Chapter 74 gains and losses

Look back at the situation at that time. About the "Reform of the Reform Movement of 1898": At any time, under the sway of a sense of crisis, finding a way out for the nation is very popular. Many literati and bureaucrats support the reform. At least Cixi did not oppose the reform at the beginning. Otherwise, it would be impossible to persist in the reform for a hundred days. In terms of geographical advantages, at least in Hunan there is a staunch reformist like Chen Baozhen, in Hubei there is Zhang Zhidong who advocates "Chinese learning as the body and Western learning as application", and Yuan Shikai and Li Hongzhang also basically support the reform. With the example of these people, others wait and see Among the Xinjiang officials, it is not impossible to keep up with time.

In terms of people and harmony, the emperor stood at the center of the reform, and some ministers, many scholars with imperial examination achievements also stood on this side. Therefore, it cannot be said that the reform is doomed to fail, and the reason for the failure lies in the hands of the reformists themselves. The first is Guangxu's own problem.According to historical data, Guangxu, as the leader of the reformist group, met Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, the backbone of the reform movement, only once, and never held a meeting to discuss democratic centralism. Therefore, during the 103-day reform, such a situation was formed: Emperor Guangxu took all the ideas.However, Guangxu's political skills are still a little too young, and he seriously lacks experience in governing. The millennium's long-standing disadvantages are reversed.As a result, from the central government to the local government, officials are at a loss as to what to do.

Guangxu is passionate, motivated, and hardworking, but he lacks experience and is too inexperienced. If he has a few steady and capable ministers to assist him, it may be much better. Then there is the problem of Kang Youwei and the reformists themselves. Let's first look at Tan Sitong who is not afraid of bloodshed and sacrifice.This man said at the time of the Sino-Japanese War in Maguan: We ceded Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Qinghai to Russia, with fifty taels of silver per square kilometer, adding up to one billion taels of silver, and 200 million taels to Japan. The remaining reforms ("The Complete Works of Tan Sitong Memorial").

Just for this memorial, Tan Sitong's political IQ is questionable. Among the few Kang Youwei, the four with the highest official ranks are the military aircraft Zhang Jing and Yang Rui (fourth rank), and Kang Youwei himself is only a sixth rank official.And their opponents are diehards who have mastered the imperial army and political discourse. The power comparison between the two sides is like a mantis fighting a cart! Back then, Wang Anshi, the famous literati leader and prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, carried out reforms with the full support of Emperor Song Shenzong, but it ended in failure!Comparing this time and that time, except that Wang Anshi was more famous and powerful, the reasons for Kang Youwei and Wang Anshi's failures were the same: they were both too stubborn and conceited, and they were too eager for success.

Take a look at some of the reform measures proposed by Kang You for them: 1. Cancel the privileges of bannermen and let them fend for themselves.All of a sudden, all the bannermen were offended. 2. Abolish stereotyped writing, and change all academies into schools for learning Western learning.All of a sudden, all the literati who had been studying stereotyped writing were offended. 3. Eliminate redundant staff and abolish idle overlapping organizations.All of a sudden, most officials were offended. 4. Large-scale downsizing of green battalions.All of a sudden, they offended a group of "soldiers" (these people themselves are not worthy of being called soldiers).

The suggestions that Kang You made for them were indeed beneficial to the country, but he was too anxious.At the beginning of the reform, his suggestions offended scholars, "soldiers", officials, and nobles.In other words, except for the staunch reformers, everyone else was offended, which really shows no political wisdom. Compared with reformers such as Ito Hirobumi, Kang Youwei and others are as immature as children. For any top-down reform, when the new forces do not have the absolute strength to eliminate the old ones, one must not proceed recklessly, but should proceed steadily and gradually to avoid offending the entire vested interest group.Kang Youwei's approach was just the opposite. He wanted to wipe out the entire vested interest group at one stroke, eradicating thousands of years of evils at once. As a result, the Empress Dowager Cixi, who was afraid of losing power, suddenly turned her face, and the whole situation turned upside down.

Everything is over. Yuan Shikai became the big loser in this coup.Because he made a mistake: the organization was wrong, the team was very vague, and there was no clear-cut banner at all! Under Kang Youwei's and Liang Qichao's brilliant writing, he became the culprit who betrayed his friends for glory and betrayed the revolution. In the eyes of Cixi, he is the object of trust of Guangxu and Kang Youwei, and he is a reformist who has not been arrested. Therefore, Cixi wants to punish Yuan Shikai for the crime of being a speculator who pleases both parties. At the critical moment, Rong Lu appeared.Rong Lu, who usually received a lot of sugar-coated bullets from Yuan Shikai, interceded for Yuan Shikai.Cixi wants to give Ronglu face.

Ronglu is a good comrade if he takes money to do things, otherwise Yuan Shikai would have to peel off his skin if he didn't die.