Chapter 28 27. Wo Li Fan, Er Chen Tang, the emperor's friends don't buy it

It is not surprising that Cai E, Tang Jiyao, Li Liejun, Liang Qichao and others turned against Yuan, because they were not in the old Yuan's system.At the very beginning, Yuan Shikai did not take the Yunnan rebellion seriously, because Yunnan is a poor province, and the rebel team is only ten thousand people, and their strength is not as good as that of the Kuomintang during the "Second Revolution", at least when the Kuomintang controlled Several provinces in China became independent at the same time, and the army greatly surpassed the National Defense Army, but the Beiyang Army still won easily?

But things are different now.Confucius once taught us, "If the name is not correct, the words will not be right; if the words are not right, nothing will be done." During the Second Revolution, Yuan Shikai was on behalf of the Central Committee to suppress the rebellion, and he got help from the cause, so he was flattened; but now Yuan Shikai is no longer It makes sense, because you want to restore and become the emperor, and the president's oath is still in your ears, but now you insist on raping public opinion, making fake elections, and deceiving the emperor. As long as someone raises his arms and shouts, the dissatisfied voices are like a torrent. Converged into a torrent.

Speaking of the starting capital of old Yuan Yuan, it originally lay in the team he has managed for many years, that is, the various civil and military officials he trained and promoted when he was training in Xiaozhan, the governor of Shandong, the governor of Zhili, and the minister of Beiyang and military aircraft. These talents are Yuan Shikai's capital.With these people, even if the regent Zaifeng kicked Lao Yuan back to his hometown in Henan, not everyone could command his team. Yuan Shikai's team carefully built over the years can be divided into two categories: civil and military. The literary staff include Xu Shichang, Tang Shaoyi, Ruan Zhongshu, Yang Shiqi, Liang Shiyi, Zhou Ziqi, Zhou Xuexi, Yan Xiu, Yu Shimei, Liang Ruhao, Liang Dunyan, Zhang Yiling, Jin Bangping, Fu Zengxiang , Yang Du, Shi Zhaoxiang, Cao Rulin, Lu Zongyu, Sun Duosen, etc.; Wu's is even more star-studded, such as Wang Shizhen, Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang, Jiang Guiti, Zhang Xun, Zhang Xiluan, Ni Sichong, Lei Zhenchun, Jiang Chaozong, Cao Kun, Zhang Huaizhi, Duan Zhigui, Lu Jianzhang, Li Chun, Chen Guangyuan, Wang Zhanyuan, Tian Zhongyu, Bao Guiqing, He Zonglian, Shang Dequan, Wang Yingkai, Xu Shuzheng, Jin Yunpeng, etc.; between civil and military, there are Zhao Bingjun, Tian Wenlie and others .

It was thanks to this team that Yuan Shikai was able to make a comeback after the Wuchang Uprising was fired, and drove the Qing Dynasty from power, and he became the president of the Republic of China smoothly.It stands to reason that Yuan Shikai now has a group of advisers and powerful generals. If he can focus on the national economy and the people's livelihood and work hard to govern, these people will naturally be able to stabilize the country. The party, the centripetal force and appeal are gone.Especially after Lao Yuan implemented measures such as "separation of military and civilian rule", "abolishing the governor", "military department", and "model regiment", those old subordinates felt that their interests had been damaged, and their dissatisfaction grew day by day.During the period of the imperial system movement, a group of newcomers did not hesitate to tie Lao Yuan to the chariot of the imperial system in order to seek prosperity and wealth. Veteran subordinates such as Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang knew that the imperial system could not be done, and secretly developed a heart of self-reliance. The Republic of China is bound to be full of chaos.If people's hearts are in chaos, it will be difficult for this old Yuan's team to lead.

Those who gain talent prosper, and those who lose talent perish. This is easier said than done.As early as Yuan Shikai forced the Qing emperor to abdicate, a group of people around Yuan Shikai withdrew from the political arena, unwilling to serve the old Yuan, such as Wang Shizhen, the "dragon head" of the "Three Heroes of Beiyang", who claimed to be loyal to the Qing Dynasty, and lived in seclusion in the countryside after the Republic of China; Xu Shichang, the former associate minister of the Qing Dynasty, also retired for a time and was negative about politics; Yu Shimei also regarded himself as an old man and retired to Qingdao; as for Zhang Xun, the individual commander-in-chief, he repeatedly claimed that he was loyal to the Qing Dynasty first, and Yuan Shikai second. In addition, the Qing Dynasty is dead, and his army is still dragging its big braids, which is also an unstable factor; in addition, in the early years of the Republic of China, Yuan Yuan fell out with Tang Shaoyi, and the confidant Zhao Bingjun who was in charge of the police died suddenly. Some of the important figures in the party have faded away, which gave the newcomers a chance.

