Chapter 41 Section 41

"This happened at the end of November," Zhao Yushan said to Li Shan and Yu Chengge, "I ran away early the next morning. The religious people are really hateful, but you must not use Yihequan to punish them. Otherwise it will get worse." "Why?" Lishan asked. "The morality of Yihequan is too bad, no different from bandits. Duplicity, nothing is true. Sometimes pretentiousness is so fake that it is disgusting. Without knowledge, there are people who really believe that there are some gods possessed, but in their hearts There are more people who understand, you coax me, I coax you, stare and talk nonsense without blushing, but the people next to you seem to have such a thing, gossip and praise, relish, really make people hairy Standing shift! Please think about it, who can stand it?"

"That's what Boxing Boxing is all about!" Li Shan gasped and said, "I really can't let them mess around! I have to talk when I have the chance." Coincidentally, Lishan was able to meet the Empress Dowager Cixi at the Yiluan Hall in Xiyuan the next day. He specially summoned her to inquire about whether the fireworks for the Lantern Festival had been prepared. "Both places are ready." Li Shan replied, "It depends on Lafayette's interest. If you go to the Summer Palace, you can put it in front of the Paiyun Hall. If you don't want to move it, there is also a ready-made one in Xiyuan. However, it is best to put it in Paiyun Hall." Palace, the fireworks must reflect the water of Kunming Lake to look good."

"It depends on the weather. If there is no rain or snow and it's not too cold, then go to the Summer Palace." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Is there something new about the fireworks this year?" "Yes! There are Western fireworks." The Empress Dowager Cixi was silent, and asked after a short pause, "Brother goes to school on the 27th, you should know it when you think about it." "Yes! It has been prepared for a long time." "How did you prepare?" "Hongde Hall has been re-pasted. Books, ink and paper are all prepared according to the usual practice.

The room where the master rests is specially equipped with warm chairs and a stove. " The master on duty at Hongde Hall is Chengengong Chongqi, and there is a decree to send a special scholar Xu Tong Changchuan to take care of Hongde Hall.Empress Dowager Cixi reminded Lishan: "Xu Tong also has to prepare another house for him." "It turned out to be a room with the master." Li Shan replied: "My humble opinion, first, the two elders are talking and laughing together, so they are not lonely; second, it is convenient to take care of them." "Alright." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Did elder brother have anything to say about you?"

This means to ask, has Pu Jun ever directly asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs for money or things, or had other unreasonable demands, as the elder brother.Li Shan thought to himself, Eldest Brother is still a child after all, and on the second day after entering the palace, he needs the two dogs he feeds, and he only needs some toys like fireworks for the New Year, these tasks are easy to handle.What's difficult is that King Duan used the name of the elder brother to deal with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, such as asking for eight good horses, and refused. Greedy.Now that Empress Dowager Cixi has mentioned it, it is time to plug this loophole.So, he thought for a while and replied: "As for Lafayette, if elder brother wants something, the Ministry of Internal Affairs should handle it. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs can't find a rule. I don't know what should be provided under the elder brother's position? Slave Please Yizhi, what Eldest Brother wants from now on, first agree with Lafayette, and then tell the Ministry of Internal Affairs to obey. In this way, the servants will be able to handle things in a regular manner."

The word "mediocre" is easy to hear, so the Empress Dowager Cixi nodded and shouted: "Lianying!" "The slave is here." Li Lianying hurried out from behind the throne. "You heard Li Shan's words! His words are good, he is not in compliance with the rules, and he is not well-rounded; you say to the eunuch, the leader of the elder brother, that you are not allowed to ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs for anything you want, first open a list for me to see. I will give it to you. , to give.” "Yes! The servant will tell them later." "These few days," Empress Dowager Cixi looked at Li Shan and Li Lianying and asked, "Have you heard anything?"

Li Shan didn't answer, so Li Lianying had no choice but to say, "I haven't been out of the palace since I sent the stove to this day." He said, "I don't know if there is any news." "Lishan, what about you? Have you heard any news?" If you ask by name, you have to answer.Li Shan recalled what Zhao Yushan said, and immediately replied: "I heard that Yihequan is very violent. It is said that the spirit possesses a body and has a lot of magic power. In fact, it is all bluffing. Yihequan is a religious bandit. During the Jiaqing period, there was an edict to ban it."

