Emperor Guangxu in the Qianqing Palace was furious and slapped it on the dragon case, stood up and glared at Li Hongzhang and asked loudly, "Pyongyang is lost, you should tell me how this Pyongyang city was lost!" Didn't you say that the city of Pyongyang is impregnable? How do you say that if you lose it, you will lose it? ”

"The minister is guilty!" Li Hongzhang knelt on the ground and reported, "Back to the emperor, according to Ye Zhichao's report, the Japanese people attacked with 30,000 or 40,000 people, and our generals fought bloodily for five days and nights, and finally were forced to withdraw from Pyongyang because they ran out of ammunition and food, and were outnumbered. ”

"Humph!" Emperor Guangxu snorted coldly and sat down angrily.

At this time, Weng Tongyi suddenly came out of the class and said, "Your Majesty, the old minister has a book. The minister thought that Li Zhongtang's remark that Pyongyang's defeat was not a fault of the war, but was just an excuse for deliberate prevarication. As Kuchen knows, there are more than 10,000 troops from all walks of life in the city of Pyongyang, and there is enough food, grass and ammunition to hold out for a month. The minister believed that Pyongyang's defeat was entirely caused by the fact that some people were greedy for life and afraid of death and refused to contribute to the country, and the minister demanded that those who delayed the fighter plane be severely punished. ”

"I don't know who Master Weng is referring to when he delays the fighter?" At this time, Sun Yuwen suddenly asked.

"There is Li Hongzhang inside, and Ye Zhichao outside!" Weng Tongyi pointed at Li Hongzhang and said.

"The minister recommended Master Weng to take command of the city, Master Weng is martial arts, there is Master Weng here, as long as there are thousands of soldiers and horses, he will be invincible and defeat the Japanese in Korea." Sun Yuwen said loudly.

"That's it! Don't be noisy! Emperor Guangxu reprimanded loudly, "When is it, Pyongyang is lost, and the Japanese are about to hit the doorstep, you are still in the mood to quarrel here!" ”

"The ministers are guilty!" The ministers confessed one after another.

"Your Majesty!" Weng Tongyi then said, "In the battle of Ashan, Ren Chao was able to defeat the Japanese invaders with hundreds of routs, kill the enemy general Oshima, and in the battle of Jilong Mountain, it was these hundreds of routs that annihilated thousands of Japanese invaders in one fell swoop. In the first battle of Shanqing, Ren Chao annihilated more than 5,000 Japanese soldiers with hundreds of defeated soldiers and more than 1,000 newly recruited bravery. On the other hand, Ye Zhichao, there are tens of thousands of heavenly soldiers, but he has lost his division and land one after another, and the minister implored the emperor to cure Ye Zhichao's crime of unfavorable combat, and ordered the good general to command the three armies. ”

"Playing the emperor, Yi Shuai before the battle is a taboo for soldiers!" Li Hongzhang played, "The minister implores me not to punish Ye Zhichao for the time being, so as not to disturb the morale of the army." The minister has already sent someone to Anhui to visit Liu Mingchuan, if Liu Mingchuan is in good health, the old minister recommends Liu Mingchuan as the coach, and it is not too late to replace Ye Zhichao after Liu Mingchuan arrives. ”

"Yes!" Emperor Guangxu nodded slightly, "Send a decree to Ye Zhichao that I will not be held accountable for the defeat of Pyongyang for the time being, but the Yalu River is his last line of defense, and the Japanese must not be allowed to step across the Yalu River for half a step, otherwise they will be severely punished." At this time, the truth of Ye Zhichao's defeat and retreat to Pyongyang has not been exposed, so Ye Zhichao was not removed from his post and investigated, until November The truth of Ye Zhichao's defeat and retreat from Pyongyang was revealed to the world, Emperor Guangxu was furious, and ordered to investigate Ye Zhichao, sent to Beijing, and the criminal department bowed to Shi, and the criminal department sentenced Ye Zhichao to behead the prison marquis according to the law, and then because of Li Hongzhang's intercession to avoid death, he was pardoned a few years later.

"Commandment!" The ministers bowed down to receive the order.

Li Hongzhang had just left the palace and was about to return to his mansion in Beijing to rest, when he was stopped halfway. "Lord Qi Zhongtang, the front line is urgent!"

