The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 314 There Must Be a Charter

Shanxi, Yangqu County Government Office.

On the steps of the main entrance of the county government office, there were eight people standing on each side. Four vanguard soldiers with live ammunition and four imperial guards with swords on their waists were watching the people entering and leaving the government office with murderous eyes.

Around the county government office, there were hundreds of fully armed soldiers from the Vanguard Army and the Shenji Camp, standing guard or patrolling, and the security was extremely strict.

Xu Handu, the prefect of Taiyuan in Shanxi, Bai Junchang, the magistrate of Yangqu County, and Wu Yong, the former magistrate of Huailai County in Zhili, walked out of the county government gate.

These three people had just finished their audience with Empress Dowager Cixi.

Needless to say, Bai Junchang was a local official in Yangqu County. When Cixi and her hunting team came to his place, it was necessary for him to show up.

Xu Handu, the prefect of Taiyuan, came from Taiyuan to Yangqu to welcome the emperor.

The person who came to welcome the emperor on behalf of Shanxi local officials was supposed to be Shanxi's highest military and political chief, Governor Yu Xian.

For some unknown reason, the Western Hunting Team had just entered Datong Prefecture, and Empress Dowager Cixi, who was still on the road, sent someone on express horse to Taiyuan without any warning or even giving any reason, to convey Empress Dowager Cixi's oral order that Yu Xian must not leave Taiyuan City without permission, and that the Taiyuan prefect and Xu Handu would receive the emperor on her behalf.

This unprovoked oral instruction from Cixi immediately caused chaos in the Shanxi officialdom, and many officials speculated about what Yu Xian had done to displease Cixi.

However, after thinking about it, these people still couldn't find the reason.

Yu Xian, who was completely confused, repeatedly told Xu Handu to try to find out more about the reason why he was not allowed to receive the emperor.

However, Xu Handu did not find out anything. Not to mention the ordinary ministers in the court, even the chief military minister, Prince Duan Zai Yi, was confused and had no idea the reason.

This made Xu Handu feel even more uneasy. He already felt that Yu Xian was likely to encounter a terrible disaster. Xu Handu could even vaguely guess the cause of Yu Xian's bad luck, which made him even more terrified.

On the way out after the audience, Xu Handu had been thinking about how to cut ties with Yu Xian, so much so that when he stepped over the threshold of the county government gate, he kicked it. If Wu Yong had not supported him, Xu Handu would have most likely fallen down the stairs.

As for Wu Yong, the magistrate of Huailai County in Zhili, he is no longer a seventh-rank official. He is now the front-line grain stationer of Cixi's western hunting team.

With Liu Yuzhi's timely response and a battalion of people handed over to Wu Peifu, who personally led the escort, Cixi finally saw the first official who knelt to greet her after her "Western Tour" in Yulinbao four days after leaving the capital. This official was Wu Yong, the magistrate of Huailai County, Zhili Province.

Seeing Wu Yong's arrival, Cixi, who had been fleeing in a panic for several days and frightened several times in one night, finally calmed down and seemed extremely happy. She immediately appointed Wu Yong as the grain manager of the Western Hunting Team, and had him lead the team in front of the Western Hunting Team to urge local officials to raise food and fodder for the team and all other support in advance.

Afterwards, Empress Dowager Cixi stayed in Huailai County for three days before continuing her hunting trip to the west.

After that, the western hunting team passed through Xuanhua, Datong in Shanxi, Daiyue, Yanmen Pass, and Yuanping in Gang County. After nearly twenty days of trekking, they finally arrived in Quyang.

Quyang is not only very close to Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi, but Cixi also finally met the high-level official from Shanxi who was in charge of receiving her, Xu Handu, the prefect of Taiyuan.

Xu Handu and the other three walked out of the county government gate, but they had different expressions.

Wu Yong, the grain station officer in front, was in high spirits, his face full of excitement.

Just because of his meritorious service in welcoming the emperor, he jumped out of the ranks of low-ranking officials and was promoted three levels to become a fourth-rank grain official. It was not impossible for him to rise to a high position in the future.

