Chapter 30 Section 30 Empress Dowager Cixi praised Li Hongzhang

In the evening, a notice to arrest Bai Qiwen jointly issued by the British Consulate in Shanghai and Jiangsu Governor's Yamen was sent to various Haikou and checkpoints. The next day, Li Hongzhang sat down with Mai Huatuo and Shidi Foli again to discuss the modification of the original contract for forming the Ever Victorious Army, and a new agreement was reached shortly thereafter. Only then did Li Hongzhang inform Bai Qiwen of the private closure of the city gate to cause trouble, and attached a picture to inform him of the re-contract with the British admiral and the consul in Shanghai.The zhezi arrived in the capital very quickly.

After Wen Xiang saw it, he had nothing to say, but Prince Gong sighed: "This Li Hongzhang is worthy of being from the top two rankings. He really has a way of dealing with foreigners!" The Empress Dowager Cixi summoned Prince Gong into the palace after seeing Li Hongzhang's copy, and said: "It seems that it is right to let Li Hongzhang go to Shanghai. Li Hongzhang is really capable! He is not only good at handling affairs, but also good at negotiating with foreigners. Bu, according to the two divisions, do you have anyone to choose?" Prince Gong replied: "As for the Empress Dowager, I think it's best to listen to what Li Hongzhang has to say about the Jiangsu matter."

The Empress Dowager Cixi thought for a while and said: "That's fine, then let Li Hongzhang be the governor of Jiangsu, and let him pick two capable people from the two divisions. Also, leave the affairs of the Changsheng Army to the left. Zong Tang should inform him so that he will have a plan in mind when dealing with foreigners in the future. This foreigner, if he says he can do things, he can really do things, and if he says bad things, he can really do bad things!" What kind of new agreement did Li Hongzhang reach with the British that made Prince Gong and Empress Dowager Cixi so happy?

The new agreement between Li Hongzhang and the British is as follows: The food and pay of the Ever-Victorious Army was unrestrained, several times that of the officers and soldiers. If things go on like this, it will become a big trend. After repeated debates with the British, it was decided to control the number of soldiers of the Ever-Victorious Army at 3,000 and reduce the amount of food and salaries. , managed by Chinese officials; the Ever Victorious Army will not be allowed to interfere in local affairs in the future; the Ever Victorious Army will not be allowed to privately purchase arms in the future.

Li Hongzhang's original attachment reads: "Wu Xu, Yang Fang and others initially intended to borrow money from the imperial bandits, and their salaries, husband's price, and all military supplies should be multiplied several times depending on the size of the officers and soldiers. There was no limit, and the number gradually increased to more than 4,500. Ships and steamships require 70,000 to 80,000 taels of silver per month. Previously, the recovery of Songjiang, Qingpu and other cities was not without capital and effort, so it became more and more arrogant, and gradually became a trend that could not be lost.

"I've been planning for months, and I've been wanting to suppress it for a long time, and it's a matter of Sino-foreign negotiations, so it's not easy to launch an attack. This time, Bai Qiwen was aggressive and domineering, so he immediately withdrew his military power. At the beginning of the change, we need to seek a remedy. At the beginning, the British admiral Stephen didn't want the Chinese officials to bring him back. The minister debated with him back and forth, and his tongue was sore. It took several days to reach an agreement. The original thirteen articles of the treaty were made by the minister, and the minister added corrections It was increased to 16 articles, sealed and handed over to the branch office on November 25, and consulted with the Prime Minister's Office for record.

"The treaty is broad, such as reducing the number of permanent victorious troops to 3,000, reducing the amount of food and rations for long husbands, and deleting all kinds of superfluous funds for wards and daily room fees. The rations are managed by officials from the minister's office...For local affairs inside and outside Songcheng, foreign officials are not allowed to intervene. The purchase of arms must have documents from the ministers, and the officials are not allowed to undertake private purchases. Zhu Yong must listen to the opinions of the leaders of the Chinese Association. , you can also withdraw the military handle gradually...Chen Zha Chang Shengjun has never reported the money used before, and there is no evidence in the government office, so the price will be calculated in the future, and Wu Xu and Yang Fang will be ordered to clean up by themselves..."

