Chapter 10 Chapter 7 Standing together through thick and thin

Concubine Zhen closed her eyes blissfully, and let the person she loves kiss. At this moment, they almost felt the ups and downs of being in the same boat at the same time. Inside Zhenfei Jingren Palace. "Your Majesty, Prince Qing has something important to do." Wang Shang came to report. "Let him wait in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, I will arrive as soon as possible." "yes." Prince Qing Yikuang is the head of the Military Aircraft Department, he asked to see there must be some important military affairs, Emperor Guangxu and Concubine Zhen hurried back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and Yikuang saluted Emperor Guangxu as a monarch and minister.

"Ai Qing is exempt from courtesy." After Emperor Guangxu sat down on the throne, Yikuang hurriedly presented the dossier, and Emperor Guangxu opened it on the imperial case and read it.Looking at Emperor Guangxu, he said: "The Japanese invaders bullied people too much. They attacked our Yashan and sank the 'Gaosheng' ship. Seven hundred of my soldiers died in battle. They were really bullying people." When Emperor Guangxu saw that the "Jiyuan" was almost sunk and the "Caojiang" was taken captive, Long Yan was furious: "Pass my order, and quickly announce the Minister of Military Aircraft."

"yes," "not coming back." Just as Wang Shang left, he was called back again. "Xuan Weng Tonghe hasten to the Hall of Mental Cultivation." "yes." "Prince Yikuang, you are the minister in charge of the Military Aircraft Department. The Japanese invaders bully us so much. How do you think this battle should be fought?" Yikuang knew that the Empress Dowager Cixi was busy preparing for the 60th birthday ceremony, and needed a lot of silver. If the fight went on, first of all, the military salary could not be solved, which meant competing with Lafayette for the money for the birthday celebration. He was Lafayette himself. Those who are promoted, if they offend Lafayette, not to mention that the black hat of the head of the military aircraft department cannot be kept, they may even lose their lives. Thinking of this, Yikuang said: "Your Majesty Qi Bing, if this battle is to be fought, I am afraid it must be fought first." Bingbao Lafayette, let's see how she decides?"

As soon as Emperor Guangxu heard that he wanted to report to Lafayette first, he knew that the head of the military aircraft department appointed by the empress dowager always acted according to Empress Cixi's face, so he had no idea of ​​his own, so he suppressed his anger and said: " I am asking yourself, what is the idea of ​​the head of the military aircraft department?" "This..." Yikuang was thinking nervously, sweat dripping from his forehead.I thought to myself: Emperor Guangxu's attitude is clear, and he advocates resolutely fighting back. If you obey Emperor Guangxu and really fight, not only will you lose the fight, but if you offend Lafayette, the consequences can be imagined.

"Why can't you answer it for a long time, the national crisis is at the top of your head, you are in a heavy duty for national defense, you don't put the country and the country as the most important thing, but you look forward to the future and are timid. If the country is ruined and the family is destroyed, it depends on how you face the world." Emperor Guangxu was scolding Yikuang angrily, when Wang Shang came to report: "Your Majesty, Weng Tonghe is here." "Xuan." "Go down." "Yes, Your Majesty." Yikuang got up and took three steps back to exit.

Weng Tonghe knew that announcing him into the palace late at night must be something important, it must be for the Korean War.North Korea was originally a vassal of China. Japan, which has become stronger in recent years, has long coveted North Korea and China. This time, Japan took advantage of the civil strife in North Korea to invade. This is also expected. The essence of the Japanese invasion of North Korea is to invade China, so Aiding Korea and resisting Japan means defending China. This is really an urgent matter!So after sitting down, without waiting for Emperor Guangxu to speak, he hurriedly asked: "Your Majesty, is the Korean battlefield tight?"

Emperor Guangxu nodded and said: "My ship 'Gaosheng' was bombed and sunk by the Japanese invaders, 700 soldiers were killed in battle, the 'Caojiang' was taken away, and the Japanese army also attacked our Daqing barracks in Yashan." "Ah, the Japanese invaders are too unreasonable." Emperor Guangxu said excitedly: "Master Weng, it seems that this battle must be fought." "Yes, we must fight!" When Weng Tonghe spoke excitedly, his snow-white goatee trembled: "Who wants to be a subjugated slave!" Emperor Guangxu looked at him with admiration, the emperor who had taught him for nearly twenty years.

