Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Desperation

"Now that the Gan army has entered the city, the emperor's safety is only at stake. Only by doing extraordinary things can the emperor be preserved and achieve a great cause that will be admired by all generations. Brother Weiting's troops rushed to Tianjin overnight to kill Ronglu , and then drove straight to the capital, surrounded the Summer Palace—” He didn't take a sedan chair when he went out of the palace, and rushed to the South Sea Guild Hall on horseback. He saw three steps, one post and five steps and one sentry on the street. They were all the soldiers of the yamen commanded by the infantry and the yamen servants of Shuntian Mansion. Lin Xu's heart was stuffed with a ball of rotten cotton wool, which made him uncomfortable.All the way without a word, I dismounted in front of the guild hall and went in. As soon as I entered the Dongkuayuan, Shoufu's sad and clear voice came to my ears with the wind: "When is the spring, autumn and moon? How much do you know about the past. The small building was blown by east wind last night, and the country is in a terrible state." Looking back at the moonlight. The carved railings and jade bricks should still be there, but the red face has changed. Asking how much sorrow you can have, it’s like a river of spring water flowing eastward.”

"Brother Bofu is too pessimistic, isn't it just Dong Fuxiang's two thousand Gan troops entering Beijing? It's a big deal. I don't believe Lafayette, she dares to do what to the emperor?!" Yang Shen's beautiful and clear figure dangled in front of the bright window , "Let me see, this is Lafayette frightened, and it's nothing to worry about. Just imagine that hundreds of millions of living beings in the world will not respond to the New Deal. Lafayette, she dares to sail against the current?" "Brother Yicun is right. .Brother Bofu, in my opinion, you should chant like this.” Wang Zhao leisurely paced and chant with a smile on his lips, “I was in trouble for a while, but one day there was a gust of wind and thunder, and the tiger rushed ten times with great strength. , the phoenix spreads its wings and flies, and you can tell the difference between the high and the low." Yang Rui and Lin Xu were listening under the eaves of the house, and suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind them, and when they looked back, they were Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao. .

"Brother Nanhai, what's the matter?" Wang Zhaowu stared at the sun slowly moving westward on the sky, and turned around to salute everyone when he heard the sound. "It's hard to find out the truth. But judging by the current situation outside, I'm afraid this accident won't be far away." Kang Youwei let out a long breath, pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, and spent a lot of time drinking tea before moving his eyes to scan Eyeing everyone, he said, "The emperor is in a dangerous situation. Whether it is for the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers, or for the future of the New Deal, we should do our best to save each other." The stubborn old-fashioned forces are huge, and it is difficult to carry out the New Deal to the end here. I just thought about it on the way back, and now the only option is to move the capital—”

"Move the capital?" Lin Xu's eyes flashed. "Yes, move the capital. Only in this way can we completely get rid of the obstruction of the stubborn old forces, carry out the New Deal to the end, and the emperor can turn the crisis into peace." Kang Youwei nodded, "Shanghai has developed sea and land transportation, and the people's wisdom is the most enlightened. I ask the emperor to move the capital here, what do you all think?" "Mountains and rivers are full of doubts and there is no way out, and there is another village under the willows and flowers. Brother Nanhai's plan is very clever! But with the emperor's permission, our great cause is just around the corner!" Yang Shenxiu clasped his hands excitedly and said.

"Governor Liu Kunyi of Liangjiang is open-minded, but the emperor can really make up his mind. With Liangjiang's material resources and manpower, what is there to be afraid of?!" Lin Xu couldn't hide his inner joy, and said with a smile on his face, "Brother Nanhai, I am sorry to trouble you. Write the booklet and hand it in. By the way, write down everyone’s names, this will help the emperor make an early decision.” "Yes, let's write the scriptures! Brother Yicun, you and I stroke the paper one by one, Brother Xiaobo, prepare your pen and ink—" Before Yang Shenxiu could finish speaking, Kang Guangren opened his mouth with a faint smile on his lips: "This method, although Good, but it is not feasible at all. The emperor's every move is under the control of Lafayette, how can he get out of the capital? How can he get to Shanghai?"

It was as if a bucket of cold water was poured on them, and everyone's hearts, which were just boiling, cooled down again.I don't know when the wind blew up outside, and the melancholy clouds were low, covering the courtyard with a gloomy and gray tone.I don't know how long it took, Kang Youwei took a heavy breath, glanced at the crowd with deep and stubborn eyes, and said: "In the name of luck, you can leave all the officials in the capital, and only bring a few capable officials with you to handle affairs. The relocation of the capital." "At this moment, how can we be lucky? Lafayette is insidious and cunning, is there any reason why he doesn't understand?"

Kang Youwei's eyes jumped sharply: "Cut first and play later! But what can the emperor do when he leaves the capital?!" "Brother, it's not a question of whether to leave now, but there is no possibility of leaving at all!" Kang Guangren sighed imperceptibly , holding two slender pale fingers intertwined, said, "There are Chongli infantry patrolling the yamen inside, and Dong Fuxiang's Gan army is watching over the outside. The emperor has no soldiers. It's not easy to leave safely?" "My generation At least there are thousands of people, how can the emperor not have a single soldier?!" Kang Youwei twitched his cheek muscles twice, and said with a stern smile at the corner of his mouth, "I gave up my life for this, and I want to protect the emperor. Safe and sound!"

"Brother thought, why don't I have it? But what do we have? Guns? Cannons? We want to fight those soldiers with bare hands. Isn't this hitting a stone with an egg?!" Kang Guangren swallowed, "It's not good to make trouble, Your Majesty You will really be killed because of this!" "A majestic man of seven feet, don't you feel blushed when you grow up with other people's aspirations and destroy your own prestige?! Don't you feel that you have betrayed the emperor's favor?! Those who are afraid of death say it outright. Kang Youwei is alone, and he wants to let the emperor leave Capital!"

"Brother, you—" "Brother Xiaobo!" Liang Qichao stopped Kang Guangren with winks, bit his lips with fine white teeth, and said in a deep thought, "Teacher, don't be impatient. The more critical the situation is, the less we can mess ourselves up. What Brother Xiaobo said is not true." There is no reason, although the teacher is good at worrying about the country and the king, there are only tens of thousands of old-fashioned troops inside and outside the capital, and my generation counts one as ten, which is useless. Taking a step back, even if they leave the capital, can the Ronglu and Beiyang armies allow the emperor to go south? Zhuo Ru thought that the matter of protecting Nanxing would really work... it wouldn't work." Kang Youwei stared at Liang Qichao with scorching eyes, and asked coldly: "If this doesn't work, then tell me what will work." Is it okay?! Should we stop with stillness?!" Without waiting for Liang Qichao to say anything, Kang Youwei continued, "It's not that we don't want to be quiet now, it's that Lafayette forced us to have no room for silence! I've made up my mind, you don't have to Besides, brother Yicun, please help me." Yang Shenxiu looked at Kang Youwei with eyes like ancient wells, vented his depression in his chest and let out a long breath, although he moved his legs to the front of the table, he said with his mouth: "Brother Nanhai, this Zheziyi Village just... don't write it."

