After Yuan Shikai arrived in Shanghai, he got the opportunity to meet Li Songchen on the same day, and it was not in the formal conference room, but in Li Songchen's personal living room, Yuan Shikai did not bring his subordinates, and behind Li Songchen's seat, there was only a young female recorder, holding a pen and paper, and her head was so low that Yuan Shikai could not see her face clearly. In fact, it was a private meeting between the two. Yuan Shikai was very happy about Li Songchen's arrangement, because it meant that Li Songchen still remembered the private relationship between the two, which was very important.

This is also after more than two years, Yuan Shikai and Li Songchen met again, and after the two met, Yuan Shikai found that Li Songchen seemed to have changed a lot.

When he was in Tianjin, although Li Songchen showed the characteristics of shrewdness and ability, but after all, he was still young, compared with Yuan Shikai, he was still lacking in human accidents and social training, so he often showed the immature side of young people, and this meeting, Yuan Shikai obviously felt that Li Songchen's spiritual temperament had changed a lot. This kind of self-confidence is not backed by the confidence of such a powerful political entity as East China, but the confidence in one's every move, word and deed.

On the one hand, this is due to the fact that Li Songchen has had enough time to sharpen himself, and since he has been working in Shanghai for more than two years, he is facing a far more complicated situation than when he was in Tianjin, and he has naturally received more experience and more results, and the accumulation of quantity is enough to cause qualitative changes; on the other hand, it is also because Li Songchen's age has reached 39 years old at this time, although as a political worker, this is still a very young age, but in that era, this is an age that has entered the middle-aged range, so the mentality is naturally different.

In addition, there is another important reason, that is, Li Songchen is married. Just two months ago, Li Songchen officially married Gao Jun, among the elders, this belongs to the category of late marriage, but marriage means maturity for a man, regardless of age.

Of course, Yuan Shikai will not care about the reason why Li Songchen has become mature, but pay attention to the exchange content of this meeting, although this is only a private meeting, but there are many serious things to talk about, not to mention that Li Songchen also arranged a recorder, which means that although this meeting is informal, it is a formal matter.

The two were polite, and then sat down, and then a young woman wearing the iconic dark gray blue dress of East China ** served tea and said, "Governor Yuan, please use tea." ”

After looking at the young woman's face, Yuan Shikai couldn't help but be stunned, and said, "Are you Jinping?"

Li Songchen smiled: "Brother Weiting, you still remember her." ”

When the woman heard this, she also owed slightly, and said, "Yes, I will Jinping." ”

Yuan Shikai said: "What about the plain pattern?"

Li Songchen turned around, pointed to the woman behind him who was about to record, and said with a smile: "This is it!"

At this time, the woman who was making the record raised her head, stood up and bowed slightly to Yuan Shikai, and said, "Governor Yuan, hello." ”

Jinping and Suwen were the two maids that Yuan Shikai gave to Li Songchen, Li Songchen was not polite at that time, and immediately smiled, Yuan Shikai thought that Li Songchen was also good, but after more contacts, Yuan Shikai found out that Li Songchen was not a person who likes women, and Jinping and Suwen didn't know where they were got, and they were not by Li Songchen's side, of course, the people who were sent out were not in their own hands, and Yuan Shikai didn't want to ask much, but he didn't expect to meet here.

Although more than 5 years have passed, but these two maids were among the best in Yuan Shikai's family, and they were also well-behaved and delicate, if they were not sent out, maybe they would be accepted by Yuan Shikai in another 1 or 2 years, and after sending them out, Yuan Shikai also recited the Tao for a long time, so today I saw in Li Songchen that although the two daughters are adults, their clothes and hairstyles have changed greatly, they are still recognized by Yuan Shikai.

In fact, Li Songchen accepted these two maids at the beginning, of course, not for his own use, but because of the lack of population in East China at that time, and the lack of young women, so he accepted Yuan Shikai's kindness, and after accepting it, Li Songchen sent the two to Qingdao to participate in the study.

Jinping, Suwen although is a maid, but originally familiar with some ink, pitch music, plus the age is not very old, belongs to the easier to be brainwashed, the appearance is also excellent, so soon became the focus of the training object, after 3 years of study, both graduated with excellent grades, was assigned to work in the ** department, and later because Shanghai needs manpower, was assigned to Shanghai, and now they are all secretarial staff in Shanghai, and they happen to work under Li Songchen.

Looking at the current appearance of the two, Yuan Shikai also felt that fate was impermanent, at the beginning, these two people were ordinary maids in their own homes, at most they were good-looking, and their fate was either taken in by themselves, or they were given to their families when they grew up, and then they were given to others as gifts, so they knew that this delivery was transferred. Yuan Shikai is very clear about the system of East China, although judging from what the two people are doing now, it is also a thing that the subordinates do, nothing more than serving tea and water, recording notes, and may also help Li Songchen clean up the office, etc., but the identity is not a subordinate, in the words of East China**, this is a person with a formal establishment, and in the Qing court, it is about equivalent to a clerk, not only has a fixed salary every month to support himself, but also a free body, can marry independently, which is completely different from being a maid in his own home before.

