Chapter 15 Section fifteen

Back at the Beiyang Office, there are already visitors from Yingmen.In the past, when Li Hongzhang was in charge of Zhizhi, every time he went to Beijing to live in Xianliang Temple, there was also such a grand occasion, the difference was the identity of the visitor.Since Li Hongzhang passed away in the thirteenth year of Tongzhi's Wenhua Palace, he took over his palace as the chief assistant of the cabinet. At this level, Yuan Shikai couldn't match it anyway.His visitors are not from the capital, but Taoist priests. The servants of the ministers are mostly seniors. When they hear that he is coming, at best, they send famous servants to greet him with famous assassins. There are only a few people in Hanyuan.

Compared with Li Hongzhang back then, he is inferior in comparison, needless to say.However, this is also beneficial. Those visiting Beijing halls and Taoist priests are generally either looking for errands or asking for errands. But there was one visitor who couldn't see him, and he couldn't finish talking about it when he saw him, and that was Na Tong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Internal Affairs. "I heard that you will call out as soon as you arrive." Natong smiled and complimented: "Fourth Brother's curtain is really getting longer and longer."

"Yes, yes! Qinxuan!" Yuan Shikai said with his Beijing accent aside, "Don't read me happy songs! It's not a good thing to call out as soon as you arrive." "What was the talk?" "Talk about a letter Zhang Jizhi wrote to me..." After hearing a few words, the smile on Na Tong's face was completely suppressed. Yuan Shikai suspected that there was an article in it. Tell him what happened. "Qu Zijiu must have drugged you!" Natong said in a low voice, "Fourth brother, you have to pay attention, there are two things that are being discussed by many people."

"These two?" "One piece of paper, one piece of martial arts! The piece of paper is that you and Zhang Xiangtao advocated the abolition of the imperial examination. Zhang Xiangtao has done enough, and others dare not do anything to him. You don't want to offend Wang Kui, Qu Zijiu and the others." "It turns out that Qu Zijiu also advocated maintaining the imperial examination?" "Of course! Otherwise, where are there so many disciples and junior disciples?" "Ah, ah! That's how it is!" Yuan Shikai suddenly realized, and then asked: "What about Yiwu? You said I trained too much?"

"That's right! You have to pay for military training. Naturally, some people are not happy about it. There is a terrible saying that the inside is more important than the outside, and the tail is too big to lose!" Yuan Shikai was surprised, "Is this what Qu Zijiu said?" he asked. "You don't have to ask who said it! Anyway, the superiors can hear it." Natong said again: "Although Qu Zijiu hit a big nail last time, the curtain has not faded, so he has no timidity, and he is still very close to Cen San. There are letters exchanged almost every half a month."

Yuan Shikai just nodded and said: "Qin Xuan, you know me. I am in Beiyang, and I have a heavy responsibility. Now I don't need to say anything else, just talk about the war between Japan and Russia!" Yuan Shikai paused for a moment, and continued: "The two gangs fought in a mess in other people's homes, and the master said 'strictly observe neutrality'. Isn't that a joke? I don't know how much it takes for the so-called 'maintaining neutrality'." So many things are done in the hope that Japan will win, and the three provinces in the Northeast will still have the hope of returning to their original owners. If Russia wins, we will retreat to Shanhaiguan, and we don’t know if we can hold it. I hope that by then there will be more than one town for military training Two towns!"

"I know your painstaking efforts, but others don't. You need to pay for training soldiers, fourth brother," Natong advised, "Don't ask for trouble too much." "Why am I willing to ask for trouble? Times are forcing me to do my best. I have to practice as a soldier." "What about the salary?" Natong said, "You are no better than Li Wenzhong at that time." "There is a reason why there is money in Tusi." Yuan Shikai said: "If Liangjiang and Guangdong are in our own hands, what am I afraid of?" "Liangguang?" Na Tong stuck out his tongue, "Aren't you afraid that Cen San will fight you hard?"

"Others are afraid of Cen San, but I am not afraid of him." "Ah!" Natong said suddenly: "I remembered, how about I be a matchmaker for you?" "As a matchmaker for me?" Yuan Shikai was stunned. "Look at me," Na Tong laughed. "It's hard to talk. I will be a matchmaker for the family. One is a young gentleman who has taken a fancy to you, and the other is I heard people say that it seems that the door is right and the household is right!" "The two high schools?" "First of all, the one who likes Brother Fifth is not an outsider, but Tao Zhai." Na Tong asked, "Could it be that he didn't mention it in front of you?"