"If there is a ban in the edict, are people not allowed to change their past and do good?" Tateyama didn't want to hit a snag!It would be even more boring to continue talking, so I hurriedly changed my words: "The servant also heard what people said, and the inside story is not very clear." "What do you hear people say? How do you know they are bluffing?" This smacks of questioning, Li Shan thought to himself, the empress dowager has prejudices, and she can't listen to anything she says, unless she finds conclusive evidence.Thinking about it this way, I couldn't help being anxious, but when I was anxious, I spoke out in a hurry.

"My servant heard people say that Yuan Shikai was in Shandong, and he took Yihequan to test it face to face. Didn't it mean that swords and guns were invulnerable? When someone fired the foreign gun, blood burst out, and there were two holes in the front and back. Therefore, Yihequan can't stand in Shandong. Squeezed to the north. The county magistrate of Wuqiao is very serious about investigations, and there is no Boxer in his area." "Oh!" Empress Dowager Cixi nodded slightly, somewhat pleasing to the ear. "In the name of Boxing and Revenge, they are actually robbing houses and burning down churches. Foreigners are bound to make representations and cause a lot of trouble for the imperial court. Thinking about it, it's really not worthwhile."

"That's true." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again, "From now on, you will often come and tell me what you hear outside." "Yes!" Li Shan waited for a while, seeing that the Empress Dowager Cixi had no other words, he knelt down and withdrew, feeling quite relieved, and felt that he had done something worthy of his status. A few days later, Li Shan was about to go home after finishing his official business, when a young eunuch next to Li Lianying rushed over and handed him a short letter written by Li Lianying himself, inviting him to have a drink at home in the evening.In addition to letters, there are also oral messages.

