Chapter 164 Mother and Son Monarch and Minister (9-2)

Rong Lu is receiving a special messenger sent by Nie Shicheng.The day before in Yangcun, he encountered the Eight-Power Allied Forces led by the British officer Xue Muer, and Nie Shicheng planned to send troops to intercept them.Playing against foreigners is very difficult, so of course you need to ask for instructions.When the telegram reached Baoding, Yulu's reply was only eight words: "Telegram, no action without authorization." Obviously, Nie Shicheng was not allowed to stop the enemy. As the admiral of Zhili, there are bandits in Zhili that cannot be suppressed, and there are enemies that cannot be stopped. What is the use of this army?Nie Shicheng was furious and decided to withdraw from Yangcun. Knowing that it was useless to ask Yulu, he specially sent a special envoy to Beijing to state his difficulties to Ronglu and ask for a redeployment.

"I know the grievances of your commander-in-chief," Rong Lu said to the special messenger, "Take my words back, just say what I said, and be patient no matter what! I am no less angry than your commander-in-chief, and my life is no less He has a better life. The human situation will always improve in the next few days, and Yangcun is an important opening, so we must guard it." The special messenger was very capable. Seeing that the request was rejected, he couldn't just convey a word, so he returned empty-handed, and decided to ask for instructions on behalf of Nie Shicheng.

Wanting to stop, he said: "If you go back to Zhongtang, the foreigners are afraid that the supply of goods will not be available because of the interruption of the railway, so they temporarily hold back the troops. You have to ask the middle hall to be the master." This is asking for Rong Lu's support.With the plan for peace and war still undecided, he did not dare to agree hastily, so he only replied: "Don't fight hard! Set up more suspicious soldiers, bluff, and restrain the foreigners first." "Yes!" The special messenger asked again, "The gangsters are here to harass you?"

"Just kick them out." "If the bandits fight with foreigners, what should our army do?" This question made Rong Lu unable to answer the question. He could neither help the Boxers fight foreigners, nor help foreigners fight the Boxers.After thinking about it for a while, he replied vaguely, "You guys can figure it out." This is a hint that one can just watch from the sidelines, but he only understood what he meant, but stubbornly said: "Please ask Zhongtang to explain clearly." Rong Lu had no choice but to answer like this: "The best policy is not to get involved in the whirlpool."

This can no longer ask "what if you get involved in the whirlpool"!The messenger said goodbye with satisfaction.Then, Rong Lu received Wang Zhangjing. Hearing that Minister Xiaocun left because of Qixiu's anger and Qixiu's self-satisfaction, Rong Lu's expression became serious. "Have you told King Qing about these things?" He asked. "The general manager Zhang Jing meant that it would be better to go back and forth directly to the middle hall." Wang Zhangjing relayed Tong Dezhang's words again. "Thank you for his concern. The overall situation will improve in the next few days. However, such things as the killing of the secretary of the Japanese legation must never happen again." Rong Lu thought for a while and decided to praise the visitor so that he would not have to talk to the secretary. What he said came out: "Tomorrow morning, I want to see the Empress Dowager to persuade her. The Prime Minister's Office has sent someone who shouldn't be in charge of it. I also know that you are in a very difficult situation. The situation of the country is such that we can only do our best. Why, please tell your colleagues, bear the burden of humiliation, and try to maintain it. Although I am not in the position and do not seek other political affairs, military affairs and foreign affairs are inseparable. I know everyone's achievements. When the matter is over, I will definitely report it to the superior , don’t teach everyone to work hard for nothing.”

These comforting words were very useful, Wang Zhangjing changed his gloomy expression when he first arrived, and left happily.Rong Lu watched his back disappear, feeling quite at a loss. He calmed down and recalled everything that Wang Zhangjing and Nie Shicheng had said in detail. He felt that what Tong Dezhang said was very reasonable. suffer. And there is a harmony.Although the big plan has been discussed with the Empress Dowager Cixi, it is not easy to implement, because there is too much resistance, and it is necessary to make a decision before moving.Therefore, this evening, a close friend was specially called for a secret talk.It's okay not to talk about it, but it's frustrating to talk about it, and all you hear is bad news.

"Tianjin no longer has the law of the king!" Fan Zengxiang said, "I have a relative who just escaped from Tianjin. When I talk about it, people can't believe it. The boxers are unscrupulous and outrageous." According to Fan Zengxiang, the boxers in Tianjin are more airy than princes and county kings. When they meet civilian officials sitting in sedan chairs on the road, they order them to get off the sedan chair. Military officers ride horses and order them to dismount. They must take off their hats and stand by the side of the road. .I don't know how many students who met students in uniform were accused of being spies and hacked to death with knives!

