Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Empress Dowager Cixi and Her Summer Palace

In the previous article, the author mentioned that in China for more than a hundred years, Li Hongzhang was the earliest and even the only person who ruled the country. He once led our country to participate in the World Arms Race. We should understand that from the discovery of America by Columbus (1492) to the end of World War II (1945), under the control of the five hegemons and seven heroes of white imperialism (later Japanese imperialism was added), Our earth is really a "bandit world" (to quote President Lee Teng-hui's earth-shattering famous saying).There is only power, not justice.Where does power come from? It is said: armed forces; armaments also.In the era of Li Hongzhang, human beings had not yet invented airplanes and atomic bombs.If the great powers want to run rampant in the world, they can only rely on a powerful navy.

In the nineteenth century, the British navy was second to none in the world.If the British Empire wants to maintain the power of "the sun never sets", it must also ensure its "two-power standard" in terms of naval strength!In other words, the naval power of the British Empire surpassed the combined combat power of any other two great powers. After the ninth year of Tongzhi (1870), Li Hongzhang, who served as Minister of Beiyang, knew this well.He has repeatedly said that the air of foreigners has an "iron armor".You deal with foreigners and you have no armor, so you have to keep your mouth shut.

Li Hongzhang is one of only two major diplomats in my country in the past hundred years - the other is Zhou Enlai.The author once wrote several million words of memoirs for Mr. Gu Weijun.But looking through Gu's public and private documents, I always think that Wellington Gu is just a "technocrat", a "doctoral leader" and a "yellow-skinned foreigner".He has been just working for his boss; he has no real political power to make decisions in diplomacy—Li ​​Hongzhang and Zhou Enlai are different. Li Hongzhang is also the patriarch of modern China in using barbarians to control barbarians-even Zhou Enlai failed to do a good job in using barbarians to control barbarians.Of course Li Hongzhang also had poor grades.The reason why Li did not do well was that his "iron armor" was sunk by Japan.To use the barbarians to control the barbarians without the backing of "iron armor" will become short buying and short selling. "Yi" is not a fool!How can it work if you specialize in buying short and selling short? !So before Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang determined to participate in the world arms race.

To be honest, when Li Hongzhang was governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang (1870-1895), the Qing Empire had more than enough room to participate in the world arms race.The Qing Empire was a big empire after all!It is the same as the People's Republic of China on mainland China today. Although it is poor and blank, its potential is unlimited.Before the First Sino-Japanese War, let’s talk about a cruiser like the Japanese "Yoshino" mentioned above. It is easy to buy another three or five battleships of the "Dingyuan" and "Zhenyuan" ranks. Don't you see the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" (1895) and we lost 260 million taels.In the "Xin Chou Treaty" (1901) six years later, didn't we pay another 40 million taels?In total, within seven years, he lost six hundred and sixty million taels at once! ——We have so much money to pay "indemnity" and no money to buy a ship? !

Of course, the 40 million taels are paid in installments.I paid too much and got refunded by the creditors, and my teacher Hu Shizhi, my friends Yang Zhenning, He Bingdi... went abroad to study!The wool came from the sheep, and a small part of the compensation paid by our old lady was returned, and we haven't used it up yet!We had no money to buy ships before the Sino-Japanese War? !Let's buy five more (Dingyuan-class battleships) and ten (Yoshino-class cruisers), and we will be able to handle them with ease! Why do you buy a ship if you have money, and wait until you lose the battle before "paying compensation"? !

Friends, this is what I said in the previous article: if you focus on the "four modernizations" and don't engage in the "five modernizations", the "four modernizations" will often be in vain—the word "often" is emphasized here.Social sciences are different from natural sciences.Those who engage in social science should not speak too "absolutely". It should be noted that the four modernizations also modernize science and technology.Five modernizations, political modernization also. "Political modernization" doesn't have to be a "democracy wall"!But you should at least have a clean and efficient modern government - at least like Germany and Japan did at the time.The shitty mess under the rule of our Empress Dowager Cixi is not qualified to participate in the world arms race. Although the imperialists are all "bandits" and "robbers", robbers have their own way.

Now let's look at how our Li Zhongtang was defeated in this world arms race first, and only after we lost the battle did we pay compensation. At the beginning of the formation of the Beiyang Fleet, Li Hongzhang strongly advocated the unification of the two oceans and the joint operation of separate construction.The central government should have a general organization for strategy research, unified command, budget planning, and logistics deployment.This is a matter of course. Any modern country is indispensable, but the name is different.For example, the Admiralty in the United Kingdom, the "base camp" and "staff headquarters" in Germany and Japan; the "Pentagon" in the United States today, and even the "Military Commission" and "Ministry of Defense" in Beijing and Taipei. In the late Qing Dynasty, it was called "Navy Affairs Yamen" or "Navy Yamen".

Li Hongzhang was originally a capable and responsible person.During the brewing period of the Navy Yamen, he had done his part.But this time he couldn't help it.At the beginning of the establishment of the Qing Dynasty Navy, those Manchu relatives who regarded themselves as the ruling class had long been eyeing.Originally, they felt threatened by the rise of the Xianghuai Army.With the resurgence of the navy, they can no longer be controlled by the Han Chinese.Unfortunately, more than two hundred years of prosperity and idleness have rotted this minority, which occupies a high position in the ruling class, to the point of hopelessness.As mentioned above, the navy is such a technological and modern arm.How can such rotten Manchu relatives intervene?

But now this "Navy Yamen" is different.It is a lofty place, located in the imperial city, and on the outside it seems to be just a big "yamen" that manages personnel and wallets!And the coastal defense funds managed by this yamen are in the millions.In their eyes, this yamen is a new yamen that has more money than the six departments and nine ministers within the Qing court, and the governors and ministers outside the court.In short, in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty, the Navy Yamen is the most "fat" big "fat".Dear friends, you must not let it go!

The Qing Dynasty developed so far.It can also be said to be "the end of life"!At this critical juncture, the more virtuous and general-minded Empress Dowager Ci'an suddenly died of a strange illness in the seventh year of Guangxu (1881).Ci'an is the empress in the palace whom Cixi fears the most.After Ci'an's death, Empress Dowager Cixi, who was born as a concubine and had a fierce and vicious personality, took over all the power and gradually revealed her true colors. Three years later (1884), she drove Prince Gong Yixin out of the prime minister's office.Yixin was the founder of Zongli Yamen (China's first foreign ministry).More than 20 years of fighting with foreigners made him quite familiar with foreign affairs. He was a rare enlightened politician in China at that time, and the head of the famous ministers in Tongzhi ZTE—without him, Cixi would not be able to be the empress dowager.So he has always been the number two person Cixi fears and envies (after Ci'an).As soon as King Gong left, Cixi became unscrupulous in the court.

