Chapter 82 1. Sang Zhiping places great hopes on the second son of the Zhang family

Yiyi's comeback did not turn the Qing Empire's political situation around in the slightest.A century of corruption has put the country on a dangerous peak, and it is rapidly rolling into the abyss of disaster with an unstoppable trend.The remaining 20 warships of the Beiyang Fleet hiding in Weihaiwei Harbor were almost completely destroyed overnight by the Japanese combined fleet.Liu Buchan, the wing chief of the Beiyang Fleet, committed suicide.Liugong Island, where the Beiyang Navy Yamen is located, was surrounded by Japanese troops.Admiral Ding Ruchang had no choice but to commit suicide to thank the world, and the remaining warships, forts and all military equipment all fell into the hands of the enemy.Marked by the occupation of the Beiyang Navy's yamen and the martyrdom of the admiral, the Beiyang Navy, which Li Hongzhang worked hard for more than 20 years and cost tens of millions of taels of silver, has declared the complete collapse of the people of the country.As the core and soul of the navy, the fate of the Beiyang Navy also showed the world that the Qing navy was close to collapse across the board.Liu Kunyi, a veteran general of the Hunan Army, and the 60,000 Hunan troops outside the pass under his control could not shake the slightest prestige of the past. Not only did the military outside the pass fail to improve, but they also lost strategic positions such as Zhongzhuang, Yingkou, and Tianzhuangtai in just six days. important place.Facing the powerful artillery fire and sharp samurai swords of the Japanese army, the flamboyant Huxiang children were like snowmen seeing the sun, and they immediately melted and collapsed.The myth of the Hunan Army has since been wiped out.

The cruel fact of the total defeat of the navy and land armies broke through the illusions of the young Guangxu, the emperor Weng Tongsu, and those strong fighters in the court and their vanity and fluke mentality, and also strengthened the choice of Cixi, Yiyi and others to seek peace. .Yi Yi asked the US Minister Tian Bei to intervene.In the imperial edict issued by the Emperor of Japan to invade China, the two periods before and after the war were clearly marked.The goal in the early stage was to destroy China's navy and shake the Bohai Bay. As for taking down Beijing and occupying the whole of China, that was the goal in the later stage.In view of the achievement of the previous goal, Japan sold its favor to the United States and accepted the mediation of peace.Thus, there was the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" signed by Li Hongzhang on behalf of the imperial court.This treaty not only caused great humiliation and loss to China, but also put Li Hongzhang on the back of a scapegoat that could never be unloaded.China was forced to compensate 200 million taels of military silver, equivalent to more than twice the country's total annual fiscal revenue.Recognize Japan's control of Korea, ceding the Liaodong Peninsula, Penghu Islands and Taiwan Island.The cession of the Liaodong Peninsula caused dissatisfaction among Russia, Germany, and France. Under the interference of the three countries, China redeemed it at a price of 30 million taels of silver. Enjoy the privilege of renting military ports, building railways, and mining mines.

Just like the collapse of the sky and earthquakes, the death of the sun and the death of the moon, and the collapse of Kunlun and the reverse flow of the Yellow River, the signing of the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" had an unprecedented blow and shock to the Qing Kingdom and the Chinese nation, and it was extremely painful. It made most of the Chinese feel resentful, not only resenting the cruelty and greed of the Japanese devil, but also resenting the incompetence and weakness of the imperial court. Finally, almost all this resentment was concentrated on Li Hongzhang alone, and everyone called him a traitor.The generation of heroes who were so popular in the past have now fallen to the point where the whole country cannot tolerate it.He was stripped of all his real posts, leaving only the vain title of a scholar of the Wenhua Palace, and he huddled in the Xianliang Temple, depressed and lonely, with few people. The "Treaty of Shimonoseki" also disappointed many Chinese people. The small country across the sea has always been inferior to the majestic China in history. China fights its territory, which shows how corrupt China is now!Although the population is large, it is scattered; although the army is large, it is like a mob.Many people are shaking their heads and sighing, lamenting and pitying themselves: The fate of China is unknown!There are also a few tough people who turned disappointment into resentment, resenting the entire Manchurian regime headed by Cixi and Guangxu.They believed that it was these Manchurians from outside the customs that made China such a mess and shamed the originally brilliant Chinese civilization, and that all the blame should be borne by the Manchurians.Since the fall of Beijing in the Jiashen year of Ming Chongzhen, China has actually been subjugated. The Chinese have been subjugated slaves for more than 200 years. Only by expelling the Hulu can China's revival be achieved.They formed associations in secret, gathered strength, and looked for opportunities. Following the example of Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing 40 years ago, they set up riots and restored the Han Dynasty. The "Treaty of Shimonoseki" also made many Chinese people start to think deeply about the current situation and future of the country.The biggest inspiration for them is: the reason why the country is so humiliated is because of weakness. A variety of stereotypes and bad habits, and even laws and regulations to make corresponding changes.Most of this group of people are passionate youths among scholars and enlightened people who think about doing things in officialdom.Zhang Zhidong belonged to this kind of person, and because of his status and achievements in foreign affairs, he became the leader among them.

