Chapter 21 10. Eunuchs parade on behalf of the Qing Dynasty (2)

The blue ocean is choppy, the sky and the water are connected, and the sea breeze is blowing.In the early morning of the next day, Li Lianying was busy driving, serving water and delivering meals in an orderly manner.Seeing it, Prince Jin was filled with admiration, no wonder the Queen Mother wanted him alone! Thinking of Empress Dowager Cixi, Prince Jin immediately became alert, so he raised his voice and said, "Lianying, rest! You are also Li Zhongtang's guest, so don't worry about me." "Lafayette told me to let the slaves serve the prince." Li Lianying said with a smile, "Even if the Lafayette didn't explain, shouldn't the servants be here to serve?"

"Okay! You also came out at the Queen Mother's will, why bother to talk about these etiquette!" After repeated dissuasion, Li Lianying stopped, but still kept his rules and stood silently at the door; when she saw Li Hongzhang, she still paid her respects, and she didn't look like a domineering and rich man in the past.Prince Chun looked at it and wondered, what's going on?Could it be that there are false rumors on weekdays? After dinner, Lushun was already in sight, and there were countless lanterns and torches on the pier, just like daytime.General of Lushun, Admiral of Sichuan Song Qing, wearing a yellow mandarin jacket and double-eyed feathers, led his subordinate officers and knelt down by the side of the road to meet him.With such a spectacular scene, Li Lianying couldn't help but feel a little flustered. Standing behind Prince Chun, she looked like an imperial envoy.It's a pity that it's not too early, and Prince Chun ordered that all red tape be waived.

Finally came the day to inspect the navy.It was a sunny day and the sea was calm.Early in the morning, Prince Chun was wearing a yellow suit, a five-clawed golden dragon and four balls of stone green coat, a three-eyed flower-feathered gem top hat, and a red sedan chair sprinkled with gold. Came to Yanwu stage with Li Lianying and others. The martial arts stage is built on the golden mountain on the left side of Lushun port.The Golden Mountain is surrounded by water on three sides, one end is connected to the land, and its top is as open as a stone. The Yanwu Platform is built on the front of the mountain near the water. Standing on the platform, overlooking the endless sea, it really makes people feel refreshed and happy. Not to mention watching the naval drills, just standing on the stage and enjoying the wine is a great enjoyment.

There are more than a dozen warships lined up on the sea, including the Dingyuan, Zhenyuan, and Jiyuan three ironclad ships of the Beiyang Navy; the two fast ships Chaoyong and Yangwei; Nanchen, Nanrui and other warships.Following Li Hongzhang's order, the parade began. Immediately, more than a dozen warships were seen fluttering their battle flags, forming a line, one by one blazing their whistles and cutting through the waves, and the officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Navy in gray-blue military uniforms stood neatly on the deck.When passing through the Martial Arts Terrace, all ships fired 21 gun salutes to pay respect to the two imperial envoys.It was the first time in Li Lianying's life that she saw such a mighty and magnificent scene.Looking at the warship galloping away, he couldn't help but said to Li Hongzhang: "Li Zhongtang, so fast! If Li Taibai had taken advantage of this speed back then, he would have returned in a day!"

"It's not too fast!" Li Hongzhang said with emotion: "The ships sold to us by Britain, France and other countries are actually already outdated. If the Queen Mother can allocate some money to repurchase better ships, it will be better than this." Much faster." "That's okay, how can people suffer if it's too soon?" Li Lianying asked with her mouth wide open. "Mr. Li, birds fly faster and fish swim faster than trains and ships. Xiyang has long developed acceleration equipment to make trains and ships faster and faster. They can bear it. Can't we?"

"Of course, of course!" Then began to practice the formation, more than a dozen boats moved forward and backward, turned left and right, and moved in unison, which was quite spectacular.After admiring, he couldn't help being confused, and couldn't help but opened his mouth again: "Zhongtang, the sea is so vast, and there are so many ships, how do you command them, and they are so neat and unified?" "Yuting..." Li Hongzhang turned to Ding Ruchang, the general of the Beiyang Navy and the commander-in-chief of Tianjin Town, and said, "Tell Director Li about it."

