Mengshan Army

Yuan Shikai was not optimistic about Kang Youwei's so-called reform, that is, a crazy student with no practical experience wrote letters to the emperor in radical and deceptive language, catering to the emperor's eagerness to reform and seek strength, thus gaining the emperor's trust.Look at what Kang Youwei and his gang have done: they dismissed the officials of the six ministries in large numbers, and replaced them with Tan Siping and other military aircraft Zhang Jing, causing disturbances in the government and the opposition.The reformers did not understand that reforms should win the maximum support from the government and the opposition, but relied on the emperor's trust to make major changes in the court system: Kaimao Qindian presided over the New Deal to replace the Military Aircraft Department, and even planned to invite Ito Hirobumi, the enemy of the Sino-Japanese War Be a guest minister of the Qing Dynasty to guide the New Deal.

At the beginning of August, the emperor suddenly summoned Yuan Shikai, who was concentrating on military training at the small station under the name of the Zhili envoy, and praised his achievements in training the new army, and awarded him the title of Minister of the Ministry of War.This made Yuan Shikai a second-rank official of the imperial court in one fell swoop.You must know that Yuan Shikai used to be the inspector of Zhili, a third-rank official, and in the Manchu system, the rank of a Beijing official is one level higher than that of a local official. Yuan Shikai was transferred to a Beijing official. He should be a fourth-rank official, but now the emperor rewards him with the title of servant , that is the second product.It is equivalent to being promoted to two ranks out of thin air. No wonder Yuan Shikai is so grateful to the emperor.

Yuan Shikai still didn't know that the emperor and the reformist Han ministers had a plan. When they realized that the conservatives were going to make some moves, they realized that military power is the ultimate power to determine politics. Compared with the military power around Gyeonggi, it is worth making a decision Yes, it was Yuan Shikai's new army at the small station, and it is not surprising that they tried their best to win over Yuan Shikai.

That night, an uninvited guest came to the Fahua Temple where Yuan Shikai stayed, and that was Tan Sitong.

He still remembers Tan Sitong's thrilling words when he came to Fahua Temple in early August and asked him to send troops to kill Ronglu, encircle the Summer Palace, and depose Cixi.

Those scholars are always self-righteous. In their eyes, the coup d'état is so simple, as long as they give orders to the new army.It's ridiculous!Not to mention whether their claims are accepted by me, even if I am willing to send troops, it will take the soldiers' lives to do so.I don't know how many people in the Beiyang New Army are loyal to the imperial court. Not to mention, Wang Shizhen, who is known as the head of the three heroes of the new army, is completely loyal to the imperial court.Once the wind leaks out, he will be a crime of extermination!Fortunately, I was able to hold my breath at that time, and did not agree to the instigation of that Hunan scholar Tan Sitong.

After being awarded the title of servant, according to the rules, Yuan Shikai was going to the Summer Palace to thank the Empress Dowager Cixi.The emaciated elder Cixi pointed to Yuan Shikai who was kneeling on the ground and asked, "The emperor asked you the other day, 'If you command the army, will you be loyal to me?' How did you answer?"

The sweat on Yuan Shikai's back immediately came down, my God, every move of the emperor is under the supervision of the queen mother.But he really didn't remember what he said to Guangxu. Fortunately, Cixi said it for him, "Monkey boy, what you said is 'every breath is alive, and you must repay it', right?" Cixi sneered several times, "Picture the Qing Dynasty It was right for the imperial court to rectify the army. But the emperor is too hasty, I suspect he has some deep meaning, you have to be careful. Go down."

It was the fifth day of August when Yuan Shikai returned from Yanjing to Tianjin. Yuan Shikai, who was on his back, had already felt the strength of the conservative forces, and wanted to report Tan Sitong's plan to his superior, Beiyang Minister and Zhili Governor Rong Lu.But I don't know how to speak.He had to report the trip to Yanjing to his boss, Rong Lu, but there were so many visitors to the Rong Mansion that day, Yuan Shikai didn't have the opportunity to have an interview.It was not until the second watch that Yuan Shikai and Rong Lu's non-actual talks came to an end.Rong Lu thoughtfully stayed Yuan Shikai in the Rong Mansion and refused to let him return to Xiaozhan barracks.

It is said in the world that Yuan Shikai informed Rong Lu of the Kang party's plan on the night of the fifth day of August. The shocked Rong Lu hurried back to the capital that night and went to the palace late at night to meet the Empress Dowager. At that time, a palace coup was launched, announcing the retraining of the government, confinement of Emperor Guangxu, and arrest of Kang Youwei and Kang Guangren brothers.

