Chapter 10 Section ten

For the Empress Dowager Cixi, it was a heavy burden just to read the memorials for the preparation of border defense matters at this meeting, because she has been in poor spirits since the beginning of the new year, overworked and anxious, coupled with eating disorders, and injured herself. Spleen and stomach, resulting in sleepless nights, and night sweats, but you have to work hard to work hard. The cabinet's replay was read to her by Li Lianying sitting on a small stool beside her.This is a big matter, before discussing it face to face with the military aircraft, no decision can be made, what can be decided is Chonghou's charges, but it has to be discussed with the Empress Dowager Ci'an.

Invite "Eastern Buddha" to the Changchun Palace, Empress Dowager Cixi explained to her that the Ministry of Punishment convicts the crime according to the law, as long as it is this crime, it is "beheaded to prison" and there is no possibility of relief. "Of course Chonghou is confused and damned. But since you say that you should be convicted according to the law, you have to distinguish clearly whether you have done it or not." The Empress Dowager Ci'an asked, "Doesn't it mean that the treaty must be ratified to count? Then Not "already done". Don't you think so?"

"No!" The Empress Dowager Cixi's anger was very strong, so her voice was stiff, and she hit a nail back, "If it was 'not going', there would be no such big trouble in front of me! Mo  Yi  Di He  ⑶  ∧ Tan 洌  panic double magpie 颼 Chen blink   following the hard and bad bamboo  reading ⒕ Gong  Nao 铩!? Empress Dowager Ci'an was silent.After a while, he stood up and said, "Pass the sedan chair!" She went back to her own palace without even asking about the condition of Empress Dowager Cixi. It is very rare for people to leave like this, and the Empress Dowager Cixi can't help but regret it.

However, that was only a momentary matter of conscience. When I saw the thick stack of memorials in a blink of an eye, I couldn't help feeling all kinds of anxiety, anger, sadness, sleepless nights, and hesitation in the past two or three months. Thinking about the pain I suffered, I felt that even if my words were indiscreet, the Empress Dowager Ci'an should be considerate, why bother to be so serious?She doesn't understand the anger of sick people. Could it be that sick people should be wronged? Thinking about it like this, I feel like there is a ruffian conflict between the chest and diaphragm, the fifth middle school is agitated, and I can't swallow the resentment no matter what.

"Hmph!" She sneered, "You actually show me face!" The tone didn't sound like he was talking to himself, so Li Lianying needed to answer, so he kowtowed on his knees: "I have something to say, I don't know if I should say it or not?" "What are you talking about?" Empress Dowager Cixi warned, "Don't get mad at me too!" "I don't blame the master for being angry, and the slaves are also disobedient. However, having said that, no one can share the work and worries for the master. The important affairs of the country are all up to the master to worry about. Don't think about it, never think about it, just think about the world without a master." Li Lianying kowtowed again: "You are stupid, I really don't know what to say."

Although he couldn't say it, the Empress Dowager Cixi understood what he meant. After all, there is still someone who understands his hardships!Thinking of this, I felt better, and of course I looked at Li Lianying with special respect. "The master's body is in poor health. Others don't know, but the slave knows how the master's illness came about. If you are so troublesome and angry, the slave will take the place of the master..." At the end, he was choked with sobs and couldn't express himself.The Empress Dowager Cixi was startled, and hurriedly asked, "What's the matter with you?"

"Slave, think about it, I feel wronged for my master." Li Lianying burst into tears.The Empress Dowager Cixi was very moved, sad, happy, and surprised. It is really rare to be so loyal. "You don't need to be wronged for me." She nodded and said, "You have such filial piety, I value you well. As the saying goes, 'Don't be angry, just remember', you also remember today's paragraph, let's go Just wait and see! Get up, and I'll take the medicine!" Empress Dowager Cixi has always been reluctant to take medicine, and now she doesn't wait to be persuaded to take medicine, it seems that it is all because of his "filial piety".Li Lianying was naturally ordered to be cautious, so she stood up quickly, took out a pack of pills specially prepared by the Imperial Hospital from the silver box on the case, opened it, put it on a tray, and sent it to the Empress Dowager Cixi.

