Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty

Seeing Cixi's gloomy face and half-closed eyes, Rong Lu was startled, knowing that she was about to make a big conspiracy, so he listened nervously... Finally, a contest between the reform and the anti-reform was made public, and Cixi stepped from the background to the front stage again... Rong Lu headed straight to Le Shoutang, the bedroom of Empress Dowager Cixi. The eunuch on duty notified Li Lianying, and Li Lianying rushed out to welcome her. Li Lianying said, "My lord Rong wants to see the queen mother, so I should report it immediately, but the queen mother has been upset recently, and she is playing chess with the old eunuch, so I don't dare to disturb you, so please ask Rong." My lord, wait at the servant's place."

Rong Lu sat down in Li Lianying's duty room.Just to discuss how to combat Emperor Guangxu's reform.Rong Lu and Li Lianying are Cixi's left and right arms, and they both rely on Cixi's prosperity. The right to protect the Empress Dowager Cixi is actually to protect their own status, so the two of them get together like jackals get together. In the West Nuan Pavilion of Le Shoutang, Cixi sat cross-legged on the kang table, and the old eunuch knelt beside the table and was playing chess with the empress dowager. Empress Dowager Cixi likes three kinds of entertainment: listening to opera, playing chess, and boating.

The old eunuch was honest and honest and played chess well, so he was often summoned by Cixi to relieve his boredom. The Empress Dowager used to play chess with a smile on her face, but not today, that pink face was sometimes cloudy and sunny, she was troubled by Emperor Guangxu's reform, just now Li Lianying came in and whispered to her: "Boy Kang told the emperor that he would use it." Little minister, you want to take the old ministers to the sword, and say you want to set up a system bureau." Cixi thought angrily, you want to take my power, I want you to step down first, and it depends on who will do it first.She was thinking of a life-and-death contest with Emperor Guangxu, and the chess pieces in her hands would not obey her orders, and she lost a lot in a short while.The old eunuch just concentrated on playing chess, but he didn't know that the queen mother was in a life-and-death contest at this moment, so he "snapped" and removed the queen mother's "bishop", and said: "Oh, I ate your bishop."

The queen mother said absent-mindedly: "I will take down your cannon." The old eunuch had completely entered the realm of chess, and forgot that he was playing chess with a tigress, so he shouted excitedly: "Then I will command your army and kill your taxi first." "Presumptuous!" The Empress Dowager Cixi yelled angrily. She heard the voice of Emperor Guangxu as if she heard it, so she said loudly, "Then I will kill you first." Only then did the old eunuch wake up from the chess game. He looked up and saw the Empress Dowager Cixi glaring at her with a murderous look on her face. Then he realized that what he said just now violated a taboo, and was frightened out of his wits. It was unintentional."

"Pull it down and kill me with a stick." The eunuchs on both sides saw the empress dowager's angry face, and quickly pulled the old eunuch out of the palace to execute him. The cry of "The Queen Mother spares my life" is heartbreaking... Here Li Lianying was telling Ronglu what he had overheard about Emperor Guangxu's reform. He had just finished speaking and was about to report to the Queen Mother Ronglu for permission when he heard cries of mercy. When he was released from the hospital, he saw that he was playing chess with the Queen Mother The old eunuch was beaten to death and carried out.

Seeing this, Rong Lu shuddered for a while, and he felt more and more the empress dowager's ruthlessness, so he made up his mind that the only way to avoid being burned was to lean on one side and hug her cheeks... He followed Li Lianying into the Le Shoutang. He has already returned to his normal state, smoking a cigarette, smiling and begging Rong Lu to excuse him. Rong Lu was amazed that the Empress Dowager's killing was as calm as killing a dog, and he felt more and more that he had no choice but to rely on her wholeheartedly. Rong Lu's visit to the Summer Palace from Tianjin today was actually ordered by the Empress Dowager Cixi, but in order to deceive others, he pretended to report to the emperor. Naturally, when the two met, it was tacit understanding. Of course Rong Lu knew that the Empress Dowager Cixi sent the secret order after Emperor Guangxu summoned Kangliang His intentions.Therefore, Rong Lu didn't make any greetings, and of course he never asked about her murder just now, but directly remonstrated: "Queen Dowager, the emperor has summoned Liang Qichao again."

