Chapter 171 Mother and Son Monarch and Minister (13-1)

Sure enough, as soon as Li Hongzhang was transferred back to Beiyang, the people in Tianjin rushed to tell each other, and they were all very happy.The so-called "Wei Zuizi" likes to boast. Some people said: "Li Zhongtang has negotiated with foreigners in Beijing. First, the war will be stopped for three weeks, starting from June 20th." This news spread quickly, so there was a second news that Li Hongzhang would take over the seal on June 20.However, the Xingyuan, the governor of Zhili, was destroyed by shells, and there was no yamen for the seal, so there is a saying that people talk about: "Foreigners prepared a mansion for Li Zhongtang in Zizhulin, and the furnishings are very beautiful." In order to "prove" Foreigners respected Li Hongzhang, and said that when he entered Beijing, ministers from various countries led a brigade to greet him outside Chongwenmen.There are many similar news, and some people really believe that those who want to escape will not flee, and many who have fled outside the city have returned to their old residences.

Song Qing was ordered in a hurry. Once he arrived, he had to clean up the interior and resist the enemy in the east of the city, so he didn't have time to make a comprehensive plan for the entire defense of Tianjin.There are seventy or eighty battalions outside the city, but the inside of the city is completely empty. The coalition forces didn't know what was going on inside the city. They didn't know the truth until they caught the Boxers who escaped from the city and interrogated them carefully.So the Japanese soldiers first decided to occupy the city of Tianjin.And there were indeed some traitors among the religious people who sneaked into the city, and at the time of the 17th and 4th watch of June, they went up to the city quietly. , climbed up the city with ropes, planted foreign flags all over the place, shot indiscriminately, and shouted wildly: "The foreign soldiers are coming, the foreign soldiers are coming!"

It is rare for the people in Tianjin to have such a day without the threat of the Boxer Rebellion and the infinite hope brought by Li Hongzhang's return to office. !Running out in a hurry, the city was in chaos, among the boiling voices, the sentence that was easier to hear was: "North Gate, North Gate!" Refugees fled to the north gate, and the traitors who "eat the teaching" led the coalition forces into the city from the south gate and occupied the Drum Tower in the center of the city. A lot of shots were fired at the north gate.More people died, and more people fled. If someone fell to the ground, the people behind him would immediately trample over him. There is a pile of "human garbage".

※ ※ ※ When the news of Tianjin's fall reached Beijing, a problem immediately arose, who was going to hear about the Empress Dowager Cixi? Obviously, the person who should face Tianjin's fall is the one who should be responsible for Tianjin's fall.No one is willing to take this responsibility, and they are even more afraid of being scolded by the Empress Dowager Cixi first when the matter is reported to the face, so it has become a stalemate of mutual evasion. First of all, King Qing said that the Prime Minister's Office only deals with foreign affairs, and now that the imperial court is at odds with other countries, the Prime Minister's Office has nothing to do except to ask for information.But inquiring about information, regardless of reporting information, the military aircraft department has always been in charge of the military and state affairs, and now there is a military affairs department, and it has nothing to do with the prime minister's office.

As for the Military Aircraft Department, Li Wang Xiang doesn't care about things; Wang Wenshao wants to manage but doesn't dare; although fortitude is brave enough to do things, he has no interest in such self-inflicted misfortunes; No matter, it seems that only Rong Lu can take care of this matter. However, he made it very clear: "I don't care! I can't take a shit bowl on my head." He said: "Tianjin's defense is weak, and the Boxers are not strong enough. I don't know how many times I have said it? Yu Shoushan doesn't work. I also said that it is better to transfer him early. Unexpectedly, King Duan disagreed, saying that it is not easy to change generals before the battle. Moreover, the deployment of troops to defend Tianjin is the "Military Affairs Department". Under the decree, now Tianjin is lost, not to mention who is responsible, at least the Military Affairs Department should go to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to play back. Our Military Aircraft Department has no control!"

"Here," Zhao Shuqiao asked: "The military aircraft meets the empress dowager and the emperor every day, and the two palaces have to ask about the situation in Tianjin. Please ask Zhongtang, how should I play it at that time?" "According to the facts!" Rong Lu said quickly: "You just said that Tianjin's defense is under the control of the Military Affairs Department. Please ask the Queen Mother and the Emperor to ask Duan Wang!" Of course, these words will reach Zaiyi's ears.After much deliberation, I couldn't hide or escape, so I had to bite the bullet and go to see the Empress Dowager Cixi.

"Tianjin has fallen!" Surprisingly, when the Empress Dowager Cixi heard that Tianjin had fallen, she did not show any panic or surprise, but asked calmly, "How did it fall?" "Song Qing..." "Don't mention Song Qing," the Empress Dowager Cixi interrupted him, "I've only been in Tianjin for a few days. Isn't there a Boxer Regiment in Tianjin? Didn't you listen to your advice on the tenth day of the sixth lunar month and give a reward of 100,000 silver to the people of the regiment? You were the one who planned to deliver the edict of silver and forced me to nod my head in agreement, so you read that edict to me instead!"

