late Qing Dynasty arrest

The fake foreign devils in the private room listened to Li Guolou's eloquent talk, and stared at Li Guolou admiringly. The emergence of outstanding figures like Li Guolou among the "fake foreign devils" made them feel that they had a backer.

Du Xianyu asked: "Mike, where will the situation develop next?"

Li Guolou pretended to be concerned about the country and the people, and said with great sorrow: "Hey, the country has been eaten away by the western powers to pieces. Even if I have lofty ambitions, I still have to wait to gain a firm foothold. I hope there is still room for salvation this time." , don’t make a fuss about human life, thank God!”

"I hope!" A group of fake foreign devils hypocritically agreed, each with their own plans, planning how to get more state secrets out of Li Guolou's mouth?

"Come on! Mike, we haven't been together for a long time. Bo'er! Open a bottle of Bonaparte 1846." The cunning Chen Bulei stretched his neck and asked the waiter outside the door to fetch red wine to get Li Guolou drunk .Old friends are gathering today, Li Guolou is still a light drinker, and he likes to show off, so he can only claim credit for his master by inquiring clearly.

"Hey, drink later, I'll go with Yingying first, and we'll talk after dinner." Li Guolou shied away. He had already drunk too much at noon, and he didn't want to chat with these fake foreign devils. They flock to it.After some refusals, Li Guolou drank three glasses of red wine to save face for his friend before leaving the private room.

Du Yingying had poked her head at the door several times. If it wasn't for the strict family education, Li Guolou was called in by her father, and she would have lost her temper a long time ago.Seeing Li Guolou finally come out, he said angrily, "Mike, you haven't said hello to my mother yet?"

"Oh!" Li Guolou was dragged by Du Yingying, calling countless aunts and wives, and more than forty relatives were recognized in the restaurant.

"Mike, my third uncle, fourth uncle, fifth uncle, eighth uncle, and thirteenth uncle;;;;;;; I entrust you with the errand." Du Yingying took Li Guolou's arm and walked around the banquet. He was given more than twenty missions.

Li Guolou has a lot of "errands", as long as he is not seeking an official, he can place personnel anywhere.Li Guolou agreed with all his mouth, which made Du Yingying look good. The two behaved decently and danced three dances.Eating western food pays attention to emotional appeal, and there are no extra problems.

In the private room, Li Guolou took Du Yingying's hand and said, "Yingying, call me Xiaolou from now on, don't call me a foreign name. To save face today, I will help arrange errands for relatives whose names you don't even know. In the future, don't just agree to others, you can only use people from the same village and clan, and it's okay if they are relatives of your mother and father, those relatives of your little mother care about your business, if you don't understand the things on the scene, don't get involved."

"Hmph! Xiaolou, I was also entrusted by someone, so I'm sorry to refuse in person, won't you be sloppy?" Du Yingying blinked her big watery eyes and looked at Li Guolou with a smile.

"Oh!" Li Guolou was extremely regretful, because he thought Du Yingying was too simple, it was just a rhetoric on the scene, and he agreed too soon.

After chatting with Du Yingying for half an hour, Li Guolou bid farewell to Du Yingying's family. Seeing the innocent and lovely Du Yingying smiling brightly and charmingly, he reluctantly waved goodbye on the carriage.Li Guolou felt quite guilty, he lost his conscience and did everything for success.Even if he parted ways with Du Yingying in the future, he would not be relentless.A lesson plan happened in Tianjin, God helped me!The street was wet after the rain, making the carriage slow down, Li Guolou sneered inscrutablely, Tianjin will undergo earth-shaking changes in one day, and when we arrive in Tianjin tomorrow night, it will be too late.

Li Guolou raised his voice and said, "Battle, how many catties of roast beef have you eaten?"

Battelle, who was pulling the horse's rein, said with a smile: "Master Li, I think there are always more than ten catties. Drive!" The carriage has already turned into Dengcao Alley.

"Hey! Battelle, your appetite is too big. Otherwise, I can recommend you to be a soldier. You will be my soldier for the rest of your life. You will have a reputation even if you have a military post. Don't envy others." Battelle felt that if Battelle left him, even having a full meal would be a problem.

