Chapter 81 6. King Gong, who is making a comeback, wants to deal with the crisis with both hands and war

At three quarters past three, Yi Yi was woken up and came to the Chinese-style living room in the south of the second courtyard of the palace.This has been the most important meeting place for the palace since the Hekun era, the Zhongjing King Qing era, and until the time of King Gong.The layout of the entire living room is purely Chinese. There are sandalwood carved high-back chairs, wooden tea tables inlaid with black marble, and expensive antiques of various colors are placed on the antique racks.All these show a strong Chinese-style aesthetic taste.In particular, the calligraphy of three generations of emperors hanging on the wall highlights the noble status of the owner of the living room.

Hanging on the east wall are the words that Emperor Jiaqing gave to his elder brother Qing Wang Yonglin. On it are four regular scripts: Flower of Tangdi.The first sentence of "The Book of Songs Tangdi" is taken.The brushstrokes are dignified and slightly sharp, revealing the triumphant attitude of Yi Yan who surpassed his brothers and won the throne.Hanging on the west wall is a sentence bestowed by Emperor Daoguang to Yiyi: frugality is the most beautiful virtue in the world.The font is regular and slightly clumsy, very much like the thin, dark and energetic "old-fashioned" emperor with patches on his dragon robe.On the north front wall, hangs a picture of three elegant orchid flowers.There are eight words inscribed in the previous paragraph: Fairy among flowers, best among grasses.The title of the next paragraph is: Qing Appreciation by the Master of Jianyuan, the Sixth Brother of the Emperor.The handwriting is delicate and elegant, it is the handwriting of the literary and elegant Wen Zongye.This calligraphy and painting was originally hung on the east side, and the one on the north side was that of Yiyi's grandfather Jiaqing.That year, Yiyi's 40th birthday was the time when Cixi and Yiyi had the closest relationship. Cixi brought the little emperor Tongzhi to Prince Gong's mansion to celebrate his birthday, chatting about family affairs in the living room.On a whim, Cixi pointed to the calligraphy and painting on the east side and said: "That's what I cooperated with Wen Zongye. The orchid I painted was inscribed by Wen Zongye."The whole audience hurriedly stood up to appreciate the calligraphy and painting carefully, and kept complimenting the orchid painting which was wonderful, and Cixi was very happy.The next day, Yi Yi asked someone to change the position of the calligraphy and painting with that of his grandfather.On the third day, after Cixi and Yiyi finished talking about state affairs, they said nonchalantly that the front wall should still be hung with the words of our ancestors, and the calligraphy and paintings of Master Wen Zong and I should still be hung back to their original places.After hearing this, Yiyi hurriedly said, this is the best, this is the best!As she said that, cold sweat broke out on her back: How could she know what happened in my house yesterday, and she cares so much!Since then, the painting can no longer be moved in the middle position.Since then, I have never heard Cixi talk about moving back to the original place.

As soon as Yi Qi took his seat, the two guests he was dating were ushered in by Kuan Ling.The white-haired and trembling person who walked in front howled dryly before anyone entered the door: "My lord! I never thought that I would see you come back one day!" While talking, he staggered across the threshold and just entered the door. , and was anxious to kneel down again, Yiyi hurriedly took a step forward, raised his hands and said, "Master Li, I can't afford it, I can't bear it!" Following Master Li was a puffy old man who also shouted He said: "My lord! I'm looking forward to this day!" After saying that, he raised his hand and wiped away his tears. While Yiyi was helping Master Li, he quickly knelt on the ground and knocked on Yiyi's feet three times. Nodding his head, Yi Yi hurriedly said, "Master Weng, please get up, please get up!" He hurried over and helped him up with both hands.

