Yang Shixiang came to Beijing on the 24th of the lunar month, and the major yamen were about to be sealed. Because he was ordered to meet him, Yang Shixiang could not join relatives and friends, so he could only live in the "high-end guest house" in Beijing, Dongcheng Xianliang Temple, and wait for Cixi's summons.

On the same day, his younger brother Yang Shiqi came to Xianliang Temple to visit his brother.

Yang Shixiang went to Shandong to serve as governor in the 31st year of Guangxu, and it was three years in a flash, and it was the first time he met his resourceful younger brother. Yang Shixiang felt that his brother had lost weight, his complexion was not good, and he kept coughing. And Yang Shiqi felt that Brother Nai was fatter, with a wide heart and a fat body.

After chatting about common things, the brothers immediately turned the topic to political affairs.

"Do you know why the imperial court summoned me to Beijing?"

"I don't know. However, the elder brother's reputation is good, and it is said that the queen mother praised her brother for his meritorious service to Zhilu several times. ”

"I heard that the emperor's dragon body is not safe? How, exactly? ”

"The emperor still lives in Yingtai. It is not often in court...... The emperor has been weak for a long time, but he has not heard of any news. Because he is a brother, Yang Shiqi doesn't need to consider the words, "Brother, Duke Yuan has a lot of complaints about you." ”

"You don't have to say that. I know it for my brother...... Xingcheng, do you think you did something wrong for your brother? ”

"This ......" Yang Shiqi didn't dare to say too deeply, let alone say Yuan Shikai's complaints, for fear of causing his brother's displeasure.

"What Yuan Gong wants, but he just wants me to capture Shandong in his hands for him. However, Shandong is not mine, nor is it Yuan Gong's, it is state. Yuan Gong's jealous dragon retreated, didn't he lead the army south with a paper order? The court was not allowed to return. He can only squat in Jiangxi. Yang Shixiang stared at his younger brother, "In the past three years, I have learned a lot of things for my brother, you may or may not understand." Above the private, there is the imperial court, and above the imperial court, there is also the state. Brother Wei may not be satisfied with Yuan Gong, but he asks himself to be worthy of the imperial court and the 30 million Qilu people. Apron City. If you are in Shandong. You will also realize things that you couldn't understand before. ”

Yang Shiqi was keenly aware that his brother had actually separated the court from the country. In other words, the imperial court is not equal to the state. He was surprised to find that his brother had something in him that he was not familiar with. pondered for a long time, "Brother, forgive the younger brother. Where does the elder brother think Long Qian will go? ”

"So. Where do you think the Yuan Guild has gone? Yang Shixiang asked sharply. How did Yuan Weiting deal with Tie Liang's advance? In the eyes of the Queen Mother, we Hanchen are not as good as the nation, are we? ”

Yang Shiqi was silent. Yuan Shikai is in the most difficult period of his life. This is known to everyone in the court.

"Shandong has changed so much, the virtuous brother will not know. Hearing is better than seeing, and seeing is not necessarily true. Although I am in charge of Shandong, I really can't imagine what Shandong will be like in another three years...... Let me tell you the truth, Long Qian's roots in Shandong are beyond your imagination. If you tie the interests of the provincial gentry together, the court will be helpless. ”

"Brother is saying that even if Long Qian is transferred out of Shandong, the impact will still be there?"

"What about influence?" Yang Shixiang sneered, "Actually, he doesn't need to influence. The gentry and the common people have tasted the sweetness of the New Deal, and it will be difficult to change again. They all know that Shandong's industry has done well in recent years, and countless novel and convenient marketing masters know that Shandong can make steel, make guns, and know that Shandong's finances have been comfortable...... But I don't know the changes in the vast countryside, which is the most terrifying. ”

"Oh, what has changed in the countryside? How will it change? "Yang Shiqi's study is close to imperial science, and his energy is always rolling in the conspiracy circle, not to mention the countryside, and even the finance and taxation are rarely concerned.

"Long Qian once told me that the key to China is not in the cities, but in the countryside. Even if Jinan is more prosperous than Shanghai, the countryside is still the same as it is now, and prosperity is a castle built on the beach, without any foundation. When Long Qian was a horse, he was entrenched in Lunan and did a lot of research on the rural economy, patriarchal system, population structure and cultural level. The core of this is to ease the relationship between landlords and hired peasants, to flatten the gap between the rich and the poor, to re-establish the village convention, and to enable all peasants to learn to participate in and discuss politics......

"Ridiculous! A bunch of illiterate farmers, what do they know about participating in politics? Yang Shiqi blurted out.

