Chapter 11 Chapter 9: Reform and Power Fight Both Hands Are Hard

Pacific Ocean. Wu Yuzhang on the ship was inexplicably excited.This old party member who was later honored as one of the "Five Old People of Yan'an" and founded Renmin University of China has not forgotten his identity as a farmer at this moment.To him, he was ecstatic to win the opportunity to study in Japan. Wu Yuzhang, the second generation of peasants, met Deng Xiaoke, the second generation of rich people on the boat. Although that era was decadent, it still gave birth to hope.No matter what the second generation is, it will not be the second generation, with lofty ideals and pure pursuits.

Wu Yuzhang and Deng Xiaoke hit it off, and they made an appointment to visit Liang Qichao together after arriving in Japan. As a result, after disembarking and parting, Deng Xiaoke immediately went to Yokohama to worship under Liang Qichao, while Wu Yuzhang joined the Tongmenghui, and the two parted ways from then on. According to the argument that class determines positions, Zhang Jian can be regarded as a representative of Deng Xiaoke's group of people. The establishment and success of Dasheng Cotton Mill caused an uproar at the time, and literati and businessmen no longer shocked the world, but became the norm.

Another number one scholar, Lu Runxiang, immediately announced that he would go to sea; Sun Jianai, the teacher of Emperor Guangxu, also asked his two sons to establish China's first mechanical flour mill. Zhang Jian, whose personal reputation is in full swing, was appointed as the "first-class consultant" by the Ministry of Commerce, just like a business leader. Regardless of opinion leaders or other leaders, caring for fans is king.In this regard, Zhang Jian can be called a model leader. He didn't do business well, but he took it as his duty to promote constitutionalism.I wrote a letter to praise Yuan Shikai, saying that I underestimated you when I was in North Korea, but now I realize that you are as stalwart as Okubo Toshimichi.

People in Okubo called "Oriental Bismarck" and was the number one politician of the Meiji Restoration.Although he has passed away, his status in Japan is higher than that of Ito Hirobumi. Zhang Jian puts a high hat on Datou for two purposes.First, I hope that he will carry the banner of the constitutionalists within the system; second, cooperate with them, a group of middle-class people who have solved the problem of well-off and sought political rights outside the system, and jointly push for constitutionalism. When Yuan Shikai received the letter, he was overjoyed—if Zhang Jian was dealt with, he would be able to deal with powerful factions outside the system.

He immediately replied: "Gongfeng has a high degree of talent, and he has nothing to do with it. I am not sensitive, and I am willing to be a pioneer." The big head walks the talk. On July 2, 1905, together with Zhang Zhidong and Zhou Fu, the acting governor of Liangjiang, he asked Cixi to implement a constitutional government. Yuan Shikai, who didn't dare to underestimate the shamelessness of the Celestial Dynasty, gave the Qing court enough buffer time: twelve years. We must know that twelve years later, when the October Revolution was fired, even Marxism-Leninism was brought in.In fact, the court's Yangshou only has half the time left, six years.

A month later, the Tongmenghui was established in Tokyo, and 90% of its members were students studying in Japan.After reading the oath of "expel the Tartars and restore China; establish the Republic of China and equalize land rights", Sun Wen congratulated the members while shaking hands: "Congratulations, you are no longer from the Qing Dynasty!" At the end of the session, the wooden boards in the room collapsed, and the sound was like cracking silk. Sun Wen joked: "This is a harbinger of the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty!" In fact, from Cixi's point of view, constitutionalism may not be useless.

First of all, constitutionalization has become a hot topic. From the ministers of honor and relatives to the students in the school buildings, they all say "constitutionalization and constitutionalism", and they all sing in unison; Secondly, the establishment of a constitution can gain popular popularity, alleviate internal and external troubles, and pull back the fence-sitting faction from the gate of the revolutionary party; Finally, not now.Twelve years later, Empress Dowager Cixi will be buried in peace. If Guangxu succeeds, under the restrictions of the constitution, it is impossible to liquidate herself as she pleases, and she will be ashamed.

Thinking about it this way, Cixi suddenly felt that it was necessary to establish a constitution. As a result, the political investigation center aimed at studying the systems of various countries was established, and most of the librarians were Japanese students studying in Yuan Shikai's work, such as Zhang Zongxiang and Cao Rulin. Attitudes toward constitutionalism can be divided into three factions within the system: fast-moving, slow-moving, and opposition. Most of the exponents of fast-acting constitutional monarchy were envoys stationed abroad, such as Minister Sun Baoqi to France, Minister Hu Weide to Russia, and local governors who sought to expand their powers, such as Yuan Shikai and Li Jingxi;

The composition of the proponents of delaying the constitutional monarchy is relatively complicated.Some are purely for the purpose of fighting against the Qingyuan Group, such as Qu Hongxuan and Tie Liang; some sincerely believe that things can be resolved if things are slowed down, such as Sun Jianai; Those who want to procrastinate and pretend to sleep, such as Chen Kuilong. The second is the opposition, which is basically concentrated in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, such as Hu Sijing.He didn't get any money, and he barked like a watchdog all day long, which was not only despised by the masses, but also secretly ridiculed by the powerful.

What's more, in order to prove that there is no need to implement the constitution, the opposition has called China a "constitutional motherland".The supplementary meeting said that in ancient times, "the virtuous and evil are all recorded in books" means that the people have freedom of speech, and "seek out common people, consult with the grasshopper (the person who mows grass and collects firewood)" means that the people have the right to discuss government affairs. Fortunately, Empress Dowager Cixi was not stupid, she insisted that seeing is believing, so she sent a delegation of 40 people abroad, led by five ministers (Zai Ze, Xu Shichang, Duan Fang, Dai Hongci, Shao Ying).

