Chapter 2: Give Before You Take

  As a man, Yuan Shikai was short and stout in stature, not well-read, repeatedly failed the imperial examination, and found it difficult to be elegant. In women's eyes, he lacked both "height" and "elegance", obviously lacking charm.

  Who is like Li Hongzhang, 1 meter 83 in height, a jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) from an early age, with the article temperament nurtured by the Hanlin Academy, plus the diplomatic demeanor honed through the "Westernization Movement", wherever he stands, he is handsome and captivating.

  Yuan Shikai inherited Li Hongzhang's political legacy as the Beiyang Minister, but he could not inherit Li's masculine demeanor.

  If one judges people by their appearance, Yuan Shikai is indeed somewhat lacking in this regard, at least not pleasing to women's eyes: he is less than 1 meter 60 centimeters tall, with a stout body, round head and short neck, under the set-off of a German-style military greatcoat, inevitably showing crudeness.

  The French in Dongjiaominxiang, however, used flattery instead of ridicule: his build, facial expression, the shape of his head, the contours of his face and the style of his whiskers were all very similar to those of their own Premier Clemenceau.

  When Yuan Shikai took office as the President, The New York Times described him as "short and stout with a thick neck and slightly corpulent figure."

  American Minister to China, Anson Burlingame, diplomatically phrased his assessment: "He is short and stout, but his face is full of expression, and his movements are quick."

  Everyone says that Yuan Shikai is short and stout, with a thick neck. As soon as he appears, he loses to Li Hongzhang in terms of stature. This is still from a distance. Upon closer inspection, Yuan Shikai's skin is rough and thick, his face is dull and lacks luster, unlike Li Hongzhang who has a radiant complexion. In terms of skin tone, he also loses out.

  But who would have thought that this unimpressive-looking man, not well-read and lacking in stature and elegance, would rely on his long experience in the marketplace and his extensive travels to thoroughly understand the ways of the common people? In his interactions with others, he was able to balance human emotions with reason, and with his meticulous mind and ability to adapt, he was skilled at handling situations in official circles. With his mastery of the art of politics, he became a hero who rose to prominence after the fall of the empire and eventually became the President of China in the new government that ruled from Zhongnanhai.

  Gudong

  He took a sip of the newly picked Wuyi Mountain Daughter Fragrance tea from his cup, and Yuan Shikai, who felt somewhat stifled, wiped away the sweat that had broken out on his forehead with his handkerchief. He then put down the cup in his hand and looked at the window, but did not say a word. The worry on his face was evident, yet he showed nothing.

  "Wasn't it the case that when the ship arrived in Japan, the President originally intended to let Lu Zongyu serve as the envoy to Japan? But instead, he asked him to proceed to Japan ahead of time, and before Sun Wen and others could meet with him, he met with him first and subtly revealed his intentions."

  Zhaō Bǐng jūn yī zì yī de zhēn zhuó zhe shuō dào.

  English Translation: Zhao Bingjun said slowly and carefully, word by word.

  "Of course, the intention must be sincere and must convey the President's intention to him, and also let him understand that the President appreciates him and is willing to support his business."

  After a moment of silence, Yuan Shikai nodded and asked.

  "What if I hit a nail?"

  "Nail?"

  "Overseas Chinese in the US have always been inclined towards revolutionary parties like Sun Yat-sen, and for many years they have been deceived by these revolutionaries, fearing that this nail is going to be hammered!"

  After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Bingjun spoke up.

  "Nails may collide. But he wants to return home and engage in industry, so he is also a businessman. As a businessman, it's the same!"

  Although Yuan Shikai did not say anything, he still knew in his heart that this was actually different. Ordinary businessmen are nothing more than seeking profit, but that person just wanted to devote himself to industry, let alone his learning surpassed business, and it was clear that he could not be equated with ordinary merchants.

  This was what Yuan Shikai had in mind, but it wasn't convenient to say. In fact, compared to his own opinions, he actually valued the opinions of his subordinates and staff even more, and he also understood that his current position was entirely due to his ability to use people effectively.

  These days, from south to north, almost all Chinese people are talking about one thing: the blast furnace and 110 million taels. Naturally, there is also a person who cannot be left out - Li Zicheng, the Chinese man who sold the patent to the American Steel Company for 110 million taels.

  When the newspapers and domestic thought he was the symbol of "China's awakening", I don't know how many people were thinking about his money, some with daughters at home, thinking about finding a good place for their daughter, others wanting to get something out of it. This is all normal human nature, but what made Yuan Shikai attach so much importance to this matter was another thing: the Southerners, including Sun Yat-sen, were trying to contact him and seek financial support, while the government's finances were tight, and some officials even suggested borrowing money from him.

  Now Li Zicheng is like the Tang Monk's meat, everyone wants to pounce on him and take a couple of bites, including Yuan Shikai. Who let the government have no money now? In order to raise funds, almost everything that can be used as collateral has been used up. But that's just a drop in the bucket. On the other hand, foreigners do not recognize the Republican government, so naturally they don't need to pay customs duties.

