The emperor didn't come back early in the morning, Kou Liancai also accompanied him, and Liu Mei was only sitting alone on the sofa on the first floor in a daze.

The queen mother has spoken, the emperor has nodded, she is already the emperor's woman. If she could give birth to a dragon heir, the queen mother promised her a concubine, and the emperor even agreed to make her queen. But even so, Kou Liancai still didn't have a good face for her.

Yesterday, when they chased the emperor from the Summer Palace back to Yingtai, the emperor had already gone to the staff headquarters of the military academy. The emperor didn't leave a message for Kou Liancai, who gave him the courage to sneer at himself. What does it mean that no one except the emperor is allowed to enter the emperor's room? Originally, I wanted to clean up the emperor's room, but I didn't expect Kou Liancai to stop him with a word, and he really called the guards to guard the door of the emperor's room. Originally, the emperor's room was only the three of them, and he could say anyone in his mouth, but in fact, he didn't mean her. Don't let you enter the room, forget it, but this morning Kou Liancai asked the guards to guard the staircase on the second floor, and the order became that no one was allowed to go up to the second floor until the emperor returned. Isn't this clear that it's guarding against her?

Yes, I'm not a concubine yet, but at least it's a promise. You Kou Liancai don't even call the little master, what do you mean by guarding her like this? Just because she once reported to the Queen Mother of the West, and because she was the Queen Mother of the West, the emperor said that she still knew how to prioritize, and even the emperor didn't mind, but why did you Kou Liancai put me so far away? No matter what, I agree now, now there is no woman around the emperor, I am the emperor's first woman, and now I can be regarded as the mistress of this house. Why don't you a minion let the mistress go up to the second floor?

Liu Mei's heart was not full of anger at the moment, but full of grievances. Liu Mei must still be a kind woman after all. What she was thinking about was not how to retaliate against Kou Liancai after she became the imperial concubine or even the queen, but why she had to report to the Empress Dowager Xi. Complaining about their own misconduct. Where is she, Kou Liancai's attitude at this time represents the attitude of the officials of the entire Guangxu Dynasty.

Today, Guangxu said to the generals at the breakfast meeting of the military academy that he was ready to take Liu Mei as a concubine, and set her up as the queen after giving birth to the dragon heir. Originally, the generals who were still celebrating the emperor's early birth of a noble son were silent when they heard that Liu Mei was the spy of the Empress Dowager Xi who had been hidden next to the emperor and had not been discovered. Guangxu saw it very clearly, and there was a strong killing intent in the eyes of each general. When Guangxu mentioned Liu Mei again, Wang Shizhen, who was still arguing about where to drink the wedding wine, even bluntly asked the emperor to choose another concubine.

Guangxu is not unusual, Yang Dongzi, the commander of the Royal Praetorian Guard battalion, was shot to death by a rookie on the battlefield in Huanghuagang, and was the biggest accusation from the military department. The generals of the military department have even chosen the person to replace Yang Dongzi. It is the current commander of the special battalion, the same colonel Qimuge. Prime Minister Li Hongzhang's reaction was even more intense, and in the name of the Prime Minister's Office, he ordered Feng and Duan Er to immediately arrest Yang Dongzi and behead him on the spot for canonical punishment. It was Guangxu who kept Yang Dongzi and let him continue to lead the royal guard battalion. An accidental mistake by a man of great merit and loyalty was treated like this, not to mention that she was a woman with a criminal record. Just because Guangxu is too important to them, so important that it is more important than their own lives, just for the sake of the powerful China in their hearts.

In their view, Guangxu is the only person who can take China on the road to prosperity and strength. Guangxu not only has confidence and determination, but also has the courage and long-term vision that no one else can match. It was the emperor who led them to pacify Japan, fight Tsarist Russia, and even subdued the real white Dutch. The emperor is not afraid of the great powers. The emperor even wanted to defeat the foreigners more than they did. The navy understood that what the emperor wanted was to kill all the damned British warships; The army understood that the emperor had long been staring at the once lost territory on the map. The emperor's henchmen in the court understand better that the emperor has long been unpleasant to foreign devils. This is a king who can give them hope. It was the only king they could find who could bring their hopes to life. The emperor's life is too important, and they don't allow the emperor to do anything. All people and things that may pose a threat to the emperor must be nip in the bud.

So. Now Guangxu is discussing with Li Hongzhang about Liu Mei. Guangxu hadn't told Li Hongzhang what the generals of the military department had said, so Li Hongzhang excitedly said: He must kill her immediately. The frightened Guangxu hurriedly dissuaded.

The Military Aircraft Service was completely deactivated. China Shipping. This new administrative decision-making center in China was renamed by the emperor: the State Affairs Office, or State Affairs for short. The plaque on the door is still inscribed by Prime Minister Li Hongzhang himself. The emperor said that the new dynasty should have some new atmosphere. Although a fundamental change is not possible for the time being, let's start with the name, so that all the officials and people in the world can understand that the dynasty is going to change greatly.

