Chapter 1: One Day in the Capital (One)

October 30th, the 20th year of Guangxu.

At the entrance of Chongwen Gate on Sijiucheng South Road, as usual, there were cars full of wine to the city. These south road soy sauce from Zhuozhou came to Zhuozhou, which was still steaming locally, and the second pot couldn't breathe. Seeing that it was already going to go into winter, the wine was selling better and better every day in this season, and people in big and small taverns couldn't squeeze, so they could add cotton inside. Make one or two cups, and it was warm inside and outside.

At the gate of Chongwen, several tax officials had just finished lunch and were carrying teeth to change shifts. The tax authorities at this gate belonged to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and have always been the career of the children of the bannermen. Look at these tax officials, each dressed in satin shoes, silk sheepskin coat, and a hat with sea dragon skin, I really don’t know how much it should cost to buy such a fortune. Speaking of the status, they are not low, and there is at least a red belt on their waists. The title on their heads is also the Duke of Zhenguo assisting the Duke of the Kingdom. If they don’t earn eight points, they can’t get together to talk to these masters!

More than a dozen wine trucks were lined up at the door, and the whip of the rush to catch the car was squatting together. The shopkeeper who was escorting the wine was in a hurry. Several tax masters went to have lunch, but they couldn't get into the check-in without tax verification. You know, several big restaurants were waiting for the wine. Prince Chun's house family banquet, and the master pointed out that he wanted the South Road Soup, if he missed this critical moment, he would have to cross the river!

Seeing several taxpayers walking over swaggeringly, the shopkeeper hurriedly ran over to pay his respects and greeted him. Qian'er beat him respectfully and thoughtfully: "Thank you, my master! We've been waiting here for a long time to pay my respects. Some of them are so devout! Sixteen carts of wine are parked properly. If you don't come, who dares to move around? There are a total of 144 baskets. You can see that you'll know it's right! This is tax money, and there are also some hard-working intentions for several masters. Although the grasshopper is small, it's a meaty fish. I'll take care of it, even if I'm careful!"

He was intimate and handed the silver in his hand too slowly. When he was given two packets of silver, the shopkeeper took two steps back, leaned his hands behind him, and bent down respectfully. The taxpayer weighed the silver in his hand, and changed his face without laughing: "Who would have to celebrate the next year, why are you so unhappy? Every time you are a number... Do you tell me, when did you let someone go with such a big business? You don't know how much you have to raise the price? You even got to the Prince Chun Mansion. How rich do you make? You look down on the Master, don't you?"

The shopkeeper was anxious and waved his hand with a blunt face: "What are we? I can't afford it even if I move my fingers! My husband, we only have so many of us. There is another half of my big son. You have cut me into the vegetable market! Forgive me, you will forgive me! Another day, I will kneel down to my door!"

Taxun laughed, but he didn't even look at the broken silver, foreign money, and copper coins that the shopkeeper had found in his hands: "Brothers, I'm a little full at noon, how about digestion?"

"Okay, if you don't beat me hard, don't beat me lazy, and if you don't make any rules, anyone thinks that we guys are easy to fool!" Several taxpayers laughed and cursed at the bricks, tiles, wooden sticks and wanted to smash the wine truck. The little shopkeeper was almost crying and wanted to stop him. He was so busy that he was pushed and pushed aside. The handlebar of the car was so scared that he shrank straight towards the bottom of the wall.

Just as they were about to leave, they heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. The men and men of the bannermen who had nothing to do for fun stopped and looked out. They saw a strong horse flying towards them. The horse was wearing Western military uniforms, like the foreign soldiers in the eastern suburbs. The late autumn sun shone on his shiny horse boots, dazzling.

Taxun first wiped his eyes and slapped his thighs: "Pu Laosi!"

The person who came was Pu Yang. He was a man who was mingling around in Sijiu City for two days a day. He wore ragged clothes and was arrogant and was full of a noble demeanor. He held his shoulders everywhere and was filled with anger. In the teahouse, he could gather dozens of gangsters who fought with men in the best camp in the No. 1000s, but now he was in a well-equipped military uniform and had a dark face!

