Chapter 6 Chapter 6: Long Wang Shu, Premier Yuan finally became President Yuan

The small fisherman in Huanshang Village became a big fisherman in China, and Yuan Shikai benefited when the snipe of the revolutionary army went to peck the clam of the Qing Dynasty. He is not satisfied with the post of Prime Minister.He's going to be president.However, that would require the empress dowager and the emperor to make an exchange. one The two bombs blasted Yuan Shikai into a bright world. Beijing is still covered in ice and snow.The bitter north wind swayed the dry branches, from the courtyards in the deep streets and alleys to the splendid Forbidden City with golden walls, it was deserted; the sun was high, and the sleep of the ancient city could not be awakened.

Yuan Shikai was "ill" and was too sick to go to court. The princes and nobles in the high wall seemed to have woken up. One by one, they stared and asked themselves: "Huh? Yuan Shikai is not a spy of the Revolutionary Party, is he not a traitor of the Qing Dynasty?" Yes, the Revolutionary Party wanted to kill Yuan Shikai, How could Yuan Shikai be a spy of the Revolutionary Party? If Yuan Shikai was disloyal to the Qing Dynasty, how could the Revolutionary Party who wanted to overthrow the Qing Dynasty assassinate him? Speculations and conjectures abounded, and overnight, the "dirt" on Yuan Shikai's face "Wash it clean.The Empress Dowager Longyu, who was sitting in the deep palace, showed a smile on her face. She explained to the young Manchu factions who came to pay her respects: "You all said that Yuan Shikai was unreliable and had two hearts. Let's make it clear today. The court never treated him badly. How could he forget the emperor's kindness. Yuan Shikai was a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty after all."

Longyu said so, and everyone nodded in agreement. "The Empress Dowager has foresight, and the Empress Dowager can see clearly." Empress Dowager Longyu "Shengming" immediately issued an edict, conferring Yuan Shikai as a first-class Marquis, and sent a special envoy to condolences.In doing so, Yuan Shikai's reputation grew, and the false rumor that "the revolutionary party will explode in Beijing" that he spread earlier became a "wise foresight"! The question has to go back to the Republic, and back to the abdication of the Qing emperor.Yuan Shikai's resignation from court does not mean that there is no one to urge this matter.

The day after Yuan Shikai's top horse and horses were killed, Empress Dowager Longyu presided over an imperial meeting.At this meeting, due to the change of Yuan Shikai's facial makeup, the waist of the former cabinet minister Yixuan, who wore the same pair of pants as Yuan Shikai, also became stiff. The explosion can be aimed at the Prime Minister, and tomorrow it will be aimed at the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Yuan Shikai has many people protecting him. Once the assassins sneak into the palace and throw bombs in front of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, who will protect them? ?In order to ensure the safety of the royal family, the matter of abdication should be decided as soon as possible. If you retire peacefully, you will still be decent. Once the bomb forces you to retreat, you will be passive."

Bei Zi Pu Lun also said: "President Bute's opinion is justified. We must not be forced to abdicate when we have nowhere to go. It is better to retire early." Empress Dowager Longyu looked very sad. She lowered her eyes and lowered her head, seeming to listen but not listen.There was no reaction after the words of the two above said, so she turned her face and asked Zaifeng who was sitting beside her: "Prince Jin, what's your opinion?" Zaifeng, who had long since ceased to be a regent, is now pampered and pampered in the vassal mansion, only living a leisurely life as a prince, and his energy can only be focused on his annual salary of ten thousand taels of silver.But he knew that the revolutionary army was no less powerful than the Eight-Nation Allied Forces back then.The Eight-Power Allied Forces can pay compensation, but the revolutionary army must pay for their lives and for their country.Sure enough, when that day comes, the Eight Banners clan may not have a foothold.Therefore, when the Queen Mother asked him, he said in panic, "What else can we do now?"

As soon as Zaifeng's words fell, Prince Su Shanqi, Prince Gong Puwei, and Fuguo Gong Zaize stood up one after another, making loud noises and saying, "It's so hard to get in the world, so let's give it up automatically. How will we see each other?" Ancestors live underground!?" Empress Dowager Longyu was anxious, what should she do? She had no idea.I had to say: "Let's think about it again, the meeting will continue tomorrow." The Yuqian Huiyi held for three consecutive days, but the peace was still uncertain.The battle between the royal families in the palace also reached a fever pitch. The Young and Strong faction formed an alliance to resolutely preserve the throne, and organized a Clan Socialist Party headed by Zaiwei to achieve this goal, declaring: "From now on, no one shall advocate abdication, otherwise , meet with swords!"

Yuan Shikai's "Forcing the Palace" play can no longer be performed.If the emperor does not abdicate, peace talks cannot continue.Sun Yat-sen's great president would not give it to him.If you want to use troops to conquer and suppress, it seems that you are not sure enough.He was anxious and worried: "The next step, the next step..." How to take the next step? Yuan Shikai was at a loss. The assassination case of "Dongxing Building" was quickly solved, and the police arrested five murderers on the spot, and they dealt with it themselves.When arresting the murderer, several bombs were confiscated in Dongxing Building, which were wrapped in cattail bags and were not thrown out in time.A day later, another bomb was thrown at the entrance of the foreign affairs department. Although no one was bombed, the window glass of Yuan Shikai's office was greatly shaken.Yuan Shikai panicked again.Yuan Shikai was afraid of death. From then on, he moved to the cellar of the Prime Minister's Mansion to work-he had to work because he had many urgent things to do.

In late winter and early spring in Beijing, the weather is always gloomy and gloomy, with snow falling every now and then. At this moment in 1912, there are not only more cloudy days, but also more snow. The old snow does not melt, and new snow is added layer by layer.Yuan Shikai put on all his fox fur and sheepskin clothes, and felt that the cold air in the cellar, the high-walled courtyard, and the tight enclosure were not as good as the rural wilderness in Huan. The city of Beijing was a bit cruel to him, Yuan Shikai, and cruelty also had its benefits. A good night's sleep allowed him to think more about the problems in front of him.Yuan Shikai did not want to see such a stalemate in the palace. "Nights are long and dreamy, unpredictable, who knows whether tomorrow will be sunny or cloudy?" He doesn't want to be manipulated by others, he just wants to manipulate others and everything.

One day, when he woke up, he suddenly came up with a wonderful new law, intending to ask his old friend, the British Minister Zhu Erdian to support him, to establish a third government in Tianjin besides the Qing government and the Republican government, and then bargain with the south and the north . Dream, this is not a good dream! Even the former Prime Minister Yixu who supported him was firmly opposed by the Qing government, but the southern government flatly denied it, and clearly stated in the reply telegram, "The Qing emperor must first abdicate before Mr. Sun can give up the presidential seat." Yuan Shikai only Can take over the president from Sun Yat-sen, and never allow himself to be king!

