Chapter 35 Looking for an opportunity to unload Yixin's power

The domineering Empress Dowager Cixi saw that Prince Gong Yixin was always against her, so she wanted to change his post, but she couldn't find a suitable opportunity.Moreover, on weekdays, Prince Gong abided by the law, acted impartially, and never neglected his duties. He wanted to punish him but could not find an appropriate excuse. This made the Empress Dowager Cixi and Li Lianying very anxious.However, hard work pays off.In the ten years of Guangxu, there were many incidents between China and France, which finally led to a Sino-French war, and the opportunity to dismiss Yixin was also implied.

Reimbursement of military expenses is a way for the Secretary of the Ministry of Households and the Book Office to make money.When encountering such a thing, everyone wants to make some money, and those local officials want to take the opportunity to falsely report the accounts and make a fortune. At the end of the ninth year of Guangxu (1883), the reimbursement case in Yunnan had begun to emerge. Local officials sent Cui Zunyi from the Liangdao and Pan Yingzhang from the Yongchang Prefecture to Beijing with huge sums of money.However, although the case of military reimbursement is handled by the department in charge of the Ministry of Households, it must be reported to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry, which involves a lot.Cui Zunyi and Pan Yingzhang only worked in the household department, but they forgot about the Bodhisattvas in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry.At that time, Yan Jingming, the new Household Department Hall official, was making a big move to rectify the Household Department, so someone took the opportunity to expose this matter.The matter involved a wide range of subjects and was soon reported to Empress Dowager Cixi.And Prince Gong, as the chief minister of military affairs, was suspected of accepting bribes under his command, of course he couldn't absolve himself of the blame.

The Empress Dowager Cixi was going to ask Prince Gong Yixin to investigate the matter, but Yixin was afraid that Cixi would give herself a selfish hat.Li Lianying also secretly instructed others to read Prince Gong's book, saying that he relied on power and despised the court, and the queen mother was extremely dissatisfied.After Cixi received this memorial, she finally had a reason to attack Yixin, so she ordered someone to summon Yixin, but the punishment was only innocuous. Although Prince Gong Yixin, the Chief Minister of Military Aircraft, was not severely punished, after this setback, he became timid and completely lost the ability he had back then.He understood that the Empress Dowager Cixi was trying to get her, so he was afraid that if the battle went unfavorable, he would be caught. Therefore, he always respected Li Hongzhang's opinion on the invasion of France.

In May of the ninth year of Guangxu (1883), the Black Banner Army and the Vietnamese people fought fiercely for more than three hours at the Paper Bridge in the west of Hanoi City. They killed the French commander Li Weili and achieved a great victory at the Paper Bridge that shocked the world.When the news came, the whole country was boiling. The ministers of the DPRK and China were dazzled by the temporary victory, and the talk of the main battle was rampant. The Empress Dowager Cixi was even more elated, and hurriedly summoned Prince Gong, intending to start a war with France in Vietnam, but was stopped by Prince Gong.He said that this was only a temporary victory, and if war really broke out, the situation might not be favorable to the Qing Dynasty.The stubborn Cixi insisted on teaching France a lesson, and sent another person to supervise the matter.

No one dared not to listen to Cixi's words, and immediately adjusted the deployment of the Military Aircraft Department: ordered Li Hongzhang to deploy Tianjin defense to consolidate the capital; Zuo Zongtang was in charge of Jiang defense, in case the French fleet invaded from the Yangtze River; ordered Wang Debang to lead the recruited troops out of the customs To resist the French, soon Xu Yanxu, the governor of Guangxi, was sent out of Nanguan to assist Liu Yongfu, and Tang Jingsong was ordered to encourage Liu Yongfu to attack Hanoi. Cixi only wanted to win the battle, but she didn't know how to win the battle.The situation in Vietnam was developing very badly, and soon Shanxi and Beining fell.Under the autocratic system, all credit goes to the top, and all mistakes go to the bottom. The responsibility for passing on for others naturally falls on the military minister who strategized.

