In the turbulent years after the Xinhai Revolution, warlords were divided and the struggle for power was fierce. In this cruel political competition, Yuan Shikai and Feng Guozhang carefully laid out a big game of chess, seduced the handsome handsome Zhang Xun with beauty, and made him fall into the gentle hometown of the famous concubine. But what kind of conspiracy is behind it? Was Zhang Xun used, or did he fall victim to this conspiracy? All the secrets are hidden in the smoke, leaving a vague mist in the wisps of incense. This long-sealed secret history of Beiyang will unveil the fog for us and restore the thrilling battle between the open and the dark in the past?
Antecedents are brewing: Game of Thrones undercurrents
The smoke of the Xinhai Revolution in 1911 had not yet dissipated, and at the beginning of the establishment of the Beiyang regime, warlords from all walks of life were eyeing each other, and the undercurrent was surging. Zhang Xun, who was 58 years old at the time, soared in status and became an important military commander. Previously, Zhang Xun was from a humble background, and he relied on Yuan Shikai for many years, starting from a pawn and climbing all the way. During the Xinhai Revolution, he led the army to defend the Qing Dynasty in Nanjing, and made many military exploits, so he was favored.
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the center of power of the Beiyang regime was concentrated in the hands of Yuan Shikai and others. Zhang Xun is deeply favored by the Empress Dowager of the West, and his status has little weight in the government and the opposition. However, the relationship with Yuan Shikai became increasingly estranged, and Zhang Xun began to draw closer to Li Lianying, the favorite concubine of the Empress Dowager of the West, in an attempt to extract rich benefits in the new imperial court.
During this period, Feng Guozhang and Yuan Shikai had a close relationship, and the two conspired to deal with Zhang Xun. Feng Guozhang relied on the advice of his staff member Yang Shiqi and planned a sinister "beauty plan", intending to win Zhang Xun into the gang, and at the same time firmly control his whereabouts and behavior.
The Beiyang regime was founded, and the struggle for power was fierce. Yuan Shikai and others tried to eliminate Zhang Xun's threat and prevent trouble before it happened. So this bloody conspiracy was brewed. A big game of chess is being carefully laid out on the power stage in Beiyang.
Planned in the plan: Mingji appeared and was intrigued
The long-simmering conspiracy began to lay out. Feng Guozhang decided to act first, and he approached Yang Shiqi to discuss countermeasures. Yang Shiqi revealed to him that Zhang Xun was greedy for beauty and often went in and out of the famous brothel "Zuichun Building" in the capital. The two then set their sights on a famous concubine they had chosen there.
Yang Shiqi introduced to Feng Guozhang that there was an Oiran named "Ah Mao" who had been acquainted by Feng Guozhang. Ah Mao is alert and intelligent by nature, if he can play this "beauty trick", he will definitely be able to make Zhang Xun take the bait. Although Feng Guozhang was a little hesitant, he finally agreed to invite Ah Mao to appear because there was no choice from others.
A few days later, Ah Mao was arranged to be stationed in Zuichun Building. Yang Shiqi found Zhang Xun and said meaningfully that there was a new stunning beauty there. As soon as Zhang Xun bit this bait, he made an appointment with Yang Shiqi to see the beauty of Zuichun Building.
That night in the smoky room, Zhang Xun saw Ah Mao's shadow. She is dressed in an embroidered long fur, her texture is delicate like clotted cream, and her eyes are as bright as water. Zhang Xun seemed to be in a trance, deeply bewildered by her beauty. The two of you and I are nong, Zhang Xun took Achana as a concubine and gave him a lot of gifts.
However, Oiran Amao is just a living pawn. When Zhang Xun was drunk and dreamed of dying, she had already informed Feng Guozhang of Zhang Xun's whereabouts. Feng Guozhang then reported to Yuan Shikai, so that the two could control Zhang Xun's every move and prevent trouble before it happened.
What's more, Ah Mao also secretly monitored Li Lianying's movements, and became the peep eye of Yuan and Feng to spy on the relics of the old dynasty. Zhang Xun was completely in the arms of beauties, and he didn't know that he had already entered the net of heaven and earth under Yuan and Feng Bu.
Ah Mao plays the role of a demonic beauty beside Zhang Xun not only a seductive and evil beauty, but also a timed missile that can detonate political conspiracy at any time. The combination of beauty and scheming is destined to lead Zhang Xun to an abyss from which there will be no return......
The conspiracy is gradually rising: Zhang Xun cannot escape the net
The beauty plan is arranged, and the network of conspiracy gradually unfolds. Zhang Xun was completely bewitched by Ah Mao's beauty, and indulged in the joy of bed all day long, but he was completely ignorant of the changes in the outside world.
At this time, Feng Guozhang and Yuan Shikai had already placed spies beside Zhang Xun and monitored his every move at all times. As long as Zhang Xun has any movement, it can be transmitted to the ears of Feng and Yuan immediately.
Zhang Xun is greedy for beauty, and his old habits are difficult to change. Every time he indulges in the arms of Amao's warm fragrant nephrite, he will reveal many confidential matters. The spies are like dripping ears, and they have nothing to lose.
