Chapter 40 2. Empress Dowager Cixi summoned Li Hongzhang late at night

The fact that the Chinese army fought the French army in Vietnam has been a major event in Empress Dowager Cixi's mind for several months.As a woman in charge of the country, Cixi never had the ambition to make a big cause. To be honest, the coup in Xinyou year was also forced by Emperor Xianfeng's mistakes and Sushun's domineering. If Emperor Xianfeng hadn't been so narrow-minded, he kept the festivities between his brothers until he died, and had arranged for King Gong to be a seat among the ministers of Gu Ming; , clinging to Prince Gong's hand to say a few good words, entrusting him to assist the six-year-old orphan.If this is done, Prince Gong will not unite with Cixi, disregard the ancestral system and abolish the Minister Gu Ming.

If Sushun and the others were not so domineering and arbitrarily arbitrary, there would be no Queen Mother of the Two Palaces and the Prince of Jinzhi in the corner of their eyes, but they would take care of their dignity a little bit, with a little intention of helping each other to tide over difficulties, and they would not have forced Cixi to It is necessary to fight the fate of life and death with the ministers of Gu Ming. After 12 years of listening to politics behind the curtain, Emperor Tongzhi was 18 years old, and Cixi completely handed over power to her son.Unexpectedly, his son was not a good man, he handled state affairs hastily, and his personal status was even more menglang. During the more than a year since he was in power until his death, Cixi had to worry about his son.Once the son died, who would succeed him became the top priority in heaven and earth.After comparing and comparing, after thinking about it, I finally chose Zai Tian to succeed him and became Emperor Guangxu.

Guangxu was only four years old when he ascended the throne, and there were still more than ten years before he was in power at the age of eighteen. The Tongzhi Dynasty had already drawn a curtain for a dynasty. Obviously, at this time, everyone in the court and the field thought it was better for this curtain to continue to hang down. Manage state affairs again.In this way, wouldn't Cixi become a wise queen mother who cared about the country and the people and sacrificed herself for the public?Nor is it true. Cixi never thought of imitating Kangxi and Qianlong to go to Anbian Suiyuan and submit to Siyi, nor did she think of compiling "Kangxi Dictionary" and "Siku Quanshu" like them.She doesn't think much about these literary and martial arts that have been famous for generations.She is just passionate about power, and has a strong desire to rule, dictate, and satisfy her desires.She likes all men and women prostrate themselves in front of her, obediently obey her orders, and swear allegiance to her.She likes to intervene in everything, ranging from the strategy of the military garden to the marriage of a certain palace, she has to intervene and make decisions.Big and small matters, once she made a decision, they cannot be changed.

Cixi is such a woman, such a female ruler.She has extraordinary wit and intelligence, but she does not have profound knowledge and great insight; she has a strong desire for power, but she does not have grand ambitions and the courage to do great things; she has a supreme status, but she does not serve the country and the people. The public heart of seeking happiness. To be honest, there is more than one Empress Dowager Cixi in the history of mankind with such a ruler!They really failed the right time, place and people and the unparalleled opportunities for them to gather in the whole country!It's fine if they are mediocre, mediocre, and mediocre. What's even more hateful is that they use their stupidity, selfishness, arrogance, and violence to bring disaster to the country and the people by taking advantage of their unparalleled status and power. Pain and disaster have made history feel ashamed and shamed, and will make future generations lament!

As far as Cixi is concerned, she hopes that all foreigners will not provoke her, and she will not provoke foreigners, and they will live in peace with each other. She will be the only empress dowager in the Qing Empire with peace of mind, bossing her around and killing her.When the emperor came of age, the power was handed over to him.If he does things according to his own wishes, then let him continue to do them. If he does not suit his own wishes, let him do things differently, or even abolish him and establish a new one.However, it was these annoying, hateful, despicable and murderous foreigners who were endlessly looking for trouble, and felt sorry for her.

In the past twenty years, there have been countless teaching cases, large and small, as well as the dispute over the northeast border of Russia, the return of Ili City, Japan's occupation of the vassal state Ryukyu by force, interference in the vassal state of Korea, and from time to time this country wants to open a port, That country wants to borrow a piece of land and so on.Now, another incident in Vietnam came out. The French insisted that he wanted nothing more than to open a trade route into China.Cixi really didn't understand what these red-haired and blue-eyed foreigners thought.They keep saying that they are doing business and buying and selling, but buying and selling is a matter for both parties, and it is a matter of equal negotiation between those who are willing to sell and those who are willing to buy!If you are willing to sell but I am not willing to buy, or if you are willing to buy but I am not willing to sell, then it is not a good job. Why do you use force to force others?If foreigners are stupid, those boat guns of his are indeed well-made; if foreigners are not stupid, how come they don’t even understand such a simple truth?

