"Xiangcheng, we in the People's Party believe you would absolutely never participate in such an affair," Yan Fu said as he poured tea for Yuan Shikai.

In Yan Fu's experience with Yuan Shikai, except for times when they spoke of the nation's decline or the hardships of state affairs, Yuan Shikai had always been quite open-minded about his own family matters. But because of the matter concerning Yuan Keding, Yuan Shikai had rushed over in the middle of the night to talk. He was no longer just full of sorrow; he looked utterly despondent. Yuan Shikai was a hero of his generation, yet he had been driven to this state. Yan Fu couldn't help but feel a strong sense of pity.

"Wenqing asked me to pass on a message. He requests that you, Xiangcheng, prioritize national affairs. You are, after all, the President of this Republic of China. Especially at a time like this, you must realize that this isn't just about Keding alone. There are too many people behind him. They are the masterminds."

Despite his sorrow, the backbone Yuan Shikai had tempered over years of experience was not destroyed. His voice was low, but there was no hint of cowardice. "How does Wenqing ultimately intend to handle this?"

"We don't want you to kill him, nor should you. However, the boy Keding must go abroad and never return. The Beiyang side must also cease all contact with him." Yan Fu stated the People's Party's conditions.

"You're just going to let him go like that?" Intense distrust flickered in Yuan Shikai's eyes.

"Even if Keding planned the assassination of Wenqing, the matter has not progressed to the point of actually dispatching anyone. At least for now, his crime is not punishable by death. Wenqing emphasized that you are his father and that you truly love him. Since he hasn't committed a capital crime by law, we do not wish to, nor can we, promote something that violates human ethics. Therefore, we request that you do not kill him. Furthermore, Xiangcheng, you can rest assured; we give our word of honor that we will never use this matter to blackmail you. Once Keding is abroad, this matter is finished as far as he is concerned."

"Wenqing is certainly broad-minded," Yuan Shikai gave a cold laugh.

"Xiangcheng, there is no personal vendetta in this matter. All parties involved are caught in conflicts of interest. Therefore, it concerns only reason, not emotion. This makes it easier to untangle. The reason those people were so keen on pushing this was to entangle reason with emotion, making it impossible for you to explain yourself clearly. You are also a hero, Xiangcheng; you surely won't fail to see this clearly."

Yuan Shikai closed his eyes and took several deep, expressionless breaths. When he opened them again, the dejected look had mostly vanished. "Is Wenqing not worried that I truly want to declare myself Emperor?"

"Wenqing said he can completely understand your desire to be Emperor. After all, having come this far, one more step forward and it becomes possible. There are risks, of course, but for a hero like you, why wouldn't you if you could? You need to give yourself an account. He can understand it," Yan Fu said solemnly, though he couldn't help but smile toward the end.

"Give myself an account... well said." Some color returned to Yuan Shikai's face.

"But we have a Republic now. That page of the imperial system has already been turned. There will certainly be possibilities of restoration in the future, and various people with their own agendas will come out to do something. But once history has taken this step forward, we must keep up with the times. Xiangcheng, Wenqing once talked with me about what makes a 'hero' and what makes an 'ambitious clique-leader.' Would you like to hear it?"

"Given my current situation, Brother Jidao, please feel free to speak."

"A hero represents the interests of the world, the interests of the majority. An ambitious clique-leader represents the interests of a small portion, the interests of his own small group. As for traitors and rebels, they represent only their own personal interests. In the end, this world is nothing more than the word 'interest.' Xiangcheng, you are the President now; you should act as a hero."

"Act as a hero?! Haha." Yuan Shikai couldn't help but laugh out loud, his laughter filled with mockery. "And Wenqing considers himself a representative of the world's interests, the interests of the majority?"

"Exactly. The People's Party believes it represents the interests of the world's working people—land for the tillers, food for the laborers. If the People's Party hadn't done so, how could they have achieved such a situation in just a few years? You lead Beiyang, Xiangcheng, so of course you must consider Beiyang's interests. The divergence between Beiyang and our People's Party is an objective reality. But you are now the President of China, and you have a duty to defend China's interests. It is precisely because you have consistently insisted on defending China's interests that some have painstakingly tried to topple you by provoking incidents. Therefore, we in the People's Party firmly support you in this matter."

Yuan Shikai was silent for a long time. Before speaking, he couldn't help but sigh. "Brother Jidao, you've truly taken on a fine disciple!"

"In the eyes of a hero like you, using the words 'fine' or 'bad' would be beneath your status. The current priority is to handle the matter at hand and not give anyone else another chance. Xiangcheng, you are the President; you naturally know where the key lies."

