The water in the pond in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City has been drained for a day, and the silt at the bottom of the pond has not dried up after a day of exposure to the scorching sun. At the bottom of the pool, the tattered dragon robe attached to a skeleton was so dazzling, and the white jade five-clawed dragon pattern Pei told the onlookers the identity of this skeleton.

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the Eight Secretaries of the Bureau, the Directors of the Two Bureaus, and the Secretary General of the Imperial Family just looked at the skeleton at the bottom of the pool without saying a word, and quietly listened to Kou Liancai tell what had just happened here.

"That is to say, it was not the Guangxu Emperor who we fished out of the pond at the beginning, but the real Guangxu Emperor actually drowned in the pond when he fell. All we caught was a stranger who suddenly appeared in the pool for some unknown reason, and this stranger later became the emperor, the same emperor that the adults still saw in the morning. That's the way it is, the slave knows that it's a capital crime, and it's up to the adults to see it. After Kou Liancai finished speaking, he looked indifferent, and stepped forward to help the prime minister, who was already unstable, to sit down on the stone beside him.

Kou Liancai has been shut up for a long time, and there is still no one at the scene to speak. It's not so much that people are thinking about what's going on, it's not that they haven't figured out what's going on?

The real emperor died twelve years ago, and everyone served a fake emperor for twelve years. In the past twelve years, even the fake emperor didn't know that he was fake. Twelve years later, the remains of the real emperor appeared, and the fake emperor finally knew that he was the fake emperor. So the fake emperor took off his dragon robe and trotted home, leaving the dynasty to the real emperor who only had one skeleton left?!

It seems to be a bit messy, like writing a fantasy novel, but that's what it is. It's just that just by such a skeleton, you can confirm that this is the real emperor? Although it is the fake emperor who has just run away, it seems that he has done a good job in the past twelve years. Now that the fake emperor is running away like this, won't the Qing Kingdom lose the emperor all of a sudden? The sky can't be without a day, the country can't be without a king for a day, what if there is no emperor? Where are we going to find an emperor? No, no, things are messed up. Think about it again. Here's the thing, twelve years ago, the real emperor fell into the water and died, and the guards rescued a fake emperor and came back, and the fake emperor worked for twelve years. Not badly done. Then the remains of the real emperor appeared, and the fake emperor saw that the matter was exposed, so he ran away, so the Qing Kingdom was left without an emperor...... Isn't this TMD the same? Hey, Mom, why is it so messy. What the hell is going on?

Summer in Beijing gets dark late. At seven o'clock in the evening, the sun was still hanging in the sky. Everyone at the scene didn't know what to say, and there was nothing to say. The real emperor is dead, the fake emperor has run away, what can I say when it comes to this?

I don't know if Li Hongzhang heard it the first and came back to his senses first, or because the central nervous system of the ruling country was strong for many years, in short, he finally came to his senses at the moment when the sun set. Li Hongzhang stood up tremblingly under the support of Percussion Liancai: "The old man is already old, and he no longer has the energy to think about these things. Let's discuss it, my lords. After speaking, he walked towards the outside of the palace, and the moment he walked out of the palace gate, Li Hongzhang looked at the sun in the sky. The glow of the sunset is still beautiful, but it's just near dusk.

Li Hongzhang is gone. The others had no reason to stay here anymore, so they all left silently. Prince Shiduo, who was the secretary of the criminal department, looked northwest after walking out of the palace gate. That is the place where the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces is raised, if you suddenly tell the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces directly about such a big event today, can the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces accept it? If the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces didn't catch her breath when she heard the news, the Qing Dynasty would really be over. Seeing that all the Hanchens passed by one after another, Shiduo felt fear for the first time, it turned out that the Hanchens already held the power of the world. Shi Duo thought about it for a while, and he still didn't want to go to the Queen Mother to tell him about it today, he needed to contact the Manchurians in Beijing first, so as to pave the way for the Manchurians to regain the country.

"What? Today's emperor is not really the Guangxu Emperor. Rather, it was faked? In the study of the Li Mansion, Li Jurong was shocked when she heard the news, and she couldn't think about it.

Li Hongzhang sighed and nodded. Over the years. Whenever Li Hongzhang can't make up his mind, he always likes to ask this daughter's opinion. This is also the reason why Li Jurong married someone but lived in the Li Mansion. Li Jurong sat down in the chair with her buttocks, and she didn't know what to say for a while.

