Afer death of Li Hongzhang in 1901 and Liu Kunyi in 1902, Zhang Zhidong and Yuan Shikai became one of the most significant Chinese political figures in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were the two pillars in late Qing Dynasty with Zhang in South and Yuan in North.

Yuan made a visit to Zhang in 1902 and they held a confidential talk during which Zhang fell asleep. Zhang apologized to Yuan and appointed to meet in the future. The next year, Zhang met with Yuan in baoding and for the second time, Zhang fell asleep during their talk.

Zhang did not shared the same political opinions with Yuan.

Yuan Shikai (1859-1916) was a high military official of the Qing (Ching) Dynasty who turned against it, succeeded Sun Yat-sen as the first president of the Chinese Republic and attempted to found a new imperial dynasty.