1718K Literature offers the latest chapters

In late spring, the climate in the capital is warm and pleasant, and it is a good season that can be compared to the golden autumn.

At this time, it was noon, in the Chuxiu Palace of the Forbidden City, the curtain of the cloud brocade tent sprinkled with gold and bamboo patterns hung low, and the mouth of the bronze crane spewed fragrant clouds. On the side of the bed, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old little palace maid leaned on the screen and couldn't bear the sleepiness, and the mantis pointed to the four directions from time to time, and the palace fan in her hand had already fallen to the ground at some point.

Suddenly, there was a slight movement in the brocade tent, driving the crisp harmony on the tent hook. The little palace maid opened her eyes suddenly, clapped her hands slightly, and then quickly bent down to take the palace fan, quietly walked to the bed, and opened the tent. In a string of pleasant rings, the palace maid quickly uncovered the futon and lifted up a middle-aged woman about forty or fifty years old.

At this moment, eunuchs and palace maids lined up, holding hookahs, basins, towels, mirrors, etc., and poured into front of the bed. The middle-aged woman smoked the hookah for a while before she completely woke up from her sleepiness just now. When she waved her hand to let the eunuch take away the cigarette pouch, a group of eunuchs and palace maids surrounded her, wearing shoes and clothes, combing hair, and washing faces...... Although everything was done at the same time, it was orderly and did not make a big noise. Especially the old eunuch who combed the woman's hair, his movements were like flowing water, and the movements were just right, not only were he comfortable by the combing people, but even those who watched him felt comfortable. When others couldn't see it at all, he moved his hand slightly, and tucked the few stems he had combed into his sleeves.

"Little Lizi, your craftsmanship has not been left behind," the middle-aged woman stared at the mirror and said suddenly.

The old eunuch's hand slowed down, his eyes swept away, and the middle-aged woman's face did not seem to be unhappy, and it was estimated that her small actions were not seen by her, and she replied respectfully at the moment: "Being able to serve the queen mother is the blessing of a slave." The minion has such a little ability, where can he be left behind? ”

The young woman didn't continue to say anything, with her slender nails, she randomly selected a few of the dozens of small magnetic bottles on the tray held by the palace maid, and then took them out by the eunuch on the side, opened these bottles, poured out some powder, mixed them with dew, and handed them to the palace maid who was waiting. The maid dipped it in silk cloth and applied it softly to the cheeks of the middle-aged woman.

A hot cup of tea, up and down, the middle-aged woman looked left and right in the mirror, and her demeanor was no different from that of a teenage girl preparing to go out to meet her best friend. Eventually, the woman saw no flaw, picked up a few fresh cherries, and walked out the door. At this time, the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids were secretly relieved.

When he went out, in addition to the old eunuch, he was also on the side, and there was another group of eunuchs and palace maids. The woman said as she walked, "Little Lizi, have you sent the excerpt from the military aircraft today?" ”

It turned out that this middle-aged woman was the Empress Dowager Cixi, who had controlled the Qing Empire for decades, and she was now seventy years old. And the little plum in her mouth is Li Lianying, the powerful eunuch.

Although Li Lianying was commanding in front of outsiders, she was respectful and cautious in front of Cixi, and immediately replied: "Back to Lafayette, the excerpt has been delivered, and it will be placed on the case in the study." ”

After walking around the courtyard a few times, Cixi returned to her study, put on her tortoiseshell-framed crystal reading glasses, and began to review the folds. At the beginning, Cixi was still happy. After reading a few books, the old lady's face turned iron-blue, and the people around her were terrified.

., It is generally more relaxed and festive, because the old queen is older, and her temper is also a little big, and she just woke up from a nap, and it is inevitable that she will get up. Put something happy, let the old lady be happy first, how good is such a group of harmony? When the old lady's mood stabilized, the following twists and turns also began to cry out for grievances and bitter hatred, which is called "getting better". When the end of the day, there will be a few excerpts of praise and praise, so that the old lady's terrible mood can be restored, so that she will not be able to eat and sleep well at night, and the people below will be unlucky.

The point is that the Qing Dynasty is now full of holes, the people are struggling to make a living, and there is really no easy and festive news to coax the old lady to be happy, and the article is full of words about the loss of power and humiliation of the country, the cession of land and reparations, the starving people making trouble, and the rampant cults. Especially this year, Japan and Russia fought in the northeast of our country, and the people of the country suffered from the fish in the pond and their lives were devastated. Immediately afterwards, Yuan Shikai, the governor of Zhili, Zhou Fu, the governor of Liangjiang, and Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, jointly played a concert, asking for the implementation of constitutional government after 12 years, and asked Jian to send pro-noble ministers abroad to study politics. For a time, the constitution became a topic of concern throughout the country. Overseas rebels are also not restless, and I heard that it has been very rampant recently, and I don't know what to do. The old lady was annoyed, so the eunuchs and palace maids serving in the study, whenever this time, walked on tiptoe, not daring to make a loud noise, for fear that the old lady who accidentally provoked her anger would be dragged out and killed. Now, even Li Lianying, who is an old fritter, feels a little difficult to deal with.

