Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Climb to the royal family, grab the army, and climb up!

In times of crisis, military power is especially important.Expanding the military and grasping power has become something that every politician dare not relax in the slightest. Yuan Shikai was born in Wu Xing.Making a fortune by training troops at Xiaozhan, expanding the army and grasping power has become a major event that he dreams of day and night.However, it is troublesome to have too many troops. one Yuan Shikai was busy for a long time and fell ill.The family medical officers Liu Doufu and Wang Zhongqin were unable to diagnose the disease.He was always bedridden, his limbs were paralyzed, his eyes were closed, he couldn't get water or rice, and he was neither happy nor angry, like an unearthed mummy.This shape not only frightened the whole inner house, but also all the colleagues were shocked.

The minister was seriously ill and reported to the court. When Ci De heard that Yuan Shikai was seriously ill, he panicked. "Just such a useful person, why is he sick again?" She asked Li Lianying: "Little Li, do you know that Yuan Shikai is sick?" "Lafayette, my servant knows." "What disease is it?" "The slave asked, but he didn't find out what the disease was." "The disease has a name and it can be cured. This disease has no name..." Cixi remembered that when she fled to Xi'an not long ago, she also fell ill. What kind of disease, it seems that it will die soon, I am really anxious to death.Fortunately, a doctor named Liu Shaoye in Xi'an saved her.Later, she brought him back to Beijing.Cixi naturally thought of Liu Shaoye, the imperial doctor beside her. "Xiao Lizi, the doctor beside us is very clever. I think we should send him to Tianjin." "Lafayette is still careful, and the slave didn't think of it." Li Lianying just knew how to climb along the pole. "It would be great to send Dr. Liu to Tianjin. It not only shows that Lafayette cares about his courtiers, but also saves Master Yuan's life. Then Master Yuan should put his heart on Lafayette."

"You have learned to behave well with your mouth," Cixi said angrily, casting her eyes on Li Lianying. "Aren't you afraid that I'll tear your mouth apart when I'm angry?" "I've given my life to Lafayette, so I'm afraid of tearing my mouth apart." Li Lianying smiled flatteringly.The imperial physician Liu Shaoye hurried to Tianjin. I don't know whether it is really a brilliant imperial physician, or is it due to Liu Shaoye's fate with Yuan Congkai? After he arrived in Tianjin, he only took three doses of traditional Chinese medicine, and Yuan Shikai's illness was completely cured, and his spirit recovered as before.The anecdote spread in the yamen, Yuan Shikai was also very grateful to the imperial doctor, and would definitely keep him to stay longer.Dr. Liu agreed. "Rebirth of Comforting Court", one is to thank Lafayette for his great virtue, and the other is to thank Dr. Liu for his superb medical skills. "Yuan Dukai entertained the medical officer with a sumptuous family banquet in the small living room, and had a heart-to-heart chat with him." Ask the medical officer to report to Lafayette, that the comforting family will have a lifetime, all for the great cause of the Qing Dynasty, and the heavens can learn from it.What should I say about Medical Officer Liu? There is a lower official office, just say it, I will do my best for the big things. "

Yuan Shikai's illness was not a fatal illness, but a sudden heart attack.It turned out that he had a dream at night. He dreamed that he was killed by a few little people because he had no military power.After waking up from the fright, he thought about it carefully, he really didn't have enough military power in his hands, and he was bored thinking about how to grasp the military power.Yuan Shikai has a habit of pretending to be confused about small matters, and deciding on major matters by himself. Whenever major matters arise, he will think behind closed doors and act vigorously when he finds a solution.On that day, he was concentrating on expanding his army, like a sick man.This imperial doctor is not a fairy, and the traditional Chinese medicine is not a panacea, so the disease will be cured when the medicine is available. Just in time, Yuan Shikai also came up with a strategy to expand the army, and the disease will be cured if the medicine is not available.Yuan Shikai is so grateful to the imperial doctor, and people who understand will understand themselves, so it's not just taking the opportunity to cater to Lafayette.

It just so happened that this imperial doctor Liu was also full of worries and worries, and there was no place to talk about it. He ran into Yuan Shikai. The status in front of Lafayette. "Opportunities come once in a thousand years, and I will take refuge in this lord by nature, so I have a home!" Just when Yuan Shikai couldn't say enough words of gratitude, Liu Shaoye leaned up and knelt down in front of Yuan Shikai with a plop. "Master Yuan, the criminal is guilty, the criminal is guilty, I implore Master Yuan to save the criminal." Yuan Shikai was stunned all of a sudden. "What's going on here?!" He hurriedly stood up, pulled Liu Shaoye up with both hands, and said, "Medical Officer Liu, please stand up and talk. There are always big things, and I, Yuan, are all on my shoulders. Just talk about it."

Wiping away his tears, Liu Shaoye stood up and told Yuan Shikai about his situation in detail— Liu Shaoye, whose real name is Liu Dingchen, was originally from Hubei. He was originally a figure in the officialdom and once served as the county magistrate of Qiu County, Shaanxi.There are two Tongdun pieces in this family's collection, which are utensils from the Shang Dynasty. The whole body is colored glaze, and the spots are rotten. Liu regards it as a treasure and takes it with him.Duanfang, governor of Shansa, found out about this object, so he borrowed it as Shangfeng to appreciate it.But it hasn't returned for a long time.Liu Dingchen regarded it as a treasure, and was unwilling to be swallowed up by others, so he urged him many times.Duanfang saw that it was impossible, and became angry from embarrassment, so he scraped off the color rust on the two utensils and returned them. When he couldn't get it, he became angry from shame and hated it. Soon, Liu was dismissed and returned to his hometown under the pretense of excuses.

Liu Dingchen was originally from a family of famous doctors. He was expelled from Xuanhu Chang'an and became a famous doctor on the street.When Cixi fled to Xi'an, she was seriously ill, and long-term treatment was ineffective. After being recommended by others, Liu Dao was cured.Cixi was very happy, so she awarded a fifth-rank top Dai.At this time, Liu Dingchen had changed his name to Shaoye, and his style name was Zhuchen.When Cixi returned to Beijing, he took Liu back to Beijing, gave him a "prepared imperial doctor", and rewarded him with a third rank. "Master Gongbao, this is the situation before and after the prisoner. Once the truth is revealed, the prisoner will

There is a disaster of extermination.Therefore, the prisoner's heart and gallbladder are hanging, and his sleep and food are restless.I also hope that Mr. Guanbao will be the master of the prisoner and take one or two steps for the prisoner. " After listening to Liu Dingchen's self-report, Yuan Shikai murmured in his heart: Such things are considered Liu's misfortune, and they are also overbearing.However, now that Liu Dingchen has become a backup imperial doctor, he has a problem in front of Cixi, which is a big treasonous thing.On the crime should be killed.He frowned, wanting to show some courtesy in front of Cixi, and exposed Liu Dingchen.However, Yuan Shikai was not such a reckless person. He felt that ruining the affairs of such a small person would not do him much good, not to mention that this small person did have grievances.Besides, with his medical skills, he has already won Cixi's favor. As soon as the reserve imperial doctor is promoted, he will become a celebrity beside Cixi. Why don't I give him a hand to make him grateful, and he will also be counted by the court's Lafayette An eyes and ears.Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai smiled. "I said it's a big deal. It turned out to be a trivial matter, but it was Doctor Liu's misfortune. This Duan..." Yuan Shikai wanted to blame Duan Fang, but he turned around and stopped the topic again. Said: "Well, you know this matter and I know it, so you don't need to talk about it with outsiders. No matter how big things happen in the future, I will take care of them. You just do your thing well."

