is only the one to watch, I used to like silver money, but now I don't like silver money anymore, life does not bring things that death does not bring, there are more things that make people worry about it and cause trouble to the family, now you can come and see me off, I am grateful." ”

Ye Mingchen paused and said: "We have already sent our families back to our hometown, and the two of us have decided to travel together to take a tour of this great mountain and river, and your brother Lin is also clear, if you move here, the court will not dare to move, and you will definitely make us two old guys angry, so our move is also to avoid trouble!" ”

Lin Haijiang took a deep breath, he knew that since this had been clarified, there was no need to hide it, and he knew even more that this was Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui's helpless move! The Qing court exerted pressure on the side, and the thousands of governors and fubiaos in their hands were not at all the opponents of Lin Haijiang's 30,000 sailors, and the two sailors of the Great Qing State were in the hands of Lin Haijiang's Nanyang, and even the imperial court was forced to form a Beiyang sailor to resist and contain Nanyang.

Lin Haijiang raised his glass and said: "My original intention was to use industry to help me in the Qing Dynasty, but unfortunately the imperial court did not allow it!" Some people say that I am engaged in industry, and some people say that I am a private communiqué and compete with the people for profit, I train hard and some people say that I have bad intentions, and some people say that I intend to rebel when I enter Beijing to fight against foreign invaders? Is it just for me to do nothing? Let the British and French foreign hairs enter Gyeonggi and burn down the Old Summer Palace to be loyal and patriotic? ”

Lin Haijiang looked at Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui and said sonorously: "I love this country, I love this nation, I love everyone who lives on this land, no matter what nationality he is now, in another hundred years, they will have only one name, that is, the Chinese nation!" I love the court that betrayed the interests of the nation and the country in exchange for its continued rule, since the foundation of a big tree has completely rotted, why not let it fall? Do you want it to go on? Until the last drop of blood of this nation, this country? ”

Lin Haijiang's words made Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui look at each other speechlessly!

Maybe Lin Haijiang's words sounded extremely shocking to them, incomparably rebellious, but after all, this was the first time that someone dared to say such arrogant and rebellious words in front of them, Bai Gui pointed at Lin Haijiang with a trembling finger and said: "When the Hongbing Rebellion was indiscriminate, I also thought that you were a loyal minister and righteous man of the Qing Dynasty, even if the court did not live with you, you should also understand the difficulties of the emperor, the son of the son actually said such a rebellious words, where are you the most holy ancestor?" I'm angry old man! ”

"You can't teach a child!" Ye Mingchen also flicked his sleeves, but found that his short dress had no official sleeves at all, so he angrily went straight downstairs with Bai Gui to the gate.

Lin Haijiang smiled bitterly and said to the two of them: "Please rest assured, Lin will not be the first to ignite the flames of war and make the people of the world miserable, if anyone ignites the flames of war, I should guarantee to complete the battle of reunification within six to eight months!" ”

As soon as Lin Haijiang's words came out, the backs of Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui suddenly paused, and after a while, the two left slowly, looking at the back that was gradually moving away and the bell of the donkey, Lin Haijiang felt a little lonely in his heart.

The departure of Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui made Lin Haijiang feel very sudden, could it be that Xianfeng was preparing to make a faint move again? And the Qing court did not appoint the next governor of Liangguang and the governor of Guangdong? Does it all seem too abnormal? There is a lack of intelligence, and Lin Haijiang is sometimes helpless.

The Qing Palace itself is a heavily guarded place, and in addition to the fact that they can enter and exit normally, they are basically summoned palace ministers, and the men inside are all eunuchs with a small ** in addition to the inner guards and the imperial dining room Xianfeng himself, and this eunuch is also divided into three, six, nine, etc., even if he is willing to make sacrifices to blend in, don't even think of approaching the imperial study and the Qianqing Palace for more than ten or twenty years, the place in the imperial dining room is even more strictly managed than the inner room of the inner guards, so basically the Qing Palace is an insulator for Lin Haijiang's intelligence department.

Most of the information is obtained by aggregating and analyzing, but there is a serious problem with this, that is, this kind of analysis is based on clues collected from various sources, which can easily be misled, so that the gains outweigh the losses.

Just when Lin Haijiang couldn't understand the intentions of the Qing court, in the Forbidden City in Gyeonggi, Xianfeng, who was flushed, had just drunk a small sip of the deer blood prepared by the imperial doctor.

Lan'er, who was standing aside and waiting, still sealed Yi Guifei at this time, and as soon as Yi Guifei's willow eyebrows were raised, several imperial doctors immediately fell to their knees, trembling but did not open their mouths to defend, because the Ouchi imperial doctor seemed to be beautiful, but once an important person in the palace made an important life, whether it was the patient's own lamp running out or the wrong prescription, the imperial doctor was a death.