After the conflict between China and Japan, Zhang Zhidong remained true to his original nature and took a tough attitude. He insisted on retaliation, and took the initiative to make suggestions and strategize for the imperial court.After the troop carrier Gaosheng was sunk by the Japanese army, five of the British lost their lives.Zhang Zhidong suggested to the imperial court to unite with Britain to condemn the atrocities committed by the Japanese army.During the war, he called Li Hongzhang many times to give him his military advice.After Weihai missed, he even asked his old subordinate Tang Jingsong, who has now been promoted to the governor of Taiwan, to send a fleet to surprise Japan while the country is empty.Unfortunately, none of Zhang Zhidong's efforts worked, and the deterioration of the situation made him extremely worried.

When Li Hongzhang went to Shimonoseki to negotiate a treaty with Japan, Zhang Zhidong telegraphed the court many times, thinking that Japan's conditions were too harsh and he must not agree to this, otherwise China would never be able to stand on its own.It's better to use the money to buy warships, recruit foreign generals, and fight the Japanese pirates to the death.After the signing of the treaty, he called Tang Jingsong and Liu Yongfu, the commander-in-chief of Nan'ao Township who was ordered to go to Taiwan not long ago to organize Taiwan's defense, and asked them to take advantage of the popular sentiment of Taiwan's gentry and people against the ceding of Taiwan to delay the delivery, so as to make a final effort to win the international cooperation in Taiwan. , to prevent Taiwan from being separated from the territory of the motherland.However, all Zhang Zhidong's efforts were in vain.What made him especially distressed was that at this time of life and death, Tang Jingsong, whom he had pinned high hopes on, turned against his former comrades-in-arms, fought openly and secretly for personal power and status, and could not cooperate with the enemy.After some resistance and resistance, Tang and Liu crossed the sea and returned to the mainland one after another, and Taiwan was forcibly occupied by Japan.No one thought that this occupation would last for fifty years.

After learning from the pain, Zhang Zhidong decided that among all kinds of self-improvement, the first is to strengthen the army.The first major thing he did after being appointed to act as Liangjiang was to form an army, which he personally named the Self-Strengthening Army.The self-improvement army has eight battalions of the front team, two battalions of the artillery team, two battalions of the cavalry team, and one battalion of the engineering team, with a total of nearly 3,000 people.The self-improvement army hired German officers as coaches and trained them in accordance with the German Army's drill code.Its characteristics of distinguishing arms and uniting each battalion under the general command are quite different from the Xianghuai Army in the past, making it a new type of army that has attracted the attention of the government and the public.At the same time as building the army, he also established an army school in Jiangning in order to train new-style officers who understand both military and foreign languages ​​for the self-improvement army.

