Chapter 82 3. Zhang Jian made a private wish to Yuan Shikai: You will be the prime minister after the imperial cabinet is overthrown

"Xizi, what brought you to Zhangde?" As soon as Yang Du stepped up the steps of the reception room, Yuan Shikai walked out from the side pod shed and greeted him loudly. "Lord Gongbao." Yang Du still used the usual address before and said with a smile, "Come to Zhangde from the capital, of course it is blown by the north wind!" "I don't think it's the north wind. I'm afraid it's the south wind." Yuan Shikai had already walked to Yang Du's side, and stretched out a big slap to pat his shoulder. Yang Du was taken aback for a moment, then quickly came back to his senses and said, "Do you know that I'm here for Wuchang's affairs?"

"It's been more than two years, and you didn't come to Zhangde to see me. You came here when something happened in Wuchang. If it's not for it, can you do it for other things?" "It's really smart." Yang Du said in his heart, and he laughed twice. "Let's not talk about this, please sit in the room!" Yuan Shikai let Yang Du into the reception room, and the servant came in with a plate of melons and fruits.Yuan Shikai picked up a piece and handed it to Yang Du: "Try this vegetable melon, I planted it myself." "Did you really plant this yourself?" Yang Du asked suspiciously.

"Don't believe me?" Yuan Shikai said with a smile, "I've been dismissed as a civilian. I have no business to do, and I don't grow melons or beans. How can I pass my days?" Yang Du took a bite: "This melon is much crispier than the capital's." "How are Jingzhu and Yizhu? Is the child growing well?" Yuan Shikai kindly chatted with Yang Du.Yang Du also asked him how his body has been in the past two years, what books he reads every day, and he was thinking about how to get to the point.Seeing that Yuan Shikai never mentioned Wuchang again, he had no choice but to perfunctory.

"Is the car still running smoothly? How many hours has it been sitting?" Yuan Shikai lit a cigar and smoked it leisurely. Let’s cut to the chase from here!Yang Du thought for a while and said, "The car is very smooth and arrived in Zhangde on time." "Oh!" Yuan Shikai was slightly surprised. "It's not uncommon to be a few hours late." "It dare not miss this train." "What?" Yuan Shikai took the cigar out of his mouth, and his expression became serious. "There were dozens of special commissioners sent by the Ministry of the Army to the front line in Wuchang on this bus."

"Oh." Yuan Shikai nodded. "Xizi, did you see signs of troop deployment at Zhengyangmen Station yesterday?" Seeing that Yuan Shikai had been introduced to the topic, Yang Du said very sternly: "The capital is full of wind and rain, and a notice has been posted at Zhengyangmen. From tomorrow onwards, idlers are not allowed to take the train. army." Yang Du thought Yuan Shikai would follow the topic, but he suddenly smiled and said: "Xi Zi, you probably haven't eaten yet! Eat first, the journey is hard, sleep for a while, please come to the study at three o'clock in the afternoon, we will have a good time." Let's talk."

Just now because I was eager to pass on the order, I didn't feel hungry. After this reminder, Yang Du suddenly felt tired and hungry, so he said: "I'm not welcome." "Come on!" Yuan Shikai raised his voice, and immediately a capable young man walked in. "Take Mr. Yang to dinner!" He stood up, shook Yang Du's hand and said, "I won't accompany you, he will arrange everything for you." "thanks!" After Yang Du followed the servant out of the reception room, Yuan Shikai immediately summoned the workmen in the telegraph room and ordered him to contact the prince of Beijing immediately.

As soon as the bell struck three times, the capable young servant politely entered the guest room and invited Yang Du to Yuan Shikai's study. Yuan Shikai's study is located on the third floor of the fifth aunt's main room.Among Yuan Shikai's many wives and concubines, the fifth concubine Yang was the most beloved by him.It's not that Yang's is extraordinarily beautiful, she is actually plain-looking; it's not that Yang's natal family is powerful, she comes from a small family in Yangliuqing, Tianjin.Yang's favor is because of her virtuous ability. The Yang family is the most able to take care of Yuan Shikai's life, caring and caring.Yuan Shikai was very satisfied with this.Except for the eldest wife Yu, Yuan Shikai took turns sleeping in each concubine's room for a week throughout the year.During this week, although the aunt on duty took care of him at night, but every morning when he got up early, Mrs. Yang had to come over to help him dress and wash his face.The new concubine felt awkward at first, but gradually got used to it after a long time.