Li Hongzhang took a telegram handed over by the guard, and just after reading half of it, Li Hongzhang's hands trembled excitedly, "Okay!" It's just great! Turn around immediately, I'm going to enter the palace to face the saint! ”

"Your Majesty! Victory on the front line! Li Hongzhang excitedly reported to Emperor Guangxu, "I just received a telegram from Ren Chao, the president of the Tiger Army, that Ren Chao led the Tiger Army and the Korean Army to successfully recover Seoul, killing the commander of the Japanese First Army, General Yama Prefecture Aritomo, and the commander of the Fifth Brigade, Major General Shang Min, and more than 4,000 people, and won a great victory in Seoul!" ”

"What?" Emperor Guangxu stood up directly in shock, and hurriedly asked, "Is the situation true?" ”

"The old minister has ordered someone to verify the news! However, such a big event, it is expected that Ren Chao will not dare to lie about his military exploits! Li Hongzhang replied honestly.

"Good! It's so good! Emperor Guangxu said excitedly, "In the previous battle of Shanqing, I hadn't rewarded him yet, but I didn't expect Ren Chao to lead his troops to recover Hancheng again!" Ren Chao is really my lucky general! The decree was promoted to Ren Chao as the chief soldier. ”

"Your Majesty, this Ren Chao has just been promoted to deputy general for only a month, and now he is promoted to the chief soldier, isn't it a little faster." Li Hongzhang couldn't help but remind.

"Within a month, two battles and two victories, eliminating tens of thousands of Japanese pirates, and recovering the capital of North Korea, this merit is enough to promote the general army! If someone else can destroy tens of thousands of Japanese robbers, I will also give him two promotions! Emperor Guangxu said excitedly.

"The emperor is wise!" Li Hongzhang continued, "Ren Chao also reported that he would soon move his army north to attack the main force of the Japanese army in Pyongyang, and asked all friendly forces to join forces to attack the enemy in Pyongyang. ”

"Quasi-play!" Emperor Guangxu agreed without hesitation, "Send a message to Ye Zhichao, ordering him to gather troops and horses from all walks of life, and join forces with Ren Chao's tiger army to attack the main force of the Japanese in Pyongyang, and recover Pyongyang in one fell swoop!" ”

"Command!" Li Hongzhang hurriedly agreed, but he couldn't help but worry for a while, and Li Hongzhang faintly felt a threat in his heart for Ren Chao. Among the generals of the court, all of them were pulled up by Li Hongzhang, and they were all people who knew the roots, but this Ren Chao, Li Hongzhang had not only never seen him before, but had never even heard of this person. Such a person, how could Li Hongzhang fully trust, he recommended Ren Chao before just to use Ren Chao's tiger army to contain the Japanese army, but now Li Hongzhang suddenly found that this Ren Chao has gradually escaped from his own control, such a situation is something Li Hongzhang absolutely does not want to see. "Ren Chao is indeed a talent, but he can't be used by me, so I'm sorry!" Li Hongzhang couldn't help but let out a sigh in his heart.

After receiving an urgent telegram from Yama Prefecture Aritomo, Katsura Taro did not dare to slack off, and immediately ordered Tsumi Naowen to command the Wonsan detachment and the Soning detachment to support Seoul quickly. It's a pity that before Tsumi Shangwen arrived in Seoul, he ran into Ogawa who escaped from Seoul and learned the news of the loss of Seoul. Immediately Naomun led his troops to continue to advance towards Seoul, and Ogawa went to Pyongyang again to report to Katsura Taro in person.

After Katsura Taro learned the news of the disembowelment of Yama Prefecture Youpeng, he wept bitterly, and Ogawa once again persuaded on the side, "Your Excellency the division commander, now is not the time to be sad, we should do our best to recapture Seoul and avenge His Excellency the commander!" I heard that the brutal Qing soldiers actually hung the head of the commander of the county on the top of the city for public display. ”

"Baga Ya Road! These hateful bastards dare to insult my teachers like this, I must have them to pieces! Hearing this, Katsura Taro was furious and shouted loudly, "Order, the 9th Brigade will stay in Pyongyang, and the headquarters of the 3rd Division will return to Seoul with me to avenge His Excellency the Commander!" ”

"Hay!"