"You...you..." Kang Youwei's forehead suddenly became red with veins, he glanced at everyone, and said angrily, "How does the emperor treat you? You touch your chest! The emperor is in a dangerous situation now, and he expects you to contribute your strength and wisdom, but you are all lying False words—” "According to Brother Nanhai's words, don't we all become heartless people?" Liu Guangdi forced a smile, tossed a big braid behind his head, and said as he paced back and forth. "Being loyal to the king and serving the country, Pei Village and others are always in their hearts. The reason for this is not to pity their own lives, but to think about the emperor and the future of the New Deal. But giving up Pei Village's life can keep the emperor safe and can The Baoxin policy was implemented smoothly, and Pei Village did not hesitate, so he cut off his head and presented it.” A gust of cool wind blew in, and the window paper rustled uncomfortably, and the room was eerily silent for a moment.Kang Youwei stroked his shoulders as if he couldn't bear the cold, and he had time to drink a cup of tea when he heard the bleak sound of falling leaves outside the courtyard. Fang moved his lips and said, "Then according to Brother Pei, what should we do now?"

"It's better to stop with silence." Liu Guangdi coughed twice, his thin face was expressionless, and said, "Lafayette hurriedly transferred Dong Fuxiang's department to Beijing, only when I waited for a while and did it too aggressively, she I was afraid in my heart, lest it would be bad for her. But I waited to slow down, thinking that she would not be in danger. The reform was supported by hundreds of millions of souls inside, and the British and French powers responded outside. Although Lafayette was greedy and cunning, She is scheming but she is seasoned, so she will definitely not ignore this situation indifferently." "Lafayette is erratic, changes from day to day, and no one can say for sure about dangerous things." Shou Fu listened quietly from the side, and then interjected, "So she won't take it indifferently, with Li Lianying around Instigated by my side, I'm afraid—this person's ability should not be underestimated." Bo Disu bowed slightly, and adjusted the corner of his robe: "Li Lianying's ability to call the wind and rain by Lafayette's side cannot be underestimated, but it's all about trivial matters. It seems that Lafayette must have his own opinion on such a matter of fate." He said and looked at Liu Guangdi, "An Zhu thinks it is feasible to stop with silence. If we only wait for this, Lafayette will wait for a long time. If you can't bear your temper, I'm afraid you will really risk the displeasure of the world. Therefore, Anzhu thinks that the surface can be kept a bit, but the inside should be improved." "Yes, what An Zhu said is very true." Liang Qichao nodded thoughtfully, "If you just keep quiet, sooner or later there will be changes—" Before the words fell to the ground, the manager of the guild hall ran away without touching his feet. Come in, breathless: "Kangda...people, it's not good, outside...outside..." "What are you panicking about?!" Kang Youwei frowned, and walked to the window to look out. There were no ghosts in the yard, except for a few sparrows that rose and fell from time to time in the shade of the trees looking for food. The sound of footsteps hurriedly came from outside the moon cave, "What happened?!" "Return to the adults." The manager of the guild hall tried his best to suppress his beating heart, bowed and said to Qian'er, "A group of soldiers came outside the guild hall, and the leader was an adult named Chong Li, who said he wanted to see—" Wuzi said Then, he stopped talking abruptly, pointed at the door of the Moon Cave and said, "Just... the one in the head, my lord." Chongli!Kang You frowned for thick eyebrows, pondered for a while, and ordered: "Go and tell him that I have not come back from outside." "grown ups--" "Go!" "Yes, yes." When the steward agreed to leave the house, the voice of Chongli from outside had already come in: "It is said that Mr. Kang is proud of his spring and his eyes are high above his head. Seeing him today, his real name is well-deserved." Sick face, upside-down broom eyebrows, only eyes gleaming, exuding a vigorous spirit.Beating the bamboo fan of Concubine Xiang in his hand, he came into the room, glanced around, and said strangely, "Oh, you are all here, what are you discussing? Say, and then I said, I have heard for a long time that you are full of strategies for governing the country. I am busy and have no time to listen, so I am lucky to be able to enjoy my ears today." After finishing speaking, he intentionally or unintentionally stretched out his hand and pulled off the brand-new yellow mandarin jacket on his body, put the robe on the bed, and sat with his legs crossed. Kang Youwei bowed his hand slightly to invite An, and looked at Chongli with deep eyes, and said coldly: "I don't know if my lord is here, please forgive me for my negligence—" "You're welcome." Chongli closed and opened the fan in his hand, opened and closed again, without looking at Kang Youwei, and said with a smirk, "Didn't Brother Kang go out and haven't come back yet? Didn't he learn the technique of splitting from a strange person?" No way?" Kang