"However..." Weng Tonghe thought for a while, and then continued: "If we want to continue fighting, we must solve the problem of military expenditure. The Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled 300,000 taels of naval military expenditure for the construction of the Summer Palace, which greatly affected the naval equipment. Now The queen mother is busy preparing for the 60th birthday celebration, she knows that the celebration needs money, and the war needs money even more, so the queen mother will not lead the battle." Guangxu frowned and said, "What if the Queen Mother doesn't want to fight?"

Xi Tongshuo lowered his voice and said: "Fight before others." He looked at the door and saw that the eunuchs were standing far away, and then said: "The Empress Dowager has moved to the Summer Palace. But the emperor understands that the real power is still firmly in her hands, and usually whenever there is a big event, the emperor will go to report to her, this time it is a national crisis, so let him cut it first and then act!" "Yes." Guangxu's eyes lit up. "A meeting of ministers of military aircraft will be held tomorrow...but..." Emperor Guangxu frowned again, and said: "The military aircraft department is the empress dowager's confidant except you, so you should be more supportive."

"Your Majesty, don't worry, the national crisis is at the forefront, so there is no reason for the veteran not to come forward, but if the chief of the military aircraft, Yikuang, joins forces with the others to claim peace, it will be very difficult." "This Yikuang is simply too cunning, I must get rid of him." "Your Majesty is right. Yikuang should have been replaced a long time ago, and... there is only one person who can stand against Li Hongzhang." Weng Tonghe said solemnly. Emperor Guangxu stared at Weng Tonghe and said, "Yes, there is only this one person. Aiqing, who should I replace? Let's talk together."

"yes." Without thinking about it, both of them extended their right hands at the same time, raised their thumbs and little fingers, and made a sign of number six. "The sixth master, Prince Gong Yiqi!" Weng Tonghe said. "Ah, Aiqing is worthy of being my confidant. But..." The emperor frowned habitually when he was worried: "The queen mother has already withdrawn him, and now he is going to use him again. Yes, and second, whether the Queen Mother is willing to use him again, these are all questions." Weng Tonghe thought for a while and said, "You can ask him first. If he agrees, then go to the Queen Mother for advice." "Also." The two talked for a while, Weng Tonghe saw that the time was too late, and hurriedly said: "It's late at night, the emperor's dragon body is important, so the old minister will leave." "Aiqing, go slowly." After Weng Tonghe left, Emperor Guangxu entered the West Nuan Pavilion in the apse, and Concubine Zhen hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, what happened?" Emperor Guangxu told Concubine Zhen the story. Concubine Zhen took a bowl of bird's nest and white fungus soup from the eunuch and handed it to Emperor Guangxu, saying: "Your Majesty, drink some and rest for a while, don't tire the body of the dragon. I see that you are very depressed." After taking a few sips, Emperor Guangxu sighed and said, "Prince Qing Yikuang, Prince Li Shiduo, Sun Yuwen, and Xu Tong from the Military Aircraft Department, I want to get rid of them, but it is difficult for Lafayette to get rid of them." Passed, so I was upset." Concubine Zhen whispered after hearing this: "I can't remove them for a while, so I can take this opportunity to add a few more. The faction of the main fighters has become more powerful, and the Queen Mother can't do anything about it." Emperor Guangxu frowned when he heard this: "Good idea, Aifei is really my caring person!" As soon as Emperor Guangxu embraced Concubine Zhen, he sent him to his arms. The two-hearted attachment is the favorite way of Emperor Guangxu and Concubine Zhen to hug. Guangxu said: "I will make up your teacher Wen Tingshi to the military aircraft department." Concubine Zhen hurriedly said: "Mr. Wen is indeed a rare talent, the emperor has him, it's like adding wings to a tiger." Emperor Guangxu said again: "I will also add Weng Tonghe, Li Hongzao, and Gang Yi to the military aircraft department, so that we will not be afraid that the main fighters will not gain the upper hand." "The emperor is holy." "A concubine is also holy." Guangxu picked up Concubine Zhen when he was happy, and after a few laps, the two hugged each other and moved towards the dragon bed... The front garden of Prince Gong’s Mansion in Beijing is very elegant and unique. There is a rockery piled up with white marble in the center. Below the hill is an oval pool. A fountain gushes out from the rockery. Water lilies