On October 6, 1913, colorful flags were erected at the entrance of the Reichstag, military bands played the majestic "La Marseillaise", and 759 members of the National Assembly came to the election venue one after another in horse-drawn carriages to formally elect the first official president of the Republic of China. According to the newly promulgated Presidential Election Law, the election of the President requires the presence of two-thirds of the members of the parliament, and the election is held by secret ballot, and the candidate must obtain more than three-fourths of the votes cast before he or she can be elected. Although the Kuomintang members held the majority in the National Assembly at that time, they were implicated in the "Second Revolution", so they did not put forward candidates; As for the others, they are just accompanying the prince to study and helping Yuan Shikai decorate the façade. Chai Dongliang recently flaunted the banner of vice chairman of the Kuomintang and took advantage of him everywhere, and several directors of the Kuomintang naturally wanted to put him up as a presidential candidate, but he repeatedly refused, and the prestige of others was not enough to convince the public, so they had to give up.

The election began at 8 a.m. and was normal at the beginning. After the first vote, Yuan Shikai received 471 votes, Li Yuanhong 154 votes, and several other candidates received only sporadic votes. Although Yuan Shikai received the highest number of votes this time, because some legislators cast invalid votes, Yuan Shikai's votes still did not reach the required three-quarters majority, so another vote was needed. Yuan Shikai's house arrest of Vice President Li Yuanhong aroused the common hatred of the Republicans, and some small parties also felt that Yuan Shikai was too deceitful, so they voted for Li Yuanhong. If it weren't for the hundred votes of Chai Dongliang's ruling area to Yuan Shikai, the joke would be really a big joke. Because Chai Dongliang's public identity is the vice chairman of the Kuomintang, if his vote goes to Li Yuanhong, a large number of Kuomintang legislators will inevitably follow him. Maybe Yuan Shikai will be overwhelmed by Li Yuanhong!

At this moment, thousands of unrelated people who looked like soldiers suddenly came to watch the election outside the election venue, dressed in various costumes and under the banner of "citizens' groups." After hearing that Yuan Shikai was not elected, these "spectators" walked into the venue neatly and solemnly, and the pace looked like trained soldiers, and the military and police in charge of parliamentary security also cooperated very well to get out of the way.

When the parliamentarians had seen such a "boiled" posture, they had no choice but to push Speaker Tang Hualong to negotiate and demand that these people withdraw from the meeting and not interfere in the election. After hearing this, the gang shouted loudly: "We are all citizens' groups, and it is very important to elect a president today, if you elect a president who lives up to expectations, we will not agree!" We have ugly words ahead, if you choose someone else, you will want to walk out of the venue today! ”

In this case, the parliamentarians will understand seven points. Don't say it, those parliamentarians still have some backbone, under such high pressure, they are unwilling to vote for Yuan Shikai, especially the Kuomintang parliamentarians are even more angry, have voted for Li Yuanhong, after the second election, although Yuan Shikai got 497 votes, but Li Yuanhong also got a few more votes to more than 200 votes, Yuan Shikai still did not reach the required majority, but the gap between the two sides narrowed some.

This is the first time in China's history to elect a president, and the voting process is not very skillful, from invoicing, filling in ballots, voting, billing, and counting votes, this circle takes about four hours, and the parliamentarians are hungry and plan to hold a third election the next day. However, these "citizens' groups" did not agree, they had already surrounded the venue, they were not allowed to enter or leave, and even the four walls were full of military police, and no one wanted to jump out of this confinement circle.

In the evening, the parliamentarians were hungry and tried to break through the door to find something to eat, but that didn't work. Before the deputies could reach the door, they were dragged by the members of the "citizens' group" and scolded them at best, or with old fists, beating them to the point that they were running away and fled back to the meeting in embarrassment. Some of the legislators were so addicted to cigarettes that they couldn't make up for it for a while, and this group of people yawned in the meeting, snot was not snot, tears were not tears, and they were so anxious that they scratched their ears and cheeks, beat their chests and feet, and made the "civic group" laugh in vain.

