The warrior's mission is to break an old world, and the legislator's mission is to build a new one, and both are equally important.

———— Tocqueville, On Democracy in America

Xuantong three years of the eighteenth month of the month, this day of spring, the end of the Xinhai year, Renzi to. This revolution that changed China did not end before the end of the Xinhai year as Zhu Chongzhen expected, but fortunately, on the day of the beginning of spring, when the old and new years alternated, I saw hope.

Zhang Yuanji sat opposite Zhu Chongzhen, holding the teacup and tasting it slowly, seemingly relaxed and freehand, but a few drops of sweat jumped out from time to time on his neck and neck, telling him that he was nervous in his heart at the moment.

Today is the time when the Constitution of the Republic of China is put to a vote in the Senate of the Republic of China Government. Counting up, from the twenty-fourth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar to the eighteenth day of the lunar month, the four-month creation can finally be temporarily over. Zhang Yuanji recalled the strong bitterness of the tea in his mouth, thinking about the various situations in April, and suddenly felt that this kind of tea was really a good tea to relieve fatigue.

In the past four months, the constitution creation committee presided over by Zhang Yuanji, with the advancement of the Xinhai Revolution, the number of people has also increased, and the quarrel has escalated. Disturbed, arguing, when people are tired, they are excited again, and the people gathered here can be regarded as the most elite scholars in China at this time. From the most intelligent group of people in China, to think that the future of China, this is not a rare thing in a thousand years?

Even the United States, when the Constitution was created, was nothing more than that.

"This kind of tea is really good tea!" Zhang Yuanji put down the teacup and said to Zhu Chongzhen opposite.

Zhu Chongzhen smiled, but remembered Zhang Yuanji's words when he tasted this kind of tea for the first time in Hawaii that day. This kind of tea is really a rare thing that the more the world has gone through it, the more it feels rare.

"Xiao Gong doesn't need to worry about anything," Zhu Chongzhen smiled lightly: "Now this Senate, although the representatives of the twenty-three provinces have gathered, in the final analysis, it is still controlled by us brains, and I join forces with Yuan Shikai, it is an absolute advantage, and the republican constitution will be passed today." ”

Although these words are the truth, they are always a bit out of place, especially in today's Qing Dynasty and the people's prosperity, what is popular on the surface must always respond to the people's will, how can it be the oligarchs to share the spoils?

Zhang Yuanji was about to open his mouth, and Ai Qing on the side had already laughed: "The decentralization of power you said, the Republic of China should be prosperous, is this how the law is prospered?" ”

"I don't see any difference between this kind of law and the time when the southeast protected each other. I can't imagine that you are talking about high-sounding and acting like this. ”

Zhu Chongzhen was hot at Ai Qing's words, and laughed self-deprecatingly, but said to the two: "The two of you have also read Zhu's "A Brief History of the American Political System", and when you know that when the United States was first founded, it was just an alliance between family oligarchs. It has been more than 100 years since the founding of the United States that the United States has now become in this situation. How can we, the ship of China, reverse course and turn into a republic in an instant? Now there is such a constitution, which will continue as a legal system, and over time, it will also have the essence of a republic. ”

"You will use such grandiose words to deceive people," Ai Qing still smiled: "As you said, I'm afraid that you and I will not see the day when the true meaning of the republic will come to China in this life and this life!" ”

The two replied to each other, which made Zhang Yuanji on the side feel strange, he didn't know who this Ai Qing was, and he dared to tease Zhu Chongzhen everywhere, but before he could think about it, a person rushed out of the door of the Senate and ran towards the restaurant from afar. Ran downstairs, without going through the stairs, directly lifted his figure, and jumped in through the window. Zhang Yuanji fixed his eyes, but it was Fang Xinru.

