In addition to the coveted nickel ore, Gansu also has another important resource, which is oil, Qiao Yu knows very well that the army is about to begin to enter the era of mechanization, the next twenty years are the years of maturity of tanks and armored vehicles, and it is also the time when aircraft are popular, plus Sichuan also needs to obtain a strong navy, which must have enough oil support, otherwise there is no value in creating more weapons.

Now Sichuan basically relies on importing oil from the United States to maintain, although the amount is not large, but it also makes Qiao Yu feel distressed, so it is more and more important to control the natural resources of Gansu, there is another layer of consideration, that is, the problem of Ma Jiajun, Ma Jiajun is cruel and murderous, and if it is separated from the central government, if it is not controlled, it is very likely that the entire northwest will have the risk of splitting out, so Qiao Yu definitely does not want to give Ma Jiajun a chance to rise and keep Zhang Guangjian's position, Then using Zhang Guangjian to suppress Ma Jiajun has become Qiao Yu's established policy.

Zhang Guangjian took the cooperation contract handed over by Zhou Lang and looked at it carefully, saying that as long as Sichuan had the right to develop natural resources in Jinchuan and Yumen, it had no other requirements at all, and it also promised to provide Gansu with an annual tax subsidy of 800,000 yuan, in addition to a large amount of arms aid.

Zhang Guangjian is even more of a monk who is at a loss, what is the idea of Sichuan, what do you want to do with those two barren lands, they are the poorest places, and they are not a strategic place, they are not worth anything at all, but Sichuan is willing to take out 800,000 yuan a year, and is also willing to provide himself with 30,000 rifles and 100 machine guns.

"Mr. Zhou, are you making fun of me, can these two pieces of land be worth so much money?"

Looking at Zhang Guangjian's face full of suspicion, Zhou Lang despised this local warlord more and more, and he didn't even know the value of oil and nickel ore, but before he came, Zhou Lang didn't believe that Gansu would bury this valuable resource, but the investigation report of Sichuan University, coupled with Qiao Yu's assurance, made him extremely confident that Zhang Guangjian, as the governor of Gansu, could not understand Gansu better than Qiao Yu in Sichuan, which was really sad and lamentable.

"Zhang Dudu, written here in black and white, as long as you can agree, the arms from Sichuan will be sent to you immediately, and you can also pay you 400,000 yuan in advance to help you stabilize the situation in Gansu, I believe that even if you don't agree to this kind of good thing, others will agree, you really have no way out now!"

Zhang Guangjian understood at this time what it meant to be bullied by dogs in Pingyang, and a governor was bullied by a small businessman, Sichuan was really too much, but Zhang Guangjian also knew that there was no other way, and if he didn't agree, he could only give up the governor's throne, he was really unwilling.

Zhang Guangjian had no choice but to sign the contract, Zhou Lang put away the river with a smile on his face, nickel ore and oil are in hand, both of which are real strategic resources, of immeasurable value, to be able to get it so easily, it still depends on the power of Sichuan.

The next day, the Sichuan army spoke and counted, and the ocean of arms was sent over, and the army under Zhang Guangjian was completely stabilized, although the guns sent by Sichuan were not new, but they were also seven or eight percent new, and the quality was very good, much stronger than the tattered ones in the hands of the Gan army, and there were also a hundred machine guns, Zhang Guangjian was overjoyed, this thing is the best weapon to deal with cavalry, and the Ma family now relies on powerful cavalry, and at this time, with so many machine guns, where are you still afraid of the Ma family's army.

Zhang Guangjian was overjoyed, and immediately called on the whole country, announcing that he would join the protection [***], so that the protection [***] added another province, although Gansu is remote, but this is also the desire of the people, it is like the last straw that crushes the camel, Duan Qirui can no longer sit still, if the protection [***] goes on like this, the world is really not Beiyang.

That night, Duan Qirui, together with Zhang Xun, Feng Guozhang, Jiang Guidi, Cao Kun, Li Chun, Zhao Wei, Wang Zhanyuan, Jin Yunpeng, Tian Wenlie, Zhang Fengqi, Xu Shuzheng, Yang Zengxin and other twenty-three Beiyang generals wrote to Yuan Shikai, asking Yuan Shikai to give up the imperial system.

Lao Yuan looked at the admonition document, tears rolled down his forehead, he bullied other orphans and widows at the beginning, and now this is retribution!

"Gentleman, you misunderstood me too much!"

After Yuan Shikai finished saying a sentence, his face was full of remorse, Yang Du was cold at this time, counting how much Yang Du had done since the Xinhai Revolution for Yuan Shikai to saddle the horse, although Yang Du did everything possible to persuade Yuan Shikai to let him ascend the throne and become the emperor, but Yang Du also made many statements to Yuan Shikai, so that he could take the opportunity to ascend the throne and completely receive the scattered power in his hands, and at the same time vigorously implement the salt political reform, following the example of Sichuan to abolish the salt merchant group for generations, which can really win the hearts of the people, and step up the collection of military power, regrouping the forces of the Beiyang, and at the same time cooperating with the Entente in exchange for the support of the Great Powers.

