Instalment 44 (1911)

Scene 1. At Yuan Shikai’s Henan residence; in the courtyard

The entire family is playing in the courtyard. Yuan is playing hopscotch while his concubines are watching. Yinchang, who once made a rich present at the birth of Yuan’s ninth son, enters with an Imperial edict. Yuan pretends to hobble because he was officially dismissed from court to cure a “foot ailment”. The edict states that Yuan has been appointed Governor General of Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong and Guangxi and is to depart for the front immediately to fight against the enemy (the revolutionary troops). The Court even states that it will grant him complete leeway. Yuan replies that he feels very honoured, but that he cannot accept the commissions since his foot has not been cured yet! (Thus, he shows that that he is unwilling to comply as easily). Yinchang desperately tries to convince Yuan to help, but his attempts are unsuccessful.

Scene 2: At the Qing Prince’s residence

The Qing Prince has received a note which states that Yuan’s foot has “not been cured yet”. He thus asks himself what kind of a game Yuan is trying to play. He says to Xu Shichang, Yuan’s old confidant, that in any case it may be surely assumed that Yuan is only faking the illness. The prince wants to send Xu to Zhangde to speak to Yuan and Xu agrees to go and talk to Yuan. But he remarks that one should offer Yuan some form of reward. The prince answers that Yuan may have everything he, the prince, owns, and that he will keep to his word.

Scene 3: At Yuan Shikai’s residence

Xu Shichang enters the moment that Yuan Shikai is informed of the names of the provinces which have already declared their independence. They greet each other and Yuan tells Xu that he was already expecting his arrival. When Xu informs Yuan that the situation is taking a critical turn, Yuan sends his servants away (a sign that he wants to talk about important confidential matters). Yuan reminds Xu that sixteen years have passed since their shared time in Xiaozhan. Xu, in turn, pleads with Yuan arguing that it is finally time he should come back onto the stage. But Yuan states that it depends on what expects him. Xu therefore asks what Yuan demands in return.

When Xu Shichang reports at Court that Yuan Shikai has specified conditions for his coming back onto the stage, Zaifeng is very annoyed. The prince believes that Yuan is trying to blackmail them. But the Empress Dowager wishes to know what Yuan is asking for. Xu enumerates Yuan’s five demands:

1. The government ought to promulgate a constitution and convene a parliament immediately;
2. The emperor ought to draft a self-critical edict. (However, Zaifeng as Prince Regent for the little emperor is the real target of this demand, since Yuan believes that Zaifeng has done nothing good for the people in his three years of office. Naturally, Zaifeng is enraged)
3. The government is supposed to pardon the revolutionary troops in Wuchang;
4. The ban on parties ought to be abolished and free speech should be granted; and
5. Yuan ought to be allowed to return to Beijing and re-organise the cabinet.

The Qing Prince, who is also the Prime Minister and head of the Cabinet, agrees to the demands. He says that Yuan must be allowed to re-organise the cabinet, if this can save the Qing government. His act of personal sacrifice deeply moves the Empress Dowager. Meanwhile, Puyi is playing like a wild animal with Xiao Dezi (a hint that the Qing government is doomed).

Yuan Shikai jauntily chases Xu Shichang through his garden. Xu is holding the Imperial edict with the results of the meeting in his hand. Then he hands the edict to Yuan and says that his demands were accepted.

Yuan Shikai and Xu Shichang have arrived at the Beiyang Army military base and are welcomed by Feng Guozhang. They then talk to Feng in the tent. Xu says that the Qing government will probably collapse. But Feng believes that it all depends on them. Yuan asks Feng whether he thinks that the Qing government should collapse and then says that Xu is his Zhang Liang, and Feng Guo-zhang is his Han Xin. (Zhang Liang and Han Xin were the first Han emperor Liu Bang’s advisor and general, respectively. They helped Liu to ascend the throne. This makes clear that Yuan plans to seize power.)

The new cabinet is instituted and the ministerial posts are all given to Yuan’s intimates from Xiaozhan. As expected, Yuan is appointed Prime Minister. Zai-feng says to Yuan that the time has now come to march against the revolutionary troops. But Yuan demands that Zaifeng should first retire from his position as Prince Regent in order for Yuan to be able to complete his task successfully. Zaifeng angrily replies that Yuan is now finally showing his true face, but Yuan simply requests a decision between himself and Zaifeng. A fight erupts between the two since they are still arch-enemies. Finally, Longyu decides that Zaifeng has failed to do justice to his office and thus she agrees with Yuan.

With his head high, Yuan walks through the Forbidden City. Zaifeng warns the Empress Dowager that Yuan cannot be trusted. But the Empress Dowager replies that they should be grateful to Yuan and has Zaifeng dismissed from office. Moreover, the new cabinet is to decide in future who will be appointed Prince Regent.

