Chapter 163 Mother and Son Monarch and Minister (9-1)

"Zhan Ru!" Rong Lu asked calmly, "Do you know why the superior sent you there?" "Holy will is unpredictable, please give me advice." "The Empress Dowager is the best. The British and French allied forces are always guilty of internal crimes. Burning the Old Summer Palace is a great shame. However, revenge is not easy. Like today's practice, you can only call for disaster. The Empress Dowager also knows that the Boxers are not reliable, and, moreover, very annoying The Boxers..." "Oh!" Zhao Shuqiao interrupted the master unconsciously.

"You don't believe me, do you? Zhan Ru, listen to what I tell you, and ask if it's true or not. I will never lie to you." According to Rong Lu, the boxer tricks had already been brought to the palace by King Duan.Many eunuchs were practicing secretly.Once, the elder brother dressed up as the "Second Senior Brother", with a red scarf on his head, a red belt around his waist, and a waistcoat embroidered with Li Gua.When they were having fun, the Empress Dowager Cixi was furious when she saw it, and scolded her at that time. "Not only was he scolded, but he was also punished to kneel down for a stick of incense. That's not counting, even Mr. Xu Yin was out of luck, so he called him into the garden and gave him a harsh speech. That's enough to see."

"No wonder!" Zhao Shuqiao said, "Yin Lao's face was very ugly a few days ago." It turns out that when the eldest elder brother entered school, he specially opened the Hongde Hall as a study room, and Yizhi sent Chongqi as the master, and Xu Tong was in charge of the classics. The name of this mission was "Take care of the Hongde Hall".In Tongzhi and the early years of Guangxu, this position was held by special relatives and nobles, and it was invisibly given the important task of restraining the emperor.So Xu Tong took care of the Hongde Palace, and he had to be careful about all the words and deeds of the elder brother. Now that he is wearing the attire of the second brother of the Boxer Regiment, in the eyes of the Empress Dowager Cixi, he is "self-willed and obscene", so of course Xu must be blamed. Tong.When Rong Lu told this story, he meant to show that the Empress Dowager Cixi didn't pay much attention to it, and she didn't like the Boxers.

In Zhao Shuqiao, there is no reason for unbelief, but I just feel a little surprised.However, it is not surprising to think about it carefully. Using a person does not mean admiring a person. Now he really understands that his mission here is not to appease or disband the Boxers, and he does not need to take any responsibility for dealing with the aftermath. It is purely to be the eyes and ears of the Empress Dowager Cixi, just to have a look. "I fully understand Zhongtang's advice. Is the Boxer usable? I will stand on the sidelines, find out the truth, and play back according to the facts."

"Exactly!" Rong Lu patted his arm and said, "I'm relieved when you say that. Zhan Ru, I've always admired your vision. The higher-ups have found the right person for you." ※ ※ ※ The day before Zhao Shuqiao arrived in Zhuozhou, the Boxers suffered a big loss in Huangcun, west of Beijing.Nie Shicheng was ordered to protect Lubao and Jinlu Roads, led a team through Lugou Bridge, and found that the Boxers were going to destroy the railway.First the ceremony and then the soldiers, again and again, failed to disperse by force, and then went on a large-scale suppression, killing as many as 488 Boxers.

This time, Zhao Shuqiao's situation became very difficult.Although he knew that the trip was purely for "seeing", the boxers gathered inside and outside the city of Zhuozhou were said to have 30,000 people, and the leader was Cai Pei, who claimed that foreigners would attack Zhuozhou and the officials would defend the city.There is a red scarf on the city wall, tens of thousands of heads, swords and spears like a forest, the state officials have nothing to do, only hunger strike to kill themselves.Under such circumstances, Yin He Naiying of Shuntian Mansion arrived with Zhao Shuqiao, the Minister of Military Aircraft who was in charge of Shuntian Mansion, how could he just do nothing?

