Li Hongzhang's study room in the Governor's Mansion of Zhili. Looking at the two telegrams in hand, Li Hongzhang felt a fire of ignorance going straight to his head! One telegram was a battle report from Ding Ruchang and others. It recorded in detail the naval battle of Qunshan Bay.

.The other telegram was a rebuke from the imperial court. It was based on hearsay from some censors and Hanlin officials.

Based on the unfounded so-called "truth", the Beiyang Fleet was labeled as being unfavorable in combat and passively avoiding war. It also hinted that it would take down Ding Ruchang and others. Faced with this telegram that confuses right and wrong, the Beiyang Fleet had just suffered a loss.

Li Hongzhang was overwhelmed with grief and anger! His own troops were fighting to death and alive in front.

It’s okay if the gang of villains in the center don’t give strong support. Now they are adding insult to injury and stumbling upon themselves! It’s really unforgivable. Li Hongzhang even remembered what Peng Yi said to Li Hongzhang not long ago about the court’s attitude towards Beiyang: Beat him to death.

To eliminate the enemy's troubles, the army must kill Beiyang to eliminate the internal troubles! This is really a small attack on the front line and a big attack on the rear! It doesn't matter that the efforts of all the people in Beiyang are not recognized by the court, but they actually issued such an edict!

"Master Zhongtang, if we endure this matter, I'm afraid the imperial court will get worse." Zhang Peilun on the side said worriedly. In fact, both Li Hongzhang and Zhang Peilun knew very well that the central government wanted to use this war to weaken Beiyang.

In the eyes of the imperial court, Li Hongzhang, the No. 1 governor in the world, who commanded tens of thousands of troops and the Beiyang Navy, was no longer the capital of the country but a threat.

Moreover, the Beiyang Navy was in the limelight for a period, and the land battle was okay. The court really couldn't find an excuse, but after the battle of Qunshan Bay, the court was justified. How come the Qing Navy lost a total of 7 warships after the battle? And Japan only lost 7 warships.

Five ships were sunk? How did you win this battle? It was as good as Dingyuan and Zhenyuan.

How can a powerful battleship be fought like that? Are some people passively avoiding the battle? Are some people disadvantaged in fighting? As for the comparison of strength between the two sides and the process of the naval battle, which bosses and Qingliu people in the center do not know, nor do they want to know!!

What they need is to attack Beiyang, nothing else matters!

"Endure?" Li Hongzhang snorted coldly. "Do you think I, the Beiyang Huai Clan, are easy to bully?" Li Hongzhang knew very well that if he didn't knock the center on this matter, not to mention that the center would get worse, and the Huai Clan would not buy him.

When something big happens, you, the one in charge, need to speak out for your subordinates. If you shrink back and say nothing, why would anyone follow you?

"What does Master Zhongtang mean?" Zhang Peilun asked.

"Since we are not in a good position to fight in Beiyang, let us let people who can fight well come in. Northeast China is Aisin Gioro's hometown, so it would be inconvenient for our Huaihe clique to intervene. Besides, our Beiyang Army has 30,000 troops in North Korea! The navy has also suffered heavy losses.

, I am a little overwhelmed. I think the court will understand." At this point, Li Hongzhang couldn't help laughing. "I would like to see how capable that Ronglu is."

"With this money, I should let Sheng Huaixuan submit the bill. If you don't let me live in Beiyang, then don't even think about your birthday!" Zhang Peilun naturally knew what birthday Li Hongzhang meant. He really didn't expect it.

, Li Hongzhang actually planned to have a showdown with the Empress Dowager Cixi!

"I heard that some people in the imperial court are planning to negotiate peace." Zhang Peilun said and handed over another document.

"Negotiating peace? That's not possible. If peace is negotiated, who will pay for the expenses of my Beiyang war?" Li Hongzhang seemed to be talking to himself. If peace is negotiated now, the court will definitely have to pay a lot of money. By then, the finances will be in embarrassment.

The center will definitely not pay for Beiyang. By that time, Beiyang will not be able to pay back the credit money alone.

And more importantly, who is going to negotiate with him? Ninety-nine percent of the time, he, the governor of Zhili, will go to him. Then he will be labeled as a traitor. He, Li Hongzhang, will be completely unable to stand up! Now there is only one way out for Beiyang, that

Just fight! Fight hard. Only when the imperial court feels that the Longxing land is unsafe will they fully support Beiyang's combat operations, and only then can Beiyang receive compensation from the defeated Japanese!

