Although it is impossible to escape the fate of leaving a stench for 10,000 years, President Yuan Da's posthumous affairs are still done in a beautiful manner, and many ceremonies are in accordance with the specifications of the "Daxing Emperor", and the ceremonies for relatives alone are as much as 1 million yuan, and the construction of Zhangde Yuan Lin cost nearly one million, plus other expenses on the funeral, spending millions of dollars before and after, making the central finances that are already unable to make ends meet even worse. However, President Yuan's disciples and grandchildren are still active in front of the stage, and almost control most of China, so they are naturally sloppy about the funeral of their boss. But don't look at the senior generals of the Beiyang Department who hold real power, crying like grandsons in front of President Yuan's coffin, in fact, the bottom of their hearts has long been happy, the big mountain on the heads of the younger brothers is over, and the good days of grabbing land, money, and women are just around the corner. Yuan Shikai's death was just the death of the boss of the Beiyang military system, his proud protégé and incarnation, but countless Yuan Shikai lives in the world.

In the past few days, the generals, army envoys, town guard envoys, officers at or above the brigade level, high-ranking civil officials such as patrol envoys and Daoyin, civil and military attachés above the director level of the various departments of the Beijing Division, and officers at or above the garrison corps level have all taken turns to go to the mourning hall set up in the Juren Hall to pay respects, and the senior officers of the lineage have taken turns to guard the coffin. All government offices, barracks, warships, and customs offices are required to fly their flags at half-mast on the 27th, civil and military officials must also stop banquets on the 27th, official documents are covered with black ink for 27 days, the covers of official newspapers are also black-edged for 27 days, and the people are required to quit music for 7 days. Whether you want to or not, the capital has been completely silent in mourning these days. It is precisely in the past few days that the flags of the southwestern provinces have been hoisted to celebrate, and firecrackers have been set off in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hunan, which can be said to be a wonderful irony.

In the past few days, telegrams of condolence have been flying like snowflakes from all over the country, and various front-line units have also asked the War Department for advice on how to fight and advance and retreat. The colleagues in the General Affairs Department were so busy leaning forward and backward that Zeng Lu did not show his face for two or three days, while Tang Ruoshui and Tang continued his boring work life in the organs, but he was a little confused in his boredom and depression. The curtain is about to open, but as the protagonist is still running naked, you say that you are depressed or not.

"Ruoshui, why don't you leave?" Tang Zhidao hid in the office alone, drinking tea, reading the newspaper, thinking about how to better survive in the post-Yuan Shikai era, and this one passed a whole day without paying attention, until Hu Bingtao passed by his room and found that there was a light inside.

"Oh, it's all off!" Tang Zhidao put down the information in his hand, looked at the window and saw that it was already pitch black, and then looked down to see that the hour hand of the watch had crossed seven.

"I was so engrossed in watching that I forgot the time for a while." Wang Guojie smiled at Hu Bingtao again and said, "Brother Hu didn't leave either." ”

"The heads of the ministry have all gone to the presidential palace, and no one is in charge of major matters, and the skin has just stopped after a whole day." Hu Bingtao wiped the sweat on his face and said, The Military Affairs Department is in charge of establishment and training, and the affairs are extremely cumbersome, and the degree of specialization is also very high.

"Didn't the fighting in the southwest, Shandong, and Shaanxi all stop?" Tang Zhidao asked suspiciously: "Your military affairs department should stop!" As soon as the news of Yuan Shikai's death came out, Chen Shufan in Shaanxi, Chen Eun in Sichuan, and Long Jiguang in Guangdong immediately canceled their independence and returned to the Beiyang Military Government.

"As soon as the fighting stops, there will be more aftermath." Hu Bingtao said helplessly: "Just the stationing, supplementing, reorganization, and expansion of the front-line troops is enough for us to be busy for a while. ”…,

"It's better to be busy than if I have nothing to do every day!" Tang Zhidao pointed to a pile of old newspapers on the table and said, "I have read these newspapers several times, I don't know when it will be a head!" ”

"Ruoshui, you don't have to worry, you are the person who Vice Chief Xu personally invited back, and the future is limitless!" Hu Bingtao said comfortingly.

"Brother Hu, you don't need to comfort me, maybe Vice Minister Xu just thinks that my work as an interpreter for the Germans will damage the image of Chinese soldiers!" Tang Zhidao said with a wry smile: "I have asked to see me several times in a row, but I can't even enter the door, and it doesn't matter what I talk about!" ”

"It's no wonder that Xu Cichang is there!" Hu Bingtao patted Tang Zhidao on the shoulder and said with relief: "For a while, he was busy dealing with the aftermath of President Yuan Da and the reorganization of the model regiment and the Gong Guard, and he didn't even attend several ministerial meetings. "Hu Bingtao is an old man in the War Department, and he is in the important position of the chief of the infantry section of the Military Affairs Department, so he naturally has more information to know than Tang Zhidao, an idler.

"Model regiment, Gong Guard army reorganization?" Although he didn't know much about the inside story and details, Tang Zhidao was still keenly aware of the opportunities contained in this matter.