"Ai already knows." Rong Lu knew that Li Lianying must have told the Empress Dowager Cixi what he had overheard, so he asked directly: "Empress Dowager, if the emperor listens to the words of villains, what should we do?" "The Ai family will operate on him first." Cixi said through gritted teeth. With the words of Empress Dowager Cixi, Rong Lu felt at ease, and his one-sided determination was further strengthened. Cixi looked at Rong Lu's thin face, which she had touched and kissed many times when she was young, and said emotionally: "Ai Qing, it is rare to have a few confidants in life. Know loyalty and traitors, and see the sincerity in times of crisis.”

Rong Lu looked up and saw Cixi's gloomy face, eyes half closed, he was startled, knowing that she was going to make a big plan, so he listened nervously: "Now, the emperor summoned Kang and Liang, which means they are going to make a move." , which forces us not to be relentless." Cixi paused for a moment, then fixed her eyes on Ronglu: "Your life and mine are closely related, and you don't need me to tell you about the stakes..." When Rong Lu saw this, he knelt down on the ground with a "plop", and wept, "The queen mother is so kind to me. The queen mother is my reborn parents. Whatever the queen mother wants me to do, I will die even if I am heartbroken."

Cixi suppressed her voice so that only Rong Lu could hear it, said a few words, Rong Shi nodded and said, "It should have been like this long ago." Cixi only said lightly: "It's better to strike first!" Rong Lu's feelings for Empress Dowager Cixi are very complicated. It can be said that he loves her and is afraid of her, but no matter what, his and her interests are the same. In a word, without her today, there would be no Rong Lu. Lu's tomorrow, so protecting her Cixi is actually protecting my Rong Lu. Anyway, no matter how vicious she is to others, no matter how authoritarian she is, as long as she is not vicious to me, as long as she gives me great power, I will protect her, cling to her, and obey her.

Rong Lu secretly made up his mind in the returning sedan chair. In the Leshou Hall of the Summer Palace, the Empress Dowager Cixi sat on the dragon chair, and below her knees were six people including Huaitabu, Minister of Rites who had just been dismissed by Emperor Guangxu, and a dozen veteran officials including Yikuang, Gangyi, and Yang Chongyi. Cixi knew that it was because they withheld Wang Zhao's memorial to suggest the new law and were dismissed. It can be seen that the emperor is coming for me. The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at them annoyed and hurt. What annoyed them was that they were useless, and what hurt was that they were all her cronies. She said angrily, "What's the matter? The Cantonese bullied you, and you are all one or two High-ranking officials, why did you play all of you for a small fourth-rank position?"

Waitabu said in a tearful tone: "The six of us in the Ministry of Rites have all been dismissed by the emperor. The emperor is displeased with our old officials. Today we will let go of the six of us, and I am afraid that more will be dismissed tomorrow. Please ask the queen mother to replace us." We call the shots." "The Queen Mother, please make the decision for us." Several veteran officials begged almost in unison. The Empress Dowager Cixi was both angry and funny when she heard this, and said: "Look at you, both of you are crying and worried all day long. The emperor wants to withdraw you, but he can't do it! You have to go through Aijia, he dismissed you today, and Aijia will appoint you tomorrow." "Thank you, Empress Dowager Long En." The six people in Waitabu laughed through their tears, and quickly kowtowed their heads to express their gratitude. Cixi thought, now is a great time to win over them, and wait for the emperor to dismiss a few more, and the complaints are rising, I am not afraid that no one will invite me to come out to take charge of the government, and it was out of necessity that I returned to the government. "Okay, get up, as long as you all hug each other, no one can bully you." The Empress Dowager Cixi leaning on the stone railing by the lakeside of the Summer Palace was full of gloom. Although the lake is so beautiful and the sky is so blue, in her eyes, the lake and mountains have become gray. Yesterday, Waitabu and the others almost The kneeling sobs of an old minister always rang in her ears... "Lafayette, if your Majesty continues to mess around like this, I'm afraid our Qing Dynasty will be in danger." "Lafayette decides for us, we are all old ministers from generation to generation!" The words that shocked Cixi the most: "They still want to build the Maoqin Hall. Isn't it obvious that they want to set up another center and kick us away!" "Lafayette teaches politics." I want to train politics, as long as you create