Chapter 237 East Bed Quick Son-in-law

Tianjin, Beiyang Minister's government.

In a small study, Li Hongzhang and his staff Zhang Peilun sat facing each other.

The study is immersed in a suffocating silence.

Li Hongzhang leaned half in the master's chair and looked at the snow outside the window with a tired expression. In the courtyard outside the window, there is a white plum blossom with a dark fragrance.

Zhang Peilun half sat in front of Li Hongzhang respectfully and bowed his head without saying a word.

Ten years ago, no one could imagine that Zhang Peilun, who was only eight years old and young, would serve Li Hongzhang so respectfully.

At that time, Zhang Peilun and Zhang Zhidong, the Qingliu "two Zhang" - were in the prime of the court. They criticized the government, impeached ministers, and spoke sharply, as if they were leaders of Qingliu. From the first year of Guangxu to ten years, Zhang Peilun, as the imperial historian of the left deputy capital, wrote 127 memorials and films, impeached countless ministers and shocked him.

Zhang Peilun and Zhang Zhidong are the most impeached by the foreign ministers led by Li Hongzhang. In their opinion, what the Westerners have done is deviant and change the law of their ancestors is tolerable, which is unbearable!

However, ten years later, the Qingliu "two Zhangs" that hated the Westerners were not what they used to be.

Zhang Zhidong became the governor of Huguang and vigorously carried out foreign affairs. He even went further than Li Hongzhang! Li Hongzhang promoted the official industry, but Zhang Zhidong went further and started a joint venture between officials and businessmen! This is more deviant than Li Hongzhang. For this reason, Zhang Zhidong has become the target of the backward "clean stream".

Zhang Peilun, who is over 40 years old, became the staff of Li Hongzhang, the leader of the foreign affairs faction.

In 1884, France infiltrated Vietnam and provoked a dispute between China and France. Zhang Peilun, who was full of blood and vigor, played one after another, focusing on the war of resistance. Empress Dowager Cixi sent Zhang Peilun to handle maritime affairs, and later appointed him as the Minister of Ship Administration of Fujian. The so-called Ship Administration is actually the Fujian Navy!

However, Zhang Peilun, a scholar, issued a clear discussion in the court to guide the country, saying that the head is the way. But when I came into contact with practical affairs, I found that the scholar's opinion was useless.

Zhang Peilun has never been in contact with sailors, and he knows nothing about modern naval warfare. In the subsequent Mawei naval battle, in the modern naval battle with the ironclad cruiser as the main force, Zhang Lunpei actually came up with the strategy of the land soldiers approaching the enemy ship in a wooden ship and boarding the ship. As a result, the small wooden boats full of soldiers, several miles away from the French warships, were blown up by the French naval guns, and countless officers and soldiers inexplicably fed fish.

In the Battle of Mawei, the Qing Dynasty was completely defeated, the Mawei Military Port was destroyed, and the newly formed Fujian Marines were destroyed!

Zhang Peilun is usually arrogant, impeaching countless ministers and complaining everywhere. Now, Zhang Peilun is defeated, and the ministers who were previously impeached by Zhang Peilun rise up and attack him. Among them, the most important figure is Zuo Zongtang.

Li Hongzhang, who was most impeached by Zhang Peilun, remained silent.

In 1885, the court issued a decree to send Zhang Peilun to the military Taiwan to forgive him and send him to garrison Harchahan. Zhang Peilun fell from a young man to a prisoner!

However, to Zhang Peilun's surprise, Li Hongzhang, a member of the foreign affairs faction who had been defended by him, extended a helping hand to him when he was most embarrassed. Li Hongzhang unblocked the imperial court through various relationships and reduced Zhang Peilun's garriage period to three years.

Three years later, Zhang Peilun, a talented son, was able to return to Beijing. As a guilty person, the door to his career has been closed to him. However, Li Hongzhang put Zhang Peilun under his own curtain and betrothed his most cherished little daughter Ju Yilun to Zhang Peilun.

At that time, Zhang Peilun, who lost his wife in middle age, was over 40 and returned guilty, while Chrysanthemum lotus root was only 18 years old, talented and beautiful. She was a famous talented woman in the capital. This marriage caused a sensation in Beijing for a while. Zhang Peilun, the son-in-law of the East Bed, became famous again. Everyone said that Li Hongzhang's brain was kicked by a donkey. But Li Hongzhang was unmoved.

Now, the two son-in-law are sitting in the secret room with heavy air.

Zhang Peilun owed his body: "Lord Zhongtang, this is a dangerous move. The Russians have too much appetite!"

Li Hongzhang stared out of the window for a long time and shook his head and said, "Isn't the Japanese have a big appetite?"

Zhang Peilun is silent. The Russians are staring at the whole Northeast and North Korea, and the Japanese are not!

Once Shandong is lost and the Beiyang Marine Division is completely destroyed, how long can North Korea last?

For this reason, Emperor Guangxu finally revealed the idea of peace, suggesting that the Beiyang ministers tried to contact the great powers and seek the possibility of armistice peace.

However, the reaction of the great powers was disappointing.

Britain, France and Germany expressed strict neutrality. They even hinted to Li Hongzhang that the Qing Dynasty would be defeated. Therefore, if there is no huge price, the Japanese will not armistice. This huge price is to cede land!

"What does Hirofumi Ito mean?" Zhang Peilun asked in a low voice, "What on earth do they want?"

