Chapter Twenty-Five What's Meant to Come Will Come

  "What's meant to be will be."

  Picking up the several copies of recent newspapers that Lao Gao had prepared earlier, Sima saw some articles on them that were obviously boastful about the imperial system, nothing more than boasting about how suitable the imperial system was for the domestic environment.

  Examples were given of how the domestic people could adapt to life under an imperial system, with some boasting and others refuting. In prominent positions in newspapers such as "The Citizens' Gazette" and "The Truth Report", there were many satirical articles about the imperial system. For a time, from newspapers to hidden hints of swords and shadows.

  As the future historian, of course, I knew that in just two months, the former president who had been crowned with titles such as "Republican Hero" would announce the restoration of the empire. In fact, all this was decided a year ago today.

  In May 1914, he announced the abolition of the Provisional Constitution; abolished the State Council and established the Political Affairs Hall and the General Command of the Army and Navy. Moreover, through this reorganization, forced the Progressive Party people who had supported him to leave the government.

  Deprived Duan Qirui and others of their military power, concentrating all military and political power in his own hands. He not only could serve as president for life but also designate a successor from the start, and everything would be settled two months later.

  In Sima's view, Yuan's move was a flagrant mistake. It can be said that one misstep led to eternal regret. Originally, he could have relied on the absolute power of the Northern Army at home to slowly regain local power. In fact, he has already done so, and the current Northern Government has initially shown signs of a centralized state.

  Most of the people who are used to living in a centralized society did not oppose it, and even most of the middle-class elites who dominate social public opinion hold the same attitude. After all, at the beginning of the Republic,

  Many people also saw the sudden emergence of democracy, especially the negative impact on society of democracy under military dominance, which provided a stable social foundation for Yuan's centralized power.

  However, establishing a centralized social foundation does not necessarily mean that the imperial system can be restored. In the vast majority of mainstream elite groups in society, although they support the establishment of centralization, most are resolutely opposed to restoring the imperial system, and even among some people within the Northern Army, which is the basis of his rule, there are also opposing opinions.

  "Ah!"

  Just thinking of this former president, because of the emperor's heart in his heart, he even cleared out the opposition to the emperor within the Northern Army and forced himself to become emperor. The outcome after he became emperor is that he failed to become emperor and eventually died of illness.

  Simazhen sighed that after the death of this solitary husband, the country quickly fell into a nationwide warlord melee, until more than a decade later, an army from Guangdong finally ended this long civil war.

  These more than ten years of civil war have thoroughly dashed the hopes that had been raised in modern times; and the last opportunity for a modern revival has thus been utterly lost because of the private desires of one man.

  "Sima, what's in the newspaper that makes you so sentimental? With those long sighs and short gasps!"

  Liu Jiyuan noticed that since this young Master Sima had read the recent issues of the newspaper, he had been sighing and lamenting, as if he was feeling something deeply. So he opened his mouth to ask him.

  "There's nothing, just a feeling, this chaotic world is coming soon."

  Simma said naturally and casually.

  "Oh! How about you tell me!"

  Liu Jiyuan heard Sima say that a chaotic world was coming and almost equated Sima with those charlatans in his heart.

  "Ah... actually it's nothing much, just that seeing so many people in the newspaper boasting about the excellence of imperial rule makes me feel uncomfortable."

  Simma realized what he had said. Although the Grand Duke Yuan wanted to restore the imperial system, it was already in Sima Zhao's heart, but more people still chose to believe that he would not do so.

  "What nonsense! It's just those remnants of the old regime bragging, if the whole country had been like Xi'an back then, we probably wouldn't have so many troubles now."

  Liu Ji-yuan, although a man of letters, was more often like a nationalist, at least in the past his ideas had been influenced by nationalist theories such as "Revolutionary Army", and what's more, that revolution a few years ago was fundamentally a nationalist one.

  "I didn't expect this from you, Brother Ji Yuan. You look like a refined and cultured person, but your ideas are quite radical."

  Although not very familiar with the history of the Republic, Sima still understood some Xi'an from the internet or more or less about that revolution, and of course knew what Liu Jiyuan meant, but did not expect such a cultural person to be so extreme sometimes.

  "What can these people who boast about the imperial system do? Do you think that the current nationals still have a chance to let a Tungusic bandit who has been overthrown ride on their heads again?"

  It's clear that Liu Jiyuan doesn't agree with Sima's words just now. At present, the northern provinces are being suppressed by the Northern Warlords, and the southern provinces have the Revolutionary Government of the Southern Provinces, even if those old remnants were to exaggerate, even if the ancestor of the Tungus bandits were to come back to life, they would still be powerless.

  "But... what if someone else wants to be emperor?"

  Simma hesitated for a moment before speaking.

  "Who? Who dares to go against the will of heaven and restore the imperial system? If someone dares to claim the title of emperor, neither the northern nor southern warlords would let him off."

  Based on his understanding of the Northern and Southern warlords, Liu Jiyuan no longer believed in his own words. As long as someone dared to claim the throne, whether from the North or South, they might spare his life. Who would dare? Who could do it?

  "He - he dares!"

