Chapter 220 Yingtai Sunset (17-2)

For five days in a row, there were ten dinners every day, half of which were resigned, and there were also four or five entertainments.On the sixth day, the regent summoned him for the second time, and he could leave Beijing to take up his post.Relieved, Duanfang returned to Xianliang Temple where he lived, and decided not to go there. He only went to the shopkeeper of Liulichang's study to send calligraphy and painting inscriptions to see. "It's such a hot day, you can quit other entertainments, but," Yang Xingwu said, "there is a man who invites a general, you must come." He said, and he handed over a post.

Duan Fang took a look and was very surprised.Zhang Xun, who entertained guests, is one of the few remaining generals of the green battalion.His original job is the admiral of Gansu Province, and he is currently serving as the battalion commander of the three eastern provinces.I can't read a lot of watermelon-sized characters, and although I know Duan Fang, I don't know the origin.Why is it necessary for him to treat guests?What surprised Duan Fang was not Zhang Xun's invitation, but Yang Xingwu's words. "Is there any significance in it?" "Naturally." Yang Xingwu asked: "The commander-in-chief must have heard about Zhang Shaoxuan's life, right?"

"I know he is a servant of Xu Xianping's family, nothing else matters. We have nothing to do today, so we might as well talk about this person." "He is a newcomer from the Nanchang Mansion. He comes from a humble background. Yes, he is Xu Xianping's Ma Bian..." Xu Xianping is Xu Zhenyi, who was the governor of the river.Zhang Xun likes to gamble, and lost public funds several times in betting, Xu Zhenyi couldn't bear it, and decided to deal with him severely.Mrs. Xu thought that he was usually capable, and judging by his appearance, he did not seem to be a poor man, so she gave him a small amount of money and let him go privately.

So Zhang Xun went to Guangxi and joined Su Yuanchun's subordinates, and later went outside the pass to belong to Song Qing's Yi Army.By chance, he transferred to Beiyang.When Yuan Shikai was training troops at Xiaozhan, he served as a "helper" in the engineering battalion managed by Wang Shizhen.When Yuan Shikai succeeded Li Hongzhang as the direct governor, his subordinates rose and all were promoted.At that time, the army was divided into two systems. The "New Army" who had received new military training was regarded as the country's regular army. If the Hunan Army, Huai Army, Provincial Army, and other miscellaneous armies cannot be selected for training in military schools, they will become the "new army" and the weak will be eliminated and the strong will be retained. They will be organized into patrol battalions to maintain local law and order.With no training and little replenishment, let them fend for themselves as a transitional method during the establishment of a new army.At this time, Zhang Xun led a patrol battalion, stationed at the junction of Zhili and Henan.

As far as Huiluan of the two palaces, crossing the Yellow River from Kaifeng to the north, to Cizhou and entering the border of Zhili, it happened to be Zhang Xun's defense zone.He is very generous, generous and likes to make friends, he gets along well with the eunuchs, he speaks well in front of the "Lafayette", and he has to rush to Beijing to stay as a guard. He was the commander-in-chief of Jianchang Town, and then he was promoted to the admiral of Yunnan, and became the chief military officer of a province.An old man who was born in the army can be regarded as "the best in official residence" when he is honored as "Military Gate" by others!

Soon, Zhang Xun was transferred from Admiral of Yunnan to Admiral of Gansu. Although his title changed, he was still in Beijing.At that time, the Shenji Battalion trained by the old King Chun and the "Tiger God Battalion" in charge of Zai Yi had long since dissipated. Ronglu's military guards, except for the Yi Army led by Song Qing, who were stationed outside the pass, the old troops of Nie Shicheng and Dong Fuxiang , became stragglers, some of them went to other places, and some of them were trained as patrol police.Therefore, Zhang Xun's army has become a "garrison camp" to defend the palace ban, with distinctive armor and full of palaces.Once when Yuan Shikai was in the audience, he was horrified when he saw the situation. If Zhang Xun had any conspiracy, the whole palace was under his control, so what could he do?

At that time, after the Russo-Japanese War, the three eastern provinces were really full of so-called ambush, so Yuan Shikai suggested to the military aircraft that Zhang Xun be transferred to the wing commander of the Fengtian Xingbattalion to control the defense forces of the three provinces.This is majestic but yin-depressing, because the title of "Restraining the Defense Forces of the Three Provinces" is in name only. The new troops of the three provinces are under the command of Beiyang, and Zhang Xun does not command them. , Zhang Zuolin, Feng Delin, Wu Junsheng and others are not easy to mess with.Zhang Xun is also very knowledgeable, so he was able to live in peace, and because there are quite a few rumors that Zhang Xun and the "Red Beard", who has been rampant all the time, communicated with each other early.But there is no supporting evidence, and the generals and governors who have served successively can only be appeased by Rong Rong.Zhang Xun also ended up often prostitution and gambling in the capital of Hongchen Fangdhu. He spends only two or three months in Fengtian in a year.

His permanent residence in Beijing, apart from his greed for prosperity, naturally has other functions.First of all, the relationship between the eunuch and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is absolutely unwilling to be alienated, and he has seen that the then empress and the current empress dowager will gain power one day, so he first made friends with Xiao De Zhang and then joined the clan and became brothers.The eunuch has such an eminent "brother", so it is naturally an honor to close the door. Xiao Dezhang's mother often said to her son: "Your elder brother's business is your own business! He said things, you can't say things." De Zhang had a lot of private savings, all of which were under the control of his mother. Whenever Zhang Xun couldn't pay for the loss, he always accommodated Xiao De Zhang's mother and responded to every request. He never encountered a setback.

In addition, during the holidays, Yang Shiqi must be asked to find Yuan Shikai for help.Yuan Shikai hated him very much, but he had to buy into his account, and Xu Shichang helped him, so Yuan Shikai kept a respectful and distant relationship with him, and had no intention of trying to drive him out. But Xiliang is different.He was transferred from the governor of Sichuan to the three eastern provinces, and his request to take it back was not allowed. He had to go to the post to rectify his strength. The first thing he thought of was Zhang Xun.He had heard people talking about how this person was abusing bandits and abusing the people, how he lax discipline, and what kind of person he was, so he had to take a look and talk about it.Sure enough, the rumors were true, so he took the knife from this person as the beginning of rectifying the administration of officials in the three eastern provinces.