This statement is widely spread, but there are actually many unreasonable things: First, the capacity of railway transportation at that time should not be overestimated. At that time, the operation of the steam train from Tianjin to Yanjing required the mobilization of various government offices, and the cooperation of all stations along the way.Even if Rong Lu learned of the plan of the reformist military coup, it was impossible to deploy the personnel and materials of the entire railway line within a few hours and set off a special train to return to Yanjing before dawn.Second, the regulations of the palace system made it impossible for Rong Lu to break into the palace late at night to see Cixi.Moreover, Cixi had already returned to the Guangxu government at that time, and retired to the Summer Palace to recuperate.She couldn't meet courtiers directly and unhindered anytime, anywhere, let alone in the middle of the night.Third, when Empress Dowager Cixi launched a palace coup on the sixth day of August to take back her power, she charged Kang Youweian with "forming a party for personal gain, making rumors to disrupt the government", and was not charged with a military coup.If there was such a clause, Kang Youwei would not have "delivered to the Ministry of Punishment and punished according to the law", but exterminated the family.

In reality, the next day, Yang Chongyi, the censor who wrote to the queen mother to ask for measures to stop the emperor's mischief, came to Tianjin to read the announcement of the coup in Yanjing and the queen mother's retraining.The old and cunning Rong Lu learned from Yang Chongyi that Yuan Shikai had a close relationship with the reformers during the past few days in Yanjing. position.When Yuan Shikai learned that the Empress Dowager Cixi had taken action in Yanjing and that the reformist faction had completely failed, he immediately told the whole story of the previous three days, including everything that Tan Sitong Fahua Temple said.

Yuan Shikai still reported, but there is a major difference between the report before the fifth day and the report on the sixth day.Before the fifth day of junior high school, it was completely selling friends for glory, but after the sixth day of junior high school, it was out of self-preservation.

On the seventh day of August, Yang Chongyi rushed back to the capital with the secret document written by Rong Lu.This time difference is also enough to prove that Yuan Shikai did not reveal Tan Sitong's conspiracy on the night of the fifth day of the lunar new year.

Yuan Shikai could not bear to look back on these thrilling past events.Facts have proved that all his actions were under the watchful eyes of Rong Lu, a cunning old man who was trusted by Empress Dowager Cixi. He asked himself to return to Tianjin immediately to deploy defenses on the pretext of soldiers from various countries cruising outside Dagu, and transferred himself back to Tianjin. That is to say, he sent Nie Shicheng's Wu Yi Army 5000 people to Tianjin, cutting off his connection with Yanjing.Dong Fuxiang's Gan army also entered Yanjing.Both Nie Shicheng and Dong Fuxiang are absolutely loyal to the Queen Mother!

It was a close call.Fortunately, I reported Tan Sitong's conversation to Ronglu in full, and obtained the understanding of Ronglu and Cixi.Although he was guilty of the Restoration, but he stood firm at the critical moment, and he can still be cultivated.In addition, Rong Lu has always admired Yuan Shikai very much. With Rong Lu speaking in front of Cixi, Yuan Shikai passed a major difficulty in his life without any danger.

Yuan Shikai stood on the right team in the end, and of course the court wanted to reward him.Granting him the post of acting governor of Shandong is his reward.Shandong does not have a governor, and his acting governor is the supreme chief, which is enough for him to show his ambitions.Suppress Boxer Boxing, which has deeply dissatisfied foreigners, and strictly restrict illegal associations.Of course, occupying the mountain is king, and the thieves who rob houses are even more severely cracked down.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered Shandong, the reckless Cao Kun made him stumble.

Cao Kun's report on the attack on Mengshan made Yuan Shikai drop his cup.The five leaders of the Mengshan bandits were all finished, the bandits' lair was burned down, more than a thousand were killed, and more than 700 prisoners were captured. It must be a big victory.However, in the campaign to suppress a group of grass bandits who occupied the mountain as king, nearly 500 officers and soldiers were lost!Among them, no less than half followed him to Shandong from Xiaozhan!Not to mention, his lair was unexpectedly taken over by an unidentified strongman, and his military resources were seriously lost.What distressed Yuan Shikai the most was that three team officers and five platoon leaders were killed in the Mengshan battle!Yuan Shikai can recall the voices and smiles of those officers who died (missing) in battle. For the Wuwei Youjun built by him, Yuan Shikai can call the names of all the officers. Almost all of them are graduates of the accompanying school he founded. The cornerstone of a lifetime career.

But five hundred fires were lost in the little Mengshan!Damn Cao Kun, damn Cao San fool!How can the capture of Sun Dewang offset such a heavy loss?He thought that an extravagant document could cover up his failure?