"If you go back to the general manager, use flags to communicate during the day and call semaphores, and use light signals at night." "Who directs it?" "Commanded by the flagship, today the Zhenyuan ship is the flagship." "Then who is commanding the flagship?" Li Lianying asked after breaking the casserole. "This...", this stumped Ding Ruchang, who didn't know how to answer for a while.Seeing this, Li Hongzhang hurriedly said: "Of course the prince will command today." After hearing this, Li Lianying seemed to understand.Unexpectedly, after a while, she wanted to ask again, but suddenly she saw Prince Jin sitting next to her looking at her, Li Lianying hurriedly stopped, thinking that Prince Jin was dissatisfied.In fact, Prince Chun, like Li Lianying, is a layman and doesn't know anything about naval drills. But he is the Prime Minister and Minister of Naval Affairs. Wouldn't it be ridiculous to ask about this?It happened that Li Lianying spoke for him, but just as he became interested, Li Lianying stopped, so she said: "I think the current formation seems to be a long snake formation, Hong Zhang, since Lianying is interested, you Just send an order to change to the two dragons grabbing the pearl formation."

Li Hongzhang immediately dispatched a speedboat to catch up with the Zhenyuan ship and convey the order.Not long after, I saw the red and blue flags on the Zhenyuan ship crossing and waving three times, playing the semaphore.In an instant, a "long snake" connected from head to tail gradually turned into a "herringbone" shape. The Zhenyuan ship was in the center, with six ships on the left and right, heading towards Jinshan with the momentum of two dragons entering the sea, and firing salutes. This is the most important program: "Bomb the Boat".In order to cope with this inspection, the Beiyang Yamen specially bought some old ships from China Shipping Merchants at a low price as target ships with extremely high masts and colorful flags.In addition, there are many targets of different sizes floating on the sea surface, which look like small leaves when viewed from a distance.

At one command, dozens of cannons on the forts on the east and west sides of Haikou opened fire at the same time, criss-crossing and weaving into a fierce fire net, blocking the entrance to the sea.Then I saw more than a dozen warships in the Beiyang Ocean lined up on the east and west sides, and the north and south muzzles of the head and tail fired directly at the target ship. In an instant, the fire, gunpowder smoke, and roar, the sea rose up with huge waves, and the "enemy ship" that invaded was smashed to pieces. all, like debris in the raging waves, the torrential sea. "Okay, that's great!" Li Lianying was deeply attracted by this scene, and couldn't help but praise repeatedly.On the contrary, looking at Prince Chun makes one's heart jump, no wonder, since he grew up in the palace, where has he ever seen such a battle?It wasn't until Li Hongzhang handed over the binoculars that Fang Dameng woke up.

"My lord, sir, it's single-cannon fire now, you look at the first target ship in the left front row of the phalanx, and shoot one by one." Prince Jiu fixed his eyes and saw fifty target boats appeared on the sea again at some time. Another order was given.Boom!There was a loud noise and smoke rose, and the first target ship on the left shattered.In an instant, the sea was turbulent and undulating, and the rest of the target boats were drifting.Ordinarily speaking, the following target shooting is of course not easy. Who wants to follow another order, bang, bang, wee, forty-nine cannons are fired, and forty-nine huge waves rise up one by one, and the remaining target boats are fired one by one. Smash, it really hits the nail on the head.

"It's so wonderful!" After seeing it, Prince Chun couldn't help boasting even though he was still terrified. It is not easy to be praised by the prince!Seeing this, Li Hongzhang hurriedly asked people to fetch paper and pen, and said, "My lord, why don't you write a poem to your heart's content?" Prince Chun took the pen and paper and wiped it away emotionally: The fort on the top of the golden mountain watched the warships in the northern and southern oceans join hands in Haimen to fight against Kunming, and the stormy waves stirred up each other. A torch of ashes flew up the red cliff, and thunder from all directions cracked the sky. The star Luo potential strangles the dangers of the mountains, and the success of the opportunity is mastered. The extremely open face is still too breathless, Tianxin is not tired of losing favor. Then, he turned to Li Lianying, who was still a little flustered, and asked, "Lianying, how do you feel?" "Okay, that's great! I have never seen such a good poem." Li Lianying said hurriedly. "I'm talking about drills." "Oh, back to the prince, the servant thinks it's really brilliant and flawless." "You know it. Go back and play with the queen mother. The navy is doing well! It's worth spending money on it." Chun Wang said again, "The gate of Lushun Beiyang is very strictly guarded, please rest assured the queen mother." "The servant knows, and the servant must play back the truth." That obedient, careful, and duty-bound