Beiyang 1917

Duan Qirui is known as the Tiger of Beiyang, but he is actually the most capable and prestige of the three heroes. Compared with Li Yuanhong, Feng Guozhang, Wu Peifu and Cao Kun in that era, the old Duan was much stronger. If Feng Guozhang wasn't so greedy for money, he might have a chance to compete with Duan Qirui. In fact, the Anhui faction of the old Duan did lose to Cao Kun and Wu Peifu after Feng Guozhang.

Wang Geng chose Duan Qirui instead of Feng Guozhang. On the one hand, he came here for Duan Qirui, and on the other hand, he came here at the time of 1917. 1917 was exactly the time of the two government-court disputes and China’s severance of diplomatic relations with Germany and its announcement of joining the Allied Powers. The critical year of Zhang Xun's restoration is interspersed with the farce of Zhang Xun's restoration.

The day before April 1917 happened to be a weekend. At the end of March, Duan Qirui, Prime Minister and Chief of the Army, who had just been invited back from Tianjin by Feng Guozhang in the name of mediation, was reviewing documents in his study. Since he moved into this big house in Cangnan Hutong After that, more than half of Laoduan's state affairs meeting was held in Laoduan's mansion. Only a few cabinet cronies attended the meeting, including Finance Minister Chen Jintao, Communications Minister Xu Shiying, and Army Undersecretary and Secretary General of the State Council Xu Shuzheng.

Duan Qirui's character and integrity are good in all aspects. The only shortcoming is that he employs nepotism, and he employs people without suspicion. His confidant and beloved general Xu Shuzheng is a typical example. Of course, Xu Shuzheng is talented and talented, and he is loyal to the old Duan. , excellent in both military and political affairs, able to engage in conspiracies and tricks and negotiate with foreign affairs. The disadvantage is that they are narrow-minded and small-minded, and they can't tolerate others.

Xu Shuzheng had a long secret discussion with Duan Qirui in his study last night. Now the problem facing the Prime Minister is still the dispute between the government and court that has lasted for more than half a year. To sever diplomatic relations with Germany and declare war, the great president, Li Yuanhong, refused to sign it with his seal.

And what about Congress?Now this congress is still the National Congress of the People’s Republic of China, and the Southern Revolutionary Party is the largest party in the Congress. Although the National Congress of the People’s Republic of China was disbanded by Yuan Shikai, it was restored after Li Yuanhong came to power last year. Duan Qirui's cabinet has many constraints.

At the beginning of March, Duan Qirui threatened to resign as prime minister and return to Tianjin, leaving no one behind. In the end, Li Yuanhong moved out of Feng Guozhang's mediation and offered Duan Qirui back to Beijing with the Congress passing the severance of diplomatic relations with Germany. After severing diplomatic relations with Germany, the matter of declaring war on Germany, which should have been passed naturally, was suppressed by Li Yuanhong.

Duan Qirui was so angry that he was going crazy!However, Feng Guozhang, the mediator in the middle, saw that the situation was not good, and went back to Nanjing directly. Seeing that the dispute between the government and the court had reached a stalemate again, so although yesterday was Saturday, Duan Qirui, Xu Shuzheng and other confidants played mahjong while discussing After thinking about the countermeasures, they discussed with Xu Shuzheng alone in the study for a long time, and they left in the middle of the night.

"Uncle, there are guests coming to visit outside the gate, did you see it?" Duan Honggang, the eldest son of Duan Qirui's second younger brother Duan Biqing, was the one who knocked on the door and came in. , at the moment is Duan Qirui's personal assistant, and he only looks 24 or [-], looks medium-sized, and has a capable face.

"Huh?" Duan Qirui stopped writing and looked up, looking at his nephew with sharp eyes. Obviously, under normal circumstances, visitors must make an appointment in advance, especially on Sundays, except for Xu Shuzheng and the others who come and go at any time, other ordinary gifts Visitors who come or invite visitors are basically out of the way. My nephew grew up by his side, so it is logical that he is not ignorant of his habit.

"It's a young man who returned from studying abroad, carrying a suitcase full of dust, and said that he came to our house as soon as he got off the train, and he won't leave until he sees you, but he is a handsome man with a bit of heroic spirit!"

Duan Honggang blushed slightly. Of course he didn't dare to let the old man know that the young man at the concierge just slipped a brand new twenty-dollar bill into his palm.

"My nephew thinks that he just came back from the United States, maybe he knows some news from the United States?" Duan Hong just added.

"Oh? He came back from studying in the United States? What's his name and what school did he go to? Did you say who introduced him?" Duan Qirui asked casually while lowering his head and continuing to approve documents.

The folks who come to my old Duan mansion every day to walk the road of favor and support have never been broken. Usually, people from their hometown can tell their names. On Rui's side, there are not all young students who have returned from studying abroad to vote, but most of them take invitations from their parents or relatives and friends to apply for their names first.