The dream was shattered.Shattered as fast as lightning! Yuan Shikai's dream of a "third government" heightened the vigilance of the Nanjing government at a dark time. They saw through Yuan's eagerness to seek power, and were afraid that he would use unscrupulous means.Therefore, Wu Tingfang, the representative of the Southern Provisional Government, not only telegraphed Yuan's cabinet to "officially agree to the regulations on preferential treatment for clearing the house", but also was ordered to convey the five conditions proposed by Sun Yat-sen.These 5 conditions are:

1. After the Qing emperor abdicated, the Yuan cabinet prepared an official document to notify foreign missions; 2. Yuan himself expressed his support for the republic by means of official documents; 3. Sun himself resigned as soon as the diplomatic mission notified the Qing emperor to abdicate; 4. The Provisional Senate elects Yuan to succeed the President of the Provisional Government; 5. Yuan must faithfully abide by the Constitution formulated by the Provisional Senate. It was clear that the South was faithful to his promise to cede the presidency, but Yuan had to fulfill his promise to get the Qing emperor to abdicate.Yuan Shikai was worried. He knew clearly that the imperial meeting was useless, and the trend of thought against abdication had gained the upper hand.The Zong-Socialists have let the wind out. They advocate the dissolution of the Yuan cabinet and the restoration of the royal cabinet; if they continue to fight resolutely, even if they are defeated, they can move the capital to Rehe.All this shocked Yuan Shikai.He was shocked that the southern government was so resolute that the Qing emperor would have nothing to talk about unless he abdicated; he was even more shocked that there were so many hardliners in the Qing government, who would rather smash jade than crumble! All this shows that his president The dream should be shattered, irreparable.Yuan Shikai closed his eyes, frowned, and lay on the grand master's chair in the basement, not knowing how to advance or retreat. At this moment, he vaguely realized a truth: he seemed to have been tricked by the court. "They used me and promoted me to a high position. Didn't they want me to be a shield and a scapegoat? The Revolutionary Party defeated the imperial court. I, Yuan Shikai, was the prime minister of the imperial court. Naturally, I was the chief culprit. If you are in power, you still want to kick me away." Thinking, he was afraid. At this moment, Yuan Shikai thought of Duan Qirui. Yuan Shikai recalled Duan Qirui from the front line, and told him to "must invite Xu Shuzheng here." Duan Qirui came to Beijing from the front line and came to the Prime Minister's Office. Yuan Shikai did not ask too much about the situation ahead, but told him about the situation of the peace talks and the attitudes of the southern and northern governments.Then he said, "I brought you from the front, just to hear your opinions. You can talk about it and see what to do?" Duan Qirui, who is 6 years younger than Yuan Shikai, has been running the army for a long time.In the past few years, he has also been killing and cutting, saying that he is the tiger among the three heroes, because he is indeed a tiger general, but he lacks strategy.After listening to Yuan Shikai's words, Duan Qirui thought for a while and said, "Negotiating a peace, I didn't think it would be a smooth thing. If we didn't negotiate with them at the beginning, we would fight from Wuchang, and the situation would be fine." He looked at Yuan Shikai, and said, "Now the situation is complicated. If the peace talks continue, what will be the result?" . Yuan Shikai sat silently, feeling uneasy. "Duan Qirui only knows how to fight and fight. How can it be so simple?" He said his thoughts again, nothing more than "only by taking a long time can we catch big fish. Instead of solving the revolutionary army by force, it is better to negotiate a peace." Seize the power in a peaceful way, and then develop yourself" and so on.He added: "The problem now is not the revolutionary army. Sun Yat-sen said long ago that as long as the Qing emperor abdicates, he will definitely give up the president. Now it is the Qing emperor's abdication." Duan Qirui said: "Isn't the Empress Dowager Longyu intending to abdicate? What's the problem?" "It's just a willingness." Yuan Shikai said: "It hasn't been decided yet. Now, there are many opponents in the royal family, and the imperial court is only noisy. Now, the young and strong faction has the upper hand." Duan Qirui felt that the matter was troublesome, and frowned , lost in thought. Yuan Shikai turned to look at Xu Shuzheng, and said, "Youzheng (Xu Shuzheng's character is Youzheng), you have a flexible mind. What do you think about this matter?" Xu Shuzheng saw that Yuan Shikai asked him by name, and said: "In this matter, Master Duan's opinion is also a policy. Use force to suppress the revolutionary army and force Sun Yat-sen to retreat on the issue of abdicating... " "That's Lord Duan's opinion," Yuan Shikai said, "I want to hear what you think? You, after all, Lord Duan, are two people with two thoughts." "In my opinion, since the peace talks have started, we have to continue the talks." Xu Shuzheng was very calm, quite confident. "Since the revolutionary party is also focusing on the abdication of the Qing emperor and the establishment of a republic, we might as well focus on this matter, speak louder, and put more pressure on the court." "How big is it?" Yuan Shikai thought to himself, I did everything I could, but they ignored me.Yuan said, "Tell me about Dafa?" "Admonish to the