Lyle and the Dynasty's Edge Chapter 32

Surrounding the Summer Palace and imprisoning Huang Ama, this earth-shattering move must not lose the chess game. Give Yuan Shikai the chess piece that cannot be lost? Gideon also went up and down several times. Finally, it came down to this point: when Cecily forced Gideon to demote his master Wesley Weng to a commoner, and drove him back to his hometown in Changshu; when he left the capital, no one from the civil and military officials in the court came to see him off. But when Master Weng arrived in Tianjin, Yuan Shikai greeted him from afar and gave him red envelopes as gifts. How can we do this if we don’t have the idea of   loyalty to the emperor and the country, the belief in pursuing reforms, and the courage to uphold right and wrong? This man is reliable and trustworthy. So an imperial edict was issued, telling Yuan Shikai to come to Beijing to see him.

Yuan Shikai rushed from the station in a hurry, his eyes flashing around. This was the first time he entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the first time he met the emperor, and the first time he responded to the emperor's inquiries. So he was eloquent and answered questions fluently, whether he knew something or not, it was all crackling. Gideon flashed three conclusions one after another: This person is reliable and trustworthy! This man is brave and capable! This man is a rare talent! The heavy burden of soldiers surrounding the Summer Palace was placed on him, and nothing was lost. He immediately appointed him an official and made a wish. He threw out the title of Minister of War and said, "You must do a good job!"

Overjoyed, Yuan Shikai kowtowed with a bang. But after thanking the emperor for his kindness, he returned to his residence, but his eyebrows were furrowed. He thought about how there was such a thing as pie in the sky. Even if a minister of the Ministry of War spent tens of thousands of taels of silver, he might not be able to buy it. Why did the emperor give it to him?

Yuan Shikai went to Beijing with his adviser Xu Shichang. Xu Shichang said, "I just visited several old friends from the National History Museum, and the topic was all about the implementation of the New Deal. Some applauded, some gnashed their teeth, and some sighed. They all said that if there is change or no change, there will be strong winds and heavy rains!" Yuan Shikai asked, "Which is stronger, the wind or the rain?" Xu Shichang shuddered, "I will visit my old friends tomorrow and find out for sure. You should keep calm first." Yuan Shikai turned around and said with a sad face, "In this strong wind and heavy rain, if I make a wrong move, I will lose everything. I have finally got to where I am today, and I must not lose the game."

The summer was long and bitter. When Xu Shichang came back from a day trip, it was already dusk. He had finally figured out the weather. When he saw Yuan Shikai, who was eagerly waiting for good news, he cut his words like a knife: "Is it going to be windy or raining? It's obviously going to be raining! We can only follow the rain." Yuan Shikai knew in his heart, But I still have to ask: "Where is the gentle wind, and where is the heavy rain?" Xu Shichang sighed: "The emperor is blowing the wind of reform and innovation, but he is using scholars who can only write articles.