【Only after sleeping, get up, o(╯□╰)o】

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Wang Chenhao was thinking about how to sneak back to Tianjin, but Li Hongzhang happened to summon him, so he couldn't wait to return to Tianjin by boat.

As soon as she arrived at the Governor's Mansion, Wang Chenhao met Bao Qin, who had been guarding the door for a long time. She was obviously coming to the door for her lady to inquire about Wang Chenhao's arrival.

"Mr. Zhongtang asked Lord Wang to come immediately after he came!" Wang Chenhao was about to come to see Bao Qin, but unexpectedly, the leader of the personal soldiers who were in charge of the gate immediately conveyed Li Hongzhang's order.

It seemed that the situation was very urgent, and Wang Chenhao did not dare to delay it. He threw a look at the look that he had gone to see her lady after handling the matter, and then rushed to the confidential room.

When they entered the confidential room the second time and met Li Hongzhang's staff members again, everyone's faces were not only slightly surprised, but more respect.

Undoubtedly, the success of the Incheon Port sneak attack plan allowed Wang Chenhao to establish his position in their hearts in one fell swoop, and no one dared to underestimate him, a young man.

Wang Chenhao did not wear the baron's official uniform sent to him by the court, but was still wearing a black dress. It was difficult to not attract attention in the confidential room.

However, Li Hongzhang and others seemed to be used to seeing Wang Chenhao's dress and did not make any requests to him.

After greeting Li Hongzhang and everyone politely, Wang Chenhao still wanted to sit next to Yang Shixiang, but Li Hongzhang left a seat next to Zhou Fu.

Sitting next to Zhou Fu, the chief of staff of Li Hongzhang's staff group, made Wang Chenhao feel very big. He secretly glanced at the crowd around him and saw that everyone was not too surprised or reacted, Wang Chenhao felt a little relieved.

Li Hongzhang continued to discuss the situation in Fengtian with everyone, and Zhou Fu, under the instruction of Li Hongzhang, gave a detailed explanation to Wang Chenhao.

Although Wang Chenhao had already evaluated the situation before coming, after listening to Zhou Fu talk about the situation, he could not help but think of a classic saying from later generations, "War is just a continuation of politics."

The power struggle within the Qing court has made them terrible at the point of treating the invaders as helpers to deal with political enemies. Li Hongzhang was driven to the shelves to clean up the chaos in Fengtian because he was so popular that he was jealous of the Qing Empire's Hou Party, the Imperial Party and other factions.

The decaying Qing Empire Army command system, coupled with the Eight Banners and Green Camp soldiers who had an era behind the new army of the great powers, seemed very helpless in the face of gathering 50,000 elite Japanese army forces.

This is like the situation when the US military later defeated Iraq in the Gulf War. Millions of Iraqi troops were wiped out by tens of thousands of US troops every once in a while. The one-sided ending can be explained by the word "generation difference".

An army in the same "era" can use the number of troops to suppress the opponent and win, but if a "generation difference" occurs, it is no longer a problem of quantity that can be solved.

Obviously, the Qing Empire wanted to use the number of troops to crush the Japanese army at this time, but several consecutive battles failed, proving that they were futile.

Li Hongzhang and his staff discussed for a long time, but still failed to achieve the result. No matter how much they study, they did not think that they could defend the heavens. Even if they barely kept, they would have to pay an unbearable price.

The confidential room suddenly became dark, and everyone's thinking was retained as they grew older. They no longer looked at problems like they were when they were just starting out. Therefore, they just sighed helplessly, but they couldn't come up with a good plan.

At this time, Li Hongzhang turned to Wang Chenhao and asked with his eyes asking for help: "Does Chen Hao have any good plans?"

Wang Chenhao actually had a bold plan in his mind, but unfortunately he was not sure, so he dared not call him true, just shook his head.

When everyone saw that Wang Chenhao had no solution, they all breathed a sigh of relief for some reason.

However, Li Hongzhang was so experienced that he could not escape his eyes. Wang Chenhao's expression and eyes, as well as his slight hesitation when he answered, could not escape his eyes.

"How many days are there before the armistice period. Please go back and think about it. If it really doesn't work, I'll be able to be captured again!"

Li Hongzhang's polite words made the members of the staff feel ashamed and all bowed down.