look made everyone gasp in amazement and was deeply surprised.In their imagination, even if Li Lianying is not Liu Jin in Famen Temple, she should be Ran Jiugong in the series.Many officials in Jifu had witnessed An Dehai's grandeur when he passed through Tongzhou, Tianjin, and went south along the canal. Compared with the two, it is even more difficult to believe that Li Lianying is the uncompromising chief executive in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Only because of him, Li Hongzhang paid special attention to him. He hurriedly summoned Zhou Fu and others, and said, "I told you that this person is no better than An Dehai, so be careful. Now it seems that the more unfathomable He looks like you, think about it, how to touch his bottom." "Eunuchs are always eunuchs, and there is no one who doesn't like to wear a high hat." Zhou Fu said enthusiastically, "We brag about him and praise him. If you don't believe him, he won't work." "It's not easy!" Li Hongzhang shook his head and said, "You shouldn't be overconfident. He has traveled a long way, and he was wronged to wear a sixth-grade top hat. He must have something to ask for. Could it be that Prince Chun has no one to wait on, and the Queen Mother specially sent him to take care of him? No Yes! You try to find opportunities to get close to him, and try to find out." "Yes, I must do my best." Back in Xingyuan, Li Lianying was still very excited, so she asked someone to move a chair, and sat in the courtyard to meditate carefully.It was so exciting, if it was a real sword and gun, it would be even more exciting. I don't think Lafayette has seen such a scene before, so I will tell her in detail after returning.Thinking of the Empress Dowager Cixi, Li Lianying couldn't help thinking of her mission. It had been so many days and she still had no chance. If she went on like this, how could she explain to Lafayette?Alas, the lord is really, with so much energy, he can't give our family a chance. "Boss, Mr. Zhou Fuzhou, Tianjin Customs Road, please see me." A young eunuch stepped forward and said at this moment. Our family has never had any contact with him on weekdays, so why is he here?Yes, why don't I find out the details from him first.Thinking of this, Li Lianying slapped her big feet and shouted: "Quick, hurry up please." "Humble Zhou Fu sends greetings to the manager." "Oh, Mr. Zhou, please sit down quickly." Zhou Fu was ordered by Li Hongzhang, and wanted to come to testify, but it was too late to flatter, so how dare he sit down?He hurriedly said: "I don't dare to be humble, I don't dare to be humble. I have heard of the manager's name a long time ago, but I have no chance to pay a visit. Today I am here to say hello to the manager. This is a little bit of my heart, please accept it." "Master Zhou is too polite." Li Lianying said as she took the things, "Our family is just a servant serving Lafayette. We will have nothing to support in the future, and we will be sorry for the kindness of our parents even if we die. By the way, this is... ...! "This is the wine given to Zhongtang by the French consul. I was lucky enough to get a few bottles, and I came here to give it to the chief. It is really not respectful." "Wine is said to invigorate the blood, isn't it?" "That's right! This kind of wine nourishes the skin and activates the blood, and its medicinal properties are kingly. It is effective when taken regularly. The steward serves the Queen Mother every day, from morning to night. You must have the spirit of a dragon and a horse to deal with it. So..." "Okay, great." Speaking of which, Li Lianying pulled Zhou Fu to sit down.After exchanging pleasantries, Li Lianying turned to the main topic. First, she asked about the salaries of foreigners hired by the Beiyang yamen, and then asked about the actual amount of "Coastal Defense Donations" received by Beiyang.Zhou Fu couldn't help feeling wary, and carefully dealt with it. But with his little ability, how can he be Li Lianying's opponent?When it came to the cost of purchasing the ship, Li Lianying finally got a clue. "Master Zhou, when we buy a ship from a foreigner, do we also pay in cash?" "No, you have to buy pounds and send them there." "I didn't realize that Mr. Zhou has a lot of knowledge! I don't know where to buy it?" After hearing Li Lianying's praise, Zhou Fu didn't hold back, and said vigorously: "If you go back to the manager, you can buy it from any foreign firm, but we always buy from HSBC." "Why is this? Could it be possible to buy it with HSBC, so that we can pay a little less?" "That's not the case! The price of the pound is the same, and the price varies from day to day. Whether it is high or low depends on foreign telegrams for listing." Zhou Fu replied, "As for buying HSBC, it is because the navy's funds are there to generate interest." Hearing this, Li Lianying couldn't help but feel elated. As expected, Beiyang still has money in savings, which is much easier to handle.So he asked calmly: "How about the interest rate of foreign banks? It must be higher than our bank's bank, otherwise I wouldn't deposit it there." As soon as Zhou Fu said the words just now, he regretted endlessly in his heart that he should not have told