Chapter 118 History of the Palace Outside the Qing Dynasty (17-3)

At this moment, I had already thought about it, but I asked leisurely: "Who is the counselor the prince plans to use?" "Rong Zhonghua!" Chun Wang blurted out, "Zhonghua has been wronged for several years, and I feel very sorry. In the second year after Shen Jingsheng's death, I wanted to keep him back, but he refused. Now you have to help me I have already made a plan, the emperor has reached the age of "horses", I will prepare eight good horses as his reward, as long as there is a decree to reward them, I will naturally restore his original position."

"My lord misses the old man so much, I really appreciate it. Rong Zhonghua is good. However, my lord," Xu Gengshen said, "the story of the Three Kingdoms must be learned from." "The story of the Three Kingdoms?" Bannermen took it as the art of war. Although King Chun did not do so, Chen Shou's "Three Kingdoms" was written by Xuanzong when he was in the study, and he had to read it by heart. Therefore, the story of the Three Kingdoms , know a lot. "I don't know which one you're talking about?" "I'm talking about the Battle of Chibi. At that time, the troops of Liu and Guan had no more than 10,000 elite soldiers, Liu Qi's Jiangxia soldiers had less than 10,000 soldiers, Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu had only 10,000 soldiers each, and Sun Liu's soldiers had no more than 40,000 soldiers." Cao concealed his troops, who claimed to be in the millions, but in fact there were 400,000, ten to one, and outnumbered, only because Wei Shi came from the north. Throw away your helmet." Xu Gengshen continued, "Southerners ride boats, while northerners ride horses. It's because of their habits, so there's nothing to force them to do. The children of Shenjiying can reap their merits when they go to Fengtian, because the climate in Fengtian is not far from that of Beijing. Now we are at the southwestern border of the scorching and miasma-ridden land, the weather is not right, the water and soil are not acclimatized, and if we get caught in the miasma, there is no one who will not fall ill! The hero is only afraid of illness, so it will not damage the majesty of the prince?"

"Ah, ah!" Alcohol King was shocked. "Uncle Xing, what you said is true." Yan Jingming hurriedly agreed, "When I was doing relief work in Shanxi, I knew that the hungry people are easy to save, but the plague is hard to deal with. At that time, hurry up and transport the medicine to the front, I'm afraid it will be too late." "Yes Yes!" "Although the prince is strong, he has never been to the south. If the water and the soil are not acclimatized, I will be worried," Xu Geng said in a very earnest voice, "how can the prince feel at ease?"

"It's right to blame." King Chun, who was sincerely convinced, spoke extremely humbly, "Thank you for the kind words, I dare not not accept the advice." "My lord is too serious!" Xu Geng stood up and replied with lowered hands. "Everything depends on it." King Chun cupped his hands, "I'll see you in the palace tomorrow morning!" At dawn the next day, King Chun had already invited his son and daughter's in-laws, Bo Yan Na Mo Gu, to meet at the court room of the House of Internal Affairs at the inner right gate, and to read together the manuscript drafted by Xu Gengshen.

This manuscript is divided into four sections. The first section affirms the righteousness of the same enemy, saying that the army is rampant, attacking Keelung, and all the officials in the court are deeply indignant.The second paragraph mentions Chen Baochen's excerpts, saying that he was always resolute, but now there is a statement of "regret for reconciliation and regret for not reconciliation". Naturally, he is in the game, has seen it for himself, and cannot ignore his opinion.This is the difficulty of Daoming War, which led to the third paragraph of the proposition of preserving the peace: if France "repents and loses its sincerity, and is afraid of public discussion, it can still show generosity and turn around", because "at this time, it is difficult to pay the soldiers. Lasting. In addition, it is a situation that has never been seen in thousands of years, and it is very different from hair twisting."

Seeing this, King Chun nodded deeply, thinking that such a wording revealed the real crux of the crime, which was very appropriate.Look at the fourth paragraph, which is the conclusion, but it is almost empty talk. This should be the conclusion of public discussion among the courtiers. It is believed that if France continues to provoke and finally has to fight, it should not be swayed by small setbacks. At that time, it must try to recruit troops to raise wages, or hold regiment training, or split up, thinking of it as a "long-lasting strategy." , and the most important thing is to declare military law.

