I was startled, looked at him like a child who had done something bad, wrinkled my eyebrows, and whispered a denial: "The slave didn't!" ”

He let out a "hmm" and said lightly: "Smart as you, can't you see the current situation?" As he spoke, he wrinkled his eyebrows at me, his eyes always staring at me quietly, and after a while, he said: "Even if there is no Li Lianying by Lafayette's side, Lafayette will not easily let go of any opportunity that can give me a blow." ”

After speaking, Zai Yan suddenly picked up the things on his face, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

I asked, "Over there at Lushunkou...... How's it going? ”

He shook his head, "The news in the war report said that on the 6th, the Japanese army defeated Lianshun, Xu Bangdao and other troops and occupied Jinzhou. On the 7th, Zhao Huaiye, the defender of Dalian, fled when he heard the news, and the Japanese army won Dalian Bay without a fight. On the 18th, the Japanese army advanced to Tuchengzi, and Xu Bangdao's Gong Guards resisted stubbornly. On the 19th, Huang Shilin, Zhao Huaiye, and Wei Rucheng absconded after taking the lead. ”

I was surprised, "The emperor just disposed of Fang Boqian, Wu Jingrong and ...... a few days ago Weng Tongshu, "I don't understand, "These people are still committing crimes against the wind, don't you know what it means?" ”

Zai Xiang was helpless, "With the defeat of the Qing Beiyang Navy Division in the Yellow Sea before, in fact, the main and faction within the imperial court have gained the upper hand, and these people are hyping up surrender activities everywhere, and I can't control it even if I want to," Before he finished speaking, his words had already revealed great worry, and he exhaled bitterly, and continued, "If the Port of Arthur falls, then the Japanese Navy will gain an important base in Bohai Bay, and from then on, the Beiyang Gateway will be opened, and the Beiyang Fleet will be hidden in Weihaiwei Harbor, The tide of battle is about to take a turn for the worse. ”

Actually, Zai Xiang is right, and that's the way it is, at this time, I should actually comfort him with a few words, so that he feels more comfortable, but I just can't say it, I hate it for the first time that I can't lie like this!

For a while, Zai Yan and I were silent and did not speak, the room was silent, looking out of the moon window, as if even the moon was tired, hiding in the thicker and thicker clouds without a trace, it was dark outside, only the orange light emitted by a few palace lamps in the courtyard was reflected on the white snow. I turned my head to look at him, and he said softly, "I'll tell you a joke!" ”

I nodded, "hmm".

He put his left arm under the back of his head, and then the corners of his mouth curled slightly, "In May of the twentieth year of Daoguang, the British fleet assembled in the sea of Guangdong, and when the first Opium War broke out, Xuanzong didn't know where Britain was, and thought it was not enough to be afraid, as if Lafayette now looked down on Japan as a small country. ”

I smiled and asked, "The emperor also believes it?" ”

His eyes were fixed on the glass octagonal lamp on the small shelf, and he whispered: "It's not out of nowhere, Xuanzong once asked a sentence: Is there a dry road from England to the various departments of Huijiang?" ”

Although this is a surprising question, when it comes to the First Opium War, I still remember the feeling of resentment in my heart after reading this chapter in history class in junior high school, and I was deeply impressed.

So, at this time, the letter came and said: "In June, the British army invaded Dinghai in the north, slaughtered wildly, occupied Dinghai, in July, the British army arrived in Tianjin, the then governor of Zhili Qi Shan and Yilu talked in Dagukou, and finally compromised with the British, Xuanzong was forced by the arrogance of the British army, and handed over Lin Zexu and Deng Tingzhen to the Military Aircraft Department for strict discussion, in December, Qi Shan and Yilu made the "Nose Grass Treaty" without authorization, privately promised to cede Hong Kong, open Guangzhou, compensate for the price of cigarettes, in the first month of the 21st year of Daoguang, the British army captured Humen Shajiao, Dajiao Fort, Xuanzong was forced to declare war on the British army, and in May of the 22nd year of Daoguang, the British army captured the Wusong Fort on the Yangtze River, and Chen Huacheng, the governor of Jiangnan, died in battle, and Shanghai fell. In July, when the British warships invaded the Nanjing River, the Minister of the Imperial Mission, Qi Ying, and the British Minister Plenipotentiary to China, Pu Dingcha, negotiated on the British ships on the Nanjing River, and agreed to all the terms proposed by the British side. Xuanzong ratified the Sino-British Treaty of Jiangning, promising to cede land, pay compensation, and trade with five ports. ”

"It's indeed an unequal treaty," he said lightly, "and after smiling gloomily, he added, "There are also the Treaties of Tianjin and Beijing that were later signed between China and Britain, China and France, China and the United States, and China and Russia," he said, his eyes lit up, and he grabbed my hand, "In the current situation, I am really afraid that I will face the humiliation of signing these treaties in the near future." ”

It's inevitable, and the day won't be long.

Zai Xiang asked me, "Do you think that I am repeating the mistakes of Xuanzong?" ”

I hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, it's different, the emperor is the emperor, and Xuanzong is Xuanzong." ”

Zai Yan sighed, and then said: "At that time, I heard the eunuch and palace maid laugh and talk about Xuanzong's words that I don't know where Britain is, I thought that the four libraries and seven pavilions of the Qing Dynasty had not drawn a map of the world, and such a thing would happen, and then I also went to the four libraries and seven pavilions to inquire, and I found that as early as the time of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty had drawn a map of the world and hid it in the four libraries and seven pavilions, and it was frequently modified, and the location of Britain, France, and Russia was clearly marked on it. It's that no one ever thinks about looking at it. ”

I was puzzled, and asked cautiously, "Is Xuanzong really so slack?" ”

Zai Xiang replied: "It's not that Xuanzong is very slack, but the entire geographical cognition of the Qing people has long been trapped in a strange circle of 'geographical agnosticism'. Ignoring it from generation to generation, naturally, Xuanzong would not suddenly remember that there were still those world maps in the Four Libraries and Seven Pavilions. ”

I said, "So the focus is on the limitations of the Qing people's thinking. ”

Zai Yan said helplessly: "But everything is easy to change, but the most difficult thing is this knowledgeable but invisible thought." ”

I said "um".

After a while, I tilted my head and stared at Zai Yan and asked, "Then the emperor must have learned from the pain, and he has carefully looked at those world maps?" ”

Zai Yan nodded, and then smiled again: "I have always regarded myself as high-minded, and I thought that I would do better than Xuanzong, but the result was still a failure. ”

Seeing him say such things, my heart suddenly softened, I straightened up, broke his face and whispered: "Your Majesty, everything is not over yet, don't say such frustrating words." ”

Zai Yan shook his head, squeezed my hand and said, "I know in my heart that defeat can be expected. ”

I stared at him and said, "Your Majesty, the defeat is not only on the outside, but also on the inside!" ”

Zai Yan looked back at me and said, "I know," and said blankly, "It's a pity that God has given me too little time, and I don't have time to do many things." ”

I looked him in the eye and said seriously, "Your Majesty, don't give up. ”