After a simple greeting, Jinping withdrew from the reception room, Su Wen sat behind Li Songchen again, ready to record, Yuan Shikai also sighed, and said: "Brother Songchen, I haven't seen you in the past two years, but you are more beautiful now than when you were in Tianjin." ”

Li Songchen also smiled and said: "Awards, awards, in fact, Brother Weiting has also had a good time over the years." ”

Yuan Shikai shook his head and waved his hand again, and said: "There, there, compared to your brother, it's far behind, so it's okay to get past it, then you have your current scenery." ”

Li Songchen said with a smile: "At most, I have jurisdiction over Shanghai, but Brother Weiting is now the governor of Liangjiang, in charge of Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces, speaking of which, Shanghai was originally the jurisdiction of Brother Weiting." ”

Yuan Shikai said: "Brother, don't hurt me anymore, my territory of these two rivers is only half of it at most, and I can still manage this Shanghai?"

Li Songchen said: "There is only half of the territory left, there is nothing bad, at least it is far away from the place of trouble, there is no need to be a funeral for the Qing court, and in this place where the emperor is far away, no one can care, and it is not up to Brother Weiting to decide what to do." What's more, Britain, France, Japan, Russia and other countries have also fully supported Brother Weiting, is it time for Brother Weiting to show his strength? ”

Yuan Shikai laughed dryly a few times and said: "Brother, your news is very well-informed, don't I have no choice! One is you, the other is a foreigner, I am caught in the middle and I am in a dilemma, and I can't afford to offend that side." But I don't dare to betray the country! You should also know that the agreement I reached with the foreigners has no terms for betraying the country!"

Li Songchen said with a smile: "Of course, Brother Weiting's personality, we can still trust it, since Brother Weiting and the foreigners have already talked, then it's time to talk about things between us." ”

Yuan Shikai said: "Of course, otherwise what am I doing in Shanghai?" After a pause, he immediately said: "Yes, look at old friends, there are also them." ”

Li Songchen said: "Okay, let's talk about business, the matter of the exchange area, when does Brother Weiting plan to start, and how to arrange it?"

Yuan Shikai hurriedly said: "You can start immediately, but there may be a little trouble with this arrangement." I'm afraid that the land north of the river still needs you to send troops!"

Li Songchen frowned and said, "This is not the result of the negotiation between Brother Weiting and us at the beginning! And if we want to send troops to collect the land of Jiangbei, then what kind of area is it to replace? Otherwise, we will send troops to capture the land of Jiangbei, and Brother Weiting will send troops to collect the land south of the Yangtze River!"

Yuan Shikai hurriedly waved his hand again and again, and said, "Brother, don't get me wrong, I didn't mean that." You also know that although I am the governor of Liangjiang, there is still a court above me, and I can't trade the land of Liangjiang as a bargain, so it is difficult for me to order the Yangzhou prefect to give Yangzhou to you? Even if I give this order, the Yangzhou prefect may not act according to the order! Even if I follow the order, I am afraid that someone will immediately impeach me in the court. ”

Li Songchen also knew that what Yuan Shikai said was the truth, the power of the governor was not small, but it was not big enough to trade the land in his own jurisdiction at will, although the Qing court was actually unable to control the south, but if Yuan Shikai really did this, the Qing court could only remove Yuan Shikai from his post, of course, Yuan Shikai could not listen to the Qing court's withdrawal order, but that would be tantamount to a blatant rebellion. However, he still frowned and said, "Since this is the case, then why did Brother Wei Ting reach such an agreement with us in the first place?"

Yuan Shikai said: "That's why I want to ask you to send troops, as long as you send troops, I have a way, I can order the officials of the prefectures and counties to abandon the city, your army is pressing, and I have ordered the city to be abandoned, I forgive the officials of the prefectures and counties will not give up, don't you still be able to occupy all parts of Jiangbei without blood? Just send troops to go through the motions." ”

Li Songchen thought about it, what Yuan Shikai said was also a solution, and said: "But in this way, Brother Weiting ordered the abandonment of the city, this crime is not small, if your court investigates it, how can Brother Weiting explain it to the court?"

Yuan Shikai smiled and said, "Aren't we carrying out land exchanges? I can report to the imperial court and say that I am going to send troops to recover the land south of the Yangtze River, so I will temporarily give up the land north of the Yangtze River, and I will definitely recapture it in the future, and I have the credit for recovering the land south of the Yangtze River, and I can also afford it." The court won't do anything to me. ”