imperial court, please establish a republic!" "I've said it all, it's useless." "That's not right." "What should I say?" "Isn't there someone in the court opposing the republic now? Because of some people's opposition, the queen mother can't make up her mind to implement the republic and doesn't want to abdicate. That is to say, some people in the court still can't see the situation clearly and don't feel the pressure. I think doing so... ..." "Tell me in detail and see how to do it." "Didn't your lord let some front-line military officers issue a telegram in support of the constitutional monarchy earlier?" "Now it seems that I was fooled." Yuan Shikai said: "The electrification greatly supported the waist of the royal family." "Could you send another power-up to crush them?" "What power-up again?" Xu Shuzheng smiled lightly and said... two Xu Shuzheng was worthy of being called a "weird hero" by the people at that time. He was resourceful and repeatedly made strange tricks.The reason why this person is highly valued by Yuan Shikai and Duan Qirui is that they are people who advocate force to determine everything.At the beginning, 20-year-old Xu Shuzheng hurried from his hometown of Xuzhou to Jinan, Shandong, and when he "presented" the state affairs to Yuan Shikai, he told Yuan Shikai sharply: "The defeat of the state affairs is defeated by the generals. Wu Wu has nothing else to do urgently." Yuan Shikai applauded the case! Now, when Yuan Shikai can't advance or retreat, Xu Shuzheng will naturally have a good plan to offer. Xu Shuzheng said: "This time, the matter of asking for a republic is naturally put aside the cabinet, and the front-line generals are still involved. If it succeeds, the goal is achieved; if it is defeated, it is due to the actions of the soldiers. At that time, wouldn't the prime minister have a wider room for maneuver in advance and retreat. Could it be that the queen mother will not listen to the prime minister?" Yuan Shikai thought about it and was very satisfied.But he still turned to ask Duan Qirui. "Zhiquan, what do you think of this method?" Duan Qirui had already understood it, and said with his chest on his chest, "Okay, this is a good way, courtesy first and soldiers later! The Empress Dowager does not accept our opinion, so we will mobilize troops." Yuan Shikai nodded in agreement.He also said: "Don't leave now, draft the telegram here, let's think it over, and then we can discuss which names to use?" Xu Shuzheng was shrewd, saw through Yuan Shikai's heart, and understood that he used the method of "using others' hands to achieve his own goals", so the telegrams naturally appeared as soldiers.In a few days, there was a telegram of "Please Establish a Republic" led by Duan Qirui, commander of the First Army, and signed by 42 former enemy generals Jiang Guiti, Cao Kun, and Zhang Xun.Power on slightly cloud: ......The militiamen raised their salaries and increased their troops, spreading all over the country. I have no backup, my strength is too weak, and I have to take care of the number of routes.Instigate and spread temptation everywhere.The troops were divided and advanced, and I was trapped in a corner, helpless.Observing the trend of people's hearts silently may still lead to the road of republic, and it will be difficult to fight back at that time.It is just a few months of water and fire, which has harmed the people's livelihood. How to plant it and show it to the world and even the public.To eat hair and practice the soil, to sing and dance sagely, to be grateful with zero tears, it is salty to say that the rule of Tang and Yu is the same as today and ancient, it is not also great. Although Qirui and other civil servants are self-motivated and dare to protect themselves, but the source of salary is scarce, the morale of the soldiers is shaken, and the general trend is not firm.Once a breakup occurs, why do you think it is a war? I am afraid that after the death of the teacher, the sect will fall with it.At that time, the royal family was honored, and Zong Pan's livelihood must be difficult to find satisfaction... Therefore, he dared to compare the advantages and risked his life to declare: Please return and change the sweater, and issue an edict to declare China and foreign countries, and establish a republic.Not allowed to play, insisting on going his own way, he will lead the whole army into Beijing, and declare his interests and interests with the princes and ministers who ruined the overall situation. The electricity was sent out, and the government and the public were in a turbulent storm! Some were puzzled, some panicked and didn't know the consequences, and some feared that the situation would worsen.The Empress Dowager Longyu was at a loss and was full of melancholy. Suddenly seeing such an electrification, she suddenly fainted in the palace... When Yuan Shikai sent Duan Qirui away, he was in a relaxed mood. He felt that once the power was turned on, the imperial court would submit, and he could gain the "capital" to seize the position of president, and the revolutionary party would obey.He excitedly took out his cigar, puffed and smoked, and hummed again: Place the banquet in the Juyi Hall, I have a heart-to-heart talk with my brothers... "Heartfelt" was not mentioned, and Yuan Shikai felt that it was wrong. "The issue of abdication has been discussed repeatedly at the imperial meeting, but only a group of diehards refuse to agree. Sure enough, if the stalemate continues, no one will pay attention to the connection, so it is not considered poor!" Yuan Shikai couldn't wait. The dream of the president did not come true, and he was restless