These two old men's feelings for Yi Yi are obviously not comparable to Li Hongzhang's and Li Hongzhang's. It seems that Yi Yi's comeback this time seems to have a personal interest with them, otherwise they would not be so emotional.Who are they? It turned out that the person called Master Li was the seventy-five-year-old Li Hongzao, who was called Master Li, and the person called Master Weng was Weng Tongsu, who had a deep quarrel with Li Hongzhang.Li Hongzao was the tutor of Emperor Tongzhi, and Weng Tongsu was the tutor of Emperor Tongzhi and Guangxu.The royal family in the Qing Dynasty was particularly generous to the emperor.From the emperor to the civil and military officials, everyone who has been an emperor's teacher is commensurate with his master to show respect.Regarding the Military Aircraft Department, Yi Yi adopts the strategy of only adding but not dismissing it temporarily. The first thing he thinks of adding is the few Ministers of Military Aircraft who quit ten years ago due to his own reasons.At that time, there were four people who advanced and retreated. Among them, Baodian, a senior scholar, and Jing Lian, a minister of the Ministry of Industry, had passed away. Only Li Hongzao and Weng Tongsu were alive.Although Li and Weng are still Ministers of the Ministry of Rites and Ministers of the Ministry of Households respectively, there is a big difference between whether they are in the military aircraft or not.Since I have reset myself, of course I have to reset them, not to mention that the two of them also contributed a lot to this this time.Therefore, among the famous assassins of civil and military ministers who piled up like a hill to ask for an interview, King Gong singled out Li and Weng's famous assassins, ranking second only to Li Hongzhang, and specially arranged for them to meet in the traditional Chinese living room.

After the three of them sat down, Li Hongzao was still wiping his dim old eyes with his hands, and murmured: "I have lived to this day, and I finally saw you, my lord, leading the military plane again. I will If I die tomorrow, I will rest in peace." Li Hongzao's sad words contained his true feelings.In the past ten years, he not only lost the minister of military aircraft, but also lost his position as the leader of the Qingliu because of the withering of the Qingliu and the cessation of grand occasions. Yi Yi hurriedly said: "Master Li, you can't say such a thing, I have to borrow a lot from you!"

"I can't do it anymore, I'm old!" Li Hongzao shook his white head, stroked his long silver beard and said, "The news of Pyongyang's fall reached the capital, and I was anxious. The country has reached this point, and the ceremony The prince seems to be helpless, and the only way to turn things around is to rely on you, the prince. I went to Shuping’s mansion in a sedan chair that night, and asked him and me to sing the song to invite Prince Gong to come back. My old face is shameless, and I have to borrow my uncle The weight of speaking in front of the emperor."

"Old Zhongtang is serious!" Weng Tongsu quickly interjected, "Old Zhongtang and I coincidentally agreed, and were about to go to his house to discuss this matter the next day, but old Zhongtang came at night. That night, I Together with Lao Zhongtang, I drew up the booklet and have been busy for most of the night. I can't let Lao Zhongtang go back overnight, so I asked him to sleep at my house because of grievances, and let him go home at noon the next day." Li Hongzao said: "This is the first time in 40 or 50 years that I have spent the night at someone's house."

Yiyi knew the true intention of these two former partners who sang and said these words in harmony with each other, so he stopped turning around and showed his hole card directly: "Jiashennian made the two masters suffer because of my incompetence. Being implicated, every time I think of this matter in the past ten years, I feel relieved. This time, I am very grateful for the strong recommendation of the two masters. I am old and weak, and I should not go out of the mountain, but I cannot shake the kindness of the two masters. .Besides, if I don’t leave the mountain, who will restore the two military planes? The two capital officials, Yi Chonglong, don’t care about one military plane, but this is not a matter of concurrent work, it is a major matter of restoring reputation.”

"Your Majesty's words are on point." The former leader of Qingliu, who had always regarded fame more than life, hurriedly interjected. Yi Yi smiled knowingly: "So, after receiving the decree, my first thought was to ask the two masters to join the army, and let's work together like ten years ago." "Thank you, my lord, for your kindness. It's just that I'm too old to take up important military positions." Li Hongzao was very excited in his heart, but he was still humble on the surface. "I don't think Master Li will resign. When the country is in a difficult time, we can only do our part." Compared with Li Hongzao, Weng Tongsu, who is Guangxu's No. 1 staff officer, is much more straightforward. "Before the prince came out of the mountain, Li Zhongtang and I had already participated in the meeting of the military aircraft department of King Li, but it is quite different whether we have this title. With a lot of energy, I have done things in a legitimate way."

"Master Weng is right. While I invite the Queen Mother and the Emperor, you can do things at the same time!" A rare smile appeared on Yi Yi's face. "I invite you two to come today. In addition to telling you about the restoration of the military aircraft, I would like to invite you to discuss two important matters." The two old men listened solemnly.The smile on Yi Yi's face was long gone. "I plan to set up a military affairs department to be responsible for dispatching troops from all walks of life across the country to deal with the current crisis. What do you two masters think?"