The article "Delete all kinds of superfluous expenses for wards and daily room fees" means that the Ever Victorious Army will no longer enjoy privileges; The period for receiving rations has passed, and the amount of food to be eaten will be approved by the governor's yamen; "Foreign officials in charge of local affairs inside and outside Songcheng shall not interfere" means that the ever-victorious army is not allowed to interfere with local affairs; Arms must have documents from the ministers, and officials in charge are not allowed to purchase and undertake privately." This means that the Ever Victorious Army will not be able to purchase arms privately in the future.The above items are the key links for the Changsheng army to make money.

It can be seen from the attached picture that Li Hongzhang has taken most of the management power of the Changsheng Army in his hands, and the situation where the Changsheng Army can do whatever it wants is a thing of the past. At this time, under Xu Peiyuan's lobbying, Qian Guiren's unit of the Taiping Army surrendered to the Qing Dynasty as scheduled, Huaiyong took advantage of the situation to launch an attack, and the prefectures and counties along Qingpu and Changshu followed suit.Li Xiucheng led the remnants to flee, very embarrassed. So far, except for a few prefectures and counties, most of Jiangsu Province has been recovered by Li Hongzhang's Huaiyong.

However, Li Hanzhang rushed to Shanghai from Jiangxi. When he saw Li Hongzhang, he complained after a short greeting: "Second brother, you are acting more and more outrageous now. My brother came from Jiangxi to teach mother a lesson. You have a meal!" Li Hongzhang didn't know what he had done wrong, and wondered, "Why did you say that? What did I do wrong?" Li Hanzhang glared at Li Hongzhang, and said, "You still talk! Because of your business, my mother has been unable to eat or sleep for several days and nights. The marriage that my mother arranged for you years ago, are you going to do it or not? Jiao Her mother passed away for a year, the ancients said that a man without a wife will have no room, you can't let your mother worry about you all day long, can you?"

