Chapter 70 Section 70

Set up a car to enter the palace, and hand over the sign to see the Empress Dowager Cixi.Soon, a little eunuch came out to greet him and said, "Director Li, please have a word with Zhongtang." So Rong Lu followed him to see Li Lianying first.When they met, they were not in a hurry to speak. They took watermelon, gold and silver dew, and asked him to take off his clothes and wipe his face.After Rong Lu Su Khan received it, his spirits were refreshed, and he felt that it was time to deal with business, so he immediately asked, "Lianying, do you have something to say?" "Nothing to say. Just ask Zhongtang to cool off, cool off, and don't be busy seeing Lafayette."

Li Lianying said, "I suppressed the sign and did not hand it over." "What's the matter? Lafayette is taking a nap?" "No!" Li Lianying said, "I'm in a bad mood today. Whoever goes up, whoever bumps into a wall, doesn't make a difference." It turned out that it was the intention of taking extra care. Rong Lu was very grateful, and after thanking him, he asked: "Why are you unhappy?" "It's not the father and son." The so-called "father and son" refers to Zaiyi and eldest elder brother.Rong Lu nodded and said:

"One is enough! What's more, it's father and son!" "Alas!" Li Lianying sighed: "Lafayette has been strong all her life, but it's just this matter that always makes her unhappy." "What's the matter? Did you make Lafayette angry again?" "It's not just angry!" Li Lianying lowered her voice and said, "Today's troubles are too outrageous! Lafayette almost cried with anger." Rong Lu was shocked!I have seen Empress Dowager Cixi angry, and Empress Dowager Cixi shed tears, but I have never seen Cixi shed tears of anger!

"Isn't that an anecdote?" "It's no wonder that Lafayette has never been angry. It was just an hour ago that King Duan brought a group of people into the palace..." "Who is that gang?" Rong Lu interrupted him and asked, "The Boxers?" "Zhongtang thinks, who else?" Li Lianying replied, "The situation is different today, it's even worse! A senior elder brother dared to raise his face and tilt his neck when he saw Lafayette and said, 'there are also dudes in the palace. Gotta check!'" Rong Lu was shocked, "Don't you want to reverse this?" He asked, "How will Lafayette answer him?"

"Lafayette asked him, 'How to check the law?' He said, 'If you are a dude, you just need to pat your forehead, and there will be cross marks. Yes, it seems like a petty official from other provinces coming to Beijing, saying one thing is one thing, and the other is two things, there is simply no room for flexibility." "Did Lafayette pass the test?" Li Lianying smiled bitterly, "Zhongtang, please think about it, if Lafayette reprimands you when he gets angry, what will they do? If they say it's not a test, you have to speak nicely to them, and there's no reason for that." , he suddenly raised his thumb, "Zhongtang, I really convinced Lafayette today! Lafayette endured things that no one can bear, and said calmly, 'You go down first, there will be a will soon "Eldest brother actually went down. It's dangerous! It's only a finger, and once the paper tiger pierces through, I don't know what will happen at this time!"

Hearing these words, Rong Lu's sweat just poured out from his back again, wiped his forehead, and asked anxiously: "What about the future?" "In the future, the hornet's nest will be blown up! If you are so timid, you will come to me crying and telling me, and there are still people who go to ask Lafayette, please ask Lafayette to decide, not to check. Lafayette told me: 'I can't do it either. Talk about favors with them, and if the favors cannot be resolved, how can I step down? Tell the eunuchs and maids that if you go out, the cross will be photographed there? Sure enough, it is fate, and we will talk about it at that time. 'I spent a lot of effort, and finally got 20 or 30 people to let them shoot, but they didn't shoot anything, and they left quietly. They also understand that Lafayette gave me face, and I will return Lafayette's face But, Zhongtang, think about it, how wronged is Lafayette?"

Rong Lu didn't answer, he drank two bowls of herbal tea, breathed out and asked, "The eunuchs and palace maids they want to investigate, did they want anyone else?" Hearing this, Li Lianying blinked her eyes, showing a vigilant look, waved the little eunuch away, pulled the chair, approached Ronglu and said, "Zhongtang, I have to discuss something with you! I see, They entered the palace today, as if to deal with the emperor, but fortunately the emperor still went back to Yingtai. If it is like this, maybe they will meet one day, what if, what if there is a catastrophe?"