In this kind of political tide, there is also an important foreign bureaucrat Hurd who is fueling the flames with ulterior motives.Hurd was an open spy planted by the British Empire in the Chinese bureaucracy.He mastered Chinese tariffs.When the Chinese government buys ship guns from foreign countries, the check must be signed by Hurd.He is not Yuan Shikai's Gudner; let alone Jiang Zhongzheng's Duanna.In the Chinese bureaucratic system, he has the authority to say what he says.In addition, he has been hanging out in Chinese officialdom for decades, and he has long since become a veteran of Chinese politics.Bragging and flattering, all kinds of tricks, all of them will not be able to do it.As an agent of white imperialism in Chinese politics, coupled with his familiarity with Chinese bureaucrats, this foreigner really "takes the pearl under the jaws of Lilong" and is a rare hero in China and abroad. As mentioned above, at the beginning of the establishment of the Chinese Navy, he tried to exclude the influence of other powers (the United States, Germany and France) in China, and turned the Chinese Navy into a vassal of the British Navy.How could Cixi and her close relatives, such as Prince Chun Yizheng (Cixi's sister-in-law and Guangxu's biological father), know about his conspiracy!But Li Hongzhang and Prince Gong Yixin knew everything about it.Unfortunately, Prince Gong has long been Cixi's "Liu Shaoqi", and sooner or later he will leave.He can't protect himself, so he doesn't care about the navy.But Li Hongzhang was Cixi's "Zhou Enlai".He is an indispensable character.First, he must be loyal to the Qing Dynasty, and second, he must seize power by himself.He will take precautions against Hurd's conspiracy.Friends, if we imagine that Zhou Enlai and Li Hongzhang are in different places, their chess moves will not be different. In order to prevent Hart from playing tricks, Hongzhang took out his housekeeping skills of using barbarians to control barbarians, and secretly dispatched the French-born foreigner Prosper Giquel, who was the former chief instructor of Mawei Shipyard, and the German-born former Tianjin Customs Supervisor. The foreigner Gustav Detring secretly monitored them and asked them to inform him.Japan and Germany are ordered, which is really loyal to their duties.Therefore, the small reports from Berlin and Paris exposed Hurd's tricks one by one (Zhou Enlai can also do this). Not hereby.At that time, Commander of the U.S. Navy, Commodore Robert W. Shufeldt, who came to China to negotiate the opening of North Korea under the order of Washington, also became Li Hongzhang's intelligence agent over time.The Shu family had originally gone directly to North Korea to conduct negotiations, but the King of Joseon kept saying that he "this dynasty is a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty", so it was inconvenient for him to make diplomatic decisions.Shu had no choice but to go to Tianjin to find Li Hongzhang.Li Hongzhang had his charm in dealing with foreigners (like Zhou Silai).In addition, the Americans were very sympathetic to China at that time.Therefore, Shu Shi also became Hong Zhang's adviser against Hart. But how can Hurd be a fuel-efficient lamp?If you use barbarians to control barbarians, he will also use Chinese to control Chinese, especially Manchu to control Han.He knew that the queen mother wanted to control the navy with a full population; he also knew that the "seventh master" Prince Yizhen, who was fighting for power with the "little six" Prince Gong, had long been coveted for the big "fat" "Navy Yamen"; My own words have the power to say a word to the ignorant, power-hungry and foreign-phobic Cixi.If he mobilizes Prince Chun to take charge of the navy, then his political opponent Li Hongzhang will also support it with both hands.Therefore, he publicly suggested that Prince Chun be the prime minister of the "Navy Yamen" - as soon as this proposal came out, even Li Hongzhang, who was dumb and ate coptis, had to be the first to recommend it.In 1884 (the eleventh year of Guangxu), Prince Chun Yizhen was officially appointed as the Prime Minister of the "Navy Yamen".When the layman and stern Wang Chun became the Minister of the Navy, Li Hongzhang had to stand aside; Hurd, who was holding a wallet, squeezed into the front row. What is Prince Alcohol?He is: the seventh son of Emperor Daoguang; the younger brother of Emperor Xianfeng and Prince Gong; the uncle of Emperor Tongzhi; the biological father of Emperor Guangxu; the grandfather of Emperor Xuantong; the father of Zaifeng, who later became the regent. But the most important link in these blood ties is his marriage: his wife is the younger sister of Empress Dowager Cixi.It was because of this extraordinary nepotism that he became the emperor's father and the emperor's grandfather; and the worst thing was that he used this relationship to squeeze Yixin away from being the prime minister of the Navy Yamen, and became the prime minister of the navy. Li Hongzhang's immediate boss.Since then, the political situation of the Qing Dynasty has been dominated by the queen party. Prince Chun, the chief aristocrat in the Qing Empire, the number one playboy, what do you know about the navy?Therefore, with the Navy Yamen in his hands, it is no longer a "staff headquarters", a "nerve center" or a "Pentagon". . . .But on the other hand, this "big fat vacancy" has served him, that can't be said enough. At that time, Yizhen was the prince with the most luxurious and most luxurious life in Beijing.It