After Yuan Shikai declared the monarchy, he himself felt embarrassed in front of his old leaders, old colleagues, and old friends, so he was divided into old spouses, old friends, and seniors mentioned above, but his old friends Don't buy his account. For example, the "Four Friends of Songshan" (namely Xu Shichang, Zhao Erxun, Zhang Jian, and Li Jingxi) personally appointed by Yuan Shikai, except Li Jingxi accepted it frankly, the other three dismissed it. Although Emperor Yuan gave the "Four Friends of Songshan" the exemption from kneeling and professing ministers, the court clothes and shoulders, the seat in the court and the generous annuity (annual salary of 20,000 silver dollars), Zhang Jian and others still didn't take it seriously and didn't buy it.Perhaps, they thought this way in their hearts: Xiao Mian, with your virtue, Xiao Yuan, can you still call yourself king and emperor?Do your daydreams.As for Xu Shichang, after learning that he was named one of the "Four Friends of Songshan", he was not only unhappy, but complained: "The Four Friends of Songshan never use their aliases. Yang respects them, but Yin rejects them, so why should I?" How expensive is this?"

Xu Shichang and Yuan Shikai have been friends for decades, and Yuan is 4 years younger than Xu, and they became friends with Jinlan when they were young.At that time, Xu Shichang had no money to go to the province to take the exam. Yuan Shikai was just a young man who didn't care about wealth. He then generously donated 100 taels of silver to Xu Shichang as Sichuan capital to strengthen his character.Xu Shichang is indeed a talented man. He won successive imperial examinations (1882, 1886 Jinshi). After ten years of hard work, he finally achieved a positive result. At this time, Yuan Shikai had already joined the army. Wu Changqing went to North Korea.

Xu Shichang entered the Hanlin Academy as a scholar after being a Jinshi in Zhongzhong. Three years later, he was awarded the editorship of the Imperial Academy. In the nine years of the Imperial Academy, there has never been even a chance to be released (the Hanlin usually sends out the provinces to study politics or supervise the rural examinations, and there is a lot of money to be made), and life is very poor. Two taels of silver. After Yuan Shikai's military training at the small station, he knew that Xu Shichang's income was meager, so he tried to transfer him to his own camp as the general office of the camp affairs office. His annual salary could get two thousand taels of silver, much higher than the income of the Imperial Academy.Xu Shichang and Yuan Shikai were commoner friends, and knew very early on that Yuan Shikai was absolutely extraordinary, so he disregarded his Hanlin status, and helped Yuan Shikai handle all the paperwork in the army, such as all correspondence, reviewing papers in the camp school, and writing in the military camp. Xu Shichang's articles of association, code of conduct, etc. are all from the hands of Xu Shichang.Yuan Shikai is also very tolerant to Xu Shichang, but whenever there is something at home, Xu Shichang can come and go freely.

Under Yuan Shikai's continuous recommendation, Xu Shichang also made steady progress in his official career, and successively served in important positions such as the promotion of the military training department, the minister of the Ministry of War, the minister of military aircraft, and the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In 1907, Xu Shichang served as the governor of the three eastern provinces and concurrently took charge of the affairs of the generals of the three provinces, becoming a famous feudal official for a while.Two years later, Xu Shichang returned to Beijing to serve as Minister of Posts and Communications, Minister of Military Affairs, and Associate Minister. At this time, Yuan Shikai had been dismissed and returned to his hometown, and Xu Shichang was actually secretly maintaining the forces of the Beiyang faction.After the Wuchang Uprising, Yuan Shikai came out of the mountain only because of Xu Shichang's persistent recommendation.As a result, Xu Shichang's position in the Beiyang system is basically unmatched.

In contrast to Xu Shichang's negativity, Yuan Shikai's other two old friends, Yan Xiu and Zhang Yiling, clearly expressed their opposition to the restoration of the imperial system. They repeatedly discouraged Yuan Shikai from taking this path of desperation, but Yuan Shikai never came to his senses.Yan Xiu was born in Tianjin and was born as a Jinshi. He was originally a student in Guizhou. Yuan Shikai invited him to be the director of Zhili schools when he was in charge of the new policies in Zhili. He made the school education reform in Zhili more impressive. In 1905, under the recommendation of Yuan Shikai, Yan Xiu was promoted to be the minister of the school, and promoted the education reform movement of "abolishing the imperial examination and establishing a new school" throughout the country.When Yuan Shikai was dismissed from office, Yan Xiu publicly stood up to defend Yuan Shikai, and was one of the few people who personally went to the station to send Yuan Shikai back to his hometown.For this reason, Yan Xiu was also dismissed by the Qing court, and the two were friends in need.

