According to the oral history of Hu Shi's disciple (a professor at new york University in the United States) in 1960, Yuan Shikai held an emergency meeting immediately after meeting Yi, determined the negotiation policy with Japan, and asked Sun Baodi, then Foreign Minister, to resign and reassign a career diplomat as Foreign Minister. Later, Yuan Shikai summoned Lu Zhengxiang alone, and after secret talks, he decided to disclose the contents of Article 21 regardless of the Japanese threat. Lu Zhengxiang found Gu Weijun immediately after he left Yuan Shikai's presidential palace. Gu Weijun was then Foreign Minister and English Secretary. After receiving the order, Gu immediately sent the text of Article 2 1 to the American legation in secret. Lu Zhengxiang's original intention was to give it to Reuters in Britain first, and Gu Weijun was the first to send it to the American legation. After the American press got the "2 1 article", if it got the treasure, it immediately announced it. After the news came out, it quickly attracted the attention of the world public opinion, deeply shocked the American government, and had a subtle influence on the Washington Conference held in 192 1.