First of all, we must start with the change in Zuo Zongtang's attitude.After Li Hongzhang reached a secret agreement with President Meng, he sent the Huai army to directly help Huaguo build the railway, and obtained the much-needed grain and grass from President Meng, so that the Huai army could survive and Li Hongzhang's strength was preserved.Originally, the Huai army was stronger than the Chu army, and while it was well-equipped, the quality of the personnel was also slightly higher, which made Zuo Zongtang unbearable, and after many people in the army deserted and ran to Huaguo.Zuo Zongtang's heart was moved, and he wanted to learn from Li Hongzhang, not only to continue to be on the side of the Qing court, but also to ease the relationship with Huaguo, and curry favor with both sides, so as to ensure his status in the northwest Whether Zuo Zongtang or Li Hongzhang did not have the intention of taking refuge in Huaguo, they did this, in fact, it was still a way to be loyal to the Qing court.In order to let Zuo Zongtang still have strength, President Meng continued to plow the land, ploughed back to Xinjiang and helped solve the problems of the border people he didn't want to touch, and Zuo Zongtang's forces could stand on their feet, and they could also curb the expansion of Tsarist Russia, the expansion of Tsarist Russia was terrible, just from the Qing court to plunder by forced signing, and it has been secretly encroaching, Huaguo's military strength can not take care of the northwest for the time being, and then Zuo Zongtang is brought down, and the northwest will become a military vacuum, and it will not take a few years to ensure that all will be occupied by Tsarist Russia.Therefore, Zuo Zongtang and President Meng are basically waiting for each other, however, for the sake of status, President Meng can't go to Zuo Zongtang, he has to wait for Zuo Zongtang to come to him.When President Meng went to find Jiegege, Zuo Zongtang was also busy looking for someone, but it was not President Meng who was looking for him."
Are you going to Qinhuangdao" Jie Gege was a little reluctant and held President Meng's hand.President Meng touched Jiegege's hand with a smile, nodded, and glanced at the Imperial Concubine Li.Since that day to the Emperor Li's concubine once, President Meng actually hasn't looked for the Emperor Li's concubine again during this time, and he is worried that he can't help it.Concubine Lihuang stood up, "You guys talk, I'm sleepy." ”President Meng saw that Emperor Li's concubine was leaving, although she was in this palace, she still said, "I'll send one." ”Empress Lihuang sneered, "No, it's just a few steps away from being so polite today, what to send" President Meng whispered to Jie Gege, "I'll send the imperial concubine back to the palace, and I'll come over immediately." ”Gege glanced at President Meng curiously, he didn't know what to give after such a few steps, but he didn't think much about it, took a document and said, "It just so happens that I'm looking at the repair of the embankment in Henan here, and Princess Katrina Kafu handed it over to me for reference, and I don't understand it." ”"Well, let's take a look at it first, this thing is all calculated by the engineers below, and we just have to take a look."
President Meng smiled and went to chase after the imperial concubine."
Zuo Shuai, otherwise go find Guo Songtao," Hu Xueyan suggested.Zuo Zongtang looked at Hu Xueyan, sighed, shook his head, didn't speak, he still couldn't wipe his face, in fact, Zuo Zongtang and Guo Songtao, the two enemies, used to be good friends, and then turned their faces, literati are light, this truth has always remained unchanged since ancient times.It's not just literati, it should be said that peers are light on each other, are generals used to seeing each other, anyway, as long as they are the same type of people, they will not like each other when they are together.Guo Songtao was the governor of Guangdong at the beginning, talented, whether it was traditional literature or Western science, they were quite insightful, which made Zuo Zongtang, a group of pioneers of foreign affairs, very unaccustomed to it, and stumbled Guo Songtao, who was not good at greeting, in fact, Zuo Zongtang himself was also this kind of person, Zuo Zongtang was not stumped by people like Li Hongzhang everywhere, Li Hongzhang was definitely not the most capable person in the officialdom of the late Qing Dynasty, but he was definitely the most capable one.Zuo Zongtang and Hu Xueyan discussed for a long time, and the next day, Zuo Zongtang still decided to see Guo Songtao, there was no way, who made him embarrassed to find President Meng again.Moreover, looking for Guo Songtao, for Zuo Zongtang, is much less psychologically burdensome than finding President Meng, and if he directly finds President Meng, for Zuo Zongtang, it seems to be a direct betrayal of the Qing court.The two met in Guo Songtao's small courtyard, and President Meng went to find Guo Songtao at the beginning, it was a scene, both of them were wearing civilian clothes, and no one was wearing official clothes.Guo Songtao's official uniform is a four-pocket uniform of Huaguo, and Zuo Zongtang's official mansion is naturally supplemented from the first-class Qing court python robe."
