After the recovery of Johannesburg, the capital of Transvaal, Pretoria was also recovered. Because Johannesburg did not encounter resistance, the damage was not great, and the overall damage was maintained intact. However, Pretoria was extremely severely damaged due to the tenacious resistance of the Boers.

A small team of cavalry slowly patrolled the city, looking at the ruined and devastated city of Pretoria, Kruger was bleeding in his heart. Because of the mining of gold mines, Transvaal's finances were unprecedentedly rich, and he invested huge amounts of funds in the construction of the capital, but now it was completely destroyed by war.

"Take a photo!" His voice was as cold as the wind on the plateau. "Panorama, close-up, take a closer look, and you must record the degree of damage in Pretoria in a complete and detailed manner!"

Maputo, Qing army camp, headquarters.

Yi Zhengxing carefully looked through the thick stack of photos in his hand. In this stack, there were not only broken Pretoria, but also other destroyed towns, burned farms, destroyed railways, corpses abandoned on both sides of the road, and battlefields with corpses everywhere...

The cruelty and great destructiveness of the war were recorded truthfully by these photos. Looking at the photos that he couldn't bear to see, his eyebrows were unknowingly showing compassion, and more were shocked.

"If these photos could have been sent a few months earlier," Li Hongzhang said calmly. He had been traveling to Anxi Province for many years and had seen too many cruel scenes.

Pretorius's eyes stayed on him for a moment before saying, "These photos will not be of much use to negotiations. We just hope to leave a testimony, a testimony of humiliating history."

After a pause, he continued: "This war has not lasted for a long time and is not large in scale, but the losses caused to our country are immeasurable. We need huge amounts of funds to rebuild our home..."

Is this planning to share the war reparations? The sympathy on Yi Zhengxing's face disappeared and replaced by vigilance. Before he could speak, Li Hongzhang took the lead and said: "Northern my country is suffering from an extremely rare drought that has lasted for five years. But when he heard that your country was jointly invaded by the five European countries, he immediately sent large-scale troops to reinforce without hesitation.

Your Excellency the President may not know that in this case, my country's large-scale troops are sending cross-sea reinforcements to a huge risk - Yuanqi is risking the break of the capital chain and risking a serious financial crisis in my country.

In my opinion, this is a war without victories. Your country has suffered huge losses and our country is on the verge of collapse. At present, huge funds are urgently needed to stabilize the domestic financial economy. As for your country's post-war reconstruction, it may take two years to slow down before our country can have the strength to support it."

Pretorius did not expect the other party to refuse so simply, and he was silent. He knew that the other party was telling the truth, but he could not tolerate post-war reconstruction in a few years. Transva could not wait, nor could he wait. After a while, he said, "I am going to go to Shanghai to visit the prince, and I hope your highness can make arrangements as soon as possible."

"Your Excellency the President is going to Shanghai, I can arrange a warship escort immediately." Yi Zhengxing said without thinking. Now that the negotiations have ended, the other party went to Shanghai to talk to the old man in person. It was not a bad thing. Anyway, he was preparing to return to Shanghai.

He politely sent Pretorius to the carriage. Seeing the carriage leave the yard gate, Zhao Liewen said in a muffled voice: "The shopkeeper has always been easy to talk, and he has no strong intention..."

"Does sir want to take the opportunity to force him?" Yi Zhengxing shook his head slowly, "The Boers are used to being poor, and may not be able to do as Mr.

On the surface of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, a medium-sized ship with a sea soul flag slowly climbed up the river. On the deck, Huang Dianyuan, whose hair and beard were white, looked at the prosperous scene along the coast with emotion, with some turbid eyes full of emotion. There was also some souvenirs for the past.

"President, the wind is strong on the river." Wu Mingsheng, the vice president in his early forties, advised: "We will dock soon, let's go back to the cabin first."

"I want to stay for a while when I come to Shanghai this time." Huang Dianyuan whispered: "After meeting the big shopkeeper, you go back to Groba first."

"Yes." Wu Mingsheng responded obediently. The old man's health was getting worse and worse. This was probably the last time he came to Shanghai.

The ship slowly approached the dock. The passengers on the boat thought they were tired of being on the sea, and rushed to the dock one after another. Huang Dianyuan climbed to the end calmly, and then slowly stepped onto the dock under the escort of several people. Yan Shikuan, who had been waiting on the dock, quickly greeted him and bowed and smiled, "I have seen Mr. Huang."

