"Yuan Shikai, so many people think you shouldn't be killed. It seems that you are very capable. I think you shouldn't be killed, but no one dares to kill you. Since Zaifeng and Zaitao also plead for you, what else is there to say in the Ai family? Then according to Zaitao's wishes, you will be removed from your position as Prime Minister of the Cabinet and let Yi Li be the Prime Minister of the Cabinet." Longyu knew that he could not kill Yuan Shikai, but wanted to take the opportunity to seize his military power according to Zaitao's suggestion, so he immediately said without thinking.

"I thank the Empress Dowager for not killing me." Yuan Shikai did not care about being deprived of military power, because the Beiyang Army was at the hands of Yi Li, and he could not command it. As long as he walked out of the Forbidden City, the Beiyang Army would still listen to him. Anyway, since things have reached this point, it is time to turn against Longyu, and he doesn't care about the gains and losses at this moment. He immediately took the order without any resistance.

"I was so immersed by you today. The Ai family is tired. Let's go to the court meeting today. Retreat." Longyu finished a matter of thought, and his heart gradually relaxed. The seizure of Yuan Shikai's military power also made her feel a little happy. However, even she herself was not sure whether it was useful to seize Yuan Shikai's military power. Perhaps after sleeping until dawn, Yuan Shikai would regain power.

After Yuan Shikai left the Forbidden City, several teams of the Imperial Guards came outside the Meridian Gate to hang around him and left the Forbidden City. These were the troops arranged by Yuan Shikai. Once Yuan Shikai had something to do, they would rush into the palace to cause trouble at any time.

"Yi Li, Zai Feng, Zai Tao, how do you think about the current situation?" In the end, Long Yu left Yi Li, Zai Feng and Zai Tao behind, and secretly discussed in the Yangxin Palace.

"The Empress Dowager, the Japanese have already launched an action. It seems that they are really ready to help us, but Yuan Shikai's actions seem to be a little faster than the Japanese. The Beiyang Army entered Beijing this time, obviously to force the palace. Now the plan is to stop the Beiyang Army from outside the capital, and then wait for the Japanese to help. Now we can only rely on the help of foreigners to overcome the difficulties. After this level, we sacrificed some of our interests to give them to the Japanese, and the Qing Dynasty can finally be saved." Zaifeng has been in contact with the Japanese, and the matter of Japan's troops has been negotiated, so he stood up and said first.

"Although I had opposed Japan's interference in the past, it seems that Yuan Shikai had a rebellious intention, so I thought that besides this bad strategy, I could not think of any good way to protect the Qing Dynasty's foundation for hundreds of years." Yi Li looked solemn. At this time, he was worried that the Beiyang army outside the capital was also worried that the Japanese would soon enter China, and even worried that the Japanese would win more than Yuan Shikai. Of course he knew the principle of attracting wolves into the house, but he was worried that he had no choice but to choose this bad chess to deal with it for a while.

"When will the Japanese plan to send troops?" Longyu's most concerned thing finally settled. Although an agreement was reached with the Japanese, Japan did not make the fact that it sent troops. This matter was not successfully completed. Only when the large Japanese troops actually entered China could she feel relieved, so she asked anxiously.

"The Japanese Marine Corps is ready to land in Tianjin at any time and then it will reach Beijing City directly. It is estimated that practical actions will be taken in the past two days, and the siege of the capital will be lifted at that time." Zaifeng responded immediately.

"If this is true, that would be great. But before the Japanese came these two days ago, how could Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army solve it? Yi Li, is there any way for you, the new Prime Minister of the Cabinet?" After hearing Zaifeng's words, Empress Dowager Longyu felt a little relieved, and then looked at Yi Li again.

"Wei Chen, the Prime Minister, probably has only a title. The ministers appointed by Yuan Shikai will not obey my orders. The situation is now very obvious. Yuan Shikai pretended to be a warning in the court today and led his ministers to resign collectively, just to cooperate with him to lead his troops into the capital to force the emperor to abdicate. He did this to make us understand that without him, Yuan Shikai and his confidants, there would be no one left in our royal family. We want us to surrender to our power and make compromises. As the saying goes, Sima Zhao's heart is known to everyone. Now we can only rely on the loyal most of the imperial guards to take resistance actions, temporarily resisting the Beiyang army outside the capital and waiting for the Japanese to help." Yi Li began to analyze the current situation and put forward his own opinions.

"The fifth town's new army has only more than 10,000 people, and I have 10,000 people in my hand. These imperial guards will obey my orders Zaitao. So before Cao Kun's third town's new army arrived in the capital, we and Yuan Shikai were evenly matched. As long as the Japanese could arrive in the capital before Cao Kun, Yuan Shikai would not dare to act rashly. Therefore, I thought that at this time, we must rely on the power of the imperial guards to block the fifth town's new army outside the city and not let them enter the city. This would delay for a few days and then a big thing would be accomplished." Zaitao continued to analyze.