After reading this passage, Boyan Namo shook his head and said, "Isn't that too pretentious? The devils have already invaded and are still recruiting troops to raise money. How can there be enough time? Running a regiment is even more unreliable." "No!" King Chun replied, "You didn't read it carefully. The gist of this passage is to express the final plan. The French should stop in moderation, and the Chinese might as well show generosity. It’s not over, we have to fight to the end.” "Hey!" Boyan Namoge walked back and forth, pinching the joints of his palms so that "Gaba, Geba", he said with a slightly disdainful air, "Are you planning to scare the French devils so that they dare not move? "

"Whether they dare to move or not, we don't know. Anyway, as long as foreigners land on the shore, they can't get cheap." King Chun said: "The strength of the foreigners is his iron-clad boats and cannons. Stop him, block him, trap him, make him desperate, and ask for forgiveness. Liu Shengsan used this method in Keelung, and Zhang Youqiao planned to do the same in Mawei. In short, get rid of my shortcomings and use my strengths. confident." Boyan Namo was silent.His father, Seng Gelinqin, took over the battle with foreigners in Tongzhou when the Anglo-French allied forces committed crimes, but retreated back to Beijing. There must be certainty in the land battle", he really can't see where the certainty is?Then I had no choice but to keep silent.

You can't do it if you don't speak up, because he proposed this discount, and he must have confidence before he can persuade everyone to join the title.So Chun Wang urged and said: "What do you mean, let us think about it." "I mean, if you want to talk about it, peace is peace, war is war, and it doesn't seem to work if it doesn't hurt." These words scratched an itch.Since the early years of Tongzhi, when encountering foreign enemies, the way the imperial court dealt with them was always to prepare for war and seek peace.Seeking peace is real, preparing for war is fake, and the fake wants to make it look like something real, but the real one looks back and forth, as if pretending to be false.According to Boyan Namo's commentary, the views and propositions put forward in this public compromise are also the same.

Alcohol King refused to admit it.Lu Zhan is sure, he is sure of it, but he is afraid that the commander will not use his life.He had discussed this point of view with his cronies several times, and Xu Geng knew it well, so the proposed discount was in line with King Chun's intentions.Now Boyan Namogu didn't take it seriously, but King Chun seemed to have nothing to say, so he had to speak up. "Nowadays, when we start wars with foreign countries, we must be reasonable. Otherwise, the foreigners will definitely conspire with us. The victory and defeat will not be decided by the wise. If France dares to go to land, it will clearly invade our country. Who is it?" Who is right? It is very clear. Even if some countries want to provoke, there is no excuse. Another point is that there are already many foreigners who come to China. Once the war starts in the interior, the artillery fire will inevitably hurt the nationals of other countries. All countries must not allow France to be rampant. It is naturally beneficial to me to come forward to mediate."

After this explanation, Boyan Namo Gu had nothing to say.It was nearly noon, and I took a sedan chair to the cabinet lobby to preside over the court meeting.The so-called host, in fact, is just one arrival.The former imperial ministers and university scholars sat tall, with six ministers and nine ministers on both sides, and a long table at the bottom, surrounded by a group of Han Zhankedao who were enthusiastic about state affairs, and they were circulating the imperial edicts, telegrams from Beiyang and Nanyang, and the prime minister's office. Eight French notes sent. There were more people with documents, and the weather was too hot. I saw the servants from various houses coming in and out, twisting hand towels, pouring tea, filling cigarettes, and playing fans.The court meeting was originally a kind of gathering that was almost casual chatting, and the order on this day was even more difficult to maintain. There were groups in the east and west, and each of them looked for a cool place to talk.Among them, the figure in the limelight is Sheng Yu.He has become a rising leader in Hanlin, so there are a lot of people around him. Among the elders, Li Hongzao was idle, Pan Zuyin returned to his hometown, Weng Tonghe stepped up and became the protector of Fengya, Sheng Yu got close to him and admired him, so when he saw him, he came up to greet him . "I just got out of the study, so I'm late." Weng Tonghe asked, "What did you discuss?" "The discussion hasn't started yet. It's always like this, and there is nothing famous about it! I heard that it was prepared by the king. Such a big event is presided over by the emperor, which is considered new." Weng Tonghe smiled and didn't answer.After a pause, he asked, "Maybe you are performing alone again?" "That depends on what the public records say? If there is a practical way to avoid humiliating the country, I don't need to worry about it." "Come here!" Weng Tonghe waved, "I'll show you a letter." The letter is a copy, first look at the title, then look at the signature, it