A treasure of Huaxia - Cangzhou Iron Lion
Feng Guozhang (7 January 1859 – 28 December 1919), courtesy name Huafu, was a native of Xishijing Village, Hejian Province (present-day Cangzhou, Hebei). In his early years, he graduated from the Beiyang Martial Arts Academy founded by Li Hongzhang, the Governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang. In the twenty-second year of Guangxu (1896), he defected to Yuan Shikai and assisted in the training of the new army at the small station, which was appreciated and reused by Yuan Shikai, and was known as the "Three Masters of Beiyang" together with Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui. During the Xinhai Revolution, he led the Beiyang Army to suppress the Wuchang Uprising, and was awarded the title of Second Class Baron by the Qing court. During the "Second Revolution", he led the Yuan family army to attack Nanjing, and was awarded the First Class Wenhu Medal by Yuan Shikai. Later, he served as the governor of Jiangsu and sat in Nanjing, becoming a pivotal figure with heavy troops and dominating the southeast in the early republic of China.
Statue of Feng Guozhang
First, the plot is to claim the emperor and win over the warlords
After the failure of the second revolution launched by the Revolutionary Party against Yuan, on October 6, 1913, the National Assembly elected Yuan Shikai as the first president of the Republic of China, taking office at the Taihe Hall of the Forbidden City. Yuan Shikai was full of ambitions and practiced dictatorial rule. He ordered the dissolution of the National Assembly, the repeal of the Provisional Law of the Republic of China, the change of the responsible cabinet system to the presidential dictatorship system, the abolition of the State Council and the establishment of a government affairs hall; the establishment of the Senate to exercise legislative power on behalf of the president; and the revision of the presidential election law, the president's term of office is 10 years, there is no limit to the term of office, and he can be re-elected. Yuan Shikai undermined the democratic republic, and his ambition to claim the title of emperor was clearly revealed. But he knew very well that the clamor of a group of talents alone could not make a big storm; only with the support of warlords with heavy troops could they respond to everything.
Feng Guozhang's handwriting - "Dream when the rain is frightening"
After testing Duan Qirui and Li Yuanhong, he locked his eyes on Feng Guozhang. Feng Guozhang's power is no less than that of Duan Qirui, and it is also a good idea to turn to Lian Feng if lian duan is not successful. Yuan Shikai summoned Duan Zhigui, his son, to consult. Duan Zhigui, Zixiangyan, a native of Hefei, Anhui. In 1895, the Beiyang New Army, which defected to Yuan Shikai's supervision at Xiaozhan Station, became a powerful general under Yuan Shi. In order to climb the dragon and attach the phoenix, Duan Zhigui often used the beauty meter. In response to Yuan's greed for money and lust, he threw himself into his favor, and selected famous prostitutes and beauties from many sources to dedicate to Yuan Shikai, which won the favor of Yuan Shikai, believing that he was a son of Gan, an official who was prosperous and prosperous, and was then the governor of Hubei. He is a holy hand of speculation and pandering, a quick and sleek think tank. He frowned and offered a "beauty plan".
Yuan Shikai Rong costume
It turned out that Feng Guozhang's wife Wu Shi died of illness, and only the fifth aunt wife and the main room lady were absent. Duan Zhigui suggested that Yuan Shikai's daughter, Zhou Lingxia, a female teacher of the Yuan dynasty, be married to Feng Guozhang as his wife, so that Feng Guozhang could be tied up. After hearing this, Yuan Shikai even called it a brilliant plan and decided to put it into practice. Born in 1875, Zhou Li was a talented woman in the Republic of China period. Born into a family of eunuchs, his father Zhou Jialin served as the chancellor of the late Qing Dynasty Shun Tianfu. His father died early, and the family fell in the middle of the road. She has been self-reliant and self-respecting since she was a child, smart and studious. After graduating from Beiyang Girls' Public School, he successively taught at the Third Girls' School of Tianjin Government and the Primary School Affiliated to the First Girls' Normal School.
