After arranging the accommodation for Li Hongzhang and others, Li Guolou returned to the bedroom. He did not hold a meeting with his men. He had just issued an order that Liu Mingchuan would be responsible for the daily training of the new martial arts hall from now on. Originally, his men were already prepared, but they just came here. The original plan was several months ahead of schedule.
Li Guolou turned on the oil lamp, took out his pen and started writing his speech. His pen was writing as fast as a dragon. Tomorrow, Li Hongzhang, Liu Mingchuan and he would lecture the students. At that time, he would let the students take a look at the new science and technology exploration. What is Lang's language proficiency?
Li Hongzhang can only speak official Chinese, and his endless clichés are nutritious. Not to mention Liu Mingchuan, he is a big boss, bullshit and big talk, and a person trained by a single-minded person is also a fool. Li Guolou is a little confused and can't understand. Why did Li Hongzhang value "Liu Liu Mazi" so much? In his opinion, Liu Mingchuan's ability was average, and he only led more than 2,000 troops at most, and he was not a handsome man. How could such a person be the head of the new martial arts hall? Jie's abilities are much better than Liu Mingchuan's. Li Guolou stopped writing and thought carefully. Could it be that he had misjudged Liu Mingchuan? Under his rough appearance, he had a careful mind. He shook his head and thought it didn't look like it. Even if Liu Mingchuan was good at learning, I am also learning from Li Hongzhang’s conduct.
"Oh..." Li Guolou figured it out. Liu Mingchuan was a replica of Li Hongzhang, and the ideological tradition he inherited was Li Hongzhang's. So what Li Hongzhang said was right, and Liu Mingchuan must have copied it. No wonder Li Hongzhang valued "Liu Hongzhang so much" "Six pockmarks." If Li Hongzhang was looking for an heir, it would definitely be Liu Mingchuan. There was a ten-year age difference between the two, so the effect of inheriting the past and linking the future was obvious.
"Hey..." Li Guolou felt pathetic. Each generation was inferior to the previous generation. Liu Mingchuan could not see anything better than Li Hongzhang. If Li Hongzhang used this standard to employ people, the Qing Dynasty would be in danger. He would be a conspirator. As a conspirator, even if Li Hongzhang suppressed him, he could not change his ambitions. The Westernizers were not reliable. At critical moments, he learned from Ronglu and joined several sects.
At this time, Li Guolou saw the advantages of Qing Dynasty. People who talk on paper can make people happy with some nice words, flattery, and empty reports. Against the cunning and cunning Li Hongzhang, he had no chance of winning. He was completely defeated after several battles. In the eyes of foreigners, he was the iron-blooded prime minister of the Qing Dynasty. He was very confident in dealing with the old antiques of the Qing school. As for the conservative forces, Li Guolou no longer took it seriously. As long as the "gold captain" Yan Zizhang can do things effectively, the greedy ones All the generations are at my disposal. It was still bright in the early morning, and the loud bugle sounded. Li Guolou got up, tidied his clothes and quilts, washed himself, put his hair in a braid on his head, and rushed to the scene excitedly with Ma Dequan and other four Goshkhas. Arrive at the playground. They line up neatly in square formations. The students and instructors are all shirtless and looking forward to Li Hongzhang's review in high spirits. The departure bugle sounds, and the first morning class in the new martial arts hall begins.
Seeing that Liu Mingchuan and a group of adjutants, Ge Shiha, had also set off, running energetically at the front, Li Guolou cursed in a low voice: "You donkey ball, what are you pulling?"
Ma Dequan whispered: "Master Li, do you want to pass them?"
"Hey, a forty-year-old man can't win without fighting, so don't cause trouble." Li Guolou kept his original rhythm and followed behind the large army. He admired Liu Mingchuan from the bottom of his heart. He was in great shape! No wonder Li Hongzhang must have We need to ask Liu Liu Mazi to come out. Will he have such physical strength when he is forty years old? I am afraid that he will not be able to do what he wants. His wife is already tenth in the ranking, and sooner or later he will die on the woman's belly.
After the five-kilometer morning run, the students were scrubbing playfully by the pool. Li Guolou was at the edge of the large pool. After washing up, he was preparing to go to the canteen to eat. Master Xu Qian ran over and said breathlessly: "Li Guolou, Mr. Fu Xiang asked me to inform you that you are not allowed to return to Tianjin today. He still has many things to ask you, especially the precautions for going abroad for inspection. He wants you to write a detailed statement and hand it over to him tomorrow morning."
