There was intrigue in the Heart Cultivation Palace, and it was not calm outside the Forbidden City, Yuan Shikai returned to his apartment in Xila Hutong in a cold sweat, and he didn't even have time to change his soaked clothes, so he summoned two henchmen to discuss the situation.

These two henchmen are not ordinary characters, but old people who have followed Yuan Shikai for many years, one is called Ruan Zhongshu, the word Douzhan, the person is born, and the chapter is written with flowers, and is the chief copywriter of Yuan Mu, and the other is called Yin Mingshou, the word Peizhi, the grandson-in-law of Tan Zhonglin, the former governor of Liangguang, the grandson-in-law of the Hanlin Academy, although he has never entered the Yuan Mansion of the Shogunate, but he is a friend of Yuan Shikai and his think tank.

Yuan Shikai sat down in the study, picked up a cup of hot tea, and put it to his mouth, only to find that his hands were still shaking, sighed, put the tea cup back on the desk, looked at the two people in front of him, and saw that their faces were also cloudy.

Everyone's anxiety can be understood, as soon as the Jiujiang telegram came out, even the British minister sent someone to inquire, wanting to probe Yuan Shikai's tone and see what his relationship was with the "Commander-in-Chief Zhao", even the foreigners were suspicious, not to mention the princes of the court who were full of Han Dynasty, even Ruan Zhongshu and Yin Mingshou were a little suspicious, always thinking that Yuan Shikai had something to hide from them, no wonder Yuan Shikai's first thing after getting the telegram was to abscond in disguise, and even his family members were entrusted to the British for protection.

If it weren't for the British minister and Prince Heqing rushing to stop him, I'm afraid Yuan Shikai would have fled to the Tianjin Concession, and then there would be no drama in the Forbidden City.

That scene was not Yuan Shikai's own idea, but Ruan Zhongshu's planning, coupled with the support of the British, Yuan Shikai had the courage to go to the Forbidden City to act, but even so, after this scene, he Yuan Shikai was also prostrate, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

"My lord, you really don't know that Zhao Bei?" Yin Mingshou couldn't help but ask again.

"How many more times are you going to ask me?" Yuan Shikai sighed. "Don't say that I don't recognize it, even none of my assistants recognize it, that person, it's like jumping out of a stone, not to mention that we haven't heard of his name, even the imperial court hasn't heard of it, the leaders of the chaotic parties presented over the years, all of them have names and surnames, but if you look through them, you can't find one named 'Zhao Bei'."

"In this way, the man must have had a bad intention in sending this telegram." Ruan Zhongshu set the tone.

"Needless to say? He sent that electricity just to kill me! It's called 'killing'! Yuan Shikai snorted coldly. The most taboo thing in the imperial court is that some courtiers have too high expectations and overshadow the imperial court, and this telegram is clearly to make the imperial court suspicious. This revolutionary is insidious and cunning, and he must not be guarded against! Zhao Bei, Zhao Bei, I can remember this name. This time it's electricity, next time I don't know what it is, what their revolutionary party is best at is incitement and instigation, and then fish in troubled waters, in the past they instigated the riotous people, but now, they are inciting those flag men, sowing discord, and playing right and wrong. I figured it out, now the world is rampant with banner people, no matter how loyal we Han people are, it is also their minions, so we can do things, but if we want to hand over the power to us, it is a fate to ask for fish. As soon as I entered Beijing last year, I knew that the saint had declined, and now I have made up my mind, and when this is over, I will resign and return to my hometown, and be my fisherman. ”

"Yuan Gong doesn't have to be discouraged." Yin Mingshou shook his head. "Since the opening of the new policy of the imperial court, Yuan Gong has sworn all night, diligently assisted the government, abolished the imperial examination, revitalized the industry, trained the new army, advocated the constitution, the new policy is thriving, and the achievements are obvious to all. Even the foreigners' newspapers say that Yuan Gong is an 'enlightened giant hand', and now the constitutional trend is becoming more and more urgent, Yuan Gong has always advocated a constitutional monarchy, and it is the time for the world to return to the heart, maybe the Jiujiang rebels are interested in this, so they support Yuan Gong, and they may not really support Yuan Gong. ”