Zhen Guogong Zaize is the niece and son-in-law of Cixi, known in history as "young and sensitive, stronger than memory", and is regarded by the Queen Mother as a good seed that can be cultivated among relatives and noble children. Duanfang (1861-1911) was one of the few intelligent Manchu officials after Boxer Zi.As Yuan Shikai's close political friend, he was enthusiastic about constitutionalism, advocated reform, and was good at calligraphy and painting, and was praised by people at that time as "student and skillful". During his tenure as governor of Hunan, Duanfang established the earliest provincial library in China, the Hunan Library.In order to promote the new type of education, all the red envelopes sent by the prefectures and counties were returned, and the local governments were ordered to use the money to send students to study abroad. Unexpectedly, the salute to the five ministers was actually a human bomb of the Revolutionary Party. On September 24, Zhengyangmen Station was very lively. After nine in the morning, the five ministers boarded the train.Zai Ze, Xu Shichang and Shao Ying sat in the front compartment, while Dai Hongci and Duan Fang sat in the back.They waved and bid farewell to the sending crowd. The train roared and started slowly. Suddenly, but heard a loud "boom", the train was shaken left and right.Immediately, thick smoke and flames burst from the carriage—a bomb exploded. The crowd was in a mess and fled in all directions.The soldiers of the Qing Dynasty came in a hurry, and after boarding the carriage, they found that except for Shaoying who was seriously injured, the other four were all fine. It was a well-planned assassination.Investigators found a dead body in the middle of the carriage, with the word "Wu Yue" written on the business card in his pocket. As he was the closest to the bomb, the assassin's chest and abdomen were shattered, his hands and feet were severed, and he died on the spot. Gao Yan, who "holds a three-foot sword and cuts off all the heads", can be described as a typical example of the government's coercion and rebellion. He was transformed from an educated youth by the Qing government into a special attack team. Wu Yue, who was on the road of no return, quickly found an organization: the Restoration Association. The slogan of this organization is resounding (Recover the Han nationality, return our country. Retire with self-respect, success), attracted a group of outstanding talents such as Cai Yuanpei, Zhang Taiyan, Tao Chengzhang, some members later joined the Tongmenghui, but overall, Emphasis on physical practice simply despises the orator Sun Wen. History has proved that the Restoration Society is indeed a big school that encourages people to grow up, and it can also shape the gentle Cai Yuanpei into a "terrorist" who is proficient in assassination. His first thought was poisoning.Get a cat and feed it the cyanic acid you made.Looking at the four-legged cat, Cai Yuanpei felt that cyanic acid, a liquid poison, was inconvenient to carry, so he planned to change it into a solid state. During the improvement, I deeply felt that the explosives were actually better and more powerful.Therefore, special attention was paid to teaching chemistry in girls' schools, because in his opinion, women's assassination was more concealed than men's. The organization's brainwashing allowed Wu Yue to understand that there are two ways to fill up, assassination and revolution: Assassination is the cause, revolution is the effect.Although an assassination can be done by an individual, a revolution cannot be achieved without the efforts of a group.Today's era is not an era of revolution, but an era of assassination. Wu Yue sneered at the constitutional gesture made by the Qing court, thinking that it was nothing more than lingering and whitewashing the peace. Before leaving, he conspired with fellow countryman Chen Duxiu on a small building in Wuhu, and the two twisted together for the assassination mission. Wu Yue: "Which is easier, risking your life or making it hard?" Chen Duxiu: "The former is easy, but the latter is difficult." Wu Yue: "Since this is the case, I will make it easy, and those who are difficult will wait for you." Although tragic, but after all, the assassination attempt failed.If he could kill two of them, he would be as famous as Xu Xilin. The death of Wu Yue did Yuan Shikai a great favor. Taking advantage of the panic in the capital and Cixi's fear, she took advantage of the trend and proposed to set up a patrol department in the central government to build a police force and strengthen public security in Gyeonggi. Empress Dowager Cixi will play. As a result, the Patrol Department, with Xu Shichang as the minister and Zhao Bingjun as the minister, officially opened its doors. Yuan Shikai finally had his own "KGB". The explosion did not shake the determination of the Qing court to try constitutionalism. Shang Qiheng, the chief minister of Shandong, and Li Shengduo, the second-in-command of Beijing's administration, replaced Xu Shichang and Shaoying. But still can't explain the reason for constitutionalism. Fortunately, the attache, Xiong Xiling, had expected it long ago. When he arrived in Japan, he secretly helped the five ministers find the shooters of the investigation report—the imperial court convict Liang Qichao and the new leftist Yang Du. Yang Du, regarded by Wang Kaiyun as his successor, was successful at a young age and extremely intelligent. He was ranked second in the first special economic examination. At Hosei University in Tokyo, classmate Wang Jingwei introduced Yang Du to Sun Wen. Sun tried to pull him into the gang several times. The two had "debates all day long". Finally, Yang Du said: "I advocate a constitutional monarchy. After the matter is completed, I hope you will help me. The sir called for a national revolution. After the matter is completed, Du should give up his views. To help Mr. In order to repay Sun Wen's affection, Yang Du introduced a very important person to him - Huang Xing. Farewell to the Revolutionary Party, Yang Du and