Chapter 70 Section 70 Li Hongzhang is the best official

In the thirteenth year of Tongzhi (AD 1874), the fourth day of December was the lunar calendar. As usual, after breakfast, Li Hongzhang accepted officials' visits and answered official business with the two divisions. The first batch is the lack of officials.Because I have to go back to work, after returning to work, I have to rush back to my office for several days. Naturally, I have to come first, and no one can compare.The second batch is the alternate officials sent out on temporary missions.There are those with the rank of Daoist, as well as those of the fifth and sixth grades. After these officials have completed their errands, they must report the process of their errands, in order to receive new errands as soon as possible.The third batch of officials is purely alternate officials with top talents but no shortcomings.Some of these people didn't have an errand because they had been in the province for a short time, and some of them had received an errand but didn't understand it, so they didn't have the opportunity to do it again.Most of the humane platforms in this part are mostly businessmen, and most of the donation classes. Out of ten, there are always nine who donate money for their fame.

Li Hongzhang never took these people seriously, and the two divisions of Bu and Press did not take them seriously, nor did they themselves take themselves seriously.After seeing this third group of people, the period of time is basically over, and this is the case with all governors and Fu Yamen in various places. After meeting the third batch of officials, Li Hongzhang had to say a few more words with the two divisions as usual to show his respect for the Constitution.While talking with the two divisions, a shout of "the imperial decree has arrived, Li Hongzhang accepts it" suddenly came from outside.

At that time, Li Hongzhang was sitting on the kang in the signing room drinking tea with the cloth and according to the two divisions. Hearing this, he could only say: "You two brothers, please sit down. I am going to receive the imperial decree." He knelt down and said: "The minister Li Hongzhang accepts the order!" The decree sent the official to unfold the imperial decree, and read it in a hurry: "Today, the cabinet issued an edict: Li Hongzhang, a scholar of the Wenhua Palace, made up for it. Li Hongzhang will remain as the Governor of Zhili and the Minister of Beiyang Commerce. Hereby." Send the official away Afterwards, Li Hongzhang was still in a dream.

As we all know, since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, there has been a shortage of bachelors in the Wenhua Palace, and they are the real heads of the Manchu and Han officials.According to the Daqing official system, the Han members can only be granted the highest degree of Bachelor of Wuyingdian, and the status of the University of Wuyingdian will always be ranked after that of the University of Wenhuadian.Now, this laurel crown, which is exclusive to the Manchus, suddenly fell on the head of a Han member. Not only Li Hongzhang himself could not believe it, but even the governors of various places have suspected that it was Zhang Jingquan, a military aircraft, for a long time. Wrong manuscript.

Zuo Zongtang, governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, even said after seeing Tingji: "Isn't it strange? The Qing Dynasty made a custom, and the Wenhua Palace University Scholars are not full. This kind of thing that even a three-year-old child knows, but the Military Aircraft Department You can make a mistake! These ministers of military aircraft, what are they busy with all day long?" The new year passed quickly, and after the opening of the seal, the imperial court decreed that it fully agreed with the suggestions of Li Hongzhang, Ding Richang and others for the purchase of ships with loans, and Li Hongzhang, together with the newly appointed Governor of Liangjiang, Shen Baozhen, and a secret security officer, planned to purchase Foreign ships and other things; but there is still no word about sending envoys abroad.

Li Hongzhang accepted the target, and he felt an indescribable joy in his heart. He deeply felt that as long as the imperial court agreed to borrow a large amount of foreign money from other countries, his ship purchase plan would be realized in the shortest possible time.He firmly believed that as long as the Qing Dynasty built a strong coastal defense, not only would the Japanese invasion of Taiwan not happen again, but even the western powers would have to look at the Qing Dynasty differently.At that time, the Qing Dynasty will be considered to have truly entered the era of ZTE. As soon as the first month came out, Li Hongzhang got busy.He took his entourage to Shanghai, crossed Jiangning, consulted foreign firms, and met consuls, but he could be said to be non-stop, and people never stopped, wishing to finish all the things that should be done.

But Shen Baozhen has always had his own idea of ​​Nanyang.On the surface, he agreed with everything Li Hongzhang had said, but when he turned his face away, he had objections, not that the foreigners Li Hongzhang found were unreliable, but that Li Hongzhang had appointed the wrong person to buy the ship, and that all the official money of the Qing Dynasty fell into the hands of individuals. fanny pack. Li Hongzhang worked on his back for nearly five months. Not only did one thing fail to be implemented, but he also contracted a cold.He knew in his heart that what Shen Baozhen did was just to build up his own coastal defense in Nanyang and increase his weight in the eyes of the court.Thinking about it, Li Hongzhang has already become a scholar of the Wenhuadian University, and Shen Baozhen has not even obtained the title of co-kui, so he has to be emotional if he changes it.

