Chapter Ninety-Eight: Forcing the Palace
In 1912, for the entire land of China, it was really an earth-shaking and intricate era. A sudden force www.biquge.info turn history into a dazzling whirlwind.
The city of Beijing, in the rhythm of the complex orchestra and the rapid strings, staged a great drama of time dislocation and historical displacement. This year's winter of ice and snow is particularly cold, the busy spring is late, and a "forced palace" drama is being staged in both the south and the north.
When the Forbidden City gets dark, all the small doors that enter the palace will be closed, and the large and thick door bars will be added, which will show the dignity of the court and the wealth of the royal family, vividly and vividly, and the momentum is compelling.
But recently, it's a completely different story. There is not a single lamp in the three major halls, it is dark and faint, and there is not a lamp shade on the entire blue brick square, it is empty, dark and dull, and it looks lifeless, giving people a sense of desolation and sadness.
On January 16, after getting accurate news from the south, Yuan Shikai, who got up early in the morning, came to the court to meet the Empress Dowager Longyu, who listened to the government, and personally forced the palace. Yuan Shikai knelt in front of the Empress Dowager Longyu, with tears on his face, urging the emperor to abdicate and implement a republic in exchange for preferential conditions. In the face of Yuan Shikai's pressure, the Empress Dowager Longyu had no idea and could only cry sadly. Facing the orphans and widows in front of him, although Yuan Shikai felt a little unbearable, he was ready to send an arrow at this time. At that moment, he took the opportunity to say that he would "never let down orphans and widows".
The Empress Dowager Longyu was reluctant to express her position, and Yuan Shikai, who knew that this matter was in a hurry, could only retire. But when he came out of the palace and walked through Donghuamen Street, the revolutionaries suddenly threw bombs at him, but they did not hit. In this way, Yuan Shikai just used this as an excuse to say that he was sick and no longer went to the court, and hid at home to plot to force the Qing Emperor to abdicate.
Now, after hearing the news of Yuan Shikai's forced palace, except for the ignorant little emperor Xuantong who was still playing carefree in the palace, the other Manchu clan relatives and nobles began to make a mess.
The next day, the Empress Dowager Longyu convened a meeting of the ministers of the clan and wanted to listen to the opinions of the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty. Ministers such as Prince Qing Yixuan and Pei Zi Pulun all echoed Yuan Shikai's proposal and suggested that the Qing Emperor abdicate on his own in order to win the favor of the new Republic. But he didn't want this to be strongly opposed by Yi Liangbi, Zai Ze, Pu Wei and other pro-noble ministers of the Shaozhuang faction of the Sect and Socialist Party, and while scolding Yuan Shikai for his wolf ambition and living Cao Cao, he also scolded Yixuan, Pu Lun and others for a bloody squirt. Although the two sides had a fierce quarrel, they still failed to come up with a result, and finally had to break up unhappily.
Walking on the road dividing the front court and the back yard in the Forbidden City, looking in the direction of the Zhonghe Hall on the left, there is a palpitating darkness; Looking in the direction of the Qianqing Gate on the right, there are only a few sparse sparks. The Qing Dynasty, which has been around for more than 200 years, has come to this point, and it can also be said that it is exhausted.
Things have been deadlocked, and the Qing family has not expressed his intention to abdicate for a long time, at this time, Yuan Shikai is in a hurry, and he has expressed his attitude to the south. At his behest, the generals of the Beiyang Department began to send electricity to Beijing from all over the front.
In the Yiluan Palace, a eunuch who performed the matter hurriedly ran in and said: "Duan Qirui, the president of the First Army, and others have this chapter played, please ask the Queen Mother to take a look." ”
"Their notebook has been brought to the cabinet, why did they send it to me?" The Empress Dowager Longyu was very puzzled.
The eunuch said: "It was the Minister Wang of the War Department of the Cabinet who sent someone to the palace, and the person from the War Department said that due to the urgent military situation, I can't wait for tomorrow, so I ask the Queen Mother to make a decision today." ”
The Empress Dowager Longyu, who knew that it was not a good thing, couldn't hide the haggard on her face, and said in a low voice: "Read it to me." ”
The eunuch opened the recital and read. At this time, the Empress Dowager Longyu knew. What kind of notebook is this? This is clearly supporting the army and bullying their orphans and widows! Sixty-four people from the Beiyang Army, including Duan Qirui, Wang Shizhen, and Cao Kun, sent a telegram together, urging the Qing Emperor to abdicate, accusing her of obstructing the republic and delaying time.
Mrs. Longyu looked miserable, and as a result, his hands kept trembling slightly. She understood in her heart that Yuan Shikai's meaning was revealed, and this was to be seen by the dagger. She couldn't hold back any longer, and finally cried loudly.
There was only her cry in the hall, and a gust of wind passed through the hall, and the pieces of paper on the case flew to the ground.
