A Love Never Lost Recap, Plot, Synopsis

A Love Never Lost Synopsis

After the Gengzi misfortune, the land of China was full of devastation, and young people with aspirations rose to save their country.

Liangxiang, Yang Kaizhi, Li Renjun became the first group of progressive youths to study in the Japanese cadet school, and met the revolutionary exiles Yu Tianbai and Qiu Hong on the cruise ship, from then on the five people’s fates were closely linked.

As various tides of thought came to them, they sworn brothers, chased love, and fought for the revitalization of China.

After returning to China, Liang Xiang was ambitious to explore the way to enrich the country and strengthen the army, but he was trapped in the whirlpool of power, nowhere to show his enthusiasm , and finally recognized the direction of the times and live in seclusion for chance.

In the battle of Yanji, Kaizhi defeated the arrogance of the Japanese imperialists and was hailed as the “hero of the garrison”.

The revolutionary party, the constitutionalists and the Beiyang Army were in constant competition, and the revolutionaries fought bloodily during the Xinhai period to overthrew the old order that had existed for thousands of years.

Enlightened by the new trend of thoughts, Qiu Hong, Yang Yifan and others recognized the only way out for the Chinese nation in the midst of the ups and downs is revolutionary.

A Love Never Lost Recap

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In the year 1990 AD, at a time of crisis in modern China, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, Empress Dowager Cixi fled with Emperor Guangxu; the uprising of the Self-Government Army initiated by Tang Caichang and revolutionary comrades was brutally suppressed. “Forty million people weep in unison—where in the world lies the realm of China? ”Communist ideology had not yet entered China. A multitude of competing ideologies influenced the youth of the land.

Some upheld feudal autocracy, some advocated constitutional monarchy, and others yearned for more radical revolution. Various forces were entangled in fierce struggles, while the young people explored their own paths amidst the tides, striving to find a direction for China’s future on the grand stage of a turbulent history. . . In the 27th year of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing dynasty, namely 1901 AD, the revolutionary organization's base in Jingzhou, Huzhou, was discovered and dismantled.

Revolutionary Yang Kaizhi became a prisoner. The Bannermen officers had them decide their fate by casting bamboo divination blocks—two down meant death, one up and one down or two up meant release. Yang Kaizhi was lucky, casting one up and one down, narrowly escaping death. Young bannerman Liang Xiang came to the banner camp to watch the beheadings and happened to escort Yang Kaizhi out. They were the same age, both seventeen.

But Liang Xiang was different from Yang Kaizhi—he was a bannerman, born and raised to become a soldier, and could only officially serve in the banner guard upon turning eighteen. That day, Liang Xiang had skipped class and secretly returned to the school, only to be caught and scolded by his teacher. All the students covered for Liang Xiang with lies and were punished together. Each young man had to carry a bowl of water without spilling a drop.

Liang Xiang made a bet with his classmates—if he won, he’d get twenty pieces of fried dough. He balanced the bowl on his forehead and walked step by step back home, not spilling a single drop. Liang Xiang’s mother, a descendant of Prince Dorgon of the Heshou Rui lineage, knew her son was mischievous and scolded him briefly before preparing to head out.

The wife of the prefect had invited the wife of the Hubei-Hunan Salt Transport Commissioner for a banquet and asked Liang Xiang’s mother to accompany them. Surprisingly, the Commissioner’s wife was extremely deferential in front of the banner matriarch Liang, even kneeling in salute. The prefect’s wife only knew that Liang Xiang’s mother was the widow of a military officer from the banner camp and was unaware she was actually a descendant of Dorgon.

After the banquet, the Commissioner’s wife was furious that the prefect’s wife had brought Liang Xiang’s mother along and left in anger. Liang Xiang later carried his drunken mother home from the prefect’s residence. The next day, Liang Xiang’s teacher informed him that he could no longer teach him. Liang Xiang was to be sent to the Archives Office, a subordinate institution of the Imperial Academy during the Qing dynasty, mainly responsible for handling Manchu-language memorials and official documents.

An imperial decree arrived in the capital, specifically naming Liang Xiang to go to Shanghai. It was during the westward retreat of the Empress Dowager and Emperor, and the authorities had plans to rebuild Xi’an’s military strength by forming a new army. The imperial capital’s pampered nobles had become completely rotten, and no suitable talent could be found. Thus, they chose Liang Xiang, intending to send him to study military affairs in Japan to broaden his horizons.

Liang Xiang was stunned. His mother was also skeptical at first, but upon learning that the Deputy Commander himself had informed Liang Xiang, she exclaimed that a cold pot was suddenly boiling, nearly fainting from surprise. In July 1901, under the threat of imperialist diplomacy and military force, the Qing government sent Emperor Guangxu’s brother Aisin Gioro Zai Feng from Beijing to Germany to deliver a formal letter of apology.

Song Baoquan, Vice President of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, organized a grand reception for Aisin Gioro Zai Feng’s passage through Shanghai. Yang Kaizhi brought a box of promissory notes to Shanghai to deliver to Song Baoquan and made one request—that he be included among the students sent to study military affairs in Japan. Xie Shuhong, the second daughter of the Kaiwentang Pen Shop, traveled to Shanghai on the Song family’s private ship and met her brother-in-law Yang Yifan.