Zhang Xun also knew that he came with bad intentions, so when Xiliang came to Beijing to see His Majesty, he avoided him every day.Xiliang sent people to invite him several times, but to no avail, so he felt that he had to meet him.So one day at three o'clock in the morning, he took his servants and went straight in through the door, finally woke Zhang Xun from the bed, and met face to face. The meeting was in the "study".Between several cases, there are countless antiques on display, the authenticity of which is unknown, but the decorations are all exquisite.Therefore, when Xi Liang met Zhang Xun, he praised the study room at the first sentence: "This room is so beautiful!"

"It's from the two palaces!" Zhang Xun replied. "Two Palaces" refers to Empress Dowager Cixi and Dezong, Xiliang asked: "According to what you said, your residence was granted by the previous dynasty?" "No! After I returned to Luan from the two palaces, I received a lot of antique calligraphy and paintings, not one thousand, but eight hundred pieces. I am very poor, but the things bestowed by the imperial court cannot be sold." Zhang Xun said again: "The two palaces I also know that I am very poor, so I used to reward cash in the past, the most was 15,000 taels at a time, and there were about 60,000 taels before and after, all of which were spent. Now all I have are the things in this house. The grace of the two palaces , I don’t think anyone will laugh at me for showing off.” Hearing what he said, Xiliang knew that he had a deep relationship with the palace and his relatives, so touching his hand might not be able to fulfill his wish, so it is better to keep it as it is for now. But if he doesn't provoke Zhang Xun, Zhang Xun wants to provoke him instead.When I arrived in Fengtian, I worshiped the seal to take over the affairs, and the bureaucrats belonged to the Yamen, but Zhang Xun was alone, so I couldn't help being very angry.Immediately send Goshha to find him and question him face to face. "Do you know that the governor is temperate under the civil and martial arts, and you, the admiral, are also my subordinates?" Of course Zhang Xun knew.Not to mention the governor, even if he met the governor, he would hand over the manuscript for reference.But since he intends to make things difficult for Xiliang, he doesn't say that. "I only know the Great Qing Dynasty Code, and the rank of the governor and the admiral are the same. Besides, I am the admiral of Gansu, and now I am the commander of the battalion in the three eastern provinces, controlling the defense forces of the three provinces. The young commander," Zhang Xun did not call him "big Shuai", because he is named Qingbi, so he uses this parallel title, "You take care of the three provinces, and I also take care of the three provinces." Xi Liang was stunned, very angry, but he did not refute him, he collected his mind and thought of a sentence and asked: "Then, Xu Jushuai was here in the past, how did you perform the etiquette of a subordinate?" "Xu Jushuai is my old officer." When Yuan Shikai was training at the small station, Xu Shichang was the general manager of his battalion affairs office, and all the battalion palaces were his subordinates.After explaining his origin, Zhang Xun added another sentence: "How can you compare with him!" This time, Xi Liang was furious!For the time being, Zhang Xun was still allowed to be free in Beijing. Until a few days ago, Fang began to participate in the impeachment, accusing Zhang Xun of "when the defense was tight, he dared to leave his post without authorization and did not return for several months. , Discipline is gone. Should be dealt with by the Ministry of Order as usual." For a military officer, this is a very serious crime, especially for the governor who "starts to manage the army and dismounts to manage the people", at least it is a punishment of dismissal and investigation.However, under the protection of Xiaode Zhang, Xun and Tao Baylor, there was only one order: "Remove all the missions of the battalion wing commander, and go to Gansu to serve as the admiral." Two days later, there was another special order: "Zhang Xun is still working in Beijing." Xiliang is also very powerful, when he paid homage, he had already predicted that no matter what Zhang Xun could do, he would not be able to be the "Fengtianxing Battalion Wing Commander" anyway, so he had already made an arrangement, and he accepted it on the day he was ordered. his troops.In addition to bringing two hundred soldiers in Beijing, Zhang Xun became a bare-bones admiral. This made Zhang Xun miserable, because without soldiers, there would be no pay, where to "eat vacancies"?For this reason, he discussed with Xiao Dezhang and wanted to get Yi Jun, and Xiao Dezhang expressed his support.At this time, Xiao Dezhang had become very rich, and more than half of the private house money of the Empress Dowager Cixi was in the hands of the Empress Dowager Longyu, who was in charge of it. After Li Lianying and Cui Yugui retired for retirement, he was also in the palace.So as long as he nods, if you want money, you have money, and if you want relationships, you have relationships.Zhang Xun felt ambitious. He was originally from Yijun, and there were still many "brothers" who wore a pair of trousers together. He quietly consulted with him, and they all thought that this matter could be done, and it was neither difficult nor difficult to replace Jiang Gui's problem with it. It doesn't hurt morality, because Yi Jun was not created by Jiang Zuoti. It was Bao Chao's general Song Qing who founded the "Yi Army", so he inherited the tradition of Bao Chao's "Ting Army".If the stragglers still want to serve as soldiers and eat food, as long as they join the Yi Army, they will accept them all, but "name filling" depends on their quota. If there is no shortage, they can only eat "big pot rice" without payment.As soon as the battle starts, put these stragglers at the front, win the first battle, follow up with sharp divisions, and maintain strength if you lose, then look at the opponent's weaknesses, take advantage of the gaps, and attack with all your strength.Bao Chao used this strategy to make great achievements. Although it is not what it used to be, the Yi Army has survived the battle of the Eight-Nation Allied Forces. Among the Wuwei Five Armies under Ronglu's jurisdiction, it can exist on the same level as Yuan Shikai's Wuwei Youjun , and among the new army of six towns with excellent equipment and neat military appearance, it is this loyalty that stands alone. During the Xinyou Rebellion, Ma Yukun had already led Yijun, and Jiang Guiti took over after Ma Yukun died.This person's name is Hanqing, but his name is very elegant, but he is only slightly better than illiterate.He knew his name, but he didn't know it clearly. Once in Rehe, he saw a signboard hanging under the eaves of a noodle shop with the word "hanging noodles" in running script. Write it on it!" Insufficient literacy is not enough to worry about, but it is already in decline.He suffered from wind-dizzy disease, he would feel dizzy after he could not walk much, and he had to sit down and rest