Instalment 50 (1912)
Scene 1: In a forest
Luo Wen and Tian Mo are spending their free time out hunting. They talk about current politics and about the forthcoming elections. Their opinions diverge on the question of Sun Yatsen’s candidacy and they both teasingly make a bet that if Sun will not become president, they both will live together.
Scene 2: At Yuan Shikai’s residence
Yuan Shikai is trying on a Western style suit. He evidently feels uncomfortable and cannot get used to his new outfit. In the end, he does decide for his traditional, Chinese clothes (a decision which also mirrors his difficulties to get used to the new times).
Scene 3: At the Beijing train station
Yuan Shikai has prepared a big welcome party at the train station for Sun Yatsen. A speaker reports that Sun arrived in Beijing on August 24, 1912, on invitation of Yuan Shikai.
A formal banquet is held in honour of Sun Yatsen. Yuan Shikai offers Sun a warm welcome and announces a public holiday to commemorate the forthcoming anniversary of the Wuchang uprising. Later, during the banquet, the tipsy general and Beiyang man of Yuan, Zhang Xun, verbally attacks Sun. Yuan is obviously very embarrassed and angrily reprimands Zhang. Then Tian Mo enters and Sun greets her warmly. He asks the people present, whether China is already ready for a democracy and then explicitly asks Yuan for an answer. Referring to Zhang Xun’s behaviour, Yuan answers in the negative and has Zhang Xun taken away. Sun, though, thinks that problems can be solved only inside of the new system and then he asks everyone to toast to the united efforts to strive for a democratic China. However, when Sun is asked by Tian Mo whether he will candidate in the forthcoming elections, there is again an awkward moment, this time of silence. Then Sun states that this depends on the decision of his new party, the Guomindang (National People’s Party), for the founding of which he has come to Beijing as well. In any case, he reminds the audience of his theory of the three evolutionary stages: military unification, political tutelage, constitutional democracy. He highlights that China has now entered only the phase of political tutelage, but unlike the late Qing constitutional reforms, political tutelage will not mean dictating the people from above, but exercise in democracy.
Huang Xing, whom Yang Du once introduced to Sun Yatsen, and Yang Du are taking a walk in the surrounding areas of Beijing. They are talking about Yuan Shikai and Sun Yatsen. Yang seems very upset and states that he does not like the constellation of a shared government with Yuan and Sun. Moreover, he declines Huang’s request to join the new party, the Guomindang, which will be made up primarily of members of the “Tongmenghui”. Yang believes that no real Republic can be based on the present constellation.
Huang Xing and Yuan Shikai meet for a discussion. Nearby, there are soldiers engaged in a military drill. Huang tells Yuan about his talk with Yang Du. Yuan asks Huang what would have happened if they had faced each other personally on opposing fronts during war (i.e. during the Revolution). Huang emphasises that since they are now both “Republicans”, the question is pointless! Then Yuan asks him what would be if they were not both Republicans. Huang understands what Yuan is hinting at and answers that history knows no “if”. But he also makes clear that he does not fear Yuan’s armies. Yuan offers him both a post in the national army as well as the position of Prime Minister, but Huang declines both. In turn, Huang asks Yuan to join the Guomindang. Initially, Yuan hesitates but then he agrees to try and have at least the entire cabinet join the party.
Yuan Shikai scolds general Zhang Xun for his behaviour at the banquet. But he also voices his worries that Sun Yatsen will be a strong competitor in the elections. Zhang Xun apologises and Yuan grants him leave telling him warmly that in the end everyone from the army is really like a family to him. Zhao Bingjun now enters. Yuan tells him that he wants to challenge Sun in the elections and asks Zhao to try and bring the cabinet under his control.
Sun Yatsen and Yuan Shikai meet at a temple. Yuan tells Sun that he once met Li Hongzhang at the same place. Then he asks Sun why in the end he had offered him the position of provisional presidency. Sun explains that all he cares about is the revolution. At the end, Yuan mentions in passing that Cixi once commissioned him to liquidate Sun …
Yuan Shikai who wishes to be a generous host and get to know Sun during his stay in Beijing, has invited Sun out on a car ride through the countryside. Yuan tells Sun that the government’s greatest problem is still the country’s finances and that they are forced to borrow money from foreign banks. Sun cautions Yuan to be vigilant since he fears that China may become dependent on the foreigners. During a break, the two take a walk over the fields. Sun believes that only a rich population can secure a rich government and that it is therefore necessary to redistribute the Chinese land. But whether the rich landowner Yuan will agree to such a proposition? Northern Chinese Yuan answers the Southerner Sun quick-wittedly: since the problem of land lease is less prominent in the North and Northern peasants mostly cultivate their own land, the problem of rich landlords versus poor peasants is therefore really more of a Southern Chinese problem!
Yuan is relaxing after a strenuous day. Suddenly, Zhao Bingjun is announced, but Yuan has him sent away.
In the obviously run-down Forbidden City, Sun Yatsen comes to pay the Empress Dowager Longyu and the last emperor Puyi a visit to propose some sort of appeasement. Sun says that they are all now citizens with equal rights. When he mentions Yuan Shikai, Longyu responds very angrily. In order to mediate, Sun stresses that everyone involved earned merits during the establishment of the Republic. It is evident that Longyu is ill and Sun offers to have a foreign doctor examine her outside of the Forbidden City.
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