袁世凯“开缺回籍养疴”诸问题

On the Issues Concerning YUAN Shi-kai's “Dismissal from Office and Return to His Hometown to Recuperate”

袁世凯"开缺回籍养疴"三年是晚清史上的重大事件,但由于后来的一系列政治变化,袁世凯"开缺"的真实原因逐渐被遮蔽,"回籍"、"养疴"的真相也越来越模糊。其实,如果仔细排比新旧史料,重现当年历史场景,很容易发现传统说法具有很强的政治暗示,属于政敌或不明真相者有意无意的歪曲、抹黑。而袁世凯及其部属、友朋后来又因为"帝制自为"等因素,也不便为其辩诬,将错就错,铸就了人们所熟知的袁世凯形象。其实,袁世凯"开缺"没有那么多阴谋,他离开北京返回故里的故事更没有传统描述的那样扣人心弦。"养疴"期间,袁世凯并不是被禁锢,他一方面安心养病,操持实业,另一方面与朝野各界保持着必要的联系,这也为他后来的再度出山埋下了伏笔。

YUAN Shi-kai's 'dismissal from office and return to his hometown to recuperate'for three years is an important incident in the history of the late Qing Dynasty. However,the actual causes of YUAN's'dismissal',as well as the truth concerning his'return to the hometown'and'recuperation',were gradually obscured due to a series of political changes afterwards. Returning to the historical scenes after a close examination of new and old historical materials,we can easily find out that the traditional narratives have strong political implications and they were results of conscious or unconscious distortion and defamation by YUAN's political rivals or the ignorant. In addition,YUAN himself,his subordinates and friends did not defend him because of his 'crowning himself as an emperor 'and others. All of these helped to form the conventional image of YUAN.