Zhang Xun's restoration is a farce, but also a comedy, and the people of the time recorded all kinds of jokes and scandals in "The Dark Curtain of the Restoration", and extracted a few for the benefit of readers.
In the season of restoration, nothing is more precious than the braid at the back of the head. As everyone knows, Zhang Xun not only keeps his own braids, but his army also keeps all braids, and the "Braided Army" is really well-deserved. It is said that when Zhang Xun went to see the Qing Emperor, Taibao Shixu said that the braids were not in line with the times and persuaded him to cut off the braids. Zhang Xun was annoyed when he heard this, so he got up in front of the Qing Emperor to defend his braids: "My soldiers all have braids. The reason why these soldiers have braids is a matter of great military importance. Because my soldiers all have braids, it is difficult for traitors to blend in. Now these traitors who are in turmoil, aren't they all without braids?"
On the afternoon of the day of the restoration, when his subordinates reported that the streets were full of people with pigtails, Zhang Xun was overjoyed, slapped his legs and lifted his beard and laughed: "I said that people do not forget the old master, and today it is true." Otherwise, where would so many people with braided hair come from? This is what the people want!"
Everyone's braids were intact, but Kang Youwei's braids were short and bald, hanging down only six or seven inches, fluffy like pampas grass. When someone accused him of not being a restorationist, Yasufuko defended: "I have been living abroad since the end of the year, and I have had to cut my hair and change clothes. Since the Xinhai National Change, this is the only time to return to the motherland and re-grow hair, more than five years ago, so the length is not full. Everyone asked him, after the New Year of Xinhai, everyone else cut their hair, why did you want to grow your hair? Kang Fuzi said proudly: "I expected that there would be today!"
Kang Youwei not only had short braids, but his beard was also shaved off because he needed to disguise himself in Beijing and hide people's eyes. When the restoration was completed, Kang Fuzi hoped to get a seat in the first cabinet (chief cabinet scholar), and when Zhang Xun asked Xuantong for instructions, Concubine Jin thought it was impossible, saying that there had never been a beardless prime minister in this dynasty. After Kang Youwei learned about it, he was extremely disappointed, and hurriedly bought raw beard water from the pharmacy, smeared it two or three times an hour, and always took a self-portrait in the mirror, which was equivalent to the farmer's hope for seedlings.
After Li Jingxi learned the news of the restoration, he hurriedly came to Zhang Xun and asked him why he did not inform him and did not arrange any position for himself! Zhang Xun smiled and said: "Lao Jiu is not strange, in terms of your qualifications, of course you have the hope of being the prime minister's secretary. However, your future, Sheng Chacha was ruined without a braid, and I think about it for you, it's really not worth it. ”
Li Jingxi said indignantly: "Is this really the case? Then Li Shengduo (one of the members of the Five Ministers who went abroad to inspect the constitution in 1905) has braids? Why did he become the secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry and Commerce?" Zhang Xun said: "Although he shaved his hair, he has a lot of credit for the restoration, if you want to be the minister of the Qing Dynasty again, go back and grow your hair, and I will try to do it for you at that time." Li Jingxi sneered: "I'm afraid that my hair will grow, and the Prime Minister Shangshu still can't touch me!" After that, Li Jingxi ran away from Beijing.
Speaking of Li Jingxi, Zhang Xun deliberately pulled him up in Tianjin on the way to Beijing, and the two went to Beijing together. On the train, Li Jingxi saw Zhang Xun carrying a huge box, which seemed to contain extremely important objects. Li Jingxi felt strange, so he asked Zhang Xun what was inside, Zhang Xun pretended to be mysterious, smiled and did not answer. Li Jingxi was not only curious, but asked questions again and again, and Zhang Xun whispered mysteriously that inside were "boots, hats, robes, and crowns" (that is, Qing Dynasty official uniforms). Li asked him why he brought this, Zhang Xun said: "I haven't seen the young master for a long time, this time I will go to the palace to meet and ask for peace, you are also the minister of the first dynasty, why don't you go with me to meet him?" Li Jingxi thought to himself that I was the prime minister of the Republic of China, how could I go to see the deposed emperor of the previous dynasty, so he excused himself on the grounds that he did not bring official uniforms. Zhang Xun said seriously: "It's okay to do this, I have several copies here, I can borrow you a set at that time." Li Jingxi thought he was joking, so he casually agreed.
When he arrived in Beijing, Zhang Xun was really going to the palace to meet Xuantong, and before leaving, he insisted on pulling Li Jingxi up. Zhang Xun was very disapproving, took off the official hat on his head casually, put it on Li Jingxi's head, and laughed: "Zhang Guan Li Dai, why not?" In the end, halfway through, Li Jingxi found an excuse and ran away, which is probably one of the reasons why Zhang Xun did not give him an official title.
