Cheng Lingxiu's hand froze slightly when he heard this, Xingzhen closed his eyes and continued: "Li Dingnai is meticulous, this time he betrayed his own people, he would have been killed, but now he is sending a message for the palace, he is considered a middleman, you can rest assured, as long as he is still a middleman, the Taiping side will not move him for the time being." ”

Cheng Lingxiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a smile floated on her face, and the needle application action in her hand became brisk again. After a while, Cheng Lingxiu finished applying the needle and received acupuncture for Xingzhen. The Cheng family's acupuncture and moxibustion really worked very well, Xingzhen's headache had completely disappeared, she smiled and got up and praised: "Lingxiu's craftsmanship is really first-class." Cheng Lingxiu said a few words of humility and was about to retire.

Xingzhen said lightly: "Aren't you curious why this palace sent a letter to the one in the south?" ”

Cheng Lingxiu shook his head and said: "Lingxiu doesn't know what to send a letter, Lingxiu only knows how to do her duty, and the others don't know." ”

Xingzhen nodded with satisfaction and said, "You are very good, this jade bracelet has been rewarded to you, dress up more beautifully tomorrow and go to see your Li Ding." ”

Cheng Lingxiu took a white jade bracelet that Xingzhen took off from her hand, thinking that Li Ding would be visible tomorrow, she couldn't help blushing, and after kneeling down to thank her for her grace, she retired with a smile in her eyes.

Xingzhen couldn't help but smile when she saw it, and said to herself: "It's really good to be young." Before the words fell, Li Lianying's male duck outside the door said loudly: "Respectfully invite the Queen Mother and Queen Mother Sheng'an." ”

Following Li Lianying to open the curtain, Ci'an walked in quickly with a smile, Xingzhen stepped forward to salute, Ci'an hurriedly supported her and said, "Sister doesn't have to be polite, I heard that your headache has been committed again." Hongu came over to take a look. ”

Xingzhen's heart moved slightly, secretly thinking that I only summoned Cheng Lingxiu with a needle on my front foot here, and you came to visit on your back foot. is really well-informed, and smiled quietly at the moment: "My sister has a heart, and Shicai has already been diagnosed and treated, and now it is very good." ”

Ci'an ordered the palace maid to bring a food box and said, "Here are some nourishing medicinal foods, my sister can use some." Xingzhen said happily: "Thank you, sister." ”

The two women smiled and sat hand in hand, and Ci'an said: "Yesterday, the palace summoned He Guiqing, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, and asked about the meeting with Meiyi. He Guiqing talked eloquently, and there was a lot of strategy in his chest, which was much better than the ministers in the DPRK who were short-sighted and shouted that they could not open a commercial port in the north. ”

Xingzhen smiled slightly and said, "He Guiqing is an operator. can be used, doesn't my sister want him to serve as the deputy of the sixth master? ”

Ci'an bowed slightly: "The sixth master is young and vigorous, there must always be an old and respectful person around him to help him, and He Guiqing is the right person." ”

Xingzhen said: "He Guiqing is a suitable candidate. The main palace also belongs to him. Since my sister also said so, I will issue an edict to let him take on the post of deputy envoy later. ”

Ci'an smiled: "It's good if my sister doesn't object." ”

Xingzhen also smiled: "How could the little sister object? The person that my sister likes must be a talent. However, this negotiation is a matter of importance, and Meiyi can only reopen negotiations with Britain and France if she mediates well, and the little sister thinks that the sixth master and He Guiqing are still a little weaker together, and the little sister thinks that it is better to add two more people. ”

Ci'an sighed and asked, "Which two?" ”

Xingzhen said: "One is Yiliang, this person has been dealing with Yangyi since Lin Zexu banned smoking, the first emperor was the governor of Liangjiang at the time, although he was beaten by long hair and lost his land. But there are still some means to deal with Yangyi, and this person can also be a deputy envoy. ”

Ci'an frowned slightly and said, "Yiliang? But this person seems to have been a party of obedience in the past. ”

Xingzhen smiled and said, "Su Shun has been dead for a long time. Yiliang has been at home for more than a year, and it seems that he is quite familiar with current affairs these days, and he can also use it after a long time. Besides, there were a lot of party members in Sushun's snare back then, and even Zeng Guofan, these people also had a secret tune, and now that we have enabled Yiliang, it is just right for these ministers to have a reassurance, isn't it? ”

Ci'an bowed slightly: "It's still my sister who thinks about it thoroughly, Yiliang will let him also serve as a deputy envoy, and when he has made a contribution, he wants to give him other errands." Who else is the other person? ”

