Like many hutongs in the ancient capital of Beijing, each courtyard hides an endless story and every inch of land records a long history of changes. If the iron lion in Iron Lion Alley can speak, there is too much to say.

The pair of iron lions named after the iron lion alley is the old thing in front of the house of a nobleman in the Yuan Dynasty, the surname of the nobleman has not been examined, and the mansion guarded by the iron lion has changed its owner several times, and the bloody wind of the world has been read and the vicissitudes of life.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was the residence of the chief eunuch Wang Tiqian, who witnessed the earth-shattering battle between the Donglin Party and the Eunuch Party; At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Liu Zongmin, the leader of the rebel army, took possession of this mansion and forcibly occupied Chen Yuanyuan. Several men competed for a woman, becoming the catalyst and fuse of war, triggering the civil upheaval that existed in every dynasty into a great upheaval.

In the Qing Dynasty, the succession to the throne brought another big fight, Yun Yu, the unrepentant loser, was humiliated by his elder brother, the victor Emperor Yongzheng as Seth Hei, tortured, and died tragically. It became the residence of Prince Hiroshi. Soon, another Princess Hejing Mansion was added to the alley. In this way, beside the majestic palace continuous road, the crown cover in the alley is returned, majestic, luxurious, magnificent, brilliant, showing the compelling momentum of the heyday of the Qing Dynasty.

However, in the Guangxu period, like the entire Qing Empire, the mansions and alleys gradually showed their depravity. The waves of history have been far away, and the Iron Lion Hutong has returned to calm, plain and normal. The gate is still magnificent, the two huge lions are still majestic, and this ancient courtyard full of history seems to have many stories to tell. But the object of writing history has been replaced by the new group of people in front of them, who are either in suits and leather shoes, or robes and horse coats.

When the sunset reflected the long wall of red tiles and gray, Chen Wenqiang convened a meeting on the entry of relevant personnel into Beijing. At the meeting, a document sent by the Provisional Government was first conveyed, both for the whole Party and for high-ranking officials.

“…… We must continue to maintain a modest, cautious, not arrogant, and not impatient style. At a government meeting, it was decided not to celebrate birthdays, not to give gifts, not to toast less, and not to name places after leaders. These words must be reiterated now to all party members and government officials at all levels. We must prevent the corrupting of us by the feudal reactionary forces, and we must resist all kinds of temptations. We did not learn from Li Zicheng, and we withdrew from Beijing in 49 days. For us, withdrawing from Beijing means failure, and it means that the ideals and aspirations we have been fighting for for many years have suffered irreparable setbacks......"

The sound is still in my ears. The alarm bell rang for a long time, and the faces of the people in the congregation became solemn, especially the members of the Revival Society, who were even more vigilant.

How much you can listen to and how much you can do will only be seen later. Chen Wenqiang does not think that a single document can completely solve the problem, but it is still very necessary to remind him now.

"The document has been communicated, and I hope everyone will always be vigilant. Always stay awake, don't get carried away by temporary victories, and understand that we still have a long way to go. Chen Wenqiang summed up, and then said with a smile: "Our comrades who entered Beijing in advance must have the consciousness of being evildoers, and in order to welcome the relocation of the new government, we must create a clean, tidy, and safe new Beijing as soon as possible." Below. The relevant personnel made a work report, and Comrade Xu Chunshan, commander of the temporary garrison, first introduced the current public security situation in the city. ”

With the takeover of the capital by the revolutionary army. The expected riot of the banner people has not yet appeared, and it seems that these Manchurians have completely lost their blood and fighting spirit after hundreds of years of parasite-like life. It may also be that the Qing Dynasty has exhausted its numbers, and the decaying and declining imperial court has completely lost the hearts of the people, except for some Manchu relatives and nobles who are unwilling to lose their power and status, and are ready to move. No one is willing to fight for it anymore. Not only did the banner people lose confidence, but even the eunuchs and maids in the palace began to make their own living. In just a few days, the soldiers on duty outside the Forbidden City have captured many people who escaped from the palace with gold and silver treasures.

