Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Originally, the two palaces and Prince Gong were in a good mood. The situation in Shandong had been opened up. Most importantly, in the south, in Nanjing, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was now at the end of its road. Two days ago, Zeng Guofan and Zeng Guoquan had sent a report to the court and launched a final siege on Nanjing. Within five days, Nanjing could be taken. Once the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, this major concern, was completely resolved, what other problems could stop the court's plan of revival?

However, the joy had only lasted for a few days before it was completely ruined by this group of people!

Prince Gong said coldly, "Okay, okay, you are all loyal subjects, and you all care about the Qing Dynasty. Now, I want to ask you, how do you plan to deal with Liu Ye? How do you plan to deal with Guo Songtao, Li Junfeng, and Ding Baozhen? Tell me all!"

He Qiliang, the Left Censor-in-Chief, replied, "Your Highness, I think Liu Ye's most serious offense isn't these things, but his arbitrary adjustments to officials' positions, even disregarding court conventions. Some have been promoted, some demoted, and some even lost their official positions. Such behavior is beyond the pale of arrogance. Even Nian Gengyao wasn't as arrogant as he is now. Your Highness, don't forget that he commands the Qing Dynasty's most elite troops, and Shandong is completely under his control. If he truly shows second thoughts, Your Highness, Shandong is only a stone's throw away from the capital, and the capital will be in danger!"

Prince Gong's heart skipped a beat. Great! Someone finally brought this up. No matter what the issue, once it's taken to the extreme, it becomes intricate and difficult to unravel. They're doing this for the sake of the Qing dynasty. What can you say? What have emperors throughout history feared most? Of course, officials with excessive power, whose achievements threaten the emperor. From Emperor Gaozu of Han to Emperor Taizu of Ming, how many meritorious officials were executed? Even Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, considered the most benevolent of emperors, offered to release military power with a toast, simply because he didn't want power to fall into the hands of others and threaten the very existence of imperial authority.

Prince Gong now faced the same problem. He was not the emperor, but the emperor was not yet an adult. Wouldn't all the affairs fall on his shoulders? What should he do?

Although Liu Ye is not the governor of Shandong, not the governor of Zhili, nor the general of Baoding Town, it is undeniable that Liu Ye's influence on these armies has reached an unprecedented level. Any general who wants to gain a foothold in these armies must get Liu Ye's consent. If Liu Ye does not nod, even if the Ministry of War gives the order, he will still be beaten to a pulp by his subordinates!

Although Liu Ye was only the prefect of Dengzhou Prefecture, his control over Shandong was stronger than that of any other governor of Shandong. This was his tacit consent. From governor to provincial governor, to provincial judge, and then to admiral, they were all selected according to his wishes. It can be said that Shandong has now become a kingdom of the Qing Dynasty. This was based on the trust of the two palaces and himself in him. Once this trust is gone, the consequences will be disastrous!

Prince Gong did not answer, but looked at the two palaces. Ci'an and Cixi also looked at each other. They had not expected that the bigwigs in the court had such a strong resentment towards Liu Ye. What should they do?

Prince Gong doesn’t know what to do now, and the two Empress Dowagers are even more at a loss. The two Empress Dowagers have not grown to that level yet!

Prince Gong turned his eyes to Wenxiang, the think tank whom he relied on as his right-hand man.

Wen Xiang kept his eyes closed at this time, with no intention of speaking, completely oblivious to everything, as if he was asleep!

Prince Gong felt aggrieved. What happened today? Wen Xiang didn't even help him. It was outrageous!

But such things cannot be exposed directly, which is so embarrassing!

"Prince Regent, what do you think about this matter?"

At this time, Cixi spoke slowly, with a hint of coldness in her tone.

How could she not be annoyed? No matter which woman she was, seeing her beloved being attacked like this, she would not be able to bear it. This group of people was really disappointing. There were few who did serious work, but there were many who just made trouble!

Yi Xin suddenly felt a huge pressure. The West was dissatisfied! It was real dissatisfaction. The chill made Yi Xin shudder. If it was Ci'an who was dissatisfied, he would not care too much. After all, Ci'an was known for her generosity. But the Empress Dowager was very tough and cunning!

Yi Xin quickly replied, "Empress Dowager, this matter requires careful consideration. Everything Liu Ye did in Shandong was approved by the two Empress Dowagers and me. It would be unreasonable to embarrass Liu Ye now for these matters..."

Cixi snorted coldly and replied, "Of course it's unacceptable. Now that the situation in Shandong has just improved, you people are jumping out and pointing fingers. Why didn't you stand up when Shandong was a mess? If you have the ability, go and build Shandong into a second Jiangnan in three years. If anyone of you has this ability, I will immediately demote Liu Ye to a commoner and never employ him again! If you don't have that ability, then shut up! Everyone can say nice things, but what I want is to do nice things. What the emperor wants is to do nice things! Not a bunch of useless people who just sit in office and do nothing!"

Yi Xin blushed and said nothing, but the court officials below were somewhat dissatisfied. What? We are all useless? Only Liu Ye is a capable minister? Then let Liu Ye be the Prince Regent, wouldn't it be great?

He Qiliang, the Left Censor-in-Chief, stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, I dare not agree with what you said. I dare not say that Liu Ye has two minds, but there are precedents. Taking precautions before it happens is the right way. Wasn't Nian Gengyao a capable minister back then? The pacification of the three borders was all due to General Nian. Wasn't Oboi a capable minister back then? He was the number one general of the Qing Dynasty. So what? Once a capable minister has two minds, it will be even more harmful to the country! He will become a powerful minister and a treacherous hero. I am not asking the emperor to order Liu Ye to be punished, but to reduce his power. Not to mention the governor, even the governor needs someone to check and balance him. This is the long-term way. It is the most dangerous to implement national plans because of temporary likes and dislikes! Please think twice, Your Majesty!"

What does the Left Censor-in-Chief do? His job is to impeach. He is very good at talking and can express anything with righteous words in a high-sounding manner. It seems that every word he says is fair, but to Cixi, every word is heartbreaking!