every second god.He dropped the cigar, frowned, and began to think about countermeasures—— What hindered the Qing emperor's abdication was a group of people from the Clan Socialist Party with Liang Bi as the backbone, and Liang Bi almost never cooperated with Yuan Shikai.Getting rid of Liang Bi made the Zongshe Party lose its core, and the question of the Qing emperor's abdication was naturally not a problem.Yuan Shikai decided to get rid of Liangbi.Yuan Shikai knew the consequences of killing a prince and minister with a knife himself. Even if he got a big position, he would be infamous forever.He doesn't do it. Just when Yuan Shikai was in a state of restlessness, his eldest son Yuan Keding limped in.As soon as he entered the door, he said: "Master, Wang Zhaoming has come to Beijing, can you see him?" "I don't want to see him anymore." After a short pause, Yuan Shikai said again: "However, there is one thing. I think it would be great if he could do it." Yuan Keding surrounded his father all day long, and he was most familiar with his temperament.I can see what my father wants to do from his every mood and every move.These days, there are only two things that my father is most anxious about: one is to negotiate peace with the south, and the other is to urge the Qing emperor to abdicate.These two matters seem to be on the horizon now, and Duan Qirui's power-up will solve it. "Master, what else do you need to alarm people like Wang Jingwei?" This time he couldn't figure it out.So, he asked: "What's the matter, sir, do you want to move Wang Jingwei?" "You don't know?" Yuan Shikai glared at his son. "Do you think it will be easy to get things done when you turn on a piece of paper? Difficult." "Didn't Zaifeng have no claim?" Yuan Keding said, "Yixu won't do anything to hinder my uncle." "There are others." Yuan Shikai said to his son: "Liangbi is a person who stirs up trouble and ignites the flames. He has a great influence!" After Yuan Shikai mentioned this, his son understood. "Master, what do you mean..." He stretched out the palm of his right hand.He made a movement from top to bottom with a slanting stab, expressing a clear "eradicating" stance. Yuan Shikai narrowed his eyes, touched his chin lightly, and nodded slightly. "However, you don't need to tell him clearly. You just need to explain my worries to him, and he will understand." "I will do well, sir, don't worry." Yuan Keding turned to leave.Yuan Shikai signaled him to stop again with his hand. "Wang Zhaoming travels from south to north, from north to south all day long. I don't think Sun Yat-sen will give him much money." Yuan Shikai said: "Give him more money from the treasury, so that he can be more relaxed." Yuan Keding withdrew and went to do the things arranged by his father. Yuan Keding found Wang Jingwei, told his father's meaning tactfully, and sent a very heartwarming silver ticket.But this time, the Yuan family and his son were all wrong. Wang Jingwei was far from the impulsive person who assassinated the regent two years ago.Therefore, he only expressed a faint attitude.However, Wang Jingwei still respects Yuan Shikai, not to mention that there is such a heavy prepaid "award".On his way back to the south, Wang Jingwei stopped in Tianjin and found Huang who had assassinated the regent together. Huang then found Peng with a lot of money. In the name of Gong, he went straight to Guangming Hall to meet Liangbi.Peng blew up Liangbi with only one bomb, causing incurable serious injuries, and died the next day! Liangbi died, and the palace was in chaos. Manchu relatives and nobles fled the capital with their families. Some went to Qingdao, some went to Dalian; those who couldn't go there turned to Yuan Shikai one after another and asked to send troops to defend them. After a stone fell to the ground, Yuan Shikai rejoiced secretly, and immediately transferred the first part of the three towns originally stationed in Langfang to Beijing, and at the same time sent Zhao Bingjun and others to the palace to greet him. Yuan Shikai was bombed in Dongxing Building, and Empress Dowager Longyu was already terrified.Now, the assassination has come to the palace, this woman has long been lost, she just shed tears in the deep palace.As soon as Zhao Bingjun and others entered the palace, she broke down in tears and said, "Zhao Bingjun, tell Yuan Shikai quickly that he must protect the lives of my mother and son!" Zhao Bingjun was also acting. He rubbed his dry eyes and said, "Don't worry, the queen mother, don't worry, the queen mother. I will protect you to the death, and protect you to the death!" The guarantee was really guaranteed, Yuan Shikai was really afraid that someone would take advantage of the fire and kill the orphan and widow.Sure enough, if they were killed, who would announce the edict to abdicate? Isn’t he Yuan Shikai more guilty! However, while protecting the queen mother and the emperor, Yuan Shikai still added fuel to the fire and set off another wildfire: he asked Zhang Zhenfang, the governor of Zhili, to take the lead. Lead the governors of the northern provinces to jointly send a telegram, asking the imperial court to declare the republic immediately. Empress Dowager Longyu was worried, she didn't know how to deal with this situation? She was too inexperienced, "Government is so difficult!" She could only sigh, from sigh to tears, from tears to tears.She thought of her aunt Cixi, "How majestic she is! She can do whatever she wants, and no one dares to disobey her; even foreigners have to be in awe of her. But I, I What is it?" Crying for a while, thinking for a while, and then she wanted to go to the Taimiao, she went to