Yuan's publication of "The Beginning and End of the Imperial System" was actually a dying struggle.

History is always made by the people. From the perspective of historical materialism, historical events must be the result of the combined action of all people. Like a parallelogram of countless physical forces, it eventually forms a resultant force.

In other words, everyone has a role to play, whether it is to move history forward or to pull history back. However, due to the different abilities of individuals, the role is definitely different. Due to his position and the resources at his disposal, the role of an individual person may be much greater than that of ordinary people. That is, the actions of special people can have a significant impact on the course of history. For example, Yuan Shikai, if he was not called emperor, the history of the Republic of China might be different.

However, no matter how high a person's status, how powerful the resources in his hands, and no matter how much influence this person can have on the course of history, no one can resist the natural law of birth, old age, sickness and death.

Yuan Shikai was sick, and he was terminally ill.

Speaking of Yuan Shikai's disease, the beginning is just the most common disease in men - prostatic hyperplasia. In the early stage of this disease, people are generally unaware of it, and it has no effect on the body. However, if it increases to a certain extent, it will affect urination, and symptoms such as frequent urination and urgency will appear.

The reason is that the urine in the bladder cannot be discharged, and the urine remains more and more, but it is too full and always has to be discharged, which is urgency. You can only urinate a little at a time, and after a while, it will be full again, which is called frequent urination. It's serious, I have to keep getting up all night, and I can't sleep well at all. When you are asleep, urine may also overflow on its own, which is called overflow incontinence.

At this time, even a fool can know that he is sick, and Yuan Shikai is certainly no exception.

Prostatic hyperplasia has reached this point and the only option can only be surgery. If it is simple now, minimally invasive surgery, the growth is removed with a laser from the urethra. At that time, Yuan Shikai was probably going to have his prostate removed.

Prostatectomy is actually a minor operation in Western medicine, and there is nothing to do after the resection.

However, Yuan Shikai did not believe in Western medicine, only Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine can't operate, it can only take medicine, and herbalists such as Luo Blind and Wang Shenxian all come to offer medicine and join in the fun. Yuan Shikai did not refuse to come, and went to the doctor when he was sick, and the more he took the medicine, the more he took it.

In the early stage of prostatic hyperplasia, symptomatic Chinese medicine can definitely inhibit further hyperplasia, but it is impossible to remove the enlarged area. In other words, prostatic hyperplasia has reached the level of Yuan Shikai, and taking traditional Chinese medicine is no longer effective.

If taking Chinese medicine is just useless, it's fine, but Yuan Shikai is eating a lot of Chinese medicine at this time.

Why? We all know that it is a three-part poison. Yuan Shikai's urine could not be discharged for a long time and remained in the bladder. Urination is also detoxification, urine can't be excreted, the poison in the body can't be discharged, and then take medicine, isn't it poison on poison? The end result can only be uremia.

is terminally ill and needs to recuperate, but Yuan Shikai is a person who can't let go of power even if he dies.

Since Yunnan advocated righteousness, he has been even more uneasy and bowed down in case of trouble. Unfortunately, he no longer had the good fortune he had had been, and now it's all unsatisfactory. Today, an independent telegram, tomorrow a persuasion telegram, the name of the national thief is endless. His old friends, subordinates, students, and even relatives all scolded him by name. Although he was calm on the surface, his inner depression had reached its extreme, especially the fatal telegram of Chen Eun's "severance of relations with Yuan personally" on May 22.

How can a patient withstand such mental torture.

When Yuan Shikai was ill, he still held pre-bed meetings on the sickbed every day to deal with all official business. Until he was critically ill, he did not interrupt, but Yuan Keding helped in front of the bed.

He died of illness on 27 May, before which he was exhausted. When the onset of the disease on the 27th was very violent, his family urgently asked Chinese medicine doctors Liu Zhusheng and Xiao Longyou for consultation, but the two had no good plan but to shake their heads.

On the 29th, Hunan became independent, and Yuan Shikai did not intend to let him know, but he still convened bedside meetings day by day during his illness and personally handled the telegram, so he could not hide it from him, and before he could finish listening to the telegram, the person fainted.