At this moment, Zaiyi realized that Empress Dowager Cixi was getting angry, and said in a whisper: "The servant can't remember clearly." "Huh! You can't remember, but I do!" The Empress Dowager Cixi sneered, and recited the edict issued on the tenth day of June: "'Bong Yi's decree: This time, there are Yihe Tuan people in the northern province, with one heart and one mind, to protect the country and expel foreigners. I am very happy for what I did not expect. I will issue one hundred thousand taels of internal money and hand it over to Yulu to distribute to the members of the group as a reward!' Not bad, right?"

"yes!" "Then let me ask you, how did Tianjin fall after only a few days? The Boxers failed to expel the foreigners, but the foreigners did! What's going on?" After asking around in this way, I just picked up what Zaiyi originally wanted to say: "Back to Lafayette, it is only because there are black gangs caught in the middle of the real gangsters, and they behaved mischievously, so that they offended the sky and caused such a big mess. Now the black gang is Let the real boxers be cleared and driven away, and from now on, you can definitely use magic to make foreigners suffer in secret. Lafayette Wan'an, the capital must not matter!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi was so angry that she couldn't express her anger anymore. "Well, if you say it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! Anyway, as soon as the foreign soldiers are going to enter Beijing, I'll tie you up first and put you on the tower to block the foreign soldiers' cannons!" The Empress Dowager Cixi waved her hand and said, "Go down and wait." .” Zaiyi doesn't know what will happen next?I was very uneasy, the weather was in the 20th of June, my back was sweating and my heart was getting hotter, so I could only wait patiently, and sent guards to inquire about what the Empress Dowager Cixi was doing, and who was summoned?

Rong Lu was summoned.Zai Yi became even more irritable!Until the middle of the day, Sura came to inform again: "Lafayette is waiting to meet you." This time when they met, Empress Dowager Cixi was not as calm as before, before Zaiyi kowtowed, she patted the imperial case and asked sharply: "Do you know what is the crime of bullying?" Zaiyi was shocked, and hurriedly met and replied: "The servant has the guts of a leopard, and he dare not deceive Lafayette!" "You don't dare! Don't you usually think of yourself as a hero? Is there a hero in the world who denies it? Let me ask you, where did this note come from when all countries signed a note interfering in the internal affairs of our Great Qing Dynasty?" Hearing these words, Zaiyi seemed to be struck down by Jiao Lei, causing stars to burst out in front of his eyes, his head was buzzing, and he couldn't say anything! "Didn't you tell Lian Wenchong to forge it?" Zaiyi ordered Lian Wenchong to forge the fake note requesting Empress Dowager Cixi to return to power, but he could not admit it. "The note was sent by Lian Wenchong to the slave, how did the slave know it was a fake note?" "Didn't you keep Lian Wenchong out?" The Empress Dowager Cixi sneered and said, "Hmph, probably you also know that fire cannot be contained in paper, and it will be revealed sooner or later, so you got Lian Wenchong out of the capital. Let's put the blame on him!" "Slaves would never dare to deceive Lafayette like this!" Zaiyi replied, "And Ronglu also played Lafayette in this way." "Rong Lu misunderstood people's words, and later told me clearly. I still didn't believe his words, thinking he was speaking for foreigners, just because you sent me a note like this. Who knew it was fake!" Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help it Excited: "You don't know the seriousness like this, you are arrogant and foolish, and you are a debtor to the country, which is also chilling. For the past few days, you have hidden evil intentions, overturned and cunning, and I know that foreigners really invaded Beijing. Look, I The first one will want your head! It's a beast, and a man lives up to his name." He scolded his "dog name" again!Zaiyi really wished to capture and kill the person who was named "Yi" by the clan's family back then.And just when he had nothing to vent his anger, the Empress Dowager Cixi and the emperor had already got up and left their seats. Zai Yi had to kneel down.As soon as he exited, he found Li Lianying in the corridor. He knew that his unlucky appearance of being scolded like a bloody sprinkler fell into the eyes of the eunuch.He couldn't help but get hot on his face, and said awkwardly: "It's too fast to cover your ears." "My lord," Li Lianying didn't answer his words, but said to herself, "Please hurry back to your residence! The Boxers are making trouble." Zai Yi was shocked!It's not surprising that the Boxers made trouble, so why did you ask yourself to go back home as soon as possible? Could it be that the Boxers were such a jerk that they dared to harass me?Thinking of this, he felt very uneasy, he didn't even bother to say anything, and hurriedly left the palace and returned to the residence. It wasn't until I got back that I found out that a painful and puzzling incident had happened. The Boxers killed the vice