Chapter 17 Chapter Sixteen

"Mediate the Contradictions between the Strait and Anhui Provinces"" By 1920, China's warlords had a completely clear front: Zhang Zuolin alone played the banner of the Feng family in the Northeast, occupying the mountains as king;Duan Qirui from Anhui Province, who served three times as Prime Minister and Chief of the Army Department, exercised the military and political power of the government. Xu Shichang's president mostly relied on their support.The head of the direct line was originally Feng Guozhang, who could no longer be promoted from the official position to the president. Soon after the restoration incident was quelled, he died suddenly in Beijing. Cao Kun succeeded him and became the head of the line line.Feng, Wan, and Zhi are three-legged rivals, each dominating one side.

Zhang Zuolin is cunning, he doesn't want to fight for the Central Plains by force for the time being, he just wants to climb to the high slope and watch other people's horses bite, so that he can be a fisherman.In fact, it is Wanduan, Zhicao, and Zhicao who are fighting for the master of the Central Plains.Wu (Pei Fu). At this moment, Zhang Zuolin encountered an unexpected thing—— It was when he was attending the "Passing Envoy Meeting" in Tianjin. Zhang Jinghui led a man named Ning Mengyan to meet him. He said that he was an overseas Chinese who had returned from overseas. The purpose of looking for him was to discuss the opening of Huludao Seaport. .At this time, the Japanese were developing a seaport in Dalian. Zhang Zuolin was afraid that the construction of Dalian Port by the Japanese would be a threat to him, and wanted to develop his own Huludao seaport to counter Japan, but he had no financial strength himself.Since the overseas Chinese were willing to invest, Zhang Zuolin couldn't ask for it, so he met him immediately.

Ning Mengyan, about forty years old, of medium build, with a round fair face, wearing a suit, a dark green tie, and a pair of light-colored gold-rimmed glasses, is full of overseas Chinese style.Seeing Zhang Zuolin, he smiled and bowed, and while extending his hand, he asked, "Dashuai Zhang, good!" Zhang Zuolin shook hands with him and said, "Hello, Mr. Ning!" The two sat down facing each other, and chatted for a while. Zhang Zuolin said, "Your accent sounds like us from Northeast China." "Yes." Ning Mengyan said: "A true Fengtian person. Even though I have been away from home for many years, I never change my accent. In fact, I don't want to change it, and I don't want to forget my hometown."

"Okay! Mr. Ning's idea, I also admire you very much." Zhang Zuolin was happy. "Some people haven't been out for a long time, and they don't behave very well. Their faces change, and their voices change. It seems that they are not Chinese anymore. I hate this kind of people the most. Okay, Mr. Ning, I I respect you. You have been away from home for many years, you should go back and see how I, Zhang, have made my hometown?" "I've heard it for a long time!" Ning Mengyan said: "The commander-in-chief can be called the savior of the Northeast people." After a pause, he said: "I heard that the commander-in-chief intends to develop Huludao, and I wholeheartedly agree..."

"I'll tell you the truth," Zhang Zuolin hurriedly interjected. "I was competing with Little Japan. He developed Dalian and wanted to suppress me; I developed Huludao. It's just..." Zhang Zuolin was short of money, and it was difficult for him to speak for a while--a dignified commander-in-chief and king of the Northeast, how could he It’s so good to ask an overseas Chinese for money! Ning Mengyan smiled. "As a citizen of the Northeast, I understand the feelings and difficulties of the commander-in-chief. But I, Ning, am actually a poor man and cannot afford so much money. I have a friend who is also from the Northeast, and he is happy for this matter." I'll bring him a letter written by him to the Marshal, please have a look at it." As he spoke, he opened the suitcase and took out the most fashionable European-style envelope and handed it to Zhang Zuolin.

Zhang Zuolin had just heard Ning Mengyan call him "poor" and thought he was just trying to make a fool of himself, but now he was just as happy to see a letter from a wealthy overseas Chinese.After receiving the letter, I read it briefly, and found some things I understood and some I didn't understand. I didn't think about it, but said: "It's rare that you and your friend are enthusiastic about the affairs of your hometown. I will treat him carefully and welcome him warmly." --Ning Mengyan, that is, Ning Wu, a revolutionary who was close to Sun Yat-sen.Sun Yat-sen was in the south and was going to unite with the Soviet Union to learn Lenin's revolutionary methods. Driven by the "May 4th Movement" in the north, he wanted to organize the youth and first overthrow the ruling Beiyang warlords.Sun Yat-sen knew that on the political stage, the Beiyang group was still a colossus, and they could not be overthrown for a while. He wanted to take advantage of the contradictions between Zhi and Anhui, and take the method of uniting Anhui, pulling Fengzhang, and attacking Cao and Wu. eat them all.Ning Wu was ordered by Sun Yat-sen to facilitate the "triangular alliance" of Sun (Zhongshan), Duan (Qirui), and Zhang (Zuolin).I couldn't find a way to get close to Zhang Zuolin for a while, so I had to take advantage of his eagerness to develop the Huludao seaport and want to attract investment from overseas Chinese to meet him.Zhang Zuolin appreciated the letter, and Ning Wu felt that there was an opportunity to advance, so he said: "There is no problem with overseas Chinese investing. However, there are rumors outside that Zhi and Anhui are about to use swords and guns again. The situation is uncertain, and overseas Chinese dare not They came rashly. They are afraid of throwing money into the sea for nothing!"