bloom in the pool, and goldfish swim among the red and white water lilies. swim. Under the violet flower shed, Prince Gong and his daughter Princess Rongshou Gulun were pruning the branches and leaves. Prince Gong put down his hand holding the scissors and asked his daughter: "Is it true that the queen mother moved to the Summer Palace to spend her life in peace?" Princess Rongshou also put down her hands, and replied: "No, I don't think the queen mother can take care of her. She is worried about the emperor, and she has to intervene in major and minor matters. The emperor has to go to the Summer Palace to report to the queen mother every three to five days." Prince Gong sighed and said: "Why bother, isn't there an emperor! Well, I don't think she will wake up until she dies." Prince Gong coughed a few times. "Father, take a break!" Princess Rongshou helped her father to sit down on the rattan chair under the shade of the tree, and handed the medicine brought by the attendant to her father. Prince Gong took two sips and sighed: "I don't think she can tolerate anyone in her life. Emperor Guangxu is not her own son. If he fights for power with her, he will suffer a loss sooner or later. And you, don't think she treats you well, you Your happiness was ruined by her, and she considers you as her daughter to make up for it, but can you make it up?" "Father, stop talking... my daughter has accepted her fate." Princess Rongshou's eyes were filled with tears, and the tears were about to overflow soon. "I don't want to mention it. What's the use of mentioning this? Ama just said that you should be more careful around her. However, since you don't fight her for power, there is no danger at all. You can do it yourself!" "Yes." Princess Shourong nodded. Prince Gong looked at his beautiful daughter, who should have a happy family, but was young and widowed... "Oh!" Prince Gong sighed. At this time, the servant came to report: "My lord, the emperor announces that you will immediately enter the official position and have important matters to discuss." "understood." Prince Gong nodded, he must be looking for him about the war, this is what he expected. In the afternoon, Prince Gong Yiqi, who was over sixty years old, was sitting in a sedan chair and hurried towards the palace. He already knew about the Asan battle and the Japanese attack on the three Qing warships in the Yellow Sea, so the emperor summoned him alone today, of course because of the tension on the battlefield.However, Prince Gong speculates that the emperor may ask me to analyze the attitudes of Russia and Britain, and I will do my best to present... I am afraid that the emperor will not entrust me with any important tasks. Thinking that I have arrived at the gate of the palace, the guards have notified me to enter, and Prince Gong is waiting at the gate. The Jiangshan Sheji of the Xinjueluo tribe worked hard all his life, but he was very sad to end up like this, so he vowed never to return to the dynasty. Prince Gong Yiqi thought again that his life was really full of ups and downs. After several ups and downs, although he is the most expensive prince, he has nothing to do with the world. He is a half-brother with Emperor Xianfeng, but the emperor let his elder brother Yi Ning become a minister of military affairs. walk.The British and French allied forces marched towards Beijing, and the flames of war soon reached the imperial palace. Emperor Xianfeng fled to Jehol with his concubines, leaving me behind to negotiate peace with the British and French allied forces. However, I did not do so. Instead, I conspired with the Empress Dowager Cixi to launch the Xinyou coup, executed the eight ministers Zaiyuan, Duanhua, Sushun, etc., and completely destroyed the dictatorship of the eight ministers. As the king of politics, he was entrusted with the important task of in charge of the military aircraft department and the prime minister's office... After that, Cixi was afraid of persuading Gao Zhenzhu, so she dismissed me suddenly and reinstated me. For ten years, I have tasted the feeling of being neglected, neglected, and sparsely populated. I swore that I would never serve her again... But this is Guangxu proclaiming me, I have to come, I know that he was a young emperor who wanted to make great achievements since he was a child, but unfortunately he was born at an untimely time, how can a sapling that is pressed under the big stone slab grow into a strong tree , to be honest, I'd rather just stay at home and stay out of doors, out of sight and out of mind... I really don't want to see the Empress Dowager show her power on this young emperor... Emperor Guangxu must have found me because of the war, I see that Daqing's strength is probably no match for the Japanese enemy, so it is better to persuade him to negotiate