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

Chapter 623 Ridiculous
Li Yu knew that sooner or later, he would declare war on Germany, so he made some preparations in advance. Bayer Pharmaceuticals had already opened Western medicine distribution points in Beijing, Tianjin, Wuhan, Guangzhou and other places, mainly selling aspirin and other drugs. Li Yu came over to give them medicine Say hello and carry on business as usual no matter what happens.

When selling aspirin and other medicines, Li Yu did not follow the usual rules and even stated the possible side effects in the advertisement, but it seemed that no one cared...

When he arrived at the pharmacy, Li Yu met an acquaintance.

"Hey! Isn't this the Saint of the South China Sea? I almost didn't recognize him," Li Yu said.

Kang Youwei tilted his head and asked, "Li Yu?"

Li Yu looked at Kang Youwei's outfit: "Mr. Nanhai, why are you dressed like a farmer and you don't have a beard?"

Kang Youwei curled up his lips: "Do you care what I wear?"

Li Yu held back his laughter and said, "Mr. Nanhai must have come here secretly, right? Is there something important that I can tell you?"

Kang Youwei shook his sleeves: "What, I can't come?"

"I'm just asking casually," Li Yu said. "At the beginning of the month, President Li Yuanhong suddenly summoned Zhang Xun, the commander of the Yangtze River patrol, to Beijing, and brought thousands of troops with him. And I heard that Commander Zhang also entered the Forbidden City from the Shenwu Gate. ”

Kang Youwei was shocked: "How do you know so much?"

Li Yu spread his hands: "I found out when I was chatting with my neighbors."

"Neighbors?" Kang Youwei asked, "Who are you neighbors?"

Li Yu said: "President Li."

Kang Youwei said: "So you also live in Dongchang Hutong?"

Li Yugong cupped his hands: "That's right."

Kang Youwei was invited to the capital by Zhang Xun. He was extremely keen on restoration. Now it is rare to meet a powerful warlord who supports the clearing of the house.

However, as the leader of the royalist party, Kang Youwei did not want people to know that he had arrived in the capital before the big event was completed, so he shaved off his beard, made up like a farmer, and took a third-class carriage north from Jinpu Road to the capital via Tianjin.

Unexpectedly, Li Yuanhong learned about his arrival in Beijing the next day.

Kang Youwei snorted: "Six years have passed since the Republic of China. It has been in a mess. There have been so many presidents and prime ministers. How can this be a stable state? It's really a joke to the world."

Li Yu said: "What do you mean, do you want the little emperor in the Forbidden City to be reinstated?"

Kang Youwei said: "It's not my intention, it's the intention of the people in the world."

He spoke quite carefully.

Li Yu smiled and said: "I have lived in the capital for many years, and I have met many old and young people. Their hairstyles are more like those of the former officials than yours."

Kang Youwei touched the top of his head: "It's not like you don't know that I have been in exile overseas for many years and had to cut my hair to change my clothes. I only returned to China after 1911. Since then, I have grown my hair again, but the time was too short, only five years in total." A little over 10 years old, so my hair is only this long.”

Li Yu pretended to be surprised: "After the Revolution of 1911, people all over the country were cutting their hair. Why did Mr. Nanhai start growing his hair instead?"

Kang Youwei said proudly: "This is called foresight. I had expected that the Qing Dynasty would not fall and would be restored sooner or later, so I grew my hair in advance to be a loyal minister."

Then he looked sideways at Li Yu: "It's not like you have two minds!"

Kang Youwei spared no effort for the restoration, and Zhang Xun's first edict announcing the restoration was drafted by him as early as Shanghai.

Li Yu applauded hypocritically: "It's really amazing."

"Stop complimenting me, I won't do this!" Kang Youwei said coldly, "Don't delay me buying medicine."

"What a coincidence," Li Yu said, "this Western medicine store is a subordinate industry."

"Yours?" Kang Youwei asked.

"Yes," Li Yu said, "What medicine does Mr. Nanhai want?"

Kang Youwei said: "Medicine for growing beards and hair."

Li Yu said: "I remember that Polygonum multiflorum seems to be good for hair growth, but you need to go to a Chinese medicine store."

Kang Youwei said: "It's too slow. I just want to see if Western medicine can make it faster."

Li Yu said: "I'm so sorry, it really doesn't happen."

"Hmph! Western medicine, Western medicine, can't do this!" Kang Youwei lost interest and turned to leave.

Kang Youwei really wanted to have a beard. He felt that with his reputation and active participation in the restoration, he could become the foreman, bachelor Dangdang.

Zhang Xun also recommended him, but Princess Jin thought that the Qing Dynasty had never produced a bachelor without a beard, so she refused.

Kang Youwei had shaved off his beard in order to hide his identity, but now that he had missed the bachelor he had longed for, Kang Youwei felt extremely unhappy.

It may also be that he did not expect that things would develop so "smoothly", and Zhang Xun's restoration was actually "successful", which was unexpected.

When Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor, Zhang Xun also clearly opposed it. It was not that he was against the imperial system, but that he was against other people calling themselves emperors. Zhang Xun, like Kang Youwei, felt that the only people in the world who could be emperors were the Aisin Gioro family.

Zhang Xun has always been obsessed with the Qing Dynasty. He escorted Cixi to the west despite the pain of bleeding hemorrhoids, which shows his loyalty to the Qing Dynasty.

Before going to Beijing, he made a special trip to visit Duan Qirui and Xu Shichang in Tianjin. After all, he was still a little wary of these Beiyang senior officials.

Duan Qirui spoke ambiguously.

Later, Zhang Xun visited envoys from various countries in Dongjiaominxiang. They knew that Zhang Xun was not a big shot, so they were not too sad and did not comment.

The attitude of these people made Zhang Xun think that they all acquiesced in his restoration.

Zhang Xun really doesn't understand politics, can't see clearly the current situation, let alone people's hearts.

After the "highly respected" Kang Youwei arrived in the capital, the "civil and military leaders" of the restoration were reunited. Kang Youwei was still somewhat rational and told Zhang Xun that the emperor was Manchu in origin, but he had to change the "Manchu Empire" to "Chinese Empire", and also talked about what constitutional monarchy and autocratic monarchy were.

But who cares about this? Or he couldn't tell the difference at all.

He has always regarded himself as the "Zhang Yide" of the Three Kingdoms. Maybe it was because he had read "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" instead of "The Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms". He really thought that Zhang Fei was just a rough man and he was careless in what he did.

-

July 1st, Yuqing Palace in the Forbidden City.

Eleven-year-old Puyi was studying when the imperial teachers Chen Baochen and Liang Dingfen walked in together.

Chen Baochen said: "Your Majesty, Zhang Xun is here again."

Pu Yi asked: "He came to say hello again?"

Chen Baochen said excitedly: "I'm not asking for greetings, but I'm here to support the emperor's return to power and the restoration of the Qing Dynasty!"

Seeing that Puyi was stunned, Chen Baochen quickly said: "Your Majesty, please agree to Zhang Xun. This is asking for life for the people, and God will give it to you." Since the former parts of the Forbidden City such as the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe, and the Hall of Baohe have been assigned to the Republic of China, , and built high walls to block him, so Puyi could only meet Zhang Xun in Yangxin Hall.

After kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, Zhang Xun said: "Empress Dowager Longyu couldn't bear to let the people suffer for the honor of her surname, so she issued an edict to establish a republic. Who would have expected that the people would not live in peace... A republic is not in line with our national conditions. Only when the emperor is restored can all people be restored." Only then can we be saved.”

Puyi didn't know anything about important matters. According to Chen Baochen's instructions, he said: "I am too young, have no talent and virtue, and cannot take on such a big responsibility."

Zhang Xun also strongly remonstrated: "The emperor is a sage, and everyone in the world knows it. In the past, the sage Kangxi also ascended the throne at a young age."

Pu Yi said: "In that case, I will do whatever it takes."

Zhang Xun immediately brought over the written "Edict" for Puyi to sign.

——There are a lot of decrees for promotion and promotion.

Zhang Xun named himself chief of political affairs and minister of political affairs, governor-general of Zhili and minister of Beiyang, and Prince Zhongyong. Basically, the power is grasped.

-

Early the next morning, the braided soldiers knocked on the door of Li Yu's house and announced loudly: "Master Xuantong has been restored to power, and the dragon flag must be hoisted immediately!"

Li Yu laughed and said, "Why don't you inform the people next to you?"

The braided soldier said: "Commander, oh no, Prince Zhongyong will go in person."

Li Yu took a moment and said, "I know, let's go."

Li Yu walked deliberately on the street. Soldiers with long braids stood everywhere, like a nightmare from the old times.

The old and the young suddenly became energetic and hurriedly dug out the robes and jackets that had been thrown to the bottom of the cabinet; the old-style robes and jackets that were unsalable on the market have also become hot commodities.

Some elderly people who could not buy clothes went to the theater troupe to buy costumes at high prices in desperation; some even went to a shroud shop and bought some shrouds to wear.

As for the dragon flag, I can't find it right now, so someone cut a pennant out of paper, drew a small dragon, painted it yellow and hung it up. Drawn like a dead snake.

What's even more interesting is that some people have already shaved off their hair, so they cut off women's hair, put it on their heads, and strutted around on the street.

The entire capital was like an absurd theater stage.

Zhang Xun did not forget the operation of "electrifying the whole country", but his wording failed. Who told him that he did not know the difference between a constitutional monarchy and an autocratic monarchy, let alone what democracy and the rule of law were. Anyway, he was vague and only stated Restoration.

Really like a clown.

Don't think about it, do you have the strength to hold the emperor hostage and command the princes? A mere few thousand troops want to do such a big thing?
As Feng Guozhang was the first to speak out and oppose, Duan Qirui organized a rebel army in the suburbs of Beijing. The good days in Zhang Xun's dream came to an end before they even began.