Yidi is really Yidi.Thinking of this, Cixi shook her head again and again. Cixi knew little about Vietnam, which was far away from Yunnan and Guangxi.Later, there was trouble there, and the governors of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangdong reported to the court, and she knew that there was such a small country with a fatuous monarch, corrupt officials, and ignorant people, and then she knew that this country sent some tribute to the court every year, and the court's rewards It is more than ten or twenty times larger than its tribute.It is recognized as a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty in name, but in fact, the imperial court cannot intervene in all major matters such as the replacement of the imperial court, the succession of the throne, the appointment and dismissal of officials, and the collection of taxes. Instead, it has to bear the responsibility of protecting it from foreign aggression. .

Cixi couldn't figure out why the ancestors carried this burden on themselves back then, and what benefit would this have for our Qing Dynasty?If it weren't for the fact that she lost the face of her ancestors, Cixi really didn't want to take care of this matter.Withdraw all the troops and let them go to Vietnam to deal with the French. My own affairs are already troublesome enough, so why bother to take care of other people's affairs! Therefore, in fact, the reason for the dismissal of the whole class of Prince Gong's Military Aircraft Department was not because of the loss of the two cities of Beining and Taiyuan in Vietnam, but because Cixi wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of Yiyi, who had been dissatisfied for a long time, and replace him with the one who coveted this position. That's all for a long time Yizhen.

It should be said that Cixi's big change of shift also has her own reasons.Yiyi has been in the country for more than 20 years, with a lot of history, his waist has become hardened, and he must have installed a lot of party members.In recent years, he has often made his own claims, and there is an obvious tendency to ostracize Empress Dowager Cixi.In a few years, the emperor will be in charge, and he will completely empty the emperor.Cixi had read Zhang Zhiwan's "Zhiping Baojian" compiled for her, and knew that in history, whenever the emperor was emptied, it was a time of national disaster.This is because: if the emperor is weak, he will be abolished by the powerful ministers, and if the emperor is strong, he will regain the lost power from the powerful ministers. No matter what the situation is, it will cause political turmoil and even war.This situation will not happen if the power of the military aircraft is in Yizhen's hands.Yizhen is obedient and will not make her own claims against her. Yizhen will never have second thoughts about his own son.

Cixi thought that she was thoughtful and thoughtful, so she decided to take this rare big move. Although there were many discussions inside and outside the court, she ignored them all.She pinned her hopes on the new Military Aircraft Department and asked them to finish the first important task when they came to power.The first major event was the Sino-French conflict in Vietnam.If this matter is done well, it will not only establish prestige for themselves and lay the foundation for governing the country in the future, but also win glory for her face. The first move of the new Military Aircraft Department after taking office was to dismiss Zhang Shusheng, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi who was ineffective, and promote Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Shanxi, as the new governor of Guangdong and Guangxi.Zhang Zhidong has worked hard in Shanxi for the past few years and has achieved outstanding results, which Cixi knows and appreciates.Zhang Zhidong's military affairs are tough on the outside world, and Cixi knew this from the Ili incident in the sixth year of Guangxu.Although he agrees with the appointment of the Military Aircraft Department, Zhang Zhidong is a civil servant from Hanlin without a soldier in the day after all. Can he be qualified for the task of commanding the army at the front line when the war is imminent?Cixi was not sure about this, and Cixi was even more unpredictable about the prospect of victory or defeat in the war between China and France.She was always looking forward to the day when a news would come suddenly: the war was over and everyone was reconciled.If there is such good news, then it is really Amitabha, blessed by the Buddha and blessed by the ancestors.