capital, Qingheng's family, and finally even Qingheng himself!And he died terribly, he was beaten to the brink of death, and Fang Shi was killed with a knife. Qingheng is Zaiyi's confidant, and now he is in charge of the general office of the Hushen Camp's Camp Affairs Office, and is the de facto head of the Hushen Camp.Hushenying and the Boxers are like a family, their own people kill their own people, so why do they come here? "This is a good thing done by the black group!" said the senior brother who lived in Duanwang's mansion, "The real group is all tired by the black group, so that the gods shunned, and the spells didn't work." Zai Yi gasped.The so-called "black group" is an excuse for causing trouble and being interrogated by the deep palace.What is the difference between black and white?I don't want the senior brother to use this as an excuse, and really think there is a black group.This must be guarded against! "Okay!" Zai Yi gritted his teeth and said, "Since there is a black group, let's catch the black group! This is lawless, don't you want to rebel?" So he immediately invited Zhuang Wang and Zai Lan to discuss.The two people had different opinions. King Zhuang felt that the Boxers were not controlled, which had become a hidden danger and should be dealt with as soon as possible.And Zai Lan believes that the Boxers are still useful, and must be controlled by means. At the same time, he must also be concerned that in order not to attack Xishiku, the Boxers are like a beast that is enraged by extreme hunger. If it is not handled well, it will easily trigger unexpected changes . "Here," Zai Yi gasped, "Could it be all right?" "That can't be done!" Zhuang Wang resolutely said: "If we don't do it, the prestige will be ruined, and there will be endless troubles!" "Yes! If they can kill Qingheng today, they can kill you and me tomorrow." Zaiyi said again: "Besides, the higher-ups will definitely ask. Lafayette doesn't trust the group anymore. Knowing this, he said One sentence: "Okay! You said how loyal and brave the Boxer Regiment is. Now Xishiku can't take it down, but instead killed your battalion general office! I think it's coming to kill you soon!" At that time, what did you call me? Play back." "Of course we have to do something." Zai Lan said: "But you must not send troops to the place where the accident happened to search and arrest people. Otherwise, more people will die!" Encountered a problem!It is necessary to do what is right, but I am afraid of causing even bigger troubles if I want to do it.Zaiyi thought about it, but felt so useless, he slapped himself fiercely in anger, "I knew the Boxers were such a bunch of inhuman beasts," he said masochistically, "That grandson, Wang Badan, was willing to provoke him." he!" "Second brother, don't complain." Zai Lan said: "There is only one way, but you have to explain it to the senior brother in charge of the altar first, quietly arrest a few people to perform surgery, and issue an imperial edict to cover up this mess past." "Alas!" Zai Yi sighed, "You just figure it out! My heart is very disturbed." After finishing speaking, she slumped on the chair and said to herself, "What evil did you do? It's just a good day, come and sit down." This big wax!" Seeing this scene, King Zhuang and Zai Lan withdrew together.Go back to the main altar - it's located in Zhuang Wang's mansion, and find the big brother to go to EQ. "Eldest brother," Zai Lan said, "This matter is really wrong! There is a saying that loved ones are hurt, enemies are quick, and they are so useless. Now that the superiors are furious, they must find a way to prevaricate!" "Qingheng should have been killed a long time ago! Do you two know that he is a traitor?" "Traitor?" Zai Lan was surprised: "How come?" "He usually withholds military pay and oppresses the brothers in the regiment everywhere. He wants weapons but no weapons, and reinforcements but no reinforcements. He is completely like a dude who eats inside and outside!" "Eldest brother, that's not what you said." Zhuang Wang said solemnly: "If Qingheng really did this kind of behavior, the imperial court has its own royal law, and it is right to punish the crime by questioning. Now that the boxer's reason has become unreasonable, this matter is not right. Do it, the morale of the army is slackened, and before foreigners enter Beijing, we will collapse first!" Eldest brother pondered before answering, which meant that he was a little scrupulous, Zai Lan took the opportunity to say: "Eldest brother, let's talk on our own, it's better for us to handle this matter by ourselves. Otherwise, the superior will definitely send Rong Zhonghua to investigate, his tricks There are many, but we must guard against it.” When mentioning Rong Lu, the elder brother was a little scared, so he asked: "How can I do it?" "Anyway, it's the black gang that did it. Let's catch a few black gangs to rectify the Fa, won't it be over?" Zai Lan continued, "Of course, who is the black gang has to be appraised by the big brother's eyes." The meaning is beyond the words, it is not difficult to understand, let the senior brother arrest a few people, as the murderers who killed Qingheng, and show the Fa to the public as an explanation.Of course the big