In the afternoon, when the family members and entourage of the parliamentarians saw that they still did not adjourn, they sent in to deliver food. The Civic Party, which Yuan Shikai personally formed, brought food to their legislators, and the members of the "Civic League" let them go straight in. Liang Qichao's Progressive Party also sent people to deliver food, but these vicious "citizen groups" did not let them in casually, and immediately stopped and ordered them to retreat. The Progressive Party said, "We support President Yuan!" The civic group smiled and said, "Then let's go in quickly!" ”

The Kuomintang sent people to deliver food, saying: "We are from the Kuomintang, send food to the parliamentarians!" The civic group was furious and scolded: "The Kuomintang can't do it, they deserve to be hungry!" ”

Zhang Ji, the director of the Kuomintang and the speaker of the Senate, looked at Liang Qichao coldly, and let out a cold snort in his nose. The talented Liang Qichao's face was flushed, and he looked at the ugly faces of the Progressive Party members under him, he was so angry that he couldn't even speak, and he couldn't wait to find a crack in the ground to get into.

Seeing that they were not allowed to go out until the election continued, the parliamentarians had no choice but to swallow their anger and continue to vote for the third time. In accordance with Article 2 of the Law on the Election of the President of the People's Republic of China, "in the event that no one is elected in two ballots, the second time the candidate who receives the largest number of votes shall be elected, and the candidate who obtains more than half of the votes cast shall be elected". In other words, only one person can be elected between Yuan Shikai and Li Yuanhong this time, and only a majority of them can be elected.

When the ballot papers were distributed to the legislators, the people of the "citizens' group" shouted again: "Elect President Yuan!" "Whoever doesn't elect President Yuan won't want to go out!" "Whoever doesn't elect President Yuan doesn't want to eat!"

Under this noise, the hungry Kuomintang parliamentarians were already weak and dizzy. But even so, there are still some hard-core lawmakers who draw crosses on their ballots in protest. When the voting ended, Yuan Shikai won 507 votes, naturally more than half, and was elected as the first official president of the Republic of China.

After the results came out, the "citizens' group" dispersed in a hurry, and the parliamentarians looked at the members of the Civic Party and the Progressive Party angrily, and the speakers Tang Hualong and Zhang Ji walked away, and Liang Qichao hurriedly stopped them.

Zhang Ji glanced at Liang Qichao coldly, and said disdainfully: "Brother Zhuoru, this is the presidential system you want?" This is the great president that your brother admires? Zhuoru, with all due respect, your brother's disgrace is not far off! ”

Tang Hualong's face turned pale, and he said coldly: "Zhuoru, you can do it yourself!" ”

Liang Qichao tugged on his sleeve and said, "Speaker Tang, there is something to say, something to say!" ”

Tang Hualong pulled violently, and his sleeves were torn off with a stabbing sound, and he sneered with one bare arm: "Speaker? Bullshit! Big President, bullshit! Republic of China, bullshit! ”

Zhang Ji, the speaker of the Senate, is a veteran of the Kuomintang, and Yuan Shikai can't pee in the same pot. Although Tang Hualong, the speaker of the House of Representatives, is a member of the Republican Party and a confidant of Li Yuanhong, he is a supporter of the presidential system and is very disapprehensive of the cabinet system carried out by Song Jiaoren, so he also crossed the party to join Liang Qichao's Progressive Party. Tang Hualong always felt that if everything in the huge China was delayed for a long time, the world would inevitably be in chaos, and there must be a president with real power in order to ensure the peace of the country and the people.

But today's so-called "citizen group" made him completely disappointed in Yuan Shikai, and the old master was under house arrest, which made him even more cold from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

Seeing the two speakers leaving, Liang Qichao beat his chest and said: "Sun Wen coerced the Senate with military and police in Nanjing, and Yuan Shikai coerced the Congress with hooligans in Yanjing. What a great man, it's all indiscriminate! What else is this called the Republic of China? What kind of republic is this???? I'm going to fuck it! ”

The talented Liang Qichao scolded for the first time in his life!

There was a commotion in the Congress, but Zhongnanhai Huairentang was full of joy, with lights everywhere and the sound of firecrackers resounding in the sky. Yuan Shikai put on a generalissimo's military dress for the first time, holding a foreign knife in his hand, whether it was a Chinese or a foreigner, whoever pulled him to take a group photo, he was accompanied by a smile.

