Chapter 41 9. Foreign guns, foreign guns, foreign devils

What Chinese people are most proud of is that they were the first to invent gunpowder on earth, but the foreign devils who make Chinese people look down on them the most, broke open the gate of the Qing Dynasty with foreign-made "gunpowder guns"... Rong Lu was full of worries about this war. From the very beginning, he thought that the war might fail. Later, as the war worsened, he confirmed his thoughts even more.Therefore, Rong Lu began to think of a way out, of course not for himself first, but for Lafayette. He approached Chen Kuilong, then governor of Shuntian Prefecture, and asked him to find 200 vehicles, and explained that he would be ready to requisition them at any time.Chen Kuilong nervously agreed, and indeed found two hundred carts in the turbulent Beijing city.

Rong Lu ordered someone to find Chen Kuilong, and mentioned to him the deterioration of the situation, implying that the two palaces are about to leave, how is your car getting ready? "Lord Zhongtang..." Chen Kuilong said to Rong Lu with a embarrassed and embarrassing face, as if he had something on his mind. "Xiao Shi," these are Chen Kuilong's words, "what's the matter with you!" "Lord Zhongtang, hey! You don't know something, but someone snatched the car away." Chen Kuilong looked helpless. "Who did it?" Rong Lu's voice was also hurried.

"Who else? It's King Duan's Tiger God Camp and those boxers." "Why did they rob it?" "It is said to be requisitioned, but it is actually used to transport the property they robbed and shipped it outside Beijing." "Hey..." Rong Lu was so anxious that he wanted to stomp his feet. "Lord Zhongtang, please say something kind in front of the empress dowager and let me be relieved of my post, right? I really can't help it. " It turned out that Chen Kuilong heard about the excerpt submitted by King Duan, and he also heard that his name was obviously also on the list, so he made plans for himself.If you are still working in this position, not only is it a hassle to catch the car now, but more importantly, since Duan Wang can put his name on the list, even if this book is kept, you can guarantee He troubles me without disguise.Chen Kuilong thought about these two aspects more than a hundred times before finally deciding to bring it up to Rong Lu.

"Xiao Shi, how can you stay away from this crisis?" "Lord Zhongtang, it's really not that I don't want to share the crisis for the Empress Dowager." When Chen Kuilong said this, Rong Lu immediately remembered the matter of King Duan's submission.yes!It's not easy for him to be an official who is angry with Shuntian Fuyin. Since he wants to quit now, let him quit!Don't insist on it anymore, if someone dies in the future, I will regret it again, Rong Lu warned himself in his heart. "Okay!" Rong Lu also sighed helplessly.How pitiful!What's going on in this world that I am a dignified first-rank official but can't protect a very talented Beijing official?

Shuntian Fu Yin replaced the original Wang Peiyou. This Wang Peiyou had no real skills, he couldn't catch the car, and he didn't know what to do with other things that would help him escape.Rong Lu looked at such a person and really didn't know what to do. This situation upset Rong Lu and Empress Dowager Cixi at the same time.The sound of guns and artillery was getting closer and closer. A few days ago, it could only be heard faintly, but now it can be heard clearly. "Lianying, what do you think we should do?" Although the Empress Dowager Cixi was upset, she still asked Li Lianying calmly.

what to do?Li Lianying didn't think of a good solution either.Now the capital is full of fleeing people, and a large number of central Beijing officials have escaped. It can be said that the prosperous capital in the past has become a hell on earth where dead bodies can be seen everywhere and refugees are everywhere.Everyone else was fleeing, and it was rumored that the empress dowager had also fled the capital, which Li Lianying heard with her own ears.From the day she heard the rumor, Li Lianying wondered if Lafayette should really escape from the capital?However, after thinking about it for a long time, he couldn't make a decision.At first, he strongly advocated the use of the Boxers, and said that the Boxers could drive away foreigners, but now?Instead of driving away the foreigners, the Boxers were beaten to the vicinity of the capital by the foreigners, and now they have to persuade Lafayette to leave Beijing.Isn't this slapping yourself?And what would Lafayette think?This is why Li Lianying has been worried about not telling the Empress Dowager Cixi.

