Qing Dynasty Secret History

Chapter 109
It is said that since the edict of declaring war was promulgated, Zaiyi, Xu Tong, Chongqi, and Yikuang were specially appointed to take charge of military affairs.The writing of the provinces, the conscription and payment, and the continuous flow of feather books have caused a commotion in the country.Yikuang knew his mistake in his heart, and he didn't plan to plan half-heartedly among the branches.University scholar Ronglu, hearing that the foreign troops were strong, couldn't help being timid and frightened, so he asked Wang Wenshao privately: "Kui Weng, the wind is very bad, if something happens, the flames of Kungang, jade and stone will burn, you and I will be killed by this." Has Ban Wangren been buried?"

Wang Wenshao said: "Your old man is a relative of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager can still listen to what you say. Why don't you take the time to learn about the Empress Dowager?"

Rong Lu said: "This is reasonable, let me try to see if it is true."

Immediately, he went to the palace to meet the Queen Mother and made close contact with Chen Zou.The queen mother never refuted what she said because she was Ronglu.Follow orders to protect priests and business people from various countries, and those who kill Sugiyama Bin and Klind will be punished for their crimes.

Zaiyi was furious and refused to pay attention.The queen mother forced him to get up and handle the affairs of state.It happened that Li Bingheng returned to Beijing from Jiangnan, went to Ningshou Palace to meet the Queen Mother, and tried his best to fight.And said: "The righteous people are available, the opportunity must not be missed, and the Department of Military Law should restrain it."

The Empress Dowager said: "Since you advocate starting a war, why does Li Hongzhang and others have your name on the public performance? You have recited my lord's peace and met me to lead the battle. What's the reason for this?"

Bing Heng said: "That's Zhang Zhidong and I joined, I didn't know about it."

The queen mother said: "How is the people's heart in Nanzhong?"

Bing Heng said: "The common people also hate foreigners, but the officialdom tried their best to block them, and the common people wished they could come to the north to help them. Unexpectedly, Liu Kunyi received a lot of kindness, which is not as good as the loyalty of the common people!"

The Empress Dowager said: "Here Xu Jingcheng, Yuan Chang, Xu Tong, and Gangyi have different opinions, so we can't blame him for being unfaithful."

Li Bingheng said: "Xu Jingcheng and Yuan Chang are really treacherous ministers! Nanzhong's disobedience to the court's order is also caused by the two of them."

The Empress Dowager said, "How can you see that?"

Bingheng said: "When I left Beijing, Lord Duan asked me to search for spies along the way. I was in Qingjiangpu and caught two spies, both from Beijing. Two letters were found, one was written by Xu Jingcheng. One from Liu Kun. One from Yuan Chang to Sheng Xuanhuai. It scolded Prince Duan and Gang Zhongtang, and said a lot about the Empress Dowager, which I dare not hear."

The Queen Mother hurriedly asked: "It doesn't matter what you say about me, you just tell me."

Li Bingheng said: "They say that the Empress Dowager is foolish and fooled by others."

The queen mother was furious: "I am so smart and capable, does he still dare to call me stupid?
Very annoying!To be honest, what happened this time was all my idea, and Zai Yi just waited according to my wishes. "

Bingheng was in the palace this day, playing correctly for a whole day.

The next day, Zaiyi asked for an order to arrest Xu Jingcheng and Yuan Chang, and the Queen Mother was allowed to play.Xu and Yuan were imprisoned.Jing Cheng asked Yuan Chang, "The traitor minister is in power, I know it's inevitable."

Yuan Chang said: "In this kind of situation, it's better to die. You don't need to witness the foreign soldiers entering Beijing and the clan society fall. Looking at the tragic situation of the subjugated country, you can't save it, but you can't bear it. The sadness at that time is ten times worse than death. Woolen cloth!"

Jing Cheng said: "It's not that I'm afraid of death, I just hate that if I die, it won't benefit the country. Isn't this death in vain? Besides, I haven't explained clearly what I've handled. How do I ask the person who takes over to handle it?"

