From street tabloids to the first newspaper of the Republic of China

Two days later, in Beiping.

Due to the disaster reported in the year of Gui Chou, only about twenty newspapers remained in Beiping, mainly concentrated in the Xuan Nan area.

Compared to the relaxed atmosphere of free speech in the Shanghai International Settlement, it would be no exaggeration to say that people here were completely silent.

The veteran journalists were either dead or exiled. Those who remained could only produce bland, uninteresting content to keep the newspaper afloat.

Don't even think about publicly criticizing Yuan Xiangcheng, because there are spies everywhere monitoring him. Not only newspaper offices, but also any crowded area, such as teahouses and restaurants, are spies planted there.

The Asia Daily's office was located in a hutong near Liulichang, with secret agents guarding the entrance to prevent sabotage. Normally, no one wanted to pass by unless absolutely necessary.

Inside the main editorial office, there was a long table. The table was piled high with newspapers, documents, teacups, and ashtrays; a calligraphy scroll reading "Model of the Press" hung on the wall.

It is said to have been written by Yuan Shikai himself.

At this moment, the editing room was filled with smoke, and five or six people were sitting there.

Xue Dake sat at the editor-in-chief's desk. The people present were all core members of the newspaper, including Ding Foyan, Fan Zengxiang, and Yi Shifu. They were all Hanlin scholars and Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from the Qing Dynasty. They were very good at writing, but also very pedantic. When they wrote articles, they showed off their erudition.

However, when it comes to discussing whether or not there should be an emperor, no one is more professional than this group.

Each person had a copy of the "Strange News Report" spread out on their table; they had all just arrived that day. Everyone looked worried, because they didn't know how to respond.

This tabloid is shameless! They actually started a "letters from readers" campaign to wage a war of words, leaving them with no outlet for their anger.

After all, with the Strange Newspaper having accumulated so many advantages, no one can afford to keep attacking a single "reader's letter," even if everyone knows it was written by the newspaper's chief editor...

You bastard!

"Lord Xue, who exactly is this 'shout'?"

Ding Fuyan pointed to the newspaper and asked.

Xue Dake held the cigarette between his fingers, flicked off the ash, and said slowly:

"It doesn't matter who it is."

"Then what's important?" Fan Zengxiang asked.

"The important thing is how we respond after this thing is published."

Xue Dake stood up, walked to the door, his back to the crowd, and said in a calm voice, "Today I received news that the *Shenbao* newspaper reprinted this article. That old fox Shi Jiaxiu has been watching from the sidelines, and now he's finally stepped forward. Do you know what that means?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"This means that the balance of public opinion is tilting."

Xue Dake walked back to the table, pulled out a copy of the Shenbao newspaper from a few days ago, pointed to a commentary in it, and said, "Take a look at this."

Everyone crowded around to take a look.

The article is titled "Not Talking About Political Systems," and the author is "Cold-Blooded."

The political system is already a fait accompli; why dwell on it?

The president has already made his oath clear; why say more?

What we should discuss today is the constitution, not the political system.

Goodnow was a constitutional advisor, not a political advisor.

Goodnow has too many things to do! Discussing political systems is not the urgent matter today.

After reading it, Ding Foyan's face turned ashen: "This is an insult to Gudenuo for meddling in other people's business."

Xue Dake said coldly:

"He's not just criticizing Goodnow, he's criticizing us too. He said 'the political system is a fact,' but what does 'a fact' mean? Co-governance is a fact, but monarchy is not. He's basically saying that all your efforts in establishing the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the State and discussing the form of government are superfluous, and you might as well just establish a constitution sooner rather than later."

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Xue Dake picked up another newspaper from the table: "Take a look at this one too."

This is from a few days ago in the Ta Kung Pao newspaper. There was an article in it titled "Goodnow's Private Matters," and the author was listed as "A Reader."

The article is short, but it's very provocative, directly naming Goodnow:

Goodnow, an American, was hired by our country as a constitutional advisor, and should have taken the Constitution as his duty. Now, however, he abandons the Constitution to discuss the system of government, and abandons the system of government to discuss the monarchy, recklessly distorting the truth of history and misleading the world. His true intention is nothing more than to curry favor with one person for a fortune.

The office fell silent again, and even the calligraphy on the wall that read "Model of the Press" seemed a little awkward.

Yi Shifu cautiously asked, "Does Dr. Gu... know about this?"

Xue Dake sneered:

"Of course he knows. He came to me yesterday, saying that my reputation has been damaged and demanding clarification."

"What did you say to him?"

I said, "Dr. Gu, who else will believe you now besides yourself?" He then fell silent and slunk away.

Xue Dake stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, his tone tinged with schadenfreude: "Think about it yourselves, an American comes here, takes government funds, and says we should change the emperor. Isn't he just asking for trouble? If he were smart, he would have shut up, but he doesn't. He insists on making a fuss about clarifying what? Clarifying that he didn't receive money? Who paid for his boat ticket? Doesn't he have any self-awareness?"

"Americans are just hypocrites..."

Everyone present fell silent; in truth, they weren't much better off.

But as a government-appointed journalist, one must be self-aware and not let outsiders hear complaints that shouldn't be voiced.