Zhang Zuolin was afraid of affecting Mr. Ning's mood, so he deliberately put aside the words and said: "They are making trouble with them. Whatever happens inside the Great Wall, I want to go farther. I only build outside my Great Wall." Ning Wu said: "Listen. It is said that Duan Qirui has already negotiated with Mr. Sun Yat-sen, and they want to work together to overthrow Cao and Wu. If all parties can work together to stabilize the overall situation, overseas Chinese investment will be easier to negotiate." Zhang Zuolin shook his head lightly, and said: "I also know about this. I am a soldier, an old man, and I don't understand politics. However, I don't understand: Mr. Sun is the founding father of the country and has a high prestige. How can the Revolutionary Party follow the How about the old duan get together?"

Ning Wu heard that Zhang Zuolin was not positive about the alliance, so he said: "Mr. Sun's heart is understandable. No matter who, as long as he is willing to revolution, Mr. Sun is willing to join forces." "Okay, I still have a meeting, let's talk another day." Zhang Zuolin said, "Jinghui, treat Mr. Ning well and let him stay for a few more days." As for Ning Mengyan, the unexpected guest, Zhang Zuolin used his brains: "Is he not an overseas Chinese? Probably a lobbyist sent by Sun Yat-sen. If that's the case, I can discuss with him."

Since his promotion, Zhang Zuolin seems to have broadened his mind and become smarter.He analyzed Sun Yat-sen.Although he has not fully understood his theory, he thinks that Sun Yat-sen is a great man, and he is doing an earth-shaking event.Whether the Revolutionary Party is bad or not is hard to say, but no one should underestimate the fact that it has such a huge attraction.If he could unite with Sun Yat-sen and attack from north to south, no one in Anhui or Zhi would be able to resist... Thinking of this, he immediately invited Ning Mengyan to his place to talk. This time, Zhang Zuolin's attitude became more enthusiastic.He said: "Mr. Ning's words have greatly benefited Yuting. I want to try cooperation with Mr. Sun. How about this? Please introduce Mr. Ning, and I will send a representative to meet Mr. Sun. What do you think?" "

Ning Mengyan: "I will do my best." In a few days, when Zhang Zuolin returned to Fengtian, he sent a major general named Zhang Yadong to accompany Ning Mengyan to Guangzhou to meet Mr. Sun Yat-sen.This was the first contact between Sun Yat-sen and Zhang Zuolin.Mr. Sun warmly received the representative of Zhang Zuolin, and said to him: "Yuting is well managed in the Northeast. However, it is very difficult to be controlled by Japan outside and chaotic inside. If the country is unified, a revolutionary The central government, local affairs will naturally be much easier to handle." Sun Koushan wrote another letter to Zhang Zuolin himself.

