The ministers also knew that Weng Tonggong was dissatisfied with Lin Yuan, but they didn't expect that Weng Tonggong would not even let Lin Yuan go over in front of him, embarrassing Lin Yuan in front of so many people, and what the ministers didn't expect was that Lin Yuan didn't care, smiled, straightened his waist that was already half-bowed, and stood aside.

At this moment, a eunuch sang: "There is a decree from the saint, invite the family to the banquet." ”

At this time, the ministers were ranked in order according to their grades, but Lin Yuan didn't know anything about this kind of thing, so he simply stood at the back, as soon as the palace door opened, all the ministers rushed in, and the first ones were Prince Gong and Prince Qing, what Lin Yuan didn't expect was that as soon as these two people walked into the hall, they knelt on the ground, and the ministers behind knelt down.

Lin Yuan thought to himself: "Could it be that the rule of the palace banquet is that you have to kneel down when you enter the door?" But how did this group of people kneel in such a hurry, as if they were dodging bullets on the battlefield. ”

It turned out that the rules in this palace banquet were strict, first the ministers were seated, and the emperor was the last, this time I didn't expect Emperor Guangxu to be seated in advance, so the ministers hurriedly knelt down.

Emperor Guangxu said with a smile: "All Aiqing hurry up, you don't have to be formal today." ”

Everyone was seated at this time, Emperor Guangxu sat on the carved dragon table on the north side of the main hall, several rows of tables of different styles were lined up on both sides, although Lin Yuan didn't know much about those red tape, but he also knew that he couldn't sit around, at this time a shrill male voice sounded beside him: "Lord Lin, why are you here?" Come with me. ”

As soon as Lin Yuan saw it, it was Li Lianying, the chief eunuch, Lin Yuan followed him around everyone and came to the left-hand position of Emperor Guangxu.

Emperor Guangxu first raised his glass and said: "Since the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, I have signed several treaties with the Taixi countries, and if the Taixi countries have not given me the Qing Dynasty's money, my merits are comparable to the Holy Ancestors?" ”

All the ministers shouted long live, and after drinking three glasses of wine, Weng Tonggong got up and left his seat, knelt on the ground, and said: "Thinking of danger in times of peace is the holy monarch, and there are still a few places in the hands of Russia in the three provinces of Kwantung. ”

After hearing this, Emperor Guangxu turned his head and asked Lin Yuandao: "Why haven't you taken back these places?" ”

Lin Yuan replied: "These places are all high mountains and mountains, and it is really inconvenient for our army to attack. ”

Emperor Guangxu smiled: "Then when can we take back all those places." ”

Lin Yuan replied: "This mountain battle is more difficult than the plain battle, and our army's equipment is not good at mountain combat. ”

Emperor Guangxu was young and vigorous, and when he mentioned the reconquest, he also came to the spirit, and said: "Then what equipment do you want to make, hurry up." ”

Lin Yuan said with a smile: "This matter of making weapons must not be hasty, without coal and steel, you can't make weapons." ”

Emperor Guangxu asked puzzledly: "I have a lot of coal mines and iron mines in the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong Zhang Aiqing set up an iron factory and coal mine in Hanyang, and Master Li also set up the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau and Tianjin Machinery Bureau, can't these be built?" ”

Lin Yuan smiled helplessly and said: "Jun has a faint monarch, a Ming monarch, a tyrant, this coal, steel is the same, now the artillery, guns, warships, everything in the Qing Dynasty is not as good as the Taixi countries, one of the reasons is that this steel is not as good as the Taixi countries." ”

Emperor Guangxu nodded, raised his wine glass, his face turned happy, and he wanted to say something new, Lin Yuan originally thought that if he asked again, he would get off the donkey down the slope and take down the position of the governor of the three eastern provinces.

