Chapter 644: Calling you by your official title for the last time
Although Duan Qirui was very angry at the reckless knocking on the door, he still frowned and waved his hand to signal his two grooms who were rushing out of the room with equally angry faces.
"Please be patient. You should know that we are under someone's roof and have to bow our heads. You must not be unreasonable. Go open the door."
After giving the order, Duan Qirui did not stand up, but continued to sit upright on the rattan chair, holding up the teacup, slowly savoring the somewhat bitter herbal tea in his mouth while looking towards the courtyard gate.
As one of the grooms went over to open the door, another groom stood beside Duan Qirui, and one hand quietly opened the button on the leather case of the Mauser pistol at his waist.
After the gate was opened, Duan Qirui saw two Shuntian Army officers standing outside the gate. Behind them, there were two guards with guns standing on both sides of the gate.
The ranks of these two officers were not high, and neither of them was wearing a belt, which made Duan Qirui feel slightly relieved.
Two officers, one a major and the other a young officer with the rank of captain, followed closely behind the major who looked a little arrogant.
Duan Qirui did not recognize the major, but looking at the captain behind him, Duan Qirui seemed to have seen him before, but he could not remember where.
However, looking at the expressions of the two men, Duan Qirui guessed that they should be from the Ministry of Army.
Seeing the gate open, two officers walked into the yard.
Although Duan Qirui's two groomsmen still had angry looks on their faces and were watching them vigilantly, the major didn't care. He even had no respect for Duan Qirui, who held the rank of major general. He did not salute Duan Qirui, but just nodded to him nonchalantly, and then asked rudely, knowingly asking the question he already knew the answer to.
"You are Duan Qirui!"
Seeing that the major was being very unreasonable to Duan Qirui, the groom beside him shouted angrily and was about to draw his gun.
"No rudeness!"
Duan Qirui stopped his groom in a cold voice. The major's rudeness made Duan Qirui realize that the Ministry of Army should have made a final decision on his final decision.
Although he was a little nervous, he still didn't stand up. He just nodded slightly and said coldly.
"Yes, I am Duan Qirui, the general manager of Baoding Military Academy."
The major sneered and laughed, "Well, I'll call you by your title one last time."
The major said this, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a document and unfolding it.
The major didn't even look at the unfolded document. He picked it up with two fingers, and shook it in front of Duan Qirui, which was stamped with the bright red seal of the Ministry of Army.
Obviously, the major did not want to hand the document to Duan Qirui, but just wanted him to see the contents of the document with his own eyes.
The colonel sneered and said, "General Manager Duan, I am here on the orders of the Minister of the Army to announce to you that you failed to manage the officers' academy properly, which led to the students being deceived by the GMD. You have failed your responsibility as the general manager and have betrayed the grace and trust of the court in you."
"Gu, Lord Tie has ordered you to be dismissed from your post as the general manager of the Baoding Military Academy. At the same time, your rank of major general has been revoked and you have been expelled from the military and will never be employed again."
"You are hereby given one hour to leave this courtyard, and you must leave the capital before noon tomorrow at the latest. You are not allowed to stay any longer."
The major then sneered and said, "Today, I came here specifically to inform you. If you surrender your military rank and your weapons now, I will not make things difficult for you. You must also return immediately to complete your duties."
Duan Qirui had expected that he would be removed from the post of general manager of the Military Academy. After all, Ma Longbiao had returned with a failure, and Tie Liang would not let him stay in his original position to save his own face.
However, his military rank was revoked and he was even expelled from the army and would never be employed again. Duan Qirui had not expected such a severe punishment.
It was obvious that Tie Liang was furious and had directed all his anger on him. Moreover, there must be no one willing to speak for him, otherwise, for such a matter that could have been a big deal or a small one, he would never have been punished so severely.
Duan Qirui took a breath silently and asked uncertainly.
"The rank of major general is at least the third rank of an imperial official. Revoking my rank is probably not something the Army Department can decide on its own!"
The major said disdainfully, "Lord Tie would naturally not violate the Qing laws. Your dismissal and expulsion from the military were approved by the Zongli Yamen, and the Empress Dowager also gave the nod."
Duan Qirui said calmly, "Oh!" and nodded. Then he reached out and took off his epaulettes, collar badges, and even the badge on the military cap on the coffee table, and threw them all to the major.
Duan Qirui turned slightly and spoke to the two groomsmen.
"Give them your service rifles and the pistol in my room."
