194 Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea

Snowflakes fell in the wind. Jiangcheng, the roofs of the eaves, the streets like spider webs, and the abrupt branches were covered with snow, like a gray and white ink painting.

The parliamentary election of the Republic of China is held across the country. A women's polling station in Red Mansion Square, located in the center of Wuchang, has accepted more than 4,000 female voters who came to vote within 4 hours since the voting began at 7 a.m.

As the first all-national parliamentary election after the establishment of the government of the Republic of China, it attracted great attention from the people of Hubei on the first day of the parliamentary election.

Li Xiang came to the campus voting place of Lianghu University, the largest cultural gathering place in Wuchang, at 8 o'clock in the morning. He learned that the voting activity here had started early from 7 o'clock.

The long queues waiting for voting outside the school gate stretched beyond the two intersections, and the campus was also full of people.

Under the joint maintenance of several soldiers and police with live ammunition, order is in good order.

Voters in Hubei showed great enthusiasm for this vote.

Journalists in Hubei Province have spared no effort to enthusiastically promote the democratic construction of Hubei Province. In Li's words, "This is a political task!"

A foreigner named Su Zan said to the reporter who interviewed him: "I completely think this election is the first truly democratic election in China's history. I am looking forward to the future of China after the formation of the parliament."

At the same time, the reporter is taking photos of several female voters after the voting.

However, opposite the lively election site, there is a group of demonstrations that agree with the lively.

A white-faced scholar with glasses stood on a box, rolled up his sleeves, and shouted excitedly:

"Oppose the one-party dictatorship of the Kuomintang!"

"Oppose Li Xiang's dictatorship!"

"The people of Hubei District unite!"

"We want to be free! We want democracy!"

The sparse sound of response at the bottom, that is, a few procrastinations they bought in advance. It's not easy for Li to oppose the mass base in Hubei.

This is what Tang Hualong said. Those small parties instructed by Yuan Shikai made disgusting tricks.

In the early morning, there were large trucks cleaning up piles of snow and accumulated garbage in the square. Outside the tent of the military field hospital, the small traders looked relaxed and made small business.

Li Xiang walked around the city and came to the second stack outside Pinghu Gate.

This is one of the four stacks built by Zhang Zhidong, the former governor of Qinghuguang. Li wanted to set up this place as a guest house of the revisionist of the Kuomintang.

Li Xiang walked around the inn and was very dissatisfied with the infrastructure, sanitary conditions and so on. He told the person in charge here: "Use a machine to build a bridge and stretch out the river to get water for the use of the second stack; the first five-star hotel Hilton Hotel in Hankou, and several brothels in three cents and 40%, are chartered by the guest house. Several large-scale restaurants are accounted for by the printing of the guest house.

"Isn't the general too exaggerated?" Feng Xiaoqi said, "In the same way, we are already extravagant and are called the existence of upstarts by his party. There are 30 or 40 reformist provincial councilors. In the former branch of the former Yandao Yamen on Sandao Street, there are many people and narrow houses, which are too poor to start a partnership. The people of the assault team threatened four rice stores, including Beitao Fusheng, Dongtou Road, Fuyuan Street, to no longer credit rice and improve the branch. Han Yuchen, Gao Zhonghe and others gathered 700 yuan to maintain their daily meals. Compared with the reformists and other parties, our legislators live in heaven and earth..."

Feng Xiaozhen is still chattering. Li Xiang has opened the box full of money and distributed special funds to the parliamentarians of the hostel.

Li Xiang held the rmb in one hand and shouted, "If someone doesn't vote according to the party, he has to refund the money, not!"

Li Xiang's face was ferocious, and his words were extremely fierce.

"Definite, definitely." The legislators who got the money all smiled.

Li Xiang is full of upstarts' spoofs, which is to create a momentary feeling of wealth, extravagance and extreme desire of the Kuomintang in Hubei. He had heard that Yuan Shikai was secretly using money to solicit votes. He was against Yuan Shikai everywhere. In this regard, he also wanted to argue with Yuan Shikai.

......

Beijing.

The Huguang Hall has now become the headquarters of the Kuomintang's election for the first congressman of the Republic of China. On a large banner spread on the ground, the big words "Kokuto Party's election to be a member of Congress" have been written. A man took a big brush, dipped in ink, and was writing the last word "meet". There are long tables around, and dozens of staff are divided into several piles. Several of them are written on colorful small flags with words such as democracy, equality, fraternity, civil rights, democracy, people's livelihood, nationality, republic and so on each small flag. Two words are written in reverse. One of the tables specially distributed the booklets "Preliminary Civil Rights" and "Three People's Zhuyi" written by Sun Yat-sen. In the other pile, there are loudspeakers, Kuomintang certificates, medals and other small cards on the table...