  Simma pointed at the large portrait on the newspaper and said that it was the portrait of the former president.

  "No... it's impossible, he... he wouldn't do such a thing!"

  Liu Ji-yuan looked at the portrait in the newspaper and murmured a refutation, clearly disbelieving. However, he couldn't help but recall the rumors that had been circulating among various departments in Beijing since last year - that President Yuan wanted to become emperor. Some people even made jokes about it, and everyone just laughed it off.

  "Brother Ji Yuan, if no one deliberately made it so, how could it be possible that now all major newspapers across the country have gun-wielding men boasting about the merits of imperial rule and denouncing democracy for bringing chaos to the country? Now, who else besides him has the ability to achieve this?"

  Siman put down the newspaper and explained that there is a common problem among Chinese people, who often go to two extremes in many cases, including how they view others and their actions. This was true for Yuan Shikai, when he had not yet carried out his restoration of monarchy, he was considered a "Republican hero" in the eyes of the Chinese people.

  How could people believe that a republican hero would become an emperor? After the restoration, angry citizens were even more determined to take him down, but who wanted to recall how everyone had selectively ignored it when he first showed this intention?

  "Claiming to be emperor? Fine! With an emperor, things will finally settle down from all this hubbub. Look at the chaos that's been going on since the republic was established - it can't compare to the peace and stability of the past when there was an emperor."

  After hearing the conversation between Sima and Liu Jiyuan, Gao Chuanliang suddenly said that as an old man, he didn't understand what democracy or emperor was. He only knew that before the Republic, it seemed that there wasn't such chaos outside, and as long as the Son of Heaven was in power, everything would be peaceful. This kind of thinking is perhaps a mainstream thought in rural China.

  "It won't happen, if he dares to claim emperorship at that time, Mr. Huang will not sit idly by!"

  Liu Ji-yuan muttered to himself. Although he had only served as interim president for a few months, Mr. Sun's position in the hearts of the people remained unshakeable.

  But in the end, what happened to this master who had no soldiers under his command? It was nothing more than being used as a figurehead by the military governments of various southern provinces. One side wanted to borrow the other's military power for their own use, while the other side wanted to borrow the other's prestige to expand their own strength.

  What was the final outcome? If it were not for the support of Russia, they would have established their own military academy and trained a revolutionary army, otherwise there would be no success in the Northern Expedition.

  In this chaotic world, guns are often more useful than prestige. Thinking of this, Sima suddenly wondered if spending money to buy safety like a bandit was an error? Is it right that one's own safety needs to be bought with money?

  "Lao Gao, turn back and take a look, can't you buy a few guns from that foreign firm? There are wolves and whatnot in this place."

  Simar was explaining to Lao Gao, but Simar himself didn't know why he said such a thing, but it seemed like this could also be considered a kind of psychological comfort.

  "Yes! Young master."

  Although I was a bit surprised by Sima's explanation, it is quite common for wealthy families to buy guns for self-protection, which has been the case since the Qing dynasty. Even Gao Chuanliang's own family had two handguns at home. It's reasonable that Master Rong would buy a few guns to guard his mansion and courtyard.

  Buying a gun is relatively simple, normally only requiring registration in Zhangjiakou and paying for the license, then you can buy guns and ammunition from foreign firms or police stations with the license. However, due to the increasingly chaotic situation outside the pass over the past few years, these things have also become difficult to obtain.

  In this case, not only the foreign firms and police stations sold guns, but also some peddlers carried guns around to sell. However, after selecting from various sources, they finally bought 100 Type 38 rifles from a Japanese trading company called Matsuboshi Kaisha through an acquaintance, because due to the European war, even the Northern Government could only buy guns from the Japanese.

  Although the guns sold by Japanese trading companies are slightly more expensive, the price of bullets is much cheaper than those police stations and gangsters, plus hundreds of boxes of bullets, the price is not much higher.

  Buying a gun is easy, but finding someone to hold the gun is not that easy. The person holding the gun must be reliable and steady; otherwise, it will have the opposite effect.

  "How about it? Are you willing to give it a try?"

  Looking at the Ma Si in front of him, who had left a deep impression on himself last time, Sima asked, among these thousands of workers, apart from him, Sima couldn't think of anyone else suitable for the position of team leader of the factory guard.

  After all, among so many people, only he had military experience, let alone being a sentinel in the New Army of Qing Dynasty, which was more suitable than others.

  "Master Meng thinks highly of me! If I didn't come down, it would seem that I don't know how to appreciate kindness. But I'd like to ask Master, why did you entrust this life-and-death matter to me?"

  Ma Si did not refuse, but he couldn't help but admire the young master's boldness. Normally, people would entrust the position of factory team leader to their trusted subordinates, yet this young master handed it over to him, someone he had only met once, seemingly without any concern, which made Ma Si curious.

  "Because I believe in you."

  Simar can't tell what the reason is, anyway Simar feels that Ma Si in front of him is impossible to betray himself. At least from what he did to those Shandong folks, this person should be trustworthy.

  Moreover, it's just a security team of dozens of people, they can't even protect their own lives, why don't you believe him?