Chapter Fifteen: The Midnight Visitor

  I brought the beauty home a day earlier, and I was naturally overjoyed. But that old hag said she wanted to enter the Zongren Mansion to learn etiquette. Now, thinking about not going to the Zongren Mansion is simply because I want to hold my little wife for two more days. I have so many important things to settle with the old thing now, and I can't go bargain with that old hag over this matter, can I?

  He saw my hesitation and said, "I'll go to Lao Fo Ye's place, I'm worried that he'll drag me to the Zong people's house, and it will fall into Li Lianying's hands! If I send you to Wan Sui's place, I won't have any worries!"

  "What's going on? Can Li Lianying still intervene at Zongrenfu?" I asked in surprise.

  "He is the chief eunuch of the imperial palace. In the palace, he is like a prince, who dares not listen to him? Moreover, there's also the old empress behind him!"

  "Then please trouble the elder to take more care! He and his sister are wise and beautiful, I am very fond of them. If they can enter my palace early, it would be my wish, but I fear that the Empress Dowager will make things difficult, so I have been hesitant!"

  I bid farewell to the lengthy conversation and entered the bedroom, where I saw two young wives looking at something on a laptop. When they saw me enter, Yan'er pulled me over and said: "Look, the Qing dynasty's warships have a speed of only 14.5 knots, while Japan's warships have speeds of 24 and 26 knots. The cannons on our ships are all breech-loading, with a large recoil force. During the Battle of the Yellow Sea, shortly after the battle began, the bridge of the Beiyang Fleet's flagship Dingyuan was destroyed by the recoil force of its own cannons, injuring Admiral Ding Ruchang and destroying the signal flag, causing the Beiyang Fleet to lose command. Moreover, these cannons have a very slow firing rate, with Japan's quick-firing guns able to fire six shots for every one shot our cannons can fire, putting us at a disadvantage in terms of firepower!"

  Fei'er also said: "The flagship's signal flag is destroyed, and it can't be commanded. This communication is too poor, no wonder they lost so badly!"

  I sighed and said, "These are all objective factors. From a subjective point of view, political corruption, military weakness, economic backwardness, and outdated maritime concepts have led to the failure of our naval defense. We must solve these problems since we're here. I think we should divide the work among us. For subjective issues, I'll take charge; for objective issues, Yan'er will be responsible for solving the problem of weapon equipment, and quickly equip the Qing dynasty's warships with world-class weapons, such as the Soviet Katyusha rocket artillery or China's 105mm long-range cannons. Fei'er will be in charge of solving the problems of naval speed and communication; can we apply wireless telephones and radar to our warships? Let's start thinking about solutions now and then discuss them collectively!"

  The two little wives immediately went back to playing with the computer happily, and I started drafting the teaching outline for the military academy.

  Actually, it's not that difficult, just transplant the outline of our National Defense University and what I learned in police school, the problem is how to deal with the teaching materials? Take Chairman Mao's military thought for example, if you take it out, people will ask: "Which dynasty or generation is this from?" How can I answer that? And then there are all those examples of battles during World War II and the lessons we learned from the Gulf War, how do you explain them? Damn, it's too hard to be a teacher!

  I was sweating profusely there, when Xiao Fu Zi shouted from outside: "Wan Sui Ye, your master Weng Tong He and the former Shan Xi governor Zhang Zhi Dong have come to see you together!"

  I was taken aback, for I had been wanting to meet both of these men. However, I knew that Weng Tonghe and the Qingliu faction had always been at odds, and Zhang Zhidong was a leading figure in the Qingliu faction - how could they have come together today? In fact, I didn't know that after serving as governor, Zhang Zhidong had already realized that empty talk would ruin the country, and that for the Qing to revive itself, it must adopt Western methods and learn from Western strengths. This was also his original intention in wanting to meet me!

  I was shocked, but I still said: "Quickly invite them to the Nourishing Heart Palace, serve good tea, and I'll be right there!" As I spoke, I tidied up my clothes, and my two little wives also followed suit in a flurry of activity. It wasn't until we had managed to make ourselves presentable that I hastily walked into the Nourishing Heart Palace.

  Two men saw me hastening forward and knelt down on the ground: "Pay respects to Your Majesty!"

  I hastily pulled the two people up: "Get up quickly, Mr. Weng and Zhang Aiqing don't need to be polite, sit down quickly!"

  I carefully sized up the two men, one of whom was an old man in his sixties, slender and slightly yellowish in complexion, with a five-strand beard, who looked like an old scholar. He must be Guangxu's teacher, Weng Tonghe.

  Another man in his forties, robust and majestic, with a thick black beard that reached down to his chest, a square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, high nose and broad mouth, gave off an air of grandeur and majesty, this must be Zhang Zhidong.

  I took a sip of tea and smiled: "Teacher and Xiaoda came to visit in the middle of the night, I wonder what teachings you have!"

