In 1902, a young man named Wu Daoming came to Beijing, who rented a shop in Tannantou, Eight Faces, Dongcheng, hired a few guys, and opened a photo studio.
The French painter Daguerre invented the photographic method in 1839, which set off a photographic revolution from Europe and the United States to Asia and other places.
At that time, in the Qing Dynasty, photography was still a very fashionable skill, Wu Daoming was skilled and hospitable, especially for the eunuchs who came to take pictures, he warmly welcomed and gave special offers.
Gradually, he became acquainted with many eunuchs and won their favor and trust.
He told the eunuch that he wanted to take a picture of Empress Dowager Cixi, and if the empress dowager was satisfied, he might be able to mix with an official and a half-post.
However, the above is all a blind eye.
Wu Daoming, real name Liang Erxu, tiejun, backbone of the Restoration Party, ancestral home is Shunde, Guangdong.
Liang Erxu's ancestors were hugely rich in Foshan, and his grandfather Liang Jiutu was a famous scholar in Lingnan, and the reputation of the Liang family in the local area was very good due to the generations of benevolence and charity.
Liang Erxu was very smart when he was young, and in 1893 he took the township examination and won the first place in Guangdong.
Seeing the decline of the Qing Dynasty, Liang Erxu resolutely gave up his meritorious name and participated in the restoration and reform movement led by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao.
After the failure of the Wushu ReformAtion, the Qing court searched for the Reformers, and Liang Erxu fled overseas.
He entered Beijing this time, under the cover of doing business, to carry out a secret plan of the Reform Party, to assassinate Empress Dowager Cixi and continue to remove the biggest obstacle to the reform of the law.
The reason why Liang Erxu was close to the eunuchs was that he hoped to get the opportunity to enter the palace to take pictures of Empress Xi, get close to Cixi, and kill her with one blow.
Liang Erxu and the reformists' plans were quite ingenious, and the preliminary work was also very smooth, however, it was sparse.
In the summer of 1903, someone reported Liang Erxu to the Qing Dynasty Yamen.
Jiang Guiti, the Admiral of the Nine Doors, immediately sent an army to surround and seal the Eight-Sided Sandalwood Photo Studio, and Liang Erxu was unfortunately arrested and imprisoned.
At that time, Yuan Shikai was serving as the governor of Tianjin, and after hearing about this incident, he urgently sent a telegram to Jiang Guiti and quickly escorted Liang Erxu and others to Jinmen.
Since Jiang Guiti was a close confidant promoted by Yuan Shikai, he naturally did not dare to slacken off.
Yuan Shikai was a two-faced faction who saw the wind and steered the helm, and because he was worried that Liang Erxu's confession in Beijing would reveal his former relationship with the Reform party, he went to such great lengths to get people to Tianjin.
In the end, Yuan Shikai killed people and killed liang Erxu in prison after the Mid-Autumn Festival of that year.
Liang Erxu was born into a rich family, originally had no worries about food and clothing, and did not have to struggle at all, he could live a life of a free brother, but for the sake of national rejuvenation, he chose to sacrifice himself for righteousness, and I have to say that this is a great revolutionary forerunner.