This time, the southern revolutionaries took advantage of the Hunan and Guizhou Incident to shout and shout and kill, ostensibly for the Qimu faction. But in fact, the real purpose is to covet the throne of the president, which is "Xiang Zhuang dancing the sword, intended for Pei Gong".

Since the election of the official president is carried out by the provinces to elect "election commissioners" and form "election committees", the election committee will have the power to decide which side controls the largest number of provinces.

In the final analysis, I am afraid that this "war of rebellion" is that the drunkards do not want to drink, and if the constitutionalists in Hunan and Guizhou provinces are swept away by the revolutionaries, it is impossible for the election committee members of these two provinces to have any good impression of Yuan Shikai. In the eyes of the revolutionaries, the reason why Yuan Shikai became the provisional president was entirely because of Zhao Bei's strategy. If there was no "telegram", Yuan Shikai was afraid that he would have been willing to be a loyal minister of the Qing court a long time ago, where would he devote himself to the revolutionary cause?

Therefore, the revolutionaries have always regarded Yuan Shikai as a transitional figure, perhaps, now that this catty, the transitional figure has completed his historical mission and can get out.

Hunan Xianyou will understand this truth, and the president of the north, Yuan Da, also understands, so, "The battle of Hunan and Hubei." In just two days after the outbreak began, Yuan Shikai had already taken more than a dozen urgent telegrams in a row, "strictly ordering" the Republican Army to return to Hubei in his capacity as the provisional president of the Republic of China, and to use legal means to resolve the Hunan and Guizhou incidents.

The differences between the North and the South have developed into confrontations over the issue of the Hunan-Guizhou incident, coupled with the rough age of the disarmament issue some time ago. No one dares to guarantee that there will be no direct armed conflict between the powerful factions in the south and the Beiyang bloc, and once the two sides really meet each other, the Hao Mo of this war may not be comparable to the war of nation-building.

The key to whether or not the Hunan and Guizhou incidents can be resolved in a dignified manner is neither on the side of the Alliance and the Liberation Society, nor on the side of the Beiyang Group, but on the side of the Republican Army.

It is the Republican Army, the commander-in-chief, and Zhao Zhenhua of Zhao Bei who really holds the sovereignty and power. Then he hit, he said, "and." "That's good. Not only the southern revolutionaries are the only commander-in-chief, but even President Yuan Da in the north must follow the commander-in-chief's baton.

Yuan Shikai couldn't help himself, he really didn't want to fight now, because his Beiyang Army strength was not enough to ensure the suppression of the powerful faction in the south, and once a war with the south started, it would be difficult for the war to end in a short period of time. And in the current international environment surrounded by great powers, one wrong step is the end of a catastrophe.

In addition to dispatching troops to the southern provinces for reinforcements, Yuan Shikai discussed with his staff and cronies how to deal with it, so as to avoid a premature break with the powerful faction in the south, so as to raise jīng and accumulate sharpness, and complete his work in one battle.

While the members of the Hunan Xianyou Association were busy discussing the way forward in the Hunan Provincial Assembly, a meeting was also being held in the presidential palace in Běijīng, and the person presiding over the meeting was none other than Yuan Shikai, the provisional president of the Republic of China.

Yuan Shikai looked extremely haggard, with deep-set eye sockets and a sad face, as if he was more than ten years old.

The rest of the room was no better. Although everyone was sitting in a precarious position, the anxiety and hesitation on their faces could not be concealed, and the meeting had been going on for several minutes, but no one had spoken. Even Yuan Shikai sat behind the table in a daze, and Feng Guojiao, the "Feng Dog" who usually spoke endlessly, seemed to have become a stone sculpture, without even blinking his eyes.

There was a strange silence in the room, except for the ticking of the clock and the shouting of the chick outside the window.

Suddenly, the closed oak door of the conference room was pushed open, and a confidential officer hurried in with a copy of the telegram.

Yuan Shikai subconsciously stood up, and without waiting for the confidential officer to come to his side, he had already stretched out his hand, took the telegram transcript with a frown, hurriedly glanced at it a few times, and then breathed a sigh of relief, sat back with his waist bent, and put the telegram transcript on the conference table in front of him.

"Tang Jiwu (Tang Hualong) has sent a telegram that he has arrived in Hunan and is on his way to Changsha, and I believe that it will not be long before he can catch up with the rearguard troops of the Fifth Division of the Republican Army."