Yuan Shikai's Handwritten Book - "On the World for People"
At that time, Lü Bicheng, the director of the Beiyang Girls' Public School, who had been Yuan Shikai's female secretary, particularly appreciated Zhou Zhen, believing that she was pure in character, dignified in demeanor, talented, well-taught, and quite a ladylike demeanor. It just so happened that Yuan Shikai wanted to hire a tutor, and Lü Bicheng recommended Zhou To Yuan Shikai. Zhou Li has been a tutor in the Yuan family for more than ten years, and is now 39 years old, an old girl in the boudoir. She got along well with the men, women and children of the Yuan family, was regarded by Yuan as a dry daughter, and was a good sister with the third aunt who talked about everything, and won the trust and love of the Yuan family. The third aunt once asked Zhou Ling about the marriage, and Zhou Da said: I am a lifelong affair, and I will not marry a high-ranking officer who is not in charge of power.
Famous bridesmaids - everyone's demeanor
Second, the calculation will be calculated, and the two birds will be killed with one stone
Under the mediation of Old Yuan, Zhou Zhen and Feng Guozhang met, and the two fell in love at first sight. Zhou Li said happily: Mr. Feng is a talented person, old and not fading, and I am happy. And Feng Guozhang said: Although Miss Zhou is not as good as Xi Shi, but people's learning is really high, I am a martial artist, and I am more than half a hundred years old, what is not satisfied. The scheming Feng Guozhang also knew that Yuan Shikai was wary of him, and now marrying Zhou Zhen was a "beauty plan", but he could not ask for it. Zhou Ling is young and beautiful, knowledgeable, elegant temperament, and can completely calculate the plan. Not only can you win the trust of Yuan Shikai, but you can also hug the beauty of the return, is not a double bird with one stone, why not enjoy it! Thus a marriage was born.
Feng Guozhang rong costume
On the night before the marriage, Yuan Shikai and Zhou Zhen had a long conversation, they recalled the past together, thanked each other, and asked each other to cherish. Finally, Yuan Shikai said in a serious tone: "Nanjing tiger is in the dragon pan, militarily it is an important town in the southeast, and economically it is the essence of the country." Feng Huafu is an old man of Xiaozhan Station, and with Teacher Zhou's knowledge, it is enough to make up for Feng Huafu's deficiencies. If he can protect himself with wisdom and seek loyalty to the country, his merit and wealth will always be second to none in the country." Zhou Li was a person who had seen the world and was extremely intelligent, and he immediately heard Yuan's voice. He immediately stood up and said, "The president's cultivation grace is unforgettable." I will certainly live up to expectations and advise Huafu to protect himself with wisdom, seek loyalty to the country, and strive to make greater contributions to the country."
Feng Guozhang's Handwriting - "Tongji Renshou"
The next day, Yuan Keding, Yuan Shikai's grand duke, and Yuan Shikai's third aunt, Tai'an, escorted them to the front, took the servants and guards, and accompanied Zhou Zhen to a float from Beijing to the south. As a "mother's family", the Yuan family has gifts to Zhou Zhen, jewelry, Chinese clothes, exquisite utensils, and dozens of large boxes, and Yuan Shikai specially gave 50,000 yuan to the ocean as a dowry. On January 19, 1914, a new-style wedding ceremony that caused a sensation in jinling ancient city was solemnly held. The temporary residence of the mother's family of the Nanjing Drum Tower Negotiation Bureau is illuminated with lights and drums are playing in unison. In front of the door, a pine and cypress archway was built, and the plaque in the middle of the plaque was written with four big characters of "Everyone's Style", and the two sides were "Heavenly Immortals And Golden Phases are of the Highest Quality; Female Haojie Has Ceremonial Poetry".
