Chen Baochen was born in 1848. In the 7th year of the Tongzhi reign (1868), he passed the imperial examination as a *Jinshi* and was appointed as a *Shujishi* (Bachelor) of the Hanlin Academy, successively serving as a Compiler and Expositor-in-Waiting. Known for his outspoken admonitions, he, along with Zhang Zhidong, Zhang Peilun, and Bao Ting, became known as the "Four Remonstrants of the Grand Council."

He served as the Education Commissioner of Jiangxi and was promoted to Academician of the Grand Secretariat and Vice Minister of Rites. After the Sino-French War, he was demoted and removed from office because Tang Jiong and Xu Yanxu, whom he had recommended, failed in their duties. He returned to his hometown in retirement, where he developed local education.

In the first year of the Xuantong reign (1909), he was recalled to the capital to serve as the Director of the Institute of Rites, Advisor to the Privy Council, and Deputy Commander of the Bordered Red Banner Han Army. He became the tutor of the Xuantong Emperor, Puyi, and supervised the compilation of the *Veritable Records of Emperor Dezong*.

At this moment, seeing his student Puyi hesitating about returning to China, a feeling of pity spontaneously arose in Chen Baochen's heart. Chen Baochen probed, "Your Majesty, this old subject has lived in Tianjin for several years and has seen the changes in Tianjin with his own eyes. Counting from the day Your Majesty left Tianjin for Japan, in just six years, Tianjin's prosperity has increased more than tenfold. Although other places in Hebei are not equal to Tianjin, they are all flourishing day by day. Viewing this, the world today can be described as a land of splendor."

Hearing his teacher speak like this, Puyi could not help but feel somewhat sad, and even felt an inexplicable sense of shame. After a moment of silence, Puyi sighed, "Teacher, We... the Great Qing's land of splendor has been lost just like that. We truly have no face to see Our ancestors."

Chen Baochen had confirmed that Puyi still could not accept the reality that there was no hope for the restoration of the Qing Dynasty. Thinking of the changes in China now, Chen Baochen felt pain in his heart. He staggered to his feet, intending to kneel before Puyi. Puyi was by no means the unaccustomed-to-labor youth of those years; with quick eyes and hands, he grabbed hold of Chen Baochen. "Teacher, why go this far?"

Chen Baochen was helped into a chair by Puyi. He grasped Puyi's arm, his face already covered in tears, and choked out, "This old subject... this old subject has served as an official for decades. Internally, I could not settle the country; externally, I could not quell foreign aggression. Clearly, the nation could have awed the Four Seas, yet I could only watch helplessly as the Imperial Court suffered defeat after defeat, forfeiting sovereignty and humiliating the nation. Holding a sinecure like a corpse, muddled and incompetent, I have failed the Court, failed Your Majesty..."

Puyi felt equally sad in his heart but hurriedly comforted him, "Teacher, this matter should be borne by the Grand Councilors and the Senior Grand Secretary. How can it be blamed on Teacher..." Saying this, Puyi also could not help but shed tears.

Master and disciple wept opposite each other. After a good while, Chen Baochen wiped away his tears and asked Puyi to sit down. "Your Majesty, if He Rui were to proclaim himself emperor, Your Majesty could move overseas to plan for restoration. However, the imperial system has now been cut off. If the Great Qing is restored, it would be making an enemy of China. If someone wants to restore Manchuria and wants to use Your Majesty, Your Majesty must absolutely not be deceived by such villains."

Puyi was shaken internally and hesitated to speak. Studying in Japan had indeed broadened his horizons. Previously, he had only learned statecraft from his teachers, but he actually didn't understand it at all. In the military academy, he learned many subjects including Organizational Engineering, acquiring a knowledge system of the middle and high levels. Only then did everything connect from top to bottom, making him suddenly see the light. He understood what the "methods of emperors" were, and what supported those methods. Therefore, Puyi was very clear that for his own people to want to proclaim himself emperor again was a fantasy. The theoretical method to restore the country was to first have a territory. Just like He Rui back then, first control the Northeast, accumulate strength, and then plot for the world.

Of course, this was only a theoretically feasible plan. Puyi also knew this was actually impossible.

