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It is just here that we see the difference in the statesmanship
of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. When she appointed these
two officials, one a liberal in charge of the army, she placed
the other, a conservative, as his superior officer, so that one
could not move without the knowledge and consent of the other,
thus forestalling just such an order as this. To obey this order
of the boy Emperor, Yuan must commit two great crimes, murder and
treason, the one on a superior officer, and the other against her
who had appointed him to office and who had been the ruler of the
country for thirty-seven years, either of which would have been
sufficient to have execrated him not only in the eyes of his own
people but of history and of the world. Nay more, had he obeyed
this order, the conservatives would have raised the cry of
rebellion, and an army ten times greater than he could have
mustered, would have crushed Yuan and his little company of
12,500 men, on the plea that he was about to take the throne.
Yuan then did the only wise thing he could have done. He went to
Jung Lu, without whose consent he had no right to move, showed
him the order, and asked for his commands. Jung Lu told him to
leave the order with him, and as soon as Yuan had departed he
took the train for Peking, called on Prince Ching, and they two
went to the Summer Palace and showed the order to Her Majesty,
suggesting to her that it might be well for her to come into the
city and give him a few lessons in government
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