Chapter 218 Yingtai Sunset (16-2)

Xie En should go to the palace gate, but of course he will not be summoned.Many people know the secret of Yuan Shikai's return from Tianjin, which will naturally damage his "reputation".In a clear discussion, Duo Xi compared his experience this time with the expulsion of Weng Tonghe and Qu Hongji.Weng Qu was at the moment when he was the most popular, and he fell from the cloud nine. The surprise he gave and the blow he received were much more serious than his return to his hometown to recuperate. But they are all flattered and humiliated, and they deal with them calmly, as Mencius said, with a sense of grandeur in their chests.In contrast, the dignity of scholars can be seen, even if they are hypocritical, they have profound cultivation skills, far beyond Yuan Shikai's reach.

However, there are also gains from this turmoil. At least it can prove that Zaifeng, who is in power, is not overdoing it. Not only will his life be saved, but he will not even be expelled like Weng Tonghe, and will no longer be handed over to the local officials. Severely condemn.Therefore, a group of people who are used to following the wind and steering the rudder feel that it is okay to get a little closer. Yuan's house in Xila Hutong will never see the grand occasion of the court, but it is not as bleak as the day when the strict decree was issued. up. Of course the plan was changed. Yuan Keding stayed in Beijing to work, Yuan Kewen served his father and mother, and the whole family returned to Henan.There was an endless stream of other people who came to talk to him, and the one who moved Yuan Shikai the most was naturally Zhang Zhidong.

Open the middle door, welcome Zhang Zhidong to the hall, and ask Zhang Zhidong to raise the kang. Yuan Shikai ordered the eldest son to lead all the younger brothers, lined up, and kowtowed their heads.It is obvious that he did not say thank you, but intended to thank Zhang Zhidong for his deep kindness of preservation. "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it!" Zhang Zhidong leaned forward to help him, and when the Yuan brothers stood up, he only talked to Yuan Kewen: "What book did Bao Cen read recently?" Yuan Kewen is very smart but has no expertise in learning. Recently, he was reading Wu Dachen and Ye Changchi's works on inscriptions about the knife for Pan Zuyin. He knew that Zhang Zhidong hated these things, so he replied, "I'm reading Du's poems!"

"How many times did you read it?" "Third time." "Not enough, not enough!" So Zhang Zhidong talked about "Prosperous Tang" and "Late Tang" from Du's poems, and then from Tang poems to Song Ci. He talked endlessly for half an hour, and no one was allowed to open his mouth.It was not easy for Yuan Shikai to insert a sentence: "Zhongtang, please have a light meal in the dormitory." "No, no!" Zhang Zhidong said, "Qin Xuan asked me to talk about something, I should go." "Zhongtang said so, I dare not stay any longer." Yuan Shikai said: "If it was a few days ago, I invited Zhongtang here, it would be the same."

"If it was a few days ago, I would have dragged you to disturb Qinxuan together." Zhang Zhidong's expression was distressed: "Weiting, now that you leave, it's my turn." "That will never happen. The veterans of the four dynasties of Zhongtang, and the knowledge of Empress Xiaoqinxian, the pillar of the country, and the regent respect Zhongtang very much. I heard that he asked Zhongtang humbly for advice. Such criticisms show that it is true. Treat the middle hall as a teacher." "I ask the regent to look more at the 'Yongzheng Zhu Zhu's edict'." Zhang Zhidong hesitated to speak, and finally shook his head and said: "'Southern people don't know the Song family biography', the southerners can also be sad!" After finishing speaking , walking out in square steps.

Yuan Shikai took his son to the sedan chair parked in front of the hall, and watched him get on the sedan chair to be carried away. Fang Shi turned around and asked as he walked, "I didn't understand the poem that Nanpi read just now." "'Southern people don't know about Song's family biography'." Yuan Kewen replied, "It seems to be a poem written by Nanpi himself." "Come and have a look." Yuan Shikai said, "How sad for the people of Nan." ※ ※ ※ Although the whole family returned home, in fact Yuan Shikai left first, and the family left Beijing afterwards.Because of the order to return home, the rule is only slightly wider than that of exile.The decree is to leave the army immediately, go out of the city to find a place to live temporarily, and then prepare your luggage. Although it is not necessary to rush back to your hometown according to the order, it is not convenient to stay more.

The Road Bureau gave Qu Hongji the example of hanging a float for Yuan Shikai, but the scene of seeing him off was incomparable.Qu Hongji had a group of disciples of Hanlin and Yushi who praised his teacher, and the court officials also knew that he was expelled from his hometown, but he just didn't check himself for a while, and suddenly lost his family. , and it is very likely that there will be a day of recovery, so you might as well leave room for seeing you again in Jinghua in the future, so they all dress up and see off. But Yuan Shikai is different.Paying respects from the private house is not a big deal, seeing off at the station publicly has a lot of worries, and it is also because Yuan Shikai has too many enemies.Therefore, when I boarded the car, the scene was bleak, and besides my family and relatives, I had to see off with two friends.

One is Yan Xiu, the assistant minister of the school.He was in charge of academic affairs for Yuan Shikai in Beiyang, so he was promoted to be the assistant minister of the academic department based on his capital.As far as personal friendship is concerned, I have a sense of confidant towards Yuan Shikai, so a few days ago I specially fought for Yuan Shikai, resisting and fighting, saying, "Ministers advancing and retreating, you should ask to express your merits and crimes, and it is not appropriate to reprimand them lightly." Of course, his merits are unnecessary. Let's talk again, how can the crime be clearly stated?The book regent read, only "flooded" it.But Yan Xiu is already considering resigning from office because of his words and the feeling of sadness that the rabbit died and the fox.

