The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 306 Attention from all parties
Teng Yuzhao had carefully considered the personalities of his subordinates.

Among his current main subordinates, excluding Li Xiance and Liu Yuzhi who can no longer be regarded as ordinary subordinates, Hu Dianjia, Liu Shijiu, Pan Jinshan, Wang Decheng, and Cao Futian all have ulterior motives, especially Liu Shijiu.

Although Li Yulin and Liu Changfa are not as loyal as Liu Yuzhi and Li Xianze, their loyalty is still not a problem. At least Teng Yuzhao believes that he can effectively control them.

Teng Yuzhao was very worried about these people with complicated minds.

Despite this, Teng Yuzhao still likes smart subordinates, which can save him a lot of trouble.

Whether it is the way of dealing with people or plotting conspiracies and intrigues, these people are much smoother than him, a time traveler. Teng Yuzhao actually does not have many advantages now.

All Teng Yuzhao relied on was his familiarity with the original historical trajectory and his knowledge of the historical experiences and lessons summarized by his predecessors.

Of course, the history of military warfare and the rich scientific and cultural knowledge of later generations are also the natural advantages of him as a military history researcher who graduated from a military academy.

Although Teng Yuzhao might not be a match for these people when it comes to using small tricks that are not worthy of being shown on the surface, they are no match for him when it comes to open schemes.

Moreover, as a person in a higher position, it is more advantageous to use open tactics.

Throughout history, open and aboveboard tactics, not to mention those we have heard of, even those that Teng Yuzhao has seen, are common in later generations.

In the end, Teng Yuzao handed the matter directly to Liu Shijiu to handle.

The difficult question thrown by Teng Yuzhao seemed to make Liu Shijiu feel quite embarrassed.

After much thought, Liu Shijiu finally persuaded his second senior brother, who was the captain of the assault detachment's broadsword team during the Boxer Rebellion, to vacate the captain's position for Zhu Kaishan, a relatively "straightforward" person.

In order to accommodate the second senior brother, several personnel changes had to be made, which required Liu Shijiu to spend a lot of time and effort before he finally arranged the positions of all the people involved.

However, Teng Yuzhao knew that in order to accommodate Zhu Kaishan, Liu Shijiu had left some unavoidable hidden dangers for himself in the assault detachment.

Because of this incident, not only will there be some minor rifts between the second senior brother and Liu Nineteen.

Many officers of the assault detachment whose positions were changed because of this incident would probably be dissatisfied with Zhu Kaishan.

Even because Liu Jiujiu and Zhu Kaishan are sworn brothers, many people would vent their resentment towards Zhu Kaishan on Liu Jiujiu.

Teng Yuzao was not worried about these possible hidden dangers. He did not think that it would affect the combat effectiveness of the assault detachment, nor would it even temporarily affect Liu Shijiu's leadership ability in the assault detachment.

If there is any impact, it will only be in the future.

In other words, this assault detachment, even if it becomes an assault column or even an assault corps in the future, will never be a united force again. Teng Yuzhao's control over the assault detachment through Liu Yanshou has increased by another 10%.

Teng Yuzhao had no choice but to resort to such means, which were even somewhat despicable.

In the vanguard army, the number of officers and soldiers who came from the Boxer Rebellion was so large that it was even large enough to make Teng Yuzhao feel fearful.

Especially Liu Shijiu. This ally of his was not only very influential during the Boxer Rebellion, but even now in the vanguard army, Liu Shijiu is also very famous. He has become a banner in the hearts of all the officers and soldiers in the vanguard army who came from the Boxer Rebellion.

Everything Teng Yuzao is doing now is to achieve the goal of lowering the height of Liu Shijiu's flag as much as possible and trying to remove some of the color, or light, of this flag.

For Cao Futian, Wang Decheng, and even Zhu Kaishan and Hu Dianjia, Teng Yuzao will also take corresponding measures to gradually reduce the influence that each of them can achieve.

Although the officers of the vanguard army were basically students from the Beiyang Military Academy and the Camp Academy, with only a small number of people from the Boxers and the Wuwei Vanguard Army serving as full-time officers in the army and a large number of people from the Boxers serving as deputy positions, the power of these people should not be underestimated.

How could Teng Yuzao feel at ease in such a situation?

In terms of dealing with issues concerning relations between generals and factions in the army, Teng Yuzao believed that Yuan Shikai was the most successful.

When Yuan Shikai was alive, his position in the Beiyang Army was unshakable. Even when the Qing government removed Yuan Shikai from his post, no one could truly command the Beiyang Army.