"Lafayette has given you two days off." The little eunuch said, "Director Li is going back to the mansion soon, and he asked Mr. Li to give you the honor early." "Okay!" Li Shan drew a bank note from the "Book of Protection", handed it over without looking at it, and asked, "Is it just me, or is there someone else?" "Probably only Sir Li." The little eunuch accepted the reward with a smile, and asked, "Do you want me to inquire about it and return it?" "No need! Tell Mr. Li that I'll be there at four o'clock." So I went out of the palace and went home. After dinner, I took a car to Wuliwen Foreign Trade Co., Ltd. at the west entrance of Dongjiaomin Lane. After searching for a while, I picked out a jewel-embedded ring. A silver bosom stove, stuffed with cotton, ignited with "potion", hidden in the bosom, can keep warm for a long time.Li Lianying is the best Western novelty toy, so Lishan often presents such treasures as gifts. "Why bother?" Li Lianying said, "I don't dare to look for you often, just because I'm afraid you will spend money." "Forget it, forget it! Is this worth mentioning?" Li Shan looked at it for a while, and said strangely: "Why are you dressed like this today?" Li Lianying's head was turned upside down, and she was wearing a large gray cotton padded jacket, gray cloth trousers, high-waisted socks on her feet, a pair of khaki cloud-toed shoes, and a dust whisk in her hand. She was completely dressed like a Taoist priest. "The high Taoist priest of Baiyun Temple asked me for a photo, specifying that I want to be dressed like this." Li Lianying replied, "I don't know what he is for, anyway, I have been with him for decades, and I will just follow him whatever he says. " "You are really a person who likes to miss the old days." Li Shan sighed suddenly, "I only see the newcomers laughing, but the old ones cry! Alas!" Li Lianying didn't make a sound, didn't even have a smile on her face, she just waved her hand and immediately led the way.Pass through a heavy courtyard, and enter a vertical flower door to the east. There are two rows of bungalows in the north and south. The north room is the living room, and the south room is the bedroom and sitting room.He has a different relationship with Tateyama, and invites the guests to sit in the south room. There are three rooms in the south room, and the one on the west side is equipped with a smoking couch. A young servant came in to light a smoke lamp. Li Lianying waved his hands and lay down on each side.Li Shan picked up a stick to burn the bubbles, and asked, "Lianying, do you seem to have something to say to me?" "There are a few words." Li Lianying said, "Fourth Lord, why are you complaining so much? What 'newcomers', 'old people'! " "It's not whining. It's none of my business." "It has nothing to do with you, let alone saying that. Fourth Master," Li Lianying said, "Do you know that? You offended brother Duan Wang." "Oh!" Li Shan asked with concern, "What's the matter?" "First, you said that elder brother asked for something from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and King Duan knew about it. He said that you pointed at him, and you already have something to say. I want you to understand it in your heart! Second, you say Lafayette listened to how Yihequan bluffs people. King Tianduan entered the palace the day before yesterday and boasted how powerful Yihequan was. Hearing this, Lafayette got impatient and said with a sneer: "Forget it! But if there is something a little If you have a brain, you won't believe those bluffs." When Wang Duan heard that the words were not good, he didn't dare to speak again. He went out and asked people, "Lafayette usually believed in boxing, why did he change all of a sudden? What about it?' Someone told him that you played a book in front of Lafayette and devalued Yihequan to nothing. Duan Wang was very upset and said that one day he would let you know how powerful Yihequan is! You can be careful." "Yes, yes! Please take care of me." Li Shan said gratefully, "However, with you here, I am not afraid of him." "Don't say that either." Li Lianying paused for a while, and sneered slightly: "Someone is still trying to get my idea!" "This is news!" Li Shan was more concerned about the news than his own affairs, turned to look at Li Lianying and asked, "Who! Who got such a confused mind?" "There are only a few people around, you still can't guess?" Li Shan thought for a while, took a cigarette stick and drew the word "Cui" on the palm of his hand, and asked, "Is that him?" This refers to Cui Yugui.Li Lianying nodded: "His muddleheaded thinking, it's not my idea, he is climbing along the high branch, and he doesn't think about it, that high branch has not yet grown firmly, he climbed high and fell hard. Let's wait." Check it out." "According to this, in front of King Duan, he was the one who 'drugged' me, of course?" "That's right! You're smart." Li Shan understood what he meant, it meant that Cui Yugui was flattering King Duan, thinking of climbing the dragon and becoming the phoenix.Sure enough, as King Duan had hoped, the elder brother was able to take over the Great Reign, and naturally Empress Dowager Cixi was still the empress dowager who taught politics as the empress dowager.But what about King Duan?Whether it is the Supreme Emperor, or the Regent, or just like the current emperor who welcomed into the palace in December of the thirteenth year of Tongzhi, fearing that King Chun would intervene in politics