Master Yuan, start!

The development and expansion of the Red Confucian Society was entrusted to Ma Xiangbo and Qu Nan, Ming Ye was responsible for intelligence gathering, and Han Bei, because of his strong ability to learn finance, was entrusted by Yuan Shikai to control the economic power of the Jiashen Right Army.

Yuan Shikai was in charge of the overall situation. If any of the above-mentioned people were undecided, he would make the final decision.

As for himself, he devoted himself to school education, railway construction and military training. Under his care and urging, various specialized schools enrolled more and more students, including not only Korean civilian scholars, but also a large number of domestic scholars and juren.

It turned out that the "Petition on the Bus" incident caused by the signing of the Sino-French-Vietnamese Taiwan Treaty triggered the conflict between Cixi and the imperial party hidden in the court.

Under the secret instigation of Prince Gong, Li Hongzao and others, thousands of scholars united to write a letter to Cixi requesting her to refuse to cede Taiwan, refuse to pay compensation, and demand severe punishment for Li Hongzhang, the signatory of the treaty.

These demands were quite normal. Cixi knew that public opinion could be channeled rather than blocked, so she immediately sent Grand Councilor Sun Yuwen and others to meet with the representative scholars in front of the Inspectorate, and said that they would pass them on to the Empress Dowager for her review.

In the midst of a harmonious conversation, a young scholar, either bewitched by someone or simply imagining things, suddenly shouted, "It is better to return power to the emperor. Only when the monarch is in the right position can the country be on the right track."

Well, this has ignited Cixi's anger.

Cixi immediately ordered the arrest of all students in Beijing who were involved in the incident, and issued an edict to governors and governors-general in various places, demanding that the scholars who gathered in various places to demand petitions be severely punished.

After a period of interrogation, it is not known whether the truth was revealed or not, but the scholar who demanded Cixi's abdication was beheaded at Caishikou based on the evidence that "I was bewitched by an evil person, alienated the royal family, and lied about the royal secrets. I deserve to be put to death."

The scholar who was beheaded had a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth at the end. He was excited several times before the execution, his veins bulged and his face was red. It is not known whether this confession was made by him.

Afterwards, Cixi announced that the scholars who participated in the petition would be stripped of their official titles for ten years and would not be allowed to take the exam again within ten years. She also arrested and imprisoned the ringleaders, scaring the scholars in the capital and Jiangnan to flee in panic.

At this time, Yuan Shikai's permanent recruitment points in the capital came into play. Yuan Shikai had sent people to set up points in the capital for a long time to recruit scholars who were desperate and had no chance to take the imperial examination to go to Korea to help the Jiashen Right Army, with an agreed period of 5 years.

Within 5 years, they would teach Chinese in Korea, or enter various Western-style schools to learn Western knowledge and then serve Yuan Shikai's industrial construction. During this period, Yuan Shikai would be responsible for their food, clothing, housing and transportation, and would also provide them with allowances.

If he was willing to return to China after five years, Yuan Shikai would provide him with travel expenses, and if he was willing to stay in Korea, he would offer him a high salary.

Originally, this recruitment place was not very popular, with hardly one person recruited a day. However, after Cixi conducted a large-scale raid in the capital, she sent hundreds of people to Korea in just over ten days.

So in the past six months, modern specialized schools such as Incheon Mechanical School, Incheon Telegraph School, Incheon Mining School, Incheon Tiansuan School of Mathematics and Surveying, Incheon Finance School, and the original Incheon Military School have been established in Incheon.

Insufficient teachers? First, Tohde bought the textbooks and let the existing teachers teach. Yuan Xiangcheng also used his connections with the British and Americans to hire Western teachers at high salaries.

Even Tang Shaoyi, who was serving as a diplomat in Korea, expressed his willingness to serve as a lecturer in some majors after hearing about Yuan Xiangcheng's plan to open a new-style school.