In the evening, after Cixi had dinner, she was playing Pai Gow with Li Lianying and two little princesses from Prince Li's Mansion who often came to serve her.At this time, the eunuch on duty at the internal affairs office came in and reported: "Li Hongzhang asks your Majesty to see you." "Hasn't Li Hongzhang been in Tianjin these few months? Is he in Tianjin now, or has he arrived in the capital?" Cixi spoke slowly while looking at the cards in her hand. "He arrived in the capital yesterday." "What's the matter?" Cixi still said slowly, and motioned to the little maid behind her to draw cards for her as usual. "It is said that France will send a special envoy to Tianjin to talk about peace..." "French talks?" Cixi interrupted the eunuch, and the cards in her hand were immediately put away. "Yes, talk about a peace treaty." "Send an order to summon Li Hongzhang in the Hall of Mental Cultivation in an hour's time!" "Hey!" The eunuch at the Neizuo office immediately passed on the edict.Soon, this decree was passed on to the Xianliang Temple near the Forbidden City.The queen mother made an exception and summoned her overnight, which not only showed that she attached great importance to this matter, but also showed that she was very interested in it.The former commander of the Huai Army, who had dealt with the Queen Mother for more than 30 years, thought about it like this, and he felt a little bit more confident in his heart. When it is dark in the Forbidden City, all the gates and small doors entering the palace are closed tightly, and big and thick door bars are added.In the daytime, under the sunlight, under the radiance of the feather-top python robe, the majestic and majestic three halls and the majestic green brick square fully express the dignity of the court and the wealth of the royal family, and the momentum is compelling.But when the night comes, it is completely different.There is not a single lamp in the three main halls, and it is dark, just like the three shrines of the former Ming emperors moved from Changping.There is no light on the blue brick square; it is empty and dark, like an ancient battlefield where countless souls died, giving people a sense of desolation and sadness.There have always been many strange rumors in the palace, and the eunuchs are particularly timid and suspicious.Therefore, at night, there is no one to be seen here.The heaven in the daytime has become hell at this moment. However, this is only the first half of the Forbidden City, as for the second half, there is still some human anger.The East and West Twelve Palaces on both sides of the Qianqing Palace, Kunning Palace, and Jiaotai Palace, as well as the Imperial Garden, have always been called the Harem, where the emperor, concubines, princes, and princesses lived and lived.In the dynasties before the Xianfeng Dynasty, especially those of Kangxi and Qianlong, the emperor reigned for a long time, lived a long life, had many concubines, and even more sons and grandsons, and the harem was bustling.At night, the lights are bright, children laugh and laugh, and there is no lack of family happiness in the Forbidden City.In particular, Lord Qianlong, the master of the Wufu Hall who is known as the perfect old man, is even more vigorous and romantic. Every night in the concubine's womb where he lives, there must be strings, bamboos, strings and strings singing endlessly. , Turning the harem at night into an overseas fairy island with singing and dancing. After the Xianfeng Dynasty, the harem was just like the national destiny of the Qing Dynasty. One dynasty was not as good as one, and each year was not as good as one year.Emperor Xianfeng passed away at thirty, leaving only one son and one daughter. The son was born to Emperor Tongzhi by Cixi, and the daughter was born to another concubine, Concubine Li.Because Emperor Xianfeng died early, the team of concubines had not had time to grow.Compared with the Daoguang dynasty, the harem has been greatly neglected. Empress Dowager Cixi combines the jealousy of a woman, the perversion of a widow, and the power of a king. The small world of the harem was originally the place where she was in charge, and now it has become a piece of fish on her chopping board, at her mercy.Among the concubines left behind by Emperor Xianfeng who had competed with her for favor, which one saw her not like a mouse seeing a cat, trembling with fear and sincerity?Not to mention the night, the harem is deserted even during the day. Emperor Tongzhi died at the age of nineteen, and the empress was forced to die for her husband, leaving behind a few unclear concubines who had no status in the harem.He is only fourteen years old today, and he hasn't thought of wanting a woman yet.Concubine Li's daughter went out of the palace to marry Fu Zhen as early as the eighth year of Tongzhi.From the eighth year of Tongzhi to the present fifteen or sixteen years, there has never been a prince or princess in the huge backyard of the Forbidden City.People sigh behind their backs: How could the main line of the heirs of the Qing Dynasty wither to such an extent?Is this the oppression of the back court by the bad luck of the country as shown by the front court?Even the old concubines, who were suppressed by Cixi, put the blame on her, sneering and talking secretly: the yin energy has always been too strong, and the yang energy has declined. In which generation has there been such a strong and domineering queen mother ?No wonder the Miao people in the Qing Dynasty were not prosperous! Whether you sigh or criticize, the backyard of the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty has been deserted for many years. Everyone pins their hopes on this unmarried Emperor Guangxu. I hope he will have more concubines and raise children. It is best to be like King Wen of Zhou. In that way, he would give birth to a hundred princes and revive the glory of the harem back then! However, that remains to be seen, as for now it remains the same.At night, it was even more deserted