However, what the Tianjin Boxers hated the most was not the "Big Maozi" and "Er Maozi", but the Wuwei Army, because of Nie Shicheng's loss.Of course, this was instigated by Zhang Decheng and Cao Futian. They made up a theory and let the minions spread it around, saying that to destroy foreigners, three people must be killed.One is Nie Shicheng;Because the combined surnames of these three people are "Nie Yangren", which is a homonym for "expelling foreigners". If these three people are killed, foreigners can be thrown into the sea. "It is said that Nie Gongting has been humiliated." Fan Zengxiang added, "A few days ago when Nie Gongting returned to Tianjin, he rode through Hedong Xinglong Street and met more than a hundred boxers. Do you still want to keep your head?' Nie Gongting only brought four horses, and seeing that the momentum was not good, he hurried to dodge and was almost killed. Now, Xinyi and Tuan have something to say."

The general was humiliated, and the army's prestige was greatly damaged. Rong Lu felt very sad.However, how could the prestige of the imperial court not be affected?He felt that the lack of superiority in the Boxers had to be presented in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi. "The strange phenomenon in Tianjin is more than that. There is one thing that sounds shocking, but it seems to be unbelievable." Fan Zengxiang said: "Zhongtang might as well investigate it secretly." "Oh! Come and listen, please." "It is said that the boxing circle in Duliu Town, Jinghai County is known as the 'No. 1 altar in the world', also known as the 'No. 1 regiment in the world'. The leader is Zhang Decheng. He arrived in Tianjin a few days ago, and Tan Wenhuan, who repaired the road, introduced him, saying that this man has boundless magic power. , and with the help of the "red light", if the fort at Dagukou can be protected by his promise, it will be as solid as gold. The Yuzhi Army was quite confused, took Zhang Decheng to the Beiyang Yamen with his own green woolen sedan chair, and held a banquet Take the wind, and Si Dao will accompany you. Zhang Decheng wants food, ordnance, how much he said, and the Yuzhi army will immediately tell Si Dao, and Tan Dao will set up the grain platform for Zhang Decheng. I don’t know if it is true?"

"There is such a thing?" Rong Lu thought to himself, if Yu Lu really demeaned himself like this, it would be too inappropriate!We must quickly find a way to get him out. While talking like this, a report came from the door, and King Qing arrived.This is not a common occurrence, the prince has a noble system, and he always invites people to the mansion to talk about things, but now he lowers his dignity and visits the door in person, so it is obvious that there must be an emergency. Therefore, while ordering the middle door to be opened, Rong Lu asked for his gown, dressed in a hurry, and rushed out to greet him. King Qing had already disembarked from the sedan chair in front of the dripping eaves of the hall.

"Why does the lord work in person?" Rong Lu said while paying his respects. "Why do you need to change clothes just for this?" King Qing said in casual clothes, "I'm so bored, I want to talk to you. Sit in your study!" "Yes, yes! Please." Introduced into the study room, King Qing took a look first, looked at the antique calligraphy and paintings, and said a few gossips before talking about the purpose of coming: "Dong Huizi is making a mess! Zhonghua, you have to take care of it. " "Yes!" Rong Lu was a little embarrassed, "The prince blamed it." "No, no! I'm definitely not blaming you, don't worry too much." King Qing hurriedly waved his hands to argue, "I also know that Dong Huizi now has the support of Duan's second son, and he is not as good as before as an officer! But , The outside world doesn’t know about this inside story, but it’s always said that your military guards’ orders are not strict.” "My lord understands my difficulties." Rong Lu replied, "The Wuwei Army's orders are not strict, and I admit this. However, when I want to rectify orders, I still need my lord to speak for me." "Of course! If Cisheng asks me, I will say: Since it is a military guard, I will always obey your orders." King Qing paused for a while and said, "Let's not talk about this, there is something in front of me, I have to ask What do you mean, Dong Huizi's subordinates caused a disaster near Xiannongtan, do you know?" "Didn't you kill a clerk at the Japanese legation?" "Yes. This man died a terrible death. He had his limbs broken first, and then he had a caesarean section. The Japanese envoy went to the General Administration to negotiate, but he was stumped. Zhonghua, put yourself in the shoes of others, you must be indignant!" "Ah!" Rong Lu sighed, "Cisheng actually asked Duan Wang to manage the General Administration, this is really a mistake!" "It's just for this, so I'm in a dilemma. I don't know whether this matter should be reported or not?" "If you don't get it back, can you settle it in private?" "Difficult!" King Qing replied, "The Japanese embassy sent someone to tell me to protest or not to protest and leave it behind. It can't