"Look for Ronglu to discuss it?" "No need, Rong Lu has told me countless times that he wants me to stay in the capital. I think staying in the capital is not the best policy, so I asked you to discuss it." Didn't Rong Lu advocate the escape of Empress Dowager Cixi?Why did you change your mind now?It is true that Rong Lu once advocated that the Empress Dowager Cixi flee, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that this was not a good strategy.Lafayette is old now, after all, his energy is not as good as it was forty years ago, and he can't find a cart in Beijing, so how could he escape?It is better to stay in the capital and deal with the main battle faction Wang Duan, Gang Yi, Zhao Shuqiao and others, and then press Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong to negotiate with the foreigners at any cost and keep the foreign soldiers out of the capital, so that the empress dowager It can also avoid all kinds of sufferings of fleeing.

Although Rong Lu had good intentions, the Empress Dowager Cixi did not agree. She had two concerns. One was that the foreigners put forward conditions for her to return to power. This was what she was most worried about. Mention this harsh condition; the other level is whether Li Hongzhang can definitely block the offensive of foreigners?Are foreigners sure to stop there?These are the two concerns of staying in the capital. If they flee, they will naturally not have such concerns.But if he really escapes, he has other concerns. Can he escape safely in this turbulent age?This is what Ronglu is worried about and what Empress Dowager Cixi is worried about.

Li Lianying figured out what the Empress Dowager Cixi was thinking. In the final analysis, she was still afraid that foreigners would force her to surrender power.This is also what Li Lianying is afraid of. He is afraid of falling out of favor, and he is also afraid of Empress Dowager Cixi losing power.Once the Empress Dowager Cixi loses power, I'm afraid I have to move my head, because he knows that many people in the court hate him, especially the emperor. If the Empress Dowager Cixi returns to power in the future, she must return to the emperor. , I'm afraid that the emperor will treat himself in the same way after he comes to power.Thinking of this, Li Lianying couldn't help shivering.

"Lianying, what's the matter with you?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked with concern. "It's nothing." Li Lianying laughed dryly, "I just suffered from the cold last night, and now I think that Lafayette has to go out and suffer from the bumps at this age, and I feel very sorry." "There is no other way, if it really doesn't work, I will have to suffer from the bumps, Lianying, you go and prepare yourself." "Cha!" Li Lianying agreed loudly, "I will send someone to prepare right away." The sound of the guns was getting closer and louder, and even Ningshou Palace could hear the whistling of bullets.Only then did Li Lianying and Empress Dowager Cixi panic.

"Lafayette! Lafayette!" A person rushed in following the shouts, and before he had time to salute, he said out of breath, "The foreigner is here!" The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at Zai Lan who looked panic-stricken, and said in an unusually calm tone: "Where are the foreigners?".Perhaps it is the more extraordinary moments, the more calm Empress Dowager Cixi will be. "In the outer city." This was Li Lianying's first answer. "Lafayette has to go! And fast!" Zai Lan still said anxiously. At this moment, two more people came, one was Gang Yi, the Minister of Military Aircraft, and the other was Zhao Shuqiao of Military Aircraft, and they also came to call the police. "Lafayette, it's not good, the Temple of Heaven found black soldiers with heads wrapped around their heads, and many fleeing people turned back from there." "Which country is it from?" "I don't know, I'm afraid it's Russia!" Gangyi has never done foreign affairs, he just heard about it, but he doesn't know what the Russians look like, so he speculates. "Isn't it the teacher of Qin Wang from Xinjiang?" "No! Absolutely not! The Master of King Qin will not be stationed there." Zhao Shuqiao said with certainty. "Lafayette, you old man has to go!" Gang Yi also said anxiously. "Go! I know I should go, but how do I go now? Tell me." This time it stumped Zai Lan, Gang Yi and Zhao Shuqiao. They only knew that Lafayette should go, but they didn't think about how to go. King Duan and Rong Lu happened to come here, and they also came to see Empress Dowager Cixi after hearing the news. The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at the five ministers in front of her, and saw that Rong Lu was still a little calmer, and