Chapter 48 5. Paying homage to Xiling

Cixi was going to pay a visit to Xiling by train. This time, the supervisor in charge of the railway was so busy that he was dizzy. In order to decorate the "float" that Cixi was riding on, Li Lianying found a "contractor" for the supervisor by name... In the end, a project settlement bank note was worth 150,000 taels of silver... The supervisor dared not speak out... The war has ceased, the two palaces have returned to Luan, the situation in the capital has stabilized, except for the revolutionaries in the southern provinces, the situation in the whole country is also quite peaceful.The war dealt a heavy blow to Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu, and it was painful to learn from the painful experience, only to know the fact that they will be deceived if they fall behind.

Therefore, they decided to reform the government and strive to revitalize it.Of course, among the many affairs, the most important and necessary is to pay homage to the ancestral tombs and pray for the protection of the ancestors.In March of the twenty-eighth year of Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi and Guangxu paid homage to the Dongling Mausoleum; The tombs of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty, except for Shengqin's Mausoleum, are all in the pass, and are divided into two parts, namely the Eastern Tomb and the Western Tomb.Dongling is located in the area of ​​Malanyu in Zunhua, Zhili, and Xiling is at the foot of Yongning Mountain in Yizhou.The Eastern Mausoleum includes the mausoleums of Shunzhi, Kangxi, Qianlong, Xianfeng, and Tongzhi Emperors; the Western Mausoleum contains the mausoleums of Yongzheng, Jiaqing, and Daoguang.The rulers of the Qing Dynasty advocated filial piety to rule the world. In order not to forget the kindness of the ancestors, they stipulated that four seasons should be held in the mausoleum. Therefore, visiting the mausoleum is a big event.Therefore, when the war is over and the war is peaceful, the first important thing for Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu to do is to visit the ancestral mausoleum.

After the Spring Festival, the Empress Dowager Cixi began to prepare for the visit to the mausoleum.In the past, when you went to pay homage to the Xiling Mausoleum, you would use chariots, horses and sedan chairs, which were mighty and mighty without seeing the beginning and the end, so imposing. But walking is too slow and inconvenient, and many people feel tired for it.So the Qing government built a section of railway between Gaobeidian and Yizhou Xiling.This time to Xiling, you can take the train.This may also be one of the reasons why Empress Dowager Cixi has been thinking about going to Xiling.Although she is the empress dowager, she can do whatever she wants and do whatever she wants, but this train is not used many times, and every time she rides, she has a new feeling, especially the last time she went back to Luan, from Zhengding to Beijing, that feeling was too much. Unforgettable.So, I talked about trains and railways all day long.Seeing her eagerness, Li Lianying suggested to her: "Why does Lafayette talk like this, why don't you ask Yuan Shikai, governor of Zhili, and ask her face to face!"

"But Yuan Shikai returned to his hometown because of his mother's funeral, and he hasn't come back yet. I heard that he has gone to the south..." "It's not easy. On the shore of the land, could it be the king's minister, no matter where he is, as long as Lafayette wants him back, that's not a word!" Yuan Shikai was granted a two-month leave by order to return to his ancestral home in Xiangcheng, Henan to bury his mother.After finishing the funeral, he went to Shanghai and Hubei successively to observe the official situation and seek assistance.While receiving Zhang Zhidong's hospitality, he received an order to return to the capital. Not knowing what happened in the capital, he dared not stay and hurried back to the capital.

When I arrived in the capital, I rested overnight, and went to court the next morning to see the Empress Dowager Cixi. "When did you arrive in Beijing?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked him. "Back to the Empress Dowager, I arrived yesterday afternoon!" "How's the situation locally?" "Thanks to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor! Good weather!" "The people suffered during the chaos in the year of Gengzi. Now that the war is over, you, the magistrate, should work hard to rule the country, eliminate evils, and benefit the people!" "I would like to respect the order of the Holy Mother and Empress Dowager! I will do my best to benefit the people!"

