Wanting to be all-encompassing is often counterproductive; Flattering on both sides, it is not good to offend on both sides.

Xu Shichang is really tired of living.

Xu Shichang's first major event as president was to seek reconciliation between the north and the south and end the civil war, and he did everything he could to save him, but it had no effect, nothing more than delaying time.

After the end of the Battle of Hunan, Xu Shichang whimsically mobilized Zhang Zuolin's brains to serve the army, he gave an order, transferred Zhang Zuolin into Beijing, guarded the safety of Beijing, and appointed Wu Jun to be promoted to the Fengtian overseer.

Where would Zhang Zuolin agree to this order?

Just when Zhang Zuolin was using his brains there, Wu Junsheng drove a special car to Shanhaiguan to see Zhang Zuolin. Zhang Zuolin's heart moved: "It's so fast, I'm going to take over!" ”

He smiled and said, "Brother, you're so fast!" If you want to hand over, you have to get me ready! “”

When Wu Junsheng heard this, he knew that Zhang Zuolin had something to say, so he quickly knelt down, and said with a red face in a hurry: "Dashuai, aren't you scolding my eight-generation ancestors, I relied on you to pull me into Heilongjiang, and only today is today, I can't repay the favor yet, how can I come forward to dismantle your platform!" Besides, who is the president of Xu Shichang? Beijing is playing tricks, we can't listen to Xu Shichang anymore! ”

"So," Zhang Zuolin nodded.

"Dashuai, you have a belly, and you can afford big things. Think about it, if you don't have you in the Northeast, put me in Mukden, and I will be squeezed out by others in a few days. These gang of dog mongrels in Beijing are poisonous! Don't be fooled! “”

"Yuan Jinkaina Governor" Zhang Zuolin is still not at ease.

"Dashuai, Lao Yuan is a scholar, what kind of tricks can't be seen through?" Wu Junsheng said: "He asked me to go back to Dashuai and ignore Beijing. He was busy campaigning the provincial council to see how to make the next move. ”

"Brother." Zhang Zuolin hurriedly helped Wu Junsheng up and said, "According to what you say, I should be the next step."

"What are you hesitating about?" Wu Junsheng didn't think about it and said: "Everyone guarantees that you sit in the three eastern provinces, and we will do ours." ”

"Good!" Zhang Zuolin patted his ass and stood up: "He Xu Lao Wu sits in his Beijing Forbidden City, and I Zhang Zuolin sits in my Fengtian Forbidden City, let's do it!" ”

Zhang Zuolin returned to Mukden, declared the independence of the three eastern provinces, and issued the Declaration of Independence of the Three Eastern Provinces, announcing the severance of relations with the Beijing government; At the same time, it was announced that he Zhang Zuolin had been elected as the "commander-in-chief of the security of the three eastern provinces". In addition, he also specially sent a telegram to Xu Shichang to "sue the military and civilians across the country":

"The central government is in a state of anarchy. Zuolin is far away from the gate, and he doesn't want to be foolish and sold by others. Since the Republic of China, there have been repeated chaos, Xu Shichang has taken advantage of the fishermen, and he has not noticed it outside, mistakenly thinking that he is a peacemaker, but he doesn't know that it is actually the fuse.

When Xu Shichang saw this telegram, he immediately fainted, the telegram fell from his hand to the ground, and his two eyes were dizzy and blurred, and he stayed unconsciously.

What made Xu Shichang even more upset was that Cao Kun's confidant Zhang Guogan hurriedly came from Baoding, saying that there was "an urgent matter to see Mr. Xu". Xu Shichang had just issued the word "missing", and Zhang Guogan had already swaggered in front of him.

Zhang Guogan is a clever man, and he asked Xu Shichang straight to the point: "Mr. Xu has seen the telegrams and congressional declarations of the overseers, right?" ”

Xu Shichang said without turning his face: "I saw it." ”

"What are Mr. Xu's plans?"

"I've wanted to quit for a long time." Xu Shichang smiled coldly and said, "It's just that I haven't found a suitable opportunity yet." Even at the beginning, I didn't want to be the president, and it wasn't for Cao, Wu and Zhang Yuting who tried their best to persuade me to do it. I think you, Mr. Zhang, a clever person, will know about these things. ”

"Mr. Xu has the intention to resign, I don't know when he will give up the mansion?"

"What do you say?"

"The sooner the better, of course!"

"It's always okay to explain a few urgent matters."

"Cao Shuai commanded, the sooner the better. If Mr. Xu hesitates and delays for a long time, it may be disadvantageous. ”

"It's always okay in a day or two, right?"

"Alright then, I'll get back tomorrow." Zhang Guogan is gone. However, the overseers of the provinces directly under their direct line came one after another to urge them, and even the staff of the direct office in Beijing called several times a day to ask, "When will you leave?" ”…,

Xu Shichang couldn't sit still, he hurriedly left Zhongnanhai and came to his private residence in the blacksmith camp in Dongsi or Wutiao. When Xu Shichang was sitting in his small living room, his mind suddenly roared: "What will happen to me?" ”

Xu Shichang's heart was very chaotic, he remembered the ups and downs of decades of officialdom, the sentient beings who often came and went with him in the past few decades, and the friends who had sworn life and death with him for a while, all of which became a thing of the past in an instant. At this moment, Xu Shichang suddenly regretted it, regretting that he shouldn't have climbed so high. Because he climbs high, what will he fall into? He didn't dare to think about it, he was a little scared!

