Beijing, January 1, 1912. Welcome to Reading //

According to the year name announced by Sun Dacang in Nanjing last night, today should be the New Year's Day of the first year of the Republic of China, the first day of the New Year. But in the hearts of most Beijingers, it is still three years of Xuantong!

Maybe it's because the emperor and the empress dowager have just issued an edict of abdication, or maybe it's because Yuan Weiting, who originally had a good hand, was cut off halfway by Sun Dacang, and the whole city of Beijing was a little panicked. The sky was also semi-cloudy and not clear, with a cold northwest wind blowing from time to time. In the past, Qianmen Street, which was full of traffic, was empty and empty, and the whole street was clean and slippery as if it had been licked by the wind. Occasionally, one or two people passed by, all of them shrunk their heads and waists, and walked quickly along the wall.

A pot of spring in a famous restaurant in Beijing has been somewhat decayed, the original gilded plaque has been eroded by time to be mottled, and the colorful paintings on the beams and pillars have also peeled off and decolorized in many places. Fortunately, "the tiger will not fall to the ground, and the donkey will not fall to the shelf", like this time-honored brand that has stood for nearly a hundred years, there are always some regular customers who come to the door to recall the taste of the year.

I saw that it was lunch time, but there were only a few tables of guests in the lobby. Seeing that there was no business, the shopkeeper was also a little listless. At this moment, two guests came in from outside the door: one in front of him was dressed in brocade clothes, with a big belly; The latter was plainly dressed, with a gray expression and a thin and shriveled body. Such a strange match instantly lifted the shopkeeper's spirits: "Two masters, please inside!" Dare to ask if you are always in the lobby, or do you go to a private room? ”

The one in front glanced at the shopkeeper disdainfully: "Naturally, it's a private room!" I remember that you have a private room called 'Spring Willow Windward' here, have you booked it out today? ”

The shopkeeper gave a thumbs up: "You must be a regular customer!" Since you are a regular customer, even if you book it out, you have to give it to you, right? Two masters, please come here! Then he turned around and greeted the guy: "Xiao Er, two distinguished guests in the spring willow wind, present a clean porcelain basin, snow-white towels, boiling water, and tribute fragrant tea!" This shouting is full of Beijing flavor, and the voice is loud and lingering, and it is worthy of being a time-honored brand!

As soon as the two of them sat down in the box, the man brought a basin, towels and tea. After washing your hands and face. Pick up the tea bowl and say "please" to each other, and then open the lid of the bowl and take a sip. The middle-aged man in slightly shabby clothes drank the tea and frowned slightly: "Brother Di Xuan, junior brother remembers the last time we dined here. The tea is still small leaf jasmine double smoked, how can it be replaced by Biluochun now? ”

The middle-aged man in brocade clothes smiled and said: "Brother Shaoquan, now the south wind and the north are the trend of the times, and even the national political system is no exception, not to mention the tea used every day!" ”

It turned out that these two people were Wu Tongjia and Yang Jiesan, who drank and said goodbye here three years ago.

After that, Wu Tongjia served as the envoy of Hubei and took charge of the academic administration of a province. Although the education department is known as the Qingshui Yamen. However, no matter how poor you are, you can't be poor leaders, and after Sun Yuanqi's rectification and standardization, Hubei's education funds are quite abundant. As the saying goes: "When the water is wet, the hands are wet." "Wu Tongjia has only been a scholar in Hubei for more than three years, and he has changed from a bag to a waist. After the Wuchang Uprising, he became the director of the Education Bureau of the Political Affairs Department of the Hubei Military Governor's Office, and then changed to the Minister of Education of the Hubei Military Governor's Office.

A few days ago, there were a lot of rumors in Hubei. Why does Sun Wen want to set up a new government in Nanjing, what Yuan Xiangcheng wants to be the president, and what Sun Baixi wants to set up a separate central government...... Huang Xing and the Governor's Mansion of the Hubei Army, which had been very loud before, had no news. Clear-eyed people can more or less guess that Wuchang has no possibility of becoming the best district in the world. Wu Tongjia was disappointed, and hurriedly packed his bags. came to Yuan Weiting, who is the most promising to dominate the country, to have a little relationship.

As for Yang Jiesan, he sometimes died obediently.

He was a scholar in the sixteenth year of Guangxu (1890), and after more than ten years, he was gradually promoted to the bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, and his career was quite smooth. In particular, the position of a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy is a first-class good errand among Beijing officials, which can not only raise hope, but also be easy to promote and release, and soaring is almost just around the corner. However, I don't know which stick of incense didn't burn, or I inadvertently offended a certain god, and I saw that my colleagues around me were not released to be envoys and envoys. is to be promoted to a cabinet bachelor and a squire in various ministries, but he is the only one who 'can't be blown by the eight winds, sitting on the purple golden lotus', and still stays in the Hanlin Academy to raise hope - even if fame is a placenta, he should become an adult after so many years! Yang Jiesan thought so.

The middle and lower class Beijing officials generally lived a relatively hard life, especially in the Hanlin Academy. For Yang Jiesan. The constraints of life can be endured, and the hopelessness of the career is the greatest torture. finally survived the autumn of the third year of Xuantong, and Yang Jiesan finally came to work, first promoted to a higher level and became a bachelor; Later, there were rumors that the imperial court was ready to release him to Jiangsu as an envoy. Seeing that a beautiful life was about to begin, the Wuchang Uprising broke out suddenly. The country is in danger, who still has the heart to promote a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy? Yesterday, even the emperor of the Qing Dynasty announced that he had been laid off! The emperors have all been laid off, what is the use of studying for a bachelor? So he was also honorably unemployed.

