Chapter 14 Liang Qichao: Pioneer of the Revolution, "Back" of the National Backbone
Liang Qichao (1873.2.23—1929.1.19), courtesy name Zhuoru, nicknamed Rengong, also known as the owner of the ice-drinking room, Yinbingzi, Aishike, Xinmin of China, owner of Freedom Zhai, etc.Han nationality, a native of Xinhui, Guangdong, a representative of modern Chinese reformers, a bourgeois reformist, and a famous scholar.A famous political activist, enlightenment thinker, bourgeois propagandist, educator, historian and writer in modern Chinese history.One of the leaders of the Reform Movement of 1898 (Hundred Days Reform).He once advocated the "poetry revolution" and "novel revolution" of stylistic improvement.
In 1890, 17-year-old Liang Qichao called on 33-year-old Kang Youwei from Nanhai, Guangdong under the recommendation of his classmate Chen Qianqiu.
When they met for the first time, the two chatted from 8 am to 7 pm.Before Liang Qichao received traditional education, Kang Youwei opened the door for him to learn from the West, constitutional, reform, reform, this is a brand new path.Liang Qichao felt that what he learned before was just a stepping stone to the imperial examination, not real knowledge.So, he asked Kang Youwei as his teacher on the spot.At that time, Liang Qichao was already a Juren, but Kang Youwei was only a supervisor.
Kang Youwei built a Wanmu Thatched Cottage in Guangzhou and opened it to teach apprentices.Liang Qichao benefited a lot from the one-year study in Wanmu Thatched Cottage. He later recalled that "all the strength of his life's learning is in this year."At the same time, Liang Qichao's knowledge and eloquence also began to stand out among many of Kang Youwei's disciples.
It's a pity that although Shenzhou is big, it can no longer accommodate a quiet desk.
This is a country plagued by internal and external troubles. The common people take it as a commandment not to talk about state affairs. The government is corrupt and incompetent. Externally, they only hope that compromise can be exchanged for short-term peace. Internally, they plan to compete for wealth with private entrepreneurs who emerged after the Westernization Movement.
In the spring of 1895, Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei went to Beijing to take part in the examination. In April, news of the signing of the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" came, and Liang Qichao and other officials were outraged. Under the encouragement of Kang Youwei, more than 1,300 officials signed a letter, urging the court to reject the peace agreement and start reform.It is known as "the letter on the bus" in history.
In this examination, Kang Youwei was a high school Jinshi, but Liang Qichao was not on the list.Such a result is not surprising, because the chief examiner is Xu Tong, a representative of the old school, who hates reform and reform, and will reject any articles that are deviant.Coincidentally, Xu Tong saw Liang Qichao's examination paper first, and saw that the whole text was full of subtle words and righteousness of Jinwen Confucianism, thinking it was Kang Youwei's, so he brushed it down immediately, but Kang Youwei's examination paper was lucky to pass.Even so, Li Wentian, the deputy examiner, still admired Liang Qichao's literary talents, and commented regretfully at the end of the article: "Huanjun's pearls both shed tears, and I hate to meet when I was not married."
Kang Youwei decided to find another way to publicize the reformation thought when the letter on the bus went into the sea like a mud cow, and there was no news. In August 1895, he founded the "Wanguo Gazette", which was issued with the "Beijing News" and presented to princes and ministers for reading.As the main writer, Liang Qichao wrote a large number of articles introducing the West and promoting the reform, and impressed many upper-level people with his affectionate writing. Generosity, sponsorship.
