After several days of discussion and planning, Yuan Su decided to set off back to Luanzhou at the end of July for the latest chapter of the online game Beggar’s Legend.
Although the First Brigade split into two battalions to assist Huaibei and the Huai'an Garrison Command to form troops, the remaining troops were already large in number, so they still had to return north in batches. Before the official departure, they would be used for training
All the British rifles used were taken back. Anyway, the Chinese rifles had already been put in place one after another, and the remaining soldiers had also replaced them with Chinese rifles. In any case, the standard equipment of a brigade should be unified.
According to the itinerary plan, the second group in Huaibei was transferred to Suxian first, and then took the train north from Suxian.
Due to train scheduling problems in Huai'an, the third group first walked by water to Zaozhuang, then walked from Zaozhuang to Jinan, and finally took the train north in Jinan. The first group only started to hit the road in early August, traveling directly from Huai'an to Jinan.
Xuzhou transferred to the train and headed north. The first brigade is expected to return to its original station on August 5th.
On the afternoon of July 22nd, Du Yu suddenly came to Yuan Su's study and reported that Lin Boxen, Yuan Su's former military school classmate, was at the door asking to see the wolf on his journey. When he heard Lin Boxen's name, Yuan Su was slightly startled.
, and then a sense of worry gradually emerged in my heart. During this period of time, I was busy expanding Huaibei and Huai'an's military strength, and I had almost completely forgotten some things.
It’s time to have a good meeting! He thought secretly in his heart, and then told Du Yu to invite Lin Boshen to come in, and he went to the hall downstairs to wait to greet him.
Lin Boxhen was dressed in a suit and leather shoes today. Although it was a hot summer day, he seemed very calm.
After meeting Yuan Su, Yuan Su originally thought that Lin Boxhen would complain about it, but the other party showed no excitement except that he looked a little preoccupied.
"Zi Jing, I didn't say hello to you beforehand, so it's not rude." Lin Boshen said in a neither serious nor serious tone.
"Renqing, I wanted to go to Shanghai to find you, but the military affairs are too busy during this period. There are some things I really want to talk to you about. Come on, let's not stand here anymore, sit down first." Yuan Su thought in his mind
It was strange, but he still followed Lin Boxen's tone and invited him to sit down in the small living room.
The two sat down and briefly prepared tea.
Lin Boshen's expression gradually became hesitant. After hesitating for a while, he suddenly sighed and said: "I know what you will talk to me about. In fact, this is why I came to you this time. Zi Jing, you're big
Don’t worry, although the North and the South are fighting fiercely this time, and many provinces across the country are in flames of war, but...well, I have figured it out to some extent."
Yuan Su frowned slightly, as if Lin Boshen suddenly became esoteric and difficult to understand. After a pause, he asked: "Have you figured it out? What do you mean?"
Lin Boshen said calmly: "Mr. Song wrote from Beijing last month."
Yuan Su's body shook slightly. This sentence was really unbelievable to him. Gao Shun had previously informed Song Jiaoren that Song Jiaoren was under house arrest at Peking University. Why did the Beiyang government allow Song Jiaoren to write a letter?
"Is this absolutely true?"
"Zi Jing, why do you ask that?" Lin Boshen asked in confusion.
"Before I was ordered to go south this time, I had sent people to secretly inquire about Mr. Song's whereabouts in the capital. Renqing, you should have known before. There were even rumors in Shanghai that Mr. Song was brutally murdered and assassinated. So I am very nervous about this matter.
It's true. Not long after I arrived in Jiangsu, news finally came out from the capital. Mr. Song is now living on the campus of Peking University. Although it is not as rumored, it is indeed restricting personal freedom.
How was he able to write to you?" Yuan Su immediately explained the matter briefly, and then asked in a more serious tone.
"Mr. Song did mention these situations in his letter, but he also repeatedly told him that everything was fine and there was no need to worry." Lin Bo said attentively.
"Is that so? Did Mr. Song say anything else? About the inside story of the Congress crisis, or some of the inside story of the North-South war?" Yuan Su asked quickly. He had always wanted to find out what the inside story of the Congress crisis was.
What, was it done by his uncle or someone else?
In his view, the inside story of the congressional crisis is directly related to the direction of differentiation within the Beiyang Group. Only by understanding what is going on inside Beiyang and where the conflicts originate can he navigate it more accurately.
