"Xiang Cheng, we in the People's Party believe that you will never get involved in this kind of thing." Yan Fu poured tea for Yuan Shikai and said.

As far as Yan Fu's interaction with Yuan Shikai is concerned, except for talking about the decline of the country and when the country is difficult, Yuan Shikai will have a sad face, and Yuan Shikai has always been very open to his own family affairs at other times. But for the sake of Yuan Keding's matter, Yuan Shikai rushed to talk overnight, and he was no longer full of sadness, but a look of despair. Yuan Shikai is also a hero, and he was brought to this extent, Yan Fu couldn't help but feel a strong pity.

"Wen Qing asked me to speak, please Xiangcheng, you put state affairs first. After all, you are the president of the Republic of China. The more you are at this time, the more you have to see that this thing is not a person who is restrained, there are too many people behind it. They are the masterminds. ”

Although Yuan Shikai was full of sorrow, the backbone that had been refined in his bones for a long time had not been destroyed, and although his voice was low, there was not the slightest cowardice, "What does Wen Qing want to do with this matter?" ”

"We don't want you to kill him, and you don't want to kill him, but we must go abroad and never come back. The Beiyang side could not contact him again. Yan Fu stated the conditions of the People's Party.

"You're going to let him go like this?" There was a strong distrust in Yuan Shikai's eyes.

"Even if Keding planned to assassinate Wen Qing, but this matter has not been pushed to the point of sending people at all so far, at least until now, he is guilty of not deserving of death. Wen Qing emphasized that you are his father, and you really love him very much. Since he now says that he deserves death for his crimes, we don't want and can't push things that are against human morality, so we ask that you not kill him. And Xiang Cheng, don't worry, we guarantee our personality and will never use this matter to blackmail you. Keding went out of the country, and this part of the matter about him was over. ”

"Wen Qing can see it." Yuan Shikai sneered.

"Xiang Cheng, there is no personal enmity in this matter, and all parties involved in this matter are conflicts of interest. Therefore, it only involves reason, not emotion. This kind of thing is just fine. The reason why those people are so enthusiastic about promoting this matter is that they want to entangle the reasoning and make you confused. Xiang Cheng, you are also a hero, and you will definitely not be incomprehensible in this matter. ”

Yuan Shikai closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths with an expressionless face. When I opened my eyes again, that discouraged look was almost gone. "Wen Qing isn't worried that I really want to be the emperor?"

Wen Qing said that he can fully understand the mood of wanting to be the emperor, after all, you have come to this point, and you may be the emperor half a step forward. Of course, there are risks, but for heroes like you, why not be emperors if you can be called emperors. You have to give yourself an explanation. He can understand it. Yan Fuzheng said, but when it came to the back, he couldn't help but smile.

"Give yourself an explanation...... that's a good thing to say." Yuan Shikai's face already had some brilliance.

"But now, after all, the republic is over, and the page of the imperial system has been turned. There will definitely be a possibility of restoration in the future, and there will be all kinds of people with their own hearts to come out and do something. But after history has taken this step forward, we have to keep up with this era. Xiang Cheng, Wen Qing once talked to me about what a hero is and what a hero is. Would you like to hear about it? ”

"I'm facing such a situation now, a few brothers, but it's okay for you to say it."

"Heroes represent the interests of the world and the interests of the majority of the people. Xiao Xiong represents the interests of a small group of people and the interests of his own small group. As for the rebellious ministers and thieves, they only represent their own personal interests. In the final analysis, this world is nothing more than the word profit. Xiang Cheng, you are now the president, be a hero. ”

"Be a hero?! Hehe. Yuan Shikai couldn't help laughing, and the laughter was full of mockery. Does Wenqing think that he represents the interests of the world and the interests of the majority of the people? ”

"That's right. The People's Party believes that it represents the interests of the working people of the world, and that the tiller has his land and the laborer has his food. If the BJP hadn't done this, how could it have been in such a situation within a few years? Xiang Cheng, you rule Beiyang, of course, you have to consider the interests of Beiyang. The differences between Beiyang and our People's Party exist objectively. But Xiang Cheng, you are now the president of China, and you have the obligation to defend China's interests. It is precisely because you have always insisted on defending China's interests up to now that some people are deliberately trying to bring you down by provoking incidents. Therefore, our People's Party firmly supports Xiangcheng in this matter. ”

Yuan Shikai was speechless for a long time, but he couldn't help but sigh before he wanted to speak, "Brother Dao, you really accepted a good apprentice!" ”

"In the eyes of heroes like you, isn't the word good or bad a downgrade? The immediate priority is to deal with the matter in front of us and not give anyone a chance. Xiang Cheng, you are the president, you naturally know where the key is. ”

Yuan Shikai smiled bitterly, "Hehe, I'm in a mess now, where can I tell the key." ”

"President, you don't have to be too humble, just say it." Yan Fu said with a smile.

