Chapter 93 Wu Yue's assassination

One day in the first half of 1905, two young people who were new to the rivers and lakes started a dialogue on the topic of "how to correctly deal with the current hot constitutional trend in the Qing Dynasty". One is Chen Duxiu, 26 years old, from Anhui, a scholar, attended a new-style school, and is the leader of the Jianghu organization "Yuewanghui". The other is Wu Yue, 27 years old, from Anhui, no education, self-taught, sub-rudder (branch head) of the Jianghu organization "Northern Assassination Group". Wu Yue asked: Who is easier to die desperately or successfully rebel?

Chen Duxiu replied: Naturally, the former is easier and the latter is more difficult. Wu Yue said: Smart!Then give me the easy ones and leave the difficult ones to you. Next, Wu Yue and Chen Duxiu made a farewell to Yishui. Wu Yue went northward alone and desperately, while Chen Duxiu was determined to devote his whole life to rebellion. ... It is said that after Yuan Shikai received a friendly signal from Zhang Jian, the leader of the constitutionalists, he accelerated the pace of promoting constitutionalism. While the old lady was still awake, Yuan Shikai hurriedly wrote a letter, first pointing out the gap objectively: Russia, which had just lost the war, had already started to establish a constitutional monarchy, while the Qing Empire was still dawdling after losing to Japan for ten years, and then threatened Empress Dowager Cixi. If there is no reform, the country will perish!Afterwards, the topic changed, and he described a grand blueprint for a strong Qing Empire with a constitutional monarchy to catch up with the Premier League. Then he expressed his wish for Lafayette to become the most powerful leader in the world. Finally, he proposed to ask the Queen Mother to send officials to study abroad and learn from the advanced , In preparation for the transformation of the Qing Dynasty.

In the previous few years, the reform scope of the Empress Dowager Cixi government was limited to education, military training, and industry and commerce.Except for a little more determination, the essence is no different from Li Hongzhang's Westernization Movement!But now, Yuan Shikai's request involves the root of reform: political reform!Can the diehards and Cixi agree? In the battle between the Gengzi Year and the Eight-Power Allied Forces, the Qing Dynasty suffered heavy losses.Fortunately in misfortune, the die-hard conservatives were almost completely defeated in that battle.Xu Tong committed suicide, Gangyi died of illness, Shanxi Governor Yuxian, Minister of Rites Qixiu and others were killed, Duanjun Wang Zaiyi, Fuguogong Zailan were sent to Xinjiang... In short, some were killed by the coalition forces, some committed suicide or died of illness, Some changed course and became reformers.It is difficult to see diehard conservatives on the political stage of the Qing Dynasty.

The die-hard conservatives disappeared, but a reasonable talent emerged from among the imperial relatives - Duan Fang. Duanfang, a native of Zhengbaiqi, was the governor of Hunan at that time.He was a reformer, one of the few Manchus who firmly supported the "1898 Reform Movement", and he was very capable. When he was a local official, he made the reform look good.Remember, he ran the first kindergarten in China! After the "1898 Coup", Cixi originally wanted to kill Duanfang, but fortunately Duanfang had a good relationship with Li Lianying, the No.He was supposed to learn a lot of wisdom, but this man became obsessed with the constitutional monarchy, and frantically wrote to Cixi, which is comparable to Yuan Shikai.

Why is Duan Fang so eager to write a constitution?The reason is simple, he also has an extremely strong dream of strengthening the country! The whole country, from court ministers Yuan Shikai, Zhang Zhidong, and Zhou Fu, down to the gentry in the field represented by the constitutionalist Zhang Jian and Tang Shouqian, all normal people have dreams of strengthening the country and support constitutionalism! The word "constitutional" is like today's "reform", which is both popular and sacred. It is the spirit of the times and the will of the collective that cannot be violated. It is an ideological sword that no one dares to block.

In recent years, although the Empress Dowager Cixi's ambitions have been greatly weakened, there is still the slightest remnant.The most important thing is that the establishment of a constitution can also allow "the Qing emperor to be hereditary." In the face of such a strong temptation, Cixi also obeyed everyone's opinions. On the morning of September 24, 1905, the Zhengyangmen Railway Station in Beijing was lined with military police and guard posts. The five ministers appointed by the Empress Dowager Cixi: Governor of Hunan (Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee) Duanfang, Zhen Guogong Zaize, Minister of the Ministry of Households (Deputy Minister of Finance) Dai Hongci, Minister of the Ministry of War (Deputy Minister of Defense) Xu Shichang, and Youcheng of the Ministry of Commerce ( Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce) Shaoying walked into the train compartment with the hope of the Qing Dynasty—the five ministers will go abroad to inspect the constitutionalism of Western countries.

No one noticed that a person dressed as an entourage squeezed into the box of the five ministers from the chaotic crowd of seeing off. The guard at the door of the box asked vigilantly: Which adult's entourage are you? The man replied: "It's in the mansion of Lord Ze (Zai Ze). Why haven't I seen you before?The guard felt more and more that this person was unfamiliar. I'm new here!While speaking, this person had already squeezed into the aisle in the front section of the box, and when he turned his back to the guards, his hand quietly touched his arms, and the corner of his eyes quickly caught the seats of the five ministers.

Just as the man was about to take out the striker bomb in his arms, it happened that the locomotive of the train was hooked to the carriage, and the body of the train was knocked back suddenly, causing everyone on board to tilt.The bomb in this person's hand exploded automatically before he could take it out and throw it. There was a loud bang, shrapnel and flesh and blood flew across, and the three servants next to him were also killed.Due to the distance between the five ministers, only Shaoying was seriously injured, Xu Shichang was slightly injured, and the others were basically safe.

This "follower" is of course Wu Yue, the head of the northern assassination group. The purpose of Wu Yue's assassination of the five ministers was also very simple: At that time, the people of the country believed that the Qing Dynasty was currently improving, and as long as the reform of the constitutional monarchy system was implemented, there was still hope for it to become stronger.And Wu Yue and Chen Duxiu are resolute overthrowers, yes, they are revolutionaries.They obviously didn't want the Qing Dynasty to have a chance to stand up, so they decided to prevent the five ministers from going abroad for inspection.

Afterwards, although the military and police were dispatched, the whole city was flying like dogs and dogs.But Wu Yue single-handedly, and smashed to pieces, where to start?There is no way to solve the case in a short time. However, Wu Yue's small calculation is not a strategy at all in the eyes of Cixi, who takes conspiracy as salt.Cixi was well aware of the mystery behind the assassination, she replaced the injured Shaoying and Xu Shichang, gathered five ministers together, and set off according to the original plan.