The salamander got its name from the "Biography of the Scorpion" written by Liu Zongyuan. According to Liu Zongyuan's description, the small insect scorpion likes to carry things the most, and when it encounters something when crawling, it puts it on its back, and it is pressed so that it can't crawl and does not give up until it is crushed alive.

Jiang Baili shook his head and said: "Whether Japan will become a worm or not, it is difficult for students to say. However, if Japan does not lose its way and change its course, it will surely become China's number one rival! ”

Sun Yuanqi also said: "I have roughly the same judgment as Baili. The so-called 'long pain is better than short pain', rather than allowing it to encroach on our territory day by day, constantly absorb war dividends, improve its military strength, and become a big problem for us in the future, it is better to concentrate the strength of the whole country now, completely break its backbone, so that it will no longer dare to covet it! ”

Liang Qichao said: "Finish your work in one battle? That's a good idea. It's just that our country is poor and weak, the combat strength of the army is uneven, and the navy in particular is even weaker, and in addition, the provinces have different policies and orders, and if we really want to start an all-out war with Japan, I am afraid that there will be fewer victories and more defeats. ”

Sun Yuanqi said: "Ren Gong said, 'Win less and lose more', which is very true. Since the Daoguang Opium War, the whole country has been afraid of the sea like a tiger after seeing the strong ships and sharp cannons of the European and American powers. In the First Sino-Japanese War, the well-equipped Beiyang Naval Division was completely annihilated by the Japanese army, and this small country that was not regarded in the past has also become the object of our fear. Moreover, after that, Japan is thriving, while our country is declining, and if we go to war now, it is indeed 'less victories and more defeats'!

"Could it be that because there are fewer victories and more defeats, we can endure Japan's exploitation and bullying? It is true that our army's soldiers, training, and even equipment are inferior to the Japanese army, but if we don't even have the courage to fight the Japanese army, how can we have a chance of winning? If the Japanese army comes to attack, we will not dare to go to war for fear of defeat. Isn't it just a neck to be killed? Although the odds of victory are not very good at the moment, it does not mean that there is none, and the key is whether we can grasp that chance of victory. This is also the meaning of leading the whole army to research and prepare! ”

Jiang Baili suddenly asked: "According to Premier Baixi's opinion, if China and Japan go to war in the near future, what are the chances of our country winning?" ”

Sun Yuanqi sighed slightly: "In my opinion." The key to the victory or defeat of the Sino-Japanese war is not the battle itself, but the attitude of President Yuan. If he can join hands with Sun to work together with the outside world, the odds should be more than seventy percent; If he neither supports nor opposes, and sits back and watches the success or failure, the odds of victory are only 40%; If he is against obstruction at every turn, then the odds are less than 100 percent! ”

Immediately, Sun Yuanqi changed his words: "Of course." Regardless of whether President Yuan Da agrees with it or not, as long as Japan dares to invade our country and Sun is still in the post of prime minister, I will lead my troops to fight against it. Regardless of victory or defeat, at least let the Japanese know that we Chinese still have backbone, and we will never dare to make arrogant remarks about 'destroying China in three months' in the future! ”

Jiang Baili also replied generously: "Since Prime Minister Baixi has such pride. How could Fang Zhen stand by and watch? If Premier Baixi does not give up, Fang Zhen is willing to take the post of vice president of the Sichuan Army Military Academy to assist in the establishment of a military science research institute to specialize in studying the issue of warfare against Japan and fill in the gaps for the cabinet, the navy, and the armies of the western provinces. ”

Liang Qichao said at this time: "Baixi, I'm afraid that if Yuan Xiangcheng doesn't agree, it will not be easy to declare war on Japan!" Although according to the "State Council Official System" promulgated last year. The declaration of war and peace must go through the Council of State, but the power to declare war, make peace, and conclude treaties has always belonged to the President, who submits them to the National Assembly for deliberation, and the Prime Minister is only a countersign. If Yuan Xiangcheng disagrees, do you want to be anti-guest-oriented? ”

Jiang Baili said: "Although Yuan Xiangcheng is in the position of president and has military power, no matter in terms of military, economic or political influence, Premier Baixi is inseparable from Yuan Xiangcheng; Moreover, Premier Baixi's influence in the Senate and the House of Representatives is extraordinary, which is enough to restrain Yuan Xiangcheng. If Japan invades our country, Yuan Xiangcheng really does not agree to declare war. At that time, the public opinion of the whole country was turbulent, and Yuan Xiangcheng may not be able to stand alone! ”

Liang Qichao said in a low voice: "Baixi, Baili, have you ever heard of the name of the 'Civic Party'? ”

Sun Yuanqi and Jiang Baili shook their heads together.

Liang Qichao said: "Earlier today, Liang Yansun (Liang Shiyi), secretary general of the Great Presidential Office, visited by car and invited him to join his newly formed Civic Party. Follow his description. After the Southern Expedition, the Kuomintang radicals had withered away, and the Kuomintang conservatives who remained in the National Assembly were afraid of Yuan Xiangcheng's vicious methods, and second, seeing that the New China Party was in an advantageous position and had begun to form a cabinet, they were willing to abandon their old suspicions and support each other with the New China Party. Yuan Xiangcheng saw that there were signs of convergence between the moderate faction of the Kuomintang and the New China Party, and fearing that the situation was not favorable to him, ordered Liang Yansun to come forward to organize a new political party and prepare for a showdown in the National Assembly.

