"It's only been a few days, and my face has changed! You have long been thinking of maintaining the republic, why do you still go along with what kind of telegram in favor of the imperial system? Why did you take it when I gave you an official promotion? ”

"Shameless! Dog! Dog! A dog! ”

Yuan Shikai roared loudly in the room, and slammed his fist on the rosewood table, and the exquisite "Jurentang" colored porcelain cups on the table suddenly jumped up, and then fell heavily on the table, but what was surprising was that none of these cups were broken, which fully proved the quality of Jingdezhen's special "Hongxian porcelain".

Seeing Yuan Shikai so angry, all the ministers and generals in the room were silent one by one, and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.

"Your Majesty is angry." Secretary of State Xu Shichang showed due composure at this critical moment, "I have received various telegrams from Yunnan before, but I have not found any traces of rebellion. ”

Listening to Xu Shichang's words, Yuan Shikai took a breath and slowly calmed down.

"You can use the name of the political hall to immediately call Yunnan and ask if the call is fake." Yuan Shikai said, "You probably just said that: I learned of the call, the content is very different from the first three telegrams to the General Staff Department of the Command Office and the Church, this church will never believe that Yunnan has such a rebellious thing, and wants to be fabricated by others to send it on behalf of others, please have another mail letter and sign it by yourself." ”

Xu Shichang agreed, nodded to a confidential secretary, and the secretary quickly wrote down what Yuan Shikai had just said, and then turned to leave.

"Whether this telegram is true or not, we still have to take precautions." Yang Du, the prime minister (prime minister) who has not spoken, said, "Not only Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guangxi should also be vigilant as soon as possible. ”

"I have appointed Yang Hanzhi as the patrol envoy of Nanzhili, rectifying the soldiers and horses, and thinking of them as a backup." Yuan Shikai said, "Chen Eun can return to China from Europe without saying anything. With them, no matter how fierce his grandson's cannon is, he is not afraid. ”

Hearing Yuan Shikai say that Chen Huan, the actual commander of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, was sent back, Yang Du, Xu Shichang and others were all taken aback.

"If you don't want the trend of opposing the party to spread, why don't you let Yang Hanzhi lead the armies, divide and attack, and fight together." Yang Du thought about it, took a few words, and suggested to Yuan Shikai, "In this rebellion, our army should fight a quick battle and make a quick decision, and not give Yue Ben a chance to support the rebel party." ”

Yuan Shikai listened to Yang Du's suggestion, his face became a little gloomy, and he nodded slowly, "Let's see how Li Chun, Ma Jizeng, and Tang Tianxi are fighting!" ”

Yang Du listened to Yuan Shikai's answer and understood that he was still not very at ease with Yang Shuoming, a rising star, and couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart.

"How's Matsupa's condition?" Yuan Shikai asked suddenly.

Yang Du didn't expect Yuan Shikai to ask such a question, and couldn't help but be a little surprised, but he immediately replied: "Three days ago, I went to the 'Renhe Hospital' to visit Songpa, and the doctor said that Songpa recovered quickly after surgery. ”

"The matter of the staff, I'm afraid he can't afford it now." Yuan Shikai clenched his fists, and his speech and demeanor began to become irritable again, "Chen Er'an is eager and can't come back......"

"Your Majesty, why don't you go to Duan Mansion in person and ask Zhiquan to come out of the mountain." Yang Du suggested again.

"What the emperor said is very true," Xu Shichang also said, "It is better for the emperor to go for a trip, there is Zhiquan out of the mountain, and the emperor should be a big helper." ”

"It's not that I don't want to see him! You don't know his stubborn surname! Yuan Shikai waved his hand a little annoyed, "He just doesn't approve of me being the emperor!" I'm afraid that if I give up this seat to him, he will not come out! ”

Hearing Yuan Shikai's voice rise again, Yang Du and Xu Shichang glanced at each other and didn't say anything more.

The air in the room became a little dull for a while, and at this moment, Cai Tinggan walked in from the outside quickly, and his crisp footsteps were particularly clear at this time.

Yuan Shikai turned his head and saw Cai Tinggan's happy face, and then he noticed that he had a telegram in his hand, and his face couldn't help but relax.