The royal family members who were still alive from North Korea, and the people who were all over the Beijing city boasted about the Korean riots they experienced, all over the mountains and fields! There were also the cruelty of the Japanese. Many people blew the land as dangerous as the Shura field when they saw a foreign gun. Everyone knew that Pu Laosi was so crazy that he had to rely on the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard beat the corpse and blood in the sea of ​​sea, and the sky leaked. Everyone sighed, Pu Laosi was going to finish it! Everyone is a noble man in heaven, it is so good to eat money and food in Beijing. Why do you do with those stinky soldiers?

Unexpectedly, this kid came back in a hurry!

The leader Taxun patted his thigh and shouted: "Pu Laosi, Laosi! I am your second brother De! You kid is still alive!"

Pu Yang had already rushed to the front, and was stunned when he heard the sound, and then turned over and jumped off the horse. In the capital, he was just bean sperm with three stubborns holding his head, but now he looked wide on the shoulders and thick back. He stood on the ground with his waist straight. He was carrying a captured Japanese officer samurai sword in his waist, and stood there like a mountain. People who had experienced the blood and fire on the battlefield naturally felt a sense of resonance. When several taxpayers touched his eyes, they couldn't help but take a step back.

Pu Yang looked at them: "I don't know you, De Lao Er? Why are you, the second brother?" He punched De Lao Er as a chest. The boy couldn't bear it and took a step back: "You are back! I didn't expect to see my old sister alive! I didn't say anything. If I have time in the evening, I'll ask my brothers to have a few more fun!"

Seeing the old brother rolling out of the dead, De Lao Er and the others were also happy: "What a long time later, go now, it's all my brother. After drinking, leave and see your old sister..."

Unexpectedly, Pu Yang shook his head: "I have been ordered by the commander of the Grand Marshal to do business first before I can go home. I have some kung fu to drink and finish my errands."

"What kind of cock handsome..."

Pu raised his eyebrows and subconsciously pressed the Japanese saber around his waist. His muscles tightened, as if they were about to rush out to hunt. He also followed Xu Yifan to fight in North Korea, rushed through the formation in Anzhou, and broke into a large group of Japanese soldiers at Tianzhuangtai. This action naturally came out. Several taxpayers immediately felt it, and their faces became pale subconsciously.

Pu Yang lowered his hand, let go of his muscles, shook his head and said, "De Er, scold me, don't touch our generals, he has kept the country safe and safe, you can't reach him." Several tax officials looked strange, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and they didn't know what to say. Pu Yang also wanted to ease the atmosphere, turned to look at the wine truck crowded at the door, and a large group of people watching the fun, and smiled and said, "My man, are you looking for foreign wages again? How is the harvest?"

The shopkeeper was worried that he was not good at Fang Er. When he saw that he was a man, he treated him as a Bodhisattva. He immediately knelt down with a bang and finished talking about the matter. Pu turned his back to look at the tax officials: "I said De Er, after all, I have adopted him at Chun Di, give him face, raise his hand, let go... He doesn't have any rules!"

Several taxpayers came down from Germany and wanted to scold him, but for some reason, they felt a little guilty in front of Pu Yang. At the time in the capital, they had never taken this boy with their eyelids... At this moment, nothing was good, and they raised their hand in shame. Pu Yang looked at the drunkard and started on the road, and then turned over: "I owe money to pass the customs, come and ask for it when I drink! Brothers and I have seen you back!"

Seeing Pu Yang turn over and leave, several taxpayers grinned and stood there. After a while, De Er secretly cursed: "You are still a bannerman! You are following Cao Cao, look at you, see what good ending will you have!"

Pu Yang naturally did not hear the secret curses of the people behind him. As soon as he entered Chongwen Gate, there was a prosperous city scene. Beijing was still as gray as when he left. The streets were still those people, and the teahouses were still those teahouses. The archways that celebrated the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 had lost their color in just a few days. The prisoners in Shuntian Mansion were still begging for food along the street, and the footsteps of the bannermen who carried cages and carried birds to get a little faster than before...

Why aren't you used to it?

Pu Yang shook his head, but the little shopkeeper behind him who had passed the check-in ran over, shouting to the master and running over: "Is it from the Prince Chun Mansion? Thank you for your great kindness! I will definitely deliver the wine to the master's mansion today. I will leave a name for you. I will kneel down to you and thank you!"

