Just when Long Qian led his Shandong soldiers to defeat the German and French covets of Shanxi, on September 19, Li Hongzhang, who had been thinking about Cixi, finally arrived in Tianjin.

In fact, as early as July 17, Li Hongzhang boarded a ship and left the scorching heat of Guangzhou, and went north to Beijing to solve the follow-up problems of the war.

The end of the war was already doomed, and Li Hongzhang, who asked himself about his understanding of the general situation of the world and no one else in China, once again floated in his heart the heaviness he once had, and this feeling should have been in Japan's Shimonoseki five years ago.

The faces of the officials who came to bid farewell to Mr. Li were in stark contrast to the sunny city of Guangzhou.

Pei Jingfu, the magistrate of Nanhai County, is Li Hongzhang's fellow villager, and although his positions are far apart, he has a close personal relationship. Pei County Commander congratulated Li Hongzhang on his transfer to the governor of Zhili, "The public has been transferred to Beiyang, and the consuls have received electricity this morning, and they are all celebrating with each other." ”

Li Hongzhang opened his slightly closed eyes and said four words slowly but firmly, "Who else can I be!" ”

Pei Jingfu was deeply excited, and took the opportunity to ask Li Hongzhang's views on state affairs, who expected that Li Hongzhang, who was still heroic just now, would choke up in his voice, "In terms of the strength of various countries, the Beijing division is in danger, and it should be at the turn of August and September." However, Nie Gongting (Nie Shicheng) has been killed, and the Song (Qing) and Ma (Yukun) armies are scattered, and the containment will be ineffective. Japan is the fastest to mobilize troops, and Britain is helping it, and I am afraid that it will not be guaranteed in July and August. ”

Li Hongzhang said this at a time when the war outside Tianjin was in full swing, and Beijing was still in the hands of the imperial court, and Li Hongzhang accurately predicted the date of the destruction of the city of Beijing, which was at the turn of August and September—the actual destruction of the city was on August 15.

Pei Jingfu then asked, how can the empire's losses be minimized? Li Hongzhang burst into tears. "There must be three major problems, suppressing the boxers and bandits to demonstrate, punishing the culprits to vent their anger, first asking me for these two, and then paying attention to the compensation of military expenses, which is inevitable. The amount of military reparations cannot be predicted at this time, but we can only do our best to postpone the year, but we do not know whether it can be done. I am dying. He can still live for a few years. In short, when the monk hit the bell one day, the bell stopped ringing, and the monk died. ”

This is a very bleak statement. The subordinates who had followed Li Hongzhang for a long time were sad and frightened. Even after the First Sino-Japanese War, when they were struggling with the Japanese by the imperial court's holy decree, they never saw the resolute old boss show the slightest expression of depression.

Pei Jingfu said. Before that. Li Hongzhang ignored all the telegrams from the imperial court summoning him to go north. The imperial court called in early July to urge. During this period, Rong Lu and Liu Kunyi both sent telegrams to Li Hongzhang in their personal names, urging Li Hongzhang to go to Beijing to eliminate the crisis. In particular, after the German minister Klinder was killed, the Qing court's minister to Germany, Lu Haihuan, urgently visited the German Foreign Office. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany. As long as Li Hongzhang goes north, the chaos can be eliminated. Lu Haihuan hurriedly sent a telegram to Li Hongzhang, asking Li Hongzhang to quickly go north to preside over the overall situation. Li Hongzhang replied that the government had no opinion, that is, it made a detour, but to no avail.

Indeed, at that time, the imperial court was dizzy, the main battle was strong, and it was still looking forward to the Boxers' magic to destroy the foreigners. During that time, Li Hongzhang's major event was to facilitate the signing of the Southeast Mutual Insurance Charter, ensuring that the war did not spread to the south of the Yangtze River. When he received the edict of the imperial court declaring war on all nations, he said a famous sentence: This is a mess!

