Chapter 127 Second History of the Palace Outside the Qing Dynasty (2-1)

It was the beginning of July to order Li Hongzhang to see you.The decree said that he "complied with the matters of coastal defense, and the words were too brief. But the matter is of great importance. At the beginning of the establishment, the supervisor must come to Beijing, and the ministers in charge should carefully consider the audit and plan all the grand outlines and details. Only then can it be implemented in sequence, and the actual effect will be gradually achieved." There is no need to praise, but the meaning of relying on it is beyond words.In contrast, Zuo Zongtang was "delivered an edict" ten days ago, and his prosperity and decline were completely different, which made him feel even more embarrassed.

Zuo and Li have always been enemies.After so many years of fighting openly and secretly, in May of this year, China and France established a peace agreement, the foreign aggression was suspended, and the internal strife began. Finally, it came to the day of reckoning. It was Liu Mingchuan who made the attack.After defending Keelung for a year, Liu Mingchuan had had enough of Taiwan Taoist Liu Ao's filth.Liu Ao is a direct descendant of Zuo Zongtang, who was stationed in Tainan, withdrew his troops and deducted his salary, and was in trouble with Liu Mingchuan, who was his former enemy.Since Zuo Zongtang supervised the military affairs of Fujian and Yang Changjun was the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Liu Mingchuan had no choice.However, his grievances were conveyed by Li Hongzhang, and the government fully understood that they only regarded a strong enemy in front of them. After all, Zuo Zongtang had to rely on Zuo Zongtang to protect Minhai.Now that the foreign enemies have retreated, it is natural to attack.

Of course, Liu Ao was also to blame for being too ignorant, so he asked Zuo Zongtang to allocate one million taels of the foreign money he borrowed to deal with the aftermath of Taiwan, and sent a committee member to Fuzhou to sit on the case.When Liu Mingchuan got the news, a telegram was sent to Beiyang, and then transferred to Beijing.Alcohol King was furious.The navy needs money, the construction of Sanhai needs money, Nancao is preparing to restore the river transport, and the canal needs money. However, all parts of Tainan have not been military, and Liu Ao directly collects lijin, and rarely supports Liu Mingchuan. There should be a large sum of money in the treasury. It is simply heartless to withdraw millions of dollars from the foreign money borrowed.

Therefore, a telegram was issued, strictly urging Zuo Zongtang not to send it without authorization.That's all, the bad thing is that there is a warning text: "When Zuo Zongtang arrived in Fujian, every time he transferred people to the commission, he sent them without a statement. Matters should be reported first, and the order must be followed; no more rashness will cause you to be blamed for doing good deeds!" Then there was another telegram ordering Zuo Zongtang and Yang Changjun to find out how much foreign money they borrowed, and how much is left? "Play and wait for the order quickly, and don't use it rashly." When a leaf falls, you know the autumn in the world, and you can clearly see that Zuo Zongtang's family has declined.

So Liu Mingchuan acted unceremoniously, using the power of the governor of Fujian to remove Liu Ao from the post of investigation, and at the same time, Feizhang entered the memorial on the grounds that "profiteers stole the gold and the Taoists cheated". Although the method was ruthless, it was still a test, so Liu Ao was just "removed".The imperial court's reply to the decree: "Remove the post as soon as it is issued, and wait for the investigation" is an expression of full support, so it can be more assured and bold to pursue and slash.Immediately afterwards, Liu Mingchuan read Liu Ao's book vigorously, accusing him of "corruption and cunning, unrestrained, and many misdeeds. Bill and pay, please dismiss him and investigate."

As a result, it was not only "dismissal and investigation", but also "dismissal and investigation".The Military Aircraft Department accepted the decree and sent two "court mails" in succession, one to Liu Mingchuan: "Liu Ao was dismissed and questioned, and Liu Mingchuan sent someone to guard him properly, waiting for the ministers sent by the imperial court to investigate and deal with it in Fujian." Liu Ao's assets in office, Instruct Liu Mingchuan to send an honest and responsible committee member to conduct strict inspections.One was for Bian Baodi, the governor of Hunan and Zhang Peilun's second father-in-law, to copy Liu Ao's home in his hometown.