After some twists and turns by the local gentry, the Boxers sent four senior brothers to meet Zhao and He in the lobby of the Zhuozhou yamen.Sitting in rows from east to west, seeing each other with respect, ignoring the dignity and decency of the imperial court, they just couldn't care less. "You are all good citizens of the imperial court. You are loyal and brave, and the empress dowager appreciates it very much. However," Zhao Shuqiao said, "no matter who you are, you must abide by the law. Although you are doing this out of "helping the Qing and destroying the foreign ''s loyalty, after all, is breaking the court's law! Listen to my advice, everyone go back to their hometowns, and go to the regiment training, if the court decides to start a war with foreigners, there must be a chance for you to succeed in your career."

The four elder brothers rolled their eyes at each other for a while, and Cai Pei replied: "The one named Nie who has benefited from the foreigners and helped the foreigners kill his own people is a traitor! If the one named Nie is not dismissed, everything will be discussed. He wants to see if he is superior or inferior, how much Taoism does he have?" Zhao Shuqiao was startled and angry, but she didn't dare to explode. She kept claiming to be a "righteous man". Ken backs down.When it came to dark, there was no result, but neither of them wanted to break up, and they agreed to talk again the next day.

That night, the officials and gentry held a banquet to meet the wind, and after the food was filled, Zhao Shuqiao, who has always had a big appetite, couldn't eat.After the hasty feast, I went back to the hotel alone, wandering around the room, asking each other from heart to mouth, until it was almost dawn, I stopped and said to myself: "I have to borrow the Nie Gong Pavilion!" Having made this decision, Fang Shi undressed and went to bed.When I woke up, I saw the servant opened the curtain and said, "Master, please get up! I have an invitation from the middle hall."

"Where is Gang Zhongtang?" "Zhizhou Yamen." The servant replied, while handing a copy of the mansion note that had just arrived to Zhao Shuqiao's hand. Then I saw that the first edict had Nie Shicheng's name at the beginning, but I couldn't see two lines, and my body was half cold. The edict actually accused Nie Shicheng of not attacking the Boxers without authorization. In order to cause a change, the only admiral is to ask" words.The final punishment was to issue an edict to "strictly admonish" and return the troops to Lutai for stationing.

"It's over!" he said.After thinking all night, the plan to use Nie Shicheng to suppress the Zhuozhou Boxers completely fell through. What to do now?He was thinking that Yang Futong and Nie Shicheng were lessons learned from the past. If he refused to accommodate, then he would not even need to see Fortitude. It would be best to pack up and return to Beijing immediately and resign from office. A first-rank official and a minister of military affairs with the position of prime minister.How many people can reach this position? Zhao Shuqiao was stunned for a long time, then sighed and said, "Oh! My mother is in the hall..." ※ ※ ※ "Zhan Ru, you probably don't know that the foreign soldiers have already entered Beijing! The foreign aggression is urgent, and it is too late to clean up the hearts of the people. How can they kill each other? Nie Gongting is so confused that the empress dowager is furious. As for Dong Huizi, he is domineering." Very well, his Gan army may not be reliable. The reliable one is the Boxers. If you look at the crowd, it is not due to loyalty. How can there be such a scene? Now there is no other way to go, but to recruit the righteous people. With the help of the Ministry of War, with the help of their magical fists, they wiped out the foreigners in one go." Said resolutely, "I asked for this job myself. Fortunately, I arrived early and there was still time to redeem it. Zhan Ru, you must Stop being stubborn." "Zhongtang is right!" He Naiying said, "Now that Nie Gongting has been reprimanded by the order, it is enough to calm the spirit of justice. I think, let Zhongtang preside over the negotiation." He turned his face and asked again: "What do Mr. Zhan think?" Zhao Shuqiao thought to herself, at this point, saying anything is superfluous, so she smiled and replied: "The two masters have seen this, how can Shu Qiao praise it again. Now that Zhongtang is in charge of the bureau, it seems that I can do it." Return to Beijing and return to life." Gang Yi nodded and said, "Alright! You go back to Beijing first. When the Empress Dowager