It is said that the authorities are obsessed with bystanders, and the reason for this difference is actually caused by the different ways of thinking and looking at problems between the two people. As the ruling prime minister, Li Hongzhang considered how to stabilize the situation and smoothly transition to the new emperor's succession. How well the work and plans that the DPRK is implementing and about to implement will continue to advance smoothly. But what Li Jurong thought about was what kind of changes would it have for the Li family if there was a new emperor. His Zhang family has been tied to death with the Li family, the Li family is unlucky, and the Zhang family must be finished. Therefore, how to preserve the Li family in the future court situation is the problem that Li Jurong is considering.

Li Jurong suddenly went out and gave a few orders, and waited in the side hall for the servant who had just gone out to come back. After a long time, the servants all returned, and everyone whispered to the eldest lady what had happened. Then the eldest lady whispered a few words and hurried away.

After a while, Li Jurong returned to the study and said, "Father, my daughter has just sent the family to visit around. Prince Shiduo, the prince of the Criminal Department, did not go directly to the Summer Palace to tell the Empress Dowager of the two palaces about the emperor's affairs, but gathered a lot of Manchu ministers and Manchus in Beijing at home. It seems that they are plotting something, and the decision they make will be played immediately, and it is estimated that it will be early tomorrow morning. ”

"It was a surprise to the old man that Shi Duo didn't go to the Summer Palace, and it seems that the experience of the DPRK and China over the years has also made some progress."

"Lord Sun and Lord Weng went to the Ministry of History, and inquired about the news that the two adults were checking the list of officials in various places overnight. I don't know what that means? ”

"What else could it mean. As long as they are officials, there will always be differences in their origins and factions, and Sun Weng and his wife checked the list of officials to find the detailed location of their own family of officials. At the same time, the possibility that other officials can be pulled into the cage is carefully analyzed. In the final analysis, it is to arrange a way back for yourself. ”

"Father, what should we do with our family?"

"I have been a father and an official for many years, and I have all this in my mind. On the way home, my father has already made arrangements, and now the boat branch at Dagukou must be ready. ”

"Father is still so scheming."

Li Hongzhang suddenly laughed a few times: "The court is treacherous, how can you not leave a way back." What is Zhang Zhidong doing now? ”

"Zhang Zhongtang is calm and relaxed, and there is no abnormal behavior at home."

"Hmm. This means that Zhang Zhidong has never fought for power and profit, such a person will not threaten others, and no one will win him over. ”

"I'm afraid what my father didn't expect was that. Yan Fu, who was recommended by his father, went to the staff headquarters with Tang, Lin, Wang, Yang, and Ouyang, as well as Director Leng and Director Zhou. It seems that the true and false emperor will inevitably let the entire military system know. These people held the financial power and military power of the Qing Dynasty. They are the forces that can influence the entire situation. Father, don't you want to woo these people? ”

"Woo, how to woo? These people are all rising stars in the past 12 years, and it can be said that these people are the core descendants and team of today's emperor. They can be said to be tied to the current emperor. Don't look at the old man as the prime minister, in fact, the old man and others are just pawns used by the emperor to temporarily stabilize the court, as long as these people get up, they will definitely take the position of the old man and others, Yan Fu is one of them. But the current emperor is gone like this today. These are the people who are most worried about what will happen. Because whoever the new emperor is, these people will be stripped of their powers. And these people just control the financial resources and military force of the entire country, which is a force that can determine the ownership of the world, so these people are the ones to pay attention to. ”

"My daughter has sent her retainers to observe around the staff headquarters, but our family can't get in and out of the staff headquarters, so I don't know what they will say. However, the entry and exit of the surrounding areas have been closely monitored, and if anyone enters or leaves, they will immediately report it. ”

"Even if the generals surrounded the entire staff headquarters, it would be useless. They are all generals, their most secret-conscious group of people, and they really want to do what they want to do and take the main road. The old man knew that there were no less than five secret passages in the staff headquarters that could directly connect to the outside. What about what even the old man doesn't know? Therefore, to monitor the staff headquarters, it is necessary to analyze what they will do. ”

"The forces around the entire Beijing Division include the 1st Division of the Fengtai Battalion and the reconnaissance regiment of the Xishan Battalion, as well as the military academy in the east of the city. Moreover, at present, the main forces of the country and the DPRK are all concentrated in the north, and they will definitely send generals back to control the military power. The daughter knows how to do it. ”

"You still don't understand. There must be more than one of our generals outside the staff headquarters tonight, they can think of anything you can think of. You missed a place - Ming Ming Tombs Town. ”

"It's just a precision machining center, huh?"