"Ah... I have to write this. Haven't those translators gone abroad? I have never engaged in diplomacy." Li Guolou couldn't figure it out and angrily complained that it was not his turn to go abroad. But he has to do a thankless job.
"Hey, that's what I said too. But Mr. Fu Xiang said that he likes to read the articles you write, especially your analytical skills, which make people feel the pleasure of seeing the sun through the clouds. Hahahaha!" Xu Qian left without thinking. Please explain more.
Li Guolou was left to worry alone for a long time. As the August 15th got closer and closer, he was restrained by Li Hongzhang in Xiaozhan Town. The idiom "tied himself up in a cocoon" truly reflects his mood at this time. Li Hongzhang was his nemesis. Guo Lou admires Li Hongzhang from the bottom of his heart and is also afraid of Li Hongzhang. The only person who can see through his sinister intentions is Li Hongzhang. As long as Li Hongzhang does not die, he will never betray the Qing Empire in this life!
Li Guolou has constraints. Li Hongzhang, who is capable of both literary and military skills, is more terrifying than the Empress Dowager Cixi. No matter how good his ideas are, Li Hongzhang can perfect the plan. In terms of theoretical level, he cannot compare with him. In terms of practical ability, Li Hongzhang came out of the mountains of swords and blood, and he was the "Zhao Kuo" on paper. Before he could form his own sect, Li Guolou figured out the link and went to pay respects to Mr. Fu Xiang.
The room Li Hongzhang lived in was originally a landlord's mansion with complete facilities. It is now designed to be located in the south of the Xinwu Hall campus as a residence for the chief executive.
Li Guolou Le Diandian walked into the mansion and loudly said: "Report! My subordinate Li Guolou wants to see you."
Li Hongzhang was drinking porridge. He raised his head and asked, "Xiaolou, have you eaten?"
Li Guolou smiled and said: "No, I just finished the exercise and I didn't expect to pay greetings to Mr. Fu Xiang. I came here to listen to the lecture."
"Don't be restrained and have a bowl of porridge. The millet porridge cooked with new rice tastes great." Li Hongzhang was in a good mood. Seeing the flourishing students in Xinwu Hall made him go crazy and prepared to show off his ambitions. What I have learned throughout my life.
"Well, it's new rice. Liu Jie is very good at doing things." Li Guolou drank porridge. The millet porridge made with chicken soup tasted really good. He always wanted to set an example and did not dare to indulge outside and was not particular about food and drink.
Li Hongzhang sizzled his mouth with tea, spit in the spittoon, smoked a hookah bag, coughed and said: "Xinwutang, Xiaolou, is doing well, keep up the hard work. The supporting facilities must keep up, and the staffing must be complete. Something happens. We need to discuss it with Mr. Wenxiang and don't do it alone. Mr. Weng is a nerd and doesn't understand military affairs. It would be just right for him to take a few ideological and moral lessons."
"Yes! The subordinates will definitely obey Mr. Fu Xiang's words and will never violate them." Li Guolou bowed respectfully. This time he did not dare to play any tricks. When running errands and doing things in the Zhili area, he could not escape Li Hongzhang's eyes and ears. , under power, only dependence can survive.
Li Guolou has already figured out that he will develop his power in the three eastern provinces in the future, which is a virgin land with a weak industrial base and a sparse population. As long as the established national policy of the Qing Dynasty is changed and the Han people are allowed to migrate into the three eastern provinces, that is where he will establish his foothold. .
Li Hongzhang exhaled a puff of thick smoke, felt comfortable all over, and said with a long sigh of relief: "Xiaolou, you have done your job conscientiously and have not made any major mistakes. The general direction is developing for the better, but your vision is still short-sighted. One point. It is true to promote business, but agriculture is the foundation of everything. Since you see that this year is a disaster year, you should build agricultural irrigation in the Zhili area..."
Li Guolou had long been afraid of agriculture. He had dug mud, smelled the smell of manure, and the smell of mud legs would be unforgettable for the rest of his life. He did not listen to Li Hongzhang anymore and hurriedly interrupted the topic and begged: "Uncle, this is absolutely unavoidable. I just acted a little bit. Do you think you should send me to dig canals? Please do me a favor and take on the task of managing the river. I don't have the ability."