Cixi then asked him: "You have always been good at training soldiers. In your opinion, when will this new army be trained?" Yuan Shikai felt that this question was difficult to answer. After thinking about it, he said: "Training troops now is no different than in the past. All kinds of conditions must be met. The first is food, grass and military pay, followed by telegrams, ships, railways, etc. Only with these foundations can the army be disciplined." , Reorganize the army system. After training in this way, it can take as short as three years and as long as five years, and you can develop a good look."

"This Qingming Festival, the emperor is going to visit the Xiling Mausoleum. Are you ready for the railway, train, palace, and chariot?" Cixi asked about the Xiling Mausoleum. "The railway was built by Sheng Xuanhuai, Minister of Supervision of the Luhan Railway, and it has been completed; the floats are being prepared, and there will be news on the same day. As soon as there is news, the officials will play it; the palace, chariots, etc. have already been prepared. I hope the Empress Dowager can rest assured." Yuan Shikai replied. Methodical. "Very good! Do you have anything else to play? If you have nothing to do, go back first!" Empress Dowager Cixi issued an order to evict the guests.Yuan Shikai said goodbye to Cixi, saluted Emperor Guangxu, and went back to Beiyang Gong.

Back at the Beiyang Office, Tao Lanquan, the head of the Beijing Affairs Bureau of the Luhan Railway, had been waiting for a long time.This Tao Lanquan was sent by Sheng Xuanhuai to Beijing to serve Empress Dowager Cixi.He came to Yuan Shikai apparently for the railway from Gaobeidian to Xiling.After exchanging pleasantries, Tao Lanquan cut to the chase and said, "The float has been prepared, Mr. Sheng asked the officials to come and ask the marshal, should it be a float, or should we change after arriving at Gaobeidian?" It turned out that the railway from Beijing to Xiling via Gaobeidian was divided into two sections. From the capital to Lugou Bridge and then to Gaobeidian, Sheng Xuanhuai was responsible for the construction, and the section from Gaobeidian to Xiling was built separately. Commissioned by Mr. Hu Fen to supervise the repair, it was managed by the Railway Bureau under Beiyang.So this time the two palaces pay homage to Xijun, which has a lot to do with Yuan Shikai and Sheng Xuanhuai.It is related to two sub-problems.Therefore, Sheng Xuanhuai sent Tao Lanquan to ask Yuan Shikai for instructions.

Of course Yuan Shikai advocated to change cars at Gaobeidian, otherwise, let Sheng Xuanhuai show his glory, where should Lao Yuan's old face be put?However, the Governor of Zhili is the most important of all the ministers in the feudal border. How can he openly show his courtship to Cixi and express his own opinion? Director." This Director Liang is the director of the Railway Bureau under the jurisdiction of Beiyang, who is in charge of building the railway in Xiling. "Men Sheng said that the commander-in-chief is the master of Zhili, and he should consult the commander-in-chief for everything." Tao Lanquan said.

"I have so many things to do these days, I can't take care of them, you can just go to Director Liang!" Yuan Shikai was a little impatient. "Yes! The floats will be properly arranged in the future, please come and inspect them personally." "Okay! I will definitely come then!" "The commander-in-chief is a busy man, so I won't delay any longer, and I will take my leave!" "Okay! Go talk to Director Liang." "Yes!" The Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu were going to Xiling. Many ministers in the court wanted to make more efforts to curry favor with Lafayette, but they couldn't do it because of this matter. Except for the contractor, other departments have no chance to perform.Sheng Xuanhuai attached great importance to this matter, and once the Lantern Festival was over, he personally directed and arranged the floats.

