Chapter 76 Section 76 Signed and scolded

Li Hongzhang was ill for more than ten days in Baoding Governor's Yamen. Sheng Xuanhuai, Xue Fucheng and others hurried over from Tianjin to visit. After the illness was a little relieved, Li Hongzhang passed Xue Fucheng into the bedroom, wrote Xue Fucheng's draft, and asked him to rest because of his old age and illness. Knowing that Li Hongzhang was angry with the imperial court, Xue Fucheng couldn't help persuading him: "Fu Xiangrong said, according to the official's idea, the imperial court will approve the establishment of a telegraph office sooner or later. Why bother to fight for it? Besides, you are always good, but you just came to Beijing I felt a little bit of wind and cold on this trip, so I suddenly went back to work. Isn’t this obviously an act of anger with the court? Even if you always want to retreat bravely, you should wait until the matter of the telegraph office is over. You always think about being an official Is what you said right?"

Li Hongzhang struggled to sit up, and said, "Yongyu, the matter of the telegraph bureau will not come to fruition. I shouldn't have let Xingsun go to Zhang Luo early. I am too conceited. I heard from Prince Gong in Beijing that the Empress Dowager I plan to transfer Zuo Jigao from Lanzhou to the capital to join the military plane. On the way, the old man thought, Zuo Jigao is really going to be on the military plane, and his uncomfortable days are coming. It is better for the old man to get out early, so as not to step on Zuo Ji Follow in the footsteps of Gao. You draft the manuscript for the old man as soon as possible, and speak sincerely, so that the Empress Dowager will not be suspicious of other things."

Xue Fucheng had no choice but to step out of the bedroom and go to the office to draft the manuscript.While conceiving the folded manuscript, he thought: "If the imperial court really approves Fu Xiangxiuzhi, I, the titular magistrate of Zhili Prefecture, will come to an end. What should I do in the future? I am afraid that there is no other way except to follow Sheng Xingsun to do some business. Good to go!" Li Hongzhang implored Xiu Zhi's booklet to be released in ten days.The booklet was quickly delivered to Empress Dowager Cixi's desk. Empress Dowager Cixi looked at it and passed Prince Gong, Bao Jun, Li Hongzao, Jing Lian, Wang Wenshao and Xu Tong into the palace that day.

Xu Tong and Li Hongzao thought that they were entering the palace to discuss the matter of Li Hongzao's divorce. Xu Tong also said to Li Hongzao specifically: "Li Zhongtang, if the Empress Dowager has kindness in her heart and rewards Li Hongzhang with food, you can always talk. He Li Hongzhang How much money did the court spend to do this and that? How much money did he make? Who can he hide from this?" Li Hongzao said slowly: "Officer Xu Tian, ​​this is a matter for your official department, you should say this right!" Xu Tong said: "Of course the lower officials will talk about it, but as long as you keep saying it, isn't it more important?" Li Hongzao nodded and said nothing.

After a group of people entered the palace, as usual, they first knelt down to greet Sheng'an and the empress dowagers of the two palaces, and then Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Get up." All the people stood up and took three steps back.Xu Tong deliberately stood with Li Hongzao as a reminder.Xu Tong is now more and more favored, and he is already a dignified minister of the Ministry of Officials. Before the Empress Dowager Cixi spoke, she sighed heavily. Xu Tong and Li Hongzao hurriedly pricked up their ears and held their breath to listen. The Empress Dowager Cixi said slowly: "In the past few days, I have thought about it over and over. Li Hongzhang's request to set up a telegram may really be very convenient. Think about it, Japan is only an island country, but it has also set up a telegram. I don't think we should discuss this matter, let's go."

As soon as Xu Tong heard this, there was a buzzing sound on the top of his head, and only the three words "Yes" just uttered by Empress Dowager Cixi remained in his ears, so he took a step forward recklessly, fell to his knees, and hoarse Said: "The queen mother said, Li Hongzhang colluded with foreigners, corrupted my sages, and messed up my court. It is a special grace not to be killed. The queen mother Wanwang can no longer allow him to eat all the money! He set up Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau and Jinling Manufacturing Bureau, He sent people to various provinces to dig land and mine, and ruined the good land to such an extent! He ruined the Qing Dynasty's land lines and geomantic omens, charged our household officials with money, cut off the future of the descendants, and imitated the sorcery of Westerners. It should be hacked into pieces, but I am so gracious to the heavens, I can't bear to punish him, this is enough, the queen mother can no longer reward him with a full meal!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi saw that Xu Tong was crying, and she couldn't help asking: "Xu Tong, what are you talking about? Why am I getting more and more confused the more I listen? What happened to Li Hongzhang? He is doing well and has never stopped. Give him a full salary." What are you doing?" As soon as Xu Tong heard this, there was another humming sound on the top of his head, and his face was sweating immediately, and he kowtowed like garlic, and said repeatedly: "My ears are heavy, I should die! My ears are heavy, I should die! Please forgive me, Queen Mother! "

All the princes and ministers looked at each other, feeling ashamed for Xu Tong.Empress Dowager Cixi waved her hand and said: "This matter, let's do it this way, you go down and draw up an order." Xu Tong scrambled and followed the princes and ministers to leave the palace.After leaving the palace gate, Li Hongzao said in a low voice: "Xu Tianguan, what happened to you today? Fortunately, the queen mother is in a good mood, otherwise, you will be in big trouble! No matter what you say, you have to hear clearly what the superior is saying ?” Xu Tong wiped his sweat and said, "Li Zhongtang, please don't say any more. The lower official stepped into the palace gate, thinking about the matter of Li Hongzhang's death, who knows that the above is not what he said!"