"Liaodong, Shandong, and Taiwan!" Li Hongzhang said slowly.

"Taiwan!" Zhang Peilun was shocked: "Aren't they afraid of the dissatisfaction of the great powers?"

Before the First Sino-Japanese War, the division of China's sphere of influence by the great powers had not been made public. However, a tacit understanding has been formed between the powers. South of the Yangtze River is the sphere of influence of Britain and France, and north of the Yangtze River is the sphere of influence of Germany and Russia, which seems to form a balance. Japan's rise broke this balance, and Japan's interests in Liaodong and Shandong posed a threat to Germany and Russia.

This war is ostensibly a war between the Qing Dynasty and Japan, but in fact, Japan challenges Russia! However, for Britain, France and the United States, they are happy to see the Japanese say "no" to the Russians!

However, once Japan makes a request from Taiwan, it will violate the interests of Britain and France!

Are the Japanese really crazy enough to challenge Britain, France, Russia and Germany at the same time?

Li Hongzhang said slowly, "The alliance under the city! It's up to us! It's up to the powers!"

"The Japanese are really crazy!" Zhang Peilun sighed, "Do they really want to claim sovereignty?"

"Maybe!" Li Hongzhang sighed, "What they want is to cede Shandong, Liaodong and Taiwan!" Then, merge North Korea into their territory!"

"So, what about the requirements of the Russians?"

"The Russians asked for a railway through Manchuria! And, a Lushun military port."

"Other than that?"

"No more."

"Doesn't they have territorial sovereignty claims?" Zhang Peilun asked.

"No!" Li Hongzhang sighed, "What's the difference between a railway across Manchuria and dominated by the Russians and a Lushun port where Russian troops are stationed?

"There is no difference."

"Yes, there is no difference. If there is a difference, it is only nominal - the Russians do not station troops in Manchuria."

"What? Don't they send troops?" Zhang Peilun's eyes suddenly lit up.

Li Hongzhang smiled bitterly: "They asked the Qing Dynasty to send troops to ensure railway safety, but this army must be designated by them."

"Who do they designate?"

"Week Charter!"

Zhang Peilun was silent.

It was an army without braids. So far, the court has regarded that army as a separatist!

If the army without braids falls into the arms of the Russians, it will be more dangerous for the Qing Dynasty than the Japanese!

Because the Japanese demand is only part of the territory, and a Han army that is unfaithful to the Qing Dynasty is completely possible to overthrow the Qing court!

At the beginning, Zeng Guofan suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and the court immediately dissolved the Xiang army. Zeng Guofan was a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty. The court was still so suspicious. Zhou Charter did not even have a braid on his head. How could the court tolerate him!

Zhang Peilun smiled bitterly: "Russians know more about the Qing Dynasty than ourselves!"

The Russians used the Zhang army to control the northeast. Although there is no sovereignty claim in name, in fact, the northeast has become the booty of the Russians. Moreover, it is more advantageous for the Zhang army to control the northeast than the Russians to station troops - the people will not resent this Han army!

"They are smarter than the Japanese!" Li Hongzhang said, "That's why the Russians stand by and watch the war at this time. They have cards in their hands!"

Zhang Peilun sighed: "If Zhou Charter promised the Russians, it is also exerable."

"Texit about it."

"Lord Zhongtang, Zhou Charter and his Zhang Jun became separatists, which was forced by the court!" Zhang Peilun said, "Zhang Jun recovered Pyongyang and suffered heavy casualties. The court not only did not give them a tael of silver, but also choked them everywhere! Force them to counterattack Seoul! I don't understand why they counterattacked Seoul. Zhou Charter is wise. If they attack recklessly, they will definitely break their heads! Those unreasonable clear people in the court impeached him because of this!"

Li Hongzhang smiled faintly: "If this matter was placed ten years ago, you should be the first to impeach Zhou Charter!"

Zhang Peilun looked gloomy: "The book business is prosperous, and the clear talk is misleading the country! This is the biggest gain in my three years of garrivering.

Li Hongzhang sighed, "You have woken up, and Zhang Zhidong has also woken up, but there are still many drunken people in this Qing Dynasty! Fortunately, Zhou Charter is not a talkative scholar!"

"Lord Zhongtang, you mean..."

"The American proposal may be a try." Li Hongzhang whispered.

"Give up North Korea and let Zhou Charter lead the army to capture Liaodong!" Zhang Peilun said in a low voice, "The premise of this is that Zhang Jun must be funded by the Russians. Once a Han army controlled by the Russians capture Liaodong, it will pose a huge threat to the court!"

Li Hongzhang looked at Lamei outside the window and said in a low voice, "Aren't you and me Han Chinese?"

Zhang Peilun took a cold breath!

In those years, Zeng Guofan led the Xiang army to attack Tianjing, and someone said such a thing to Zeng Guofan!

Zeng Guofan pretended not to understand!

However, both the talker and the listener understand the weight of this sentence!

"Father-in-law!" Zhang Peilun suddenly changed his name: "My son-in-law was taken care of by my father-in-law. Only today, if my father-in-law has something to do in the future, my son-in-law will go through fire and water!"

Li Hongzhang laughed: "Son-in-law, I'm old and have no ambition! You are another scholar. Let's leave this military event to others. Someone will do better than us!"

Zhang Peilun nodded slightly: "The question now is, will Zhou Charter agree to give up North Korea?"