Yung Wing of the United States was overjoyed after receiving the letter from Yuan Shikai, the great hero who saved the country. He immediately wrote to express that he could help introduce some Yale University faculty and staff to teach at the university, and could mobilize Chinese students studying in the United States to return to help Yuan Shikai.

Under the advice of Yung Wing, Tang Shaoyi's personal experience, and the atmosphere of a nationwide manhunt after the "Petition to the Emperor", more than ten Chinese students studying in the United States, including Wu Yangzeng, a mining engineer in charge of Kailuan Coal Mine, railway engineer Zhan Tianyou, legal expert Cai Shaoji, and diplomatic talent Tang Guoan, rushed to Incheon to support Yuan Shikai.

Thus, with limited teacher skills, varying student abilities, and a lack of teaching equipment, the framework of modern education was established in Korea.

The railway lines from Pyongyang to the Yalu River and from Pyongyang to Seoul have also been surveyed and will only begin to be laid and opened once funds are in place.

However, the British William quoted a price of 500 million taels for this 600-kilometer railway, not counting the locomotive and the cost of building bridges along the line. If that were included, the price would probably be as high as million taels.

After Yuan Shikai proposed that the right to share the operating profits could be given to the British side, William also said that a minimum of 300 million taels was needed, otherwise the project could not be started.

There was no other way, as there was a lack of money. The Korean customs only earned 100 million taels of silver a year, and the silver obtained from robbery was almost exhausted. Now Yuan Shikai's only cash flow was the military pay from the court and the income from coal sales in the Pyongyang coal mine.

But the former was just a drop in the bucket. Not to mention that Yuan Shikai did not have such a big business, this amount of salary was not enough to support the Jiashen Right Army. The uniforms, firearms, and artillery of the Jiashen Right Army were 2-3 times that of the other four Jiashen armies. The funding from the court was simply not enough.

Not to mention that since the beginning of winter, more and more people have gone to Guandong. After a round of recruitment, Yuan Xiangcheng expanded his army by more than 10000 people. The Jiashen Right Army now has a real strength of people.

Money, where does the money come from!

On the Korean land, in the snow outside Seoul, Yuan Shikai, who was thinking about how to make money, was marching forward with his troops in the snow.

In order to combat the hedonistic ideas that continued to emerge in the Jiashen Right Army, Yuan Xiangcheng took the initiative to volunteer at the Red Confucian Conference to lead the team for training every month. Anyway, his strength and endurance far exceeded that of ordinary people. After winter came, he stayed in the house all day to deal with miscellaneous matters, so it would be better for him to go out and lead the team for training.

Sometimes they would march from Seoul to Pyongyang, and sometimes they would train for a few days in the mountains around Seoul.

Before the defense of the capital, Yuan Shikai sent all the concubines recruited by his predecessor back home. After returning to Korea, he never had any contact with women again, and his daily food, clothing and other expenses were no different from those of the other soldiers of the Jiashen Right Army.

After the military law dealt with many undisciplined cadres, and under Yuan Xiangcheng's personal example, the respect of the Jiashen Right Army for Yuan Xiangcheng continued to rise, especially among the refugees from Guandong who had just joined the Jiashen New Army.

Yuan Shikai saw it and was happy, but he knew that this was only a temporary improvement. The ideological and military education of the proletarian army must be constantly grasped and mentioned, not to mention the semi-bourgeois national armed forces in his hands.

If this is not mentioned often, those who are now clamoring to defend their country and pledge allegiance to the chief instructor will soon become lazy and lose their enthusiasm.

After leading the team back to the city, Yuan Xiangcheng had more important things to do today. He took off the cold-proof gloves produced by Incheon Cotton Mill, stomped his feet, and walked into the house.

"Juren Xu Shichang, are you saying that the nobles of the two classes in Korea expressed their opposition after hearing the news of equal distribution of land?" Yuan Xiangcheng poured a cup of hot water and held it tightly, trying to warm his cold hands.

