- "To put it mildly, you, Mr. Cao, are walking a tightrope and hitting big luck. Zhang Zongxiang's voice was full of deep worry, "Since you know that the Japanese settle political accounts, you still have to borrow this money to spend, this is a fluke." And once it spreads to the people, your reputation as a traitor will never be washed away.

"I don't care about the reputation of a traitor or something, I just want to do something practical for the country, what's the use of shouting those empty slogans all day long?." Cao Rushuang heard the faint shouts of demonstration outside the window, but did not care, and said, "Although the Japanese have a plan, it depends on how we use it, and the main purpose of Supervisor Duan's agreement to borrow Japanese funds is to strengthen the strength of the government, so that the government has the strength to command the whole country, prevent the division of the north and the south, and introduce Japanese capital to develop the economy." If the country can be put on the right track, in a few years, a unified and powerful China will surely emerge, and the government will have the strength to renegotiate the previous agreements, and even the treaties concluded with other countries will be able to fight for them if they damage our sovereignty. So this is also why Supervisor Duan asked me to go out of the mountain to serve as the chief of transportation, and I hesitated again and again, but I still agreed. ”。

After listening to Cao Rushuang's explanation, Zhang Zongxiang and Lu Zongdian both understood, and nodded in unison, but the worried look on their faces did not disappear.

"At the beginning, Sun's promise to return to Japan was also to obtain the capital of the upper position, but in the end he ended up with a defeat and death that had been stinking for thousands of years. Zhang Zongxiang said.

"Duan Gongyu" Twenty-one, during the negotiations, he was bent on fighting the main battle, and he was originally the most staunch anti-Japanese faction, but now he suddenly made a 180-degree turn, not only the people were surprised, but even we were incomprehensible......" Lu Zongdian sighed and said, "Duan Gong's talent is slightly weaker than Yuan Gonglai. ”。

After listening to Lu Zongdian's evaluation, Cao Rushuang and Zhang Zongxiang thought of the deceased Yuan Shikai, and they couldn't help but sigh.

As senior bureaucrats of the Beiyang Department, Cao Zhanglu and the three of them have a deep understanding of Yuan Shikai and Duan Qirui. As the number one person in the current Beiyang Department, Duan Qirui, although he is an excellent military general, as a politician and leader, he is inferior to his former lord Yuan Shikai. But Duan Qirui's ambition is no less than Yuan Shikai's. Duan Qirui is ambitious and determined, what he wants to do, as long as he recognizes it, no one can shake his will, and what he wants to do now is to make China unified and strong in his hands.

Yuan Shikai died as a result of the imperial system, which ultimately led to the division of China's north and south. However, it has been said for many years that it is impossible for a divided China to become strong, and if China wants to become rich and strong, it must achieve true reunification. And Duan Qirui is in "Rebuilding the Republic." Later, he believed that not only did the country not achieve true unification, but the trend of division between the north and the south became more and more obvious (in Duan Qirui's eyes, Yang Shuoming had become the largest warlord in the south). Duan Qirui was suffering from the fact that he didn't have decent force in his hands, but if he wanted to have force, he couldn't do it without money.

At that time, although the Beijing government did not necessarily go out of the capital as many newspapers satirized, but when the provinces basically did not pay the central government (in contrast, the southern provinces controlled by Yang Shuoming did a good job and gave some relief to the central government from time to time), its fiscal revenue mainly relied on the revenue of a few railways and the Chongwenmen tariff in Beijing, and then the surplus and salt surplus to pay the Gengzi indemnity and other loans. In fact, this amount of money is not enough to maintain the daily expenses of the central government and the army directly under it. However, the funds used to participate in the war brought in by European aid have always been managed by foreigners, and the funds have been earmarked for special purposes, and there is very little interception. In addition to the Ministry of Finance and Communications, all other departments of the Beijing government are in arrears of wages (the reason why the Admiralty is in favor of Yang Shuoming is not only because of the well-known reasons, but also because the settlement of salaries is also an important reason). The issuance of public bonds can raise some money at the beginning, but in the future, it is always impossible to repay the principal and interest, and in the end it cannot be issued. Despite this, Duan Qirui's will was not shaken by this.

