Chapter 21 Eleven in Beifu

After I said those beautiful words, I hurried into the gate of Beifu guarded by the national army.I sat down in my father's study, thinking that I was not in the palace, but in the tiger's mouth.The first thing I have to do now is to find out how dangerous my situation is.Before I left the palace, I asked someone to send a letter to those "official officials" outside the palace, telling them to try their best to rescue me from the grasp of the national army.At this time, not only was there no news about their running situation, but they also had no way of knowing any news from outside.I really want to find someone to discuss it, even if I hear a few words of comfort.In this situation, my father has disappointed me immensely.

He was more panicked than I was.From the moment I entered Beifu, he never stood up properly, let alone sat quietly.He was walking up and down muttering to himself, or running in and out in a panic, which made the atmosphere extremely tense. Later, I couldn't bear it anymore and begged him to say: "My lord, sit down and discuss it! You have to find a way, first ask about the outside news!" "Think of a way? Good! Good!" He sat down, and within two minutes, he suddenly stood up again, "Zai Xun is not showing his face either!" turned up. "I have to inquire about the news!"

"Hold, ask for news? Good, good!" He walked out, and walked in again in a blink of an eye, "No outside, no going out! There are soldiers at the gate!" "Call!" "Call, call, good, good!" After walking a few steps, he came back and asked, "Who are you calling?" I saw that there was really no other way, so I asked the eunuch to pass on the ministers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to come in.At this time, Rong Yuan, the minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was admitted to a foreign hospital and was treated for mental illness (it came out after two months), Qi Ling was busy moving my clothes, dealing with the problems of the palace supervisor and maid, and Baoxi was taking care of me before leaving the palace. Of the two concubines, only Shaoying was left by my side.His situation was not much better than the prince's, and he didn't make a single call.Fortunately, other princes and ministers and masters came one after another, otherwise the panic in the Beifu would not know how far it would go.The news that Johnston brought in the evening was the best: After his travels, the chief ministers of the diplomatic corps, the Dutch Odenko, the British minister Marklei, and the Japanese minister Yoshizawa had already lodged a "protest" to Wang Zhengting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Regent Cabinet. I assured them the safety of my life and property.This news had a calming effect on the people in Beifu, but for my father, it seemed that the "dose" was not enough.Johnston described that night in his book:

Another act of my father that night particularly displeased me. Not long after Johnston arrived, Zheng Xiaoxu arrived with two Japanese.Since the donation for the "Tokyo Earthquake", the Japanese Legation in Dongjiaomin Lane has communicated with my "stock peptides". After Luo Zhenyu and Zheng Xiaoxu came to the Forbidden City, they also communicated with the Japanese military camp.At this time, Zheng Xiaoxu and Takashi Takemoto of Dongjiaomin Lane negotiated a plan. Takemoto's adjutant, Captain Zhonghei Matsu, put on plain clothes and took a doctor with him, pretending to take me to the hospital, and transport me out of Beifu and into the Japanese barracks. .Zheng Xiaoxu took Captain Zhongping and Japanese doctor Murata to Beifu and told their strategy, but they were unanimously opposed by princes, ministers and masters.They thought it was difficult to get past the soldiers at the gate with this method. Even if they got past them, there were National Army sentries on the street. If they were discovered, it would be even worse.My father's attitude was the most intense, and his objection was as follows: "Even if Feng Yuxiang came to me to ask for someone, what should I do?" As a result, Zheng Xiaoxu and the Japanese were sent out of the gate.

On the next day, the access control in Beifu was suddenly tightened, and only entry was allowed, and no exit was allowed.Later, it was relaxed a bit, and only masters Chen and Zhu and the Minister of Internal Affairs were allowed to enter and leave, and foreigners were not allowed to enter at all.All of a sudden, the people in the Beifu panicked again, because since the national army didn't take foreigners seriously, there was no insurance for them.Later, the two masters analyzed it and believed that there has never been an authority that is not afraid of foreigners. Wang Zhengting made a guarantee to the ministers of the three countries, and he expected that he would not overthrow it.Everyone listened and thought it was reasonable, but I was still not at ease.The words are good, but who knows what the soldiers at the gate think?There was a saying in those days: "When a scholar meets a soldier, he can't explain the reason!" No matter how Huang Yu and Wang Zhengting made sure, the person closest to me with the murder weapon was the soldier at the door.In case they break out, I'm afraid that all guarantees will not work.The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. I regretted not going out with the Japanese brought by Zheng Xiaoxu. At the same time, I also blamed my father for only thinking about himself, but not my safety.

