After analyzing the situation of the two major forces of the Qing Dynasty, the difficulties and challenges faced by Xu Jie gave Xu Jie a deep sense of powerlessness, and in order to better deal with the various problems that may exist after returning to China, Xu Jie urgently needed to formulate a suitable action plan. Judging from the current situation, Beiyang is still very eager for new warships. So, Xu Jie decided to use this as a breakthrough point to find a way to solve the problem.

After returning to China, he will definitely have the opportunity to meet Zhang Peilun or the senior management of the Beiyang Fleet. After meeting, they will inevitably discuss the issue of maritime security in East Asia today. Thinking of this, Xu Jie wrote the words Beiyang and Japanese Combined Fleet on paper. If nothing else, whether it is Zhang Peilun or Liu Buyun, they will have a clear understanding of this form. Most of his own information is what has happened, even if Yoshino and a few other warships have not yet started, but it does not prevent the two of them from judging the overall situation at all. Therefore, the two should believe what they say. Moreover, Zhang Peilun has experienced failures caused by unfavorable preparations, so he will definitely not take it lightly. Liu Buyun is a naval officer born in the academy, and he will never ignore this, on the contrary, when Liu Buyun learned that the Qing court stopped buying ships, he once asked Li Hongzhang, if there is something at sea, what should Beiyang do? It can be seen from this that although this "actual admiral" of Beiyang is a bit domineering, he is absolutely worthy of the four words of national hero in terms of his foresight and ability. And it is not enough for Liu Buyun and Zhang Peilun to be shocked and worried, and more importantly, it is more important to make Li Hongzhang aware of the severity of the problem. That's the key!! Thinking of this, Xu Jie wrote the words Li Hongzhang on the paper again.

Do you want to say that Li Hongzhang has a clear understanding of the strength of Japan and Beiyang itself? The answer is yes. As early as the 8th year of Guangxu, (1882), Li Hongzhang, the minister of Beiyang, who was responsible for the construction of the Beiyang Navy, reported to the imperial court: "Japan is moving towards the West, although it is only similar in shape, and all the ships and artillery are slightly enough to be the enemy of us. As early as this time, Li Hongzhang had already realized that the rise of Japan would be a big problem for China. With the acceleration of the expansion of the Japanese Navy, Li Hongzhang has always had a relatively correct judgment, even when the Qing court was intoxicated with the strength of the two ships in Dingzhen, this late Qing Zheng zhì first person still had a relatively correct understanding of the situation. For example, in the 19th year of Guangxu (1893 AD), which was the year before the First Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang sent a letter to the Japanese minister Wang Fengzao, saying that the strength of the Japanese navy was really above our army,...... Gai focuses on the navy with the strength of the whole country, so it can be like this, and its country is immeasurable. Thus. The minister of Beiyang knew very well that once the two sides started a war, Beiyang would have no chance of winning. Therefore, during the First Sino-Japanese Period, he chose to lean towards the mediation of various countries, and asked the Beiyang Fleet to preserve its strength. I can't beat it. Then find a way not to fight, or avoid a fleet battle as much as possible. Who knows, the corruption and weakness of the various departments of the Huai Army far exceeded Lao Li's estimate, and the Beiyang Fleet could not even be spared in the military port. The elite Weihai fortress of Lushun for more than ten years fell one after another. The Beiyang Fleet will fly and annihilate. There is a court that does not cry without seeing a coffin, and a Lafayette who uses military funds to celebrate his birthday, plus a feudal system that has rotted from the roots. God can't help it.

Therefore, how to fundamentally impress Li Hongzhang and make him tough on the issue of military spending has become the key to the problem!! And how to impress? In addition to detailing the decline of the Huai system and the destruction of the Beiyang Fleet that he painstakingly managed once the war was defeated. After thinking about it, Xu Jie decided to add some more ingredients!! Historically, after Li Hongzhang signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the evaluation of the world and the imperial court directly branded this Zhongxing famous minister and foreign affairs cadre directly as a traitor and traitor, and the people even scolded Li Hongzhang as fashionable, "Liu San is dead and ugly, and Mr. Li Er is a traitor." "Similar rhetoric abounds. And what about the court? An Weijun listened to the rumors and then said according to his own judgment that because he was "the master of peace with Japan, he was not a subordinate", and the reason why he was unwilling to fight Japan was because he was worried that he would "send the private wealth of the Japanese kingdom to the waste". Li Hongzhang's son Li Jingfang was appointed as a minister in Japan, and he once accepted the Japanese daughter Tanaka Guizi as a concubine. In the end, he offered a secret plan to break the day: if Li Hongzhang's crime is announced, the canonical punishment is announced, and the world is announced, "The thief is not destroyed", the emperor, you will directly cut off my head! This kind of remarks, which had almost no basis and made up their own brains, were very marketable in the court at that time. Of course, there are still people who have a more correct view of Lao Li. Liang Qichao asked a very good question: Put these high-minded people in Li Hongzhang's position, "What will be the end?" (Although Li Hongzhang made mistakes on the Xinjiang and Vietnam issues, to be honest, everyone who was put on the mess of the First Sino-Japanese War was like that.) It won't be better than what Lao Li did)...,

In short, it cannot be said that Lao Li was not responsible in the First Sino-Japanese War, but it is obviously unfair to directly put all the blame on him just because he signed the treaty. Lao Li Jianjun asked for money, but the top didn't give it. And when it comes to signing the treaty, it is not he who has the final say. At best, Lao Li just had the wrong person, but he was selected as a scapegoat. Especially in terms of naval funds, Lao Li really wishes. According to Hu Sijing's "Guowen Beicheng", the old man was entrusted by Emperor Guangxu to go to Tianjin to question Li Hongzhang. "Weng Tonggong saw Hongzhang, that is, to inquire about the Beiyang warship, Hongzhang looked angrily, for a long time without a word, Xu turned around and said: 'Master Prime Minister Duzhi, usually ask for money to refute it, and ask the warship when it is about to happen, can the warship be trusted?' Tong Gong said: 'The minister (referring to the minister in charge of finance) is dutiful in his duty of austerity, and the matter is urgent, why not ask for it? Hongzhang said: "The government suspects me of being domineering, and the Taiwan admonition (referring to the imperial historian) participates in my greed, and I can't stop crying, and there is still Li Hongzhang today?" It can be seen that Lao Li has a deep resentment about this matter.

Therefore, according to the historical materials he knows, if he can make Lao Li truly realize the strict nature of the problem, Lao Li may still give up the "curve to save the country" route that he has taken all his life and have a direct confrontation with the center. Similarly, like Liu Buyun, Lao Li will never question whether he will end up like this, Zeng Guofan, one of the older generation of characters, debuted earlier than him, his strength is stronger than him, and his protégé is not comparable to Lao Li, what is the result? A Tianjin lesson plan turned this former Qing Dynasty pillar into a traitor that everyone shouted at, and even his fellow villagers burned the plaques boasting of his exploits in the Hunan Guild Hall. Zeng Guofan is like this, so can Li Hongzhang himself be spared? There is another example to illustrate, that is, Zhang Peilun beside him, to say that Zhang Peilun entered the South Seas from the clear stream, during his time in the South Seas, he can be described as infinitely beautiful. But what about the results after the Battle of Majiang? This former Qingliu celebrity suddenly became a guy who was nothing. Not only was it "never used" by the imperial court, but it was also difficult to make a living. There are two examples, one near and one near. Lao Li has to take a good look at his name in front of and behind him.