Volume 1 Wuchang Vortex Chapter 69: Exclamation in Yangshou Garden
Henan.
In Zhangde Yangshou Garden, Qi Yaolin bent slightly and followed behind the housekeeper without saying a word. Although he was the governor of Henan Province and was already a superior person in the outside world, compared with this person... there was really a world of difference.
Especially along the way, the courtyard was full of strong men, carrying German Mauser rifles, hanging plate cannons on their waists, and several officers in Beiyang military uniforms running back and forth. Even "retreat" can be so prominent. In the Qing Dynasty, I am afraid that only this person can put on such a show! After passing through a courtyard gate, I saw the familiar figure walking towards the side hall. Qi Yaolin hurriedly trotted over to greet him: "Henan Provincial Envoy Qi Yaolin greets Lord Gongbao."
"Oh, it's Zhenyan, haha..." Yuan Shikai has been a little confused recently, and has been thinking about what price and conditions to ask before he comes out of retirement. He doesn't want to go back to the past when he almost died under the sword of the Qing Dynasty, so he didn't see him until Qi Yaolin spoke. His blue shirt and jacket made him look much more elegant. He smiled and helped him up and said, "I no longer hold an official position, so Zhenyan can be called Gong Bao."
"I dare not." Qi Yaolin did not dare to address him directly, and quickly took out a record from his sleeve: "Sir, this is what I have sent people to record in Henan in the past few days. I learned that Yang Mianzhai of the Advisory Council was jumping up and down after the Wuchang incident and frequently went in and out of the military camp. I thought that you are now living in Henan, so I came to report to you, so that you can make preparations in advance if anything happens."
"Zhenyan has a plan." Yuan Shikai knew what Qi Yaolin was thinking. He took the detailed record, looked at it for a while, and then held it in his hand and asked, "Has Governor Baofen made a decision?"
"After the court ordered the army to enter Hubei, Baofen had already ordered the 52nd Patrol Battalion to move south. I'm afraid they have already reached Wusheng Pass. In addition, I heard rumors in the palace that he had people keep an eye on Ying Longxiang every day these days, because Ying Longxiang and Li Yuanhong are relatives. He also met with Zhang Xiyuan at night many times and ordered Chai Degui to take the remaining 13th Patrol Battalion back to Kaifeng City as soon as possible just in case."
"He is still somewhat alert."
Qi Yaolin continued, "Sir, Henan has been very unstable these days. Those party members have come out to cause trouble and have publicly called for learning from Wuchang... Do you think I should take up the post?"
"No need, don't interfere in this matter. If they want to make trouble, let them make trouble. I don't believe that Henan can also make a fuss."
"Haha, I worry too much. With you here, we are not afraid of any rebels." Qi Yaolin flattered him. Yuan Shikai frowned when he heard it: "Although I am here, you should not let down your guard, especially the army, you must guard it strictly! Otherwise, Wuchang is an example."
After giving instructions, Yuan Shikai sighed again, and shook his head with endless regret, saying, "Alas! This Song Qing, I have known him for a while, but I didn't expect... he is so foolish! Does he really think that the party can accomplish great things? The Eight Regiments and the 21st Mixed Brigade are elite divisions that are as famous as our Beiyang Army, but now they have been handed over to the party for nothing ! It's a pity for these more than 10,000 soldiers. Even if they are not confiscated by the court, I am afraid they will be tortured to death by those empty-talking and brave but foolish people."
"I heard Gong Bao sighing as soon as I entered the room. I wonder what could have made you so worried?"
Qi Yaolin was about to say a few words of flattery when he heard someone call Gong Bao by his name. Just as he was about to scold him, he saw a man in military uniform, holding a gilded command knife, wearing traditional German boots that were polished to a shine, and with two piles of beards walking in from outside the courtyard. When he saw the man's attire, he immediately thought of someone and knelt down in fear to greet him: "Henan Provincial Governor Qi Yaolin pays respect to the Imperial Envoy."
When Yuan Shikai saw the visitor, he also laughed and pretended to bow and salute: "Yuan Weiting greets the imperial envoy..."
"Gong Bao, Yuan Gong Bao! You are deliberately teasing Wu Lou." The man who came was the Minister of the Army, the new commander of the First Army, Yin Chang. After helping Yuan Shikai up, he smiled and said, "Are you blaming me for not coming to your Yangshou Garden for several years?"
"Haha, the Imperial Envoy is joking." Yuan Shikai and Yinchang are very familiar with each other. When he was training troops in Xiaozhan, Yinchang was in Tianjin, only a few dozen miles away. The three great Beiyang heroes were all recommended by him. When Zaifeng wanted to kill him, he also spoke up, so everyone in Yuan's mansion regarded him as a benefactor. However, he also knew that Yinwulou was not a good candidate for commanding troops. He looked like a German, but he was full of straw. However... Isn't it necessary to have such a talent to support his importance now?
"It's quite lively here at Gongbao." Yin Chang glanced at Qi Yaolin and asked, "Master Qi, what are you doing..."
"It's like this. The court ordered Henan to supervise some grain and grass. He doesn't know much about military affairs, so he came to ask me how to do this job." Seeing Yuan Shikai personally covering for Qi Yaolin, Yinchang took a closer look and smiled, "I led the troops here, first to see Gong Bao, and second to ask about the military affairs. Prince Qing has been so worried about the Wuchang rebels these days that he can't even eat. I wonder if Gong Bao can give me some advice?"