Youwei coughed dryly, and stood in the middle with a gloomy face: "Your Excellency, I misheard, I mean that I am about to go out, I don't want to—" "Really?" Chongli raised his eyes and glanced at Kang Youwei, "Sit, sit down. Brother Kang is standing here, and I'm not sitting comfortably. I don't know where Brother Kang is going, but I just look at Kang. Almost everyone I know is here." "Humble job is so frustrating, why not go out for fun?" Kang Youwei had a look of disdain on his face.The muscles around Chongli's cheeks twitched twice, murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he smiled again in an instant: "Where is it? It's just that the city is not peaceful these days. Brother Kang is fine, it's better not to go out. If there is something good or bad, That would be a big injustice." "Thank you, my lord, for your concern, my humble position has its own reasons." Kang Youwei poured himself a cup of tea with a half-smile, and said unhurriedly, "The humble position is complicated, so you may as well speak up if you have something to do." "In this way, I'm afraid I won't be able to hear him again today. It's a pity, it's a pity, I don't know if there will be another chance in the future. Otherwise, I will regret it for the rest of my life." His voice was somewhat gloomy.When Kang Youwei listened, he felt a chill soaking into his skin, and his heart shrank into a ball. He tried to calm down his disturbed mood, and said, "Your Excellency is serious. Your Excellency has something to do, but please give me your instructions. I'm humble——" "Brother Kang, I don't know what to do with your knowledge, but it seems like you should learn how to treat guests for three to five years—" Hearing the chiming clock in the corner of the room rustle and hit twice, it was not the right time, Chongli stood up ponderingly, stretched his body, and said, "It's nothing to say, it's just for the safety of Brother Kang. In the future, it's better for Brother Kang to stay in the library. If you really want to go out on something, just wait and see." The prophet will speak to the official to avoid accidents." "Thank you for your kindness, but I can't bear the humble position——" "Brother Kang can't afford it, who else can afford it now?" Chongli smiled sinisterly, "Lafayette Yizhi, I hope Brother Kang will cooperate fully, and don't make any unpleasant things happen." , he glanced at the crowd, "You are also the pillars of the country, in this turbulent time, you should take pity on your family and life!" "Thank you!" "You don't need to thank me, this is my duty. I just hope that you can understand my situation, and don't make it difficult for me." He gave up his hand, "Everyone, please!" Everyone looked at each other When I glanced at it, I felt my heart suddenly drop. "Your Excellency is busy with official business, please go first if you have something to do." Liang Qichao frowned, and spoke first after a long while, "There are still some things to do with humble ranks—" "What is it?" "Is there a need to answer?" Seeing Chongli's arrogant face, Tan Sitong couldn't help but asked in a cold voice. "Yes, very much!" There was a sinister smile on the corner of Chongli's mouth, "It's about everyone's lives, Brother Tan, dare you say it's not necessary?" Seeing that Tan Sitong moved his lips and wanted to speak, Liang Qichao hurriedly said: "The emperor ordered the humble office to establish a translator. Bookstore, there are still some specific matters to discuss with you.” "I'm waiting for the emperor's decree, and I have a few words to ask Kang Youwei." Yang Rui only cared about what the audience said, remembering that Guangxu's secret decree was still in his bosom, and hurriedly said. "What is the decree?" Chongli's eyes flickered faintly. "Your Excellency has been on the job for many years, the rules will never be forgotten, right?" Lin Xu couldn't bear the depression in his chest, and said bluntly, "This decree—" "I don't need you to teach these rules." Chongli frowned. He fell down, as if wanting to get angry, gritted his white teeth and muttered for a while, but said, "At an extraordinary time, you should deal with it in an extraordinary way. This is Lafayette's will. How dare you disobey it?!" "Don't dare. Only the emperor's decree, even a lowly official dare not disobey!" "You use the emperor to suppress me?!" "Humble job doesn't mean that." "Okay, very good!" Chongli stared at Lin Xu with gloomy eyes, "Since it is the emperor's decree, I should avoid it. If you don't know the meaning in a moment, don't blame me for being rude." !” As he spoke, he glanced at Yang Shenxiu and the others, “Please come back first, everyone!” The sound of footsteps was like a heavy hammer hitting everyone's hearts.Liang Qichao looked up at the gray sky, let out a long breath, and said, "The situation looks more dangerous than we imagined." , gritted his teeth, "I won't leave, let's see what he dares to do to me?!" "Brother Fusheng, now is not the time to show off your fighting spirit!" Lin Xu looked at Tan Sitong with gloomy eyes, "If you are not careful, you will lose everything." After finishing speaking, he pointed to Kang Youwei and pointed at Yang Rui. "Brother Nanhai," Yang Rui took out the imperial paper from his bosom and said, "The emperor's secret decree." Kang