After Yuan Shikai came back, he asked Yan Xiu several times to take up the post of chief education officer, and of course there was no lack of intention to repay his old friend.But at this time, Yan Xiu had given up his official career, and he devoted himself to education (Nankai University was founded by Yan Xiu), and even Yuan Shikai's sons, such as Yuan Keding and Yuan Kewen, had friendship with Yan Xiu as teachers and students.After hearing that Yuan Shikai was going to restore the monarchy, Yan Xiu hurried from Tianjin to Beijing. When Yuan Shikai heard that his old friend was coming, he immediately stopped his work to receive Yan Xiu. Yan Xiu was not polite after seeing Yuan Shikai. He said to Yuan Shikai straight to the point: "I heard that the President was seduced by Yang Du and others, and he wanted to change the state system and the monarchy. I was very anxious. Yang Du was always insidious. Cunning, he will do anything for his own prosperity, the president must be careful of this person. Now that the trend of republicanism has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, if he goes against the trend of history, the world will be in chaos, and the consequences will be disastrous. Think about it, the president, the emperors of all dynasties have What's the end? Why do you want to be an emperor? Don't look at the chaos of petitions and elections outside, but how much do you know about the truth of the outside world?" Seeing that Yuan Shikai hadn't come to his senses, Yan Xiu became a little excited: "President! The current situation is extremely dangerous. If you don't brake in time and turn around, I'm really worried for you, for Keding and the Yuan family!" Hearing this , Yuan Shikai nodded frequently, as if touched.But after Yan Xiu left, Yuan Shikai reverted to his old ways. Zhang Yiling, who had won the first and second place in the re-examination of the special economic department, also followed Yuan Shikai for many years and won Yuan Shikai's trust.When Yuan Shikai went to Beijing to serve as Minister of Military Affairs and participated in the constitutional matters of the New Deal, Zhang Yiling became Yuan Shikai's most capable assistant and was almost inseparable.As soon as Yuan Shikai came out of the mountain, he immediately transferred Zhang Yiling to his side, and later appointed him as the director of the Confidential Bureau. Zhang Yiling was indispensable in the planning of all major events, and most of the confidential documents were drafted and kept by Zhang Yiling. . As Yuan Shikai's confidant, Zhang Yiling was worried about the rampant imperial movement.One day, Zhang Yiling finally seized the opportunity to advise Yuan Shikai: "President, during the Revolution of 1911, I once advised you to establish yourself as emperor and replace the Qing court, but you did not agree at that time. Be determined, never change course and repeat the same mistakes! If you insist on risking the disgrace of the world and acting as a monarchy yourself, disaster will really come your way!" Yuan Shikai heard Zhang Yizhen speak so seriously, so he perfunctoryly said: "These are all rumors from the outside world. There is no such thing as restoring the monarchy. Please rest assured Zhong Ren (Zhang Yizhen, courtesy name Zhongren)!" I was very happy. When I went out, everyone said that President Yuan had no intention of proclaiming himself emperor, and refuted the rumors for Yuan Shikai.When Yuan Keding, Yang Du and others heard this, they were so angry that they itched their teeth, and finally tried to change him to be the chief education officer, with the purpose of removing Zhang Yiling from Yuan Shikai's side. Among the military generals of the Beiyang family, Duan Qirui was the only one who openly opposed the imperial system.During the Revolution of 1911, Duan Qirui, at the behest of Yuan Shikai, united with the Beiyang generals to send a telegram to force the palace, and played an important role in helping Yuan Shikai win the country. He also considered himself a minister of merit for the republic.After the "Second Revolution", the activities of the imperial faction became more and more prominent. Duan Qirui saw that Yuan Shikai really wanted to be emperor, which made the old Duan very angry. Duan Qirui, whose name is Zhiquan, was born in Hefei, Anhui. He was born in a military family, but his grandfather and parents died one after another when he was young, which led to his family's decline. This also made Duan Qirui stubborn and serious since he was a child.Later, Duan Qirui applied for the Beiyang Armed Forces School and became the top student in the first phase (artillery department). After graduation, Duan Qirui was selected to study in Germany and practice in the Krupp factory.After returning to China, Duan Qirui, Wang Shizhen, Feng Guozhang and others were frustrated because the military system at that time rejected military school graduates with professional backgrounds, and they were not reused until Yuan Shikai's small station training. He soared into the sky and became a well-known figure in the new army. When Yuan Shikai trained the new army, Wang Shizhen, Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang and others were all