The snow on the street has been more than two inches thick, but the snow flakes on the sky are blowing one after another, and there is no intention of stopping, a huge Beijing city, it is rare to see a few pedestrians on the street, and occasionally a few people appear, all of them are carrying empty rice bags, and they are in a hurry, scurrying around outside the rice shops all over the city.

Now the area of Tianjin in the south has been occupied by Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army, the demilitarized zone is also guarded by foreign soldiers, and the foreign rice imported from Dagu cannot reach the ground of the capital, as for the north, the north of Shanhaiguan has become Xu Shichang's place of "protecting the territory and securing the people", the railway has also been cut off, and the sorghum and soybeans in the northeast have not entered the customs.

This situation has been going on for several days, Gyeonggi has a population of more than one million, there are many mules, horses and donkeys, people eat horses and chew horses, and every day they need to buy a large amount of grain from other places.

Seeing that the price of grain in the city is rising, but there is still no market, the big millet shops have hung up the signboard of "sold out", the gang of profiteers is clear that they want to make a fortune, but it is a pity that the court is mediocre, the officials are greedy, at this time do not issue notices to reassure the people, do not arrest profiteers, but all over the city to catch people without braids, even the monks did not let go.

This court is going to be finished.

The people have the dissatisfaction of the people, the court also has the difficulties of the court, the grain merchants donate grain to help the army, the court can not help but have something to say, for the grain merchants to raise prices, the court can only turn a blind eye, now the officials in the city have not run into a pot of porridge, where does the court still have the heart to control the profiteers hoarding Juqi? Raid the profiteers, the imperial court will lose the last bit of popular support, there is no food, and the first town in Beiyang will also be opposed!

The current situation is very clear, the revolutionary army in the south is rebelling, the Beiyang army in the north is forcing the palace again, and the imperial court is a mouse in the bellows, and it is angry at both ends.

As soon as Yuan Shikai's "New Year's telegram" was issued, the whole dynasty was shocked, and some clever officials got the news and immediately ran out of the capital with their families, some defected to Yuan Shikai to be a "hero from the dragon", and some hid in the concession, and they couldn't come out after being killed.

The gang of bannermen and Yuan Shikai's political enemies did not run, they couldn't run, and they didn't dare to run, the south couldn't go, the "Xiao Zhao Tu" there was a murder without blinking, and they were all big officials, the bigger the official, the faster they died, Duanfang and Yinchang were examples, as for the north, the northeast was the "land of Longxing" of the Manchu Dynasty, and the imperial court used to engage in "wicker side" there to prevent the Han people from emigrating, which was the idea of fighting the "three holes of the cunning rabbit", in case the Central Plains could not sit steadily, and they could return to the land of Longxing, but now it is not possible, Don't say that the Han people who "broke through the Guandong" there are everywhere, and they have gone to places where there are no flag people, even Xu Shichang can't get through, everyone knows that now the three northeastern provinces are managed by Xu Shichang, but in fact, Cao Kun Cao Sanye's territory, who is Cao Kun? Yuan Shikai's cadres, Yuan Shikai didn't nod, which banner man and nobleman did Cao Kun dare to let out?

Those who didn't run understood in their hearts that the Manchu Dynasty's qi was indeed exhausted, and even those foreign ministers from Dongjiaomin Lane came to persuade the imperial court to "reuse" Yuan Shikai, and it was not an ordinary reuse, but to transfer all the rights to him Yuan Gongbao, and asked him to do some things for the imperial court.

This is called "constitutional monarchy", and Britain and Japan are such national systems, and the Qing Dynasty national constitution is the most enthusiastic of these two countries.

But once the constitution is established, the emperor becomes an ornament and has no real power. The court is unwilling, the queen mother is unwilling, even the three-year-old little emperor His Majesty has been crying non-stop these days, and it seems that he is also unwilling, unwilling to hand over the power to Yuan Shikai's "usurper". But what can be done if you are not reconciled? If you are unwilling, you can't exchange food, and you can't change the loyalty of the subjects of this world!