Youwei stared blankly at the pale yellow sky outside the window, and after a while he came back to himself, looked at Yang Rui suspiciously, and stretched out his hand to take it. When I saw it, crystal tears could not help but burst out of my eyes: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." He let out a long breath with his face up, holding the imperial paper in one hand, shaking the fire pocket, and silently lit it until he watched it burn to ashes. In a blink of an eye, he said in an unquestionable tone, "No, I will never leave the capital! I will never leave the emperor!" "As the saying goes, if you keep the green hills, you are not afraid of no firewood." Yang Rui swallowed, "Brother Nan Hai, don't be stubborn, pack your luggage quickly, and get ready to leave the capital." Lin Xu coughed twice in unbearable coldness. Said: "Your Majesty has worked hard with good intentions, brother Nan Hai should respect his holy will." "The emperor is in a dangerous situation, and I, Kang Youwei, have been greatly favored. I don't want to repay you on this occasion, when will I wait?!" "Brother Nanhai can't figure out which is more important to serve you at this time or to serve you in the future? Your majesty—" Before Yang Rui's words fell, Kang Youwei waved his hand to stop, and said: "If the majesty is not here, he will have the heart to serve you, so why not?" The door of service? I have always taught people to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, but at this moment, I abandon the emperor and run away, how will the world think?" "Brother Nanhai—" "There is no need to persuade, Nanhai has made up his mind and will never change!" Kang Youwei paced back and forth two steps, "Chongli's behavior today shows that Lafayette will do something day and night. It is impossible to stop. I would like to ask the emperor to move the capital to Shanghai, and all the officials in the capital will not be taken, and the emperor will be alone, and I will wait for the guard to go south." "Brother Nanhai—" "It's up to people." Kang Youwei bit his lower lip with his fine white teeth, and almost jumped through the gaps between his teeth, "Tigers still have a time to take a nap, let alone people?! The capital is so big, I don't believe it, so there is no gap for us But after leaving the capital, I urgently told the governors of the provinces to send troops to the king, I think her Lafayette can have any good dramas to sing?!" "This is really the next strategy. It is a last resort. Don't do it rashly, Brother Nanhai." Lin Xu was so anxious that he wanted to jump out of his throat, "Although the situation in Beijing is dangerous, it is not that there is no other way. You can go—” "What way? Apart from braking with silence, what other way is there to go? Brother Tun Gu, the emperor is in danger, and there is no room for a moment's delay. If it really comes to that time, it will be too late to regret it!" The chiming bell rustled unhurriedly, scratching at Lin Xu's heart like invisible claws, his lips moved to speak, and all he could say was already spoken, in desperation, the general was full of longing His eyes turned to Liang Qichao. Liang Qichao frowned: "This matter—" "There is still another way to try." Halfway through the conversation, Tan Sitong opened his mouth suddenly.Like a drowning person suddenly seeing a wooden stick, everyone focused their eyes on him: "What way? Brother Fusheng, tell me quickly." "Yuan Shikai!" "he?" "Yes." Tan Sitong nodded heavily, "Yuan Shikai has tens of thousands of new troops under his command. They are well-armed and well-trained. They are far from being able to defend against the corrupt Dong Fuxiang and Nie Shicheng's troops. But if he is willing to serve the emperor, he will be at ease. "Yes, yes, I was so dizzy that I forgot about him." Lin Xu looked excited, raised his hand and left his glossy long braid behind him, and said, "Yuan Shikai has just been favored by the emperor. , to reward the servant, I must be grateful to the emperor, if I can make him feel grateful, it will be the blessing of the country and the emperor!" "Yuan Shikai is smooth, but for the sake of fame and fortune, he can do anything—" "He is greedy for fame, so I asked the emperor to treat him as a military officer, and I am afraid that he will not give up on doing things for the emperor? I think this is feasible!" Kang Youwei did not wait for Liang Qichao's words to fall, and hurriedly interjected, "Brother Fusheng, I mean Yuan Shikai still troubles you to take a walk, I don't know what to do?" "But if you can save the emperor, save the New Deal, and come back to life, you will go through fire and water. I just don't know that Brother Nanhai is going to come back to life—" There was a smile on the corner of Kang Youwei's mouth, he paced back and forth two steps, and said, "Go to Tianjin and ask Yuan Shikai's speed troops to enter Jingqin King!" He coughed lightly, gritted his teeth, and said, "Tell him to surround the enemy first." Summer Palace, get rid of Lafayette, the snake has no head, just get rid of her, don't worry about those stubborn conservative forces not only follow the emperor's orders!" "This matter—" Tan Sitong frowned, and swallowed. He said, "If you want Yuan Shikai to surround the Summer Palace and put Lafayette