As soon as the days passed, it was the scorching August again, although the Beiyang Navy had a scale, but it was also a long time before Cixi was preparing for the longevity celebration, Zai Xiang was overwhelmed in the previous dynasty for a while, the external situation became more and more tense, but the old Eight Banners Green Battalion could not be transformed, and the new Yong Battalion Hunan Army and Huai Army, one had long been half-crippled, and the other was gloomy, and was repeating the mistakes of the Green Battalion. The so-called military training is just a shadow.

At such a critical time when money is needed everywhere, an unprecedented sixty years of longevity celebration is held for Cixi, Zai Yan was already displeased, but no one expected that a full million taels was not enough for Cixi to stuff her teeth. Listening to Zai Xiang, the annual fiscal revenue of the Qing Dynasty is only about 5,000 taels, and every expenditure is also fixed.

But Rao is like this, Cixi is still not satisfied, the household department has to allocate another three million taels when he sees this, I don't have to think about it I know that this must contain the Beiyang military funds that have been secretly embezzled, and the officials at all levels at all levels have reported a total of about one million taels of incorruptible silver, and the officials and businessmen have also reported nearly two million taels, and all provinces, regardless of size and wealth, are required to report 30,000 taels, and the total of the eighteen provinces is 540,000 taels, and it must be 7 million taels to say the least.

In fact, it was just a sixtieth birthday, and it would cost seven million taels. It can be seen how willing Cixi is to spend money for herself and how luxurious her life is.

A few days later, Cixi used 1 million taels of people allocated by the household department to restore Qingyi Garden and renamed it "Summer Palace".

Zai Xiang saw one statistical table after another reported by the household department in the Heart Cultivation Hall every day, and his eyes were so angry that his eyes were stuffy red. About this day, he couldn't bear it anymore, so he angrily picked up the porcelain cup at hand and threw it at the wall.

I was sitting on the chair next to me reading a book, and suddenly I heard a crisp sound in my ears, and when I raised my eyes, I saw that Zaiyan's face was extremely angry, and there seemed to be fire in his eyes, so I got up and walked over and said, "Your Majesty, since it is imperative, don't stop talking with this teacup that can't speak." ”

Zai Xiang's index finger buckled twice on the watch, frowned and said: "A hundred taels of silver for a sixty years celebration is not enough at this juncture, and the Qing Dynasty system has added nearly six million taels from top to bottom!" After a while, he looked at me, tried his best to suppress the anger in his chest, and laughed: "Six million taels! He was able to donate 6 million taels! If it weren't for Galeries Lafayette's celebration, I wouldn't have expected it! A few days ago, when I proposed to add military funds to the Beiyang Navy on the grounds that the situation was tense and I was afraid of a war, what kind of faces did these people have, how did they speak to me in the court, how they were wronged and admonished that they were overwhelmed everywhere, and they really couldn't come up with the money, and how much did the next court persuade me to dispel my thoughts," he said, he snorted coldly, "It's really disgusting to think about it at the moment! ”

While picking up the broken but sharp piece on the ground, I smiled and comforted: "Your Majesty, it has always been that the darker the night is, the brighter the stars," after a while, I glanced at Zai Yan and asked in a good voice, "Has the emperor heard the story of covering his ears and stealing the bell?" ”

Zai Yan came over and grabbed me, "Don't pick it up, be careful of hurting you, just call Fan Changlu to come over and clean it up later." ”

I smiled lightly, "If the emperor doesn't want to hurt the minions in the future, don't drop these porcelain brittles again," Seeing that he lowered his eyes slightly and nodded again, I gradually felt at ease, he was afraid that the fragments would hurt me, of course I was also afraid of hurting him, just after a while, I looked at him and continued, "The emperor hasn't answered the minions yet!" ”

Zai Yan took a deep breath, slowly raised his eyes, and then wrinkled his eyebrows, "Naturally, I have heard it." ”

I turned around and carefully placed the broken piece in my hand on the small table, turned around and smiled gently: "In this case, why can't the emperor **?" And he said, "They are just a bunch of thieves who cover their ears and steal bells!" ”

Zai Yan couldn't help but sigh and shook his head, "It's good that they are the ones who cover their ears and steal the bell, but they also missed the Qing Dynasty!" ”

I hooked my gaze with my gaze, tilted my head slightly and said to him: "Since you are a thief who covers your ears and steals the bell, the food is tasteless, so it is not a pity to abandon it." ”

In the middle of August, there are foreign envoys into the palace to see, Zai Xiang is in the purple light pavilion to set up a few tables of banquet reception, the pavilion is several zhang high in the small hall of the group top, with yellow tiles, four wings on the left and right, the building is slightly lower, the tiles are all blue. The north and south perpendicular oblique corridors, hanging steps and descending, face like the city wall. The king, the beyler, the bezi, and the four pins were all at the table.

So, Cixi led the harem concubines to join in the excitement, saying that they didn't talk about political affairs at the banquet, but only about family affairs. There is a table on the porch under the door, on which a color of jade is displayed, and the items prepared for reward are placed on the corridor by dividing things into things and preparing for rewards, and ten purple pergolas are set up nearby, ready to be placed on the table and serving dishes.

At three o'clock, the Qiankun royal car ascended to the seat, the band played the middle and the music, and the people who sat inside and outside the pavilion were waiting on both sides of the main gate according to the seniority. After the promotion is completed, the neutralization is happy. All the people who went to the banquet were divided into batches to Zai Xiang and Cixi to bow three times and bow nine times, each returned to their seats, and the music rose again, the tea kitchen entered milk tea to each table, and the tea was given, and the music stopped, Fan Changlu first presented 15 kinds of rice flour stove food products to Zai Xiang, and placed them on the lacquered flower dining table, and placed five-inch yellow plates, forks, towels, etc., and the music started again. Zai Yan began to give wine to the princes, and at this time, all the princes and clans had to leave their seats, bow down, and accept the wine in turn. After the wine is given, the ceremony is stopped, and then the food is given.

At the banquet, Nanfu artists also have to act.

Laughing, suddenly a burly man with blond hair and blue eyes got up proudly and slowly stepped forward, dressed in emerald green and gold thread densely woven up and down tight-fitting clothes, his skin was as beautiful as the peach blossoms in the yard, his temperament was very reserved and precious, and he opened his mouth to be able to understand the Chinese language, I was quite surprised for a while, "My king entered the Qing Dynasty and came to visit the Qing Emperor." ”

He smiled on his face, neither bowed, nor bent his knees, just took off his hat and bent his waist slightly, before he could speak, he got up by himself, and then stood there straight, his hands and fists arched, it was a smile and greeting, he was used to groveling in the Forbidden City over the years, and when he saw such a scene at first glance, he actually felt both familiar and strange in his heart, but a warm temperature crossed his heart.

Zai Yan didn't pretend, only casually asked him a few words of foreign language, and the scene looked friendly.

It's just that Cixi was a little angry beside her, and she said loudly: "Since you have come to the Great Qing Dynasty to meet you, why don't you follow the rules of the Great Qing Dynasty to salute and ask the Holy Lord, let alone play your name, and speak to the Holy Lord like this, it's really bold!" ”

"John?? Wilson! ”

As he spoke, his two thick eyebrows also rippled casually.

Zai Yan waved his hand lightly and said, "Envoy John, take a seat!" ”

John?? Wilson looked suave, smiled and nodded, and as he walked past me, he looked at me lightly, and couldn't help but smile: "You are gorgeous!" ”