The engagement ceremony was held in February, which made Chen Shu leave her previous worries behind, but a new worry followed, that is, she would not be able to see Long Qian again. According to the ancient rites, men and women will never see each other again after they are engaged until they are officially married, which is very different from the customs of a hundred years later. Chen Shu officially joined the Mengshan Army, and it was her duty to go to the medical center in Zhengjiazhuang, but You was afraid of people's jokes, so she deliberately asked Chen Shu for leave in the name of running Chenjiaya School, in order not to let neighbors gossip. In such a house, a couple of men and women whose identities are confirmed but have not yet had a wedding look up and don't look down to see each other, and it becomes a laughing stock to make some stories. Secondly, You also criticized her niece's character, it was your uncle who connived at you, and he was afraid that he would be sorry for his brother and sister-in-law under Jiuquan, which caused you to have this temperament now. Now that you are engaged, you will soon be a wife, although fortunately you have no in-laws in the past, but your husband is heaven, and you must change your temperament. What's more, he is still a general in charge of thousands of people? The official position has been made by the town guard of the two states? To tell the truth, don't say it's me, it's your uncle, except that he went to Jinan for the scientific expedition that year to meet the University of Science and Politics, even to see the prefect is also very difficult. Who knew that Lu Dao would have a son-in-law who was older than the prefect?

You are blessed to catch a man who is a great official at once. Your uncle has told me more than once, he has seen a lot of people, but he can't see through Long Qian. In fact, according to your uncle's original intention, he prefers that you marry in the left and meet sooner or later. But you fell in love with that person, and your uncle still relied on you. Now that you will be a wife, you must remember that the word suppleness is our duty as a woman. Don't dance knives and guns anymore, shouting three or four! It's about doing that kind of medical care. It's best to ask him for his opinion when it comes to teaching, and if he doesn't want you to show up, quit.

What the aunt said earlier, Chen Shu is acceptable. But if she wants to give up her job and stay at home, she is absolutely unwilling, "I am a soldier of the Mengshan Army, how can I not go out?" ”

"What? is to recruit An as an official soldier, or is he not in charge? What man wants his mother-in-law to show his face every day? ”

"He's different!"

"What a difference! You can't go to Zhengjiazhuang. Your uncle has already asked for leave from Section Chief Song for you. Here's a lesson for the kids. Go first. More on that later. ”

Chen Shu can't disobey her aunt's strict orders. Despite her open-mindedness, she is knowledgeable about her customs. And during this time, because there were few things in the hospital, she mainly taught the two dozen children in Zhuangzi to read and write. She can't go to Zhengjiazhuang anymore, and she misses the old days very much. At least you can see that person often. Now the relationship is confirmed. I let go of my worries. But I felt lonely. There's no way he's going to come to the door, and he's so busy with so much to do. Even when eating, he was talking about things, which made Chen Shu very disappointed.

After Sun Juan married Chen Jiaya, she was allowed to go home every day with approval. Sun Juan's past, Chen Shu has already known that she has been married for nearly a year without a happy letter, which is explained as a bad body and can no longer get pregnant. Sun Laogen, the old bachelor, also had a fight with Sun Juan, which is said to be because of Sun Juan's infertility. Sun Laogen was so poor that he couldn't afford to drink and gamble because of the money he earned from tailoring. Without the arrival of Mengshan Army, where would he get a wife! Sun Juan's appearance, if it weren't for the previous bumpy experience, where would it be Sun Laogen's turn! That time they had a fight, Chen Shu also angrily came to the door to call the shots for Sun Juan, of course Sun Laogen didn't dare to offend Chen Shu, whether it was Chen Chao or Long Qian, he couldn't afford to provoke it.

Chen Shu sighed very much for Sun Juan's fate. She couldn't imagine what kind of life Sun Juan and the others had before! Even if the Mengshan Army has strict discipline and is not allowed to molest, Sun Juan's work in the medical center is quite respected by the officers and soldiers, but the previous experience has been seared in their hearts. The preparation of Long Qian's engagement ceremony was busy, but on the day of the engagement ceremony, Sun Juan, Zhang Hongcao, Huang Yu and others did not come forward, and later explained that they were dirty and did not want to rush Chen Shu's joy. And Zhang Hongcao, who is not inferior to Sun Juan, resolutely refuses to marry, indicating that they have not completely freed themselves from their past identities.