is really the so-called spending money like water.But apart from the limited rewards given by his father and elder brother, how could he have so much money to maintain his extravagant life on a regular basis?Then by embezzlement in a different way.Therefore, the so-called "Jun Mansion" was the biggest corrupt official known at home and abroad at that time.But to be a corrupt official, you must have a place.So once the Navy Yamen falls into the hands of this big greedy palace, it will be unimaginable. Not hereby.Now that Chundi has seized such a big "fat vacancy", the hungry ghosts among the Manchu family and nobles also rushed over.Not only that.At that time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the royal accountant with a lot of expenses, was also in poverty.The half-aged empress dowager whose life was becoming more and more extravagant was reluctant to spend her private money.In order to flatter the Empress Dowager, King Chun and others spent a lot of her expenses on naval projects.One person attains the Tao, and the chicken and dog ascend to heaven.Now that Chun Mansion has captured the huge vacancy in the Navy Yamen, all relatives and nobles are very happy - the old lady is also satisfied. If readers don't worry about trouble, we might as well check out this rotten life of the emperor and empress again.Find out how much real estate they own, how they manage it, and more. Let’s put aside the “old stalls of the Forbidden City” for the time being, and take a look at the royal real estate they left behind as a tourist.And start from the Forbidden City. In the Forbidden City, they have nine hundred and ninety-nine palaces with carved beams and painted buildings.These are all wooden structures.If it is not repaired for three years, it will inevitably collapse.When I was visiting the Forbidden City, I met an old woman who told me in surprise: "They are running down!" (These houses are collapsing!) I comforted her and said: There is only one missing in ten thousand!To repair all of them, your President Bush can't afford the money! In addition to the palaces in the Forbidden City, there are several "three seas" full of towers and pavilions.Today, apart from the "Zhongnanhai" where Jet Li is the "bodyguard", everything else is also running down.Here let us check the archives: After the establishment of the Navy Yamen, Li Hongzhang asked the Minister of the Navy, Prince Chun Yizhen, for funding for the purchase of fast cruisers.Prince Chun not only did not allocate funds, but instead replied that the "Three Seas" was about to run down, and the old queen mother had nowhere to rest, and asked Li Zhongtang to contribute a little money from the navy's purchase of ships to show his loyalty to the Queen Mother .Li Hongzhang was indeed a loyal minister, so he allocated 300,000 taels to "assist in the cultivation of Sanhai". In addition to the "three seas" (Zhonghai, Nanhai and Beihai), there is also the Summer Palace, which is a heaven on earth.There are endless stories about the Summer Palace.Leave it for later. Outside the Summer Palace.In the east and west suburbs of Beijing, there are also east and west imperial mausoleums with a depth of hundreds of miles.Around the Sino-Japanese War, Cixi was building her own mausoleum "Putuo Pagoda" in the "Eastern Tomb" - this is where Sun Dianying later robbed the tomb.Sun not only blew it up, but also dragged out the undecomposed corpse of the old lady.There are also superstitious and sexually perverted soldiers who want to "corpse rape" her body.It's unimaginable. Brother Yu and He Bingdi once visited Putuo Pagoda together, and saw that its "enjoyment hall" was very mottled.After inquiring about the old man, I found out that the beams, columns and canopy of the hall were originally painted with thousands of taels of gold.Later, the gold was "scraped" off by the soldiers of the warlords, so it appeared dilapidated. Then take the "You No. 12" train (the ticket is less than ten dollars) to Chengde, and have a look at the "Mountain Resort" and its "Eight Outer Temples".Jiangnan outside the Great Wall within the villa is irrelevant.Fifteen thousand taels of gold were used just for the gold ornaments on a certain roof in the Outer Eight Temples! ——If you don't see the residence of the emperor and empress, how can you know the extravagance of the emperor and empress.Just turning over the "old file" is nowhere near itching.As for the mausoleum of "Fengtian" and the palace in the south of the Yangtze River, there is no need to repeat it. The above-mentioned large amount of real estate (forgive me for using a market economy term to describe the emperor) belongs to the emperor alone.Please pay attention to the word "one person, two words".There are no two suns in the sky, and no two kings in the people.Only one emperor is allowed.Whoever becomes emperor, this property belongs to him alone.His father and son, uncles, brothers, and sisters have no share—Yongzheng became the emperor, and his brothers Aqina, Seth Hei and others can only be slaves, and slaves' slaves.In this large real estate, they can't even get half a tile.They don't get enough imperial property, but they are all rich and powerful, so they all become omnipotent relatives and hungry ghosts who suck blood and suck their bodies.As for the glory, authority and beauties that come with the "emperor", there is no need to talk about it.So who among the Chinese compatriots in the world does not want to "be an emperor"?In order to be the emperor, the heroes did not hesitate