If it is said that the Nanjing Provisional Government can be established so quickly, there is no one person who cannot be avoided, and this person is Zhao Fengchang, a representative of the constitutionalist faction known as the "wife of the Republic of China". Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

In his early years, he was famous as a staff member of Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, and played a decisive role in the later Wuxu Reform, Southeast Mutual Insurance, and the "Su Bao" case. As a very influential representative of the constitutionalist, he was even more active in the Chinese political arena after the Wuchang Uprising.

When Sun Yat-sen arrived in Shanghai, the North-South peace talks were actually in a critical period. As early as December 20, at the end of the second negotiation between Tang Shaoyi and Wu Tingfang, although the two sides reached a consensus on an armistice agreement, the two sides could not reach any agreement on the proposal of the southern revolutionaries to demand that the Qing court recognize the republic.

Although Tang Shaoyi personally expressed his approval of the republic, he alone could not represent the Qing court, let alone Beiyang. Not to mention the thoughts of Yuan Shikai and the people of Beiyang, a single Qing court can no longer get around. You must know that the reason why the Manchu Qing Dynasty agreed to Yuan Shikai's peace talks was that the bottom line was to ensure that the emperor would not abdicate and implement a constitutional monarchy. As a result, until Sun Yat-sen's return to China, the Qing court had not expressed an opinion on the political proposition of a democratic republic of the revolutionary party, which made the impatient revolutionaries even more dissatisfied.

In the Xilong Hall at No. 10 Nanyang Road, Shanghai, in the Xinhai year, there is no house as lively as it. Its owner is none other than Zhao Fengchang, who was vacant by the Qing court and will never be hired.

In the year of Xinhai, Zhao Fengchang, who was already fifty-five, was working as an errand in the telegraph office, and this messenger was obtained for him by Zhang Zhidong when he remembered his old feelings. Although this person was idle, however, at that time in China, there was no one with deeper network resources than Zhao Fengchang. Whether it is revolutionary leaders such as Huang Xing and Chen Qimei, or leaders of local advisory bureaus such as Zhang Jian, they are all his guests. Many of the personnel arrangements that affect history are completed in the midst of talking and laughing in the alleys.

On the second day after arriving in Shanghai, accompanied by Huang Xing, Song Jiaoren and others, Sun Yat-sen came to the Xilong Hall, where celebrities and dignitaries from all walks of life flocked to meet him.

"Mr. Zhao is fine, but Sun Wen came here to bother." No matter how energetic Sun Yat-sen is, he is very low-key here.

"Mr. Zhongshan is polite, as the leader of the revolutionary party, he can come to the humble house this time, it is really brilliant!" Zhao Fengchang laughed, looking extremely enthusiastic.

"Sun Wen came here this time, he was a little confused, and he wanted to ask the old gentleman for advice, and asked the old gentleman to give him careful advice."

"Where, the old man no longer lives in the court, does not care about political affairs for a long time, the general trend of the revolution has been completed, the day of the republic is just around the corner, I am idle and wild, how can I have anything to advise." Zhao Fengchang said this, but for Sun Yat-sen's advice, it is still quite useful. Of course, self-restraint is still required.

The old gentleman said with a smile, thinking that the revolutionaries of our generation have gone through all kinds of hardships to get to where they are today, but now the domestic situation is complicated, and the peace talks between the north and the south have become deadlocked. I, Sun Wenjiu, have been overseas for a long time, and the news is blocked, but I can't understand the current situation, and now I urgently need the advice of a respected person like Mr. Zhao. ”

"In this case, the old man has some superficial opinions, and I ask Mr. Zhongshan to consider it." Sun Yat-sen said this, and Zhao Fengchang couldn't continue to play haha. In line with the principle of knowing everything and saying everything, he began to explain to Sun Yat-sen in detail the general trend of China's political development and evolution and the existing problems after the Wuchang Uprising.

"In short, the old man thinks that the most important thing for Mr. Zhongshan to do now is to establish a unified government for the southern provinces as soon as possible, so that he can effectively command the southern provinces, organize the Northern Expedition, and force the Qing court to compromise and reach a republic as soon as possible."

Sun Yat-sen and others all agreed with Zhao Fengchang's proposal, especially Chen Qimei, who had long looked forward to the day when the League would dominate Chinese politics. The goal was achieved, and Sun Yat-sen took his leave and left.