than during the day. Whether it was concubines, maids of honor, or eunuchs, they all retreated into their respective palaces early and never came out again.The entire backyard was silent. From the outside, compared with the lifeless front court, there were only a few more lights and a few eunuchs patrolling the night. But there is the only exception, and that is the Hall of Mental Cultivation.From the first day of listening to the government behind the curtain, this palace, which originally belonged to the backyard system, became the number one building in the entire Forbidden City.This is because Cixi lived here.All the officials of the Qing Dynasty who are qualified to meet the Holy Majesty kowtow three times to her here; all the military and state plans of the Qing Dynasty are formulated here and issued from here.Here, the princes and ministers are constantly flowing during the day, and the lights are brightly lit at night, and the security is strict.However, Cixi usually does not do business at night, she is very good at taking care of herself, and she goes to bed just after Xu o'clock every night.But today Cixi wanted to summon Li Hongzhang at night.The maids and eunuchs in the Hall of Mental Cultivation were all guessing that the Empress Dowager must have urgent military affairs to discuss with Li Zhongtang. A brand-new dark green sedan chair was parked by the Jingyun Gate on the east side of the Forbidden City. Li Hongzhang, dressed in a first-grade official uniform, walked out of the sedan chair with a solemn expression.He casually took out a large golden pocket watch from his left sleeve pocket and looked at it. The hour hand was exactly pointing to seven o'clock.This is a Swiss watch, which was given by Zeng Jize, the Minister and Minister in England and France.Li Hongzhang liked to use foreign things, and even liked to take foreign medicine when he was sick, saying that foreign medicine was simple and effective.He has been using this pocket watch for four or five years, and he carries it with him anytime and anywhere, and he has developed the habit of taking it out to look at it every once in a while. The Jingyun Gate has been opened, and several guards with dangling swords and guns stand on both sides.In recent years, the eunuch Li Lianying, who was greatly favored by Empress Dowager Cixi and rose rapidly in rank, had already been waiting at the door. Seeing that Li Hongzhang had walked out of the sedan chair door, she hurriedly bowed to meet him.Because of Li Lianying's extraordinary status, many ministers treated him with courtesy.Some wanted to follow him and seek a shortcut to promotion; some didn't want to curry favor, but just to prevent him from saying unfavorable things in front of the queen mother, so they had to pretend to him.Li Lianying has been in the palace for a long time and has seen many princes and ministers. He also knows how capable these princes are.To be honest, Li Lianying looked down on many of these mighty figures in the Qing Dynasty, and not many of them really made him feel admirable from the bottom of his heart, but among the few, there were The Xiangguo Lord in front of him.In Li Lianying's eyes, Li Hongzhang was truly all-rounder in both civil and military affairs who had the ability to govern the country, secure the country and stabilize the world. Even his aura was not comparable to that of ordinary people. "Old Xiangguo, it's hard work for you to come to the palace at such a late hour!" Such words, Li Lianying usually said to those princes and ministers, but only he himself knew that what he usually said was just polite, but tonight this sentence was spoken from the heart. "The country is full of troubles, so we have to work harder. Manager Li, how are you doing recently?" Li Hongzhang didn't want to offend the favored slave next to the queen mother, so a rare smile appeared on his face. "Thanks to the old Xiangguo, it's okay." Li Lianying was grateful for the care of this person whom he admired, so she approached Li Hongzhang and stretched out a hand to support Li Hongzhang. "It's getting dark, old Xiangguo is walking slowly." Li Lianying took care of Li Hongzhang in a tone that was close to how she usually spoke to Cixi.At the same time, he ordered loudly to a group of eunuchs nearby, "Light up the lanterns and lead the way for the old Xiangguo!" So the eight red palace lanterns were lit together.Six lights opened the way in front, and two guards behind. In the middle, Li Lianying personally supported Li Hongzhang, crossed the Jingyun Gate, and walked towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.The attendants and bearers brought by Li Hongzhang's family were all stopped outside the door. Li Lianying supported Li Hongzhang on this road, which was the dividing line between the front court and the backyard in the Forbidden City.Looking towards the Zhonghe Hall on the left, there is a palpitating darkness; looking towards the Qianqing Gate on the right, there are only a few scattered sparks.The Beiyang minister who was born as a Ci minister suddenly came up with two lines of poems from the Tang Dynasty: "When the tide falls and the river is slanting in the moon, the two-star fire is Guazhou." He laughed in his heart: Tonight, walking in the Forbidden City When meeting the Empress Dowager, why