On 2 June, Yuan Shikai knew that he was no longer in order, and ordered Zhang Yilu to send a telegram to his old friend Xu Shichang, who had returned to Hui County, Henan, and Yuan asked him to come to Beijing immediately to see him for the last time.

Xu Shichang arrived in Beijing on June 5 and immediately rushed to the presidential palace, Yuan was lying on his back, weak and panting, and said tremblingly: "Juren, you have come ...... Okay, come on...... Good on, I'm ...... It's no longer useful...... Finish. ”

Xu Shichang and Yuan have been friends for the longest time, good friends for 40 years, and they get along very happily in both public and private friendships.

He quietly turned his back and tried his tears, and then said softly: "The president doesn't have to be anxious, he will be fine for a few days." ”

Yuan shook his head and closed his eyes, and a large tear fell from the corner of his eye.

It turned out that on June 4, Tianyuan's illness worsened, and the presidential palace desperately asked the French legation medical officer Busier to diagnose his symptoms. As a result of the examination, it was determined that it was uremia, and with neurasthenia and liver congestion, it was concluded that there was no cure.

By the fifth day, Yuan's spirit was getting worse and worse, and Bu Xier gave Yuan a "heart booster", and Yuan's consciousness was slightly sober. It happened that Xu Shichang came, but soon Yuan fell into a coma again.

When Yuan finally died, he said the words "he hurt me" intermittently, which seemed to be his last words. Who killed him? His son? What about the imperialists? Or someone else.

After Yuan's death, this sentence was spread falsely, and it was actually said that the revolutionary party bribed the French doctor Busier with 400,000 gold and gave Yuan a poisonous injection. So Yuan muttered after the injection: "He killed me".

Of course, this is nonsense, but the true meaning of Yuan's words can only be buried with his death.

At three o'clock in the morning on June 6, the fifth year of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai finally lost his breath, this traitor in the troubled times, the man of the year in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, finally said goodbye to the world.

After Yuan Shikai's death, Zhang Yilu found his own autographed elegy in the drawer of his desk:

"Go to a great enemy for Japan; Look at China's reinvention of the republic. ”

Is he really Japan's great enemy? When he was stationed in North Korea, he may have been watching Japan's face after sitting on the throne of the great president.

The head of the six gentlemen of Hongxian, Yang Du, the chief culprit of the imperial system, Yuan Lianyun:

"The Republic of China mistook the republic, the republic did not misunderstand the Republic of China, and it was a prison for thousands of years; The Ming Duke is responsible for the Jun Xian, the Jun Xian is not the Ming Gong, and the Jiuquan is under the three Fu Si Yan. ”

Before Yuan died, there were four dignitaries who entrusted him with his life, Duan Qirui, Wang Shizhen, Zhang Zhenfang, Xu Shichang, and the "prince" Yuan Keding was also beside the sickbed.

Xu Shichang saw that Yuan was no longer good, so he asked softly: "What is the president's explanation?" ”

Yuan Shikai blinked his miserable eyes, out of breath, and only said the word "covenant" in his mouth with great effort.

But there are new and old in the "Covenant", is Yuan referring to the new or the old? Those who accept the will are a little dazed.

The old Statute provided that the Vice President would succeed him if the President was unable to exercise his powers, which was insisted on by the Protectorate. However, this old "Covenant Law" has been abolished by Yuan.

The new "Covenant Law" was formulated by Yuan himself, and on the issue of succession to the president, it is stipulated that the incumbent president will nominate three people, write them on a list, and hide them in the Jinkui Stone House. After the death of the president, one of the three candidates will be elected to succeed the president.

There are three keys to the Golden Stone House, one of which is held by the President, the Prime Minister, and the President of the House of Councillors, and two of the three keys need to be coordinated to open the "Stone House".

When Yuan said the word "covenant" and everyone felt confused, Yuan Keding hurriedly added: "Jinkui Stone House."

Everyone turned their faces to look at Yuan, and Yuan seemed to nod his head, and he couldn't speak.

After Yuan's death, everyone opened the stone house and saw that there were three names written on the list of presidential heirs, and the order was: Li Yuanhong, Xu Shichang, and Duan Qirui.

