The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 513: A Master of Conspiracy
Ronglu nodded and said, "The Empress Dowager is right. After the war, we have Teng Xingfu in Zhili, Yuan Weiting in Shuntianfu and Henan in the capital, and the Yi Army can be transferred to Rehe. In this way, the capital will be as stable as Mount Tai."

Cixi had understood Ronglu's meaning. After the war, Yuan Shikai should not stay in Shandong, but should be stationed in the capital and Henan. In this way, although the vanguard army would still be the dominant force, with Yuan Shikai's troops at its side and the expanded Yi Army behind it, the court would not be too afraid of being coerced by the other side.

As for Yuan Shikai and his Wuwei Right Army trying to threaten the imperial court, that was even more of a pipe dream. Not only was there Teng Yuzhao's vanguard army in the south, but there was also the Yi Army in Rehe in the north. Yuan Shikai could not turn the tables anyway.

"it is good!"

Cixi became a little excited. She continued with Ronglu's words, "Yuan Weiting participated in the Southeast Mutual Protection. Although I am not going to hold him responsible, he has had close contacts with foreigners after all. It is not appropriate for him to stay in Shandong. Therefore, Yuan Weiting must leave Shandong. This can be regarded as a punishment for him. Let him be the governor of Henan."

"Many of Teng Xingfu's soldiers are good at fighting and have fought a life-and-death feud with the foreigners. Shandong will station the vanguard army there to deter the Germans in Jiaozhou Bay."

Cixi smiled and said, "Teng Xingfu's achievements are beyond description, but he seems to be running out of titles. As for the governor of Shandong, Teng Xingfu can also recommend someone under his command. This can be used as a reward for him and can also help him appease his generals."

"Even Shandong can follow the example of Zhili and hand it over to Teng Xingfu. Teng Xingfu will be in charge of all taxes for the next ten years."

Cixi sighed, "Hundreds of thousands of troops, high military expenses, Teng Xingfu is considering the court, it is difficult for him, the Ming court should also think about helping him more."

Cixi's words moved Ronglu's heart, and his admiration for Cixi increased a little more.

Cixi did not seem to have much talent in governing the country and managing finances, but she was adept at balancing the forces of all parties and stabilizing the court, especially using open tactics. In this regard, even the shrewd old ministers in the court and local areas were no match for her.

Teng Yuzhao is the sole commander of the Vanguard Army. No one knows how he will deal with this sweet potato given to him by Cixi. If he handles it improperly, it may cause alienation among the generals in the Vanguard Army.

Moreover, Shandong not only suffered from constant banditry, but had also historically been a poor province. Oftentimes, it needed relief from the imperial court. Handing Shandong over to Teng Yuzhao would clearly be a burden to Teng Yuzhao.

After settling the Wuwei Right Army and the Yi Army, she also dealt with Teng Yuzhao. This made Cixi feel much better, and her thinking seemed to become smoother. After thinking for a while, she spoke to Ronglu.

"Since we are talking about military reform, the establishment of the Army Department should also be put on the agenda. Many things can be done through the Army Department, and they can be done better. You and Zai Yi and others should speed up the process of this matter."

After a short pause, Cixi continued, "What do you think of the candidate for the Minister of the Army?"

Ronglu said, "Your Majesty, I have thought about this matter. The candidate for the Minister of the Army should be familiar with military affairs. Originally, Teng Xingfu and Yuan Weiting were both suitable candidates, but the Army Department is only equivalent to the level of the Six Ministries. Both of them are frontier officials, so it seems that they are too low."

"If someone else were to replace him, he might not understand military affairs, and the orders of the Army Department might not be carried out at the lower levels."

"So, I think that the candidate for the Minister of the Army should be nominated by Teng Xingfu and Yuan Weiting, and then the court should make the appointment after consultation. And we cannot have only one minister, as this may lead to arbitrary decisions. Since we are referring to Western practices, why not add two deputy ministers? Major matters require three people to make joint decisions. What do you think, Queen Mother?"

Cixi understood Ronglu's meaning. In fact, whether or not he understood military affairs was not the most important thing. The key was whether Teng Yuzao and Yuan Shikai agreed with the Army Department's instructions. If they did not agree, anything the Army Department issued would probably not count in their eyes. "Good." Cixi could not help but praise him.

Ronglu was extremely thoughtful. This arrangement not only took into account that this department, which was theoretically responsible for managing the entire nation's army, could not be handed over to either Teng Yuzhao or Yuan Shikai, but also took into account the checks and balances within the Ministry of the Army in the future. This made Cixi very satisfied.

"Zhonghua."

Cixi pondered and said, "When we pacified the Taiping rebels, we had Manchus like Senggelinqin, Xiang Rong, and Tazibu fighting on the front lines. But this time when we are resisting the foreigners, none of our Manchu generals can fight. This makes me feel uneasy."

"After all, this court belongs to us Manchus. We cannot push all the responsibility to the Han people when there is a danger of war, letting others suffer while the Manchus hide behind and enjoy the good life. We Manchus should also do more for the court."

"Please consider it and select some promising talents from among our Manchu Aixinjueluo children and send them abroad to study military affairs for future use."

This matter of Cixi touched Ronglu's heart, and he hurriedly spoke.

"Your Majesty is wise. I have also considered this matter. For example, the Army Department. We Manchus also need someone to go there to gain some experience."

"There is a man right now, the grandson of Grand Secretary Ili Bu, Aixinjueluo Liangbi, who is young and promising and quite talented. He is currently studying military affairs at the Japanese Military Academy. After graduation, he can join the Army Department for training."

"In addition, Prince Fuguo Zaitao has always been diligent in military affairs. If he is selected to study military affairs abroad, he will definitely be willing to do it."

Just after talking about these two people, Ronglu's expression became a little embarrassed. He knew that the children of the court nobles who were willing to study military affairs, especially to go abroad, were probably rare.

". Your humble servant, please pay more attention to candidates who are willing to work hard for the court."

Cixi also knew Ronglu's difficulties, and smiled bitterly, saying, "I now understand clearly that we Manchus have always emphasized the proficiency of archery and horsemanship, but now these are outdated. In front of foreign guns and cannons, they are just bluffs. Those Green Camp warriors are useless nowadays."

"To protect the country, we have to learn these strange and lewd skills of the foreigners, at least in terms of military affairs. If you don't understand Western military affairs, you can't lead troops to fight. The Qing Dynasty must vigorously build a new army from now on, otherwise the Boxer Disaster will happen again. Zhonghua, you just need to pay more attention."

Cixi's mind was racing. After she finished speaking, she sighed and said, "Zhonghua, now Teng Xingfu is actively seeking a fight again. What do you think his chances of winning are?"

"Also, I think that no matter what, the peace talks still have to go on. How should we deal with it next? The court also needs a charter."

(End of this chapter)