Master Yuan, start!

However, facing Tie Liang, who held the title of Vice Minister of War and the imperial edict for military training, Gong Baotun was somewhat unable to stand up.

After Lu hesitated for a moment, he took out a badge with three wolf heads printed on it from his arms and rubbed it carefully in his hand.

3 This is the commendation his younger brother Gong Baotian received during the campaign against the South. It is said that in addition to promotions, there are also so-called "spiritual commendations" for brave soldiers in the National Defense Army.

This one-inch badge is one of the awards.

4 Lone Wolf Rewards those who are not afraid of artillery fire and are willing to be pioneers;

The Two Wolves reward those who are brave and can successfully defeat the enemy.

The Three Wolves are awarded to those who can break through the enemy's rear after being away from friendly forces.

His younger brother Gong Baotian was awarded this precious medal for his merits in capturing the town at the mouth of the Yellow River without bloodshed and harassing the Jianghuai defense line of the Hunan Army.

As soon as he got the badge, Gong Baotian, who had depended on his brother since childhood, took advantage of the winter break and asked someone to send it to Gong Baotun in the capital.

"Well, if they want to leave, let them go."

After putting away the medal, Gong Baotun finally made up his mind to cherish his hard-earned official position and not to provoke the Manchu and Mongolian nobles.

"Zhentai, but..."

"Nothing serious." Gong Baotun waved his hand and stopped looking at the bannermen who were leaving together.

"It's just that there are a few hundred fewer people guarding the route. What's there to be afraid of? Tell the men to stay away from each other and stand a little further apart.

How long has it been since there was trouble in the capital? After today, go to the South City and recruit some Han people to fill in.

Besides, Master Yuan has already arrived in Beijing. How could any scoundrel dare to act rashly in front of him?!"

Gong Baotun's tone left no room for doubt. Seeing this, the deputy general could only bow his head in agreement and began to arrange the few remaining men to deploy defenses along the way.

Looking at the receding figure of his deputy general, Gong Baotun sighed silently.

It's not that he doesn't want to care about it, but his own brother is still young and may need his help in the future. If this matter is reported, it will offend Tieliang and the Manchu and Mongolian nobles behind him. How can he fight against these Manchu and Mongolian nobles?

After all, Tie Liang was not mobilizing troops, he was just recruiting them. As for whether these soldiers had killed people or set fires before, it could not be blamed on him.

Gong Baotun thought that even if Tieliang was reprimanded by his superiors, at most he would be fined and asked to reflect on his mistakes. Why should he bother with this?

Besides, he thought that he was born into a poor Han Chinese family and had finally made the right bet to gain his current wealth and glory, so he could not take any risks.

Extract 8269516:

"Your Majesty, it's not that I have second thoughts, but I cannot bear the consequences of offending the bannermen over such a trivial matter."

Gong Baotun silently blamed Guangxu in his heart, and then looked towards the bustling Zhengyang Street in the south of the city.

"Master Yuan, thank you for your kindness in supporting my brother. Since we are short of manpower, I will personally protect you!"

Looking towards Gong Baotun, crossing the overpass and crossing the Yongding River, Yuan Xiangcheng, surrounded by the crowd, approached the imperial palace step by step.

Chapter 252: Gaining Sympathy

Seizing power in a way that is not criticized is crucial to China's future political construction, economic construction, internal ethnic relations, and national defense and diplomacy.

Although Yuan Shikai could rely on military force to wear the yellow robe, that would bring hidden dangers to his future rule.

In the eyes of the world, Guangxu had done him a favor, and if he rebelled, he would be a traitor.

As for Yuan Shikai, he was different from the New Army that launched the Wuchang Uprising in history. Those people suffered from oppression and were overwhelmed, so they launched resistance in places where the Qing Dynasty's rule was weak.

But Yuan Shikai lived a life of luxury, never having to worry about food and clothing. Guangxu also granted him the hereditary title of Duke of the Protectorate and entrusted him with the important task of conquering the south.