At this time, Luo Zhenyu came back from Tianjin.He traveled to Tianjin to ask for help when Feng Jun took over the inner city guards.When he arrived at the headquarters of the Japanese garrison troops in Tianjin, Jin Zi, the staff officer of the headquarters, told him that Lu Zhonglin had entered the palace, and the Japanese commander told him to find Duan Qirui.During this period, Qirui also received a telegram from Zheng Xiaoxu from Takemoto Residence in Beijing asking for help.Duan Qirui sent a telegram against Feng Yuxiang's "forced palace".Luo Zhenyu read the telegram, understood that Duan Qirui was about to leave the mountain, and felt that the situation was not that serious, but he still asked the Japanese Army Command to come forward for "protection".The Japanese Army Command told him that Takemoto in Beijing would often have a solution.According to the instructions of the Japanese Garrison Headquarters, he returned to Beijing to find Osumi Takemoto. Osumi Takemoto asked him to tell me that the Japanese cavalry would patrol the vicinity of Beifu. measure".Chen Baochen also told me that the Japanese barracks wanted to send Japanese military carrier pigeons to Beifu for the purpose of calling the police (later, because they were afraid that the national army would know, they dared not accept them), so my "feelings" for the Japanese developed a step further.In this way, Luo Zhenyu gained the same status as Zheng Xiaoxu in my heart, while the prince was pushed further away.

I saw Duan Qirui accusing Feng Yuxiang of "forcing the palace" and heard the news that Feng Jun was about to merge with Feng Junhuo. These two things brought me new hope.At the same time, Chen Baochen brought me Duan Qirui's secret telegram from the Japanese military camp, which said: "The royal family will spare no effort to maintain and preserve property." Then the gate control was further loosened, allowing more princes and ministers Even the clan members and others came in, and even Hu Shi, who had no "reputation" and "fame", was not stopped, only Johnston still refused to let in.

Soon, the relationship between Zhang and Feng, which Beifu was most concerned about, had a new development, and news came that Feng Yuxiang was detained by the Fengjun in Tianjin.Although it turned out to be a rumor later, the people in Beifu were encouraged by the news that followed: the Huangbu Regency Cabinet supported by the National Army had a banquet for the envoy of Dongjiaominxiang in Beijing, but it was rejected.Beifuli optimistically estimated that the lifespan of the regent cabinet, which I can't get along with, is almost at the end of its lifespan, and Duan Qirui, whom Dongjiaominxiang (at least the Japanese) prefers, will naturally replace him.Sure enough, the news the next day confirmed Luo Zhenyu's intelligence, and Feng Yuxiang had to agree with Zhang Zuolin's decision to let Duan Qirui go out.Not many days later, both Zhang and Duan came to Beijing.The situation of those few days was recorded in Zheng Xiaoxu's diary as follows:

As soon as the news of Duan and Zhang's cooperation came out, the atmosphere in Beifu changed.The princes first secretly wrote a letter to Zhang Zuolin, asking for his protection.After Zhang and Duan entered Beijing, the princes and princes sent representatives to welcome Zheng Xiaoxu together, and then carried out activities separately.Zheng Xiaoxu went to find Duan Qirui, and Zhang Wenzhi, the housekeeper of Beifu, went to see Zhang Zuolin, his friend.What pleased Beifu most was that Zhang Zuolin asked Zhang Wenzhi to specially invite Johnston to visit.As a result, Johnston made two trips.The purpose of Zhang Zuolin looking for Johnston was to find out Dongjiaominxiang's attitude towards him through Johnston, and Beifuli hoped to find out Zhang Zuolin's attitude towards me through Johnston.I had John Toton bring a signed photo of me, a big diamond ring.Zhang Zuolin left a photo, returned the ring, and expressed sympathy.At the same time, Duan Qirui expressed to Zheng Xiaoxu that he could consider restoring the preferential conditions.With the "sympathy" of Dongjiaominxiang and the support of these two figures in power, although Feng Yuxiang's national army is still in Beijing, the people in Beifu have dared to "counterattack".

On November 28, the day after the national army at the gate withdrew and Feng Yuxiang resigned by telegram, Beifuli issued an official letter to the National Ministry of Internal Affairs in the name of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: Here is a special letter to declare: All the five conditions of the arbitrary amendments of the cabinet, clearing the room, cannot be considered valid according to legal principles. ... At the same time, an official letter appealing to foreign ministers for support was issued.Regarding the "Clear House Rehabilitation Committee" formed when the Cabinet was established, although representatives of the Qing House had attended several meetings, they have now denied it.

On this day, a reporter from the Japanese-run "Suncheon Times" came to visit me, and I made a statement to him, which was completely contrary to what I said on the day I left the palace: "Suncheon Times" is a Japanese business newspaper under the control of the Japanese Legation.Speaking of the "enthusiasm" of the Japanese towards me at that time, this newspaper must not be ignored.It's not like Takemoto Daizumi doing everything in secret, but relying on its privileges to yell openly and do its best to sensationalize people's ears.From the second day I entered Beifu, the "Suncheon Times" continuously sent out news and comments with infinite "sympathy" for the "royal family" and infinite "anger" for the regent cabinet and the national army.It uses a lot of words such as "forced palace" and "difficulty", as well as metaphors such as "Mount Taishan pressing eggs", "bullying widows and orphans", "kidnapping", etc., vigorously exaggerating and fabricating "banner people committing suicide one after another", Stories such as "Suspicion in Mongolia and Tibet" and so on, even made up "a concubine shed blood and died in the Qing Dynasty", "Concubine Shu cut off her finger in blood and was willing to guard the palace gate with her body" and "Concubine Shu sent out climbing wheels to prevent boarding the car" amazing anecdote.Although other foreign-language newspapers have published similar texts, they are far inferior to the "Suncheon Times".

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