Liang Qichao, the leader of the constitutionalists, got together and wrote the famous "Song of Hunan Youth".Among them, the phrase "If the country of China dies, unless all the people in Hunan die" is widely praised. Soon, "Metalism" came out.The golden one builds the country internally with industry and commerce and protects civil rights; the iron one uses military power to strengthen the country externally and consolidate national power.Since then, Yang Du has established a complete ideological system and has become a leading figure of the New Left. Tokyo. Xiong Xiling said to Yang Du: "The five ministers will be your body, and you will fill them with a soul. The papers must be handed in when they return home." As a result, Yang Du's "Procedures for Implementing Constitutional Government" and Liang Qichao's "Comparison of Constitutional Government in Eastern and Western Countries" were freshly released. At the same time, Zaize and Ito Hirobumi had a long talk about everything, and received a signed version of Yi's book "Constitutional Meaning", becoming the minister with the most perceptual understanding of constitutionalism in the visiting group. Facts have proved that some words can only be said by the royal family. After returning to the country, Zai Ze knelt in front of Cixi, weeping and saying that the establishment of a constitution is beneficial to the people and the country, but not to the officials.Therefore, the greatest resistance to constitutionalization will come from vested interests. Seeing that the queen mother was quite moved, Zai Ze struck while the iron was hot, advocating the three advantages of constitutionalism: permanent throne, less foreign aggression, and elimination of internal strife. In fact, Cixi was more interested in the "preparatory constitution" that he mentioned in a secret eloquence: Announcing the constitution today can express its purpose as a preparation for the constitution.As for the implementation period, the time limit could have been extended. Coupled with Yuan Shikai's finishing touch (several times he said bitterly that "if you don't plan it early, the state affairs will be unimaginable" and "you don't have to be an official, the constitution must be established"), Cixi finally declared internal and external, ready to establish a constitution. In this edict drafted by Yuan Shikai and embellished by Qu Hongxuan, a sentence that was widely circulated later opened a new era of history: In imitation of constitutional government, great power is unified in the imperial court, and public opinion is publicized in public affairs, so as to establish the foundation of the country's ten thousand years of righteousness. Only one month after the five ministers returned to China, the imperial court took a gratifying step towards the universal value of human civilization, and the hardworking and kind-hearted Chinese began to celebrate together. Zhang Jian initiated the establishment of a preparatory constitutional association in Shanghai, and Liang Qichao opened a political news agency in Japan. The Times did not hesitate to praise: "A different China is emerging in the East, and people are clamoring for it. Reform will definitely come!" The big head is not optimistic. In his view, a constitutional monarchy must have three elements: a constitution, a parliament, and a responsible cabinet. Once the constitution is promulgated, it will last forever, and both the monarch and the people must abide by it; the parliament supervises the monarch, impeaches the cabinet, and represents the check and balance power of the people. However, Chinese people have always lacked respect for the rules written on paper.It is conceivable that even if the rhetoric of the Constitution is high-sounding, it will eventually become empty talk in the implementation. Parliament is even more idealistic.To make Chinese officials who are used to absolute power willingly accept questioning from parliamentarians instead of transforming them into nondescript ones is by no means a one-day effort. Therefore, the most practical and practical thing right now is to ask for a responsible cabinet. The addition of the word "responsibility" is quite different from the traditional cabinet that has long been reduced to decoration. To put it bluntly, the Military Aircraft Department is just a team of secretaries, and its only duty is to entrust the emperor's will.Therefore, although the military minister's name is respected (the first rank), he is not as successful as the local governor who holds real power. However, the responsible cabinet is quite different. The power is transferred to the prime minister, and the memorials of various ministries and provinces are discussed at the cabinet meeting, and after the resolution is made, it is submitted to the emperor for approval. This is still a real monarch and a constitution, and a false monarch’s constitution is even less face-saving. The resolution is not shown to the emperor at all, and it is issued directly. The monarch has become a formal symbol, such as contemporary Britain. It can be seen that inviting the appointment of a responsible cabinet is a high-risk act of seeking skin from a tiger and offending Nilin. and also? It is usually said that Yuan Shikai worried that once Empress Dowager Cixi died and Guangxu ascended the throne, Yuan Shikai would encounter misfortune due to the Liangzi he formed with the emperor in the year of 1898.Therefore, the power of the monarchy was subtly transferred by the responsible cabinet, and the misfortune was eliminated. It's not just talking nonsense, after all, Datou's letter from home contains the original words "If the emperor decides the government arbitrarily in the future, how can he forget the past enmity? Then the younger brother's position will not be guaranteed". The problem is, if history really has a clear love and hate like a historical drama, Yu Zheng will not be scolded. Yuan Shikai's self-preservation is true, but the reason for it is the result of "the idea of ​​reform is deeply rooted in the brain, and the ambition of perishing