As far as the Qing Empire is concerned, Yuan Shikai, who is considered proficient in military affairs, especially in military education, knows the significance of officers to an army. Officers and non-commissioned officers are the bones and blood of an army, not the superposition of numbers, not random additions Hundreds of illiterate farmers can make up for it.Having intensively studied the wars of the past dynasties, especially the war to suppress bandits in the late Ming Dynasty and the war to pacify the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he knew that the peasant army's approach was to coerce a large number of ignorant and foolish people into the battle.Compared with Zeng Hou's Hunan Army, the Taiping Army had an absolute advantage in numbers in almost every battle, but they couldn't beat the tightly controlled and well-equipped Hunan Army.Although his new army may only have more than 500 people, they are all carefully trained elites, and they are the capital of his army expansion.Military expansion is a matter of course and has already been done.Tianjin is under the nose of the imperial court, and there are always too many worries. Now the shepherd side finally has a chance to show their talents, but Cao Zhongshan lost [-] people in the Mengshan battle!This does not include wounded soldiers!If this kind of battle is fought a few more times, all the hard work that I have gathered in my life will be in vain!

This idiot must be severely punished!Yuan Shikai called in the guards and asked them to find Wang Shizhen.

While waiting for Wang Shizhen's arrival, Yuan Shikai continued to think.He knew that the reason why the imperial court sent him to Shandong to become a great official in the frontier was directly related to the rise of Boxer Boxing.It is said that the American Minister Conger was deeply dissatisfied with the attitude of the local officials in Zhili Shandong who condoned Yihequan, and asked the imperial court to remove Yuxian from his post and send officials who could treat Yihequan severely to Shandong to take charge.My predecessor Yuxian and his predecessor Zhang Rumei, a Manchu and a Han, both made mistakes on Boxing. The Empress Dowager also admired him very much, but due to foreigners, she still transferred Yuxian to be the governor of Shanxi, and sent herself to Shandong, who had always advocated "suppression" rather than "comfort".

As soon as Yuan Shikai took office in Shandong, he felt that the influence of Yihequan in Shandong, especially in the southwestern area of ​​Shandong, was uncontrollable.After discussing with several assistants, Yuan Shikai decisively issued a clear notice of "prohibition of Yihe Boxers", and sent new troops to the four directions to arrest the leader of the altar and dissolve various forms of gatherings.In Yuan Shikai's view, what the Boxers did was ridiculous.

It was something that made Yuan Shikai see through the fact that Yihequan was a lie, which made people want to laugh but couldn't. One of his subordinates introduced him to a "big brother" in the boxing world, saying that he was extremely powerful and invulnerable. The brothers are not afraid to fight with foreign guns.Yuan Shikai was very curious, and immediately verified on the spot. When he came to the open space outside the gate, several foreign guns fired at the senior brother in the big red robe. Yuan Shikai was surprised to find that this person was really unscathed. With arms folded, he smiled and faced the soldiers of the new army.Yuan Shikai subconsciously pulled out the Browning he was wearing, and shot the elder brother, who immediately fell to the ground and could not stand up again.Yuan Shikai stepped forward to check amidst the screams of the crowd, and saw that the muzzle of the gun on the chest of the elder brother was bleeding profusely, and he was already dead.

Yuan Shikai ordered the soldiers who had just fired shots to be locked up for interrogation. Sure enough, the soldiers who had been bribed by the Boxers pulled out the bullets and fired.Yuan Shikai severely punished those "trustees". This incident completely made Yuan Shikai realize the deceitful surname of the Boxers, and his position on the Boxers completely turned to suppression and banning.

Wang Shizhen is in favor of strictly banning boxing.He was even more determined than Yuan Shikai on this issue.When the Wuwei Youjun first arrived in Dezhou, Yuan Shikai encountered a troublesome matter. The leader of the Boxer Regiment, who was taken care of by a certain prince in Beijing, became a hedgehog that Yuan Shikai could not talk about. This matter was solved by Wang Shizhen neatly. Kill first and play later. Anyway, everyone was killed, and the dignitaries in the capital had nothing to do.Of course, Wang Shizhen has to bear some responsibilities, and this incident once again proves that Wang Shizhen dares to take responsibility.

After reading Cao Kun's military newspaper, Wang Shizhen thought for a while, and then proposed that Cao Kun should not be severely punished, but should be praised.There are three reasons for Wang Shizhen: First, Cao Kun's qualifications are considered shallow in the officer group formed in Xiaozhan.But this former cloth dealer, who was called Cao San fool behind his back and was often called Cao San brother in front of him, was very popular in the army, probably because Cao Kun possessed a demeanor of no doubt in employing people.Severely punishing Cao Kun will damage the morale of the Wuwei Youjun, which is rapidly expanding its strength.Secondly, we sent troops to Shandong, and the imperial court is watching. The events of the [-] Years may not be all over, especially on Ronglu's side.Rong Lu is the commander-in-chief of the Wuwei Army, and finally got his permission to enrich the two wings of the Wuwei Right Army (equivalent to brigades) in Shandong. At this time, if we report the loss and severely punish Cao Kun, it seems that we have lost a big battle. Yes, not good.