"Brother Yin has read more gentleman's books, and he can't see the sinister hearts of people very clearly." Ruan Zhongshu smiled bitterly. "Since the rebel party has the courage to rebel, why doesn't it have the courage to be a 'grand leader' by itself? Rebellion and rebellion, isn't it for their own ascension? The reason why they elected Yuan Gong as the commander was to hit the soft underbelly of the imperial court. Today's imperial court, the suspicion of the Han people is getting heavier, Yuan Gong has been in power for a long time, his protégés are all over the world, and the implementation of the new policy is quite popular, and the initiative to establish a constitution has been pushed to the cusp. Since ancient times, there have been too many examples of ministers who have made high achievements but not rewarded them, and today's Yuan Gong can also be worthy of the four words "high merit and high master". Yuan Gong asked Ying to go on the expedition, but was blocked back by neither soft nor hard, that is to say, the imperial court is clearly important, but in fact, it is on guard against Yuan Gong everywhere, afraid that he will support the army outside, which is not good for the imperial court, and now Yuan Gong is called the acting army of the army, which is a last resort, and when the rebels are quelled in the future, it is time to unload the mill and kill the donkey. ”

Speaking of this, the three of them were embarrassed, and Yuan Shikai's heart was even more bitter and bitter, and all kinds of tastes came one by one. Implementing the New Deal, advocating the constitution, and reforming the official system, of course, this is what he is ordered to do, but it is not full of selfishness, if the constitutional monarchy is really realized, it will be based on his Yuan Shikai's merits and hard work for so many years, and the position of prime minister of the cabinet will not be prepared for him at that time? Besides, once this constitution is established, if the emperor wants to kill him Yuan Shikai again, it is not a matter of one sentence, it has to be in accordance with the law. But what Yuan Shikai never expected was that he was busy before and after, but in the end he was stealing chickens and rice, and those banner people were in favor of the "New Deal", but their purpose in presiding over the New Deal was not to make him Yuan Shikai take the throne, let alone to limit the monarch's power, so as soon as the official system was changed, he Yuan Shikai immediately lost a few official hats, and was dismissed a few in a row, and in the end, even the Beiyang Army called the flag man to take it, leaving only the title of Minister of Military Aircraft and the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If he hadn't taken advantage of the restructuring of the three eastern provinces two years ago to recapture the Beiyang Army of the Two Towns and One Association in his own hands, then today, he Yuan Shikai may really be hanging in the country.

The career is sinister, the motto of people in officialdom.

"Officialdom is like a theater." Yuan Shikai remembered the secret of being an official that his uncle told him in his early years, after so many years, he can be regarded as having practiced this acting skills perfectly, if it weren't for this, then he wouldn't have passed the test so easily in the Forbidden City today.

Of course, strength always comes first, without strength, no matter how good the acting skills are, Yuan Shikai is convinced of this, the flag man does not move him now, it is because he cares about the soldiers in his hands. Therefore, not only must the Beiyang Army of the two towns and one association be tightly grasped in his hands, but also the Beiyang Army of other towns must be grasped, which is not only the capital of his promotion, but also the capital of his life, and he must not be negligent.

Just when Yuan Shikai was thinking about how to deal with the crisis in front of him, he heard someone outside the window shouting in a low voice: "Master, Master Yang Du Yang asks to see you." ”

"Yang Huizi?" Yuan Shikai glanced at the two people in front of him, Ruan Zhongshu was okay, but Yin Mingshou was a little uncomfortable. This is also understandable, now he Yuan Shikai is a ship in the whirlpool of chaos in the Qing Dynasty, and there is a danger of no top at any time, so it is indeed not a wise move to sit with Yuan Shikai now, Yin Mingshou came over quietly last night, no one else knows, if someone comes to see him sitting in Yuan Shikai's study and conspiring with this "chaotic minister and thief", I am afraid that he will not have to wait until the next day, his Yin Mingshou's top is about to fly, Yuan Shikai has the British Insurance, he Yin is not a great power, and there is no Beiyang Army in his hands.

"Please Mr. Yang to sit in the east chamber for a while, and I will change my clothes." Yuan Shikai said to the servant outside, and raised the teacup to the two people in front of him. "You can leave through the back door, and if you are worried about being seen, you can take the carriage from the British Legation in the backyard."

The two got up to say goodbye and hurriedly left the study, Yuan Shikai called the servant, took the heavy filial piety, changed into a small hat in Tsing Yi, and wrapped a white cloth strip around the hat, and rushed to the east chamber to meet guests.