The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 647: I won't do anything that is detrimental to the Marshal
Duan Qirui nodded to indicate that he remembered the time when Cao Kun, at the instruction of Yuan Shikai, secretly instigated his subordinates to pretend to mutiny. Then he sighed and shook his head, and said with a look of regret.

"That time, thanks to Xingfu's cooperation, the imperial court finally did not transfer the Henan Army's several towns in Henan. In fact, the old Henan Army troops that were sent to several northern provinces to assist in the establishment of new armies not only remained in small numbers, but also returned one after another, which allowed the Henan Army to remain intact."

"Otherwise, our Henan Army would have been split up long ago!"

Zhao Bingjun also nodded to show his agreement with Duan Qirui's statement and said with a wry smile.

"It's a pity that the six towns of our former Henan Army are not only much weaker than the Zhi Army, but the generals are not as loyal and reliable as Teng Yuzao's subordinates! Otherwise, even if we were split into several provinces, like the imperial court split the Zhi Army, what can the imperial court do to us!"

Duan Qirui naturally understood what Zhao Bingjun meant. Last time, the Zhi Army and the Henan Army were nominally required to be dispersed to several provinces to help form new armies in various places. However, not only were the troops sent by the Henan Army small, but they were all withdrawn after a year.

However, the imperial court had not given any news about the Zhi army's separated troops. It seemed that the imperial court was not planning to let them come back.

The purpose is to use these generals to stay away from Teng Yuzhao so that they can be dispersed and bribed. Anyone with a discerning eye can see this intention.

However, the court's measures did not seem to be very effective. At most, some effects seemed to be seen with Hu Dianjia who was stationed in Fujian.

Because when Duan Qirui saw the joint signature list of the Zhi army generals demanding pay, Hu Dianjia's name was not on it. It was obvious that Hu Dianjia had different ideas from these Zhi army generals, and Duan Qirui was aware of this.

What surprised Duan Qirui was that it seemed that the generals of the Henan Army also had problems, and that the situation seemed to be even more serious than that of the Zhi Army. How could Duan Qirui not be shocked?

Could it be that some people are now disregarding the interests of the Henan Army and starting to become disloyal to Yuan Shikai?

Looking at Duan Qirui's surprised expression, Zhao Bingjun smiled bitterly.

"Don't be surprised, Zhiquan. The Marshal took the initiative to leave Beijing for Guangdong and Guangxi. He really had no choice."

Sighing, Zhao Bingjun continued.

"Brother Zhiquan, the times are different now. If the Marshal does not lead his troops away from the capital, it is hard to say how many of the six generals of the Henan Army will still be loyal to the Marshal!"

"If the imperial court uses this opportunity to send troops to other provinces to reorganize the new army and transfer the old Henan troops who still care about the Marshal, what will happen even if the Marshal stays in the capital? In that case, the Marshal will be nothing more than a toothless tiger."

"Without the support of the Henan Army, even if the Marshal wants to be Zhang Xiangtao, it will be impossible. The best outcome is probably to return to Xiangcheng to retire."

Although Duan Qirui could hear something behind Zhao Bingjun's words, he still waited for Zhao Bingjun's next words in uncertainty.

Zhao Bingjun saw that Duan Qirui did not believe what he said and even thought he was exaggerating.

I couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Brother Zhiquan, do you think I'm worrying about nothing?"

Duan Qirui picked up the beer glass and took a big sip, then slowly picked up the chopsticks on the table, as if he didn't agree with what he said.

Still without commenting on his statement, Zhao Bingjun knew that he had to highlight some key points, otherwise he would not be able to say the following words.

Although there were some things Zhao Bingjun was not sure whether he could tell Duan Qirui, he thought about Yuan Shikai's solemn promise to him before he left that Duan Qirui would never do anything to his detriment and told him to rest assured. However, he did not dare to completely trust Duan Qirui, and at least he had to be reserved about some things.

Zhao Bingjun said carefully, "Brother Zhiquan, you don't know that Tieliang has already taken action against our Henan Army in order to cut off the general's wings, or it is the will of the court."

Zhao Bingjun's words made Duan Qirui, who had already picked up the chopsticks, suddenly stop and look at Zhao Bingjun in surprise.

Zhao Bingjun sighed and said, "To be honest with you, Brother Zhiquan, Tieliang paid 30,000 silver dollars to bribe several commanders of our Henan Army. And they were not banknotes, but real silver dollars."

"Except for Wang Pinqing, the other town commanders all took the money."

Before Zhao Bingjun finished speaking, Duan Qirui was so startled that his chopsticks fell onto the table.

"What did you say? Cao Zhongshan also accepted it!"

Not only did Cao Kun have a good relationship with Duan Qirui, but when Duan Qirui left the Third Town, Yuan Shikai also sought his opinion on the successor commander of the Third Town, and it was he who strongly recommended Cao Kun.

