Zhang Zhidong's contradictions are also reflected in the controversy between his two major aides, Gu Hongming and Zhao Fengchang. Gu Hongming is a legendary figure, proficient in Western studies and Chinese studies, but he is an out-and-out royalist and a martyr of the Manchu rulers, although he is committed to the development of foreign affairs and the maintenance and promotion of Chinese culture. And Zhao Fengchang is also a legendary figure in modern history, the southeast mutual insurance is he and Sheng Xuanhuai, Zhang Qian and others to promote, Zhang Zhidong hesitated at that time, Zhao Fengchang actually faked the holy decree, so that Zhang Zhidong finally made up his mind.

Both were Westerners, but their attitudes towards revolutionaries were different. They argued many times in front of Zhang Zhidong, and one angrily denounced the Zhenguo Party as a bandit and could not die a good death; The other said that the national fortune is declining, and the Zhenguo Party has great luck, so you can try to contact it.

The argument between the two of Jang Zhidong's staff members circulated in some hidden circles, and when someone learned about it, it was discovered that this was the key to realizing the ice-breaking journey between the Zhenguo Party and Jang Zhidong!

Cai Yuanpei presided over the establishment and liaison of the branch of the Zhenguo Party in China, and Wuhan became one of the focuses of his work. Zhang Zhidong was an important minister of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and he did not have a hostile attitude towards the Zhenguo Party, and there was a lot of non-governmental cooperation between the two sides. If Zhang Zhidong can be drawn into the revolutionary ranks, it will be a great encouragement to the revolutionary cause, and he will even be able to take Wuhan and Lianghu, which are located in the center of China, without bloodshed!

This matter was not easy, Zhang Zhidong had suppressed the Taiping Army and the Boxers, and seemed to be loyal to the Manchus. With an unclear attitude, Cai Yuanpei had to start with the people around him first, and the rumors about Gu Hongming and Zhao Fengchang prompted Cai Yuanpei to hand over a visit post to Zhao Fu.

The post was sent in the name of the Hanlin Academy and Guangdong Cai Yuanpei, which is also a fact, Cai Yuanpei was edited by the Hanlin Academy at the age of twenty-five, and the exchange between cultural people is more appropriate. What attracted Zhao Fengchang was the word Guangdong. The name Cai Yuanpei is very unfamiliar to him, but he is from Guangdong, so it's amazing, who knows if he is a literati or a chaotic party? After investigation, it was found that this person had organized and founded the China Education Association in Shanghai and served as its president. Is it about new education? Then let's see it!

"Junior Cai Yuanpei, I've seen Brother Zhujun." Zhujun is Zhao Fengchang's character, the difference between the two is twelve years old, and it is reasonable to call him a brother, not to be commensurate with his official position, but also to appear close.

The two exchanged politeness, and Cai Yuanpei took the initiative to speak: "This time I took the liberty to visit, I wanted to ask Brother Zhujun about the establishment of a new type of education. Brother Zhujun has been in charge of Zhang Xiangshuai for many years, and there are footprints left by Brother Zhujun in Liangguang, Liangjiang and Lianghu, which can be said to be great achievements and merits. ”

"I heard that you have set up a Chinese education association in Shanghai, and it seems that Yuan Pei is also a fellow believer, so there is no need to say much about the past. The new education is to open the people's wisdom, the most critical place is to build a new school, the cost is huge, which needs the backing of the government, if Yuan Pei wants to make a career in education, it is better to go to the two lakes to do things. Xiang Shuai can't ask for talents. Both were testing each other, and knew that the conversation didn't go to the core.

"Thank you Brother Zhujun for your appreciation, the younger generation founded the China Education Association in Shanghai, the purpose of which is to educate and cultivate talents, open up the wisdom of the people, and awaken the people, but after all, the power of one person is limited, just like Brother Zhujun said, education must be carried out through the government. So, I am now working in the most developed place in China. ”

"Oh, the most developed, how come I haven't heard of it?" Zhao Fengchang vaguely knew in his heart what kind of place it was, the secret meat drama was coming, this Cai Yuanpei was definitely not a simple character, at least he had to do with the chaotic party.

"Brother Zhujun, it is not only the most developed area for education, but also the most developed area for foreign affairs, the most developed area for transportation, and the most developed area for agriculture. You can't even find a better place in Japan. ”

"Yuan Pei is talking about two lakes? As far as I know, Xiang Shuai has been running Lianghu for many years, devoting himself to the cause of foreign affairs, stacking bridges and paving roads, establishing education, and the Hanyang Iron Works is famous. ”

"Brother Zhujun, Ming people don't say dark words, if Brother Zhujun goes to Guangdong to take a look and take a walk, you will find a new world. There is a compulsory education system, every child who reaches school age must enter school, this is a letter of the law that cannot be violated, and until the end of junior high school, all school fees are covered by the government. There were more than 4,000 new factories there, and their products were sold both at home and abroad, so much so that Japan coveted these factories and launched a war of aggression. The length of the railway there is more than 2,000 kilometers, and it is still increasing at a terrifying rate. The ash roads there have been paved in all the towns and villages under its jurisdiction, and are now making their way to the countryside. Most of the people there use bicycles as a new means of transportation, farmers harvest high-yielding rice, and workers receive wages from factories, and life is peaceful and prosperous. It advocates that all men are created equal, and that the safety of life and property of all people is not violated. Officials there are clean, and the most powerful government agencies are the Inland Revenue Department and the Independent Commission Against Corruption. ”

"Brother Zhujun, that is where the Zhenguo Party is located in Guangdong, and now there is a Fujian, and I am an official of the Guangdong Provisional Government!"