ask her ancestors why they left such a mess for them, orphans and widowed mothers?" Daqing Yeji was really exhausted. We should also give a hint, we will give whoever should be given to whom? Why don’t we let our girls suffer this foreign crime? I regret not dying with the late emperor, so as to avoid such a tragedy.” She wanted to cry in the Taimiao , and then led the little emperor out of the pass and back to his hometown. However, where is the hometown? Who will protect them in the hometown? Her breakfast did not touch her lips.In the past two days, none of the delicacies delivered by the imperial dining room could whet her appetite, so she waved her hand to ask them to take it away without even glancing at it.She was visibly thinner, her eyes were dull, her brows were wrinkled, and she was too lazy to put on make-up. It seemed as if she had experienced decades in a few days.As a result, women who are a little over 40 years old are so old that they have lost even a little luster.Last night, the little emperor knelt in front of her, and after kneeling to pay her respects, he said something that broke her heart: "Aunt Huang, is it true that so many people outside want to kill us? Where are we going? Imperial Garden There is a hole in the rockery, let's hide in there, it can hide two people. Or, let's hide in the lotus pond and cover it with a straw hat..." Holding the emperor in his arms, Longyu said with tears: "Sure enough, when that time comes, it will not be safe to hide anywhere." "Isn't there still the Imperial Forest Army, they will escort you." "I'm afraid they'll take the first stab at us." "That......" The little emperor was stupid, and the queen mother was even more sad. Tears and sorrow are useless.Longyu was still pragmatic. After much deliberation, she felt that "the crown is important, but life is more important. When the two cannot have both, life-saving is the most important." So she called Zaifeng and Yixu together. Going to the front, she rubbed her tearful eyes and said: "The emperor will not bless me. I am completely cleared, and there is no way out. We can't all have the same fate as Liangbi?" She shook her head and sighed for a while. "Perhaps it is fate, and one cannot violate the sky, so let's announce your abdication. Fortunately, there is still a set of preferential treatment conditions, and you will not be killed. That's all." A few days later, the Qing Dynasty issued an edict announcing his abdication in the name of the emperor "following the Queen Mother's order".The edict slightly says: ...Before, due to the militia uprising, the provinces responded, and the nine summers were boiling, and the people were dying. Yuan Shikai was specially appointed to discuss the overall situation with the militia representatives, discuss the opening of the National Assembly, and referendum on the political system.For two months, there was no sure way.The north and the south are separated by a long distance, and they are at odds with each other. Businessmen stop on the way, and scholars are out in the wild. It is just because the state is not determined for a day, so the people's livelihood is uneasy for a day.The psychology of the people in the whole country today tends to be more republican. The provinces in the south and central regions advocate the front, and the generals in the north also advocate the rear. The direction of the people's hearts is known, and the destiny can be known. I can bear the honor of the same family name. The Buddha is a sign of the likes and dislikes of the people. It is to use the general trend on the outside and the internal review of public opinion to lead the emperor to transfer the ruling power to the whole country and designate it as a republic and a constitutional state.Yuan Shikai was previously elected as the prime minister by the Council of Ministers. When the old and the new are replaced, it is advisable to unify the north and the south. That is, Yuan Shikai organizes the provisional government and the militia to negotiate and unify the method. The complete territory of the five tribes of Mongolia, Hui and Tibet constitutes a large Republic of China. Wouldn't it be soft for Yu and the emperor to be able to retreat to a leisurely place, enjoy the years, receive the preferential gifts of the Republic of China, and see the success of the rule? This is February 12, 912 AD (December 25, 3rd year of Xuantong), the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China for more than 260 years, has come to an end! three On the day when the Qing emperor’s abdication edict was announced, Yuan Shikai did not go to the Prime Minister’s Office. He was enjoying cigars leisurely at the newly moved residence in the Iron Lion Alley in the Army Department. He brought it.However, after smoking a cigar, he has not yet tasted the difference between this British product and Chinese, American or Russian ones. In fact, Yuan Shikai's mind could not be on cigarettes. After the Dongxinglou bomb incident.He didn't dare to live in Shidaren's Hutong, the old house. After several efforts, he finally moved to a safe place - Iron Lion Hutong.He believed that no one in the Army was messing with him.He knew that the edict of abdication was about to be released, but he was worried that the content would be unsatisfactory.The manuscript of the imperial edict was written by Zhang Jian, the number one scholar, and Yuan Shikai thought it was quite satisfactory.However, there were also things that made him dissatisfied. When he read the first draft, he added the following: "Yuan Shikai was previously elected as the prime minister by the Council of Ministers. When the new