Sun Yuanqi did not coax Cao Kun, and sent a plane to send him directly back to the capital early the next morning.

As soon as he entered the capital, Cao Kun saw white flags covering the sky, paper money everywhere, people wearing black veils, and faintly hearing the mourning music. Seeing this situation, Cao Kun's nose was a little sour, and all kinds of trivial matters related to Yuan Shikai's twenty years of interaction rushed to his eyes for a while, thinking that the Si people had gone at this time, he suddenly felt sad, and tears couldn't help but roll down.

Cao Kun staggered straight to the big presidential palace located in Xinhua Gate, there is a stone's throw away from the big presidential palace, and he saw three tall plain color archways outside Xinhua Gate from a distance, a two-storey heavy building, a five-door type giant archway leaning against the Xinhua Gate gatehouse, and the other two archways across the street are like the pattern of the West Fourth and East Fourth Archways, standing on the Chang'an Street on the east and west sides in front of the Xinhua Gate.

Inside and outside the Xinhua Gate, there are soldiers on duty in turns, wearing a brand new military uniform, with black yarn wrapped around their arms, and lined up on both sides like goose wings. Whenever I see a high-ranking official coming in or out, I must shout solemnly: "Stand upright, salute!" Cao Kun was just about to go in to offer condolences, when he was suddenly grabbed by someone: "Hey, Cao Zhongshan? How did you end up here? ”

When Cao Kun looked at it, it turned out to be Wang Shizhen, the "Dragon of the Beiyang" who had always seen the beginning and not the end of the dragon, and immediately wiped the corners of his eyes and hissed and asked: "Brother Pingqing, you also came to mourn the handsome?" In the past, Dashuai sent people to invite you several times, but you refused to enter Beijing, and now you are finally willing to come to see Dashuai? It's just that you can see the handsome, but the handsome can't see you! It turned out that when the Qing family abdicated, Wang Shizhen still had affection for the Qing court, because he was unwilling to countersign the abdication edict. He resigned and went into hiding. Yuan Shikai attached great importance to this "dragon" eldest brother, and sent people to invite Wang Shizhen to go out of the mountain to take up important positions several times, but he politely refused. That's why Cao Kun said this.

Wang Shizhen sighed: "At this time, too." At that time, too! Dashuai has the grace of knowing me, and now he is unfortunately driving to the west, how can Wang not come to condole? Then he asked, "Why is Brother Zhong Shan here?" Didn't the rumor say that you were defeated and captured in Zhengding because of Tang Yunting's rebellion, and were escorted to Taiyuan to wait for your fate? Why did he suddenly appear in the capital now, and he was safe and sound? ”

Cao Kun shook his head and said: "This matter is hard to explain, let's go first to worship the handsome!" ”

Wang Shizhen said: "It's okay, then let's go to worship the marshal first." ”

In the past few days, the civil and military officials of the capital have come to pay tribute every day. The troops stationed in Beijing also came in batches, and there was a lot of traffic in front of the presidential palace, and Zhongnanhai was covered with clouds. There is a feeling that Jin Wu can't help but feel. Cao Kun was a member of the military and rarely appeared in Beijing; Wang Shizhen simply lived in seclusion for two years, and ordinary people didn't know him very well, so the two old men, fat and thin, didn't attract much attention from others when they entered the door.

After entering the mansion, I felt that the scene was extremely mournful. Spiritual sheds, sacrificial tents, spiritual vessels, and paper work are naturally everywhere. The monks invited from Guangji Temple, the famous Taoists of Baiyun Temple, and the lamas of Lama Temple are also all over the inside and outside, each of them does their best to take turns to cast spells, chant scriptures and praise the Buddha to surpass the soul, and the remote corners are also full of the provincial governors, civil governors and other big officials sent the sacrificial tables, dumpling tables, huge sacrificial banners, elegiac couplets, wreaths and other things, and even the former Qing royal family that has abdicated the throne in order to express the memory of the old ministers have sent people to send rich sacrifices.

