The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

Zhou Hexuan and Zhang Leyi, both wearing Chinese wedding attire, came out with red silk belts each. There is also a big red flower tied in the middle of the ribbon, which is similar to the ribbon-cutting for the opening of the company in later generations, except that the hostesses carry the scissors on the tray.

There is no such thing as a phoenix crown and Xiapei, it's all deceptive in TV dramas.

"Bow to heaven and earth!"

"Second obeisance to the high hall!"

"Husband and wife salute!"

The master of ceremonies finished the procedure with a loud shout, and Hu Shi took the stage as the wedding host to speak. Well, this guy is addicted to being a witness, officiant and matchmaker, and he wants to preside over Zhou Hexuan's wedding.

Hu Shi stood in front of the microphone and said: "The first time I knew Mr. Zhou was when I just returned to China. I read Mr. Zhou's masterpiece by chance, and I was immediately shocked. Mr. Zhou is a rare talent in the cultural circle of our country. He is a poet. , educator, historian, writer, philanthropist, inventor and activist, no matter which field he is involved in, he can achieve world-renowned achievements. It is a great honor for me to be the officiant of Mr. Zhou today. Zhang Leyi Ms. is a beautiful, gentle, generous, smart, and dignified progressive woman. She is the general manager of Tianjin China Radio. They are both talented and beautiful, they are a perfect match, a match made in heaven..."

Hu Shi talked a lot of nonsense, and the main wedding speech took several minutes.

Yan Xishan, Yu Qiaqing, Yi Peiji, and Yuan Kewen sat at a table with several foreign ministers.

Yan Xishan glanced at Hu Shi who was speaking, and said in a low voice, "Boss Yu, I heard that your business representatives have been petitioning for disarmament for the past few months?"

"I don't care about disarmament now," Yu Qiaqing said with a wry smile. "Whether to disarm or not is a matter of someone's words."

Chen Dezheng has been enjoying himself recently. He made Feng Shaoshan, chairman of the National Chamber of Commerce, wanted to be wanted, and Yu Qiaqing, the vice chairman of the National Chamber of Commerce, had to give in. Song Ziwen, who supported Yu Qiaqing, was also beaten and warned—Song Ziwen and Du Yuesheng were involved in the opium smuggling case, and even the Shanghai police commander Xiong Shihui was dismissed. Chen Dezheng was also behind the push.

Chen Dezheng, relying on the support of the Nationalist Party, has already offended Yu Qiaqing, Xiong Shihui and Du Yuesheng. In other words, Chen Dezheng has already offended Shanghai's business circles, police circles, newspaper circles, cultural circles, and the Youth Gang, and he has no way out for himself. It is a miracle that he can live safely into his old age.

Facing Chen Dezheng's madness, Yu Qiaqing can only bow her head and be a man now, and never dare to sing against Chang Kaishen.

Yi Peiji suddenly said, "Why is Director Yan free to attend Mr. Zhou's wedding? There must be an arrangement meeting in Nanjing these two days."

The organization conference is the disarmament conference.

"Feng Huanzhang didn't come to Nanjing, so how do we hold the dispatch meeting?" Yan Xishan said cheerfully.

"Does Minister Yan support disarmament?" Yi Peiji asked.

Yan Xishan said with a smile: "Support, disarmament is a great thing that benefits the country and the people, and I support it with all my hands."

No wonder!

Zhang Mouzhi also deliberately sat at this table, originally wanting to get close to the big shots. Listening to Yan Xishan's conversation now, there is no way to intervene in the slightest. He is not able to participate in the discussion of military and state affairs.

All Zhang Mouzhi could do was to pour wine for these guys, smiling and flattering them from time to time, hoping to leave an impression on the big shots.

Yan Xishan tried a few words on the attitude of the business community towards disarmament, then suddenly turned to Zhang Mouzhi and said, "Mr. Zhang, can you invite Xu Zhimo over there?"

"Yes, yes." Zhang Mouzhi immediately got up and walked towards Xu Zhimo's table.

At this time, Hu Shi's marriage testimony had already been finished, and Xu Zhimo was discussing literature with his friends, but he heard Zhang Mouzhi say: "Mr. Xu, Yan Xishan, Minister Yan, please."

"What does he want from me?" Xu Zhimo followed in confusion.

Yan Xishan moved the bench to make room for a seat, warmly took Xu Zhimo's hand and said, "Xiao Xu, come quickly and be my interpreter. I want to communicate with this British expert on international issues."

Zhang Mouzhi really wanted to say: I can also speak English, why didn't you find me?

Xu Zhimo and Yan Xishan are old acquaintances. When Tagore visited China, he was recommended by Xu Zhimo to investigate rural construction in Shanxi. Yan Xishan warmly received Tagore, while Xu Zhimo accompanied him as an interpreter throughout the process, and the two sides spent three days together.

Although Yan Laoxi is stingy, he loves face very much and cherishes his good reputation very much. This gentleman wants to promote himself at every turn, and he treats cultural celebrities well. He was fortunate to chat with Tagore for a few days. He boasted about this for more than 20 years.

The philosophical discussion between the two is as follows——

Tagore: What is Eastern Culture?

Yan Xishan: Oriental culture is "middle".

Tagore: What is "middle"?

Yan Xishan: For an egg with seeds, the seeds are "medium". This seed is inconceivable and cannot be explained. There is only one seed in the universe, and good fortune is the seed grasped. Assuming that the seeds of all things are removed from the earth, the earth will become decayed. If "center" and seeds are lost in human affairs, human beings will fall into misery.

It was said so convolutedly, I don't know if Tagore understood it at that time.

Yan Xishan told Xu Zhimo, "Xiao Xu, tell this Mr. Toynbee that I admire his knowledge and insights."