However, Chen Baochen being so explicit in telling Puyi to cut off the thought of rebuilding Manchuria was equivalent to telling Puyi there was absolutely no possibility of restoration. If Puyi were already willing to accept such a result, he would have chosen to return to China to develop long ago. How could he be hesitant on this matter?

Chen Baochen did not want to persuade Puyi to give up the idea of restoration; he knew such things could not be persuaded away. Chen Baochen knew that if he himself encountered an opportunity to truly restore the Qing, he would also strive for it with all his might, let alone Puyi. So just as Chen Baochen wanted to continue persuading Puyi, Puyi spoke first, "Teacher, if I can establish achievements like He Rui, can the country be restored?"

Hearing this, Chen Baochen only wanted to smile bitterly. Yet he replied, "Don't speak of establishing achievements like He Rui; even if it were only half, the whole country would certainly ask Your Majesty to resume the throne."

After speaking, Chen Baochen saw Puyi purse his lips and remain silent. Although Chen Baochen did not want to strike a blow to Puyi, he had to harden his heart and continue, "However, right now, Your Majesty would have to establish achievements surpassing He Rui. Therefore, this old subject still asks Your Majesty to return to the country and enter politics as soon as possible. Only in this way can Your Majesty serve the country at an early date."

Puyi had long considered this path. If the current situation were the chaotic times of earlier years, it would be one thing. But now He Rui's government had already established order. If he wanted to build up Puyi's reputation under He Rui's order, the He Rui government would absolutely not allow it. So Puyi had long since given up on this idea. Since the problem could not be solved relying on forces within China, the only thing left to rely on was foreign countries.

While he was thinking, he heard Chen Baochen advise, "Your Majesty, this old subject knows that Your Majesty certainly excelled in studies in Japan and broadened your horizons, able to include the entire world in your planning. But what Your Majesty must ultimately strive for is to be the Master of China. Back then, Sun Wen plotted rebellion. The southern rebel party all waited for Sun Wen to return from overseas with a large sum of money. When Sun Wen returned penniless, the rebel party feigned compliance with Sun Wen. In the end, it was Yuan Shikai who became the Grand President. If Your Majesty stays far away from China, China will not know Your Majesty's name. Even if there is a change in China, it will only allow the likes of Yuan Shikai within the country to profit."

Puyi of course knew Chen Baochen was right, but to truly admit this matter would be equivalent to Puyi admitting that restoration was completely hopeless. Puyi could not admit such a thing no matter what.

Seeing Puyi like this, Chen Baochen had to ask, "Your Majesty, this old subject knows Your Majesty has succeeded in your studies, so I would like to ask Your Majesty about a few international matters."

Puyi then replied, "Please ask, Teacher."

"Will the current Japan be willing to be an enemy of China?"

Puyi smiled bitterly in his heart. If Japan were willing to be an enemy of China, Puyi would not be considering returning to the country. He answered, "No."

"Then will France and the Soviet Union be willing to be enemies of China?"

Puyi was very helpless, shook his head, and answered, "No."

"If Britain and the United States were to be enemies of China, could they win?" Chen Baochen pressed.

When Puyi was attending the Army War College in Japan, when the school taught strategy, they had conducted such strategic war games. If the United States wanted to attack China, it could only rely on its navy. Although the US Navy had a ratio of 5.5, the Japanese Navy also had a ratio of 3.75. Therefore, the US Navy's Pacific Fleet had absolutely no ability to defeat the Japanese Navy and occupy Japan. Naturally, it was powerless to launch an attack on China.

If Britain wanted to attack China, it would first have to annihilate China's military forces in Upper Burma and Assam. This would require Britain to deploy 2 million army troops in British India now. Just the money for conscription and troop transport would probably be more than the British government's current finances could sustain. But Britain had to do this, because a Britain that lost India would be no different from a castrated eunuch.

For China, the worst situation would simply be Britain and the United States joining hands to launch an attack on China. But if Britain and the US wanted to go to war with China, they would need to get France's support, or at least let France remain neutral. France's old enemy was Germany. If Britain and the US wanted to persuade France, they would have to accept France's plan to dismember Germany.

Once Germany was dismembered and became a pile of small states, France would naturally become the hegemon of the European continent. Britain's strategy for hundreds of years had been to strike at any hegemonic power attempting to rule the European continent. Britain would rather lose India than allow a hegemon to appear on the European continent. And although the United States was separated from the European continent by an Atlantic Ocean, it would not be happy to see a unified power appear on the European continent either.

