Chapter Ninety-Seven: Conspiracy
He said that Li Hongzhang and others will hold another meeting to ask the household department to allocate funds to repair the army, and it is estimated that Weng Tongshu will still block it this time. Pen Fun Pavilion www.biquge.info but at this time, Yuan Shikai will ask Yixuan to come out and help speak, confirming that the navy warships are indeed in disrepair, and replacing equipment is an urgent matter. With the help of this prince and prime minister, the power is naturally much greater. At this time, Zhang Zhidong can come out to do favors.
Yuan Shikai asked Tan Sitong to persuade Zhang Zhidong to focus on the overall situation, abandon his previous suspicions, and help Li Hongzhang at this time. He could play as the governor of Huguang and explain to the imperial court the importance of coastal defense, the repair of the navy should not be abolished, and the household department should allocate funds to Beiyang Yunyun.
The world knows that Zhang Zhidong has a gap with Li Hongzhang, and he came out to help Li Hongzhang at this time naturally out of public interest and for the sake of national interests. In this way, public opinion in the court will naturally say that Weng Tongshu is just for the sake of communiqué and personal vendetta, and it is better for Xiang Shuai to understand the righteousness. In that way, even if Weng Tongshu is stubborn, it is estimated that he will not be able to withstand the pressure of public opinion. Naturally, the matter of repairing the navy and military expenses was easily solved.
And Li Hongzhang is not an unreasonable person, he got Zhang Zhidong's charcoal in the snow, he naturally wants to repay the peach, and the machine will find an excuse to send it back to Hubei.
"But what if Weng Tongshu insists on not giving the Navy funds?" Tan Sitong was worried.
"The seizure of the machine must have been instructed by someone above to do it, as long as Xiang Shuai is not brought down, Li Zhongtang will not be a villain and grudge against him for no reason. The non-payment of funds is that Weng Tongshu is narrow-minded, and Xiang Shuai has already expressed his attitude regardless of grievances, and Zhongtang naturally wants to repay his kindness. He will know how to deal with it. Don't worry, these people are all auxiliary talents, how can they not know how to be a man if they can run a boat in their stomachs. ”
Tan Sitong listened to Yuan Shikai's analysis, and he was relieved that Hubei's reform had its own efforts, and naturally he didn't want it to die. This can help Zhang Zhidong settle the two things, and I am also happy in my heart.
He told Yuan Shikai about the emperor's idea of comprehensively reforming the country. Yuan Shikai was not as happy as he expected when he heard the news, "Throughout the ages, all those who speak lightly about reformers are easier said than done. I'm afraid that if the emperor is so radical, it will be self-defeating. ”
"What do you mean by that?"
"If the Queen Mother dies, maybe the resistance will be less, and if the emperor wants to reform it all now, there will definitely be many resistances. In ancient times, there was Shang Ying, then there was Wang Anshi, and then there was Zhang Juzheng. At that time, they all had the full support of the supreme ruler, or they held great power and could influence the situation. But in the end, they still gave up halfway, and they didn't end well. Shang Ying was divided into five horses, Wang Anshi was deposed, and Zhang Juzheng was **** as soon as he died. His lifelong ideals were once abandoned.
The emperor is just a puppet now, the power is actually still in the hands of the queen mother, the emperor wants to shake the rule of Aixin Jueluo and deprive those nobles of the privileges, can the queen mother do the same? Will those princes and nobles agree? Without their support, no matter how beautiful the emperor's ideals are, they are in vain. ”
Yuan Shikai looked worried: "And resurrection, have you considered your own safety?" The change of law is such a big thing, you are involved in it with a cloth cloth, have you ever thought about the danger. You will face a group of the most powerful enemies, Shang Dynasty King Anshi, who are in a position of human power, and they cannot protect themselves, if these people want to deal with you, how will you deal with them? ”
"Whenever the law is changed, there is no bloodshed and sacrifice. The ancients slaughtered themselves and sacrificed their lives for righteousness, and I had this ambition, so I had the intention of sacrificing. As long as I can save the country from danger and save the people from fire and water, what am I afraid of when I go to the soup and fire? Tan Sitong replied with a straight face.
Yuan Shikai knew that he couldn't persuade his friends, sighed, and changed the topic: "If you want to change the law, it is necessary to formulate a rigorous and meticulous plan, but the most important thing now is to let everyone accept this concept." Let everyone understand the urgency and necessity of changing the law. Only when the concept is unified and everyone understands it, will there be less resistance to implementation. You have to immediately occupy public opinion and spread your ideas. ”
"In addition, this matter must be done first in the local area and then in the capital. I suggest that you first go to the local government to make preparations and enlist the support of local officials, starting with education, finance, economy and people's livelihood. When various reforms became a common practice, everyone saw the achievements, and then the emperor led the law change in one fell swoop.
"Well, Kang Youwei will organize the drafting plan, and I will ask him to go back to Guangdong to continue to give lectures, and influence more thoughtful students to support him. I will also support Zhang Zhidong in Hubei to continue his foreign use in China. I will also open up the situation in Hunan and Sichuan. ”
"That's a good idea, I'll give you some money first." Yuan Shikai took out a silver ticket and handed it to Tan Sitong with a smile.
"It's disrespectful, you have money anyway." Tan Sitong took it and put it in his arms.
"Not enough to ask me again." Yuan Shikai readily agreed. Although he did not divide the territory, he could control the resources of a country, and he would naturally speak hard.
Think about Zhang Zhidong being the governor of two provinces, but he is destitute. This man is really more dead than a man. Tan Sitong shook his head and secretly complained to Zhang Zhidong. I thought that my good brother's methods were really not ordinary.