Such a scene is naturally indispensable to his confidants Xu Shichang and Zhao Bingjun. Especially Zhao Bingjun, who was already sick with five tuberculosis and seven injuries, Wu Ziqiang congratulated him with spirit.

"Zhi'an, you don't have good bones, don't come, take a good rest at home!" Yuan Shikai is in a good mood now, and he also cares for Zhao Bingjun very much.

Just a few days ago, he also suspected that Zhao Bingjun had assassinated Song Jiaoren and caused chaos for him when the general election was approaching, although it was inconvenient to ask him face-to-face, but behind his back, he greeted Zhao Bingjun's ancestors and eight generations. However, this did not prevent him from acting like a concentric face in front of the Beiyang generals and the ministers of Western countries.

The boss wants to act, Zhao Bingjun will naturally make a grateful look, he squeezed out two tears and said: "You were elected as the first president of the Republic of China, it is an honor for 40,000 people in China, and it is a grand event, although Bingjun is slightly ill, how can he not come to congratulate?" Bingjun is not only congratulating President Yuan for the honor of one person, but also congratulating the people of the world for being fortunate to enter a new era of Ming Cook and Republic under the guidance of the President! ”

Seeing that Zhao Bingjun talked about everything to this height, the Beiyang generals finally understood how this sick man, who even had his eggs useless, could become the prime minister of the state and why he could become Yuan Shikai's henchman??? Look at other people's sycophants, that's really a level!

Xu Shichang smiled and arched his hand: "Comfort Ting, oh, no, President, I finally waited for this day, do you remember, when you and I first met more than thirty years ago, I saw that you were not a thing in the pool, and then you trained the new army at the small station, and I gave up the Qingyao official compiled by the Hanlin Academy to assist you, I knew that you must have a flying dragon in the sky, haha, I really didn't read it wrong!" ”

Yuan Shikai touched his freshly shaved bald head and laughed: "Brother Juren, I was just a little six-rank commander at the beginning, although I was rewarded with a special purpose, but I didn't dare to hope that your brother would come to help!" To be able to let you, a dignified Hanlin cast a pen, to follow from Rong, this is the most proud thing in Shikai's life! ”

After listening to Xu Shichang and Yuan Shikai's mutual praise with his surname, Zhao Bingjun couldn't help but secretly disdain in his heart, Xu Shichang was complimenting Yuan Shikai on the surface, but he was actually reminding him not to forget the merits of more than 30 years.

"President, when do you plan to take office? Where is this great canon? Zhao Bingjun asked.

Yuan Shikai pondered for a moment and said: "In four days, it will be the Double Tenth Festival, the first day of the third year of the Republic of China!" I think the National Day ceremony will be held on October 10 of the Western calendar, double happiness is coming! As for the place of the ceremony, I just look at this presidential palace. ”

Xu Shichang waved his hand and said: "No, no, how can the inauguration ceremony of the first official president of the Republic of China be contemptuous?" Although this Zhongnanhai Huairen Hall is elegant, but I always feel that the royal majesty is insufficient, I think it is more appropriate to Taihe Palace. ”

Yuan Shikai shook his head and said, "I'm afraid this is not appropriate, right?" The grass in this temple is more than half a person high, and it has been abandoned for a long time! ”

The Republic of China once agreed with the Qing court that the Forbidden City was owned by the small Manchu court, the Summer Palace and Sanhai belonged to the Republic of China, and the Taihe Hall was still the property of the Manchu court.

Zhao Bingjun said with a smile: "What Elder Ju said is reasonable, or the Taihe Hall is more imposing, I will discuss with the Minister of the Qing Dynasty and borrow the Taihe Hall for a few days??? There are still four days before the Double Tenth Festival, and Bingjun promises to clean it up neatly and neatly, and it will not delay the inauguration ceremony. ”

Yuan Shikai thought for a while: "Then there is Lao Zhi'an, so let's do it!" ”

Zhao Bingjun was humble as usual: "What did the president say?" Bingjun can serve the president, which is a blessing that has been cultivated for several lifetimes. ”

The next day, the parliamentarians continued to elect the vice president, but this time the members of the citizens' group did not come to cheer, and the venue was also sparse, and the number of people attending was much smaller, but Li Yuanhong was reluctantly elected. After Li Yuanhong learned the news that he had been elected vice president, he was neither surprised nor overjoyed, and his heart was as calm as water.