Liu Mei watched the emperor come back, and came back for a nap after having lunch on state affairs as usual. Then he met with the minister and gave his reply until the evening. Late at night, the emperor finished his day's work, and if he still had time after taking a shower, he would sit on the balcony on the second floor and rest for a while. He didn't let the lights on, so he talked to them in the dark, and when he was in high spirits, he would play his melodica. has followed the emperor for four years, and Liu Mei is too familiar with the emperor's every move. The passionate or deep or peaceful tunes are all portrayals of the emperor's mood for a day, and the melody that has never been heard always makes Liu Mei think about it.

Tonight, the emperor played a cheerful melody, which means that the emperor is in a good mood today. Liu Mei, who was standing behind the emperor as usual, said softly: "Your Majesty, it's dark at night, why don't you go to bed earlier?" ”

"Okay, sleep." Guangxu stood up indifferently and walked into the house, and Liu Mei's face blushed in the dark.

Back in front of the third floor, Guangxu opened the door and closed the door as usual. But today I was gently stopped by Liu Mei.

"What's the matter?" Guangxu turned around and asked.

Liu Mei's face turned even redder, and even her neck was red. She kept her head down and didn't speak.

"Miss Liu, the emperor is going to rest. You can go downstairs with us. Kou Liancai, who was standing on the side, said emotionlessly.

Guangxu glared at Kou Liancai and said, "Don't pay attention to him, you can say something if you have something." ”

Liu Mei twisted and blushed, and whispered: "The slave maid will spread a quilt for the emperor." ”

"No need, haven't I been doing it all by myself for so many years?" Guangxu is still an old habit. After speaking, he motioned for Liu Mei to step back, he was about to close the door.

"But the Queen Mother ......"

"Oh. That's right. Guangxu seemed to suddenly remember something: "The Military Police Department of the General Staff Headquarters will involve the secrets of many generals in the army, because there is still a lack of a confidential secretary." Mr. Wang thinks that you have worked by my side for such a long time, and you are not only familiar with the relevant work, but also have a high sense of confidentiality. That's why he begs for nothing, and I want you to be transferred to him. You are zhidào, I have always been a good talker, so I agreed. You'll report to the General Staff Headquarters tomorrow. Guangxu smiled and said: "Also, I asked you for the rank of major, you are the first female secretary in the army, and you are also the confidential secretary with the highest rank in the army." You're welcome, after all, you must be the imperial chuqu, worse than others who don't hit my face. When you get to the place, do a good job, and let the group of Qiu Ba kànkàn. What we Liu Mei do is called secretarial work, and their male secretaries know a fart. Haha......"

Liu Mei's face was not red, but her eyes were red, and the emperor's words completely made her lose the possibility of becoming a queen. Liu Mei squatted down to receive the order and gently retreated. This is the best way Guangxu can arrange for her, the gendarmes are in charge of security issues, and it is best to have such a person who knows how to keep secrets as a secret. In the gendarme, not only others will spy on her, she can also spy on others. For the security forces. This is perhaps the best way to contain it. As for the way forward, it is up to him to go on his own. Guangxu closed the door and slept casually, as if nothing had ever happened.

Cixi kept her promise, and she spent half a month compiling a very detailed list. Then accompanied by Cihui, he walked out of the Summer Palace. came to Yingtai and solemnly handed over the list to Guangxu.

Guangxu opened it and looked at it, it was indeed very detailed. The identity of each person, the nature of the work, the scope of the jurisdiction, the size of the rights. Even personal strengths, shortcomings, what handles, and how to control and coordinate these people are all noted one by one. This list signifies that Cixi laid down her power. Decided to live out his old age in peace. This list is also as Cixi said, she can only list the people she directly controls and her zhidào. As for who else is under these people, she doesn't know. This is normal, level by level, management of everything like Zhuge Liang can only end up being exhausted.

Through the list, Guangxu can also discover Cixi's ability to control the country. Inside and outside the capital, there are people in the north and south of the river that Cixi can directly mobilize. There are even people in Xinjiang and Tibet. With these people, it is a sign of strength that she has been in control of China for half a century. It is a pity that none of the people on the list appear in foreign legations, and not a single one abroad. Don't blame her, her vision decided that Cixi could only focus on the country. It's good for a woman who grew up in the depths of a high wall to do that.

"Auntie, rest assured, my nephew will never kill anyone indiscriminately. These people and nephews should be carefully evaluated before making arrangements. Guangxu immediately summoned Zhou Qin and ordered Xiàqu.

Cixi seemed to let go of her last thoughts and went back to the garden to live in peace. As the people on the palace ban list were transferred to various places, even the eunuchs were also sent to Mukden or the royal palace. Guangxu fulfilled his promise not to kill anyone indiscriminately, except for those who resisted.

Guangxu did not hide this matter from Cixi, and Cixi did not express any dissatisfaction. Everyone is zhidào, and anyone will kill those disobedient minions. For this reason, Guangxu canceled the complete ban on Cixi, so Cixi also took this opportunity to walk around. Carefully walked down to kànkàn she spent more than half a century in the city of Beijing. She tasted every snack in Beijing, and Cixi had a happy day.

