Chapter 147 9. Cai Yuanpei

When Cai Yuanpei first came back from Germany, he established three principles to restrain himself: first, not to be an official, second, not to accept concubines, and third, not to play mahjong. When Cai Yuanpei was at Peking University, he established the Jinde Association to improve political morality. He said that he expected intellectuals to become pillars of society. Teachers and students who want to join the Jinde Association must abstain from drinking, gambling, and whoring.Cai also asked members not to be officials or councilors. There was a scholar’s ​​residence restaurant next to Peking University, which was very popular with Peking teachers and students. One day, after Cai Yuanpei, Chen Duxiu, and Hu Shi had dinner at the scholar’s ​​residence, the three of them were walking near the beach and found a place they had never been to before.Someone told them that this was the "Latin Quarter" where the "eavesdroppers" lived. They were curious and wandered over.Walking into a room, I saw a poorly dressed young man reading a book by the dim light, with two stiff steamed buns on his body.Chen Duxiu was impatient, and immediately went up to ask questions, which frightened the young man into panic.He stammered that he was a poor student who didn't even have the money to apply for an auditor's permit, but he really wanted to listen to Mr. Yucai (Lu Xun)'s lecture, so... Cai Yuan waved his hand to tell him not to be nervous, and then looked around The two steamed buns said: "Tomorrow, you can go to my office to get the attendance pass, but now, you have to come to eat with me." So several people came to the scholar's residence again, and the young man ate like a hungry man. While eating, I chatted with three Peking University professors.This young man named Xu Qinwen said: "People say that Peking University has 'five openness'. One is that the class is open, and no matter whether you have a student status or not, you can attend the class casually. Some auditors come early and grab their seats first, and the regular students who come late have to stand behind. The second is that the library is open to the public, so you can come and go as you please. The third is that the bathrooms are open to the public, and the shower head is on all day long, so everyone can just wash it. Fifth, the cafeteria is public. The student cafeterias are all rented out, and the price of the restaurant and the cafeteria are the same. There are three types of students on the campus of Peking University, one is official students, the other is audit students, and there are us eavesdropping students. Without going through any formalities, but came to the school to attend lectures, most of us rented houses and lived in this 'Latin Quarter'."

During Cai Yuanpei’s first year at Peking University, there was a student who grew up to be a petty bureaucrat and did some unsatisfactory things, so another student so-and-so posted a picture on the wall of Xizhai (one of the dormitories). In two days, endless anonymous documents appeared all over the wall, scolding this classmate as "extreme joy".There is also a picture of Fu Sinian, because he also hates this person very much.In Fu's anonymous post, on the surface, he was complaining for this gentleman, but the deep meaning was to ridicule him. Therefore, Fu's notice was appreciated by the students, and there were thick circles on it, and the criticism was messy.This was a big joke in school for a while.A few days later, Mr. Cai Yuanpei gave a speech at a conference. When he finally talked about this matter, he basically said: It is not reasonable for you to attack Mr. ×× on the wall.If you are dissatisfied with Mr. X, you can persuade them. This is the friendship of classmates.If you think it is not persuasive, you can tell the school authorities.This is the right way.As for anonymous posting, even if the recipient has made a mistake, it will never be easy to repent, while the giver is the beginning of losing character.Anyone who does this must change his past mistakes in the future, otherwise this kind of action must be the end of character degradation.Since then, the anonymous "poster literature" in Peking University has been reduced and almost disappeared.

When Cai Yuanpei went to Germany for the second time, Fu Sinian was also in Berlin.After Mr. Cai arrived, Fu Sinian and several other students volunteered to take care of Mr. Cai.Once, a classmate sent a telegram to Mr. Cai, saying that he wanted to visit Mr. Cai from Leipzig.This classmate was famous for his absurd temperament, scolding and asking for money at the same time. Fu Sinian thought that he must be here to ask for money, and Mr. Cai was extremely poor, so Fu and the third and fourth classmates proposed to call him and refuse him, and asked Tell Cai Yuanpei what they mean.Mr. Cai Yuanpei pondered for a while and said: "There are a few words on it, 'It's better to advance than to retreat. What's the only thing? A person cleans himself to advance, rather than clean himself, not to keep his past. It means that he agrees with his progress. , don’t approve of his regress, why do it go too far? If someone comes clean, you should approve of his self-cleaning, and don’t keep pursuing his past. Yes, yes, agree.’ You said he was boring, but this Rejecting people thousands of miles away, can he change his boredom?" So Fu Sinian knew that he had to read it like this.

During the May Fourth Movement, the parade was about to start, but was stopped by Cai Yuanpei.He sadly told the students that the demonstrations were not going to turn the tide.Peking University advocates academic freedom, which is disgusted by the conservative government and figures, and is regarded as a scourge advocating heresy.Now that the students go out to parade again, if something goes wrong, they will give people an excuse.The students expressed their inner anger to Principal Cai, and begged the principal not to stop it.The other students were quite impatient and uttered "shh!" and "boom" noises and cursing.Seeing that it was noon, Zhang Guotao rushed forward and said loudly to Cai Yuanpei: "The demonstration is inevitable. The principal didn't know it in advance. Don't worry about it now. Please go back to the office." He and others Several students pushed and pushed Principal Cai away, and the parade set off towards Tiananmen in a swarm of cheers.