the others were so panic-stricken and out of their minds. "Rong Lu, what do you think?" "Ask Duan Wang!" Rong Lu glanced at the flustered Duan Wang.He is full of opinions on Duan Wang, and now it is even bigger.You started the war on your own initiative, so you have to clean up the ending.Aren't you very capable?Now let's see how capable you are to drive the foreigners away, Rong Lu murmured in his heart, that's why he said this. "Prince Duan Zaiyi, what do you think?" Empress Dowager Cixi understood Rong Lu's distress, so she turned her face to ask Prince Duan who was standing by. "Lafayette! It's already at this time, thirty-six strategies, the best policy is to go, let's go!" "Let's go? In this age of war and chaos, where are you going? Besides, can you protect me?" Rong Lu said to Duan Wang with a sarcasm from the side. "Rong Lu, what do you think we should do?" Empress Dowager Cixi turned her head and asked again. "The slave thinks it's better to send people to the embassy to discuss peace." "Then you go and do it! Hurry up!" Rong Lu agreed and withdrew.Seeing the figure of Rong Lu going away, the Empress Dowager Cixi knew that Rong Lu's departure might not be effective, and she had to prepare a bad plan. "Gang Yi, go and prepare the car." The Empress Dowager Cixi said loudly to Gang Yi who was standing there in a daze. "Yes, the servant will do it now." Rong Lu did not reply to the letter, and the sound of gunfire continued.Empress Dowager Cixi was becoming more and more restless and restless.The vicissitudes of the past came to my mind again.Forty years ago, although they were fleeing at that time, they were not in such a panic. At least at that time, there were Shengbao and Seng Gelinqin resisting in the Tongzhou area, and there were Sushun arrangements in the palace. Everything was still panicked and not chaotic. But now it's a mess. "Lafayette! Let's go! Foreign soldiers have entered the city!" Zai Lan ran in panicked. "It came so fast! Where are the foreign soldiers now?" "We are attacking Donghua Gate!" To the north of Donghua Gate is Ningshou Palace. As long as Donghua Gate is opened, can Ningshou Palace still be preserved!Empress Dowager Cixi was startled, but she didn't panic. "Zai Lan! Which door should I go?" "Go to Desheng Gate in the northwest." "It's better to go to the Summer Palace first." Li Lianying said. "Alright, Lianying, hurry up and call the emperor." "Yes, my servant is asking people to go." The escape was being prepared nervously, but it was always too conspicuous to flee wearing such a costume. The Empress Dowager Cixi ordered Li Lianying to find a set of civilian women's costumes to wear, and at the same time asked Li Lianying to wear a Han woman's hairstyle. Everything was ready, and before the emperor arrived, the Empress Dowager Cixi had long nails, several inches long.Such nails are fine in the palace, but if they escape, they will be difficult to protect and have to be cut off.Li Lianying had no choice but to use scissors to cut off the nails that the Empress Dowager Cixi had carefully maintained for many years. The emperor came wearing plain clothes, looking like a weak fleeing boy from the countryside. The Empress Dowager Cixi was very satisfied with this attire. It was time to go, and suddenly, Empress Dowager Cixi remembered her old friend, Concubine Zhen, who was nearby now. "Cui Yugui, go and pass on Concubine Zhen." "Cha!" The powerful voice was indeed Cui Yugui's. After a while, the disheveled concubine Zhen was brought in, and Emperor Guangxu looked at his beloved, almost unrecognizable.The old face has been replaced by a pale, wrinkled face, and a head of long and dirty hair. "Your Majesty!" Concubine Zhen did not go to pay homage to Empress Dowager Cixi, but instead yelled sincerely to Emperor Guangxu. "Zhen'er!" Emperor Guangxu excitedly stepped forward and hugged Concubine Zhen.Concubine Zhen also cried in Guangxu's arms. "Bold slave, why are you crying?" The Empress Dowager Cixi was obviously irritated by Concubine Zhen's rudeness. This drinking also awakened Concubine Zhen from her grief, and she kowtowed to Lafayette. "Foreigners are coming soon, and most of them will run amok." Concubine Zhen has already heard the meaning of Empress Dowager Cixi, and she also knows that today is bound to be a dead end.To die is to die, why not die a heroic death?Concubine Zhen made up her mind and said to Empress Dowager Cixi: "Slave, please let the emperor stay to preside over the peace talks." "Hmph!" Empress Dowager Cixi was trembling with anger, she never thought that Concubine Zhen would say such things at this time.She looked at a well not far away. "Cui Yugui, throw this bitch into the well." Empress Dowager Cixi