The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 433 The First Think Tank

Teng Yuzao stared at Yang Shixiang for a long while before turning around and waving to Xu Ting. Xu Ting immediately led the guards out of the Moon Gate, and once again only Teng Yuzao and Yang Shixiang were left in the garden.

Teng Yuzao walked to his seat and sat down. His tone had softened, but he still frowned as he spoke.

"Mr. Pingshi, your family has been blessed by the emperor, you are a genuine Jinshi, and you have served in such a noble position as the Hanlin Academy. Now you are the Taotai, and the court treats you well. How could you be so foolish as to encourage me to harbor the enemy and protect myself?"

Teng Yuzao snorted heavily and said, "Considering that it is not easy for you to become a prefect, I will not pursue you. I will pretend that this matter never happened and will not mention it to the court. You can pack up and leave the vanguard army and seek better opportunities elsewhere."

Yang Shixiang smiled faintly and said, "It's easy for General Fu to ask me to leave the Vanguard Army. I can find a reason to leave and return to Li Zhongtang or go to Zhang Xiangtao to find a position."

"But, I am worried that once this war is over, the imperial court will find an opportunity to remove General Fu from his military power, and the only strong army that General Fu has worked so hard to build and can fight against the great powers will be destroyed in an instant!"

"If things go wrong, it's possible that Commander Fu will lose his job."

"Could it be that Commander Fu has the heart to see this powerful army disappear, and that China will be bullied by the great powers again, and suffer another humiliation like the Battle of Shimonoseki?"

Teng Yuzao smiled calmly and said, "Mr. Pingshi, you are too kind. China is a country rich in natural resources and talented people. How can it be possible for only Teng to lead the vanguard army?"

Yang Shixiang said in a serious tone, "When General Fu started his army, he only had one battalion of soldiers. Now, General Fu has not only assembled tens of thousands of soldiers who are stronger than the armies of the great powers, but has also won battle after battle, repeatedly defeating the foreigners. Yesterday, he even won a great victory that has not been seen in the country for a hundred years."

"It is not an exaggeration to say that this great achievement was accomplished entirely by the efforts of General Fu alone! How can just anyone be competent for this task?"

"Don't even mention Li Zhongtang, even the arrogant Zhang Xiangtao can't do it. As for Yuan Shikai, who has the Wuwei Right Army, which can barely fight, but is hiding in Shandong and watching from the sidelines, he can't be compared with Marshal Fu. Without Marshal Fu, in three to five years at the shortest, or more than ten years at the longest, the Vanguard Army will return to mediocrity and will no longer be a strong army."

Teng Yuzao smiled indifferently and said, "If you are in a position, you should do your job. If you don't work as an official, you will have fewer troubles. It's not bad to be an idle wanderer."

"The purpose of forming the vanguard army was to defend China from foreign enemies. After the foreign enemies were driven away, it is not a big deal whether I can still lead the army. Even if I don't hold this position anymore, it's not a big deal. I can just learn from Tao Yuanming and become a carefree and idle person who picks chrysanthemums under the eastern fence and leisurely sees the southern mountains. Isn't it better!"

Yang Shixiang smiled bitterly and said, "Nowadays, the Vanguard Army Support Association and the Strong Country Society are springing up everywhere."

"Everyone in the streets and alleys talks about Fu Shuai, and scholars are vying to read "The Rise of Great Powers". Fu Shuai's reputation is unparalleled in the world, and is far better than Zeng Wenzhenggong in the past. Doesn't Fu Shuai know that it is a crime to possess a treasure?"

"By then, I'm afraid that even if Fu Shuai wants to be an idle villager, he won't be able to do so, as he may be framed by a villain."

Although Yang Shixiang did not say the following words, Teng Yuzhao understood them.

With Teng Yuzhao's current reputation, even if he wanted to be an idle rich man, the court would probably not be at ease.

Yang Shixiang said seriously, "Putting aside the military, I would like to ask General Fu, who else do you think can promote Westernization and achieve the goal of enriching the country and strengthening the military as described in "The Rise of Great Powers"?"