a peace... Just as Prince Gong was thinking, the deacon and eunuch came out to greet him, and the emperor asked him to go to the West Nuan Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. It's been a long time since I entered the palace. Looking at this familiar palace area, Prince Gong was filled with emotion, thinking how many turbulent waves he had experienced in his official life, and the Xinyou coup. , but after she gained power, the Empress Dowager Dong died for no apparent reason, and I was also dismissed by her. This cruel woman, do I still have to work for her? Prince Gong was thinking that he had come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. "Your Majesty is auspicious." He bowed down to Emperor Guangxu. "Qing is exempt from courtesy." Emperor Guangxu kindly helped him up. "Give me a seat." Emperor Guangxu said kindly. The eunuch Wang Shang immediately brought a chair to Prince Gong, and Prince Gong sat down opposite the emperor's case. "Sixth Uncle." Emperor Guangxu said straightforwardly, "The reason why I summoned you alone today is that Sixth Uncle must have already guessed why. I want you to come back to be the head of the Military Aircraft Department." "Ah! This won't work, Your Majesty, the old minister is getting old, and I'm afraid I won't be able to handle this important task anymore." "Sixth Uncle, I don't want you to go to the front line in person. Your comeback will have a great impact on calling for princes and nobles. Besides, only you can compete with Li Hongzhang." As soon as Li Hongzhang was mentioned, Yiqi felt disgusted. Li Hongzhang was a celebrity of the Queen Mother, and the military power was actually controlled by him, especially because he was the commander of the Beiyang Navy, the real power of the Military Aircraft Department, and now he was the Minister of Western Affairs. Only the Empress Dowager was in his eyes, how can I be his opponent with almost no real power, and now I want to compete with him again, so I said: "The emperor trusts me so much, I am grateful to you, but Lafayette may not be there. Can pass." Guang stood up excitedly, walked up to Yiqi, looked into his eyes sincerely and said: "As long as Uncle Six agrees to go out, I will decree to appoint you as the head of the Military Aircraft Department when the army opens tomorrow. If the country is in crisis, please Uncle Six Don't say no more." Yi Qi said in embarrassment, "How will the Empress Dowager explain it?" "I'm the emperor, don't I have the power to make decisions, besides, it's not necessary to report when the general is out in an emergency, not to mention that I'm still the lord of a country." Prince Gong's eyes lit up. He didn't expect that Emperor Guangxu's political mind would mature so quickly. After all, he had grown up. He was no longer the young emperor who sat on the throne and was manipulated by the queen mother. He was a real emperor. Prince Gong hated the Empress Dowager Cixi's desire for power the most in his life. During the Xinyou coup, she risked her life to support her. After she took power, she set up defenses against me. I have served the Qing Dynasty all my life, but I ended up like this. Me, how could I disobey the order...not to mention that the country is in trouble, how can I sit idly by?Besides, in the face of national crisis, how can I, a veteran, stay at home and face my ancestors... Then I agree, and said: "The emperor thanked me for giving me another chance to serve the Aixinjueluo clan. For the great cause of the Xinjueluo clan for three hundred years, I am willing to accept the imperial decree and return to the court." After saying this, he bowed down to Emperor Guangxu with tears in his eyes. "Aiqing, please hurry up. Tomorrow, the Minister of Military Affairs will discuss it, and I will ask Uncle Six to help me with more hands." "Your Majesty, old ministers, don't worry." Emperor Guangxu nodded excitedly. "The old minister will leave." Emperor Guangxu watched Prince Gong's back and nodded with satisfaction. Tianjin Governor's Mansion. Five ships of the Beiyang Fleet were sunk, four officers were martyred, and a telegram of the death of more than 800 soldiers was quickly sent to the Governor's Mansion in Tianjin. Li Hongzhang cried. He couldn't believe that just a few days ago, his sailors were alive and well when they went to sea, and now they were gone forever. Li Hongzhang threw the telegram on the desk and sat down on the rattan chair in pain. He leaned his head on the back of the chair, closed his eyes, and let the tears flow down." The scene before the sailors went out to sea couldn't help but float in front of my eyes... Li Hongzhang's Beiyang Fleet will soon go to sea. Their task is to escort the four thousand Qing soldiers who have increased their troops from Pyongyang to Dadonggou in