under house arrest, maybe it can be guided by reason, and we can discuss it. But if you want him to kill Lafayette with his hands, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he won't agree." "It doesn't matter. As long as he agrees to encircle the Summer Palace, Lafayette will be like a frog in a well or a turtle in a urn. If he doesn't need to take action, we are enough." Kang Youwei's dark eyebrows were bunched together, and he paced back and forth, saying, "I Please go down and tidy up, and leave tonight." After finishing speaking, he leaned out of the window and looked at the moon cave door, Kang Youwei turned to look at Liang Qichao, and asked, "How is the translation bookstore?" Liang Qichao was stunned. Next, Fang said with a wry smile: "Everything has been prepared for a long time, and the only thing I owe is Dongfeng. The emperor's previous decree is 20,000 taels for the start-up, and 3,000 taels a month. I can only annoy those court officials in the Ministry of Accounts and prevaricate in every possible way—— " "What about now? Didn't you just pass by again?" "Fortunately, Sun Jianai, the minister of education, Mr. Sun, finally agreed to start with 10,000 taels of funding. But the situation is so far, the establishment of the translation bookstore seems to be—" he said with a long sigh. "Where's the money?" Kang Youwei raised his thick eyebrows, as if he was meditating on something, Liang Hao nodded thoughtfully, and asked, "Can you bring it up?" "Not yet. They said that the time will pass. Teacher——" Kang Youwei glanced at the corner of the room and rang the bell: "Go over here and take out the silver, so that it can be used for processing." "Get some time?" "Although the emperor has no power, the great powers have a good impression of him. Brother Fusheng went to Yuan Shikai's place, and we will not be idle. We will contact the envoys of various countries in Beijing separately, and ask them to intervene at the critical moment to ensure the safety of the emperor. Your Majesty is safe. Zhuo Ru is familiar with Rong Hong, you can ask him to ask for help from the beautiful envoy, Brother Tun Gu—" before the words fell, Chong Li came in from the Moon Cave Gate with a few guards, with a knife hanging from his waist and spurs on his feet There was a creaking sound, and from a distance, he said gloomyly: "It's time, everyone!" Kang Youwei looked at the crowd quickly: "You go down and hurry up, I will wait for news in the hall." After finishing speaking, he looked outside I nuzzled. The room was extremely quiet, the rustling of the leaves blown by the wind outside, and the monotonous and regular vibrating sound of the chime clock in the corner were clearly discernible.The sky was getting more cloudy, and the melancholy clouds were low, moving slowly eastward under the strong westerly wind. Kang Youwei stared quietly, feeling a coldness soaking into his skin, his heart clenched into a heap, and his complexion darkened. paler.After a long time, he slowly closed his eyes, and silently shed two lines of tears!Is it regret?Is it hate?Is it disappointment?Is it helpless?or is it... The situation in the city of Beijing is changing suddenly, swords are on the verge, and the battle between life and death between the old and the new is only in the blink of an eye, but the newly-organized army camp located in the small station is full of traffic and joyful scene!High-ranking officials, civil officials and military generals ride in sedan chairs or horses, and the price of revolving lanterns is tighter and tighter, and they can directly step on the threshold of the Xingyuan gate of Zhili, which is a foot high.According to the promotion of the inspector, the upright official system can only be promoted to the chief minister (also known as the vassal or the vassal), but Yuan Shikai was directly promoted to the minister. What does this mean?He can be released as the governor of a province outside the day, and he can be the minister of military affairs inside!How can these veteran officials not understand such a truth?Is there any reason to miss it?Xu Shichang stepped down from the dismounting stone in front of the screen wall of Xingyuan, and didn't go in immediately, but just watched quietly on the spot.Seeing in the shadow of the lights and candles, Ding Dai Hua Ling came in or out, erratically, it made him feel sour. "My lord, Wanfu Jin'an!" A soldier saw him approaching, and hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Which yamen is my lord congratulating? Your surname?" Xu Shichang had been "on the bench for ten years" in the Imperial Academy, until the tenth year he finally had a turning point.Yuan Shikai asked him to also take charge of the general office of the new army's inspection of the whole army's staff, military affairs and battalion.During his military training at Xiaozhan, firstly he was trusted and respected by Yuan Shikai, he obeyed and called him brother; secondly, he was born in Hanlin and was respected by the generals, but he did it with gusto.Hearing the soldier's words, Xu Shichang came back to his senses, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said, "Are you new here? I'm Xu Shichang!" "My lord, please. I'm too young to know Taishan, and I hope you will forgive me." The soldier looked Xu Shichang up