"We must not cause such a catastrophe! Once it breaks out, the Qing Dynasty will be over!" Rong Lu closed his mouth and thought for a while, then said in a low voice: "Lianying, protect Lafayette and the emperor, just protect the old Buddha and the emperor!" It's up to you and me! I'll arrange a good team to guard the Ningshou Palace today. However, you have to play Lafayette and give me a decree. No one is allowed to enter the palace without the permission of Lafayette. , No matter who it is, shoot and kill!" Li Lianying thought about it and asked, "Are those wearing dragon coats included?"

The rules of dress, the men's clothes above the county king are tuanlong jackets, and Baylor is only allowed to embroider pythons, not dragons.Li Lianying's question was obviously referring to King Duan, Rong Lu replied without hesitation: "That's right, everything is included." Just talking about this, I saw a little eunuch rushing over and said, "Uncle Li, please always invite me! Lafayette is asking." "Maybe I have something to ask. Zhongtang, please wait for a while, I will go up to see the situation, and I will make the matter I just said come to an end."

Not long after he left, he saw the little eunuch who had been talking back and forth just now came rushing to report to Rong Lu, and the Empress Dowager Cixi waited to summon him.After walking to Leshan Hall, Li Lianying greeted him outside the Dongnuan Pavilion, and told him quietly that the Empress Dowager Cixi was very happy when she heard that he was here, and it seemed that she had a lot to say, and this was a good opportunity to speak up. Rong Lu nodded, stood for a while, and pondered the Empress Dowager Cixi's state of mind at this time before entering. "Have you heard about it? What rituals, what rules, it's all out of the question!"