This is obviously to gather the military power of the whole country in his own hands. How could two old bureaucrats who have been in the officialdom all their lives not know? Li Hongzao hurriedly said: "Military affairs have different powers, and it is difficult to achieve the same effect. The current situation is urgent, and there is indeed an urgent need to set up a military affairs department to command the whole country. The prince's idea is very true." "It is very necessary to set up a supervisory office for military affairs." Weng Tongsu also hastily stated his position, and simply pointed out the key points, "and the supervisory minister is none other than you, the prince." Yi Yi said: "Naturally, this matter cannot be delegated to others. I will be the supervisor, and King Qing will be my assistant. The two masters, Rong Lu and Chang Lin will do it together." Rong Lu is the commander of the infantry, and it is reasonable to enter the Supervision Office of Military Affairs, but Chang Lin is the servant of the household department, so he can't stand up to it. This is obviously Yi Yi's reward for his hard work in the "comeback".According to the usual situation, Li Hongzhang, the actual commander of the war in the past six months, should have joined the Military Affairs Office, but he didn't.Unconsciously, Weng Tongsu's heart skipped a beat, and he said silently: Well done! Li Hongzhang boasted of the great honor of the world——the unique three-eyed flower feather of the Han minister was pulled out by Weng Tongsu after the fall of Guyang.He knew that Li Hongzhang was annoyed at him and told people everywhere that he was avenging his own private revenge. Decades have passed, but he has not forgotten the ginseng.Weng Tongsu believed that he was not what Li Hongzhang said. In terms of foreign affairs, Weng Tongsu was as tough as Li Hongzao, the leader of Qingliu, and opposed Li Hongzhang's pursuit of peace.In dealing with the world, Weng Tongsu strictly abides by the traditional morals of scholars, intersects with morality and justice, and is as calm as clear water, while Li Hongzhang does whatever it takes to form cliques, forming a "Northern faction" in the country.This disgusted Weng Tongsu.The fleet, which cost tens of millions of taels of silver to operate, is vulnerable. If he is not dealt with as a commander, why are the people angry?Weng Tongsu felt that his correction of Li Hongzhang was not worthy of justice, and it was definitely not public revenge.He immediately said to Yi Yi: "Your Majesty is thoughtful, Weng will be at your service!" Li Hongzao stroked his beard and said, "I don't know how the lord will arrange the military aircraft of Prince Li?" Yi Yi immediately replied: "The whole class will not move, and we will continue to do business as usual!" Li Hongzao was taken aback.Weng Tong explained: "Sun Yuwen and Xu Yongyi have a lot of bullets. They have a lot of responsibility for mistakes in the war, and they should not be in the military plane anymore." Yi Yi smiled and said: "Now is an extraordinary period, we should help each other in the same boat, and we will talk about it after the war is over." Li Hongzao understood Yiyi's intentions, and said: "Zhang Zhongtang and E Zhongtang have been recuperating at home for many years, and I am also old. Master Weng has a lot of things, and Sun and Xu are not happy with the population. The military aircraft department needs a young and vigorous man. Capable and capable people to carry the day-to-day affairs." Yi Yi asked: "Master Li's words are very correct. I wonder if there is a suitable candidate in the pocket?" "Shuping, do you have someone?" Li Hongzao turned to Weng Tongsu. "Not yet." Weng Tongsu knew that Li Hongzao must have had someone there before he proposed this motion, not to mention that he really didn't exist for a while, even if he did, he couldn't steal his business. "Shuping doesn't have one, but I do have one here, the fortitude who is now serving as the servant of the Ministry of Rites." Yi Yi asked: "Is it the fortitude that vindicated the Ge Bi family's unjust case back then?" "Exactly." Li Hongzao nodded. Many people may not know about the Gebishi case, but if it is called another way: the Yang Naiwu Xiaobaicai case, it is a well-known case of great injustice in the late Qing Dynasty. At that time, Gang Yi was a doctor of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and the case was in his hands.In the process of trial and redress of this unjust case, perseverance contributed a lot.He also won the appreciation of Cixi because of this, and his official career has been prosperous since then.Gang Yi is now fifty-seven years old, and he is considered young among the senior members of Qing Er. "Fortitude and shrewdness in handling affairs. This, in the eyes of the old