Nine idlers

Chapter 120 Fourth Qing Regent

Baimixie Street is located next to Shichahai, and the mansion of Taibao Zhang Zhidong, the prince of the current dynasty, is on Baimixie Street.The front door of the Zhang family's mansion is close to the street, and the back is next to Shichahai. The mansion is lined up with three buildings. There is a garden on the east side, with rockery, gazebo, pool, etc., which is quite a garden. There is a two-storey observation building, which can have a panoramic view of the blue waves of Shichahai and the various scenes of Di'anmen.

Although Zhang Zhidong can almost be said to be at home now, and he has only taken the idle position of the prince and Taibao, this does not mean that his power has declined.In the current Manchu court, he is still the most powerful person. If Zaifeng did not have his secret help years ago, he would definitely not be able to suppress Yuan Shikai's power in the court, and he would definitely not be able to let Yuan Shikai obediently go fishing in Zhangde.However, since the settlement of Yuan Shikai, who in their view was the scourge of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Zaifeng and Zhang Zhidong had a lot of disputes over personnel appointments and political affairs, especially when it came to the appointment of Beiyang Army officers. The difference between Zhang Zhidong and Zaifeng is even bigger.

Zhang Zhidong believed that we should take advantage of the opportunity of Yuan Shikai's resignation to win over the generals of the Beiyang New Army as much as possible. Even if they couldn't win over, they should be replaced immediately. Completely nationalize the Beiyang New Army.However, Zaifeng felt that this matter could be eased. In his opinion, the most important thing was to establish a good relationship with foreign countries. As long as he got the support of foreigners, his position as regent could be secured.

So Zaifeng dismissed Zhang Zhidong's note on the grounds that it was inappropriate to adjust the officers and soldiers at the grassroots level and cause confusion in the army.However, in order to calm Zhang Zhidong's grievances, a small number of upper-level officers of the Beiyang Army were replaced by Generals of the Eight Banners, but at the same time Feng Guozhang was transferred back to the capital, while Duan Qirui was transferred to the south to suppress the Revolutionary Party.Zhang Zhidong's heart ached when he saw it, and he kept cursing Zaifeng at home for being a fool, for having missed a good opportunity to recruit the Beiyang Army.

Later, the conflict between Zaifeng and Zhang Zhidong became more superficial. Regardless of Zhang Zhidong's objection, he reused Xu Shichang, Feng Guozhang and other Beiyang faction people, causing Zhang Zhidong to fall ill in anger.It just so happened that Zaifeng used the excuse of recuperation to 'force' him out of the government. If Zhang Zhidong hadn't cared about the safety of Manqing and didn't want to benefit others because of internal turmoil, otherwise, what kind of power would Zaifeng have in the dynasty? It can be opened so easily.

Ever since Zhang Zhidong ignored the government, his mansion has never opened its doors to see visitors. All the visiting disciples and old officials have been shut down, and the people in Baimixie Street seem to be used to the quietness of Zhang's mansion.However, on this day, Zhang's family members went out to sweep the street to greet guests, which attracted people nearby to gather around to see who could make Zhang Zhidong so cautious with such a big air.

The area around the garden of the Zhang Mansion had already been emptied. Many experts sent from the imperial city looked around vigilantly and guarded the garden like an iron bucket. Even the family members of the Zhang Mansion were not allowed to enter at will.At this time, a large apricot-yellow sedan chair carried by 16 people came from the street. Although there was no gong to clear the way, there was a team of 36 guards of honor leading the way. It was directly carried in from the vermilion gate of the Zhang Mansion, and everyone couldn't help but be speechless.

At this time, a person who may have just come from other places asked curiously: "Who is this? Such a big air seems to deliberately cut the boss's face."

A literati living nearby squinted at this man, and said with a sneer, "Who else is so arrogant in the whole of Beijing now except for the regent! He must have come to Zhang for these two days. The old man Wen Ce is here, but he just couldn't hold back his face, so he carried the sedan chair in like this."

Just like what the literati said, Zaifeng did come to ask for advice as he said, and he really couldn't bear to get off the sedan chair outside. The sedan chair is tantamount to showing weakness. As the person with the highest power in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, at least in name, it is still necessary to save face.

After entering Zhang's mansion, Zaifeng got off the sedan chair, and people from Zhang's mansion came forward to greet him.However, Zaifeng found that Zhang Zhidong was the only one missing in the crowd, and his expression turned gloomy.At this time, Zhang Zhidong's son stepped forward and explained: "My lord, my father is waiting for you in the small building on the east side of the garden, and I will let my minister lead you the way."

Saying so, he led the way and led Zaifeng, who looked unhappy, towards the garden. After arriving at the small building in the garden, he opened the door to let Zaifeng enter alone, then stopped the followers behind him, closed the door, and guarded the entrance No need to be disturbed by others.

After Zaifeng entered the small building, he looked around. The furnishings in the building were very simple, some mahogany tables and chairs, a few bonsai, and a few calligraphy and paintings of Zheng Banqiao hung on the walls, which was considered elegant and simple.

"Has the prince a thousand years old?" Zhang Zhidong's old voice suddenly came from upstairs, saying: "I am sick and sick, and I can't go out to meet you. I hope the prince will forgive me. Please come up by yourself from the stairs beside the room." .”

Hearing Zhang Zhidong's disdainful tone, Zaifeng's face became gloomy again, and he secretly resented in his heart, if he hadn't been helpless now, he would not have come to suffer this anger anyway.Last night, the incident of ghosts and gods that has caused a storm in the city has not yet ended. This morning, the capital’s morning paper suddenly reported that the Beiyang Army intends to rebel. It was his deliberate design to swallow up the Beiyang new army.

Since the newspaper was run by a foreigner, and he did not name it, he had no excuse to seal it up like other newspapers, and could only let this unfavorable newspaper continue to be distributed.Although most of the things said in it were true, and some things were even planned by him, but he pointed all the blame at himself like this, and he couldn't bear this responsibility no matter what.

Even though he had summoned the people from the Beiyang faction in time to appease them, before he came out of the palace, he had received resignations from nearly 40 people from the Beiyang faction, including Feng Guozhang.In addition, I received foreign telegrams from secret agents, which said that after reading the report, Duan Qirui, Cao Kun and other leading generals of the Beiyang Army towns used this to encourage the middle and lower-level officers and soldiers to disobey the control of the upper-level Eight Banners generals, thus making the entire Beiyang Army use The pressure of public opinion from the government and the people attacked him, making Yuan Shikai's call for re-empowerment more and more loud.If this matter cannot be handled well, one can imagine what will happen to Manqing in the end.