Yang Du provided Yuan Shikai with several strategies, all of which were good ways to enhance his prestige and show the superiority of the imperial system. made the Beiyang general deviate from morality, and only then did he make trouble today, can he still blame himself for being a strategist.

When Yuan Shikai was worried, another reminder was sent over, it turned out that the Sichuan army had begun to attack Wuchang and Hanyang, this time the attack on Wuchang Qiao Yu did not come forward directly, but let Xia Douyin serve as the commander-in-chief of the campaign, breaking into the position of the Hubei army, the Sichuan army dispatched a division, as well as ten shallow water gunboats and reconnaissance aircraft to assist, and Tan Yanmin also commanded a part of the Hunan army to participate in it.

Zhang Jingyao, who was divided into two directions to attack Wuchang in the north and south, and under the fire support of the diving gunboats of the Hubei army, he successfully landed on the south bank of the Yangtze River, and hundreds of artillery pieces were aimed at the position of the Beiyang Army.

Sichuan's air force also dispatched, this time the Sichuan army did not drop bombs, but dropped countless letters of persuasion, and there were people on the position of protecting [***] who kept shouting to persuade Beiyang to surrender.

There are only a few simple words written on the pieces of paper fluttering on the plane, the Chinese do not fight the Chinese, as long as they surrender, they can exchange the letter of persuasion for ten oceans of travel expenses, and they can immediately reunite with their wives and children at home, and do not sell their lives to Emperor Yuan anymore.

The military spirit of the Beiyang Army has long been floating, and now in the face of the powerful offensive of the protection [***], there is no fighting spirit at all, their guns are all rushing to the sky, forcing their eyes to release the guns, there is no lethality at all, the protection [***] rushed to the front, and immediately surrendered, those diehards also knew that the general trend had gone, and they fled one after another, and the whole army was defeated like a mountain, and they couldn't resist it at all.

When the escort [***] rushed to the city of Wuchang, there were even a large number of Beiyang troops with a letter of persuasion to surrender to Cheng, and some people even hid a few in secret, ready to change a little more ocean, and the chaos seemed not to be fighting, but to do business, Zhang Jingyao is also a smart person, knowing that there is no good end to resisting, so he escaped from Wuchang under the protection of the guards, and Zhang Jingyao was very angry that Wu Xiangzhen and Li Shanzhi ran faster than him.

Wuchang was easily conquered, Hanyang did not resist at all, more than 17,000 of the 50,000 Beiyang troops were captured, and the rest all fled, and in an instant, the nails in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in Beiyang were completely removed, and Jiangxi was directly exposed to the protection of [***].

On the evening of the day that Wuchang was conquered, Li Chun, the governor of Jiangxi, immediately issued a telegram, announcing that Jiangxi Reading Power would join the sequence of protecting [***] and oppose the imperial system, and at the same time, Li Chun and Feng Guozhang, Jin Yunpeng and others jointly telegraphed again, urging Yuan Shikai to give up the imperial system.

Lao Yuan was holding the power of Li Chun and others in his hands at this time, his hands couldn't stop trembling, Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang all abandoned him, and the reading power of Beiyang henchmen one by one made Yuan Shikai completely disheartened, less than two months after being the emperor, such a big contrast between before and after, a few months ago, the whole country vigorously supported himself to ascend the throne, and now the whole country is against it, is the country fickle, or he is living in a dream at all.

"Huizi, Xingcheng, I'm not the emperor anymore, can I still be the president?" Looking at the two great strategists in the past, Yuan Shikai's tone was so bleak, and the end of the heroic road was probably like this.

Yang Du and Yang Shiqi were not only wrong at this time, Yuan Keding suddenly wanted to grasp the straw that saved his life, and hurriedly grabbed Yang Shiqi's sleeve, "Mr. Xingcheng, you can think of a way, Duan Qirui They can't be so ruthless, how can they be where they are today without my father, my father is not the emperor anymore, I don't want the prince anymore, continue to be the president!" ”

Yang Shiqi was a beat late to Yang Du on the issue of being the emperor, so Yang Du quickly surpassed Yang Shiqi and became the first strategist, and under the current situation, Yuan's father and son obviously blamed Yang Du, so they hoped that Yang Shiqi could come forward to help them.

"Eldest prince, you don't have to worry, I'll go to Duan Qirui now, I believe that Duan Zhiquan is nostalgic for the old feelings, and he will definitely not be so ruthless and unjust!"

Yang Shiqi hurriedly left Xinhua Palace, and Yang Du also withdrew from Xinhua Palace, he did not run actively like Yang Shiqi, he knew very well that Yuan Shikai now only had a body, and the current old Yuan could not carry his dream of being an emperor at all, Yang Du chose to leave Yanjing and go south directly.

On the second day, Qiao Yu, Cai Yi, Zhang Bailin, Lu Rongting, Tan Yanmin, Xia Douyin and other leaders of the protector [***], together with the original vice president Li Yuanhong, sent a telegram again, unanimously demanding that Yuan Shikai step down, if Yuan Shikai does not step down, the protector [***] will immediately go on a northern expedition and overthrow Yuan Shikai by force.

At this time, the Beiyang generals forced the palace again, Yuan Shikai was forced to be helpless, and could only announce his abdication.