On May 4, 1919, during the "May 4th" parade, the warlord government sent military police to arrest 32 students, including 20 Peking University students.That night, Cai Yuanpei invited Wang Chonghui, who had a close relationship with the Ministry of Justice, to Peking University to discuss the rescue with his classmates. On May 7, the arrested students were released. Cai Yuanpei personally led all the staff and students of Peking University to line up at the beach square to welcome them.Everyone was very excited to meet each other, and they were speechless to each other, and many of them burst into tears.Cai Yuanpei advised everyone to be happy and not to cry, and he couldn't help but shed tears before he finished speaking.Xu Deheng, a student who was arrested and released from Peking University, recalled the scene at that time: "When we were released from prison and walked into the beach square accompanied by our classmates, Mr. Cai was so resolute and kind. He forced a smile with tears in his eyes, encouraged us, and comforted us. It left a very deep impression on us.”

In the winter of 1920, Cai Yuanpei went to Europe and the United States to investigate education. During his stay abroad, Jiang Menglin acted as the principal.At that time, the Beiyang government owed the educational funds of Peking universities for a long time, and the teachers of each school could not receive their salaries, so they petitioned the government, but were beaten by the guards, so they announced the strike.After the hard work of the teachers and students in Beiping, the Beiyang government realized the seriousness of the situation, and then paid back the salary owed to the teachers of each school and expressed apology.Schools have just started reopening.After Cai Yuanpei returned to China, he was very dissatisfied when he heard about this incident. He summoned the faculty and staff of Peking University and said bitterly: "The school educates young people, and the faculty and staff should be role models for the students. How can they stop teaching for asking for salary and delay the future generations?"If you think the government is too bad to cooperate, you can resign voluntarily and find another job.If everyone asks to go, the government will be startled and reflect.How can we not resign and not fulfill our teaching responsibilities, so as to hinder young people?He insisted that the salary he received for not attending classes for the students during the school strike should be handed over to the public.The teaching staff accepted Cai's proposal and requested that the salary they received be deducted in installments.

Some time before the May Fourth Movement, the Beiyang government felt uneasy and exerted pressure on Cai Yuanpei, even following and intimidating him.At that time, Cai Yuanpei had two "conspirators", and Cai often discussed with them how to deal with the Beiyang government.One day, Cai Yuanpei discussed this matter with them at the home of a "schemer".One of the old schemers persuaded Cai Yuanpei to dismiss Chen Duxiu and restrain Hu Shi, so that the institution and northern scholars could be preserved.Cai Yuanpei said nothing.After the two talked for several hours, Mr. Cai stood up and said: "I am not afraid of these things. I have endured humiliation to this point. It is all for the school, but there is no limit to the humiliation. Everything about Peking University is on me, Cai Yuanpei. It has nothing to do with these people."

Cai Yuanpei was successful at a young age, and once won the Juren. At the age of 23, he took the Lianjie Examination and won the Jinshi. At the age of 26 (Guangxu Renchen Branch), he took the palace examination.But he was never complacent about it, and he respected Li Ciming, a well-known and well-known scholar in his hometown, for a long time.Cai Yuanpei once taught Li Ciming's son Li Xiaofei in the residence of the Li family in Beijing, but Cai Yuanpei did not regard himself as a teacher and guest, and treated Li Ciming with the courtesy of a teacher, and he was very respectful as a disciple.After Li Ciming's death, he left behind many works, among which "Yuemantang Diary", a diary that has been uninterrupted for decades, is the most famous.In 1919, Cai Yuanpei raised funds for the printing of "Yuemantang Diary", initiated in the name of the All-Zhejiang Association, and handed it over to the Commercial Press for printing.

After Li Ciming's father and son passed away one after another, the Li family was very poor.So he mortgaged more than 130 boxes and more than 20,000 volumes of books in Yuemantang to the surname Lu who opened the Tongxing Sauce Garden in the city. He got thousands of yuan, but he had to pay heavy interest every month.When Cai Yuanpei found out about this, he felt that it was not an option to be exploited by others, so he contacted the Beijing Library, and the Beijing Library bought all the books in Yuemantang.This event also has a major contribution to academia.This batch of books was edited by Beitu people to edit the words written by Li Ciming on the books, and compiled them into "Yuemantang Reading Secretary", "Yuemantang Reading History Notes" and other books.

Liu Shipei used to be a member of the League, with radical thinking, and was one of the Chinese people who came into contact with socialism earlier. However, he later rebelled against the revolution and took refuge in Duanfang. Comrades, the speed of change is astounding.After the founding of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen and others cherished his talent and could not bear to add more crimes. Cai Yuanpei hired him as a professor at Peking University.In the New Culture Movement, although he used the name of the old school, he actually somewhat supported the new school.He was only 36 years old when he died. Cai Yuanpei commented: "Xiang Shijun devoted himself to academics, not to be disturbed by foreign aid, to strengthen himself with health, and to devote himself to writing. How can his achievements be limited? What a pity!"

One time, Cai Yuanpei and Wang Jingwei had a conversation together. Wang said: "Your name was Taishi in the past, but now you are an educator. In the world, Cai and Wang are juxtaposed, and you are ashamed of yourself." I am far inferior to you in terms of academic energy." After the "April 12" coup, Zhou Zuoren in Beijing severely condemned the brutal behavior of the Kuomintang, and was very dissatisfied with Cai Yuanpei, Hu Shi and others who were in Shanghai but "turned a blind eye".But as the Kuomintang intensified, Zhou Zuoren became more and more silent. On the contrary, Cai Yuanpei, Hu Shi and others rescued some political prisoners, including underground members of the CCP. On February 9, 1938, Cai Yuanpei celebrated his 70th birthday, and all walks of life in Shanghai celebrated his birthday at the International Hotel.Cai said in his reply: "When you come to celebrate my birthday, you always want me to do a few more things. When I am 70 years old, I feel that the past 69 years have been wrong. If I want to live a few more years, I just want me to do it again. A few years went wrong."