In order to be able to raise money, Duan Qirui thought of Cao Rushuang, who had been idle at home after the fall of the Hongxian Empire, and repeatedly asked him to come out of the mountain. At this time, Cao Rushuang had already been approached by Nishihara Kamezo, and he learned that the Japanese government intended to fund Duan Qirui to unify China, and he also thought that this was a rare opportunity, so he agreed to Duan Qirui's request. ,

After many contacts with Nishihara Kamezo, Duan Qirui also learned about Terauchi Masayi's intentions, but he still agreed to accept the Japanese funding, just as Cao Rushuang said, to use Japan's financial resources to complete the reunification of the country.

Duan Qirui is actually well aware of the conspiracy behind the rolling yen, but he firmly believes that once China achieves reunification and becomes strong, the rest of the matter is still "negotiable...".

In the eyes of later generations, such an idea can be said to have dug a trap for themselves. But at that time, there were not a few politicians who held such utilitarianism. From Kang Youwei to Sun Yat-sen, they all had the idea and action of selling the country's territorial sovereignty in exchange for China's powerful capital for reform. Duan Qirui had such an idea, in fact, it was not surprising at all.

At this time, Cao Zhanglu and the others were still talking in the private residence of Cao Tanshuang in Zhaojialou, they didn't know that soon, a catastrophe was coming.

The spring in the north comes late and goes early: "There is no faith in spring, there is no trace of spring, and in the blink of an eye, in Beijing, spring will slip by like a flying horse." The jealous in the house has just been demolished, and maybe you will have to go and build a pergola immediately. "It's because of Beijing's "spring." "Fleetingly, "stepping out..."has become a game of elegance and vulgarity.

It was only in June 1920 that the mountain rain was coming, and it was by no means the right time to express the literati Yaxing.

June 4 can be regarded as a windless day, but at this time, people always feel that there is a dark cloud overhead. At the beginning of June, it was a warm day of spring flowers in Beijing, but people's patriotic enthusiasm was also rising day by day at this time.

In front of Beijing's Chengtian Gate, the willows on both sides of Zhengyangmenli Avenue are blown by gusts of wind and swaying turbulence, while from the red wall of Central Park in the west, the fragrance of various flowers wafts out, even when the wind is sparse. But on this day, the students in Beijing did not have the "leisure and leisure" of enjoying the flowers, and in their hearts, they were thinking that "the country is dead, and the compatriots are up!" ”。

The spring of 1920 "has been generally snubbed by the people of Beijing. The sudden huge crisis caused the eyes of the world to turn to the young students who were shouting in front of the Chengtian Gate.

With the red wall as the background and no intention of viewing the flowers and trees, young students surnamed Arm were holding white flags and marching in a procession there. Some of the students wore shabu coats, some wore Mongolian-style plush hats, and most of the students wore long robes, while others wore short black uniforms. Because of the climate in Beijing at the turn of spring and summer, it is really uncertain. In Beijing, "spring does not seem to exist independently, if it is not the beginning of spring, it may as well be called the end of winter, in short, the wind and the warmth of the sun make people wear a single clip can wander at will is really rare, just feel not cold to get hot." Although it is still a little cool in the early morning, "it is already annoying at noon, and it doesn't matter who likes to wear what kind of clothes at this time."

After noon, the weather gets hotter. In this hot day, these 4,000 students with one heart and one virtue are under the scorching sun, and although they are not tired, they are inevitably resentful.

Chengtianmen was built in the fifteenth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty and is the main gate of the imperial city of Beijing. Qing Shunzhi eight years rebuilt, after more than 300 years, the basic pattern of the city tower has not changed much. From the Chengtian Gate to the opposite Zhonghua Gate" is the royal road, and the central government agencies of the Ming and Qing dynasties are on both sides. Even after entering the Republic of China, place names such as Hubu Street, Bingbu Street, and Ministry of Justice Street still remind that this is an irreplaceable political center. From a sacred forbidden place where the emperor held an edict ceremony to a public place for young students to express their opinions, the meaning of Chengtianmen has changed, but its function as a political symbol has not changed. Rallies, speeches, and demonstrations in front of Chengtianmen are bound to have a huge social impact, and this has almost become a major trick of China's political operation for centuries. Of course, it is not unreasonable to have a spacious place", but more importantly, it is because it symbolizes political power.