the Yellow Sea.Twelve captains stood in a line in the square in front of the pier, listening to the lectures of their immediate boss, Governor Li Hongzhang. Li Hongzhang inspected them from left to right... The admiral Ding Ruchang standing at the front, he is the flagship commander, commanding twelve ships, is a brave and loyal naval senior general. On his left is Liu Buchan, the general soldier, who is only inferior to Ding Ruchang. He is not only the first batch of outstanding students who went to England to study in the sea and navigation, but also has a lot of accomplishments in shipbuilding technology. The two best Dingyuan and Zhenyuan ships He personally went to Germany to supervise the construction of the ironclad ship. Next to Liu Buchan is Lin Zengtai, the captain of the Zhenyuan. Dingyuan and Zhenyuan are the two best ships in the Beiyang Fleet. He was chosen as the captain, of course, because he is an outstanding student who went to study in the UK with Lin Yongsheng and Fang Boqian. Li Hongzhang's eyes moved to Deng Shichang, the leader (captain) of the Zhiyuan with his head held high.This forty-six-year-old captain is a young man from Guangdong, very bloody and motivated, and I personally selected him from the Fuzhou Shipbuilding Academy. Li Hongzhang patted his tall chest; He smiled and said, "You are the belt of an armored cruiser, but you have a heavy responsibility!" "Please rest assured, Governor." Deng Shichang replied loudly. "Okay." Li Hongzhang nodded happily. Li Hongzhang looked again at Lin Yongsheng, who was standing next to Deng Shichang, the leader of Jingyuan.The Jingyuan was named after his son Li Jingyuan, and choosing him as the captain is of course a relatively good one.His ships are also armored cruisers with strong combat capabilities. Li Hongzhang followed his gaze to Fang Boqian, who was in charge of the Jiyuan, an overseas student who had studied in the UK, and nodded to him with encouraging eyes, and then nodded affectionately to Lin Luzhong, the captain of the Yangwei, and Huang Jianxun, the captain of the Chaoyong He signaled, then nodded to the other captains, and then said: "Everyone is the leader of the Beiyang Fleet, and you have a heavy responsibility. Now that the enemy is facing you, you must be more cautious and strict with yourself. Although this escort mission It is not a direct battle against the enemy, but it is also a test for you. The big battle is still to come. I hope that you will cooperate well under the command of Admiral Ding and show the brave and good fighting spirit of our Beiyang Navy. In short, I hope you are fully prepared to be loyal to the court, Serve the country." "Please rest assured, Governor." Everyone responded in unison. "Okay, you all go to your places." The anchor was lifted, and the Beiyang Fleet left the dock one by one... After walking away, Li Hongzhang was still standing excitedly and waving to them, with the sea breeze blowing his white hair... Li Hongzhang never expected that this would be the last meeting with Deng Shichang, Lin Yongsheng, Huang Jianxun, and Lin Luzhong, nor did he expect that more than 800 of them would never return. At this moment, he just watched his twelve beloved ships go out to sea. This is his painstaking effort for twenty years... Tears of excitement flowed down Li Hongzhang's cheeks, and rolled down onto his white beard... Son Jingyuan put the cloak on his father and said softly: "Father, your body is important, please go back." Li Hongzhang still reluctantly looked at the distant ship and refused to turn around... Li Jingyuan said: "Father, the emperor wants you to take the initiative to go to sea, to attack the arrogance of the enemy ships, and to grow your ambition." Li Hongzhang said: "It wasn't his hard work, would he feel distressed?" Eyes are still looking at the gradually blurred ships in the sea... Thinking of this, Li Hongzhang sobbed. "My fleet, my dear sons..." In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Guangxu is watching the memorial. Wang Shang came to report: "Your Majesty, Mr. Weng is asking to see you." "Quick announcement." "Your Majesty, it's not good." Weng Tong said angrily with the telegram. "Teacher, tell me quickly." "Ding Ruchang was ordered to lead the fleet to escort our army to Pyongyang for reinforcements. When he returned, he encountered the fleet led by Vice Admiral Ito Henghu. The two teams fought fiercely for five hours. As a result, the main ship was damaged, Ding Ruchang was injured, and five ships were destroyed. It was sunk, more than 800 people were killed and injured, Deng Shichang, Lin Yongsheng, Huang Jianxun, and Lin Luzhong were martyred for the country." "Ah!" Emperor Guangxu yelled and almost fainted, but was supported by Wang Shang. "Telegram." Guangxu wobbled as he took the telegram and