Seeing the self-improvement army improving day by day, Zhang Zhidong was happy.He imagined that a similar army could be built in Hubei in the future.After dinner that day, Sang Zhiping, an old friend and in-law who accompanied him to Jiangning, invited him to his room to talk. Sang Zhiping lives in the supervisor's office room, on the northwest corner of the yamen.More than 30 years ago, the Yamen of the Governor of Liangjiang was the Heavenly King's Mansion with the same political status as the Forbidden City in the capital.The Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan asked Qian Wang Hong Rengan to build him a small God-worshiping church according to the style of the foreigner churches he saw in Hong Kong.This Western-style church is located in the northwest corner of the palace. It is built entirely of granite, and the window lattices are covered with the most fashionable stained glass at that time.The roof is made into a pointed tower with a large iron cross on it.There are two floors, except for the hall on the first floor, there are six single rooms upstairs and downstairs.There are few people here and it is extremely quiet. Hong Xiuquan often worships here and reads the Bible.Living here, he has a feeling of having a direct dialogue with his heavenly father and brother.What he said, the heavenly father and brother can hear.In a trance, he also saw the heavenly father and brother showing him strategies and bestowing wisdom.Tianwang also often writes poems and compositions here, revises and supplements his "Imperial Poetry Collection".Sometimes, he would bring some beautiful female officials here for a tryst, in order to avoid his many queen wives and the kings and heavenly generals who came to the mansion to ask for advice.

In June of the third year of Tongzhi, a fire in the Jizi Camp of the Hunan Army almost burned the Tianwang Mansion to the ground. The small church survived because it was located in a remote location and was built of rocks.After Zeng Guofan moved the Jiangdu Yamen from Anqing back to this place, someone suggested that the building be demolished, but Zeng Guofan stopped it.He said that it is a pity that a good house is demolished, but people can still live in it.He only asked people to tear down the minaret and the cross, because they were symbols of the cult, and replace them with traditional Chinese gabled roofs.They also asked people to remove the stained glass, which is a charming color, and replace it with traditional Chinese gray and white paper.After renovation, the house is comfortable and practical, but also plain and simple. Zeng Guofan regards it as a high-end post house, specially receiving distinguished guests from the court and China who come to Liangjiang.It is locked when no one comes.He himself still lives a simple life like a farmer in Xiangxiang, and he has never lived in this post house overnight.This tradition of Zeng Guofan has been followed down.For decades, successive Jiang governors have not changed it.After Sang Zhiping came to Jiangning with Zhang Zhidong, Zhang Zhidong placed him in this post house for the courtesy of his old friend.Mrs. Chai passed away half a year ago, and he lived alone.After arriving in Jiangning, Zhang Zhidong sent two servants to live with him in the post house so that he could take care of him at any time.

Normally, Sang Zhi almost always comes here to discuss matters with Zhang Zhidong and others in the conference hall or study of the central office. Why did he invite him to his apartment this time?In a small room on the second floor, after taking his seat, Zhang Zhidong asked with a smile: "Brother Zhongzi, why did you ask me to come here? Could it be that you found Hong Xiuquan's relics here and asked me to admire them quietly? " Sang Zhiping also laughed, and said: "If there is a long-haired relic, someone would have searched it long ago, so it's my turn?" After the servants offered tea, Sang Zhiping told them not to go upstairs anymore, he wanted to discuss important matters with the governor.

"There is one matter that I didn't discuss with you beforehand, and I did it on my own initiative. Now I'm here to apologize to you." "What's the matter?" Zhang Zhidong was confused for a moment. "Two months ago, I privately asked Jiangning Army Academy to send two astute students to Tianjin on a business trip, and I came back a few days ago." "What are you going to do in Tianjin?" "Go to Tianjin Station to inspect the training situation of the Dingwu Army." "I thought it was a big deal!" Zhang Zhidong smiled. "What is this? Don't be secretive. It's okay to tell me in advance."

