The article describing the relationship between Yuan Shikai and Tang Shaoyi continues:

Yuan Shikai, who was aggrieved, quickly began to fight back, first Zhao Bingjun disappeared as soon as he had a meeting, and Lu Zhengxiang seemed to be more obsessed with dredging the sewers in front of the foreign affairs department. Holding a cabinet meeting, either this is something, or that is not enough, seeing that it is difficult to maintain under the demolition, Huang Xing's telegrams asking for money have been sent one after another.

After all, after the Wuchang Uprising, more than 300,000 stragglers gathered around Nanjing, all of whom regarded themselves as heroes, and it took money to dismiss these people. Tang Shaoyi, who had no money, faced the constraints of foreigners when borrowing, and decided not to borrow in a fit of anger.

Yuan Shikai took over a near-bankrupt **, there are more places to use money, how can I do it without money? How can you live without money? He instructed Finance Minister Xiong Xiling to continue to negotiate with the Bank of Six Nations, which was tantamount to clearly kicking Tang Shaoyi out.

One day, Tang Shaoyi had something to report to President Yuan. As soon as he saw Yuan Shikai, he didn't have a good face, and before Tang Shaoyi finished talking about the matter, he said very unceremoniously: 'Shaochuan, I'm already old, you can be the president'. Tang was first shocked, and then thought that he had become an 'undesirable persona non grata' in this 'presidential palace'. ”

The above description is certainly an exaggeration. Maybe the people around Yuan Shikai are used to groveling, and there is an upright person who walks upright, but in their eyes, he has become different.

Nanjing Provisional Government. When the government and the provisional senate hurriedly formulated the "Provisional Covenant Law", in order to check Yuan Shikai's power, they actually implemented the "cabinet system" in the national system, that is to say, the executive power is mainly in the cabinet. Moreover, the Provisional Statute makes it clear that the Cabinet is responsible not only to the President, but also to the Diet, which is then the Provisional Senate.

Tang Shaoyi has accepted the democratic and republican ideas of Tang Shaoyi, as the cabinet president. After the reason, it is normal to exercise power in strict accordance with the "Provisional Covenant Law" and to perform one's duties. To be sure, Tang Shaoyi really did nothing wrong.

However, Yuan Shikai does not think so. In his opinion, he is the great president, and he has the final say. He didn't care about the "Provisional Constitution," let alone the "cabinet system," and he would give instructions and orders to the cabinet if he wanted to decide. Tang Shaoyi didn't want to compete with anyone for power, but when it came to such a major matter as the implementation of the "Provisional Covenant Law", of course, it could not be compromised. In this way, it is inevitable to frequently reject Yuan Shikai's decision-making and fight with Yuan Shikai for some issues.

was treated coldly by Yuan Shikai, Tang Shaoyi was also very aggrieved, but he felt that there was no way to do it, and firmly believed that if he did not take responsibility, he would be entrusted by the president. Yuan Shikai didn't accept his affection, but just decided that Tang Shaoyi was no longer his partner, and he "wouldn't listen to himself anymore". Yuan Shikai, who has long been accustomed to monopolizing power, is a great president who has worked hard to get it, how can he allow himself to become the president. The "hypocrite" above?

Tang Shaoyi and Yuan Shikai did not have the same views on employment, finance, and compliance with the provisions of the "Provisional Covenant Law." In terms of fundraising, Tang Shaoyi rejected the unreasonable request of the British, American, German, and French banking groups to supervise China's finances, which made Yuan Shikai very unhappy, and at the same time, he also offended Britain and the United States and other powers, and was attacked by them.

It is obvious that the rift between Tang Shaoyi and Yuan Shikai has become deeper and deeper, reaching the point where it cannot be bridged. The direct cause of Tang Shaoyi's resignation was the appointment of the governor of Zhili.

When the Senate was still in Nanjing, the Senate stipulated that all provincial governors should be renamed governors, and the Consultative Bureau should be changed to provincial councils, and the governors should be elected by the provincial councils.

Zhili representatives Gu Zhongxiu, Liu Ruozeng and others considered the commander of the Third Army stationed in Nanjing, and Wang Zhixiang, the former deputy governor of Guangxi, had some prestige, and felt that he was also a good person, and it was suitable to be the governor of Zhili, so he recommended it to Tang Shaoyi. Tang Shaoyi also had a good impression of Wang Zhixiang, and immediately agreed.

The revolutionaries in the south thought it was a good idea, Yuan Shikai could not come to Nanjing, and it was not bad to arrange his own people in Zhili. In advance, Tang Shaoyi asked Yuan Shikai for his opinion, but Yuan Shikai did not object. Tang Shaoyi immediately informed the Shunzhi Council (including the Shuntianfu Zhili Council). The Zhili Council approved Wang Zhixiang's decision to serve as the governor of Zhili through the necessary procedures.

After this decision was reported to Tang Shaoyi, Tang Shaoyi sent a telegram to Yuan Shikai: "The quasi-senate message and the letters and telegrams from various places all say that the governor of this province should first be elected by the people, and then appointed by the presidential committee. ”

Sun Yat-sen also sent a telegram to Yuan Shikai for this purpose, asking him to appoint him in accordance with the resolution of the direct meeting. Ask him to sign the appointment.

At the beginning, when Tang Shaoyi asked Yuan Shikai for instructions, Yuan Shikai may not have paid much attention to it, and perhaps he didn't think about it seriously. Now that things are really done, Yuan Shikai quit.

Zhili is its own territory, how can outsiders be allowed to intervene. By his side, there is a revolutionary who holds great military and political power, is this worth it? The so-called collapsed side does not allow others to sleep soundly.

