Inside the Old Summer Palace, the ice and snow drifted, and there was a sense of solemnity.
Sushun, Yuanbao, Bai Siwen, Jin Aduo, and Tu Lama followed a first-class guard on the frozen lake in the Old Summer Palace. There were eunuchs and maids walking silently everywhere. Except Tu Lama, The other four Manchus all looked worried. The Tian family's demeanor in the Old Summer Palace only made them feel deeply uneasy.
Although they had already discussed it on the way to Beijing, in order to save the precarious Qing Dynasty, they must unite this time to implement the twelve-character policy of "cheating the emperor, being loyal ministers, using regiment training, and inviting foreigners" to save the country.
This is not easy!
After all, the Qing Dynasty lost so badly in Hunan this time, destroying most of the province, and these officials, who had the favor of the emperor, adopted the strategy of "false reports first, then settle the accounts."
Before the three major defeats in Hengshan, Xiangtan, and Shanmen City, the number of kills reported to Emperor Xianfeng by these people was enough to kill every Taiping Army two or three times. The most exaggerated ones were Luo Bingzhang and Luo Rao Both Dian and Dian knew that the Xiangtan battlefield was defeated and Changsha City was about to be lost, so they still took the time to report the victory to Xianfeng - so they reported the victory first to defraud the reward, and then used the excuse of Sai Shang'a and Seng Gelin. Qin was defeated and abandoned the city, settling all the previous "bad debts" by the way. This Luo Bingzhang is indeed a famous minister who checked the treasury for Lord Daoguang...
As for Sushun, Yuanbao, Bai Siwen, and Jin Aduo, as the emperor's confidants sent to Hunan, they should have reported the truth and consulted Luo Bingzhang and Luo Raodian. But now they have to deal with Luo Bingzhang, Luo Raodian and others worked together to deceive the emperor!
Because only in this way can they continue to be loyal ministers who love the emperor and save the Qing Dynasty. Only by continuing to be loyal ministers trusted by the emperor can they deceive others and hide their superiors to save the Qing Dynasty! If the Qing Dynasty does not deceive or conceal anything, it will be impossible for them to do anything. After making it clear, how can the Qing Dynasty continue to fool it?
After firming up my mind, I took a deep breath of the cold air of the Old Summer Palace, and walked firmly towards the beautiful Sea Banquet Hall in the Old Summer Palace.
When Sushun, Yuanbao and the others arrived at Haiyantang, Xianfeng was in the study room of Haiyantang talking to a tall "filial son" with the face of Zhang Guozi. The reason why he was called "filial son" was because he was " "Those who come here to pay filial piety" wear mourning clothes outside their official robes, which is a kind of attire for reviving love.
This person is Du Han, the son of Xianfeng's mentor Du Shoutian. He is a military official... and he just arrived in Beijing yesterday. Before he could take a breath, Xianfeng sent someone to pass him to the garden. He is definitely a hot commodity. Got it!
"To be honest with you, Your Majesty... today's common people are indeed extremely poor. Take my hometown of Shandong as an example. The wages required to hire a day laborer are only enough to buy two kilograms of flour every day, and in addition to manage a meal.
The conversation between the monarch and his ministers unknowingly turned to "the contradiction between man and land" and "the difficulty of survival for the common people."
Du Han is from Binzhou, Shandong Province. Shandong Province is also a province with a large population. When Xianfeng told him this in advance, he was also very sad. He even reported the current wages in Shandong to Xianfeng. Because he was afraid that Xianfeng would not understand, he also directly gave Xianfeng the salary. Fold into flour.
"Only two kilograms of flour a day?" Xianfeng's heart beat a little faster when he heard this number, "Is it enough?" If you don't eat enough, you will eat again!
Shandong is not far from Beijing. What if we want to rebel? "Alas..."
Du Han sighed: "It's definitely not enough to eat noodles, but I can always survive if I switch to dried sweet potatoes... In fact, Shandong is pretty good!" Xianfeng asked: "It's pretty good? So what's the bad thing?"
"It's more difficult in eastern Henan and on both sides of the Huaihe River."
"Eastern Henan and both sides of the Huaihe River? That's..." Xianfeng couldn't help but think of a begging monk in the late Yuan Dynasty!
Du Han saw that Xianfeng was stuck and stopped talking. He thought that the emperor was thinking of the Yellow and Huaihe rivers that were always flooding. He sighed and continued Xianfeng's words: "It was the Yellow and Huaihe rivers that caused harm! In the past twenty or thirty years, , the course of the Yellow River is unstable and has shown signs of changing its course, causing flooding year after year."
"The situation of the Huaihe River is also not good. It has been silted up by the silt brought by the Yellow River for hundreds of years. The river bed has been raised very high, and even the mouth of the sea has been silted up. It is no longer allowed to go south to the Yangtze River to enter the sea...it also suffers from floods every year. !
At this point, Du Han suddenly said to Xianfeng worriedly: "Your Majesty... the Yellow River and the Huaihe River have not been properly managed for many years. The dams have been in disrepair for a long time. There will be more executions every year in the past two years... If it is not big... With additional repairs, I am worried that one day the Yellow River and Huaihe River will flood, but...
"No!"
Before Du Han could finish his words, he was interrupted by Xianfeng. Xianfeng lowered his voice and said: "One eye of the stone man could instigate the Yellow River to rebel!" "Your Majesty, but..."
Du Han wanted to say something more, but suddenly Ande Hai's voice came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, Sushun, Yuanbao, Bai Siwen, Jin Aduo, and Lama Tu are all here." "Tell Sushun to come in first, and the others." Just wait.