The students' actions had already alarmed the newspapers and media, and when the reporters arrived at Chengtianmen, there were only six or seven hundred students gathered. However, not long after, a large group of students with white flags gathered from three directions, east, west and south.

The whole process of this large-scale student demonstration, unprecedented in Chinese history, the reporter of the "Jinghua Daily" at the time wrote this record:

"Representatives of the Hosei College will wait for everyone to arrive," and the students will parade through the streets so that we, the people, will also know that this kind of thing is going to happen. After parading through the streets, we went to the embassies of the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Italy in Dongjiaomin Lane to put forward a post to express our meaning. After that, I will transfer here and hold a meeting to discuss the aftermath. “……… The persuasion of a certain director of the Ministry of Education was ineffective, and Li Changtai, the commander of the infantry army, hurried to Chengtianmen to "stand under the red wall and persuade the students, and the student representative said politely to Commander Li: "We are only here today to show our patriotism, and we must be cautious in all our actions, and the old-timers can rest assured." , the students of all schools shouted to go. Commander Li was speechless, took off his glasses, read the leaflet carefully, and after a while, said to the crowd: "So, let you go?" However, it is necessary to be cautious not to get into international negotiations. After speaking, he instructed the police officer to say a few words, that is, to go by car. The students also set off for the south after all the holidays. ”。 ,

"Of the 13 schools participating in the march today, eight are north of East and West Chang'an Avenue. Peking University students were the last to arrive in front of the * because they had been debating with the representatives of the Ministry of Education who came to persuade them. ”。

"The wishes of the students, the earliest design, are really just to submit posts and express public opinions. This point can be clearly seen from the "Beijing Circular on Full Suspension of Academic Circles" drafted by Luo Jialun, a Peking University student. The students drafted a leaflet for the mass rally in the vernacular, which was simple and clear, and widely circulated, and is recorded below: ".

"Now, in the name of borrowing money from our government, Japan is trying to manage our affairs and control our country's finances, and it is about to succeed! Therefore, we academics are lining up at the legations today to demand that all countries come forward to uphold justice. It is hoped that all industrial and commercial circles throughout the country will rise up and try to convene a national convention to fight for sovereignty externally and eliminate national thieves internally. China's survival is at stake here! Today, we have established two creeds with our compatriots across the country: China's land can be conquered but not destroyed! The Chinese people can kill, not bully! The country is going to perish, fellow citizens! Get up! ”。

Although the announcement was impassioned, it did not actually mean to take drastic action, but only called on the public to pay attention to the issue of the government's yen borrowing. The so-called "fighting for sovereignty from outside and eliminating national thieves from within" is only pinning hopes on the convening of the "National Convention." In contrast, the "Beijing Student Manifesto" drafted by a student of Peking University is much more radical, and is recorded as follows: ..."

"Are there any of my compatriots who can't bear the suffering of slaves, cattle and horses, and who desperately want to be saved? The National Assembly was held, speeches were made in the open air, and the electrification insisted that "it is necessary for today." As for those who are willing to betray the country and commit adultery wantonly, the last resort is to deal with pistols and bombs! As soon as the crisis broke out, fortunately, we will work together! ”。

Although this was only a literal violent extermination, there was no demonstration of the students preparing pistol bombs. The chivalrous style of the late Qing Dynasty was high, and assassination became the norm, and the Chinese people still remembered it vividly. Since the founding of the Republic of China, the government has strictly forbidden party activities to "condemn political assassinations (at least on the surface), and the pistol bombs in the Peking University Students' manifesto are not unrelated to the prevailing anarchist ideology of the time." The subtle differences between the two declarations can be seen in the different voices in the student tide. ”。

"The reason why students gather in front of Chengtianmen" is that the central park on the west side was the most important public activity space in the early Republic of China. Near Chengtianmen, the Ming and Qing dynasties were forbidden places. The Republic of China was only opened to the outside world, and the east and west long streets suddenly became a thoroughfare. So I had to camp the park as a place for the news of the people of the capital. The Sheji Altar is located on the right side of the end gate, looking at Tsinghua University, the scenery is beautiful, and it was opened as a park on October 10 in the third year of the Republic of China. In the early years of the Republic of China, the literati in the capital often chose the Central Park: as for the large mass gathering, it was none other than in front of the Chengtian Gate. …”