In addition, there is another invention: "Minister Xizhen of the Ministry of Punishment, Chiyi, went to Jiangsu to investigate and handle the incident with Wei Rongguang." The imperial envoys have always investigated and handled important cases, and they often use fake place names to cover up. They are obviously going to Sichuan, but they are talking about Hubei, like this His deceptive tricks cannot be concealed from others. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance that Liu Ao is being investigated. Of course, Zuo Zongtang wanted to launch a counterattack, attacking Liu Mingchuan's detailed circumstances of abandoning Keelung, pointing out that he was more guilty of bereavement and humiliation than Xu Yanxu and Tang Jiong.I didn't want to hit a big nail, so the reply was: "Liu Mingchuan went to Taiwan in a hurry, and the soldiers were short of food. Although he lost Keelung, he was still able to survive the crisis. His merits and demerits cannot be concealed. The minister often called him a 'crime' It is far more than Xu Yanxu and Tang Jiong'. It is really intended to be stored in Zhou Nei, but it is not planned. Zuo Zongtang wrote a decree to admonish it, and the original folded and returned."

Zuo Zongtang, who was lying ill, was humiliated by this, and his condition changed drastically, so he had to ask for a vacancy again.Of course, a gentle decree is indispensable, allowing him to hand over the duties of the imperial envoy, and there is no need to set a holiday, just go back to Hunan to rest with peace of mind.He also complimented him for "being a long-standing Xunqin, working in the government of officials, and having a long history of experience. If you see something, you can hear it at any time, and you can choose it." At the same time, he told him: If he recovers from his illness, he will return to Beijing immediately to become his bachelor.

When this gentle edict from an old official was sent to Fuzhou, Zuo Zongtang's deity had declined, and he could no longer appreciate the grace of the saint.When it was extended to the 27th day of the seventh month, it was ignored. At that time, General Mu Tushan of Fuzhou and Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang Yang Changjun would perform the performance.The memorial was slow, but the telegram was fast. The Fujian Camp Office telegraphed the Beiyang Yamen, and by noon the next day, Beijing got the news. This is an accident, but it is not an accident.When Zuo Zongtang arrived in Fujian, things didn't go smoothly. Although he claimed to be Zhuge Wuhou, he only had the ambition of "dedicate himself to death and die later", or the same, but his cultivation of tranquility and Zhiyuan was much worse.As he had no choice but to "look at the ocean and sigh" against the French army, his depression was difficult to express, so his anger was very high, and he finally lost his mind. He often shouted: "Boys, get out of the team!"These situations were also heard in Beijing, and it is known that he died not long ago.

But no matter what, he is always the hero of the country, and the Empress Dowager Cixi always treats veterans well, so she is naturally sad.King Chun recalled that when Zuo Zongtang first came to Beijing, he was like-minded. When talking about public affairs, he ensured that he managed the Shenji Camp as a bachelor;Who knew that such a friendship would never end!Looking back on the past, it is true that the so-called "feeling is endless in my heart", and at the same time, I also feel that I am ashamed of my old friend by helping Li Gongzuo. Therefore, Zuo Zongtang's canon of decoration is excellent.Although not as good as Zeng Guofan, it is far better than Guan Wen and Shen Baozhen.The official documents were given to the Taibao, and Zuo Zongtang was given to the Taifu; the official documents were enshrined in the Xianliang Temple, Zuo Zongtang was enshrined in the Zhaozhong Temple and the Xianliang Temple, and special temples were allowed to be established in the provinces of origin and meritorious service.The posthumous posthumous method is even more different. The official posthumous posthumous posthumous name is Wengong, which is only used by courteous and obedient ministers, and it is not considered a beautiful posthumous posthumous title, and it is not suitable for Zuo Zongtang's personality.

