I. Introduction of Xu Shichang
Xu Shichang, whose ancestral home is directly subordinate to Tianjin, was born on October 24, 1855 in the apartment of Caoying Street, Fucheng, Weihui Province (now Weihui City), Henan Province, and died of illness in Tianjin on June 5, 1939 at the age of 85. He was known as the Beiyang Military Division, and after middle age, he soared to the top of the yellow tengda, and then ascended to the presidency for more than three years. Xu Shichang raised a man in his early years, and later became a soldier in the middle. Since Yuan Shikai's small station training, he has been Yuan Shikai's adviser and ally, and they are the same way. Guangxu served as Minister of Military Aircraft in the thirty-first year (1905). Xu Shichang was quite valued by Yuan Shikai, and when Yuan Shikai became emperor, he stayed away from him in silence.
Second, return to the Hundred Springs Mountain
In the fifth year of the Republic of China (1916), xu Shichang, after Yuan Shikai claimed to be emperor and died of illness, returned to Baiquan Mountain in Hui County, Henan Province, to show negativity to the outside world, saying that "may you travel to the countryside for the whole day", and called himself "Shuizhu Village", called himself "Shuizhu Village", and engraved himself on the side of the idle chapter, saying that "mangshoe cloth and socks from now on", expressing the idea of never living in the world again.
Xu Shichang once asked his uncle Chen Youyi to come to Weihui Province, and the two uncles and nephews wandered between the mountains and rivers to discuss poetry. Once, to his uncle: "I have an inexplicable relationship with Qing Room and with Yuan Xiangcheng (Yuan Shikai), and now that Qing Room has abdicated and XiangCheng has passed away, I will settle down in Yunquan, play in the mountains, and raise heaven and year!" Xu Beiyang's identity as elder, saying such a thing, in fact, in his heart, he had the intention of sitting and watching the changes and waiting for the opportunity to rise.
Third, the dispute between the government and the court, Xu came forward to mediate
In November of the same year, a few months after Xu Shichang's return to hiding, Li Yuanhong and Duan Qirui had a "dispute between the government (presidential palace) (State Council)", and the stalemate was still in place, and both sides hoped that Xu Shichang would come forward at this time to play the role of Lu Zhonglian of the Warring States and mediate for them in his special capacity.
As a result of the mediation, Sun Hongyi on the Presidential Office and Xu Shuzheng on the State Department side both resigned from their current posts to settle the dispute between the two sides. After the mediation, Xu still planned to return to Weihui, Henan, and both sides of the government were determined to keep him, so Xu Shichang adopted a compromise plan and moved to Tianjin nearby.
Former residence of Xu Shichang
4. Zhang Xun's restoration and failure
Among the Beiyang warlords, after Yuan Shikai's death, some advocated those who wanted to "return the government to the Qing Dynasty", while the Japanese in Hualang were afraid that China would not be chaotic, and they also contributed to the situation from the side. Zhang Xun held four consecutive meetings of overseers in Xuzhou to contemplate restoration, and a large number of people agreed to support the restoration.
After all, Xu Shichang was a man of letters, quick-witted, and knew very well that the act of restoration would depend on external support, and he hoped to take the opportunity of Lu Zongyu, the envoy of the Beiyang Government to Japan, to test the attitude of the Japanese side, but unexpectedly ran into a wall.
Later, Zhang Xun was summoned by Li Yuanhong to come to Beijing to mediate the conflict between Li and Duan, and when passing through Tianjin, he paid a special visit to Xu Shichang. Xu said to Zhang Xun: "The time has not yet come, do not rush to carry out restoration." Zhang Xun also agreed with Xu at that time. However, after Zhang Xun entered The Capital, he was instigated by Wan Shengyu and Kang Youwei's generation, and easily made a decision, supporting Puyi's restoration, Zhang Himself was appointed as the minister of parliament, and at the same time he was awarded the post of president of the Bow Virtue Academy. Not wanting to fail in the restoration, Xu Shichang immediately went to Beijing to seek the aftermath of the Qing Dynasty, and he went to lobby in many ways, and finally obtained the consent of Feng Guozhang and Duan Qirui, so that Puyi still had to live in the forbidden place of the imperial palace.
Zhang Xun was restored
5. He was officially elected president with the support of all factions
Xu Shichang witnessed frequent changes in the situation, Yuan Shikai said that the emperor had failed, Zhang Xun supported the restoration of the Qing Emperor and failed, and it was known that "constitutional monarchy" was unstoppable. In the face of reality, he urgently wanted to unify the Beiyang Army and take control of it. In August of the sixth year of the Republic of China (1917), Feng Guozhang became president, and the contradictions between Feng Guozhang (directly related) and Duan Qirui (Anhui) became increasingly acute. Xu carefully analyzed the stakes and decided to support Duan and neglect Feng. In the course of the confrontation between Feng and Duan, Duan's subordinates had two strategies for Feng Zeng: The radicals advocated that Duan be immediately promoted by the Provisional Senate or Xu Shichang as president to get rid of Feng Guozhang, and that this faction was dominated by Ni Sichong; the paternators advocated that when the current presidential term expired, the National Assembly would no longer elect Feng and let him go, and this faction would be dominated by Xu Shuzheng. Duan adopted Xu said. However, some people of insight in society mostly hate the warlord's stubbornness and want to change a civilian president, and even many generals in the warlords are afraid to compete with each other, and want to send a transcendent president. Therefore, the proposal to make Xu Shichang the president was very popular.
In October of the seventh year of the Republic of China (1918), when Feng Guozhang's term of office expired, Xu Shuzheng persuaded Duan Qirui to approve of Xu Shichang as president, and he instructed the an and Fu clan parliamentarians to elect Xu Shichang as president according to this intention.
At this time, Xu Shichang came from Tianjin to Beijing and lived in the East Four or Five Hutongs.
Xu Shichang paraded troops at the Taihe Temple
At that time, the members of the An and Fu departments of the National Assembly accounted for the overwhelming majority, headed by Wang Yitang; in addition, there was the old Department of Transportation, represented by Liang Shiyi; and the Department of Research, represented by Zhi Zhongyin. The an and Fu clan members all advocated the election of Xu, the transportation and research departments followed behind, Wang Yitang and Liang Shiyi were Xu's old departments, and Zhongyin and Xu had hometown friendship, so they were happy to support Xu.
In the Taiping Lake preliminary meeting, there were 384 people attending the meeting, and Xu actually got 383 votes, and the brewing has matured. And the election will be established, the three parties reached an agreement, and the water will come to fruition.
A formal election was held on September 4, 1977, counting 436 members, except for Duan Qirui who received five votes, Zhang Xiao, Wang Shizhen, and Wang Yitang each received one vote, and three votes were abolished, and the remaining 425 votes were unanimously raised. Since then, Xu Shichang has officially become the fourth president of the Republic of China.