is a letter written by Zhang Peilun to Li Hongzao after he moved from Fuzhou to Mawei on the 28th of last month, but I don't know how Weng Tonghe has this document? "I asked about Youqiao's situation, and Lan Wengte sent it for the recording assistant." Weng Tonghe said. "Oh, Mr. Lan's menstrual bleeding may be more clear." Sheng Yu replied while reading the letter.The letter is very long, and of course the main thing is to talk about his deployment: "Pei Lun decided to set up a plan to garrison the horse's tail. The two battalions allocated were reserved for the provincial defense in Youshan. They sent Huang Chaoqun to break the siege of Huangxiang and make friends with Youshan. Pei Lun saw his surname in Shaanxi documents, and he also observed His resume shows that when Hu Wenzhong was defending Guizhou, he practiced bravely, and followed Nanxi first to move to the army. He visited the famous camp in the provincial capital, but the army was still in order, so he was specially called. On the twenty-seventh afternoon, Hefei suddenly Incoming call, said Lin Chunyun: "At the end of the twenty-eighth period, we will attack the horse's tail, but let the law be an emergency measure first, and Hong dare not agree." and other words. Sheng Yu knew that Lin Chun was a French consul, but what he didn't know was why did Li Hongzhang listen to this man's words?It seems that he is negotiating with a consul as his opponent, which is not commensurate with his status.Moreover, since he "did not agree", why did he call Zhang Peilun again? Did he imply that Zhang Peilun "let the law be an emergency measure first", and if he loses his ponytail, he can mediate from it to exonerate Zhang Peilun? This is a question that is difficult to guess, let Sheng Yu put it aside for now, let's see how Zhang Peilun will deal with it: "I despise the intimidation of Fat, but I told the governor that there will be great disturbance. So I sneaked out at night. In the early morning, the enemy boat saw the flag, so nothing happened. The camp is about one mile away from the enemy boat, and the market is as usual every day. It is far from the sound of wind and cranes in the provincial capital, and the grass and trees are full of soldiers. In the spare time of the military book, the rain leaves the mountains green, and the sound of the waves at the bottom of the pillow is better than the day in the city. " After reading this paragraph, Sheng Yu shook his head greatly. He felt that Zhang Peilun was too conceited and self-deceiving!He actually thought that the French army was shocked by his prestige, so "seeing the flag, it's okay." The writing is pretending to be free and easy, like a feather fan and a scarf, and talking and laughing can defeat the enemy. When it really came to a critical juncture, he couldn't show Xie An's self-cultivation. "It's really a scholar who doesn't know the heights of the sky and the depths of the earth." Sheng Yu said with a sneer, "I don't believe that he is the only one who can do it." "Keep reading." Weng Tonghe said with a smile, "Youqiao really has no eyes." So Sheng Yu said softly: "Fa enters the inner port, but I have more boats than him, and he will go away in frustration. However, there are only two boats in Guangdong, and the rest have nothing to do. Fearing the law like a tiger, it is better to have no boats, and it will save money. Twenty-eight nights, the battle is sure to win." "What's that?" Sheng Yu was surprised, "Didn't he repeatedly request orders by telegram, urging Beiyang to help? If you think that you have a boat but are 'fearing the law like a tiger', it would be better to have no boat and reflect on the military salary. It’s reasonable to speak negatively, but you still say, ‘Twenty-eight nights, the battle is sure to win’, since you are so sure, why bother to call for reinforcements? Moreover, since you are sure, why not strike first?” "Wars are not to be taken lightly, and Youqiao is also exaggerating." Weng Tonghe said, "What I worry about is that Youqiao's situation is too smooth, seeing things too easily, and measuring the enemy too lightly." "Yes!" Sheng Yu thought for a while and said, "You can add another sentence: 'It's too much trouble.'" "Who's tired of you?" Weng Tonghe asked: "You mean Hefei?" Sheng Yu nodded, and then went on to read the letter: "Now the situation has changed again, and Nagato is becoming more and more important. ?” "Does 'Zhige Veteran General' refer to General Mu guarding the Nagato Fort?" "That's right. There is a small note below: 'Chunyan and Lun get along well, and we will talk about the details in the future.' It seems that there is only one Mu Chunyan in Youqiao in Fujian, and he has a little permission. In addition, not only Fujian Even the governors of the prime minister's yamen are not under his eyes." This passage refers to what Zhang Peilun himself said in the letter: "Military planes stop fighting for breath, if everything is controlled remotely, the battle will be defeated, and the peace will be damaged. What's more, the defense of Fujian is not good? The translation office uses the organization of regiment training as the instruction strategy. How ridiculous? Zhangquan people are more courageous, but also No discipline. The local water warriors, the magistrate sent twenty men, and all of them were trying to catch the sailors, trembling before entering the water." "It's not a long-term strategy to run a regiment." Sheng Yu shook his head again, "Youqiao is right. 