Hu Zhengzhi walked to Zhou Hexuan's office with a wry smile, threw out an official letter and said: "I was fined again, five hundred oceans. Next time I should be fined one thousand."
"Why?" Zhou Hexuan asked.
Hu Zhengzhidao: "It was not reported that the southern government had taken back the British concessions in Hankou and Jiujiang. Not only was it fined, but we were also asked to publish it in the newspaper to correct the mistakes."
The Northern Expedition caused the British to suffer heavy losses in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, so the British began to act recklessly, causing huge public resentment. Early last month, an anti-British wave broke out in Hankou. The southern revolutionary government took advantage of the situation to take back the British concessions in Hankou and Jiujiang. This was undoubtedly the beginning of the late Qing Dynasty.
A major diplomatic victory since.
"Ta Kung Pao" naturally wanted to report this matter, but it caused Zhang Zuolin's dissatisfaction.
The press regulations in the early years of the Republic of China were mainly based on the "Newspaper Regulations" (i.e., the "Publishing Law") promulgated by Yuan Shikai. Article 10 stipulates prohibited matters. The first three items are: 1. Those who disrupt the political system; 2. Those who disturb public order.
; 3. Those who corrupt customs.
These three prohibited contents are too broad and general. As long as the people in power are willing, they can be slapped with a label at will, ranging from a fine to a serious seizure.
Take the "Ta Kung Pao" report on the resumption of the British Concession as an example. Because it was afraid of offending Zhang Zuolin, it deliberately added the word "pseudo" in front of the Southern National Government. As a result, because it affirmed the revolutionary government's measures, it had problems with its position in public opinion and was still criticized.
Determined as "suspected of disrupting the political system."
If you want to impose a crime, why bother?
Fortunately, with Zhang Xueliang's support, the press censorship department did not pursue the case severely and only imposed a fine.
In fact, when Li Yuanhong was president, press censorship became very loose for a time, citing the "pursuit system" of Western countries. Unfortunately, the "pursuit system" existed only for a short time. As soon as Duan Qirui came to power, Yuan Shikai resumed
The "Publishing Law" and the more stringent "Newspaper Law" were also promulgated.
After Zhang Zuolin came to power, he implemented a series of supplementary regulations and imposed various restrictions on the press and publishing industry. Today, it is very comfortable to run newspapers in the south, but it is difficult to run newspapers in the north, as if they are dancing in shackles.
"Just fine me the fine, as long as I don't get seized." Zhou Hexuan was open-minded.
Hu Zhengzhi sighed and said: "I'm afraid that one day the Young Marshal's face will no longer work. Look at the newspapers in the north now. Apart from our Ta Kung Pao, who else dares to report positive news about the southern government?"
Zhou Hexuan emphasized: "The words can be more tactful, but the report must still be reported. No party, no selfishness, no selling, and no blindness. These eight words must not be lost."
"Hahaha, that's what I wish for." Hu Zhengzhi laughed.
The eight-character policy of "Ta Kung Pao" has indeed won the respect of northern intellectuals. Especially now that thousands of horses are silent, other newspapers in the north are very interested in seeing the real news from the south, which makes "Ta Kung Pao" particularly valuable.
Just last month, the daily sales of "Ta Kung Pao" reached nearly 40,000 copies, surpassing Peiping's "Morning News" and becoming the second largest newspaper in several northern provinces after Tianjin's "New Tianjin News".
Sales and fame have been achieved, but more troubles have followed. I heard that the first thing the Beiyang government’s press censors do now is to review Ta Kung Pao when they go to work. If there is anything wrong, they will immediately intervene, with no more than fines and orders to make corrections.
content.
As soon as Hu Zhengzhi left the office, someone knocked on the door again. This time it was a girl who came in.
"Hello, Mr. Zhou, my name is Cui Huimei, the maid of Queen Wanrong." The girl announced her family name.
Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "Hello, Ms. Cui."
Cui Huimei seemed to be very interested in Zhou Hexuan. She looked at him curiously for a while and then said: "The Queen has a letter for you and wants to hear your answer in person."
"Please wait."
Zhou Hexuan opened the letter and read it. Wanrong said in the letter that she wanted to learn Wenxiu to get divorced, but she did not dare to tell her family. She had no other friends in Tianjin, only Zhou Hexuan could trust her, and she hoped that Zhou Hexuan would help her arrange a place to live and hire a lawyer.
