Cixi did not stop Li Hongzhang, because what Li Hongzhang said was indeed the truth.

According to the Ministry of Households, the treasury of the current treasury, that is, the Daqing Bank, has only 30,000 taels of silver in stock, which is still a deposit reserve. These 30,000 taels of silver are not enough to even pay an annual salary. The 11 million taels of tax silver from the Jiangnan provinces, which were originally planned to be transported to the 20th of the lunar month, are still pressed in the vault of the Jiangning branch of the Daqing Bank.

Now it really depends on whether Li Hongzhang can say that the emperor can be moved, and for the sake of the stability of the imperial court, he can release the tax and silver of the two rivers into Beijing. But the road is far away, even if the emperor decrees that Jiang Ning will release the tax silver, I am afraid that it will not arrive before the year. Cixi sat in the Cining Palace with a sad face, thinking hard about countermeasures.

In front of Yingtai, Li Hongzhang was blocked by several little eunuchs on duty. The queen mother's will is not to let anyone approach Yingtai, no matter how Li Hongzhang distinguishes, no coercion can let the little eunuch give way. Until a small boat sailed out of Yingtai.

After the soldiers on the ship came ashore, they couldn't help but say anything as soon as they came up, and in front of Li Hongzhang, they beat the little eunuchs again until others couldn't recognize them. Then he respectfully invited Li Hongzhang to get on the boat: "The emperor said that within these two days, the prime minister will definitely come to Yingtai and his party." That's why I was ordered to wait here to greet you. ”

"The emperor is wise, how are the emperors doing these days? What's the mood? ”

Although the soldiers said that the emperor was fine, they were in a good mood. But Li Hongzhang didn't let him know before he saw it with his own eyes. But as soon as he stepped onto the stage, he was relieved, because the sound of laughter came from afar.

But what Li Hongzhang didn't know was that in fact, Guangxu's mood was really bad now.

Under the warm sunshine, Guangxu was looking at a stinky card in his hand with a sad face and feeling depressed, obviously this landlord is his own "invention" of the new way of playing, why did he lose so much after only one day. Fortunately, it wasn't the money, otherwise I wouldn't have lost Yingtai. But this face full of veneer notes is not comfortable, in order to be able to see the cards can only be glued to the door of the head. I also listened to the elation of those two decrepit people, and I was even more angry. Especially the one named Yang Dongzi, who began to glue the strips of paper. He's trying to rebel. Guangxu dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak. Those soldiers who are not on duty are all around, and I must pay attention to my image and maintain the dignity of the emperor.

The cards on the table have already had a bomb, so do you want to blow it up again? Guangxu thought hard for a long time and still couldn't make up his mind.

"Hurry up and get out of the emperor. If you don't want to be humiliated, you're done. Yang Dongzi pointed to the last card on the table and smiled smugly.

That's right, it's a wicked smile. Because that card had fallen out, Guangxu knew that it was a small king, and the big king Guangxu had already played it. Guangxu glanced at Yang Dongzi resentfully and began to count cards. There should be no more bombs.

"Four nines." Guangxu glared at Yang Dongzi again after playing the cards, and then beat a pair of small 3s out.

"The emperor is not in a hurry, the minions have not yet come out." So Guangxu looked at the four aces that Kou Liancai counted out from his hand, and then took out a card and said, "If the emperor doesn't want it, the slave will be out." Another wicked smile on his face.

"You ......" Guangxu couldn't help but be annoyed: "Didn't you have a tip just now?" ”

"When did the minions ever come out of the top? The emperor didn't want to play tricks. The minion is now out of the cards. ”

Guangxu's face is dark, what does Lao Tzu want to play. The bottom of 3 strips of paper. Three bombs are 24 shots, and two people are 48 shots. Don't you see that there are all guards here? Kou Liancai, you damn minion, can't you save face for me? Is there still a place in my head where I can put 48 notes? I am the emperor, and I want you to say nothing, and you want you to have no jokes. Can you guards not gloat!

"Wechen Li Hongzhang knocked to see my emperor long live, long live, long live."

What is the sound of nature, this is the sound of nature. Guangxu stood up happily: "Your Excellency the Prime Minister is here." Is there something important to start? "I forgot that I still had a note all over my face.

Seeing the emperor with a face full of notes, Li Hongzhang also laughed and ridiculed: "Weichen has nothing important." Weichen just came back from Tianjin. I came to see the emperor. In Li Hongzhang's view, just the emperor is in a good mood, which means that the emperor has already taken countermeasures.

When Guangxu heard this, his face immediately became serious: "What? Got something important to play? Then come into the house and play it carefully. When he spoke, Guangxu wanted to leave the table, and he was in a hurry. But two hands, one left and one right, grabbed him.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister said that there is nothing important. It's too late to finish this game, and it's going to be soon. Kou Liancai said with a smile.

