Back in the mansion, Jing Shou locked himself in the study and did not allow anyone to disturb him, after thinking about it for a long time, he finally understood the true meaning of Lan Guifei's flashing and longing gaze, that is, the desire for power! Jing Shou was secretly surprised, recalling Lan Guifei's attitude towards Su Shunde, can't he say cold? Can't say it's hot? Not estranged? Can't say close?

What does this mean? Jing Shou, who has been in officialdom for a long time, seems to understand that Su Shun's excessive power makes Concubine Lan seem to be a little worried? And why should Lan Guifei worry about this? How crazy is a woman's pursuit of power? What does she want to do? Xianfengye's body has always been weak, and now he is relying on deer blood to make up for it.

Jingshou can also be said to be helpless about Xianfeng's four greed, speaking of this Xianfeng's four greed Jingshou can be said to be fresh in his memory, this first greed is greedy for women, the British and French forces attacked Dagukou, Xianfeng who fled to Chengde Summer Resort continued to be greedy for women, and when he traveled, he first let more than 200 maids and concubines in the harem go first, and claimed that he was depressed in his heart and drank all night Xuanyin.

The second greed is the greed for silk and bamboo, before the trip Xianfeng personally ordered the all-female opera troupe of the Life Department to move to Chengde, singing in the morning and singing flowers, singing in the afternoon, performing in the house in the cold weather, and performing in Ruyizhou if the weather is not cold.

The third greed is greedy for wine, Emperor Xianfeng is good at drinking, but he is not strong enough to drink, he drinks when he sees wine, he gets drunk when he drinks, and he goes crazy when he gets drunk. The eunuchs and palace maids around him were afraid that he would get drunk, and when he was drunk, he would beat him, scold him, punish him, and regret it when he woke up, and coaxed these people to reward him with silver and small items, and then he drank and drunk, and when he was drunk, he continued to make trouble.

The fourth greed is the gluttony of opium that makes Jingshou annoyed, Emperor Yongzheng is non-smoking, Emperor Qianlong is also non-smoking, Emperor Jiaqing is even more non-smoking, Emperor Daoguang does not hesitate to fight with Yangyi in order to ban smoking, but now he is addicted to smoking, causing his body to become weaker and weaker.

However, the eight well-known ministers of the DPRK, Zaiyuan, Duanhua, Sushun, Mu Yin, Kuang Yuan, Du Han, Jiao Youying, and themselves were divided into three factions, and their faces and hearts did not match, and they dismantled each other's legs and swept the halls.

Liangguang was already under the control of the Nanyang Naval Division, and although Fujian was under the control of the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, the power of the Nanyang Naval Division also began to infiltrate, especially Mawei and Leping had been out of the control of the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Duo Kelong.

In this environment, a woman has such expectations, and it seems that she is a good helper who can be cited to deal with Su Shun? With Jing Shou's many years of experience in dealing with people and things as an official, he is eighty percent sure that he can make Lan Guifei use as internal support.

After thinking about it before Jing Shou, Su Shun summoned Zeng Guofan, who returned to Beijing to report on his work and ask for money and food, and Zeng Guofan, who brought his younger brother Zeng Guoquan into Beijing together, didn't understand why Su Shun, who was relatively cold to him some time ago, suddenly summoned him?

Su Shun took Zeng Guofan's hand with a smile on his face, and asked for warmth, which made Zeng Guofan, who had been repeatedly begging for food and salary in the capital recently, have a sour nose, and tears fell on the spot, while his brother Zeng Guoquan on the side seemed a little too steady, standing with his hands behind his back, and a trace of ferocity had already appeared on his face.

Su Shun sighed in his heart, Zeng Guofan is such a sleek and sophisticated person, but his younger brother is a brave and ruthless leader? If such people want to release the army to go to the battle, I am afraid that the unlucky ones are the local people, who raise their own food and salaries, but now they have lost many battles, and there is no robbery, so the court will help them for the time being.

Su Shun played with the jade wrench on his thumb, he remembered that someone in the court once said that Zeng Guofan had several firsts, the first was that he was promoted the fastest, and he was thirty-seven years old to the second rank, the only one in the Qing Dynasty; second, it is best to be an official, with an outstanding political voice and a voice for governing the people; Third, the official is the most stable, and he has survived the turmoil of the sea and is safe and sound, and his honor and favor have not declined. Zeng Guofan is familiar with Chinese history, has a deep understanding of the way of officialdom, and has accumulated a complete set of officialdom mastery, which he uses to conquer and be invincible.

It seems that Zeng Guofan's ability to be an official is much better than his ability to fight long hair, Su Shun unconsciously compared Zeng Guofan with Lin Haijiang, one is an official and a man, but the ability to fight is average, and he can't show his ambitions in the court, and the other is that he can't be an official and a man, and the knife comes and goes, but even the foreigners are amazed by the ability to fight, saying that the Qing Navy has become one of the great powers, which can deter the South Seas.