the right time for me, I will start training politics and take all power back to me. The muscles on the face of the Empress Dowager Cixi were twitching, her eyes were staring viciously at the wild ducks on the lake, she wished she could beat them into the water with a stick... A Manchu lady standing next to the Empress Dowager Cixi was the wife of the Minister of Rites, Huaitabu, who had just been expelled by Emperor Guangxu. She cried and said, "May the Lafayette be the master, and be expelled without guilt to serve others? The ancestor's family The law is completely messed up, where is the law of the court? Does the emperor really want to let those Han people succeed in doing this, it is not too hurtful." Seeing Empress Dowager Cixi's face turned frosty, she continued to speak boldly. Anyway, if she had to go all out, her husband would be fired, and she would not care much about being a wife, so she said: "Isn't the emperor doing this with relatives and outsiders?" This Waitab's wife is indeed a bureaucratic wife. She often listens to her husbands talking about state affairs, so she also learned a few words about the ups and downs of the officialdom. On the one hand, Waitab has taught her for a long time at home, what to say and what not to What to say, I have already thought about it.And because of her good Manchu cuisine, she often sent some delicious dishes to please Empress Dowager Cixi, so she was often summoned by Empress Dowager Cixi to serve banquets and play cards.Now that her husband has lost her official position, how can she not do her best in front of Cixi. No, today Cixi was sent a special delicacies and delicacies. After Cixi tasted it, he went out for a walk with the Empress Dowager Cixi.Seeing Empress Dowager Cixi's face getting more and more gloomy, she knew that the words had entered her heart, so she knelt back and said goodbye without daring to stay for long. Cixi looked at her tearful eyes and said, "Don't worry, go home, there is an Ai family who will make decisions for you, why are you crying?" Only then did Waitabu's wife smile through her tears, and kowtowed to Cixi a few more times before going back. The Empress Dowager Cixi thought bitterly, I have clearly stipulated that the appointment and removal of officials above the second rank must be through me, and now Guangxu dares to arbitrarily remove officials of the first and second rank.Zai Tian, ​​you rebellious son, just wait! "Li Lianying." "The slave is here." "What did the emperor do last night?" "To Lafayette, Your Majesty and Concubine Zhen watched "The Examination of Japan's Political Change" last night." He wants to follow the example of Emperor Meiji and take back all power from the shogunate. It seems that he seized power in the name of political reform in reality... Huh, he wants to take power from me, don't even think about it!Jae Ho, let me tell you.Your rights are given to you by me, and I don't have to give them to you.Forget that I was blind and supported you, a heartless thing, let's wait and see, I want to see how many tricks you have!The ancients said: Use the way of others to treat the body of others.Hmph, don't think I don't understand foreign countries. "Li Lianying." "The slave is here." "Go and get that copy of "Review of Japan's Political Change". I want to look through it." "yes." The next day, as soon as the dawn broke, the Empress Dowager Cixi asked Li Lianying to climb up the Yudai Bridge. Li Lianying didn't know why Lafayette had such a whim today?Seeing the angry face of the Empress Dowager Cixi, she didn't dare to ask more questions, but just stood beside Cixi and supported her. The Empress Dowager Cixi did not speak, but just stared blankly at the east. After a while, the east turned white, and a round of red sun jumped out from behind the trees in the east of the lake. Immediately, a ray of light approached the lake. The sky is one color... After a while, the bright red sun rose with dazzling golden light... Cixi half-closed her eyes, sighed softly, the scorching sun was so beautiful... After a while, she gritted her teeth and sighed again, no matter how beautiful it is, it can only be unique, how can there be two days in one day? exactly: In the inner room of Hainan Guild Hall in Beijing: Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and Tan Sitong gathered together for a secret discussion.Kang Guangren let the air out. Kang Youwei looked around a few people and said: "The empress dowager's confidant Ronglu was awarded the governor of Zhili and Beiyang minister to command the three armies. This means that the wolf next to the empress dowager has taken over the military power and is about to start action." Kang Youwei took a sip of the tea brought by his brother Kang Guangren, and then said: "Now the desperate struggle between the reformation and the anti-reformation has begun in secret. After all, the Queen Mother is a veteran in the field of power. She is already dispatching troops. Dong Fuxiang's willingness Bing and Nie Shicheng's Wu Yi Army have been secretly transferred to the Beijing-Tianjin area. But the emperor has no real power to transfer troops. Just imagine how we can deal with Rong Lu who has a heavy army with an unarmed land. Therefore, our reform and reform has reached a critical moment of life and death. " Kang Youwei looked solemn, and he said earnestly, "The situation is serious, what we need now is to persuade the emperor to..." "Grasp the military power quickly!" Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei said it almost in unison. "Yes, seize the military power quickly." Tan Sitong was excited, and his wide forehead became even brighter. Kang Youwei also said: "Let's discuss how to provide military power for the emperor? Our original proposal to imitate Japan's establishment of a staff department, hand over the whole country's military power to the emperor, and let the emperor serve as the commander-in-chief of the navy and army is too late. Now the only way to hold military power is in these areas." Fight for one or two of the people, and defend the emperor when it is in danger." Liang Qichao said: "Currently only Yuan Shikai is more reliable in holding military power... and only Yuan Shikai is the only one." Kang Youwei looked at them solemnly, and said: "The Empress Dowager got rid of Weng Tonghe, and the emperor got rid of six people including Huaitabu, Minister of Rites, and appointed four people, Yang Rui, Lin Xu, Liu Guangdi, and Tan Sitong, as the commanders of the Military Aircraft Department." Beijing, participating in political affairs, kicked off the prelude to the decisive battle between the emperor and empress. Empress Dowager Cixi and Rong Lu conspired to hold the emperor to Tianjin to depose the emperor when Empress Dowager Cixi was on a military parade in Tianjin. The situation was very critical, so it was urgent to win over Yuan Shikai. " Tan Sitong objected, saying: "Yuan Shikai is Li Hongzhang's henchman and a member of Ronglu. Although he supports our Strong Society and agrees with the reform, he is also closely related to Ronglu and Yikuang, so he caters to both sides. I am afraid that people who are not reliable are not reliable, especially in times of crisis, you should be more cautious." Kang Youwei said disapprovingly: "We sent Xu Zhijing to test it out. He has already told Xu Zhijing that he will go through fire and water and will not hesitate to say anything. This is what he said. Isn't it credible?" "He really said that?" Tan Sitong was dubious.Tan Sitong still had doubts after hearing this, but none of the other candidates were suitable. Dong Fuxiang's Twenty Army was Rong Lu's hardcore. He was originally the admiral of Gansu. After he was promoted to Governor Li, Dong Fuxiang was grateful to Ronglu.Nie Shicheng and Liu Kunyi are still in Shanhaiguan Guard Pass, and cannot move lightly; Zhang Zhidong, governor of Liangjiang, has to guard half of the country in the south, and cannot move; Appropriate, after all, he is a Han Chinese, and he has donated money to the Strong Society, and he tends to support the reform, it seems that he is the only one. So he said: "Then please ask the emperor to summon him." The eunuch came to report to the queen mother to summon the emperor. Emperor Guangxu's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and thought to himself that I was the one who went to the Summer Palace to greet her recently, why she summoned me today, and it is not long before I summoned Yuan Shikai's decree, could it be that the Queen Mother has already noticed.Anyway, no matter what, we must go to the Summer Palace immediately. So Emperor Guangxu hurried to the Summer Palace. Emperor Guangxu was surprised to find that the Summer Palace was a little strange today. Not only had the number of guards inside and outside the gate increased, but they were all strangers;Even the emperor didn't let it go, and after a few passes before arriving at Leshou Hall, Li Lianying went in with a smile that had never been seen before, and Emperor Guangxu knelt in the yard waiting to see him with a restless heart. Emperor Guangxu was called in. Usually, the Empress Dowager Cixi liked to sit cross-legged at the kang table in the Xinuang Pavilion and puff a cigarette to summon him. Today, she sat on the Kowloon throne in the main hall and waited with a serious face. The emperor went in to see her. Trembling and trembling, he knelt on the ground and made a prostration: "The ministers pay respects to the emperor's father, and the emperor's father is auspicious." "Forget it." Today, Cixi didn't give him a seat, so he let Emperor Guangxu stand by the door. Usually, when seeing him, he would greet him with a smile, or reprimand him in anger, but today