Cixi's 60th birthday celebration has been noisy for three days in a row, Changyin Pavilion and Reading is the floor is full of lights, singing constantly, Lingguan Tsing Yi appeared on stage three times a day, always in front of me and Zai Xiang to spit out bitterness and say that a good voice is going to be hoarse, and a helpless face said that Cixi is really good at tossing people! It wasn't until the morning before that I saw the Ministry of Internal Affairs leading the troupe out of the Forbidden City, and when they came back, they were cleaning up the mess everywhere.

As soon as the day dawned, I closed my eyes and was waiting to be dressed up, only out of the gate of Jingren Palace, I saw that the concubine system ceremony had been set up at the bottom of the steps and outside the door to wait, Gao Wanzhi helped me to sit up carefully, Bai Ge, Gao Wanzhi and his party followed behind, the ceremony was carried by the four eunuchs, all the way to the Taihe Palace, Luan Yiwei Zao Chen tried to drive the thin outside the Taihe Palace, and before he stepped into the main hall, he already felt that this ceremony was much grander than when he sealed the concubine.

The club hangs the music outside the Taihe Palace. The officials of the Honglu Temple of the Ministry of Rites also set up the festival case in the south of the Taihe Hall as early as possible, set up the book case in the left west direction, the treasure case in the right east direction, and the Dragon Pavilion two outside the cabinet door. The ceremonial official took out the gold book from the cabinet and read the book, and after reading it, an official of the Qin Tianjian reported the auspicious time and sounded the bell and drum.

Carry the dress in front of the ceremonial officer and the guards of the subordinates, to the Taihe Hall to descend to the emperor. Zhonghe Shao band plays music, after entering the palace to read the gold book in front of the treasure case, after reading the ascending seat, the music stops.

Luan Yiwei praised the "whip", the Dan rhino sounded the whip three times, and the Dan Majesty band played the "Qingping Chapter".

Honglu Temple official leads the deputy envoy into the east step, to the north of the Dan Majesty stands, then, praise the official praise "there is a system of the main and deputy envoy kneel", the official enters the left of the door of the hall, and the system says:

"In the twentieth year of Guangxu, the Empress Dowager decreed that the Emperor Concubine of Dunyi was appointed as the Imperial Concubine of Dunyi Rongqing, Concubine Yu was the Imperial Concubine of Yu, Concubine Xun was Concubine Xun, Concubine Jin was Concubine Jin, Concubine Jin was Concubine Zhen, and Concubine Zhen was Concubine Zhen. Ordered to bow and salute. ”

After the announcement, the cabinet officials set up the book in the Dragon Pavilion and carried it out by Luan Yiwei.

Time passes by and waits for no one. The bare branches of the pomegranate trees in the yard were swayed up and down by the west wind, and the few remaining leaves were swept up and whirled in the air by the wind, and then they were ruthlessly thrown to the ground, helpless to let the wind play. As early as July and August, the Qing army and Japan experienced two battles, Cheng Huan, flat inlay, the battle situation is not unexpected, due to the Qing army commander Ye Zhichao's command mistakes and desertion, resulting in the Qing army retreating one after another, so as to directly affect the entire war situation.

Cixi was too busy with her sixtieth birthday celebration to take care of this matter. On the one hand, the celebration is in full swing, laughter and laughter, and on the other hand, there is a willow cry in the face of the west wind, full of gloom.

That day, Deng Shichang and Zai Yan talked in the Qianqing Palace for half a day before they came out, and when the moonlight was hazy, the stars in the night sky were also twinkling, like bright gems and dazzling pearls that would be lost at any time. I quietly walked into the warm pavilion, and at a glance I saw what Zai Yan was writing on the case, even if I lowered my head, I could see that his face was very sad, so I went over and called softly: "Your Majesty." ”

Zai Yan didn't raise his eyes to look at me, but was silent for a while, and then asked me in an infinitely tired and desolate voice, "How is my elegiac couplet written?" ”

I looked at his side face, raised my eyebrows, and slowly lowered my eyes, but I saw that the couplet was written in flying white: This day is full of tears in the world, and there is a strong navy.