"I'm going back to North Korea in a few days, Li Zhongtang is just going to Weihai, Qingdao is on the front line to inspect coastal defense, I will accompany him on a ride, you might as well go with me, we can carefully discuss the details of the change along the way." I also saw the means and abilities of this Zhongtang. By the way, he was persuaded to return those machines to Hubei. ”
Yuan Shikai always felt that it was unreliable to change the law rashly, and he really wanted to discuss it carefully with Tan Sitong.
Tan Sitong also wanted to see the Li Zhongtang, who was famous all over the world and slandered all over the world, so he agreed to Yuan Shikai's invitation. The two made an appointment, and it was late at night, and Tan Sitong said goodbye and returned to Liuyang Hall.
Before arriving at the hall, Tan Sitong saw Zhu Huanyu in a light Qiu Luo robe at the door of the hall from a distance. She saw Tan Sitong walking into the street, holding a piece of clothing in her right hand, and greeted her with joy.
Snow is like flowers falling, people are like Sulian, and Tan Sitong is also shaking his heart for a while: "It's so cold, why haven't you rested?" ”
"Sister Yan said that you don't know how to cherish yourself the most, and you want me to take good care of your daily life. It's snowing so hard today, and you still wear a little clothes to go out, Sister Yan knows that you're going to scold me to death. ”
Zhu Huanyu picked up the clothes and put them on Tan Sitong, muttering: "I turned around in the house for a while, and I didn't see a serious cotton jacket, tomorrow I will go and make you a sable robe and come back." ”
Tan Si warmed his heart: "I am a martial arts practitioner, I am not afraid of the cold, you don't care about me, but make a few sets of clothes for yourself, the fabrics and tailors in the capital are better than those in Hubei." By the way, I'll help you make a few good sets of good ones. ”
"Then you're going to pick up the fabric with me tomorrow." Zhu Huanyu was excited. grabbed Tan Sitong's arm.
"Okay, I'll accompany you to the capital tomorrow." Tan Sitong couldn't bear to be disappointed. Thinking that he was going to send her to the West, he also felt a little guilty in his heart. I agreed.
got up early in the morning, and Tan Sitong came to Kang Youwei's room to discuss the drafting of the change. The stakes are high, and everyone does not dare to act hastily. Kang Youwei decided to go back to Guangdong first, find more books, and refer to the experience of Western law changes. Tan Sitong thought of Yuan Shikai's reminder and agreed that Kang Youwei would return to Guangdong first.
At this time, Liang Qichao also came over, and he said that there are two main political systems in Western countries, one is the constitutional monarchy represented by the United Kingdom, and the other is the democratic republican system represented by the United States. A constitutional monarchy is a virtual throne that gives the power in the hands of the emperor to the cabinet and parliament. The emperor will only be the nominal head of state and will no longer have the right to set state policy and command the army. But royalty can have hereditary privileges.
The democratic republic goes further, the country no longer has a hereditary aristocracy, and the head of state needs to be elected by the people, and the leader needs to be elected by the entire national vote. Only those talents who are genuinely supported by the majority of the people can enter the center. And it also needs to be checked and balanced by the parliament and the cabinet, and cannot be dictatorship. And there is a term limit, which cannot be hereditary.
The three of them analyzed that although the democratic republic is more perfect, the constitutional monarchy is obviously more suitable for China's national conditions. But either system, it would deprive the Manchus of their privileges. That's where the resistance lies.
For more than two hundred years, the Manchus have ruled the country as masters. Not only did the aristocracy have countless privileges, but even those ordinary children of the Eight Banners had been drinking the blood of the Han people to survive.
A large number of enclosures were carried out when the Manchurians entered the customs, and they did not pay for forced labor or money and food. Provided by the state. This large ethnic group is already a parasite of society. They don't know how to make a living, they only suck blood. As soon as they were reformed, they would immediately lose their source of livelihood. Therefore, they will never give up their privileges easily.
And those nobles will not easily hand over their interests. They can occupy high positions without the need for imperial examinations. They control all the resources of the state, and 70 percent of the taxes are paid to support them. Once the law is changed, their interests will definitely be involved, and they will naturally resist interference.
From the military aircraft department to the various ministries of the imperial court, and then to the local officials, the real power is held by the Manchurians. How could this reform have been implemented without their support?
also had to rely on Han people such as Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang. Zhang Xu is gone, and Hunan should also install a capable Han to succeed him. Only Han Chinese will sincerely support the reform of the law.
The Eight Banners Army was rotten and accounted for most of the country's salaries, but it had no combat effectiveness, and the army had to be rebuilt. To build a new army, Zeng Guopan and Li Hongzhang had their own army to gain a position among the Manchus. If there is to be reform, then there must be an armed force to sustain it.
It is also necessary to mobilize the people of the whole country to support the reform of the law, so that they can understand the benefits of the reform of the law. The strength of 40,000,000 people is the foundation. The Manchus have enjoyed the taxes of the Han people for hundreds of years, and it is time to change this situation.
The south had more contact with Western culture, and the people were more enlightened. Officials are also more pragmatic, and the Manchus have less influence. Mobilize the masses from the south. Reform on a small scale. Improve the plan for comprehensive law change.
The three discussed for a long time and reached a preliminary consensus. At the moment, it was decided that Tan Sitong would return to Hubei to continue to assist Zhang Zhidong's Westernization Movement, and Kang Youwei would return to Guangdong to build momentum and call on students in the south, and draft a charter for changing the law. Liang Qichao particularly admired Kang Youwei's knowledge and insight, and wanted to go back to Guangdong with him to continue to study and study.
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