Yuan Shikai sadly found that after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, the problem became more complicated. The failure of the people's wisdom should not be the fig leaf of the Qing dynasty, nor should it be the shield of its inaction, but hostility and force will be the most difficult issues. Yuan Shikai's dilemma is that the implementation of various measures cannot be carried out without ending the chaotic situation of the Yugoslav Army, the Wuhan New Army and the Beiyang Warlords. The so-called light is just a flower in the mirror. In order to make the Shanghai-Shanghai communication system work in an orderly way, it is necessary to gather authority, which will give people the excuse of "single husband". In confusion and loss, Yuan Shikai thought of his eldest brother Xu Shichang.
As the first governor of the three northeastern provinces, Xu Shichang was one of the five ministers who went abroad for inspection in the late Qing Dynasty, shouldering the heavy responsibility of the Qing court to see the world on its own initiative, and successively held important central positions such as the minister of postal communication and the minister of cabinet coordination. After the Qing dynasty was overthrown, he went to Qingdao to live a public life. It is said that he takes the salary of the king, does not serve the second master, and is unwilling to be an official in the Republic of China. Able to shrug off Yuan Shikai, decades of friendship, he knows Xu Shichang too well. As an old academician who has been on the bench for nearly ten years in the Hanlin Academy, even if he rises to the top in the future, Xu Shichang can't escape the custom of being an academician. This is a good name.
So, even if friendship arrives, Xu Shichang will definitely not work directly in the Republic of China, at the very least, he needs to make a detour. Therefore, when Yuan Shikai sent someone to ask Xu Shichang to take office, Xu Shichang resolutely refused and chose to avoid it. He only left a note for Yuan Shikai, which read: "Whoever kills your horse will be on the roadside." The meaning is simple and easy to understand, that is, the good horse runs very fast, others keep clapping for it, the excited pony keeps accelerating, and finally it is exhausted before you know it.
This sentence on the note is also a kind reminder from Xu Shichang to Yuan Shikai. Enthusiastic support from inside and outside is just the so-called appearance. Yuan Shikai's appointment as the president of the Republic of China is a dead move in itself. In the unprecedented changes in 3000 years, the situation will make any hero compromise. Yuan Shikai is destined to be a martyr, enlightened or saving the country. In the chaos of the early Republic of China, if the officials and nobles did not share the benefits and the literati were addicted to it, the ordinary people would still struggle. Xu Shichang is too cautious. Instead of being involved in the flood and facing the risk of losing everything, it is better to be a rich man who cares about mountains and rivers and enjoys both fame and fortune.
Three years later, Yuan Shikai finally embarked on the road of no return of Hongxian monarchy. He could have gone down in history as a hero. After a farce of less than a hundred days, he lost everything and died of depression. On his deathbed, the orphan was Xu Shichang, who left him the note. They walked through the turbulent tide of the times together. Now Yuan Shikai has only a faint whimper. He took Xu Shichang's hand and murmured, "You deserve it. Don't blame others." Looking at the Yuan family kneeling on the ground, Xu Shichang, as a big brother, didn't know who to blame. He only remembers the note left to Yuan Shikai three years ago: "Whoever killed your horse is on the roadside."