Chapter 67 The sixty-seventh chapter of the family

Li Hongzhang took his entourage and hurried to Tianjin.However, the Peruvian mission was more talkative than the Japanese mission. While signing the commercial treaty, it also emphasized that missionary work and recruitment in China should be allowed, otherwise the seal would not be signed. Li Hongzhang debated with them repeatedly, pointing out that Peru's recruitment in China was full of disadvantages, and the Chinese suffered the most. "Although investigations were allowed in the past, if they still recruit in the future, where will the troubles end?" The Peruvian mission left immediately, and went to call on the consuls of various countries stationed in Zimbabwe on the same day, saying that the contract with the Qing Dynasty could not be concluded, and left the post on a certain day to leave.At the same time, the Peruvian mission informed other countries about the negotiations and asked them to comment on the right and wrong, as if they had suffered unbearable grievances.

American Consul Shi Bo and French Consul Lin Chun saw that the Peruvian mission was so aggrieved that they were about to cry, so they had to try to persuade them, claiming that they came forward to mediate, but in fact they were doing favors.Unexpectedly, what the Peruvian mission wanted was this favor, so that he could take advantage of the downhill donkey to reopen negotiations with Li Hongzhang. Seeing that Shi Bo and Lin Chun are self-defeating, they can only be good people to the end.The two rushed to the governor's residence to meet Li Hongzhang, and told each other bluntly that Peru still wanted to make a contract.

Li Hongzhang sneered and said, "Aren't they going back to China?" Shi Bo laughed and said: "Zhongtang is telling a joke. If they really return to China, it would be strange if the king of Peru didn't kill them!" So China and Peru sat together again and finally signed a trade treaty.However, missionary work and job recruitment were not included in the treaty. When Li Hongzhang wrote to the imperial court: "...it is not allowed to forcefully lure Chinese people to carry them overseas in Macao and other ports. Anyone who violates the law will be severely punished, and the ship will be punished according to the regulations. I have repeatedly argued about this article, almost The tongue was broken and the lips were scorched. After dozens of times, the envoy reluctantly complied. Afterwards, You Wang insisted on insisting that the prohibition was strictly prohibited according to the agreement. In the future, the regulations may be revised, and the prohibition must still be reiterated to prevent covetousness. People's orders are to suppress the political system. In June of last year, the prime minister's office told Britain, the United States, and France that Peru was dedicated to abducting Chinese workers and sending them back to China and declaring that they were not allowed to recruit workers. Being able to negotiate and sign a contract, etc., is really strict and righteous."

When Li Hongzhang was debating repeatedly with the Peruvian mission, Empress Dowager Cixi's 40th birthday had already arrived.On the day of universal celebration, the whole world is amnesty according to the law, and the wives and sons of all ministers are enshrined. This year, an extra one is added: to grant grace to Chinese and foreign ministers whose mothers are over 80 years old.Although Li Hongzhang did not participate in the grand ceremony, Zhao Lian was still conferred the title of first-rank imperial wife. Although Zi Jingshu was just three years old, he was also rewarded and allowed to take part in the examination.

These are the same old articles, every auspicious day, but Li Hongzhang still has an extraordinary grace this year, which he and all the civil and military officials did not expect.Li Hongzhang's mother is not yet eighty years old, so she shouldn't have been kind, but the Empress Dowager Cixi rewarded her with an imperial pen and plaque with the word "Shou" inscribed on it, a piece of jade as she wished, a large scroll of Jiangxue, and a eight-silk satin gown. Each piece of material. The things bestowed by the imperial court were sent to the governor's office in Baoding by special messenger.Mrs. Li led the whole family to shout long live, and thanked the north again and again.Mother Li was so excited, but there was also a reason for it.

Li Hongzhang's father, Li Wen'an, was a five-rank Langzhong Zhishi during his lifetime, and Li Hongzhang's mother only received a pleasant gift from her husband.Being pleasant is not a commandment, it can only prove that it is the wife of an official. When Li Hongzhang rushed back to Baoding, Li's mother was still in ecstasy, which made Li Hongzhang very happy.But his joy was only on his face, but he was thinking about how to deal with the Japanese. Although the Japanese invasion of Taiwan did not cause a big shock in the Zongli Yamen, and the imperial court seemed indifferent, it left a very deep impression on Li Hongzhang.

A sober-minded Li Hongzhang began to re-understand Japan and re-examine the existing national strength of the Qing Dynasty. After dinner, he couldn't help thinking: "If the mighty Qing Dynasty can't even defend an island country, what kind of Qing Dynasty is it? How big is the Qing Dynasty? What is the size of the Japanese island country? How many soldiers did the Qing Dynasty have? How many soldiers did the Japanese island country have? But such a mere island country can capture Taiwan with 3,000 people!" Thinking of these, Li Hongzhang felt a dull pain in his heart. At this time, the prime minister's office happened to give the queen mothers of the two palaces a statement of "Coastal defense should be urgently planned" because of the Japanese invasion of Taiwan that caused losses to the Qing Dynasty; There is an excerpt of "Continuing the Six Articles of Regulations of the Marine Navy".

The Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the Military Aircraft Department to draw up an order to send the documents from the Prime Minister's Office and Ding Richang's papers to the governors of various places for detailed discussions with the governors, and "limited to replay within one month".After Li Hongzhang received the order, he was overjoyed and decided to take advantage of the discussion to build a naval fleet in Beiyang. He locked himself in his study, thought for a few days, finally picked up a pen, and solemnly gave the court a discount on "Discussion on Coastal Defense".

Li Hongzhang stated to the imperial court the necessity of strengthening coastal defense in three points: 1. Without strengthening coastal defense, it would be difficult to defend against attacks by Japan and Western European powers at sea; And, walking on flat ground, unstoppable; 3. Move the funds used for fortified defense to coastal defense, and buy iron-clad warships, mines, and advanced guns abroad.Only in this way can the military gradually become stronger, the talents gradually improved, and the manufacturing become more refined, from being able to defend to being able to fight, and from being poor to being rich and strong.

This was also the second time that Li Hongzhang asked the Prime Minister's Yamen to send envoys to the trading countries, but it was still rejected by many princes and ministers, and the Empress Dowager Cixi was not enthusiastic about this matter.Li Hongzhang could only look at the ocean and sigh, helpless. On the night of Li Hongzhang's tribute, he received a secret letter from Ding Richang's special envoy from Fuzhou.In his letter, Ding Richang told Li Hongzhang that Fujian's procuratorate happened to be vacant. According to Li Hongzhang's previous instructions, he had asked the imperial court to recommend Guo Songtao, who was recuperating from illness, to act as Fujian's procuratorate.

In the back of the letter, Ding Richang talked about many internal affairs of the Shipping Bureau, such as the collusion between the inside and outside to take official money, Shen Baozhen was called the Minister of Shipping, but the actual power was in the hands of the Frenchman Ri Yige who was most trusted by Zuo Zongtang etc. After Li Hongzhang finished reading the letter, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief: "If Guo Junxian becomes the chief inspector of Fujian, not only will Ding Richang have a helper, but the Fujian Shipping Bureau will also have the hope of being brought back to life!" Li Hongzhang had already made up his mind at this time, as long as Guo Songtao took office in Fujian, within two years, he would be able to recommend him as the Minister of Shipping in Fujian to replace the current Shen Baozhen and preside over all affairs of the Shipping Bureau.Li Hongzhang knew very well that Shen Baozhen had nothing to do with Riyige, the Frenchman who held the power of the Shipping Bureau, but Guo Songtao would not let him do anything wrong, because Guo Songtao was different from others by daring to speak and act.