summons you, just say: Everything has me. " "yes!" So Zhao Shuqiao left for Beijing that day.Entering the city early the next morning, as usual, he went to the palace gate first to say hello, and the Empress Dowager Cixi summoned him immediately. The first sentence she asked was: "What's going on? Do you think the Boxers will make trouble out of control?" "It doesn't matter." Zhao Shuqiao had nothing to answer for a moment, so she could only perfunctory: "I think it doesn't matter." The word "it doesn't matter" was vague when he uttered it, but it was not annoying to the ears of Empress Dowager Cixi.Because for many days, when she heard people talking about the uprising and the regiment, she either praised it or slandered it.Some people have a clearer mind and a more peaceful discussion, such as Qing Wang and others, but they are both ambiguous and do not make affirmative words.When talking about the original intention of the Boxers, it is said that loyalty and righteousness are desirable, but they are afraid of causing chaos. When talking about the magic of the Boxers, it is said that the world is so big that there are no wonders, or that they really have supernatural powers, which is unknown.Anyway, it is the Empress Dowager Cixi, there is no difference between saying it or not. At this moment, I can hear an important sentence, which is "it doesn't matter"!For forty years, the Empress Dowager Cixi was confident that she could control anyone and everything, except that the Boxers were as stupid as deer hogs.When the chaos becomes serious, and the wolves run wild and are not restrained, how can we get it?Since "it doesn't matter", let them make a fuss and teach foreigners that the people are open-minded and should not be insulted. If they want to preach and do business in China, they must ask the imperial court for protection.In that case, regardless of whether the establishment is abolished or the reserve is established, the ministers of various countries will not dare to meddle in their own affairs! ※ ※ ※ Therefore, the Empress Dowager Cixi immediately set off and returned to Xiyuan from the Summer Palace.According to the usual regulations, boats are always boarded from Kunming Lake, pass through Yuhe River, enter Deshengmen Xishuiguan, pass Jishuitan to Sanhai, which is called "returning to the sea".But since the beginning of May, the Boxers have been in groups of three or four, glaring at each other, and the banks of the Yu River are not very quiet, so on this day they had to enter the city by land in sedan chairs. As soon as he arrived in Xiyuan, the first person to be "called up" was Duan Wang Zaiyi.The Empress Dowager Cixi didn't really like this nephew and nephew and son-in-law. She never smiled when she met her, and this day was no exception. ?” "It's because of the Chancellor's Yamen that they can come to make trouble. What the slaves mean, just cut this Yamen, and foreigners will have nothing to do!" Zaiyi said triumphantly. "Listen!" Empress Dowager Cixi said to the emperor sitting side by side: "What's his name?" This is very disdainful.Zaiyi was used to it, so she didn't feel uncomfortable, what was uncomfortable was saying this to the emperor, compared to that, how could the situation be so embarrassing?He couldn't help but blush and his neck was rough, as if he wanted to argue, but in the end he just swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva. "Let me ask you, how many foreign soldiers have come these two days?" "No matter how many times you come!" Zai Yi replied loudly, "The Boxers are born geniuses, with infinite spells, and can beat up foreigners, so the foreign soldiers want to enter Beijing, and the slaves are not willing to stop them, anyway, they are here to die!" "Don't mess around!" Empress Dowager Cixi said with a serious face, "Without me, if you dare to kill a foreigner in Beijing, I will spare you!" "Without Lafayette's will, the servant would not dare." "I asked you just now, how many foreign soldiers have come these two days, but you haven't told me yet!" "The slave doesn't know. The slave doesn't care about the Prime Minister's Office." Empress Dowager Cixi pondered for a while and said, "Okay! I will assign you to manage the Zongli Yamen." "Here," Zai Yi hurriedly met and said, "I beg Lafayette to take back his life." "If you don't care, don't care!" Seeing Empress Dowager Cixi's stern words, Zaiyi didn't dare to resign: "Your servant obeys the order. But," he said, "the Zongli Yamen has to be replaced. " "Of course you can." Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Who do you want to replace?" "The servant opened another order to ask for orders." "Okay!