Prince Gong Yixin heard that Cixi asked him to continue to send troops to Shanhaiguan, and to send elites, he felt a little embarrassed! At present, the Qing Dynasty can only mobilize nearly 60,000 troops in the Zhili area and more than 40,000 defenders in Beijing. The defenders of Beijing City could not move, and the nearly 60,000 troops of Zhili were all green battalion soldiers, and the newly recruited troops were too weak in combat effectiveness, even if some of them were transferred to Shanhaiguan, there was no change in the situation in Shanhaiguan!

Prince Gong Yixin said helplessly: "Queen Mother, now only the 60,000 green battalion soldiers and newly recruited troops in Zhili can be transferred to Shanhaiguan!" There are really no elite troops to send to Shanhaiguan! ”

Before Cixi could speak, Emperor Guangxu preemptively said: "Li Hongzhang, what about the elites of your Huai army!" Hurry up and send it to Shanhaiguan! ”

Li Hongzhang smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty! Several times in the big war with the Japanese, there are not many old foundations of the Huai Army over the years! In addition to Beijing City, there are nearly 10,000 Huai troops who can be regarded as elite, and even the direct subordinates of the old ministers have no Huai troops to send! ”

Empress Dowager Cixi asked Yixin: "Didn't you let the south transfer troops over?" Why hasn't it arrived yet? ”

Prince Gong Yixin continued to say helplessly: "The Governor of Liangguang, the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and the Governor of Liangjiang have sent a total of 15,000 green battalion soldiers to the imperial court, and now they have only gone to Hefei!" Just rushed over, this little bit of troops, and it is also a green battalion soldier, it is really a drop in the bucket for Shanhaiguan! ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi said angrily: "Could it be that I can draw out 15,000 green battalion soldiers with hundreds of thousands of troops in the southern provinces of the Qing Dynasty!" Prince Gong, you give them another order, let them continue to send reinforcements to the north! ”

Guangxu Qing shouted with some excitement: "I have millions of soldiers in the Qing Dynasty, and I can't draw out any more soldiers!" The Westernization Movement of the Qing Dynasty for so many years cost hundreds of millions of taels of silver, but still can't beat a small barbarian Japan! ”

The Westernization MovementThe Westernization Movement of the Qing Dynasty was an industrial movement launched throughout the country with the slogan and purpose of "mastering the art of mastering and mastering the art to control the country". The movement began at the end of 1861 and lasted for nearly 35 years until 1895. The Western-style officials represented by Li Hongzhang, Zeng Guofan, and Zuo Zongtang advocated imitating the industrial technology and business model of the great powers, and using the models of government-run, government-supervised and business-run, and government-business joint operation to develop modern industry, so as to obtain powerful military equipment, increase the revenue of the national treasury, enhance national strength, and maintain the rule of the Qing court.

The so-called "foreign affairs" refer to such things as foreign affairs negotiations, treaty conclusions, sending students abroad, purchasing foreign guns and artillery, and training the army in accordance with the "foreign law." The Huai Army, the Beiyang Naval Division, the Fujian Naval Division, and the Nanyang Naval Division were all established in this way. At the same time, the study of Western science, the use of machinery, the opening of mines and factories, and other things related to foreign relations and foreign exchanges are all "foreign affairs".

The 35-year Westernization Movement cost a lot of money, hundreds of millions of taels of silver were all said by Emperor Guangxu, and spent so much silver, but as a result, a war was fought, but it was still defeated one after another, and even the Manchu Longxing land Shengjing City was captured by the Japanese army! Moreover, the Japanese army also slaughtered the city in Shengjing City, you must know that most of the people in Shengjing are Manchus, and even many of them are related to the Aixin Jueluo family!

Li Hongzhang hesitated for a moment and said: "The Great Queen, the Emperor, Prince Gong, now the only one who can save the battle situation in Liaodong is Lin Daxin's Dingbei Army!" ”

When Cixi heard this, she hurriedly asked, "How do you say this?" ”

Li Hongzhang continued: "Now that the Japanese Southern Route Army has failed to attack Dalian, it has retreated to Jinzhou City, and tens of thousands of elite troops of the Northern Army have built fortifications under Jinzhou City!" As long as the Dingbei Army can defeat the Japanese Army's Southern Route Army, it can go straight to Shengjing City and threaten the Japanese Army's Northern Route Army! Even if the Dingbei Army can't attack Jinzhou City, it can still contain the Japanese Army's Southern Route Army, and prevent the Southern Route Army from sending troops to support the Northern Route Army to attack Shanhaiguan! ”

When Cixi heard this, she immediately said urgently: "Then hurry up and give Lin Daxin an order!" Then he must capture Jinzhou City, and then attack Shengjing! If only he could capture Shengjing! The court added an official to him! ”

Li Hongzhang and Yi Xin looked at each other, Li Hongzhang smiled bitterly and nodded at Yi Xin, so Yi Xin said: "Queen Mother, Ding Ruchang, the admiral of the Beiyang Naval Division, sent a letter to the imperial court, asking the imperial court to crown Lin Daxin as the governor of Fengtian and take charge of the battle situation in Liaodong, so as to better delay the pace of the Japanese army's attack on Shanhaiguan!" ”

Cixi frowned when she heard this, and she didn't say anything, Guangxu said angrily: "Isn't this to blackmail the imperial court!" If the imperial court didn't give him Lin Daxin the title of Governor of Fengtian, would his Dingbei Army dare not attack Jinzhou! ”

Li Hongzhang and Yi Xin secretly said in their hearts at the same time, that Lin Daxin really dared to do this, watching the fire from the side.