With the indulgence of Yuan Weiting, the generals of the Beiyang Army, including Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang, the incorporated Zhili clique giants, and Cao Kun, each formed their own small circles. When Yuan Weiting was around, they worked together; when Yuan Weiting was not around, they schemed against each other, secretly tripped each other up, or pretended to obey and undermined each other.

As a result, the Qing government had to invite Yuan Shikai back to continue his role as the supreme commander of the Beiyang Army. It was Yuan Weiting who eventually drove the Qing government off the stage of history and replaced it.

After Yuan Shikai's death, the Beiyang Army lost its backbone and immediately became very weak.

The Beiyang Army, which seemed powerful on the surface but was actually riddled with internal factions, immediately became divided and existed in name only.

Teng Yuzhao did not hope, nor did he want to see, the Vanguard Army split and fight among itself after his death, just like the Beiyang Army in history.

But he absolutely hoped that while he was alive, his position in the vanguard army would be as stable as Yuan Shikai's.

In order to achieve his goal, Teng Yuzhao would use any means and take various measures, not to mention open conspiracies. As long as it was necessary, he would not hesitate to use conspiracies and tricks.

There were no Boxers left in the capital city. Not only did the Boxers who had gone to Guandong leave the capital, but Liu Zhigang, Zhou Zhan and others also eventually passed through the Gansu Army's defense zone in the north city and escaped from the city that night.

Li Xiance also chased Liu Zhigang, Zhou Zhan and their group, who were carrying large and small bags, into the Gansu Army's defense zone. After being blocked by the Gansu Army, he stopped in time and did not have any conflict with the Gansu Army.

Although most of the officers and soldiers of the Second Mixed Brigade were very angry about the Gansu Army's actions, under the strong suppression of Li Xianze, most of the troops of the Second Mixed Brigade withdrew to the outer city, leaving only a small number of troops. On the pretext of preventing the robbers from returning, they closed all the streets at the junction of the two army's defense zones from east to west.

Every street was tightly blocked by sentries and security troops. Not only was no one allowed to go out on the streets, but robbers were also searched house by house.

In short, the purpose is to let all the citizens who have not left the city know that Liu Zhigang, Zhou Zhan and their gang have committed unforgivable crimes because they were the ones who looted the capital.

As expected, Ma Fulu did not make things difficult for Liu Zhigang, Zhou Zhan and others, and let them all out of the city through Deshengmen.

However, Ma Fulu also sent one of his cousins ​​to apologize to Teng Yuzhao, telling him that before their president left Beijing, he asked him not to make things difficult for the Boxers in the city, and that he could not disobey Dong Fuxiang's orders. He also asked Teng Yuzhao to forgive him, and gave him 10,000 taels of silver, several paintings and calligraphy, and an incense burner from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty.

The Gansu Army was the most financially distressed among the five armies of the Wuwei Army. Although the situation improved greatly after entering Beijing, it was almost impossible for them to give things to others.

The fact that these things were given away so generously today was obviously a bribe from Liu Zhigang and Zhou Zhan to the Gansu Army.

Teng Yuzao didn't care that Ma Fulu let Liu Zhigang, Zhou Zhan and others go, and he was even secretly happy that Ma Fulu let them go. Teng Yuzao really couldn't catch these people, and if he did, it would make him feel very difficult.

Only if they ran away, could Teng Yuzhao shirk the suspicion of losing a large amount of property from the dignitaries, wealthy people, and even government officials in the capital.

While Teng Yuzhao was busy with all his overt and covert schemes, reorganizing and training the troops in the capital, he had already attracted much attention from both the government and the public.

Thousands of miles away, in the flower hall of the Guangdong-Guangxi Governor's Mansion, a tall, thin old man in his seventies with sparse braids on his head, wearing a thin silk jacket and trousers for cooling off, was walking slowly in the flower hall with his hands behind his back, slightly frowning his heavy gray brows.

Although there were large copper basins filled with ice cubes placed in the four corners of the flower hall, all the doors and windows were still wide open to maintain air circulation inside and outside the flower hall shaded by green plants, keeping the temperature in the flower hall at a pleasant level.

In late summer and early autumn, the temperature in Guangzhou is still too hot, which is really an unfriendly climate for the elderly.

The old man, whose back was a little bent, had been pacing on the ground for a long time.

A dozen Goshas and several servant-looking people hiding in the shade outside the flower hall would occasionally peek into the flower hall from afar.

Once the old man has something to do, someone among these people will immediately run over to take orders.

The occasional Goshha, handymen, servants, and others who passed by the flower hall would walk quickly and carefully as if walking on thin ice, for fear of disturbing the old man.

This tall old man was none other than Li Hongzhang, the former Governor-General of Zhili, Minister of Beiyang, Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace, and current Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.