After receiving the order, Liang Yansun entangled small political parties such as the Qianshe and Jiyi Society to form the Civic Party, and the main members included Li Qingfang, Mei Guangyuan, Quan Liang, Lu Mengxiong and others in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Their intention is very simple, in the short term, it is to buy enough members of the two houses to elect Yuan Xiangcheng as the official president as soon as possible; The long-term goal is to occupy a majority of seats in the National Assembly and turn the National Assembly into the eagle dog of Yuan Xiangcheng. Because Liang Yansun and Zaixia are both fellow villagers (both Cantonese), classmates (both studying in Foshan Academy), or the same year (both are candidates from Guangdong Township in the fifteenth year of Guangxu), so they succumbed to each other this time. ”

Sun Yuan smiled and said, "It has always been rumored that this Liang Yansun is your younger brother Ren Gong!" ”

Liang Qichao waved his hand and said: "Although Liang Yansun and I are from the same township and surname, we are not from the same clan. Even if we go back 500 years and are brothers of the same spectrum, Yan Sun was born in Tongzhi Jisi (1869) and I was born in Tongzhi Guiyou (1873), he should be his brother and I am the younger brother. The so-called brotherly theory is just a fabricated word by the malicious slanderers back then, and after the rumors spread, everyone believed in them, and even destroyed them, which really makes people sigh for money! ”

Jiang Baili explained: "In the twenty-ninth year of Guangxu (1903), the Qing government opened the first special economic department, and it was rumored that Liang Yansun was named the first class first. Although it is easy to refute the rumors, the Empress Dowager Xi's impression of Liang Yansun has been very bad, and he has the same surname as Ren Gong (the same surname as 'Liang'), and the same name as Mr. Changsu (Kang Youwei's real name is Kang Zuyi, the same as the last word of Liang Shiyi), he is 'Liang Tou Kangwei', and they are all Cantonese, so they can't escape the suspicion of rebellion, and they are very angry in their hearts, so they canceled Liang Yansun's ranking. Therefore, Ren Gong has the sigh of 'everyone is gold, and the bones are destroyed'. ”

Sun Yuanqi said: "Although I don't have much contact with Secretary-General Yansun, in the past two years, he has been in the presidential palace and Sun has been in the State Council, so it is inevitable that he will have to deal with each other from time to time. This secretary-general is wise and has won the trust of the president, especially in the transportation system, and is known as the 'God of Wealth'. It was up to him to support the formation of a new political party, but he did his best! ”

Liang Qichao said: "According to Brother Yan Sun's intentions, their Civic Party wants to set up a special 'Congressmen's Council' in the Senate and the House of Representatives, specifically to attract members to join the meeting, and to run for the election of Yuan Xiangcheng as the official president. Members who join the party will be rewarded with a monthly allowance of $200. Don't underestimate Baixi! ”

Sun Yuan nodded and said: "The so-called 'there must be brave men under the heavy reward', Secretary General Yansun can offer such a price, the congressmen will definitely rush to it, and the Civic Party will soon become a new force in the Congress, how dare Sun despise it!" I just don't know what Ren Gong thinks about this matter? ”

Liang Qichao was a little disdainful: "The rich can't be lewd, the poor can't be moved, and the mighty can't be bent, this is called a big husband!" Liang Mouran can't be worthy of the sky and bow down to others in everything, but he is also a little arrogant, how can he sell his personality for hundreds of yuan a month? So I categorically rejected Liang Yansun's invitation! And the most urgent task at the moment is not to elect a president, but to first formulate a constitution. If the constitution is not decided, and the president is elected first, and the cart is turned upside down, will it not be tolerated by public opinion and ridiculed by foreign countries? ”

The root cause of why the formal National Assembly of the Republic of China was held in April 1913 and did not elect a president until October was the question of which came first, the "presidential election" and the "constitution-making". In the view of the Kuomintang, the fundamental goal of the revolution was the establishment of a democratic republic, so they strongly demanded a more complete constitution to replace the somewhat outdated Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China, and to restrain the growing political ambitions of Yuan Shikai, so that the Chinese political situation could be put on the right track of democratic politics. In their concept, the election, nature, status, and authority of the official president are all based on the constitution, and it is insurmountable to formulate the constitution first and then elect the president!

In opposition to this are Republicans, Democrats, and Unionists, who have strenuously advocated the election of a president and the enactment of a constitution later. Their reasoning is equally high-sounding: the constitution cannot be completed in a short period of time, while the presidential election can be decided in a single day. If the country does not elect a full-fledged president, it will be difficult to maintain order in the whole country, and foreign powers will not recognize it, and it will inevitably suffer from the scourge of partition! Furthermore, since he knew that Yuan Shikai would be elected as the official president in the future, why not elect the president first to fulfill his wish?

The New China Party, which is one of the largest and two largest parties in the National Assembly, has taken an ambiguous attitude on the issue of which should come first in the "presidential election" and "constitution-making." It is in favor of electing Yuan Shikai as the official president, and at the same time it is also in favor of formulating a constitution suited to the current national conditions as soon as possible, which has further led to a stalemate in the National Assembly for the past six months.

But now that the Kuomintang has been shattered and the Civic Party is about to emerge, the New China Party must take a clear-cut stand as soon as possible in order to take control of the situation, whether it is a majority in the National Assembly or a pioneer in attacking Fujian. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to the starting point (qidian.) to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support, is my biggest motivation. For mobile phone users, please go to m.qidian. )

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