Chapter 82 Section 82

Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly realized that the sound of guns and guns had disappeared!The pale golden sunlight slanted down from the west palace wall, half of the courtyard was shaded by autumn, and it was very cool.What a peaceful early autumn!The Empress Dowager Cixi can't even imagine that the capital is about to fall! "Lafayette, Lafayette!" Suddenly there was a cry of panic, which broke the silence. The Empress Dowager Cixi looked out the window and saw Zai Lan rushing in in a hurry, and Li Lianying had already greeted her.There was no need to wait for Li Lianying to come in to play the report. The Empress Dowager Cixi stepped out of the room with the curtain closed.

"Lafayette!" Zai Lan's expression changed drastically, his head was covered with sweat: "The foreigner is here!" The Empress Dowager Cixi was taken aback, and asked anxiously, "Where is it?" "In the outer city." Li Lianying was afraid that she would be surprised, so she rushed to answer in front of Zai Lan. "Lafayette must leave!" Zai Lan said angrily, "And it must be fast." The foreigners are still in the outer city, separated by an inner city and the Forbidden City, so there is no need to panic. The Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Of course we have to leave now! Can you protect me?"

"Your servant can't bear this heavy burden!" Zai Lan replied, "Your servant has no soldiers." "Then," Empress Dowager Cixi pondered for a while, and said hastily, "Look for the military plane!" The Minister of Military Aircraft came here without calling, but only two came, one was Gangyi and the other was Zhao Shuqiao.They also came to warn the police, saying that there were hundreds of "head-wrapped black soldiers" stationed at the Temple of Heaven.But the words were unclear, and the Empress Dowager Cixi asked which country did the "black soldiers with hooded heads" belong to?Neither Gang nor Zhao could answer.Therefore, the Empress Dowager Cixi suspected that she was the teacher of King Qin from Xinjiang.

"Absolutely not!" Gang Yi replied, "It's not wrong for the barbarians. I ask the holy driver to go on a tour immediately, otherwise the disaster will be unimaginable. I really can't bear to talk about it." "Go! I also know that I should go. But, at this time, how should I go? Have you thought about it? " Gang and Zhao and Zai Lan looked at each other speechlessly, only sighed, and the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help shedding tears. There were countless complaints and resentments in her heart, but when she thought that she had praised the Boxers again and again, she was immediately discouraged. What? No words of reproach can come out.

At this moment, two more people came, one was Zai Yi, who came into the palace to inquire about the Empress Dowager Cixi's will, and the other was Rong Lu, who had just arrived at Zhilu, Minister of Military Aircraft, and came to wait for the order immediately after hearing that the Empress Dowager Cixi had summoned her. "The foreign soldiers have already arrived in Beijing, that's good. But the main team has not yet arrived. There is a small team at Dongbianmen, probably Russian soldiers, and there are also Indian soldiers sent by the British." Rong Lu said: "The Gan army has already left Zhangyi. door, fired guns all the way, and walked west all the way.”

Empress Dowager Cixi was so upset that she just looked at the ministers in a daze, and it took a long while before she said: "Then, what should we do?" Who should answer this question?If a military plane is summoned, Ronglu should play back, and when it comes to titles, Zaiyi should speak.Ronglu hated this man so much, he had an idea at this time, but he refused to show it, and he had no idea, so he wanted to squeeze Zaiyi, "Prince Duan must have a way!" Ask Duan Wang." "There is no other way." Zaiyi said bravely, "Only Zhang Baiqi." "Is Zhang Baiqi surrendering?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked.

"Yes!" Zaiyi lowered her head to her chest. "Surrender!" Empress Dowager Cixi finally choked up her voice. Seeing this situation, the officials met together to blame themselves, but the Empress Dowager Cixi wiped away her tears and asked by name: "Rong Lu, what do you think should be done?" "There is only one way, you can give it a try, quickly send a note to the embassy, ​​first cease the war, then negotiate a peace, any conditions can be agreed." Rong Lu paused and said: "It's better to do this than Zhang Baiqi, and it will look better."

The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded again and again, "This is the only way to do it, this is the only way to do it! You should go to Yikuang to discuss it, the sooner the better!" She added in a trembling voice: "The lives of our mother and child are all on this." "Yes!" Rong Lu agreed, then stood up, took two steps back, turned around, and hurried out of the hall. "Fortitude!" Empress Dowager Cixi regained her majestic voice: "You have to find a car quickly!" "Yes!" Gang Yi was not sure about the matter, so he could only reply, "I will try my best to do it!"