In the face of internal and external persecution by Yuan Shikai and the Beiyang generals, the Empress Dowager Longyu could no longer bear this pressure. Inside the East Warm Pavilion of the Yangxin Palace, the civil and military ministers in neat court clothes sat everywhere, twisting their beards and playing with the pearls. Some people are still deliberately pretending to cough and rolling their eyes at each other, but they just refuse to speak first.
Yuan Shikai entered the door with a sad face, and the Empress Dowager Longyu ignored him, her expression was blank, as if she hadn't seen it at all.
"What's the matter, just tell me."
Yuan Shikai was silent for a moment, and began to explain the situation in full: "The party members in the south resolutely disagree with the constitutional monarchy, insist on taking the republic as the national system, and after talking for so long, they only promise that after the imperial family abdicates, they will give preferential treatment, and will be allocated a preferential fee of four million taels of silver every year, and the emperor can continue to live in the Forbidden City, and he can retain his honorific title. ”
The Empress Dowager Longyu was already crying silently at this time, and Yuan Shikai carefully explained: "It's too good to be able to negotiate peacefully." It's always a good thing. The minister once read the history of the French Revolution, and it was a river of blood! ”
"Yuan Shikai, a few days ago, you swore an oath, looking like you swore to protect the Qing Dynasty, and you looked like you were iron-clad, why did you suddenly change your attitude, and now you are threatening the imperial court?" At this time, Tie Liang stood up.
"Yuan Shikai, I want to be at the beginning, if you want the right, we will give it to you; You ask for money, and we satisfy you. Now you are good, but you want to force the emperor to abdicate. Zaifeng couldn't control it anymore and stood up to denounce Yuan Shikai.
Yuan Shikai was very embarrassed, he was really not very kind about what he did.
"Queen Mother, now the morale of the army is weakened, the people's hearts tend to be republican, and the sergeants of the various departments are really unbearable. The southern provinces, which are endowed with financial resources, have now all fallen and have no funds, and if it drags on any longer, the situation will inevitably become even worse. ”
Seeing that no one spoke for half a sound, Yuan Shikai continued: "Queen Mother, in the past, there was a change of dynasty, and there was no indiscriminate killing. In the pre-Ming Dynasty, the thieves entered the city of Beijing, and the blood of the killings was like a river, and the bones were everywhere, and the people of the royal family did not know how many died. Now that our dynasty has changed, it is not easy for the old minister to get these preferential conditions from the side of the Kuomintang, and please think twice! ”
Yuan Shikai was both soft and hard, forcing the emperor to abdicate, and the Empress Dowager Longyu only cared about hugging the little emperor and sobbing in a low voice there.
"Queen Mother, now that the emperor of the Qing Dynasty has abdicated, I will not only maintain my honorific title, but also enjoy a generous annual fee. Looking at ancient and modern China and foreign countries, there is no other! Yuan Shikai glanced at the Empress Dowager Longyu, who was sitting at the top, and began to exert pressure again.
"Now it is not as good as in the past, there are so many foreign countries, and there is an old minister like the palace guard, which can always ensure the dignity and dignity of the queen mother and the emperor after their abdication." Yi Xuan also interjected.
At this time, Tie Liang was already furious, he had long hated Yixiao, a traitor to the clan, and immediately grabbed Yiliang's Chaozhu, pulled it hard, and then glared at Yuan Shikai and said: "Yuan Shikai! You, a living Cao Cao, a wolf-hearted and dog-hearted thing, are a white-eyed wolf who can't be raised, and the emperor and the queen mother value you so much, but you don't want to do such a thing as a traitor seeking glory. We love the Xinjue Luo family, we haven't seen anything, and we still covet this preferential treatment from them? The ancestors of Aixin Jueluo opened up the territory, the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, and that generation had such a broad territory as our Qing Dynasty? With such glory as ours? ”
Tie Liang glared at Yuan Shikai, his eyes red.
"Queen Mother! Now half of the first town is our Manchu children, plus the strength of the Janissaries, as well as the banner soldiers of the three eastern provinces, and the people of the Mongolian kings, who are willing to lead the troops south to destroy this gang of rebels. Stimulated by Tie Liang's bold words, Liang Bi also stood up.
Yuan Shikai just glanced at it slightly, did not speak, but there was a sneer in his heart, these people are just empty words.
"I can't make the decision on this matter, it needs to be discussed by the princes and ministers before it can be decided." Empress Dowager Longyu raised her teary eyes and said.
Yuan Shikai said: "The south can't wait for a long time, and I ask the Queen Mother to agree as soon as possible." The minister retired first. ”
Empress Dowager Longyu nodded and watched Yuan Shikai walk out of the hall, her heart was desolate, at this time, he also knew that Yuan Shikai could not be relied on.