In April 1878, after a severe drought, Henan finally received pleasant rain, which greatly alleviated the drought. However, Yuan Baoheng, a servant of the Criminal Department who was ordered to provide disaster relief, unfortunately contracted cholera and died of illness. His nephew, the young Yuan Shikai, had to return to his hometown of Xiangcheng.

Before he could sit down, he received a holy decree from the capital, asking him to enter Beijing immediately, and when he passed through Zhunning County on the way, he also took Xu Shichang, the governor of Zhunning County, to see him together.

Yuan Shikai embarked on the road to Beijing with confusion, and at this time he was half-lying and half-leaning in the carriage, the wheels crushed in the mud, making a tooth-sour sound. Although he was a little tired, Yuan Shikai's heart was full of excitement, this muddy road seemed to shine with the light of the future, the emperor was waiting for him, and the future was waiting for him.

He was extremely admired, even in awe of, this Guangxu Emperor. Over the past few years, he has been observing the measures of the imperial court and the official documents promulgated, although it is always just some administrative orders, but he happily shouts in his heart, "Isn't this the new deal?" ”

Without any hesitation, all the actions of the emperor were clean and thorough. It seems to be using actions to tell everyone clearly, "I don't need to explain to you, I don't need to debate with you, and I don't even bother to discuss with you." My will dictates everything, either cooperate with me or just wait to be cleaned up. ”

He adores this style.

At dusk, I finally entered the county seat of Zhunning. Regardless of the wind and dust, Yuan Shikai immediately went to meet Governor Xu Shichang, and the two hit it off at first sight and became friends with Jinlan.

"Brother Xu, Brother Xu must also know the meaning of the next one."

"The court of the military aircraft department has made it clear, the foolish brother's house is cleaned up a little, and you and I can go to Beijing tomorrow."

"That's very good."

"It's just a matter of not knowing. Dissatisfied with Brother Yuan Xian, Brother Fool has been suspicious for a few days. I miss me Xu Shichang, a governor, no name in the world, no one in the court, and I have never seen the holy face. I don't know where the emperor found out? ”

"This, Yuan is also difficult to understand. At the beginning, he was also clothed, and the emperor was blue-eyed and promoted. ”

"Yes, the power of heaven is unpredictable, and the will of heaven is difficult to understand. If it is an ordinary seniority, how can you and I have a place. But now the situation of the country is no longer comparable to what it used to be, and the emperor has worked hard to make the country prosperous, and has unconsciously begun to change the law and reform. It's the time for us to make great progress, and it's the right time to live up to what we've learned. ”

"You say the law is being reformed?"

"Needless to say. You see what the emperor did, building railways, running banks, opening factories, issuing equity, issuing loans, establishing new-style schools, and gradually imitating foreigners and formulating Western-style laws. I heard that there is also a newspaper and paper money printing, isn't this a change? Moreover, there is not a single word in the holy decree mentioning the change, which is really wonderful. ”

Yuan Shikai nodded silently.

Beijing, the Palace of Nourishing the Heart. Ding Yuntong looked at Yuan Shikai and Xu Shichang, who were all the way to Beijing, and said with a smile: "I want you to go to North Korea." ”

Yuan Xu and the others were very surprised that they were so urgently summoned to Beijing to let them envoy to North Korea.

Seeing their surprise, Ding Yuntong explained: "It is not just for you to send an envoy, but more importantly, for you to understand the mountains, rivers, folk customs and customs of North Korea." When you arrive in Korea, you should pay attention to collecting geographical maps and all useful information. Now that Japan is eyeing the DPRK, it has no choice but to take precautions and make some preparations as soon as possible. In addition," Ding Yuntong pointed to the two people next to him, "These two people will go with you, Zhan Tianyou and Fang Boliang, railway experts and telecommunications experts respectively, who have just returned from studying abroad." They will inspect the route and study options for laying railways and telegraph lines in North Korea. ”

Zhan Tianyou and Fang Boliang were both led by Rong Hong, the first batch of students to study in the United States. Zhan Tianyou graduated from Yale University, and Fang Boliang graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These two men were the nucleus of the later construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. However, in the last life, after Zhan Tianyou returned to China, he was made to be an English teacher, which was really a terrible thing.

After these people kowtowed and retreated, Ding Yuntong officially announced the list of commanders and generals of the army to Peng Yulin:

The first division: the division commander Guangxi Admiral Feng Zicai, the two subordinate brigade commanders are Adjutant General Yang Ruishan, and General Soldier Yang Yuke.

Second Division: The division commander is Rehe, and the two subordinate brigade commanders are Ma Jinxu, the chief soldier, and Wu Zhaoyou, the general soldier.

Third Division: The division commander is Zhang Shusheng, the governor of Guangxi, and the two subordinate brigade commanders are Su Yuanchun, the named commander, and Wang Debang, the commander-in-chief.

Fourth Division: The division commander is directly subordinate to Governor Wu Changqing, and the two subordinate brigade commanders are Xu Zhanbiao, the chief soldier, and Zhang Yao, the general soldier.