October 10, 1913, is the third anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising, but also the National Day of the Republic of China, on this day, Yuan Shikai finally got his wish to become the official president.

The Taihe Hall is magnificent, it was originally the place where the emperor of the previous dynasty used to hold the enthronement ceremony, although the Qing Emperor abdicated and was overgrown with weeds here, but after Zhao Bingjun took a group of people from the presidential palace to carefully pick up, it was also clean and tidy, and the furnishings were gorgeous, just waiting for President Yuan to come and take the oath and make a speech.

At 10 o'clock in the morning, all civil and military officials and ministers from various countries had arrived. Under the guidance of the grand ceremonial officer, President Yuan, dressed in a brand-new marshal's uniform, strode in, at this time the national music played, and a salute was also set off outside, a total of one hundred and one sounds, and the atmosphere was very solemn.

After the salute was fired, the attendant officer took the presidential oath, and Yuan Shikai read it again. Under the guidance of the grand celebrant officer, the officials below bowed three times to the president, and President Yuan also bowed back. At this time, the Chinese music played again, and President Yuan slowly left the venue amid the music and went to the lounge for a temporary rest.

After the ministers of various countries had already arrived at the auditorium to wait, President Yuan went to meet him under the guidance of the chief celebrant officer. After the Chinese and foreign sides bowed to each other, the British minister, as the representative of the legation, read the eulogy, and there was an interpreter next to him to translate, and the same was true when President Yuan replied. In the end, President Yuan Da shook hands with the ministers of various countries one by one, which was a courtesy that the former Qing Dynasty did not have, and it can be regarded as a new atmosphere of the Republic of China. At this point, even if all countries recognize the legal surname of the Republic of China, there is a new republic in the world.

After Yuan Shikai finished greeting ministers from various countries, Duan Qirui, the army chief in military uniform, walked in, reported to President Yuan that the military parade had been prepared, and asked President Yuan to go to the military parade. This should be regarded as the beginning of China's military parade. President Yuan invited ministers from various countries to watch the ceremony, and under the leadership of the president, hundreds of civil and military officials and ministers from various countries came to [***].

At this time, there were more than 20,000 Beiyang soldiers waiting here in the [***] square, they were lined up in a phalanx, and the guns in their hands had been wiped fresh. When President Yuan saw that the troops he had trained single-handedly had a very long face, and listened to the sycophants of the ministers of various countries, he naturally couldn't help but be happy and smiled. The congressmen who came to watch the ceremony found quite a few acquaintances inside, and many of them were members of the "citizens' group" that had made a big fuss in the Diet a few days ago.

In addition to being happy, President Yuan also gave a big reward and awarded medals to all meritorious officials: four of the most meritorious people were awarded one medal, namely Xu Shichang, Zhao Bingjun, Shixu, and Chai Dongliang.

Needless to say, Xu Shichang and Zhao Bingjun are the representatives of the Qing Dynasty, not as officials in the Republic of China, I don't know why they want to award him, Chai Dongliang can't fight with Yuan Shikai, and it makes the Beiyang generals and the second monk can't figure their heads.

Only Xu Shichang and Zhao Bingjun knew in their hearts that when they urged the Qing court to abdicate, Shixu played a vital role in the words of the Empress Dowager Longyu, and as for Chai Dongliang's honor, he was rewarded with a hundred votes. The governors of each province were awarded two honors, namely Zhu Rui, the governor of Zhejiang, Cai Yi, the governor of Yunnan, Yan Xishan, the governor of Shanxi, and Tang Jiyao, the governor of Guizhou. Later, Lu Jianzhang and others awarded three, four, and five medals respectively. Anyway, this thing doesn't cost money, so it doesn't hurt to send a few more. The Beiyang generals had no opinion on Xu Shichang and Zhao Bingjun conferring the medal, but they were indignant after their titles were in Shixu, Chai Dongliang, Zhu Rui, Cai Yi, Yan Xishan, and Tang Jiyao.

Xu Shuzheng, the little fan, did not express any dissatisfaction, he suddenly found that the procedure for Yuan Shikai to confer the medal was to be separated first and then kissed??? Xu Shichang and Zhao Bingjun were awarded one honor, and it seems that these two fallen out of favor are just around the corner!

