Zhang Yuanzhe, a Beijing-based reporter for Yuanshan News who had interviewed Long Qian, who had just entered Beijing at the Qianmen Railway Station, and as the chief reporter of the "Zhonghua Daily" founded by the Propaganda Bureau and positioned as the mouthpiece of the government, witnessed the birth of the head of the National Assembly and the first president of the Republic of China throughout the day on April 21.

Zhang Yuanzhe has several skills that are difficult for his peers to reach, the first is that he has an excellent memory, and the second is that he writes articles quickly, and he usually does not revise them anymore. At the same time of the interview, it is often used for two purposes, on the one hand, to guide the interviewee to confide in his heart, and on the other hand, to make a belly draft, and at the end of the interview, the abdominal draft is almost complete, and it takes an hour or two to "transcribe" it and then you can hand in the paper.

The president of the "Zhonghua Daily" from the military system specially explained to Zhang Yuanzhe that he should not only grasp the important events of the day, but also give full play to your strengths in "lace news" and write a set of interesting short articles. Let's put it this way, the front page of tomorrow's newspaper and the front page of the supplement are left to you!

"Zhonghua Bao" was "born" only three months ago, and according to Ouyang Zhong, who became friends with Zhang Yuanzhe because of his work relationship, "Zhonghua Bao" is a newspaper that Long Qian must read. Zhang Yuanzhe asked Mr. Long what he thought of the newspaper, and Ouyang Zhong said that the newspaper was doing well, especially the political articles were very sharp and powerful, but the disadvantage was that they were too political and lacked interest in life.

Now that the ban on speech has been opened, all kinds of voices criticizing the Mengshan military junta are endless, and "Zhonghua Bao" naturally has to bear the responsibility of refuting it, and it is indeed missing some of the fun of life. According to the prompting of Ouyang Zhong, the "general manager of the Great Interior", "Zhonghua Bao" added a literary supplement, which was quite popular, and the circulation of the newspaper increased by 20%.

Zhang Yuanzhe knew what his president, who was not highly educated but quite good at employing people, wanted him to write. Nothing more than some details of the inaugural president on this day, the audience seems to be more interested in this. When Long Qian entered Beijing, everyone reported on Long Qian's speech, and he wrote down the details of Long Qian's meeting with the generals of the Northern Army, and the effect was very good.

It is not possible to fully blossom, Zhang Yuanzhe decided to focus on Long Qian, although the election has not yet begun, but Long Qian's election is certain. Zhang Yuanzhe, with a chartered press card with a photograph on it, waited early in the square outside the gate of Huairentang and saw many "big shots" entering the venue in well-dressed clothes. But Long Qian was never seen.

The plan to interview Long Qian before the meeting began. Thereupon. Zhang Yuanzhe briefly interviewed several parliamentarians in accordance with the backup plan, and he paid special attention to parliamentarians outside the Mengshan military system, such as Liang Qichao, Duan Fang, Li Yuanhong, Zhang Binglin, and so on. According to the outline of the interview prepared in advance. Ask each of these people a question that they think is of interest to them. Liang Qichao is a hot person. As soon as he appeared, he was surrounded by reporters and didn't get the opportunity, but Duan Fang, Li Yuanhong and Zhang Binglin were all interviewed. Unexpectedly, another Zhang clan was inserted, that is, Zhang Shizhao of the Shandong Regiment, known as Zhang Maniac, who originally knew Zhang Yuanzhe, and talked to him endlessly about democracy: What is democracy? The rejection of the national flag design designed by Mr. Long himself is democracy.

Zhang Yuanzhe felt that the national flag design designed by Long Dashuai was quite good, and the pre-election was also passed, but it was not more than half of the votes, and the winning plan was designed by a Beijing parliamentarian named Qi Rushan, who was an opera expert, but came up with a work that satisfied the parliamentarians.

Hong Yuecheng, who presided over the meeting, was a little embarrassed by the result, but could only announce the winning work. Afterwards, I heard that Long Dashuai only expressed regret and was not dissatisfied.

As the official elections began, reporters withdrew from the venue and gathered outside in an open space to chat, according to the agenda, the first election was the president and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, and then the presidential election. It is estimated that Long Qian will deliver a speech after he is elected, which is the most important thing, and Zhang Yuanzhe must concentrate his efforts on writing down the main points of Long Qian's speech and quickly report it to the newspaper, and the above will be on the front page or the second page of tomorrow. Because Long Qian's habit of speaking has never been scripted, it will be a little late for the secretariat to sort out the manuscript.

Therefore, Zhang Yuanzhe avoided dozens of reporters and hid in a secluded place to close his eyes and recuperate.

