Back in June 1920, people from all walks of life in Hunan expelled the Beiyang warlord Zhang Jingyao from Hunan. On July 22, Tan Yankai, who had been ostracized by the Beiyang warlords in Beijing, returned to take charge of Hunan and issued a declaration on governing Hunan in Changsha, advocating Hunan's autonomy.
, created the provincial constitution, ushering in the autonomous autonomy of Hunan provinces.
Subsequently, the southern provinces followed suit one after another, all using the banner of inter-provincial autonomy. This slogan was shouted loudly for a while. This time, the southern provinces once again used the banner of inter-provincial autonomy, and this time it was no longer an independent action by a certain province.
Jiangsu, Hubei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan and other provinces have successively put forward requests for inter-provincial autonomy.
Moreover, they also entangled a large group of literati and scholars to jointly draft an autonomous regulation and asked Congress to approve it. Because all provinces worked together, the momentum was quite alarming.
After Zhang Tinglan got the report, he took a quick look and his pupils suddenly shrank. Anyone familiar with him knew that this was a sign that Zhang Tinglan had murderous intentions. It seemed that these guys in the south had really encountered Zhang Tinglan's opposition.
scale.
Yang Yuting and Chang Yinhuai looked at each other and were secretly surprised. They probably didn't know how many heads they would lose.
"Ling Ge, what do you think of the proposal of federal provincial autonomy?"
"Honestly speaking, to be fair, if it is for the benefit of the country as they claim, then it is not a bad idea to engage in federal provincial autonomy. But those guys in the south are just using a pretense to seize power from the government. They have ulterior motives and must be severely punished.
!”
Zhang Tinglan heard this and shook his head slightly: "Lin Ge, I don't think so. The words "federal autonomy" are a joke in themselves. The people who proposed this slogan only proved that there really is a myth of rejuvenation in this world! They
My brain is full of mush!"
When Yang Yuting heard Zhang Tinglan's words, he was immediately horrified. Zhang Tinglan's words were serious enough. Is there really such a serious problem with federal provincial autonomy? He also had a look of doubt on his face.
"Ling Ge, don't underestimate these four words. It actually relates to the question of what kind of country should be built. Gather all the members of the cabinet, and also invite President Li Yuanhong. I want to talk about my views on the national system.
.”
Since entering Beijing, Zhang Tinglan has done everything through Tang Shaoyi. This is the first time he directly summoned cabinet members, which shows how much Zhang Tinglan attaches great importance to it. Therefore, Yang Yuting did not dare to neglect and hurriedly made arrangements.
There was a dark cloud hanging over Zhang Tinglan's face. It never dissipated. Hunan implemented autonomy between 1920 and 26. It received a lot of praise from later generations, but in Zhang Tinglan's view, this was something that was harmful to the country and the people.
Fortunately, it is only implemented in Hunan Province. If it were really spread, China would be destroyed.
It was precisely because he saw the harm in it that Zhang Tinglan couldn't wait to unify his thoughts, at least in his own hands, there could no longer be such confused voices.
Tang Shaoyi, Wang Shuhan, Zeng Youyi, Gu Weijun, Zhang Taiyan, and a group of Beiyang officials were all present. In addition, Liang Qichao also came over with some heavyweight parliamentarians.
These senior officials gathered together, all sitting attentively, waiting for Zhang Tinglan's arrival. This was the first time this military and political strongman held a formal meeting. Everyone was very concerned about what he would say.
At the end, Zhang Tinglan and Li Yuanhong walked in side by side. Everyone took the initiative to salute and then took their seats.
Zhang Tinglan glanced at the audience, then shook the newspaper in his hand: "Everyone, this is the outline of inter-provincial autonomy proposed by a group of southern scholars and scholars. They hope to use this as a basis to implement inter-provincial autonomy in the southern provinces. What do you think?
?”
This question seems simple, but no one knows what Zhang Tinglan is thinking, so no one wants to be the first to speak. Liang Qichao looked at everyone, and then smiled: "Vice President, this is just a challenge from the central government. I think it must be
Severe punishment without mercy!"
Zhang Tinglan nodded, then smiled and said: "Mr. Liang, putting aside the intentions of these people, what do you think of federal provincial autonomy?"