Mess with your life! As a result, there was the release of the Southeast Mutual Insurance Charter. He may or may not be aware of it. The promulgation of the Southeast Mutual Insurance Charter, which was considered to be a proud work, set the example of local blatant confrontation with the central government since the establishment of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and also contributed to the birth of the modern warlord group.

The imperial court had nothing to do with the southern governors.

Next, with the sharp turn of the war situation in Gyeonggi, the imperial court could not sit still, urging Li Hongzhang to send telegrams one after another, returning the post of governor and minister of Beiyang who had been dismissed due to the defeat of the First Sino-Japanese War to Li Hongzhang. The minister has been greatly gracious, especially if he is not comparable to other ministers, how can he sit idly by and ignore the difficulties of the overall situation? After receiving this decree, the departure will be carried out immediately, regardless of land or water, and the departure date will be performed as soon as possible. ”

The tone was very harsh, and Li Hongzhang couldn't stand still.

Li Hongzhang did two things before setting off, one was to hold a press conference to make his position clear to all sectors of society, and with regard to the imperial court's declaration of war on all nations, Li Hongzhang's explanation was that the imperial court had not prepared for war, so it could not be regarded as a declaration of war. Regarding the Boxers who caused the Gengzi Rebellion, he said that they were some foolish people, and the parishioners and priests who caused the conflict could not shirk their responsibilities. As for what will happen to him after he goes north? Li Hongzhang made several points: punish the culprits, dismiss the boxers, and negotiate peace with other countries. For the Boxers, he did not say extermination, but used the word dismissal. To reporters, Li Hongzhang especially excused Cixi, saying that the empress dowager was just fooled. However, he made it clear that he would punish the culprit, which caused a great deal of discussion, as if after he entered Beijing, a large number of officials were about to come to a catastrophe.

The second thing Li Hongzhang did was to sign a joint telegram, which was actually a letter to Cixi, and the officials who signed the fold, including all the officials who signed the Southeast Mutual Insurance Charter, were almost all the southern officials of the Qing court, and there were also Manchus, such as the Fuzhou General Shanlian. He made four demands to the imperial court, asking for the protection of the foreign clergy in the provinces; Mourn the German Minister Klinder, and send a letter to the German king, to show that our country has no intention of making enemies with Germany; ordered Shun Tianfu and Zhili Yamen to find out, in addition to the war, due to the murder of boxers, the loss of life and property of foreigners and priests, and compensate for the bereavement compensation; He ordered all the commanders in the territory of Zhili to severely suppress the bandits and soldiers who disturbed the good people, so as to ensure the stability of Gyeonggi.

The tone is not like a request from a subordinate to a superior, but an instruction from a superior to a subordinate, but at this time, the imperial court has begun to besiege Dongjiaomin Lane, and Dong Fuxiang's department is the regular army of the imperial court, personally attacking the embassy, and the imperial court has no intention of following Li Hongzhang's four-point requirements at that time.

Li Hongzhang boarded the ship from Guangzhou, went down the Pearl River, and the first stop was Hong Kong. After landing a meeting with the consuls of various countries in Hong Kong, he secretly met with the Governor of Hong Kong, Bu Li.

The reason why it was said that it was a secret meeting was that their conversation could not be known to outsiders.

Governor Buli mentioned the name of a man. That's Sun Wen. Sun Wen had been planning against the Qing Dynasty for many years, and carried out a substantial uprising, but the uprising naturally failed, and Sun Wen was wanted by the Qing court and became the most hated Han Chinese in the imperial court outside of Kangliang. Bu Li threw out the plan to Li Hongzhang, which theoretically relayed Sun Yat-sen's plan, that is, to declare the independence of Liangguang, separate from the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and establish a Han regime. Wasn't Sun Yat-sen's lifelong pursuit to drive out the Tartars? The reason why Li Hongzhang was contacted was because he was Han and had this strength.