At the end of the inauguration ceremony, President Yuan also specially instructed the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Ministry of Communications to issue a circular to open all public places for public recreation to be open to people for tours, and no admission fees were charged, so as to show that he was happy with the people and enjoyed himself.

In the evening, the presidential palace held a banquet to entertain Chinese and foreign guests, Yuan Shikai personally accompanied, no matter who toasted is a dry mouth, he usually does not drink much, and it is just a little rice wine during the New Year's holidays.

When Yuan Shikai was drunk, he suddenly remembered something and asked casually: "Why didn't Zhuoru come at night?" I didn't see his shadow at the inauguration ceremony during the day, is it because I didn't award him a medal and I was resentful? Zhuo Ru is the leader of the Progressive Party, a member of the parliament, not a political axe official, and this award cannot be awarded to him! ”

Listening to Yuan Shikai's self-questioning and self-answering, Zhao Bingjun hurriedly echoed: "The president is too worried, Mr. Liang Zhuoru must be appeasing the members of the parliament." ”

Yuan Shikai said with emotion: "Zhuo Ru is an incomparable talent, and if he can assist me, God treats me well!" ”

"That's, that's!"

Zhao Bingjun was casually perfunctory, but he was secretly funny in his heart, if Yuan Shikai knew that Liang Qichao was scolding his ancestors for eight generations, I don't know if the president still has such confidence.

Although Zhao Bingjun wanted to take the opportunity to cushion Liang Qichao's black bricks, it was obviously not a suitable day today, but fortunately, Liang Qichao was dissatisfied with Yuan Shikai's style, so he just gave Zhao Bingjun a chance.

At this time, I saw the eldest prince Yuan Keding's face was pale, and he limped in.

Yuan Keding lay in Yuan Shikai's ear, whispered two words in a low voice, Yuan Shikai was drenched in cold sweat, and the wine ran away with the sweat without a trace, his face was blue and the horizontal flesh on the cheeks trembled, and when he raised his eyes to see the Chinese and foreign guests in the courtyard, Yuan Shikai's face immediately changed, and he said to Yuan Keding with a smile: "Okay, good, very good, I know everything, you go to the back hall first." ”

Except for Zhao Bingjun and Xu Shichang, no one else saw the difference in Yuan Shikai's face, and everyone continued to drink and congratulate Yuan Shikai.

After Yuan Shikai perfunctory two glasses, he whispered a few words to Zhao Bingjun, and hid in the back hall in the name of being too strong to drink. Zhao Bingjun quietly greeted Duan Qirui, Cao Kun, Duan Zhigui, and Xu Shuzheng, the four of them, and the four of them disappeared from the crowd quietly and slipped into the inner hall.

As soon as I walked in, I saw that a few buttons of Generalissimo Yuan Shikai's dress had been pulled off, and his face was even darker.

"President, what's wrong?" Duan Zhigui relied on the identity of His Royal Highness Yu'er Gan and asked boldly.

Yuan Shikai's fire was arched all of a sudden, and he smashed the teacup: "Fuck it, Chai Dongliang, this king and eight lambs, is against the sky!" ”

Everyone looked at each other, a few days ago Chai Dongliang and Yuan Shikai were okay with honey and oil, and more than 100 votes in Chai Dongliang's ruling area were voted for Yuan Shikai without exception, and Yuan Shikai generously announced an amnesty for the officers and soldiers of the 1st and 8th Divisions of the Yuan Army in Nanjing, including He Haiming, the acting commander of the Yuan Army in the "first-class tactics".

It's only been less than ten days, what did Chai Dongliang do to make Yuan Shikai angry like this.

The eldest prince Yuan Keding said coldly: "Chai Dongliang, this bastard, sent his third division and the first brigade to capture Nanjing, and killed Zhang Xun, the commander of the Dingwu army, Feng Guozhang and Lei Zhenchun withdrew to Hubei, and the area south of the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province was all occupied by the Jianghuai army, and now the second division of the Jianghuai army has crossed the Yangtze River and is attacking Xuzhou!" ”

Cao Kun and Zhang Xun have always been inseparable from each other, and suddenly his face was as white as paper, he couldn't believe his ears, he just muttered: "Lao Zhang is dead, Lao Zhang is dead?" ”

(To be continued)