to kill their fathers and brothers, and they did not hesitate to use any means to achieve their goals.Those who become emperors are most afraid of other people wanting to be emperors too.Whoever wants to be an emperor is the head of the ten evils, he is a big treason, and if he is caught, he will be "crowned by an inch" and will be "executed in a hurry". [Notes] Zhe: zhe ①In ancient times, splitting the animal body to sacrifice to the gods; ②An ancient torture, splitting the limbs: ~ punishment; ③One of the Chinese character strokes, namely "捕(na)". Chairman Mao and his elders are also most interested in being emperor.He pointed to the large piece of yellow real estate and told Nixon: "I am the heir of 'them' (the emperor)."May I ask, which piece of yellow tiles in this large piece of real estate belongs to his surname Mao?He is indeed an old man with honor and authority.But if you want to get close to beautiful women, you can only engage in sneaking. The "erotic palace" with concubines and concubines is enjoying it. When you become a long live god, you still have no tiles and no cones; if you love beautiful women, you can only sneak. What kind of emperor is that? !What are you bragging about, being "their heirs"? ! Gentle readers, this is the problem of "transformation" that I have taken so much trouble to talk about.The emperor is a "stereotype" that has not changed for two thousand years in the history of our country.After the Opium War, this stereotype could no longer be maintained, and it began to "transform".But the centipede is dead but not stiff.After the Revolution of 1911, it took another half a century before "Chairman Mao" came out.Although the chairman is also the emperor!But it can only be regarded as "half emperor", as mentioned above.When Deng Shanghuang drove the "Southern Tour", Xiaoping could only be "a quarter of the emperor", although the "New York Times" continued to honor him as "emperor".In the wake of Deng Huangyan, it will be very difficult to continue to make one-eighth, one-sixteenth... I am afraid.If the successor has a historical perspective, like Chiang Ching-kuo, if he pushes the boat along the way, another new "stereotype" that can be known for a hundred generations and remain unchanged for a thousand years may appear soon.The author's optimistic speculation is limited by the political system.As for another socioeconomic and cultural stereotype, how did it emerge?How is the luck?Take it for granted.Have the opportunity to study it carefully. Now let’s get down to business, let’s push back the time a hundred years, and look at the real life of the court in the late Qing Dynasty before and after the Sino-Japanese War. As the saying goes: "A pair of ivory chopsticks go well with a poor family." Because since you have one luxury, you have to "match" it with another luxury!There will be no end to this chain of "matching".The royal family is exactly that.You already have 9,000 magnificent palaces, and you still have to have the equivalent of gold, jade, jewellery, silk and satin, delicacies from mountains and seas, maids of honor, and thousands of eunuchs of all sizes to "match" it!There is no end to this. Emperor Kangxi once said that the expenditure of his court for one year was not worth the expenditure of the palace of the Ming Dynasty for one day.What the old man said was only himself!If he climbed out of the coffin and saw the grandeur of his fifth granddaughter-in-law Yehenala, he would not be able to boast.According to Li Lianying's successor, Xiao De Zhang, the last chief eunuch of the Qing Dynasty, recalled: Empress Dowager Cixi's daily living expenses were roughly 40,000 taels of silver! What does this number mean? !Just try to fold it into a real thing.That is half a month's fee from the court, and you can buy a Yoshino-class cruiser.For the fee of two months, one super battleship can be purchased.For one year's fee, at least one naval fleet that ranks six or seven in the world can be equipped. Let's say it the other way around.In order to maintain the extravagant life of this old woman, we have to sell a cruiser every half a month for a year; Or ask: How can this old woman spend so much money, and say: She is a big old lady!If you don't believe me, let's count from the nine thousand rooms in the palace.Forty thousand taels a day is not too much!What's more, the officials who handle the affairs are still full of corruption! ——Didn't Puyi say that when he was five years old, he had to eat 810 catties of pork and 240 chickens and ducks a month (see Puyi's work).His chicken and duck are much more expensive than what we eat! According to Kang Youwei's investigation, all the expenses in the Qing palace were 30 to 70 cents.That is, out of 100% of the reimbursement, 30% is the actual expenses; 70% is the profit sharing of the handlers. This is a rule.As for whether the 30% is a real fee, it remains to be seen.For example, the Empress Dowager watched a play with princes and ministers in the Summer Palace.Fearing that there will be rain in the open air, we need to build a "pergola".The pergola cost 300,000 taels.Thirty-seven open, the actual cost of the pergola is 90,000 taels.Ninety thousand taels of silver for an arbor?God only knows. In short, corruption in the court at that time was fatal; nor could it be conjectured by common sense.For example, Zuo Zongtang made great contributions in Xinjiang and was summoned by the two palaces when he returned to Beijing.The eunuchs asked Zuo to pay 3,000 taels of joint fees when he went out to