for a while before he could walk again.Every time he enters the palace, he has to take three or four rests along the way to get there, and besides, he is already over sixty, so he should go home to retire. Because Jiang Hangti's decline was obvious to all, both the Military Aircraft Department and the Army Department thought it was okay to transfer Zhang Xun to lead Yijun.However, Jiang Guiti is currently the admiral of Zhili. If the governor of Zhili is willing to speak for him, it will be difficult for Zhang Xun to do so. He sincerely invites Duan Fang to eat in order to get through this last hurdle. ※ ※ ※ Zhang Xun set up a banquet at Nanheyan's private apartment, and besides Duan Fang, he invited three accompanying guests, Yang Shiqi, Zhang Zhenfang, and Yang Xingwu. Duan Fang went early.The weather in June was hot at two o'clock in the afternoon, but there was no heat in Zhang Xun's living room.His method is very ingenious. Four pieces of ice are placed around the house, and four electric fans are used to blow on the ice.In the cool breeze, Duanfang was wearing a short coat without a collar, carefully admiring Zhang Xun's "multi-treasure frame". Watching the sunset on the west mountain, putting away the awning, pouring cold water on the yard, and setting up a table, Yang Shiqi and Zhang Zhenfang also arrived. Except for Yang Xingwu, the host, guest and accompanying guests are all acquaintances, Zhang Zhenfang is regarded as a member of Duanfang, but here he does not discuss his official position, and Duanfang also does not like to be restrained by official airs when encountering such an occasion, so we do not call each other brothers, It's just another name, only the master and Yang Xingwu are more polite. While drinking and talking, the words were meaningless. It was not until the banquet was about to end that Zhang Zhenfang mentioned a sentence: "Fourth brother! About Shaoxuan, I have to ask you to train Luo!" "Words are serious, words are serious!" Duan Fang replied, "I am optimistic." This means that if Zhang Xun releases the admiral of Zhili, he will naturally welcome him, but he will not go to activities for him. Zhang Xun's original intention was to eliminate resistance, as long as he stood by and won this promise, he had actually achieved his goal.So when we arrived at Dekesan, Yang Xingwu suggested that the few antiques that Duanfang was interested in would be packed up overnight, and sent to Duanfang's apartment early the next morning. Coincidentally, just after Zhang Xun left, Jiang Guiti came to pay respects, and Duan Fang of course received him. Seeing each other, sure enough, Jiang Guiti's man and eyebrows are all white, and he is very old. "I heard that the commander-in-chief arrived in Beijing, and he should have come to pay his respects a long time ago. It's just that there are a lot of chores in the camp, and the cooking can't be done. It has been late until today. Please forgive me, the commander-in-chief." "There, there!" Duan Fang felt that he was speaking with a lot of energy, and his spirit was not as depressed as it appeared on the surface, so he asked, "Brother Jiang, how expensive are you this year?" "sixty-four." "Sixty-four, I can't tell! I seem to be in good health." "It's just a dizziness problem. I have seen many doctors, but I can't see it. Some people say that there is a good western doctor in Shanghai who can treat it with electricity. Unfortunately, the road is too far." "Treatment is important, why don't you ask for two months' leave?" "Don't dare to ask!" "why?" Jiang Gui was embarrassed, hesitated for a while, and then sighed: "Oh! It's a long story. The commander-in-chief is an officer, and I dare not report it." He said: "Someone I’m trying to make Yijun’s idea. If he is qualified, it doesn’t matter if I let him. If he is not qualified, he will climb on top of others, and the brothers will not accept it. Yijun is a soldier, which is different from other troops. If I ask for leave , The imperial court felt that Jiang Guiti was old and sick, and it was time to open a vacancy and let someone else go, and then things would become serious. I was cultivated by the imperial court, so I couldn't ignore the overall situation." "Oh," Duanfang continued his words and asked, "You said that the matter is making a big fuss, how can you make a fuss?" "I'm afraid, I'm afraid Yijun will be scattered!" Duanfang was thinking, whether Jiang Guiti intended to scare people, although he didn't know, but he was not willing to back down, but it was very clear.That being the case, even if none of his subordinates disobeyed him, he could still instigate an accident.The worst thing is that now the words come first, and in my own capacity, I can't help but care about this matter.Otherwise, in case Yijun really mutinies in the future, Jiang Gui wrote: I have already reported to the governor.Then, isn't the responsibility all on him? Thinking back to this, I feel quite embarrassed.I thought my way of dealing with Zhang Xun was very tactful, anyway, I didn't play left and right, just let nature take its course, even if I helped Zhang Xun.But judging from the current situation, we have to try to eliminate the problem invisible.As a governor, you are not afraid of other things, but you are afraid of making troubles in the army under your jurisdiction! While pondering like this, I saw Jiang Guiti take out a plum red envelope from his bosom, walked over tremblingly, held it in both hands, and said in his mouth: "As usual, Yijun will pay the general's personal soldiers. I brought it here, please take a look at it, Marshal." The words were high-sounding, Duan conveniently put the envelope in his hand, pulled out the bank note a little, and saw clearly that it was 10,000 taels of silver. This kind of filial piety is not considered meager, so Duan Fang could only say: "I am ashamed of receiving it!" Putting the envelope on the kang table, he asked again: "Who do you think is planning Yi Jun?" "Zhang Shaoxuan!" "Oh, it's him!" Duan Fang shouted, "Come on!" "Cha!" Duanfang's Geshhar stood in the yard with Jiang Gui's inscribed horse, and agreed in unison, tyrannically. "Helping Jiang Junmen into my study." After speaking, Duanfang picked up the red envelope and walked in front. After helping Jiang Guiti to the study, he naturally refused to follow others and had a secret talk.Looking at the price of 10,000 yuan, Duanfang taught him a strategy and asked him to ask Prince Yikuang. "Others don't know, but the prince knows. From the first day of Jiawu, Yijun first attacked Japan; later guarded Jiaozhou against the Germans, and guarded Lushun against the Russians; since the year of Gengzi, he has been guarding Shanhaiguan and escorting the two palaces out of the customs." To Taiyuan, to Xi'an; Japan-Russia War to defend western Liaoning, help Japan fight Russia. Yijun," Jiang Guiti suddenly felt sad, burst into tears, and cried and shouted: "Yijun is worthy of the court!" Yikuang was very confused, and hurriedly asked someone to help him up and said, "Hanqing, Hanqing, what's the matter with you, so sad? If you have something to say, speak slowly." "My lord please be the master!" Jiang