If Britain and the US gambled, believing France would not intervene in the war with China, as long as Britain's army and navy main forces left Europe, Britain would run a huge risk: losing India while also having France control the European continent.

The result of the Japanese Army War College's strategic war game was that China's current strategic situation was extremely superior. Surrounding countries either had mutual security trust with China or were already on the path of strategic cooperation. Countries that presented a war risk, because the strategic risk of starting a war against China was too great, would not start a war against China.

Such a superior strategic situation did not fall from the sky. It was He Rui who, with keen judgment and precise grasping of timing, decisively established economic cooperation relations with France when the franc's status was at a low point and French finance was weak and powerless. Through cooperation, the franc returned to a position where it could compete with the pound and the dollar. Based on the needs of its own fundamental interests, France could only firmly support the China-France quasi-alliance relationship.

The instructors of the strategy course at the Japanese Army War College highly praised the China-France cooperation, considering it a classic case of "the skilled warrior has no illustrious merit." As a country outside the European region, China achieved a strategic construct through completely peaceful means that war might not necessarily have achieved. The China-France alliance constructed France's economic strength in Europe, promoted cooperation between China and France on a global scale, and also excluded the intervention of extra-regional powers in East Asia without moving a single soldier. This was undoubtedly a masterpiece of strategic construction.

Puyi knew that this strategy of He Rui's was definitely not targeted at him, but the China-France quasi-ally strategy promoted by He Rui for China had indeed created insurmountable difficulties for Puyi's restoration strategy. If Britain and the US could not construct a strategy to defeat He Rui, then why would Britain and the US support Puyi's restoration?

Chen Baochen did not know that Puyi already possessed the ability to understand strategy. If he knew, he would certainly be moved to strike the table and stand up. But Chen Baochen's eyes, having experienced the ways of the world, also saw that Puyi had indeed lost confidence in using foreign powers to restore the country. This reassured Chen Baochen quite a bit.

Although the Manchu Qing was unwilling, it had at least chosen to actively give up imperial power. If the Manchu Qing loyalists once became traitors to the country, the undercurrent of hostility towards the Qing Dynasty in society would instantly erupt, and everything remaining of the Manchu Qing would inevitably suffer a thorough liquidation. As a loyal minister of the Manchu Qing, Chen Baochen did not wish for the Manchu Qing's ending to be like this.

Puyi did not notice his teacher's reaction at this moment. Even just reviewing strategic thinking made him feel exhausted, and his mood became exceptionally heavy. Strategic judgment was called "temple calculation" in China; once it failed, it could very well lead to the result of the Imperial Ancestral Temple being destroyed.

Puyi's lips quivered slightly. He had another idea, but he dared not say it. Knowing clearly that this idea was actually unreliable, in his despair, this idea became increasingly striking like a life-saving straw, so much so that Puyi could not drive this idea out of his mind no matter what. As he struggled with this thought, the thought instead expanded, eager to burst out. To hold back this thought from exiting his mouth, Puyi expended a great deal of energy.

Seeing Puyi hesitate to speak several times, Chen Baochen said, "Does Your Majesty have something to say to this old subject?"

Puyi could not help but lick his lips first, then bit his lips. He really couldn't hold it back, and finally lowered his voice and said, "Teacher, He Rui likes to show his face in public, and his whereabouts are also easily known. If a group of loyal and devoted men suddenly launched an attack..."

Just as he said this, Chen Baochen had already stood up abruptly. The 84-year-old man's eyes were already wide with rage, and he asked loudly, "Which dog of a thief gave Your Majesty this idea?!"

Puyi was suppressed by his teacher's imposing manner and actually dared not answer that it was his own thought. But apart from this method, Puyi could already think of no other possibility that could reverse the current strategic situation. The Manchu Qing had been destroyed for 21 years now, and the Beiyang government had changed masters three times in these 21 years. Yuan Shikai, Duan Qirui plus Xu Shichang, and He Rui. He Rui truly taking charge of the world could count from 1924, only 8 years ago. Killing He Rui was undoubtedly the only feasible plan that could change China's situation. If He Rui died, the world would certainly return to strife and turmoil. He Rui's subordinates, the ministers who rose with the dragon, were now all between thirty and forty-five years old. Facing immense power, this group of people would absolutely not easily yield to others. Fierce internal strife would inevitably erupt.

