Rebirth of the Northern Giants

After the reform failed, he was disheartened and fled to Shanghai.

"Sir, sir! I, Tang, came to visit you today."

The door was opened by Rong Hong with a creak, Tang Youcai opened his eyes and saw that Bi Yongnian was already sitting inside drinking tea.

Tang Youcai and Bi Yongnian were old acquaintances, so they greeted each other and sat down.

Yung Wing, in his [-]s, was wearing a decent suit, and said with a smile, "It's unexpected that the old man's house, which is usually deserted, has two distinguished guests here today."

Tang Youcai and Bi Yongnian even said they didn't dare.

Rong Hong knew their reason for coming, his complexion changed, and he said: "I am very clear about your purpose. Ye Zhikui issued an order to recruit talents in the capital, and talents from all walks of life responded. Unfortunately, now I have long lost my original ambition. I'm afraid You two will be disappointed."

Tang Youcai urged: "Mr. Rong, you are more familiar with the Western system. Now that the country is undergoing a transformation, it needs talents like you, sir. Supporters of the imperial system like Wang Kaiyun from Hunan have already left. By then, Ye Shuai will receive Its bewitching, assuming the throne and proclaiming the emperor, the road to democracy in China will be indefinitely far away."

Yung Wing remained silent, a little moved.

Bi Yongnian echoed: "I met Ye Shuai in the capital. He is kind-hearted and tolerant. The military government was created at the beginning and there is a shortage of talents. In the name of Mr., he will be reused and he can show his ambitions. Do your part for the prosperity of China."

Yung Wing asked Matsushita, but was finally persuaded by the two of them, and promised to enter Beijing in the near future.

As soon as Ye Zhikui's telegram to discuss state affairs was published in the newspaper, it immediately shocked scholars. Not only the governors of various provinces sent representatives to Beijing, but also those reformers, revolutionaries, royalists, and all kinds of people also put down their work at the same time. They entered Beijing one after another.

Even Ye Zhikui himself didn't expect that the commotion would be so big. If you want to say, it's because of the good timing. First, after the reform and reform, the representatives of all parties have learned Kang Youwei's great cause of writing the letter thoroughly. Who wouldn't be tempted to write a letter from the supervisory office, let alone a prestigious and profitable matter such as discussing major national affairs.The second is that the revolutionaries have not yet launched the profiteering revolution. Ye Zhikui suddenly overthrew the Qing government.

On the 21st, Tan Sitong, Liu Guangdi and other reformers who were imprisoned in the prison were released by Ye Zhikui. Empress Dowager Cixi's poisonous hands.And when the turmoil broke out in the capital, they were in prison and were not affected much.

Everyone was grateful to Ye Zhikui for the rest of their lives after the catastrophe. Tan Sitong was well-equipped with both civil and military skills, and the others were also talented. Ye Zhikui invited them to serve in the military government and ordered them to compile some regulations of the reform into a book and simplify them.

If Cao Sui Xiaogui and Guangxu couldn't succeed, Ye Zhikui might not be able to succeed. Besides, didn't the New Deal in the late Qing Dynasty make a splash?There is a reason why it cannot be carried out, as long as your fist is big enough.

While the National Defense Army was recruiting soldiers, it was also sending Boxers who had entered Beijing to persuade them to return to their hometowns to work in agriculture.

On the 22nd, Ye Zhikui delivered an important speech at Tiananmen Square. At that time, the grand occasion was unprecedented. Hundreds of thousands of people from the capital and boxers gathered in the square.

Ye Zhikui called on the Boxers to disarm and return to the fields, and praised the Boxers for their great victory over the Catholic aggression. However, as time went by, the Boxers were facing another war, that is, spring plowing. An indispensable member, the military government's granary is in a hurry, and all boxers need to put down their swords and guns and go home to farm.

Most of the leaders of the Boxer Regiment joined the National Defense Army, actively responded to Ye Zhikui's call, and dismissed many boxers. In order to prevent these boxers from returning to their hometowns and fleeing to other places, the military government organized personnel and sent orders to Shandong and Zhili prefectures to send people to lead the way. go back.

Of course, in recognition of the contributions made by the boxers, each person will be given ten taels of silver and a commemorative badge for anti-Qing and Han Dynasty.For this expense alone, the military government spent several 10 taels of silver.

After seeing off these uncles, Ye Zhikui, who was in the prime minister's office, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ye Shuai, Song Yuren, the Chinese Minister and Counselor in the UK, France, Italy, and Belgium, has sent a telegram requesting the military government to transfer money. The total amount is 300 million pounds." When I saw Ren, I walked over with a depressed face.

"What did you just say?" Ye Zhikui straightened up, pulled himself together, and asked in disbelief.

The team was too small, and Ye Zhikui did many things by himself, so he was a little out of spirit. He almost suspected that he had heard the wrong words just now because he was too tired.

Jianren Shiwu said in detail: "Song Yuren borrowed 300 million pounds from a foreign bank in the name of the Qing government last year. Now the bank is rushing to his door, and he asks the government to settle it as soon as possible."

Fuck me, even if it's public funds for eating, drinking and having fun, you can't spend so much money.

"This Song or something, where did he spend his money, and he still has the guts to ask me for money."

When I saw Renren, I said with admiration: "Ye Shuai, this person has to be admired by my subordinates."

Ye Zhikui became curious, looked at Jianren Shiwu, and listened to what he said.