the Qing Dynasty has never fallen", rather than the child's play played by the barbarian officials and unofficial history. Hu Sijing once concluded with a heart-wrenching heart that "the death of the Qing Dynasty was caused by the weakness of the emperor's policy and the downward shift of authority. The monarch cannot be autocratic, but there are many kinds of politics." role. It is worth noting that Yuan Shikai has never been aware of this potential danger because Qu Hongxu kept his secrets and seldom expressed his opinions publicly. At first, Datou was always enthusiastic about this upstart upstart, and even sent a message through Xu Shichang, wanting to become a brother with him. Qu Hongxuan refused on the spot, saying that she had never had the habit of worshiping others in her life. Yuan Shikai was not annoyed either. When Qu Hongxuan's son got married, he asked the Beiyang Palace to present a congratulatory gift of 800 gold. The result was still rejected. Even so, Datou didn't think much about it, thinking that it was nothing more than a literati's posturing. In fact, he forgot an old saying: A barking dog never bites. Under the auspices of Yikuang, Sun Jianai, and Qu Hongxuan, preparations for the reform of the official system were intensively prepared, and the establishment hall was also opened for office in Langrun Garden (now on the campus of Peking University). The more than a dozen editors who negotiated with each other were either ministers of military affairs or ministers of various ministries. Only Yuan Shikai, a local governor, ranked last. The result is that he dances high and has a loud voice. He advocates the abolition of the military aircraft department, and praises the responsible cabinet as a panacea for all diseases, which can make the monarch stand above him and cure it without effort. Qu Hongxuan watched coldly. As the late Qing version of Hai Rui, Lord Qu's political views are very pure: bring down Yikuang, bring down Yikuang, bring down Yikuang... However, Yikuang, who had earned enough money, not only stood still, but also took advantage of the constitutional wind to become a standard-bearer of reform and a political star respected by all the people. Qu Hongxu, who was full of hatred, had to ask the censor Zhao Binglin for help. Zhao Yushi was originally a hardcore constitutionalist. He wrote "Anti-Rebellion Theory" and submitted it to Guangxu, calling for the implementation of the constitution.But the common enemy made him choose to stand with Qu Hongxuan and oppose the constitutional reform led by Qingyuan. The complexity of the transformation is once again highlighted: the change of the system means the reorganization of power and the distribution of benefits, and the fierce struggles caused by this can instantly eclipse even the most lofty political ideals. The in-depth study of constitutionalism made Zhao Binglin's excerpt fatal: First of all, when the House of Representatives has not yet been established and the administration cannot be supervised, the appointment of a responsible cabinet is to replace the "autocracy of the monarchy" with the "autocracy of ministers".The wolf's ambition is obvious; Secondly, even if it is to be opened, the prime minister cannot manage both the army and the navy.Political power and military power cannot be mixed; Finally, cabinet ministers are appointed for a limited term, every three years.No matter how popular the hearts of the people are, the people support him, the great savior of the people and the timely rain of the country cannot be re-elected for three consecutive terms. When it came to the bottom of my heart, Cixi read it thoughtfully. The autumn scenery of Langrun Garden is pleasant, peaceful and clean, but the meeting called "Bingwu Restructuring" held here was full of swords and swords. Yikuang sets the tone first: There are advantages and no disadvantages to constitutionalism, and it is what the people want.If you follow the public opinion, you will avoid safety and risk, and avoid blessing and disaster. Yuan Shikai was quite likely to destroy the Qing Dynasty in one fell swoop, and expressed his dissatisfaction with the word "preparation" added before the constitution: "I'm afraid it will be too late to make a constitution after everything is ready." Guangxu's younger brother, Ronglu's son-in-law, and later regent Zaifeng stared at Datou with fiery eyes. Sun Jianai and Qu Hongxuan successively published nonsense that although constitutionalization is good, it should be postponed.Tie Liang couldn't sit still anymore, and sprayed at Yuan Shikai: "Your so-called constitutionalism is totally inconsistent with the purpose of constitutionalization." As a result, the focus of the debate has focused on sensitive topics: the preservation and abolition of the Responsible Cabinet and the Military Aircraft Department. The military ministers present, except for the foreman Yikuang, all regarded the big head as the disaster star that smashed his job. Therefore, Yuan Shikai never mentioned the Military Aircraft Department, and only said that the responsible cabinet "belongs to the emperor if it is good, and it belongs to itself if it is bad". Zaifeng exploded, and retorted: "Let the minister of military aircraft pack up and go home? Why don't you tell the emperor to stand aside too! Only you, Yuan Weiting, can say such words without the emperor!" "This is the general practice of a constitutional monarchy, and I'm not talking about it." Yuan Shikai did not show weakness. "Yuan Weiting, you—" Zaifeng was so angry that he pulled out the pistol from his waist. Despite everyone's good words and persuasion, no bad results were eventually brought about, but Yuan Shikai knew that the rift between Zaifeng and Zaifeng would never be healed. The tension in Langrun Garden made Datou witness the rise of the young and strong faction among relatives and nobles. But giving up lightly has never been Yuan Shikai's style.He never forgot the promise he made to Zhang Jian, the promise he made to God, and the solemn promise he made to the dead children in Ding Wu Qi Huang. A