Mrs. Yang is extremely talented as a housekeeper.She can read a few words, is clever and decisive, and she has a bit of Wang Xifeng in the Grand View Garden.There is a large population in the backyard of the Yuan Mansion, and there are many miscellaneous things.Mrs. Yu is a cowardly and incompetent person, and she can't control him; Mrs. Shen, the eldest aunt, has great desires, but she is not talented enough; I will hand over the housekeeping to them.After the fifth aunt passed through the house, Yuan Shikai discovered that she was exceptionally talented, and the housework was entrusted to her, and everything was done well. After that, the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth aunts came in successively, and the power in Yang's hands has never been transferred.Yuan Shikai gave Yang a high degree of trust, and he also entrusted Yang to keep some valuables that he could not let others know.After moving into Huanshang Village, he put his study in Yang's courtyard, and gave this Fifth Aunt a lot of face.

When Yang Du walked into the study on the third floor, Yuan Shikai was already sitting on a cushioned mahogany low chair waiting for him.Yang Du glanced at the study.This is a study completely arranged according to the traditional Chinese literati habits.On the antique bookshelves, there are almost all thread-bound books.The desk is large and heavy, with a one-foot-square stone inkstone placed on it, and a dozen or so thick brushes standing in a large tripod-shaped antique bronze pen holder.All these seem to be very close to the personality and appearance of the owner of the study.There are several landscape paintings hanging on the four walls.Hang a picture on the wall next to the window.Yang Du recognized this as the owner's handwriting.Although the calligraphy is not good, each stroke is strong and powerful. It is a five-character quatrain titled "Climbing the Tower": "The building is small enough to accommodate knees, and the eaves are tall and the old trees are as tall. Low."

"This poem is really bold!" Yang Du praised. "I'm joking, I'm joking!" Yuan Shikai said happily, "I'm a layman who composes poems when I ascend the heights, so I just chat to express my feelings." "'Kai Scale Ping Beidou, I feel too low.' These two sentences can't be recited by a great hero." Yang Du laughed, "Emperor Wei Wu, who wrote poems horizontally back then, seems to be slightly inferior in front of you. " "Hahaha!" Yuan Shikai laughed happily. "Xizi, you really know how to tell jokes."

