Master Yuan, start!

"This is a welcome gift from overseas New Yorkers to the President and his entourage upon their arrival.

Please accept this hand, President, and give it to your soldiers as a reward."

All these things made everyone from Yuan Shikai and others feel moved, amused and helpless, and they didn't know what to do.

The situation in the country had changed a long time ago, so there was no such thing as "military expenses", not to mention that Yuan Shikai did not arrive in the United States with a large army this time, but only brought less than 1000 naval and land officers and soldiers for escort.

As the president, how can he not afford these expenses?

The National Revolutionary Army is not like those Qing Dynasty trash who will rob unless they see money.

But looking at the old man in front of them with a hunched back, a thick Fujian and Zhejiang accent, and white braids, the group could only accept it and bow to express their gratitude.

After the Chinese retreated, hundreds of reporters crowded forward, and the magnesium powder lights "bang bang bang" one after another, and the dock was once filled with smoke.

Secretary Theodore Roosevelt delivered an impassioned speech: "Today is a day of peace between the nations on the east and west coasts of the Pacific!" Roosevelt said in a resonant voice, his tone filled with passion, every word ringing with power. "It is also a day of lasting peace in the Pacific. The republican states will surely increase in number, and the flowers of the republic will surely bloom all over the world!"

Then it was President Yuan's turn. He cleared his throat and said loudly, "Today, I am honored to come to this great country that has produced both Washington and Jefferson. I was once known as the Washington of the Far East. Today, I finally have the opportunity to see the land where Washington was truly born..."

As soon as it started, the American people discovered that this yellow-skinned president from the Far East could speak such fluent English. They immediately cheered and completely drowned out Yuan Shikai's voice.

After the welcoming ceremony, Yuan Xiangcheng answered several questions from reporters very politely. Afterwards, the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly declined further interview requests on his behalf. Then, Yuan Xiangcheng, accompanied by Theodore Roosevelt, boarded a train to Washington to meet someone.

President of the United States, William McKinley.

...

The White House is indeed very white, but unlike the impression that appears in the news in the 21st century, the streets around the White House are not clean, and livestock manure is common.

Ford Motor Company was not founded until 1903, and the main mode of transportation for Americans at that time was still horse-drawn carriages.

Therefore, when Yuan Shikai arrived at the gate of the White House, he could still smell a faint sour smell in the air.

He wrinkled his nose, frowned slightly, and muttered to himself, "When we build the capital in the future, we must focus on building public toilets. It would be best if there were one every other street. Otherwise, the capital would stink to high heaven, which would be a huge disgrace."

Thinking this in his mind, Yuan Xiangcheng did not stop. His leather boots stepped onto the north lawn of the White House. His steps were steady and powerful, testing the breath of this unfamiliar land.

Contrary to the Chinese people’s inherent impression, although the United States is also in the northern hemisphere, the White House is not a building facing north and south, but just the other way around.

Although the southern part of the White House complex is larger, what appears in the media images are mostly the arc-shaped corridor surrounded by six marble columns on the south side and the Presidential Park on the south side.

But the gate of the White House opens to the north.

In other words, it is a building facing south and north.

Blown by the monsoon in the northeastern United States, Yuan Xiangcheng couldn't help but shiver as he passed by the north gate of the White House shrouded in the shadow of the building.

Once we entered the White House, it felt much warmer inside.

The heat coming from the fireplaces in each room also brings a touch of warmth to the corridor.

Although the United States is a country of nouveau riche, the decoration inside the White House is not luxurious but extremely restrained.

Passing through the spacious entrance hall and corridor, he and Theodore Roosevelt were led directly into an oval-shaped house facing the gate from north to south.

The ceiling and walls of this house are white, but the carpets, curtains, tables and chairs are all blue and decorated with gold lace. This is the office of the President of the United States.

The setting sun shone in through the window. Yuan Xiangcheng looked out and saw green grass outside the window. That was the South Lawn that was most exposed in later generations.

In the present White House, there are no blocking measures on either the North or South lawns, and the iron fence that later enclosed the entire Presidential Park and the White House does not yet exist.

There were footsteps outside the door. Yuan Xiangcheng looked outside and saw a blond man who was not very tall walking towards him.

He has a dark skin, a broad and square face, high cheekbones, and sunburn on his face. He wears a black double-breasted frock coat, a white stiff-collared shirt and a black bow tie, and often wears a red carnation in his breast pocket.

Isn’t this the assassinated American president in history, William McKinley?

In his previous life, Yuan Xiangcheng had watched a video album called "Assassinated American Presidents". In addition to President Lincoln, there was also President William McKinley in front of him. The video also showed photos of his life, which is why Yuan Xiangcheng was so impressed.

These thoughts flashed through Yuan Xiangcheng's mind for a moment. After a moment, he stretched out his right hand and bowed slightly to the visitor.

However, William McKinley's response was somewhat unexpected:

"Wayting, niceyou!"

Hearing this, Yuan Xiangcheng was stunned. William McKinley seemed to be speaking Chinese, but his pronunciation was not standard.

The opening greeting sounds like the English word waiting or the two syllables "way-ting" pronounced separately.

However, even so, Yuan Xiangcheng still heard it.

This is my courtesy name, Wei Ting.

When Europeans and Americans address others, they usually use their first names if they want to express intimacy.

If you are not familiar with the person, you can use the name Mr. XX, where XX refers to the first name.