The name Duan Qirui was originally written by Yuan Keding, and Yuan Keding knew about it, so he proposed "Jinkui Stone House". How did he know that when Yuan Shikai was seriously ill, he hid from his son and changed it to Duan Qirui, and Yuan Keding was still in the dark.

Why did Yuan revise the list at the moment of death and life? In fact, this is where Yuan is clever. He knows that he has betrayed his relatives and left, and he still wants people to support his son, isn't it a fool's dream, and his emperor can't keep his throne, how can he still have a family in the world.

In his last political life, the Beiyang military system he established single-handedly was disloyal to him, how dare he hope that the Beiyang generals would support his son! So before he died, he changed Yuan Keding to Duan Qirui in time.

Although Yuan Shikai died in the early morning of June 6, but the unconscious person was June 5, this day is the lunar Dragon Boat Festival, because Yuan was called a toad, so he had to prove it, because there is a saying that "the toad is sad about the Dragon Boat Festival".

After his death, Yuan issued the following decree:

"The founding of the Republic of China is five years old. The President of the General Assembly is ashamed of the importance entrusted by the people, and he is ashamed to be unable to fulfill his wish to save the country and the people. Since taking office, he has worked day and night, diligently painting, although the national foundation has not been consolidated, the people have not been overcome, and the revolution should be revived, and everything should be taken care of; And relying on the strength of our officials and soldiers, we can make the provinces coarse and peaceful, and the great powers and states will be able to deal with each other and govern each other, and they will be comforted a little, but there is still a lot of guilt. Fang Qi retired in time and was able to recuperate in Lin Quan, so I took it for the first time; I don't want to feel sick, and I will die. In accordance with Article 29 of the Statute, when the President resigns from office for any reason or is unable to take care of the matter, the Vice President shall act in his place.

"In accordance with the Covenant, the President declares that Vice President Li Yuanhong will act as President of the Republic of China. The vice president is loyal and benevolent, and he will be able to help the times and lay a solid foundation for the overall situation, so as to make up for the loss of the president and comfort the hopes of the people of the whole country. All civil and military officials outside Beijing, as well as the military, police, non-commissioned officers, and civilians, should especially remember the country's difficulties, maintain order, strive to ensure public order, and focus on the country. In the past, there was a saying: 'Only the living can be self-reliant, then the dead are immortal', and the President of this university is still willing, on May 6, the fifth year of the Republic of China. Secretary of State and Chief of Army Duan Qirui. Cao Rulin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Communications, and Wang Yitang, Minister of Internal Affairs. Treasurer Zhou Ziqi. Navy Chief Liu Guanxiong. Zhang Zongxiang, Chief Justice and Chief of Agriculture and Commerce. Zhang Guogan, Director of Education. ”

The testament quotes from the old Covenant Law, and it is clear that this testament will not come from Yuan Shikai.

On June 7, Yuan's body was buried, and Yuan Shikai, who had been both an emperor and a president in history, wore a crown of heaven on his head and wore a ceremonial dress to the sky, completely looking like a "Daxing Emperor".

On this day, the country. Business. The general order of the whole country to fly the flag at half-mast to mourn, the school was suspended for one day, the people of the whole country stopped entertainment for one day, and the civil and military officials stopped banquets for 27 days.

Politics. The government sent Yuan's family a gift of one million yuan.

It is on this day that the southwestern provinces hoisted flags to celebrate, Yunnan and Guizhou set off firecrackers, ran to tell each other, the country went to a major harm, and the old and the young were all happy.

The north and south formed a sharp comparison of Yuan's death.

Yuan's coffin was transported back to Zhangde, and the locomotive stopped at stations along the station to receive official memorials, so the car traveled very slowly, and it did not arrive in Zhangde until June 29.

Before Yuan's death, there was a myth in Wuchang, on the first day of May, a dragon in Zhaoxian Town, Dongxiang fell into the lake, as thick as a giant arm, several feet long, black scales and purple armor, angry eyes and strong claws. The next day there was nothing to be seen, except for the deep black of the lake.

There is no doubt that Yuan Shikai is a controversial historical figure.

The great thinker and literary giant Lu who is used to being cold to Qianfu refers to. Mr. Xun seems to be somewhat tolerant of Yuan Shikai.