The British were keen on this plan, they thought. The division of China contributed to the expansion of British interests in China. So, Brie enthusiastically acted as a point of contact.

But Li Hongzhang avoided the topic, and he asked a more direct question, who did the British want to be emperor?

Brie thought for a moment. replied. Emperor Guangxu was not responsible for what was done in his name. Britain would not particularly object to his continued rule.

Li Hongzhang went on to say: I have heard such a rumor that if the Boxers kill all the ministers in Beijing. Then the countries would have the right to intervene legally militarily, and would declare another emperor to be supported by foreigners in China. Li Hongzhang asked, if this is the case, who will the foreigners choose? Maybe a Han Chinese?

Feeling embarrassed, he replied, countries would consult the most powerful people they could find in China.

Li Hongzhang replied without hesitation that the most powerful person in China was the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Bu Li didn't understand what Li Hongzhang meant, and originally thought that Li Hongzhang might have the idea of becoming the emperor on his own. But now it seems that it is clearly not. Sun Yat-sen, who had stopped on the sea anxiously waiting for the results, was also disappointed, and Li Hongzhang had no interest in his proposal.

Li Hongzhang left Hong Kong and traveled east along the coastline, arriving in Shanghai three days later. Here he received an urgent telegram from his son Li Jingshu, Tianjin is lost, Beijing is not guaranteed, and it is important not to venture north.

At that time, the slogan of the Boxers was indeed circulating in the city of Beijing, and they wanted to kill one dragon, two tigers and three hundred oceans. One dragon of course refers to Emperor Guangxu, two tigers refer to Prince Qing and Li Hongzhang, and three hundred oceans refer to foreigners.

Li Hongzhang decided not to leave. He stayed in Shanghai, and instead of sending a telegram to the imperial court, he sent a telegram to Yuan Shikai in Shandong, asking him to relay it on his behalf, and the telegram meant that he was sick and had been driving for days and days, and his body could not bear it.

The telegram from the imperial court came immediately," Li Hongzhang telegraphed. Now that the situation is very tight, I still follow the previous order and quickly come north, and there is no need to delay my nationality. "The court understands that what is wrong is all an excuse.

Li Hongzhang did not rush to call back, but paid attention to the war in Gyeonggi, Yangcun was occupied, Tongzhou was defeated again, and Beijing was difficult to preserve. Shanghai is well informed, especially Guangzhou, and the battle situation in Gyeonggi is reported from all sides almost every day, and Li Hongzhang noticed the report of the great victory in Xigu, but he did not care, thinking that it was just whitewashed propaganda by the imperial court. In those days, Li Hongzhang's mood was extremely gloomy, originally he went north with the expectation of establishing immortal feats - at that time, the situation had not deteriorated to the point that the court thought that it was none other than himself, and the ministers also thought that it was necessary for him, and if he did a good job, he would reap great honors and practical benefits, and the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty, including those imperial relatives and relatives, which one could be compared with himself? Isn't this the highest peak for an official's life? It is unreliable to divide the two provinces and establish themselves as emperors. Back then, his teacher Zeng Guofan exterminated the huge prestige of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Baisheng Hunan Army under his command, didn't he also refuse the persuasion of several subordinates, including Zuo Zongtang?

Li Hongzhang just wants to reach the top of the people. But now he realizes that his hopes have been dashed. He even had the idea of returning to Guangdong, and his heart was full of resentment towards Cixi, "The bitter words of admonition can't beat the empress dowager's heart of revenge!" ”

The Empress Dowager Xi's revenge was naturally resentment due to Pu Jun's failure to replace Guangxu.

Li Hongzhang didn't want to go to Beijing, the imperial court, mainly the Empress Dowager of the West, did not give him any power, and now the situation has reached this point, Beijing is ready to go down, he went, what to talk to the foreigners?

Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, sent a telegram to the foreigners, Zhang Zhidong, a man of Cixi, in which he tried his best to exonerate the imperial court and try to protect the empress dowager. Zhang Zhidong asked Li Hongzhang to sign this telegram, and Li Hongzhang got angry and called Zhang Zhidong back: This misheard people's words, resulting in rampant boxing bandits, and who is responsible is well known at home and abroad. Your telegram obliterates all the responsibilities of the imperial court, and it is difficult to be convincing__If the personnel of the embassies of various countries in the capital are escorted out of Beijing to Tianjin, and the imperial court will exterminate the boxers and bandits on its own, there may be a way to solve the situation, otherwise a catastrophe will befall and it will be too late to say anything!

Before the words fell, the catastrophe really came. The city of Beijing is broken, and the imperial court has fled!

Cixi would never fail to see Li Hongzhang's telegram to Zhang Zhidong, and soon another holy decree arrived: Li Hongzhang is the minister plenipotentiary! The imperial court is not remote.

This made Li Hongzhang, who was extremely power-hungry, immediately have no illness. He first contacted Sheng Xuanhuai, who had followed him for many years and had made many achievements in foreign affairs, hoping that this old subordinate who had made outstanding achievements in railways, telegraphs, and education would go to Beijing with him, but Sheng Xuanhuai actually found an excuse to refuse. This attitude cast a shadow on Li Hongzhang's heart. Sheng Xuanhuai was reluctant to go to Beijing because he was not optimistic about the prospects of peace talks at all. Zhang Zhidong recommended to him a mad student born in Nanyang, surnamed Gu, called Gu Tangsheng, proficient in several Chinese, can serve as a translator. This crazy student with a pair of big eyes saw Li Hongzhang and said that he had a way to make foreigners give in. Li Hongzhang curiously asked him what he could do, but he didn't say anything, and his mysterious appearance made Li Hongzhang smile bitterly.

It was a letter sent by Wu Yong, a former little follower, from Taiyuan that lifted Li Hongzhang's spirits, of course he remembered that Zeng Jize's son-in-law, who had been running under him for several years, had a chance to escort the Empress Dowager and the emperor from Huailai all the way to Taiyuan. Now he is definitely going to be promoted. Wu Yong's talent, Li Hongzhang, is knowledgeable and has no ability to do diplomacy. What piqued his interest was another person and another thing that Wu Yong said. In the letter, Wu Yong told the story of Long Qian and the capture of Lieutenant General Seymour and more than 400 foreigners under his command. Wu Yong believed that these prisoners, especially the capture of Lieutenant General Seymour, could be used completely and were the most powerful bargaining chip in peace talks. In the letter, Wu Yong also elaborated on the policy of negotiations, that is, to divide and disintegrate all parties of the coalition forces and take the road of destroying the coalition forces. Wu Yong talked about the contradictions between Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Germany, and the United States in the interests of several countries in China, which was very insightful. Wu Yong's strategy was to use Britain and Japan to suppress Russia, and Germany and the United States to suppress Britain. The rest of the countries are not enough. This strategy made Li Hongzhang's eyes shine. These insights were not new to Li Hongzhang, who was an old diplomat and knew the relationship between the great powers, but he was surprised and even a little disbelieving that it came from Wu Yong's hand. After the letter, Wu Yong uncovered the mystery, these ideas are from the hands of Long Qian, this person was born in the United States, knows a lot about the great powers, and this time in Beijing and Tianjin and the lady Guan made great contributions, the Empress Dowager and Rong Lu greatly admired it, and suggested that Li Hongzhang summon this person to Beijing to help.

Li Hongzhang remembered the news he saw about the great victory in Xigu, and originally thought it was just a rumor, but now it seems to be true. Lieutenant General Seymour's card still has to be played, which is also one of the few cards for Li Hongzhang, and that Long Qian can also come. So when Li Hongzhang set off from Shanghai to Tianjin, he sent a telegram to Taiyuan, ordering Wu Yong and Long Qian to immediately get up and go to Beijing to obey orders. (To be continued......)