Chapter 38 A puppet show begins
At Itagaki's banquet, my thoughts were confused and contradictory.I don't know whether I should be happy or sad about my fate.That night, Itagaki summoned a large number of Japanese prostitutes, assigned one to each person who went to the banquet, and had a lot of wine for fun.He hugged him from left to right, completely throwing away his politeness.Sometimes he toasted and drank, and sometimes laughed loudly, making no secret of his complacency.At first, when he was still reserved, he toasted me very respectfully, with a suggestive smile on his face, wishing me "a smooth future and fulfillment of my long-cherished wish". At this time, I felt that I could be a little happier.Later, as his weight increased, his face became more and more blue, and the situation was not right.A Japanese prostitute asked me in blunt Chinese: "You work in business!" Hearing that, Itagaki suddenly burst out laughing.At this time, I thought again, I really have nothing to be happy about.
I maintained this mood of uncertainty and uncertain future until Hu Siyuan, Chen Zengshou and others returned to my side.These old men are very happy to be able to come back to me with the permission of the Kwantung Army.This kind of joy is not so much due to the reunion of the monarch and his ministers, but rather because of the enthusiasm of officials and wealth.On the one hand, they expressed their grief and indignation because I condescended to be in power, and on the other hand, they cited historical stories to me, explaining that the kings who started businesses often had to temporarily send them under the fence in order to rely on them.With these teachings, coupled with Shang Yanying's "Admonition from the Old Ancestor", my mood gradually stabilized.On February 26th, I ordered my attendants to prepare an incense table for me, and made an offering to my ancestors. The offering is as follows:
On the last day of February, under the direction of the Kwantung Army’s Fourth Section, the so-called “All-Manchurian Conference” in Shenyang passed a resolution declaring the independence of the Northeast and embracing me as the “ruler of the new country.”Shangjiao Liyi and Zheng Xiaoxu told me that the "representatives" of this meeting will come to Lushun to petition me, and they must first prepare their answers.Two answers should be prepared, the first one is to express refusal, and after the "representatives" plead for the second time, they will come up with the second one to express acceptance.On March 1, nine people including Zhang Yanqing and Xie Jieshi arrived in Lushun.Zheng Xiaoxu first interviewed me on my behalf, and came up with the first answer:
Then meet me.What they said to each other was all what others had told them beforehand, and it was nothing more than a "pleading" on one side and a "polite resignation" on the other.After less than twenty minutes, each exited.On March 5, according to the plan of the fourth lesson of the Kwantung Army, the number of "representatives" was increased to 29, and the second appearance was "pleading".This time the "representatives" got the job done.My final answer is this:
After finishing the "cutscene", I returned to Tanggangzi with Wanrong, Zheng Xiaoxu and others the next day.Zhang Jinghui, Zhao Xinbo and others had already been waiting here, saying "welcome".We spent the night here and went to Changchun together the next day.
At 3:00 pm on March 8, the train arrived at Changchun Station.Before the car stopped, the sound of military music and people's calls sounded from the platform.Surrounded by Zhang Jinghui, Xiqia, Amakasu, and Shangjiao, I stepped onto the platform and saw Japanese military police and queues of various costumes everywhere.In the queue, there are robes, mandarin jackets, suits and Japanese kimonos, and everyone has a small flag in their hands.I couldn't help getting excited, thinking that the scene I hadn't expected on the Yingkou pier was finally here today.I was walking in front of the queue, when Xiqia suddenly pointed to a group of yellow dragon flags sandwiched between the sun flags and said to me, "These are all bannermen. They have been looking forward to the emperor for twenty years." Hearing this At the words, I couldn't help tears welling up in my eyes, and I felt more and more hopeful.
When I got in the car, I could only think about my Forbidden City, how I was driven out of the city by Feng Yuxiang's National Army, and also about the "Tangling incident" and the oath I made. My heart was once again filled with hatred and desire. Burning, completely oblivious to the scenery of the streets of Changchun, the citizens silenced by terror and another kind of hatred, what kind of eyes are looking at us.After a while, the car drove into an old courtyard.This is my "executive government".