Xianfeng gave instructions, then smiled gently at Du Han who was kneeling on the ground, and said: "Du Han, it's not that I don't want to regulate the Yellow River and Huaihe River, but the time is not right now. Firstly, the court really has no money; secondly, the Guangdong bandits are rebellious. The religion of worshiping God is spread everywhere. If the imperial court sends hundreds of thousands of people to carry out major projects, it is afraid of making the same mistakes as in the late Yuan Dynasty.
"But I already have a way to save the situation!" Xianfeng's tone was full of confidence, "I will open up the thousands of miles of fertile wilderness outside the customs and distribute the land to regiment leaders and Lian Yong who are willing to contribute to the imperial court to suppress thieves. ...Du Han, do you think the poor men and powerful men in Shandong, Henan, and both sides of the Huaihe River are willing to fight for me?"
"Yes! I must be willing!" Du Han nodded heavily, "As far as I know, there are many mobs on both sides of the Huaihe River who are stationed in strongholds and are both bandits and farmers! If the benefits are enough, they are willing to help the emperor grow his hair! "
"Really?" Xianfeng's tone became a little more relaxed. During this time, he also thought about the worst that could happen.
It is certain that Changmao will cross the river. The next step is to either go down the Yangtze River to the east and then push northward along the canal. Or, after capturing Wuchang, go north along the Han River to Xiangyang and then enter Henan. To stop Changmao, the Qing court must Large-scale group training is held in Henan, Huainan, Huainan and other places.
If there were mobs on both sides of the Huaihe River who were willing to help the Qing Dynasty fight against the long-haired people, he could rest assured.
But then he thought of another question, so he frowned and asked, "But it's bitter cold outside the Pass, can they bear it?" Du Han said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, they don't have to suffer that hardship themselves."
"Don't you need to go by yourself?"
Xianfeng didn't understand Du Han's words for a moment.
Du Han didn't know how to explain to Xianfeng. He couldn't say that the conscientious regiment leaders would kidnap the people of the Qing Dynasty to work as coolies in Liaodong, right? When the monarch and his ministers were relatively speechless, Andehai's voice announced again. came, Sushun had already been led outside the study door.
Xianfeng seemed to be in a good mood at the moment and greeted with a smile: "Xuan!"
Sushun was still nervous at first, but now he heard that Emperor Xianfeng seemed to be in a good mood, and he was relieved. They followed Andehai into the study together, and they knelt down together, kowtowed, and asked for greetings and apology.
...
In the study room of Haiyan Hall, Emperor Xianfeng waited for Sushun to finish his apology, then looked at Sushun who was kneeling to apologize and said in a somewhat disappointed tone: "Sushun, I thought you were different from them!"
Sushun trembled after hearing this, and then said in a tearful tone: "Your Majesty, over there in Hunan... the situation is already ruined! If the slaves don't coax them, they may have to They voted for Changmao, so I can only be like them!"
"Winning for long hair?" Xianfeng frowned, "Who would vote for long hair? Zeng Guofan, Jiang Zhongyuan or Zuo Zongtang?"
Sushun said: "As long as the soldiers are generals and the land is commander-in-chief, anyone can vote for the long hair... It's just a word of profit! If it is beneficial to vote for the long hair, they will vote for the long hair. If it is beneficial to the Qing Dynasty, they will follow the Qing Dynasty. Qing. But now Changmao is dividing the land in Hunan, trying to dig up the roots of the gentry landlords!
"The people standing behind Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Jiang Zhongyuan are Hunan gentry after all. So they are still on the side of the Qing Dynasty, just like Li Siqi and Zhang Liangbi are on the side of the Yuan Dynasty. But if our court wants to be serious with them, If you want to punish them for their sins, then..."
Xianfeng looked at Sushun and said, "What's going on with the 'Essay on Pursuing Captives and Promoting Confucianism'? Also, Zeng Guofan gave me a trick, saying that he wanted to raise the flag and become Zeng Jia. What's going on with Guofan?"
Sushun was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, this servant does not know that Zeng Guofan wants to raise the flag. But..." Xianfeng saw that he was hesitant to speak, and frowned: " But what?"
"However, the slave once sneaked into Changsha City, which was occupied by Changmao, and ran into Zeng Guohua, who was dressed in Han and Tang Dynasty clothes in Changsha City! The slave also sneaked into the pseudo-angel mansion and listened to Zeng Guohua loudly reciting "The Promise of Conquering Prisoners and Promoting Confucianism"!"
"What?" Xianfeng stood up suddenly and glared at Sushun, "Sushun, what did you say?"
"Your Majesty!" Sushun shook his head, "Your Majesty, calm down... I thought it was Shaggy's counter-intentional plan! I also heard that Zeng Guofan's hometown, Heyetang, Xiangxiang County, was beaten by Shaggy's pseudo-Western King Xiao Chaogui. Come down, they may have captured Zeng Guohua in Lotus Leaf Pond!"
"What?" Xianfeng's eyes widened.
Sushun kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Regardless of whether Zeng Guohua was really captured by Changmao or not, Zeng Guofan must be loyal, and he must be loyal. By offering to be the Emperor's slave, he is paying homage to the Emperor.
To show his loyalty, the emperor must give him this opportunity! Nowadays, the Eight Banners and the Green Camp are useless. Only group training can still fight. Among the group training in various provinces, only Xiangyong has begun to take shape and can be used..."
"That's enough!" Xianfeng interrupted Sushun and asked the question to Du Han, "Du Han, what do you think?" Du Han frowned: "Your Majesty...I heard that Zeng Guofan is a filial son!"
"A filial son?"
Chapter completed!