In the lounge specially set up for Lin Daxin on the Flying Bear, Lin Daxin invited Ding Ruchang to sit on the edge of the Huanghuali wooden table, personally made a cup of tea for Ding Ruchang, and said to Ding Ruchang: "Uncle Ding! How about you taste this tea? ”

Ding Ruchang picked up the teacup and took a sip, nodded again and again and said, "Not bad!" This green tea tastes strong and fragrant, and it is indeed a good tea! ”

Lin Daxin said with a smile: "If Uncle Ding likes to drink!" I still have a lot of them there, let Xue Shan bring them to you one day! ”

Ding Ruchang smiled and nodded, "Daxin!" This time, the Nippon Hashidate captured by the Beiyang Naval Division's team, the old man is going to still belong to your Sailor Academy practice fleet! ”

Lin Daxin said in wonder: "Uncle Ding! No need, this time we also captured 2 ironclad battleships and 4 warships that are about to be completed by the Kure Port Shipyard, all of which belong to our naval fleet of the Naval Academy! The meat is all for us to eat, so we have to leave a mouthful of soup for the Beiyang Navy Division! I also plan to transport the two protective cruisers back to the Weihaiwei Shipyard, and after the installation of the naval guns, they will be allocated to the Beiyang Naval Division! These 2 protective cruisers and the Weiyuan are one type of warship, so that the Beiyang Naval Division can also form a fast guerrilla force! ”

Ding Ruchang smiled bitterly and said, "Daxin! There is one thing that the old man did not sue you! The imperial court is ready to remove the old man, the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division! So while the old man is still the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, try to make use of some power and power to attribute all the captured warships to your Naval Academy Practice Fleet! Although the fleet under your command is already very strong, but the strength of more warships can be stronger, the old man understands that everything is fake in these years, and it is only true if you firmly control the military power in your hands. To tell the truth, in the Beiyang Naval Division, except for your father and Fang Boqian, the pipe band of the Jiyuan ship, who are counted as the henchmen of the old man, the other pipe bands can only be regarded as the henchmen of Lord Li Hongzhang, otherwise it will not be so easy for the imperial court to remove me! ”

When Lin Daxin heard that the imperial court was going to remove Ding Ruchang from the position of admiral, he immediately exclaimed: "Uncle Ding! What's going on? Why does the court want to remove you from the position of admiral? Our Beiyang Naval Division has now completely annihilated the Japanese Combined Fleet, and your Uncle Ding should have a great merit! How could it be that you should be removed? How could Lord Li Hongzhang agree? ”

Ding Ruchang sneered and said: "The old man has a friend in Beijing who wrote to the old man that it is precisely because of the old man's merit that the imperial court wants to rise and descend secretly, let the old man give up the position of the commander of the Beiyang Navy, and then enter Beijing to give the old man a high idle position!" Maybe when I return to Weihaiwei this time, the will of the imperial court will arrive! ”

Lin Daxin frowned and said, "Uncle Ding! Does Master Li Hongzhang know about this? ”

Ding Ruchang sighed and said, "Lord Li Hongzhang also sent a letter to the old man!" The letter said that the imperial court removed the old man from the position of admiral, but in fact, it was to restrict you! In addition, the old man helped you ask the court for the governor of Fengtian Province, which made the court even more dissatisfied with the old man! Master Li Hongzhang asked the old man to focus on the overall situation! Looking at what Master Li Hongzhang meant, his old man is also starting to be suspicious of you kid! ”

When Lin Daxin heard this, his brows immediately furrowed, although his naval fleet of the Sailor Academy was an independent army, but after all, it was nominally subordinate to the Beiyang Naval Division, and the reason why he dared to develop the navy unscrupulously was that Ding Ruchang had always sheltered him from the wind and rain, and the naval fleet of the Sailor Academy could develop like this.

If someone is replaced as the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, it will definitely bring Lin Daxin a lot of trouble, and this time the imperial court is obviously coming for himself! His own navy has just annihilated the Japanese Combined Fleet, and his Dingbei Army is about to start a decisive battle with the Japanese Southern Route Army, and now the imperial court is beginning to calculate itself! Is it tolerable or unbearable!