After thinking for a moment, Yuan Shikai regained his usual calm look, "For now, the current priority is nothing more than a quota trade agreement. Once this matter is reached, Britain will be satisfied for the time being, and will certainly devote itself to the implementation of this matter. When the Chinese civil war broke out, Britain naturally refused to watch the boiled ducks fly. For the time being, we will do our best to prevent foreign forces from interfering in China. The immediate task is to get this done as soon as possible. ”

Yan Fu nodded silently while listening, this is the difference between Yuan Shikai and the Manchu Qing. Beiyang Group is actually from a Western-style background, but it is more inclined to build its own industry. Of course, from the perspective of the People's Party, Beiyang's idea of industrialization is very problematic, but the degree of understanding of the world by the Beiyang Group is indeed much higher than that of other political forces. There is neither the conservative rigidity of the Manchu Qing nor the attitude of the compradors who put personal interests first. On key issues, the Beiyang bloc is still capable of grudgingly coping with the international situation outside the war. This is the fundamental reason why Chen Ke is willing to cooperate with Beiyang temporarily. Before the revolutionary situation entered the War of Liberation, it was more advantageous for Beiyang to cooperate.

"But, Brother Dao, does Wen Qing know where my predicament is?" Yuan Shikai asked.

"This quota trade agreement, the proceeds of customs, the British will not give you." Yan Fu answered neatly.

Hearing this answer, Yuan Shikai's eyes lit up.

Yan Fu said calmly: "The British want to expand our trade with them, so they withhold the money from the customs and try their best to use the money to blackmail us." Big President, you don't have any money in your hands right now, and many times you have to be constrained by the British. So at present, we have opened a lot of enterprises in Beijing, Tianjin, and other places, and no matter what you say, you at least acquiesce to the existence of these enterprises, President. Without that, these companies can bring in a considerable amount of direct tax revenue, and this tax revenue can be directly controlled by you. ”

"Hehe" Yuan Shikai smiled bitterly, "Brother Dao, you and Wen Qing are talking so straight." ”

"Xiang Cheng, when we intersected, when did you hide your words?" Yan Fu also smiled, among their old brothers, Yan Fu was known for not being able to understand officialdom. And Yuan Shikai is known for his daring, frank and arrogant.

The two laughed for a while, and then continued the discussion on this crucial issue. The People's Party believes that there is no need to take money out of the customs revenue for the time being. If we just feed the current Beiyang Army, just support and guide foreign trade enterprises, and rely on domestic commercial taxes, we will make endless money. The problem in Beiyang is the same as that of the Manchus, which is that "taxes cannot be collected". Now the situation in the country is very bad, and the tax is already extremely heavy. Coupled with the problems of the tax system in various places, the state increases the tax of one penny, and at the end of the year, it can become at least ten or even one hundred yuan. If you want to open a tax source again, it is to force people to rebel.

As long as the quota trade agreement is signed, Beiyang and the People's Party will join hands to grasp the trade, the tax is not heavy, and the support of the bank is provided, then it is equivalent to generating financial resources out of thin air.

This design is naturally excellent, but Yuan Shikai is not so naïve, and will think that what the People's Party strongly promotes will be of great benefit to the Beiyang Group.

"Brother Dao, since the People's Party has confidence in this, there must be a huge trick out there that I don't know at the moment. Please also ask a few brothers to explain in advance. Yuan Shikai asked sincerely.

"The trick is very simple, it is the Canton Fair that Wen Qing once said, you must be able to take the position. If you just want to make money, suppress other roads, and only allow your own businessmen and enterprises to intervene in the Canton Fair, then this quota trade agreement will definitely not achieve results, and the trade volume will not go up. Second, it only arouses public indignation, and those capable businessmen will definitely try to become compradors, and use foreign names to make joint ventures, so that we will lose tax revenue for nothing. Third, the bank support is not the right target. ”

The first two can be understood by Yuan Shikai, and the last one is completely beyond the scope of Yuan Shikai's understanding. "How can the bank support it?"

"It's hard to collect taxes. However, in order to achieve the total amount of products demanded by foreigners, many companies have to expand production, purchase equipment, and rent manpower. They are short of money, so the support of this bank is to exchange orders for loans. Yan Fu explained.