Guiti wiped away his tears, and spoke intermittently. Because his voice was choked up, Yikuang listened for a while before he could figure it out.What he meant was that since the formation of the army, although the Yi army has changed its master twice, the troops have been followed by fathers and sons, and brothers.Zhang Xun doesn't know what is good or bad. If he comes to the camp according to the order, something will happen.Soldiers are either the rest of their lives, or orphans whose fathers and brothers broke their legs and died on the battlefield. They must try to save them, and the only way to save them is to be dismissed. This is a trick taught by Duan Fang. These words caused King Qing to panic. He tried his best to comfort Jiang Guiti and persuaded him to go away. Then he called the regent and told him briefly about Jiang Guiti's crying complaint. "I'm worrying about this matter. Uncle Qing," said the regent, "Let's talk about it in the palace tomorrow!" ※ ※ ※ The regent has more than one trouble. The first is housework.Ever since Tai Fujin had a serious illness on the day his grandson entered the palace, because everything was going well, and more importantly, he no longer had to worry about what "Lafayette" would do, so his old illness gradually healed. Thinking about his three sons and one grandson, he is extremely noble in the world, and he is more blessed than "Lafayette". "Lafayette" can wield so much power, his grandson is the emperor, his son is the regent, and the out-and-out empress dowager can't be a bit of a master?Therefore, recruiting power and accepting bribes only takes half a year, and anyone who is good at drilling knows that there is such a fast, secure and cheap way in Beifu. As a result, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are even more at odds.The daughter-in-law is the daughter-in-law who the Empress Dowager Cixi said: "This child is not even afraid of me". Naturally, she looks down on the mother-in-law who is not well-born and illiterate, and the mother-in-law can't understand the daughter-in-law's disobedience.Prince Regent Fujin likes to be lively and cheerful, and often appears at the newly opened Liuguo Hotel in Yuheqiao. Everyone in the mansion knows about it, and only the Prince Regent is hiding it. Although the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are like participating in business, they do their own things, and they can live in peace with reluctance. Sometimes it is inevitable that they will become hostile to the daughter-in-law's nosy affairs.For example, Zhang San has gone the way of Beifu Fujin, and promised to keep his position; however, Beifu Taifujin promised Li Si that he could replace Zhang San.Now that the regent is caught in the middle, I don't know who to listen to?Benevolent orders are hard to disobey, and interdiction orders are even stricter, often resulting in scolding on both sides and excruciating pain.Jia Zai Tao protects his mother, is at odds with his sister-in-law, and sometimes loses his temper in front of the regent. "Lao Qi" is the youngest, the whole family has always let him, the regent is still like this, in addition to his mother and wife, he is also angry with his younger brother. In the palace, they are not only angry with the Empress Dowager Longyu, but also threatened by her invisible, because under the supervision of the king regent, there is a "in case of major events, the empress dowager must be invited to order, and the regent king will ask for it at any time." " tail, there is an extra layer of restraint.If you act arbitrarily from the beginning and ignore her, it will not be a problem. The bad thing is that after the two officials were promoted, when there were major incidents, they did abide by the will of the Empress Dowager, which means that they have established an unbreakable rule , and now it is becoming more and more unstoppable. After careful examination, the threat actually came from Zai Ze.He has coveted the position of "Prime Minister" for a long time, if he just wants to replace Yikuang, there is still room for resolving the arrangement, but he not only wants to be the foreman of the military aircraft department, but also does not want to have a "mother-in-law".It also happened that there was a group of Mongolian ministers who were deeply disgusted with the great use of Xuntao's two baylors, and the combination of the two constituted a threat that could turn into an armpit at any time.These deeply dissatisfied Manchu and Mongolian ministers, led by Tie Liang and Rong Qing, and Sheng Yun, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, opened up their vacancies with rude words, the resentment deepened, and the opposition increased a little.Sheng Yun and Rong Qing are brother-in-law, once the vacancy is opened, they will naturally stand by Rong Qing's side. So there is a legend that has been widely circulated, but no one is willing to admit it, and it is impossible to find out the details: Eight ministers will jointly play a concert, and the queen mother is invited to listen to the government behind the curtain.No one can tell the whole story about these eight ministers, but Zaize, Tieliang, Rongqing, and Shengyun are indispensable, and Sheng Xuanhuai must be indispensable among the ministers of the Han Dynasty, because the Queen Mother hangs down and Zaize is in power. The servant, you can immediately become a minister. So Zai Tao made a plan for the regent, saying that he had been listening to Zai Ze's words for the past few months, restraining "Old Qing" everywhere, and he was very wrong.However, it is not too late to change course, contacting Yikuang is the only feasible strategy to resist Zaize.Doing so has another advantage, that is, it suppresses Pu Wei virtually. It turned out that Xiaogong Wang Puwei had long been unwilling to give in. He first hoped for a big position, and when Puyi entered the palace, he knew that he couldn't compete with him.However, he didn't know who he heard said: When the Empress Dowager Cixi was dying, she summoned Zaifeng and the Minister of Military Aircraft, and she had a face-to-face order that Zaifeng may not be able to be regent, so Pu Wei can be her assistant.It's not someone talking nonsense, or deliberately teasing him, and Pu Wei believed so firmly that he even quarreled with Zhang Zhidong face to face, accusing him of helping Zaifeng hide his will.It was all right for Zaifeng to send him a minister, but because of his stubborn temperament, he was not subject to discussion, and was afraid of meeting him, so he was only given a job that was not beneficial and easily offended: minister of smoking ban. This made Pu Weiyi feel depressed and indignant.Among the three "uncles" of the Xinyou coup, the only "six masters", Prince Gong Yiyi, contributed the most. In the next generation, Prince Chun Yixuan was especially honored and favored; among Prince Dun's sons, Zaiyi , Zai Lan was also famous for a while; Wufang and Qifang were all proud, why should the descendants of Liufang be so lonely?Therefore, Pu Wei decided to contact Yi Kuang, who was a member of the Shu family, and especially worked hard on Zai