Chapter 80 5. In Prince Gong’s Mansion, the defeated general vomited bitterness

Whether it is the living room, the conference hall or the study room in Prince Gong's Mansion, there are two types of Chinese and Western styles, and receptions are arranged separately according to the status and hobbies of the guests.When foreign guests visit, they are all arranged in the western-style living room, but there are exceptions.For example, Hurd, the chief tax officer of the Customs, is a standard British person, but he came to China at the age of 20 and has been working in China for 40 years. He claims to love China more than Britain, and has a deep love for ancient Chinese culture.Every time Hurd came to Prince Kung's Mansion, Yi Yi arranged to meet in the Chinese living room, and had to make special arrangements in advance to create a full Chinese atmosphere.Similarly, foreign guests are arranged in a Chinese-style living room, and those who like foreign things are arranged in a Western-style living room.King Gong knew that Li Hongzhang was an admirer of the West, and he often invited him to meet him in the Western-style living room or study.Li Hongzhang had just taken his seat in the exotic living room when Yi Yi came in.

"Li Hongzhang kneels to His Royal Highness." Li Hongzhang bowed and bowed, holding a big cap with a big red coral top in his left hand. Yi Yi hurriedly supported Li Hongzhang's arm, and said, "The middle hall is free of courtesy." After all, he looked at the veteran of the four dynasties who was being accused by all parties and was in trouble.Compared with the time we met in spring, Li Hongzhang was visibly thinner and haggard, with another layer of frost on his hair and beard.The seventy-one-year-old former leader of the Huai Army used to be tall and strong, but now he is a bit stooped.

"Zhongtang is old too!" Yi Yi thought these words deeply from his heart, then took Li Hongzhang's hand, sat down on the soft plush sofa together, and asked with concern: "How are you all these days?" "Oh, no matter how bad it is, you have to get through it!" Li Hongzhang seemed to have mixed feelings, and he didn't know where to start. "Now that the prince is back, everything is hopeful." Yiyi felt a real friendship different from Shiduo.In fact, his relationship with Li Hongzhang is indeed extraordinary. This unusual relationship is not only because of the long time the two of them have known each other, but also because of their congenial views on state affairs.When Emperor Xianfeng was still alive, the young Yiyi was famous in the court for opening the Bureau of Weaponry. He fit well with Wen Xiang, a famous and capable scholar and minister of military affairs. In major matters, he always has an open-minded attitude, which is completely different from those stubborn and conservative relatives of Manchuria and Mongolia.He trusted the Hunan Army in the early days, and later relied heavily on the Huai Army, which made Li Hongzhang grateful to him.Especially on the matter of foreign affairs, Yi Yi and Li Hongzhang had almost the same views, that is, to try their best to maintain the peace, so that Xu Tu could strengthen himself.From this point of view, they advocate doing a large-scale Westernization in the country, and should cooperate with foreigners in a friendly manner, abide by the contract, try not to provoke troubles, and if something happens, they should first base themselves on reconciliation, and try to use the interests of the various powers to seek balance.Therefore, they are often criticized by conservative forces and pristine people, but they have always believed that their own way is the truly effective strategy for governing the country, while the arguments of opponents are either deliberately singing high-profile sensationalism, or they have not experienced difficulties and do not know the depth.In Li Hongzhang's eyes, Yiyi is his powerful support and backer in the court.In Yiyi's eyes, Li Hongzhang is the backbone and pillar of the imperial court.The common concept and mutual dependence make them rare bosom friends in the officialdom. They can talk about state affairs and personnel affairs in their own small house.

After Yiyi was deposed ten years ago, Li Hongzhang suddenly felt that he had lost a strong supporter.After all, they have had an unusual relationship for decades. Yiyi, who has retired to the palace, and Li Hongzhang, who is still prominent, have not lost contact. They often send letters to each other during festivals, and Li Hongzhang will occasionally visit Yiyi in the palace. In April this year, Li Hongzhang inspected the Beiyang Navy on the surface of the Bohai Sea.Those were the most showy days of his life.Sitting in a speedboat imported from Germany, he braved the wind and waves on the vast expanse of blue sea, inspecting the magnificent and newly decorated ironclad warships.What a mighty sea army this is!

Every time Li Hongzhang's patrol speedboat passed by a warship, the captain led all the sailors to line up on the deck and fire guns into the air.At this time, the siren blared and the sound shook the surroundings. Guan Dai waved a small two-color flag in his hand, and sent greetings and greetings to the supreme commander of the Beiyang Navy.Then conduct various practical exercises such as firing guns and shooting targets, fast forwards, and sharp turns.At this time, Li Hongzhang's excited mood fluctuated like the waves in front of him.After twenty years of hard work and bleak management, we finally have such a powerful navy today.I, Li Hongzhang, have made unprecedented contributions to the Qing Dynasty. I am not only the number one hero inside and outside the court, but also have a head and a face in front of foreigners. From now on, I can speak with them straight up.