The exterior of the train and various equipment in the car will be ready soon, but this is the car that the empress dowager and the emperor ride in, and there must be royal decorations in it.This is difficult, we must invite an expert.Sheng Xuanhuai sent someone to look for it, but when he heard that it was to decorate the floats for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, they all used poor skills as an excuse and dared not take over, so they had to stop working.At this time, just in time for Li Lianying to inspect the car, he saw that the decorations in the car were quite lacking, so he asked why.Sheng Xuanhuai could only tell the truth.Upon hearing this, Li Lianying said: "This is easy, hurry up tomorrow and I will find you an expert!" "Don't bother the manager, as long as you can tell us the place and name, I will send someone to invite us!" Sheng Xuanhuai was very humble. "There's Shorty Liu over there in Xisi. He's very good at this. He knows me very well. Send someone to look for him. Just mention my name, and he'll be successful!" "Thank you for your guidance!" Sheng Xuan hurriedly cupped his fists at Li Lianying. "Yes, yes! Don't thank me, go and send someone to look for it! I'll come back in a few days!" After speaking, he got up and wanted to leave.Sheng Xuanhuai personally sent him out and got him into a sedan chair. The three generations of Shorty Liu's grandparents have made a living in antiques, and they are all proficient in interior furnishings, mounting and painting.Invited by Sheng Xuanhuai's men, he looked at the carriages used by the empress dowager and the emperor, looked here, looked there, touched up, and measured down, and then made a list, antiques, jade, calligraphy, Stickers, everything.A total of 150,000 taels of silver.When Sheng Xuanhuai saw it, his eyes widened immediately, he dared to be angry but dared not speak.Since it was a float, it had to be arranged, so he gritted his teeth and issued a silver ticket. After everything was arranged, Sheng Xuanhuai sent someone to invite Yuan Shikai.Seeing the impeccable elegance of the float, Yuan Shikai said, "It's really nice to have such a display, but the train vibrates a lot. If a screen hanging on the wall or an utensil on the table shakes off, it will be fine." Disrespectful! Who can afford it?" "It's better for Wei Shuai to sit in the car, let the car drive as fast as possible, and see how it goes. If it doesn't work, it's not too late to find a way." "Then try it!" Yuan Shikai had just finished speaking, when Sheng Xuanhuai gestured to the platform, the whistle blew, and the train started to move.Slowly out of the station, the speed continued to increase.The car is already fast, and the utensils in it are not moving. It is so tastefully furnished, what a connoisseur! " "It was Mr. Li who looked for it, Shorty Liu from Xisi." "No wonder! He was found!" He turned and said to Mr. Liang who was following him, "Let's look for our float too. Shorty Liu from Xisi will arrange it like this!" "yes." Everything works, impeccable!Sheng Xuanhuai sent someone to invite Li Lianying.The next day, Li Lianying came.He didn't wear eunuch's clothes, but dressed like a wealthy businessman, wearing a melon cap, and holding a three or four inch long pipe in his hand.He walked around the outside of the car first, and got into the car without any dissatisfaction.When he arrived in the car, he stood with his hands behind his back, looked left and right, walked around the carriage a few times, nodded repeatedly, and said, "This Shorty Liu is really good at craftsmanship! The decoration in this car is even better than Lafayette's bedroom! But There is one thing that needs to be changed!" "Mr. Li, please enlighten me. What's wrong, let them change it." Sheng Xuanhuai asked. "This is not a good way to get on the car! Could it be that Lafayette is going to climb up like this?" He pouted his buttocks and made a climbing motion. Seeing him like that, Sheng Xuanhuai wanted to laugh, but didn't dare. He held back, thought for a while, and said, "That's easy, I have my own way. Please come back tomorrow, I hope you will be satisfied!" "Okay! Then I'll come back tomorrow!" As he said, he got out of the car and was about to get into the sedan chair, when he came back again, and said: "The emperor's side must be arranged exactly the same as Lafayette's side, and it must not be different at all. Otherwise I'm