At this time, Cixi thought about it for a while and said: "Fengtian Province is the land of the ancestors, and now most of it is in the hands of the Japanese!" Only the Lushun area suffered heavy losses to the Japanese under the defense of Lin Daxin's Dingbei Army, and led the Beiyang Naval Division to defeat the Japanese Combined Fleet, and Lin Daxin made great contributions! Prince Gong ordered Lin Daxin to be crowned as the governor of Fengtian Province, in charge of the war situation in Liaodong! Let the Dingbei Army immediately attack the Japanese army in Jinzhou City! ”

Guangxu turned his head to the Empress Dowager Cixi and said, "Dear father!" That Lin Daxin is simply a chaotic courtier, who supports the army and respects himself, and now he is threatening the imperial court! How could he be canonized as the governor of Mukden Province? ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Your Majesty, the most important thing now is to protect Shanhaiguan!" But just like the emperor said, Li Hongzhang, you Beiyang are really talented! At such a time, the imperial court is going to be coerced! ”

Li Hongzhang immediately knelt down and said with fear in his mouth: "The old minister is guilty!" Didn't discipline his subordinates well! Please forgive the Queen Mother! ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi said angrily: "Get up!" Go back and sue that Lin Daxin! You must do your best to attack the city of Golden State! Strive to win the Golden State City! ”

Li Hongzhang wiped the beads of sweat from his head, and secretly said in his heart that Lin Daxin, this kid, was too bold, and Ding Ruchang was also confused, and dared to threaten the imperial court, but it was useless to say anything at this time. Li Hongzhang was ordered to withdraw from Xinuan Pavilion!

After Li Hongzhang withdrew from the Xinuan Pavilion, Emperor Guangxu opened his mouth and wanted to continue, "Dear father, I think ......"

Before Guangxu finished speaking, he was immediately interrupted by the Empress Dowager Cixi, "Your Majesty, needless to say, now you must rely on Lin Daxin's Dingbei Army!" When the war is over, we will talk to him again! After speaking, Cixi showed a trace of vicious gaze in her eyes.

Guangxu didn't say anything more, but sentenced this Lin Daxin, a chaotic minister and thief, to death in his heart!

At this time, Prince Gong Yixin said: "The Queen Mother, the Emperor, through this battle, the minister found that the combat effectiveness of our Qing army is too weak!" The reason why Lin Daxin dared to blackmail the imperial court was because he had trained a new army with strong combat effectiveness! Therefore, the ministers asked the Queen Mother and the Emperor to order the formation and training of a new army! ”

Both the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor thought that Prince Gong Yixin was right, and the ruling class of the Qing Dynasty began to prepare to train a great fresh army to emulate the Western army!

Li Hongzhang returned from the Forbidden City to his residence in Beijing, and his son-in-law Zhang Peilun waited for Li Hongzhang in his study.

Seeing Li Hongzhang walk into the study, Zhang Peilun hurriedly said: "Father-in-law! How about entering the palace this time? ”

Li Hongzhang said angrily: "What else can you do!" Ding Ruchang and Lin Daxin, two daring guys! Dare to blackmail important officials in the court! Now they have got their wish, and the imperial court has made Lin Daxin the governor of Fengtian Province! But when the war with the Japanese is over, the imperial court will definitely settle accounts after the autumn! ”

When Zhang Peilun heard this, he immediately said: "Father-in-law! Don't be angry! Your body matters! Now that Lin Daxin, although he is still nominally our Beiyang series, but now he has become a big tail! Not only has he mastered a sailor who is several times stronger than the Beiyang Sailor team! He also has more than 100,000 elite new troops! Now that Lin Daxin has been named the governor of Fengtian Province, maybe it is also a good thing for Beiyang! ”

Li Hongzhang was puzzled: "How do you say this?" ”

Zhang Peilun then explained: "The imperial court has always been very wary of Beiyang, and has been suppressing our Beiyang in recent years!" Now that Lin Daxin has been named the governor of Fengtian Province, it means that the imperial court has focused its attention on Lin Daxin! Our days in Beiyang may be better in the future! ”

Li Hongzhang shook his head helplessly at this time, the imperial court has always used and suppressed these Hanchens, and he turned out to be the most used among the Hanchens, and he was also the most suppressed! As Zhang Peilun said, maybe the attention of the court will focus on Lin Daxin's kid in the future, and he will be better off in the future!