Chapter 6: The Great Loan (Part 2)

  Fang Zida slowly lit his cigar, and at first he returned to China on the one hand to see this era's Republic of China, and on the other hand also wanted to use his Chinese identity to find some business opportunities back home. It is worth noting that Europe is not very peaceful now, the taste of war has become more and more intense, and China, far away from Europe, is a place that Fang Zida cannot ignore. But he didn't expect that as soon as he returned, he inexplicably changed history, and after being shocked, Fang Zida quickly had his own ideas, so when he was in Shanghai, he sent a telegram to Markos, who was on official business in Japan, asking him to come to Beijing as soon as possible to meet with him directly.

  "I need your help, Marcos."

  Marcos, who had been prepared for a long time, smiled and nodded, waiting for Fang Zida to continue speaking.

  "How much do you know about the Beijing government's large loan from the bank consortium?" Fang Zida asked.

  "You're referring to the Six Nations, oh no! Now it's the Five Banks Consortium loan?" Marcos thought for a moment and nodded, "I've heard about this in Europe, they say the amount of this loan is enormous. What? You want to intervene? As a friend, I'd like to advise you that our economic strength can't compare to any bank, let alone such an enormous and crazy amount of funds..."

  "Haha." Fang Zida smiled and waved his hand, interrupting Marcos' words: "Dear Marcos, my friend! I'm not crazy to this extent, I still have some self-awareness. It's said that the total amount of this loan will be as much as 250 million pounds, even if we're rich, it's impossible for us to take out so much money, let alone 10%."

  "What do you mean?" Marcos asked in puzzlement.

  Fang Zida smiled, his body slightly leaning forward, lowering his voice to tell Marcos of his plan. As Fang Zida explained, Marcos first looked puzzled, then shocked, followed by wild joy and hesitation.

  "Are you crazy?! Are you out of your mind?! Marcos asked in shock, his eyes wide with surprise."

  Fang Zida didn't respond, but just smiled and looked at him. After a long time, Marcos finally calmed down, touched his chest and said: "Okay, you really scared me to death! This is indeed a crazy plan, my heart almost jumped out of my chest! I'm old now, let me play the last game with you. You know that my life was saved by you, your request I cannot refuse!"

  "Aren't you afraid of failing?"

  "Will someone who has died once still be afraid of failure?" Marcos laughed.

  As expected by Yuan Shikai, when he learned that Song Jiaoren had come to the Presidential Palace for a visit, he immediately came out to greet him after a slight hesitation while handling official business. Upon seeing Song Jiaoren, Yuan Shikai was as warm and friendly as ever, asking about his well-being and leading him into the house hand in hand.

  Following Song Jiaoren into the Presidential Palace, Fang Zidao saw several people come out with Yuan Shikai, including War Minister Duan Qirui, Governor of Zhili and Head of Civil Affairs Feng Guozhang, Foreign Minister Lu Zhengxiang, Finance Minister Zhou Xueqi, etc.

  "Are you getting used to life in Beijing?" Yuan Shikai asked with a warm smile, his expression full of concern.

  "Thank you, Mr. President, for your concern. My main purpose in coming to Beijing this time is to discuss the constitution, and personal enjoyment is not on my mind. I know that you are very busy with state affairs and should not be disturbed, but for the sake of the country's future and the fate of our nation, time waits for no man. If the constitutional issue is not resolved today, I will be worried every day! So, I came to visit you today, on the one hand, to thank you for your care, and on the other hand, to ask about your specific arrangements for the constitutional issue." Song Jiaoren also spoke straightforwardly, expressing his intention.

  As soon as Song Jiaoren finished speaking, Fang Zidao, who was sitting at the bottom, saw that Duan Qirui and others suddenly looked displeased, while Yuan Shikai still had a smiling face, with an air of harmony and a pleasant expression, just like usual.

  "I know, I know." Yuan Shikai nodded repeatedly: "The matter of constitutionalism was discussed and agreed upon with my brother Xun Chi at the beginning. This time, Xun Chi's trip to the north is also for this matter. It is a major national affair that cannot be taken lightly. I have always kept it in mind. Originally, I wanted to wait until you rested for a few more days before discussing the constitutional law together. I didn't expect you to be so impatient, haha."