"Brother Zhang is so leisurely, he has already caught important news, right?"

Zhang Yuanzhe looked up and saw that it was the familiar "Ta Kung Pao" reporter Dongfang Ming, this gentleman's surname is Dong, not Fuxing Dongfang, and he is also a celebrity in the news circle of Jingshi.

"It's you," Zhang Yuanzhe stood up, "In terms of the ability to grasp the news, I can't compare to you." ”

"Where, the identity of the brother is different, I can't compare." Dongfang Ming alluded to Zhang Yuanzhe as a royal reporter.

"At every press conference, you are the focus of attention. It would be unkind to say such a thing. ”

"Just kidding. You say, will there be a negative vote? Oh, and I was referring to the presidential election. ”

"Why not? Absolutely. Zhang Yuanzhe smiled.

"If it is universal suffrage, it will also be a result. The world was fought down by others, Mr. Shecholong, I can't think of anyone else who can control the situation. However, this election, whether it is the National Assembly or the government, is just the beginning, and there will be big moves in the future. I heard that the Congress is going to set up a Senate and a House of Representatives, and many members of the military system have either changed careers or quit, or they still have to make big moves. The second is the form of government, which in the end still produces a nondescript result, and the prime minister is afraid that it will be difficult to do it. ”

Zhang Yuanzhe did not answer. Dongfang Ming is right, whether it is the Congress or the government, there will be strong adjustments in the next few years. Regardless of the perfection of the National Assembly, according to the framework approved by the National Assembly, the President appoints the Prime Minister to form a cabinet, but some powerful branches of the government, such as the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of National Defense, are the president's decision. Moreover, most of the decisions of the Prime Minister's Office require the President to use India to take effect.

The peculiarity of this form of government is that the president has great power, and the prime minister becomes the president's deputy, and there is no real power.

Presumably, as the parliamentarians argued, Long Qian wanted to seize power, but he was unwilling to get involved in economic affairs.

"By the way, I'm going to Cullen, are you going?" Seeing that Zhang Yuanzhe didn't take the topic, Dongfang Ming changed the topic.

"Really? Your report is amazing. Is it an interview or a location? ”

"Set a point." Dongfang Ming was triumphant, "'The spring breeze blows the grass, and the sunset deserted city shines on the banner', where there is a big news that has caused a sensation across the country!" Dongfang Ming chanted two lines of poems made by Long Qian, "Mr. Chen Sanyuan is known as the first person in the Tongguang poetry circle. I am full of praise for these two poems that are stable and have endless artistic conceptions,"

Chen Sanyuan, also known as Chen Sanli, is the son of Chen Baochen, the former governor of Hunan, who is good at ancient style poetry, and Zheng Xiaoxu, who has always been cynical about the republican system, are both famous poets today. Obedient and listening, probably in Chen Sanyuan's eyes, these two sentences can still enter the eyes of the law.

Dongfang Ming lowered his voice, "I heard that Lu Shan is killing in Kulun, and the heads are rolling." ”

"Neither can you listen to rumors. It's like the Changsha fire. Isn't it time for the truth to come out? The Mengshan army was strictly disciplined. Indiscriminate killing of innocents is unlikely. Zhang Yuanzhe shook his head, thinking to himself, should he apply to go to Kulun? "Ta Kung Pao" has set up points, and "Zhonghua Bao" should not be slow to respond......

"Yikes. The election has a result. Dongfang Ming left Zhang Yuanzhe. Hurriedly ran towards the gate of Huairentang.

Zhang Yuanzhe entered the venue. The crowd was so loud that most of the parliamentarians left their seats, nervously staring at the votes on the stage. Waiting for the results of the election. The results of the presidential election are being sung on the stage, the scrutineers are Yu Youren and Zhang Shizhao, and the tellers are Qiu Jin.

After announcing the election results of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, the meeting entered a small climax, and Qiu Jin began to sing the results of the presidential election.

Hearing Qiu Jin announce Long Qian's name in a row, the parliamentarians below, especially the military system, cheered higher and higher. Zhang Yuanzhe said in his heart, what is there to be excited about?

"In that case, it's a good thing to have a few votes against it." Zhang Yuanzhe is not curious about the results of the election, but to witness the president's oath and speech, so he squeezes forward, hoping to find a good seat, hoping to get the opportunity to interview Long Qian. Zhang Yuanzhe has been looking for Long Qian's figure, but he has never seen today's absolute protagonist.