Then he asked the jailer for pen and ink, and listed the situation of the railway and school management and where the money was deposited in detail.Only two days later, the imperial edict was issued: Xu Jingcheng, the left servant of the Ministry of official affairs, and Yuan Chang, the minister of Taichang Temple, have been ginsenged many times and have a bad reputation.On weekdays, when dealing with foreign affairs, each has his own selfishness, and whenever he is summoned, he plays arbitrarily and makes bad remarks to disrupt the government.Moreover, the words are too divisive, and those who can't bear to speak are really disrespectful.Xu Jingcheng and Yuan Chang both practiced the Dharma right away and quit smoking!This is it.

Duan, Gang, Zhao, Dong, etc., all congratulated on seeing this decree.Xu Tong said: "This kind of thing that has no father and no king will not be punished."

Wang Longwen said: "Set an example for the traitors. From now on, there will be no one who pretends to be a king."

Xu Tong asked for a supervisor for his son, and said: "Let him see it, and it's refreshing!"

Xu and Yuan proposed from the prison of the Ministry of Punishment and escorted them to Caishikou. Boxers gathered on the way and clapped their hands and laughed.Jing Cheng and Yuan Chang, all dressed up and sitting in sedan chairs, went to the market calmly.When they arrived at the execution ground, Xu Chengyu, the servant of the criminal department who supervised and beheaded the officer, ordered the servant: "Take off the prisoner's clothes quickly."

Jing Cheng said: "Wait a minute, although we have followed the order to rectify the law, we have never been dismissed according to the order. And if you offend an official, you will be punished.

You have been an official for so many years, don't you know? "

Cheng Yu was very embarrassed when he heard this.Yuan Chang said: "The two of us have no hatred for death, but for what crime, we have received such a big punishment, please let us know."

Cheng Yu scolded angrily: "Where is this place, you are allowed to argue? You know your crime yourself, do you want me to tell you?"

Yuan Chang laughed and said, "Why do you have to act like this? After the two of us are dead, we can judge for ourselves.

The foreign soldiers broke through the capital in a few days, and my father and son are absolutely insane, so we waited underground.

"When he was about to be executed, his expression remained unchanged. He was beheaded for a while and returned to life.

Duan and Gang were still angry, when Xu and Yuan heard about it, they dared not go to collect the corpse, because it is easy to rot in July weather.The next day, Xu Yongyi, Minister of the Ministry of War, was walking through the vegetable market. When he saw the remains of Shuangzhong, he was struck by a thunderbolt.Someone reported that Zaiyi, Gangyi, Duan and Gang were deeply annoyed, and they secretly ordered Boxer to kill him at his house.

Poor Xu Yongyi, who was murdered by boxers with knives just because he took away Shuangzhong.Later generations called Xu, Yuan and Xu the "Three Loyalties" of Zhejiang.In the cave of Zhang Wenxiang in Nanzhong, there are seven unique and three chapters in Fu, which is a reminder of Yuan Taichang.

One cloud:
The Allied Forces of the Eight Nations actually knocked on the pass, but Zhijun turned against the sky.

People in Qianqiu have loved Chao's family order, and they have done everything for the king.

The second cloud:
People say that Wu Shouzhi is unparalleled, and Wen Weng, a scholar, taught this state.

In the private sacrifices of Qingjin in the head of Guizhou, thousands of tears swallow Zhongjiang every year.

The third cloud:
The Xijiang Demon Sect cannot be chanted, and the novelty of the Northern Song Dynasty is elegant.

Shuangjing Banshanjun is in one hand, it is sad to see the Guangling Qin.