Fortunately, there are not many excerpts today.

After taking the last one, and without reading a few lines, Cixi was happy: "Hehe, this thing is really interesting." Xiao Lizi, tell me, how many scholars have traveled abroad in the Qing Dynasty over the years? ”

Li Lianying was stunned for a moment, speaking of the scholars who went abroad to study, it naturally reminded people of Kang Liang and the two who were living abroad, and the heinous Sun Wenlai, isn't this a disturbance? I wanted to make Lafayette happy, only to see him smile: "Back to Lafayette, this matter is really not a slave, it is estimated that there are thousands of children and eight hundred people, right?" ”

"More than that," Cixi shook her head and took off her glasses, "The mourning family remembers that at the end of last year, Yang Shu, the minister of the Japanese state and the chief superintendent of the tour students, gave an excerpt on the situation of Gu Chen and the management of academic affairs, which said that there are more than 1,300 Chinese students in various schools today, including more than 1,100 students in liberal arts and more than 200 in martial arts. If you add the United States, England, France, Germany, and Spain, it is estimated that there are thousands of people."

"Lafayette is really unforgettable" Li Lianying praised a sentence, and then said: "Confucius and Mencius are the teachers of eternity, and they have enough knowledge to learn for future generations. These scholars don't know a lot of words, but they still go abroad to study? When the slave heard about a pair, he specifically scolded these shameless scholars, saying, 'Out of its kind, out of its class, not allowed in the world of Yao Shun; If you can't help people, you can do ghosts, so why go to the state of your parents'. What a hit the nail on the head."

"Hmm. The strong ships and sharp cannons of foreigners are naturally powerful, but how can our Qing Dynasty's sexual and moral science be compared to those who drink blood? Cixi shook the fold in her hand, and there was some disdain in her tone. Then he said, "Over the years, I have seen that the governors of various provinces have frequently asked to send scholars to study abroad, how many times have I seen foreigners come to my China to seek advice? ”

Li Lianying didn't know how to answer, and when she was about to change the topic, she heard Cixi say to herself: "Hehe, now these foreigners also know that my Qing Dynasty is a treasure of things and outstanding people, which is not comparable to him and other small states, thinking about sending students to study abroad, saying that if they are promised, they can offset part of the Gengzi indemnity." It's funny."

"There is such a thing?" Li Lianying was also stunned.

"During the time of Emperor Shengzuren and Emperor Gojong-chun, the subject states of Korea, Annam, Ryukyu, and Gurkha also sent scholars to the country's prison, but these are old things. But when these foreigners want to send someone over, it is the first time that the world has been opened. Cixi raised the fold in her hand a little proudly: "No, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received notes from various countries, and it can't come up with any regulations, so it came up with the fold to ask." ”

"Ho, this is the coming dynasty of all countries, it is comparable to the grand event of Emperor Shengzuren and Emperor Gaozongchun" Li Lianying looked proud and excited, "If there are thousands of foreigners, how can they be settled?" ”

Li Lianying's worry is as painful as someone worrying about "where to put so much cash after winning 5 million". But Lafayette and Li Lianying don't have eggs, so they are not afraid.

"How many people are coming? I really haven't said anything about this excerpt. "Lafayette looked at the recital again.

Li Lianying said tentatively: "Or...... Summoning someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask? ”

Galeries Lafayette looked out the window, it's afternoon... About half an hour, the summer days are long, and it won't be dark for a while, and I thought: It's rare to encounter this kind of novelty, so be happy. So he nodded: "Then send someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask."

Li Lianying bowed, exited the study, and summoned a little eunuch with fast legs: "The Queen Mother will send the relevant personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inquire about the foreigners sending students." The little eunuch repeated, no problem, spread his feet and ran out of the palace.

Lafayette didn't care what was going on outside, so he sent someone to send the batch of folds back to the military plane, and then leaned on the bed with hot tea and ate a few small snacks just delivered from the imperial dining room. Before a pot of Lu'an melon slices was drunk, the eunuch outside the door came in and reported: "Qi Qi Lafayette, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shangshu Natong and the secretary Tang Guoan have come to see you." ”

Lafayette chin slightly, and Li Lianying on the side replied: "Biography"

Time went back half an hour ago.

In the main hall of the yamen of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Na Tongzheng, who is nearly half a hundred years old, was drinking tea with several staff members while talking about some trivial things in the officialdom. Na Tong is a native of Manchuria with the Yellow Flag, and the current Empress Dowager of Cixi has the same surname as Yehenara, perhaps because of this, it is only Na Tong who was born as a person, and was appointed as the minister of affairs in Beijing when the Gengzi Kingdom changed and the emperor went hunting in the west. At present, he is the official to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of the General Office, the commander of the infantry army, and the management of the affairs of the Industrial Inspection Bureau. In these years, his career has been smooth, and with his efforts to nourish his qi, the man with a wide heart and a fat body looks only forty years old.