Because Cihui lived in the palace for a short time, there are still some interesting places in Beijing. As a younger sister, Sister Kànjiàn put down her mind and naturally happily accompanied her to play around.

But half a month after this kind of day, Cixi suddenly felt cold. Originally, it was still very cold in Beijing in March, and there was a spring snow a few days ago, so everyone didn't pay attention to it. After Guangxu's visit, he only let the Taiyi be treated.

But no matter how much medicine she took or how many prescriptions she used, Cixi's body collapsed as quickly as a landslide. No matter how strictly Guangxu ordered the treatment, it was only half a month, and Cixi was only angry. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine are all medicine stones, and Cihui has already begun to arrange the etiquette of Cixi's funeral.

Shi Duo brought the few officials of the original Queen Mother and her party in the capital to the Summer Palace every day to ask for peace, just to be able to personally send away the Queen Mother who had worked all her life for the Qing Dynasty. Jin Dating, the head of the Beijing Normal University Medical Curator, who had been renamed Beijing Medicine, and the Minister of Health, Lin Lianhui, issued a notice to the emperor that the Empress Dowager Cixi was critically ill in accordance with Western practice. And the imperial doctor clearly told the emperor: three days at most.

Guangxu put down all the work in his hand, came to the Summer Palace, and came to Cixi's sickbed, but looked at Cixi, who was skinny and had only her last breath, but felt a little heartache.

Cixi, one of the few women who had been in power for a long time in the imperial era of Chinese history, was politically capable, especially good at manipulating the balance of power between relatives and courtiers, and the Qing Dynasty continued to live for decades because of her ability. During Cixi's reign, when the centralization of the Qing court and China's sovereignty faced various internal and foreign threats, she proceeded from the position of defending the authority of the Qing Empire and her own power, and although the results were not successful, they were fair in the historical context, and most of them were reasonable. Cixi's reform methods were actually very clever, and after the Gengzi disaster, Cixi realized that the situation no longer allowed her to adhere to the imperial tradition, and allowed the Qing court to implement various new policy measures. It's slow, but it's effective.

Cixi's methods were cruel in court struggles, and she showed little mercy in the purge of political opponents, even in the control and control of her own son, Emperor Tongzhi, and his successor, Emperor Guangxu, was quite high-pressure and severe. Although she was politically competent, her supreme aim was to maintain Manchu rule over China. Historically, the Yiyou-Qing War and the Sino-Japanese War were more favorable to continue the war than to accept the humiliating conditions of peace, but she was more afraid that the Manchu central government would lose its authority and collapse due to the protracted war, and would rather cede land and pay reparations than negotiate peace. While maintaining the rule of the Qing court, she plunged the Chinese nation into an even darker war.

Cixi was greedy and extravagant, and her evaluation in later generations was not high, because she only had the Manchurian world in her heart and not the Chinese world. But what she did, it was absolutely worthy of the ancestors of the Manchu royal family.

Because of the changes in time and space, a young man with the idea of the future came to this world and had the right to have the opportunity to change the life of China. Thus, the war between reform and conservatism ended with the defeat of Cixi. Today, Guangxu stood in front of Cixi's sickbed, looking at Cixi's anger, and couldn't help but sigh. Because of his arrival, Cixi, who originally had more than ten years to live, had already passed the end of her life.

There is also a bowl of ginseng soup on the table in front of the sickbed, which is made of thousand-year-old ginseng hidden in the palace. And this bowl of ginseng soup is boiled for today's emperor and the Empress Dowager Cixi to have what may be the last conversation.

Guangxu waved everyone away, including the Empress Dowager Cihui. When the palace door closed again, only Cixi and Guangxu were left in the room. Guangxu picked up the soup bowl, blew the hot soup cold, and carefully fed the ginseng soup to Cixi with the soup bowl.

Guangxu is not a person who can serve people, and the first spoonful of xiàqu flowed from the corner of Cixi's mouth to Cixi's neck. Seeing this, Guangxu panicked and picked up a piece of cloth that he grabbed from nowhere, and wiped it for Cixi.

Although Cixi was seriously ill, she was conscious. Cixi could see that the look in Guangxu's eyes was from her heart. Looking at Guangxu's busy hands and feet and flustered expression, Cixi was also deeply comforted. No matter how much political struggle there is, this nephew can personally feed her a mouthful of ginseng soup before she dies, and finally he is right to pull him up with hard work.

Cixi, who drank the ginseng soup, had some strength and shook it with difficulty. Seeing this, Guangxu put down the soup bowl, gently wiped off the remaining ginseng soup on the corner of Cixi's mouth, and then moved a chair in front of Cixi's couch, and said softly: "The name chosen by the Ministry of Rites for my aunt is Empress Xiaoqinxian, I don't know if my aunt has other opinions." There are only the two of us here, so let's tell my nephew if my aunt has any wishes. (To be continued......)