Sun Juan said that if it weren't for Long Qian, they would have died a long time ago. Commander Long was the best man they had ever seen, and if they shouldn't say something, if one day Commander Long died, they wouldn't frown. Chen Shu believes that she can understand Sun Juan's gratitude to him.

I stayed in the Zhuangzi for several days and didn't see my sisters. In the evening, Chen Shu went to see Sun Juan. I learned that Long Qian went to Yi County with that Wu prefect. Chen Shu couldn't help but say that he wouldn't say anything to me when he left. Sun Juan smiled, this hasn't passed the door yet, will you want to control our commander?

It's not to be controlled, I heard that Brother Lu Shan doesn't often go to Zhao's house? Chen Shu has nothing to hide from Sun Juan.

"Sister, let me tell you, I really want you to marry earlier. The commander is too tired, and he really needs someone who is caring and warms his lungs. Such a big stall is supported by the commander. Deputy Commander Lu said that he knew that Commander Lu Dao's heart was very big, and what he was planning was all big things. But they couldn't keep up, couldn't help him, and were in a hurry. Lu Shan went to Zhao's house, not necessarily to see his daughter-in-law who had not passed the door, but to pay close attention to the training of recruits. I am now considered to know the Tao, this army is like a big family, thousands of people eat and dress, everything costs money. It is also necessary to take into account the arrangements of all kinds of people on the team, such as the affairs of the Invalids Farm, which has been busy these days, and the future life of the wounded and disabled soldiers on the team. You say, how can the commander have time to come and see you? It's not that the commander doesn't care about you, but he just has two hands and a pair of legs, and he can't take care of it. It is said that this time the commander went to the south, and he was also planning business. If the imperial court doesn't allocate money, the commander can't fight Zhengjiazhuang's idea anymore, right? And Chief of Staff Ning was sent to Jinan by the commander to negotiate with Governor Yuan, and the two states were given to the commander, but Yuan Futai's troops still occupied Yizhou and Yanzhou and did not retreat, and the commander was worried. Sister, you are literate and hyphenated, much better than us, don't be petty with the commander in the future, try to help him.

Chen Shu felt more and more that the distance between herself and him was not shortened, but increased. She doesn't know anything about these things, even if she knows the Tao, she doesn't understand anything, how can she help him?

Yuan Shikai used the excuse that he was busy with official business, and did not meet Ning Shijun, who came to pay respects on behalf of Long Qian. It was in stark contrast to the meeting with Wu Yong.

The governor Yamen came forward to meet Ning Shijun with Xu Shichang, who had a relationship with him. The letter was accepted on his behalf, and Xu Shichang didn't read it at all. For Ning Shijun's package of instructions on the stationing of the troops, military spending, etc. Xu Shichang did not answer, and could not reply. Just asked about the current situation of the right wing of the Weisheng Army, and coldly sent Ning Shijun out of the governor's yamen.

Since receiving the imperial court's edict on the right wing of the Weisheng Army, Yuan Shikai's mood has been terrible. He felt that things had gone wrong and that he was completely out of his control. The original plan was just to kill people with a knife, but who knew that Lu Dao Longqian's guy actually won a big victory in Xigu? Also captured the British lieutenant general? Hence the idea of solicitation. There is no doubt that this person is a tiger general, and his subordinates are also brave and good at fighting, if he is included in his sleeve, isn't there an extra tiger general? So he went to the imperial court, asked for a reward for King Qin's detachment, and asked to send his troops back to Shandong. Who knew that Long Qian was so good at seizing opportunities. Suddenly caught up with the two big backers of Rong Lu and Cixi! The imperial court actually set up a new Weisheng army. Long Qian's department was expanded into the right wing of the Weisheng Army, and the two states of Lunan were also given to Long Qian!

This is a slap in the face of Yuan Shikai! Yuan Shikai could read the dissatisfaction behind the imperial court's order.

