Chapter 26 Section 26 Li Hongzhang faces a crisis of demotion

At that time, the foreman of the Minister of the Military Aircraft Department and the foreman of the Minister of the Prime Minister's State Affairs Yamen were all led by Prince Gong Yixin alone.At this time, the ministers of military aircraft were Bao Jun, Wen Xiang, Cao Yuying, and Li Tangjie. Soon after, Bao Jun became the Zuo servant of the household department, and Li Tangjie then served as the Zuodu censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Wen Xiang and Cao Yuying were actually in charge of the military aircraft department, and Prince Gong Yixin was naturally in charge. According to the Daqing official system, the minister of military aircraft is behind the bachelor, but it is the minister of military aircraft, not the bachelor, who is really in power.In view of this, in the Qing Dynasty, there was a saying that the great scholars have the name of the prime minister but not the reality, and the military ministers have the truth but not the name of the prime minister; ministers who are promoted to the grand bachelor are called the cabinet worship Prime Minister, and was promoted to minister of military aircraft, it was said that he had entered the privy court.It has become customary for the minister of military aircraft to be in charge of the privy court.

Yixin was the sixth son of Emperor Daoguang and half brother of Emperor Xianfeng. Daoguang passed away, and the posthumous edict named him Prince Gong and indicated that he would assist the government.But it is a pity that Emperor Xianfeng did not trust his younger brother very much during his lifetime, and Yixin, the assistant prince, has always been left out in the cold.Emperor Xianfeng died of illness in Rehe, and the Empress Dowager secretly contacted Yixin, who was in power in the capital, and launched the Qixiang coup. Only then did Yixin become prominent, and was not only appointed as the head minister of the Military Aircraft Department and the Prime Minister's State Affairs Office, but also in front of Prince Gong. , adding the word "discussing politics", he became the only prince discussing politics at that time.Not long after Yixin presided over the court, he dismissed several notorious full-staff governors and governors one after another, and drastically adjusted the military aircraft department, adding Cao Yuying and Li Tangjie, who were more courageous among the Han staff, so that the Qing Dynasty The situation quickly improved in a short period of time.

Wenxiang has always stood on the same line as Yixin.Wenxiang's prominence is also due to the rise of Yixin.Wen Xiang is the second most famous figure in the military aircraft department, while Cao Yuying and Li Tangjie are supporting roles.This is because Cao and Li have not entered the military aircraft office for a long time, and because they are both members of the Han Dynasty, they are inevitably inferior. Both of them knew in their hearts that if Yixin didn't discuss it properly with Wenxiang, they would never do so.The two of them seemed to have made an appointment, and refused to say a word.

When Xue Huan's copy arrived at the military aircraft office, Yizhen happened to go to the palace to discuss matters, and there were only Wen Xiang, Cao Yuying, and Li Tangjie in the office.As usual, the memorial that was handed up below was first handed over to Wen Xiang to be opened. Wen Xiang skimmed through the booklet in a hurry, and said, "This is obviously a barbarian case, why did it go to the Military Aircraft Department?" Wen Xiang didn't explain it to Cao and Li, so he closed the booklet, called Zhang Jing in and said: "This should be under the administration of the General Administration. You can send someone to transfer it." The General Administration is another name for the Prime Minister's Office.

That Zhang Jing hurriedly took the booklet and went out. Wen Xiang sighed and said, "Li Shaoquan has ruined Jiangsu's affairs. What's the point of not being in arrears with my own salary? How come I am in arrears with the Ever Victorious Army's salary! Can foreigners agree?" Seeing Wen Xiang's strange words, Cao Yuying couldn't help asking curiously, "Master Wen, did something happen in Jiangsu?" Wen Xiang was about to speak, but Zhang Jing, who had just walked out, turned back and handed the booklet to Wen Xiang again, saying, "Master Wen, I have just checked outside according to the order of the Lord, and it turns out that this booklet was transferred by the General Administration .”