I don't know whether it was the effect of the medicine or because of Li Lianying's filial piety, Empress Dowager Cixi felt much more comfortable than before, and she lifted her spirits, and said again: "Look at the remaining ones, finish reading them." Li Lianying knew how to measure it. On these important matters, he dared not persuade Empress Dowager Cixi to save her labor, so as to avoid the suspicion of interfering in political affairs, so she looked carefully and replied: "There are two more." Then, he read unhurriedly: "The establishment of the Northeast and Northeast Frontier Defenses will cost a lot of money. Now that the Ministry's treasury is running out, we must deal with it in advance to prepare for any emergencies. The Ministry of Households will make overall plans, first focus on Cao, Yan, and Guan in all provinces, and reorganize their strengths. , foreign drug tax and other items, the governor is instructed to eliminate the middle-income, and not allow excessive expenditures to erode the situation, and use them for funding. However, the frontier defense will be held immediately, and the payment is very urgent. The Ministry of Households will deposit 40% of the foreign tax first. ...."

After reading this, Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly interrupted: "Wait!" So Li Lianying kept silent, raised her eyes cautiously, and saw the Empress Dowager Cixi staring at the sky, but there was nothing eye-catching in the sky, her confused eyes, I don't know if it was sadness or bewilderment?It can only be seen that she is trying her best to search for memories, her eyelashes are blinking faster and faster, and her eyebrows are furrowed tighter and tighter, showing a very strenuous look. Finally, her brows were relaxed, she looked down and saw Li Lianying's cautious and concerned expression, she said in a low voice: "I remembered! On the first day the emperor took office, the first thing the military plane told him was ' Withdraw 40% foreign tax'. It has been seven years in a flash. Alas!" She sighed and asked again: "What time is it today?"

"Yesterday's 'Swallow Nine Festival', today is the 20th day of the first lunar month." "The emperor was in charge on the twenty-sixth day of the first lunar month of that year. The difference was six days, seven years." It turned out that the emperor she was talking about did not refer to the little emperor who was sleeping in the Changchun Palace at the moment, but the former emperor who pointed out the "smallpox" Bintian.Li Lianying was very surprised that when the Empress Dowager Cixi thought of her only son, she seemed to feel more emotion than mourning.This seemed to confirm what Shen Lanyu and the others had revealed in their daily chats, the legend that the mother and child were at odds back then, so he didn't dare to say more, and just replied: "The slave entered the palace late, and it didn't catch up with the days when Lord Tongzhi was here."

