In the early morning, Li Guolou was dressed in the official uniform of a fourth-grade civil servant, with a lapis lazuli nirvana top, no feathers on it, a robe with eight pythons and five pythons, and snow geese to patch up the clothes. Under the guidance of the eunuch, he came to the upper study room, carrying a With an uneasy heart, he waited for the interview with Emperor Tongzhi. Sitting above him was the solemn Prince Gong Yixin, who did not speak to him. Li Guolou knew that the trouble was serious. As Weng Tonghe said, the Manchus wanted to execute Family method, give him a good beating. Who told him to raise his tail to the sky, and actually used the gold medal command arrow to mobilize the official officials in Tianjin and the students and school officials of Xinwu Hall, causing a huge disaster and making the Qing Empire apologize to the Western powers? Correct the legal deficiencies and ensure that the wrong act of massacring foreign nationals will never be committed again in the future.
"This servant pays his respects to Prince Gong." Li Guolou saluted and knelt on the ground to kowtow. This was his real master behind the scenes, and all his wealth and honor were given to him by Prince Gong.
Prince Gong Yixin was silent for a long time. He loved and hated Li Guolou's actions. The petition stated sincerely that he would endure the hardships, bear the humiliation, and not allow the Western powers to turn against each other. When a major national event really happened, he immediately became Mindless, blinded by hatred, he impulsively killed people, set fires, and even threw grenades. If a fire broke out in Tianjin, the consequences would be disastrous. If the Qing Empire had not only had one official and businessman like Li Guolou who could bear the country's large taxes, he would have Li Guolou was thrown into prison, how could he be so cheap to this dog slave?
Prince Gong did not let Li Guolou stand up, but took a sip of hot tea from his teacup and asked, "Li Guolou, what are you doing these days?"
"Reporting to Prince Gong, I have been studying these days and reflecting on my words and deeds. I know that I was wrong and will never dare to do anything against the laws and regulations of the court with the gold medal arrow again." Li Guolou spoke boldly and spent these days in the inner house. Playing crazy love games between men and women is called reading. He reads and practices calligraphy every night, but for a few hours in the morning, most of the time, he is chasing beauty, drunk and dreaming. Several other grandmothers in the family return to Beijing, which makes him even more excited. Play the game of boundless love.
"Really? You have made progress. Recite the book you read for me, so that I can gain some knowledge." Prince Gong had a sarcastic look on his face. He didn't care about political affairs, but he had personal experience of what a man would do at home. How could you believe that Li Guolou was studying and practicing calligraphy honestly at home?
Li Guolou Zheng'er Ba Jing said: "Prince Gong, I am reading the thirty-sixth chapter of Sun Tzu's Art of War in the book of war, and I can recite it by heart. The first chapter: "Ji Pian" Sun Tzu said: Soldiers are the most important thing for the country. The place of life and death, the way of survival, must be observed. Therefore, the scriptures are based on five things, and they are calibrated to calculate and explore their emotions: the first is Tao, the second is Heaven, the third is Earth, the fourth is General, and the fifth is Dharma. Tao The people must agree with their superiors, so they can die with them and live with them without danger. Heaven refers to yin and yang, cold and heat, and the system of time. Earth refers to far and near, danger, wide and narrow, and life and death. General The person is wisdom, faith, benevolence, courage, and strictness. The person of law is the rule, the official way, and the master. All generals must hear about these five things. Those who know them will win, and those who don’t know will not win. Therefore, the correction is based on calculation. His sentiments are: Who is the master? Who is the general capable? Who has the heaven and the earth? Who can carry out the laws? Who are the soldiers strong? Who are the soldiers trained? Who knows the rewards and punishments? This is how I know the victory or defeat.
If you will listen to my plan, you will win if you use it, so keep it; if you don't listen to my plan, if you use it, you will lose, so get rid of it. If you listen to my plan for benefit, it is to build your power to support the outside. Those who are powerful will control power because of their benefit. Ye. Soldiers are deceitful. Therefore, they can show their inability to use it, use it to show that they are not using it, show them that they are far away when they are close, show their nearness by showing them that they are far away; lure them with benefits, seize them with chaos, prepare them with actual strength, and make them strong. Avoid them, anger them and offend them, humble them and make them arrogant, ignore them and work for them, get close to them and leave them. Attack them when they are unprepared and take them by surprise. The victory of this military strategist cannot be passed down first.
If there is no battle but the temple is considered the winner, it must be counted as more; if there is no battle but the temple is not the winner, it must be counted as less. More is the winner, less is the loser, and what is more, nothing is counted! I look at it this way, and I can see the victory or defeat.
That’s it.”
Prince Gong couldn't listen anymore, interrupted the conversation and said: "Is Li Guolou's Art of War useful?"
"It's useful. I will pretend to be a grandson from now on and never dare to stand out again." Li Guolou licked his face and teased shamelessly.
This person is just like a monkey, and he will go to the house to reveal the tiles if he is given a little good looks. Prince Gong suppressed his laughter and said helplessly: "You dog slave, please get up for me. The emperor will take care of you later."
