Chapter 72

It's never easy to meet important figures. This isn't necessarily because they are arrogant or rude, but because there are too many people who want to see them. Important figures are busy and don't have the time to meet unimportant visitors. Chen Ke was unsure about what reason he should use to meet Yuan Shikai. If he went as Yan Fu's disciple, it would be obvious that he was seeking an official position or expressing Yan Fu's goodwill towards Yuan Shikai. If he went under the pretext of selling honeycomb coal, he might be turned away by the doorman at Yuan Shikai's residence.

Moreover, Yuan Shikai had been very busy in recent years, training the Beiyang New Army and establishing the police system. He was fully committed to these two tasks, achieving great success. He likely had no time to meet an unknown person like Chen Ke.

Shang Yuan basically agreed with Chen Ke's view, but he thought that Yuan Shikai might not refuse to see Chen Ke. If Yuan Shikai didn't meet Chen Ke after seeing Yan Fu's letter, Yan Fu wouldn't have given Chen Ke the letter in the first place. With a "nothing to lose" attitude, Chen Ke decided to go to Xiaozhan with Xie Mingxian and Chai Qingguo.

Yuan Shikai's Beiyang New Army was stationed and trained in Xiaozhan. The Beiyang Army was not extensively covered in the history textbooks Chen Ke had studied. Before the Northern Expedition, many of the famous figures in the warlord battles were high-ranking officers of the Beiyang New Army. Wu Peifu and Duan Qirui were also well-known figures in China. However, they were from the older generation. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 and the 412 Counter-revolutionary Coup by Chiang Kai-shek in 1927, the conflict between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party became the most significant and primary contradiction in China. In just 15 years, the Beiyang Army went from being invincible to being obscure, a rapid decline.

Winter had arrived, and the weather was quite cold. Chen Ke, prioritizing style over warmth, wore a pair of leather boots bought in this era, deep blue fine corduroy long pants over his thermal underwear, a blue-gray wool sweater, and a gray overcoat. This was the thickest outfit he had brought. Over this, he wore knee guards and a woolen cloak, a heavy garment often seen in movies about Northwest bandits, which was actually essential for winter horseback riding. As long as one could afford it, every rider would have one. At this moment, he and Chai Qingguo, Xie Mingxian, all wore such woolen cloaks and rode side by side.

"Mr. Chen, I heard you talk about rebellion with those scholars. Why is it different from the rebellion we brothers talk about?" Chai Qingguo, who had been attending meetings without speaking, finally asked his question when they were out of the city and no one was around. It was a testament to his patience, which was rare for someone from the underworld.

"Brother Wu has explained how to transform from a bandit to a guerrilla, right?" Chen Ke smiled.

Mentioning the courses taught by Wu Xingchen, Chai Qingguo immediately became interested. "Yes, I never thought there were so many strategies in warfare. But Brother Wu is right; if your subordinates are still a bunch of bandits, there's no chance for guerrilla warfare."

"That's why you need a base, a territory of your own. What we're discussing now is base construction."

Chai Qingguo seemed to understand. "I see, it sounds like becoming an official! From farming to business, and even industry, I never knew there were so many strategies."

Chen Ke was pleased with Chai Qingguo's understanding and his humble attitude. "Why is the Beiyang Army stronger than us? Because they have a large territory, can recruit soldiers, provide supplies, and manufacture weapons. If we want to fight them, we need such a territory too."

Hearing this, Chai Qingguo couldn't help but laugh. "So, are we going to rule the country? I can't do that. I can't read much. The scholars talk about rebellion, and I think you need to be literate. Mr. Chen, Mr. Tianhua, and Brother Wu are all learned men. They went to Brother Pang's place. You should recommend some people to me. If not, let Mr. Xie come with me."

Chen Ke had always struggled with recruiting grassroots heroes. With Pang Zi's absolute resistance, the other heroes also avoided him. Only Chai Qingguo still respected him. He couldn't help but ask, "Brother Chai, Brother Pang hates scholars. I assume you've also been hurt by scholars before..."

"Brother Pang looks rough, but his family is full of scholars. Uncle Jing in Nangong County was a major landowner. He dislikes scholars because his family has plenty of them. I don't know many scholars. Mr. Chen, you must help me."