After returning to the capital to report to Cixi, Li Hongzhang made a special trip to Prince Gong's Mansion, first to see his old friend, and second, to tell him about the grand occasion of the military parade at sea, which also made him happy.He told the former military aircraft foreman that the tonnage of the Beiyang Navy is currently ranked eighth in the world, and the opponent we are guarding against is Japan, which is only ranked fourteenth.Although Yiyi was happy, he also reminded Li Hongzhang that the Beiyang Navy had never experienced actual combat after all, and the true combat effectiveness could only be seen in actual combat.Li Hongzhang, who has led the army for many years, naturally knows this.After returning to Tianjin, Li Hongzhang ordered the officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Navy to work hard to strengthen actual combat training, but most officers and soldiers did not take this order to heart.Most of the Beiyang Fleet's officers and belts are talented students who graduated from the Fuzhou Shipbuilding Academy and studied in the UK. The instructors hired are all Europeans, and the sailors are strong and strong men selected from ten miles in the land division.This foreign-flavored fleet, from officials to soldiers, has always had a strong sense of superiority, is used to high treatment and high enjoyment, and has no tradition of hard work and hard work.As soldiers, they seldom have the psychological preparation for going to disaster for the country.The officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Fleet, who were rewarded by the imperial court for their achievements in the military parade, did not realize that soon there would be a devastating sea battle with their neighbors who were separated by a strip of water.

But the foreign military staff around Li Hongzhang had a premonition.They told the Beiyang Minister that the whole of Japan is actively expanding its arms and preparing for war, targeting North Korea and China's Northeast.Although the tonnage of the Japanese navy is not as high as that of China, the weapons and equipment on the warships are well-equipped and well-trained, and they must be effectively guarded against.They also told Li Hongzhang that the British shipyard recently built a 4,000-ton cruiser with a speed of 23 knots, which is currently the world's number one. If it is bought, it can greatly strengthen the strength of the Beiyang Fleet.Li Hongzhang wanted to buy this cruiser very much, but he had encountered obstacles many times before, and he still had lingering fears in his heart.After hesitating for a long time, he remembered that the Empress Dowager was very happy during the inspection. Perhaps taking advantage of this time, it was easy to get permission, so he plucked up the courage to play again, asking the court to allocate 1.4 million taels of money for the Beiyang Fleet, of which 800,000 taels were used to purchase cruisers and Train drivers and sailors, and another 600,000 taels are used to strengthen and update the cannons on various ships.Unexpectedly, not long after, the Ministry of Household Affairs dismissed the paper, saying that the Empress Dowager's Longevity Ceremony was about to take place, and all other expenditures had to be stopped.Li Hongzhang sighed after seeing the approval.Soon the cruiser was bought by Japan, named Yoshino, and became the main force of the Japanese fleet.It was this Yoshino, which showed off its power and was ferocious in the battle on the sea of ​​Dadonggou, and finally defeated the Beiyang Navy.Li Hongzhang's face was full of sorrow and resentment, and he had nowhere to tell, so he had to swallow the bitterness in his stomach.Today, in front of his boss and old friend who has been ordered to come back for many years, the supreme commander of the Beiyang Navy really wants to talk about it, and he wants to spit out the bone that has been in his throat for many years.

Although Li Hongzhang is interested in foreigners, he is different from Sheng Xuanhuai.Sheng Xuanhuai is as westernized as possible.The furnishings in the house, the things used, and the medicines taken are all Western-style. As long as he is with foreigners, he must wear a suit, a top hat and a civilized stick.As for his usual diet, he also likes to eat western food and drink coffee. The only regret is that he can't speak foreign languages.Li Hongzhang is not like this.He likes foreign furniture and utensils, such as wire beds, sofas, and watches. He also likes to take pills imported from the West.But he never wears foreign clothes on any occasion, and he never regrets not being able to speak foreign languages.As for food, he stubbornly keeps the old traditions of his hometown, smoking water pipes, drinking yellow camellia tea, and eating greasy Anhui dishes.Knowing his habits, Yiyi specially asked his family to bring him the Keemun black tea that was always prepared in the mansion.

After drinking two sips of tea, Yi Yi cut to the point of the conversation. "Li Zhongtang, I invite you here today because I want you to talk about the actual situation of the Beiyang Navy. During the military parade in early summer, you had great expectations for the Beiyang Navy. Why is the eighth in the world's tonnage not as good as the fourteenth? Is it an occasional mistake, or is it a loss of strength? Also, how much loss has the Beiyang Navy suffered in this defeat, and how much strength is currently being repaired in Weihai Port? Will it be possible to fight Japan again? What will be the result? Li Zhongtang, we have known each other for nearly forty years, you should believe me, please be sure to tell me the truth, this is the basis of our decision-making with Japan."

