Master Yuan, start!

So, after some debate, the ministers finally decided on a priority basis: the garden would be repaired and the compensation would be paid.

It's just the final payment for the warships, so the local governors need to take more responsibility. We are all loyal ministers who are devoted to the country.

Let’s put it this way. The court won’t ask for much. The court and the local government will split the remaining payment for the warships 50-50. After all, the warships cannot reach Beijing. They are protecting the territories of the coastal governors.

This is what Liu Buxian and Lin Taizeng had mentioned before Yuan Shikai, why Li Hongzhang's South China Sea Navy and Zeng Guoquan's Jiangnan Navy were short of ships and even needed the governor to advance payment for their purchases. The court had no money!

At this critical juncture when the court was short of money, Cen Chunxuan saw an opportunity. After being enlightened by a fortune teller, he asked his father, the governor, for 5 taels of silver.

He donated it to the Ministry of Revenue in the name of "contributing to the navy". He didn't care whether the money was actually used to buy warships or build gardens. As long as he could make the higher-ups remember him, it was enough.

When the then Minister of Revenue, Yan Wujingming, and the three military ministers, including Shiduo, Yixun, and Zhang Zhiwan, saw such a sum of money, they naturally became interested in Cen Chunxuan and transferred him to the position of Chief of the Dispatching Office, specifically in charge of preparing for the emperor's wedding.

Therefore, some upright scholars who were born as Jinshi, Hanzhan, Kedao and others despised Cen Chunxuan extremely, and believed that he was uneducated and only knew how to flatter his superiors and seek personal gain.

It has always been the case that only people without any official title would donate money to become an official. How could a person who passed the imperial examination and became an official still donate money?

You, Cen Chunxuan, have a father who is a governor. I don't know how much money he got secretly, so you took out 5 taels to "serve the country"

But we, a group of genuine Jinshi, have no money!

If you keep doing this, will everyone have to donate money if they want to get promoted in the future?

He really corrupts the morale of officials, and this guy is not worth having a say in!

However, no matter how others scolded him, Cen Chunxuan really didn't care. As long as he could get the appreciation of his superiors, and with his father being the governor, his official career would be smooth sailing. He had already foreseen the scene of himself governing a region on behalf of the emperor.

Today, Cen Chunxuan rarely put aside the increasingly complicated preparations for Guangxu's wedding and went to Yongdingmen to welcome his father, Cen Yuying, who is the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou.

When the governor arrived in Beijing, there were naturally people to lead the way. Even the snow at the entrance of Yongding Gate was swept away. There was not even a trace of snow on the carriage of the Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, and he drove into the city cleanly.

As soon as they met, Cen Chunxuan told his father all the major events that had happened in the capital recently, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

It starts with the rise of various tabloids, then talks about the hot sales of new and exotic Western gadgets, and of course the popularity of Yuan Shen’s storytelling, until finally it talks about the recent Winter Solstice Grand Assembly incident.

Cen Yuying initially listened to her son's narration with a smile. After all, she had not seen her son for a long time and missed him very much. She nodded in affirmation as she listened.

However, after hearing what happened at the grand court meeting, Cen Yuying put away his smile and remained silent at first. After moving into the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou's residence in Beijing, he immediately confessed to Cen Chunxuan.

Chapter 113 Let the Governor Fly

Cen Yuying threw a piece of wood toward the fireplace in the study, looked at the crackling fire, and after a long silence, sighed, "I'm afraid something bad is going to happen in this capital."

"Dad, where did this come from? Wasn't the Emperor ordered by the Empress Dowager to rest? How could he cause trouble again?" Cen Chunxuan's face changed and he became worried about his future.

He was the one who planned Guangxu's wedding, and if it had been well planned, he would naturally have been rewarded greatly.

But if something serious happens before or after the wedding, no one will care even if he prepares the wedding to the best of his ability.

Seeing his son's confusion, Cen Yuying stared at the fireplace intently and said to Cen Chunxuan:

"In your daily correspondence with me, you have mentioned that the debate over the political reform in the capital is getting more and more intense. At that time, I just thought it was due to your youthful vigor and youthful nature, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

But now, listening to your description of the grand court meeting at the Winter Solstice, I realized that things had gotten to this point.

The Queen Mother is a very important figure. How could she let off such humiliating words in public?

Moreover, a mere inspector dared to say such words. Who is standing behind him? Do you dare to speculate?"

"Ah? Dad, I have been in contact with Yang Shenxiu on a daily basis, and we have even had drinks together in several restaurants in the capital. Doesn't that mean I am..."

The temperature of the fireplace flame continued to rise, and Cen Chunxuan was so anxious that he broke out in sweat in this cold weather.