the truth about Beiyang.Seeing that Li Lianying asked again, she immediately learned to be obedient and refused to reveal the exact number: "Not necessarily, and what's saved is a demand deposit, which is lower than a fixed deposit." "Since that's the case, why don't you store it in our money bank, what do you want to do?" "Foreigners to do business, everything is done according to the contract, which is more reliable. And..." Zhou Fu couldn't help but stop when the words came to his mouth. Then there was a loophole, how could Li Lianying let it go easily, just heard him continue to say: "What's the matter? Master Zhou doesn't want to talk to our family? If that's the case, let's forget it." His face sank as he spoke. How could Zhou Fu have the guts to offend him?Immediately he couldn't get off the tiger, and after thinking for a long time, Fang replied: "The manager calms down, it's a humble job. Foreigners value customers most when doing business. No matter who's money is stored with him, it is not only reliable, but also if someone checks it, they will not reveal it." "Isn't it okay to go to investigate by order?" "This..." Zhou Fu hesitated, and said, "Foreign banks are under the jurisdiction of their country's ministers, and the Queen Mother's orders cannot be carried out there." "So that's the case. I really didn't expect that there is such a great knowledge here." Speaking of this, Li Lianying yawned several times. Zhou Fu was ordered to find out the details, but Li Lianying got a lot of information, but Li Lianying got a lot of information. Unexpectedly, Li Lianying came to such a trick, so he had to say: "It's getting late, The manager took a rest earlier and resigned from his humble position." "Okay, see you some other day." Li Lianying sent that Zhou Fu out of the house as she spoke. On the second day, it was originally scheduled to inspect the torpedo boat shooting.Because Li Lianying was too excited last night, the sun was already rising in the east, she hurriedly put on her clothes and went straight to the martial arts stage, but when she saw that Prince Jin hadn't arrived yet, she couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Zhongtang, my lord..." "My lord felt cold at night, so I can't come here today." Hearing that Prince Chun was not coming, Li Lianying was overjoyed, and asked Li Hongzhang if he would start the review now.Because of Prince Chun's future, Li Hongzhang wanted to cancel the review, but seeing Li Lianying's appearance, he couldn't say anything, so he had to order the review to start. As a result, a large golden flag was slowly raised on the flagpole in front of the Yanwu Stage; when it reached the top, white waves arose on the sea, and the torpedo boat rushed out like a water snake.Just listen to the loud rumble and the smoke.After a cup of tea, the guns stopped and the smoke disappeared, and the sea was covered with scattered wood chips. "Zhongtang, it's the first time our family has seen so many torpedo boats. It's amazing!" Li Lianying couldn't help but said. "Only five." "What?" Li Lianying was dumbfounded after hearing this, "There are only five, but it looks like there are dozens of them." Li Hongzhang said with emotion: "This torpedo boat is a sharp weapon to defeat the enemy! The sea is vast, and if you want to protect the north and south corners, you need hundreds of boats to be enough, but now the funds are tight, and you can't afford it! Please tell the queen mother when you go back. Just a few nice words." Yes, why don't I take this opportunity to tell him what Lafayette meant.Thinking of this, Li Lianying glanced left and right.Seeing this, Li Hongzhang knew he had something to say, so he hurriedly walked away and asked, "Director, what orders does the Empress Dowager have this time?" "Actually, it's nothing." Li Lianying said relaxedly, "The emperor is getting older now, and Lafayette is going to withdraw from the curtain and return to the government. According to the rules of the ancestors, a garden should be built to honor the old Buddha. Zhongtang, do you think so?" "Yes, it should be fixed." Li Hongzhang said suspiciously. "What Lafayette means is that he wants to repair the Qingyi Garden. It's just that he is short of money now..." Hearing this, Li Hongzhang suddenly became wary. Could it be that he has made his mind on me again?So he hurriedly said: "This matter should be taken care of by the household department." "This matter is under the control of the household department," Li Lianying said with a smile, "it's just that the household department is also short of money now. What Lafayette means is, see if you can squeeze some more, and make up for it later." Give me such a small amount of money for a year, and still embezzle it!Is the navy still under construction?When Li Hongzhang heard that he was going to ask for money again, he couldn't help being anxious: "Boss, you must have heard about how much money I pre-appropriate here every year, and how much it actually gets. I'm really nervous, can you give the Queen Mother a few words of kindness?" "Zhongtang is indeed the most important minister and general in the world. I will definitely report the grand occasion of the Navy to Lafayette." Li