Chapter 11 Section Eleven

The opportunity came quickly, and it was an unexpected one.Since handling the case of discussing border defense, the Empress Dowager Cixi was exhausted physically and mentally, and her illness was getting worse day by day.After Li Deli asked for her pulse, she gave a warning, saying that she was suffering from a lack of vitality and blood, and her heart was palpitating and timid, which was mostly caused by worrying about state affairs and worrying too much. If she didn't get rid of everything and recuperate thoroughly, it would lead to a "tremendous disaster". The Empress Dowager Cixi also knew that her illness was serious, but she would not let go of her words if she was asked to let go of state affairs.And the ministers had to "confess illness". On the one hand, they were afraid of arousing her suspicion, so they concealed it from herself;In this way, it is inconvenient to openly request to be exempted from Chang Chao, and I only hope that she can save herself.

"The west side is very competitive, there must be someone who can talk, and try to persuade them?" Prince Gong also agrees with Bao Yun's opinion, but who is going to persuade him?Qi Fujin was not very talkative after seeing her sister, Qi Fujin refused to enter the palace for fear of running into trouble, and Prince Gong didn't dare to take the liberty.Finally, let Bao Jun think of someone: the widow Princess Rongshou. The Empress Dowager Cixi always loved Princess Rongshou, and after she became a widow, she felt an inexplicable apology, because it was she who made the decision to assign Princess Rongshou to Fu Zhen, who was physically weak, and ended up harming her for the rest of her life.For this reason, she looked at her differently, even if she said the wrong thing, it didn't matter, and Princess Rongshou was calm and vigilant, good at reasoning, so she wouldn't say the wrong thing.

So Princess Rongshou was ordered to enter the palace, and when she arrived, she expressed that she would stay in the palace.She also really tasted the soup and medicine herself, and was sleepless at night. As long as the Empress Dowager Cixi looked at her or asked her, she would always appear before the sick bed very quickly, and she was really filial to her daughter. Returning from the Palace of Mental Cultivation on the first day of February, the Empress Dowager Cixi hardly even had the strength to get off the sedan chair.Princess Rongshou felt that she had to speak. "Buddha!" ​​She said with a worried face, "Daughter has something to say, don't know whether to say it or not?"

"It's strange!" Empress Dowager Cixi reprimanded lovingly, "When have you not been allowed to talk?" "That's what my daughter said. Lord Buddha, can you rest well from tomorrow? In such a cold day, even good people will get sick if you go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation before dawn, not to mention the uneasiness of Sheng Gong?" "Hey!" Empress Dowager Cixi shook her head, "Why don't I want to rest? Tell me, 'over there' is someone who can make big decisions?" "I have to make up my mind, resting so peacefully, why don't I just take it?"

"That's true." "That's what it is!" Princess Rongshou then persuaded, the border defense is being deployed, Zeng Jize is going to Russia from Britain, and the negotiations with Russia are at a standstill, there is no major issue in front of him, just to keep safe. The Empress Dowager Cixi laughed, "According to what you said, it's the right time for me to be ill." She sighed again, "Really, you have to pick the right time to get sick!" "It turned out to be the protection of the gods. The important affairs of the country and the heavy burdens are all on the Queen's mother." Princess Rongshou said, "After a month or two, Zeng Jize will arrive in the Russian capital. When the meeting starts, I will ask for training. Mother has been safe for a long time, and she has the energy to deal with Lao Maozi."

This sentence made the Empress Dowager Cixi nod her head constantly, "Please come over there!" she said. The Empress Dowager Ci'an was really honest. When she heard what the Empress Dowager Cixi said, she was taken aback for a moment, then felt a little at a loss, "I'm afraid I can't do it alone!" She asked hesitantly. "Nothing is impossible! After so many years, is there anything that you can't see or hear?" The Empress Dowager Cixi pointed to Princess Rongshou and said, "With her Ama there, there is nothing wrong with it. .Besides, I can still help you read the notes and make up your mind."