Seeing that the two grooms were still hesitant and unwilling, Duan Qirui glared at them.
"Why are you still standing there? Why don't you just do as I say?"
The two groomsmen then took off their pistols and handed them to the major. Another groom returned to Duan Qirui's bedroom, took out a Browning pistol with a holster, and also handed it to the major.
Only then did the major glance at the captain behind him, then slowly walked out of the yard carrying three pistols with leather holsters.
The captain knew that the major had finished his work, so he stepped forward and said to Duan Qirui with a smile.
"Sir, I am Lord Feng's adjutant. You should have seen me."
It was not until then that Duan Qirui recognized that this captain was Feng Guozhang's adjutant.
Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang were not only classmates of the first class of the Beiyang Military Academy like Teng Yuzhao, but they also worked together for many years in the Wuwei Right Army. Both of them were promoted by Yuan Shikai.
Even including Wang Shizhen, who was also a student of the Military Academy, the three of them were known as the Three Heroes of the Beiyang Army, and were honored as the Dragon, Tiger, and Dog of the Beiyang Army.
As classmates and comrades-in-arms, Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang had a close relationship.
However, these days, Feng Guozhang, who was in the Ministry of Army, did not come to see him, and did not even send anyone to say hello, which made Duan Qirui very dissatisfied.
Duan Qirui just snorted slightly when the adjutant introduced himself, nodded and was ready to give up.
Unexpectedly, the adjutant smiled and said, "My master has been extremely busy lately, and I really can't get away to come and visit you. Today, I learned that you were expelled from the army, and Master Feng is deeply disturbed!"
"I was specially sent here to present some gifts to the Lord as a token of his appreciation!"
As he spoke, the captain took out a silver note from his pocket and handed it to Duan Qirui. Judging from the size of the silver note, Duan Qirui knew that it should be a silver note of five hundred taels.
Duan Qirui did not take the silver note handed over by the captain, but spoke in a softer tone.
"Go back and give my regards to your Lord Feng. Also, tell him that I, Duan Qirui, still have some savings, enough to return home, so he doesn't need to worry about me."
Then Duan Qirui forced a smile and said, "You should go back soon, too. Don't let my affairs affect your Master Feng's future."
Hearing the displeasure in Duan Qirui's words, the captain smiled awkwardly and spoke carefully.
"What are you talking about, sir? You should also know the sir's business."
The captain still looked respectful to Duan Qirui on his face, but when he spoke, he seemed to inadvertently not use a respectful title for Duan Qirui, but directly used "you", which hurt Duan Qirui even more deeply.
The captain continued, "Master Tie has always had some opinions about our Henan Army. Master Feng and the Marshal are not in a position to intercede for him. If they do, it will be more disadvantageous to him."
Duan Qirui naturally heard the implicit meaning in the captain's words. The captain was telling Duan Qirui that he should not blame Feng Guozhang for not pleading for him, because Yuan Shikai did not do the same.
As if to support his words, the captain said again.
"A few days ago, Teng Xingfu sent a telegram to Lord Tie to plead for him, but Lord Tie tore up his telegram on the spot and threatened to dismiss him from his post and put him in jail."
"It was Master Feng who said that as a master, you should get approval from the Prime Minister's Office and only act after the Queen Mother nods."
"That's why Lord Tie reported your case to the higher authorities, and saved you from going to jail."
Although the captain's words were intended to excuse Feng Guozhang, they also made Duan Qirui understand that when he was brought to the capital for questioning this time, not only Feng Guozhang, but also his old superiors including Yuan Shikai were unwilling to lend him a hand. Instead, only Teng Yuzhao, who was insulted by him, was willing to speak for him.
Thinking of this, Duan Qirui, who felt a little chilled, let out a long breath, waved his hand and said calmly.
"Go back and thank Master Feng for me!"
After the captain left, looking at the two guards still standing outside the door, Duan Qirui said to the two angry and resentful horsemen.
"You guys shouldn't be like this. Although I was dismissed from my post, it's not a big deal. At least I don't have to go to jail. It's not a big deal."
"Now I am not only no longer the general manager, but I have also been expelled from the army. I will not need you in the future. Tell me your ultimate plan."
Without waiting for the two to answer, Duan Qirui continued, "If you still want to continue to serve in the army, whether you want to return to the military academy or go to Cao Zhongshan, I will write you a letter. Take my letter to them. No matter whether it is Cao Zhongshan or Zhang Gumin, they will definitely make good arrangements for you."