Xingzhen said slowly: "There is another person who is Shen Baozhen, the son-in-law of Lin Zexu and Lin Gong. ”

Ci Anqi said: "Shen Baozhen? ”

"It is this person, Shen Baozhen Daoguang, a twenty-seventh year jinshi, who has served as the editor of the Hanlin Academy and the supervision of the imperial history. Xianfeng was the prefect of Guangxin in the fifth year, and then lost Guangxin, and retreated to Nanchang with Jiang Zhongyuan, and was later impeached so he went back to his hometown Fujian. Later, Fujian was captured by Changmao, and he took his family to the capital for temporary refuge. ”

Ci'an frowned again and said, "It doesn't sound like this person is very good, what is his talent?" ”

Xingzhen said slowly: "This person is the son-in-law and student of Lin Gong, thanks to the true biography of Lin Gong, when he was in Fujian, he ran a group training in his hometown, and also bought a merchant ship with foreigners to support Li Tingyu to fight against Changmao, which has some credit." The most important thing is that this person has dealt with foreigners a lot in Fujian, is familiar with foreign affairs, and is the son-in-law of Lin Gong, and can also serve as a deputy envoy. ”

Speaking of this, Xingzhen paused and continued: "Another point, sister, Changmao has his own sea army, and the sea ships run in Dalian, Sakhalin Island and other places all the year round, which is a great threat to the land of Longxing in the Qing Dynasty outside the Guan, and it is also possible to take the sea route to attack Dagu and other important places." This time Changmao's attack on Guangzhou by sea is the best example, so we should also consider preparing for the establishment of a sailor who can go to the sea. Meiyi can build sea ships, and Shen Baozhen did the ship business when he was in Fujian, and he used him as the deputy envoy to buy ships to prepare for the construction of ocean-going sailors. ”

Ci'an pondered for a moment and said, "It's okay, then let Shen Baozhen also serve as the deputy envoy, and the six masters must be able to succeed immediately with these three deputy envoys." ”

Xingzhen snorted and said: "But don't take it lightly, the heart of the long hair is not dead, I sent assassins to sabotage the peace talks last time, and this time I will definitely try my best to sabotage it, we can be more careful." ”

Ci'an said sadly when he heard this: "These rebellious ministers and thieves are really scheming, their methods are despicable and shameless, and the western thieves have always been cunning, and they don't know that they will come up with a moth's strategy to sabotage the peace talks." Guangzhou is also gone, and most of the court's commercial tax silver is still counting on here. It is still necessary to reopen the commercial port after discussing with the foreigners, otherwise the capital will be short of food. There's no place to buy food. ”

Xingzhen hummed and said: "Sister, don't worry, the little sister must plan more, even if Changmao has any tricks, the little sister will let him steal the chicken and rice." ”

After the two girls talked for a while, Ci'an went back, and Xingzhen ordered someone to summon Yiliang and Shen Baozhen in the capital into the palace. Li Lianying, who was waiting on the side, couldn't help but be curious, and asked cautiously, "Master." Didn't you just hit Grandpa An's board for this pleasant thing? ”

Xingzhen smiled faintly and said: "I beat Xiao Anzi because he has been very restless recently, but Yiliang is indeed a person who can be used, and there is He Guiqing by the side of the sixth master." The main palace also has to add two people. ”

Li Lianying praised when she heard this: "The master is really wise, and the servants and others are not as good as what happens." ”

Xingzhen listened to it but said with a straight face: "You have recently put a bright spot, why is there a headache here in the palace, and the Cining Palace has got the news?" In the future, will everyone in this palace have to be on guard? ”

Li Lianying hurriedly said: "The slave will go down and investigate thoroughly." ”

Xingzhen's face was as cold as frost and said, "I found a point of sharpness in my hands and feet." Don't let anyone get caught. What Hongu doesn't like to do is known! Li Lianying snorted and hurried down.