"This man's name is Wang Geng. He graduated from Tsinghua Academy in 1911 and was sent to study in the United States. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University. He graduated from West Point Military Academy this summer! I didn't say who introduced him."

Duan Honggang is obviously a careful person, he remembers exactly what Wang Geng said in the concierge just now, and he always answers every question in front of Duan Qirui.

"Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University... the United States Military Academy at West Point? Isn't West Point Military Academy graduating in June? He can read two diplomas after studying abroad for 6 years? How dare you say it!" Duan Qirui stopped writing, thinking I wondered if there was such a person as Wang Geng among the Chinese government-sent students, but I couldn't think of it for a while.

"You said that he is still carrying his luggage, why, is he going to come to my residence to visit relatives and friends as a housekeeper? In this way, you will ask him to use my post to find Youzheng. Since this Wang Geng read After West Point Military Academy, then just give him a job at the War Department and see what he can do, and I won't see him."

Duan Qirui couldn't think of this Wang Genglai for a while, but since he is a student who returned from studying abroad and has studied at West Point, he doesn't want to just dismiss it casually. When the time comes, people will say that he, the prime minister, despises overseas students and chills the hearts of overseas students. .

"Hey! Good! I'll go and tell him right away!" Duan Hong just saw that the old man was in a good mood today, and he didn't reject people thousands of miles away as usual. A stone fell to the ground in his heart, and he went out happily.

Duan Qirui pondered for a while. These days, many first-rate talents go to study in Britain, France and Germany. Second-rate ones go to the United States. What's more, it's rare to have two degrees in six years, and it's rare to graduate from West Point... Talents are rare these days, so let's go to Youzheng's subordinates for inspection and experience.

Unexpectedly, not long after, Duan Honggang came again with a bitter face,

"Uncle, that Wang Geng doesn't know good from bad, so I took your post and told him to find Brother Youzheng, but this Wang Geng said that he didn't come to vote for Xu Shuzheng, he came back from the United States all the way to vote for you. Come on, if you don’t see him, he’s going to vote for Feng Guozhang! At that time, you and our Anhui department will have no place to buy regret medicine!”

"Huh?! The tone is really serious. You voted for me all the way? If you don't vote, I will vote for Feng Guozhang? What kind of friendship does he have with Hua Fu? Could it be that Hua Fu can tolerate him but I can't? It's unreasonable! Just blast me Get out!"

Duan Honggang grimaced, nodded in agreement and was about to leave.

"...Wait! You bring him here, and I want to see who is so holy!"

Duan Qirui, the prime minister of the country, has always boasted of Beiyang orthodoxy, the best successor of Yuan Shikai, the character of that money-grubbing man Feng Guozhang, who has never been in his eyes. How about going to Feng Guozhang's side!

Duan Honggang didn't dare to spread this big talk on behalf of Wang Geng. In the past, when the old man was in a hot temper, he would have kicked himself out of the study and asked someone to throw Wang Geng out of the gate of Duan Mansion.

But that Wang Geng has a kind of awe-inspiring aura, his eyes are very bright and upright, his voice is quiet, and his handshake is not weak, and he unexpectedly ran for him a second time, and the old man actually agreed to see him He died, Duan Honggang went out with beaming brows.

After a while, a slender and handsome young man followed Duan Honggang into the study, Duan Qirui waved to his nephew, Duan Honggang nodded and retreated, leaving the old and the young in the study looking at each other.

"Wang Geng, the late student, has met Prime Minister Duan! Wang Geng has returned from overseas studies and is here to serve you!" Wang Geng bowed and saluted, then raised his head and looked at the Prime Minister of the Republic of China, Duan Qirui, with a calm and composed expression. .

"You are Wang Geng? Didn't you tell Xu Shuzheng to find a job in the Army Department with the old man's post? Why do you insist on seeing me? You child, do you know how many things a country's prime minister can't handle? Not enough time to batch files!"

Duan Qirui couldn't help but look at the young man in front of him, his eyes lit up, but his face was deliberately downcast and he said in a low voice.

"Prime Minister Duan, I came all the way from the United States to join you. Xu Shuzheng is not in my consideration at all. If you didn't want to see me just now, then I am already on the train to Nanjing. I can sit down. Are you talking?" Wang Geng looked at Duan Qirui and said in a calm tone.

"Well, is it because I don't invite you to sit down, so you're going to turn around and vote for Hua Fu? The young man is too impatient! If you vote for me, I will definitely accept you? If you can't say a meridian Come Yinmao, there may not be a seat for you in front of Lao Duan." Duan Qirui shook his head and said, putting down the pen in his hand.

Wang Geng slandered in his heart, you seem to be more stubborn than me, anyway, for the sake of letting me come in to see you, let me talk to you.

"Prime Minister, the United States is about to enter the war. China must not lose this opportunity before it. And you are the first choice for me to return to serve the motherland! If you dare to use me, I can help you deal with the president and the Congress. The resolution to bring the cabinet to war has been passed!"

In front of Duan Qirui, Wang Geng looked confident, humble and calm, but the tone of his words was outrageous!