From this moment on, the Empress Dowager Cixi really made up her mind to run away.However, the more critical the situation is, the calmer she is, so she thinks more deeply than others.Sitting under the back porch of Le Shoutang, watching Qiuyang slowly disappear, she made a decision in her heart, whether to go or not, she had to go quietly, otherwise she would not be able to go. However, there was one person who had to tell him in advance, and that was Li Lianying.When he came to chat with him at dusk as usual, she looked around and asked leisurely: "Who else is there?" Li Lianying knew that she had something to say that could not be heard by a third party, so she waved her hand to the two maids in the distance, and replied softly:

"nobody." "Lianying," said Empress Dowager Cixi, "we have to go!" "Yes!" Li Lianying's voice was as usual, but her expression was obviously tense, she bent her waist even more, and turned her eyes up from time to time, looking at the Empress Dowager Cixi's face. "It's not sure when to leave." Empress Dowager Cixi paused and said, "It's either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, it depends on the situation." "Yes!" Li Lianying asked, "How should I prepare?" "What preparations are you talking about? Resolutely go looking for cars, how many can I find?"

"No matter what, the emperor has to go with Lafayette." "Of course. In addition..." Empress Dowager Cixi pondered: "Look at everyone's fortune!" This means that if you run into something and follow along, if you are not in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi, you have to stay in the palace.In the future, life and death, misfortune and fortune, each depends on the destiny. Thinking about it this way, it becomes clear that the matter of Empress Dowager Cixi's escape from the palace must be kept a secret, otherwise the family members will cry and cry, and this one will follow along, and the other one will not dare to stay in the palace. Empress Dowager Cixi was so troubled that she couldn't leave. "How about the clothes I asked you to prepare?" "Ready." Li Lianying replied, "The bamboo jacket and black cloth skirt are wrapped in yellow bundles and handed over to Madam Liu." Nanny Liu was originally a court lady, and she became a widow after being remarried. One year, the Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly thought of such a person, and ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pass it in, and she was dedicated to serving all the washing things in the Empress Dowager Cixi's bedroom.She is extremely reliable, so Li Lianying handed over the suit to her. "Okay!" The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "There are more guards on the gate of the palace today, and who will give the key to, please find out." "Yes! There will be no delay." "Rong Lu may invite him, but when he comes, you'll call him!" "Yes! The servant will take extra care." The Empress Dowager Cixi thought that there must be news about Ronglu, but she didn't hear anything until after nine o'clock.Cui Yugui was sent to inquire, and he said that the road was cut off, so he might not be able to enter the palace. Even Rong Lu was unable to enter the palace. The situation was critical. The Empress Dowager Cixi immediately ordered: "Send the military aircraft and the imperial ministers." As a result, three military ministers came: Wang Wenshao, Gang Yi, and Zhao Shuqiao.These three people were able to arrive in the middle of the night because they lived in Junji Zhilu. "It's just the three of you! Look, everyone else has left our mother and daughter alone!" At this point, the autumn wind entered the house, and the candlelight on the imperial case flickered, reflecting the haggard face of the Empress Dowager Cixi and the bleak face of the emperor.In such a large palace, how many times the well-dressed, dignified and solemn atmosphere of the prosperous age has been in the hearts of the monarchs and ministers, and they feel the unprecedented desolation at this time, and they all burst into tears! "Rong Lu is gone!" The Empress Dowager Cixi blew her nose and said, "Now we have to go! You three must go with our mother and daughter. Wang Wenshao is so old that he still has to take this trip." I couldn't bear the hard work, but there was nothing I could do, so I had to come later. Gangyi followed Zhao Shuqiao, and he knew how to ride a horse, so we must go with him!" "Yes!" Gang Yi replied, "Your servant and Zhao Shuqiao will risk their lives to protect you!" "Okay!" Empress Dowager Cixi turned her face and asked, "What does the emperor have to say?" "Wang Wenshao!" The emperor said in a rare voice, "You must come." Wang Wenshao didn't hear clearly, so they met each other without speaking.Fortitude then asked again: "Please the Queen Mother and the Emperor, when are you going to leave?" "I can't tell right now." The Empress Dowager Cixi was inconvenient to make strict demands at this time, so she could only say in a negotiating tone: "There must be a few cars to move." "Yes!" Resolutely replied, "I will do my best to prepare." "Yes! Do your best, as soon as possible, and we will leave immediately when everything is ready." After talking about leaving the court, the Empress Dowager Cixi returned to her bedroom, and after a long time of silent calculations, she went back to bed, but she woke up after less than an hour of sleep. It turned out that the gunfire resumed, but it seemed to be a rout. Harassment, not enough. So I got up and took a shower, and when I was combing my hair, I heard a series of strange sounds passing through the air, "meow, meow" like a cat meowing. "Then there are so many