and be forced to idle, King Duan is just a wealthy idler. This idea often hovered in Li Shan's chest, but it was inconvenient to talk about it with others. At this moment, people and places were suitable, so it was a good opportunity to clear up doubts.However, it is very easy to cause trouble when talking about these things, so I am still thinking about it when I say it. What kind of role is Li Lianying?Judging by appearance and color, he guessed that Lishan had something very important to say, but he still had scruples.What is it?He was thinking, if he didn't push, maybe he would swallow the words back.Empress Dowager Cixi is very concerned about the current situation and public opinion these days. What Lishan wants to say may be exactly what Empress Dowager Cixi wants to know, so she has to listen to it.So he said, "Fourth Master, what are you thinking? Do you think I've gone too far?" "No, no!" Li Shan no longer hesitated, but he still had to make a statement first: "Lianying, we are just joking. My brother, what I said was wrong, or I shouldn't have said it at all. Just say it about me, say it Let it go." "Fourth Master, you are taking too much care of yourself." "Yes, yes, redundant!" Li Shan paused and asked, "Lianying, how long will this situation last?" What is "this situation"?You have to think about it first.The empress dowager is teaching the government, the emperor is showing off, and the elder brother is waiting to take over the throne. To put it bluntly, it is a deadlock.Lishan used the word "drag", which is indeed a very appropriate description. But how long it will take, no one dares to say. "Fourth Master, you stopped me from asking this question." Li Lianying shook her head, "Lafayette may not be able to answer you. Unless, unless you ask a foreigner." "Ask foreigners?" "By the way, the first question is to ask foreigners, and the second question is to ask a group of governors who hold real power." Li Shan nodded deeply while listening, "Lianying," he said, "unless it is you, others can't see so deeply. " "Forget it, don't compliment me." Li Lianying said, "Why did you mention this suddenly? Did you hear something?" "I heard that it was for the sake of foreigners and threatened with 'non-recognition'. King Duan felt that he was in the way of his wealth, so he hated foreigners to death. Is there such a thing?" "Why not? Every time he enters the palace, he always praises his Tiger God Camp, saying that tigers can destroy the oceans, so it's not taboo!" "Taboo?" Li Shan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Isn't Lafayette Xiao Yang?" "That's right, no one wakes up Lafayette." Li Lianying said, "I don't want to be troublesome either. Otherwise, you see, if Lafayette lost his temper, he would definitely make him tremble. " "It's still Lafayette! Even an identity like the sixth master dare not show off. Lafayette is really a hero all his life, but it's a pity that he did two things wrong." "These two?" "I won't tell you, you know it too." "You mean the night of the fifth day of December in the thirteenth year of Tongzhi, and the two events on December 24th last year?" This refers to welcoming the current emperor and establishing the elder brother.Li Lianying wanted to say: With Lafayette's temper, no matter how good a child is, he would make a fuss.But when the words came to his mouth, they were naturally blocked, and he just smiled. "I don't know much about the foreigners, so I dare not tell. As for the governors, they are only Liangjiang and Huguang...ah," Li Shan suddenly thought, "There is a big news in Hubei, have you heard of it?" "Didn't you say that you are making trouble with the false emperor?" "Yes!" Li Shan asked, "Have you heard about it in the palace?" "No one dares to say it. If you say it, it will turn the world upside down." Li Lianying wrung her fingers, counted for a while and said: "Exactly twenty." "Twenty? What?" "In the name of the emperor, twenty people died." It was only then that Li Shan realized that they were eunuchs under the emperor's name, and twenty people had been executed in the past two years.Li Shan thought of being scolded for pasting new window paper in Yingtai, and suddenly felt shuddering, and couldn't continue talking. "Hubei is a little too much!" Li Lianying said meaningfully, "Give him a nail on the second day of the new year, and it is enough for him." "Oh," Li Shan asked, "I don't know what's going on." Li Lianying didn't answer, she took out a copy of the palace gate from the bookshelf and handed it to Li Shan, and opened it to see that the beginning of the first page reads, "Jiachen Shuo, the first month of the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu's reign, and the two imperial edicts were downloaded, both of which were written on the third day of the emperor." On Xunshou's birthday, Tweet the grace of the inner court to walk the king's ministers and close relatives.On the second day of the first lunar month, there was only one edict. It turned out that there was an edict first: ordering the provinces to cut off bad rules for customs duties, salt lessons, and lijin, so as to confiscate them for public use, and report the actual amount.Zhang Zhidong replied by telegram that these three taxes in Hubei, as well as Dingcao Pingyu in prefectures and counties, have been gradually rectified and there is no need to raise them.In the end, a method was decided. In the future, the governor will donate two thousand taels of silver