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When Li Hongzhang and his entourage went ashore, the 200 cavalry of the 6th Cavalry Brigade of the United States took the lead to open the way, these cavalrymen were tall and energetic, wearing blue uniforms with tassel belts, yellow feathers on their hats fluttering in the wind, delicate sabers on their waists, and fat horses under their crotches, which also attracted people's attention.

Li Hongzhang walked down from the "St. Louis" cruise ship, and Rong Hui, minister of the First Republic of China to the United States, rushed to greet him. Li Hongzhang got into a soft sedan chair covered with tiger skins arranged by the minister to the United States, carried by four sailors, and got into an open-top four-wheeled carriage. The two chestnut horses were in good spirits, and Li Hongzhang was helped into the carriage by his heir Li Jingfang. They passed by Washington Arch on Fifth Avenue in New York, where local overseas Chinese waved small buntings and warmly welcomed them, and tens of thousands of people cheered along the streets.

Cleveland, the 24th President of the United States, held a grand welcome luncheon for Li Hongzhang at the mansion of US Secretary of State Wheat. In the ballroom, a large gilded American eagle coat of arms hangs over the fireplace, flanked by the American Star-Spangled Banner and the Five-Color Flag of the First Republic of China. The banquet hall is also decorated with some specimens of palm trees, all imported from China.

In the afternoon, Li Hongzhang held talks with President Cleveland. Before the talks, Li Hongzhang made full preparations, and that day he deliberately wore an old-fashioned pair of hard-rimmed glasses, his cheekbones were high but not thin, and his dark skin looked very healthy. Li Hongzhang's face has a striking and kind expression, his eyes are bright and shimmering with wisdom, and his eyes contain humor and wit.

The two presidents talked about some inconsequential aftermath. Li Hongzhang talked about the Chinese Exclusion Act "Gree Law" passed by the US Congress in 1882, he was a little emotional, clenched the fist of his right hand, raised it slightly, and said dissatisfiedly: "The Chinese Exclusion Act is the most unfair bill in the world, and the Chinese ambassador to the United States told me that the "Gree Law" is due to the influence of Irish immigrants who want to dominate the California labor market, because the Chinese are their strong competitors. So they want to exclude the Chinese. If China boycotts American products, refuses to buy American products, and cancels the concession of American products to be sold to China, how will Your Excellency the President feel? I would like to ask you, Mr. President, what do you gain by expelling cheap Chinese laborers from the United States? Cheap labor means cheaper goods, and customers can buy high-quality goods at a low price. How can your Congress pass such a stupid bill? ”

Cleveland shrugged his shoulders and said, "President Lee, I'm sorry, even though I'm the president of the United States of America. But I have no right to interfere with the power of Congress to make and pass laws. ”

Li Hongzhang was a little puzzled and said, "As the head of state, how can you not have the power to repeal such an obviously unreasonable law?" ”

Cleveland patiently explained to Li Hongzhang the separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial powers in the United States. "The legislative power rests with Congress. The President exercises executive power".

Hearing this, Li Hongzhang was dissatisfied with this system of separation of powers, and said: "Aren't you very proud of you as Americans, you say that the United States represents the highest modern civilization in the world, and you are also proud of your democracy and freedom, but is your Chinese Exclusion Act free for the Chinese?" It's not freedom! Because you forbid the use of products made with cheap labor. You can't compete with the UK now, because the American products are more expensive than the British ones. It's all because your labour is so expensive that the price of goods is too high to compete with the British. Labor is too expensive because you exclude Chinese laborers. It was your mistake. If you let labor compete freely, you will be able to get cheap labor. The Chinese are more thrifty than the rest of the American labor force. They are more able to endure hardships and stand hard work, so the workers of other ethnic groups hate the Chinese. ”

Cleveland nodded and said, "I can take the words of His Excellency the President." Convey to some members of Congress that they should consider whether the Gree Act should be repealed, and I do not have the power to directly repeal bills passed by Congress. ”

Li Hongzhang said: "I believe that Your Excellency the President can help the Chinese people to cancel the unreasonable Chinese exclusion bill." ”

Cleveland asked Li Hongzhang: "Will American capital have any preferential rights when investing in China?" ”

Li Hongzhang quickly replied: "Only when capital, labor, and land are organically combined can wealth be generated." The Chinese Government is very pleased to welcome any capital investment in our country. My good friend General Grant once told me that you must invite American capital into China to build industry and help the Chinese people exploit their rich natural resources. But the management of these factories should be in the hands of the Chinese government. We welcome American businessmen to invest in China, and you will provide funds and technicians. However, when it comes to railways, telecommunications, etc., it is up to us to control them. We must protect national sovereignty and not allow anyone to endanger China's sacred sovereignty. ”

Cleveland originally thought that Li Hongzhang was a dim-witted president who was full of "who cares about everything," but he did not expect that Li Hongzhang had a fairly clear understanding of the outside world and the economy, and also had some understanding of democracy and freedom in the United States, and at the same time had the demeanor and shrewdness of a diplomat. The New York Times also reported the next day that President Li Hongzhang was "not only a famous military general, but also a politician, financier and diplomat."

In New York, Li Hongzhang later visited Chinatown and visited American factories and schools. But Li Hongzhang's trip to the United States coincided with a huge economic crisis: a crisis that was the bitter fruit of Americans' overinvestment in railroads. In the second half of the 19th century, in order to expand to the sparsely populated West, the United States rose to build railroad frenzy, excessive investment in railroads, and eventually formed a bubble, and the bankruptcy of the Reading Railroad Company in Philadelphia in 1893 caused a long and tragic Great Depression in the United States, during which the four major railroad companies, more than 500 banks, and more than 15,000 enterprises collapsed. At the height of the crisis, unemployment was 17-19%, and the United States had a population of 75 million. This was followed by a shrinking of U.S. gold reserves, industrial overproduction, and poor agricultural harvests. After President Cleveland and Li Hongzhang met, they were busy fighting fires everywhere, but in the end, they did not save the United States from this huge economic disaster, and finally had to take the blame and resign.

Therefore, when he visited the United States in 1893, Li Hongzhang did not see a prosperous and stable United States, and was full of desolation, and finally returned disappointed, and the reform in China was also difficult, Li Hongzhang completely lost confidence in the federal republican system of the United States, so he dismissed Rong Hong from the post of secretary general of the presidential office and was succeeded by his heir Li Jingfang.

Li Hongzhang's son Li Jingfang and son-in-law Zhang Peilun joined hands and took the opportunity to advocate Japan's constitutional monarchy to Li Hongzhang. Li Hongzhang was seventy-one years old at this time, he felt that his health was getting worse and worse, he wanted to find a way for China to open the "peace of eternity" before he died, and Li Hongzhang originally believed that the Chinese government could not exist apart from the family and the Confucian cultural system, so Li Hongzhang decided to try a constitutional monarchy!

At this time, a ghost in exile in Japan, drifting across the ocean, rushed back to Beijing in a hurry, came to visit Li Hongzhang, and asked for help to China realize the great cause of constitutional monarchy.