he didn't smile or get angry. , Emperor Guangxu couldn't help shivering when he saw it. Cixi looked at Emperor Guangxu's pale face and sneered secretly: Huh!Don’t think that your purpose of summoning Yuan Shikai can be deceived from me. Rong Lu has already disguised himself to report to me... Yuan Shikai, if you can’t pull him away, even if you pull him away, he can’t save you. I have ordered Rong Lu to transfer Nie Shicheng’s army to station in Changxindian Yes, now that Yuan Shikai's route to Beijing has been cut off, your calculation is wrong again.As for Yuan Shikai, I asked you to summon him, so that I don't want to startle the snake in front of your party members, and on the one hand, I can also test his loyalty. Cixi looked at Guangxu coldly, and then deliberately evaded the important question and asked lightly: "Does the emperor want men to cut their braids and change their clothes?" When Guangxu heard that Yuan Shikai was not summoned, the stone in his heart fell to the ground, and he said: "Father Huihuang, my son has this plan, but it is very difficult to implement it at present." "Braids and robes are the rules left by our Qing ancestors for generations. How can you order them without authorization? It's simply lawless." Guangxu thought to himself that this was not a fatal issue, so he let Cixi reprimand him. Suddenly, he heard Cixi's conversation turn to the point. "Your Majesty, let me ask you." Emperor Guangxu noticed that Cixi had even replaced the word "Imperial Father" with "I". "You arbitrarily dismissed Huaitabu, Minister of Rites, and appointed four of your military planes, Zhang Jing, why didn't you ask me?" Empress Dowager Cixi said coldly, word by word. "Father Huihuang, because Waitabu and the others withheld the memorial, they..." Cixi interrupted him suddenly, and shouted: "I don't care how big a crime they have committed. I have already announced that the appointment and removal of officials above the second rank must go through me. Why do you disobey?" "Father Emperor, I..." "There's no need to argue. You can no longer dismiss these old ministers arbitrarily. They are all loyal ministers of our dynasty. Do you understand?" Guangxu could only say: "Yes." Guangxu wanted to wait for the queen mother to tell her that she would take him to Tianjin for patrol in October, but the queen mother kept silent, and he felt more and more strange about the matter. Seeing the empress dowager was furious again, he lowered his head and waited for her to reprimand him, but he heard the empress dowager crying, so he quickly raised his head and saw Cixi crying softly, so he knelt down. "Papa Huang, calm down. It's because the child is not good, which made Papa Huang angry." "The emperor's father brought you up from a young age, and helped you become the emperor. Unexpectedly, your wings became stiff, and instead, you plotted against me. If you want to return to politics, I will let you go. Don't you want to mourn your family's life?" , do you still have a conscience?" "Father Emperor..." Guangxu also wept, "It's my fault. I didn't ask you for instructions and got their jobs. If I don't dismiss their jobs in the future." "That Kang Youwei is leading you astray, they should be dismissed." Cixi stopped her tears and said. "Father Emperor, Kang Youwei and the others are assisting his ministers in reforming the law to save the country. They are walking the right path and have high expectations..." "Shut up, I think you've fallen for their tricks. Well, since you don't want to listen to Father Huang's words and insist on going with those people, don't blame me for not being sympathetic." "Father Emperor, the reform cannot be stopped, only the reform can save the country." Emperor Guangxu knelt down to Cixi again. "Shut up, I don't have the energy to listen to your words." The Empress Dowager Cixi saw that both hard and soft tactics were useless. It seemed that the emperor must be abolished. With a wave, he said, "Li Lianying, help me out for a walk." The Empress Dowager Cixi stepped out of the Leshou Hall without looking back, and went to the lake, leaving behind the emperor who was still kneeling on the ground. Emperor Guangxu looked up and saw that Cixi had left the main room, so he had to stand up and wipe away his tears and ordered him to return to the palace immediately. When she returned to the palace, Concubine Zhen saw the emperor bursting into tears and asked why: "What happened to the emperor?" "My dear concubine, Kang Youwei's life is in danger, I want to issue a secret order to let him leave Beijing as soon as possible." "Ah! Lafayette is really going to kill you." Concubine Zhen was also anxious. "Today, the queen mother is both soft and hard on me and wants me to take over Kang Youwei. How can I agree? The queen mother said that it is not to blame for her being ungrateful." "Then did the queen