The train sent from Xinnong to Majiapu Station in the capital only has one carriage, which is a special train for Yuan Weiting. Yuan Weiting brought very few attachés, several Ma Bencai officials, and his cronies Tang Tianxi also stayed in the barracks and never brought them out, and there was only one Zhao Guanhou who traveled with him.

The float is very luxuriously decorated, with bright glass windows and chandeliers on the Western sofa, which is especially better than the decoration of the rich family, and it is really a very enjoyable object. Zhao Guanhou came over with a hot hand towel and wiped Yuan Weiting's face, Yuan Weiting pointed to the opposite side with his hand, "Sit down, sit down and talk." It will take a while for the car to arrive at the station, and it just happens that there is something to say. This time, I asked you to enter Beijing with me, it was Zhong Shuai's meaning, the intention, you should understand it very well, right? ”

"It's very clear, it's just a divisive plan. My artillery battalion is too big, Zhong Shuai is not at ease, and hopes that my brother-in-law and I will be separated, and he will be restrained. ”

"No, it's not about you, it's about me. One of your artillery battalions can almost hold up one of my wings. Zhong Shuai, this is not very reassuring to me. From Xinnong to Majiabao, Cheng Gongting's Wuwei front army and Dong Wuxing's rear army were stationed along the way, and they also had to enter Beijing to escort them. Those bandits can enter Beijing, but they don't let my right army enter Beijing, isn't this just to prevent me from being really a new party and embarrassed by Zhong Shuai? Let you follow me, just be a sight and ear, see who I meet, and what I am thinking, I ...... It's hard. ”

Yuan Weiting sighed, showing a bit of exhaustion, he has been up and down in the political arena for many years, and there are many times to walk the tightrope, only this time, he feels that the tightrope is a little difficult to walk, and he doesn't know where to go. In the New Party, Xu Renshou came to Xinnong several times, and the meaning of his words was to ask him to express his support for the emperor and ensure that the right army of Wuwei was in the hands of the Son of Heaven and did not obey the orders of others.

Xu Renshou is a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, the son of Xu Zhijing, an official of the household department, and is one of the four great sons today. and Chen Sanli, Tan Zhuangfei, and Tao Ju are also first-class figures who pioneered the reform of the law. His contacts naturally represent the attitude of the New Party.

The soldiers of the world are all subordinates of the Son of Heaven, why bother to explain it? On the contrary, it is because of the special explanation that it makes people feel that there is something unusual in it. After Han Rong and looking for him alone, it is even more clear that this is the meaning of this, that is, to go towards Han Rong, the Son of Heaven wants to override Han Rong and seize military power.

Han Rong has always only known that he has a mother, but he does not know that he has a son, and the rumors of Lotus Liulang are hated by the Son of Heaven, so it is not surprising that he has acted like this. On the surface, he naturally couldn't say anything about the contact between Yuan Weiting and Xu Renshou, but he couldn't help but be guarded against it, whether it was arranging for Zhao Guanhou to accompany him, or mobilizing the two armies to garrison along Beijing before and after, he expressed his distrust of Yuan, and at the same time, he couldn't help but have a trace of doubt in his heart. Is there something else hidden behind this seemingly ordinary Gongwei Gyeonggi? What is the purpose of the summons of the Son of Heaven?

Zhao Guanhou did not reserve it, and directly pointed out, "Long live if there are no soldiers in hand, there is no bottom in your heart." The emperor always has to grasp something so that he can make the people below do things. It's power, it's money, it's soldiers, it's rules. If you want power, there is Lafayette, and the right to live is also empty. As for the money...... That is, foreign debts. As for the rules, not long ago, the six officials of the Ministry of Rites were just dismissed, and since the founding of Dajin, it has always been the boss who impeached his subordinates, and the subordinates impeached their superiors, even if they won, it was a lose-lose situation. But Wang Xiaohang, a judge, knocked down six officials, and the rules of the world are afraid that they will be messed up. Therefore, what he wants to catch now can only be soldiers. There are soldiers in the world who can fight, and there are still those who can surpass the ten thousand sons of my brother-in-law? ”