Wen Xiang said "ah", he took the booklet and said, "How could this happen! It's clearly something that the General Administration should be in charge of, why doesn't he care?" Zhang Jing didn't answer, turned and walked out. Wen Xiang smoked the hookah and paced back and forth, making the whole office room full of smoke.Not long after Prince Gong came down from the palace, the three hurriedly stood up to greet the prince as usual. While taking his seat, Prince Gong said: "As soon as Shen Beilin arrived in Shaanxi and Gansu, he clamored to form a foreign gun team. Isn't he making a fuss?"

Li Tangjie said at this time: "My lord has been in the palace for so long, is it just to discuss this matter? Speaking of which, the ever-victorious army in Shanghai is almost invincible; the Changjie army that Zuo Zongtang raised in Zhejiang is also victorious. Shen Beilin loves to follow suit, how can he not be jealous? But Shaanxi and Gansu are so poor, how can I buy foreign guns and cannons?" Prince Gong replied: "Who says it's not? This king said that Shen Beilin was fooling around, and the queen mothers of the two palaces also said that Shen Beilin is admirable! This Shen Beilin, who likes to catch wind and shadows in the military plane, put him in Shaanxi and Gansu. Not willing to be lonely!"

Wen Xiang interjected: "My lord, if you don't mention the foreign gun team, I will forget it!" He picked up the booklet on the table, and handed it to Prince Gong: "This is Xue Huan's fight in Shanghai. The General Administration forwarded the handed-in papers here. Just take a look, Chang Shengjun has made a big fuss in Shanghai! This Li Shaoquan, he wants to live up to the trust placed in him by his superiors!" Prince Gong didn't answer, and quickly opened the booklet to look.Wen Xiang said: "The Changsheng Army's dispute over wages is clearly a barbarian case, but the General Administration has transferred the papers here. The Military Aircraft Department focuses on the word 'military aircraft'. If the Military Aircraft Department even manages the barbarian case, you still need him." What is the headquarters doing?"

Cao Yuying and Li Tangjie looked at each other without saying a word. Both of them knew in their hearts that Wen Xiang repeatedly vented his dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister's Office, mainly because the two empress dowagers did not need him to be the Minister of the General Administration.As we all know, the establishment of the Prime Minister’s Yamen was mainly the result of the request of Prince Gong, Gui Liang and Wen Xiang. Wen Xiang thought that he was well versed in barbarian affairs, but there were some people who were not used to Wen Xiang, and secretly played a book in front of the queen mothers of the two palaces, saying that Wen Xiang was arrogant and domineering, and that he would make mistakes if he stayed in the General Administration for a long time.The Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces then asked Wen Xiang to walk on the Minister of Military Aircraft, but after thinking about it, she felt that it was not appropriate, so she added the title of Minister of the Ministry of Industry to him.Although Wen Xiang felt a little balanced in his heart, he was still not in a good mood. Whenever he got the chance, he still wanted to say something to the General Administration.

Prince Gong raised his head at this moment and said, "Lord Cao, Lord Li, what do you two say?" Cao Yuying and Li Tangjie were taken aback for a moment, they both looked blank, not knowing what the prince was asking. Prince Gong pushed the booklet over and said, "Maybe the two of you haven't had time to read it yet? Xue Huanzao gave it to the Empress Dowagers and the Emperor. The leader of the Changsheng Army, that is, the American Bai Qiwen, is making a fuss in Shanghai!" Li Tangjie hurriedly took the booklet and looked through it.Wen Xiang said angrily at this time: "Your Majesty, I have already said that it is okay to transfer Li Shaoquan to aid Shanghai, but it is not appropriate to let him succeed Xue Huan as governor of Jiangsu.