When Liang Qichao heard this, his face suddenly became a little embarrassed, and he could only say: "Liang once supported this view, but now that I think about it, it seems that federal provincial autonomy is not suitable for China's national conditions and will cause local centrifugation."
"Everyone, I believe that among all of you here, there may be some who appreciate the proposal of federal-provincial autonomy. However, I want to express my attitude here. Anyone who dares to mention federal-provincial autonomy is, to me, splitting the country! That's right.
Treason! It’s a heinous crime!”
Zhang Tinglan's words were like a hammer, hitting everyone's heart. No one expected that a proposal for federal provincial autonomy would make Zhang Tinglan so furious, and everyone was silent.
"Don't underestimate federal-provincial autonomy. According to this proposal, a federal country will eventually be established. In this world, there are many countries that implement this system, such as the United States. It is a very good representative. Perhaps the first one to propose it
Those who advocate the concept of federal provincial autonomy just want to imitate the United States. But this is an irresponsible imitation and a stupid idea without thinking. Don't think that if the Americans do this and we do the same, we can become an advanced country.
country, if China really implements provincial autonomy, I dare say that even if the country is not divided into pieces, corruption will be rampant and the people will not be able to make a living."
Everyone here frowned when they heard Zhang Tinglan's words. To be honest, Zhang Tinglan's analysis was good. It is precisely because the United States has implemented federalism that many people have begun to envy it, thinking that decentralizing power can help the country develop.
, but Zhang Tinglan’s point of view ruthlessly shattered this dream.
"The United States was only founded for more than a hundred years, while China has been learning the national system for more than two thousand years since Qin Shihuang established the unified system. It is like a university professor learning to read from a primary school student.
It’s the same, it’s a matter of trying to catch a fish. What we need to learn from the West is the modern concept of governing the country, rather than copying the national system, and everyone must keep a clear head on this point!”
People often have a wrong idea, thinking that if a person is good, everything will be good, and the same applies to the country. If a country is developed, everything should be copied. This is actually a manifestation of brainlessness. In the later generations of Asian civilization
In the industry, there are many countries that have implemented Western systems, but very few have succeeded. The reasons for this are worth thinking about.
"Actually, we don't have decentralized governance. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there were a large number of vassal states. In the early Han Dynasty, a large number of vassal kings were also enfeoffed, but they all ended in failure. Of course, the modern federal system is different from the past.
The same, but one thing cannot be ignored, that is, once provincial autonomy is implemented, it will cause local people to govern local people. Starting from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the system of officials in other places established will completely fail, and how many bad consequences will it produce?
I think everyone should know it clearly."
Why Zhang Tinglan is so disgusted with federated provincial autonomy is because this formulation is actually a historical retrogression. One of the key reasons why ancient China could last so long is that China has formed a complete set of effective bureaucratic systems.
Among them, serving as an official in another place is a very good initiative. Officials cannot serve as officials in their place of origin. They even have to avoid the area where their wives are. This eliminates nepotism and the intricate clan ties to the greatest extent, and these nepotisms are precisely
A breeding ground for incest.
Imagine that once China implements interprovincial autonomy, and the governors of each province are all elected from within the province, it will inevitably cause the power of local clans to expand. These clans control a large number of votes, and then use this as a basis to elect spokesmen to safeguard their own interests.
Over a period of development, the entire provincial government will inevitably fall into the control of a few large families.
After controlling political power, they will then monopolize economic resources and leave limited social opportunities to their descendants. The politics of big clans and aristocratic families will split society into two parts, and most people at the bottom will no longer have opportunities.
It is even said that they will regress and become slaves of the big family.
Take Japan in later generations as an example. Those politicians will leave resources to future generations. As a result, not only the prince was elected, but also a bunch of unconventional grandsons were elected. China's society is much larger than Japan's.
Ten times, the complexity is far beyond imagination. Once this is done, God knows what terrible consequences will occur.
Zhang Tinglan said with a gloomy face: "China's history has proven time and again that local forces must be suppressed. Once left unchecked, they will become man-eating tigers. The fall of the Han and Tang dynasties was all related to the loss of control of the powerful clan forces. Never forget the past and the future."
Therefore, advocating provincial autonomy in China is either due to lack of intelligence or ulterior motives."
Listening to Zhang Tinglan's thorough explanation of the reasons, some of the people present were sweating on their backs. They did not expect that the seemingly fashionable federal provincial autonomy would have such serious consequences. Therefore, many
Everyone lowered their heads and reflected on their mistakes.