Therefore, it will take a lot of work to plan a posthumous posthumous title.After the posthumous canon was approved by the Ministry of Rites as usual, it was drafted by the executive cabinet, and two attendants and readers were in charge of it.According to the rules, if the first character can be posthumous, only eight characters need to be drafted, and the four characters will be selected by the university scholar. Please delineate it.Senior officials of the first and second ranks, if they were born in the Imperial Academy, would receive posthumous titles as usual, but when they become university scholars, they would also receive posthumous titles even though they did not come from Hanyuan. The second word is very particular.The most noble is the word "Zheng", which was custom-made by T'en, and was not dared to be requested by the ministers.The second is the word "loyalty", which is not too easy.Of course, Zuo Zongtang can't stand shoulder to shoulder with Zeng Guofan, and his posthumous posthumous composition is correct, but like Lin Zexu and Wen Xiang, his posthumous posthumous title of "Wen Zhong" should not be regarded as an indiscriminate invitation to grace.Therefore, the word "loyalty" is included in the four characters selected by the academicians Erlehebu, co-organizers Yan Jingming, and Encheng Huitong. Before presenting to the imperial court, Empress Dowager Cixi felt that the word "loyalty" was not enough to describe Zuo Zongtang's life, so she inquired about military plans. Besides, what other good words could praise Zuo Zongtang's contribution to pacifying the Western Frontier? Li Wang Shiduo was stunned and didn't know what to say, so he looked back and said: "Please ask the empress dowager to ask Xu Geng, I remember a lot about him." "Xu Geng's body!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "What do you think?" "According to the posthumous posthumous law, Zuo Zongtang can be posthumously given the word 'Xiang', which is Xiangzan's Xiang. During the Qianlong period, Fukang'an posthumously named Wenxiang with martial arts. However, in the third year of Xianfeng, Zhuo Bingtian, a university scholar, once gave an order to the late emperor: Civil and military ministers who died in battle, or those who died of overwork and illness in the military camp and failed to achieve martial arts, were not allowed to use the character Xiang. Therefore, the cabinet did not dare to draft it lightly. Did Zuo Zongtang bestow the posthumous title of Wenxiang? Please ask the empress dowager to judge. Who are they?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "I only remember Hong Chengchou and Jin Fu, does Jin Fu have martial arts?" "After the pro-government of the Holy Patriarch, San Francisco, Hefu, and Water Transport were the three major events. They were specially written down and pasted on the pillars of the Qianqing Palace. They were always vigilant and forgotten. Jin Fu was a famous river governor. He served as the governor of the river for sixteen years, and died of illness in the forty-six year. He devoted himself to the work of the river for thirty years, and praised the sacred merits, which is no different from opening up the territory, so he is specially posthumous as Wenxiang." "If you want to talk about opening up territories, Zuo Zongtang can also be called. Let's posthumously Wenxiang!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked again: "Did Zuo Zongtang ask for an order to handle any important things that were not done before his death?" This is echoed by Shi Duo: "Last month, Zuo Zongtang had two proposals. One was to invite the Minister of Coastal Defense to recommend Zeng Jize as the important task of coastal defense. The other was to ask the governor of Fujian to be stationed in Taiwan. Zeng Jize has already According to Yi's decree, he was called back to the country by telegram, and there are a lot of matters involved in the Fujian Fu's stationing in Taiwan, so we can't discuss and request the decree for a while." The Empress Dowager Cixi had a well-thought-out plan for Haiphong, and quickly replied: "Of course Zeng Jize is useful in other ways, but you must not hand over all Haiphong to him. The governor of Fujian is stationed in Taiwan. You can ask Prince Chun and Li Hongzhang about this matter. It’s better to do as Zuo Zongtang wants!” "Yes!" Shi Duo replied, "Li Hongzhang will be arriving in Beijing soon, and Prince Jin will be invited to preside over the meeting at that time, and we will discuss the method before requesting an order." Li Hongzhang arrived in Beijing on August 23rd. Since the founding of the country, no frontier official has ever been in the audience. It is as important as his visit to Beijing this time. Many military plans can only be decided after he comes to discuss face to face. Some of these many military and national plans came from the imperial court, and his opinions were sought; some were requested by Li