didn't I have the experience of "the sound of swords following the steps of the jade, and the clothes and clothes provoke the incense of the imperial furnace", but this feeling came out for no reason! Passing through this dark dividing line, you come to the entrance of West Changjie, where the lights are obviously much brighter.When Li Hongzhang stepped over the Zunyi Gate and entered the front yard of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his eyes were dazzled for a while.It turned out that the lights here were brightly lit, as bright as day.Following Li Lianying, Li Hongzhang walked into Dongnuan Pavilion and stood still outside the curtain. After a while, Li Lianying lifted the curtain and said to Li Hongzhang outside the door: "Old Xiangguo, the queen mother asked you to come in." Li Hongzhang stepped into the threshold, stood still, then knelt down, took off the hat decorated with red coral and peacock feathers with double eyes and peacock feathers, put it aside, and kowtowed.Standing up again, holding the hat in his left hand, he took a few steps forward, came to the queen mother, knelt down again, put the hat on the floor tile at hand, and shouted in an official accent with a strong Huaibei accent: "Your servant Li Hongzhang kowtows to you!" Queen Mother, I wish the Queen Mother a long life without bounds!" "Get up!" Cixi said softly, and then told Li Lianying who was standing by the door, "Bring Li Zhongtang a stool." "Thank you Empress Dowager for your kindness, I dare not sit down." Li Hongzhang was so touched by Cixi's special care that his blood rushed.Li Lianying quickly brought an exquisite catalpa wood square stool and placed it next to Li Hongzhang.Li Hongzhang still didn't dare to get up. "Li Hongzhang, you are a veteran of the four dynasties who are over sixty years old. Tonight, you are not shouting like usual. You can talk for a longer time. Just sit down and talk slowly!" Li Hongzhang has led troops to fight in all directions for many years, and has a cheerful personality. After thinking about it, the queen mother said the same thing: I am sixty-two years old this year, and I have made great contributions to the court. I can't afford to sit and talk to the queen mother tonight. .After thinking about it this way, he stood up, put the double-eyed flower plume red coral hat on his head straightly, and then sat down on the catalpa wood stool. "Li Hongzhang, you want to tell me something about the French government, please tell me!" "I just want to report this matter to the Queen Mother." Li Hongzhang straightened his back and glanced at the queen mother.Unexpectedly, this look stopped Li Hongzhang's performance for a moment.In terms of fame and merit, Li Hongzhang is undoubtedly the number one person in the world today, but he did not meet Cixi many times.This is because Li Hongzhang has always been a foreign official, not an internal minister, especially because he has never served in the military aircraft department.Since the ninth year of Tongzhi, he has been the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang.The Zhili Governor's Yamen is in Baoding, and the Beiyang Minister's Yamen is in Tianjin.Li Hongzhang lived in Baoding and Tianjin for many years. It was not a particularly important thing. He usually did not come to the capital; even if he lived in the capital sometimes, he could not see the Queen Mother every time.As for the discussions between the imperial court and Li Hongzhang, there are naturally many things, but they are all through newspaper exchanges and do not require face-to-face meetings. When Ci'an was alive, when the empress dowagers of the two palaces summoned their ministers, they all lowered the curtains.Even if the ministers kneeling outside the curtain wanted to see the queen mother's beautiful face, it was impossible.After Ci'an passed away, Cixi removed the curtain.But the ministers and workers must not only perform the etiquette of the emperor and ministers, but also guard against men and women. What's more, the atmosphere is solemn and the time is short when they are summoned. How dare you sneak a peek at the queen mother who dropped the curtain?If you offend her, do you still want your head? Li Hongzhang is no exception.During the usual summons, he did not dare to look directly at the Queen Mother.Cixi's holy face only existed in his imagination, not in his memory. Tonight's glance, both from a very close distance and at the same level, really saw the queen mother clearly: under the brilliant palace lanterns, the queen mother was as beautiful as the legendary Chang'e, dignified and elegant, with a dignified bearing.The imperial court issued an edict at the beginning of the year, saying that October this year is the Queen Mother's 500,000th birthday, and a grand celebration will be held to bless her.A fifty-year-old woman, without any wrinkles on her face, her face is radiant, like a young lady.Li Hongzhang was secretly amazed.He thought of his aunt, who was not yet fifty years old, and she was also a top beauty when she entered the door, but now she is far behind her later mother.Is it the nobility of motherhood bestowed on her by God, or is there a secret recipe for beauty in spring hidden in the palace?Li Hongzhang didn't have time to think about these issues in his mind. He had