Feng Zicai killed the French in Zhennanguan, returned to his hometown victoriously, and was welcomed by the old folks of Liangguang, and there was a poem at that time to praise: "The southerners are inspired and sighed, and there has been no such battle for decades." Offering fruit and burning incense to greet you, what is the right thing to drink Huanglong! ”

The Battle of Zhennanguan was indeed a unique victory of the late Qing Empire over the great powers, and the envoys of various countries in China congratulated Li Hongzhang, and Hurd even said: "From now on, China will no longer be regarded as 'insignificant' in the diplomatic arena." ”

Western countries, after the Renaissance, generally regarded the life of the individual citizen as supreme. Politicians who send troops to fight are most afraid of the dead, because the families of soldiers can come to the meeting. He will demonstrate casually around the royal palace to express his anger.

Zhennanguan was defeated, more than 2,000 French soldiers were killed in the battle, and thousands of French people who had long been dissatisfied with the war rushed to the French National Assembly. In front of the Palais Bourbon, where the meeting was located, he shouted: "Down with Feruli!" Kill Feruli! Eliminate Féjuli". French Parliament. An emergency meeting was held that night to remove Prime Minister Joorie Fijouli and his entire cabinet.

At this time, a high-ranking official of the Qing Dynasty was the first to jump out and play the imperial court, calling on the imperial court to seize this favorable opportunity and negotiate peace with the French. You would never have imagined that this high-ranking Qing official who may be scolded by many Wumao as a "patriotic thief" is not Li Hongzhang, but Zeng Jize, the minister to France, Zeng Guofan's second son, he has always been a representative of the main battle faction before, why did he suddenly ask for peace at this time?

As a minister to France, Zeng Jize understood that France was still an industrial power at that time, and China could defeat France in one war, or defeat France in another war, but it was impossible to defeat France in three wars! Therefore, after winning the war, hurry up to negotiate peace, and the compensation for land cession can be waived. He knows very well that for France, the prime minister of the cabinet is not like the emperor of China, and the collapse of the cabinet is a big thing, and a new cabinet will come to power soon, and even the political axe will close the door, which is something that many Chinese will never understand. Just like many Chinese will never understand Li Hongzhang's diplomatic thinking, labeling him as "surrender" and "traitor".

Li Hongzhang's thoughts at this time are the same as Zeng Jize's, and he will accept it when he sees it. Because of this battle, Li Hongzhang almost gambled on the Huai Army's old capital, and in the end, the victory at Zhennanguan still had the element of luck, so he couldn't fight anymore, and he didn't have the money to fight anymore. Fighting a war is about burning money, and this is a truth that Qingliu will never understand. When China and France went to war, China borrowed a total of seven foreign debts from HSBC and other foreign banks in the name of Guangdong Haiphong, Fujian Haiphong, aid to Taiwan and Guiyue, and Yunnan and Guizhou loans, totaling about 12.6 million taels of Kuping silver. This is still the amount directly used for military spending, if you include the pension for the Huai army's casualties and the loss of warships and shipyards, the Qing treasury is empty and cannot afford to spend it.

When France was at war with China, it was still engaged in a war of aggression against Madagascar, and Li Hongzhang proposed an armistice, and the two sides hit it off and made peace. This time France lost too badly, and there was nothing else to ask for, Li Hongzhang symbolically opened the four treaty ports of Yunnan and Guangxi, which was exactly what Li Hongzhang wanted to do. Because by this time, Li Hongzhang had already founded a large number of civilian enterprises such as Hebei Cizhou Coal and Iron Mine, Jiangxi Xingguo Coal Mine, Hubei Guangji Coal Mine, Kaiping Mining Bureau, Shanghai Machine Weaving Layout, Shandong Yixian Coal Mine, Tianjin Telegraph Bureau, Tangxu Railway, Shanghai Telegraph Administration, Jingu Railway, Mohe Gold Mine, Rehe Sidaogou Copper Mine, Sanshan Lead and Silver Mine, Shanghai Huasheng Textile General Factory, etc., he needed to do business with foreigners, and was unwilling to close off the country, as he said to Song Xiaofei: "The doors and windows of the house have been closed for a long time, It's easy to stink inside", Li Hongzhang never felt that trading with foreigners was a loss of power and humiliation to the country.

In the Sino-French War, the Empress Dowager Cixi realized the important surname of Taiwan, followed Li Hongzhang's suggestion, set up a province in Taiwan, Liu Ming passed on as the first governor, Song Xiaofei was awarded the title of martial arts general because of his military exploits, and he led his troops back to North Korea after the victory in Tamsui.