After Yuan Shikai said this, Liu Dingchen fell on his knees again. "The criminal's survival depends entirely on Mr. Gongbao. Mr. Gongbao has the prisoner's office, and the criminal will die!" "Medical officer Liu is serious. You and I are all for the Qing Dynasty's future foundation, and we should support each other. In the future, we will inevitably ask medical officer Liu. Get up, get up." In this way, Yuan Shikai set up eyes and ears by Cixi's side without much effort.Yuan and Liu also became irreversible.After Cixi's death, Yuan Shikai became the president, so he left Liu Dingchen in the presidential palace, became his own medical officer, and became a family doctor.This is a later story, so I won't repeat it.Since Yuan Shikai's "sickness" is in the army, let's arrest the army.After sending away Imperial Physician Liu, Yuan Shikai sat in the secret room thinking hard about how to expand the army.

Yuan Shikai has always been despising literature and emphasizing martial arts.When I was young, I didn't spend as much time reading as I did making trouble.At the beginning, when he followed his stepfather to Nanjing, his stepfather arranged very good conditions for him to study. However, he ran to Qingliang Mountain, Yuhuatai, Mochou Lake and other places all day long, boxing, riding, and walking with ordinary wild boys. Chess, gambling.After the death of his stepfather, he returned to Xiangcheng not long after, and was taken from his uncle Yuan Baoheng to the northwest, to Henan, and to Beijing to run around all day long, still restless. As a result, he failed the two "children's tests" .I was still angry, so angry that I burned the Tao Wenling I made in the past, and decided to abandon literature and follow the military, so I went to Shandong to join Wu Changqing, the commander of the Qing Army... Later, Wuchen was in the Qing Army, and in North Korea. , especially when he took over the Dingwu Army in 1895 and began to train the new army at Tianjin Xiaozhan, he became more determined to firmly grasp the army.

Yuan Shikai had carefully studied military power, and he understood that Zeng Guofan relied on having a Hunan army in his hands and Li Hongzhang relied on having a Huai army in his hands for the reason why the Han people were favored in the late Qing Dynasty. "Can't I have an army that is more powerful than the Hunan Army and the Huai Army? I want it! I have to!" Yuan Shikai had long been prepared to seize military power. When he was training at Xiaozhan, Yinchang recommended Wang Shizhen, Feng Guozhang, Duan Qirui, and Liang Huadian from among the graduates of the Beiyang Armed Forces Academy. Except for Liang Huadian who drowned during the march, now In fact, these three people have already become Yuan's capable officers: Wang Shangzhen is the general office of the Engineering Academy and the commander of the engineering army; Artillery belt.In addition, he also successively recruited Duan Zhigui, Wu Changchun, Xu Bangjie, Cao Kun, Wang Zhanyuan, Chen Guangyuan, Lu Yongxiang, Zhang Huaizhi, Lu Jianzhang, Meng Enyuan, Lei Zhenchun and others from among the military students.Some of these people are frustrated in the examination field, and some are ruffians in the countryside, but they have only one purpose, and they all want to "prosper" in their military career.With these people, Yuan Shikai's ambition to expand the army was even greater and firmer. In all honesty, Yuan Shikai's group of people are not all idiots, and some of them have unique insights and strategies in running the army and politics.For example, Wang Shizhen, Feng Guozhang, Duan Qirui, and even the German military officers raised their thumbs up during the exercises and said that they "deserved to be outstanding generals."These are the characters who are called (by Yuan Tukai's boast) "Three Heroes of Beiyang".Of course, the three heroes are not on the same level, but each has its own characteristics: Wang Shizhen from Zhengding, Zhili, is just because he is peaceful in nature, does not make enemies, does not show his edge, is submissive when things happen, and never speaks harshly, just like the legendary dragon. , Tianjiao volleys in the sky, seeing the head but not the end.Therefore, people call him the "Dragon" among the Three Heroes; Duan Qirui from Hefei, because the master (grandfather Duan Pei) was the commander of the old army and the commander of the Huai Army, he often called himself "the son of the general" and had a tiger spirit. In addition, he went to Germany to be gilded. He is stubborn, not good at talking, often irritable like a tiger, and has the momentum of a tiger, so he is called the "tiger" among the three heroes; He is good at pretending to be confused, he doesn't care about things, and he looks a bit dog-headed, so people call him the "dog" among the three heroes.Yuan Shikai would win over people, not only treating them as cronies at ordinary times, but also trying his best to cling to relatives.Knowing that Duan Qirui had broken his strings, he introduced his goddaughter Zhang Peiheng as Duan's second wife.In this way, Duan is not only his general, but also his son-in-law.Feng Guozhang broke his strings, and Yuan introduced his governess Zhou Daoru to him as his second wife. Now, Yuan Shikai wants to expand his army during his tenure in Zhili, and he wants to expand the Beiyang New Army into three associations (associations, quite dry brigades) belonging to the governor of Zhili. Everyone in the ruling and opposition parties knew that Yuan Shikai was forming a party for personal gain and expanding his power.In order to deceive the public, Yuan Shikai made a big