important assistants, and Duan Qirui was the most important commander among them. He served as the commander of four of the six towns in Beiyang , and concurrently served as the supervisor and chief instructor of each accompanying school, and trained a large number of military talents.When attacking the Wuchang Revolutionary Army, Feng Guozhang was transferred back to the capital by Yuan Shikai because he failed to understand Yuan Shikai's will (Feng Guozhang still wanted to be loyal to the Qing Dynasty and did not approve of the republic), and Duan Qirui was replaced by Duan Qirui as the front-line commander. important task.Duan Qirui really supported the republic, so he played a very important role in Yuan Shikai's forced palace operation and helped Yuan Shikai a lot. After the establishment of the Republic of China, Duan Qirui continued to be reused by Yuan Shikai.Although the prime ministers of the cabinet changed like a revolving lantern at that time, Duan Qirui's chief of the army remained steadfast.During the "Second Revolution", Duan Qirui also personally acted as the Prime Minister, organized a wartime cabinet and defeated the southern revolutionaries in one fell swoop.There is an old saying in China, "When the birds are gone, the good bow will be hidden; the cunning rabbit will die, and the running dog will cook." After Yuan Shikai consolidated his power, he found that Duan Qirui had formed his own faction in the Beiyang Army, and Duan Qirui Rui was headstrong, and decided many things on his own without consulting Yuan Shikai, and most of the officers he promoted were his students and subordinates.If things go on like this, there may be a danger of military power being left behind. In 1901, after the death of Duan Qirui's first wife, Yuan Shikai, in order to win over this general, introduced his adopted daughter Zhang Peiheng to Duan Qirui as a sequel. Also called Duan Qirui's brother-in-law.But after the Republic of China, the relationship between Duan Qirui and the "Prince" Yuan Keding has been at odds. He was very disgusted with Yuan Keding's attempt to intervene in the army, and Yuan Keding used various opportunities to slander Duan Qirui in front of Yuan Shikai. Aiming for self-reliance" and so on.After a long time, Yuan Shikai finally became suspicious. Later, he established the Office of the Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy, and appointed his attendant military attache Yin Chang, Army Chief Duan Qirui, Navy Chief Liu Guanxiong, Navy Commander Sa Zhenbing, and Deputy Chief of Staff Chen Huan. The others are clerks, and Wang Shizhen is invited to preside over the executive affairs. All important military and political affairs must be reported to Yuan Shikai for decision. Duan Qirui was also a smart man, he knew that Yuan Shikai was deliberately depriving himself of military power, so he simply found various excuses not to attend the meetings of the commander-in-chief's office, and handed over the affairs of the Ministry of War to Xu Shuzheng, the deputy chief.Once, Yuan Shikai called Duan Qirui to the Presidential Palace to inquire about an official matter. Duan Qirui was not very clear and said that he would go to the Ministry to investigate.Yuan Shikai was very angry and said: "Your ministry's report has come up, why do you go to the ministry to investigate?" It turned out that Duan Qirui had never dealt with this matter at all, and the report was signed by the deputy minister on his behalf.As a result, Yuan Shikai complained loudly when he saw people: "Look, what the people in Beiyang have become! Zhiquan doesn't go to work in the ministry, and Hua Fu (Feng Guozhang's word) is a local official and sleeps every day. Didn't get up until twelve o'clock at noon! What does it look like!" Yuan Shikai and Duan Qirui also had sharp conflicts on some major issues. The second time he wanted to transfer him away, but Duan Qirui always protected Xu Shuzheng, and claimed: "It's okay to remove Xu Shuzheng, then remove me too!" During the "21" negotiations, Duan Qirui It is also the main battle group, and secretly dispatches the army, which makes Yuan Shikai very annoyed. Since Duan Qirui often complained of illness, Yuan Shikai took advantage of the opportunity to let him recuperate and rest, and Wang Shizhen was appointed as the chief of the army.At the climax of the imperial movement, Yuan Shikai was still not at ease with Duan Qirui, who had been relieved of his military power, so he summoned him again for questioning and said, "Zhiquan, during your rest period, the situation has changed. It is very big. Now people from all walks of life are petitioning to change the monarchy, what do you think I should do?" Duan Qirui suddenly stood up and said loudly: "President, don't think I'm recuperating, but I know what these people are doing. Now that the country has finally stabilized, if it turns back now, how will I explain to the people? The so-called public opinion is all fabricated by villains in order to get promoted and get rich, so you must not trust the president!" Yuan Shikai was displeased, but on the surface he pretended to be calm and said, "Zhiquan, public opinion is not public opinion, and I don't care whether it's true or not. I'll just