Zhang Yadong returned to Fengtian, handed the letter to Zhang Zuolin, and reported his meeting with Mr. Sun.Zhang Zuolin was very happy, and immediately asked Song Wenlin, secretary-general of the Fengjun General Headquarters, to convey his intention that he would meet with Ning Mengyan in Beijing. The meeting in Beijing was arranged at Prince Shuncheng's Mansion.Zhang Zuolin arrived two days in advance, and waited for Ning Mengyan after finishing other matters. When Zhang Zuolin saw Ning Mengyan, he was very happy and said: "Mr. Ning, my representative went to Guangzhou, and Mr. Sun treated me very kindly. Mr. Sun thinks highly of me, so I am very happy." "You can send a representative to see Mr. Sun, Mr. Sun is also very happy." Ning Mengyan said. Zhang Zuolin led Ning Mengyan into a small living room, chatted freely for a while, and then said: "When I saw your name, I thought of someone who was from the same county as yours, also surnamed Ning. This kid has always been against me. He's a revolutionary. I don't remember the past, you can ask him to come back and visit Zhongxiang." "What's his name?" Ning Mengyan asked. "Call Ning Wu!" Ning Mengyan's heart skipped a beat—it turned out that he was Ning Wu, whose name was Meng Yan after the Revolution of 1911, but he immediately lied and said, "That's from my family, I know him. This person is already dead." "Dead?" Zhang Zuolin was a little surprised, and was about to say something, when an attendant reported, "Cao Kun is here to see you." Zhang Zuolin said: "Meng Yan, sit inside first, let's talk later." Ning Mengyan turned into the inner room. When Cao Kun entered the door, he didn't even say a word of entertainment, but went straight to the point: "Brother Yuting, our brothers are not bad, why did you collude with Sun Wen and beat the third brother?" "How can such a thing happen?!" Zhang Zuolin denied. "Third brother, don't listen to the nonsense of outsiders, I won't do such a thing." Cao Kun was very angry.So, they took out two letters from Yang Shukan and Song Dazhang to Ning Mengyan, which mentioned Song Wenlin's search for Ning and Zhang Yadong's southward journey.Seeing that Cao Kun had evidence, Zhang Zuolin felt that he could no longer be prevaricated. With an idea, he shifted the responsibility to Song Wenlin: "Song Wenlin did it without telling me. I can't spare him." He turned around and called Zhang Jinghui: "Immediately Call Fengtian and ask Song Wenlin how bold this kid is, how dare he have an affair with the Revolutionary Party?" Then he said: "You don't need to ask, let's detain him first." Cao Kun sighed, sat down for a while, and left. Actually, Song Wenlin was accompanying Ning Mengyan behind the screen. After sending Cao Kun away, Zhang Zuolin turned back to the small living room and asked Song Wenlin anxiously, "How did the letter fall into the hands of Lao San Cao?" Ning Mengyan said: "It's strange. The letters are all sent by the Japanese post office. There have never been any mistakes in the past." Song Wenlin said: "Qin Hua, the commander of the Beijing Gendarmerie, has relations with them. He often sends people to monitor the Revolutionary Party, and he also colludes with the Japanese. It is possible that the letter was taken from the Japanese post office." Zhang Zuolin became angry: "Fuck me, Qin Hua is the person I sent. When my commander works for others, I want to deal with this kid." Trouble. Beijing is very chaotic, people have too many eyes and ears, it is inconvenient, let's go back to Fengtian immediately." When Ning Mengyan arrived in Fengtian, Zhang Zuolin treated him warmly for a few days, and then said to him: "Now the country has become a rotten sheep, Sun Mr. is the founding father of the country, and he has a way to build a country. I want to send someone to ask him everything. Please send a telegram to get in touch." Soon, Zhang Zuolin sent a brigade commander named Li Shaobai, accompanied by Ning Mengyan. · Arrived in Guilin, visited Mr. Sun Yat-sen at the headquarters of the Revolutionary Party. The matter of Li Shaobai's going to Guilin was not kept secret, and a Hong Kong newspaper suddenly broke the news, saying: "Zhang Zuolin sent a representative of XX to Guilin to secretly trade and support Mr. Sun Yat-sen as the president" and so on. When Zhang Zuolin saw the news, he immediately became angry: "Immediately send a report to let Li Shaobai come back." At this time, Li Shaozi, accompanied by Ning Mengyan, had already left Guilin for Hong Kong, and they were going to return to Fengtian via Shanghai.After receiving a telegram from Zhang on the way, he didn't dare to stop and hurried back. As soon as Zhang Zuolin saw Li Shaobai, he cursed: "Who appointed you as the fucking representative? I only asked you to deliver the letter. How dare you say that I support Sun Wen as the president?" Then he turned to Yang Yuting and said, "Send the call immediately, no Acknowledge that Li is the representative and what he said." He sat down, sighed and shook his head, and said, "We can't fight the people from the south. What kind of cooperation, forget it." When Ning and Li were in Shanghai, they knew about this matter clearly, and this news was completely a rumor fabricated by Anfu politicians.Zhang Zuolin scolded Li, and Li felt aggrieved, but he couldn't explain it when Zhang was furious, so he had to ask