After Zhang Xun was restored, he drafted a recital for President Li Yuanhong to return to power, but he was quite hesitant to call Li Yuanhong the title in the criticism, and began to want to call him "president", which was not very appropriate; Later, he planned to call him "the minister", but the head of state of the Republic of China should not be called "minister" after all. I thought about it for a long time, and it was very brain-consuming. In the end, Kang Youwei said that it is better to call it "the member", which is the most appropriate. The crowd asked why. Kang Youwei said that China was owned by His Majesty, because of the Xinhai Revolution, His Majesty entrusted the management of the world's major affairs to Yuan Shikai for the sake of calming the people, Yuan Shikai died, and Li Yuanhong succeeded him.
Subsequently, Zhang Xun sent Liang Dingfen as a representative to the presidential palace to ask Li Yuanhong to return the government, but Liang Dingfen never bowed, and reluctantly did it, which was really disgusting. I saw him bending over his back, his hands on the ground, his head bowing his hips, his hips towering, his red neck red after the ceremony, panting like a cow, far less comfortable than kneeling. After the failure of the restoration, Liang Dingfen went to see Li Yuanhong again, proclaimed himself the president, and knelt and bowed. Li Yuanhong sneered: "How can Your Excellency be complimentary?" Liang Dingfen said shyly: "This time, that time!"
After Zhang Xun was restored, he printed a name thorn for himself, this name thorn is not ordinary, about nine inches long, about four inches wide, printed with "the former Liangjiang Governor and Minister of Nanyang Commerce, the former Governor of Jiangsu, the former Yangtze River Patrol Envoy and Anhui Overseer, the current Governor of Zhili and the Minister of Beiyang Commerce, the former Minister of Imperial Parliament, Zhang Xun, the Prince of Jin Feng Zhongyong" and other words, the official title of five lines is juxtaposed, and everyone who sees it laughs. But Zhang Xun was triumphant, thinking that there was no more beautiful than him in the Qing Dynasty.
After Zhang Xun was named the "Prince of Loyalty and Bravery", his minions were elated and happy, but a certain secretary of his subordinate suddenly submitted his resignation to Zhang Xun. Zhang Xun was stunned and asked him what he meant. The secretary said that since the marshal is the prince, he should call himself a slave for Xuantong, and those of us should call himself a slave to the marshal. Zhang Xun was furious and scolded: "You haven't called the blessing of a slave yet! Anyway, let the gentleman get out immediately.
Zhang Xun's wife Cao Shi was against the restoration, but unfortunately she was a woman, and Zhang Xun refused to listen to her persuasion. After the successful restoration, Zhang Xun proudly told Cao that he had been crowned "Prince Zhongyong", but who knew that Cao scolded him and said: "The Republic of China treats you well, and today you have risked the world's condemnation and caused a heinous crime, even if you don't think about yourself, don't you think about your descendants? You are named Prince Zhongyong today, and I am afraid that you will be the king of the equal shoulders tomorrow!" Zhang Xun was puzzled and asked, "What does the flat-shouldered king mean?" Cao said: "If you are not guaranteed to be the leader in the future, you will cut off your head with a knife, and your neck will not be the same as your shoulders?" Zhang Xun was furious when he heard this, and slammed the door and left.
Zhang Xun has two nephews, a Bi Ting, and a Min Zhai, who are also opposed to the restoration, and Zeng Xianghe advised Zhang Xun and said: "My uncle bears the weight of the world, and must not risk the disapproval of the world." Now the people who are running around you to give advice are planning for themselves, how can they be among them?" After Zhang Xun heard this, he scolded angrily: "You children, what do you know!" In fact, Zhang Xun himself knows what he knows, I'm afraid he doesn't know.
After Duan Qirui's horse factory took the oath, the rebel army on the East Road then advanced to Fengtai and had a fierce exchange of fire with the pigtail army. In this battle, there is one event worth recording, that is, the rebel air team of the Nanyuan Aviation School fought for the first time and dropped bombs on the positions of the pigtail army and the palace. This should be regarded as China's first air force operation, and it also bombed the Forbidden City.
According to records, the Forbidden City received a total of three bombs, although they were all small bombs with a length of a ruler, but this was enough to frighten the little emperor Pu Yi, the concubine, the ministers, and the eunuchs in the palace. After the bomb was dropped, the men panicked and plunged under their beds, as if the place where they were sleeping was the safest. Of the three bombs of historical significance, one fell outside the Longzong Gate, injuring one sedan chair driver; the other landed on the edge of the pool in the Imperial Garden, blowing up a corner of the pool; Another one fell on the eaves of the Longfu Gate on Xichang Street, and although it did not explode, it scared the few eunuchs who gathered there to gamble half to death.