splash when expanding his army, employing people on meritocracy, recruiting people for public examinations, and selecting the best for reuse.When the first association was established, Wang Shizhen first passed the exam, took office, and became the commander; when the second association was established, Feng Guozhang passed the exam again, took office, and became the commander; Rui took the exam twice in a row, but failed to pass it. Yuan Shikai's "illness" happened again... two Sitting in Yuan Shikai's small living room, Duan Qirui didn't drink tea, smoke, or lift his head.Duan Qirui, who was 6 years younger than Yuan Shikai, seemed to be 10 years older than Yuan Shikai at this time. Duan Qirui feels ashamed! He has been in the army for a long time, he claims to be the son of a general, and he knows that the governor is partial to him, so he failed in both exams. This is not a big loss.When Yuan Shikai invited him alone, he couldn't think of going, but he had to; When Duan Qirui was only 6 years old in 1881, he joined the Shandong Weihai Battalion and became a sentry officer. In 885, he was admitted to the Artillery Division of Tianjin Armed Forces Academy. After graduating in 1889, he was sent to Lushun to supervise the repair of the fort, and later sent by Li Hongzhang to Germany to study military affairs.After returning to China, he successively served as a member of the Beiyang Ordnance Bureau and a teacher at the Weihai Armed Forces School.Yuan Shikai was transferred to Tianjin when the new army was built in Xiaozhan (1896), and was promoted to the general office of the Beiyang Military and Political Department Staff Office in 901.Now, Yuan Shikai wants to reuse him, but he has become the emperor who cannot be supported. In fact, Duan Qirui is not a stupid pig, it's not that he was so clumsy in the two exams, but that he was careless and he was confident.Duan Qirui's official job was done by Yuan Shikai, and what Yuan Shikai asked him to do, the exam was just a cutscene.Yuan Shikai's examiner would still make things difficult for his son-in-law? Who would have thought that Yuan Shikai came to gain fame and reputation, and the competition made him embarrassed twice! What should he say to Yuan Shikai? What can he say to Yuan Shikai? The fragrant tea on the table was cold, Duan Qirui refused to drink it.Yuan Shikai ordered someone to change another cup for him.When changing tea, Yuan Shikai said something that seemed to comfort himself and Duan Qirui. "Think of a way, there is always a way." Yuan Shikai had no intention of blaming Duan Qirui. Among Yuan's generals, Duan Qirui must be regarded as the most loyal to him and the most promising person.Yuan Shikai had to rely on him and use him as a pillar.Regarding the selection of generals for the exam, based on his usual contact and understanding, he felt that he had the best conditions and could pass the exam the most smoothly. "Oh, I didn't expect to lose Jingzhou carelessly!" "My lord," Duan Qirui spoke first. "I think you should choose another person. The conditions have been stated, and I am so disappointed, so I have no choice but to give up." "Another choice?" Yuan Shikai glared at Duan Qirui. "Who to choose? You recommend." Duan Qirui puffed up his chest and thought about it, but because he was unwilling, he didn't say anyone's name. Yuan Shikai snorted, and said more approvingly: "You think good generals are so easy to find, that they are everywhere?" "I'm not a good general either!" Duan Qirui blurted out. "Abandoned yourself?" "This......" "Sure enough, I thought so, and I wasted all my hard work." "grown ups......" "I want to ask you, do you still want to fight?" Duan Qirui looked up at Yuan Shikai. "Sure enough, I don't even have the courage to do so. It's better to take Peiheng to Huifei and have a good reunion. Live a country life..." "My lord, Zhiquan (Duan Qirui's word Zhiquan) is not so short-sighted. I must fight for this tone! I must win!" After finishing speaking, Duan Qirui stood up and wanted to leave. "I'm waiting for my lord to take another exam!" Yuan Shikai didn't keep him, but took out a note from his sleeve, handed it to Duan Qirui, and gave him a deep look at any time. Duan Qirui came out and unfolded it, and it turned out that it was a test question for the next exam.His heart was burning hot. In the third exam, Duan Qirui passed with "excellent" results.So, he took up the throne of the commander of the Third Association of the Beiyang New Army. Yuan Shikai has the Sanxie Beiyang New Army under his command. In terms of provinces, it can be regarded as the province with the largest number of troops.However, Yuan Shikai was not satisfied. He wanted to gain the power to build an army across the country and expand his influence to the whole of China.The three alliance armies in Zhili were recruited and trained by their commanders. Yuan Shikai discussed with his advisers and generals about expanding the army across the country, and then led his entourage into Beijing. The city of Beijing is still full of depression, the sins of foreigners can be seen everywhere, and there is still fear on everyone's face; foreign soldiers like hungry wolves looking for food appear in the streets from time to time; cars with foreign flags are howling. Calling in and out from Dongjiaomin Lane.The dusty gust blowing from outside the Great Wall made this ancient imperial capital even more desolate! When Yuan Shikai entered the city, his thoughts suddenly became confused: "Where should we go first?" When he left Tianjin, he wanted to see Cixi after he came to Beijing.There is no matter how big or small the