After coming out of the Qinzheng Hall, Han Xiufeng was not in a hurry to return to Nanyuan. Instead, he explained a few words to Datou and then came to the small courtyard that Minister of the Interior Wen Feng helped clean up last year.

When several servants from the Ministry of Internal Affairs saw that he had finally arrived, they rushed over to pay New Year greetings and greet him, a generous man. Han Xiufeng had already prepared a reward, and after the reward, he saw that they were busy lighting fires and

He was going to clean the house, so he simply took out a handful of loose silver and asked them to help him buy two jars of wine and some dishes to go with the wine.

Unexpectedly, they usually help the palace with shopping, and they wish they could steal all the money, but they are so honest when they help Shangguan run errands to buy things. Given the scattered silver, they actually set up a large table of wine and food, and even brought a

I helped put a pot of mutton soup on the stove and simmered it, causing the whole house to be filled with the smell of mutton.

Han Xiufeng was already a little hungry, and was about to fill his stomach with a bowl of mutton soup when he heard footsteps outside, and he arrived accompanied by Military Minister Wen Xiang, who had just gotten off work.

Han Xiufeng hurriedly invited the two of them to sit down. Although Datou had become an imperial guard, he did not get carried away. He dared not sit down and have wine with them, but he was so greedy that he didn't want to leave. After Han Xiufeng agreed, he filled up a large bowl with a grin on his face.

She picked up a big bowl of mutton soup, carried a jar of wine, and ran to the concierge to eat.

Afraid that he would spill the mutton soup, Wen Xiang helped lift up the curtain made of cotton wool. It wasn't until he saw him running into the concierge that he put down the curtain and turned around and asked with a smile: "Zhixing, I heard that you are busy looking for money these days. I wish you could

Break a copper plate into two halves, how can you be willing to treat me to a drink today?"

"You are the Minister of Military and Aircraft. I am not allowed to fawn over this Chinese New Year." Han Xiufeng asked him to sit down, picked up the newly opened jar, poured wine into the bowl in front of him, and said with a smile: "Not to mention accepting others.

A drop of water should be repaid by a spring. You recommended me to be the chief envoy of Jiangning. If I don't serve a wine to express my gratitude, I will really be ignorant of the rules."

Wen Xiang ignored the joke and asked eagerly: "Did the emperor tell you?"

"Otherwise why would I come here in such a cold weather?"

"Your Majesty, has your permission been granted?"

"Not yet, and I don't really want to be the chief minister."

"This opportunity is rare, why are you so confused!" Wen Xiang was anxious.

"Brother Bochuan, do you think this is a good opportunity?" Han Xiufeng looked at him with a smile and asked.

"Zhixing, I know this is not a good job, but besides you I really can't think of anyone else who can clean up the mess in Jiangbei!" Wenxiang picked up the wine bowl and continued: "Besides, I recommend you to be Jiangning's

Chief Envoy, I would like to ask you to go to Liangjiang to help with military affairs. If the Emperor agrees, he will definitely not let you be the Chief Envoy to Jiangning. After all, if you have a bad name, your words will not be right. I want you to command the army in Jiangbei, no matter what.

I will reward you with a second-grade crown and the title of Minister of War, and maybe the emperor will even grant you an imperial envoy to guard the country."

"Brother Bochuan, I know your good intentions, but now I really can't leave, and I really can't go to Yangzhou."

"Why can't you leave?"

"Although Yu'er returned to the capital early, the girls she recruited from the girls' school she ran for foreigners are still in Shanghai, and most of them have become servants of foreign businessmen and even consulates of the United States and other countries. Liu Shanyang sent the ticket number a few days ago

I got a letter saying that the women's gang was trying to find out some news."

"What news?" Wen Xiang asked subconsciously.

Han Xiufeng picked up a piece of beef with soy sauce and whispered: "After the British retreated from Dagu Pass last year, the news quickly spread back to their homeland. They confused right and wrong and never mentioned that Uncle Ho forced his way into the seaport and fired on the forts on both sides of the strait.

Instead, he falsely accused Seng Gelinqin of attacking his mission.

The local gentry and common people were so excited that a newspaper called "The Daily Telegraph" even clamored to send troops to China, occupy Beijing, drive the emperor out of the palace, and permanently occupy Guangzhou. His cabinet actually held consecutive meetings for this purpose.

For eight days, they finally unanimously advocated increasing the number of troops against China, with the goal of attacking the capital and carrying out so-called 'large-scale retaliation'."

Although he had expected revenge from the Yingfo and Yi barbarians, Wen Xiang was still shocked into a cold sweat when he heard what Han Xiufeng said. He was stunned for a while before asking in a low voice: "Do you know how many more troops they plan to send?"

"England plans to send 12,000 troops, and France plans to send 7,000 troops. It is said that the British army's land division is commanded by Grant, a veteran who has been in China for 20 years in Daoguang, and the navy is commanded by Seng Gelinqin's defeated general Ho Bo.

Commander; the commander of the French army's land division is called Montauban, and the commander of the navy is called Cherner. Parkes and other ministers will accompany him."

"Twenty thousand, more than 20,000 soldiers are coming all of a sudden, how can we fight this battle..."

"I don't know how we will fight, but how the British and French coaches will fight this battle, Liu Shanyang has already helped us find out."

"How are they going to fight?"

Han Xiufeng put down his chopsticks, picked up the bowl, took a sip of wine, and said solemnly: "The reason why Elgin led his troops back south so quickly after he captured the forts on the north and south banks the year before last is because Guiliang and Huashana agreed to them.