After the death of the three loyalists, the stubborn ministers became ten feet taller.The Empress Dowager ordered the four armies of President Li Bingheng, Zhang Chunfa, Chen Zelin, Wan Benhua, and Xia Xinyou, to go out of Beijing to suppress the barbarians.At this time, the Boxers attacked Dongjiaomin Lane and Xishiku Church.Because the disciples also grouped together to defend themselves, the Boxers didn't get any advantage.As the saying goes, if the owner suffers a loss, the west will go to make up for it.Seeing the interests of the Jiaomin, the boxers went outside the city every day to plunder the villagers and sent them to Zhuang Wang Zaixun, claiming they were the Jiaomin.Zai Xun asked for an order to be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment and escorted to the city to be beheaded by Cao Cao, who was screaming and killed. There were more than hundreds of people before and after!
One day, a surprise report followed, saying that the foreign soldiers had arrived at Beicang.Ma Yukun fought hard for three days and nights, but he was defeated by the foreign soldiers. He was defeated in Yangcun, and he was no longer an army.Beicang has fallen, and Yulu commits suicide.Rong Lu entered the palace and learned about the Queen Mother.The queen mother was so shocked that she burst into tears, and asked the left and right what to do?Everyone is punishing Xu and Yuan because of the new situation, who dares to say more?With one voice, they all said that they are waiting for the Holy Order of the Empress Dowager!The queen mother was so anxious that she turned to Rong Lu and said, "Good boy, you should think of a way, I am so anxious that I have no idea."

Rong Lu said: "The servant originally advocated a peace negotiation, but it is too late now."

The queen mother said: "I am in a hurry to hug Buddha's feet. There is nothing I can do. Now I have to make peace."

Then he ordered to stop attacking the embassy, ​​and at the same time sent Zhang Jingwenrui, the prime minister's office, to send watermelons to the embassy.He also sent Guichun and Chen Kuilong to meet with the envoys of various countries, willing to escort the envoys to Tianjin.The envoy refused to do it, and the wording of the reply was very slow.He also ordered Li Hongzhang to be the Minister of Plenipotentiary and urged him to go to Beijing to discuss peace.The Zongli Yamen sent a telegram to the ambassadors of various countries, asking them to discuss peace with them.I went to the doctor in a hurry, and I was so busy that I sent chapter No.11.Yu Shi Peng Shu offered a special plan: "Please wait until the envoys leave Beijing to force the flag to be used as suspicious soldiers, and it will be filled for hundreds of miles. When the barbarians see that there are so many Chinese soldiers and horses, they can naturally retreat without fighting."

On this day, Li Bingheng led his troops out of Beijing.Three thousand boxers were invited to be guards, all of them held soul-inducing banners, hunting banners, thunder and fire fans, yin and yang bottles, nine chains, wishful hooks, fire cards, and flying swords, named "Eight Treasures".Full of hope that the flag will be won, and the victory will be achieved immediately. Unexpectedly, the forwards Zhang Chunfa and Wan Benhua arrived in Wu, Hexi, and fought a battle, and most of them died.The body was in the Lu River for a long time, and the Lu River did not flow.Censor Wang Tingxiang also drowned in it.Chen Zelin moved the camp from Wuqing, heard the sound of cannons, the whole army was defeated, and Bingheng fled to Tongzhou.

The report of defeat was introduced to the capital, and Zaiyi, fortitude, and concealment did not play.Fu Guogong Zailan, please kill Rong Lu and Wang Wenshao quickly, the Queen Mother will not allow it.Zailan also ordered Dong Fuxiang and Yu Huen to attack the embassy urgently. The Wuwei Army, Hushenying, Shenjiying, and all the armies would gather, wave their flags and shout, and attack with all means.Zai Lan personally supervised the battle, vowing to destroy the embassy and kill all the envoys.At this time, Zaiyi saw that the wind was getting tighter, and hurriedly plotted to kill the emperor.He was leaked by the imperial physician Yao Baosheng, so Xia Baosheng was born in prison and wanted to kill him to silence him.Also please kill Yikuang, Ronglu, Wang Wenshao, Liao Shouheng and Natong.The Empress Dowager said: "The killing is too serious, let's discuss it in a few days."