The Model Regiment was established by Yuan Shikai in October 1914 to further control the military power of the Beiyang Officer Training Class, which was subordinate to the "Generalissimo Generalissimo Office of the Army and Navy". The headquarters is located in Beijing, and there is an office in Xicheng Zhantan Temple. Yuan Zi served as the head of the first phase of the regiment, Chen Guangyuan served as the deputy of the regiment, and Wang Shizhen and Zhang Jingyao were clerks. With the aim of "being loyal to the head of state and not joining the party association," the training course will provide military training for six months, with officers of two divisions trained in one phase. The Gong Guard Army was Yuan Shikai's descendant army of about 15,000 people who used to defend the Beijing Division. These two troops are the descendants of Yuan Shikai after he became the official president, and he felt that Feng Duan Liangyuan was a big general.

"The model regiment was reorganized into the 11th and 12th divisions of the army, and the Gongwei Army was reorganized into the 13th division, in addition to several temporary brigades and regiments, which also need to be reorganized!" Hu Bingtao said without concealment: "This time the move is very big, and some officers in the ministry will also be enriched into the troops directly under it." ”

"Brother Hu, what kind of position do you think I can find in these troops!" Tang Zhidao's eyes lit up and he asked with a smile.

"Ruoshui, don't you really have this kind of thought!" Hu Bingtao said in surprise, no wonder he was surprised, it was as funny as a secretary of the General Office in later generations who wanted to serve in the grassroots army.

"Just talk about it!" Tang Zhidao did not give more explanations, after all, with the formation of a dual pattern of Li Yuanhong as president and Duan Qirui as prime minister, the Beiyang central government once again became the only legitimate government in the land of China for a short time, and the authority of the War Department was once again established.

"It's enough to be a division commander and brigade commander with Ruoshui's talent!" Hu Bingtao joked with a smile: "I'll talk to Premier Duan and Vice Minister Xu when I'm going to catch up." ”

"Brother Hu, don't make fun of me, I want to hear the truth!" Tang Zhidao said solemnly.

"Of course, the most important thing in appointing and dismissing officials in my country is to look at the faction and seniority, and talent is secondary." Seeing that Tang Dao was serious, Hu Bingtao said solemnly: "With Ruoshui's qualifications, it is not much of a problem to serve as an operational staff officer of a division directly under the central government, or even the chief of staff of a mixed brigade. ”

"It's a staff officer again!" Tang Zhidao muttered: "If I want to be the commander of the front-line troops, what level can I be at? "The staff officer is not much better than the current errand.

"This one is more difficult!" Hu Bingtao shook his head and said: "Being a company and battalion commander is too condescending, and a radish and a pit above the regiment are basically settled." ”

"Besides, it is not easy to take care of the front-line troops, hundreds of people have to eat, drink, and sleep!" Hu Bingtao added: "You don't really want to go down, do you? The friend in front of him is getting more and more incomprehensible, as if he has changed into a different person. …,

"Battalion commander!" Tang Zhidao said excitedly when he heard it: "Enough, enough!" "Lao Tzu was only a company commander after six or seven years in his previous life, and now if he can really be a battalion commander, it will be a bit of progress.

"I'm just talking about theory, I still think it's best for you to stay in the War Department!" Hu Bingtao knew too well what the situation was like in the troops below, and how many aspiring young people were quickly blackened when they arrived inside. One of his classmates Lu Shi turned out to be so enthusiastic and ambitious, since he became the head of a provincial brigade, opium smoke has not left his hand, and his concubines have married three or four, and as soon as they meet, they talk about how to make money and how to play with women.

"Brother Hu, can you help me operate, I mean it!" Tang Zhidao didn't care about Hu Bingtao's thoughts at this time, and said categorically: "Not only me, but Brother Hu has the best opportunity to go down and effectively control the troops." "After this village, there may be no more such shop, and the authority of the central government will fall to the bottom step by step with the dispute between the government and the court, and in a few years, Wu Ziyu will be just an acting teacher who can make a lot of nonsense about the domestic and foreign affairs of the central government, but the central government has no way to deal with it.

"Our Military Affairs Department is only responsible for the formulation of the preparation plan, and the appointment and dismissal of officers is the business of the Military Balance Division, and the appointment and dismissal of officers in the ministry cannot bypass your General Affairs Department!" Hu Bingtao said evasively, in his heart he did not agree with Tang Zhidao's statement, in his opinion, the transformation of the Chinese army still has to take the top-down road, and talents like Tang Zhidao should stay in departments like the Ministry of the Army to contribute to the future reform of the army.

"Brother Hu doesn't want to help with this, forget it, I'll figure it out myself!" Tang Zhidao resolutely said: "If you really can't do it, Lao Tzu will become a company commander, I don't believe that Lao Tzu will be a Japanese non-commissioned officer and no one will want it." ”

"Alas! There's a shortcut, I don't know if you're willing to take it! Hu Bingtao sighed and said, "Go directly to Vice Chief Xu!" ”

"Okay, I'll give it a try!" Tang Zhidao nodded and said, this is indeed the best way, as long as Xiao Xu approves it, it is not impossible to directly mix with the head of the regiment.

"It's not too early, let's go back!" Hu Bingtao's face was not very good-looking, but he still said with concern: "Go to my house at night, let's have two drinks with my brother, and your sister-in-law made your favorite meatballs!" ”

"Okay, I'm really missing that little guy from Tiger Head!" With the direction of his efforts, Tang Zhidao was in a much better mood, and followed Hu Bingtao out of the War Department building.