court affairs are, and without Cixi's words, no one can do it.Who would she see if she didn't see her? It was a very common thing for Yuan Shikai to see Cixi, and he could see him whenever he wanted. Speaking of this matter, let's talk a little bit farther and propose a person-- When Yuan Shikai failed to find a job in Shanghai and went to Shandong to join the army, he accidentally met Ruan Zhongshu who was going to Beijing to take an exam during the trip.When Yuan Shikai told Ruan about his family background and current situation, Ruan knew that he was in a difficult situation, and he could only get on the road with the help of a famous prostitute, so he generously sponsored Yuan and said goodbye.Although Ruan Zhongshu was not disappointed in the examination room, he had to go to someone's house to guard the library.The family in the office was none other than the younger brother of the great eunuch Li Lianying, who was actually Li Lianying.Yuan Shikai became the governor of Shandong, and after knowing this relationship, he came to Zhili from Shandong, and wanted to get closer to Cixi when he came to Zhili, so this relationship was naturally tightened.As a result, Yuan and Li Lianying became close friends through Ruan Zhongshu and some assistants from "Marshal Zhao Gong".Li Lianying is the "soul" of Cixi, and he can deal with it, but he is not mastered in everything.This can be regarded as a small joint, and it will be too much to describe briefly. After Yuan Shikai arrived in Beijing, he didn't want to meet Cixi first. He felt that doing so was too straightforward, and he was afraid that there would be no way out. to be in charge; this person should preferably be Prince Qing Yixu.This is wishful thinking. What if Cixi refuses to agree? What if Cixi agrees, but what if Prince Qing does not do it? Although Yuan Shikai feels that he has a little "weight" in front of Cixi, he still feels "tender" after all, and he dare not too confident.Therefore, he decided to go to Prince Qing's mansion first, give the favor to Yixu first, and then ask Yixu to work hard with him. Yixu presided over the military aircraft, and it was the time when the spring breeze was in full bloom. People reported: "Governor of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang Yuan Shikai asked to see him." Yixu immediately agreed to "see you in the small living room". Yixu received one hundred thousand snowflakes from Yuan Shikai, and he has a deep imprint on this person in his heart. In addition, he also wants to harass a few more powerful people among the Han ministers.Of course Yuan Shikai has to be counted as one.Yuan Shikai was led into the Prince's Mansion, Yi Xu welcomed him to the courtyard, and the two walked into the small living room together. "Welcome Kung Pao, welcome Kung Pao!" "Greetings to the prince, peace to the prince?" As he said, he wanted to give a big gift. Yixu hurriedly stopped him. "I can't, I can't!" The two sat down facing each other, and someone offered tea. After a few words of greeting, Yuan Shikai said straight to the point: "There is a big matter that I have thought about repeatedly, and it is difficult to decide, so I come here to ask the prince for advice." "You and I know each other, and we have something to say." "An invasion by eight countries has exhausted the people of the country. As a minister, he is ashamed of the court, and often loses sleep and food." "Don't forget the past, the teacher of the future. We all remember this, so forget it." "Comforting the court is disturbing!" Yuan Shikai sighed. "We must never see the scourge of the Eight Kingdoms again! After learning from the painful experience, Wei Ting wants to report the management opinion to the court, make every effort to govern, and revive the country's prestige! It's just that I am afraid of being ignorant, so..." "Okay, everyone should care about state affairs." Yixu was very interested in this topic. "Tell me your opinion." "According to Wei Ting's opinion, until now, there is no urgent matter other than military affairs. A strong country must have military affairs!" "I feel the same way." "My lord," Yuan Shikai confessed his intentions. "I want to go to the imperial court, set up a military training office in the central government, concentrate military power, and conduct unified drills. In this way, the limitations of military training in different provinces can be broken, and the mobilization can be unified and powerful, and it can not be limited by the number of troops. A strong and powerful army can be formed. A unified court armed..." Yi Xu has many thoughts about the army.But he knows that, in today's world, only military power can stabilize the political power, and he also wants to consolidate power through "the military". "Okay, okay, only when a country has a unified and powerful army can it be prosperous and strong. It's rare for you to think of it, it's rare." Yuan Shikai wanted to have military power, but felt that it was not the time, so he simply offered a favor in front of Yixu. "If Lafayette can approve this proposal, the person who presides over this matter must be the prince. I will invite Lafayette again..." Yi Xu was humble. "Sure enough, I'm just playing for a name. For military training, I still have to strongly recommend Gong Bao." "Thanks to the great love of the prince." Toss it with a peach and return it with a plum.Yuan Shikai swallowed a reassurance.Therefore, he hastily submitted a memorial to the imperial court, not only asking the central government to set up a military training office, but also recommending Yixu as the minister who supervised the