When Li Guolou got off the carriage, Battelle slumped, his tone was soft, and begged: "Master Li, I still want to go out and venture out, give me a chance, at most I can eat three full. I, Battelle, swear, I will never indulge again." Myself, Mr. Li, my wife also wants me to join the army. Hehe!"

Li Guolou stretched out three fingers, and said, "Three-point full, you said it, and there is a ration in the barracks, you can tell me after you think about it."

"Lord Li! Think it over!" Battelle yelled with his chest out and his belly protruding, and he stood up straight like a nail, motionless.

"Stand here for one night, Battelle. If you can survive, I will promote you." Li Guolou raised his legs and stepped into Li's residence. Opportunities are only given to people with background, of course, first of all, to the servants of the family.

"Zha!" The other four military academies stood motionless at the door.Li Guolou turned his head dumbfounded and looked at the five people who were full of wine and food. The white-eyed wolf who was not familiar with him just now invited them to eat Western food for nothing, and they all left him.

"Okay, okay! I finally know who is around me!" Li Guolou pointed at the faces of the five military academies with his right hand, holding them in his heart. "Cheng Kun" and "Liu Yu" have only been here for a few days. All go away from him. For these military academies, "Xinwutang" is a second chance in life.

"Master Li, you have to count on what you say! Hehehehe!" The five people who had just entered the military academy had new hope.What was an all-nighter to them?

This is human ambition. In a new environment, there will be new goals. Young people will not be satisfied with the status quo and dare to challenge.Li Guolou likes such a young man, because he is also such a person, and he is willing to promote such a subordinate.

The five grandmothers in the inner house were all wearing new cheongsams and waiting to show them to Li Guolou. Li Guolou told them that he would go to Tianjin with Li Hongzhang tomorrow, and asked Zhen Yuhuan to take Chen Xiangfang, Wu Peipei, Bai Lian and their daughter Li Lingling to Tianjin. Xie Xiuzhu stayed in the capital.Chen Xiangfang just played in Tianjin for a few days, and then asked her to go back to the capital.The eldest grandma Chen Xiangfang and the second grandma Xie Xiuzhu couldn't go back to their hometown to worship their ancestors. There were too many things in the capital, so they could only be wronged.

Zhen Yuhuan already knew about the "Tianjin Religion Case", and asked, "Xiaolou, what do you think of this matter, will ordinary people attack the concession?"

Li Guolou rubbed his chin, and said hesitantly: "Probably not, the officers and soldiers will deploy their defenses at the entrance of the concession immediately. As for other places, it's hard to say, don't worry, my uncle has soldiers in his hand, otherwise, tomorrow If you walk together, there will be someone to take care of you. But you have to be prepared, if you follow us, you will run very fast, and there will be constant bumps along the way, can you bear it?"

Zhen Yuhuan replied: "Forget Xiaolou, you are marching in a hurry, why are we here to join in the fun, you go your way, we will come back in two days."

"Father, I don't want to go to Tianjin." Even her daughter Li Lingling was frightened by the horrible atmosphere and didn't want to go to Tianjin to play.

Finally, after discussing, the original plan to go to Tianjin the next day was cancelled. As for going back to Hefei, Anhui, to worship the ancestors, it will be decided according to the situation.

Li Guolou justified himself and said: "Well, that's fine, don't rush on like a ghost, I'll live in Tianjin for a while, and choose the address of Xinwutang. It's closer to Tianjin City, so I can take care of business in the future. "

Wu Peipei asked suspiciously: "Xiaolou, don't you put Xinwutang near the capital?"

Li Guolou smiled slightly and said: "I'm not so stupid. If you put it in the outskirts of the capital, those from the military department should not come here every day. It's just right to put it in the outskirts of Tianjin. It's not far or near. The emperor and the empress dowagers don't worry. Wen Xiang, Minister of Military Aircraft, and Weng Tonghe, the principal, would have to suffer from the exhaustion of horses and horses, their health is not as good as mine, and they will not be able to bear it if they go to court every five days."

Zhen Yuhuan couldn't help feeling a little distressed, and comforted her: "Xiaolou, why are you so scheming? Didn't you trick yourself into it too? How long can you last every five days?"

"Hey! For the sake of military power, I'm going all out. In troubled times without military power, the wealth I get will be taken away by others. We will have so many shops in the future. If we don't protect our property well, what will Lingling do in the future?" Li Guolou first talked about the future of the family, and immediately won unanimous approval. Anyway, it is only more than 200 miles away, and it will take more than half a day to travel quickly.

