Ruan Zhongshu finally understood Yuan Shikai's intentions, he nodded and did not answer.

What I thought in my heart was: Who can guess your mind with a person like you Yuan Shikai? Anyway, what about others, I don't know, I must have been sold by Yuan Shikai, and I have to help Yuan Shikai count the money.

In order to avoid suspicion, Xu Shichang did not enter the cabinet this time. However, he was appointed Minister of Military Counsellor from the Advisor of the Bytoku Academy, and was later appointed Minister for the Training of the Praetorian Guard. In order to pull him away, the imperial court added him the title of Taibao. knows his relationship with Yuan Shikai, and pulling him is to please Yuan Shikai.

Yuan Shikai's cabinet did not have an associate minister, but retained the position of the former cabinet cabinet successor Hua Shikui, and promoted this position to the second rank.

Hua Shikui (1863-1942) was a famous calligrapher in modern Tianjin. The word Qichen, the number Bichen, Siyan. His ancestral home was Wuxi, Jiangsu, and he later moved to Tianjin. Born in 1863 in the East Gate of the Old Town of Tianjin. Han Chinese.

One of the "Eight Majors" in Tianjin. Because of the abundant family resources, the family often gathers celebrities from all walks of life to chant poems and talk about words. At the age of sixteen, he was selected as a talent. At the age of nineteen, Zhongju was admitted to the Military Aircraft Department from the cabinet secretary and recommended to be promoted to foreman Zhang Jing. In 1911, Yixuan formed a cabinet of relatives and nobles, and was promoted to the cabinet of the Qing Dynasty.

Hua Shikui has no proud achievements in politics, but as a famous calligrapher, his achievements are worth writing. He has a "pen list" on weekdays, and in previous years, various southern paper bureaus in Tianjin received books on behalf of others. At that time, it was called the four masters together with Meng (Guanghui), Yan (Xiu), and Zhao (Yuanli). Because his father had high hopes for him since he was a child, he designated a bibliography for him to study at the age of four, and often stood to write, and his wrist and arm strength reached a superhuman level, creating conditions for him to become the head of the four major calligraphers in Tianjin in the future.

Hua Shikui's calligraphy, true, grass, subordinate, seal, all of which are refined. And the most representative of his calligraphy style is his regular script works, go to the pen to take the bones of the word, the bone force opens, the skill is very thick, there is a pavilion spirit. The five-character giant plaque of "Tianjin Quanye Field" in handwriting, the word is one meter big, vigorous and majestic, which can be described as its representative work. It has been designated as a famous plaque of Chinese dynasties by the state. The "Zhengxingde" tea house in the northeast corner, the "Dechang Gong" in Yiyi Street and other famous business plaques and signboard inscriptions are also his handwriting.

After long-term calligraphy practice and exploration, Hua Shikui combined Su Dongpo's skillful structure and seal's brushwork with Yan's clumsy characters to form a clumsy and clumsy "Huati" calligraphy; Moreover, theoretically, he summed up six kinds of brushwork that are rich in his own personality connotation, namely "lifting, pressing, pause, frustration, internal trembling, and external trembling".

He wrote many plaques, inscriptions, epitaphs, etc., and left many commemorative cultural relics in Tianjin. The calligraphy works are as small as the fly's head and small Kai, and as large as the list of books above the diameter ruler, the structure is very dignified and relaxed, and it is more vigorous and upright in his later years. He is the author of "Poetry Collection". His calligraphy works have also been published by various art publishing houses, such as "Jinmen Huashi Kui Filial Piety Sutra" and so on.

Hua Shikui is Xu Shichang's confidant, and he has always been the only one who looks forward to Xu Shichang. In case of important official documents, Yuan Shikai must approve "Xu Taibao Reading" on the top, that is to say, Xu Shichang is still an important member of Yuan Shikai Group.

It's just that Xu Shichang is particularly knowledgeable about current affairs, and he is also very good at doing things and being a person. Everyone knows that he is Yuan Shikai's person, but even Zhai Hongsui and others, who are incompatible with Yuan Shikai, also like to work with him.

Yuan Shikai was expelled, and no one said anything bad about Xu Shichang, which shows that Xu Shichang is indeed outstanding.

He likes money and doesn't like power very much, and he is not good at power, let alone dictatorship. In terms of using power, his best skill is probably selling his official position and using power for profit.

Therefore, in his cabinet general. When he was a minister, the power was actually still in the hands of Zaifeng, the regent.

However, people are different, and the same position, changing people, is different. General Cabinet of Ministers. What kind of duties are ministers, and what is the relationship with the Qing court represented by the regent? This should be the first thing to be clarified, or there should be a clear regulation.

We all know that Yuan Shikai is a person who pays attention to the charter, but he never talks about this matter.

He seems to prefer this kind of mushy drying.

It's not like he doesn't ask for anything, no. There are generally two characteristics of the things that Yuan Shikai often asks for instructions, one is that there is no other choice and must be followed.

The other is the little things that can be done. Especially for insignificant matters, he can be diligent in asking for instructions. Sometimes Zaifeng is a little annoyed, and he will say, such a thing, the cabinet general. Just make it up.

But no, something smaller than this has to be asked again and again.

However, there were some important matters, especially those that might be opposed by the imperial court, but he did not ask for instructions. Not only did he not ask for instructions, but it was difficult for Zaifeng to know at all.

Even if you know, it's difficult to pursue it, and there is no provision for what should be asked, and what can be done without asking for instructions!

It can be said that since Yuan Shikai became the head of the cabinet. After the minister, the regent Zaifeng seemed to have become deaf, blind, and ornamental, and was almost completely set up by Yuan Shikai.