If Yinchang had asked, perhaps Yuan Shikai would have said something, but when he mentioned Yixin, the corners of his mouth twitched twice. If it weren't for that old guy, he wouldn't have lived in seclusion in this remote place, so he said: "Your Excellency, you have asked the wrong person. Yuan has lived in seclusion for many years and is ignorant of worldly affairs. How dare I speak nonsense?"
Yinchang smiled and said, "Gong Bao, why should you be so modest? You have been in charge of Beiyang for many years, and your students and friends are all over the government and the country. How can you be ignorant of the current situation?"
"Many people have come to see me over the years, but unfortunately..." Yuan Shikai deliberately tapped his legs a few times and sighed, "My foot disease has troubled me for many years and it has become more serious. It seems that I should go to the warm place south of the Yangtze River to rest for a few more years."
Yinchang knew that the events of the past few years had made him somewhat discouraged, but although he was not good at fighting, he knew him well. He was definitely not the kind of person who would sit back and watch the tides rise and fall like a retired official. It was just that the moment had not come yet for him to take action, so he said in a roundabout way, "In that case, I will not force Gong Bao. However, most of the First Army under my command are Beiyang veterans. Gong Bao, please take care of them for me and help me perform this play well."
"Don't worry about this matter. Although I have retired for many years, I can still say a few words. I will take care of Huafu and Zhiquan." Thinking of how he helped Yinchang escape from danger and ended up with his head and body separated, Yuan Shikai hesitated for a moment, waved away Qi Yaolin and the servants beside him, and said solemnly: "Wu Lou, you and I are not outsiders, so let's not talk about our differences. You must be careful about the matter in Wuchang. The party members are just empty talkers and have courage but no strategy, so we don't need to worry about them. But Li Songqing is a rare person who can lead troops. Now the party members have appointed him as the commander, so you must not underestimate him. If you are not sure, you must not rashly start a war."
It was rare to hear this person say this. Yinchang was so frightened that his eyebrows twitched twice. He was thinking that he could just fire a few shots at Wuchang and then write a memorial saying that he was quick to dodge. Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door. Yuan Shikai immediately raised his eyebrows and shouted, "Who is making a noise?"
"Master, this is bad!" With Yinchang around, the housekeeper didn't dare to address him as Master, so he changed to an inappropriate title and said hurriedly, "Just now, the military commander of the imperial envoy sent a letter saying that he had just received news that the Liu Family Temple was occupied by rebels and Master Zhang's life and death were unknown!"
"What!" Yinchang was still thinking about meeting up with Zhang Biao to ask about the situation, and then quickly counterattack Hankou. Unexpectedly, Zhang Biao was wiped out in just two days, and even his people disappeared!
Yuan Shikai was indeed a local hero. He asked without changing his expression, "But was it Li Yuanhong who did it?"
The old housekeeper shook his head quickly: "It was done by a man named Yang Qiu. He is now the commander-in-chief of the rebels' right-wing army. It is said that this man personally led the army to attack Liujia Temple. Everyone says that Lord Zhang may have fallen into his hands!"
"Yang Qiu... Yang Qiu!" Yuan Shikai repeated several times and asked, "Is it Yang Qiu who killed the leader of the party members in the streets of Chengdu two months ago and was named the loyal and brave Baturu by the court?"
"It's this man." Yang Shiqi walked in from outside. He was Yuan Shikai's confidant for many years and one of the few people who could freely enter and exit Yangshou Garden. After meeting Yinchang, he said, "The news came from the Hankou Concession. It was also said that Chen Delong and Ruicheng might also be in his hands, because someone saw that the three ships of Chuyu were already under his command. He probably has two battalions of troops now, but... The news from Wuchang is that he seems to be at odds with them. He sent people to ask for weapons but was pushed back. At present, the Hanyang Gun Factory is under his control, and the steel factory in Hanyeping has also been temporarily blocked by him under military control. He also took advantage of the banditry in Hankou on the night of the Wuchang incident, deliberately condoned the bandits, and then intercepted from them a huge amount of silver bills of no less than one million. After defeating Zhang Biao yesterday, he deliberately let the army parade in the streets to demonstrate, and recruited thousands of new soldiers and are stepping up training! After the triumph, he did not stop for a moment. It is said that someone saw a large number of troops setting off from Hanyang, but their whereabouts are still unknown."
Yang Shiqi was always very arrogant, and there weren't many people he could talk to so much, so Yuan Shikai immediately remembered his name. But when he heard that a large number of troops had been dispatched last night, he stood up and slapped his thigh: "Oh no! Wusheng Pass!"
Hearing this place name, Yinchang's face suddenly changed. Wushengguan is the only way for the Beijing-Hankou Railway to enter Hubei. After Zhang Biao was completely wiped out, the Kuomintang could take this place without any hindrance. Once Wushengguan was blocked, it would be a dream to quickly solve Wuchang! So his face changed so much that he didn't even care about greetings. He immediately got up and went back to the train station to give orders. Yuan Shikai thought about it and was about to catch up and say a few words, but was pulled by Yang Shiqi: "Sir, although Wushengguan can block it for a while, with Huafu and the others there, it is just a scabies. At this moment, the Hubei army is still in turmoil, and the Kuomintang is fighting for power. Before Li Songqing holds the power, he will never wake them up at this moment How to fight, so Gongbao, you still have some time!"
"I have contacted Ambassador Zhu Erdian and other ambassadors. If the situation continues to deteriorate, they will definitely recommend you, Gong Bao, to quell the rebellion." After Yang Shiqi finished speaking, he looked around and suddenly whispered: "Yang Qiu in Hubei is just a clown now, and Wu Luzhen in the north... is the real threat!"