"During the Sino-Japanese War, Counselor Song saw that I had failed in the sea battle of Fengdao, China. In desperation, he came up with a bold idea, hoping to make a surprise and turn defeat into victory. He conspired with the embassy counselors to buy five warships that Britain sold to Argentina and Chile. , ten torpedo boats, and 2000 Australian sailors were recruited to form a brigade of the navy, under the name of the Australian business group, and prepared to go north from the Philippines to attack Nagasaki and Tokyo in Japan in the name of protecting the caravan.”

"It is indeed a bold idea!" Ye Zhikui also had to admire this talent.

Jianren Shiwu went on to say: "After the plan was confirmed, Counselor Song signed a contract with the Concorde Bank in the name of the Chinese government to borrow 200 million pounds and another 100 million pounds to pay for the purchase of warships. After a series of efforts, the other The purchased ships are equipped with bullets and weapons, and combatants at all levels have been properly recruited to form a powerful navy, which is ready to be led by the former Beiyang Navy Admiral Lang Weili. However, he did not expect Ye Shuai to be able to Quickly defeat Japan and sign a peace treaty. Therefore, this fleet did not make the trip."

Ye Zhikui stood up excitedly and asked, "Then where is this fleet now?"

When I saw Renren, I shrugged and said: "Because the then Beiyang Minister Rong Lu refused to pay the loan, the fleet was about to be disbanded. I guess the Song Counselor saw that the military government had just been established and wanted to be a dead horse doctor. Come and give it a try. .”

Ye Zhikui didn't want to lose this fleet. The Beiyang Navy hadn't purchased new warships for a long time, and Japan was about to move again. Song Yuren's move was really timely.

"My loan was repaid by the military government, and a telegram was sent to ask Song Yuren to bring the fleet back to China as soon as possible. The fleet is still led by Langweili."

Ye Zhikui said without the slightest hesitation, those who are familiar with the Beiyang Navy know the role of Langweili in the Beiyang Navy. They are not afraid of Ding Junmen, but are afraid of Vice Admiral Lang. He strictly follows the training of the British Navy and manages the army rigorously.

Some historians in later generations believe that the resignation of Langweili led to the rapid decline of the Beiyang Navy and the long-term slack in training, which was one of the important reasons for the failure of the Sino-Japanese War.

If Langweili came to China again, Ye Zhikui would definitely use him again. Besides the Beiyang navy, wouldn't there be a Nanyang navy?

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

"Governor Zhang, I don't know how you're thinking about that matter?"

The British Consul in Hankou, Freddie Freys, picked up the tea and took a sip of it unaccustomed to it. Although tea had been popular in England for a while, Horace still thought the coffee tasted good.

Zhang Zhidong was sitting on a grand teacher's chair, and his bodyguard Zhang Biao stood behind him.

This is what happened in Zhangzhidong Mansion in Nanchang 5 days after the bloody night of the capital.

The news of China’s change of ownership was finally transmitted back to the country through the ambassadors of various countries in China. The powers discussed countermeasures one after another. Some asked the ambassadors to China to actively move closer to the military government, and some had evil intentions and conspired to subvert it. Needless to say, Russia and Japan stepped up their pace of aggression against China. However, the British did not have enough troops, so they had to play tricks, trying to dismember China and persuade the southeastern provinces to stand on their own.

Britain's sphere of influence is in the Yangtze River Basin, so it first approached Zhang Zhidong, governor of Huguang.

"This matter..." Zhang Zhidong was about to speak, but there was a knock on the door, interrupting his speech.

"My lord, the servants are here to refill tea and pour water."

It turned out to be Chunmei, a servant of the Zhang family, and Zhang Zhidong motioned for her to come in.

Chunmei is usually smart and diligent in her work, and she is an old man in the Zhang family, so Zhang Zhidong likes her very much, and Zhang Zhidong is not so wary of her.

He continued: "It's a very important matter, the old man can't give you the answer yet."

Fu Leisi continued to seduce: "Governor Zhang, as long as you are willing to take the lead, the independence of the southeastern provinces has a good chance of winning. Ye Zhikui is so devastated by the northeast affairs that he has no time to take care of himself, let alone the British Empire behind us." Support, you need money, money, guns. When Governor Zhang becomes the president of a country, he will be many times more honorable than the governor of a province. The opportunity is never to be missed. Once Ye Zhikui is allowed to stand firm, he will surely Governor Zhang bears the brunt of eradicating dissidents and consolidating the regime."

Chunmei elegantly served Fu Leisi some tea.

Of course Zhang Zhidong understood what the British were thinking, and they wanted to gain greater benefits in the Yangtze River Basin, but even he, an old man, was moved by the conditions put forward by the British.

Sometimes people are indeed easily blinded by fame and fortune. Even Zhang Zhidong, who was an angry youth at the time, did not directly refuse, but said that he would respond to the British side in two days.

After Fu Leisi said goodbye, Zhang Zhidong hurriedly summoned his confidant Zhao Fengchang to discuss.

Zhang Zhidong first explained the conditions and requirements of the British.

Zhao Fengchang also took a deep breath when he heard the words, and said: "I didn't expect the British to have such a big hand this time. It can be seen that their heart is very urgent and their appetite is very big. You have to give as much as you get. Xiangshuai must be careful." British trap."

Zhang Zhidong said: "The British hope that after we become our own country in Southeast China, we can sign the "Special Regulations on the Expansion of Hong Kong's Boundary Site" with them, give the 'New Territories' concession to their country, and add a few concessions and treaty ports in Hubei."