'Soldiers stop fighting for breath' is also reasonable, but I don't know if he can stay calm in the face of danger and deal with Yu Ru ?” Just as they were talking about Zhang Peilun, the manuscript of the public document was read out in the hall, and a revision was made. All countries are still invited to arbitrate and the United States will mediate.When Weng Tonghe and Sheng Yu received the notice and returned to the hall, they had already signed their names with their pens, while most of the lecturers were unwilling to list their titles, saying that they would perform separately.Naturally, the same was true for Sheng Yu, and Weng Tonghe felt that Gong Zhe's writing was not bad, so he picked up a pen and wrote his name on the draft.The so-called "court discussion" ended hastily like this. In addition to the public collection, there are 34 other collections discussing columns and war plans. The above collections are all famous Hanlin officials who are also commentators. A few have consecutive titles, and most of them are solo. Therefore, Empress Dowager Cixi thought it necessary to summon this generation.But it is impossible to summon all the participants, there is no such case, and there are too many people to ask questions, so she decided to only summon the leaders. "Who is the head of the lecturer now?" She asked King Chun. "It's Sheng Yu now." Wang Jin was honest, he didn't like Sheng Yu in his heart, but he didn't dare to deceive Empress Dowager Cixi. "The lecturers are all scholars after all. Their opinions are similar to mine." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "Looking at France, it's almost unbearable. You should prepare well." This is tantamount to clearly declaring that he will not hesitate to fight, and the responsibility of presiding over military affairs is given to King Chun.Understanding this, Chun Wang suddenly felt his shoulders were heavy and his back was sweating, but of course he had to answer loudly: "Yes!" Then, the Empress Dowager Cixi passed on Yi's decree and summoned Sheng Yu.As usual, anyone who is qualified to make a speech must go to the palace gate to wait for the order. Even if the lecturer has a discussion, he is rarely summoned, so Sheng Yu is not in the palace.The Military Aircraft Department specially sent Sura to notify, and when he arrived, Empress Dowager Cixi had already been waiting for a while. Sheng Yu was deeply terrified, but also deeply moved. In such a mood, facing such a hot and golden weather, he naturally sweated profusely, so that after entering the palace, he even kowtowed to Sheng'an, but was also unable to speak because of his shortness of breath. This is Sheng Yu's first time facing the saint.The Empress Dowager Cixi saw this kind of situation of trembling and losing time for the first time, so she didn't take it seriously, but said kindly: "Speak slowly if you have something to say!" "Yes!" Due to the coolness of the palace, Sheng Yu finally stopped being so dizzy, so he collected himself and answered clearly: "Yes!" "Are you 'Yellow Belt'?" "Yes!" Sheng Yu replied, "The Queen of Prince Chen Su." "The situation is so bad now, you are a clan, so you have to be extra dedicated." "A slave has received the grace of the country, and dare not fail to repay the grace of heaven with all his heart." Sheng Yu replied: "The slave is young and inexperienced, and he repays the imperial court with blood and sincerity." "I have always attached great importance to the speeches of officials in your outer court, and many of them are very practical." Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Military aircraft and the Prime Minister's Office, there are many outlandish sayings. I used to think that Prince Gong and the others were ineffective. So the whole class changed. I know... "She sighed: "Oh!Forget it. " This sigh was full of remorse.At the same time, it also touched Sheng Yu's sore spot.If I hadn't been the first to launch the attack three months ago, and a single incident caused a big political tide in which the entire squad of military planes were withdrawn, maybe the situation would not have been so bad.Rethinking this, there is even more apology and regret of "a word that mourns the country", and I unconsciously bumped my head. "Prince Jin is the only one who agrees with me when it comes to political affairs. However, you can't rely on him alone. If you have a good idea, just say it." Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "What do you think of Zhang Peilun?" "Zhang Peilun is a good and ingenious official." Sheng Yu blurted out this sentence, feeling that he was too straightforward and not in line with the principle of being kind to others, so he continued: "But he has talent. He admired the empress dowager, and the emperor promoted him many times. Naturally, the kindness must be repaid sincerely. The slave looked at the copy of the mansion, and Zhang Peilun said in the booklet, "The two armies who will walk in water will vow to survive and die with the factory, and will never back down." Sure enough, even if there is a small setback, it doesn't matter. " "I think so too. Victory or defeat is a common matter in military affairs. The most important thing is to be able to stand up. In the