Once, when Zhang Xun was drunk, he actually told Ah Mao about his private relationship with Li Lianying, the favorite concubine of the Empress Dowager of the West. When Zhang Xun was unprepared, Ah Mao reported this inside story to Feng Guozhang as soon as possible.
When Feng Guozhang learned about it, he immediately sent secret agents to monitor Li Lianying's movements. Sure enough, it was discovered that Li Lianying had been colluding with Yuan Shikai's opponent Cai Ye behind her back. With this ironclad evidence, Yuan Shikai finally mastered the handle that was enough to get rid of Li Lianying.
At the same time, the news of Zhang Xun's addiction to beauty gradually spread in the government and the opposition. Many people who originally supported him began to dissociate themselves from him and avoided him. Zhang Xun's status as a warlord was increasingly shaken, and his power gradually drifted away.
While he was intoxicated by the gentle country, the net of conspiracy had surrounded him layer by layer. When he woke up, he found that he was already behind bars and had no choice... The beauty trick worked, and Zhang Xun, an important chess piece, was controlled by Feng and Yuan. The next step in the conspiracy will be how to get this falcon out of the cage?
The decisive battle is coming: the battle for the defense of Nanjing is thrilling
The conspiracy has been carried out step by step, and the situation is gradually heating up. In July 1913, Duan Qirui, the leader of the direct warlords, was assassinated in Beijing, which directly triggered a power struggle between Yuan Shikai and Sun Chuanfang.
Relying on the strength of the appeasement army, Sun Chuanfang waved his army straight to Nanjing, intending to seize the important town in the south. Zhang Xun, as Yuan Shikai's important minister, was ordered to lead the elite to garrison Nanjing City. Since then, the camps of the two armies have faced each other, and the smoke of gunfire has been everywhere.
In the ancient city of Nanjing, Zhang Xun defended the wall and encountered a tragic street attack and defense battle with Sun Chuanfang's army. The artillery smoke of both sides was filled, and the battle was about to break out.
At this juncture, Feng Guozhang and Yuan Shikai began to use their means. They deliberately unleashed rumors, claiming that Zhang Xun had betrayed the Yuan Mansion and fornicated with Sun Chuanfang's warlord group.
As soon as the news came out, it immediately caused shocks under Zhang Xun's command. Some generals couldn't help but think that Zhang Xun would also start anew. There is even a suspicion that he was fascinated by Ah Mao's beauty and made a rebellion.
When the formation was in chaos, Sun Chuanfang's army took the opportunity to launch a general attack, and the city of Nanjing fell into a heavy siege. Zhang Xun fought back bravely, and the two sides launched a thrilling decisive battle in Nanjing.
White-knuckle fighting, gunfire and gunsmoke. Zhang Xun personally supervised the battle, and fought bravely to kill the enemy repeatedly, without the slightest hint of rebellion. But behind the scenes, he was sniped by his own subordinates and the combined forces of the warlords.
In the end, Zhang Xun fought bravely in this defense battle, and his whole body was hideous. He was captured and exiled, and since then he has been out of the scene, all because of the bondage of conspiracy and the temptation of beauty, which led him to bury his warlord empire with his own hands.
After a fierce battle, Nanjing fell. Sun Chuanfang's army occupied Nanjing, and its momentum became increasingly powerful. And the masterminds of the whole conspiracy, Yuan Shikai and Feng Guozhang, finally achieved their goal.
The Dust Settles: Is It Heroic or Pathetic?
After the defeat in the Battle of Nanjing, Zhang Xun's fate was confusing. The haze of beauty has not dissipated, but he has been imprisoned and sent into the cold palace.
Once upon a time, Zhang Xun was a minister under Yuan Shikai and a favored minister during the Xinhai Revolution. He led the army to win the three armies and made great achievements for the Northern Expedition of the Qing Dynasty. However, all glory was wiped out in this bloody conspiracy.
On the way to exile, people saw Zhang Xun, who was brave and fearless in the past, but at this time he described him as withered and in a trance. Many witnesses were choked and lamented that this once glorious Beiyang military general had fallen into such a miserable situation.
Some people even saw the intersection of heroes and pathos in Zhang Xun. A brave and fearless general, blinded by his lust for beauty, he becomes a victim of the son of scheming. Although his fall stems from selfish desires, it is also the epitome of this cruel era and the pain of flesh and skin.
In the end, Zhang Xun was shipwrecked in Guangdong, confined to the countryside, and quite down. His ending caused an uproar in the government and the opposition, and some people scolded and sympathized with this former martial artist, but more of them were helpless in this chaotic era.
It is worth mentioning that in order to avoid being implicated, Ah Mao soon left the capital and has not been heard from since. And the masterminds of that conspiracy, Yuan Shikai and Feng Guozhang, although they cleared the obstacles for a while, but later suffered different fates one after another. Fate is ruthless, heroes fall, conspiracy and hatred are all swallowed up by the storms of this era....
This drama was finally settled in the dust. Zhang Xun's ending, whether the hero fell or ended sadly, has become a good story, let future generations comment.