late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 72
I didn't know until I entered the palace that Lan'er moved back to the Shouchun Palace, and I changed from the Hall of Mental Cultivation to the Shouchun Palace.

When I arrived at Shouchun Palace, Linger was the only one cleaning the courtyard.

"Ling'er, why are you alone?" I was a little puzzled.

After all, female officials like Ling'er generally don't have to do this kind of rough work.

Ling'er raised her head to see me coming, and blessed me, "Master Tang, all the other maids in the palace have been sent out by the Queen Mother, leaving only the servants alone."

"Oh." I responded casually.

I was a little confused about the situation. What did the Empress Dowager sing? Now that she is in the Forbidden City, it is no longer like being in the Jehol Palace. Such a private meeting with the ministers will easily attract criticism from others.

I am not afraid of other people's comments, but I am afraid of trouble.

I thought about it, and walked in. The queen mother was not in the hall, so I continued to walk towards the inner room, and walked through an open 'door', only to see the queen mother was sitting on the Arhat bed with her eyes closed.

"Here we are." She slowly opened her eyes and gave me a faint look.

"You know it all."

I sat on the other side of the Luohan bed, and the family affairs have been arranged. Now when I actually face her, I am not so scared, even if she immediately cut me off.

I know that this is a court full of blood, and I will face death anytime and anywhere. I have already changed history, and I don't know what will happen in the future.

Just like An Dehai is dead, will Li Lianying still appear?

For all of this, I don't know. In a trance, I feel like a fallen leaf floating on the sea, not knowing where my destination is.

"Tell me, when were you bought by the long-haired army?" Lan'er raised her eyes and looked at me indifferently.

There was only a Kang table between us. There was an exquisite clock on the table. Judging from the style, it should be made by foreign craftsmen.

Her tone was very calm, without any waves, but I clearly felt the calm before the storm.

I corrected my expression and replied, "I have not been bribed by anyone."

"Then why did you save Shi Dakai? And why did you pass on the imperial decree?" Lan'er asked me, her expression unchanged.

"I really want to save Shi Dakai, because he is a rare talent. As for the false edict, I don't know what happened."

I'm not telling the truth, after all, I'm trying to keep myself safe in these turbulent times.

Empress Dowager Cixi, as the most powerful ruler in the late Qing Dynasty, although we had a common adversity, it did not affect any of her decisions.

At least, I think so.

"Zhongzheng, do you know why I turned back today?" Lan'er changed the subject.

I shook my head, this is where I was puzzled, in my heart, she should not be favoritism for me.

"When I first heard Luo Bingzhang play you, I already knew the purpose of your trip to the south." Lan'er paused at this point, and gave me a meaningful look.

I didn't understand what she meant, I still sat in silence and continued to listen to her.

"You were whispering to Yi Xin earlier, you thought I didn't know what you were doing?"

"you know?"

I was surprised, Yixin and I were already very secretive, how did she know.

"Heh, since you can listen to politics behind the curtain, you have the ability to listen to politics behind the curtain. Zhongzheng, you want to enrich the country and strengthen the people, and I want to enrich the country and strengthen the people, but why did you find Yixin instead of me?"

There was a flash of loneliness in her eyes, and I started to get entangled again.

Is she worth my trust? !

"Lan'er." I called her name, expressing that I didn't regard her as a high-ranking queen mother, "We just have an idea now, and we will discuss it with you after we have worked out a specific plan."

In the end, I chose to exclude her. After all, I have to consider the decisive Cixi in history.
"Tell me, what are your thoughts." Lan'er's complexion suddenly eased, not as tense as before.

I lowered my eyes and thought for a while, then said, "We mean to learn from foreigners' technology to make ourselves stronger. To put it bluntly, we use their things to beat them."

If we do not have sufficient strength to launch a palace coup, then the Westernization Movement must obtain her consent, and this matter will be discussed sooner or later.

"Foreigners trample on my territory and destroy my people. No matter what method I use, as long as I can defeat them, I will agree." Lan'er's emotions suddenly became agitated.

Often, young people are more impassioned and do things regardless of the consequences, but as they grow older and experience more, people will have more scruples and do things poorly.

Now Lan'er looks excited, but what she ultimately protects is the interests of the ruler. Once the interests of her class are damaged, she will change her decision at any time.

"If you agree, Liu Ye and I will draw up a detailed implementation plan and show it to you when the time comes."

Economic construction determines the superstructure, no matter what, economic and technological development must be done first.

"Yes." Lan'er nodded slightly, and suddenly shifted her gaze to my face, "Do you want to know how I dismissed Luo Bingzhang?"

"Send?" I frowned slightly.

"I said, that little eunuch was sent by me." Lan'er said, laughing softly, and then looked at me with deep meaning, "You are mine, so I will naturally speak for you. What's more, Shi Dakai has already been arrested."

"Sure enough, I was taken back." I muttered softly, feeling a little pity.

"Shi Dakai is certainly a talent, but if he can't be used by the Qing Dynasty, it is a disaster that must not be kept." Lan'er said.

I didn't say anything more, I just tried my best, everyone has his own life, but I still feel very regretful.

"If there is nothing else, I'll go first." I got up and was about to leave.

"Zhongzheng." Lan'er suddenly stopped me, she didn't move, she just looked at me from a distance, she said, "The relationship between us seems to be different from before."

"Everything is different in my heart. If the situation of that day happens in the future, I will definitely make the same decision."

I expressed my meaning very clearly, I hope Laner can understand.

If life is only as it was when we first saw each other, why is Qiu Feng sadly drawing a fan? Although it is not the same as when we first saw her, I still treat her as before.

"Okay, I'll make a note." Lan'er nodded, without looking at me, she just waved her hand to signal me to go out.

I didn't stay long, and walked towards the door, but before I took a few steps, I bumped into someone who came in.

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(End of this chapter)