"Yes, yes." Yang Dongzi also took over: "The 48 notes have been glued to the glue, and they are very fast." ”

"Nonsense." Guangxu Zhengse said: "How can state affairs be so playful at present. The game will continue tomorrow. Today, we will focus on national affairs first. ”

"Wechen was very happy to see the emperor's dragon heart, and Wechen was also happy."

Guangxu was stunned, and Li Hongzhang didn't mention half of the matter. "Happy fart, obviously the whole body is full of anger, where do you see the dragon's heart in me." Guangxu glared angrily, reached out and took the note, and pasted it all over his face: "Kou Liancai, you are still smiling." Why don't you hurry up and get two cups of tea? And your surname is Yang, hurry up and clean up. Then Guangxu pointed to the surrounding guards and said angrily: "And you, it's okay to sweep this place again, don't know the schadenfreude if you're fine." Then he began to complain about Li Hongzhang: "Do you Li Shaoquan know what it means to save a car in danger?" What have you done all the ups and downs of officialdom for decades? I don't know how you became prime minister? ”

Li Hongzhang smiled and didn't answer, but just followed the emperor into the main building. watched Kou Liancai put down the tea tray and retreated. There are only two monarchs and ministers left in this room.

"You, Li Shaoquan, disregarded the will of the Queen Mother and came to Yingtai to see me, you won't come to see my jokes. There are only you and me here, let's talk, what's the matter. Guangxu also began to take down the note from his face.

Li Hongzhang didn't speak immediately, took the hot towel on the tea tray and handed it to the emperor to wipe his face: "Weichen wants to ask the emperor to order the general staff, but without the emperor's will, not a soldier or a soldier can leave the current station." ”

"Exactly." Guangxu put the towel down.

"Weichen's expectations are not bad, the emperor has already made arrangements. Weichen asked the emperor to decree the two rivers and the northeast, so that the two places could be electrified to the whole country, and they still respected the will of the imperial court. Seeing the emperor's frowns, Li Hongzhang hurriedly said: "Even if the two places can meet the will of the queen mother, but the kung fu on the bright side still has to be done." Otherwise, once the foreigners take advantage of the loophole, I will be really in danger. Li Hongzhang sighed, and they still don't understand the Queen Mother. No matter where they sit. The world is still in the hands of the emperor.

"Exactly."

"Weichen San asked the emperor to order the army and the navy, and let him telegraph that they would still accept the dispatch of the imperial court."

"Exactly."

"Weichen Si asked the emperor to order the governor of Liangjiang to Yan Fu and send the tax and silver to the capital immediately."

"Not really. Are you Li Shaoquan asking too much? ”

"Your Majesty." Li Hongzhang knelt down: "Now the treasury is empty, only 30,000 taels of silver. The Queen Mother who does not have enough financial support. And how to maintain the actions of the imperial court, the chaos of the imperial court will lead to chaos in the world. When the emperor was in front of the Taihe Palace, he was reluctant to use force in order to ensure the peace of the court, but now he has to watch the chaos of the great court? ”

Guangxu would rather go back to the house and sleep than play cards with such treacherous people anymore. And Li Hongzhang happily left Yingtai and went straight to the telegraph room, and then turned to Cining Palace. Tell Cixi, who was thinking about where to find money, the good news was that the emperor had agreed to transfer 6 million taels from Jiangning's tax and silver to be shipped back to Beijing immediately.

"Empress Dowager Qiyu, Weichen has already confirmed with the Governor of Liangjiang. It takes up to five days to ship the tax money to the capital. ”

"What's there to be happy about, it's not that five million taels have been deducted. Dare to deduct the tax money of the imperial court, this is a big rebellion. After Gangyi arrived at Liangjiang, he was bound to be escorted to the capital and beheaded for public display. ”

Li Hongzhang's original happy mood is no longer there. He didn't answer, but sighed to himself and retired. Today's sky is no longer what it used to be, and the emperor's hard work has already tied Liangjiang to the northeast and the emperor. In fact, for the Queen Mother, Yan Fu has long been a chaotic minister and thief. If he hadn't begged six million taels of silver from the emperor, the queen mother wouldn't have been able to get a single son. But the Queen Mother didn't understand, and thought that this world was the same world. The emperor will never have anything to do with the queen mother again. The emperor will stand on this stage again sooner or later for the ideal in his heart.

And for Cixi, the good news came one after another. First of all, Liangjiang will continue to respect the will of the imperial court, and after the new governor of Liangjiang, Lord Gangyigang, takes office and completes the handover, Yan Fu will go to Beijing to meet the queen mother. This was followed by a telegram of allegiance from Liu Kunyi, the governor of the three eastern provinces. The Jinzhou General Staff also sent a message that the army would be disbanded in accordance with the will of the imperial court after the completion of the exercise. Cixi, Shi Duo and other ministers were all happy, and the future was very bright.