"If I tell you first, you will definitely say, what's there to investigate? Yuan Shikai is a young boy, so what good tricks can he have?" "You expect me to say that?" "You must say that!" "He really knows my heart!" The two looked at each other and laughed. "Why are you so interested in Yuan Shikai and his Dingwu Army?" After laughing, Zhang Zhidong asked solemnly. "Brother Xiangtao, I have been paying attention to this Yuan Shikai for a long time. I have heard from many people that Yuan Shikai has extraordinary courage, courage and talent. He trained the Dingwu Army very well. I wanted to see it for myself, but I went instead. It’s not as convenient as the young people in the Army Academy, so I asked them to go and have a look first. After listening to their reports, I have some ideas, so please come to this remote place and have a good talk.” Looking out the window, it is already dark.Sang Zhiping stood up and closed the curtains, and the large kerosene lamp with Western glass cover in the room appeared brighter and softer. On the eve of the outbreak of the naval battle last year, Yuan Shikai sent more than 20 telegrams requesting the imperial court to send more troops to North Korea, but did not receive a word of reply.Disappointed and indignant, Yuan Shikai left North Korea privately and returned home, crying to Li Hongzhang that the situation in North Korea was at stake.Li Hongzhang was unable to save the political situation in North Korea, but he appreciated the sober mind of this descendant of his former comrade-in-arms.He assumed the responsibility of "returning to the country privately" for Yuan Shikai and recommended this young talent to the imperial court.The imperial court did not accuse Yuan Shikai of leaving his post without permission, and gave him the official position of a Taoist priest in Wenchu, Zhejiang, according to the grade of a commercial agent.But Yuan Shikai didn't want to go to Zhejiang, so he dawdled in the capital, waiting for other opportunities.Yuan Shikai's luck was good, and a great opportunity really made him wait.A year ago, Hu Jiaofen, an inspector from Guangxi who belonged to the Westernization faction, was entrusted with an important task. He came to Tianjin Xiaozhan to recruit and train a new type of army, the Dingwu Army. There is a vacancy for the post of Superintendent of Military Affairs.Yuan Shikai took a fancy to this deficiency.The Dingwu Army belongs to the category of Westernization. Li Hongzhang is the general leader of the country's Westernization. The Dingwu Army's training site is in Tianjin Station, which belongs to the ground of Zhili. Li Hongzhang is the governor of Zhili.There is no doubt that Li Hongzhang attaches great importance to this army and holds a great say.Therefore, Yuan Shikai asked Li Hongzhang not to go to Zhejiang to fill this vacancy. Li Hongzhang listened carefully to Yuan Shikai's statement, and stared deeply at Taoist Wen Chu who was about to put on his clothes and go to Taoism with a solemn face.This person has been in North Korea for ten years, pacified the crisis several times, trained soldiers, endured hardships and stood hard work, especially politically minded, foresight, and clear judgments.For a decade, he effectively acted as China's spokesman in North Korea.This person is only thirty-five or sixteen years old this year, with broad shoulders and thick chest, and short legs.Especially those two eyes, big round, black and bright, full of energy, showing a cleverness and spirit far beyond ordinary people.The last two generations of the Yuan family had a deep connection with the Huai Clan, so he can be cultivated as a rising star of the Huai Clan.Li Hongzhang patted Yuan Shikai on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Wei Ting, you are ready to make up for Hu Yifen's lack. It's just that you have to work hard at the small station, train the Dingwu Army well, and don't embarrass your parents and grandparents. High hopes are placed on you!" A month later, Yuan Shikai was indeed ordered to reassign the Dingwu Army Military Affairs Department to supervise the handling.Yuan Shikai, who was born in a military family and has ten years of military experience, knows the importance of the army in troubled times.As soon as he arrived at the small station, he regarded the Dingwu Army as his life, and devoted himself to military affairs with a hundred times the passion of the generals in the Qing Dynasty. Not long after Yuan Shikai arrived at Xiaozhan, the appearance of Dingwu Army improved greatly.The horns of the military camp are loud and clear, the armor is bright, the discipline is strict, and orders are prohibited.From generals to soldiers, they endure hardships and stand hard work during training, are serious and responsible, and treat the playground as a battlefield; when they are not training, they can read and read, listen to reports, and give lectures, and the barracks are like classrooms.In particular, he did the most daring thing: the original 1,500 Dingwu Army expanded to 7,500 after half a year.The most inconspicuous small station before, became famous because of the Dingwu Army, which attracted the attention of the government, the public, and all directions, and thus attracted the attention of Sang Zhiping. "Brother Xiangtao, two students