New Shun 1730

At the moment when news of Japan's suing for peace reached the capital, Liu Yu was enjoying the leisurely time after marriage in his Earl's Mansion.

The French gave him a set of gadgets that the gypsies used to set up shooting booths, a moving target with a spring mechanism.

When the weather was nice, he taught Tian Zhenyi how to use a musket and shoot at moving targets.

The weather was not very good today and was a bit cold, so the two of them huddled in the room, where Liu Yu read an overseas novel.

"The two kingdoms have been fighting hard for thirty-six months. The war started for the following reasons: We all believe that the original way to eat an egg is to break it from the big end. And the grandfather of the current king also followed this when he was a child. He was trying to crack eggs in an ancient way, but he accidentally broke his finger. Therefore, his father, the king at that time, issued a decree that all subjects should break the eggs from the smaller end before eating..."

"The great prophets have this teaching in their Bibles: All true believers may break the egg from one end whichever is convenient to him."

"However, what is the convenient end? Is it the big end? Or the small end? Or the legislator can stipulate that the big end is convenient, but the small end is inconvenient?"

Tian Zhenyi huddled lazily in Liu Yu's arms, closed the small hand stove, and chuckled: "It is etiquette to crack the eggs from the big end or the small end. I don't think there is any difference between these things. Song Dynasty If the new party cracks the eggs from the small end, if the old party gains power, even if they know that cracking the eggs from the big end may prick their fingers, they must crack them from the big end.”

"This dynasty has learned from history. People all over the world beat eggs from the big head, but they created a group of heretics who beat the eggs from the small head. The emperor uses them without fear of forming factions, and if they abandon them, the whole world will condemn them. The third brother is now doing this heresy. It's soaring, but there's no place to take refuge in 'Blefuscu'."

A few months after the marriage, the previous calling habit has not changed. He is still called "third brother, third brother". Liu Yu threw aside the copy of "Gulliver's Travels" and knew that Tian Zhenyi was teasing him about the "three cunning rabbit holes" in Tokugawa Yoshimune's letter a few days ago, and some of the jokes he made in court, so he laughed and laughed. she.

The two of them quarreled for a while, and their breath became much hotter. Just as they were thinking of doing something shameful, a cry came from outside.

"Sir, someone is coming from the palace. His Majesty summoned him and said there is something urgent."

After calling twice, I heard a reply from inside that I knew, and then I stopped.

Tian Zhenyi did not blush, and naturally tidied up her slightly disheveled hair, and muttered with some dissatisfaction: "Then Tokugawa Yoshimune of Japan really knows how to choose a time for peace talks. I don't know what you think, why do you have to go? Going to Xiaguan to talk? It will take a long time."

She is extremely smart. Liu Yu has been idle at home these days. Since the war in Hagi, he has not even been to the Privy Council.

She naturally believed what Liu Yu said. After the Battle of Hagi, Japan had no other option but peace talks. Now the palace is urgently recruiting people because of the peace talks.

Peace talks are not difficult, but Liu Yu has been muttering about going to Xiaguan peace talks in the Japanese country, which is really difficult for Tian Zhenyi to understand.

The two had known each other for several years and got what they wanted. They lived a life of honey and oil for a few months. In addition, Liu Yu was granted a title and had his own palace. She no longer had to serve her parents-in-law. She could play and have fun every day, and they were like glue. Now that the peace talks are ongoing, Liu Yu has to go to Xiaguan. The time will not be short, and it is really hard to leave.

He got up and found official uniforms for Liu Yu, put them on, and then reminded him: "Third brother, don't forget what I said. This Japanese is very bad. Although everyone would just treat it as a joke if he tries to alienate you, but this kind of thing It’s always a thorn. Do you know when the thorn hurts the most?”

Liu Yu whispered in her ear: "When the old man is in a coma?"

Tian Zhenyi smiled, picked up the book thrown away by Liu Yu, and whispered: "When the emperor eats eggs and wants to eat the big head, but you decide to eat the small head. That thorn is the most piercing. But today There’s no need to worry, now that there is an egg, it’s convenient to eat it.”

After saying that, he helped Liu Yu straighten his clothes. After Liu Yu hugged her and sniffed her hair, she pushed him away and said, "Go and do your work. I'll go with the things you brought back from Weihai." Schoolgirls play.”

He walked out of the house, got into the carriage outside, and galloped all the way to the Forbidden City.

The eunuch led the way and walked around for a while until he arrived at one of the few rooms without glass windows in the Forbidden City. After approaching, the eunuch did not dare to go any further. This was the place where the emperor and his ministers discussed military and state affairs.

Pushing the door open, there were already seven or eight people sitting inside, all of whom were important officials of the court. The emperor was sitting at the head. After seeing Liu Yu come in and salute, he picked up the peace letter from Japan and said with a smile: "Uncle Ying Sao came at the right time. This Japanese is not Ying Sao Uncle, so he changed his name to Ping Suo." Zhang Jun's state affairs are also not successful."

After the alienating letter from Jiaotu Sanku arrived, the emperor asked people to read the letter of faith in the court. Finally, Emperor Chrysostom set the tone, saying that this letter had "sinister intentions to alienate the emperor and his ministers."

Now that the Japanese had sent such a peace letter again, Liu Yu felt as if he had eaten a bunch of flies. He was about to say something when the emperor smiled and said: "The Japanese have probably figured it out. Do you want to go or not?" , The terms of the negotiation must be serious, and I won’t think that someone else can bite you lightly. "

As Tian Zhenyi said, when there is still an egg and everyone is eager to eat it, no one really takes these estrangements seriously.

