Yuan Shikai no longer had the ease with which he learned about the People's Party's announcement of the land reform program a month ago. Everything was very different from what he had envisioned, first of all, the landlords and gentry from all over the country did not stand up against Chen Ke. Because most of the local landlords and gentry were closed to information, they did not know that the People's Party had issued such a political manifesto. As for the local councillors who learned of the declaration, they did not feel too frightened. As long as President Yuan Shikai does not raise land reform on the territory of Beiyang, and the People's Party carries out land reform on the territory of the People's Party, what is so terrible about this?

This idea hit Yuan Shikai's death hole, because Yuan Shikai's original intention was to strengthen his rule, increase taxes, and improve military power by intimidating the local gentry. What the local gentry sought was to reduce taxes, or at least pass them on. Although they saw Yuan Shikai writing articles in various newspapers against the People's Party, the gentry talked about it with only one sentence: "Is the president still unable to defeat the People's Party in only four provinces?" "The supporters of Beiyang have nothing to say.

Yes, Beiyang is nominally the central government, and it occupies more than a dozen provinces in the entire north, and the People's Party still has only four provinces. If Yuan Shikai was not afraid, what was there to fear from the local gentry? Of course, Yuan Shikai can't say that he is afraid of the People's Party, let alone that he can't beat the People's Party. Therefore, the gentry regarded the propaganda of the People's Party as an after-dinner conversation.

As for the intellectual class in the cities, the reaction was more subtle. Those who really know that Beiyang is not an opponent of the People's Party, do not say a word about it. At least half of them scolded the People's Party, and some of them thought they were "serving the country and the people," and while scolding the People's Party, they put forward a proposal to "reduce taxes and reduce taxes" because of their relationship with the gentry. Their point of view is that "the People's Party is a heinous big villain, and even the big bad guy knows how to reduce taxes, so isn't the Beiyang Central Committee, as the representative of justice, as the big bad guy of the People's Party?" ”

The attitude of some intellectuals made Yuan Shikai even more angry, and they even thought that it was not such an outrageous political idea for the People's Party to do so. After all, the land is also an ideal political measure in the minds of some intellectuals.

On the whole, at a time when the People's Party was not directly targeting the north, Beiyang not only did not have the same hatred for the enemy, but instead caused internal disputes because of Yuan Shikai's reckless propaganda operations.

"Kikuto, what is the reaction of the other provinces?" Yuan Shikai asked Xu Shichang.

"President, there is no reaction from the other provinces for the time being." Xu Shichang said helplessly. He thought that the provincial capitals would immediately express their strong opposition to the People's Party, but even if some people in other provinces wrote articles in newspapers criticizing the People's Party, the provincial governments did not say a word. Now Xu Shichang has finally determined the mentality of the provincial governments, that is, wait and see. Now that Beiyang has made it clear that it wants to take the lead against the People's Party, even if the provinces have something to say, they will not openly express their stance at this time. After all, in the current rumors, the People's Party and Beiyang Yuan Shikai have a secret agreement, and all provinces believe that Beiyang and the People's Party are wearing the same pants in a sense. Even if it is a quarrel, it is infighting. When dealing with the provinces, the two are afraid that they will still join forces.

Yuan Shikai also knew this, he once thought that the People's Party was afraid of his own strength and political influence, and Chen Ke was not confident in his ability and had to support Yuan Shikai. Now he understands that Chen Keda didn't have a good heart from the beginning, and Yuan Shikai was actually cheated by Chen Ke. Under the system of inter-provincial autonomy, although Yuan Shikai gained status, he was tied hand and foot. As a great president, he has to shoulder the responsibility of the world. Chen Ke is relaxed and immersed in his own development. Thinking of this, the two eyebrows on Yuan Shikai's fat face were already tightly wrinkled.

"President, I want to visit someone." Xu Shichang said tentatively.

"Who?" Yuan Shikai asked casually.

"When I was Hanlin, I had a friend named Li Hongqi. Although he never tried to be an official, his knowledge was indeed extraordinary. ”

"Li Hongqi? How do I seem to have heard of this name? Yuan Shikai asked.

"He is Shang Yuan's teacher, and it is said that Chen Ke also respects him a lot." Xu Shichang explained.

Listening to this resume, Yuan Shikai just said calmly: "Of course you can go to see who Juren wants, and you can tell me this kind of thing, wouldn't it delay Juren's hard work." ”

"I just want this person to tell me about the situation." Xu Shichang hurriedly explained.