"Slave is punished with death!" Rong Lu's voice seemed to have changed with grief and anger: "Slave only hates himself for being too clumsy. Such lawless things should have been thought of long ago!" "Who would have thought, King Duan..." Cixi stopped suddenly, and it took a while before she said quickly, "You know, I never regret anything I do, and I don't need to mention him! Lianying came back to me and said you Want me to write you a letter?" "Yes!" Rong Lu replied, "Even though there is a decree, slaves can't be reckless." "That's right! I can write to you. Bring the ink pen!" Therefore, Li Lianying personally commanded the eunuch, brought a small table with ink paper and pens, and placed it in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi. According to Rong Lu's wishes, he wrote a Zhu Yu: "Every place in the inner court, Xiyuan and Summer Palace, etc., write Rong Lu sent troops to guard closely, and no one was allowed to enter unless summoned by Yi's order. If he refuses to listen to the persuasion, no matter who he is, he will be dealt with expediently by the guarding officers and soldiers, and he will hear about it afterwards. Special instructions." Above the middle, there is a seal one inch square The jade seal, seven Zhuwen seal characters: "Empress Dowager Cixi's imperial pen". Therefore, Li Lianying had the power to act as the special envoy to issue the edict, holding the Zhu Yu, standing to the south, and softly shouted: "Accept Yi's edict!" Rong Lu took two steps on his knees, kowtowed his head, took Zhu Yu, and still held Li Lianying back with both hands, letting him enshrine on the top for the time being, and then said: "I will follow Yi's decree and pass it on to the princes and ministers. Forgive me present." "You see!" Empress Dowager Cixi added: "The emperor also has to protect!" "yes." "This situation," Empress Dowager Cixi said with difficulty, "how does it look when you see it?" Rong Lu didn't answer immediately, lowered his head, and said in a depressed tone: "I dare not say it." "Don't dare to say, or dare not think?" "Yes! Lafayette is holy, I dare not say it, and I don't dare to think about it. From my perspective, I am afraid that we will not be able to reconcile in the future." Empress Dowager Cixi was moved suddenly, and after a while, her face became calm, "You telegraph Li Hongzhang," she said, "Ask him, what do you want before he will come?" Rong Lu quickly replied: "First, stop attacking the embassy; second, issue an order to wipe out the Boxers. However, this was said a month ago." "A month ago," Empress Dowager Cixi hesitated for a moment, and finally finished her sentence: "I can still be the master." Rong Lu was shocked!Even the Empress Dowager Cixi has admitted that she has been coerced and unable to control herself. What a terrible thing is this?Of course, he was not willing to admit such a fact, and said loudly: "Now, Lafayette is still in charge of all major matters!" Empress Dowager Cixi raised her face, closed her mouth tightly, and pondered for a while before she said, "Your words are correct. I don't make the decision. Who else can make the decision? However, I can't just say what I want. Now let's talk about Li Hongzhang. I want to fill his vacancy first, if he can't stay in Guangzhou, then he has to go to Beijing!" The original intention of this idea coincides with Ronglu's plan, but the approach is quite different. "Returning to Lafayette," he said: "If a vacancy is opened, Li Hongzhang will come to Beijing to meet his majesty. I'm afraid it will be for his face." Not pretty." "Of course he was transferred to Beijing. You see, whether to send him to the Prime Minister's Office or to return to Beiyang." "Back to Beiyang!" Rong Lu replied without hesitation: "Li Hongzhang's prestige is still there after all. It is very beneficial to let him return to Beiyang to calm people's hearts." "Okay! Let's do it like this. Yulu is too bad!" Empress Dowager Cixi raised a concern: "I'm afraid that he will take advantage of this to shirk, and Tianjin's defense will become more and more difficult." "Yes!" Rong Lu replied, "However, Song Qing has already arrived in Tianjin, so he can support him for a while." "That should be added in the Shangyu." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "Can Li Hongzhang borrow a foreign military ship? In short, he must come quickly! The sooner the better!" "Yes! The servant will send a telegram as soon as he goes." "How is the situation in the embassies of various countries?" The Empress Dowager Cixi asked: "Zai Lan told me yesterday that many traitors were captured and secretly transported food to the embassy, ​​and they were all killed. He also said that it will not be long before they are trapped in the embassy. The foreigners in the village have to starve to death. I didn’t say anything at the time, but after thinking about it, it was not appropriate to do so. As far as the royal law of the court is concerned, there is no such thing as starving to death. The prisoner has to be full before being bound to the execution ground. What do you think?" Before she finished speaking, Rong Lu kowtowed his head and said at the same time: "Lafayette is really a living Bodhisattva! If foreigners know that Lafayette has such intentions, they will definitely be grateful to God. The servant was also thinking that if foreigners are really starved Death, it’s not very pleasant to have such a reputation