"You don't want to underestimate this 'village autonomy'! After my brother arrived in Shandong, he went to Fei County last summer, which was Long Qian's original 'base area', and what he heard and saw surprised me...... After Long Qian became the commander, he took advantage of the opportunity of the garrison in various places to spare no effort to improve the implementation of his rural autonomy. I didn't care at first about appointing his wife and uncle, but after a few years, the results were not as obvious as the industry on the surface, but the foundation was firmly rooted in Shandong! This year, I sent people to conduct a survey in Yi, Yan, Cao, and Wu prefectures, and the enrollment rate of rural children reached 60 percent and a half! According to Ding Weiji, the school enrollment rate of children in the rural areas under the jurisdiction of Jinan Prefecture has reached 90%! How much good governance is this? The convention was enacted to eradicate bad habits, prohibiting the sale of human beings, prohibiting opium smoking, destroying casinos, tobacco shops, and banning foot binding, all kinds of good governance, which won the support of the villagers. As for the construction of water conservancy roads, the cultivation and popularization of improved varieties to increase the yield per mu, the establishment of village and town medical clinics, and the restriction of land rents to alleviate the people's hardship, it is even more difficult to describe the development of the economy...... The most terrible thing is that the fifth town has implemented a reserve system, and the soldiers have retired after their service has expired, or they have entered the patrol battalion as junior non-commissioned officers, or they have returned to the township to preside over the village self-government, and they have received a salary lower than that of the service, and they have trained young and strong in the name of self-protection in Lianzhuang, so that the fifth town has an inexhaustible reserve army. The villagers regarded the fifth town as a soldier, and they loved and contributed to each other, which made me very enthusiastic. You say, Long Qian will root deep in the countryside, who can take it? Yang Shixiang said for a long time, felt thirsty, picked up the teacup and drank violently, wiped his mouth, and felt that there were still many cases that had not yet been told.

"The court may not have failed to see this." Yang Shiqi pondered for a moment and said, "Otherwise, I wouldn't make a big fuss and transfer the entire army of the Fifth Town." In my opinion, the more this is the case, the more difficult it will be for Long Qian to return to Shandong. ”

"Long Qian is a smart person, this person's vision is far-reaching, and he is not under Yuan Weiting. Before leaving, I had a deep conversation with my brother several times, and I had already expected it. ”

"What? You said that Long Qian had already estimated that the imperial court would completely transfer him out of Shandong? ”

"Yes. So he wants to continue the current policy. He underestimated him as a brother. Since it is beneficial to the country and the people, how can a brother be confined to factional disputes? ”

Pie? I'm afraid that Lao Yuan has already regarded you as a traitor. Yang Shiqi thought for a while, "Brother, as far as I know, Tie Liang has taken a fancy to the arms factory in Shandong, what will happen if the imperial court sends someone to take over?" ”

Yang Shixiang did not answer positively, "Blame the court, run a new policy, and the court will die." No New Deal. The nation is dead. Dilemma. ”

These words made Yang Shiqi even more frightened. Over the years, he has assisted Yuan Shikai. The goal is to enter the center and hold more power, but he has not carefully thought about the relationship between the new policy and the imperial court. After holding back for a long time, "Brother thinks Long Qian can succeed?" ”

My brother's meaning is very clear. Ideas are also dangerous. Yang Shixiang was a little worried about his younger brother's enthusiasm for imperial arts. But. The younger brother is no longer the age when he teaches with a straight face. After thinking about it, he said, "To be honest, I can't see this person clearly. But. The imperial court will never easily control Shandong, let alone take away Shandong's arsenal easily. It is Germany and the United States, whose interests are entangled, and will never stay out of it. Moreover, Yuan Gong is too busy to take care of himself, why bother wading into this troubled water? ”

"Brother," Yang Shiqi finally pulled the topic back, "Brother is right, the court situation is facing a great change that has never been encountered in a thousand years, and if I take one wrong step, it will be a catastrophe." Yuan Gong's strength is several times greater than that of Long Qian, not to mention the strong support of the British...... What if the new army of the four towns was handed over to the imperial court? Officials at all levels were all cultivated by Yuan Gong. In today's world, where there are soldiers, there is everything, Long Qian can see it clearly, and Yuan Gong understands it even more. In the opinion of the younger brother, the elder brother entered Beijing this time, and he should go to see Yuan Gong no matter what......"

"You came, he sent it?"

"Not really. The younger brother happened to come to Beijing on business, and I heard that my brother had entered Beijing, so why didn't he come? ”

"If I had time, I would naturally go to see him. If you don't have time, that's it. For my brother, I, the governor of Shandong, am afraid that I have already done it......"