Dude."
Zuo Zongtang opened his mouth with difficulty.Because in the past, it was Zuo Zongtang who suppressed Guo Songtao, because Guo Songtao must wait for Zuo Zongtang to speak first, and when Zuo Zongtang's old brother called out, Guo Songtao was immediately relieved, hurriedly went over and held Zuo Zongtang's hand, and said with a smile: "Ji Gao, no need to be polite." ”In fact, at their age, they have seen everything through, and they don't need too much politeness, Zuo Zongtang and Guo Songtao told each other about the opportunities of more than ten years, and greeted each other's families separately, as if they were separated from each other."
At the beginning, I was narrow-minded, but my brother is still broad-minded."
Zuo Zongtang said sincerely."
Ji Gao doesn't have to be humble, Ji Gao is a great talent in the world, otherwise, he wouldn't be so valued by the president, is Ji Gao here for the use of troops in the northwest" Guo Songtao smiled and got straight to the point."
It's easy to do."
Zuo Zongtang also smiled, in fact, he took this step, there is nothing difficult to do, today's Huaxia, as long as there is the support of President Meng, nothing is difficult to do, nodded, and waited for Guo Songtao to continue.Li Hongzhang built the railway from Datong to Beijing and Taiyuan to Beijing, and Ji Gao built the railway from Yinchuan, to Baotou, to Hohhot, and to Datong.Zuo Zongtang frowned, if he really did what Guo Songtao said, for China, the northwest is stable, but for him Zuo Zongtang, it will be troublesome, such a big project will be spent, but it will be for others to make wedding dresses When the time comes, Xuan Yuemeng wants to enter the northwest, isn't it a matter of one day Guo Songtao saw Zuo Zongtang's concerns, and said with a smile, "Dare to ask, does Ji Gao have the idea of seizing the authority of the world" Zuo Zongtang was startled, hurriedly stood up, waved his hand and said: "Brother, don't talk nonsense about this kind of thing, I, Zuo Zongtang, swear to heaven that if I have such a rebellious idea, I will be willing to suffer thousands of arrows. ”Guo Songtao smiled and nodded, "Ji Gao, sit down and talk, here is just you and me, let's open our hearts today, since you don't have the idea of seizing the authority of the world, whether it is the world of the Qing Dynasty, or the world of President Meng's Huaguo, it is not your Zuo Zongtang's world, building railways and highways, this is a great thing for the benefit of the country and the people, no matter whose world it is in the future, it will always be the world of China" Zuo Zongtang was silent for a moment, his mind was very confused, in fact, before meeting Guo Songtao, He had already thought that Hua Guo would propose a similar plan, but when this plan was really in front of him, he felt that this plan was too big.Why is it that because China is still an agrarian society, an agricultural country, what do you want these wastelands in the northwest and southwest to do, the main resources of the president are now placed in the areas ruled by the Chinese state, and the areas ruled by the country are all in the northeast, the central coast and the southeast coast, the southern coast, the great northwest and the great southwest, the two pieces are too big to reach.Guo Songtao saw that Zuo Zongtang didn't speak, and pointed to the map with a smile, "Don't worry about not having a stage to display your talents, you look at the northwest, more than a dozen countries, and then look at the South Asian Peninsula, India, this large space, the future will be your stage."
However, the premise is that China must be stable, and only when China is stable can China have such great strength. ”Although President Meng has not clearly put forward the idea of pan-Asia, or rather, it only exists in President Meng's mind, and President Meng has not yet informed the world, but on many occasions, President Meng has actually hinted at this kind of plan, and smart and far-sighted figures such as Guo Songtao and Zuo Zongtang can not understand President Meng's eloquence.Once China sits firm, it will definitely expand outward."
Ji Gao, go back and think about it, the president doesn't like to be strong, and the president never makes it difficult."
Guo Songtao said with a smile.t1706231537: