Last year, the Lin family's smiling fireworks brought more than five million taels of profit to the Lin family. This year, as many as 45 Chinese merchants have signed up to participate in the New Year's dinner. But Guangxu did not accept it all. Last year, if you had money, you could enter the dinner, and this year it is not only the money, but also the products that can come up with enough portions to be on the list. Wu Rongguang, the first president of the Royal Chinese Academy of Sciences, who was established for Tesla, and who was a former American student and claimed to be the first handyman of the Academy of Sciences, personally led a team to inspect the products provided by each company. Although there is no limit to the type, food, toys, accessories, etc., as long as there is sales value. After three discussions, the list of 18 companies was finalized. With the addition of 8 foreign merchants, there are 26 in total.

In the atmosphere of the New Year, Chinese and foreign merchants reached a total of 50 million taels of silver trading intentions, the Chinese's artistic power is indeed brilliant, the hottest is all kinds of decorations, a single lampshade to make all kinds of good-looking. All kinds of accessories accounted for half of the total, and the largest order was won by the German company Siemens. After the German Siemens company showed the Guangxu Emperor the new telegraph machine and telegraph communication mode, after a brief inquiry, Guangxu immediately agreed that the German Siemens would be responsible for the laying and renovation of the existing telegraph lines in the Qing Dynasty, with an investment of up to 8 million taels in the first phase.

This news shocked Chinese and foreign merchants like a bomb, no matter how poor the Qing country was, a country's political axe was still rich. Since then, the capital has been full of liaison offices set up by major firms and foreign foreign firms.

The New Year has just passed, and the capital is still a scene of colorful lights, and the silk, glass, sheep's horn lamps and all kinds of Western lanterns at the entrance of each shop are still lit up and colorful. The streets are crowded with people, and the river is endless, revealing an extraordinarily festive atmosphere. This year is the 60th birthday of the Queen Mother, the New Year has not yet passed, the scenery projects everywhere have already been busy and happy, the feet of the Son of Heaven, the people of the capital, who do not want to touch the light of the Queen Mother Lafayette, the joy and celebration of good life.

In March of the twentieth year of Guangxu in the lunar calendar, in April 1894, in the imperial study, Guangxu watched with great interest as the engineers of Siemens installed the telegraph and began to test. In order to install such a thing in the palace, Guangxu can grind at the old lady for half a month. In the end, on the grounds that there was no need to run out of the palace often with a telegram, he tried it out in the imperial study first, and after it was installed, he also had to install one in the Cining Palace. Guangxu smiled secretly, the old lady likes to play balance too much.

After a "tick-tick" sound, the test telegram from the military academy returned.

"Your Majesty, it's accurate." After comparing the translated telegram, Kou Liancai said excitedly.

"It's good to be correct. Little Kouzi, you can also pick a few people you like to learn this telegram together. Guangxu showed a smile on his face: "By the way, send another telegram to Li Hongzhang in Beiyang." ”

Beiyang Governor's Palace

"Zhongtang, this is the telegram I just received. The content of the telegram said that the emperor had sent it from the imperial study, and asked Lord Nakado to reply to it. Said to try the new telegram. Zhang Peilun handed over the telegram suspiciously.

Li Hongzhang, who had a sad face, straightened up violently when he heard this: "It's ready so soon?" Immediately replied to the telegram, only sending one sentence: This is the Beiyang Governor's Palace, and the identity of the other party needs to be confirmed. ”

Zhang Peilun came back after leaving for a while, looked at the telegram and said, "There is a reply from there, saying that no one in this world dares to use the name of the emperor." Zhongtang knows that the emperor wants to install a telegraph in the palace? ”

"I know, this was determined by the emperor at the New Year's dinner. You don't know if you didn't participate. Li Hongzhang handed the telegram in his hand to Zhang Peilun: "This is sent by Yuan Shikai of the DPRK, and it will be forwarded immediately to the Imperial Study and the Military Aircraft Department." Something happened in North Korea. ”

Guangxu, who was just in the joy of installing the telegraph, was irritated by Li Hongzhang's telegram. In the imperial study, there was a cloud at the moment. Shi Duo and Yi Xuan stood aside with gloomy faces, their faces unspeakably ugly.

I have just received a telegram from Beiyang, Yuan Shikai, who is temporarily acting Minister Plenipotentiary for Trade and Negotiations in Korea, that in the rebellion of the Dongxue Taoist disciples in Korea at the beginning of this year, a person named Quan Fuzhun led an uprising, captured the Gubu County Ya, and captured the county guard alive. He proclaimed the establishment of a revolutionary power executive program and put forward the slogan of destroying the powerful and expelling the committee. Subsequently, the Korean political axe failed to suppress the rebellion, and the Dongxue Daoists have now become a spark of fire, under the leadership of Kwon Yuzhun, the Dongxue Daoists have now captured Jeonju, and the Dongxue Daoists of Chungcheong and Gyeongsang have also heard the wind, and the three southern provinces of Korea have fallen into the hands of the Dongxue Daoists. The Korean government has now instructed the Interior Councillor Cheng Jiyun to bring a note with the government axe, formally requesting the imperial court to send troops to quell the riot.