Looking at the high-level leaders of the Alliance who had already gone away, Zhao Fengchang showed a satisfied smile. On the surface, Zhao Fengchang was helping the Alliance, but in fact, only he knew that he was doing it entirely for Yuan Shikai.

Due to the reluctance of the hardliners within the Qing court to make concessions, the peace talks between the north and the south reached a stalemate several times. Now Zhao Fengchang has come up with such an idea for Sun Yat-sen, which can not only break the current deadlock in the north-south peace talks, but also clear the way for Yuan Shikai to ascend to the throne in the future. After all, without the transition of the Nanjing Provisional Government, Yuan Shikai, who took over the power transferred by the Qing court through the North-South peace talks, would have become an embarrassing figure. A traitorous minister and a powerful minister who takes advantage of the danger of others will not leave a good impression in reality or in the history books in the future.

And now with Sun Yat-sen and the Nanjing Provisional Government, everything is so smooth and natural.

Sun Yat-sen, who was reopened by Zhao Fengchang, presided over a meeting of the top cadres of the League after returning to his apartment, which was attended by Huang Xing, Song Jiaoren, Chen Qimei, Hu Hanmin, Wang Jingwei, etc.

"Earlier, Mr. Zhao Fengchang's words, you also heard it, I think so." Seeing that everyone in the audience nodded, Sun Yat-sen suppressed the joy in his heart, and then said: "Although the southern provinces have been recovered, they are in their own ways, and the government and military orders are not unified, which gives the Qing court an opportunity to take advantage of. Now it is necessary for us to set up a provisional central government as soon as possible, and order the provinces to organize a northern expedition to overthrow the rotten rule of the Manchu government. ”

"Sir's words are very right, our alliance will nominate Mr. Zhongshan to the post of president of the provisional government." This was said by Huang Xing, and at this time, he no longer had the kind of depression that he had defeated Wuchang.

"What Mr. and Keqiang said, I agree. However, will our provisional government system be a presidential system or a cabinet system? At this time, Song Jiaoren raised a new question.

As for Song Jiaoren's question, it is really difficult for everyone here to answer. It is important to know that there are generally two kinds of democratic republics in capitalist countries, one is the parliamentary republic, also known as the responsible cabinet system, the parliament is the representative organ of the people, with the right to legislate, organize and supervise the government, etc., and the president under the responsible cabinet system only has a vacant position and no real power; The other presidential system is different, in which the president is both the head of state and the head of government, wielding executive power and commanding the three armed forces. The powers of the president under the two systems are very different.

After so many years of revolution, Sun Yat-sen, who is about to become president at this time, is obviously very aware of this, and it is natural to choose the presidential system, who wants to be a puppet in name only?

Sun Yat-sen chose the presidential system, but Song Jiaoren was not happy. This man was a typical bookseller, an idealist, and with the rigid copy of what he had learned in books, he immediately began to talk to everyone present about the benefits of the cabinet system. But he didn't want to think about it, how many literate people were in China at that time, who knew what democracy was!

Regarding the differences between Sun Yat-sen and Song Jiaoren, no one could convince anyone for a while, and in the end they could only submit it to the representatives of the provincial governors for a vote. Nevertheless, the imminent establishment of a provisional government belonging to the revolutionaries themselves quickly diluted the unhappiness of the previous meetings.

The next day, Huang Xing and Song Jiaoren went to Nanjing, and began to lobby the representatives of the provincial governors for the election of Sun Yat-sen as provisional president and the determination of the government system. As the actual holder of the territory of the four provinces, the Communist Progressive Party, which holds four votes in its hands, should be the first target of the League's lobbying.

Xiao Mubai, who rushed to Chengdu, received a telegram from Wang Chonghui from Nanjing asking for instructions, and only glanced at me and agreed to the suggestion of the League. To say that at this time, although the revolutionaries are full of talents, but in detail, there is really no one whose prestige can overshadow Sun Yat-sen.

On December 29, the provincial governors' congresses formally elected the provisional president, and Sun Yat-sen was elected with 16 of the 17 valid votes.

On Monday, January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen, dressed in a yellow-brown tweed uniform and a military hat with red trim, took a horse-drawn carriage from Hartung Garden in Shanghai to Shanghai North Railway Station and took a special train to Nanjing. On the Shanghai-Nanjing line, at every station, you will see tens of thousands of people gathered there, watching Sun Yat-sen pass through, chanting the slogan "Long live the republic".

On the same day, Sun Yat-sen, who arrived in Nanjing, was officially sworn in as the president of the provisional government.