This house used to be the Daoyin yamen, and it was not the most spacious place in Changchun, and it was dilapidated. It is said that because the time was too short, we had to make do with it temporarily.My inauguration took place the next day in a hastily packed hall.Important figures such as Uchida Yasuya, the president of Japan's "Manchurian Railway" in the northeast, Honjo Shigeru, commander of the Kwantung Army, Miyake Miyake, chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, and Itagaki, the staff officer, all came.In addition to Zheng, Luo, Hu, Chen and others, the "old ministers" who participated in the ceremony also included Zhao Jingqi, the former vice governor of Shengjing, Zhao Jingqi, who was once the prefect of Shaoxing and was famous for killing Qiu Jin, Mongolian prince Guifu and his son Ling Sheng and the Mongolian prince Zimmer featured Mupil and so on.In addition, there are Zhang Jinghui, Zang Shiyi, Xiqia, Zhang Haipeng who are from the old Feng dynasty, and Lin Qianchen and Lin Kou, lawyers who have handled divorce cases for me in Tianjin.Jin Zhuo, who had been a staff officer to Zhang Zongchang, also came to be my military attache at this time.
That day I wore a western-style frock coat and bowed.Under the watchful eyes of Japanese dignitaries, all the "fathers" bowed to me three times, and I answered with one bow.Zang Shiyi and Zhang Jinghui presented the "Governing Seal" wrapped in yellow silk on behalf of the "Manchurian people".Zheng Xiaoxu read the "Government Declaration" on his behalf, which read:
After the ceremony, when receiving foreign guests, Uchida Yasuya delivered a "Congratulations", and Luo Zhenyu read my "Response".Then go to the yard to raise the flag and take pictures.Finally, a celebratory banquet is held.
That afternoon, in the "administrative office", Zheng Xiaoxu sent a "official matter":
"Commander Honjo has recommended my minister to be the Prime Minister and organize the cabinet," he hunches slightly, his bald hair shines, and his voice is soft. "This is a letter of special appointment. Please sign it with your royal name."
This was what Masahiko Amakasu, a Japanese, had told me earlier when I was in Lushun.I silently picked up the pen and did the first official business after taking office.
I walked out of the office and met Hu Siyuan and Chen Zengshou.The faces of these two old men were not good, because they knew that their names were not included in the list of special officials.I said to them: I want to keep them by my side, let Hu Siyuan be the head of my secretariat, and Chen Zengshou be the secretary.Hu Siyuan thanked him with a sigh, but Chen Zengshou said that he had something to do at home in Tianjin, and begged me to allow him to go back.
The next day, Luo Zhenyu came.The official position he got during the official appointment was a "counselor", and he came to resign from this unsatisfactory official position.I expressed my dissuasion, but he said: "The emperor condescends to govern, and it is said that the minister should die if the king is humiliated. The minister must not accept the post of councilor." Fake antiques, until death.
But my thoughts are different from theirs.The dragon flag and military music at Changchun Station, the ceremonies at the inauguration ceremony, and the eulogies at the reception of foreign guests left a deep impression on me, and I couldn't help but feel a little elated.On the other hand, I have already shown my head publicly and stepped onto the stage, so there is absolutely no way out.Even if Itagaki told me today, if you don't do it, please go ahead, I can't go back.That being the case, we had no choice but to "conciliate" to the end.Besides, if I deal with the Japanese well, maybe they will support me in restoring the title of emperor.Now that I am the head of state of a country, it will be easier for me to discuss with the Japanese when I have capital in the future.Because I only think about what I want, not only do I no longer feel wronged when I am "in power", but I also regard the position of "in power" as a ladder leading to the "emperor's throne".
Under the control of such self-comforting and fantasy-filled thoughts, how to make good use of this "ladder" and successfully ascend to the "throne" has become the central issue of my further thinking.After thinking about it for a few days, one night, I told Chen Zengshou and Hu Siyuan the result of my thinking:
"Now I have three vows to tell you: first, I will get rid of all the mistakes of the past. Chen Baochen said that I am lazy and frivolous more than ten years ago, and I swear that I will never do it again; second, I will endure all hardships. , work hard, vow to restore the ancestral business, persevere, and never give up if the goal is not achieved; third, ask heaven to send a prince to inherit the foundation of the Qing Dynasty. If these three wishes come true, I will die with peace in my eyes."
About a month after the ceremony, the "administrative government" moved to the newly renovated house of the former Kyrgyzstan Transport Bureau.As a sign of determination, I personally named each building.I named the residential building "Jixi", which is taken from the sentence "Yu Jixi Jingzhi" in "The Book of Songs: Daya·Wen Wang".I also named my office building after "Diligent People" according to the ancestral motto "Respect the heaven and the ancestors, be diligent in government and love the people".From then on, I really got up early every day, went to the office to "work", and didn't return from "Qinmin Building" to "Jixi Building" until late at night.For my vows and restoration, I obeyed the command of the Kwantung Army in order to rely on it, and on the other hand, I wanted to use the power of the "head of state" on the one hand.
However, my "government" did not last long, because first of all, I had no business to do, and then I discovered that the power of "government" was only written on paper, not in my hands.
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