“…… When the common people heard that the Beiyang Army had passed through Cangzhou, they were full of doubts, because the previous army operations were often accompanied by robbery, people often fled their hometowns, and some women even committed suicide by throwing themselves into wells. This time, the people were pleasantly surprised to find that the Beiyang soldiers were strictly disciplined, paid for everything they bought, and were even forbidden to go out of the army to buy food or water privately during the march, which made people very surprised by the good military discipline of the new army...... In the evening, the march encountered heavy rain, and along the way they bought fodder and provisions. It turned out that the tent of fifty or sixty catties was made into more than 100 catties after heavy rain...... When the brigade passed through Cangzhou, it was already 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and everyone was dragging mud and water, and they were embarrassed. At this time, it was clear that our military discipline was indeed not bad, and when the staff officers came, the soldiers themselves set up their guns and stood upright in the heavy rain, motionless...... The record of the Qing New Army is unexpected, and it is not up and down with the Southern Liberation Army. ”

The foreigner reporter in the newspaper said, but he did not mention the "turtle speed" of the Beiyang Army's actions, and in the ten days since the Beiyang Army was dispatched, the march was only more than 30 miles long and 20 miles shorter. When the Beiyang Army's "rapid army" went south, Yuan Shikai, who was the minister of Beiyang, was still in the governor's palace of Baoding City.

At night, Baoding City seemed a little hot, without a trace of wind, a Pegasus car stopped in front of the Governor's Palace, and then a man in a suit got out of the car and entered the Governor's Palace.

He was in his early fifties, skinny and small, with a clump of Rendan beard under his dry nose and a pair of gold-tilled tortoiseshell lenses on his two small eyes that often turned quickly. This high-achieving student who graduated from the law department of Tokyo Imperial University is a language genius, he is fluent in English, German, and French, and has been nurtured by his family since childhood, not only fluent in Chinese, but also quite a student of Sinology.

In the year of Gengzi, he came to Yanjing and served as the counselor of the legation in the Qing Dynasty. Although he has only been in the Qing Kingdom for four years, he is familiar with the national conditions of the Qing Dynasty, and has dealt with Yuan Shikai many times, and he also knows this powerful minister of the Qing Dynasty very well.

"Hello, Mr. Counselor!"

Yuan Shikai walked into the reception room and stretched out his hand to Yue Zhiyi. Yuan Shikai did not wear official clothes, but wore German-style military civilian clothes.

"Good night, Lord Doge!"

Dressed in a black suit and wearing a blue ground and white striped tie, Yue Zhiyi quickly stood up, first with his hands vertical, bent down deeply and bowed, and then stretched out his right hand to shake hands with Yuan Shikai.

"Please be seated, please be seated!"

Yuan Shikai pointed to the sofa with a smile, and personally took out a cigar from the small iron box on the coffee table. Said Zhiyi politely declined.

Said Zhiyi had a professional smile on his face.

"Your Excellency Governor, I'm sorry to disturb me again after a busy day."

"Where, where."

Yuan Shikai smoked his cigar by himself, and he was a little surprised by Yu Zhiyi's visit.

"When I came to your country, I was in trouble with the Boxers. At that time, the Governor was serving as governor of Shandong, and your courage in resolutely suppressing the rioters is still admired by the contemptible people. ”

"The Boxers are fools, and it's not strange that the fools come up with some gods and ghosts, and it's strange that there was a group of auxiliary ministers around Lafayette who also believed it, it's ridiculous!"

This will Yuan Shikai put on a prescient demeanor.

"I have asked Lafayette many times that the boxers should only be suppressed, not connived. I will never show mercy to them in Shandong, so there is no chaos in Shandong. ”

Hearing this, Zhi Yi was busy complimenting.

"I still remember that Mr. Li Hongzhang had a twist and turn back then, saying that the situation at that time was disturbed by the clouds and Qilu, and praised the calm of Shandong's social order. Because of this, on the eve of Mr. Li's death in the second year, he sent a letter to the imperial court, saying that there was no one on the right side of the Governor in the world, and suggested that the Governor succeed him as the Governor of Zhili. Mr. Li was a discerning hero, and since then, the Qing Dynasty has relied on Mr. Governor to support him. ”

Being so complimented by the first-class counselor of the legation who came from an unknown place in front of him, Yuan Shikai was very happy to hear it, but he said modestly.

