Seeing Weng Tonghe's calm tone and smile on his face, Zhao Jiahua knew that the old man was quite satisfied with his return.
"Sir, don't say that. From now on, we adults will still rely on your support in the court. When we came, we told the younger one that he will obey the emperor's orders from now on."
After listening to Zhao Jiahua's words, Weng Tonghe's eyes shone with golden light. He looked Zhao Jiahua up and down, and then said: "The world is in turmoil. It is the time when a wise king uses force. Your family can see from this. You can be considered loyal to the king and patriotic."
The two sides just said a few words indifferently, but they had already expressed their respective intentions clearly. Liu Hai wanted to join the current emperor, and Weng Tonghe also accepted Liu Hai on behalf of the emperor.
Although the two sides have not yet established any trust, they can be considered to have basic mutual trust.
Weng Tonghe chatted some other gossip with Zhao Jiahua and wanted to send him away, but Zhao Jiahua still wanted to see Emperor Guangxu, so naturally he couldn't just leave, so he asked him to leave.
"Sir, sir, I have been studying for many years but have never seen Tianyan. Can you please speak kindly to the emperor so that I can remonstrate with you and become the emperor?"
When Weng Tonghe heard these words, he felt a little angry. You didn't even know who you were, and you asked to see the current emperor.
Weng Tonghe was about to reject him, but when he saw the uncertain light in Zhao Jiahua's eyes, he immediately stopped what he was saying.
What Weng Tonghe is thinking now is that if Zhao Jiahua wants to see the current emperor, it may not be because he wants to see him, but because Liu Hai has orders to let him see the emperor face to face.
After thinking of this, Weng Tonghe also laughed, "What's so difficult about this? You wait in the inn for two days. Once there is news, I will send someone to inform you."
After hearing what Weng Tonghe said, Zhao Jiahua was satisfied and said goodbye.
In the afternoon of the same day, Weng Tonghe rushed to the palace to meet Emperor Guangxu and told Emperor Guangxu everything about Liu Hai's intention to surrender.
Emperor Guangxu's efforts to win over the courtiers during this period were not going smoothly. Now that he heard that Liu Hai, the governor of Liangjiang, wanted to join him, he was naturally overjoyed. His efforts to win over the officials during this period finally came to fruition.
Finally, Weng Tonghe said that the envoy sent by Liu Hai wanted to see the emperor.
Emperor Guangxu also wanted to see the person sent by Liu Hai, so he agreed in person and received the envoy in the Yangxin Hall in the afternoon of the second day.
After Weng Tonghe returned to the mansion, he sent a letter to Zhao Jiahua, asking him to make preparations and go with him to the palace to pay greetings to the emperor the next day.
Zhao Jiahua was also surprised when he received Weng Tonghe's letter. He did not expect that Weng Tonghe would be so honorable in front of Emperor Guangxu.
Zhao Jiahua was ready to stop the business early the next morning and kept waiting there. It was almost noon when someone led him to Weng Tonghe's house again.
Zhao Jiahua waited here for nearly an hour before Weng Tonghe came out and took Zhao Jiahua into the palace.
Because he was led by Weng Tonghe, Zhao Jiahua only had to be searched a few times at the various levels of the palace, and then he arrived in front of the Yangxin Hall safely.
Weng Tonghe went in and reported to the emperor, and then a eunuch took Zhao Jiahua to Dongnuan Pavilion.
Zhao Jiahua did not dare to raise his head when he entered Dongnuan Pavilion. Under the guidance of the eunuch, he knelt down and bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to Emperor Guangxu.
After some etiquette was over, he heard a young voice from above asking: "Sir, are you here this time? It's on the orders of Liu Hai, the governor of Liangjiang."
Zhao Jiahua knelt there and quickly replied: "My master Liu Hai has admired the majesty of the Emperor for a long time? I hereby order the youngest to come and see the Emperor!"
Is Emperor Guangxu satisfied? Some things don't need to be said so clearly.
Next, Emperor Guangxu asked Liu Hai about what he had done during his tenure as governor of Liangjiang, and then praised Liu Hai a few words. This should be the end of his admonishment.
But when Zhao Jiahua was leaving, after kowtowing to Emperor Guangxu, he said: "When my master came, he was young and like the emperor. The Queen Mother is already old and she may not be able to take care of her in the palace, so why not Rebuild the Summer Palace so that the Queen Mother can enjoy her old age in the garden."
Emperor Guangxu was also a diligent person. When he heard this, he felt a little angry. How much would it cost to build a garden? The Qing Dynasty was short of silver. If it built more gardens, I'm afraid other places would have to make ends meet.
Weng Tonghe stood aside and listened to Zhao Jiahua's words. He was a little angry at first, but he thought in his heart that Liu Hai was not an ordinary person, and there must be a mystery to the opinion he put forward, so he turned this opinion over in his mind.
Not to mention, although Weng Tonghe was old, his mind was still agile. He immediately thought that if Empress Dowager Cixi left the palace and went to rest in the Summer Palace outside Beijing, she would be further away from the center of politics, although she still had an interest in government affairs. There is a great degree of certainty, but Emperor Guangxu will not be unable to use it as before.
After Weng Tonghe figured it out, he was immediately satisfied with Liu Hai's intelligence and offered such a clever plan to the emperor as soon as he surrendered.