However, Lin Haijiang can be said to have no enemies everywhere in the DPRK with foreign aid, so that a bunch of people are waiting to see him unlucky, and Su Shun also seems very helpless about this, the Qing Dynasty has formed a kind of atmosphere, Lao Tzu does not do well and does not let you do well, and Lao Tzu does not do it, and others do not want to do it.

After being silent for a while, Su Shun spoke: "Zeng Guofan, this time I am talking to you on behalf of the emperor, you have to remember, remember!" ”

"Huh?" Zeng Guofan heard that Su Shun didn't call his own words, but his full name was already very strange, and suddenly heard that Su Shun was talking to him on behalf of the emperor? So he hurriedly took Zeng Guoquan to his knees and fell to the ground, and bowed his head respectfully three times, shouting long live, long live, long live!

Su Shun nodded with satisfaction and said: "Today, I have been blessed by the Holy Lord, and I have been crowned the prince of Sushun and the Taibao, the minister of the internal service, and the Qin Messenger to supervise the affairs of Beiyang, and the list of generals has been submitted to the standard, and the holy will has been decided. ”

Zeng Guofan was already dazzled by the huge surprise brought by Su Shun, and after a long while, he said slowly: "I don't know what the Beiyang regulations are talking about?" Humble is afraid of limited ability to live up to the favor of the emperor and the lord. ”

Su Shun smiled slightly, Zeng Guofan's consistent caution is also very conforming to his wishes, Lin Haijiang's kind of big stride and whimsical mode makes it difficult for him to accept, at least he can't keep up with his thinking, let alone control, this is also the main reason why Su Shun changed his attitude towards Lin Haijiang, in the final analysis, Su Shun himself is a Manchurian, even if he often supports Hanchen, but in the final analysis, the world is still full of people, how to make Hanchen and Hanmin use it for me, this is what Su Shun cares about.

Su Shun said leisurely: "Nanyang affairs have become the emperor's confidants, although the long-haired bandits seem to be powerful, entrenched in Nanjing to build the capital, but the imperial court to exterminate it is just a little more time and food, and Lin Haijiang's Nanyang naval division is strong and strong, the court has some misunderstandings with it in the previous period, which has led to its rebellious heart, which is the great trouble of my Qing Dynasty." ”

Zeng Guofan hesitated for a moment and said: "The matter between the Nanyang Navy Division and the imperial court is not clear, but Lin Haijiang, as my courtier of the Qing Dynasty, eats my Qing Dynasty and eats my Qing Dynasty, but he goes against the sky, and the court should crusade against it, but the bandits are powerful in person, so it is better to stabilize the Nanyang first, and then solve the Nanyang in a multi-pronged way after the bandits are exterminated." ”

Su Shun was slightly stunned, nodded and said: "The imperial court should contact the Western countries to cut off their Nanyang warships, weapons, and financial resources, and then issue an order to order them to exterminate the bandits, and decide to purchase foreign guns and foreign cannons from Western countries, form ten towns in Beiyang, and add warships like Nanyang, force the long-haired bandits to go to Liangguang, and successively consume and coerce, wear off their sharpness, and finally solve the Nanyang, do you think it is feasible?" ”

Zeng Guofan thought for a while and said: "My lord's clever plan, but I am only shallow in my humble position, this Beiyang Admiral will never be able to do it, and I ask my lord to protect the loyal and brave people of the country." ”

Su Shun's face immediately became very ugly, but after thinking about it carefully, he suddenly smiled slightly: "Okay then!" Since you Zeng Guofan Zeng has no intention, then I won't say more. ”

Zeng Guofan glared at Zeng Guoquan, who was eager to try behind him, chatted with Su Shuntian, and finally put down a pair of jade lions and left.

Su Shun looked at the pair of delicate jade lions and thought thoughtfully, then suddenly reached out and knocked one of them to the ground, and smashed it with a click! The staff members who had already appeared on the side let out a voice of regret, but Su Shun didn't care: "Isn't it more valuable to have only one left?" Strange goods! Does he really think that I can't find a second choice in the Qing Dynasty? ”

In the carriage on the way back, Zeng Guoquan asked with a puzzled face: "Big brother, why didn't you follow the good intentions of Lord Sushun just now?" Instead, you want to be kept away? ”

Zeng Guofan glared at Zeng Guoquan and snorted coldly: "Your university and moderation have all been read into the dog's belly?" What a kindness to Su Shun today? I have treated him so sincerely, that Nanyang Lin Haijiang can kill Kou Qianli, and the horse can govern the country and level the world, it can be said that he is a heroic figure of Wen Taowu Liu's generation, if it is used well, Oh, the Qing Dynasty can open up the territory and expand the territory, but do you know why it has become today's situation? ”