Encouraging the courage of Empress Dowager Zhuang Ci'an in this way, she finally felt relieved.However, when I met the military aircraft the next day, I was still unavoidably stage-frightened, so I said bluntly: "The Empress Dowager Cixi is not in good health, so I have to take care of it alone. Sixth Lord, I am a little confused, what should I do? Wrong What, what is missing, you should say it earlier." "Yes!" King Gong replied, "there is a custom in doing things, and the ministers dare not bully you." Then he put a stack of memorials on the court case. The first case was troublesome.In this case, Deng Chengxiu received a letter from his hometown to impeach Feng Duanben, the magistrate of Guangzhou Prefecture, to recruit power and accept bribes, and to shelter evil for private interests. There are many plots.It turned out that Liu Kunyi, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and Yu Kuan, the governor of Guangdong, who had been transferred to Liangjiang, were to investigate and deal with it. What is going to be discussed now is the replay of Liu Kunyi and Yu Kuan.

Due to the circumstances of being involved, some are true and some are not true, and the results of the investigation by the governor are different. In addition, a case happened outside the case, involving a gentleman from the Guangzhou government who used to be the county magistrate. After flipping through the chorus, I couldn't find the original music of Deng Chengxiu that Prince Gong said. "No! Master Liu, come and see, which one is it?" So Prince Gong had no choice but to go to the imperial case and find out the original. On it was the imperial pen of Empress Dowager Cixi, which was the word "investigate and deal with".

"By the way, investigate! What should I say?" Prince Gong felt like laughing and laughing. After talking for a long time, Empress Dowager Ci'an didn't seem to listen to a single word. She asked "how to say" from the beginning, should I take the trouble to say it again? This is considered a trivial matter, such a waste of time, how to deal with major matters?Prince Gong replied in a general way: "Deng Chengxiu's participation is not all unfounded. Feng Duan is indeed a little wrong. I request the Ministry to discuss it." "Okay, the Ministry of Communications Office."

What could be settled by Empress Dowager Cixi in a word, when it came to Empress Dowager Ci'an, a lot of effort was spent out of thin air.When Prince Gong saw the situation, he felt that there was no need to bother so much, so he changed another method, explaining the simple reasons for each case, and then proposed the method, or "submit it to the Ministry for discussion", or "Get the Ministry to know", or " According to the proposal", or "quasi-play".Sure enough, it was much faster this time, more than 20 memorials were dispatched in less than an hour.

As soon as she retired from court, the Empress Dowager Ci'an felt relieved, and returned to Zhongcui Palace to breathe a long way.With this experience, she wholeheartedly convinced the Empress Dowager Cixi, and said to herself, "It's really thanks to her that people don't take too much effort!" Of course, practice makes perfect, and when you gradually figure out the clues, you will be able to make your own judgment.Shen Guifen met every day, although she seldom spoke, she was more attentive than usual, to see if the time had come, and uncover Ronglu's case. This case happened when Rong Lu was ordered to handle the Empress Dowager Cixi's Putuoyu "Ten Thousand Years Auspicious Land".Linggong has always been a good job, but the responsibility is also very heavy, and there is nothing wrong with it. It's just that Ronglu was in the limelight at that time, so he couldn't help being sloppy.There was Mahetu, a magistrate who was dismissed from his post, and he was not allowed to seek mausoleum appointments as usual, but Rong Lu used him as a "supervisor" and wrote a book for others.With Empress Dowager Cixi present, this case was suppressed, and now the old matter was brought up again, Shen Guifen discussed with another Minister of the Ministry of War, Weng Tonghe's brother, Guangshou, who had been a master of Hongde Palace, and proposed the punishment of Ronglu . There has always been a law and no law to convict crimes, and this comparison has a lot of room for expansion and contraction. If you compare the crime of negligence of the chief, it is only a penalty of salary, and what Shen Guifen proposed is "compared to the admiral's indiscriminate act of favoritism. Bandits case".This is a very serious crime. The admiral and the commander-in-chief were ordered to suppress the bandits, and they received bribes. Military officer, it's