A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Shanghai Concession.

The leaders of the Black Dragon Society, Touyama Mitsuru and Aoki Nobuzumi, entered a Japanese guild hall in Hongkou. The two had just come from Japan and plotted the next strategy against China.

The Japanese Black Dragon Society has always been a semi-official and underworld organization in Japan. Its mission is to carry out activities against China and other Far Eastern countries with the support of the Japanese government. The Black Dragon Society's attitude towards China can influence and influence Japan's policy towards China.

Toyama Mitsuru raised a glass of sake: "Lieutenant General Aoki, we have to work together in China again."

After the Russo-Japanese War, the first-generation spy chief Nobujun Aoki entered the Japanese General Staff Headquarters and became a lieutenant general due to his merit. However, now that the situation in China is unclear, Japan re-sent this "China Hand" to Shanghai.

Nobuzumi Aoki also raised his glass: "Mr. Touyama, please."

Toushan drank the whole drink in one gulp, and then said: "Prime Minister Okuma was very dissatisfied with the signed treaty. Yuan Shikai did not abide by the rules and actually made the conspiracy public early, making it known to everyone, making us lose face in front of Europe and the United States. And Yuan Shikai wanted to implement a monarchy , Prime Minister Okuma is also very worried, because compared to a republic, this authoritarian approach will make us less sure of controlling him."

Nobujun Aoki said: "So Prime Minister Okuma is ready to continue to put pressure on Yuan Shikai in diplomacy. Since he wants to restore the monarchy, we will simply play hard to get. In the future, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister will appear together and ostensibly approve of Yuan Shikai's proclaiming emperor; but among the people, On the other hand, organizations such as Mr. Toushan’s Black Dragon Society support and fund anti-Yuan activities in the name of private individuals.”

Japan is really bad. It has made it clear that it wants to control the Republic of China. It bets on both ends and wins no matter what.

Tou Shanman nodded and said: "I strongly agree with this strategy. If Yuan Shikai becomes emperor, it will be the best time to overthrow him. This man has not been very friendly with our Empire of Japan since he ran North Korea twenty years ago. I We know from the tip that when he met the British Minister Jules Dian, he scolded us. Jules Dian told him to tolerate it for at least ten more years and then compete with us."

Aoki Xuanchun said warily: "Minister Zhu Erdian wants him to learn from King Goujian of Yue. It is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years?"

"Maybe that's the case," Tou Shanman took out a book, "This "Opinion Paper on Solving the China Problem" was written with great concentration. According to intelligence analysis, it is known that once Yuan Shikai becomes emperor, the opposition forces will be strong and will be A God-given opportunity to overthrow Yuan Shikai.”

"But war is the most difficult to control." Nobuzumi Aoki reminded that he was a soldier after all.

Tou Shanman explained: "Once Yuan Shikai became emperor, civil strife really broke out without external help to suppress it. I believe Yuan Shikai would never be able to settle it with his own power.

"We secretly encouraged the revolutionaries, socialist parties and other frustrated elements to cause turmoil across the country. The whole of China will fall into chaos, and the Yuan government will collapse as a result.

“At that time, we will select the most powerful and famous person among the 400 million Chinese people and help him organize a new regime and unify the country.

"At the same time, our military must help restore peace and order and protect people's lives and property. In this way, the Chinese people will be happy to obey the new regime, and the new regime will naturally trust and rely on Japan."

Nobuzumi Aoki repeatedly said: "It is indeed a big and far-sighted move. Even if there are capable people in China who see it, there is nothing they can do about it."

Tou Shanman said proudly: "This is called inviting you to enter the urn!"

Nobuzumi Aoki said: "Eliminating a president and cultivating a pro-Japanese president will help Manchuria and Shandong affairs advance faster, which will be of great benefit to us. I can't wait to see that day."

"It won't take long!" Tou Shan said confidently, "Yuan Shikai has always been a thoughtful person, but this time he has exposed such a big flaw. As long as he weaves a good trap, he will definitely fall into the trap."

Aoki Xuanzhun said: "My status prevents me from going to Beijing again, and I will stay in Shanghai from now on. Please trouble Mr. Toushan to go to Beijing."

Tou Shanman accepted his division of labor arrangement, and then said: "I can't contact too many Beiyang political figures, otherwise my intentions will be too obvious. I will specifically find influential people in the private sector and achieve my goals through them."

Aoki Xuanchun immediately guessed: "Including Li Yu?"

Tou Shanman said: "Yes, although this person is often in the press, he always feels mysterious and mysterious. His status in the scientific and industrial circles is already the strongest person in China. Fortunately, I don’t know why this person is not as interested in politics as other Chinese people and just wants to be an ordinary citizen.”