see his majesty.Zuo Zongtang, the "Peng Dehuai", will not come out.However, Li Hongzhang, the "Premier Zhou", took care of the overall situation and acted on his behalf.Later, General Zuo Zongtang played the symmetry order, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an was greatly moved, so she gave the late emperor (Xianfeng) a pair of dark crystal glasses as a reward for meritorious service.Unexpectedly, when eunuchs and father-in-laws held the decree and awarded it, they also included thousands of taels of gift money as usual.But this "General Peng" who "strived immediately" was so angry that he didn't want the "Xiandi glasses".It was us and the muddy "Premier Zhou" who paid half the price for the general to take care of the overall situation and bought it. (See "Li Hongzhang Chronicles (Daily) Spectrum") Friends, people are people after all.Human weapons have evolved from stone axes, bows and arrows to box bullets.But human "social behavior" (Social behavior) has not changed much.I read "Historical Records" and "Hanshu", and I also read modern, modern, and contemporary Chinese history.When the punctuation marks are typed, the similarities between modern and ancient prose are innumerable.Is the boy's nature so good that the past is better than the present? Zhou Enlai has been the "Prime Minister" for more than 20 years.Li Hongzhang also served as a lifelong "Prime Minister" for more than 20 years.He is also ridiculed by historians and political commentators as a tumbler who has nothing to do.But without Premier Zhou, how could Xiaoping Zhongxing and Tang Shu visit Taiwan today? !Without Prime Minister Li, during the period of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, the Qing Empire did not end well!Not Ning Zeng said it with emotion, and was once sympathetic and awarded by his old friend Professor Xu Naili (see pages 29 and 33 of the "Proceedings" cited above).Zhou Enlai, he has been the prime minister for more than 20 years, all the time, not only when he is in the deep seat.Bismarck once implied that Li Hongzhang could only fight civil wars.Hongzhang sighed to the old iron blood and said: "Working with women and children is also a last resort." (See the same as above. Only the words are slightly different, but I have also heard it from the more reliable oral history of the seniors of the Huai Army.) History Jiazang is not an "ancient minister", is he careless? ! Although the above is just a small story, but one leaf knows the autumn, and we know what the dynasty ruled by the empress dowager is like!Even in traditional China in the imperial era, it is also a "phenomenon of subjugation".Is this rotten medieval dynasty worthy to compete with the great powers in the "modern" world? ! At this point we might as well look at what our enemy is all about.As mentioned earlier, when Emperor Meiji ascended the throne, there was not a single soldier.Japan was a small agricultural country at that time, very backward, and there were not a few taels of money to raise.However, after the Restoration, facing the mainland, the whole country made every effort to deliberate, determined to seize the beautiful country of the Qing Dynasty from me.Not enough money to buy "Yoshino", Emperor Meiji donated all the jewelry she had! !This little Abasang, how can she compare with the old lady, she doesn't have many jewelry! At this point we might as well look at what our enemy is all about.As mentioned earlier, when Emperor Meiji ascended the throne, there was not a single soldier.Japan was a small agricultural country at that time, very backward, and there were not a few taels of money to raise.However, after the Restoration, facing the mainland, the whole country made every effort to deliberate, determined to seize the beautiful country of the Qing Dynasty from me.Not enough money to buy "Yoshino", Emperor Meiji donated all the jewelry she had! !This little Abasang, how can she compare with the old lady, she doesn't have many jewelry! Afterwards, our compensation was 20 million taels.This little Japanese woman has a book of thousands of dollars, is it by chance?Is it by chance?As for the admirals of His Majesty the Emperor who defeated our army, Ito Sukeyuki (Ito Sukeyuki, also read Sukenari, the above cited "Proceedings" is attributed to Ito Sukeyuki should be a clerical error, see pages 305 and 30 8) and Togo heikachiro (Togo heikachiro, 1848-1934) are both from the background of "fans" (formerly "samurai") who regarded themselves as supermen! !Our old President Jiang admired the most "do not succeed, you will become benevolent" dead man.Dongxiang is also a small Greenwich.He worked in the British sea school and navy for seven years, with Yan Fu, Liu Buchan and other classmates.There is a gap in the next paragraph, so I will make up for it. In short, compared with the enemy and ourselves, what is the future of the Sino-Japanese War? If there is a computer at that time, if you press a button, why wait for a tortoise? !Sun Tzu said: A good fighter should "subdue the enemy's army without fighting."Little do they know that those who are good at losing have already been defeated before the confrontation.Why wait for the gunshot? ! There are those who make progress, the Qing court is corrupt, and the Empress Dowager Cixi is just the tip of the iceberg.Under the Empress Dowager, there are close relatives, distant clans, and even the ruling class composed of the entire Manchus who eat food and do not serve as soldiers, and the entire bureaucratic system that is also