Super dictator.

After exchanging pleasantries, Su Zhiniang went out to entertain other people, while Wei Jichen accompanied Li Hongzhang here in person.

Originally he wanted his soldiers to bring food and drinks, but Li Hongzhang shook his head.

Only when the soldiers brought the tea, Li Hongzhang lightly picked it up and took a sip.

Wei Jichen thought to himself: "It's impossible for Li Hongzhang to come just because of his engagement banquet. There must be other important things, so I don't know what it is."

After Li Hongzhang put down his teacup, he stared at Wei Jichen for a moment, and seeing Wei Jichen's calm and unflappable expression, he couldn't help but secretly admired him in his heart.

"Zijie, there's a lot of turmoil outside right now, but you're lucky to be a housewife here." Li Hongzhang said with a soft sigh.

Life is hard for Li Hongzhang now. As soon as the contract is changed, more and more people criticize him.

Ever since Kang Youwei played a ride on the bus with scholars, the atmosphere of folk scholars asking about politics has gradually formed, and various political groups have gradually formed.

Kang You was born with a sharp tongue and was good at taking advantage of the situation. When he was in Guangdong, he opened a Wanmu Thatched Cottage Academy, where he gathered students to give lectures and expounded his theories.

After the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War, he found that Guangxu was very interested in his theories in the capital, and he had the heart to reform and improve himself. He even started to jump up and down, making a lot of noise.

What Li Hongzhang said about the turmoil was referring to this incident.

Wei Jichen tentatively asked: "Zhongtang, the emperor issued an edict of sin against himself, and he is so talented and ambitious, and intends to reform, what does Zhongtang think?"

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Li Hongzhang sighed and said, "Reformation is difficult. Kang You is such a man. Although I have never seen him with my own eyes, I can see from his actions and words that he is just an empty talker." Zhisheng, his words are perverse, and he can't see clearly the situation between the DPRK and China, and he can't figure out the relationship between the upper and lower levels."

Although Li Hongzhang didn't point out the relationship between superiors and subordinates, Wei Jichen knew that he meant that Kang Youwei had found the wrong partner. What effect would it have if he found Guangxu, who didn't have much real power.

"Zijie, don't get too close to these people. What Lafayette hates the most is that generals with soldiers in their hands have unclear relationships with some ministers in the court." Li Hongzhang reminded.

"Boy understand." Wei Jichen was still very grateful for Li Hongzhang's kind reminder.

Li Hongzhang finished his point, then changed the subject and said: "Whether you believe in reforms to strengthen yourself, or those who don't believe in it, they all think that training the new army is the top priority. This war has also made me see clearly. The Huai army that was established by one hand has been rotten over the years and has become useless, and when it encounters an enemy army, it will be destroyed as soon as it is destroyed, and it is time to dismiss it."

Li Hongzhang felt uncomfortable when he said this.

Wei Jichen said in relief: "The boy is also a member of Zhongtang, how can he say that the Huai army will be destroyed as soon as it is destroyed?"

Fortunately, Li Hongzhang has lived for so many years and has not experienced anything. He immediately calmed down and said with a smile: "That's why I recommend you to train the new army. This is Zijie's opportunity and the continuation of our Huai army. Zijie is a brave and resourceful general in our Huai army, I hope you can develop a strong army and let others see that our Huai army is full of talents."

"It's a pity that I don't know what the emperor and Lafayette mean." Wei Jichen said a little depressed. It really doesn't feel good to have this kind of fate in the hands of others.

Li Hongzhang smiled slightly, took another sip of tea, and replied to Wei Jichen's words: "The emperor values ​​you very much, so don't worry about it. Now it's mainly up to Lafayette. I'll leave it to Lafayette." The old man is going to do it, the old man still has some power in the court, and he can talk to Lafayette for a few words."

Wei Jichen asked knowingly: "Why does Lafayette have some prejudices against the boy?"

He wanted to see how Li Hongzhang would answer, whether he really had no complaints against Cixi.

Li Hongzhang curled his lips, and said helplessly and depressedly: "It's not that she has prejudice against you, she's just a little bit suspicious. The emperor has ordered you to come to Beijing for an audience, so I brought you here today."

Li Hongzhang saw that there was only a hint of surprise on Wei Jichen's face, so he continued: "I just want to give you a word. After you enter Beijing, you don't need to run around like Yuan Shikai. Zijie, your reputation is already big enough, and the old man is still there." I'll help you in the back, so you just need to stay still with peace of mind."

Wei Jichen was startled, Jiang is still old and hot, he was just thinking about how to hook up with Ronglu or Yiqiang after entering Beijing, but now he heard Li Hongzhang's words, he felt inappropriate.

These people took their own money, if they often mentioned themselves in front of Cixi, it would not make Cixi more suspicious.

"Thank you Zhongtang for reminding me, I really don't know how to thank you." Wei Jichen never imagined that he would receive such care from Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang smiled and took out the telegram and handed it to Wei Jichen.

He was busy with affairs, and after finishing these things, he was about to leave. Wei Jichen suddenly thought that he didn't have any talents in his hands, so why not ask Li Hongzhang to recommend some.

Just when he was about to stand up, he said: "Zhongtang has a lot of talents, please recommend one or two, if the imperial court orders the boy to train soldiers, I'm afraid he will be too busy for a while."

Li Hongzhang nodded and said, "The old man will pay attention to you."

The main reason why Wei Jichen dared to ask Li Hongzhang to recommend talents for him, and he was not afraid that he would secretly control the soldiers he had trained was that Li Hongzhang was now in his 70s.

People in their 70s, to put it bluntly, are already half-buried. Now that he has been hit so hard, I'm afraid he doesn't have the ambition he used to have.

The two exchanged a few more words, and then Li Hongzhang got up to leave without even drinking a glass of water and wine.

Li Hongzhang left a lot of presents, and after Wei Jichen watched him leave in a mighty manner, the whole banquet was almost done, and the host Wei Jichen also showed up in time.

Everyone was still shocked by Li Hongzhang's ostentation, and there was a lot of discussion, guessing which high official in the court it was.

Seeing Wei Jichen appear again, everyone's eyes are a little different now. Last time Wei Jichen only led two or three riders back, and everyone didn't feel anything for a while, but this time they really felt that Wei Jichen Really become a great big man.

"General Wei, do you still recruit people in your army?" Wei Jichen had just entered the table when an old man in his fifties approached him and asked softly.

With a grunt, Wei Jichen finally drank the wine in his mouth.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm here to ask for my son." Seeing Wei Jichen's reaction, the old man knew that he wanted to go wrong, so he quickly explained.

"May I ask who is your son?" Wei Jichen asked with a smile. In this era, the source of many generals' soldiers is their fellow countrymen, so at least some loyalty issues can be guaranteed, so Wei Jichen didn't think there was anything abnormal when the old man asked this question. .

The old man scratched his forehead and said embarrassedly: "I have three sons. The eldest son has already married and established a business, the second son is about to start a family, but has not established a career, and the third son has neither married nor established a career. As a human being, I would like to entrust the second and third sons to the general."

Wei Jichen had a bad feeling in his heart, and asked softly, "But Huo Yuanjia and Huo Yuanqing."

The old man nodded heavily.