gentleman can do something and not do something.On this major matter related to China's future and destiny, he made up his mind: no matter how difficult it is, he must shoulder the burden. Therefore, Yuan Shikai threatened this group of princelings who like to turn back the wheel of history: "Anyone who dares to obstruct the establishment of the constitution is Wu Yue and the revolutionary party." It is indeed logical.Wu Yue blew himself up in order to hinder the Qing court's investigation of the constitutional government.Young and energetic relatives, holding a pistol and wanting to scare Yuan Shikai who is used to rough weather, isn't it just a trick? However, Zaifeng cannot be the target of Datou's counterattack. The reason is simple: the princelings have inherent advantages in politics, and the top leaders will never collapse if they don't speak out. Yuan Shikai had no choice but to point his guns at Tieliang, saying that he "seized power and deceived the emperor" and was a stumbling block to the implementation of the New Deal. The princelings quickly counterattacked and organized a navy army to post. There is a type of predicting the future: the responsible cabinet will create a group of Oboi and Nian Gengyao, forming a situation where Tai Ah will hold back. There is an old saying about the modern type: the monarch calls himself a widow, and in the past he lived in his name, but now he accepts the truth. In addition, Yuan Shikai's proposal to "dismiss the eunuch" offended Li Lianying, a former political ally, and the Qingyuan Group suddenly became dangerous. In fact, reusing Zaifeng, who was in his early twenties, itself reflects Cixi's defense and checks and balances against Qingyuan.However, Yuan Shikai showed extraordinary enthusiasm for the establishment of the constitution, and he couldn't even wait for "preparation", and he had already broken through his bottom line. One day, when Datou came to the palace for an interview, Cixi asked, "Why hasn't the reform of the official system been finalized for a long time?" Yuan Shikai replied: "There are differences of opinion, and it is not easy to agree." Unexpectedly, Cixi sneered and said: "What are you afraid of, you have soldiers, won't you kill them?" Yuan Shikai was dizzy for a while, his legs were so weak that he could hardly stand up. The ruler, like a balance, swings from side to side and weighs repeatedly.Embarrassed by suspicion, Cixi issued a "five not allowed" (five not to discuss), stipulating that in the reform of the official system, the Military Aircraft Department, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Imperial Academy, the eunuchs, and the Eight Banners are not to be discussed. A month later, Yikuang presented a carefully crafted reform plan. The first thing that catches the eye is the tenacious responsibility cabinet.Yikuang didn't mention the Military Aircraft Department at all, and only boasted that the responsible cabinet "adopted the good rules of neighboring countries and restored the old system of sages". Cixi didn't listen to his fooling, and directly skipped to the second item: full-time full-time. This is also a chronic disease that has been practiced for a long time. On the one hand, they are all squeezed into the system, and the seven aunts and eight aunts of the powerful and powerful can't wait to arrange them all. As a result, the staff is overstaffed and the organization is bloated. There are two Manchu and Han ministers in one department, four servants in the left and right, a total of six court officials, and something happened. I don't even know who to ask for a stamp. On the other hand, capable people use it to death.Take Yuan Shikai as an example. Those who had more than a dozen part-time jobs on their bodies and lacked energy would have died of overwork long ago, which is not considered a work-related injury. Therefore, the full-time and full-time jobs are limited to one minister and two ministers, and the system of one chief responsibility is implemented.One hand makes the decision, and the other takes responsibility. In this regard, Cixi readily approved. The third item is to add and modify six departments, expanding them into eleven departments with modern functions: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Army (formerly Ministry of War), Ministry of Officials, Ministry of Law (formerly Ministry of Criminal Affairs), Ministry of Civil Affairs (formerly Ministry of Patrol), Agriculture, Industry and Commerce Department, Duzhi Department (formerly the Ministry of Households), Postal Communication Department (formerly the Ministry of Industry), Ministry of Rites (merging the three temples of Taichang, Guanglu, and Honglu, specializing in sacrifices), Lifan Department (formerly Lifan Academy) and the Department of Education. In addition, the Metropolitan Procuratorate retained, Dali Temple was upgraded to the Dali Yuan (Supreme Court), together with the newly established Audit Yuan (Supreme Auditing Institution) and Zizheng Yuan (the highest public opinion organ, the experience version of the parliament), collectively known as the "Four Courts" ". Cixi still approved. On the surface, except for the responsible cabinet, the other two items have passed smoothly, and it seems that progress has been made. It is not. Yuan Shikai's original idea was complete: the responsible cabinet and the eleven ministries together constitute the central functional department, which holds executive power; Take charge of supervision.As a result, the four powers are separated and restrained from each other, perfect. But now the responsible cabinet does not approve, and all the ministries are still placed under the Military Aircraft Department. In fact, it is still an autocratic monarchy. What is even more perverse is that, in order to weaken Qingyuan and support the princelings, Cixi took advantage of the reform of the bureaucracy and silently changed the top management, changing a reactionary situation where Han Chinese accounted for less than one-third of the seats. Among the eleven departments, Qingyuan Group only