"Weiting, they are not as bold as you think. They dare not oppose you openly. After all, you have killed many people in the past six months." Xu Shichang took off his dog-skin hat, shook it and said.

Yuan Shikai did not rush to implement land reform in Korea. Instead, he first published in the newspapers a paper entitled "On the Necessity of Equal Distribution of Land" written by a Korean civilian scholar, denouncing the dangers of the current land concentration and requesting Yuan Shikai to equalize land to stabilize Korea.

Yuan Xiangcheng wanted to see which way the wind was blowing, so he did not respond. But even so, the nobles of the two classes were still a little restless. After all, the sword of equal distribution of land was hanging over their heads at any time, and no one was happy.

They also learned from the neighboring Qing Dynasty and came up with a Korean version of the "Petition to the Emperor", but the demands they put forward were completely different from those of the Chinese scholars. The entire petition was a refutation of the equal-field theory.

They demanded that King Lee Hee recognize that the Yangban was the foundation of the country, and raised the banner of denouncing Japan and foreigners and revitalizing the country. They demanded that the Yangban be used as the main body to govern and restore the situation that had existed in Korea for hundreds of years.

It is very interesting that not long after Yuan Shikai proposed the "Abolition of the Law of Imprisonment of Bastards" at the banquet in Gyeongbokgung Palace, the nobles of the Yangban class could not wait to jump out and show their presence.

King Li Xi had no autonomy in these requests and could only refuse them at Yuan Xiangcheng's request.

After the rejection, undercurrents began to surge again within Korea, and the yangban nobles who had originally cooperated with Yuan Shikai to expel the Japanese stood against him.

"I have killed so many people in Korea, but this group of nobles still don't know how to restrain themselves. Equal distribution of land is the fundamental measure for our Red Confucian Society and the Gapsin Right Army to take root in Korea. We can't allow the two-class nobles to act recklessly." Yuan Xiangcheng put down the hot water in his hand, exhaled, and said to Xu Shichang with a gloomy face.

"What do you mean, Weiting?" Xu Shichang became interested and wanted to see how Yuan Xiangcheng would solve it.

"Draw the snake out of its hole and remove the fuel from under the cauldron!"

Chapter 73: Rebellion breaks out and the situation escalates

Early the next morning, Yuan Shikai announced in the newspaper that there was an urgent matter at home and he had to go back for a while.

Dozens of noble officials from the two classes of Seoul who received the news gathered together to discuss the matter. More than a dozen families, including the Pungyang Cho family, the Seosan Jeong family, the Haeju Wu family, the Gyeongju No family, and the Park family, descendants of Silla, gathered to discuss how to protect their land.

"Sir Min, you have come into contact with Yuan Xiangcheng. Tell me, does he really intend to implement the policy of equal distribution of land?" A person sitting in the side seat asked anxiously.

The man called Lord Min was none other than Min Yeong-ik of the Inheung Min clan, the nephew of Queen Min. He had always been in contact with the Enlightenment faction, but he severed all ties with them after the Gapsin Seoul Coup and devoted himself to the corrupt business of his aunt Queen Min, buying and selling farmland and smuggling red ginseng.

After Queen Min realized that Yuan Shikai wanted to distribute the land equally, she sent her nephew Min Yongyi to contact the nobles of the two classes in order to make arrangements in advance.

"Sir Wu, whether Yuan Shikai will implement the equal-field policy or not, the key lies not in him, but in the reactions of the eight provinces of Korea." Min Yongyi thought he understood Yuan Shikai's actions. He knew that after he entered the court again, he kept promoting Westernization and took control of the customs. It was obvious that he came to Korea to make money.

"Looking at North Korea's reaction, could it be that the Korean people do not agree, so Yuan Shikai will not promote the equal-field policy?" Zheng Shenghao of the Ruishan Zheng family was puzzled.

