Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

"With 30,000 elite troops, we'll make sure Tsarist Russia never returns! This kid is so arrogant!"

Prince Gong and Senggelinqin were both shocked and horrified. The Russian army was not made of clay, and was certainly not comparable to the Taiping Army and the Nian bandits!

Although Senggelinqin was horrified, he still laughed heartily, patted Liu Ye on the shoulder, and shouted, "Good boy, I just like the terrifying killing power and sharp aura in you. This is the Liu Ye I know. The one just now was not Liu Ye at all. That one was worse than a woman with bound feet!"

Senggelinqin was a famous general and a pillar of the late Qing Dynasty. He had a strong character and was brave in battle. Only warriors of the same kind could catch his eye!

Liu Ye gave a bitter laugh. This monk prince was truly unreliable. What did he mean by a woman with bound feet? Was he that kind of person? Warfare requires strategy. A mere brute force is nothing but a reckless warrior, not a capable commander. Furthermore, six months later, facing the onrushing British and French armies, Senggelinqin, utterly terrified, had lost his resolve to fight to the bitter end. He abandoned Tianjin and retreated towards the capital. Where was his current ambition and chastity?

After all, Yi Xin was a man of extraordinary insight. Although he was not as good as Senggelinqin in military affairs, his political insight was by no means comparable to Senggelinqin.

Naturally, he likes Liu Ye, a talent who combines both firmness and flexibility. Talents must be won over to his own hands. In the future, whether he can turn the tide in the court will largely depend on him. Zeng Guofan in the south has closer relations with Zuo Zongtang, Sushun and others, but is not close to himself. The Liu Ye in front of him is exactly the person he wants to win over. As long as he can fall into his arms, he will definitely be the most powerful arm!

Yi Xin asked, "Liu Ye, you said that if we work hard to govern the country, the Qing Dynasty might have a chance to return to its peak in twenty years. However, we have to say that the court is in chaos and the people are living in poverty. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many rebellions. How can we reverse the current situation in twenty years? You have to know that from Emperor Kangxi to Emperor Qianlong, it took a full hundred years to bring the Qing Dynasty to its peak!"

Liu Ye chuckled inwardly, thinking, "With the current environment and system, even if I work you to death, you'll never be able to return to the top of the world!" Outdated feudal ideology, extreme suppression of industry and commerce, extreme rejection of emerging technologies, and a perverted insistence on isolationism—each of these is a mortal enemy to China's resurgence! It's definitely not something the court and the Manchu nobles can change in just twenty years. Add to that the Manchu nobles' wariness of the Han people, and there's no hope at all.

If we want China to rise again, the most important thing is to open China's door and open our hearts to welcome the world!

However, Liu Ye would never say such words. At this time, he still had to go along with Prince Gong. For the sake of future great achievements, it didn't matter if he flattered Prince Gong!

Liu Ye replied, "Your Highness, the so-called diligent governance means finding ways to make the country prosperous. However, finding ways means change, it means adapting. Since ancient times, when things are difficult, they must change, and change leads to success, and success lasts. Blindly following the old ways and sticking to the laws of our ancestors, twenty years is definitely not enough. But if we make changes, then we will definitely succeed! There is a poem that says that every generation has its own talents, each leading the way for hundreds of years. We are no worse than the ancients. We don't need to belittle ourselves. As long as we have the courage and determination to change, we will definitely succeed!"

Liu Ye's words resonated like spring thunder, sending beads of cold sweat breaking out on Prince Gong's forehead. Changing the laws of his ancestors—even though he always prided himself on being open-minded—had never dared to imagine the immense pressure he faced at court. If he wasn't careful, even with his high position and power, he'd be crushed to dust! This brat was so radical; it definitely wasn't a good thing for him!

Senggelinqin's eyebrows shot up beside him. He wasn't just angry at Liu Ye's outspokenness, he was even more furious at what he had said. Why couldn't they just stick to the laws established by their ancestors? The laws established by their ancestors were all based on reason and logic! It was only the laws established by their ancestors that had allowed the Qing Dynasty to grow from a small, remote tribe into one of the world's most powerful empires! What? It wasn't working now? This was outrageous!

Senggelinqin angrily shouted, "Liu Ye, stop talking nonsense! Since our ancestors relied on established laws to govern the Qing Dynasty, we can still rely on the same laws now! The reason why the government is so difficult now is simply because some high-ranking officials in the court are idle and corrupt, and local officials are corrupt. As long as the administration can be cleaned up, the Qing Dynasty will definitely be revived! What nonsense are you talking about? The established laws of our ancestors are not something that a mere military officer like you can touch. You are playing with fire and getting burned!"

Senggelinqin was really angry. He hated Liu Ye for not being able to make good use of his words. His arrogant words were of no benefit to Liu Ye at this moment. If he was not careful, he would lose his life! Not to mention that even if he added Prince Gong, two iron-hat princes could not save him!

Liu Ye quickly knelt on the ground and replied, "Your Highness, calm down and please listen to me. I have something to say that I can't help but say it! Before Emperor Yongzheng, the court's tax system was completely different from what it is now. Emperor Kangxi conquered the four corners of the country year after year and pacified the four barbarians. Although he defended the country like a copper wall and iron foundation, he also spent all the savings of the national treasury over the years. When it came to Emperor Yongzheng, it was precisely because he dared to break the ancestral laws, change the tax system, and implement the land-based tax system that, within a few years, the people prospered and the entire national treasury was almost full of silver. It can be seen that ancestral laws are not impossible to change. Similarly, after the changes are made, as long as the changes are done well, they will definitely promote the revival of the court! What's so..."

"fart!"

Senggelinqin was so furious that he even cursed, shouting, "What you said is all bullshit, Emperor Yongzheng. You know that's Emperor Yongzheng? Do you think you can compare to Emperor Yongzheng? Why don't you take a piss and look in the mirror, you dog slave!"

Liu Ye's head was full of black lines. He must have pissed off the old prince today. He could scold him a few times, but he was also trying to protect himself. If he was really angry with himself, wouldn't he just ignore his own shortcomings?

Prince Gong Yi, standing by, wiped the sweat from his face and whispered, "Monk King, these words are between you and me, and no one else will know. Although I think what Liu Ye said makes sense, the timing is definitely not right. Once those old Taoists get to know, I'm afraid Liu Ye's life will be in danger. This kid is still too young, so we two must keep an eye on him..."

Senggelinqin nodded, he was really angry, he felt so disappointed in his friend!