Liu Chunlin, whose name is Runqin, is from Suning in Hejian Prefecture. He is well known to people because he is the last number one scholar in Chinese history. As the last number one scholar, his political career was rough and difficult in the unpredictable environment at that time.
1. "Being a farmer in the morning, ascending to the emperor's palace in the evening"
Liu Chunlin is not a child of a wealthy family, his father is just the most common local servant. Because his father was a servant, his descendants were not allowed to take the imperial examination, so he was adopted to an uncle from the same family when he was a child. He was extremely talented since he was a child, and he studied hard. He was familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics, and he could write well. He became a scholar at the age of 18, a scholar at the age of 30, and won the first prize at the age of 32 to become the number one scholar. He took part in the last imperial examination in Chinese history, so he was called "the last person among the first".
The Boxer Indemnity made the rulers of the Qing Dynasty finally wake up, and the laws of the ancestors cannot be changed! The rulers began to implement the New Deal, which involved many aspects of national management. Among them, the issue of whether to abolish the imperial examination system has always been a hot topic of controversy. These controversies made Liu Chunlin, who had been reading poetry since childhood, very anxious. If the imperial examination is abolished, the efforts of the first 30 years will be ruined. Fortunately, 1903 was the 470th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. Although the Qing Empire was dying and dying, in order to celebrate Cixi's birthday, the Qing government decided to follow the old calendar. It was this exam that allowed Liu Chunlin to achieve the glory of life of "working as a cowherd in the morning and ascending to the emperor's hall in the evening".
There have always been rumors about Liu Chunlin's status as the number one scholar: It is said that the new number one scholar at that time should be Zhu Ruzhen, a candidate from Guangdong. However, Cixi was a very taboo person and believed that his name and household registration were not auspicious. One is because of the word "zhen" in its name. It reminded her of Emperor Guangxu's favorite concubine. When the Eight-Power Allied Forces broke into the Forbidden City, Cixi threw Concubine Zhen, whom she had always resented, into a well and brutally killed her before she could escape. The second reason is that they are from Guangdong. Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei who advocated the reform reform are both from Guangdong. After this incident, Cixi had a grudge against the Cantonese people.
The meaning of Liu Chunlin's name won Cixi's favor, "The spring breeze turns into rain, and the sweet rain falls everywhere." The meaning is quite good, and his calligraphy is also pleasing to the eye and has everyone's style. There happened to be a severe drought this year and a spring rain was urgently needed. The late Qing Dynasty suffered from natural and man-made disasters for a long time, and Cixi was an extremely superstitious person, so she immediately designated Liu Chunlin as the top scholar in the undergraduate program.
2. "Those who know their destiny do not blame God, and those who know themselves do not blame others."
The new top scholar was supposed to have great success and take office, but what Liu Chunlin was waiting for was a notice to study at the Japanese University of Political Science and Law. Studying hard in Japan opened his eyes. Although he realized the backwardness of feudal autocratic monarchy , the education of more than 30 years of feudal ethics has been deeply ingrained in his bones. Therefore, regarding the direction of social reform, he did not hesitate to support "constitutional monarchy".
In 1909, Liu Chunlin returned to China after completing his studies, full of enthusiasm and wanting to develop his ambitions. The Qing government treated the talents it had cultivated with "favor" and appointed them as members of the Advisory Council. However, "preparing for a constitution" was the Qing government's lie to the world. Therefore, Liu Chunlin did not have any real power, but he However, he is still trying to shine what he has learned. For example, he vigorously criticized Hunan Governor Yang Wending's private issuance of national debts. Although the Military Aircraft Department and the Regent Zaifeng both asked him to "muddle through" and end the matter, he still relied on Strive with reason.
In 1911, it was the time when Liu Chunlin, who was proud of the spring breeze, was able to show off his talents, but the outbreak of the Revolution of 1911 ruthlessly shattered everything. In an instant, everything has changed. The emperor who was his object of allegiance was gone, and the "constitutional monarchy" he had longed for was gone. Liu Chunlin was disheartened. He had no intention of serving as an official in the new Republic of China government, so he had to hide in his home in Beijing, drinking tea, composing poems, and writing and writing all day long.It seems that the turmoil in the outside world has nothing to do with him anymore. It seems to outsiders that he is unhappy, but only he himself knows the pain. It's not that no one asked him to come out, it's just that Liu Chunlin holds the title of a Manchu old man, but in his heart he still adheres to the rules of a monarch and a minister.