Ning to come forward. Before Ning Mengyan went to see Zhang Zuolin, Zhang Zuolin said like a cannonball: "Li Shaobai bastard, nonsense that I support Sun Wen as the president, it is unreasonable! Now it is a republic, and everyone knows that the president is elected, isn't it? I, Zhang, said it all by myself. Why do you want to spread rumors in the newspaper? There are bandits everywhere in Guangdong and Guangxi. He wants to be a big president and betray the three provinces in the Northeast, but I will not agree! He told the British Minister that he came to power, and the Beijing-Feng Railway The contract can be extended.He also told the Japanese envoy that when he came to power, Twenty-one can also be considered.My surname Zhang disagrees.I think it’s better for me to beat the person surnamed Cao by myself, regardless of victory or defeat, and cooperation with Guangdong, forget it! Forget it!” As he spoke, he put on the posture of chasing customers. Ning Mengyan was not in a hurry, waited After Zhang Zuolin finished speaking, his anger gradually subsided, and he said: "Yu Shuai, the news in the newspaper is completely a rumor made by the Anfu Department, the purpose is to destroy the cooperation between Guangdong and Feng, and it is a tactic to sow discord.In Guilin, Li Shaobai never raised the issue of the president. For such a big matter, did he dare to make his own decisions without asking the commander in chief? Think about it, commander in chief. "Zhang Zuolin lowered his head and thought for a while, and said if he realized something: "It makes sense, it makes sense.Politicians often play tricks like this. If you don't remind me, I really want to kill Li Shaobai. " "The situation in Guangdong and Guangxi is not as it is in the legend," Ning Mengyan said: "Li Shaobai saw it with his own eyes, you can ask him. Mr. Sun also asked me to convey something to the general: the revolutionary party is not afraid of failure. Therefore, This time, we have to attack first. Fengtian only needs to pull back. If the Revolutionary Party fails, we can do it again. Mr. Sun never wants to ruin Yushuai's career." When Zhang Zuolin saw the sincerity of the revolutionaries, he was quite moved, and immediately changed his attitude, saying: "Please secretly report to Mr. Sun. As long as he takes action, I will definitely send troops out of the customs." Some people compare Chinese history, saying that since the Spring and Autumn Period, the twelve princes, the Warring States Seven Heroes, and the later Han, Wei, Shu, Wu, Jin and the Sixteen Kingdoms, the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Song, Liao and Jin, etc., there is no such period. It was even more chaotic during the Beiyang melee. In the Jin Dynasty, there were only sixteen countries, and they were dominated by all countries, and the land was small.During the Beiyang melee, not only the north and the south faced each other, the southern provinces were independent, and the northern factions were independent. Although the three northeastern provinces tended to be unified after the melee, there were many twists and turns when entering and exiting the customs.The sea is flowing, fish and dragons are mixed, and all kinds of people are floating on the water and performing underwater.Around 1920, the turmoil in China had reached its peak: there were not only the revolutionary party in the south, but also warlords from Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan. Wenzhi" peaceful life, but can't.When President Xu came to power, he intended to win over the south.He advocated peaceful negotiations, but Duan Qirui, the leader of the Anhui faction who holds military power, insisted on unification by force.For this reason, President Xu also dismissed Duan Qirui as Premier of the State Council and Chief of the Army Department.By the beginning of 1920, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and other southern regions suddenly came out of Pinghu, the important towns of Yuezhou and Changsha fell one after another, and the Northern Army retreated steadily.Xu Shichang's idea of ​​"peace of words" failed, so he had to follow Duan Qirui's idea: use force.Therefore, Cao Kun and Zhang Jingyao were ordered to lead tens of thousands of troops to kill and flee to Hunan.Wu Peifu, the former commander-in-chief of the Cao army, was brave and good at fighting, winning every victory, and soon regained the lost ground, and the southern army withdrew from Hunan. When the news reached Beijing, the Anhui faction who advocated force was overjoyed.Although Xu Shuzheng, Duan Qirui's little fan military strategist, was already far away in Junliang City, stationed at the border, he immediately issued a report threatening the Beijing government to appoint Duan as prime minister, "otherwise, they will lead troops into Beijing and take the side of the Qing emperor." At this time, the prime minister was Wang Shizhen.Wang Shizhen felt that she was not an opponent of the Anhui Clique, so she simply handed in her resignation early and withdrew.The prime minister was replaced by Jin Yunpeng, but Duan Qirui still regained military and political power. The first contribution of the Southern Expedition should be the direct general Wu Peifu. When Cao Kun took the hat of the tour envoy of the four provinces and returned to the north, he specially left Wu in Hunan and