With Fu Qing's current status, it was no problem to mobilize a small steamboat. The small steamboat sailed upstream from Shanghai, whistling its whistle, and sent Fu Qing to Jiangning City Wharf in just two days.
Today's Fuqing is no longer the frustrated leader of the mausoleum guarding army in the past. He is the deputy to the Prime Minister's Yamen and a confidant of the Empress Dowager Ci'an. He is also the leader of the Manchu Qing reform forces, the founder of the Qing Empire's telegraph network, and the co-manager of the Qing Special Administrative Region. Prime Minister of Construction...layers of halo surround him, giving this second-grade official the prestige of a first-grade official when traveling.
When Fuqing arrived in Jiangning, it was worthy of Zeng Guoquan's personal greeting. The cannons on the pier were booming, and the thousands of firecrackers were as deafening as the heavy rain.
"What are you doing? Isn't it true that the Ninth Commander is trying to destroy the younger generation... I can't afford it, I really can't afford it. I'm not an imperial envoy coming to Jiangnan, so how can I pick him up... Hurry up and put it away!"
Zeng Guoquan patted Fu Qing on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Why are you not an imperial envoy? In my eyes, brother, you are more of an imperial envoy than an imperial envoy! If nothing else, you spent more than two years building the north-south and east-west telegraph lines. You This contribution is no less than military merit..."
"What I admire are those who have real ability. It's just trivial to set off firecrackers to greet you... The commander-in-chief is waiting for you at the mansion. The banquet has been arranged. Why don't you have a few more drinks today!"
A group of people gathered around Third Master Qing and rushed to the Marshal's mansion. When he arrived at the gate, Fu Qing was surprised to find that there were many servants and soldiers packing boxes and cages at the corner gate, and four or five carriages were almost full.
"What is this?" Fu Qing asked in confusion.
"Hi... My eldest brother is preparing in advance. Next month he will leave to go north to be the governor of Zhili. If the belongings are not packed up in advance, it will be a mess by then! Please, Mr. Fu, please in the back garden..."
Fu Qing knew that the commander-in-chief was deliberately putting on a show for him. He wanted to tell the court through his own words that the commander-in-chief was ready to leave and he would do what he said. This painstaking effort is really not easy. Who said being a local governor is easy? They have to be careful about the court's taboos every day. The hat of King Jiangnan is too big and too heavy.
The weather is really nice today. There is a banquet in the open air in the back garden. The dishes are all simple and Jiangning specialties, such as salted duck, Zhuangyuan beans, assorted bean curds, Ruyi Braised Dried Beans, Qinhuai River pastry snacks, and exquisite Steamed dumplings, pot stickers and steamed buns, and finally the famous duck blood vermicelli soup.
When Fu Qing looked at the table of food and wine, he understood that the commander-in-chief did not regard him as an outsider and did not prepare any good-looking or delicious warm-fired meals. Instead, he entertained himself with local snacks. This is called reality.
"The commander-in-chief's thoughts... junior! I'm so flattered!" Mr. Qing bowed his hands and saluted.
Before Fu Qing came, the old farmer had just served the commander and smoked a pot of opium. Now Zeng Guofan knew that his time was short, and if he could survive for two or three years, it would be the life span that God had given him.
All the skilled doctors in the south of the Yangtze River have been looking for it, but everyone is at their wits' end, because the commander's cough is completely caused by overwork, and the disease is caused by exhaustion of oil and lamp dryness. This disease is difficult to cure even by gods.
For such patients, poisons like opium no longer matter, at least relying on the temporary anesthetic power, they can still let the commander handle some government affairs.
Zeng Guofan picked up Fu Qing with both hands and was not polite: "The third master is here this time for the naval battle at the mouth of the Minjiang River, right? The court wants to hear the opinion of an old man like me, but is too embarrassed to speak directly? Haha... I think too much, I, Zeng Guofan, I am a subject of the Qing Dynasty, and I will be a subject of the Qing Dynasty even if I die, there is nothing to be embarrassed about..."