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked again, "How did you discuss with Ronglu and Chongli about protecting the capital?" "Dong Fuxiang's team was transferred into the city from Nanyuan today. In addition, two hundred soldiers from Hushen Camp and Shenji Battalion were sent to guard each city gate. Two hundred more soldiers from Hubu Street and Yuhe Bridge are enough!" "Now there are only a few hundred foreign soldiers in the capital, so this arrangement is naturally enough. Don't forget, there are quite a few foreign warships in Haikou, Tianjin. If you go ashore and rush to the capital, you have to be careful!" "Lafayette Wan'an, although the number of officers and soldiers is small, with the Boxers around, it is enough to defeat the enemy." The Empress Dowager Cixi was silent, and after a while, she said lightly: "Let's wait and see!" She turned to ask again: "What does the emperor have to say?" "No." The call ended without words.Waiting for King Duan to kneel and withdraw, then summoned Rong Lu.Without waiting for the Empress Dowager Cixi to inquire, he first reported two pieces of news: one was that the Beijing-Tianjin train was interrupted, and the train going south from the capital could only reach Yangcun, sixty miles away; the other was that Russia had transferred troops from Vladivostok four Qian is about to arrive in Tianjin, and the ministers of various countries in Beijing have gathered and decided to call the admirals of various countries stationed in Tianjin to send troops for reinforcements. "The situation is very dangerous! The slaves are restless day and night." Rong Lu said with a bleak face, "The Empress Dowager really has to make up her mind!" "Could it be," Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Do foreigners really dare to come to Beijing?" "The servant dare not say." "How many foreign soldiers are there?" "There are about three thousand in Tianjin." "Have more than three thousand foreign soldiers scared you so much that you can't sleep or eat?" Hearing this, Rong Lu hurriedly bumped into each other and said, "I am not afraid of the more than 3,000 foreign soldiers in Tianjin. I am afraid of two things: first, when the war starts, all countries will send troops to reinforce them; There are many bandits, taking advantage of the fire to rob, the market is chaotic, there is no need to start a war with foreigners, we will lose ourselves!" "This must be guarded against. I told King Duan to strictly control him. Also, Dong Fuxiang's Gan army sent him to protect the capital, so he has the responsibility to maintain the ground. You pass the decree to him and teach him to look at it carefully. Live in the Boxers!" Hearing this, Rong Lu was in distress. Many soldiers in the Gan army colluded with the Boxers. I heard that Li Laizhong was at Dong Fuxiang's side.Moreover, Zaiyi and Dong Fuxiang have secretly communicated a song called Wuweijun, which is actually beyond Ronglu's control.If these words were told truthfully, the Empress Dowager Cixi would ask: "So you can't control your subordinates?" But what's the answer? Thinking about it this way, there is only Weiwei claiming to be right, but there is one sentence that must be said: "The slave asks Lafayette for an order, and must issue a strict order. Foreigners must not be killed, and the embassy must be protected." "That's what I mean too. Anyway, I will never start a war on my own! I will tell Prince Duan tomorrow. However," Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "If a war really starts, how sure are we?" The weight of this question is beyond the weight of a thousand pounds?Rong Lu thought to himself that the plan for peace and war depends on the Empress Dowager Cixi, and the attitude of the Empress Dowager Cixi depends on a word of his own.Don't say "I'm sure" for the sake of face-saving, it must not be done, but the language is vague, which makes the Empress Dowager Cixi misunderstand, thinking that the strength is not bad, and the number of victories and defeats is not yet known. If you want to get away with it, it is also a sin of self-mistake and wrong country, Gu En's dereliction of duty, and ten thousand deaths are not enough to atone for. Having said that, it is inappropriate to express an eager remonstrance, so I made up my mind first, and after a little preparation, Fang Shi replied cautiously and slowly: "The Beiyang led by the slave is not the Beiyang led by Li Hongzhang. It is said that the Wuwei Army is not comparable to the Huai Army. The Wuwei Army is actually only the Fourth Army. The rear army Dong