"The counselor said heavily. Xiang Shuai is highly respected, and he is the pillar of the country. ”

"Of course, Governor Zhang Zhidong is also the Gancheng of your country, but he is old and sick, and now he is trapped in Hubei, and his heart is more than enough, and the burden of the country is actually on you, the Governor."

Seeing that the time had come, Zhiyi deliberately introduced the topic to the set track.

"The contemptible people are fortunate to be in the capital at this time, and now I can't help but worry deeply about the future of your country."

Listening to Yuan Shikai take off the cigar in his mouth and look at him seriously.

"Counselor, what are you worried about?"

"I will take care of whether the troubles of your country can be quelled."

Said Zhiyi looked at Yuan Shikai, he was ordered by Minister Uchida Yasuya to Baoding, said that Ben's policy towards the Qing State had undergone a fundamental change, in order to ensure that something had to be done to change Yuben, so he would come to Baoding, which he said with a very sincere attitude.

"Although it is disrespectful to your country to discuss this matter, I cannot but talk about it from the position of a friend."

Yuan Shikai, who was muttering in his heart, smiled and stared at this Yue Zhiyi, who had dealt with him a few times.

"I, the governor's palace, don't be taboo about anything, you can rest assured to say it!"

"The Governor is a true hero!"

Said Zhiyi habitually helped his glasses, "As everyone knows, since Chen Yike fell into Jiangning in the south, although the Guangfu Army has an army of nearly 600,000, it has not advanced beyond the seven provinces. ”

"They are all ignorant people, although Chen Wei did not use troops outside the seven provinces, when he did not move the prefectures and counties, he sent thousands of officials to enrich the prefectures and counties, and empty their powers, so as to stabilize the rear, and sent student officers to reorganize the recovery army in the provinces, and when the reorganization of the various departments of the recovery army was completed, it was also said that he would attack in a big way!"

As he spoke, Yuan Shikai's brows furrowed, and he secretly ordered the Beiyang Army to "go slowly, wait and see", in order to show favor to Jiang Ning, but Jiang Ning's marshal's excitement made him hesitate.

He knows what his dependence is, not the governor of Zhili, but the officials and troops of the two towns of Beiyang, with the troops of these two towns in hand, the imperial court needs him, and the same Jiangning also needs him, if it is really according to the agreement reached by Xu Shichang and Chen Wei, he should have revolted a long time ago, but it has been delayed to this day out of fear of the future.

is also the fear brought about by the current dilemma, as a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty, he knows that he does not have that mind, as a rebel minister of the Qing Dynasty, and worries about the future. That Chen Moran is only thirty years old, and after the change of dynasty, he will use the old man of the previous dynasty, but an old man like himself who holds military power ...... Although he was not born in the imperial examination, it does not mean that Yuan Shikai does not understand the "iron fist" of the new dynasty in the history books.

But he can drag the old queen mother, but he can't drag the Guangfu army, at most another three months, when the reinstatement army completes the whole training, is it possible to guard and wait like now? At that time, I am afraid that even Zhang Xiangtao will ......: "At that time, looking around the Great Qing Dynasty, I am afraid that no one in the whole country will be able to stop the momentum of the Guangfu army!" ”

"Your Excellency is indeed worthy of Mr. Li's claim that he looks around the world, and there is no one who is beyond the right of His Excellency the Governor."

Said Zhiyi picked up the teacup, sucked it very culturedly, and paused for a while to speak.

"If the Governor has thoroughly explored the situation, why don't you learn from that end......

"Duanfang?"

Listening to this name, Yuan Shikai squeezed out a strange smile on his face, and the other end of the party was detained the post of "director of the Provisional Political Axe Ethnic Affairs Bureau", specializing in ethnic minority affairs, and became the director of the bureau from the end side, and often exposed the "darkness" and "brutality" of the Manchu Qing Dynasty to public opinion.

"Duan Fang is just a gut rat, how can this governor learn from him!"

"It doesn't matter if you don't have guts, or if you know the times, you can't do it! At least now it is true that Duan Fang is serving as the director of the New Deal Axe! ”

Staring at Zhiyi, Yuan Shikai took out a cigar from the small tin box again, and said with a casual attitude while drawing a foreign fire.

"Counselor, today you came to Baoding to be a lobbyist for Jiang Ning, when did you start to help the traitors."

"Definitely!"

At this time, Zhiyi did not go around in circles, and immediately denied it clearly.

