In the past, eight-legged essays were used to select scholars, and the examination contents were all based on the "Four Books" and "Five Classics". After the switch to "Policy Theory" to select scholars, the "Four Books" and "Five Classics" were still retained, and only the knowledge of Chinese history, Western natural sciences, and politics and law was added. . On this point, there was no principled difference between the reformers and the Westernization bureaucrats. This was a concession that the reformers had to make considering the future of millions of Eight-legged Scholars; it also reflected their own failure to completely get rid of the shackles of the old classics. 2. Establish schools and promote Western learning. After the edict abolishing the eight-legged writing system for recruiting scholars was promulgated, Kang Youwei and other reformers repeatedly presented memorials, advocating the establishment of modern chemistry schools across the country and transforming old-style academies into new-style schools to study both Chinese and Western learning. They received the support of Emperor Guangxu. The "Edict to Determine the Kingdom" issued on April 23 clearly ordered that the Capital University Hall be held first to "advocate for all provinces." On May 15, Chongqing approved the charter of the Capital University Hall proposed by the Prime Minister's Office, and appointed Sun Jia Nai to handle the affairs of the University. The Capital University Hall (the predecessor of Peking University) was officially opened. On the 22nd, he also ordered that all academies and private ancestral temples in all provinces, departments, prefectures, and counties should be converted into schools that study both Chinese and Western learning. Provincial capitals were converted into colleges and universities, counties were converted into middle schools, and prefectures and counties were converted into primary schools. Later, decrees were issued one after another, ordering each province to prepare specialized schools for mining, navy, agriculture, compilation, medicine, tea service, etc.; to set up book translation agencies to translate new foreign books, and to promote overseas travel and study tours. However, the governors of various provinces turned a blind eye to Emperor Guangxu's order and delayed implementation. As a result, only the Capital University was officially established and became the only remaining fruit of the 1898 Reform. Other places encountered various obstacles and took little action. 3. Economic reform. The leading idea of ??the reformers such as Kang Youwei on economic reform was to comprehensively transform agriculture, industry, and commerce according to the model of Western capitalist countries, so as to put China on the path of capitalist development. In terms of industry, emphasis is placed on rewarding inventions and creations and allowing private financing to set up factories. In terms of business, he criticized the feudal ruling class's "emphasis on the basics and suppresses the weak" thinking, clarified the principle that "if business can prosper, the country will be strong and prosperous", and suggested the establishment of a Ministry of Commerce in China and the establishment of commerce bureaus in each province. In terms of agriculture, we emphasize that agriculture is the foundation and advocate the use of Western laws to govern agriculture. Emperor Guangxu accepted Kang Youwei's proposition and repeatedly issued economic reform orders, including the following contents: 1. Protect and reward agriculture, industry, and commerce, establish the State Administration of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce and the State Administration of Railways and Mining in Beijing, promote industry, encourage private investment, build railways, and mine Minerals; order each province to establish a commerce bureau (or agriculture, industry and commerce branch). 2. Order local officials in each province to adopt both Chinese and Western methods to effectively revitalize agriculture. 3. Reward scientific works and inventions, and promulgate 12 paragraphs of the "Regulations on Awarding for Promotion of Craftsmanship", which stipulate that those who write new books, innovate laws, and make new devices will be rewarded with official positions or patents. 4. Set up post offices widely in the capital and various trading ports, and abolish post stations. 5. Prepare the national budget and final accounts, which will be announced by the Ministry of Household Affairs on a monthly basis. 6. Cancel the parasitic privileges of the Manchus and allow them to earn their own living, etc. Except for Chen Baozhen, the governor of Hunan, who was serious about handling the new policies, the governors of various provinces turned a deaf ear and made excuses. For example, the provinces had been delaying the establishment of a bureau of commerce. Emperor Guangxu was extremely angry and issued a strict edict to reprimand Liu Kunyi, the governor of Liangjiang and Tan Zhonglin (1822-1905), the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. But until the coup broke out, economic reforms had little effect.