Kang Liang's activities aroused the dissatisfaction of the conservatives, and in January of the following year, the Qing court forcibly disbanded the Strong Society.At the invitation of Wang Kangnian, Kang Youwei took Liang Qichao to the south of Shanghai to prepare the "Current Affairs News". Almost all the elite articles in "Current Affairs" were written by Liang Qichao. He strongly opposed the technological determinism in the self-strengthening movement. After learning the experience of the Meiji Restoration, he firmly believed that in order to revive China, political reforms are more important than technical ones. Input is more important.Liang Qichao argued that the key to China's political reform is to completely reform the education system and provide education in traditional Chinese culture and Western political experience.Based on this idea, when Huang Zunxian recommended him as the chief teacher when Hunan opened a current affairs school, he readily accepted the order. In the autumn of 1897, he arrived in Changsha.Liang Qichao's name aroused people's enthusiasm. As many as 4,000 young people came to Changsha to apply for the entrance examination, but only 40 were admitted.Liang Qichao propagated Paiman's radical ideas to the students, and they secretly reprinted and distributed Huang Zongxi's banned book "Ming Yi Waiting for Visits".In his comments for students, Liang Qichao bluntly mentioned the massacres committed by the Manchus during the conquest of China in the 17th century, which was undoubtedly a taboo at the time. In the winter of 1897, after Germany occupied Jiaozhou, Liang Qichao was very indignant at the Qing court. He proposed to Hunan governor Chen Baozhen that if necessary, Hunan should announce its separation from the central government in Beijing.
During this period, Liang Qichao did not forget to make friends with powerful people and cite influence for Kang Youwei.When he went to visit Zhang Zhidong, governor of Huguang, it happened that Zhang's nephew was getting married, and there were a lot of guests.When Zhang Zhidong heard that Liang Qichao was coming, he immediately left the guests behind, opened the middle door wide, welcomed him into the inner hall, and had a long talk with him all night.
With the fate of the country at stake, Kang Youwei returned to Beijing and once again petitioned the Qing court for reform.Unlike previous letters, his request was immediately affirmed by the court. On June 11, 1898, Guangxu issued an edict announcing reforms. On June 16, Kang Youwei was called into the palace, and the "Hundred Days Reform" kicked off. On July 3, Liang Qichao was also summoned by Guangxu.
It's a pity that Liang Qichao suffered from the Cantonese dialect. "Xiao" was pronounced as "good" and "Gao" was pronounced as "ancient". Pin title, compiled by Renyin Bookstore.
Compared with Kang Youwei's long conversation with the emperor for several hours, Liang Qichao's summoning was not successful.From then on, Liang Qichao made up his mind to learn Mandarin. His wife Li Huixian grew up in the capital and is very fluent in Mandarin.After Liang Qichao went into exile in Japan, he asked his wife to teach him Mandarin, and the wife sang and the husband followed.
Soon, his oral Mandarin improved a lot, and he became more comfortable in social situations, and he no longer suffers from disadvantages.
After the vigorous Reform Movement of 1898 began, Kang Liang and others issued many edicts to implement the New Deal according to the emperor's instructions, such as establishing schools, rewarding inventions and creations, and reforming finances.
However, the framers of the reform were neither politically mature nor skilled. They were full of passion and ignored reality.The reform of the bureaucracy, the abolition of stereotyped writing, and the abolition of the privileges of bannermen, etc., each reform has impacted the vested interests of the huge bureaucratic group.The reform party's actions were too aggressive, and its words were too fierce. Kang Youwei, facing a group of ministers, even uttered the wild words "kill a few first-rank officials, and the law will change", which is really scholarly.In desperation, they thought of "killing the queen in the garden".I thought I had spotted Yuan Shikai, but unfortunately, Tan Sitong did not get a clear answer when he visited Yuan Shikai at night.Yuan Shikai sensed that the wind was in the wrong direction, and worried about getting burned, he ran to Tianjin and told the plan of Kang Liang and others to Zhili Governor Ronglu.The situation has expanded, and Kang Liang's "crime" is no longer the same as Cixi's political views, but has risen to the level of "rebellion".Out of anger, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the arrest of reformers, the "Six Gentlemen of the Reform Movement of 1898" spilled blood on the market, and the Hundred Days Reform ended in failure.