be said that the dead body will not be given? They want the body." "Of course it should be given to them." "It has to be carried into the city and buried in their legation." At this moment, Rong Lu was stunned.It turns out that corpses and coffins are not allowed to enter the city, and it is clearly stated in the meeting code that it is suspended as a prohibition. Even if a first-rank official dies in office and Pan Ling returns to his hometown for burial, there must be a special decree before he is allowed to enter the city.What's more, in the capital city, the prohibition is even stricter, and no one dares to make decisions without permission to carry Sugiyama Bin's body into the inner city. "This matter is embarrassing! I think," Rong Lu replied, "it must be played out." "As soon as you play, you have to explain the whole story in detail, whether it is true or not." King Qing asked, "Wu Weijun is involved, so I have to ask what you mean." "It doesn't matter!" Rong Lu replied very earnestly, "My lord, please tell me the truth. If the Cisheng blames me for not being strict, I just have something to say." "That's it." King Qing nodded, was silent for a while, and said with a slight sigh, "If this situation continues, what's the matter? Zhonghua, the situation between you and me is getting more and more difficult. We need to find someone who can help us." More people come to share the burden." "Yes!" Rong Lu asked tentatively, "Is there someone in your lord's heart?" "Look, how is Li Shaoquan?" Rong Lu's heart moved, and he thought secretly, could it be that he made a secret report, sent Yuan Shikai to suppress the Boxer Regiment, and at the same time called Li Hongzhang to negotiate with other countries. King Qing has heard about it?Sure enough, he must be very uncomfortable.He is now in charge of Westernization, and it is suggested that Li Hongzhang be called to Beijing, but where will he be placed?Thinking this way, I made a decision, no matter whether he knew about it or not, I must not disclose it, and if he had heard about it and asked about it, I would not admit it either. He was silent like this, King Qing took him as a sign of agreement, and said again: "I'm afraid Shaoquan won't come." "How did you see that?" "Just appointed governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, he can't bring the governor's seal to Beijing to handle business?" "Then," Rong Lu's heart moved again, and he asked intentionally, "but how to deal with it?" "Unless the direct governor is transferred. But if the direct governor doesn't want to take part in Beiyang, he's afraid he won't. If he wants to, it's completely unreasonable." Rong Lu didn't know if he said this from his heart, or was it a temptation?I just feel that I should make a clear statement, "Today's Beiyang is no longer the Beiyang in Shaoquan's hands." He said, "It is not what it used to be. Playing with a stone mortar, if Shaoquan comes to take over, I'd love it!" The meaning of this is very clear, unless the Empress Dowager Cixi has a will, he will never surrender military power.When King Qing heard this, he couldn't help but feel regretful. He caused a misunderstanding for no reason, which was unexpected, and he wanted to explain, but he didn't know how to word it. Seeing this situation, Rong Lu also felt remorse. In fact, he didn't have to say it so clearly, but he seemed to be angry, and he lost his composure. "Zhonghua," King Qing asked suddenly, "What if we start a war with foreigners?" "How can you start a war!" Rong Lu blurted out, with a serious look on his face, "What are you going to fight with them?" "I think so too. But there are too many obsessed people, and they are all in the limelight. It is really difficult for you and me to mediate. Zhonghua, I have an idea, I don't know if it will work, Tuoli Yufu or someone else will follow Lianying went to say that if she could persuade Cisheng to change her mind, take good care of her second child, and turn hostility into jade, let's send him a few hundred taels of money. See, will this idea work?" One hang is one thousand, hundreds of thousands is hundreds of thousands, Rong Lu replied in shock: "My lord, you are so generous!" "I really thought of any way, so I had to think about the worst." "Don't worry, my lord, don't mess up the steps! Wait for me to think of a way, maybe within two or three days, there will be a turning point. It's just that the ministers of various countries must try to appease the lord. If they give in a little bit, it will be easier for us to talk." "That's what I was doing. Now I just hope that Duan Laoer can understand a little bit more." "That's just delusional!" Rong Lu had mixed feelings, and it all boiled down to one sentence: "Let's do our best and obey the destiny." As soon as King Qing left, Rong Lu once again convened a secret meeting with his staff.This time it is not a rambling discussion, focusing on two things: one is the attitude of various countries, whether sending troops to Beijing is to protect the embassy, ​​or there are other intentions; Directly order and restrain, or ask the Empress Dowager Cixi to direct with the imperial