and the old are replaced, it is appropriate to unify the north and the south. That is, by Yuan Shikai used full authority to organize a provisional republican government and negotiate with the Republic of China on a unified approach." He worried that this passage would be deleted again.These two sentences were too important to him, and he had to pay close attention to them.With such words, on the one hand, he can clearly state that "it is not to seize power from the emperor, but to organize a provisional government according to the emperor's orders." It's against him.Yuan Shikai is Yuan Shikai after all, he is different from ordinary politicians! After the edict was issued, Yuan Shikai got his wish. He threw down the cigar butt, opened the door and walked into the courtyard. Looking up at the sky, he suddenly felt that the sky was so clear and blue, and the air was so sweet and warm! When the Qing emperor abdicated, Yuan Shikai was tantamount to getting a "preparation notice" to become president.He is naturally happy when he wants to be the president, with power over the whole country and the pinnacle.With such joy, he forgot a matter that troubled him so much-- Late the night before yesterday, he remembered something in the cellar, and he was annoyed, so he became angry: "Come on, come on!" The man came and stood before him. "Go and call me Zhao'er!" "Zhao'er?" The visitors hesitated, they didn't know who Zhao'er was? It turned out that Yuan Shikai was in a hurry, and he wanted to settle accounts with his son Kewen.In a hurry, Jing forgot that it was in the yamen, and called the second son's baby name like usual in the house, how would the attendant know? He understood it himself, and hurriedly changed his words: "Find me the second young master. Come!" "Yes, sir." The servant withdrew. The second son, Ke Wen, is a playboy who is not surprised by favor or shame. He only spends his time in the pear orchard, calligraphy and painting, cultural relics and Hualiu Lane all day long. He is also a master of silk and bamboo; he has friends all over the world, from all religions and streams.He doesn't care about his father's affairs, and he is rarely seen no matter in the house or in the mansion.However, this person is extremely smart, the homework assigned to him by his father and school teacher is always clear at a glance, never forgetting, and he has a generous heart, what he thinks and does, often surprises the old man in the officialdom.At the beginning, Yuan Shikai trained him as a "successor".The eldest son, Yuan Keding, broke his leg in the early years and his six roots were incomplete, so it was difficult for him to enter the elegant hall. All his hopes were pinned on this recruit.Unexpectedly, this trick was so cynical and unrighteous, Yuan Shikai became angry again.After the Dongxinglou incident, Yuan Shikai never saw him again.The day before yesterday, I suddenly heard that the murderer who assassinated him, two prisoners who had already been sentenced to death, was released by Zhao'er.Do you think Yuan Shikai is angry? That's why he sent people to find him. Yuan Kewen arrived, still looking thin and handsome, standing in front of his father in a gentle manner. "Have you gone to do something good?" Yuan Shikai asked: "You are not small, and you released the death row prisoner!" Yuan Kewen knew that Dong Chuang's incident had happened, but he did not dare to hide it.Then he said loudly: "Dad, you are going to be the great president and rule the world. You should love the people like a son and be tolerant..." "If you are magnanimous, I will kill the murderer who wants to kill me Released too?" "Dad, he was already your enemy. If you kill him, his descendants will be your enemy. This is not good. I let them go and reduce a group of enemies for you, so that your president can go to jail Otherwise, with so many enemies, wouldn't you be more worried?" "Bastard, bastard logic!" Yuan Shikai was furious. "Get out, get out!" Yuan Kewen retreated outside the door, turned around and said, "Dad, one day you will understand that one more friend is better than one more enemy!" Yuan Shikai is going to be president, so of course he won't listen to his son's words.Therefore, when the murderer was released, his anger continued to surge.Now that the president's dream is about to come true, this anger has moved from his mind. However, Yuan Shikai's presidential "road" still has obstacles after all, and he still has to make many maneuvers.After the edict of abdication was issued, Yuan Shikai told Sun Yat-sen the news, and said grandly: "...the emperor of the Qing Dynasty resigned the throne, and Shikai signed it. The date of the announcement will be the end of the imperial regime, that is, the end of the Republic of China. Shiji. From then on, we will work hard to achieve a perfect status and never allow the monarchy to be established in China." However, he changed the subject and said: "Now the unified organization is very important and complicated. Listening to the great teachings is the way to proceed. Just because the order in the north is not easy to maintain, the army needs to be deployed more, and the hearts of the people in the northeast are not completely consistent, and a little wavering involves the whole country. You all have a deep understanding of the current situation, and you will be able to forgive this. Difficulties." This electrode surprised the Southern People's Congress! Previously, the representatives of the two parties had agreed that the government of the Republic of China was located in Nanjing, and after the interim president was re-elected, Yuan Shikai must come to Nanjing to take