At that time, Japanese Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito had just finished his visit to China and was stranded in Beijing.He said to Lin Quanzhu, the Japanese ambassador to China: "Save Liang Qichao! Let him escape to Japan! When he arrives in Japan, I will help him. This young man Liang is a precious soul to China!" During the relationship between him and Lin Quanzhu With the help, Liang Qichao cut off his braids, put on a suit, and with the help of consul Zheng Yongchang, first fled to the Japanese embassy in Tianjin, then disguised himself as an Orion, and prepared to leave Tianjin. On the 25th, when the two were walking on the platform of Tianjin Railway Station, they were discovered by Liang Qichao's acquaintances and reported to the government. The catcher quickly caught up.The two jumped into the sailboat and hid until late at night before they dared to set sail and headed towards Tanggu along the Baihe River.
The catcher noticed the movement, and chased after him by steamboat.Seeing the steamship getting closer and closer, Liang Qichao was desperate and prepared to catch him without a fight.At this time, the Japanese ship Oshima Maru moored in the upper reaches of the Shirakawa River approached the sailboat.It turned out that Lin Quanzhu had greeted him in advance and asked Oshima Maru to meet him here.Liang Qichao finally got rid of the pursuit of the Qing court and boarded the Oshima Maru bound for Japan.Looking at the vast Pacific Ocean, Liang Qichao was worried and full of thoughts, and wrote the poem "be patient and cut tears to go abroad, turn around and ignore my east".
Not long after Liang Qichao arrived in Japan, Kang Youwei also came to Japan from Hong Kong with the help of the British.When the master and apprentice met, it was like rebirth, with tears in their eyes.Kang Youwei told Liang Qichao that his hometown was confiscated by the Qing government. Fortunately, Liang Baoying and Li Huixian had fled to Macau with their families.Liang Qichao immediately wrote a letter to his wife and attached a recent photo to the letter.On the back of the photo, he wrote: "Although the clothes are different, the spirit remains the same. Seeing the photo is like seeing a person."
Life in exile was not peaceful.In addition to running "Qing Yi Bao" and "Xin Min Cong Bao", Liang Qichao got acquainted with Sun Yat-sen at the home of Japanese cabinet minister Inuyang Yi.
In the view of Kang Youwei, who believed in "getting the emperor to practice the way", Sun Yat-sen advocated violence against the Qing Dynasty, was a big treason, and he was deeply favored by the emperor, so there was absolutely no possibility of cooperating with him.
Liang Qichao did not have the slightest prejudice, he was willing to accept new things, followed the good advice, and was in favor of the revolution, and soon became friendly with Sun Yat-sen.At that time, Sun Yat-sen's reputation could not be compared with that of Liang Qichao. Many overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia and important Japanese officials were introduced to Sun Yat-sen by Liang Qichao. In the summer of 1899, Kang Youwei was expelled by the Japanese government and left Japan for Singapore.Without the restraint of the teacher, Liang Qichao and Sun Yat-sen communicated more frequently.In fact, Liang Qichao did not believe in Sun Yat-sen.
Soon, Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei's 13 disciples wrote to the teacher, saying: "The country's affairs have deteriorated to this point. It is impossible to save the crisis unless the common government is made public and the reform of the republican government is not possible. Today (Guangxu) is wise, and the whole country knows it. When the revolution succeeds in the future, If the people love him, he can also be elected president. My teacher is already old, so he can take a rest in the shadows of Linquan and entertain himself in the evening.
After Kang Youwei received the letter, he was so angry that he immediately ordered him to leave Japan and go to Honolulu to handle the imperial conclave.Liang Qichao obeyed the teacher's words on the surface, but he was very dissatisfied in his heart.In addition to political differences, economic reasons are also important.Liang Qichao lived in exile overseas, mainly relying on running magazines and selling articles to make a living, and his life was poor.However, Kang Youwei claimed that there was Guangxu's "clothes belt edict", and in the name of protecting the emperor, he amassed money all the way, mastering millions of dollars, but he did not help Liang Qichao well.
After organizing the Royalist Association in Honolulu, Liang Qichao told the local overseas Chinese that he organized the Royalist Association, which was called the Royalist Association, but it was actually a revolution.This move immediately offended both reformers and revolutionaries, and many people accused him of "selling dog meat by playing tricks".However, it didn't take long for Liang Qichao's attitude to turn 180 degrees, completely abandoning the idea of establishing a republic through violent revolution, and instead supporting an enlightened and autocratic state system.