past, Zeng Guofan and the others often lost battles when they quelled chaos. Now the governors of the provinces, training soldiers and raising salaries, as long as they can think of a way, there is nothing wrong with them. The imperial court treats them well, and by now they should arouse their conscience and earn a good reputation for the country. It's all like this. Tell me, how did you get it?" The Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help being excited when she talked about the later, her voice was full of sadness and disappointment, which made Sheng Yu feel ups and downs, full of complaints, and couldn't help it, and replied loudly: "The world's affairs are often caused by the word 'private'. By the Holy Spirit, Although Chinese and foreign ministers dare not openly bully others, there are quite a few who use it for their own purposes. The slaves want to ask for strict orders, as long as those who are obsessed with kindness and neglect their duties, regardless of their rank or position, they will be punished strictly, so that discipline can be rectified and people's hearts can be rectified." "That's what the imperial court was doing. When Tang Jiong and Xu Yanxu arrived in Beijing, I must deal with it again." The Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly asked, "Are you familiar with Deng Chengxiu?" "The slave has frequent contacts with him." "I heard that this person has a very strong temper?" "Deng Chengxiu is loyal and unafraid of power. His name is Tiexiang, so some people call him Tiehan." "What about talents?" Empress Dowager Cixi said, "I think his writings on Westernization are very pertinent." "Deng Chengxiu is very dedicated to Westernization." "The first thing to do in foreign affairs is to have your own opinions, and you can't listen to foreigners." The Empress Dowager Cixi changed the topic again, "Now I value your group of young, bloody, and hardworking people. That's right, Chen Baochen is usually very willing to talk, but now at Zeng Guoquan's place, he seems to be out of favor and perfunctory when things happen. Zhang Yinhuan was very good at first, and he was very organized in his speech and actions. Looking at him now, he is nothing more than that. This trip There is really no way to negotiate between China and France." "It's no wonder Zhang Yinhuan." Sheng Yu swallowed the following words. Before the tone was finished, the Empress Dowager Cixi would of course ask: "Then who is to blame?" "Naturally, Li Hongzhang is to be blamed." Sheng Yu bluntly said to Chen Zou: "Li Hongzhang advocated harmony, and Zhang Yinhuan listened to his instructions, blindly accommodating, and cultivated the arrogance of foreigners who want to make progress. The failure of Westernization is caused by Li Hongzhang's selfishness. Take investment promotion As for the case of the sale of the bureau steamship to Qichang foreign company, Li Hongzhang did not repeat it until the court interrogated him, and his heart can be punished!" Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't hear these words.She has always had this idea that anyone who attacks Li Hongzhang must be prejudiced.In her opinion, Li Hongzhang is the most willing to do things. Although he insists on preserving the peace, his heart is to strengthen the country and make the people rich. Buying ships, building forts, installing wires, and opening coal mines are the foundation of self-improvement.It would certainly be a good thing if the ministers of the Prime Minister's Office were able to negotiate a peace without losing the dignity of the country. If the peace talks failed and they were repeatedly coerced and threatened by others, it was the prime minister's incompetence, not Li Hongzhang's fault. As for the case of selling the China Merchants Steamship, she also heard from Li Lianying that it was a last resort measure to preserve the vitality of the country due to the urgent situation.She felt that Li Lianying's words were very pertinent: "Li Zhongtang dare not! China Merchants has so many ships, so many warehouses, and docks. If he can swallow them all in one gulp, he won't be afraid of death? No matter what, the authority is in the hands of Lafayette." , How many brains does he have to dare to bully Lafayette?" Therefore, although she was unwilling to publicly reprimand Sheng Yu, she answered indifferently, "Li Hongzhang has Li Hongzhang's difficulties." She said, "Chinese and foreign ministers can be like him, and our Qing Dynasty must not teach foreigners to bully like this." As soon as Sheng Yu was obedient and not speculative, he knew what he was interested in, so he didn't want to say anything more.The Empress Dowager Cixi also felt that she had asked all the questions that should be asked and said all the things that should be said, so she ordered "kneel down" and ended the summons. Back in the palace, Empress Dowager Cixi was in another state of mind.In the past, when encountering major incidents, although she was able to appear calm and composed, she couldn't let go of her heart.Since his serious illness, he has accepted Xue Fuchen's advice: keeping in good health is mainly about eliminating worries, so he has developed a habit of putting state affairs aside when he does not summon ministers and workers or read memorials.She feels that she can enjoy herself in time when she is free, and keep