huge, incompetent, and stupid! Look at the so-called bannermen first.When Wu Sangui led Qing soldiers into the pass in 1644, the Eight Banners of the Manchu Army plus the Han Army Banner and the Mongolian Banner, all the people were soldiers, and there were more than 300,000 men, women, old and children (so-called military dependents today).Let’s use the term of the CCP, their military supplies implement a “supply system”—the CCP’s liberation of the Eight Banners was the same before entering the city. At that time, since all "bannermen" were soldiers, all "bannermen" were "food".Later, the traitors with good intentions made plans on their behalf, and even if the bannermen were not soldiers, they still had to eat food.Therefore, I was lucky to be born as a bannerman, and I started to receive pensions and pensions when I was born.After more than two hundred years of collaring, most of the industrious and martial frontier ethnic minorities have finally been turned into "lazy people" (not lazy people) who are idle and have fun in the big cities of the capital.But where do these lazy living expenses come from?Then rely on the "House of Internal Affairs" that was originally the logistics headquarters of the Eight Banners Army. Therefore, the wallets managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Manchu Qing Dynasty were generally much more solid than those managed by the "Ministry of Households" (Ministry of Finance).On the contrary, it is the accountant and private residence of the emperor and empresses.Take care of the royal family's food, clothing, housing, transportation and entertainment.For the Manchu (and banner people) vagrants below, it is their food and clothing.Let’s take a look at the greatest writer in modern China, the author Cao Xueqin. In his later years, he was an unemployed bannerman who lived by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But the Ministry of Households has its own "national treasury revenue" from various taxes: where does the Ministry of Internal Affairs get its money from?This is a question that has not been fully answered in Qing history.But in short, before the Qing army entered the customs in 1644, it was originally the military supply department of the Eight Banners!After entering the customs, the scene became big, and the Qing Dynasty inherited the Ming system. In terms of finance, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs almost equally divided the world.Dingyin (head tax) and landyin (money and food) are all under the Ministry of Household Affairs, but sometimes the Ministry of Internal Affairs also has a share!Special taxes such as Guangdong Customs, Hushu Pass, and some taxes on salt, tea, silk and porcelain are directly assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.In addition, after the Manchus entered the customs, they directly inherited the Huangzhuang land of the Ming Dynasty, and the unlimited enclosure (enclosed land without an owner and land with an owner) was the emperor's private property.Therefore, the Qing emperor was also the number one landlord within the Qing Empire.But no matter how big the landlord's land rent was, he couldn't support an emperor, so the emperor's other biggest income was "promotion and wealth".The emperor is the biggest "official" in a country, and he also makes the biggest "wealth". Being an official in the Qing Dynasty (even if it is a clean official), there are "bad rules" that can make you rich.Corrupt officials are terrible.They look at "lack", and the more "fat" the lack, the more money they have. Being an emperor also has bad rules.No matter how good the emperor is, like Tang Taizong or Kangxi, bad rules (such as tribute from local officials) can make you rich in the world. The "stolen" emperor would be terrible.He can sell officials and nobles.Officials talk about "shortage", and the more "shortage" is, the higher the price will be.As the saying goes: "One Qing magistrate, one hundred thousand snowflakes in silver." But a "corrupt magistrate" may earn hundreds of thousands or even millions.If the emperor or the queen mother wants to buy this million-dollar "fat" "official" to someone who aspires to be a "stolen prefect", the asking price should be tens of thousands of taels! In the late Qing Dynasty, selling officials and nobles was regardless of size; it was also based on the principles of market economy, open trade and free competition.Yan Fu said that the Naval Academy could not continue, so he went to "donate" a supervising student (a scholar) to take part in the provincial examination and the examination. Those who "donate" also mean "donate money to save the country"; "donate rib military expenses" also.Yan Fu roughly "donated" a few taels of silver or hundreds of baskets of tea (called "tea donation")!The central government of our open country has been engaged in this business since the Han Dynasty, to beat that bastard Xiongnu!When the author was young, he also generously "donated money to save the country and offered a plane to celebrate his birthday", and "donated" five Yuan Datou to buy a plane to beat that bastard Japanese slave.Although I don't donate for a primary school diploma (supervising students), the donation is one.Donations can be donated to the country; donations can also be donated into private pockets. The above is the clear plate.There is also a dark disk. "Liu Liumazi (Ming Chuan) hit Taiwan" and made a great contribution.Posthumous posthumous posthumous law.The department in charge of the Ministry of Rites secretly asked the