Chapter 18 Going south to Xuzhou

The train was moving forward with a "bang" and not long after leaving Beijing City, passing Daxing, Langfang and other key points that the Eight-Nation Alliance had entered Beijing City, and drove all the way to Tianjin. In this era, along the Beijing-Tianjin Railway was already the back garden of imperialism, and barracks with various foreign flags could be seen along the way from time to time! However, the officers of all kinds of Beiyang in the carriage were already completely numb to these various foreign barracks (even in Beijing City). No one mentioned these unpleasant things along the way, but were just talking about the strange stories of Beijing City and Tianjin Wei, and time was gone very quickly.

Xu Shuzheng has never been accompanied with his subordinates, and this time is no exception. He occupied a private room alone. Except for Chang Ruiqing who was called in to talk to him, no one else was seen. However, those subordinates were so happy that they were not able to meet this "Xu Laohu", for fear of picking something wrong, and being kicked home to eat rice!

It was already late autumn and early winter. Outside the car window, the fields were deserted and yellow, and almost no green things were seen. Looking at the past, it was full of the solemnity of late autumn, which seemed extremely heavy. The mood of the two people sitting in the carriage and watching the scenery seemed to have become depressed.

"... The old man has only been gone for a few months! Even if our Beiyang falls apart, a decision to join the war will be in trouble for almost three months without any result. The central government still has to bow down and ask for support from the governor! Yaoru, look at our Beiyang's energy is almost over?" Xu Shuzheng's mood was obviously not high, and he was a little pessimistic and disappointed with the counter-revolutionary cause.

"Zheng Gong, even if our Beiyang is a bit scattered, it is a huge monster. Today, China really has no power to replace us. Besides, if we are not united in Beiyang, Sun Yat-sen is not a solid piece of solid ground." Chang Ruiqing smiled at Xu Shuzheng and comforted in a low voice: "As long as we can reach an agreement at this time, support the Allies to declare war on Germany, and then train the participating troops, our Beiyang's cohesion will definitely be slowly restored."

"I hope this is the case!" Xu Shuzheng smiled bitterly, then reached out and took out an envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Chang Ruiqing: "This is a letter written by Yang Shutang and Lu Zijia to Mr. Duan Zhi. They have expressed their support for participating in the European War, but it is not unconditional. Do you know what they want?"

"Shutang" is the name of Yang Shande, the commander of the Fourth Army Division and the envoy of the Songhu Guardian Army. This person is the backbone of the Anhui clan, and his fourth division is even a pillar of the Anhui clan. And that Lu Zijia is Lu Yongxiang, and is currently the commander of the 10th Army Division, and is also a general of the Anhui clan. Although these two belong to the Anhui clan, it seems that they are not unconditional obedience to Duan Qirui. They have to express their own attitude and have to be conditioned. No wonder Xu Shuzheng was a little discouraged.

Chang Ruiqing took the envelope and opened it and looked at it. The letter was very respectful. He said a lot of good things that Duan Zhi said without any money, but he did not mention any conditions. It seems that Xu Shuzheng was going to take it to Xuzhou to show Zhang Dashuai of the Braid Army.

"Mr. Zheng, I believe that Commander Yang wants the job of the governor of Zhejiang. Commander Lu wants the commander of the Songhu Army?" Chang Ruiqing stuffed the letter into the envelope and returned it to Xu Shuzheng, and said with a faint smile: "Shanghai and Zhejiang are the most fertile territory. Shanghai's commercial tax and the big smoke tax are at least 30 million a year, right? Zhejiang should not count this number... If you don't let Commander Yang go to the garrison, Commander Lu will go to the garrison. If someone else goes, Mr. Zhi may not be relieved, right?"

"I just know how to grab the territory, but who will protect me here in Beijing?" Xu Shuzheng took the envelope and murmured. It seems that he meant to transfer one of these two divisions to Beijing to guard the center. At present, there is only one 13th Division adapted from the Guards near Beijing. In addition, the 8th Division and the 12th Division are both direct troops. As for the "Infantry Commander's Office" responsible for Beijing's garrison responsibilities, he has no combat effectiveness. In history, it has only done some "opening the door and waiting for surrender".