said viciously. Concubine Zhen seemed to have just seen the well at this moment, she also looked at the well, but there was no fear on her face. Emperor Guangxu saw it in his eyes and felt pain in his heart. He immediately knelt down and begged Empress Dowager Cixi for mercy: "Dad, please forgive her this time!" Emperor Guangxu burst into tears after speaking. "Get up, this is not the time to intercede, you'd better run away with your life! Let her, that bitch, die! So that I can punish those unfilial children, and teach that owl to see that when it is full of feathers, it can still Really peck its mother's eyes?" Cui Yugui stepped forward to pull Concubine Zhen, and Concubine Zhen roared, "What are you doing?" "Master Zhen, please go down, don't make it difficult for me to be a slave." "Huh!" Concubine Zhen proudly said, Cui Yugui saw that there was no other way, so he dragged Concubine Zhen to the mouth of the well, threw her into the well, covered the well, and then returned to report to Empress Dowager Cixi. Seeing this tragic scene, Emperor Guangxu burst into tears of grief and indignation.Although Concubine Jin didn't like her younger sister, she couldn't help but feel sad when she ended up like this. Empress Dowager Cixi looked at the distraught Emperor Guangxu, waved to him and said, "Get in your car! Draw the curtain so that no one will recognize you as the emperor." Before getting into the car, Emperor Guangxu turned his head to look at the well where Concubine Zhen was installed, with infinite grief and anger on his face.Later generations have a poem describing the death of Concubine Zhen. A leaf fell from the golden well, beside the desolate Yao Temple. The residual branches are not falling, and the sun shines brightly! The water in the ditch is empty and hates, neon clothes and heartbroken; if it is as beautiful as the grass beside the lake, it is still possible to sleep in a mandarin duck? Concubine Zhen was executed, and the Empress Dowager Cixi sent an order for King Qing and Rong Lu to preside over the peace talks in Beijing. Then she took the emperor and eldest elder brother and drove to Deshengmen in three mule carts they had found temporarily. Along the way, there were a lot of people rushing out of the city, and it was very chaotic. The mule cart was not easy to move, and the accompanying Wang Duan, Gang Yi, Zhuang Wang, Zai Lan, etc. had to draw their guns and shot at the crowd and killed several people. Only ten people killed a bloody road to Desheng Gate.After leaving Deshengmen, I met Wang Wenshao, an old official. The Empress Dowager Cixi ordered him to find Rong Lu and King Qing, and passed on her decree for the two of them to make peace in the capital, and then came to accompany him. Wang Wenshao obeyed the order and left. Empress Dowager Cixi and her party arrived at the Summer Palace, made some repairs, and then rushed north.At that time, Li Lianying was not accompanying him. He was ordered by Cixi to lead a group of young eunuchs in the palace to bury silver and other things.As for his family's precious items and silver, they had already been collected a few days ago. Li Lianying buried the silver and other things, and then took dozens of tiger gods and officers and soldiers guarding the Forbidden City, and a few small military planes and other department staff, and then rode out of Deshengmen and headed north. .Prior to this, Li Lianying had ordered his eldest son, Li Chengwu, to escort the imperial army with him. Empress Dowager Cixi and her party arrived at Houchang, which is just north of Longevity Hill and Yuquan Mountain, and it is the last waist station to Beijing from the north.Although there were many refugees when they left Deshengmen, very few of them arrived at the Summer Palace, because most of these people just wanted to escape from the city and take shelter in the countryside for a while, and then return to take care of their property when the limelight improved, so they Once out of Deshengmen, they scattered in all directions, and naturally few people went north.When the Empress Dowager Cixi and her party arrived at Dehouchang in a panic, there were not many refugees on the road, only them.Three mule carts, tightly closed, were walking slowly on the road. Emperor Guangxu was thinking about Concubine Zhen, Concubine Zhen's voice and smile, and Concubine Zhen's love, all rushed to his heart.But now, Concubine Zhen has gone to another world, and she is still living despicably and helplessly in this world, this bumpy mule cart must be proof.Just because of the reform, he was placed under house arrest and Concubine Zhen was thrown into the cold palace. From then on, the two rarely saw each other. The first time they met