Although Yiyi's words with a serious face contained blame, Li Hongzhang didn't feel embarrassed, because they had known each other for many years, and because Yiyi's words were sincere and truthful.Li Hongzhang is a man who does practical things.He knows that honest words, even if they don't please your ears, are a thousand times stronger than false words that please your ears.On this point, there is a big difference between Chun Wang Yilan and his sixth brother.Yilan's Achilles' heel is that he is not pragmatic, and he likes to talk too much and do too much.When Li Hongzhang met an immediate boss like Yi Yan, he couldn't tell the truth, and he had to follow him against his will.Yi Yi's plain attitude made Li Hongzhang feel at ease.He happened to use this topic to tell Yi Yi the truth about these years.

"My lord, this is a very good question. I have wanted to tell you about it for many years. But since you have retired from the palace, I don't want to bother you with these mundane matters. Now the lord is in charge of both the military aircraft and the general administration. And the Admiralty, I have the responsibility to truthfully report the events of these years to the lord. Just ask the lord to listen patiently, don't think I'm sloppy." Yi Yi smiled and said, "I'm willing to listen to whatever you say and how much you say. I'll have lunch here at noon, and I'll have a couple of drinks with you!" "Thank you, my lord, for your kindness." Li Hongzhang took a sip of Qimen black tea and said with a serious face. "If you want to talk about our navy in the Qing Dynasty, I didn't say good things in front of the prince. It was actually created in the hands of the prince, and it took shape under the special care of the prince." Yi Yi nodded slightly.In order to gain greater sympathy from Yiyi, Li Hongzhang deliberately recalled the past: "As early as the eleventh year of Xianfeng, when Zeng Guofan proposed to buy foreign ships and guns, the prince asked to use tariff money to buy foreign small ships, and ordered Guangdong, Governors of Jiangsu and other provinces recruited mainlanders to learn how to drive, and ordered two rented American ships to be equipped with guns and sail to Anqing for dispatch by Zeng Guofan. Chinese command of foreign gun ships should start from here.” Yi Yi interjected: "Your teacher, Zeng Guofan, had the foresight. As early as the tenth year of Xianfeng, he asked to learn the skills of foreign-made ship-making. I still remember that he said it very clearly in his notes: At present, all the resources are used to help the suppression. It can relieve temporary worries; in the future, learning from the wisdom of barbarians to build guns and boats can be expected to benefit forever. Zeng Guofan is really far-sighted and experienced in seeking the country." Yi Yi praised the mentor he respected in his life so much, which made Li Hongzhang feel very comfortable, and hurriedly said: "This idea of ​​Zeng Guofan has to be realized by your lord. Port tariffs, how can there be any future Westernization affairs!" "You're telling the truth." Yi Yi said thoughtfully, "If we compare the various Westernization measures later on to a big drama, Zeng Guofan's motion, the memorial meeting between me and Wen Xiang and my father-in-law are considered to be the same. It opened the curtain on the show." "The prince's metaphor is really good!" Li Hongzhang praised without losing the opportunity, and continued. "In the first year of Tongzhi, Zeng Guofan tried to build a small ship in Anqing. In the fourth year of Tongzhi, he built a manufacturing bureau in Shanghai. In the fifth year, the imperial court appointed Shen Baozhen as the Minister of Shipping. In the seventh year, the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau built the Tianji warship. A warship." "This Tianji is the name chosen by your teacher himself. I remember he told me that the word Tianji implies the meaning of Sihai Botian and factory affairs Anji. He also personally took the Tianji from Jiangning to Quarry Rock." "Yes, my lord has a good memory. In fact, Zeng Guofan was already very weak at that time. The reason why he was so happy, and boarded the ship with great enthusiasm like a young man, was because he saw the self-improvement of Xu Tu in the Qing Dynasty from the Tianji. hope." "That's right!" Yi Yi's heart was filled with endless nostalgia for the minister of the country who passed away more than twenty years ago. "In this year, Kylin ordered six ships from the United Kingdom and another from Germany. In eight years, the shipyard built another warship named Wannianqing. In the fourth year of Guangxu, Shen Baozhen made an annual agreement with the provinces. Four million taels, two million each in the north and south oceans, are dedicated to the development of the navy, and it takes ten years to build the three navies of the northern ocean, the southern ocean and the Guangdong ocean. At this time, thanks to the prince who came forward to persuade Shen Baozhen not to divide the limited money equally, he should first Concentrate on building