"We have recently said that there will be a fundamental change in our policy towards the Qing state, and out of the friendship that we have previously developed as a result of this war, we feel it necessary to express our attitude to the Governor-General, and we will soon say that we will break off diplomatic relations with the Qing state and establish diplomatic relations with the Chinese regime."

The purpose of his trip was to convey this signal, and the reason for this was that he needed to add a bargaining chip to his decision, and after Tokyo made a decision to accept Jiangning's conditions, he also made a decision to help Jiangning gain power.

"Break up!"

But forty-five-year-old Yuan Shikai, when he heard the news, he was almost blinded by Yu Zhiyi's words, but his mind was still calm. He knew that if Xiang Zhiyi made this attitude clear, he would undoubtedly announce to the whole world that he would break the common decision of various countries and take the lead in recognizing the Jiangning regime.

Why did I do this?

Dalian! Yuan Shikai suppressed the surprise and doubts in his heart and said calmly.

"Although things are trending, but this governor has been favored by the imperial court for generations, and he does not dare to have any rebellious thoughts, thank you, Mr. Counselor, for knowing about it."

With Yuan Shikai as a person, acting in front of people is his specialty, and it is rare to tell the truth to his subordinates who have followed him for many years, let alone a foreign counselor?

After saying that Zhiyi conveyed a signal on behalf of the political axe, the purpose of the trip had been achieved, and there was no need to wait for his attitude immediately.

And after Yuan Shikai left, his expression was gloomy, and there was a mixture of surprise, puzzlement, doubt, and panic on his face, but in the end, he let out a long sigh, and stretched out his hand to summon a cronie, as if explaining something.

Ten minutes later, a group of staff members entered the hall where Zhiyi had been before.

The world is full of weirdness, the weather is also full of bitterness, the country is in a critical situation, and the millions of banner people in this city are really anxious when they look at this situation! They really want to do their best to share their worries for the court, the queen mother, and the emperor. I want to contribute to the court, but I really have more than enough heart and not enough strength! At most, it's a mouthful of pleasure and a curse on the rebels in the south.

From the beginning of May to the beginning of May, the capital is gloomy as if shrouded in a gloomy cloud, and there is occasionally a drizzle, this kind of bleak weather, can not help but make people feel that the country is ruined.

"Fortunately, there is still Lord Yuan, this is not Lord Yuan, some time ago, I asked the imperial court to allow him to recruit 22,500 strong men in Zhili, Shandong, Henan and other provinces, and train them into the third town, and when Lord Yuan's Beiyang Army goes, then Chen will definitely be able to ...... Ping."

It seems that the whole dynasty is full of hope for Yuan Shikai and the Beiyang Army, just like a few decades ago, people were full of hope for the Hunan Army, and it seems that Yuan Shikai is the Zeng Marshal who is now turning the tide of the Qing Dynasty. The city thinks so, but the current situation is very powerless, but even so, the old and young masters in the capital are still willing to believe and listen.

Compared with the rumors that Yuan Dashuai ordered troops and did not say that he was rebellious in private, the Dongnuan Pavilion in this imperial city was shrouded in a gloomy cloud and mist just like the weather.

"Minister Yasuya Uchida handed over the letter of renunciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and said ......"

Thinking of this little eunuch with his head down, he didn't dare to read it anymore, and in the early morning, there were already a few eunuchs in the palace who couldn't open their eyes, and they were killed with a rod.

"Read on!"

Cixi, who was frowning and gloomy, shouted, and the ice room in her words only made the hearts of the princes and ministers who were sitting next to him with a sickly face and the princes and ministers kneeling in front of the curtain feel cold, and this East Warm Pavilion seemed to have plummeted several degrees.

"The barbarians outside the original Saiwai of the Manchu clan are neither the virtue of the order, nor the merit of China, taking advantage of the declining fortune of the emperor and the Ming, violently robbing, pretending to be for a while, and the opportunities are full of changes, and the world is skillful. Today, it is said that China has recovered and the army is prosperous, and the Manchu Qing clan has made good relations with China for thousands of years......"

As the eunuch read Uchida Yasuya's renunciation book, Cixi's face changed from white to blue, from green to tight, and finally after the little eunuch finished reading, Cixi snorted softly.

"Come on, drag this disloyal, unfilial, unkind and unrighteous bastard out of the cane and kill ......"

"Galeries Lafayette spares ......"

The cry of the little eunuch who was dragged out begging for mercy only made the princes and ministers in the Dongnuan Pavilion look at the princes and ministers through the curtain, and the pale-faced Cixi asked coldly.