cats?" Before she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager Cixi noticed that there was a small thing jumping around on the brick floor, making a very solid sound of "card card gege".When it stopped, a court lady picked it up and looked at it. She happened to know the goods, and couldn't help shouting: "It's a bullet!" Just this one sentence, like a thunderbolt from the blue sky, everyone turned pale with panic, Empress Dowager Cixi was about to inquire about the origin, when she heard a trembling voice from outside the curtain: "The foreign soldiers have entered the city! Lafayette is not leaving soon? " When he looked intently, Zai Lan was kneeling outside the curtain. The eunuchs and maids who were walking around for a while stopped in their tracks, and their eyes were all focused on the Empress Dowager Cixi's face. "It came so fast!" Empress Dowager Cixi walked to the front of the curtain and asked, "Where are the foreign soldiers?" "We are attacking Donghua Gate!" No wonder the bullets flew!Empress Dowager Cixi was really afraid only at this time, because once the Donghua Gate was broken, Ningshou Palace was to the north.The enemy has not only broken the city, but has penetrated deep into the inner city. It's really incredible! However, her thinking became sharper, and she called out: "Zai Lan!" "Lafayette!" Zai Lan responded. "Should we go out that door?" "Should go northwest!" Zai Lan replied, "A lot of people have rushed to Deshengmen to wait." "Where's your car?" "Outside the Shenwu Gate." "Okay! I'll leave right away." The Empress Dowager Cixi then ordered: "Come to the emperor quickly!" "Yes!" Li Lianying agreed, and took care of Cui Yugui and said, "Go and greet the emperor and elder brother. I will wait for Lafayette to change clothes here. Let's do our own things, the sooner the better." "Yes!" Cui Yugui walked away and said, "I'm going to find the emperor." Therefore, Li Lianying asked the Empress Dowager Cixi: "Should Lafayette change his clothes first or comb his hair first?" "Comb your hair"?The Empress Dowager Cixi touched the back of her head, only then did she suddenly understand.Banner women comb their hair in a different style from that of Han makeup. It is divided into two drooping strands, called "swallow tail", commonly known as "handle head". "Let's change clothes first!" Turning to the back hall of the sleeping hall, after taking out a set of commoner skirts wrapped in yellow burdens, the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help being stunned!If she wanted to get rid of the empress dowager's clothes, it was equivalent to shedding her identity as the empress dowager. From then on, the orders might not work, or people would ignore them. If the style of the empress dowager is adopted, there may be accidents. "No!" She said in her heart: "You can't condescend so casually! To humiliate yourself is to humiliate the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty!" After turning a thought, when I was undecided, I heard a "meow" again, and a bullet flew in from the window.Now, she didn't think about it any more, and let Mother Zhao take care of her, changed her clothes and shoes, and staggered to the front, feeling very uncomfortable all over. The eunuchs and court ladies all felt novelty when they saw the Empress Dowager Cixi's attire, but no one dared to take a second look.On the contrary, the Empress Dowager Cixi looked at herself, and forced a mocking smile and said, "Look, do I look like a country grandma?" "It's better to look like it!" Li Lianying supported her arm and said, "This servant is helping Lafayette comb his hair." Li Lianying hadn't combed her hair for many years, but she was still very proficient in the technique. She untied the "swallow tail", combed it briefly, twisted it three times and twisted it twice, and then combed it into a pendant bun with Chinese makeup. "When the Boxers first made troubles, who would have thought that there would be such a day?" Empress Dowager Cixi pretended to be open-minded: "I never thought that one day I would dress like the Han people!" Li Lianying didn't answer, but paused for a moment and asked: "For Lafayette's order, besides the emperor, empress, and elder brother, who else should I send to accompany me?" This made the Empress Dowager Cixi hesitate. There are so many palace relatives, it seems unfair to bring one but not the other, and it would be cumbersome to bring all of them.After thinking for a while, I resolutely said: "No one will take it!" "Yes." Li Lianying stepped back quietly, and called a trusted eunuch Mimi to inform Concubine Jin that Empress Dowager Cixi would leave Beijing through Deshengmen, and asked her to make up her own mind. At this time, the emperor who was saluting at the Shouhuang Hall had already arrived. The Empress Dowager Cixi said without waiting for him to kneel down to pay his respects, "What can you do with your clothes? Change quickly, change quickly!" So the maids hurriedly took off the red tasseled cap and gown for the emperor. Li Lianying found a half-worn black thin cotton gown with fine lake crepe and put it on for the emperor.The emperor was thin and thin, and the cotton robe was wide-breasted and had large sleeves without a belt. It looked too unfit, but he had to make do with it. At that time, all concubines and concubines in the palace had been notified, and they gathered in Ningshou Palace to ask for safety and stand by.The Empress Dowager Cixi was a bit ashamed to see people because of her attire, but since she was the lord of the first palace, before leaving, no matter what, she had to say something.A person calmed down, thought for a