Facing He Rui, Puyi felt he was probably really not up to it. But facing He Rui's subordinates, Puyi felt he probably still had the ability to contend with them...

"Your Majesty, speak! Who exactly gave you this idea!" Chen Baochen's voice, which could almost be considered a roar, interrupted Puyi's thoughts, making Puyi's body tremble.

And at this moment, Chen Baochen only felt as if his whole body had been struck by lightning, and as if being roasted by a raging fire. Having lived 84 years, passing the imperial exam and entering the court as an official at 20, what hadn't Chen Baochen seen in 64 years! The so-called loyalty and righteousness, the so-called fearlessness of death, were all bullshit. As long as they were caught, there wasn't one who didn't just beg for a way to live.

...No, Chen Baochen only knew one person in his life like that, and that was Shi Dakai of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Back then, Shi Dakai was deceived by Luo Bingzhang into surrendering in exchange for his subordinates' lives, and was sentenced to death by *lingchi* (slow slicing). *Lingchi* execution really involved cutting a thousand times. Shi Dakai did not utter a word during the torture, did not cry out in pain, and did not beg for mercy. Those who saw it with their own eyes were all shocked, believing his liver and gall were cast of iron.

Where among the Manchu Qing loyalists were there such people? As long as they really assassinated He Rui, as long as they were captured, they would certainly confess. There was no need to consider these people taking poison to commit suicide immediately upon seeing things fail.

And even if these people really had the courage to take poison and commit suicide without leaking information, how could people not understand what was going on if a group of Manchus went to assassinate He Rui?

Nowadays, almost every family among the Chinese people had invited He Rui's portrait to hang in their halls. The world all believed He Rui had rebuilt the mountains and rivers, his merit comparable to Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han. If He Rui didn't die, perhaps He Rui wouldn't be too excessive. It would just be the total destruction of the Manchu Qing loyalists. Even if He Rui died, those people under him wouldn't be dead. The first thing this group of people would do would inevitably be to avenge He Rui. At that time, the Manchus would certainly have no way to live, and at least half of the former Manchu Qing officials probably wouldn't escape clan extermination.

Chen Baochen stared at his student Puyi's guilty look, wishing he could read directly from Puyi's brain who exactly had given Puyi the idea. Suddenly, Chen Baochen only felt a buzz in his brain, and then lost all consciousness.

Puyi looked at his teacher Chen Baochen staring at him like an angry guardian deity at this moment, and only felt the shirt on his back had been soaked with sweat. He originally just couldn't think of a way at all, so he said this sentence casually. Puyi himself had studied in military school for so many years, how could he not know how hard it was to want to assassinate a head of state? Moreover, China was not like those places in Europe where assassination was a trend. Did he really think He Rui would deliberately seek death like that foolish Crown Prince Archduke Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire?

The reason Ferdinand was successfully assassinated was that he ran to Sarajevo, a major city of an enemy country. Even if He Rui showed his face in public, he only went to places like villages, factories, schools, mines, and military camps. With He Rui's current prestige, the people in those places regarded He Rui as an emperor, or even as the Son of Heaven. The talk of assassination was a big joke.

Seeing his teacher so annoyed, Puyi did not dare to speak either. He only wanted to wait for his teacher to cool down first, and then muddle through this topic.

But his teacher remained motionless in a posture pointing a finger at Puyi. Not long after, his teacher's body began to sway slightly, and a moment later he collapsed to the ground in a posture like a puppet with cut strings, his head even knocking against the chair with a thud.

Puyi was scared and hurriedly went forward to help his teacher Chen Baochen up, only to see Chen Baochen's eyes only opened a slit. In the slit, only the whites of the eyes were visible, not the pupils. Terrified, Puyi was already shouting at the door, "Come quickly! Someone come quickly! Send him to the hospital, quickly send him to the hospital."

A moment later, Puyi sobered up. He directly carried his teacher Chen Baochen on his shoulder, pulled open the door, and walked out. But he didn't expect the nanny had already rushed to the door, and the two collided. Enduring the severe pain in his chin, Puyi shouted at the nanny who was covering her forehead in pain, "Quickly open the door, go to the hospital!"