spread abroad. However, the servant dare not reply. Now that Lafayette has given such an order, the servant has the courage to ask for an order, can I ask for an order to reward the embassy with food and fruit?” "It's not a big deal, I'm afraid that someone will gossip." "Reasonable people don't gossip! Even if foreigners are offended prisoners, don't they have a system of compassion for prisoners? Cotton clothes are given in winter, and herbal tea is given in summer. This is the virtue of good life, and benevolence outside the law. Who doesn't praise the benevolence of Shengming ?” "That makes sense. Go ahead and do it!" Cixi told again: "Send the telegram urging Li Hongzhang to go to Beijing as soon as possible. You discuss it with Li Wang and Wang Wenshao, and there is no need to send the telegram manuscript." This is the order of the Minister of Military Aircraft alone, and according to the rules, it should be conveyed to his colleagues.In the afternoon, the minister of military aircraft had already been on duty, so Rong Lu made an expedient solution, inviting Wang Wenshao to come home, and writing a letter to inform King Li.When Wang Wenshao came at the appointment, Rong Lu had already drawn up the draft of the telegram himself. There are two ways to know the truth and consider the purpose of the telegram.The first is: "Governor of Zhili transferred Li Hongzhang to serve as Minister of Beiyang. Now Tianjin's defense is urgent. Before Li Hongzhang took office, he still ordered Yulu to work with Song Qing to make proper arrangements. No one should be released because of simplicity. Unload." The second one is dedicated to Li Hongzhang: "Li Hongzhang has transferred the governor of Zhili, and the governor can make his own discretion. If he can borrow a Russian military ship and go northward from the sea under the starry night, he is very eager. Otherwise, he will come by land and travel. A little delay is the most important thing." "This edict," Wang Wenshao asked, "is it sent by the court or issued by Ming?" "Of course Ting Ji." "I think it's a good idea to make a good use of it." Wang Wenshao said: "The first edict did not urge him to go to Beijing immediately, but it would cause misunderstanding. According to the rules, there must be words of supervision when an order is in danger, so this edict must Only by inventing the hair can it have the effect of calming people's hearts." "High opinion, high opinion! Use Mingfa instead." "If you use Mingfa instead, it doesn't seem like a big crown to specify that you are borrowing a Russian warship." "Then, how to change it?" "It's better to use the words 'no distinction between land and water, come to Beijing on both sides'." "Yes!" Rong Lu picked up the pen and changed it, halfway through the change, and suddenly stopped writing: "Old Kui, I think it's better to use the original language. Borrowing a Russian ship is not very decent, but it has a small effect. First, let the other provinces know that the imperial court does not hate foreigners, otherwise Li Hongzhang would not be allowed to take a foreigner's boat; second, let the ministers and consuls of various countries guess that Li Hongzhang has already made peace with Russia! This way, the attitude may be will ease." "Ah, ah! Wonderful, wonderful!" Wang Wenshao admired greatly: "I never thought that there would be such a magical effect." "I also thought of it unintentionally." Rong Lu said again: "'There is no distinction between water and land, and the eight words come to Beijing on both sides' are also very good. We might as well issue another edict tomorrow to show urgency." Saying that it was over, he immediately issued the two edicts, and in addition, according to the original regulations, he sent a copy to the cabinet Mingfa.As a result, Zai Yi, Xu Tong and Chong Qi in the "Military Affairs Department" naturally knew about it. "It's unreasonable!" Zai Yi was very annoyed: "Why didn't the Military Affairs Office know about such a big event? Does it make sense that the Beiyang Minister's assignment should not be under the control of the Military Affairs Office?" "Maybe Gang Ziliang knows." Jiang Gangyi and Zhao Shuqiao were invited to ask, but neither of them had heard of it beforehand.Zhao Shuqiao asked Zhang Jing of the military aircraft, only to know that Rong Lu alone accepted the order, King Li received the notice, and Wang Wenshao participated in the matter. "This old guy!" Zaiyi scolded, "I want to join him!" "There is another thing that is even more irritating." Said resolutely: "Prince, do you know that the Empress Dowager has food and fruits to reward foreigners?" So Zaiyi roared and cursed, from Ronglu to Li Hongzhang, Liu Kunyi, Zhang Zhidong, Xu Lie and Shanxi governor Yuxian, all famous governors, even Yulu was no exception.Of course, Yulu would not be called a traitor, or called "unachievable, unworthy, and useless". When he got tired of cursing, Zhao Shuqiao took out a telegram from Yulu and detailed the story of Nie Shicheng's death in battle, asking for instructions on how to negotiate a sympathy? "About shirts!" Gang Yi feigned surprise: "What shirts are you talking about?" "There's more than enough to die for!" Xu Tong said, "The National Compensation Code is not for this generation." "That's right!" Zai Yi clapped his hands together, and the swearing energy came again: "The Boxers rely on a burst of anger. Once the anger is vented, the Shinto is