In 1859 (the ninth year of Qing Xianfeng), Yuan Shikai was born in Yuan Zhai, Xiangcheng, Henan. The Yuan family is divided according to the "bao, shi, ke, and family". Yuan Shikai's father Yuan Bao had eight children, the eldest son Shichang, the second son Shi Dun and two daughters were born to Lady Yuanpi, and the other four sons were all born to Yuan Baoqing, yuan shikai was the fourth, and at the age of seven, he was inherited to his uncle Yuan Baoqing. Yuan Shikai's former residence in Yuanzhai Village, Wangmingkou Town, Xiangcheng City, Henan Province, "Yuan Fu". (Photo by Wang Zirui)
In April 1901, Yuan Shikai was serving as the governor of Shandong, and his birth mother Liu died of illness in Jinan. At that time, the Eight-Nation Alliance was occupying the capital, Cixi and Guangxu fled in Xi'an, and the situation in the whole country was only supported by Yuan Shikai in Shandong, so at this time he wanted to take leave to go home and bury his mother, where would Empress Dowager Cixi agree. Empress Dowager Cixi issued an edict saying, "After the overall situation is decided, we will perform the reward and leave." Yuan Shikai had no choice but to ask his brother Yuan Shilian to return to his hometown and wait for Bu to be buried. When the "Xinugu Treaty" was signed, Yuan Shikai welcomed the holy driver back to Beijing, at this time Li Hongzhang died of illness, Yuan Shikai was promoted to an official, took over as the governor directly under the governor, the minister of Beiyang, and was crowned prince Shaobao, becoming the de facto prime minister of the Great Qing Dynasty.
The following year, he asked for the burial of his mother, Empress Dowager Cixi, and issued an edict to reward Lady Liu Zhengyipin. In August 1902, Yuan Shikai, holding the edict and reward of Empress Dowager Cixi, took the officers and soldiers back to Xiangcheng to bury his mother, but unexpectedly, when he returned to his hometown, he encountered trouble. Yuan Shikai's biological mother Liu Shi was originally his father's concubine, and the concubines of the Xiangcheng Yuan family had great differences in dignity and inferiority, and after the concubine died, they were not allowed to enter the ancestral tomb and bury with their wives and their husbands in coffins, and were only allowed to be buried outside the coffin. Therefore, Yuan Shi's brother Yuan Shidun did not allow Liu Shi to enter the right cave. The picture shows the "Yuan Mansion" in Xiangcheng.
Even though Yuan Shikai was beautiful outside, but the state had state law, the family had family rules, although he was a very popular subject outside, but back in Xiangcheng's hometown, he was still a Yuan Laosi. Yuan Shikai was not convinced, in addition to his face as a directly subordinate governor and minister of Beiyang, he also had something to say about the distinction between concubines. At the beginning, his father Yuan Baozhong was first engaged to Shi Dun's birth mother Guo Shi, and without marrying, Guo Shi fell ill. The two families of Yuan Guo agreed that Yuan Baozhong would take a concubine first, so Liu Shi passed through the door first. After Liu entered the Yuan family, he gave birth to his eldest son, Yuan Shichang, at which time he married Guo Shichang. Guo had only one son, Yuan Shidun, the second in line.
However, liu was particularly able to bear children, and had five sons in total, namely Yuan Shichang, Yuan Shilian, Yuan Shikai, Yuan Shifu, and Yuan Shitong. Guo's body was weak and sick, and he died long ago, so his father Yuan Baozhong naturally helped Liu Shi to be correct. Therefore, Yuan Shikai believes that on the priority of passing through the door, on the contribution to the Yuan family, on the name, his mother should also enjoy the treatment of a proper wife. Yuan Shidun did not budge, the yuan family's rule is "wives and concubines are different, concubines are not the same", the original Yuan family is the first to betrothed, so the Guo family who is determined first and married later is still the right wife, and the Liu family who is later determined and married first, although Mr. Liu has a son, can only be a wife.
The Yuan family "Nagato does not have the eldest son", although Shichang is the eldest, but when it comes to concubines, Yuan Shidun is the eldest son, and yuan Shidun has the final say in the affairs of the family. So the brothers quarreled for a month, and they made a lot of trouble. The imperial court minister Xu Shichang and the inspector of Henan, Zhang Renjun, personally came to mediate and advise, but instead of being ineffective, they annoyed Yuan Shidun. Yuan Shidun did not do anything for two, and simply used the tricks of the grass people in the city, and even put on a big red robe during the big funeral and made a big fuss. Yuan Shikai, who had been all the way, lost his face at his brother's place, but he had no choice. The picture shows the "Yuan Mansion" in Xiangcheng.
Although the governor's face has been lost, the funeral still has to be done, and in order to save face, this matter must be handled more pompously. Yuan Shikai selected a feng shui treasure land in Hongzuwa, ten kilometers away from Yuan Zhai, covering an area of 120 acres, building more than ten tile houses in the courtyard, erecting arches, erecting fourteen stone tablets, and standing stone people and stone horses on both sides of the Shinto. At the time of burial, there are three places of office: the old residence Yuan Zhangying Grand Marshal's Mansion, which receives dignitaries and nobles to come to pay homage; the former residence of Yuan Zhai has set up a council office to specifically handle funeral matters; and Hongzuwa is a new place, which specializes in handling burial matters. The picture shows the "Yuan Mansion" in Xiangcheng.
The three offices are hung high on the large plaque of the Yuan Mansion, guarded by officers and men in front of the Yuan Zhangying Grand Marshal's Mansion, and the sentry posts are lined up, and the velvet mules, horses, paper men, and umbrella tents are listed, like yellow dragons and white pythons, which are several miles long; in the tall and majestic spiritual hall, the emperor's holy will and the ceremonial ceremonial texts are hung high, and countless scales of the lianlian are lined up. Since the day of the establishment of the shrine, mourners have been in an endless stream, "the officials will meet and the Luli will be towering." Xiangcheng County Order is to know the guests, to receive guests, Huaiyang County Order for the accounting room, the registration of ceremonial gifts, the high specifications are self-evident. On the day of the burial, the coffin set off from Yuan Zhangying, and the filial son Yuan Shikai sat on the square table carried by eight people, and the mourning procession behind him was several miles.
After the funeral was completed, Yuan Shikai vowed to cut off contact with Yuan Shidun and not return to Xiangcheng in this life and this life. Later, Yuan Shikai settled in Anyang and was buried in Anyang after his death, which was the reason. The picture shows Yuan Shikai's cemetery "Yuan Lin" in Huanshang Village, Anyang. 【Rui Visual" original text, welcome to collect, forward, share and follow! 】