from the Army Academy lived in the small station for half a month, and they were warmly received by them. After listening to what they saw and heard after they came back, I have some thoughts. I vaguely feel that this The young man who came back from North Korea should not be underestimated, he and his Dingwu army may be able to succeed." "Really?" Zhang Zhidong sneered slightly at the corner of his mouth. "I heard that Yuan Shikai is a troublemaker. He takes power in North Korea and doesn't take North Korea's monarchs and ministers seriously. He doesn't take Japan seriously either. Some people say that Yuan Shikai bears a heavy responsibility for the outbreak of this war. , It was he who angered the Japanese, and also offended the North Korean monarchs and officials, pushing them to the Japanese side." "These people may be right. Maybe Yuan Shikai should bear some responsibility. We won't talk about this today. I just think that Yuan Shikai is not a mediocre person. To be honest, there are not many people who cause trouble in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty. Today There are too many mediocre and mediocre officials in the officialdom. It suffocates vitality and aggravates the decline, which is actually more terrifying and more worrying.” Of course Zhang Zhidong is not a person who likes mediocrity, and he has heard people praise Yuan Shikai many times.It's just that Yuan Shikai didn't have two honors, and the road he took to make a fortune was not the road to success in his mind. After all, he just didn't like Yuan. Zhang Zhidong said: "Today's officialdom is mediocre, and what you said is on point. It's just that Yuan Shikai has nothing special about him. Why do you have such high expectations for him? The Dingwu Army will be able to succeed, and we will strengthen ourselves." Will the army not be able to accomplish anything in the future?" Sang Zhiping smiled and said, "I'm talking to you about the Dingwu Army tonight, just to make our self-improvement army achieve great things in the future." He put away his smile and said with a solemn face: "When I lived in seclusion in Gubeikou, I spent a lot of energy studying the historical army. From the regular military system of the past dynasties to the temporary dispatch when the war broke out, from the major battles in the history books to Famous military generals, especially the recent Eight Banners, Green Camp, Hunan Army, and Huai Army, I have paid great attention to them. After studying in this way, I have a realization: any army that can accomplish great things and make extraordinary achievements They are all the private troops of the commander, not the official army of the imperial court. From the Yang family generals and the Yue family army in ancient times to the Hunan army and Huai army now, this view can be confirmed. Brother Xiangtao, have you thought about it? No, 30 years ago, the Xianghuai Army when they established meritorious service was actually Zeng Jiajun and Li Jiajun." This may sound outrageous at first, but it makes sense when you think about it.Zhang Zhidong stared at this old friend and in-law who had been assisting him but refused to accept any official position, and listened intently to what he had to say. "I have a vague feeling that Yuan Shikai is taking this path, that is to say, the court's Dingwu army is being used by him and will gradually become Yuan's army." Zhang Zhidong was startled for a moment, and asked, "Do you have evidence? How can you say that Wu Jun will become Yuan Jiajun?" "At present, the evidence is not enough. Based on the observation of the two students for half a month, it is not enough to constitute evidence. However, this is secondary. Whether Yuan Shikai can achieve this point in the future is left aside. I think that if he has a heart , should do this, and take advantage of this great opportunity to do this.” Zhang Zhidong seemed to have heard something famous, so he held his breath and continued to listen. "When I was in Gubeikou, the farmers in the village were usually farming, and in winter they chased mountains and animals as hunters. I have a hunter friend who told me this. He said that hunters rely on hunting dogs. The hunting dogs Its function is to chase wild animals at ordinary times, and to rescue the owner in a crisis. Usually, hunters buy good juvenile dogs for training. But his family chooses good puppies from the many pups born to his own bitches, so he The hounds at home are more loyal and protect their owners than those at others. What this hunter friend said is actually a very simple truth: one’s own relatives, others’ estrangement.” After taking a sip of tea, Sang Zhiping continued: "This principle also applies to leading soldiers. Leading existing soldiers is like raising a half-grown dog. Leading the military camp that you have built from scratch is like raising your own dog. However, there is a big difference between leading troops and raising dogs. Anyone can raise a dog at home, but the imperial court will never allow it to form an army by itself. Although there are exceptions in extraordinary times, food and pay However, it is not easy to raise money. Now, in the name of the imperial court, recruiting troops and buying horses, the household department pays, and the provinces provide food. Isn’t