"What's the matter? In such a hurry? Yuan Shikai asked in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"I just received a call from General Li Chun, and the Gan army athletes killed Chen Yingshi, the leader of the rebel party, and beheaded him!" Cai Tinggan said loudly, "General Li is sending someone to send a letter to the Beijing division in the starry night!" ”

Listening to Cai Tinggan's words, the people in the room were all happy, and Yuan Shikai rushed to Cai Tinggan as if he had been stimulant, snatched the telegram from his hand, and looked at it carefully.

"That's pretty much it." After reading the telegram, Yuan Shikai's face finally showed a smile, "I didn't say anything about it, who is so capable and has made such a great achievement." ”

"I heard that it was done by the special forces in the Gan army." Cai Tinggan said.

"Special forces?" Yuan Shikai's eyebrows raised, "What special forces?" ”

"It is a small and capable unit established by Yang Hanzhi when he was serving as the town guard envoy in western Jiangxi, specializing in reconnaissance and infiltration and other special combat missions, and it is said that many of them are brave men trained by Yang Hanzhi himself." Cai Tinggan didn't hear the deep meaning of Yuan Shikai's question just now, but replied straightforwardly, "The ministry made great contributions when it captured the Qingdao fortress. ”

"Oh, I see." Yuan Shikai nodded quietly, and while saying to Cai Tinggan, he handed the telegram to Xu Shichang, "Let the War Department ask about the specific process, so that the meritorious personnel can be commended." ”

Cai Tinggan agreed, turned around and left.

"He Chen Yingshi is accustomed to killing innocents by assassination and other indiscriminate means, this time he finally conferred the head, Zheng Zijing is in the spirit of heaven, and he should smile at Jiuquan." Yuan Shikai sighed and said.

After listening to Yuan Shikai's words, Yang Du, Xu Shichang and others also claimed to be.

Zheng Zijing mentioned by Yuan Shikai is the original Beiyang Navy Admiral Zheng Rucheng, who was appointed by Yuan Shikai as the Shanghai town guard, and became the primary target of the Shanghai revolutionaries because of his stubborn defense of the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau during the "Second Revolution". On November 10, 1915, Zheng Rucheng was killed by a bomb dropped by a hitman assigned by Chen Yingshi at the age of 43. Yuan Shikai ordered "Zheng Rucheng posthumously awarded the title of first-class Zhangwei Marquis, and gave preferential compensation according to the example of the general's death", gave 20,000 yuan of silver for funeral expenses, and allocated 3,000 acres of camping land to his family in Tianjin, and established a special shrine for Zheng Rucheng in Shanghai and his hometown.

Yuan Shikai has always felt very hated and frightened about Chen Yingshi, the culprit who assassinated Zheng Rucheng, and now that Chen Yingshi has been ambushed, Yuan Shikai can certainly breathe a sigh of relief.

"Is there any news from Xu Youzheng?" Yuan Shikai asked again.

No one answered.

Seeing that Yuan Shikai's face was a little gloomy, Xu Shichang comforted him and said: "The Mongolian desert is vast, and it is normal for news to be difficult to get through, presumably there will be good news in a few days." ”

"I hope so." Yuan Shikai sighed, "Now I can only wait." ”

Outer Mongolia, desert.

"Look! That's our airship! ”

Chu Xiangzheng, the commander of the Second Brigade of the Border Guards, pointed to the huge silver-white objects floating in the sky and said with some excitement.

"Yang Hanzhi has a heart," Xu Shuzheng, who was sitting in the four-wheeled command truck produced by Renhe Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., which imitated the American car, looked up at the giant silver shuttle in flight, and sighed, "If he hadn't given us so many good things, it would have been really not easy for us to go deep into this desert." ”

"Those Mongolian lamas must be dumbfounded if they see this thing." Chu Xiangzheng's gaze was still on the airship.

These advanced airships were specially built by Yang Shuoming for Xu Shuzheng's military campaign in Mongolia, and they could not only be used for reconnaissance and communications, but also could carry special heavy bombs for bombing.

For the superstitious Mongols, the psychological shock of these monsters falling from the sky was much greater than that of an armed army.