The other is Yang Du, who now walks in the constitutional government compilation and inspection office as a fourth-rank Jingtang faction. The constitution was established in nine years, and the detailed "list" of things to be done every year is written by him.As in the Warring States period, this person had already hung the golden seal on his elbows, but when he first met Yuan Shikai, he no longer had the scenery of opening his residence in Beiyang.However, from his perspective, there is only one Yuan Shikai who can achieve great things. I came here specially to see him off on this day. On the one hand, it has the intention of making friends with each other, and on the other hand, it also has the effect of exalting himself, "Everyone in the world wants to kill, and I only want to pity talents." The impression is a great harvest.

As soon as Yan Xiu got on the float, he said that he was going to Baoding, and Yang Du naturally followed him.Yuan Shikai was very disturbed, "I am naturally grateful to you two for your love. But there are so many rumors that even I have been slandered." He said earnestly: "Please, both of you!" "We've been together for a long time, and we don't know when the next meeting will be. Take this opportunity to talk more!" "Don't say it yourself, disaster is nothing to fear!" Yang Du continued Yan Xiu's words. Yuan Shikai knew that he "don't say anything" because Liang Qichao worked hard in front of Shanqi, so the hardcore members of the constitutionalist school, whether they went to Beijing to petition or write books, were secretly supported by Shanqi.So he dared to say: "There is no need to fear disaster!"

But aren't you also a constitutionalist?He did a lot of hard work and played a very important role in assisting him, but Shanqi was influenced by Kang Liang and opposed himself everywhere.The same constitutionalists, how can there be two completely different treatment? From this point, Yuan Shikai thought that when Emperor Daxing's mourning edict was first promulgated, Kang Youwei actually sent a telegram, accusing him of "killing the king", and he felt more and more unfair.So Xu Xu said: "The call for constitutionalism has been sung into the clouds. This is a major event for thousands of years. I, Yuan, was lucky to participate in the final discussion, and I can explain the history. I was in trouble because I couldn't help but reform the bureaucracy. I came here from the establishment of a constitutional editorial office, but there is something to comfort me when I look at my heart at night. Mr. Zhang Si's friendship with me has not ended, and the whole country knows it. Since the imperial court announced the constitution, he wrote to me, saying, "the former spy , It’s not enough to be fair’. Once the misunderstandings that have been incomprehensible for twenty years, once they are unraveled, it is really a happy event in my life!" This refers to Zhang Jian's resumption of diplomatic relations with him after breaking up with him for 20 years. Yuan Shikai's complacent feelings were overflowing with words, and he said goodbye at the moment of disagreement. A flat bottle of brandy, with a lid as a cup, quickly floats white. "However, talking about constitutionalism today is like talking about foreign affairs thirty years ago. It's too fashionable! That's why there are true and false constitutionalists." Yuan Shikai patted the back of Yang Du's hand and said, "Zizi is the hero behind the five ministers. , who can be called the nanny of constitutionalism, is naturally a constitutionalist. I don’t think so in Kang Liang.” "Junior Brother Kang Liang, it seems that there should be a distinction." Yan Xiu said, "It would be a little unreasonable to confuse them." "It's true, it's true!" Yuan Shikai said quickly, then turned his face and asked, "There is a revolutionary party named Hu Yanhong, Zhe Zi, are you familiar with it?" "Why don't you know him? He is from Cantonese, a Han nationality, and his calligraphy is Zhantang. The writing is very familiar, and we often have contacts in Tokyo." "Okay!" Yuan Shikai hesitated and said again: "I have opened a vacancy, and I am not here. Why don't you talk about it? Someone showed me a copy of "Min Bao" three years ago, and there was an article in it that I also wanted to read. I remember that the title is "Records of the performance of a certain gentleman in Guangdong at the commemoration of the death of Gengzi in the 1898", and this "some gentleman in Guangdong" is said to be Hu Yanhong. The inside story of the 1898 year is quite true." Yan Xiu and Yang Du were very interested in this statement, because everyone knew that the 1898 coup was initiated by Yuan Shikai's information, and now the person involved said it himself, which is not comparable to hearsay, so they all listened intently. "This Hu Yanhong, I admire him very much! He said that Kang Youwei changed again and again, deceiving himself and others, which is not wrong. Kang Youwei had 'five degenerations' before and after." The so-called "five degenerations" are Hu Yanhong's criticism: "Kang Youwei said at the beginning that he wanted to create a great religion. He saw that China used Confucius to teach, and the people's hearts were obscured and weak for thousands of years. Not good. The teaching of Confucius is not impure, but it is not needed in China now, and must be greatly improved, taking the essence of all Buddhism, Lao, Ye, and Hui religions, and blending them together to form a Protestantism. In short, Kang Youwei's ambition is really unattainable at this time." "He calls himself 'Changsu' and fights for the king of Changsu. Although his words are arrogant, his ambition is unmatched." Yan Xiu asked, "What do you mean by 'degeneration'?" According to Hu Yanhong, Kang Youwei was selected as a supervisor on the grounds that he "moved everyone's heart", and instead of being a teacher, he was mainly a politician, and his ambition was degraded by one level.However, he talked about democracy as well as the nation, and he said "protect China but not the Qing Dynasty", which is not wrong. By the time Juren was selected as a Jinshi, he went far away from the people and away from the government, and talked about constitutionalism. This constitutionalization is naturally a constitutional monarchy, which invisibly becomes "protecting the Qing Dynasty", and his ambition has retreated another level. When he was able to