At the beginning of 1923, 55-year-old Cai Yuanpei left Europe because of the "Luo Wengan case". Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

The so-called "Luo Wengan case" was a trick made by Cao Kun in order to overthrow the cabinet at that time and forcibly appropriate the charges. The judicial organs found Luo Wengan not guilty again and again, and Cao Kun instructed his subordinates to protest again and again. The judicial officials were unwilling to arbitrarily pronounce the verdict, so Cao Kun simply removed all the prosecutors who handled the case and replaced them with a new batch, and the result was that Luo Wengan was not guilty.

Speaking of which, there was really no shortage of officials who adhered to principles during the Republic of China, such as the two groups of prosecutors who maintained judicial fairness under tremendous pressure.

It's a pity that it didn't work, and in the end, Cao Kun still forced the chief prosecutor to prosecute Luo Wengan.

Cai Yuanpei left at that time, he was completely disappointed in the Beiyang government, and simply went to Europe to travel and study.

Originally, the Ministry of Education was short of money and couldn't pay salaries, so it all relied on Cai Yuanpei to maintain it, and in the turbulent situation, tried its best to shield the teachers and students of the whole school. As soon as he left, Peking University's life became even more sad, and they all looked forward to President Cai's early return.

At the end of 1924, when the bribed president Cao Kun resigned, the teachers and students of Peking called Cai Yuanpei: "Principal, come back quickly, that bastard president has run away!" ”

At the beginning of 1925, Duan Qirui held a meeting on the aftermath, and the teachers and students of Peking called Cai Yuanpei: "Principal, come back quickly, Lao Duan is a reasonable and good person!" ”

In April 1925, the Beiyang government signed a contract with France, and the teachers and students of Peking called Cai Yuanpei: "Principal, come back quickly, Gengzi's indemnity has been settled, this time it's a golden franc!" ”

At the beginning of 1926, Cai Yuanpei finally returned to China, but he always stayed in Shanghai and refused to go north, and the teachers and students of Peking called again: "Principal, come back quickly, the country can do without a president, and Peking University cannot do without a president!" ”

In April 1926, Zhang Zuolin sent troops to surround Peking University, and the teachers and students of Peking University called Cai Yuanpei: "Principal, come back quickly, these soldiers are so afraid!" ”

Cai Yuanpei didn't dare to go back, he was afraid that he would be killed by Wu Peifu.

In an interview with an English-language newspaper some time ago, Wu Dashuai said: "China's radicalism began with Sun Wen...... In the north, there is Cai Yuanpei...... China's young people have been poisoned by it, and unless it is contained, the government will not be at ease. ”

Although Wu Peifu compromised with Zhang Zuolin, he was still very powerful in Beiping, he thought that the student troubles were instigated by Cai Yuanpei, how could Cai Yuanpei dare to go back in this case? What's more, Cai Yuanpei actively built momentum for the Northern Expedition and was already wanted by Sun Chuanfang.

Peking University is about to cry, because the government does not pay salaries, the teachers are already miserable. The authorities have also arrested and killed scholars and celebrities on a large scale, and have often been shot dead on charges of red elements, and now many professors have fled to the south, and if they continue like this, the school will be left with an empty shelf.

So—come back, Headmaster, we can't hold on!"

……

Shanghai Concession.

His beloved wife Zhou Jun brought three letters and a newspaper, and said with a wry smile: "There are letters from the north again, and one of them is an open letter published in the newspaper." ”

"Well, what can I do at this time?" Cai Yuanpei took the newspaper first.

The open letter in the newspaper was written by Zhou Zuoren, who first eliminated Cai Yuanpei's political concerns about reinstatement, and then cited the difficulties faced by Peking University that year. ”

Cai Yuanpei glanced at it a few times, put the newspaper aside, and opened the other two envelopes, both of which persuaded him to return to Peking University as soon as possible to become the president.

It wasn't until the third letter was opened that Cai Yuanpei read it carefully, which was the theory of education to save the country written by Liang Qiming, hoping that he would take the lead in rebuilding the China Education Association.

Cai Yuanpei has been engaged in education for many years and knows the hardships involved.

At the beginning of the founding of the Republic of China, the Ministry of Education clearly stipulated that primary schools, normal teachers, and higher normal schools were exempt from tuition fees.