Hearing Yuan Su's question, Lin Boshen had a look of doubt on his face, but soon he gradually became relieved. He shook his head and said, "Mr. Song didn't say much in the letter, but at the end he specifically said
The reason for this is because the letter will be checked before it is sent out, so there are many things that cannot be explained in detail."
Yuan Su nodded slowly and said: "Well, in this case, the information I heard before is correct. Mr. Song is indeed in a situation where he can't help himself. However, I have to say that it is much better than before.
Now, I can still write a letter back. Oh, by the way, what did Mr. Song say in this letter?"
Lin Boxen said: "Mr. Song didn't say much. Most of it was about his current living conditions. Although his movements were somewhat restricted, fortunately there was no fear of his life. His daily life, work and leisure were all taken care of, and he returned from time to time.
Being able to gather and chat with lecturers and students on the university campus.”
Yuan Su frowned again. Song Jiaoren finally wrote a letter. Is it just to inform these trivial matters? He immediately asked: "Did Mr. Song say anything else?"
Lin Boxhen sighed heavily again and said: "Yes, yes, but... Alas, this matter is very complicated, but I have to say it. The reason why I came to Huai'an from Shanghai to find you was originally because I wanted to
I’ve learned from you what happened to Mr. Song, but what you just said makes it obvious that even you yourself don’t know Mr. Song’s current actual situation.”
Yuan Su shook his head helplessly and said: "Renqing, to be honest, although I am in the north, the information I can get is really limited. In addition to knowing that Mr. Song is now living in Peking University and his movements are restricted,
I really don’t know anything else. I have been sending people to secretly investigate the major changes that occurred in the previous Congress, hoping to find out the truth about the contradiction between the North and the South, but alas...it’s just not easy."
Lin Boxhen continued: "I know what you are thinking. In fact, the reason why I feel that this matter can be completely let go is because Mr. Song also made some defenses for the president in his letter, saying that the president was not the one who planned the changes in Congress.
, and even tried his best to prevent the changes in Congress from the beginning to the end.”
Yuan Su was a little surprised and said quickly: "Did Mr. Song really say that in the letter?"
Lin Boxhen nodded very solemnly and said firmly: "Yes. We all felt very strange after reading the letter at that time. Now the outside world thinks that the president is unwilling to accept the political opinions of our Kuomintang, let alone Mr. Song.
He became the Prime Minister and organized the cabinet. But Mr. Song’s letter suddenly changed all of our ideas. It’s really... it’s really hard to understand.”
Yuan Su secretly thought about it. First of all, he could not confirm whether this letter was really written by Song Jiaoren. Even if it was true, if Song Jiaoren had sent this letter earlier to eliminate the southern Kuomintang's misunderstanding of the Beiyang government,
This civil war between the North and the South was very likely avoidable. To send this letter only after the fact is really the latest chapter of life in that crazy era with some hindsight.
Of course, maybe Song Jiaoren was severely restricted before, but only after the civil war ended, the restrictions were slightly relaxed, and then he was able to write this letter. This is not impossible.
"Renqing, you just said that you have to say something, what do you mean?" He turned the topic back to the previous content. He couldn't figure out the real situation in the north and the south now, but he wanted to figure out what Lin Boxen had done before.
The purpose of coming.
"Mr. Song mentioned in the letter that President Yuan Shikai was determined to cooperate with the Kuomintang. The reason why the accident happened was that someone else sabotaged it. However, Mr. Song also repeatedly emphasized that no matter who was the instigator behind this, there is no need to pursue it now.
Go on, because since this person can successfully surpass the president and plan this series of accidents, it is obvious that this means that there are quite a few people in Beiyang who are opposed to peace between the north and the south." Lin Bo said seriously.
"What do you mean by this?" Yuan Su didn't understand for a moment.
"If you think about it, even the president is powerless to stop it. How huge the forces behind this must be? To put it simply, Mr. Song has understood some truths. Perhaps explained from a philosophical level, that is what Song Jiaoren advocates.
The political policy goes against the interests of many people in power. His intention to go north this time was to find a compromise to resolve the conflicts between the north and the south. It is obvious that his previous approach was still unsuccessful." Lin Bo sighed deeply.
, said while shaking his head.
After listening to Lin Boxhen's words, Yuan Su gradually understood.
He secretly sighed in his heart that Song Jiaoren was really a pragmatic politician, not at all like a passionate and stubborn idealist like historical evaluations. Obviously, Song Jiaoren was aware of the differences between the North and the South.
The root of the contradiction lies in the fact that Beiyang controls the military and diplomacy, and these warriors always want to defend their personal interests. Once the South is too eager to promote democratic politics and republican concepts, it will eventually trigger a major rebellion between the North and the South.