a happy mood, and when the trouble comes, she will be able to deal with Yu Ru better.So the more difficult the state affairs were, the more she wanted to have some fun. Of course, Lian Ying was the one to look for.When he asked if he was not in Changchun Palace, he said that the emperor had come to ask him. The emperor was fourteen years old, slender, pale, and looked "young and mature".Just like Mu Zong back then, before taking office, he served the Empress Dowager and summoned his ministers and workers. Only King Chun came to see him. Because he was the biological father, the etiquette between the monarch and his ministers was not easy to arrange, so the emperor avoided it.Many of the big plans made by the Empress Dowager Cixi and King Chun are not known, but they can hear a lot of words when they meet each other by military planes every day. In the study, the master inspires Wo at any time. opinion. At this time, Li Lianying came here because he had something to say.The day after tomorrow is Wanshou, and the emperor's birthday is June 28. Because he wants to avoid the fasting period of "祫祭" on the first day of July, he moved forward two days and changed June 26 to Wanshou. It was the order of the Empress Dowager Cixi that the emperor could not call Li Lianying by his first name directly, but called him "Acquaintance" according to the example in the study.The emperor said: "Li Wenda, I want you to play back with Lafayette, don't sing opera tomorrow." Why is that?Li Lianying asked in astonishment, "What's the matter?" "The situation is not good, foreigners bully us so much, where is the time for singing and dancing?" Li Lianying thought to herself, I don't know if I heard the words of the master in the study and came back to be nerdy?You can't do it without singing.However, the words of this "young master" cannot be refuted, so he has to think of a way to make him take back his words. "Long live Lord is really amazing! Concerned about the country and the people. I don't know how happy Lafayette would be if he knew what Long live Lord said." A high hat complimented the emperor very proudly, "Then you go and talk about it!" He urged, "If it's settled, then the decree will be made." "However, Long Live Lord, there is a consideration here. Let the servant first ask Long Live Lord, Lafayette Longevity, should we sing an opera?" "Of course. Why do you ask that?" "Of course there is a reason. This year is Lafayette's 50th birthday, isn't it?" "Yeah! What do you need to say?" "Fifty life, it's more time to sing opera. Although the situation is not good now, it will be calmed down in October. At that time, Long Live Lord must be filial and lively for Lafayette, right?" "of course." "That's it." Li Lianying said: "The truth is that mothers are kind and sons are filial. At that time, Lafayette thinks that this year, Long Live God will not sing opera, and he will definitely not want to teach opera. Think about it, Long Live God, how to persuade the law ?” "Ah!" The emperor nodded again and again, "You are right. Let's sing tomorrow!" "That's right." Li Lianying said, "Lafayette is busy with state affairs, and he has a moment of peace in his heart. Take advantage of the good life of Long Live God, sing an opera for two days, and coax the Master to have a good time. This is true filial piety." "Yeah." The emperor nodded again, "Li Wenda, let me ask you. According to what you said, I still have to summon Lao Laizi according to the rules?" "It's the rule to get Lafayette's long life." Li Lianying took the opportunity to say: "Long Live only asks Lafayette to add two plays with excerpts, which is also a filial piety." "Okay! I'll tell you when I'm serving dinner today." So Li Lianying quietly retreated first.Back in the palace, Empress Dowager Cixi had to ask, what is the emperor's request?Li Lianying knew that she would not like to hear the emperor's reluctance to sing, but on the contrary, what the emperor asked was that the empress dowager was troubled all day long, so how should she think of ways to entertain her relatives? "It's hard for him." Empress Dowager Cixi smiled and said, "What idea did you come up with for him?" "How dare the slave come up with random ideas. The slave only played back to the Long Live Lord: obedience is filial piety, and this sentence is all in it." Then Empress Dowager Cixi asked about the situation of "Nanfu" accepting the Wanshou Opera. The name "Nanfu" originated in the Qianlong period. At first, Emperor Gaozong loved Kunqiang. During his first tour to the south, he brought back a group of young Liyuan students from Suzhou, Songjiang, and Taicang to teach singing, and called it "Nanfu". .During the Daoguang period, Emperor Xuanzong was frugal by nature and was not good at opera. He believed that the Liyuan Music Department should not be called "Fu", so he decreed to change its name to "Shengping Department".However, unlike his father, Wen Zong was quite sensual, so the Shengping Department was prosperous again.It wasn't until Tongzhi ascended the throne that in order to show the world that he was working hard to govern, all the children of Liyuan were dismissed, and only the eunuchs played tricks. The Empress Dowager Cixi didn't like Kunqiang, but loved Pihuang the most. It was not convenient for the "Four Great Hui Troupes" to be sung in the palace, so she often visited the