244 comeback

Beijing, Zhongnanhai.

Yuan Shikai put down the People's Daily with a painful face. Xinhua News Agency released a spokesman for the National Revolutionary Army headquarters's comments on the Handan Victory, pointing out: "This is an important victory and the beginning of a series of victories in the future."

Yuan Shikai lamented: "This is the first fall of our important city. Of course, it's a big loss for us!"

"Li wants to hold an expanded meeting in Wuchang." Yuan Keding sat up straight and Zhuang Rong said, "The theme report made by Li Xiang is called "The Current Situation and Our Tasks." Li wants to put forward the "Ten Military Principles" in this report. -- Its core is the idea of annihilation war that "it is better to break one finger than to hurt ten fingers":

First, fight the scattered and isolated enemy first, and then the concentrated and powerful enemy.

2. Take small cities, medium-sized cities and vast rural areas first, and then large cities.

3. The main goal is to annihilate the enemy's living forces, and not to be conservative or seize cities and places. Conservative or seizing cities and places is the result of annihilating the enemy's living forces, and it often takes many times to finally protect or seize it.

IV. Concentrate the absolute superior force (double, triple, quadruple, sometimes even five or six times the enemy's strength) in each battle, surround the enemy on all sides, and strive to annihilate it completely. Don't let the net leak. ......

V. Don't fight an unprepared battle, don't fight an unprepared battle. Every battle should be prepared and strive to be sure of victory in the comparison of the enemy and us.

6. Carry forward the style of brave fighting, not afraid of sacrifice, not afraid of fatigue and continuous fighting (that is, fighting several battles without rest in a short period of time).

7. Strive to annihilate the enemy in the movement. At the same time, pay attention to position attack tactics and seize the enemy's strongholds and cities.

VIII. On the issue of siege, all weakly defended strongholds and cities by the enemy are resolutely seized. All enemies have a moderate level of defense, and the environment allows them to seize strongholds and cities, which are captured by cameras. All enemy defenders of strong strongholds and cities will wait for the conditions to be ripe and then seize them.

IX. Capture all the enemy's weapons and most of their personnel to supplement themselves. The source of our military strength and material resources is mainly on the front line.

10. Good at taking advantage of the gap between the two battles to rest and train troops. The rest time should not be too long, and try not to give the enemy time to breathe..."

Yuan Shikai didn't wait for him to finish and waved his hand gently and said, "I don't want to listen to this. This is all on the surface. The words of the envoys of the great powers are more important. What do they think?

Yuan Keding coughed dryly, licked his lips and said, "Ha Haosun, the German ambassador to China, was not only surprised by Li's mastery of strategy and tactics, but also puzzled by the fact that the Third Revolution was on the eve of the decisive battle. The Kuomintang in Hubei Province actually disclosed their strategies and tactics to their opponents, which is very much in the history of world war. It's rare."

He took a breath of relief, glanced at the calm Yuan Shikai, and said, "Ha Haosun said in a letter to the German crown prince: 'As far as the embassy can conclude, Li's detailed analysis of the Kuomintang tactics and strategies is a very straightforward explanation for the Kuomintang army to determine how to fight. The Kuomintang did not hesitate to explain their strategy, which may indicate that the Kuomintang despises Beiyang military thought and intelligence. It should be admitted that this strategy has not been unsuccessful so far. ......”

Yuan Shikai's expression was getting more and more grim. He looked at the pillar behind the palace lamp and stared into the distance as if he were going to penetrate the palace wall in Zhongnanhai. Seeing his eldest son Yuan Ke's mouth fixed, Yuan Shikai hurriedly said, "Tell me, say it."

"Yes." Yuan Keding swallowed his saliva. "Not long ago, when the British minister Zhu Andian attended a meeting of the People's Mission in the Eastern Suburbs, he called on the great powers to recognize the government led by his father as the only legitimate government in China, and called for the Beiyang government to give economic assistance..."

Yuan Shikai has been listening attentively, but his face is getting worse and worse. His blue and gray face is tight, and two rows of thin white teeth bite his mouth and tremble and twitch from time to time.

After Yuan Keding finished speaking, Yuan Shikai picked up the cup and took a sip of naizi. About naizi had already cooled down. He frowned like a bitter medicine and choked down. He raised the cup with one stroke, as if to break the cup, but gently put it back on the case. He went down to the ground and carried his hands back and forth on the ground. The green satin cool soap boots made a sound, and it was getting faster and faster.

Yuan Keding and the twin maids in the room turned around with Yuan Shikai's figure.

Suddenly, he stopped and stared at a banner behind the kang: Tingjing.

The two tea bowl-sized characters on it are meticulously written. This is the motto Li Hongzhang gave him when he was training at Yuan Shikai's small station.

......

Outside Xianliang Temple, not far from the gate, Yuan Shikai wandered back and forth.

Seeing the sun in the west dragging the shadow of the gate of the temple longer and longer, he gritted his teeth and walked to the gate...

Yuan Shikai fell down in front of Li Hongzhang and did not dare to look up or say anything.

The unbearable silence.

For a long time, Li Hongzhang opened his eyes and sighed, "It's not a matter for you to always knock on the ground like this. What are you talking about?"

Yuan Shikai kowtowed his head a few times and said, "Yuan Shikai knows that there are a thousand ten thousand people who are sorry for the middle hall. It is useless to say more, but it is useless to rely on the middle hall!"

Li Hongzhang: "I don't have power now, and I don't have any soldiers around me. How can I send you? How dare I send you down? No matter how bad you are, you are also a court official, from the third-grade Taoist platform! If I want to send you off, I should send you off as early as when you blackened your conscience and used them as guns! I know that you came today and begged me for something, otherwise you wouldn't have come to this barren village temple to see a bad old man who was dismissed from his job. What's the matter? Say it! I don't blame you for kicking my life to death. What else can't you promise?

