Chapter 25 Section 25

Three years have passed in a blink of an eye, and when it was time to withdraw the money, the "General Manager" of the China Merchants Bureau came up with another trick to owe Qichang Yangxing a boat price of 690,000 taels. For the reason, Li Hongzhang is invited to play a performance, and the annual transportation of rice should be paid back by the water foot freight.That is to say, if the grain rice from each province is not handed over to the China Merchants Bureau for transportation, the official money should be withdrawn, that is, there will be nowhere to go.In addition, there is another attached sheet, one of which says: "The establishment of China Merchants is based on the capital of each merchant, and it is managed by itself in accordance with trade regulations"; , have nothing to do with officials”; the third said: “Business should be done by merchants, not by officials, and ship business, which involves foreign affairs, is even more inconvenient to be appointed by officials.” Repeatedly stating that “commercial management” is five years In the future, as long as 660,000 shi of rice are transported to the north every year, and the water and foot freight is paid back to the official money, then in the tenth year of Guangxu, the official money will be paid off, and the entire China Merchants Bureau will fall into the hands of the "Shang Zong".

But in June, the situation in Liangjiang changed, and Liu Kunyi was transferred to the post of Governor of Jiang and Minister of Nanyang.He belongs to the system of the old Hunan Army, so of course he will not listen to Li Hongzhang like Shen Baozhen and Wu Yuanbing.As a result, the interests of the two departments of Hunan and Huaihe conflicted in the fertile land in the southeast. The first one to attack was Wang Xianqian. The officials paid homage to Guozijian's sacrificial wine, which was also a resounding Qingliu. There were suggestions and fights in the memorial. Sheng Xuanhuai was the first to bear the brunt of the pen. Blackmailing for profit."

"Traveling for profit" means that the acquisition of the Qichang steamship involved a scheme to hide the sky and cross the sea; The abbreviations of "traffic palace ban" and "traffic close attendant" are not aimless, and Wang Xianqian himself is also involved in his tenure.Sheng Xuanhuai followed Li Lianying's footsteps, and often has "filial piety", and Wang Xianqian is said to have used Li Lianying's money, borrowing money from others, which greatly damaged his reputation, but it did not affect his impeachment of Sheng Xuanhuai, especially because of the rectification of the China Merchants Bureau Suggestion, let alone send it to the Minister of Beiyang and Beiyang for processing.

This happened at the end of October in the sixth year of Guangxu. Shen Guifen was taking power, so she approved Wang Xianqian's decree and only ordered Li Hongzhang and Liu Kunyi to rectify it seriously.Liu Kunyi advocated a thorough investigation, but Li Hongzhang thought it was unnecessary, as long as the issue of repaying the official money in years was settled, he could make a reply.During the stalemate, Shen Guifen died on New Year's Eve, which meant that Sheng Xuanhuai lost a backer and was in a very disadvantageous situation. Sure enough, it was only half a month later—on the fifteenth day of the first month of the seventh year of Guangxu, Liu Kun played again with a single title, saying that "Wang Xianqian's performance was not without reason", referring to Sheng Xuanhuai's "sickness of beetle money. Naifu secretly hooked up and acted arbitrarily." After he revealed the inside story of "taking a bonus of 5% every 2 when he bought Qichang, he privately bought Qichang's stock at a 30% discount, and exchanged the full amount to fill his own pockets". After that, he sternly said Criticism: "Abusive official career, in the China Merchants Bureau, either hiding or jumping, if there is nothing, working in the camp, skillfully avoiding, the so-called cunning rabbits and three caves! Such bad people, there are fellow philistines, and they are placed in the ranks of supervisors. If you have tarnished the Banlian, what will happen if you use power in the future?" Therefore, he asked for an order, "Sheng Xuanhuai will be dismissed soon, and he will not be allowed to interfere in the affairs of the Merchants Bureau."