I heard that the reason why Zhang Xun asked him to be the secretary of the War Department was because his name was so good, "the spring thunder was rolling and deafening"! This Zhenwei general, who was born in a small station, was once the governor of Jiangbei and the commander of the seventh town, and he was a veteran comrade of the restoration during the Yuan Shikai period. This time, he was named the secretary of the Ministry of War, and Lei Zhenchun wore a brand-new court dress and took a motorcycle to the palace to thank him. After arriving at the palace gate, before the car stopped, Lei Zhenchun jumped out of the car, and as a result, he fell four or five feet away, and blood came out of his forehead. The guards hurriedly stepped forward to help him and asked, "My lord, does it hurt?" Lei Zhenchun said: "If you are happy, you don't feel pain. ”
After thanking him, Lei Zhenchun was rewarded for riding a horse in the Forbidden City, but he didn't expect that a few days after taking office, the rebel army would attack Beijing, Lei Zhenchun had to disguise himself as a bitter man, pull the rickshaw out of Zhengyangmen in a hurry, and wanted to escape from the East Railway Station. I didn't think that my makeup skills were not good, but I was quickly recognized, but I was still arrested. Later, someone drew a funny picture in the newspaper with a couplet: "I don't ride a horse in the Forbidden City, but I come to Zhengyangmen to pull a cart!"
Zhu Jiabao, the governor of Zhili, was one of the local officials who actively responded to the restoration, and he was originally a jinshi in the Guangxu period, and he wrote good calligraphy. At the time of the Xinhai Revolution, the governor of Anhui was forced by the situation to "go anyway", but the revolutionary party did not allow him to make a revolution, and as a result, the self-appointed overseer of Anhui had to flee from the city at night. This time, after he heard that he was named the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he was very excited, not only ordered the whole city to hang the dragon flag, but also ordered people to put up incense cases in the lobby, look at the thanks, and bow three times and bow nine times.
After Zhu Jiabao finished saluting, he couldn't get up because he had been kneeling down for a long time, and finally relied on the soldiers around him to pick him up. After returning home, Zhu Jiabao deliberately practiced Xi kneeling every night in order to prevent him from losing his honor during the visit, until his knees and legs were sore. Unexpectedly, in less than three days, he was forced out of the Overseer's yamen by Duan Qirui's rebel army, and Tianjin also re-hung the five-color flag. This is good, Zhu Jiabao's book was not completed, and the governor of Zhili was also lost, and he hated him so much that he scolded: "The republic is wrong for me, and the restoration is also wrong for me!"
After the defeat of the Braided Army against the rebel army, Zhang Xun had no choice but to ask the Qing family to resign from the post of Governor of Zhili and Minister of Parliament. The Qing room asked Zhang Xun what he wanted, and Zhang Xun said that he would lead the team back to Xuzhou, and asked the Qing room to give him ten thousand taels of gold as a reward for his work. Xuantong said: "10,000 taels of gold is more than 40 yuan, I have only been on the throne for seven days, wouldn't it cost you 400,000 yuan to buy an emperor for 50,000 yuan a day?" Zhang Xun was very unhappy when he heard this, so he said: "Your Majesty, since Xinhai retired from power, in the past six years, the old minister has served no less than 500,000 yuan, and I came today to ask for 10,000 taels of gold, which is not too much, right?" Concubine Jin said: "Now that the restoration is about to be wiped out, and the 4 million annual preferential treatment of the Republic of China will be lost to you, who are we going to ask for?" After Zhang Xun heard this, he retreated silently.
When the rebel army was about to invade the capital, the puppet officials appointed by Zhang Xun were all like frightened birds, and fled in all directions, but the Ministry of Law Shangshu Lao Nai swore that he could not die, and others advised him to run away quickly, Lao Naixuan said: "I was in the former Qing Dynasty, but I was just a scholar envoy, and now I have been favored by the Holy Grace and recommended to be in charge of the national judicial organs. The only way to do this now is to hold on to one doctrine, to be an official of the Ministry of Law in life, and to die a ghost in the Ministry of Law. I am now hanging a huge rope above the lobby, and if the rebels enter the city, I will hang myself here to commit suicide and pledge my allegiance to the emperor. But after checking the year of birth and death of Lao Naixuan, it was found that Lao Lao died in 1921, presumably when he committed suicide.