and down, hurriedly smiled and beat him deeply, got up and gave up his hand, and stood beside him. Xu Shichang followed behind him step by step, and said, "Our servant is enjoying himself in the back garden." "Isn't this a long time ago?" Xu Shichang just entered the threshold, and couldn't help stopping his feet when he heard the sound. Looking back at the soldier, he said in surprise, "You still having fun?" After a while, the master will go to Beijing to be a military aircraft." "Military aircraft?" "The old men say that, can there be any mistakes? What do you think, my lord?" "Well—yes, yes, that's natural." Xu Shichang nodded in response, stopped talking, turned around and walked forward.Walk westward for thirty to fifty meters along the chaoshou corridor, turn southward, and you will find the back garden.As soon as I came in, I saw dozens of people in the courtyard crowded with oily faces. In the middle of an empty field, eight female actresses moved lightly with lotus steps, dancing lightly, singing in a graceful voice: The spring breeze is full of flowers and plants, and the garden is full of fragrance, and the horse is tied to the weeping willow.Peach red willows reflect the pond.It is worthy of sightseeing, and the mandarin ducks sleep in the sand.It is suitable for eyes, rain and yin and yang, and Bixishi puts on heavy makeup lightly.The jade girl plays, the beautiful woman sings, in the Hushan hall, why not eat and get drunk... Yuan Shikai was wearing brand-new robes, and he was lying on the bamboo grand master's chair with a slanted body, a long glossy braid was thrown behind the chair, and the Xiangfei bamboo fan in his hand slapped the palm of his hand with music. "Brother Wei Ting." With a smile on the corner of Xu Shichang's mouth, he called softly behind Yuan Shikai. "Well. Sit down." Seeing Yuan Shikai's indifferent expression, Xu Shichang's displeasure flashed imperceptibly, he stretched out his hand and sat down beside Yuan Shikai, and said calmly: "Brother Wei Ting usually hates this ditty the most, why is it so suddenly?" As if fascinated——" "Brother Juren!" Yuan Shikai was stunned and exclaimed, and sat up straight, "I'm so rude, I'm used to these things on weekdays, and I don't know how to report them, and invite Juren Brother, don't take offense." Saying this, he got up and left his seat. "How can Juren deserve such courtesy from Brother Weiting? Sit down, sit down quickly." Xu Shichang had a smile on his face in an instant, "Brother Weiting was promoted to be a servant, but it's a pity that Juren is not here, and I will look forward to him if he doesn't show proper etiquette. Duoduo——" "Where is my brother still saying these kind words? Come on, drink this cup first!" Yuan Shikai drank it down with his neck up, and when everyone had already sipped, he raised his hand to signal to sit down, and said, "Brother Juren is going to be the main examiner of the township examination this time. I think he will gain a lot of money, right?" "How could Xu Zhijing's son, Brother Wei Ting, not know about it? Even if Juren has a heart, he has no guts." He sighed a long time after speaking. "Having had the first time, are you still worried about the next time?" "Life in the seventies has been rare since ancient times, and the young are removed before and after the old. In the middle, there is not much time, and there are scorching frosts and troubles. Chrysanthemum people are afraid that there is no hope." He poured a glass of wine and drank, with a faint smile on his mouth, looking at Looking at Yuan Shikai, Xu Shichang went on to say, "Brother Wei Ting is proud of his spring breeze, and he is an extremely human minister only in the morning and evening—" Before he finished speaking, Yuan Shikai waved his hands repeatedly and interjected: "Brother Ju was joking. Don't say that Wei Ting is not If you dare to have such delusional thoughts, what if it is true in the future?" Yuan Shikai stopped talking abruptly when he saw his confidant Feng Guozhang rushing from the Chuihua Gate with a panicked look on his face. Feng Guozhang's slender face was covered with dense sweat, and while bowing to greet him, he panted, "Brother, no...it's not good...Nie..." "Why panic?!" Yuan Shikai tried his best to calm himself , glanced at Feng Guozhang coldly, "Look at you, do you still look like a commander?!" "Little brother—" "Say, what's the matter?!" "Brother, Nie Shicheng, Wu Yijun, and Dong Fuxiang's Ganjun are setting up camp ten miles away from the small station." Yuan Shikai was overwhelmed and shivered at night: "What's the noise outside?" "I heard it was to prevent the Boxers from fleeing into the capital." "Fuck his grandma! The Boxers didn't guard Tianjin, but they came to our place. He doesn't know—" "Shizhen!" "Brother, people are good at being bullied, and good at horses are being ridden by others. If you say something, I will lead my brothers to drive all these sons of bitches out of the station!" "Have you said enough?!" Yuan Shikai's eyes burst into flames, his hands clenched into fists trembled slightly, and the anger in his heart shot up one by one.However, when Xu Shichang was in a hurry to wink over while moving his eyes, he hesitated and pressed down again.The blind-eyed Wang Shizhen shouted in a heavy tone. "Brother, could it be—" Wang