For example, the name John Davis, people who are close to him can call him John, but people who are not familiar with him should call him Mr. Davis.

But when addressing Chinese people, it is a little different. Because they cannot pronounce the difficult Chinese pronunciation, in most cases they only call their surname.

When you have a good relationship, you can call someone by their last name. If you are not familiar with them, you can call them "Surname + Mr.". This is generally the case unless the person has an English name.

In addition, if someone has a title or an official position, they are often referred to as "official position + Mr."

When Yuan Xiangcheng visited Europe, he was either addressed as "Yuan" or "Mr. President" or "Your Excellency the President".

But the William McKinley in front of him was different. He did not call himself "Yuan" or "Mr. President", but called himself by his courtesy name.

Who taught him this?

Yuan Xiangcheng looked behind William McKinley and saw a familiar figure.

Brad Hoover.

He once worked as the Far East Commissioner of Carnegie Steel Company and cooperated with Yuan Shikai in Korea.

He then entered American politics, starting as the Director of the World Food Program and rising all the way to his current position as the Secretary of Commerce.

"Weiting, welcome to America!" William McKinley shook Yuan Xiangcheng's hand and said with a smile, "This is a rare meeting. The meeting between the leaders of the two largest countries on both sides of the Pacific will surely go down in history."

His tone was enthusiastic, the corners of his mouth raised in a perfect arc, and his eyes revealed confidence and expectation.

"Mr. President, you are too polite." Yuan Xiangcheng also maintained a polite smile, but there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

"Well, let's get down to business, shall we?" William McKinley didn't chat for too long. He pointed to two sofas on the left and right of the oval office, motioning Yuan Xiangcheng to sit down with him respectively.

This speed surprised Yuan Xiangcheng secretly.

Do Americans value efficiency so much?

The only people who followed Yuan Shikai into the presidential office were Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi and Director of the Security Department of the Secretariat Ming Ye.

No translation is needed. After all, both Yuan Xiangcheng and Tang Shaoyi are familiar with English.

On the American side, there were President William McKinley, Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, and Secretary of Commerce Brad Hoover.

It was a small meeting behind closed doors, and this kind of small meeting often meant that the matter to be decided was more important.

After all, small meetings are held for big matters, and big meetings are held for small matters.

This principle is true no matter which country it is in.

"Thank you for your help to the American army's expedition to the Philippines, Wei Ting." William McKinley came up and put a high hat on Yuan Xiangcheng, while taking something from his assistant.

"As a token of your friendship for America, I, William McKinley, on behalf of the President of the United States and both the Senate and House of Representatives, award you the Congressional Medal of Honor."

Another medal?

Yuan Xiangcheng was indeed a little surprised. He understood that the British gave him a medal because they wanted something from him after all. The Boer War needed both Chinese laborers and the support of the Chinese army.

But what are the Americans up to?

They must know that they are here to beg for alms or to borrow money, right?

Giving medals to debtors is to shut yourself up, after all, one should be grateful to those who have benefited from them.

"Even if you accept the medal, you can't borrow money."

do you mean this?

Yuan Xiangcheng looked at William McKinley in front of him, then looked at the smiling Brad Hoover behind him, his mind completely confused.

Can I have this medal?

Chapter 528: Dispute between the Government and the Court

The Congressional Medal of Honor is a good thing.

Its official name is the Medal of Honor, which was established by President Lincoln after the outbreak of the Civil War in the United States federal government in order to boost morale.

Since its establishment, it has become the highest honor and dream of American soldiers.

This medal recognizes only acts of bravery and courage, not just victorious actions.

Moreover, even if you hold a high-ranking official position, you may not necessarily receive a medal of honor, but even if you hold a low-ranking official position, you may still receive a medal of honor.

For example, five-star General MacArthur once said: "The Medal of Honor is far more precious than the five stars on my shoulders."

His Medal of Honor was awarded for his actions during the Philippine evacuation, not for his defeat of the Japanese.

The reason was that during the Battle of the Philippines around 1942, the US military was unable to stop the Japanese attack and was forced to retreat. As the supreme commander of the US Army in the Far East, MacArthur failed to defend the Philippines in the face of the fierce offensive of the Japanese army, but he preserved the US military's vitality.

He was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts in defending the Philippines and U.S. forces under extremely difficult circumstances.

Although it was because of this incident that MacArthur was criticized.

He was awarded a medal even though he was running away.

But no matter what, it is enough to show that the awarding of this medal is not simply based on whether the battle is won.

Eligibility for the Medal of Honor is not limited to American citizens. In theory, people from any country can receive it.

But this is the first time that a Chinese person has received this medal.

Can I have it? Of course I can.

The other party had already taken it out, and it would be embarrassing for Yuan Xiangcheng to refuse it.

What's more, who says you can't borrow money after receiving a medal?

"Thank you very much, President McKinley!" Yuan Xiangcheng took a half step back and said solemnly: "This medal is not my honor, but the honor of all Chinese people."

"Just call me William," the American president said with a satisfied smile. "I believe this medal will always bear witness to the friendship between China and the United States."

"How is your Far East army doing?" Yuan Xiangcheng asked Ou first. Then he turned to the US President's question about the situation in the Philippines: "I heard that you plan to continue sending soldiers to Manila?"

William McKinley shrugged and replied, “Not bad, but not good either.