Hearing this, Li Hongzhang immediately let go of his heart. He made a cup of good tea for his elder brother, and then he sat down at the table and said with a smile: "Brother, my brother is going to tell you about this matter. When I came to Shanghai, I never had a free day. Now, most of the states and counties in the province have been recovered, and Bai Qiwen’s affairs have just begun to take shape, and the management of the Changsheng Army has also been transferred to the governor’s office. The next step is to Abolishing the Changsheng Army and increasing the salary and recruitment of my Huaiyong! How can you let the younger brother separate his origins and marry? My mother is worried for me, which is reasonable, but the elder brother is a member of the officialdom, so he should put himself in his place Explain a few words for my younger brother in front of his mother, so that the old man will not worry about him day and night." After listening to Li Hongzhang's words, Li Hanzhang pondered for a while and said, "Think about it. You are the governor of Jiangsu now, and you are in charge of a province's military affairs. If it wasn't for the fact that the heaven had the eyes to distribute it to Hunan, maybe you are still on the waiting list. But your life-long event cannot be underestimated. I heard from my mother that Miss Zhao is not only as beautiful as a fairy, but also extremely virtuous. , especially mother's heart. Miss Zhao will come in soon, and there will be more people around mother to take care of her, so you can feel at ease, can't you?" Li Hongzhang sighed, and said with a melancholy expression: "Since the elder brother has said this, I will not hide it from the elder brother. In fact, no matter how busy I am, there is always time to get married. I have been thinking, Jiaoer, she Mother has not lived a stable life for a few days since she followed me. I went north to Chunwei and left her alone by my mother's side for several years; Later, I followed Fuji again, and I became busy again. Although I was close to her at that time, it seemed like a world away. Sometimes when I saw her, I came and went in a hurry. Listen to what Jiaoer told me later Every time I leave, she has to shed tears behind her mother's back for a few days. After that, she has an appetite and loses weight. At this time, I brought the newly recruited battalions Yong went to Anqing, and then came to Shanghai. Brother, you said, the illness of Jiaoer's mother was not caused by me?" Li Hanzhang saw that his second brother was genuinely moved, and hurriedly persuaded him: "Second brother, don't think so. The ancients said: life and death are determined, wealth and honor are in the sky, after all, it is Jiaoer and her mother who have a short life. Don't think about the past. Yes. My brother came to see you this time just to tell you the truth, what is your plan? Miss Zhao family, when do you want to marry?" Li Hongzhang took a sip of tea, thought for a while, and replied, "Let's talk about Jiao'er's mother after three years. Brother, you came to Shanghai this time, isn't it just for this one thing?" Li Hanzhang replied with a smile: "Second brother guessed well. When I was in Jiangxi, I received a letter from Guo Yunxian, who was the same year as you. You know that Junxian is very talented and talented, especially in advocating foreign affairs. This is the most appreciated by the superior!" Li Hongzhang interjected: "Brother, didn't Junxian follow the monk prince to negotiate with the British and French allied forces in Tianjin? He is not in Tianjin now? He has returned to the capital?" Li Hanzhang said: "Junxian took leave two months ago and returned home to recuperate. I don't know what to do in the future. Everyone in the world knows that Prince Senggelinqin has a strong personality. Yes, he beat or scolded. Think about it, what kind of personality is Yunxian? How could he see such a thing? During Junxian Dingyou's period, he used to organize regiment training with Master Zhijun, and Master Zeng later founded the navy division. It's true. Now, isn't the Hunan Army Navy successful?! Yunxian is a man of insight. Isn't such a person nested under the hands of the king of monks? Wouldn't his life be ruined? For my brother, I saw Yunxian's letter , I am very anxious for him. I have been thinking about this matter for my brother for many days, and there is no other way to think about it except that you can help him, second brother." But Li Hongzhang said: "Brother, you are so busy and confused. Guo Yunxian and his teacher Zhijun are the relatives of his sons and daughters. Everyone in the world knows this. Don't you know about it? Your teacher is now Xie Kui. You can find any reason. It can make Yunxian leave Tianjin. Brother, I advise you to save yourself from this worry!" Li Hanzhang didn't wait for his second brother to finish speaking, and said anxiously: "Second brother, you are really tired and confused to see you for my brother! It's not that you don't know the circumvention system in my Qing Dynasty. Everyone in the world knows it. Mr. Zhijun is the in-laws of his sons and daughters. How can you let Zeng Zhijun speak for Yunxian? Mr. Zhijun has been unable to sleep well for several nights because of his in-laws. Mr. Zhijun has been kind to my Li family, and now he I am always worrying about getting angry, how can I stand still for my brother?" Hearing this, Li Hongzhang couldn't help laughing and said, "Brother, you didn't come here from your mother, but from your teacher, right? Your teacher also thought too much about it. He always just writes a letter to do something like this." How dare you refuse to obey the disciples? Why do you have to make the eldest brother go through this hard work?" Li Hanzhang said: "Master Zhijun is always cautious. He always does things and never gives others excuses. But let me tell you, you and Yunxian are the same age. You should know Yunxian's talent. Master Zhijun also cherishes him. Talent! Junxian advocates the introduction of Western methods to strengthen oneself, Shanghai is a place where foreigners gather, if he can come to you, he will definitely be able to do something for you." Li Hongzhang said: "Brother is right. I really lack someone who understands foreign affairs like Guo Yunxian. Well, according to what my brother said, I will play the imperial court tomorrow and transfer my fellowship to Shanghai!" Li Hanzhang hurriedly asked: "Second brother, you haven't said what kind of errand you want to entrust Yunxian. If it's an idle errand, Yunxian probably won't accept it." Li Hongzhang said: "Jiangsu Chief Envoy and Su Song Tai Dao Wu Xu is about to be dismissed, and it is estimated that there should be an order in the next two days. After the imperial decree arrives, if Wu Xu is dismissed, I plan to recommend Yunxian to serve as Su Song Tai Dao for my younger brother. Su Song Tai Although Dao is a Daoist, he manages half of Jiangsu, and sits on an equal footing with Bu and Press. How is it? Can Immortal Yun be satisfied?" When Li Hanzhang heard this, he immediately clapped his hands and said, "It was a worthwhile trip for my brother! Apart from Mr. Zhijun's heart disease, he also found a good job for Yunxian. Second brother, let someone set up a meal. Brother has to rush back to Anqing!" Only then did Li Hongzhang shut up, and was busy passing the meal on.