mother tell you about going to Tianjin with the queen mother for the military parade?" "No." "What about summoning Yuan Shikai?" "No. I was also ordered not to dismiss veteran officials in the future." "So...have you asked her for instructions on the establishment of the Maoqin Hall?" "How dare you mention it, this is a matter of setting up a separate center, how can the Queen Mother agree?" Concubine Zhen thought for a while and said: "No, the Queen Mother gave you an ultimatum. She made it clear to you to arrest Kang Youwei; but she conspired to hold you hostage and depose you. Your majesty, you are worse than Kang Youwei." Danger." "I'm not afraid. I want to save Kang Youwei and let him run away quickly. I won't be afraid that there will be no firewood to keep the green hills. Even if I die, as long as the seeds are left, the Reformation will make a comeback. Zhen'er, hurry up and wait." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Zhen'er, when I returned to the palace, I found that the guards of the palace had changed. I'm afraid it will be difficult to bring out the secret edict, so I have to find a way." "Is the emperor going to ask the military plane Zhang Jing to take it out?" "Yes, only those on duty can go in and out." "Then it can only be sewn into the belt." "Yes, let's write quickly." After finishing writing, Lin Xu was summoned and asked to take it out. Concubine Zhen sewed the secret edict into Lin Xu's belt and asked him to take it out. This is the famous clothing belt edict in history. After the secret edict was taken out, Emperor Guangxu felt very hungry. It turned out that he hadn't eaten all day. Concubine Zhen was very distressed and hurriedly called Chuanshan. On September 16, Emperor Guangxu summoned Yuan Shikai in the Yulan Hall of the Summer Palace. After Yuan Shikai was brought into the palace, he kowtowed and kowtowed to the emperor. "My minister Yuan Shikai pays respects to the emperor, long live the emperor." "Ai Qing is free of courtesy, and I will give you a seat." Emperor Guangxu saw that Yuan Shikai had a big head, big eyes, big mouth, and a big waist, and he thought that the man recommended by Kang Youwei really looked like a general. He seemed brave, but he didn't know how to be loyal?But the matter is too urgent, I have no other choice, I can only talk to him first, and now I will test him first, and say: "It's been a hard journey." "It's not hard work, the emperor takes care of everything every day, and the emperor is really hard work." Emperor Guangxu smiled when he heard this, thinking that this warrior is still very flattering when he speaks. Yuan Shikai was flattered to be summoned by the emperor suddenly. He was nervous and suspicious, not knowing what kind of medicine the emperor was selling. Seeing Emperor Guangxu smiled, he began to relax a little, so he dared to look up at the emperor. what!Seems like a benevolent king. "Aiqing's military training at Tianjin Station is very effective. How many Western-style recruits have been trained for the country now?" "Back to the emperor, I have trained seven thousand elite soldiers." "Okay, the more training the better. Are you under Rong Lu now?" "Yes, Your Majesty." The emperor suddenly lowered his voice and said: "From now on, you and Ronglu can do their own things, you can make decisions on your own, and you can just report to me if you have something to do. You can just train the new army." Yuan Shikai was startled when he heard this, "Everyone should do their own thing" and "If you have something to tell me directly", isn't it obvious that I should fight against my immediate boss Ronglu?God!What kind of person is Rong Lu!The governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang, commanding the navy and army, with the support of the Empress Dowager Cixi in the back, and the royal family and dignitaries as shields in the front, what am I, a small third-rank Taoist.It is because they have no backing that they please both sides. He has more than 100,000 troops, and I have only 7,000 people. I am no match for him. Yuan Shikai was thinking in a hurry, and he agreed to the emperor's words "obeying the order", but in his heart he was eager to end this unpredictable honor as soon as possible.Fortunately, Emperor Guangxu didn't know much about Yuan because the wall had ears, so he just said a few puns and ended the interview. After Yuan Shikai knelt and kowtowed, he fled from the Summer Palace. Although Yuan Shikai was tall and thick, he was an ambitious and scheming man. He was beating drums along the way. Recently, Dong Fuxiang's troops had arrived at Changxindian, which was close to Beijing, and Nie Shicheng's troops had also been transferred between Tianjin and Beijing. , and soon the Queen Mother will take the emperor to Tianjin for a military parade. It is rumored that the emperor is in danger of being