Cixi originally intended to impose this crime on Prince Gong, but she was worried that Prince Jin would not support it, so she had to give up temporarily.One day, Sheng Yu, the living officer, wrote a letter to report that the Zou Military Aircraft Office was not doing well.Cixi just used this to test Prince Chun, so she ordered someone to send Prince Chun to see him.Prince Jin also wanted to make a good impression in front of Cixi, so he suggested that Cixi dismiss them all and dismiss them, and made a generous statement, saying that only in this way can the Qing Dynasty hope to abolish the turbid and promote the Qing, and better resist foreign aggression.This remark hits Cixi's heart, which shows that Prince Gong Yixin's political career is coming to an end.Back in the palace, Empress Dowager Cixi lay happily on the bed, feeling much more relaxed.

Seeing that Empress Dowager Cixi was so happy, Li Lianying quickly complimented her. From now on, Empress Dowager Cixi will really have the final say.The Empress Dowager Cixi was very satisfied with Li Lianying's compliment, and promised to reward him heavily afterwards. With the full support of Prince Chun, everything is taken for granted.Therefore, the Empress Dowager Cixi summoned Zhang Jing, the foreman of the army, and asked him to draw up an imperial decree: Instruction to the Cabinet: Empress Dowager Cixi Duanyou Kangyi Zhaoyu Zhuangcheng's decree: The current value of the country's vitality is not full, the times are still difficult, the government is in trouble, the people are not in peace, internal and external affairs must be handled by others.However, the Military Aircraft Office is actually the hub of internal and external employment administration. Prince Gong Yixin and others were cautious about Kuangbi at first, and then entrusted them with smuggling to protect glory.Every time the imperial court raises its intention to seek governance, insists on preconceived ideas, refuses to implement it with strength, and those who speak repeatedly, either block their eyes, impeach them for their failure, or say that they are not orderly, or that they are ignorant of people who know them.The family law of this dynasty is very strict. If it is said that it is like the previous generation's theft of power and disorderly government, it is not only dared not because of the intention, but also prohibited by the law.It is not easy to make mistakes with the above few points. If you don't change the picture and focus on appeasement, why do you look up to the great heroes of the deputy saints?In the future, the emperor will be in charge personally, and will he be able to achieve perfection?If it is announced one by one according to the bullets, it will not be possible to review relatives and nobles, and it will not be possible to change the old age. How can the lenient government of the court bear it?With this in mind, it is good and useful.Yixin, Prince Gong, and Baojun, a scholar, have been in the court for the longest time, and the reprimands should be severe. Gu Nian is sick and old. I hereby record their previous work and explain their origins.Yixin believed that Jia En would leave the hereditary prince in place of the prince, enjoy the full salary of the prince, leave all errands, and withdraw the double salary of Enjia, and take care of his illness at home;

◇ On the same day, another edict was issued: Prince Li Shiduo walks on the military aircraft minister, without learning from the former imperial minister, and without having to lead a leopard-tailed gun.Erlehebu, Yan Jingming, Shangshu of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and Zhang Zhiwan, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, all walked on the Minister of Military Aircraft.Written by Sun Yuwen, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, learning to walk on the Minister of Military Aircraft. ◇ As soon as Yi's decree came out, the Chinese and military ministers of the court were very surprised.Prince Gong Yixin has been in the Military Aircraft Division for more than 20 years. Even if he has no merit, he cannot be killed at once. If he is not given any official title, he will be ordered to retire.Even Sheng Yu, who wrote a letter of impeachment, was very surprised.The candidates for the new military aircraft department are also quite criticized: Prince Li Shiduo is cowardly and incompetent, and has no opinion when dealing with things; ; Sun Yuwen only flatters others.Only Yan Jingming joined the military aircraft because he was appreciated by the Empress Dowager Cixi for his good financial management.It can be said that this personnel change is Qingwa replacing Meiyu, which is reminiscent.