Zhou Hexuan put down the letter and said to Cui Huimei: "Please tell Ms. Wanrong that I will help her handle it."
"Okay, I'll take my leave first." After Cui Huimei said that, she left.
Zhou Hexuan looked at the letter, shook his head and smiled, struck a match, lit it and threw it into the ashtray.
Nothing bothered the two masters. The lawyer we hired was the same foreigner we hired last time, the foreigner who helped Wenxiu write the divorce petition.
A few days later, Zhou Hexuan was editing an article in the newspaper office. Wanrong in disguise suddenly burst in and said hurriedly: "Mr. Zhou, I'm here!"
"Have you considered it clearly?" Zhou Hexuan asked.
Wanrong nodded solemnly: "I really don't have a happy life in Zhang Yuan, and I just want to get out of it as soon as possible."
Zhou Hexuan took out the divorce complaint that he had prepared and said, "Then sign it."
After all, Wanrong still lacked the courage. She hesitated to write and thought over and over again: "Mr. Zhou, can we just separate without divorce?"
"Why?" Zhou Hexuan asked.
Wanrong explained: "The divorce was too big, he lost face, and my family's reputation was ruined."
Zhou Hexuan smiled bitterly and said: "Then I will help you write a separation agreement, and you can copy it yourself."
Zhou Hexuan finished writing the agreement, and Wanrong revised and added some clauses after reading it. The general content is: Puyi and Wanrong voluntarily and peacefully separated, and the two still maintained a nominal marriage. After the separation, Wanrong promised not to get married again, and Puyi also
No interference in her life is allowed. In addition, Puyi needs to pay Wanrong a one-time alimony of 50,000 yuan, and the two will no longer have any financial involvement.
When this agreement was delivered to Puyi, our emperor was completely stunned. He was told that he was unwilling to speak for several days.
Puyi now has two choices: one is to abolish the queen and turn passive into active; the other is to accept and agree to Wanrong's request.
The post-annulment procedure is too complicated, and it is not as simple as a commoner divorcing his wife.
Puyi set up a government hall in Zhangyuan, and every day "ministers" came to the court to discuss national affairs. It operated exactly according to the model of the former Qing court. The same was true after the abolition, and all procedures had to be completed.
Also, since there are fewer and fewer sincere widowers, Wanrong’s natal family is more reliable. If he is deposed, Puyi will lose another group of "loyalty", and the political gain will not be worth the loss.
After thinking about it, Puyi sighed sadly.
He called Luo Zhenyu, who had given fake antiques as birthday gifts, and said without any grudges: "Luo Aiqing, I have two pairs of authentic works by Mi Fu and Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, and an inkstone by Su Dongpo. Ask the Japanese for a price.
Bar."
"I accept the decree!" Luo Zhenyu left happily.
How did Puyi make a living?
Of course, he was selling antiques. Before he was driven out of the palace, he asked officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to smuggle out more than 1,200 exquisite paintings and calligraphy. These included the "Cao E Stele" and "Two Thank You Notes" by Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi and his son, and
Authentic works by Zhong Yao, Huai Su, Ouyang Xun and others, and even the original manuscript of Sima Guang's "Zi Zhi Tong Jian".
Most of these cultural relics were later lost in Northeast China and acquired by the Japanese.
Four years ago, more than 80 precious antiques were sold to HSBC Bank based on their valuation.
Since Puyi's reselling of cultural relics caused a big fuss, he no longer dared to blatantly do so, so he needed a middleman. Luo Zhenyu, an antique dealer who often traded with the Japanese, naturally became Puyi's "financial management" helper.
Wanrong quickly received a breakup fee of 50,000 yuan, and now she lives temporarily next door to Zhou Hexuan. She lives in six houses by herself, with a monthly rent of 100 yuan. She also hired two maids to serve her, and two maids to take care of them.
Cooking and laundry.
As a queen, of course she has to live a beautiful life, she is not like Wenxiu who can live a hard life.
Freedom is freedom, but Wanrong found that she couldn't be happy because she was lonely all day long and had nothing to do. In the past, Pu Yi took her to parties, and no one invited her when she moved out.
It seemed that Wanrong was so free that all she had left was counting money.