When the two came to the outside of the mourning hall, they saw the inscription rising to the sky as high as three feet and two feet, on which was written the gilded characters of Douda: The inscription of Yuan Gongshikai, the president of the Republic of China. Before this, I may have tried my best to suppress my emotions in my heart, but when I actually got here, I couldn't hold it back. Although Cao Kun and Wang Shizhen were over half a hundred years old, they couldn't help but cry loudly when they saw the scene.

Further on is the mourning hall. There are many guards and guards, and ordinary people can't go in and out casually without the guidance of Chengqi officials, but this is also a place where Yuan's cronies frequently haunt, and there are many people who know Cao Kun and Wang Shizhen. At this time, seeing these two people appear together, it was really everyone's eyes, and even Xu Shichang and Duan Qirui, who were in charge of hosting the funeral, rushed over when they heard the news. Seeing that both of them were heartbroken, Xu Shichang was also understanding: "You guys are avoiding it for the time being, if you have any questions, it's not too late to ask after hiring Qing and Zhong Shan to pay homage to the marshal!" ”

When the two entered the mourning hall, they howled and cried without mentioning it. After the rain cleared, Xu Shichang respectfully invited them to the ridge shed in front of Juren Hall, Duan Qirui, Zhang Zhenfang, Zhou Ziqi and other Beiyang dignitaries had already gathered here to wait, and even Yuan Keding, who was guarding the spirit, also came over. Wang Shizhen hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Wang also just met Zhong Shanxian in front of the presidential palace a few minutes ago, so he came in together to offer condolences, and the specific reason is not clear. I also want to ask Brother Zhong Shan to decompose slowly! ”

Cao Kun made a circle according to everyone: "Cao Mou does not know people and has no way to govern the army, which leads to the defeat of the army, and even affects all of you Beiyang Paoze to suffer from the pond fish, which is really a thousand deaths." Originally, Cao Mou should have cut himself to thank the world, but he had always been concerned about the kindness of the handsome man to the cultivation and promotion of the subordinates, so he returned to the capital to worship. Here, Cao first asks the eldest young master and all my colleagues for guilt! ”

Duan Qirui hurriedly supported Cao Kun: "Why did Brother Zhong Shan say this? The defeat in this battle was caused by Tang Yunting's sudden backlash, even the marshal didn't expect it, let alone Brother Zhong Shan? Don't blame yourself so much! ”

Yuan Keding scolded in a dumb voice: "The reason why my father died suddenly, the first culprit is the traitor Tang Tianxi who is ungrateful and ungrateful and inferior to pigs and dogs, the second is Li Chun, who disobeys orders and has no respect, and the third is Sun Yuanqi, a hypocrite who seems to be good and evil, and seems to be a loyal traitor!" If you don't eradicate these three dog thieves, Yuan will not be a man! ”

The people around were suddenly silent.

If you want to get rid of Tang Tianxi and avenge Yuan Shikai, Beiyang will bother and contribute, and maybe there will be a few points of success. Pull Li Chun again, and everyone will already have a difficult face.

Although Li Chun disobeyed the order, after all, he did not publicly erect the anti-flag before Yuan Shikai's death, and after Yuan Shikai's death, he sent a special envoy to Beijing to mourn the old leader, which can be regarded as benevolent and righteous. Now taking advantage of the funeral for Yuan Shikai is the best time for Beiyang Pao Ze to release his old suspicions and re-knead them together. Yuan Keding didn't know what to do, and clamored to take Li Chun under the knife, didn't this make Su Governor Jin Yunpeng, Direct Governor Feng Guozhang, Lu Governor Zhou Ziqi and others endanger themselves?

Even if everyone bleeds and desperately tries to cut Li Chun off the horse, what about Sun Yuanqi? Even in the heyday of Beiyang, Yuan Shikai didn't dare to act rashly against Sun Yuanqi, not to mention that now that it has fallen apart, Sun Yuanqi is even stronger! Want to eradicate Sun Yuanqi? That's really pure old birthday boy eating arsenic - living impatiently!