On the other hand, Yuan Shikai is now "the heart of the world", a group of people hug him before and after, beat gongs and drums, and touted him as a figure like Yiyin and Zhou Gong, as if as long as he comes out of the mountain to take power, the world can be peaceful, but how can this world say that peace is too peaceful? As soon as the "New Year's telegram" came out, Russia in the north shouted that it would redraw the border between China and Russia, and Japan in the east jumped up and down, wanting to swallow Nanman and Han Yeping in one gulp, and even drove the gunboats into the Yangtze River.

In addition, Britain, France, the United States, and Germany unanimously mediated, and the gunboats of the four countries held joint exercises off the coast of China, which made Japan and Russia quiet, but everyone knows that if they do not achieve their goal, they will never give up easily, not to mention that the two countries have just signed an agreement and carved up the rights and interests of the Northeast. Taking advantage of the fire is the forte of these two countries.

Therefore, even if he Yuan Shikai usurped the social power of the Qing Dynasty, I am afraid that he will not be able to sit on the throne, the great powers are not easy to provoke, and the revolutionary party in the south is also difficult to deal with, and now the revolution in the south has shown a trend of burning the plains, just with the 60,000 Beiyang New Army under his command Yuan Shikai, when will the revolutionary army be suppressed? The republican army in Hubei alone claims to be more than 100,000, and even if it is consumed, the Beiyang Army can be consumed to death.

That's right, the commander-in-chief of the Republican Army, Zhao, did recommend Yuan Shikai as the "Grand Commander of the Republic", but if the Qing Dynasty insisted that the imperial system would not let go, the republic would not succeed, and he Yuan Shikai would be a fart commander.

Therefore, the best way to deal with it at present seems to be to accept the advice of foreign ministers, implement a "constitutional monarchy", use Yuan Shikai to deal with the revolutionary army, and use the monarchy to suppress Yuan Shikai. Didn't he Yuan Shikai cry in Tianjin at the throne of Emperor Daxing? Didn't he want to dress up as a loyal servant? Since he wants to be a cocoon and bind himself, then well, the court will fulfill him.

It is precisely for these reasons that the imperial court has not issued an "edict of rebellion" until now, and the queen mother, the emperor, and the ministers and princes have continued to bury their heads in the sand, pretending that Yuan Shikai is "rebelling by order".

In the Forbidden City, in the East Warm Pavilion of the Palace of Nourishing Hearts, a pre-imperial meeting is underway.

The cold wind outside the hall is biting, and the hall is not warm, because the Empress Dowager Longyu spoke, saying that the current situation is caused by the mediocrity of the princes and ministers, so the hall is not allowed to make stoves, and it is not allowed to burn charcoal pots, so that they can "wake up the spiritual platform".

In order to "exclude" the Manchu and Han domains, in order to show the justice of the imperial court, in addition to the Manchu ministers and princes, there were many Han ministers, the Manchu ministers were headed by Qing Wang Yixuan, and the Hanchen was headed by the Ministry of Law and the Minister of Military Aircraft Dai Hongci, Dai Daren was just stuffed into the military aircraft department a few days ago, because Yixuan was Yuan Shikai's backer, although the imperial court did not say it clearly, but in the end it was the difference of removing his military aircraft minister, in order to show a thin punishment, Dai Hongci took his position, plus Lu Chuanlin, Qu Hongzhen, and now there are three Hanchen in the military aircraft department, and Natong, Shixu, As for the regent Zaifeng, he also withdrew from the military aircraft department, ostensibly to let the military aircraft department have an equal number of Manchus and Han people, impartiality, but the real reason is to follow the advice of the foreigners, in order to change the "regent" to "regent" to pave the way, if the constitution goes smoothly in the future, the position of the foreman military aircraft is none other than Yuan Shikai.

Everyone had been discussing in the Heart Cultivation Hall all morning, and there was only one topic, that is, how to "establish a constitution".

This constitution can be very particular, divided into two kinds of real constitution and false constitution, in the past, Zaifeng and Xiaogong Wang were prepared for the constitution by Yiyi, but they made it a fake constitution, because the responsible cabinet was delayed, and the result was lost in the hearts of the people, resulting in the rise of the revolutionary army, and then I really wanted to establish a cabinet, but Yuan Shikai reversed, and now, the court has learned a lesson, to really establish a constitution, and then not to establish a constitution, this country is really going to be given to others.

