Chapter 4 Arriving in the Capital (Part 2)
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"Wednesday child... Hehe." Fang Zida smiled, lit a cigar and sized up Wednesday Child. Indeed, as Wednesday Child had guessed, the generous tip was meant to get him to do something. Having just arrived in Beijing, Fang Zida needed someone to help him understand the situation on one hand, and on the other hand, he also planned to buy a house in Beijing. Although Liu Guo Restaurant was good, he couldn't stay there forever, not because of money issues, but because it was crowded and inconvenient for long-term stays.
When he entered the restaurant, Fang Zidao noticed Zhou San'er, who was helping him with his luggage. He looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, and seemed quite clever. More importantly, from small details, it could be seen that Zhou San'er's family background was not good. This kind of young and hardworking person, working as a waiter in the Liu Guo restaurant, was exactly what Fang Zidao needed.
"My surname is Fang, I plan to live in Beijing for a long time, so I want to buy a house. Since you're an old Beijinger, you should know many people, can you help me ask around?" Fang Zida said casually.
"Master Fang, are you buying a house?" After a moment of surprise, Zhou San'er hastily flattered: "Buying a house is great! Our 49 City has always been the foot of the emperor, and the houses in 49 City are connected to the dragon's pulse and the earth's energy. Living here is as good as it gets. I could tell you're a big shot just by looking at you when you came to Liu Guo Restaurant. You must be from the south, coming to Beijing to take office, right? Ah, that's why you need to buy a good house."
"Oh, how did you know I'm from the south?" Fang Zida asked with a smile after hearing Zhou Yuanliang's words.
"This isn't easy!" Zhou San'er busied himself helping Fang Zidao pour a bowl of tea, standing aside to answer: "The rickshaw you took when you arrived, I recognize it - it's from the train station side. Today there are some big shots coming in from the south, and it was even reported in the newspapers before. I heard that the President himself went to greet them. Calculating the time, you should have come together with them. Moreover, your clothes, luggage, and manner of speaking are all different from ours here in the north - what do you say?"
"Haha! You're really something, you little rascal!" Fang Zida couldn't help but laugh and say. This kid was interesting to talk to, and his ability to read people's expressions wasn't bad either. He suited Fang's taste, so he briefly told him about his requirements for the house and asked him to help inquire about it. After finishing this task, he also casually asked about the situation of officials from various departments who frequently came to Beijing City and the Six Nations Restaurant. Although Zhou Saner was just a small servant boy, he actually knew quite a lot. Through their conversation, Fang Zida gained a better understanding of things.
Song Jiaoren arrived in Beijing, and Yuan Shikai treated him with great courtesy, not only preparing a large mansion for him but also providing all the daily necessities and servants. Except for the first day when he personally hosted a banquet to welcome Song, in the following days, officials from various departments in Beijing would host banquets every three days and small gatherings every five days, and they would constantly come and go with gifts. The courtesy was extremely sincere. Moreover, people from all walks of life heard the news and came to visit one after another, and the door was crowded with carriages and horses, and the stream of guests never stopped.
Today, the crowd of people who came to visit Song Jiaoren's gate continued to arrive in droves, but unexpectedly, the main gate was tightly closed and refused visitors. Fang Zidao, who had changed into a long shirt, first walked around the front door and then quietly went to the back door.
"Brother Tun, you're really enjoying yourself!" As he entered the inner courtyard, he saw Song Jiaoren, Liao Zhongkai and Tang Shaoyi sitting together in a pavilion. Fang Zidao walked over with a smile.
"Here comes Ming, sit! Come and sit!" The three people who were talking in a low voice looked up and saw Fang Zidao hastily greeting him.
"Mr. Shaoquan, brother Zhongkai, where is Mr. Youren?" Fang Zidao asked casually after greeting Tang Shaoyi and Liao Zhongkai.
"Mr. You Ren went to Peking University, and Mr. Xie Hou had invited him several times already! Mr. You Ren's calligraphy is truly exceptional! Now that he has finally arrived in Beijing, how could Mr. Xie Hou possibly miss this opportunity?" Tang Shaoyi smiled faintly, Fang Zida nodded ambiguously, shifting his gaze to Song Jiaoren.
"Has Ming's accommodation been settled?"