This time, he stayed with Cao Kun for a few days, but Cao Kun did not mention a word about this matter to him. How could Duan Qirui not be shocked and angry?

Zhao Bingjun nodded and saw that veins on Duan Qirui's forehead were popping out. He was obviously very angry that Cao Kun also accepted Tie Liang's money, so he hurriedly spoke.

"Brother Zhiquan, please calm down and listen to what I have to say."

Zhao Bingjun also took a sip of wine, then picked up the beer bottle and filled it up for both of them, then said with a smile.

"Cao Zhongshan looks honest, but he is actually a very smart man. Although he accepted Tieliang's money, he immediately sent someone to deliver the money to the Marshal's residence. How could the Marshal let such a loyal man suffer a loss?"

"The commander not only asked the man to take the silver back, but also told him to tell Cao Zhongshan that he should accept any silver Tieliang gave him in the future."

Seeing Duan Qirui let out a long sigh, Zhao Bingjun leaned back in his chair, put away his smile and couldn't help but sigh.

"But people's minds are hard to predict. There is only one Cao Zhongshan in the Henan Army. Some of the others who received the money have greeted the commander-in-chief, while others simply did not make any noise."

Duan Qirui was not surprised by Zhao Bingjun's remarks this time. He knew very well that the Henan Army was not a monolithic entity.

The generals of the Henan Army were mainly composed of two parts, mainly the former members of the Huai Army and those who graduated from the Beiyang Military Academy.

Because Yuan Shikai and Wu Changqing of the Huai Army had a close relationship, when he formed the Wuwei Right Army, Yuan Shikai absorbed many people from Wu Changqing's troops.

Among the several town commanders, only himself and Wang Shizhen, as well as Cao Kun, Wang Yingkai, the commander of the second town, and Wu Fengling, the commander of the fourth town, were graduates of the Military Academy.

Wang Yingkai, He Zonglian of the First Regiment, and Wu Changchun of the Fifth Regiment all came from Wu Changqing's Huai Army. They all joined Yuan Shikai's Wuwei Right Army during the training at Xiaozhan.

Although Wang Yingkai also graduated from the Beiyang Military Academy, he was already a scholar before joining the army. Wu Changchun was not only Wu Changqing's cousin, but also had military merits like He Zonglian. Wu Changchun was even a nominal admiral at that time.

Therefore, when these people entered the Wuwei Right Army, they were all in positions such as captains and wing chiefs. In other words, these people's current status was not entirely due to Yuan Shikai's support. Naturally, they did not feel as close to Yuan Shikai as Wang Shizhen, Duan Qirui, Cao Kun and others who were promoted by Yuan Shikai.

As for the relationship between Wu Fengling of the Fourth Town and Yuan Shikai, it was somewhat special. Wu Fengling not only graduated from the Military Academy, he was also the son of Yuan Shikai's servant. When Yuan Shikai was in Korea in his early years, he also served as Yuan Shikai's entourage and guard, needless to say their relationship was special.

Duan Qirui could roughly guess that if there was anyone who could be bribed by Tieliang now, it should be the few towns that Yuan Shikai did not take away.

Duan Qirui took a deep breath and nodded, then said with a wry smile, "It's just that it's not a long-term solution for the Marshal to take these three towns out. The reorganization will end sooner or later. I'm afraid that by then..."

Zhao Bingjun understood what Duan Qirui meant and said with a smile.

"The Marshal has foresight and foresight, which is beyond our reach. He will find a way to stay there when the time comes."

Yuan Shikai only said that he believed Duan Qirui would not do anything that would be detrimental to him, but he did not say that Duan Qirui would be loyal to him, Yuan Shikai. Zhao Bingjun understood Yuan Shikai's thoughts on this point, but he did not dare to say all of it out loud.

Zhao Bingjun stopped talking, reached into his bosom, took out a silver note from his poplin gown, put it on the table and pushed it to Duan Qirui.

"Brother Zhiquan, I came to see you this time on the orders of the Marshal. Before he left last night, the Marshal told me that Brother Zhiquan, like Wang Pinqing, is an honest man with little savings, and he wanted me to give you this ten thousand taels of silver."

"What the Marshal means is that since Tieliang has dismissed you from your post, you should return to your hometown and wait for a while. Once the Marshal has established himself in Guangdong and Guangxi, he will find a way to reinstate you. Then you can go back and lend a helping hand to the Marshal."

Although Duan Qirui had not yet figured out how Yuan Shikai could break free from his constraints and gain a foothold in Guangdong and Guangxi, he could feel that Zhao Bingjun was hiding something from him, or it could be said that Yuan Shikai did not want him to know it now.

Thinking of this, Duan Qirui looked at the banknotes on the table, smiled faintly and said to Zhao Bingjun.

"Thank you for your concern, Marshal!"