Lin Daxin thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Ding! You're all affected by me! I must keep your position as the Admiral of the Beiyang Naval Division! ”

Ding Ruchang frowned and said, "Daxin! Don't do anything out of the ordinary! Now is the time for a decisive battle with Japan, don't do anything for the sake of the old man, who is close to the enemy! ”

Lin Daxin waved his hand indifferently, "Uncle Ding!" Don't worry, I'm free to measure! ”

The whole fleet returned to Weihaiwei all the way safely, and sure enough, someone from the Admiral's Mansion came to report that a eunuch sent by the imperial court to deliver the holy decree was already waiting for Ding Ruchang in the Admiral's Mansion!

Lin Daxin asked Ding Ruchang to pretend to be sick, so he first cultivated in the room of Lin Daxin of the Flying Bear, avoiding the eunuch who passed on the holy decree, and at the same time Lin Daxin ordered the Dingbei Army, which was approaching Liaoyang City, to stop advancing and camp on the spot to rest! Then Lin Daxin sent a telegram to Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang, who was worried about the current war in Beijing, was immediately furious after receiving Lin Daxin's telegram, and shouted angrily: "How can this be justified! It's just lawless! ”

Zhang Peilun, who was beside Li Hongzhang, asked, "Father-in-law! What's wrong? ”

Li Hongzhang handed the telegram to Zhang Peilun, and then said angrily: "That Lin Daxin is really a bold bastard!" At this critical time, he actually ordered the Dingbei Army to stop advancing towards Liaoyang City! ”

Zhang Peilun took a closer look at the telegram, and Lin Daxin said a lot of difficulties in the Dingbei Army in a high-sounding manner, in fact, the meaning was that if Ding Ruchang was not the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, it would affect the morale of the Dingbei Army, and the Dingbei Army would not have the ability to attack the Japanese South Route Army in Liaoyang City!

Zhang Peilun shook his head, what do you say that Ding Ruchang has to do with the morale of your Dingbei Army if he is not the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division! Lin Daxin's words are obviously strong, and the purpose is to keep Ding Ruchang's position as the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division.

Zhang Peilun said: "Father-in-law, it seems that Lin Daxin is going to protect Ding Ruchang's position as the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division." Now Funing City is already fighting fiercely with the Japanese Army's Northern Route Army, and I heard that the fight is very tragic, and Iketanga has asked Beijing City for help several times! The Northern Route Army only has 4 Japanese divisions, but the Southern Route Army has 8 Japanese divisions, if the Northern Army does not drag the Southern Route Army in Liaodong and let the Southern Route Army send troops to support the Northern Route Army in Shanhaiguan, then it will be a disaster for our Qing Dynasty! Father-in-law, it's better to let Ding Ruchang take over as the commander of the Beiyang Navy Division first, and wait for the war with the Japanese before thinking about it! ”

Li Hongzhang's face was a little gloomy, in fact, the removal of Ding Ruchang's post as admiral was proposed by the imperial court, but Li Hongzhang also pushed the boat down the river and did not object.

The main reason is that Lin Daxin took advantage of the opportunity of the war with the Japanese a few days ago to ask the imperial court for the position of governor of Fengtian Province, so that Li Hongzhang found that Lin Daxin's ambition was too big, and it was not something that Li Hongzhang could control, so he decided to suppress Lin Daxin, and the removal of Ding Ruchang as the commander of the Beiyang Navy was only the first step for Li Hongzhang, and then Li Hongzhang also prepared the second and third steps for Lin Daxin.

I never thought that Lin Daxin would react so strongly to this just the first step, even regardless of the big war with the Japanese!

Li Hongzhang thought about it and shook his head helplessly, "It seems that at present, we can only let Lin Daxin's kid run rampant first!" The old man immediately entered the palace to report the matter to the queen mother and the emperor. ”

Li Hongzhang left his mansion in Beijing and entered the Forbidden City in an official sedan chair.