Hongzhang, and he must come to explain them face to face.Of course, the big plan from the imperial court is mainly based on the opinions of King Chun. The first one is to discuss the establishment of the navy; the second is to increase the salary of the flag camp.His lifelong wish is to develop into a powerful army of the Eight Banners, and if the Eight Banners are to serve their lives, they must first increase their military pay.Therefore, Xue Yunsheng, the left servant of the Ministry of Punishment, had long been instructed to write a paper on "training Chinese and foreign banner battalions with increased wages" as the basis for "negotiation". Where does the salary increase come from?According to Xue Yunsheng's method, it is to cut down the brave camps in all provinces.According to the calculations of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the military salaries of the brave camps in each province cost 14 to 5 million yuan per year. In addition, the so-called "number of bravery" such as food, weapons, tents, and clothing, etc., cost more than 34 million yuan a year. .Including the more than 10 million yuan in salaries for the Jingli Banner Camp and the garrison banner camps in various provinces, the total is nearly 60 million.And the total annual income is only 70 to 80 million. It is naturally not a long-term way to spend 10% of the world's material resources and raise troops with 80%. According to King Chun's intention, the rate increase for Qiying should be increased by at least 40%.Based on this calculation, only the flag salary in Beijing would cost an extra three million taels of silver every year, which was beyond the burden of the ministry treasury.Therefore, in the meeting presided over by King Chun, a conclusion was reached: the provinces will be brave and cut down the superfluous. Due to the large amount of military use, Beijing official salaries are distributed with a reduction, and the original amount must also be restored. As soon as this news spread, officials of all sizes in Beijing, Chinese and military were cheering, but the governors of all provinces, including Li Hongzhang, panicked. Because the provinces recruit soldiers and set up camps to pay salaries, there are many tricks. The first is to eat vacancies; The recommendation of the "Eight Elements" of Zhongda Lao; the fourth is to use various utensils and food to appease the local "heroes" from all walks of life.Once the business is done, it will be a lot of inconvenience. Of course, Yan Jingming is well aware of these situations. Although he does not approve of raising the salary of the banner soldiers, he is in favor of cutting off bravery. He expects that it will definitely attract opposition from the governors of various provinces. In order to get ahead of others, he specially requested an order the day before Li Hongzhang, the leader of the border ministers, arrived in Beijing. A decree was issued, in addition to citing Xue Yunsheng's original performance, all the accumulated malpractices of the military supplies in various provinces were revealed, and they were strictly rectified and decided within a deadline of November this year.At this time, the decree was issued in the hope of breaking through Li Hongzhang's level first, which is quite obvious. ※ ※ ※ On this trip to Beijing, Li Hongzhang brought more money and more people.The reason for bringing more money is to send red envelopes to those who are slightly related to Yin, Nian, Xiang, and Shiyi from the military aircraft to the six small Beijing officials. Bringing more people is because there are many major issues pending, and there must be more in the meantime. Memorial documents need to be done. The first important thing to do upon entering Beijing is to see your majesty.According to the order, after entering Chongwenmen, first drive to the palace gate to greet you.He was dressed in his own traveling clothes, but he came slowly with a big sedan chair all the way, without the slightest appearance of dust. He was wearing a brand-new sapphire blue satin robe, covered with a yellow mandarin jacket given by the emperor, and on his head was a sable-brimmed warm hat with two eyes and feathers. Looking at his slim figure, rosy complexion and his man's eyebrows, which are more or less white than black, one can see that he really looks like a man among gods. Before the ministers of Jiang entered the pilgrimage, they would not meet or visit guests as usual, so the palace gate greeted them, and then went back to Xianliang Temple to walk and rest early.Get up in the middle of the night, tie the knots, and enter the palace at the right time.King Chun has already sent someone to wait at the Donghua Gate, and greeted him to the court room of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, opened a room dedicated to King Chun, and invited him to rest. As soon as I sat down, I heard someone outside the door asking: "Have you handed over Li Zhongtang's