This explanation made Chen Ke realize something. He had always been puzzled by how the revolutionaries of the past managed to recruit local heroes by sending a scholar as an advisor. In Chen Ke's mind, what could a scholar, who relied on words, actually do? After hearing Chai Qingguo, he suddenly understood. He had been projecting himself onto those grassroots heroes. If he had a "military advisor" like that, he would get rid of him. But grassroots heroes might be good at raiding, but they were terrible at administration. They needed their own "secretary," someone with education, who could handle accounting and have some political skills. Pang Zi's family could provide such people, which explained his resistance to Chen Ke.

So, should he send someone with Chai Qingguo? This thought was quickly dismissed. The person sent would need to be very capable, and Chen Ke lacked such people at the moment. There was no spare manpower to send out.

Seeing Chai Qingguo's eager eyes, Chen Ke smiled. "Brother Chai, I don't have such a person. Mr. Xie is very important to me, and I can't send him to you."

Hearing this, Chai Qingguo's disappointment was evident. Chen Ke knew further explanation would only hurt their relationship. He changed the topic to the situation in Shandong.

There was an official road from Beijing to Xiaozhan. Xie Mingxian and Chen Ke were not skilled at riding, so they alternated between riding and walking. They didn't talk much on the way. They set out early in the morning and, by afternoon, they could see the new army's camp in the distance. The closer they got to the camp, the more soldiers they saw on the road. Groups of five soldiers patrolled, and reconnaissance teams of three horses passed by frequently, giving a sense of strict discipline. Chai Qingguo and Chen Ke had seen the autumn maneuvers in Hejian, so they were somewhat prepared. Xie Mingxian, however, looked nervous. "We haven't done anything wrong, so don't show any fear. The more nervous you look, the more they will hassle you," Chen Ke quickly told Xie Mingxian.

Xie Mingxian was not an inexperienced youth; he had even taken the imperial examination, so he had some experience. Since Chen Ke was right, Xie Mingxian relaxed and his expression eased. The camp was quite large, but there were no buildings inside. The roofs of the barracks could be seen over the walls and fences. Chen Ke suddenly thought that if he really wanted to sell honeycomb coal, there would be a good market here.

As the patrol infantry and cavalry passed by Chen Ke, they all looked at the three men. Seeing their calm demeanor, the soldiers remained composed. Chen Ke, a short-haired young man in the middle, with two men with braids on either side, confused them. It wasn't wartime, and the patrols were routine. Seeing the three heading towards the gate, no one stopped them.

"Strong on the outside, weak on the inside. No sense of vigilance at all," Chen Ke whispered. Xie Mingxian nodded slightly, and Chai Qingguo exaggeratedly "hmm"ed, clearly wanting to feel superior to the Beiyang Army.

About 100 meters from the gate, Chen Ke had everyone dismount and lead their horses. The sentries, seeing no hostility, just watched them. At the gate, Chen Ke bowed to the sentry and said loudly, "I am Chen Ke, sent by Mr. Yan Fu, the former head of the Beiyang Naval Academy, to pay respects to His Excellency Yuan Weiting, the Governor of Zhili and the Beiyang Minister. I have a letter to deliver."

In official circles, announcements must be formal. This was the best way to impress. Although they knew Chen Ke was here for this purpose, hearing him say it so confidently, Xie Mingxian and Chai Qingguo felt their status rise, and they couldn't help but stand a bit straighter.

Seeing Chen Ke's composed and confident demeanor, and the mention of such high-ranking figures, the sentry didn't dare to be rude. He told Chen Ke to wait at the gate while one of the sentries ran to report. A moment later, a man came out. Chen Ke hadn't studied the Beiyang Army's rank insignia, but he looked like a low-ranking officer. The officer asked about Chen Ke's purpose and, upon hearing that he was sent by Mr. Yan Fu, became much more respectful. "Mr. Chen, military orders do not allow you to enter the camp. Please wait outside." He then rode a horse into the camp.