"With the support of Commander Yang and Commander Lu, Zhang Bianshuai's place should be looser, right?" Chang Ruiqing didn't know how to answer Xu Shuzheng, so he deliberately changed the topic.

"It's certain that it's loose, but it's not easy to ask him to let go and support him in the war. Zhang Shaoxuan is very puzzled! By the way, I heard you mention that you have a brother who works under Zhang Shaoxuan's sect?" Xu Shuzheng didn't know, and suddenly mentioned Chang Ruiqing's cheap brother Chang Ruiyuan.

"Yes, my brother is a man who is under the help of Brain. He came to Beijing with Brain two months ago." Chang Ruiqing told Xu Shuzheng about this matter early in the morning. Xuzhou is now Zhang Xun's territory, and it is common for Xuzhou's children to make a living in the Brainzi Army. Besides, although Zhang Brain is from Jiangxi, he has done a lot of good things for Jiangxi fellow villagers over the years, but his troops do not need Jiangxi fellow villagers to help fight. They are either the patrol battalion in Jiangsu or recruited from near Xuzhou.

"Have you ever mentioned who Zhang Shaoxuan interacts with on weekdays?" Xu Shuzheng asked casually.

Chang Ruiqing smiled bitterly and sighed: "Who else can you? Looking at the big braid on the back of the head of this braid, I also know who they are in contact with each other on weekdays. I heard that the Kang Nanhai Kang Saint also arrived in Xuzhou during this period and established the China Confucian Association. Zhang Braidu also became an honorary president."

"Hmph, I don't know if he was General Dingwu of the Republic of China, Governor of Liangjiang and Minister of the South China Sea in the Qing Dynasty? How could there be such a monster in Beiyang?" Xu Shuzheng said with disgust.

...

"Ah...sneeze!"

In the Xuzhou Daotai Yamen in the former Qing Dynasty, the current General Dingwu and the Anhui Governor Zhang Xun and Zhang Bianshuai. The commander of the Braidi Army, who was so powerful that the two Huai Rivers were sitting comfortably on the Taishi chair, holding a hookah in his hand. After taking a few puffs, he sneezes for no reason.

"Damn it must be that little bastard who is talking bad about us behind his back." Zhang Dashuai cursed casually and started to thrust again.

A handsome young man smiled and said, "It must be that Sun Dapao. He is the worst in China. He dares to come with our generals, so he can only hide in the Shanghai Concession for a few words."

Zhang Dashuai squinted his eyes and smiled: "Sun Dapao is also the number one figure, so he doesn't arrange it like this." Then he glanced at the little speaker who was talking and sneered: "Besides, it's not just Sun Dapao who hates our handsome guy outside, right? Even in Beiyang, there are many such people!"

The young man was stunned when he heard this, and didn't know how to take the lead. Zhang Xun twisted his eyebrows and said to himself: "I see that Xiao Xu is quite inconsistent with me, the leader of the army. Don't look at him as handsome as the handsome guy in the face, I don't know how to arrange me behind my back! Ruiyuan, don't you think so?"

It turned out that this little talker was Chang Ruiqing's brother Chang Ruiyuan. After breaking up with his elder brother that day, he had already reported to Zhang Xun about his battalion commander's brother. However, he didn't know that Chang Ruiqing was Xu Shuzheng's person, and Xu Shuzheng was the little Xu in Zhang Xun's mouth, so after hearing Zhang Xun's words, he just echoed and said "Xiao Xu" and said bad things.

Zhang Xun smiled slightly, changed the subject and said, "Ruiyuan, will your brother go back to Xuzhou in the past two days?"

"Yes," Chang Ruiyuan giggled: "My elder brother has been away from home for more than ten years. Now he has finally become a battalion commander. Although it looks quite shabby, he always has to go home to meet his parents, right?" He said this, he was stunned and reached out and touched the back of his head: "Master, why do you know everything?"

Zhang Xun sneered and waved his hand: "My mother, why is your brain so much worse? When your elder brother arrives at home, you will bring him to see me. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. It's time for us to see the guests, don't let the little Japanese wait in a hurry."

Chang Ruiyuan chirped, then hurriedly helped Zhang Xun up and strode towards the living room.
Chapter completed!