They signed the peace treaty according to the conditions; secondly, because they were busy on the expedition and could not afford the food, grass and ammunition."

"What about this time?" Wen Xiang asked eagerly.

"This time they planned to play it safe. They originally wanted to use Shanghai as a springboard. They would first stockpile some grain, grass and ammunition in Shanghai, let the troops transferred from various places rest in Shanghai, and then march north. But after some discussion, they felt that there were so many

The soldiers gathered in Shanghai would inevitably cause trouble, and they were worried that it would affect their merchants' business, so they planned to occupy Dinghai (Zhoushan, Zhejiang) first and use Dinghai as the first springboard."

"So, is there a second or third piece?"

"Uncle Ho has ordered an officer from Harnd to lead a gunboat to the coast of Luda to survey the coast (Dalian Bay), looking for a suitable place for berthing ships and garrisoning the army; the French army has long been interested in Zhifu (Yantai), Shandong, and wants to

Zhifu serves as its so-called 'offensive base'. If you don't believe me, you can ask the emperor to order General Shengjing, the governor of Jinzhou and the governor of Shandong to quickly appoint Mingqian personnel to investigate."

"Does the Emperor know these things?"

"As soon as Liu Shanyang received the news, he reported it to He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang. He Guiqing had also just received a secret report. The emperor was most worried about the war between the two rivers. He couldn't care about it for a while. He just gave a secret message to Guiliang, who was in Shanghai to handle the bureau.

With good persuasion and convincing by reason, the most important thing is to stop the troops. As long as the foreigners do not start a war, the previous conditions can be negotiated."

"Are the foreigners willing to talk?"

"Again and again, as the saying goes, only three things can come true. I estimate that the foreigners will most likely not believe us again this time. Even if they are willing to talk, they will bring their troops to the capital and sit down to talk to the emperor face to face.

talk!"

"They want to be on an equal footing with the emperor, and they want to bring troops!"

"So there's nothing to talk about." Han Xiufeng drank the wine in the bowl, then put down the bowl and stared at him closely and asked: "Brother Bochuan, you said that at this juncture, I can ignore the emperor's safety, go

Will Jiangsu be the chief envoy to Jiangning?"

"How much help can you do if you stay in Beijing? Is it possible that your hundreds of private soldiers hidden in Nanyuan can turn the tide?" Wen Xiang asked rhetorically.

"Brother Bochuan, the most valuable thing in a person is self-awareness. I know that I can't turn the tide, let alone change the situation. But as long as I still have breath, I will never let the emperor suffer such a shame and humiliation!"

Although he strongly disagreed with Han Xiufeng's approach, Wen Xiang did not want to argue with him anymore. He was silent for a moment and murmured: "Seng Gelinqin has been on the battlefield for a long time. If he can win once, he can win the second time."

"hope so."

"What is hope? King Monk is the pillar of our Qing Dynasty. This battle can only be won but not defeated!"

"Let's not talk about him, let's talk about our affairs." Han Xiufeng put down his chopsticks and changed the topic: "Brother Bochuan, the British and French armies will not arrive in Dagong until May or June at the earliest. I guess

If we really start a war, this war will only last a few months at most. Before that, even if the sky falls, don't recommend me to be an official anywhere. How about we wait until we have passed this hurdle?"

"Are you blaming me for taking the initiative?"

"Where are you thinking? I, Han Xiufeng, am not a ungrateful person. Brother, I have helped and taken care of me. It's not too late for me to be grateful."

The army was approaching. Although Wen Xiang said that, he knew very well in his heart that if there really was a fight, the battle would be lost or not won. How could he bother to drink wine? He sat there for a while before raising his head and said: "Zhixing, Seng Gelinqin was here last year.

It was a big limelight, but no matter the emperor, Prince Zheng, Prince Yi, Prince Gong, Peng Zhongtang, Sushun and other princes and ministers, they all knew in their hearts that Seng Gelinqin could win the battle and defend Tianjin Haikou, and you Han Zhixing was indispensable.

.How about you go to Tianjin again and help plan how to prevent traffic jams."

"Brother Bochuan, do you know that Datou has never practiced any martial arts, but he can fight five or six people by himself?" Before Wenxiang could say anything, Han Xiufeng continued: "That's because he is tall and strong and has brute strength. He can use it to travel around the world.

In other words, this is called subduing ten groups with one force! But now the British and French armies are like the big head, and we are like the guards at the gate of the palace. We don’t have that size, we don’t have that brute force, and we don’t have the fancy skills with swords, guns and sticks.

use!"

"Then what are your plans next?"

"Don't worry about my affairs. You should think about my wife and the baby."

"you……"

"I know that good advice is irritating, so stop saying it and drink!"

"If you want to drink it, you can drink it yourself. I can't drink it. If you don't want anything else, take a step first."

"No!"

…

After watching Wen Xiang leave, Han Xiufeng not only had no interest in drinking anymore, but also put down the wine bowl and sat down on the chair in a daze as if his soul had been taken away.

After so many years as an official, I have never been as desperate as I am now.

He knew clearly where the foreigners would settle down next, but he could only watch and let them press forward step by step until they reached the capital.

How could such a huge China end up in such a predicament?

Why can’t so many skilled craftsmen make foreign guns and cannons?

With such a vast territory, how could it not be able to support four to five million soldiers? How could a small country like Britain and France be able to support it?
Chapter completed!