Chapter 186 Mother and Son Monarch and Minister (20-2)

Chun Xian Wang Yixuan's descendant Fujin, also the sister of Empress Dowager Cixi, had four sons and one daughter, leaving only the second child, who is the current emperor. The emperor has three half-brothers in total, ranking fifth, sixth, and seventh, and they are all descended from the Liu Jia family of Jin Xian, Prince Chunxian.The fifth son, named Zaifeng, was born in the ninth year of Guangxu, and became a prince at the age of eight. Everyone called him "Little Chunwang".When the Boxers entered Beijing, Germany suffered the most because of the murder of Minister Klind. Therefore, Vadsee was appointed as the commander of the coalition forces. Not long after Vadsee arrived in Beijing, he made a request that the prince should be sent as a special envoy to Berlin to apologize to the Kaiser. , and asked by name to use 18-year-old Xiaochun Wang Zaifeng as the special envoy.

So in April of the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu, Ming issued an edict: "Prince Chun Zaifeng was appointed as the first-class special envoy and minister, and he went to Great Germany, and he respectfully commanded his orders." He also sent a master in the study to teach Zaifeng. Zhang Yi, a former cabinet attendant with a bachelor's degree, and Tong Yinchang, the deputy capital who speaks German like a native of Berlin, served as counselors. They brought gifts of credentials and left Shanghai on a German ship at the end of May. When they arrived in Berlin, Zaifeng sent back a telegram, saying that the German Foreign Ministry had sent a note requesting the special envoy to kneel before the Kaiser.The empress dowager Cixi turned pale with shock when the military plane played it. It turned out that the guest envoys kneeled down, which had always been a major dispute between the Qing Dynasty and other countries.In the fifty-seventh year of Qianlong's reign, Earl Macartney, the commercial envoy sent by the United Kingdom, met Emperor Gaozong with his knees on the ground. "Surrender", is the most proud thing.From then on, the three emperors Jia, Dao, and Xian all refused to see foreign envoys because foreigners refused to bow and kneel.It was not until the Tongzhi period that due to the situation, a concession was made. The prime minister's office negotiated with the ministers of various countries many times, and he used five bows to meet Mu Zong in the Ziguang Pavilion in Xiyuan. It was considered extremely respectful in various countries, but the imperial court felt that it was too wronged. .Nowadays, the "barbaric" etiquette that foreigners are never willing to practice is imposed on the younger brother of the Chinese emperor. It is obviously a deliberate humiliation.

For this reason, letters and telegrams were exchanged, and negotiations were tried, but the kneeling ceremony was finally avoided.But the situation of the audience was quite unexpected for the Empress Dowager Cixi.The Kaiser not only received Zaifeng with grand etiquette, but also condescended to answer the interview in person at the residence, and had a long and affectionate talk.He also invited Zaifeng to Danzig for a military parade, visited the navy commanded by Prince Henry, who had traveled to China and had an audience with the emperor, and was even the guest of honor at the tea party of the German empress.

Others are at a loss for the intention of being arrogant and respectful, but the Empress Dowager Cixi is clear in her stomach.The special envoy who purposely knelt down to apologize was expressing his dissatisfaction with her connivance with the boxers, and the gift of courtesy Zaifeng was purely because he was the emperor's younger brother! When Zaifeng returned to the country, the two palaces were already on their way back to Luan. The Empress Dowager Cixi specially summoned Zaifeng in the Kaifeng Palace to inquire about Shide's situation.How did Zaifeng know that the old queen was already suspicious?He only exaggerates the courtesy he received in Germany, and never hides it. He talks about what the Kaiser expected of him, and persuades him to pay attention to the military, saying that the only key to ensuring political power is to keep military power in the hands of the royal family:

Empress Dowager Cixi thought to herself, Zaifeng had never had great ambitions, and his talent was very ordinary, he stuttered a bit, and often couldn't express his words, at this moment his eyebrows were beaming, he just felt that this trip was a great honor.In fact, I didn't think about the words of persuasion.It's just that a useless person is easy to be manipulated by others. If someone takes advantage of his status and status to secretly harbor different ambitions, he will be closely guarded. Thinking about it secretly, the emperor has no son at present, and because of the signs of kidney deficiency, he will not have a son in the future, but who belongs to the throne?Brother and brother, there is a precedent. How can a group of "new parties" fail to see that other countries have the intention to support Zaifeng, and take advantage of the situation, I'm afraid it will be troublesome from now on!

But one thing is very clear, as long as Zaifeng himself is unwilling, no one can use his name to do evil.Thinking about it this way, there is a natural way to find someone to control Zaifeng, which is the way to draw salary from the bottom of the pan. Who can control Zaifeng?The old lady of a wealthy family has a unique secret to teach her son to be careful. She is to marry a beautiful, capable and virtuous daughter-in-law for him.Therefore, the Empress Dowager Cixi began to look for "Fujin Jin" from the day after she summoned Zaifeng who had returned from overseas. There were only two people who advised her, one was Princess Rongshou and the other was Li Lianying, but only the candidate Li Lianying proposed was exactly what Empress Dowager Cixi wanted, and that was Rong Lu's beloved daughter Fu Niu.