At the gate, Chen Ke couldn't speak freely. It was a cloudy day, and the camp was on flat ground, so the wind was quite cold. Chen Ke, who liked to stand straight, looked imposing but found it hard to keep warm. Xie Mingxian and Chai Qingguo had already moved behind their horses to use them as windbreaks. Chen Ke, however, stood still. The sentry, leaning against the gate, was in the wind and his face was turning pale. Chen Ke smiled at him, and the sentry勉强回了一个笑容，然后把手揣进了袖筒。

过了好一阵，两匹马跑了过来。为首的是那个低级军官，后头的那人肩章与卜观水一样。驰近之后大家都可以看清面容。陈克见那人刀条脸，浓眉大眼，脸上有几个刚好的疮疤，看上去颇为凶猛。那人看清陈克之后，很明显吃了一惊。本来那种军人特有的凶猛神色倒也缓和了不少。

这位军官再次问了陈克的来意，来历。又向索要那封书信。陈克想来这位应该不会把信给私吞了。边把信递了过去。那人看了看信，又打量了陈克一番，这才骑马进去了。陈克觉得少了一个重要的环节，就是索贿。这年头，索贿是惯例。也不知道是北洋军比较特殊？还是怎么的？既然那位中级军官进去了，陈克干脆从兜里面掏出早就准备好的礼钱，笑着边和哨兵和那位低级军官说话，边送了上去。两人都笑嘻嘻的接了，没有丝毫的拒绝。

低级军官甚至建议陈克进哨所避避风。陈克连忙说道：“兄弟你为我通报，可是受了累。军营里面有规矩，我可不能让你的好心待我，反倒被上官看到斥责你。我在这里等着就好。”军官也不勉强陈克，拿着钱笑嘻嘻的进哨所了。

又等了好一阵，那位中级军官才回来。“袁大人要见你。”他简单的说道。

听到这个消息陈克觉得十分意外，本来他估计信送上去之后，等着袁世凯接见。他已经作好在这里住上几天的排队等候的准备。姑且不说袁世凯本人的善恶，陈克能够想到，袁世凯的平日工作得有多忙。没想到自己一个无名之辈，靠了封信居然能够这么快得到直隶总督，北洋大臣袁世凯的接见。这是何等的面子啊。陈克反倒觉得不可思议了。

但是既然袁世凯要见陈克，前头是龙潭虎穴陈克也要去。陈克转身对后面的两人说道：“你们就先回去吧。我不方便带你们进去。”

谢明弦和柴庆国听了这话一脸失望，但是这能理解。大家来之前的时候都没有想到陈克这么快就能得到接见。既然和事情原先的计划不同，大家也就顺其自然了。两人拱手告辞。

陈克跟着那位军官向里面走。他试着套近乎，那军官却始终不吭声。陈克奉上了“仪金”，军官倒是不客气的收下了。带着陈克到了军营一处修的跟衙门一样的场所，两人下马。军官带着陈克进去了。进进出出的都是中高级军官，陈克进来的时候已经把羊皮袄脱下来放在马鞍上。此时这一身装束颇为扎眼。不时有人问前面的军官，陈克是谁。言语间只是知道这位军官姓吴。

进了衙门，左转右转，到了一间办公室门口。吴军官先进去通报，然后才出来带着陈克进去。一进屋门，就看到办公桌后面坐着一人，这张脸陈克有印象，的确是袁世凯的模样。在他旁边还站了一人，陈克就不认识了。这人颇为清瘦，神色沉静，虽然穿着军服，倒像是文人的样子，只是身上完全没有文人那种隐隐的矫揉造作，应该是个人物。不过陈克也顾不了这么多，他深深一躬，用河南话说道：“参见袁大人。”

“你就是写了那本书的陈克陈文青吧。”袁世凯的河南话让陈克觉得听起来挺亲切的。不过这话的内容就颇让陈克吃惊了。难道严复先生还把自己的书寄给了袁世凯不成？

“小民正是陈克。”陈克可不敢提及那书的事情，他只能采用简单的自我介绍了。

大人物的气魄就是不一样，袁世凯完全没有那么多虚套，让陈克坐下之后。看着陈克稳稳的坐在椅子上，就忍不住笑出声来。“几道兄把文青的书寄给我的时候，还写了封信。信很客气，说文青你是几道兄的弟子，希望我在北京多加照顾。结果我等了这么久，文青才来见我，”

