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Chapter 4 Deception

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    ¡°When you first see it, you¡¯ll be dazzled by its beauty!

    "New York Times"

    If we were to say what word was popular among the upper classes in China in 1955, and even around the world, it would probably be "77." These three numbers may be just numbers, but for dignitaries all over the world, especially those who like Denbigh,  For the rich, ¡°770¡± represents an era. //www.//*.

    A brand new era, and this era is brought about by the "Changan 770" high-end luxury sedan. Different from the luxury cars that countries are accustomed to in this era, the "Changan 770" is more spacious, more powerful, and has a more luxurious interior.  , Of course, this is not the most important thing. The most important point is that not everyone can buy it.

    Because the automobile manufacturing company is still under construction, the "Chang'an 770", a high-end luxury sedan that contains as many as 138 latest patents, is manufactured by Lianyun Motorcycle Manufacturing Company. The limited production means that only a few people have obtained it.  When Chong appeared for the first time at the inauguration ceremony of the Prime Minister, he attracted countless people's limousines.

    The perfect, classic car fascinates everyone, even though only a few can afford it, perhaps because it is not available to everyone and the buyer has to rule out it for several months.  "Marketing", because "770" is not for sale to the outside world, it has naturally become a symbol of identity and even status. Having money may not necessarily buy 770.  It is precisely because of this that in just two months, "Changan" Automobile became a "well-known luxury brand" due to "70".

    The beautiful curves of the body of a black "770" limousine reflect the sun. At this time, the limousine even has a slight smell of leather. Sitting in the spacious "770" limousine, Rui Enshi until now  , he still couldn't recover from the joy of getting the "Chang'an 770" sedan, the "thoroughbred horse among cars", even though in China, the car refueling service is still far from perfect, the gas stations are not complete, and the road conditions are poor.  But this beautiful Changan car still makes people fascinated.

    ¡°The whole United States is obsessed with the 770!¡±

    Thinking of his friend's words in the letter, and his request that he could "use the influence of the minister to China" to help him buy a "Chang'an 770" car, Rui Enshi's expression suddenly became helpless.  Minister Hua has too many friends, and not every friend's wishes can be met.  It's okay to ask for something once, but to ask for too many things is highly inconsistent with the status of a minister.

    Therefore, in Rui Enshi's heart, he has naturally filtered the old friend's request directly. Deep in his heart, he did not want Li Zicheng to think that he had something to ask for because of the car.

    At this time, the car was heading towards the official residence of the Prime Minister at an even speed. That small official residence may, to some extent, be the center of China's internal affairs. When the car arrived at the official residence, Rui Enshi, who was in the car, looked at it.  When they arrived, Li Zicheng was already waiting outside the door. Even among Westerners, Li Zicheng looked very tall. At this time, he was wearing a black and white suit. His smile looked very kind, but his eyes were very sharp.  .

    After the simple courtesy, the two entered the room and sat down, Li Zicheng said with a smile:

    "Your Excellency, Minister, I am very grateful to the United States for its support on some issues over the past many years. As we all know, China is a weak country, so we hope that the international family will uphold justice."

    When Li Zicheng spoke, he always seemed to mean something. Indeed, this is also true, whether it was the "Xinchou Treaty" or the return of the Geng money, or during the "Jiaoao Incident" and the subsequent  During peace talks and rebellion, the United States always stood on China's side and supported China as much as possible.

    "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, the side of justice will never lack partners. Since the founding of the United States, the United States has always been on the side of justice. There is no doubt about this."

    When Rui Enshi was talking, Li Zicheng had a smile on his face, but his heart was full of ridicule. Minister Rui Enshi obviously didn't know what he was going to say next. Now, he was just giving him  It's just another trap. Since he is so smart, if he doesn't take advantage of the opportunity to take action, I'm afraid he will be really sorry for the people of the country.  Of course, he would never say these words.  Instead, after Ruisi made a "just" confession, he said in a sincere tone:

    "Although China is a Far Eastern country, it trusts your country's friendship very much. This is not just the friendship brought about by your country's justice, but more because of the values ????of our two countries."

    Just like some people in later documentaries, Li Zicheng slightly increased his tone at this time, and even his expression became a little excited, and there was a hint of admiration in his excitement.

    ¡°Four years ago, the revolutionaries in 1911 succeeded in destroying the old order and the oldAfter the establishment of the privileged group, they failed to successfully establish a new order in accordance with their own constitutional ideals.  The provincial power vacancies left by the fall of the Qing government were immediately taken over by New Army officers, alliance members, advisory bureau leaders, and former Qing officials. Each province independently organized its own army and elected its own officials.  How to restore order in this broken society?  "

    With a rhetorical question, Li Zicheng looked at Rui Enshi seriously.