Candidates for national dang congressmen from all provinces keep coming in, shaking the snow dust on their bodies, and coming to each table to take away the above-mentioned items that have been divided into the province.

Some people holding items are surrounding Song Jiaoren next to a square table in the center of the hall.

Song Jiaoren pointed to several of them and said, "In your Zhili constituency, including Beijing, the number of voters is 619,750, with a total of 46 congressional seats. You should pay attention to promoting the people's livelihood issues mentioned by Mr. Sun..."

He pointed to several other people and said, "You Hunan have 27 seats in the House of Representatives; you Sichuan have 35 seats, Anhui, 27 seats, 32 seats in Henan, and 28 seats in Shanxi. There are also 26 seats in Fengtian, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, all of which are major agricultural provinces, which should be consistent with the election propaganda policy of Zhili. Talk more about people's livelihood, especially the 'average land rights' of our old alliance, and strive for the votes of the majority of voters at the grassroots level.

At the same time, a reporter wearing a Xinhua News Agency reporter's badge is staring at the scene in front of him in an appropriate position. His badge reads "Xinhua News Agency's main writer Huang Yuansheng". This name is synonymous with young beauty in the press. It is praised as "the most graceful reporter, and the news is spread by word of mouth."

Next to him, a reporter was desperately shaking a phone and shouting, "Hey, hey, hey, hey..." Finally connected, he handed him the microphone and said, "Group leader, the head office is connected."

At the same time, no one seemed to find that Liang Qichao came in lightly, picked up a pamphlet of "Preliminary Civil Rights" on a table, and looked at it carefully...

Huang Yuansheng dictated the news report at the speed of recording in front of the microphone: "The Kuomintang campaign for members of parliament was fully launched today at the Huguang Hall in Beijing. Observers here believe that as the first step towards democratic constitutionalism of a thousand-year-old autocratic empire, the election campaign facing China will not be overvalued in any way..."

And Song Jiaoren is still arranging election campaigns in various provinces: "You have 40 seats in Jiangsu; you have 38 seats in Zhejiang; 30 seats in Guangdong; and 24 seats in Fujian. In your provinces, industry and commerce are developed, and most businessmen and business owners have the desire to participate in politics. Therefore, the focus of competition and publicity is on civil rights. According to what Mr. Sun said in the three people's zhu, we should explain the issue of civil rights thoroughly and win their votes.

At the same time, Huang Yuansheng over there also dictated on the phone: "It is observed that the Kuomintang will occupy a dominant position in future elections. Their campaign planning is in a good way. But several other major parties will not be willing to fail, especially the newly formed Progressive Party with Mr. Liang Qichao as the party leader, which has the momentum to fight to the death of the Kuomintang... Oh, I seem to see Mr. Liang Qichao coming..."

Huang Yuansheng said that Song Jiaoren also saw Liang Qichao through the crowd. He couldn't help walking over and shouting, "Zhuo Ru..."

Huang Yuansheng also walked in the direction of Liang Qichao with the microphone. The reporter next to him quickly picked up the phone and followed. Many others also flocked there.

Liang Qichao took Song Jiaoren's hand, smiled with admiration, and said, "Invul Chu, you arranged the election campaign so well that you didn't let other parties work, huh?"

Song Jiaoren also said with a smile, "Okay, Zhuoru, this word 'good' comes out of your mouth. I'd rather hear it as a 'poor' word!"

Liang Qichao shook Sun Yat-sen's "Preliminary Civil Rights" and said, "With this pamphlet, we Progressive Party can't get it out."

Song Jiaoren said humbly, "Who doesn't know your pen? The ten "Preliminary Civil Rights" are not as many constitutional works as you have written!"

Liang Qichao was not modest and said steadily, "That's all written in classical Chinese. It's not as deep and simple as Mr. Sun's. It's all vernacular, and even the peddlers can understand it!" He is worthy of being an edgy engaged in propaganda campaign!"

Huang Yuansheng had been impatient for a long time and couldn't help but report to the microphone: "Mr. Liang Qichao, the leader of the Progressive Party, came to the Kuomintang election headquarters today to meet with his political enemy Mr. Song Jiaoren. People originally expected the two rivals to fight for life and death. Unexpectedly, both of them were polite..."

Song Jiaoren smiled as soon as he heard it. He pointed to Huang Yuansheng and said, "You reporters are afraid that the world will not be chaotic!"