Beiyang, and then build Nanyang and Yueyang, so as to ensure that Beiyang has more money to handle affairs.” Yi Yi smiled and said, "Shen Baozhen, that stubborn old man, takes his Nanyang very seriously, and insists on sharing it equally. I'm not going to persuade him, I'm afraid others won't be able to persuade him." "Exactly what the prince said, Shen Baozhen was very stubborn. That year, he was also fighting against Zeng Guofan for the sake of money. In the end, Zeng Guofan gave in and gave up." Li Hongzhang continued his brief review of the history of the Qing Navy. "With this sum of money, the Beiyang Navy has successively ordered two ironclad ships, five cruisers, and six torpedo boats in the United Kingdom and Germany in seven or eight years, plus fifteen warships built by the two shipyards in Shanghai and Fujian. So there was a decent Beiyang Fleet. I also set up a naval academy in Tianjin, and asked Yan Fu, a Marquis official from Fujian Province, to preside over the teaching affairs and train various technical personnel for the navy.” "I have met Yan Fu. I heard that his English writing ability is better than that of the British. Is this true?" Yi Yi showed a rare interest in Yan Fu. "A lot of people say that." Li Hongzhang replied, "This is a very smart person. He is the first student of the Fujian Shipbuilding Academy, graduated with the first grade, and practiced on a warship for five years. He studied abroad at the British Naval University for five years. The difference between him and others is that when he was studying at the Naval University, he not only studied the tactics of naval warfare, but also studied the politics and economics of European countries. Once, he talked to me about a In the evening, he said that we should learn not only the technology of foreigners, but also the management methods of foreigners, and this is more important than technology. I think this person is a very intelligent person. In a few days, I will teach him from the general manager promoted to head office." "How old is Yan Fu?" "Just turned forty this year." "Oh. I'm not very old yet, so I might have a bright future in the future." In recent years, the emperor, who has passed his sixtieth age, has increasingly felt that "yearly wealth" is the real wealth. Even if there are mountains of gold and silver, once people die, they will be It all came to naught.He paused for a while and said, "I still remember the old events of Guangxu's Beiyang and Nanyang ten years ago. I will not be in power ten years later, and the Navy Yamen was established in the second year. Logically speaking, it should develop faster. Why not? Is that what everyone expected?" "Ah!" Li Hongzhang let out a heavy breath from his chest. "My lord, you don't know something, it's hard for me!" Yiyi's two slightly cloudy eyes stared at the Beiyang minister who was gathered around the hall, and listened carefully to his next words. "In the twelfth year of Guangxu, the imperial court set up the Navy Yamen. The Empress Dowager ordered the Prime Minister, Prince Chun, to take care of it, appointed Prince Qing and me as assistants, and ordered Shanqing to be the assistant. I was delighted at the establishment of the Navy Yamen when I saw this decree. The child has been reduced a lot." "Why?" Yi Yi asked with great interest, "You have told me several times that the imperial court should come forward to set up a naval office. Some people also said that Zhang Peilun's active initiative of this matter was instigated by you." Ten years ago, Zhang Peilun was dismissed from his post and exiled to the army due to the Battle of Horsetail, and lived in the Northwest Wasteland for four years before he was pardoned and returned home.Li Hongzhang appreciated his talent, and happened to have a widowed daughter in his family, so he recruited the 40-year-old widower Zhang Peilun as his son-in-law and kept him by his side as an aide.A backbone of the Qingliu who once regarded Li Hongzhang as a turbid stream, but now he has become a door-to-door son-in-law who relies on Li Hongzhang to live. Not to mention the ridicule of his friends in the past, Zhang Peilun must never feel good in his heart.It can be said that this moment is also that moment.However, Zhang's disobedience to his own intentions also just shows a kind of world situation: for most scholars, "nobleness" can only be built on the basis of a comfortable life, without this foundation, it is very difficult to maintain "nobleness" .Zhang Peilun's life is really bad.After the Sino-Japanese War of Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang was severely attacked, and Zhang Peilun was also implicated. Many people accused him of being responsible for "mistakes in the staff".Zhang Peilun hid at home like a tortoise all day long, swallowing the criticism from all parties without daring to speak out. "No, this is someone's intentional instigation. A smart person like Zhang Peilun who likes to meddle in other things, do you still want me to instigate it? He can think of combining Beiyang, Nanyang, Fujian, and Yueyang into one ocean." Li