A violent battle between the well trained soldiers of the Beiyang Army and the revolutionary troops is shown. After the battle, the journalist Morrison interviews Huang Xing and asks him whether he is afraid, but Huang answers that he is ready to die for the revolution. When Morrison inquires about the different banners of the revolutionary armies of the different provinces (and thereby about the heterogeneity of the troops), Huang replies that this will change once Sun has returned to China. Moreover, he states that they have already sent a telegram to Sun hurrying his return. The first thing Sun will do after his arrival, Huang claims, is to proclaim a democratic Republic.

Li Yuanhong, superintendent of the Wuchang troops and now the “involuntary leader” of the revolutionary troops, gives a speech to his soldiers and appoints Huang Xing to be the Commander-in-Chief at the front. Li reminds the soldiers that they now are all to obey Huang, otherwise they will be subject to punishment.

Sun Yatsen arrives in Shanghai. He is sitting in a car and the people are cheering at him. A voice recounts that he arrived in Shanghai December 25, 1911, and thus ended his exile of more than sixteen years. On December 29, 1911, he was elected provisional president by the assembled provincial delegates in Nanjing. Then one hears Sun’s voice saying that the formation of the Republic has now finally become reality. Moreover, one hears his oath of office: that he will labour for the good of the people and serve them with all his heart.

Empress Dowager Longyu believes that the situation has become precarious. China is now divided into a Northern and a Southern government. Thus, she has assembled all the princes and members of the cabinet to deliberate about the matter. She believes that the battles should be continued. But Yuan replies that this will not be possible since the treasury is empty and food has become scarce at the front. When Longyu pretends to cry, Yuan says that he may have an idea how to collect more money. He proposes that the government should hand out “patriotic bonds” and thus „borrow“ money from all over the country. Longyu agrees with Yuan and tells the princes that they have no choice but to buy such bonds. When nobody volunteers, she warns that nobody will be permitted to return home unless they have left some money behind. When one of the princes wants to donate two hundred Liang silver, she flares into a rage and tells them that she is not a beggar. Moreover, she reminds them of Cixi’s words: the princes will not be able to earn any more money if the Qing government falls. Then the Qing Prince Yikuan donates one million Liang silver. Longyu plans to take the matters into her own hand and collect six million Liang silver.

The Qing Prince Yikuan is talking to Yuan Shikai. He compares the current situation to that of the „Three Kingdoms“ and wonders who the treacherous Cao Cao may be, who pretends to be loyal to the emperor while really only seeking to become emperor himself. Yikuan warns that he will be the first one to punish the new Cao Cao and demonstratively takes his leave from Yuan. (A warning to Yuan).

Yuan is telling Yang Du about his talk with Yikuan and about Yikuan’s hint to the Cao Cao story. Yang thinks that it is of no importance whether Yuan will become the new Cao Cao, as long as the country will be unified. Then they talk about Sun Yatsen. Yuan says that he does not understand Sun at all. By becoming the provisional president in the South, Sun has clearly declared war on the Qing government. Yuan asks if Sun actually has the force to take on the Qing. Yang, though, believes that it does not bother Sun if he has the power or not. Yuan is very surprised to hear this since he believes that one necessarily requires power, if one is to be successful. But Yang replies that Sun has instigated ten rebellions in sixteen years. And at no point during those sixteen years was Sun powerful enough. Nevertheless, he has now been successful after all. Yuan wonders what kind of a man Sun might be. Yang says that Sun is so righteous, honest, and altruistic that many people follow him. He further claims that Sun has no egoistic motives whatsoever, but Yuan does not believe him. Yang, however, insists that this is the case. He says that Cao Cao did pursue egoistic goals when he avoided pronouncing himself emperor, being afraid that he may be accused of treason. Sun, however, is different. He purposefully had himself officially appointed provisional president since he absolutely seeks to establish a Republic. Thereupon, Yuan sends Yang to Nanjing to meet with Sun.

Initially, Yang Du and Sun Yatsen chat about their past (the time in Japan: the one night in which they were drunk and fought about whether there should be a republic or a constitutional monarchy) and they discuss who owes whom a meal. Then Sun tries to convince Yang to join the republican forces. But Yang declines the offer saying that he is still hoping to establish a constitutional monarchy together with Yuan Shikai. They then talk about Yuan. Yang describes Yuan as someone who can make clear decisions and who is very persistent. Sun now as well wishes to meet Yuan and get to know him.

A man driving in a car pronounces Sun’s orders with a megaphone: all citizens of the Republic are to chop their queues within the next twenty days and greet each other with a (modern style) bow.

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