looked at it, tears welling up in his eyes... It turned out that on September 16, 1894 (the 20th year of Guangxu), Ding Ruchang, the admiral of the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Dynasty, was ordered to lead the fleet to escort the troop carrier to North Korea and land at Dadonggou in the Yellow Sea. Twelve ships led by Vice Admiral Ito Hiroju encountered. Meeting each other on a narrow road, the two armies immediately launched the Sino-Japanese naval battle of Sino-Japanese War in the Dadonggou waters of the Yellow Sea, which shocked the world. It was noon, and the fleets of the two armies were having dinner. The Japanese fleet was the first to discover the Chinese Beiyang Fleet. Ito Hengxi threw the chicken legs away happily, and shouted: "We are looking for them for a decisive battle. People said: 'If you break through the iron shoes, you can't find a place to find it, and you can get it without effort'." He ordered the American flag to be replaced by the Japanese flag. Standing on the watchtower of the flagship (handsome ship), Ding Ruchang saw through the binoculars that the fleet with the Japanese flag flying towards him was approaching. Shouted: "Hurry up and send flags to all ships, and respond urgently." Ding Ruchang shouted: "Soldiers, it's time to take revenge on the 1,600,000 famous soldiers who were killed by the Japanese army on Yueya Mountain. Get ready to fight." Ding Ruchang saw the Japanese ships arranged in a straight line, so he ordered the fleet to line up in double columns, with his flagship Dingyuan and Zhenyuan two ironclad ships as the lead, and said "welcome" to the enemy. With its speed and lightness of the new fleet, it suddenly approached the two smaller ships on the right flank of the Beiyang ship, the Chaoyong and Yangwei, and fired heavy shells.The two ships were immediately hit and caught fire... At the same time, the flag platform of the flagship Dingyuan was destroyed, and Ding Ruchang was thrown onto the deck and was injured, but he still sat on the deck and supervised the battle with pain.Seeing that Ding Ruchang was injured, Liu Buchan, the deputy general (general of the right wing, commander of the Dingyuan ship), bravely assumed command, and the two sides fought fiercely.The enemy ships were also heavily damaged and several ships fled. At this time, the Jingyuan was shot and caught fire, and Guan led Lin Yongsheng and all the officers and soldiers of the ship to die.The situation was critical, and in order to protect the flagship, the heavily damaged Zhiyuan took Deng Shichang under his command and ordered it to charge at full speed towards the Japanese frenzied Pioneer, Yoshino. Deng Shichang shouted: "Officers and soldiers, swear to live and die with the enemy ship!" !” Unfortunately, it was hit by a torpedo, and the entire ship sank. Deng Shichang and more than 250 officers and men on the ship died heroically. After five hours of fierce fighting, our side damaged five ships and killed more than 800 people, and the enemy damaged four ships, killing a captain and more than 600 people. In the evening, the Japanese ship saw that our side was fighting more and more courageously, so it slipped away with its tail between its legs. The Beiyang Fleet chased it for a while, and finally returned because it ran out of ammunition. When Emperor Guangxu read that Deng Shichang wanted to live and die with the enemy ship, tears welled up in his eyes. Then he read that the torpedo in Deng Shichang's ship sank and more than 250 people on board died in a heroic sacrifice. Then he saw the Jingyuan Lin Yongsheng, and When Huang Jianxun, Lin Luzhong and 800 officers and soldiers died heroically, they couldn't help crying. When Emperor Guangxu saw Fang Boqian fleeing with Jiyuan, he angrily attacked the case and shouted: "I pass on my decree to punish Fang Boqian, who escaped in battle and feared death, on the spot." "yes." Emperor Guangxu said again: "The minister of military aircraft will meet immediately." "yes." The sky is gloomy, as if giving people a feeling of scowling. In front of the Tianjin Beiyang ship berthed at the port, hundreds of officers and soldiers stood in the same square. They stood in line with solemn expressions, because the deserter Fang Boqian would be executed today. After a while, Li Hongzhang and the senior generals of the Beiyang Fleet arrived at the scene and sat down directly opposite the officers and soldiers.Li Hongzhang sat in the center with a livid face, only to hear: "Bring Fang Boqian!" The ashen-faced Fang Boqian was escorted to Li Hongzhang by several soldiers. "Kneel down!" Fang Boqian was knelt down by the soldiers. "Li Zhongtang, have mercy!" Li Hongzhang turned his head away. After an official read the emperor Guangxu's death sentence, Fang Boqian lowered his head in despair. Li