The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 385: The Republic is in chaos, but the Constitution is stable? (Requesting subscription and votes)

"suddenly"

A small steamer spewed black smoke, dragging a passenger boat with a displacement of 300 to 400 tons, breaking through the waves and heading east, stirring up white waves on the Suzhou River waterway from Suzhou to Shanghai. A flag with the words "The Great Wall Will Never Fall" fluttered in the spring breeze.

The banks of Suzhou River are full of greenery, full of vitality, and all things are flourishing.

Luo Yaoguo, Yang Xiuqing, Feng Yunshan, Xiao Chaogui and others joined forces to put Hong Xiuquan in a cage and treated him as a saint. They stayed in Tianjing City for another ten days, arranged the aftermath, set up a "provisional government" headed by Wei Changhui, Hu Yihuang, Qin Rigang and Hong Rengan, and then hurriedly embarked on the journey back to Shanghai.

Like Luo Yaoguo, three others also left Tianjing and returned to their own territories: Yang Xiuqing, Xiao Chaogui and Feng Yunshan. There were two ostensible reasons why the "four living fathers" of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom left Tianjing together. One was to arrange military affairs in their own territories to prevent the Qing demons from taking advantage of the chaos caused by the "Tianjing Revolution" to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to launch an attack; the other was to organize the people in their own territories to put forward representatives so that they could go to Tianjing together to convene a national congress and pass the "Provisional Constitution".

Even if this National People's Congress and the Provisional Constitution are just decorations, they are necessities for the "Peaceful Republic" and cannot be absent.

Because the biggest difference between a republic and a family empire is that the legal system of a republic comes from the people and the constitution. This is similar to the "divine right of kings" that is most commonly used in monarchies. This "god" actually does not exist, but the emperors, kings, grand dukes, sultans, and caliphs usually emphasize that they are blessed by the mandate of heaven.

If the "Taiping Republic" does not convene a National People's Congress and formulate the "Provisional Constitution", this "Taiping Republic" will be illegitimate and unreasonable, and future affairs will be difficult to handle.

After the name was established, Luo Yaoguo could gradually implant the concept of the republic into people's hearts by promoting national education and expanding the coverage of the people. At the same time, it would be easier to promote the centralization of the "Taiping Republic".

After all, this Taiping Republic is a republic for all the people of the country.
There are two other reasons that are not public. One is that Luo Yaoguo, Yang Xiuqing, Xiao Chaogui, and Feng Yunshan, four major warlords of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom who owned territories and armies, needed to appease the people and camps after the "Tianjing Incident" and the "Heavenly King's transformation into a sage."

Second, except for Luo Yaoguo, the other three kings did not understand "republic" very well. They had to go back and discuss with their staff how to "republic" and "peace" in the future? And how to draft the "Provisional Constitution"? Even Luo Yaoguo himself had to discuss it with his think tanks.

In short, we need to make the world a shared future for all, but we also need to make our own calculations count. This "republic" has to be achieved step by step.

In addition, Luo Yaoguo had two personal matters to attend to.

First, Wanzhen had already been in Shanghai for some time. Weng Tonghe and Ronglu escorted her south together. Luo Yaoguo simply had her placed in a garden house in Shanghai, and she had never even met anyone.

The girl is not yet an adult, so Luo Yaoguo certainly can't bring himself to say anything to her. He has to cultivate his temper but he still has to meet her in person.

Second, Sushun, Li Hongzhang, and Yuan Bao came to Shanghai, bringing with them a large group of French advisers and a cardinal, and possibly a French princess named Mathilde. It seemed that Napoleon III was planning something big!

So Luo Yaoguo felt that he needed to go back to Shanghai to meet these people.

Luo Yaoguo was sitting in the official cabin at this time, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, looking at Wang Libin quietly, with a handwritten letter from Li Hongzhang spread out next to him.

In this letter, Li Hongzhang wrote a lot of words evaluating the pros and cons of the two routes, republicanism and constitutional monarchy. It reads quite professional, as if this "Zhongtang" really knows his business. It seems that he has learned some real skills during his trip abroad this time!
I don’t know who I learned this from?

"Master Xue, this Li Shaoquan is quite popular in Europe. He was a guest of Queen Victoria in the UK, had dinner with the Queen at Windsor Castle, and danced with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. He also met the French Princess Mathilde at the Buckingham Palace ball, and it seems that the French princess was attracted to Li Shaoquan."

After hearing what Wang Libin said, Luo Yaoguo finally understood. This is my senior! No wonder she has made such great progress and has thoroughly understood the issues of republic and constitutional monarchy.

"What does Shaoquan mean?" Luo Yaoguo thought for a moment and asked again, "Does he want to work with me to establish a constitutional monarchy?"