Jiangchen impeached Si Dao, and rarely used such harsh words, but it was too late when Liu Kun came to do it, and Sheng Xuanhuai had "become the climate".On the one hand, Li Hongzhang had to reuse him to run telegrams and open coal mines; on the other hand, both public and private ends were virtually coerced by him.Needless to say, for the private ones, Li Hongzhang did not know how many times he had protected Sheng Xuanhuai from his superiors, saying that he was "loyal in heart" and "dedicated to improving the times", but in the end Liu Kun was scolded so badly, without a word of excuse. , how can I explain myself?All along, when recommending bandits, the leader will be punished. Sure enough, Sheng Xuanhuai was dismissed from his post, and he couldn't get rid of the responsibility.Therefore, Li Hongzhang had no choice but to smear his conscience, harden his scalp, and stand up for Sheng Xuanhuai.

This is how he "defended" Sheng Xuanhuai, saying that this person "has been working in the minister's office for many years, honest and capable, pays attention to the administration of officials, and is familiar with foreign affairs and business affairs, so he was assigned the title of the association to conduct inspections. Sheng Xuanhuai and the minister stipulated He does not handle any money. He does not receive any salary in the game. When there is an important matter, he discusses the matter with Tang Tingshu and others." Talking about the case of Qichang, he said that "Sheng Xuanhuai made the first proposal, and he contributed nothing to the overall situation. On that day, Tang Tingshu was equal to The foreign merchants have reached an agreement, and they first invited Sheng Xuanhuai to go to Jinling from Hubei to meet Shen Baozhen. The pre-event discussion and the subsequent payment are actually the responsibility of Tang Tingshu and other masters."

This memorial is really not clever, the words are not smooth, the reason is not straightforward, and the spirit is not strong.To buy the Qichang steamship, Sheng Xuanhuai from Hubei was specially invited to Jinling to report the matter to Shen Baozhen. On the contrary, it seems that in Liu Kunyi's original performance, "either concealed or leaping, if there is nothing, working for drilling, cleverly avoiding" these few words In a word, it is wonderful to describe.In particular, Li Hongzhang made Sheng Xuanhuai's comment on the word "clean" a joke in Beijing, saying that if Sheng Xuanhuai could be called honest, then all the girls in the Qingyin small class in Bada Hutong could build a square to show their chastity.

However, what Li Hongzhang relied on to shield Sheng Xuanhuai was his status and momentum.Since sponsoring Xue Fuchen was a great achievement, the Empress Dowager Cixi really looked at him differently. Prince Gong was supporting Li Hongzhang to make every effort to organize various foreign affairs of "the leader of the barbarians", cherishing talents, and it was unavoidable to give it to You Rong. Therefore, although Liu Kunyi's reasons are sufficient However, Li Hongzhang still had the upper hand, and Sheng Xuanhuai was exempted. Liu Kun was very dissatisfied, and went up for the second time to participate strictly, and implicitly accused Li Hongzhang of deliberately protecting Sheng Xuanhuai, saying, "China Merchants bought the Qichang steamship and other items, wasting money and treasury, and after accepting the ship, the loss was very profitable. There is no excuse for Sheng Xuanhuai and others to discuss the matter and check the files." Therefore, "it is not too much for the law to confiscate Sheng Xuanhuai. It is extra lenient to ask for dismissal."

After all, Liu Kunyi is the governor of Liangjiang and the minister of Nanyang. Among the border officials, he is second only to the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang. At the same time, he has the support of the Hunan Army and is expected to receive support from Qingyi. Therefore, Liu Kunyi still has confidence , will be able to punish this bad guy Sheng Xuanhuai.Unexpectedly, when the memorial arrived in Beijing, after the sudden collapse of the Empress Dowager Ci'an, there was a great funeral for the state, and the cause of the sudden collapse was unknown, the court was in a state of panic, and no one had the heart to take care of it.This gave Sheng Xuanhuai and Li Hongzhang an excellent opportunity.All aspects were dredged, big things turned into small ones, and small things turned into nothing. Although Liu Kunyi's memorial was like strong gunpowder, it was powerful, but the line of the gunpowder was damp, so it couldn't explode.

At that time, Li Hongzhang came up with another trick, determined to transfer the official money stored in the China Merchants Bureau in various provinces to Beiyang.His solution is to cooperate with the coastal defense plan of ordering "steel-faced iron-clad ships" from Germany, and promise to use China Merchants' annual guarantee of rice and water feet to return the official funds of the provinces, and transfer the insufficient funds for ordering the iron-clad ships. number.This is tantamount to breaking the relationship between the provinces and the China Merchants Bureau, and the China Merchants Bureau, which is run with most of the official funds, is becoming more and more like a "commercial office".