Zhao Fengchang held the teacup silently, squinted at Cai Yuanpei for a while, and said: "Yuanpei is not small, as a chaotic party, he went to this imperial court jurisdiction alone, aren't you afraid of arresting you?" ”

"Brother Zhujun, you and I both know that the imperial court has run out, the national fortune has been transferred to the south, and the only one who can bear the destiny of revitalizing the country is the Zhenguo Party, which is the trend of history and the wish of all the people. Since the defeat of the Japanese invaders, everyone can see clearly whether it is the Zhenguo Party or the Manchu court that can save China! I am willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the revolutionary cause, but as a Han Chinese, an aspiring Han Chinese, a Han Chinese who wants to save the country, what will you do? ”

"So Yuan Pei wants to be a lobbyist this time, and wants me to go to Guangdong?"

"Hehe, Brother Zhujun said that it was a joke, the Zhenguo Party has the world in mind, and what it wants is not just Brother Zhujun! The younger generation thinks that he has not yet had the talent of Su Qin and Zhang Yi, and he does not dare to be a lobbyist, you can take me as a messenger, a messenger for Guangdong to communicate with the two lakes. ”

"Yuan Pei will go back first, I can't give you any reply on this matter."

"When the juniors say goodbye, I will always stay in the Guangdong Guild Hall, and if there is anything, they will look for me there." Cai Yuanpei also knows that this matter cannot be succeeded in a day or two, relying on lip service, it can be done in one day, it is somewhat mysterious, he is not in a hurry, the key to this matter depends on Zhang Zhidong's attitude. Guangdong has released its goodwill, and now it depends on how Zhang Zhidong will take it.

After Cai Yuanpei left, Zhao Fengchang did not dare to slack off, and immediately went to Zhang Zhidong to state the matter. In order to keep secrets, Zhang Zhidong did not convene all the staff members to discuss, and even Gu Hongming did not come over, only the two of them discussed secretly.

"The old man has been loyal to the court all his life, and he is deeply favored by the emperor, and the Zhenguo Party is a chaotic party after all, and they are clamoring to overthrow the Manchu Qing, which is already incompatible with the imperial court. There were many people-to-people exchanges between Lianghu and Guangdong before, and I didn't block the border according to the requirements of the imperial court, let alone join the bandit alliance, which is already the maximum amount that can be done, but I didn't expect the Zhenguo Party to want to pull me into the water! ”

"Xiang Shuai, then I won't contact that Cai Yuanpei anymore?"

"No, you can continue to contact him, it is best to find out Lu Liang's true attitude, without an explanation to us court officials, it is impossible for us to join their side." To put it bluntly, it is a demand for interests, Zhang Zhidong is now at the top of the people, why should he take a huge risk to join the revolutionary party?

When Cai Yuanpei sent the telegram back, it was already the end of October 1902, and Lü Liang put it aside for the time being, and Zhang Zhidong needed to fight for it, but he was not in a hurry. With the establishment of the Southern Governor's and Suppression of Bandit Alliance, more and more information has been fed back to Lu Liang, and those eight provinces have surrounded Guangdong and Fujian, and they have now been united, and if they are allowed to complete the training of the new army, it will be a big test for the provisional government.

The good news is that the Fourth Army of the Army, which was formed in Fujian, has completed its basic organization and training, and after more than five months of reorganization, a series of procedures such as conscription, division of the army, construction of barracks and training grounds, training of new recruits, and distribution of weapons and equipment, it can be said that the five months can be said to be extremely fast. This is due to the party's strong organizational ability and the attraction of abundant military funds, as well as the ability to build projects.

The combat effectiveness of the Fourth Army could not be compared with those three armies, and it was subject to the output of steel and military industry, and only one division of the Fourth Army completed standardized equipment, and the other two divisions temporarily used captured Japanese weapons and Manchu army weapons for training. Not to mention the standardized equipment such as artillery and trucks, the Third Army has not yet completed the equipping of trucks and jeeps, let alone the Fourth Army.

Even so, the 40,000-strong Fourth Army posed a huge threat to Jiangxi and Zhejiang, where the reorganization of the New Army was even slower. Four armies of 150,000 men gathered in Guangdong and Fujian, which was a huge waste, in order to break the encircled strategic situation, continue to expand the scope of occupation of the Zhenguo Party, and expand the influence of the revolution, Lü Liang decided to make a sortie.