The Cao Zhongshan mentioned by Duan Qirui is Cao Kun, and Zhang Gumin is Zhang Xiyuan.
These two grooms were from the same hometown as Duan Qirui, and one of them was even his distant nephew. They looked at each other and continued to speak angrily.
"We have read the newspapers over the past few days. We are not going anywhere. We have already discussed that if anything happens to the adults, we will join the Zhi army."
Although the words of the two were somewhat unexpected to Duan Qirui, they were also reasonable. The Military Academy and the Henan Army were still under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Army. Only by joining the Zhi Army would they have a chance to vent their anger.
Duan Qirui smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "I suggest that you return to the military academy. It won't be too late to join the Zhi army after you finish your studies."
Duan Qirui patiently persuaded him, "You should know that the officers in the Zhi army now only need people who have learned the new military style. You will not be willing to be a soldier for the rest of your life."
After a brief hesitation, his nephew asked, "Uncle, what about you?"
Duan Qirui smiled and said, "Don't worry about me. It's not a problem for me to find a meal. But for the time being, I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to go back to my hometown to have a good rest before making plans."
After saying that, Duan Qirui took the two of them back to his room. After writing the letter to Zhang Xiyuan, he gave it to his nephew and put it in his arms, and then opened a suitcase under the bed.
Duan Qirui came to the capital this time with all his belongings, and had already made plans not to return to the military academy.
In the suitcase, in addition to his clothes and several military books, there was also a deposit slip from the Aurora Bank, as well as some silver dollars and banknotes. These were all the remaining property Duan Qirui had, except for the money he sent back home every month.
The banknotes in the suitcase included not only Baochao issued by the Ministry of Revenue Bank, but also Zhipiao issued by the Aurora Bank. The military salaries at the Military Academy were all paid in Baochao, but the subsidies that Teng Yuzao gave to the instructors, including him and Zhang Xiyuan, which were comparable to the Zhijun military salaries, were all Zhipiao.
Fortunately, check exchange is very convenient. Not only the branches of Aurora Bank in major cities, but also the Dadeheng Bank and other Shanxi banknote houses throughout the country, as well as almost all Chinese and foreign banks, will exchange checks.
Of course, the branch of the Ministry of Finance Bank will not accept it.
Baoding was under the jurisdiction of Zhili, but Baochao was not circulated in Zhili. The instructors would go to money shops to exchange the Baochao issued to them for Zhipiao or dollars, and then deposit them in the branch of Aurora Bank in Baoding City.
Although the Baochao would shrink slightly when exchanged, under the instigation of Zhang Xiyuan, Duan Qirui, who did not care much about which currency he held, also followed the crowd and exchanged it into straight notes or a small amount of dollars.
However, the amount of money exchanged was not much, and it was quite inconvenient to carry money with you after all.
The banknotes in the suitcase now are this month's military pay, which Duan Qirui has not had time to exchange.
Duan Qirui took out all the banknotes in the suitcase and handed them to his nephew.
"Take these banknotes and exchange them for silver dollars. Then go to Dadeheng's branch in the capital to exchange them for silver notes. Then come to the Shunde Inn inside Yongding Gate to find me."
Then, Duan Qirui took out a hundred-yuan note and handed it to another groom, and gave instructions.
"Go to the train station and buy two tickets for you guys to return to Baoding, and buy me a ticket to Tianjin, the time is tomorrow morning."
Duan Qirui and his benefactor Li Hongzhang were both from Hefei, which is one of the reasons why Li Hongzhang valued him so much.
There was no such thing as buying direct tickets for trains at that time. You could not buy train tickets directly to Hefei at Majiabao Station outside Yongdingmen. The railway from Beijing to Tianjin was under the jurisdiction of the Lu-Han Railway Administration, while the railway from Tianjin to Hefei was under the jurisdiction of the Jinpu Railway Administration, so you could not buy both tickets at once.
He could only go to Tianjin to buy a new train ticket and then take the train to Xuzhou. Since the Jinpu Railway now only runs from Tianjin to Xuzhou, he could only hire a horse carriage for the rest of the journey back.
Duan Qirui and the groom carrying the suitcase walked out of the yard and saw from a distance two rickshaws parked at the entrance of the alley.
The two drivers, who seemed to be tired from running, were resting and talking against the wall. When they saw Duan Qirui and his groom coming over, they hurried over to ask if they wanted to take a ride.
