Rebirth of the Qing Empire

In early May 1898, the Qing government appointed Magley and Luo Zhongyao, the then-counselor of the Embassy in the UK, to pay Japan the last 1895 reparation for the Sino-Japanese War of 1894: Kupingyin 72.5 million taels equivalent to pounds, and handed over to Japan.

The embassy secretary, Arizojiro Yamasa, received the history. Kang Fan remembered it very clearly. It is mid-March and time is very urgent. It is necessary to start action immediately.

Because the last reparation was robbed, the lesson was profound and heart-wrenching, and because it was stolen from his own hands, the Japanese could no longer ask the Qing government for penalties for compensation, and could only suffer the consequences. This time, Japan was the first time.

People must be vigilant, and protection measures will definitely be unprecedented. The success of the last money robbery was mainly due to unexpected results. If you want to use the same trick again this time, you will definitely seek death.

Unlike last time, the intelligence personnel team of the Security Bureau has developed to a certain scale and can help Kang Fan. Due to the particularity of intelligence work, these people are all elites in the Jin army, regardless of their cultural quality or military quality.

They are all first-class, and their IQ is higher than that of ordinary people. However, after careful consideration, Kang Fan still chose 10 intelligence personnel who were once members of the Blue Demon team as his helpers. They are also the predecessor of the Security Bureau - Qingshengying Intelligence

The elders of the class have been deeply influenced by Kang Fan’s true teachings, with outstanding personal qualities, familiarity with each other, and tacit understanding with each other. The most important thing is that they are absolutely trustworthy.

Because it is operating in London, England, it is best not to use guns to avoid causing major diplomatic troubles. Therefore, intelligence personnel must use 96 sabers and hand-dropped poison gas bombs as their main weapons, which requires everyone's close combat ability

Very high, and all these intelligence personnel are very skilled in martial arts, and there are even a few who have been practicing martial arts since childhood. They are very skilled, so it is not a problem to take Kang Fan with bare hands.

As various construction projects in Shanxi are in full swing, the Beijing-Taiwan railway transportation is very busy, Kang Fan chose a carriage this time when he entered Beijing.

Ningwufu's industrial system can now mass-produce new carriages with superior performance improved by modern technology, and the horse farms located in Guisui Bingbai Road can also provide sufficient mules and horses. Therefore,

A new type of carriage was widely used in various military and civilian departments of Ningwu Prefecture, and Mei Xiang also replaced her original carriage with the latest production model, which greatly improved both in terms of driving performance and riding comfort.

Kang Fan took Meixiang's carriage, but the coachman became himself. The intelligence officers drove several carriages loaded with various supplies and gifts selected by Meixiang, a group of 12 people and 6 new carriages, traveling eastward.

In addition to his 92 pistol and 95 sabre that he never left, Kang Fan also took a Mosin-Nagan cavalry rifle used by the Jin army's standing army. After being equipped with the Jin army, this rifle has good performance and the officers and soldiers' evaluations are pretty good.

.The 10 intelligence personnel who came with them carried all Mauser automatic pistols and 96 sabers.

"Principal, I heard that the Jin army will soon use a new type of rifle designed by the principal himself. I wonder if it is true or false?" asked an intelligence officer.

Kang Fan nodded, "Yes, we will be able to use this new rifle next year. As far as I know, this new rifle is at least 50 years ahead of the advanced level of the contemporary world."

Among the new weapons designed by Kang Fan, only 96 sabers and wooden handle grenades have been mass-produced. The others are either in development or in trial production, and they are still a distance from mass-produced. It is estimated that small batches will be available by the end of this year.

The trial model will be distributed to the army, and the full dressing work will definitely start next year.

"Just brag, Kang Fan." Mei Xiang poked her head out of the carriage and said, "I'm not interested in guns, but this new carriage is really comfortable to sit."

Kang Fan smiled and said, "I was planning to fly the plane, but when I thought about landing in the palace, I was really worried that Guangxu and Cixi would get sick and get sick. The crime of being shocked would be more than worth it."

"Yes, that's really exciting!" Mei Xiang also smiled.

Kang Fan touched her cold face and said, "Cover your cotton coat and sleep for a while in the car. The spring cold has not faded and the road is still far away. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Mei Xiang was very obedient and retracted her head. The tarpaulin in the carriage carriage is made of high-strength chemical fiber material to protect her from wind and rain. Mei Xiang should have a comfortable sleep. Kang Fan raised the collar of the suit jacket and zipped it to resist the chilly spring breeze.

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A wild boar looked at this side from a distance on the ridge beside the official road, about 300 meters away, just in the effective range of Mosin Nagan's gun. Kang Fan jumped out of the carriage, shot on his knees, and the gun was

After the sound, the wild boar fell down. The intelligence personnel applauded, and an intelligence personnel rode over and picked up the wild boar. Dinner was available.