How could Wu Yong not be happy? He almost never closed his mouth along the way.

But Bai Junchang, the magistrate of Yangqu County, was completely different. Bai Junchang looked bitter, and he couldn't understand why Cixi's hunting party could easily reach Taiyuan in one more day, but they chose to stay in his small Quyang.

Although Yangqu was close to Taiyuan, it was a small county. It was a huge effort for him to support the needs of a hunting team of more than 20,000 people, just the supply of food and vegetables.

Shanxi has always been poor. Although his Quyang County is better, it can only barely guarantee the payment of annual taxes. There is almost nothing left for more.

The county government could not afford so much money and grain. Taiyuan should have provided some aid, but Xu Handu, full of worries, hurried here with empty hands.

Bai Junchang, with a worried look on his face, was thinking about how to gather a few wealthy families in the county to collect food and fodder.

The prefect Xu Handu had a face full of worry. Although his eyes were wide open, he walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow, looking completely absent-minded.

It was not until Wu Yong called Xu Handu to mount his horse and go to Taiyuan Prefecture together that Xu Handu reluctantly cheered up. As Bai Junchang looked on, he staggered on his horse and rushed back to Taiyuan with Wu Yong.

In the simple flower hall in the backyard of Quyang County Government, Empress Dowager Cixi, with a slightly pale face, held the bronze demon-subduing pestle tightly in both hands, and sat upright on a soft couch with peeling paint in the main seat with a dignified demeanor. On the four chairs placed on both sides of her sat four officials with brilliant feather crowns.

Sitting beside Cixi were Prince Duan Zai Yi and Grand Councilor Gang Yi.

On the right side sat Ronglu, Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, General Manager of the Imperial Household Department, Minister of Beiyang and Governor-General of Zhili, and Wang Wenshao, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Associate Grand Secretary, Minister of Military Affairs, who was over 70 years old.

Wang Wenshao, a native of Renhe, Zhejiang, was named Kuishi.

He was a Jinshi in the Xianfeng period. He had been the acting Governor of Hunan thirty years ago, and was promoted to Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou more than ten years ago. Five years ago, before Ronglu served as Minister of Beiyang and Governor-General of Zhili, he was transferred to Governor-General of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang.

Two years ago, he was appointed as the Grand Councilor of Military Affairs by the Ministry of Revenue as the Minister and Associate Grand Secretary.

Cixi's expedition to the west was very hasty. Although the Grand Council sent people to urgently notify officials of the sixth rank and above in Beijing to follow her westward, for some unknown reason, Wang Wenshao was not notified.

By the time Wang Wenshao learned the news, Cixi and her entourage had already left the Forbidden City. Wang Wenshao ran to the Grand Council, but found it empty and not even all the seals of the Council were taken away.

Wang Wenshao stamped his feet and cursed while collecting the seals, then got on his sedan chair and chased after Cixi.

Fortunately, in order to catch up with Cixi, Wang Wenshao took a shortcut and escaped the pursuit of the Allied cavalry. However, Wang Wenshao was also frightened so much that he abandoned the sedan chair and asked several servants to take turns carrying it. He endured hunger and finally caught up with the Western Hunting Team in Huailai.

Ronglu, Zai Yi and the other three all looked exhausted, and Ronglu and Wang Wenshao both looked sick.

Gangyi, the younger of the group, not only looked exhausted, but also had a worried look on his face.

Zai Yi, the youngest and in his prime, was slightly better, but his eyes were bloodshot, and it was obvious that he had been very tired these days.

As soon as the backs of Xu Handu, Bai Junchang and Wu Yong disappeared behind the screen wall, Cixi nodded her head slightly, and Li Lianying immediately signaled the eunuchs to close the two old doors of the flower hall tightly.

Cixi glanced at the few people and spoke softly.

"Today we have a few things to discuss, but they boil down to two things: should we fight or make peace with the foreigners? If we still want to fight, how should we fight? If we want to make peace, how should we make peace? These things must be planned in advance, so please tell us what you think."

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(End of this chapter)