afraid the emperor will be unhappy." "Yes! I must do so!" As soon as Li Lianying left, Sheng Xuanhuai immediately called Tao Lanquan, and said, "The Empress Dowager is almost seventy years old, and it's not suitable to use a ladder to get on the bus. You can find someone to build a platform." Gestures on the platform, "It should be as wide as the door of the car, and at least three feet long, and built in a slope shape, with one end high and the other low, understand?" "Understand, understand! You can also add railings on both sides of it and lay carpets on it. It will be comfortable for the Empress Dowager to step on it!" Tao Lanquan added. "Yes, yes! That's a good idea! Get someone to do it!" The platform was made quickly.Sheng Xuanhuai tried it himself and was very satisfied. The next day, he sent someone to invite Li Lianying.When Li Lianying saw it, she praised her: "Good, good! So much the better! " "Director Li is too much for the award." Sheng Xuanhuai pretended to be modest. "When I went back to the palace yesterday, I told Lafayette about the furnishings in the car, and Lafayette was very satisfied. He told the people who followed him to be careful, and don't break anything, so that Mr. Shan will spend money." "Thank you Lafayette for your understanding!" Sheng Xuanhuai was grateful. A few days later, Yuan Shikai came to see the float again. Seeing that a lot of things had been added to it, he admired the unique platform, so he secretly made up his mind that the float he prepared must surpass Sheng Xuanhuai's.In this way, Shorty Liu in the antique shop made a lot of money, and shorty Liu was really grateful to Li Lianying. On the eighth day of March in the twenty-ninth year of Guangxu, before dawn, the palace was already busy.Emperor Guangxu paid homage to Xiannongtan, then left the palace and came towards the station.In the imperial city in early spring, it was still a bit cold in the morning.The eunuchs who carried the sedan chair pulled down their long sleeves to protect their hands, and the ministers who followed the emperor also tucked their hands into their sleeves.There was no other sound in the street, only the rustling of footsteps and the crisp and disorderly sound of horseshoes. Emperor Guangxu led the princes and ministers to the station. After waiting for a while, the Empress Dowager Cixi arrived. The emperor and all the officials knelt down to greet her.The Empress Dowager Cixi glanced at the ministers and saw that there was no honor among them.Rong Lu had taken leave due to illness half a month ago, and he is still bedridden. Of course, it is impossible to go to Xiling with the Queen Mother and the Emperor.But without Ronglu, Cixi always felt uncomfortable and a little unhappy. Only Li Lianying noticed the slight change in Cixi's expression, she whispered in her ear, "Rong Zhongtang has been ill for many days, and my servant went to see it yesterday, and I couldn't even sit up." Cixi's expression changed at first. Shen, and then returned to his original expression. "Lafayette, get in the car!" Li Lianying reminded from the side. Empress Dowager Cixi's interest was finally aroused, she looked at the train, smiled, and fell into fond memories. "Lafayette, get in the car!" Li Lianying urged again.Cixi came back to her senses and stepped onto the platform with a smile on her face.Li Lianying rushed to catch up with her to help her, but she waved her hand to signal no need, and walked forward step by step while holding on to the railing.Li Lianying followed her and got into the car.Then, the emperor, queen, family members, princes and ministers all boarded the car one by one. Empress Dowager Cixi got into the car, and without sitting down, she looked at the carriage and praised: "This Sheng Xuanhuai can really do things!" "Yes! He spent a lot of effort!" Li Lianying echoed. "Lianying, call Sheng Xuanhuai!" "yes!" Sheng Xuanhuai watched Cixi get on the train, and managed the group of ministers to get on the train. A group of colleagues praised Sheng Xuanhuai: "Supervisor Sheng, you really have you, and you dress up this train so beautifully!" "Master Sheng, wait for Lafayette to reward you!" "Master Sheng," Li Lianying shouted, far away from the elder, "Lafayette's name is Qi!" Sheng Xuanhuai bowed to Li Lianying, bowed to his colleagues in the car, and followed Li Lianying to see Cixi.After he finished the ceremony, Empress Dowager Cixi pointed