Mei Xiang popped out in panic, thinking she had met a bandit. Kang Fan hurriedly explained: "It's okay, a wild boar."

"Why are you shooting me if you're okay? That wild boar has provoked you?!" Mei Xiang frowned.

Kang Fan quickly put away his gun, "I won't shoot it anymore."

Mei Xiang gave him a good look and then retracted her head.

After dark, we stopped in a leeward valley. We set up a tent, set up a bonfire, and prepared to camp. Meixiang thought the wild boar meat was too fishy and did not eat it. Kang Fan then brought Yu Ningwu from those

The food company produced a wide variety of military cans produced by the food company, picked a bucket of canned tomatoes and beef. It was heated on the fire, and then cooked millet porridge in an aluminum lunch box, and took a few military biscuits into Meixiang's car.

"Plum Xiang, try the field rations of our Jin army." Kang Fan said.

Mei Xiang had just woken up and was not as good as dressing up. She had a natural and close beauty. Kang Fan couldn't help but be fooled by it.

"What, what happened?" Mei Xiang asked.

Kang Fan smiled, "No. Just look at your wife."

Mei Xiang heard the term "wife" from him for the first time, and was a little surprised, "Kang Fan, are you willing to admit that I am your wife?"

Kang Fan scratched his head embarrassedly, "Isn't it a bit ugly? If it sounds ugly, I won't scream that."

"It sounds a bit ugly, not as good as my wife." Mei Xiang smiled.

Kang Fan did not answer the conversation and carefully put the food, "Eat while it's hot, my brothers and I will go eat the wild boar."

Mei Xiang held him, "Kang Fan, I want to hear you call me 'wife'."

Kang Fan smiled, "I will call you this every day after I marry you."

"But we can't go back to that era, Kang Fan, and you will never recognize me like this in your life?" Mei Xiang asked.

Kang Fan's eyes became firm and he said word by word: "We can definitely go back, we must go back, otherwise I can't explain to your parents... In that case, I will be a sinner for the ages."

Mei Xiang stopped arguing with him and lowered her head and ate silently.

Kang Fan and the intelligence personnel ate wild boar meat together, and told them to go back to the tent to rest. He stood alone in the dark night. Several intelligence personnel came to change the duty after falling asleep in the middle of the night, and then he got into Mei Xiang's car.

Inside, she was ready to go to bed. Mei Xiang was sleeping all the way and was no longer sleepy at this moment. She was knitting sweaters for Kang Fan with a flashlight. Seeing him coming in, she moved to the side so that he could sleep as spacious as possible. Kang Fan was next to Mei Xiang

Lying down, he covered his cotton coat with him. The cotton coat was warm and fragrant, and Kang Fan quickly fell asleep.

In the second half of the night, the intelligence personnel on guard had a fight with a group of wild wolves, repelling the wolves' harassment of the war horses. This battle was not worth mentioning, but it left everyone sleepless, so they packed up and moved forward in the dark.

After all, Meixiang fell asleep again, throwing her sweater aside. Kang Fan pulled out an arm that was tightly held in her arms and got up to drive.

It was dawn, the sun was shining, and the morning mist in the wilderness slowly dissipated. I walked all the way, getting closer and closer to the capital, and there were more and more pedestrians on the official road, and villages and towns appeared far and near, which was lively.

The atmosphere attracted Mei Xiang. She came out of the carriage and sat next to Kang Fan, looking at the surrounding scenery in a comfortable mood. The cool spring breeze blew her hair, and a few hairs were brushed on Kang Fan's face, itchy.

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"Adolf and Red Rabbit will be all there when they come." Mei Xiang said, "You and I are not at home, they run around by themselves. The classmates will definitely feed them to a fat, thick, old, and fat."

Kang Fan said: "That would be fine, I will approve them to retire from the army and be a full-time guardian."

"It would be better if you retire and stay with me at home, and I will feed you fat too." Mei Xiang said.

Kang Fan was silent. Mei Xiang felt his heart trembling: For this passionate young man with lofty ambitions, in such an era, it would be better to kill him if he wanted to be a mediocre civilian.

Although Mei Xiang knew this very well, she could not help but want to express her inner wishes. She knew that Kang Fan also wanted to live like she wanted, but he was a man, a soldier, and that kind of life

The sense of responsibility and mission that is closely driven by his own responsibility and mission has to do something, for his country, for his family, for others or for himself.

When the convoy entered the capital, the palace guards came to pick him up immediately. The intelligence personnel were arranged to rest at the post station. Kang Fan and Mei Xiang went directly to the palace to pay homage to Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi.

