Chapter 126 4. At the serious moment of Chen Jiongming's rebellion, Yang Du helped Sun Yat-sen as promised

That night, Yang Du quietly left Beijing for Baoding by train. Cao Kun, the leader of Zhili warlords, governor of Zhili, and economic envoy of Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi, was stationed here. The governor's office was the governor's office of the former Qing Dynasty.The governor of Zhili in the Qing Dynasty was the head of the governors of the country, and his yamen was also particularly magnificent.In the early morning, Yang Du came to the gate of the yamen.Xia Shoutian, the secretary-general who lives in the yamen, stayed up late last night and hasn't woken up yet.When Yang Du suddenly appeared in front of him, he was surprised and delighted.

After breakfast, Yang Du revealed the purpose of this trip.After Xia Shoutian heard this, he was silent for a long time, and said: "This matter is very difficult to handle. Cao Kun trusted Wu Peifu and obeyed Wu's words. If Wu insisted on sending troops, Cao would not object. Besides, I heard that Sun Yat-sen had contact with Zhang Zuolin. As a direct rival, Cao may even encourage Wu Yuan and Chen to beat Sun." When Yang Du heard this, his heart suddenly turned cold.After a while, a Ma Bian came in and said, "Secretary Xia, the commander-in-chief has something to ask for you."

After Ma Bian left, Xia Shoutian asked Yang Du, "Do you want to see Cao Kun?" Yang Du thought for a while and said, "I won't see him today. You go to work first, let me think about it, and see if I can come up with a good idea." After Xia Shoutian left, Yang Du closed the door tightly and stayed in the room alone, thinking hard. Cao Kun had been Yuan Shikai's senior subordinate for a long time, and Yang Du was of course familiar with him.This 61-year-old Marshal Cao is also an unusual figure.He is from Tianjin, and his family was poor when he was young. After he knew a few words, he traveled around with some cloth dealers to earn a living. When he grew up, he became a cloth dealer himself.Although Cao Kun has not read many books, he is alert and ambitious by nature. He is unwilling to be a cloth dealer who is looked down upon all his life.At the age of thirty, he threw off the cloth on his shoulders and voted for the Huai army.

His superiors appreciated his ability and sent him to Tianjin Armed Forces Academy.Tianjin Armed Forces Academy not only taught him a lot of advanced military knowledge and skills, but also broadened his mind and vision.After coming out of the military training school, Cao Kun's talents in all aspects have been far higher than his peers.Finally, he was spotted by Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai was training troops at the new station and urgently needed military talents, so he transferred Cao Kun to the new army and was promoted to the right-wing infantry battalion leader.Cao Kun thanked Yuan Shikai for his promotion, and followed Yuan with all his heart.Since then, he has been promoted step by step, and successively served as the commander of the first town and the third town of the Beiyang Army.During the Revolution of 1911, he was ordered by Yuan Shikai to go south to suppress the militia.After Yuan became the president, he was unwilling to go to Nanjing to take office. Yang Du proposed to Yuan a strategy of mutiny, and Cao Kun's Beiyang Third Town played the role of mutiny.During the Hongxian period, Yuan named him a first-class uncle.After Yuan's death, Duan Qirui took over the government, and Cao served as the governor of Zhili.From then to now, he has been firmly in the position of First Overseer for six or seven years.At that time, many warlords who were born in famous families or who had studied abroad were no match for this rough man who was born as a cloth dealer. It cannot be said that Cao Kun was invincible.

Cao Kun has a capable subordinate, Wu Peifu.Wu is a native of Penglai, Shandong Province. He was born as a scholar, but his family was not well off.When he was extremely bored, Wu set up a stall in Beijing's Dashilan area to sell hexagrams.One day, there was no one interested in it from morning to night. Before closing the stall, Wu Zi made a divination.Wu then put away the hexagram booth and defected to the Beiyang Army. Wu Peifu was well-versed in poetry and books, and was good at adapting to changes. Sure enough, he had a prosperous official career after joining the army.When Cao Kun was appointed as the governor of the third town, he was promoted to be the governor.When the National Defense Army reached Sichuan, Wu followed Cao into Sichuan, was promoted to brigade commander, and was soon promoted to division commander.Wu is familiar with military books, and his strategy is far superior to other senior officers under Cao.On the battlefield in Hunan, Wu made the greatest contribution, and he won face for Cao.In the struggle against the Anhui faction, Wu made great contributions again and became the most powerful second figure in the direct lineage.Cao Yiwu is the Great Wall.