deposed.How Yuan Shikai didn't know the news and what it meant, of course Yuan Shikai knew it. It seems that the two factions of the emperor and the latter are going to have a big showdown, and the two soldiers are going to pull their horses... No, I have been drawn into the center of the vortex of the big duel. I, of course I know that the visitor is not kind, but Kang Youwei is a man of the day, the emperor's upstart, how dare I offend him, so I had to prevaricate a few words... Then the emperor's sudden summons, could it be that their intentions are not clear? Yuan Shikai is not a fool, he began to weigh the power of the two sides. With an emperor who has no real power, especially no military power, and some unarmed scholars, it is extremely difficult to compete with the Queen Mother and Ronglu!He who understands affairs is a hero, I, Yuan Shikai, should be clearer, and don't be dazzled by the pies falling from the sky. When Yuan Shikai returned to his residence, he had just finished his meal when he heard the Minister of Proclamation: "Yuan Shikai accepts the order." Yuan Shikai was shocked, not knowing what good luck would come, he quickly changed into court clothes and knelt in the courtyard to meet him.It turned out that the emperor granted him the title of alternate minister and gave him the privilege of playing a solo to the emperor. Yuan Shikai became more and more nervous after he was ordered. Of course, he knew the meaning of the saying that if you don't get rewarded for nothing, you will know the meaning of misfortune. He came here by order, and there is nothing he can do about it. These powerful officials must not be mistaken for him as someone on the emperor's side. Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai's drowsiness disappeared, and his original idea of ​​taking a nap after dinner also disappeared. "Come here! The residence of Prince Shangqing, Yikuang." "yes." Emperor Guangxu put on a new dragon robe today, Wang Gao put on the court hat for him, and concubine Zhen helped him put on the court beads. Concubine Zhen said with a smile: "Oh, the emperor is so proud today, let Japanese Prime Minister Ito see that he is a Chinese hero." Emperor Guangxu sighed and said: "The guards and soldiers of all the officials have been replaced by Ronglu people. I have been closely monitored. I am afraid that today's meeting will not have any satisfactory results. It is just a courtesy." Concubine Zhen also sighed and said, "That's right, the emperor could have taken this opportunity to learn from Teng the experience of Japan's Meiji Restoration, but it seems impossible." This day was the fifth day of August in the twenty-fourth year of Guangxu (September 20, 1898), when former Japanese Prime Minister Ito met with Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. Ito is the former Prime Minister of Japan, who played a great role in Japan's reform and reform. This time he came to China in the name of a visit, but in fact he paid attention to China's current reform and reform. However, when he came, he was in the Empress Dowager Cixi. On the eve of killing the reform, Beijing has been surrounded by Rong Lu's heavy troops, the guards at all gates of the palace have been replaced by Rong Lu's people, and Emperor Guangxu has been closely monitored, so Ito's arrival has actually lost its meaning. The interview was held at the Hall of Qinzheng at noon, and Yikuang, Cixi's confidant, was present from the beginning to the end. The meeting ended in a short time, and neither party could touch on substantive issues related to the reform. They only had some etiquette questions and answers. it's over. When Emperor Guangxu returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Concubine Zhen rushed up to meet her and asked, "How is it, Your Majesty?" "Oh! Don't mention it. I want to ask him about the experience of the Meiji Restoration in Japan, but Yikuang whispered to me for a long time, saying that Lafayette's order is only for ceremonial reception, and it should not involve politics, especially not to mention the reform and reform." Concubine Zhen said: "I also expected that you would not have a deep talk with Ito." Emperor Guangxu said again: "However, I have already told him that when my country was in the process of reforming recently, the noble minister had created a great cause by hand; he must know the pros and cons of it, please explain it in detail for me, and pray that when he meets with Minister Wang of the General Administration , Which one should be popular, which one should be leather, and write it in a book for viewing." "What did Ito say?" Concubine Zhen asked. "He said: I respect your orders." Wang Shang and Concubine Zhen helped Emperor Guangxu take off his court robe. Emperor Guangxu sighed and said, "Oh! Reform is so hard! How could Sun Wukong escape from the palm of Tathagata Buddha..."