Now that the revolutionary army and the Beiyang army have not won or lost, the provisional government and Yuan Shikai do not know who will be in power in the end, the situation in Fengtian is unstable, and there is the third mixed association new army, which has always been at odds with the old army, is stationed, they are all in the stage of investigation, and no one dares to act rashly. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

And the third mixed into the new army, although the blue sky of the co-unification is revolutionary. And the subordinate commanders Wu Xiangzhen and Pan Yuying are all old people in Beiyang, which is difficult to control.

Moreover, although Xiliang, the governor of the northeast in Mukden, was known for his integrity, honesty, diligence and pragmatism, he was already physically and mentally exhausted after fighting the revolutionary army in Kunming, and after arriving in the northeast, his old illness recurred many times, and it was difficult to grasp the situation in Mukden. The "Fengtian National Security Council," organized and established by Yuan Jinkai, former vice chairman of the Consultative Bureau, with the support of some old-fashioned soldiers, stirred up trouble and opposed the three eastern provinces to respond to the revolution and declare independence.

It's complicated, it's complicated. The armament is complex, the composition is complex, the people's hearts are complex, and the situation is complicated.

But Chen Wenqiang had his own ideas and plans: on the one hand, he secretly expanded his strength with financial support for the Fengtian Revolutionary Party; On the one hand, they are ordered to be vigilant, to wait and see the changes of the times, and not to blindly act up to the target of the public; On the other hand, the General Staff of the Revolutionary Army had already planned and organized a backup plan to march into the Northeast.

Since there are many internal contradictions and it is not easy to get started, it is better to exert great influence from the outside to make it develop in the direction of the revolutionary party. Moreover, the Provisional Government also sent a secret envoy to the northeast with a letter of appointment and a check to launch a silver bullet offensive against the four patrol battalion commanders in the name of the government. They were advised to clearly understand the situation and turn to the revolution.

As long as the Northeast does not fall into great chaos and does not give Japan and Russia an excuse to intervene, it is also cost-effective to pay a great price. As long as the overall situation is determined, in the name of the central government, it is not yet a matter of picking up a few old officers whose wings have not yet been full.

Chen Wenqiang invited Xu Shichang for two reasons. One is to hope that Xu Shichang can serve as the chief executive of the three northeastern provinces and use his prestige to stabilize the northeast; The other is to use Xu Shichang, the No. 2 person in the Beiyang system, as Yuan Shikai's replacement, put aside Yuan Datou when necessary, and minimize the backlash generated by the Beiyang Army.

Although Xu Shichang was only Yuan Shikai's first vision, he made plans for it and tried his best to assist. But he is a very wise guy who keeps a certain distance from Yuan. Moreover, Xu Shichang is not blindly loyal to Yuan Shikai, he has his own ideas and ideas. Xu Shichang and Yuan Shikai are the same ambitious, but the difference is that he can restrain himself and know how to protect himself.

"Mr. Xu is leisurely and free, and he wants to die in the forest, I'm afraid he is worried that he will serve the new dynasty with Qing ministers and attract disloyal slander, right?" Chen Wenqiang saw through Xu Shichang's heart. He also admired his ambition and patriotic fervor, so he tried his best to persuade him: "Mr. Ran also said: 'Every man has his own ambition. If there are many people who aspire to the hometown of immortals and Buddhas, the country is weak; If there are many people who are sages, the country will be governed; If there are many people who are determined to be emperors, the country will be in turmoil', which shows Mr. Wang's patriotism. ”

These words scratched Xu Shichang's itch, and his gaze softened. Xu Shichang is not a person who can endure loneliness and is willing to die in the forest. It's just that he is stable by nature. When the conditions are basically met, you can let go. for when in the three eastern provinces; If the risk is too high and too high, it is better to wait and see. Moreover, he is by no means the kind of person who "would rather be a chicken head than an ox tail".

"Mr. Xu has a little bit of a way in the Northeast, and he is really talented." Chen Wenqiang continued: "Japan and Russia are eyeing each other, and the Northeast is in need of a highly respected and experienced official like Mr. Xu. If Mr. serves as the chief civil affairs officer of the three northeastern provinces, he can be described as a hero. Just use your talents. Seeking benefits for the country and gaining fame, can't it be worth the slander of disloyalty? ”

Xu Shichang's heart was moved, to be precise, Chen Wenqiang's words reached the heart. It not only relieves scruples, but also shows temptation. But he also had to be reserved and given more certainty. With a wry smile, Xu Shichang slowly spoke: "Mr. Chen has won the award, Xu has only done his best in the Northeast, how can he say that he is highly respected, and he does not dare to follow Zhuge to go to Jiangdong to fight against Confucianism." ”

Chen Wenqiang smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Xu, how can the provisional government let you take a big risk?" Things have already been arranged, and Mr. Xu will not only have the protection of elite soldiers and strong generals, but also have abundant funds available. If Mr. Xu is not satisfied with the arrangement, it will be too late to regret it. ”

Xu Shichang glanced at Chen Wenqiang with some surprise, and roughly understood in his heart why the provisional government would let Chen Wenqiang come to the swoop, just this ability to observe the face and see the subtleties is enough to be competent.