The three of them sat around the stone table, and after three or two glasses of wine, the conversation turned to the main text. It was not that Zeng Guofan was impatient, but that he knew that the little energy he could rely on to support himself with drugs would not last long, and he had no more energy. How much time and energy go into making pleasantries.
"The old man wants to know why the Russians are soft? This question should not be difficult for him! It seems that the old man is also confused by the authorities..."
"What exactly is war? It's not just like ordinary people who want to win the opponent, or just want to vent their anger, it's not just to enjoy the feeling of stepping on the enemy's face... Any war that breaks out is actually a destruction of interests. It’s just a process of rebalancing..."
"What is land? What are mineral resources? What are forests, trees, and plant food? And population... Everything on a piece of land is actually just wealth!"
"Heaven and earth nourish all things. Wealth originally has no owner, but with human beings comes greed. After distinguishing between you, me and him, property rights also appeared..."
"People insist that this thing is mine, not yours. In fact, all wealth from ancient times belongs to heaven and earth. We mortals are just borrowing it..."
"Everyone is greedy and possessive, and then there will be families, tribes, city-states, countries, and nations... There will be competition for external interests, and there will also be competition for internal interests..."
"The Russians think that the vast gold mine of wealth in the Far East now belongs to them, but Xiao Letian doesn't think so. Many ministers including the imperial court also believe that the Far East belongs to the imperial court... Everyone has their own plans, but before Since the Russian family is so dominant that no one can offend them, that land can only be theirs..."
"Now, the balance has been broken. Xiao Letian wants to redistribute the wealth ownership of that land. He wants to reshuffle the cards, but the Russians don't agree. Then war has become the last and inevitable choice!"
Zeng Guofan sneered, "Russians, you seem rude? In fact, Ulan Geli can become the ambassador of the Qing Dynasty, which shows that he is still capable. He scolded Xiao Letian but not our Qing Dynasty, which shows that he can grasp the priorities of the situation... He knew that it was impossible for Russia to go to war with the Qing Dynasty and Xiao Letian at the same time..."
"It's stupid! The court is so stupid! How can it take the initiative to negotiate with the Russians at this time? We should deal with it coldly, leave those grandsons alone, let them worry, and let them take the initiative to come to us..."
"Ahem, cough, cough... Just watch, the Russians will definitely put forward conditions. They have figured out the courage of the imperial court, and they will definitely put forward harsh conditions with both encouragement and beating, intimidation and persuasion!"
Mr. Qing didn't expect the commander to be so honest. He opened the lid without any twists and turns. "Commander, what do you think the conditions will be for the Russians?"
"Hey... Is there any need to guess? They must have borrowed a way from the imperial court, hoping that their army can take a detour from Jilin and Heilongjiang to attack the retreat of the Volunteer Army..."
"Or... they will ask for an alliance with the imperial court, and the two sides will join forces to deal with the volunteers! In a word, Xiao Letian wants to shuffle the cards, and these people will try their best to prevent Xiao Letian from getting on the table, that's all!"
Fu Qing's face turned pale when he heard this, "How could this happen? How could this happen? The imperial court would not be so irrational. Russia has finally eaten the Far East. Should it spit out some of it to the imperial court... This is unreasonable!"
Ninth Commander Zeng Guoquan smiled, "It would be unreasonable if Xiao Letian did not exist in this world, but now that Xiao Letian is the biggest threat, the imperial court and Tsarist Russia can no longer care so much!"
"It's just business. Let's start negotiations and distribution of resources in the Far East again... Anyway, we can't give them to Xiao Letian!"
The Ninth Commander kept half of his words in his heart, "Also... the interests of the Far East must never be shared with the Han people or the Chinese... These are the interests of the two ethnic groups, the Manchus and the Russians. The common ground is the final bottom line!”