wanted to occupy this area.As a result, Zhang Jingyao was given the position of Governor of Hunan, but Wu Peifu was only given the worthless title of "General Fusheng". Wu Peifu was angry.In a rage, he didn't want to be the bodyguard of Governor Zhang in Hunan, so he hastily withdrew his troops to Luoyang. As soon as Wu Peifu left, the southern army went north again and successively occupied Hengyang, Hengshan, Baoqing and other places.Zhang Jingyao had no choice but to run away. After Wu Peifu settled in Luoyang, he went to Baoding to have a secret talk with Cao Kun.After secret activities, a secret meeting was held in Baoding with the participation of representatives from Zhi, Soviet, Hubei, Jiangxi, Henan, Feng, Kyrgyzstan, Hei and other provinces, forming the anti-Anhui alliance.A large-scale fight is brewing again...Zhang Zuolin was originally helping Wan against the straight, why did he go against the norm and help the straight against Wan? Things are so unpredictable. What happened? Not long ago, the "controversy between the government and the court" in the capital and the restoration that occurred due to the "conflict between the court and the court". Twenty-eight divisions.Soon, Xu Shuzheng, the backbone of the Anhui Clan, was appointed as the Northwest Frontier Envoy and Commander-in-Chief of the Frontier Defense Forces. Xu immediately held full power to control the troops of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Shaanxi.As soon as he took office, he set up military and political institutions in the northwest, opened banks, and issued public bonds, almost unifying the world. After Zhang Zuolin unified the three eastern provinces, Manchurianism had already emerged, and even his daughter was involved in an attempt to control Inner Mongolia.Now, Xu Shuzheng stepped in, and justifiably seized the territory, how could Zhang Zuolin admit defeat.Therefore, he joined the Anti-Anhui Alliance. Not long after Zhang Zuolin joined the Anti-Anhui Alliance, the idiot president actually asked him to come out to "mediate the conflict between Anhui and Anhui", which gave him a good opportunity to get in touch with the two families.He couldn't wait, and got ready to go. When Zhang Zuolin arrived in Baoding, Cao Kun and Wu Peifu were honored as honored guests. The reception was extremely warm, and a grand banquet was immediately arranged at the patrolling envoy.Cao Wu knew in his heart that Zhang Zuolin had joined the Anti-Anhui Alliance.This time in person, we must discuss the issue of sending troops.As for the other provinces, both Cao Kun and Wu Peifu thought they were insignificant, and sending troops was nothing more than cheering; the most important one was naturally Zhang Zuolin. Cao Kun was both overjoyed and impatient.As if he had the chance to win, today is a celebration banquet.He held a full wine glass, held his chest up, smiled and said first: "Everyone, everyone! Hold up your glasses, today is our family banquet, there are no outsiders, they are all brothers, especially mine. In-laws, Zhang Yuting, the inspector of the three eastern provinces, Zhang Dashuai came, and this banquet seemed to be close. I invite everyone to cheers! After drinking this toast, let's not change the topic and talk about how to send troops, how to overthrow Duan Waibei (Duan Qirui) When I am angry, my nose is often crooked, there is a story about a crooked nose (short)!" Cao Kun was talking, raised his face and drank the wine in the glass first. People were a little surprised. At the beginning of the feast, how could the well-known Cao Kun, who was a tour envoy to the four provinces, say such nondescript and fierce words? Zhang Zuolin held the cup, his eyes widened, and his brows furrowed.He thought: "Dear family, I know you are reckless, I never thought you would be so reckless! It's dangerous!" He looked at the representatives of several provinces who were accompanying him at the table, their expressions seemed to be crying and smiling, but whether they were crying or laughing? Guess it won't work.Zhang Zuolin immediately became suspicious: "What kind of feast is this? Swearing-in, inspection, and alliance? Am I here to join the group, or to be an early mediator?" Zhang Zuolin is cautious, he feels that he is not the Beiyang system, "how about Zhiwan The trouble is their family business; I have to advance and retreat." So, he held up the cup and said calmly, "Zuo Lin came to Baoding to be a mediator at the order of the president. I dare not talk about sending troops to war. I think you should come to think of a way and see how to reconcile the dispute. Zhongkuang is too chaotic, it’s terrible, it’s better to fight one less battle. How about it? ?,," Cao Kun's face "brushed" and cooled down, and he said "ah, ah" in surprise, twice.Then, he turned his eyes to Wu Peifu helplessly. Wu Peifu has always regarded himself as a Confucian general, so he looked down on Zhang Zuolin who was born in the green forest.If he didn't want to use him, he would not sit with him.When Zhang Zuolin came to Baoding, he did not disclose that he was "a mediator". The representative of the Eight Provinces Anti-Anhui Alliance signed it again.What are you talking about if you don't talk about sending troops? Now Zhang Zuolin has changed his mind as soon as he opened his mouth.Wu Peifu was furious. He thought that Zhang Zuolin