brother at this level understands, but there is also an exchange condition. "The big boy and the second boy in Xishiku have been trapped in their ghost church. It's been a long time, and they haven't starved to death yet! This matter," the senior brother said in a calm and firm tone: "There must be Confess!" "What is confession?" Zai Lan asked bluntly. "Of course someone dug a tunnel and smuggled food to the ghost church. I have counted this person. However, it is inconvenient to do it." "Oh!" Zai Lan asked anxiously, "Who is it?" "Of course they are rich and powerful!" Zai Lan thought about it carefully for a while, and suddenly remembered a person, and suddenly felt refreshed. "Eldest senior brother," he asked, "You mean Li Shan, Minister of the Household Department and Minister in charge of the House of Internal Affairs?" Eldest brother was pretending and talking nonsense.When Zai Lan proposed Lishan, he also knew that this person was rich and famous, but he was very favored in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi. If he moved his hand, it might not end well.Seeing that Zai Lan has a lot of intentions to stir up trouble now, he is happy to set him on fire so that he can take advantage of the fire and rob him. Thinking of stopping, he immediately replied: "Ministers of the imperial court must be polite to him. He must be convinced." "Not bad." Zai Lan quickly asked, "How can I convince him?" "We need to search! Only when the real stolen evidence is found. As for whether his charges can be forgiven, it is up to God to judge." "Of course." Zai Lan said; "Since the big brother is going to Lishan to dig a tunnel to sneak into the Xishiku Church, of course we have to go to his house to search." ※ ※ ※ Early the next morning, the Boxers first set up an altar at the door of the Lishan House of the Wine and Vinegar Bureau. The cart brought in the reed mat wood, but they didn't know where the craftsmen they found were skilled. In less than two hours, a tall and open mat was built. There is a shed for incense cases, and a portrait of Guan Shengdijun is hung high.When everything was over, King Zhuang, Zai Lan, and senior brother brought people here, about two hundred people, seven tenths were Boxers, and three tenths were soldiers belonging to the infantry commander. Li Shan did not go to court that day, and personally directed the servants to dry books.It was reported that the Boxers had set up an altar in front of his house, so he couldn't help wondering, but he just told the servants not to worry too much, and if the Boxers needed anything, they would provide it as much as possible.In addition, it is also informed that two large vats of herbal tea will be set up at the gate, and clean vegetarian food will be prepared in the big kitchen to reward the group at noon. When it was past ten o'clock, there was an announcement at the door, and King Zhuang arrived, and naturally he hurriedly dressed to greet him.When I came out, the courtyard of the hall was already full of people. King Zhuang and Zai Lan were sitting in the hall without a smile on their faces. "My lord!" Li Shan asked for a double security respectfully: "If there is something to do, just send someone to say hello. Why do you still bother me yourself? I really dare not do it!" "Yufu," Zhuang Wang said straight to the point: "Someone accused you of digging a tunnel and secretly connecting with the Xishiku Church. Is there such a thing?" Li Shan was horrified, "My lord!" He said firmly, "There is absolutely no such thing!" "I don't think there will be such a thing! You are favored by the court, so you won't be a traitor. However, Xishiku has been besieged for many days, and the foreigners and the parishioners still have enough to eat, have the strength to fight, and ammunition It also seems to be a lot. This incident is a bit strange. The Boxers said they would search, but I can't stop them from searching." Zhuang Wang then said: "It's all right after the search, doesn't your heart show it?" Li Shan gasped, knowing that today would be a disaster!Song edition books and "Da Mao" clothes hanging in the yard, antique calligraphy and paintings displayed in the house, cash in the cabinet, banknotes in the safe, and other delicate jewelry. I don't know if they can be kept or not? "Lishan!" Zai Lan said, "What are you mumbling about?" Hearing his words, and seeing the faint grin on his face, Li Shan understood that the grievances and grievances in his pocket will be settled today.never mind!He gritted his teeth and said to himself in his heart: "Things outside of the body are at the mercy of fate." So he proudly replied: "Grandpa Lan, please do a search. But there is one thing, what should I do if I can't find it?" Zai Lan changed color, "What?" He stared out his eyes: "Could it be that you still want to threaten me?" "Why do you say threats?" Li Shan sneered, "It's really a crime you want to add." Zai Lan sneered back, "Hmph! As long as you are convicted!" He turned around and ordered: "Let's do it! Search carefully, search carefully!" With this order, the two or three hundred people immediately started to fight with their teeth and claws.There are many servants in the Lishan family, but no one dares to go forward. Without the people