Yang Shiqi was taken aback again, "Why did my brother say this?" My brother has never heard anything. ”

"The imperial court summoned me for the sake of the fate of Shandong industry. The former War Department allocated arms, but Zhou Zhizhi refused to take care of the goods, insisting on taking the money to pick up the goods. Tie Liang once telegraphed me to mediate this matter, what can I do? Huayuan Bomb Factory is privately owned, so it can't be openly robbed, right? Xingcheng, for his brother's own opinions, is to return to the countryside, this life is enough, and he has never been ashamed of his ancestors. It's you, you have to think about your future. ”

The brothers' secret conversation did not go very well. In the two days that Yang Shixiang waited for the summons, there was no news of Yuan Shikai. Perhaps the governor of Zhili did not come to Beijing. What Yang Shixiang saw were all old friends of the Beijing teacher, and what he talked about was just officialdom anecdotes and joyful scenes. For important official business, neither the host nor the guest said a word.

It is worth mentioning that Morrison, the chief correspondent of the British "Times" in China, came to the door to ask for a meeting.

Yang Shixiang knew this Australian, he was an old friend of Yuan Shikai and had a friendship with Li Hongzhang. He was a well-known figure in the officialdom of Beijing, and because of his place of residence, even a north-south street east of the Forbidden City was called Morison Street.

Mo Lixun came to see Yang Shixiang and proposed to go with Yang when he returned to Shandong, which has been in the limelight in recent years, and as a reporter, he should conduct an on-the-spot interview.

Yang Shixiang naturally agreed to this request. The topic quickly turned to Shandong industry, and Morrison said that the British Minister to China, Zhu Erdian, said that the British Empire hoped to strengthen cooperation with Shandong Province in all aspects, especially in the military industry. I hope that Lord Futai will contribute to it.

Although Yang Shixiang did not understand the real situation of the growing differences and antagonism between Britain and Germany, as far as Shandong was concerned, Germany and the United States had an absolute advantage. In terms of arms, Germany is the main one (the explosives mainly come from the United States), steel and electricity, and now automobiles, and now the United States. The British Empire, which has led the world for more than a hundred years, finally can't bear it......

Yang Shixiang could not agree to Mo Lixun's request, and talked about the basic situation of Shandong industry, and welcomed this Australian to Shandong as a guest, and he could introduce the person in charge of Huayuan and ZTE on his behalf.

On the afternoon of the twenty-sixth day of the lunar month, Yang Shixiang was summoned by Cixi in the East Warm Pavilion of the Yangxin Palace. Emperor Guangxu, whom Yang Shixiang hoped to see, was not present, but was the Minister of Military Aircraft Qu Hongzhen and the Ministry of War Shangshu Tieliang.

After the routine questioning, Cixi asked about the defense of Shandong after the opening of the fifth town.

"Shandong's big and small horses have long been swept away. Place is calm. After the Fifth Town left, the defense relied on the patrol army trained by Long Qian. At present, there is a scale of a town, which is stationed in Lai, Qing, Ji, Cao, and Yi prefectures. In addition to regular training, he also undertook errands such as road construction and water conservancy maintenance. ”

"That's good." Cixi was in a good mood, "Yang Qing is honest, and the palace is very comforted." Before, Er had co-signed with Long Qian, hoping to compile the Shandong Patrol Battalion as a town, do you still think so? ”

"Queen Mother. The minister thought that Shandong connected the north and the south. The Grand Canal runs through it. There is also the heavy task of coastal defense, and heavy troops must be stationed. When the minister heard that the Ministry of War had a plan for the reorganization of the 36 towns, he strongly agreed. The conditions for the establishment of a new town in Shandong are fully met, and the financial resources can also support the soldiers of a town. ”

"Hmm." Cixi nodded. Turn your eyes to see Tie Liang.

"Oh. I heard that the officers of the Shandong Patrol Battalion were all transferred from the Fifth Town? Tie Liang asked.

"Part of it. The reorganization and organization of the patrol battalion was originally done by Long Qian. It's normal to draw people from Fifth Town. ”

"The army is the army of the imperial court, not private. The fifth town was formed, and it was inappropriate for the imperial court to let it go and not interfere. The reorganization of patrol battalions cannot be relied on by private individuals. Lord Yang, I have heard that the transfer and appointment of the patrol battalion is completely under the orders of Long Qian alone, but is it true? Tie Liang's tone was not good.