The imperial decree approving the establishment of the Beiyang Telegraph Bureau soon came to Baoding.Li Hongzhang was refreshed, and on the day he received the order, he took Sheng Xuanhuai, Xue Fucheng, Xu Qianshen and others with him, and drove to Tianjin by car.On the way, Li Hongzhang suddenly thought of Zeng Jize, and couldn't help saying: "I don't know how the negotiations with Russia just now are going! The two countries signed a contract, but unilaterally broke the contract. This is the most taboo in the "Wan Guo Gong Law". This time, I was able to snatch food from the tiger! Before I left, I heard from the edict official that Chonghou had already arrived in the capital by dry road. Cough, this Chonghou, who has been diplomatic for a long time, how could he sign a contract with Russia without asking for an order?"

Xue Fucheng said at this time: "Fu Xiang, I heard that Russia has mobilized a large number of warships to Haikou, and the nine cities of Ili have also sent a lot of troops. It seems that Russia really wants to provoke me!" Li Hongzhang caressed his beard and said: "This old man is still the same old saying, it is up to people to plan things, and it is up to God to achieve things. I asked the court to approve the agreement signed between Chongdishan and Russia. What I am afraid of is that Russia will add troops to me. I can't start a quarrel! "When Li Hongzhang said this, his expression gradually became serious.

It turned out that Chonghou and his entourage went to Russia to negotiate about Russia sending troops to occupy Ili in Xinjiang, but they signed the Treaty of Livadia with Russian Foreign Minister Gilles without the permission of the imperial court.The treaty clearly stipulates that: China will pay Russia five million rubles for the military expenses of "defending" Ili on behalf of Russia; Russian businessmen will be exempted from taxes in trade in Mongolia and Xinjiang; Russia will open two new commercial routes directly to Tianjin and Hankou, and the tax rate will be reduced by one-third compared with Haikou One: Quasi-Russia set up consulates in various parts of Xinjiang; the Sino-Russian border was amended according to Russia’s request, and the area west of the Khorgos River in the west of Ili and the Tekes River Basin in the south were all ceded to Russia. Anyone with a discerning eye can see at a glance that if the treaty signed between Chonghou and Russia is followed, there will be almost no difference between China's taking back Ili and giving up Ili. The "Livadia Treaty" was sent back to the country, which immediately aroused strong dissatisfaction from the governors of various places and the princes and ministers in Beijing. Some people asked Chonghou to be punished to thank the people of the country.Empress Dowager Cixi thought over and over again, and the Military Aircraft Department immediately issued an order to Li Hongzhang to inquire about this matter. Although Li Hongzhang also expressed his dissatisfaction with Chonghou's imprinting and imprinting without the permission of the court, he also felt: "Chonghou's envoy is given full power to act cheaply according to the order, so it can be said that he has no right to make an agreement. If first If you agree to turn over, the trick is with me. Since ancient times, the way to make friends with neighbors is to talk about straightness first. If the trick is with me, you must recruit yourself. The way of using soldiers is also to talk about straightness. If I am not in a place where there is straightness but not straightness, I will lose Ili and return to the name of being not straight, and if I am ridiculed by all countries, I will lose even more." As soon as Li Hongzhang's book was published, it attracted a lot of criticism. Some people not only strongly demanded that Chonghou be killed, but even suggested that even Li Hongzhang should be killed!Under internal and external pressure, the Empress Dowager Cixi had no choice but to ask the Prime Minister’s Yamen to find Kai Yangde, the Russian acting minister in China, and solemnly declare to Russia that the Treaty of Livadia was signed by Chong Hou without authorization and was not recognized by the Qing court. The Empress Dowager Cixi then asked the Military Aircraft Office to send a report to the Qing embassy in Russia, arresting Chonghou and returning him to the capital for questioning. At the same time, he ordered Zeng Jize, the ministers of the two countries stationed in the UK and France, to also be the ministers stationed in Russia, to go to the Russian capital to negotiate the change of the contract. .This is actually the reason why Empress Dowager Cixi did not have an attack when Xu Tong dared to shout "Li Hongzhang should be cut to death" in court, and it was also the main factor why Li Hongzhang begged to rest. After Li Hongzhang arrived in Tianjin, he paid close attention to Russia's movements while supervising the preparation of the telegraph bureau.In those few days, Li Hongzhang was obviously much older.He was terrified day and night, fearing that Russia would take advantage of the Qing Dynasty to reclaim Yili and make a big move against China.