At the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was an era of abundant young heroes, and Cai Yi and Wang Jingwei, who were one year apart in age, had almost the same life experience.
Both were born into poverty, and pinned their hopes on reading and taking meritorious names to realize the value of life, both of them had a high school talent, and they were the best of that era. When the two realized that the declining feudal rule was no longer in line with the world trend, they resolutely joined the action against the Manchu Qing regime.
The differences between the two began to show after they became famous. After Wang Jingwei hugged the big tree of Sun Yat-sen, he began the road of chasing power, and finally embarked on the road of betraying the country and seeking glory. Cai Yi's mind, on the other hand, was still focused on overthrowing the reactionary forces. In the matter of "not forgetting the original heart", Cai Yi is obviously stronger than Wang Jingwei.
Wang Jingwei
In modern history, the only person who can reach the same height as Cai Yi is probably Mr. Lu Xun. Mr. Lu Xun abandoned the medical profession in order to find the stubborn diseases in Chinese and cure them. Cai Yi's two eastward crossings to Japan had only one purpose: to overthrow the reactionary forces that hindered China's progress.
Cai Yi traveled east to Japan for the first time to study in order to find a way to save the country. When he returned from his studies and put it into action, he found a fact that there was no military power in his hands, and the illusion could only be empty talk.
Cai Yi traveled east to Japan again to learn japanese military. Together with his classmates Jiang Fangzhen and Zhang Xiaozhun, he was also known as the "Three Masters of Chinese Non-Commissioned Officers".
After the wuchang uprising began, the world's responders gathered, and the person who really laid the foundation for the victory of the Xinhai Revolution was the uprising of the new army led by Cai Yi.
Wuchang Uprising
The salute to the success of the revolution had not stopped, and as soon as the revolutionaries turned around, they were embarrassed to find that the fruits of victory had been stolen.
Yuan Shikai was a great hero who overthrew the Manchu Qing regime, and if it were not for the defection of the governor of Huguang, who had a heavy Manchu army in his hands, and forced the Palace against the Manchu Qing regime, the Manchu Qing regime would not have collapsed so quickly, and China's revolution would certainly be filled with more bloody storms.
After Yuan Shikai became president as he wished, he did not realize that the feudal dynasty was no longer suitable for China, but he risked the world's great disobedience and became emperor again.
Power is an aphrodisiac that brings the people in the coffin back to life. The reason why Yuan Shikai dared to do this was, of course, because he had military power in his hands.
The angry scolding of the people of the whole country, the beating of the chest of the revolutionaries, what can he do? It is nothing more than finding a few cultural people and writing a few articles that do not conform to China's national conditions in the "republic" and being able to block the leisurely mouth of the people of the world.
Yan Fu, a well-known figure in modern times, was the first well-known person to put forward the translation standard of "Xindaya", and he once served as the initiator of the Preparatory Committee, advocating that Chinese the level of knowledge was too low, and he had no ability to study politics, and was only suitable for the monarchy and supported Yuan Shikai's restoration of the imperial system.
From this, it seems that public opinion is very easy to manipulate, and the only thing that can really make Yuan Shikai jealous is the military power. In this regard, the great man has long asserted that the gun produces power.
When the Wuchang Uprising broke out, Cai Yi, who was far away in Yunnan, responded by launching the "Chongjiu Uprising" in Kunming, becoming an important force in overthrowing the Qing government.
The famous movie star Andy Lau plays Yuan Caiyi
In the year he became president of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai had already begun to prepare for the restoration of the imperial system, and the most important step was to transfer Cai Yi to Beijing to encircle and monitor him.
Cai Yi was transferred to Beijing and is still actively advising Yuan Shikai, hoping to build a strong armed force. This was obviously what Yuan Shikai was most afraid of, and Yuan Shikai simply put him under house arrest.
After recognizing the true face of Yuan Shikai, Cai Yi, who had no choice but to pretend to join Yuan Shikai's circle, had to pretend to be in Yuan Shikai's circle in order to protect himself. How to integrate? It is necessary to make friends with Yang Du, a red man around Yuan Shikai.
Yang Du
Yang Du was the number one player who actively advocated the restoration of the imperial system, because Yuan Shikai had promised to make him the prime minister, and Yang Du was also a famous man who was intoxicated with dogs and horses, and often went in and out of the Eight Hutongs of the Wind and Moon Place.
On this day, Xiao Fengxian, a famous prostitute in bada Hutong, welcomed a special guest, only to see him a table of talents, talking extraordinary, not like other prodigal sons of the disciples" "rushing to the bed", but sitting alone, drinking wine.
Xiao Fengxian is a native of Hangzhou, and jiangnan water towns have endowed her with a strong aura, and the poems she has read since childhood have taught her the great righteousness of her family and country. Her father was a disgraced Eight Flags military attaché, and although the family was poor, it was obvious that Xiao Fengxian's insight was higher than that of ordinary wind and dust women.