Fuxiang, together with the Hushen and Shenji Battalions, will be responsible for protecting the capital from today. Of course, it will be under the control of King Duan; Stationed in Jinzhou, defending Shanhaiguan, must not be mobilized; the right army Yuan Shikai is in Shandong, and he wants to defend Jiaozhou Haikou, so there are not many troops that can be transferred to the north; the former army Nie Shicheng is now stationed in Yangcun to protect the two railways. Nie Shicheng will stop it even if he tries his best. However, the Boxers and Nie Shicheng are in trouble, and they have to deal with foreign soldiers and the Boxers. There is nothing more holy than Lafayette, I am somewhat sure, I really can't bear to say it!" After finishing speaking, we met again and again.The underside of that brick was hollowed out when it was built, and when they met, the "dong, dong" sounded very loudly. Empress Dowager Cixi froze, fanning her fan impatiently.Li Lianying caught a glimpse of it just behind the screen covering the throne, and hastily covered it up, fanning the Empress Dowager Cixi with a huge goose feather fan. "What's cool?" "There are iced rose water, sour plum soup, and honeysuckle water." "Bring it here!" Empress Dowager Cixi said again, "Give Lord Rong a bowl too." So Li Lianying did it herself and directed the eunuch to bring a dining table, besides iced drinks, there were also refreshments.The Empress Dowager Cixi ordered Rong Lu to stand up and finish drinking a bowl of honeysuckle dew while standing. "Go and have a look!" Empress Dowager Cixi said to Li Lianying, "Go down! No one is allowed in the hall." "Cha!" Li Lianying rushed out of the hall, only to hear two crisp applause, and then the eunuchs in the hall retreated and gathered around Li Lianying. The Empress Dowager Cixi didn't speak until this time, her voice was low and hoarse, "I also know that we can't start a war with foreigners! Once we start a war, we can't rely on Beiyang alone." She continued, "The three important places of Liangjiang, Liangguang, and Huguang, Not necessarily willing to try our best, things are very difficult.” "Yes!" Rong Lu replied, "Liu Kunyi, Li Hongzhang, and Zhang Zhidong all played electronic music, and I strongly advocate caution, and don't provoke yourself by yourself." "However, foreigners are pushing forward step by step, making progress, and agreeing to do the same thing, but what will happen in the end if this goes on like this?" Sure enough, he made an inch of progress, and in the end he must ask the empress dowager to return to power.Not only could this not be tolerated by the Empress Dowager Cixi, even Rong Lu did not want such a result to happen.However, in front of the emperor, I had to take it from my heart, and it was not appropriate to say it explicitly. So he thought for a while, and said very tactfully: "Negotiate and see the person. As long as you find the right person, you will never let the foreigner speak up and make any unreasonable demands." "This negotiation is not with a country. This person is very difficult to find. Rong Lu, who do you think is suitable?" When asked this question, Rong Lu was both pleased and emotional.What is gratifying is that the Empress Dowager Cixi is not obsessed with obsession after all. What she feels is that she played a chess game at the beginning. She hoped that she would not use it, but she finally had to! "If you go back to Lafayette, you have to transfer Li Hongzhang back to Beijing to handle this negotiation." "I think so too." Empress Dowager Cixi turned her face and asked, "What does the emperor think?" "Li Hongzhang is very appropriate. But..." The emperor hesitated to speak. "Go ahead." The Empress Dowager Cixi said in a friendly manner, "There are no outsiders here." "Yes!" the emperor said in a low voice, "I'm afraid Li Hongzhang won't come." "Why? Let me tell you a reason." "The Boxers are making such a fuss about the law, no matter how capable a person is, I'm afraid they won't be able to negotiate this." "Since you plan to negotiate with foreigners, of course you can't let them make trouble." Empress Dowager Cixi asked Ronglu solemnly, "Are you sure about dealing with the Boxers?" "Yes!" Rong Lu replied unequivocally, "The servant sent Yuan Shikai to Beijing to suppress the Boxers." "You have to caress first and then suppress, and if you don't care, then suppress." "Yes! That's for sure." The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded, took a sip of the rose dew in front of her slowly, wiped her mouth, and calmly, as if she was handling trivial housework. "That's it, but it's not appropriate to show