The Northern Army successfully broke through the Yangtze River and captured Xuncheng, which brought the Northern Army one step closer to victory. Not only that, but the British and Japanese warships that had sent warships to blockade the Northern Army on the Yangtze River had already withdrawn from the Yangtze River waterway. In the entire Yangtze River, no force can stop the Northern Army anymore.

On January 20, the Northern Army captured Hongcheng, and the 29th Town of the Beiyang Army that remained here voluntarily surrendered. After taking Hongcheng, the main force of the Northern Army marched eastward and continued to approach Jinling. The situation at this moment seems to have reached the last moment for Beiyang.

In fact, after the proposal of Britain and Japan to divide the river and rule was rejected by Wu Haoxuan, the fate of Beiyang had already been decided. The Northern Army will never allow Beiyang to continue to exist. And the Beiyang Army is on the verge of collapse, and it is more difficult to let them block the attack of the Northern Army than to ascend to the sky. Under such circumstances, it is understandable that Beiyang is going to perish.

Jinling, Yuan Datou's imperial palace, in the study. Yuan Datou sat on the throne with a gloomy face, and in front of him were the high-ranking military and political officials of Beiyang. It's just that the number of these high-ranking military and political officials is much smaller than before. Feng Guozhang was captured in the Battle of Shanhaiguan, and Duan Qirui took the initiative to surrender to the Northern Army in the Battle of Yanjing, which made only the giant of the Beiyang Army the Minister of War Wang Shizhen.

As for the government, Prime Minister Xu Shichang, Chancellor of the Exchequer Sheng Xuanhuai and Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi, although all three are capable people. However, they have no way to redeem the current defeat in Beiyang.

After all, the current Beiyang has come to an end. And the foreigners who have always supported them have also abandoned them. As a result, Beiyang has completely lost the possibility of continuing to exist.

"Alas, it's only been a little over two months. How did everything come to this? Yuan Datou sighed. From his accession to the throne and the title of emperor to now, it has only been more than two months. However, everything was like a dream, and he couldn't believe that it was time to wake up. His emperor addiction hasn't been enough yet!

"Your Majesty, we all underestimate the Northern Army! The whole world looked down on them. The young marshal of the Northern Army, although young. But how close to the demon is wisdom! Xu Shichang sighed again and again. Wu Haoxuan, the major marshal of the Northern Army, is only 23 years old now. However, he succeeded in becoming the gravedigger of Beiyang and swept Beiyang into the garbage heap of history.

Other high-ranking officials in Beiyang also nodded again and again, agreeing with Xu Shichang's point of view. From the very beginning, the strength of the Northern Army was much stronger than that of the Northern Army. If the two sides go to war, the Beiyang Army will definitely be defeated. However, at that time, Beiyang still had great prestige in the country, and at the same time won the support of the great powers. Even if the Northern Army can win on the battlefield. But I want to really sit firmly in the world. That's absolutely impossible.

However, this is no longer the case. Yuan Datou ascended the throne as emperor, allowing the world to see Yuan Datou's face clearly. In addition, the great powers also had a split, and not all the great powers supported Beiyang. Even now, because of the strong military strength displayed by the Northern Army, many powers have abandoned Beiyang, which makes the Northern Army unify the whole country and there are almost no obstacles.

In addition, the Northern Army has won decisive victories in two foreign wars. This makes people all over the world disappointed in Beiyang. However, there is a little more expectation for the northern government, hoping that they can lead the country to become truly rich and strong. No one wants to be oppressed by foreigners. No one wants to grovel to foreigners. Since the Beiyang government can't do all this, the people have to change the government.

It was under such circumstances that the Northern Army gradually won the support of the common people of the whole world, and also won the support of the great powers, or in other words, the great powers would no longer oppose them. The Northern Army unified the whole of China, and there was no obstacle for a long time.

Though. Beiyang is still surviving. However, their area of control is limited to the area around Jinling and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Although the Beiyang Army still has more than 200,000 people. How could an army that had been built up in a hurry withstand the attack of the elite Northern Army? Not to mention anything else, it is just the morale of the Beiyang Army itself. I'm afraid it will make this war unflawed. In the face of the formidable Northern Army, the Beiyang Army had already lost the courage to fight. This can be seen from the fact that when Jiujiang and Nanchang fell one after another, the Beiyang Army there did not stop it at all.

"Now it seems that our enemies are terrible. The Northern Army already has the power to sweep the whole world. Unless the Great Powers come again for the Eight-Nation Alliance. Otherwise, it is inevitable that the Northern Army will control the world. Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi said.