"Jiangsu is the most affluent place in my Qing Dynasty, and there are many foreigners. Xue Huan has been in front of the border for a long time, but he can't be deterred. How old is this Li Shaoquan? That Bai Qiwen can listen to him?" Prince Gong nodded and said: "It was a bit hasty to let Li Shaoquan be the governor. Fortunately, the deputy is not the real one. But then again, if Li Shaoquan is replaced, who is the governor's material? Xue Huan can no longer let the governor go. Well, Wu Xu and Yang Fang are both donating classes, so they are not qualified. Mr. Wen, I don’t know if you are aware of it. There are tens of thousands of high-ranking officials in the Qing Dynasty, but I really can’t pick out those who can really take on the position of governor. several!" Wen Xiang said: "Speaking of which, it's not that Xue Huan can't be a governor. If it wasn't for Changmao's troubles in the past few years, even if he was allowed to be a governor, he would still be competent. When it comes to Chang Shengjun, it's really thanks to him and Wu Xu Two, otherwise, Shanghai would have been taken by Changmao long ago!" Li Tangjie said: "Your Majesty, I have just looked at Xue Huan's papers. It seems that Bai Qiwen has closed Songjiang City to make money, and has little to do with Li Shaoquan. Li Shaoquan is a good caregiver, but he doesn't have wings. He is in Qingpu You can’t go back to Shanghai, and you can’t go to Qingpu in Shanghai. Even a three-year-old child should know this truth.” Wen Xiang widened his eyes and said: "President Li can really tell jokes! He, Li Shaoquan, is the governor, and Chang Shengjun is under his control. No matter what Bai Qiwen does, Li Shaoquan cannot escape the blame. No matter how fierce Chang Shengjun is, it is also Jiangsu How can he govern the whole province if he can’t control the recruiting army under his control?” Li Tangjie retorted: "What Da Sikong said is not entirely true. The headquarters just read Xue Huan's booklet, which clearly stated that when Bai Qiwen closed the Songjiang city gate privately, Li Shaoquan was supervising the battle in Qingpu. On the other hand, the commander of the Changsheng Army It's Yang Fang, although Yang Fang is also the official secretary of Jiangsu Province, he should always be aware of Bai Qiwen's every move!" Wen Xiang narrowed his eyes and said, "The more Mr. Li says, the more outrageous he is! We are now discussing with the prince the candidate for the governor of Jiangsu, and the merits and demerits of winning the army are very important. Why is Mr. Li talking about Yang Fang again? Li Zongxian, did your daughter drink too much last night?" Li Tangjie straightened his neck and was about to refute a few words, when Prince Gong waved his hands and said, "Stop arguing, you two. Bai Qiwen has turned Shanghai upside down. Let's discuss a solution as soon as possible. Bai Qiwen definitely can't." If it’s used again, who will the leader of the Ever Victorious Army release? Will foreigners be released? Foreigners don’t accept discipline, so it’s not easy to use!” Wen Xiang said: "Your Majesty, do you still need to discuss this matter? Xue Huan is the founder of the Foreign Gun Team and the Minister of Commerce and Industry. Whoever he says to let go should be the one. You can't be wrong. Mr. Li, Mr. There will be no more objections this time, right?" Li Tangjie said with a blushing face, "In front of the prince, the Metropolitan Academy did not have the right to speak. The headquarters just spoke a few words of justice for Li Shaoquan. Speaking of which, the prince must have already made up his mind about the matter of the Changsheng Army. Your lord, right?" Prince Gong laughed and said, "This incident happened so suddenly, I have to think about it carefully. If you have anything to say, just say it!" Li Tangjie stood up and said, "My lord, the Metropolitan Procuratorate still has some matters that need to be dealt with as soon as possible, and the headquarters will take the first step." Prince Gong nodded and said: "Go ahead, come back when you're done." Li Tangjie cupped his hands at Wenxiang and Cao Yuying, and said: "The headquarters is one step ahead!" After speaking, he opened the door and walked out.Wen Xiang snorted through his nose, and said, "My lord, you may not know that there is a reason why Zongxian Li straightened his neck to exonerate Li Shaoquan!" Prince Gong asked curiously, "How do you say that?" Wen Xiang said: "My lord should know that Li Zongxian's future today is due to his recommendation?" Prince Gong thought for a while, and suddenly came to his senses.In the first