Pu Yang was stunned and turned around and looked west. There were deep courtyards in the royal palaces. He was born in those places and grew up in those places. For some reason, when he looked at these familiar scenes, he felt that he couldn't breathe in his heart.

On the battlefield, tens of thousands of brothers ate ice and lie on snow, one after another... Why, there is no change here? Could it be that those sacrifices are fake?

He shook his head: "I am not from Prince Chun's Mansion... I am from the Imperial Guard! Hurry up and go, I... I don't need you to thank me!" He raised his whip and drove away. The little shopkeeper opened his mouth wide: "Master Xu from Haidong? God, they are all men!"

Today, the Huitong Pavilion in Dongzhi Hutong, which belongs to the Ministry of Rites, has become a place for everyone to see.

Weng Tonghe helped to ensure that the wise men from the north who were specially ordered to be selected by Guangxu to live here temporarily. This Huitong Pavilion was originally a place for the four vassals to pay tribute to guests, but now the imperial court and vassal states lost all their money, so they naturally became idle here. The officials of the Ministry of Rites simply rented out the house to eat tiles. Now, a few rooms were vacancies, and they became the hall for Tan Sitong and others.

Guangxu was naturally kind and kind to them. As soon as Tan Sitong arrived, he issued an offer to reward Tan Sitong with the title of Minister of Rites and to handle the decree of the Minister of the Negotiation and Punishment Bureau with Japan. Those who followed him were awarded the title of Secretary of the Cabinet, first learning to walk during the negotiations, and then resettlement them. He also rewarded 2,000 taels of silver to settle the house and buy luggage.

Compared to Guangxu's enthusiasm, the entire Qing Dynasty bureaucratic system was a bit uneven. As the foreman of the Military Affairs Office, Shiduo, the imperial envoy who presided over the negotiations with Japan, also accepted Tan Sitong's posts and asked him to present a peace talks with Japan. None of the other ministers of the Later Party sent a post to this upstart. However, the imperial party Qingliu was willing to come and linger. Everyone had a few visits to the guests all day long, even in the Huitong Pavilion, and had several poems and drinks.

The foreign ministers were also quite a bit of a look at this place. The foreigners who Tan Sitong met in Shanghai were not young and young. He calmly dealt with the ministers of various countries and had a perfect relationship. It turned out that Li Hongzhang could deal with foreigners in Beijing. Those royal ministers who were walking in the Zongli Yamen were in a state of mind when they saw the foreign devils. Tan Sitong acted in this way and won praise from the imperial party. The Qing Dynasty pacified the barbarians and had successors!

Although the Japanese peacekeeping plenipotentiary representatives will not be able to arrive in Beijing in November, Tan Sitong and the others are quite lonely here. Especially Kang Youwei's master and disciples made some big statements, which shocked the entire capital. But who can survive in the capital is not the top one? I haven't seen the old man yet, so I don't have to express any opinions or likes or dislikes, so I jumped out and shot the top shot. Let's see how Tan Sitong of the Fufu Bureau did it.

Even though the atmosphere was a bit awkward, everyone was watching. The Tongguan had become a lively place in Beijing for a while. When Pu Yang came here, he saw that the door was full of sedan chairs. The sedan chairmen from each mansion and house were holding clothes and boxes, chatting in piles. It was just that which house had a better future, and which adult took Xiaoxing again, and the adult copied it out of the house, and even grabbed the eldest lady's face.

As soon as Pu Yangren arrived, everyone looked at each other, and even some officials who had finished their visits and walked out to call the sedan chairman stopped.

Pu Yang, who is wearing a thin Western military uniform with a brilliant collar, is not the focus of everyone's attention!

As he walked over, he had already made many people in the capital stunned, and even a group of half-baby boys, who were still following him to watch the fun!

"What a strong young man! Why do you wear foreign clothes? Are you from our Qing Dynasty?"

"This is the Imperial Guard's uniform! I didn't see the blue dragon on the Ledge? These people are brave enough to cover the sky and do not study. Can the Dragon Chapter be used casually?"