The change of thinking originated from his trip to the United States in 1903 at the invitation of the American Royalist Society.In what he once called "the fatherland of the world republic," he was disappointed.He saw row upon row of high-rise buildings and thriving industries, but he also saw the monster at the turn of the century—the trusts, the "black gold politics" described by Mark Twain, and the fact that there are many gangs in the overseas Chinese society killing each other. all kinds of ugly phenomena.Thus, he came to a conclusion: the republic does not apply to China.Liang Qichao, whose faith had collapsed, wrote: Oh, it hurts!I have been drunk, dreamed, and danced together in the past ten years, but I am completely out of touch?I bid farewell to you, I burst into tears.
After returning to China, he thought about it calmly, and realized that given the size of China, the complexity of its national conditions, and the low quality of its people, starting a revolution would definitely lead to chaos for many years.And the person who finally cleans up the turmoil must be a dictator with great energy and power, and he is still an autocracy after all.Liang Qichao’s formula for revolution is: revolution—turmoil—dictatorship.The formula for constitutionalism is: enlightened autocracy - constitutional monarchy - constitutional democracy.
Since then, Liang Qichao has embarked on a firm path of reformism, using various channels to spare no effort to call for a constitution.
The Revolutionary Party was extremely dissatisfied with Liang Qichao's transformation. They founded "Minbao" in Tokyo, and the third issue issued a gauntlet.A far-reaching debate between the constitutionalists and the revolutionaries in the history of modern Chinese thought kicked off.
The revolutionaries said: If you want to be free, you must shed blood and die.
Liang Qichao said: Violent revolution cannot achieve a republic, but can only achieve another dictatorship.
The revolutionaries said: Japan and the United Kingdom are trying to establish a constitutional monarchy, and blood must be shed.
Liang Qichao said: The French Revolution, 80 years of turmoil, blood flowed like rivers.The other 15 European countries have constitutional monarchies and have completed their transformation peacefully.A republic is of course the best, but in view of the reality in China, we can only start with a constitution.
The revolutionaries said: Since the constitution is a transition and the republic is the ultimate goal, why waste time on the transition.
Liang Qichao said: Because of the gradual reform, the loss is small.
The two factions come and go, the revolutionary faction occupies the "Min Bao", Zhang Taiyan, Hu Hanmin, and Wang Jingwei take turns.Only Liang Qichao was alone among the constitutionalists, and his position was Xinmin Congbao, which he founded in 1902.
Through the debate with the revolutionaries, Liang Qichao established his status as the darling of the public opinion circles, and replaced Kang Youwei as the new spiritual leader of the constitutionalists.
At the same time, during the course of the debate, Liang Qichao invented a new style of writing between ancient Chinese and vernacular, which later generations called "New Civil Style".Because the people and scholars were willing to accept it, the new folk style spread widely.With this kind of style that readers like to hear and enjoy, Liang Qichao wrote a touching sentence, "A strong young man makes a country strong, and a young man who is independent makes a country independent." The sonorous words stirred the fiery hearts of countless young people in that era.
Huang Zunxian admired the new folk style very much, and praised it as "thrilling, a single word is worth a lot of money, everyone has nothing in his pen, but everyone has it in his mind, and even iron and stone people should be moved."In addition, Liang Qichao made good use of "bringing doctrine" and directly introduced Japanese Chinese words into China, such as "politics", "economy", "philosophy", "democracy", etc., which greatly enriched the Chinese vocabulary.Among them, there is a word that was originally created by Liang Qichao, and that is "the Chinese nation".
However, it is a pity that Liang Qichao's literary talents are so brilliant. He is used to writing newspaper articles and polemic articles, and only seeks to impress people.One of his pens can awaken the hearts of Chinese people who have been sleeping for a long time, but he has no energy to write truly master-level works.Chen Duxiu commented on Liang Qichao's works as "flying light and fleeting shadows".