"This time, I have to let them obey and submit to my China," Xu Shuzheng withdrew his gaze from the airship and sneered, "Don't force Lao Tzu to kill when the time comes." ”

"Last time, the conditions offered by Chen Du's escort to Outer Mongolia were too generous, even if it is done, maybe one day they will want to separate from our China again." Chu Xiangzheng nodded, and looked back at the cannon towed behind a truck, "This time they dare to say the word 'no' again, and Lao Tzu will flatten Kulun." ”

"General Chu's words are wrong, we are going for the purpose of peace this time, and Kulun is also our Chinese city, so we can't destroy it," a middle-aged man in a Han costume sitting in the back seat of the car said with a smile, "Supervisor Yang said that he wants to open a bank there." ”

Listening to the words of this middle-aged man, Fang Wenlin, the first vice president of the Bank of Communications, Xu Shuzheng smiled and nodded.

As for how to carry out the operation in Outer Mongolia this time, Yang Shuoming has reached a specific strategy with Xu Shuzheng.

After the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, Tsarist Russia believed that "this is the best time to annex Chinese territory to achieve the long-cherished wish of successive tsars", and the Russian army took advantage of China's civil strife and had no time to take care of Outer Mongolia, and sent troops to Kulen under the pretext of "protecting the consulate and overseas Chinese", and single-handedly directed the farce of "foreign [***] standing".

When the news of the "reading power" of Kulunxuan City and the signing of the "Russian-Mongolian Entente" reached the whole country, public opinion throughout the country was in an uproar and the masses were indignant, and all political parties, organizations, and all ethnic groups and all walks of life throughout the country held and demonstrated one after another, and issued telegrams angrily denouncing Russia's aggressive act of vainly attempting to annex China's Mongolian region. While angrily denouncing Russia's crimes, people from all walks of life in China also united to take concrete actions to protect China's territory in Mongolia, and dock workers in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Yantai and other places went on strike one after another, refusing to load, unload and carry Russian goods. The Chinese workers of the brick tea factories of the Russian merchants in Hankow also staged an allied strike. The masses in various parts of China have resisted the use of the banknotes of the Sino-Russian Daosheng Bank, refused to deposit money with the bank, and rushed to the bank with the paper notes of the Sino-Russian Daosheng Bank to demand the exchange of silver, and the Yanjing Hua-Russia Daosheng Bank was withdrawn in cash of 2.5 million yuan within three days, with the result that the banknotes issued by the bank could not be circulated in the market.

Driven by the anti-Russian voice of the people of the whole country, the Republic of China immediately sent a solemn telegram to the Outer Mongolian authorities after the establishment of the political axe, "Outer Mongolia is the same Chinese nation, and for hundreds of years, Yiru has been a family...... Mongolia and the Han realm, lips and teeth depend on each other, Mongolia and the hinterland, religion, ethnicity, and habits are the same, together will benefit both, and divide will hurt both, do not be confused by heresies, and the infinite disasters of Mongolia and Mongolia...... Although Mongolia has a vast land and a small population, the total number of Mongolian provinces is less than the number of small provinces in the interior. …… And Mongolia since the Yellow Religion, good life and taboo killing has become a heavenly surname, all the arrows only know how to ride and shoot, knives and spears can not be prepared, let alone guns...... If the reading power is immediately abolished and the mainland is still united as one country, the crisis can be reversed, and the state can be consolidated. Otherwise, the wall will be ruined, and the whole country will be harmed, and there will be regrets for being slaves! "The Outer Mongolian authorities were ordered to cancel the reading power.

In the face of the warning of the Chinese political axe, the Outer Mongolian authorities were still obsessed, and after learning that the princes of Inner Mongolia and Simon refused to break away from China, they brazenly sent troops to invade Inner Mongolia, and the Outer Mongolian army invaded Zhangjiakou and other places, and wandered around Inner Mongolia to harass and brutalize the Han people. In order to deal with the invasion of the Outer Mongolian army, the political axe of the Republic of China successively mobilized garrisons in Rehe, Zhangjiakou, Shanxi, Suiyuan and other places, and carried out a comprehensive and uninterrupted counterattack against the Outer Mongolian army that invaded Inner Mongolia in the vast area from the Zhaowuda League in the east to the Ulanqab League in the west.

Due to the lack of strength in China and the turbulent domestic political situation since the founding of the Republic of China, it was unable to make a strong response to the establishment of foreign countries, and although it later succeeded in forcing Outer Mongolia to cancel the imperial title and recognize China's suzerainty, Outer Mongolia de facto obtained the right to "autonomy".