to the furnishings in the house and said, "You spend too much! How much does it cost?" "If you go back to the Empress Dowager, all the furnishings in the car are from the collection of Weichen's home, and they were not purchased on purpose. I hope the Empress Dowager is not too vulgar." Sheng Xuanhuai was lying. "Even though it belongs to your family, I'm still embarrassed!" "The humble minister is deeply favored by the court, and has no chance to repay it. Although these things are not the best, they are a huge heart." "Mr. Sheng's sincerity, Lafayette must accept it!" Li Lianying interjected from the side. "That's true. When did you arrive in Beijing?" Cixi asked Sheng Xuanhuai. "I arrived in Beijing on the eighth day of February, and sent people to arrange floats and inspect various sections of the railway." "You are very capable. Now that we are doing foreign affairs, we need a minister like you." "The minister is short-studied, and is loved by the empress dowager. He will swear to serve the country to the death!" The train carrying the monarchs and ministers of the Qing Dynasty arrived at Xiling in Yizhou in more than two hours.Emperor Guangxu and his ministers wore plain clothes and took sedan chairs to the Tailing Mausoleum of Yongzheng, where officials from the Ministry of Rites guided them to worship.The princes and ministers followed Emperor Guangxu and saluted.Emperor Guangxu knelt in front of the ancestor's tomb, full of thoughts, and suddenly burst into tears, as if he wanted to vent all the grievances accumulated over the years.After offering sacrifices to the Tailing Tomb, then to the Jiaqing Changling Tomb, and finally to the Daoist Guangmuling, Guangxu cried more sadly and more happily each time. According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Guangxu worshiped in Xiling for three days, and on the tenth day of March, the visit to the mausoleum was completed.With the speed of the train, there is no problem in rushing back to the capital on the same day, but the Empress Dowager Cixi decided before leaving that she must stay in Baoding for a few days.Therefore, after visiting the mausoleum, Shengjia did not return to Beijing, but returned to Baoding. Yizhou, where Xiling is located, is north of Baoding. To get to Yizhou, there is no need to pass through Baoding. But knowing that Shengjia would be lucky, he had to pack up and pick and choose, and finally Yuan Shikai chose Lianchi Academy. This Lianchi Academy was originally the former site of Zhangrou’s lotus pond in the Yuan Dynasty. The academy was built during the Yongzheng period. Because it was originally a lotus pond, it was named after it, and it was called Lianchi Academy.On the lotus pond, there are Linyi Pavilion, Xixi, Beitan, etc., which were originally a major scenic spot in Baoding. With the addition of successive constructions, the landscape has been added to make the landscape interrelated and small.Among them, the most famous one is the stone carving of "lotus leaves supporting peaches".This stone carving was when Li Hongzhang was the governor of Zhili. In order to please Cixi, he mobilized a large number of craftsmen to build a palace for her in Lianchi.At that time, a craftsman was dissatisfied with the oppression of the people by the Empress Dowager Cixi, so he carved a huge stone into a peach, and carved a lotus leaf under it, insinuating her oppression of the people.But the craftsmanship of this craftsman is extremely high, and the carving of lotus leaves supporting peaches is indeed incomparable.Of course Li Hongzhang didn't understand what it meant, and he rewarded the craftsman greatly. After Yuan Shikai became the governor of Zhili, the two palaces were in the process of returning to Luan. In order to welcome the return of the Queen Mother, he carried out large-scale construction and built additional palaces in the courtyard for the Empress Dowager to use when she passed through Baoding.When Cixi arrived in Baoding, she lived in Lianchi Academy. However, because she was busy summoning ministers all day long and was eager to return to Beijing, she had no intention of admiring the scenery.This mausoleum sacrifice is an opportunity to show his talents, and Yuan Shikai will never let it go easily.Therefore, Yuan Shikai sent Yang Shixiang, the inspector of Zhili, and Wang Ruigao, the salt transport envoy of Changlu, to serve the daily diet of the queen mother and the