today, it was a farewell.God! Why are you doing this?Emperor Guangxu cried out in pain in his heart, and a line of hot tears flowed down his thin cheeks. The Empress Dowager Cixi sitting in front was thinking about the experience of the past few days.I hoped that I could rely on the Boxers to avenge my hatred, but I didn't want to end up going to the capital at night and fleeing in a hurry to endure the pain of the mule cart.Forty years ago, I accompanied the emperor to travel to Rehe, but what a scene it was then!At least the food was prepared for the escape then, but now?Why!Empress Dowager Cixi can only sigh. Duan Wang and Gang Yi, who were riding on horseback, were also thinking about their own affairs: I advocated using the Boxers to fight against foreigners, but now it is good, and I ran away before the foreigners were finished fighting. up.Therefore, Gang Yi and Duan Wang felt uneasy, and Zhao Shuqiao, who was traveling with him, was also thinking about the same thing, and seemed uneasy in his heart. The accompanying ladies also had their own concerns, so everyone seemed relatively silent.Slowly and silently along the way. The Empress Dowager Cixi seemed to think of Li Lianying, so Ling waited here for Li Lianying's arrival.Not long after, a man in his fifties who looked like a farmer led a group of people towards the factory. This scared Duan Wang and others who accompanied him and hurriedly ordered everyone to gather around the empress dowager's car. They recognized this group of people as Li Lianying they were waiting for. "Lafayette, the servant is late." Li Lianying came before the Empress Dowager Cixi. "Lianying, you're here, shall we go?" The Empress Dowager Cixi said calmly, without agitation, she was really calm and at ease. Where are you going!Because there are two roads going north from here: go east to Hezhen, go to Baisnake Village to the large and small mines; go west to north and go directly to Changping County.But no one can tell whether the foreign soldiers will send a force to take Shunyi and go to Changping before attacking Beijing? This is not impossible, so this path cannot be taken.From here, go westward, go around Xiangshan Mountain, pass Yangzhuang, and go to Dajue Temple. However, the foreign soldiers may have crossed Lugou Bridge from Fengtai to Wanping, ruled Yongding River, and went down to Changxindian to take Jietan Temple and Tanbei Temple. Temple, climbing Ma'anshan, according to Mentougou, and guarding Miaofeng Mountain to surround Beijing.If you can't take either of these two paths, which one should you take? "Lafayette, where are we going?" Li Lianying, who was driving beside her, asked the Queen Mother in the car. "Let's go out of Juyongguan first." Empress Dowager Cixi said very firmly. So a group of people scattered and flustered, taking advantage of the moonlight, hurriedly left Houchang, neither went north nor west, but walked on a road with a long gray river, walked northwest, and went straight to Juyongguan and go. After walking for a day and a night, because I didn't bring anything with me before fleeing, there was no water, and there were all ruined villages along the way.You can't find clear water or food here, so the Empress Dowager Cixi and all the escorting kings Li Wang, Duan Wang, Su Wang, Na Wang, Lan Gongye, Ze Gongye, Ding Gongye, Di Beizi, Lun Beizi, Zai Wang, etc. Zhen, Gang Zhongtang, Zhao Shuqiao and other people beside him were dizzy from hunger, and Li Lianying, Cui Yugui and other eunuchs were also hungry enough.In August, the outskirts of the capital also seemed extremely cold and desolate.Because there were very few clothes before leaving, and the sky was raining lightly from time to time, it was naturally extremely cold. At night, the Empress Dowager Cixi could only sit back to back in the car with Guangxu to keep warm. The princes, young ladies, and wives who usually stretch out their hands in the clothes and open their mouths when they are in the palace have never suffered so much.Not to mention the bumps, nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no place to sleep, and no place to wash while sweating all over the body, it was extremely uncomfortable. Because her mouth was too thirsty, Li Lianying could only collect straw on the side of the road and suck the dew in it. Although it was a drop in the bucket, for the Empress Dowager Cixi, it was no worse than the royal water in the palace. I also drank with relish. Along the way, dead bodies are everywhere, mourning is everywhere, the village is deserted, and it is infinitely desolate. And an empty stomach is even more uncomfortable.Fortunately, Li Lianying had a nephew, Li Futing, who was very scheming. Before he left, he baked