Mrs. Yang came in with tea in person with a smile, greeted Yang Du gently for tea, then closed the door gently, and went downstairs without a sound. "Lord Gongbao, I am here in Zhangde this time under the orders of Prince Qing, Xu Zhongtang, and Na Zhongtang. They want me to report to you and invite you to come out of the mountain." Yang Du didn't want to gossip any more, and told the trip straight to the point The purpose trembled out. "What are you doing out of the mountains?" Yuan Shikai asked knowingly. "Please lead the troops south to Wuchang." Yang Du replied, staring at Yuan Shikai's chubby face with a half-smile. "Didn't you ask Yinchang to lead the troops properly?" Yuan Shikai lit a cigar out of habit, then pointed to the cigarette case, motioning Yang Du to take it himself. Yang Du took out one, struck a match and said, "Yinchang is such a material." Yuan Shikai exhaled a puff of smoke from his nose, and said with a sneer, "It's not this material, what kind of army minister is he!" "I heard that Yin Chang also has self-knowledge, he doesn't want to leave Beijing." "Prince Qing wants me to come out of the mountains, what name will you give me?" Yuan Shikai lightly tapped his cigar on the ashtray, and the gray and white ash scattered in the black-red ashtray, like a thin layer of frost. "For Ruicheng's lack, release the governor of Huguang." Yang Du has already figured out that Yuan Shikai did not refuse to go out, he was looking at the price. "Xizi, please go back and tell King Qing that I have a foot disease and cannot take orders." Yuan Shikai threw the half-smoked cigar into the ashtray, breathing heavily out of his nose. More than two years ago, Zaifeng dismissed Yuan Shikai's official position in the name of suffering from a foot disease. In fact, Yuan Shikai did not have a foot disease at all. He is now paying homage to the court with the "unhealed foot disease". Doc's price tag is low.Yang Du came to Zhangde not with the intention of being a lobbyist for the cabinet. He mainly came to see Yuan Shikai, and especially wanted to hear Yuan Shikai's analysis of the current situation. As for the post of Governor of the Lake, he also felt that it was a bit low-level and would not accept it for the time being. also good. Yang Du smiled and said: "Yes, the foot disease is not healed, how can I go out of the mountain, let it be messed up first. Master Gongbao, I want to ask you for advice. In your opinion, the national drama, how can it be sung?" What is the ending?" Yuan Shikai lit a cigar again, and said slowly: "This question is logically for me to ask you. I am already a wild old fisherman, and state affairs are like floating clouds to me. Formulate constitutional government for the imperial court, what do you think?" Yang Du shook his head and said with a wry smile: "What are we talking about formulating a constitutional government! The country is in a mess, where is the time to formulate a constitutional government? Even if it is formulated, no matter how well the provisions are listed, who will implement it? Who will supervise it? It’s not just a piece of paper!” He imagined that the new criminal law passed not long ago must have the same final fate.Putting all your heart and soul into it can be regarded as knowing that it can't be done and doing it! "You are telling the truth." Yuan Shikai took a sip from his black jade cup and said, "No matter how great a law is, it must be implemented by people. I never believed that a country can be governed by a constitution. Talented people rule the world.” Yuan Shikai's words have something in common with Yang Du's thoughts, but there are also things they don't.Of course this is not the time for a debate, Yang Du didn't want to continue on this issue, he looked at Yuan Shikai and said: "Master Gong Bao, don't treat yourself as a wild old fisherman, everyone in the whole country regards you as the real leader of the country." Zhushili, even foreigners say that China cannot do without Mr. Yuan." Yang Du's words were not fabricated to please Yuan Shikai, but the truth.Since Yuan Shikai vacated the vacancy the year before last, newspapers in Britain, Germany, the United States, Japan and other countries often consciously published articles praising Yuan, saying that he is a real capable man in China.When the envoys in Dongjiaominxiang complained about the fatigue of the Chinese court, they often unavoidably added a sentence: "Master Yuan was not like this when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs." This made Zaifeng brothers very embarrassed.For more than two years, the reason why Zaifeng stopped harming Yuan Shikai was the support of foreigners. Yuan Shikai twirled his mustache and smiled, these words reached his heart.He knows better than anyone else that in terms of Chinese officialdom, ten thousand words from a Chinese are not worth a single word from a foreigner! He suddenly remembered something and said to Yang Du: "Xizi, I'll tell you something, don't spread it." "What's the matter?" Yang Du was excited by Yuan Shikai's sudden change of expression. "Three months ago, on the eve of Zhang Jizhi's entry to Beijing, he visited Danshang Village." Yuan Shikai's eyes suddenly brightened. "He talked with me for four or five hours, and didn't send him back to the train until midnight." Zhang Jizhi is Zhang Jian, the number one scholar in the world at that time, and today the chairman of Nantong Dasheng Spinning Mill and the chairman of the Jiangsu Consultation Bureau.Three months ago, he went to Beijing on business. He was originally scheduled to enter Beijing on July 12th. The Zizheng Yuan and the business community in the capital organized people to meet him at the station, and Yang Du also went that day.Unexpectedly, this industrialist didn't like lively