Located in Xila Hutong, not far east of the Forbidden City, Yuan Shikai settled his home here after he took office as a military officer.
In the "Ding Wei Political Tide", Yuan Shikai cooperated with Yi Kuang and used despicable means to remove his biggest political opponents Qu Hongyu and Cen Chunxuan, and finally won a great victory. However, the Empress Dowager Cixi also realized that the two men were now too powerful.
They began to intentionally weaken the power in the hands of the two men. So on the third day after deposing Qu Hongyu, they sent Prince Chun Zaifeng to the Military Aircraft Department to learn how to join the military, forming a "two princes" pattern in the Military Aircraft Department in order to contain Yikuang. In addition,
The Empress Dowager Cixi dismissed Yuan Shikai from his position as governor-general and transferred him to the post of military minister. Worried that Zaifeng was too young and that Yi Kuang and Yuan Shikai were colluding with each other, the Empress Dowager Cixi later transferred the governor of Huguang to Zhang Zhidong.
He was transferred to the position of Minister of Military and Aircraft, intending to use him to contain Yuan Shikai.
What also makes Yuan Shikai even more worried is that the Queen Mother of the West is obviously not as energetic as before. If the old lady returns to power a hundred years later, Emperor Guangxu takes control of the court, she may be in danger of her own life.
During the Reform Movement of 1898, it was Yuan Shikai's betrayal and informing that prompted the furious Queen Mother of the West to go on a killing spree and imprison Guangxu. Originally, Cixi launched the coup just to continue to be in charge of the government, and her original edict was just to arrest the brothers Kang Youwei and Kang Guangren.
.The coup of 1898 eventually led to a murder, which was directly related to Yuan Shikai's report that Tan Sitong and others were preparing to launch a mutiny in order to protect themselves.
This was enough to make Emperor Guangxu hate him to the core. They didn't dare to do anything to Cixi, so they couldn't just vent their resentment on Yuan.
Therefore, Yuan Shikai was trying his best to promote the constitutional reform of the imperial court, and he was on the same level as those Manchu nobles headed by Zaifeng.
After Tieliang, a Manchurian nobleman, took charge of the Ministry of War, under Liangbi's planning, he began to recruit a large number of non-commissioned officers studying in Japan into the Ministry of War and the Military Consultative Office, preparing to use these people to replace the generals who came out of the Beiyang Military Academy under Yuan Shikai. According to Lao Yuan
As we know, many of these cadets studying in Japan have joined the Revolutionary Party. It is really ridiculous that these Manchu nobles actually want to refer to themselves as revolutionaries.
After the court, Yuan Shikai was worrying in the study, when he saw the housekeeper Shen Mingshan walk in: "Sir, my uncle and the young lady are back."
"Which uncle?" Yuan Shikai asked as he now has five married daughters.
"It's Uncle Lin and Miss Fourth. Master Lin and Miss Lin said they would come over to say hello in a moment."
"Oh, no need, I'll come and take a look myself." Almost all the sons-in-law Yuan Shikai found were dandies, but Lin Shuo was the only one who made the old man extremely satisfied. Even Beiyang relied on this man's money from time to time.
The fourth lady was in the third concubine's room, talking to her mother and several aunts. Several younger siblings were dividing some gifts she had brought back, and the room was very lively.
When Yuan Shikai walked in, the room that was noisy just now suddenly became quiet. When the children who were enthusiastically scrambling for things saw him, they quickly put down the gifts in their hands and stood in silence with their hands lowered, not daring to show off their dignity.
"Good evening, Dad!" the children said in unison.
Yuan Shikai's face was quite kind, "Okay, how are you doing with your homework?" He asked casually, and then waved his hand, "Let's all go!"
As if they had been forgiven, the children bowed their heads and exited the room, then dispersed in droves.
Cizhen hurriedly came over to say hello: "How is daddy?"
Yuan Shikai's eyes lit up. His daughter had been married into the Lin family for three years, and now she was becoming more and more beautiful. He couldn't help but smile and said: "Okay, okay! That boy from the Lin family didn't bully you, did he? Tell dad to take it out on you!"
The fourth lady looked coy: "No, my husband is very kind to me..."
Yuan Minkai laughed heartily and chatted with several concubines for a while before he came out and asked Shen Mingshan to lead Lin Shuo to the study.
Lin Shuo entered the study and saw Yuan Shikai handing over a stack of silver notes and then said: "My son-in-law is going to Nanyang, so I can't wish you a fiftieth birthday in person. These three hundred thousand taels of silver are just a birthday gift."
Yuan Shikai said: "If you don't tell me, I would have forgotten that it is you and Xingcheng who are the ambassadors and deputy ambassadors of the imperial court this time to Nanyang." He took the banknote from Lin Shuo and said: "If you have anything to do with me, just tell me.
After all, we're not outsiders." He thought to himself that this guy must be up to no good in being so generous.
Sure enough, Lin Shuo said: "I heard that Beiyang has just imported a batch of 75-year-old field artillery from Germany. My son-in-law thinks that it is time to replace the 57-year-old mountain cannon that Si Dongjun has been using. Sir, let's see if we can allocate funds from Beiyang.
Give part of it to Dongjun!"
"Hmph, as expected you will do nothing good if you come to me! How much do you want?"
"Equipment for a town." Lin Shuo told the truth.
"Why do you, a defense force, need so many heavy artillery?"
"With the back of your hand, aren't Dongjun and the Six Beiyang Towns your old army? Besides, some people in the court are staring at the new Beiyang Army's military power all day long. Why don't we leave some backup?"