Yuan Shikai gave a bitter smile. "Haha, my mind is in such a mess right now, how could I distinguish the key?"

"Mr. President, there's no need for modesty. Just speak," Yan Fu smiled.

After thinking for a moment, Yuan Shikai regained his usual calm demeanor. "As it stands, the current priority is nothing other than the Quota Trade Agreement. Once this is reached, Britain will be temporarily satisfied and will certainly focus entirely on its implementation. If a civil war breaks out in China, Britain naturally won't stand by and watch the cooked duck fly away. They will temporarily do their best to prevent foreign intervention in China. The immediate priority is to finish this quickly."

Yan Fu nodded silently as he listened. This was the difference between Yuan Shikai and the Qing. The Beiyang group had actually started from the 'Westernization' movement, only they were more inclined toward building their own industries. Of course, in the eyes of the People's Party, Beiyang's approach to industrialization was highly problematic. However, the Beiyang group's understanding of the world indeed far exceeded that of other political forces. They had neither the conservative stagnation of the Qing nor the 'individual-interest-first' attitude of the compradors. On key issues, the Beiyang group still had the ability to barely cope with the international situation outside of war. This was the fundamental reason why Chen Ke was willing to cooperate with Beiyang temporarily. Before the revolutionary situation entered the Liberation War phase, this kind of power was more beneficial for cooperation.

"But, Brother Jidao, does Wenqing know where my dilemma lies?" Yuan Shikai asked.

"The Quota Trade Agreement and the Customs revenue—the British won't give it to you," Yan Fu replied cleanly.

Upon hearing this answer, Yuan Shikai's eyes lit up.

Yan Fu said frankly: "The British want to expand our trade with them, so they withhold the Customs money and try every means to use it to blackmail us. You have no money now, Mr. President, and often have no choice but to be constrained by the British. That's why we've opened many enterprises in Beijing, Tianjin, and other places. Regardless of what those below say, you at least tacitly allow these enterprises to exist. For no other reason than that these enterprises can bring in considerable direct tax revenue, and this revenue is something you can control directly."

"Haha," Yuan Shikai smiled bitterly. "Brother Jidao, you and Wenqing always speak so bluntly."

"Xiangcheng, when we've associated in the past, when did you ever mince words?" Yan Fu also laughed. Among the old brothers, Yan Fu was known for his lack of expertise in officialdom, while Yuan Shikai was known for being a man of action, frank, bold, and overbearing.

The two laughed for a while, then continued to discuss this key issue. The People's Party believed there was temporarily no need to take money from Customs revenue for the Beiyang Army's private use. If it was just to support the current Beiyang Army, simply fostering and guiding foreign trade enterprises and relying on domestic commercial taxes would generate endless wealth. Beiyang's problem, like the Qing's, lay in the "inability to collect taxes." The current domestic situation was very poor, and taxes were already extremely heavy. Coupled with the problems in the local tax systems, for every copper coin the state increased in taxes, it could become at least ten or even a hundred coins by the time it reached the lower levels. Trying to open new tax sources would be driving people to rebellion.

Foreign trade, however, was a source of revenue created out of thin air. As long as the Quota Trade Agreement was signed and Beiyang and the People's Party joined forces to grasp the trade, taxes wouldn't be heavy, and with the support of banks, it would be equivalent to generating wealth out of nowhere.

This design was naturally excellent, but Yuan Shikai was not so naive as to think that something the People's Party was pushing so strongly would have any great benefit for the Beiyang group.

"Brother Jidao, since the People's Party has confidence in this, there must be some great secret within it that I'm currently unaware of. I ask you to state it clearly beforehand." Yuan Shikai asked sincerely.

"The secret is very simple. It's what Wenqing once called the 'Canton Fair' [Guangjiaohui]. You must ensure that the capable rise to the top. If you only think about making money and suppress other paths, only allowing your own associated merchants and enterprises to intervene in the Canton Fair, then the Quota Trade Agreement will absolutely not achieve its effect—the trade volume won't go up. Secondly, it will only incite public anger; those capable merchants will surely find ways to become compradors and use foreign names for joint ventures, causing us to lose tax revenue for nothing. Thirdly, the bank support won't find the right targets."

Yuan Shikai could understand the first two points, but the last one was completely beyond his range of understanding. "What kind of support from the banks?"

"Collecting taxes is extremely difficult. But many enterprises wanting to reach the total product volume required by foreigners must expand production, purchase equipment, and hire labor. They lack money, so this bank support is 'loans in exchange for orders.'" Yan Fu explained.

