Chapter 94 93. Duan Qirui forms a responsible cabinet

Yuan never worried about anyone. He took over the power and handled everything by himself. He was really a dictator worthy of the name.When he was dying, he found that he had been betrayed by all the relatives and besieged on all sides, so he invited Li Yuanhong, Xu Shichang, and Duan Qirui to support the crisis.He asked Li to work with him every day, meaning that he wanted to train Li to succeed him as the head of a country, so that he could retire from his old age and return to his hometown to fish for money; he handed over all the political aspects to Xu Shichang. , by Xu Quanquan to be responsible; Duan Qirui was entrusted with the full authority of military issues.

However, no matter whether Yuan was sincere or false, it was too late for all this, and Li Gengen seemed to be at odds with him; although Xu Shichang was highly respected, he had no effect on the Beiyang army or the anti-Yuan movement in the south; only Duan Qirui also has a very high prestige in the Beiyang military system, and the Southern National Defense Army also regards Duan as a powerful faction. On April 22, 5, Xu resigned as Secretary of State. After only one month as Feng's wife, he resigned and went to Shuizhu Village, Hui County, Henan Province to become a "crown poet".

On the 23rd, Yuan announced that Duan Qirui was the Secretary of State and Chief of the Army, Lu Zhengxiang was the Chief of Foreign Affairs (soon Lu retired and was replaced by Cao Rulin concurrently), Wang Yitang was the Chief of Internal Affairs, and Sun Baoqi was the Chief of Finance (soon Sun also quit and was succeeded by Zhou Ziqi), Liu Guanxiong is the chief of the navy, Cao Rulin is the chief of transportation, Zhang Guogan is the chief of education, Jin Bangping is the chief of agriculture and commerce, Zhang Zongxiang is the chief of justice, Wang Shizhen is the chief of staff, and Zhuang Yunkuan is the chief auditor.

When Duan was ordered to be in crisis, his situation was the same as when Yuan came out to form a cabinet after the Revolution of 1911. He asked to change the Zhengshitang and become the real responsible cabinet.Yuan is an old fox. On the surface, he fully accepted Duan's opinion, and issued a decree saying: "According to Article 21 of the "Convention Law", formulate a government organization law and establish a responsible cabinet." But this is just an empty promise. It was just a check. At this time, Duan was very firm. He declared that if he had no real power, he would not do it. Yuan was forced to issue an order on May 8 to abolish the Zhengshitang and restore the State Council.

When Duan's first goal was achieved, he asked for the second step. He requested the cancellation of the Generalissimo's office. Yuan Lai ignored the Model Regiment and the Gongwei Army.At this moment, Yuan saw that the path Duan was taking was exactly the same as when he dealt with the Qing Dynasty. Shortly after Duan formed the cabinet, he received a letter from Liang Qichao, saying slightly: "Today's government is like Xiangcheng in 1911. If the Qing Dynasty does not let go, even if Xiangcheng cannot solve the crisis of 1911; if Xiangcheng does not retreat, even if the government cannot save today's situation."

However, Duan was promoted by Yuan Yiyi. Although he was dissatisfied with Yuan, as he himself said, he "received a lot of kindness" to Yuan.He is a full-fledged old Chinese soldier, so he thinks that it is absolutely impossible for him to come forward to defeat Yuan. He needs the National Defense Army to defeat Yuan, and then he will deal with the National Defense Army as the leader of the Beiyang Army.He knew that before this, Yuan alone fought against the National Defense Army, so the National Defense Army had the upper hand. If the National Defense Army fought against the entire Beiyang faction, the National Defense Army might not necessarily have the upper hand!

Yuan and Duan were still unable to reconcile at this last juncture, and the unhappiness was due to the Secretary-General of the State Council. Duan couldn't do without his favorite student Xu Shuzheng for a day. He wanted to use Xu as Secretary-General of the State Council, but because Xu was Yuan's least He was a happy person, so Duan was afraid that he would become stiff when talking about the matter with Yuan face to face, so he turned it over to Wang Shizhen.Wang is a well-experienced Huang Lao faction. Of course he also knew that Yuan hated Xu, and it was inconvenient to refuse Duan, so he used the word "delay". propose.Due to Duan's request, Zhang went to see Yuan, and said softly to Yuan, "The president wants to find a secretary-general of the academy." After he finished speaking, Yuan's expression darkened and he asked, "Who does he want to use? Who to use?" Zhang saw that the situation was not good, but the president asked so, so he had to reluctantly say: "I want to use Xu Youzheng (Xu's nickname) as a familiar hand." Yuan's face became even uglier, and he said bitterly: "It's really A joke, military prime minister, military secretary-general, this is Dongyang Dao, there is also Dongyang Dao.” However, although Yuan Qi is angry, the current situation is not the time to get angry, so he turned around by himself, calmed down and said to Zhang Guogan: “Go and tell Zhiquan (Duan's alias), Xu Shuzheng is a military talent, let him be the deputy chief of the army again!" Zhang Guogan knew that Duan had entrusted Wang Shizhen to Wang Shizhen, and Wang Shizhen was also sitting at this time, so he glanced at Wang; Wang's face was expressionless, as if he didn't know anything at all. He thought in his heart that Wang was really good, and he was worthy of being the "Dragon of the Three Heroes of Beiyang".