At this time, he suddenly remembered Yuan Shikai's second son Yuan Kewen: "That little thing has a little vision, he"

Once, Xu Shichang sat in front of Yuan Shikai, and the two talked about how to teach their sons, and Xu Shichang praised Yuan's four sons, and the most promising of Yuan's four sons was the second son Kewen. Yuan Shikai shook his head and said, "It's a son of heaven who can't be helped!" ”

As he spoke, he showed him a poem written by Kewen on the Seven Rules. "I want him to inherit my throne, but he doesn't do it, and he still says that there is a lot of wind and rain in the high mountains, what do you say?"

Xu Shichang took Yuan Kewen's poem and looked at it, but it was "at first glance, the micro-cotton is strong and self-defeating, and the dark eyes are not clear to the evening." The cold geese in the south cover the lonely moon, and the wind moves the nine cities in the west. The colt gap stayed to fight for a moment, and the sound of the stinger blew the dream of three watches. There is a lot of wind and rain in the high places of the Jeorrhage, don't go to the top floor of the Qiong Tower! ”

Now, Xu Shichang still remembers this poem vividly, but he said with deep feelings: "Yuan Kewen is afraid of the wind and rain on the mountain, and he resolutely does not go to the top floor of Qionglou." I climbed to the top of the Qiong Tower, and the storm was coming at me, what would it do to wash me in? Pieces? Out of the window? ”

He felt that he was not as good as a gentleman.

Xu Shichang sat sullen for a while, and he suddenly remembered Lu Zu, who had believed in him all his life. He slowly stood up and walked involuntarily towards the secret room dedicated to Lu Zu. This time, Xu Shichang did not bring incense and candle offerings, not because he was too late, but because he had doubts about Lu Zu for the first time.

He stood in front of the statue of Lu Zu, looking at the face of Lu Zu painted on the paper, he felt that he was not the kindness of the past, and there was less wisdom in his eyes, and his eyebrows and eyes seemed to be a little more cunning. Xu Shichang didn't know whether to ask himself or to Lu Zu: "I, I, I am like this?" What will my end bring to the fathers and fathers? What will it bring to myself? Tomorrow, what will I do tomorrow? ”

He remembered the first time Liulichang asked for a signature, remembered the Guangxu Provalescence Examination, remembered the Hanlin Academy, and remembered the three eastern provinces

In front of Lu Zu, he no longer dared to reach out to the lottery holder to draw lots, he was at least disappointed in Lu Zu, because in the past few years, Lu Zu never told him that this year was a "disaster year" and reminded him to take precautions. Therefore, he was surprised by everything he was facing today and felt caught off guard: "I have devoutly worshiped you for most of my life, why don't you have a forenotice and a reminder for me?" Why can't you bear to watch me walk into the predicament step by step, step by step into the abyss? ”

Xu Shichang stood for a long time, except for doubts and grievances, the admiration and piety of the past have long been gone. "Am I destined to have today? Then you should tell me too! ”

Xu Shichang wants to draw another lottery to see what kind of future there will be in the future. "Sixty years is a big reincarnation, maybe the day after tomorrow is hopeful!" However, he didn't dare to draw this lot, he was afraid that Lu Zu would turn his face and tell him a big misfortune, "It has only been forty years since the Renwu Kexiang trial lottery was drawn today!" However, forty years is more than half of my life, and there is still a future to come, and I can't wait. Xu Shichang was full of negativity and pessimism, and his beliefs became indifferent and blurred.

He turned around slowly and gently closed the door, but it was no longer locked, he was not afraid that someone would trespass in, and he was not afraid that someone would do anything disrespectful to Lu Zu!

He was determined to forget this little house forever and ever

Shimono's fate is already doomed, the love stack is hopeless, and it can't be relied on if he doesn't leave, so he can only send a power to retreat.

Xu Shichang took out the study room and wanted to write a telegram manuscript by himself - it is not difficult for an old Hanlin to write a manuscript.

However, since Xu Shichang went to the three northeastern provinces to become the governor, he did not have to write the manuscript by himself, and almost all of them were ghostwritten by Wu Jisun. It's been 16 years since I was estranged from writing, and when I picked up the pen again, I always felt so heavy.

He suddenly remembered Li Yu, the queen of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and also played Li Yu's famous poem "Breaking the Array", so he gently recited it silently:

"In the past 40 years, the country has been 3,000 miles of mountains and rivers. Fengge Longlou Lianxiao Han, Yushu Qiongzhi dreams of smoke, and has known how many times to fight. Once he was classified as a captive, his waist and temples were consumed. The most is the day of the hasty resignation of the temple, the teaching workshop still plays a parting song, and tears to the palace. ”

Under the repeated pressure of Cao Kun and others, Xu Shichang had to reluctantly leave the presidential palace and move to the British Concession, which not only ended his five-year presidential career, but also ended his more than 40 years in politics.

On September 2, 1916, Xu Shichang went into the wilderness!