Hongzhang shouted Taking a sip of Keemun black tea, he continued, "The imperial court agreed to set up a naval government office. This is something I have been looking forward to for many years. Of course I am happy, but I am embarrassed to appoint a large number of people to do it. Prince Chun will take the lead. This is due to the Empress Dowager's importance. The navy is dealing with foreigners, and you know Prince Chun's attitude towards foreigners. I'm really afraid that I can't explain some things to him." For his seventh brother, Yi Yi couldn't understand him very well.He shook his head slightly, a wry smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "That's all for Prince Chun, there is Prince Qing in the middle, followed by Shan Qing, isn't this even more difficult?" When Li Hongzhang said this, he paused intentionally.He has a stomach full of complaints about Qing Wang Yikuang and Shan Qing.These two people are both interested in the fashion and money of the Navy's Yamen. I don't know how much effort they have spent to get this fat job. How can they be people who handle things!However, they are still co-operating with him in the yamen, so it's better not to talk about it. "I found out that the term of British Minister Zeng Jize had expired, and I asked the imperial court to let Zeng Jize enter the navy office. King Chun said that Zeng Jize was the most suitable person, and Zhang Zhiwan also recommended him. So I wrote to him, asking him to return home as soon as possible. " "Zeng Jize has the style of being a father, but it's a pity that life is not fake." Yi Yi sighed. After Zeng Jize returned to China, he served as the deputy of the Navy's Yamen, and soon he also served as the Minister of the Ministry of War and the Prime Minister's Minister of State Affairs. regret. "Yes, thanks to his support for the Navy Yamen in those years. Alas, I have been sad for a long time because of his death. I cried for the country and myself. I have always regarded Zeng Jize as a brother." With Zeng Guofan's kindness to Li Hongzhang, Yi Yi believed that what Li Hongzhang said was not a lie. "The naval yamen is supported by Zeng Jize, and I really want to use it to do something for the Qing navy, but in fact, Zeng Jize and I are wishful thinking, and we simply don't have the power to do things according to our own wishes. Now it seems that , It’s good not to have a navy office, but with a navy office, it has become the biggest obstacle to the expansion of the navy.” "Where did you say that?" Yi Yi asked with wide eyes slightly. "Before the naval yamen was built in the twelfth year of Guangxu, Beiyang and Nanyang still purchased ships and added guns every year. Since the establishment of the naval yamen in the 12th year of Guangxu until now, in 1989, Beiyang and Nanyang have not purchased a single foreign warship, even a fort. Not a few more were added. After the military parade at sea in early summer this year, the prince earnestly warned me to strengthen my strength. This is really a golden word. After returning to Tianjin, I discussed with the foreign technicians to buy the fastest cruiser in the world that was just launched in the UK. As a result, the household department did not approve, and the ship was bought by Japan, and this naval battle became the nemesis of our army. Now that I think about it, I really regret it!" Yi Yi said in shock: "Since the Jiashen year was dismissed and returned to the land, I have stopped interfering with state affairs. Li Zhongtang, you just said that since the establishment of the Navy Yamen, the Navy has not purchased a single warship. I am still the first in this matter." I heard it the first time. Before the Navy Yamen was built, there were four million taels of silver from the provinces to help build the Navy every year. After the Yamen was built, not to mention the increase of silver, the original four million taels had to be settled as usual. Eighty-nine There are more than 30 million taels of silver in the year, which is a huge sum of money, what are you going to do with it if you don’t buy warship artillery? Li Zhongtang, you have to tell me carefully.” Li Hongzhang looked at the foreman of the military aircraft department with a haggard face, and thought to himself: King Gong, King Gong, do you really not understand, or are you trying to get me to say something?Not only the court officials knew about this matter, but even the people in the capital knew about it.You are not a minister of military affairs, you are still the emperor's uncle after all, not to mention that there is a daughter, Princess Rongshou, who is by the queen mother's side every day, how could you not know at all? Li Hongzhang hesitated and didn't know how to speak. After carefully considering the words in his heart, he sighed heavily and said tentatively: "My lord doesn't know. The year before the establishment of the Navy Yamen, the garden work in the Summer Palace started. gone." Unexpectedly, after Yiyi sneered, he said something that surprised Li Hongzhang: "The reason why they squeezed me out is to let them do this