Yuan Shikai saw Li Hongzhang and saw through his origin at a glance. Knowing that it was useless to hide it, he simply gritted his teeth and said, "Shikai wants to seek the position of the new army commander, but the empress dowager Buddha said that if it is not you, she will not give anyone!"

Li Hongzhang opened his eyes wide, looked at Yuan Shikai for a long time, and laughed, "Thieves! Do you really have the nerve to say it? At that time, I led the Huai army to fight against Suzhou City. Li Xiucheng has been operating there for many years. The wall is a few feet thick. I think your face is thicker than the wall of Suzhou! You are not only thick-skinned, but also black-hearted, and your hands are also poisonous. What is the relationship between Laozi and your Yuan family? From your uncle Yuan Jiasan, to your stepfather Yuan Baoqing, as well as uncle Yuan Baoling and Yuan Baoheng, either my colleagues and friends, or Laozi's generals subordinates, what I do to you, you should have more in mind. Count, my own son has never stayed like this! But why did you listen to the instigation of Weng Tongyu and Wen Ting and stabbed me in the back? Why can you do it?"

The more Li Hongzhang said, the more angry he became. He cursed, "You bastard! You little man! You helped Weng Tongqi and others defeat me, removed me from all positions, and kept the false title of a college scholar. The thief was not reconciled. She also wanted me to beg for a vacancy and vacate my position as a college scholar for him. You tell him that I won't quit and teach him to die! My teacher passed it to me, and it is necessary at this time..."

Yuan Shikai was scolded by him and didn't dare to move. Suddenly, Li Hongzhang told Ma Sanjun, "Go and get my pistol!"

"Yes!" Ma Sanjun answered loudly and immediately ran into the inner room, came out with a Jin Chengcheng revolver, handed it to Li Hongzhang, and then Hu Dan stared at Yuan Shikai.

Yuan Shikai couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Shikai is guilty, which made Lao Zhongtang lose his temper so much today. Shikai will leave for the time being and come to visit Lao Zhongtang another day."

He said, kowtowed his head heavily, got up and walked out.

"Come back!" Li Hongzhang stopped him and said, "Aren't you looking for the position of the general officer for you? Why do you want to leave again?"

"Shikai has been ashamed of Lao Zhongtang in his life and doesn't dare to ask for a job anymore." Yuan Shikai wiped the sweat on his forehead and said.

Li Hongzhang played with the pistol: "Are you ashamed or afraid?"

Yuan Shikai: "I'm ashamed and afraid."

Li Hongzhang smiled coldly and turned his face to Ma Sanjun and said, "Go, bring a chair and let him sit down."

Yuan Shikai hurriedly said, "Where is Yuan Shikai's seat in front of the old middle hall?"

"If you ask you to sit down, just sit down!" Looking at Yuan Shikai sitting down on the chair moved by Ma Sanjun, Li Hongzhang's face gradually calmed down and his tone was much calmer. "Sit down and listen to me tell you a story first. This story was told to me by my mentor Zeng Guofan in Japan...

With such a family, the old man invited a distinguished guest and wanted to stay at home for lunch. In the morning, he told his son to go to the market to buy some vegetables and fruits. But it was noon, and I didn't see my son coming back. The old man was panicked and visited the entrance of the village.

The entrance of the village is a paddy field, and only a tap that can accommodate one person is feasible. The old man saw that his son was carrying a vegetable burden and facing a cargo burden on the trift, and no one refused to retreat to make way.

The old man caught up with Wanyan and said, "Brother, there are guests at my house, waiting for this dish to eat. Please take a step back from the paddy field. When he goes there, your brother can also go there. Isn't it convenient for both of us?'

The man said, 'You asked me to go into the water, why can't he go into the water?'

The old man said, 'He is short. With water, I'm afraid the burden will be soaked and the food will be spoiled. Your brother is taller so that he won't get wet. For this reason, please avoid it.'

The man said, 'The things in your burden are just vegetables and fruits. Even if they are soaked, they can be used. My burden is full of expensive goods from Beijing and Guangzhou. In case of water, it is worthless. The status of this burden is different. How can I avoid the road?'

Seeing that it didn't make sense, the old man stood up and stepped forward and said, "Come on, I think it's like this: When my old man goes out of the paddy field, your brother gives me the burden, and I put it on my head. Please turn over from my son, and I'll return the burden to you. How about that?" Immediately bent down and took off his socks.

When the man saw that the old man was like this, he suddenly couldn't go away and said, 'Since my father-in-law is so troublesome, I'll go down to the paddy field and let your burden pass first.'

This is the first of the 18 'Tingjing' that the teacher told me.

After telling the story, Li Hongzhang looked at Yuan Shikai, "What does it mean? Tell me about it."

Yuan Shikai thought about it and said carefully, "I think the meaning of this story is that it is always useless to shout outside the world. You must participate in person and be very responsible to achieve it."

Li Hongzhang nod and praised: "Well said, what else?"

Yuan Shikai thought for a moment and said, "What's more, something came to my head, and it came over."

Li Hongzhang praised and said, "Okay, you are really very understanding!" He stared at Yuan Shikai, "In that case, when I scolded you just now, why didn't you stand up and want to run away?"

Yuan Shikai smiled awkwardly and didn't say a word.

Li Hongzhang sighed: "Those who achieve great things should dare to take responsibility, and second, they should be persevere and patient. Weiting, Weiting, this is what I want from you!"

At this time, Yuan Shikai understood Li Hongzhang's good intentions, and tears rolled in his eyes with gratitude, but it didn't fall.

......