Xianfeng, whose face was like gold paper, waved his hand and said: "Lan'er is not difficult for them, I know this illness in my heart, let them all retreat!" ”

After everyone retreated, Xianfeng took Yi Guifei's hand and whispered slowly: "The prince Zaichun is only three years old, and the most worrying thing about what is behind me is your mother and son!" ”

Concubine Yi immediately choked up and said: "Your Majesty, your health is good, and the concubines are still looking forward to your longevity!" ”

"Longevity without borders?" Xianfeng smiled dismally and said: "I have self-knowledge, since Pangu made a breakthrough, which emperor of the ages does not want to live forever?" It's not that I don't want to, but I can't! This Qing Dynasty is still governed by me, it is my incompetence, I am greedy for wine and lustful, I know, Bing's surname! Bing's surname! ”

Just after finishing speaking, there was another violent cough, Xianfeng looked at the handkerchief covering his mouth and said: "I originally wanted to leave a complete world for your mother and son, even if it is poor and broken, it is still complete!" Now it looks like it can't be done, the bandits are powerful, the Nanyang Admiral Lin Haijiang has a negative grace, the Western countries are ready to move, and the Russians are still secretly releasing my blood, but the national policy of uniting the oceans to control the bandits, using the North Seas to control the South Seas, and rejecting the foreign countries with the North and the South Seas cannot be shaken, especially the construction of the Beiyang Naval Division is urgent. ”

Xianfeng seemed to be half tired, paused and continued: "Yi Xin is my own brother, he is witty, skilled, and very talented, in comparison, as the Ninety-Five Honor, I seem mediocre and incompetent, so he has always attracted my suspicion, so I have always alienated Yi Xin and reused Su Shun and others. Although Yi Xin is a prince, he has no real power, and he is squeezed out by Su Shun and others everywhere! But Yi Xin is definitely a person you can rely on at a critical moment, and my previous estrangement is just the right opportunity for you to reuse in the future, understand? ”

Xianfeng took Yi Guifei's hand and gently stroked her white fingers and said: "Your Lan'er Yehenala clan was drafted into the palace in the second year of Xianfeng, and I gave you the title of Lan Guiren, and later canonized Yi Concubine." In March of the fifth year of Xianfeng, you gave birth to my only prince, Zaichun, and I am so happy in my heart! Immediately Zhao Jin named you Concubine Yi. After a long time, I was promoted to your concubine Yi. I am frail and sickly, and the internal and external troubles in recent years have made me haggard, and I myself feel that I am gradually becoming lazy, Yi Guifei, you work in calligraphy, I often dictate to let you Yi Guifei ghostwrite and approve the chapters, so that you have the opportunity to contact the government, I will leave a Tongdao Hall Medal for the prince Zaichun, and then leave a royal reward for the queen, you sisters are of the same heart, and you are not afraid of the foreign ministers taking the opportunity to gain power. ”

"You go first! The queen will come in a while, and I will have something to explain! Xianfeng waved his hand weakly.

Yi Guifei's heart was very chaotic, this year's Chengde hunt was originally a farce, she didn't want to come and was brought out by Xianfeng, at this moment her heart was already in a mess, she found that the queen Ci'an, who was surrounded by the front and back, came slowly, and hurriedly saluted: "Good night, sister, long live the lord just took the medicine, and his complexion is much better, I tell you not to worry." ”

In front of Ci'an, the mother of the world, Concubine Yi is very dwarfed, Ci'an is the Niu Co Lu clan, Manchuria inlaid with yellow flags, and the daughter of Mu Yang'a of Youjiang Province, Guangxi. Since the second year of Xianfeng, Ci'an and her have entered the palace, and when the queen was determined, Ci'an was soon canonized as the queen.

Ci'an was born in a family of eunuchs for generations and received a good education from an early age. Especially in the seven years that she became the queen of the Middle Palace, the Qing Dynasty encountered unprecedented external and internal troubles, which made her mature in the midst of adversity and increase her experience in the midst of adversity. In the palace where the beauties are like clouds, and in the amorous and lustful today, she can maintain seven years of honor and favor, in addition to relying on her own extraordinary appearance and character, there is a more important factor, that is, she has a very successful and effective way to deal with and control her relationship with the concubines and the husband and the emperor. These are enough to prove that the queen is a very wise and foolish person in the city, and the more she is like this, the more afraid the concubine is.

And she is just an insignificant nobleman, although she then gave birth to the first and only surviving prince for Emperor Xianfeng, the mother is more precious than the son, and her ranking in the palace has climbed all the way, from concubine to concubine, and then to the concubine, becoming the second only person in the palace to the queen.

However, in the hierarchical palace, the rank of the concubine in the palace is not only strict, but also insurmountable, and the difference between the concubines (wives and concubines) cannot be erased. The queen mother is the world, in charge of the six palaces. In the palace, even Emperor Xianfeng respects Ci'an a lot, not to mention that he is smart, he is naturally courteous and humble, and he doesn't dare to be a little presumptuous.