In the eyes of most people, Yuan Shikai could not find a reason to overthrow Guangxu. However, if he did not overthrow the emperor above him, he would inevitably face many problems once the reform entered the deep water zone.

How should we deal with the problem of Bannermen's farms and hidden fields scattered across the country? It's impossible that the policy of equal distribution of land is applicable to all Han people but not to the Bannermen, right?

If the farms of the bannermen were equally distributed, then the farms of the princes were not, or even further, the farms of the emperor were not equally distributed.

What? You're saying that even the imperial farms should be equally distributed? Then all the land under heaven belongs to the king, which would be nonsense.

As the saying goes, if the name is not right, the words will not flow; if the words are not flowing, things will not be accomplished; if things are not accomplished, rituals and music will not flourish. Without the highest power, there can be no talk of reform.

Otherwise, the precedents of Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng are right in front of us.

Therefore, we need to find a way to separate Guangxu from the bannermen.

If he wanted to do this, he had to show the world to the greatest extent possible that he had a close relationship with Guangxu, so that he could inherit Guangxu's political legacy of reform in the future.

The more friends you have, the better, and it would be best if you only have one enemy, and that is the Bannermen.

After all, the most important thing in making a revolution is to find out who your enemies are and who your friends are.

Who are Yuan Xiangcheng’s friends now?

Under the containment of the peasant associations affiliated with the Red Confucian Society, the speed at which large landlords emerged outside the Great Wall was greatly reduced, and the existing landlords were also defeated by the industrialized agricultural and commercial complex and continued to sell off their land.

On the contrary, some farmers who cooperated with the farmers' association became rich first. Under the policy support, they continued to purchase land and integrated into the economic and trade system outside the customs by planting cash crops such as soybeans, wheat, and corn.

Therefore, the country's progressive scholars, farmers outside the Great Wall, including some Korean farmers, and the emerging petty bourgeoisie and small landlord class outside the Great Wall can all be considered the basic base.

Of course, there is also the most important friend, the National Defense Force!

Who are Yuan Xiangcheng’s current enemies?

Bureaucrats loyal to the Qing Dynasty and Manchu and Mongolian nobles.

As for the neutral faction, they are the large landlord class in various places and the local early comprador forces that support the governors and governors-general in the south.

Theoretically, what Yuan Shikai had to do was to win over the neutral faction, crack down on the opposition, and consolidate his base.

However, the landlord class in China is so backward that it has completely become a force hindering social progress.

If we cooperate with such forces, should we eradicate them after the founding of the country or not?

If I want to eradicate it, how should I do it? Should I cut myself?

Just like the Tongmenghui after the Xinhai Revolution, by then a large number of constitutionalists and conservatives will have infiltrated the Red Confucian Society. Can the purpose of the Red Confucian Society still be implemented?

You know, a country that was seized through a coup will ultimately face inherent shortcomings.

The landlord class is a stubborn problem, and it would be best to solve it immediately after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

If we want to leave the stubborn problems at the beginning of the founding of the country to the future and expect the "wisdom of future generations" to solve them, it will only make things more difficult.

Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, usurped the throne and therefore had to compromise, leaving behind the Guanlong nobles, a military landlord group that hindered imperial power.

He knew very well that he could not solve this problem during his term of office, so he placed his hopes on future generations.

But who knew that his son Yang Guang was an impetuous king, holding imperial examinations, building the Eastern Capital, constructing the Grand Canal, conquering Goguryeo, and touring the world.

杨广想靠2开科9取士来制衡4贵族出身0的文官，想4靠迁3都洛阳、修大5运河来拜托关6陇贵族对4西安的渗透、想靠征高句丽来削弱关陇贵族在军队中的影响

He wanted to accomplish in one generation what would take several generations of emperors to do slowly.

The result was naturally his death and the destruction of his country, and he was given the unpleasant posthumous title of "Emperor Yang".