"Ah!" Empress Dowager Cixi shook her head, as if she didn't want to mention the late emperor, and then said: "Read on!" Li Lianying agreed, and found the paragraphs to read: "But the frontier defense will be held immediately, and the payment is very urgent. It is planned that the household department will allocate a huge amount of money before withdrawing 40% of the foreign tax, to meet the emergency needs; In order to ensure that there are no gaps in the items that each province owns, the special payment for the west levy, the Tianjin and Water Army Army, the Beiyang Coastal Defense Fund, and the Huai Army special payment are planned. The households will be arranged for each provincial customs, and all will be paid annually. The three eastern provinces practice If the payment and the cooperative payment are not satisfied by the provincial customs, they will also be restricted and cleared." After reading this article, she had to wait for Empress Dowager Cixi to consider it. Li Lianying got up and changed her to hot tea.Holding the teacup, she was dazed for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Yan Shilang, who is in Shanxi for relief, do you know this person?" This refers to Yan Jingming, the minister of the Ministry of Industry.Li Lianying often read memorials for the Empress Dowager Cixi, and the relief and aftermath of the severe drought in Shanxi were often presented by Governor Zeng Guoquan and Yan Jingming. If he said he didn't know, he was deceiving, and Li Lianying replied: "Yes!" "Have you heard, how is he in Shanxi?" Li Lianying thought for a while and replied: "I have relatives who fled from Shanxi. It is said that the imperial court sent Yan Shilang to help. It is a great grace. Yan Shilang is very serious in his work." "En, um!" The Empress Dowager Cixi didn't go any further, but Li Lianying guessed it a little bit, was talking about raising salary, and suddenly mentioned Yan Jingming, it seemed that he was going to be transferred to the Ministry of Household Affairs to handle errands. Due to too many memorials, the Empress Dowager Cixi was inevitably overworked last night. When she got up this day, her spirits were exhausted, and she looked at the court much later than usual. Therefore, Prince Gong and the Minister of Military Aircraft were on standby in the corridor of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, talking about her condition in a low voice, worried that she would suffer a serious illness from exhaustion. "To be honest, Xi Sheng really should take a good rest for a while. However, it's inconvenient to comment on this." "When you invite Fujin into the palace, you might as well persuade him." Bao Yun suggested. Prince Gong nodded, and was about to say something when he heard a eunuch calling, knowing that the Empress Dowager Xigong was coming, so he stopped talking and waited for "call". When the empress dowagers of the two palaces arrived in a soft sedan chair, Prince Gong led the shift to welcome them. Everyone paid attention to the empress dowager Cixi's complexion, but seeing that her face was yellow, dry and thin, and her eyes showed infinite fatigue, they couldn't help but Covering his mouth with a handkerchief and coughing dryly, his sickly appearance is no longer something that pearls and emeralds can cover up. She herself did not deny that, after kneeling down, she first said: "I am not in good health! I am afraid there will be a catastrophe." "The weather is not right recently, please take good care of the Holy Mother and Empress Dowager." Prince Gong's words were extremely vague , Self-consciousness is meaningless, but what if you don't say that?After hesitating for a moment, he added: "The ministers have nothing to do with their duties, and they have no place to be ashamed of themselves." "I can't blame you either." After the Empress Dowager Cixi said this, she coughed and blushed.Eunuchs and maids were not allowed to serve in the hall, and Prince Gong and others were helpless, they could only stare anxiously, so the Empress Dowager Ci'an had to take care of her later, beat her back for her, and brought tea bowls to her lips. calm down. "Alas!" Panting, the Empress Dowager Cixi said intermittently, "I have read all the papers on your discussions on border defense. Zeng Jize will take some days to go from England to Russia. Can we start the discussion immediately when we arrive? We have a meeting, a meeting." There will be no results? It's hard to say. Long nights and many dreams are really worrying. " "It doesn't matter at the moment." Prince Gong replied, "Even if Russia intends to provoke, it will take some time to deploy troops there. I have called the Prime Minister's Office to order more news papers from various places. If there is any movement in Russia, news papers There must be news. Can't see anything yet. " "It wants to dispatch troops, so it's naturally acting in secret. Even if it doesn't move, we can't help it." "Yes! The ministers and others respect their sacred will, so naturally they have to prepare for war and seek peace." Prince Gong said again, "For years of western expeditions, the coastal defense funds are insufficient. It is best not to break up, otherwise..." "Otherwise, how about it?