"The current situation?" Yuan Shikai just repeated a sentence but did not continue. The current situation is only difficult and far beyond Yuan Shikai's imagination, since Chen Ke and Shang Yuan both respect Li Hongqi so much, I think this old gentleman should also have two brushes. It's just that this Li Hongqi will really serve Beiyang and deal with his disciples? Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai said: "Juren can do whatever he wants to do with this Li Hongqi." You are currently the prime minister of the cabinet, and it is only a matter of one sentence to ask him to be an official. It's up to you to do these things. ”

Xu Shichang was afraid that someone would say something about rumors behind his back, and when he saw Yuan Shikai say this, he also put his mind at ease.

Preparing a car for a gift, Xu Shichang did not put on a show, but went to Li Hongqi in casual clothes like visiting old friends. Xu Shichang was admitted to the Jinshi that year, and then sat on the cold bench in the Hanlin Academy for ten years. If you say that there was no suffering in your heart at that time, it is just a joke. After getting acquainted with Li Hongqi in the difficult days, Xu Shichang felt that he had found a friend who could really talk to him. Later, Xu Shichang rose all the way and did not live in Beijing. No matter how developed Xu Shichang was, Li Hongqi never took the initiative to take care of him. This perseverance and self-sufficiency also made Xu Shichang feel admired.

Except for the grayer hair, Li Hongqi didn't look like he had changed. The attitude towards Xu Shichang can't be seen at all as an alienated and surprised look that has not been seen for more than ten years, but is as cordial and simple as Xu Shichang who just came here yesterday.

When he arrived at the hall and sat down, Xu Shichang smiled and said: "Brother Li, twenty years ago, I sat on a cold bench in the Hanlin Academy, and you enlightened me that life is to do things first, and then to achieve results. Therefore, since I made this bench in Hanlin Academy, I had to have the idea of wearing the bench, and sitting on this cold bench itself was my main business at that time. Since I was enlightened by Brother Li, I have been studying patiently in the Hanlin Academy, and then I finally had the opportunity. Every time I think of Brother Li's guidance, I am very grateful. ”

Li Hongqi also smiled: "If you can sit on this cold bench, you can naturally sit still, and if you can't sit on this cold bench, you will naturally not be able to sit on it, that is what Brother Xu can sit on himself." What does it have to do with me? ”

Xu Shichang saw that Li Hongqi didn't mean anything at all, and he fortunately said with a straight face: "Brother Li, I could sit still back then, but now I can't sit still." I also hope that Brother Li can enlighten me on the love of the year. Brother, I'm really desperate. ”

Li Hongqi paused for a while before saying apologetically: "Brother Xu, I have never been an official in my life, and I don't plan to be an official, just a scholar who teaches to make a living." I haven't done anything about your government, so I don't understand it. I really can't help Brother Xu. ”

Xu Shichang hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Hey! Brother Li doesn't know how to be an official, but he knows how to teach people to do things. What I came to ask Brother Li this time is the way to do things, and it has nothing to do with being an official. Brother Li is good at teaching his juniors, but he can't help but be a little favoritist to his peers. ”

Of course, Li Hongqi could hear the hint of threat in these words, and he thought for a moment before saying: "My teacher likes Huang Laozhi to say, when he taught me, he only talked about one thing, there must be a cause and an effect, so this result cannot be sought." Back then, Brother Xu felt that he had no talent in the Hanlin Academy, but you were a jinshi, and entering the Hanlin Academy was originally a matter of a jinshi. I, a person with no reputation, can't get in if I want to. Brother Xu, you can just do what you should do in Hanlin Academy. Now that you are the Prime Minister, why don't you just do what you should be the Prime Minister of the Cabinet? What else is there to talk about. ”

"But I just don't know what to do. None of the things I envisioned could be done, let alone done well. I couldn't sleep almost every night because of this. I hope Brother Li can help me show me the way. Xu Shichang replied.

"Of course, the prime minister of the cabinet can't sleep at night, there are so many things in the world for you to decide, if you are drunk and lying on the knees of a beautiful woman every day, and wake up to take charge of the world's affairs, it is the words of the storyteller to the people in the market, and it cannot be taken seriously. I have never been an official, so naturally I don't know the rules of being an official. However, I don't think it's enough to go all out and work day and night, and that's the norm for prime ministers. ”

After listening to Li Hongqi's enlightened words, Xu Shichang was a little speechless. Of course he understands these words, and these words are really reasonable, but these are the things that Xu Shichang doesn't want to hear the most, seeing that Li Hongqi has always refused to say the key, Xu Shichang fortunately made his words clear, "Brother Li, the apprentices you taught are currently king and hegemonic in the south, but I don't know what Brother Li thinks of how they do things?" ”

Li Hongqi smiled helplessly, "Brother Xu, they are working hard in the south, and the results of these things are lawless in your opinion." Those dolls don't think that way in their hearts, they just do things, every day......"