"Since it's a precision machining center, can there be no guards guarding secrets? Although they are all retired soldiers, they are all highly decorated veterans, and these people are the real elite soldiers when they fight. Now is the time to fight for hard power, Sun Weng and Zhang are powerless to control the situation, so they don't have to worry about them. It is enough to leave a few people to monitor the priesthood, and the rest are all scattered around the staff headquarters. ”

"Yes. My daughter will arrange it. After speaking, Li Jurong hurriedly walked out of the study. This time it was quick, and it didn't take long to be back. At this time, Li Jurong frowned and said, "My daughter just remembered something. The emperor set up a custom investigation office next to the South Gate of the South China Sea, and the queen once told her daughter so. Once, when a teenager from the Customs Investigation Office entered the main building to report to the emperor. But it is Han etiquette. Father, haven't you been inserting Hanchen to the court all these years? My daughter thinks this is an opportunity, it's better to ......"

cough cough cough cough ...... Without waiting for Li Jurong to finish speaking, Li Hongzhang suddenly coughed: "The northward expansion plan has reached a critical period, and the weapons and supplies of all armies have been in place, and now the emperor has left the throne in the air." But if there are people in the army who have some thoughts, there is a chance. Haven't all dynasties come over like this? Not to mention, when people are old, they are useless, and they can't stay up this night. Your brothers are useless, and I'll leave you to watch at night. ”

Li Jurong also laughed: "Father will go to rest with peace of mind, but there is something important for the daughter to report to her father." ”

Li Hongzhang turned off the lights and fell asleep, and the lights in the staff headquarters were still bright at this time.

"That's the way it is. Now that the emperor is gone, and there is no one in charge of the overall situation, where do I go, so please express your opinions. After speaking, Yan Fu sat down and picked up the tea bowl and drank tea.

"The True Emperor died twelve years ago? Sitting in the court all these years is actually a fake emperor? This, this, this...... It's incredible. ”

"It's not just incredible, the Arabian Nights don't say that."

"The emperor said that if it is gone, it will be gone, so should the northward expansion plan be carried out?"

"I've been preparing for so many years, and when everything is ready, there is such a thing. If you don't fight, won't all these years of hard work be wasted? ”

"Hit, how? Now that even the emperor is gone, what to fight? ”

"I'm afraid it's not a question of what to fight, it's a question of whether I can still fight. The emperor is gone. The imperial court must elect a new emperor, and it is a question whether the new emperor will let him fight or not. ”

“……”

In order to ensure the smooth progress of the northward expansion plan, all the military commanders from all localities returned to Beijing to attend the last military coordination meeting. When everything was confirmed, I encountered such an incomprehensible thing. One person said a word, and the entire staff headquarters was as noisy as a vegetable market. Wang Shizhen knocked on the table to signal everyone to be quiet: "Li Xiang Zeng Ming said." Once the Northern Affairs is decided, he will return to his hometown, and it will be you Yan Fu who will succeed Li Xiang. At that time, the court will respect you Yan Fu, and I will ask Yan Xiang in front of all the generals. No matter what happens to the court in the future, whether this northward expansion plan will be carried out or not, and whether the battle that has been prepared for more than five years will be fought. ”

"Hit. Of course you have to fight. Yan Fu said with certainty: "This war is not a political battle, this war is a war for the country and the nation." No matter what happens to the court, this prime minister will never allow any disruption to this battle plan. ”

"Since there is Yan Xiang's words, the General Staff Headquarters knows what to do." Wang Shizhen motioned to all the generals to come closer: "As long as the army is not chaotic, no matter how chaotic the court is, it will not be able to go out of Beijing City." Shoushan, Liang Huadian, Nie Shicheng, Liu Shengxiu, the generals immediately took their troops out of Beijing and returned to their headquarters, paying attention to rumors in the army and appropriately suppressing them. At this moment, the generals are concentrating more than half of our troops in the Qing Dynasty, and after returning to their headquarters, the generals must not only control the troops, but also start the plan to advance north according to the original plan. Wu Deren also immediately returned to Lushun to take charge of the Pacific Fleet. Lin Yongsheng returned to Guangzhou to take charge of the Nanyang Fleet, and Ren Pengfei returned to Harbin Air Base. General Zuo sat in the military academy, Feng Guozhang sat in the Fengtai camp, Yang Dongzi returned to the Xishan camp, and Duan Qirui went to the Ming Tombs Town to stand by. ”

"What about the capital? Who will take over the central garrison brigade in the capital? ”

"Although the Central Garrison Brigade is an army establishment, the actual control has always been in the hands of the emperor himself. If the Ministry of War directly intervenes in the Central Garrison Brigade at this time, it is easy for people to misunderstand that we are going to carry out a mutiny. Now that the movement of the court is unknown, it is not easy to take over the Central Garrison Brigade at this time. The old man returned to the military department to sit in the lobby, and as long as the old man was there, the Central Garrison Brigade would not dare to move. Ouyang Zhenhua stepped forward and said.