This plan to obtain compensation from Japan may be a fantasy in the eyes of some people. But after careful demonstration, it is still feasible. If Japan’s hundreds of thousands of troops and conscripts are stranded in North Korea and Northeast China, once Beiyang

The fleet can defeat Japan's fleet and gain control of the Korean Strait. Not to mention that Japan's sea lines of communication will be cut off. This army, which has been cultivated for twenty years after the Meiji Restoration, is afraid of being in need of supplies.

Completely cut off to the northeast.

Coupled with the number of soldiers who are no less than the army, the loss of hundreds of thousands of young and middle-aged labor force and almost the entire army is definitely something Japan cannot bear. Compared with the huge compensation, these hundreds of thousands of young and middle-aged people are undoubtedly more valuable.

important.ribenzheng

Fu has no choice. It is absolutely impossible for Japan to almost take over the army after losing its navy! Therefore, the most important thing in Beiyang right now is how to attract the main force of Japan's army and then destroy the main force of Japan's fleet at sea. And this

The premise of everything is that the war must continue!!

"How do you plan to write the excerpt, Master Zhongtang?" Zhang Peilun asked.

"This is not a problem that can be solved with just one break." Li Hongzhang sneered. "We must do at least three things well."

"The first thing is to tell Ding Ruchang to sort out the entire naval battle and send it to Ji Shi, and then ask Ji Shi and those foreigners to publish the situation of the Qunshan Bay War in the newspaper. At the same time, let the subordinates also spread these things

Go out and let the world know the situation of our Beiyang Navy! The court can ignore the facts, but it cannot ignore the overall situation!" Li Hongzhang stretched out a finger and said.

"The second one will work like the first one, but the content will be changed to me, Beiyang, who will fight for the Qing Dynasty to the last soldier! I, Li Hongzhang, would rather die than go to Japan to negotiate! I want the world to know that I am

Beiyang will never sign any foreign treaties!" Li Hongzhang snorted coldly. "You want me to be a scapegoat? Don't even think about it!"

"Wonderful, this way, the imperial court will not dare to talk about peace talks lightly. Whoever proposes it is a traitor." Zhang Peilun couldn't help but said with his palms.

"The third thing is this. Since the emperor said that the old minister was passive and avoided war, and the Beiyang army was incompetent, then I want to see if the imperial court has any soldiers that can fight! Didn't he, Ronglu, train in the army for 5 years?

Isn’t there General Shengjing and General Heilongjiang in the Northeast? Let them come!" Li Hongzhang let out a sigh of relief after speaking.

"When will Master Zhongtang plan to publish the discount?" Zhang Peilun asked again.

"No rush, let the people below build up the momentum first." Li Hongzhang leaned on the chair and said leisurely.

"Then how will our Beiyang Army fight next?" Zhang Peilun said.

"We will fight as we should. First destroy the Japanese fleet, and then withdraw the troops in North Korea." Li Hongzhang was not in a hurry. Both sides will not make any big moves in winter. The North Korean garrison has enough food, so

There's nothing to worry about.

"Ji Shi sent a telegram saying that the Russians will also send a fleet over." Zhang Peilun handed over Xu Jie's telegram.

"Could it be that the Russians also want to wade into this muddy water?" Li Hongzhang was quite confused. If the Russian fleet really came towards the Beiyang, the situation would be serious.

"What do you think of Ji Shi?" Li Hongzhang asked.

"Ji Shi's view is that no matter what the Russians' purpose is, they must defeat the Japanese fleet before March of the next year. Only in this way can the Beiyang Fleet be free to deal with possible Russian moves." Zhang Peilun said.

"Does Jishi have any chance of winning?" As the Russians gradually intervened, Li Hongzhang was also a little shaken.

"Ji Shi said that if we can defeat the Japanese fleet before March, we in Beiyang have a 70% chance of winning against the Russian fleet coming from afar." Zhang Peilun said, a drop of cold sweat fell. The war has reached this situation today, Zhang Peilun and others have no chance of winning.

As they thought, the brutality of the battle and the huge consumption shocked senior officials like Zhang Peilun.

But just as Li Hongzhang envisioned, he could not stop and could only continue the fight. Originally, Xu Jie did not mention the chance of winning the battle with the Russian fleet. In order to strengthen Lao Li's confidence, Zhang Peilun could only make up a lie to deal with it!

"That's good, tell Ji Shi that we, Beiyang, will rise and fall in this battle!" Li Hongzhang said with a long sigh.

"Yes, Lord Zhongtang, I will send the report now." Zhang Peilun didn't say much, turned and left. There will be another update tonight. Please support me~~~. Thank you. It seems that it may be on the shelves today. If so, I hope
Chapter completed!