The consequences of the signing of the "21 Articles" are extremely serious. Although Yuan Shikai and his staff already knew about it, their estimation of the consequences was still far from enough.

Manchu Qing Zheng. Why is the government considered incompetent. Prefecture? A very important point is the signing of treaties such as "Maguan" and "Xinchou" that humiliate the country. Your Republic of China replaced the Qing court, and the treaty of loss of power and humiliation of the country was signed correctly, how can people not be to this Republic of China, Yuan Shikai and Yuan Zheng. What about the disappointment?

In fact, the signing of the "21 Articles" not only made Yuan Shikai and Yuan Zheng . The prestige of the government was greatly reduced, and it laid the foundation for later history. A few years later, in 1919, the May Fourth Movement broke out and shocked China and the rest of the world. Fire. It is precisely this "twenty-one article" that Suo is.

After signing the "21 Articles," those fanatical populists and militarists in Japan thought they had taken advantage of themselves, but in fact they were the ones who had harmed Japan and the Japanese people. In the long run, the signing of the "21 Articles" has brought Japan into disrepute in the international community, causing the ambitions of these people to further swell and launch a war of aggression, with the ultimate result being that the Japanese country and people have suffered terribly. And it was at that time that the Japanese diaspora in China had a very hard time.

Shortly after the signing of the "21st Article", Yuan Shikai once said to his secretary Zeng Shudu: "I told him that he couldn't buy an inch of land when he bought or rented land. Mixed dwelling, I told him to be in danger as soon as he stepped out of the annex. As for the police and advisers using the Japanese, although they use him, they will give him a few dollars in the month, and they will not care about it, but the right is in me. In my opinion, the treaty can be broken by administrative means, but not by legal means. and all the others, I have the law of destruction."

How effective this move was, Zeng Shudu, who was Yuan's secretary, quoted Japanese people when recalling this incident: "We were imprisoned in the boundary of the attached territory, and we did not dare to leave the attached territory for a single step." "We are called consultants, but in fact, no one cares about it, no one asks."

The signing of the "21 Articles," coupled with the scars caused by Japan's war of aggression against China, and the scars on the feelings of the two nationalities, can be said to have not been healed to this day.

If Japan relied on its strength to force Yuan ** to sign the "Twenty-one Articles", and Yuan Shikai was able to obtain the power of the whole country and climb to the throne of the president, isn't it also by virtue of strength?

If it is about personal prestige and charm, and about character, can this great president be his turn? Not to mention anything else, as for the incident of him betraying Emperor Guangxu in the Wuxu Restoration, whenever it is mentioned, it will be stinked for several miles.

There is no doubt that it was the Beiyang Army that raised Yuan Shikai to the throne of the president.

The foundation of the Beiyang Department was built during the period of small station training, and most of these capable generals under Yuan Shikai also came from small station training. When it comes to Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army cadres, the first thing is the "Three Heroes of Beiyang".

At this time, the situation of the "Three Heroes of Beiyang" was: Feng Guozhang was transferred to Nanjing to preside over the military in the Yangtze River area; Duan Qirui was in charge of the national military in the central government; Wang Shizhen has retired to Zhengding.

When it comes to the "Three Heroes of Beiyang", the first place is, of course, Duan Qirui.

At this time, Qirui, as the chief of the army, not only monopolized the power of the Beiyang military system, that is, he also had the power to coordinate the national military. Most of the new forces of the Beiyang Army were cultivated and promoted by him, and this area became more and more Yuan Shikai's heart disease.

Duan Qirui is different from Yuan Shikai's other generals, the biggest difference is that this person has his own independent thoughts and principles. Unlike Duan Zhigui and others, they listen to Yuan Shikai for everything, and always look at Yuan Shikai's face to act.

In terms of ability, no one under Yuan Shikai can compare with Duan Qirui. If there is a real need, it is really useful to send him over. But people who are capable and have independent thinking also have their limitations, that is, they are not so obedient. For example, this Qirui is sometimes not as expensive as Duan Zhi.

What Yuan Shikai can't stand the most is that Duan Qirui seems to have a soft spot for the republic, and three sentences can only come up with one sentence: "Maintain the republic". What's even more infuriating is that Yuan Shikai listened harshly, but he couldn't find anything wrong.

Not only did Yuan Shikai have a lot of dissatisfaction with Duan Qirui, but Duan Qirui's side was not as good as Yuan Shikai before.

There is such a story in the Beiyang system:

Before Yuan became emperor, the old people of Xiaozhan had already resumed kneeling and worshipping, but Duan Qirui refused. It is already the Republic of China and he still has to bend his knees, and he clearly expressed his opposition.

Although Yuan Shikai didn't say anything about this, he was obviously unhappy in his heart. In this regard, Feng Guozhang, who is also Yuan Shikai's right-hand man, saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart.

Feng Guozhang persuaded Duan Qirui several times: "Zhiquan, don't be capricious, what's the difference between an emperor and a lifetime president?" How is it not the same as kneeling and taking off one's hat and bowing? ”

This time, Feng pulled Duan Yi to Yuan Guozhang to pay New Year's greetings, and knelt down first, Duan Qirui saw Feng kneeling, and had no choice but to draw a gourd in the same way.

Yuan Shikai saw these two generals kneeling in front of him together, he was a little embarrassed, hurriedly stood up, and said with a huff: "Don't dare to be, don't dare to be!" ”

The two of them sat for a while, and then went to Yuan Keding's place, and knelt down to bow down, of course, in their hearts, 120,000 points. How do you know that this eldest young master is sitting still and calmly.