Then Xingzhen approved the excerpt for half an hour, Yiliang came first, this person was over half a hundred years old, his hair and beard were white, and he saw Xingzhen with trepidation. After Xingzhen ordered someone to move Zhang Zizi for him and sat down, Xingzhen said lightly: "Does the boss know what happened to you in this palace?" ”

Yiliang didn't know about An Dehai's beating, and said that his errand had been settled after An Dehai's kind words, and he said respectfully at the moment: "The slave doesn't know." But the servants are idle at home all the time, waiting for an errand to be appointed, although the slave is old. But Lao Ji Fufang, this old bone can still do something for the Qing Dynasty. ”

Xingzhen was noncommittal, and ordered the little eunuch to take a copy of the charter for Yiliang to see, and said: "Minister Lie Weilian of Meiyi will come to Dagukou in a few days, this time the imperial court intends to let Meiyi mediate in the middle and reopen negotiations with Britain and France, or appease Yangyi first, so that the imperial court can draw troops and manpower to fight with Changmao." You take a look at this charter first, the peace talks are very important, you have more dealings with foreigners, and this palace intends to promote you to the post of deputy envoy to the peace talks. ”

Yiliang has both joy and sorrow in his heart, the joy is that he can finally be sent by an errand, and the official reinstatement is just around the corner, and the worry is that it has always been difficult to handle foreign affairs, and it is a very tricky thing to suppress and appease. But after reading the charter, Yiliang's eyes lit up, it can be said that this charter is very pragmatic, although the conditions proposed by Britain and France did not fully agree, but at least there is a clear attitude, not as vague as before.

After reading it, Yiliang said after a long time: "Queen Mother, since the imperial court has a clear bottom line within this charter, the old slave also has a bottom in his heart, and the opening of five more treaty ports in the north is the gist. The so-called merchant ship incident between Britain and France and the killing of a foreign monk were just a cover, and these two incidents had already been settled at the time of the last negotiation, and they could be alleviated. It's just that Yangyi will definitely hold on to the assassination of the mission last time and ask for an explanation. ”

Xingzhen snorted and said: "Shang Yu's reserve office found that Chang Mao was in a small stronghold in the capital last month, and the assassin can knock down Long Mao's body, what evidence do you want, you can go to Shang Yu's reserve office later, and you can organize it yourself." If the Yangyi mission wants to compensate or something, when the peace talks reopen, you and Prince Gong will discuss it. ”

Yiliang bowed down to receive the order, but then said with a somewhat sad face: "Queen Mother, it is easy to talk about opening ports for trade, pension and silver, but this charter says that if foreigners want to concession ports, open opium trade, and station ministers in the capital, they can negotiate as appropriate, if this clause is settled, I am afraid that there will be criticism from the DPRK and China." ”

Xingzhen said lightly: "The concession port can attract foreign businessmen to do business, when Shanghai opened the port, there was only a big place, what changes are there now, you should know what changes are now, the concession land to foreign businessmen is not a matter, but the concession period must be careful, don't make anything hundreds of years, the lease period can not exceed 50 years, after the expiration of the negotiation settlement." The foreign envoys stationed in the capital are also accurate, and the world powers are looking around today, so we can't continue to work behind closed doors, and open our eyes to see the world, and those officials in the DPRK and China will not only know about the impeachment of bullets. As for the opium trade, the palace heard that there are also tobacco sales in Guangxi and Yunnan, and Gu Jiang Zhongyuan and Lao Chongguang reported that these tobacco are all produced by the local people in Yunnan and Guangxi, and after the fall of Guangzhou, the mainland demanded tobacco, and Yunnan and Guangxi were good, and the profits were actually higher than before. Opium tobacco is not something that you can ban if you say you don't trade with foreigners, the imperial court needs silver to fight, so it needs trade, opium is rich and rich, since there are local precedents for doing this business, why can't the imperial court do it? ”

Yiliang sighed softly, and Xingzhen said lightly: "The opium trade can be negotiated, but there must be a limit to the amount of imports each year, and the domestic opium merchants must be given a share introduction, and the amount of opium imported by each business each year must not exceed the specified amount, otherwise it will let the silver source flow out and hurt the national capital, and at the same time, with a limit, this price can be sold, isn't it?" To put it bluntly, if the court doesn't earn this silver, the local government will also earn it, the smugglers will also earn it, and the local rich gentry and powerful will also make it, so why can't the court make it? Do you think that he can raise 100,000 Xiangyong by relying only on Zeng Guofan in Hunan? ”

Yiliang only felt cold sweat on his forehead, but he agreed resignedly, and then Xingzhen explained some details, and finally Xingzhen waved his hand to let Yiliang kneel safely, when Yiliang retreated to the door, Xingzhen suddenly raised his head and said: "Oh, by the way, An Dehai will return the three thousand taels of silver to you later, since the boss is still rich, then the palace will be the master, the boss is increasing the price tenfold, and making up 30,000 taels of silver as the treasury, the right should be loyal to the country." ”

Yiliang wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly agreed, and stumbled away. (To be continued......)