In the Chuxiu Palace in the Forbidden City, the Empress Dowager Cixi had breakfast as usual. She left the palace and went to Taiye Pond to play. She watched flowers, birds, fish and insects in the imperial garden, as well as several of her favorite long-haired lion cats. They were named: " Walking in the snow to look for plum blossoms, "Whip the hydrangea", "Snatching the iron vase with a silver gun", "Putting a gold hairpin in a silver vase". These long-haired lion cats are rare breeds paid tribute by Linqing County, Shandong. They are named according to their coat color classification.
In terms of appearance, a lion cat should have a large, rhombus-shaped head, round and concave eyes, small ears, short legs, round waist, short body, and thick tail. Cats that meet these conditions can be called They are top quality. Not only are they covered in long hair of various colors, but they also have very unique mandarin duck eyes of one yellow and one blue (three cyans). They are also known as gold and silver eyes, and yin and yang eyes. They are particularly noble and beautiful. In terms of coat color. Pure yellow is the best, pure white is the next best, pure black is the next best, and others are civet-colored with tiger-like stripes all over the body, or tortoise-shell ones with uniform black, yellow, and white spots and a clear head and face.
The weather was warm and sunny, the lake was rippling with blue waves, and it had a panoramic view. In a warm pavilion on the bank of weeping willows, the Empress Dowager Cixi held a pure yellow lion cat "Four Seasons Good" in her arms while reading the memorial. While caressing the long hair of the cat in her arms, she was about to relinquish all the power in her hands and hand over all the power to her son Zai Chun to take care of the court affairs. So now she rarely writes projects and no longer writes easily. She is less than forty years old. Start enjoying the gifts that nature has given her.
The Empress Dowager Cixi likes a luxurious life and loves to hear auspicious words of flattery. In terms of ostentation, she is older than the Empress Dowager Ci'an of the East Palace. Who calls her the emperor's biological mother? In terms of ambition, at this time she has never thought about being the empress dowager. A queen like Wu Zetian, she was very pleased and felt a sense of accomplishment when her son Zai Chun was able to take sole control of the imperial power.
A crumbling dynasty actually came back to life. The massive peasant uprising was almost wiped out. The former mortal enemy "Eight-Power Allied Forces" has now become a "guest". Of course she deserves the most credit. No one has her. She has a precise vision. Winning Prince Gong Yixin into her camp is her most proud achievement in her life.
Although the Empress Dowager Cixi was nostalgic for the prosperous past years of power, people have to face reality. Prince Gong Yixin even resigned from the throne of regent. What reason did she have to cling to the imperial power together with the Empress Dowager Ci'an? Her son has grown up. She will soon be relieved of her heavy burden. But now, she still has to stand on the last duty.
Finally, the Empress Dowager Cixi saw the "Eleven Statements" of Prince Shugong in the Li Guo Tower from the long memorial. She couldn't help but frown and study it carefully. She slowly concentrated on studying the statement. There are dense comments next to it. Several of them have been criticized completely by Prince Gong Yixin. He scolded Li Guolou for not understanding military matters and made random comments about military defense, coastal defense, and border fortress matters. This is not the behavior that a scholar should have. . Several of them were highly praised by Prince Gong Yixin. He believed that Li Guolou hit the current situation and was quite insightful. It was commendable that he had the courage to speak out.
What kind of person is Li Guolou? The young man sitting upright in Qianqing Palace writing an article seems to have a vigorous and upward energy. Even the Empress Dowager Ci'an of the East Palace said a few good words for him. And she was also very fond of him. She liked such a talented young man and appointed Li Guolou as the man who discovered the beauty. This shows that heroes and women have similar views. A promising young talent finally appeared in the court. Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help but fall into deep thought· ·····
"Xiao Lizi, is Prince Gong in the study? If he comes, please come over and say that I am reading the memorial. He will understand." Empress Dowager Cixi stopped reading other memorials and began to play with the " "Happy Four Seasons" is a long-haired lion cat. It chatters in its mouth like an old woman talking to small animals. Now she is only interested in Li Guolou's books.
"Zha. I'll go and see you now." Li Lianying bowed and backed away, feeling secretly happy. It seemed like he was about to reap benefits again. Li Guolou was a good friend. He didn't regard him as a "eunuch" but as a friend. I always think about him. Only such a person is worth making friends with for a lifetime. His advice was not in vain. As expected, he was favored by the Empress Dowager Cixi. It seems that he will reap benefits again this time. And he only needs to send a message to Li Guo Lou. You can make a lot of money right away.
Li Lianying first galloped on horseback to the Forbidden City, and then jogged around the palace to run errands. Out of breath, she came to the upper study room and explained the reason to Prince Gong Yixin. She was sweating profusely from running and panting. She looked so respectful. Only Prince Yixin will reward you generously.