"I'm still temporarily staying at the Liu Guo Hotel, but I've already asked someone to find a place for me, and in a few more days, I'll be able to settle down." Zhou Saner was quite efficient with his tasks and had already helped him contact several households. After comparing them, they basically settled on one. Originally, he planned to go take a look today, but Song Jiaoren asked someone to bring a message for him to come over and discuss something, so the time was arranged for tomorrow."
"It's fine, sigh... I've been asking you to move in and live with me for a long time, but you refused and instead went to stay at the Liu Guo Hotel..." Song Jiaoren shook his head in blame. However, Liao Zhongkai beside him smiled and said: "Rong Ming has his own ideas, actually I think his approach is not bad. Don't look at this house being good, but I'm afraid you wouldn't feel very comfortable living here from the start?"
"Haha!" Several people burst out laughing, and even Song Jiaoren had a wry smile on his face. These days he was indeed not doing well, with daily banquets and visits making him restless for a moment, otherwise today he would not have closed the door to thank guests on the grounds of physical discomfort.
"Now that Yuan Shi-kai has arrived, let's discuss it." Shaking his head, Song Jiaoren went straight to the point. When he first arrived in Beijing, Yuan Shi-kai's enthusiasm had indeed moved Song Jiaoren, but the situation over the past few days had made him feel vigilant and uneasy. The purpose of his trip to Beijing was well-known, but it had already been nearly a week, and apart from endless banquets and visits, nothing substantial had been accomplished. If things continued like this, how could Song Jiaoren and others be at ease?
Yuan Shikai was a cunning old fox, with decades of experience in officialdom and never faltering. His tactics and schemes were not something that the people present could compare to, and even Tang Shaoyi, who had served as Premier, was far from being his match. Song Jiaoren, who had just arrived in Beijing, temporarily fell into Yuan Shikai's arrangements and wasted several days, although he quickly realized what was happening. However, responding to the situation was not an easy task. The other party's attitude was high, their etiquette complete, so could they blame Yuan Shikai for this? That would be too unreasonable and lacking in human sentiment. Moreover, among the people who came to pay respects and visit, the vast majority were not instructed by Yuan Shikai. Exchanging pleasantries had always been a Chinese custom, and truly offending someone over this was something that Song Jiaoren's character absolutely could not do.
It's a big deal, Fang Zidao is listening but not speaking for now. In fact, he hasn't been idle these days, every day he either goes out himself or has Zhou San'er take him around Beijing to get familiar with this era's Beijing and gather some useful information. Without investigation, there's no right to speak, this principle he deeply believes in. Over the past few days, he's come into contact with all sorts of people at teahouses, theaters, and bathhouses, although nothing particularly noteworthy has been said, but he's gained a general understanding of Beijing - the heart of China. Moreover, he's staying at the Liu Guo Hotel, which is also a place where information flows freely, low-key Fang Zidao disguises himself as a wealthy overseas Chinese businessman, and intentionally makes contact with those ambassadors, foreigners, and high-ranking officials in the capital, and has indeed gathered quite a bit of information.
After listening to their discussion for a while, Fang Zidao thought carefully before speaking up: "Tun Chu brother, actually it's not necessary to make things so complicated. I think it would be better to directly find President Yuan and speak frankly."
"Exactly! No matter how many roads you take, I'll only take one road! Zeng Ming thinks this suggestion is good!" Tang Shaoyi suddenly clapped his hands and laughed loudly: "Tuan Chu, what do you think?"
Liao Zhongkai, who was standing beside him, also nodded in agreement. After careful consideration, Song Jiaoren decided: "Alright! Let's do it this way! Tomorrow... no, the day after tomorrow, we'll go directly to meet President Yuan."
"It's better not to have too many people, so let me accompany Brother Yun and you on a trip tomorrow." Fang Zidache suggested with confidence.
If we are to lay our cards on the table, it is not suitable for only Song Jiaoren to go, but it would be even more unsuitable for Liao Zhongkai and others to go together. If only Song Jiaoren were to go, Yuan Shikai might not have been too vigilant, and as long as they met face-to-face and spoke directly, Yuan would likely make some concessions in order to save face as the president. This way, things wouldn't be as passive as they are now. However, if many people went, a cautious Yuan Shikai might avoid meeting them altogether, and there would be plenty of excuses for him to do so, dragging things out indefinitely and turning public opinion against Song Jiaoren's side. As for Fang Zidao, he is just a new face and a small figure, and nominally only Song Jiaoren's private assistant; bringing him along, Yuan Shikai probably wouldn't pay much attention to him.