had benefited from Duan Qirui and had a new conspiracy with Duan, and he backed out.Then he put down his glass and said disrespectfully: "Since Mr. Yuting came to mediate the war, why did your representative sign the anti-paragraph covenant? The alliance was first, and then the reconciliation was advocated. Did Mr. Yu play tricks on history or history? Mr. Yu? Cao Shuai and I are not warlike people. We are eager for peace. The state affairs are restless and the people are terrified; At this juncture of life and death, even if we wait for peace and peace to fight, I am afraid that my subordinates will not agree. How can we talk about reconciliation?," he said, and sat down angrily. The banquet suddenly fell into tension, and everyone was worried that this verbal war would lead to dissatisfaction, and then turn against each other.Those who were in the supporting position all cast their eyes on Zhang Zuolin. Zhang Zuolin was calm and smiling.But in my heart, I was very dissatisfied: "You Wu Peifu is just a little teacher. Hunan has won two battles. That is your opponent's idiot. Look at your teeth and claws. What's the big deal?!" Don't look at Zhang Zuolin's affairs Rude, this time, there are subtleties in the roughness, and there is a slowness in the urgency.He said calmly: "Mr. Wu is worthy of being a scholar and knowledgeable, but..." He shook his head: "However, you misunderstood my reason for coming. I don't blame you for treating me Accusing, I am afraid that doing so will miss the overall situation.,, Cao Kun hurriedly said: "Don't worry about Yuting, Ziyu is straightforward, forced by the current situation, Mie Duan is impatient, and his words can't help showing impatience. In fact, like me, he has always respected Yushuai very much. Wang Yushuai abides by the covenant and fights against the enemy together.,, " Wu Peifu also felt that his language was impolite, so he hurriedly took advantage of the situation to change, saying: "Cao Shuai is right. As a soldier, Peifu only knows how to abide by the covenant and dare not take advantage of it." Zhang Zuolin put on a magnanimity, and he said: "In this way, things will be easy to handle. Nothing in the world is not complicated, so you have to take your time. Let's talk about this sumptuous banquet. Every dish is delicious. It’s good, I can’t swallow it in one bite, I have to eat it slowly.”, he turned to Cao Kun and said, “Brother, don’t you think so?” Cao Kun nodded quickly and said, "Yes, let's eat vegetables and drink more..." Wu Peifu took up his wine glass and came to Zhang Zuolin, saying: "The words just now are so conflicting, please be more forgiving." The two drank the wine in the glass with their backs. The feast ended peacefully.After the meal, the representatives of other provinces went to rest.Zhang Zuolin pulled Cao Kun and Wu Peifu and said: "Now we are my brothers and no outsiders. Come on, let's have a good talk, let's talk clearly." The three of them walked into the secret room and sat down, Zhang Zuolin spoke first instead of the guest. "Uniting against Duan is where we share the same interests. This battle must be fought. Think about it, how can I come here to be a peacemaker? It is not an easy task to defeat Duan Qirui, it takes a bit of strategy. It is also a foolish way for the President to ask me to be a peacemaker. But for us, it is a good thing. I can go to Beijing to find out the bottom line, and by the way, pretend to be in front of the old Duan, and he will take me off guard As soon as the battle is fired, I send troops from the East Road, so he can't defend against it! That's my idea. I don't know a few guests at the table just now. I'm afraid it was arranged by that scheming little fan military division. Listen Said that he was sending troops to Gyeonggi. So, I can only say that he came to mediate. What is my relationship with my third brother? How can I go back on my word after signing a covenant? What I said just now is to find a way In order to reconcile, but find a way to deal with Lao Duan!" Cao and Wu's tense faces gradually relaxed. Zhang Zuolin said again: "The battle should be fought slowly, the conditions are not enough." "What do you want to do?" Cao Kun asked anxiously. "Let's not talk about fighting, let's force Xu Shichang to remove Xu Shuzheng from the post of commander-in-chief of the border guards, reorganize his border guards, cut off the old Duan's arm..." "Sure enough, the battle of Zhiwan will be easy." Cao Kun was excited. Wu Peifu was not as impulsive as Cao Kun. He listened and thought: "What a powerful mountain king, he is not only rough, but also has a bit of strategy. From now on, he should not be treated lightly." He smiled and said with a pun: "This way Come on, the three provinces of the Northeast will remove Xu Shuzheng's threat first!" Zhang Zuolin said without hesitation: "Yes! The three eastern provinces are no longer threatened, and the Fengzhi and Fengzhi families can cooperate better." Zhang Zuolin returned to Beijing and lived in Fengtian Guild Hall.His post reported to him a news that surprised him: it was widely rumored in Beijing that Feng and Zhi would unite to fight against Anhui, and even Zhang Zuolin went to Baoding to conspire to send troops. Zhang Zuolin panicked.Quickly asked: "What's the news from Anhui?" People's Daily: "Xu Shuzheng's activities are frequent, and