Chapter 68 Section 1 The Cry of the Opposition

In July 1915, Yuan Shikai called soldiers from various provinces, including General Jin Yunpeng of Shandong, General Li Chun of Jiangxi, General Yan Xishan of Shanxi, General Zhang Xiluan of Fengtian, General Duan Zhigui of Hubei, Zhang Zuolin of Northeast China, Wang Zhanyuan of Liangjiang, etc. What's the deal? Except for Zhang Xiluan, the rest of them all answered the same way, saying: The Republic has not achieved results. I hope that the president will be more responsible and make decisions arbitrarily, so as to comfort the common people's hope of rain. Only Zhang Xiluan said: President, isn't it good for you to be the president? Why listen to others and insist on being an emperor?Let me tell you, don't blame me for not advising you, you can't be the emperor, and you will regret it after you become the emperor.

Yuan Shikai suspected that Zhang Xiluan could not hold back the situation in the Northeast, so he transferred him to Hubei. Before leaving, the chief of military supplies remitted Zhang Xiluan's balance of more than 700,000 yuan in military pay over the years to Zhang Xiluan.Zhang Xiluan said: What do you mean?My ex didn't take this money very much, but I'm just a money fan?Eyes open when you see money, don't you?Come on, I don't want this money. In short, this is another Duan Qirui-style character, but unfortunately, his weight and influence are not enough. Those who clearly opposed the imperial system, in addition to this Zhang Xiluan, and Zhang Jian, the former champion of the Qing Dynasty.Zhang Jian persuaded Yuan Shikai: "Kaizi, I didn't say you. In the early years, you joined the army with a pen. When Wu Changqing went to North Korea with Wu Changqing, Wu Changqing asked you to study with me under the tent. You read and read, but you just didn't come up with something famous." , I knew then that your brain is really not enough.It’s not that I told you that if you don’t want to be China’s Washington, you must be China’s Napoleon. Is Napoleon so easy to do?Think about it for yourself, does what I say make sense?

Yuan Shikai shook his head: Lao Zhang, don’t get me wrong, I really don’t want to be emperor, but, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart, I think from the bottom of my heart, a constitutional monarchy is more suitable for China.But I definitely won't do this emperor, so who should do it?I'm thinking about finding a descendant of Zhu Yuanzhang from the former Ming Dynasty to preside over this country, such as Zhu Rui, the governor of Zhejiang Province. I guess the common people will not be disgusted, right? Zhang Jian laughed loudly: Kaizi, I said you are not smart enough, but you are still not convinced. If Zhu Rui can be the emperor, then Zhu Suyun who sang Xiaosheng, Zhu Youfen who sang Tsing Yi, and Zhu Guifang who sang Huadan are all qualified to be emperors.

The conversation between Zhang Jian and Yuan Shikai was quickly spread, so there is a poem saying: Counting Zhu Miao to your body, the words are fresh all over the capital. Needless to say, Huaxu's dream, Zhangshui Xiaoxiao's sorrow is terrifying. After Zhang Jian, Li Jingxi, the son of Li Hongzhang's younger brother (Li Jingxi was the governor of Yunnan before that), came to persuade Yuan Shikai not to proclaim himself emperor.Cai E once handed over the student post to Li Jingxi. After handing over the post, Cai E turned his face, lifted Li Jingxi in a sedan chair, and sent him out of the country.This time the master and apprentice met again in the capital. I don't know what attitude Cai E will have. Should he call out teacher affectionately, or use a sedan chair to carry Li Jingxi away and throw it away?But Li Jingxi didn't care about whether to throw it away. He came to Yuan Shikai to persuade Yuan Shikai not to engage in an imperial system.

Li Jingxi said: "Kaizi, don't be angry if I say something, how do you compare with my ancestor Li Hongzhang?"To put it bluntly, Li Hongzhang is more than a hundred times stronger than you.But why didn't my ancestors become emperor?That's because the emperor's thing is too damn difficult to do.You are not as capable as my ancestor Li Hongzhang, and your opportunities are not as good as his, but you want to be emperor, do you think you are a little too careless? Yuan Shikai was so angry that his face turned black and purple, and said: It doesn't count if you say it, and it doesn't count if I say it. The people of the whole country count.

Those who opposed Yuan Shikai's proclaiming emperor were also Yuan Shikai's younger brother Yuan Shitong.This Yuan Shitong was a well-known literati, since he was born, he could tell at a glance that his elder brother Yuan Shikai was wrong, knowing that sooner or later his elder brother would be a traitor.Yuan Shitong has never changed this concept since he was a child, but now, he finds that his prediction is becoming more and more reality. But as before, Yuan Shitong found that he was still powerless to stop his brother's misconduct, so he had to return to his hometown sadly. When Yuan Shikai became emperor, he immediately published a newspaper to sever kinship with his brother Yuan Shikai, making Yuan Shikai not a human being inside and outside.

Speaking of those who opposed Yuan Shikai's proclaiming emperor, there are only two people who are really influential, Duan Qirui is the martial one, and Yan Xiu is the literary one. Yan Xiu is really a rare genius. In the late Qing Dynasty, he bought "Algebra", "Mathematics", "Introduction to Gezhi", "Astronomical Enlightenment" and "Earth and Earth Records" Strange book, devoted to the study of modern science.After the Reform Movement of 1898 failed, the imperial court set up a special economics department. Liang Shiyi took the first place in the examination, and Yang Du took the second place in the examination. This special economics department was set up by the self-taught Yan Xiu and the examination questions.Apart from him, there is no other person in China who can do this.

In addition, Yan Xiu can also be said to be kind to Yuan Shikai.When the Empress Dowager Cixi died in the late Qing Dynasty, the regent Zaifeng wanted to liquidate Yuan Shikai. The civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty followed suit and suggested that Yuan Shikai should be executed.Yuan Shikai would never forget this kindness even if he was beaten to death. Yan Xiu, and only Yan Xiu, was able to withstand Yuan Shikai's fierce attack from the imperialist faction and save Yuan Shikai from self-destruction. In fact, Yan Xiu really did it.