training of the new army, and volunteered, "I am willing to assist from the side."Cixi was also in a predicament, with no one to advance or retreat. The "Xin Chou Treaty" not only humiliated her, but also put her under heavy pressure politically and economically.At this time, doing a "Jingwu" move can be regarded as making the "dead chess" alive.Therefore, Yuan Shikai's memorial was approved immediately. In early 1903, a military training office appeared in the central government of the Qing Dynasty, with Yixu as the minister to supervise the training of the new army and Yuan Shikai as the minister for the meeting. The military training office naturally centered on Yuan Shikai. With the brand of the military training office, Yuan Shikai carefully arranged the organization and selected his cronies to grasp the real power.He asked Xu Shichang to be the general manager, with Wang Shizhen as the chief envoy of the military administration department, Feng Guozhang as the chief envoy of the military science department, and Duan Qirui as the chief envoy of the military command department. At the same time, he formulated a plan to train 36 towns of the new army nationwide. First set up 6 towns in the Beiyang Army-the Qing government's large-scale military expansion work began from this.In order to expand the new army, Yuan Shikai also restored the long-suspended Beiyang Armed Forces Academy, with Duan Qirui as the general manager, as a base for training his cronies. Yuan Shikai accomplished another major event. He sat in the inner house of the Governor's Office, cupped a cup of fragrant tea, and smiled to himself. three Tianjin. Since most of Yuan Shikai's energies were in Beijing and in the court, the yamen of Zhili Governor's Office always seemed so deserted, and even the soldiers guarding the door were listless.Yuan Shikai came back from Beijing, and because Prince Tongqing had arranged everything about the expansion of the army, he was in a light mood, so he wanted to ask more about family affairs--Yuan Shikai's family affairs are too chaotic, and it is time to rectify them, except for his wife, Mrs. Yu In addition, there are the eldest concubine Shen, the second concubine Li, the third concubine Jin and the fourth concubine Wu.Not to mention the children, this group of wives and aunts have been on their guard for a long time, everyone is unhappy, and conflicts have arisen frequently-there have been ups and downs already. Yuan Shikai's right match with the Yu family, originally from Henan, can be regarded as a hot couple, but because of a joke, they turned against each other-- Yu is illiterate, and doesn't know much about etiquette. It was only because her natal family was a big squire in the local area, and she was considered a lady of the family, that this marriage was formed.One day, Yuan Shikai saw her wearing a red embroidered satin trouser belt, and joked with her, "Look at the way you dress up, you look like a horse team." Not wanting this sentence to annoy her—it turns out that Henan people only call prostitutes Ma Banzi—she retorted, saying, "I'm not Ma Banzi, I have my grandma's house." I don't want this sentence to annoy him too--Yu's words actually said, I have a natal family, and I am the wife who is married by the Ming Dynasty, not a concubine without a natal family.And Yuan Shikai was a concubine, born to his concubine.Therefore, thinking that his shortcomings were exposed--in a rage, he walked away.From now on, no more rooms.Except for the eldest son Keding, Yu has no children.It wasn't until Yuan Shikai became the governor of Shandong that he brought his biological mother, Liu, to the post, so he took Yu with him.But the two are still in different rooms.Yu became the "tablet" housewife.Aunt Tai Shen is now a celebrity in charge of housework.That's not to say, although Shen's family is a famous prostitute from Suzhou, when she was in Shanghai, she gave all her love to Yuan Shikai, who could only be regarded as a prodigal son.If it weren't for the Shen family to subsidize his expenses, I'm afraid Yuan Shikai would be trapped to death in Shanghai.Shen prepared wine for Yuan Shikai to see him off, expressing that "immediately pay for the redemption by himself, move out of the brothel, and promise him with his body" and "hope that Yuan Shikai will work hard for fame and fame, and not let him down." Yuan Shikai swore to the sky and said goodbye with tears.Afterwards, he brought Mrs. Shen to North Korea, Shandong, and Zhili, where she became a dignified housewife, the second concubine, third concubine and fourth concubine of Jing Mi. The second concubine, Tai Jin, was the younger sister of Princess Li, whom Yuan Shikai decided to marry as his wife when he was in North Korea.On the day of the marriage, the Jin family grandly brought along two dowry girls, Li Shi and Wu Shi.After the incident was completed, not only the Jin family became concubines, but also the Li family and the Wu family became Yuan Shikai's concubines. According to age, the Li family became the second concubine, the Jin family became the third concubine, and the Wu family became the third concubine. Became the fourth aunt.The Jin family is also a body of golden branches and jade leaves. Once she becomes a concubine, and she is the third concubine, for a 6-year-old girl, it is like a bolt from the blue, and all three souls and seven souls go away-and she becomes a wooden person from then on.Jin's family is depressed, so how can Li's and Wu's be good.When these three people came to China from North Korea, they never smiled again.After Yuan Shikai arrived in Tianjin, he married another Yang