What made Concubine Yi even more unbearable was the entourage of the queen, and there were very few around her, only two palace maids? Concubine Yi is not afraid of loneliness, she is afraid of loneliness in the future court, it has reached this point, how can she be willing to be obscure?

After Ci'an entered the dragon tent, Xianfeng glanced at him guiltily and said, "The queen has worked hard! In the past seven years, you have borne so much fright and heart, I am sorry for you, and I am sorry for my ancestors and ancestors. ”

As soon as Ci'an wanted to speak, Xianfeng took out a secret box from under his pillow and said: "Today, I will let Ye Mingchen, the governor of Liangguang, and Bai Gui, the governor of Guangdong, go to their posts, but I have not arranged a follow-up candidate, Liangguang and now most of Fujian are under the control of the Nanyang Naval Division, I have thought about it carefully, the fault is in me, I hated it at that time!" Why didn't I hate the foreigner who repelled him? Why can't I ride a bloody horse or wield a steel knife? I know my own fault, I am jealous of the merits of my courtiers and brothers, but I forget that this world is actually mine, and their credit is my holy wisdom! ”

Xianfeng took a breath and continued: "I left you a secret edict in the secret box, and Su Shun and others suggested that I follow the story of Lady Gouyi who killed his mother and left his son by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, so as not to be called the queen mother's dictatorship. ”

Ci An'an was startled but expressionless, she naturally knew the source of this story, which was "Hanshu? The Biography of Relatives recorded that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty favored Zhao Jieyu, the wife of Gouyi, and wanted to set up his son, but he was young and his mother was young, and he was afraid that the heroine would leave the country in chaos, and Zhao Jieyu was condemned by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and died. Before Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty died, he appointed Zhao Jieyuzi as the crown prince, and the great Sima and the general Huo Guangfu were the young masters, who were Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty.

Xianfeng looked at Ci'an and took out a small seal engraved with the words "Imperial Reward" and said: "If I am gone, even if the minister wants to hold the jade seal to carry out his will, he must also stamp your imperial reward and Zaichun's fellow Taoist hall. ”

This time, Ci'an couldn't sit still anymore, and looked at Xianfeng in surprise and didn't know what to do?

Xianfeng naturally smiled and said: "I have approved the errand of Ye Mingchen, the governor of Liangguang, and Bai Gui, the governor of Guangdong, because they are not the opponents of Lin Haijiang, the governor of Nanyang, and now Lin Haijiang has not rebelled, but no one can guarantee that he will not rebel, I still have no faith in him many times, so this kindness will be left to your sisters and the prince Zaichun, I hope to stabilize him, even if he is late to rebel, there are scruples, and after the bandits are resolved, my Beiyang Naval Division of the Qing Dynasty has already become an army. It is said that the Ming edict will withdraw the South Seas and merge them into the South and South Seas, and then he will not be able to help Lin Haijiang, and if he wants to fight, he will fight, and I will accompany him! ”

Xianfeng was excited for a while and coughed violently, waving his hand to signal Ci'an to leave!

Immediately, Xianfeng summoned Su Shun and others again, and the edict used eight people, including Zaiyuan, Su Shun, and Duanhua, as ministers to take care of their lives, until late at night.

Soon, Lin Haijiang, who was stationed in Guangzhou to cope with all changes, had already dismissed the superintendent and fubiao, and not only did the 30,000 troops of the Nanyang Naval Division stationed in Guangzhou begin to expand to the entire territory of Guangzhou, but also transferred 10,000 marines and six Fujian mountain infantry battalions from the old port to serve as mobile troops.

Originally, the occupation of the Ryukyus was suspended because the warships were concentrated in Guangzhou, and Lin Haijiang had heard of Xianfeng's poor health, but in history Xianfeng would not hang up until the Chengde hunting period in 1861, but Lin Haijiang was negligent because of the great changes in history that Xianfeng was under greater pressure and self-blame.

If Xianfeng hangs up early? Lin Haijiang sat on the chair in the command room of the Zhiyuan ship, looking at the Qing Dynasty map on the wall and was silent.

His previous three-year development plan was entirely based on the fact that Xianfeng could live until 1861, during which the Qing court made every effort to build their Beiyang Naval Division, and he took advantage of these three years to complete his own chain island plan, and now it seems that the implementation of his plan is difficult.

Lin Haijiang saw very clearly the essence of the war, and the main reason why he kept his head in obscurity was that China was too backward, and the essence of the war was to obtain benefits that could not be obtained through political negotiations, and then use politics to expand such interests and influence, but obviously he did not have this condition and form at present.

If the rash and reckless action feels very enjoyable, just like Cixi's later generations declaring war on all countries, it has become a typical "I will bend the country", and Lin Haijiang would rather "I bend the country will extend", everything has the interests of the nation and the country as the criterion, not seeking to leave a name in history, but seeking a clear conscience!

(To be continued)