Speaking of this Lao Naixuan, he is a very stubborn old Hanlin, who lived in Qingdao after the establishment of the Republic of China and vowed not to be an official of the Republic of China. This time, he was appreciated by Zhang Xun and became a senior official of the Ministry of Law, but this person was born in a traditional meritorious family and knew nothing about modern law. In order to prevent others from ridiculing him for not knowing what the law is, Lao Naixuan bought a copy of "The Laws of the Qing Dynasty" from Liulichang and read it every day from morning to night. When his friends saw that he was still working so hard at an old age, they persuaded him: "The public is holding Buddha's feet, even if he tries his brain, he can't remember so much." What's more, after the New Deal, the old laws are no longer applicable, and you should read more of the new laws, which is the solution. Lao Naixuan was very unhappy after hearing this: "Of course the Qing Empire should use the laws of the Qing Dynasty, what new laws, I don't want to read them!" The stubbornness of this man can be imagined.
However, Jiang Yong, who was appointed as the left waiter of the Ministry of Justice at the same time, was self-aware, and after receiving the appointment of the minister, he was surprised and inexplicable, and then sent a letter to Zhang Xun and ridiculed: "I have neither the capital for restoration, nor the conspiracy with the public, and I suddenly obtained this position, which is really incomprehensible, presumably because I was the deputy minister of justice before, and I have a little knowledge and experience of the new laws of the Republic of China." However, I have never been interested in the laws of the Empire, and if I have to do this position, I have to enter the Imperial Law University first, and after I have learned and obtained my graduation certificate, it is not too late to follow suit. If you can wait for the vacancy, you can also do it. "Jiang Yong is not a restorationist faction, isn't it absurd to appoint him as the left attendant of the Ministry of Law?
After the failure of the restoration, most of the remnants who had been actively involved in the past fled early, and only a few unlucky ones were caught by the rebels. The first to escape, the master Kang Youwei, was the old man who hid in Tibet after the failure of the Wuxu Reform, and he had the most experience in escaping, so this time he still disguised himself as an old peasant and fled.
It is said that Kang Youwei didn't want to run away at first, but wanted to go to Fayuan Temple to shave his ordination, but he was recognized by fellow villager Liang Dingfen and scolded: "You don't shave your hair in the morning, you don't shave your hair in the evening, but you are a monk in this morning, is this unclear that you want to escape?" Kang Youwei said: "Nonsense, how many times have you seen me run away?" Liang Dingfen laughed and said: "If you don't run away, how can you live to this day? If you succeed, you will take credit, and if you fail, you will spare your life, is there a saint like you? From today onwards, I will not admit that you are a Cantonese citizen. ”
During the restoration, Kang Youwei and Zhang Xun, the "two saints of civil and military affairs", also made a lot of jokes. After the start of the rebellion war, Feng Guozhang and Duan Qirui both paid 100,000 yuan to buy Zhang Xun's head, Kang Youwei was very happy after hearing it, and said that the Empress Dowager Cixi also offered a reward of 100,000 taels of silver to buy his head, it seems that he and Zhang Xun's value is about the same, but he is not on the wanted list, presumably because his disciple transferred from it.
After hearing this, Zhang Xun laughed and said: "You only had 100,000 taels of silver back then, and I am 200,000 yuan this time, which is worth half of my worth at most." Besides, the reason why you are not on the wanted list this time is because people think your head is worthless!" After making fun of Kang Fuzi, Zhang Xun said proudly: "The surname Feng and the surname Duan both paid 100,000 yuan to buy my head, damn it, they all want to make a fortune on me, if I have a way to transform, I want to conjure two Zhang Xun!"
Once, Zhang Xun and Kang Fuzi bragged together again, Zhang Xun said: "The old man's name is Zhang Xun, and today he has really established the immortal Xun." Kang Fuzi said with a smile: "I am famous, and today I am also promising." And my name, not only to my own body, that is, to the country, but also has a special relationship, "The Mean" said that "rich all over the world, noble as the Son of Heaven", my name is embedded with the words "have" and "for". After hearing this, Zhang Xun thought for a while, slapped his leg and scolded: "Damn, you named it after the word "Youwei", do you still want to be the emperor?" After hearing this, Kang Fuzi hurriedly said: "Don't dare, I really don't dare!"
Another time, Kang Fuzi was very unhappy because he had just won the vice president of the Bide Academy, so he complained and scolded Zhang Xun and said: "Since I was arranged for a false position, then why did you send a telegram to recruit me to Beijing?" When Zhang Xun heard about it, he said angrily: "He doesn't have to do anything, he got a ready-made position in the Bide Academy, and now he is still not greedy enough, it is really a lack of corruption and conspiracy." After that, Zhang Xun also said hatefully: "If he slanders me behind my back, I must use barbaric means to deal with him." After hearing this, Kang Fuzi smiled and said, "Others are afraid of him, but I am not afraid of him." When asked why, Kang Fuzi said, "He has a small gun by his side, and I have a big hand by my side!"