Wu Peifu has a stubborn personality, and it is very difficult for him to give up his established ideas.Cao Kun was hesitant to do things, and it was not easy for him to resolutely stop Wu's actions.Yang Du pondered for a whole day in Xia Shoutian's room, but still had no idea. In the evening, Xia Shoutian had nothing to do, and the two chatted together, talking about the internal situation of the immediate family.Xia Shoutian has been in Cao Muzhong for two or three years, and he knows the inside story of the direct lineage very well. "Sooner or later, the direct line will split." Xia Shoutian came to this conclusion after talking about several incidents of Cao Kun's internal discord.

This sentence inspired Yang Du: You can use its internal contradictions to lure Cao to suppress Wu! "Wu Yi, Wu Peifu is so popular now, is there anyone under Cao Kun who is not convinced?" "Why not?" Xia Shoutian said, "Wu Peifu's character is self-willed, and because of his knowledge, he doesn't pay attention to Cao Kun's people at all. Many people are jealous and hate him, especially Chief of Staff Xiong Bingqi and Wang Chengbin, the commander of the third division, they all graduated from regular military schools and were able to fight. They were highly valued by Cao Kun in the past. Now Wu is looking down on Xiong and Wang because of his achievements in defeating the Feng family. Xiong and Wang are all suffocating , always looking for a chance to vent."

Yang Du nodded and said, "We must use the emotions of Xiong and Wang to sabotage Wu's plan." "How to destroy it?" Xia Shoutian was full of the way of Confucius and Mencius, but lacked the strategy of Sun Wu. He knew that he was far inferior to this layman who had converted to Zen in terms of maneuvering. Yang Du thought for a while, and asked Xia Shoutian, "Does Cao Kun have any ambitions?" "What kind of ambition?" Yang Du suddenly changed the subject, and Xia Shoutian's train of thought didn't catch up for a moment. "I mean, does this Cloth Merchant Overseer ever want to be President?"

"Yes!" Xia Shoutian quickly replied, "When I first came to Baoding, Cao Kun didn't talk much about the affairs of the central government. Ever since he defeated Duan Qirui, he thought he was invincible. He often said that the president can't let literati do it. Today This world relies on the barrel of a gun. He also said that if the president is allowed to do it, within a year of keeping it, he can eliminate the heroes and unify the country. Both Xiong Bingqi and Wang Chengbin encouraged him to run for president. Half of them are to please Cao, and half are also I want to climb the dragon and attach to the phoenix.”

"I have a breakthrough!" Yang Du suddenly had an inspiration, and he told Xia Shoutian about this breakthrough. The Secretary-General of the Zhidu Yamen clapped his hands and praised: "Good! This reason is the most open and aboveboard. I have pointed it out to Xiong and Wang respectively in the past few days." "Just relying on what Xiong and Wang said is not enough. I will go to see Cao Kun in person tomorrow and give him a knock from the side. Tell him about it tomorrow, just say that I came to Baoding at the invitation of Gongling Temple and wanted to be with him. He catches up on the past and asks him to arrange a time."