This strategy of merging the golden cicada's shell and embedding flowers and trees has been quite successful. The income from the operation of the official money is all included in the commercial shares, so the official money is still more than one million taels, and most of them belong to Beiyang, while the commercial shares are from more than 70 taels. million to more than three million.However, the China Merchants Bureau was founded by the Beiyang Minister after all, and the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Household Affairs can also intervene. Knowing the news that French warships will attack China Merchants' losing ship, Li Hongzhang and his followers, frightened by their ears, thinking hard and anxious, actually "made an immortal move out of the belly of a dead chess game", which can be used as a way to let China Merchants. It is a great opportunity to reborn and turn the public into private. This secret plan of rebirth was proposed by Tang Tingshu.This person was born in the accountant of a British shipping company, and he is quite expert in shipping.If the ships are afraid of being robbed by the French warships, they have to stay in the port, but that will not only cost money, but also cause damage to the machinery if they are not used.Otherwise, there is only one way to change the flag of the ship. This method is also called changing the flag.Merchant ships of both belligerent countries can be exempted from attack if they change the flags of neutral countries. There are detailed regulations in the Public Law of Nations.You have to consult a lawyer. China Merchants has hired a ready-made legal adviser. It is a British royal barrister named Dane. He thinks this matter is feasible, but there is a time limit. If a war breaks out, the flag will not be recognized by France. up. Of course, it is absolutely impossible to follow one's own will. The flag of the country that is changed is the flag of that country. First, it needs to be recognized by the country that changed the flag. There is only one way to sell the industry of China Merchants to that country. This raises doubts. China Merchants is not Tang Tingshu's private property after all, and it can be sold as soon as it is sold, unless it is sold temporarily, and it can be bought back after the event is settled.However, this is not impossible to negotiate, so Tang Tingshu tried to test the British businessman Jardine Matheson, and at the same time secretly telegraphed Beiyang, asking for instructions. Soon, Li Hongzhang sent a Taoist priest to Shanghai to preside over the matter.This person is Ma Jianzhong, named Uncle Mei, a native of Dantu, Jiangsu, who is well-versed in both Chinese and Western cultures, and was sent by Beiyang to various embassies abroad to study Western affairs.After returning to China, he was sent to Beiyang as an errand, and he was a rising star of the Westernization Talents in Li Hongzhang's shogunate.During the Korean turmoil, Li Hongzhang and Ding You returned home. Zhang Shusheng, the acting governor of Zhili, sent Ma Jianzhong and Ding Ruchang, the admiral of the Beiyang Navy, to lead the ship to the east to observe the change.The policy was to calm the civil strife in Korea, so Wu Changqing led 3,000 troops to aid the east, and "the strategy of luring the first rebellion" tricked Li Shiying, the emperor of the courtyard, into a warship overnight and sailed directly to Tianjin. Ma Jianzhong's plan. Li Hongzhang chose him for this mission, firstly because he was proficient in Western laws, and secondly because he was courageous.Sure enough, soon after he arrived in Shanghai, he discussed with Dane and decided that because British laws are complicated and not as simple as American laws, it would be appropriate to change the flag to "Citigroup". Among the American merchants, the most powerful ship operator is Qichang Ocean Company. Once contacted, Qichang Ocean Company intends to make this transaction. It is agreed that all the property of China Merchants will be priced at 5.25 million taels of silver, and handed over to Qichang Ocean Company to take over. The foreign bank issued a check to the Bank of America and submitted it to China Merchants for receipt. The transfer of a property worth millions of taels was as easy as buying carrots and vegetables. No one knew who signed the contract, what the content was, and where the original contract was kept.Moreover, the matter was so well hidden that even the Prime Minister's Yamen didn't know about it.Naturally, Qichang Foreign Bank's checks were not cashed for a while, and they were reborn, and they had to grow up. However, the sudden change of China Merchants' ship from the Yellow Dragon Flag to the Stars and Stripes Citigroup cannot be concealed from others. The Prime Minister's Office was very confused when they received the report. After careful inquiry, they found out that China Merchants had been betrayed.Although it was said that it was to prevent the French