Chapter 722: The hero died of illness

Seeing that Wu Shaoting had not continued to read the report, Deng Keng simply said: "Hengrong Company put pressure on the North Korean Student Union and finally learned about the actions of the North Korean Revolutionary Movement. The North Korean Student Union intends to secretly transport this batch of arms and ** to Taiwan to assassinate the Prince of Jiangong Jingren, the brother of Emperor Taisho and his mother, who are about to visit Taiwan. However, I don't know how this matter was leaked. Japanese police have begun to search for people involved in the case in Shanghai, and North Korea's respondent in Taiwan was also killed three days ago."

Wu Shaoting took a breath of air conditioning secretly. These North Koreans really did whatever they thought. Instead, he was glad that the Japanese cracked North Korea's conspiracy in advance. If the North Koreans successfully assassinated Prince Jiangong Jingren in Taiwan, once the clues were investigated, it would inevitably be implicated in the Whampoa Military Academy, which may eventually lead to a Sino-Japanese conflict. He even suspected that the North Koreans did this on purpose, first buying arms in the name of the Whampoa Military Academy, and then acting in Taiwan. He was afraid that China and Japan would fight, so North Korea had the opportunity to restore the country in the chaos.

"It's really nonsense. From now on, we must strengthen supervision measures in this area and never let others do anything." He said solemnly.

"Shishou Ting, how should we deal with this matter?" Deng Keng asked.

"Since the Japanese did not take action openly, this means they still have some concerns. This matter is not a good thing for us, so we naturally cannot break this concern. Now is the most tense time in the Far East, and such details cannot be tolerated. This matter is like this first, and I want to continue investigating it, and there will be no result." Wu Shaoting ordered.

"Where are the students who are still in the hospital?" Deng Keng asked again.

Wu Shaoting pondered for a moment. Although he said he would not pursue the matter, the Koreans actually dared to use China's cover to carry out small activities. Why can't he use the Koreans' desire to restore the country to differentiate Japan's control in the mainland? He knew that the Korean Revolutionary Movement organization still had a certain strength, otherwise it would not have even Hirobuki Ito. He also planned several assassinations against the royal family of high-ranking Japanese officials, including even operations in Japan.

Thinking of this, he spoke slowly and said: "Let him recover from his injuries in the hospital first. When he recovers later, I will arrange for a special person to see him. In addition, I will notify Shanghai to strengthen the liaison work with the North Korean Student Union. If I have the opportunity, I plan to meet their leaders."

Deng Keng nodded slowly. Of course he understood Wu Shaoting's intention, but he still had to deal with this matter carefully.

At this time, Wu Shaoting suddenly said, "There is another thing you want to do, it's best to do it in two days next."

Deng Keng asked: "What are the instructions for Ting Shuai?"

Wu Shaoting sighed and said, "It's not Feng Xuanwu's business. You can handle the work you have at hand, go to Nanjing to pick up Mr. No. 4, and bring all the supplies you have proposed to marry. As long as Feng Xuanwu can take action to clean up the Beiyang ruins, I will immediately call for him to respond. It's best to settle domestic affairs as soon as possible."

Deng Keng nodded and smiled, "I understand. It seems that I want to congratulate Ting on his handsome again."

Wu Shaoting smiled casually and said, "There is nothing to congratulations. I don't plan to do this marriage, everything should be simple and quick."

---

On August 3, after six days of combat, Xu Shuzheng's Central 13th Division finally gave up the last line of defense in the city without reinforcements outside and lacking food and supplies. The 7th Division's army broke into the city, sweeping away the remaining units of the Central 3rd Division like wind and clouds. Xu Shuzheng tried to break through in panic, but ended up hitting Dai Kan's conquering troops head-on. After a brief fire exchange, he fell into numerous encirclements and had to abandon his weapons and surrender.

The defeat of Xiangyang caused the Beiyang government to lose the last unit that could be called. When the news reached Beijing, Yuan Shikai was seriously ill and bedridden. When he was dying, Duan Qirui, Li Yuanhong, Yang Shiqi and other old ministers came to visit one after another. No one reported the news from the front line anymore, hoping to make the president feel at ease, even if he was deceiving himself, even if it was a slightest.

Several of Yuan Shikai's concubines were very sad in the small hall, crying so hard that they could not bear to themselves. On the way, only the eldest son Yuan Keding and the second son Yuan Kewen, born by the North Korean wife, were with them. The two of them couldn't stop crying.

The entire Xinhuamen Presidential Palace seemed to be as critically ill as Yuan Shikai, and he could no longer see the glory and bustle of the past. The inner alleys and gatehouses and corridors were all depressed. There were not even many pedestrians coming and going. The Beiyang government could no longer afford any salary in the Presidential Palace. The guards guarding the door were reduced from the original six to two, and they looked lazy and ignorant. The roads in the mansion that had not been cleaned for a long time were full of broken leaves and paper scraps, which were messy and messy. No one would think of this place as the dignified Central Government of the Republic of China.