"Okay. Let's set it tomorrow afternoon, and ask him to host a banquet for you." Xia Shoutian asked with a smile, "Zhan Master Hutuo, do you want him to host a meat banquet or a vegetarian banquet?" Yang Du said: "If you want Cao Kun to be a vegetarian, he must not be used to it, and it is not appropriate for me to drink and eat meat with the governor as a guest invited by Gongling Temple. How about this, you eat meat, and fry two vegetarian dishes for me." That's it." Xia Shoutian said with a smile: "That's good too, the combination of meat and vegetables is quite interesting." In the afternoon of the next day, Cao Kun held a banquet in Guangyuan, his residence. In addition to Xia Shoutian, two other staff members surnamed Zhang and Li attended the banquet. "Mr. Xizi is here, welcome!" As soon as Yang Du was accompanied by Xia Shoutian into the Guangyuan Restaurant, Cao Kun followed and greeted him loudly. Cao Kun is tall, burly and strong. He has been rough and bold, domineering and affectionate through more than 40 years of experience in the rivers and lakes and bloody battlefields.He doesn't have many words, and sometimes he has extreme contempt for scholars, and sometimes he thinks highly of them, which mostly depends on his impression of this person and his practical value.He trusted Xia Shoutian.Because Xia Shoutian came from a famous family, he won the second place in the list, which is beyond the reach of Cao Kun, who came from a poor and humble background.What's more important is that Xia Shoutian is humble and devoted to his duties, without the lazy and arrogant attitude of ordinary literati.He can rest assured that Xia Shoutian will handle all the paperwork and other matters in the yamen.Cao Kun valued Yang Du more.This is because Yang Du not only has all the talents Xia Shoutian has, but also has the tactics that Xia Shoutian lacks.Such things as scheming are more important in the mind of this Beiyang warlord who regards gains and losses as the principle of doing things.When he learned that the idea of ​​using mutiny to stop the southward migration came from Yang Du, he was very impressed and regretted that he didn't have such a good adviser. "I haven't seen the commander-in-chief for several years. The commander-in-chief is now famous all over the world, and he is about to catch up with President Yuan back then!" Cao Kun was delighted by Yang Du's compliment. He took Yang Du's hand and said affectionately, "We haven't seen each other in six or seven years. I heard that you closed your door and worshiped the Buddha. You see through everything, don't you?" "It's true to worship Buddha behind closed doors, but you haven't seen through everything yet." Yang Du said with a haha. Cao Kun scratched his bare head, grinned and said, "I said Xizi, you must have lost your heart before you went to recite the Buddha's name. You can hide this from others, but you can't hide it from me. Li Yuanhong You are a coward, always acting on the eyes of others. You didn’t pay attention to him at all back then, and you didn’t want to go to Tianjin. You should come to me. I guarantee you drink and eat meat every day, and you will have nothing to do. What’s the use of supporting Lao Yuan as the emperor Wrong? If Lao Yuan became the emperor back then, maybe the world would have been peaceful. If there is a chance in the future, I, Lao Cao, still want to be the emperor! At that time, Xizi, please help me!" After that, he laughed loudly, his mouth full of black and big teeth were like small pieces of rusted iron. Cao Dashuai's words made Yang Du both admire and surprised.I admire him for seeing things clearly, and he speaks sharply; I am surprised that he still covets the emperor who is already a street rat.This time I asked him to do something, so I could only follow him.Therefore, Yang Du said solemnly: "Commander, if the destiny belongs to the Cao family, I would like to be Xun He and Guo Jia." Like many Chinese who don't read, Cao Kun is familiar with the history of the Three Kingdoms period and the Northern Song Dynasty. This knowledge is based on the two books and the dissemination of these two books in the teahouse on the stage. He had heard the phrase "The Mandate of Heaven belongs to the Cao family" many times, but he had never connected this Cao with this Cao before.Yang Du's words woke him up suddenly: Isn't Cao Kun today the same as Cao Cao back then?As if the real fate was about to belong to him, Cao Kun's blood was excited all of a sudden. He pointed to the dining table and said, "Xizi, please sit down!" Yang Du hurriedly said: "The commander-in-chief is here, how can I sit up?" "Today I specially invite you. I, Wu Yi, and Secretary Zhang and Secretary Li are all accompanying you. Of course, you will sit at the table." After all, he pushed Yang Du to the upper table without any explanation, and sat down next to him. The two secretaries Zhang and Li also clasped