of the master's family by their side, they can do whatever they want, and only pick small and exquisite treasures to carry in their arms and waists. Zhuang Wang finally had feelings for the same dynasty, and passed on a sentence: "Don't scare the family members!" But it was this sentence that reminded Zai Lan and the Boxers to find an excuse that they couldn't find the authenticity.He just refused to tell the truth, just said: "The entrance to the tunnel must be in a very secret place, and I can't find it for a while." "Then, what should we do then?" The fooled King Zhuang felt that there was no way out. "Go to the altar to burn incense!" said the elder brother. So he pulled Li Shan, who was ashen-faced, out of the gate.After entering the altar, someone knocked on Lishan's knee, and he couldn't help but fell to his knees. In front of the incense table, four chairs for grand masters had already been set up. King Zhuang and Zai Lan sat on the east side, and the elder brother sat on the west side. Sacred emperor judged by God." Speaking of this, a group of people came up immediately, picked up a piece of yellow paper from the side of the incense burner, and lit it on the candle.Lishan has long heard about the boxers' tricks, and if the ashes of the burnt paper rise up, it means that the gods have judged innocence, otherwise there will be big troubles.Therefore, he involuntarily watched the result of burning the watch. Strange to say, half of the paper ash rises and the other half floats down. The half that rises is grayish white, while the half that floats down is much darker.The same piece of paper, when burned to ashes, will appear in two colors. I really don't know what kind of pattern it is. "It looks like he has no owner in the center." The senior brother said, "We have to try again." So he burned the paper and tried again, the ashes of the paper floated down, and Li Shan's heart sank. He lowered his head and saw himself on his knees, suddenly alert, and suddenly felt regretful.I am a minister of the imperial court, I have been a member of the imperial court for a long time, my family is huge, and when I mention a famous person in the capital, no matter how I say it, no matter how I arrange it, I will have my share. Wouldn't it be a big mistake to leave a lifetime of words for the insult of the "boxer" referred to in the edict! Thinking about it like this made my heart rush, as if it brought my body up.Standing up straight and rubbing his knees, he said to King Zhuang, "My lord, you always have to pay attention to the court's dignity! If Lishan is guilty, please make a statement from the lord, order dismissal for investigation, and Lishan himself will report to the Ministry of Punishment." Finished, turn around and leave. Zai Lan looked at his "hussy strength" that was still in the bottom of his pocket, and felt sore in his mouth, and said with a grinning smile: "Okay! You still think it's pretty good! You don't want to go home today! I I'll send you to a good place." After speaking, she pouted to her side and said a word: "Catch!" The guards beside him, who were also the envoys of the infantry commander's yamen, hurried out, only waved, and immediately someone came up to stop Lishan. "What are you doing?" "Master Li!" The guard bowed and said, "You don't have to make things difficult for us." The meaning is beyond words, if you resist arrest, you will have to fight. Li Shan is an extremely outsider, and he replied generously: "Okay! If you have something to say, talk to your hall officials." In order to get angry, Li Shan raised his head and walked eastward on his own initiative, followed by Zai Lan's guards.Not long after walking, the footman of Lishan's family drove up in his very spacious and luxurious rear car, so the guards went north out of Di'anmen to the Yamen of the Infantry Commander.Lishan was taken care of. ※ ※ ※ "Capturing a tiger is easier than letting a tiger go!" Zai Lan said to King Zhuang, "If he goes to Lafayette to grab a plaintiff once he is released, nothing else will be said, just messing up his family. It’s not easy to explain.” "Isn't it even harder to explain now?" "Over there, people are in our hands, so it's up to us to say?" Zhuang Wang thought for a while, and suddenly realized, "This matter must be done quickly!" He said: "Let's think of a set of explanations, and hurry to the palace to play." This theory is that Lishan secretly helped foreigners in Xishiku, and got the stolen goods. It is said that there are foreigners hiding in his house.If this person is not dealt with, the boxer's anger will not be vented. Not only will Xishiku not be taken down, but other accidents may also be triggered. Of course, when Zai Yi heard that Li Shan had been arrested, he would never blame Zai Lan for his recklessness. He immediately went to Ningshou Palace with Zhuang Wang, and he didn't have to hand over a sign to see him according to the rules. The eunuch in charge asked him to go in and play to see "Lafayette". "There is such a thing!" After hearing this, the Empress Dowager Cixi said in surprise: "This, Lishan is too unreasonable!" "Lishan has always helped foreigners. He is ungrateful and has no conscience! If Lishan doesn't do it, everyone will look at him, and the