not surprising that you lose your head. Although the crime is serious, the proposed punishment is light, "downgraded to a second level of transfer", and the minor is serious, "not allowed to offset".Sometimes the crime is not afraid of seriousness, even if it is dismissed, as long as there is an opportunity, a decree of grace, and a re-sentence, nothing will happen.Shen Guifen thought for a long time before she came up with such a trick of "wrapped needles" to cure Ronglu. Not only that, but he also specially stated at the end of the fold: "This is a review, whether it can be changed to a lower level call, please handle it." The meaning is still begging for Rong Lu. "How is it called 'chayi'?" the Empress Dowager Ci'an asked. "This is clearly stated in the Great Qing Conference Code." Prince Gong replied: "It depends on the severity of the plot and punishes it accordingly, which is called 'discussion'. To punish crimes according to the law is to 'discuss'. " "The admiral and the commander-in-chief are indiscriminately punishing bandits for favoritism, which is a very serious crime!" "yes." "So, is it an understatement?" Prince Gong couldn't answer for a moment.Whether it is light or heavy, he knows in his stomach.Rong Lu has always followed the path of King Jin, of course he has nothing to protect him, but his personal relationship is also very good, it seems that he should speak for him again.At this moment of hesitation, Bao Jun answered again. "Yes." He said: "If you go back to your mother, the Empress Dowager, this punishment is very light according to the laws of the Qing Dynasty." "Since the draft has been light, there is no need to change it." The Empress Dowager Ci'an said skillfully: "According to the original proposal of the Ministry of War." Before the decree was issued, Rong Lu had already received the news. "Hmph!" He said angrily, "It's all for nothing. Zhewei's statement, isn't a cat crying for a mouse? I don't accept his favor." Then he asked his friends to prepare a memorial "Thank you" and asked for sick leave at the same time, which means that I don't want to make up for the vacancy of being down two ranks. It would be embarrassing to make up for the vacancy of a second rank after being a minister of the first rank. This request can of course be fulfilled.In fact, it also solved a difficult problem for Prince Gong, because there are very few shortages of second-rank civil servants, but there are many regular second-rank military officers, such as the left and right wing commanders who belong to the infantry commander, but this is the old Ronglu ten years ago. Naturally, it is inconvenient to reassign.In addition, the subordinates of the garrison generals in various provinces, who are in charge of a city, are also of the second rank. Since Rong Lu is ill, it is inconvenient to release him, so he feels wronged if he can be released.So as soon as his memorial was submitted to the Ministry of Officials for review, Prince Gong withheld it and put it at the military plane, and did not do it at all. At Ronglu's place, of course many people went to condolences, and Weng Tonghe was one of them. But empty words are useless, Rong Lu decides to hide his strength and bide his time, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge. Empress Dowager Cixi's illness, because of the two symptoms of insomnia and tasteless diet, has never been able to get rid of, and has become a lingering disease. Even if you want to ask about political affairs, you can't do what you want. There are only two major political matters, one is to negotiate with Russia, and the other is to discuss border defense and coastal defense.When preparing for war and seeking peace, the peace war is in the balance.Although Zeng Jize was far away in England, he was very aware of the divergent court discussions and hesitation.If the big plan is not settled, the negotiation will definitely be fruitless, so he delayed his trip in London, just exchanged letters and telegrams with the Prime Minister's Office, and discussed repeatedly. He must first set a purpose for the negotiation before he is willing to set off. The grand plan of peace and war is not only fiercely contested between the court and the central government, but also divided into two factions among the governors.The main battle is lonely and strong, and Zuo Zongtang is almost alone.Those who are in harmony have many people and feel weak, because they seem to be shrinking and cowardly, and they must be scolded. Therefore, Li Hongzhang, who is the leader, can only discuss with King Gong in secret letters.Liu Kunyi, governor of Liangjiang, was summoned to the pilgrimage. When he passed Tianjin, he had