their hands and said: "I have long admired Mr. Xizi's great name, and I am honored to be at the same table today, glory and glory!" Dishes came up one after another, all vegetarian, not a bowl of meat dishes, and even the wine was light water wine. Cao Kun said to Yang Du: "Wu Yi said that you are now a real Buddhist layman and you are free of meat. Today we will accompany you to eat vegetarian food." Yang Du said: "The commander-in-chief is so polite, I can't afford it." After taking a few sips of wine, Cao Kun said, "Xi Zi, why did you come to Baoding this time?" "This time, the Chinese Buddhist Association invited me to Gongling Temple to mediate." The Chinese Buddhist Association has been established for more than ten years, but none of you present except Xia Shoutian know that there is such an organization in China.Buddhism should be quiet and inactive, so the monks also have disputes, should they appeal to the General Assembly for mediation?This boy Yang Du became an imperial envoy in the Buddhist world in a blink of an eye?All these made Cao Kun and his secretaries very interested. They put down their chopsticks and listened to him. Yang Du told the story he made up last night: "Master Jingyue, the abbot of Gongling Temple, is a very prestigious Buddhist monk. He has a disciple named Shuiyun. Twenty years ago, Jingyue personally Presided over Shuiyun's shaving, and taught him scriptures and teachings. Shuiyun is very smart and capable of doing things. Jingyue thinks highly of him, and gradually promotes him to the prison of Gongling Temple. Below, above all the monks. Without Jingyue, there would be no Shuiyun today, logically, Shuiyun should regard Jingyue as his father all his life." Cao Kun nodded and said, "It should be like this. In the world, the word 'righteousness' cannot be forgotten." Secretaries Zhang and Li also echoed. "But Shuiyun is not such a person." Yang Du continued, "In Gongling Temple, Shuiyun called Master Jingyue short and affectionately, and obeyed everything Jingyue ordered. At the Mausoleum Temple, he flaunted himself everywhere, giving the impression of Shifang Jungle that the prosperity of Gongling Temple is entirely due to his work as a supervisor.” "This monk is not authentic!" Cao Kun commented while picking up a large piece of bamboo shoots and chewing in his mouth. "This year, there was news in the Buddhist world that the president of the president was going to be re-elected. The eminent monks in the various monasteries were all moved and eager to try, just like a powerful man in the secular world wants to run for the president." Yang Du's metaphor drew laughter from the audience at the table.Cao Kun commented again: "Damn it, the Buddhist world is just like us!" "Buddhism is strictly hierarchical and has many rules. The superior orders the subordinates, and the subordinates obey the superior. These disciplines must not be violated." Xia Shoutian intentionally explained, "Xizi is the most appropriate analogy. The abbots of major monasteries are like the governors of various provinces. The academy and Zhike are like the division commanders and brigade commanders under the warlord, and the general president is like the president." Yang Du responded with a knowing smile to Xia Shoutian, admiring his cooperation at the critical moment. For a reckless man like Cao Kun who has no words and ink, he should make a point at the right time, otherwise, maybe he really put it down. Treat it as a Buddhist story. "Shuiyun is determined to be the president of the Buddhist Association. He is active in Shanghai, Beijing and other places. On the one hand, he wins over the supervisors and intellectuals of several influential monasteries such as Fayuan Temple in Beijing, Jing'an Temple in Shanghai, and Tiantong Temple in Ningbo. , Wei Na, asked them to rise up against the abbot of the temple, so that they could not be elected as the president. On the other hand, they went around saying that Master Jingyue of Gongling Temple was old and weak, unable to manage affairs, and should retire to rest. In short, Shuiyun tried every means to elevate himself and beat others, the ultimate goal is to get the throne of the president of the Buddhist Association. So the directors of the Buddhist Association invited me to come to Gongling Temple for an on-the-spot investigation to see whether Shuiyun is good enough. Not enough to be the president. Because when the Buddhist Association was being established, I passed the application to Zaifeng on their behalf, and the first president, Master Jichan, was my good friend, so I agreed to come to Baoding on their behalf. .” Having said that, Yang Du picked up his wine glass and took a sip. Cao Kun said: "Xizi, you are the imperial envoy, you have to handle it impartially! In my opinion, people like Shui Yun are no good, and the head of the Buddhist Association should not be allowed to be such a disloyal person." Xia