At this time, both Shiduo and Yixuan were full of melancholy. This year has just ended, why are these North Koreans in chaos if they don't have a good life? It also looks like it's going to make a big move. This year is the year of celebration of the 60th birthday of the Queen Mother......

started, and I finally couldn't hold it back. At this moment, Guangxu's face was as usual. A few years ago, Guangxu received the news that he was going to start ahead of schedule, and North Korean intelligence also indicated that the Donghak Party would revolt in advance. As far back as he remembers, it took more than three months from the uprising to the capture of Jeonju in early June 1894. Although we have already received the news that the Dongxue Party will break out in advance, but now that the Dongxue Party has occupied the whole state in less than two months, and the progress is so rapid, there must be a troublemaker in this. However, the whole court, Li Hongzhang's Beiyang, together with the officials sent by the imperial court to North Korea, did not send news until this time. What did you do earlier, but you didn't find any signs, did you think about the New Year?

Looking at the appearance of Shi Duo and Yi Xuan being caught off guard, Guangxu shook his head. If it hadn't been for the fact that spies had been arranged in North Korea and Yuben a long time ago, and they had known the news in advance, they might have been shocked by the news. Putting down the telegram in his hand, he said, "Could it be that I have written on my face how to deal with it." There is such a big event, a military aircraft foreman minister, a prime minister of national affairs, and neither of them can do anything? ”

"Back to the emperor, Li Zhongtang is now in Jinmen to negotiate with Komura Shoutaro, the acting minister, and he proposed that if we agree to North Korea's request for help, he will also send troops to North Korea to protect the overseas Chinese." Yixuan, who was in charge of the Prime Minister's national affairs yamen, hesitated for a moment and replied with his head down.

"Negotiations?" Guangxu snorted: "The North Korean side just sent a note asking for help, and the other side said that it had already come out and asked to send troops to North Korea. He, Li Hongzhang, has been confused about the negotiation for so many years? After speaking, Guangxu's hand slapped heavily on the dragon case.

Shi Duo and Yi Liang couldn't help but tremble, the emperor rarely gets angry, and this time the anger is especially great. So he hurriedly knelt on the ground and did not dare to speak. Guangxu's sudden anger reminded Shi Duo of the Tianjin incident at the beginning of last year.

Shi Duo cautiously raised his head and said: "Li Hongzhang means that he wants to stabilize himself first, and then ask Britain, Russia and other countries to mediate and try not to expand the situation. The minion thought that this method could still be tried. ”

Guangxu laughed disdainfully, and the laughter made the two of them tremble in their hearts. Shi Duo and Yi glanced at each other, a hint of surprise and unease flashing in their eyes.

Guangxu raised his hand slightly and motioned for both of them to stand up. After taking a deep breath, Guangxu tried his best to calm down and said: "Tell Li Hongzhang not to bother to negotiate, pass on my will to Li Hongzhang, and tell him to come to Beijing." ”

What should come is always coming, and if it's damned, then go. From the first glimpse of crossing into this world, isn't everything just for such a day? But it was really on such a day that Guangxu's heart began to get really nervous: "You also go to the garden and explain the situation to Lafayette." If I am determined to fight with me in the Qing Dynasty, how should the court respond? To fight or not to fight? It's time to think clearly......"

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, Acting Minister to the DPRK Sugimura Ei urgently!" Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu hurriedly walked to Ito's side, and his hand holding the telegram trembled slightly.

Ito took the copy of the telegram, unfolded it and read a few lines, and suddenly stood up. There was an unbelievable surprise in his eyes.

"The Korean Dongxue Daoists rioted, and the Korean political axe has officially sent a note to the Qing country asking for help. Korea, the lifeline of the empire, God bless my Yamato nation, the general trend of East Asia has finally been stirred......" Ito Hirobumi muttered to himself, the corners of his eyes moistened a little.

"I have ordered Komura Shoutaro, the acting minister stationed in the Qing State, to negotiate with Li Hongzhang of the Qing State, and if the Qing State sends troops into Korea, according to the Treaty of Tianjin, I will also send troops to Korea. At that time, the future of the empire envisioned by His Excellency the Prime Minister is at hand. Mutsu Munemitsu was also full of emotion at the moment.