write a letter to speak about the matter, "he was summoned many times", Kang Youwei's tone changed again, "He went against what he said the day before, thinking that even the House of Representatives does not need to be held, and the constitution can be undecided. There is such a good emperor, but he wants to talk about reforms. That's enough!" In this way, wouldn't it be another step back in ambition? After the reform of the Reform Movement of 1898, Kang Youwei claimed to have a clothes and belt edict, "Order him to raise troops to serve the king, but he became a royalist." Hu Yanhong's words were very sharp. He said: "There should be no difference between the king and the emperor, but it is ridiculous to explain it. King Qin It is to raise troops to protect the emperor, since the emperor is in danger, he should do it right away, if the emperor is not in danger, there is no need to go to him." Then Hu Yanhong said: "It's not the case to protect the emperor. You don't need to raise troops, you just need to collect some money. No matter when and where the emperor is not in danger, I can protect him. If the emperor is in danger, I will protect him in the same way. In Beijing, I am sitting here, far and wide, and the two do not seek each other, and the law is the same. Kang Youwei has changed to this doctrine, and his current destination is, but compared to Qin Wang, he has degenerated to the fifth level!" Speaking of this, Yuan Shikai stopped, sipped tea and asked Yang Du leisurely: "Zizi, have you seen the 'Clothes Order' enshrined by 'Kang Shengren' in Tokyo?" "As many people want to see, they can't see it. I don't believe there is such an edict!" Yang Du replied: "Young brother of the Kang family, I don't think so." "Kangmen Gaodi" refers to Liang Qichao.Yuan Shikai didn't know that Yang Du's "action" included Kang Youwei's use of the "clothes belt edict" to amass money. He only thought that Yang Du was defending Liang Qichao, and he didn't take it for granted that Kang Youwei claimed to have a clothes belt edict.This time, the words are a bit out of control. At this time, the three guests and the host felt the sound of the wheel was loud, and couldn't help but look out in a blink of an eye. The wind was blowing the yellow sand, and it was dim and bleak. It made people feel depressed and uncomfortable, so it's better not to look at it. So they closed their eyes at the same time, and Yuan Shikai continued Yang Du's words: "Among these 'five degenerations', when Kang Youwei mentioned the reform, he accidentally scratched the itch. Even Zhang Nanpi couldn't bear it." Don't be tempted. Master Weng is a bit narrow-minded, but there is no doubt about his loyalty and love for the king to Yao and Shun. Probably he also thinks that Kang Youwei's argument is a good way to save the time. However, Weng and Zhang They are all naive people who have read through the book and think that Wang Anshi’s reform is good, but the fault is not his person. In the past, Kang Youwei’s words can be used, but Kang Youwei’s person can’t be used! Therefore, it is said that Weng and Zhang have recommended Living Kang Youwei was created by Kang and Liang's party, and it is a job that raises one's self-worth. In fact, it will never happen. However, since you appreciate his words, you can't help but talk about him. Naturally, the Emperor Daxing will not understand the "master" Painful, hastily delivered an order to summon Kang Youwei, Master Weng could never say that Kang's intentions were not right, and it was not suitable to be summoned. He had to hesitate, so that Emperor Daxing had an opinion on the master. Otherwise, with Daxing's intimacy with Master Weng, At that time, as long as there was a fight to the death, wouldn't Empress Xiaoqinxian miss the old relationship between the emperors and masters of the two dynasties?" Yan Xiu kept nodding his head while listening, and said after listening, "Gong Bao's theory is extremely incisive. I don't believe Master Weng once recommended Kang Youwei. Master Weng really wants to be courageous, but he has no courage. Even if he really appreciates Kang Youwei , and didn’t have the guts to recommend him.” "Besides," Yang Du interjected, "Master Weng doesn't know that Kang Youwei is ambitious, so he doesn't mind him?" "If Kang Youwei succeeds, he will naturally climb to the head of Master Weng. This man has a great reputation, and he has a strong desire for profit. You only need to see him cheating with the 'Clothes and Belts'." Yuan Shikai said immediately: "Not only clothes There is nothing to do with the imperial edict, even the so-called "Two Secret Edicts" is not entirely untrue, the first Zhu Yu was for Si Jingqing, and has nothing to do with Kang Youwei. And it is also doubtful whether there is such a Zhu Yu." Speaking of this, it was a good time to inquire about the coup of 1898. Yang Du refused to miss the opportunity and asked, "Why, didn't Tan Fusheng show Zhu Yu when he visited the official security?" "No!" Yuan Shikai thought for a while and said, "I have been slandered for a long time in this important public case, so I might as well talk about the truth at that time." According to Yuan Shikai, after he was summoned to Beijing at the end of July in the year of 1898, he was summoned on the first day of August, and there was an imperial edict to serve as an alternate servant, responsible for training soldiers.On the night of the third day of August, Tan Sitong visited Yuan Shikai's residence in Haidian, demanding that he kill Rong Lu and send troops to surround the Summer Palace.The Zhu Yu presented was written in ink, to the effect that it said: "I am determined to change the law, but all the old officials are not very comfortable. If you are too hasty, and you are afraid that the sage will be displeased, I will order Yang Rui and others to discuss a good law." So Yuan Shikai said that it was neither Zhu Yu nor the theory of besieging the Summer Palace and killing Ronglu.Tan Sitong said: "Zhu Yu is in the hands of Lin Xu, and it was recorded by Yang Rui." Yuan Shikai believed that the reform should follow the public opinion, and it was the last thing to do.But Tan Sitong was quite excited, thinking that since ancient times, there must be bloodshed to reform the law, and he must kill all the old people before he can do things.Dispersed that night with no results. On the fifth day of the eighth lunar month, they were