Nobuzumi Aoki has been working as a spy for so many years, and he is very suspicious: "Could it be that he wants to be like Mr. Touyama, a person who although he does not hold an official position, can influence many important affairs?"

Tou Shanman narrowed his eyes and said: "I have read countless people, but I can't figure out what he is thinking. I can only say that it is theoretically possible."

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Beijing, Jurentang.

Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Cao Rulin presented the formal treaty signed by the Japanese to Yuan Shikai, and it took effect after being stamped.

Yuan Shikai was annoyed when he saw the Japanese using warships and machine guns as watermarks on the paper: "They deliberately insulted me in all kinds of small details. If they didn't ask for help from the Japanese, how could they swallow this breath!"

Cao Rulin said: "President, when the European War is over, we still have room for maneuver."

Yuan Shikai sighed and asked again: "What did the Japanese say about the imperial system?"

Cao Rulin replied: "Japanese Minister to China Hioki Masako told me, 'Your country has always aimed at one lineage for all generations. If China wants to change its state system to restoration, Japan will definitely agree.'"

Yuan Shikai immediately asked: "He really said that?"

In the current European war, except for Britain, which has vast colonies and huge investments in China, other countries have no time to look east. Moreover, except for France, Europe is a constitutional monarchy and does not care much about Yuan Shikai's behavior.

So now what Yuan Shikai cares about most is the attitude of the Japanese.

Cao Rulin said: "These are the exact words of Minister Hikiki Yi. He also said, 'China's restoration is a good thing for them, because China and Japan are close neighbors separated by a strip of water. If your country's monarchs and ministers change their thrones, our country, Japan, will be destroyed." The Emperor is also affected'."

The stone in Yuan Shikai's heart was a little relieved, and Cao Rulin continued to give him reassurance: "Japanese Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu also believed in a public statement that, judging from the actual situation of today's Chinese people and the level of national knowledge development, they have not reached the level of a republic. To the extent. If you want to be the emperor of China, President Yuan, please feel free to do it. Japan is willing to help with everything."

Yuan Shikai did not expect the Japanese to be so stubborn. The Prime Minister personally helped him stand up and continued to confirm: "Is it a public statement?"

Cao Rulin said: "It's absolutely true."

Yuan Shikai asked again: "Where is the British Minister Zhu Erdian?"

Cao Rulin said: "Minister Zhu Erdian said, 'If there is no civil strife in your country, it can be implemented at any time. This is China's internal affairs and others cannot interfere'."

In fact, Britain has no intention of studying Far Eastern affairs. Zhu Erdian said this entirely because he was stimulated by Japan's stance. At first, Britain was worried that the implementation of imperialism would affect China's political stability and thus its interests in China. Now, in order to compete with Japan for dominance in China, its attitude towards Yuan's proclaiming emperor became more positive. "Great!" Yuan Shikai was completely tolerant. As long as he had the endorsement of Britain and Japan, he didn't have to worry too much.

But in the final analysis, both of them are paying lip service but not delivering what they say.

Yuan Shikai was so concerned about the attitudes of foreigners because he had no choice but to do so during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China: starting from the Gengzi National Disaster when the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China, the politics of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China were no longer purely China’s own politics; on many substantive issues , has been influenced by Western powers and Japan, its neighbor to the east, and involves many complicated international backgrounds.

For example, some countries controlled the political direction of the Republic of China, and secretly supported, manipulated and conspired with other forces, and even involved transactions between the great powers to balance the political structure of the Republic of China.

It's very similar to the saying "I am a fisherman and I am a fisherman".

At the same time, in order to strengthen themselves, various domestic factions will scramble to find support from international forces, and some will even sacrifice their power and humiliate the country to make promises to foreign countries.

The unclear words from Britain and Japan made Yuan Shikai think that he had cleared the biggest obstacle, so he asked Yang Du: "To what extent has the preparatory committee advanced?"

When Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor, Yang Du was the absolute number one "hero". He replied: "President, I have made changes to the most critical aspects of the treaty, but more efforts are needed to pass it. We can make ceremonial preparations first. .”

Yuan Shikai rubbed his fingers together and said, "There are many things to do when becoming emperor. If you are not careful, you will lose everything. Please be more careful."

Yang Du said: "I understand."

It seems that when many people discuss Yuan Shikai's restoration of the monarchy, they intentionally or unintentionally overlook a fundamental point: Is Yuan Shikai pursuing a constitutional monarchy, or is he trying to restore feudal autocracy?
Although constitutional monarchy and absolute monarchy both involve the possession of a monarch, the difference is huge and they are essentially different.

Autocratic monarchy is a backward feudal method, while constitutional monarchy has democratic significance.

Logically speaking, regarding Yuan Shikai's Hongxian monarchy, this point should be clarified before talking about anything else.

