On July 30 of that year, Li Hongzhang took Li Gang from Baoding to Tianjin. After some conversations, it was decided that Yuan Shikai would replace Chen Shutang, the commercial commissioner stationed in the DPRK, as another concrete measure to strengthen control over the DPRK.

Yuan Shikai had already received news from his cousin Yuan Baoling, and he was in a hurry. After receiving Li Hongzhang's notice, he immediately set off and rushed to Tianjin in late August.

As for how to escort Li Gang back to China, Li Hongzhang began to worry that the Min Concubine group would resist the sabotage, and was ready to send the navy admiral Ding Ruchang, the chief soldier Huang Jinzhi, Wang Yongsheng and others to lead the army and navy to escort him. Later, it was considered that if this seemed to be too much of a show of force, the Min Concubine group might be afraid, take risks, and generate dissent. In the end, it was determined that Yuan Shikai would accompany him, "he will be able to take sufficient measures and do not need to send troops to accompany him."

Therefore, as soon as Yuan Shikai arrived, Li Hongzhang humorously said to him: "Today, if you are acting, the stage has been completed, the guests have been invited, and you are waiting for you to appear." ”

Yuan Shikai knew the danger of this trip, if Li Gang should be unexpected, and if he couldn't complete the task assigned by Lord Li, he would die with a whimper.

Playing with life, Yuan Shikai doesn't want to do it. He dreamed of being promoted and making a fortune, but if he lost his life, there was nothing. Therefore, he repeatedly requested, but according to Li Hongzhang's initial idea, he sent heavy troops.

Of course, the words on your lips are different from what you think in your heart, "My lord, this cheap life of the villain is really not worth mentioning, you know that our garrison has been withdrawn, and how the Concubine Min group is rampant!" If there is any mistake in the courtyard, delaying the major events of you and the court, the villain will be guilty of death! You must be cautious! ”

In Li Hongzhang's eyes, whether it is the life of Li Gangying, the monarch of the courtyard, or the life of Yuan Shikai, he doesn't care, he is just an insignificant chess piece.

No matter how Yuan Shikai pleaded, it was useless.

Li Hongzhang also made a joke: "When the Koreans heard that General Yuan was coming, they thundered with joy, who dared to resist, the original members were useless, and the soldiers did not need to be punished, only you were allowed to take dozens of sailors to land on the shore and be a guide." ”

Seeing that Li Hongzhang didn't think about it at all, Yuan Shikai didn't dare to insist anymore. Although he knew that this act was auspicious, he did not dare to go against Li Hongzhang's wishes, let alone disobey his orders.

Besides, he didn't want to give up this opportunity to express himself.

Sending Yuan Shikai to replace Chen Shutang, the commercial commissioner stationed in the DPRK, is still Li Hongzhang's personal plan, although the things he decides will generally not change. However, it is necessary to ask for the approval of the imperial court.

Not afraid of 10,000, just in case, he can't tell Yuan Shikai about this. But in order to stimulate Yuan Shikai's enthusiasm, it was also vaguely revealed that Yuan Shikai's information should be reused.

Can Yuan Shikai not hear it? Thinking about how good things can happen to people like himself without experiencing some risks, he can't care so much. To see the infinite scenery, you have to climb the dangerous peak, Yuan Shikai still knows this truth, is it rich and dangerous?

On October 3 of the same year, Yuan Shikai and Wang Yongsheng, the commander-in-chief, escorted Li Gangying to Incheon by boat from the sea.

The North Korean authorities had been notified in advance, but no one had come to Inchon to greet them, and Yuan Shikai felt that it was not good. He didn't dare to get off the ship, thinking that it would be easier to escape on the boat in case of an attack.

He sent someone to send a letter to Gaozong Li Xi, asking him to respect the etiquette and filial piety of the clan and send someone to pick him up. In other words, he is the envoy of the Celestial Empire, and the Dayuan Jun is Li Xi's father, so he should have appropriate courtesy for both public and private purposes.

In his letter, he also repeatedly pointed out that Kim Yoon-sik must be sent to show that the DPRK side has enough sincerity.

After Li Xi received the letter, he knew that Yuan Shikai had concerns, and he also knew that Yuan Shikai and Kim Yun-sik had a good personal relationship, so he was at ease with Kim Yun-sik; He sent Kim Yoon-sik to Incheon to greet him.

Yuan Shikai's most trusted was Kim Yoon-sik, and Kim Yoon-sik told him that he could go with confidence, and he fell to the ground with a stone.

After entering the palace, Yuan Shikai mediated the relationship between Li Gangying and Concubine Min according to Li Hongzhang's instructions.

He said that it had been ascertained that Dayuanjun did not participate in the Renwu Mutiny that year. He came forward at that time because he was coerced by the mutineers, and on the other hand, it was also to protect Gaozong Li Xi.

also said that Li Gang should have secretly provided a lot of convenience for the pacification of the rebellion of the Celestial Empire army in the pacification of the Renwu Mutiny, otherwise the counterinsurgency would not have been so smooth. He also pointed out that the return of Dayuanjun to the country this time is the arrangement of the Qing Dynasty, ensuring the safety of the Dayuanjun, and it is the requirement of the Qing Dynasty to North Korea, and if there is any problem, it will affect the relationship between the clan and the vassal. That is, to warn the Min Concubine Group not to act rashly.