Duan Qirui was angry, ran out angrily, and complained to Feng Guozhang: "Look, the old man is still humble, but the eldest young master is full of arrogance, where to treat us as people!" We have been dogs for the last life, and we will be dogs for the next life! ”

Feng Guozhang also shook his head again and again and said: "Zhiquan, don't say that you are angry, I can't bear it, I will follow you in the future, we can't be dogs for the rest of our lives!" ”

Feng and Duan's dissatisfaction was later passed on to Yuan Keding, complaining that he shouldn't have provoked the two generals of Beiyang.

How do you know that Yuan Keding said lightly: "This is exactly what I want, these two people were raised by old men, and now they are a little bit big." If I don't break their pride, they will be even more terrible in the future, and they will inevitably climb on my head! ”

The Beiyang soldiers all bowed to Yuan Xing that year, and when Yuan accepted their big salutes, he always shouted his son's name and said, "Come and return the salute!" ”

Yuan Keding never agreed, as if he was the future prince.

This is a small holiday, although it makes the generals of the Beiyang Department cold to Yuan Shikai, it is not a fatal injury. The most fatal thing was that they gradually felt that Yuan Shikai was unwilling to tell them the truth, and did everything possible to remove their soldiers.

They think: "The bird is not finished and the bow is hidden, the cunning rabbit is not dead and the lackey will cook!" If the old man no longer sees us as human beings, why should we be faithful to him! ”

Among the "Three Heroes of Beiyang", Wang Shizhen is the most easy-going and has no personality, so Yuan Shikai is the most at ease with him.

After the founding of the Republic of China, Wang Shizhen returned to his hometown in Zhengding, regardless of the politics of the Republic of China. Because Yuan Shikai couldn't tolerate Duan Qirui more and more, he came up with the idea of using Wang Shizhen to squeeze out Duan Qirui.

In the spring of the third year of the Republic of China, Yuan sent his eldest son Yuan Keding to Zhengding by special car to welcome Wang Shizhen into Beijing.

Wang Shizhen said that he had no intention of participating in political activities again, and Yuan Keding said: "It is one thing to participate in politics or not, and it is another thing for my father to invite you to Beijing to talk. ”

Wang Shizhen was forced by the eldest prince like this, and finally came to Beijing with Yuan Keding.

Yuan Shikai immediately conferred the title of army general on Wang Shizhen and sent him to sit in the generalissimo of the army and navy.

The General Office was established on May 9, the third year of the Republic of China, and is composed of the chief of the army, the chief of the navy, the chief of staff, and senior generals specially appointed by the generalissimo. The commanders of the army, navy, and staff were ex-officio clerks, and the first batch of clerks sent were only Yin Chang, Wang Shizhen, and Sa Zhenbing, and then Cai Yi and others were added.

This was a specific measure taken by Yuan Shikai to seize the national military power from the War Department back into his hands.

Since the establishment of the Command Office, the Military Department of the Presidential Office has also been abolished, and Duan Qirui has retired as one of the clerks. The important functions and powers of the War Department were transferred to the office, and the War Department became a non-existent organ.

When Yuan Shikai was in the early days of Xuantong, he generously donated a private house worth 300,000 yuan to Duan Qirui. Duan Qirui has lived in this house since then, and a side door was built in the house to communicate with the corridor of the Quartermaster Department of the War Department, and he often entered and exited through this door.

Since the establishment of the Unified Office, Duan Qirui has not been to the ministry to discuss the official affairs, and all the ministry affairs have been handed over to his favorite protégé, Xu Shuzheng, deputy minister of the army. Xu Shuzheng is Duan Qirui's closest person, but he is the person Yuan Shikai hates the most.

Once Yuan Shikai said that he would transfer Xu Shuzheng, Duan Qirui felt that this was simply Cheng Xin looking for trouble for him, so he couldn't hold his breath and said loudly: "Very good, please remove the president from my post first, what the president wants to do, what will he do!" ”

In May of the fourth year of the Republic of China, just as Japan proposed the Twenty-One Articles, the War Department submitted a request for an increase in staff salaries, and Yuan personally approved it: "If you have a little heart, you should not be able to do this!" "Eight big words.

Since Duan Qirui didn't go to the ministry's office, he naturally didn't look at the official affairs of the War Department, and once Yuan asked Duan Qirui about some official business, Duan Qirui said he didn't know.

Yuan Shikai immediately asked Duan Qirui with a stern face: "Why, I just saw the official letter sent by the War Department, but you are the chief but you don't know?"

After the signing of the Twenty-One Articles, Yuan Keding publicly stated to the people: Therefore, he must submit to Japan, just because China cannot resist Japan; Why can't we resist Japan? Because the army cannot fight, no one is responsible for the affairs of the army department. The government cannot take the risk of fighting against the Japanese.

Duan Qirui is such a smart person, of course, he knows how to advance and retreat, so he submitted his resignation to Yuan Shikai, and went to Xishan to recuperate without approval.

Yuan Shikai deliberately harassed Cai Ye at that time, preparing to let Cai Yi, who had not been in Beijing for a short time, take over as the chief of the army; Later, he felt that such an important position could not be left behind, and finally decided to leave it to his Beiyang lineage, so the post of army chief fell on Wang Shizhen.

Duan Qirui's resignation was of course forced, but it was also true that he was sick, so he went to Xishan to recuperate immediately after his resignation. And Yuan Shikai repeatedly pretended to stay, only allowed Duan Qirui to ask for leave, repeatedly gave extensions, and sent Wang Shizhen as an agent.

Among the "Three Heroes" in Beiyang, Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui have a particularly deep relationship, because he refused to betray his friends, he repeatedly insisted on refusing to officially take up the post of army commander.