from seizing the ship, but they didn't hear about it beforehand, so what was their intention?Really puzzling. Therefore, the Zongli Yamen sent a telegram to ask: "In the past, the China Merchants Bureau was set up, and the purchase of ships was handled by the Ming Dynasty. Now I heard that it was sold in the United States. Why Li Hongzhang didn't make a performance, it is not true. The transshipment at sea is entirely dependent on the ship. This is out of fear of being seized by the law. Whether to sell it or lease it temporarily? Report the facts according to the facts. And try to take it back at any time according to the situation." Although the wording of this secret telegram is not harsh, and Li Hongzhang has already opened the way, leaving room for it, if it is "leased to" and can "try to take it back", nothing will happen. But it was enough for him. Apparently, although the prime minister's stomach is easy to hold a boat, dozens of ships, dozens of warehouses and wharfs are hard to swallow in the end.Whether the deal that has been completed can be canceled is a question of its own, but it has to be prevaricated in front of it.Li Hongzhang approached Sheng Xuanhuai, and after five days of deliberation, he drafted the replay. This replay, first of all, tactfully explains the status of China Merchants: China Merchants Shipping Bureau originally imitated Xiguo Company.As far as negotiating with outsiders, where the official law cannot be brought to justice, Western law can still be used to maintain it. This is to show that the "commercial directors" of China Merchants have the right to dispose of the properties of China Merchants, and it is more convenient and beneficial for the government to come forward to deal with foreign negotiations. The following is a description of "the sea is not stable, the situation is getting worse day by day, and more than 20 Chinese merchant ships are sailing on the ocean, and they are becoming more and more wary. There are rumors about legal persons, and they are robbed by ships. The North and South merchants take the advice of taking a boat." Therefore, it is not allowed. No change of flag, but: "Scrutiny of the laws and regulations of various countries has resulted in a case. All merchant ships of one country change the flag of another country before the two countries start a war. In the Black Sea War, Russian merchants all flew the flags of Germany and the United States. Two ships changed their flags on the third day of the war. A few days ago, it was seized by a legal person, and there were two flag-changing ships before the war, which were secretly sold back, and they were also seized by the United Kingdom. During the Battle of Bufa, many merchant ships from the two countries were sold to other countries, and the flags were changed. The original business is still restored. If it is temporarily rented and sold, it is not a real resale, and other countries will not be able to protect it.” After thousands of twists and turns, coy, and finally said, China Merchants was sold.As for not hearing about the court in advance, it has been vaguely explained because of the urgency of the matter. However, although China Merchants has been sold, it can be taken back: "The owner of Qichang Bank of the United States is willing to sell the property of China Merchants Bureau, according to the original value of 5.25 million taels of silver, to the bank for subscription and sale. The ticket is returned, the shipyard is taken back, the authority is self-righteous, and the Huaqi can still be changed. Daoist Ma Jianzhong has studied foreign languages ​​and is familiar with public law. The former committee went to Shanghai to investigate the affairs of the Merchants Bureau. This member repeatedly discussed with Dai En and Qichang nearby. , Dai En insisted that the Chinese legal system will be settled, and it can be recovered at the original price, and Qichang also vowed that he will never break his promise, so he doesn't care about the value." This is about responsibility. Who is in charge of this matter?Li Hongzhang said this: "Ma Jianzhong knew that the legal affairs were unpredictable, so he resolutely decided to shoulder the responsibility alone. After discussing with everyone and signing a contract, he temporarily handed over the shipyards to Qichang for management, replaced them with American flags, and sailed as usual. Yes. The double-sided deeds, bank promissory notes and stocks, according to the laws of the West, are handed over to the lawyer Dane for receipt in the future. It is a pre-war merchant ship that changes flags and sells, which is a common thing in various countries. Although China is an original idea, And all the merchants are forced by the current situation, and it is a last resort. When the key is taken back in the future, Ma Jianzhong only asks Dai En, and all the merchants only ask Ma Jianzhong. They are reserved and restrained, and there is absolutely no room for repetition." This