obtained three ministers: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Yikuang), the Ministry of Civil Affairs (Xu Shichang), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce (Yikuang's eldest son Zaizhen).As for the key Ministry of the Army, Shang Shu is Tie Liang. Yuan Shikai was unwilling to reconcile, and joined Duanfang and others to insist on the previous discussion, and said decisively like moths flying into the flame: "If the purpose of changing the decree is not changed, then you cannot leave Beijing." At that moment, the non-governmental constitutionalists represented by Zhang Jian all looked at Beijing with tears in their eyes: Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, in benefiting business people and promoting history, how many people can do Yuan Shikai's level? Seeing Yuan Shikai's unwillingness to give up, Cixi decided to beat him hard. At the military meeting, she showed all the ministers a piece of papers about impeachment of "frontier ministers seizing power (Yuan Shikai), mediocre ministers wronging the country (Yi Kuang)". Yikuang's face was pale. The military planes kowtowed one after another, saying that the empress dowager was innocent, so quickly dismiss Yuan Shikai, who wants to abolish the military plane all day long, and investigate and deal with it! Cixi said with satisfaction: "Hehe, why bother?" Then he put away the booklet and left silently. The old fried dough sticks understood what they knew, and mobilized the officials to impeach each other, and made the big head experience what it means to say what it means to make money and bones burn with dozens of swearing every day. Cixi took advantage of the situation and severely reprimanded Yuan Shikai, forcing him to return to Tianjin bitterly. Throughout the winter, Datou stayed at home and refused to see guests.Concerned about slander and fear of ridicule, he knew the male and the female, and tentatively submitted two papers, one to resign from various part-time jobs, and one to offer to assign four of the six towns in Beiyang to the Ministry of War. Cixi approved a few words of comfort in her memorial and granted her request. That night, Yuan Shikai was sleepless all night. You must know that the court refused to agree to such tricks several times in the past, with a complete attitude of "the earth will not turn without Yuan Shikai". Among the resigned part-time posts, the two in charge of China Merchants Shipping and China Telegraph Bureau are particularly enviable. The two state-owned enterprises were the fastest money-making machines at that time, and they were first in Sheng Xuan's pocket. After Li Hongzhang's death, Sheng Xuanhuai, who had lost his protective umbrella, began to feel the pressure of "feeling his crime". The financially difficult Qing court has been playing with the idea of ​​the second round of electricity.It just so happened that Sheng Xuanhuai had to return to his hometown Ding You because his father died of illness, so the imperial court planned to send Zhang Yi, who would survive for thousands of years, to take over the two cash cows and put them under the household department. Sheng Xuanhuai was still struggling, so he found Yuan Shikai, hoping that he could take care of two rounds on his behalf until he came back. Although the two have a close friendship, this unfeeling request still seems too bizarre.At that time, Yuan Shikai had just been appointed as the direct governor and was short of money, so he took the opportunity to win the two games. In fact, Lundian was created by Li Hongzhang when he was in Beiyang, and it is reasonable to return to Beiyang now. But Sheng Xuanhuai didn't see it that way.He felt that Yuan Shikai had betrayed his trust and made trouble, and he was a complete villain.Since then, they have turned against each other and regarded them as political enemies. The problem is that Yuan Shikai was not happy for a few days either.Because of the defeat in the Bingwu reform, the two chickens that laid the golden eggs were forced to give up and assigned to the postal department. Seeing this, Qu Hongxu took advantage of the victory and pursued, trying to flatten Qing Yuan with all his strength. Cixi, who is good at playing balance, doesn't think so. She admired Yuan Shikai's ability to handle affairs very much.The earth-shaking Manchu Dynasty could have fewer people playing with pens, but it could not do without the full support of the big head. Therefore, even if Yuan Shikai was given a dismount, he was still an important minister who Cixi said "mother and son are Lai" when the two palaces returned to Luan five years ago. In order to appease, Cixi appointed her eldest son Yuan Keding as a counselor of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce (equivalent to a doctor before the reform). Moreover, there are rewards almost every day, or treasures, or food, and he is ordered not to give thanks. Yuan Shikai also paid tribute items from time to time, and the servants passed them on and on, so he became acquainted like a family. One day, Cixi gave Datou the rhinoceros belt (belt decorated with rhinoceros horns) used by Emperor Xianfeng. With such great love, I should send a special messenger to return the gift. Cixi asked the special messenger: "Does he like the buckle given to Yuan Shikai a few days ago? Do you wear it?" The special envoy followed Datou for many years, and he was quite alert, and replied: "Your Excellency is grateful for the kindness of the Queen Mother, but because of this, it is for the emperor's imperial use, so I dare not make mistakes, and I have already nailed it to the hat." Cixi nodded and said, "Yuan Shikai is very polite." When the special messenger reported back, Datou broke out in a cold sweat, and quickly put the buckle on the hat. Incongruous due to the size.When the guests came to visit, they all secretly laughed when they saw him wearing this hat. Yuan Shikai finally understood that Cixi was always on the defensive and could not fully believe in herself.That being the case, why not make two more deals while the current situation is in