In the early morning, when Liu Shaoshang first kissed a glimmer of golden dawn, and the crisp singing of Que'er was added to the harmony, Xi Liangqiang, the governor of the three eastern provinces, was still talking with the visitor opposite, the general of Guangzhou, Zengqi. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

"The emperor has abdicated, the queen mother is too weak, and the country is over." Xiliang shook his head and said in a low voice: "I have been fighting with the Revolutionary Party in the southwest for so long, and I have already started to play to the imperial court, and quickly dispatched the northern soldiers to exterminate them in one fell swoop. But—"

Zeng Qi slowly closed his eyes, and he didn't know whether he was sad or happy, he opened his eyes for a long time, sighed, and said slowly: "Can you still control the army of the three eastern provinces?" ”

Xiliang nodded, then shook his head with a wry smile, his hands nervously twisted together, and bowed his head silently.

"You know the tragedy in Xi'an, right?" Zeng Qi seemed to have palpitations, paused, and continued: "Although the revolutionary army wants to overthrow the imperial court, it is still disciplined and organized. If the rioters swell, I am afraid it will be difficult to control. ”

The Revolutionary Army, led by the United Front, was highly disciplined, and they did not carry out a policy of massacre against the Manchus who had given up their resistance in the liberated areas. Therefore, there were no large-scale ethnic vendettas in Guangzhou, Jiangning, Wuchang and other places. But there are still places where the whip of the revolutionary army is beyond the reach of the whip, such as Xi'an.

Nine times out of ten, the so-called revolutionary party in Xi'an is affiliated with the Brotherhood of Elders, and the hatred of Manchu is very fierce. As a result, the city of Xi'an turned into a bleak battlefield overnight. But for those who have experienced that terrifying situation, it is clear that doctrine and faith can no longer overcome the slaughter, and support them to stand with a firm sword.

At the beginning of the revolution, the Manchus, Han Chinese, and Mongol bannermen were in a state of extreme fear of being slaughtered. The news of "being slaughtered" continued to spread in various places, and rumors spread that the Han people were about to enter the city, and they would kill no one when they saw them; It is also said that the Manchurians will be chopped into meat sauce. If you don't kill it, you will sacrifice to the sky.

At that time, the flag soldiers and the people thought that a catastrophe was coming, and many people killed and ate poultry and livestock, only to wait for the wind to change, commit suicide or martyrdom, and everyone felt that there was no hope of survival. The city of Guangzhou was also hesitant before the recovery. The Manchu officials were all frightened, and the bannermen on the street walked in a low voice, not daring to raise their heads. The families of the gentry and merchants and the bannermen fled one after another, and the situation was embarrassing. The Nanjing Banner City is equally bleak, and legend has it that as soon as the revolutionary army arrives, they will kill all the Manchurians in revenge for the massacre of the Han people when the Qing soldiers entered the customs.

It was common to see Manchus crying every day, especially women, because there was no foot binding. The clothes are different from those of the Han people, and they are even more worried, so they buy Han women's clothes from the clothing appraisal shop, dress up as Han people, and force girls about ten years old to bind their feet; The men also changed their names and surnames to become Han Chinese.

Even in Beijing, Manchu women abandoned their proud hairstyles so as not to provoke danger. The number of people coming to the embassy district to ask for asylum or to find a house nearby is also increasing every day. After the liberation, the revolutionary army had its own way of placing bannermen. Each person can receive a living allowance to fend for themselves; However, due to panic, most of the banner people had fled at this time, and they were even more afraid that their identities would be exposed and retaliated against by the Han people, so almost no one dared to receive this money.

"From Guangzhou to Nanjing, and then to Hangzhou. I saw how the revolutionary army treated us Manchurians. Zengqi lowered his head and said heavily and slowly: "The attaché of the provisional government told me every day about the massacres of the Qing soldiers when they entered the customs, the ten days of Yangzhou, the three massacres of Jiading, the massacre of Suzhou, the massacre of Nanchang, the massacre of Ganzhou, and the massacre of Jiangyin...... As he spoke, he wept bitterly. I, I'm—"

Xiliang choked up when he heard Zengqi. I couldn't help but close my eyes and sighed.

"Compared with the sins of the ancestors, the revolutionary army does not kill or humiliate, it is already benevolent and righteous." Zeng Qi wiped away his tears and said: "In order to make senseless sacrifices for the Manchurians, and in order to be able to raise my head and be a man in the future, I came to the Northeast and am willing to be a lobbyist." You have also seen the Provisional Government's policy of appeasement, and I will not say much about where it will go. The hundreds of thousands of Manchurian people in the three northeastern provinces will depend on you in the future. ”

The banner people are also Chinese, and for most of them, they are also patriotic, and they are also dissatisfied with the decay of the imperial court. But when the power held by a minority of their own clan is overthrown, they will of course be treated with some degree of hostility in the new country. Their inner grievances and spiritual sense of otherness are likely to be exploited by people with ulterior motives. The two Manchurian and Mongolian independence movements in history are not without such reasons.