Only Li Hongzhang returned home and had a long talk with his daughter and son-in-law and said: "This world will soon change back into the hands of the emperor." He didn't say why, but he knew it in his heart. After he came out of Yingtai, he only sent a telegram to Jiang Ning asking him to transport tax silver, and the Empress Dowager had repeatedly assured that the emperor could not communicate with the outside world. So how can they act exactly the same as the emperor promised him? That can only show that the emperor still has unknown means. Continue to convey the will. The Queen Mother is no longer the emperor's opponent.

At this time, compared to the Beiyang Fleet that returned to Lushun, the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, the Longyu, slowly drove into the Jiaozhou Military Port.

"The Queen Mother is overjoyed." As soon as he was in power, the priest excitedly said: "Wu Deren, commander of the Pacific Fleet, sent a telegram that the Pacific Fleet will continue to be loyal to the imperial court. At the same time, Wu Deren had already set off from Jiaozhou on his way to the capital, and would arrive in Beijing three days later to meet the Queen Mother. ”

"Xuan Pacific Fleet Commander Wu Deren Jin Meeting-", "Xuan Pacific Fleet Commander Wu Deren Jin Meeting-" ......

As the duck-like voices of the eunuchs came out one after another, Wu Deren, who was dressed in a straight and snow-white naval officer's uniform, entered the palace under the leadership of the little eunuch. Walk into the Hall of Heart Nourishment.

"The place where the emperor lives is different, it's really magnificent." Wu Deren, who had stepped into the Heart Cultivation Hall with one foot, couldn't help but say something, but he forgot that this was not his Pacific Fleet Headquarters, so he forgot to lower his voice.

When I looked around and continued to admire the majestic hall, I saw the strange eyes of the ministers on both sides and remembered to salute. So he touched his feet. Raise your right hand to the brim of your hat and say loudly, "Report ,......"

Wu Deren, who breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to say the next sentence, didn't have time to say it, but there was a snap on the side. Wu Deren turned his head and saw a white-bearded old man sitting on the ground. When had these ministers heard such a majestic shout, and even more so inadvertently emitted a murderous aura.

"Weichen Xu Tong participated in Wu Deren, and instead of the courtesy of the monarch and the minister, he roared at the court. Please ask the Queen Mother to issue an order to arrest and ask for the guilty, so as to set an example. Xu Tongwei got up from the ground tremblingly, stood beside Wu Deren out of class, and played.

"What?" Wu Deren turned around and grabbed Xu Tong by the collar and lifted him up: "If you say something, you have to ask for sin, old man, are you looking for death?" After saying that, he raised his fist and was about to make a move. Wu Deren was expelled from the Qing Navy because of this arrogant personality, and later went to Hawaii. Li Enfu has no time to care about this etiquette, and he also hopes to use his character to bring out the same offensive personality of the navy. So he indulged Wu Deren. And Wu Deren, after returning to the Qing Dynasty, said the same thing in the Pacific Fleet. Even if there was an official who impeached him, he was suppressed by Guangxu, so Wu Deren was even more presumptuous.

Cixi looked at the farce below, and her brows were about to be wrinkled together: "General, slow." The general has been guarding the Qing Dynasty coastal defense all the year round, and it is inevitable that he does not know the etiquette in the palace. Lord Xu Meng Lang. ”

"The old man has seen it, this is called qi, learn a little." Wu Deren put down Xu Tong and clapped his hands.

Wu Deren's words were very satisfactory to Cixi, and the short pair that followed was even more satisfactory to Cixi. Cixi waved her hand happily: "Reward." ”

Looking at the second-grade top and yellow coat in front of him, listening to the title of Baturu and the crown prince Shaobao, Wu Deren frowned. Li Lianying hurriedly whispered on the side to remind Wu Deren to hurry up and receive the order to thank him. But Wu Deren saluted: "Report to the Queen Mother, I don't care if I don't reward Lao Tzu." Queen Mother, do you think you will first allocate the expenses of the Pacific Fleet for the first month? Wu Deren dared to call himself Lao Tzu in front of the emperor and patted the emperor's shoulder. The Queen Mother, he is still the same.

The Queen Mother did not speak, and the ministers all glared at Wu Deren. Wu Deren didn't know what he was wrong again, and after thinking about it for a long time, he finally understood. Wu Deren immediately knelt on the ground and crawled on the ground like a minister: "The servant asks the Queen Mother to allocate the expenses for the first month of the Pacific Fleet." ”

Cixi smiled and told him to get up. Where did he learn the appearance of a horse coat in this outfit he was wearing? Although a huge sum of three million taels had to be allocated a month, in order to calm people's hearts, Cixi still nodded and agreed.

That night, Li Hongzhang hosted a banquet for Wu Deren. On the table, no matter how Li Hongzhang induces and sets up. None of the things that came out of Wu Deren's mouth were loyal to the Queen Mother. That loyalty, in Wu Deren's mouth, can shine on the sun and the moon.

On the twenty-first day of the lunar month, the tax money sent from Jiangning arrived. The allocation should be made, the distribution should be made, and the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty can finally have a good year. Is that really the case?