There are white clouds floating in the blue sky, and the summer scenery is beautiful and vigorous, colorful and dazzling, brilliant and warm. It's been a few days, and I've been thinking about Deng Jiashi in my heart, and I don't know how things went, whether Deng Jiashi mentioned that to Zaifeng, whether Zaifeng went to Deng Shichang to tell him frankly, and Deng Shichang didn't mean to come to Zaixiang after hearing it.

Every day, from morning to night, I either lie on the couch and think, or lie on the desk and think, or sit on the porch and think, which makes my whole person a little crazy. Not only Bai Ge, but even Zai Yan saw my strangeness. I wanted to give Zai Xiang a surprise, but after waiting for two days and still no news, I really couldn't sit still, and only told Zai Xiang everything about it, so Zai Xiang went out of the palace to inquire, it turned out that Li Hongzhang was a hindrance from it, and in order to prevent Zaifeng from approaching everywhere for Deng Shichang, he even sent people to stare at Deng Shichang's mansion from time to time, and he didn't relax for a moment. Fortunately, on this day, a whim of Cixi was crooked, which happened to solve the dilemma between me and Zaiyan.

Every few days when Princess Rongshou went out of the palace, everyone was wilted in the summer heat, and it was deserted for a few days, Cixi thought that the Forbidden City was becoming more and more boring, so Li Lianying summoned a few Mrs. Fujin into the palace to chat and talk with her, by the way, think about how to play at the sixty birthday celebration, I was really frightened to listen, some Mrs. Fujin said that it was in full swing, one idea after another, Cixi listened to it and smiled from ear to ear, and it was not distressing to spend the money that was not her own, this group of people was headed by Li Hongzhang's step-family Zhao, Some of them are more and more pale, but they can't have seizures, but they are just gloomy, which is the same as my state of mind, such as Deng Jia's family, and Mrs. Deng who entered the palace for the first time.

Because it was the first time to enter the palace, Mrs. Deng only let Deng Shichang accompany her on the grounds that she didn't know the rules and was afraid of colliding with Lafayette.

Come to think of it, Deng Shichang should already be in the Qianqing Palace at this moment.

After two days, Cixi wanted to eat, and everyone dispersed, so I invited Deng Jia and Mrs. Deng back to Jingren Palace.

After Bai Ge, Ying'er, and Que'er served tea, they quietly stepped aside. I got up and saluted, "This palace thanks the emperor and Mrs. Fujin." ”

Deng Jiashi and Mrs. Deng were shocked when they saw me like this, and came over to help me up and said, "What are you doing here, how can the slave afford such a big gift from the little master!" ”

I smiled, "I think I can afford it, and this palace knows that if there are no two of them to help, the emperor will not be able to see Lord Deng Shichang today." ”

Mrs. Deng's peach cheeks are red, her sandalwood mouth is pink, and she is wearing a blue green shirt, such as Qingbo and jade, and she is looking forward to Xiangjiao, and she said lightly: "The slave is really shocked when he hears what Lafayette said, and he dare not agree, now the situation is delicate, the war is about to break out, seeing that Li Zhongtang is not a righteous person, the slave has long wanted to let the adults see the emperor, but unfortunately he has not been able to, and finally waited for the opportunity, he must not let go, in fact, the slave did this, not only for the emperor, but also for the Qing Dynasty, but also for the overall situation." ”

I looked at her and nodded and smiled: "Madame's words are to the point," sighed softly, I continued, "The emperor is also always worried about the future of the Qing Dynasty, not for himself," looking at the serious expressions of the two of them, I said, "You also know that the emperor's throne was not chosen by himself, the emperor once told the palace, if it weren't for the internal and external pressure of the Qing Dynasty, The emperor would rather go to the kind of idle clouds and wild cranes, the emperor is not greedy for the throne, he just has a passionate ambition, he just loves the land under his feet, he doesn't want it to fall one day, let alone one day it will be plundered by outsiders. ”

When I said this, I was slightly stunned for a while, and my heart was extremely sad.

Deng Jiashi couldn't help but sigh when he heard this, and said: "But at this time, Lafayette still has to hold a sixtieth birthday celebration, and where is it, the silver is simply spent like flowing water." ”

Speaking of silver, we stared at Mrs. Deng and asked, "I wonder if Lord Deng Shichang knows what the current situation of the Beiyang Navy Master is?" ”

Mrs. Deng frowned and thought for a while and said: "I have heard adults say that it seems that the situation of the Beiyang Naval Division has been not good over the years, with a shortage of military salaries, old armaments, and corrupt logistics management. ”

When Deng Jiashi heard this, he was surprised and said, "Has it come to such a point?" How has this never been heard before? ”

Mrs. Deng shook her head and said: "Li Zhongtang has always controlled the Beiyang Naval Division, and bragged about it, and no one is allowed to say these pickled things, and outsiders naturally don't know about it. ”

I'm not surprised by this, I've been mentally prepared for a long time, but even Deng Shichang's beloved wife knows so much, I'm afraid that Deng Shichang will inevitably tell Zai Yan the truth in the Qianqing Palace, and I can't help but be a little worried.

I lowered my head and fiddled with the clothes belt, and I deeply felt ridiculous, Zai Yan has been raising military funds for the Beiyang Naval Division, but now I have heard with my own ears that the military expenses of the Beiyang Naval Division have been in short supply, so there are two empty ends, so where did the silver that disappeared go?

Could it be that the silver will run away with long legs on its own?

Of course not!

Deng Jiashi suddenly asked me, "Why is the little master laughing?" ”

I snorted with a smile, "I just heard my wife say that the Beiyang Naval Division is short of military funds, and it's really ridiculous to think about it." ”

Mrs. Deng frowned and asked me, "Is the little master blaming the minions for this?" ”

I shook my head, "No," and said, "Madame and Fang Fujin may not know that the emperor has been doing everything possible to raise military expenses for the Beiyang Navy Division over the years, not to mention millions of taels of silver. ”

Mrs. Deng's face became gloomy, "Naturally not!" She added: "It must be Li Zhongtang!" ”

Deng Jiashi said: "The slave also knows that the emperor has been raising silver taels, Ama often mentions it in private, and my sister mentions it, there is no lack of sighs and tears, saying that the emperor's situation is already difficult, but he still wants to raise silver taels for the Beiyang sailors, which is really not easy." ”

Mrs. Deng slapped the table, and the lid of the tea cup on the table shook suddenly, "No wonder Li Zhongtang of Lafayette's longevity celebration alone can repay 100,000 taels of silver!" ”

Deng Jiashi struggled and said: "What is 100,000 taels, the slave heard that Li Zhongtang is ready to buy 100 pieces of 'embroidered satin dragon robes' for Lafayette as a congratulatory gift, and the embroidery fabric is designated by the three major textile manufacturing houses in Jiangnan, Hangzhou, and Suzhou, and it will cost more than 200,000 taels of silver!" ”

Mrs. Deng was surprised, "Dragon robe?!" ”

Deng Jiashi nodded, "No! ”

Mrs. Deng's eyes lit up and she said, "Are they already so disregarded for the ethics of the Gangchang program?" ”

I laughed, "They have always been like this, the dragon robe ......" The bullies have already been bullied to the head, I must not allow Li Hongzhang and Cixi to be so domineering, let alone see Zai Yan suffer such a great humiliation, and suddenly had a plan, "This palace has its own way to make them unable to succeed." ”