In the public concession, deep on the second floor of the Hongzi Hall, Zhang Yuanji's eyes were slightly closed, as if he was recuperating his spirits. Ignoring the noisy whispers around him. At the top of the stairs, there were still people hurrying up the stairs, and they were quickly arranged to sit down.

Zhang Yuanji was thinking for a long time, thinking about the origin of all this four months ago.

In June, it rains in the south of the Yangtze River. Shanghai was hazy, and Zhu Qiu suddenly came.

"Do you know about the events in Guangzhou in April?" Zhu Qiu stood under the eaves, stretched out his hand, and then it rained.

"I heard that it was extremely tragic, the elite of the Alliance, and it was lost!" Zhang Yuanji also sighed incomparably.

Zhu Qiu suddenly stepped into the rain, looked up at the sky, the sky was like a dome, the rain was like a hanging silk, hitting his face, but it seemed to be the tears of the old swimmer.

"The Manchu Qing Dynasty is already doomed," Zhu Qiu turned his head sideways and looked at Zhang Yuanji, his face was mottled with water, "First the imperial cabinet, then the railway is state-owned, the Manchu Qing Dynasty has reined in the financial power of the regime in the hands of the nobles, and cut itself off from the Han people, this Qing Dynasty, the gas has been exhausted!" ”

Zhang Yuanji let out a long sigh and was silent. What else is there to say? He was full of enthusiasm back then, participated in the change of the law in the year of Wuxu, and wanted the country to be rich and the people strong. The result? The head was bled and his life was almost lost. In the past few years, the Manchu Qing Dynasty has moved out the changes of the Wuxu year, and everyone still has some hope, but as soon as the imperial cabinet came out on May 8, it chilled the hearts of all Han people. The Manchu constitutional monarchy was, after all, nothing more than a farce.

"What are you going to do?" Zhang Yuanji asked Zhu Qiu, who was standing in the rain.

"I want to go to Guangzhou first to pay tribute to the dead martyrs." Zhu Qiu's voice was a little lonely, "I heard that there is a meaning to protect the railway in various places, after the memorial service, I set off from Guangzhou, along the Guangdong-Hanzhou, Sichuan-Han two railways to the north, along the road to respond, at most three months, will make the south boil, and then I will take the opportunity to start an incident, the army to recover China." ”

Zhang Yuanji listened silently, after the events in Hawaii, he would not doubt Zhu Qiu's ability, "What do you want me to do when you come to see me?" ”

"I'd like to ask Shinoko to help me!"

"But it doesn't hurt to talk about it."

"At this time, China was in turmoil, the people's wisdom was not opened, and most of the scholars did not understand the true meaning of Western learning; The party elite died in the first battle in Guangzhou, and the rest were mostly scholars or helpers, which was not helpful. I'm only worried that at that time, I raised the banner of righteousness, but instead did Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, so that the nobles of the six countries took the opportunity to rise up, divide the localities, and conquer each other. If the world comes to such a point, there are feudal towns inside, and foreign powers watching, I am afraid that the disaster of the war of the five dynasties in the late Tang Dynasty will be repeated! At that time, the country was not a country, but I became a sinner in China through the ages! ”

Hearing Zhu Qiu's words, Zhang Yuanji was a little moved. In the past few years since he joined the Han line, he has been well-informed, and he knows that there are secret societies of local party members in various places, and the programs are very different. Although the League claims to be the great union of associations in the country, in fact the discipline is lax and the headquarters has no authority. If it is true that the banner of rebellion has been raised in various places, and the Han Dynasty has been destroyed, I am afraid that no one will be willing to live under each other. Zhu Qiu's concern is not groundless.

"Yes, you're worried!" Zhang Yuanji said, "But what is the countermeasure? ”

Although it was only drizzling at this time, Zhu Qiu's clothes were gradually wet while he was talking.

"If everything goes as expected on this trip, I will raise righteousness in Wuchang," Zhu Qiu said quietly, looking into the distance to the west, "and then take the three towns of Wuhan in the next three days, and rectify the soldiers and horses for seven days, and after ten days, I will divide my troops into three routes, all the way north along the Jinghan Railway, and block the Qing army at Wusheng Pass; All the way to the east of the Yangtze River, with the help of the Restoration Society, sweeping the southeast; The other way went south, flattening the southwest and Huguang. I will do my best to recover the southern kingdom within two months, so as to avoid the disaster of the feudal town. ”

"But you want me to raise money for the military?" Zhang Yuanji asked.

"On the military journey, Xiao Gong doesn't need to worry too much. I've been planning for years, and there will be no surprises. Zhu Qiu shook his head: "What I need Xiao Gong to do is another big thing." ”

"At present, China's finances are in the hands of Britain and France, and Germany, the United States, Russia, and Japan are eyeing each other, and the war should not be postponed for too long. I intend that after the restoration of the southern kingdom, I will ask the north and the south to negotiate peace, create a Chinese constitution, reform the political system, and decentralize political power to the people. Xiao Gong is known as a prestige among scholars, and this liaison with scholars from all over the country to create a constitution is also asked to take care of it! ”

After listening to Zhu Qiu's words, Zhang Yuanji only felt that a big mountain was pressing down, and he was a little out of breath. Since the failure of the reform of the law in the year of Wuxu, he has cut himself off from politics, and has only been immersed in collecting classics, sorting out classics, and publishing classics all these years, never thinking that he will have a day to return to his official career.

"Childe is only afraid of looking down on me," Zhang Yuanji smiled bitterly, "I'm not a heroic ...... who ascends to the top and shouts and responds to a large number of people."

"Xiao Gong thinks, do I have someone else to trust?" Zhu Qiu didn't wait for Zhang Yuanji to finish speaking, then interjected and asked.