Fifth Division: The division commander is Song Qing, the commander of Sichuan, and the two subordinate brigade commanders are Ding Huai, the commander-in-chief, and Sun Wanlin, the commander.

Sixth Division: The division commander is Cen Yuying, the commander of Yunnan, and the two subordinate brigade commanders are Dong Fuxiang, the commander of Urumqi, and Wang Xiaoqi, the deputy general.

Seventh Division: The division commander is General Jin Shun of Ili, and the two subordinate brigade commanders are Adjutant General Chen Jia and General Fang Yousheng.

Independent Brigade Chief and Deputy Brigade Commander: General Soldier Zhou Shengbo, Zhou Shengchuan brothers.

In terms of military ranks, according to the newly promulgated military rank system, division commanders are all awarded major generals, and brigade commanders are all colonels. Officers at all levels are also awarded the corresponding ranks.

Looking at this list, Peng Yulin wondered in his heart, the governor of Yunnan became the division commander, so what about Pan Dingxin, the political envoy of Yunnan, who was defeated? But he naturally didn't dare to ask more.

Ding Yuntong knew in his heart that the so-called wind knew the strength of the grass board and knew the loyal ministers, and Pan Dingxin's poor performance in the Sino-French War in his previous life certainly affected his evaluation of him, and now he had to let him stand aside.

In addition, there are some generals, Liu Mingchuan, who is recuperating at home, Nie Shicheng, the registered commander, Ma Yukun, the chief soldier, Liu Jintang, the general envoy, Xu Bangdao, the chief soldier, Wei Rugui, the registered admiral, Ding Ruchang, etc., were ordered by Ding Yuntong to change their names, and as ordinary military attachés of the embassy, they were sent to Britain, Germany, and France respectively to observe and study the strategy and tactics of the European army.

Among these people, Liu Ming passed on both civil and military affairs; Nie Shicheng and Xu Bangdao are brave and strategic, although they were defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War in their previous lives, they are really not a war crime in a completely rotten system, and they are also one of the few bright spots in the war; Ma Yukun died heroically; Liu Jintang was a strange among the generals in the late Qing Dynasty, and when he recovered Xinjiang, he commanded and made a decisive decision. Zuo Zongtang called him "unparalleled in the world"; As for Wei Rugui, he is really wronged through the ages, even more wronged than Yuan Chonghuan. Fighting desperately on the North Korean front, the clear stream behind was indiscriminate and wanton slander, and Zuihou was unjustly killed in Caishikou. Ding Ruchang was the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division in his last life, but in fact he was born as an army general, so he was born with a congenital deficiency in commanding the navy, so he should do his job honestly, at least Zuihou He committed suicide, and there is no doubt about his patriotism and loyalty.

These people are either overkill or misused. Now it is up to him to rewrite history and let these people make the most of their talents and serve as generals of the Guards in formation. But before that, we still have to go to the powerful countries to open our eyes and see what a truly modern army looks like.

Historically, the Japanese general Dashanyan, who landed in Shandong during the First Sino-Japanese War, was also the commander of the Japanese army in the Russo-Japanese War, studied in Europe and witnessed the Franco-Prussian War on the battlefield. This kind of perceptual understanding cannot be cultivated by training.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1878, in the Zhongcui Palace, Ding Yuntong was accompanying the Empress Dowager Ci'an to guess the lantern riddles. The eunuch Fan Changlu, the head of the palace, held a lantern and read the riddle: "There is no half of the tile on the top, there is no place for the cone below, a gourd is hung on the waist, and the mouth spits yin and yang weirdness." Typing. ”

Ding Yuntong thought about it and said: "It's a divination." After speaking, she jumped up happily, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an clapped her hands and smiled and asked the palace maid to take a piece of moon cake to him, which should be a reward. Ding Yuntong is becoming more and more majestic as an emperor outside, but he is still a child's temperament in Ci'an.

"Wearing a square hat and a bow on his chest, ask you where to go, and catch big insects in the mountains."

This time it should be the Empress Dowager Ci'an, but she frowned and couldn't think of it for a while, Ding Yuntong wrote a word in her palm, Ci'an nodded and said, "It's a strong word." ”

Fan Changlu hurriedly said: "Queen Mother Shengming." Then he said, "One horizontal, one horizontal, one vertical, one vertical, one vertical, one vertical and one vertical, one and so on." ”

Ding Yuntong had already guessed, but he deliberately didn't say it, frowning and pretending to think hard.

Ci'an said: "It's Senzi, my little emperor." ”

Ding Yuntong hurriedly slapped his ass: "It's still the queen mother, and the ministers are far behind." Ci'an was very happy.

While playing, someone came to report, and Foreign Minister Zeng Jize asked to see him.

Ding Yuntong complained to the Empress Dowager Ci'an and wanted to retreat, Ci'an nodded: "You go, state affairs are important." It's time for me to roll up and go back to politics and retire. ”

Returning to the Heart Cultivation Palace, Zeng Jize was waiting and reported two good news.

The first is US President Hayes, who is extremely interested in the open-door policy proposed by Ding Yuntong, and will visit China next month by Secretary of State William 61 Evac.

The second is that the British government is very excited about China's desire to buy second-hand ships, and has responded quickly and positively.