In 1914, when Liang Qichao gave a speech at Tsinghua University, he quoted the words from Li, encouraging the students of Tsinghua University to be gentlemen and establish a "complete personality": "Heaven is moving vigorously, and gentlemen strive for self-improvement; the terrain is good, and gentlemen carry virtues." Encouraging Tsinghua students "Start with a few people such as individuals and friends, and do it step by step with sincerity and down-to-earth, and never relax at all." , but also to "create a Chinese culture that adapts to the new trend in the academic world."His speech had a profound impact on the development of Tsinghua's excellent style of study and school spirit.Since then, Tsinghua University has set the eight characters of "self-improvement, virtue and virtue" as the school motto.
Liang Shiqiu, who listened to Liang Qichao's speech at Tsinghua University, recalled: "He was wearing a fat robe, his steps were steady, his wind was unrestrained, he looked around, and he was radiant. This is Mr. Liang Rengong. He walked up to the podium, opened his speech, and glanced down , and then his very short opening remarks, only two sentences in total, the first sentence is 'Qichao has no knowledge', rolled his eyes up, and nodded slightly, 'But there is a little bit!' So humble and so conceited at the same time It’s rare to hear that.”
Kang Youwei was Liang Qichao's mentor. It can be said that without Kang Youwei's training, there would be no future Liang Qichao;
Liang Qichao's apprenticeship with Kang Youwei has a certain influence on his character formation and life path choice.He is full of strong professionalism and good pursuit, like an iron block hits a magnet.Wanmu Thatched Cottage breaks the traditional reading method of "keep your ears off the outside world, and only read the books of sages and sages", and closely links seeking knowledge with saving the country and the people, and transforming society.After studying in Wanmu Thatched Cottage, Liang Qichao began to closely link his own destiny with the destiny of the country.
Liang Qichao had a very strong desire to learn, and although he had no prejudice against Kang Youwei, he had the courage to stick to his own views.Beginning in exile in Japan after the Reform Movement of 1898, the ideological differences between Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei became more and more serious.When he first arrived in Japan, Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei advocated "respecting the emperor". In just one year, Liang Qichao publicized civil rights, criticized slavery, talked about freedom, and even advocated destruction.Liang Qichao's behavior aroused Kang Youwei's dissatisfaction, because there was nothing Kang Youwei could do because the world was far apart. In July 1900, when Liang Qichao arrived in Singapore, the two met. Due to the great differences in academic ideas, Kang Youwei was so angry that he beat him.But Liang Qichao still insisted on his own opinion, and wrote poems such as "Where is my thinking, Lu Menggaowen is my teacher" and "Ningguan is very difficult to use, but regrets too much and can't hold back" to express his aspirations.
But after Kang Youwei died, Liang Qichao was very sad.Liang Qichao wept bitterly for a few days, and led all the students of Tsinghua University to hang himself in Fayuan Temple. He wore hemp and mourning mourning, and stayed at Fayuan Temple for three days. People came to salute every day, and he stood on the filial son's seat.Liang usually likes to play mahjong, but he did not play within three months after Kang Youwei's death.
Liang Qichao said: "I love Confucius, but I especially love the truth; I love my ancestors, but I especially love the country; I love the old man, but I especially love freedom." Therefore, even if he had conflicts and misunderstandings with his teacher, he did not back down, but insisted on the truth .It was precisely because of his adherence to the truth that he later firmly fought against the restoration, the worship of Confucius and other ideological behaviors.
In his later years, Liang Qichao was employed by the Academy of Chinese Studies of Tsinghua University as a tutor, teaching and educating people, and at the same time conducting in-depth research on Chinese culture.