Xu Shichang couldn't bear it anymore, he interrupted Li Hongqi's words, "Brother Li, don't say anything more, I want to be the prime minister of the cabinet." I know I need to do things, but I don't know exactly what to do. I came this time to ask for advice, please Brother Li don't perfunctory me anymore. ”

Li Hongqi knew that if he still wanted to stay in Beijing, he had to make Xu Shichang more satisfied, and he could only tell the truth, "Brother Xu, the dolls in the south actually do two things, enrich the country and strengthen the army. In my opinion, Beiyang also wants to enrich the country and strengthen the army, but what it does is to raise money and raise soldiers. The old system of the Manchu Qing Dynasty for more than 200 years has never been able to enrich the country and strengthen the army, and his set of things is useless at the moment, so it has been destroyed. If Beiyang uses the methods of the Manchu Qing Dynasty all day long, and still thinks that he can enrich the country and strengthen the army, isn't it self-deception? ”

Xu Shichang nodded slightly, but this directly pointed out the main point of the moment, "We are constantly sending people abroad to study Germany, Japan, France, and the United States." Trying to use the foreign as a teacher to rejuvenate China. But the current situation is really difficult. ”

"Brother Xu, you don't want to learn Yangyi, but you want to learn Yangyi's success, that's just dragon slaying. People say that killing pigs and sand buttocks has its own way of killing. However, there must be advantages and disadvantages in all actions, and it is already commendable that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. If you just want to learn from others to succeed, isn't it a sword carved into a boat? ”

Xu Shichang couldn't help but think about it when he heard this, "Could it be that the current practice of the People's Party in the south is taught by Brother Li?" ”

"I'm a teacher, how can I know how to be an official? The dolls came up with those practices themselves. Li Hongqi replied, "But Brother Xu, the dolls are insisting." What did they have when they started? A few broken boats, a dozen broken guns. But they are doing things every day to enrich the country and strengthen the army. The ancients said that if you don't accumulate steps, you can't lead to thousands of miles; If you don't accumulate small streams, you can't become rivers and seas. Therefore, there is no ambition for the underworld, and there is no clarity; Those who have nothing to worry about have nothing to do, no great achievements. If you just think about the fruit of a rich country and a strong army every day, but you don't do it as the cause of a rich country and a strong army. It's just delusion. ”

Xu Shichang was silent for a while this time before he said: "Brother Li, if you can't unify military orders and government orders, how can you implement the policy of enriching the country and strengthening the army?" ”

"Brother Xu, do you think that the unification of military orders and government orders is the reason for the prosperity of the country and the strengthening of the army, and in my opinion, the unification of military orders and government orders is the result of the prosperity of the country and the strengthening of the army." Li Hongqi replied.

Xu Shichang retorted: "Otherwise, the People's Party has unified its military orders and government orders since it started its army. As far as we know, dozens of high-ranking officials in their party have been forced out, and even more people below have left. So far, the BJP has not only not had the slightest turmoil, but has redoubled its aggressiveness. So I can't agree with what Brother Li said. ”

"It is a matter of enriching the country and strengthening the army, and whether or not you want to follow the People's Party is everyone's own choice. Those dolls are willing to do things to enrich the country and strengthen the army, so they willingly accept the unification of government and military orders. Even if they leave, it's just that they feel that they can't accept the price they need to pay for making the country rich and the army strong, or they think that the People's Party's current method of enriching the country and strengthening the army is wrong. In any case, it's about doing things, not looking for results. Brother Xu, what cause you plant, what effect you get. This has remained the same through the ages. ”

Listening to Li Hongqi's serious tone, Xu Shichang felt disappointed. He originally asked Li Hongqi to solve his doubts, and he wanted to ask for some strategies. At the moment, he did it, but he didn't have the heart to ask for any strategy. According to what Li Hongqi said, if Beiyang wants to solve the current problems and achieve the goal of being stronger than the People's Party, the best way is to directly study the People's Party.

As far as everyone is equal, Yuan Shikai will not agree to it in the first place, and the upper echelons of Beiyang will not agree. Including Xu Shichang himself will not agree. As for the land reform, all the landlords and gentry under Beiyang rule would oppose it. The People's Party dared to kill the gentry, and there were many soldiers and officers from the landlord and gentry families in the Beiyang Army. Therefore, the war between Beiyang and the People's Party is only a matter of time, and it doesn't even have to wait too long, and the People's Party will start to attack Henan immediately. Henan is located in the Central Plains, connecting Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi. It is even more unlikely that the People's Party will stop after seizing Henan.

Xu Shichang suddenly felt a little strange, how did Chen Ke fool Yuan Shikai back then? After thinking about it, Xu Shichang was relieved again, don't say that Yuan Shikai is he, Xu Shichang's position in Yuan Shikai back then, in the situation of the central power at his fingertips, and the situation that he may not be able to win the battle to the death with the People's Party, it is not known how to choose.