So when Emperor Guangxu was about to get angry, Weng Tonghe stood up and said: "Long live, the words of Liu Hai, Governor of Liangjiang, are golden words. Our Qing Dynasty governs the world with filial piety, and these words of Lord Liu are in line with the meaning of the Classic of Filial Piety."
Emperor Guangxu originally wanted to object, but when he saw Wen Tongshu standing up and agreeing, he immediately stopped talking. He knew that this teacher had been planning for himself. Since he agreed, there must be something in it that he did not have. See the reason clearly.
So Emperor Guangxu nodded, praised Liu Hai a few words, and asked Zhao Jiahua to retreat.
When Zhao Jiahua saw that Weng Tonghe had understood what he meant, he didn't stay any longer. After kowtowing, he knelt down to Emperor Guangxu.
After Zhao Jiahua left, Emperor Guangxu couldn't wait to ask: "What did the teacher mean just now?"
Weng Tonghe stroked his beard and said with a smile: "These bangs are really clever, and they actually made him come up with this idea in a roundabout way."
After Weng Tonghe praised the bangs, he explained the connotation of what Zhao Jiahua just said to Emperor Guangxu.
After hearing this, Emperor Guangxu's eyes became brighter and brighter. As long as the Empress Dowager Cixi moved to the Summer Palace, as time went by, her control of the court would become increasingly difficult. Only then would she be able to slowly take control of the court. in hands.
After Emperor Guangxu thought about it, he actually agreed with Liu Hai's idea. However, when he thought about it, the money for rebuilding the flowers in the Summer Palace was gone. The court did not have so much money to support this major project.
Emperor Guangxu told Weng Tonghe his concerns.
After hearing Emperor Guangxu's concerns, Weng Tonghe nodded. His idea was not unreasonable.
However, there are always more solutions than difficulties. Weng Tonghe only thought for a moment and came up with a solution for Emperor Guangxu.
"Your Majesty, didn't the imperial court stop military expenditures for the Beiyang Navy some time ago on the grounds that it was not enough?"
Emperor Guangxu nodded, wondering what Xiuyue and Yuan had to do with this?
Weng Tonghe stroked his beard and said confidently: "Since the funds are insufficient, let's raise some silver and increase some taxes. Externally, we will say it is for Beiyang's military expenditure, and secretly use this money to repair the Summer Palace. In this way, we will miss the Queen Mother." I won’t have any objections.”
"Wouldn't Li Hongzhang object to it?"
"Li Hongzhang is very cunning. Once he knows the use of this money, he will definitely do it quietly and dare not make any announcement."
Emperor Guangxu was silent for a long time after hearing this, but finally he gritted his teeth and agreed. As long as he could regain his rights, he could bear the infamy.
"Okay, if the teacher gives me some advice on this matter, I will approve it immediately."
Afterwards, the monarch and his ministers discussed the details of the matter again, and after realizing that there were no flaws, they dispersed.
Besides, after Zhao Jiahua met with Emperor Guangxu, he did not immediately leave the capital and return to Nanjing, but stayed in the capital.
A few days later, he heard rumors in the market that the imperial court wanted to raise some military funds for the operation of the Beiyang Navy.
Others did not know the secret, but Zhao Jiahua immediately guessed the cause and effect. He was afraid that raising Beiyang military spending was just a cover.
Sure enough, a few days later, construction work began at the Summer Palace. Zhao Jiahua was satisfied after hearing the news.
Although Zhao Jiahua didn't understand the purpose of Liu Hai asking him to provide this strategy to Emperor Guangxu, he also guessed that if this matter was exposed, both Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi would suffer a huge loss in reputation.
This is his master, setting a trap for these two supreme beings.
The matter was done, and Zhao Jiahua stopped delaying. This time he did not leave from Tianjin, but took a boat down the canal in Tongzhou.
Zhao Jiahua walked on the canal for more than ten days and finally returned to Nanjing.
After returning, Zhao Jiahua did not bother to rest, so he entered the Liangjiang Governor's Mansion and reported to Liu Hai the gains of this trip to the capital.
After hearing this, Liu Hai was satisfied with Zhao Jiahua's trip to the capital this time.
From then on, he finally had an umbrella to protect him from the wind and rain in the capital. Although the umbrella was a bit broken, it was still able to last for a while, and Liu Hai could manage Liangjiang with peace of mind in the days to come.
After he was stable in the court, Liu Hai began to move back and forth between the modern and Qing Dynasty planes, and successively purchased many machinery and steel plants that were now on the verge of bankruptcy.
Liu Hai transferred the equipment of these factories to the Qing Dynasty bit by bit, and built another machinery manufacturing base near Nanjing.
Together with the steel manufacturing base in Ma'anshan, these two places formed the most complete industrial foundation in the Qing Dynasty.
Moreover, Liu Hai is no longer satisfied with constantly buying guns and ammunition from the current plane. He thinks that he can also produce them independently, so that he can avoid being controlled by others.
Therefore, Liu Hai contacted Zhang Tao several times in the modern dimension and wanted to purchase a set of bullet production equipment.
Zhang Tao was also in a dilemma after receiving Liu Hai's request. It was not difficult to give him equipment, but if he had the ability to produce independently, the modern arsenal would probably have a lot less income.