summoned again, and Yuan Shikai and Chen Zuo said that the reform was especially important for winning people, and a seasoned and prudent person was required to assist and preside over it. He also recommended Zhang Zhidong, and the emperor was quite moved. "You two, please think about it: Kang Youwei asked Tan Sitong to persuade me to rebel, and such a rebellion will never succeed, it will only kill the emperor, can I listen to him? So when I return to Tianjin, I will have a secret talk with Rong Wenzhong, Rong Wenzhong stood up from his seat and said, "I have entered Beijing according to Yi's order, and this seat belongs to you." It turned out that Yang Xinbo had already discussed with Rong Wenzhong when I went to Tianjin earlier. I think, according to this situation, the emperor is Kang You has already done harm, and took me into the muddy water for no reason. Where do you really start? Up to now, I can only express my heart, and I said, "The emperor is in a very dangerous situation today. If the emperor has something , I can’t escape suspicion, the only thing I can do is die!” Rong Wenzhong patted his chest and said, “The emperor is determined to have no one else. The rest of the courtiers can’t be guaranteed.” In recent years, some people have not forgiven me. Please put yourself in my shoes Think about it, besides telling Rong Wenzhong about this matter, is there a second way?" According to him, nature is without blemish.However, it is said that when Yuan Shikai was summoned on the fifth day of the eighth lunar month, the emperor had written him a Zhu Yu.It's just that it's inconvenient for Yan and Yang to continue asking. "This time, I had a misfortune. I have seen through the hot and cold world. When I returned to Henan, I really wanted to build a house in Sumen Mountain. His comfort, like the great friendship between the two husbands, is unforgettable and will never be forgotten." "Serious words, serious words!" Yan Xiu and Yang Du said in unison. "And Nanpi, I have received his great virtue, and I don't know how to repay it. Since the promotion of the two palaces, it has only been 50 days, and Nanpi has been heartbroken! I am really worried, I don't know what to say. Can we see each other again?" Yuan Shikai's eye circles turned red as he said that, and he was really moved by the sadness of parting from life and death. Yang Du paid attention to his words "broken heart", and immediately asked: "Could it be that Nan Pi is also being excluded?" "It's not likely to be excluded, but it doesn't matter what you say, and it looks like you're going to a dead end, how can Nanpi not be sad?" Yuan Shikai reached into his arms, took out a piece of paper, spread it out, and put it on the table, "Look, you two. Poetry is the proof." The poem is a Qijue, titled "Reading Song History". "Southern people don't know the Song family biography. They claim that Jinqiao surprised the cuckoo, worked hard for Li Yuwen and his descendants, and followed the cold sun to Yuyuan." In the third sentence, there are four names in small characters under the four surnames: Li Gang, Yu Yunwen, Wen Tianxiang, and Lu Xiufu. "Good poem!" Yang Du admired: "From Song Taizu to Emperor Xiangxing, Nandu is also mentioned, twenty-eight characters, a history of Song Dynasty. Nanpi is really a master, and Qijue is my only one." Yan Xiu sat silently, with a serious expression on his face. Zhang Zhidong had already foreseen the end of the Qing Dynasty, Yan Xiu couldn't help but feel the sorrow of the country's subjugation. "Southern people don't know each other, but Li Yuwen and Lu are all southerners. They worked hard to follow, so why did they come?" On poetry, however, rather than calling it a complaint, it is better to say that he has deep worries and is afraid of becoming a literary writer. In terms of Nanpi's life, he naturally wanted to be Yu Yunwen, but he had no choice but to deal with the current situation. It's impossible to get it, and as expected, it's too late and the road is poor, I'm afraid I can only be Wen Tianxiang and Lu Xiufu, but Nanpi is absolutely unwilling!" Yuan Shikai only knew that Yu Yunwen was from Sichuan, and he once defeated the golden soldiers in Caishiji, but he didn't know that Yu Yunwen had been in the prime minister for 20 years, and that he had opened a mansion with festivals, and set up a "Qiaocai Pavilion" to invite wise men from all over the world. Many, just like Zhang Zhidong. Of course Yan Xiu knew very well, felt that Yang Du said that Zhang Zhidong was not willing to be Wenlu, but wanted to be Yu Yunwen, and he could tell Zhang Zhidong's thoughts, so he couldn't help but nodded deeply: "Zhezi's theory is very good!" Yang Du couldn't help but feel complacent, took another sip of wine, looked at Yan Xiu and asked, "If Fan Gong was born in the late Song Dynasty, how could he live in Yuyuan when he was in the sunset?" Although it was a hypothesis, Yan Xiu was very serious. He thought for a while with a solemn face and replied: "I know that Fu can be Wenlu. It is enough to be like Wang Bohou!" Because this is "expression of ambition", Yuan Shikai of course also paid attention to it, so he immediately asked: "Who is Wang Bohou?" "It's Wang Yinglin who did it." Yang Du replied. "In the first year of Chunyou's strategist Jiying Hall, Lizong wanted to take the seventh volume and place it first. He asked Ying Lin for his opinion. To congratulate you.' When the seal was removed, it was Wenwen Mountain. In the Duzong Dynasty, Wang Yinglin was the Minister of Rites, but he did not report it. He resigned from office and returned to his hometown. He wrote some books. He probably died when Yuan Chengzong was in power." Knowing Wang Yinglin's life, you can also know Yan Xiu's thoughts. The Qing Dynasty is like a dead man.Judging from Yan Xiu's learning and behavior, it is his best arrangement to be like Wang Yinglin. Yuan Shikai couldn't help but praise him for his honest words: "Fan Sun is really a gentleman!" At this time, Yang Du was already a bit drunk, and he talked about Xing Yihao, so he said to Yuan Shikai: "How about Gong Bao? In fact, Gong Bao is quite qualified for Yu Yunwen, and there may be room for use in the future." Yuan Shikai thought for a while and replied cautiously: "I don't expect that day! If I were to be Yu Yunwen, there must be only half of the country left! " "I think the setting sun and Yu Yuan are approaching! Judging from