Of course, this is a hot shaving of everyone's heads, and they also know very well in their hearts that this initiative is not in the hands of the imperial court, but in the hands of Yuan Shikai and the revolutionary army. Does Yuan Shikai really want to be the "Regent"? I'm afraid I have to put a "question mark" according to the habits of foreigners. Even if Yuan Shikai is willing to be the regent, will the revolutionary army in the south agree? In the telegram, it was clear that what they wanted to establish was a "republican China", not an imperial China. Therefore, no matter which side does not nod, even if the imperial court really establishes a constitution, it will not be available.

How else could it be said that the commander-in-chief of the Republican Army, Zhao, was the most dangerous figure in the revolutionary party? He not only held the banner of "racial revolution", but also held a banner of "social revolution", the former forced the imperial court, and the latter forced Yuan Shikai.

Clever!

In this way, now we can only rely on the foreigners, who will mediate to persuade Yuan Shikai to continue to be a courtier of the Qing Dynasty, and also persuade or subdue the revolutionaries in the south to accept the "constitutional monarchy" state system. It is much easier for foreigners to come forward to do things, and now whether it is Yuan Shikai or the revolutionary army, they are short of silver, they need silver to raise troops to fight, officials need silver, and silver is needed to help the hungry, even if they send electricity, they are also indispensable to silver! China is now weak and poor, the country's finances have long been exhausted, if you want to maintain your rule, you can only rely on borrowing from foreigners, the Qing Dynasty court did just that, although these foreign debts have high interest, high discounts, and harsh repayment conditions, and they don't know how to pay off in the year of the monkey, but the current situation is not much to take care of, and it can be delayed for one more day, and it should be a drink to quench your thirst.

The foreigners held the foreign money in their hands and swayed towards Yuan Shikai and the revolutionary army, not worrying that they would not take the bait. No wonder the primary purpose of foreigners coming to China is not to occupy territory, but to trade, the original intention is so far-reaching, without silver everything is finished, with silver everything is good to say, trade can earn silver, and what is earned is the silver of the Chinese, the pockets of foreigners are getting bigger and bigger, the Chinese people are getting poorer and poorer, but the means of the imperial court to oppress the people are increasing, drying up and fishing, no wonder the people want to rise up and rebel.

But now there is no need to blame the foreigners for their sinister intentions, this kind of fire still needs the help of foreigners, Longyu does not want to be the queen mother of the Qing Dynasty, how can everyone be willing to be the guilty minister of the Qing Dynasty? The monarchy is constitutional, but the name of the country is still "Daqing", the emperor is still surnamed Aixin Jueluo, and many "red belts" and "yellow belts" are also members of the royal family.

"The Queen Mother Mingjian."

Prince Qing snorted and muttered: "Now the situation is clear, if the constitution is not established, it will be the death of the country, just like the French Revolution, I can't say it, our clans and even the queen mother and the emperor will have to be guillotined; With the constitution, you can be like the English, the emperor is eternal, the country is eternal, although there is no right to govern the people, but it is also extremely honorable, the subjects support, the world is in the heart, and foreign monarchs are on an equal footing. Therefore, in the opinion of the slaves, it is better to establish a constitution as soon as possible. ”

Empress Dowager Longyu picked up the silk handkerchief, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and choked up: "The mourning family knows this reason, and last night they called Rong Ling and a few of them, and read the English history books to the mourning family a few times, and the benefits of this constitutional monarchy are also very clear to the mourning family." However, in the current situation, the imperial court wants to establish a constitution, but it is afraid that the Southern Revolutionary Party will not agree, and even more afraid that Yuan Shikai will be half-hearted, so he will rely on foreigners to say, but the court does not understand what foreigners have in mind. Besides, didn't the king go back to the steppe? The Manchurian and Mongolian families, this constitutional matter is not only a matter of the imperial court, but also the princes of Mongolia have to refer to it in detail. ”

Nayantu left the capital a few days ago and went back to Mongolia, saying that he was going to the grassland to gather King Qin's soldiers and horses, but many people disagreed, and now the southern revolutionary army is booming, and the Beiyang army has also rebelled, even if the Mongolian prince can lead the troops to come, I am afraid it will be useless.

This is no longer the time to sweep the world by horsemanship.

(Keep canvassing, keep canvassing.) ）