every year, and the governor will decrease gradually. The officials of the whole province will donate a total of seven thousand and seven hundred taels.The imperial decree reprimanded: "Zhang Zhidong has been in charge of the border for a long time. He founded various donations and spent state funds. He stopped tens of thousands of yuan. In terms of Hubei province, how can it be so corrupt and clean that there are no bad rules? It is just a mere number. Donate in name, but I really don’t know the general idea! The decree is strictly enforced, and the donated items are not allowed to be accepted.” That's not to mention, there is another paragraph at the end: "It is important to be truthful in the future, and a concise electric performance is allowed. If it is an ordinary consultation event, you must not be good at sending long telegrams to save money." Seeing this, Li Shan stuck out his tongue, "My good fellow, this nail is not a small one." He said, "Looking at it this way, the case of the false emperor will probably be closed soon." "It doesn't matter if you don't get married. Could it be possible to really establish a court in Wuchang?" Li Lianying said, "I don't think the person surnamed Zhang is so courageous." "Yes! Lafayette still has Lafayette's means." "That's it!" Li Lianying said, holding on to Li Shan's hand, "My own brother, I have a saying, as long as you are worthy of Lafayette in everything! You might as well take it lightly, don't take it seriously." Li Shan pays close attention to the implication, in order to persuade him to be tolerant to Brother Duan Wang.This is of course a good word, although I don't want to accept it, but Li Lianying's meaning is sensible.Therefore, after being silent for a while, I replied in a very sincere tone: "I'm going to wrong myself for saying this to you." When it comes to darkness in this way, the servants come to ask for directions, where is the dinner?Li Lianying didn't answer his question first, but asked: "Is there anything you like today, please stand up as Fourth Master?" "Steamed a deer tail." Deer tail is one of the "Eight Treasures", more valuable than scarlet lips, hump, and bear's paw, but Li Lianying shook her head, "Nonsense!" Didn't he come out to make Fourth Master Li laugh at our shabbiness?" The servant said expressionlessly, "There is also a hot pot." "Something?" "Game from outside the pass." The footman replied, "There are a lot of samples." "That's all. I'm too lazy to move!" Li Lianying looked at Li Shan and asked, "Just eat here, okay?" "It's all good there." So the page quietly withdrew.After a while, he turned back and went in again, opened the curtain, and two other people came one after another, carrying the table tops, imitating the method of the jade food above, one table top is set on a marble square table, two ready-made cups and chopsticks, six A side dish.The multicolored porcelain used can be seen from the mountain, and it is a full-table Kangxi kiln that is rare for rich and noble families. Looking at the six dishes in Lishan, who is good at drinking and drinking, I know that they are special. Xuanwei ham, Xi'an bacon, and Jinzhou pickles are all treasures that are not available in the market. The only local product is a dish of small cucumbers, which is out of season. , Extraordinarily expensive, one piece is worth one tael of silver. "What kind of wine?" "It's still South Bar!" Southern wine is Shaoxing wine.Li Lianying is "reasonable", she does not smoke or drink, but her family has a wine cellar, and opened a jar of ten-year-old flower carvings for Lishan. It is a small altar of ten catties. "There aren't many dishes." The servant declared for the host, "The hot pot is not bad, let Si Ye save some hot pot." When the hot pot was served, the servant reported that it was a soup made by "child crabs" that were full of yellow. It is rare to eat in the palace.In addition, there are whitefish from Liaohe River, whitebait from Baodi, and seafood from the southeast. There are fifteen or sixteen items in total. "Hey!" Li Shan sighed, showing admiration, "I'm pretty particular about food and drink! Who knows I can't compare!" "That's also the fourth master." The servant replied, "The customers are about the same, so you don't need to be so particular. You know how to sell goods." Hearing this compliment, Li Shan became more and more happy, he drank and drank, and the master and servant of the Li family were very happy.It was almost nine o'clock after eating, and Li Shan knew that Li Lianying went to bed early, so he patted his stomach wisely and said, "No! I have to go." "What's the matter? Stomach discomfort?" Li Lianying asked with concern. "No!" Li Shan said with a smile, "I can be so discouraged that I would have a stomachache after eating a good meal. I want to go home quickly and drink Pu'er tea." Pu'er tea helps to eliminate food, which means that he is too full.Li Lianying then ordered the servant: "Go and have a look, is there any more ice chicken and white fish? Bring some back to Fourth Master Li!" Tateyama is also very happy, because things are light and meaning is important.For many days, because of the grievances with Zai Lan, when he was brooding, he couldn't help feeling uneasy, but now with Li Lianying's consolation and persuasion, his affection was thick, and he felt safe and relaxed.As a result, the moves were even more generous, and the reward for the servants of the Li family was as much as two hundred taels of silver.