  "Great President, Great President..."

  Yuan Shikai seemed to have gone mad, and Zhao Bingjun hastily shouted two sentences.

  "Oh, yeah... what did Zhì ān say then?"

  Zhao Bingjun didn't dare say anything else, but instead continued speaking.

  "Alas! The whole world is bustling about for profit, all are rushing to and fro for gain! Now that this newspaper says he wants to return home and devote himself to practical enterprise to help the country become strong, it naturally cannot be done without government support. If he is a sensible man, he will of course know that investing in revolutionaries is nothing but aiding chaos, while assisting the government means maintaining national stability, and one can also gain the favor of the great president. The government will certainly take good care of him, with courtesy and respect, how could it be otherwise?"

  Yes! The reason is indeed this, but the young people... thinking of those young people, who are always enthusiastic about revolution, makes Yuan Shikai's heart still uncertain, and he couldn't speak for a long time, only saying one word.

  "That's just the way it is..."

  Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Bingjun interrupted him.

  "Great President, persuade him with emotions, move him with reason, entice him with benefits, this matter will surely be accomplished!"

  Zhao Bingjun's words made Yuan Shikai feel uneasy in his heart, he had never done such a shameful thing before! Since becoming the president, every day was spent thinking of only two words: silver, silver, and still silver.

  On the one hand, several hundred million taels of customs arrears were not being paid by various countries. On the other hand, the six-nation banking consortium proposed extremely harsh conditions for taking over China's finances with a loan, although he was unwilling to lend this money. However, it was clear that the government was facing financial difficulties and had no silver, which meant it could not be sustained, and even the military could not be maintained without silver. The government would collapse without silver, the army would mutiny without silver, everything depended on silver.

  However, for Yuan Shikai, he was good at pretending and had the skill of not showing his emotions on his face, so no one knew what he was thinking about, no one knew his views on this loan, and for him, this post-disaster loan was just a tool.

  "Mr. President, the Li family has no roots in this country and wants to start a real industry that cannot be separated from government support. If we can get your support, Mr. President, it will be half the work with double the results! I think he understands this too!"

  "Lu Zongyu went to Japan..."

  Yuan Shikai paused for a moment after picking up the teacup that Yuhua had just refilled.

  "Position is light and words are subtle, not showing the government's intention of caring for it! Want to show, want..."

  At this point, Yuan Shikai suddenly stopped, but he was slightly frowning, with a thoughtful expression on his face.

  "Zhi'ao, who do you think is most suitable to go to Japan?"

  A sudden question, however, made Zhao Bingjun fall silent. He remained silent for a while, and then began to mutter to himself in his heart: Could it be that the President wants me to go to Japan? No way, I can't go now. The position of Minister of Internal Affairs is not yet stable, if I went to Japan, who knows what would happen next? I need to think carefully about this.

  After a moment of deliberation in his mind, Zhao Bingjun asked tentatively.

  "If it's a government official being sent to Japan, although it's for another matter, I'm afraid it will provoke reactions from various countries and only add trouble in the end!"

  "Hmm!"

  Nodding his head, Yuan Shikai did not object.

  "Various countries fear that our country and Japan will secretly reach some agreement!"

  Having made up his mind, Zhao Bingjun asked a probing question, definitely not going to Japan.

  "What does the great president think of Zixi?"

  "Yang Hui's son?"

  Yuan Shikai was taken aback, but soon understood the reason. Although Yang Du had no official position, he was also his trusted aide, and inviting him would be most appropriate!

  "Hmm! It's also suitable for Xiaozi to go!"

  It seemed like the right time had come, and Yuan Shikai began to speak out his well thought-out plan.

  "So, let Xiazi go to Japan and personally accompany him back to the country. It's best... it's best not to let him go to Shanghai! Hmm, in short, we must try every means to persuade him to disembark at Qingdao! And... Zhi'an, you make further preparations for how to welcome him! The reception should be no less than that given to Sun Wen, and as for silver and other things, spend some if necessary!"

  "Give before you take", this is the usual trick of all political conspirators, and Yuan Shikai has been quite skilled in this technique all along. Similarly, he also understood that for a young man, what things are most tempting, and those things are precisely what people like Sun Wen in the south cannot provide.

  "Great President, if so, then Li Zicheng would be unfaithful."

  About bodyguards, I don't even want to explain that at the time when there were no photos, even if there were news reports, in the US, only a few people would know "Zi Cheng Li". If we say Zi Cheng Li hired a bunch of bodyguards surrounding him, it's almost like telling others "this guy is a fat sheep", low-key, low-key, haha, of course, there will be bodyguards, everything will be there, before and after returning to the country, everything will be there.

  New books are not easy to come by, and recommendation tickets are very important for new books. I hope that there will be more recommendations from the big brothers who have recommended, and those who haven't collected yet can click on collect to support Wu Yu and Xin Ji Yuan. To express gratitude! Tomorrow, I'll add more updates! Hehe!)