Emperor Tongzhi kept circling in front of Li Guolou, as if he would kick him out at any time. He was thinking about the possibility of what Li Guolou said. The more he thought about it, the more he was right. The Old Summer Palace was a shame to the Qing Dynasty. He took this matter as his first imperial edict after taking office, and declared it to the people of the world, saying that he was fulfilling his filial piety. But how will the people of the world view him as the emperor? The country is still at war and has not yet been unified, and Instead, he is squandering the country's wealth and building his own back garden.
"Xu Tong, Weng Tonghe went too far!" Emperor Tongzhi gritted his steel teeth, and his heart was already angry. He was still his teacher, and he would be punished for coming up with such a bad idea.
"Your Majesty, you still have to endure everything! A little impatience will ruin your big plans. Just treat it as a game and enjoy it." Li Guolou already knew that Emperor Tongzhi had escaped this disaster. Emperors of the Qing Dynasty were all smart people. , Aixinjueluo seeds are good seeds.
"Well, I understand, please kneel down." Emperor Tongzhi waved away Li Guolou and left the garden slowly, as if nothing important had happened. He took a pee and went out to stretch his muscles after listening to the show.
When Emperor Tongzhi walked up to the theater, Queen Alute asked: "Your Majesty, what does Li Guolou want from you?"
"Oh! The clever Tanhualang gave me a gift. He is a good slave." Emperor Tongzhi casually handed the gift list to Queen Arut, chewing the paper ball in his mouth. He had to endure to the extreme and bury all his hatred in Deep in the soul.
Queen Arut looked through the gift list and listed a lot of bits and pieces of gadgets, the value of which would not exceed a thousand taels. The corner of her mouth could not help but twitch slightly, she sneered and said, "That's all." After that. Queen Arut threw the gift list on the table full of snacks and no longer took Li Guolou into her heart.
Li Guolou left the Forbidden City in a hurry and caught up with the moment when the palace gate was closed, he felt relieved. Even if a woman has power, she still refuses to give up, even her own son. He betrayed the Empress Dowager Cixi, and no one reminded him He passed him, but still showed him the truth. This was also a case solved, and a shocking conspiracy was discovered in the clues. This matter will never be revealed to outsiders. It was he who changed the political structure of the Qing Dynasty.
Li Guolou was in a happy mood. He crossed his legs and sat in the carriage whistling the familiar "Yuanyang Tea". The beautiful melody made the four guards outside the window smile. A rainbow of seven colors was drawn in the western sky at dusk. , reflected in the sky above the buildings in the capital, tomorrow the haze will cover the earth.
There was a row of green cloth sedans parked outside Xihua Gate, with guards and attendants standing quietly. The senior officials sitting in the official sedans were still dozing off. Some courtiers gathered together to chat and complain about the terrible weather that was about to rain. Li Guolou's arrival caused a commotion. He brought Roberts Torres, a photographer from Baozhu Photo Studio, and asked the photographer to take photos for him. Nowadays, more and more people in the capital are taking photos, and even eunuchs like to take photos. Such photos of daily life. Those ministers who hate Western culture will not let the camera be pointed at them. They will avoid the camera if they see it, for fear of being contaminated by evil spirits.
After taking several sets of photos, the magnesium powder continued to shine. Li Guolou was quite satisfied. Several courtiers also joined in the fun and took a few photos. Li Guolou waved his sleeves regardless of the dissatisfaction of other ministers and generously directed the British man Roberts to run east. He ran west, taking a few pictures here and there, deliberately letting those who couldn't understand it see how he was commanded by an Englishman, speaking garbled English and Chinese, and making those old stubborns very angry. After playing around and showing off for a while, he sent Roberts, the photographer, to leave.
The palace door opened at Mao hour, and Li Guolou was walking at the end. His rank was the lowest among the group of people. How many people were in front of him? There would be no less than forty ministers. The eunuch who cracked his whip stood at the top. On the white marble stone steps, a whip more than ten feet long was whipped, making a crackling sound.
The ministers entered the Yangxin Hall one by one. After the arrival of Emperor Tongzhi and the Queen Mothers of the two palaces, the court meeting began. The ministers handed the memorials to the eunuchs in turn and gathered them on the table next to the dragon chair. Most of the courtiers did not give memorials, but only came to listen to the emperor. and the Hadith of the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces.
The great eunuch Liu Deyin held the pile of folds on the desk in his arms, ran behind the bamboo curtain, and first presented the folds written by the ministers to the Queen Mother for viewing. Emperor Tongzhi stood up from the dragon chair, bowed and saluted, He said respectfully: "Please give me a lesson, two ladies."
In the Jinluan Hall, in front of the ministers on the left stood Prince Gong Yixin, Prince Chun Yixuan, and Prince Qing Yikuang. Behind them, arranged in order of official positions, were Minister of Military and Aircraft Wen Xiang, Minister of Rites Linggui, Minister of Industry Ronglu and a group of Manchu ministers. Li Guo The building was full of people standing at the end, close to the entrance of the hall. On the right was Li Hongzhang, who was led by Li Hongzao, Weng Tonghe and other Han ministers, including Xu Tong, the Minister of Rites.
