"I've been preparing for more than 20 years, but it's not even as good as a small Italian country. What do you subordinates eat? "Think of Vittorio's arrogance at the show and the elite warships of various countries. Guangxu had an inexplicable anger. "Didn't my Beiyang Dingzhen two ships say that they were the world's first-class ironclad ships? Why is it so unbearable now? "I think back to Dingzhen, who could only be a foil next to the warships of the great powers. Guangxu's face turned pale with anger.

"Initiation of the Majesty. This Dingzhen is already an old ship five years ago, and the navies of various countries are changing with each passing day. However, my Beiyang funds are only 2 million taels per year, and the actual amount received is only more than 1 million units, which is only enough for daily expenses and maintenance, and cannot afford to buy new ships. When King Alcohol saw that everyone didn't speak, he had to step forward and say by himself.

"Can't I even take out these 2 million taels of silver in the Qing Kingdom?" Guangxu glanced at Weng Tongyi and asked in a deep voice. "If this continues, I'm afraid that my status as the No. 1 Water Master in the Far East of the Qing Dynasty will change hands in a few years, right?"

"Your Majesty, the household department really has no money, every year the household department enters 70 million taels of silver, of which half of the flag affairs will be used, and the river workers and hundreds of officials will have to go down again, and Li Zhongtang's Beiyang water and land divisions will consume 7 million taels of silver every year. Our household department really can't come up with more money to buy warships. Weng Tongyi said in a low voice. In his heart, the old man didn't know that he had scolded foreigners hundreds of times, and he wanted to use this opportunity to find Li Hongzhang a handle and then participate in a book. Who knows that these foreign adults are too capable of disrupting the situation. In contrast, the Beiyang Fleet is nothing, and the emperor still wants to save face, and I am afraid that the emperor will personally inquire about the matter of the silver of the sailor. And that Vittorio Cuniberti (it's hard for the old man to remember such a long name) is even more hateful, under his "sophistry", the Beiyang purchase of the battleship he designed not only did not suffer a loss, but also took a big advantage. And he and the military attaches of other countries could not refute him. It's really infuriating. There is also his own baby apprentice Wen Tingshi, who usually looks quite capable, and he is quite sharp when he writes excerpts, why is this thing so bad today? Say a question and let the foreigner scold it once. In the end, it made the audience laugh. It's a shame.

"There is no shortage of silver, but there is no shortage of Beiyang sailors. Master Weng's household really treats me as a Beiyang sailor. The Alcohol King snorted coldly. If this Beiyang is in the hands of Lord Liu, I'm afraid that there will be no shortage of silver, right? ”

"Prince Alcohol, what do you mean by this? He, Li Hongzhang, was in charge of the Second Naval Division, which cost 7 million taels of silver every year. That's a lot of money. Master Weng said as he wiped his sweat.

"It's 7 million taels, I'm afraid that 4 million taels can be received every year, and Li Zhongtang will burn high incense, right?" The Alcohol King sneered. "Not to mention anything else, since Italy sold me the new Beiyang warship at a preferential price this time, Master Weng should raise this money, right? Master Li's side even used private fundraising (Li Hongzhang sued Xu Jie's funds in the name of private fundraising). As soon as the incident of watching ships in the North Sea came out, the imperial court no longer expressed it, I'm afraid it will be difficult to block the mouth of the world, right? Once a certain department of people with ulterior motives took advantage of it, saying that Beiyang was the pillar of the imperial court, they could only raise money to buy a ship by themselves, and the imperial court could not even allocate the annual funds. Is this infamy borne by your master Weng or by the emperor? The alcohol king said in a fierce voice.

"King Alcohol, you can't talk like this, the accounts of the household department are clear, you don't believe it, you can send someone to check." Hearing King Alcohol's words, Master Weng's face turned pale. This infamy of undermining coastal defense is not something that he can bear.

