March 20, 1877 A.D., on the Arabian Sea.

The waves were crashing against the fleet, a huge fleet of four ironclads, six iron-hulled cruisers, twelve wood-hulled cruisers, and more than thirty transports.

A fleet of more than 200,000 tons of tonnage is still as fragile and small as a toy on the ocean.

The power of industry allows humans to kill the world's most ferocious animals, but when nature wields, a giant ship of six or seven thousand tons is a small toy, ready to be sent to the bottom of the sea at any time.

It's just that Europeans with a lot of seafaring experience don't make that low-level mistake. Send a fleet of immeasurable value into the arena of waves and winds.

The fleet set out from Europe, crossed the Mediterranean, and crossed the Suez Canal, and the fleet, capable of sweeping the shores of Asia, safely made it half of its voyage.

The tricolor flag flutters over the fleet with a blue, white and red eye-catching flag!

……

'You used to be in Hunan, and you naturally knew about Hunan. The provincial soldiers are empty, Ma Rulong is just an ordinary general, and Wang Wenshao is not an experienced handsome. Now Huxiang's military affairs depend on Liu Rong. When you arrive in Hunan, you must train your troops well. When it comes to military rations, the court will not be shorter than yours. 'Speaking Empress Dowager Cixi.

Zeng Guoquan didn't know how to answer this question, training soldiers, soldiers who can fight are not trained if they want to. Especially now, the military affairs are all about firearms. But after a pause, Zeng Guoquan still said: "The minister knows something about Hunan." ‘

"Hey, I'm afraid I don't have time...... 'Empress Dowager Ci'an doesn't speak on government affairs, maybe she has too much mind and doesn't care about government affairs, and her speech is a little too straightforward and casual. It was only when I took out my mouth that I suddenly realized that it was inappropriate.

The blood vessels on Zeng Guoquan's brain jumped, and he was speechless.

'Kneel down and hand over the sign tomorrow.' The corners of the Empress Dowager Cixi's mouth twitched, and she immediately said to Zeng Guoquan.

Zeng Guoquan knelt down, got up with his hat, stepped back step by step, and retreated until he reached the curtain before turning around and going out.

When he walked out of the Yangxin Hall and came to the Qianqing Gate, Zeng Guoquan saw that hundreds of officials and eunuchs had already gathered in the corridors on both sides of the Danqi, and they all looked at him from afar with surprised eyes, quietly talking to each other until he walked out of the Jingyun Gate.

The next day was when it was just right, Zeng Guoquan walked into the East Warm Pavilion of the Heart Cultivation Palace. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor of the Two Palaces summoned him again and asked him about his family and relatives. On the fourth day, led by the son of Monk Grinqin, Prince Boyan Nalahu, he was summoned for the third time in the East Warm Pavilion of the Yangxin Palace. The Empress Dowager Cixi asked Zeng Guoquan what good generals with troops had been at home over the years, and talked about the current military training in Western France, asking him to do it sincerely.

After the three summonses, Zeng Guoquan felt a lot of emotion. The little emperor was silent from beginning to end, and did not say a word. Although he is young and has a queen mother in charge, he can not speak, but after three years of being the emperor, he can't say a few clichés.

Zeng Guoquan remembered some of the words of his eldest brother Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan served in Hanyuan in his early years, and the old Hanlin idle eggs hurt, and it is necessary to discuss the past and the present. And what these old Hanlin like to talk about the most is the holy grandfather of the Manchu Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi, and everyone admires it. He ascended the throne at the age of eight, personally adjudicated political affairs at the age of twelve, removed worship at the age of sixteen, and made a plan to cut down the feudal domain at the age of twenty. It is precisely because of such an eloquent emperor that the Qing Dynasty has more than 200 years of national fortune.

Zeng Guofan's expectation for the succession of Emperor Tongzhi is to have another Kangxi Emperor. It's just that when Zeng Guofan entered Beijing to meet the emperor, this huge expectation was broken by Emperor Tongzhi himself.

And now that the country is in trouble and the people's hearts are weak, an emperor who can turn things around with force is needed. It's just that now it seems that the eight-year-old Guangxu Emperor, like Emperor Tongzhi, is not that person. In other words, it is impossible to say whether the Qing Dynasty can survive until Emperor Guangxu grows to the age when Emperor Kangxi first emerges!

The complete rout of the Chu army on the battlefield of Fuzhou hit more than one Zuo Zongtang. Zeng Guoquan is also one of them!

Zeng Guoquan has the title of Qincha on his head, and his identity has also filled the position of Dongge University Scholar, since he has arrived in Beijing, the official affairs have come to an end, and the private mundane affairs should be done. The invitations on the desk of Xianliang Temple were already piled up more than a foot high, but he didn't go. In addition to the six kings, seven kings, Bao Jun, Shen Guifen and other old friends, they went to Wenxiang Mansion to pay respects, and then he changed into a cloth coat and hat, and secretly came to the old house of Mu Zhang'a, the great benefactor of the Zeng family, Zeng Guofan's mentor.

Twenty years. Mu Zhang'a, who was the original generation of ministers, had been in the Military Aircraft Department for more than 20 years, and he had died of illness for 20 years. Mu Zhang'a has been sick and living in a snail's house since Emperor Xianfeng ascended the throne shortly after his resignation until Xianfeng's death in the sixth year. By now, the momentum of the former Prime Minister Xuanhe has long been gone. Although Muhammad had many sons, none of them were successful, and the empty house was deserted and overgrown with weeds.