After a moment of silence, as if the two empress dowagers were reading the book, the empress dowager Cixi said from behind the bamboo curtain: "Prince Gong, since the capital has already opened a Tongwen Museum in Shanghai, and there are already people who can speak foreign languages, why do we need to create a new one to make it difficult for me to do it? Where are your children going abroad?"
Prince Gong took a step forward, walked out of the neatly arranged column, lowered his head and said: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces, I think that the Western Powers are powerful, not only the tens of thousands of cruisers docked at our seaports, but also maps, algorithms, Bu Tian , side sea, chemistry, physics and other cultural knowledge, which is much higher than that of this dynasty. Now our Qing Dynasty has a Jingshi Tongwen Museum, a Shanghai Dialect Museum, and three manufacturing bureaus in Jiangnan, Jinling, and Tianjin, as well as Fujian Province Shipping Bureau, but these are following the footsteps of the Westerners and cannot learn their essence. They are still in the creation stage. They suffer from the fact that talents are controlled by others. Every time they encounter difficulties, they are unable to find out. The foreigners are cunning in nature, which often puts us in a dilemma. They want to profit from this predicament, and deliberately let us waste money, and refuse to reveal the truth. If you want to continuously improve yourself, you can only learn from the basics, explore the essence of Western learning, and truly get a glimpse of the secrets. You have to send naive schoolchildren to study abroad. This idea is not just a whim of the minister. The governor Li Hongzhang and the minister Ding Richang have been researching it for many years. After meeting Li Guolou, a talented man who returned from studying abroad, they became more urgent and felt that time was not waiting for them, so they submitted a proposal to select students. Going abroad to study art is not a good idea. As for the bad customs of foreigners, you can abandon them. Just like Li Guolou, the flower explorer, he still embarked on the road of scientific examination after returning to China and stood out from more than 2,000 candidates. Wouldn't everyone be happy in this way? Please, Your Majesty, please let the empress dowagers of the two palaces shine brightly."
Empress Dowager Cixi said "hmm" without saying a word. She glanced at Li Guolou, the last of the ministers. No one could be seen anywhere, only the top of her head was vaguely visible. Xu Tong, the minister of etiquette, had already taken a step forward and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the two of us are here." The Empress Dowager, I believe that what Prince Gong just said is inconsistent with the national conditions and is contrary to common sense. It is extremely ridiculous and an act of forgetting the ancestors! Our Qing Dynasty is a huge country, and the kindness of the Emperor and the two Empress Dowagers can be seen in all directions. The treasure house of knowledge that has been passed down for thousands of years is as vast as smoke. As the saying goes, you have to live and learn. It is too late for me, the schoolchildren of the Qing Dynasty, to learn the cultural knowledge passed down by the saints. There is no need to learn the strange foreign skills of the barbarians. Nowadays, the barbarians are so quick to show off. Scurrying into the territory of our Qing Dynasty, they look like ghosts and monsters causing chaos, showing their ingenuity in making weapons. It is just the darkness before dawn. The dawn is about to come, and the earth is still nurtured by the sun. I still have a comparison, just like the early dynasty of my Qing Dynasty. , Only by using the knowledge of saints to govern the country can it shine brightly in all directions. I sincerely ask your Majesty, the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager of the two palaces have learned the truth and must not be deceived by evil words."
Xu Tong, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, is in his fifties. He is thin, hale and hearty, with black beard and hair, and a straight waist. He speaks continuously and is in good health. He is a famous Neo-Confucian master in the Qing Dynasty and a member of the Zhenglan Banner of the Han Army. , named Yuru, nicknamed Mengxuan, was a Jinshi during the Daoguang period. At the beginning of Tongzhi, he was selected as the imperial master of Tongzhi. In the first year of Tongzhi, he was promoted to a cabinet bachelor. Xu Tong was extremely conservative and hated foreign things. If any of his disciples dared to talk about Western culture, he would If he knows, he is not allowed to come to the house immediately. When talking to others, he will never mention the words "foreign" or "western" in his mouth. He will ignore all the officials in the capital named Yang. Anyone called "western" is also his enemy.
Xu Tong was an out-and-out die-hard conservative and was regarded as the most knowledgeable person among the officials in the imperial court. In addition, he relied on his old man to sell himself, and he was an honest and upright official throughout his life. He was loyal to the Qing Dynasty and a pioneer in safeguarding the rule of law. Therefore, even the Empress Dowager Cixi I also have great respect for him.
Li Guolou turned his head slightly and looked at the little old man Xu Tong. This kind of person is a gentleman who cannot be bribed. Like his mentor Li Hongzao and his teacher Monk Weng Tong, they can reach a compromise on something and work together. Xu Tong, the Minister of Rites, Don't even think about having a meal with such a person. He doesn't have enough food, rice, oil and salt. If you argue with such a person, you can talk about Western theories and he can talk about the sayings of saints. You can never convince him.