At this moment, Yang Jiesan heard Wu Tongjia mention "the south wind and the north gradually" and "the national political system", and his heart was even more unhappy, and he slammed the tea bowl on the table, and the tea soup suddenly splashed around.

Wu Tongjia knew that he was not happy in his heart, and he didn't break it, so he said to the guy standing aside: "Aren't the signature dishes of your store crab roe lion head, pine crane drunken cream crab, oil eel paste, and squirrel mandarin fish?" But if it's a good dish, you can eat it for two people! ”

The hotel's favorite is this kind of guest. The guy also smiled happily: "You can look at it when you are old!" By the way, what kind of drinks do you want? It is best to eat Subang cuisine with thick rice wine, which is full of flavor! ”

Wu Tongjia said: "It's just a pot of rice wine, cut the ginger shreds, serve them with green plums, and then serve them hot!" ”

Yang Jiesan said: "I only drink two pots now!" ”

Wu Tongjia knew that his friend was stubborn again, so he had to instruct his guy: "Then put on another pot of two pots!" ”

A moment later, a variety of dishes were served and filled the table. After the guy left the box, Wu Tongjia poured Yang Jiesan a cup of Erguotou, poured himself full of rice wine, and then raised his glass and said: "Since the farewell of the Beijing teacher, I haven't seen each other for three years, the world is like a white cloud and a dog is changing, fortunately, the friendship has not changed." This encounter is a surprise intersection, all words are in the wine, please drink this glass! ”

"!" Yang Jie took the wine glass and drank it all.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, Yang Jiesan put down his chopsticks and asked, "Brother Di Xuan, I don't know what to do when you go north this time?" ”

Wu Tongjia smiled: "Naturally, I came to visit you, Brother Shaoquan!" Brother Fool heard that your life has been a little unsatisfactory recently, and you and I have not seen each other for a long time. It just so happened that he was free in the past few days, so he followed the example of Zhang Jiying who returned to Wu for thousands of miles, and Prince Youxue visited Dai at night, and went north to drink and chat with his virtuous brother. ”

"You and I are close brothers, do you still need to say these polite words?" Yang Jiesan was a little displeased.

Seeing that the lie was exposed on the spot, Wu Tongjia laughed a few times: "Brother Fool really wants to meet Brother Xian when he goes north this time, of course, if he has time, he may also visit other friends." By the way, Brother Shaoquan, Brother Fool heard that the Qing Dynasty issued an edict of abdication yesterday, so I am afraid that the Hanlin Academy will also be abolished. I wonder what my brother plans will be in the future? ”

Hearing Wu Tongjia mention the edict of abdication, Yang Jiesan suddenly felt sad: "Since the founding of Emperor Taizu Gao, the Qing Dynasty has been a country for 300 years, upholding the holy religion, governing and loving the people, monarchs and ministers, fathers and sons. It was only because of the current Chong Ling and the practice of Zuo that he was taken advantage of by the traitors of the rebellious party, so he issued the edict of abdication with shame. When the loyal ministers and filial sons of the world heard about it, they all felt heartbroken and wept. However, Taikang lost the country and Shaokang Zhongxing, Wang Mang usurped the throne and Guangwu followed, not to mention that my dynasty has the grace of the world, and there is no trace of immorality!

"Although he is weak in age, he is talented, and in time, he will definitely be able to reorganize the sun and the moon and recreate the world. Now that the emperor is still in the palace, the younger brother, as a bachelor, should fulfill his duties and visit him every day, and lecture to the emperor on the strategy of lying on the salary and trying to be bold and swallowing Wu, in order to make a modest contribution to the revival of the Holy Dynasty. If Zhongxing fails and there is no hope of recovering the country, the younger brother is willing to be like the Taifu of Chu State, jump into the whale wave and calmly die, serve the first emperor under Jiuquan, and do not want to survive under the rule of rebellious ministers and thieves. ”

In the end, Yang Jiesan couldn't help but cry.

Wu Tongjia was a little disdainful in his heart: but all the courtiers who are full of loyal words but cry are like throwing water into the pond and cold (Qian Qianyi), and hunger strike and disgusting with dirty clothes (Hong Chengchou), they are all reluctant to die and cannot be loyal ministers.

Seeing his friend crying bitterly, Wu Tongjia wanted to come forward to comfort him, but as a rebellious person, he didn't know where to persuade him. For a while, the room was a little cold, and only the low cry of a middle-aged man echoed in the box. After thinking about it for a long time, Wu Tongjia finally held back a sentence: "Brother Shaoquan, Brother Fool has also been a bachelor of waiters, and after he was appointed as a scholar in Hubei, he even knew the famous teacher Confucian." If the emperor needs it in the future, the foolish brother can introduce it on his behalf. ”

Yang Jiesan wiped his tears when he heard this, and said sharply: "The younger brother feels that the root cause of the overthrow of the emperor and queen of the sect is that today's scholars have destroyed the teachings of the saints and converted to Western learning, resulting in arrogance and disrespect, and no loyalty to the monarch and patriotism. Hubei is the source of the country's troubles, and the province's Confucian cultivation can be imagined. Therefore, Brother Di Xuan's kindness, the younger brother has no choice but to thank Bumin! ”

Wu Tongjia always felt that Yang Jiesan was secretly ridiculing himself, not only a little sneering: "Brother Shaoquan, I'm just afraid that you will generalize, right?" ”

Yang Jiesan sneered: "Don't say anything else, you can spy on it from the officials in charge of culture and education in the province!" ”

"Who?" Wu Tongjia was a little weak-hearted.

"Brother Di Xuan's predecessor, Sun Yuanqi!". )