"Big brother, there's a lot of noise in the Senate right now. Song Jiaoren made a temporary change to come up with a constitution of the cabinet and prime minister, and it was also put to a vote. ”

"This is interesting," Zhu Chongzhen was stunned for a moment, and then smiled, "Xiao Gong, isn't this Song Dunchu not in the Constitution Creation Committee recently?" ”

"Childe is right," Zhang Yuanji nodded, "Since Huang Xin was beheaded in front of the Senate, Song Jiaoren and Ju Zheng have left the Constitution Creation Committee. ”

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen the first genius of the Alliance in Mr. Taiyan's mouth," Zhu Chongzhen said as he stood up, "I can see this person today." ”

At this time, there was already a lot of noise in the council, and all of them were old men from the Alliance. Led by Wang Zhaoming and Song Jiaoren, the two gentlemen of the alliance!

"Song Dunchu, what do you mean?" Wang Zhaoming shouted: "People can't stand without faith, the republican constitution is the program of our association, and Sun Zaizhi has also been inaugurated as the first president, why do you want to change the foundation of the country at this time?" If you do this, where will you put the current provisional government of the Republic of China?! ”

Why did Wang Zhaoming appear in the Senate? It turned out that the representatives of Zhili Province were Wang Zhaoming and Yang Du, and today's parliament, in the final analysis, was just a rubber stamp job. For example, everyone knows that China wants to implement a republican constitution, and this republican constitution is also created by the elites of the constitution, the party, and the local people, and it has long been approved by everyone. Who knew that in the middle of the agenda, suddenly this variable came out.

How could this Song Jiaoren invalidate months of hard work and draft another set of constitutions in a few days? Just because after the king of Han appeared in Nanjing, he first issued a seven-killing order and slaughtered most of the revolutionaries in the south; You must know that in the revolution of Xinhai this year, the real territory of the League is only Shanghai controlled by Chen Qimei, and the rest of the southern parts of the country belong to the Restoration Society and local parties. Killing Chen Qimei is to cut off the foundation of the Alliance, and the Alliance will no longer have the capital to compete with other provinces.

But this is not the real reason for Song Jiaoren's change of mind. The real reason is what Sun Wen said to Huang Xin after he was beheaded. Because of these words, Song Jiaoren knew Zhu Chongzhen's true face, and he also had doubts about Yuan Shikai, not to mention Song Jiaoren's original heart, and he was most inclined to the French political system. Therefore, in seven days, he used the previous foundation to create a temporary law for the prime minister's system. Of course, there is also some consideration of Song Jiaoren, you must know that if you really want to implement the cabinet prime minister system, he Song Jiaoren is full of confidence in this first cabinet premier.

"Jingwei, don't be presumptuous. You must know that China is not the United States, and it is absolutely impossible for her to become a republic overnight. France's cabinet and prime minister system is a hypocritical republic, which is the most suitable political system for China at this time! ”

"I think you're the same as Sun Zaizhi, the power of the stack, right? When you talk about the reality of China, wouldn't the republican presidential system of the head of state be more in line with that? Wang Zhaoming said coldly: "In the final analysis, I'm afraid that you are doing it in your heart!" Unexpectedly, I, Wang Zhaoming, an innocent gentleman, will be with people like you today. Then Sun Wen is reluctant to give up the position of president, you are practicing the French cabinet prime minister system today, I am afraid it will pave the way for you in the future, right? ”

Zhu Chongzhen and the others walked into the council hall, and happened to hear Wang Zhaoming's heart-wrenching remarks, and several people looked at each other, only to see that except for Zhang Yuanji frowning, the remaining three people were all swooping and laughing.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, when the imperial examination was opened, the family members such as those with five surnames often ridiculed the frivolity of the Jinshi.

In this council chamber, there was a seat for observers, so that in the future deliberations, the citizens were randomly selected to come in and listen to the deliberations for the purpose of supervision. This time is no exception, the auditor seats in the west hall are crowded with people, but most of them are people invited by Zhu Chongzhen and Aiqing from all over the world.