"Big Gege, what do you think?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked Princess Rongshou. "There is nothing to be picky about appearance, let alone being capable. That's it," Princess Rongshou said with a smile, "Xiao Wu will definitely have a reputation of being afraid of daughter-in-laws in the future." "Little Five" refers to Zaipei.She imagined it for her cousin, but this sentence made the Empress Dowager Cixi's idea more firm. She couldn't say that she wanted him to be "afraid of his wife", so she could only explain it for Fu Niu. "This child is her parents' habit! She is so courageous, even I am not afraid..."

The Empress Dowager Cixi only spoke halfway, but Princess Rongshou seized the gap and quickly said: "She is not even afraid of Lafayette, and Xiao Wu is even less in her eyes." "That's not necessarily the case. Young couples, loving each other, caring for each other, will change their temper." Princess Rongshou didn't answer.The Empress Dowager Cixi also realized that she had made up her mind by saying this. Of course, "Da Gege" could not refute it, but it was obvious that she didn't think so. After so many years, if the Empress Dowager Cixi still has people to be afraid of, the only one is Princess Rongshou.She refuses to go along with it casually, but as long as it is something she agrees to, not only will she agree with what she says, she will not go back on what she says, and she will try her best to support it.Empress Dowager Cixi respected her temper very much, so she hoped to persuade her to be her helper.

However, Princess Rongshou's attitude towards this matter is very firm.She always said: "If the Lafayette thinks it is appropriate, just make a decree!" There is still a sentence in my heart: "I dare not refute, but don't expect me to nod." Because among her cousins, the wife and the Yue family A lot of bullying is due to the Empress Dowager Cixi's marriage. She doesn't want another cousin to marry a shrewd wife. For this reason, the decree referring to the marriage has not been issued for a long time.And the wind has spread faintly!Everyone felt that the king could not marry such a delicate lady, and this lady was not married to a hereditary prince, so she was not enough to be as delicate as she could be.It's strange that such a well-matched marriage, why the Empress Dowager Cixi has not allowed it to be "tied" up to now?

Li Lianying was the person who was most enthusiastic about making this marriage possible, and she kept looking for opportunities to urge her, which made the Empress Dowager Cixi feel a little panicked. "When it comes to Fu Niu, you have never said a word. I know that you think Fu Niu has a strong temper, and Xiao Wu will suffer in the future. According to me, your worry is superfluous! They are the elders in this generation, Everyone is afraid of you, if Fu Niu bullies Xiao Wu in the future, won't you say her?" This is quite clear.Princess Rongshou thought, the matter is a foregone conclusion anyway, and she protested silently, to no avail, it just made the old queen feel unhappy, so why bother?It's better to take advantage of her words and make up for Zaifeng.