The emperor commanded hundreds of officials and ruled the world, relying on the word rules, and now the emperor himself took the lead in breaking the rules, which made people smell a hint of ominous. What's more, among the six officials, Waitabu's mother has a very good relationship with the Queen Mother, and his wife is also a celebrity around the Queen Mother. Without the permission of the Queen Mother, if a court official like Waitabu is dismissed, the Queen Mother will naturally be unhappy. Although I can't see any results now, I think that the emperor who is in the bureau knows very well what the pressure is.

Coupled with Han Rong's arrangement, in the eyes of outsiders, they are all a little creepy, and as for insiders, they are like fish drinking water, and they know their own warmth and coldness. Yuan Weiting smiled, "In front of you and me, you don't need to say those compliments." Our right army is very strong, but it is not strong enough to defeat the world with one army. These soldiers are all long live, and if you want it, you can naturally take it. It's just that Zhong Shuai came to me every other day, which always feels a little wrong. ”

"There's no way, although Zhong Shuai supports the establishment of a new-style school and has a correspondence with Lin Risheng, but in the eyes of Banzai, he thinks he is conservative, so he naturally refuses to be gracious. My brother-in-law once donated money to the Strong Society, and he must have been regarded as a new party by Banzai, and he was cited as an Austrian aid. ”

"I can't see the new party and the old party, and what I see in my eyes are only capable people and useless people. I have always supported the change of the law, but this kind of change is not what I want to see. Those edicts were issued too much and too quickly, so that the people below were at a loss and didn't know what to do. It's not that the courtiers dare not obey the edict, but they don't know where to start and how to obey the edict. Moreover, the situation of each province is different, and each province has its own difficulties, how can it be generalized and the overall situation determined by the same will? Yuan Weiting didn't treat Zhao Guanhou as an outsider, and directly said what was in his heart.

"Take centijin as an example, if we don't collect centijin, our right army will have to drink the northwest wind. These things are not visible to the people above, they only talk about reason, but they cannot see reality. They are looking there," Yuan Weiting pointed to the roof of the train carriage, and then pointed to his feet, "But we always have to stand on the ground, and we can't see the ground, so how can we stand firmly?" Therefore, if the telegram of the Son of Heaven cannot be implemented, he will be anxious in his heart, and in this hurry, he will think about grasping the military power, but such a method will cause chaos! At present, what we Dajin wants is singing and dancing, and what we are most afraid of is chaos. Foreigners are all around us, and when civil strife rises, foreign insults will come, and which of us is not a sinner at that time? ”

Zhao Guanhou asked Ma Ben for tea, poured a bowl for Yuan Weiting first, and then poured a bowl for himself, "Brother-in-law, don't worry, I heard a message from Mrs. Jensen, I don't know if it's true or not, can you make a reference?" ”

"If it's your boudoir secret, you don't have to tell me. If it is news from the capital, it is not true or false, and it is always okay to listen to it. ”

Zhao Guanhou smiled, "I heard that when Zhong Shuai saw the driver, it happened to be the time when Kang Changsu saw the driver." When the two of them looked at each other, they also talked about changing the law, and Zhong Shuai said that the law naturally has to change. However, the law of the ancestors has been implemented for many years, and it can be changed overnight. Even if you want to change, you must plan it slowly, and you can't rush it for a while. Kang Zuyi was a six-grade sesame official, but in front of Zhong Shuai, he refused to bow his head, and actually ridiculed each other, saying that as long as he killed a few first-grade officials, this method could be successful overnight. ”

Yuan Weiting snorted, "If this joke is true, this Kang someone can really be killed." is only a six-grade Zhang Jing, who dares to talk about killing a first-class master, no wonder people call him crazy, he is really a madman. The Dajin country is in decline, the people are poor and the country is ruined, and the law should be changed. But you have to use the right person, if you use a madman to preside over the change, it is tantamount to inviting a quack doctor for the patient, and then using the medicine of the tiger and wolf, that is to seek people's lives. Long live this time, it's really the wrong one. ”