Zaiyi kept playing, and was in a dilemma when he suddenly saw a person rushing in, and said angrily: "It's not good, the foreign soldiers will be here soon. Tongzhou has fallen, and Li Bingheng has died."

The Empress Dowager cried out in shock, Gu Tingchen said: "When the trouble has come to this point, who are we mothers, can you not help each other?"

The courtiers looked at each other without saying a word.Qing Wang Yikuang said: "According to my humble opinion, I should send Wang Wenshao and Zhao Shuqiao to the embassy."

Wen Shao said: "I'm old, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it."

Shu Qiao said: "Your qualifications are low, not as good as Wen Shao's, and you are clumsy in eloquence, so you can't compete."

Rong Lu said: "It's better to send a letter first to find out what they mean."

The Empress Dowager said: "Just do it like this, very good! Brother Rong, just do it!"

So Rong Lu wrote a letter and sent Prime Minister Zhang Jingshuwen to the embassy, ​​agreeing to send ministers to meet at noon tomorrow.

At this time, Dong Fuxiang attacked the embassy and supervised the battle.When you see Shu Wen, you have to grab it and chop it off.Shu Wen said that only if there is a purpose, can he avoid disaster.Suddenly it was reported that the coalition forces of various countries, the soldiers of Japan, Britain and the United States were the left army, and the soldiers of France, Russia, Germany, Austria and Italy were the right army. There were more than [-] soldiers in total.Then, it was reported that the Japanese soldiers had arrived, five miles away from Dongzhimen, and set up camp. The Russian soldiers camped three miles away from Dongbianmen, and the British and American soldiers were stationed on the south bank of the Tongzhou River, only seven miles away from the city.It was also reported that the French soldiers had arrived and were stationed ten miles away from the east city.

At this time, the two palaces had the ambition to go hunting in the west, and they ordered Ronglu to prepare vehicles.On the [-]th, Minister Wang was summoned five times.One time less time, at the end, there are only three people, Wang Wenshao, Gang Yi, and Zhao Shuqiao.The Empress Dowager said: "Now there are only three of you left, and the rest have to take care of themselves. Don't worry about my two daughters anymore. You should follow me."

Gu Wang Wenshao said again: "You are so old and you have to suffer long distances. I feel very uneasy. You take your time in a sedan chair. They are young and can ride with me on horseback.

Dezong also said to Wen Shao, "You must come." "

Suddenly it was reported that the reinforcements had entered the east side gate, so the big thing didn't matter.The queen mother was surprised: "Why did the Ministry of Hui send troops to help?"

Li Lianying said from the side: "Lafayette Hong Fu, perhaps Dong Fuxiang transferred here."

Suddenly a eunuch reported in a panic: "The foreign soldiers have entered the city. The Japanese soldiers broke through the gates of Dongzhi and Chaoyang, and the British soldiers broke through the gate of Guangqu."

The queen mother said: "How about the reinforcements back to the Ministry?"

The eunuch said: "It was misunderstood by others, it is the Russian Cossack soldiers."

It turned out that Dong Fuxiang heard that the foreign soldiers had come outside the city, so he hurriedly asked other generals to supervise the attack on the embassy, ​​and he led his troops out of Guangqumen.When they met the British soldiers, they shot and attacked, and they were defeated.It was dusk, the north wind was urgent, the sound of artillery was loud, and the storm came, so the two armies temporarily ceased fighting.At dawn on the [-]th, the city of Beijing was broken.The foreign soldiers entered from Guangqu, Chaoyang and Dongbian, and the forbidden army was defeated.

Dong Fuxiang escaped from Zhangyi Gate, and his troops plundered westward, discarding a lot of luggage.Peng Shu, the censor who patrolled the city, was busy putting up notices, boasting that our army had won a great victory and that the foreign soldiers had retreated to Tianjin.

At that moment, the queen mother heard the eunuch's report and knew that the foreign soldiers had entered the city. She cried to Dezong and said, "The big thing has gone, let's wait here, and we will lose our lives for nothing. Let's go!"