Nanjing Yifeng Gate
When the float drove to the Yifeng Gate in Nanjing, Feng Guozhang fired a salute twenty times with the etiquette of receiving the president, which moved the Zhou girl with excitement and tears. Feng Guozhang wore a general's dress with a medallion on his shoulders; Zhou Zhen wore a colorful flower embroidered coat with eight groups, a big red dress wearing a Jule, combing a fashionable bun, a headdress with hairpin flowers, and a pink yarn that was four inches long, and feng Guozhang had a new wedding with Feng Guozhang. The wedding was extremely luxurious, and the reception fee alone cost thirty thousand taels of silver. After marriage, the old husband and young wife, the endless pillow scenery, the endless love of the couple. Soon, I met Feng Guozhang's 60th birthday, Zhou Ling was just 40 years old, and the couple was collectively called "100 years old double life". Feng Guozhang made a big fuss, held a birthday celebration, and then collected money.
Pink Lady - Bright and radiant
Zhou Zhen was originally a victim of Yuan Shikai's implementation of the "beauty plan", and he could not imagine that this Zhou Zhen was not as miserable as other similar women. Under Feng Guozhang's general calculation, she really harvested love and gained happiness. After Zhou Ling arrived at the Feng family, he knew the book, was sympathetic, worried about Feng Guozhang in everything, plotted for Feng Guozhang everywhere, and became Feng Guozhang's inner helper. Knowing that Yuan Shikai was wary of Feng Guozhang, she suggested that Feng Guozhang publicly send a telegram in support of Yuan Shikai, declaring that China "should be outside the presidents of the world, and not create a new style, and the president has the right to take the United States, and the dissolution of the Congress will take France, so that the president can show his ambitions with unlimited power." Under the operation of Zhou Zhen, Yuan Shikai gradually eliminated his suspicions about Feng Guozhang. Soon, Feng Guozhang was awarded the title of "General of Xuanwu".
Nanjing Xiaguan Railway Station
Third, Yuan Shi was proclaimed emperor, and his love was severed
In early August of the 4th year of the Republic of China (1915), Goodenough, an American consultant hired by Yuan Shikai, wrote a "Republic and Monarchy", which said that democracy was inferior to monarchy. Yuan Shikai ordered Lin Bu, counselor of the Legislative Affairs Bureau, to translate it into a Chinese and send it to Asia Daily for publication. On August 14, 1915, Yang Du, the leader of the former Qing royalist faction, pondered the intentions and joined hands with Sun Yujun, Li Xiehe, Hu Ying, Liu Shipei and Yan Fu to jointly initiate the establishment of the "Preparatory Security Committee", which, under the sign of "academic society", declared that its purpose was to "raise the security of a country" and "study which is suitable for China". On August 23, the declaration of the Preparatory Committee drafted by Yang Du himself was publicly published, and the Preparatory Committee was officially established. Yang Du is the chairman, Sun Yujun is the vice chairman, and Yan, Liu, Li and Hu are the directors.
Yang Du statue
On August 14, they jointly sent a telegram to the whole country, issued a declaration on the organization of the Preparatory Committee, and the idea of constitutional monarchy was suddenly revived. Feng Guozhang was very surprised when he heard the news that Yuan's minions were planning the imperial system in Beijing. After consulting with Mrs. Zhou, it was decided to go to Beijing to learn the inside story. In June of the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), he personally went to Beijing to pay tribute to Yuan. When talking about the imperial system, Yuan Shikai refused to admit it, declaring, "I will never be an emperor, please rest assured." If the people of the country are forced to do so, they should hang up their crowns and sail to Europe." After Feng Guozhang returned to Nanjing, he defended Yuan Shikai: "The president has already spoken to me, and he is determined not to be the emperor." Soon, Beijing's "Preparatory Committee" sent a telegram to the provinces to inquire about "monarchical democracy, which is suitable for China", and openly advocated the restoration of the imperial system.