The Constitution on Education also stipulates that the expenditure on education, science and culture shall not be less than 15 per cent of the total budget at the central level, 25 per cent of the total budget at the provincial level, and 35 per cent at the city and county level.

And then the egg!

Even a well-known university like Peking University can't afford to pay salaries, let alone those small schools in the poor countryside. The various laws and regulations of the Republic of China look beautiful, but they are all castles in the air and cannot be realized at all.

In the letter, Liang wrote that he hoped to bypass the government and warlords, run schools through social fund-raising, and concentrate funds on basic primary education.

Most of the literati in the Republic of China shouted loud slogans, but they did not take practical action. Liang Qiming is a pragmatist, he thinks of it, he goes to research, he goes to do things, and he later wrote a couplet: If you are not a sage, you are a beast, don't ask about harvest but ask about cultivation.

Cai Yuanpei was quite moved when he read this letter. His academic research in the past few years has come to an end, and there is nothing else to do in Shanghai except to publicize the Northern Expedition, and there is still much to be done to rebuild the Chinese Education Association.

As for Zhou Hexuan and "The Rise of a Great Power" mentioned in the letter, Cai Yuanpei said to his wife: "I'll go out." ”

Cai Yuanpei naturally went out to find the "Beijing-Tianjin Times", he had many friends and a big face, and he quickly got the last twenty or thirty issues of the newspaper in his hands.

Reading one article after another, Cai Yuanpei couldn't help but feel stunned. He has traveled to the West for many years and knows very well about the situation in the European and American academic circles, and there is really no Western scholar who can study the rise and fall of the world's major powers so clearly and thoroughly.

This kind of high-end history academic talent, any university in Europe, can definitely easily take up a professorship.

But which crack in the stone did Zhou Hexuan jump out of, why hadn't he heard of it before?

Cai Yuanpei finished reading "The Rise of a Great Power" overnight, first wrote back to Liang Qiming, and then wrote to Jing Hengyi, chairman of the Education Committee of the National Government and acting president of Sun Yat-sen University: "My disciple Yuan Huijian: Recently, I came across a book, called "The Rise of a Great Power", which counts the rise and fall of the world's great powers. My view is like an initiation, and I have benefited a lot......"

Cai Yuanpei's letter is to recommend "The Rise of a Great Power" to Jing Hengyi, hoping that he will invite Zhou Hexuan to teach in Guangzhou, and do not let go of this talent. Even if you can't invite anyone, you can use the content of "The Rise of Great Powers" as an extracurricular reading material for students.

Jing Hengyi is also a legendary figure in the education circles of the Republic of China, when he was transferred from Zhejiang No. 1 Normal School six years ago, the students of the whole school spontaneously went on strike and marched, and several people were shot and injured by the military police. A classmate named Zhu Zantang was so sad and indignant that he snatched the knife in the policeman's hand and committed suicide on the spot.

The students are willing to use their lives to keep the principal, which shows how respected Jing Hengyi is. There were these people around him: Feng Zikai, Zhu Guangqian, Zhu Ziqing, Xia Yazun......

Cai Yuanpei collected the newspapers and sent them to Guangzhou along with the letters. After reading "The Rise of a Great Power", Jing Hengyi frantically inquired about Zhou Hexuan's whereabouts, and finally got the news from the reporter of "Zilin Xibao", and immediately called a friend in Tianjin to invite him on his behalf, hoping that Zhou Hexuan could go to Sun Yat-sen University as a professor.

At the same time, "The Rise of a Great Power" also spread rapidly in Guangzhou, a revolutionary powerhouse. The "Zilinxi Daily" and the "Beijing-Tianjin Times" were hard to find, and the young students compiled them into a book by hand, and various versions of the manuscripts were circulated in schools.

Economics students look to the Netherlands as a role model, believing that business finance can also enrich the country and strengthen the people; Military cadets believe that China should learn from Germany, and that only iron-blooded reunification can achieve national rejuvenation; Mechanical Chemistry students respect Britain and pursue the route of strengthening the country with science and technology and saving the country through industry......

It seems that everyone can find a way to save the country, and for a time "The Rise of a Great Power" became a popular reading book in major schools in Guangzhou. Zhou Hexuan, who only heard his name but did not see him, was also regarded as an idol by young students, and some even shouted: "He Xuan, my teacher!" ”