it a godsend opportunity? Yuan Shikai’s cleverness is here. Using this opportunity to expand the Dingwu army, it will also completely The Dingwu Army was reorganized, and this army is actually his domestic dog. The reason why he put all his heart into it is not because he is particularly loyal and wants to serve the court, but because he is doing things for himself. You still Do you remember that year when 200 officers of the Guangwu Army arrived in Wuchang with the ship?" "Why don't you remember!" Zhang Zhidong said, "For this reason, there was an imperial edict of accusation. It's just that I went all out to run the iron government and didn't take care of the new army in Hubei. These people didn't make good use of it." "To tell you the truth, I had a long-term plan hidden at the time, but I didn't disclose it to you. Six years have passed, and those officers have been exhausted, and there is no hope for them." Sang Zhiping sighed in his heart, regretting that the "far picture" of the year was not paid.Zhang Zhidong watched with wide eyes, waiting for his next words. Sang Zhiping lowered his voice: "In fact, our Qing Dynasty has entered a troubled world since the Jiaqing period. What we rely on in the troubled times is the army. If there is an army, there will be fame and career. If there is no army, the black hat on the head will always be carried by others. Zeng Guofan was in a dilemma in Jiangxi back then, and went to his father's funeral to get out of the predicament, but why did the court call him back after only one year of mourning? Not because he knew how to fight, but because the Hunan Army belonged to him The imperial court rehabilitated him not because he valued a certain person, but because he valued the hundreds of thousands of Hunan troops under him. The reason why Li Hongzhang was able to maintain his wealth and honor for a long time, and all the people in the world could not scold him, was because he had a Two armies of Beiyang, land and sea, transformed from the Huai army. Those who dealt with long hair at the same time, such as why Yuan Shikai's uncle Yuan Jiasan moved around and achieved nothing, was because the army under him was not born at home but dogs. Yuan Shikai It is precisely by absorbing the ancestral precepts of his Yuan family, changing the course, and taking the road of success of Zeng and Li." After Zhang Zhidong heard these words, he finally couldn't help it: "Brother Zhongzi, I understand what you mean, do you want me to take this good opportunity to turn the Ziqiang Army into a hunting dog raised by someone Zhang?" A family army?" "Brother Xiangtao," Sang Zhiping said solemnly, "I know, based on our acquaintance for more than ten years and our current relationship, even if you disagree with what I say, you won't doubt my intentions. " "It's natural." Zhang Zhidong nodded calmly. "Then let me tell you a few words that might not please you." Sang Zhiping paused intentionally, glanced at the relatives of his sons and daughters sitting opposite, and saw that he was listening attentively, so he continued seriously, "Since A In recent years, you have devoted yourself to the cause of Westernization and pinned your hope of self-improvement on the Westernization Bureau factories you run. Your intentions are very good, and the energy you spend on this is also admirable, and it has paid off. But to be honest, there are many problems in it, and some people even pessimistically believe that, not to mention that it is difficult for China to strengthen itself, even how long these bureaus and factories can last is still a problem.” Zhang Zhidong said disapprovingly, "I've heard about these things too. But it's almost impossible to do big things without hearing objections, not to mention Westernization, a big thing that hasn't been done since ancient times." .We can’t stop doing it just because someone doubts it.” "That's not what I mean. I have always fully supported you in setting up the Western Affairs Bureau factory. It is true that there are many problems. You can invite Cai Xiyong, Nian Tiao and others to discuss this matter in detail. I will not discuss this matter with you tonight. I mean it is right for you to set up a factory, but the situation may not allow you to run it smoothly." Zhang Zhidong stared at Sang Zhiping and asked: "What do you mean by that?" "Let's just put it bluntly!" Sang Zhiping said after a short pause. "In my opinion, the situation is extremely unsettled, and perhaps even greater chaos is about to emerge. This spring, the capital's public transportation letter caused a great shock in the official circles and scholars across the country. The imperial court lost its prestige and popular support fluctuated. A sign of coming!" Sang Zhiping’s letter on the bus refers to the eve of this year’s spring, the candidates from various provinces who were taking the exam in Beijing. After hearing that Li Hongzhang had signed a treaty with the Japanese on ceding land and indemnity in Shimonoseki, they were outraged. Under the leadership of Liang Qichao, more than a thousand people gathered to protest, and they came to the Metropolitan Procuratorate together to submit the Wanyan letter to the imperial court on their behalf, asking the imperial court to refuse to recognize this traitorous treaty.More