After the two talked in detail, the more they talked, the more speculative they became, and they became confidants with red faces. Since then, the boudoir of Xiao Fengxian in the Eight Hutongs has become a permanent place for Cai Yi, and in order to spoil Xiao Fengxian, Cai Yi delayed his official duties and snubbed his wife.
Little Phoenix Fairy
Yang Du saw it in his eyes and was happy in his heart, and told Yuan Shikai about Cai Yi's transformation. Yuan Shikai complained on the surface: "I said that Cai Yi is a capable talent who can participate in major state affairs, and who knows that it is not appropriate to govern the family." Since then, he has relaxed his vigilance against Cai Yi because he has more important matters to do.
Yuan Shikai, who is old and scheming, finally underestimated the young hero Cai Yi.
After some intensive action, Yuan Shikai's conditions for declaring himself emperor were ripe. On the eve of the restoration, in order to never have any troubles, Yuan Shikai decided to cut the grass and remove the roots of Cai Yi.
One day in November 1915, Yuan Shikai sent military police to Cai E's home to arrest Cai E, who had already detected Yuan's thief ambitions and fled to Tianjin, and Yuan Shikai sent people to follow him.
Cai Yi, who knew that he was more fierce and less auspicious, thought of his red-faced confidant Xiao Fengxian, he said that he wanted to take Xiao Fengxian to Japan for a few days, Xiao Fengxian did not hesitate at all, and immediately ran to meet Cai Yi, and the two lived a life of flowers and wine.
Yuan Shikai saw that Cai Yi had become a playboy, and there was no threat to himself, just because he was busy with the restoration, he gradually relaxed his vigilance against Cai Yi, allowing Cai Yi to successfully escape capture.
Cai Yi decided to return to Yunnan, the land naturally can not go, can only use the sea, detour through most of China, back to Yunnan, where is his territory, only in Yunnan, far away from the land of the Beijing Division, can he form a confrontation with Yuan Shikai.
Before leaving, Xiao Fengxian insisted on walking with Cai E, who was worried that she was a weak woman who had lived in the north for a long time and was not accustomed to the hard life in the southwest region, but also worried that the trip was wading through mountains and rivers, full of difficulties and dangers, and wanted her to continue to stay where she was.
The night before Cai Yi's departure, Cai Yi tearfully bid farewell to his confidant Xiao Fengxian, although Cai Yi's purpose of approaching Xiao Fengxian was not simple, but for the needs of the great righteousness of the nation-state, there was nothing wrong with it, it was impossible to say that he had no feelings for Xiao Fengxian, and between the two of them, it was more of a pity for the hero.
Xiao Fengxian, facing the most likely last side of the two, showed great bravery and strength, and she waved goodbye and gave Cai Yi great courage: Women are like this, why worry about the success of the revolutionary cause?
At that time, the boats and horses were slow, and it was extremely difficult to circumvent most of China by water, and with the encouragement of Xiao Fengxian, Cai Yi hated that he could not put wings on his body and rush back to Yunnan, failing Yuan Thief's dream of emperor.
After a month of turbulence, Cai Yi finally arrived in Kunming, the local generals of the National Patriotic Army had already rubbed their fists, and Cai E's return made the revolutionary team even more powerful.
On December 25, 1915, at this time, Yuan Shikai accepted the title of emperor and made a good job of establishing a constitutional monarchy, intending to establish the Chinese Empire, with 1916 as the first year of Hong Xian.
As the commander-in-chief of the First Army of the Defending Nationalist Army, Cai Yi led 8,000 Dian troops into Sichuan, captured Chengdu, captured Chongqing, and then moved east into Hebei and occupied Wuhan.
Encouraged by the victory of Cai Yi's defense of the nationalist army, the southern provinces declared independence one after another, and Yuan Shikai, the tu emperor, became a real loner. Seeing that the general trend was gone, Yuan Shikai had to announce the abolition of the imperial system, rolled off the dragon chair, and then cried out for his life.
Those who can enjoy the state funeral must be the people who have made great contributions to the country and the nation, and Cai Yi can become the first person to be buried in the state, which is really deserved.
During the Patriotic War, Cai Yi already felt unwell, but he still endured severe pain, took the lead, and fought on the front line. After the victory of the Patriotic War, Cai Yi could not hold on any longer, and immediately went to Japan to see a doctor, and the diagnosis resulted in throat cancer, which was already advanced. On November 8, 1916, Cai Yi died in Fukuoka, Japan, at the age of 34.
On April 12, 1917, Cai Yi's soul returned to his hometown of Hunan, and the National Government held a state funeral for him in Changsha, and Cai Yi also became the first person to enjoy a state funeral.
The scene of Cai Yi's funeral
If the event that led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty was the Xinhai Revolution, then the gravedigger of China's feudal dynasty should push Cai Yi, his life, although short, is enough to stand in the annals of history, and his life, as if there is only one purpose, to overthrow the rule of the feudal dynasty. He was a young hero who, with a limited life, promoted the modernization process of China.
One year younger than him, Wang Jingwei, who also appeared on the stage of history as a young hero, became the first person to be humiliated by the country.