The autumn of 1906 seemed to be more bleak than usual, and the morning autumn wind blew through the streets with a deep coolness, lifting up the dead leaves and making passers-by tighten their clothes.

As usual, workers in uniforms of various colors come out of their simple and cramped houses, often with wives watching their husbands go to work, most of them holding a few children in their hands.

An Xianmin was also standing at the door at this time and said to his wife: "Huiniang, don't worry, I will pay my salary today, and when I get my salary, I will buy rice and noodles and come back today!" ”

The young wife named Hui Niang held a pair of daughters in her hand and responded in a low voice: "I know, my husband should be careful when he goes to work!" ”

An Xianmin didn't care, his technology to start the machine was in the top ten in the factory, but he wouldn't stretch out his hands and feet like those hairy young men to run over the machine, but he also knew that there was an accident in the factory the day before yesterday, and a worker was careless, so that the braid on his head fell off and then rolled into the machine, and then pulled his whole person into the machine and gave him his life, even if it was to make his wife feel at ease, he had to say: "Don't worry, you still don't believe me, it's okay!" ”

At this time, a little girl in the corner of the door raised her head: "Daddy, when you get paid, I want to eat white rice!" ”

On the other side, the little boy went around his mother's leg and said, "I want to eat white steamed buns, not rice."

"I want white rice!" The little girl pouted in retort.

"I want white steamed buns!" The little boy didn't let it go at all.

Seeing that his little daughter was about to cry, An Xianmin hurriedly squatted down: "Yes, the white rice and the white-faced father have bought it back, and it's time to let the mother make it for you, okay?" ”

"Really?" The little girl stopped the tears that were about to fall and looked at her father: "Daddy is not allowed to deceive people!" ”

At this time, Hui Niang spoke: "Okay, okay, go to work quickly, otherwise you will have to deduct your wages when it's late!" ”

An Xianmin stood up and left his home, and at this time, tens of thousands of workers in the workers' residential areas around the Huludao Industrial Zone left their modest houses one after another, and then headed for the major factories.

An Xianmin quickly blended into the crowd, but it didn't take long for him to see a lot of people in front of him talking loudly, and seeing that there was still some time before he went to work, he also walked a few steps over.

It turned out that a newsboy was shouting loudly: "Outside, outside, Yuan Gongbao was assassinated yesterday, and the situation is turbulent!" ”

Although An Xianmin doesn't care about these national affairs on weekdays, he also knows who Yuan Gongbao is, and he is a person who is even more powerful than Fengtian boss Zhao Dongyun.

And An Xianmin was fortunate to see Zhao Dongyun once from afar when he came to Huludao Industrial Zone to inspect the Huludao Industrial Zone last year, and he will never forget that majesty in his life.

And now Yuan Shikai, who is more noble than Zhao Dongyun, has been assassinated?

At the moment, he just wanted to come forward, but he still didn't take the money to buy the newspaper directly, because he couldn't read it if he sold it, he was originally a farmer who couldn't read big characters, and he only learned to recognize a few words after coming to Huludao and entering the factory, but he could only recognize a few names, and write the names of his family, and although the contemporary newspaper is not an obscure classical Chinese, it is also half-literate and half-white, An Xianmin, a semi-illiterate person who only recognizes a few hundred words, can't read it, and he can't recognize most of the words in it.

So he approached a man in a suit and had his hair cut and asked, in a slightly humble voice, "What does this newspaper say?" ”

The man in the suit, whose hair touched the oily oil, turned his head slightly, and saw that it was just an ordinary worker's greeting, although he did not show any special expression, but there was still a trace of disgust in his eyes, and he was in no mood to answer the words of a lowly worker, so he just glanced at it and then withdrew his gaze, and then walked away directly.

The rest An Xianmin was slightly stunned, he saw the disgust in the eyes of the man just now, and at that moment, An Xianmin secretly clenched his fist!

The man in the suit who left first quickly entered a three-story building with a newspaper in his hand, and a signboard hung at the door of the building: Xingliang Company.

There are already a lot of people gathered in the office hall inside, most of the people inside are wearing trendy suits, a few are wearing traditional horse coats, and as soon as he enters, a young man with a pipe in his hand and a gray suit walks over: "Brother Lihui, have you read today's newspaper, Yuan Gongbao was assassinated in Beijing yesterday!" ”

The man with the word Lihui walked over and raised the newspaper in his hand: "I read it when I left, but I didn't expect that Yuan Gongbao would be assassinated!" ”

"It's not uncommon to be assassinated, a few years ago, Li Butang and other ministers encountered a lot of assassinations, and the key is that I don't know if Yuan Gongbao has anything to do!"

"We probably have no way to know for a while, and now there are different opinions in several newspapers, some say that he died on the spot, and some say that he was sent to the hospital for treatment, and it is difficult to say whether the truth of the matter is true!" The young man in the gray suit replied: "But no matter whether Yuan Gongbao is dead or alive, I am afraid that the world is going to be in chaos, alas, it is not easy to live in peace for a few years, and now it is ......."

At this time, don't say that ordinary people don't know whether Yuan Shikai is dead or alive, even Zhao Dongyun, who is in Jinzhou, can't know whether Yuan Shikai is alive or dead.