family as the fifth concubine.This Yang family is from Yangliuqing, Tianjin. He was born in a small family. He is not very attractive, but he is very clever and has the ability to handle affairs.When I entered the mansion, I was eager to try and seize power from my aunt, Tai Shen... There are so many wives and concubines, and their mentality is so complicated, how can life be harmonious? Except Yuan Shikai, no one can reconcile the conflicts between wives and concubines , let alone "town" live. Yuan Shikai pushed the business, sat in his study, took out his habitual cigar from the drawer of the desk, held it in his mouth, lit it and smoked it himself, thinking.Yuan Shikai didn't drink alcohol, and only drank some Shaoxing wine during the New Year and holidays; he didn't smoke water pipes, dry tobacco, cigarettes, let alone opium.Cigars are his only hobby, but they are not addictions. He only holds them in his mouth when he has nothing to do, or when he is thinking about problems quietly, and sometimes he seems to be inhaling. Just when Yuan Shikai was thinking about handling family affairs, people reported that "the second young master has returned from Nanjing." The second son, Kewen, had been ordered by his father to go to Nanjing for an urgent matter a few days earlier.When returning to Tianjin to return to life, according to family rules, you must first kowtow to your parents.Therefore, Ke Wen went to the study room first, and wanted to "greetings" to his father. "Greetings to Dad." Yuan Kewen knelt down in front of Yuan Shikai. "Zhaoer (Yuan Kewen's baby name), you are back." Yuan Shikai asked calmly. "came back." "It worked out?" "It's done." "Let's take a break." Yuan Shikai said, "Go and see all the ladies first, and we'll talk about it later." "Yes, Dad." Yuan Kewen fell on the ground and kowtowed again.Just as he was about to get up, a piece of paper suddenly fell out of his pocket. He hurriedly picked it up, but Yuan Shikai saw it. "What is it, what is it?" Yuan Shikai asked anxiously. "Nothing, nothing." Ke Wen replied in a panic.After answering, he hurriedly stuffed it into his pocket again. "Bring it here, let me see what it is?" Yuan Kewen dared not refuse.He took it out of his pocket and held it to his father with both hands. --Yuan Kewen can be called the son of Wanmei, a romantic figure.When I was working for my father in Nanjing, I often walked around Yueyu Lane, and met a woman from the family, and fell in love at first sight.After getting along for a while, they made a marriage covenant with each other.When Yuan Kewen returned to Tianjin, Mrs. Ye gave him a photo as a souvenir.It was also Yuan Kewen who couldn't get enough of his passion, so he put the photo on his body and took it out to have a look at any time.I don't want to fall down when I greet my father. When Yuan Shikai saw that it was a photo of a beautiful woman, he was furious: "What is this, what is it?" Yuan Kewen was still an unmarried young man, so he didn't dare to admit his absurd behavior in front of his father, so he lied and said: "Father, my son always wants to be filial, but there is no way to do it. This time When I went to the south, I paid attention to finding an excellent girl for my father. I brought this photo back to ask for my father’s opinion. However, my son was afraid that my father would be unhappy and call me ridiculous, so he was in a state of mind... " Yuan Shikai took the photo and looked at it carefully for a while, and felt that the affectionate figure was really beautiful, and he liked it very much.Lian said: "Okay, okay! It's hard for you to have such a heart." Then he said: "You go." Yuan Kewen got up and backed out. Regarding the photos, Yuan Kewen just wanted to prevaricate his father and think of a solution after an emergency.It was expected that this matter would turn out to be a fake, and soon, Yuan Shikai sent Mr. Fu Dianqing, the accountant who was best at handling this kind of errand, to Nanjing to pick up Mrs. Ye with the photo and money. Ye Shiyuan and Yuan Kewen had a marriage agreement, and they had informed their family members. Seeing that the Yuan family sent someone to come to marry them with gifts, they naturally thought of the previous agreement, so they rejoiced, packed their bags, and followed Fu northward.Yuan Shikai's taking concubines has always been done with great fanfare, full of guests, and loud drums and music.Na Ye was also filled with joy because of such a grand ceremony.Unexpectedly, during the "bridal chamber wedding night", the groom was not a handsome young man, but an old man with wrinkles and a beard, and suddenly burst into tears. It's still the aunt Shen who can deal with it, came in a hurry, and said to her with both worry and joy: "Sister Ye, don't cry anymore, the raw rice has become cooked rice, and it's useless to cry any more." "A majestic minister of the imperial court can do such a thing, and he is not afraid of being destroyed by heaven and earth!" Ye Shi was still crying bitterly. "In these days, the world is also for the powerful and powerful. A woman's life is like this, so I have to accept it. Otherwise, I should fight with my life!" Shen Shi is right, this poor girl has to be recognized.So, she had no choice but to bear the title of the sixth concubine—from then on, there was another sad and resentful woman in Yuan's inner house; and the talented and romantic young man Yuan Kewen suddenly added infinite resentment .From then on, he has no old ambitions, no longer pays attention to his official career, he would rather associate with the three religions, and only fool around in romantic places.He went