the current situation where relatives and nobles are full and full of people are full of Han, it is doubtful whether it can be delayed until the nine-year constitutional government is realized. In case of misfortune, Gong Bao, I'm afraid you won't be allowed to be proud of the Su family. Excuse me, what kind of person would you be if you weren't Yu Yunwen?" Yang Du, who had been drinking, was quite aggressive. Yuan Shikai was not familiar with history, so he didn't know who could talk about it, so he just smiled and didn't answer. "Actually, Gong Bao, I'm thinking that if the Song Dynasty is reversed, there is someone who can do it." "Who is it?" "Zhao Kuangyin!" As soon as this remark came out, Yuan Shikai was taken aback, and hurriedly shook his hand and said, "Zizi is drunk, Zhezi is drunk!" Yan Xiu watched coldly, feeling sad for those young relatives in his heart!Yang Du was already thinking of becoming Zhao Pu, wanting to take away his "orphan and widow" status, and those princes of the "Zai" generation still thought they were born in Yongzheng and Qianlong years.Isn't he the most stupid person in the world? "Let's serve dinner!" Yuan Shikai was deeply afraid that Yang Du's wild words would fall into Yan Xiu's ears, and it would be inconvenient, so he tried to interrupt, and said without words: "During the journey, it is very slow." "You're welcome." Yan Xiu said this, and as a convenience, the footman led him to go to the toilet at the end of the carriage. "Zhezi, are you not drunk?" Yuan Shikai asked anxiously. "Gong Bao is afraid that I will get drunk, so I won't drink it." Yang Du slapped the cork hard and hid the wine in his arms. This proved that he was very sane, and Yuan Shikai said in a low voice: "Zizi, I am very sorry. When I was in Beijing, I should always ask you for advice. From now on, please don't give up. I plan to let the big and small children to the old man." Send a student post." "Impossible!" Yang Du was overwhelmed with flattery, shaking his hands wildly, "I can't afford it!" Yuan Shikai really wanted to force Yang Du to say that he would exchange posts with Yuan Keding to call him brothers, but Yang Du didn't like this kind of thing, so he didn't think of it at all.Yuan Shikai had no choice but to cup his hands and said: "I always feel that there are too many things that my brother and sister should learn from my brother. After returning to Beijing, I must give more advice to my brother and sister!" Seal, handed to Yang Du: "There is no gift for Lin Qi, just talk and make sense. Zhezi, hand it over to the firmness of gold and jade!" "Gong Bao said so, Yang Du didn't dare not accept it, nor did he dare to thank him!" He took Fang Hanyu with both hands, and tied it on the belt. ※ ※ ※ Not long after Yuan Shikai left Beijing, Zhao Bingjun, Minister of Civil Affairs, was dismissed from his post. This was expected. After the seal was sealed, it was also expected that Supervisory Censor Xie Yuanhan would impeach Chen Bi, Minister of Postal Affairs. This excerpt is very fierce.The grounds of the case are "empty the state's money, accepting bribes for personal gain", and the article mentions bad deeds, such as ordering and borrowing foreign money, secret distribution of profits;Of course, it also involves Liang Shiyi, known as the "Five-way God of Wealth".However, he was not too worried, because Sheng Xuanhuai had all the handles in his hands when it came to the railway's private fraud.At the same time, he negotiated with all his strength to take back the right of way of Jinghan Road from Biguo. Although the imperial court did not praise him a word, Lian Zaize could not but admit that his action had contributed to the country. Sheng Xuanhuai wanted to believe in this opportunity to attack him. In his opinion, it may not be possible to do so. To participate in a case like this, it is natural to send high-level officials to investigate; one is the respected Sun Jianai, and the other is Natong.Sun Jianai is no longer in charge, Na Tong is in charge of investigating the case, and as long as Na Tong brings money to his door, no matter how it came from, he dares to accept it. He calls himself an "unscrupulous widow" and "steals a man" and doesn't care anymore.Therefore, Liang Shiyi was not worried, and found his generals Guan Mianjun, Guan Genglin, and Ye Gongchuo, and had something to say. "The two palaces are up and down, and the octaves are dense. There is nothing fun in the next year. It is better to ask colleagues to work overtime and get an extra allowance. On the one hand, it helps the public, and on the other hand, it saves the expenses of the next year. In addition, there is income, which is a rare opportunity to save money, and I advise everyone to buy some railway stocks.” Two customs and one leaf, as promised, so the income and expenditure accounts of the railway department of the Ministry of Posts and Communications have been sorted out clearly before the imperial envoys send personnel to check. On New Year's Eve, because the national mourning was less than a hundred days old, the Zi Palace was temporarily housed in the palace, so the big fences and the eight alleys, which were usually noisy with singing and singing, were unusually quiet.As for posting Spring Festival couplets and setting off firecrackers, those tricks that can best exaggerate the taste of the New Year are not allowed.Nine Cities is silent, almost desolate. However, behind closed doors, family reunion is another scene.The house in Jinyu Hutong is full of people who come to say goodbye. At dusk, the door is closed, and any visitors are blocked. There is only one group of guests to invite. This group of guests is called "little friends" in the writings of famous scholars. They are all famous actors in the troupe, and most of them are dan roles.Na Tong didn't invite them here for the sake of a play or a cappella, but because when there was a national funeral, the theater troupe would immediately stop performing, and the livelihood of the actors would be greatly threatened.Under the pretext of eating New Year's dinner, Na Tong invited a group of "little friends" he knew well to share the New Year's money.Of course, depending on the level of fame and the depth of friendship, the size of the red envelope also varies, ranging from four hundred taels to forty taels, and the same as the bag, it is four taels of silver a piece. After arriving at ten