Cixi actually likes Mei Xiang very much, because she is very kind and has beautiful facial features; the other is that she is superb in medical skills and proficient in English, and can be said to be both talented and beautiful. Therefore, she intends to keep her in the palace to serve the marquis and Ronglu's emotions.

It doesn't matter, it's Kang Fan that he was too concerned. But unexpectedly, Mei Xiang ignored the superior life in the palace, fought with her life, and insisted on following Kang Fan back to Ningwu, which was something Cixi had never expected, and she felt a little upset. This time,

After entering the palace, Guangxu mediated it, Kang Fan and Mei Xiang had the opportunity to meet Cixi together, and only then did they realize the whole story, which also dispelled their concerns.

After carefully treating Mei Xiang in Cixi, she felt good, so she met Mei Xiang and Kang Fan in her bedroom, so she spoke very kindly and did not have the majesty of the empress dowager. After listening to Guangxu's introduction, she became interested in Kang Fan.

"Since you are such an extraordinary person, what do you think of the reforms that the court has discussed recently?" Cixi asked.

It was the first time Kang Fan saw Empress Dowager Cixi, and he couldn't help but sigh: This strong woman who has experienced the Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty and Guangxu dynasties, regardless of praise or criticism, can only ascend to the highest decision-maker in China and stabilize the country and the country. A century of achievements is enough to make a great book on history. If I remember correctly, Empress Dowager Cixi should be a 63-year-old woman. Apart from being luxuriously dressed, Kang Fan did not see anything different from ordinary people. Place.

Mei Xiang saw that he didn't speak for a long time, secretly pulled his sleeve. Kang Fan understood and hurriedly said, "The officials believed that the reform is good, to plan for the prosperity of the country, the stability of the country, and the people. Welfare should be praised. However, our Qing people inherited the precipitation of Middle-earth culture for thousands of years and suddenly implemented the Western national policies, and may not be able to adapt from top to bottom. Once the implementation of reforms is blocked, political turmoil and people's hearts will be dissatisfied. Stable. We must take time and use Western strategies as references, take the essence, remove the dross, dissolve the essence of Middle-earth culture, and plan appropriate strategies. We should not follow the script and imitate them all, and we will receive good or bad. The state has its own national conditions, and the family has its own Family rules are different, so you must not act on the action of applying the skin to my flesh. Therefore, you should not be eager to achieve the reforms, and haste will not be achieved. You should proceed step by step, make far-sighted and cautious."

After hearing this, Cixi couldn't help but nodded in praise and asked, "What about your opinion?"

Kang Fan said: "Xiaoguan believes that the Qing Dynasty has a vast land and abundant resources, and has the superior conditions for developing a strong economy. However, modern science and technology lags behind the Western powers. The development of agriculture, industry, commerce and other industries is lagging behind, and the national living standards are compared with those of the Western powers. It cannot be said that people with malnutrition are everywhere. The problem of food and clothing has not been solved yet, and there is no way to talk about anything else.

Agriculture is the foundation of a country, and industry is the foundation of a strong country. For thousands of years, I have been building a country with agriculture, but I have never changed the old-fashioned way of relying on the heavens to make a living. If natural disasters occur, hungry people will gather, and it will become the main cause of civil strife. The current plan First, we should vigorously develop agriculture, forcefully implement policies that encourage farming to benefit farmers, advocate the adoption of new crop seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural machinery, promote advanced farming and planting technology, build drought-resistant and flood-resistant farmland water conservancy facilities, and establish and serve agriculture Industrial enterprises, transportation facilities, etc., such as abundant grain and cotton, breeding, agricultural products processing industry, etc., will prosper. When agriculture is prospered, the development of industry will have a reliable support, and prosperity is reasonable. The prosperity of industry is prospered and the new armament is Self-made means to be able to do it at will, and finance, medical care, education, business, etc. that serves industry will also flourish. This is a gradual and interlocking principle.

The lower officials estimated that if this happens, our country will be rich within twenty years. The country will be rich, the people will be rich, and the army will be strong. Do not change the political system at the moment, and small things can be moved. If the major policies are changed, they may cause chaos. No radicalism can be achieved. After the country is prosperous and the people are strong, it will not be too late to follow the trend and make major changes."

Cixi turned her head to look at Guangxu and asked, "Do you agree with the Prime Minister Kang's view?"

Guangxu smiled and said, "What the Prime Minister Kang said is very true, but twenty years have passed!"

Cixi looked at Kang Fan and Mei Xiang, smiling, "The two heroes and beauties, talented men and beautiful women are really made of heaven and earth. It is a joyful and tremendous."

Kang Fan and Mei Xiang looked at each other and smiled, bowed to salute. Mei Xiang said, "Thank you for your praise."

Cixi suddenly smiled mysteriously and asked Kang Fan, "I don't know how to use the money of the Japanese pirates robbed by the prefect Kang?"