no longer on the body! The first person to discourage the Boxers is Nie." That kid. What died in battle? Damn it!" Also present were Chongqi and Qixiu, who were also silent.Seeing this, Zhao Shuqiao was very discouraged.However, both King Li and Wang Wenshao had told him that Nie Shicheng had suffered all kinds of grievances, and he played well. He was killed in battle without a tribute, not only did he have nothing to comfort his loyal soul, but he also feared that Song Qing and Ma Yukun's subordinates would be chilled, and Tianjin would be even more difficult to defend. up!So no matter what, Zhao Shuqiao should try to clear it up and discuss it for Nie Shicheng.Therefore, he had to bite the bullet and fight again. "My lord and the two Zhongtang's words, I agree. However, there is a difficulty in official affairs. Nie Gongting, the admiral, is still dismissed from his post. Anyway, he died in the battle. If he doesn't take all punishments, the founding Since then, there has been no precedent." "This should be opened!" Chongqi said.Therefore, firstly, he was the number one scholar in Bi Zhang, and he has a more scholarly temperament than Xu Tong; secondly, he has a heartfelt sympathy for the defeated generals.His father, Saishang Adang Hong Yang, lost his teacher and lost his discipline when he first started. He collapsed and almost died, so it is not surprising that he spoke for Nie Shicheng.But to be effective, you have to find some high-sounding reasons. After thinking about it very carefully, he continued: "The dead are gone! The honor and disgrace after the death are unknown to the world. To be honest, it is because of death that it is necessary to live, and now military affairs When you are in a tight situation, you might as well use this to boost morale. Someone like Nie can also invite sympathy codes, and it is even more obvious when others sacrifice their lives! This is also the effect of a lot of money." "A thousand-gold bone, you need a piece of horse bone!" Zaiyi said disdainfully, "What kind of bone is this?" Nobody answered.Although no one agreed with Chongqi's words, no one objected any more.Zhao Shuqiao felt that the situation seemed to be stiff but not stiff, and the opportunity was fleeting, so she mustered up her courage and asked, "I ask the prince for instructions, are you just drafting the decree according to Lord Chong's wishes?" "I don't care!" Zai Yi replied violently, "You guys can do whatever you want!" "Zhongtang," Zhao Shuqiao asked Gangyi softly, "What do you think?" "Okay!" Fortitude is Zhao Shuqiao's advocate, with different feelings, he said helplessly: "You are here, and you will see if you come to the Tao." Zhao Shuqiao was born as a Jinshi in two rankings, and he was very good at writing. Based on Yulu's electronic performance, with a few words of condolence and compassion, he quickly drafted a draft and sent it to Gangyi to read. "No, no! You can't say that." Gang Yi unceremoniously overturned the original manuscript: "I have to tell you about the various situations in which he was handled improperly. Otherwise, why did you want to dismiss him and stay in his post?" It's not bad to think about it.Zhao Shuqiao leaned over the desk again to pick up the pen, and this time it took a lot of thinking. If the tone is too light, it is not in line with the original intention of the pension. It took three quarters of an hour before it was finalized and then sent to Gang Yi.Before reading the text, he added five words in front of the text: "Minister of Military Aircraft", indicating that it has nothing to do with the "Military Affairs Office". Looking at the text again, it reads: "Nie Shicheng, the governor of Zhili, who led the former army of Wuwei, used to have quite a lot of military exploits in the past; he trained soldiers well, but this time, every time it was inappropriate to deal with the prevention and suppression, he was impeached many times and had a negative responsibility." Appointment, the decree was issued before the admiral was dismissed and retained in order to see the effect. The imperial court has given it all, hoping that he will try his best to cheer up and redeem his past mistakes. However, on the 13th of this month, the admiral was killed in battle. Thinking about the admiral's presence The former enemy who sacrificed their lives for the country is not compared to those who are afraid of it, and they will be punished and punished according to the example of the admiral who died in battle. This is to show that the imperial court is devoted to loyalty and encourages the army." "The meaning is correct, but the tone is wrong!" Gang Yi picked up the pen and changed it. First, he changed "remember loyalty" to "extraordinary kindness", and then changed it from the beginning: "quite a military exploit" to "has a military exploit";" There are special ways" to "Yi Shangyoufang";In short, if you say Nie Shicheng is good, your tone will be lighter, and if you say bad, it will be more serious. When he finished writing, Xu Tong said, "Let me take a look!" Not only look at it, but also change it.Xu Tong added a few words under "supervising the battle and dying in battle": "I have been paying attention to foreign exercises for many years, and the original goal is to kill the enemy to achieve results, but I can't bear it. I hate it!" After finishing writing, he returned the draft to Gang Yi and asked proudly, "How?" These few words are very