three cakes. At this time, he took them out to Li Lianying. Li Lianying gave him one, ate one himself, and gave another to Lafayette.The Empress Dowager Cixi was so hungry that her eyes were blurry. At this time, she got such a tempting pancake. Regardless of whether it was delicious or not, she ate half of it in one go, and gave the other half to the emperor and others. The praise of this cake is delicious, probably because I haven't eaten for a few days? "Lianying, where did these pancakes come from?" The Empress Dowager Cixi wiped her mouth after her stomach was slightly full. "It's Li Futing, the slave's nephew." "I will reward him when I go back in the future, but now I don't want to reward him." After eating a little bit, Empress Dowager Cixi regained her spirits, but when she saw the listless guards, ministers, and soldiers following her, she couldn't help feeling a sense of sadness in her heart.Comparing the prestige of the past with the embarrassment of today, the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help but shed tears. "Lianying, what's ahead?" "I heard people say that the front is Guanshi." "Okay, when you get there, just get some food and drink. Look how hungry Wang Wenshao and the others are. It really makes them suffer." The Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help sobbing. "Lafayette, don't be sad. It's important to escape now. The foreign soldiers have gone far away and won't catch up. When they arrive in Deguan City, the slaves just try to get something to eat and drink, or they can rest there before leaving. " Li Lianying comforted through the curtain. It turned out that Wang Wenshao had already caught up, and he was an old man in his seventies or eighties.After another day and night without drinking water or eating a single thing, she seemed very depressed, which is why the Empress Dowager Cixi expressed such emotion. Speaking of Guan City, there is still a legend.One hundred and seventy-five or six years before Gengzi, Guan City was still a wasteland on the main road in the valley.Later, because some merchants from the North Road arrived in Guanshi in the afternoon, and those who could not make it to Beijing, they gathered here to sleep in the open.After a long time, some people set up a pergola in this desolate place to do small business. At first, there were two small business owners, a father and daughter named Guan.They set up a straw hut to sell millet porridge and homemade scallion pancakes mixed with cornmeal.The income is not bad, and the father and daughter have gradually become richer.They built houses and set up shops, entertained merchants with food and lodging, and provided fodder and camel fodder for livestock. This shop is getting more and more prosperous every day, and the girls of the whole family are becoming more and more beautiful every year. Lonely and bored businessmen flock to it.When they arrived here, those who should rest crowded into the Guan's store to rest, and those who shouldn't rest were willing to stay here for two days because of the temptation of the girl from the Guan's house.The inns and small shops opened later also had good business, but they all picked up the business left over from the previous store.After several years of continuous prosperity, this place has formed a market.It has become a stronghold on the North Road.Guanjiadian is also becoming more and more popular. There is no business traveler in the provinces on the North Road who does not know Guanjiadian, and there is no one in Beijing who does not know Guanjiadian.After several years, all the shops and lodging stores in Guan City have hung the signboard of "Guanjiadian", so that no one can figure out who the real "Guanjiadian" is. Later, Guanshi got its name from Guanjiadian.When Li Lianying, Empress Dowager Cixi and his party arrived in Deguan City, it was midnight and it was pitch black. Li Lianying saw a flashing light in the distance, so he stopped the horse and walked along the light alone. Under the light, he found an old man and a middle-aged man, and they were talking about the war.It seems that they are traditional subjects, who hate foreigners when they talk about them, and sigh when they talk about the royal family. Seeing this, Li Lianying told the two about the empress dowager and the emperor's escape, and told them about the current difficulties of the two palaces, hoping that they could find some water and food. When the two heard this, they didn't expect that the empress dowager and the emperor were not far away, and they were so hungry that they hadn't eaten for two days, so they readily agreed to get food and drink for them.Li Lianying saw that there was something to do, so she went back to