Zhen, hoping to form an alliance and make a difference.For Zaifeng, this was somewhat troublesome.Zai Tao believes that as long as the strategy of "rejection of the joint celebration" is implemented, this trouble will naturally disappear. Zaifeng is still unable to estimate whether Zai Tao's strategy is the only feasible way.But he really felt the need for someone he could rely on. Since Zai Tao suggested this, and Yikuang called again, he naturally made up his mind to hold "Old Qing" tightly first. As soon as we met, we naturally talked about Jiang Guiti and Yijun first, and then we quickly talked about Zhang Defu-Xiao Dezhang. "This is a ruffian!" The regent shook his head greatly: "I don't know how much right and wrong has happened to him. I heard that Zhang Shaoxuan worshiped him?" "It's the identity sect." Yikuang asked immediately, "Is Jiang Hanqing still moving?" "As it is, how can I move? The 'insider' mentioned to me that day that Mr. Jiang was so old that he couldn't walk anymore, and that Zhang Xun had done a good job in escorting him back then and was loyal. Why not send him to pick up Yijun? I said, I have to look into this matter. Jiang Guiti is really too old, and he should be allowed to go home for a few days in peace." The so-called "inside" refers to Queen Mother Longyu, and Yikuang asked: "So, I promised him." "A promise is a promise. If you can't do it or you can't do it." Zaifeng is very decisive in this matter: "If you don't mention it, don't mention it. If you mention it again, I will say that there will be a mutiny if Jiang Gui's question is touched. Who is willing to take responsibility? Just move him." "If you reply, I will be responsible. What about the regent?" "Me?" Zaifeng thought for a moment and replied, "I'll just say, I'll find Jiang Guiti and ask the Queen Mother to tell him face to face." Yikuang almost laughed, this was a whimsical approach, but he couldn't take it lightly, and said in a very serious manner: "In this way, isn't it the same as asking the queen mother to take care of things?" "Ah, ah!" Zaifeng was startled, and unconsciously admitted his mistake: "I didn't expect it, almost something bad happened." "The Empress Dowager cannot summon foreign ministers. This case must never be opened! Please remember, the Regent, once this test is opened, there will be endless troubles!" "That's right! I figured it out." Zaifeng asked: "If Zhang Shaoxuan is forced to pick up Yijun and dare to take responsibility for any trouble, what should I say?" "There are two ways to say this. One is soft and the other is hard. I don't know what the Regent wants to say?" "Talk about both ways!" "Okay, let's talk softly first, the regent might as well say this: the queen mother is caring for her in the palace, if there is a mutiny outside, how can she alarm the queen mother, and let the queen mother take care of this kind of trouble, wouldn't it be called the world's future generations, scolding the civil and military of the whole court? " "Where are the hard ones?" "Just say it hard: there was a mutiny in the capital and the ancestral temple was shocked. I'm afraid the queen mother can't take responsibility!" Zaifeng hesitated and said, "The hard one is too hard, the soft one is too soft...." "Then there is a compromise method that is neither soft nor hard. The regent might as well say this: Originally, if the Yi army made a mutiny, it would be sanctioned by the law of the country, but it was just a weapon for rats. The empress dowager's palace has not yet been secured, so we have to worry about it. " Before he finished speaking, Zaifeng had accepted it completely, "Okay, okay!" He said: "This is a very good statement." That is to say, Yikuang planned this soft and hard strategy, and Zaifeng's perception of him changed greatly. In the past, he was caught by Zaize's preconceived words, and he always felt that "Lao Qing" was a cunning and cunning model, but now he was thinking, what is going on with Jiang? He is old and hot, and he has no plans to spare. As long as he is willing to put his heart into it, he is still more reliable than others. So he began to confide in his heart.The conversation started with Tie Liang: "Tie Baochen is very restless, Uncle Qing, have you heard?" The word "Uncle Qing" sounds very strange to Yikuang!Since the promulgation of the etiquette of the regent supervising the country, it is stipulated that the title of the title should be commensurate, and only during the New Year's ceremony, I heard him call "Uncle Disgusting". Feel flattered. However, on the surface, he still maintains the demeanor of the day: "Tie Baochen is restless, it is no longer a day or two!" The good minister had a quarrel, and Lao Qi mentioned it to me several times. Could it be that he didn't mention it in front of the regent?" "I mentioned it, but what can I do? Recently, I heard that he is going to stir up trouble and intends to let the inside take charge of things. This is too nonsense!" "It can't be called nonsense! If he really stirs up the tide, even if it can be suppressed, it is not the blessing of the court." "That's right! Take precautions before they happen. Uncle Qing, what can you do?" Yikuang thought for a while and said lightly: "There are many ways! But I dare not come up with any ideas." "Hey, Uncle Qing!" Zaifeng was very confused: "Why do you say that?" "In the past, I gave Lafayette a lot of ideas. I listened to eight out of ten ideas, and all eight ideas were effective. Has the Regent heard of it? I came up with those ideas?" "No!" "Of course not. Lafayette can teach people to admire and make people afraid. That's the point. She makes up her own mind about everything, and she doesn't doubt who she employs." Afraid that he still didn't understand, Yi Qiang simply pointed out: "The Regent Listening to Zai Ze's words, it's inconvenient for me to give advice. Because my advice is to help the regent, and Zai Ze's advice is to help the insiders, which are completely different things." "Uncle Qing, don't worry, don't worry!" Zaifeng said repeatedly: "I will never listen to him again." "I don't think the regent can listen to him anymore. Otherwise, it will become a situation where the queen mother hangs the curtain." Yikuang continued: "Tie Baochen must go! Find a place for him to be a general." "Okay!" Zaifeng nodded, "Where is it?" "Got to find a good place." "It's Jiang Ning, of course. But..." The Regent didn't know what to say. "The regent is afraid that the place in the south of the Yangtze River is good, and he will make trouble there? It doesn't matter! The place in the south of the Yangtze River is full of talents, and he is not allowed to do anything wrong. But in remote places, he can do whatever he likes. No one can control him, but it's not good!" Zaifeng suddenly realized that he was using the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River to control Tie Liang, so he couldn't help laughing: "Uncle Qing is a good move." Next, we will talk about Zhang Zhidong's illness.The regent asked a question, if Zhang Zhidong was vacant, what impact would it have on the political situation? "It's not just Zhang Xiangtao," Yikuang replied, "Sun