to report to the queen mother a much more important matter than this. "Heard sent a telegram from Shanghai to Tianjin, saying that the French government had sent a special envoy named Freneau, who had arrived in Shanghai accompanied by De Trilin, and was about to come to Tianjin to meet with the minister and discuss the conclusion of a Sino-French bilateral agreement. State treaty." "The French government is going to make peace with us?" Every day I look forward to the end of the Vietnam War as soon as possible, but unexpectedly, France sent an envoy to make peace!Cixi couldn't hold back the joy in her heart, so she interrupted Li Hongzhang's words. "Yes, France intends to make peace." Li Hongzhang has dealt with foreigners for many years, and he knows the temperament of foreigners very well.France's war in Vietnam was a defeat for the Chinese, and they did not suffer a big loss.Obviously, the purpose of signing the treaty at this time is to take advantage of the victory to obtain more benefits from us, not to actively seek peace. If we insist on a peace treaty, it is only an alliance under the city.He didn't want to impress Cixi, so he answered according to her words. "Did Hurd say what conditions they offered?" In fact, Cixi is very clear-headed, and she also knows that the French will not come here for no reason. "Heard's telegram said a few things." Heard's telegram was in his sleeve pocket, but he could neither take it out, let Cixi read it by himself, nor read it by himself.He has an excellent memory, even though he is old, the content of the telegram has long been remembered in his heart. "The first is to open up Yunnan, the second is not to restrict France's rights in Vietnam, the third is to compensate military expenses, and the fourth is to transfer Zeng Jize. The main points are these few." Cixi didn't make a sound after hearing this, and she was thinking in her heart: It's not a very bad thing to open up Yunnan and let them come in to do business.Whatever the French do in Vietnam, it’s better not to worry about it. It’s better to have one thing less than one thing more.Zeng Jize offended the French government because of the main battle, so he might consider another one.The difficulty lies in the compensation. What the court lacks now is money.Besides, they started the war, and in the end they have to pay us money, which is hard to swallow!After Cixi pondered for a while, she decided to listen to Li Hongzhang's opinion first. "Li Hongzhang, tell me, which of these French conditions can we accept and which cannot?" Li Hongzhang, who was old in the officialdom, was not surprised by Cixi's question.When he was young, his official position was low, and he was often questioned by his superiors when reporting. After one or two embarrassments, he gained experience: he thought carefully before reporting, and prepared several different opinions in his mind. Name one of them.Because of this, Li Hongzhang was often praised by his superiors, so his official career was prosperous.After being middle-aged and old, when the official position is high, he often uses other people's tricks. First, he is inspired by the answers of his subordinates, and second, he uses this to inspect subordinates. Regarding the war in Vietnam, he had already had his own opinion. After listening to King Gong’s opinion yesterday, he felt more confident, so he replied confidently: “Reporting to the Queen Mother, according to my opinion, this time it is a This is a good opportunity, we must finalize this peace treaty, the sooner the flames of war are extinguished, the sooner the country will live in peace, and the sooner you, Queen Mother, can rest assured." "That's right, you've been fighting for most of your life, it's better not to fight." Cixi sighed. "The queen mother is wise!" Li Hongzhang complimented immediately, "I have fought battles and military affairs for most of my life, and I have realized this truth from it: the country must be prepared for war, and war must be on guard. This is the first; second, Don’t fight if you can’t fight it, and stop it if you can stop it as soon as possible.” , "That makes sense." Cixi nodded in approval. "That's why I think these conditions from France are acceptable. As long as the war ceases as soon as possible, everything can be discussed." "The matter of compensation must be discussed carefully." Cixi interrupted Li Hongzhang, "The imperial court is short of money, so it is best not to pay, and pay as little as possible." "Yes." Li Hongzhang seized this opportunity to ask for instructions, "I also ask the Empress Dowager to instruct you on the other points." "Did Zeng Jize quarrel with the French?" Cixi asked Li Hongzhang, "Why can't the French allow him to live there?" "Zeng Jize has a straightforward personality, and he may have offended the French in his speech. He is a minister. If there is any disagreement with the country where he is stationed, it is better to transfer him away." Zeng Jize is not only the teacher's son, but also a gentleman with virtue and talent. Li Hongzhang thinks highly of him and regards him as his brother.What Li Hongzhang admired most about Zeng Jize was that he knew foreign languages. He could not only read foreign books, but also speak foreign languages. He was the first-class talent among the ministers