After Chief Scrutineer Yu Youren announced that Long Qian had received 117 votes, the red-faced presiding officer Hong Yuecheng, who had just been elected speaker of the National Assembly, loudly announced that Long Qian had been elected as the first president of the Republic of China.

Next up is the swearing-in ceremony, according to the agenda. The hustle and bustle of the crowd suddenly quieted down, and the reporters crowded in the aisle consciously separated, and Zhang Yuanzhe saw Long Qian, who was wearing a brand-new gray military uniform, striding in the direction of the door, and his fierce guard followed closely behind.

Long Qian ignored the reporter and walked directly to the chair, Hong Yuecheng seemed to have forgotten the words, and stayed for a moment, "Congratulations on your election as the first president......"

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker," Long Qian shook hands with Hong Yuecheng, turned to face the parliamentarians and reporters, solemnly saluted, and said loudly, "I, Long Qian, hereby swear: abide by the Constitution and laws, do my best to perform my duties as president, and strive ceaselessly for the democracy, prosperity, and strength of the Republic of China!" ”

After speaking, Long Qian once again saluted the spectators.

That's it? Zhang Yuanzhe was a little dazed. But Long Qian had already left the front of the rostrum.

Before, he had thought about what costume Long Qian would wear to appear on this occasion, and the most unlikely thing was the military uniform. Because Long Qian has said in several conversations that soldiers should stay away from politics, why do they wear military uniforms at the inauguration ceremony? Show that he is the commander-in-chief of the army? No, the government has made it clear that the president is the head of the armed forces of the republic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the President's speech with warm applause." Hong Yuecheng took a step forward and said loudly.

It seems to have deviated from the intended track...... Zhang Yuanzhe thought to himself, as Hong Yuecheng's strategist, how could he restrain such a strong figure as Long Qian? The scene just now reminded him of the legendary story of Napoleon's coronation as Emperor of France.

Long Qian returned to the rostrum, "Speaker Hong used the wrong word just now, and I have to correct it." As president, he will never be qualified to speak in Congress. It can only be reported and questioned.

"Thank you gentlemen for your trust in me to stand here and speak in my capacity as the first President of the Republic of China. First of all, please stand up and let us pay the highest tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the dignity, independence, territorial integrity, and national freedom and happiness of the country in the previous wars against foreign aggression. I would like to express my most sincere thanks to the many predecessors who have worked hard to explore the road of democracy and freedom in the country over the past few decades! ”

Zhang Yuanzhe recorded desperately, and he keenly noticed that Long Qian deliberately blurred the boundaries of time. Sure enough, whether it was a Manchu or a Kuomintang legislator, everyone stood up, and the scene was solemn and solemn for a while.

"Gentlemen, it is an irreversible choice of history for the Mengshan Army to raise troops and kill the last feudal dynasty in China. Anyone who tries to turn back the clock on history will be thrown into the dustbin of history by the tide of the times. It has been proven that we Chinese can live without an emperor. The facts will prove it. After burying the decadent and ignorant feudal dynasty, we Chinese will surely stand tall again among the nations of the world through our own hard struggle. With our hands, we will create a new splendid civilization of our Chinese nation. Let's think about it, how many countries around the world have become history, civilizations have been cut off, and they have been buried, which has become the subject of research for archaeologists. However, the Chinese civilization has shown incomparably tenacious vitality! Although he has experienced countless hardships, he can always be reborn from the fire. Now, the Republic of China has been officially established. Let us inherit the glory of our ancestors. For the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, unite hundreds of millions of compatriots across the country, forge ahead, and strive to move forward! ”

It's the one he's good at again. Zhang Yuanzhe stopped the pen in his hand.

"Gentlemen. Over here. Some people may want to hear more about what the strategy for nation-building is? Truly. The great cause of nation-building is a matter of great importance, and it is also something that the president must consider and implement, but I would like to talk about it today. It is a form of government that is completely different from history. Although the constitution has not yet been formally promulgated, equality, freedom, and democracy will be the spirit of the constitution that cannot be changed. Equality goes without saying, but what is freedom and what is democracy? Some people say that Congress's rejection of the president's bill is democracy. That's right, but it's a little superficial. ”

Zhang Yuanzhe thought to himself, he was still a little worried...... But there is something interesting about this topic, and I don't know how he will express it.

"Now, I would like to address four issues. First, freedom and responsibility. I believe that freedom and responsibility are inextricably linked. In modern politics, democracy and freedom are inextricably linked. Freedom is the foundation of democracy, and democracy provides a guarantee of freedom. It is only in a democratic system that maximum individual freedom can be achieved.