He was only interested in the Western learning issues raised by the reformists in the newspapers, and did not actually participate in this matter. Would the Empress Dowager hold him accountable?

Cen Yuying turned around and looked at her son beside her: "You only had dinner with Yang Shenxiu a few times, and you didn't participate in his plan?"

Cen Chunxuan became anxious: "That's right, Dad!

Why would I give up my bright future and get involved in the Reform Movement? I should just make all the necessary preparations for the wedding, and the Empress Dowager will surely reward me."

"Did you really just drink a few glasses of wine together?" Cen Yuying asked intently.

"It's absolutely true! I swear, I swear!" Cen Chunxuan raised three fingers of his right hand and was about to swear.

Cen Yuying breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, then Dad won't worry anymore.

If this matter really involves you in the future, the worst that can happen is that I will resign from my position as governor and take you back to the countryside in Guangxi to teach.

I think the old man will still give me this little bit of face."

Cen Chunxuan lowered his right hand and wiped the sweat from his head: "Dad, is it really that serious?"

Cen Yuying glared at Cen Chunxuan and lectured him, "From now on, avoid associating with those reformists. If you really want to show your loyalty to the Emperor, it won't be too late to wait until he truly takes power. Whoever sits on the throne now will have the final say!"

“But now there are many candidates in the capital, and most officials are eagerly waiting for the emperor to take power and then hold a special examination to reward the officials.

Could the Grand Empress Dowager really risk the wrath of the world and go against public opinion?" Cen Chunxuan felt that his two years in the capital had not been in vain.

During the day, he would work at the yamen, interacting with officials from the six ministries and nine departments; in the evening, after finishing his shift, he would go for a stroll, interacting with all kinds of people, and was also a frequent visitor to the Tianqiao Teahouse.

Among the people in the capital, from the officials to the scholars and even the common people, how many are satisfied with the current situation?

Everyone is holding back their energy, waiting for earth-shaking changes to happen after the Emperor's wedding!

If someone suddenly said that everything would be back to normal after the wedding, would the Empress Dowager really be able to suppress it?

"Public opinion?" Cen Yuying threw another piece of wood into the fireplace with all her might. "You've been an official for nearly five years. Haven't you figured out what public opinion is?

qWhoever has the bigger fist represents public opinion!

4 If the people had the final say, how could the Manchus have taken over the world?

After saying this, Cen Yuying said with some regret: "Look at Yuan Xiangcheng, he is only two years older than you, but at such a young age he has already become the governor of a place.

Although Korea's situation is special, and he is called a governor-general, in reality he is just a governor-general. But how many governors have there been in the Qing Dynasty who are under 30 years old? "

Cen Chunxuan said indignantly, "Yuan Xiangcheng failed the imperial examinations twice and was forced to join the army. The Ministry of War refused to accept him, so he had no choice but to seek refuge with his relative Wu Changqing, who was stationed in the remote city of Lushun.

If it weren't for the chaos in Korea, which gave him the opportunity to rise to power, he would now be at most a captain of the Huai Army. How could he compare with me, a Beijing official! "

Seeing that his son dared to talk back, Cen Yuying was furious. He picked up a piece of wood and was about to throw it at him. After seeing Cen Chunxuan dodge, he angrily threw it at the fireplace again.

"All you do all day is eat, drink and have fun. You were like this before you became an official, and you haven't stopped since you became one.

Your father had worked so hard to get through to the Guangxi Provincial Education Commissioner and had someone take the exam for you. If not, what is the difference between you and Yuan Shikai?

I didn't expect you to be ashamed of it, but instead take this fame you bought with money as the real thing. You are really a cough! cough! cough! "

When Cen Yuying got excited, she couldn't help coughing.

Having always been an official in the south, he was not very adaptable to the northern climate, and in previous years he went to Beijing mostly in spring and summer.

This is my first time in Beijing in winter, so I feel very uncomfortable with the dry air in the capital. In addition, the fire in the house is getting stronger and stronger, so I can't help coughing.

Seeing this, Cen Chunxuan was no longer stubborn. He quickly opened the door and asked the servant to bring a pot of tea.

In fact, in the original time and space, Cen Yuying had already passed away in mid-1889.

It's just that in this time and space, the person was not worried about the threat of the French army on the Yunnan border, so he lived for another half a year.

However, his body was almost at the end of its life at this time, and he was only worried about his son in the capital, so he dragged his broken body to Beijing.

If he had not been concerned about his only son who was in the imperial court, he, as the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, could have easily refused to come to Beijing on the pretext of being on guard against the British.

After all, it would undoubtedly be a hardship for southerners to go to the north in winter under the warm conditions of the late 19th century, not to mention that Cen Yuying was an old man of nearly 60 years old.

After helping his father drink a few sips of warm tea, Cen Chunxuan stopped talking back, lowered his head, and stood aside with his arms respectfully placed at his sides.