"I second the proposal!" Weng Tonghe strode out with long beards fluttering and a serious look on his face: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces, what Xu Tong said is absolutely true, and it touches the lifeblood of our Qing Dynasty. The sage said: To govern a country properly, use military force by surprise, and conquer the world by having nothing to do. How do I know this? This is how it is: There are many taboos in the world, but the people are poor; there are many people with sharp weapons, and the country is in a coma; there are many people with clever tricks, and there are many strange things; laws and regulations There are many thieves in the city. Therefore, the sage said: I do nothing, but the people will change themselves; I like to be quiet, and the people will be upright; I have nothing to do, and the people will become rich; I have no desires, and the people will be simple. Therefore, the sage calls it self-improvement. Only in this way can we save the country. Our Qing Dynasty has a vast territory and abundant resources. As long as we stay calm and clear away the civil strife, the barbarians will not be able to cause trouble. We cannot make another wave after another wave. That would be an act of subjugation. I hope your Majesty and the Empress Dowager of the two palaces will understand clearly."
"The humble minister also has something to say!" Li Hongzao turned over and knelt on the ground. Before Weng Tonghe could return to the original train, he said loudly in a crying voice: "Your Majesty, the empress dowagers of the two palaces, I think Prince Gong, Li Hongzhang, and Ding Richang Please never agree. We have been in the Qing Dynasty for more than a hundred years. Although dangers have befallen us, we still stand firm and are as solid as a rock. This is because we rely on the principles to maintain our country to this day. The people of the country are content with their hometown and the students are familiar with the books of the sages. If What a terrible scene will happen if school children are allowed to go to the West and be immersed in it. They must be infected with the cunning habits of foreigners, and bandit logic is rampant. After returning to China, their temperament changes drastically, which is very bad for our own ethics and will cause more harm than foreigners. I hope the emperor , the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces, think twice!”
Li Hongzao's resentful cry and the terrible ending made the princes and ministers in the originally quiet hall tremble with fear. They whispered to each other, and the buzzing sound was like an old monk chanting sutras. It also made the two empresses and empresses behind the bamboo curtain whisper to each other and discuss. How possible is what Li Hongzao said?
Li Hongzhang walked out of the train, took a step forward, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces. I have something to say. Please give me your permission."
Empress Dowager Cixi nodded and said: "Shaoquan, please tell me, I want to hear your thoughts."
Li Hongzhang sneered three times and said: "When Shicai heard Li Shaobao's words, he found it funny. It's okay for such a worrying person to appear in the court of our great country. I would like to ask Li Shaobao, why did you say that the schoolchildren are here?" After being immersed in the West, I must have been infected with the cunning habits of foreigners. After returning to China, my temperament changed drastically, which was very bad for our ethics and chaos for our country, which caused more harm than foreigners. Is there any basis for these words? Where does the logic come from? Everything is based on It is based on facts. I have seen with my own eyes that Zhang Jingzhigang of the Yamen of the Prime Minister's Office and Sun Jiahu, the doctor, both have traveled to the West for many years. They not only learned foreign languages, but also understood a lot of Western knowledge. Not only are they not bad in character, but they attach great importance to it. Tsunasa. Both of these two people once accompanied Burlingame on missions to Western countries and made great contributions to our Qing Dynasty. It is an irrefutable fact that Western countries are powerful. Only those who work behind closed doors and cover their ears and steal the bell can pretend not to see it. Isn't this right? Can you use the theory of ghosts to deceive the emperor and the empress dowager of the two palaces? Are there ghosts in the books of sages? I would like to ask Mr. Xu Tong, please bring out your shocking theory and let me listen attentively."
"You, you, you! Ridiculous!" Xu Tong, the Minister of Rites, was choked, and his beard was fluttering in anger. He was so speechless that he forgot about this. They were all taken from Li Guolou when he was taking photos. Those who were harmed by the flash of light encountered fake foreigners, and bad luck happened one after another.
Li Hongzhang was eloquent and could play rogue, and even foreigners admired him. As the saying goes, a weak country has no diplomacy, but it is inappropriate to put it on Li Hongzhang. Strong Western diplomats all respect Li Hongzhang. Of course, this is for Li Hongzhang. In terms of respect for personal conduct, when it was time to bully the Qing Dynasty, foreigners showed no mercy.
The atmosphere above the court changed again. Even Prince Qing Yikuang, who originally wanted to join in, was speechless for a moment. He stopped shaking his body slightly and turned to look at the Li Guo Tower on one side, where there were also Westernizers. A general should have a big mouth. He has also learned the lesson, and he can be praised to the sky. Today's battle between the Qing faction and the Westernization faction, he will wait and see what happens, waiting for Empress Dowager Cixi's decisive decision.