The news of President Feng Guozhang's escape spread throughout Beijing in an extreme time, and for a time a pessimistic mood permeated the city.

"Damn, shit!" Duan Qirui scolded in the study without any image. In the past year, Duan Qirui has lost his temper even more times than he had in previous decades.

"Prime Minister, discourage, now you need to come up with an idea! Feng Guozhang's sudden escape was fatal to the morale of the Beiyang Army, and. With his departure, the troops that came to the north to support will be reduced by at least half, and we are no longer sure of victory. "Fu Liangzuo's meaning is very clear, stay in the green mountains, and don't be afraid of no firewood.

After a long time, Duan Qirui, who was pale, finally recovered.

"Did Feng Guozhang make any telegrams when he fled?" Duan Qirui asked.

"No, it went very abruptly and silently!" Otherwise, I will not return to deceive them all.

"There is a Li Yuanhong in front and a Feng Guozhang in the back, is it true that our Beiyang has reached the point of betrayal and separation?" Duan Qirui said with some frustration.

"Prime Minister, no matter what, we have a much smaller chance of success. Moreover, Prime Minister, the loss of Beijing City does not prove that our Beiyang is finished. We also have the power of several southern provinces. As long as you deal with it properly, it is not known whether it will come back in the future. Fu Liangzuo comforted.

"It's not that simple! The potential of the Northeast is terrible. It is possible to cultivate such an elite soldier in such a short period of time. In time, how can we compare with them in Beiyang? Duan Qirui was really frightened. Now he regrets that he wasted the great national strength of Beiyang to deal with the southwest, ignoring this Northeast tiger who stayed in the rear. But now it's too late. Li Yuanhong's betrayal, although he was surprised, he didn't feel angry, after all, strictly speaking, Li Yuanhong is not a person from Beiyang. It was only because of the great prestige of the person who made the first contribution to the revolution that he climbed to the throne of vice president, and because of the sudden death of Yuan Shikai, he had the opportunity to ascend to the throne and become the president of the Republic of China. Although Li Yuanhong himself does not admit it, in the eyes of the top leaders of Beiyang, it is Premier Duan Qirui who really holds the power, not Li Yuanhong, who is the puppet president. But Feng Guozhang is different, he is a real Beiyang boss. One of the founders of the Beiyang Army, one of the most famous Beiyang Three Heroes, now replaces Li Yuanhong and becomes the nominal spokesperson of the Beiyang government, but it is this man who is known as the mainstay of Beiyang, at the most critical moment of Beiyang, actually betrayed Beiyang and became the fuse of Beiyang's decline.

"Prime Minister, stay in the green mountains without worrying about running out of firewood. If something happens to you in Beijing, there is really no hope for us in Beiyang! Fu Liangzuo said.

"Let me think about it!" Duan Qirui said. He was originally ready to live and die with Beijing City, but escaped through Feng Guozhang. Fu Liangzuo's persuasion had already shaken his thoughts a little. The current situation really made him hopeless.

"Prime Minister, there's no time to think about it. Just now, it was reported on the northern city wall that the Northeast Army had divided its troops again. The target must be the railway station in the west, this is the most important channel for us to contact the outside world now, if it is blocked, we will really fall into the situation of being attacked on the back of the enemy. Prime Minister, while the Western Railway Station is still in our hands, let's make a decision quickly! Fu Liangzuo was affected.

"This ......" Duan Qirui faltered.

"Report to the premier, I just received a telegram that several sections of the railway from the south to Beijing have been blown up, and now a large part of our army going north is trapped in Shandong. Some of those who passed through Shandong were also trapped in Tianjin. It's impossible to get to Beijing without a day! ”

"What!" Duan Qirui's face was gloomy and could drip water.

"Prime Minister, let's go too! There is no hope for Beijing! Fu Liangzuo said.

"Okay! Let's go! I want to see what reason Feng Guozhang has to turn his back on Beiyang! Duan Qirui said. This can be regarded as letting him step down on his own!

Looking at Duan Qirui, who agreed, Fu Liangzuo's heart breathed a sigh of relief. Then quickly arrange the order to retreat, if Feng Guozhang's escape will make the entire Beiyang army panic, Duan Qirui's withdrawal will definitely make the Beiyang defenders in Beijing collapse completely! The Prime Minister's Office has a far-reaching relationship, and it is impossible to evacuate safely without two hours, so Fu Liangzuo has to arrange for a weighty person to sit in Beijing City to buy time for the transfer of the entire Beiyang government.

"Someone, go and invite General Feng Yuxiang!" Fu Liangzuo said. If you say who can fight the most in the entire Beiyang Army, it is hard to say, after all, there are really many "famous generals" in Beiyang, but Feng Yuxiang is definitely one of the fierce generals. When Cai Ye launched the Protectorate War, one of the outstanding performers in the Beiyang Army was Wu Peifu, and the other was Feng Yuxiang. The current Feng Yuxiang is only a small major general and brigade commander in the Republic of China. In his thirties, he was in the prime of life and at the peak of his health. The lives of Feng Yuxiang and Wu Peifu are in huge contrast, and now Wu Peifu is already the deputy marshal who assisted Cao Kun in commanding an army of nearly 100,000. And Feng Yuxiang was reluctantly used by Duan Qirui as a major general brigade commander. His 16th Mixed Brigade was not an elite unit in Beiyang. Even within the Beiyang system, Feng Yuxiang can be regarded as unruly! Therefore, his road to promotion will be much more difficult than others.