Shizhen looked at Yuan Shikai in a daze, and murmured with his lips moving, "Could it be that you can swallow this breath...they are..." "Shut up!" Yuan Shikai squinted Wang Shizhen and coughed dryly, the anger on his face had disappeared without a trace, "Zhiquan (duan Qirui's word), you take my post to see Mr. Nie first, see what he needs , to help with all our strength. Master Nie's defense against the Boxer bandits this time is related to the safety of the country, and there must be no slightest negligence!" "Hey!" "The good atmosphere was disturbed by you!" Yuan Shikai glanced at Feng Guozhang, and looked at Zhou Zao with a smile on his face, "A misunderstanding made everyone laugh. Come, come, eat and drink. You are still stupid What are you doing in a daze?!" Although he was talking to himself, his mind was already gone.After finally getting to the top of the moon and sending everyone away, Yuan Shikai let out a long breath with melancholy eyes, and said, "Brother Ju, what's your opinion?" "Brother Weiting, what do you think?" Xu Shichang stood with his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky in the courtyard, and said calmly, "Do you feel that you can't swallow this breath?" Have you ever been so angry?!" Without waiting for Yuan Shikai to speak, Wang Shizhen gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, Rong Lu obviously can't trust you. If you don't take advantage of his foothold and defeat him in one fell swoop, there will be troubles in the future!" "Shizhen thinks that my new army is sure to win?" Xu Shichang said at a leisurely pace. "Compared with our new army, the Wu Yi Army and the Gan Army are nothing compared to our new army. How can they stand a single blow? Shizhen is willing to issue a military order. As long as the eldest brother speaks, the younger brother will lead his troops to arrest them—" Xu Shichang smiled lightly, shook his head lightly, and interjected: "Brother Shizhen, Wu Yijun and Gan Jun have added guns and guns, and their strength is far from what they used to be. Even if we really beat them back, with my ten thousand new ones Army, not to mention the millions of troops in the whole country, the garrison in Gyeonggi may be enough to reduce us to ashes!" Yuan Shikai's eyebrows trembled: "Brother Ju is very true." Xu Shichang raised his hand and stroked his chin He put down a sparse goatee: "But when we meet each other, the new army will not only fight against these two armies, but will fight against the whole country. Therefore, the only way now is to deal with them in order to—" "Zhou Xuan? How to Zhou Xuan?!" "Bastard!" Yuan Shikai shouted at Wang Shizhen with a gloomy face, "Brother Ju, go on." , lead the troops into King Qin!" Xu Shichang swallowed, and said in a low voice, "Lafayette has also heard about the strength of the new army. When the situation is in turmoil and between abandonment, Juren thinks that it is not a last resort, Lafayette is I can't bear to give up this elite division. So as long as Brother Wei Ting treats him calmly and lives in peace with the Nie and Dong armies, the new army will be safe." "This--" "Brother Yuan, if you are worried," Xu Shichang said in a deep voice, "the new army can be strengthened. In addition, the garrison on the southward retreat to Shandong is empty, and preparations can be made early." "Well——" Yuan Shikai took a long breath and moved Looking at Wang Shizhen and Feng Guozhang, he said, "Go back now, brothers, please keep your eyes open, he will miss me in the future, be careful, I will want his head!" "Hey!" "Also, don't act rashly without my order!" "Brother, what if—" "Those who disobey the order will be beheaded!" "Hey." Watching the two of them disappear outside the Chuihua Gate, Yuan Shikai stared at Xu Shichang with eyes like ancient wells, and asked in a low voice: "Brother Juren wants to comfort the pavilion calmly, how do you explain it?" Xu Shichang smiled imperceptibly He looked pale, coughed twice and said: "Didn't Juren make this very clear? Brother Yiwei Ting is talented, can't you figure it out?" "Brother Chrysanthemum, the comfort pavilion is only Lafayette's intention?" "This--" "Brother Juren, can you be happy?" Yuan Shikai's tadpole eyes were full of anxiety, "But if he can help Weiting through this crisis, Weiting will be settled in the future—" "My brother, you still say these kind words?" Xu Shichang His already half-grey eyebrows were raised, and he said with a long sigh, "In fact, this matter has a lot to do with it. The Ju people are afraid that they will miss Brother Wei Ting's future." Yuan Shikai smiled wryly: "How is my future now? Can’t see it? If you don’t think so, just say it.” Xu Shichang looked up at the moon that was gradually disappearing behind the clouds. He seemed to be meditating on something, but he didn't seem to think about anything. In a good afternoon, he glanced at Yuan Shikai and sighed: "Brother Wei Ting is really smart all his life, and he was confused for a while. Your Majesty Is the servant easy to do? But if Lafayette says a word, don’t say servant, I’m afraid your life will be in danger!” He glanced at Yuan Shikai, “But you’re good, if you don’t offer to resign, on the contrary——” "What can I do when people come to the door? I can't shut them all out." Yuan Shikai swallowed bitterly and said, "Actually, in Beijing, I feel a crisis looming.