In this battle, there was also a major earthquake within the Qing court. Li Hongzhang's reputation is long, and he and the Empress Dowager Cixi, the "golden partner", cooperated with each other to bring down the pro-Guangxu Emperor's military ministers and "Qingliu" ministers. Because Emperor Guangxu is almost at the age of pro-government, if he waits for another two years, the Empress Dowager Cixi will not be able to hold it.

The Empress Dowager Cixi first deposed all the military ministers headed by Prince Gong on the charge of "following the rules", and then insisted that Prince Gong was sick and let him recuperate at home; The Minister of Military Aircraft, Bao Jun, retired from the original product, and Li Hongzao and Jing Lian were demoted to the second level; Weng Tong resigned from his post and retained his post, withdrew from the Military Aircraft Department, and still went to Yuqing Palace to teach the young Guangxu Emperor to read. In this way, the entire military aircraft department was actually disbanded, and the queen mother took sole power.

And Qingliu "Horn" Zhang Peilun, although Princess Rongshou repeatedly begged the Empress Dowager Cixi not to punish the crime, but the person who wrote to punish him was lined up from the Qianqing Palace to the noon gate, and everyone said "to kill", Li Hongzhang interceded, Zhang Peilun did not die in the end, and was exiled to Chahar for three years.

At this point, the Empress Dowager Cixi was the sole ruler of the imperial court, and no minister dared to chirp crookedly in her ear. And Li Hongzhang, the opponent in the court, is only Zuo Zongtang.

However, Zuo Zongtang, who is over 70 years old, still has that stinky bull temper, openly accusing Li Hongzhang of being a "soft bone" in the court, criticizing Li Hongzhang for discussing peace with the French "hurts the national body", and when he meets the minister, he pulls him over and doesn't care whether people want to listen to it or not, and talks about his high opinions: "As far as China is concerned, ten French generals are not as bad as one Li Hongzhang", "Li Hongzhang has made a mistake and will be infamous through the ages."

Li Hongzhang has just turned 60 years old, and he is doing "politics. Bureau. Often. At the age of "committee", he is a person who still has to do practical things and do big things, and in addition to being angry, he is determined to remove Zuo Zongtang, the last stumbling block.

The Fujian Shipbuilding Bureau founded by Zuo Zongtang has been destroyed in the Sino-French War, so Li Hongzhang's first knife slashed at Zuo Zongtang's left arm - Wang Debang, the general of the Hunan Army.

Li Hongzhang completely ignored his role in the victory at Zhennanguan and relieved Wang Debang of military power on the grounds that Wang Debang's "Dingbian Army" had fled in Vietnam. This incident also fully shows how important it is to follow the leadership in the general environment of the bureaucratic system, and once the big tiger is about to be beaten, it will definitely be the little tiger and the fly that will be killed and injured first.

Immediately afterwards, Li Hongzhang set his eyes on Hu Xueyan, the "richest man in the Qing Dynasty". At this time, Hu Xueyan was over sixty years old, and he was hiding in the splendid mansion with twelve young and beautiful aunts and wives living like an emperor.

At that time, Hu Xueyan had the capital to live like that, relying on Zuo Zongtang's power, he had started from scratch from a guy in a money village back then, and became a red-top businessman with a family property of more than 20 million taels of silver, and he was as rich as the country. Hu Xueyan once assisted Zuo Zongtang in setting up a business, presided over the Shanghai Mining and Transportation Bureau, handled the purchase of foreign machinery and munitions, invited foreign technical personnel, and received a large number of kickbacks, and also set up more than 20 "Fukang" silver accounts in various provinces, and operated traditional Chinese medicine and silk tea business, and engaged in business in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Li Hongzhang got rid of Hu Xueyan, and Zuo Zongtang had neither military power nor money. This will undoubtedly cost Zuo Zongtang, who has been arrogant all his life, half of his life.

However, Li Hongzhang not only wanted to cure Hu Xueyan's crimes, but also raided his home, because Li Hongzhang urgently needed a sum of money to prepare for the construction of the "Beiyang Martial Arts Academy" suggested by Song Xiaofei. But after all, Hu Xueyan was the "richest man" in the Qing Dynasty, and although Zuo Zongtang was no longer the Minister of Military Aircraft, he was also the Governor of Liangjiang and the Minister of Nanyang Commerce, which was not so easy to deal with, so Li Hongzhang handed over this arduous task to Song Xiaofei.

Li Hongzhang repaired a letter, ordered someone to send Song Xiaofei who was in North Korea, and asked him to rush back, and also ordered Sheng Xuanhuai, who had previously proposed to "fall to the left and fall Hu first", to assist Song Xiaofei in handling this matter, emphasizing that "it must be thorough, so that the people have no objections", a big drama of power strangulation of money is about to be staged in the Qing Empire. In China, this kind of contest between power and money will undoubtedly end "predestined", and to this day, it is still so!;