Liang Qichao believes that using science can only develop material civilization; but it is difficult to develop spiritual civilization, especially the problems of life, which are even more lacking in Western philosophy. "In the past in Western civilization, ideals and reality were always divided into two parts, idealism and materialism, and each went to extremes. Religiousists focused on the afterlife, and idealist philosophy talked about mystery, which was far away from the problems of life. Materialism swept the world, and the noble I have lost my ideal again." Liang Qichao said: "So the practical philosophy and innovative philosophy advocated recently are all about bringing ideals into practice and trying to reconcile mind and matter. I think our pre-Qin academics developed from this road. Come out. The three great sages, Lao, Confucius, and Mo, although they have different schools of thought, "seeking ideals and practicality" are consistent, but they have a common point of return." Therefore, "the old people in the country are self-styled, saying that Western learning is Chinese. It is indeed ridiculous; those who are intoxicated with the west wind say that everything in China is worthless, as if we have been like a barbarian tribe for thousands of years, and have nothing, isn't it even more ridiculous?"
Liang Qichao's excellence lies in that he does not limitlessly elevate high school and belittle Western learning.In his opinion, "To develop our culture, we must use their culture as a way, because their research methods are really sophisticated." He hopes that young people, "The first step is to have everyone respect and cherish their own culture. Sincerity; the second step is to use the method of Westerners to study knowledge to study it and get its truth; the third step is to synthesize one's own culture and use other people's subsidies to make it play a kind of compound effect. , and become a new cultural system; the fourth step is to expand this new system outward, so that all human beings can benefit from it.” This view is also worth learning from today’s perspective.
On November 14, 1918, the Beiyang government announced that there would be a three-day national holiday. Suddenly, Beijing was waving its banners and shining brightly. The area from Dongjiaomin Lane to Tiananmen was crowded with tourists.On this day, people are celebrating the end of World War I, and China has become the victor for the first time since the Opium Wars, although the victory is more symbolic than practical. At the beginning of December, Liang Qichao raised 100,000 yuan of funds and selected a group of experts with their own strengths to form a non-governmental delegation to go to Europe to participate in the Paris Peace Conference.
The Paris Peace Conference was the conference where World War I established a new world order. Liang Qichao hoped to use this opportunity to improve China's international status, especially to recover Germany's rights and interests in Shandong. On December 28, Liang Qichao led Ding Wenjiang, Jiang Baili and others to Europe on the Japanese ship Yokohama.Along the way, everyone played cards and chatted, which was very lively.Every morning at 8 o'clock, everyone holds a book and reads aloud to the sea on the deck. 45-year-old Liang Qichao also starts to learn English.
In Paris, Liang Qichao met with President Wilson of the United States as a representative of the Chinese people, and asked him to help support China's recovery of Shandong's rights and interests at the peace meeting, and Wilson agreed.
In January 1919, the Paris Peace Conference, which the Chinese placed high hopes on, officially opened.At the meeting, Japan, the same victorious country, requested to inherit Germany's rights and interests in Shandong, but was strongly opposed by the Chinese representative Gu Weijun.
Gu Weijun made an impassioned statement, saying that Shandong is the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, a sacred place of Chinese culture, and since China entered the war, all unequal treaties with Germany have been abolished, and there is no question of Japan's inheritance rights.Wilson also helped from the sidelines, arguing for China.
Off the court, Liang Qichao conducted frequent lobbying activities as a civil representative, playing a role that the Chinese diplomatic representatives attending the peace conference could not play.He wrote the article "World Peace and China", translated it into many languages, and distributed it widely to publicize China's request, and refuted Japan's excuse for occupying Shandong: "Germany seized Jiaozhou Bay from China, and of course it must be returned to China directly. You can’t make excuses for sacrifices and demands. May I ask that the United Kingdom and the United States have asked for compensation for helping the law to take back the land?” At the subsequent press conference, Liang Qichao said loudly: “If any country wants to inherit the legacy of German aggression in Shandong, it will be the world’s largest country. The medium of the Second World War, this is the enemy of peace."
At this moment, the representative of Japan calmly disclosed a shocking secret agreement.The agreement signed the previous year stipulated that Japan would lend 20 million yen to Duan Qirui's government in exchange for the right to build roads and garrison troops in Shandong—the fate of Shandong was already doomed.