Looking at his only son who looked so depressed, Cen Yuying sighed helplessly. Who wouldn't want a son like Yuan Xiangcheng?

Without relying on the help of his family, he single-handedly created a new world in Korea. Even if incorporating Korea into China was not considered a matter of expanding territory, Yuan Shikai's move had undoubtedly captured the hearts of scholars all over the world.

If the history of Qing Dynasty is completed, I am afraid that Yuan Xiangcheng will be praised as a figure like Ban Dingyuan, Su Dingfang and Zhang Yichao.

Together with Zuo Zongtang, he will definitely be featured in the biographies of Qing Dynasty!

There's no other way. My son is incompetent, so I, as his father, have to help him.

Having made up his mind, Cen Yuying sat at the table and waved his hand, calling Cen Chunxuan to him. He picked up the sheep-shaped brush on the table, spread out a piece of rice paper and said:

"My son, grind some ink for me so I can explain to you how much trouble the Emperor's wedding has caused."

Cen Chunxuan stood aside, grinding ink, while listening to his father, Cen Yuying, write and talk about the situation in Beijing:

"The emperor of that dynasty was getting married, and the empress dowager summoned the eight governors-general of the country. Oh no, now including Yuan Xiangcheng, there should be nine governors-general. The nine governors-general came to Beijing, and seven of them attended the appointment.

Ronglu, the Governor-General of Zhili, was already in the capital. According to what you said, he also witnessed the conflict at the Winter Solstice Court Meeting. Naturally, he would not run back to Baoding at this critical juncture.

Li Hongzhang, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and the leader of the Huai clique in the court, should now be on a giant ship of the South China Sea Navy and has just arrived at the coast of Fujian.

Zeng Guoquan, the Governor-General of Liangjiang and the current leader of the Hunan faction in the court, is said to have also come to Beijing on a ship of the Jiangnan Navy.

Bian Baodi, the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, who was a relative of Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang, would board Li Hongzhang's flagship in Fuzhou and head north with him.

Li Hongzhang also wrote to me asking if I would like to take his warship to go north with him. Unfortunately, my father was seasick and couldn't take it, so I had to decline.

The Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, Cen Yuying, your father, set out early because he was afraid that he would not be able to reach the capital in time by land. It seems that he should be the first provincial governor to arrive in the capital.

It was rumored that Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, planned to take the "railway" that had just been built from Hankou to the border of Henan, and would get off at Wushengguan, the border between Henan and Hubei, and then take a horse carriage north.

The Korean Governor Yuan Shikai must have already ridden his horse across Shanhaiguan and would arrive in the capital soon.

As for the two governors who did not come, one was the Sichuan Governor Liu Bingzhang, who was also from the Huai faction. He was currently dealing with the British attack on Zhemengxiong in Tibet and assisting the minister in Tibet in responding to the British offensive, so he was unable to get away for the time being.

In addition, he himself belonged to the Huai faction, so since Li Hongzhang had already gone to Beijing, it didn't matter whether he came or not.

The other was Yang Changjun, the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu. He had originally been appointed Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang after the Sino-French War. However, last year, unrest broke out in Xinjiang, and the court transferred him, who had previously assisted in military affairs in Gansu and Xinjiang under Zuo Zongtang, to handle the conflict. Therefore, he was unable to come.

Cen Yuying wrote and talked as he wrote the names of the governors on the paper one stroke at a time. Then he placed the brush on the pen holder and picked up the paper and blew it gently.

"Almost all nine governors-general are here. What a grand event! There has never been such a grand occasion in the 300 years since the founding of the Qing Dynasty!"

Cen Yuying, who is nearly 60 years old, sighed and said that on the one hand he was worried about his advanced age and worried that he would not be able to witness more rare scenes in the court in the future.

On the other hand, he was secretly happy about his advanced age. After all, behind the grand scenes there often lay a huge storm brewing.

"It's clear that the Queen Mother is trying to force the officials from all regions to take sides. Whether to choose the Emperor or the Empress will be revealed after the Emperor's wedding.

Judging from the current trend in the capital, it cannot be stopped. The only thing we can do now is to prepare for both scenarios."

Cen Chunxuan filled his father's cup with tea and asked sincerely, "Dad, what's the plan?"

Cen Yuying didn't keep the secret and held up two fingers, saying, "First, you must do your best to make the emperor's wedding a beautiful one, but remember, don't get involved with the reformists anymore. Just get the job done, and no matter what the final outcome is, you can't be blamed.

Secondly, I, your father, must have a good discussion with the governors who are coming to Beijing. We cannot be used as a weapon for nothing. Humph, why do these Manchus drag us Han people into their internal strife and force us to interfere in their family affairs! "