Xiechen is sick, and he is in danger. These two are the leaders of Han scholars. Once they pass away, it will naturally affect the world's view of the court. The only way to make up for it is Among the Han people, one or two truly capable and courageous people should be selected." "That's right!" The Regent nodded deeply, "Sun Xiechen is no more than the number one prime minister. Zhang Xiangtao wants to do things, but he is not really capable of doing things. It's all about prestige. If there is really someone who can do things, he can replace Zhang Xiangtao, and naturally he would like it. Qing Uncle, is there anyone in your heart?" "Yes, Yuan Weiting." The regent was stunned when he heard this, hesitated for a while and said, "I'm afraid it's a bit difficult." But half a year later, Yuan Shikai's situation was different again.At the beginning of the Bintian period in the two palaces, people's hearts were fluctuating and the situation was chaotic. No one knew what unexpected changes would happen, so not only Yuan Shikai was worried about himself, but Yiqiang was also worried about his own safety, so he did not dare to use all his strength to save him.Now the situation is very clear, not only the time to kill Yuan Shikai has passed and will never come back, but also no one wants to kill Yuan Shikai, if there is one, it is afraid that it is only the Queen Mother Longyu.The subtle thing is that everyone can say that Yuan Shikai can be killed, but the Empress Dowager Longyu can't. If he says Yuan Shikai should be killed, the whole court will apply for rescue, because Zhang Zhidong couldn't have said it more thoroughly, and the Queen Mother cannot be allowed to kill ministers!At the beginning of a kill, everyone can be the continuation of Yuan Shikai, so saving Yuan Shikai is tantamount to self-protection. Because of this, there is no need to have any scruples in defending Yuan Shikai.Yikuang had wanted to speak for him a long time ago, and when he encountered such a good opportunity today, he naturally refused to let it go. "Recently, the Regent often browses various newspapers, and always sees news that Yuan Shikai will be recalled. How can there be such a legend? This shows the direction of the people! Please think about it, the Regent. In terms of talents, who can compare with Yuan Weiting? For example, when Yang Lianfu fell down, he was full of jokes. Looking at him during his lifetime, he didn't look like a feudal governor. It's no wonder that everyone thinks of Yuan Shikai. " "That's true. However, it's really difficult to use him..." "I know the difficulty of the regent." Yi Kuang rushed to say: "One is that I dare not use it. Just like Tie Baochen and the others talk nonsense, Yuan is too domineering, and he will never let go of it in the future, and there is no time to regret it. This is an intentional slander for him. I dare to protect him, and he will never be domineering or disobedient. Besides, how can he be domineering if he has no military power?" He paused for a moment and continued. He also said: "If you can't use it again, it's because you have a prejudice against him. In all fairness, Yuan Weiting was wronged by this. It was said that he was an informer. He said that he had persuaded Daxing. If he wanted to talk about reform, he had to be slow." Slow down, it is not appropriate to take drastic measures. No one else knows what is going on. But even if the informant is not wrong, the new party wants him to rebel, but he dare not, and tell the whole story to the chief. This is all wrong? Take a step back As far as he is concerned, everyone can accuse him of being wrong, but the regent can't. I don't need to say that." As Rong Lu's son-in-law, Zaifeng, no matter how blunt he was, he couldn't fail to think of this truth. Yuan Shikai had informed Rong Lu that he planned to confine Emperor Dezong, and the Empress Dowager trained him in politics.But Yuan Shikai is guilty, how can Ronglu be innocent? Thinking about Yikuang's words again, Zaifeng suddenly understood.Several times when meeting the Empress Dowager Longyu, he mentioned Yuan Shikai and called him hateful. Zaifeng felt that it was inconvenient to agree with him, and he could not defend Yuan Shikai.In the future, if Empress Dowager Longyu mentions it again, she can bring it up under the brand name of Empress Dowager Cixi. Wouldn't even my own father-in-law be washed in it? "The power of employing people belongs to the regent." Yi Kuang urged again: "There is no need to hesitate." "Let's study it." Zaifeng thought that Yuan Shikai's ideas could not be changed: "If you use him, what's wrong with him?" This sentence was a very serious question, Yikuang thought for a while and replied: "The official returned to his original position." When the official returned to his original position, he was Minister of Military Aircraft and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Zaifeng asked, "Where is Liang Dunyan?" Liang Dunyan is currently the Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "It's easy to handle!" Yikuang replied: "Either it is sent abroad, or transferred to the Ministry, there is always a place for placement." "If Yuan Weiting is willing to come, he will indeed be a good helper." "Not only diplomacy, it's better to let Yuan Shikai preside over it. Even if the sixth and seventh are transferred to the army, Yuan Weiting also needs to help. To be honest, like Tie Baochen, only Yuan Weiting can make him feel afraid. The sixth and seventh are not It will be in his eyes." This statement touched Zaifeng's heart even more. He sincerely hoped that his two younger brothers could take control of the military, but they were inexperienced, so it would be great to have Yuan Shikai's assistance.So his mind became more active. "I think so, first send someone to talk to him, Uncle Qing, what do you think?" "That is also a way. However, it is best that the regent can have a personal letter to take with him." "How to write in the letter?" Zaifeng said: "It seems difficult to word." "It's not difficult. The letter is not only a question, but also an encouragement. He is deeply favored by the court. Although he is in opposition, if there is something that should be changed in the country's affairs, he should also speak up." "Okay! It's fine to write like this." Zaifeng asked, "Who do you want to send?" "Send Yang Xingcheng." "That's it." Zaifeng nodded: "Uncle Qing brought him to see me tomorrow." So the next day, he summoned Yang Shiqi, the right servant of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, and appointed Yikuang to lead him.Zaifeng didn't say much, just said: "Go and see Yuan Weiting, take my letter to him, and say, I very much hope that he can work in Beijing." "Yes!" Yang Shiqi waited for a while, and seeing that the regent did not speak again, he got up and knelt down to resign. ※ ※ ※ Arriving at the "Yangshou Garden" in Zhangde, Henan, Yang Shiqi immediately presented Zaifeng's letter with both hands, and said, "Congratulations! Congratulations!" Yuan Shikai was silent, opened the letter and read it, but it was only a general word of comfort, but it was indeed Zaifeng's own handwriting, so