to Liyuan as a guest star in "Disastrous View" and played Emperor Jianwen so vividly that someone wrote a poem for him: There are feet that do not step on the dust of Hebei, This body is the Jianwen body. The idle monk is full of history of rise and fall, Self-combination palace merchants drink and people. He and Mei Lanfang acted together in "Luo Shen". Title poem: Yuan Shikai, the ancestor of Beiyang Xing Si Hua re-declared the harmony score, After thousands of years, the Mei family sees you again. Outside of male Han and female Qin Qi, Hold the green broom and brush the clouds. Later, he wandered around the society and became an idler who was called "the four sons of the Republic of China" together with Zhang Xueliang, Lu Xiaojia, and Zhang Xiaoruo.When Yuan Shikai Hongxian proclaimed himself emperor, when the eldest son Keding wanted to make him the crown prince, he unequivocally wrote a poem to refuse his resignation: At first glance, the micro-jin is strong and self-victory, The dark eyes are not clear at night. To the south, the cold geese cover the lonely moon, Go west to the arrogant wind to move the nine cities. The gap between the horses stays and fights for a moment, The sound of the scorpion blows the dream for the third watch. There are many winds and rains in the high mountains, Don't go to the top floor of Qionglou! In the end, he was poor and poor and died in the wilderness.A friend sent an elegiac couplet to comment on his life and said: The world is wandering, the old country is desolate, there is wine and singing, who pities the old kings and grandchildren, and the new pavilion is full of tears; The fragrant grass is desolate, the setting sun is dim, and every spring returns to sorrow and death, and endures the boundless wind and moon, such a country. These are all things to mention later. Four A military ship sailed down the Chuanzetuo River from Hankou Wharf, and in the blink of an eye, Guishe Ershan was thrown far behind.Yuan Shikai, who was standing on the small deck, still gazed at it with nostalgia. He didn't know whether he was nostalgic for the beautiful city, or for Duan Fang, the temporary acting governor of the two lakes and the governor of Hubei. Yuan Shikai squeezed out some points in his busy schedule. This trip to the south made by Shi, the first stop in Hankou, satisfied him: he wanted to expand his sphere of influence to the south, and Duanfang said to him very modestly and sincerely, "everything will be obeyed by Gongbao." Duan Fang is a minister of the Manchu nationality and is also known as the "one of the three great talents" of the Manchu nationality.Duanfang greeted Yuan Shikai with the highest etiquette of Manchu and Han Dynasty, and called him "Gong Bao" one by one; he readily agreed to everything Yuan asked.When Yuan knew that Duan Fang had recently added a daughter, he cupped his hands in addition to congratulating him, and said, "Your Excellency added a daughter, I suddenly remembered something, I don't know if I should say it or not?" "Gong Bao, please tell me." Duan Fang said, "You and I are best friends, we have nothing to talk about." "You have a daughter in your family, and I have a dog in my family. When I suddenly asked, I started to think about it. My lord..." Yuan Shikai stood up, arched his hands, and put on a posture of "expectation" . In the Qing Dynasty, it turned out that Manchu and Han did not intermarry.In recent years, although the ban has been lifted, there still seems to be a wall for intermarriage.Yuan Shikai wants to set a precedent, so there are naturally reasons other than his marriage, which is the same as wooing Yixu.So he didn't presumptuously, and proposed it straightforwardly.And hope to be able to do so. Although Duanfang is a Manchu, he has many unsatisfactory things. He is full of talent and has a mediocre official position.He has his own views on government affairs. He believes that the Manchu ministers are mostly incompetent people who enjoy life in peace, follow the old ways, and many new insights and deeds come from the Han people, and Yuan Shikai is the most outstanding among the Han people. One, who has been promoted repeatedly and received such high regard from above, will soon become a pivotal figure.Marriage with him is naturally extraordinary.So, he said without hesitation: "The meaning of the palace protection is very good. If the little girl does not insult the Yuan family, the lower official will naturally be promoted." Yuan Shikai cupped his hands and gave another deep bow. "Thanks to the great love, high climbing, high climbing." This Duanfang and Yuan Shikai used to be brothers, but they didn't have close contacts; now, they have become relatives of their sons and daughters, and they are of course different.Duanfang had a grand banquet at the governor's office of the two lakes, and invited many colleagues. At the banquet, he explained the family relationship between the two families to all walks of life, and was congratulated by everyone... Yuan Shikai, who was on the deck, was still very excited when he thought of this incident, and he had a deep aftertaste.The ancient city that seems to have disappeared in Jiangzuo is still full of festive atmosphere. Yuan Shikai's next stop was Nanjing in the Liangjiang Governor's Office.When the soldiers arrived in Nanjing, it was a clear morning, and the bright sunshine shone on the surface of the Yangtze River with sparkling lights: Zijin Mountain looked extraordinarily green.袁世凯从兵轮上下来，微服便装，只带着几位随从、差官便乘马车进了城。 袁世凯同新任两江总督张之洞并无深交，想拉拢他，但又怕这个老头"棘手"，故只想作一次试探性的拜访。袁世凯等在总督署外下了马车，来到号房，没有开口便挺挺地站在那里。那气势，简直像一个将军在检阅。 号房管事望了他一眼，心里颇不高兴。"什么东西敢到这里卖弄!?"