(End of this chapter)
Although Duan Qirui was very angry at the reckless knocking on the door, he still frowned and waved his hand to signal his two grooms who were rushing out of the room with equally angry faces.
"Please be patient. You should know that we are under someone's roof and have to bow our heads. You must not be unreasonable. Go open the door."
After giving the order, Duan Qirui did not stand up, but continued to sit upright on the rattan chair, holding up the teacup, slowly savoring the somewhat bitter herbal tea in his mouth while looking towards the courtyard gate.
As one of the grooms went over to open the door, another groom stood beside Duan Qirui, and one hand quietly opened the button on the leather case of the Mauser pistol at his waist.
After the gate was opened, Duan Qirui saw two Shuntian Army officers standing outside the gate. Behind them, there were two guards with guns standing on both sides of the gate.
The ranks of these two officers were not high, and neither of them was wearing a belt, which made Duan Qirui feel slightly relieved.
Two officers, one a major and the other a young officer with the rank of captain, followed closely behind the major who looked a little arrogant.
Duan Qirui did not recognize the major, but looking at the captain behind him, Duan Qirui seemed to have seen him before, but he could not remember where.
However, looking at the expressions of the two men, Duan Qirui guessed that they should be from the Ministry of Army.
Seeing the gate open, two officers walked into the yard.
Although Duan Qirui's two groomsmen still had angry looks on their faces and were watching them vigilantly, the major didn't care. He even had no respect for Duan Qirui, who held the rank of major general. He did not salute Duan Qirui, but just nodded to him nonchalantly, and then asked rudely, knowingly asking the question he already knew the answer to.
"You are Duan Qirui!"
Seeing that the major was being very unreasonable to Duan Qirui, the groom beside him shouted angrily and was about to draw his gun.
"No rudeness!"
Duan Qirui stopped his groom in a cold voice. The major's rudeness made Duan Qirui realize that the Ministry of Army should have made a final decision on his final decision.
Although he was a little nervous, he still didn't stand up. He just nodded slightly and said coldly.
"Yes, I am Duan Qirui, the general manager of Baoding Military Academy."
The major sneered and laughed, "Well, I'll call you by your title one last time."
The major said this, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a document and unfolding it.
The major didn't even look at the unfolded document. He picked it up with two fingers, and shook it in front of Duan Qirui, which was stamped with the bright red seal of the Ministry of Army.
Obviously, the major did not want to hand the document to Duan Qirui, but just wanted him to see the contents of the document with his own eyes.
The colonel sneered and said, "General Manager Duan, I am here on the orders of the Minister of the Army to announce to you that you failed to manage the officers' academy properly, which led to the students being deceived by the GMD. You have failed your responsibility as the general manager and have betrayed the grace and trust of the court in you."
"Gu, Lord Tie has ordered you to be dismissed from your post as the general manager of the Baoding Military Academy. At the same time, your rank of major general has been revoked and you have been expelled from the military and will never be employed again."
"You are hereby given one hour to leave this courtyard, and you must leave the capital before noon tomorrow at the latest. You are not allowed to stay any longer."
The major then sneered and said, "Today, I came here specifically to inform you. If you surrender your military rank and your weapons now, I will not make things difficult for you. You must also return immediately to complete your duties."
Duan Qirui had expected that he would be removed from the post of general manager of the Military Academy. After all, Ma Longbiao had returned with a failure, and Tie Liang would not let him stay in his original position to save his own face.
However, his military rank was revoked and he was even expelled from the army and would never be employed again. Duan Qirui had not expected such a severe punishment.
It was obvious that Tie Liang was furious and had directed all his anger on him. Moreover, there must be no one willing to speak for him, otherwise, for such a matter that could have been a big deal or a small one, he would never have been punished so severely.
Duan Qirui took a breath silently and asked uncertainly.
"The rank of major general is at least the third rank of an imperial official. Revoking my rank is probably not something the Army Department can decide on its own!"
The major said disdainfully, "Lord Tie would naturally not violate the Qing laws. Your dismissal and expulsion from the military were approved by the Zongli Yamen, and the Empress Dowager also gave the nod."
Duan Qirui said calmly, "Oh!" and nodded. Then he reached out and took off his epaulettes, collar badges, and even the badge on the military cap on the coffee table, and threw them all to the major.
Duan Qirui turned slightly and spoke to the two groomsmen.
"Give them your service rifles and the pistol in my room."