he immediately asked: "Why did you remember to send me such a letter?" "Of course there are still things to say. But the letter is very important. Having this letter is enough to prove that the past has been cleared up." Yang Shiqi said: "It is time to think about when to leave the mountain!" Then, Yang Shiqi explained in detail how Yikuang tried to protect him in front of Zaifeng, and specifically mentioned that if he was willing to go to Beijing, Yikuang would be responsible for ensuring his "official reinstatement". "No way!" Yuan Shikai said: "The court has always been forbidden to have six people. If I go, there will always be one person who will be disadvantaged." There has been a long-standing legend of the six people who were banned from the shuting. Today, there are Yikuang, Lu Chuanlin, Zhang Zhidong, Shixu, Natong, and Yuan Shikai. "But," Yang Shiqi said, "Nanpi I'm afraid the days are numbered." "Then I can't go, because it will hinder Nanpi if I go." Yang Shiqi said: "I was ordered to advise me, so I had to say something. In fact, although the time to go out of the mountain is approaching, it is not yet time to go out. I have to wait until the three major events are settled." "Yes! Let's see. Xingcheng," Yuan Shikai asked, "You said it was three major events?" "One is the good and bad luck of Nanpi; the other is Duan Taozhai's deeds; the third is the origin of Tie Baochen." Yuan Shikai thought about his three words for a while, and felt that what he said was right. Duanfang was able to settle the debt he owed to Yang Shixiang when he arrived. In addition, Zhang Zhidong died and Tie Liang left, so he could go out of the mountain when he arrived. when.And yet he didn't say enough! Yuan Shikai's idea is that if he doesn't come out, he must grasp the power. In military affairs, the "big boss" can still take the lead, but he must have the real power to make all the ministries buy it. At present, at least he is like Zai Ze. Clinging to financial power is something that cannot be tolerated. However, Yuan Shikai's nature likes to cheat, and since he is in the forest, it is inconvenient to appear enthusiastic. However, in such a relationship as Yang Shiqi, he has to say a few words of truth, so after thinking about it for a while, he said in a casual chat: "In the middle of Guangxu, Rong Wenzhong was squeezed out, and later he offended King Chun, so he was relegated to Xi'an, where he sat on the bench for several years. After the Sino-Japanese War, King Gong came back up, just when Rong Wenzhong Zhu Gu was in Beijing, King Gong deliberately said to the congratulatory guests, " When I came out this trip, I have no prejudice against the employing people. Only the infantry commander must be protected by me. I must rely on Rong Zhonghua!" Rong Wenzhong heard this and said to people, "I was demoted by Shangshu. Still following the usual practice, I will not do it if I am transferred to serve as a minister and then serve as the commander of the infantry.' The result is to make up the minister first, and then the admiral Jiumen. I think that I should get back my face before I can negotiate. other." "Didn't the boss say that the official should be restored to his original post?" "Does this count as saving face?" "What should I do?" Yang Shiqi asked calmly. Yuan Shikai smiled and did not answer, and changed the subject: "I heard that Chun Wang Fujin often walks quietly. Do you have this word? " Hearing the word "Mixing", Yang Shiqi couldn't help laughing: "The word Weixing is wonderful!" He said: "Actually speaking, Chun Wang Fujin is equal to the queen, and in name, it is exactly the same. The empress dowager who was detained, is doing little things anyway." "So, there is indeed such news?" "It's not news anymore!" Yang Shiqi replied: "In about three days, one day at noon, you can see her at the Liuguo Hotel in Dongjiaomin Lane." "What are you doing there?" "Eat, sing and drink, and sometimes dance." "This is really news! It's a bit unbelievable." Yang Shiqi himself knew that the news was a bit sloppy, how could he dance with embroidered shoes with "flower pot bottoms" on the flag?He couldn't help but flush, but it wasn't easy to see because he had a big wine nose. "Dancing is a rumor." He lied calmly: "Drinking is something I can see with my own eyes." "I believe that this little girl can drink since she was a child." Yuan Shikai nodded, and his thoughts fell into memories: "At that time, I often saw her in Rong Wenzhong's signing room. She was only eleven or twelve years old, wearing a Blue silk gown, like a boy. Rong Wenzhong often left me in the signing room for lunch and business affairs, and the servant never forgot to put another pair of gold-inlaid tooth chopsticks, and Rong Wenzhong never forgot to scoop up half a spoonful of wine for her, saying something , 'Drink slowly.' It has been eleven years!" Eleven years ago was the Reform Movement of 1898.The "little girl" who was delicate and naive back then, was already the same as the mother of the country!Yang Shiqi was thinking, the "fourth brother" in front of him, the "fourth brother" in the next life-brother Yang Shixiang, the official positions at that time were all ranked fourth or fifth. But in eleven years, he became the number one. First-class people, but suddenly, those who go into the soil go into the soil, and those who return to the field return to the field, it is really a big dream. Even the influential figures at that time, Weng Tonghe, who was the most dedicated to the king, and Ronglu, who was extremely powerful, are now all tombs have been arched, and all grievances and grievances have disappeared.Yang Shiqi changed his mind to this, and couldn't help asking: "It has been rumored for many years that Master Weng was tricked by Rong Wenzhong, and that Master Weng was offended because he saved Kang Youwei. I don't know the truth, what is it?" "How can a man as cautious as Master Weng be healthy and successful? But a scholar is a gentleman with a peaceful disposition, and he hates it deeply and cannot be killed. Master Weng is modest and studious. After getting close to Zhang Youqiao, he realized that 'the world' is not limited to China. The truth is like the above. As I said, there are several big states besides 'Dongsheng Shenzhou', so I don't care about the new learning, and listen to it from the bottom of my heart. Even if there are different opinions about the old learning, I dare not refute it clearly. Kang Youwei is in Master Weng, but so-and-so It's just a palliative." "This theory is very sophisticated. However, the Empress Dowager Cixi always thought that Kang Youwei had a deep relationship with Master Weng, so it was not uncommon for him to be jealous." ※ ※ ※ When Yang Shiqi sent a piece of Jilin Laoshan ginseng sent by Yuan Shikai to Zhang's mansion, Zhang Zhidong was already drafting the will.The writers are two of his proud students, both from Hubei, Chen Zengshou and Fu Yufen who were born in Lianghu Academy. "I already have the general idea." Zhang Zhidong coughed and said, "The general idea is this: he has never planted party support or planted production to encourage himself. He has