any signs first. Only the three of us know about this matter. You should telegraph Yuan Shikai first and ask him to prepare." She paused and said, "It's all done! Come and tell me , I have my own way." "Yes!" Rong Lu said again, "I want to fix a date." This is a further call for a definitive decision.The Empress Dowager Cixi thought for a while, and resolutely replied: "Three days!" "My servant spent these three days preparing." Rong Lu said again, "The ground is very chaotic now. He Naiying is on a business trip to Zhuozhou, and has been promoted to be the deputy capital censor. The new Shuntian Prefecture Yin Wang Peiyou is now acting as Taipu Siqing. If there is no one, the servant asks for an order, can you send the Prime Minister Chen Kuilong to act as the agent." "Yes." Empress Dowager Cixi said, "I will invent the decree tomorrow." ※ ※ ※ King Duan never dreamed that the Empress Dowager Cixi had changed her mind and still pinned her hopes on the Boxers, thinking that a war with the foreigners was not only inevitable but also imminent, so she specially approached Qixiu and asked him to prepare an edict to declare war .Qixiu had limited supplies in her stomach, so she entrusted this extremely important errand to Zhang Jinglian Wenchong of the military aircraft.This person is from Hangzhou, a Jinshi background, and his job is a doctor in the household department. He was admitted to the Military Aircraft Department and was assigned to the second class of Han Dynasty. His status is second only to "Dalami".After receiving this errand, I thought it was time to get promoted, so I took a day off and devoted myself to writing this great article for Zhang Guowei in my apartment. Therefore, when Lian Wenchong wrote, there was no big break, and he tried to preserve the sadness and anger. Instead, his chest was full of a feeling of being promoted and getting rich, and feeling elated.This kind of imperial edict, which is intended to spread across the backcountry, should not be too many words, and should not be deep in art and science. A manuscript that should be completed in an hour or two, took a whole day to start and stop, just for self-appreciation. I read it over and over again, the more I read it, the more interesting it becomes. Complete the transcript and send it to Qixiu Mansion in person at night.After entering the living room, I saw Xu Tong sitting tall. Lian Wenchong naturally greeted "Zhongtang" before returning to Qixiu, "The writing is not good." He said, "Please correct me, my lord." "This is a big article that will be recorded in the history of various countries in the future!" Qixiu took the manuscript, turned to Xu Tong and said, "It's a declaration of war, please read it first, teacher." "Uh, uh! Okay, okay!" Xu Tong took a deep look at Lian Wenchong, then moved his eyes and asked, "Who is this?" "He is the best in Zhang Jing." Qixiu replied, "Ming Min understands, and his insights and writing are rare." "Oh!" Xu Tong stroked his white beard, looked Lian Wenchong from head to toe, and then took the manuscript into his hands. Lian Wenchong approached alertly and moved the candlestick on the kang table closer, but the candle flame flickered erratically, and his old eyes became dizzy.Qixiu was by his side, but she couldn't tell a word, at this moment, she couldn't help but think that glasses are indeed good things, but since they come from the West, they should be rejected.The two teachers and younger brothers can only use manuscripts to accommodate their eyesight. They are just a presbyopia and a nearsighted. If they are too close, Xu Tong can't see them, and if they are too far away, not only Qi Xiu can't see them, but also Xu Tong can't see them, because the candlelight is no better than you " Mobil Oil's lamps were so bright and steady. So I saw a piece of paper approaching and far away, and two faces up and down. After tinkering for a long time, Qixiu had no choice but to say: "Teacher, let me read it to you!" "Alright!" Xu Tong handed over the manuscript with a sigh of relief, sat upright, closed his eyes, picked up his mustache, and listened intently. "I have been in the dynasty for more than two hundred years, and I am deeply benevolent. Anyone who comes to China from afar, the ancestors, the ancestors, will not be treated with tenderness..." Qixiu recited each word clearly, because the writing was so familiar and vulgar, it was almost the same as "Tai Shang Induction Chapter", so Xu Tong could hear it clearly, every word was clear, and the interest was good. The braids, which are more white and less black, flicker, more and more vigorously. After enumerating