o'clock, more than half of this group of "little friends" dispersed, but there were still seven or eight left, who were pestering Natong in the living room, asking him to try to break the ban and get ready to play in the name of maintaining the market. When the team kicked off early, a report came from the door: "Master Liang from the postal department is here!" It has been informed that all guests will be blocked, and the door servants dare to disobey the order to report, naturally it is because they have already got an adult's door bag.Natong is the most shrewd and kindest in this matter. In order to let the doorman accept the door bag with peace of mind, he nodded and said: "Please come in!" "On New Year's Eve, the God of Wealth is here!" Wang Yaoqing said with a smile, "The next year in Zhongtang must be a good one." "By the way!" Natong seemed to be reminded, "The God of Wealth is here, don't miss the opportunity! Turn around and look carefully." The servant who was waiting on the side heard this and went to prepare quietly.On such an occasion, it is natural to either push Pai Gow or shake the stall, so the table is set up, lights are added, and two sets of gambling equipment are prepared for standby. At this time, Liang Shiyi had already arrived in the hall, wearing cloth robes and shoes, and holding a wooden box in his hand. He seemed quite surprised to see these famous actresses present, but he still calmly saluted the host and greeted everyone. He raised the wooden box and said, "I got a box of cigars for the Kaiser, and I specially brought them to Zhongtang to keep them for guests." He neither said to open it and taste it, nor personally presented it to the owner, but handed the tightly sealed box of expensive cigars to the servant of the house, and of course Natong understood. "I don't smoke cigars. Xun Belle likes cigars the most." Natong told the servant, "Keep it in my study well, and I'll give it away." "Yes!" The servant was ordered to go inside cautiously, holding the box of cigars. "This year, it will save a lot of trouble." Na Tong pointed to the group of actors and said: "It's hard for them." "It's something that can't be helped, but with Zhongtang here, they won't suffer there." "Zhongtang is not as good as the God of Wealth! Yansun," Na Tong said with a smile, "You come to release the relief?" "This," Liang Shiyi flinched slightly, "is it all right?" "At Zhongtang Mansion, what are you afraid of?" Saying that, Wang Yaoqing came to pull Liang Shiyi. Both Na Tong and Liang Shiyi arrived in the small living room, and sat down facing each other at a mahogany table, and the host said, "Naturally, the God of Wealth has the upper hand, what are you playing?" "Please tell Zhongtang. Anyway, you can't play mahjong." "What do you think?" Natong looked around and asked, "Do you want Mr. Liang to make a fan stall for you?" "It takes someone to match the stall." Cheng Jixian, who sang Xiaosheng, said, "Counting the chess pieces in the fan stall is more troublesome. It's better to turn over the Pai Gow that stares at you twice." "Okay! It's Pai Gow." Liang Shiyi said, "Please pass me the chips." That house's chips are very particular.The chips in other places are all long ivory chips, but their ivory chips are round like foreign money, with a hole in the middle, which can be passed through the copper stick, and the palindromic Chinese character "Shou" is carved out on the edge, filled with colored, golden The most expensive one is five hundred taels, followed by red one hundred, yellow fifty, and green ten taels.Liang Shiyi arranged four stacks of chips on the table, and handed over the rest to the owner for safekeeping. "Come on! One for each." He picked up eight golden chips and flicked them out. "Come on! You're welcome." Na Tong acted as a "wealth spreading boy" and stuffed the chips into the hands of "little friends" one by one. "There are still six thousand silver coins," Liang Shiyi pointed at the chips and said, "I'll let you all win." "Did you hear that?" Natong handed the chips to Wang Yaoqing: "You are in charge of the treasury, you should be careful, cash it, look for it, don't make a mistake." So Liang Shiyi rolled up his sleeves and pushed the dealer, his luck was steady, and he played for an hour, when suddenly his luck turned bad, and he lost three times in a row, leaving only two thousand silver, but the downwind became more and more gambled, and the golden chips appeared on the bank. The stakes are on. "Slow down! The dealer only has two thousand silver." Na Tong said, "I think it's too much, and it's not too much." "Why don't Zhongtang bet on me?" Liang Shiyi looked at Natong and said, "The risk is limited!" "Okay! I'll bet on you." Na Tong withdrew his bet and became a temporary shareholder of the dealer. Playing dice to divide the cards, two points for the upper door, eight points for the Tian door, and four matching cards for the lower door, all red, but only three points, someone said: "The 'odd and double' card is more ominous!" Liang Shiyi clasped the two cards together, touched them with his middle finger, and said loudly, "Allow!" Speaking of moving the cards to Na Tong, he also touched them, a land card, a Mo Ding, it really is "odd and double" to take the upper and lower door cards.Of course, there is no need for people to see these two cards, and they messed up them casually, and they lost more than a thousand silver at the checkout. "Zhongtang lost a bet on me!" As he spoke, Liang Shiyi took out a ten thousand silver note and handed it to Wang Yaoqing. "The risk is limited." Na Tong replied. When the guest resigned, Natong went to the study to open the box of "Kaiser's imperial use" cigars. There was a "slip" in it. Liang Shiyi had already deposited 50,000 silver in Natong's HSBC account. On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month of the first year of Xuantong, Sun Jianai and Na Tong wrote a reply to the case of Xie Yuanhan's impeachment of Chen Bi. There were more than 5,000 words, and the conclusion was: "The minister, Chen Bi, was talented and courageous, and he was very famous. Virtue does not outweigh talent, often loses care, public opinion is not harmonious, and reputation suddenly decreases, which leads to a lot of slander. This time, the participation in private affairs may be exaggerated, but it is a waste of public money and private use. Check this It is unavoidable to