上盘旋，稍有差池就会大祸临头。”一阵瑟风掠过，满院气死风灯不安地抖动着，更平添了几分阴森气氛。 “慰亭兄此时回头，犹未晚矣。”徐世昌踱着步子继续说道，“你现下夹在皇上、老佛爷之中，是福是祸只在转眼之间，处理得好，定红得发紫，处理得不好，那可就——”他没有说下去，因为没有这个必要。 “老佛爷能力如何，慰亭心中岂会没数？只——”他犹豫了下，不安地扫眼周匝，用低得几乎蚊子嗡嗡般的声音说道，“只老佛爷年事已高，这多则五六年，少则不定一年光景，便会归西的。而皇上却春秋鼎盛。如今依着老佛爷没错，只日后但皇上独掌朝柄，会放过我吗？那时可就叫天天不应，叫地地不灵，唯等着皇上宰割了。”“左右逢源。这话慰亭兄忘了不成？”徐世昌抿嘴一笑，“明面上应着皇上，暗里听老佛爷吩咐，如此简单之事，慰亭兄不会做不来的。” “此事说来容易，只要做，却很难的。”袁世凯脸上掠过一丝红晕，低头轻咳两声，仰脸叹道，“不管皇上还是老佛爷，能容忍我这般做？要是他们听到风声，那我可就两头不落好，日子恐更难过了。在官场周旋这么多年，还从未碰到如此棘手的事情，不知是上天捉弄我袁世凯还是——” “不不不，不是上天捉弄慰亭兄，恰恰相反，是上天给了你一个千载难逢的机会。”徐世昌摇头晃脑，“如此机会，别人可是做梦都求之不得的呀。” “你又拿我取笑了。” “菊人句句发自肺腑，绝未有半点虚情。设若我换了慰亭兄你现下这位子，那我可早就烧香磕头、佛前还恩了。”徐世昌叹息一声，许久，微睨了袁世凯一眼，才道，“此事看似棘手，实则再简单不过了。一句话，诚心实意为太后，虚情假意待皇上。”因夜风渗骨，袁世凯掖了掖袍服，细碎白牙咬着嘴唇，说道：“我也这般想的，怕就怕——” “前怕狼后怕虎，这可不是你慰亭兄的性子。” “实在是此事关系匪浅呐。” “正因此慰亭兄方应早定心思。”徐世昌凝视着袁世凯，插口道。“但等风平浪静，慰亭兄以为会怎样？老佛爷睚眦必报，她会放过你吗？听菊人话，绝不会有错的。”他咽了一口口水，“慰亭兄以为皇上日后还有机会？错了！不说皇上皇位难保，此番只怕性命也——” “这……这是真的……” “慰亭兄以为菊人唬你？京师——”陡闻月洞门处脚步声起，徐世昌戛然止了口。袁世凯心中依旧一片空白，四边没有着落，痴痴思量着，半晌不闻徐世昌声音，抬眼却见一个亲兵已然在身前二三米远处，眉棱骨抖落了下，冷冷道：“大胆东西，谁要你进来的？！” “大人——”那亲兵霎时间两手捏得全是冷汗，怯怯地望眼袁世凯，迟疑下“扑通”一声跪了地上，叩响头道，“大人饶命……小的……小的斗胆亦不敢偷听大人说话的，是……是京里来了位姓谭的老爷，务必要见您，小的这……这才进……进来的……”说着，两手哆嗦着将手中名刺递了上去。袁世凯脑中陡地闪过谭嗣同的影子，惊讶地后退一步，烛光下剃得趣青的额头上已不禁渗出密密细汗。徐世昌犹豫了下，上前伸手接过名刺，却见上面写着： 军机章京上行走谭嗣同谨见袁公慰亭 “慰亭兄，是那个谭嗣同。” “嗯——”袁世凯身子针刺价哆嗦了下，满是惶惑的目光望着徐世昌一动不动，颤声道，“谭嗣同深夜来访，必是奉……奉了皇上旨意，这……该如何是好？” “当断不断，必留后患。慰亭兄——”兀自说着，一阵自鸣钟沙沙响划破长空传了耳际，徐世昌往月洞门处张望了眼，移眸扫眼袁世凯，说道，“慰亭兄莫再犹豫了。他若问话，你但只虚与委蛇，不着边际便是。”说罢，抬脚径自花厅西北角落处踱了过去。袁世凯十指交叉揉捏着，半晌，方无可奈何价缓缓点了点头。 “慰亭兄，复生这里有礼了。” “客气客气。”袁世凯脸上挤出一丝笑色，深深躬了下身子，“复生兄与暾谷兄几人尊为'四贵'，慰亭怎当得起你如此大礼？”说着，边将手一让示意谭嗣同坐了，边吩咐下人献茶。谭嗣同深邃的眸子边向四下审视着，边淡淡一笑说道：“慰亭兄这等时辰尚自园中把酒赏月，端的好雅性呐。” “哪里哪里，慰亭粗人一个，甚把酒赏月、吟诗赋词的事儿可做不来的。这是几个朋友过来热闹，方走不大工夫。”袁世凯不安地扫了眼西北角落阴影，干咳了声边自接壶与谭嗣同斟了杯茶，边笑道，“复生兄日理万机，有什么事儿叫奴才们知会声便是了，怎敢劳夜间惠临？”“彼此白天都忙，还是夜间得闲，可以静下心来谈谈心，你说呢？”谭嗣同收眸扫了眼袁世凯，端杯啜口茶徐徐咽下，道。“那是那是，只……只是要复生兄跑这么远的路，慰亭这心里可实在过意不去。”袁世凯似乎漫不经心地把玩着手中茶杯，问道，“敢问复生兄，京中现下情形怎样？” “不知慰亭兄想知道些什么？” “甚事儿慰亭这都想知道的。”袁世凯怔了下，嘿嘿一笑，说道，“待在这地方，消息便快也要三五日才过得来，如今新政如疾风骤雨，慰亭身为人臣，敢不时时挂在心上？”谭嗣同目不转睛地望着袁世凯，似乎想从他脸上看出些什么，久久没有言声。 袁世凯不安地挪了下身子：“复生兄——” 谭嗣同端杯啜着凉茶，目中炯炯生光地看着微微摇曳的灯烛，轻轻叹息了声，道：“新政推行，阻力甚大，皇上正为此犯愁呢。敢问慰亭兄，在你心中，皇上是怎样一位君主？” “一代明主。”袁世凯眼皮子倏地一颤。 “不错，只可惜生不逢时呐。”谭嗣同悠然踱了两步，收脚望着袁世凯，“董福祥甘军一部昨夜进了京城，慰亭兄可知道？”袁世凯惊讶地呼了声，仿佛真的茫然无知，喃喃道：“这怎么可……可能……” “千真万确！” “如此说来，皇上岂不——”似觉失口，袁世凯说着径自收了口。“不错，皇上目下危在旦夕。”谭嗣同沉重地点了点头，“慰亭兄不知心中有何打算？”袁世凯抬手摸摸在灯下闪着油光的额头，干咳两声，说道：“慰亭蒙主隆恩，但皇上用得上，慰亭敢不奉命。”“好！慰亭兄有此心思，实社稷之福、皇上之幸！”谭嗣同脸上掠过一丝笑色，凝神聆听了下，确信四周再无第三者后敛神正色道，“皇上密旨，工部右侍郎袁世凯跪接！” “奴才袁世凯恭迎圣旨！皇上万岁、万岁、万万岁！” 袁世凯心里直打翻了五味瓶价不是滋味，只声音却无比响亮。谭嗣同小心翼翼地探手怀中取出一只卧龙袋，很小心地掂了掂，轻轻放了袁世凯手上。仿佛手中托着座大山，袁世凯双手哆嗦了下，去了带子边缘金线，取密诏打开循光看时，却见上面龙飞凤舞地写道： 大学士、直隶总督荣禄抗拒朝廷，大逆不道，着即革去本兼各职，就地正法，所遗直隶总督一缺，着工部右侍郎、署直隶按察使袁世凯继任。This! “这——”袁世凯身子针刺价哆嗦着。 谭嗣同剑眉微蹙，两眼闪着寒光直视袁世凯：“慰亭兄觉得冷吗？！”陡闻谭嗣同问话，袁世凯忙不迭敛神连声道：“是——不不不，慰亭只没想到事情竟会发展到如此地步罢了。” “希望如此！”谭嗣同心中一股寒意慢慢升了起来，“慰亭兄受恩深重，值此之际，想也不会置皇上安危于不顾吧。”“复生兄这说哪儿的话了？我袁世凯是那种人吗？！”袁世凯腮边肌肉一颤，道，“我与复生兄同沐皇恩，救护之责，义不容辞！复生兄有话但讲，慰亭洗耳恭听。但能救皇上渡此难关，慰亭便上刀山下火海亦在所不惜！” “失礼之处，慰亭兄万万担待一二，实此关乎皇上、大清命运之大事，不能不慎之又慎。”谭嗣同深深躬了下身，一双眼睛幽幽地望着烛光，深不见底的瞳仁晦暗得像若隐若现的云层虚掩着的两颗星星，语气凝重道，“如今甘军入城，皇上安危只在旦夕之间。唯有行非常之事，方可保全皇上，成就万世瞻仰之伟业。慰亭兄统所部兵马，连夜赶奔天津，斩杀荣禄，尔后乘车直抵京师，包围颐和园——” 袁世凯听着，直惊出一身冷汗：“包围颐和园？” “你只率所部兵马包围园子，便是大功一件。”谭嗣同凝神审视着袁世凯，端起杯子用碗盖拨着浮茶，说道，“其他事情，不用你插手。” “复生兄，皇上可是要……要除掉老佛爷。”不知是胆怯，抑或是恐隔墙有耳，袁世凯的声音低得便身侧谭嗣同亦听不真切。凝视着袁世凯，良晌，谭嗣同摇头道：“皇上心怀仁念，虽老佛爷步步紧逼，然念抚育之恩，这等事儿终不忍做的。不过，拘禁老佛爷，皇上却应允了的。唯有如此，才能使变法维新永远无后顾之忧，才能实现我辈多年夙愿。事成论功，慰亭兄定功勋第一，相信凌烟阁内，定会为慰亭兄留块地方的。” 但真能成此大事，则出将入相、名垂青史唾手可得，只万一——那——袁世凯脸色急速变幻着，心中亦翻江倒海价折腾得难受。空气仿佛凝固了一般，直压得人便气也透不过来。谭嗣同凝视着袁世凯，一颗心亦紧张得直提了嗓子眼上。不知过了多久，不知哪间屋中自鸣钟沙沙一阵响，连撞了一十二下，已是子正时分。谭嗣同仰脸看了看天色，忍不住打破了这足以令人窒息的沉闷气氛：“慰亭兄。” “嗯？嗯──”袁世凯如梦中惊醒似懵懂了阵，好像要用清冽的凉气驱散一下胸中的烦闷，深深吸了一口气，徐徐吐将出来，缓缓说道，“没有皇上，便没有慰亭今日，能有此报效之机，慰亭真三生有幸。至于功名，却从未放在心上的。”天穹上，云层沉重而缓慢地向南移动。袁世凯仰望着神秘而变幻莫测的苍穹，半晌，方接着道，“不过，此事慰亭以为似乎……似乎不大可能……” “此话如何讲？！”谭嗣同眉棱骨抖落了下。 “总督衙门戒备森严，便我等见荣禄，亦不得带兵刃，想要杀他，谈何容易？”袁世凯目光望着西北角落，长叹了口气，“再者调运铁路车辆运兵，亦须北洋大臣手令而不可。故慰亭以为，还是天津阅兵时举事稳妥些。此时强而为之，难免不有差池，如此只会害了皇上。还请复生兄转奏皇上，袁世凯身受不次皇恩，粉身碎骨无以为报，但天津阅兵时，我定诛杀荣禄——” “慰亭兄以为能等到那时？”谭嗣同嘴角掠过一丝苦笑，“真要如此，皇上也不会要复生连夜到你处告急的，慰亭兄！” "This--" “慰亭兄但真为皇上，就不必有所顾忌。试想有皇上密诏，但登高一呼，还怕没有人响应？又何愁杀不了荣禄？” “说是这么说，只军中事情并非复生兄想象的那般简单。”袁世凯一手将一根油光水滑的大辫子向后一甩，踱着碎步道，“其他的且不说，单现下聂士成武毅军、董福祥甘军大部均在小站外虎视眈眈，慰亭这——”“难处在所难免，关键还在自己如何做。”谭嗣同拣话缝儿说道，“复生这一路行来，不是安然无恙吗？” “复生兄一人自然方便，慰亭这可上万兄弟呢。慰亭此心唯天可表——” “如此还请慰亭兄三思，莫辜负了皇上一番期望才是。”他轻咳了声，加重了语气，“复生离京，皇上还曾另与一份密旨，不知慰亭兄可有兴趣一览？”袁世凯愣怔了下，见谭嗣同似笑非笑地望着自己，直觉得身上冷汗泉涌价往外冒：“慰亭何德何能，敢劳皇上如此挂念？罢了罢了。皇上既这般吩咐，慰亭谨遵便是了。” “如此今夜——” “今夜太仓促了些。明日夜里慰亭便统兵天津，诛杀荣禄，然后直驱京师，包围颐和园！”说着，袁世凯将手一让，“复生兄夙夜辛劳，先在屋里歇息片刻，待我要下边备了酒菜，你我二人小酌一番。”“不了，慰亭兄好意心领，皇上还等着回话，复生不敢耽搁。”谭嗣同审视了一眼袁世凯，“此事还望慰亭兄切切——” “一定一定。皇上谕令，慰亭焉敢怠慢？” “如此复生京中静候佳音了。告辞！” "Please!" 亲自送谭嗣同出去，站在台阶上久久凝视着足有移时，袁世凯方折转身子抬脚进了门。“大哥。”满腹心事地徐步前行，在签押房前忽闻身后传来声音，袁世凯复调转身子，循声望去，却见段祺瑞兀自脚步橐橐过来，身后一个人，看身影似曾相识，只灯光微弱，辨不出究竟何许人也。“大哥。”段祺瑞近前拱了下手，“聂军门——”“几日不见，慰亭老弟又发福了呀。”不待他话音落地，身后聂士成身穿九蟒四爪袍子外罩锦鸡补子开了口。“这还不都是托聂兄的福吗？”袁世凯嘴角挂着一丝淡淡笑色道。“聂兄远道而来，慰亭碎事缠身，不及远迎，还请多多包涵才是呐。”“这话该我说才是。慰亭老弟荣升侍郎，我这晚来不恭，还望莫要见怪呐。”说着，聂士成略拱了下手。看着他一副虚情假意的样子，袁世凯直觉得一阵腻味，嘴唇翕动着本想三言两语打发了了事，只不想聂士成从袖子里抽出一张纸递给袁世凯，径自接着道，“这是制台大人与你的。”袁世凯接过看时，上面写着：十万火急。顷悉英俄已在海参崴交战，英国兵船七艘云集大沽口外，其意难测，望速至天津，共商防堵大计。切切！ “形势紧迫，制台大人要慰亭老弟接令立时过去。至于所部兵马——”聂士成悠然踱了两步，冷笑道，“就不必急着赶过去了，暂由兄弟代为督理。”寥寥几句，直听得袁世凯心都缩成了一团，一抬头正看见聂士成狡黠的目光望着自己，恨不能上前狠狠揣上一脚。沉吟着将手中折扇合起展开，展开又合起，半晌，开口说道：“既是制台大人钧令，慰亭焉敢不从，如此偏劳聂兄了。” “分内之事，何足挂齿。如此士成不多讨扰，慰亭老弟还是快些动身吧。” “不送！”袁世凯两眼射着灼人的怒火，额头青筋已是乍得老高。望着聂士成悠悠晃动的背影，袁世凯将手中折扇狠狠地掼了过去，“我操你姥姥！想打老子主意，你做梦！”说着，仿佛发泄胸中郁闷般仰脸长长透了口气，眸子像要穿透漆黑的夜幕一样望着远方。足足盏茶工夫，他仰脸深深吸了口气，高声喊道：“备马！” "Hey!" “哒哒哒──”一阵急促的马蹄声响后，四下里又是一片岑寂。