Li Hongzhang went directly to the Xinuan Pavilion where the Empress Dowager Cixi lived in the Forbidden City, and asked to see the Empress Dowager Cixi.

A eunuch invited Li Hongzhang to enter the Xinuan Pavilion, Li Hongzhang faced the Empress Dowager Cixi on the wooden collapse, and was just about to kneel on the ground, but was stopped by Cixi and said: "Li Hongzhang, don't salute, come here!" Bring a chair for Master Lee. Li Hongzhang, you came here in a hurry, what happened? ”

Li Hongzhang sat on the chair brought by the little eunuch, took out Lin Daxin's telegram from his cuff, and handed it to the little eunuch on the side.

The little eunuch handed the telegram to the Empress Dowager Cixi, Cixi took the telegram and looked at it, and immediately turned pale, glanced at Li Hongzhang who was sitting on the side, and then ordered: "Send someone to invite the emperor and Prince Gong, and let them come to the Xinuan Pavilion of the mourning family!" ”

After going to invite Emperor Guangxu and Prince Gong's eunuch to go out, Cixi said to Li Hongzhang: "Li Hongzhang, it seems that Lin Daxin has hard wings!" Even you, the governor of Beiyang, can't do it! ”

Li Hongzhang smiled bitterly: "Queen Mother! It's all the old minister's fault! I didn't expect that Lin Daxin to be so lawless, the old slave really didn't know people, and he knew that Lin Daxin would not be allowed to run a water master school in the first place! ”

After a while, Emperor Guangxu and Prince Gong Yixin came to Xinuan Pavilion, and the two read Lin Daxin's telegram respectively.

After reading the telegram, Emperor Guangxu said angrily: "What is this Lin Daxin going to do? This is a rebellion! Li Hongzhang, this is your Beiyang Sailor Man? How did you become the Governor of Beiyang? ”

Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Your Majesty, don't talk about Li Aiqing, he can't control that Lin Daxin now!" Now the question is, what will the imperial court do next? Li Aiqing, what do you have to say? ”

Li Hongzhang said: "Now the imperial court still needs the Dingbei Army to drag the hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops living in Liaoyang City, and the old minister's construction is to continue to let Ding Ruchang serve as the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division!" After the war with the Japanese is over, the imperial court will make calculations! ”

At this time, Prince Gong Yixin also said: "What Master Li said is reasonable, the most important thing in the imperial court now is the war with the Japanese, and other things can be put aside." ”

Although Emperor Guangxu was indignant, he also said: "After this Lin Daxin and the others have fought with the Japanese, I will settle accounts with him again!" ”

Cixi said conclusively: "Prince Gong! Send a telegram to Weihaiwei! Let the messenger of the holy decree return to the city of Beijing! Let Ding Ruchang be the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division! Prince Gong Yixin nodded and took the order.

Then the Empress Dowager Cixi asked Li Hongzhang again: "Li Aiqing, the mourning family asked you to investigate Lin Daxin's situation, how did you do?" ”

Several rulers of the imperial court only knew that Lin Daxin had set up a Sailor Academy, a fleet that Lin Daxin paid for and purchased, and a new army that was trained on the basis of the students of the Sailor Academy.

Moreover, the rulers of the imperial court knew that Lin Daxin's fleet was very strong, and even defeated the Japanese combined fleet, but the specific strength of Lin Daxin's fleet, the rulers of the imperial court were not very clear! Lin Daxin's Dingbei Army defeated the Japanese Southern Route Army and killed tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers, but the rulers of the imperial court only knew that the Dingbei Army was powerful, and as for how many troops the Dingbei Army had, they didn't know how many troops!

The rulers of the imperial court may not have as much understanding of Lin Daxin's strength as the Japanese base camp!

So a few days ago, after Lin Daxin asked for the post of governor of Fengtian Province, the Empress Dowager Cixi asked Li Hongzhang to find out Lin Daxin's current strength!