thing freely." Although Li Hongzhang is a scholar of the Wenhua Palace who is the head of the three halls and three pavilions, he is not a military aircraft, and has been traveling between Baoding and Tianjin. He is the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang.Of course he knew about the affairs in the capital, but after all, he didn't know much about it.He also heard that the main reason for the estrangement between Cixi and Prince Gong was the garden construction: Cixi wanted to build it, but Prince Gong objected, and the conflict arose.Prince Gong did not give in because of Cixi's displeasure, so Cixi became more and more resentful towards Prince Gong, so she took advantage of the war in Vietnam to depose Prince Gong.Prince Gong's words confirmed the rumors in the past, and from the implication, it can be felt that the current comeback has not dispelled the previous suspicions.From this point of view, the following words will be easy to say.Because it’s not that Prince Gong doesn’t know, but he wants to take out his dissatisfaction with the garden workers from me, who will be in charge of the Navy Yamen, so that he can get a sense of satisfaction and a feeling of “letting history prove it” in return.Li Hongzhang already had a stomach full of grievances, and was depressed because he had nowhere to vent. Right now, he could express his heart to this long-time friend. "My lord's words made me understand why the empress dowager asked Prince Jin, King Qing, and Shanqing to manage the Navy Yamen. They wanted to turn the Navy Yamen into a treasury for the Summer Palace. Not long after the Navy Yamen was opened, Prince Chun told me Said, without the queen mother, there would be no Daqing today. Without the queen mother, there would be no emperor and Li Zhongtang today. We all have to repay the favor. In four years, the emperor will get married, and the queen mother will return after the wedding. Politics. After returning to power, the Queen Mother wanted to live in the garden. Where can people live in the garden now? For this reason, the emperor and I are very anxious. We can't satisfy the Queen Mother's small request, and we can't justify it in conscience. I asked Prince Chun, I am absolutely unambiguous about how much silver Li Hongzhang should give to the Queen Mother to repair the garden. King Chun said, I am not asking you to take the silver personally, but to discuss it with you and listen to your opinion. One million, now our ships and guns are almost ready, so we don't need this much money. I think two million out of the four million will be used for the gardeners, and the remaining two million will be enough for the navy; besides, there is still There are quite a few people who are willing to serve the navy, and the navy office can get a lot of money from it." Li Hongzhang took a sip of tea from his cup. Yang Zonglian set a precedent for the navy to serve, and it was he who managed it.Of course, he didn't want to tell Yi Yi about this, so he deliberately took the opportunity of drinking tea to stop and adjust his mood. Li Hongzhang put down his tea bowl and continued: "I thought to myself, Prince Chun is the emperor's biological father, and the emperor's country is his country? In the final analysis, the navy is also for his father and son's country. Since he put the Queen Mother's Summer Palace Putting it in the same position as the emperor's country, there is nothing we can do as ministers. I said, if the prince wants to do this, so be it. Who knows, Zeng Jize told me later that not only embezzled 2 million, but also transferred the funds from the provinces. Almost all of them were taken to the garden. Zeng Jize was so angry that I didn't expect it. Then I thought, the garden workers will be finished by the end of the fourteenth year at the latest. Even if they all move there, it will only be two years. Give Wan Xiaojing to the queen mother, we will still have money to do business in the future. Instead, I advised Zeng Jize, don’t be angry with Shanqing and others, and let them move away. In the fifteenth year of Guangxu, the queen mother returned to power and lived in the garden. After going, they have no excuses. Who knows, things are not as simple as I thought." Li Hongzhang glanced at Yi Yi, only to see that his face was ashen, his lips were tightly shut and he remained silent.Li Hongzhang knew that Yi Yi was full of resentment and pain, and he was probably silently cursing his seventh brother for taking money from the world to curry favor with the Queen Mother, so as to ensure that he could sit comfortably on the emperor's dragon chair in Prince Jin's mansion. "Unexpectedly, after returning to the Queen Mother and living in the garden, the garden work not only did not end, but became even more prosperous. Shanqing gave advice to King Chun and King Qing, saying that there were rumors that all the money from the Navy Yamen was used in the garden. Now, it is better to combine the two matters into one, so as to block the mouths of those who do good things. King Qing asked how it was legal. Shanqing said, there