Looking at the huge presidential palace, there is only a little popularity in the official residence courtyard. However, at this moment, it is just crying, complaining and sad old people in Beiyang, adding a bit of sadness to this palace courtyard that has experienced several vicissitudes. Any state affairs officer who only wants to support his family or has not had a deep friendship has already found another way out. Who would worry about other things for a dying person?

Yuan Shikai struggled and said, only his head buzzing, the muscles at the corner of his mouth were uncontrollably pulled out, and his back was cold and weak. He couldn't open his eyes and stuck out one hand to explore everywhere. Seeing this, the eldest son Yuan Keding quickly came forward and knelt in front of the bed, tightly grasped his father's weak hand, and cried loudly.

"Kiding, Kiding..."

"You are here, my father, you said."

"You are my eldest son, but you are the most worried about me. Go, call Zhiquanlai, go, call Huafulai, go, go, go yourself." Yuan Shikai called weakly.

"Yes, my boy is going now." Yuan Keding didn't dare to refuse, so he quickly turned around and called Duan Qirui and others standing on the porch. The old ministers walked to Yuan Shikai one after another. Looking at the president who was already empty, he couldn't help but feel sad and quickly greeted him.

"Zhiquan..."

Duan Qirui stepped forward, bowed and asked for instructions, "President, I'm here."

Yuan Shikai reached out to grab Duan Qirui, and Duan Qirui hurriedly got closer. Yuan Shikai gasped and said hard: "Zhiquan, old man, I don't care about anything else. But my wife and children in the family have lost my family as the pillar. The old man really has no way to rest. Zhiquan, Huafu, I ask you to take good care of you in the end... Cough cough cough cough cough... Take good care of you..."

Duan Qirui immediately said: "Don't worry, President, I will take good care of the people in my family and will never treat them at all."

Yuan Shikai then breathed a sigh of relief and lay on the bed again. After finally recovering, he said with difficulty: "Ke Ding is usually bad, and I am spoiled by the old man. After the peace talks between the north and the south, you must ask Wu Shaoting for me to find a seat in the national government, so that the Yuan family will not be mediocre in the future. Ke Ding, come here."

Yuan Keding knelt forward and said in tears: "Master Father, Master Father..."

Yuan Shikai gathered his strength and said seriously: "In the future...you must listen to Zhiquan's advice in the future and dare to do a naughty way again... The old man will not protect you even under the lunar calendar. Zhiquan, my son depends on you."

Duan Qirui nodded quickly and replied: "Care the talent and intelligence, and a little point of guidance will definitely be a material that can be made."

Yuan Shikai breathed a long sigh of relief and became silent for a moment, as if he was thinking about what to explain, and as if he had lost all his energy for a moment. The crying in the small hall was still there, adding a bit of cold and miserable to this scene.

"Hua Fu..." After a long time, Yuan Shikai spoke again, "Hua Fu..."

"General Feng is still on his way to the capital. He will arrive soon. Can the President have other instructions?" Yang Shiqi said.

"Beiyang...Li Zhongtang...can't just finish it, can't just finish it. Zhiquan, Hua Fu, go talk to the south, go talk to the south, no matter what, we must keep our Beiyang bloodline, no matter what..." Yuan Shikai said incoherently.

The old ministers looked at each other and sighed, but everyone was already planning the next way out in their hearts. Even Yuan Shikai said he wanted to negotiate peace with the south, which seemed to be acknowledging the power of the government. Although the old people in Beiyang were unwilling to give up, what could they do? There was a rumor outside that they continued to fight with the south with the help of the Japanese. Wouldn't they say whether they could borrow money? Even if they borrow money, would it be meaningful to continue to fight?

As for Li Yuanhong and others, they were already in the south. They were not old people from Beiyang, and their minds were not focused on the continuation of Beiyang. They just hoped to retain their place in the national government. As the saying goes, the old ones do not go to the new ones, and at most they expressed regret for Beiyang from a personal emotional standpoint.

"President, don't worry, no matter what, we will do our best to protect Beiyang!" Duan Qirui felt sad and said solemnly.

"Zhiquan, you must go and talk. Let Huafu go, let Huafu go..." Yuan Shikai's consciousness became increasingly unclear, and he couldn't even mumble the words in his mouth, and gradually there was no sound.

Duan Qirui, who was standing aside, felt a lot of emotion. He didn't know how to curb his emotions. The president actually called "Let Huafu go" when he was dying. It can be seen that he knew that he would not have a good talk with the South, so he asked Feng Guozhang to go. He sighed secretly. The president has always grasped the character of his subordinates very accurately throughout his life, but unfortunately he couldn't grasp the thoughts of his subordinates. In the end, the reason for the disunity between Beiyang was still the responsibility that the president could not escape.

For more than ten hours later, Yuan Shikai never explained anything except his weak ***.

At around eight o'clock that night, Yuan Shikai suddenly lost any sound. Several doctors came forward to investigate and found that he had passed away silently. When he was dying, his eyes were slightly closed, but they did not close completely. I don't know that he had an undescendant wish at the beginning, or he tried hard to close his eyes but was not strong enough. This tyrant who had been in China for more than 20 years, fell asleep with countless doubts and sighs, and the last strong era of Beiyang came to an end.
Chapter completed!