"Master Weng, since Li Zhongtang has even used private fundraising, I'm afraid it's really unreasonable for the court not to express it. It doesn't matter if you embezzle the flag, or if you want to be a hundred officials. Within 10 days, 1.5 million taels of silver were raised for Beiyang. Order these ships first. Guangxu listened to the dispute for a long time, and his temper became more and more severe. But on the one hand, he is the alcohol king, and on the other hand, he is his own teacher, and it is inconvenient to be angry.

"I'm afraid it's hard to raise these 1 million taels of silver for a while." Master Weng has no other skills, but he still has the ability to cry poor.

"Your Majesty's dictation, is Master Weng still having to bargain? The Alcohol King snorted coldly.

And at this moment, the addition of the other party's strength made the whole situation change suddenly. What's going on? The Empress Dowager Cixi is here!!

"What kind of ship-watching ceremony did the emperor invite ambassadors from various countries in Beihai?" Cixi asked. Subsequently, King Alcohol told the whole thing the ins and outs. …,

"This Li Hongzhang, the court allocated money to him to set up a water division, and he actually made it look like this, so how can the court save face?" After listening, Cixi scolded with a smile.

"This sailor's work is very costly. A new ship in Italy will cost nearly 2 million taels of silver. And the actual amount of the center's annual appropriation is more than 1 million taels of silver. If this continues, one will lose the other, and I'm afraid that my Beiyang Navy Division will not be able to gain a foothold on the sea. King Alcohol said with a pale face. Cixi's meaning is very clear, and this sentence puts the responsibility on Li Hongzhang's head, and does not say a word about the center's deduction of silver.

"I heard that Li Hongzhang ordered 3 more cruising clippers from a country called Italy?" Although Cixi said that she was displeased, she could not be angry with the alcohol king. Who is the Alcohol King? The biological father of Emperor Guangxu and the brother-in-law of Cixi. Because of a few words, he was angry with King Alcohol, which not only gave Guangxu face, but also made Cixi feel disgraced.

"Exactly, this ship is really good. The ministers of various countries praised it. But this price is really expensive, 3 new warships plus the cost of returning to the sea, I am afraid it will cost 6 million taels of silver. The Alcohol King hesitated, but decided to have a showdown.

"6 million taels of silver? Li Zhongtang is really a lion's mouth. It's so reasonable to get up with money!! When Cixi heard this number, her face immediately turned pale.

"These 6 million taels are really a lot. But once the news of the Beihai ship viewing this time spreads, if the imperial court doesn't do anything, I'm afraid it won't be able to explain it to the world, right? Anyway, let's get the deposit first, right? King Alcohol said with a little weakness.

"How much?" Since King Alcohol has already had a showdown with the center on behalf of the Navy Yamen, there is no need to say superfluous words. Just talk about the price directly.

"This deposit costs 1.5 million taels of silver. As for the follow-up fees....... King Alcohol looked at Cixi, whose face was becoming more and more gloomy, and said uneasily.

"He, Li Hongzhang, is really a ** Hanlin. Why didn't he think about whether the imperial court could come up with so much silver when he bought the ship? Simply let the treasury run a water division for him!! Cixi said angrily. Sue Li Hongzhang that the treasury will allocate him a maximum of 2.5 million taels of silver within 3 years, and it is not enough for him to find a way for Beiyang to figure it out by himself! If so much silver is given, the court will not be able to see the ship? He, Li Hongzhang, don't want to stay in Beiyang anymore!! "Since King Alcohol is standing on the side of Beiyang, Cixi really can't afford not to give any silver. But if she wants to take out 6 million taels of silver at once, she will not do it herself, and the Qing Dynasty treasury will not allow it. (According to historical records, when the old man came to power, the household treasury only had a balance of 8 million taels.) During the Guangxu period, the Qing Dynasty had a maximum annual income of 80 million taels) and the reason why she allocated 2.5 million taels. It is because the Empress Dowager Cixi once asked the provincial officials for filial piety in the name of building the water master. And the amount of filial piety is about 2.6 million taels. Cixi just allocated this money to Beiyang, and it was allocated in 3 years. She, Cixi, could still use this huge amount of money during this period.

(If you like it, just collect it and recommend it~~.) In this way, the author is motivated~~)