Chapter 11 sadness

In 1908, Gu Hongming was appointed as a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wai Lang, and later promoted to Zuo Cheng.During his tenure in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gu gave a 5,000-word memorial to Guangxu Cixi, commenting on domestic and foreign affairs and offering advice and suggestions.However, Gu's memorial did not receive the slightest response.What makes Gu even more sad is that the moon was handed over the memorial, and Guangxu and Cixi died one after another. In 1913, Gu Hongming was entrusted by the Clan Socialists to travel east to Fusang to lobby Japan to support the restoration.He found a sense of cultural identity in this strange land, and unexpectedly won the respect and praise of Japanese academic circles.He gave speeches everywhere, praising Japan for its founding of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and vigorously promoting oriental civilization and Confucian culture.But his idea of ​​restoration was not supported by the Japanese government, so he could only leave in disappointment.

Gu Hongming has a good impression of Japan. He said: "I know that the people of the country are idiots and cannot be tolerated in China. Only the Japanese can sympathize with them. The civilization of the Song Dynasty still remains in the border areas. However, Japan, which retreated from the invasion of Mongolia, has completely inherited the culture of the Tang Dynasty, and it is still brilliantly preserved so far. Therefore, I hope that Japan can shoulder the great task of carrying forward the oriental civilization.” In his later years, He went to Japan to give lectures, preparing to use Japan as the last frontier for the revival of oriental culture.

Before arriving in Japan, Gu Hongming only knew a few words of Japanese taught by his wife, one of which was: "I am the old man with plums." (Note: It means the wrinkled old man). Repeat this sentence many times a day.He likes children very much. When he goes out, he often grabs Japanese children playing in the street and repeatedly says "I am old man Umegan", which makes people laugh.He traveled from Busan to Tokyo, and when the ship docked, he saw Satsuma Yuji, and the first thing he said was "Japanese children don't like to cry".Seeing elementary school students on a school trip to Japan passing by on the street, he suddenly called out to Satsuma, and repeatedly said in Japanese: "The power of Japan!" Seeing a group of female students, he praised: "The future of Japan!" and stared at it for a long time. they.

Gu Hongming gave lectures in Japan for three years and was deeply distressed by the Westernization of Japanese customs.During his speech in the five prefectures of Northeast Japan, when he saw the famous Japanese painter and poet Takehisa Yumeji in the street and a woman Qingqingwowo on the train, he suddenly shouted in Japanese: "There is no cure for Western-style diseases!" All surprised.Once again, he was walking in Ueno Park, Tokyo, and saw a pair of lovers passing by arm in arm, and shouted in Japanese: "Japan is dangerous!" He called Japanese women with fashionable short hair "short-haired thieves" and said: "Today's modern girls, Japanese newspapers also translate modern as 'Mao Duan'. I think this translation can be interpreted as it sounds, and it is very appropriate. Because nowadays modern girls are all popular with haircuts, and hair cutting means Mao Duan, Mao Duan It becomes modern. The soldiers and civilians of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are called long-haired thieves, why can’t modern girls call her short-haired thieves?"

During the speech in Japan, Satsuma Yuji has been with Gu Hongming.Summer recalled that although Gu Hongming had all kinds of strange behaviors and high enthusiasm, "he was always a lonely person. I was like the shadow of this lonely old scholar, sitting with him every day under the willow tree by the moat. Speechless, only the smoke column of the 'Westminster' brand cigarette that Mr. likes to smoke faintly rises into the sky. Loneliness! This is the most appropriate word to describe Mr. Gu Hongming's later years." In Japan, Gu Hongming was increasingly neglected and looked down upon.Finally, on a bleak autumn rainy day in 1927, he left Japan poor and lonely from Yokohama Port and returned to China.After Gu Hongming passed away, some Japanese people who were familiar with Gu said regretfully: "For a character like him, it would be nice if Japan had more preferential treatment."

Akutagawa Ryunosuke went to visit Gu Hongming, and Gu was very satisfied with his Chinese clothes, saying: "It's rare that you don't wear western clothes. It's a pity that you don't have braids." , why don't you want to ask about current affairs.Gu said something, but Akutagawa didn't understand what it meant, he just said, "How about trying again?" Gu was angry at what was written on the paper, and said, "Old, old, old, old, old..."