The raid on Yi County by the bandits was indeed unexpected, and if it was Yuan Shikai who instructed Li Chun to use the knife to kill people again, it would be a bit wrong to Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai really didn't take the little people left in Fei County by Mengshan Army in his eyes. Li Xiushan had the idea of using force, and was severely reprimanded by Yuan Shikai. At that time, the Mengshan Army was still acting as the main force of escort by the side of the imperial court. You're here to kill people's nests. Isn't this an eye medicine for the imperial court?

Yuan Shikai is of course taller than Li Chun. You can't do this kind of stupid thing. Yuan Shikai also knew that in this great change that was rare in the ages, the imperial court had an opinion on himself stepping on two boats. The war is over. Weighing the pros and cons, Yuan Shikai still thinks that he has earned it. If he had been ordered to be the king of Qin, the result would have been to wipe out the right army of Wuwei that he had worked hard to train for five years, and it might not be able to change the situation of the war. Think about Nie Shicheng's former army of Wuwei, in terms of the number of people more than himself, and in terms of equipment, he is better than himself. Their training guns and actual combat guns are separated, and they have also imported hundreds of the latest German 7.92mm rifles, and there are more cannons than their own. Even Nie Shicheng himself died.

What's more, the strength of the Wuwei Right Army at that time was not as good as when it first entered Shandong. The main reason for the decline in strength was the continuous battles with Long Qian's subordinates, and the second was to vigorously recruit new soldiers. For the will of King Qin of the imperial court, since Yuan Shikai, most of the generals were deeply afraid, not from a political position, but from a military position, and came to the conclusion that they would definitely be defeated. What led to this conclusion was the successive failures of Yuan's officers and soldiers in attacking and suppressing the Mengshan Army, which left a huge shadow among a large number of generals.

In Yuan Shikai's eyes, Feng Guozhang was the general with the highest tactical literacy under his command, and several times discussed the process of the failure of the three-way attack on Zhengjiazhuang in the spring of Gengzi Year, Feng was deeply impressed by the enemy's strong combat effectiveness, and concluded that unless the whole army was exhausted. Kill force, unable to subdue the opponent. This result directly led to doubts about the results of the small station training. Although there is no theory that practice is a test of truth, since he was a child, the Lunan War is the best touchstone to test his results. Ma Jianxun, Tian Zhongyu, Cai Chengxun, Cao Kun, Li Chun, Lu Yongxiang and even Wang Shizhen, Feng Guozhang, that is not a well-known figure in the new army of Xiaozhan Station? The result? Suffer heavy casualties in battle! Even Cai Chengxun, Tanaka Yu and Lu Yongxiang all died at the hands of Mengshan Army!

If you can't even beat a ringing horse, how can you fight against the Eleven-Nation Alliance? Isn't that a simple question that couldn't be simpler?

Therefore, in response to the mutual protection treaty of the three governors of the southeast, it is the right choice to preserve this new army. Look at it, not to mention the extinct Wuwei Front Army and the defected Wuwei Rear Army, didn't the Chinese Army and the Left Army all exist in name only in this war?

The imperial court is striving for a peaceful resolution of the Gengzi Incident, and the coalition forces will definitely withdraw from the Beijing Division after meeting the requirements. Yuan Shikai synthesized the information he had and came to the above conclusion. Next, there is no doubt that the imperial court will reorganize its armaments, and the establishment of the Victorious Army is a clear and unmistakable signal. Gyeonggi is extremely empty, relying on a Wasion army adapted from Hibiki to defend Gyeonggi? Yuan Shikai felt impossible. After all the calculations, the imperial court is still inseparable from the armed force in its own hands.