office. Going to Nanjing to work is not something Yuan Shikai is willing to do.His forces are all in the north, and Yuan Shikai felt that good or bad was uncertain when he went to Nanjing alone to become president.In this way, Yuan Shikai ignored the preferential treatment and clearing the room, showing an attitude that he could not go south.But what about Sun Yat-sen in the south? On the one hand, fulfilling his promise, he submitted his resignation to the Provisional Senate and recommended Yuan Zidai; Change; second, the new president must go to Nanjing to take office in person, and the president of this university will only be dismissed; third, the new president must abide by the provisional agreement.One insisted on not wanting to go south, and the other said that it was impossible to go south, so the problem came.Yuan Shikai was also troubled: the words come first, and Sun Yat-sen didn’t force him to ask, so how can he do if he doesn’t fulfill his promise? Yuan Shikai was at a loss for a while, so he had to circle in that dank world. At a time when the Qing emperor had abdicated and Yuan Shikai was struggling to advance and retreat, if the southern revolutionary party had firm confidence and fought to the end, the revolutionary situation in China would have a happy ending.However, they all paid too much attention to "expelling the Tartars", thinking that the Qing emperor's abdication means that the Tartars have been eliminated, and Yuan Shikai, who is not the "Tarbarians", can rebuild the world and the revolution will go to the end.In the south, these people first agreed to all the conditions of preferential treatment and clearing the house, and still allowed them to maintain the title of emperor; Yuan Shikai was elected interim president by a unanimous 7 votes.This number of votes was one more than that of Sun Yat-sen in the earlier election.The provisional Senate still touted Yuan Shikai as "the first Washington in the Republic of China, and the second Washington in the world" in the telegram to reform the president, and it actually left the first interim president Sun Yat-sen aside.This act of handing over hands and touting ascension to heaven is really puzzling to the people of the country! With the election of the provisional council, Yuan Shikai's waist became stiffer, and his bow was naturally tightened.In Beijing, on the one hand, he used the name of "newly elected interim president" to refresh the former president elected by the Qing government, the interim head of the northern government, and other unsightly names, as if he was the president; on the other hand, he exerted soft pressure on the south, Sent a "salty" telegram, expressing that he would resign and not be the president, saying: "...it is better for Shikai to retire than the resignation of President Sun. The plan is for a government established by the people and a president elected by the people. Unification is more convenient. Today's matter, only after Nanjing has properly taken over the northern provinces and armies, Shikai immediately returns to the fields and becomes a citizen of the republic. Dimensional order" and so on. Yuan Shikai didn't want to be president, he didn't want to be president in Nanjing, he only wanted to be president in Beijing.When I went to Nanjing, I was afraid of being taken over by the revolutionary army and losing power.This salty report is also very clumsy. If you don’t become president, you will know that if you don’t become president, it will be over, but you add conditions such as "properly taking over the northern provinces and armies". Doesn’t this mean that the south and the north will go to war again and then reunify? Sun Yat-sen was a smart man. When he saw Yuan Shikai playing a rogue, he was also out of control. He firmly stated in Nanjing: "If the new president does not go south to take office, the president will not be dismissed!" Sure enough, Mr. Sun has a group of "Taoyuan brothers", There are one or two "Zhuge Kongming" who will not be dismissed if they are not dismissed. "You, Yuan Shikai, want me to go to the north to take over the provinces and armies, so I will take over! How many provinces and armies do you have in the north!" However, he did not have "Taoyuan Brothers", nor did he have "Zhuge Ziming".Yes, just a group of compromisers, a group of short-sighted elements.These people were afraid that the issue would become stalemate and could not be closed, so they actively advocated sending personnel to Beijing to persuade Yuan Shikai to go south to take office in order to break the deadlock. On February 15, the Nanjing Linjin government sent five envoys including Cai Yuanpei, Song Jiaoren, Wang Jingwei, Wei Chenzu, and Niu Yongjian to Beijing to welcome Yuan Shikai to take office. I hope that the "good intentions" of these envoys will be "rewarded" and the climate in China will turn from "cloudy" to "clear". Four As soon as the special car for "Yuan Special Envoy" left Nanjing, Yuan Shikai knew about it in Beijing.After knowing it, I was very disturbed.The Provisional Senate had decided that the government of the Republic of China would be located in Nanjing, and Yuan Shikai would naturally go to Nanjing to take office if he wanted to be the president of the Republic of China.It is the responsibility of the people of the country to refuse to go.现在，南方派专使来迎，面子够足的了，不能不去呀!去南京就职，就等于袁世凯离开根据地而去别人家里讨饭吃，他不想干，不去不行，又不想去，这可是一件头痛的事。 袁世凯坐在窖子里又犯了愁。 袁世凯瘦了。为了当总统愁瘦的。人一变瘦，连那五短的身材也似乎更短了；并不宽厚的脸膛仿佛又缩了一圈。他对着镜子瞅瞅，自言自语："这模样当总统，君临天下?"颇有点自惭。然而，他又笑了："就这模样，我就得当总统，就得君临天下!"当他闭上眼睛又在想总统大位的时候，"迎袁专使"即将到京这事该咋办?他忐忑不安。他拿过五专使的名单，一个一个的看，一个一个的想，一个一个的品评：对于那位首席蔡元培，他就狠狠地皱起眉头。"这可是当代的一位大家!"--蔡元培中过进士、当过翰林院编修。