"Brother-in-law, if you want to use the wrong person, let alone long live, I don't think Zhong Shuai is much better. He used Cheng Gongting to guard the railway, which is also a stupid move that will cause endless harm. Wang Xiaohang and Cheng Gongting are sworn brothers, he is a member of the New Party, if Cheng Gongting is of the same heart as Wang Xiaohang, Zhong Shuai is afraid that he will not be able to command. ”

Yuan Weiting shook his head, "If that's the case, why do you want to see me?" It can be seen that Cheng Gongting is there, they said that they couldn't move, so they came to me. You, smart or smart, or lack of experience, you always have to step down and figure out the rules of officialdom before you can go further. ”

Zhao Guanhou praised himself for being kind on the surface, but in his heart he thought: When dealing with such a heroic figure, you always have to take two steps back, not only to show your talents, but also to be stupid. Always let him think that he can handle you, so that he can get along. If you don't say this last sentence yourself, how can you rest assured that the huge strength of the two battalions will be transferred to me.

The train stopped at Majiapu, and after the group got off, they first arrived at Fahua Temple. At this time, when officials entered Beijing, they either lived in guild halls or monasteries. The Fahua Temple is an open place, it is a magnificent Zen forest, and many officials in Beijing are willing to make a residence here. Knowing that the monks have a lot of contacts with the government, and they also know how to serve, Zhao Guanhou offered one hundred taels of silver incense, and promised to offer another sesame oil before leaving, so he cleaned out an extremely wide courtyard and provided a group of people to live.

This cross-courtyard is not only clean, but also easy to enter and exit, you can not go through the main entrance, which is very convenient. There is a separate kitchen in the yard, so it is no problem to cook on the fire here. The monks don't use wine and meat on the surface, and they can't let the officials who live here also follow the vegetarian diet, and it is convenient for each other to have such a kitchen.

When everyone had settled their luggage, before noon, Shigege handed over the post, and walked in with a horse to meet him. She is still dressed as a man, wearing a Ning silk robe, a satin horse coat, and holding a Hunan concubine bamboo sprinkled gold folding fan in her hand, looking radiant, like a turbid son. When he saw Yuan Weiting, he first gave his own salute and called out to the fourth brother.

Yuan Weiting once worshiped the wall of King Qing's gate that day, and took King Qing as his teacher, and it was common for Prince Qing's brother to talk to him as a brother. Since Shigege was dressed as a man, Yuan Weiting also pretended to be confused, treated him as a man, called the tenth brother, and asked him to sit down.

"Ama has something to say, the fourth brother entered Beijing this time to receive a telegram from the Son of Heaven, and he has never seen His Majesty, so it is inconvenient to visit privately. But since the fourth brother has entered Beijing, he can't help but explain, and the reception will be handed over to the younger brother. Don't be surprised if you don't greet well. ”

"Tenth brother, our own people, don't say anything outside the world. The foolish brother's entry into Beijing is a business matter, but he doesn't dare to alarm his teacher. Tenth brother, you came to receive you, it is already a big face, how can I have anything else to say. Although I have been here a few times in the capital, I am a guest after all, and everything is arranged by you, the little city god of Brother Lao. ”

"Fourth brother don't have to be polite, Ama has something to say, we are all our own people, when we arrive in the capital, we are home, there is no need to see outside. The younger brother knew the taste of the fourth brother, so he booked a table in Houdefu and asked the senior brother to taste and evaluate whether their sweet and sour tile fish was authentic. ”

The location of Houdefu is in the front gate of Dashilar, the façade is not big, and there is a flavor in the quiet, and Henan cuisine is good. The tile fish is the Yellow River carp, the Yellow River cement soil smell is heavy, if it is caught and eaten, although it is delicious but the earthy smell is heavy. Here, there is a clear water pond, which raises the carp for three or more days, spits out the earthy smell, and has a good name, and knows how to cramp to pull out the big tendons, and then start to concoct. It is because the meat is thick and smooth, the entrance is smooth, and the meat is also flavorful.