Besides, Sun Yuanqi is actually not thin on Yuan Shikai!

Take the current situation as an example, although Yuan Shikai died in office as interim president, but the question of what kind of specifications should the funeral be handled, filial son Yuan Keding said it doesn't count, Duan Qirui, who faintly considers himself the second-generation core of Beiyang, said it doesn't count, and even the successor interim president Li Yuanhong said that it doesn't work, and Sun Yuanqi has to make a decision. If Sun Yuanqi insisted that Yuan Shikai was the culprit of sabotaging the republic and vainly trying to **, even if he was not to blame in the end and the funeral was handed over to the Yuan family to take care of itself, then at least more than 90% of the mourners would not dare to come to the door to worship!

Therefore, after Yuan Shikai died, Duan Qirui and Li Yuanhong did not dare to be self-conscious, but respectfully called Sun Yuanqi to ask how to deal with it. Sun Yuanqi didn't care about himself, and replied:

The Republic of China was established, and due to the Battle of Xinhai, Xiangcheng was in favor of the republic and laid the overall situation. Painstaking painting, industrious, day and year, long death. Chasing the first achievement, Bo Hai is sad. Sun was in trouble, and he was particularly distressed. The National Assembly can be posthumously appointed as the first president of the Republic of China, and all funeral ceremonies will be transferred by the State Council to the handling personnel, and the Chinese and foreign statutes will be carefully proposed.

In this way, it not only washed away Yuan Shikai's crime of sabotaging the republic, but also avoided the embarrassment of being the "interim president" until his death, and also specially ordered Bloomage Bank to allocate 200,000 silver dollars as funeral funds, which is why there is such a beautiful scene now!

Throughout the ages, all earthly people have pursued glory in life and glory after death, Sun Yuanqi could not give Yuan Shikai the glory and wealth of ascending the throne and becoming emperor before his death, but let him be extremely sad and glorious after his death, which can be regarded as a great grace. Even if Yuan Keding is resentful, he can't announce it in front of the public at this time, so as not to be ridiculed as "ungrateful".

Duan Qirui muttered: "The eldest young master, there must be no one less in front of the handsome spirit, especially since you are the eldest son in the mansion, and you always need to kowtow in front of the spirit to thank the worshippers, and you can't easily be separated." Tsubaki withering is a big deal, so you don't have to worry about these mundane affairs. Please come back! ”

Yuan Keding snorted coldly: "My father's bones are not cold, you are so anxious to seize power?" What a big thing and mundane business, it's just trying to drive me away! Okay, then I'll go! With that, he brushed his sleeves and left.

Yuan Keding's words were not disguised, and everyone present naturally heard them clearly, Duan Qirui suddenly blushed, and he was speechless for a long time. Wang Shizhen hurriedly stepped forward to relieve the siege and said: "Brother Zhongshan, you are really unhappy, so far I haven't said how you escaped from Taiyuan and went straight to Beijing, could it be that you want to whet our appetite?" ”

Cao Kun smiled bitterly: "Actually, Cao did not escape from Taiyuan, but was sent out of the country by Sun Baixi and sent directly to the capital by plane. Sun Baixi wanted to use Cao's mouth to bring a few words to his colleagues, once this task is completed, Cao will be relieved and return to the field without asking about political affairs. ”

"Huh? Zhong Shan wants to retreat to the forest? How does this work! The crowd couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

Duan Qirui, who had returned to normal, was obviously more concerned about another question: "Brother Zhong Shan, what words does Sun Baixi want you to bring us?" "To be continued. )

ps: At seven or eight o'clock yesterday, the leader suddenly called Uncle He to the office to write materials, and stayed up late at night, so he stopped watching. I wanted to make up for it today, but I ended up eating wine again, and it has been delayed so far. Sorry! ，.