have an official record. It is unavoidable to see what is good for others, and it is very ashamed of public loyalty, and it is difficult to relinquish responsibility for deficiencies in duty." According to the order, the Ministry of Communications strictly discussed and dealt with it, and finally dismissed him.Liang Shiyi, Ye Gongchuo, Guan Mianjun, and Guan Genglin that Xie Yuanhan accused were all safe and sound. At that time, Xu Shichang, governor of the three eastern provinces, knew that the "Yuan Dang" was too colorful, and he wrote flawed details in memorials, and issued an edict to admonish him.Yikuang knew that he couldn't settle for an outside job, and his young relatives were worried that he would be sent back to the frontier. It happened that there was a vacancy in the Ministry of Postal Communications, so he was guaranteed to succeed him, and Xiliang, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, was transferred to be the governor of the three eastern provinces. As a result, Yang Shixiang, another "Yuan Dang", became even more panicked. When drinking and playing cards, he would often say out of the blue: "I, Yang Laosi, am not Yuan Dang!" If you fall, why are you afraid of him?Zhili has something to look down upon, so attack as much as possible. So Li Deshun, the general manager of the northern section of Jinpu Road who hated the people of Zhili, Gao Runsheng, made an attack and took a hard copy.Of course, Lu Haihuan, the Minister of Jinpu Road, was involved, but it was Yang Shixiang who was secretly attacked.Because Li Deshun's mission was recommended by Yang Shixiang, and the relationship between the two is very close. It can be said that Yang Shixiang's success today is half due to Yuan Shikai and half due to Li Deshun. Li Deshun is a Cantonese with a humble background, but he married a German woman and has been hanging out in the Qingdao area.After Gengzi, Yang Shixiang took off to become the acting governor of Shandong in two years. However, due to Li Deshun's contribution, a new situation has opened up. It turned out that the imperial court paid great attention to diplomacy with Germany at that time, and Shandong was the sphere of influence of Germany. Therefore, Yang Shixiang's first major task when he was the governor of Shandong was to deal with the Germans well.By the way, Li De planned for Yang Shixiang, secretly using the treaty made in the 24th year of Guangxu for the Jiaozhou Bay incident, which promised to Germany but not fulfilled, such as mining rights, etc., to be transferred to Germany. Buy back the barracks built by Germany for 280,000 silver dollars.The imperial court thought that Yang Shixiang was good at handling diplomacy, and greatly rewarded him. At the same time, Li Deshun often accompanied Yang Shixiang to Qingdao to establish friendship with German officials stationed in China.Besides, every trick that can please Germany is thought of.Therefore, German newspapers often compliment Yang Shixiang, and German ministers and consuls, as long as they have the opportunity, all praise Yang Shixiang.For this reason, Yuan Shikai called in and Bao Yang succeeded him, so he was able to act immediately. Li Deshun was originally an interpreter for the Beiyang Western Affairs Bureau and lived in Tianjin for a long time. Of course, he made a comeback with Yang Shixiang at this time.At that time, Lv Haihuan, the supervisory minister of Jinpu Road, was a minister in Germany, but did not know German. Jinpu Road was built with funds from Britain and Germany.Due to the language barrier, Lu Haihuan was unable to deal directly with the German chief engineer in the northern section, and the interpreter was not very effective, which made him feel bitter.So Yang Shixiang happened to recommend Li Deshun, and after Lu Haihuan agreed, he was sent as the general office of the northern section of Jinpu Road. Therefore, Li Deshun relied on the direct supervisor and recruited guest ministers to seize Lu Haihuan's power. Not only did he control the funds, but even the people sent by Lu Haihuan may not be acceptable to Li Deshun.As for the construction, from the expropriation of the people's land to the purchase of materials and labor, all kinds of malpractices are used, and the most unbearable thing is that they deliberately flatter foreigners, and they hardly know the word "country".Originally, when Sheng Xuanhuai was the supervisory minister of the Railway Corporation, as long as he got a loan, he would not hesitate to hand over the right of way to others.Therefore, there is no restriction on the borrowing of Jinpu Road, except that the north and south sections each use a British and German chief engineer. Li Deshun not only deposits public funds in Dehua Bank, but also cleverly creates names such as assistant engineer, secretary, and medical officer. A German with nothing to do and a salary.In the end, it was planned to locate the Tianjin Terminus on Jinpu Road at Nanguan in the south of the city, but it made the "brothers of Tianjin Wei" angry! The markets of Chinese merchants in Tianjin are all located in the east and north of the city, and since the main railway station has a great effect on the prosperity of the area, it should be located in Hebei, where both water and land are convenient.As for Nanguan, the depressions are barren and not close to the canal. At the same time, Jinpu Road connects Jingfeng Road to Beijing, and the new station is in Hebei. If you go from north to west and south, it is not convenient to transfer.Therefore, it was decided to set up a terminus at Xinzhuang in the west of the new station, and the ground has been broken.This was the result of Yuan Shikai's refusal of Germany's request and his single-handed presidency during his tenure as minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.When Yuan Shikai was expelled, Li Deshun overturned the original proposal and abandoned the north to the south. To put it bluntly, it was nothing more than flattering others and seeking personal gain. It turns out that to the east of Nanguan is the concession of various countries. Germany has already requested to set up another station near the Haihe River in the German concession. As for Li Deshun's private business, the means are very ingenious and clumsy. He and a man surnamed Cao jointly set up a company and bought a large amount of land at a very low price at the place where Nanguan was scheduled