ask, what do you think?" Qi Rui was stunned for a moment, and said, "President, you have treated me for twenty years, and your kindness is as great as a mountain. I will say it endlessly. I really don't want to see you become a sinner!" In the end, the conversation between the two ended unhappy. scattered. Before Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor, Duan Qirui summoned his confidants Xu Shuzheng, Zeng Yujun and others, and said with great grief and indignation: "It seems that Xiangcheng is really going to be emperor, and there is no cure! I think back then, I led all the generals to support the Republic. Power on, if I hold Xiangcheng as the emperor now, am I still a human being in the eyes of the Chinese people? Just ask the Twenty-Four History, can someone like me be found? So no matter public or private, I would rather die than participate Monarchy, I plan to retire to the mountains and forests, and I will never say a word." But having said that, people like Duan Qirui were the founding fathers of the Republic of China. If the politics of the Republic of China were operated, he would have every chance to succeed Yuan Shikai.Now that Yuan Shikai wants to engage in a "family world", he has cut off Duan Qirui and others' desire to be heads of state, but now he wants to be the servants of the Yuan family, especially that Yuan Keding. up.However, after all, Duan Qirui had been with Yuan Shikai for so many years. He had no intention of opposing Yuan at that time, but boycotted him with passive sabotage. Yuan Shikai still led the chariot of the imperial system and kept rushing forward. There is no turning back when you open the bow. After all, there is no medicine for regret in the world.Later, on the night when the imperial system was abolished, Yuan Shikai brought Zhang Yijin over for a conversation, and said with great remorse: "I didn't listen to what you and Fan Sun (Yan Xiu's words) said at the time. Now that I think about it, I feel really regretful and ashamed! Fan Sun You have been with me for many years, and you have never mentioned any promotion to me; you have been in my shogunate for more than ten years, and you have never made any personal requests. It can be seen that those who are indifferent to fame and fortune, regard glory and wealth, and fame and fortune as clouds of smoke How precious, this is the real national scholar! Those who once supported me, are they really for the country and the people? They promote me as the emperor today, and they may oppose the imperial system tomorrow. There are so many people like this What is it! In short, I spend more time doing things and less time studying. This is my own fault, no wonder others.” Speaking of this, Yuan Shikai said sadly: “It’s just a small matter for me, but a big one for the country. Take it as a warning!" Unlike Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang, another of Yuan Shikai's cadres, was not so forthright with Yuan Shikai.Feng Guozhang, whose name is Huafu, was born in Hejian, Zhili. Like Duan Qirui, he was also a graduate of the first phase of the Beiyang Armed Forces Academy. Scholar.Feng Guozhang stayed at the school to teach after graduation, and then participated in the Sino-Japanese War with Nie Shicheng. After the war, he was sent to Japan to inspect the military. His experience was basically similar to that of Duan Qirui.Coincidentally, Feng Guozhang also had some kind of kinship relationship with Yuan Shikai, that is, Feng Guozhang married Ms. Zhou, the tutor of Yuan Shikai's family after the death of his wife (after the Republic of China). After Feng Guozhang returned from his investigation in Japan, he wrote several volumes of military books and dedicated them to Nie Shicheng, but Nie Shicheng was an old-fashioned soldier, so he didn't care about it.After Yuan Shikai got these volumes of military books, he felt like he had found a treasure, and even if he recruited Feng Guozhang to his sect, Feng Guozhang became the last one to report among the "Three Heroes of Beiyang". During the Revolution of 1911, when the northern and southern armies were fighting fiercely in Wuchang, Feng Guozhang was transferred by Yuan Shikai to lead the imperial guards to stabilize the order in the Gyeonggi area. After the "Second Revolution", Feng Guozhang led his army to the south again. After defeating the Kuomintang, he replaced Zhang Xun's braided army with poor military discipline and stationed in Nanjing, becoming a powerful official in the southeast. It is said that in the summer of 1915 (that is, when the imperial system first started), Feng Guozhang went straight to the capital after hearing some rumors about the imperial system, and asked Yuan Shikai what happened.After Yuan and Feng met, Feng Guozhang did not go straight in like Duan Qirui. He first tried to say: "President, I recently heard that you are going to change the state system and restore the imperial system. I wonder if it is true? If it is true Yes, how should we arrange the place, can it be revealed in advance?" After hearing this, Yuan Shikai changed his face and said: "Hua Fu, these are all rumors! Think about it, no one in our old Yuan family has lived past the age of 60. I am fifty-eight this