year of Xianfeng, Emperor Xianfeng issued an edict to seek talents, and Zeng Guofan, then Minister of Rites, recommended five people at a time, including Li Tangjie. Emperor Xianfeng then transferred Li Tangjie from the post of Xuezheng in Henan to the capital, where he was awarded Dali Temple Minister, and he was promoted to a cabinet bachelor and a minister of the Ministry of Rites. After a few years, he entered the ranks of first-rank officials. Wen Xiang said at this time: "Li Zongxian got his position today because of Zeng Disheng's recommendation, and Li Shaoquan is Zeng Disheng's disciple. Li Tangjie defended Li Shaoquan. To put it bluntly, he is actually reporting Zeng Tisheng's recommendation of him!" Prince Gong nodded: "Lord Li is a student of Confucianism, so it is reasonable for him to do so. However, I just thought about it, and Li Tangjie's words are not unreasonable. Now the southeast half of my Qing Dynasty is supported by Zeng Guofan. Even if we want to replace Li Shaoquan, we should ask Zeng Guofan to pick a candidate for the governor of Jiangsu. Not only does it not make sense to replace Li Shaoquan without Zeng Guofan, but the two palaces may not agree. It is okay to say in the east, but not in the west. It's so confusing. "By the way, there is one more sentence I want to tell you. You just yelled at the General Administration in front of Li Tangjie. This king sounds a bit awkward. You should say less in the future. Anyway, you are always The earliest minister in charge of the administration, others say that the king ignores him, and you should not talk nonsense if you are arrogant. If it spreads, what will happen?" Wen Xiang blushed and said, "My lord taught me, I have nothing to say, but just now, my lord, I didn't say anything else about the General Administration, I just said that they shouldn't make random memorials. Xue Huan's memorandum is about Chang Shengjun The issue of pay, this is obviously a barbarian case, how can the General Administration transfer it to the Military Aircraft Department? Of course, the prince is the foreman here, and also the foreman of the General Administration. ..." Prince Gong pointed at Wen Xiang and said, "What I want to say is the word 'Yi case' you mentioned. It is true that most of the soldiers in the foreign spear team are foreigners, but the team leader Bai Qiwen and I are familiar with each other. Yes. Now that you have obtained your registration, you are a subject of the Qing Dynasty. Is it wrong for the General Administration to transfer Xue Huan’s papers to the military plane? Lord Wen, I know that you are still thinking about the position of the General Administration, but this must be done. Plan slowly, don’t be in a hurry. And Xue Huan, I know that you two are on good terms, but you should know Xue Huan’s character. I’m at the two palaces, so at least I got him a Minister of Commerce. He is considered to have a place in Shanghai, so why is he making trouble? Zeng Guofan is the governor of Jiang, and he is also the co-organizer of the university. Regarding the matter of Liangjiang, the two palaces don’t listen to Zeng Guofan, do they listen to Xue Huan? He has not been dismissed. It's because the two palaces have opened up. I suspect that Xue Huan was responsible for Bai Qiwen's matter." Wen Xiang hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, Xue Huan is not the kind of person who is easygoing. Besides, he is not the commander of the Changsheng Army. Can Bai Qiwen listen to him? I am not defending Xue Huan, it is completely It's completely out of public interest!" Prince Gong smiled and said: "Wen Xiang, you are an old minister, and you have been in the court for a long time. I didn't mean to make you lose face. I also have difficulties. In fact, I don't know Li Shaoquan as well as you guys do." Veteran, you may not know that regarding Liangjiang’s matter, the west side has given special instructions and cannot handle it as usual. So when encountering Liangjiang, this king has to be extra cautious!” Wen Xiang whispered: "I understand what the prince said, but I still think that this Li Shaoquan's caretaker can no longer do it! Even if Xue Huan is not released, Wu Xu should be released. Anyway, Wu Xujiu There is still something to do with barbarians and fool foreigners!" Prince Gong thought for a while and said, "This prince will pass the book into the palace in a while. You can share some of your words with the queen mothers of the two palaces. As long as the west nods, we will replace Li Shaoquan!" Cao Yuying sat in her seat drinking tea the whole time without saying a word.