Li Hongzhang just smiled faintly and said, "Let's just stop here today! Everyone is tired, go back and have some rest first, and we will discuss it tomorrow!"

Everyone took their leave, and Wang Chenhao was about to leave, but Li Hongzhang called him.

"I just watched Chenhao, you seem to have some ideas? If you have any inconvenient things to say, you can tell me now!" Li Hongzhang looked at Wang Chenhao's expression of wanting to speak but stopped, and suddenly laughed: "What? Where did you do to perform your military chess performance for me that day?"

Wang Chenhao smiled bitterly, and when Li Hongzhang asked the truth, he had to answer truthfully: "I was sure of deducing the war chess that day! But the situation is a bit tricky now, so I don't have that certainty and I naturally dare not talk about it on paper. If I drag down Lord Zhongtang, I will be guilty!"

What Wang Chenhao actually wanted to say in his heart was that the war chess deduction that day was completely based on the historical facts of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. However, history has changed a lot now, and the situation of the war has become a bit confusing. Naturally, Wang Chenhao could no longer blindly copy the historical process and brag with him.

Li Hongzhang smiled, looked at Wang Chenhao with deep meaning, and suddenly said, "Just tell me! I have never made the worst plan!"

Wang Chenhao thought for a while, and then said, "The main force of the imperial court was the Eight Banners and Green Camp soldiers. They didn't know that they were more than one generation behind the great powers. It was no longer difficult to defeat the Japanese army by relying solely on the number of advantages! Therefore, if they continue to fight, they will definitely suffer more and more losses! Japan took advantage of the peace talks to provide supplies to the First Army and the Second Army. Once the war starts again, it will not be Fengtian and the earth. The war may burn to the Forbidden City!"

Although Li Hongzhang was not happy to listen to such words, he had to admit that what Wang Chenhao said was the truth. With the current strength of the Qing army, he was already afraid of being beaten by the Japanese army, so it was not impossible for the Japanese army to attack Beijing.

"As far as you say, you don't agree to continue fighting, and you agree to ask for peace?"

Wang Chenhao nodded, not commenting.

Li Hongzhang frowned and said, "But the Japanese have a big appetite, they pay 20 million in compensation, and they have to seize Taiwan. The court will definitely not agree!"

Wang Chenhao smiled bitterly in his heart. Compared with the Treaty of Shimonoseki, this was already considered a big advantage in the Qing court.

"If the army is not sure of fighting, it will be too late to wait until the Japanese army expands its results!"

Li Hongzhang understood Wang Chenhao's meaning. The decay of the Qing army was clearly seen by the Japanese army, and the more he dragged it down, the more passive he became. If the Japanese army had a bigger appetite and the soldiers were aimed at the Forbidden City in Beijing, then it would not be the current condition.

Thinking of this, Li Hongzhang sighed and said, "Tell me! Your countermeasures!"

Wang Chenhao then said: "Now it is clearly Russia and Britain are competing in the Far East. Britain sacrifices us to win over Japan to fight against Russia. Then my countermeasure is naturally to drag Russia into the water to deal with Japan!"

Li Hongzhang looked at Wang Chenhao in surprise, but he did not expect that in addition to being military talent, he was also well aware of the conflicts of interests between countries.

So he asked, "How can Russia be dragged into the water by us so easily?"

Wang Chenhao knew it was difficult to drag the Russians into the water, but he knew that the Three Kingdoms interfered in the history of the Liao Dynasty. At that time, the Qing government had agreed to ced the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan. As a result, Russia jumped out to oppose it and joined forces with Germany and France to intimidate Japan by force, which eventually forced Japan to give up the ceasing of Liaodong and only asked the Qing Empire for 30 million taels of silver as a redemption fee.

Since there was a lesson in the past, Wang Chenhao thought of the only way to stop the Japanese army from launching a military offensive in Liaodong and prevent the situation in Fengtian from deteriorating.

"Mr. Zhongtang only needs to ask the court for full negotiation privileges, and then release rumors to Russia to express his willingness to ced the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan in exchange for Japan's abandonment of compensation and seizure of Taiwan!"

Wang Chenhao was really unstoppable and he actually came up with such a countermeasure. Li Hongzhang was shocked when he heard this.
Chapter completed!