Yuan Weiting has a lot of experience in hometown cuisine, after sitting down, he ordered a sentence to be wide sauce, and after a while, a plate of thin noodles that were boiled and fried first was sent up, Yuan Weiting mixed noodles with marinade and said: "The taste of the fish here is better than that of my hometown, refreshing and appetizing, and the place that the tenth brother is looking for is in line with my heart." ”

"It's good that the fourth brother is satisfied, and when I finish eating, I will invite the fourth brother to sit in Shaanxi Lane, listen to a few tunes, and play a few cards."

Yuan Weiting had already heard of Shigege's deviance, and he was not surprised to hear her go to the cellar, but he would definitely not participate, and waved his hand again and again, "Yuan's family has a concubine, but he doesn't dare to act outside." Besides, there is a crown marquis, he said a word to his sister-in-law, this bit of the beard of the foolish brother will suffer, brother, you must not harm me. ”

Shigege smiled, "What's this, just pull him into the water." When the time comes, everyone will have a handle on each other, and he will not dare to say more. ”

"The virtuous brother just went to pull the Guanhou into the water, and after the foolish brother had eaten, he went back to the temple first and talked to the abbot about the Dharma. Fahua Temple is an ancient temple, the abbot must be a great monk of Buddhism, I want to ask him to meet each other, measure the future, go to the small class, and then go to the master, this is disrespectful to the Buddha, can not do. ”

When Shigege saw that he didn't go, he no longer forced it, but talked about other things. They sat in private rooms, but they could see that there were very few people coming and going outside. Shigege shook his head, "If in the past, at this time, this place would have been full of people who wanted to eat this tile fish, but there may not be." But now...... There are sparse cars and horses in front of the door, and diners like us are rare. ”

Zhao Guanhou asked, "Why is this?" ”

"Why? More than 10,000 people have lost their officials, and they make endless trouble every day, and those who have lost their officials have no money to go to the restaurant, and those who have officials do not dare to go to the restaurant casually, for fear of being caught, it will be a trouble. Moreover, Kang Zuyi's people stopped our flag salary, and hundreds of thousands of Jurchen children in the capital ran out of money and food, so where could they still start a restaurant? Don't you know, these days, we don't know how many people in the palace come to sue for help. Everyone's ancestors are related to the past, and now that there is no food, those who can't beat the eight poles can come to borrow food. It's also themselves, one flower and two on weekdays, eat all the food, there are debts outside, and they don't know how to live without a flag salary. Galeries Lafayette gave some relief, and Amma also prepared some money, but it was not a long-term solution after all. Don't think about going to the restaurant. As for the powerful Restoration Party in the court, they have to set an example and talk about ethics, and the next restaurant will also damage their reputation, so this line of work is not very easy. Besides, Kang Changsu is a Cantonese person, and he eats Cantonese food when he eats, so where did he get this Henan food. So livelihoods are also difficult. ”

Yuan Weiting asked: "Brother Xian, the current situation in the capital doesn't seem to be very good?" ”

"Yes, it's really not very good, the officials also scold, the people also scold, and the scholars also scold, so I can't hear many people who don't scold. Those Hanlin borrowed Beijing debts, originally wanted to wait until the exam to repay, but now it has been changed to a test strategy, even Hanlin himself does not know how to be an examiner, and how to repay the debt, I don't know how many Hanlin people are blocked by creditors. There is also that martial arts, bows, arrows, guns and knives, candidates can practice at home, this gun, how can he practice the law? It's better to let the common people build their own guns and buy guns. Not to mention the different calibers and styles of foreign guns, smoothbore rifles, flintlock arquebuses, I don't know what gun to use as a standard, how to open a department. ”

Shigege said this, and gently tapped the edge of the table with a fan, "If it goes on like this, I think this big gold country will be finished sooner or later!" (To be continued.) )