"Da, da, da, da..."

A series of unsteady footsteps came from outside the door.

A young man in his thirties came in, dressed in a suit, with neatly combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses. He had a kind face, but his complexion was not good, as if he hadn't slept well.

Huang Yuanyong.

Hailed by the press as the foremost journalist of the Republic of China, he was a special correspondent for the Shanghai-based Shen Bao newspaper stationed in Beijing, and was famous in the press for his "Yuanyong Correspondence".

His writing style is sharp, he dares to speak the truth, and he adheres to the principle of "non-partisanship," which has a great influence among readers.

However, fame is a double-edged sword. Due to his ambiguous relationship with Yuan Shikai, he was forcibly hired by Yuan as the chief editor of the Asia Daily and asked to write articles to promote the restoration of the monarchy.

Huang Yuanyong was naturally unwilling, but dared not refuse, so he could only drag it out and submit a vague article. He wanted to leave Beiping, but the Presidential Palace's spies were watching him closely, so he couldn't leave.

"Brother Yuanyong has arrived! Please sit down, have a seat!"

Xue Dake gave a forced smile and a greeting.

Huang Yuanyong nodded, found a corner seat, and sat down without saying a word.

He saw that the imperial drummers were discussing the "Strange News," their eyes somewhat dim.

It has nothing to do with the article, nothing to do with the newspaper, but it has to do with the person.

He could guess who wrote the article.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

Just as Xue Dake was about to continue chairing the meeting, footsteps sounded outside the door again.

This time the footsteps were heavy, as if they were deliberately made.

The man who entered was a middle-aged man nearing forty. As soon as he stood up, everyone in the newspaper office stood up and bowed slightly.

"Young Master!"

The visitor was Yuan Yuntai, the eldest son of Yuan Xiangcheng.

He was dressed in the uniform of the Beiyang Army and wore leather boots. He walked with a slight limp, but no one dared to underestimate him.

Once Yuan Xiangcheng's most favored son, even though he was neglected after breaking his leg in a horse-riding accident, his power did not diminish at all. Because of his outstanding abilities, he single-handedly controlled Yuan Xiangcheng's restoration efforts.

Others may not know, but the few of you here do, because this guy started forging the Japanese newspaper "Shuntian Times" at the beginning of the year, changing the content opposing the imperial system in the real newspaper into articles supporting the imperial system, in order to deceive Yuan Shikai into accelerating his steps toward becoming emperor.

He was extremely ambitious and wanted to become the crown prince.

"Please sit down."

Yuan Yuntai waved his hand and winked at his attendants.

An attendant brought a stool and placed it at the entrance, where Yuan Yuntai slowly sat down.

After he sat down, the others took their seats one after another.

Yuan Yuntai glanced at everyone, noticed the newspaper on the table, and his lips twitched slightly:

"Editor-in-Chief Xue, the commander-in-chief is not very satisfied with the recent public opinion."

Xue Dake, whose name was called, dared not utter a sound.

You yourselves want to declare yourselves emperors, and the public isn't satisfied, but what does that have to do with him!

He's just a newspaper editor, how could he possibly shut everyone up!

Yuan Yuntai reached out, and his attendant handed him the copy of the "Strange News Report." He flipped through it, then put it down.

"I understand that you can't handle these tabloids. After all, they're hiding in the foreign concessions, so it's not easy for us to get our hands on them."

He then gestured to his men to bring over the *Shenbao* newspaper:

"But this newspaper is the largest newspaper in Shanghai, with a daily circulation of more than 10,000 copies, and it is read all over the country."

"Its attitude reflects the attitude of the press. What does Shi Jiaxiu mean by reprinting this article? What does Chen Huasheng mean by writing 'Not Discussing Political Systems'?"

Xue Dake wiped the sweat from his forehead:

"Young Master, this!..."

Yuan Yuntai raised his hand to stop him:

"Don't interrupt, let me finish."

He took a piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolded it, and placed it on the table.

It was a limerick, I don’t know where it was copied from, the handwriting was messy, but the content was very clear.

The president acts like an emperor, while the people go hungry.

Today we urge them to advance their cause, tomorrow we have to pay taxes.

What's the point of all this persuasion? It's all about urging ordinary people to give up their hard-earned money!

"Do you know what this is?"

Yuan Yuntai looked at everyone present, his tone unfriendly: "This is a satirical poem written by a policeman on the streets of Beiping yesterday. It was discovered by detectives from the Military and Political Law Enforcement Bureau, arrested, and thrown into the Jade Emperor Pavilion to be executed. But the poem has already reached Tianjin! They can't even control their own footing, what are they talking about regarding public opinion?"

Xue Dake's face turned pale instantly, and he quickly stood up:

"Young Master! This isn't something that can't be resolved, it's...it's just a matter of time! Public opinion isn't like a war; it can't be dealt with overnight..."

Yuan Yuntai sneered:

"How old is the old man? How long can his body wait?"

Rumors circulated that Yuan Xiangcheng was in poor health. According to some tabloid reporters, he suffered from diabetes, uremia, gallstones, high blood pressure, heart disease, toothache, constipation, and so on. His entire body was covered in red marks, and he felt like he was going to fall apart after walking just a few steps.