Seeing that the two grooms were still hesitant and unwilling, Duan Qirui glared at them.
"Why are you still standing there? Why don't you just do as I say?"
The two groomsmen then took off their pistols and handed them to the major. Another groom returned to Duan Qirui's bedroom, took out a Browning pistol with a holster, and also handed it to the major.
Only then did the major glance at the captain behind him, then slowly walked out of the yard carrying three pistols with leather holsters.
The captain knew that the major had finished his work, so he stepped forward and said to Duan Qirui with a smile.
"Sir, I am Lord Feng's adjutant. You should have seen me."
It was not until then that Duan Qirui recognized that this captain was Feng Guozhang's adjutant.
Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang were not only classmates of the first class of the Beiyang Military Academy like Teng Yuzhao, but they also worked together for many years in the Wuwei Right Army. Both of them were promoted by Yuan Shikai.
Even including Wang Shizhen, who was also a student of the Military Academy, the three of them were known as the Three Heroes of the Beiyang Army, and were honored as the Dragon, Tiger, and Dog of the Beiyang Army.
As classmates and comrades-in-arms, Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang had a close relationship.
However, these days, Feng Guozhang, who was in the Ministry of Army, did not come to see him, and did not even send anyone to say hello, which made Duan Qirui very dissatisfied.
Duan Qirui just snorted slightly when the adjutant introduced himself, nodded and was ready to give up.
Unexpectedly, the adjutant smiled and said, "My master has been extremely busy lately, and I really can't get away to come and visit you. Today, I learned that you were expelled from the army, and Master Feng is deeply disturbed!"
"I was specially sent here to present some gifts to the Lord as a token of his appreciation!"
As he spoke, the captain took out a silver note from his pocket and handed it to Duan Qirui. Judging from the size of the silver note, Duan Qirui knew that it should be a silver note of five hundred taels.
Duan Qirui did not take the silver note handed over by the captain, but spoke in a softer tone.
"Go back and give my regards to your Lord Feng. Also, tell him that I, Duan Qirui, still have some savings, enough to return home, so he doesn't need to worry about me."
Then Duan Qirui forced a smile and said, "You should go back soon, too. Don't let my affairs affect your Master Feng's future."
Hearing the displeasure in Duan Qirui's words, the captain smiled awkwardly and spoke carefully.
"What are you talking about, sir? You should also know the sir's business."
The captain still looked respectful to Duan Qirui on his face, but when he spoke, he seemed to inadvertently not use a respectful title for Duan Qirui, but directly used "you", which hurt Duan Qirui even more deeply.
The captain continued, "Master Tie has always had some opinions about our Henan Army. Master Feng and the Marshal are not in a position to intercede for him. If they do, it will be more disadvantageous to him."
Duan Qirui naturally heard the implicit meaning in the captain's words. The captain was telling Duan Qirui that he should not blame Feng Guozhang for not pleading for him, because Yuan Shikai did not do the same.
As if to support his words, the captain said again.
"A few days ago, Teng Xingfu sent a telegram to Lord Tie to plead for him, but Lord Tie tore up his telegram on the spot and threatened to dismiss him from his post and put him in jail."
"It was Master Feng who said that as a master, you should get approval from the Prime Minister's Office and only act after the Queen Mother nods."
"That's why Lord Tie reported your case to the higher authorities, and saved you from going to jail."
Although the captain's words were intended to excuse Feng Guozhang, they also made Duan Qirui understand that when he was brought to the capital for questioning this time, not only Feng Guozhang, but also his old superiors including Yuan Shikai were unwilling to lend him a hand. Instead, only Teng Yuzhao, who was insulted by him, was willing to speak for him.
Thinking of this, Duan Qirui, who felt a little chilled, let out a long breath, waved his hand and said calmly.
"Go back and thank Master Feng for me!"
After the captain left, looking at the two guards still standing outside the door, Duan Qirui said to the two angry and resentful horsemen.
"You guys shouldn't be like this. Although I was dismissed from my post, it's not a big deal. At least I don't have to go to jail. It's not a big deal."
"Now I am not only no longer the general manager, but I have also been expelled from the army. I will not need you in the future. Tell me your ultimate plan."
Without waiting for the two to answer, Duan Qirui continued, "If you still want to continue to serve in the army, whether you want to return to the military academy or go to Cao Zhongshan, I will write you a letter. Take my letter to them. No matter whether it is Cao Zhongshan or Zhang Gumin, they will definitely make good arrangements for you."