edict. The first thing is easier to do.In order to fight against Sheng Xuanhuai who was sent by Li Hongzhang in Shanghai, Rong Lu also had a "spot" in Jiangsu. This person was from Shanghang, Fujian, and his name was Luo Jiajie. Management of water conservancy", referred to as "Jiangsu Grain Road", or "Suzhou Road".Luo Jiajie usually pays attention to Westernization, and because Suzhou is located between Jiangning and Shanghai, he is well-informed, and secret letters are often sent to Ronglu. trust.At this time, it was decided to immediately send a confidential telegram, asking Luo Jiajie to immediately inquire about the intentions of various countries towards China from Shanghai, and reply as soon as possible. The second matter, everyone has different opinions. Some think that Rong Lu has the military power, so he might as well issue an upright order to restrain him. Some think that Dong Fuxiang is domineering and difficult to control. Did it hurt face? Each has its own reasons, and Ronglu can't make up his mind for a while, and can only set a purpose for doing things in a self-important manner. ※ ※ ※ When we arrived at the Military Aircraft Department early the next morning, the first thing everyone wanted to talk about was, of course, the murder of Akira Sugiyama, secretary of the Japanese Legation.Logically speaking, this is a major event, and it is necessary to ask for an order. However, Western Affairs was originally in charge of King Qing, and now the Prime Minister’s Office has additionally assigned King Duan to manage it. , I won't play it for the time being, and I will talk about it after watching King Qing or King Duan play it. "The two kings are here, I don't know if they are 'invited'?" Wang Wenshao said, "It is best to send someone to inquire." Su La went to inquire about the report, King Qing came, and King Duan also came, and King Duan also brought Dong Fuxiang, ready to be summoned by Empress Dowager Cixi.At this moment, it was King Qing who "invited to get up", and it had been a while since he went up. ※ ※ ※ King Qing knelt and exited the Qinzheng Hall, followed by King Duan entering the hall to pay his respects.The weather was too hot, and he walked in a hurry. After kowtowing, he kept wiping away the soybean-sized beads of sweat on his forehead with his sleeve.This was a disgrace, but the Empress Dowager Cixi did not reprimand her, because she didn't have the heart to pay attention to these details, and also Wang Duan's words and actions like this have been a lot of disrespect recently. "How did Dong Fuxiang's soldiers kill the secretary of the Japanese Legation?" The Empress Dowager Cixi said in a reproachful tone, "You don't understand anything else. When the two countries are at war, don't behead the envoy! " "If you go back to Lafayette, who will the spies not kill? That dwarf, what are you doing out of Yongdingmen? It's going to Majiabao to meet the foreign soldiers in Tianjin. If he takes the lead, the truth in Beijing will be told to the foreign soldiers." Bing, we will lose first." It made some sense, so the Empress Dowager Cixi turned to the emperor and said, "It's justifiable." "Yes!" The emperor, who had been silent since August of the previous year, suddenly had an opinion, "Having said that, he shouldn't be killed. Once he is killed, it will become unreasonable for us." Upon hearing this, Wang Duan said, "What's the point with foreigners?" Now let Empress Dowager Cixi seize the opportunity.In just two or three days, after Zhao Shuqiao returned to Beijing, there was news from Zhuozhou that after the imperial officials had done nothing, King Duan became arrogant and domineering, and the Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to teach him a lesson. Taking advantage of the topic, "You are not allowed to contradict the emperor!" She lowered her face and said, "You are getting more and more unruly." Duan Wang was stunned for a moment, but he couldn't answer: "I don't dare!" The Empress Dowager Cixi quickly returned to normal. "No matter what happens, the people in the embassy must be protected." She said, "You tell Dong Fuxiang to keep his subordinates in check." "Dong Fuxiang is here!" Wang Duan pointed his hand backward, "Please summon Lafayette and tell him face to face." "Alright!" The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded, "Let me tell you first, we are always in debt to you in this matter. You should write a note and say something nice to them when you go to King Qing to settle the matter. negotiable." "Yes!" Duan Wang's expression became high again, "I can do anything else, but carrying the corpse into the city is not an option!" "Go discuss it with King Qing!" Empress Dowager Cixi waved her hand, "It's called Dong Fuxiang!" Dong Fuxiang is "alone".Because the Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to investigate the difference between what he said and what King Duan said, and also wanted to restrain Dong Fuxiang and not allow him to cause more disputes.In this way, it is inconvenient to talk when there is King Duan together. "Dong Fuxiang! The clerk of the Japanese embassy, ​​was it your subordinate who killed him? This matter was done badly, and I had to send someone to investigate. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain to the Japanese envoy." "The minion retorted, the Japanese secretary was not killed by the Gan army. If the empress dowager wants to investigate, she should kill the slave! The Gan army can't kill any of them. If they kill one, they will definitely mutiny." Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly changed color, but did not attack.After thinking about it, he became wary and told himself that in this situation, he must be appeased first, so as not to make him disagree. How to deal with him in the future has to be discussed with Rong Lu. "The matter is already like this, and nothing can be found through investigation. You and your subordinates are really loyal to serve the country, so you should do your best to block the foreign soldiers." "Yes!" Dong Fuxiang said triumphantly: "The slave has no other ability, he will kill foreign soldiers." "Okay! As long as you defeat the foreign soldiers, the imperial court will never let you down." Empress Dowager Cixi said, "Kneel down!" After retreating, Prince Duan had already returned to the mansion, but he sent someone to wait for Dong Fuxiang, and left a sentence: "Please come to the mansion immediately, Marshal Dong." As soon as they arrived at Prince Duan's mansion, King Duan stepped down to meet him.Dong Fuxiang's "alone confrontation" has already been reported, and with a smile on his face, he took Dong Fuxiang's left hand with his left hand and patted his back with his right hand, "Okay!" Duan Wang stretched out his thumb, "You are really a good man! The generals who lead the troops can be like you, no matter how many foreigners there are! " Dong Fuxiang must first be humble and then generous, eager to compete with foreigners immediately.While talking happily, a guard came to report quietly, saying that Rong Lu was waiting at the military plane to discuss an urgent matter. When I arrived at the military aircraft department, I saw all the military ministers from Li Wang Shiduo down, except fortitude, all the military aircraft ministers were there. "Star Friday!" He called Dong Fuxiang's alias and said, "Your team no longer needs to guard Yongding Gate, and they will all be transferred back to Nanyuan to be stationed." Dong Fuxiang was very surprised. I don't know why there is such an order?Sweeping his gaze, he only saw the sympathy in Qixiu's eyes, and felt even more unhappy in his heart.So he replied without hesitation: "In the past, I was restrained by Zhongtang, but today I was ordered to beat foreigners. I can only advance, not retreat!" This was blatant disobedience, but he used the decree as an excuse to gag Rong Lu's mouth. He stood up and walked out without saying a word, saying loudly, "Pass the sign! I'm going to see the queen mother soon." As soon as the sign was handed over, of course he "screamed" and told the story excitedly, accusing Dong Fuxiang of disobeying orders today and tomorrow, thinking that he couldn't ignore it. "Don't be impatient." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked calmly, "What do you want me to do?" "The servant asked the empress dowager and the emperor to issue a Zhu order, and the servant ordered Dong Fuxiang to move to Nanyuan immediately. If the empress dowager and the emperor do not issue this Zhu order, please send an order to remove the servant from commanding the entire army of the armed forces." This is tantamount to threatening to go, and Empress Dowager Cixi will naturally follow his wishes and order the emperor to write a Zhu Yu as he said. Back at the military plane, Dong Fuxiang was still there, and Rong Lu said coldly: "You said that I obeyed the edict face to face, and I also obeyed the edict face to face, and it was written by the emperor himself under the order of the empress dowager. Here, look go." Dong Fuxiang was illiterate at first, but now he has read a few sentences, so he can still understand this very simple Zhu Yu.After reading it, Zhu Yu was handed back without saying anything. "Are you obeying the order?" "Naturally." Dong Fuxiang, who had been humiliated, was naturally unwilling. When he returned to the camp, he first looked for the "Military Advisor".Li Laizhong was well aware of Dong Fuxiang's unwillingness to be inferior to others, his paranoid temperament, and the reasons why he hated Yuan Shikai and Nie Shicheng, which led to his hatred of foreigners.In addition to his subordinates, Yihequan has long been mixed with it, infiltrating and spreading, and the Gan army and Yihequan have become indistinguishable, so Dong Fuxiang and Li Laizhong cannot be separated even for a moment. "Xing Gong, I don't care about this matter." Li Laizhong said, "The situation is imminent, and Rong Zhongtang is about to lose power, don't bother him!" "How did you see that?" "Brothers in the regiment, today they burned Ermaozi's house in Yaojiajing, the outer city, and the horse race hall outside Zhangyi Gate. The infantry commander knew about this, but he didn't dare to play it. Tomorrow, two brothers will be sent to Dongjiaomin