to be built as the terminus, but reported it to the agricultural industry and commerce. Registered with the Ministry of Finance, the price quoted is 650 taels per mu. In the future, the price will naturally be paid according to this.It is estimated that there will be a sudden profit of 500,000 silver in a change of hands, but if the plan fails, it will be even more difficult to get rid of this large flooded depression. As a result, the gentry in Tianjin and Zhili were in an uproar.When Gao Runsheng was in trouble, the imperial government sent Zhili to investigate thoroughly, and Yang Shixiang was trying to clean him up. The gentry in Zhili province aroused public outrage and held a meeting in Tianjin. But part of it came from Zhili, Shandong, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces who increased the price of salt. Therefore, Jinpu Road is a national railway, but it is also a railway for the people of the four provinces. Li Deshun is not allowed to steal sovereignty and embezzle himself. The shortcomings of the "Beijing Enterprises" are prepared. Seeing the anger of the crowd, Yang Shixiang agreed to move the main station back to Xinzhuang.But the public indignation was still unabated, and Sun Baoqi, the deputy minister of Jinpu Road of the new faction, also advocated strict punishment, and all the newspapers criticized it unanimously, which made Yang Shixiang anxious and angry.On April 28th, Li Deshun was brought in, scolded severely, and his anger still remained, and then rushed to the new station to meet the imperial envoy. The imperial envoy was Dai Hongci, Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice, who was sent to thank Russia for sending an envoy to pay homage to the country. He went abroad from Beijing and passed through Tianjin.According to regulations, when imperial envoys pass through the border, the governor must "invite Shengan". Kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, saying hello by name, the imperial envoy replied on behalf of the emperor: "I'm safe!" If the imperial court leaned on the pillar of the governor, and the gift was special, he would add another sentence: "Qing An?" The ceremony counts without waiting for an answer. Finish. With a train, St. Ann's is of course at the station.The train arrived, the driver's skills were very good, the car stopped steadily, and the entrance and exit of the imperial envoy's float happened to be facing the red carpet that was being laid on the platform.Dai Hongci's expression was solemn and the underground station was ready, so Yang Shixiang took the lead to salute, and said in his mouth: "Minister of Beiyang, Zhili Governor Yang Shixiang, lead the subordinates, and respectfully greet Sheng An!" The word "An" has not yet been uttered, and the person is wrong, but seeing the hands and feet touching, the mouth and eyes are all slanted, and he fell headlong on the red carpet.Immediately, someone shouted in panic: "It's not good! The commander-in-chief has had a stroke!" Then there was a commotion, and the imperial envoys were not greeted, so they hurriedly sent Yang Shixiang back to the Yamen, and Qu Tinggui, the general manager of the Health Bureau, invited doctors from Germany and France to consult each other. His life was temporarily saved, but his body was paralyzed, his mind was confused, and he was crying and laughing. impermanence.So Cui Yongan, the feudal official stationed in Baoding, rushed to Tianjin overnight to take care of him. Yang Shiqi also came to visit from Beijing, and Yuan Keding was also with him, who came to "watch the changes". Yang Shixiang's illness is neither bad nor bad, but even if he can save his life, he will be sick and prolong his life, and the governor must be absent. Therefore, those who think they are qualified to be the governor, all of them wanton activities, especially Yuan Shuxun, the governor of Shandong , It is said that he sent his son to bring 400,000 silver to Beijing to find a way. On the evening of the ninth day of May, Yang Shixiang's condition changed suddenly and he finally died.The funeral was presided over by Yang Shiqi, and a couplet written by Yang Shixiang was hung before the funeral: "I like to read the biography of the knight-errant in my life; I don't know Qiluoxiang until I die."Mrs. Yang is very jealous. Yang Shixiang only took one concubine in his life, and she was Mrs. Yang's dowry girl, so he couldn't tolerate it.When Yang Shixiang talked about it, his expression was depressed, and he said that he made up his own elegiac couplet, which is the one hung in the funeral.Some people think that it is "unrealistic" to say such indecent words about closing the border, but Yang Shiqi has an excuse, saying that it is "like a brother's ambition". When Yang Shixiang died, the direct governor was vacant, and the governor of Liangjiang, Duanfang, was sent to succeed him. It was quite confusing, because just a few days ago, the censor Hu Sijing participated in the twenty-two items of the ten crimes of impeaching Duanfang, and specially ordered Zhang Renjun, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, to investigate. I don't want to be transferred to the direct governor of the leader of the border officials instead! Naturally, there was a big transfer. Zhang Renjun was transferred to Liangjiang; Before the new direct governor, Duanfang, could have sent a feudal secretary to act temporarily before he took office, but due to the serious internal situation in Zhili, except for the case of Li Deshun, the previous two terms still had a huge shortfall.When Yuan Shikai left office, he was short of public funds of six to seven million yuan, and asked Yang Shixiang to make up for it, which was one of the main conditions to ensure his promotion from Dongfu.But Yang Shixiang had no such means, and because of his lack of qualifications, the elders in Beijing did not dare to offend, so anyone who asked for a job with the eight-line script would be rewarded, so that there was a lot of redundant staff.It was a lot of entertainment to welcome and send, so not only could not make up for Yuan Shikai's omissions, but he lost three to four million yuan, a total of no less than ten million yuan, which could not be cleared without sending high-level officials. When he resigned from Beijing, the regent Zaifeng made the investigation of Li Deshun and Yuan and Yang Kueikong the main tasks of Natong's departure.