your favor? With this in mind, he asked the imperial court to open the border ban and establish the three eastern provinces. After the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, they regarded the northeast plain with white mountains and black waters as the land of dragon prosperity, and Han people were strictly prohibited from leaving the customs (Shanhai Pass) to cultivate wasteland and hunt. As a result, Manchuria became a barren land where prisoners were exiled, and was garrisoned and governed by several generals. "Retreat" is a bold experiment in the history of human environmental protection.Two hundred years of desolation and desolation made the vast land covered with vegetation and rich in products. But it was a serious disaster for national defense. After the Russo-Japanese War, Yuan Shikai invoked the open-door policy and fought for every inch of land at the negotiating table. As a result, Japan took no advantage other than taking over the original Russian rights in South Manchuria. The Japanese army suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties in the war. With its tradition of penny-pinching, it is obviously impossible to be dismissed so easily. It's just that due to the exhaustion of national power, we have to temporarily go into hibernation. However, Japan has never stopped extending its tentacles, and Russia is recuperating, and there is no guarantee that it will make a comeback one day. The Northeast must find a way to treat both symptoms and root causes. Empress Dowager Cixi accepted Yuan Shikai's proposal and announced the official establishment of a province in the Northeast. General Shengjing was changed to the governor of the three provinces in the Northeast, and Fengtian, Jilin, and Heilongjiang each had a governor. The candidate for governor, Cixi, who is good at balancing, is going to take care of Qingyuan.Thus, two names came to mind: Zai Zhen and Xu Shichang. When Yuan Shikai strongly recommended Xu Shichang when he returned to Luan, he summoned him for questioning. Seeing that his appearance was dignified and his playing was clear, Cixi was overjoyed, and said to the left and right in the next court: "A person like Xu Shichang is enough to succeed Li Hongzhang." Even if she can succeed Zeng Guofan, she still hopes to be a Manchurian. It's a pity that although Zai Zhen's title is respected (Bei Zi), he is only 30 years old and has not experienced enough. It is extremely reluctant to be a minister in the central government. What's more troublesome is that Zai Zhen is a lustful person, a distinguished guest in heaven and earth, and a frequent visitor to Fireworks Alley.For this reason, he was often impeached by the censor who patrols the city. Embarrassed, Cixi specially ordered Zaizhen and Xu Shichang to go out for inspection, first to do research, and second to test and test. As a result, something went wrong. When passing through Tianjin, Yuan Shikai hosted a banquet at the Superintendent's Office, accompanied by Duan Zhigui, a police patrol road in Zhili. Duan Daotai, who is proficient in Japanese, is good at observing words and expressions. During the Russo-Japanese War, he was sent by Yuan Shikai to the front line to do underground work. He is witty and capable. Because of his familiarity with the situation in Northeast China, Duan Zhigui wanted to seek to enfeoff one of the provinces, and Yuan Shikai also expressed his willingness to help. It's a pity that the Daotai and the governor are separated by three levels.According to the routine, Duan Zhigui must complete his duties as inspector and chief executive step by step before he can be promoted to governor. However, living in China is not just to experience the fun of taking shortcuts? During the banquet, the sheng pipes played together, and the silk and bamboo were melodious.Yang Cuixi, a singing girl who is famous for her roles in romantic dramas, came out gracefully. Even Li Shutong (Master Hongyi) was fascinated by Yang Cuixi's beauty.In the rolling eyes, with a frown and a smile, Zai Zhen, who had seen countless people, was stunned. Duan Zhigui naturally caught this detail, and rushed to the Daguanyuan Theater immediately after he came down, and spent more than 10,000 taels of silver to redeem Yang Cuixi's body and raise him in the Golden House. After Zai and Xu's investigation was over, and when they returned to Beijing and passed by Tianjin again, Duan Zhigui presented it with Cuixi.Zai Zhen was overjoyed and accepted it. The list of governors of the three provinces was drawn up by Qingyuan and approved by Cixi. Tang Shaoyi acted as governor of Fengtian, Zhu Jiabao acted as governor of Jilin, and Duan Zhigui acted as governor of Heilongjiang. When the imperial edict was issued, there was an uproar in the court. Qu Hongxu's cold eyes jumped over the red wall and looked outside the palace. In the spring of 1907, the citizens of Beijing discovered that a periodical called "Beijing News" was being sold on the streets. This pamphlet, which is similar to "Reference News", often publishes some harsh officialdom information, most of which point directly at Yikuang, and even openly question him, "When you have been in the country for several years, what is the matter with the ancestors? Where can you comfort the sage?" Readers can't help but imagine: How hard is this background to dare to criticize the country's leaders like this? Only those inside the system know a thing or two: the backer of Wang Kangnian, the head of the Beijing News, is Qu Hongxuan. The "Beijing News", which opened the market, rushed forward. First, it denounced Yikuang for taking advantage of his birthday to make money wantonly, and then published Zhao Qilin's unavoidable story between Zai Zhen and Duan Zhigui. Zhao Qilin and the other two censors, Zhao Binglin and Jiang Chunlin, were fond of discussing current affairs, provoking clarity and turmoil, so they were jokingly called "Sanlin Company". The company has been challenging the state-owned monopoly "Qingji Company" for many years.And this time, under the manipulation of Qu Hongxuan, the