At this time, Li Hongzhang was sitting on a recliner very leisurely, and the two maids came forward and back, one pinched Li Hongzhang's head, and the other beat Li Hongzhang's legs. After all, Li Hongzhang is already old, and he is exhausted at this time after a busy day!

"Smoke!" Li Hongzhang's voice was already a little hoarse. Hearing Li Hongzhang's voice, two well-trained waiters immediately walked over, one holding a long cigarette pouch and the other holding a tray with fire and tobacco on it. The waiter in charge of the tobacco carefully packs the tobacco into the pouch, and a breathtaking smoking ceremony begins.

From the beginning to the end of smoking, during the whole process, Li Hongzhang never moved his whole body, including his hands, except for his mouth and chest together. Two waiters are well-trained and responsible, one in charge of tobacco pouches and the other in charge of tobacco and tinder. When Li Hongzhang put the cigarette pouch in his mouth, the waiter in charge of the cigarette pouch knelt on one leg, and his arms were straight and always held underneath, and every time Li Hongzhang finished taking a puff, he lost no time in taking the cigarette pouch out of his mouth, and after he had swallowed the clouds and spit out the fog with his indulgence, he then respectfully and respectfully threw the cigarette holder into his mouth like a carpenter receiving a tenon. The waiter in charge of tobacco and tinder has a more coherent and compact action. The two waiters worked together seamlessly, and the heat was just right, it was like performing acrobatics. And Li Hongzhang always squinted his eyes and lay there like a clay sculpture, without even raising his eyelids.

Both the emperor and the empress dowager strictly ordered Li Hongzhang to keep the city of Beijing, one was to keep the only vestiges of dignity left in the Celestial Empire, and the other was just bent on keeping her Summer Palace. And this thousand catties of heavy burden was all on Li Hongzhang's body, so that Li Hongzhang was almost out of breath. Coupled with a day of fierce fighting, Li Hongzhang sat in the command and dispatch of the Chinese army, which also brought great pressure to Li Hongzhang's spirit, Li Hongzhang was old after all, he was too tired, and he could only use the stimulation of tobacco to stimulate his already exhausted nerves, so that he could temporarily stay awake.

Although Li Hongzhang sat there and just moved his mouth, Li Hongzhang was not idle at this time, because his brain was always spinning at high speed. Thinking about the current shape, thinking about how to keep this precarious city of Beijing.

At this time, Zhang Peilun walked in softly, and saw that Li Hongzhang was smoking, so he didn't dare to disturb, but just stood aside respectfully and waited. After a while, Li Hongzhang opened his eyes slightly, found Zhang Peilun and said softly, "Youqiao is here, sit down!" Li Hongzhang raised his hand and gently pointed to a chair next to him.

"Lord Xie Zhongtang!" Zhang Peilun thanked him, then walked to the chair next to him and sat down gently, although Zhang Peilun is Li Hongzhang's son-in-law and has followed Li Hongzhang for many years, but when facing this Zhongtang adult, it is inevitable that he is still a little restrained.

Li Hongzhang took another puff of cigarette, then waved his hand, and the two waiters and maids all bowed and retreated. Li Hongzhang gently exhaled the last breath of smoke in his body, stood up and walked to the main seat of the Taishi chair, sat down, and asked with a smile, "The envoy has already sent out of the city!" ”

"Back to Lord Zhongtang, the envoy has already left the city, and it is estimated that he has now arrived at the Japanese army camp and handed over the handwritten letter of Lord Zhongtang to Dashan Yan!" Zhang Peilun stood up and said very respectfully.

"Yes! Sit, sit down and say. Li Hongzhang nodded, and then waved his hand to let Zhang Peilun sit down, he still attaches great importance to this son-in-law Li Hongzhang, otherwise he would not marry his beloved palm pearl to Zhang Peilun. To say that this Zhang Peilun is indeed talented, but he is a little pedantic, and the scholarly business is too heavy, Li Hongzhang asked him to follow him, just to hone him, and then find a suitable opportunity so that the court can reactivate him, but after so many years, Li Hongzhang always feels that Zhang Peilun still owes some heat.

"The student has something unclear, and he still wants the middle hall to advise?" Zhang Peilun did not sit down, but said in a posture of bowing and being taught.

"Tell me about it!" Li Hongzhang said casually.

"Lord Nakado sent an envoy to meet the commander of the Japanese army at this time, and sent a telegram to the Japanese government, does he really want to make peace with the Japanese side?" Zhang Peilun cautiously asked the doubts in his heart.

"Not bad!" Li Hongzhang nodded and admitted directly, seeing a trace of doubt on Zhang Peilun's face, Li Hongzhang continued, "The two countries fought each other, and in the end, they couldn't escape a word of peace." It's just a win, a defeat, an early and, and a late peace! The current shape shì is late and early is not as good as early peace, and defeat and defeat are not as good as victory and harmony. ”

"What Lord Zhongtang means is that in the end of this battle, our Qing Dynasty will still lose?" Zhang Peilun is even more puzzled, judging from the current shape, although the Japanese army is approaching Beijing, it looks aggressive, but it is a lone army in depth, even if the Japanese army can break through the city of Beijing, in the absence of backup and supplies, it is bound to not last long, as long as there is enough time, the division of the king of all walks of life will gather in Beijing, and the destruction of the Japanese army is just around the corner, and then the elite of the Japanese army will be lost, and naturally there will be no confidence to fight again, if the Qing Dynasty can turn defeat into victory.

Li Hongzhang raised his finger and pointed at Zhang Peilun shook his head, and said with an expression of hatred that iron is not made of steel, "You! It's still too simplistic. Yes, with the current situation, I have indeed won the Qing Dynasty! But this Beijing city is already in danger, if Beijing City is lost, will the queen mother and the emperor agree? At that time, my Qing Dynasty will win, but I, Li Hongzhang, will be defeated. How many pairs of eyes are staring at where I am now? They couldn't move me before, why? To put it bluntly, that's because I Li Hongzhang has soldiers in my hands! As he spoke, Li Hongzhang clenched his fists hard.

"My soldiers are not the Eight Banners Green Battalion, they are all elite divisions that have been tempered thousands of times!" Li Hongzhang continued, "The Great Qing Kingdom needs me, an old guy, to take care of the family, so those people who want to bring me down all day long have not succeeded. But what about now? The shape has changed! Speaking of this, a trace of regret flashed on Li Hongzhang's face.

"How now?" Zhang Peilun hurriedly asked.

"How now?" A wry smile appeared at the corner of Li Hongzhang's mouth, and he sighed deeply and said, "From North Korea to Shandong, and then to Zhili!" The Huai army has been defeated in successive battles, defeated again and again! It's not just my old face that has been lost! Li Hongzhang pointed to his face and said in a painful voice. At this time, Li Hongzhang's heart was full of pain and disappointment, Huai Jun's appearance made him extremely disappointed, and the elite soldiers he had worked so hard to build were ruined like this, which made him extremely sad.