Wang Shizhen suggested that Cao Kun's troops should be commended, and that the victory of the Mengshan bandits be conquered should be quickly reported to the imperial court. Since the Master Zhao has asked for it, he will write a letter to Master Zhao.In short, we have won the battle.As for the internal group, investigate the situation clearly before making a final decision.Isn't Cao Zhongshan on his way to Jinan?When he comes, commander, you can talk to him calmly. The most important thing now is where did the thieves who robbed our luggage and captured more than a hundred of our officers and soldiers go?If it is really Baodugu, we are afraid that we will have to fight a few more battles.

Yuan Shikai gradually calmed down. He had to admit that Wang Shizhen's words made sense.Especially the second point he said.

After the Reform Movement of [-], Cixi appointed Rong Lu as the imperial envoy to control the Beiyang armies.Rong Lu reorganized the Gyeonggi Army into the Wuwei Army, which governed five armies, with Nie Shicheng's Wuyi Army stationed in Lutai as the Wuwei Front Army, Dong Fuxiang's Gan Army stationed in Jizhou as the Wuwei Rear Army, and Song Qing's Yi Army stationed in Shanhaiguan as the Wuwei Zuo Army At that time, Yuan Shikai's new army station was Wuwei Youjun, and he recruited another [-] people as Wuwei Zhongjun.

The reason why he sent himself to Shandong was because the foreigners who were rioting in the Boxers were very annoyed, and they were deeply dissatisfied with the governor Yuxian who protected the boxers, and strongly demanded to replace Yuxian and choose another talented person.In view of the pressure from the Germans and the British, the imperial court had to transfer Yuxian back to Beijing and sent himself to Shandong with the Wuwei Youjun.The reason for bringing troops here is because the Boxer Regiment has become a powerful force.

Now the imperial court must not be aware of the defeat of the Wuwei Youjun in Shandong. What's more, what Wang Pinqing said is right, we have won.As for the first point he said, Yuan Shikai didn't take it to heart. Cao Kun was not enough to shake the morale of the army. He could definitely control the army he trained by himself.

"Pin Qing said that the imperial court should not underestimate our Wuwei Youjun at this time." Yuan Shikai took Wang Shizhen's hand and laughed, the anger just now turned into happiness.He probably had a cold, and he laughed out a trace of snot. He raised the sleeve of his right hand and wiped it off nonchalantly, "Pin Qing, I have an idea. You'd better go to Caozhou. Hear it from there. This is the place where Boxing is the most violent, Cao Kun is brave but not resourceful, I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it properly."

"Yes." Wang Shizhen readily agreed.

Sending Wang Shizhen away, Yuan Shikai sat in front of the book case and began to write a private letter to Zhao Qiaoshu, Minister of Military Affairs and Minister of Criminal Affairs: The bandit suppression in Mengshan has come to a successful conclusion, relying on the imperial court's power, and the soldiers' hard work will bring disaster to the Mongolian people for more than ten years. The bandits were wiped out in a single net. The five leaders of the bandits, the chief leader Sun Dewang, were captured and are now being held in a prison in Jinan. The other four were all beaten to death.Considering the long journey to escort the capital, and Sun Dewang is just a thief, not enough to waste the energy of adults, I plan to behead him in Jinan and send his head to Yizhou to deter those bandits.Shikai finally lived up to his lord's expectations, and could reply to his lord satisfactorily... After writing the private letter, Yuan Shikai felt sleepy and decided to draft a report to the Ministry of War himself. At this time, he discovered that Cao Kun's report was actually well written. Opened and looked again.

After the two letters were written, it was already the time of the second watch. Yuan Shikai called a personal soldier and told him to return to Beijing as soon as possible tomorrow, and hand over this private letter together with the draft to the Ministry of War to Mr. Zhao Qiaoshu.

Wang Shizhen said that Baodugu deserved attention, but Yuan Shikai didn't think so.That place has been haunted by strongmen for a long time. Is it worth using the regular army to abandon the land and go up the mountain to fight with the bandits?The general idea of ​​Cao Kun's Mengshan battle was correct, that is to drive the bandits down the mountain and fight again.If that group of strong men really belonged to Baodu Gu, you might as well let him go at ease for a few days, and wait until Shandong is completely under control, and then it will not be too late to deal with a few bandits slowly.Yuan Shikai's mind turned to Shandong's political situation, which was the cornerstone for him to climb up and down the ladder, and he had to step on it firmly.What is the problem in Shandong?Boxers!Boxers getting out of control!