Since Japan had reached a secret consensus with the Allies before the peace conference, Wilson became alone at the peace conference.Moreover, the Japanese side has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the peace conference if its demands are not met.Fearing the ruin of his plans for a League of Nations, Wilson backed down.Only then did Liang Qichao inquire about the content of the peace treaty, and learned that some Chinese representatives were ready to sign the treaty.He hurriedly called his domestic friend Lin Changmin (Lin Huiyin's father) to inform him of the details of Paris, and said: Please warn the government and the people to strictly punish all powers, and do not sign your name to show your determination.
Lin Changmin received a telegram from Liang Qichao on April 30, and on May 1 he wrote the article "Diplomatic Alert to the National People" and published it in "Morning Post".He exclaimed in the article: Jiaozhou is dead!Shandong is dead!The country is not the country!There will be no day for the country to perish, and 400 million people will swear to die for it!
The day after Lin Changmin's manuscript was disclosed, Peking University's poster posted a notice calling for an emergency meeting of student representatives from 13 colleges. At 1 pm on May 4, more than 5,000 students from 14 schools including Peking University took to the streets, and the "May 4th Movement", which shocked China and the world, broke out.
At that time, there were no slogans such as "Down with imperialism" in the parade.On the contrary, in order to keep Shandong, the students went to the US embassy with a clear goal and asked the Americans for help.Therefore, the essence of the "May 4th Movement" was a patriotic movement triggered by a telegram from Liang Qichao.
In the winter of 1899, at the invitation of Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, who had fled to Japan, went to Honolulu, USA to promote the establishment of the Royal Association, and organized overseas Chinese to support Emperor Guangxu's reform and reform.
Although Liang Qichao was very eloquent and an agitator for promoting reform and reform, it was only after he arrived in Honolulu that he discovered that propaganda for reform and reform should not only be faced with overseas Chinese in the United States, but also should be supported by Americans.But he didn't know English, which made him very difficult for a while.At the family banquet hosted by He's overseas Chinese businessmen, he raised this question and asked everyone for help.As soon as his words fell, Mr. He asked the maid to call his precious daughter He Huizhen, and introduced him to Liang Qichao, saying: "This is my little girl. She grew up in the United States. She speaks excellent English and can translate for you." Liang Qichao was very pleased. If you are happy, ask her to sit by your side.He Huizhen was also very generous, speaking standard Mandarin, which made Liang Qichao very pleased to hear it.
The next day, at the speech conference, many overseas Chinese and Americans attended. Liang Qichao was in a good mood, and he spoke impassionedly about his views on reform and reform, and the significance of forming the Royal Society.Ms. He Huizhen interpreted for him. She is fluent, accurate and understandable, and is very popular with the audience.During the interpretation process, He Huizhen learned more about Liang Qichao.She not only supported Liang Qichao's reform, but also admired his eloquence and demeanor.After the speech, when Ms. He accompanied Liang Qichao out of the lecture hall, she said generously: "I admire Mr. Liang's talent very much, and I hope we can get together in the next life. Please give me a photo, this life is enough!" Afterwards, Liang Qichao gave Ms. He a small photo, and Ms. He gave him a small fan woven by herself as a souvenir.
Liang Qichao had a very good impression of this assistant. During his days in the United States, without Ms. He as his interpreter, he could hardly walk a single step.At that time, Cixi issued a decree to offer a reward of 100,000 taels of silver to capture Liang Qichao.An English-language newspaper in the United States published a series of articles attacking Liang Qichao.Liang Qichao was almost beyond his reach against this kind of attack, so he had to let it go.A few days later, he heard that a newspaper published several articles in succession in response to the articles of the English-language newspaper.These articles refuted the English-language newspaper into silence with sharp writing style and profound and thorough arguments.Soon, Liang Qichao learned that these articles were written by Ms. He, which made him respect Ms. He from the bottom of his heart.Then, he asked Ms. He to help him learn English, and Ms. He happily became his English teacher.There are more and more contacts between them, and the emotional distance is getting closer.
Soon, He Huizhen secretly fell in love with the talented Liang Qichao, and confessed her love to him: "In this life, my heart is only for Mr...."
"I already have a wife in my family." Liang Qichao rejected her contradictoryly.