"How dare you take the shopkeeper Yan to pick him up in person?" Huang Dianyuan smiled and returned a greeting.

"Mr. Huang's words are so bad." Yan Shikuan smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for a few years, and the boss and the boss are worried about it. If it weren't for inconvenience, the boss would come to pick it up in person."

"What the shopkeeper dislikes the most is the welcome and sending him off." Huang Dianyuan said with a smile, and then ordered: "I haven't seen Mr. Yan yet."

Wu Mingsheng hurriedly bowed and said, "Wu Mingsheng has met Mr. Yan in the lower house."

"Mr. Wu, don't be polite." Yan Shikuan saw that he was quite surprised, but he didn't care. He reached out and politely said, "Mr. Huang, please--."

Under Yan Shikuan's arrangement, he rested for an afternoon. At five o'clock, Huang Dianyuan went to Zhennan Prince's Mansion. Yi Zhizu specially held a banquet to welcome him. He did not invite anyone else, but only asked Yan Shikuan to accompany him.

When Huang Dianyuan was young, he had a great alcohol content and was also very good at drinking, especially strong alcohol. As he grew older, his alcohol content also decreased sharply. Due to his health, the doctor strongly asked him to quit drinking. In recent years, he had rarely served glasses. He was easy to understand his situation, so he naturally did not dare to use strong alcohol. He put warm rice wine. The wine glass was deliberately changed to a cube cup, and the dishes were mainly Fujian cuisine.

The three of them have been in friendship for decades, and there is no restraint without outsiders. Besides, they are not young. At one end of the wine glass, they open up talking, and the cups are coming and going, and before they know it, they have already had two taels of wine.

Huang Dianyuan sighed with reminiscence: "The scene when we first met was still vivid in my mind, and in a flash, we were all old."

When talking about the past, Yi Zhizu was quite moved, "Forty years have only been a blink of an eye, but fortunately I was finally in vain."

After looking at him, Huang Dianyuan poured a glass of wine and drank it in one sip, then said, "This year, it's time to change the term?"

Yi Zhizu smiled and said, "It's great."

Huang Dianyuan said in surprise: "King Gong wants to be re-elected?"

"No." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "It should be Suzhou."

"Brother Guocheng is in his early sixties?" Huang Dianyuan said slowly: "Do you really not plan to serve as Prime Minister?"

Yi Zhizu smiled and said, "Isn't this better now? Why bother to make trouble?"

"I think it's good now." Yan Shikuan interrupted: "No one dares to ignore it if you want to manage things. If you want to be idle, you can ignore it. You have financial power in your hands, military power in your hands, and public opinion. There is no need to be a prime minister."

After a moment of silence, Huang Dianyuan said: "Let the Qing Dynasty last for thousands of years?"

"A generation can only do the things of one generation." Yi Zhizu sighed, then poured himself a drink, put down the wine glass, lit a cigarette casually, and then said slowly: "my country's three thousand years of feudal autocracy, culture, tradition, and thoughts are deeply rooted. Although we have spared no effort to promote constitutionalism and republican ideas and to popularize education in the past forty years, our country still has a long way to go if we want to implement republic.

Every generation has a mission of each generation. Each generation has limited energy and time, and it is also limited by the times. It is not that I don’t want to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, but that the time is not.

The mission of our generation is to sow seeds and consolidate the foundation. As for overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and abolishing the constitutional monarchy, that is the mission of the next generation."

Huang Dianyuan said a little depressedly: "I don't care whether it is a constitutional monarchy or a republic. What I care about is to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. With Yuanqi's current strength and the prestige of the country, it is easy to change the dynasty."

"Since the king has established a constitution, what's the point of changing the dynasty?" Yi Zhizu smiled and paused. He continued: "If I could have been born a hundred years earlier, I would have changed the dynasty without hesitation. But now, there is really no need.

Our country is different from England. England has never had peasant uprising changes in dynasties. Although our country has a long feudal monarchy era, it has frequently changed dynasties through peasant uprisings, which is what the saying goes, emperors take turns.

Therefore, for our country, the constitutional monarchy system cannot exist for a long time. Even the Han emperors, even if they are a fair monarch, will it be difficult for them to last. If that is the case, why should I bring disaster to my descendants?"

