Main Characters and Supporting Characters: The and of the Great Transformation of Modern China

Author: Fu Guoyong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: History is a grand stage where the stage, script, and characters are inseparable. The main characters, supporting characters, and the masses are interdependent, constrained, and shift. This book observes the most typical and influential figures during the second major transformation of modern Chinese society before and after the Xinhai Revolution from a new perspective of role awareness. Through numerous details behind and in front of the scenes, it presents vivid historical scenes and evolutionary trajectories. Due to the author's innovative perspective, extensive historical research, and rich illustrations, the rivalry between the reformists and revolutionaries in the late Qing and early Republican era, as well as the revolutionary "orthodoxy" debate between the Restoration Society and the Tongmenghui, are revealed more authentically. The portrayal of Yuan Shikai, a traditionalist protagonist, is vivid; Liang Qichao's awkward role between advancement and retreat is skillfully depicted; Huang Xing and Sun Yat-sen as the ideal supporting and main characters, and Song Jiaoren as an outstanding representative of a healthy sense of role awareness are presented in lifelike detail, evoking endless sighs, reflections, and admiration. At the same time, Sun Yat-sen replied to Zhang Ji in a letter, rejecting the proposal to resign or retreat:
"1. Retire to the mountains. This is a time of decline for the revolution, not a time for success and prosperity. It is an era of hardship and suffering for me to advance, not a time for retirement. 2. Announce to the world that I resign as the General Secretary of the Tongmenghui. When I was elected as General Secretary, I did not accept it until I announced it to the world. Similarly, resignation must also be announced to the world. My resignation as General Secretary has already been requested by the Tongmenghui and Zhang Taiyan to admit their mistakes. The Tongmenghui and Taiyan have not admitted their mistakes to this day, so I have long ceased to be their General Secretary."
Although Wu Zhihui and others defended Sun Yat-sen, for example, Wu published an article in the 115th issue of the New Century on November 13, stating, "Recently, I saw a notice from the Tokyo Tongmenghui listing Sun Wen's crimes. What is written is not only not a crime of Sun Wen, but it also clearly shows his tendency to be influenced by the pro-monarchists." "Therefore, the first crime listed against Sun Wen is hiding a large sum of two hundred thousand. He was unaware that Sun Wen's travel expenses were borrowed from scholars." However, it is understandable that Sun Yat-sen was under great pressure at the time. If Huang Xing had not firmly resisted, Sun Yat-sen's position in the Tongmenghui would have been in danger. On November 11, 11, 11, November 27, and November 29, 1909, Tao Chengzhang and others published a public letter in the Nanyang Zonghui Xinbao, which had ties to the pro-monarchist society, sparking the biggest controversy in the Tongmenghui in its four years of existence.
Previously, on July 18, 1909, Tao Chengzhang wrote to Li Shuohe, saying, "The previous incident of Sun Wen was indeed giving him the knife handle." He wanted to draft a new set of rules, "in which Sun Wen would not be recognized as a member, and I believe it can be done. Recently, I have been focusing on assassination (if it is done, it must be stated that it has nothing to do with Sun Wen to avoid being used by others)." On September 24, he wrote to Wang Ruoyu, expressing great dissatisfaction with Huang Xing "who was solely mediating for Sun Zhongshan," stating, "I and you have long been at odds with Sun Zhongshan." On October 22, Sun Yat-sen wrote to Wang Zikang, a member of the Tongmenghui in Brussels:
"Tao [Chengzhang] came to Nanyang last year, demanding that I raise five hundred thousand yuan for him and return to Zhejiang to handle affairs. I refused, citing the economic crisis in Nanyang and my own inability to cope. He returned disappointed and now attacks me fiercely. The dissatisfaction of the students in Tokyo with me has also added fuel to the fire. From the outside, our party has become a state of internal chaos. Such hearts are truly a great misfortune for the future of the revolution."
"This matter has greatly hindered our efforts to connect with overseas Chinese."
