Generally speaking, after the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, countries adopted a wait-and-see attitude, followed by varying degrees and methods of intervention according to their own interests in China.

As an Englishman in China, Morrison first showed a welcome attitude towards the Xinhai Revolution, and he quickly reported to the world the events in China, showing that China itself was capable of building a new state of its own.

He demonstrated this belief by supporting a series of reports and campaigns by Yuan Shikai. As his understanding continues to deepen, his reporting also shows phased differences.

In the end, because of his support for Yuan Shikai, he showed the world that Yuan Shikai was the only hope for China, and provided a reliable basis for the foreign powers to support Yuan Shikai.

George Ernest Morrison, an Australian-born Scotsman, graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1887 with a degree in medicine. In 1897, Morrison was recognized by the British newspaper The Times and hired as a correspondent in China, thus beginning his career in China that lasted for more than 20 years.

In May 1920, an Englishman died in London, having lived in China for decades, serving as chief correspondent for The Times, political adviser to the President of The Republic of China, and receiving the Order of Jiahe from Yuan Shikai.

As a journalist, he has experienced or witnessed all the historical changes from the Wuxu Reform, the signing of the Xinchou Contract, the New Deal at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Russo-Japanese War, the funeral of the emperor and the queen, and the Xinhai Revolution.

As a political adviser to the Republic of China, he participated in the process of consolidating Yuan Shikai's rule, helping China to fight against Japan's "Twenty-One Articles" political blackmail, and pushing China to participate in the European War, but opposing Yuan Shikai's claim to be emperor.

Even though he was seriously ill, he was still revising documents for the Chinese delegation at the Paris Peace Conference. He regarded China as his second home, and during his lifetime he took thousands of precious photographs, leaving a precious photographic record of Chinese history during that time, he was George Ernest Morrison.

This is a man who sincerely helps China and the Chinese people, and we should remember him.

Of course, the attitude of the great powers is, above all, driven by their respective interests in China. Just as the consuls of Britain, Japan, Germany, the United States, France, and Russia stationed in Shanghai said in the same note: "The continuation of the war in China will put the material interests and safety of foreigners in great danger. ”

After the second meeting, the "North-South peace talks" reached a deadlock, and the "republican" as the base point insisted by the South became an insurmountable hurdle.

Tang Shaoyi's heart was more anxious than anyone else, and he, like the southern deputies, longed for the republic and the country to be free from war.

He knew that he was not representing the Qing court, but Yuan Shikai, and he knew Yuan Shikai's difficulties even more.

How could a prime minister of the Qing court be in favor of a republic? Not to mention the military superiority.

How can you solve a puzzle?

After some hard thinking, Tang Shaoyi finally thought of a way. It is to convene a national assembly with representatives from each province to decide on the state system.

Tang Shaoyi was very happy, and he felt that the National Assembly would definitely support the republic. In this way, Yuan Shikai also has the step of public opinion.

Tang Shaoyi first sent a telegram to Yuan Shikai.

Judging from the information from all sides, Yuan Shikai already knew that the throne of the great president would definitely not fall.

Because the national body was blocked, Yuan Shikai was also very anxious. Although he said every day that "the world receives the favor of the country and is loyal to the country", he doesn't know whether others believe it or not, but he definitely doesn't believe it himself.

However, it is really impossible to let him say the words of betrayal of the imperial court himself.

Bullying an orphan and widow is too unbearable. If it is decided by the National Assembly, it is not his business Yuan Shikai, he thinks Tang Shaoyi's idea is really good.

Yuan Shikai consulted with his senior counselor Xu Shichang, and Xu Shichang also thought that Tang Shaoyi's idea was good. However, there is a problem that cannot be solved, although Yuan Shikai is now in power, on the surface, whether to agree or not to agree to convene a national assembly to decide the national system, not he Yuan Shikai or the cabinet can decide, it must be through the Qing court.

So, he and Xu Shichang agreed to kick the ball to the Empress Dowager Longyu and let her hold a pre-imperial meeting to discuss the decision.

In order to reduce resistance, Yuan Shikai specially went to visit Yixuan and told him about the current grim situation. In fact, he was taught how to speak at the meeting and guide everyone.

The next day, Yuan Shikai and the Minister of State handed over the fold.

The excerpt is mainly quoted from Tang Shaoyi's words, which reads: "Tang Shaoyi had nothing to do, and he thought about it painstakingly, thinking that the only way to do it was to quickly convene the National Assembly, solicit representatives from all provinces, and put the monarch and the republic into a referendum." His last two telegrams simply said: 'If the other party adheres to the republic, if it does not recognize it, it will strike, and if it does not recognize it, it will break up, and if it breaks, the overall situation will be eroded.

"Think about the resurgence of war, how about the expenditure? What about ordnance? How can you be sure of the odds? In case of setback, the enemy is under the city, how can the throne and nobles be preserved? How can the lives and property of outsiders be protected? Unfortunately, it fell apart, and the whole country was degraded, how could he treat the monarch's father? What about the people?