这话说的颇为巧妙，核心意思就是想问陈克你啥意思？到北京这么久才来见我。我面子是给足了严复，你这是准备怎么圆了我的面子。

陈克绝对不驳了袁世凯的面子，但是陈克也绝对不能丢了严复的体面。虽然不知道严复到底写了什么，但是想来绝对没有袁世凯说的那么客气。他思忖了一下，便说道：

“大人，来北京前，家师反复交代，来北京是让我游历，而不是借着家师故旧寻找幸进之途。家师深知大人您最念旧情，多次提起，所以我才不敢贸然来拜见大人。”

听了这话，袁世凯笑道。“几道兄还是那么自律。文青既然这么说，想来是在北京游历有得了。”

“曾经偶遇卜观水，和卜观水一起做了首《北洋新军在前进》的曲子。”陈克答道。

听了这话，袁世凯倒是微微吃了一惊，那首曲子他非常喜欢，听说作曲的是调去安徽新军的军官卜观水，袁世凯对此人有些知道，他是个留学生，却不该有什么音乐功底，想来是找人做的。却万万没想到居然是陈克所作。不过陈克敢这么说，应该不是欺骗自己。

“那曲子做得不错。”袁世凯笑道。

“大人您练出虎狼之军，我也只有做雄威之曲才能配得上这样的军队。”陈克连忙恭维道。

这下袁世凯才真正的高兴起来，“看来文青和我北洋很有缘份啊。卜观水是你的朋友？”

“不是，在北京才认识的。”陈克简单的叙述了认识卜观水的经过。然后陈克说道：“这次前来实在没有想到大人您如此抬举晚辈，本来准备等大人召见晚辈时，献上特效药。这次只是来拜见投书，药并没有带在身边。我思虑不周，万望大人恕罪。”

袁世凯听了这话只是一笑，既然已经清楚了陈克的经历，别的事情倒也没有什么了，“那可有劳文青了。文青有干劲，若是别人做了那曲子，早就找到我们上来了。文青现在才来，不知有什么可以让我帮忙的么？”

“我在北京开了家工厂，制了一物。”陈克把蜂窝煤的事情简单的陈述了一下。袁世凯听了陈克说出的详细数据，只是微微点头。陈克介绍完了之后，这才说道：“和晚辈在一起的，多数都是以前天津制造局的同仁，现在这东西既然造出来了，我却担心遇到些麻烦。所以想把这个厂托在北洋之下。但完全不知门路，这才斗胆求大人来了。”

袁世凯听陈克了这话，只是点头，却没有立刻发话。过了一阵，这位北洋的首领才说道：“我知道了。这件事也不必着急。这样，文青你留下住处地址，我会派人去找你。”

袁世凯虽然不明说，单是这样说也等于已经许了陈克一些承诺。陈克自然是连忙感谢。正事谈完，大家闲扯了几句严复的近况。然后袁世凯就端茶送客了。

毕竟是军营的衙门，陈克出来的时候，羊皮袄和护膝还在马鞍上，那位吴军官陪着陈克一起出了军营，只是供了拱手就告辞了。陈克看着这位沉默寡言的军官，对他的态度却有些不明白了。谈话时间不久，陈克催马向着来路回去。谢明弦的骑术不精，肯定走不快的。一路上想着和袁世凯的这次会面，陈克觉得跟作了场梦一样。有些细节居然回想不起来。当然了，陈克也没有那么大胆子对着袁世凯的脸看个不停。

一面回想着这次会面，一面考虑着未来，也不知道跑了多远，只见前面两个骑马者的熟悉身影，陈克一面喊着两人，一面催马追了上去。

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It was a cloudy day, and the camp was on flat ground, so the wind was quite cold. Chen Ke, who liked to stand straight, looked imposing but found it hard to keep warm. Xie Mingxian and Chai Qingguo had already moved behind their horses to use them as windbreaks. Chen Ke, however, stood still. The sentry, leaning against the gate, was in the wind and his face was turning