capital is full of traitors, so what's the matter?" Zaiyi immediately said: "The boxers are raging, and they want to smash Lishan This servant tried his best to suppress him. His house is in the Wine and Vinegar Bureau, next to Xiyuan, if the suppression fails, this servant cannot bear the responsibility." Hearing these few words, the Empress Dowager Cixi was quite angry, the Boxers should really be suppressed!Then I asked myself, who to send to suppress?Those who can fight have to deal with the foreign coalition forces from Tianjin, and those who can't fight can't suppress the Boxers, but are suppressed by the Boxers instead.Xiang Zaiyi, whose name was to manage the Tiger God Camp, turned out that even the head of the Tiger Camp's camp affairs office was killed by the Boxers!If he couldn't keep Qingheng, how could he protect Xiyuan from being harassed by the Boxers? Thinking of it this way, I can endure it immediately.I thought, anyway, Li Hongzhang has already arrived in Shanghai, and the embassy has already appeased him, sending vegetables, melons and fruits and other items from the prime minister's office to show his sympathy.Wait for the agreement to reach 10%, and then dispose of Lishan, or release it for reuse, or dismiss it and demote it, depending on the situation.It's okay to let him live in prison for a while now. When the idea is made up, it will be played immediately.Lishan was commanded by the infantry and transferred to the Ministry of Punishment, where he was sent to the so-called "Heaven Prison". After thinking about it, he burst into tears and fainted. The jailer was terrified, pinched him hastily, and poured ginger soup, but it didn't work, so he had to report to the police.The officer in charge of the prison of the Ministry of Punishments, whose job title is "Prisoner of the Prison Hall", is custom-made for both Manchu and Han vacancies.The person in charge is the head of the Han Dynasty, named Qiao Shujian, a native of Huayang, Sichuan, nicknamed "Qiao Kezi". "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! Hurry up and ask Mr. Li to come." "Lord Li" is Liang Qichao's brother-in-law, Li Duanfen. During the coup of 1898, the Minister of the Cangchang was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Because he was suspected of being a new party, he followed the advice of his fellow villager Chen Kuilong. , with a discount for leave, and then reported on his own, asked for a conviction, and was sent to prison.Everyone in the prison knew that he was well versed in medicine, and when Qiao Kezi said this, the jailer was also reminded, and hurriedly invited Li Duanfen to come, and a powerful dose of medicine revived the fainted Lishan. When I woke up, I was still crying, and I was sad because I was a high-ranking member of the imperial court, but I fell into a coma for a while, in order to kneel before the rioters, humiliate my body and country, and deserve to die, so I regretted it, not because I was afraid of death. These few words made everyone feel awe-inspiring, and felt that they underestimated Lishan. At this moment, the jailer sang loudly: "Lord Chong is here!" "Chongdaren" means Chongli.He resigned from the commander of the infantry and was still the Minister of the Ministry of punishment.It is not common for the hall official of the headquarters to visit the prison in person. Li Duanfen is a criminal officer, so of course he hastily avoided it, but Li Shan didn't know what capacity he should use to meet this old friend whom he knew very well. Just as he was hesitating, Chongli had strode in. He didn't look sad when he met him, but he said very enthusiastically: "Yufu, Yufu! I'm here to report the good news to you." "Could it be..." "I'm not asking you to go out." Chongli rushed to say: "You still have to be wronged for a few days. The empress dowager summoned you just now and said that you have always been addicted, so I will take extra care of you. As long as the peace talks start, I can find a way to let you out !" Then he said with a smile: "Feng Yizhi smoked opium in prison, which has never happened! This is also an anomaly. After a hundred years, it is very likely that he will write a big book on his career." Li Shan responded with a wry smile, but felt relieved in his heart.However, he yawned again and again, and wept again and again, because he was addicted to cigarettes. Seeing this scene, Chongli knew that Lishan was suffering from addiction, so he took out a small ivory box from his purse, and gave him one of the cigarette bubbles he had prepared for emergency.Li Shan swallowed the cigarette bubbles, Fang Shi stopped his yawning, and barely had the energy to entertain Chongli. "Yufu," Chongli asked, "How did you and Duke Lan get married?" "Oh! I'm ashamed to mention it." Li Shan recounted in detail the past when he and Zai Lan were jealous of Luyun's rivalry at the bottom of his pocket. "Disaster! Disaster!" Chongli shook his head greatly, stood up and said, "I will not accompany you anymore. Rong Zhonghua has an entertainment there, so he can't go there. " ※ ※ ※ Chongli was accompanied by Ronglu's invitation, and the host and guest was Li Bingheng, the imperial envoy of the Yangtze River Navy. Li Bingheng is a native of Fengtian Haicheng. The