"Jiang Guiti came back from the south and said that your fifth battalion of Dongjun troops stationed in Tongzhou and Yangzhou cannot pour water into the navy camp. They will not listen to anyone without your orders, and they can still listen to me. The number of Dongjun troops stationed in Hetao has been expanded to two.
In the Tenth Battalion, there are people in the court who are already dissatisfied. Fortunately, the defense army is not as conspicuous as the new army."
"Isn't it the same if you can command your son-in-law? After all, this army cannot be much worse than other towns in Beiyang!" Lin Shuo said firmly.
Yuan Shikai thought for a while, and indeed felt that his control over the towns in Beiyang was being weakened, so he made up his mind and said: "Okay, tomorrow I will write a note and ask the camp office to allocate a cannon target equipment to Dongjun." Then he leaned on the Taishi chair.
I don't know what I'm thinking about.
After a while, Yuan Shikai opened his eyes: "Anwar, I heard that you have recommended many cadets who came back from Japan to various provinces?"
Lin Shuo was startled: "Oh, there are about a dozen of them. Most of these people are the children of workers recruited by Dong Jun or his son-in-law when they were farming in Jiangnan. I sponsored and sponsored them to study in Japan. Is there any problem?
"
"There is no problem, but I heard that people studying in Japan are easily instigated by Sun Yat-sen, Huang and others, and many of them have joined the Revolutionary Party." Yuan Shikai said slowly.
"I guarantee that these people are loyal and reliable. Even though they were instigated by Sun, Huang and others, none of them joined the Revolutionary Party. Of course, their actions in Japan were reported to me, and they will not betray me!" Lin Shuo said seriously!
.
Yuan Shikai waved his hand and said, "That's not what I meant. Now that there are too many revolutionary parties in the new armies of each province, how can we control them? I mean, is there anyone who can get in touch with Sun, Huang and others?"
What do you mean? Comrade Lao Yuan is going to start a revolution? Lin Shuo was a little confused.
Just listen to Yuan Shikai continue to say: "These revolutionary parties really can't achieve anything. They are not even as good as Hong Yang's rebellion. They have not made any achievements in so many years. Go to Nanyang this time and see if there is any chance to contact Sun, Huang and others."
People, provide them with some help, let them make a big move in the south, and prevent these Manchu nobles from suffering. They don't know that this court still needs us from Beiyang to maintain it for them!"
Lin Shuo let out a long sigh. It seemed that Lao Yuan had really driven the Manchu nobles in the court into a panic. He even thought of colluding with the revolutionaries. "I will try my best to follow your orders!"
"Xingcheng came up with this idea. You two will discuss it when you go to Nanyang. Try to be careful when doing it!" Yuan Shikai opened his eyes wide and flashed a ruthless look, "I can't be like Li Wenzhong who died a coward and was left behind by the imperial court.
Black pot!"
Lin Shuo returned to Shanghai and prepared to go to Nanyang with Yang Shiqi to "propaganda".
Jiang Shaowu, Dong Yuntang, Jiang Chengyu, Lin Rong, Li Zhiliang and others who happened to have graduated from the Japanese Military Academy have just returned to China from Japan. Since the imperial court suspended the imperial examination, more people from China have gone to Japan to study. Lin Shuo also borrowed the opportunity from his colleagues.
Because of Yuan Shikai's relationship, every year some places from Liangjiang, Fujian and Zhejiang are requested to go to Japan to study military affairs. In the late Qing Dynasty, many Chinese went to Japan to study military affairs, but there were not many Qing students who could actually study and graduate from Japanese sergeant schools. Lin Shuo
Starting from the sixth phase of the dispatched personnel in 1905, only seven or eight of them can enter the non-commissioned officer school every year, so these non-commissioned officers are still quite in demand.
Before these people returned to China, Lin Shuo had already planned a way out for these people.
Now the Manchu and Qing court ordered each province to organize and train the new army. Although the results were not great due to financial difficulties, each province would do something to some extent. There were seven cadets returning to China in the sixth period, and Zhang Yi from Anhui was assigned
When the new army entered Anqing, because the governor Zhu Jiabao was from Beiyang, he was quickly promoted to the position of leader.
Zhejiang's political scene has been in turmoil after experiencing the Jianhu Heroine Datong Uprising, and the training of the new army has also been at a standstill. However, Lin Shuo still arranged for Dong Yuntang, Qin Xian, and Tao Hanliang to return to Zhejiang. It was easy to open up uninhabited places, and the elephants had already become
In the eighth and ninth towns of the army, it is really difficult to place some people there.
Lin Rong, Chen Liangcai and Li Hanming who were borrowed from Fujian returned to Fuzhou. Li Hanming went to the 10th Town of the New Army, but Lin Rong and Chen Liangcai were arranged by Lin Shuo to join the Majiang Patrol Camp. After Lin Shuo took over Fuzhou Shipbuilding, the Majiang Naval Camp
Under the jurisdiction of the Navy. Lin Shuo has been encouraging Sa Zhenbing to change the Minjiang Navy to the Marine Corps. Due to funding reasons, it has never been approved by the court.
Li Zhiliang was arranged by Lin Shuo to the Wuhu Patrol Camp and was also in charge of the mine protection team. Southern Anhui was Lin Shuo's foundation in the south of the Yangtze River. Not only did it have a large number of mountains and farms, but the Wuhu Iron Works and mines under construction were also within its jurisdiction. He couldn't help but
Give some careful advice.
There are still more than three years left before Xinhai, so he can only step up his layout.