However, Yuan Shikai only served as emperor for 83 days, and spent most of his time mobilizing military forces to fight against the southern revolutionaries, without doing much at all.

Generally speaking, the Hongxian monarchy was carried out under the banner of constitutional monarchy from beginning to end, but what Yuan Shikai did seemed to lack some kind of systematicity. A typical example is that while restoring imperial power, Yuan Shikai's constitutionalist work characterized by "separation of powers" was not sufficient at all. He seemed to be really only restoring the imperial system, and the relevant legislative bodies and cabinets were not restored at the same time.

This is a flaw.

But whether he wanted a monarchy or a constitution, perhaps only Yuan Shikai knew his true thoughts; or maybe Yuan Shikai himself didn't know how he got to this point.

The whole process of becoming emperor was incredible, like being pushed by a mysterious force, and it was like riding a roller coaster in a trance.

He chose the word "Hong Xian" as his reign name, which means "promoting the constitution". "Hong" means the greatness of imperial virtue, and "Xian" means democratic constitutional government.

But he had his own little calculation: The constitutional monarchy that Yuan Shikai wanted to establish had a lot of autocratic nature, just like Japan's constitutional monarchy. Although daily affairs were handled by the cabinet, in major matters, such as the rule of the army, the emperor He also has great influence and decisive power, and strives to promote the Confucian ethics of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism among the whole people and in education, so that the monarch can be pushed to a very high position.

It seemed that all the tricks had been exhausted, but what he did not expect was that as long as he took half a step forward, the truth would turn into a fallacy.

Yuan Shikai ordered: "The public opinion regarding the persuasion to advance must be investigated clearly."

Yang Du replied: "Many civil society groups have been spontaneously established across the country, and auspicious reports have been issued one after another. Both the people and heaven are looking forward to the president's proclaiming himself emperor."

"What auspiciousness?" Yuan Shikai was very concerned about this issue.

Yang Du said: "There is more than one, at least twelve auspicious signs. One is wisteria grass, the second is dragon entering the house, the third is dragon coming out of the water, the fourth is the moon is dizzy, the fifth is the frog is silent, the sixth is the scorpion in the building, the seventh is The sky rains blood; on the eighth day, dogs ascend the palace; on the ninth day, the great old demon appears; on the tenth day, locusts respond; on the eleventh day, the flags are folded by the wind; and on the eleventh day, frogs move south."

It's all nonsense.

For example, some people say that there is a wisteria growing on the Yuan family's ancestral grave, but who knows if someone secretly inserted it in the middle of the night;
The dragon entering the house means a big snake suddenly appeared in Jurentang, and there is no photo to prove it;
A halo on the moon means that the moon appears haloed for four months. Except for what is said in the newspaper, no one has actually seen it.

Most of the others are groundless explanations, and there are countless such things in the past dynasties.

But after Yuan Shikai listened to each piece, he nodded frequently and said with emotion: "It's not that I want to be emperor, but that I am forced by the situation and have no choice but to do this!"

Among the motives that prompted Yuan Shikai to change the state system, there was another secret buried deep in his heart that cannot be explained to outsiders.

Yuan Shikai has always been very superstitious, and he has a knot in his mind: in the four generations of the Yuan family, 13 of the fourteen people who died before Yuan Shikai died before the age of fifty-eight, and only Yuan Shikai's fourth uncle died at the age of sixty. .

At this time, Yuan Shikai was fifty-eight years old.

How many people in ancient times were not superstitious? Of course Yuan Shikai was very scared.

That's why he believed in a lot of things that seemed very ridiculous and hired many Feng Shui masters.

The act of proclaiming emperor may also use this extraordinary method to counteract evil spirits...

Yang Du suggested: "President, you must take good care of those old ministers. Even if they are opponents, ban them to show your magnanimity."

Yuan Shikai agreed very much: "Let the political affairs hall list the list of old friends and old friends, including Yikuang, Zaifeng, Natong and other Xunqing royal family, as well as Xu Shichang, Ma Xiangbo and other old friends. In addition, Xu Shichang, Zhao Erxun, Li Jingxi, Zhang She In addition to being listed as old friends and receiving preferential treatment from Buchen, the four of them should also be honored as the 'Four Friends of Songshan' and given even more favorable treatment."

Yang Du wrote them down one by one.

Yuan Shikai added: "Establish another academy of sciences, follow the example of Britain, call it the Hongxian Royal Academy of Sciences, and let Li Yu be the president."

Yang Du said: "No one is more suitable than him."

Yuan Shikai said: "By the way, you should find him first. It just so happens that I have some auspicious questions to ask him. It would be best if I could find an explanation from science. Who said that people nowadays believe in science, but I think science It doesn’t necessarily explain everything.”