Chapter 13 Section 6 Contracting Imperial Projects

Speaking of the British Minister Zhu Erdian, he and Yuan Shikai are life and death friends.In the early years, Yuan Shikai was besieged by Japanese soldiers in North Korea. The reason why he was able to escape smoothly was because of Zhu Erdian's help. Therefore, Zhu Erdian was very influential in Yuan Shikai's presidential palace.Hearing that he was coming, Lao Yuan rushed to greet him. Zhu Erdian sat down and said, "Old Yuan, let me mention someone to you, Tang Shaoyi, do you still have any memory?" Yuan Shikai: Look at what you said, how can I not remember Xiao Tang?In the early years in North Korea, he was my life and death comrade in arms. The two of us held two guns and fought against tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers. We had a good life in one word: exciting!Later, Xiao Tang served as our northern negotiator, negotiating with southern representatives, and in the end, he even got himself the first prime minister of the Republic of China.But it didn't take long before he quit and fled back to his hometown to become the county magistrate.Old Zhu, why did you suddenly mention him?

Zhu Erdian burst into tears suddenly: Old Yuan, your China is all ruined by Xiao Tang, a careless child, everything is ruined! Yuan Shikai: You wait until you cry old Zhu, where did you start talking about it?No matter what Xiao Tang does, he has worked hard for the Republic of China. How can he say that China has been destroyed in his hands? Zhu Erdian said: Old Yuan, let me ask you, what kind of political system has your China practiced for thousands of years? Yuan Shikai replied: The imperial power is autocratic! Zhu Erdian said: Let me ask you again, old Yuan, why are so many countries in the world embarking on the road of scientific democracy, but you China is the only one that clings to imperial autocracy and refuses to let go?

Yuan Shikai replied: This, this, Lao Zhu, why do you think so? why?Because you Chinese people have strong thinking about imperial power!Zhu Erdian jumped up against the table and said loudly: What is imperial power thinking?The thinking of imperial power is not to want to be the emperor. No matter how stupid the Chinese are, they also know that there is only one emperor, and the rest are all grassroots under the emperor's rule.Therefore, there are not too many people who have the intention of being an emperor.But not wanting to be an emperor does not mean that he does not have imperial thinking. On the contrary, many people who have never thought about being emperor have been used to thinking with imperial thinking throughout their lives.So what exactly is imperial thinking?To put it bluntly, the thinking of imperial power is to be infinitely demanding on others and infinitely tolerant of oneself.Do you think the emperor is like this?With unlimited power, but no responsibilities?And the emergence of the emperor is precisely because of the people's thinking characteristics of being infinitely demanding on others and infinitely tolerant of themselves.Lao Yuan, do you think this is the truth?

Yuan Shikai: Old Zhu, what do you mean by all this? What do you mean?Zhu Erdian became angry: Don't you understand what it means?What I mean is too simple, that is, in a country where the thinking of imperial power is overflowing, it is not suitable for a democratic republic.You want to be democratic with him, but he doesn't want to be democratic with you; you want to be republican with him, but he doesn't want to be republican with you.What do you mean by your democratic law?What kind of republic law? Yuan Shikai: Old Zhu, you have never said this before. Zhu Erdian: No wonder I didn't say that!Since the Revolution of 1911, you Chinese have been obsessed with democracy and the republic, and using this as a slogan, you overthrew the kind-hearted Qing government.They provoked you and provoked you, and you overthrow them?Okay, okay, you say that the overthrow of the Qing government is for democracy and for the republic.But let me ask you, Lao Yuan, do you know what democracy is?Do you know how much a catty is for the Republic?please!You Chinese were just using "democratic republic" as a slogan at that time. The purpose was nothing more than to vent your depression under the suppression of imperial power, and you did not seriously think rationally.Did I say this wrong?

Yuan Shikai: Hey, I said Lao Zhu, why didn't you talk about this when the North and the South were negotiating? Zhu Erdian: Pooh!At that time, I said it no less than eight hundred times.Every day when I see Xiao Tang Tang Shaoyi, I have to tell him: Xiao Tang, you have to listen to me, you are right to listen to me.We Brits are the most aboveboard, we value the rules of the social game, and we don't play tricks.If I tell you that China is not suitable for a democratic republic, then it is definitely not suitable.So what is China suitable for?A constitutional monarchy of course!If an emperor is placed on the dragon chair, you Chinese people will be happy, satisfied, and happy; without an emperor, the Chinese will be in pain and cause trouble for nothing, and this is not pleasing to the eye. It's not comfortable to watch that, if he insists on making a mess, he won't be finished if he doesn't make a fuss!

Yuan Shikai: Old Zhu, did you really tell Xiao Tang?Then why is he still... Zhu Erdian: Yes, I said it over and over again, and I said it and said it, and at the end, guess what?In the end, Xiao Tang went to negotiate with others on behalf of you in the north.I thought he would definitely insist on a constitutional monarchy, but I didn't expect that when he went out, his head would get hot, and he would stop thinking immediately.When I met Wu Tingfang, the southern representative, he immediately said that a democratic republic is the unanimous wish of our northern people.Wu Tingfang cried when she heard it, and said, is there a mistake?We are the southern militia army, the revolutionary army, and we haven't talked about a democratic republic yet, but your representative from the north started to shout.What else do you want us to say in the south?There is nothing more to say.

Yuan Shikai was silent when he heard this.Zhu Erdian stood up and chanted loudly: The European war has won and lost points for many years, and family education has changed its policy. Sure enough, I know current affairs today, and I don't like English but German. After reading the poem, Zhu Erdian turned around abruptly: Yuan Shikai, this is you Chinese literati. The poem I wrote recently said that after your eldest son Yuan Keding came back from Germany, your whole family changed to German clothes, spoke German, and grew German beards. Also eat German food.Thanks to you guys who can swallow it, German food is the most tasteless.And I also heard that the Germans intend to contract your Chinese imperial project.Now, as an old friend for many years, I would like to give you a solemn warning: Your Chinese imperial project must never be contracted to Germany, but must be contracted to us, Britain.Our imperial projects in the UK are the most concerned about quality, three guarantees for quality, and after-sales service. If you don’t believe me, just look at it.

After hearing Zhu Erdian's words, Yuan Shikai burst into tears. He said: Your grandma, this imperial system has not yet been established, and the contractors have already quarreled. Does this make people calm down?