"The first to arrive was the two schools of Higher Education and Huiwen, and Peking University was the latest to arrive because when the whole team set off, representatives of the Ministry of Education and the military and police chiefs came to dissuade them. Those who arrive first welcome the latecomers with applause, and the latecomers should be with them to wave the flag, neat footwork, serious appearance, Westerners see "all praise." The student march did not interfere with law and order, so it was regarded as a sign of civilized society" and received considerable sympathy. ”1

But the reporters did not expect that this time the student rally was very different from the previous ones, because the organizers were neither the government nor the schools, but the students themselves. Students who took to the streets" their protest marches, directed both at the powers and at the authorities. At the rally, the most eye-catching slogan was the four big characters of "Return my sovereignty...", which was written in blood by biting his middle finger and tearing off his shirt the night before yesterday.

After the students arrived, the speeches of the student leaders began.

"At this time, there is no amplification equipment in the huge Chengtianmen Square", and the speaker stands on a square table, although he speaks generously, most of the people in the scene actually can't hear the content of the speech, just because there are many slogans, plus slogans from time to time, I know the general meaning. But this was enough, after reading the manifesto, shouting slogans, the procession began to move south, east, and north......""The four student representatives went to the US embassy to make representations, but the US envoy was not there, so the students left a "post" of sincere agreement. Student representatives from the embassies of Britain, France, and Italy also went to negotiate and promised to forward the statement on their behalf. As for the application to march through the embassy district, it has never been granted. The reason why the students wanted to go east instead of north was obviously to rush to the Japanese embassy, which was only a street away. ”。 ,

Previously, Li Changtai, the commander of the infantry army, persuaded the students, and the authorities were most worried that the march would cause international disputes. The student marches all respect the law, do not take the slightest radical action, and their patriotism is not irrational. ”。

At 2:30 p.m., the student team left Chengtianmen and turned east into the west exit of Dongjiaomin Lane to the head of the US Embassy, but was stopped by the troops. The representative and others were engaged in negotiations, but were still not allowed to pass. After that, turn north to Fugui Street, go east across the Yuhe Bridge, go south through East Chang'an Street, enter Shida Hutong through Mishi Street, enter Dayang Yibin Hutong through Nanxiao Street, and go north to the east exit. ”。

"The students wanted to go east through Dongjiaomin Lane, but the military and police there were not allowed to pass. The students were quite excited, and had to turn north, out of Wangfujing Street, through the Dongdan archway, to Zhao Tangzi Hutong, into the Zhao family building Cao Rushuang's residence. ”。

"As for not allowing students to pass through the procession in Dongjiaomin Lane, there is the care of the Chinese government and the restrictions of the Xinchou Peace Treaty. Dongjiaomin Lane was originally named Dongjiang Rice Lane, which belonged to the Ming and Qing dynasties in front of the Chengtian Gate "five departments and six mansions, category. During the Qianjia period, it was a "guest house" for foreign envoys to temporarily live. After the Opium War, embassies of Britain, Russia, Germany, France and other countries were set up one after another. During the Gengzi Incident, the Empress Dowager of the West connived at and even instigated the Boxers to besiege the embassy area of Dongjiaomin Lane, which led to the invasion of Beijing by the Eight-Nation Alliance. Later, the Qing court was forced to sign the Xinchou Peace Treaty with the Eight-Nation Alliance, and after that, Dongjiaomin Lane became a disguised "concession." ”。

"The area around Dongjiaomin Lane, east to Chongwen Street, west to Qipan Street, south to the city wall, and north to Dongdan Toutiao, in accordance with the treaty, are all assigned to the territory of foreigners, and Chinese are not allowed to live nearby.

All countries have worked vigorously, building barracks and embassies, and western-style buildings are high in the sky. Forts were built on all sides to prevent banditry, which was a hundred times stronger than before it was destroyed, and if the ancestral halls, government offices, warehouses, and private houses were all occupied and demolished in our country. How can it be soft to be sad! ”。 (To be continued.)