Duan Qirui has returned to Beijing from Tuanhe." Zhang Zuolin was silent for a long time before he said, "I see. The guards should strengthen their vigilance in this area." Now that the news of the Fengzhi Alliance has spread, and now that Duan Qirui has returned to Beijing, Zhang Zuolin feels that he cannot be avoided.Rather than waiting for him to find him, it would be better to come to the door on his own initiative, not to mention that he has the "imperial order" of mediation, so he can justifiably go to see Duan Qirui.That night, Zhang Zuolin went to Anfu Hutong to visit Duan Qirui. When Duan Qirui saw Zhang Zuolin's sudden arrival, he was a little suspicious, so he rushed out to greet him and entertained him warmly. "Yuting is so well-informed! As soon as I arrived in Beijing, you knew." Zhang Zuolin saw Duan Qirui's "warning" feeling, and he had already learned that he and Cao Zhi were united against Duan, so he was naturally a little uneasy.He hurriedly said: "For a person like the boss, everyone has a heart, and no one knows what to do. I know that you are in a hurry, and you will come to visit after you get the news. I am afraid that you will go to Tuanhe again if you are late!" "You're a busy person," Duan Qirui said, "you'd better come to me first, so I wouldn't dare to do it." Zhang Zuolin was clever, fearing that the old Duan would attack him, so he pointed out the problem first. "The president suddenly summoned me to Beijing and sent him to Baoding to persuade the patrol envoy Cao to settle the dispute. Zuolin knew that he was incapable of doing so, and this matter had nothing to do with the Northeast, so I refused repeatedly. But the president insisted on making me difficult So I had to rush to Baoding to deal with it." Duan Qirui smiled wickedly, and said, "Some people say that important people in the direct line are mediators for Zhang and Cao. I also suspect that Mr. Yuting went to Baoding to meet his in-laws!" Knowing that there was something in the old passage, Zhang Zuolin hurriedly said: "It's purely a rumor. How can there be such a thing Woolen cloth?" Duan Qirui felt that the entertainment was over, so he said straight to the point: "The dispute between Zhihui and Anhui has been going on for a long time, and I'm afraid it will be impossible to stop. Since the president has transferred Yugong, you might as well just say it. According to you See, who is right?" Zhang Zuolin was startled, this was not the peacemaker's "participation", but the old Duan used it to make things difficult for him.I wanted to avoid it, but felt that I couldn't. I was embarrassed for a while, so I had to say: "Duan Gong and Cao Gong are both Beiyang heroes, pillars of the Republic of China, and all Chinese people admire them. It seems that we should restore the old good, work together, and benefit the common people!" Duan Qirui smiled lightly, "The tree wants to be quiet but the wind keeps blowing, ah!" Zhang Zuolin could see Lao Duan's determination, and felt that at this time, he could only speak according to the trend, and not be too far-fetched.Then he smiled and said to Duan, "Mr. Duan has always treated Zuolin with great affection, and Zuolin will keep it in his heart. In the future, he will rely on many things, so Zuolin will naturally know that. Regarding the gap between the two families, I strongly advise Mr. Cao not to speak lightly." To mobilize troops, so as not to hurt the peace, both sides will be hurt, and the backcourt will be hard to win. Cao Gong seems to be accommodating, but his division commander Wu Peifu, relying on his small victory in Hunan, is domineering, and he boasts that his team is invincible in the world and wants to fight with the Anhui army. A decisive battle. In addition, the provinces of Jiangsu, Henan, Jiangxi, and Hubei support Wu, and Wu's heart for a decisive battle is also very strong. I'm afraid that when a war starts, we still have to be very careful..." Duan Qirui just shook his head contemptuously, as if Wu Peifu didn't care about him at all. Zhang Zuolin said again: "Mr. Duan, according to my observation, Cao and Wu respect your boss, but they have great opinions on Xu Shuzheng. It is unbearable to say that he will expand his power arbitrarily, and his ambition to dominate the world. The root of the conflict between Anhui and Anhui, It's because of Xiao Xu's actions. In my opinion, if the boss can temporarily transfer Xu Shuzheng's position, things may be easier..." Duan Qirui couldn't bear it any longer. He jumped up, slapped the table, and said, "How many times has Wu Peifu's younger son seen such a battle? It's amazing that a young teacher is so arrogant! What's so great about the victory in Hunan?" Could it be that his subordinates are all heavenly soldiers and generals, invincible? With such a thug, Cao Laosan no longer misses old friends, and is domineering to everyone. In my opinion, no one can work with him!" Duan Qirui's nose was crooked again.He also turned around and only gave Zhang Zuolin a butt. Feeling deadlocked, Zhang Zuolin stood up slowly, and said, "Zuolin was very reluctant to accept the order this time. As expected, there is no hope of reconciliation. I will keep silent about the matter between the Zhiwan and Anhui families. I will stay in Beijing for a few days. Then I went back to Fengtian." On the surface, Zhang Zuolin was ordered