In the past, the Qing Dynasty had river governors, who were mainly used to manage the Yellow River, which would never surrender. However, due to the prevalence of corruption and corruption, the various yamen that managed the Yellow River had long since become a mess that the country could not get rid of. Every year, the country invested huge sums of money to control the Yellow River. .But not much results were seen. The banks of the Yellow River were constantly raised, but the embankments still burst frequently. It has become a cancer. Every year, the river government reaches out to the state to ask for money. Because the Yellow River cannot be managed well, the court no longer Establish a river governor and let river yamen in various places manage the Yellow River in sections. Whoever's plot of land bursts its embankments, and which river yamen officials will be unlucky together. The annual Peach Blossom Flood is a sharp sword hanging over the head of every river yamen official. Only at this time, Only river officials will fight on the front line on both sides of the Yellow River.
Li Hongzhang put down his cigarette and said with dissatisfaction: "Xiaolou, you are smart and don't let me finish my sentence. The governor of the river is a first-class official title. It is a throne that many people are jealous of, and many people want to sit on it but can't."
Li Guolou shook his head like a rattle and said: "Master Fu, let's forget it. I don't know how many pounds or taels I have? If I manage the Yellow River well and offend all the river officials in the world, Not to mention the master behind them. A Yellow River has not been built for ten years, so don’t even talk about it. Mr. Fu Xiang, don’t you want me to imitate Dayu? I’ve walked through the door three times without entering. My wife is not a vegetarian. , they have all remarried a long time ago."
Li Hongzhang burst into laughter, shook his head and said: "Hey, Xiaolou, I also think about the country. Since you promised to give the Beiyang Navy 10 million silver in three years, I can't take the national salary in vain, and I can't be criticized by others. It should be said that all the tax revenue from the national finance should be used for national defense construction. So what do the people think of me, a bachelor of Wuyingdian, and what will future generations say about me? Part of the customs tax from the division is put into local finance. Of course, it is not to increase the salary of officials, nor to interfere in local government affairs. To do something practical for the people of the Qing Dynasty, rectifying the rivers is the most effective way. Let’s start with the Zhili area. Then it goes north along the Yellow River and extends little by little. I am almost fifty years old, so why don't you let me do it? You are still young and strong, so you can become a master by suffering a little."
Li Guolou wished he could scold his mother. Li Hongzhang wanted to pick the fruits of victory and pocket his "Li Group Company" in Tianjin. It turned out that he was dissatisfied with the 5% shares he gave Li Jingyi.
Li Guolou said pitifully: "Uncle, Jingshu is about to reach adulthood. Once he has achieved fame, he will also have a career. Otherwise, I will also allocate 5% to him in the future. What do you think? I only have this little property." , you should always leave some room for me."
"Hmm..." Li Hongzhang nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and interacted with smart people. He would know his level as soon as he took a pulse, and there was no need for him to use vicious tricks. He justified himself: "Xiaolou, I actually want to You should study more government affairs. The task of cleaning up rivers in the direct-controlled areas must be yours. This is also a good opportunity for you to expand your horizons. You have to learn to deal with matters related to people's livelihood. I also recruit talents for the country. Yours Talent and your gifts are unparalleled, so the more challenging the job, the better for you.”
"Thanks to Mr. Fu Xiang for your love. I cannot afford such a comment. I will work hard to study government affairs and live up to Mr. Fu's trust." Li Guolou almost knelt on the ground and was almost played to death by Li Hongzhang. He wears the official hat of a first-grade river governor, which no one else can get for his money. What does he want to do? He is hungry and hungry. Being a corrupt official is not what he wants. Being a capable official will cause him to vomit blood and die.
How dare Li Guolou show his ability in front of the students of Xinwu Hall? He hurriedly took out the speech he had written after staying up for half the night last night, handed it to Li Hongzhang, and said as if: "Master Fu Xiang, this is the speech written by the official for you last night. Take a look at the draft and see if there is anything that needs to be changed."
"Hmm...just leave it alone." Li Hongzhang served the guests tea and tidied up Li Guolou.
But I saw Li Guolou walking out with his head hanging down like a lost dog. He secretly swore that he would never do any tricks behind Li Hongzhang's back again. He would ask for instructions early and report later. He must have the consciousness to be a subordinate.