"It turned out to be Tao Zhai." Yuan Shikai smiled triumphantly, "His eyesight is really not bad!" It turned out that Yuan Shikai had five wives and six sons at this time.The eldest son Keding, named Yuntai, was born to his wife Yu. The second son, Kewen, and the third son, Keliang, are of the same mother. They are the second Jin family among Yuan Shikai's three "Mrs. Koryo", and the third among the concubines.The other two "Mrs. Gaoli", one surnamed Bai, gave birth to a son to control power, ranked fifth; the other surnamed Li, gave birth to a son Kerui, ranking fourth.The eldest aunt, Shen, has no family, and the fifth aunt, Yang, has a son, Kehuan, who is sixth.

Among the six brothers ranked by "ke" in the Yuan family, the second brother Ke Wen and the fifth child Ke Quan are the most qualified.Ke Wenbao Cen, who is only fifteen years old this year, is extremely intelligent, but contrary to his elder brother, he does not like economics and practical studies, but pays attention to diction, gold and stone, and rhythm. Already quite a celebrity style. Kequan, with the word Gian, was only ten years old, and he was able to compose poetry.Reading is not only intelligent, but also well-regulated, which is quite beloved by Yuan Shikai.The guests of the Yuan family, those who have seen Kequan all praised him as the son of Kuazao, especially Duanfang, so it was no accident that Natong was asked to be a matchmaker.

"How about it?" Natong asked, "Can you reward me for being a matchmaker?" What can I say? I just don’t know if it’s the young lady from Tao Zhai?” "Of course it's the youngest one." Natong replied, "He's very handsome, and his tutor is also good." "That's nothing to say." Yuan Shikai asked again: "Is there another family?" "It's Zhang Anpu." Na Tong said: "Anpu has many sons, the youngest is twelve, and the one named Yuan Liang has a handsome head, and is about the same age as your eldest lady. What do you think?" The Zhang Anpu mentioned by Natong is Zhang Renjun, the current governor of Guangdong.Zhang Renjun's uncle, Zhang Peilun, looked down on Yuan Shikai very much, but Zhang Renjun had a different relationship with him. When Yuan Shikai was governor of Shandong, Zhang Renjun was his vassal.He also met Zhang Yuanliang, but he was too young to remember it. "Qinxuan," Yuan Shikai felt that this marriage needed to be considered, so he made an excuse, "I can decide on my son's marriage, but marrying a daughter is different. Please let me discuss it with my wife and concubine!" "Of course, of course!" Natong nodded again and again, "I'll listen to the letter another day." Yuan's family members are all in Tianjin, and Na Tong always thought that Yuan Shikai would have to wait until he went back to discuss with Mrs. Yu and his eldest daughter Bozhen's biological mother, the second concubine, before he heard back.Who knows, there will be news the next day. It turned out that Yuan Shikai had thought about it thoroughly that night, and suddenly realized that the elders who came from the right way have the wings of college students and junior students. , not easy to break.In the past, Zuo Zongtang was no match for Li Hongzhang, and Li Hongzhang was no match for Weng Tonghe. This is the reason.Since the official career, the most important thing is the kindness of the teacher and the friendship of the same family. It is said that respecting the teacher is nothing more than the words of the disciples. In reality, it is nothing more than the sharing of wealth and honor. When it comes to this level of relationship, I must not be compared with Qu Hongji, but others have disciples, and I have children, and the intimacy of children and relatives is by no means inferior to that of teachers and students.He was thinking that the eldest son Keding was married to the daughter of Wu Dacheng; the second son Kewen was also engaged to the granddaughter of Liu Ruifen, the governor of Guangdong, who was originally from Guichi, Anhui, and was a minister to the UK.Both of these two families are high-ranking, but their in-laws and elders have all passed away, so there is nothing they can do to help them.Now he is married with Duanfang and Zhang Renjun, and they echo each other, and they can rely on each other's urgency.Especially when Zhang Renjun was in Guangdong, although he was not powerful enough to restrain Cen Chunxuan, he could at least make him a little bit more cautious. If there was a chance to overthrow Cen San and Zhang Renjun would be promoted to Governor-General, then Qu Hongji would not be able to insult his own power. Now that the decision has been made, there is no need to go through any further troubles. Yuan Shikai told Natong straightforwardly that he would marry the Zhang family with his eldest daughter. In order to take care of what he said, he added that he had already obtained the consent of Mrs. Yu and his second concubine by telegram. For Natong, who is a matchmaker, he is full of face, and of course he is also very happy. He arranged a special feast for Yuan Shikai, but the banquet was not held in his residence in Jinyu Hutong, which is quite beautiful, but in the flower hall of Prince Qing's mansion. Accommodate Yikuang, the special companion. Because according to regulations, princes and county kings do not go to the banquet at the minister's house.