After listening to Xu Chunshan's report, Chen Wenqiang was both relieved and said with a little disdain: "It seems that a few stinky fish can't set off any big waves." As for the Japanese, they have been habitually engaged in some conspiracy to split China and plot the independence of Manchu and Mongolia, which has been planned for a long time. In this regard, we need to be vigilant and continue to implement monitoring. Of course, it is also necessary to prepare in advance for the possible counter-currents in the Northeast and Mongolia. ”

"In addition—" Chen Wenqiang turned to Yuan Shikai with a deep groan, and asked inquiringly: "Brother Xiang Cheng, Zhi'an is a master of policing, and law and order in the city must be maintained, and the official arrangements will be made when the government enters Beijing." ”

Yuan Shikai nodded, Zhao Bingjun hurriedly agreed, as Yuan Shikai's cronies, he really wanted to seek the position of Minister of the Interior, although the Ministry of the Interior has been divided into the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but the Minister of Public Security also made him more satisfied.

Chen Wenqiang looked around with a smile and said: "Which of you are old Beijing, or you are familiar with the capital, when you know which ones are in urgent need of renovation and which ones can be postponed, you can put forward some suggestions." ”

"Commissioner Chen, how did the Praetorian Guards deal with it? It's a pity that all of them are dismissed. Xu Chunshan said.

Chen Wenqiang nodded and said: "Every day we shout that all ethnic groups are equal, and now we will make an example so that outsiders can see the mind of our revolutionary party." Tomorrow we will go to Xiyuan with preferential conditions, and those who are willing to serve the country as soldiers, we will stay. For those who are willing to go home to earn a living, we will pay severance pay. Not only the Praetorian Guards, but even the poor bannermen in Beijing, we will also take care of them. Let the banner people see that the relatives and nobles of the court only care about themselves, regardless of whether they live or die. Only the hope of the people of the whole country lies in the new government, which will do what it says it will do. ”

is really wealthy, Yuan Shikai blinked, and said in his heart, how much money does this guy have, dare to say such a big thing.

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.

The Zongshe Party is a stubborn 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, government-oriented organization to compete with them for the hearts of the flag people.

Moreover, Chen Wenqiang always thought about the gold and silver treasures accumulated in the hands of the Manchu relatives and nobles and the inner courtyard of the palace, but if he wanted to confiscate and loot them by violence, he would inevitably fall behind, and even more would attract some gossip, which might lead to unnecessary trouble. It doesn't show the cleverness. Of course, if you want them to hand it over obediently, it is inevitable to use both grace and power, threats and temptations.

The first object that Chen Wenqiang targeted was Qingwang Yixuan, who asked him to open Qingna Company. It is famous for greedy ink, and his family is rich enough to rival the country! Moreover, this person is timid, he just wants to take the greedy money to Tianjin to be a public servant, and he does not dare to participate in politics anymore. According to Yixuan's sleek, cunning, but wise character of self-preservation, Chen Wenqiang is very sure to subdue him.

When the deep purple twilight envelops the Zhumen of the old palace, the ancient hutong will make the people who walk through it linger and evoke their endless emotions and reverie with its unique vicissitudes of life. And Qingwang Yixuan does not have this leisure and elegance. Accompanied by his eldest son Zaizhen, he went out to greet Duanfang.

The patrols in the city have been replaced by the "iron-headed army" that is being talked about by the people of Beijing, and although they have only worked for one or two days, the garrison has become a household name, and its mighty uniforms, bluffing steel helmets, and bright bayonets have all become the talk of the people after dinner.

In order to increase the deterrent. The residences of the royal family and nobles, the defense of important intersections and facilities. All were replaced by soldiers wearing steel helmets. When people see it, they feel cold in their hearts.

After the Qing Emperor announced his abdication, his family persuaded Yixuan to take refuge in Tianjin, but Yixuan insisted on refusing. The eldest son, Zai Zhenqiang, "kidnapped" to the car, and left Zhengyangmen before dawn. Catch the first train to Tianjin. After living in Tianjin for a while, I heard that the tide of fate had subsided, the provisional government announced a preferential treatment order, and Duan Fang and his in-law Sun Baoqi wrote to persuade him that Yixuan was reluctant to give up a piece of his family business in Beijing after all. Then he returned to Beijing.

Although Yixuan is a prince, Duanfang has been dismissed and abandoned in the previous dynasty. But now it is not the Qing Dynasty, Duanfang was appointed by the provisional government to an official position, served in the Manchu Resettlement Committee, and may become the deputy mayor of Beijing! Therefore, Yixuan did not dare to take it big at all, and greeted him in person, with a humble and enthusiastic attitude.

"Lao Qing, why be so polite, we are all acquaintances." After entering the mansion and sitting down, he said with a grin.