  "Yes, Tuan Zhong. Duan Qirui interjected: "The matter of constitutionalism is urgent, not just for the President, we are all clear about it. It's just that these days the President has been extremely busy and couldn't find time to spare, and you, Tuan Zhong, have just arrived in Beijing, I was thinking of waiting a few more days for you to rest before discussing this matter in detail. I didn't expect you to rush over today... You are really misunderstanding the President..."

  "Yes, yes......" The crowd around nodded in agreement, chiming in one after another.

  A faint smile, Song Jiaoren had anticipated this situation from the beginning. As the voices of the crowd subsided slightly, he continued to gaze at Yuan Shikai: "The President is working hard for the country, and I am deeply moved in my heart. Today's rashness, please don't blame me, Mr. President." After a pause, he continued: "But constitutional matters are also national affairs, and they are major events of the state. The National Assembly is about to convene, so I ask the President to first announce the program, and I will take charge of it, which will also help alleviate some worries for the country and the President."

  "This is...". Yuan Shikai sank his head in thought, nodded and said: "So be it, then trouble Tuan Chi. I will send a letter to Zhiyuan tomorrow. Tuan Chi and Zhiyuan are old friends. You two discuss the government affairs together. Also, Tuan Chi, as the temporary chairman of the parliament, is in charge of relocating both houses to Beijing and preparing for the first formal National Assembly of the Republic of China. Elect a chairman and vice-chairman, and after the parliamentary election, take over the premiership formally. What do you think?"

  Yuan Shikai was so pleased, and Song Jiaoren was overjoyed. He first convened the National Assembly to determine the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, then formally elected the President and Premier, thereby forming a cabinet and completing the first step of constitutional government. This was Song Jiaoren's lifelong ideal, and with Yuan Shikai's support, these things would be much easier to accomplish.

  "Could Yuan Shikai really be sincere in his support for constitutionalism?" Fang Zidao saw Song Jiaoren happily thanking Yuan Shikai, and the two sides appeared harmonious, but he couldn't help feeling puzzled. Although Song Jiaoren's trip to the north was partly due to the great victory of the two houses, as the leader of the largest party, he should have presided over the formal convening of the national assembly and the election. On the other hand, it was also because Yuan Shikai had agreed to his proposal for constitutionalism, changing the presidential system to a parliamentary system, also known as the cabinet system. This concession made all progressive people see the hope for true democracy, and it was also the driving force behind Song Jiaoren's trip north.

  In Fang Zidao's understanding of Yuan Shikai, the latter had always been a heroic figure in his mind, just like Cao Cao in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. But such a character would be so enlightened today, and looking at his attitude, including the reactions of the Beiyang people present, everything seemed to be a matter of course, which made Fang Zidao really puzzled.

  "It's settled then!" He smiled and waved his hand at Song Jiaoren, telling him not to be so polite. Then he continued, "It's good that you've come today, I have some important matters to discuss with you. This is a major issue, please help me brainstorm and offer some suggestions."

  "It's an honor to be consulted, there's no problem with being a consultant." Today, coming to see so many people at the Presidential Palace, it should be that something big is being discussed. Since Yuan Shikai took the initiative to let himself participate, Song Jiaoren immediately lifted his spirits.

  "Good!" Yuan Shikai nodded and turned his gaze to the Minister of Finance, Zhou Xuexi: "Zhou, you speak up."

  Zhou Xue Xi immediately began to speak, Fang Zi Da listened for a few sentences and knew what it was about. Zhou Xue Xi was talking about the large loan that he had been paying attention to all along. He perked up his ears and listened attentively, silently matching the information in his mind with what he had gathered himself.

  "...The five-nation banking consortium has now finalized the loan contract, consisting of 21 clauses and appendix 7, with our customs and salt tax as collateral, including the previous five advances, for a total loan amount of ￡25 million, at an annual interest rate of 5%, paid in cash at 84% of face value, to be repaid over 47 years, with a total principal and interest of ￡67,898,597..."