is a ready-made lake in the garden, and we will widen it and dig deeper. The vast expanse, the Queen Mother must be happy. This is the job of the gardener. Then use this large lake as a place for naval exercises, build a naval training school by the lake, and move part of the Tianjin Naval Academy here. Shanqing’s words are still Before finishing speaking, King Qing clapped his palms and said with a smile, this is a great idea. Let's just hang the sign of the drill school at the gate of the garden, and say to the outside world that the purpose of expanding the lake is to drill the navy, so that it can be justified Build a bridge on the lake to let the queen mother relax; build a lama temple on the mountain so that the queen mother can pay homage. King Chun is also very satisfied with this idea. At that time, the old minister was in Tianjin and did not attend the meeting. Afterwards, Zeng Jize wrote to me, He was extremely disgusted with Shanqing's bad idea: Can a pond be dug in the garden to practice the navy? Doesn't this mean to make foreigners laugh at us for being too ignorant? Shanqing is in high spirits because of the praise from King Chun and King Qing. How can you listen to Zeng Jize's words, but instead ridicule him, saying why don't you bring up your opinions at the meeting? If you have the courage, you can directly talk to King Chun and King Qing. Zeng Jize is timid and cautious. King Jin Qing didn't like it, and was even more afraid of annoying the Queen Mother. Shanqing's robbing the white, so internal fire came up, and he became sick with worry. According to the people of Zeng's family, Zeng Jize died early because he offended Shanqing .” Yi Yi interjected coldly: "No wonder Shanqing was not rewarded well. He was sent to the Fuzhou General, and fell into the Min River and drowned the next year." After Li Hongzhang laughed twice, he continued: "As soon as this idea was adopted, the construction of the garden became more vigorous, with a larger scale and more new buildings, and it has not been completed until now. Every year, most of the Navy’s cooperation funds are transferred to the garden workers, which is not enough. That year, King Chun told me that the money in the garden is not enough, so we must not give up halfway. The Empress Dowager’s 600,000th birthday is approaching. Before the celebration, the garden should basically be made to look like it. As the head of the governor of the world, you have to come forward and write a secret letter to the governors of the provinces, and simply explain to them that they should report to the Navy Yamen as soon as possible. The more donations, the better. The right money is used to run the navy, and the interest money is given to the garden workers. It is considered their tribute to the Queen Mother. I am inconvenient to object, so I have to do it. During half a year, I got another seven or eight million taels of silver. , all of them were spent in the garden. I always thought that the money transferred from the Navy to do garden work was purely because King Chun wanted to thank the Queen Mother. It has played a big role in it, and they want to use it to make money. With this power behind me, Li Hongzhang, I am absolutely powerless to resist, so I just turn a blind eye and let nature take its course." Yi Yi laughed at himself and said, "You can see it. This is also an important reason why some people tried their best to propose garden repairs. I repeatedly blocked them and cut off their money. That's why Jiashen year's resentment came." The Ministry of Internal Affairs is in charge of the affairs of the inner court.All affairs in the palace, such as eating, dressing, building and repairing, weddings and funerals, rewards and punishments of deacons, etc., are all managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.The House of Internal Affairs in the late Qing Dynasty was the largest corrupt yamen in the country. They sold officials and nobles, got rich from corruption, extorted and blackmailed, deceived others, and dared to do any dirty and shameless things.They rely on the cover of the big red umbrella of Lafayette, even if the foreign officials are full of resentment, there is nothing they can do about them.Although there are many ways for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to collect money, the safest and most profitable way is to build and repair.It has been a long time since the palace held projects on March 7th, everyone is not surprised, and no one will come out to report the incident of being full of money during the period.The Ministry of Internal Affairs is willing to build civil engineering, and its source is based on this. "In this way, during the period of 1989, more than 30 million taels of silver were lost in the Navy's office, and at least 20 million taels were lost. Most of the lost silver went into the pockets of people inside and outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and half of it was used for garden workers. There was no more money to buy ships and cannons. After Weng Tongsu took over Yan Jingming’s head of the