"Who else can lead China today and embark on the path of re-emergence?"

Although he was asking Teng Yuzao, Yang Shixiang had already started asking and answering his own questions.

"I think that if it weren't for General Fu, there would be no one else in China who could do this. Would General Fu's passion be extinguished from now on?"

At this point, Teng Yuzao no longer wanted to test Yang Shixiang, as he had achieved his goal. Yang Shixiang was still the Yang Shixiang in history who was trusted by Yuan Shikai, tried his best to plan for Yuan Shikai, and finally pushed Yuan Shikai to successfully force the Qing emperor to abdicate. He did not change because of the appearance of Teng Yuzao.

Teng Yuzhao was very excited to be praised by this perfect man among the three and a half Hanlin scholars admired by Yuan Shikai. Yang Shixiang was different from ordinary counselors and think tanks. He was also a shrewd and capable official. Such a person was exactly the talent that Teng Yuzhao was eager to get.

Since there was no need to test whether Yang Shixiang was sincere in helping him, Teng Yuzhao pondered for a moment and said seriously.

"Mr. Lianfu."

Yang Shixiang's courtesy name was Pingshi and his pseudonym was Lianfu.

Since Teng Yuzhao had already accepted Yang Shixiang, the name was immediately changed to Yang Shixiang's pseudonym as a sign of respect.

"My lifelong wish is to enrich my country and strengthen my army, resist foreign invaders, and recover my territory. To achieve my long-cherished wish, I am willing to go through fire and water for this. I hope Mr. Lianfu can help me."

After saying that, he bowed to Yang Shixiang.

Yang Shixiang naturally understood what Teng Yuzao said. In great joy, he stood up and bowed deeply to Teng Yuzao, saying, "Shixiang is not talented, but from now on I am willing to follow Commander Fu and join us in this great cause."

The words have been made clear. Teng Yuzhao laughed excitedly and helped Yang Shixiang to sit down. After returning to his seat, Teng Yuzhao said.

"Don't ever say anything like raising a thief to protect yourself. I, Teng Yuzao, will never do such a thing."

Seeing that Yang Shixiang was about to speak, Teng Yuzao waved his hand and said, "Mr. Lianfu, don't worry. Although the coalition forces of the great powers are no longer able to fight, I can judge that the battle of Zhili will not end so soon. The great powers should make a final struggle. In other words, there should be another major war in the next few months."

"And the battle at that time will be the final battle. We don't need to win a decisive victory, we just need to remain undefeated or even draw. Then the foreigners will most likely propose peace talks."

Yang Shixiang said anxiously, "That is to say, in three to four months at most, this war will be over. By then, the court's reliance on General Fu will be greatly reduced, so we must hurry up to expand the army."

Teng Yuzao nodded and said, "Expanding the army is inevitable, otherwise we won't be able to cope with the upcoming war."

"However, the fact that the two sides have started to negotiate peace does not mean that the war will cease immediately. It will take a long time for the war to truly cease fire."

Teng Yuzao's words puzzled Yang Shixiang. "General Fu, please forgive me for my insensitivity. Since we have already negotiated peace, why don't we stop fighting?"

Teng Yuzao took a sip of tea and said, "We will have to hold a military meeting soon, and then you and I will rush to Shanxi. I will just briefly explain the unfinished business, and we can discuss it on the way."

"The great powers have suffered heavy losses this time, so how can they simply negotiate peace and give up? Because of their contempt for the imperial court over the years, especially since the Japanese devils just got both compensation and land, how can they be willing to fail? In my opinion, the great powers will once again increase their troops."

"After that, even if they still don't gain any advantage, they will certainly ask for huge compensation or even cede land. This is all possible."

"As long as I, Teng Yuzao, am here, I will never agree to the imperial court's humiliating request for peace by ceding territory and paying compensation."

"That is to say, this war will continue for a while, until the foreigners dare not fight anymore, or cannot fight anymore..."

(End of this chapter)