Chapter 126: Li Hongzhang's Strategy

As the Portuguese began to draw soldiers from their African colonies to their colonies in Goa, India, the war clouds on the East Indies began to grow thicker!

The attention of prime ministers, prime ministers, and presidents of all major countries in the world has gradually begun to increase on this island! And the major newspapers of various countries, which are the mouthpieces of zhèngfǔ, have also begun to comprehensively report all kinds of news about the East Indies!

And the Chinese People's Army, a new force that defeated the Dutch and fully occupied a large number of islands in the South Seas and the Pacific Ocean, began to appear in the eyes of various countries around the world along with these reports! Only then did everyone understand that such a powerful force had risen in the Far East!

With the continuous excavation of all kinds of intelligence in the South Seas by various countries, as well as the blockade of the islands that Huo Jiajun has released for the sake of economic development within its own territory! There has also become more and more information about the Huo Family Army in Nanyang in all aspects! Only then did everyone realize that all kinds of canned food that had swept Europe during this period were produced here and sold to the whole world by sea vessels! Moreover, the wide port, the clean and beautiful city, the continuous extension of railways and highways, as well as the various modern factories under construction and the hospitable Han people, also made most Europeans understand that the East Indies are not as backward as they imagined!

At this time, the news of the emergence of a powerful Chinese army in Nanyang, which was close at hand, also reached the ears of the officials of the Qing Dynasty, which had been in power for two hundred years!

――――――――

Li Lianying carefully used a fork to pick up a piece of apple and put it on the low couch lying on her back, and after the calm middle-aged woman put it in her mouth, she asked with a sneer: "Queen Mother, how about this canned food from Nanyang?"

"Well, it's sweet, it tastes good!" said the Empress Dowager Cixi slowly with a little satisfaction. Since half a year ago, after removing the Empress Dowager Ci'an and taking control of the imperial situation, she has become the de facto controller of more than 10 million square kilometers of land and nearly 40,000 people in the Qing Dynasty! She has reached the pinnacle of her life in terms of strength, status, and prestige! She has nothing to pursue except to ascend the throne of the Ninth Five-Year Plan and become the second empress in Chinese history! Of course, maintaining the stability of the imperial situation and ensuring the dominance of the Qing Dynasty is a necessary thing!

"It seems that those minions in Nanyang who do not obey the king's transformation still have some ability!" Cixi said thoughtfully. Some time ago, Li Hongzhang, the governor of the Zhili Command, once reported to her some situation of the Nanyang People's Army, but there are many Chinese who have always built a country in Nanyang, so she does not care too much about this Chinese force that does not even have a country! Moreover, there are too many Western powers around Nanyang, and she does not want to go to the troubled waters of Tang! Therefore, she does not care too much about this Chinese army that calls itself the Chinese People's Army!

However, from the canned food she ate today, she suddenly became a little interested in this group of Chinese forces in Nanyang!

"Little Lizi, pass on my decree and invite Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, to meet you!"

"Hey, the minion is going to call Master Li!"

Li Hongzhang was the governor of Zhili, a high-ranking member of the imperial court, the pillar of the Westernization faction within the Qing court, and the leader of the Huai system! Naturally, his mansion was not far from the imperial city!

Moreover, the Yamen of the Governor of Zhili is also located in the capital, so after waiting for more than half an hour, Li Hongzhang has already come to Cining Palace, where Cixi is located!

"Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili and the minister of trade in Beiyang, and a college student of the Wenhua Palace, knocked on the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother of the Virgin Mary Chitose! Seeing Cixi sitting on the low couch, Li Hongzhang hurriedly bowed and said! For this powerful woman who controlled the situation with one hand and was comparable to the Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty, he was afraid from the bottom of his heart! He did not dare to be the slightest negligent in etiquette, lest he invite disaster for himself!

Seeing that this minister of the Westernization faction was so respectful to herself, Cixi was also satisfied, and said with a smile: "No courtesy, flat body!"

"Thank you, the Queen Mother!"

"Little Lizi, move a chair and let Li Qing's family sit down!"

"Chirp!" Hearing her words, Li Lianying hurriedly commanded the two little eunuchs, moved the sandalwood Taishi chair, and put it next to Li Hongzhang!

After seeing Li Hongzhang sit down, Cixi asked with a smile: "Li Qing's family, the mourning family called you this time just to learn from you about the news of those fugitive slaves in Nanyang!"

"Yes, the Queen Mother, may I ask! The minister knows everything, and he has no end to his words!" Li Hongzhang arched his hands and replied respectfully!

"Well, the mourning family has already seen the excerpt you went on a few days ago! But is the situation in Nanyang really as serious as you said?"

"Empress Dowager Mingjian! Because the Nanyang Islands are not far from the Qing Dynasty itself, they have been the first choice for immigrants from the southeastern coastal provinces for several hundred years! Moreover, the remnants of the anti-Qing forces in the Qing Dynasty, such as the White Lotus Sect, the Tiandihui, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, have also fled to Nanyang under the strangulation of the imperial court, so it has become a gathering place for those who rebelled against the imperial court! Moreover, from the fact that this Chinese army in Nanyang openly flaunted the banner of 'Chinese people's army,' we can see their ambition to rebel against the imperial court! China, what is China! In the past, the Central Plains Dynasty of all dynasties was China, but now our Qing Dynasty is China! The 'Chinese People's Army' can be seen from this banner that they are a peasant rebel army formed by a group of mud-legged people! It is the same anti-thief army as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom a few decades ago!" Li Hongzhang said in a deep voice one by one.

Hearing his words, Cixi's face also sank! Now that she is in control of the imperial court, maintaining her rule is the first thing she has to consider! And any person or force that wants to overthrow the ruling position of the Qing Dynasty is her mortal enemy, and she will never be spared!

Seeing Cixi's face sank, the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids were also a little careful!

"Li Qingjia, what can you do to exterminate this group of rebellious ministers and thieves entrenched in Nanyang?" asked the Cixi God Sèyīn Shen.

"The queen mother! The minister thinks that we don't have to worry now!" Li Hongzhang hurriedly replied!

"Oh, what do Li Qing's families already have in mind?"

Although these rebels, who call themselves the People's Army, have defeated the Dutch troops stationed on these islands and occupied the entire East Indies, the 40,000 expeditionary force jointly formed by the Netherlands and Portugal has now reached India! Otherwise, they will launch an attack on the People's Army occupying the South Seas! When the time comes, it will be difficult for these mud-legged people to continue to hold on under the muskets and cannons of the foreigners! In this way, we will not spend a single soldier in the Qing Dynasty, and the Dutch and Portuguese will help us solve these rebels and traitors!" Li Hongzhang finally said with certainty!

After listening to his words, Cixi nodded with satisfaction, in the Second Opium War, she had really seen the amazing power of foreign guns and cannons of foreigners, and I believe that what Li Hongzhang said should be true!

As a matter of fact, most of Li Hongzhang's information was obtained from the embassies of various countries, and he also knew little about the Huo Jiajun in Nanyang, and he did not know the specific strength of the Huo Jiajun! These conclusions were just based on assumptions in his heart, which were really far from the facts!

"Li Qing's family, this matter will be supervised by you personally, if there is any new news in Nanyang, you must report it as soon as possible!"

"Yes, Queen Mother!"