4. Political reform. It includes two aspects: 1. Official reform. During the Hundred Days Reform, Kang Youwei's most important proposal for political reform was to establish an institutional bureau as a deliberation body to renegotiate all political systems; and to establish 12 bureaus in the central government as the executive agency for the implementation of the New Deal. Although this idea was supported by Emperor Guangxu, it was desperately opposed by die-hard ministers and could not be realized. Another important idea of ??Kang Youwei's reform of the official system was to distinguish between "officials" and "chai", that is, to use senior ministers in high positions as virtual officials, while for important errands to do practical things, knowledgeable talents must be appointed, which is the so-called "prioritizing senior officials with high rank," "Recruiting talents through employment"; advocating a cautious attitude towards the reform of the official system and the reduction of redundant departments.
However, Emperor Guangxu, who had been suppressed by the die-hards of the Later Party for a long time, wanted to punish the Later Party ministers during the reform, so he did not fully follow Kang Youwei's advice, but adopted the redundancy proposal proposed by Cen Chunxuan (1861-1933), the former Taipusi Shaoqing. On the recommendation of the official, an edict was issued on July 14, ordering the abolition of idle yamen such as Zhanshifu, General Administration Department, Guanglu Temple, Honglu Temple, Taichang Temple, Taipu Temple, Dali Temple, etc.; Hubei and Guangdong were abolished in other provinces. , the governors of the three provinces of Yunnan (the governors of these three provinces and Fu Tongcheng), the governor of Donghe, and the grain roads that are not responsible for transportation and the salt roads that are only responsible for distribution. Officials such as Zuo Er and other officials in each province who have no local responsibilities will be eliminated. . These redundant government officials should have been eliminated, but due to the lack of proper arrangements for the future of a large number of laid off officials in advance, the contradictions intensified unprecedentedly, and the conservative party hated the reformers even more bitterly. The coup is coming. This is one of the manifestations of the reformists' impatience and lack of strategy. 2. Open up channels of expression and encourage people to write letters and speak out. According to the original regulations of the Qing Dynasty, not only ordinary people, but also Beijing officials below the fourth rank and local officials below the third rank were not eligible to submit memorials. On June 15th, July 17th, and 28th, edicts were issued successively, declaring that ministers and workers, as well as ordinary people, had the right to submit letters to express their opinions. Officials from various ministries should submit letters to each court official on their behalf; The Procuratorate shall submit the letter on behalf of the Procuratorate; the letters submitted by local scholars and people shall be recorded by the Provincial Government at any time. It also stipulated that "no suppression is allowed" and "any obstruction will be punished as a violation of the decree." At the same time, an edict was issued to encourage various localities to open newspaper offices and distribute newspapers, and to change the Shanghai "Shiwu Bao" to the official newspaper. In addition, in the military field, he also ordered the elimination of the old army, trained troops according to Western methods, prepared to build a navy, vigorously maintained armor, implemented team training, etc.
In short, due to the promotion of the reformists and the advocacy of Emperor Guangxu, in just a hundred days, the Chinese people achieved a certain degree of freedom of speech, publication, assembly, and association; national capitalist industry It was legally recognized for the first time; bourgeois ideology and culture was widely disseminated, and the old feudal learning was dealt a heavy blow. Therefore, the Hundred Days Reform has progressive significance in Chinese history. Kang Youwei once excitedly praised the Hundred Days Reform for "eliminating two thousand years of accumulated abuses" and "conforming to the hearts of 40 million people." , the whole country is reformed to change its outlook, and outsiders are moved by it but are horrified by it.” Although Kang's statement is not without exaggeration, it shows that the Hundred Days Reform did reflect the interests of the emerging bourgeoisie. For this reason, it aroused desperate resistance from the feudal die-hards. Empress Dowager Cixi launched a coup with the support of the die-hards of the Hou Party. She re-announced political discipline on August 6th, imprisoned Emperor Guangxu, restored the old system, and hunted down the reformers. Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao escaped, and Tan Sitong, Yang Rui, Liu Guangdi, Lin Xu, Yang Shenxiu, and Kang Guangren were killed. They were known in history as the "Six Gentlemen of 1898" and the Hundred Days Reform failed.