Lane Go show off your prestige, if the foreigners dare to take action, they will take advantage of it. At that time, the Empress Dowager Cixi will definitely summon King Duan, and if he comes out to preside over the whole situation, Rong Zhongtang will naturally be suppressed." "So, what should I do then?" "Mr. Xing should go up and besiege the embassy. As long as Empress Dowager Cixi nods, Zhu Yu, who is stationed in Nanyuan, will naturally be invalidated." "Hmm, um!" Dong Fuxiang said, "Prince Duan asked me several times whether I was sure about besieging the embassy? My answer was very vague..." "No!" Li Laizhong rushed to say: "Xinggong wants to give a straightforward answer, just say that within ten days, he will definitely be captured." "Is it okay?" Dong Fuxiang was confused, and hesitantly said: "Foreigners have guns." "We have guns too, cannons." "That's right," Dong Fuxiang said, "but the cannon is under the control of Rong Zhongtang." "Hey!" Li Laizhong frowned and said, "Xinggong is really smart. I was ignorant for a while. At that time, Xinggongzao please use the cannon. Rong Zhongtang dare not give it?" Dong Fuxiang suddenly realized, "Yes, yes!" He said repeatedly , "If he dares to make things difficult, I will tell him face-to-face. The embassy could have been taken down, but Rong didn't give the cannon, so the war is not sure. If you lose, don't blame me." Therefore, Dong Fuxiang immediately rushed to Duanwang's mansion again, saying that he was ordered to return to Nanyuan, because Rong Lu actually protected foreigners, and he secretly intended to compromise.Now it is up to King Duan to decide whether to obey the order or not.He also said that the coalition forces entering Beijing were already approaching the city, and if the plan for peace and war was delayed, they would suffer disaster. He also hoped that King Duan could remonstrate with Empress Dowager Cixi and invent the decree early. "War must be fought. The hateful thing is that the higher-ups are still unwilling to declare war because they are afraid that foreigners will be too useless. What should we do?" "There is a way!" Fuguo Gong Zai Lan said, "Let's make things big, come to teach us that we have to declare war." "That's a good idea." Duan Wang Zaiyi nodded. "This method is very good!" Dong Fuxiang thought to himself, if things get serious, the Gan army will not withdraw, and his own face will be saved immediately, so he tried his best to say, "Forgive the foreign soldiers in the embassy, ​​but there are only a few hundred people, what is there to do?" fear?" "Friday!" Zaiyi asked solemnly, "If you want to attack the embassy, ​​are you sure?" "Why not? Ten days at most. However, as far as the current situation is concerned, it will be hard to say when the foreign soldiers reinforce them!" "Soldiers are precious and fast, so you have to seize the opportunity first." Zai Yi talked about the art of war, seemingly making no sense. At this time, King Qing came to invite Zaiyi to the Prime Minister's Yamen to discuss matters. He told Zai Lan to discuss all the details of attacking the embassy with Dong Fuxiang, and went to King Qing's appointment by himself in a sedan chair. When we met, we discussed two things. One was how to comfort Sugiyama Binzhi for being murdered, and the other was sending a note of condolence to embassies of various countries. There is no need to panic because of Sugiyama Bin's incident. The imperial court will surely protect the embassies of various countries. "You can't say that!" Zaiyi shook his head. "Then," King Qing asked in a low voice, "how should I say it?" King Duan thought for a moment, then raised his head and said, "First, you don't need to use any notes, just 'knowledge' is enough! Second, envoys from various countries should keep their own place in China, and they are not allowed to preach, let alone protect the people." All the houses of the churchmen and the churches used by foreigners will be demolished, and I will prepare my own funds to build them." Hearing this, King Qing and Chongli, the commander of the infantry, looked at each other and remained silent for a long time.More respectful and outspoken, "Your Majesty," he said, "the preaching is contained in the treaty, and I'm afraid you can't be so reckless in negotiating with foreigners." "What is recklessness? Let me see if you can find a way to not be reckless. Now three thousand foreign soldiers are coming to attack the capital, can you let him retreat?" "Second child," King Qing said, "we have discussed it so nicely because we want him to retreat." "What if you don't return?" King Qing thought about it for a while and replied, "It's not too late to show respect before going to war." Zaiyi fell silent, which meant that he reluctantly gave in, so Zhang Jing, the general manager, said: "There is also the case of Sugiyama Bin." "Never mind it!" Zaiyi said loudly, "We'll be very polite if we don't ask them about being spies!" Akira Sugiyama is the secretary of the Japanese legation, not a Chinese official. It is his duty to go out of Yongdingmen to meet the coalition forces. Why is it called "being a spy"?Everyone felt