Zhang Xun's restoration failed, and public opinion almost overwhelmingly called it perverse, but only one old restoration comrade stood up and said a fair word for Zhang Xun. Who is this person? It turned out to be Ruan Zhongshu, a supporter of the Hongxian Empire, but this former subordinate of Yuan Shikai was a popular man, but he defied public opinion, saying that Zhang Xun's move, although close to rudeness, was a good man with a fierce bang. Zhang Xun was overjoyed when he heard about it, and said: "I have made friends for half my life, and I still have this righteous friend, and I will die blindly!"
Zhang Xun's character, the most prominent characteristics are traditional, solid eyes, a little honest, and very irritable, these characteristics are combined with a martial artist, it is almost stubborn. You think, at the time of the Xinhai Revolution, the Qing Dynasty was obviously running out, and how many people who were officials and led troops turned back overnight, but only Zhang Xun still refused to admit defeat and was loyal to the end, and as a result, the Jiangsu-Zhejiang coalition army attacked Nanjing was the most tragic battle in the entire Xinhai Revolution, and the people's army fought a bloody battle for ten days to recover Nanjing.
Zhang Xun's hometown concept is very strong, he has a lot of care for his hometown fathers, for example, the people in Chitian Village, Fengxin, Jiangxi Province, his hometown have a lot of light, Zhang Xun built a big tile house for each family, and he gave what he lacked. When Jiangxi people need to build a guild hall to do business in other places, whenever they find Zhang Xun, he will donate generously. For example, during the Republic of China, the Jiangxi Hall in Beijing was all paid by Zhang Xun, and the Jiangxi Hall outside the Xuanwu Gate was the most luxurious Western-style building in Beijing at that time. Zhang Xun, who is studying in Beijing, especially students from Fengxin County, has responded to their needs and provided valuable scholarships.
Zhang Xun has a hobby that has been intoxicated for many years, this is Peking Opera, and he can also be regarded as an enthusiast. In the crusade war, Zhang Xun heard that Duan Qirui had sent Duan Zhigui and Cao Kun as commanders of the East and West Routes to crusade, so he said to Lei Zhenchun and others: "Don't panic, everyone, in my opinion, these two routes of soldiers will be wiped out in the near future." When asked why, Zhang Xun lifted his beard and said with a smile: "Duan Zhigui, the commander of the East Road, Duan is broken, and when our soldiers fought with him, they cut him into two with a knife." As for Cao Kun, the commander of the Western Road, he is even less worried. Didn't it be clear in "Three Kingdoms" that Cao Jiajun was most afraid of Zhang Yide, and Changbanpo roared loudly, scaring off Cao Bing's millions. When I waited for Cao Kunbing to arrive at Lugou Bridge, I rode alone and went to drink from him, and he knew that my old Zhang was powerful. ”
Speaking of which, Zhang Xun danced proudly In fact, these jokes are all from the Peking Opera "Changban Slope", and Zhang Xun has always pretended to be the second in Zhang Fei.
In 1922, Zhang Xun, who had failed in the restoration for five years, held a meeting at home to celebrate his 70th birthday, and some famous actors such as Yang Xiaolou, Mei Lanfang, Yu Shuyan and others came to Tianjin's Zhangjia Garden to celebrate Zhang Xun's birthday under the leadership of Sun Juxian, an 80-year-old veteran in the Peking Opera industry, which also became an unprecedented event in Liyuan at that time. In front of Zhang Xun, of course, these famous actors are very hard-working, and the remuneration they get is quite generous. Especially Sun Juxian, Zhang Xun is his old drama fan, and the reward given this time is as high as 600 oceans, which moved Sun Juxian to tears, saying: "Those who understand opera, Zhang Dashuai also! After Zhang Xun's death, Sun Juxian even cried and fell to the ground, saying: "Huang Zhong Dalu, I'm afraid of myself!"
Where is the emperor in the pavilion now, and the Yangtze River flows in the sky outside the column. Yuan Shikai's restoration failed, and Zhang Xun's restoration also failed, which shows that after the Republic of China, the fake emperor can't be deserved, and the real emperor can't be deserved. In response to Liang Qichao's words, the emperor is like a bodhisattva with clay puppets on the wall, once someone throws it into the pigsty, it is washed and re-enshrined, and it has long lost its sacredness.