  Weng Tonghe hastily said: "At present, the world's heroes are eyeing our Great Qing mountains and rivers. We should urgently strengthen our military preparations, rectify our army, and prepare to defend against foreign enemies. However, the people in the Ministry of War do not recognize the current situation and still regard themselves as a great power; they are also muddle-headed and incompetent, unaware of the importance of strengthening the military and training elite soldiers. Instead, they want to withdraw naval military expenses to indulge in one person's pleasure. I specially recommend someone to Your Majesty to command the Great Qing army to resist foreign enemies and lead the elite soldiers to control the foreign barbarians!"

  I immediately said: "Teacher's concern for the country is admirable, and the things you think about are also what I think about day and night. Now that I see Zhang Ai coming forward, I am overjoyed! Teacher doesn't need to say it, I already know that the person you recommend is filial! Teacher and I have the same idea!"

  Zhang Zhidong immediately knelt down and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for knowing the kindness of meeting. I am weak and foolish, but foreign barbarians are disturbing my China, killing my compatriots, making me sleepless and tasteless, anxious like a burning fire. I wish to exhaust my thoughts and worries for Your Majesty, to rescue the people from hanging upside down, not to sweep away all external enemies, not to recover our Chinese territory, willing to be wrapped in horse leather as a corpse!"

  I hastily helped him up: "I consider that our great Qing nation is weak and exhausted, with many accumulated habits, I don't know where to start?"

  Zhang Zhidong said: "I do not dare to speak rashly of the state's great policies, but regarding the current situation where foreign barbarians repeatedly invade our borders, I believe we should purchase fast ships, buy military equipment, borrow foreign funds, form strong alliances, clarify rewards and punishments, and train elite troops!"

  I nodded and said: "These are indeed very important, but the key now is to concentrate military power! Our Qing Dynasty's three navies, each with their own affiliation, no one can unify command. Once war breaks out, they will fight separately, unable to form a fist, which is a major taboo for military leaders. Therefore, I plan to abolish the Ministry of War and establish the Ministry of National Defense, abolish the Northern Ocean Minister, Southern Ocean Minister, various governors, and commanders, and establish several large military regions under the unified command of the Ministry of National Defense. The commander of each military region must be nominated by the Ministry of National Defense, then assessed by the subordinate department, and finally appointed by the Emperor, so that the army can form a single entity!"

  Weng Tonghe hastily said: "Your Majesty has hit upon a current problem, but I don't know how Your Majesty is considering the selection of this Minister of National Defense?"

  I smiled and said: "Today I have made up my mind to entrust this great task to Xiaoda (Zhang Zhidong's courtesy name). How do you think, teacher?"

  "Long live indeed wise and intelligent, filial piety is absolutely capable of taking on this responsibility!" Weng Tonghe said with excitement.

  "I have received Your Majesty's gracious treatment for many years and dare not fail to exert my utmost strength, but I am worried that it will be difficult to get through the Empress Dowager's barrier!" Zhang Zhidong said anxiously.

  I nodded: "Xiao Da's thoughts are indeed correct, tomorrow I will instruct the Empress Dowager and the Ministry of Officials to temporarily not arrange Xiao Da's work. Xiao Da will first serve under me, learning strategies for commanding the army and controlling foreign barbarians. When the time is ripe, Xiao Da can take on the position of Minister of National Defense again, do you think this is feasible?"

  Zhang Zhidong knelt down and thanked him, saying: "Everything is arranged by Your Majesty, I don't know when Your Majesty will let me report for duty!"

  "Tomorrow morning, Xiaoda can come over and I'll take you to a great place!" I decided to let him attend the military academy first, which would not only allow him to learn advanced military ideas but also have closer ties with future high-ranking military officials!

  Zhang Zhidong happily knocked his head again: "Your minister obeys your sacred order!"

  Then the three of us, the monarch and his ministers, discussed the empress's intention to move the naval military expenses. I said: "This money cannot be moved at all, the Ministry of Navy should immediately reassign personnel, I think the teacher can take care of that sum of money for the student!"

  Weng Tonghe was quite surprised, but he immediately knelt down and said: "I am willing to die for the Qing dynasty to keep this money safe and use it in a proper way!"

  I shook my head and said: "I don't just want you to guard this money, I want you to turn the navy into an iron army, a Wan Sui army, the world's number one army. Teacher, you still don't understand military affairs, don't understand the navy. I'll let you work half a day in the office and spend the other half with Xiaoda at the Dongdian Military Academy I just established to study! Study strategy and tactics, also learn the command strategy of the navy, research the precedents of naval battles around the world. I hope that Teacher can become the most knowledgeable naval commander in today's world, a meritorious minister of the Qing... no, the Chinese Empire's Navy!"

  Weng Tonghe happily said: "I was worried about how to complete the mission of the Emperor, with the arrangement of the Emperor, I will definitely not disappoint the mission!"

  Zhang Zhidong also said that if they were going to petition the Emperor to take personal control, I shook my head at the time, and the two of them looked at me with wide eyes in dismay.