Chapter 9 Chapter Ten: The Short-lived Emperor Hongxian

Xu Shuzheng, who became the deputy secretary-general of the State Council, although actually exercising the powers of the secretary-general, rarely attended the council.This small matter has caused a lot of discussion between the ruling and opposition parties: some people said: "Xu Shuzheng has made up his mind, and he will ignore it unless the deputy secretary-general's adverb is deleted;" Some people say: "Xu Shuzheng is a genius. , and don't need to spend two or three minutes of energy!" When it comes to Xu Shuzheng's talent, the positions of Yuan Shikai and Duan Qirui are his own.Sitting will also be done smoothly and steadily.At that time, people called him a "strange man" and said that he "could watch Guihong off, wave five strings, move all four limbs, and use all five senses." Once, Duan Qirui came to Xu Shuzheng's window by chance, wanting to take a peek at this "strange man" How did he manage it? He was holding the pipe with his right hand and beating the beat with his left hand; his left leg was resting on the armrest of the seat, and his right leg was shaking again and again.While looking at ten lines at a glance, he quickly read the document and commented, while singing Kunqu opera in the middle of his mouth:

No one appreciates it.I clapped my hands and sang like a thousand mountains. Duan Qirui stepped lightly, lifted the curtain and entered.I thought he wouldn't feel it.Before he could stabilize his feet, Xu Shuzheng jumped up, stood at attention and saluted, and asked in a polite manner: "Do you have any instructions from the boss?" Duan Qirui was at a loss and was speechless for a while.In this way of handling affairs, there is no matter how big or small, and everything is done properly.Therefore, people think that he "doesn't need much energy". As for Xu Shuzheng, is he waiting to remove the word "Deputy" from the Deputy Secretary-General? I can only talk about it for the time being. In fact, Xu Shuzheng's thoughts are: Chinese people's anti-imperialist trend of thought.With the rising tide, Yuan Shikai's emperor will definitely not last long.Once the building collapses, someone in Yuan's ruling party will surely settle the account. "How many things I help Yuan Shikai do now, how many crimes I will have in the future!" This is a question that everyone in front of Emperor Yuan, including Duan Qirui, was also wary of.Besides, when Xu Shuzheng tricked Duan Qirui into accepting the position of Secretary of State, he also wanted to force Yuan Shikai to use him contrary to his previous order, and to make money from it.

There was a heavy snowfall in Beijing.The snowflakes have been fluttering since nightfall last night, and they are still fluttering until this evening.In the morning, Xu Shuzheng was writing in his small living room.When he returned to Beijing, he hadn't written yet! The day before yesterday, when his concubine Shen Dinglan wanted to write, Xu Shuzheng shook his head fiercely and said, "I'm not in the mood!" This morning, he actually asked Shen Dinglan to find the four treasures of the study for him. "Dinglan, where is the volume of Jing Xuan brought from Shanghai the day before yesterday? It is said that it is a tribute. I want to try it."

"It's snowing, it's so cold, wouldn't it be good to do something else?" Shen Dinglan always showed her "differentness" in front of Xu Shuzheng, unlike others, who responded all the time. "Let's go find it." Xu Shuzheng said, "I'm very happy at this moment, maybe I can write a good one." Shen Dinglan found out the paper, polished the ink, and spread a painting felt on the case.Xu Shuzheng took off his gown, picked up a Huzhou wolf brush, dipped it in ink for a long time, but couldn't finish writing, but gradually furrowed his brows -- it turns out that these poems, calligraphy and paintings are mostly done out of interest, whether he is happy or angry, Or angry or sad, in order to express feelings.Today's Xu Shuzheng has neither the anger of being idle, nor the joy of being promoted. He is living quietly and enjoying himself with dignity.

Shen Dinglan held the paper for half a day without seeing the ink, so she deliberately said with an angry face: "If you are not interested, don't force it. It is worth thinking so hard?!" "For a lifetime of wisdom, there are also those who are confused for a while." Xu Shuzheng smiled and shook. "Let me think again." "Jiang Lang is exhausted!" "Let's start from scratch." "Then why don't you take out the earliest poems in the old works, because it's for the sake of the book, who will think about its meaning!" "Yes. Both elegant and hearty."