Examination of the False Minbao
For Sun Yat-sen, 1909 was truly a year of trouble. One crisis had not subsided when another arose. After the publication of Tao Chengzhang's letter, Zhang Taiyan launched an attack, which was the famous Examination of the False Minbao. The incident stemmed from the Japanese authorities sealing the Minbao and imposing a fine of one hundred fifty yuan, with failure to pay resulting in hard labor for Zhang Taiyan. The Tongmenghui did not provide assistance, and it was later resolved by Zhang Taiyan's disciples, including Lu Xun, who raised money. This caused great anger among Zhang Taiyan, Lu Xun, and others [as described by Zhang Jinglu].
Afterward, Wang Jingwei and others secretly published two issues of the Minbao without consulting Zhang Taiyan, using a Paris printing press, which only added fuel to the fire. Enraged, Zhang Taiyan published this flyer under the name of the former president of the Minbao, mainly accusing Sun Yat-sen:
"Sun Wen was originally a young rascal, who only rose to prominence in Huizhou. Since it was the beginning, the reformers happily supported him and made him the leader. In Tokyo, he claimed to have ten thousand followers in Nanyang, and in Nanyang, he claimed that all students were under his command, and the heroes in the interior were all at his mercy. Relying on the Minbao to spread his propaganda and taking advantage of his colleagues' support, he seized the opportunity to profit and gathered wealth in various ways."
The so-called "gathering wealth" refers to the donations Sun Yat-sen accepted when he left Japan and the expenses for several uprisings. He further accused Sun Yat-sen of "abandoning his original principles and forgetting his beginnings, unable to rise to the occasion." When the Minbao was on the brink of starvation and in turmoil, "he repeatedly sent letters to Nanyang, asking Sun Wen to provide assistance, and sent Hu Hanmin or Wang Jingwei across the sea several times. He sent five or six letters and three or four telegrams, but there were no replies, or they said that Nanyang was exhausted and had no money. Sometimes he also used empty words to delay, saying that he would bring five or six thousand taels to help in the east, but when the time came, he made excuses. In total, he only sent three hundred taels."
"Sun Wen carried a large sum of money, but the amount used for public affairs was less than one percent. The Minbao sought only three or four thousand taels of assistance, but he did not even plan to raise it. The extent of his embezzlement is clear. Last autumn, a man named Li came from Singapore, saying that the Minbao could raise funds in Nanyang. He printed hundreds of shares of stock and entrusted his friend Tao Huanqing (Tao Chengzhang) to deliver them to Sun Wen, but Sun sat by and watched them suffer, delaying the release."
Especially when the Minbao was sealed, Zhang Taiyan was almost sentenced to hard labor because he could not pay the fine, while Sun Wen, who was wealthy and had concubines, shamefully served as the leader without even a single coin of assistance. He did not feel guilty and dared to slander others. This was something even a jackal would not eat, and something a northern tiger would not accept."
It is a fact that Sun Yat-sen did not extend a helping hand when the Minbao was in crisis, but saying that he "was wealthy and had concubines" was just speculation and imagination. Sun Yat-sen's indifference to the Minbao was not without reason. First, the "Sun Wen reversal" trend in 1907 had already wounded his heart. Additionally, he was deeply dissatisfied with Zhang Taiyan's high-flown discussions of Buddhism and national essence in the Minbao, which gradually deviated from the Three Principles of the People. Moreover, Zhang Taiyan also accused Sun Yat-sen of betraying the country and his friends:
"Yunnan is Chinese territory, yet he wanted to give it to the French."
"Look at Huang Xing, was he not someone who shared life and death with Sun Wen? Yet he harbored resentment over power struggles and suspected others internally; Wang Jingwei's speech even compared him to Yang Xiuqing. Guan Renfu, was he not someone who died for Sun Wen and achieved merits? Yet after his failure, he fled and even secretly reported to British officials, falsely accusing him of being a great thief. His ingratitude was like this."
He advised overseas Chinese not to donate to Sun Yat-sen and Wang Jingwei's "private" Minbao. He later said, "Looking at Sun Wen's actions, how could he be expected to speak for the people and uphold justice for the world? He only caused chaos!"