This war against Japan completely silenced the voices in the court that the navy and Liu Yu were "treating the disease as meritorious".

Under the threat of the navy's mobilization, the nominally hundreds of thousands of samurai had no chance to clench their fists and hit people, let alone stretch out their hands to slap people. They were turned into fingers by the navy.

What's more unprecedented is that even after the war has been going on until now, the military expenses are still profitable... military rations for sieges; gold and silver extorted from Sendai, Choshu and other feudal domains; logistics that the trading company did not spend the court's money on transporting grain... It really achieved the goal of fighting to support the war.

The main force of the army that was originally planned to land on the island was hiding in the Weihai camp, training as usual, eating the grain that the Weihai official warehouse had to eat on weekdays, and there was no need to go to the island.

Up to now, more than 200 people have died on the Dashun side, and the Japanese can no longer hold on and want to negotiate.

The news that Japan had a lot of gold and silver had spread throughout the court long ago. At this critical juncture, all the ministries were eagerly looking forward to Liu Yu's negotiation for silver.

No one was holding Liu Yu back at this time, because last month, Liu Yu made a secret report in front of the ministers.

The ministers might not fully understand the strategic things.

But they understood the personnel matters in the court.

The audience were all ministers in the court. It was a great honor to be allowed by the emperor to participate in the discussion of such military and political affairs.

It was natural that it was not allowed to be spread outside after leaving.

This secret report was about Japan's determination to seek peace and not to fight again.

It emphasized the importance of the navy and the idea of ​​future court reform.

The former was what Liu Yu wanted to say.

The latter was proposed by the emperor through Liu Yu's mouth. After all, although the reform was not big, it made a lot of noise.

The six ministries since ancient times have been changed to the name of the six governments, which is just a change of soup without changing the medicine.

But the Sixth Government wanted to reform the military government, add the Navy Department and the Army Department, and also add a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In fact, the steps were not very big, but the situation was really shocking.

Even if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be regarded as the inner court, the internal affairs of the royal family, because the Celestial Empire did not have diplomacy, but the emperor might have it personally.

But the navy's independent army was unprecedented.

It is said that if a high-ranking official in the court becomes a high-ranking official, his students and former officials will form their own system. Liu Yu was a very embarrassing existence in this regard. If he said that he had no students and former officials, even he himself did not believe it. The officers of the navy could be regarded as his students and former officials, but their official positions were too small, and most of them only had military ranks but no formal official positions; after the army reform, those who came from the Qingzhou army were also scattered in the army.

The emperor wanted to change this situation, but he did not want to take the initiative to bring it up.

Liu Yu took the initiative to bring it up, and although it was a big move, it was easier for people to accept: the purpose of the reform was actually to strengthen the army, but in the eyes of this group of people in the court, it was more like Liu Yu wanted to cut off the military power in the past.

The navy is too powerful, and the war against Japan also proved that the strategic significance is too great. Now Liu Yu took the initiative to propose the establishment of the Navy Department, so that the logistics and military preparations are completely separated from the wartime command and dispatch of troops.

The navy forced Japan to be unable to use its strength in the war against Japan, which made people in the court very smooth to consider Liu Yu's secret report along the line of intrigue.

Everyone thinks that Liu Yu is ready to retire, because the stronger the navy is, the more threatening Liu Yu's influence in the navy will be.

Now that Liu Yu wants to set up the Navy Department, it is obviously impossible for him to do it to increase his power, so naturally he cannot be the Shangshu of the Navy Department.

The power of the governor of the navy and military affairs was also handed over to Li Li, which clearly showed that he was worried about suspicion and was ready to retire.

In this case, no one wanted to pull Liu Yu's legs or do anything to Liu Yu, otherwise it would be a slap in the face of the emperor - the emperor has always wanted a reputation of harmony between the monarch and his subjects. Now Liu Yu took the initiative to step back, and anyone who made trouble at this time would be blind.

The emperor was actually very satisfied.

Once the Navy Department was established, Jinghai Palace was no longer under Liu Yu's jurisdiction. After the peace talks, he was promoted to a marquis and was thrown into the position of deputy envoy of the Privy Council.

Or he was sent to inspect Jianghuai or preside over the Academy of Sciences. After a few years of hiding, the influence gradually dissipated.

Of course, when necessary, he should be used.

In this regard, the monarch and his ministers have a tacit understanding and coincidence.

A few days ago, Liu Yu took the initiative to write a letter, hoping to go to Europe after the negotiations on the war against Japan.

First, maintain peace with Russia after the signing of the Northwest Boundary Treaty, so that Russia does not have to worry about the Eastern issue at all and go west with all its strength; second, go to the Netherlands to discuss trade issues and make an attitude to make the Netherlands believe that Dashun will not take action against Southeast Asia; third, choose the good ones and follow them to learn some skills of Westerners; fourth, explore the West and South Seas, and survey and map the sea and geography.

The emperor did not agree, thinking it was too much work.

But since they knew how to advance and retreat, the monarch and his ministers were naturally in harmony. The emperor and his ministers were in harmony, and the emperor also liked to have a reputation for being in harmony with his ministers. Even if some ministers had some opinions about Liu Yu before, it was inconvenient for them to raise them at this time, as it would only make them look bad and be inconvenient.