a secret talk and decided to be cautious in admonishing and persuading him.On the one hand, they played separately, asking for forgiveness of Chonghou's charges as a way of turning things around; on the other hand, Li Hongzhang encouraged British Minister Wade to come forward to mediate the Sino-Russian dispute. The peace faction gradually gained the upper hand. Under Weng Tonghe's full lobbying, even Chun Wang, who had always been the most fierce, changed his mind and did not advocate a sudden break.At the same time, Guo Songtao, who was recuperating from illness, also wrote a memorial with thousands of words, analyzing the reasons for negotiating with Russia, and advocating sending special envoys to conduct on-the-spot investigations, and Yili could postpone the withdrawal as much as possible.The crime of Chonghou should conform to the provisions of the public law of all nations.And he said very bluntly: "The courtiers' main battle is a corner view." Because of Guo Songtao's proficiency in Western affairs, his opinions were naturally valued by others, so the momentum of the "Harmony School" became stronger and stronger.It used to be that the high-spirited talk of the main battle and the cessation of the melody of the main peace, there was a tendency to go their own way and not conspire with each other. At this moment, the discussion could no longer be delayed, and whether the noble one could avoid death became one of the grand plans of the peace war. The essential.At this time, Bao Chao was called to Beijing, and his origin was another sign of the grand plan of peace and war.Therefore, the main fighter and both parties all watched the Empress Dowager Ci'an summon Bao Chao, what did she say? It was Bao Chao's first visit to Beijing.Of course, it was also the first time to meet the Empress Dowager Ci'an.In Tianjin, he was taught by Li Hongzhang again and again, how to salute, how to play correctly, and practiced again and again, so the ritual notes summoned were not wrong at all. The Empress Dowager Ci'an first asked about the situation on the road, and then asked the people as usual: "People in Sichuan, how are you doing?" "The virtuous minister, Ding Baozhen, is very upright." Bao Chao replied with a strong eastern Sichuan accent, "The people are safe and sound as usual." "What about the people along the way? It looks safe?" "Depending on the grace of God. The people are safe." "Is this year a good year?" "It's not bad to see Niancheng along the road. 'Xiaochun' is put away." The Empress Dowager Ci'an paused for a moment and asked, "How many days have you been on the road?" Bao Chao was surprised. He had already answered the question about the journey just now, so why did he ask again?He always thought that he had asked routine questions about people's concerns, and he would always mention the military deployment to Russia. , took medicine along the way, land and water were delayed, and it took more than a month to arrive in Tianjin." "Take medicine along the way?" The Empress Dowager Ci'an asked, "What's wrong with your body?" This question was considered to have picked up the topic, and Bao Chao replied energetically: "The slave is in his hometown, and he has received letters from various places, saying different things. Some say that Gubeikou has already started a battle, and the Russian warship has arrived in Tianjin. The capital is tight. Flying with wings. Therefore, according to the imperial decree, I asked someone to write a manuscript overnight and reported the date of departure, so as to teach the court to rest assured. On the other hand, the servants wrote letters overnight and sent them to the old ministries of various provinces, asking them to live together in a convenient place in Hubei by water and land. The slave’s message. The slave also asked someone to write a memorial, and asked for an order to recruit Yongding. The slave thought that it would be too late to make a reason after the memorial was approved, so the slave came up to avoid going back and forth and wasting a lot of time. The servant planned day and night, and could not sleep for a few hours. The servant's little wife advised the servant to rest. The servant thought to himself, the state affairs are so urgent, how can the minister have the heart to take time off? So, the lung family caught cold and coughed badly, which affected the old hurt." "Oh, where did you take your medicine along the way?" "I took five doses in Yichang. When I arrived in Tianjin, Li Hongzhang saw that the servant's complexion was not good, so he stayed with him and took several more doses." "You are an important person, you must be cautious when taking medicine." The Empress