Instalment 45 (1911/12)
Scene 1: Nanjing; Changjiang Road no 292; Sun Yatsen’s office in the presidential residence
Many different requests and news are arriving. But the largest problem Sun has to deal with is the lack of money.
Scene 2: Beijing; at Yuan Shikai’s residence
Yuan Shikai and his family are having hotpot. Yuan plays with his granddaughter and he tries to catch her; she refuses to eat. (Here, Yuan is once again portrayed as a family man.)
Scene 3: Nanjing; in the office of the presidential residence
A simple 83-year old man called Xiao enters and requests to speak to the “new emperor”. Sun Yatsen immediately invites him to have a meal together. The old man does not understand the difference between an emperor and a president, an empire and a republic and between imperial officials and modern civil servants. Sun regards the old man as a typical representative of a majority of the population which need to be enlightened.
Yuan Shikai and Sun Yatsen are negotiating a peace deal between the North and the South. Finally, however, they fail to reach an agreement over the question whether China should be a democratic republic or a constitutional monarchy. The decision has to be made on the battle field.
Sun Yatsen, who is already in his night gown, is shutting down all the lights in his house. Quiet Chinese music is playing in the background (the same music, which Yuan Shikai asked for in a short scene beforehand). Sun is speaking to himself that he is not afraid of fighting, but that he would prefer peace negotiations. Finally, one hears Yuan’s voice: negotiations are possible, but the result has to be a constitutional monarchy. A democratic republic is simply not suitable for China.
Yuan Shikai and the other generals of the Beiyang Army who are also cabinet members are awarded medals of honour by the emperor Puyi (who is aided by the Empress Dowager Longyu). During the ceremony, one hears Sun Yatsen’s voice saying: Yuan Shikai wants a constitutional monarchy. There are two ways to realise a constitutional monarchy: 1. together with the Qing or 2. if someone else would be made emperor. But Sun cannot give his consent to either. He insists on a Chinese republic, but he would be willing to cede the presidential post to Yuan Shikai.
Sun Yatsen and his civil servants are discussing whether Yuan Shikai could be appointed president. Sun hopes to put the revolution through with the power of Yuan. But the others, especially Song Jiaoren, warn Sun about Yuan’s character. They remind him that Yuan is not interested in introducing a republic and establishing a democratic constitution. Thus, they believe it is necessary to first promulgate a provisional constitution to which every president will be bound.
Yuan Shikai and the Governor General of the two Hu and the two Guang provinces and General of second rank, Duan Qirui, are engaged in a conversation. Duan believes that Sun Yatsen is only interested in the establishment of a democratic republic. It does not matter to him whether he will be president. Yuan does not really believe that history has ever witnessed such selfless figures. He believes that the old Confucians lied in their historical accounts. He continues to hold that Sun is only trying to trick him. Therefore, he sends Duan into the “enemies’ base” and has him test Sun’s power and perseverance. Yuan uses the image of a tree: if one wishes to tear it out, one first has to loosen the ground around the tree. Duan wants to know whether the tree denotes the revolutionary party or the Imperial Court. But the question remains open.
Sun Yatsen and Yuan Shikai telephone with each other. Sun wants to unite the North and the South under a republican banner. He insists that the new form of government must be a republic, but at Yuan’s urging, Sun directly states that he is willing to trade the presidential post to Yuan. However, Yuan would have to commit himself to a provisional constitution.
Duan Qirui informs Feng Guozhang that he should cease fighting for Wuchang. Duan tells Feng that he will be summoned back to Beijing since he has been appointed the Superintendent of the Palace Guards. Everything, Duan assures him, will be explained to him by the Prime Minister upon arrival.
Yuan Shikai and Feng Guozhang are eating hotpot together. Yuan calls Feng a part of his family (fourth brother) and tries to convince Feng to cease fighting for Wuchang since he wants to keep both options open for himself: to collaborate with the Imperial Court or with the revolutionaries. Then the journalist Morrison enters. Yuan tells him about the great news: he has engaged in secret negotiations with Sun Yatsen and has secretly changed sides!
The news of Yuan’s negotiations makes a huge impact: everybody is fighting to get a copy of the newspaper.
Longyu is reading the newspaper. Yuan denies that he and Sun have made secret agreements. (This is the first time that Yuan blatantly lies). He explains to the Empress Dowager that they have entered negotiations with the revolutionary party and meanwhile continue to plan a military counterstrike. In case of a peaceful solution, this would be for the better. Longyu naively accepts this explanation.
Zaifeng and other Manchu officials (among which Liangbi) unite to form a society for the protection of the dynasty. In order to rescue the Qing they want to see Yuan dead.
Several bombs explode; people and horses are roused and injured. Yuan stands at the entrance in shock. (The bombs seems to have been thrown by members of the Manchu group).
Since Sun Yatsen knows that the newly formed Manchu group wants to assassinate Yuan Shikai, he talks to Huang Xing and proposes two points with which to accommodate Yuan Shikai even further: 1. they would guarantee a favourable treatment to the Manchus after abdication; 2. the revolutionaries ought to attack the Manchu group which has been formed recently by Liangbi.
Duan Qirui (with a cool view) watches members of the Beiyang Army sign a banner with the slogan “Soldiers from the front request that the war be ended and an edict for the establishment of the republic be issued”.
Liangbi is killed in a suicide attack (by the revolutionaries).
Yuan Shikai informs Puyi and Longyu about Duan Qirui’s arrival. He is accompanied by some soldiers of the Beiyang Army. They approach holding the inscribed banner. Duan asks for the end of the war; both sides ought to try and save the country. Since Duan knows that the Empress Dowager can be persuaded for either the republic or for a constitutional monarchy, he accuses some of the princes: so far peace has not been reached because they fear for their positions. The chief commander of the police forces enters and reports that Liangbi has been assassinated by revolutionaries. Yuan then reports on the requests made by the revolutionary party, pretending to wish to decline them. The Qing Prince Yikuang is very enraged since he can tell that Yuan is deceiving them. He reminds Yuan of their brotherhood but Yuan bluntly denies that it every existed! Longyu and Puyi are very intimidated. They are more afraid about their own safety than about the Empire.
Longyu and Yuan Shikai discuss the projected agreement “On the preferential treatment of members of the ceding dynasty“. One of the paragraphs which Yuan is supposed to push through at all costs states that “The property of the Imperial Family remains property of the Imperial Family”. Little Puyi interferes: he wants to play with Yuan. Yuan then hands him a set of wood logs as a present so that he can now build his own palaces!
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