Shen Baozhen didn't think he was inferior to Li Hongzhang, sometimes he even felt that he was better than Li Hongzhang in some respects.You, Li Hongzhang, are the Minister of Beiyang, so naturally you must pay attention to Beiyang coastal defense; I, Shen Baozhen, am the Minister of Nanyang, so of course you must strengthen the Nanyang Ocean, it’s nothing to say.Shen Baozhen could find a hundred reasons not to cooperate with Li Hongzhang. Li Hongzhang dragged his exhausted body and returned to his hotel in Tianjin listlessly.After dinner one day, he said to his accompanying staff: "Coastal defense, coastal defense, is easy to say, but it is not just coastal defense when it is really done. Foreigners must guard against them, preventing them from taking the opportunity to drive up the ship's money, and preventing them from taking the opportunity to steal money." Borrowing interest; Manchu people must guard against him, preventing him from accomplishing things more than failing, preventing him from muddying a good pot of water and making you unable to do anything; some Han officials should also guard against him, preventing him from doing things with your sincerity, guarding against him Keep the money privately to prevent him from ambush with you. The Qing Dynasty strengthened the coastal defense this time, because the funds are limited, and the ships purchased are naturally limited. If the purchased ships are not grouped together for unified deployment, one in the east and one in the west Just, what is this? What can this do? The old man wants to buy two iron-clad ships, and the money for the ships has not yet been negotiated, but Shen Youdan has already sent the booklet. The iron-clad boat must not stay in the South China Sea! Tell me, isn’t he just messing around?”

Xu Qianshen said at this time: "Master Zhongtang, why don't you also present a paper to argue with him?" Li Hongzhang stroked his beard and said with a smile: "This old man, a Han official, has not only made some full members angry, but also made some Han officials angry since he was granted a supplementary bachelor's degree in the Wenhua Palace. I still want to join him! But now, the old man dare not do these things. Ever since the imperial court added the Grand Master of the Wenhua Palace to the old man, the old man does not feel proud, but tired, and the old man can’t let go Work done!"

Li Hongzhang rested in Tianjin for two days and was about to get up and return to Baoding when he received an order suddenly. The decree said: "In order to unify the powers of affairs, Li Hongzhang is appointed to supervise the affairs of Beiyang coastal defense. All the divisions of foreign divisions, military training and setting up bureaus, and all the discussions caused by the Chinese on the islands are all organized by the minister and others. This is yours." Li Hongzhang thanked him with his face north, his spirit visibly lifted and his face brightened.That night, he smiled and said to Xu Qianshen and the others: "It seems that this matter of organizing the Beiyang coastal defense, the old man wants to give up! The old man will make a thank you letter overnight. After the invitation, we will go to Shanghai to find Hurd. The imperial court This time, the old man was appointed to supervise the matter, but the old man wanted to pull Shen Youdan in! This time, he won't do it if he wants to!"

Li Hongzhang went up all night and asked to handle this matter with Shen Baozhen, the Minister of Nanyang Supervising Office.As soon as the booklet was sent out, Chen Qin from the Tianjin Customs Road suddenly came to report, saying that the envoy from Peru had arrived. Li Hongzhang had no choice but to send Xu Qianshen and Sheng Xuanhuai first, and went to Shanghai to meet Hurd in advance, while he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the exchange of contracts with Peru.After the contract exchange, Li Hongzhang submitted the text of the contract exchange to the Zongli Yamen, and at the same time attached a "Request to send envoys to Peru" and proposed for the third time the issue of sending envoys abroad. In the film, Li Hongzhang appealed to the imperial court: "We look forward to the grace of God, and quickly send envoys and deputy envoys to Peru. According to the treaty and other documents, we can discuss with the country to establish a constitution at any time where we can protect and eliminate disadvantages for Chinese laborers. This is why hundreds of thousands of Chinese people will die and survive in the fire and water. It is dangerous and safe. The number of Chinese people in the East, West and South Sea islands is no less than one million. The discussion among the Chinese on the islands, but since they don’t have the heart to maintain each other, how can they respect their relatives when something happens? Now, if they send envoys and officials to the islands of Peru and Cuba to save them from danger, from then on, overseas Chinese will know The imperial court is poor and desolate on the remote island, and they still can't bear to lose their husbands, so the heart of loyalty can't help but move spontaneously, which is beneficial to the overall situation, sincerity is not superficial." The excerpt and attached sheet were handed into the palace, and the Empress Dowager Cixi wrote the words "I know" in the blank space of the sheet, and then there was no more text. Li Hongzhang was extremely disappointed.At this time, the Zongli Yamen was in a heated dispute with the British ambassador to China, Wade, and could not take this matter into consideration.This incident was triggered by Majiali's death, known as the "Yunnan Incident" or "Majiali Case" in history, and this case happened in Yunnan.