Xu Shuzheng followed the trajectory of his life, squinted his eyes, and searched from near to far, and finally remembered the Qilu "Drunkenness" written when Jinan was trapped and poor in a small shop in Gaosheng--it was the truth at that time. Portrayed, so still fresh in memory.He respectfully recorded: If you are rough and unrestrained, it is hard to stay in leisure time.What is the meaning of this life? 7.Only the death ring refused to accept it.Su Jin Qingcai merged with immortals and Buddhas, but Guan Fu's old ambitions are slow.An Neng turned into hundreds of billions of dollars, and went to restaurants with the wind everywhere! After writing, I will admire myself and talk about it with pleasure.

Shen Dinglan asked in surprise: "Why haven't I seen this poem before? When was it written?" You were only three years old when you wrote this poem. "Xu Shuzheng said: "I also forgot this poem. A few days ago, when I was living in Shanghai, an old classmate recorded it for me.Otherwise, I am afraid that it will be submerged forever. " Shen Dinglan fell in love with the scene again.She felt that although her husband became the Secretary-General of the State, he still felt "dissatisfied", and she wanted to persuade him to take his fame lightly-this talented woman, for some reason, is always not interested in officialdom, and only wants to live a romantic life.So, while spreading out the paper and dipping the pen, she said: "Shuzheng, I have no poetic talent, so how about borrowing from my predecessors to cheer you up here?" "Very happy. Willing to hold paper for my little sister!"

"Don't dare to work hard." As he spoke, he wrote with a pen: Advise you not to cherish the golden thread clothes, advise you to cherish the youth! The flowers can be broken, and the branches will be broken. Don't wait for no flowers to break the branches.After finishing the book, I put down my pen, smiled slightly, and said, "I'm laughing, I'm laughing!" Xu Shuzheng was so surprised that he didn't know what to say for a while! Dinglan discarded his Zhangcao and imitated Xu Shuzheng's cursive, and the imitation was so unreal! If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't believe it.When he carefully examined the poetry, he understood: "Are you persuading me to enjoy myself in time, or are you persuading me to be young and work hard?" Usually, Xu Shuzheng doesn't like the poems of this Jinling girl. When he browses a few poems occasionally, he always feels that they are too polished .Only this song "Golden Thread Clothes", he thinks there is still a lot to like, not only the intention is moderate, but the sentences and words are also tactful.The concubine borrowed it for fun today, but felt that the meaning was far-reaching.Therefore, he nodded repeatedly and said, "Thank you, little sister, for your kindness. Let's cherish spring together."

In the evening, the snow stopped, the clouds dispersed, the eyes were empty, and the stars and the moon looked extraordinarily bright.The temperature suddenly dropped a lot. Xu Shuzheng rushed to Duan Qirui's reception room suddenly.Duan Qirui had just left the dining table and was lost in thought while holding a teacup.Seeing Xu Shuzheng arrive, he hurriedly said, "Why are you here suddenly?" "Come to your house to enjoy the snow!" Xu Shuzheng said, "You have wintersweet and bamboo in your house. Where can we invite these three to come together?" "I don't believe it, you have this elegance." "Then what do you think I'm here for?" "You can tell yourself." Duan Qirui said: "I just think that you are going to the Three Treasures Hall for nothing.

of. " "Duan Zhigui went to Nanjing again. Did you know?" "I don't want to know." Duan Qirui said, "Since Feng Huafu has signed the secret telegram of the Fifth General, I don't think he will go back on what he says." "There will be no new plan?" "What new plan?" "I've figured it out, and I'm here to discuss it with you." "What's the situation, tell me!" --It turned out that such a "new situation" happened: Yuan Shikai pulled Duan Qirui and Xu Shuzheng to his side, thinking that these two people would be able to defend him for a while.As everyone knows, one should only deal with cumbersome affairs, while the other keeps silent. The whole country's vigorous anti-imperialist movement has been turned a deaf ear and kept silent.Yuan Shikai was anxious and angry.But he took some comfort in the fact that he had drawn these two to him and would not immediately be drawn into the anti-imperialist ranks.At present, Feng Guozhang has become Yuan Shikai's most troublesome figure.Yuan Shikai felt that the situation was not good for him, and wanted to find a way out, but still wanted to hold Feng Guozhang back.When Duan Zhigui arrived in Nanjing, he said to Feng Guozhang: "General Huafu, it's hard to get rid of the Xiangcheng project! You can't stand by and watch!"