mansions of the three kings, Xingdun, Gong, and Chun, under the pseudonyms, and passed on meals and listened to operas to enjoy the day.Since the death of Mu Zong's "Son of Heaven from Small Pox", the origin of the theory is that Wang Qingqi's "White Gate Tower" was listened to at Xuande Loutou, and he was praised by the festival, thus creating an unprecedented meeting of monarchs and ministers. The mystery of "Book" has turned into a great misfortune.Thinking about it layer by layer, in the final analysis, it is the word "drama", which is afraid of touching the scene and hurting the feelings, and cuts off the strings.In fact, Mu Zong and Empress Jiashun's great funeral "Eight Sounds Contain Secret", the palace could not sing opera for two or three years, and they couldn't hear it even if they wanted to. After recovering from a serious illness, on the one hand, he was dealing with a lot of things and needed silk, bamboo and pottery writing. On the other hand, the old-fashioned and upright Empress Dowager Ci'an died of a sudden illness. He was not afraid that anyone would say disappointing words of advice, so the Shengping Department was revived again, and another new one was published. In the same way, famous actors were summoned to work in the Shengping Department, which was called "Inner Court Teaching and Learning", and outside it was called "Inner Court Enshrining". The rule of enshrining is that operas are sung in the outer city opera garden on weekdays, but on the first and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, during festive seasons, or when Empress Dowager Cixi is in the mood, if she wants to listen to an opera, she will pass it on and on, just like singing at the most grand church meeting.Naturally, there is a reward every time, and the reward is usually twenty taels of silver. This class of "inner court teaching" was selected in April last year.At first everyone didn't know what was going on, and thought that once they entered the palace, they would not be released again. They were afraid that their wives and children would be separated, and that their salary would not be enough to support their families.As a result, the group of people selected was not very outstanding, which made the Empress Dowager Cixi quite disappointed and also annoyed. This matter was not handled by Li Lianying in the first place, but after listening to Empress Dowager Cixi complaining many times, he took care of it himself.However, he does everything well and does not want to offend others. He can no longer pick a good role in Beijing, because the Empress Dowager Cixi will have to ask: Why didn't you pick him in the first place?This shows that the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are ineffective. With this scruple, he can only spread the word: If there is a good actor who is new to Beijing, don't miss it.In this way, I picked a few one after another, but they were still not very good.However, a newly picked student who is also a samurai can be boasted about. "Talk to Lafayette," he said, holding Huang Ling's play list, "Is the three-day play suitable or not? Please ask Lafayette for his order." Empress Dowager Cixi knows most of the people listed on this drama list, and at least one such person.Halfway through, I found an unfamiliar name, and couldn't help being surprised: "Who is this Yang Yuelou?" It was this person that Li Lianying wanted to boast, "He is Zhang Erkui's apprentice." He said, "Now it's Sanqing's class leader." When mentioning Zhang Erkui, the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help thinking of the joys of the early years of Tongzhi, when King Dun was often on business, and every time he asked for instructions to summon those famous actors, Zhang Erkui was always a must.He has a great appearance, he is the best at singing the "King's Hat Show", his voice is loud, his appearance is excellent, and he is good at workmanship. Compared with Cheng Changgeng's calmness, he is almost old-fashioned. Yu Sansheng's ups and downs, Empress Dowager Cixi always feels like listening to Zhang Erkui The best.It's a pity that I didn't hear about it for a few years before I heard that he had passed away.So at this time, when I heard that Yang Yuelou was Zhang Erkui's apprentice, I first had a good impression of him. "How does this Yang Yuelou sing?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Have you always heard it?" "Yes! The slave has heard of it. Otherwise, I would not dare to recommend it to the Lafayette. But the Lafayette has a high vision, and the slave said yes, but the Lafayette may not be pleasing to the eye." "He is Zhang Erkui's apprentice, so he can't be far behind." The Empress Dowager Cixi added, "This "Beating the Golden Branch" is a good play by Zhang Erkui. He doesn't have much ability and dare not do this play." "The servant has not caught up with Zhang Erkui." Li Lianying said with a smile, "What a good way Zhang Erkui is, I beg Lafayette to tell the servant, and let the servant learn more." This is to see that the Empress Dowager Cixi is in good spirits and intends to make fun of her.Sure enough, the Empress Dowager Cixi described how Zhang Erkui sang "Beating the Golden Branch" back then, and how every move he made was purely like a king.Li Lianying listened intently, with an expression of infinite yearning on her face, which made the Empress Dowager Cixi talk more vigorously. So when it came time to pass on the meal, we were still talking about the Wanshou drama that will start tomorrow.The emperor who served the meals had been taught a long time ago, and when Li Lianying gave him a wink, he said, "It's rare that Lafayette is in a good mood these days, and my son wants to ask Lafayette to add two plays." "Let's see it tomorrow!" "Long Live Lord's filial piety." Li Lianying interjected, "Why didn't Lafayette fulfill Long Live Lord?" "Alright!