    ¡°At that time, people unanimously set their sights on the United States across the ocean. We took the American republican constitutional government as a model and we wanted to imitate the American government to create our new government!¡±

    Compared with Li Zicheng's excitement, Rui Enshi only had a slight smile on his face. The American people were very excited about China after the Wuchang Uprising, because what they saw was the victory of "American values", but for the US government  However, what they saw was chaos. Compared to revolution, the United States was more inclined to reform. Of course, this was for the sake of American business interests in China. But now that it is all over, the most important thing for the United States is still  It's business interests.

    "It is undeniable that until now, our imitation has failed. At the beginning of the revolution, some people focused on the constitutional system that was already running in the United States. What about other people? They paid more attention to the convention system during the American Revolutionary War.  They all ignored the most critical link in the American Revolution, which was the link in which American constitutionalism was established: the successful formulation of the Federal Constitution in 1787. It was this Constitution that united the 13 independent states of the United States into one country and laid the foundation for the United States.  The permanent constitutional foundation upon which the American Revolution came to a successful end.¡±

    At this time, Li Zicheng¡¯s words contained some degree of sincerity, rather than just ¡°diplomatic rhetoric.¡±

    ¡°It must be recognized that the formulation of a good constitution requires a specific moment. At this moment, national affairs are presided over by a group of outstanding patriots who hold the same democratic republican political philosophy and gain the trust of the people across the country.

    For a country, this moment is rare.  It was precisely because of the unstable nature of constitutional attempts that Madison, the "father of the American Constitution," opposed the idea of ??frequently creating new constitutions.  This lucky moment occurred during the founding of the United States Constitution.  In 178/17, the founding fathers of the United States were still alive, and their popularity was at its peak. They were all undoubtedly patriotic leaders. At this time, they had not been divided by party disputes and showed a high degree of unity on constitutional principles. Therefore, they were  For America, this is a time of special love from God.  Relying on the political axioms it expressed and its own superiority, this constitution was ratified by 11 states in September 1788. According to regulations, the constitution came into effect after ratification by 9 states.  "

    When Li Zicheng mentioned this period about the early founding of the United States, Rui Enshi looked slightly surprised, let alone the Chinese in front of him. Even he, an American, did not necessarily know much about it, but Li Zicheng in front of him was  There, he was counting the success of the United States like a historian, which made him feel surprised. At the same time, he also had a consciousness - the Li Zicheng in front of him was different from many Chinese people who superficially studied the United States.  Those people have no idea what makes the United States successful, but this person in front of them

    "The United States has a national government based on the identification of its national roots. At the time, it seemed impossible to combine 13 small republics that had never had a unified history and had serious conflicts of interest into one country. This  Moment also appeared in China when the Nanjing Provisional Government was established, although it was not as coincidental as in the United States. Since the reform of Kangxi and Liang Wei, the idea of ??constitutionalism has gradually been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. By this time, both the revolutionaries and the previous constitutional monarchists were all interested in  Constitutional government has a firm belief. Although the revolutionary patriots do not yet have an undisputed leadership position in the country, it is completely achievable to launch a constitutional convention because it is in line with public opinion. At this time, the struggle for power has not yet begun. According to the general  This is the time to formulate a constitution in principle. It is foreseeable that the constitution-making and subsequent approval process not only postponed the time for the struggle for supreme power, but also popularized constitutional thought throughout the country, which was conducive to strengthening the authority of the constitution. For some people,  Challenging a constitution approved by the people across the country involves taking much greater risks and encountering much greater resistance than challenging a provisional law enacted by the Nanjing Provisional Senate, which lacks authority. More importantly, enacting a constitution will lead people to agree  The authority of the Constitution rather than the authority of Yuan Shikai.

    However, the revolutionaries headed by Sun Yat-sen did not think of using the Constitution to solve the problem of unification at this time. The idea that occupied the minds of the revolutionaries was the idea of ??unification by force. This cannot but be said to be the tragedy of China!  "

    At this point, Li Zicheng's expression always had a hint of helplessness, but Rui Enshi, who heard the implications of his words, didn't say anything, but after Li Zicheng fell silent, he expressed his agreement.  said.

    "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, it is precisely because of this that in the United States, many people who look forward to China's prosperity and strength hope that China can formulate a real??Constitution, a constitution that is recognized by the whole country and serves as the beginning of government affairs!  "

    Rui Enshi put forward his suggestions in a timely manner. For the United States, he did not know whether China's formulation of a constitution would really play a role, but he clearly knew that for the United States government, it would influence the country through the formulation of a constitution.  , but it is something that the United States is happy to see.

    Hearing his suggestion, Li Zicheng smiled and said:

    "Thank you for your suggestion, Minister. I can tell you one thing for sure now. I will spare no effort to help China establish a real constitution in the next year.

    He took out a report from the table. Although the conversation with Rui Enshi was in English, Li Zicheng knew that the person in front of him was a "Sinologist". He could even speak fluently about Beijing movies, so he could naturally watch them.  Must understand Chinese.