"If the parliament is convened, public opinion is adopted, and the monarchy can be decided, it will not be a great thing! The republic will be resolved, and the treatment of the royal family will be excellent, and the future of China will be happy. The difference between gains and losses is more serious. If it is delayed any longer, the scourge will be established'. It is also said: 'There are only three days left in the current armistice. If the decree of the National Assembly is not effectively accepted, and there is no hope of an armistice, it is bound to break up, and the only way to resign as a representative is to resign on the same day. to self-incrimination' and so on.

"When the ministers received it, they were worried. Observe the people's sentiment internally, and the appearance is the general trend. It's really forced here, and there is no way to turn around. Words and words are exhausted, and words and wars are scarce. That is, as requested by Tang Shaoyi to vote in the National Assembly, and use the method of proper election to elect qualified representatives. The procedures and the time period are beyond the scope of the event.

"The Revolutionary Party can't wait, and it doesn't know if it will listen; It is also difficult to predict how the form of government will be decided. It is a matter of survival, and the solution is not what the cabinet ministers dare to do. The only way to do this is to call for a hasty meeting of the princes of the clan branch and ask for a decree. to set the big picture. ”

After the Empress Dowager Longyu watched the recital, she looked at Yuan Shikai, meaning to ask: Is there no other way?

Yuan Shikai made a very embarrassed and helpless look. Coming out of the court, Yuan Shikai was relaxed and handed over this problem to the Empress Dowager Longyu and the royal family to solve, and he was exempted from any suspicion.

The Empress Dowager Longyu had no other way, and the matter was very urgent, so she convened a public meeting of King Zongzhi the next day to discuss.

The Empress Dowager Longyu first asked someone to read the cabinet's recital and asked everyone to express their opinions.

Yixuan was the first to speak, and explained Yuan Shikai's theory of the situation to him, and the final conclusion was that there was no other choice but to agree. The rest of the people, except for Zai Ze and Yu Lang, also echoed Yixuan.

Seeing that the majority of the people agreed, the Empress Dowager Longyu immediately notified Yuan Shikai that Tang Shaoyi had requested it, and asked Wu Tingfang to strike the army first, and the cabinet would quickly draw up election methods and implement the agreement.

On the night that the Qing court promulgated the edict, Tang Shaoyi received a telegram from Yuan Shikai. On 29 December, the North-South peace talks in Shanghai resumed.

Regarding the content of Yuan Shikai's telegram, the record of the meeting only recorded what Tang Shaoyi said: "Last night, I received an order from Yuan's cabinet, instructing me to order Your Excellency to convene a national assembly to decide on the issue of monarchical democracy. ”

According to the telegram sent by Wu Tingfang to Li Yuanhong and the governors of various provinces, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expeditionary Coalition Army, the Nanjing delegation, and the Tianjin "People's Opinion" on the day of the meeting, the content is more detailed and different:

Today, Tang envoy said: Since the first session of the first lunar month, the Japanese general has sent a telegram to Yuan's cabinet in favor of the republic, and yesterday he received a telegram from Yuan instructing the National Assembly to hold a national meeting to decide on the republican issue by the majority. After the decision, both parties must comply. ”

When the National Assembly was convened, Yuan Shikai's telegram said that the monarchy democracy would be decided, while Wu Tingfang emphasized the republican orientation, and whether the existence or abolition of the monarchy was deliberately avoided was still under consideration.

From the very beginning, the Kuomintang insisted on taking the implementation of the republican system as a prerequisite for peace talks; before that, Wu Tingfang had said that the republic was the basis point of the North-South peace talks, but when the talks were held again, Wu Tingfang easily agreed to Yuan Shikai's request, which was tantamount to giving up the established principled stand for peace talks.

In this regard, Wu Tingfang explained: "The republicanism of the court and Italy has become the trend of the people of the whole country, and there is no need to hold a meeting to observe the people's feelings, but Yuan wants to avoid war and has the heart to obey the will of the people, so this can also be one of the ways to solve the current problems." Because of the discussion with the Tang envoy. ”

When the peace talks reached an impasse again, Wu Tingfang replied to the questions of the Nanjing delegation, explaining in detail and with the same meaning: "It is a remarkable fact that the majority of the people today tend to be republican, and the Tang envoys, especially those who want to open the National Assembly, only want the Qing Emperor to obey the majority of the people's will as a fame of abdication, and spread it to all countries, knowing that the Republic of China is the opinion of the majority of the people, so that the Qing Emperor will obey and not use military force in vain, especially civilized treatment, which is a glorious thing in history, so the court thinks it is feasible." As for the provinces of the Republic of China, there is absolutely no reason to apply the election law established by the Qing Dynasty. ”

When the Qing Emperor abdicated and Wen Zongyao, Wang Zhaoming and others resigned as representatives of the peace talks, Wu Tingfang claimed that the convening of the National Assembly would depend on the majority in order to determine the national system

Among those who participated in the peace talks in the south, Wang Jingwei, a member of the delegation, who strongly advocated a referendum on the state form of government by the National Assembly, and although his influence was not as strong as expected, the activities carried out by Wang Zhaoming and Yang Du still played an important role on key issues.