Isolating a small handful, uniting to win over the majority, and minimizing the hostile side as much as possible has always been Chen Wenqiang's way of thinking. And this line of thinking has been imperceptibly understood and appreciated by the leaders of the Revival Council over the years.

Of course, the Zongshe Party is a stubborn and old-fashioned enemy, and it is not a strategy for the government to adopt some preferential policies for the banner people, and even to organize a peaceful and government-oriented organization to compete with them for the hearts of the flag people and to stabilize the country as soon as possible.

Xiliang fell into a long thought, and it took a long time before he slowly opened his eyes, as if he had made a decision, and his eyes shot fiercely.

"Okay, for the sake of the future of the Manchurians, and for the sake of the safety of the emperor and the queen mother who are still in the capital, I am willing to contact the revolutionary party." Xiliang gritted his teeth and rattled, "Although the Qing Dynasty is over, I must not rebel and surrender to the former minions, such as Yuan Thief, Cao Kun, Jiang Guidi, etc. ”

It's not just an option, it's a matter of decency. The revolutionary party was still merciful to the Manchus, and surrendering to them might be better for the Manchus in the future. Of course, it is better to give outsiders than domestic slaves, and this ancestral precept is also playing a certain role.

Zeng Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and continued: "Although the Revolutionary Party and my brother have been fighting in the southwest for many years, they belong to the enemy and us, and there is no hatred at all. The Revolutionary Party still admires my brother's honesty and fairness, and is willing to entrust my brother to the post of appeasement envoy with a banner man. How to guide the banner people to support themselves, and hope that my brother will write out various measures, and the provisional government will do its best to help financially, materially, and manpower. ”

Xiliang was a little surprised, stunned for a moment, and said: "My body is not good, Brother Zengqi, this position will be held by you, so that we will not suffer from freezing and starvation." As for the good intentions of the Provisional Government, I understand it. At present, the situation in the northeast is unstable and Japan and Russia are plotting against each other, so the provisional government is requested to quickly increase the number of troops in order to determine the overall situation in the northeast. ”

As a capable minister among the Manchus, Xiliang was able to govern strictly when he served in Rehe, Batang, Yunnan, Guizhou and other places. The results of the military system, the cleaning up of finances, the rectification of salt affairs, and the preparation of the livelihood of the Eight Banners are very outstanding.

The governor of Fengtian, Jilin, and Heilongjiang East Province affairs, and concurrently served as the queen of the Rehe capital. He was in a predicament of spillover of local interests and financial difficulties. To save the increasingly critical situation. Xiliang went to the imperial court many times and put forward a plan to solve many problems existing in the three eastern provinces, focusing on the opening of banks, immigration, governance, division of defense, and passages.

Not only that, Xiliang also realized that the three eastern provinces at that time were held hostage by the Japanese and Russian invaders because they could not control the right to expand the railway, which meant that the real power of the three eastern provinces had actually been controlled by foreign invaders. This was a major matter related to national sovereignty, so Xiliang proposed to the Qing court to borrow money from the United States, which not only solved the problem of the Qing court's inability to pay the huge amount of money for road construction, but also restrained the arrogance of Japan and Russia in terms of power, which can be described as "killing two birds with one stone."

However, due to the corruption of the Qing court, secrets were leaked. In the end, this was not implemented, and Xiliang was filled with grief and anger, and the old illness relapsed. The decaying Qing dynasty was crumbling and rapidly decaying. Xiliang knew that the situation was settled, and no amount of hard work and hard work at this time could prevent the demise of the feudal regime.

Internal and external troubles are becoming more and more dangerous, and most of the plans he has made for the defense of the northeastern frontier cannot be implemented, and the government is becoming more and more corrupt. The people's hearts are gradually dispersing and irretrievable. Xiliang was extremely discouraged and asked to leave his job many times.

Moreover, during his illness, Xiliang refused to be treated and refused to take medicine. In history, in two or three years, he died of illness.

"Heart disease can be cured. Illness can also be treated. Zengqi sighed and persuaded: "If you want to be safe in the future, you must have someone in the court." The provisional government does not exclude the Manchus as officials, and they have already sent people to contact Duanfang, who lives in Tianjin, as well as Brother Xiliang, who are all capable and capable people among our Manchus. If you can take office, won't you be able to salvage the momentum of the people and raise your head among the Han people. ”

"That's it-" Xiliang fell into thought, whether to be loyal, righteous, a lonely son of a minister who guards the Qing Dynasty, or not afraid of slander, have the courage to take responsibility, and support the Manchurians who are in a trough for the sake of happiness, this is really a dilemma.