"My brother is now one of our people-" Yixuan stretched out his thumb and complimented: "Not only is the provisional government important, but also the trust of the Queen Mother, and I will have to take care of it in the future." ”

Duan Fang grinned, very disgusted in his heart, this insatiable guy, Daqing was brought down by these guys. If it weren't for Yixuan and Yuan Shikai being embarrassed...... However, this superficial effort could not be saved, so I had to squeeze out a little smile and say, "******, why bother? The provisional government already has a preferential treatment order, and if there is a brother to say something, you will be fine. But—"

"But what?" Yixuan Xiang caught a life-saving straw and asked anxiously.

Alas, Duan Fang sighed lightly and said: "Wow, King Qing, you are a wealthy family, but most of the flag people in the capital are about to break their necks." Commissioner Chen is worried about the chaos in the capital, so he wants to talk to you. You're a smart person, and it's not easy for a brother to say too thoroughly. ”

Money, money is easy to say, as long as it can save my life. Moreover, when the dynasty is changed, it is not uncommon to squeeze the rich of the previous dynasty. I think that after Li Zicheng entered Beijing, he took the Ming Dynasty's imperial relatives and high-ranking officials all over the country, but he carried the whip and whipped it, and he would never give up until he got the money. Although Yixuan was distressed, he knew that there was hope, so he was not as scared as he was just now.

"It's so self-contained!" A trace of happiness flashed in Duan Fang's heart, and he pretended to persuade him: "Commissioner Chen is powerful, King Qing knows, but don't annoy him, if you don't get it right, you will be beheaded." You must know that if you want to add sin, there is no excuse. ”

"Got it, I got it." Yixuan shook his head and said, "Please ask my brother to say a lot of good words, my brother will have a good reward." ”

"You and I have been friends for many years, how can we not save you when you die." Duan Fang smiled and arched his hand, "There are a lot of people in the middle of the capital city, and there are many people who have no long skills and are poor and hungry. In order to demonstrate the equality of all ethnic groups in the new government, and to be both Manchus, is King Qing—"

"I am willing to contribute 500,000 taels to help the poor, and I am willing to donate 500,000 taels as ****." Before Duan Fang finished speaking, Yixuan hurriedly expressed his generosity and generosity.

The shot is one million taels, and he is really a rich man, but unfortunately Commissioner Chen is not eye-catching to this little money, and he doesn't mean it.

"King Qing's generosity and zealous have touched my brothers, and I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of Commissioner Chen and the new government." Duan Fang is not polite, first take this million in his hand and then talk about the rest.

"No, no, it's, it's, it's, a citizen should do." Yixuan suddenly remembered a new word, and said it casually, and when he heard Duan Fang's tone softened, his heart was a little lighter.

"The country is full of holes and needs to be built urgently, and King Qing, as the former prime minister of the Qing Dynasty, should know it very well." Duan Fang said: "But the country's finances are tight and the lack of funds is really a headache!" Commissioner Chen, I want to attract some funds to invest in the Bank of Communications, which can not only solve the urgent needs of the new government, but also have no substantial infringement on your relatives, and you can also profit from the dividends to support your family, I wonder what King Qing thinks? ”

Yixuan swallowed his saliva, and really refused to let it go easily, but it was not unexpected, he said a little dryly: "Benefiting the country and the people, it is naturally a good thing, my brother is willing to support, willing to support." ”

"Look scares you." Duan Fang suddenly laughed, leaned closer, and said kindly: "Blame me for not making it clear, I'll explain it in detail." As for the funds you have contributed, it is not for you to come out in vain, but to invest in shares. The money is still yours, it is only temporarily lent to the state, and, every year, there are normal dividends. As for the Bank of Communications, it is in charge of road construction, and the interest in building railways is great, I think you know. In the first year, the dividend is 3%, and in the second year, the dividend is 5%, and so it increases. As more and more railways are built, the benefits are getting bigger and bigger, and the dividends are getting more and more. After 10 years, the stock will be able to circulate and be transferred, and it will definitely appreciate in value, and you will earn more than double or two! ”

Yixuan pleaded pitifully: "Brother, my brother knows that this is a good thing, but Qingwangfu is really, really can't take out too much money!" ”

Duan Fang sighed and said slowly: "Don't think that the new government is a lion's mouth, they have been investigated. King Qing's family property is well known. But people don't learn from King Li Chuang's pursuit of stolen goods, but want you to invest to help the country, but you are so unopen, really. Hum. ”

Yixuan gasped, he had read history books, King Li Chuang entered Beijing, and the tragedy of chasing stolen goods and subsidies was not unaware, and some officials even had their heads cracked by sticks, and their brains flowed out and died. (To be continued.) )