county magistrate who donated the class was born. He has been in Dangzhou County of Zhili and is known as "the number one honest official".Later, he was appreciated by Zhang Zhidong, and served as an inspector in Guangxi. When the Sino-French war broke out, Li Bingheng was stationed in Longzhou to preside over the Western Transport Bureau. Medicine has medicine, so Feng Zicai's Lang Son victory came about. In the 20th year of Guangxu, Li Bingheng had been the governor of Shandong, and he was a well-known figure in the minister of the frontier.It's just xenophobia, which led to the murder of a German priest.The imperial court was quite understanding, and promoted the governor of Sichuan according to Ding Baozhen's example back then, but the German minister let him go and boycotted him endlessly.Li Bingheng was dismissed because of this, and lived in seclusion in Anyang, Henan Province for three years before he was reinstated on the recommendation of Fortitude. Tour the Yangtze River.This time, King Qin, who led the army, came to the capital, greeted him at the palace gate, and summoned him immediately, led by Rong Lu. When His Majesty saw it, Li Bingheng first stated that he was the first to lead the performance of Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong's southeast self-protection, but it was Sheng Xuanhuai's false name, not his original intention.Then I made a statement, saying that the foreign soldiers are good at water skills, but not good at land battles. If they are lured deeply, it is not difficult to wipe them out.Therefore, although Tianjin is lost, there is no need to worry about it. When the coalition forces arrive in the Tongzhou area, they will suffer a great loss. What the Empress Dowager Cixi was worried about was the attack on the capital. Hearing Li Bingheng's words, she was greatly relieved, and of course she was also greatly praised.Soon two orders were issued. One was that Li Bingheng would appreciate horseback riding in the Forbidden City, and he would allow two people to sit in the Forbidden City and Xiyuan Gate.One is that Xia Xinyou, Zhang Chunfa, Chen Zelin, and Wan Benhua, who belonged to the King of Qin in Shandong and Jiangxi, were all under the control of Li Bingheng. At the same time, he was given a title: "Assist in the affairs of the Wuwei Army" as Ronglu's deputy. Rong Lu also had high expectations of him.It's not that I hope that he can really repel the coalition forces, I just hope that if he can resist for a while, it will be much easier for Li Hongzhang to make peace.Therefore, he was very polite to Li Bingheng.There is a special feast for him on this day. Chongli and other accompanying guests were all present, and Li Bingheng arrived in a hurry, sweating profusely and looking a little flustered.After exchanging pleasantries in a hurry, he said to Rong Lu, "Please let Zhongtang speak for a while." "Yes, good!" Rong Lu apologized to the accompanying guests, and personally led Li Bingheng to the back room for a secret talk. "Zhongtang! The foreign soldiers are so powerful, so there is no certainty in the war. I have been ordered to go to the front this time, and I have made up my mind. I will die to serve the country! Please Zhongtang quickly play the empress dowager, call Li Zhongtang to Beijing to discuss peace, the sooner the better !" Rong Lu could hardly believe his ears, "Jiantang," he asked bluntly, "I don't understand what you mean! In front of the Empress Dowager, didn't you say that people's hearts cannot be shaken, diplomatic relations cannot be trusted, and the war must be sure?" ?" "Yes!" Li Bingheng lowered his head in shame: "This moment, that moment! I didn't expect such a disparity in the number of people. I only found out after inquiring carefully at noon!" After finishing speaking, he cupped his hands: Ma, I really can't bother you!" Rong Lu lingered almost all night, until it was dark, and then he made a decision. What he was thinking about repeatedly was the behavior of the two palaces.The defense of the capital was originally placed on Li Bingheng, who knew that he was discouraged first.It is hard to say that Song Qing and Ma Yukun's troops can last for a few days for the army of Qin Wang, who hastily formed an army and is difficult to defend against a strong enemy.Once the coalition forces arrived at the city, the safety of the two palaces could not be ignored.However, as soon as the empress dowager and the emperor left the capital, people's hearts were shaken, and they would collapse before the enemy came!We can learn from the past when Wenzong avoided going to Rehe. After much deliberation, I always feel that there is no need for the two palaces to leave Beijing. We will see the situation later.It's really a no-decision decision, but it's better than no decision at all.After thinking about it, he immediately entered the palace.As usual, after the whole squad of military planes visited, he was left alone to discuss the grand plan of Empress Dowager Cixi's unwillingness to be heard by others like Gang Yi. "With the addition of Li Bingheng as a helper, it seems that the situation can be stabilized for the time being." Empress Dowager Cixi said, "Shouldn't Li Hongzhang go to Beijing as soon as possible?" "Yes!" Rong Lu