In May 1912, Lu. Xun left his hometown and came to the capital to enter politics. Served in the government department.

Beiyang politics at that time. The government is not very large, and a Ministry of Education is dozens of people. The management and appointment of lower-level officials in the Ministry of Education were directly issued by the then President.

Rash. Xun was appointed as the head of the first section of the Department of Social Education, which is responsible for the work of culture and art, and also received a formal letter of appointment from President Yuan Shikai. This signed letter of appointment is called the original letter of appointment.

In this way, Lu Xun, who was a servant in the Ministry of Education, began to have some subtle direct and indirect ties with President Yuan Shikai.

When Yuan Shikai was in office, he was in power. Lu Xun, who served in the government, had a meeting with him.

From the winter of 1912, Yuan Shikai set the rule and personally held a meeting with Beiyang Zheng at the Presidential Palace. A ceremony for the appointment of officials recommended by the ministries.

In other words, Yuan had to chat with the officials he had signed and appointed, and see what kind of behavior they were doing.

Politics at the time. There are a large number of people in the government department, and it takes several days to receive three to four batches of people every day before they can be properly received.

Lu Xun, who served in the Ministry of Education, naturally also had to report on his work, and he was led by the then Minister of Education to the presidential palace in Iron Lion Hutong early in the morning to meet Yuan, who was at the peak of power.

The reception ceremony was not cumbersome, and Yuan did not fool things around, he asked every official to express his or her own opinions on the development of education, and he would also comment on them, and he would send someone to record them when he met those who had opinions.

This move shocked Lu Xun greatly.

After Yuan's death, Lu who did not have a dress. Xun, in order to pay tribute to his former boss, borrowed a dress from a friend. He was assigned by the Ministry of Education to pay homage at the Presidential Palace. This is the second and last time the two have been in contact.

Rash. Xun met the living Yuan once, and the dead president once. Perhaps, the connection between Lu Xun and Yuan is indirect or service-oriented. Therefore, he did not comment on Yuan Da, and only mentioned a few words in his works.

Rash. Xun commented on Yuan: "Now only Yuan Shikai knows a little about how to treat intellectuals, which is the most beneficial to stabilizing his own rule. Later rulers, by contrast, were insignificant. ”

This is a sentence with both positive and negative evaluations.

Later Lu. Xun wrote in the article "Killing the Wrong Person": "From his point of view, Yuan Da did not kill the party members at all, because he was a pseudo-revolutionary counter-revolutionary. ”

In his essay "The Anatomy of Yuan Shikai", Liang Qichao bitterly called Yuan "a figure of the Oriental monster in the dark age of medieval history", not a politician, but "the worst ruler".

After Yuan's death, the then Japanese Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma wrote an article entitled "Hanging Yuan Shikai to Warn the Republic of China", which reads: "Yuan is the great president of the Republic of China, who flouts the "Covenant Law", makes his own constitution, falsifies public opinion, and acts as an imperial system, hoping to achieve his own hope. and Yunnan, the whole country responded, and died of horror and anger. The reason for its failure is nothing more than two things: pleasure and embellishment. However, this has been a habit of China for thousands of years, and Yuan did not understand what was wrong, and turned to use it to get lucky, which led to a defeat and was out of control. Now Yuan is dead. Although Yuan's death is not only a question of Yuan's life and death, but also a major issue of the rise and fall of China's national fortunes, the Republic of China does not know what to introspect? ”

To be sure, Yuan Shikai is a hard-working person.

Throughout his life, he has done many things that are beneficial to the country and the nation. In particular, his contribution to China's peaceful transition from feudal autocracy to democratic republic is unparalleled.

On the other hand, he also did many bad things, such as betraying the reformers, persecuting the revolutionaries, and bringing down the Congress. The worst thing he did was to restore the emperor.

The author said at the beginning of this book that people are not saints and sages, but some mistakes can be made, some mistakes cannot be made, and if they are made, one mistake will become a thousand hatreds.

In a country where feudal rule has a long history and lacks democratic traditions and edification, it is unforgivable to make some progress in the building of the democratic system with some difficulty, but the desire for power is consumed by the desire to pull back the wheel of history.