My heart was suddenly shocked, "Your Majesty...... It's ......"

Zai Yan smiled helplessly: "Deng Shichang has already told me all the situation of the Beiyang Naval Division," he said, he sighed again, "But the big war is imminent, and the matter is now in such a situation that I can't afford to say that I won't fight, and it's even more taboo for soldiers to fight timidly." ”

Before he finished speaking, I hurriedly asked, "Could it be that Lord Deng Shichang has already asked for battle?" ”

"Yes," the word weighed as much as a thousand catties, and then Zai Yan said abruptly, "Deng Shichang was the first batch of naval officers in the Qing Dynasty, and he was also the captain of the 'Zhiyuan' in the Beiyang Fleet of the Great Qing Dynasty. 'He is so righteous and awe-inspiring, how can I not have his pure heart!' ”

I know very well that Deng Shichang must have gone and never returned, and when I heard Deng Shichang's words with the mood of knowing everything, I felt even more melancholy, and I couldn't help but hold Zaiyan's arm.

Jae-yan looked at me slightly, "What's wrong?" ”

I shook my head, squeezed out a smile, and said softly: "In fact, from ancient times to the present, all knowledgeable generals are willing to gallop the field and return the body wrapped in horse leather. Lord Deng Shichang put life and death out of the way, which is really admirable, but it can be sung and cried, even if it can't be done, it is enough to pass on through the ages. ”

Zai Yan put the pen on the shelf, turned sideways, looked at me and sighed softly: "Even if it can't be done, it will be enough to last through the ages," and then, he said in a deep voice, "I also know that this will be a war that must be lost," and when I heard this, I couldn't help but grieve in my heart, it turned out that he knew that this was a war that must be lost, and it turned out that he knew that it was a war that must be lost, and it turned out that he knew it...... I have never been a person who is easily moved in modern times, but Zai Yan's words hit my tears in an instant, I just looked at him with tears in my eyes, and he said, "If I had known the true situation of the Beiyang Naval Division earlier, I would never have fought lightly." ”

There seemed to be a lot of unspeakable remorse and loneliness in his tone.

As he spoke, he raised his hand to help me wipe away the tears rolling down my face, and then smiled and said, "Okay, I haven't cried yet, but you started crying first." ”

I shook my head, wiped it casually with my sleeve, smiled reluctantly and said, "Zhen'er didn't cry!" ”

Zai Yan pinched my shoulders and said softly: "Although the victory rate of the Great Qing Dynasty is not high this time, it is not completely without a chance, as long as all the commanders and generals of the Great Qing Dynasty can take the lead in one go, I think the Great Qing Dynasty still has a chance to turn the tide of the war." ”

As soon as he said this, my heart was sour again, I really couldn't see the flame that was flickering in his eyes, and I couldn't see the moment when the flame would finally go out.

I lowered my eyes and turned around, took a deep breath and said, "Zhen'er only hopes that the emperor can cherish himself no matter what happens in the future." ”

Zai Xiang quietly hugged me from behind and said, "I know. ”

The moment he got close to me, I trembled, then turned my face slightly sideways, and whispered to him: "Life in the world, unsatisfactory nine times out of ten, not everything can be satisfied, and not everything can be controlled by the emperor's own strength," I said, I stopped, my eyes turned upward, and I glanced at him, "Please promise Zhen'er that in the future, if there are some things that disappoint the emperor greatly, the emperor must not assume that everything in life is hopeless, and the emperor must continue to work hard, Continue to live with hope. ”

After a while, Zaiyan's lips were softly pressed against my forehead, and she whispered to me, "Why did Zhen'er say this to me?" After a while, he lowered his eyes again, looked at me affectionately, and said, "Could it be that Zhen'er has already decided in her heart that the Beiyang Naval Division will lose to the Japanese Combined Fleet?" ”

Zai Yan doesn't know what will happen next, so it's normal to think like this, but where do I say these words just for a Beiyang sailor?