is to put the responsibility on Ma Jianzhong on the one hand, and to excuse Ma Jianzhong on the other hand.However, if Li Hongzhang said he had heard nothing about the major event of millions of taels of silver, he would not be able to deceive himself. Machi, but did not know the details, it is the pretext that it has not been sued immediately.It seems far-fetched to say this, so I once again tried my best to argue with officials and businessmen, discussing the urgency of the situation: "And in such cases, Chinese businessmen and foreign businessmen negotiate on the basis of faith; , but the officials are unable to initiate a discussion. Foreign insults are rampant, business conditions are in turmoil, thousands of people have family relationships, and officials are unable to protect them, let alone compensate them. Businessmen try to preserve their costs, especially officials. There are more than 800,000 public funds in each province, and 4,000,000 business funds, all of which are settled, and can be manipulated freely after the end of the matter. However, the agreement between Hebei and France was made early, and the shipyard was returned as agreed, and China's business revival, and there is no disadvantage. Hearing that the legal people are spying everywhere, they always suspect that the commercial ships are not actually sold to the United States. They still think about aiding Western cases to seize them for military use. American officials and businessmen are also worried and secretive, and try their best to protect them. The mechanism is included here, and I still ask the sage to learn from it and bend it to the original. " This memorial was sent to Beijing by a special messenger and delivered to the Zongli Yamen.There are as many as thirteen prime ministers, and besides Yikuang, there are only three people in power: Yan Jingming, Xu Gengshen, and Zhang Yinhuan.But Yan Jingming was worried about the current situation and he was recuperating at home, Xu Geng was very busy at the military plane and didn't come to the office very often, so all these official affairs were handled by Zhang Yinhuan. Zhang Yinhuan was very talented and sensitive. When he saw Li Hongzhang's memorial, it was fragmented.One of the biggest doubts is whether it is "actual sale" or "management on behalf of"?Not clear.If it is a real sale, the "receipt" issued by Qichang should be cashed at the bank. Even though it is a "promissory note", there is always a date for cashing it. Now it is handed over to the lawyer for receipt. If it is "agent management", the property rights still belong to China Merchants, and Qichang manages the operation. How will all the proceeds be distributed?Isn't it an anecdote both at home and abroad if you take over millions of dollars worth of ship docks out of thin air to do business with a few "promissory notes" and "receipts" that cannot be cashed, and you keep all the money you get? As for the urgency of the matter and the hasty decision, "American officials and businessmen are also worried about each other and hide it", but it can't be said that even the court is hiding it. This point is hard to understand, even jumping to the Yellow River can't clear it up.Now, without further ado, Li Hongzhang was only instructed to take back the "deed of deposit on both sides, bank promissory note and receipt" from Dane for inspection, and then he dismantled the diorama and asked him to make it look better. Zhang Yinhuan was appreciated by Li Hongzhang in the past, and has recently been valued by Li Hongzhang. It is natural for him to cover up his personal friendship. When it comes to public affairs, negotiations with the law are on the verge of breaking down. Placed under the sharp pen edge of encirclement and suppression by officials.Fortunately, what Li Hongzhang was ordered to do in the telegram was nothing more than "trying to take it back". This point has been settled, and the rest can be left alone.Find a convenient opportunity and just reply to Empress Dowager Cixi. Unexpectedly, the content of this brochure was leaked very quickly, and Sheng Yu also got a copy of the "bottom paper".After careful reading, I only feel that Li Hongzhang used foreigners to bully the imperial court everywhere, just because "official laws cannot arrest" foreigners, and businessmen can "teach Western methods to maintain them" as an excuse, so he should indulge businessmen and make their own decisions.How is this kind of thinking and practice different from traitors? However, he only has the feeling from the whole style of writing that he doesn't quite understand the various laws and regulations of the West and the rules of business.Fortunately, there is someone I can ask for advice. This is a junior of his own banner, named Jiezhi, who once served as an attache with Chonghou, stayed in France and Russia, and is quite familiar with the situation in the West. Jie Zhi was also unclear about whether it was the real sale or the management