The army is the real capital. Yuan Shikai has a very sober understanding of this. When Long Qian led the main force of the Mengshan Army on an expedition, Yuan Shikai spent great efforts to reorganize his troops, and he divided the Shandong garrison into two categories, one was his Wuwei Right Army, which was his foundation. It was his main force in the field. Although nearly 3,000 people were wiped out by the Mengshan army, the elite who really came out of the small station did not lose so much. Yuan Shikai took advantage of the subsidence of the war in Shandong, selected the elite of the elite of the vanguard of the Wuwei Right Army led by Feng Guozhang, and expanded the headquarters of the Wuwei Right Army into four infantry and one artillery standard. The vanguard of the Wuwei Right Army, which was reorganized from the patrol battalion, also had the scale of 20 battalions, with a total strength of 22,000 people. Tianjin was originally the base camp of Beiyang, and it could have made a lot of munitions, but unfortunately they were all destroyed in the war. Peace with foreigners has not yet been truly restored. It is unrealistic to import arms in large quantities from foreigners. And Shandong's finances alone cannot meet this goal. The rest is Huguang and Liangjiang, and the allocation has been made. Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hanyang all have arsenals of considerable size, but the quality of the ordnance is inferior to the imported ones. Moreover, it also requires silver to buy it. At present, the imperial court has no right to transfer the arms in the hands of Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong. Those two were higher than him. The rank of military leader is even higher than his. The awareness of the importance of the army is no worse than his. They are vigorously reorganizing the old army and building a new type of army with different names and limited arms. They don't have enough of them themselves.

There is no need to doubt that the imperial court established the Weisheng Army, and eighty percent of it was an armed force that was absolutely loyal to the Queen Mother under the control of Rong Lu himself. The right wing has been established, but the left wing and the troops directly under the headquarters are probably still one and the same. What will Rong Lu do? Is it to wait for the "recovery" of the Beijing division to recruit troops on the spot, or to transfer Long Qian to the Beijing division and expand its troops? Yuan Shikai couldn't guess. But he realized that it should never end like that. If Gyeonggi is re-established by force, he is likely to be marginalized. Therefore, before and after the Spring Festival, Yuan Shikai successively sent people to Taiyuan and Beijing, and while honoring Cixi, he vigorously mobilized Rong Lu, Yi Xuan, Li Hongzhang and others, hoping to take the initiative. Rong Lu and Yi Liang are okay, especially King Qing, since the last year's mansion was robbed by the rout and suffered a huge loss, their greed for money has reached the point of shamelessness, and they almost don't even want to lose face. After receiving a large bribe from yourself, ask directly what you need to help with. National events have been reduced to the point of bargaining in an antique shop.

What do you hope for? Yuan Shikai's goal is very clear, that is, to enter the center. The specific goal is to succeed Li Hongzhang as the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang trade. The governor of Shandong is also considered to be a feudal territory, but theoretically it is still under the jurisdiction of the governor of Zhili. In terms of status, it is not a little lower than the governor of Zhili, who is the head of the ministers. More importantly, the possession of resources is not at all comparable to that of a mere Shandong province.

It must be admitted that for now, there are not many ministers of his equal status who have surpassed Yuan Shikai. For example, the importance of military power, such as the understanding of foreigners, such as the understanding of industry. Tianjin is the place where Li Hongzhang has invested great efforts, even if he suffers from the difficulties of Gengzi, the foundation is still there, and the talents are still there. Moreover, the concession of Tianjin is precisely the place to display ambitions. For example, when purchasing arms, there are foreign companies in a number of countries that can choose from. It's like Shandong, which is basically controlled by the Germans?

But Yuan Shikai couldn't say to Yixuan that he was staring at Li Hongzhang's seat. I'm waiting for Li Hongzhang to die.

Originally, Li Hongzhang was his benefactor. But from the time when Li Hongzhang was demoted after the First Wu Dynasty, he didn't work too the old man, but turned to Rong Lu and Yixuan, which made a rift between him and Li Hongzhang. But it doesn't matter, it is said that Li Hongzhang's health is getting worse and worse, and he often vomits blood, an old man who is nearly eighty years old, I'm afraid he won't be able to support it for long, right? As soon as Li Hongzhang dies, who will the throne of the Governor of Zhili and the Minister of Beiyang Trade and Trade be handed over? Ronglu? He doesn't think so. Rong Lu's health is not good, although that position is prominent, it is not very attractive to Rong Lu, who is already a supreme minister. With Ronglu's character, he prefers to hide in the shadows behind the Empress Dowager Cixi to advise her, right? What's more, after this great change, the important ministers of the DPRK and the central government withered, and more than half of the military aircraft were gone. Gangyi died, Wang Wenshao was old and faint, Zhao Shuqiao was grabbed by foreigners, and was finally forced to commit suicide. It is said that he died a miserable death, changed several ways to commit suicide, suffered countless sins, and finally did not wait for his will to be pardoned. It was the Manchu ministers who were the main war, such as Yingnian and Qixiu, who were forced by foreigners to commit suicide and beheaded. How could Cixi let Ronglu, an absolute henchman, go out and take up the post of governor of Zhili?