This is a way that Yuan Shikai has already thought of to deal with Zaifeng. Because Yuan Shikai knew that the most difficult thing for the Qing court to deal with at present was this regent.

Hanyang, on one side is the rolling Yangtze River, and on the other side is the turbulent Han water. According to the danger of Snake Mountain, it is a corner of the three towns of Wuhan, and the geographical location is very important.

Take Hanyang, and Wuchang will have no danger to defend.

When Feng Guozhang attacked Hanyang, he first gave full play to the advantage of artillery fire, and then organized a strong attack. In the first few days, the Beiyang Army and the People's Army won and lost each other, and the battle situation was in a state of stalemate.

On the night of the 16th, Huang Xing organized the people's army, crossed the Han River at night, and counterattacked Hankou.

That night, it was pouring rain, and the Beiyang Army hid in civilian houses to avoid the rain, and was caught off guard by the People's Army. was beaten and retreated.

The Nationalist army soon entered the city of Hankow. Huang Xing organized a death squad and smashed Feng Guozhang's headquarters.

Feng Guozhang was a little dazed at first, but soon came to his senses, organized firepower, and resisted.

Reinforcements from the Beiyang Army soon arrived, and the well-trained Beiyang Army soon gained the upper hand.

The Beiyang Army began to counterattack, and the People's Army was defeated one after another. retreated to the river, but the pontoon bridge was demolished by Huang Xing's order.

Huang Xing was based on the ancient tactics of warfare, broke the cauldron and sunk the boat, put him to death and then came back to life.

Yes, it was true that there was such a method of warfare in ancient times, and it also achieved very good results.

The hard ones are afraid of the horizontal, and the horizontal ones are afraid of the deadly. Therefore, the siege of the city pays attention to surrounding it on three sides, leaving one side for people to flee for their lives, so as not to let people play with their lives.

Maybe it would have been better to be put to death, but no. How many people who grew up by the Yangtze River can't swim, can't they swim to survive?

Therefore, the People's Army did not turn around and fight with the Beiyang Army, but jumped into the water one after another to flee for their lives.

In order to swim across the river as quickly as possible, some people threw away their weapons.

Huang Xing really put the people's army to death this time,

When the Beiyang Army caught up, it was a random sweep of light and heavy machine guns, and the civilian army suffered heavy casualties and suffered serious damage to morale.

The Beiyang Army took advantage of the victory to attack Hanyang, but the People's Army still stubbornly held on.

A contingent of the Beiyang Army, from Xiaojiang to Xingou (an ancient town located at the confluence of the Hanshui and Hanbei rivers, now belonging to the Dongxihu District of Wuhan City), crossed the Hanshui to occupy Caidian, and on November 20, advanced from Caidian to Sanyan Bridge.

Huang Xing mobilized his army to the west to meet the enemy, and on November 21, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle at the Three Eyes Bridge.

Hanyang Sanyan Bridge is located on the highway between Caidian and Hanyang Wangjiawan, the post road leading to the capital in Hanyang in the Sui and Tang dynasties, there used to be a bridge, there are three holes under the bridge, so it was named, and later the bridge was destroyed to leave this place name. In the battle of the Three Eyes Bridge, the two sides were inseparable, the revolutionary army was fierce, and the Qing army was frustrated and forced to stop advancing. The Nationalist army occupied the highlands east of the Sanyan Bridge - Fairy Mountain, Miliang Mountain (Meiniang Mountain), Guodi Mountain, Tangjia Mountain, Mozi Mountain, and Biandan Mountain - blocking the Qing army's way into the city.

On the same day, Feng Guozhang personally led a large army to cross the river from the rudder Luokou (the north bank of the Han River, now Gongnong Road, Qiaokou District, Hankou), broke through the defense line of Miliangshan, and cooperated with the Beiyang Army from the direction of Caidian to attack Miliangshan, forming a flanking attack on the people's army.

The area between Hanyang Sanyan Bridge and Wangjiawan belongs to the Ganglong landform, with dense hills and hills, like a basin circle surrounding the ancient city of Hanyang at the foot of Guishan Mountain. Break through this circle of mountains, from Biandan Mountain to Yuehu Guqintai, spread out a flat lake, from west to east, Tantan swings without shelter, and the ancient city of Hanyang is not in danger to defend.

On November 23rd and 24th, Miliang Mountain and Fairy Mountain were lost one after another, and the people's army retreated to Guodi Mountain and Biandan Mountain.

On November 25, the two Beiyang armies met in the area of Biandan Mountain and jointly attacked the Hanyang defenders. The Beiyang Army drove straight into from Wangjiawan and Shilipu, approaching Guiyuan Temple (Zhongnan Famous Temple, Qing Guangxu Building, now No. 20, Cuiwei Heng Road, Hanyang) and Hanyang Iron Works (one of the Hubei Industrial Bases in Zhangzhidong, the site is next to Qintai Avenue in today's Hanyang District).

The civilian army, which suffered heavy casualties in the mountain battle, was no longer able to organize defenses on the plains. Several Qing troops are attacking like flying locusts, the Han River is not the Yangtze River, and it is very easy to cross the river. The Qing army crossed the river from Hankou in separate routes, and landed along the river from Qinduankou, Shilipu, Wulidun, Guqintai, and Nan'anzui, and the Hanshui embankment collapsed along the whole line, and the people's army trapped in Hanyang City could only fight to the death.

On November 26, the Hunan army that came to support could not stand it anymore, so it withdrew first, and retreated across the Yangtze River and returned to Hunan via Dongting Lake.

The People's Army held for another day, and Hanyang was captured by the Beiyang Army.

Feng Guozhang reported the victory to the imperial court, and the whole court was excited.