Dowager Ci'an seemed to be at a loss for words, and then asked, "Do you think the doctor there is good?" "It's all normal." "Which doctor is more reliable?" Bao Chao didn't understand why the Empress Dowager Ci'an wanted to break the casserole and ask the end?After thinking for a while, he replied: "The doctor recommended by Li Hongzhang, the medicine still feels peaceful." Empress Dowager Ci'an nodded, and changed the subject: "Are you fighting with Zeng Guofan?" Why ask?However, I have to answer: "The slaves originally followed Xiang Rong to Guangxi, and chased the bandits to Hunan. Zeng Guofan sent slaves to lead the navy, and accompanied Yang Yuebin to clear the river. Later, Hu Linyi sent slaves to lead the land route, recruiting the battalions of the Ting Army, and accompanied them. Zeng Guofan fought." "How many battles have you fought?" "There are too many, I can't remember!" Bao Chao replied: "There are always hundreds of battles on water and land." "Hello reputation!" You should be grateful for the praise from Tianyu. Bao Chao kowtowed and said, "This slave can do nothing." "I know it's been hard." "Do the work of a dog and a horse." At this point, I have nothing to say, and the appointment of a veteran general is a serious matter, and it seems that I can't just ask a few words like a routine summoning by an external official.So, Empress Dowager Ci'an returned to Bao Chao's illness. "Do you still care about the scars on your body? Is your cough better?" "It's better." "Since the doctor recommended by Li Hongzhang is not bad, we should use Li Hongzhang's doctor." "Yes!" Bao Chao dropped a sentence: "I would like to follow the instructions of mercy." The Empress Dowager Ci'an thought for a while, and asked Li Hongzhang: "Are you and Li Hongzhang very close?" How to get the best deal?Bao Chao's illness came from the fact that Li Hongzhang slandered his conscience and protected Liu Mingchuan.It's just that these grievances can't be played directly, and only one word has been changed from the words of Empress Dowager Ci'an: "The slave and Li Hongzhang have been 'old' for many years." "How is his body? Is he okay?" asked the Empress Dowager Ci'an, "Is the diet good?" "Li Hongzhang once invited his servants to have dinner, and he ate two medium bowls of rice in one meal. He has a good appetite. The Queen Mother can rest assured." "You have to be careful! Always ask the doctor to take care of you." "yes!" There was no more words, the Empress Dowager Ci'an really couldn't think of anything to say, so she just nodded and said, "Take a break!" Bao Chao knew that this was a sign that the summoning was over, so he immediately knelt down and withdrew, feeling relieved and regretful at the same time.What's easy is that the Empress Dowager Ci'an is very easy to deal with, she doesn't have the slightest feeling of being at odds with each other, and it's a pity that I have prepared for so many days, how to recruit courage, how to deploy defenses, it is completely useless, it is really wasted! When the Empress Dowager Ci'an summoned Bao Chao, there was an eunuch who could speak in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi on the same day, and he used it as a joke to relieve her boredom when she was ill.Except for the phrase "little woman" which is taboo and must not be exported, Bao Chao's local accent and self-proclaimed "slave" were all amazed. Han people are called ministers, and banner people are called slaves. This is a rule that has been followed for two hundred years since the founding of the country.Empress Dowager Cixi didn't know who taught Bao Chao, or whether he deliberately attached himself to the banner, so she called her a slave.However, what she thought was a joke was not on Bao Chao, but on the words of Empress Dowager Ci'an. "Look," she said to Princess Rongshou, "what's the matter with you, Master Dongfo? Bao Chao came all the way to see His Majesty, and you should ask him what he thinks about the current situation. If he is used, what would he think?" How effective? Why are you babbling, like an old woman from Sanjia Village, talking nonsense." "Eastern Buddha, a man of Amitabha Buddha!" ​​Princess Rongshou said, "If I want to ask, I can't ask." "How can I take on important matters like this?" Empress Dowager Cixi sighed: "Oh! This disease has trapped me." "Emperor Niang! Don't be upset." Princess Rongshou warned, "Otherwise, the medicine will be for nothing." The Empress Dowager Cixi shook her head: "How can you not be bothered? Shen Guifen said that she is sick from frustration! If you want to be careful and prudent in handling things, he is still the one. Without such a person on the military plane, I am