"Zha! Thank you Prince Gong for being considerate of your subordinates." Li Guolou brushed his horse hoof sleeves twice, put on his official appearance, and stood at the bottom with a low eyebrow, not daring to move. He was grateful for the benefits of Prince Gong, as long as Prince Gong is still alive.
,he
Then he would not betray the Qing Dynasty. Even if Li Hongzhang wanted to rebel, he would have betrayed his uncle. If Prince Gong died and Li Hongzhang planned to rebel, he would board this pirate ship. Li Guolou was thinking wildly, and for a while he thought of the Qing Dynasty.
The benefits of having a wife and concubines, such as being able to have a group of wives and concubines, and having boundless love. This has been criticized verbally and written by Western society. Civilized society does not allow this ugly phenomenon. Suddenly, he thought of the evils of the Qing Dynasty, the heinous massacre, and the countless history of blood and tears. He
In fact, we are Han people. How can we let foreigners ride on top of our heads and let Han people be third-class citizens? The desire to rebel is always in our hearts. Even if we don't rebel, we still want to be princes.
"Your Majesty is here!" the male duck called out, and a light figure walked in a square step from far to near. Li Guolou knelt down with a pop, not afraid of hurting his knees, and cried out sadly: "Slave Li Guolou
Long live my emperor, long live him!"
Emperor Tongzhi stepped forward quickly, kicked Li Guolou to the ground with one kick, and cursed angrily: "You dog slave, you make me sleep uneasy and cause trouble for me. This time, if you don't take credit for your past achievements,
Come on, I will send you to Ninggu Pagoda in the northeast, and you will be a slave in armor."
Li Guolou took advantage of the situation and rolled around on the golden brick floor, shouting: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the kick. I feel relieved now."
Seeing Li Guolou swaying on the ground as if he was acting, Emperor Tongzhi was angry and amused. Looking at Prince Gong, both of them shook their heads and sighed. We can't be so easy on this dog slave. If we plan to beat him, we must not laugh.
If you make a sound, you will need to use the ruler in the study again.
"Slave dog, I'm reminding you to show off outside. You just want to show off with your British concubine. You don't even need an honor guard. You're looking for death. I didn't ask you to kill people with a gold medal arrow. You embarrass me. I still want to show off."
Want to do it for you
All my efforts to deal with the aftermath have been in vain." Emperor Tongzhi looked unhappy and summoned Li Guolou into the palace. He wanted to punish Li Guolou according to the ancestral family law and make him suffer. Don't get carried away. If you commit a heinous crime, you will not be able to recover.
.
During the restructuring of the Qing Dynasty, Li Guolou was a flag and the cornerstone of the country's revitalization. For the government, his importance was self-evident. He did not know how to be prudent in his behavior, and he acted recklessly, and the imperial court promoted him in vain.
Li Guolou drooled on his face, knelt on the ground, and said with a mournful face: "Your Majesty, this slave has realized his mistake. He must be a steady man in the future, and he will never do anything like a hairpin again."
"Can I trust you? You won't fool me, will you?" Emperor Tongzhi looked sideways at Li Guolou, without kicking him twice, swung his dragon robe and sat on the dragon chair.
Li Guolou swore once, but Emperor Tongzhi did not believe Li Guolou's words easily. Instead, he took a one-foot-long iron ruler from the hand of the eunuch Liu Deyin and weighed it in his hand. The iron ruler There is a history that his mother-in-law, the Empress Dowager Cixi, gave it to teachers Li Hongzao, Weng Tonghe, and Xu Tong to punish him. He could hit the palm of his hand with this iron ruler. He was beaten several times by several teachers when he was a child. .Now things have changed, he has grown up, no one dares to hit him, this iron ruler has not been used for a long time, it is up to him to use this iron ruler to beat the disobedient slaves.
"Dog slave, stretch out your hands. I will hit you three times. If you dare to hide, your punishment will be doubled." Emperor Tongzhi shook the iron ruler in his hand, walked to Li Guolou, and stared at Li Guolou proudly.
"Your Majesty, please be gentle..." Li Guolou begged in distress, his hands stretched out, waiting for the emperor's thunderous wrath.
"Bah, bang, bang!" Emperor Tongzhi kept his word and slapped Li Guolou's left hand hard, acting vigorously and resolutely, like a true hero from a young boy.
His palms immediately swelled up, he grimaced in pain, and tears flowed down his face. This time he shed real tears, but just now they were all fake. Li Guolou learned about the sincerity of Emperor Tongzhi, a young and promising monarch, and he admired him. He was so impressed that he said, "Your Majesty fought well. I will remember this in my heart and will not dare to mess around in my life."
Emperor Tongzhi usually beat a few eunuchs at most, and hitting Li Guolou three times was still not enough. He still wanted to get rid of it. He rolled his eyes and shouted: "Slave dog, I want you to remember the lesson thoroughly and lift your butt up for me. Three more spankings!"
"Your Majesty, have mercy on me!" Li Guolou was lying on the ground like a bereaved dog, daring not to move. Fortunately, he was a great catcher. Weng Tonghe had already informed him that Emperor Tongzhi was going to give him a beating, so he put a little pad behind his butt. The thick cotton is now in early winter, and the official robe is worn outside, with no flaw visible.
