Chapter 195 Tongzhi Restoration

Chapter 195 Tongzhi Restoration

Chapter 195 Tongzhi Restoration
"Absolutely not. The country that the late emperor gave us cannot be lost in our sisters' hands. We can't defeat the foreigners, but we can defeat them by paying the Huai Army. We absolutely cannot give in."

Ci'an was a quiet person, but she was particularly resolute in this regard.

Ci'an thought for a moment and said, "How about we save some money in the palace? I will take the lead in selling some of the jewelry given by the late emperor, clean up the inner treasury, and collect one million taels for Shao Quanzhong's emergency. Isn't his pension paid in five years? There is no need to pay it all at once, right?"

When the Empress Dowager heard that she had to pay for it herself to reduce expenses, she was immediately dissatisfied and raised her eyebrows. "I have never heard that such a big court, rich as the world, would bully us orphans and widows for money."

Seeing that Ci'an was determined but had no other options, she could still think of a solution.

"Why don't you discuss it with the Grand Council and temporarily increase some taxes? Or, Shaanxi has been recovered, and Gansu has also recovered a few counties, so there should be quite a few vacancies, right? See if there are any people willing to donate officials. Sell a few provincial governors, provincial judges, etc., and you can sell nominal admirals at will. Also, the emperor's birthday has just passed, see if there are any loyal officials willing to donate to congratulate the emperor..."

"Old Buddha, the birthday celebration has already passed. If we ask for donations again, these stingy officials will probably not be willing to do so. Shaanxi and Gansu are poor places, and the war just ended. It is not certain that anyone will be willing to donate this official position."

The young An Dehai was an expert in this area, and he was hunched over and reporting.

"If that doesn't work, then we have to raise taxes, or sell off a few viscounts, barons, or something like that?"

"Lord Buddha, absolutely not."

Prince Gong, who had just been impeached and demoted to the head of the Prime Minister's Office of Foreign Affairs, and was allowed to redeem himself and still work in the Grand Council, stepped forward and bowed.

"The imperial court's famous instruments should not be used indiscriminately, otherwise, what difference will there be between us and the Guangdong bandits? The world has been in turmoil for a long time, and we have finally achieved peace. If we increase taxes again, I am afraid that chaos will break out again."

Cixi was unhappy because her ideas were rejected. "What can you do? Sister is right. We must wipe out these bandits. We can't give the world of the Aixinjueluo family to that Ma guy."

Prince Gong took out a memorial from his pocket and said, "This is the memorial that Shao Quanzhong just submitted. He said that he has a way to borrow 30 million taels from foreigners to pacify Yili Province."

As soon as the foreigners were mentioned, everyone in the East Warm Pavilion fell silent, with strange expressions on their faces. Only the little emperor yawned. Why did the morning meeting last so long today?
After a long silence, the Empress Dowager Cixi's cold voice came from behind the curtain, "Hand in all the memorials, and we two sisters will discuss it."

An Dehai respectfully sent several memorials behind the curtain. The two Empress Dowagers discussed in a low voice for a long time, "Just approve Shao Quanzhong's memorial and let him borrow money from foreigners. The loan can be repaid eventually, but it will be difficult to get it back if the country is lost. Humph, it is better to give money to friendly countries than to give the land to Ma Hualong, a domestic slave."

"The Queen Mother is wise."

All the ministers bowed together, preparing to end the morning meeting.

It’s no wonder that the two Empress Dowagers were really wise in this matter.

"By the way, Prince Gong, you come back."

Everyone else had left, and Prince Gong was called back alone, not knowing why.

"I see that this memorial arrived so quickly. Zeng Guofan is in Shandong suppressing the Nian Rebellion, so it's fine. But Shao Quanzhong is far away in Gansu. Judging from the time, even if he travels 800 miles in an expedited manner, it shouldn't have arrived. And there's no seal on his memorial, and the signature says 'Copied by Xuzhou Prefecture'. Why is that?"

"Reporting to the Queen Mother, Shao Quanzhong has pulled a Western thing called a telegraph line from Gansu all the way to Xuzhou. This memorial can be transmitted to Xuzhou in an instant. Someone will copy it in Xuzhou and then send it here. Isn't that faster?"

"Since you have such a good thing and you know about it, why don't you bring it to the Military Affairs Office? That would save the servants from running around and wasting time, wouldn't it?"

"Empress Dowager, this thing was made by foreigners. We dare not use it in Zhili and Shandong. What if——"

"Well, that's true. Among all the civil and military officials in the court, only Shao Quanzhong is bold and reckless. I heard there is also Liu Mingchuan. By the way, if foreigners can make it, why can't the Qing Dynasty make it?"