on his behalf. "If it is a real sale, there is absolutely no reason to 'return the bank notes and take back the shipyard' in the future. That is another matter. Why? Jie Zhi explained: "The ship is moving, and it moves every day. The machinery on the hull will wear out, and it is common for accidents to sink. Although it is insured, it is not the original after all. How can we get it back?" "So, is it managed on behalf of you?" "Not to mention!" Jie Zhi shook his head, "Agent management is more troublesome than real sales. As long as the price is negotiated for real sales, the money will be paid and the delivery will be done quickly. If you manage it on your behalf, you have to negotiate the management's remuneration." , If you manage well, how do you reward them? If you manage poorly, what kind of responsibility should you take? There is something to talk about, and it can’t be done in ten days and half a month.” "So, according to your opinion, is it such a cat drowning?" "I dare not say that, Master Xi." Sheng Yu understood his intention and assured him: "I will not describe it in the scriptures. You can say whatever you want. " "In my opinion, it's sold. I'm just afraid that this piece of fat meat will have a bone stuck in my throat. I dare not swallow it. It will not be too late to divide the spoils after the matter is over." Jiezhi added, "In the book, Qichang paid for it." I can’t figure out what kind of bills they have. First they talk about silver bills, and then they talk about promissory notes and receipts. They can’t agree, so there’s something wrong with them.” “Are these three kinds of bills different?” "Of course it's different. Silver bills are bills issued by banks, just like our Chinese dealer's bills. As long as the bank has good credit, it doesn't matter how long it takes, and it can be redeemed at any time. However, there are no such stupid people, no If you trust this bank, withdraw the money with a bank note, and store it there to earn interest, wouldn’t it be good?” "That's right, more and more problems have been said." Sheng Yu asked with great interest: "What about promissory notes and receipts?" "Receipts are issued by private individuals. For example, I have a sum of money deposited in HSBC Bank in the UK. I leave a signature, and the bank will issue a receipt. It only states within the deposit amount, and the amount paid by the check is the same. It’s called receipt. A promissory note is also a receipt, but you can’t pick it up until the date.” This is much more convenient than Chinese banks withdrawing money with passbooks.But Sheng Yu always felt that there was something wrong, so he thought over what Jie Zhi said from the beginning, and found a doubt. "If I issue a ticket and you receive it, how do I know you have so much money in the bank?" "Of course, it is based on credit. It is more appropriate to go to the bank to 'take the ticket'. Now there is a telegram, and it can be checked in a short time. However, the 'receipt' is not honored. There is always danger. In case the merchant who issued the ticket If it goes bankrupt and fails to receive money, isn’t it self-defeating? So I really don’t understand why the deeds, promissory notes, and receipts are handed over to British lawyers for collection?” "This is bringing out foreigners to bluff people again, thinking that foreigners have good credit and are safe. If he submits the deed, he can excuse it, saying that it is stored with foreigners and cannot be obtained for a while." "Is there such a thing?" Jie Zhi said with a smile: "I'm afraid I can't coax children with such words. Foreigners don't take too many copies of the deed. How can there be no evidence for the transfer of millions of silver? As for the bank receipt, there is no reason to hand it over to a lawyer. What if the lawyer colludes with the other party and intends to embezzle it?" Sheng Yu Quran got up: "I originally doubted, how do you say 'take back the key, Ma Jianzhong only asks Dai En, and all businessmen only ask Ma Jianzhong, he is reserved and restrained, and we must not allow a little repetition." Who is Ma Jianzhong, who is Dai En Can you bear the responsibility of five million taels of silver? Not to mention that Ma Jianzhong and Dane colluded to steal this huge sum of money, but only that if one of Ma Jianzhong and Dane had an accident and passed away, Isn't the so-called 'restrained restraint' out of joint, like a kite with a broken line, without a trace? Listening to what you said now, it's not in compliance with the rules at all, so the so-called 'receipt by Dane' and so on are completely empty excuses .An important minister of the country dares to bully you like this. Do you really think that the emperor is underage and can be insulted lightly? I must participate." "Uncle Xi," Jiezhi reminded him, "Hefei pretends to understand Western affairs, but he is really a half bottle of vinegar. Maybe some of them are deceiving him, and we don't know." "That's