to come here, but after the contact between the Zhiwan and Anhui families, he would naturally return to his order.In front of Xu Shichang, he inevitably said something about "reconciliation is difficult", and in the end he suggested "withdraw Xu Shuzheng and reorganize the border guards."Xu Shichang is scheming and cunning, and he is tactful in dealing with the world, and he doesn't want to lean on one side so as not to give up.Listening to Zhang Zuolin's words, he just listened.In the end, he still said: "I have to ask you to discuss it with the old Duan again." Zhang Zuolin only sighed. Xu Shuzheng had already planted many eyes and ears in the presidential palace, and he knew clearly what was going on there.What did Zhang Zuolin do when he went to the presidential palace? Report to Xiao Xu at any time.Zhang Zuolin returned to the Fengtian Guild Hall to catch his breath, when someone came in and reported, "Xu Shuzheng, Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guards, is here to pay his respects." Zhang Zuolin was taken aback: "This little fan military advisor came fast enough!?" Zhang Zuolin hurried out to welcome Xu Shuzheng into the waiting room. "It's been three years, and I'm still so happy, my face is full of red!" "Brother Yuting praised you." Xu Shuzheng said while sitting, "I have lived outside the Great Wall for a long time and suffered a lot of hardships. I am already tired of the military life. This time I came to Beijing to submit my resignation to the President." Zhang Zuolin's previous entry into the customs was at the invitation of Xu Shuzheng to join the Anhui Army's fight for justice.Persevering, things were not ideal, so he hurriedly withdrew.At that time, Zhang Zuolin knew Xu Shuzheng's character, knew that he was scheming, ruthless, and a man with great ambitions.He was afraid that he would not be able to catch the border guards, so why would he suddenly submit his resignation to the president? It was obvious that he had ulterior motives.So, he said with a smile: "Brother is the pillar of the country, he is powerful in Bianbian, if you really dismiss, the elders in Bianbian will not agree, and your colleagues will also call to persuade you to stay." Xu Shuzheng smiled faintly, and said: "The elites from all over the country are gathered together. It makes me appear to be a nobody." Zhang Zuolin didn't want to linger with him for a long time, so he immediately went straight to the point: "Brother Youzheng's return to Beijing this time, I think it is a matter of Zhi and Anhui. I have also heard a lot of rumors. I don't know what you think about it?" Xu Shuzheng slyly , Just smiled and prevaricated: "It is related to the two families of Zhi and Anhui. I think Cao and Duan will have a good plan, but it is inconvenient to intervene." Xu Jianzhang sneered, and said: "This time I come to worship, there are other important things. Boss Duan has urgent business and has gone back to Tuanhe. I want to tell you something: Jin Gong has resigned due to illness, and there is no suitable person to fill the vacancy of Prime Minister. Boss Duan has discussed with the Congress and plans to invite Brother Yuting to take up the post. Hope Brother Yuting doesn't have to refuse." Zhang Zuolin smiled to himself.I thought to myself: Last time I entered the customs, you made a promise to the vice president, but in the end, nothing came of it; today it was the prime minister's promise again. "I just saw Duan Qirui yesterday. If he had this intention, why didn't he say a word? Why did he ask you to convey it again. It can be seen that there is a fraud. Gong San said: "I accept the kindness of you two.It's just that Zuolin is a soldier, doesn't understand politics, and is an unreasonable talent in the country. I really can't bear such a big burden. " Xu Shuzheng's expression changed. "This matter was explained by Duan Gong. I can't decide, so I have to ask brother Yu the sixteenth, Xin Ting, to have an interview with Duan Gong. I will accompany brother Yu Ting to Tuanhe tomorrow." Zhang Zuolin knew that Little Fan was going to attack—in Beijing, the Anhui gang always figured out who they wanted to get rid of and killed.Zhang Zuolin only brought one guard, no more than a battalion; where is Xu Shuzheng's opponent.It's impossible to say goodbye, and I have no words if I don't go, so I can only say: "Very good. It's just that I have something urgent to do tomorrow, and I will take care of it. The day after tomorrow, brother Youzheng will be sure to accompany you to see Duan Gong." Xu Shuzheng had arranged for someone to control Zhang Zuolin's residence, and felt that he would not be able to escape, so he nodded in agreement and left. Zhang Zuolin sent Xu Shuzheng away, and after thinking about it calmly, he felt that he was in a very dangerous situation. If Xu Shuzheng wanted to kill him, he had to escape immediately.So, after some intense preparations, Zhang Zuolin moved into the Liuguo Hotel in Dongjiaomin Lane that night, and at the same time dressed up as a foreigner, and with only five entourages, he secretly boarded the express train bound for Fengtian; Get down and take a train to fly out of Beijing. When Xu Shuzheng found out that Zhang Zuolin had run away, although he stopped the car at Langfang Station on the way to search, the truck Zhang Zuolin was riding in had already passed by...