Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

The first person to be rewarded was naturally the nominal leader of this coup - Prince Gong Yixin. At least, without him making a call and staying in the capital, this coup would never have been so smooth. Only he had such prestige and ability in the court.

Above Prince Gong, the two palaces gave him another title of prince, that is, Prince Regent. The so-called Prince Regent is naturally different from Prince Gong. Prince Gong is just his title, representing his noble status, but he can also be an idle prince who can only recite poems and enjoy the moon. However, this Prince Regent refers to his duties. Regent, Regent means discussing the politics of a country. In the entire Qing Dynasty, any handling of any political affairs requires his participation, and all court affairs are supervised by him. This is truly second to none. Almost all power in the Qing Dynasty is concentrated in him, which can be said to be a great honor.

Next, it was Prince Chun Yihuan. This time, Yihuan made great contributions in the coup. Zaiyuan and others were arrested by him personally. He was also the emperor's seventh uncle, so he should not be treated lightly. The title of Minister of the Imperial Guard was thrown to him. The Minister of the Imperial Guard was a military position of the first rank, the highest level among military positions. In modern times, this would mean the director of the Central Security Bureau, who truly controlled the central military force. Only direct descendants could hold this position.

Next are Senggelinqin and Shengbao who were suppressing bandits in Shandong. Although the two did not take any substantial action, they withdrew part of their troops to the capital almost at the same time. Shengbao even expressed that he would lead his troops to the funeral and guard the young master, which put pressure on Sushun and his party.

Senggelinqin was already the Grand Councilor, and the title of Prince of Khorchin had been restored, so there was nothing to reward him, but Shengbao had worked hard and been wounded many times in the confrontations with Britain and France. His loyalty and bravery were commendable, so he must be rewarded. Shengbao was awarded the title of Vice Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Han Army of the Bordered Blue Banner, which was also a promotion.

Wen Xiang and others below also received rewards.

In the end, it was the turn of Baoding Town and the Firearm Battalion.

Baoding Town and the Firearm Battalion are the intermediate forces that influence the overall situation in this coup. It can be said that whoever controls these two forces can win the final victory. The leader of these two forces is naturally Liu Ye. He founded the Firearm Battalion. As for Baoding Town, it was also created by Liu Ye with the order of the previous emperor, and its combat power is unparalleled!

Liu Ye’s reward can be put aside for now. This issue is more complicated, and we can only deal with those small shrimps first. But everyone whose name Liu Ye reports will get benefits. It can be said that if one person succeeds, the whole family will benefit!

Zuo Baogui was promoted to deputy general, acting in charge of the military affairs of the Firearm Battalion, stationed in Tongzhou; Luo Bicheng was promoted to lieutenant colonel, vice president of the Firearm Battalion, assisting Zuo Baogui in acting in charge of the Firearm Battalion; Zhu Hai was promoted to deputy general of Baoding Town, Wang Huanzhang was promoted to lieutenant colonel of Baoding Town, and others such as Yan Chunyu were all promoted to fourth-rank garrison commanders, each commanding a battalion, under the command of Liu Ye.

Finally, it was Liu Ye's turn. How should he be rewarded?

It was this young fellow who turned the tide many times and saved the imperial court from danger time and time again. It can be said that he was on par with Zeng Guofan in the south, and his achievements were even better than his!

"Prince Gong, how about we give him the post of Governor of the Nine Gates? That way, he can stay in Beijing and contribute more to Westernization. He can even hold the title of Co-Minister in the Zongli Yamen..."

Cixi asked tentatively. The previous Nine Gates Commander was just an introduction. The later Minister in Charge was the key. The Minister in Charge was a second-rank civil servant. Once he was sent out, he would be the governor of a province. Moreover, if he stayed in the capital, Cixi could often summon Liu Ye for various reasons to relieve her homesickness. Otherwise, once he was sent out, it would be difficult to see him again.

Prince Gong frowned and replied, "Empress Dowager, your point is quite correct. Liu Ye is courageous, strategic, skilled in military affairs, and knowledgeable in foreign affairs. He is truly a rare talent. However, this fellow has mentioned to me privately that his ambition is to govern a region. Some time ago, he even recommended himself to me, wanting to go to Shandong. If we keep him in Beijing..."

Cixi was shocked. What? This enemy, now that he had her hooked, was actually thinking of running off to Shandong. What would she do then? He could have a happy life everywhere, but he would really suffer!

Wenxiang saw that Empress Dowager Cixi was a little unhappy and felt something was wrong. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over with Prince Gong: "Empress Dowager, although Liu Ye is well-versed in civil and military affairs, and has worked hard and made great contributions, any reward is not excessive. But it will not benefit him to stay in Beijing first. Any economic talent must first be polished and experienced in the local area before being transferred to the central government. Only in this way can he become a true pillar of the country. Liu Ye still lacks some experience. Moreover, the post of Nine-Gate Commander-in-Chief has always been held by relatives of the Manchu and Mongolian ethnic groups. Putting Liu Ye in such a position is likely to cause dissatisfaction among those below. Prince Gong and I simply think that we can let Liu Ye gain some experience in the local area. After three or two years, he can be transferred to Beijing. By that time, I am afraid he will be more than qualified to enter the Military Affairs Council..."

When Cixi heard this, her heart moved. Yes, Liu Ye was still too young, lacking experience and qualifications. All the prime ministers in the Zongli Yamen were those who had many years of experience. They were either from the Grand Council, or Grand Secretaries, or at the very least, Vice Ministers. She wanted to promote him to such an important position all at once, but it was a bit of forcing things. Moreover, he also served as the Governor-General of the Nine Gates. Although this was a second-rank military position, it was much more important than the ordinary governor-general. After all, it was to guard the capital!

Ci'an, who was standing by, said at this time: "Prince Gong, Master Wen, no matter what, we cannot neglect Liu Ye. This time, our sisters and the emperor are safe and sound, thanks to him. He also played an indispensable role in successfully overthrowing Su Shun."

Wen Xiang quickly said, "Yes, yes, I have already discussed this with Prince Gong. Since Liu Ye wants to go to Shandong, why not grant his wish? The late emperor also allowed him to do so. If the agreement is successful, he will be given the position of governor. I think it would be better to give him the position of governor of Shandong and see if he has the talent to govern a region."

Cixi and Ci'an looked at each other. The position of Governor of Shandong is not bad. The Nian bandits in Shandong are causing great trouble. The monk king and Shengbao have tried their best for several months but have not been able to eliminate them. Guo Ye can help the two of them!

Cixi nodded and replied, "Very well, then, as you wish. How about this: one of these days, when it's convenient, I and my sister will host a banquet in the palace to comfort him. After all, his contribution to saving the emperor is extraordinary."