这些袁世凯不惧，他见过的进士，编修多了，连翰林院大学士他也不屑一顾。可这位蔡鹤卿却不一般，仅从他和章太炎共同发起组织中华教育会，主张不忠君，不尊孔，就知道这是一位革新人物，脑瓜里有新玩艺。那位宋教仁宋遁初，更是一位激进得通身放光的人，早就主张以武力推翻清王朝，光绪30年即在长沙组织起义；后来在上海成立同盟会中部总会，决定以长江为依托组织起义。武昌起义后，此人在组织临时政府这件事上起了极大的作用。对付这两个人就不一般。袁世凯不怕汪精卫，他知道汪精卫早就是他的人了；其余两位，他只淡淡地一笑便丢下了。 袁世凯放下五人名单，端起茶杯，双手捧着，在暗淡的灯光下缓缓地踱着步子，头脑里却急促地翻腾着...... 袁克定进来了。他立在老爹一旁，没说话。 自从东兴楼爆炸事件发生之后，袁世凯便自己"窖"了起来，外间的大小事情多以儿子出面，袁克定此刻已成了他的替身。这两天，他的精力自然也是同老爹一样放在去不去南京问题上。 "大爷，"袁克定走到老爹面前说："南方派专使来了?" "嗯。"袁世凯应一声。 "你为这事犯愁?" "Ok." "愁啥?想个办法挡过去就是了。" "什么办法?" "把铁路扒断，让他们过不来。" "混说。"袁世凯瞪了儿子一眼。"扒断了铁路还得你自己去修。躲过初一躲不过十五，拖延那些时日有什么用?" "那就制造事端，"袁克定是个不讲策略，不择手段的家伙，既然老爹因专使发愁，那就"把他们在路上炸死!" "放屁!"袁世凯怒了--往天他不曾这样怒过，儿子的言语、计谋他还是平心静气地接受的。今天......"一个蔡元培相当于千军万马，比一个宰相声望都高，谁敢杀他?!还有个宋教仁，连孙中山都服他几分。他们北上是惊天动地的事，你把他们炸死在路上，局面会如何?谁来收拾?"顿了一下，又说："炸死他们就等于把我这个总统也炸死了。什么混账主意? 一顿臭骂，袁克定头脑冷静了，他也知道那样做不合算。"不错、事要做，老爹的总统也得当。当总统是第一目的。" 袁克定沉默的时候，袁世凯倒是开了窍："炸死专使不是个办法，削削他们的锐气，让他们松松口气，这到是急救办法之一。"于是，他对儿子说："现在，做什么都得适应形势，就是适应潮流。临时政府在南京成立，我这个总统理应在南京就职。来迎的专使，等于代天行事，得慰勉有嘉，热烈欢迎。做也得做给国人看看。另外么，自然还得想办法，得做出个形式。让他们知道我不南行实属形势所迫，并非个人私心......" 袁克定本来就够机灵的，眼珠儿一转，便有许多"妙计"，虽然好坏均有，总比三脚踢不出一个屁的"老实人"强。经老爹这么一提醒。他豁然开朗起来。"啊，我明白了!"袁克定把嘴巴放到老爹耳边，神神兮兮地说了一片言语，问："大爷，这办法如何?" 袁世凯眯眼思索片刻，微微点头，说："不失为一谋。但还不完善。" "大爷的意思是......。" 袁世凯也学着儿子的办法，把嘴贴在儿子耳边，压低声音，神神兮兮地说了一片言语，然后转过脸，说："可以对曹老三说清楚，不能亏待他的弟兄们。至于有些过激的事，自然由我出面收场。"袁克定答应着，退出地窖那片昏暗的天地。 为欢迎专使，北京城到处张灯结彩，并且在正阳门外高搭彩棚，彩棚上用翠柏扎出巨大的"欢迎"二字；彩棚西侧树起两排大旗，旗分红黄蓝白黑五种，象征五簇共和。专使到达北京的这一天(2月27日)，彩棚前举行了欢迎仪式：军队列队站立，立枪致敬，袁世凯派出专使迎接。军乐齐鸣，礼炮冲天，敞开中华门迎入城中。 袁世凯用迎接国宾的礼节迎接南方来使。这使蔡元培等受宠若惊，但也疑虑："袁项城这是耍的什么把戏?" 礼仪一毕，接待专使即请5位迎袁专使至迎宾馆下榻。当日，袁世凯即在大清王朝为他提供的总理府客厅接见了南方来使。这又是一个极其隆重的场面，军队持枪，军乐高奏，袁世凯在大门外相迎。双方相见，先行鞠躬礼而后握手，袁世凯领蔡元培等人室。 此时，袁世凯像在彰德洹上一样，穿一身黑色呢子矮立领、四口袋的制服，头戴四周吊着貂皮的黑绒皮帽，脚上穿黑色短筒皮靴。手里拿着藤手杖，一步一"梆"的响着，活像一个小仕绅--这身打扮，袁世凯也是颇费了一番心机的。他有官服，也有礼服，无论是总督的、大臣的、钦差的、还是总理的，他都有；何况，他还是太子少保，又受封一等侯爵，哪一套服装都够他威武的。但是，他思之再三。任何一套能够威武的服装他都不能穿。大清皇帝都退位下野了，还靠他们威武什么呢?他自感无趣，更怕南方代表耻笑他。民国建立了，大总统自然该有官服和礼服，但式样尚未定。袁世凯素性以平民穿戴，这才有了这副打扮。 宾主坐下，侍者献茶。蔡元培方才拿出孙中山的信函和参议院的公文。袁世凯起身接过粗略浏览一遍，便笑着说："我日思南行，与诸君共谋统一，怎奈北方局面未曾安静。我也自忖，年将六十，自知才薄，不足当总统的重任，但求共和成立，做一个太平百姓，为愿已足。" 蔡元培说："先生老成重望，海内久仰，此次当选，正为民国前途庆贺得人，何必过谦?江南军民，极思一睹尊颜，快聆高论。若非先生南下，恐南方人士还疑先生别存他见，反多烦言呢!" "承蒙诸君的厚爱，又劳5位的大驾，慰庭甚感不安。"袁世凯一副坦诚的样子。"但得北方平安无事，我将如期南行就是了。"蔡元培等一见袁世凯如此顺畅地答应南行，自是心里高兴。接下来，便商量行期、路线。 蔡元培说："新政初建、百废待兴，各方均盼先生能够早临。孙先生亦想急于把大事交接，然后便去考虑他事。" "国事冗杂，新政初建，细思起来，慰庭也大感棘手。"袁世凯呷了一口香茶，说："故而，此次南行，我想由京汉路南下，先到汉口拜见黎副总统一下，同他商量商量几件要事。然后换乘江轮下行，抵达南京。" "先生所虑极是。"蔡元培说："走汉口是十分应该的，也好请黎副总统一同去南京，把大典操办一番。" "诸位远道而来，又值岁初严寒，慰庭甚感不安。我已安排妥当，请诸位好好休息几日，有兴的，不妨同故旧友朋接触接触。南北统一了，日后共事处自然多了起来，大家都不必拘谨。"袁世凯严然以北：方地主之心款待专使。他说："鹤卿先生是我中华教育泰斗，北京又是文化古都，今后，仍将是中国教育、文化之中心，先生有兴当去考察一番。" 蔡元培说："此事今后还得请先生多多关照。" 又一番寒暄之后，五专使告辞，袁世凯派专车道至迎宾馆。 蔡元培是一位以育人为本的知识型人士，虽无心好为人师，总以师风去看待一切，也以此律已。他以为袁世凯即将就大位了，又是在驱除鞑虏上有过作为、受到国人称道的，自然会守信用，行动上也会以楷模要求自己。所以，也就安心的在北京住下，以待袁的行期。 蔡先生太善良了，善良得有点傻! 就在蔡元培的迎袁使团平静地住在迎宾馆的时候，个突然的事件发生了-- 迎宾馆附近的安东门和前门一带，在一个夜阑人静的时刻，突然枪声，炸弹声大作，"轰!咣!""轰轰!咣咣!"人吵声、喧闹声和枪弹声混成一片，紧接着，瓦房的爆裂声，墙壁的坍塌声，骂声哭声马嘶声，把个静夜打碎了；火光四起，火中烟冒，北京半个城倾刻大乱起来。 蔡元培等刚刚人睡，闻声见火，也都穿衣而起。正想开窗窥探，忽然一个流弹碎窗而入，把墙壁击成一个洞。专使团紧张了，他们不知发生了什么事变? 枪声越来越逼近迎宾馆了，飞来的流弹也渐渐多了起来。专使们知道问题严重了，已经预感到危险将要来临。为防不测，他们只好匆匆收拾衣物，走下楼来，觅寻小径，匆匆逃往租界区的六国饭店。 Fives 北京城里的枪声更紧了，北京的形势更恶化了。第二天，紫禁城的红墙外也发生了激烈的枪响，喊出声更吵杂，更响亮了。 袁世凯知道5号使已安置稳妥，次日一早便亲去六国饭店看慰。他对专使们说："请各位放心，北京无论发生什么样事，我一定保证各位的安全。我已派人去查，看看究竟是什么人闹事?这两天，各位就住在这里吧、、" 正在这时，有人来向袁贳凯报告说："昨晚闹事，是驻扎京城的第三镇部分兵干的．" "为什么?"袁世凯急问。 "他们说，军饷拖欠已久，弟兄们没有饭吃。" "胡说，军饷均按时发出，怎么不发到弟兄们手?"袁世凯发怒了，"立即把统制找来，当面问问"又说："派拱卫军去弹压了吗?""派去了。" "为什么还有枪声。" "兵变已是大乱，近郊土匪亦趁火打劫，他们合伙在繁华区放火抢劫，事态仍在扩大。" "再派兵，多派兵，立即镇压下去。" "是。大人。" 这个报信的刚走，另一报信人又来，"乱兵要求军饷，说不发就打进皇城，还说......" "还说什么?" "他们说，这些年，袁大人是他们的衣食父母。现在，有人要把袁火人劫持到南方去了，他们不答应。并说，谁劫持袁大人，他们就跟谁拼了......" "混仗话，国家人事自有我们作主，小小兵士知道个屁!"袁世凯拍着桌子说："把所有闹事并通通抓起来，为首的就地正法!"他又转脸对专使说："既然是哄闹一：饷，事情就不大，各位静心休息，我去处理此事，即可平息。" 隔日，袁世凯又去见5专使。 这一次，他神情极不好，满面愁容，咳声叹气，屁股未落板凳七便说："不曾想到，不曾想到，事态会发展如此严照!兵变之事，已发展到天津，保定和通州一带，多处放火抢劫，事态还在蔓延。"蔡元培等以为真是因军饷而2力，北方战乱不断，更受洋人侵略，皇帝库空，这也属正常。于是，便用好言劝慰袁世凯。袁世凯却摇着头叹息道："事情不只如此，不瞒各位说，连锁反映很大。二这不，请各位过日。"说着，袁世凯便从自己的衣兜里拿一卷纸头，交给蔡元培。 蔡元培接过一看，心里一惊原来是一些加急电报。一部分是报告各帝国主义国家要调兵到北京保护侨民的，并说日本军部已经调动山海关及南满驻屯军集中秦皇岛，马上要向北京推进；另一部分电报是北方各省督抚打来的，阻止袁世凯离开北京，否则，京师坐阵无主，北方乱起无人可控，恐形势不堪收拾...... 袁世凯苦丧着脸膛说："天不遂人愿。北方形势既然如此，看起来立即南行是有困难了。我想同各位商量一下，可否改换一种方式，达到南北兼固。" 枪乱之后，5专使已是惊魂不定了，又见北方形势如此"恶化"，心中自然恐慌。于是，便问："先生有何意见，只管直说。""这也是不得已而为之，"袁世凯说："念于形势恶化，我想，我最好暂留北京半年，以便镇抚北方兵乱，先请副总统黎宋卿(黎元洪字宋卿)到南京就职，并以副总统名义代行总统职权。俟北方平定，慰庭将及时南行。" --北京这场动乱，发生得义蹊跷又合情合理：兵无饷，怎么养家糊口?兵闹饷，匪乘势，外国人借口入侵，督抚挽留主帅，都是天经地义之举。可是，蹊跷的是：这一连串事情早不发生晚不发生，偏偏发生在南方5专使住在北京期间! 其实，把那层隔纸戳穿了，人们便会淡然一笑。三镇是曹锟统制的军队，和京师的拱卫军一样，都是袁世凯的最嫡系军队，从无拖欠军饷事情；而天津，保定，通州又都是京城的护卫城，平平静静，从无闹事迹象。怎么一下子都意外起来?这就是我们前文说的袁氏父子的密谋：袁克定附在老爹耳朵上出了个"兵变"的计谋，袁世凯附在儿子耳朵上交待要"津保响应"和督抚发电挽留。最后交待儿子的"可以对曹老三说清楚，不能亏待他的弟兄们"话，也都丰厚地得到兑现了：不仅大小商家遭到洗劫，连天津造币厂，直隶官银号都被抢劫一空。那个曹老三曹锟也心满意足。只是，南方专使却被蒙在鼓里--但也有一个人例外，那就是汪精卫。袁克定还是向他透露了风声。 袁世凯说了一通合情合理的谎话，5专使又处在无可奈何，只好面面相觑。就在这时，汪精卫说了话："形势变化了，咱们就要依变化后的形势办。目前的问题，应以实现统一为首要，要马上成立全国统一之政府，把大局安定下来。其余一切，不妨尽量迁就一些。袁先生所建议由副总统暂行代权，也是一件两全其美好事。我看可以接纳。" 蔡元培动了书生之怜悯，也就点头答应了。于是，在北京兵乱的第三天，5专使便按汪的意思向南京参议院发了个电报。 北京的乱事达到目的了，袁世凯把儿子克定叫到面前，自然先说几句嘉勉的话，然后问："你到汪兆铭那里去了吗?" 克定说："去了。" "我说的事照办了?" "办了。"袁克定说："汪兆铭说，他不缺钱用，以后不必再送了。只想要我对大爷说，新政稳了，能记住他就行了。" "傻话。"袁世凯眯眼一笑。"我不是那样的人。古人有训：滴水之恩当涌泉相报。兆铭办了那么多事，我定会好好赏他的。"顿了顿，又说："你抓紧去保定一趟吧，老三(即曹锟，第三镇统制)那里替我答谢一下。听说他又要在天津置一片宅基，你找人替他办办就行了。" "老三在天津的买宅我也听说了。"袁克定说："据说不是他的意思，是老四曹锐。" "你还不知道，曹锟的财产全是曹锐掌着，那是个守财奴，只知收，不会支。好在是一家人的事，你该去做。" 奉了老爹的命，袁克定先到天津见了曹锐打听了要买宅基的事，然后如数留下一纸银票，对他说："四爷就不必再动府上的积蓄了，些许小事，我父亲说他代劳就行了。" 曹锐是个见钱眼红的人，一见袁家给了那么大一笔钱，竞惊慌得不知怎么说才好。银票拿在手中，"哦哦"了半天，竞说了一句"谢袁大人，袁总统赏赐"的话。 袁克定想笑，却又不能笑。只应酬说："小事一桩，不必记在心上。" 天津的事情办妥贴了，袁克定才赶往保定。 曹锟毕业于天津武备学堂，中日甲午战后便投到袁世凯麾下，任过新军右翼步兵管带，第一镇第一协统领，刚刚被袁提升为第三镇统制。提拔之恩未报，便碰上南使来迎袁世凯事，袁要他在北京闹闹乱子，他自然言听计从。事闹完了，官兵们也发了劫财，他也算报答了知遇，何况他已经知道"天津的赏赐"。正在这时，袁克定来了，他便十分热情地款待他。 袁克定先代老爹说了一串感激的话，然后说："南方专使未走，家父琐事冗杂，特让我来向大人致谢。天津(赏赐)小事，大人万万不可再提。" 曹锟说："多承宫保厚爱，无以相报，北京(兵变)一事，也是我应做之事，更不必多词了。还望云台(袁克定字云台)老弟在宫保面前替仲珊(曾锟字仲珊)婉齐。"又说："官保终日八方应酬，支度甚巨，天津譬民．我是绝不敢领受，改正当悉数奉还。" "