After the morning court session, Prince Gong invited Zhang Zhidong, Li Hongzhang, and Zhou Bing to his residence.
After having lunch at Prince Gong's Mansion, the group chatted for a while before taking their leave. After leaving the mansion, Zhou Bing said to Li Hongzhang, "Lord Li, I wonder how the Beiyang Fleet is doing these days?"
"The Beiyang Fleet, as the first fleet of our Great Qing Dynasty and the sixth fleet in the world, is quite strong. However, it lacks training, which leads to insufficient combat effectiveness."
"Lord Li, the Beiyang Fleet really needs proper training. If war breaks out between China and Japan, we'll have to rely on this fleet," Zhou Bing said.
“I am aware of this, but the navy’s funding is insufficient,” Li Hongzhang said.
"I believe that after the Emp