scenes, so he quietly went to Beijing one day in advance.Zhang Jian lived in Beijing for more than a month. Because of the constitutional system of the same lord, Yang Du hit it off with him and met him no less than five or six times, but Zhang kept his mouth shut and never mentioned anything about Yuan. The city palace in the chest of this old celebrity is really deep enough!Yang Du thought to himself, so he asked, "What did Mr. Ji Zhi tell you?" "Xizi, do you know that Zhang Jizhi was my husband thirty years ago." Yuan Shikai didn't answer Yang Du's question directly, but brought up his unusual relationship with Zhang Jian. "I've heard people say that it was when you were with him under the tent of Wu Junmen." Zhang Jian taught Yuan Shikai to read this period of history in Wu Changqing's tent, and many people know about it. Yang Du heard it more than ten years ago played. "Ji Zhi is a man with good eyesight. He knew that I could do things. He recommended me to Wu Junmen. I have always thanked him. But he is too concerned about face, and he is narrow-minded. He said that I used to call him Mr., but later I was promoted. Then call him Mr. Jizhi, and he wrote a long letter of two or three thousand words to scold me for being ungrateful, saying that the higher my official position, the lower his status. You say this kind of sourness is funny No? He's only five or six years older than me, and he's been my husband for two or three months. I call him Brother Ji Zhi, and I don't think it's too disrespectful. I see he's too small, so I don't need to explain it to him. That's it, We have been out of touch for more than 20 years." Yuan Shikai smiled easily when he said this, picked up a piece of walnut and chewed it in his mouth.Yang Du listened with great interest, and he also felt that Zhang Jian's mind was a little small.It is not ungrateful to call yourself brother instead of Mr. What's more, the gentleman who instructs poetry in the shogunate is still different from the gentleman who formally kowtows to his teacher. Yuan Shikai continued: "That day, I suddenly received a telegram from Hankou from him, saying that the car passed by Zhangde on the afternoon of the tenth, and he wanted to get off the car to meet me, and told me not to go out. Ji Zhi is also rare. When I was in charge of the Minister of Military Aircraft, he didn’t communicate with me. Now I’m unlucky, he came to see me, he’s a good friend! I personally went to the station to welcome him to Huanshang Village, and the 20-year estrangement was overwhelmed by a glass of wine.” "Happy!" Yang Du, who talked about friendship and friendship, felt the blood on his body rolling. "I talked about the old days, and talked about the ups and downs of his spinning mill in these years, and also talked about the Constitution and the Conference Board." Yang Du straightened his back and listened, thinking that Zhang Jian's visit to Huanshang Village was definitely not just to catch up on the old days and clear up his suspicions. It seemed that talking about the situation was his real purpose, and said: "Although Mr. Ji Zhi is only the chairman of the Consultative Council of Jiangsu Province, , is actually the leader of the constitutionalists in various provinces. He told me in the capital that he must get rid of the royal cabinet." "He told me the same thing." Yuan Shikai blinked his eyes treacherously and said, "Xi Zi, what else do you think he said to me?" "What words?" "He said that after the royal cabinet was overthrown, I would be the prime minister. Isn't this whimsical?" Oh, Yang Du understood, it turned out that the leader of the constitutional faction had already promised him the prime minister of the cabinet, no wonder he dismissed the governor of Huguang.However, Old Master Zhang's words are also true. After the royal cabinet was abolished, besides Yuan Weiting, who else is more suitable to be the prime minister?I'm afraid no one can control the current messy situation! "This is not whimsical. Except for Mr. Ji Zhi, as far as I know, Tang Hualong from Hubei, Tan Yankai from Hunan, Pu Dianjun from Sichuan, and Sun Hongyi from Zhili may all support you as Prime Minister." "Xizi, when do you think the royal cabinet headed by King Qing will collapse?" Yuan Shikai asked, tilting his head. The royal cabinet was opposed by the whole world, and Yang Du also believed that it was neither a donkey nor a horse, and it must have a short life, but he never seriously thought about when it would fall.After pondering for a while, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said excitedly: "Master Gong Bao, what will happen to him right now?" "Call right now?" Yuan Shikai opened his big eyes. "is it possible?" "It's entirely possible!" Yang Du said decisively, "Now it's up to you to say that it's early or late. Yinchang will never be able to handle Wuchang's affairs, and the regent can only turn to you. I won't leave the mountain for now, just sit and watch the tiger." Dou, when the time comes, you will propose that the non-responsible cabinet cannot cope with this situation. Wouldn’t the royal cabinet collapse?” "Xizi, you are blackmailing the court!" Yuan Shikai stood up and laughed loudly, "Prince Qing sent you to Zhangde to be a lobbyist, but unexpectedly you demolished him." Yang Du knew that his idea had been completely approved by Yuan Shikai, so he stood up happily and said, "I am not a lobbyist for King Qing alone, I want to be responsible to the country and think about the common people in the world!" "That's right!" Yuan Shikai praised this sentence greatly. "Xizi, go to the window and have a look!" Yang Du followed Yuan Shikai to the big window of the study, and followed his gestures to look outside.Yo, the weather outside the window is really good. Nearby, the pavilions