year. Even if I am the emperor, I can do it." How many years? Besides, to be an emperor is to pass on sons, but do you think any of my sons are successful? The eldest son Keding is a cripple; the second son Kewen can pretend to be a celebrity; the third son Keliang is not As the saying goes, if you are a bandit, as for the other sons who are young, which one can inherit the great cause? Besides, most of the descendants of the emperor's family did not end well. Even if I think about the sake of my descendants, I can't do this! You can rest assured about that." What Yuan Shikai said was reasonable, Feng Guozhang was very satisfied after hearing it, so he returned to Nanjing happily, and deliberately leaked his conversation with Yuan Shikai to refute the rumors for Yuan Shikai.Unexpectedly, after a few months, the monarchy movement started in full swing and with great fanfare. Only then did Feng Guozhang realize that he had been fooled by Yuan Shikai. He was so angry that he rolled his eyes.In the farce of the local election of Yuan Shikai as emperor, Feng Guozhang, the highest military and political officer in Jiangsu, only showed his face after several persuasions. Feng Guozhang's reasons for opposing the imperial system are actually similar to Duan Qirui's, the only difference is that Feng Guozhang was fooled by Yuan Shikai more.Feng Guozhang thought that he was not Yuan Shikai's number one confidant, at least he was also the second or third. Unexpectedly, Lao Yuan would deceive him like this, which is really unreasonable.Furthermore, if Yuan Shikai does not proclaim himself emperor, both he and Duan Qirui may take over, but if Yuan Keding is the master, "How will such a Cao Pi be served in the future!" (Feng Guozhang's original words). But having said that, Yuan Shikai may not have deliberately deceived Feng Guozhang, but he really didn't make up his mind at the time.Yuan Shikai wanted to be emperor, but he was also afraid of becoming emperor. It was because of this contradictory and hesitant attitude that Yuan Shikai said the above paragraph to Feng Guozhang.Because there is a mystery in this passage, Yuan Shikai thought he would not live past sixty, but Yuan Keding said that becoming the emperor would break the family curse, and Yuan Shikai was tempted. However, according to Yuan Shikai's favorite third daughter, Yuan Jingxue, Yuan Shikai knew Feng Guozhang's intentions at that time, and he deliberately used these words to seal Feng Guozhang's silence. So just after Feng Guozhang left, Yuan Shikai went upstairs angrily and said to his family: "How can Feng Huafu have such a reason! How can Feng Huafu have such a reason!" In the imperial movement, those who opposed Yuan Shikai's proclaiming emperor were mostly important cadres in the front line, but those who were enthusiastic were actually those new cadres in the second line.The reason is very simple, these people just want to follow Yuan Shikai's favor and win the merits of support, so as to take the opportunity to crowd out the veteran cadres in front and seek titles for themselves. Confucius said it well, "A gentleman does not have a party", and "forming a party" must be "private". At that time, the Beiyang faction was such a big gang with no organization and no theory. Yuan Shikai's gang was mainly the emperor, and the top few The boss will have no chance to be the leader, because the emperor wants to pass on his son.As for those at the bottom of the ranking, if they want to squeeze to the front, they have to vote for the favor of the gang leader, so supporting the monarchy is a good way to gain fame and wealth, just like Yang Du and his like. All in all, the prosperity of the world is all for profit; the world is full of hustle and bustle, all for profit.The word "benefit" can explain all kinds of problems, and it can also attract all living beings. As proved by the following facts, don't look at those second-line cadres who are having fun, but when their own interests are really tested, they all show their true colors.For example, among local officials, Hunan general Tang Xiangming was the first to send Yuan Shikai a call to join him. Tang Xiangming was not originally from the Beiyang family. He joined Yuan Shikai after the Republic of China and became a new confidant.It is precisely because of this that Tang Xiangming hastily wanted to grab the head start. The same was true for some new officers at that time, such as Zhang Jingyao, who was a soldier in Xiaozhan. He made great contributions in suppressing the "Second Revolution" and the "White Wolf Rebellion", and was promoted to the commander of the Seventh Division at that time.Zhang Jingyao was very grateful to Yuan Shikai. At the banquet organized by Liang Shiyi for the provincial petition associations, Zhang Jingyao said boldly: "The president is promoted to the emperor, and it is enough to issue an edict. What are you doing with these tricks? If anyone dares to object, I will Whose head was cut off!" Zhang Zuolin, the commander of the 27th Division, was suddenly favored by Yuan Shikai after the Republic of China, so he was extremely firm in his support for the imperial system. He said in a secret telegram: "The people of the three eastern provinces