"This - I don't understand."

"You don't understand, but there is something you understand. Isn't the third place winner I chose a smart one? Let him also serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Why don't we find a way to build our own telegraph and bring it to the palace?"

"I will obey the order of the old Buddha. But don't we have no money?"

"This telegram shouldn't be that expensive, right? Borrowing it once is borrowing it, borrowing it twice is borrowing it. Shao Quanzhong was able to borrow 30 million, but you, the foreman, can't even borrow 3 million? You guys can discuss this matter, I'm tired." Prince Gong left excitedly, he was also a Westernizationist. Today, when it came to the Northwest War, the telegrams that he dared not mention were all resolved. The Great Qing Dynasty Tongzhi Restoration has hope, and next time I have to find an opportunity to mention the railway.

As soon as the morning meeting was over, the little emperor ran out.

Seeing the emperor running so fast, the Empress Dowager ordered, "Ping'er, go and see what the emperor is doing."

A palace maid behind him knelt down and bowed, then turned and left.

After a while, Ping'er came back, "The emperor went to the southern study to play with Zaicheng and the young master from Prince Gong's family."

"Humph, he's already ten years old, and he doesn't study hard in the Southern Study Room to learn how to govern the country, but he plays all day. How can I trust him to rule the country when the time comes?"

"Master Buddha, the masters are all brothers and sisters, and this is also something worth celebrating."

Well, Xiao Anzi's words were always so pleasant to the ears. Cixi was very satisfied. "Let's go and see what the three brothers are playing."

In the Southern Study, the ten-year-old emperor was followed by his six-year-old brother Zai Yi, who was whispering with Zai Cheng, the eight-year-old who was ordered to enter the palace to accompany the emperor.

"Did you get what I asked you to do last time?"

"My Lord, we don't have the Longevity Cream at home, and we didn't dare let Father know. I managed to get some with great difficulty."

Zaicheng opened his hand, and a few small black medicine pills appeared in his palm.

The little emperor grabbed it and put it in his arms. After thinking for a while, he took out a small piece and gave it to his brother, "Hide it well. Don't let mother see it."

Even though Zai Yi was only six years old, he had delicate features and was born with a cunning mind, more cunning than the little emperor and Zai Cheng, so he carefully hid the small medicine pills.

All names of his generation have three drops of water, except his name. At the beginning, for unknown reasons, Concubine Yi insisted on giving him a name without the "Daqing Water" character, and several elders of the Aisin-Gioro family collectively opposed it.

At that time, the late emperor was seriously ill and died soon. Concubine Yi launched the Xinyou Coup, and the old guys were either killed or dismissed. No one dared to care about the Empress Dowager Cixi anymore, and the name was thus decided.

"Xiao Yizi, did you succeed in stealing the things from Concubine Xinghuachun in the cold palace?"

In front of his two followers, the little emperor was like the king of children and still had a bit of the air of a leader.

"No need to steal. Auntie Xinghuachun gave it to me as soon as I mentioned it. Brother, what's the point of a painting of two or more villains fighting?"

He snatched the exquisite embroidered portrait of Liu Bei from Zai Yi's hand, and he and Zai Cheng put their heads together to look at it. In the midst of his busy schedule, he turned back and nodded his brother's head.

"You little brat don't understand, go stand guard. Zaicheng, the beauties in this painting are much prettier than the palace maids. They all look like Xinghuachun, Wulingchun, Mudanchun, Haitangchun, the concubines in the cold palace, and Sister Ping'er beside my mother. Are there really so many beauties in the world?"

Zai Cheng smiled proudly, "Master, you can't leave the palace, but I am free outside. I secretly went to the Eight Great Hutongs with some princes. The prostitutes from Jiangnan are so beautiful there. The concubines and Sister Ping'er in your cold palace were bought by Wen Feng from the Ministry of Internal Affairs from Yangzhou to present to the late emperor, aren't they?"

Zai Yi came running over, "Shh, mother is here."

When the Empress Dowager Cixi entered the South Study, she heard the sound of reading.

The little emperor sat on a chair, his calves unable to reach the ground, swaying back and forth, holding a copy of Mencius and reading aloud, "Food and sex are human nature. Benevolence is internal, not external. Righteousness is external, not internal."

Zaicheng and Zaiyi stood straight behind him and repeated along, their children's voices were particularly pleasant.

Cixi nodded with satisfaction, "It is a blessing for the world that the emperor is willing to work hard. We cannot let the world look down on me and Sister Ci'an. We must create a Tongzhi Restoration and slap the faces of those old guys who are not convinced."

(End of this chapter)