of the Yangshou Garden in Yuan's Mansion are majestic, with sparkling blue waves, and several small fishing boats are floating lightly on the water.A little far away, smoke billows from the roofs of the farmhouses in Huanshang Village, rows of straight poplar trees are flourishing, and three or five snow-white sheep are gnawing grass under the trees.Looking far away, the remaining veins of the majestic Taihang Mountains are faintly visible.The faint green mountain shadow seems to be a masterpiece painted by the gods on the sky, which is both magnificent and deep and serene.Suddenly, a strong red light illuminated everything in front of me.This is the afterglow of the setting sun passing through the last clouds.The sunset is so beautiful, it is big and round, blood red, and the surrounding clouds are colorful and bright.When it bid farewell to the world for a while, it behaved so brilliantly and magnificently, which really made people feel that it was incomparably sublime and incomparably great! "Xizi!" Just as Yang Du was intoxicated by the evening scene of Huanshang Village, Yuan Shikai patted him on the shoulder again. "Did you see that the sun is right under my window. The last two sentences of my poem Wujue of Climbing the Building are originally about the scene I am writing now." "How did you write it?" Yang Du asked eagerly. "Looking at the Big Dipper from the pavilion, I suddenly feel that the setting sun is low." "Okay!" Yang Du blurted out, "These two sentences are much better than the current one, why change it?" "Ke Wen said that these two sentences are too eye-catching, and I suggest changing to the current two sentences. I think it's okay, Taihang Mountain is under my window, and it's also a real scene of Yin Yin." "Ah!" Yang Du nodded, and said in a drawn-out tone, "Everything is fine, everything is fine!" Yang gently opened the door, walked in, and whispered into Yuan Shikai's ear: "The imperial court sent someone to deliver the decree. Besides, Feng Guozhang, who is going to Wuchang, is waiting for you in the reception room." "Oh, Huafu is here." Yuan Shikai seemed to ignore the decree, but expressed great interest in his former subordinate Feng Guozhang.He got up and said to Yang Du, "Xi Zi, you stay with me for a few more days. I want to discuss many things with you. The day before yesterday, Xingcheng asked someone to send a German movie, and asked them to play it tonight. Take a look." After finishing speaking, he walked out of the study, and a series of heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. After dinner, the movie room played a German movie specially for Yang Du, which was about Kaiser Wilhelm I visiting Bonn Castle.At that time, movies were still extremely rare in China. Except for a few palaces in the capital, no one else had them.The movie room in Yuan's Mansion is also only open for the arrival of VIPs.Returning to the guest room after watching the movie, although the night was already deep, Yang Du did not feel sleepy. He vaguely felt that the current riots in Wuchang City would provide a new environment for cooperation between himself and the owner of Huanshang Village.Thirty-six-year-old Yang Du was promoted by the Xianzhengguan. Although he has been diligently seeking for China's constitutional government in the past few years, he has never forgotten the emperor's learning taught to him by Master Xiangqi, and he has not forgotten the assistant he pursued all his life. Ming Jun is the ideal of life for the world.In the eyes of the countrymen in Shitangpu, the fourth-rank Jingtang is really an unattainable high-ranking official, but in the officialdom of the capital, it is an insignificant mustard seed.If it was in the Qingming era, Yang Du believed that with his talent and hard work, he would not have much difficulty becoming a minister in ten or eight years. At that time, as a pillar of the country, he would naturally be able to show his ambitions.But now, the imperial court is fatuous and the situation is chaotic, and his full knowledge of constitutionalism has little use for him.If it goes on like this, what year and month will he have a bright future?If a country wants to change, it needs a big change; if a person wants to stand out, he needs a big change.The riot in Wuchang was obviously launched by the revolutionary party, aiming to overthrow the imperial court and establish a democratic republic.The changes are of course earth-shaking, but on the one hand, I have never advocated democracy, and on the other hand, I have lost contact with my old friends in the revolutionary party over the years.Even if the Revolutionary Party succeeds, it will not be able to achieve anything by itself, not to mention how many riots have failed, it is hard to say whether it will succeed this time.The owner of Huanshang Village in front of him is about to end his hibernating life, make a comeback, and once again take on important responsibilities.Although the government and the public have criticized him for his conduct, no matter what, in the face of this sudden change, only he can help the crisis and stabilize the world.Thinking of this, Yang Du was very thankful that he had seen that this person was a rare figure in the officialdom more than ten years ago, and he still kept in touch with him during his most unlucky period, and reserved a shortcut for himself in his official career.Now, I have to make full use of these favorable conditions. At a critical juncture in the current situation, I will analyze the situation and make suggestions for this person who is currently in danger of the world, and help him reach the highest point in China's political arena. There is a reliable guarantee to realize the ideal. Yang Du became excited, lit a cigar, and entered the next step of deep thinking.