The entire revolt was very easy and simple. The total number of deaths on both sides was only twenty-six and seventy-six were seriously injured, more than half of whom were civilians.

The only thing worth mentioning is that the rebels used the air force. Qin Guoyong, the principal of Nanyuan Aviation School, flew a plane and dropped three bombs in the Forbidden City. They were small bombs with very limited destructive power and were not as powerful as a hand grenade during World War II.

One bomb fell outside the Longzong Gate next to the Qianqingmen Square, injuring a bearer; one landed in the lotus pond in the Imperial Garden, killing several small fish in the pond; and the third bomb fell on the Qianqing Palace. On the eaves of Longfu Gate in the northwest, there were no explosions, but the eunuchs who gathered there to gamble were scared to death.

Anyway, Zhang Xun soon realized that the situation was over. It is said that before running away, this kid went to the royal family and asked for a compensation of 40 yuan.

Puyi was shocked when he heard this and said to him: "I have only been on the throne for ten days. If I give you 40 yuan, doesn't it mean that I spend tens of thousands of yuan to buy an emperor in one day?"

Zhang Xun seems to be very aggrieved. He supported you to return to the throne regardless of his wealth and life, but he didn't even give you a reward? Then he complained: "Since your Majesty retired from power in 50, in the past six years, the veterans have paid no less than yuan. I am here today to ask for this reward. Isn't it excessive?"

Concubine Jin said quietly: "Now that the restoration is about to be wiped out, the 400 million annual bonus of the Republic of China may be lost in your hands. Who should we ask for it from?"

After hearing this, Zhang Xun had no choice but to retreat silently.

However, the Beiyang government did not actually cancel the preferential treatment regulations for house clearance.

Kang Nanhai, who was jumping up and down, hid in the US Embassy.

Li Yu happened to go to the embassy for transporting car plants from the United States. When he saw him, he joked again: "Mr. Nanhai, I suddenly thought of a trick that can quickly grow beards."

Kang Youwei said angrily: "No need!"

Li Yu said: "All this must be in Mr. Nanhai's foresight, right?"

"I..." Kang Youwei's old face turned red and he couldn't answer the question at all. This time, he was really disgraced and lost all his prestige.

On the other hand, his eldest disciple Liang Qichao and Duan Qirui were appointed as the Chief Financial Officer after they reorganized the cabinet.

Of course, the two had long since turned against each other.

From then on, Kang Youwei basically faded out of the view of the Republic of China and went to Maoshan to live in seclusion.

Anyway, this summer's restoration is quite funny, but it also has some positive meanings.

For example, Yang Du said: From now on, Chinese people will no longer seriously distinguish the difference between "autocratic monarchy" and "constitutional monarchy." Every "monarch" will turn into a rat and walk across the street, with everyone shouting and beating him.

In other words, there will be no stage at all to become emperor.

Perhaps it was also because of these two failed restorations that some socialist parties understood the current situation more clearly. Later, the Japanese supported Puyi's restoration, but many people, including his father, the regent Zaifeng, did not like to see it.

-

Recent newspapers have been very critical of Zhang Xun.

Shao Piaoping, the special correspondent of Shenbao in Beijing, appears from time to time in Dongchang Hutong. Li Yu often meets him and knows that his target is the nearby Li Yuanhong Mansion. Sometimes he would joke with him: "Reporter Shao, why don't you stay at my place at night?" , more convenient.”

Shao Piaoping smiled and said: "I just want to see who will visit President Li."

He's great at news gathering.

The news that Shao Piaoping wants to get most now is the exact news of the declaration of war against Germany.

Li Yuanhong was ashamed because he had previously issued an order to ban the Congress. Recently, another bizarre murder occurred in the house: the guard platoon leader of Le Prefecture suddenly went crazy and stabbed the captain and two soldiers to death with a bayonet. Then he rushed out and was shot to death by the guards who caught up. Li Yuanhong was greatly stimulated and had no intention of coming back.

Without Li Yuanhong's obstruction, the declaration of war on Germany was a certainty.

In order to get first-hand news, Shao Piaoping got a car with a cabinet license plate from nowhere and infiltrated the cabinet. After meeting Duan Qirui, he guaranteed with his life and property that if the news was leaked in Beijing within 3 days, he would be punished, thus obtaining Exclusive news that the Beiyang government is about to declare war on Germany.

He immediately telegraphed the Shanghai Shenbao headquarters, and the news spread throughout Shanghai that day.

Due to the slow speed of current news transmission, Duan Qirui only found out about it five days later.

Duan Qirui realized that he had been fooled and asked Shao Piaoping to play a word game about the time difference, but there was nothing he could do.

With this incident, "Shen Shen"'s "Beijing Special Newsletter" became popular throughout the country, and Shao Piaoping's name spread throughout the press.

(End of this chapter)