Hearing President Yuan's weak voice, everyone in the conference room sighed.

Feng Guozhang said; "Tang Jiwu rushed to Hunan, this situation should be eased? After all, he was the governor of Hunan appointed by the central government, and he was still the plenipotentiary of the south when the north and the south negotiated peace. Zhao Bei also did not take a telegram to deny his appointment as governor of Hunan, even if the republican army took Changsha, it would be impossible to drive him away? As long as Tang Jiwu is the governor of Hunan. When the official president is elected, the election committee members of Hunan must support the president. ”

Zhao Bingjun, who was sitting opposite, glanced at Feng Guozhang, wondering in his heart whether he was pretending to be stupid or really stupid. But before he could figure it out, he listened to Ruan Zhongshu beside him.

"Tang Jiwu is a scholar, even if he is the governor of Hunan, in this situation, I am afraid that it will be difficult to make a difference. According to Ruan's opinion, it is better to hold a formal presidential election immediately, and then decide the name first, otherwise, President Yuan will always have the word "temporary" in front of him. It's easy to be fussed about, and what is the difference between this and "acting president?" The people don't know what a president is, but they also know that this "reason, the official will not last long." ”

Ruan Zhongshu's words immediately resonated with a burst of resonance. Everyone expressed their opinions in support of holding a formal presidential election ahead of schedule to establish Yuan Shikai's nominal and true authority.

But Yuan Shikai was quite hesitant and said hesitantly: "If the Southern Revolutionaries don't send representatives over, what is the significance of this kind of election? The Southern Revolutionary Party has formed a rebel army, and it is still "justifiable", but how can this president give people authority? Let alone. At present, the provincial election commissioners have not yet arrived in Běijīng. How can I get elected? ”

At this point, Yuan Shikai turned his head to look at Duan Qirui, who was sitting on the side, and asked, "Zhiquan, how much of the Beiyang Army can be transferred to the south now?" ”

Duan Qirui pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "I can't transfer troops to the south anymore, Beijing and Tianjin are too empty. Now there is no soldier of the Beiyang Army in the three eastern provinces, and it all depends on the bullet heart of the patrol army, and there are changes in the first eastern and two provinces. When the central center needs to be reinforced, if the central center can't be deployed, "how can I explain to the people?" ”

"Confess to the people? Zhiquan, why do you value this thing now? ”

Yuan Shikai glanced at Duan Qirui and said, "Didn't Zhang Zuoshuang, the commander of the front road patrol battalion in the northeast yesterday, send a telegram, saying that he is willing to lead the army into the customs and assist the center in pacifying the south?" Although the combat effectiveness of his troops is a little worse, it may not be a strong force if it is rectified. ”

Zhang Zuoshuang? Don't talk about him, even that Feng De python has taken a telegram asking for war! But this again

The reason why they asked for war was because they didn't want to be angry in the three eastern provinces! Now the governor of the three eastern provinces is still the Beiyang veteran Xu Shichang, since Wu Junsheng was transferred to Fengtian garrison, Governor Xu has been particularly important, Wu Junsheng also relied on the governor's reliance on the drastic reform of the military and politics, weakened the strength of other patrol battalions, and strengthened their own military strength.

The telegram to Yuan Shikai asking for war, Feng Delin's telegram asking for war is still in front of Zhang Zuoshuang!

Even if it is to expand the strength of Beiyang, you should first promote your own people in Beiyang, and promote two catties. Bandit leader, what's going on? Elbow outward?

Duan Qirui scolded in his heart, but he didn't dare to contradict it, he just sighed at Yuan Shikai's short-sightedness, thinking back to Yuan Shikai back then, Yuan Shikai now seems to be like a different person, and I don't know if it's because Yuan Shikai is old and decrepit, or because he has met a powerful opponent, in short. Since the republic, when he was dealing with Zhao Bei, President Yuan Da has fallen behind everywhere, passive everywhere, and calculated everywhere.

Is it because that Commander-in-Chief Zhao can pinch and calculate? !

The only explanation is that Yuan Shikai is already old and unbearable, and he is no longer able to carry the burden of Beiyang.