There were no trains in the Qing Dynasty at this time, and fast horses were still used to transfer documents between the two places. The express was [-] miles, and the fastest was [-] miles a day.It is already very remarkable, and the fast horses at the post station will be exhausted from running, which can only be carried out in times of military emergency.The files of the usual three hundred miles of the post station have reached their limit.

In order to control the specific matters of the "Xinwutang", Li Guolou did everything he could to include Wen Xiang, Minister of Military Affairs, and Weng Tonghe, the principal.Being young and strong, he worked tirelessly and prepared to ride a fast horse back and forth between the capital and Tianjin every five days.

The night was deep, the rain was beating the plantains, and the raindrops from the roof fell on the courtyard and gathered in a pool. Xie Xiuzhu asked, "Xiaolou, do you want to write a book tonight?"

Li Guolou stood in front of the desk with his hands behind his back, and sighed: "Yes! I got back a lot of documents today, and I have to sort out a clue. The Empress Dowager Ci'an praised me in the court today. You must know that the Empress Dowager Ci'an If I say this, I will be promoted again. The emperor rewarded me with a flower feather, and the ministers were jealous. For the emperor and the two empress dowagers, I can only do my best and die."

Li Guolou had a "gunner" Xie Xiuzhu and a "book office" Wu Peipei. The three of them fought at night with the lights on in the house.After Li Guolou sealed the wax, stamped it with a seal and put it in a box, it was to be handed over to the Yamen of the Prime Minister's Mansion for Prince Gong to see.

Xie Xiuzhu had a great sense of accomplishment, and she was credited for a copy of the "Preliminary Plan for Studying Abroad School". She said proudly, "Xiaolou, without me, you would lose ten years of life."

Li Guolou curled his lips and said, "You two are the East Palace and the West Palace. If I were the emperor, you two would also control the government. Let me see who will be the biggest winner. Mmm;;;;;Second Mistress, You will kill the old eighth and stand alone. As for the head of the face;;;;;; hey hey hey hey!" While speaking, Li Guolou had already picked up Xie Xiuzhu and put him on the big bed. The hard work of the East Palace and the West Palace should be taken for granted " Reward".

Under the candlelight, an apricot face with peach cheeks and a star-eyed Emei are truly alluring. "Fuwa! Boom;;;;;oh;;;;;;" Xie Xiuzhu and Wu Peipei called Li Guolou's flower name, the red candle teardrop stand, and the curtains are light and dim.When the night is quiet, there are singing and dancing.

It was already five drums, Li Guolou washed his hands in the copper basin, ate a steaming breakfast, and was about to set off.The whole family got up to bid farewell. Li Guolou was delighted to see the family being sent to the gate in the dark, waved goodbye, and said, "Second Grandma, the family depends on you. If you have nothing to do, come to Tianjin early, and I will wait for you. "

"Remember to telegraph back! We also need to be prepared." Chen Xiangfang grew up and had never been to the Tianjin Concession. She was the only one interested in going to Tianjin.The other grandmas waved to Li Guolou who was riding on the bay red horse, breathed heavily, and went back to the inner house to sleep with heavy steps.

Li Guolou took only Cheng Kun from a military academy, two people and four horses, and went straight to Mingyangmen, the east gate.Li Hongzhang, governor of Zhili, was waiting at the gate of the city with a team of personal guards.

When Li Guolou saw that Li Hongzhang was traveling in a carriage, he couldn't help feeling relieved, jumped off his horse, bowed and said, "Morning, Mr. Zhongtang!"

"Well! The Guolou is here, come up." Li Hongzhang was sluggish and let out a tired voice.

"Zha! Master Zhongtang." Li Guolou's voice was choked with sobs, he boarded a luxury carriage pulled by four horses, and sat in the seat next to him.

At such an advanced age, Li Hongzhang had to stay up all night and work hard on state affairs.When an emergency happened in Tianjin, the "Wanghailou Catholic Church case", the imperial court, as usual, pushed this kind of mess to him to handle.It is also Empress Dowager Cixi's trust in Li Hongzhang, believing that he can live up to his mission and successfully fulfill the imperial court's heavy trust.