invitation booklet?" Hearing the voice of King Chun, Li Hongzhang hurriedly got up and went out to meet him.Su La opened the door curtain, met him, Li Hongzhang greeted him at the door, King Chun returned with a long bow, stepped into the door, and took his hand to greet him. "You look so good!" Chun Wang looked sideways, "You seem to be more energetic than last year." "Thanks to the prince! The prince is also much plumper than last year." "Hey!" King Chun sighed, "The life of the second half of last year was lived by humans? If you don't die, you will be skinned!" He said again: "The higher-ups have been looking forward to you, and they asked about you yesterday. Now the Chinese and French Negotiations are finally over, and there is a long way to go in the future, and you have to refresh yourself. I am afraid that you will have to stay for a longer time when you come here." "Yes! Hongzhang plans to work with the prince for half a month, and wants to ask him to teach him." "You're welcome! Let's discuss with each other. Shaoquan, you have to help me." "Your Majesty's words are serious! As long as you can do what you can, Hongzhang will be as good as your life." King Chun nodded, hesitated to speak, and finally said with difficulty: "My situation is very difficult. Let's talk slowly!" Li Hongzhang knew in his heart that King Chun had something to say, and it was inconvenient to say it at this time, so he talked about something irrelevant.About an hour later, the imperial guards came to convey Yi's decree: "The empress dowager summoned." So Li Hongzhang followed the imperial guards into Yangxinmen.On this day, Jing Shou, the Minister of Internal Affairs who led the guards, led the team to the East Nuan Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.The morning sun filled the room and it was as warm as spring. The Empress Dowager Cixi wore a magenta satin cheongsam with a black satin waistcoat on top, and a huge silk flower on her hair. She looked like thirty people, Li Hongzhang felt that she was more young than what he saw when she was in her fifth birthday last year. This is just a glimpse.After a few walks, it was close to worshiping the mat, knelt down to go to the crown, and greeted Sheng'an when we met. As usual, the Empress Dowager Cixi had a question and answer about the itinerary, the abundance of crops, the suffering of the people, and whether the daily life was comfortable.Of course, the "greetings" between the monarch and his ministers vary from person to person, time and place.For example, Ding Baozhen is far away in Western Sichuan, and it has been rare for a few years to enter the pilgrimage. Once they meet, they will naturally express their condolences and gossip endlessly. Li Hongzhang has only seen him for ten months, and the Empress Dowager Cixi often inquires about the situation in Gyeonggi, so there is no need to say so much gossip. "I've come to you this time to discuss a lot of important matters." The Empress Dowager Cixi expressed her wish before getting into the main topic, "The emperor is almost an adult, and my responsibility can be relieved. I often think about it. You have to put something in place for your hard work! You officials, you talk about thinking about it and about remaining love, that’s what I mean. After the curtain is drawn, someone can often read it and remember my benefits. These twenty Years of hard work are not in vain!" "The empress dowager's intentions are as high as the earth!" Li Hongzhang was suddenly excited, "I have passed sixty this year, and I don't have many days to go. I have spent half my life in the army, and I have never had a day of leisure. If I ask the empress dowager and the emperor to give me a job to support me I think that the empress dowager and the emperor will look decent to all the ministers when they read the ministers' little work. However, the ministers never dared to think of this, because the empress dowager personally worked hard, and the sacred heart was full of considerations. There are people who dare to have such idle thoughts? There are many scolding ministers outside, and I dare not say that I just laughed it off, I just think that instead of being idle about it, it is better to look up to the sacred heart and do more things, which is the way to repay the deep kindness." "That's how it is! Your contribution is no better than others, I know it." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "Changmao and Nianzi have been leveled for 20 years, and now a group of juniors, how do you know the difficulties that our monarchs and ministers struggled to support back then? It is really hateful to talk nonsense without conscience! The words of the past two years were too arrogant, and even the princes and ministers were not in their eyes. " Li Hongzhang understood that this was referring to punishing Liang Dingfen, so they met and said: "The empress dowager preserves the kindness, the minister has to make extra efforts and try to report it." "Anyone who works hard, don't be afraid if I'm around!" The Empress Dowager Cixi paused and said, "Before I return to the government, I have a few important things to do, and I can only succeed with the help of Prince Jin and you." "Yes! I don't dare not be wholehearted." "The first thing is of course to build a navy." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Have you read all the memorials from various provinces?" "Yes! Prince Jin has copied it to the ministers. The provinces should set up the size of the navy. Different people have different opinions. There are differences. It is just that there should be a dedicated government office. There is no difference." Li Hongzhang then put forward his own opinion, "I think that in today's affairs, the first thing to do is to quell the floating debate, and to quell the floating debate, it must first return to the power of the matter. With the empress dowager and the emperor presiding over it, and the ministers of the seven coastal provinces taking charge of the affairs, as long as there are people in the middle hub, it will be as flexible as the arm." This is recommending the king of alcohol and maintaining the overall situation.However, King Chun is ashamed to be recommended by others because of his relatives and nobles and the respect of the emperor.Li Hongzhang has been an official for decades, and no one has as much experience as him, and he can figure out the details, so he refuses to take the liberty. Of course the Empress Dowager Cixi could hear what he meant, but instead of talking about people, she talked about things, "Zhang Zhidong's book arrived just two days ago." She asked, "I wonder if you saw it?" "The minister saw..." The copy of the original music was received by him on his way to Tongzhou.Zhang Zhidong's memorials have always been afraid of endless words, often thousands of words.Naturally, this memorial is no exception. It is divided into eleven categories, including land distribution, ship purchase, billing, fundraising, bank deposit, ship maintenance, ship repair, general training, shipyard, fort, and firearms. , as revealed by Lishan, advocated the training of the four navies of Nanyang, Beiyang, Fujian, and Yueyang, and they were under the jurisdiction of the Zongli Yamen.It sounds clear and logical, but in Li Hongzhang's view, it is purely a scholar who talks about war with big words and exaggerations. However, during the Sino-French War, Zhang Zhidong borrowed a lot of foreign debts to provide arms everywhere. Fees, fundraising to refute him. "Zhang Zhidong respected the empress dowager Teda's knowledge, and he was appointed to Fengjiang. His talent is good, he is determined to forge ahead, and he can quite live up to the expectations of the empress dowager and the emperor. It is a pity that the situation is too smooth, and it is too easy to see things. In terms of billing and fundraising, just for shipbuilding, each army needs 4 million taels, and the four armies need a total of 16 million taels. It was so easy." When it came to money, Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help but sigh: "China and France went to war, and the provinces reimbursed more than 30 million yuan for military supplies, and owed a lot of foreign debts. How did you get it?" "That's exactly why." Li Hongzhang continued, "Not to mention the repayment of principal and interest on foreign debts, let's take the navy as an example. , and the supply of food and salaries for naval officers and soldiers? According to Zhang Zhidong's fundraising regulations, the five-year foreign drug import tariff and half of the likin are used to build the ship, and the remaining half can cover various expenses. In recent years The country’s annual revenue is mainly based on foreign drug tariffs. I don’t know how many people have designated this tax as income? Not to mention, just because of the foreign debts borrowed by Zuo Zongtang and Zhang Zhidong, more foreign drug tariffs have been used as income. Guarantee, if you want to use this money, foreigners will not agree to it first." "That's right!" Empress Dowager Cixi nodded deeply: "Zhang Zhidong always likes to do things on a large scale, and he is a bit careless about the past and the future." "Borrowing foreign debt is definitely not a good strategy for seeking the country." Li Hongzhang took the opportunity to say: "You have to make money yourself. This time, I came to Beijing this time and brought several reports, and I can't go into details right now." "I also heard from Prince Jin that your intentions are good. As long as you can find ways to increase your income and have money to do business, I have nothing to disagree with." It needs to be done no matter what, but there must be a sequence. Beiyang has a scale first. I think one will be established first, and it will expand slowly. what do you mean " "The empress dowager is wise." Li Hongzhang