Therefore, at the beginning of the establishment of a country, it is best to solve all hidden dangers within your own hands and not leave them to future generations.

Yuan Shikai originally wanted to rely on time to slowly build up his power, but the French coveting Jiangnan and the Russians eyeing the Northeast made him alert. Only by speeding up the seizure of power can he deal with the growing threats.

But he really did not want to overthrow the Qing Dynasty by "merging with the landlord class", even if it meant cooperating with the bourgeoisie.

But looking around, China at that time was full of compradors and there was almost no national bourgeoisie. Therefore, he could only choose a tortuous and unique path to nation-building.

In any case, Yuan Shikai's almost single-handed arrival in the capital and his meeting with Emperor Guangxu made the world see the image of a loyal minister who was "dedicated to the country."

Didn't the French-controlled newspapers spread the news that Yuan Shikai was plotting something in Jiangnan? Even in the capital, such rumors were heard.

Then I, Yuan Xiangcheng, will return to the capital alone and let the world see whether I have any ulterior motives.

In the eyes of others, it can even be said that Yuan Xiangcheng was willing to sacrifice his own life and property in order to prove his innocence, and completely reversed public opinion.

All this was done too hastily, and even Yuan Xiangcheng made the decision on the spur of the moment after receiving intelligence that someone was intending to assassinate him.

He was not afraid of his plan being discovered. In an era when information was not yet developed, how many people could think so deeply?

Everyone in the National Defense Army thought that the President had been wronged and wanted to return to Beijing to prove his innocence. If the frontline commander had not deliberately suppressed them, they would probably have abandoned Yangzhou and followed the President back to Beijing to ask for an explanation.

Although the people in Jiangning City had different political positions, they also expressed regret about Yuan Shikai being questioned.

The Yuanshen tabloid under the Red Confucian Society also stepped up its efforts and began to report in detail the causes and consequences of Yuan Shikai's return to Beijing.

The people who had happily welcomed Lord Yuan back to Beijing before he left, after he entered the capital and received the newspapers, felt indescribably depressed.

Along the way, after learning the truth, the people all spoke up for Lord Yuan and shouted "Snow in June".

"Master Yuan, Master Yuan, you must be feeling miserable!"

"Sir Yuan, all the men in the capital believe that you are a loyal minister!"

"If anyone dares to slander me again, Master Yuan, I will pour this dung bucket directly on his doorstep!"

All is ready except for the opportunity.

Yuan Shikai was walking on Zhengyang Street in the south of Beijing. He did not order his people to go out and hold up signs like other high-ranking officials of the imperial court and ask the people to stay away.

He raised his right hand and waved to people from all walks of life on the street, smiling from time to time.

Yuan Shikai tried his best to win the favor of the people by using the method of "ground-based elections" used by later European and American politicians.

"Your kindness is enough. I am deeply grateful to you all!"

"But every country has its own laws, and every family has its own rules. What happens next will depend on the will of the court."

"Yuan is here, thank you!"

Yuan Shikai's deeply private Marseille made the people of Beijing in the late 19th century feel as if they were the ones being slandered.

Their heads were filled with blood, and they wished they could immediately find the person who slandered Lord Yuan, skin him alive and draw his blood.

"Don't block my way, don't block my way. I'm going to Shuntian Prefecture to beat the drum and appeal for justice for Lord Yuan!"

"What's the use of Shuntian Prefecture? If you want to go, go to the Forbidden City! I want to go to the Meridian Gate and beat the drum to complain!"

"Is there a drum at the Meridian Gate?"

"Then don't worry!"

Just like that, amid the fierce quarrels among the people, Guangxu's rickshaw finally arrived at the scene.

Chapter 253 Don’t Take a Convertible

"Your Majesty, this is too hasty! I haven't even asked for a sedan chair to be prepared!"

The personal eunuch Kou Liancai tried hard to keep up with the pace of the eunuch in the rickshaw. While panting, he spoke to Guangxu who was sitting in the rickshaw.