"... Let's take it down. Can the court still control them now? Isn't it that the Liangjiang River is so blind... A few days ago, Xu Yifan led his team on the boat to the south, and countless people in Beijing breathed a sigh of relief!"

"This man, look at the steps he took? I don't know how many lives there were on his hands, but he was so scared that he was afraid that he was not good at killing in South Liao! Thanks to this gang of evil spirits, I don't know how Xu... was trained. Otherwise, would this battle end like this?"

"Didn't Lord Tan cut off his robe and righteousness with that man? Why did the people from the Imperial Guard come to him? What's that guy... what's his idea?"

Everyone stayed there and stopped leaving, and decided to see how lively the show was. Pu Yang was so uncomfortable that he dismounted and found a stake to tie the horse, pressed his sword and walked upwards. He sternly stepped on the bluestone steps, and sparks rose.

He fought such a battle through life and death, and he didn't think about returning home in glory. On the way back, he began to have some fantasies. Pu Laosi came back proudly. He was no longer the gangster of the royal family in the capital, but a man who won the national war and stood up! Even if he was not carried into the city, he should have a lively cheering in the middle of the sermon, right?

Unexpectedly, he was to show people a living monkey! He could not hear the voices of discussion around him. Since the Yan and Yangongs gathered here, they all praised Tan Sitong for their integrity. In the low voices, they were full of suspicion, coldness, and distantness, but none of them really praised this national war!

With all kinds of eyes, Pu Yang strode to the door, took out a post and handed it to the doorman waiting to clean his ears: "Hard, please let me know. Governor of Liangjiang and the Imperial Guards' Training Minister, Lord Xu, has a letter to Lord Tan."

The doorman took the post lazily, but put it to his side, and he couldn't see him lifting his legs and moving forward.

"Excuse me……"

"I don't know the rules? I'm still running to the yamen for your master!"

Pu Yang didn't know the rules of the capital. But if you want to be famous for Xu Yifan, you will meet Tan Sitong again. Regardless of public or private, you will have no reason to ask for a door. A rhetorical question actually made Pu Yang stunned. After a while, you squeezed out a sentence: "I am Lord Xu..."

"I don't care about Lord Xu, Xiaoren Xu. Except for the Emperor, Lao Fu, everyone has rules for worshiping the door, right?"

"Aren't you the one brought by Lord Tan?"

"The iron-clad yamen, the flowing master, who cares about that... The Qing Dynasty's rules are 38,000, and there is no reason why people don't make money to eat..."

Needless to say, he was a small officer of the Ministry of Rites, and maybe he was a member of the outside. With his temper before, Pu tilted his yellow belt and slapped him and said with a slap: "I'm teaching you what rules are!" I don't know why, but he just didn't want to do this today. He frowned and glared at the doorman, and strode into it. The doorman wanted to stop him, how could he stop him! He could only shout at the top of his voice: "The thief is in the yamen, and the person is coming, stop him!"

Pu Yang rushed to the second gate, watched a few servants rush out with bars, and shouted at the top of their voices: "Mr. Tan, Marshal Xu's letter! Lord. Tan, Marshal Xu's letter!"

Several servants wanted to knock on him with a lever, and he pushed him, and they all stumbled out. Just as they were having a big fuss, they heard a voice shouting in the second door: "Pu Yang, why are you making trouble? This is where you can rush around?"

Pu Yang looked up and saw that it was Tan Sitong standing there. He had already changed into the clothes of a second-rank official. It was not the way Xiao Ran looked like the green-shirted and small hat when he came to North Korea to visit Xu Yifan. A fourth-rank civil servant with dark skin and short figure stood beside him, but he didn't know him. Someone behind him ran over with his front collar. It seemed that he was talking to the visitor and he had a quarrel.

When he was in Beijing, even if Tan Sitong was a second-rank official, he could not put it in Pu Yang's eyes! Not to mention scolding him, Master Pu, at this time, he subconsciously stood at attention and saluted flat chests: "Mr. Tan, Mr. Xu has a letter, your politician, I am poor, Qiu Ba, I have no money in my waist, so I can only break through."