Lin Yuan hurriedly said: "If the Holy Lord hands over the three provinces of Kanto to me to govern, within three months, I will definitely be able to recover the lost territory, but in one year, together with the outer northeast, it will be recovered." ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked, and Lin Yuan thought to himself: "Weng Tongyi is bound to oppose it, I don't know what he will say?" ”

Unexpectedly, a person stood up in the back row, walked to the middle clearing, shook his sleeves and knelt down, and said loudly: "The three provinces of Kanto are the land of Longxing, and the Holy Lord cannot hand them over to Lin Yuan to govern." ”

When Emperor Guangxu saw this person, he laughed twice and said: "Lin Aiqing doesn't have to be surprised, this person is my Wei Zheng, his surname is Tong's name, his word is Huaiyuan, and the official worships Dali Siqing, and he is the most able to speak and dare to admonish." Then he turned his head and asked, "Tong Aiqing, you can tell me, why can't the three provinces of Kanto be governed by Lin Aiqing?" ”

Tong Zheng kowtowed to Lu Shang again, and said loudly: "Weichen thinks that this Lin Yuan has a heart of disobedience. ”

This is saying that Lin Yuan wants to rebel! As soon as these words came out, the whole house was solemn, and there was no sound in the huge hall! Everyone held their breath and didn't dare to come out, for fear that they would gasp for the wrong breath and be angered by the emperor, and their heads would move in the blink of an eye.

When Emperor Guangxu heard this, his face also changed, and he asked: "Tong Aiqing, tell me, how can Lin Yuan have a heart of disobedience?" ”

When everyone heard that Emperor Guangxu's title to Lin Yuan had changed from "Lin Aiqing" to "Lin Yuan", they all knew that Long Yan was going to be furious, and then they only heard Tong Zheng say: "Lin Yuan's subordinates are all short-haired, and they don't respect my Daqing hairstyle. ”

Lin Yuan thought to himself: "It's finally this problem. He smiled and said: "It turns out that this is the case, the reason why my troops comb their hair short is purely for military considerations, I wonder if this Tong has ever been on the battlefield?" ”

That Tong Zheng has studied the Four Books and Five Classics since he was a child, and wrote eight strands, where has he ever been on the battlefield? Hearing Lin Yuan's question, he had no choice but to reply: "Although I have never been on the battlefield, this loyalty can be seen by the sun and the moon!" ”

Lin Yuan said with a smile: "On the battlefield today, use more firearms, stone splashing, it is inevitable to hurt the head, if you comb long hair, it is inconvenient to bandage the wound, and the long hair is not easy to clean, there is dirt and dirt inside, the wound is very easy to infect, once infected, the injured must die!" I asked the troops to have short hair, just to preserve the warriors who can fight for the Qing Dynasty, you say, is this loyal to the Qing Dynasty? ”

However, Lin Yuan ignored one point, their group of people didn't know anything about what infection was, so they were all puzzled, Lin Yuan thought to himself: "Isn't my reason sufficient?" Well, I'll tell you a little bit more. ”

So Lin Yuan said: "Korea has always been a vassal of our Qing Dynasty, but Japan is now in it, we are bound to fight with Japan in the future, and it will be the same as them if we combed our short hair, so that the sneak attack is roundabout, it is not easy to be recognized by them, and our army can be more invincible." ”

Emperor Guangxu smiled: "You Aiqing can rest assured this time, I will say that Lin Aiqing is loyal to the country." ”

At this time, another person knelt down in the middle of the open space, and said: "The Imperial Capital of the Imperial Court of the Imperial Prefecture of the Qing Dynasty and the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty have always governed the country with Confucian classics, so they take the law of eight shares. ”

Lin Yuan thought to himself: "Liu Kunyi has not undergone a scientific examination, isn't he still the governor of Liangjiang?" It seems that this group of people must be gagged. ”

So Lin Yuan smiled and said: "Originally, I wanted to say it, but it just so happened that this Lord Jiang brought it up, so I dared to ask for one thing?" ”

Emperor Guangxu asked, "What's the matter?" It doesn't hurt to speak. ”

Lin Yuan said: "I don't dare to say that I am familiar with the classics, but I also know a little bit about it, some time ago, I was delayed in Rongma, and today I want to ask the Holy God to give me a lifter, and after some time, I will go to participate in the examination." ”

When Emperor Guangxu heard this, he smiled and said: "This is very good, and I will give you a lift." As soon as these words came out, an official next to him wrote them down, and Weng Tongyi thought to himself: "Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan, you want to take the exam, but it's more difficult than ascending to the sky!" ”