After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Li Hongzhang lost the Beiyang Navy on which his authority depended. In addition, he was criticized for advocating peace and humiliating the country, so he was ordered to join the cabinet and was dismissed from the post of Governor-General of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang, which he had held for 25 years, and was left idle.

In July of the 24th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Li Hongzhang was expelled from the General Office by Empress Dowager Cixi, "did not participate in confidential matters" and "shut himself up in seclusion."

Then he "retired in the capital" and became unhappy. It was not until October last year that he was appointed by the Qing court as the acting governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, "arresting Kang and Liang according to the imperial order" and suppressing the royalist party.

After Li Hongzhang arrived in Guangzhou to take charge of affairs, on the one hand, he "performed his duties" and arrested the families of three royalist party members including Luo Zanxin; on the other hand, he "tended to preserve" them and reserved space to postpone the destruction of Kang and Liang's ancestral tombs, and secretly maintained correspondence with Kang and Liang.

Li Hongzhang had been in the flower hall for a full hour.

Due to the weather, recently he would go to the flower hall to rest and cool off after finishing his work every day, and read the Shanghai and Hong Kong newspapers from the previous period.

Due to geographical reasons, although Li Hongzhang was the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, he could not read the daily newspapers of these two places. Even the latest newspapers from Shanghai that he saw were several days later than those from Hong Kong.

However, Li Hongzhang left his official business early this morning and came to the flower hall alone.

This place has now become the place where he handles private and public matters.

A desk has been set up in the flower hall, where are placed all the Shanghai and Hong Kong newspapers that have published military intelligence from Zhili in recent months.

Li Hongzhang seemed to be thinking about something. Sometimes he would stop and frown in silence, and then quickly walk back to the desk and quickly pick up the newspapers from Shanghai and Hong Kong. After finding the content that he had read countless times and even marked with a red pen, he would read it again carefully. Sometimes he would even find the Hong Kong and Shanghai newspapers to compare with each other.

Then he closed his eyes slightly and thought carefully, as if trying to find the truest truth between the lines.

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the flower hall. Li Hongzhang could not help but open his eyes and look outside the flower hall.

Two middle-aged officials, one tall and one short, dressed in official uniforms, walked in.

The tall official is called Yang Shixiang, currently serving as an editor at the Hanlin Academy. He was a Jinshi in the 12th year of the Guangxu period. His courtesy name is Pingshi and his pseudonym is Lianfu. He is from Sizhou, Anhui.

Yang Shixiang is 40 years old this year and is a very capable person. When Li Hongzhang came to Guangzhou to take up his post, he took the initiative to ask to come to Guangzhou to help Li Hongzhang and became Li Hongzhang's aide.

The other man was over 50 years old. His name was Zhang Peilun, and his courtesy name was Youqiao. He was from Fengrun, Zhili. He was Li Hongzhang’s son-in-law and became a Jinshi in the first year of the Guangxu period.

He had served successively as the Left Vice-Minister of the Censorate and then as Imperial Lecturer.

During the Sino-French War, he strongly advocated resistance against France and served as the Minister of Maritime Affairs of Fujian.

Later, the Fujian Navy was completely destroyed, the Mawei Shipyard was destroyed, and he was dismissed from his post and sent into exile.

He was released in the 14th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu and served as Li Hongzhang's aide.

These two people were not only Li Hongzhang's most important aides, but were also regarded by Li Hongzhang as his right-hand men.

It’s just that the two of them have had different opinions recently, and this time they came together, so something might have happened again.

Li Hongzhang sighed softly, walked slowly to the desk and sat down.

Li Hongzhang waved his hand and said, "Lianfu, Youqiao, both of you sit down and tell me what's going on."

Zhang Peilun snorted softly and looked up to signal Yang Shixiang to speak first.

Yang Shixiang cleared his throat, turned around and subconsciously glanced outside the flower hall. There was no one in sight, so he spoke.

"Zhongtang, Chen Shaobai is here to ask for an audience, please see..."

Chen Shaobai, also known as Kuishi, has pen names such as Huangxi, Tianyu and Wujiu.

He is from Xinhui, Guangdong Province. He is currently the editor-in-chief and president of a newspaper in Hong Kong and an important member of the Xingzhonghui.

This person is now coordinating and trying to facilitate Li Hongzhang's alliance with SW in far-away Japan to promote the independence of Guangdong and Guangxi.

However, Li Hongzhang never expressed his opinion, and Yang Shixiang was the most active supporter of this plan.

After Yang Shixiang finished speaking, he thought Li Hongzhang would remain silent as usual, and was about to continue persuading Li Hongzhang to meet Chen Shaobai.

But what Yang Shixiang did not expect was that this time, Li Hongzhang did not remain silent, but spoke in a firm tone.

(End of this chapter)