"It's just-" Xu Shichang hesitated for a moment, but still spoke for his old friend Yuan Shikai, "Yuan Xiangcheng may have shortcomings, but no one is perfect, and no one is perfect, Mr. Chen should not be too harsh, or take a long-term view and make the country stable as soon as possible." ”

"It's nature." Chen Wenqiang nodded and said: "The peace talks should not be broken down lightly, this is also the hope of the provisional government and me. But what the result will be, it depends on how far Yuan Shikai can go. I know the personal relationship between Mr. Xu and Yuan Shikai, but I don't hide anything from Mr. Xu. Even Mr. Xu is very Jin, and he wants to meet and negotiate with Yuan Shikai, which is also Mr. Xu's freedom. ”

Xu Shichang hesitated, thought for a while, shook his head, and said, "Xu still won't meet him." Mr. Chan treats him with sincerity, how can I leak my secrets again? This is unrighteousness, and it is not to be done. ”

Chen Wenqiang smiled, noncommittal, and continued to discuss the construction and development of the Northeast. Xu Shichang also restrained his mind and expressed his views and opinions, so as not to be taken lightly by Chen Wenqiang.

……………

When the formal peace talks were about to begin, Yuan Shikai and others suddenly received the news sent by Chen Wenqiang that the fifth town had no food and salary, and the troops were plundered, like bandits. Zhang Huaizhi, the commander of the army, could not suppress the bullets, and led his troops to surrender to the revolutionary army, and the officers and soldiers who caused the rebellion were suppressed by the revolutionary army.

"!" Yuan Shikai was furious, slammed the reported document on the ground, and spun around in a circle in the room, "Words without faith, words without faith, where is the sincerity of peace talks?" Zhang Huaizhi will surrender, but he is simply talking nonsense with his eyes open. ”

Yang Shiqi shook his head with a wry smile, squatted down and picked up the papers one by one, read them carefully, and then passed them to Hu Weide and Zhao Bingjun.

"You say, is this sabotaging the peace talks? Is it going to be held or something, what kind of press conference will be made public. Yuan Shikai finally stopped, staring at a few close confidants.

Although he knew what Yuan Shikai wanted to hear, Yang Shiqi knew what he was going to say, so as not to be laughed at.

"Yuan Gong is angry." Yang Shiqi grinned. "The retention of the Fifth Town is not a prerequisite for peace talks, at least it has not been documented, and it has not been clearly written in black and white. Private promises may not be convincing enough. ”

Yuan Shikai was very unwilling, and looked at Hu Weide and Zhao Bingjun again. The two of them smiled bitterly and were speechless, which also showed their inclination.

"Then we're going to eat this loss?" Yuan Shikai snorted. Said unhappily.

Yang Shiqi, Hu Weide, and Zhao Bingjun exchanged glances, and Hu Weide opened his mouth and said: "Formal peace talks are about to begin, we can question each other about this matter and let them explain." ”

Yuan Shikai turned his head and said angrily: "I suffered a loss, let people get off the horse, and I have to pinch my nose to go to the peace talks?" ”

"At this time, when announcing this matter, Chen Wenqiang is making a calculation that we will not participate in the peace talks." Zhao Bingjun said: "In this way, he can put the charge of the breakdown of the peace talks on our heads." ”

Fearless? Deliberately? Yuan Shikai touched his beard suspiciously. guessed Chen Wenqiang's intentions.

"When the revolutionary army withdrew from Shanhaiguan, it was a lot of hype, saying something to show the sincerity of the peace talks." Yang Shiqi said: "The attack on the fifth town was only announced to us, and did not resort to the newspaper. This two methods, light and dark, play very cleverly! We can't afford to suffer from this. Doesn't this say that Zhang Huaizhi led the troops to surrender, then let them hand over the people and see who is lying. ”

Yuan Shikai thought for a while and shook his head gently. This war of words has to be fought, and won't the peace talks have to drag on for a longer time? Maybe. This is Chen Wenqiang's original intention, and the longer the peace talks are delayed, the better.

A cunning and ruthless opponent, Yuan Shikai had to re-examine Chen Wenqiang. Under all kinds of dazzling appearances, he couldn't tell which was real and which was fake. The rhetoric deceived him a little, and he didn't expect Chen Wenqiang to be so ruthless. Word.

Will these men be Chen Wenqiang's opponents? As the head of the group, Yuan Shikai naturally could not sit at the negotiating table during formal talks and bargain like a market vendor. But at this point, he was worried about the ability of his cronies. Only he stayed in Tianjin and controlled the entire process of the peace talks in real time.