the rudeness of "them", Qixiu's voice suddenly rose, showing more generosity, "I have been in the imperial court for thirty years, and treat the people like my descendants, and the people also wear me like the emperor of heaven. Besides, the merciful sage rejuvenates the universe. , full of marrow and flesh, ancestors rely on, gods are grateful, everyone is loyal and indignant, nothing in the past! Let's fight it out, let's fight it out!" After reading this, Qixiu stopped, and Xu Tong also opened his eyes. He shook his head and said: "'Rather than just trying to survive, you will be ashamed forever; if you want to attack with a big show, it will be a showdown!" Okay, Good! That's really clear." Lian Wenchong's face was like gold flying, and he bowed his knees and thanked him humbly: "It's a false reward! What can I say about my gratitude?" "It's really good!" Xu Tong pretended to be lyrical, "The three immortals of virtue, speech, and meritorious deeds are already here, and the future is boundless. I will wait and see." "Congratulations!" Lian Wenchong greeted him again. "Please go back!" Qixiu said: "The manuscript is very good, but I don't know when it will be used. You don't have to mention it to your colleagues before you go back." "Yes, yes!" Lian Wenchong agreed to leave. So Qixiu discussed with the "teacher", and they both had the same idea, this manuscript should be sent to Duan Wang for review immediately. Arriving at Prince Duan's mansion, he saw that King Zhuang and Zai Lan were there, and when he saw Qixiu, King Duan said enthusiastically, "Good job, good job, I'm about to send someone to invite you." It turned out that King Duan was drafting a list for reorganizing the Prime Minister's Office.Except for Liao Shouheng, there is no change in the rest, but if you need to add a few people, the first one will take a fancy to Qixiu.The reason is very simple, as the Minister of Military Aircraft and the Prime Minister can get a lot of convenience.As for the Minister of Military Affairs who did not also serve as the Prime Minister, only Rong Lu and Qi Xiu were selected. "I never dreamed that I would do foreign affairs..." "It's not for you to do foreign affairs." Zai Lan rushed to interrupt Qixiu's words, "I ask you to find a way to control the barbarians." "Oh, oh," Qixiu replied, "Anyway, Prince Duan is in charge of the Prime Minister's Yamen, so I just follow orders." "That's right!" Zai Lan added: "Don't talk to Lao Qing." This refers to Qing Wang Yikuang. "Look," Duan Wang asked, "add two more people?" Qixiu mentioned several names, considered each other, and decided to recommend Pu Xing, the right minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Na Tong, a cabinet bachelor. This person's father was the editor Pu'an who was executed in the Xianfeng Wuwu examination case.Sushun was punished, and all the people sentenced in the court case were considered wronged, so Natong got the support of the elders under his banner.And Natong himself is a first-class figure in Lishan, extremely capable, and he was very popular when he was a secretary in the Ministry of Industry. When he mentioned "Xiao Na", everyone was well-known.He also has a lot of money, and Zai Lan got some benefits from him, so he specially recommended him to be the prime minister. After drawing up the list and looking at the draft of the war declaration, Prince Duan was quite satisfied, and told Lian Wenchong to keep it for future use.At the same time, he took care of Qixiu and informed Puxing and Natong that they would meet at the imperial court early the next morning, and when the order to reorganize the Prime Minister's Office came, they would immediately take over the post. ※ ※ ※ Due to King Duan's order, the Prime Minister's Office has to notify Qixiu of all matters concerning external negotiations, so he has no time to spare after he arrives at ten o'clock in the morning. Churches, protests against killing foreigners and churchgoers, were sent to Qixiu one after another.For urgent affairs, Zhang Jing asked for instructions in person, but Qixiu had to ask his subordinates for advice first. What was the method in the past?This was a lot of work, and until five o'clock in the afternoon, the business was only half done. "It can't be done!" He said helplessly, "I have to talk about it tomorrow!" Zhang Jing, the general manager, is called Tong Dezhang, a native of Sichuan, and he can save labor by persuading Qixiu, instead of doing everything by himself.While we were talking, someone came to report that Japanese Minister Komura Kotaro came to visit, saying that there was an extremely urgent and