In response to the old saying, capable people always have character. Now the situation in Beijing is extremely critical, and it is precisely the need for capable people to buy time for the government's retreat, and among the Beiyang generals, Fu Liangzuo also thinks that Feng Yuxiang has this ability.

In the 16th Mixed Brigade Headquarters, Feng Yuxiang's face was not very good-looking. The reason is all because of the telegram from Fu Liangzuo in his hand.

"Brigade commander, why did our brigade leave the queen. What do the high-ranking leaders of the War Department mean, do they really regard our 16th mixed brigade as a stepmother! Feng Yuxiang's henchman Han Fuqu said.

"Damn! Beiyang is going to escape. You think Lao Tzu wants to take this errand, fuck this is what those people from the War Department forced into Lao Tzu. Feng Yuxiang's temper is not peaceful, he is very strict with the troops, and he can lead by example, so the whole army respects and fears him.

"If we had known this, we might as well continue to fight guerrillas in the north, which is better than rushing back to Beijing to be cannon fodder!" Han Fuyu said in a low voice. Originally, Feng Yuxiang's 16th Mixed Brigade was subordinate to the Northern Corps under the command of Jin Yunpeng. It's just that after the collapse of the Northern Corps, the entire army collapsed into countless units, and the 16th Mixed Brigade was one of them, but they were lucky not to run into the Northeast Army, and successfully escaped the tracking of the Northeast Army and entered Beijing. Joined the garrison of Beijing. But I didn't expect that now the Beiyang government would ask them to stay in the 16th Mixed Brigade to break off. This is clearly at their expense. For this decision of Beiyang, none of the top leaders of the 16th Mixed Brigade were happy.

"General, it's better to wait until the Beiyang government leaves, let's surrender the city to the northeast. This is also a way out for us. Shi Yousan said.

"That's not good! Betraying Beiyang is not good for our reputation! Han Fuyu said.

"What's this, as long as we persist until Premier Duan Qirui leaves Beijing, even if we have completed the task assigned by the War Department, and then when there is a huge disparity in the strength of the two sides, it is also a helpless move to take refuge in the Northeast." Shi Yousan said.

Feng Yuxiang thought about it and felt that it made sense. He is a direct general of Beiyang, and it stands to reason that he should leave with Feng Guozhang. But Feng Guozhang left in a hurry, and he didn't think of Feng Yuxiang's subordinate at all. This is also Feng Yuxiang's complaints about Feng Guozhang, and even Feng Yuxiang thinks that he will be left by Fu Liangzuo to defend the city because of Feng Guozhang, based on these reasons, Feng Yuxiang's perception of Beiyang will inevitably be affected. Now that the whole country is surging, it is an opportunity for heroes to make meritorious contributions, and Feng Yuxiang also has a heart that is unwilling to fall behind. He didn't want to be a major general and brigade commander who was not welcomed by all parties in Beiyang for the rest of his life. Therefore, surrendering the Northeast is not necessarily a bad thing. In addition, as long as they persist until the top of Beiyang leave Beijing, they will be loyal to the government.

"Order the brothers, resist the attack of the Northeast at all costs!" Feng Yuxiang said in a deep voice. This is also a helpless thing, if you want to take refuge in the Northeast, there are also some real skills that can be valued, so that in the future, taking refuge in the Northeast will also be valued by the Northeast high-level.

"Yes!" Han Fuqu's eyes lit up, the current Han Fuqu is far less complicated than that of later generations, and now he is quite valued as Feng Yuxiang's henchman, and it is the time to be enthusiastic. Shi Yousan's is a little different. Sex is a metaphor for Han Fuqu, he values the power in his hands more. Now he has begun to think about how to drill into the camp when he enters the Northeast Army.

With the roar of the train, Duan Qirui couldn't help but burst into tears. He has spent most of his life fighting for this city. I didn't expect to leave dimly when I got old.

"Prime Minister, don't be upset. As long as we cross this hurdle, we can regroup and regain all that we have lost. Fu Liangzuo whispered comforting.

"Hey!" Duan Qirui wiped away the tears on his face and cheered up again.

Half an hour after Duan Qirui left, Feng Yuxiang, the Beijing guard, issued a telegram, announcing that the 16th Mixed Brigade would give up control of Beijing and hand over Beijing to the Northeast peacefully!

Feng Yong, commander of the Northeast Army, immediately issued a telegram and highly praised the great historical significance brought by General Feng Yuxiang's act. And promised in public that the Northeast will take good care of everything in Beijing and give the world a prosperous and powerful new Beijing in the shortest possible time!

When Feng Guozhang and Duan Qirui, who went south one after the other, received these two telegrams of singing and harmonizing, their faces turned black. Beijing really fell, and less than a year after Yuan Shikai's death, Beiyang lost its national power. And this day is January 1, 1917, New Year's Day in the West.

(To be continued)