As Foreign Secretary, he knew that the Great Powers could no longer unite to form a coalition against the Northern Army. This made the last hope of stopping the Northern Army non-existent. Even in the face of increasingly acute internal contradictions among the great powers, China under the rule of the northern government was able to obtain a rare opportunity for development. If you don't do it well, it will really make China's development stronger and stronger.

Tang Shaoyi couldn't help but have some expectations in her heart. Although he was the foreign minister, he was fed up with dealing with foreigners. If China can become stronger, even if he is no longer the foreign minister, he will undoubtedly be able to straighten his back.

"Hireqing, do our troops still have the strength to fight a war?" Yuan Datou asked.

Wang Shizhen hesitated for a moment, but finally shook his head. At this time, even if he deceived Yuan Datou again, Yuan Datou probably wouldn't believe it.

"Alas! Beiyang, after all, is still going to be over. Yuan Datou sighed, his eyes full of loneliness. Although he is only in his fifties now, the torture of illness and the blows of the Beiyang Army's successive defeats have made his mental state very bad. The whole person looks like he is seventy or eighty. In addition, the people of the Yuan family have always been plagued by a curse, that is, the men of the Yuan family will not live to be sixty years old. From Yuan Datou's great-grandfather to Yuan Datou's generation, for four whole generations, none of the men lived past the age of sixty. Yuan Datou also seems to think that he will not live that long. Although, he is still a little short of fifty years old. However, he also felt as if he had reached the end of his life. This also made Yuan Datou's ambitions all disappear.

Now, Yuan Datou is worried about how to deal with him once the northern army wins the world. When the Chinese dynasties changed dynasties, they were very bloody. Later dynasties will almost wipe out all the previous royal families. Yuan Datou was worried that the Northern Army would also do this to the Yuan family.

"Let's talk about what we should do now, shall we? Since Beiyang is destined to end, we still have to find a way to leave a way for everyone to live! Even if I die, it doesn't matter, anyway, I've already been an emperor. It's going to hurt you, and it really makes me feel very sorry to go! Yuan Datou said.

"Your Majesty, don't say that." The ministers of Beiyang had red eyes one by one. Yuan Datou is undoubtedly a gift to them. Now, Beiyang has fallen into the current situation, although they are to blame. But it also made them feel very uncomfortable.

"Your Majesty, since the matter has come to this, let's simply admit defeat to the Northern Army! As long as they are willing to treat their brothers in Beiyang well and give them the world, there is nothing. Tang Shaoyi hesitated, but still said stubbornly.

The hall fell silent, as if you could hear even a needle on the ground.

Although, everyone knows that taking the initiative to admit defeat to the Northern Army is the last resort. However, no one dared to say it, and they didn't want to touch Yuan Datou's brows at this time. Who knows if Yuan Datou will be furious at this time, and then raise the butcher's knife to these old brothers in a frenzy?

After a long while, Yuan Datou said, "Shaochuan's proposal, everyone agrees, right?" Even if you don't speak, I know. It seems that after becoming the emperor, you have really become a loner, and even you old brothers dare not tell me the truth. ”

"Don't dare!" The ministers hurriedly pleaded guilty.

"Getting this throne is simply an accident for me Yuan. If you can exchange this throne for everyone's peace, how can I, Yuan, refuse? Yuan Datou said.

The ministers were silent, and everyone knew that the current Beiyang fell to this step of the field entirely because Yuan Datou ascended the throne and became the emperor. Otherwise, there may be room for maneuver. Even if it is still inevitable in the end, it will be able to survive for a while longer.

"Shaochuan, since the proposal to admit defeat to the Northern Army was made by you. Then, it's up to you to negotiate with the Northern Army. As long as their conditions are not harsh, we can throw in the towel. As for me, Yuan, if they want to kill or chop, I will definitely not frown. Yuan Datou said.

"Yes, Your Majesty, Shaochuan must strive for the most favorable conditions for Beiyang." Tang Shaoyi nodded.

Although, Tang Shaoyi didn't know what the Northern Army would do with them. However, at this moment, he can only go all out. Otherwise, Beiyang will be completely finished.

On the morning of January 22, Tang Shaoyi crossed the river by boat and went to Pukou to meet with Wu Haoxuan, the major commander of the Northern Army, and formally launched negotiations on the surrender of Beiyang and admitting defeat. Tang Shaoyi hoped that the Northern Army would be able to treat Beiyang well, which was also a condition for them to accept surrender. (To be continued......)

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