Chapter 14 integrity

On the birthday of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the yamen in the Lianghu area decorated with lanterns and festoons, and sang the "Patriotic Song" to celebrate. Gu Hongming, who was in the Zhangzhidong shogunate at the time, said to Liang Dingfen: "The whole street is singing the 'Patriotic Song', but I have never heard the 'Love Song'." Folk songs'." Liang said casually: "Then you can make up lyrics and sing them for others." Gu blurted out: "The emperor will live forever, but the people will spend money. Longevity will last forever, but the people will suffer."

Someone suggested that Zhang Zhidong ask Gu Hongming to translate more Western newspapers, so as to know ourselves and the enemy, and broaden our horizons.Gu refused to translate. He said: "The things in the foreigner's newspapers are full of baseless rumors and rumors. How can you believe it? With all due respect, Tang Sheng does not want to translate, and he will not translate. It is the emperor's relatives." Even if the decree comes, I will not translate it!" Seventeen years after Gu Hongming followed Zhang Zhidong, Zhang said to Gu: "For seventeen years, I have neglected you, but why didn't you ask for it? I was very busy and forgot about your promotion." Afterwards, Zhang recommended Gu Hongming to Emperor Guangxu, and Guangxu appointed Gu as the supervisor of Shanghai Huangpu Dredging Bureau, with a monthly salary of up to 800 taels of silver.At that time, the foreigners in the Huangpu Dredging Bureau embezzled dredging fees. Gu Hongming was furious and wanted to punish him.The consuls of various countries defended the foreigners, saying: "We don't understand engineering, and the investigation may be wrong." Gu showed his civil engineer certificate.Gu Nu wrote an article disclosing the matter and submitted it to "Zi Lin Xi Bao", but the newspaper did not dare to publish it.

During Gu Hongming's tenure as supervisor, a German ship sank a Chinese cargo ship near Jiangyin. Gu Hongming negotiated with the German consulate on behalf of the Chinese cargo ship.The Germans denied it in every possible way, and Gu Hongming was furious. He planned to hire a lawyer and resort to the law to seek justice for the Chinese crew.The Germans panicked and expressed their willingness to negotiate.In the end, the matter was mediated under the auspices of a third party, and the Chinese crew got their due compensation. Confucius once said: "A gentleman has three fears." Gu Hongming said: "Adults today treat people three ways: treat the common people as bandits, treat students as prisoners, and treat subordinates as slaves." He further explained: "Nowadays, there are Doesn’t the police patrol treat the people like bandits? The homework of the students in the official school can be compared with the hard work of the prisoners. As for the adults who treat their subordinates, as long as they are in the officialdom, they will naturally know, and I don’t need to explain. Yuan Zicai once wrote a letter The governor said: "The imperial court set up state and county magistrates to serve as parents for the people? To serve as slaves for the governor?"

When Gu Hongming was working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he once wrote a letter to the emperor, in which he said, "Using a villain to handle foreign affairs will cause even worse disasters".Zhang Zhidong persuaded him: "Lu Dingxing (Chuanlin) admires what you said very much, but why bother." Gu replied: "This is not Yuan Shikai's world at this time!" Zhang Moran agreed. Due to lack of funds to purchase foreign arms, Zhang Zhidong sent Gu Hongming to Shanghai to borrow foreign debts.Gu approached the manager of Deutsche Bank in Germany, and after explaining his purpose, he declared that he would never take back the kickback, and left a famous stab as evidence: "I came to negotiate a loan, and if I won't ask for a kickback, I will use this stab as evidence. I."

When Beijing was preparing to build a tax school, Gu Hongming happened to meet Duan Fang in Wuchang.Talking about this matter, Duan Fang said: "Nowadays China emphasizes specialized knowledge, and I also want to establish a Lijin School in Hubei (note: Lijin is a tax collection system in modern China, and Lijin School refers to a taxation school)." Gu said: "Since there is a Lijin School, the state and county magistrates should also have a school." Duan Fang nodded in agreement, and Gu Zhengse said: "Since this is the case, the Governor cannot live without a School of Governors." Duan Fang laughed after hearing this.

Someone said to Gu Hongming: "Today, if you want to see the tools and talents of each governor, you don't have to look at his work, you just need to look at the people he employs; you don't need to look at the people he entrusts, but you can know one or two by looking at the staff he uses. "Gu said: "You don't even need to look at his left and right staff. If you want to see whether the governor is good today, but see if he is bragging or not." But the fact is that the governor of China is so good at boasting." "If you want to save China today, you must start with the governor not bragging."

Gu Hongming went to Beijing with Zhang Zhidong, met Rui Zhonglan, they got along well with each other, and felt like they hated seeing each other later.Rui asked Gu: "Have you visited the capital since you came to the capital?" It's very hard to understand. It's only when I heard you say that today that I suddenly realized it! You don't even pay any visits, so it's no wonder that happened." They looked at each other and smiled. Gu Hongming's "Zhang Wenxiang Shogunate Jiwen" was published in the second year of Xuantong (1910). Most of the characters he praised in the book are still alive and their power has not declined. Remarks.

In the early years of the Republic of China, parliamentary election bribery became common practice.When Gu Hongming was attending an international gathering at the Beijing Hotel, he met a parliamentarian who bribed elections. Pointing to this person, Gu Hongming said in English: "This guy wants to pay 800 oceans to buy my vote. Everyone, am I, Gu Hongming, so despicable?" When the Ministry of Security and Welfare came to power, it promulgated a new congressional election law, stipulating that some senators must be voted by the Central Confucian Academy, and all professors at national universities or those who have obtained degrees from foreign universities have the right to vote.For a while, foreign diplomas became a hot commodity. It is said that the market price at that time was 200 yuan per diploma.Once the diploma is in hand, the person who buys it can still make a fortune by doing tricks.For example, if the name on a diploma is Wu Ting, it can be reported as "Wu Ding" for the first time, "Ding Wu" for the second time, "Wu Ting" for the third time, and it can be said to be Jiangsu-Zhejiang dialect for the fourth time. "Dinghe".Gu Hongming once told Hu Shi that he sold his diploma: Someone came to buy his diploma, and after bargaining with Gu, he set a price of 400 yuan.On the day before the election, the man gave Gu 400 yuan in cash and an election pass, and told him to be there tomorrow.After he left, Gu went out immediately, caught the afternoon express train to Tianjin, and reimbursed the four hundred yuan to a prostitute named Yizhihua.He lived in Tianjin for two days, and returned to Beijing after running out of money.Hearing that Gu Hongming was back, this person rushed to Gu's house and cursed Gu for his lack of faith.Gu picked up a stick, pointed at the little politician and said, "You are blind, you dare to buy me with money! You are also worthy of faith! Get the hell out of here! From now on, don't come to my door again!" The man saw Gu's stick and walked away in despair.

When a foreign reporter interviewed Gu Hongming, he asked: "China's internal affairs are so chaotic now, is there any way to remedy it?" , China's political situation will be more stable..."