Feng Guozhang sighed and said: "Huafu is so weak! Besides, the flames of anti-imperialism have already ignited. Even if I don't participate, if I try my best to fight around, I'm afraid it won't help!" In fact, Feng Huafu didn't think otherwise, he thought : "The incident was caused by Beijing. If Yuan Xiangcheng doesn't do anything about it, what can I do?" Duan Zhigui further said: "At present, only a few provinces in the south have declared independence. Your Excellency can come forward to unite the provinces that are not independent, so that they will not raise any incidents, so that the situation will ease down." "I'm afraid it will be too late." "So there's no way out?" "Not really." "Then what to do?" "Now it seems that only when Xiangcheng himself makes a satisfactory performance can we talk about it." "How? Military? Political? Economic?" "Immediately announce the abolition of the monarchy!" "This..." Duan Zhigui did not dare to agree.However, after he told Yuan Shikai about it, Yuan Shikai agreed.However, it is conditionally agreed.That is to ask Feng Guozhang to come forward, unite the generals of the provinces who are not independent, and send another telegram to "retain Yuan Shikai and continue to be the president". "Feng Huafu is willing to do it?" Duan Qirui asked hurriedly. "Why not!" Xu Shuzheng said, taking out the telegram from Feng Guozhang and others to Duan Qirui.Duan Qirui didn't even look at it, so he threw it aside. "Some people say that Feng Huafu is a dog. Now it seems that he is not as good as a dog!" Xu Shuzheng secretly smiled. "You in Hefei called Feng Huafu inferior to a dog, so why are you a tiger?"--It is said that there are three heroes in Beiyang: "Wang Shizhen is a dragon, Duan Qirui is a tiger, and Feng Guozhang is a dog." So Xu Shuzheng thought so.He still said: "Don't think you are inferior to a dog. If you are fierce, you will still make trouble." Duan Qirui pondered for a long time and said, "What shall we do?" "We?" Xu Shuzheng pretended to be surprised and said, "What are we doing? The old attitude is to see how the situation evolves." "Yes! Let's take a look." "However," Xu Shuzheng said, "just sitting quietly is not the solution. I think you have to move in silence: often go to Xiang Cheng and see what he is about." Although Yuan Shikai issued a general order to "abolish the imperial system" to the whole country, and was re-elected as the president in response to the "consolation" of Feng Huafu and others, but the anti-imperialist and anti-Yuan movement that had been vigorously launched throughout the country has not cooled down at all. Yuan Shikai frowned Locked up: "Aren't you against the imperial system, now there is no imperial system.I'm still my grand president, why not?" Despite the chaos in China.The years are still moving forward regularly, and it is the end of May in a blink of an eye, the weather is getting warmer, and the trees are also covered with green clothes.The city of Beijing is recovering! Yuan Shikai looked even thinner and more depressed.He could not eat during the day and had nightmares at night.Yuan Shikai's "illness" began in the early spring; on the evening of the Lantern Festival, Yuan Shikai held a family banquet in the upper hall of Juren Hall, wanting to celebrate the first Lantern Festival after "ascension to the throne".Unexpectedly, before the moon came out, the wives and concubines fought again because of the names of "concubine" and "concubine".The sixth, eighth, and ninth aunts took the lead and left together; the second, third, and fifth aunts grinned and said, "Let's eat, let's play. I don't know if there will be a Lantern Festival next year!" Yu's "mother" was not happy : "Noisy is noisy, noisy is noisy, what are you talking about! What is there without next year's Lantern Festival? Could it be that there will be no more?" Yuan Shikai threw up his sleeves and left in a fit of anger.Since then, he has gradually weakened.The most interesting thing is his beard along the side of Im1.Yuan Shikai's beard is very distinctive, up and down, left and right, all over the lips.He never grooms himself. When he eats, he puts his beard and mouth into the bowl together, and the juices often stain his