But Yuan Shikai can't pick up this Beiyang burden, who is qualified to pick it? Duan Qirui? No, he doesn't have enough prestige yet. What about Feng Guozhang and Wang Shizhen? Will they be able to pick up this Beiyang burden? No, it's also a matter of prestige. Maybe you can only count on that Beiyang veteran Xu Shichang, but the problem is that Xu Ju is Yuan Shikai's brother, and it is impossible for him to take the lead in bringing down Yuan Shikai.

So, the current Beiyang burden can only be carried by Yuan Shikai, when Yuan Shikai is tired by this burden, and when will he come to cāo again to pick up the burden.

Seeing that Duan Qirui was silent, Yuan Shikai sighed and said: "Zhiquan, I know you have an opinion on the gang of green forest heroes in the three eastern provinces, but in this situation, we in Beiyang can only win them over, and those people in the south can turn the party and bandits into a revolutionary army, why can't we in Beiyang turn those green forest heroes into a Beiyang army?" Although Zhang Zuoshuang and Feng Delin are both from the green forest, after all, they have been the commanders of the patrol battalion for many years, and they understand the rules, and the troops under them have also been on the battlefield to rectify and rectify, and they may not be able to come in handy to do so, so they immediately called back to Zhang Zuoshuang and Feng Delin, saying that the center had agreed to their request, giving each of them a humble establishment, and when they pulled the people to Shanhaiguan, they would replenish their weapons and ammunition, and then transfer them to the south. Zhiquan, you are now in charge of the War Department, and you will have full authority to preside over this matter, and you will also be in charge of the specific troop formation. ”

The establishment of a division? Duan Qirui was even more annoyed, he was complaining about Wu Guangxin.

Duan Qirui asked with a calm face, "It's good to say." But where will this weapon and ammunition come from? Last month, though, there were several ships of British, rì Ben arms arrived. But it was used to equip the Beiyang Army, where is there any surplus arms for them? Besides, the establishment of a division is the salary of a division, and now even the Beiyang Army owes salaries, how can they be paid again? ”

Yuan Shikai pondered for a moment and said, "The issue of the salary will be handled by the Ministry of Matters and negotiated with Ying. If it really doesn't work, the only way to do this is to make some concessions on the right of way issue and hand over the Guangdong-Han line and Sichuan-Han line to the British and Rìben. ”

Duan Qirui sighed helplessly, if the Guangdong-Han line and the Sichuan-Han line were really so easy to sell, they would have been sold by the Qing court a long time ago, can you wait until you Yuan Shikai come to sell? Don't think that if you have an army, you can despise everything. Since the republic, this public opinion and popular sentiment have been played by the revolutionary party.

In front of the armed to the teeth, the people are indeed powerless to resist, but it does not mean that they have no will to resist, if someone gives them weapons, they can stop the military with force, in the past, there was no one to support the people, but now, those revolutionaries in the south are not fuel-efficient lamps, no matter what their starting point is, at least they gave the people a new choice, for the people, since Beiyang is not good, then let the revolutionaries come to power!

Short-sighted, short-sighted, you Yuan Laoshuai is only afraid that you are already poor in donkey skills.

Just when Duan Qirui lamented Yuan Shikai's short-sightedness, another confidential officer walked into the conference room and brought a new telegram.

After reading the telegram, Yuan Shikai frowned. Fingers tapped on the table and said, "Good, good!" Yang Xianzi really lived up to the trust, he had already visited Zhao Bei, and Zhao Bei had agreed to postpone the attack on Changsha. ”

Everyone in the conference room was a little puzzled, and after circulating the telegram, they learned that although the vanguard troops of the rebel army had entered the city of Changsha, they did not immediately attack, and Changsha was still under the control of the Hunan Xianyou Association.

Most of the crowd danced with their eyebrows, and many sycophants took the opportunity to slap President Yuan's ass.

But Duan Qirui and Ruan Zhongshu never spoke, the two glanced at each other, and then tacitly withdrew their gazes, looking at the hollow pattern on the tablecloth, and remained silent.

What can Yang Du do about that scholar? Didn't promise benefits to Zhao Bei? Last time, he promised to give Zhao Bei a "Southwest Salt Administration" to make the entire Southwest Salt Industry jump, and now Yang Du dares to promise benefits to that "Far East madman", could it be that in order to be Yuan Shikai's Maxima, he has become so short-sighted?

Duan Qirui speculated with play, of course. There was still no expression on his face.