Dezong also cried, and the queen mother said: "A moment earlier is a moment, crying for a while will not get better.

Dezong said: "Let's go, how about these people in the palace?" "

It turned out that Dezong had two concubines, one named Jinfei and the other Zhenfei.Concubine Jin has a gentle temperament, while Concubine Zhen is quite eager.At that time, the palace was insatiable, and there was a fee for greetings, listening to operas, and rewarding gifts.

The two concubines were originally sisters. Dezong doted on Concubine Jin and often subsidized her, but Concubine Zhen couldn't bear it.One day, he knocked on the palace to ask to see the Empress Dowager, and there were so many uses in the palace, all kinds of harassment, and the words and meanings quite invaded the eunuchs.The Empress Dowager decreed that Concubine Jin and Concubine Zhen, who have been in the vanity of late, have repeatedly begged to be reduced to nobles.Although the queen mother demoted them, Dezong loved and trusted them very much.When Concubine Zhen was young, she studied at home, and her teacher was Wen Tingshi, a famous scholar in Jiangxi Province. The relationship between teachers and students was very good.In the year of Geng Yin, Wen Tingshi ranked No.2.Concubine Zhen repeatedly mentioned it in front of Dezong, and Dezong kept it in his heart.In the Jiawu University Examination of Han and Zhan, De Zong's relatives awarded the court-style papers to the minister who marked the papers, and they were selected as the first.

Things are urgent in Liaodong, and the court has combined the ranks of courtiers and officials. Please use Prince Gong to lead the state affairs.The Queen Mother never liked what King Gong did, and refused to allow it.De Zongli asked Prince Gong to be appointed, and the eunuch was in front of the queen mother, and started rumors that concubine Zhen interfered in the affairs of the outer court.The queen mother was furious, drank the concubine Zhen and whipped her fifty sticks, and imprisoned her in the third place, with only food and drink every day.The concubine's elder brother, the servant of the Ministry of Rites, Zhibao, sent Uliasutai to the top.The two concubines, Jin and Zhen, were born in the same family and lived in the same palace, so they were very friendly. They once asked Huayuan to give the Grand View Garden map of "Dream of Red Mansions" and handed it over to the inner court officials to write poems.There is a poem from later generations: "The old record of the stone is a fable, and it is passed on to the imagination.

A picture of the Grand View Garden is drawn, and the poems of advanced courtiers are collected.

Since Concubine Zhen was imprisoned, Concubine Jin was also unhappy.Now that the queen mother is going to go hunting, Dezong is reluctant to part with these two concubines.The Empress Dowager knew what he meant a long time ago, and said, "Come here, quickly call that person from Sansuo to see me."

Cui, the head of the inner court, followed the order and summoned him at once to kowtow to the Queen Mother.The Empress Dowager said: "The foreign soldiers are here. I was going to take you for refuge, but the crowd is like ants, and the bandits are like ants. If you are such a young daughter-in-law, what if you are polluted? I think you should die cleanly."

Concubine Zhen was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she kept meeting each other to beg for her life.Dezong also knelt down to beg for mercy.The queen mother was angry when she saw this, and shouted: "How many times have I seen such an unfilial child, who is in such an emergency, and still protects the people in the palace? Originally, I didn't want to order her to die. Now because of your behavior, I want to put her to death to set an example for those unfilial children!"

Although the queen mother said so, she was just trying to bluff Dezong. Unexpectedly, Director Cui took Concubine Zhen away without waiting for the queen mother's decree, wrapped her in a felt sheet, and pushed her into the well.

Later generations have a poem sighed:

The sisters of the Zhao family share their gratitude, but they are petite and return to Yongxiangmen.

Miyai is calm and the wind is cold, and the mourning cicadas and fallen leaves call out their souls at night.

Academician Yun Yuding also wrote a poem:
A leaf fell from the golden well, beside the desolate Yao Temple.