harsh, and they are also a great rebuke to the emphasis on Westernization, which is very suitable for the resolute appetite, but there is one thing that makes him very unhappy.The pen that the Minister of Military Aircraft proposed to issue an edict, or to change the manuscript drafted by Zhang Jing of the Military Aircraft, is called "Shu Bi", and its authority is second only to the imperial pen.When Mu Zong passed away, he planned to welcome the current emperor into the palace in the middle of the night. Since Wen Xiang, the minister of military affairs, was ill, Rong Lu volunteered and drew up an edict. pen", he harbored a deep hatred, and continued to embarrass Rong Lu, delaying his chance to use it for more than ten years.At that time, there was a major event, and it was understandable that he failed to check in the rush. Now Xu Tong clearly saw that the beginning was "Minister of the Military and Aircraft", and he actually made arbitrarily assertive actions. It is too much to act like a chief assistant. Arrogant and conceited. Therefore, Gangyi replied coldly: "Nowadays, I don't pay attention to anything! It's not just about foreign exercises!" Xu Tong heard that something was wrong with the tone of voice, but he didn't know why?Just about to ask, Zhao Shuqiao talked about another important matter. "The examiners from Jiangsu and Zhejiang should be released. Many people have come to ask for news these days, but I don't know how to answer them?" It turns out that in the year of the Zi, Wu, Mao, and Youxiang examinations, the priority of the examiners is determined by the distance.Outlying provinces should be released as early as early May, and provinces in the southeast and hinterland should be released in mid-June.Then, at the beginning of July, they would be sent to Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan provinces in Kinki. The capital city is turned upside down, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are as prosperous as ever, if they can send a chief examiner to avoid misfortune, it will be like "the trip of the class is like going to immortality", no wonder everyone cares about the Hanlin who is qualified to release the chief examiner.But Xu Tong, who is the head of the Imperial Academy, scoffed! "When is it now? The time from the court is not a matter of urgency?" Zhao Shuqiao thought to herself, if these words come from the mouth of an illiterate martial artist, there is still something to say. In terms of position, the head of the Imperial Academy, who is a majestic Wenzong, is so appalling that the imperial examinations are so contemptuous. No wonder Dong Fuxiang would burn the Imperial Academy ! He really wanted to refute him quickly, but since Xu Tong has become the elder of the country, it is inconvenient to speak too seriously.Just as he was thinking about what to say, he resolutely spoke. The fortitude is because Xu Tong is "good at using the pen", full of sulking, and of course he will not let it go if he has the opportunity to vent. "It's not a trivial matter to hold the talent ceremony!" How did the tribute come to the court? This matter needs to be discussed carefully." Xu Tong also knew that he had made a slip of the tongue, and hurriedly said: "It's not that I won't hold the provincial examination, it's just that this year's Qiu Wei will fail!" "There is another level," Qixiu said in support of his teacher, "Even if the autumn chamber can be held this year, next year's examination may not be in time! After the foreigners are wiped out, there will always be many aftermaths such as rewarding meritorious service, repatriating soldiers, and comforting the people." Matters. Not to mention anything else, Beijing has encountered this great chaos, there is a shortage of everything, and thousands of people will come to Beijing in the first year, and there will be difficulties in food and housing." This is the truth.According to this statement, it can be discussed slowly.Zhao Shuqiao looked at Gangyi and said, "I think this year's rural examination can only be postponed, and it depends on when it will be postponed?" "It won't be long!" Zaiyi, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly said, "In the eighth month of the leap, the foreigners will die! At that time, we will win a battle and the world will be peaceful." According to folklore, the swords are used in the eighth month of leap, but it is not said that the battle can be won in the eighth month of leap.Zhao Shuqiao felt that Qixiu and Zaiyi were talking in their sleep, but it would be true in a short time. When Li Hongzhang arrived in Beijing and negotiated peace with foreigners, maybe the war would cease in August. "My lord, I have an idea. Next year, the spring and autumn will be reversed, which is also a good story in the imperial examination." "What is the reverse of spring and autumn?" "This year's autumn will be changed to next spring." Zhao Shuqiao replied, "Next year's spring will be changed to autumn." "That's good!" Gang Yi first agreed, "The township examination should not be postponed for too long, so as not to affect the hearts of the people." Saying it was over, Gang Yi immediately resigned with Zhao Shuqiao.The next day, I went to Zhilu of the Military Aircraft Department, and told Li Wang Shiduo and Wang Wenshao about the two things agreed at the "Military Affairs Department" the day before. He hesitated to speak, but finally let out a long sigh.