The Cao Zhongshan mentioned by Duan Qirui is Cao Kun, and Zhang Gumin is Zhang Xiyuan.
These two grooms were from the same hometown as Duan Qirui, and one of them was even his distant nephew. They looked at each other and continued to speak angrily.
"We have read the newspapers over the past few days. We are not going anywhere. We have already discussed that if anything happens to the adults, we will join the Zhi army."
Although the words of the two were somewhat unexpected to Duan Qirui, they were also reasonable. The Military Academy and the Henan Army were still under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Army. Only by joining the Zhi Army would they have a chance to vent their anger.
Duan Qirui smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "I suggest that you return to the military academy. It won't be too late to join the Zhi army after you finish your studies."
Duan Qirui patiently persuaded him, "You should know that the officers in the Zhi army now only need people who have learned the new military style. You will not be willing to be a soldier for the rest of your life."
After a brief hesitation, his nephew asked, "Uncle, what about you?"
Duan Qirui smiled and said, "Don't worry about me. It's not a problem for me to find a meal. But for the time being, I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to go back to my hometown to have a good rest before making plans."
After saying that, Duan Qirui took the two of them back to his room. After writing the letter to Zhang Xiyuan, he gave it to his nephew and put it in his arms, and then opened a suitcase under the bed.
Duan Qirui came to the capital this time with all his belongings, and had already made plans not to return to the military academy.
In the suitcase, in addition to his clothes and several military books, there was also a deposit slip from the Aurora Bank, as well as some silver dollars and banknotes. These were all the remaining property Duan Qirui had, except for the money he sent back home every month.
The banknotes in the suitcase included not only Baochao issued by the Ministry of Revenue Bank, but also Zhipiao issued by the Aurora Bank. The military salaries at the Military Academy were all paid in Baochao, but the subsidies that Teng Yuzao gave to the instructors, including him and Zhang Xiyuan, which were comparable to the Zhijun military salaries, were all Zhipiao.
Fortunately, check exchange is very convenient. Not only the branches of Aurora Bank in major cities, but also the Dadeheng Bank and other Shanxi banknote houses throughout the country, as well as almost all Chinese and foreign banks, will exchange checks.
Of course, the branch of the Ministry of Finance Bank will not accept it.
Baoding was under the jurisdiction of Zhili, but Baochao was not circulated in Zhili. The instructors would go to money shops to exchange the Baochao issued to them for Zhipiao or dollars, and then deposit them in the branch of Aurora Bank in Baoding City.
Although the Baochao would shrink slightly when exchanged, under the instigation of Zhang Xiyuan, Duan Qirui, who did not care much about which currency he held, also followed the crowd and exchanged it into straight notes or a small amount of dollars.
However, the amount of money exchanged was not much, and it was quite inconvenient to carry money with you after all.
The banknotes in the suitcase now are this month's military pay, which Duan Qirui has not had time to exchange.
Duan Qirui took out all the banknotes in the suitcase and handed them to his nephew.
"Take these banknotes and exchange them for silver dollars. Then go to Dadeheng's branch in the capital to exchange them for silver notes. Then come to the Shunde Inn inside Yongding Gate to find me."
Then, Duan Qirui took out a hundred-yuan note and handed it to another groom, and gave instructions.
"Go to the train station and buy two tickets for you guys to return to Baoding, and buy me a ticket to Tianjin, the time is tomorrow morning."
Duan Qirui and his benefactor Li Hongzhang were both from Hefei, which is one of the reasons why Li Hongzhang valued him so much.
There was no such thing as buying direct tickets for trains at that time. You could not buy train tickets directly to Hefei at Majiabao Station outside Yongdingmen. The railway from Beijing to Tianjin was under the jurisdiction of the Lu-Han Railway Administration, while the railway from Tianjin to Hefei was under the jurisdiction of the Jinpu Railway Administration, so you could not buy both tickets at once.
He could only go to Tianjin to buy a new train ticket and then take the train to Xuzhou. Since the Jinpu Railway now only runs from Tianjin to Xuzhou, he could only hire a horse carriage for the rest of the journey back.
Duan Qirui and the groom carrying the suitcase walked out of the yard and saw from a distance two rickshaws parked at the entrance of the alley.
The two drivers, who seemed to be tired from running, were resting and talking against the wall. When they saw Duan Qirui and his groom coming over, they hurried over to ask if they wanted to take a ride.
(End of this chapter)