Zeng Guoquan shook his head puzzled, Zeng Guofan sighed and said: "Your surname is a brother, and bringing you into the officialdom is actually tantamount to harming you!" The officialdom of laughing at the knife in front of you is not your place, I am afraid that in the end you will either be killed by others or suffocated to death. ”

Zeng Guoquan didn't dare to refute his brother's lesson, and waited quietly for a while before Zeng Guofan spoke: "In the final analysis, the world is full of people, with the words that we are all their monarchs and ministers, how many characters can be like Lin Haijiang since the founding of the Qing Dynasty?" That's the only one, I've met that kid once, it's a person I can't see through! ”

Zeng Guofan paused for a moment and continued: "The Nanyang Navy Division has been planning since Lin Haijiang returned from overseas, it is said that there is a fortress base on the Nanyang islands, where the throat of the Strait is located, and its ironclad warships are just involved even if they are countries like England, one costs hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, Lin Haijiang has been lying on the salary for more than five years, and now it is Dagukou who is known to the world, if he is bent on rebellion, I am the first to disbelieve it, and when the British and French forces invade Gyeonggi, is it not easier for him to take advantage of the chaos to raise troops?" If ordinary people can leave time for Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui to regress, so that the court will be suspicious of them? I haven't been able to understand this evil connection! ”

Zeng Guoquan hesitated for a moment, but still spoke: "But you should still inherit the position of Beiyang Admiral, our Hunan army is an army of its own, and what is lacking is foreign guns, foreign cannons and silver salaries, and now you have to turn it away?" ”

Zeng Guofan smiled slightly and said: "You underestimate the top and bottom of this court, Su Shun said that there are ten towns in Beiyang, one town can be three associations, and each association has 12,000 people, what kind of concept is this?" Is there so much of the green camp Han army in the world? Such a powerful force is not held in the hands of the imperial court itself? If we take it over, it will become the second Lin Haijiang in time. ”

Zeng Guofan touched an M1852 Colt Navy type revolver in the carriage and said: "The so-called technique has a specialty, buying warships is simple, even a country like England has no maritime hegemony, why should the Western powers sell it to us?" Take a step back and say, even if it is sold to us, not ten towns, it is the five towns of the Beiyang New Army, plus the ironclad warships of the Navy Division, the silver will be spent like flowing water, and when the time comes, everyone will see you Beiyang Yinshan Yinhai, just the surname of our current one, how many days can he tolerate you? ”

Zeng Guoquan was suddenly shocked and said: "Not to mention this training, this water division is the most time-consuming and money-consuming thing, if half of the training is practiced, the court orders to go to war, if there is a mistake, it will be a loss of our teacher and humiliation of the country?" ”

Zeng Guofan nodded and said: "You see this clearly, the Nanyang is based on the Western team, the educated students have been in the West for three years, and the assisted sailors who have been trained in battle formations for a long time to form an army, naval warfare is different from land warfare, even the behemoth ironclad warship we don't understand at all, how can we quickly train into an army?" This is equivalent to roasting my brother and me on the fire, if you and my brother in Beiyang have no long-term worries, if we take over as the governor of Beiyang, I am afraid we will have to fight with this top and the value of our lives. ”

The carriage was speechless, and only the sound of kicking and trampling horses' hooves could be heard on the clear stone road, and the night patrol on the side of the road shouted in a hoarse voice that the weather was dry and that the fire candles were being careful.

The next day, Su Shun was very annoyed by Zeng Guofan's refusal to accept the post of commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, but on the surface, it was full of spring breeze, Su Shun could be said to have stayed awake all night, he had been thinking about why Zeng Guofan refused his reason, and he thought all the way on the way to the court, and he already had some clues.

Looking at Su Shun's triumphant face and decent square steps, Jing Shou spit out him in his heart, but on the surface, he greeted him with a smile and seemed to ask questions, Su Shun also answered the question, and the two chickens talked to the ducks It was also lively.

After Su Shun left, Jing Shou snorted, if he didn't ask Su Shun, Su Shun would definitely not be at ease with him, now Jing Shou knew that he was no longer favored by Su Shun in front of Xianfeng, so everything must be fought for, this is a high move to advance and retreat, and it is also a countermeasure for the staff in the house to stay awake all night.

However, Jing Shou saw Su Shun appear with a high profile today, and he was already seventy percent sure that Zeng Guofan went to visit yesterday, and Su Shun must have mentioned the matter of Beiyang, and it is very likely that Zeng Guofan did not accept the hot potato in Su Shun's hand, so the more proud Su Shun is, the more difficult the errand will be.

I'll see how you're unlucky! Beiyang Sailors? Hehe! Can the Nanyang sailors sit and watch? Thinking of this, Jing Shou thought of his clever plan to contact Concubine Lan of Inner Court as internal aid, and suddenly smiled slightly, walked a few steps quickly and entered the court room easily.

(To be continued)