A minister like Li Hongzhang is no longer what the emperor says he wants. Don't look at the old guy taking a back seat, the power of remote control in his hand is still stable and unshakable. Sheng Xuanhuai is in charge of the financial economy, Nie Shicheng and Li Jingfang are in charge of the military, the Beiyang Naval Division is becoming more and more powerful, and there are countless protégés and old officials in the world, as long as he does not die for a day, no one can move him.

Emperor Guangxu pinched his nose and pulled him here out of helplessness, saying that Old Man Li had the most contacts with Yang Hao, and it could be said that he was the one who knew Yang Hao the most among the important ministers of the imperial court. His opinion was crucial to the court's decision-making.

But this question confused Guangxu and the ministers of the court.

Emperor Guangxu put on a humble corporal posture and bowed his head at Li Hongzhang: "I also ask Li Aiqing to explain in detail to me." ”

Li Hongzhang said slowly: "Your Majesty, the minister did not see that Yang Dingshi had any signs of rebellion. Now all the countries are on the side of the imperial court, with its more than 10,000 troops, even if you add the navy, it is just rootless duckweed. The so-called improper name is not good, and he is powerless to shake the foundation of the imperial court. Therefore, the people under the city of Qingzhou did not move, and the minister dared to assert that he would not take action in the future. ”

Emperor Guangxu's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but lean forward: "Aiqing's meaning, Yang Dingshi doesn't echo Lu Nan's rebellion?" ”

Li Hongzhang shook his head, but didn't say a word.

Emperor Guangxu breathed a sigh of relief, but there were people next to him who couldn't stand it. Li Hongzao stood up and said sharply: "If Yang Shun has no objection, why did he keep the army private and despise the laws of the imperial court?" Hmph, when you speak for him like this, it is clear that you are colluding with each other and harboring evil intentions! ”

This is an extremely serious accusation. What Yang Hao did was indeed not the behavior of a loyal minister and a filial son. Li Hongzhang is involved in the whole family again. I can't clean it up.

The old god Li Hongzhang is here. Take off the top with both hands and send it forward: "The emperor is suspicious of the old minister, please dismiss the minister and investigate it!" ”

Directly resign and force the palace! But who in the audience doesn't know that he, Li Hongzhang, is a banner of the Queen Mother of the West, and without Lafayette to speak, who dares to touch a single hair of him? It's clear that everyone can't get off the stage!

Li Hongzao was still a step behind Weng Tongxiao compared to Weng Tong, and his face immediately turned blue with anger, and his arm trembled and pointed at Li Hongzhang: "You! Do you dare to blackmail the emperor?! ”

Li Hongzhang didn't pay attention to him at all. just bowed slightly, and continued to put the official hat at Guangxu.

Emperor Guangxu sat on wax, even if he was willing to cut off the most powerful arm of the Hou Party with a knife, but the consequences were definitely not what he could bear at the moment.

The reason why he was able to issue an order to call for changes in the law was only with the tacit approval of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and it was already the greatest tolerance for the later party not to hinder him. What if you want to use this to make a big move to eliminate dissidents, and if it provokes a strong backlash?

After all, Emperor Guangxu was young and inexperienced, and he had not yet experienced the ability to make the right decisions at critical moments. For a moment when he hesitated, the ministers of the court thought they had guessed his thoughts. Suddenly, a large group of Qingliu officials came out of the queue and shouted: "The minister impeached Li Hongzhang and conspired with Yang Wei." Internal and external collusion, plotting rebellion, the crime is not punishable! ”

"The minister requests that Li Hongzhang be dismissed from his official position, and the relevant people must be sent to the department for strict trial to eradicate future troubles!"

"The minister seconded ......!"

An impassioned voice of asking for help shocked Emperor Guangxu's thoughts into a mess! He first looked at the undisguised firmness in Li Hongzao's flickering eyes, and then saw Emperor Sun Jianai shaking his head gently, but he didn't say a word. He didn't know what to do for a moment.

However, the situation on the scene did not allow him to hesitate, most of the courtiers were the backbone of the imperial party who supported the reform, and the young Zhuang faction such as Wen Tingshi and Zhirui immediately followed up.

Don't look at it as the control center of a huge empire, the ability of crooked buildings is not inferior to the Internet era a hundred years later. With a light word, Li Hongzhang put himself on the cusp of the storm and was besieged on all sides.

After all, Emperor Guangxu couldn't resist the enthusiasm in his heart, and he had already had the intention of cleaning up the ministers of the Hou Party, at this time Li Hongzhang took the initiative to send an excuse, if he didn't seize it, he was afraid that there would be no suitable opportunity in the future!

Once such thoughts arise, they flood like weeds and fill the entire brain in the blink of an eye. Unconsciously, the emperor's gaze became firm and sharp.

Li Hongzao saw it clearly, and there was a burst of ecstasy in his heart, and he immediately knelt down and shouted: "Please make a decision on the emperor's cadres and make up your mind quickly!" Clear the rebellion and take the dynasty as a whole! ”

"Please decree the emperor!"

The court officials hulala knelt down for more than half of them, and the dense red tops and the official hats that were pestled forward formed an invisible force, heavy as a mountain to oppress the emperor.

Emperor Guangxu's difficult gaba mouth finally seemed helpless to wave his sleeves and sigh: "Just according to the Zhongqing." Li Hongzhang is too closely related to Yang Wei, and it is not easy to participate in the important affairs of the imperial court. You...... Let's go back to Rongyang. ”

"Thank you, your majesty!"