household department, he even declared that the Beiyang Fleet could not add a single warship within fifteen years. Weng Laosan opposed me everywhere. It is a trivial matter for me, Li Hongzhang, but it is a major matter for me to harm the country, and Weng Laosan really deserves no punishment!" Li Hongzhang told Yi Yi about the affairs of the Navy Yamen over the years, including his condemnation of Shanqing, his dissatisfaction with Yikuang, and even his criticism of King Chun and the Queen Mother.But none of them became emotional, but when they talked about Weng Tongsu, they became angry, as if they wanted to blame Weng Tongsu for the failure of the naval battle.This is because the Weng family had a deep old relationship with Li Hongzhang. It was the first year of Tongzhi, and Weng Tongsu's elder brother Tongshu was still the governor of Anhui.At that time, Anhui was the so-called place of the Four Wars, where the Hunan Army, the Taiping Army, and the Nian Army competed fiercely.Weng Tongshu was ignorant of military affairs, so he first lost Dingyuan, the temporary provincial capital, and then lost Shouzhou due to chaos caused by improper handling of Miao Peilin.Zeng Guofan, governor of Liangjiang, was extremely resentful of Weng Tongshu, so he disregarded the prominent status of Weng's family, impeached him, and ordered the shogunate to draft a memorial.Several drafts of the copy were drafted, but Zeng Guofan was not satisfied, so he finally asked Li Hongzhang to draft it.Zeng was very satisfied with the draft drafted by Li. Among them, the sentence "the position of the minister should be corrected and referenced, and he dare not look forward to accommodate because of the prosperity of Weng Tongshu's family" was the most appreciated by Zeng, saying that Li Shende made a fuss. The word "spicy".Sure enough, after receiving Zeng Guofan's participation, the queen mothers of the two palaces could not forgive Weng Xincun's son because of his status as a bachelor and veteran of the three dynasties. Weng Tongshu was designated as "beheaded supervisor".The Weng family was in chaos because of this, and Weng, who was in his seventies, felt anxious and hated, and finally fell ill and died that winter.Weng Tongsu and his second brother Weng Tongjue ran up and down to rescue the eldest brother, and managed to save Weng Tongshu's life, but they were exiled to Xinjiang.This incident made Weng Tongsu remember his life, and because of this, he kept an indelible deep hatred towards Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang. Yiyi knew about the festival between Weng and Li, but it was biased to say that Weng was revenge against Li, so he deliberately downplayed it. "Weng Tongsu is in charge of the household department. Although he is not as good at managing money as Yan Jingming, he also has an advantage and is frugal. He not only suppresses the money of the Beiyang Fleet, but every province and department asks the household department for money. His attitude is the same, and he can save money. If it can be saved, it can be saved. If it is really unavoidable, he will cut it by half or even 60%, and ask others to do it frugally. This has offended many people, and these people call him an iron cock. For garden workers. I know he also disagrees, but it's just that he can't hold back Lao Qi." What Yi Yi said was true, and Li Hongzhang no longer entangled on this point. "Since Weng Tongsu didn't buy ships for the Beiyang Fleet, he should know that our naval warfare is not strong, but he kept advocating war. It is said that the emperor's order to declare war this time was inspired by Weng Tongsu In fact, the Queen Mother still advocates prudence. I hate being arrogant, impetuous, grandstanding, and going the way of Qingliu as the emperor's teacher." Li Hongzhang's words aroused Yi Yi's sympathy: Yes, Weng Tongsu also bears unshirkable responsibility for the failure of the naval battle.他估计李鸿章还会将翁同解骂下去，遂将话题扭正：“李中堂，还是回到我一开始的话题上。你说说，北洋舰队目前还有多大的实力，我们与日本这场战争的前景到底会如何？” 李鸿章沉默片刻后说：“大东沟一战，北洋舰队损失惨重，致远、经远、扬威、超勇、广甲沉没海底，这五只铁舰，已不复存在。来远、靖远、定远受伤严重，另有镇远、济远、平远、广丙、镇南、镇中六艘各受伤程度不等，现已经修复，全部开回威海卫港，加上大东沟未出战之威远、康济，共尚有兵舰十一艘，另有蚊炮艇六艘，合起来十七艘战船，再加上鱼雷艇十二艘，若舰炮得力，士气高昂，尚可一战，只是……” 李鸿章稍停一会，才接着说：“大部分铁舰虽经修复，但威力大减，经此挫折，从将官到士兵情绪低落，估计短期内难以出海作战。” “喔一一”奕沂拖着声音，下意识地点点头，两只不大的眼睛盯着李鸿章问：“依你的看法，跟日本这场仗是继续打下去呢，还是尽早坐下来谈和呢？” 这是一个绝大的难题！要说继续打下去，北洋舰队的情况刚才已经说了，短期内简直无战斗力。有情报说，日本的陆军大将山县有朋正在调兵遣将，麇集朝鲜，拟过鸭绿江，进犯中国辽东。从平壤失守的情况来看，驻守在辽东的中国陆军也决不是日翠的对手。打下去，中国只会失败得更惨，损失更大，然则能言“和谈”吗？李鸿章想起这二个字，胸膛里便仿佛有一股冷气灌进似的。 从北宋末年以降，中国的士大夫在对外交战中就十分忌讳“和谈”二字。七百余年来，有一种观念在士人之间约定俗成：谁主和，谁就是懦夫、胆小鬼，甚至是卖国贼；谁主战，谁就是勇士、英雄、爱国者。所以，一旦国遇外患，总是主战呼声一浪盖过一浪，调子一个比一个唱得高，尤其是那些清流们，他们既不知己，也不知彼，自己既没有办事的实际经历，又知道真的打起仗来，也不会上前线亲冒矢石，倘若出了什么事，他们也不负任何责任。于是，他们主战的喊声比谁都响亮，以此博得国人的赞赏，同时也借以打击那些真正做实事但又与他们有冲突的人。作为多年来众矢之的的李鸿章，早巳看透了清流的这一套伎俩，对之深恶痛绝，但他又无可奈何。七百余年来积习而成的国情，你一人能改变得了吗？百无办法的时候，他也只能绕着躲着。而今，他苦心经营二十多年、耗费国家数以千万计银两的北洋舰队惨败于敌手，他的声望已降到了一生的最低点，他再提出“和谈”一事，岂不招致更大的举国唾骂吗？何况，宣战谕旨是皇上经太后同意颁发的，他李鸿章能唱反调吗？即便在恭王这样相交四十年的上司面前，李鸿章也不敢冒这个天下之大不韪，只得硬着心说：“战与和，这是国家的头等大事，老臣已疲惫昏聩，这事得由王爷与太后、皇上来决定。” 恭王知道李鸿章的难处，不过，他已从李的神色中探到几分底细，遂不勉强。看看已到中午，便中止谈话，请李鸿章吃午饭。饭后李鸿章告辞回贤良寺，奕沂也不挽留。他必须好好午睡一下，下午四点钟还有一个重要的约会。