Shoutian hurriedly answered: "Yes, the commander-in-chief is right. There are people like Monk Shuiyun in the Buddhist world, and there are more in the secular world. You can meet people who cross rivers and tear down bridges and are ungrateful everywhere." "There are so many villains like this!" Secretaries Zhang and Li also said, and complimented Cao Kun, "Our commander-in-chief is the most loyal, so we hate this kind of ruthless villain the most." Yang Du seized the opportunity to play: "The commander-in-chief is the most loyal. I know this. The commander-in-chief's attitude towards Yuan Xiangcheng back then set the best example for the old people of Xiaozhan. Yuan Xiangcheng saw Duan Qirui sitting in front of him in his later years. Da, often said to me: Zhiquan is because I have spoiled him, and now he thinks he is great." Duan Qirui, who used to be the second child of the Beiyang system for a long time, made Cao Kun jealous and annoyed. Now he has become Cao Kun's defeated general.He raised his wine glass to his mouth, and said contemptuously, "Duan's wolfish ambition with a crooked nose, I've seen it for a long time. Lao Yuan believed him at that time, so I can't say anything. Hitting him now is also for the sake of the public." The old Yuan exported the uselessness of his old age." Yang Du strikes while the iron is hot: "Yuan Xiangcheng died a few years earlier. If he died a few years later, Duan Qirui would definitely climb to the top of Yuan Xiangcheng. There have been many such things in the past dynasties. Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang also Didn’t they all grow up slowly and become emperor instead of their original master? Even among the bandits in the green forest, Song Jiang went to Liangshan, tried every means to empty Chao Gai, and finally became the master of Liangshan himself.” Yang Du took a sneak peek at Cao Kun, only to see that the wine glass he put on his mouth hadn't moved, obviously he had heard these few words in his heart.The words can only go so far, and can't understand anymore, so Yang Du changed the subject and chatted about other things with Cao Kun and the two secretaries Zhang and Li. The next day, Xia Shoutian intentionally chatted with Xiong Bingqi and Wang Chengbin, and talked about how Wu Peifu was building construction projects in Luoyang and recruiting troops, which made Xiong and Wang very angry. "Two days later, Wu Peifu sent a telegram from Luoyang, saying that he would leave for Baoding immediately to discuss important matters." Yang Du said to Xia Shoutian: "Wu Peifu must have talked with Cao Kun about sending troops to aid Chen Jiongming. You should seize the opportunity at the meeting, encourage Xiong, Wang and others to oppose, and give Cao Kun a knock at the right time." "I understand." Xia Shoutian nodded. In order to avoid suspicion, Yang Du left the supervisory office and lived in Gongling Temple outside the city. On the afternoon of the third day, Xia Shoutian came to Gongling Temple beaming with joy, and said as soon as he entered, "Xizi, the event has succeeded!" "Really?" Yang Du said excitedly, "Tell me carefully!" Xia Shoutian briefly told Yang Du about the two important military meetings in Zhili Governor's Yamen. At noon yesterday, Wu Peifu came to Baoding from Luoyang.In the afternoon, Cao Kun held a meeting in the supervisory office. In addition to Cao and Wu, Liao Jili, the commander of the second division, Wang Chengbin, the commander of the third division, and Xiong Bingqi, the chief of staff, also attended the meeting. Xia Shoutian attended the meeting as the secretary general. At the meeting, Wu Peifu reported the recent military situation of Guangdong and Guangxi, and specifically pointed out that Guangdong and Guangxi are strong enemies of the direct line. It is advisable to take this opportunity to join forces with Chen Jiongming to eat up the military forces of the Sun faction first, and then eliminate Chen Jiongming.Wu Peifu spoke in an orderly and logical manner, with an air of scheming and far-sightedness.Liao Jili listened carefully, Wang Chengbin and Xiong Bingqi kept showing jealous and contemptuous glances, Cao Kun kept nodding, sometimes patting the table in applause.After the meeting, Cao Kun held a banquet in honor of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Cantonese Army who came from afar, and personally toasted him with a glass of wine.At the banquet, Wu Peifu was full of air and talked loudly, threatening to clean up the situation in Guangdong and Guangxi for Zhili within three months, which made Cao Kun very happy.Xia Shoutian saw it and was anxious. After the banquet was over, Xia Shoutian took the opportunity to accompany Cao Kun back to his residence, and quietly said to Cao: "Marshal, Wu Shuai, the more I look, the more I look like the Shuiyun monk that Xizi said. You have to be careful, don't let him He borrowed your prestige