invite the Empress Dowager Cixi, the emperor, the prince, the minister of military affairs and the guards. The old and middle-aged man prepared water and was cooking millet porridge. The aroma of the porridge made everyone salivate. In their hearts, they felt that there was nothing more delicious than this. After all, they had been hungry for a day and two nights. .There was plenty of water, and they were allowed to drink. From the capital to the present, this group of people, from the Empress Dowager Cixi to the little soldiers, finally had a drink of water to their heart's content.After drinking the water, I ate some millet porridge.Everyone was now in good spirits, and the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help asking what those two people were doing, and promised to give them a promotion after returning to the palace one day in the future. The two kowtowed gratefully, as if they had already received a reward . You've had enough water and your stomach is full, it's time to take a rest comfortably!Empress Dowager Cixi also thought so, but she was worried that this place was not safe, so she asked: "How far is this place from the capital?" "Seventy miles." Someone in the crowd replied. Seventy miles is too short. After walking for a day and two nights, it was only a short distance away.Empress Dowager Cixi looked at this lazy team and decided to continue walking. "Lianying, tell the front, let's move on now!" Empress Dowager Cixi cried secretly. "Lafayette! Let's go?" Li Lianying pondered. Although Li Lianying understood what Lafayette meant, was it just because he was afraid that foreigners would catch up?Indeed, seventy miles is more than half a day for foreigners, but now that people are exhausted, how can we go? Li Lianying approached the Lafayette's car, opened the curtain, poked his head inside, and whispered, "People and horses are all paralyzed, why are you still walking on the mountain road late at night?" "Is there anything you can't go?" The Empress Dowager Cixi was very firm. "After walking for a day, I only walked more than 70 miles. It's as if I didn't go. I'm old, it doesn't matter. If something goes wrong, what will the emperor do? If the emperor Something went wrong on this road, how can we be worthy of the subjects of the whole country, let me die, how can we go to see our ancestors..." The Empress Dowager Cixi could no longer restrain the sadness in her heart when she said this, and she couldn't help crying bitterly. When everyone heard this, they were all dumbfounded.Let's go, it's dark and night, and we have to walk in the ravine again, what's the way to go!What's more, everyone and Ma Jun didn't rest for a day and two nights, and they were really sleepy.If you don't go, if the foreign soldiers really come after them, who will take the responsibility, everyone can't make up their minds, and they all focus on Li Lianying.Li Lianying knew very well that under the current situation, he absolutely could not go any further, so he made up his mind and never left, no matter how much Empress Dowager Cixi cried. Empress Dowager Cixi had cried enough and finally calmed down. Seeing Li Lianying standing there motionless, she knew that he was thinking about her own safety, but the situation was pressing, so what if she didn't leave? "Lianying, shall we go?" "Lafayette, it's not that the slave is unwilling to go, it's because people are exhausted, and we can't go any further, and the road ahead is very difficult. I heard that it's full of cliffs. I don't dare to move forward on such a night. Lafayette, tonight Just rest here and rest! Let's go tomorrow morning." The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at the extremely tired faces, and even two soldiers had fallen asleep. Her heart softened and she agreed to Li Lianying's arrangement.So the group sat down on the spot, and Li Lianying found a place for Empress Dowager Cixi to stay in Huihui Temple for the night. After one night, everyone was in good spirits, and the foreign soldiers did not come after us. Then we harnessed our mules, mounted our horses and headed straight for Juyongguan.Juyongguan was close at hand, and it was getting late. Li Lianying decided to pass through Juyongguan before dark.So everyone from the coachman to the soldiers mustered up their courage and passed the Juyongguan Pass before dark. After passing Juyongguan, it was dark.Because this section of the road is extremely difficult, the Empress Dowager Cixi decided to stay here for another night to refresh her spirits so that she can walk again.Since everyone is no longer worried about foreign devils coming, they happily accepted the arrangement of the Empress Dowager Cixi and lived in a nearby place.