Hongzhang shouted: "Fang Boqian, you know the crime but not the crime? When you were in danger, you escaped the battle, let down the cultivation of the court, and ruined the reputation of the Beiyang Fleet. It is a capital crime. Do you have anything else to say? " "The minister has committed crimes, and the minister has nothing to say." Li Hongzhang looked around the audience with stern eyes, and said, "It's good to know the crime, but it's too late. From now on, anyone who dares to escape in front of the battle will end up just like him. Execution!" "Execution!" After the order was given, Fang Boqian was so frightened that his feet were paralyzed, and he was carried to the center of the square by the soldiers. With the sound of three cannon shots, the executioner raised his knife and fell, and Fang Boqian's head rolled to the ground. The officers and soldiers present watched in horror. Li Hongzhang executed the captain who fled the battle, but he himself became the biggest deserter who kept the Beiyang navy in Weihaiwei and did not dare to attack. Li Hongzhang returned to the mansion, took off his official uniform, sat heavily on the rattan chair, and shouted at his son Li Jingyuan, "Ask me what kind of shells Zhang Shiyan got?" It turned out that Zhang Shiyan was Li Hongzhang's nephew, and he was in charge of the general office.After the general soldier Liu Buchan came back, he complained to Li Hongzhang that if there were not so many unqualified shells, the severely damaged Japanese ship Matsushima might be sunk.Because Zhang Shiyan, the general manager, is a relative of Li Hongzhang, he only said a few words in a subtle way to save his boss's face.So Li Hongzhang was going to pursue his nephew. Li Hongzhang was distressed that his Beiyang Fleet had lost five ships, and he was sullen. "Twenty years of hard work!" "My dear sons!" Li Hongzhang wanted to cry but had no tears. He had cried a lot a few days ago, and it was useless to cry now. He is determined to keep his fleet. The Beiyang Fleet is everything to me, Li Hongzhang. Without the warships, how can I rely on support, how can I compete with the emperor, and how can I be favored by Cixi? I, Li Hongzhang, am not an idiot. I want to collect my capital and never let them go to sea again. Having made up his mind, Li Hongzhang asked his son Jingyuan to send an order to Ding Ruchang to drive the fleet to Weihaiwei to hide and repair. Without Li Hongzhang's order, he is not allowed to act rashly.Besides, with Empress Dowager Cixi's secret order, if I don't send troops, what will the emperor do to me! Emperor Guangxu convened a meeting of ministers of military aircraft at the Military Aircraft Office. Except for Li Hongzhang who was in Tianjin because of military affairs, the original Prince Qing Yikuang, Prince Li Shiduo, Sun Yuwen, Xu Tong, and the newly added Gong Prince Yiqi, Weng Tonghe, Li Hongzao, and Gangyi all arrived, and everyone was silent. Sitting behind the imperial case, Emperor Guangxu had a serious face and eyes all over the place. Emperor Guangxu glanced at everyone and saw that everyone was here, so he opened the memorial on the imperial case, took a look, and said: "I think there is no need to read these urgent memorials. The Japanese attacked me in Asan. The 'Gaosheng' was sunk, 700 soldiers were killed in battle,..." Emperor Guangxu read the 100,000 urgent message of the Beiyang Fleet's severe damage in the sea battle, then closed the memorial, clapped the case, and said loudly: "The enemy is now, all my loves, please express your opinion, should it be war or peace?!" Weng Tonghe, the emperor with a full white beard, was the first to express his opinion. He said impassionedly: "In the opinion of the veteran, this battle must be fought. His lips are dead and his teeth are cold. The ambition of the Japanese to invade Korea is Sima Zhao's heart. Now the flames of war have reached us. How can the people of the Qing Empire sit idly by? If we don’t fight, foreigners will think that we are easy to bully, and they will make an inch of it. If we dare to fight, it shows that the Chinese are not easy to bully.” Emperor Guangxu kept nodding his head in appreciation. "However..." Weng Tonghe paused, and then said, "If the fight is really going to continue, then the military expenses must be guaranteed, and all expenses must be compromised for the military salary in extraordinary times." All the ministers understood what Weng Tonghe was referring to. To be honest, only the emperor's teacher dared to say such a hint. Emperor Guangxu knew of course that he was referring to the enormous expenses incurred by the Empress Dowager Cixi for her 60th birthday celebration.Weng Tonghe's words hit the point, embezzling naval funds to build the Summer Palace is enough to accommodate her old man, now that