An imperial meeting at the Daotai Mansion in Shanghai lasted for half a night until the foreign clock passed twelve o'clock. Emperor Tongzhi saw that the ministers below were really tired and looked uncomfortable, so he announced that the meeting was over and they all went back to rest.
In the four-hour meeting, only one thing was actually accomplished, which was the proposal to restructure the postal station and build a telegraph network with self-raised funds by the Qing Dynasty Telegraph Bureau.
The rest are various reports and summaries from Chen Qing. Emperor Tongzhi is using the fastest speed to familiarize himself with the current internal affairs of the Qing Dynasty. He wants to enter the state of pro-government as soon as possible.
No matter how big or small the matter was, a huge amount of information came to Zai Chun, which made Zai Chun feel extremely stressed. It would take a long time just to digest the information.
Wherever there is famine, wherever there are refugees, wherever there is rebellion... How much money is there in the Ministry of Household Affairs, how many Beipiao tickets has Yang Zhi printed in recent years, and how much have prices in the market increased...
In the past few years, there have been many conflicts between foreign missionaries and local governments, how much smuggling has been carried out secretly by the Hunan Army Group, and how many exploration teams sent by the Chinese have been surveying everywhere in the Qing Dynasty...
It’s all about things, and every thing is very important!
The more important the matter, the harder it is to make a decision immediately. This is Xiao Letian's bloody experience that Guozhaichun has learned countless times. If you are impatient, you will easily make mistakes. If you are emotional, it will be easier for others to take advantage of you.
During the meeting that lasted more than four hours, Emperor Tongzhi listened and asked very on-point questions. In the end, even Zeng Guoquan, the most unruly Ninth Commander, was impressed.
"It's really been practiced... How is this Xiao Letian's brain so big that he can not only train soldiers but also become a king?"
While he was thinking wildly, Emperor Tongzhi was already a little tired. He smiled and said, "I have to meet with ministers from various countries tomorrow, and you have to accompany me. It's getting late, so you can rest for a few more hours..."
Emperor Tongzhi looked at his pocket watch and smiled, "I'm afraid I can only sleep for more than four hours at most. It seems that running a country is really a hard job... You all should stand down!"
"Well... Your Majesty is safe!" A group of courtiers stood up, saluted and stepped back, but the Ninth Commander did not leave.
"Your Majesty... I have some top-quality water here from the Annan Kingdom. It is very nourishing and helps you sleep... Please order some for your Majesty!"
"Oh? Then there's Lao Jiu Shuai..."
Zeng Guoquan had something to say to His Majesty alone. How could the other important ministers not be discerning enough to leave the hall in small steps.
In the Nuan Pavilion of the East Side Hall, where Emperor Tongzhi will rest tonight, Da Sixi has already prepared pajamas and a wooden bucket for hot feet. As soon as Zai Chun came in, Da Sixi personally gave them to Zai Chun. Hot feet.
The warm hot water was at just the right temperature. Da Sixi rubbed the acupuncture points on his feet, and Emperor Tongzhi leaned comfortably on the recliner and let out a deep breath.
Ninth Marshal Zeng Guoquan stirred the incense burner aside, and a few top-quality Nha Trang water sinks emitted curls of green smoke, and the room suddenly smelled like orchid.
"Long live...there is something that I must report to you personally...alone..."
Zai Chun closed his eyes and waved his hand, "I trust Da Sixi and Xiao Sixi... tell me!"
"Hey... today when the people were carrying the royal chariot, my guards found a master in the crowd... holding a water-dividing Emei thorn and trying to assassinate your majesty!"
Hiss... Zai Chun's feet trembled, "Slave dog, what are you doing with so much strength?"
"The slave deserves to die, the slave is in charge..." Da Sixi slapped himself twice with his wet hands.
"Okay...then press...I'm not that easy to die!"
Emperor Tongzhi's chest rose and fell violently, "Continue talking!"
"Well... Your Majesty, my bodyguard was recruited when I was pacifying Changmao. He is very loyal, reliable and has good skills. He is nicknamed Eagle by the masters of the world!"
"To be able to hurt him and still escape... This is really not easy! I ask your Majesty to atone for my sins, but my protection is not good..."