In the 21st century, this is a normal thing. There is an external order, and this order can be used as collateral in exchange for loan support from the bank. By providing financial services, banks can not only provide financial support to enterprises in need of support, but also more effectively control tax revenue. There are risks, but they are always much less.

After listening to Yan Fu's explanation, Yuan Shikai's face was completely bright. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, this idea was still quite novel, and more importantly, Beiyang Group could effectively grasp the income of merchants, and the difficulty of taxation was greatly reduced.

"Brother Dao, Wen Qing asked you to be the prime minister of this cabinet, it seems that you are in charge of this matter?" Yuan Shikai said with a smile.

Yan Fu also smiled: "If it can be operated like this, the situation of the country should be completely new." Xiang Cheng, when we were young, we all had the heart of clarifying the world, thinking that the capable people are the best in the world. Now that there is an opportunity to operate such a system, I think you would definitely like to. ”

Yuan Shikai nodded slightly, but the brilliance on his face suddenly disappeared cleanly, and he said in a low voice: "I will go back and deal with Yuan Keding's affairs first, and I will immediately make every effort to promote this matter." ”

Yan Fu knew that Yuan Shikai felt uncomfortable in his heart, and he knew that whatever he said would hurt Yuan Shikai's injury. So he reluctantly smiled: "I'm also sleepy, I don't dare to smoke opium in Wenqing, and when I come to you, I don't have to suppress myself so much." ”

Yuan Shikai knew that Yan Fu loved this, and Li Hongzhang didn't like Yan Fu very much back then, because Li Hongzhang himself was strongly opposed to opium smoking. But among the things that Yan Fu learned from the British Navy, opium smoking was also one of them. Hearing Yan Fu say this, Yuan Shikai didn't say anything more and got up to say goodbye.

At this time, it was almost dawn, and Yuan Shikai did not go home directly, but went to his office. Whether it is the farce caused by his son Yuan Keding, or the attitude of Chen Ke brought by Yan Fu, it is a big deal. Yuan Shikai had to reflect hard to see if there would be a deeper conspiracy inside.

It wasn't until noon that Zhao Bingjun rushed to Yuan Shikai's office and reported the current progress of the matter. All the doormen around Yuan Keding were arrested, and after interrogation, they all confessed. These people were incapable in the first place, and many of them didn't dare to participate in this matter at all, so they didn't find anyone who dared to assassinate Chen Ke. Zhao Bingjun naturally said that Yuan Keding was cautious, so some people from the alliance took the initiative to defect, and Yuan Keding investigated in detail. However, Yuan Shikai did not believe it all, in his opinion, he was afraid that the group of villains around Yuan Keding who were attached to the powerful showed their true nature. For the alliance that volunteered to send them to the door, they must have picked their noses and eyes, for fear that someone would rob them of their position. In this way, the progress has been greatly delayed, so that the people of the Alliance have not been able to meet Yuan Keding.

But for whatever reason, after listening to these reports, Yuan Shikai finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yuan Keding didn't come up with a real handle anyway. If someone took the name of Yuan Keding to assassinate Chen Ke, as long as he didn't have Yuan Keding's warrant or other handles, Yuan Shikai would not be afraid. On the other hand, Yuan Shikai felt great sadness. You can't do good things, you can't even do bad things. His own son is too wasteful.

"On closer inspection, there must not be a single mistake. When you arrest someone, let go of it, and if you implicate the Japanese, you don't have to be polite. I'll send someone to explain it on the British side. As for the escaped Wang Jingwei, you must catch me back! ”

Wang Jingwei was more than 200 miles south of Beijing at this time. When he noticed that someone was following him, he didn't think that he had made a march before and was recognized. Instead, he thought that what he was involved in had been discovered, and he finally got rid of the spy who was watching, and when Wang Jingwei went back to the Pingjin branch, he found that there were many military police officers nearby. He didn't dare to stay any longer, and originally wanted to go straight to Tianjin. But then I thought that Beiyang would definitely not let go of itself, and when I went to Tianjin, I was afraid that the wanted notice would have arrived long ago. From Tianjin back to Shanghai, there is only a sea route. If you check it strictly at the boarding place, you won't be able to run away.

So Wang Jingwei simply decided to go by road. There was not only one sub-division, he ran to another sub-division, telling his comrades to hurry out and avoid the limelight. I took some money, changed my clothes, and started walking south.

Along the way, Wang Jingwei gradually had his own ideas. Now that you've started to do it, there's no need to stop so simply. Otherwise, how will you explain when you see Mr. Nakayama in the future? He wanted to go to the People's Party to have a look, and if there was a chance, he would simply assassinate Chen Ke.