replied, "We have to call him again." "I was thinking, if he negotiates peace with foreigners in Shanghai, can it be different?" "I'm afraid it won't work! The ministers of various countries are in Beijing, and Shanghai only has consuls, so they can't be the masters. Even if the discussion is held, the consuls of various countries have to ask their ministers for instructions, but the information is not available, and the consuls have nothing to do. All in all, now we can only do our best to protect The embassy, ​​leave room for peace. If there is any trouble again, the situation will become even more difficult." Empress Dowager Cixi nodded, then turned to ask, "What does the emperor mean?" Usually, the emperor would always answer like this: "The Queen Mother is the master of everything." But this time, there was no such sentence, and he blinked his eyes and thought for a while and said: "Rong Lu, you have to do your best, and now it's up to you. Your You have a clear head, and you are well-organized. You said just now that you can only do your best to protect the embassy, ​​which is very true! Just do as you want, follow the instructions of the empress dowager, and do it well!" In the nearly two years since the 1898 coup, Rong Lu had never received such praise from the emperor, so not only did he feel flattered, he was almost grateful, and his eyes were moist. Therefore, they bumped their heads unconsciously, and replied, "I will obey the holy edict." When he raised his head, he realized that it seemed inappropriate for him to act in front of Empress Dowager Cixi, so he took a quick look.Fortunately, Empress Dowager Cixi looked as usual, so she was relieved. "Yesterday, Big Brother advised me to leave Beijing, but I ignored him. However, be prepared," Empress Dowager Cixi paused and asked, "What do you think?" This question just happened to allow Rong Lu to say what he wanted to say, and he immediately replied: "Empress Dowager Wan'an! The slaves have already told Chen Kuilong that two hundred carts are prepared there. It's just like a kind order, it means to be prepared. When it comes to reality, the servant is bold enough to ask the empress dowager to put aside this thought. The current situation is different from the Xianfeng period. At that time, although Lord Xianfeng was in the palace, there were King Gong, Wenxiang, and Monk King in Beijing, all of whom could support him. The overall situation, and there are only foreign aggressions, no internal strife, so it doesn't matter too much. Now we can only rely on the kindness of the empress dowager to suppress it. If the empress dowager and the emperor go north to hunt Rehe, who will be sent to stay in Beijing? I think it is a slave No one can bear this responsibility! Besides, if the Empress Dowager leaves Beijing, Li Hongzhang will not even dare to enter Beijing!" Halfway through hearing it, the Empress Dowager Cixi nodded repeatedly, and when she finished listening, she immediately replied: "That's true! There are many people who would make things difficult for Li Hongzhang. If I wasn't in Beijing, he would never dare to come! A man in his seventies People, I can't bear to be frightened. All right!" She said very bravely, "I will never leave!" "With the words of the empress dowager, it is truly a blessing for the people of the country." "You have to be careful!" Empress Dowager Cixi said with concern: "There are also many people who hate you. People who are arrogant are blind and bold, and they will ignore everything. You must not be careless." “是！”荣禄又碰个头：“奴才自己知道。请皇太后、皇上宽心，奴才决不能受人暗算。” “你看，立山！我实在不相信，他会是私通外国的人，可是……”慈禧太后没有再说下去，摇摇头，微微叹息。 ※ ※ ※ 由于极力保护使馆的宗旨，已由两宫同时认可，荣禄认为不妨放手进行，此事当然要跟庆王谈。不过，庆王亦无非找许景澄与袁昶商议。既然如此，何不直截了当地，自己跟许、袁一谈。 打定主意，正要派人去请，门上通报，袁昶来拜。这事很巧，荣禄立即吩咐：“快请！” 袁昶是穿了便衣来的，一见面先告罪，未具公服。接着解释原因，便衣比较易于遮人耳目。 这话就很奇怪了，“爽秋，”荣禄问说：“你我的交情，你来看我，亦是平常得紧的事，何必畏为人知？” “这是我的一点顾虑，怕累及中堂，所以表面上要疏远些。” 这话就更奇怪了，“什么事会累及我？”荣禄问说。 “我有个稿子，请中堂过目。”袁昶从手巾包中取出一个白折子，厚厚地有好几页。 揭开白折子第一页，荣禄只念了一行，便即悚然动容，这不是立谈之顷，便可有结果的事。“来，来，爽秋！”他说，“咱们找个凉快的地方去。” 荣家后园，颇具花木之胜，靠东面有个洋式的花棚，洋砖铺地，木头架子上，绿油油地长得极密的“爬山虎”，日光不到，清风徐来，是个夏日昼长无事，品茗闲话的好地方。 宾主二人都卸去了夏布长衫，荣禄叫人打来新汲的井水，又端来一个盛满莲藕的冰盘。袁昶洗了脸，拈一片藕在口中，一面咀嚼，一面说道：“我已经跟竹蒷商量过了，这个折子联名同上。” 荣禄不答，将他与许景澄联名的这个奏稿，铺在棋桌上，正襟危坐地细读，案由是“为密陈大臣信崇邪术，误国殃民，请旨严惩祸首，以遏乱源而救危局”。一开头几句话就令人触目惊心，说是“拳匪肇乱，甫经月余，神京震动，四海响应，兵连祸结，牵掣全球，为千古未有之奇事，必酿成千古未有之奇祸！”又说，洪杨之乱，捻匪之祸，较之拳匪为患，则前者为“手足之疾”，后者为“腹心之疾”，所持的理由是：“发匪、捻匪之乱，上自朝廷，下至闾阎，莫不知其为匪，而今之拳匪，竟有身为大员，谬视为义民，不肯以匪目之者，亦有知其为匪，不敢以匪加之者！无识至此，不特为各国所仇，且为各国所笑。” 只看这一段文章，荣禄便可想象得到，袁、许二人要参的是谁？且先不言，再往下看。 下面是驳义和团“扶清灭洋”之说。先设一问：“夫'扶清灭洋'四字，试问从何解说？谓我国家二百余年深恩厚泽，浃于人心，食毛践土者，思效力驰驱，以答覆载之德，斯可矣！若谓际兹国家多事，时局维艰，草野之民，具有大力能扶危而为安，'扶'者'倾'之对，能扶之，即能倾之。其心不可问，其言尤可诛！” “说得痛快！道人所未道。而确为实情。”荣禄把手盖在白折子上：“爽秋，到现在为止，竟不知谁是匪首，亦不知谁在那班王公后面，发号施令？真正是千古奇事！” “我倒略有所闻。听说董星五有个拜把子的弟兄，叫什么李来中，隐在幕后，遥为指挥，并以洪秀全自命！'能扶之，即能倾之'这句话，我不是无因而发的。” 荣禄神色凛然地，深深点头，沉思了一会，接着再往下看，就是指责祸首。首先被提出来的是毓贤，其次是裕禄，再次是董福祥。但此三人的“倒行逆施，肆无忌惮”，乃是“在廷诸臣，欺饰锢蔽，有以召之”，笔锋一转，诛伐真正的祸首，一共四个人，各有八个字的考语。 大学士徐桐，“素性糊涂，罔识利害”；协办大学士刚毅，“比奸阿匪，顽固性成”；礼部尚书启秀，“胶执己见，愚而自用”；刑部尚书赵舒翘，”居心狡猾，工于逢迎”。 对于徐桐、刚毅，尤为深恶痛绝，所以议论亦就格外激切，奏稿中说：“近日天津被陷，洋兵节节进逼，曾无拳匪能以邪术阻令前进。诚恐旬日之间，万一九庙震惊，兆民涂炭，尔时作何景象？臣等设想近之，悲来填膺！而徐桐、刚毅等，谈笑漏舟之中，晏然自得，一若仍以拳匪可作长城之恃。盈庭惘惘，如醉如痴，亲而天潢贵胄，尊而师保枢密，大半尊奉拳匪，神而明之，甚至王公府第，闻亦设有拳坛。拳匪愚矣，更以愚徐桐、刚毅等，徐桐、刚毅等愚矣，更以愚王公。 是徐桐、刚毅等，实为酿祸之枢纽。 " “实在是公论！”荣禄亦不觉悲愤了：“'谈笑漏舟之中，晏然自得'，真是有这样麻木不仁的人。然而……。”他突然顿住，“等看完了再说。”