have longed for the president to be emperor for a long time! Anyone outside the customs who dares to object Yes, I, Zhang Zuolin, will never relent. If there is any objection in my introspection, I am willing to lead my troops into the customs to quell the civil strife, even if it is a knife and ax, I will not be afraid." Of course, the one who worked hard for the imperial system was Duan Zhigui, the imperial cadre mentioned above. Not only did he express his loyalty, but he also actively contacted the generals, military envoys, and guardian envoys of various provinces to persuade them to enter the letter.Hard work paid off, and later generals from various provinces who signed the letter of persuasion included: Long Jiguang from Guangdong, Duan Zhigui from Fengtian, Zhao Ti from Henan, Wang Zhanyuan from Hubei, Ni Sichong from Anhui, Chen Huan from Sichuan, Li Chun from Jiangxi, Lu Jianzhang from Shaanxi, Tang Xiangming from Hunan, and Zhu from Zhejiang. There are 19 people including Rui, Yan Xishan from Shanxi, Zhang Huaizhi from Chahar, and 36 guards including Shang Dequan from Tianjin, Long Jinguang from Guangdong, Wang Huaiqing from southern Hebei, and Chen Shufan from southern Shaanxi.From the perspective of seniority, these people are basically second- and third-rate figures from the Beiyang Department or who have joined the Beiyang Department, and it is not known whether they really support them. After the outbreak of the War to Protect the Nation, Yuan Shikai also dispatched the teams of Cao Kun, Zhang Jingyao and Feng Yuxiang into Sichuan to face Cai E's first army, while Guangdong Long Jinguang and Guangxi Lu Rongting helped defend Li Liejun's second army.It stands to reason that the Beiyang Army is far better than the National Defense Army in terms of strength, quality of soldiers, and equipment supplies. However, the National Defense War did not fight any tough battles. As soon as the two sides fought, they fell into a stalemate. , You denounced, I mediated, making a great fuss.The so-called "war to protect the country" is a "bubble war" or "war of words". Let's take a look at the general history of the War to Protect the Country.The left side of the First Army of the National Defense Army led by Cai E was the main force in the National Defense War, but in fact there were only more than 4,000 people. After fighting with the Sichuan Army, they successfully captured the Syrian government; Under the leadership of Dai Kan, he entered Guizhou and approached Guiyang. On January 27, Liu Xianshi declared independence in the name of the governor of Guizhou after being mobilized. On February 2, Liu Cunhou, the commander of the Second Division of the Sichuan Army, who was originally under Cai E, led 3,000 people from his troops to announce the rebellion in Naxi near Luzhou, and led the National Guard Army into Sichuan.At this time, Cao Kun, the commander-in-chief of the Beiyang Army, was already in Chongqing, and Zhang Jingyao, Wu Peifu and other departments had also rushed to the front line of Luzhou. After a fierce battle between the two sides for a month, Cai E led the national defense army to retreat.At the same time, Feng Yuxiang's troops also took advantage of the empty strength of the national defense army to storm the Syrian government, and recaptured the city on March 2, but Feng Yuxiang then stood still and sat on the wall to watch. When the National Defense Army was defeated, Sichuan General Chen Huan and the former enemy governor Cao Kun did not pursue them. Instead, they secretly negotiated with the National Defense Army and agreed to a truce. On March 15, under the plan of Liang Qichao, Lu Rongting, who was originally a subordinate of Cen Chunxuan, declared independence in Guangxi, and took advantage of the situation to seize the military pay of General Linwu and Yunnan Investigation and Prosecution Envoy Long Jinguang, which immediately reversed the situation of the National Defense Army. unfavorable situation. Under such circumstances, Yuan Shikai wanted to transfer veteran generals such as Feng Guozhang and Zhang Xun to suppress the "rebel party" in the Southwest, but Feng Guozhang had already been obedient and obedient, and there were many reasons for his refusal to send troops.As for Braided Marshal Zhang Xun, he did not go around in circles with Yuan Shikai, and directly raised the "four can't bear" with the special envoy Ruan Zhongshu sent to persuade him, as a reply to his refusal to send troops. What are the "four unbearable"? "Tolerating and conniving the eldest son, trying to restore the monarchy, secret telegrams can't put an end to the chaos, the country's foundation is shaken, and I can't bear it; after the chaos in Ganning, the vitality was lost, there was no open and honest rule, and the door was opened for treacherous attempts, greedy for honor, and the country as a The second is unbearable; the unrest in Yunnan, the brothers fighting against the wall, the wife of the widow, the son of the lonely, the living beings are reduced to ashes, the place is reduced to ashes, the country raises soldiers, but self-harm, the third is unbearable; the name of Xuantong still exists, falsely claiming Honorable, ashamed of Longyu, despised by the world