Zhang came out from Yuan's place and immediately went to see Duan. Of course he didn't tell Duan Yuan's ugly words and ugly face, but only told Yuan that he wanted Xu Shuzheng to be the Deputy Chief of the Army.Before he finished speaking, Duan slammed the table and threw the pipe in his mouth on the floor vigorously. Don’t you want to let go at all?” Although Duan is following Yuan Xinhai’s old path at this time, the situation is not as good as Yuan’s, so although he has gained the false name of the responsible cabinet, he cannot even be appointed as the Secretary-General of the State Council, and is still Wang Shitong appointed by Yuan. Serve as the secretary-general, but as a compromise, Xu Shuzheng is the assistant secretary, the deputy secretary-general.

This scene of history repeats itself too quickly. After the Wuchang Uprising of 1911, the Qing government was besieged on all sides, and the grass and trees were all soldiers. Facing dying, they knew that using Yuan Shikai was equivalent to taking poison, but they had to drink poison to quench their thirst.In less than five years, Yuan had to use Duan to tide over the crisis when the people of the whole country opposed him and the old ministries defected from him one after another.Yuan He didn't know that his old cadre had already learned his skills, attacking the shield with the spear of the son, of course he was wary: I just invite you to relieve my siege, not to usurp my position.In the year of 1911, I took over the military power of the Qing government. Now you want to take over my guards and model regiment. In the year of 1911, I proposed to the Qing government the conditions for a responsible cabinet, and now you are also asking me the same conditions. You are really "in front of the door of Confucius." sell articles".

At the critical moment of Yuan's life and death, Duan Po wanted to do something else and do a lot of work. Unexpectedly, the first thing he did when he came to power was to speed up the end of Yuan's world, which was to order China and the Communications Bank to stop paying cash.The person who came up with this idea was Liang Shiyi. Liang was a financial tycoon in the early Republic of China and the leader of the transportation department.Duan and Liang were very similar in nature. After Duan came to power, he thought that to clean up Yuan's mess, he must first rectify the finances, so he asked Liang for advice.Liang revealed all the financial inside stories at that time, and also told Duan the actual situation of China and the transportation industry.Liang said: China Bank and Communications Bank have more than 70 million banknotes in the market, but only 20 million yuan in stock, about 20 million yuan in commercial funds released, and 40 million yuan in loans to the government over the years. If there is no domestic debt or foreign debt, the only way is to issue more banknotes, which will cause inflation, and a run may occur, and the situation will be out of control.Duan thinks that it is difficult for a smart woman to cook without rice, and the only way to take risks is to stop the redemption of the order and make time to sort out and cash it out.Duan Sui issued an order from the State Council on May 12:

"Decree of the State Council on May 12: Dating back to the outbreak of the European War, financial stagnation and business depression. Due to domestic accidents and people's daily life, thinking about this, there is a real worry. When the financial crisis in various countries, the National Bank There is a law of temporarily suspending cashing and prohibiting the withdrawal of bank cash for banknotes, so as to maintain them, so that cash can be preserved, and various industries can turn around capital. The law is good and beneficial, and it is advisable to follow suit. The two ministries of finance and transportation should inform China For the two Banks of Communications, from the date of the order, all the banknotes issued by the two banks and the payables shall not be cashed in cash for the time being. Once the overall situation is settled, a court order will be issued and the cash will be paid regularly. The reserved cash , should order the two lines to be sealed up. To the provinces and localities, the generals, the governors, and the patrols should be envoys. If there are separate agencies for the two lines, the local officials will dispatch military police as appropriate to monitor the two lines, and no unauthorized violations are allowed. Cash in cash and pay in cash. Strictly enforce suppression and prohibit nuisance. If there are officials, businessmen, military people, etc., who do not accept the two lines of banknotes, or give and receive discounts at their own discretion, they should be strictly enforced at any time. According to the "National Currency Regulations Implementation Rules" "On the one hand, contact with the chamber of commerce and the two banks, and work together to make concerted efforts. And order the two banks to make a detailed list of all the types and amounts of the exchange certificates that have been issued, and report them to the Ministry of Finance to prevent abuse. Send it out. I hope everyone will obey it. This order!" After the order arrived in Shanghai, Song Hanzhang, the manager of Shanghai Bank of China, was shrewd and thoughtful, and immediately invited shareholders to a meeting to discuss how to deal with it, and decided on five points: (1) For Bank of China in Shanghai, two supervisors appointed by the Shareholders' Association will go to the bank for supervision, and the affairs of the joint bank shall be presided over by the Shareholders' Association.In the future, the government will not be able to withdraw funds, and everything will be handled in accordance with ordinary bank operations. (2) All property and liabilities of the Bank have been handed over to foreign lawyers to manage everything on behalf of the shareholders, and they have the right to audit the accounts at any time. (3) Banknotes of the Shanghai Branch shall be fully prepared and handed over to foreign lawyers for safekeeping.It can be cashed at any time, and the payment cannot be stopped. That is, the central government has ordered other places to stop cashing, but Shanghai still handles it according to Xiang Zhang. (4) All deposits shall be exchanged upon maturity. (5) In the future, if the business suffers losses, the shareholders association will be responsible for negotiating with the North and South governments, and the official government will recognize it. Due to this move of Shanghai Bank of China, the Shanghai shopping malls are stable and there is no disturbance, and the Bank of China in various provinces is more effective. After China Bank and Bank of Communications stopped the exchange, outsiders mostly blamed Liang Shiyi, thinking that Liang Shiyi was afraid that the turnover of the Bank of Communications would not work well, so he made this policy.It is also said that Yuan wanted to escape, and first smuggled cash from China Bank and Jiaotong Bank abroad.In short, this is the worst policy, because in this way, the hearts of the people will be further dispersed, and the credibility of Yuan himself and Yuan's government will be completely bankrupt. On May 29, Yuan published "The Case of Announcing the Monarchy".This is a "big" article, blaming the responsibility for changing the state system on the citizens of the provinces, and portraying himself as a figure who maintains the republic and an honest person who is easily deceived.In the end, Yuan Qi threatened to publish the texts and telegrams of the military and civilian chiefs of various provinces and regions requesting the change of the state system and the succession of their appointments, please ascend to the high position early.This is Yuan's last and most important announcement before his death. The full text is as follows: The President's order: According to Liu Guanxiong, the chief of the Navy, when he returned to Beijing on his tour, after the revocation of the imperial system bill, the public's words were confused and rumors flourished. Interpretation of doubts and other words.The President of the present day issued a decree on March 21 of this year to cancel the case of recognizing the throne on December 11 of last year. Self-blame, do not want to say more.However, those who are opposed recently often make strange words and completely ignore the facts. It is less harmful to slander a person's reputation and reverse right and wrong, but to stir up a national trend and disrupt peace is more harmful. Rumors incited, and Vigilance: In the previous year, the citizens of various provinces and regions, as well as the princes and princes of the Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, and Mongolian citizens, successively went to the Senate and the Acting Legislative Yuan to petition for the reform of the state system. With the authority of the president, although it is improper to express opinions to the people and the Legislative Yuan, it is still important to maintain the Republic. The constitution is indeed a duty to be fulfilled; Yang Shiqi, the right minister of the special political affairs hall, came to the Legislative Yuan to declare that the reform of the state system is not in line with the matter, and petitioning the people is nothing more than consolidating the country's foundation and revitalizing the country. The constitution of the Republic of China is being drafted and weighed The national conditions should be discussed in detail, and there should be good rules to apply. This is the petition of the President to the people, and I really want to include it within the scope of the Constitution. The procedures for formulating the constitution are rooted in the "Convention Law" of the Republic of China, and the state system is maintained freely.The Legislative Yuan, based on the petitions of citizens of various provinces and regions, and