"You may not be aware, the court's ruling on me also includes a sentence that says I will never be employed again."

"With these words, as long as Tieliang is still here, I am afraid it will be impossible for me, Duan, to be reinstated in this lifetime. Brother Zhi'an, please find a way to tell the Marshal not to worry about me anymore. I am ready to spend the rest of my life in the countryside."

Then, Duan Qirui pushed the banknotes on the table to Zhao Bingjun.

"I won't accept the banknotes either. The Marshal knows my character and he won't blame me."

Duan Qirui added, "I don't have any hobbies, so I have some savings over the years. It's not a problem for me to buy a hundred acres of land when I return home, which is enough to support my family."

After a little thought, Duan Qirui decided to say what had been lingering in his mind for a long time, otherwise he would feel ashamed of Yuan Shikai's kindness in recognizing his talent.

"Brother Zhi'an, I know that even if the Marshal is far away from the capital, you and the Marshal will not lose contact. I would like to trouble Brother Zhi'an to pass on a message to the Marshal for me."

"It seems that Tieliang's idea of ​​reducing the size of the Zhi army and then controlling it is not feasible. Now the generals of the Zhi army are obviously threatening the court. The cost of reducing and taking over the Zhi army is huge, and the court simply cannot afford it now."

"It was Teng Xingfu who took the initiative to take over the navy's military expenses. Otherwise, the amount would be unimaginable and it is not something the court can afford. Whether the subsequent development can be as Tieliang and the court wish depends on the court's means."

Although Duan Qirui's tone was calm, it was obvious from the expression on his face that he was not optimistic about the court.

After talking about the Zhi army generals asking for military pay, Duan Qirui suddenly turned the subject back to Yuan Shikai.

"My guess is that the reason why the Marshal was able to take control of the army again this time is because the court is still determined to deal with Teng Xingfu. The purpose of reorganizing the new armies in various provinces is to completely control these new armies, and then use force to force Teng Xingfu or those unruly Zhijun generals to submit. They are even preparing to fight Teng Xingfu with swords."

Duan Qirui sighed and said, "It's just that Tieliang underestimated Teng Xingfu, and the Queen Mother was also deceived by Tieliang and Yikuang. Not to mention that Teng Xingfu led the Zhi army to defeat the hundreds of thousands of foreign coalition forces, even now the Zhi army still has hundreds of thousands of people. It is not easy to recapture the Zhi army by force!"

"Moreover, the most important thing is that Teng Xingfu is not short of money. The military expenditure is sufficient. War still depends on silver. If the court really wants to take action against Teng Xingfu, not to mention that war will break out again, in my opinion, the court should have no chance of winning at all."

"In my opinion, it would be better for the Marshal to join forces with Teng Xingfu."

Zhao Bingjun did not quite agree with Duan Qirui's statement, but military affairs were not his strong point, and he did not want to argue with Duan Qirui, who was in the military, about the strength of the Zhi army.

Zhao Bingjun did not comment on Duan Qirui's words, but just said it lightly.

"I believe in the Marshal. As long as the Marshal says he has a way to gain a foothold in Guangdong and Guangxi, then he will definitely have a way."

"As for the Zhi army."

Zhao Bingjun looked at Duan Qirui and said, "As far as I know, they are not a monolithic group. As long as the court uses the general and successfully reorganizes the new armies in Huguang, Guangdong and Guangxi, as well as in Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces, it is still unclear who will win."

Duan Qirui noticed Zhao Bingjun's words "Who will win?". Although it might be something Zhao Bingjun said unintentionally, it might also be Zhao Bingjun's guess at Yuan Shikai's thoughts.

Duan Qirui sighed secretly, but still spoke to Zhao Bingjun firmly.

"Brother Zhi'an, please report to the commander-in-chief. After the Boxer Rebellion, I no longer want to see another war in the country. Moreover, the land of the three provinces outside the Great Wall has not been recovered yet, and Japan and Russia are still fighting for our land."

"I have made up my mind to return home."

Seeing Zhao Bingjun's surprise, Duan Qirui said again.

"Please tell the Marshal, Brother Zhi'an, that the Marshal has shown me great kindness. I, Duan Qirui, will never do anything that would harm the Marshal. Please rest assured."

Duan Qirui's words made Zhao Bingjun silent for a while. He looked at Duan Qirui for a long time. Seeing Duan Qirui's firm eyes, he finally sighed heavily and said.

"Since Brother Zhiquan said so, I have nothing to say. Please rest assured that I will definitely pass on your words."

Since they had no common ground, Zhao Bingjun had said everything he needed to say. After that, he briefly chatted with Duan Qirui for a few more minutes and then stood up to say goodbye.

After Zhao Bingjun left, Duan Qirui sat there in a daze for a long time before he loudly called for the waiter to bring the rice he had just ordered.
(End of this chapter)