The only way is to find a suitable interlocutor, and then the two parties will discuss in detail, take a step back, find a starting point acceptable to both parties, and then slowly advance the construction of democratic politics.
Song Jiaoren must have been exposed to the development history of many Western countries and realized that every advanced political system needs to be tempered before it can stand. China has just ended its feudal system, and only a small number of people have such "republican democracy"
awareness, and more ordinary people are still confused. In such an environment, there is no way to implement political reform overnight.
"I understand what you mean, but... things may not be what you think. This incident is not because Mr. Song failed to find a suitable solution. Perhaps it is because Beiyang people failed to fully understand what Mr. Song meant. The key is still
Public opinion in the south is too sharp, giving people a preconceived notion." Yuan Su said with a sigh.
"Anyway, it is precisely because of Mr. Song's letter that I realized that it is not just the North that creates conflicts. There is a shield only if there is a spear, and a slap cannot make a sound. If we are wrong, we are also wrong. Alas.
, Now I just want to find a real solution to the problem, which can not only resolve the contradiction between the north and the south, but also promote the construction of democratic politics faster." Lin Bo said deeply.
"Renqing, I am really impressed by the three-day separation. I have been worried before that if you don't understand what the real revolution is and just insist on a dead truth, I'm afraid you will go to more extremes. Now listen
When you say such words, it shows that you truly understand the political significance of Mr. Song." Yuan Su said with a sigh.
"Zi Jing, you are joking. In fact, when I think back to when I was in Luanzhou, alas, I was indeed not mature enough. Even in the more than a year since I returned to Shanghai, I often did not think through the problem thoroughly. Until this time
After reading Mr. Song's letter, I realized that Mr. Song was able to consider the overall situation deeply even when facing adversity, which is really admirable." Lin Boshen said with great sincerity.
"That's very good. However, the conflict between the North and the South has intensified now. After this war, I am afraid that the Beiyang government and your Kuomintang will have deep grudges. I have also been thinking about this issue in the past few days. I really don't know how to deal with Renqing in the future.
Come face to face." Yuan Su said sentimentally.
"Haha, you are still a friend enough. Fortunately, it doesn't matter now. I have seen through many things. But even though I have seen through, I am still confused." Lin Bo said with a deep sigh.
"Renqing, what are your plans for the future? The national government has ordered the disqualification of the Kuomintang and the National Assembly. Although it has not forcibly dissolved the Kuomintang, it seems that there is no future." Yuan Su asked.
"I don't know. This is also part of my doubts now. I recently thought about it, maybe I went into business with my father. I have always thought that I can do something big these years, but in the end I have accomplished nothing. If I could do business, I would be able to do something in the world.
The revitalization of industry will be beneficial to the country and the family. Thinking about the past four gentlemen who praised industry to save the country, this may not be a way." Lin Bo said profoundly.
"Okay. In this way, if you are doing business, I am also very interested in this aspect. If not, you and I will form a joint venture. I will be in the north and you will be in the south. The two brothers will build a big business. Now I have established a business in Luanzhou.
A Suye company, this is my personal property, and the company's profits can subsidize administrative expenses to some extent, which is also a good thing." Yuan Su said with a smile.
"Oh, then this Suye Company can be considered a government-run enterprise?" Lin Boxhen asked.
"Strictly speaking, it's not entirely true. I just took advantage of my personal power to give the company some preferential policies. As for using the company's profits to subsidize administrative expenses, it was purely my own doing. After all, considering the past government-run
The company is too corrupt and inefficient, so it simply doesn’t have this name." Yuan Su explained.
"You really have an insight. Although this approach is illegal, if someone like you sincerely seeks development for the region, it will indeed be better than those so-called government-run enterprises. I didn't expect you, Zi Jing, to assist government with business.
I admire and support your idea very much. As you said, you and I can really work together." Lin Boxen said with confidence.
"That's great. You can just stay in Huai'an these days, and I'll have a good talk with you about cooperation. In a few days, I'm going to return to Luanzhou. As long as you and I agree on cooperation, I can invest immediately.
Come down." Yuan Su said.
In his opinion, you will not lose money by cooperating with Lin Boxhen. Making money is of course an important purpose, but more importantly, you can use Lin Boxhen's relationship to win over the bourgeoisie forces in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. I believe that with Lin Boxhen's family background,
Coupled with one's own power, it is not difficult to establish a commercial foundation that connects the north and the south.