the flames of war have reached their doorstep, there must be no further concessions, so he stated: "Don't worry about the military expenses, I will negotiate with you." The empress dowager discussed it. Weng Lao said very well just now, fight! It shows that our Qing Dynasty is not easy to bully. If you ask for peace, foreigners will think that you are weak. At this critical moment, please express your opinions.” Resolutely said loudly in a rough voice: "The emperor and Lord Weng said very well just now. The Chinese are not easy to bully. Whoever dares to invade us will resolutely fight back. This action is in line with the national conditions and the wishes of the people. .” After the resolute speech, Li Hongzao said slowly but word by word: "Your Majesty, this battle must be fought. The Japanese ambition is not only for Korea, but for China, a big piece of meat. My Qing Dynasty is Aixin. How many generations did the ancestors of the Jueluo clan create the foundation, and it can be buried in the hands of Japanese pirates. Besides, how can the enemy not fight back when they invade us? Do we want us to hand it over?" Emperor Guangxu said excitedly: "Aiqing is right. If we compromise and seek peace, will the people agree?" Gang Yi said: "The emperor said well! Who wants to be a subjugated slave?" Emperor Guangxu shifted his gaze to Prince Gong Yiqi, and asked, "What's your opinion, Prince Gong?" He, who had just been appointed by the emperor as the head of the Military Aircraft Department, was listening with his head down, but when he heard the emperor's name, he raised his head. , slowly said: "Go back to the emperor, the old minister is thinking about it. Now the leader of North Korea, Li Xi, was kidnapped by the Japanese, and the Japanese attacked our Yashan garrison and the Yellow Sea troop fleet. When? It’s just that the enemy is very strong. Although our army’s morale is high but our equipment is backward, it is still a big question whether we can fight for a long time and whether we can survive. However, no matter what, we must declare war on Japan now to show our Chinese strength. backbone." "Okay!" The emperor cheered up, and said, "Prince Gong is right, declare war on Japan immediately, to show the integrity of my Chinese." The main battle clearly had the upper hand, and Yikuang lost the black hat of the head of the Military Aircraft Department and was annoyed. He looked at the ground without saying a word, and the rest of Shiduo, Sun Yuwen, and Xu Tong also lowered their heads and remained silent. Emperor Guangxu glanced at the four of them, called them by name and said, "Prince Qing, Prince Li, Lord Sun, Lord Xu, what do you think, express your opinion!" Seeing that the four of them seemed to be asleep, Emperor Guangxu was so angry Gritting my teeth, I thought to myself, sooner or later I will get rid of you useless wretches. Seeing the emperor's name-calling, Yikuang could only say: "Return to the emperor, just now several ministers spoke impassionedly, with high spirits. I don't feel the same way. It's just that I don't know the queen mother's will, so the old ministers are hard to judge." Emperor Guangxu's face turned blue when he heard this: Hey, he used the Empress Dowager to suppress me again. He held back his anger and asked, "Where are the three of you?" "It's all up to the emperor to decide, and the humble minister will follow the order." The three of them said almost in unison. "Okay, since everyone agrees, let's issue an edict to formally declare war on Japan!" Therefore, Emperor Guangxu announced two decrees: one is to add Prince Gong Yiqi, Weng Tonghe, Li Hongzao, and Gangyi to the Military Aircraft Department, and Prince Gong will preside over it.The second is to issue an edict to the world and officially declare war on Japan from now on. On the same day, Japan officially declared war on China. The Sino-Japanese War broke out. This happened on August 1, 1894. Because this year belonged to the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of Sino-Japanese War. When Emperor Guangxu returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Concubine Zhen greeted him and asked, "Your Majesty, how is the meeting going?" "Fight." Guangxu said firmly. Concubine Zhen excitedly said to Guangxu: "Okay, this is what the current emperor of the Qing Empire said." Emperor Guangxu said happily: "Aifei really deserves to be my caring person." As Guangxu said, he hugged Concubine Zhen into his arms excitedly, and the two cuddled intimately, and then kissed each other. "My concubine, I feel happy when I see you. I don't want to leave you for a moment. Let us be together forever." Concubine Zhen closed her eyes blissfully and let her sweetheart kiss her. At this moment, they almost felt the ups and downs of being in the same boat at the same time.