sent by the imperial court to various countries. In his later years, Zeng Guofan personally hired two Englishmen as tutors to teach English to his two sons, Ji Ze and Ji Hong.At that time, Jize was in his thirties, and learning English was very difficult, but following his father's order, he bit the bullet and learned it.A few years later, it was really English that helped him and made great contributions to the country.Every time he thought of this, Li Hongzhang expressed his admiration for the teacher's foresight from the bottom of his heart, and imitated the teacher, and invited foreigners to come to his home to teach his son.When my sons are not studying hard, I use Zeng Jize's example to enlighten my sons, and it really inspires my sons a lot. Thinking of this, Li Hongzhang added another sentence: "Zeng Jize has worked hard abroad these years and has done a lot of good things for the country. In my opinion, he should give a special mention after returning to China." "So who can take over for him? Do you have someone suitable?" Her Majesty apparently accepted this.Li Hongzhang immediately replied: "The position of French minister is the most important right now, and it cannot be vacant for a day. It will also be very important in the future, and there must be a considerable talent. In my opinion, you might as well transfer Li Fengbao, the minister to Germany, from Berlin. Paris, act as an acting French envoy to handle daily affairs, and the court will slowly choose someone to take over." "This arrangement is fine." Cixi nodded slightly. "What is the name of the French envoy you mentioned just now, and who is this man?" "The envoy sent by France is called Fuluno, and I have dealt with him before." "Have you met before?" "I have met." Li Hongzhang replied, "Fluno is a naval captain. Three years ago, his ship stopped at Tanggu Wharf for a month, and he visited the Beiyang yamen of the minister. I met and talked with him. " Cixi smiled slightly and said: "It seems that foreigners also talk about old friendships. They sent this captain because he had acquaintances with you. Since he is an acquaintance, it is easier to talk. You can tell this old friend of yours. , Let’s cancel one of the compensations, and everything else is easy to discuss.” Li Hongzhang was taken aback: The queen mother spoke too lightly.Man said that once acquaintances cannot be considered old friends, even if they are old friends, can they avoid the compensation of several million taels of silver?France is not his!What's more, Li Hongzhang knew that foreigners were different from Chinese people in that they were generally loyal to their duties and valued national interests, and rarely accepted bribes at the expense of national interests.But he couldn't say too much to the empress dowager who didn't understand foreign affairs, so he could only answer: "I must use this relationship to have a good talk with him, and try to cancel the compensation as much as possible. The less the better, it won’t cause my Qing Dynasty to suffer.” "Just talk to him about it." Cixi finally made an explanation for the French envoy to come to negotiate, and Li Hongzhang felt relieved for a while.He thought in his heart: It's time to talk to the Queen Mother about what King Gong ordered, how to talk about it? "Li Hongzhang, you have been doing foreign affairs for many years. Let me ask you a question: How far is the military power of the Qing Dynasty from the foreigners? Can we fight against them? There is no one else tonight, just tell me truth." Although this issue is important, Li Hongzhang has already had a plan in his mind.On weekdays, what he hates the most are those who know neither foreign countries nor the strength of their own country. When encountering disputes with foreigners, they talk about fighting foreigners to the death.Although the Empress Dowager is well-informed, she is sometimes swayed by such arguments.Li Hongzhang felt that he was favored by the Empress Dowager and shouldered the heavy responsibility of the court, so he had the responsibility to explain this important matter in a down-to-earth manner. Li Hongzhang straightened his waist, and said with a serious face: "Reporting to the Queen Mother, I have been ordered by the Queen Mother to do foreign affairs for more than 20 years. I bought a lot of Western guns for the imperial army, and bought a lot for the northern and southern oceans. Iron-clad ships, our military strength is indeed much stronger than when we fought long-haired twigs before, but we are still far behind when compared with foreigners. If we really go to war with foreigners, we will be sure of success Very little. In my opinion, it will take at least 30 to 50 years for the Qing Dynasty to catch up with the foreigners. During these 30 to 50 years, we must try our best to avoid wars with foreigners in order to develop In the past, Goujian, king of Yue, tried his best and educated his subjects with the words of "ten years of gathering together, ten years of lessons". Later, he finally avenged himself. We must have the vision and perseverance of Goujian. It's just that foreigners are a hundred times stronger than Fuchai, the king of Wu. Therefore, I believe that twenty years is not enough for our Qing forces to deal with foreigners today, and we need thirty to fifty