coobybook Chapter 264: Cixi sets a trap for Liu Ye
Chapter 264: Cixi sets a trap for Liu Ye
Liu Ye was efficient and effective in doing things, and he finalized the matter in no time. Of course, this was just an intention to cooperate. For a large arms deal, other details still needed to be negotiated separately, but these were minor details and would not be difficult for the people below.
"Liu Ye is here, one man against a whole group!"
These words were not said by Prince Gong, nor by Empress Dowager Cixi, nor by the taciturn Empress Dowager Ci'an, but by the Grand Secretary Weiren. Although the old guy was a bit pedantic, he was still very open-minded. He praised Liu Ye's ability to do things. It was a pity that there were too few such talents in the court. If there were a dozen or twenty more Liu Ye, how could things be difficult to handle?
After returning to the court, the two Empress Dowagers were naturally beaming with joy. In the eyes of Cixi and Ci'an, Liu Ye became more and more pleasing to the eye. In Cixi's eyes, it was beauty in the eyes of a lover, and in Ci'an's eyes, it was full of admiration and praise. There was nothing to say about this young man. No wonder they asked Prince Gong for an official position. What they wanted was to be justified, capable, and talented. The higher the official position, the better it would be for the court.
Ci'an asked, "Liu Ye, this matter has been finalized, but what are the subsequent regulations? Who will control this fleet?"
Liu Ye said in a deep voice, "Queen Dowager, the worry now is not who will control the fleet, but how the fleet can exert its combat effectiveness. Even if all twelve warships arrive, fully equipped with artillery and ammunition, if we don't have the corresponding talents to operate the fleet, it will still be a pile of scrap metal and will be of no help in suppressing bandits. Only when we cultivate talents can the fleet become a mobile Great Wall on the sea border and a powerful weapon for suppressing bandits."
Ci'an was stunned. In her opinion, as long as the fleet was bought back, it would be put to use. It turned out that this was not the case. Without special training, the fleet could not be used!
Ci'an asked, "If it doesn't work, what's the point of having it?"
Cixi said from the side: "Sister, it's not that it can't play a role. Liu Ye means that we need to purchase a fleet and train talents at the same time. Once the fleet is configured, talents will be trained. Then, the power will be revealed..."
Ci'an asked doubtfully, "Cultivate talents? How do we cultivate them?"
Liu Ye took out a memorial from his sleeve, handed it over, and said, "Empress Dowager, Prince, this is the memorial I have made in the past two days. The handwriting has been copied. It is a memorial requesting the establishment of a Shandong Naval Academy. I believe that Yantai, Shandong is located at the strategic point of the Jiaodong Peninsula, connecting Zhili and Lu to the west and remotely controlling the capital. This time, the British and French troops will land in Yantai, in addition to landing in Tianjin. It is a place that military strategists must fight for. I suggest expanding Weihaiwei in Yantai and setting up a naval academy to train naval talents. Instructors can be hired from Western countries to teach courses such as artillery, machinery, ships, gunpowder, and naval tactics. Within a few years, several batches of military talents can be trained for the court. Once graduated, they can board the fleet for internship. Those with excellent grades can also directly serve as naval commanders. In this way, we can gradually get rid of the navy's dependence on Western countries, truly guard the sea borders, and stabilize the local area."
Prince Gong first read the memorial and handed it to Ci'an. Ci'an glanced at it and handed it to Cixi.
After reading it, Cixi asked, "Sixth Master, what do you think?"
Prince Gong replied, "Empress Dowager, I think what Liu Ye has suggested is correct. Yantai is strategically located, and like Tianjin, it is part of the capital's eastern gate. However, we need to strengthen Yantai's defenses to prevent future invasions by Britain and France. This will also provide us with a buffer. As for the establishment of a naval academy, such matters involve foreign affairs, and Liu Ye is an expert. Since he says it is feasible, I think it's okay to give it a try. I will leave it to Liu Ye to handle. If he does a good job, he will be rewarded; if he doesn't, he will be punished."
Cixi smiled and nodded. It seemed that Prince Gong's anger had not completely dissipated. Liu Ye had really offended Prince Gong before.
Cixi snorted and replied, "Liu Ye, look at how Prince Gong defended you. How dare you humiliate him like that? You really deserve to be punished."
Liu Ye smiled bitterly and didn't respond.
Prince Gong sighed and continued, "Empress Dowager, there are very few people in the court who understand Western affairs and warships. Even Zeng Guofan and others probably only have a superficial understanding. Moreover, they are busy with military affairs and cannot take care of everything. I think we can temporarily let Liu Ye, in his capacity as the Governor of Shandong, take on the role of admiral of the future fleet and act as the admiral of the navy. He can handle the training and combat operations. Once the navy is fully established and has combat capability, we can make further arrangements."
Cixi nodded and asked, "Sister, look..."
Ci'an smiled and said, "Since Prince Gong has said so, then let's do as he says. The navy is stationed in Yantai, which happens to be within Shandong. As the Governor of Shandong, he naturally has to shoulder the responsibility."
Cixi laughed and said, "Don't let him get away with it so easily, Liu Ye!"
Liu Ye was stunned and quickly replied, "Empress Dowager."
"Liu Ye, the navy is now handed over to you. However, from now on, the navy's funds will be allocated from the Shandong treasury. The expenses of the Shandong Naval Academy will also be allocated from the Shandong treasury. Not only that, if you want to expand Weihaiwei, you can find a way to do it yourself. You know better than us that the national treasury is now penniless. We can't even raise the military pay for the war in the southeast, so where will the money come from for these things?"
"This one……"
Liu Ye sucked his teeth fiercely. Damn, this woman has such a vicious mind, she wants to tie him up like this? The court has left everything alone, leaving him to raise all the funds himself. Is there still any hope? It seems that he didn't "serve" her well enough last time.
Prince Gong on the side also frowned slightly. He was very clear about the situation in Shandong. Shandong had a small land area and a large population. The people were in dire straits and their lives were extremely difficult. Didn't you see that the Nian bandits were the most rampant in Shandong? The court had stationed two powerful generals, Sengwang and Shengbao, in Shandong, but it was still difficult to quell the bandits. Now the court had to bear the expenses of the navy and Weihaiwei and impose them on the people of Shandong. It was really too much to ask.
Liu Ye gritted his teeth and replied, "Empress Dowager, Shandong can pay for the navy, the academy, or even the entire fleet. I will do it no matter how difficult it is. Your Majesty's grace is so great! However, I have one request. As long as the two Empress Dowagers and the prince agree, I will risk my life to never let you down!"