afraid it will be even more difficult to play." Princess Rongshou knows how to measure, when it comes to state affairs, she refuses to talk casually, so she keeps silent. If others are so indifferent, even if they are not disrespectful, they will be regarded by the Empress Dowager Cixi as ignorant of flattery and lose her favor, but Princess Rongshou is an exception. If we talk about state affairs again, we will only make sense after the Empress Dowager Ci'an comes back. For three full months, the Empress Dowager Ci'an retreated from the Palace of Mental Cultivation as usual, and went to the Changchun Palace, where she summoned military aircraft and ministers, or the situation of the governor's visit, and told the Empress Dowager Cixi about it.Of course, it's not just to let her know what's going on, the main thing is to ask her for advice. "The sixth master told me that Bao Chao was extremely excited when he came to Beijing this time. It seems that he is hoping to release a governor..." "No wonder!" Empress Dowager Cixi said in a low voice, "So flattering, calling herself a 'slave'." "Yeah, I'm also surprised! I thought he was in the flag and asked the sixth master, but the sixth master said no, the generals don't understand the rules. The sixth master also said that there is no shortage of a governor, which means that Bao Chao cannot be the governor." "It doesn't matter if there is a shortage!" The Empress Dowager Cixi said, "Yang Yuebin, a group of them who started their careers in the military, was a governor. Governor?" "I think so too. Bao Chao is a warlike general, so it's better to ask him to supervise military affairs." "Wouldn't that be an imperial envoy? Let alone!" Empress Dowager Cixi said bluntly: "He was an admiral, and he was still asked to be an admiral. Isn't it to recruit bravery? He is from the Hunan Army, so let him go to Hunan. gone." In a few words, Bao Chao's origin was determined.The Empress Dowager Ci'an thought about it carefully, and sure enough, letting Bao Chao go to be the admiral of Hunan was a suitable arrangement for people and places.But I can't think of it myself, I really can't help but be convinced. "I see, I will tell the sixth master tomorrow." The Empress Dowager Ci'an then talked about another important matter, "Zuo Zongtang wrote a note, saying that Xinjiang will send a governor and a governor. The governor is stationed in Urumqi, and the governor is stationed in Afghanistan. Crewe, please appoint someone from the imperial court to set up Xingsheng." "Now is not the time!" "The sixth master said the same thing. Yili has not yet been recovered, so we can only put it aside for a while. This note will not be copied, so as not to affect people's hearts." "Very good!" Empress Dowager Cixi nodded her head in appreciation. "The sixth master talked about another matter. He said that after receiving a letter from Suzhou, Zuo Zongtang went out of Jiayuguan to Hami. He brought one thing," said the Empress Dowager Ci'an, "What you never thought of was a coffin. " Hearing this, the Empress Dowager Cixi paid close attention, her half-closed eyes suddenly opened wide, eyelashes sparkling, she looked at the Empress Dowager Ci'an and asked, "Is that true?" "It's true if you think about it. The sixth master said that Zuo Zongtang is loyal and brave. But..." "But how?" The Empress Dowager Cixi rushed to ask. "But it hurts the country's health." "Hmph!" The Empress Dowager Cixi shook her head and leaned back, with an air of disbelief but unwillingness to criticize Prince Gong. "Zuo Zongtang is going to be seventy this year." The Empress Dowager Ci'an had a look of pity: "In such a hot day, and in a place where no water and grass grow in the northwest, carrying the coffin to fight for his life! Think about it, alas, really!" The Empress Dowager Cixi remained silent, leaning quietly on the soft chair, crossing her hands in front of her chest, blinking her eyes, seemingly ignoring the Empress Dowager Ci'an in front of her. This look seemed to be a big problem to be solved, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an asked anxiously: "What are you thinking?" The Empress Dowager Cixi turned her eyes slowly, with infinite emotion in her eyes, "their father and son always want to fight with foreigners, so that they can stand up and breathe a sigh of relief after seeing a victory. I don't know when this wish will come true. ?” The Empress Dowager Ci'an was silent for a while, before she said: "You need someone to fight." "It's not that there are no people. People's hearts are not in harmony! Zuo Zongtang wanted to fight, but Li Hongzhang refused; Li Hongzao wanted to fight, but Shen Guifen refused; the seventh wanted to fight, but the sixth refused." The Empress Dowager Cixi said: "We don't Is that too?" "I have no idea." The Empress Dowager Ci'an said again: "However, even in a war, you have to be sure. Even if there are people, even if the hearts of the people are united, you must have money. If you buy two iron-clad ships in Beiyang, you will have two." Millions of silver, how did you get it?" When it comes to money, the Empress Dowager Cixi has an indescribable confusion. When talking about coastal defense and border defense, she always obeys the dispatch of military planes and pays as much as she says.However, on weekdays, they talk about it with gaudy rhetoric, but once something happens, it is always difficult.Where did all the money go?For Zuo Zongtang's expedition to the west, the military salary of six or seven million silver a year was still paid by "carrying the coffin and fighting for his life" in return. She was thinking, the old saying goes that "the Son of Heaven is rich in the world", while the Queen Mother is "supported by the world".At the beginning when the garden was being built, all the ministers and workers, big and small, tried their best to admonish them. In terms of reason, they had to listen, but in fact it was not the case at all!You want to spend everyone, you want to squander everyone, no matter what the empress dowager said, she should be different, "It's better for me to spend than others!" She was thinking like this, but she still didn't understand, Is my idea right? For two big things, or just one big thing: yes and war?The Empress Dowager Ci'an finally retreated, and she had to ask the Empress Dowager Cixi to discuss face-to-face with the "Six Masters" and the Minister of Military Affairs. The first thing is to convict Chonghou of the death penalty. More and more people are talking. Li Hongzhang and Liu Kunyi, the two governors-general of the north and the south, the leader of the border officials, have long suggested that it is appropriate to pardon them. Even Zeng Jize implicitly stated that the pardon of Chonghou's crimes was at least an expression of his sincerity to end Russia peacefully.At the same time, according to Li Hongzhang's report, the British Minister Wade and the new French Minister Baohai also demanded that only by pardoning Chonghou's crimes can there be a possibility of a peaceful conclusion. If you don't want to end it peacefully, you will naturally go to war, but it's really like what the Empress Dowager Ci'an said: War requires people and money.VIPs can still search carefully, but the provinces must do their best to ask for money.However, Tu Zongying, governor of Henan, and Wu Yuanbing, governor of Jiangsu, both reported that it was really difficult to balance the demands of Beijing's payment, co-payment, and coastal defense funds.It can be seen from this that they all vented their anger with Li Hongzhang.If the imperial court insists on going to war, even a rich place like Jiangsu can't pay extra money, so once it breaks up and the backup doesn't continue, wouldn't it be a hasty defeat? Peace is unwilling, and war is difficult to fight.At the request of the Empress Dowager Ci'an, the Empress Dowager Cixi came out of illness and received military planes to thoroughly decide on a plan for peace and war. The state affairs were difficult, and even when the Empress Dowager Cixi came to the court to help her sick, King Gong first expressed that he was in a position of inadequacy, felt ashamed and terrified, and felt ashamed. Then, according to the reports of various parties and the records of the newspapers, they analyzed Russia's movements. While increasing troops to defend the Nalin River in Ili, they sent warships to patrol the coast of Jilin.It is still possible to fight by land, but the coastal defense is empty, and it is extremely difficult to resist. Therefore, at present, we must always try to promote a peaceful situation. "The coastal defense has been in preparation for less than a year or two!