Wang Libin nodded gently: "It seems so! He talked to me five days ago as the director of the Tongwenguan in Shanghai, saying that this republic is prone to chaos. When France was establishing a republic, it was in chaos for many years, with many people killed. In the end, Emperor Napoleon emerged, and then it became a little more stable.

The British constitutional monarchy is much more stable. Since the Glorious Revolution, there has been peace and stability for more than a hundred years, so they can focus on developing industry and commerce and opening up colonies. Britain's current prosperity also proves that the constitutional monarchy is better than the republic. "

"I see." Luo Yaoguo just nodded slightly but did not comment.

Wang Libin added: "Li Shaoquan recently preached the benefits of constitutional monarchy to Chinese and foreign celebrities in Shanghai at Wu's Garden, Tongshun Building, Dongjiadu Bishop's Palace, French Embassy, ​​etc., while disparaging the republic."

"What do the gentlemen in Shanghai mean?" Luo Yaoguo's tone was slightly sarcastic.

Wang Libin smiled and said, "Naturally, there are more people who oppose than those who support."

"Oh?" Luo Yaoguo was a little surprised. "All the gentlemen in Shanghai support the Republic?"

"How is that possible?" Wang Libin shook his head. "They are against both the republic and the monarchy."

"They don't understand yet." Luo Yaoguo shook his head slightly, not angry.

Wang Libin glanced at Luo Yaoguo, who seemed to be smiling, and said, "Marshal Xue, in your opinion, which is better, a republic or a constitutional monarchy?"

Luo Yaoguo laughed: "All good!"

"Everything is fine?" Wang Libin was stunned.

"Yes!" Luo Yaoguo nodded, "It's great that we can discuss this issue now!"

Shanghai, Suzhou River, Hunan Wharf.

This passenger and cargo wharf owned by the Sanxin Company on the south bank of the Suzhou River was now filled with scholars in robes, foreigners in suits and leather shoes, and a Japanese devil in a feather robe. They were all talking and discussing Li Hongzhang, who had become a rising star in the Qing Dynasty's Westernization Movement in the past two days.

"Lord Li, since a republic is prone to chaos, why can't the Qing Dynasty just sit back and watch the Taimao kings kill each other and fall, but instead establish a constitutional monarchy? This constitutional monarchy doesn't seem to be in line with the ancestral family law of the Qing Dynasty, does it?"

"Sir Li, this constitutionalism is ultimately a foreign system. We are a great country with our own rules and regulations. Why do we have to establish a constitution?"

"Sir Li, the Japanese in the capital have been advocating that we only want foreign guns and not foreign affairs. According to the Japanese, foreign affairs are the way to chaos, which will destroy the teachings of Confucius and Mencius and make people uneasy. The Japanese also said that although Western guns and cannons are good things, their Europe has been killing and fighting for hundreds of years, and there has been almost no day without war, just like our Warring States period. The so-called Western method is nothing more than the method of seeking wealth and strength used by the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period. It is a hegemonic method rather than a kingly way, and it is really not worth taking? What do you think, Sir Li?"

"Lord Li, I think we should take the Chinese ethics and history as the basis, and the Western tricks and techniques as the application. This is Chinese learning as the body, and Western learning as the use! This monarchy is the body, not the use. I am afraid that learning it will be useless!"

Most of the gentlemen who surrounded Li Hongzhang were against both the republic and the constitutional monarchy. Those who advocated "Chinese learning as the basis and Western learning for practical use" were considered relatively progressive.

However, Li Hongzhang smiled and clasped his fists to the middle-aged man who proposed "Chinese learning for substance and Western learning for practical use" and said, "Mr. Jingting, if Hongzhang had not traveled to the West and if the Taiping Rebellion had not carried out the republican revolution, then Hongzhang would also agree with the idea of ​​"Chinese learning for substance and Western learning for practical use".

Even Hongzhang would agree with the Japanese saying that we only want foreign guns but not foreign affairs."

He then sighed deeply: "But now, Hongzhang has already known that if the Qing Dynasty does not make determined reforms and establish a constitutional monarchy, then facing the Taiping Republic, it will only be a dead end!"

The middle-aged man called "Mr. Jingting" by Li Hongzhang wanted to debate with Li Hongzhang again, when suddenly a shrill whistle sounded from the Suzhou River, and the passenger boat that Luo Yaoguo was on finally arrived at the dock under the tow of a small steamer.

At this moment, on the second floor of a newly completed two-story passenger terminal next to the Hunan Wharf, two pairs of men and women were leaning over the window, staring intently at the ship approaching the shore.
(End of this chapter)