"Xiao Wu is too cowardly. Having a daughter-in-law like Fu Niu just makes up for his shortcomings. The daughter is afraid that Fu Niu will not be able to stand the rules of the palace, her words and behavior will be a little rough, or the young couple often quarrel or something. Lafayette is not upset. ?" "I know, I know! You're right." The Empress Dowager Cixi hurriedly said, "To be honest, the Ronglu couple spoil their girl too much! Someday, I'll give him a good meal." So not long after returning to Luan, he lowered the decree, referring to "the daughter of Ronglu, the Guerjia family, to marry Prince Chun".As soon as the good news spread, Prince Jin's "Northern Mansion" was full of congratulatory guests. Unexpectedly, the old Fujin Liu Jiashi, the biological mother of little Jin Wang Zaifeng, suddenly fell ill. Can't come out, as if bewitched. Seeing this scene, the congratulatory guests were horrified, but the whole "Beifu" could still keep calm, because this was the relapse of old Fujin's old illness, and this chronic illness, which was almost insane, was bestowed by Empress Dowager Cixi. It turns out that Old Chun Wang has four side Fujin, and Liu Jia's is the second.The first Fujin and the first Fujin came to the world one after another, and Liu Jia was in charge.When the old King Chun died of illness, the seventh son, Zaitao, was only three years old.This youngest son of Liu Jia's is simply her lifeline. He was snatched out of nowhere and cried to death. But the excitement doesn't stop there, especially this year when it comes one after another.First of all, Zai Tao's "father" has changed again.This Yimo is the youngest son of Prince Hui Mianyu, who was honored as the "Old Fifth Grand Master" during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi years. He is a dignified man, a sage among relatives and nobles, but he doesn't get along very well with the Empress Dowager Cixi.When Zai Tao was his son, he was very happy to see his fat head and big ears, but instead of entering the palace to thank him, he feasted on relatives and friends, as if he had really become an old man.When the Empress Dowager Cixi found out, she was quite dissatisfied, but she just forbeared and didn't say anything. In the future, there will be coups and "boxers", so she has no time to manipulate him.After five years like this, Zai Tao is already sixteen years old, with a thick and handsome appearance, a steady and unrestrained manner, a beauty among young relatives, and Yimo is very proud of himself. He knows that extreme joy begets sorrow, but the bad thing is that he shouldn't complain, and put it in pen and ink, so as to cause disaster.He drew a strange picture, a foot with a "flowerpot bottom" hanging in the air, and nothing else, but there is a limerick: "It's sad for the old man to avoid feet, and he tries his best to manage the feet; One hundred feet, three hundred feet higher still come!" It was clear at a glance who the foot belonged to. When the Empress Dowager Cixi learned about it, she aroused old hatred and was furious. She issued a decree to change Zaitao as the heir of the old King Chun's younger brother, Zhongjun Wang Yichen.Yimo and his wife were more stimulated than Liu Jiashi, and they both fell ill.On the one hand, Liu Jia felt that the Empress Dowager Cixi was unpredictable and frightening, on the other hand, she felt sorry for her beloved son who changed his heir, and life might not be better than Yimo's knee, so she added a little bit of illness. Soon, Liu Jiashi was hit again, and it started because Zaiyi had no destination.He was originally charged with "repudiating the noble, sent to Xinjiang for eternal imprisonment." This year, there was another decree: "Still return to the original sect." That is, he is still the second son of King Chun Yichen.He was originally the son of Duanjun Wang Yizhi, and he inherited the title, but now he has returned to the clan, and Yizhi has no heirs.If anyone adopts the past again, there is already a conferred Baylor waiting for him to inherit.The Empress Dowager Cixi had good intentions and made Zaifeng's younger brother Lao Liuzaixun the heir of Yizhi, letting him transform from Duke Zhen to Baylor.But Liu Jiashi lost another son, so she was naturally very excited. At this time, receiving the marriage proposal was the third blow she had received in a year.This time the blow was heavier than the previous two times, and I felt like "I can't be a human being", so the illness became extremely severe! This was because Zaifeng was engaged to be married, and his in-laws were Mongolians.The teaching case of the three provinces during the Jiaqing period was a large-scale rebellion second only to Hong Yang. Renzong asked for hexagrams in the palace and got the "three people who are in the same heart, which is the result of skin merit".It turned out that the so-called "three people" were Eredengbao, Delentai, Lebao, the daughter-in-law appointed by Liu Jia's family, who was after Delentai. De Lengtai himself was awarded the first-class Jiyonghou because of his meritorious service. His eldest grandson, Wojina Xijue, served as a general in Hangzhou; General Jilin died in the 20th year of Guangxu.Liu Jia's marriage to Zaifeng was Miss Xiyuan's, and now because the Empress Dowager Cixi pointed out that she would marry Guerjia, the Xiyuan family had to divorce her engagement! This matter is very difficult from a human point of view, because the lady of Xiyuan's family is a favorite of Liu Jiashi herself, and "Da Ding" has been released.According to Manchurian weddings, the housewife of the man's house goes to the woman's house on a blind date to ask her name, and if they agree, they will send Ruyi or jewelry, which is called "Fang Xiaoding".Then choose an auspicious date, the man's family gathers clan relatives and friends to lead the new son-in-law to the daughter's family to make a formal proposal, and the daughter's family also gathers clan relatives and friends to receive them, thank each other repeatedly, and then the engagement begins.After one or two months in this way, an auspicious day will be selected for the appointment, which is called "Guo Li", also known as "Zang Zang Ding". The marriage ends here, and it is a foregone conclusion. "Small concentration" can still be changed, while "magnified concentration" means that you have already married, and what you owe is nothing more than the fact that the wedding ceremony has a good marriage. Therefore, after the "magnification", if the groom dies unfortunately, there will be brides who have not been married, some will be martyrs, and some will be "widowed".In such a serious situation, retiring the engagement would be like divorcing a wife, and the bride's family would consider it a great shame!Especially the young lady of Xiyuan's family, she is very strict and steadfast, and if she learns the news of her divorce, any consequences can happen.Then it's no wonder that Liu Jiashi was going crazy with anxiety. This night, "Beifu" was brightly lit, and there were most relatives and friends, but they were not congratulatory guests, but Liu Jiashi specially invited them to discuss matters.Helpless, everyone was afraid of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and no one dared to make random ideas. Some advised her to obey the order, and some remained silent.In the end, it was Liu Jiashi's own decision to go to the palace and beg Empress Dowager Cixi to withdraw her order. The Empress Dowager Cixi only thought she was here to thank her, but Liu Jiashi shed tears as soon as she opened her mouth, "The slave's daughter-in-law has already kowtowed to the slave, and she is from the slave's family! There is no fault at all, how can I have the heart to resign the engagement," she cried Said: "In this way, how can I teach other people's children?" The Empress Dowager Cixi's face was ashen, and she sneered again and again, and said to the court wives on the left and right: "Look, there are such people in the world who don't know what is good!" After speaking, she stood up and left. So Princess Rongshou came forward to persuade her. Liu Jia cried for a while, and went home with tears in her eyes. There was bad news waiting for her. Miss Xiyuan's family committed suicide by taking poison.