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked unrelentingly, "Otherwise, just watch the Russian soldiers attack?" This is a hit.But Prince Gong couldn't stop talking because of this, "Of course there is no such reason. The minister said that if you can seek perfection, you might as well be wronged for the time being. If you really want to start a war," he said with difficulty, "you can only do your best." Empress Dowager Cixi thought for a while and asked, "What did Li Hongzhang say? Beiyang Haikou, is he sure he can hold it?" "Beiyang Haikou is related to the safety of the capital, and of course Li Hongzhang has to do his best to defend it. He has been planning for many years, and the battleship battery has roughly reached a certain scale. The minister received a letter from Li Hongzhang the day before yesterday, planning to deploy defenses in Yantai and Dalian Bay. Fengtian Yingkou, It is also within the scope of Beiyang, so Li Hongzhang should be tasked with making overall plans. However, the naval division is still insufficient, and we can only focus on rectifying the infantry. purpose." "There is Li Hongzhang in Beiyang, and Zuo Zongtang on the West Road, so you can rest assured." Empress Dowager Cixi said, "I am worried about the three eastern provinces. I heard that the Russians spent a lot of time in Vladivostok. Do you want to add troops to that area?" General Tim, can anyone send someone capable over there, why didn't you mention it in your replay notes?" "Employing people is a big policy, and the ministers did not dare to draw it up. They originally planned to take the order in person." Prince Gong's answer to these few words was very decent, the saying "I didn't dare to imitate it" was not pretending to be obedient, to please the Empress Dowager, it was indeed inconvenient to put it into words in advance, because the employment of border guards is related to the military situation , should be cautious.At the same time, some veteran generals, after being disarmed and returned to the fields, built large gardens and set up concubines. They are enjoying their blessings. These circumstances were clarified by King Gong's replay, and Empress Dowager Cixi's anger subsided, so she reviewed each item in detail according to the eight items of the replay.When it was time to pass the lunch, the discussion was only halfway through, and we took a break for a while.The empress dowagers of the two palaces passed on the meal in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and at the same time ordered the withdrawal of the imperial meal to reward King Gong and the Minister of Military Aircraft, and ordered to eat it at Meiwu in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. After the meal and reconsideration, the Empress Dowager Cixi's expression became more and more fatigued, but this is a rare major event, of course it can't be abandoned halfway, and after finishing the discussion, she can't go back to the palace to rest. As a result, Zhang Jing, the military aircraft, worked together to draft an order separately, and made a clear announcement and a dozen court dispatches.Among them, the "preparation for frontier defense matters" is divided into eight parts, all of which start with the sentence "the treaty discussed between Russia and Chonghou this time", and the following wordings are different.Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang are the "pillars of the imperial court", and there is no secret to them, so they candidly tell the original intention of the imperial court. Unpredictable and treacherous, we must take precautions in advance and use cunning schemes." In addition, it is inconvenient for them to settle with Wen Daji Temple.Or it can be said that Russia "has no guarantee that troubles will not arise", or that "the frontiers will not be delayed", and the order to rectify the defense has never revealed its determination to fight at all costs. First of all, the eight imperial court letters were written at most a thousand words, and at least five or six hundred words. It took more than an hour to copy and copy, and with the help of Shen Guifen and Wang Wenshao, it was properly posted and sent to King Gong for review. "I don't need to look any further. The key to the palace gate is about to be released, so hurry up and send it up!" When it was sent to the empress dowagers of the two palaces, the empress dowager Cixi had to read it carefully, and at the same time she had to explain it to the empress dowager Ci'an.The first post from the court was given to Li Hongzhang, who was given the important task of defending the capital and consolidating the Beiyang portal. All arrangements were made and reported within a one-month deadline. The second one was for Zuo Zongtang, and he was instructed to make overall plans based on the frontier defenses of Xinjiang's north and south routes.The third part must be divided into eight parts, and sent to Liu Kunyi, governor of Liangjiang, and other governors of the provinces south of the Yellow River, and Peng Yulin, who was ordered to patrol the Yangtze River navy, to strengthen Nanyang defense and river defense, simplify the army, and supplement the navy. .The fourth route sent Zeng Guoquan, governor of Shanxi, to transfer Liu Lianjie's army stationed in Shanxi to defend Suiyuan.The fifth route sent Tu Zongying, the governor of Henan, to transfer Song Qing's first army stationed in Henan, and moved outside the pass to station in Fengtian and Yingkou.The sixth route dispatched General Uliasutai, Counselor