Recently, the Diet has once again launched an impeachment campaign against the Ito Hirobumi cabinet due to the economic crisis. Ito was faced with two options, or the general resignation of the cabinet. Either the parliament is dissolved, and either option is bound to provoke violent unrest within the empire. But now, nothing is needed. Whether it was the Hiromoto Empire or Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito, this political crisis was dissipated by this telegram.

"Don't force the Qing people to retreat, but slowly exert pressure, let the Qing people get into the pockets of the empire little by little, only when the Qing people mobilize troops to enter Korea, the empire's dispatch of troops to Korea will not attract the doubts of all countries...... Let the village slowly negotiate with the Qing State and buy some time for the full mobilization of the empire. After a brief moment of agitation, Ito quickly regained his composure, a smile on his face, "Give this telegram to the parliamentarians and circulate it, and tell them that the Qing state has sent troops to Korea, that the interests and dignity of the empire have been seriously challenged, and that the war has begun......"

Once the Qing sent troops, it gave the empire the best reason to send troops to Korea, and all internal contradictions could be best vented through this war, the morale of the people, the strife between various factions, the accusations brought about by the economic downturn, the desire of domestic enterprises for the vast market of the Qing country, and the fanaticism and restlessness of the soldiers...... Everything can be completely transformed.

The important surnames of the conference are often inversely proportional to the number of participants.

That night, Ito held a secret meeting with War Minister Aritomo Yamaguchi, Navy Minister Shikinori Kayama, and Deputy Chief of Staff Kawakami Yoroku at the Prime Minister's Office to discuss the issue of sending troops to Korea. At the meeting, it was agreed that under the command of Lieutenant General Michikan Nozu, commander of the 5th Division in Hiroshima, two wings of the 9th Brigade and Regiment stationed near Ujina, together with cavalry, artillery, baggage, and sanitation teams, totaling more than 7,600 people, would be organized into a mixed brigade, with Major General Yoshimasa Oshima as the brigade commander, to prepare for the early march into Korea, and at the same time order the land forces throughout the country to enter a state of emergency before the war.

Also that night, Guangxu summoned Tang Shaoyi, Lin Qizhao, Zhou Qin, Wang Shizhen and Ouyang Zhenhua in the imperial study to discuss the response to the war. At the meeting, it was agreed that once the new army entered the Liaodong Peninsula, two divisions of the New Army would go to the front as planned. Tang Shaoyi was in charge of logistics and other related matters, Lin Qizhao was responsible for raising materials everywhere, Zhou Qin's CIA immediately entered the Northeast and North Korea to start preparations, Wang Shizhen's staff began to set up a headquarters in Jinzhou, and the two divisions of the New Army to which Ouyang Zhenhua belonged began to enter pre-war preparations. At the same time, the second batch of the officer training course now studying at the military academy began to study the surnames of the Chinese war, and returned to their original units at the end of March.

The next day, Hirobumi Ito entered the palace with the secret resolution of the previous night to meet with Emperor Meiji and obtained the emperor's approval. The Emperor convened an Imperial Council and formally announced his intention to go to war against the Qing Kingdom. Subsequently, the major newspapers of this year vied with each other to publish the news of the Qing State sending troops to Korea, and public opinion was in an uproar, and various petition groups also poured into the streets to demand that troops be sent to Korea. The Diet also convened an emergency session, but at this time, it was no longer an impeachment of the Ito Hirobumi Cabinet, but a unanimous vote of the Ito Hirobumi Cabinet's proposal to issue 50 million yen government bonds.

War was imminent, and the whole of the book was plunged into pre-war frenzy.

On the morning of the third day, Li Hongzhang gave a detailed account of what happened in North Korea at the court meeting. On the question of whether to send troops to North Korea. The opinions of the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty are basically the same, Korea is a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, how can there be a reason to sit idly by, soldiers must be sent, the key is how many to send, if the same troops are sent, how should the imperial court respond? There was an argument among the courtiers.

The reason is also that this year is the Queen Mother's longevity celebration. From top to bottom, the imperial court was thinking about how to turn a big thing into a small thing, and handle this matter smoothly, so as not to provoke the war between the Chinese and the Chinese.

"Your Majesty, the Empire's army is ready. Just wait for the Qing people to send troops into Korea. ”

"Li Hongzhang, I ask you, what year is this year?"

"Yo Xi, the fate of the empire is up to you."

"This year, this year seems to be the first ...... of the first day"

"Please rest assured that the emperor [***] people will live up to the trust of Your Majesty and the people, and the national fortunes of the empire will definitely change in our hands."

"Forget about negotiations, it's time to prepare for war. Li Hongzhang, don't go back to Tianjin, just stay in the capital and command in the center. ”

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