    ¡°Request the President to establish a constitution-making committee!¡±

    Although it was just a glance, Rui Enshi's brows still jumped slightly. This may be the most valuable piece of information he has learned recently, and it was proactively provided by the other party.

    "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, do you mean that your country will establish a constitution? Is it by Congress?"

    Rui Enshi's heart beat slightly, and he realized that this was an opportunity for him personally. It was an opportunity to closely connect him personally with this country. Just like the "Huaihe River Control Project", I heard that the Chinese also  He is preparing to erect a personal statue of him at the outlet of the Huaihe River, but what about this opportunity?  But it is possible

    "Of course, the Constitution can only become the foundation of China after being reviewed and approved by the National Assembly and passed by all provinces across the country. However, in view of China's national conditions and the special relationship with your country, I still hope that your country can actively participate in our country's constitution-making activities.  , and give us full support. This is not only a request made by China, but also a request made by the first republic in Asia and the first republic in the world!"

    Following Li Zicheng¡¯s words, even though he kept calming down, Rui Enshi found that he could not refuse this "temptation" - the temptation to separate himself from the same country!

    "Please rest assured that as long as your country needs it, we are willing to provide any legal help we can, and"

    His voice rose slightly, and Rui Enshi emphasized again.

    "If possible, I would personally like to help our government provide a loan to your country to promote China's constitution-making and the construction of a modern legal system!"

    Rui Enshi's answer made Li Zicheng sneer in his heart. Sure enough, for the United States, a country that has just grown from a "boy" to a "youth" and is eager to show its influence on the world stage, now has such a profound impact on a country.  They won't miss the opportunity.

    "But, Your Excellency, Minister"

    Hesitating, Li Zicheng stared at Rui Enshi, and after thinking for a long time, he spoke.

    "Although I personally hope that China will establish a constitution as soon as possible and develop a relatively complete and modern legal system, considering my personal influence and China's practical problems, I need broader support, so I hope that your country  You can support me on some issues to increase the influence of the State Council, so that I can successfully achieve this wish!"

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    It wasn't until Rui Enshi left his office that a smile slowly appeared on Li Zicheng's face. American diplomats in this era were different from American diplomats in later generations. They did not have the "big power atmosphere" of American diplomats in later generations.  In fact, Americans and even diplomats of this era can even be described as naive in the eyes of European powers. In the reflection of later generations, American diplomats and the US government of this era appear to be somewhat "idealistic", although not necessarily so.  But American diplomats are indeed different from traditional powers such as Britain, France and Germany. They are more or less idealistic.

    In this era of underdeveloped information, the main information the U.S. government obtains about China's political situation and uses it as the basis for its China policy comes from the reports of the embassy personnel in China at that time. Therefore, the formulation of the U.S. policy toward China can be said to be  He is deeply affected by the personal attitudes of the embassy staff in China, and now all he has to do is use Rui Enshi to influence the formulation of U.S. policy toward China.

    This is the first step!

    While muttering silently in his mind, Li Zicheng took out a document submitted by the Ministry of Finance from the document basket on his desk. The document's confidentiality level was still the highest level - Level 6 secret in the State Council's confidentiality system.  , this is the highest level of confidentiality. According to regulations, only the Prime Minister and the chief and deputy ministers of relevant departments have the right to access it.

    Seeing the document with a secret level of six, Li Zicheng was stunned for a moment. In the past two years, Li Zicheng?, the Ministry of Finance has been worrying about another issue. Now that Chen Lansheng has handed over such a document, he must have his intentions.

    "It should be a lawsuit involving the three industries!"

    Thinking about it, Li Zicheng opened the confidential report, but as soon as he looked up, he was stunned.

    ¡°Request the immediate dismissal of Anglian Customs from the post of General Taxation Department!¡±

    Looking at the report, Li Zicheng's brows were twitching from time to time. Although he was preparing to revise the new treaty, increase tariff autonomy, and abolish extraterritoriality, the dismissal of the General Taxation Department of Customs was an unprecedented move in China.  This is the first time, to be precise, it is the first time someone has tried to challenge the authority of the Customs and Excise Department. Since the Hart era, this position seems to have been a forbidden area. Although this position is held by foreigners, China  The government also has the "power to appoint", but in fact, this position was "recommended" by the previous General Taxation Department.

    And now that Chen Lansheng has just arrived at the Ministry of Finance, the issue of the "three-industry dispute" has not yet been resolved there, but here he is thinking about touching the "hard bone" of the General Taxation Department of Customs. It is really a bit  Cheng really didn¡¯t know that Chen Lansheng was so bold and so bold.

    Finally, Li Zicheng did not continue reading, but directly picked up the phone on the table.

    "Go to the Office of the Minister of Finance!"

    Minutes later, Li Zicheng hung up the phone. It was difficult to explain the incident report clearly, so let Chen Lansheng explain it to him in person!
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