naturally Ma Jianzhong. Of course I can't let him go, and I have to make a fuss from him. However, it is hard to agree with Hefei being bullied. Hefei is not easy to be bullied, and none of his subordinates dare Bullying him." At this point, Sheng Yu sighed, "It's my fault to be weird!" "That's strange." Jie Zhi was very confused, "What does it have to do with you, Uncle Xi?" "I shouldn't join Prince Gong." Sheng Yu replied: "If Prince Gong was in the court, Hefei would never dare to act like this. Going forward, with Wen Wenzhong, he would not dare. Now, it is very different!" "Then, Uncle Xi, you mean, he dared to bully King Jiu?" "Of course you dare. King Chun's main battle is different from Hefei's. However, if you want to start a war, Hefei is still indispensable, so King Chun has to be perfunctory. He has seen this clearly, so he dares to be so outrageous." "Ah!" Jiezhi suddenly realized, "No wonder! Hefei has one hand in foreign affairs and the other in Beiyang. He is indispensable in peace and war. If you are an official like this, you can really have both sides, and you will always be disadvantaged." "By the way! You have seen it through. Let me tell you again, why does Hefei advocate peace and not advocate war? There are victories and defeats in wars, and once he loses, he will be finished. As long as he can make peace with foreigners, Beiyang with his one hand is bluffing." You can’t live with foreigners, but you can bluff the court, and you can be the governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang for a lifetime.” After Jiezhi left, Sheng Yu immediately started to draft bullets, attacking Ma Jianzhong openly and attacking Li Hongzhang secretly.Put them together and make a suggestion: "The slave Kui's situation today, even if he can't be imprisoned as a hostage, he should be dismissed immediately, order Ma Jianzhong to redeem the security certificate of China Merchants Bureau, order Li Hongzhang, The responsibility is to supervise Ma Jianzhong and protect the certificate. China Merchants has a relationship with Jianghai Wharf and Chinese and foreign businesses, so it has to be expedient to hope for redemption. If it cannot be redeemed, the person will be executed. If the person escapes, Li Hongzhang will be executed. Let foreigners hear about it, and know that small officials are powerful and treacherous, and none of them can escape the enlightenment of the sage." The paperwork was drawn up, but when it was time to transcribe and submit it, I got the news that the French Acting Minister Xie Manlu had already left Beijing with his flag.This is a clear sign that negotiations have broken down, diplomatic relations have been interrupted, and the two sides will meet each other in arms. Therefore, the Prime Minister's Office sent secret messages to the governors of the provinces to prepare for the war.The enemy is at present, and the opportunity to fight is urgent. It would be too ignorant to impeach important ministers with such severe words.Therefore, Sheng Yu had no choice but to lock the folded bottom into the drawer, and wait until the overall situation was settled. The day when Xie Manlu left Beijing under his flag was the first day of July, but the negotiations were bound to end in a breakdown. The day when Zeng Guoquan held talks with Badeno in Shanghai, it was already doomed. The official opening is the seventh day of June.In addition to Zeng Guoquan and Chen Baochen, Xu Jingcheng, the new envoy stationed in Japan, came out of Shanghai and was also ordered to assist in the negotiation.Badeno asked for three payments, but in fact there were only two of them, and he focused on military compensation. He asked for 250 million francs, equivalent to 12.5 million taels of silver. At the same time, he had to decide on the payment deadline.If the Chinese government is simply happy and willing to speed up, the compensation can be reduced by 50 million francs.As for the first item requiring Liu Yongfu's dismissal, as long as the compensation is negotiated, of course he can make concessions. Since Zeng Guoquan had been instructed by Li Hongzhang, he immediately stated that he could pay 500,000 taels in the name of paying compensation to the fallen French officers and soldiers.Badenuo refused outright, but the imperial court issued a decree to reprimand Zeng Guoquan with a light promise of compensation.In order to support Zhang Peilun, the Minister of the Council, Chen Baochen, firmly advocated that Nanyang should send two soldiers to Fujian in his turn. When Zeng Guoquan was in a bad mood, he would have no good face. "No!" He bluntly refused, "I must not send." "Marshal," Chen Baochen's words were also very firm: "The Minhai Sea is in danger, how can we sit idly by? Can't help but send. " "The Fujian Sea is in danger, isn't Nanyang in danger? A while ago, Zhang Youqiao called for a ship, and the Military Aircraft Department replied that there were no ships in the South and North Seas to assist Fujian, and