I shook my head slowly, "No, how can Zhen'er be sure that the Beiyang Naval Division will definitely lose," and said, "Zhen'er just doesn't want the emperor to be sad in the future, and everything must be prepared for the worst, isn't it?" ”

On the third day of the fall of Pyongyang, the Japanese Combined Fleet provoked a fierce naval battle in the Yellow Sea near Dadonggou at the mouth of the Yalu River, also known as the Battle of the Yellow Sea, a naval battle that had been seen in history books.

The Battle of the Yellow Sea was a decisive battle between the navies of both sides.

The first battle report from the Forbidden City said that on 15 July, shortly after the battle began, the flagship of the Beiyang Fleet, the "Dingyuan," had not been repaired for seven years because it had been in the water for 12 years, and the main gun turret caught fire, Ding Ruchang was burned, and the letter flag was destroyed. Ding Ruchang refused to be carried into the inner cabin by his entourage, and insisted on sitting on the deck to supervise the battle.

The four ships of the Japanese No. 1 Guerrilla Force took advantage of their speed advantage to attack the right flank of the Beiyang Fleet, "Chaoyong" and "Yang Wei", and the two ships were hit one after another and caught fire, and withdrew from the battle. The Japanese ship "Yoshino" was also hit by the Beiyang Fleet and caught fire, but was quickly extinguished.

At around noon, the "Chaoyong" sank, and Huang Jianxun fell into the water, and the "Left One" torpedo boat sailed close to the rescue, throwing a long rope to help, Huang Jianxun did not give up, and died calmly, and most of the officers and men on the ship also died heroically.

When the Japanese 1st Guerrilla Force circled the right flank of the Beiyang Fleet, this team also attacked with the main force of the Beiyang Fleet.

The Japanese warships "Hiei", "Akagi", "Fuso", and "Saikyo Maru" were intercepted by the Beiyang Fleet. "Dingyuan", "Laiyuan", and "Jingyuan" severely damaged the Japanese ships "Hiei" and "Akagi". The captain of the "Akagi" Sakamoto Yataro was killed. "Saikyo Maru" was hit hard.

Soon, the second battle report came in a hurry, and the battle situation seemed to be even more anxious, and the Japanese fleet circled behind the Beiyang Fleet and formed a flanking attack with the first guerrilla force. The Beiyang Fleet was attacked by the enemy, and the formation was even more chaotic. In the melee, the "Zhiyuan" ship, which had been rushing to the front of the Beiyang Fleet, was bombarded intensively by "Yoshino" and "Takachiho", and was injured in many places and tilted its hull. Ito ordered the first guerrillas to rescue "Akagi" and "Hiei".

And the most worrying thing is the last sentence above: "Yoshino" rushed to the front, and it was encountering the "Zhiyuan" ship that was on fire.

I can never forget Zai Xiang's slightly trembling fingertips when he held the battle report in the Qianqing Palace, he stayed up all night, just waiting for the third battle report, I don't know what he was thinking at this time, maybe he was hoping that at the last moment the Beiyang Navy Division could miraculously turn the tide of the battle, or maybe he prayed to the heavens that Deng Shichang could return safely and the Beiyang Navy Division would preserve its strength.

In the early morning of the next day, the news of the sinking of the "Zhiyuan" came from the third war report, and all the officers and men of the ship, except for seven, were rescued, and all the rest from Deng Shichang and down were martyred.

Reality is not a fairy tale, let alone a miracle, there will be no surprise from the sky, and there will be no help from the clouds.

After hearing the news, Zai Xiang was shocked, and immediately wrote a sacrificial text and an inscription in the imperial pen, and gave Deng Shichang the title of "Zhuang Jie Gong", posthumously awarded the title of "Prince Shaobao", and enshrined in the Jingshi Zhaozhong Temple.