Lianying said calmly, "But I heard that there is still a sum of money in HSBC in the Beiyang Yamen. Look at Zhongtang. Should I also tell Lafayette about this?" "This..." Li Hongzhang didn't expect Li Lianying to touch on this detail, and he didn't know how to answer it right, "Director, Beiyang Yamen does have a sum of money in HSBC Bank. But it's going to be used to buy a ship. Three The ship will arrive in a month, if you can't pay by then, then..." Before he could finish speaking, Li Lianying had already opened his mouth: "Zhongtang can just rest assured. The construction of the navy is the top priority at present, can Lafayette not know?Now you need to solve the emergency first, then Lafayette will definitely allocate funds to you again. " Li Hongzhang was afraid that the Empress Dowager Cixi would borrow Jingzhou from Liu Bei—only to borrow but not repay. After thinking hard for a long time, Li Hongzhang finally found another reason: "Hongzhang should work for the Empress Dowager to build Qingyi Garden, but what can I do if people say it's so scary? " "Don't worry about Zhongtang." Li Lianying said with confidence when he heard that Li Hongzhang was relieved: "Think about it, this Qingyi Garden is the place where Lord Qianlong practiced sailors. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has a majestic terrain. In the water exercise school of the capital, firstly, you come to practice the sea and navy, and secondly, you come to honor the Lafayette. This is a matter of two birds with one stone and a logical thing, who can say no to it? I am afraid that by then, Zhongtang, you will be promoted to a nobleman." After speaking, Li Lian laughed haha. Li Hongzhang knew that this move was a cramp in the skin, and it was not a plan to build an army, but it was the Empress Dowager Cixi's idea, how dare he disobey it?I had no choice but to go with the flow and acquiesced. The next morning, a group of people boarded a huge cruiser, cut through the waves, and returned to Tianjin Xingyuan.After resting for a few days, he went back to Beijing.Before returning, Li Hongzhang met Li Lianying again with Prince Chun on his back, and entrusted the two compass embedded in the crystal ball to Empress Dowager Cixi to take back.Another fifty thousand taels of silver was given to Li Lianying, begging him to speak well in front of Empress Dowager Cixi.Li Lianying was naturally elated when both official and private matters were handled together, but how could she bring her back to Beijing?At the moment, people are asked to prepare bricks, tiles and wood in Tianjin, transport them back to their hometown, and build a manor. Since Li Lianying left, the Empress Dowager Cixi is really eager to see.This day, it was heard that Prince Chun and his party had returned to Beijing, and they hurriedly summoned them. "Lord Chun, is the Beiyang Navy as played by Li Hongzhang?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked with a smile. "Returning to the Empress Dowager, Li Zhongtang's words are true. Our Beiyang Navy has indeed begun to take shape. According to Yichen, the combat power is not weak. The army officers and soldiers are brave and good at fighting. They have changed from the lazy and slow state of the past; the navy officers and soldiers are really good. The actual combat drills are perfect. But..." At this point, Prince Chun hesitated, "The sea is vast, and the current ships are far from being able to handle it. It is the best policy to speed up the purchase of new ships." The Empress Dowager Cixi doesn't care about the number of ships, she is all about money now, after hearing what Prince Chun said, she asked, "According to what you saw this time, you will have to spend a lot of money in the future How about fundraising, have you talked to Li Hongzhang?" "We've talked about it. There are several ways, but it's not appropriate to express it at the moment." Prince Chun replied: "The new donation for Haiphong is about to expire, and I think it should be extended for a few days. Now Zhili's donators are very enthusiastic. , it has a lot to do with Beiyang's deposit." "Okay, you can figure it out. Apart from the method planned by the Ministry of Household Affairs, do you think there are other feasible ways to make money?" The Empress Dowager Cixi continued to ask. "The safety of Beiyang is not only directly related to the safety of the capital, but also has a great relationship with our Qing Dynasty. The navy is the navy of the country, so if you want to run a navy, it should be raised by each master and coordinated by the navy office." "Okay, when the army is formally established in the future, all the provinces will be ordered to do so. Does Beiyang Yamen still have money? " "I don't know very well." Prince Chun replied cautiously. "Why are you not clear about such important matters?" The Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't figure out why, so she changed the subject, "How is Lianying going out with you this time? Is there anything unruly?" Do not lie!" "I dare not lie to the Empress Dowager. Lianying's behavior when she went out with me this time is really unexpected." Before the Empress Dowager Cixi asked, Prince Chun praised Li Lianying for how he