Zhang Yuanji was stunned for a moment, and before he could answer, Zhu Qiu said faintly: "The country is like this, Xiao Gong thinks, do you and I still have a way out?" ”

"Do you and I have a way out?" Zhu Qiu's words kept ringing in Zhang Yuanji's ears, and he closed his eyes slightly, but his heart was actually as solid as a rock. At this time, Shen Manyun walked up to Zhang Yuanji and said softly: "Xiao Zhai, the people have almost arrived. ”

Zhang Yuanji nodded, opened his eyes, stood up, and saw that the second floor of the huge Hongzi Hall was already full at this time, and there were both old and young people at the banquet, including old Confucians with braids, and young people with handsome short hair, but most of them were famous. Zhang Yuanji greeted all the visitors and bowed his hand.

The voices that had been a little noisy suddenly fell silent. Quietly, I'm afraid that even if your hair falls to the ground, you can hear it really.

"I know what you're here for." Zhang Yuanji said solemnly: "Yuanji is here, with the reputation of my Zhang family for hundreds of years as a guarantee, what you see in the book is true, Zhu Fangsheng, who translated the book, is indeed a descendant of Zhu Ming, and his ancestor was Emperor Jianwen of that year!" ”

Zhang Yuanji said a few words, but it was like throwing a boulder on the calm lake, the waves were upturning, and the voices of people were boiling.

"Everyone, please be quiet," a white-haired old man stood up, on the second floor of the originally noisy Hongzi Guild Hall, as soon as he saw him stand up, he instantly fell silent again, "Xiao Zhai, let me ask you, what do you want to do when you publish the translations of Zhu Ming's descendants?" Do you also want to be like the thugs of the party and oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore sight? ”

Zhang Yuanji looked at it, but it was Zhang Jian. "Brother Ji, do you know that now the three towns of Wuhan have fallen into the hands of Zhu Chongzhen, who translated the book?"

Zhang Jian was stunned, not only was he stunned, but everyone present was stunned. The news that Zhang Yuanji spit out was really more shocking than the descendants of Zhu Ming just now.

"Xiao Zhai, where did you get the news from the fall of Wuhan?" Zhang Jian was well-informed, but in a moment, he eased up and asked tightly.

Before Zhang Yuanji could answer, a thin man in his thirties suddenly stood up on the west side of the second floor, and he said loudly: "Late birth is a human witness!" On the night of August 19, Zhu Chongzhen took the Wuchang New Army to raise righteousness, and now he has recovered the three towns of Wuhan, and is now preparing for the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains in Wuchang! ”

There was someone in the audience who recognized it, and said loudly: "He is Tian Ziqin of the Alliance!" ”

Zhang Jian was still a little hard to believe, although he had already received the news, he still couldn't believe it. Zhang Jian was hesitating, Tian Tong had already taken out the telegram drafted by Zhu Chongzhen from his arms, strode in front of Zhang Yuanji, and handed it to Zhang Yuanji, when he came to Shanghai, Zhu Chongzhen told him that someone in Shanghai would answer, but Tian Tong did not expect that it was Zhang Yuanji who reformed the law in the past.

Zhang Yuanji unfolded the telegram and saw that the ink on it was clear, and it was indeed Zhu Qiu's handwriting.

"Er Qing Dynasty, the number of qi is exhausted! The imperial system must die, and the Republic of China should be established! Zhang Yuanji read aloud.

"The imperial system must die, and the Republic of China should be established!" When Zhang Jian heard these eight words, he couldn't help but feel a little sour in his heart. He led the team into Beijing three times, petitioned the Qing Dynasty, and set up a congress, but returned disappointed three times. Deep down, I have already become desperate.

"So, then Zhu Chongzhen, didn't he come to restore his Zhu Ming dynasty?" Zhang Jian asked.

"Of course not," Tian Tong hurriedly said, "Zhu Gongzi has already set up a legislative council in Wuchang, is creating the Ezhou Prefecture Law, and clearly stated that he will use the United States as a model to create a republic, where will the imperial system be restored?" ”

Hearing Tian Tong's words, Zhang Jian was still expressionless, his two eyes were still staring at Zhang Yuanji, obviously Tian Tong's words, he didn't believe it very much.

Zhang Yuanji smiled lightly and said, "Brother Ji, haven't you read the latest translation published by my Business Museum?" The translation is the Proceedings of the 1787 Federal Constitutional Convention, written by the American Marcos Flanders. At this time, Zhu Chongzhen and I printed this book, what is his heart, is Brother Ji still unknown? The decentralization of political power is already the trend of the times and is unstoppable, whether it is the Qing Dynasty or Zhu Ming, it is already yesterday's yellow flower. ”

Zhang Jian nodded, "Yes, what Xiao Zhai said is very true." But after all, this is your one-sided statement, and I have to investigate again what happened in Wuhan. ”

Zhang Jian's words, obviously still do not believe the two, Zhang Yuanji did not say anything, next to Tian Tong was already annoyed, although he respected Zhang Jian is the champion and the first, and is an old Dexin, but the blood of the soldiers of the new army when Wuchang raised the uprising, but no one can doubt, he had already sat down on his seat, at this time Teng stood up again, just wanted to speak, a person hurriedly came up at the staircase, just showed his head, and shouted loudly: "Huguang Governor Rui Zheng fled to Shanghai, Wuchang has really been occupied by the party!" ”

Zhang Jian looked back and saw that it was his friend Jiang Qian, he wanted to speak and stopped, finally sighed in his heart, and sat down slowly.

With Jiang Qian's words, everyone no longer doubted, Song Jiaoren stood up and said loudly: "The imperial system must die, and the Republic of China should be established!" Wuchang has been at the forefront of the country, and the land of my rivers and Shanghai cannot be left behind, so I propose that we should now plan to recover Shanghai! ”