"Well, it seems that I have to do this now. As long as I can maintain my ruling position in the Qing Dynasty, everything will be fine. Zaitao, please go down and arrange everything, it will depend on you in the next few days." Longyu nodded to Empress Dowager Zaitao and said understandingly.

"Zaifeng, continue to urge the Japanese. They may not know what happened today. Tell them clearly and let the Japanese take action as soon as possible." Longyu then ordered Zaifeng.

"Yi Li, don't be idle either. Go and summon the Manchu ministers to discuss it carefully, see if they have any good suggestions and ideas, and present them in time. As long as it is a good idea that can help us overcome difficulties, we can adopt it. At this time, we Manchus must unite, abandon past grudges, and share the same hatred of the enemy." Then Longyu explained to Yi Li again.

"yes"

In the next two days, Yuan Shikai's plan to order Feng Guozhang to mobilize the Imperial Guard failed as expected. The soldiers of the Imperial Guard did not listen to Feng Guozhang's orders. Only a few generals stood on Feng Guozhang's side, and the rest fell to support Zaitao. So Feng Guozhang simply resigned from the position of president of the Imperial Guard. He was also worried that he would be plotted against when he stayed in the city. Because someone in the Imperial Guard had already spoken out to kill Yuan Shikai and his followers, Yuan Shikai and Feng Guozhang retreated from the capital in advance. Feng Guozhang returned to Henan to assist in command of the Sixth Town New Army. Yuan Shikai lived in a house outside the capital, and was protected by the Fifth Town New Army in order to prevent the Imperial Guard from coming to attack.

Yuan Shikai was quietly waiting for the third town new troops to Beijing in his courtyard, and was also waiting for the Japanese to enter China. However, he did not know that the Japanese had agreed to help him, but also agreed to Longyu and Zaifeng's request. The Japanese did not let the two families know about this, and they had their own conspiracy.

On the morning of the second day from the capital to the suburbs of Beijing, the sun was shining. Yuan Shikai was walking in his home garden, with his eldest son Yuan Keding accompanying him. Yuan Shikai was teaching Yuan Keding the skills of flattery in the officialdom, teaching him how to get close to those powerful people, how to win people's hearts, how to attack political opponents, and how to seek benefits for himself. Yuan Shikai spoke with great sensation and was full of joy. Yuan Keding heard it with relish and nodded from time to time to say yes.

"Master, someone sent a package from Tianjin. When the slave saw that it was written on it, he didn't dare to take it apart without authorization, so he went here to hand it over to the master for disposal." At this time, a servant in his early fifties suddenly walked over with a square box and stood a few meters away and said respectfully.

"What package? Whose signature is on it?" Yuan Shikai stopped his eloquent remarks, and immediately narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the package in the servant's hand in surprise and asked.

"The name of Lord Zhao Bingjun is written on it. I guess it must have been sent by Lord Zhao, right?" The servant continued to bow and bow.

"Zhao Bingjun, what did this kid do so mysteriously? I have to take it apart by myself. Isn't this his style?" Yuan Shikai raised his nose slightly, his eyes flashed a few times, and he said in confusion.

"Mr. Zhao's things must be gifts for filial piety to my father. Lao Huang, leave them to me. I'll open them and see what good things Mr. Zhao sent to my father?" Yuan Keding immediately took a step forward and took the package from the servant's hand.

Then Yuan Keding took the package in his hand, turned it over and looked it over and found that it was just an ordinary square box. The box was colorful and had some small patterns on it. There were a few thin red ribbons around the box, and several exquisite small bows were tied on it, which looked like a gift to someone on a festive day.

"Uncle Zhao has nothing to do to give his father a little gift. Maybe it's because he has been working hard for state affairs recently and is worried that his father is not healthy, so he made a fortune to make his father happy." Yuan Keding felt that the box was a bit heavy, and thought that if the gift inside was gold, silver, jewelry, or something, it would be of great value. He patted the box with his hand a few times, and then said to himself.

"Slowly." Just as Yuan Keding touched the half-foot-long and wide square box with interest, and then used his fingers to untie the knot on the red rope, he suddenly heard a silence behind him, which made his hands suddenly stop.

Yuan Keding's heart trembled slightly when he heard the voice. He looked back in surprise and his eyes fell on Yuan Shikai. He suddenly saw a trace of inexplicable panic on Yuan Shikai's face, and his face was a little gloomy. He was staring at the box intently, as if he was thinking about something difficult, his expression became stiff, like a puppet...
Chapter completed!