to make a career for himself." Cao Kun stared at Xia Shoutian and said, "You mean Ziyu looks like the monk Shuiyun in Gongling Temple?" Ziyu is Wu Peifu's character. Xia Shoutian nodded and said: "Commander, Chen Jiongming is an old subordinate who was handpicked by Sun Yat-sen, and Chen Fansun is the one who committed the crime. Wu Shuai can support Chen Fansun today, but there is no guarantee that he will not turn against you in the future." In a word, Cao Kun suddenly came to his senses.The story of Gongling Temple that Yang Du said the day before yesterday, and the historical lessons of Li Yuan, Zhao Kuangyin, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Song Jiang all appeared in his mind for a while.As the strength of the leading generals within the direct lineage increased, what Cao Kun was most worried about was that his subordinates would take credit for their arrogance and become overwhelmed, and no longer obey his orders.In that case, not only will the president's dream fail to come true, but he may be torn apart and defeated by the Anhui and Feng factions.Yes, be careful, Wu Peifu cannot agree to this military plan! Cao Kun slapped his forehead and said to Xia Shoutian, "You reminded me well, the following offenses cannot be supported." Xia Shoutian was afraid that Cao Kun would change his mind early in the morning, so he immediately told Xiong Bingqi and Wang Chengbin: "The commander-in-chief said that Chen Jiongming's beating of Sun Yat-sen was the next crime, and we cannot support him." Xiong and Wang were disgusted with Wu Peifu's self-satisfied demeanor. Hearing that Cao Kun disapproved, they decided to take this opportunity to kill Wu's arrogance. As soon as the meeting was held the next morning, Wang Chengbin and Xiong Bingqi spoke one after another, talking about the word "enyi", and then denounced Chen Jiongming for being ungrateful and treasonous, pointing out that Wu should not support such pigs and dogs who betrayed their masters. Wu Peifu was taken aback by Wang and Xiong's speeches: This is a great opportunity to defeat the enemy and use troops. How did it involve ungratefulness?Even if Chen Jiongming is ungrateful, he should use the internal contradictions of the enemy to achieve his own goals!How could these two guys be so stupid! Wu Peifu stood up aggressively, slapped the table, and denounced Wang and Xiong's speeches as nonsense; and threatened them: if they miss the fighter plane, they will be held responsible for military affairs!Because Wang and Xiong knew Cao's situation, they argued with Wu confidently.Wu thought he had reason, and confronted each other without giving an inch. Wu Peifu, who was born as a scholar, was indeed superior in military ability to other generals, and Cao Kun relied heavily on him.Without Yang Du's lobbying and Xia Shoutian's reminder, he would have agreed to Wu's plan to aid Chen; if it hadn't been for Wang and Xiong's righteous reprimand today, he might not be able to withstand Wu's instigation, and he would change his mind and accept Wu's plan. plan.But now, sitting on the chief chair, listening to the fierce quarrel between the two parties, it seems that there is a clear distinction between good and evil.Looking at Wu Peifu's domineering and supercilious look, Cao Kun increasingly felt that this person was rebellious and had ulterior motives, so he not only had to be on guard, but also suppressed him. When the two sides were almost in contention, Cao Kun assumed the posture of the supreme commander and made a ruling on Wu Peifu's military plan: "From the perspective of military use, it is very advisable to take advantage of the internal divisions in Guangdong and Guangxi to adopt various methods of defeating them. Ziyu sent troops from Hengyang to intercept Sun's troops in northern Guangdong and southern Jiangxi, and waited for work with ease, so he had a good chance of winning." Wu Peifu had a smug look on his face.Unexpectedly, Cao Kun's tone changed sharply: "What I said just now is in general terms, but the break between Chen Jiongming and Sun Yat-sen this time is not an example. As everyone knows, Chen Jiongming died as a boy more than ten years ago. Sun Yat-sen took refuge in Sun Yat-sen, and Sun Yat-sen took him in and entrusted him with important tasks. In 1911, Sun appointed Chen as the deputy governor of Guangdong as the president. Chen was only 24 years old at the time, and he had only joined the Revolutionary Party for two years. Unconventional promotion, can he, Chen Jiongming, become such a big official? Yes!" , Cao Kun imitated Yuan Shikai's tone and said "um", and scanned the table full of subordinates with stern eyes, especially staying on Wu Peifu's face for a while longer.Wu realized that the "um" was coming towards him, and felt quite uncomfortable. Wang Chengbin hurriedly flattered: "The commander-in-chief is right. Sun's promotion of Chen is a special kindness. For