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c h a p t e r 2  Revolutionary Era Yuan Shi-kai, a shrewd and ambitious politician, proclaimed himself emperor and founder of the Hongxian Dynasty in 1916. His imperial dreams, however, lasted merely eighty-three days. His death in June marked the end of the attempt to revive the Chinese monarchy. With the familiar and established center of gravity gone, the nation drifted into a decade of confusion and anarchy. China was at a crossroads—reassessing, redefining, and relocating itself in the modern world. A cultural revolution stormed across the nation: civil examinations had been abolished and replaced by a new education system; the monarchy had given way to presidency and parliament; the Confucian family system, patriarchal authority, and traditional values were criticized and challenged by new ideas disseminated by intellectuals and the media. Some scholars during the 1910s deliberately chose to eschew politics, to revaluate Confucianism, and to search for a new value system. Youth, a journal edited by Chen Duxiu, called on the next generation to “exert intellect, discard resolutely the old and the rotten, regard them as enemies,” and to be independent, progressive, aggressive, cosmopolitan, and scientific.1 One of the most daring challenges was the attack on the Chinese writing system. Chinese classical writing (wenyan), with esoteric terms and erudite allusions, had been limited to a small class of elites; to replace it, scholars in the New Culture movement advocated the use of baihua, or everyday speech in written form, in literature, scholarship, and other areas of communication. Hu Shih, a student of John Dewey and pragmatism, promoted the application of scientific method to Chinese literary criticism and historical scholarship. The new theoretical conception and approach introduced vigor and fresh insights; it also engendered a new appraisal of Chinese legends, history, and classics.2 In that regard, Yee’s musing on the vicissitudes in his family life may serve as an excellent footnote to the volatile conditions of the nation at the time: Being human beings, my elders sometimes quarreled, like every one else. I do not remember any particular incident, but I know there was gossiping and 17 chiang yee 18 discontent from time to time. As long as both my grandparents retained their vigour everything went smoothly. Whatever money was earned by any individual member of the family was given to the head, and an allowance made to all for the month. Those members with children received more. This worked out very well, for the financial condition of my family was good, and, all necessaries being provided, no one had much use for money. Traditional thought still exercised great influence, and filial regard and industry in the interests of the whole house were esteemed. If any quarrel spread beyond our walls it was considered a blot upon the entire household. Every one tried to curb his irritation and any tendency to quarrel. In any event, our law did not provide for quarrels and we had in those days no lawyers to help one side and thus make a solution more difficult to find. Later a great change came—in my house as in the whole country. Students, returning from studying in foreign lands, where their peculiar habits and customs had been the subjects of jokes, shouted that we should adopt other ways of living. China fell into confusion. The financial position of my family declined; my grandparents were no longer there to control matters; and, the personal needs of some members being larger than before, frequent quarrels ensued. We still kept together, but the old happiness was gone.3 On November 11, 1918, World War I ended. China, having sided with the Allies, celebrated the Armistice Treaty across the nation. Ji, who was head of the educational authority in Jiujiang, planned a lantern procession with other local branches. The city was draped in colorful decorations, and twenty thousand people participated in the celebration. Among them marched the students from Yee’s school. Yee was very proud that all the students had learned to sing “The Song of Peace,” a song that his brother had composed for the occasion. Until then, Yee had shown little concern about the outside world. He could not read newspapers and did not know much about the tragic woes the war had inflicted in Europe. However, the very end of the war marked the beginning of a new consciousness in him, as well as in the nation as a whole. In China...

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