family members of the deceased that if they were willing to spend more than 10,000 yuan, the deceased hero could "wear" a "straw hat".The Liu family thought the hat was too expensive and refused to give it out, so Liu Hechuan became "Liu Zhuang Su Gong"; if he was willing to spend money, he would become "Liu Zhuang Su Gong". What is the difference between "Zhuang Su" and "Zhuang Su", if young readers don't know the secret, just ask a Chinese teacher (Taiwan) or an ancient Chinese teacher (Mainland) and they will understand. In the era of imperial autocracy, the so-called "posthumous posthumous law" was a kind of "medal" reissued to dead heroes.Even the medals of a dead person have to be sold for money according to their ranks, and Mencius said that "the upper and lower levels will levy profits and the country will be in danger", which has reached the highest limit. In short, the development of the Qing Dynasty so far is truly "exhausted".Its state machinery has completely rusted into a pile of scrap iron, and the ones still manipulating the scrap iron pile are the Aixinjueluo royal family, who are related to the group of Manchus. It should be noted that when the Manchus entered the customs, they were the Han people. There was an unwritten rule that high officials in the country were generously paid, and the Manchus and Hans were divided into half.But the ratio of the Han-Manchu population is at least 20 million to 300,000!Considering the size of China and the abundance of high-ranking officials and lucrative positions, the Manchu population of only 300,000 accounted for half of them.Therefore, if we regard this privileged Manchu, the entire "clan", as a one-party dictatorship ruling party, then every "Manchu", as well as the Han people who belong to them, "coated and lowly" and some Mongolian so-called " People under the flag, no matter they are virtuous or foolish, are all privileged "Party members".It's just that their qualifications as "party members" and "joining the party as officials" are innate.There is no need to engage in "performance", let alone go through the back door. [Notes] 渻 (ji) 縻 (mi): 统, horse head; 縻, cattle 纼.Yu contact, maintain. But now, the ruling party of the Qing Empire has been in power for more than two hundred years, and now it is completely rotten! !At the critical moment when the country urgently needs modernization, especially "national defense modernization", they have become the biggest reactionary force.The main base of this reactionary force is the "biggest vacancy", the "Navy Yamen" occupied by Prince Chun. But having said that, to engage in Tongzhi ZTE and self-improvement movements, those famous officials in the late Qing Dynasty with orthodox backgrounds, Zeng, Zuo, Li, Hu (Lin Yi), Shen, Zhang (Zhidong), Wen ( Xiang), Chen (Baochen), Liu (Kunyi) and others are all great talents.To be honest, how many high-ranking party officials in the Kuomintang and the Communist Party we saw firsthand can be compared with the "Wen" generation among this large group of Imperial Scholars. ——Written generation refers to the high-ranking cadres who embedded the word "wen" in their posthumous posthumous law, such as Lin "Wen" Zhong, Zeng "Wen" Zheng, Zuo "Wen" Xiang, Zhang "Wen" Xiang, Li "Wen" Zhong etc. It should be noted that these characters of the literary generation are all within the scope of our Chinese civilization, the excellent civil service system, the essence of the top talents trained in that "stereotype".Their misfortunes and failures are arranged by God; they are the result of the changing times - their "stereotype" is a type to be "retired".In addition, "the emperor is the guide for the ministers", and Wang Gang solves the problem. Even though they have great abilities and the highest public and private virtues: but the situation is stronger than people, and all efforts are in vain. As for the top cadres of our country and the Communist Party (including Lao Mao and Lao Jiang himself)? !Most of them are transitional bureaucrats in one or two stages of the "Three Gorges of History", and they do not belong to any "stereotype"; there is no such thing as a "stereotype".Some of them are still full of Confucius and Mencius.But their Confucius and Mencius also lack a "stereotype".It does not belong to the type of the above-mentioned writing generation; nor does it belong to the "Post-Western" type of Tu Weiming, but belongs to the undetermined "transitional pattern".Some of them are full of democracy, which may include all the pro-democracy activists overseas today.In fact, they just yearn for democracy.向往于英美传统（Anglo-American tradition）的民主。属于自己的民主型态还未出现呢！此外，还有仍在高喊社会主义的高官。他们的祖师爷列宁、毛泽东坚持了数十年，最后还不是给徒子徒孙“开放”了。现在哪能轮到他们再反水，来做孤臣孽子呢？这些当然都只是些略有瓜葛的题外之言，将来历史自有客观定论，无待饶舌。 现在还是谈谈老太后和她的“颐和园”。 据说同治初年两宫垂帘之时，二十来岁的青年寡妇，可能由于禁城之内深宫太闷，她们曾往劫后的圆明园废墟凭吊一番。西后睹物伤情，曾对之垂泪，并有意加以修复。事为恭王所阻。盖内战方殷，外患末已，哪有闲钱来重建花园呢！ 迨同治崩殂（一八七四），慈安亦逝（一八八一），恭王见黜（一八八四），五十岁的西太后大权独揽，在新任海军大臣醇亲王奕譞以次的王公大臣，一片阿谀声中，她就坤纲独断，决定重修名园为郊外游憩之所了。 西后原意是重建圆明园。但是圆明园为洋兵烧成荒坍一片。从头建起，盖需款三万万两，才可恢复原貌。既然一切需从头建起，那又何必拘迷于圆明园故址呢？西后经臣工聚议，转而注意于，虽为洋兵烧毁，然尚有若干孑遗的“清漪园”了。反正都是从头来起，清漪园的条件且较圆明园为佳。西后乃决定将清漪园改名颐和园，就加工扩大改建了。改建的初期预算是白银一万万两！ 这个预算令人感叹的则是，它可用以增建十支“北洋舰队”而有余。但是“北洋”对一位无知而泼辣的老寡妇，未免太遥远了。建个园子解解孀居禁宫之闷，那才是当务之急呢！ 颐和园工程是一八八四年正式开始的。这时光绪帝载湉已十三岁。西后的打算显然是，五年之后园工可完成，而光绪十八岁亲政，她就可以第二次（第一次在一八七三年同治亲政之时）结束垂帘。把日常朝政交儿子去管，她自己就可以长期住园，对军国大事遥控之外，平时就颐养安和了。换言之，建这个园子的目的，是为她“离休”（再用个大陆上的名词）后的生活打算的。西后生性奢靡。她原是那豪华的圆明园内一位得宠的姨太太。现在做了太后，身为大清女主，与大英帝国的女王维多利亚（Queen Victoria）东西遥相呼应。生活自不能较当年的懿贵妃为差，所以她要倾全国之力，来为她造颐和之园！ 慈禧本是个精明强干的王熙凤。在十九世纪的六〇年代垂帘之初，她就卖官鬻爵，累积私房钱。