important event, and it was necessary to see the Prime Minister who was in power and could be responsible for the answer. This made it impossible for Qixiu to disappear, because if she pushed it to another prime minister, it would be tantamount to saying that she was not in power.However, although he was not like his teacher, who was heartbroken when the word "foreign" was mentioned, it was the first time he had met and talked with foreigners, so he couldn't help feeling timid. He was still hesitating, but Tong Dezhang had already made the decision for him, "Please sit in the small living room of the Japanese Minister!" Tong Dezhang said again, "Let's see if Mr. Wang from the Russian stock market has left." "Master Wang" refers to Wang Zhangjing of the "Russian Stock". Qixiu had no choice but to see, only to see that there was anger hidden in Xiaocun's dignified expression.In order to "extend the power of heaven", Qixiu also faced each other awe-inspiringly, listening to Xiaocun's "gulu, gulu" speak loudly. "My lord!" Wang Zhangjing looked worried, "Something has happened! This, I'm afraid it will be very troublesome." "what happened?" "Minister Komura said: They have received news that Admiral Xue Muer of the British Navy led 2,000 British, German, Russian, French, American, Japanese, Italian, and Austrian troops from Tianjin to Beijing..." "What?" Qixiu interrupted loudly, "What do you mean by coalition forces?" "It's the allied forces of Britain, Germany, Russia, France, the United States, Japan, Italy, and Austria, entering Beijing from Tianjin." "The Allied Forces of Eight Nations!" Qixiu turned pale with shock, "How many people are there?" "two thousand." "Oh! Two thousand." Qixiu's expression and voice softened, "How is it?" "Going to Beijing from Tianjin, I heard that I have reached Yangcun, but because the railway is interrupted, I can't go further north..." "Okay!" Qixiu interrupted him again, "The railway should be burned, and if it doesn't burn it, it will always be a crime!" He was talking about important negotiations, and he kept talking about irrelevant gossip. How can he be a high-ranking official and do big things?Wang Zhangjing was quite displeased, and deliberately held back his hands and remained silent. "Please go on!" "I'm waiting for adults to discuss it!" Wang Zhangjing said coldly. Qixiu knew that she was wrong, but she couldn't express her apology, so she just said: "Please finish your speech first. The coalition forces can no longer come north, what will happen next?" "The Japanese embassy learned of this and sent a clerk named Sugiyama Bin to inquire about the news. He drove out of Yongdingmen in a car. He was Admiral Dong's subordinate and dragged him out of the car. Without any explanation, he was stabbed in the chest." "Is it dead?" "Of course he died! And he died horribly with the blades thrown at him." Wang Zhangjing said, "Minister Xiaocun came to protest." "What is he going to do?" "First of all, we must investigate the murderer, and second, we must pay compensation." "Investigate the murderer, where to investigate?" Qixiu replied, "Maybe it's the rioters, not the Gan army." "They have investigated, and it is indeed Admiral Dong's Gan Army." "Since the investigation has been completed, great! Ask him to tell the murderer's name, and we can go to ask for the murderer." This is a very insincere reply, which is enough to anger the negotiating opponent.Wang Zhangjing knew that these stubborn Taoists were unreasonable, so he had to translate it according to the facts. Although the tone was relaxed, it still made Komura Jutaro very dissatisfied.However, Qixiu's speech was a fallacy, but it was very powerful. Xiaocun was blocked and had nothing to say, with a livid face, he got up and left. Qixiu never thought it would be so easy to dismiss!In addition to being stunned, he couldn't help but feel complacent, "There is no secret to doing foreign affairs," he actually said in the tone of an old senior, "It's just a matter of righteousness!" After saying that, he walked in, shaking his head. "What the hell!" Tong Dezhang shook his head in a Sichuan accent, "You're looking for trouble for yourself!" "Mr. Tong," Wang Zhangjing said quietly, "this is very inappropriate. I think it's better to talk to King Qing." Tong Dezhang thought for a while and replied: "It is better to tell King Qing than to tell Rong Zhongtang. I am not inconvenient to go, please take a hard time. You tell Rong Zhongtang that things have reached this point, and we should fight. Make up your mind early, and you have to make a peace." It's early, the later the more disadvantages."