"Bastard, your intelligence department has taken so much money over the years, have you let the dogs eat it, and now more than a day has passed for such a big thing, and you can't even be sure of the life or death of the adults?" In Zhao Dongyun's study, he changed his previous attitude of being quiet, but directly lost his temper with Fang Biyong, the general office of the General Staff Office.

Fang Biyong also blushed at this time, a few years ago, Zhao Dongyun split the Education Department, made the Supervision and Training Office independent, and then established the General Staff Office, and his Director of the Supervision and Training Office was reappointed as the General Office of the newly established General Staff Office, and at the same time, his Staff Office is not only responsible for training, combat and other affairs of the Western German military system, but also needs to be responsible for military intelligence spying, so there is also an intelligence section under his hands.

After Zhao Dongyun became the general of Shengjing, the intelligence section under his command also began to cover the entire three eastern provinces and the Zhili, Rehe, Shandong and other regions in Guannai.

Now that Yuan Shikai was assassinated in Beijing, Russia sent Andrei, a diplomat stationed in Jinzhou, to inform Zhao Dongyun last night that Yuan Shikai had been assassinated.

This own intelligence agency failed to deliver the news back in time, but asked the Russians to notify it, which was enough to annoy Zhao Dongyun, but since yesterday, although Zhao Dongyun knew that Yuan Shikai was assassinated, but whether Yuan Shikai died or not has never gotten accurate information, which made Zhao Dongyun, who didn't sleep for a few hours a night, even more annoyed!

Although Fang Biyong's face turned red, he still straightened his waist and replied: "After the accident yesterday, the personnel of the intelligence department have begun to inquire about the news, according to the information we have obtained so far, the patrol police near the vicinity arrived soon after the assassination, and then the sixth town stationed in the Beijing Division quickly blocked the surrounding area, according to the accurate information we got, Yuan Shikai should have been sent to a nearby hospital for treatment, but we can't know the specific results for the time being!" ”

"In addition, regarding this assassination, the Intelligence Department has found a lot of clues, and the Manchu Imperial Family and the Japanese themselves and the Revolutionary Party are very suspicious!"

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Zhao Dongyun still had a deep face: "Don't waste your strength on these inconsequential things, go and find out to Lao Tzu whether Lord Duxian is dead or alive!" ”

After saying that, Zhao Dongyun looked at Fang Biyong, and then said, "Before the evening, I want to know the accurate news!" ”

Then he didn't care what Fang Biyong wanted to say, he just drove him out!

Zhao Dongyun sat down again, and then closed his eyes, he was not sleeping, although he only disappeared three or four last night, but he still can't sleep now, and he has an important meeting later. At this time, he was filtering one possibility after another in his mind.

Yuan Shikai was stabbed, it can be said that it was greatly unexpected by Zhao Dongyun, in Zhao Dongyun's many previous ideas, Yuan Shikai is an indispensable and important part, he Zhao Dongyun can only continue to develop by relying on Yuan Shikai, and wait for a few more years after his wings are full, then he can watch the presidential throne after Yuan Shikai's death.

However, if Yuan Shikai dies now, it will not only be a heavy blow to the entire Beiyang, but also a heavy blow to him Zhao Dongyun, without Yuan Shikai on his head, it means that he will have to face the suppression of this court alone in the future, and that kind of thing will be unacceptable.

If Yuan Shikai is not dead, then no matter how severe the situation is, but Beiyang will at least not be divided, as long as Beiyang does not fall, then he will be safe and worry-free.

After a long time, Zhao Dongyun stood up again, and then washed his face with the cold water sent by Li San, and when he left the door of the study, he could no longer see a trace of tiredness or heaviness, and Zhao Dongyun at this time became as calm as before.

"Meng Tong, Xu Tong, Chen Xietong, and Wang Xietong are all already there, and they are all waiting in the conference room!" Li San said while following behind Zhao Dongyun: "General Manager Lin and General Manager Zhao have also arrived!" ”

After Zhao Dongyun arrived at the door of the conference room, he first took a deep breath before he glanced at Li San, and immediately Li San said in a loud voice: "My lord has arrived!" ”

In an instant, the conference room, which was originally a little noisy, became extremely quiet, and Zhao Dongyun, who was wearing a military uniform as usual, strode into the conference room, and at this time, many generals in the conference room had already stood up in unison.

Zhao Dongyun walked to you, and then raised his right hand slightly: "Sit down!" ”

Immediately, more than a dozen people present sat down together!

Seeing that everyone was sitting down, Zhao Dongyun spoke first: "I think everyone needs to know some news, that's right, Lord Duxian was assassinated yesterday, as for the safety of Lord Duxian now, it's a pity that our intelligence department still can't be sure!" ”

However, as soon as these words were spoken, there was soon a sound of trotting footsteps outside, and it didn't take long for Fang Biyong to run in, and then walked straight to Zhao Dongyun's side and handed over a telegram!

Zhao Dongyun unfolded the telegram and looked at it, his face changed drastically, and the telegram was only four words: "Yuan Gong has been killed"