Tan Sitong glanced at the government official and did not say anything. The gatekeeper was a minor official of the Ministry of Rites. The officials of the Manchu and Han dynasties of the Ministry of Rites, Huaitabu and Xu Ying, after receiving the posts of his visit, they all said they were sick and blocked the enemy. The attitude shows that they were not afraid of anything. They could only calm down and stretched out their hands: "Where is your trust?" He has been with Xu Yifan for two years, and he always entrusted his brothers with Xu Yifan's righteousness. All kinds of people under Xu Yifan were polite to him. He also became a habit in this tone. I forgot that Pu Yang was not only Xu Yifan's head, but also the authentic Beizi of the Qing Dynasty. In short, this Beijing city is still his territory!

Pu Yang handed his hand in hand, but Tan Sitong didn't say anything, but the dark middle-aged man beside him sneered: "From top to bottom, he is so arrogant!"

While unpacking the letter, Tan Sitong said casually: "Nanhai, he knows what, stop talking about this."

The person standing next to Tan Sitong was naturally Kang Youwei. He followed Tan Sitong north and Qi Qiran promised that he was at least a wise man of the same generation as Tan Sitong. Tan Sitong was the Minister of Rites, but he only got a small secretary. In his anger, he said more things these days. Although he aroused some Qingliu's loud cheers, Tan Sitong's current situation is not awkward or embarrassing, and the cold-eyed ministers may not be without him Kang Nanhai's three-point contribution.

Tan Sitong finished reading the letter in a few seconds, shook his head and smiled faintly. Pu Yang was waiting there quietly, but Kang Youwei couldn't help it: "Fusheng, what is this person talking about when he wrote to him?"

Tan Sitong smiled and said, "It's just a greeting and congratulations, and said that I'm in the capital and he's in Liangjiang. Both brothers are committed to reforming the law. Let's see how they achieve their own achievements in three years..."

Kang Youwei slapped his hands and his voice was loud: "This person is so thoughtful!"

Tan Sitong grabbed him and looked at Pu who was still standing there, waved his hand and said, "I have received the letter. I will bring you a message to the Grand Marshal. I am very happy... With the Grand Marshal's talent, the rule of the Liangjiang River will be visible soon. As long as he is loyal and righteous, our brothers will have a good time to meet again... Go!"

Pu Yang was waiting for this one, let’s go. The Grandmaster has supported you for two years, and in a blink of an eye, he would have been in this tone. If the Grandmaster hadn’t given the order, his grandson would have come over!

Seeing Pu Yang turn around and go out, Kang Youwei's eyes rolled, shook Tan Sitong's hand and followed him strode out. Tan Sitong didn't know what big words Kang Nanhai was going to make, so he hurriedly followed. Seeing that Kang Youwei walked to the gate, he shouted at Pu Yang's back: "Tell you the general! You want him to take care of himself! The court has been kind to him by the great court, and he must not have any rebellious intentions! If he does anything, tell him that I, Kang Nanhai, can deal with him with one hand!"

Pu tilted his body and froze there, and the people around him were stunned. After a while, the clear streamers who had been with Tan Sitong in their daily lives shouted good!

"If you are justified in the South China Sea, you will speak up rightly, and there is really a sound of thunder!"

Kang Youwei smiled at her face and bowed her hands everywhere, but Tan Sitong pulled in: "Nanhai, why did you say this in public? It is said that Qing is not that kind of person, he has great kindness to me!"

"Great kind? Not that kind of person? Resurrection, why didn't he come to Beijing? He had already taken his own path, so why did he suddenly send someone to deliver the letter? This is to pull you back! You, Tan Fusheng, did not clear your relationship with Xu Yifan for one day, and you would not get the emperor's trust in one day, and the court was convinced! Why did he say that you should compete with you in Liangjiang and compete with you? Reform is our wish. What kind of reform is his martial arts? He is just to steal our abilities and repay his false reputation. We cannot let him be greedy for the achievements of heaven, draw a clear relationship with Xu Yifan as soon as possible, and start the reform plan as soon as possible! Be urgent, be quick, time is no longer waiting!"

Kang Youwei looked stern, his tone was firm, his head kept raising up, and in the end he almost faced him.

And Tan Sitong just listened silently and turned to look south.

"Chuanqing...we brothers, are we really going our own way? I thought you would be on the same path as me... Since that's the case, it's better for me to walk by myself..."
Chapter completed!