So he replied to Tang Shaoyi: "The governor is elected by the local government, or by the middle. The central government appointed, which was fixed after the establishment of the National Assembly. However, as far as the present situation is concerned, the governors of the three northern provinces are appointed by this president, and there is absolutely no reason to change them. If the Senate wishes to compel the annulment of an order that has been issued, the President shall be removed from office. ”

It can be seen from here that Mr. Zhongshan and the Senate legislated as a "tight spell" of the Senate, and Yuan Shikai did not take it seriously at all.

How can the power to appoint officials be relinquished! Otherwise, who still revolves around him, who still takes him seriously! Didn't you want him to die?

After Tang Shaoyi returned to Beijing, he talked to Yuan Shikai about Wang Zhixiang's appointment as the governor of Zhili, but Yuan Shikai did not seem to refuse, but said that it was inconvenient to announce it for a while.

Such a good friend can even trust him with life and death, since he has already made up his mind not to do it, why don't you tell the truth?

It can be seen that Yuan Shikai, like many politicians like him, has higher status, greater power, and greater suspicion.

What's more, now, Tang Shaoyi is no longer his own person in his eyes.

After Wang Zhixiang arrived in Beijing, Yuan Shikai was full of praise for him on the surface, invited him to dinner, gave him heavy gifts, and hired him as a senior consultant. secretly discussed with Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang and others to use their own ways to control their bodies.

Didn't Tang Shaoyi say that Wang Zhixiang "belongs to the will of the people in Beiyang"? Just-for-tat to "Beiyang military will oppose". The secret order of the Zhili Fifth Route Army suddenly sent a telegram opposing Wang Zhixiang's appointment as the governor of Zhili, and sent anonymous letters all over the place, intimidating people from all walks of life who advocated Wang Zhixiang's appointment as the governor of Zhili.

On 2 June, Yuan Shikai issued two orders at the same time, one of which was: "The governor is in charge of the civil and military affairs, and the responsibility is heavy, and the power of appointment and dismissal should be exercised by the central authorities." The people of this province cannot "refuse at will," and he also proposed to investigate whether the telegram requesting Wang Zhixiang to be appointed as the governor of the prefecture under the direct command was "a traitor who used his name to telegraph without permission." If so, they should be severely punished in accordance with the law.

Another order was to "reprimand" soldiers not to "welcome and reject the commander-in-chief" and "not to allow soldiers to interfere in politics." On the surface, it is to uphold justice, and 50 boards are played on both sides, but in fact, the real intention is to invalidate the appointment of Wang Zhixiang.

That's not all, Yuan Shikai also proposed to let Wang Zhixiang serve as the Xuanfu envoy in Nanjing, assist Huang Xing, and disband the troops. Tang Shaoyi held that Wang Zhixiang's appointment of office has a bearing on the power and prestige of the first cabinet of the Republic of China, as well as on the authority of the "Provisional Covenant" and the Provisional Senate; if it is not upheld, the cabinet will certainly be reduced to a subsidiary organ of the Presidential Office in the future, and the "Provisional Constitution" will certainly become a dead letter. For the sake of the country and the nation, democracy and republicanism, we cannot afford not to fight and let things go unchecked.

Therefore, he refused to accept Yuan Shikai's opinion, and persuaded Yuan Shikai to respect the law and not to lose his trust in the people of Zhili.

Yuan Shikai made his words clear: "Wang is a revolutionary, if he makes the governor straight, it will be tantamount to luring a wolf into the house, and in the future he will unite with the south, and we will still have leeway." ”

Tang Shaoyi said: "I have already promised others, I have promised before, how can I break my promise now?" ”

Yuan Shikai said: "You agreed, I didn't hear it." ”

Tang Shaoyi said: "This is the power of the responsible cabinet, and I want to publish it. ”

Yuan Shikai said: "If I don't seal it, can it take effect?" ”

Yuan Shikai did not stamp Tang Shaoyi's documents, and Tang Shaoyi did not sign Yuan Shikai's documents to boycott.

On 15 June, Yuan Shikai actually sent a letter of appointment to Wang Zhixiang that was not signed by the prime minister.

Under the Provisional Statute, presidential decrees cannot be effective without countersignature by the Cabinet. Yuan Shikai's doing so was obviously a flagrant violation of the "Provisional Covenant Law" and an act of undermining the republic, which should have been sanctioned.

However, most people in the Senate regarded this incident as a personal dispute between Yuan Shikai and Tang Shaoyi, and did not pay due attention to it, let alone give Tang Shaoyi the support he deserved.

Only a few people, including Gu Zhongxiu, raised questions, accusing Yuan Shikai of trampling on the Senate resolution and ordering it to be cancelled.

Yuan Shikai argued: "According to Article 34 of the Provisional Covenant, the Provisional President appoints and dismisses civil and military personnel. However, the Nanjing Resolution had not been incorporated into the Provisional Covenant before the Provisional Covenant, and of course the Nanjing Resolution should be invalid in accordance with the Covenant. ”

Talking only about the "Provisional Treaty" that the president has the power to appoint civil and military personnel, not talking about the "Provisional Treaty" The presidential decree cannot take effect without a countersignature by the cabinet. There is a clear pragmatic attitude towards the Provisional Statute. If you use the "Provisional Covenant", you will take it out and say it, and throw it aside without the "Provisional Covenant".

And Wang Zhixiang, who Tang Shaoyi fought for him, was not angry, and took a large amount of money that far exceeded the actual need, and after Yuan Shikai reminded him that the remaining part did not have to be handed over, he felt that this propaganda and appeasement made him more oily and watery, and he went to take office in a hurry. Nanjing finally found the nail that wanted to insert Yuan Shikai's one-third of an acre of land, but was kicked back by Yuan Shikai in this way.