Li Lianying took a twenty-tael silver note. With a smile on her face, she personally helped Prince Gong Yixin into the eight-carat sedan chair and walked towards the Nuan Pavilion on the island in the middle of Taiye Pool.
Don't underestimate these 20 taels of silver. Over time, it will be a windfall. Eunuchs usually make a small fortune by passing messages and news. They also need to balance the interests of colleagues with each other. .How can one person reap the benefits alone?
Prince Gong Yixin got off the eight-carriage sedan chair and stepped onto the island in the middle of the Taiye Pool. He was in a happy mood. The state affairs were developing in the direction he decided. The politics and military were also moving forward according to the strategies he formulated.
Carrying the two statements given by Li Guolou to Li Hongzhang, Yixin was both happy and worried. One of them was that changing the national currency from silver to silver dollars would completely change the situation of silver outflow in the Qing Dynasty. It would also reduce the country's The heavy fire consumption burden. This surprised and delighted him. As long as the Qing Dynasty can produce silver coins, the casting and smelting metal industry will also reach a new level. But this also requires cooperation with a certain Western power. Otherwise, alloy technology will The Qing Dynasty was left with nothing to do.
On the other hand, although his inner views coincide with those of Li Guolou, he will not express his position easily. It is related to the dignity of the country. It is necessary to find a proper solution. Even if the Qing Dynasty wants to fully cooperate with Prussia, it will not be smooth sailing. .To do it step by step. Overdoing it will be counterproductive.
After the ceremony, Yi Xin sat on the chair that the Empress Dowager Cixi had left. The two drank tea and smiled at each other. Their eyes contained the ambiguous feeling unique to lovers. The eunuchs and maids next to them walked away knowingly. Li Lianying was left standing on one side, serving the two masters alone.
Empress Dowager Cixi said slowly: "Prince Gong, the scenery of Taiye Pond is too monotonous. I am tired of playing. Can the renovation of Wanshou Mountain (Old Summer Palace) be put on the agenda?"
The Empress Dowager Cixi knew that it was impossible to repair the entire Old Summer Palace. Since she did not care about political affairs, she wanted to live a long life. She wanted to repair the "Longevity Hill" in the Old Summer Palace first. It was not ruined too much by the Eight-Power Allied Forces. Some courtyards were still intact. Complete. But it still needs to be renovated. Of course, money is the key. Empress Dowager Cixi is more concerned about her own yard than state affairs.
In fact, it is to repair the Old Summer Palace. Under the guise, everyone knows it clearly. This way it is easier to talk about it on the scene.
Prince Gong Yixin felt bitter. The country had even been in arrears with the salary of the frontline troops for half a year. However, it did not allocate funds for repairing the "Wanshou Mountain". The two empresses refused to remove the curtains, but renovated the "Wanshou Mountain". "It is a huge construction project. It is not that a sum of money is allocated this year and it will be over next year. It is year after year. It will take more than ten years at least. It consumes tens of millions of taels of treasury silver. I think of Emperor Qianlong back then. It took decades and spent hundreds of millions of taels of silver to build the Old Summer Palace. Where did the Qing Dynasty come from to spend so much silver on the useless "Longevity Mountain"?
But it is impossible without appropriation. Nowadays, the issuance of edicts requires the jade seals of the two palaces to be counted. Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi have abolished listening to politics behind the curtain as an established national policy and must be implemented.
Prince Gong Yixin hesitated for a moment, then said with a heart: "Empress Dowager, I will raise 500,000 taels of silver first, and then 200,000 taels of silver in the second half of the year. With 700,000 taels of project funds, there is no problem in starting the construction. Next year I will find a way to raise 600,000 taels of silver. See if you are satisfied, Queen Mother."
"Well...Prince Gong is doing the work. I am still satisfied." The Empress Dowager Cixi was very satisfied. She also knew that today is different from the past. She allocated this amount from the Ministry of Household Affairs, but she did not know that she would be impeached by the people at Yushitai. How many officials? As for other funds, their servants paid filial piety to the Queen Mother of the two palaces in the name of birthday wishes. How much is the fiscal revenue of the Qing Dynasty in a year? As the country's top decision-maker, she has two accounts in her mind.
"Today, I read the memorial you submitted. I am very inspired. Now even the foreign rifle team has been disbanded. The General Administration of Customs should be nationalized. Prince Gong, you can take action on this matter. There is no need to discuss it in court. Go and negotiate with the foreigners and come up with a feasible solution as soon as possible."
Prince Gong Yixin nodded with a smile on his face. He spoke very casually in the Nuan Pavilion. He did not put down the tea cup in his hand. The conversation continued in a pleasant atmosphere.
Empress Dowager Cixi sighed slightly: "Loyal ministers are stubborn people. They will not change their ways easily. They accept death. They are stubborn ox and have brute strength. Tanhua Lang can stick to his own opinion and refuses to change his opinions. This shows that he is loyal. You can He called him a traitor. Didn't he stop letting people speak? This is not the magnanimity of a prime minister. In the future, we must get rid of this problem of being arrogant and not being able to agree with others."