emperor. Cixi lived very comfortably in Baoding, and she didn't realize that three days had passed.At five o'clock in the morning on March 14, Yuan Shikai received a secret telegram from the Telegraph Bureau, saying that Rong Lu had died of illness.This news is good news for him.Because Ronglu was the chief military officer, once he died, Cixi would have no backbone, and must find another candidate. Of course, it could not be him, Yuan Shikai, but this is an opportunity to install an accomplice of his own, and worry that he will not have a chance to be promoted in the future.Obviously, there are only three people in the court who can make up for the honor and salary, one is Prince Jin Zaifeng, the other is Prince Qing Yikuang, and the other is Prince Su Shanqi.Among these three, if he had to choose, it would of course be his old friend, Prince Qing Yikuang.Now Yuan Shikai is the only one who knows the news of Rong Lu's death. Therefore, the most important thing is to block the news first, and then release it after he has arranged everything.Therefore, he immediately notified the Telegraph Bureau that if there was a telegram from the Military Aircraft Department, it must be pressed until dawn before sending it. After blocking the news, he sent a telegram to the Beiyang Public Office to send someone to mourn for Ronglu, and at the same time sent someone to invite his military adviser Yang Shixiang.After seeing Yang Shixiang, he handed over the telegram and said: "Rong Zhongtang is gone!" Yang Shixiang read the telegram and asked, "Does the Military Aircraft Department know?" "The telegraph office has been told to suppress it." "Okay! As long as King Qing can hold the position, there will be no mistakes." Yang Shixiang seemed very sure. "But he doesn't know yet, why don't you bother to inform him," he said, pulling out a two hundred thousand taels of silver note from his sleeve, and handing it to him, "let him sink down." Qing Wang Yikuang just got up, and before he finished washing, Yang Shixiang walked in. "Good morning, my lord!" Yang Ganxiang greeted King Qing with a smile. "Master Yang, you must have something important to come here so early?" Yiqiang asked. "Yes! If there is no urgent matter, I dare not bother the prince so early!" He said, took out a red envelope, held it in front of Yikuang with both hands, and said, "Shuai Yuan Wei wants the prince to accept it, it will be useful!" Yikuang took the envelope, opened it and saw that there was nothing inside except a silver note of two hundred thousand taels.He stared at Yang Shixiang with wide eyes, and asked: "What does this mean, someone sent money to the door early in the morning?" "My lord, Rong Zhongtang has passed." He put his mouth next to Yi Kuang's ear and said.Yikuang understood and knew how to spend the money.He really admired Yuan Shikai's courage and talent. After sending Yang Shixiang away, Yikuang sent his cronies to find Li Lianying, asking him to come if he had time.The telegram of Rong Lu's death has been sent to the Military Aircraft Office. Li Lianying took the time to come to King Qing while the Empress Dowager Cixi was discussing with the Minister of Military Aircraft how to deal with Rong Lu's funeral. Rong Lu had a close relationship with Li Lianying during his lifetime, and when Rong Lu died, Li Lianying was naturally a little unhappy and had a sad look on his face.Seeing Li Lianying come in with a heavy heart, King Qing took out a red envelope from his sleeve, which was on the table.He looked at Li Lianying, then pointed to the set of envelopes. Li Lianying listlessly picked up the envelope and pulled out a bank note.Suddenly my eyes lit up, my God, one hundred thousand taels!He put the envelope on the table again and asked: "My lord, who sent it?" "It's hard work for you to serve Lafayette all day long, even if I give it to you for her!" Li Lianying was relieved when she heard that it was from the prince, she put the set of envelopes in her pocket, and said: "Thank you for the reward, prince! " "Don't just take the money. If there is any news in it, send me a letter!" The prince said his intention. "Don't worry, my lord!" Li Lianying did this kind of thing not once or twice. Losing Ronglu is no less a blow to Cixi than losing Li Hongzhang.Li Hongzhang is a Han minister, talented, serving the country, and doing his best with all his loyalty and wisdom; Rong Lu, a Manchu minister, has a