Yang Du's handwriting - "Qiu Gully Fun So"
These nerds of the "Preparatory Security Council" dared to be so arrogant, and Feng Guozhang had to be suspicious again. He went to the secret telegram to ask Zhang Yilin, director of the confidential bureau of the presidential office who opposed the imperial system. Zhang Yilin was Yuan Shikai's confidant for more than ten years, and he once urged that the imperial system should not be forcibly imposed. Soon, Feng Guozhang got the reply that "there is a reason for the incident". At this point, the truth has come out to the world. Feng Guozhang deeply felt deceived, and when he returned home, he indignantly said to Madame Zhou: "Why does he regard us as his own people?" His work is really not bad!" Lady Zhou was well aware of the great righteousness and felt that the implementation of the imperial system was unpopular. Since then, Feng Guozhang and Yuan Shi have been separated from each other, and political contradictions have become increasingly apparent. Out of the grace of Yuan Shikai's decades of acquaintance, although Feng Guozhang did not publicly denounce it, he would never participate in it and refused to work hard for Yuan Shikai.
Yuan Shikai's crowned statue
Soon, Yuan Shikai instructed the provinces to elect representatives and participate in the Senate to hold a vote to change the state system. When appointing delegates, Feng Guozhang made it clear that all personnel of the Overseer's Office were not properly represented and did not participate in voting activities. On the day of the election of the deputies in Nanjing, Feng Guozhang fell ill and could not go; Inspector Qi Yaolin of Jiangsu personally went to the office to persuade him, and he barely arrived, but he sat there without saying a word. On October 6, 1915, under the petition of the Constitutional Monarchy Petition Corps manipulated by Yuan's minions, the Senate held a "National Congress" and held a "vote on the national system" under the term "respect for the will of the people". The provinces elected national representatives unanimously "in favor" of the constitutional monarchy, and presumed the Senate as the general representative of the National Assembly, and wrote to appoint Yuan Shikai as emperor of the Chinese Empire.
Yuan Shikai's handwriting - "Sea and Sky Bath Day"
After feigning his resignation, Yuan Shikai accepted the election of the Senate on December 12 to become emperor of the Chinese Empire, implementing a constitutional monarchy, changing the Republic of China into the Chinese Empire and the presidential palace into Xinhua Palace. On December 23, Yuan Shikai wore a crown to worship the heavens at the Temple of Heaven, and planned to hold an enthronement ceremony on January 1, 1916, with 1916 as the first year of Hong Xian. On December 18, Yuan Shikai made the official Jin Jue, appointed Feng Guozhang as the chief of staff, and urged Beijing to take office. Feng Nai refused to enter Beijing because he was ill, and instigated the Jiangsu military and civilians to send a telegram to "stay". Yuan Shikai had no choice but to allow him to "remotely lead" in Nanjing.
Old shadow of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing
Fourth, go with the trend and leave a name in history
On December 25, Cai Yi, Tang Jiyao, and others declared the independence of Yunnan, organized a national defense army, and opposed the imperial system. On January 1, 1916, the Yunnan military government issued a petition against Yuan Yuan, counting Yuan Shikai's twenty major crimes, calling on the military and the people of the whole country to jointly fight against Yuan Shikai and defend the Republic of China. Guizhou and Guangxi responded one after another. In view of the rise of the national campaign to woo Yuan, Feng Guozhang no longer pretended to be ill. On March 9, 1916, the fifth year of the Republic of China (1916), He called Yuan Shikai to sell false affairs, and from then on, he openly opposed the imperial system, and became "the first central figure in the Beiyang faction to oppose The Hongxian Emperor".
Portrait of Cai Yi
When Yuan Shikai sent Cao Kun to lead the Beiyang Army into Sichuan to engage the Defending Army, Cai Yi sent people to Nanjing and asked Feng Guozhang to join forces against the imperial system and maintain the republic. Feng Guozhang said to the envoy, "I am the one he (referring to Yuan Shikai) pulled up and was relatively close to him. Between us, it is indisputable that there is the grace of knowledge. On personal relations, I should support him, on the plan for the country, and I must not do this, and it may not be good for him to do it, and once the people of the country rise up and attack him, the disaster will be even worse. Therefore, the result I have just considered is decided to send a power generation to persuade Yuan to abdicate." Therefore, Feng Guozhang asked the secretary to draw up two telegrams, one to Yuan Shikai, to persuade him to abdicate; A telegram was sent to Egan and the southwestern provinces, indicating an attitude against the imperial system.