"Empress Dowager, I have changed a lot. Otherwise, how could I have submitted Tanhualang's statement?" Yi Xin argued. He did not agree with all Li Guolou's suggestions, but different opinions could be put in place. Discussed at the meeting. He always insisted on implementing this. There is no so-called "one-word hall" in the Yamen of the Prime Minister's Office.
The Empress Dowager Cixi smiled sweetly, her eyes were shining, and she stared at Yi Xin like a hibiscus. This lover's talents were worthy of her favor. The court was running well. Yi Xin had made great contributions to the country.
"Prince Gong, I have carefully read these eleven statements and your annotations. I can see that you like this young man very much. Let me tell you your opinions first."
Yi Xin said: "Well, that's it. I talked to Li Guolou once before he took the scientific examination. I was immediately attracted by his conversation. This guy is by no means a boastful person. He is good at discovering problems and solving them. After he was admitted to Jinshi, he talked with him twice more. The next two times, Li Zhongtang was by his side and participated in the discussion together. This man had unique ideas and was good at thinking about problems. He had been alone in the capital for only about two years, but he had already become a famous figure in the capital. He is a long-sleeved official. The three wives of his family come forward to make money for him. They do not forget to invest in the establishment of charity halls and schools. The family wants to establish a bank like the British. It is said that it is to raise funds for the Beiyang Navy and not to let the country be burdened. The heavy financial burden. This made Li Zhongtang, who was very dissatisfied with Li Guolou's unfamiliar dress after returning from abroad, particularly appreciate it. He recommended Li Guolou to be the academic administrator of Baoding Military Academy. However, I felt it was inappropriate and did not agree. Let Li Guolou's official position be put aside for the time being. Where is the appropriate place to put it? Li Zhongtang and I haven't decided yet."
The Empress Dowager Cixi was very angry. She shouted: "Li Zhongtang, you are really fooling around. He makes money and is good at being an official. What is he doing in Baoding Military Academy to study politics? He is overqualified and underused."
Yi Xin nodded and said: "Yes. I think so too. What a great talent. Now I have entrusted the charity hall established in the government to the Yelia Charitable Foundation founded by him. This will save me 20,000 taels of silver at once. Only 20,000 taels are needed every year. My name is still on my name. He has accepted the staffing establishment. Private institutions can grow bigger and bigger. I believe this. From scratch, Yelia Charity Hall has the ability to raise funds. .I have seen it with my own eyes. Those wealthy businessmen all want the country to become stronger. They donate money more enthusiastically than donating official positions. Originally, I was planning to raise the expenses for sending overseas students to study abroad. I didn’t even need to pay a penny. All I had to do was to pay for it. The name was all solved. I burst into tears at the fund-raising meeting. I ruthlessly donated the mansion at Fuchengmen as the site of the new school. "People-Friendly New Fashion School" I contributed my own money and efforts overnight. It's done. Queen Mother, you think, I don't need to sell my official position. I just need to say a few touching words from the platform. The money will still fly over. Talents are also flocking to it. There is too much to handle. We can't see how much money there is among the people. Now there is a concession. . We even let the rich hide their gold and silver in the concessions. We stared blankly and anxiously, watching the country's silver disappear overseas. But Li Guolou was able to trick the foreign devils' money and let the foreign devils work for them again. Contributing to the country. This is what I appreciate the most. Queen Mother, think about it. This house was built with the foreigners' own money. If they burn it down and destroy it, isn't it a slap in the face?"
Ci Xi said calmly: "Prince Gong, you are talking about the Chaoyang Project. Li Guolou is also involved in it."
Yi Xin nodded and said: "Yes. But he only has 1% of the shares and does not participate in the development of the Chaoyang Project. But through this incident, those compradors who betrayed the country and sought glory changed their attitude towards the Qing Dynasty and reinvested their money in the local area. Under construction. We no longer stay in the concession and seek refuge with their foreign masters. We are willing to contribute to the construction and development of the country. Invisibly, our capital's tax revenue has increased by 10%. Supervisor Chongwenmen has been filial to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the past few months. We have twenty-five thousand taels more silver. The secret lies in the development of business."
"Oh..." The Empress Dowager Cixi has always been very concerned about the revenue generated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is her purse. The supervisor of Chongwenmen seems to have a humble official position, but in fact he is the emperor's special servant. In addition to turning over taxes and money to the national treasury, intercepted Most of it must be handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is also a rule made by the Manchu emperor. It is a rule made by Emperor Qianlong. Part of the money for the renovation of the Old Summer Palace was obtained from the collection of city gate taxes. The emperor embezzled national tax revenue. This kind of behavior is very common in China. The Qing Dynasty was established in the Ming Dynasty. It has long been an ancestral rule.