Afterwards, Yuan Shikai explained to Lee Hee and Kim Yoon-sik individually, reminding them to pay attention to some things. Before leaving, he gave the courtyard monarch a self-preservation strategy. Tell him that he can go to Kim Yoon-sik when he is in trouble, saying that he has entrusted his safety to Kim Yoon-sik, and Kim Yoon-sik is also the most trustworthy person.

After settling down the courtyard Jun Li Gangying, Yuan Shikai accepted it when he saw it, and soon returned to Tianjin to resume his life.

After listening to Yuan Shikai's report, Li Hongzhang was very satisfied and paid more attention to Yuan Shikai. Not long after Yuan Shikai returned to Tianjin, Li Hongzhang went to the imperial court and greatly praised Yuan Shikai's deeds of going to the DPRK to send the prince of the courtyard this time, and formally proposed to send Yuan Shikai to the DPRK to replace Chen Shutang, the commercial commissar in the DPRK.

In order to have a corresponding identity, and also to praise Yuan Shikai for his outstanding achievements over the years, "I plan to ask the prefect to distribute it, and after filling the vacancy, he will be promoted to a Taoist, and at the same time he will be rewarded with three ranks." ”

Before Yuan Shikai escorted Li Gangying, the monarch of the courtyard, to North Korea, his cousin Yuan Baoling already knew Li Hongzhang's plans. He once instructed Yuan Shikai not to accept it. He thinks that Yuan Shikai has no fame, he is a white hat, and he can't do anything famous in the position of a civil official. Yuan Shikai's development has to be in the army, and serving the battlefield is a national merit. You can fight for a good background for yourself, and you can also glorify your ancestors.

However, how can Yuan Shikai listen. He was promoted to the prefect, became a member of the three ranks, and sent an envoy to North Korea, what a glorious thing? There is no place to fight, and what you can't even dream of has fallen on your own head, how can you shirk it? Is it mentally abnormal?

When he was at home, he had the best relationship with his second sister and had the most contact with his second sister. His pride was fully revealed in a letter to his second sister: "This eastward crossing, round trip less than a month, although the matter is tricky, but there is no mistake. Originally, he planned to work in the mainland, but it was not as strong as the king's ministers and Zhongtang (Li Hongzhang) insisted that his younger brother go to Korea to serve as a fourth-class minister, and he was also in a small situation. And the envoy and the envoy have always had no soldiers in the subject country, and they are also called stationed, and the words of respect are also. The younger brother is young and shallow, but he was noticed by the Queen Mother, the princes, the ministers of military aircraft, and the Zhongtang are important, so knowing, what to say! In the past, he led soldiers to serve in war, so it was dangerous. At this time, as an envoy, no one can harm the envoy, what is the danger? In today's situation, only the envoy still has a day to emerge. If you lead the troops to practice and there is no war, you will be famous and listen to the sky. …… The younger brother is not thirty years old, and the minister is heavy, and the nine are favored, and it is also a great joy. ”

One has no fame, is not more than thirty years old, and has no experience in politics, enjoys the treatment of the prefect, and becomes a member of the third grade, at that time, I am afraid that I really can't find a second one.

Yuan Shikai's ambition at the moment should not be surprising.

On November 15, 1885, Yuan Shikai went to Korea again. went through the handover procedures with Chen Shutang and took office. This time, when he came to North Korea again, Yuan Shikai was not what it used to be, and he became an envoy of the Celestial Empire.

His exact identity is: "The Prime Minister stationed in the DPRK to negotiate trade matters is also known as the Prime Minister to negotiate trade matters".

This may sound scary, but he has a more important mission, to maintain the suzerain-vassal relationship between China and Korea, and to resist the attempts of Japan and Tsarist Russia against Korea.

For this reason, Li Hongzhang also wrote a secret letter to Gaozong Li Xi, instructing Li Xi: "In the future, I hope to be open and honest in the important affairs of your domestic and foreign affairs, and discuss with him (referring to Yuan Shikai), and you will be careful about the overall situation." ”

In this way, Yuan Shikai is not like the last time he moved into the palace on his own initiative, but has truly become a prison country that is not called a prison country.

Yuan Shikai was originally a person with a strong desire for power, and when he didn't have power, he still tried to grasp power, and when he had power, he was better at using it.

Li Xi was already weak, and he had no idea when he encountered something, so he wanted to listen to Yuan Shikai's opinion on everything first. Yuan Shikai is also not polite, he wants to take care of everything, and he is willing to take care of everything. After a long time, it inevitably aroused dissatisfaction and criticism among the Korean ministers.

Especially the Min Fei Group, seeing that they are increasingly marginalized, they will naturally not be reconciled.