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "You say Yang Yuelou sings well, so let him do a double." "Yes!" Li Lianying replied: "Yang Yuelou is also called 'Yang Houzi'. He is a master of both Xu Sheng and Wu Sheng, and the monkey play is the best." "Then add "An Tianhui"." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "Yang Longshou is also a double release, and add "Exploring the Mother"." This is one of Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite plays.However, this play is a "Kui Pai" play. In order to praise Yang Yuelou, Li Lianying sent him to play "Exploring the Mother" on the first day of Wanshou.At the same time, he also disliked Yang Longshou a little bit, and when he played two together, it happened to hurt one Yang and benefit the other, forcing Yang Longshou's double attack to be dismissed.Another "inner court enshrined", Xusheng Li Shunting, nicknamed "Big Li Wu", was sent to sing. On the second day, the emperor did not go to the study, but the Empress Dowager Cixi summoned the military aircraft as usual. The foreman, Li Wang, did not want to delay her time, and suppressed all the important and troublesome government affairs that required detailed presentations and elucidations.Therefore, before eight o'clock, they knelt down and left.Empress Dowager Cixi no longer went back to her bedroom, and drove directly from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, out of the Yuehua Gate, passed through the Qianqing Palace, passed through the Cangzhen Gate, entered the Wuhe Gate, and arrived at the Ningshou Palace. Ningshou Palace is located in the northeast of Da Nei, and the entire area is larger than the entire area of ​​the "East Six Palaces". It was rebuilt in the 36th year of Qianlong, and it took 15 years to complete. The scale is completely modeled on the main palace of the inner court. , the Hall of Mental Cultivation is just like the Hall of Mental Cultivation.This is because Emperor Gaozong has decided to move here after returning to power, the place where the Supreme Emperor Yan rests, and the system cannot be disrespected. Since the death of the Supreme Emperor in the fourth year of Jiaqing, there has been no emperor living in Ningshou Palace. For more than 80 years, although it has not been dilapidated, it has been desolate.The only exceptions are Changyin Pavilion and Pavilion Shilou. The Sui Xiu of the House of Internal Affairs dare not be careless at all, so they are as gorgeous as before. Changyin Pavilion is a stage. It is located in the east of Yangxingmen, facing north and facing south. There is a royal seat in the middle. It was the warm pavilion where Emperor Gaozong watched operas.The stage of Changyin Pavilion is huge, second only to the one in Rehe Palace, and the eunuch called it "Second Master".The stage has three floors, and there are organs that can move up and down.The strangest thing about the structure is that there are five large wells under the platform, which are extremely useful. The first is to gather sound;There are three kinds of titles in the inner court drama, which are performed on a monthly basis, called "Yueling Chengying"; .There is a scene of "golden lotus springing from the ground", in which the golden lotus is hidden in the well, and winched to the platform with a winch, where the petals open, and five giant Buddhas appear.There is another scene that is even more spectacular. It is a reenactment of the story of the Arhat crossing the sea. There is a kind of carp that can hide dozens of people. It can spray water from its mouth, so it is naturally well water.When Emperor Gaozong was in Japan, he loved Western fountains the most. Teyan, an Italian Catholic priest, designed and manufactured them in the Old Summer Palace, known as the "Great Water Method".This carp is a legacy from that year. The Empress Dowager Cixi was interested in playing plays on this day, but most of the ministers who were ordered to "take a seat to listen to the opera" and officials who had the opportunity to work in the Changying Pavilion while walking in the inner court wanted to watch these auspicious plays.Because first-class famous actors can hear it by spending money outside. Only these big dramas with lively scenes, ingenious construction and exquisite costumes can only be feasted on if they come to the palace and happen to be lucky. According to the custom, whenever you meet Wanshou, you should sing the "Nine Nine Days", which is a reenactment of fairy tales.The most interesting one is "Three Changes of Fu Lu Shou", a three-story stage full of gods. At first, Fu lived on the upper floor, Lu lived on the middle floor, and Shou lived on the lower floor.每变一次，笙簧齐奏，合唱北曲，鱼龙曼衍，载舞载歌，台下个个眉飞色舞，只有慈禧太后不甚措意，三十年来，这些戏她看得厌了。 再有一个不甚感兴趣的人，就是皇帝。他的性情跟他的堂兄穆宗相反，不喜戏文。听戏在他是一件苦事，因为侍立在慈禧太后身旁，一站就是大半天。特别是在这时候，外侮日亟，那谈得到歌舞升平？所以他的目光在畅音阁，而心思却在基隆、马尾。