Yuan Yuntai didn't care how long Yuan Xiangcheng lived; what he cared about was whether Yuan Xiangcheng could ascend to the throne before he died. After that, he could rightfully succeed to the throne.

Kaiser Wilhelm II's encouragement played a significant role in this.

Faced with this pressure, Xue Dake dared not speak.

Yuan Yuntai walked to the table, placed his hands on the surface, and leaned down to look at Xue Dake:

"Editor-in-Chief Xue, I believe you can control things in Beiping. But Shanghai is far away, and you can't control it there."

"Do you think you can win a war of words with someone using newspapers?"

Xue Dake swallowed hard:

"Young Master, what do you mean...?"

"I went south to Shanghai to open a newspaper and settled in the heart of public opinion."

Yuan Yuntai straightened up and added, "Under the emperor's nose, we have the final say. No matter how much we jump around, we can't make a ripple. But Shanghai has foreign concessions, where foreigners have the final say. We can't force things; we have to think of other ways."

Xue Dake quickly lowered his head, waiting for what was to come.

Yuan Yuntai held up one finger:

"First, treat us to a meal."

"We can win over or bribe the journalists, celebrities, and business leaders in Shanghai and Songjiang; money is no object."

He then extended his second finger:

"Second, beheading."

"Among those who were shouting and cursing, those who refused to cooperate were made an example of. Those outside the concession were directly contacted to Zheng Rucheng, who found a pretext to arrest them; those inside the concession..."

"Go find the Green Gang."

Xue Dake paused for a moment, then looked up in surprise: "The Green Gang?"

Yuan Yuntai smiled and said:

"My second brother is a senior member of the Green Gang. We're not particularly close, but if he has enough money, he'll do dirty work for you."

"Go find them, spend the money you need to spend, and as long as you don't cause a public death, the police station in the foreign concession won't interfere."

He then extended a third finger:

Third, accept them as dogs.

"If you take our money, you have to do things for us. If you're unwilling to do things, let him know the consequences."

After listening, Xue Dake remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded:

"Young Master, I understand."

He was actually conflicted; doing so would inevitably leave him with a lasting infamy.

What kind of journalist plays this game? How is that any different from the underworld?

"The sooner the better."

Yuan Yuntai took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Xue Dake: "You write the report about the funding, and I'll approve it."

Xue Dake took the note, glanced at it, and his eyes lit up.

He's greedy and a gambler; he'd be so happy to have this money.

The fact that the emperor was far away and the capital was high in the sky meant that, not only for the journalists in Shanghai, it was also a good thing for him.

The casinos in Shanghai and Shanghai are definitely waiting for him!

"Young Master, there is one more thing."

"explain."

Xue Dake gestured towards the corner with his lip.

Yuan Yuntai followed his gaze and saw Huang Yuanyong.

He sat in the corner the whole time, without speaking or moving, like a statue.

Yuan Yuntai walked up to him and looked down at him:

"Mr. Huang, the old man is very dissatisfied with your article."

Huang Yuanyong raised his head, looked at Yuan Yuntai, and said nothing.

"What was the title of that piece you wrote...?"

Yuan Yuntai thought for a moment, his tone full of sarcasm: "Never mind, but I want to tell you that the old man spent a lot of money to invite you here to be the chief writer, not to sabotage me. The piece you wrote made the old man lose face."

Huang Yuanyong finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse:

"Young Master, I didn't..."

Yuan Yuntai raised his hand to interrupt him:

"No need for further explanation, I understand your difficulties."

"But understanding is one thing, and problems are another. In this world, everyone has their difficulties, so please be understanding of us."

"The old man said, please rewrite it and clearly express your attitude."

Huang Yuanyong's expression changed:

"When?"

"As soon as possible."

Yuan Yuntai turned around, took two steps toward the door, then suddenly stopped, turned back, and said casually:

"By the way, Mr. Huang, you're familiar with the Military and Political Law Enforcement Bureau, aren't you?"

Huang Yuanyong's body stiffened.

"People go into that place every day, but no one ever comes out."

Yuan Yuntai smiled and led his entourage out.

The sound of footsteps thumped and thumped, growing fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared into the alley.

Xue Dake looked at Huang Yuanyong with a strange expression on his face, walked over and patted him on the shoulder:

"Yuanyong, it's just an article. Writing it sooner will bring some relief!"

Huang Yuanyong stood up and asked:

Do you think I can still write it?

Xue Dake didn't speak, but turned around and talked to the others.

Huang Yuanyong left. As he went out, he tripped on the threshold, stumbled, and quickly disappeared into the courtyard.

Xue Dake watched his retreating figure, shook his head, and muttered to himself:

"Ha! What a pity, the number one reporter... the number one sinner..."

He walked back to the table, crumpled the copy of the "Strange News" into a ball, threw it into the wastebasket, and said to Ding Fuyan:

"Write to our friends in Shanghai and ask them to find out who this 'shout' is."

Ding Fuyan nodded:

"What if we find out?"

Xue Dake lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke:

"Invite him to dinner."