"That's right, we have all the forces around the capital in our hands. But if there is a change in Beijing, we can encircle the army at any time, and a central garrison brigade will not be able to turn the sky. It's just that we are all brought up by the emperor, and in the eyes of outsiders, we are the emperor's henchmen, once the new emperor ascends the throne. It's inevitable that they will be wary of us, and this must be guarded against. Cheng Cheng's words made everyone present sigh. The new emperor will inevitably seek control over the army when he ascends the throne, which is the first thing all emperors have to do when they come to power, and isn't the same for the emperor in front of him?

Cheng Cheng had a careful thought here. The new emperor will not move the army at the beginning of his ascension to the throne, but he will definitely find an opportunity to attack after a long time. The army is distributed around the capital, and the navy will not use these generals who hold military power first. Then the chief of the general staff of the Navy who is sent overseas will definitely be the first to adjust. You have to prepare first.

"M's, the emperor has made such a big deal this time. If only he hadn't run. It was Wu Deren who spoke. Wu Deren seemed to be complaining on his lips, but in fact, he was also beating a drum in his heart. His daughter-in-law is the queen's personal maid, and the queen will be finished when the emperor falls. When people start to liquidate the fake emperor, can his family run?

"The bones of the real emperor have been found, and he, the fake emperor, will not run away and stay in the capital to wait for his head to be beheaded." Lin Qizhao also sighed. What he holds is the financial power of the country, but both Sheng Huaixuan and Xi Ligong have the opportunity to take over. After the new emperor came to power, his position was also precarious.

For a while, the entire staff headquarters was full of mourning, and who could not have thought about it. Once a son of heaven and a courtier, it is not an empty word, this is a lesson that has been exchanged for the blood of countless courtiers.

Tang Shaoyi, who hadn't spoken for a long time, stood up: "It's all Hanchen here, and I don't say secret words." Now that we have financial power and military power, don't you colleagues think that the Manchu Qing Dynasty has ruled my Han country for a long time? ”

Brother Tang said cautiously. Now the imperial court still holds the name of righteousness, and Li Xiang, who has the power in hand, is also the queen mother's person. Not to mention anything else, even if the generals forcibly launched the northward expansion plan, as long as Li Xiang did not cooperate, and the local officials delayed the supply for so many days, the battle would not be able to be fought. Yan Fu hung his head and said: "In the final analysis, we still lack confidence, and in the end, it depends on what Li Xiang means." ”

The General Staff Headquarters is full of mourning, and Prince Li's Mansion is crying everywhere. Where could these Manchu ministers and Manchurians in Beijing think that they were sitting on the throne of the Qing Dynasty as a fake emperor, and let him be a man for twelve years. No wonder he would reuse Hanchen to crowd out Manchen, he was originally a spy. The emperor said that if it is gone, what will happen to the world of the Qing Dynasty?

"Lord, now the emperor of the Qing Dynasty said that it is gone. In addition to the queen mother, we are all respectful of you, and how to live in the future will ask the prince to make decisions for us. ”

"Do not weep, for you have come today to discuss matters. This king thinks that for the sake of today's plan, only by appointing a new emperor as soon as possible can we stabilize the situation and continue to fill the world. Shi Duo clenched his fists and said: "This king will play the queen mother tomorrow, and when you go home, you will gather the servants of the family in case of emergency." Just wait for the queen mother's will, I will immediately welcome the new emperor to the throne, and then I will ask you to make the scene grander to shock the younger generations. ”

"Don't worry, the prince will wait for the queen mother's will to be passed down, and we will act according to the order."

At this moment, on the southbound train, Zao'er and her two children were already asleep, but Guangxu was sitting by the window looking at the dark night outside the window. It's really impermanent, who would have thought that after twelve years as an emperor, he found out that he was a fake. Twelve years, let an ordinary mechanical engineer become the emperor of a country, but these twelve years have not been in vain, and finally strive for the best situation for the country and the nation. However, with his achievements over the years, it is not impossible to have the opportunity to return to the capital. Twelve years of arrangement, twelve years of hard work, in the end, depends on how the ministers view him, a fake emperor who has been a twelve-year emperor. Think about how Kou Liancai told himself how he came to this world and wanted to laugh, not to mention that his feet were born first, a lightning bolt slashed himself, and he turned out to be head-down. Fortunately, it was a muddy pond, and if it was hard, it would not be possible to open the head on the spot. This is probably the most bizarre way to cross the country.

Hehe, in the final analysis, it is up to people to make things happen, but it is up to heaven to make things happen. (To be continued.) )