Seeing Li Hongzhang like this, Zhang Peilun was a little at a loss for a while, and just wanted to open his mouth to persuade a few words. Li Hongzhang continued, "What is lost is the trust of the imperial court!" I pondered that now the emperor and the queen mother are thinking about finding a suitable candidate to replace me! ”

"Lord Zhongtang is too decadent!" Zhang Peilun couldn't bear it in his heart, and hurriedly persuaded.

"Decadent! I've never been decadent! I'm telling the truth. Li Hongzhang sighed, revealing deep helplessness in his tone.

"Just ask the current Qing Dynasty, who can replace you in the middle hall!" Zhang Peilun comforted.

"Maybe not now, but not necessarily in a few years!" After Li Hongzhang finished speaking, he waved his hand and said with a smile, "People are old, and they are off topic when they talk about it!" ”

"Nakado-sama is not old at all!" Zhang Peilun said with a smile.

"No more!" Li Hongzhang smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Youqiao! Do you think Japan will negotiate peace with us at this time? ”

"This~! The students also said it was not good. Zhang Peilun hesitated and said, "According to the student's opinion, when the battle is fought at this point, the Japanese will definitely be able to understand the current situation, and now that we take the initiative to propose a peace negotiation, the Japanese will definitely not be able to ask for it." ”

"No!" Li Hongzhang shook his head lightly and said, "You are right, the battle is fought to this extent, and the Japanese also want to make peace." But in order to increase the bargaining chips in the negotiations, most of them will lay down the city of Beijing first! ”

"What a good thing this is!" Zhang Peilun said with an embarrassed face.

"You must still want to ask, in that case, why did I take the initiative to make peace with the Japanese side?" Li Hongzhang said with a smile.

"The Lord of the Middle Hall is wise, but the students have this intention. Now above the court, the voice of the main battle is rising, and Lord Zhongtang takes the initiative to negotiate peace with the Japanese at this time, which is somewhat inappropriate. Zhang Peilun replied honestly.

"Delay the army! It is naturally best if the peace talks can be successful, and if they cannot be successful, they can also stabilize the Japanese for the time being. I'm just afraid that the Japanese won't be fooled by this! As for the imperial court, as long as Beijing City and the Summer Palace can be kept, nothing else is a problem. Li Hongzhang said very confidently.

"By the way, I heard that Ren Chao has arrived at Dagukou!" Li Hongzhang asked suddenly.

"Yes! I arrived yesterday afternoon, and it is estimated that I am on my way to Beijing at this time, and I will be able to get to Beijing in these two days! If this force joins, the city of Beijing will be more stable. Zhang Peilun said very happily.

"Yes! Ren Chao is a person who has a lot of momentum to do things, which I like very much. Li Hongzhang nodded and said.

"Nakado-sama wants to reuse this person?" Zhang Peilun asked tentatively.

"Do you still use it for me? The emperor has long regarded this person as a loyal minister and good general to save the country, and this person has repeatedly made military exploits, and if he can defeat Japan, it can be said that it depends on this person's merits. Therefore, this person will inevitably be used by the imperial court in the future. But! The details of this person are unknown, and the court lacks trust in him, so it is really difficult to say what will happen in the future! Li Hongzhang shook his head with a smile and said.

Zhang Peilun nodded in agreement, Li Hongzhang thought for a while and asked, "Ma Yukun's department has also rushed to Dagukou!" ”

"Yes! I just arrived at Dagukou today! Zhang Peilun nodded and replied.

"In this way, as long as the Japanese can be held back for a day, the city of Beijing will be saved!" Li Hongzhang was obviously relieved when he said this, his spirit instantly relaxed, Li Hongzhang suddenly felt tired, waved his hand and said, "Okay!" Go back and rest! There's still a lot to attend to tomorrow! ”

In the temporary headquarters of the Japanese army, Dashan Yan looked at the generals under him with a gloomy face, "Gentlemen, have you all read Li Hongzhang's letter?" What do you think? ”

Sakuma Samata thought for a moment and said, "After a day of fierce fighting, I think all the monarchs know in their hearts that it is not easy to break through Beijing City. If a collegial agreement can be reached at this time, it is naturally the best, but it cannot be ruled out that this is a delaying tactic of the Qing State. Although our army is approaching Beijing, but judging from the whole battle situation, the shape is very unfavorable to our army, once the Qing reinforcements arrive in Beijing, we should die without a place to be buried. ”

"What Sakuma-kun said is good, this is clearly Li Hongzhang's strategy to delay the army, he just wants to temporarily stabilize the locust army in order to keep their capital! Once the Qing army is assembled, it will be absolutely impossible for us to capture Beijing, so we must not fall into Li Hongzhang's trap, we must do our best to capture Beijing, even if we want to negotiate peace, we must wait until Beijing is conquered first! Kuroki Weizhen said with an angry face.

"That's right! Break the city of Beijing! ”

"We must not sit still! Break through Beijing! Defeat the Qing Dynasty! The locust army will win! ”

Some fanatical militarists couldn't help but start shouting loudly.

Da Shanyan stretched out his hands and pressed down gently, signaling everyone to be quiet, and the Japanese generals honestly closed their stinky mouths, and Da Shanyan said in a low voice, "But I heard that the troops have been exhausted after continuous battles, and their combat effectiveness has dropped greatly, and it may not be so easy to capture Beijing City with the current combat effectiveness of the troops!" ”

"As the most loyal samurai of the Empire, we are willing to sacrifice all of us, including our lives, for the sake of the Empire of Japan and His Majesty the Emperor! This hard work is nothing, as long as the commander gives an order, the locust army will definitely be able to capture the city of Beijing in one fell swoop. A Japanese major general stood up and shouted loudly.

"Yo Xi!" Da Shanyan stood up excitedly, and the other generals also stood up, and Da Shanyan said loudly, "I always believe that there is no city in the world that can stop our most heroic locust army!" Please join me in breaking through the city of Beijing! ”

"Hay!" A number of Japanese generals bowed down one after another.

Da Shanyan picked up the handwritten letter written by Li Hongzhang to him, and tore it to shreds, as if the letter had some deep hatred with him, and with a wave of his hand, confetti flew all over the conference room. Dashan Yan said with a calm face full of anger, "Li Hongzhang actually wrote a letter to ask us to disarm and surrender, this is an insult to our Japanese Empire, and an insult to all the heroic samurai of our Imperial Locust Army!" Ladies and gentlemen! Draw your swords and wash away our shame with the blood of your enemies! Decapitate your enemies! Conquer the city of Beijing! ”

"Decapitate your enemies! Conquer the city of Beijing! The Japanese generals drew their swords one after another, raised them above their heads and shouted loudly.

Subsequently, Dashanyan issued an order for the whole army to rest overnight and launch a full-front attack on Beijing City early tomorrow morning, striving to take Beijing City in one fell swoop.