Of course, some people have already seen some problems with provincial autonomy, but they are not as thorough as Zhang Tinglan. After clarifying the problem, Zhang Tinglan's attitude will be obvious. Whoever dares to advocate federal autonomy can only
Faced with a dead end, Zhang Tinglan was already sharpening his sword.
Li Yuanhong, who had been listening quietly at the side, suddenly laughed and said: "I am really sharp. In the past, I only thought that foreigners did this, and we should do the same, but it is only now that we understand that we cannot make this wrong move easily!"
"
"President, I propose that Congress enact an anti-secession law as soon as possible. Anyone who puts forward harmful ideas such as federal provincial autonomy will be severely punished in accordance with the law!"
Zhang Tinglan's proposal is full of murderous intent. In fact, no matter how many propositions Zhang Tinglan puts forward, they are all his personal opinions. But once it becomes a law, it becomes the will of the country, and its weight is completely different.
Liang Qichao nodded quickly when he heard this and said: "Congress will start making arrangements soon, and this law will be produced as quickly as possible. But before that, I suggest that in the name of Congress, a statement of condemnation be issued to let these people in the south
People are reining in their horses.”
After a meeting, everyone has read too many things through Zhang Tinglan's statement. This young military and political strongman will not engage in federalism, let alone decentralize power easily. On the contrary, he will build an unprecedented
A strong central government centralizes all kinds of power.
After a period of thinking about how to manage this country, Zhang Tinglan already had his own ideas. The core concept is military authoritarian rule. This system is also the most suitable choice for gathering the strength of all parties during the country's industrialization stage.
In order to maintain its ability to control the country, the New Democratic Party must also develop. It can imitate the National Fascist Party of Italy, the Nazi Party with a mustache, and even the Russian Majority Party, and use the power of the party to unite the country powerfully. Even Zhang Tinglan
It is planned to give the New Democratic Party a certain amount of armed force in the name of the SS.
Of course, Zhang Tinglan, who has taken control of the military and political power, is not prepared to act arbitrarily on his own. The Congress still needs to be retained. In fact, the same is true for Nazi Germany, and the Congress has not been completely abolished. In addition, the cabinet must maintain its independence and be able to formulate development plans more flexibly.
Implement various measures.
The occurrence of this incident in the south is both a challenge and an opportunity. Zhang Tinglan is ready to take advantage of it and completely change the country according to his own vision.
The calls for inter-provincial autonomy are getting louder and louder, and various governors in the Yangtze River Basin have expressed their opinions one after another, asking the government to respect public opinion. However, at this lively moment, a bucket of cold water was poured down on them.
Liang Qichao issued a eloquently written condemnation on behalf of the National Assembly, accusing that advocating for provincial autonomy is splitting the country and trying to make China repeat the mistakes of the late Han Dynasty and the late Tang Dynasty. Any voice advocating for provincial autonomy is dangerous.
The government will take resolute and effective actions to crack down on such voices.
As soon as this statement came out, the South immediately exploded. Some people felt strong anger and chose to stop all activities. Of course, some people saw that their plot was exposed and were ready to take tough measures and use force to fight for autonomy.
that power.
Immediately, a large number of people approached Zhang Jian, the famous No. 1 industrialist, and asked him to come out and serve as the speaker of the Southeast Company Provincial Council. This would serve as a banner to call on celebrities in the south to oppose Zhang Tinglan.
In addition, Qi Xieyuan, the governor of Jiangsu, Cai Chengxun, the governor of Jiangxi, Zhao Hengti, the governor of Hunan, and others also gathered in Nanjing one after another. Facing the wise men from all walks of life in Nanjing, Qi Xieyuan and others were also full of ambition.
"Everyone, our pursuit of federal provincial autonomy and self-management is the trend of the times and the experience of advanced countries. The reason why the north is opposed is nothing more than coveting the wealth of the southern province and wanting to take it for ourselves. We should unite and work for ourselves.
to fight for their own interests.”
Qi Xieyuan's speech was unanimously cheered by others, who also hung up the new Provincial Congress sign in Nanjing.
As soon as they put up the sign, Zhang Tinglan got the report. After receiving the telegram, Zhang Tinglan only said one sentence to the people below: "The North-South War is inevitable!" (To be continued...)