Li Hongzhang put the top on the ground and respectfully kowtowed. The two guards in front of the palace rushed over, took his arm as if in a pretend, and turned to walk out.

When he left the court completely, the ministers of the court were all elated, and they were all happy to get rid of a big trouble.

But how did they know that Li Hongzhang had just left the Forbidden City and sat in his four-wheeled carriage, but his old face, which originally seemed lonely, showed a particularly happy look.

Luo Fenglu, who accompanied him, said: "Congratulations to Fu Xiang, you are finally freed from the muddy pond." ”

Li Hongzhang smiled slightly: "The imperial court has just risen, I ordered to go down, refuse to see off the guests, and then straighten out the luggage and fatten back to my hometown!" ”

The capital must not stay, a bunch of idiots want to do stupid things, and no one can calculate how much trouble it will cause, so he will not put himself in a dilemma to find awkwardness.

drove out Li Hongzhang, and the issue in the court returned to how to deal with the Shandong people's uprising. discussed and discussed, and finally decided that Lu Nan was just a "disease of scabies", and Yang Hao was the big problem. So Guangxu issued an order and ordered Li Bingheng to mobilize troops to surround Ludong on three sides. Defend to the death, and be ready to go to war at any time.

Other than that. An order was issued to order Yuan Shikai and Nie Shicheng to be vigilant respectively. Always ready to launch a siege and take the first division of the new army in one fell swoop!

In the area of Beijing and Tianjin, the atmosphere was unprecedentedly tense. The ministers of various countries were caught off guard and hurriedly sent people to meet with the prime minister's affairs yamen and inquire in detail about the dismissal of Li Hongzhang.

They all know how heavy Li Hongzhang's weight is now, and he is an important chess piece to ensure that the imperial party and the posterior party maintain superficial harmony. To remove him from office without conclusive evidence is tantamount to sending a very bad signal!

Although the British and others tended to support the Guangxu Emperor, they were also well aware of how huge the power of the Hou Party was. Once they fight among themselves. This will then cause chaos in the whole country, which is absolutely not conducive to the plans that the countries are planning to further seize the benefits!

For a time, foreign affairs were unprecedentedly complicated, and the espionage and investigation activities in all aspects reached a new peak!

However, the First Division of the New Army continued to recruit and train as if it had not noticed the external turmoil at all. Yang Hao continues to attend various public activities, cutting the ribbon for a teaching building today, giving a lecture to recruits tomorrow, laying the foundation stone for a factory the day after tomorrow, and holding a meeting to straighten out the financial business ...... the day after tomorrow. Busy, busy.

Yuan Shikai and Nie Shicheng received the holy decree. We can only mobilize our troops and assume a posture of vigilance against all units of the Forces nouvelles. Offensive? They weren't sure. Especially after seeing with your own eyes a terrible pile of cannons and machine guns in the horizontal column of the opposing army's camp. There is no desire to attack at all.

Especially Nie Shicheng's Wu Yi Army, many of whom have fought side by side with the new army. has the most intuitive understanding of the strength of their combat effectiveness, which is absolutely convincing.

Now they have just completed the reorganization of the army, and the equipment has not yet been completely replaced, let alone unified command and operation.

Even according to the training plan, they can only be equipped with 16 Krupp 75 guns, 32 Krupp 60 guns, 32 Grusen 57 mountain guns and field guns, plus a bunch of Krupp 37 fast runs, Maxine guns, 87 guns, etc. There were 30 battalions of men and horses, and the total number of artillery pieces was only about 100.

On the other hand, Yang Hao's new army has as many as 126 artillery pieces of various types in one regiment! Taking into account various factors such as the rate of fire, accuracy, and power, it is normal for the force value to exceed them by five or ten times.

One division, but there are three infantry regiments!

The other divisional artillery regiment has at least one battalion of 18 122mm howitzers, one battalion of 18 160mm heavy mortars, one battalion of 18 85mm cannons, and another battalion of 18 guns is reinforced as appropriate. A full 72 cannons! Control zhì shooting boundary more than 15 kilometers! The number is scared to death, the muzzle is thick and the range is even more terrifying!

Yang Hao just showed a little muscle, which made Nie Shicheng completely lose his offensive heart. He knew in his heart that he could only win if he could launch an attack when all the troops of the New Army were in storage and the horses were released to Nanshan. Otherwise, even if only one battalion of the opponent is on arm's guard, it will be enough to withstand the attack of all his men and horses until the other troops arrive!

But the problem is that Yang Hao has too much time to handle it, and he doesn't give them the slightest chance to do it. Now, they could only stare at the 1st Division, which was divided into three locations!

During the confrontation, the general direction under the auspices of a group of civilian officials in the Qing court had deviated, and Li Bingheng ordered to strengthen the defense of Ludong, and the impact of the civil unrest in southern Lunan was underestimated. With the cutting off of external information, a revolution they did not expect quickly swept the local area!

In Yutai and Jinxiang, after the rebel army quickly took control of the county seat, they first shot all the bandits who took advantage of the chaos to make trouble and rob. Subsequently, a provisional ruling committee was established on the spot, and a decree was issued to suppress all those who planted, sold, and smoked opium within the county borders with an iron fist! confiscate their illegal gains, and call on the public to present evidence and severely punish the crimes they have committed!

At the same time, a county-wide public prosecution meeting was held to guide the masses to unite to fight the landlords and bullies, and to launch a devastating blow to the local stubborn gentry and clan forces!

To sum it up in one word from later generations, that is - "agrarian revolution"! (To be continued......)

PS: ps: Thank you Ali and Qin Lingxiang for your tips!