years of preparation." Cixi didn't read much, but she still knew the allusion of "Lying on salary and tasting courage", and she also admired Goujian, King of Yue.She took Li Hongzhang's words seriously. "So, our war with the French depends on your peace talks with that captain." Li Hongzhang hurriedly replied: "I must live up to the Queen Mother's expectations, and make this peace talk a success." "Those who advocate opening war against foreigners are not all floating." Cixi pressed the long gold finger sleeve on her left ring finger and said, "Zhang Zhidong is tough on foreigners, and he is also doing things with sincerity. He went to Guangdong and Guangxi, hoping that he would replace Zhang Shusheng and shake up the military affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi. The peace talks in Tianjin must be discussed, and the defenses of Guangxi and Yunnan cannot be relaxed." "The empress dowager is wise! Foreigners are deceitful, so be on guard. Guangxi and Yunnan must not let their guard down." Li Hongzhang thought, finally seeing his chance.He continued, "Zhang Zhidong is a formidable young man. The empress dowager promoted him to be the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, which shows that the empress dowager used the military affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi to experience his painstaking efforts. I think there are still a few people who are young and talented. It is expected to store great talents for the country." "Tell me, how many are there?" Cixi was very interested in this. "The first one is Zhang Peilun. This man has great ambition and talent, and he is the number one young talent among the courtiers." Li Hongzhang put on an air of sincere recommendation. In the past two years, Cixi had a very good impression of Zhang Peilun.The year before last, he personally nominated him as the left deputy capital envoy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and he intended to train him as the Minister of Military Aircraft. The concern was also that his local experience was not enough, so he should be honed.She asked: "What do you think Zhang Peilun would do best?" "Send him to Fujian to handle maritime affairs." Li Hongzhang had already thought about where the few people proposed by King Gong had gone yesterday, and now he proposed it without thinking. "Fujian's coast is long and wide, and the situation is critical. However, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, He Jing, is not very effective. He needs someone who can help him. Zhang Peilun is good at military affairs, so he just happens to be his assistant in coastal defense." "Fujian's coastal defense is becoming more and more important now. Two days ago, Liu Mingchuan came to tell us that the French navy might attack Taiwan. It's just that Zhang Peilun has never had naval experience. Can he do coastal defense?" "I thought Zhang Peilun was doing it." Li Hongzhang, who had been in the army for more than 20 years, didn't know that war was not on paper but on the battlefield.If Zhang Peilun's military memorial is well written, he may not be able to lead troops to fight.But since ancient times, scholars who are good at discussing soldiers have come forward to lead troops, including Zhao Kuo, who was completely annihilated, and Guan Zhong, who defeated the enemy and won the hegemony.张佩纶有可能是赵括，也有可能是管仲。李鸿章既然对他又爱又恼，也就没有一定要把他往死里整的念头。倘若出息了，为国家玉成一个人才；倘若证实无用，也可为自己去一政敌。 “太后，不妨将张佩纶派去福建试一试。据说何璩也器重他的才学，他们会合作好的。” 慈禧点了点头，没有做声。 “南洋水师眼下最缺一个得力的襄助。南洋水域与福建海疆相连，张佩纶既出任福建海防的会办，那南洋水师的会办就非用他的好友不成。故臣以为，常与他会衔上折言事的陈宝琛，可放南洋水师会办。” 对于陈宝琛，李鸿章只有恼恨，没有怜才之念。昨夜，他为陈宝琛想了一个极好的去处：南洋会办。近日上任的南洋大臣，乃有名的曾老九曾国荃。此人，李鸿章是知之极深的。 曾国荃虽与曾国藩一母同胞，为人处事却判若两人。李鸿章永远记得：当年老九为了抢天下第一功，带着吉字营五万人马，匆匆忙忙去围有着九十里城墙的江宁城。围了近两年时间，几乎没有进展，为了尽快打下江宁，塞天下悠悠之口，曾国藩请用全副洋枪洋炮武装的淮军前去援助。李鸿章答应了。正欲启程，突然传来曾老九派人捎带的话：吉字营用死了几千人的代价，才熬来攻进城门的好时机，你李少荃若来争功，我与你先在城外分个高低！ 李鸿章深知这个倔犟过人的老九是说得出做得出的，赶紧打消前去江宁的念头。他写了一封信给老师：盛夏之际，洋火药不灵，淮军不能奉命，江宁还是让吉字营独家打吧！洋火药盛夏不灵，这岂不是笑话一句！曾国藩知道是弟弟在作梗，也便不再勉强李鸿章了。 若说伴君如伴虎的话，那么伴这个曾老九就如伴狼伴鹰一般。若不是出自吉字营又能见他的眼色行事的人，简直无法与他相处融洽。一旦惹怒了他，他会毫不留情地将你打下去。当年他做湖北巡抚，连身为大学士的满人湖广总督官文都被他逼得离开武昌。你想想，一个书生出身的年轻文人，来做他手下的水师会办，他会将这人放在眼里吗？如果说，将张佩纶派给翰林出身的何璩做助手，成与败还未可料定的话，那么，将书呆子陈宝琛派给血火中打出的曾国荃做会办，则无异于将他推上刀山，推进虎口，几乎不存在半点成功的可能。 不料慈禧对这个推荐倒是一口答应：“曾国荃围城打冲锋是把好手，但与洋人斗智斗谋略的本事不够，陈宝琛虑事周到，给他去做个助手，倒是极合适的。” “太后英明。”李鸿章赶紧恭维一句后，又提出一个新人事设想来，“俄国政府几次提出要跟我们把东北交界地区重新勘查一次，将中俄分界线划定，以便今后双方为领土问题少一点纠纷。臣一直在寻思此事，这得有一个精于地理的人主持才是。” “是呀！”慈禧接言，“此事之所以迟迟未答应的原因，就是找不出这样一个人来，你以为谁能胜任此事？” “吴大澂。”李鸿章立即回答。 为吴大澂的去处，李鸿章昨夜颇费了不少脑筋，结果终于为他觅到了这个“美差”。这是件极苦极累又极不讨好的事。俄国人横暴强梁，只知以势凌人，根本不去与你理论什么历史沿革。吴大激那一肚子古地理之学，在俄国人面前，正应得上一句俗话：秀才遇了兵，有理讲不清。让他和老毛子去怄气吧，谁要他专爱说别人的风凉话！ “太后，吴大澂治古地理学三十余年，他本人就是一本活地图。臣对他的这门学问，也是敬佩不已，让他去办这种事，真是人尽其才。先派他去东北，与俄国人踏勘分界地段。明年还可以派他去云南、广西，与法国人踏勘中越两国的分界地段。让他一展平生才学，于国于己都是很有利的。” 听到这儿，慈禧“扑哧”一声笑了起来，说：“没有想到，吴大激这门旧学问，倒还真的派上大用场了。李鸿章，你今夜一口气荐了三个人才，可见你平日于此是存了心的。昨天召见世铎，要他提出两个人来接替徐延旭和唐炯，他支支吾吾的半天，到底也没正经说出个名儿来，真让我失望。” 能说出个子丑寅卯的人，近支亲王里也还有几个，谁要你听信醇王，挑一个这样的窝囊废来做军机处的领班呀！这些话当然只能在李鸿章的肚子里嘀咕着，嘴面上还得另外说：“礼王爷遇事深谋远虑，不像臣这样想到哪儿就说到哪儿。” 慈禧也清楚，与李鸿章相比，世铎自然是樗栎庸材，但普天之下，能有几棵李鸿章这样的擎天大树呢！ “李鸿章，军机处换了人马，这也是无可奈何的事儿。世铎这人老实，办事的才能是要比奕沂差些。不过，阎敬铭、张之万都是前朝旧臣了，可以帮衬点。你比起他们来，历事又更多。还望你以国家重臣的身分，在外多多体贴朝廷的艰难，协助军机处。张之洞到底年轻不大懂兵事，关于与法国人打交道的事儿，你以后还要多多开导开导他。为国家培育人才，不光是朝廷的责任，也是你等老臣的责任。今夜里就谈到这儿，若还有要说的，明儿个再递牌子吧！” 李鸿章走出遵义门时，紫禁城里已经是夜色深沉了。后宫的几盏稀疏的灯火早已熄灭，天上也没有月亮星星，上下内外一片锅底似的黑暗。一阵夜风吹来，他觉得浑身凉飕飕的。若不是周围有宫灯在护送着，这个刀枪堆里杀出来的前淮军统帅，也都会生出几分恐惧感来。