"Brother Li, thank you for your advice." Xu Shichang got up and said.

"I still say that, what Brother Xu does is what Brother Xu wants to do and can do. I couldn't help at all. Li Hongqi replied.

is not polite, Xu Shichang left Li Hongqi's house depressed. didn't go back to his home, Xu Shichang went to see Yuan Shikai. As soon as they met, Xu Shichang said: "President, I think I might as well talk to them about the big loan for the aftermath proposed by the British in the previous paragraph." ”

Yuan Shikai's face changed at that time, and the conditions for the aftermath of the big loan were too harsh. The total amount of the loan is 25 million pounds, with an annual interest rate of 5%, paid at 84%, repaid in 47 years, with a total of 67893597 pounds of principal and interest, secured by salt tax and customs duties. The interest rate is 5% in form, but at 84% paid, it is actually close to 6%. Before the issuance and payment period, the payment is made in the form of an advance with an annual interest rate of 7% or 6%, so the bank syndicate obtains double interest and takes advantage of the rise and fall of the gold and silver exchange rate to grab the profit of the exchange difference when settling the payment.

What was most unacceptable to Yuan Shikai was that, according to the provisions of the contract, the principal and interest of the foreign debts of the central and provincial governments and the indemnities due and payable in the annex must be deducted from the loan amount, and these deductions exceeded half of the loan amount. borrowed 25 million pounds, but actually could only get 12 million in real payments. 12 million pounds is only 100 million taels of silver. It seems like a lot, but if you really use the 600,000 troops in the Beiyang plan, you can spend this money in two years.

The muscles on Yuan Shikai's fat face trembled slightly, "Juren, you mean that you must go to war with the People's Party?" ”

"Is there any other way?" Xu Shichang asked.

Yuan Shikai walked back and forth in the office with his hands behind his back, and after a while he said, "Let me think about it." ”

In the following days, Yuan Shikai had secret talks with senior officials of the War Department, the Navy Department, and even Beiyang, and there was only one thing to talk about: whether Beiyang was capable of winning the People's Party.

The recent plan was made by Duan Qirui, and he was naturally full of confidence. "President, it's not that the provinces don't want to fight the BJP, it's that they can't beat the BJP. It's been almost seven years, and the BJP is sure to win every battle. The other provinces were frightened. As long as we in Beiyang can draw a clear line with the People's Party, as long as the provinces see that they can win, they will definitely not stand on the side of the People's Party. No matter how arrogant the People's Party is, it is only a land of four provinces. Besieged by the surrounding provinces, they are bound to lose. ”

Although Wang Shizhen's view is not so optimistic, Wang Shizhen also supports the war, "The People's Party started with the army, and they will lose everything if they lose once." If we wait any longer, and wait for the BJP to continue to grow, then there really will be no chance. ”

Feng Guozhang is now an important town in the southeast of Beiyang, and was called back to Beijing by Yuan Shikai from Zhejiang, and when he heard that there was going to be a war with the People's Party, Feng Guozhang immediately became excited. "President, the gentry of the southeastern provinces are all afraid and hateful to the People's Party. It's just that our Beiyang has not come out to take the lead, and if there is a war, the southeastern provinces will definitely support our Beiyang. ”

However, what gave Yuan Shikai his final decision was a telegram from Duan Zhigui, the commander of the second town, who had been begging the Beiyang government to send troops to Henan these days. On December 30, 1912, Duan Zhigui's telegram was unprecedentedly intense, "Zhang Zhenfang, the governor of Henan, connived at the corruption of food and wages by the tax police force, and the second town of the Ministry of Duties has been cut off for more than two months. The day before yesterday, a small number of officers and men were making a fuss about their salaries, which almost led to a mutiny. If they can't transport their salaries to Kaifeng within three days, they can only return to Beijing with their troops to keep the second town of the Beiyang Army. To the great president speed and humble order. ”

Not long ago, there had just been a mutiny in Beijing, and when he saw Duan Zhigui's telegram raising the salary, Yuan Shikai knew that there was no way out. Looking at Henan's position on the map, Yuan Shikai made up his mind. After the loss of Henan, the entire north was opened. The torrent of the People's Party's 600,000 troops could easily rush from Henan to Hebei. At that time, if the People's Party troops in Shandong were dispatched together, the Beiyang Army would be surrounded and annihilated in Hebei.

Turning his gaze away from the map, Yuan Shikai gave an order, "Telegram ordering Duan Zhigui to take the Second Town of the New Army to assemble in Anyang. I ordered Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi to come to see me. ”