Guangdong and Zhejiang dispatched the ships. Brother, don't you know about this?" "That moment, this moment. Now that Xiao Song's army is urgently calling for help, it is out of the righteousness of watching and helping each other, so we can't help but be in a hurry." Zeng Guoquan just shook his head, "Nanyang is also important." He said, "There is no reason to save people from the well." This is a superficial article. Zeng Guoquan's real concern is that he is afraid of sending out a convoy of troops, which will fool people. Budnau will think that he is focused on preparing for war and has no sincerity to seek peace, thus breaking the overall situation. Those who hoped to preserve the peace were not only the two ministers of Beiyang and Beiyang, but even King Chun, who was the most powerful in the main battle, and Yan Jingming, who was the most resolute in opposing compensation for military expenses, were also shaken, because it was difficult to deploy troops and raise salaries. not sure.Yan Jingming is willing to try to raise one million taels of silver, and pay it to France in the name of "border fee". After obtaining the consent of King Chun, he will play together. King Chun is "called up" almost every day, just to avoid suspicion, saying that he is different from the "king of politics" before King Gong, never meeting with the Minister of Military Affairs, or "confronting alone", or with the Prime Minister At the same time, he met with Empress Dowager Cixi.Following the example of Mu Zong, the emperor first received the ministers and workers with the Empress Dowager Cixi to study political affairs before taking office. On this day, Yikuang, Yan Jingming, Xu Gengshen and other prime ministers "passed the sign" to meet at the same time. Yikuang first stated: "Badenuo has sent a note to Zeng Guoquan. Yesterday was the first day of August in the Western calendar. The deadline for negotiating compensation has passed. Yes. From now on, France will do whatever it wants, without any restrictions. It seems that they will definitely occupy one or two ports in China as a measure of extortion. The situation is urgent, and the Empress Dowager should make a plan early." "France's deadline is also I’ve said it more than once, so it’s okay by then?” The Empress Dowager Cixi sneered, “You discuss it every day, whether it’s peace or war, and up to now you haven’t said anything concrete. Are you sure you want to fight? Can you not lose face? We have to find a way for everyone to go!" "Now France is also riding a tiger, and I am eager to find a way to get off." Chun Wang replied, "Shanghai has Hart to make a difference. According to the telegram from Zeng Guoquan, three million taels is enough for the shirt. Li Fengbao called from Paris. It is said that France has revealed that it can be reduced to two and a half million taels. According to this view, if you can give one million taels of silver, it will definitely be reconciled." "One million taels is not a small amount, where does it come from?" "Talk to the Empress Dowager," Yan Jingming answered, "I can raise enough money for this amount." "Is it for France's military expenses?" "It's not military compensation, it's a 'border fee' to France." "What is the 'border fee', isn't it just 'shame money'?" The Empress Dowager Cixi insisted on refusing to allow it, "Never give it! This time, France is unreasonable, and instead asks China to pay him military expenses, which is too much to deceive people. According to me He said, France should pay us for our military expenses. You must be reasonable in everything, if you are willing to work hard, you would have invited other countries to mediate the arbitration, so why did France get ahead of itself today?" "The public opinions of all countries are not reliable." Yikuang replied, "Now only the United States is willing to mediate. The slave waits to meet with the American envoy John John every day, and always speaks good things to him. John Yang said that the United States is very willing to help and is always there. In the past few days, he will have a definite reply from the capital." "Then wait until we hear back." "It's just that France is arrogant and unreasonable. I'm afraid they will provoke in the next few days. Fuzhou and Jilong are very dangerous." "If there is going to be a war, the only one who will follow them." The Empress Dowager Cixi sneered, "Every day you clamor to prepare for the war, but you can't say that the draw can't be kept, and you will tremble with fright first?" Hearing such words, Chun Wang only felt his face burn, and he could no longer say any more words for peace. "I'm not necessarily saying that we want to go to war, but seeking peace is not surrender, but you can say anything if you can swallow it in one breath." The Empress Dowager Cixi paused and said, "Many French warships have sailed to Fujian. Defense. If you plan carefully, if you are not sure about starting a war, we will discuss it separately."