replied, "This is the long-lasting way." "Military training is not only expensive, but also needs people. You have always been willing to pay attention to talents. If you can serve in the navy, just keep them." Empress Dowager Cixi asked again: "Look, are there any good generals?" Li Hongzhang thought to himself that the Empress Dowager Cixi was looking for talents at this time, of course she was preparing for great use. Since the navy planned to invite King Chun to preside over it, it would be inconvenient for him to provide sponsors.After thinking about it for a while, I felt that there was a way to have both, and recommended Chun Wang's pocket man. The person King Chun admired the most in terms of military management was originally Rong Lu, but there was a misunderstanding during the period, and the friendship was almost endless.In recent years, King Chun also wanted to repair it, but Rong Lu didn't know what to do, and would rather hide his strength and bide his time. There may be some special twists and turns in it, and Li Hongzhang dared not take the liberty to recommend it.As a last resort, he thought of someone. "Shanqing, the imperial bodyguard, used to be restrained by his ministers in the early years. When Shanqing's cavalry was quite effective when he was suppressing Xi Nian, he also got along very well with Liu Mingchuan." Li Hongzhang said, "I know him well. He is loyal, brave and honest. It's a good general." "Prince Jin also mentioned to me that Shanqing can lead troops and handle affairs." The Empress Dowager Cixi added: "Zuo Zongtang ensured that Zeng Jize could be an important task in coastal defense before his death. What do you think?" "Zeng Jize and my minister are family friends. He is wise and intelligent, and he is a good talent for foreign affairs. However, he has never led soldiers, and the minister has never heard him talk about military affairs. This time he is called back to the country. Dare to speak out." Having said that, I don't think it is obvious that Zeng Jize, as Zuo Zongtang played, can be an important task in coastal defense.Empress Dowager Cixi nodded, noncommittal, and turned the topic to Zuo Zongtang. "It's a pity for Zuo Zongtang! The court originally wanted to use his prestige to sit in the south, but he didn't want to be in office." The Empress Dowager Cixi sighed and said: "He has worked hard for many years, and I always want to find a quiet place for him to retire. I am free in Beijing. Living, it was good at first, but he knew that he had a stubborn temper and didn't get along with everyone. Last year, the military plane interviewed him and said that it would be best to send him to Fujian. I think Fujian is a place he is very familiar with, and it is considered suitable for people and places. I agreed, and specially sent Yang Changjun there again. The original intention was to tell him not to worry about everything. I don't think he can't appreciate the painstaking efforts of the court. He is old and sick, and he has made great achievements. He can't live a comfortable life for a few years. , it sounds like the imperial court is sorry for him!" "The empress dowager and the emperor are deeply benevolent and kind. They are so sympathetic to the veterans. Zuo Zongtang must be very grateful. However, Zuo Zongtang used Zhuge Liang's self-importance in his life, 'dedicate himself to death, and die later'. Now he died of overwork and illness. Death in battle is no different, for him it can also be said that he seeks benevolence and obtains benevolence, and dies without regret." Li Hongzhang wanted to take his own identity, so he said: "I and Zuo Zongtang usually have different opinions on official affairs, but I know that Zuo Zongtang's sincerity in serving the country and seeking loyalty to the country are no different from my ministers. Recalling the time when I worked with Zeng Guofan, I can see that Zuo Zongtang has passed away now. I am over sixty years old and my energy is declining. It's a lot of work, and I haven't worked for a few years." "You are no better than him! Your spirit is very strong." Empress Dowager Cixi comforted her with an optimistic tone, "The imperial court really depends on you!" "I also know that there are only a few years, and I dare not take a day off. I always want to do more things for the court and the people in my lifetime." "As long as you do it, the imperial court will definitely protect you. But when you get older, you should save your labor." Li Hongzhang came here full of economics and wanted to confide. He originally planned to seek the consent of King Chun and the support of the military aircraft and the ministers of the General Administration.Now, after hearing Empress Dowager Cixi's repeated encouragement, I changed my mind, thinking that by seizing the opportunity at this time, by convincing Empress Dowager Cixi, you can coerce the emperor to order the princes, and it will be more convenient when