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "How was it decided at the beginning? Tell yourself!" The discussion on coastal defense was scheduled for April of the first year of Guangxu, with Shen Baozhen, governor of Liangjiang, and Li Hongzhang, governor of Zhili, respectively supervising the coastal defense matters in the northern and southern oceans.The Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Household Affairs negotiated and decided that the annual allocation of "Coastal Defense Special Fund" was 4 million silver, 40% of the foreign tax of Guangdong Customs, 20% of the foreign tax of Jiangxi Customs, and the lijin of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces with the most reliable tax sources.King Gong made clear the method originally proposed, and then stated the situation of the preparations in the past five or six years. "Although the special fund for coastal defense has four million silver per year, it is not enough to collect it. The military expenditure for the Western Expedition is six to seven million per year. It is financed by foreign debts, guaranteed by the foreign taxes of the Guangdong and Jiangxi Customs, and repaid annually. Jiangsu and Zhejiang The lijin of the two provinces are sometimes used for other important purposes, and they are all recorded. Therefore, the special funds allocated for coastal defense to the two oceans are only a few hundred thousand silver each year, to buy gunboats, send overseas students, etc. It is all within this special fund, and we will spend it one after another." King Gong paused for a moment and said, "Even if we have the money, it will take several years to buy and build iron-clad warships and practice them proficiently. Beiyang is the gateway to Gyeonggi, and it is more important than Nanyang Li Hongzhang presided over there, and the deployment was relatively thorough, while Nanyang focused on manufacturing and training, and the defense was relatively empty. The ministers did not dare to shirk, but they have concentrated on managing the Northwest for the past few years, and it is difficult to take care of the coastal defense. Since the two empress dowagers , Over the past ten years, the bandits, Nianzi, and Huichao have been suppressed, the vitality has been severely damaged, and the national strength has not been fully charged. Now it has to be wronged for a while, and strive to revive it." "'A moment of grievance' is all right, I'm afraid the words 'strive to cheer up' are empty words!" Although the Empress Dowager Cixi's voice was calm, the reproach in her tone was very strict, King Gong felt very cramped, and could only lower his head and hands, expressing fear. "Alas!" The Empress Dowager Cixi sighed, unable to refute due to lack of energy, thought for a while, and explained this way: "The crime of Chonghou was proposed by everyone and cannot be pardoned by our sisters. Although the power comes from above, You can't disregard the general will." At this point, he couldn't stop because he was short of breath. "Yes!" Prince Gong already understood the meaning of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and he knew that it would take a lot of trouble, so he might as well see the opportunity, so he said: "I ask for an order to reduce the crime of Chonghou, and I still hand it over to the six ministers and nine ministers of the king. Meeting replay." "Prince Chun should also participate." Empress Dowager Cixi said again, "Zhang Zhidong is very sensible, so ask him to attend the meeting." "Yes." Prince Gong added, "I'm here for consultation." This is to specifically determine Zhang Zhidong's status in the meeting, not to participate in the meeting, but to prepare as a consultant.Empress Dowager Cixi nodded, agreeing to Prince Gong's opinion. So two days later, the cabinet meeting was presided over by the academician Quan Qing, who prepared a folded draft in advance and sent someone to read it aloud. It was to use outside discussions as a reason to reduce the crime, and it was completely aimed at Russia and the ministers of other countries. "Recently, I have heard outside discussions that China will question Chonghou about Russia's face. This is not the intention of the imperial court." Then he declared peace with Russia for many years without losing friendship.Chonghou's mistake is not to explain to Russia in detail what China must not do.Now using Chinese law to punish Chonghou's crime has nothing to do with Russia, but fearing that the rumors from afar may be inaccurate and cause misunderstandings, so extrajudicial grace was given to exempt Chonghou from the death penalty, and Zeng Jize informed Russia.This is evidence of China's reconciliation with Russia. In addition, King Chun delivered a separate memorial, also advocating that Chonghou be temporarily exempted from the death penalty and still be imprisoned, and that he will be granted grace after the treaty is negotiated.What he meant was: You Russians should treat Chonghou as his friend and speak up for him. If so, if you want to save Chonghou's life, you should make a peaceful treaty.Otherwise, Chonghou will inevitably die, and you are not enough friends! When the two books arrived at the Empress Dowager Cixi, they had to obey.The two folds were combined into one, and a decree was issued, and Chonghou would not die when he arrived at the Autumn Judgment.