Kang Fan also smiled tacitly, "Now Shanxi and Tianjin's construction funds are all produced from now on."

"The funds from the Jingtai Railway were also issued from now on?" Cixi asked again.

Kang Fan replied: "That's right."

Cixi smiled with satisfaction, "Last year, Shanxi paid the court's profits and taxes much higher than in previous years. When the treasury was empty and the silver was outflowing, these money and goods were a timely help to solve the urgent needs of the court. Prefect Kang should have made great contributions."

Kang Fan replied: "This is a matter for the lower official. The Empress Dowager is so serious."

Cixi took out a pair of jade carved mandarin ducks and said, "The money of the Japanese pirates robbed by the prefect Kang is all obtained by personal efforts. They could have been kept for their own use, and the court will not interfere. Su Wen Hu Pinzhi and others reported: You are selfless, and the money you have obtained is

Use all the places to build, and enrich our land and water. Such a great righteousness is rare! This pair of white jade mandarin ducks give you two, showing a kindness to treat you."

Mei Xianghuan took it happily and looked at it with love: this is a pair of mandarin ducks with both shape and spirit made of white jade. Each one is the size of a palm, round and translucent, flawless and exquisite.

Cixi said: "This is white jade with mutton fat, produced from Kunlun Mountain. The two jades are born in one place, which is very magical. Now that the two of them have this beautiful jade, they should support each other and cherish each other, and do not let my heart down."

Kang Fan and Mei Xiang hurriedly thanked each other and were overjoyed.

Cixi asked, "I heard that the Prime Minister Kang can come and go freely between heaven and earth, calling the wind and rain, is it true?"

Kang Fan couldn't help but be surprised: I'll know this so quickly? The news from the court was so well-informed! He said: "The Xiaguan and the people of the same clan made a machine together, called an airplane, which can ascend to the sky and fly. If the Empress Dowager is interested,

Follow the official to take a plane to play in the clouds."

Cixi hurriedly said, "I'm exempted. It's better to use it for the magistrate Kang."

Guangxu said from the side: "Prince Kang can really be called a god."

Kang Fan smiled, "With the help of the machine, everyone can do it from heaven to sea, nothing magical. The emperor can kill the lower officials with such praise."

Guangxu said: "The people of the Qing Dynasty are 400 million, and you are the only one in heaven! Why is my name too much?"

Cixi smiled and said, "I heard that the eight-legged car of the prefect Kang was walking, and the sound was like thunder, squirting clouds and mist, and the wind was running at lightning. There was nothing to fear about the mountains and rivers, like walking on flat ground. Is it true?"

Kang Fan said: "This is a car. Nowadays, the great powers have it, and several foreigners can also be seen using it in China. However, the foreigners' cars are far inferior to those of the lower-ranking cars!"

Cixi smiled and said, "Wei Yuan advocated 'learning the skills of the barbarians to control the barbarians'. Now the skills of the governor Kang are very good at the barbarians. How can we promote them again? It is because you and other foreigners have become your teacher."

Kang Fan said: "Mr. Wei Yuan has been worried about the country and the people all his life, and is actually a driving force for our country's idea of ​​advocating reform and strengthening. His ancestors praised Mr. Wei Yuan's ideas more and more, so they went to the United States to study hard and strive for strengthening.

The people of this tribe, who came with their ancestors, grew up in the United States since childhood, were taught by their ancestors, studied advanced Western technology hard, and had more than 20 years of face to gain the knowledge of today. As the saying goes, "Learn from the skills of the barbarians to control the barbarians."

It's right."

Guangxu said: "The reform must be done, and time cannot be waited."

Cixi looked at Mei Xiang and smiled, "I don't know if Mei Xiang Bingxue is smart or the Western medical skills are unique. Now my disease is treated with Mei Xiang, which is much more comfortable."

Mei Xiang said: "Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine each have their own strengths, and there is no saying which one is better or worse. Symptom-based diagnosis is the first priority."

Cixi held Mei Xiang's hand, "I hope I can stay in the palace for a while and sleep and eat with me."

Mei Xiang turned to look at Kang Fan. Kang Fan hurriedly said, "The Empress Dowager is kind, just follow it."

Later, Kang Fan heard Mei Xiang say that Cixi was not seriously ill. The imperial doctor in the palace usually cared for her body well, but no matter how superb the medical skills were, she would not have Mei Xiang’s modern beauty skills and health care methods. Cixi asked

Mei Xiang was so surprised that she loved the novel beauty products Mei Xiang used for her. Therefore, if Mei Xiang could not let Cixi master her set of things, she would definitely not be able to leave. As for those beauty products

Ningwufu has some products and various daily chemical products, and you can send them to the palace at any time when you need them.

Kang Fan burst into laughter after hearing this.