The twigs have not fallen, and the sun shines brightly.

The ditch is empty and hateful, and the colorful clothes and heartbroken.

He Ruze grass, still have to sleep mandarin ducks.

Concubine Zhen died, and Dezong was overwhelmed with grief.The queen mother said: "Silly boy, what are you crying for? Are you crying to death? Let's go!"

At this time, the Empress Dowager was wearing a blue summer dress, and she had no combs; Dezong was wearing a black gauze gown, a black cloth skirt, and no bedding.

The queen mother and Dezong each took a mule cart, and the prince's servants followed on foot.Driving out of Xizhimen, the sound of cannons continued, and Ma Yukun led his troops to escort him.Followed by all the ministers, catching up one after another, is Duan Wang Zaiyi, Qing Wang Yikuang, Su Wang Qishan, Mongolian King Nayantu, several Duke Beizi, Gangyi, Zhao Shuqiao, Puxing and so on.

Just as the sun was setting, we arrived at Guanshi.The Empress Dowager and Dezong have not eaten for a day.

The common people offered wheat beans and scrambled to scoop up food, and they were exhausted in a moment.It was getting dark and the weather was getting colder, so there was no way to ask for bedding, and the village women offered cloth quilts, which had just been washed and hadn't dried yet.Suddenly, it was reported that Cen Chunxuan, the chief envoy of Gansu Province, had led his troops to King Qin to see the Queen Mother.The Queen Mother said: "Quickly call him in."

Introduced for a while, the queen mother couldn't help crying when she saw Chunxuan.Chunxuan also felt miserable, called a few words correctly, and ordered him to go out with his retinue.The queen mother left in a hurry, terrified and terrified, and she felt a little at ease when she got Chunxuan.One night, staying in the ruined temple, Chunxuan held a knife, stood upright outside the temple gate, and patrolled all night.The Empress Dowager suddenly exclaimed in her dream, and Chunxuan responded loudly, "My minister Cen Chunxuan is here to protect you."

Chunxuan was in danger and followed him wholeheartedly until Xi'an.The Empress Dowager was very grateful, weeping and said to Chunxuan: "If you can restore your country, you will never forget your virtue."

This is a later story.

At present, the queen mother stayed overnight, and the next day sent an order to a rich merchant in Guanshi surnamed Li, telling him to prepare three rides in camel sedan chairs.This businessman Li, who has guaranteed tickets for generations, drives Dongguang Yu camel, travels in the North Road, and there is no one who does not vote for him.Merchant Li donated camel sedan chairs and received no rewards.So the queen mother took a ride.The queen took one ride, and Dezong and Beizi Pulun sat on the same ride.

Following the soldiers, they had nothing to eat, so they had no choice but to plunder along the way.

On this day, we arrived at Juyongguan.Qin Kuiliang, the magistrate of Yanqing Prefecture, greeted him and offered food.

Kui Liang was terrified because there were too many people and too little to eat.The queen mother comforted him with kind words.

The Empress Dowager took Kui Liang's sedan chair instead. On the 24th, when I arrived in Huailai, I could live and work in peace and contentment.There is a poem from later generations that sighed: "The palace car leaves Fengcheng Kuma at dawn, and the bean porridge is wilted and the past is sad."

The jade mirror's teeth are muddy and forgotten, and the loving curtain is in my arms tonight.

Wu Yong, the magistrate of Huailai County, heard that he had arrived, and rushed out to meet him, kneeling at the side of the hall.The queen mother lived in Wu Fu's house, the queen lived in his wife's room, and Dezong lived in the signing room.Just sat down, suddenly the queen mother slapped the table in the room and made a big fuss.Director Li came out with a face full of anger, and shouted: "What a county magistrate, how dare you be so arrogant! Lafayette is very annoyed, asking if you want to die?"

Wu Yong heard that he lost two of the three souls and one of the six souls.

If you want to know why the queen mother is upset, let's talk about it next time.

(End of this chapter)