In order to stop the ambitions of Russia and Mongolia in order to stop the ambitions of Russia and Mongolia, the political axe of the Republic of China has been trying to restore China's sovereignty over Mongolia. And this time, the opportunity finally came.

Due to the outbreak of the revolution in Russia, the puppet regime of Outer Mongolia lost its "Slavic nanny", and the goods and materials imported into Mongolia by Russia gradually decreased after the Trans-Siberian Railway was controlled by Russia, which put the economy of Outer Mongolia in a difficult situation, and many princes and lower-class people in Outer Mongolia demanded to return to China. In this favorable situation, in order to "prevent trouble before it happens", the Chinese [***] team was able to enter Mongolia in a big way.

Of course, the reason for this situation is related to the quiet flapping of wings by a "dark bat".

In order to completely exclude Russian power from Mongolia, Yang Shuoming and Xu Shuzheng's strategy was not only to control Mongolia militarily, but also to take economic measures.

Since most of the supply of goods and materials in Mongolia comes from the Chinese mainland, commercial exchanges between China and Mongolia have been reduced and almost cut off after the "reading power", and Russia's material supply to Mongolia through the Trans-Siberian Railway can only reach 30 percent at most before the "reading power", and even this 30 percent is no longer available after the implementation of military control on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and Mongolia is in great pain, and Yang Shuoming's idea of "setting up a Chinese bank in Mongolia" is intended to control Mongolia from the economic aspect. This is also the reason why he sent Fang Wenlin and some "non-combatants" to accompany the army.

"Don't worry, Yang Hanzhi has helped me so much, if I don't take back the beautiful Mongolian beauty, I'll be a little sorry for the good things he gave." Xu Shuzheng's gaze returned to the desert in the distance.

At this time, the fiery red sun was hanging high in the sky, and the airship flying between the blue sky and white clouds looked so majestic.

"How far is it from Cullen?" Xu Shuzheng asked.

"It's about 20 miles away." One of the staff officers replied after checking the map.

"It's a damn bad thing to bring too many things, it's just that it's too slow." Xu Shuzheng said with some annoyance.

"Either let the cavalry go first." Chu Xiangzheng suggested, "The soldiers are very fast, and I don't know how many Russians there are in Kulen." ”

"Good!" Xu Shuzheng thought for a moment, nodded, and said loudly, "Pass my order!" Let the cavalry regiment go first! ”

Kulen, Ganden Monastery.

"If the Russian 'red plague' reaches Mongolia, then we are all done! Living buddha! ”

"The revolution of the Russians is the revolution of the powerful and the rich! The political axe they have set up speaks to the poor! Lamas, princes and nobles like us will certainly not have good fruit to eat! ”

"Yes! Living buddha! In any case, the Russians are no longer reliable! ”

"Let's withdraw the rule and return to China! Living buddha! ”

Listening to the pleas of the lamas and princes, Jebtsundamba began to let out a heavy wheezing sound.

At this moment, he felt regretful for listening to the Russians' demagogic "reading power".

Now that the revolution in Russia has swept the whole country, and Outer Mongolia, which has been "autonomous" under the direction of the Russians, has lost its "protection", he is very clear about the consequences of the possible export of the Russian revolution to Mongolia.

In fact, the "autonomous Mongolia" was originally the product of the political blackmail carried out by Tsarist Russia to the Chinese political axe by taking advantage of the collapse of the Manchu dynasty in China. At that time, China's political axe was almost powerless to fight back in the face of a serious crisis situation at home. Therefore, under the pressure of Tsarist Russia, the Chinese government was forced to allow "autonomy" of Outer Mongolia on the premise of guaranteeing that "Outer Mongolia is part of China's territory". It can be said that Tsarist Russia is the nanny of "autonomous Mongolia", which controls the political, economic and diplomatic affairs of Mongolia with one hand, and the political axe of Jebtsundamba is nothing more than a puppet of Tsarist Russia.

The outbreak of the October Revolution in Russia was like a drain from the bottom of a kettle for "autonomous Mongolia." The fall of Tsarist Russia deprived the "autonomous Mongolia" of its own backers and its support in all aspects of society. In the face of this sudden and complicated situation, although Jebtsundamba claims to be a living Buddha with "great wisdom", like many lamas and princes with fat brains, he feels at a loss and does not know what to do.

(To be continued)