Minister, Urumqi Dutong, Kulun Minister of Affairs and other Manchurian and Mongolian banner generals to strengthen the border defense of the jurisdiction, earnestly practice, and set up reclamation.The seventh route is distributed to all provinces, and the grain, salt tax, and tariffs are rectified to ensure that the source of salary is sufficient. The last one is to instruct the defense of the three northeastern provinces.The land of Longxing is very important, and the instructions sent by Dao Ting to Jilin General Ming'an are very detailed.And Wu Dacheng went to Jilin to assist Ming'an in military affairs with the title of third-rank minister. After being recommended by Li Hongzao to King Gong, he was also included in the imperial post to Ming'an after being approved in person just now. In addition to Wu Dacheng, Empress Dowager Cixi attached great importance to Bao Chao.From the Battle of Duolonghe, Liu Ming Chuanen graciously avenged his vengeance, falsely accused his allies of "failure", which made Bao Chao feel anxious and angry, and made a lot of old troubles. He has been recuperating in the new mansion in his hometown of Kuizhou for the past few years.Both the Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong knew about his grievances, and they were afraid that he would not come out of the mountain because of his previous suspicions. Therefore, in the court letter sent to Ding Baozhen, Governor of Sichuan, "an order to come to Beijing to see you", it was specially written: "Current affairs Difficult, talents are urgently needed, and we must abide by the decree and come to Beijing quickly, without prevarication or delay." In addition, there is a very important Ming issued: "The cabinet, because of the difficult current situation and the urgent need for talents, repeated the decree and ordered the governors of the provinces to recommend talents for the appointment. I am afraid that there are still many places for people with strange talents and abilities. The governors, etc., heard that Seeing difficult weeks, but not all the recommended documents have been published, so it is necessary to visit Zhou Zhibo and search widely. He wrote the governors of the six divisions of the university, the nine ministers, the governors of the direct provinces, and the former ministers of the army Peng Yulin and Yang Yuebin. , proficient in governing the system; excellent in defense, good at official affairs, and talented enough to be a general; brave and good at fighting, fully prepared for side benefits; familiar with Chinese and foreign negotiations, proficient in languages ​​​​of various countries; good at shipbuilding, proficient in mathematics, sufficient Those who offer utensils and are proficient in naval affairs, regardless of whether they are civil or military, have been in office or not, all know what they know, issue practical testimonials, and impartially recommend them. They must not use false names, pretend to be numbers, and must not be trusted by others. Bao, once you play the role, there will be a large number of talented people, and you can use it to recruit talents with the deputy imperial court. Let this be announced!" This edict is full of the meaning of "hearing the drums and thinking about the soldiers", as evidenced by the recruitment of Bao Chao.The content of the eight-way court post to discuss border defense will inevitably be leaked, so people are excited, and everyone is talking about it. This time, "I must have a good fight with the old Maozi"! Of course, people like Zhang Zhidong and Zhang Peilun worked hard the most. Not only Wu Dacheng's being reused was enough to make Qingliu look good, but more importantly, the political views of the main battle had the upper hand. was overshadowed.Shen Guifen was indeed haggard.Although Li Hongzao's "prestige" made the narrow-minded "Wujiang Xiangguo" feel uncomfortable, but it was not entirely out of selfishness.In his opinion, training troops to raise salaries and recruiting talents with such fanfare is a disaster rather than a blessing, and one day the rupture will become unmanageable.However, the war faction is at the forefront, and Qingliu's arrogance is second to none. Empress Dowager Cixi insists on preparing for the war, and the attitude of not believing that it can be ended peacefully is what worries him the most. "Why are the superiors so tough?" He asked Baojun in confusion, "Could it be because of the anger?" "It's okay to be angry, and there are people adding fuel to the fire, which is the most unsolvable thing!" "Who is it?" Shen Guifen asked, "The fifth master and the seventh master?" "The fifth master's words are not listened to by the higher-ups, and the seventh master's words must be read first, right? Then make sense. If there is only one person, say one is one, and two is two." "Who is that?" "What do you think?" Bao Jun asked back, "Who can be summoned into the palace every day?" Shen Guifen understood, it was Rong Lu. Although Rong Lu was dismissed from the command of the infantry in November of last year because of a recurrence of his back injury and his lack of endurance, his favor has not faded.Now that Li Hongzao is back, he's helping Shen Guifen even more.Although there is still a case about Ronglu in the Ministry of War, but it is not easy to make a fuss about it and embarrass him, so I can only bear it and wait for the opportunity.