Xu Zhimo immediately translated the message and introduced Yan Xishan's identity and position.

Toynbee happened to want to understand the situation in China, and he had heard about Yan Xishan, so he immediately smiled and said, "Hello, General Yan, I have heard about your excellent governance in Shanxi."

"Mr. Tang also knows about Shanxi?" Yan Xishan suddenly felt flustered. His political achievements were known even to university scholars in India and Britain, which would give him more face.

Toynbee said: "I heard from Mr. Zhou Hexuan that he admired your education policy very much, saying that you are the only person who is capable, courageous, and clear-headed in the education run by the Republic of China."

"Hahaha, Mr. Zhou is absurd." Yan Xishan smiled proudly, and had a better impression of Zhou Hexuan.

Toynbee said: "If there is a chance, I would like to go to Shanxi to see for myself."

"Welcome!" Yan Xishan hastily made a promise.

When Tagore visited Shanxi that year, Yan Xishan organized a delegation to greet him. The scene was full of gongs and drums, firecrackers, and a military band playing welcome music. Yan Xishan, who never drank alcohol, even made an exception to drink Fenjiu with Tagore, which shows how much he takes it seriously.

At this time, the Chinese, whether they were politicians, warlords, scholars or wealthy businessmen, were extremely eager to gain the approval of foreigners, especially those famous foreigners.

Yan Xishan didn't care about Yi Peiji and Yu Qiaqing anymore, and chatted with Toynbee enthusiastically. It seems that he is asking the other party for advice, but he keeps his own Shanxi in three sentences, frantically promoting his political achievements, and pulling out his specious Confucian views.

Xu Zhimo suppressed a smile while translating. He had already learned Minister Yan's "philosophical" thinking. Fortunately, Toynbee knew little about Chinese culture, so he was taken aback by Yan Xishan, and from then on he believed that Yan Xishan was a thinker in the Chinese warlord circles.

"You guys had a great chat, Le Yi and I are coming to interrupt you!" Zhou Hexuan brought Zhang Leyi over to toast.

"I will replace wine with tea. I wish you a long life together and a baby." Yan Xishan raised his glass and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhou, after the toast, you can sit at this table. Me, you, and Tang Mr. Inby, you can talk freely about ideological and philosophical issues."

"Definitely, definitely!" Zhou Hexuan sweated wildly.

...

Having too many friends is also troublesome. Zhou Hexuan was dragged by various people to talk that night, and when he returned to Yan Xishan's table, the show was almost over.

Yan Xishan said in a low voice: "Mr. Zhou, what you said has come true. The central government is really determined to disarm me. Even the steps to attack me are exactly the same as what you said. How do you say I should deal with it?"

"What can I do?" Zhou Hexuan smiled wryly.

Yan Xishan looked at the guests who were leaving, patted Zhou Hexuan on the shoulder and said, "I'll visit again tomorrow, let's talk face to face."

Zhou Hexuan said helplessly, "I'll take you out."

When Zhou Hexuan sent Yan Xishan out and came back, Zhang Mouzhi smiled earnestly and said, "My son-in-law, Minister Yan, Minister Yi, Boss Yu, and the ministers of the three countries are coming to the wedding, why didn't you tell me earlier? I don't have time Get ready, don't delay."

"I just sent invitations, I'm not sure if they will come or not," Zhou Hexuan said, "And I didn't invite Yan Xishan, he came by himself. I don't know where I got the news that I'm getting married."

Zhang Mouzhi was surprised and said, "You didn't invite Minister Yan, he came here by himself?"

"Yes." Zhou Hexuan nodded.

Zhang Mouzhi was speechless. He didn't take scholars seriously before, and only valued foreigners, high-ranking officials and the rich.

But Zhou Hexuan proved with facts that scholars are also very powerful, and their face is too big.

Yan Xishan is not only the Minister of Civil Affairs, but also a great warlord in the northern region, who is equal to Chang Kaishen in the military circle. No one else could invite such a powerful person, but Zhou Hexuan got married, and Yan Xishan unexpectedly came here without invitation.

Zhang Mouzhi thought: Maybe the Zhang family will have to rely heavily on this son-in-law in the future.

When Zhang Leyi saw her father's attitude towards her husband changed drastically, she felt as if she had eaten honey. Who wouldn't want their man to be recognized by his family?

The next day, all major newspapers in Shanghai reported Zhou Hexuan's wedding in detail, because there were so many celebrities present.

The "Declaration" even listed a detailed list: "Mr. Zhou Hexuan's wedding can be described as an unprecedented event in the Chinese cultural circle... The guests were not only the two ministers of the Nationalist Government Yan Xishan and Yi Peiji, but also the businessmen Yu Qiaqing and Xu Shenru. The foreign guests include the couple of the American minister, the French minister and the British minister, as well as the famous British scholar Toynbee, the Shanghai Times newspaper Mr. and Mrs. Davis, and the couple of Xinfu Matheson Davis... and there are more celebrities in the cultural and academic circles, such as Zhang Taiyan, Hu Shi, Jiang Baili, Zhang Junmai, Yuan Kewen, Xia Peng, Shi Liangcai, Zhang Jiluan, Ye Shengtao, Liang Desuo, Xu Zhimo, Liang Shiqiu, Xu Beihong, Lu Xiaoman, Shen Congwen, Wang Yachen, Liu Haisu, Tang Huaiqiu, Zhong Guanguang, Tan Xihong, Rao Meng Kan, Yu Shangyuan..."

Countless readers who read the newspaper were shocked by the long list. People in the cultural circles, especially, couldn't figure out that Zhou Hexuan was able to make friends with so many "celebrities" because of Mao, and that Zhang Taiyan, who was still wanted by the government, even showed up and went to the wedding.