Cai Yi's Handwriting - "Beauty Rolling Bead Curtain"
Not only that, Feng Guozhang also took the initiative to contact the Jiangxi general Li Chun, the Zhejiang general Zhu Rui, the Hunan general Tang Qianming, and the Shandong general Jin Yunpeng to jointly send a secret telegram to the provincial generals to solicit opinions on cleaning up the situation, which was called "five generals secret telegram." The main elements of his telegram were: those calling on the South to: (i) abolish independence, (ii) withdraw from the war zone, and (iii) protect the people of the battlefield. Those in the North are required to: (i) abolish the monarchy, (ii) punish the culprits of the monarchy, and (iii) ask the Fuehrer to resign on his own in order to appeal to the people of the whole country. The "Secret Telegram of the Five Generals" was a plan by Feng Guozhang to summon non-independent provinces and regions in the name of the "neutral" provincial general leader to form a third force in an attempt to unite the defending army and overthrow Yuan Shikai.
Nanjing Scenic Spots - "Tianfei Palace"
At this point, it should be said that the "beauty plan" implemented by Yuan Shikai was a complete failure. The Beauty Plan is one of the "Thirty-Six Plans" that condenses the essence of ancient Chinese military tactics, and has been tried and tested many times in the specific practice of successive dynasties, and has achieved brilliant results. The reason for the failure of Yuan Shikai's plan, analyzed from the macro level, is that his implementation of the imperial system is unpopular and moves against the trend of history. From the microscopic level, Lady Zhou, the main body of the beauty plan, not only did not cooperate, but was assimilated by Feng Guozhang and became his auxiliary force. The core of the beauty plan is the beauty, and the beauty with the same heart and mind takes the initiative to act with the help of beauty, and the beauty plan is likely to succeed, otherwise it can only be "lost to the lady and folded the soldiers" after being counted.
Xu Niang is half old - the charm is still there
On March 19, the fifth year of the Republic of China (1916), when Zhu Jiabao, the inspector of Zhili Province, presented Yuan Shikai with the "Secret Telegram of the Five Generals", Yuan almost fainted in a hurry. The imperial system sent to see this telegram, and one by one was stunned, which showed the degree of blow to the Yuan imperial system by the "Five Generals Secret Telegram". In view of the rising opposition to the imperial system throughout the country and the internal fragmentation of the Beiyang warlords, Yuan Shikai knew that he had rebelled and was facing the disaster of annihilation, so he announced on March 22 that the imperial system would be abolished and he would be reinstated as the president of the Republic of China. It took a total of 102 days before and after its acceptance of the monarchy (this year is a leap year). On June 6, 1916, Yuan Shikai became ill and died of uremia and was buried in Anyang, Henan.
Feng Guozhang's handwriting - "Mid-Autumn Moonlight"
In the patriotic war against the imperial system and the maintenance of the republic, Feng Guozhang played a certain role. After Yuan Shikai's death, Li Yuanhong became president, and Feng Guozhang was elected vice president, announcing his inauguration in Nanjing, still serving as the overseer of Jiangsu. In 1917, Feng Guozhang was inaugurated as acting president, and the elder Feng took Zhou Ling from Nanjing to Beijing and lived in Zhongnanhai. Zhou Zhen touched the scenery and saw the wealth and glory of the Yuan family disappear, and he couldn't help but sigh. Incredibly, she herself died of illness in the presidential palace on September 10, at the age of 43, childless. Two years later, in December 1919, Feng Guozhang also died of illness at his home in Beijing. A generation of tyrants, women to husbands, leaving a lamentable history!
Tomb of Feng Guozhang