Min Yongyi scoffed, "How could the people of Korea not agree with equal land distribution? It's just that no matter what Yuan Shikai does, his real intention is to make money. As long as he can make enough money, he will naturally not implement equal land distribution in Korea."

"We've given him the customs, but he's still not satisfied. Does he have to incite a civil uprising?" Zhao Junwen was born into the Fengrang Zhao family. This family was used to being relatives by marriage, and the clan owned more than ten thousand acres of land, so he said angrily.

"I think Yuan Shikai is quite experienced in running foreign affairs. There are more and more chimneys in Incheon, and I heard that the Pyongyang coal mine also earns more than 100,000 taels a year. Why don't we jointly set up a factory with him and divide the profits equally? This way, we can keep our family land and also share some of the profits from foreign affairs." Min Yongyi made his first pot of gold by selling official positions and reselling medicinal herbs, so he was naturally quick-witted.

However, not every family is like Min Yongyi. The Min family has the status of a relative by marriage and can gain benefits for the family other than land. The other families have no extra income except land, and the handicraft industry has long ceased to exist under the impact of Western goods.

Originally, they could do some reselling business along the East Asian coast, or smuggling medicinal materials, but since Yuan Shikai took control of Korea, Qing merchants have come to China in large numbers and encroached on the interests of these big families.

Moreover, Yuan Shikai was very strict on smuggling. All overseas transactions had to go to Incheon, and he even raided several unscrupulous smuggling companies for this purpose.

Under heavy pressure, the lives of the Korean nobles were becoming increasingly difficult. If the situation had continued like this, they could have barely gotten by, but Yuan Shikai actually wanted to distribute the land equally, which really pushed them into a corner, although the people of Seoul and the lower-class scholars were all discussing this as a good policy.

But this good policy, when it comes to them, is actually a bad policy. Who would be willing to share their thousands of acres of fertile land with others?

If you have the ability, go and take over the land of the Qing officials. What's the point of bullying the small country of Korea?

"There are tens of thousands of servants like us in total. We may be able to do something when Yuan Shikai returns to the country." Zhao Junwen, who has the largest family background, is also the boldest. He even thought of mutiny when Yuan Shikai returns to the country.

"Brother Zhao, have you forgotten that Yuan Xiangcheng's Jiashen Right Army has nearly 10,000 Tiger Guards? How can we possibly contend with them?"

"It's okay. When Yuan Xiangcheng returned to China, except for the thousand or so people who stayed in Seoul, the rest were taken back by Yuan Xiangcheng. I saw them board the ship with my own eyes!"

"In this case, it seems that it can be done." Zheng Shenghao pinched his chin and thought.

Min Yongyi also felt that he could do great things, and he also told everyone what Queen Min had said to him: "The Queen once told me that although the King was grateful for Yuan Xiangcheng's kindness in suppressing the rebellion, he has become increasingly unable to tolerate his arrogant style recently. Yuan Xiangcheng does not take the King seriously at all.

He forced the king to decree the abolition of the law for the imprisonment of illegitimate children in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, causing the young scholars to only know how to be grateful to Mr. Yuan but not to thank the king.

Furthermore, he is teaching Chinese to the Korean people and recruiting landless refugees for work. If this continues, the king will no longer be a king, and the country will no longer be a country. Who will rule Korea?!"

"But most of the officials in Hancheng are now civilians who support Yuan Xiangcheng. How can we contact the king?"

"It doesn't matter. The Japanese have contacted me and said they can send troops to assist in the attack on Seoul." Zhao Junwen uttered another horrifying statement.

"Japanese! How dare you involve the Japanese? Aren't you afraid of the overwhelming public opinion back home?"

"The Japanese have agreed to my request that we only seek to eliminate Yuan Shikai and restore Korea's independence. We have no territorial ambitions."

Seeing Zhao Junwen's solemn promise, the others no longer insisted.

...

