“Nicholas I, although known as a reactionary, actually considered emancipation of the serfs but met greater resistance among the nobility than he wanted to confront.”
“In a nutshell, the Yuan Shikai of Republic is a complex figure, a reformer following the footsteps of Li Hongzhang but also a reactionary with a deep-rooted attachment to monarchy.”
“While he is easier to work with than the one who reacts quickly to whatever happens, the slow reacter rarely makes other than his routine contributions to what's going on.”