"Pah, pah, pah!" Emperor Tongzhi waved the iron ruler again and hit Li Guolou on the butt. This time he was satisfied and said loudly: "Li Guolou, remember this for me. I will protect you this time." Yes, next time, I will kill you without mercy."
"Thank you, Lord, for your kindness. I will definitely remember it in my heart. I will not cause trouble to my master again when I go to Lanzhou."
Emperor Tongzhi sighed slightly and said: "Lanzhou is full of first- and second-grade civil servants, military attachés, and knighthoods. They speak vulgarly. No one will pay attention to you, a fourth-grade civil servant. Don't let others grab your pigtails and have them chopped off. Head. I will give you another secret decree. Anyone who dares to arrest you and wants to murder you will be arrested and taken back to the capital, and I will judge for you, but you are not allowed to kill anyone."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I have tried my best to complete my errands and live up to Your Majesty's trust." Li Guolou cried bitterly and lay on the ground. Although the beating was very painful, he had asked for it. Emperor Tongzhi said to He was very caring and would not betray his master even if he were alive. He was hit and stroked by Emperor Tongzhi, which made his heart break. Tears rushed out like wild horses running wild.
Seeing Li Guolou smiling with tears on his face while entrusting him with the imperial edict, Emperor Tongzhi rolled his eyes and said angrily: "What does Li Guolou look like? You are a fourth-rank official in the imperial court. He stood up and replied, wiped away his tears and said Regarding the last inspection, don’t say nice things to me, I want to hear the truth.”
"Prick!" Li Guolou's legs were numb, and one hand was swollen like a steamed bun. He stood up with one hand on the ground, raised his eyes and glanced at Prince Gong sitting next to him. When he saw Prince Gong winking at him, I immediately understood that when inspecting local military camps, we still have to pick up the good ones. Let’s not talk about the cases where the Eight Banners disciples cannot be reused, and try not to talk about the embarrassing incidents. As for the shortage of guns and artillery in the army, it is even more taboo. There is no need to worry about it. Every family has its own foundation. A difficult scripture to recite.
Li Guolou chatted about local anecdotes and joked about Yihequan, Lu Zhishen and He Xiangu's missionary work. Emperor Tongzhi and Prince Gong Yixin listened with gusto. Although Prince Gong held a high position and had great power, he was a prince. He was ordered not to leave the capital, and he was full of curiosity about the outside world. The prince usually couldn't even visit the house. The emperor set many rules for his relatives. The rules set by the ancestors were complicated and strict, and no one dared to violate them. The Qing Dynasty paid close attention to the education of the children of the royal family. There were many royal children who were proficient in literature and calligraphy, and they were given power, but they were not given the opportunity to form cliques for personal gain. Instead, they were given high-ranking officials and well-paid princes, and they became caged birds, locked in the capital and unable to fly. go out.
In a blink of an eye, it was almost noon. Emperor Tongzhi was very interested in Li Guolou's development of business. He coughed slightly and said: "Li Guolou, I want to discuss business development with you this afternoon. Let's eat first and continue talking after dinner." Prince Gong, please finish your meal and then go back."
"Prick!" Li Guolou agreed bravely. If he was beaten by the emperor for pushing the envelope, it would be fine. He would have to bear the hard work of visiting the brothels.
The conversation was going to continue in the afternoon, so Emperor Tongzhi left the study to have lunch with Li Guolou and Prince Gong. With him sitting there, no one else could eat, so he left for an hour.
Li Guolou and Prince Gong were dining in the study room. A table of food was placed in front of each of them. The table was a square table with six dishes and one soup. They both ate the same food. Li Guolou devoured it. Although his hands were still a little swollen, he had a big appetite. They ate three bowls of rice, and finished all six dishes and one soup. However, Prince Gong Yixin's table only ate one bowl of rice, only half of the six dishes, and finished one bowl of soup.
Prince Gong Yixin finished his meal first, washed his face and gargled in the copper basin. Looking at Li Guolou devouring the food, he chuckled and said: "It's better to be a young man. Seeing you eating makes me have a bigger appetite. I usually have a bigger appetite." I only eat half a bowl of rice."
"My family is full of female wolves. If I don't eat more, I won't have the strength to feed them." Li Guolou accidentally said the wrong thing, which made several eunuchs serving around him also purse their lips and snicker.
Prince Gong Yixin rolled his eyes and said, "Li Guolou is looking for a fight. Don't lead the emperor into trouble."
"Zha!" Li Guolou's heart was beating fast. He and Emperor Tongzhi pretended to discuss business in the afternoon, but in fact they slipped out of the palace to play together, which made Prince Gong smell the smell. What he and Emperor Tongzhi said were code words, why? Prince Gong would have noticed the clues. Li Guolou didn't want to understand. Looking at the four eunuchs beside him, which dead eunuch betrayed him and the emperor? Li Guolou, who was born with a detective mind, had no idea. The four eunuchs beside him were wary.