It was only then that Sheng Yu realized that he had become a tool of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and as a nobleman of the royal family, he really felt sorry for Prince Gong.So, he came to apologize in person.Prince Gong didn't think so, and told him that he didn't need to ask for mercy in order to protect himself, and it didn't do anything. But Sheng Yu, who felt guilty, insisted on giving it a try.After returning home, he went straight to the study and wrote a memorial: In order to be reprimanded as an important minister, it is not appropriate to stay out of the matter. Please increase the number of envoys and strictly punish them, so as to benefit from the difficult times. I respectfully pray for the holy advice: but the king and the others have delayed the previous by taking military and national important matters. Throwing in the old countryside, wandering around the game, turning around and letting go of his thoughts, is suitable for his desire to lure and unload, but it is not enough to show punishment.Now Vietnam is having a military force, raising money and recruiting soldiers. The king is still proficient in files.Kuang Jiang's affairs are Fang Yin and the situation of the court has changed suddenly, and other clans are forcing him to deal with him. I am more concerned about my depth. It has nothing to do with the current overall situation. Prince Gong is talented and intelligent. .Li Hongzao is ignorant of knowing people, and he is ignorant of predicting things, but his stupidity and loyalty are not without merit.The country is in danger, and talents are rare.If there are still courtiers who are better than the two ministers, the slaves will never dare to act rashly.But when comparing Prince Li with Prince Gong, and comparing Zhang Zhiwan with Li Hongzao, they are far away.This is the reason why the slaves should be severely punished before impeaching the chapter, but not dare to dismiss it lightly.Can you please order Prince Gong and Li Hongzao to still walk on the military plane, order them to wear the guilt and seek meritorious service, cleanse their hearts and minds, and earnestly repent of their past mistakes.If you can't cheer up again, you should be punished immediately, not just dismissed. In this way, you will be ordered to be dedicated, or you can reap the effects of past mistakes, which will not be useless for the overall situation.The slave's ignorant views, respectful, trembling and waiting for orders!

◇ Although this excerpt is generous, it is a pity that it overlooks one point: Empress Dowager Cixi finally found a reason to get rid of Prince Gong, how could she easily withdraw her life? Empress Dowager Cixi was in a particularly comfortable mood because she got rid of Prince Gong's heart disease, so she took Li Lianying to the Imperial Garden to enjoy the flowers.When the interest was high, Li Sanshun hurried in and said that Mr. Sheng had presented another booklet. He thought that as long as it was Sheng Yu's booklet, it would be beneficial to the Empress Dowager Cixi. Cixi wanted to blame Li Sanshun for interrupting her interest, but when she heard that it was Sheng Yu's memorial, she opened it happily, but she actually asked her to withdraw her life and appoint Prince Gong again.Cixi's face suddenly sank.