俗语说：“富不了光棍，穷不了寡妇。”这寡妇当然只是指“富孀”而言。叶赫那拉氏当时是全中国的第一富孀。经过二十多年（一八六一～一八八四），或明或暗地没命的搞钱，据说在光绪初年她已积有私房钱两万万两！ !这是当时在华的高层洋人的估计。须知此时洋人（如赫德、如李提摩太、如丁韪良等等“中国通”）的消息，往往比局外中国人更为灵通。因为洋人的交际圈可直达恭王、文祥、翁同和那一阶层。一班中国文士，尚攀不到那么高也。加以白话文尚未出炉，中国社会中尚无大众媒体这个东西，而洋人在华已早有之。 （参见Archie Bell “I'll take those 50 million dollars” in Ladies Home Journal Feb.1919.P15,28 and Carroll Brown Malone History of the Peking Summer Palace under the Ch'ing Dynasty. University of Illinois Press, 1934. The last chapter.） 读者或许要问：西后垂帘二十来年，哪能贪到那么多钱？可是我们只要看看有高跟鞋三千双的菲律宾寡妇伊美黛，大致就不会惊奇了。伊婆的私房钱大概十倍于慈禧吧！而菲律宝怎能与大清帝国相比呢？ !况伊婆并未当政。 按理西后本可自建其园，但是愈有钱的寡妇，愈不肯花自己的钱。何况醇亲王新得肥缺，正在力图报效呢！从醇邸来说，趁报效的机会，也正可自捞一笔嘛！就这样，醇王就开始挪用海军经费为太后造园了。这时为国宣劳、日理万机的老太后，也一天天的老起来。一八八四甲申是太后半百万寿；再过十年一八九四甲午便是太后的花甲（六十）万寿了。花甲是那时富贵人家，尤其是皇室最大的庆典。如何庆祝花甲，康熙爷、乾隆爷史有先例。老太后要循例照办。拍马屁的王公大臣，就更要锦上添花了。 为着“万寿”为着“造园”，奕譞挪用了多少海军经费，言人人殊；谁也不知其详。大致至少是一千万，多至三千万也不算意外。至于利用“海军”这个“衙门”和“海军”这个名义，去另外揾钱，那就没法估计了。 【附注】 揾（wu）钱：挣钱，赚钱（方言）。 一般说来，百官为效忠太后，“捐俸”四分之一，是当时醇府对下面的倡导。至于用海军的名义，来“建军祝寿”（和我们的“献机祝寿”一样），挖“昆明湖”，来“办海军学堂”，捐了多少钱，那就天也不知道了。 笔者幼年成长于老淮军和新（皖系）军阀的“眷村”之中（王揖唐原先便是我家的塾师，由先祖资助他三考及第，留学日本，返国后享有洋土两重“进士”身分，终于坐上皖系二号交椅而最后沦为大汉奸的），当年对“昆明湖海军学堂”这项掌故是耳熟能详的。我一直把它当成真实的故事，直至在沙坪坝课堂中，听了郭廷以老师的中国近代史，才知道是一大骗局，愤恨无已。 我家当年想必都捐过很大的款子去“建军救国”的。老祖宗们可能也都不知底蕴。因为当醇王发动这项骗局，连李鸿章也不敢拆穿。至于醇王为着这个昆明湖中的海军，强募恶化，究竟揾了多少钱，那就只有上帝知道了。今日尚有若干可以考据出来的，单是李鸿章和曾国荃往来的零星书信中可查出的便有：来自江苏、江宁、两淮的捐献七十万两；江西十万两；直隶、四川各二十万两；两广（时两广总督为鸿章之兄李瀚章）一百万两；招商局十万两等，即在二百万两以上。 ……至于直接献给海军衙门，和其它管道的全国性捐款究有多少？从一千万两到三千万两，总归都不算太离谱吧？ ! 就在这造园、祝寿，并大办其“昆明湖海军学堂”之时，中日关系，密锣紧鼓，以侵华为第一目标的日本帝国主义，正在疯狂地扩军备战。在甲午前夕，日本海军已拥有新式舰艇二十一艘。其中九艘是一八八九年以后始完工下水的英德制最新型快速巡洋舰，装配有十吋左右速射炮数十尊。前节所述那条世界最快的巡洋舰（时速二十三浬）吉野号便是一个有决定性的生力军。当时世界军备竞争激烈，日本海军之迅速发展，足令欧美震惊！它从世界的末位海军迅速窜升至第十一位；黄海炮响时，它的战斗力已早越我军之上矣。 在这一国际军备发展之下，我当时的反应又如何呢，第一敏感的当然是身当其冲的海军将领了。丁汝昌不是如后来人想象的颟顸官僚。他是一位立志以身许国的战将和“死士”。他虽是旧式水师出身（和日本的伊东佑亨一样），但是在重洋之上，十六年不断的磨练，使他对国际形势和新的海军战略，也了如指掌（丁汝昌曾数度去欧洲和日本、南洋等地访问考察）。何况他手下的各舰管带和大副等人，都是经过严格训练，而精通外语的第一流世界级的海军将领。外加数不清的“洋员”，随舰服务。 他们眼看假想敌的日本海军，咄咄逼人，一天天地超过自己；诸将生非木石，首当其冲，怎能不忧心如焚，他们都是职业军人，知道在大洋之上作战，以时速十五浬的慢船，对抗时速二十三浬的快艇，那自己只有挨打的份儿。打败了，无法逃避。纵使打胜了，也无法追击。克敌制胜，贵在知己知彼，李鸿章在其奏折上，也一再转述之。 他们更知道，在海上炮战中，五分钟打一炮和一分钟打五炮的区别。敌人以快艇快炮，飘忽而来。In an instant.敌弹如疾风暴雨，临空而下。再一转瞬，敌舰又已逃得无影无踪。你以十五浬的时速；五分钟一炮的慢劲，真是既无招架之功，更无还手之力。乌龟对鲨鱼，如何克敌制胜？ ! 不幸的是他们所具有的拔尖的“四化”专业，在那个颟顸无知、贪污腐化的官僚垃圾堆里完全被孤立了——在下者是急烂肝肠；居上者却无动于衷。 丁汝昌和他的将领们，无专折奏事之权。他们只有向李鸿章呼吁、陈情，请求“转奏”。但是李鸿章这位慈禧太后的“周恩来”，和毛主席的周恩来，并无两样。李鸿章对国际局势的认识，难道还不如丁汝昌、刘步蟾？ !可是他也知道，他上面那个无知而专横跋扈的老泼女和周恩来上面的那个无知而专横跋扈的老泼男，也并无两样。面对这种昏后暴君，他们知道“仵旨”、“强谏”不但无济于事，后果有时且不堪设想。但是“和稀泥”和久了，以时间换空间，事情有时或可有转变的机会。所以他们就和稀泥了！ 李周二宰相，都是久历宦途的太极拳师。他二人一前一后，岂好和稀泥哉？形势比人强，亦有所不得已也。何况暴君之外，各自的朝廷也各有个“四人帮”（西太后的四人帮，笔者曾另有专文详述之）。加以派系倾轧，幸灾乐祸，所以李鸿章对自己部下的要求，有时连转奏也不敢转奏一下。因此，大清帝国的海军在创办之时，虽然曾火热一阵子，把“四化”（科技）推到巅峰，跻身八强之列；由于“五化”（政治）不能配合，科技发展也必然走入死巷子。光绪十四年（一八八八）以后，正当日本海军全力向前推进之时，中国海军竟然“未购一舰”！ Not hereby.就在中日双方都已箭在弦上，户部却取得海军衙门的同意，于一八九二年正式宣布以太后万寿需款，海军停购舰艇二年！这正是甲午的前夕啊！ 快舰买不成了，至少快炮也该多买几尊吗？朝鲜局势吃紧，李鸿章循部下之请，要海军衙门拨款六十万，购快炮二十尊，以替代各主要舰艇上之慢炮，而户海两处，竟一毛不拔。李氏不得已，乃自海军日常粮饷给养之中，挤出二十万两，聊购次等快炮十二尊，以平舰上官兵之积愤。 这种腐烂的政治，拖垮了新兴的海军，在前线剑拔弩张的将士，焉有不知之理？知道了，内心又作何反应呢？ 朋友，我们读史者和着史者，不妨设身处地想想嘛：假如你我也是当时海军将士的一员，我们作何感想呢？据中西记载，丁提督那时忧心忡忡。他已作好心理准备，死而后已。 刘步蟾、林泰曾、邓世昌……诸将领又何如呢？——他们三位后来都是自杀殉团的。据当时随舰的“洋员”事后的回忆，甲午战前，各舰之上的青年水兵（包括黎元洪吧），士气极高，个个摩拳擦掌，准备厮杀；可是舰上的高级将领则个个面有忧色。这一现象因而使那些旁观的洋员认为，中国下级士兵水手战士，可爱可敬；而他们的上级将领，则个个畏葸无能，胆小该杀（详见下节）。 【附注】 葸（xi），害怕，畏惧。 根据这些洋员目击者唯一的记载（中文记载极少，几乎没有），我国后来的历史家和新闻作家，几乎众口一辞把丁汝昌、刘步蟾以下的殉国将领，鄙夷得一无是处。岂真如是哉？ !这儿倒想以历史事实，与本文读者，平心再思之。 北洋舰队里的下级军官和战士水兵炮手们，士气之高是可以理解的。海军那时是我国唯一的一支现代化武装。亲身参预此一新式武装的青年战士，无不感到光荣和自豪。其情况正和我国抗战前，以及抗战初期的空军一样，有志青年真趋之若鹜。笔者自己在青年期，对空军即非常向往。曾有三试三北的悲壮经验。当时眼见青年伙伴，通过体检，献身空军。我对他们的向慕之情，至今难忘——这些伙伴多半都是一去不返。把他们那无限美好的青年生命，献给了祖国！ 我国空军当年士气之高，作战之勇，牺牲之大，史有明文，也有目共睹，无待多赘——大清帝国当年海军，正是如此。 下级战士，披坚执锐，豪情万丈，他们是知己不知彼的。 高级将领便不然了。他们是知彼知己。眼看敌人的军备，早已超越我们；而我们朝廷之中的贪官污吏，舍黄海不要，还要在颐和园内雕其“石舫”，办其“海军”。眼看日人咄咄进逼，大战迫在眉睫，而我军炮慢船缓，既乏招架之功，更无还手之力，如何得了？日夕念及，能不五内同摧？ ! 朋友，你我如处此逆境，如何奋发，而况当年无知的言官御史，他们既不敢批评太后，亦不敢詈骂醇王。终日只抱着个他们并不了解的海军将领丁汝昌、刘步蟾，作辱骂和讥笑的对象，揆诸情理，岂可谓平？（上引《论文集》中，庄吉发先生的宏文<甲午中日战争期间翰詹科道的反应>页一六七～一九四，便颇值一读。也颇能发人深思。） 再者，那时刚练习“亲政”，新官上任三把火的小皇帝，对宫墙之外的世界，原不太了解，但是在翁同和一批近臣的影响之下，也成为主战派的核心力量。皇上有所不知，当时大清帝国的基本问题，都扎根于宫墙之内。宫墙之内的问题下解决，则宫墙之外的任何维新变法，都是肤浅的、治标的。万岁爷尚在童稚之年，见不及此。他挥身其间，便慢慢地形成一个以翁同和为中心的“帝党”。而帝党的主要政敌，便是那以李鸿章为首的“后党”。帝后之间倾轧起来，倒霉的便是国家和人民了。当时一些文士所做的比较高雅的“顺口溜”（和今天一样），说什么“宰相合肥天下瘦，司农常熟世间荒”，就指的是这个帝后与翁李之争。李鸿章自知其陆海军的无能，不敢轻言对日作战。朝鲜问题发生了，他一意拜求帝国主义的俄英两国出面调解。后党的李鸿章愈是畏葸主和；帝党的翁同和便愈是坚强主战。在这一情况之下，老太后也相信大清海军既是世界八强之一，打不过红毛番，至少打得过东洋鬼。所以她老人家倒没有李宰相那样儒怯。东洋人要打就打嘛，女老板要打，男伙计怎能抗命，王家俭、王尔敏两教授对老李都颇有正论。 在帝党方面，那个小学还未结业的小皇帝，其主战却不在师傅（翁翰林）之下——翁是他的老师。他对老官僚李鸿章的畏首畏尾。则大不以为然。老师的话就益发有力了。 再者翁李之争，还多一层个人恩怨。 原来在太平天国之乱时，淮军奉命增援苏杭。这批只想“顶子红”不怕“颈子红”的陈胜、吴广，一旦打入“天堂”，猪八戒游上海，乱来一泡，是可以想象的。那时受祸最深的当然便是苏常一带的地主豪绅了。 但是这批地主豪绅，原都在长毛久治下自保身家的。长毛又岂是省油灯？——这也是咱们中国人的特性吧！对统治者自会拍马溜须。因此这些地主豪绅，对长毛也是歌功颂德的。这种“德政碑”纵迟至今日，仍有耸立街头者。碑上题名自然都是各地的头面人物，工农不与焉。可是一旦长毛革命政权崩溃，这些碑上留名的头面人物，就有“通匪”和“匪谍”之嫌了。由于“通匪”或“匪谍”案子而被警总抄了家，你又能到哪里去“按铃控告”呢？倒了长毛，发了淮勇（湘勇），倒霉当然都是老百姓，尤其是那些“父子宰相、叔侄状元”的阀阅之家和他们的宗亲至戚了。但是哑子吃黄连，有苦难诉。这样反应到朝廷里去，就变成翁李不和的私人情结了！翁师傅对李宰相是唯恐天下不乱的。 所以近百年来，日寇之谋我，可说是无所不用其极。但是在我们抗日阵营里，便不那么单纯了。对最上层的领袖们来说，“抗日”往往变成个政治皮球，让他们踢来踢去。 今日青壮年读者们哪知其详？然吾辈老头过来人，回首当年，固知除我辈当时青少年的学生和军人，喊口号出诸肺腑之外，有几个官僚政客党官和失意文人（除掉“少不更事”后来坐了五十年大牢的张少帅」，有几个喊抗日口号，不是为着“倒蒋”（或捣蒋）？——出难题让老蒋过下去昵！“不可战而战，以亡其国……”（陈布雷有名的八股巨著）；先亡老蒋，让大家都出口气再说。 这在清末，就要由老李来背其黑锅了——打败仗，反正是老李一个人的责任！ 何以造成了这种局面？除掉民族劣根性之外，便是转型期的末世社会，没个规矩绳墨之可言。再说下去，那便是老李老蒋也不是好东西。他们纵横捭阖、抓权揽位；享荣华、受富贵；扶植死党、包办朝政……得罪了“天下英雄”！ 在这方面，那位和稀泥的周宰相，就比李蒋二人的人缘好得太多了。周氏之死，曾引得天下英雄、英雌，一掬同情之泪。冰心女士誉周为“二十世纪第一完人”，固嫌过分；我的一些朋友们，骂周有“妾妇之行”，也是太偏了点。周公逝世时，笔者亦曾有诗悼之曰：“岂忧邦国成孤愤？究为黔黎辱此身！”受胯下之辱，作妾妇之行，为的是保护千百位无辜人士的身家性命，为的是仰首哀嚎、嗷嗷待救的亿万生灵，则我不入地狱，谁入地狱？以血肉之躯，舍身而饲虎，固亦大丈夫之行也。子曰：“大德无亏，小节出入可也。”则史家臧否时贤，不能只搞小我的“孤评”。我们对那“自有是非”的社会“公论”（public opinion），也应该在考虑之列。 *一九九四年八月二十七日脱稿于台北南港 原载于台北《传记文学》第六十五卷第三期