special relationship with Cixi. potency.Li Hongzhang can only be regarded as a loyal minister of the country, while Rong Lu can be said to be Cixi's cronies.Therefore, the death of Ronglu made Empress Dowager Cixi even more uncomfortable.Distraught, she summoned three Han military planes to discuss Ronglu's funeral. The status of Han military planes in the Qing government's political discussion process was very low, but because the Qing government had three Han military planes and only one Manjun plane at that time, and Manjun plane Rong Lu died again, so the discussions were all Han military planes.Together, the three military ministers felt that Rong Lu's contribution to the imperial court was on par with Li Hongzhang, so they proposed to grant a stipend according to Li Hongzhang's standards.Cixi couldn't think of any good way, so she had to agree. Once Ronglu died, the first thing Cixi did was to find someone to fill Ronglu's vacancy.Therefore, after learning the news of Rong Lu's death, she was very worried. On the one hand, she was saddened by Rong Lu's death, and more importantly, she was considering the candidates in her mind. Li Lianying got Yikuang's banknote, so she had to speak for him.Seeing Cixi weeping silently, he comforted him: "Lafayette, you always have to mourn and take care of yourself! Rong Zhongtang has gone, and it is useless to suffer. The most important thing is to stabilize the situation. The slave is ignorant, this It's all nonsense, old man, don't be angry!" "Lianying, you are right, people are dead, what's the use of being sad! It's just what you said just now, stabilizing the situation is the business.But what kind of stability is this? "Speaking, he raised his eyes and looked at Li Lianying. Li Lianying knew what Cixi wanted to hear, so she said, "According to my servant, as long as Lafayette finds another person to fill the gap in Rongzhong Hall, the overall situation will be stabilized. I don't know if this idea is right." "Tell me, who is the right one to choose?" Cixi continued to ask. "Prince Chun is a personal choice, but the servants always feel that he is too flamboyant, and it is okay to put on a superficial appearance, but the minister of military aircraft must be able to afford it, let it go, and make up his mind on important matters. I can’t do it. Prince Su can also be counted as one. He is talented, has a sense of propriety in handling affairs, and has his own opinions in every situation. But he also likes to make friends with some famous Han people, admires ancient customs, and is very energetic..." "Then what do you think of King Qing?" Before he could finish speaking, Cixi interrupted him and asked. "Prince Qing is a more suitable candidate. Now he is the Minister of Supervising State Affairs and the Prime Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is in charge of the New Deal and Western Affairs. Both of these are major issues at the moment. As long as there are no mistakes in these two matters, The situation will naturally be stable. Besides, Prince Qing has been in charge of foreign affairs for a long time, and he deserves credit for retiring foreigners in Xin Chounian! … These are just some humble opinions of the slaves. Lafayette is extremely wise, and it is up to Lafayette to decide how to deal with it. " The Empress Dowager Cixi had already figured it out, so she called Emperor Guangxu to discuss it. Emperor Guangxu was already afraid of Cixi. As long as it was something that Cixi had already decided, he never opposed it, nor did he have the courage to oppose it.So when Cixi told him that he wanted Yikuang to be the minister of military affairs, Emperor Guangxu didn't say a word, and he acquiesced. Therefore, on March 15th, an edict was issued: to supervise the Minister of State Affairs and the Prime Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prince Qing Yikui, the Minister of Military Aircraft.Yikuang was originally a member of the royal family, and was in charge of government affairs and foreign affairs. Once he entered the military aircraft, he naturally became the core of the military aircraft department and the foreman of the military aircraft ministers. Prince Qing became Minister of Military Aircraft. From Baoding to the capital, there was an endless stream of congratulatory guests, including Chinese and foreign guests. Of course, the most proud one should be Zhili Governor Yuan Shikai.