man, is rarely available in the imperial court. It is most suitable for him to come in and be a curtain-breaking military plane who walks around and drafts orders. Besides, He has contributed a lot to the prince's comeback this time, so he can be trusted." Gangyi is a Manchurian, and has always been an official in the Six Departments. I have never heard of him having any contact with Qingliu. Did he establish a special relationship with Li Hongzao over the years?However, Yi Yi is still aware of Gangyi's handling of the Gebishi case.He was in power at that time, and like Cixi, he also praised his fortitude and ability.Except for himself, Erle and Bushi Manchus in the Military Aircraft Department, the rest are all Han Chinese. Out of checks and balances, and to prevent the Manchus from gossiping, it is necessary to use another Manchu.Thinking of this, he said: "Fortitude is indeed capable. When I summon you in two days, I will report to the Queen Mother and the Emperor to make a decision." Seeing that the sky outside the window was gradually getting dark, the two old men obviously would not stay overnight in the mansion, there was an important matter that needed to be discussed as soon as possible.Yi Yi glanced at Li and Weng, with a stern expression and a low voice: "The two masters are in the most respected positions in the country. I have to listen to your opinions on something." Seeing Yiyi's solemn and serious demeanor, Li and Weng suddenly felt a heavy feeling of stone pressing on their chests, thinking in their hearts: What will he say? "As for the Japanese pirates aggressively invading North Korea and our country this time, of course we should fight them, so the emperor is right to declare war on Japan. However, we also have to make two-handed preparations. If we lose the battle again and lose ground, what should we do? We We have to think of an idea. Liaodong is not too far from Beijing. If Japanese pirates attack Beijing, can we ask the queen mother and emperor to come to Rehe Qiumi again in the year of Gengshen? Today, we will tell our two masters the truth. It is necessary to prepare for a fierce battle, but also to estimate the worst. When the worst is approaching, I think we should not shy away from peace talks." Having said that, Yi Yi stared at the two white-haired old men.Seeing that their faces were all serious and their mouths were tightly shut, knowing that they were still sticking to the word "peace talks", he changed his tone a little more gently: "Of course, we are not the kind of peace talks where soldiers are approaching the city, let alone where I will go to the Qing Dynasty. The Japanese pirates begged for peace, I mean to make preparations first, or my old method in the past, using barbarians to control barbarians, Russia and the United States are willing to act as mediation envoys." "My lord, don't mention Russia any more. This Russian old man is too irritating." Weng Tongsu couldn't help interjecting. "What's the matter, Master Weng, tell me." Yi Yi asked. "A month ago, I was ordered by the Queen Mother to go to Tianjin quietly." Weng Tongsu leaned his face towards Yiyi and Li Hongzao, and whispered, "This is a top secret matter. After returning to Beijing I only reported it to the Empress Dowager, and I didn’t tell anyone else, so I’ll tell the prince and Li Zhongtang today!” What top secret?Yi Yi and Li Hongzao listened intently. Weng Tongsu gently told what happened last month. It turned out that at the critical moment of the loss of the land and the defeat of the Beiyang Fleet on the Yellow Sea, Cixi wanted to celebrate her 60th anniversary in twenty days. The war in Japan can end soon.It is the most face-saving thing for foreign ministers to mediate. She thought of Russia. As early as the twelfth year of Guangxu, when Britain occupied Juwen Island, Li Hongzhang and Russian Minister Radren talked about the protection of the Korean Peninsula by China and Russia in Tianjin.Li Hongzhang said that China will not change the regime of North Korea.Radren said that Russia will not occupy North Korean land.At that time, both parties only talked about it and did not sign a contract.Later, when the United Kingdom withdrew from Juwen Island, Li Hongzhang and Radren stopped talking about it.After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, Russia was very unwilling to see the Japanese invaders occupying Korea, so the Russian Minister Kashini and Li Hongzhang brought up the old matter again, saying that Russia still recognized the verbal promise made in the 12th year of Guangxu to assist China in protecting North Korea.When Cixi heard that Kashini, the Russian minister who had returned to China for vacation, had returned to Tianjin, she asked Weng Tongsu to go to Tianjin in person. When she saw the Russian minister, she said