After two years of leisure, the most powerful figure at the time, Yuan Shikai, extended an olive branch to Liu Chunlin. This time Liu Chunlin agreed. After all, Yuan Shikai was "kind to him". When the Qing government was promoting constitutional monarchy, Yuan Shikai strongly recommended him to participate. His teacher Yang Shixiang also had a close relationship with Yuan Shikai. Whether in public or private matters, Liu Chunlin had no reason to shirk, so he accepted Yuan Shikai's invitation to serve as his "History of the Presidential Palace".
What Liu Chunlin didn’t expect was that he was just a tool. Yuan Shikai's intention to proclaim himself emperor required each province to send so-called "petition groups" to support the situation. Liu Chunlin played the role of the representative of Zhili Province, and he spared no effort in helping Yuan proclaim himself emperor.
After this, Liu Chunlin went further and further on the road of supporting the imperial system. When Zhang Xun restored , Liu Chunlin also responded actively to the call of veteran Kang Youwei. At the celebration of Puyi's re-enthronement, Liu Chunlin, as a representative figure of the Manchu elders, proudly wore the official uniform of the fourth rank of the Qing Dynasty and went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to perform three kneels and nine kowtows for the baby emperor. The sincerity and sincerity of his feelings deeply moved the people present.
Although he studied in Japan and received the baptism of new ideas, Liu Chunlin still could not give up the "emperor" in his heart. Helping Yuan Shikai become emperor and supporting Zhang Xun's restoration made him drift away from the "New Deal".
After that, Liu Chunlin stopped paying too much attention to the development of his official career and turned his attention to education. Although Liu Chunlin was familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics in his early years, his experience of studying in Japan made him very clear about the necessity of new education in China. While serving in the Beiyang Government, he founded a seminar on meteorology and agriculture to cultivate professional talents. In the early years of the Republic of China, he also founded "Yanji Middle School" and "Mingxuan Middle School" and served as a director. In addition, he also donated money and materials to the school and was committed to cultivating new talents.
We cannot simply describe Liu Chunlin as "progressive" or "feudal". In him we can see both the pedantry of Chinese feudal scholars and the progressive thoughts of reformers. It is such a complex character who reflects the changes of the times.
3. "Don't be afraid of being broken into pieces, keep your innocence in the world"
Although Liu Chunlin was wandering between "feudal" and "progressive", he remained unwavering in the face of the country's justice and maintained his integrity as a scholar. In 1934, Zheng Xiaoxu found Liu Chunlin, hoping that he could go to the "Puppet Manchukuo" to serve as the director of the Department of Education to assist Puyi. Zheng Xiaoxu was full of confidence before he came because the two were close friends and he understood Liu Chunlin's obsession with the "emperor" very well. But Liu Chunlin's attitude surprised him. Liu Chunlin not only failed to give him face, but also wanted to break with Puyi. For Liu Chunlin, today's "emperor" is like a puppet of the Japanese and is no longer the master of the past.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese occupied Beiping. Considering Liu Chunlin's identity and status, the Japanese once again sent their old acquaintance Wang Yitang to "invite" him, hoping that he could serve as the mayor of Peiping. But Liu Chunlin still didn't give any face to his old friend, and denounced him as "a weak thing!". Wang Yitang did not stop there. The next day, the Japanese and puppet troops raided Liu Chunlin's home and drove the whole family out of the house. Faced with both soft and hard tactics, he still firmly maintained his integrity as a scholar and put the country's justice first. After that, Liu Chunlin ignored political affairs and subsidized his family by writing and selling calligraphy. His life was not rich, but it was always the last bottom line in his life not to be a traitor until his death. In 1944, 73-year-old Liu Chunlin passed away, leaving behind a life full of controversy.
Wang Yitang
Wen Shijun said
From the time he opened the book of sages, cultivating himself, regulating his family, governing the country and bringing peace to the world has been Liu Chunlin's highest ideal in life. But fate was so ruthless. The power of revolution swept away all old ideas and orders, and also destroyed the dignity of imperial power that Liu Chunlin regarded as sacred and inviolable. In that unpredictable era, there were countless "Liu Chunlins". In the fierce tide of the times, personal development and direction were no longer the result of self-choice, and most people could only drift with the tide like duckweeds. However, looking back on his life, although Liu Chunlin did not achieve what he wanted in the political arena, he was unwavering in the face of the country's justice, remained calm under coercion and inducement, maintained the last integrity of a scholar, and practiced his original ideals .
References
Zhang Shengwei: "Liu Chunlin: The Stormy Life of China's Last Number One Scholar", "Literary and Historical Knowledge", Issue 11, 2006.
Yan Jianhua: "The upright Liu Chunlin", "Journal of Guizhou University", Issue 6, 2010.
Zhang Wei: ""The Last Number One Scholar" Liu Chunlin", "Together in the Same Boat" Issue 12, 2020.
(Author: Haoran Wenshi • Xinran Zide)
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