kept his position and knew how to measure himself; especially he refused foreigners and refused to enter, that kind of integrity was really reliable, so the officials of the big and small yamen not only admired him , and respect, it is said that the empress dowager knows people well, and has strict laws and regulations, so the eunuchs sent out are so law-abiding and courteous. The Empress Dowager Cixi likes others to give him a high hat, but what she cares about this time is whether Li Hongzhang can squeeze out some money from her, so after hearing Prince Chun speak energetically, she just said indifferently: "He can know the rules so well, even if he His good fortune. Well, you go down and rest." As soon as Prince Chun withdrew, the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't wait to ask Li Lianying: "Lianying, tell me quickly! What's the situation this time?" "Lafayette, what the lord said is true." Then, Li Lianying described the drill scene vividly. He was good at eloquence and good at telling stories. vivid.The more he talked, the more energetic he was, but the more Empress Dowager Cixi listened, the more impatient she became, and finally couldn't help but speak: "Come on! You forgot what you were there for? Talking nonsense!" "Lafayette, calm down." Li Lianying finally recovered, and said with a smile, "How dare I forget what Lafayette told me? I have already done it!" "So Li Hongzhang agreed?" "Yes. At the beginning, he kept crying and saying that he had no money, and he couldn't even buy a warship. How could he get money to build a garden? But as soon as the servant brought out his old man, he was arrested without a fight. It turned out that the Beiyang Yamen was there. Why is there still a sum of money in the HSBC bank!" "How do you know?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked with interest. Seeing that the Empress Dowager Cixi was very interested, Li Lianying was even more excited, and then said: "This old fox is very cunning. He sent a man named Zhou Fu, who is from the Tianjin Customs Road, to come here to find out the truth. How can he be the slave's opponent? The slave got out of him in a few words. Oh, yes! Listen to that Zhou Fu said, once the money is stored in a foreign bank, there is no way to check it, not even Lafayette's edict, the slave thinks there are ghosts in it." "Well, that's right." The Empress Dowager Cixi thought that running a navy would be a big deal, but she didn't want to cause any trouble, so she asked again: "In your opinion, what is the strength of the Beiyang Navy? Don't lie, you know?" "I don't dare. According to my servant, my strength is extraordinary. Now if...if anyone dares to bully our Qing Dynasty, he will definitely be unable to bear it." "Are the current ships enough?" Empress Dowager Cixi still asked worriedly. "Don't worry, Lafayette, it's enough. Even if you really can't handle it, it's not too late to buy it later. Instead of letting them keep the money in the bank, you should use it first, Lafayette." One sentence speaks to the heart of Empress Dowager Cixi.That's right, instead of this, why don't I use it first, and call him after a while.Seeing her self-confident servant, Empress Dowager Cixi smiled knowingly.Lianying, you did a good job going out this time, so you should be rewarded.From tomorrow onwards, you will be the head of the inner court of our Great Qing Dynasty. " What?The head of the inner court?Li Lianying couldn't believe her ears, she stood there blankly for a long time, then regained her senses, hurriedly lay down on the ground, kowtowed like garlic and said: "Thank you, my slave! Thank you, my slave! " "Get up, look at how stupid you are." Seeing Li Lianying's flattered look, Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help laughing, "If it wasn't for Manager Liu's sense of humor, you might have to wait for a long time." "Then he..." "He left the palace to become a Taoist priest." Who is this Manager Liu?His surname was Liu and his name was Duosheng. He entered the palace as a eunuch due to his poor family since he was a child.Although he became the head of the inner court, Liu Duosheng still kept his position and kept to himself without the slightest arrogance. He performed his duties to the queen mother and cared for the little eunuchs on weekdays.Although the Empress Dowager Cixi wanted Li Lianying to be the chief eunuch, how could she get rid of Liu Duosheng, who had been in the palace for more than 30 years, without any reason?At this moment, Liu Duosheng saw that the Empress Dowager Cixi loved Li Lianying very much, and worried that if he fell out of favor, his prospects would not be good, so he used his age as an excuse to invite the Empress Dowager Cixi to leave the palace and become a priest at Baiyun Temple.The Empress Dowager Cixi was worried that she could do nothing, when she saw that he had invited him out of the palace by himself, she naturally acted immediately. Li Lianying's power and prestige was already very popular, and she became the head of the inner court and climbed to the throne she dreamed of.Unexpectedly, at this time, Zhu Yixin, the censor who once sent him a "congratulatory message", gave a memorial... The misfortune of