At this moment, he leaned on the Taishi chair, his hand touched the shiny short mustache, listening to the masters on the surface, but in his heart he was thinking about whether to go to the Qingning Department to listen to Wang Yiyun's joke in the evening, or to promise Sheng Xuanhuai's banquet in Tongchun Garden? This is a dilemma, go to Tongchun Garden, then Sheng Xuanhuai is naturally indispensable to be filial, no matter what, he has to get a few thousand taels. But when I thought of Wang Yiyun's charming demeanor that didn't let the Shaohua woman, my heart couldn't help but waver: Why do you say that this man looks so bad for the country and the people?

Just thinking about it, a waiter ran in outside the door: "Master, someone from the palace is here, announce your visit"

"What about people?" Na Tong hurriedly put aside those thoughts and sat up straight in his chair. Those masters also quickly stood up.

"Outside the door." The attendant hurriedly replied, "It is said that the Queen Mother wants to ask about the foreigners sending students......

"Hurry up and prepare a sedan chair and enter the palace immediately" Natong gave an order, and the surrounding servants were busy, and the python robe, official boots, and top wear were handed over. While wearing it, Na Tong also instructed: "These days, who is in charge of the foreigners sending students to travel?" ”

"Hui Ye, it's Tang Guoan, the secretary of the Department of Affairs, who is doing it." The staff on the side hurriedly replied.

"Then let him enter the palace with me," Na Tong tightened his cuffs and commanded casually.

In this way, Tang Guoan, who was buried in a pile of papers, was pulled out and tied as a companion. Hearing that he was going to enter the palace, Tang Guoan, who had been in the system for nearly twenty years, was still a little nervous, after all, he had not faced the top of the empire so directly.

That Tong is much easier, even if it's okay a month, you have to go to the palace a few times. There hasn't been much in the ministry lately, and I'm not afraid of Lafayette's chatter. It's not good for this foreigner to stay at home, and he came to the Qing Dynasty to study, so what kind of moth do you want to make? On the way, I asked Tang Guoan a few words, but they were all foreigners' things, and I couldn't understand it for a while. I had to tell Tang Guoan: "Lafayette will ask for a while, and you will play back and forth." ”

"Yes, my lord" Tang Guoan knew that this was an opportunity and hurriedly agreed.

After walking for a while, when he arrived at the gate of Chuxiu Palace, Na Tong turned around and said: "When I replied, I picked up Lafayette and said happily, do you know?" Without waiting for Tang Guoan's consent, he stepped into the door.

Lafayette is in a good mood today, and after Na Tong and Tang Guoan asked for peace, they rewarded the seat and gave each person a plate of snacks. It's just that where do the two of them dare to sit and eat? said to be sitting, only the small half of the buttocks rested on the brocade pier; said that it was eaten, and a pea yellow only bit a layer of skin.

The Empress Dowager Cixi didn't care about them, she estimated that she had seen too much, raised her eyes, and then asked: "I just saw your excerpt today, and what foreigners want to send students to travel." But I don't understand much in the excerpt, so I will ask you to come and ask. ”

Na Tong hurriedly got up and replied: "Back to the Queen Mother, in the month of last year, the American minister sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hoping that the Qing Dynasty could accept the country's traveling students. The slave thinks that there is no precedent, and Huayi is mixed, and there may be entanglements between words and deeds, so as to become a provocation, which is ultimately inconvenient. So the reply declined. After the first month of this year, the Minister of the United States sent another note, saying that the matter of sending students was a decision of the government of that country, not a personal will, and that the Qing Dynasty was requested to properly handle it. Moreover, there were students in the Qing Dynasty in other countries, so why couldn't American scholars come to the Qing Dynasty? ”

Cixi nodded: "This American is right. ”

"The Queen Mother said it very well. The minions could not refuse, so they had to dissuade them on the grounds that life was inconvenient and the foolish people made trouble. However, he insisted on going his own way, and said that for every student sent by the other country, he could be reduced by 5,000 taels of silver in the Geng payment. When Na Tong said this, he raised his eyes and glanced at the Empress Dowager Cixi, and then quickly said, "Of course, those silver taels, the Qing Dynasty naturally doesn't care." After learning the news, the ministers of England, France, Germany, and other countries also sent notes one after another, hoping to handle it in accordance with the example of the United States. The minions felt that the matter was too big, so they had to fold and play, and they were annoyed by the saints. ”

After hearing this, Xi secretly calculated: 5,000 taels per person, if there are 1ooo people a year, you can save 5 million taels of silver. I don't feel a move. I thought again, foreigners are all oily, why are they so generous this time? Is there something greasy? At that moment, he asked, "Did the foreigner make any demands?" ”

Na Tong said: "If the Empress Dowager will send a tour student, the affairs department of the headquarters will be responsible for negotiating, and I sincerely ask for permission to reply." ”

The Queen Mother nodded: "Accurate." ”

As early as when Na Tong stood up, Tang Guoan stood up, and it was his turn to speak at this time: "Back to the Queen Mother, the foreigners did put forward a condition, that is, the students must study in a private Jingshi University. ”。.。