Yuan Shikai repeatedly analyzed, counting the ministers of the court who might succeed Li Hongzhang one by one, and there was no need to think about the main battle, even if the foreigners withdrew from Beijing, they would not allow the main war to be sent to serve as the governor of Zhili. There are only a group of people who were originally in harmony with the Lord. After counting like this, my confidence in myself has increased.

Yuan Shikai's plan was that if he took over as the governor of Zhili, he must bring the right army of Wuwei into Gyeonggi, and not let the imperial court reorganize other armies. Because of the appearance of the Weisheng Army, Yuan Shikai's vigilance suddenly increased. He vaguely guessed Rong Lu's calculation, that is, to form a Praetorian Guard army that would be absolutely loyal to the royal family. Until now, the left wing of the Wasion Army is still missing, is it ready to be formed with the original Wuwei Zhongjun as the team? What if Rong Lu took the method of elevating himself, leaving the right army of Wuwei in Shandong or dismantling it everywhere, and transferring Long Qian's troops to Gyeonggi? The emergence of such a situation will completely hollow out himself, the governor of Zhili, and the so-called head of the Xinjiang ministers will become chicken ribs.

The question goes back to the starting point, that is, how to deal with the right wing of the Wasion Army entrenched in Lunan? If he takes the right army of Wuwei to leave Shandong, because Shandong has this army with a grudge, will it no longer be owned by himself? This question deeply troubled Yuan Shikai.

Yuan Shikai originally thought that Long Qian would come to Jinan to see him as soon as possible after returning to Lunan in the army, if that was the case, Yuan Shikai was ready to talk to him, the garrison of Yizhou and Yanzhou could not retreat, and he could let out a few inconsequential counties for him to raise troops. Lunan is barren and can't raise many soldiers, so he just can't afford to raise Long Qian. But Long Qian didn't come, but sent some chief of staff to see him, isn't this contempt for himself? Therefore, Yuan Shikai categorically refused to summon this officer surnamed Ning, and let him eat a big closed-door soup.

However, Long Qian was already the envoy of the two states, and it was reasonable for his army to be stationed in Yizhou and Yanzhou. Both Li Chun and Cao Kun were worried about the forced march of the right flank of the Weisheng Army, and asked for advice on whether they should use force if such an incident happened. Yuan Shikai replied that if Long Qian's troops forcibly marched and resolutely resisted, they were not allowed to enter the city without permission.

Yuan Shikai assessed the consequences of the war, and what he hoped most was to take the opportunity to destroy the armed forces that had made him feel like a man. As long as you can annihilate it in one fell swoop, and then install a rebel army, you may not be able to pass the imperial court, but is it sure that it will be annihilated in one fell swoop? He discussed the matter with several of his closest confidants, and he frankly regretted that he did not use all his strength to deal with the Mengshan army at the beginning, and if he designed to provoke a conflict between the two armies, was he sure that he would solve it in one fell swoop? Duan Qirui agreed, but Feng Guozhang, Xu Shichang and Wang Shizhen all opposed, especially Wang Shizhen, who thought that the Mengshan Army was not weak but stronger than it was at the beginning, and there was no certainty of defeating it. Xu Shichang believes that Long Qian has now been appreciated by the Empress Dowager, and the intention of establishing the Weisheng Army is clearly revealed.

Then you need to make a comprehensive plan. Shandong doesn't want to give up, and Zhili still wants to get it. Lunan's army, which has a vendetta against him, needs to be addressed. Yuan Shikai needs to find a solution that can meet the above three methods. Yuan Shikai felt that since the Battle of Korea, he had been in trouble. (To be continued......)