Liang Qichao said calmly, "What he said is true."

Song Jiaoren smiled and said, "Will the two of us fight?"

Liang Qichao raised his eyebrows and said, "Usually, we are friends and political opponents, but we have never been enemies."

Song Jiaoren sighed and said, "Speaking of this, I have seen it once in the British Parliament. That's really messy! Every member of Congress represents the interests or propositions of a certain people's group. During a meeting, you scold me and I scold you, and even fight! When the speaker came to power, he suddenly fell down. Someone at the bottom shouted 'Hi! Democracy has fallen!'

Liang Qichao and everyone around him laughed.

Song Jiaoren covered his hands to keep warm and muttered, "If only we China had such parliamentary politics! Speakers can fall down, and parliamentarians can quarrel, but as long as there is a real Congress, democratic politics will never fall. Zhuo Ru, starting from the change of Wuxu, isn't that what you are pursuing?"

Liang Qichao has already been infected with mixed feelings by Song Jiaoren. He laughed and said, "In terms of obsession with parliamentary politics, I'm really not as good as you!"

Song Jiaoren said with a smile, "I'm a 'parliament fan'!"

Liang Qichao shook his head and smiled, "He is also a 'political party cabinet fan'."

Song Jiaoren also smiled and said, "That's a good administrative system. Zhuo Ru, I know that the cabinet system is still the presidential system. You and I have different political opinions, but the way to promote the politics of the parliament of the Republic of China and the party cabinet is still the same. In terms of national style, Britain is a monarchy and the United States is a republic, but in terms of government, Britain and the United States are the same. They are both constitutional, and both are bipartisan. Since you formed the Progressive Party, I have been thinking that if our Republic of China can also form a situation where the two parties take turns to govern, it will be a good thing!"

Liang Qichao nodded and said, "Okay! At the beginning, I made an agreement with you today: after the upcoming congressional election, once your party comes to power, our party will supervise you as an opposition party!"

Song Jiaoren looked at the snowy sky outside the door and stretched his eyebrows and said, "Supervision is help!"

Liang Qi was very impressed. He glanced at Song Jiaoren, made up his mind and said, "On the other hand, if our party is in power, please also ask your party to supervise!"

At this time, a group of filmmakers came in holding, holding and carrying film equipment and shouting, "Mr. Liang, how long do we have to wait outside?"

Liang Qichao waved his hand to them and said, "Wait, wait..."

Song Jiaoren asked, "Zhuo Ru, you are..."

Liang Qichao smiled and said to Song Jiaoren, "They are all reporters from the newspaper. Dunchu, I would like to ask you to do me a favor. When your party is doing campaign propaganda, please allow them to shoot it in a movie.

Song Jiaoren smiled and said, "Okay, Zhuoru, I said what did you do when you came to the Huguang Hall? It turned out to be 'infiltrate the enemy'!"

Liang Qichao sighed: "This election campaign is not so much a competition for members of Congress by various parties as a demonstration by your Kuomintang. Since the formation of the Progressive Party, I have found that these party members who are about to participate in the election campaign are either bureaucrats in the Qing Dynasty or soldiers from the army. They don't understand what parliamentary politics is at all.

Song Jiaoren sighed, "Does President Yuan agree with you to do this?"

Liang Qichao nodded and said, "He told me, 'To be a good salesman, you have to learn well.'"

Song Jiaoren laughed and said, "'Salesman'! This is a good metaphor!"

Liang Qichao only smiled and said nothing more.

Song Jiaoren turned to the surrounding Kuomintang candidates and said, "Everyone should remember President Yuan's words."

He took a copy of Sanminzhuyi from the arms of a candidate and said, "To be a good 'salesman', you must first have good things. Well, our party is favored, and Mr. Sun has prepared it for us!"

He took another copy of "Preliminary Civil Rights", shook it and said, "But everyone should also remember that you are all candidates, and your final 'sales goods' is yourself! Well, our party is also well-reed, and Mr. Sun has also prepared for us!"

The candidate councilor who holds these two books said, "Chairman Song, almost all the voters in our province are farmers. The quality is too low. I'm afraid they can't understand what to promote to them about the "three people's righteousness" and "civil rights"!"

Song Jiaoren was about to talk to him, but he turned to Liang Qichao and said, "Zhuo Ru, do you hear me? Even if it is a member of our party, it is still too early to be armed with Mr. Sun's thoughts!"

"We want to engage in the agricultural min movement," a Hubei congressman interrupted. He took out a book "My Struggle" from his arms and said, "Well, our party is also unique, and Marshal Li has also prepared for us!"