that he was not clear-headed and unreasonable, so they could only keep silent. "Let's do one thing first!" King Qing concluded, "The case of Sugiyama Bin can only be discussed tomorrow." On the second day, each went his own way, and the imperial court issued six edicts, one of which was "traitors fabricating rumors, using the name of hatred for religion, to harass and benevolent", which should be severely punished.In addition, Song Qing, who was stationed outside the customs, supervised Ma Yukun's army, and led the team to the vicinity of Beijing every day to suppress and arrest them.The purpose of transferring Ma Yukun to Beijing is to use him to replace Dong Fuxiang and defend the capital. One is "the case of the murder of a Japanese secretary. The local civil and military forces were negligent in guarding against it, and the murderer was not caught immediately.It means not to admit that Sugiyama Bin was killed by the Gan army. One is "the capital is vast, and it is easy for bandits to hide. The infantry commanded the Yamen, Shuntian Mansion, and the five cities to patrol the city's censors, conduct strict investigations, and protect the ground."Although there are the words "boxers causing trouble" in it, it does not specify the responsibility and regiment. Another one: According to Yulu, governor of Zhili, more than a thousand foreign soldiers will enter Beijing by railway.At present, the embassies of various countries have sent more than a thousand soldiers, which are sufficient for protection. If there are more and more soldiers, what will be the consequences?Nie Shicheng's first army is about to be transferred back to Tianjin and stationed briefly. If there are troops from various countries who want to go north by train, Yulu is ordered to try to stop them.For the defense of Dagukou, Luo Rongguang, the former commander-in-chief of Tianjin Town and the current admiral of Kashgar, was instructed to impose martial law to prevent accidents.Finally, a special warning: "If foreign soldiers break into Jifu, only Yulu, Nie Shicheng, and Luo Rongguang will ask!" In addition, there are also decrees on trying to repair railways and power lines, and to stabilize rice prices. It can be seen that the original intention of the imperial court is to strive for stability.There are two types of Boxers and boxers in Yihequan. Those who are peaceful are boxers, and those who cause trouble are boxers. They should be "strictly suppressed".The task of suppressing and arresting was given to Ma Yukun who was outside the customs. He didn't mention Dong Fuxiang and the Gan army who were currently stationed in the capital. It meant that the Gan army was no different from the boxers. The Gan army should also be included in the list of being suppressed. "This is all a trick of the surname Rong!" Dong Fuxiang said angrily, "If we don't beat this man down, we will never get ahead!" "Otherwise." Li Laizhong said calmly, "The key lies in the Queen Mother. Someone Rong completely listens to the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother is too old to turn against foreigners. If the Queen Mother really wants to beat foreigners, isn't someone Rong? Listen obediently." "According to this, the most important thing is to find a way to make the Queen Mother turn against foreigners?" "That's right! Xing Gong, don't be too busy. Now you have an excellent opportunity. If you use it well, it is enough to change the overall situation. However, you have to spend a lot of money first." "How much?" "At least ten thousand silver." "Ten thousand silver is a small matter." Dong Fuxiang immediately went to the person in charge of the grain platform and told him face to face to prepare a bank note of 10,000 silver and wait for it.The Gan army's salary was very sufficient, and it was enough to fetch tens of thousands of silver. Li Laizhong collected it, quietly left the camp, and went straight to Bada Hutong. In Shanxi Alley where Desai Jinhua Zhang Yanzhi lived, there was a "Qingyin Class" near Baishun Hutong called "Lixiangyuan". As soon as Li Laizhong entered the door, he asked, "Is the Fourth Master Wang here?" "Just came." The man replied, "Please sit in Miss Cui's room." "Miss Cui" was named Cui'er, and there was a benefactor named Wang Jixun, who was the "Fourth Master Wang" Li Laizhong was looking for.As soon as they entered the house, there was no host and guest, only the whispering and gasping sounds from the small room behind, presumably it was Wang Jixun who was making love with Tweety. Seeing this scene, Li Laizhong was in his arms, and hurriedly withdrew, and said to the old lady who came to greet the guests, "Tell Fourth Master Wang that I will wait for him to eat at 'Zui Qiong Lin'." "Sit down for a while, Master Li! Why are you in such a hurry." "It's inconvenient!" Li Laizhong said with a smile, "Come back with Fourth Master Wang later." After finishing speaking, he walked away.When I arrived at Zuiqionglin at the entrance of the alley, I chose the farthest corner, near the hut, and sat down in a private room that no one wanted, ordered two dishes, ordered a jug of wine, and waited while eating, and