他把脸转过去，想等待"下文"，以便最后发作。 "狗仗人势!"袁世凯一眼便看透了号房管事的嘴脸，心里愤愤地想："我看你怎么下场?"他向差官使了个眼色，差官随时将袁世凯的一张大红名帖放在管事面前。 那管事的，自然都是机灵人，侧目一瞧，心里猛跳；再仔细一打量。可吓坏了：站在他面前的这个矮胖子不是别人，正是红极朝野酐北洋大臣袁世凯--袁宫保。忙甩了下袖子，便深深打了一躬："宫保大人请坐，宫保大人请坐!小人这就去禀报。"说着，用马蹄袖擦了下太师椅，搬到袁世凯面前，转身走进内宅，慌慌张张地向张之洞作了票报。 张之洞虽然年老、官高、以老自居，但对袁世凯这样的新贵，还是不得不厚礼以待的，何况袁世凯头上还有一顶"太子少保"的桂冠，这头衔虽无多大威力，但光彩得很，张之洞也曾梦寐过，却不曾到手。今天，这样一个人物来了，又是事先不预报，不知有何使命，所以，他便隆重接迎，吩咐打开中门，自己整冠更衣，走出迎接。 这是袁世凯同张之洞第一次见面，见礼之后，二人携手走进官署。张之洞颇有老态，发霜，腰背，骨瘦如柴；袁世凯年富力强，挺胸昂首，胖鼓墩墩。二人并肩同行，却是相映成趣。张之洞把袁世凯接至客厅，重新见礼一毕，有人献上茶来，张又安排摆酒，这才寒暄起来。 张之洞，字孝达，号香涛，直隶南皮人，同治进士，任过翰林院内阁学士，也是个洋务派的名人。光绪10年(1884年)由山西巡抚升任两广总督，在广西边境击败了法军，不久调任两湖总督。曾在两湖开办汉阳铁厂，湖北枪炮厂、设立织布、纺纱、缫丝、制麻等局．筹办芦汉铁路。是个与李鸿章争权夺势的人。如今已是66岁的人了，官运一直通畅，处在春风得意之中。此人生性孤傲阿0愎自用，袁世凯不通报竟自走上门来，他已很不自在，再加上袁世凯又不是科举正途出身，又比自己小了20多岁，心里早有几分瞧他不起。只是官场礼节，不得不盛宴为之洗尘，宴席上，交谈泛泛，无非是青山绿水，江河湖泊，再加上春花秋月。这张之洞，毕竟是有了一把岁数的人，这些年注意养尊处优，生活早已随心所欲。白日闲坐打盹，便成了习惯之一。现在，身虽在宴席上，心思早已飘忽起来，双眉一合，竟在座上打起瞌睡来了。 袁世凯也因为"话不投机"心中不快。今见老家伙这副神气，更是气恼齐出，托词离席，并告知左右"不必惊动老帅"，便匆匆携着随从、差官出城而去。 张之洞一觉醒来，发现客人不见了，知道有失大礼，便匆匆追去送行。及至下关，袁世凯的兵轮早已起锚驶离。这老头只好望江长叹! 袁世凯到了上海，先去拜见他的把兄弟盛宣怀，想同他好好谈谈。盛宣怀正是大红大紫的人物，身兼中国铁路总公司督办、沪宁铁路督办、全国电报局督办，招商局总办等职。然而，袁世凯对这个人的印象却不好，认为他太会转向，屁股太灵活了。官不大，架不小。只打了个照面便急急分了手。 一趟南行，耗时费力，一事无成。回到天津之后，袁世凯还在自怨自艾："我怎么想走这一趟呢?" 入夏多日了，南方早已暑气袭人，北方却依然春风拂面。袁世凯刚从南方回来，加上体型肥胖，他竞一身黑纺制服，并且戴上了巴拿马草帽--除了官场活动，袁世凯几乎不穿朝服，尤其在家中，无分冬夏，一年四季他都穿黑色制服。夏天，一身黑羽纱或纺制服，冬天一身黑呢子制服，冬服夏服一色短立领，四个暗鬼；冬天戴皮帽，皮帽四周，吊着貂皮，中间露出黑绒平顶，帽子前面正中镶一块宝石，闪闪发光；夏季穿黑色皮鞋，冬季穿黑色短筒皮靴，靴两旁嵌有两块马蹄形松紧带。袁世凯有个不轻不重的风寒病，风凉之后关节常疼。因而，他总爱把衣服穿多点，即使酷暑，也衣帽整齐。外表上看，倒也衣冠楚楚，唯其生活不洁，使得妻妾侍女们每每动手动脚--刚到50岁时便留起了胡须，又不自清洁，喝汤、喝稀饭时，常常弄得袖子、衣服都是汁沥。他又不用手帕，无人在旁，他便拉起袖子擦抹。于是，衣袖、衣襟总是斑斑点点，如婴儿的尿布。姨太太们就得忙着为他擦拭干净。姨太太们为他打扫卫生的时候，他还常常拉着袖子擤鼻涕，又甩到别人身上。坐在堂上，威威武武；蹲在家里，邋邋遢遢。谁又能怎么样他呢? 正是袁世凯心神不安的时候，人报"天津海关通唐绍仪求见。"袁世凯忙答应："清清，小客厅请。" 唐绍仪进来了。随他一起来的，还有一位仪表堂堂的中年人。进得客厅，唐绍仪便主动介绍："这位是我的广东同乡梁士诒，来京应考经济特科，取了个第一名。慕寓保之名，特来拜见，还有有关时政的浅见，想同宫保嚼淡。" "欢迎，欢迎"袁世凯对梁士诒显得十分热情。 梁士冶深深了一个躬，问候。然后说："久慕大人盛名，冒昧造府，又承大人厚爱，学生卜分感激。" --这几年袁世凯自雄心，要办大事。要办大事就得拉扰人。就得扩大亲信。这件事，他有教训，他在山东当巡抚的时候，一个叫徐树铮的萧县人带着治国高见去求见他。不得见，竞壮着胆子，冒充官亲，递上了精心炮制的《国事条陈》。 袁世凯那时候正是踌躇满志，春风得意之际，一看《国事条陈》这题目，就老大的不高兴。"我这封疆大吏难道国事该怎么办，需要别人说三道四?"他不想翻阅。但他还是不由自主地看了。不想一搭眼，竟吸引了他。那"条阵"开篇便道："国事之败，败于兵将之庸蹇，欲整顿济时，舍经武尤急务......" "好，好!"他拍案叫绝。可是，因为葬母之事，他还是不曾接见这个年轻人。而这个年轻人竞被段旗瑞收在门下，成了段的股肱。虽随段时日不长，却连出奇谋，展示了才华。袁世凯甚觉有失。今天，他的海关道又领来一位首取金榜的高才，也愿"条阵时政"，袁世凯不想放过，故而盛情有加。 广东举人梁士冶，颇花费了一番工夫专攻经济特科，又承他的同乡，曾经留学美国、考察过西方经济的唐绍仪指点，对经济问题，颇有点独到见解。应酬的话说完之后，便从铁路问题人题，坦而言之。 "官保大人，以在下之见，铁路事业乃当务之急，不可丝毫放松......" "朝廷已经设有统筹全局的南北铁路总公司，紧抓此事了。"袁世凯说。 "抓是抓了，却又划分区域，把铁路分归当地督抚管理。这就势必造成左右不协凋，行政系统紊乱，发挥不了铁路的作用。就好比是人的脉络，必全身贯通，方司保生命生存。若分节分段，则全身停滞。路分南北，形同人体分割，那怎么可保健壮肌体呢?""依你之见......" "以大人之影响，应即奏请朝廷设立一全国性管理机构，把铁路事业统揽在大人手里。"梁士诒口齿伶俐、见解条理，侃侃之中又有几分情感。"铁路不但便利交通，畅流货物，有利开发资源，而且便利军运，有利战争。实是国家之要务......" "统一铁路事业，畅通南北西东，故是好事。"袁世凯皱了皱眉，说，"只怕国家无此财力。" "这倒不怕。兴办国家大事，任何国家都会借助外债。我朝为何不可举呢?"梁士诒见袁世凯动心了，便把身子朝前凑凑，低着嗓门儿说："宫保大人明鉴，铁路果然借款，在必要时还可移作政治用途，不外又是一条通途，大人可千万千万......" 袁世凯些许日子来，只把心思放在扩大军事势力方面，并不曾细想军事扩展之后要有什么样的经济来支撑?经梁士诒这么一提，袁世凯立即警觉。"对、对、对!国家之有军队，并非盗匪之汇合，不能靠开地盘发军饷，而必出国库。无经济支撑的军队，是强大不起来的。先生一席谈，慰庭茅塞顿开!"又说："梁先生暂不要他谋了，先在唐大人处权充文案，容我思索，后有妥当用处。" 梁士诒成了袁系统的一位于将。 Fives 做了袁世凯文案的阮忠枢，得算是官场上的如意人物，功名不显，作为不大，就是凭着旅途资助了袁世凯一把，没想得到袁的如此厚报，成袁的"内助"。如今，又是北洋大臣驻京城的代理，身价自然不同。有人说阮忠枢是附在袁世凯大树上的一棵蔓藤，袁世凯多高，他阮忠枢便多高，有时候还要比袁世凯高出一枝几叶。这话不假，无论京城还是地方，有意攀附袁世凯的人，谁敢不对这位文案巴结二三。因而，阮忠枢总是朝朝眉开眼笑，喜形于色。忽然间，这位文案情绪低落下来，愁眉苦脸，不说不笑，连门也懒得出了。原来，这位文笔先生碰上一件不称心的花柳韵事--阮忠枢本来就是有些家产的阔家公子哥儿，挥洒银两，从不在意。跟着袁世凯到天津了，除了银钱之外，又有了一个耀眼夺目的官职，自然成了天津卫的名士，不免花街柳巷走走。事也有缘，竞和一位叫小玉的名妓情投意合，日子不久，那小玉姑娘竞提出请他为之赎身，而后以身相许。姑娘如此真诚，阮公自然应诺，何况此等事情在那时早为社会成俗，官场更是小事一桩。阮忠枢若是出银子，赎身，买房，接过小玉，也就一顺百顺，好事办成了。可他偏偏多了一个心眼，硬是觉得不可瞒了上司，得让袁世凯知道。 一天，他走到袁世凯面前，颇有点面赧的说："有件私人小事，想请大人能够体凉。" 袁世凯不入官场时，他们称兄道弟。袁世凯做了总督，做了大臣，阮忠枢便换了口气，称他"大人"。袁世凯却依然如旧，仍呼他的雅号。"斗胆、有事只管说，我没有不能体谅的。" "是这样......"阮忠枢如实说了天津的艳遇，又说："我想出资为小玉赎身，而后......银子么，自然我自己来，只求大人答应此事，也就够了。" 袁世凯听了此事，面色沉了一下，皱了皱眉，严肃地说："胡闹，胡闹。这是有碍声誉的事，你怎么能去干呢。" 阮忠枢一听袁世凯提到"有碍声誉"，陡然寒颤了一下，便连连说："好，好。不胡闹，不胡闹。作罢、作罢!" 阮忠枢退了出来，但却心中不快。"这算什么有碍声誉?你那位大姨太太沈氏不也是花巷走来的吗，还跟随你去了朝鲜，作过名正言顺的夫人呢!"想虽是这样想，长官说了，也只得作罢。所以又闷闷不乐，那是因为当面对小玉姑娘作了许诺。"大话说了，如今事办不成，是缺乏银两，还是缺乏诚意?这不是令人家姑娘心冷、说我口是心非吗。"文人的正统思想作用了，他觉得自己做了一件言而无信的事。 正是阮忠枢心神不定的时候，袁世凯把他叫到面前。"斗胆，天津有些公事，咱们一道回去。" 阮忠枢简单收一下，便随着袁世凯上了车。 车到天津，天色已晚。袁世凯说："咱们别回公署了，先去看一位朋友。说不定还会热闹一场呢。" 阮忠枢点点头。 车子在一个幽静的院落门前停下，二人下了车，缓步走了进去。一进门，阮忠枢感到有点儿意外：庭院之内，铺设得富丽堂皇，异彩纷呈，堂上红烛高照，桌上丰盛酒宴。"这是怎么回来?来贺谁的喜？"及至走进屋里，便见一个小丫头笑嘻嘻迎过来，娇声嫡气地喊道："新姑爷到啦!"这么一喊，另一间房中便有人搀扶出一位俏丽佳人。阮忠枢心里慌张，眼睛模糊，如入五里云雾之中。当他定神再看时，那位俏丽佳人不是别人，正是他要娶的那位小玉。 Yuan Shikai laughed. "斗公，多日来，忙忙绿绿，今日才为你安排这个洞房花烛之夜。迟了、迟了。慰庭也请阁下体谅。请，请拜堂吧!" 阮忠枢感激涕零，拉着袁世凯的手，忘情地说："知我者，慰庭也．；爱我者，慰庭也!" --袁世凯用人心急，收拢人心也急。当他得知阮忠枢要出钱纳妾时，便想：既然事已有着，我何不送个顺水人情。于是，一边假意地阻止，一边秘密派人为小玉赎身，一边又安排人为他们办理房屋、宴席。一切妥贴之后，才引阮忠枢一同前往，使这位书呆子受宠若惊，更加亲近于他。果然，阮忠枢从此之后对他更加五体投地，而社会上，也为袁世凯飘满了缤纷的称道。 阮忠枢洞房之中颠鸾倒凤的时候，袁世凯在他总督署的密室里，正同他年轻时的好友、如今任着练兵处总提调的徐世昌密谈。比袁世凯大4岁的徐世昌，是一位颇有城府的政治人物，27岁中举，31岁中进士，入翰林院，3年后授职编修，到现在。他已经在这个位置上坐了十多年冷板凳了。若不是袁世凯提携他，恐怕还得在冷板凳上继续坐下去。徐世昌同袁世凯，也算是童年的朋友了。徐世昌出生在河南开封，童年在开封度过。袁世凯随嗣父袁保庆也在开封营务处任上，袁保庆同徐世昌的父亲徐嘉贤是同僚，又是一墙之隔的邻居，袁世凯、徐世昌便成了开裆裤的朋友；后来，袁世凯读书无长进，在原籍组织文社，颇闹得红火的时候，在淮宁县署做了裁师的徐世昌也闻讯赶去，二人更是谈得情投意合。再后来徐世昌进京赶考时，袁世凯又厚厚地赠了一笔路费，并且畅谈了抱负。从此，二人便成为莫逆。袁世凯把徐世昌拉到身边，自然是当成栋梁用的，凡大事总要同他商量。 "卜五(徐世昌字五)，"袁世凯心事重重地先开了口。"东北这场战，到现在为止，国人都在糊糊涂涂，朝廷也在糊糊涂涂。我总觉得糊涂不得，得有个清醒的相关对策。你说呢?" 袁世凯说的"东北这场战"，是指的发生在1904年2月的日俄大战。日俄两国都有野心先吃中国的东北。《辛丑条约》之后，俄国便想独占东三省，英、日便联起来对俄，美国也加盟英。于是，日俄在中国的东三省开战。徐世昌淡淡地一笑，说："无论怎么说，俄之战不应该在中国版图上打。这样打下去，无论谁胜谁败，遭殃的都是中国人。" 袁世凯点点头，没有说话。他心里明白，徐世昌这话是说到要害上去了。他袁世凯也是这样想的，只是他不想明说而已。怎么明说呢?这种局面是他的前任(又崇拜的)李鸿章倡导的"以夷制夷"的政策所造成的，这个政策又是得到慈禧认可才推行的。无论局面多么遭，他都是怀着"投鼠忌器"的心情，把话闷在心里。 "现在朝中谣传，老佛爷又想君主立宪。怎么个立法?"袁世凯把话叉开了。 "还不是想应付这个残局。"徐世昌说："大不了改改名称，到头来，依然君是君，臣是臣。" 袁世凯是热衷君主立宪的。他有个"梦"，梦得很美：慈禧风烛残年了，活不了多久。将来大权是光绪帝的。光绪对袁世凯可没有好印象，说不定会杀他的头。实行君主立宪了，皇帝只是国家元首一个虚名，政权属于责任内阁，总理必由奕勖出任，他袁世凯可以"副之"，以后便渐渐更替，独揽大权。但是，袁世凯也有顾虑：他听说慈禧的"君主立宪"是想先从改革官制人手，废除督抚制度。这又对袁不利。进进退退，上上下下，心不定呀! 徐世昌不想探测这些一时探不清的问题。他猜测过，官制改革，势必会带来一场满汉大臣之间的激烈斗争，而袁世凯依靠的奕勖，并不是一个有治