Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Greatest Common Divisor

In fact, Zaifeng was already thinking about a solution before the situation in the Qing Dynasty was completely corrupted and the court was under siege. It was impossible for him to just watch the Qing Empire come to an end. To be precise, as early as when the main force of the Qing army was dawdling on the front line in Hubei, Zaifeng began to actively use his brains to think of a solution: the army could not be commanded, and all localities wanted to emulate Hubei, what should we do? !what to do? ! Just when Zaifeng was in a hurry, Comrade Yikuang, Yuan Shikai's old relationship, appeared in time.

Yikuang gave Zaifeng a very sharp suggestion: "The key to the problem now is the Beiyang Army. The front line needs the Beiyang Army to put out the fire, and the central government also needs the Beiyang Army's loyal guards—the Beiyang Department controls all the passes, such as Beijing and Zhili. There are Beiyang Army garrisons in Shanhaiguan, Jinan, Jinzhou and other places. As long as the problem of the army is solved, other problems will be solved. Why don't we invite Lao Yuan to come out of the mountain? Can he still command the troops he has trained? " After Zaifeng heard this, a blush of embarrassment flashed across his face. After all, he was the one who fired Yuan Shikai, and now asking him to invite Yuan Shikai back, wouldn't that be a slap in the face?Personally speaking, he hated Yuan Shikai very much, but the current situation that was about to get out of control did not allow him to miss the last straw.

Zaifeng is in a dilemma. Zaifeng, who was used to making up his own mind, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He remembered that there was another Bodhisattva who could share the firepower for him.So he found his sister-in-law, Queen Mother Longyu, and asked her for an idea. At such a critical moment, the good Empress Dowager Longyu herself was in a state of confusion, so how could she give Zaifeng any good advice.As a result, Longyu had to summon the "senior adviser" Xu Shichang, an assistant minister of the royal cabinet (deputy prime minister of the cabinet). Next, it was Xu Shichang's performance time.

Empress Dowager Longyu's voice was as gentle as ever: "Xu Aiqing, what do you think should be done now?" Of course Xu Shichang had an idea long ago, but because acting has to follow routines, so when the Queen Mother asked, Xu Shichang first said, "I dare not say it."Ask again, and there is another sentence "I can't bear to say".Asking again at the end is "the minister has to say". What do you say? Mr. Xu Shichang put on an expression of loyalty and patriotism, and said to Longyu in a very sincere tone: "We should lead the tiger to defend ourselves, and invite Yuan Shikai to come out of the mountain. Moreover, the court must give Yuan Shikai full power to deal with the current situation."

The Empress Dowager Longyu was fooled and kept nodding her head. One day later, the imperial court officially extended an olive branch to Yuan Shikai. It was a telegram: Yuan Shikai was appointed governor of Huguang to deal with the suppression of appeasement. But is Yuan Shikai willing to take over this mess? ... There is such a kind of person, when he is by your side, you don't think he is special, but when you need him, he is no longer by your side, then you know his importance. Unfortunately, for Zaifeng, Yuan Shikai was this kind of person. From 1909 to 1911, during the nearly three years when Yuan Shikai was retired, his reputation was even higher than when he was in office.After the Wuchang Uprising, everyone, including the imperial court and the revolutionary party, felt that Yuan Shikai was the best candidate to save the situation.

Isn't it amazing? In fact, there is no need to make a fuss, because Yuan Shikai has eight good conditions that others do not have. Condition 1: Han Chinese.The Revolutionary Party advocated the expulsion of the Tartars, and his "retirement" was seen as evidence that the Manchus oppressed the Han. Condition 2: The most elite army at the moment - the spiritual leader of the Beiyang Army, this is the guarantee of stabilizing the situation. Condition 3: The reform standard bearer in the bureaucracy, the constitutionalists who are eager for reform like him. Condition 4: The relationship with the imperial court is not bad, and the imperial court is still counting on him to turn the tide.