In the 21st century, this was a perfectly normal thing. With an export order, one could use it as collateral for bank loan support. Through providing financial services, the bank not only gave capital support to the enterprises needing it but also allowed the state to effectively control tax collection. Although there were risks, they were much smaller.

After hearing Yan Fu's explanation, Yuan Shikai's face was completely brightened. In the late Qing, this kind of thinking was still quite novel. More importantly, the Beiyang group could extremely effectively grasp the income of merchants, greatly reducing the difficulty of tax collection.

"Brother Jidao, it seems Wenqing asked you to be the Cabinet Premier just to manage this matter?" Yuan Shikai laughed.

Yan Fu also laughed. "If it can operate like this, the nation's situation will be completely refreshed. Xiangcheng, when we were young, we all held the intention of 'cleansing the world,' believing that the rise of the capable was the ultimate principle. Now that there's an opportunity to operate such a system, I imagine you must be willing."

Yuan Shikai nodded slightly, but the glow on his face suddenly vanished cleanly. He spoke in a low voice: "I will go back and handle the matter of Yuan Keding first, then I will immediately push this forward with all my strength."

Yan Fu knew Yuan Shikai was hurting inside. He knew that whatever he said now would only touch Yuan Shikai's wounds. So he smiled forcedly: "I'm tired too. I didn't dare smoke opium at Wenqing's place. Now that I'm here with you, I don't need to suppress myself so much anymore."

Yuan Shikai knew Yan Fu loved this habit. In the past, Li Hongzhang hadn't liked Yan Fu very much because Li Hongzhang himself strongly opposed smoking opium. But among the things Yan Fu learned from the British Navy, smoking opium was one of them. Hearing Yan Fu say this, Yuan Shikai didn't say more and rose to take his leave.

By then, the sky was almost light. Yuan Shikai didn't go home directly but went to his office. Whether it was the farce staged by his son Yuan Keding or the attitude Chen Ke brought through Yan Fu, both were major matters. Yuan Shikai had to reflect carefully and see if there were deeper conspiracies within.

Not until noon did Zhao Bingjun rush to Yuan Shikai's office to report on the current progress. All the house guests around Yuan Keding had been arrested, and upon interrogation, they all confessed. These people were incompetent to begin with, and many didn't dare participate in such a matter, so they hadn't found anyone brave enough to assassinate Chen Ke. Zhao Bingjun naturally said Yuan Keding had acted cautiously, so when members of the Tongmenghui volunteered to join, Yuan Keding had investigated them thoroughly. However, Yuan Shikai didn't entirely believe it. In his view, it was likely that the group of small men clinging to power around Yuan Keding had shown their true nature. Regarding the Tongmenghui members who had volunteered, they were surely being hyper-critical and picky, for fear that someone would snatch their positions. Doing so had actually greatly delayed the progress, so much so that these Tongmenghui members hadn't even been able to see Yuan Keding.

Whatever the reason, hearing these reports, Yuan Shikai finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least Yuan Keding hadn't created any concrete evidence. If someone had used Yuan Keding's name to assassinate Chen Ke, as long as they didn't have Yuan Keding's handwritten order or other evidence, Yuan Shikai wasn't afraid. On the other hand, Yuan Shikai felt a great sense of sadness. He couldn't do good things, and he couldn't even manage to do bad things. Wasn't his son a bit too much of a waste?

"Investigate further; there must not be a single loophole. When making arrests, go all out. If the Japanese are involved, don't be polite. I will send someone to explain to the British side. As for that escaped Wang Jingwei, you must catch him for me!"

Wang Jingwei was currently more than two hundred *li* south of Beijing. He had discovered he was being followed, but he didn't think it was because he had participated in protests before and been recognized. Instead, he thought the matter he was involved in had been discovered. Having finally shaken off the trailing spies, when Wang Jingwei returned to the Beijing-Tianjin branch, he found many soldiers and police appearing nearby. He didn't dare stay any longer. He had originally wanted to head straight for Tianjin, but on second thought, the Beiyang side certainly wouldn't let him go; by the time he reached Tianjin, the warrant would likely have arrived. To get from Tianjin back to Shanghai, there was only the sea route. If they checked strictly at the boarding point, he wouldn't be able to escape.

So Wang Jingwei simply decided to take the land route. The Beijing-Tianjin branch was not just one location. He ran to another branch, told his comrades to go out and lay low, took some travel money, changed his clothes, and began walking south.

As he walked, Wang Jingwei gradually formed his own ideas. Since he had started, there was no need to stop so simply. Otherwise, how would he account for himself to Mr. Zhongshan later? He wanted to go and see the People's Party's area; if there was an opportunity, he would simply assassinate Chen Ke himself.