Yang Shixiang ignored Tieliang, got up and kowtowed to Cixi, "Queen Mother, Long Qian and the ministers have no personal friendship, let alone friends. When the minister first went to Shandong, he had a conflict with him in government affairs. But the minister thought that Long Qian was talented, not only to Shandong's military affairs, but also to government affairs, and his contribution was also huge. This time he was transferred to the south, and he acted vigorously and resolutely, which shows his loyalty to the imperial court, so why should he be suspicious for no reason? ”

"Who said that the court suspected him? Long Qian has made a meritorious contribution to quelling the chaos, and the court has already rewarded him, but at the beginning, he asked for a price all over the sky, and he did not understand the difficulties of the imperial court," Qu Hongzhen sneered, "This is what Lord Yang said about loyalty?" ”

"Alright, alright." Cixi stopped the two powerful ministers from attacking Long Qian, and in Cixi's opinion, asking for military salaries was nothing, "Long Qian quelled the rebellion quickly, and the palace was very pleased, and he had ordered a reward." Whether the Shandong patrol battalion can be reorganized into a town, the War Department should make proper plans. However, it is indisputable that the arms produced in Shandong should meet the needs of the imperial court. For specific matters, you can discuss with Tie Liang in detail, and you can hear about it. Yang Shixiang, is it clear that the Americans set up factories in Shandong to build cars? ”

"The ministers obey the holy commandment." Yang Shixiang kowtowed again, "Regarding the construction of the automobile factory by the Americans, it is purely a private act, and the government is not involved. Huamei Machinery is an American company that has invested in Shandong over the years, especially in steel and electricity. This time, Huamei acquired several automobile factories in its country, took a fancy to China's potential market, and decided to set up a factory in Jinan to build cars. The minister thought that it was suitable and harmless to the court. As Long Qian said, what our country lacks, capital and technology are not enough. The factory was built in our country, and the Americans couldn't move away, so we could still collect taxes. Even if the operation is bad, they are the ones who lose money. So the minister allowed it. At present, the factory has started construction, and it will be ready for assembly and production in about another year. The parts were first shipped from the United States, and the cars produced were also sold by the Americans. ”

"Gasoline is also coming from abroad?" Qu Hongzhen asked, with sarcasm in his tone.

"That's their business. However, Long Qian once said that China has a vast land and resources, who dares to say that there is no oil underground? He had commissioned Huamei Machinery to contact the Rockefeller Corporation of the United States, hoping to organize an exploration team to explore in Shandong. Therefore, the matter is very important, and it involves feng shui, and the lower officials have not agreed. ”

"The Americans are still in order, and they should be cautious about oil exploration," thinking of the previous turmoil in the construction of the railway, it was also a voice of opposition, and now it is almost impossible to hear, many provinces are actively raising funds to build the railway, Cixi muttered, "It is rumored that Huamei Machinery has a deep relationship with Long Qian, do you know what it is?" ”

"Back to the Queen Mother's words. The son of Di Wen, chairman of Huamei Machinery, once traveled in the mountains and unfortunately fell into the hands of boxers, but fortunately Lai Longqian rescued him. Therefore, Long Qian had a very good relationship with the father and son. ”

"I've heard of this. In addition, I heard that the Shanxi ticket number will invest a large amount of silver in Shandong, what is the connection between this? ”

Yang Shixiang said in his heart, Shandong needs a lot of money to run an industry, and people can raise money, this is their ability, is this also a problem? "Back to the Queen Mother's words. The predecessor of Shandong Commercial Bank was Jinyuan Bank, and the predecessor of Jinyuan Bank was Jinyuan Ticket Number, and the principal was Jia Jiying, a native of Shanxi. Because this person has worked in Shanxi ticket numbers, he is very familiar with the major ticket numbers in Shanxi. Moreover, businessmen seek profits, and investing in Shandong is naturally the first choice. For specific matters, Wechen didn't ask. ”

Cixi mainly understood the political situation in Shandong after the Fifth Town went south, because many people said that Yang Shixiang was really a puppet in Shandong. Now it seems that after Long Qian left, everything was the same in Shandong, so she let go of most of her heart, and after talking for a long time, Cixi felt tired, "That's it for now." Yang Qing will stay in Beijing for the time being, and he will celebrate the New Year in Beijing. ”

"Obey."

Your Majesty's view is over. Yang Shixiang left the palace, and Luo Xiaocai led people to wait outside the palace. Helping Yang Shixiang to get on the blue sedan chair, Yang Shixiang beckoned, let Luo Xiaocai also sit up, and roughly said what the court was right.

"It seems that the imperial court is red in Shandong."

"Hmph."

"You didn't ask about the shares, did you?" Luo Xiaocai is most worried about this.

"Nope. If they don't ask, why should I talk about it? Huayuan expanded its shares twice in three years, and Luo Xiao heard that the dividends were amazing, and he carried Yang Shixiang into 3,000 taels, and he was very satisfied with the income in the past two years. During the second share expansion, Yang Shixiang was persuaded to invest 20,000 taels of silver in his own name, and although he accounted for less than one percent of the shares, he became one of the major shareholders of Huayuan.

"Dong Weng, this matter still needs to be topped by them."

"That's what you said." (To be continued......)