The Empire will continue to win

Meow~

The Jianzhou cat, nestled in the Empress Dowager's arms, felt a slight aversion, lightly jumped down, and wagged its fluffy tail as it left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Mi isn't interested in human affairs.

Mimi doesn't intend to follow human rules either.

Telecommunications Department.

Beep, beep beep beep, beep.

The familiar sound of pressing the telegraph button, and the smell of boots—this is Mimi's cozy home.

.........

Empress Dowager Cixi remained noncommittal.

Silence is a form of refusal.

Hesitation is doubt.

Li Shaoquan suddenly realized that although the Empress Dowager Cixi seemed to favor the young man surnamed Shen on the surface, she was actually not very at ease with him.

It's right that you're worried!

Because Shen Moqing is an intelligent person with an air of sophistication, who would dare to completely trust an intelligent person?

Li Shaoquan sensed seven parts of his own kind and three parts of unfamiliarity in this young man. Therefore, his principle in dealing with him was to draw clear lines and handle matters strictly by business.

But ~

His words were a wake-up call: a fire poker, a hot potato, an amateur leading experts, now it's not me begging you, it's you begging me.

Li Shaoquan felt a chill run down his spine.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you allow Supervisor Shen to take over the gunpowder factory, even if it's just a portion of the production line. In a major war, munitions are crucial, and Yanshan Heavy Industry must have a reliable person in charge."

"Your Majesty, the example of the former Assistant Minister Wo Renyin serves as a warning. It wasn't that he was disloyal, but rather that he was ignorant. Although Ding Baozhen is an honest official, he is also an outsider."

"Your Majesty! The flames of war have reached Fengtian, and rumors are already circulating among the people. No matter what, the court cannot lose Fengtian. Otherwise, the country will be in turmoil, and the imperial palace will be unstable."

Empress Dowager Cixi was finally moved.

The imperial palace is unstable!

These four words are terrifying!!!

"How about this, you and Sheng Bao can jointly submit a memorial in the name of the Ministry of War, and then I, my sister, the Emperor, and Prince Gong can sit down and discuss it together. This concerns the fate of the nation, and they will understand."

"As you command."

"I suddenly remembered something."

"Your Majesty, please give your orders."

"Do you still correspond with your teacher Zeng Guofan?"

"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. Governor Zeng and I have long since severed ties and lost contact." Li Shaoquan was startled, but answered with righteous indignation.

"I think you can contact me."

"The Empress Dowager?"

"You can clearly tell Zeng Guofan in the letter that if he is willing to set an example and hand over the wealth and personnel of Jiangsu Province, the court is willing to give him a hereditary princely title and grant the Zeng family a certificate of merit."

.........

We left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Li Shaoquan let out a barely perceptible sigh.

The imperial court wanted to win over the commander-in-chief with the title of prince, thereby resolving the Southeast Mutual Protection issue without bloodshed.

impossible.

It is absolutely impossible.

Although the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace was well-versed in political maneuvering and came from a humble background, her words today were enough to prove that she did not understand the emerging group of southern gentry.

Since the United Empire replaced the Qing Dynasty, earth-shaking changes have taken place.

On the surface, the gentry in the south remained enthusiastic about the imperial examinations and buying land. However, at least 8% of these gentry families invested in industry, held shares in mining, and participated in maritime trade.

The gentry of the South today are not the same as they were in the past.

Their appetites have long been spurred on by money; what they truly desire is local autonomy, not to continue kneeling on the ground, trembling and looking up at the Forbidden City.

Zeng Guofan, the mentor, was merely a well-known agent promoted by the gentry of Jiangsu.

Even without Zeng Guofan, there would have been Hu Guofan or Zhao Guofan.

In short, the ambitions of the Southern gentry group will not be reversed by the defection of one or two individuals within the group, and the conflict between the Southern gentry and the central government is irreconcilable.

Morning and evening~

It'll happen sooner or later~

Suddenly a cold wind swept by, and Li Shaoquan felt a chill run down his spine. Looking up at the sky, he saw a leaden gray cloud covering the capital city.