Nearly a week had passed since Yuan Shikai left Seoul, and the situation there had become increasingly tense. Commoner students who supported equal distribution of land and nobles who did not supported it launched a debate in the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Weekly.

It was not enough to accuse each other in the newspapers; some people even went so far as to fight each other in the streets, leaving them with bloody heads.

Just when some people in Seoul said that Yuan Shikai had arrived in the capital of the Qing Dynasty and was caught up in the vortex of the struggle between the emperor and the empress, and would not be able to return to the court in a short time.

The Yangban nobles also used the excuse that a scholar from the Haeju Wu family was beaten to death and demanded that the person be handed over for trial, but this caused dissatisfaction among the common people in Seoul. A scholar shouted the slogan "Kill all the Yangban" in the street.

The nobles of the two classes who had conspired before knew that the time for the rebellion had come, so they raised the banner of "clearing the court" and deceived tens of thousands of local self-cultivating farmers and tenant farmers, saying that Yuan Shikai wanted to abolish their right to cultivate the land and force all farmers to work in his Western factories.

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The peasants, who had no contact with the new jiu ideologies on a daily basis, naturally believed the three wealthy families nearby. Organized by the six nobles, they rushed towards Seoul, waving their hoes and shouting "Get rid of Yuan Baotian".

The Yangban faction wanted to snatch King Lee Hee from the Commoners faction, declare Korea independent, and expel Yuan's decree. A large-scale rebel force, under the command of thousands of Japanese soldiers who had entered Korea in advance, headed towards Seoul.

Faced with the aggressive rebel army, Jin Bingshi followed the plan prepared in advance by Yuan Xiangcheng, and took thousands of Jiashen Right Army soldiers who stayed behind in the palace to find King Li Xi, brought them to Incheon, and defended across the river.

At the same time, the two major garrisons of Hiroshima and Kumamoto also boarded the ship in Kitakyushu, and landed in the Busan area in the future with the cover of the Lu family of Qingzhou.

In Incheon, in the central military camp, Yuan Xiangcheng looked at Li Xi who was brought here with a smile.

"The king is frightened. He wonders who the rebels are, and how they could gather tens of thousands of troops to attack Seoul."

"Yuan, Lord Yuan, didn't you go to Beijing to report on your work?" Li Xi looked at Yuan Xiangcheng in front of him in horror. This was different from what he knew.

"I just arrived in Incheon today and have not reported to the king yet. I did not expect to encounter such chaos. I can only temporarily station troops in Incheon and make a decision after the king arrives." Yuan Xiangcheng explained to Li Xi calmly.

"Sir Yuan, I see that the rebellion is very powerful. If it is not put down immediately, I am afraid the consequences will be disastrous!" Li Xi knew that since Yuan Xiangcheng was still there, there was no hope of driving Yuan away. Now he hoped that Yuan Xiangcheng would put down the rebellion quickly and then find two people to take the blame.

Yuan Xiangcheng smiled faintly: "Your Majesty, don't worry. The rebel army must have some plan. After tomorrow morning, I will send someone to communicate with the rebel army. Otherwise, it will be bad if the Korean people are harmed."

Li Xi cared about the lives of the two classes of nobles, but Yuan Xiangcheng did not. He hoped that the rebellion launched by the two classes of nobles would be as big as possible and kill as many people as possible.

Anyway, all the properties are in Incheon, and those loyal to Yuan Xiangcheng have already moved here. The two-class nobles can only vent their anger on the unarmed scholars and the people.

The more they vent, the more righteous Yuan Shikai will be when he settles accounts with them in the future.

In Seoul, most ordinary people had no sense of identification with the Yangban nobles. They just watched them make trouble and watched the common people and the Yangban faction fighting each other. In order to expand their own team, the Yangban faction's troops began to recruit people after entering the city.

Prisoners and gangsters took the opportunity to show up again, and murder, arson, robbery and looting once again hit Seoul.