Condition 5: Have a good relationship with the great powers, be the best spokesperson for the great powers, and be able to protect the interests of the great powers in China. Condition 6: Business proficiency, past honors and work experience are strong proof. Condition seven: The common people hope that a strong figure will come out to settle everything.After the Revolution of 1911, they worried about the Civil War every day.Don't move the guy and live a peaceful life, this is the last word for the common people. Condition Eight: It is also the most important condition!Not extreme, not conservative, acceptable to all parties, belonging to the greatest common divisor.

From this point of view, under the current situation, Yuan Shikai is indeed the most hopeful to become the "savior" to save the situation, because no one can replace his status and role. All is ready except for the opportunity! A few days after the Wuchang Uprising, a telegram from the imperial court arrived to appoint Yuan Shikai as Governor of Huguang. When Yuan Shikai's subordinates heard about it, they all came to congratulate him excitedly.Yuan Shikai didn't even lift his head. He looked at the telegram, put it on the table casually, and said calmly, "Now is not the time to congratulate."

Is he pretending?Yes and no. Yuan Shikai sighed softly: "The time has not come yet!" After years of ups and downs in the officialdom, he understands that the timing is very important, too early or too late, it doesn't matter. Later, Yuan Shikai sent a telegram to the court, saying that he was "sick" all over his body, not only his old leg was not healed, but his left arm was also broken, and he had asthma, fever and high blood pressure.However, once he was able to work sick, he would go out to work immediately. (...Your old foot disease has not yet healed. Last winter, I pulled my left arm again, and sometimes I felt severe pain...In autumn, I have a sudden cold, and I have phlegm and wheezing, which is the old symptom of burning, covered with dizziness and palpitations, Thinking in a trance... Once you can support it, you will say it when you are sick. ——Yuan Shikai Memorial)

Although Zaifeng's brain is not turning fast, he is not too stupid.He knew that Yuan Shikai's excuse for refusing to come out of the mountain must be to ask for conditions.Well, I'd like to see what tricks you can come up with.Xu Aiqing, go and have a face-to-face talk with Yuan Shikai to find out what Yuan Shikai thinks.So, ten days after the Wuchang Uprising broke out, Yuan Shikai's old friend Xu Shichang came to Nanyang by special train. After the two of them met, they didn't say any pleasantries such as the weather is good today, you seem to have gained weight, etc. It was not a joke at all.Xu Shichang asked directly: "What price do you plan to ask the court?" Yuan Shikai smiled emotionally: "Brother Ju, you still understand me!" Then he took out a sorted list, which read:

1. Congress will be held next year; 2. Organize the responsible cabinet; 3. Tolerate all those involved in this incident and release the political prisoners in custody; 4. Lift the party ban; 5. Yuan Shikai must be appointed to command the land and water armies and have full authority over the establishment of the army; Sixth, Yuan Shikai must be given sufficient military expenses. Obviously, this was carefully planned by Yuan Shikai's staff.The first four conditions are used to win people's hearts and establish a united front with relevant people.Yuan Shikai was regarded as a leftist at the time, so uniting the leftists (constitutionalists) and the extreme leftists (revolutionary party) and isolating the extreme rightists (the imperial court) as much as possible became a magic weapon for him to establish a united front. The opening of the National Assembly and the organization of the responsible cabinet are not only to realize their own political ideals, but also to speak for the increasingly powerful constitutionalists. Tolerate those who participated in this incident, release the political prisoners in custody, and lift the ban on the party, which is to say good things for the revolutionary party. But this request is really bold. Everyone in the country knows that protecting the "rebellion" and other demolition actions is to slap the imperial court in the face, and the imperial court is the most concerned about face. Whoever dares to slap it in the face will be killed by it!Many politicians know that this is a tiger's butt, and they dare not touch it, so this project has always been blank.These few conditions of Yuan Shikai can be regarded as completely filling this gap. Objectively speaking, although the first four conditions have a strong purpose, they can be regarded as the conditions stipulated by a good politician to promote the progress of the country. The last two conditions are especially important, military power and money must be obtained.Everyone knows that talking about power and money is the easiest way to hurt feelings, but without power and money it is absolutely impossible. Xu Juren, who has worked with Yuan Shikai for many years, saw through the essence of these six conditions at a glance.Xu Juren's finger lightly landed on the sixth condition: "Xiang Cheng, should we add a sentence here, the six are indispensable, otherwise we will never leave the mountain?" After speaking, the two buddies who have fought side by side for many years laughed knowingly.Because they were very confident that Zaifeng would definitely agree to all the conditions. Zaifeng quickly saw Yuan Shikai's conditions, and his anger index immediately climbed to a record high: "Yuan Shikai, I'm going to tear you apart to vent my anger!" When Zaifeng was running away, Hunan and Shaanxi became independent. The incomparable astonishment contained the fury in Zaifeng's heart.He slowly calmed down.After calming down, he decided to meet Yuan Shikai's last two conditions. On October 27, 1911, the imperial court issued an edict to recall Yinchang, appointed Yuan Shikai as imperial envoy, and granted Yuan Shikai full authority to command all counter-insurgency troops. Yuan Shikai, whose six conditions are indispensable, still did not agree. Yuan Shikai and Zaifeng were in a stalemate. The house leak happens to rain all night, and there are always thousands of people beating on the broken drum. Two days later, on October 29, two major events occurred that upset the balance of the situation. The first thing is that Yan Xishan rebelled and Shanxi was restored. The second thing is that a mutiny occurred near Beijing, known in history as "Luanzhou military remonstrance". Zhang Shaozeng, Lan Tianwei, and Wu Luzhen, the "Three Heroes of Beiyang Non-commissioned Officers" mentioned earlier, launched a mutiny in Luanzhou, Hebei (now Tangshan), intercepted the imperial court's arms, and threatened the imperial court to establish a constitution.These three people put forward twelve requirements to the court, the core content of which was similar to the first four conditions mentioned by Yuan Shikai.In the end, he threatened Zaifeng that if he dared to say no, they would immediately rush to Beijing, there was no room for bargaining! These three are not kidding.They hold the new army in their hands, and under their command are a vigorous battalion commander like Feng Yuxiang and an awesome soldier like Han Fuju. They are also close to the capital, and they can hit Beijing if they are not careful. Two consecutive incidents occurred in the confidant of the north, and the high-level officials of the imperial court could no longer keep calm.The Empress Dowager Longyu planned to take Puyi to run away, of course she herself declared that she was going hunting in Rehe (Northern Hunting). The empress dowager and the emperor were about to run away, so Zaifeng couldn't sit still, he had to grab Yuan Shikai at straw. Zaifeng informed Yuan Shikai that I agree to all your conditions. Zaifeng didn't fool Yuan Shikai, he changed his dilly-dallying way of doing things, and in the next few days, he solved the several requests made by Yuan Shikai very properly. First, disband the royal cabinet, appoint Yuan Shikai as the prime minister of the cabinet, and let him organize the cabinet leadership with full authority.They also crammed together and quickly drafted a draft constitution: "The Nineteen Articles of Major Articles of the Constitution". Then, the 6-year-old baby emperor Puyi issued an edict of guilt. Puyi said that the country has become like this because of my incompetence in employing people and my lack of skills in governing... I promise in the name of the emperor that a constitutional monarchy must be implemented immediately. Immediately, Puyi made a decree, promising that relatives and nobles would not serve as ministers of state, and promised to pardon all political prisoners since the "Reform of 1898". Zaifeng agreed to all of Yuan Shikai's conditions, and Yuan Shikai naturally had to fulfill his promise quickly and stand up to turn the tide.After all, Yuan Shikai was still a courtier of the imperial court, and Yuan Shikai was never a heartless person. He immediately called the imperial court, saying that his feet had almost recovered, and he was in good physical condition to go to work. He enthusiastically persuaded the queen mother and the emperor to stay in the capital, and set off immediately to supervise the battle at the front.