They do not want the peace talks to be delayed. Trying to negotiate favorable terms in the peace talks, Yuan Shikai found himself in a dilemma.

………………

Formal peace talks began, unlike in history, when Yuan was completely in control of the situation, the south was embarrassed and could only play some games on words, hoping to restrain Yuan in the future.

At present, the south is superior to the north in the overall situation, and the army has food and pay, which of course refers to the regular army and the newly formed army, and the chaotic people's army is being selected and dismissed for the people. The strength of industry and commerce is even more difficult to match in the north. As for the six towns of Beiyang that Yuan relied on as Mount Tai, there was already a lack of a town, although the strength still existed, but it did not have much advantage.

What a contrast! After the Xinhai Revolution in history, the provisional government had no choice but to dismiss the large number of troops; The current Provisional Government is recruiting troops and expanding its armaments.

Therefore, Chen Wenqiang, who appeared at the negotiation table, appeared confident, neither humble nor arrogant, and had a personable demeanor, winning the illumination of countless flashes.

"On behalf of the Provisional Government, I have the honour to preside over this peace talks. As everyone knows, the area, population, and industrial and commercial economic strength of the Guangfu region far surpass that of the north, and we still insist on peace talks under such circumstances, which shows that we have 12 points of sincerity. For what? For the sake of the stability of the country as soon as possible, for the sake of compatriots not to be killed internally, for the sake of not being taken advantage of by foreign enemies, and for the people to live a stable life. Chen Wenqiang spoke eloquently at a press conference before the peace talks.

"But at the same time, we should also be aware of the difficulties of peace talks. To establish a government, it is not about sitting on the ground and sharing the spoils, checks and balances are necessary, and it is even more worthy of the title of the Republic of China. If the **** court of the Manchu Qing Dynasty was overthrown and a dictator was ushered in, what was the point of the revolution? ”

"Having said that, I would like to distribute some information documents, not with malicious slander, but with the existence of facts. In view of the nature of the Beiyang Army's personal army, and in view of the fact that Mr. Yuan was born in the old Manchu bureaucracy, we have every reason to doubt whether he will be able to assume the heavy responsibility of head of state, whether he will be able to serve the public in the world, whether he will have a modern political consciousness, whether he understands what democracy and the legal system are, and whether he can take drastic measures to eliminate the accumulated defects and strengthen the country with a public heart. Chen Wenqiang's words and tone became intense.

The venue fell silent, and a series of questions caused people to ponder. In the case of everyone's decision, the peace talks are expected, but after giving power to Yuan, everything will really be fine?

"Needless to say, the provisional government has issued many policies and laws, and has also drafted a provisional constitution, which is indeed aimed at Mr. Yuan and his private forces. This is not about living in the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain, but following the conventions of modern political society and putting power in a cage. From the perspective of the modern political system, Mr. Yuan has neither a political party nor a military man, so he is not suitable for the post of president. However, the Provisional Government, in the most sincere wish, hoped that the country would be stable as soon as possible and that it would embark on the road of construction as soon as possible; In line with the most sincere wishes, I hope that Mr. Yuan can change from the old to the new, transform his thinking and behavior. We ask Mr. Yuan to be China's Washington, and we hope that he will also aim to be China's Washington. ”

The applause rang out, it was driven by someone, Chen Wenqiang was quite skilled in playing this hand, and he had already arranged a "palm rest".

Chen Wenqiang smiled and thanked him, and when the applause stopped for a while, he said solemnly: "Here, I want to announce a message. As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper and read aloud: "The Fifth Town of Beiyang is trapped in Guilin, and it will neither accept the disarmament and repatriation, nor accept the order of the provisional government, which should have been left to settle after the peace talks." However, the military discipline of the officers and soldiers of the Fifth Town of Beiyang was corrupted, and they wantonly looted and burned in order to raise food, like bandits, and the people did not witness the tragic situation. In order to uphold the law and order of the country and restore the peace of the people, the provisional government resolutely dispatched troops, which was completely resolved yesterday. The officers and men who caused the rebellion were sentenced in accordance with the law after their crimes were clarified, and Zhang Huaizhi and the principal officers were also taken into custody for interrogation on suspicion of dereliction of duty and indulgence. ”

There was silence in the venue, this news was too shocking, and it was made public before the peace talks, could it be that the peace talks were going to die before they began?

The people of the Yuan family, who were waiting to speak later, had a pale face and were waiting to come forward to defend themselves.

"The Republic of China, it's not just a change of name!" Chen Wenqiang smiled coldly and made a concluding speech, "Those who commit evil acts that hurt, harm, and disturb the people will be completely exterminated, and the army will be regarded as bandits and will not be tolerated." Thank you, and this concludes my statement. If you need relevant materials, you can go to the desk next to you to line up to get them. Thank you. ”

…………… (To be continued.) )