than a thousand buses jointly signed a letter, which is a major event that has not been recorded in history.This incident was quickly spread from the capital to all parts of the country, stirring up a long-lost patriotic righteousness from top to bottom, from the officialdom to the market. How could Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Liangjiang in Jiangning, not know?The mainstay of Qingliu back then sympathized with the passionate actions of these buses from the bottom of his heart.However, he did not link this with the imminent chaos. Zhang Zhidong frowned and asked, "Is it so serious?" "I think it's about the same." Sang Zhiping said with certainty, "When the chaos comes, can the bureau and factory continue to run? You can't do it no matter how hard you think about it. At that time, the army will really work. Only when there are soldiers The people who lead the army are the backbone of the country. I hope there will be no more long-haired and twisted things. If such an unfortunate situation happens, I don't want to see Yuan Shikai and his Dingwu army monopolize Scenery, I hope you can be the Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang of those days, and the Self-Strengthening Army is the former Hunan Army and Huai Army." "Are you telling me not to do other things, just like Zeng Guofan in the past and Yuan Shikai now, who are all focused on building a self-improvement army?" Sang Zhiping said slowly: "I think, you can also do the same, hand over the foreign affairs to others, and run the army wholeheartedly, and hold the self-improvement army firmly in your hands." "I am fifty-eight years old this year. Zeng Guofan was just over forty when he started the Hunan Army, and Yuan Shikai was only thirty-five or sixteen. At my age, can I compare with them? Can I go to drills with those boys every day? ?” "You don't have to go to the playground with them, but you can live in the barracks with them. If you go, I will live with you." Zhang Zhidong laughed and said, "That's not okay. Zeng Guofan was only in charge of the Hunan Army at that time, and Yuan Shikai only had a full-time job in supervising military affairs. I was the governor of the lake and also the governor of the river. How could I get away with it?" Woolen cloth." "Actually, as long as you have the heart, there are ways to think about these things. You can live in the self-improvement barracks for the first half of the year. In the first half of the year, the general affairs of the Governor of the Lake and the Governor of Jiang are entrusted to others, and the most important things are handled by yourself. It will go wrong." "Could it be that if you leave the supervisory office and live in the barracks, you can control the self-improvement army in your own hands?" "Of course it's not that simple." Sang Zhiping touched his chin and said, "The key to mastering an army lies in controlling its senior officers. You live in the barracks for a period of time, establish a harmonious relationship with the barracks, and then In the middle, find someone to train yourself. If you supervise and co-organize all the supervisors and co-organizers, the leaders of each battalion are selected and promoted by you, not the current situation: the supervisor is concurrently held by the admiral of Jiangsu, and the co-organizer is his for many years. Paoze, all battalion management and sentry officers are appointed by the co-organizer. Only after this situation has been completely changed can it be said that the Self-Strengthening Army belongs to you.” Zhang Zhidong was lost in thought.Sang Zhiping's idea is quite correct: although the current self-improvement army was recruited by himself, it is an army of the imperial court in name, but in essence it is still in the hands of the admiral of Jiangsu, and he is just doing business; In Jiangning, this new army, like the current green battalion, has nothing to do with itself.When the world is chaotic, don't say to obey your orders to charge forward, even if you let it do a little thing for you, it is impossible to do it.However, Zhang Zhidong didn't bother to let himself put down his position as a general and become a general of a self-improvement army with only 3,000 people.Besides, this kind of overstepping and acting on behalf of others obviously violated the imperial court system.The world is not yet in chaos, and there are many laws and regulations of the Qing Dynasty. If someone accuses you of a private army, it will be a difficult lawsuit to entangle.Thinking of this, Zhang Zhidong said: "Brother Zhongzi, I'm old and I don't have the courage to personally command an army. I just want to do some practical things for the court to strengthen the country and strengthen the army, and I don't want to regard this self-improvement army as my own military force. This may make people feel uncomfortable. You are disappointed, but there is nothing you can do about it." After speaking, he let out a long breath. This really disappointed Sang Zhiping, the right hand holding the teacup stopped halfway.He stared at the Acting Governor Liangjiang in front of him, and seemed to have such an impression for the first time: he is indeed old!The almost white braids and beard are like the ramie piled up in the hemp bureau, messy and dull; the