while, and felt that it was easier for him to speak because of his attire, so he regained his usual composure and walked out of the room slowly.It's just that I've been used to wearing "flowerpot bottoms" and Suyi Han people's flat shoes, so I can't make that kind of swinging and swaying. "Foreigners have come to Beijing!" Empress Dowager Cixi said very slowly and in a low voice, "I have to go with the emperor, in order for Li Hongzhang to negotiate peace and make it easy to negotiate terms with foreigners. You don't have to go with me for the time being! I don't To embarrass the ministers of various countries, the ministers of various countries must not allow them to enter the palace to harass them. Don't be afraid, just wait patiently for a few days, I will go to the ground with the emperor, and I will issue an order according to the situation." At this point, there was already the sound of sobbing.Empress Dowager Cixi also found this embarrassing, she wiped her tears with her sleeves, and had to say a few words to comfort everyone and express her love. "Actually, I don't want to part with you either, but there's nothing I can do about it. Look at my clothes! No one knows what kind of hardships I will suffer along the way. It's better to be in the palace!" Empress Dowager Cixi had an idea, He lied and said: "I have already told Rong Lu! He will negotiate with the ministers' offices of various countries and will definitely protect you well. Go back!" Except for Concubine Zhen in the well, none of the concubines in the palace dared to argue with the Empress Dowager Cixi, and looking at it like this, fleeing with the two palaces would be either good or bad.But it's better to be still than to move, and let fate be good. Thinking about it this way, no one would ask for a follower. The eldest concubine Wen Zongqi, Xiu Jia, said: "The empress dowager, the emperor is a lucky star all the way, and return to Luan as soon as possible!" Arranging shifts, waiting to kneel down to send Lianggong Qixuan off. In the Empress Dowager Cixi, of course she can't care about any rituals at this point!He walked westward in a hurry, followed by the emperor, empress, elder brother, and a "Qing Ke" of the Empress Dowager Cixi, who was born in Yunnan and was good at calligraphy and painting. In addition, there was a large group of eunuchs and court ladies. up. In front of Dexihua Gate, I saw three women in Han costumes kneeling to receive the driver. When I got closer, I saw that it was the two daughters of Concubine Jin and King Qing, Sangege and Sigege.Concubine Jin didn't wait for the Empress Dowager Cixi to speak, and said first: "The servant followed to serve Lafayette." "Okay! You follow." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked the two daughters of Prince Qing again: "You two sisters, why are you here?" "Ama, my slave, ask two slaves to serve Lafayette!" Although at the time of resigning from the temple in a hurry, the Empress Dowager Cixi was still sane and sane. She understood King Qing's actions, so she made it clear that she would never collude with foreigners, betray the Empress Dowager, and send the two women to accompany her. He readily agreed and said, "Good! Good! You also follow me. "And asked again: "Where is your Ama?" " "Wait outside." Sangege pointed to the outside of Xihua Gate. Those waiting outside the Xihua Gate were not only King Qing, but also Prince Su Shanqi, Prince Zhuang Zaixun, Zaiyi, and brothers Zailan, Duke Zaize of Zhen Guo, Pu Lun his son, Minister of Military Aircraft Gangyi, Zhao Shuqiao, and others. The minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the commander of the infantry, Yingnian, the right-wing commander of the yamen, and so on. After hastily saluting, Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Everyone get up and talk." "Yes!" King Qing agreed.Stand up first. "Just a few cars?" King Qing didn't answer, Zaiyi didn't make a sound, and the rest of the princes naturally couldn't open their mouths, so they stood up resolutely and said: "The empress dowager, the emperor will take the car of Yingnian and Zailan." Said: "Pu Lun rides in a car with the emperor, and the elder brother crosses the wheel in my car!" "Yes!" The elder brother agreed loudly, tilted his neck, pursed his thick lips and said, "Lafayette, you should go there first!" "Don't speak so loudly! Turning around and driving the car is a matter of handlebars, and you are not allowed to interfere!" The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "Everyone gets in the car, and put down the curtains of the car so that no one can see it." After finishing speaking, Li Lianying walked towards King Qing and said in a low voice, "What Lafayette means is to leave the city through Deshengmen. My lord, do you think it's safe to go this way?" "There is only one way out of Deshengmen. The city of Beiping is full of Japanese soldiers. I will send someone to deal with them first." King Qing thought for a while and said, "Why don't Lafayette go to Xiyuan to have a rest first, and wait for the negotiations to be completed?" , please drive again." "Yes. That's all." So the car of the Empress Dowager Cixi went to Xiyuan first, and before the meal was passed, King Qing came to report, and Deshengmen can leave!The Empress Dowager Cixi left the gold-encrusted ivory chopsticks, got up and left, got into the car and went straight to Deshengmen. The wheels moved inch by inch among the refugees, and it took almost an hour to pass through the city gate. At this time, the Empress Dowager Cixi opened the curtain of the car and looked back, only to see that a white flag had been set up on the top of the city.