There was still a lot of arguing in the council hall, so naturally they didn't notice Zhu Chongzhen and the four of them coming in. But someone in the auditorium was bored listening, so he looked around and looked at the layout in the hall, who expected, when he turned his head, he saw Ai Qing appear at the door, the person was startled, and hurriedly got up to greet him.

"You...... How did you come? The man bowed down and asked Ai Qing in a low voice.

Ai Qing looked at it, but it was Wang Shizhen, "Pingqing is here?" Is everything settled in the city of Beijing? ”

"It's been sorted out, there is Xiangcheng here, there will be no big problem." Wang Shizhen replied respectfully.

Zhu Chongzhen glanced at Wang Shizhen a few times, he knew that the thin figure in front of him was the first strategist of the Qing Sect, and also the future father Fan Zeng in the Chu and Han Rebellion, and it was also the think tank that Ai Qing did not want Yuan Shikai to carry too much, so he specially left behind.

Although they met softly, their identities were not trivial after all. The boiling council hall seemed to have been suddenly splashed with a basin of ice water, and suddenly it became audible for pins to fall.

Zhu Chongzhen seemed to have nothing to do, and when Ai Qing and Wang Shizhen met, he walked to the auditorium by himself, and saw that Sun Wen was already seated, so he bowed his hand and saluted, and then picked a few vacant seats casually, and after Zhang Yuanji sat down, he also sat down.

With Zhu Chongzhen, Ai Qing, and Zhang Yuanji here, no one dared to speak easily among the representatives selected by the provinces in the council hall.

It is implied in the book that the original parliament, according to Article 9 of Chapter II of the "Outline of the Organization of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China" adopted on February 1 of the foreign calendar, stipulated that the number of senators per province was limited to three people, and the method of dispatch was determined by the provincial governors, but after Zhu Chongzhen appeared in Nanjing, he relied on the seal of the king of Han to ask the governors of each province to appoint their own parliamentarians, and one person must be the representative of the governor; One is a local party member; One person is the representative of a local famous family, so the three parties are restrained to represent the will of the people. So at this time, there were actually 69 members in the council chamber. Among these 69 people, Ai Qing had the greatest influence. Zhu Chongzhen is the second king of Han in the name of translating books, and the alliance will have the least influence.

Seeing such a scene, Speaker Lin Sen couldn't help but smile awkwardly, "Since you have no more arguments, then let's vote." Now that there are two sets of constitutional proposals, one is the presidential system of the American Republic, and the other is the French cabinet prime minister's system, and the voting rights held by the monarchs are now about to determine the future state system of China. I ask all members of Parliament to consider carefully and perform their duties conscientiously. ”

With that, he waved his hand, and the people waiting next to him sent the ballots to each councillor's case in turn, and waited for about a quarter of an hour for the deputies to write their ballots.

After the votes were collected, the votes were sung for more than half an hour, and the voting results came out. Lin Sen looked at the ballots on the blackboard, he couldn't help but feel a little lost, he looked back, and saw that Song Jiaoren was also defeated, so he sighed, stood up, and announced loudly to the audience:

"Today, on the first day of the Year of the Rat, the constitution of the Republic of China was born, and the state system of the Republic of China is the republican presidential system!"

The hall was silent, and after a while, a few crisp applause rang out in the hall, but it was Zhu Chongzhen who took the lead in applauding. With him leading, everyone seemed to come back to their senses and cheered violently. A few of them were excited, and they hugged each other with Western etiquette.

The Republic of China, on the first day of the new year, has finally been founded!

Song Jiaoren was in a gloomy mood, but in just a moment, he was infected by the atmosphere in this council hall, and he also cheered loudly. At this moment, Yang Du was the only one who was indifferent, sitting on the chair and looking coldly at the cheering crowd.

In the midst of the cheers, Song Jiaoren suddenly felt that someone patted him on the shoulder, he looked back, but it was Zhu Chongzhen behind him, he was startled, but saw Zhu Chongzhen leaning into his ear and saying:

"To be a prime minister is to be a president! Two years later, the party election will be the time to show off your talents! ”