thin and wrinkled face is like a stewed sweet potato picked out of the hot ashes, miserable and dull. Bloody; short and thin body leaning against the wicker chair, like a fifteen or sixteen year old child, who looks very inconspicuous because of immaturity.It doesn't seem to be like this at ordinary times!Although the beard and hair are white and the complexion is rosy, although the figure is small, it is majestic.Why is it so trivial and mediocre tonight! Sang Zhiping sighed in his heart and said: "Brother Xiangtao, these years of hard work have indeed cost you a lot of hard work. I hope that in the past six years, there will be many difficulties in obtaining the Tiger Talisman. I will make a request to you tonight." , please don’t look forward and back and refuse to accept it.” Require?Over the years, Sang Zhiping has never made any request! "What request, you just say, what is the relationship between us, what you want, don't I try my best?" Sang Zhiping smiled slightly and said, "In three months, Ren Bing will graduate from Wuchang Ziqiang Academy. I ask you to send him to the Ziqiang Army. He will be a team officer first, and then he will be promoted to a battalion officer in a year and a half. , Let him replace you in charge of the Self-Strengthening Army in the future." After marriage, Ren Bing entered Wuchang Self-improvement School, where he systematically studied Western sciences such as English, calculation, and machine manufacturing.Both Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping deeply felt that they did not understand Western learning, and they intended to let their descendants make up for this great regret.Originally, it was Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhihu's common wish to let Ren Bing enter the iron political bureau after graduation, and follow Cai Xiyong and Chen Nian to learn Westernization and Industry.At the moment when Zhang Zhidong categorically refused to lead his own army, Sang Zhihu had an idea suddenly: Let Ren Bing do this. Compared with his father, Ren Bing has many shortcomings, but he also has his own shortcomings Many excesses.Although Renting is not tall, he has learned a lot of boxing and kicking skills from Sang Zhiping since he was a child. His body is strong and flexible, suitable for martial arts.Although he has never studied military affairs systematically, he understands foreign literature, German drills, and British weapons. As long as he learns, he will be ten times and a hundred times faster than others.What's more, he is only twenty-five years old, like a rising sun that just came out of the horizon, full of rays of light, with a bright future, his father and father-in-law, who are in their sixth year, can't be compared to him! "Let Ren Bing go to the Self-Strengthening Army, I haven't thought about it. If he wants to, it's okay." Zhang Zhidong stroked his long beard. "However, he didn't study military in Wuchang. It's not appropriate for him to be a team officer as soon as he arrives at the barracks. People will say that he relies on Lao Tzu's influence." Sang Zhiping said: "Not to mention anything else, just relying on Ren Ping's fluent English and his calculation knowledge, there is no one in the fifty or sixty self-improvement barracks and team officers. What Ren Ping lacks is military common sense. You can let him be a trainee officer first, and fill in the gaps in a few months. If you let him start as a soldier, when will he be able to take charge of the self-improvement army?" "Don't favor Ren Bing and protect him just because he is your son-in-law. I don't see any outstanding features in him. Do you expect too much from him?" "Whether Ren Bing is superior or not, let's not talk about it, the first thing is to cultivate him, which is a very important matter. In modern times, only Zeng Guofan has seen it clearly and done it best. He said that as long as If a person with moderate aptitude is well cultivated and given the opportunity to fully display his talents, he can expect to achieve great things. Conversely, if a person with high aptitude sinks into the water unfortunately, he will achieve nothing. I deeply agree with what Zeng Guofan said. There are many smart people in the world, and those who can achieve careers are only one in a thousand or one in ten thousand. Most of them are sunk. It's a pity. You have cultivated and created a good environment for your subordinate students, so are you so harsh on your own son?" Zhang Zhidong laughed loudly: "Ren Pai is really lucky to have Yue Weng who favors him like you. All right. Let him go to the Self-Strengthening Army as you please. But there is one condition, first he must be in the Jiangning Army Academy After studying for half a year, he will be treated like everyone else, and he will be a trainee team officer first. If he is really talented, he will be promoted through the ranks. Don't spoil the seedlings, love will harm them." Sang Zhiping puts high hopes on his son-in-law, and earnestly hopes that he will grow into a big tree that can keep out the wind and rain as soon as possible.Unexpectedly, the situation is unpredictable, misfortune and good fortune depend on each other, and because of benevolence, he came to Jiangning, and instead made a big mistake that Sang Zhiping regretted all his life!