a minister, this kind of kindness can never be repaid." This is what Cao Kun likes to hear the most.In his opinion, the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in the entire direct line, from the division commander to the brigade commander, down to the soldiers and cooks, all receive the favor of him alone, and all people should be like what Wang Chengbin said just now. Being a cow or a horse can also repay endless thoughts. He looked at Wang Chengbin admiringly and said: "Besides, Sun has always held Chen in high regard. This time Sun organized the government in Guangzhou and appointed Chen as Minister of Army and Minister of Internal Affairs, Governor of Guangdong Province, and Commander-in-Chief of the Guangdong Army." Commander. As a minister, this is the best. Chen raised troops to oppose Sun because he had withdrawn his position as the governor of Guangdong. Completely wiped out, isn't this kind of behavior chilling enough? This is no human, it's worse than a beast!" Liao Jili, the commander of the second division who originally agreed with Hao Peifu's plan, also changed his mind after hearing Cao Kun's words.He realized that he must not go along with Wu at such a time. If he did, he might be regarded as a heartless and ungrateful person.I can no longer be silent, I must express my attitude: "Chen Jiongming's actions are really inappropriate. If we support him, we are encouraging chaos!" "Yes, Mr. Liao is right! Ziyu," Cao Kun said to Wu Peifu in a friendly tone, "you may not have thought of this level. You must not support rebellion. We cannot say that we directly There is no Chen Jiongming in the army, and it cannot be said that there is no Chen Jiongming in your first division. Supporting Chen Jiongming in Guangdong and Guangxi today is tantamount to encouraging Chen Jiongming in our direct army." When Cao Kun said this, he stood up and walked to Wu Peifu's side, and said very affectionately: "Ziyu, you read more books of sages than any of us. Benevolence and righteousness are the most important teachings of all sages. I am about to rely on you to build our Zhijun into an invincible army of benevolence and righteousness. How can I support the inhumane Chen Jiongming and ruin the reputation of our Zhijun? Ziyu, forget it, let them burn themselves Let’s go, after one of them dies and one is injured, I will fully support you to clean up Guangdong and Guangxi. At that time, I will set up dozens of tables of wine in Guangyuan to celebrate your victory!” Wu Peifu saw that everyone opposed it, and Cao Kun's attitude was so firm that he knew that it would be useless to insist any longer. Besides, it would be a good plan to reap the benefits by himself after the snipe and clam fight between Guangdong and Guangxi.In this way, Wu Peifu finally canceled the military plan to aid Chen and beat Sun. "Okay, okay, this matter is done, I can say that I have kept my promise to Mr. Zhongshan." Yang Du said happily, "I'm going back to Beijing tomorrow, Liu Linsheng and the others don't know how anxious they are!" "Let's take a day off." Xia Shoutian patted Yang Du's shoulder, "Tomorrow, Cao Kun will invite a few tables for Wu Peifu, especially to invite you, introduce you to Wu Peifu, and say that he will hire you as a senior consultant Miles, let me ask you first to see if you are willing." "I am willing!" Yang Du's full promise made the bookish Xia Shoutian a little surprised.Seeing his friend's puzzled expression, he explained with a smile, "The fate of China today is in the hands of people like Cao Kun, Wu Peifu, Zhang Zuolin, and Duan Qirui. Their kind thoughts can benefit China. They are disgusting. , it will bring disaster to China. Look at this time, after our lobbying, a melee between the Zhili and Guangdong and Guangxi was avoided, and how many innocent soldiers’ lives would be saved! The Buddhist scriptures say that saving one life is better than creating seven We don’t know how many stupas we built at once.” Xia Shoutian smiled and said, "This time, I have accumulated great Yin skills." "So I thought, if I want to promote my sect of selflessness, I must first publicize it to people like Cao Wu, Duanzhang, and others. If they become selfless in one day, they can make thousands of people without self. Today Cao Kun hired me as a consultant, and I agreed. Tomorrow, if Wu Peifu hires me as a senior counselor, I will also agree. In the future, whether it is Zhang Zuolin, Duan Qirui, or even Zhang Zongchang, Sun Chuanfang and other second-rate warlords who hire me, I will also agree. Preach the Wu-Seo sect, and directly intervene when it is appropriate to do something good for the country and the people. This is the current attitude of my Chan Master Hutuo.” "Okay." Xia Shoutian said with a smile, "If you keep doing this for a long time, you will be a living Buddha who saves the suffering and saves the world and the people!" Yang Du also smiled happily.