Zeng Guoquan actually didn't have anything to worry about Mu Zhang'a. It's just that Zeng Guofan and Mu Zhang'a are constantly in contact. Zeng Guoquan took a generous gift and met several sons of Mu Zhang'a in the house, and these people who were in the house were all full of mixed feelings and tears.

They are very grateful that Zeng Guoquan can still remember their home at this time, and Zeng Guoquan also has a feeling of pity in his heart. When Zeng Guofan died of illness, Zeng Guoquan had already returned to his hometown in Xiangyin to take refuge, and the Zeng family had not lost momentum in those years. The prosperity has passed, and people go to the empty building, and their hearts are full of melancholy.

After leaving the Mu Mansion, Zeng Guoquan went to Taqib's house again.

This early fierce general of the Hunan army, Zeng Guofan was cited as an arm, the most powerful minions, and Xianfeng died of illness in the army when he was five years old. There were three Taqib brothers, the third died in Xianfeng in the fourth year, and the second brother died of illness in August of the ninth year of Tongzhi. He had no children, only four daughters, and the third-class lieutenant title of lieutenant left by Taqib after the death of his nephew who succeeded him from the clan, but unfortunately he was also incapable.

Mrs. is nearly sixty years old, and I heard that Zeng Guoquan came to visit in person, on crutches, tremblingly to the door to greet her, followed by her stepson and a few family members. When Zeng Guoquan saw it, he was very sad in his heart.

The imperial court is really a little gracious!

Taqib was the first full member of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to come out, and like Dolonga, the credit was real. If he can live until now, Duolonga is a junior before him, and of course Zeng Guoquan is the same. But now? But in addition to being assigned to the Zhaozhong Temple and giving the title of a third-class light car captain, what else is there to take care of?

Leaving 10,000 taels of silver tickets, Zeng Guoquan left without eating. Early the next morning, he took people out of Beijing early.

……

Suixi, Guangdong, Zhanjiang Estuary.

After the military government ruled Guangdong, it opened a number of ports along the coast of Guangdong, and Zhanjiangkou was one of them.

Connected by axes and oars, tall ships are constantly flowing on the water, and ferries driven by oars and poles are busy selling melons and fruits in the cracks of the boats.

Heading inland from the wharf, the fields are densely packed, and countless farmers have already begun to plant rice for the early rice.

In a small teahouse by the dock, someone was reading an article in Cantonese, but it was not the study of the saints, but a Ta Kung Pao with an unknown date in his hand. There are also many passing travelers gathered in the surrounding area.

"In the past five years, Chinese and foreign ministers have paid attention to current affairs, and many masters have changed the law and become self-reliant. The edicts of the people, such as the opening of special departments, the reduction of redundant soldiers, the reform of the military science system, and the establishment of the Western Academy, have all been repeatedly examined and approved, and they are ready to be implemented after discussion. However, the atmosphere has not yet been opened, and there is no consensus in the discussions, or they may rely on the old to worry about the country, thinking that the old rules must be observed, and the new laws must be eliminated.

Let's ask if today's situation is like this, the national situation is like this, if there are still untrained soldiers, limited salaries, no real learning, no good teachers, strong and weak are contrasted, and the rich and poor are suspended, how can we really control the soldiers with tart armor?

………… After that, all the ministers at home and abroad, from the princes and scholars, should work hard to make progress, be indignant, and plant their roots with the study of sages and righteousness......

The Jingshi University Hall is the initiative of all provinces, especially the first to be held, the Minister of Military Aircraft, the Prime Minister of National Affairs, the Minister of National Affairs, and all the editors and inspectors of the Hanlin Academy, the secretaries of the ministries and institutes, the gate guards, the alternate candidates for the provincial government officials below the prefecture and county level, the children of the great officials, the descendants of the Eight Banners, and the military positions of the provinces, who wish to enter the hall, are allowed to enter the school, in order to produce a large number of talents, help each other in times of difficulty, and shall not be perfunctory, and invoke them privately, so as to live up to the court's earnest admonition......"

More than half a month ago, before the Battle of Fujian had begun, when Liu Xian was holding imperial examinations in Guangzhou and the military government's provinces, the Manchu court in Beijing promulgated the "Edict of the Restoration" in order to boost the confidence of the court's supporters.

"Alas, look at the court in the north and learn from foreigners."

"It's forced! Foreigners can't destroy the Qing Dynasty, and the King of Qin may be destroyed! ”

It is a very direct and clear comparison, but it also makes the people more identify with Western learning. Liu Xian opened the imperial examination, took part of the Western studies, and promoted Hanyu Pinyin and Arabic numerals in the society, etc., which have already put the hat of Western studies on his head. But fortunately, Liu Xian still maintained the imperial examination and still gave scholars a way to become officials.

Together with the slow development of the Chinese dollar in the market, the banknotes can be printed with Arabic numerals, and the late Qing Shilin is producing violent shocks.

Liu Xian only looks at one general direction, and the general direction is correct. Only too many details, he is not a petty bureaucrat of the Ministry of Culture and Education, his eyes have to stare at everything. As long as Liu Xian has an army in his hand that can sweep the world, those literati in the folk are jumping and happy, and there is a fart!

The Manchu Qing Dynasty was determined to reform the law and promulgate the "Decree of the Determination of the State", which was not a very clever move. Although they did so in recognition of the necessity of Western learning, and also included a part of the expression made by asking for help from foreigners, the Manchus also lost their position in the hearts of traditional Chinese literati while showing favor to foreigners.

Xinqin and Manchu Qing, half a catty to eight taels! TMD, a pair of bastards! R1152