in life, condemned in the "Spring and Autumn Annals" after death, four cannot bear it." According to Lao Zhang, this Yuanxiang City is completely without wind and waves, and it is a nonsense; you said that it was a big mistake to force the Qing emperor to abdicate, but now you want to establish an imperial system, that's okay, this The ready-made Emperor Xuantong is in the palace, you can invite him out to sit in the Dragon Court again!If you, Lao Yuan, want to be the emperor, heh heh, I'm afraid you're a bit overconfident! Pushed into a hurry by Ruan Zhongshu, Zhang Zhuaishuai darkened his face and said, "He's making trouble with his Yun and Gui, and I guard my Xuzhou, what's the matter with me?"Alas, in Braid Shuai's mind, President Yuan's status is far worse than that of the Qing emperor after all—Xuantong is the emperor, what do you Yuan Shikai do, half-way emperor? On March 19, just four days after Guangxi became independent, a secret telegram was presented to Yuan Shikai's desk.This secret telegram was sent by Zhili general Zhu Jiabao, and it clearly stated that Yuan Shikai should abolish the imperial system and punish the culprit.When Yuan Shikai saw the many signatures behind him, he almost fainted: only the names of Feng Guozhang, Li Chun, Zhu Rui, Jin Yunpeng, and Tang Xiangming were listed clearly and in black and white.What's more terrible is that these five people are still secretly contacting generals from other provinces to jointly oppose the monarchy. This "five generals" secret telegram was simply a reminder, this time Yuan Shikai finally knew what it was like to be betrayed by relatives and the Empress Dowager Longyu was forced to abdicate. On March 22, Yuan Shikai announced the abolition of the monarchy and proposed peace talks to the southwestern provinces.Before the abolition of the monarchy, Yuan Keding knelt down and begged the old man not to do anything stupid. He said that if he abdicated now, his morale would be greatly damaged, not to mention that the rebels were far in the southwest, so they might not be able to attack Yanjing directly. Why should they be so hasty?Yuan Shikai let out a long sigh, and threw the "five generals" secret electricity at the dog, saying: "The disaster is not outside, but inside the Xiaoqiang! If you don't retreat now, don't you still want to ruin your family?" But Yuan Shikai, who retired from the position of emperor, still claimed to be the president of the Republic of China.Regarding this point, there is not a big problem within the Beiyang faction, but the Southwest National Defense Army expressed strong dissatisfaction with this. They believed that Yuan Shikai was no longer qualified to continue to be the president, so the war to protect the country must continue unless Yuan Shikai punished the culprit and compensated him. The cost of the imperial system (it is said that the dragon robes and dragon crowns are very valuable, but unfortunately, Lao Yuan never wore them in public) and automatically resigned, the war can be subsided. At this point, Yuan Shikai was in a dilemma, and the subsequent situation was even more unfavorable for him. On April 6, Long Jiguang was forced to declare the independence of Guangdong under the pressure of the National Defense Army; 6 days later, Qu Yingguang of Zhejiang declared independence. On May 1, Cen Chunxuan, the former governor of Guangdong and Guangxi (Yuan Shikai's deadly rival in the Qing Dynasty), together with Liang Qichao and others established the "Guangdong Capital Headquarters" in Zhaoqing; All courts stand against each other. On May 9, Chen Shufan drove away Yuan Shikai's confidant general Lu Jianzhang and declared Shaanxi independence; in mid-May, Feng Guozhang, Zhang Xun and others planned the Nanjing Conference, which was attended by representatives of 17 provinces.Although the meeting did not achieve any results, local officials such as Feng Guozhang had a tendency to "mutually protect the southeast", and Yuan Shikai had begun to be speechless. On May 18, although the "rebel" Chen Qimei was assassinated in Shanghai, before Yuan Shikai was happy, a bigger blow came. Sichuan General Chen Huan declared Sichuan independence on May 22; a week later, Hunan General Tang Xiangming also Declare the independence of Hunan. Someone once said that the reason for the failure of Yuan Shikai's imperial system was "Six Gentlemen who got sick and died Erchen Decoction". These "Six Gentlemen" and "Erchen Decoction" were originally traditional Chinese medicines, but here they allude to several corners of the imperial system movement. . “六君子”不用说了，自然是筹安会的杨度等六人；这“二陈汤”原本是指半夏、橘红，但在这里却是三人，即在5月中下旬陆续宣布独立的陕西镇守使陈树藩、四川将军陈宦和湖南将军汤芗铭。 话说这三人，原来是何等的忠心耿耿，何等的期盼袁世凯称帝，如今却调转枪头，这让袁世凯是何等的伤心与寒心哪。特别是四川将军陈宦，袁世凯对他可谓是恩重如山，一而再、再而三的提拔，据说还将于夫人所收养的义女许配给他，而陈宦之前又是如何大表忠心的：“我军人以定乱保安为天职，但知效忠元首，不知其他……伏乞大总统俯顺舆情，毅然裁断，早定大计，以幸天下。”在离京赴四川上任时，陈宦更是伏地九叩首，膝行而前，大呼：“大总统如不明岁登基，正位中国，陈宦死都不回来！” 这种肉麻的程度，连饱经沧桑的老袁都起了一身的鸡皮疙瘩。 现在好，“将在外，君命有所不受”，陈宦、汤芗铭这些人被护国军逼得紧了，他们为了自保，只好宣布独立，加入民军，这才可以暂时保住自己的地盘。至于袁皇上怎么想，那就不是他们考虑的事情了。最绝的是这个陈宦，他不但宣布独立，还宣布与袁世凯断绝一切个人关系。据说，袁世凯在接到陈宦的电报后当场给气晕了过去，醒来后，袁世凯两颊红如炭火，双眼噙满泪水，半天都未出一言……难怪连蔡锷都骂陈宦是个四处讨好的无耻小人。 护国战争虽然三军无主，不过是个泡沫战争，但洪宪王朝何尝不是个泡沫王朝，一捅就破。没了老班底的支持，老袁的独角戏自然无法开唱，而如今北洋帮中又起窝里反，这就算没有云南举义，袁世凯这个皇上也是做不成了。 罢罢罢，早知今日，何必当初？