Representations of History in Chinese Film and Television
 



 
 
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Instalment 34 (1906)

Scene 1: In a Casino

Yuan Shikai and Yang Du are gambling in a casino. While Yuan is making his move, he asks Yang if he should bet on an even or uneven number. Yang replies “even”, but they end up losing a lot of money. At the final game, Yuan asks Yang once more, and Yang once more replies “even”. Yuan bets all his money on the even number, and they win. Finally, they distribute the money among all those present.

Scene 2: In Tianjin

Yuan Shikai and Yang Du take a walk in a light drizzle and talk about the preparation period for the establishment of a constitution. Yang believes that the preparations should not take long. Yuan tells him that Cixi smashed the emperor’s clock, which she had the emperor give her as a present, in front of his eyes (due to the ambiguity of “giving a clock as a present” being homophonous with “accompanying someone in his/her last hours”). After all, Cixi is already seventy-one years of age, whereas the emperor is only thirty-four and awaits her death. If the constitution is promulgated, Yuan contends, Cixi’s power will be greatly reduced and she will no longer be able to dominate the emperor. Once the emperor is reinstalled in his positions, Yuan believes, Cixi will not pass happy days anymore. Thus, Yuan advocates that the preparations for the constitution should be manipulated to only finish once Cixi has passed away. Yang, however, believes that Yuan himself fears a restoration of the emperor because the emperor hates Yuan ever since the coup d’état of 1898.

Scene 3: At the Palace

Cixi has summoned Zaize and Duanfang for an audience. The two had been part of the Qing delegation to inspect foreign constitutional systems and have just returned from their travels abroad. Zaize believes that the other countries are stronger and richer than the Qing because they instituted a constitution. He explains the three advantages of a constitution:

  • The imperial authority remains strong; the Qing authority could imitate Japan and introduce a constitutionally restricted monarchy;
  • foreign intervention is reduced; the foreign powers see the Qing as an uncivilised state; once a constitution would be in place, the Qing would be able to claim the same civilised status as the foreign countries;
  • internal unrests will diminish; the current revolutionary ideas are based on the Qing’s system of autocracy.
After the promulgation of a constitution the Qing would have realised justice, civilisation, equality, and democracy etc. and thus the revolutionaries would be stripped off their legitimisation to call for revolutionary action. Duanfang, then speaks of six important points concerning the establishment of a constitution:
  • the timeframe for the establishment of a constitution should be publicised;
  • the constitution should provide equality for the entire population; i.e. the status inequality between the Manchus and the Han-Chinese should be eliminated;
  • the strengths of the foreign powers in such areas as science, constitution and education should be imitated;
  • the court system should be restructured, by, for example, clearly separating court’s and the state’s power and finances;
  • the relation between central and local powers should be defined and local autonomy introduced;
  • the state household should be made public and opened to public scrutiny.
Cixi has the emperor read both memorials but he throws them aside and says that the same memorials already existed in 1898. He believes that it is pointless that they should suddenly reappear after eight years! Cixi asks the others present for their opinions regarding the timeframe for the preparation of a constitution. Zaize advocates: two years, Duanfang: four years, but Yuan Shikai believes that it will take “twelve years at least”. Yuan holds that the transition to the new system of officialdom will require one year; mobilising the masses will take another year; building a parliament will require two years and codifying a constitution will take some years as well. Cixi agrees with Yuan. She wishes to have the plans for the establishment of a constitution under the Qing made public all over the world.


Scene 4: In Beijing

Foreign journalists record the announcement of the plans for a constitution both on tape and film. Cixi pronounces the news as the official representative of the Qing Court. She claims that the government has realised that other countries are rich and powerful because they have a constitutional system. But in China, nothing is yet prepared for such a change. If the constitution was introduced immediately, it would be ill-considered. Thus, the government has decided to plan for twelve years of preparation. During the speech, her eunuch Li Liangying hands Cixi a handkerchief in servility. But this gesture was recorded on film and Cixi scolds Li for having ruined her public picture by being his usual obedient self. She fears that it will ridicule her in public.

Scene 5: In the USA

The motion pictures and the records from the announcement are being shown in the USA. During the show, the Chinese are laughing about Cixi. Sun Yatsen is also present and giggles as well. He believes that everything Cixi said is of no importance except the estimated time frame of twelve years. Huang Xing, therefore, advocates more revolutionary assassinations. Sun is of a different opinion. He believes that assassinations cannot shake the Qing’s authority. Instead, he contends that they should continue to stage revolts, but with better preparation than before.

Scene 6: In Tianjin

Yuan Shikai has invited the Qing Prince to join him for a massage. They talk about the new system of officialdom. Yuan states that many rank and function indications will now change. For example, instead of the current State Council, there will be a cabinet. Thus, the Qing Prince would then probably turn into the Prime Minister of the cabinet. In the past, there were six Great Ministers and the Qing Prince’s power was thus restricted. Now, there will only be one Prime Minister and a Vice Prime Minister. Thus, Yuan argues, the Qing Prince would be able to make many more decisions on his own. When the prince asks which function his son Zaizhen would be given, Yuan suggests that he could be appointed the Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Trade.

Scene 7: In Beijing

The Vice Minister of Revenue, Tang Qingchang, wants to collect one million Liang silver from his subordinates in order to bribe the Qing Prince. Tang hopes to thereby secure his position and that of his subordinates. Thus, many sell their house or their concubine in order to donate great sums of money.

Scene 8: At Zaizhen’s residence

Sheng Xuanhuai hopes to be appointed Minister of Postal Affairs. His subordinate Zhu Baokui asks Zaizhen how much money Sheng should pay for that. Initially, Zaizhen answers “600.000 Liang silver”. Zaizhen, however, then goes on to convince Zhu that he should stop working for Sheng. After all, following Li Hongzhang’s death, Sheng has lost all his influence.

Scene 9: At Qu Hongji’s residence

Qu Hongji is doing joinery work and is telling his student bits and pieces from his life. He says that he has never only studied, but always also worked physically in order to contribute something to society. However, he admits that this was hard to do. The 50th anniversary of the Qing Prince is approaching and Qu believes that the prince will be given many presents. Qu’s student Wu Yuding says that he, too, longs for money and fame, but that he is taking his teacher, Qu, as a role model and does not wish to line his own pockets.

Scene 10: At the Palace

During the assembly for the discussion of the new system of officialdom, Zaize proposes that the Imperial Household Department and the traditional Ministry of Revenue should be dissolved and a modern Ministry of Finances established instead. He believes that the court system must be reformed: Since the West considers the tradition of keeping eunuchs a barbarian custom of the Qing, servants should be introduced instead. Moreover, the habit of kneeling should also be abolished. Yuan Shikai supports these changes, but Zaifeng opposes them.

Scene 11: At Cixi’s private quarters

Cixi is grooming her face and nourishing it with flowers and jade. When Xiao Dezi starts to dress her hair, she asks why Li Lianying is not there. Xiao Dezi replies that Li has other matters to attend to, which greatly annoys Cixi.

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© 2006, update 2007 Gotelind Müller-Saini