Speaking of this, he slowed down and said, "There is the most important point. If I become an emperor, may I still be the constitutional ruler of Xujun?"

After hearing this, Yan Shikuan smiled and said, "That is definitely an autocratic monarchy! And it is arbitrary and tyrannical!"

"Actually, I am unwilling to be the Prime Minister, because of this concern." Yi Zhizu said in a relaxed tone: "If I become the Prime Minister, I will definitely undermine the parliament, just like declaring war on the five countries this time. If it is handed over to the parliament for discussion, it will not be possible!"

Huang Dianyuan said: "So, our country's national conditions must be arbitrary!"

"The so-called autocracy is dictatorship." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "Although dictatorship does not conform to the historical trend and the trend of the times, you can make appropriate changes and change one surname to a political party."

Huang Dianyuan felt relieved after hearing this. This meant that the constitutional monarchy would eventually be overthrown, which means that the Qing Dynasty would still be overthrown. Even if he might not see that day in his lifetime, he could at least feel at ease.

The next morning, at 8 o'clock, Huang Dianyuan took Wu Mingsheng into Changliu Bookstore on time.

Although Wu Mingsheng is the vice president of the South China Association, he has been traveling around Europe and America over the years. This is the first time he can easily be content with it. He is inevitably a little nervous. He knows very well that although the other party is not the supreme emperor of the Qing Dynasty, his power is above the emperor and the prime minister. After bowing respectfully, he stood behind Huang Dianyuan with his hands down.

Yi Zhizu looked at him and smiled and said, "No need to be restrained. President Huang mentioned you in letters many times."

Huang Dianyuan added, "The promotion of you to vice president is also the proposal of the big shopkeeper."

After hearing this, Wu Mingsheng bowed quickly and said, "I will live up to the grace of the shopkeeper for promoting trust."

The South China Association has now developed into the world's largest Chinese gangster, with its business spread all over the world and is one of the most important sources of funds for Yizhizu. Huang Dianyuan brought him to Shanghai this time to prepare for abdication and giving up the wise.

"Forty years ago, because of our country's ban on smoking, Britain did not hesitate to use force to open the door of our country." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "Now that our country will use his own way to do it, it will inevitably be banned by Western countries. Therefore, we must prepare for the future.

Nanhua will not be able to go all the way to black, nor can it put all the eggs in one basket, and must divide some of the energy into other legitimate businesses."

"Subordinates obey the order." Wu Mingsheng said without hesitation.

Yi Zhizu said slowly: "The conflict in South America may become increasingly greater. This is an opportunity, so pay more attention."

"I understand."

Yi Zhizu looked at Huang Dianyuan and smiled and said, "Brother Rong is rarely coming to Shanghai. I will stay for a while this time. It just so happens that I am free during this period. I have time to spend with you more time."

Huang Dianyuan smiled and bowed, "I have this intention, so I'd rather obey my orders than respect."

Suzhou River Park.

The park is quite lively during the day, with old people playing cards, chess, walking birds and drinking tea everywhere, and many people who are also talking about stalls, but the audience is basically old men and ladies, and they rarely see children and young people. Of course, holidays are a different scene.

Sushun, wearing a long robe, reconciled with Xiuyuan, walked side by side, and talked softly all the way. The negotiations had ended. Both of them did not rush to return to the capital, but stayed in Shanghai to wait, waiting for the court to lift the will of Prince Chun Yihuan, the commander of Shengjing Military Region. This matter not only concerns the northeast, but also the stability of the capital. Sushun did not want to return to the capital and come to Shanghai again.

Suzhou River Park is not very famous in Shanghai, nor is it a famous attraction, but it is a gathering center for the elderly in Shanghai, especially the retired old workers and staff.

Su Shun came here specifically, mainly to learn about the retirement and pension system in person. The court officials criticized Yuan Qi's unique system. The reason was very simple. The officials who retired from the court had no pension, but Yuan Qi's staff and workers had them, so they were naturally unbalanced.

The two of them walked around and casually found some old men and women to chat. After learning about the situation, they sat down on a relatively secluded wooden chair by the river to rest. "The longer the time, the greater the amount of pension that needs to be paid. What exactly did Yuanqi think?"
Chapter completed!