In this unprecedented upheaval of three thousand years, where does our family's future lie?

The Li family of Luzhou is a prominent family in northern Anhui. The six brothers each have their own strengths and are spread throughout the political, business, and military sectors.

But the third brother, Hezhang, was the only valiant general. He was tall and mighty, a master archer, and could hit a target from a hundred paces away. He led the charge and was unstoppable. The villagers revered him like a god.

If~

Ten years later, Qin lost its throne, and various warlords rose to power.

He Zhang should be the vanguard officer, Han Zhang should be the chief steward of money and provisions, Yun Zhang and Feng Zhang should engage in business and amass wealth, and Zhao Qing should defend his hometown, recruit soldiers and raise provisions.

Northern Anhui is a land that has produced many heroes. As long as there is money and food, a call to arms can be made and tens of thousands of troops can be mobilized in no time.

But now, that person is gone.

The family lost a pillar.

Standing in the spacious plaza in front of the palace, Li Shaoquan wept uncontrollably: "He Zhang, may your soul return!"

.........

"May Commander Li be blessed."

"It's Eunuch An! It's been a long time." Li Shaoquan composed himself, took out a gold leaf from his sleeve, and handed it over discreetly.

"I'm so sorry to keep taking your things."

"Why be so formal? Your father-in-law works very hard serving Fengluan every day."

"Serving the Empress Dowager is my honor, I dare not say it is hard work. By the way, are you going to~?" An Dehai pointed northeast and winked.

"Yes. Does your father-in-law know too?"

"I know. I also know that it was Shen Moqing's suggestion that you lead the First Garrison to Liaodong."

"What?" Li Shaoquan was shocked, his hair stood on end, and his face contorted in a grimace.

"W-What's wrong?" An Dehai was startled.

"It's nothing, of course I know about it. It's just that the departure of the first garrison is a top military secret. I didn't expect that you, Eunuch An, would also know about it?"

"I'm always by the Empress Dowager's side, how could I not know her secrets?" An Dehai said smugly, unable to resist making a boast, but he didn't dare to say the second half of the sentence out loud—it was just something he overheard.

Eavesdropping, spying, stealing.

Can something done by a eunuch be called stealing?

Anderhai had no idea that he had inadvertently knocked over the first domino.

Li Shaoquan remained calm, even jokingly saying, "It's a good place for cultivation at the foot of Mount Ling. You've been exposed to this environment for quite some time, and your cultivation is quite profound. If you ask me, Eunuch An, you could also participate in the court discussions."

"No, no, the iron sign prohibiting eunuchs from interfering in politics is right there," An Dehai waved his hands repeatedly, but he was secretly pleased. The prince and ministers could discuss court affairs, but why couldn't the eunuchs?

"Commander Li, the Empress Dowager is waiting for us. Farewell, farewell."

"Take care, Father-in-law~"

Turning around, Li Shaoquan's smile vanished instantly, replaced by heightened vigilance. Shen Moqing was a cunning and scheming man, someone she had to be wary of; she had promised to plant spies among the officers assigned to him.

Not only that, but they also demanded someone from him.

.........

Gun factory.

Shen Moqing and Zhang Zongcang strolled around and inspected the area. All the damaged walls had been repaired, and broken glass had been embedded in the top of the walls to prevent thieves and theft.

"What? Commander Li of the First Town specifically requested me?"

"He said that a warrior like you should go to the front lines to make a name for yourself, and that if you go, you'll be officially appointed as a sentry officer. Do you want to go?"

"I don't care, I'll listen to you."

"I'm asking for your opinion."

"Oh dear, I don't understand the intricacies of this. Second brother, just tell me straight: what's good about it? What's bad about it?"

"The good thing is, you're officially an officer now. Considering you didn't graduate from the Army Academy, being appointed a sentry officer is already a great favor. The bad thing is, we brothers will be separated for a year and a half. Also, bullets don't discriminate; you might die in battle."