princes and princes of Manchurian, Mongolian, Hui, and Tibetan citizens, suggested that the government either convene a national meeting in advance, or prepare another appropriate solution to solicit public opinion, as a fundamental solution. The president of the National Assembly has decided to decide the constitution as the power of the National Assembly. Once the re-election is completed, a meeting will be called to collect correct public opinion; this is still the original intention of taking the Constitution of the Republic of China as the scope.The Legislative Yuan petitioned again on the basis of the National Petition Federation, the National Citizens Delegation, etc., and held a meeting to make a decision. According to Article 8 of Chapter 1 of the "Convention Law", the national body of the Republic of China should be determined by the National Congress of the People's Republic of China, and the "Convention Law" Organic Law, please promulgate and implement. The original consultation of the Legislative Yuan stated that the president’s consultation has been decided, and he dare not change it easily. He especially respects the public opinion and repays the House of Representatives. Oppose, each representative has the right to freedom, the Legislative Yuan established this bill to respect public opinion, and the president of this country should promulgate it as he pleases.At that time, the princes and princes of Manchuria and Mongolia, as well as the civil and military officials of various provinces and regions, still asked for the monarchy to be established as soon as possible. The words are sincere and can't wait.The President of the Republic of China also said that the reform of the national system is a serious matter, and it is not a matter of rash changes. However, as stated in the "Convention Law", the sovereignty of the Republic of China is based on all citizens. To solve the national system, the citizens who should listen to it are only ordered to supervise and order. To maintain order and wait for the final solution of the people; it is the president who refuses to listen to urgent requests, but cautiously follows the correct public opinion. The heart of respecting the sovereignty of the people can surely be revealed to the world.In addition, there are explicit orders and telegrams, strictly admonishing the election supervision of the national congresses in all provinces and regions to abide by the law, to proceed carefully, and not to rush and scribble, causing fraud. Mai Zhi strictly inspected the illegal election of national representatives, and corrected and canceled it.Our president respects public opinion and seeks to be correct. The National Congress submits the votes of the decision group, all of them advocate constitutional monarchy, and all the national representatives elect the President of the National Congress to take the throne, entrust the Legislative Yuan as the general representative, and call for the right to come; It is based on all the people, and since it has been voted on by the National Congress, there is no room for discussion in the national system, but it is only a matter of promotion and adoption. In the beginning of the Republic of China, the president of this country once swore an oath to the senate to promote the republic. If the monarchy is to do its own thing, it would be a breach of the oath. There is no way to explain the faith. The letter of recommendation will be returned, and it will be deliberated and deliberated separately. In order to consolidate the foundation of the country, the president still uses his original name and current positions to maintain the status quo of the country. This unwillingness to claim the throne is clearly visible.The general representatives of the National Congress, etc. did not forgive contempt and sincerity, and forced them to say that meritorious deeds are worthless, which is an exaggeration of humility. The will of the people, the head of state should regard the will of the people as obedience, the republic of the people, the oath is valid according to the state system, and the constitution of the people, the oath will also change with the state system, urgent appeal, so that the president has no excuse but can only create Hongji, the matter is heavy and should not be carried out in a hurry, which will cause inefficiency. He ordered all ministries and institutes to make detailed preparations, and please implement them after the preparations are complete. The reason why the president of this country borrowed words to prepare is not the person in position; Gai has always kept his original intention of resignation, and it has not changed slightly.The president treats things with sincerity. All the officials who are favored and favored may not be based on their own intentions. The opinions of the various parties may not be free from paranoia, and the supervision of the election and the voting of each representative may not be properly resolved. The point of completeness, but at that time, only seeing the sincere words of love, and saying the same words, the president neither dared to presuppose the heart of rebellion, nor could he actually gain insight into its intentions.Even those who oppose the monarchy today are also in favor of it that day, especially not what the President could have expected. This is not clear and unwise, and there is nothing to hide. Troops rose from Yunnan and Guizhou, and the president of this country felt guilty. Although the Senate decided to use troops and the national army defended Sichuan and Hunan, it was not a poor soldier to succeed. An excuse to fight for profit and power?However, there was a lot of papers and telegrams calling for the right to be seated, and the special decree was not allowed to be submitted, and the Legislative Yuan was ordered to be convened in advance, hoping to hold a meeting as soon as possible to solicit opinions in order to turn things around.Continuing to think that Wanfang is guilty, and it is for one person, who suffers from my life, labors from my soldiers, the people are confused, the business is withered, the heart is introspective, and the good use is good; therefore, it is clearly declared that the case of recognizing the monarchy will be canceled immediately, and the preparations are made. stop now.The facts are here and there, and the original case is preserved, so it can be reprinted.In addition to the repeated requests from the military and civilian chiefs of various provinces and regions to change the national system and the successive promotions, and to invite the early boarders to publish separately, it is hereby announced that everyone will know!This order. Secretary of State Duan Qirui