Chapter 15: Undercurrents (Part 1)
In a few more hours, it's going to be the Olympics, wishing everyone can get out of bed for the opening ceremony!
The next day, Song Jiaoren went alone to the Presidential Palace for a banquet. Outsiders were not clear what he and Yuan Shikai specifically talked about, but it is said that someone saw Yuan Shikai personally send off Song Jiaoren at the door, from which it can be seen that they seemed to have gotten along harmoniously.
After returning, Song Jiaoren did not say much about this matter. He once again instructed everyone to continue contacting comrades inside and outside the party in the south, with stability as the main goal. He himself rushed back and forth between the two houses of Congress, comforting those whose minds had become somewhat unsettled due to the telegram, and hastening the progress of Congressional work.
A few days later, Fang Zidao suddenly received a notice to attend an internal party meeting. When he arrived at the venue, he was shocked to find that almost all of the KMT party directors and council members in Beijing were present, except for a few who had made up their minds to oppose Yuan Shikai. What surprised him even more was yet to come. After the meeting began, Song Jiaoren first discussed the attitude of Sun Yat-sen and others in the south towards the large loan, repeatedly reminding everyone present that they must now stabilize and unite, and that politics cannot be done impulsively. With the constitution imminent, they cannot afford to ruin the overall situation with reckless behavior. Then, he proposed the establishment of an internal statistics group within the party, and voluntarily nominated Fang Zidao as the head of this group, whose main task would be to assist the director, Song Jiaoren, in statistical work and adjustments within the party.
Fang Zidao was caught off guard by this situation, and Song Jiaoren had not exchanged any opinions with him beforehand. Moreover, at this meeting, Fang Zidao was only a bystander participant and did not have the right to express his opinion. Furthermore, after Song Jiaoren proposed this suggestion, Tang Shaoyi was the first to respond with approval, followed by Liao Zhongkai and others who also expressed their agreement. What's even more strange is that Zhang Ji and others also made a statement on the spot acknowledging it, and even Wang Zhengting, who had been put in an awkward position by Fang Zidao before, nodded his head with a smile.
The resolution was quickly passed, and Fang Zidao also became the head of the newly established party internal statistics group. His official position within the party is now Head of the KMT Central Statistics Group. This name made Fang Zidao dizzy on the spot. According to Chinese custom, the abbreviation of this department is similar to that of a notorious espionage organization. Fang Zidao inexplicably became an official in such a position and didn't know what to say.
This was a very brief meeting, after the end of which Fang Zida deliberately stayed behind. Song Jiaoren and Tang Shaoyi both smiled as if they had known what he wanted to ask all along. After Tang Shaoyi also bid farewell, Song Jiaoren invited Fang Zida to sit down beside him again.
"Is Brother Ming blaming me for acting first and reporting later?"
"It's a bit." Fang Zida didn't hide it, and Song Jiaoren burst out laughing. Afterward, his face gradually turned serious: "Zhengming ah!" He patted his hand, and Song Jiaoren said with a heavy heart: "The current situation is very bad, can be said to be quite terrible. A few days ago, I had a private conversation with President Yuan, and it was only after great difficulty that he promised not to take military action for the time being. But you also know that this kind of promise is unreliable. Sun Yat-sen is best at rebelling, in politics and state-building, he's simply an amateur, to say something unpleasant, he's just a troublemaker! Where has there ever been such chaos in politics? He's always shouting slogans, sending telegrams, wanting to rebel? I think he's addicted to rebelling, if he doesn't rebel for a day, he won't feel comfortable!"
As he spoke, Song Jiaoren's liver fire rose, and he picked up the cup on the table to take a big gulp of water. He continued: "There is a saying in the West that politics is the art of compromise. What problem can't be solved by everyone sitting down calmly and using political negotiation? What makes people even angrier is that some party members disregard national interests and blindly follow Sun Wen's ass, especially Chen Qimei and his ilk, who are typical examples of being unable to accomplish anything but causing trouble instead! Many good things have been ruined by these kinds of people. Today, I, Song Jiaoren, am not speaking alarmist words. If that day really comes when knives and guns are drawn, I'm afraid the first ones to become turtles will be them, no matter whether you, Fang Zhiying, believe it or not. At least, I do!"
Fang Zida was speechless, looking at Song Jiaoren who was a bit emotionally agitated and didn't know what to say.
Perhaps the fire in his heart had been suppressed for some time, and Song Jiaoren scolded Sun Wen and a few others severely. After scolding them, he gradually calmed down, shook his head and said: "Brother Dengming has been in the party for some days, I think you also know that our party's predecessor was the Tongmenghui? Before the establishment of the Tongmenghui, there were more than a dozen large and small anti-Qing societies such as the Hongmen, Tiandihui, Xingzhonghui, and Guangfuhui. Therefore, the membership structure of our party has always been very complicated, which is vastly different from those political parties in Western countries. To say nothing of other things, just one cross-party member can make people really headache, some comrades have joined two parties, some have joined three parties, and there are even more outrageous ones who have joined four or five parties. Take Premier Zhao Bingjun as an example, he actually has party certificates from eight different parties in his drawer, one of which is our KMT's. Is this still a party member with true revolutionary ideals? It's simply political speculation. Of course, there are also some special reasons, just like Sun Wen organized a revolutionary party in Japan this time. With Sun Wen's rallying power within the party, some old party members could not refuse to join the new party invitation. But this way, our party's cohesion has become a big problem, with many factions within the party and parties within the party. How can we go on like this? It is precisely for this reason that I suggested establishing a central statistics group within the party. Brother Dengming, although you are a new party member, including me and some old comrades in the party, we all think you are a capable person who can take on this heavy responsibility. So, please help me for the sake of this difficult country, for the realization of democracy, and for the completion of the true constitutional path!"
Song Jiaoren's words were so sincere and heartfelt that Fang Zidao couldn't refute them. In the end, those accusatory words that had been on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back, and he nodded in acceptance of the appointment.
With a relieved smile, Song Jiaoren earnestly briefed Fang Zidao on his main work afterwards and told him that as the chairman of the board, he would fully support his work. It wasn't until Fang Zidao left with a frown that Tang Shaoyi and Liao Zhongkai, who had left earlier, quietly reappeared from behind.
On the way back, Fang Zida was very depressed. He never thought that he would suddenly be put on the fire. Although he did not refuse Song Jiaoren's appointment, he knew in his heart what this appointment was all about. In a daze, he even suspected that Song Jiaoren was using him as a gun, deliberately letting him charge forward to attract firepower and achieve some purpose. But as soon as this thought arose, Fang Zida told himself it was unlikely. After all, in the days when he knew Song Jiaoren, Song Jiaoren had always left him with the impression of being a gentle gentleman, a politician with a conscience. In Fang Zida's view, Song Jiaoren sometimes seemed a bit naive and innocent. Could such a person suddenly change? Fang Zida couldn't answer this question, but no matter what, he was indeed moved by Song Jiaoren's words today, and also persuaded, but in the depths of his heart, he also left an unanswered question for the time being.