that the imperial court asked Russia to intervene in the Sino-Japanese war . But Weng Tongsu firmly adhered to the principle of Chinese scholars since the Southern Song Dynasty: no peace talks, not to mention that he is a close minister of the emperor and has always been the leader of the war, and he does not want to be reviled by scholars after the disclosure of this matter.Cixi insisted that he go, and kept it strictly confidential to the outside world. For the official circles in Tianjin, she used the edict to Li Hongzhang as an excuse.Weng Tongsu had no choice but to be ordered to set off. Dressed up as an ordinary citizen, he took three servants and left Beijing before dawn, took a small sampan via Tongzhou, and then traveled south along the North Canal.Arriving outside Tianjin the next night, he took a sedan chair to enter Yamen, the Minister of Commerce and Commerce of Beiyang, and conveyed the Queen Mother's decree to Li Hongzhang.Li Hongzhang went to the Russian Consulate in Tianjin the next day to inquire.It turned out that Minister Kashini did not return to his post, and it was Counselor Bavifor who returned from Russia.After meeting with Li Hongzhang, Bavifor made it clear that Kashini had no power in the country, and what he said could not be counted, and it was inconvenient for Russia to say this.Li Hongzhang was greatly disappointed.Weng Tongsu hurried back to Beijing to report to Cixi.He therefore hated the Russians very much.After silently listening to Weng Tongsu's lengthy statement, Yi Yi asked, "Why do the Russians wait to backtrack?" Weng Tongsu said: "Well, I can't tell for a while. Foreigners are greedy for profit and have no faith. Maybe they think Japan is strong and they can't fight against them; it may also be that their country is troubled and unable to deal with foreign affairs; As Bavifor said, what Minister Kashini said to Li Hongzhang was only his personal wish, and he himself has no power in the country, so his words don't count. In short, we can use Russia's attitude as an example, we can't count on foreigners, foreigners He won't really help us." "Master Weng is right." Yi Yi nodded and said, "However, since foreigners are greedy for profit, we can take advantage of it. Their goal is profit, and they have helped us indirectly. Russia is neither credible, Li Hongzhang Said that American Minister Tian Bei is willing to mediate. Based on my experience in dealing with foreigners in the past, the Americans are more realistic. Do you think it is possible to try it in the United States?" Weng Tongsu remained silent.Li Hongzao saw that Yiyi still did not give up his usual diplomatic strategy of using barbarians to control barbarians. He is now in charge of the military and general administration, and he has great power. He can do whatever he wants, and he can discuss it. This is the face of the two old men. , to be interesting is.Thinking of this, the leader of the former Qing school stroked his beard, put on a posture of the elder of the country, and said slowly: "My Chinese way of seeking the country originally inherited the legacy of civil and military, one piece and one relaxation. Therefore, war, and both ends It should be held in the hands, open to promote war, and relaxed to make peace, so that the country can be built on a rock, and it will not be shaken in the storm. The prince is in charge of the center today, and the country's fortune and current situation are all in the hands of the prince. The prince is in While working hard to prepare for the war, I was also thinking about foreign mediation all the way. It was really planned out and allowed to hold both ends. It is a blessing for the country and the people to have the prince at the helm of the Qing Dynasty. The envoy should contact you in advance to make arrangements." Weng Tongsu stared at Li Hongzao with wide-eyed eyes: Isn't the old man always tough, who advocates wars but not peace?Haven't you always been wary of foreigners?Why did you change your mind, because you are old and have no courage?Or did he make up his mind to follow Prince Gong so that he could end up grandly after death?He shook his head inwardly, his mouth still closed. Yi Yi smiled and said: "Just follow Master Li's advice. You have to contact the American Minister first to make preparations. It's getting late, and there is one more thing. I also want to hear the opinions of the elders." Yiyi took a sip of tea and said, "After the establishment of the Military Affairs Office, the first thing to do is to send troops out of Shanhaiguan to deal with Japanese pirates. Which part of the troops do you think should be dispatched?" Weng Tongsu said: "In recent decades, the Hunan and Huaihe armies have supported the Qing Dynasty. The troops who participated in the war in the past few months were all