Talent is the basic unit of a force. All emperors, generals and ministers regard the cultivation of talents as the most important task!
After the Taiping Rebellion in the Qing Dynasty, centralization of power had been completely broken, and the system of exclusive imperial power established during the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong dynasties was completely shattered.
The Hunan Army Group is not isolated. This group is also composed of many small Han warlord factions!
Zuo Zongtang's power is deeply rooted in Fujian and the Western Regions. Li Hongzhang's Huai Army is also a family soldier. The nine commanders held up the scene in Jiangning to maintain the basic strength of the Hunan Army. The rest of the generals also have their own direct troops!
The Han people have begun to become warlords. They have become independent forces, and the forces themselves have their own development requirements!
Everyone is thinking about the future, how their own power will develop, and how to gain more benefits in the last days of the late Qing Dynasty.
To judge the future direction of China, whether you should be independent or rely on a certain founding emperor!
But no matter how you choose for the future, strength is the most important, and strength is not just how many guns you have, but more importantly, talent!
Zuo Zongtang was the first person in the Qing Dynasty to start cultivating naval talents. Although his Mawei Shipyard was small, it established a separate Mawei Shipbuilding School.
Many teenage children were recruited and trained from an early age to cultivate the future naval talents of the Qing Dynasty!
Nowadays, these people are studying in Europe and have almost completed their studies. If Li Hongzhang wants to establish a navy, he can only find the first batch of officers to build the skeleton from these people!
But will Zuo Zongtang give it? This is all heart and soul! It took more than ten years of training to develop such a little vitality!
Seeing that Zuo Zongtang remained silent, Li Hongzhang cupped his fists and bowed deeply, "Commander Zuo! For the sake of our Qing Navy, I beg you, Commander-in-Chief, to be noble and let go of these talents!"
"Hey... what you said, Lao Li, is wrong. We are all ministers of the imperial court. Deng Shichang, Yan Fu, and Liu Buchan are also ministers of the imperial court..."
"Long live the Lord's orders, who dares to disobey them? Why do you bother to come to my place, hahaha..."
Zuo Zongtang wanted to make a joke and get rid of this matter, but he didn't expect that Li Hongzhang had no intention of being friendly at all.
"Brother! Let's be honest and honest and don't lie! Since ancient times, scholars have died for those who know their friends!"
"Liu Buchan, Deng Shichang... these dozen officers grew up eating your food. How old were they when they joined Mawei Shipbuilding?"
"You have raised me up little by little, and now you are able to stand alone! Who dares to forget your kindness?"
"I can command their people, but can I command their hearts? From now on, we will fight on the vast sea, far away from homeland... How can I command these officers who are not of the same mind as me?"
"Who can live and die with me? Brother... Brother, I really have no other choice, so I come here to beg you!"
Speaking of which, Li Hongzhang had no worries, "Brother, you are a smart man! Don't think about it. You have done a great job in wiping out Changmao. You went back to the Western Regions and fought such a beautiful country." war!"
"Your prestige among the soldiers and civilians of the Qing Dynasty is as high as the sky! But you should understand the principles of profit and loss during this month!"
"You are already so powerful, can the imperial court still allow you to extend your hand into the navy? There is no way I can let you become powerful again!"
"Master Zuo! How many Hanchens are there in the court who are qualified to control the navy? Who else can support this situation besides you and me?"
"If you and I can't work together, the navy will be completely controlled by the Manchus in the future, which will also be detrimental to us Han people!"
"Commander Zeng has finally created such a situation for us...it's not easy, we have to hold on!"
After saying these words, Zuo Zongtang stopped smiling. Seeing that there was no one around him, he pondered for a moment and finally said a few words of truth, "Shaoquan! I am very grateful that you can tell me this honestly!"
"In that case, let me say a few words that speak from the bottom of my heart... In fact, the worry about you does not come from me, but from Marshal Zeng!"
"Shuai Zeng told me about you several times before he was alive... Do you know where my worries lie?"
Mentioning Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang subconsciously raised his hands and saluted to the south, "Teacher, do you have anything to say to me?"
"Yes! Of course I do... I don't want you to take charge of the Navy. The key point is the relationship between you and Xiao Letian!"
"The teacher said before his death that Shaoquan and the Queen Mother Xi were too close, and they made a wrong move before! He rashly faced Xiao Letian with swords!"
"You and the head of state fought on the battlefield! Although the matter finally settled, the rift between you has never been repaired!"
"Establishing a navy? Haha... In today's world, establishing a navy will inevitably involve dealing with the Chinese! All the obstacles in the past will be stumbling blocks to your future career!"
"In East Asia, if you don't have a good relationship with the Chinese navy, do you really want to establish a navy? I'm really not optimistic about it, I'm really not optimistic about it!"
Li Hongzhang turned pale when he heard these words, "Teacher... did the teacher really say that?"
"Yes, I, Li Hongzhang, did have a fight with Xiao Letian. If I lose, there is nothing to say. I am convinced that I lost! But at that time, we were each our own masters!"
"Xiao Letian hadn't founded the People's Republic of China at that time. He held the official position of the imperial court, and the imperial court asked him to build an industrial zone!"
"A court official wants to lead troops into the capital. Shouldn't I stop him? Everyone is their own master. There is nothing wrong with my procedures!"
"I believe Xiao Letian also understands this, so we won't have any conflicts in the later period! I don't hate him, and I have no desire for revenge now!"
"Of course, I also know that Xiao Letian will definitely not care about me. Compared with others, I am just a little reptile!"
Li Hongzhang sighed, "Brother! You still underestimated one level... It's precisely because I, Li Hongzhang, fought with Xiao Letian in the past and never reconciled later!"
"Because of this, I can gain the trust of the court, and I can naturally take charge of the navy! Didn't the teacher think of this?"
"Among us Hanchen warlords... besides me, who else can take over the navy? No more, really no more, the only choice is mine!"
"Please believe me, brother... no matter what happens in the future! This navy will always... always... belong to us Han people!"
"I swear to God!"
Zuo Zongtang was moved by Li Hongzhang's oath. The old commander grabbed Li Hongzhang's hand and sighed, "Shao Quan... ah... what else can I say..."
"You are just too proud... too proud... In your heart you are not convinced by Xiao Letian. You think he is young and have no foundation..."
"This obsession must be broken!"
Li Hongzhang suddenly raised his head, "Commander Zuo... Could it be... Are you so determined to believe that the destiny of China lies with Xiao Letian?"
"Brother, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart! Life is unpredictable, and we can't make a bet easily until the last moment!"