nothing to think about, but the current situation is difficult, the people are poor and rich, I hope that the emperor will learn from the classics personally, be diligent and renew day by day, and all the issues of profit and loss should be reviewed in order of priority. This sentence is very important! Do you understand what I mean?" "It means that the reform of the general government must be done step by step. There is no need to rush for things that are not urgent." Chen Zengshou asked, "Is this the teacher?" "That's right!" Zhang Zhidong continued to dictate: "Manchu and Han are regarded as one, and both internal and external must be taken care of. Financial management is based on raising the people, and we abide by the rule that our ancestors will never add gifts; teaching and fighting is based on shame. The ring of self-immolation. This sentence is also important!" "Admonishing relatives and noble soldiers, you must be cautious?" "Now I have to say that! In fact, we shouldn't hold military power in our hands at all." Zhang Zhidong shook his head, sighed, and read again: "If you want to be clear about respecting your relatives and righteousness, there will be many people who are eager to serve you. May there be upright and honest people, and those who are greedy and profit-seeking will be screened out. The righteousness of the common people is growing day by day, and the country is self-defense." After chanting, I can't stop being short of breath, so I hurried to find the medicine left by the Western medicine, which is specially used for asthma, and take it. After a while, the liver and stomach hurt, and then I look for painkillers.In the evening, the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine came to make a diagnosis and treatment. He heard that the appetite had dropped sharply, so the prescription was mainly to invigorate the spleen and stimulate the appetite.In this way, both Chinese and Western medicines are advanced, medicines and stones are thrown together, and it is extended to August 18th. I vomit after taking medicine and eating. It seems that the deadline is approaching. "Please open the vacancy!" He said weakly, "Otherwise it will be too late." Zhang Zhidong didn't want to lose the reputation of being dead and still in love.The family understood what he meant, so they wrote the paper on the same day, but it was not delivered until August 20th. "How is his illness?" Prince Regent Zaifeng asked Lu Chuanlin. They are uncle Lang's close relatives, Lu Zhuanlin has to visit the sick every day, the situation is very clear, he replied with a frown: "It's at stake!" "I have to go see him." Lu Chuanlin was silent because he was conflicted.With Zhang Zhidong's status, before he died, the regent had to make a quick move, otherwise he would lose face.But the custom has been passed down that once the emperor visits the patient in person, the minister's illness will never be cured. But Zhang Zhidong was looking forward to this grace.Because he still has some words related to the world's most important plan, he wants to persuade the regent, hoping that those who are persuaded will think of the idiom "Life is about to die, and his words are good", and he will pay attention to his advice. So on the 21st day of the eighth month, an edict was first issued: "Great scholar Zhang Zhidong is loyal to the country and has been working hard for a long time. Because he has not recovered from a long illness, I am thinking deeply from time to time, and I will reward the holiday again. There is no need to set a fixed date, and recuperate with peace of mind. Once the illness is cured, it will be sold as a fake, and two liang of ginseng will be rewarded to people, so as to facilitate the transfer of funds. At noon, Prince Regent Zaifeng came to Zhang Zhidong's new residence by the Shichahai in an apricot-yellow sedan chair, accompanied by the imperial ministers.This building was built with a grant of 20,000 taels from the Hubei Rehabilitation Bureau, and it was only moved in not long ago.The relatives of Zhang's family have prepared it long ago, and will post Zhang Zhidong's collection of sentences: "The imperial court has a way to be young; the gate is selfless and the day is free." On that day, Zhang Zhidong's eldest son, Zhang Quan, knelt beside the sedan chair to meet him.After saying hello, he was led to the side of the sick bed. Zhang Zhidong couldn't get up anymore, he could only kowtow on his pillow.It was the first time that Zaifeng looked at the minister's illness, and he didn't know what to say? After listening to Zhang Quan kneeling on the ground, Zai Feng looked at Zhang Zhidong and said, "Mr. Zhongtang is loyal to the country and is very famous. Take good care of him." "I don't dare to be loyal to the country. But I am honest and selfless, I dare not not encourage it!" "It should be like this, it should be like this! You take good care of it, don't worry." As he said, his footsteps had already moved, and he turned away after speaking. Zhang Zhidong closed his eyes as if he were dead, and squeezed two tears out of his eyes. After twenty years of idleness, Chen Baochen, who was summoned to Beijing a few months ago, had been hiding elsewhere. what?" Zhang Zhidong didn't answer, he sighed after a while, and said in a voice so low that only he could hear, "I'm exhausted!" He regards the regent as a "king of subjugation"!If Zaifeng had the slightest idea in his mind to heal the country, of course he would ask Zhang Zhidong, how can there be nothing to replace the 40 years of ministers and the 30 years of feudalism?And if he didn't take this into account, it showed that he didn't have the word country in his mind at all. If he supervised the country like this, what would he do if he didn't die? "I have something on my mind," Zhang Zhidong said again, "I originally wanted to discuss it in person, but now it happens to be described in the oblivion." As he spoke, he stretched out his dry and trembling hand, and touched the pillow.His fourth son, Zhang Renkan, was by his side and took out the missing manuscripts from the pillow box for him, and handed them to him. "Tao'an!" He said, "Please write for me and change one or two places." Chen Baochen pondered for a while, and answered softly: "Okay." "Help me sit up!" When Zhang Renkan helped his father to sit up, the servant had already brought a half table with pens and inkstones on it, and put it in front of the bed. Chen Baochen sat facing the bed across the half table, and Zhang Zhidong leaned on the table, Prime Minister Bai met, pondering over the words, and both of them unexpectedly recalled the days when they were in high spirits in Ci Lin. "Tao'an, you read it first and I will listen." Zhen Baochen nodded, and read the draft in a low voice, very slowly, allowing him to interrupt at any time to make comments. When he read, "The minister is mediocre and has no academic knowledge. He was honored with the knowledge of the previous dynasty. He tried his countermeasures, pointed out Chen Shizheng, put him in the first place, prepared a member of the CI library, and was promoted to a cabinet bachelor." He opened his mouth. "I think,"