negotiating. Isn't it a shortcut to do things? After making up her mind, without any hesitation, she first raised the issue of building the railway, which was the most hurdle, "The Empress Dowager sees it clearly. I have been determined to make profits in the past few years, and I have been hated by others. If it is not for the preservation of kindness, even if I have three heads and six arms, I will Nothing will happen." He then switched to the main topic: "Take the construction of the railway as an example. In the sixth year of Guangxu, Liu Ming came to the court and asked to build the railway. He saw that when the railway was opened, the east, west, north and south are connected, and the distance between thousands of miles is the same. Far away, it can be reached in a few days, millions of people gather at one call, the eighteen provinces are united into one, and one soldier can be used for ten soldiers. These words are really insightful. Last year, Wang Shi prepared a lot of power to use troops against the law , the bravery recruited in the hinterland, temporarily unable to send the border provinces to defend against the enemy, delayed for a long time, and missed the military opportunity. In addition to the inconvenience of military supplies transfer, how can there be no reason for invincibility? If Liu Mingchuan played at that time and built the "South Road" first, One from Qingjiangpu via Shandong, the other from Hankou via Henan, and all arrived at the capital. At that time, troops were dispatched and generals were dispatched. In order to resist foreign aggression, the foundation of coastal defense, building railways has nine major benefits in military administration, capital, people's livelihood, transshipment, postal stations, mining, investment promotion, ships, and travel, so we should hurry up and catch up!" When mentioning this matter, the Empress Dowager Cixi recalled all the protests and complaints on the road, and said with a frown: "It is said that the opening of the railway will break Feng Shui, this matter must be carefully checked." This answer made Li Hongzhang a little frustrated, but once he said it, he had to argue, "Where are the vicissitudes of life, where is the mausoleum that has remained unchanged for thousands of years? Western countries emphasized various new policies back then, and often there were people who opposed them. It was all about perseverance. Perseverance is the only way to conquer the bottom. I remember that Zuo Zongtang also gave a play, in favor of imitating railways, saying that foreign countries "build roads because of business, and control soldiers because of roads. There is no disadvantage in transshipment. Before it was built, it was obstructed. Wow! Once it is done, the people will be rich, the country will be strong, and the characters will be prosperous. It is beneficial but not harmful. It is inherently obvious. Telegraph ships are not available in China. Once they are there, they are indispensable.' This is experience. His words are really thorough.” Speaking of this, he remembered an excellent example: “In the first year of Tongzhi, the minister was recommended by Zeng Guofan, and was granted the governorship of Jiangsu by the grace of the Empress Dowager. The British ship arrived in Shanghai. I remember that I disembarked from Anqing in early March, and arrived in Shanghai on the fourth day. If there is no ship, it will be thousands of miles away. I don’t know when I will get there? Another example is the war with foreign countries last year, Fujian, Yunnan, Guizhou and the capital. Thousands of miles away, the military report arrives every morning and evening, and the general of the border province is able to accept Yi's order and go to the matter quickly. If the telegram has not been sent, and there is no news for a month, I can't imagine what the situation will be like today? " These words made the Empress Dowager Cixi terrified and moved. "Most Beijing officials don't understand foreign affairs. The best way to run the railway!" She gave a general instruction: "You should discuss everything carefully with Prince Jin. As long as it is beneficial to the country, the No harm to the people, no matter what happens!" Playing to this point, time has run out, and the talk has come to an end.So Jing Shou made a gesture to signal Li Hongzhang to kneel down and retreat. When we returned to the court room of the House of Internal Affairs, King Chun just called out, we met in front of the door, and there was no time for a deep talk, King Chun only said: "Let's talk in detail at night!" Then he hurried north with the imperial guards. Li Hongzhang no longer sat in the court room.In order to respect his status as the chief assistant, he did not go to the military plane either.Although Li Wang Shiduo was present at the military aircraft department, Li Hongzhang didn't take this prince seriously, and passed the sedan chair out of the palace by himself.