members of the Huai army. Wu Dacheng, the governor of Hunan, was the most passionate among those who went out to fight. What he relied on was nothing but the fighting spirit of the Hunan people, which shows that the remaining prestige of the Hunan Army is not exhausted. At present, among the sixty-six towns, there are still more than ten towns in the south whose generals are from the Hunan Army I think the Hunan army can be adjusted to go out and replace the Huai army." Li Hongzao said: "What Shuping said is very true. There are no capable fighters outside the Shexiang army." Yi Yi said thoughtfully: "It's settled like this to transfer the Hunan Army to go out of the customs. Who will be the president of the Guan Hunan Army? Wu Daji can't do it, he hasn't fought in war, and the generals of other provinces probably don't." I won’t obey him. It’s a pity that Zeng Guoquan passed away, otherwise it would be most suitable for him to lead the army.” "There is Liu Kunyi! He is also a veteran general of the Hunan Army. In terms of qualifications, he is the oldest among the surviving generals of the Hunan Army. He is the governor of Liangjiang, and he is also the highest in terms of official rank. He is the most suitable to lead the army." Weng Busy interjection with Jesus. Yi Yi said: "Master Weng and I thought about it together. Looking around the military camps in various provinces, Liu Kunyi is the leader of the Hunan Army. It's just that he is almost seventy, is he still energetic?" Weng Tong explained: "I heard that energy is okay. Of course, charging on horseback is not enough. What we want is his senior status. He just needs to sit outside the pass and make suggestions." "Then it's settled like this. Liu Kunyi will lead the various Hunan armies and go to Shanhaiguan." Yi Yi paused and said, "The governor of Liangjiang is an important position and cannot be vacant. If Liu Kunyi leaves, who will take over?" "Let Zhang Zhidong take over!" Li Hongzao immediately said, "I often hear people say that today, in terms of prestige, Li Hongzhang, governor of Zhili, ranks first among the governors of eighteen provinces; in terms of qualifications, Liu Kunyi, governor of Liangjiang, ranks first; In terms of talents, Zhang Zhidong, governor of Huguang, is number one. Li, Liu, and Zhang are now the three governors in the tripartite country. According to my humble opinion, only Tiao Zhang Zhidong can hold back the important areas of the two rivers." Weng Tongsu murmured to himself again: This old man cared so much about his old comrades, and raised Zhang Zhidong so high. "The three tripods in the country", how come I haven't heard of this saying?If Zhang Zhidong is ranked third, where does the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi Li Hanzhang rank?Although Weng Tongsu didn't like Zhang Zhidong, but in front of Li Hongzao, he couldn't object directly, so he had to turn a corner: "My lord, Liu Kun and his troops leaving the customs are only temporary, and it is not appropriate to dismiss his Jiang Du. One position. He has been in Jiangning for more than ten years, and the people and the land are both suitable. After the war, he must be returned to Jiangning. Zhang Zhidong’s going to Jiangning can only be an agent, not a successor.” "Yes, acting as the deputy, let Zhang Zhidong act as the governor of the lake to act as the governor of Jiang." Yi Yi saw that it was already dusk outside the window, so he got up and said, "The two masters have worked hard for a long time today and have learned a lot. It's getting late, and I won't leave the two of you to eat at the mansion. I have two boxes of Nanhai bird's nest here. , give it to the two masters, and it will be worth this meal!" Li Hongzao and Weng Tongsu happily took the bird's nest from Chang Shi Kuanling, and Yiyi personally escorted them out of the living room. It was still sunny in the morning, but suddenly changed in the afternoon.Looking at the gray-black sky with dense clouds, Prince Gong, who had just come back, felt lost.He didn't know what the outcome of the war with Japan would be, and he didn't know how the political affairs that had been disrupted by Lao Qi, Shi Duo and others for ten years would be clarified.He still doesn't know whether "Xu Tu's self-improvement" that was on the same level as Zeng Guofan and Wen Xiang 30 years ago will be realized one day. "When I was entrusted with a defeated army, I was ordered to be in danger," he murmured, thinking to himself: Isn't I in the same situation as Zhuge Liang back then?It's a pity that I am no longer as young as Zhuge Liang was at that time, and the court also lacks a virtuous and sincere monarch like Liu Xuande.Alas, Yiyi sighed deeply, staring at the dark night sky in a daze, and finally said a word out of nowhere: I'm afraid it will snow today.