eunuchs supervising the army in the Tang Dynasty and the fault of "guarding the eunuchs" in the former Ming Dynasty left a deep impression on people. Li Lianying's military parade in Tianjin had already caused a lot of excitement in the capital.How can this move not attract the attention of people with lofty ideals in the ruling and opposition fields?For a while, there was a lot of discussion, and people were worried that the Empress Dowager Cixi would follow the same path of the Tang and Ming Dynasties and set the example of eunuchs supervising the army.Zhu Yixin, the censor, was deeply influenced by his ears and eyes, and he was even more worried.It happened that Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Fujian and other provinces were hit by floods one after another, so they decided to risk their lives and go to the Empress Dowager Cixi to repair the province in case of disaster. "Master, this is absolutely unacceptable. Didn't you cause enough trouble last time?" Mrs. Zhu said worriedly. Zhu Yixin sat at the table, staring at the faint candlelight on the table, pondered for a long time, and then said: "Madam, I understand your thoughts, but this matter is very important, I can't ignore it. You also read a little poetry and books. , Don’t you know the disasters caused by eunuchs and supervising troops in the Tang Dynasty? Don’t you have the heart to watch my Daqing society be lost in the hands of a slave like this?” "It's not that serious, is it?" Zhu Yixin replied: "Take precautions before they happen. If there is such a day, it will be too late to regret!" "I understand this. It's just in my heart..." At this point, Mrs. Zhu couldn't help but burst into tears. "Ma'am, don't be sad. Since ancient times, no one has died, so keep your loyalty and sweat. If there is such a day, I will have no regrets! At that time, you will take Yun'er back to your hometown, don't be sad because of it..." "Master," Madam Zhu cried bitterly, "so many princes and ministers in the court are silent, why do you have to do this?" "It's really sad that the government is like this. As a speech officer, I should fulfill my duties. How can I compare with others? Stop talking! It's getting late, go to rest earlier." Looking at the tearful wife who left silently, Zhu Yixin couldn't control it anymore, and the tears flowed out like a spring... Early the next morning, Zhu Yixin bid farewell to his wife and children and resolutely entered the palace.The Empress Dowager Cixi had eaten breakfast and was playing with her fragrant flowers, when she heard Zhu Yixin enter the palace to ask for an audience, her face immediately dropped. "Zhu Yushi, just tell me if you have anything to say." Empress Dowager Cixi said coldly. "The minister has made a statement." "Since there is a booklet to submit, why don't you pass by the military plane? Remember it in the future! Lianying, hand it over." The zhezi had been wrinkled and uneven with tears, but these did not arouse Empress Dowager Cixi's sympathy and attention at all. On the contrary, her face became even uglier... "I govern the family law and strictly control the eunuch temple. The ancestor's palace has an iron plate, which has been kept for hundreds of millions of years, and it is the law. Heaviness, relegation and assignment as slaves. It is awe-inspiring and unrestrained. This summer patrolling the naval battle, the eunuch Li Lianying followed him to Tianjin. The road was rumored, and the soldiers were all stunned. The palace may have some unavoidable difficulties, and the bandits The metaphor of the foreign court. However, the vassals and vassals are parading the military ceremony, and the rest of the prisoners are in the bathroom during the period. How can they criticize the soldiers and respect the system. In Liang, the disadvantages are still greedy. The supervision of the army in the Tang Dynasty is not its original intention. However, it is true that the accumulation is gradual. The legal system of the holy dynasties is well established, and there is no need to worry about it. However, it is hard to tell the evils of the trickle, and it is also appropriate to pay attention to the gradual prevention of the slightest. Aiding the party and playing with the language caused doubts to arise in the palace, and Peter accepted his little loyalty and trustworthiness. The emperor has eyesight and wisdom, so he dares to be deceived. It's easy to get addicted to old habits, to be a servant, and you're not a gentleman, so it's better to distinguish early." To beat a dog, you have to look at the owner first, and you don't look at whose slave he is, how dare you be so presumptuous?Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help being furious. "Zhu Yushi, do you think you are a speech officer, so you dare to be so presumptuous?" "I don't even dare to dare." "Don't dare? I think you are brave enough! Tell me, what does the word "difficulty" refer to?" Empress Dowager Cixi sneered. "I mean..." Before he could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager Cixi could not wait to speak: "It is a common occurrence for my imperial court to give gifts to relatives close to me, and eunuchs of the court to send them back and forth. Don't you know this? Prince Chun's tour of the ocean is very unusual, so what's wrong with sending Lian Ying to accompany him?" "I know that this is the meaning of empress dowager's concern and sympathy, and this is what I mean by my so-called difficulties. But Li Lianying has always relied on the favor of the empress dowager to do whatever she wants. This move is really to help her arrogance. I fear that the eunuchs and supervisors of the Tang Dynasty will see us again. Therefore, I have to be on guard against the empress dowager." After finishing speaking, Zhu Yixin glanced at Li Lianying, only to see that Li Lianying was staring at him with fire in his eyes, and couldn't help feeling a burst of joy in his heart. kill you! "Lianying waited carefully along the way, no different from the eunuchs accompanying the government, never interfering in foreign affairs at all, how can we repeat the disaster of the Tang Dynasty's military supervisors?" "Although things are not happening, we must be on guard." "The censor can hear about things, but there must be some basis. How can you say that the wind is the rain? Zhu Yushi, I heard that you sent a congratulatory message when Lianying got married. Don't you feel relieved? Is it possible that you want to avenge your personal revenge?" ?" After hearing this, Zhu Yixin was furious, but he didn't dare to say anything more, so he could only say: "The queen mother misunderstood the meaning of the minister, the minister..." "What are you doing? Don't forget! The Qing Dynasty is in charge of me, not you! Get back!" Zhu Yixin backed out silently.But Li Lianying gritted her teeth with hatred, thinking that our family hasn't settled with you yet, but you have come to our family first, then okay, let you know how powerful our family is! "Lafayette, this Zhu Yushi is too bold. The slave is doing things for you, Lafayette. He dares to make irresponsible remarks. According to the slave, it is better to let him go." Seeing him like that, the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help laughing again, and said: "What are you in a hurry for, don't forget, he is a speech officer, he is not easy to kill, otherwise he will cause big trouble ." "Speaker, Yanguan, can't Yanguan be killed?" Li Lianying whispered. It's not that the Yanguan cannot be killed, but killing the Yanguan is a sign of subjugation. If it is not a last resort, how can the Empress Dowager Cixi do such a stupid thing and cause a lot of trouble for herself?Immediately said: "Don't worry, this matter is up to me and you, and you will not be wronged." Sure enough, the next morning, the Empress Dowager Cixi decreed that Zhu Yixin, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, would be dismissed and returned to his hometown, and would never be used.It is said: "Zhu Yixin's performance is only about Li Lianying's affairs. No matter how he falsely accuses the palace, he will definitely not blame the palace because of the palace supervisor. Is the imperial court overdoing it? And there was no Chen Zou at that time, and after a few months, it suddenly caused a flood and made blasphemy. Since the curtain was drawn, disaster relief and sympathy for the people have been added without any intention, and I have no experience at all. However, there is no suggestion on how to remedy the hardships of the people. , Noir used the scholarly restraint, strong as a solution.It is his talent and knowledge to stick to Liao Miu, which is really not enough to win the task of offering a replacement. " "When it comes to government affairs, if there is a lack of dispatch, it is because the ministers and workers are indeed at fault. They all write and discuss the matter immediately. If they speculate privately later, and there will be disasters, except that the original performance is not allowed, they will definitely be punished. Those who think it is a lie quit." Who can understand the truth of killing a chicken to show the monkeys to warn others?After Yi's decree, no one in the court and opposition dared to say anything anymore, and Li Lianying was so happy that he said loudly: "The trip to Tianjin and Haikou to watch the soldiers is my gain of fame and fortune, but the censor Zhu Yixin made a toad to get over the threshold." , Knocking his butt and stealing his face, he was dismissed and returned to his hometown." Empress Dowager Cixi's move undoubtedly opened the door for Li Lianying to intervene in the government and play tricks.Since then, Li Lianying's nostrils have turned upside down, controlling the government and doing whatever she wants; selling officials and titles privately to fill her own pockets.In order to protect their high-ranking officials and generous salaries, high officials in the court and governors of other provinces all look up to them.As far as the government is concerned, the state affairs are all heard and participated in.Whether it is a prince, a nobleman like a prince, or a high-ranking official like a bachelor or a military minister, when dealing with political affairs, you always have to look at his face.He was so powerful that he was almost the same as Wei Zhongxian, the great eunuch in the late Ming Dynasty, and was called "nine thousand years old".