Li Sanshun became flustered when he saw this situation. He thought he would be praised by Cixi, but he didn't want to make Cixi unhappy.Li Lianying and Li Sanshun didn't know the contents of the notebook, so they hurriedly accompanied them carefully to ask about the situation, and Cixi showed them the notebook casually. Li Lianying took the scripture and looked at it, and was immediately attracted by the killing immediately, more than reprimanding, she had an idea, and wanted to use this sentence to make Prince Gong come back and die, but was stopped by Cixi.Because Prince Gong Yixin's energy is very important, once it is activated again, there may be some troubles. The scheming Cixi thought that the current situation was difficult, and it was better to send Prince Jin to Prince Gong than Prince Gong, so that he could control the situation by himself, so he issued an edict and followed it. This time Sheng Yu was completely dumbfounded, he wanted to speak a few words of justice for Prince Gong, but unexpectedly he made another Prince Chun.Prince Chun is the biological father of Emperor Guangxu, so wouldn't he become a minister of military affairs?In case the emperor blamed him after he came to power, he couldn't afford to walk around. Things have come to this point, there is no reason to stop.Therefore, Sheng Yu wrote another memorial without stopping: Sincerely, the rank of the prince is more respected, rewards for meritorious deeds, and there is nothing more to reward; punish those who have committed faults, and the punishment cannot be tolerated.It is expedient for Prince Gong to counsel Mihu; is Prince Kuang Chun not as good as Prince Gong?The Empress Dowager Fu Nu obeyed the precepts of her ancestors, retracted the decree of Prince Jin and the business office, and ordered the minister of military aircraft to praise it wholeheartedly.In the event of an emergency, an imperial decree will be sent to the court for discussion.Inquiry and seek agreement, there will be no failure.If Prince Chun sees something, it is not difficult to present it with a memorial, so as to make a choice; or call the right party, make a false study and extend the visit, and there is no need for the name of a meeting to receive praise. ◇ Empress Dowager Cixi, who had just resigned Prince Gong Yixin, was in a better mood, but was utterly annoyed by the sudden appearance of Sheng Yu.Seeing that Sheng Yu dared to suppress her on the grounds of the ancestral system, the empress dowager Cixi threatened to get rid of Sheng Yu, but was stopped by Li Lianying, who was calm-headed, and advised the empress dowager not to get angry, just issue another decree. Can. The Empress Dowager Cixi, who had calmed down, felt that killing him was too much of a fuss, so she issued an edict: According to Sheng Yuzuo, Emperor Renzongrui (that is, Emperor Jiaqing) said that there are reasons why the kings Xiangwu walked in the military plane and so on.Shengmo is far-reaching, and Yunyi will always abide by it.However, since the curtain was drawn down, in view of the current situation, he had to participate in the locomotive affairs without being a pro-vassal.This last resort should be shared by all the ministers in the court.On the 14th of this month, Prince Chun Yixuan was ordered to discuss the matter with other military forces, originally for the Military Aircraft Department to handle urgent matters.Unusual things, general orders and news, must not be dispatched separately.Prince Chun, Yixuan, repeatedly declined, kowtowed and begged, as a reward for the scriptures, and ordered the emperor to take charge of the government, and then surrendered Yi's decree, only to be temporarily ordered.How can all the ministers know all about the grievances here?When it comes to the political affairs of the Military Aircraft Department, the appointment of ministers is not allowed to shirk, trying to relieve the shoulders and fulfill the responsibility.After this detailed announcement, all the ministers in the court should respect their body and mind, and don't profane too much.What Sheng Yu and others played should go without saying.This! ◇ The meaning of this decree is already very clear. All the ministers knew that the Empress Dowager Cixi had made up her mind, and they were afraid that if they said too much, they would be lost and burn themselves, so they kept silent.Although Sheng Yu still wanted to continue to appeal, but also suffered from his own powerlessness, he could only give up with hatred. The Military Aircraft Department has undergone major personnel adjustments, and people expect to have a new mental outlook, and the imperial court's foreign policy will also tend to be tough.Unexpectedly, after Prince Chun Yizhen came to power, not only did he shrink his foreign policy, he quickly negotiated peace with France, and he walked faster than Prince Gong Yixin on the road of external compromise and concession.The people of the country were very disappointed by this. Soon, at the beginning of April in the 10th year of Guangxu (1884), Li Hongzhang, the commander of the military aircraft, signed the "Sino-French Concise Clause" with the French commander-in-chief of Vietnam, Freneaux, which stated: France will protect and aid the border between China and Vietnam. ; China will withdraw its troops stationed in Beiqi to the border; France will not claim compensation, and China agrees to open ports for trade on the Sino-Vietnamese border.This is the famous Sino-French war that won the battle but still lost the initiative.The reason why the Qing government handled this matter so unprincipled was to calm down the situation, but it didn't want to set a bad example, making all countries think that the Qing government was weak and deceitful, and then slipped into the abyss of collapse. Even so, France, which had picked up a big deal, was still not satisfied, and launched a massive offensive.Because the Qing army lost its vigor, it also lost more than it won.Thanks to Feng Zicai, he fought desperately and killed more than a thousand enemies, winning the great victory at Zhennanguan, which shocked the world.The Empress Dowager Cixi saw how much she had saved her face, but she didn't dare to continue to resist, so she hurriedly accepted it.Li Hongzhang was authorized to sign the "Sino-French Peace Treaty" with French Minister Bardenot in Tianjin in May of the eleventh year of Guangxu (1885), ending the war hastily.Since then, French forces have entered my country's Yunnan and Guangxi areas from Vietnam, further deepening the crisis in my country's southwest frontier.The Qing government, which had to sign a contract of humiliating power and humiliating the country regardless of victory or defeat, disappointed the people at that time. For the Empress Dowager Cixi, with the help of the heaven-sent opportunity of the Sino-French War, she finally got her wish to cut off all the power of her last political opponent, Prince Gong Yixin, who had held power for more than 20 years, and realized her dream of centralizing power. all in one.As for what kind of heavy disaster the Sino-French war caused to the country, that was not her first consideration.Of course, she would not forget Li Lianying who made a major contribution among them, so she rewarded them heavily.