beard and clothes. When someone is around to serve him, he wipes it off with a wet towel handed over by him, but no one is around. , He pulled up his sleeve and wiped it.As a result, his sleeves were stained with various marks.Since I got sick, there have been more marks and colors on my sleeves. Yuan Shikai no longer went downstairs.He didn't bother to read the telegram drafted by Ruan Zhongshu and the manuscripts he sent.He wanted to find someone to talk to.But, who should I turn to? Most people who can talk to him are not in the capital, and Duan Qirui always speaks "official language" to him; he thinks of Wu Peifu: "This man is learned, and it will be beneficial to talk to him." However, Where is Wu Peifu? I can't see you.Now those who are in front of him and behind him are considered Duan Zhigui.The more he felt a little surprised, in his understanding, such as Yang Du, Sun Yuyun, Yan Fu, Liu Shipei, Li Xie and Hu Ying, known as the "Six Gentlemen of the Chou'an Society", plus Zhu Qiqian, commonly known as the "Thirteen Taibao", Zhou Ziqi, Liang Shiyi, Zhang Zhenfang, Lei Zhenchun, Yuan Naikuan, Duan Zhigui, etc., only Duan Zhigui often showed up.Ordinarily, Yuan Shikai's most powerful are the three masters of Beiyang.Today, Wang Shizhen, who is called a dragon, has disappeared; Duan Qirui, who is called a tiger, has almost become a dead tiger, and Feng Guozhang, who is called a dog, is so hot and cold.Yuan Shikai thought about this group of people, and felt a little gray and cold in his heart: "I can't rely on them, they all betrayed me." "Xiangyan," Yuan Shikai sighed to Duan Zhigui, "I think you've been avoiding me these days, and you've been stuffed in your heart when you have something to say. Are you afraid that I'll make you sad? Don't be afraid, I can take it. You just talk." "It's nothing serious." Duan Zhigui said, "I didn't intend to hide it from you. It's just that I usually forget about it when I come to you." "Think about it, what's the matter?" "You still remember Chen Huan?" "Why don't you remember!" Yuan Shikai's memory is very clear: "When he persuaded me to become the emperor, he was the most active, and you have seen it with your own eyes. He was afraid that I would not be determined to become the emperor. He knelt in front of me, biting the toe of my boot, Tears flew all over the place and told me to become emperor. He didn't get up until I nodded." Duan Zhigui smiled faintly. "What's wrong?" Yuan Shikai saw the problem from Duan Zhigui's smiling face. --Chen Huan, a confidant recommended by Li Yuanhong to Yuan Shikai.This man was very capable. After becoming Yuan's chief of staff, he often came up with strange plans. Whenever he encountered a major event, he could always offer three strategies of left, center and right to Yuan, and explained the advantages and disadvantages in detail.Yuan Shikai often exclaimed: "What you see is what you see!" This person has done two earth-shattering events by Yuan's side: first, he helped Yuan Shikai eliminate the forces of the revolutionaries of 1911, transferred Li Yuanhong to Beijing, and controlled Hubei. In the hands of the Beiyang faction; second, regain Sichuan, the important place in the southwest, and actively ask to go to Sichuan to control the important place in the southwest.In order to show his loyalty to Yuan, when he was about to go to Sichuan, besides knelt down to persuade Yuan to become the emperor, he also left his mother in Beijing as a hostage of his loyalty to Yuan. Duan Zhigui said: "Chen Huan has sent a telegram to leave Beijing and follow Feng Yuxiang to the southeast." "Ah...!" Yuan Shikai's eyes widened, but he couldn't close them anymore. "Chen Shufan is not a gentleman either." Duan Zhigui said one more thing: Yuan Shikai was startled again.He sat up suddenly from the chair, stretched his head and asked, "How is he, Chen Shufan? How dare he betray me? Back then, I asked Lu Jianzhang to give him the governor of Shaanxi. He always called me emperor and called me the emperor of China." The patriarch of the unscrupulous, the honor of the common wearer. He... he will not have any abnormalities?" Duan Zhigui took out a telegram beside him and put it in front of Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai took a look and saw that it was Chen Shufan's "Declaration of Independence".He swung the telegram vigorously, and threw the telegram to the ground, "Inverted, reversed! These inhuman things!" He yelled loudly, feeling a sudden pain in his heart.He swayed and lay down on the Taishi's chair. Yuan Shikai was so frustrated, he felt that China was "rotten", and there was no upright and upright gentleman.Those people who are usually majestic and human-like suddenly turn into monsters and become ugly. "I, Yuan Xiangcheng, have nothing to do to you. Why are you all so cruel to me?" He lay down on the bed, not wanting to open his eyes anymore. In the evening, Yuan Keding came.He sat in front of his father and said nothing. Knowing that his son was sitting beside him, Yuan Shikai wanted to tell him a few things, but when he thought of the battle for the "Prince" at home, he became angry again.He seemed to feel that the eldest son really killed the second and fifth children.He resented his eldest son: "It's too stupid, I can't even keep my throne, so where is it your turn?" He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, without making a sound. Seeing that his father ignored him, Yuan Keding spoke first: "Master..." "Didn't you go to Hunan? Why did you come back so soon?" "I didn't arrive, I turned back halfway." Yuan Keding said. "Why don't you go?" "That soup..." "What's wrong with the soup?" "You misread the person." "What...?" Yuan Shikai was annoyed again-- Soup, that is, Tang Xiangming.He was also a powerful general of Yuan Shikai. He once led an army to fight against Yuan Jun, and killed many revolutionaries. He was known as "Tang Butcher".He made great contributions to protecting Yuan and was appointed as the governor of Hunan.Yuan Shikai regarded him as the "guard" of the southwest gate.No, he followed his brother Tang Hualong to declare independence. Yuan Keding said: "Hunan is no longer your world." "It's wrong, it's wrong!" Yuan Shikai shook his hand severely at his son, telling him to go out.When his son went out, he closed the door firmly. It is said that "Yuan Shikai died in Er Chen Tang" refers to Chen Huan, Chen Shufan and Tang Xiangming.In fact, it is a fact that Yuan Shikai was seriously ill because of "Er Chen Tang". In his final death, another person named Tang Tianxi should be mentioned. Tang Tianxi, nicknamed Xi'er, is currently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Hunan Aid Army and was ordered by Yuan Shikai.When Hunan was at the end of its rope, Yuan Shikai thought of him, "As long as Xi'er's heart remains unchanged, nothing major will happen to Hunan!" A few days earlier, Tang Tianxi sent an urgent telegram from Hunan, saying that since he "arrived in Hunan, Cai E's army stopped. I can't move forward." Yuan Shikai was very happy, he finally had a caring person, "Xi'er, okay!" When Tang Tianxi was young, he was a young girl who sang Danjiao in the Henan opera troupe, and his face looked a bit like a girl.Yuan Shikai admired him quite a lot when he was in his hometown Xiangcheng, and later brought him to the barracks.During training at the small station.Promoting him as a sentry officer of the Wuwei Youjun is similar to the current company commander.When the new army was rebuilt, he was promoted to a leader.When the Beijing-Tianjin Bao mutiny occurred in the third town of Cao Kun's army, Tang Tianxi became the commander of the seventh mixed brigade.Yuan Shikai became the president, and Tang Tianxi became the commander of the northern section of the Beijing-Hanzhou Railway.This young man is rising fast enough. After the campaign of protecting the country and anti-Yuan was launched, the Southwest was "tightened", and Yuan Shikai sent Cao Kun into Sichuan.Unexpectedly, Cao Kun's team was vulnerable, and was beaten out without a firm foothold.Not only Sichuan cannot be guaranteed, but Hunan is also in a tight spot.Yuan Shikai hastily dispatched Ma Jizeng, the Jiangxi military affairs supervisor, as the commander-in-chief of the Xiang army. Tang Tianxi received Yuan Shikai's kindness as much as a mountain. When he saw the flames of fire in the southwest, he took the initiative to ask for his order: "Master Yuan, Xi'er has been kind to the elderly for more than 30 years. There is nothing I can repay. I have to go to the front to fight Cai E!" "The lifeblood of the railway. You should stick to the Beijing-Hanzhou Railway." Yuan Shikai said. "No, Master Yuan, Hunan is in a tight spot, I can't sit idly by!" Yuan Shikai thought: "Hunan is tight. If Hunan is not protected, Hubei, Henan, Shandong, and Beijing will have nothing to protect. Since Xi'er has such a heart to serve, let him go, so that others will not say that I am Keep a white face, just look at the generals." "Okay, Xi'er, you can go, and unite with Commander Ma to ward off Cai's enemies!" Tang Tianxi arrived in Hunan, and as soon as he established himself, Zhao Hengti, the first tyrant in Hunan who was brewing independence, sent someone to send him 300,000 silver dollars.And the attached letter said: "Bo Li welcomes General Tang, and is willing to work together to achieve great things in the future!" Tang Tianxi, a villain, was promoted to the top, and seeing that Yinzi was very important, he asked Zhao Hengti directly, "What do you want to do?" Zhao Hengti also asked him straight to the point, "Eliminate the Sixth Division and kill Ma Jizeng." Sure enough, it didn't take long for the bad news to spread to Beijing... Ma Jizeng was killed by Tang Tianxi, and Tang Tianxi followed Zhao Hengti to "protect the country".With Yuan Shikai's anger, the disease entered the internal organs. Yuan Shikai's Zhongnanhai has a total of four doctors, two Chinese doctors and two Western doctors.However, Yuan Shikai relied on his good physique, not only never believed in Western medicine, but also never asked Chinese medicine to diagnose his pulse and prescribe prescriptions.Now, he is gradually getting seriously ill, so he has to change his attitude and let Chinese medicine diagnose his pulse and take medicine for him.However, what Yuan Shikai suffered from was a disease of shame and anger, hatred and fear, and medicine was useless.In the last few days, his disease manifested prominently in the bladder.He had difficulty urinating, and the uremia gradually spread throughout his body.Yuan Keding made the decision and invited a French doctor named Behier to Zhongnanhai. After the doctor's diagnosis, Behier decided to operate on him to remove the stones.Yuan Shikai closed his eyes.Just shake your head, you won't leave Zhongnanhai if you die.There was no other way but to have the surgery in Zhongnanhai. The French doctor gave Yuan Shikai a needle in the back of the spine, and then used five glass cupping jars to catheterize the urine in the back of the waist.However, what was exported was no longer urine, but blood.Yuan Shikai couldn't see it, and others didn't let him see it, but he could feel that his condition was serious! He moaned in pain, and told his family: "Invite Zhiquan and Xiawu (Xu Shichang) here quickly." Duan Qirui and Xu Shichang came to Zhongnanhai one after another, but neither of them spoke. They just stood silently, looking nervously at the group of busy people around Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai opened his eyes and only looked at the two people with his eyes. He wanted to owe his body, but he couldn't.He motioned for Duan and Xu to sit beside him, and he held their hands for a long time, but still said nothing.His face and eyes showed infinite sadness! After a long time, he asked someone to fetch the seal of the President. He handed over the presidential seal to Xu Shichang, and then said weakly: "The president should belong to Li Songqing. I'm ready, and I'm ready to go back to Zhangde!" After finishing speaking, he closed his eyes and did not speak again. At 6 o'clock in the morning on June 6, 1916 (the 6th day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar), Yuan Shikai, who had been emperor for 83 days and was forced to abolish the title of emperor, passed away at the age of 58.He didn't want to die, he felt he couldn't die.At most, he will not be president and return to Zhangde.However, he still believes that he will still rule China.Because of his self-confidence, even though he was sober throughout his illness, he did not leave a last word, including his family affairs.