"Yixuan, do you know why that Ben broke off relations with me!"

"Slave...... The minions don't know ......"

Yixuan, who was asked, was suddenly scared into a cold sweat, he really didn't know why he broke off diplomatic relations with the Qing Dynasty, broke the common policy of all countries, and preemptively admitted Chen Wei.

Looking at Yixuan, Cixi took out a piece of music from the yellow box and raised it slightly, and said in a low and indignant voice.

"China and foreign countries are broken, and the overall situation is so bad! You, who is the prime minister and presides over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, don't you have to say that I have to send money to you, and lie on your ear to tell you that you are a slave who knows? How far do you minions have to make a mess before you are willing to stop? ”

The slightly hoarse reprimand only made Yi Xuan kneel down and kowtow his head, cold sweat ran down his back, and the Empress Dowager Cixi stiffened her face, and it was inconvenient to say anything.

In the end, she looked at the military aircraft and the ministers in front of the palace who were summoned by her, her eyes were red, and she muttered for a while before she opened her product.

"Now that the situation has collapsed to this point, what else can you do!"

Qing Wangyeyi, who met at this meeting, was still kneeling there begging for mercy, knowing that the Queen Mother did not mean to dispose of him, everyone still sank their heads, and finally it was Qu Hongli, the Minister of Military Aircraft, who stood up and took a step.

"The minister thinks that it is only a small country in the East, and now it is in dispute with the Russians, and it is not enough to be afraid of being trapped outside the border, and its inheritance and rebellion are nothing more than forced by the port of green mud and puddles, and now the plan is ......."

said a lot of things freely, and finally Qu Hongli gave a way to ignore him. For foreigners, Cixi has never had any way, at least since the year of Gengzi, she thinks so, foreigners she can't ask and doesn't dare to ask, looking at Yi who is still kneeling in the trembling Yixiao, Cixi asked him to go back to standing, and then asked.

"Where has Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army arrived!"

"Back to Lafayette!"

Tieliang, the secretary of the military department, gave up his body, knelt down and kowtowed first.

"Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army vanguard has arrived in Cangzhou!"

"Cangzhou! Cangzhou! ”

chanted twice, the ministers across the curtain couldn't see it, but Guangxu, who was sitting next to him, could look at the anger on his "father" face and forced his face to tremble, but this scene made Guangxu sneer in his heart, and he couldn't wait to eat Yuan Shikai's bones, and he suppressed the hatred for six years...... Just when Guangxu was thinking like this, suddenly there was a thunderclap outside the Dongnuan Pavilion, and it was common for Xia to thunder, at most, it was just a heartbeat. But in the emperor it was serious! I saw that he was so frightened that his face was pale, drenched in cold sweat, and he was holding the table with his hands, and he looked a little unsupportable.

Such an emperor really can't be looked down upon by anyone with courage and determination, but it really can't help but make people feel pitiful. Li Lianying really couldn't bear to see the emperor's miserable appearance, so she hurriedly stepped forward to support him, half-dragged and half-supported him to sit down on the chair, and finally relieved herself, Guangxu himself also felt a little guilty, and looked at Li Lianying in a daze, looking at the contempt on the face of the Queen Mother, and that face was full of a look of begging for forgiveness.

At this moment, a person suddenly broke into the Dongnuan Pavilion, and it was the military aircraft on duty who broke in, and as soon as he entered the Dongnuan Pavilion, he held the fold in his hand and cried with a sad face, without waiting for Cixi and the princes and ministers to reprimand.

"The Queen Mother, the Emperor, Yuan ...... Yuan Shikai rebelled! ”

The words that were almost like a cry only frightened everyone in the room into earth, and Cixi, who had originally looked at Guangxu with contempt and disdain, was even more pale with fright, and her hand trembled lightly on the Luan chair.

At that moment, a roar rolled across the dark sky, and the thunder exploded overhead again, followed by a series of lightning and thunder. The wind was blowing louder and stronger, and the wind was pouring down. At this time, the rainstorm seemed to be unwilling, and it was still not relieved of hatred, it fell more violently, and with a whirring sound from time to time, it became particularly vicious and terrifying.

This sudden rainstorm made everyone in the Dongnuan Pavilion suddenly feel that the Qing Dynasty, which had been established for more than 260 years, was about to fall into the underworld that would never recover!

(To be continued)