Not only was He Huizhen not discouraged when she was rejected for the first time, but she was relieved by Liang Qichao's loyalty.Afterwards, in order to win Liang Qichao's favor, she mobilized her father to donate a sum of money for Kang and Liang Baohuang's affairs, and asked someone to host a banquet to hand over the donation to Liang Qichao.During the dinner, Liang Qichao saw He Huizhen again.This time, He Huizhen made a request that surprised Liang Qichao: "I would rather marry Mr. Liang and be a child." Liang Qichao returned to his apartment in the evening and couldn't calm down for a long time.He knew that He Huizhen graduated from a famous American university, and her infatuation for making such a decision was really touching.They can indeed support each other in their careers. However, he and his wife Li Huixian have been close to each other for these years and have a deep relationship. How can they make his wife sad?For this reason, he was extremely depressed.Considering his work, he also needs such an assistant very much.After repeated ideological struggles, on May 24, 1900, Liang Qichao wrote a letter to his wife Li Huixian in Japan, expressing his state of mind.In the letter, after he introduced He Huizhen's personality, he wrote: "After I returned home, I missed Huizhen more and more. From the heart of respect, love was born, and I could hardly hold myself... I don't know that Huixian will laugh when he hears this. Do you care about me, or do you care about me?" Liang Qichao thought, after receiving the letter, his wife would definitely feel jealous and scold him, so that his feverish mind could be calmed down.
Soon, the wife wrote back.After Liang Qichao opened the letter, he was stunned. His wife sent him a poem "Guanju": "My fair lady, a gentleman is so good..." She was willing to complete his marriage.Li Huixian said: "I am far away in Japan and can't take care of him. Wouldn't it be better if there is a like-minded Ms. He to take care of my husband?"
Liang Qichao felt ashamed in front of his wife's tolerance, so he forwarded his wife's letter to He Huizhen.He Huizhen looked at it, smiled happily, and said, "Sister Huixian is virtuous, I will learn from her, and we will be Ehuang and Nvying beside my husband."
Liang Qichao took up the pen and He Huizhen wrote a poem: "Monogamy will be the world, and Liuyang and I will create it (Liuyang refers to Tan Sitong). Respect public power and separate love, and you must be a teacher for future generations." He Huizhen immediately understood Liang Qichao's meaning, and tearfully took a small portrait of Liang Qichao's self-inscribed poem, and left Liang Qichao step by step. "Huizhen is a good, talented and affectionate woman, but it's a pity..." Liang Qichao sighed, and sent a small fan woven by He Huizhen to his wife for safekeeping.He said in a letter to his wife: "I want to get Huizhen's help to travel the world, but the ideal and realistic conditions must never..."
Li Huixian read Liang Qichao's letter and acted very generously. When he wrote back to him, he said that this matter should be decided by his father.Because she expected that her father-in-law would not approve of her son marrying an overseas Chinese as a concubine.Liang Qichao received Li Huixian's letter and hurriedly wrote back to dissuade his beloved wife from letting his father know about it. He also said: He Huizhen's relationship with He Huizhen is guaranteed to be "in love, not in reason", and he will never discuss this matter again in the future.Of course, Liang Qichao's situation at the time did not allow him to indulge in personal affairs with his children.He was in exile, and Empress Dowager Cixi issued an order to arrest him. How could this 20-year-old lady be implicated with her!So he politely declined his friend's kindness.
However, this incident also touched Li Huixian. She considered trying to hold this restless "little deer", so in 1903, she made her dowry maid Queen Guiquan a concubine for Liang Qichao.
In September 1924, Li Huixian passed away due to illness. Liang Qichao lost a person who understood and supported him, and he was deeply saddened.He Huizhen, who was infatuated, heard the news of Li Huixian's death, and hurried to find Liang Qichao, comforting him in mourning, and looking for an opportunity to reconnect with him.Unexpectedly, Liang Qichao declined her for the third time on the grounds that "he is old and does not want to remarry".He Huizhen was unwilling, and Liang Qichao came to the door many times, but Liang Qichao avoided seeing her. The helpless He Huizhen had to bid farewell with tears...