waited until the jug of wine was almost finished. Seeing Wang Jixun, Shi Shi came here. "How did you find such a place?" "Hush!" Li Laizhong pinched his lips with two fingers, signaling to keep his voice down. Wang Jixun understood and said no more.Waiting for the waiter to hand over the menu, he listened to Li Laizhong's arrangement, the food and drink were ready, the waiter withdrew, and put down the curtain, Wang Jixun began to speak. "Old Li, you came just in time! It's not convenient for me to find you, I'm in a hurry." "Oh, what's the matter?" "Nothing else. Tweety's family has escaped from Tianjin to Beijing. I don't know if this is true or not, but this is a matter of asking me for money." "You don't have to worry about money." Li Laizhong took out a bank note, wiped it smooth, and placed it in front of him. Wang Jixun stretched out his head to take a look, "Good guy!" He said, "Ten thousand taels! It's a ticket from 'Si Da Heng'." Before finishing a sentence, Li Laizhong waved his hands again and again.Wang Jixun knew that he had lost his composure, so he unconsciously raised his voice again.Shrinking his neck, he smiled apologetically. "What's the news these two days?" The news in question refers to the telegram that Rong Lu received.Wang Jixun is an alternate county magistrate who donated classes, and was born as a "telegraph student" in the Tianjin Telegraph Bureau. He has been in charge of the cipher for Ronglu for several years.All telegram communications with Rong Lu in various places have to go through his hands, so many secrets have been learned.Just being young and flirtatious, hanging out in Bada Hutong all year round, what is the limited salary enough for?Therefore, Li Laizhong took advantage of the situation and bought it long ago. "There's a lot of news. Which aspect do you want to ask?" "Jiangsu side." Li Laizhong asked, "Did Luo Jiajie call back?" "Have." "How to say?" "I didn't say anything, I just said that I had received a telegram from Rong Zhongtang and went to Shanghai to inquire about the attitudes of other countries." Li Laizhong was relieved, "Did you mention when will you call back?" He asked. "No." Wang Jixun added: "According to the rules, such an important matter will not be delayed for too long." Li Laizhong pondered for a while, then pushed the silver bill forward, and said in a low voice, "Fourth Lord, there is something that you just need to do with a little effort. If it is done, the ten thousand silver will be yours." "Okay! Say it." Wang Jixun stretched out a hand to the bank note. Li Laizhong's movements were more agile than his. With a light twitch, he took back the bank note, leaned over his face and said, "Please make a fake telegram." "How to create a law?" "Fake a telegram from Luo Jiajie." "Here," Wang Jixun asked, "how do you say it?" "How to say, you don't need to worry about it." Li Laizhong said again, "Don't be afraid, you have no responsibility at all." "How can there be no responsibility?" Wang Jixun chopped the back of his neck with his hand, "It's about to be discovered, it's a crime of losing his head." "As long as you don't lose your head, you can still eat flower wine and kiss Tweety's mouth." "Old Li!" Wang Jixun said with a smile, "I am Sun Wukong, and you are the Tathagata Buddha. You can't get out of your hands in anything. To be honest, you are capable, don't be afraid, I'm afraid! I have ten thousand taels of silver, and I have it for a long time." Live a comfortable life. However, to live a comfortable life, the first thing is to be able to feel at ease. Tell me, how can I be at ease? If you believe me, I will do it!" Li Laizhong nodded deeply while listening, "Okay! The two of us have made an agreement. I'm not right. I don't blame you if you don't do it. Fourth master, let me ask you first, how did the telegram come from the south?" "The telegraph in the south has two lines, one land line and one sea line. The land line can't reach Beijing now, because the telegraph poles were pulled down by the Boxers, and Baoding may not be able to pass. As for the sea line, there are two,一处通天津，现在天津乱得一塌糊涂，也不必谈了。再有一处是通山海关，归驻扎在那里的副都统管。这两天南边有急电，都是先通到山海关，再派快马送到京里。” “那么，我再问你，山海关拿电报送到，你照样译出来，送上去，可有责任可言？” 王季训愕然，“这有什么责任可言。”他说：“送来了，我不译不送，才有责任。” “那就对了！山海关那面是我的事，反正总有一份电报给你，你译了照送，这一万银子就是你的。” “那，”王季训不信似地问，“有这样容易的事？” “当然还要费你一点心。”李来中略想一想说：“有两个办法，你自己挑一个：一个是，你们那里跟罗嘉杰通电报的密码本，借出来用一下；一个是，我拿一个稿子给你，请你译好交给我。” “密码本不便拿出来！”王季训很快地答说，“就拿出来，你也不知道用法，因为密码是每天不同的。这样，你拿稿子来，我替你译，稿子呢？” “得要明天一早给你，送到什么地方？” “送到我下处。”王季训说，“明天上午我不当班，正好办这件事。” “好，就这么说！”李来中将银票捏在手中，起身掀帘子，向外喊一声：“拿纸片！” 在京师，老于花丛的都知道两句诗：“得意一声'拿纸片'，伤心三字'点灯笼'。”因为“点灯笼”是姑娘不留客，不得不去，难免伤心，而“拿纸片”不是飞笺召客，便是“叫条子”，自是得意之事。但李来中此时吩咐“拿纸片”，却大出王季训的意料，不是叫局，只是要一张纸片可以写字而已。 “四爷，你写一张收条给我，收到一万银子。” “好，好！我写，我写！” 等王季训欣然提笔欲下时，李来中又开口了，“请慢一慢，我念你写'兹收到日本公使馆交来库平银一万两正。'” “怎么？”王季训大为惊疑，“这是什么意思？” “明人不做暗事，四爷，我老实告诉你，托我办这件事的人，是这么交代的。一万两银子不是小数目，人家也要防一防。你只要照我刚才的话做到，我们那里自然会知道，这张收据我涂销了还给你。你既然没有让朋友上当的心，大可坦然。四爷，你要明白，我们是办事，不是想害你。我跟你无怨无仇，张罗一万银子来换你这张收据为的是要抓你一个把柄，我不成了疯子了？” 话说得很透彻，细想一想，对方似乎亦不能不出此防范的手段。不过有一点却还须澄清，“我照办了没有，你们怎么会知道？”王季训问，“倘或你们那里没法儿证实，就以为我玩花样，告我一状，说我私通外国，那可是有冤没处诉的事。” “你放心，我们一定会知道。白花花的银子，到底一万两！ 怎能做没把握的事。 " 王季训没话可说了。“好吧！就这样。”他照李来中的意思，提笔写好，一张纸换一张纸，各得其所而散。