exclusive inside story of Duan Zhigui offering singing girls to Zai Zhenjin and seeking the post of governor was revealed, not only slapping Yikuang, but also embarrassing the court. First, Cixi was furious, dismissed Duan Zhigui, and sent Zaifeng and Sun Jianai to investigate the matter thoroughly. The Qing government was even faster, and had secretly sent Yang Cuixi back to Tianjin long ago, colluding with the testimony of relevant personnel to cope with the investigation. By the time the "case-handling team" was stationed in Tianjin, everything had already been arranged and there was no trace left. Sun Jianai had no choice but to issue a case closing report stating that "the incident happened for a reason, but there is no evidence to investigate". People were naturally dissatisfied with this kind of attitude, but Sun Jianai, as the number one scholar in the Xianfeng Dynasty, had worked for fifty years and had never seen any bad things. In private, he explained to people: For today's matter, it is very easy to punish King Qing, imprison his son, and make the public rejoice.But Yikuang is a prince, and he is not comparable to Weng, so there is no excuse to order him out of Beijing, so he can still be summoned, and he can go in and out of the inner court as before.Yuan Shikai controls Beiyang, and can help Yikuang turn the tables at any time, and can even take the opportunity to suppress and exclude dissidents. Who can protect themselves? It can be seen from this that no matter whether you are playing tricks to compete offline, or showing off the world and fighting shamelessly, everything is based on strength. Zhao Qilin was vacated by the court because of the rumors, and the Qing government also hurt himself a lot—in order to silence the public, Yikui asked Zai Zhenshangshu to resign from all positions. The resignation was written by Yang Shiqi, which can be described as a wonderful pen: Although the facts come out, the sage has no selfishness; but the earth is thick and the sky is high, and it is difficult to walk around (occupying a high position). 素喜各打五十大板的慈禧自然乐得同意，并将东三省总督一职给了徐世昌。 庆袁损失两大干将，却仍无宁日。湖北按察使梁鼎芬接过大棒，继续开喷。 梁鼎芬是张之洞的首席智囊，但这次发作与幕主无关，乃个人行为。 也不奇怪。当年刚考上进士，翰林院编修的位子还没坐热，就敢炮轰李鸿章，被慈禧连贬五级，降为太常寺司乐（从九品）。 梁鼎芬觉得身心受到了极大的侮辱，自刻一方“年二十七罢官”的印章，愤而辞官。 最搞笑的是，离京前，梁鼎芬把自己的老婆托付给翁门六子之一的文廷式。 梁、文原本亲密无间，由于身材差不多，连衣服都经常换着穿，被大家视作一对好基友。 结果，梁鼎芬走了没多久，文廷式就跟梁夫人勾搭到一起，滚上了床。 更奇葩的是，当外界开始风传梁鼎芬有性功能障碍时，他居然淡定地对朋友道：“有子万事足，无妻一身轻。” 顶着绿帽子，梁鼎芬走进了张之洞的幕府。 有一类人，平日里桀骜不驯，特立独行，但因找对了能改写其命运的伯乐，脾性相投，专心侍奉，也能青云直上。 梁鼎芬便是活生生的例子。 张之洞就喜欢这种四体不勤高谈阔论的名士，把新政都交给梁鼎芬办。 结果办出一幕幕闹剧。 以巡警为例。由于没有统一的标准，梁大人得以发挥其贫乏的想象力，设计出一套惊为天人的制服：红帽绿裤。 让穿着如此行为艺术的一帮人上街执法，不知道的还以为张艺谋在拍《三枪》——莫非梁大人下的是一盘文化强省的大棋？ 然而，就是这么一个喜欢搞形式主义的空谈家，批起袁世凯来却杀机毕现，可见蓄谋已久： 直隶总督袁世凯，少不读书，专好驰马试剑，雄才大志，瞻瞩不凡。 上来先夸一夸，搞得跟《清史·袁世凯传》似的。 接着笔锋一转，成了《捌周刊》记者，开八其如何勾结奕劻，将朝廷办成了“庆记官帽有限责任公司”。 当然，梁鼎芬也清楚，不把袁世凯“打造”成威胁慈禧统治的权臣，别说勾结奕劻，便是勾结外星人，也一样毫发无伤。 于是，开始了其处心积虑的抹黑之旅。 声名至劣之唐绍仪，胆大无耻之杨士琦，皆袁世凯之私交也。 This is turning a deer into a horse. 唐绍仪是人尽皆知的好好先生，还声名至劣，那可真是洪洞县里无好人了。 至于杨士琦，从未深入了解的梁鼎芬就更没有发言权了。 作为袁世凯的高级公关，外人都觉得杨士琦不学无术，圆滑多变。 其实，这是一个非常复杂的人。在搞潜规则之余，不事交游，不苟言笑，终日宅在家里看书，工于诗文，满腹经纶，连成天跟袁世凯过不去的民国记者黄远生，也由衷地称其为“有哲学思想的官僚”。 如果说行贿是一件上不得台面的俗事，那么一经杨士琦之手，也变得高妙了许多。 再深入挖掘不难发现，杨士琦的身上体现了中国知识分子对现实深入灵魂的绝望。 梁鼎芬成天骂骂咧咧最多只是失望，真正的绝望好比爱情已死的甄嬛，笑里藏刀，横扫六宫，最终含笑说死雍正。 生活逼你当流氓，一个快乐的流氓。 认真你就输了。 梁鼎芬继续较真： 汉末曹操，一世之雄，当其为汉臣时，有大功于天下，不知篡汉者，操也。晋末刘裕，才与操埒（lie，相当），当其北伐时，亦有大功于天下，不知篡晋者，裕也。前者微臣来京赐对时，亲闻皇太后皇上称，“其书甚好，时时阅看。”今此两朝之事，治乱兴亡，粲然具陈，开卷可得也。 梁鼎芬把袁世凯定位于图谋篡位的枭雄，方向没错，但因用力过度，语不惊人死不休，反而效果不佳。 况且，庆袁是推荐了不少人，但归根结底拍板任用的是慈禧。把这帮人说得如此不堪，等于指着太后的鼻子骂她无识人之明。 因此，骂疏被留中不发。 梁鼎芬方舟子附身，再三再四地上折狂骂，大有不把庆袁拉下马，这日子就不过了的趋势。 慈禧烦了，批复道：“沽名钓誉，肆意弹劾，著传旨申饬。” 保守派有时会玩儿悲壮，以玉石俱焚的姿态来博取同情。 梁鼎芬任武昌知府期间，俄国行将吞并东北，学生们停课聚会，开展拒俄运动。 对这样的爱国运动，脑子里只有维稳的梁知府竟然大放厥词道： 尔等只应用功读书，以图上进，这些与己无关的事管他作甚？即使把东三省送给俄人，亦无须尔等干预！ ... 瞿鸿禨看明白了：这样搞是搞不垮庆袁的。 他把目光投向了远方。 两广总督岑春煊。 作为云贵总督岑毓英之子，岑春煊从小狂傲不羁，是时人口中的“京城三少”之一。 整天傻玩的结果就是成绩不好，以至于乡试时请人捉刀才混了个举人身份。 岑毓英倒在工作岗位上后，朝廷为表体恤，授予岑春煊五品京衔。 混到庚子国变前，外放为甘肃布政使。 机遇来了。 当时，两宫逃难团坐着清真寺给的大车离开昌平，驶入直隶省宣化府境内。 岑春煊得知后，二话不说，带着两千兵丁，跋山涉水赶至怀来迎驾。 狼狈出逃的慈禧见到这支毫无战斗力可言，却足以壮胆增势的人马，顿感心安。 岑春煊召对车旁，伏地而泣，誓言以死报国。慈禧大为感动，令其护驾。 于是，每至夜阑，慈禧酣睡之际，人们总能看见岑春煊带刀守卫于门外的身影。如此感人的场景，一直持续到銮驾抵达西安。 更重要的是，岑春煊一路都在给逃难团筹措生活必需品，这一临时性的职务叫“督办粮台”。 本来差使是落在怀来县令吴永身上的，但他无兵无饷，怕把事搞砸了，便通过李莲英直接面见慈禧，陈请道： 蒙恩派臣为粮台，本应竭犬马之劳，惟臣官仅知县，向各省藩司行文催饷，于体制多有不便。现有甘肃藩司岑春煊，官职较崇，向各省催饷系属平行。可否仰恳明降谕旨，派岑春煊为督办粮台，臣改作会办。 慈禧一边吸水烟，一边道：“你这主意很好，明晨即下旨。” 吴永的动作引起随驾军机们的不满。须知，四品以下官员根本没有面圣的权利，区区一个七品县令，竟敢绕过军机大臣，径直上奏，虽在非常时期，还是扫了大佬们的颜面。 王文韶就不满道：“尔保岑三（岑春煊排行老三），亦须向我等商量，哪有径自陈奏的道理？此人苗性尚未退尽（岑母是苗族人），如何能干此正事？” 王大人多虑了。 岑春煊粗中有细，把后勤工作搞得井井有条，成了慈禧眼中的板荡诚臣，仕途一路畅通，从巡抚一直做到总督。 每至一地，岑春煊都要发起一轮反贪风暴，不吹落几十顶乌纱，都不想去衙门上班。久之，被老百姓亲切地称呼为“官屠”。 岑春煊阔少出身，从小便不缺钱，没有任何经济问题。由此可见，反腐的决心和主政者的清廉指数成正相关。当然，在暗藏杀机的天朝官场，反腐也是需要技巧的。岑春煊的技巧是把美名都落到慈禧头上，让草民以为自己是奉旨反贪，两头卖好。 慈禧一高兴，就把“太子太保”的头衔赐给他。从此，与袁世凯并称“晚清两宫保”。 岑宫保最拉风的经历是在两广总督任上。短短三年，弹劾贪官庸官一千多人，圆满实现了每日一弹…… 想当初履新时，出手不凡的广州米商奉上四十万两银票的见面礼。 这在当地被称作“公礼”，约定俗成，并不以行贿视之，甚至有“与人计事，以不收公礼为无诚意”的说法。 岑总督却不吃这套，坚决不收，还把米商骂了个狗血淋头。 悚然无计的粤商只道好日子到头了，个个如临深渊。不久，却发现岑官屠只跟贪官过不去，在庇佑商民方面，比前几任做得都好。 当岑春煊奉调离粤时，虽已不流行送万民伞，但含泪相送的广东商民还是做出了公允的评价： 知不收公礼而肯为民办事者尚有人在。 当然，也有人不服气，比如海关书吏周荣曜。 晚清的中国特色是吏比官肥，关吏肥上加肥。 周荣曜在粤海关不辱使命地贪了两百万两白银，要不是碰到岑官屠，熬到安然退休当无悬念。 收到岑春煊追拿赃款的公函后，周荣曜赶紧携巨资进京，活动奕劻。 结果竟被授予三品衔，出使比利时。 岑春煊大怒，立参周荣曜贪污关税，要求撤职严查。 慈禧的过问让奕劻噤若寒蝉。周荣曜被革职，避居香港。 反击非常迅猛。 借中英在云南边境爆发纠纷之机，奕劻提出，调岑春煊为云贵总督，由袁党的周馥接替粤督之职。 岑总督在封疆大吏里堪称治乱能手，几次妥善地处理过民变。结果政绩成了证据，被奕劻拿来论证“戡乱交涉，非岑莫属”。 从最肥的两广到最穷的云贵，岑春煊自然不干。但慈禧担心时间一长，酿成外患，便准了奕劻的建议。 接到朝旨的岑春煊磨蹭到上海，称病不走了。 拖了半年，慈禧等不及，调邻省的四川总督锡良去云贵，而命岑春煊赴任川督。 火车行至武汉，几乎绝望的岑春煊意外地收到一封密信。 署名瞿鸿禨。 览毕，岑官屠临时决定：不去成都了，带着屠刀北上。 一天后，岑春煊出现在北京，使本已斗破苍穹的京师风云再起。 坊间猜测种种，有说将入军机，有说要取袁世凯而代之。岑春煊置若罔闻，无比淡定，一副“我是来找太后叙旧”的表情。 君臣相见，忆往昔岁月，慈禧唏嘘不已，动情道：“我常跟皇帝说，庚子年若无岑春煊，我母子焉有今日？” 岑春煊在一番“久违圣颜，不胜想念”的说辞后，不失时机地提出“臣不胜犬马恋主之情，愿留京给太后当一看家恶犬”。 慈禧当即同意，道：“你的事好说，我总不亏负你！” 遂将最令人眼馋的肥缺——邮传部尚书一职给了岑春煊。 瞿岑联盟，准备就绪。 岑春煊打出的第一张牌是示好袁世凯。他派人带厚礼到天津，请教咨询邮传事务，还跟大头借用北洋公所的房屋，完全一副三好学生的模样。 蛇在咬人前都会缩头。袁世凯冷笑三声，陪岑春煊演起了对手戏，在回信中胡扯瞎掰，通篇客套： 适闻足下北上，圣眷方隆。吾道不孤，令人神往…… 弟德薄能鲜，公既推心置腹，敢不效肺腑之诚。倘不弃刍荛，时通音讯，幸何如之。 许多年后，岑春煊在回忆录中作伪，说自己到京不久，袁世凯为了套近乎曾命袁克定造访，表示可以将北洋公所的房子让给他做官邸，被他正气凛然地拒绝了。 阳示亲善后开始出招。岑春煊再次入见，当堂陈奏道： 近年亲贵弄权，贿赂公行，以至中外效尤，纪纲扫地，皆因庆亲王贪庸误国，引用非人。若不力图刷新政治，臣恐人心涣散之日，虽欲勉强维持，亦将回天乏术。 慈禧意欲调和，问岑春煊到京后是否拜访过奕劻。 岑春煊：“未尝。” 慈禧：“庆王鞠躬尽瘁，而时世之艰远甚于恭亲王时，汝应去见。” 见他默不作声，慈禧继续劝道：“尔等同受倚任，为朝廷办事，宜和衷共济，何不往谒一谈？” 岑春