Zai Chun was completely sleepless and full of anger. Could it be that Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong had such a difficult time in power? Being attacked and assassinated all day long? I'm so addicted to killing myself!
The Ninth Commander knew that this matter must be explained clearly today, otherwise he would not be able to untie the knot in the little emperor's heart. When they were unlucky in the future, he knelt on the ground with a face full of grief and anger, "Your Majesty... I'm afraid that this assassin is trying to kill you for nothing, and to put the blame on you." It’s true!”
"Everyone in the world says that the Hunan Army is the king of Jiangnan, and that our Zeng brothers are the local emperors of Jiangnan... This is someone who is sincerely trying to make the world suspicious!"
"Brother Weichen... has run out of gas, but he is still holding on in Beijing. He just wants to keep the emperor in charge with his life!"
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu... Your Majesty, Brother Chen only has a few years left to live!"
"Ah?" Zai Chun sat up immediately, "Is it that serious?"
Jiu Shuai cried and took out a few pages of paper from his sleeve, "This is the prescription from Tai Hospital and Jiangnan's famous doctors... and their medical certificates... My brother really hasn't been alive for a few years... Wuwuwu... …”
"Brother is using his life to stand up for His Majesty in Forty-Nine City! Please stop delaying your Majesty and return to Forty-Nine City quickly... While my brother can still hold on, hurry up and take charge!"
Scholars in ancient China could basically read the medical classics and were very familiar with traditional Chinese medicine. When he saw the medicinal materials on the prescriptions and the diagnoses written in writing, sweat broke out on Emperor Tongzhi's back.
He really didn't expect that Zeng Guofan's condition had become so serious!
Only today did Emperor Tongzhi understand how much sacrifice Zeng Guofan had made in order to maintain the balance of government. If he had not gone abroad to study, Zeng Guofan would have retired and returned home.
At present, in order to force the Japanese to give in, Zeng Guofan even mobilized the Hunan Army cavalry to stand on the front line of Gaobeidian, Zhuozhou. This was gambling with his own life and future reputation.
It is conceivable that if Emperor Tongzhi wins, Zeng Guofan will still have a good reputation in the history books, and his descendants may still have a prosperous life.
But once Emperor Tongzhi loses, when the enemy is liquidated, all these royalists will have to take advantage of it!
"Commander...Commander, is this really this bad? Does he need opium for pain relief?"
"Damn it... I know it. I will never forget the Zeng family's hard work. You can rest assured..."
The Ninth Marshal cried and kowtowed to Emperor Tongzhi, then took out a bunch of documents from his sleeves and said, "Your Majesty, the ministers did not express anything to the Fujian Yulin New Army before... It is not that I am greedy for money and cannot give up. I really don't want to give up." Dare to alarm the government and the public!"
"Without Long Live Lord in the Qing Dynasty, if I raise funds for the new Imperial Army without permission... then some people will say that I have ulterior motives and am trying to bribe the Imperial Army!"
"There are five million worth of bonds, properties, and shops here... These are all raised by my Zeng family for the emperor. Please accept it with your Majesty's approval!"
There were no words to describe Emperor Tongzhi's mood at this moment. He patted the papers and said, "I... I won't be polite to you anymore. If you don't accept it, it will be fake!"
"I can promise that one day, I will never let you down..."
"Thank you, Your Majesty! With a hero like you in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty will definitely not follow the old path of disintegration like other weak countries! I just ask Your Majesty to keep one thing in mind...the country is hard-won, and if you want to unify it, you must not lose any bit of it!"
"I...have learned a lesson! I will surely live up to your hard work!"
After expressing his loyalty, the Ninth Commander walked out of the hall and walked in the moonlit garden. He muttered softly, "Haha... five million dollars will push this kid into the good guys!"
"That's it. It has to make you harbor the dream of a big and powerful country in your heart... It has to make you reluctant to betray the country, as long as you long for a unified Qing Empire in your heart!"
"That's good... that's good... when we Han people inherit it in the future, won't it be more harmonious!"
While he was muttering, a voice suddenly sounded next to him, "What is the Ninth Commander talking to himself about?"