So, what is freedom? Liberty is a matter that is not prohibited by the law of goodness, and all citizens have the right to make decisions. But beware, freedom and responsibility are inextricably linked, and what kind of freedom you have, what kind of responsibility you have. What kind of rights do you have, everyone else has. Individuals must bear the legal, moral responsibility that arises from this. Freedom is not the same as presumptuousness, it is not about doing whatever you want, for example, no one has the freedom to kill people and sell goods, everyone knows this. But what about the little things? For example, if you like to sing, but others like to be quiet, you have the freedom to sing, and others have the freedom to enjoy quiet time. If your singing breaks the silence of others, it is an infringement of their freedom, and it is an impermissible act. It is undeniable that there are always people who sacrifice the freedom of others in order to pursue personal freedom, and this has been the case for thousands of years, and the new China we have created is to allow all citizens to fully enjoy individual freedom under the premise of ensuring the freedom of others. ”

That's kind of interesting...... Zhang Yuanzhe didn't care to think deeply, and quickly wrote down Long Qian's original words.

"Second, democracy is not about electing saints. Under the feudal system for thousands of years, the difference between the holy monarch and the faint monarch is huge. Therefore, since ancient times, I have especially looked forward to the sage Mingjun. We have been looking forward to it for more than 2,000 years, has there really been a perfect saint who does not disappoint? No! Even if there is such a saint, what if he has a limited lifespan and dies? What if his successor is a bad guy? I can only endure it. The superiority of democracy is that it may not elect saints, but it provides a system for driving out bad people. If democracy and autocracy are compared, they are like bamboo rafts and ornate boats. Democracy is a simple bamboo row, and autocracy is the gorgeous big ship, the guests who ride are comfortable, look majestic, and once they sink in the wind and waves, they will never float again. But the bamboo raft is different, first, it is difficult to sink, and second, even if the boat capsizes, it will float up quickly. But there is also a downside to bamboo rafts, that is, the drivers and passengers are not so comfortable, their feet are always soaked in water, and they don't even have a chair to sit on. Therefore, the officials of the republic cannot be as powerful as they were during the Manchu Dynasty, including me, the president. People think I'm incompetent, and I can be removed from power through Congress. ”

Zhang Yuanzhe pondered the analogy of the bamboo row and the big boat, and felt very fresh. But for Long Qian's final statement, he didn't think so, can the parliament really drive you down?

"Third, the people's prima fame is not a prerequisite for the implementation of democratic government. There is such a misunderstanding about the implementation of the democratic system, that is, the democratic quality of the common people is too low at present, and it is not suitable for democratic government for the time being. For this reason, many people have written articles satirizing us, the Congress, and the election, arguing that it is simply naïve and ridiculous to promote democracy in a reality like ours. I know that some of them have made up their minds to see our jokes. There are also those who care out of kindness.

Indeed, the suzhì of citizens is very important for democratic institutions. However, I believe that it is only in a democratic system that a subject becomes a citizen. Let me ask you a question, China is an ancient civilization, and after thousands of years of accumulation, why is the people's vegetarian value still low? I believe that the real improvement of citizenship is inseparable from the democratic system. It is impossible for a person to learn to swim on the shore. In order to improve the democratic quality of citizens, it is necessary to have democratic practice. Now that the National Assembly has been established, I believe that with the joint efforts of all the monarchs, it will become more and more perfect, and truly become the highest organ of power representing the fundamental interests of the people......"

Zhang Yuanzhe is a pessimist. But what Long Qian said is that you can't learn to swim on the shore is very vivid......

"Fourth, democracy is not the same as democracy. It is a mistake to see the style of governance of leaders as the divide between autocracy and democracy. Tang Taizong has been admonishing for centuries, but Tang Taizong's government is by no means a democratic government. The undemocratic style of leadership is not a big problem, but the lack of institutional guarantees, and the decision of all people by personal morality is a big problem. Even if there is a democratic style under that system, it is not reliable. On the contrary, I advocate that in our work, whether it is the government or the parliament, we should cultivate and display a democratic style as much as possible, but we should also strengthen the building of institutions and use systems to guarantee democracy. ”

That's a wonderful story! This is an absolute highlight...... But where is that system? Is this a bit of a messy Congress?

"I'm done talking. Thank you again for your trust. Thank you. Long Qian bowed deeply to the parliamentarians.

Applause rang out. Zhang Yuanzhe felt that Long Qian's speech on this occasion was a bit nondescript. I must admit that I like Long Qian's speech, and although I often repeat some ideas, it can be regarded as a necessary propaganda. But what does it mean to say this at the inauguration?

Zhang Yuanzhe was stunned, and the reporters had already rushed forward. (To be continued......)