"The republic of the five ethnic groups, in the government, the Manchurians should have a place." Zeng Qi paused and continued: "Duan Fang was appointed as the host of the Imperial Family Maintenance Association, for the sake of the emperor and the queen mother, as well as many royal families, I think he will accept it." Brother Xiliang, you are not for your own high-ranking officials, but for our future life, what are you afraid of? Like the likes of Yi Xuan, colluding with Yuan thieves, and greedy for countless ink, and corrupting state affairs, it was all done by these people. Now he is running to Tianjin to be a public servant with the wealth of the country, regardless of whether he is alive or dead, and he still pretends to keep the name of a lonely minister, which is really despicable and shameless. ”

Xiliang snorted, expressing his disdain and dissatisfaction with Yi Xuan, but he was still ambivalent and did not make a decision. Sighing softly, he said slowly, "Let me think again, think again!" ”

Zeng Qi was silent for a long time, and carefully reminded: "I met Chen Wenqiang in Tianjin, and he brought me two documents to read. One is to set up a resettlement agency and ask the Manchu princes to pay for the construction of a company to invest abroad, or railways, or commerce. In addition to the dividends to shareholders, the remaining part of the investment income not only provides financial help to the poor Manchurians, but also provides more expenses for the royal family, so that the emperor and the queen mother can live a comfortable life. ”

Xiliang nodded lightly and said, "Chen Wenqiang is proficient in foreign affairs, and he is still sure of investment and operation. This move is reasonable and more clever than Li Zicheng's entry into Beijing to recover stolen goods. Those corrupt people should also repay the bad court. What about the other document? ”

King Li Chuang entered Beijing, arrested the imperial relatives, relatives, high-ranking officials, and eunuchs, and released those who offered silver quickly; Those who hide the money and do not offer it will be punished and served. The tragic history books of sticks flying wildly, cannon branding and tendons, gouging out eyes and cutting intestines, and recovering stolen money and salaries. Some officials even had their heads torn apart by sticks, and their brains flowed out and died.

The provisional government was short of money, but it still had to appease the Manchurians, so it had to borrow money from a few people to make money, which was very beautiful, but how could Xiliang not see the connotation.

"Another document—" Zengqi hesitated for a moment, and said: "King Su has colluded with the Japanese, and wants to come to the northeast to contact the Manchu and Mongolian princes, establish the Manchu and Mongolian kingdoms, and support King Su as emperor. ”

Xiliang was taken aback, Huo Ran's eyes widened, and he reprimanded: "Confused! The Japanese have long coveted the Northeast China, and the Manchurian kingdom is not yet controlled by the Japanese. King Su is willing to be a puppet, leaving a disaster to the Manchurians, and it will implicate the emperor and the queen mother, which is really a desire for profit and betrays the country to seek glory. ”

When Zeng Qi heard Xiliang say this, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and said: "The provisional government has learned of this matter, and Yuan Shikai should also have heard about it. ”

"I know what you mean." Xiliang smiled bitterly and waved his hand, "I can still tell which is more important, and I won't get involved with King Su." I guess my statement can also avoid the disaster of killing, right? ”

Zeng Qi smiled awkwardly and said, "The bombs and pistols of the revolutionary party are very powerful. There are so many outlaws, don't be afraid! ”

Xiliang showed fatigue on his face, and Zeng Qi hurriedly got up to say goodbye. Xiliang stayed again, temporarily placed Zengqi in his official office, took a nap, came to the study, picked up the pen, pondered, and meditated.

A high-ranking Manchurian official like Xiliang is relatively sober and has some talents. Originally, he already had the intention of dying of illness and martyrdom in the court, but the information conveyed by Zengqi changed his mind.

Yes, is it really good to keep oneself clean and self-controlled? Isn't it very irresponsible? Although Xiliang claims to be incorruptible, his family property is enough for him to live, but what about the other Manchurians? Xiliang can imagine that many banner people have fallen into poverty and have no food because they have no skills; Numerous bannermen are in a low position because there is no one to speak for them in the new government.

Duan Fang, it is estimated that he will agree. After all, it is for the sake of the emperor and the queen mother, and in the name of seeking wealth for the majority of banner people, he can get a good reputation. As for himself, it doesn't seem to matter so much whether he agrees or not, and the new government will always find a man who is willing to do things, such as Zengqi.

Like Duan Fang, he has the ability and ambition, and he is really unwilling to live in seclusion in the forest. Xiliang took out the documents and materials brought by Zengqi and read them carefully.

Under the auspices of Chen Wenqiang, a large net has been formed, from stabilizing the northeast to pacifying the Manchurians, he has firmly grasped the key and grasped the psychology of the people.

Able to govern both things and people, Chen Wenqiang's strengths have been brought into full play, and his eyes are even more focused on the whole country and even the world. The Yuan side, which was focusing on the peace talks, obviously fell behind and didn't know it. (To be continued.) )