Yang Yifan had opened a girls' school in Shanghai but currently had no students. Business-savvy Xie Shuhong offered him some ideas.

At the lodging for the military students, Liang Xiang met Yang Kaizhi. After being reminded, Yang Kaizhi also recognized him. Before the commanding officer arrived, Yang Kaizhi told Liang Xiang not to reveal that they knew each other. Yang Kaizhi’s spot as a military student had been added at the last minute, and he brought with him a handwritten letter of recommendation from the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Liu Kunyi. Naturally, the commanding officer assumed he had powerful connections.

All the students changed into uniform, registered in the training room, and received their stipends. Their tuition fees were allocated according to regulations by the Foreign Affairs Office and transferred directly to the school in Tokyo on schedule. Li Renjun, who previously held the rank of "zhengmu" in the Right Division of the Wuwei Army, shared a room with Liang Xiang and Yang Kaizhi.

Li Renjun knew that Liang Xiang's ancestors were descendants of Dorgon, and that he was genuine aristocracy. But Liang Xiang said he was only a substitute. He learned only after coming to Shanghai that the court had issued a command requiring each noble family in the capital to send one heir to study abroad. The spot originally belonged to the household of King Qing.

However, fearing that studying abroad was terrifying, they looked through the clan registry and picked Liang Xiang, who was far away in Jingzhou, to take the place. Liang Xiang’s maternal grandfather’s former attendant, Zhu Laixi, now a commander in the Shanghai patrol force, enthusiastically rekindled ties upon seeing Liang Xiang and invited him to dine at Lao Zhengxing. Liang Xiang asked Yang Kaizhi and Li Renjun to come along, but Yang Kaizhi declined, saying he needed to thank Song Baoquan.

Song Baoquan had his concubine hand over 2,000 yen and gave it to Yang Kaizhi. After bidding farewell to Song Baoquan’s concubine at the Song household, Xie Shuhong returned to the Shanghai Girls’ School and found Yang Yifan and a group of men in deep discussion. Yang Yifan wanted to introduce her to some of them, but seeing the room full of men, Xie Shuhong did not go in.

At Lao Zhengxing, Zhu Laixi rambled on with empty pleasantries until Liang Xiang, impatient, interrupted him, prompting him to state his purpose. Prince Chun’s entourage would be visiting the Foreign Affairs Bureau residence early the next morning to accompany the prince on a horseback ride. Zhu Laixi suggested taking Liang Xiang to meet the prince.

But Prince Chun had only named two people he wished to meet on this trip: Governor-General Liu Kunyi of Liangjiang and Duan Fang, Governor of Hubei, who was en route to his post. So Liang Xiang’s wish to see the prince was already a tall order—bringing along Li Renjun and Yang Kaizhi was even more unlikely.

While Prince Chun, Aisin Gioro Zai Feng, younger brother of Emperor Guangxu, was riding, his horse was startled by the sound of a foreign automobile horn and began to gallop wildly. Prince Chun nearly fell off, but Liang Xiang managed to grab the reins and stop the horse, saving the prince.

Prince Chun recognized Liang Xiang and mentioned his mother, then clearly stated that during his studies in Japan, Liang Xiang must find out why the Japanese army was effective while theirs was not. Yang Yifan gave a lecture to the women at the girls’ school. The first lesson was geography. At first, no one was interested, but gradually the students became increasingly engaged. At the height of their excitement, a loud boom came from the chemistry lab next door.

It turned out chemistry PhD Wu Tianbai had miscalculated the ratio of nitric acid, causing an explosion. Fortunately, no one was injured. Yang Yifan assigned Xie Shuhong to clean up the lab, and through this she met the talented Wu Tianbai. She was drawn to his wit and humor.

Meng Fuchao, an official from the Shanghai Circuit, met privately with Liang Xiang and gave him a sum as an intelligence fee, asking him to report the activities of the rebel factions every two months. Liang Xiang was now faced with his first choice. At the Shanghai Girls’ School, Cheng Zhaofang gave a lecture on gender equality and free marriage. Xie Shuhong was completely absorbed in the class.

Afterward, she wanted to ask Cheng Zhaofang for his notes, but he said he delivered the lecture entirely from memory and had no handouts. However, he gave her his business card and said he had several books specifically about women's issues that she could borrow.

Sulfuric acid was running low, so Wu Tianbai went to the British Pharmacy in the foreign concession to purchase more. He disguised himself as a Japanese man and invited Xie Shuhong to wear a kimono and accompany him, thinking it would make them more convincing. Li Renjun also had Japanese yen on hand—Liang Xiang guessed it was given to him by Meng Fuchao.

Li Renjun told him to stop staring at him; among the three of them, Yang Kaizhi was the richest. Yesterday, Li Renjun saw him bring back a stack of yen—at least 2,000. While waiting for the ship to arrive, Liang Xiang and the others had to study basic Japanese. He discovered a pattern: Japanese often lacks full sentence structure, but by simply adding "I want to" to the front, one could piece together a complete phrase in almost any situation.

Wu Tianbai successfully bought 2,000 milliliters of sulfuric acid. Since Xie Shuhong couldn’t speak Japanese, Wu Tianbai had to shield her from being found out. A Japanese woman asked Xie Shuhong something, but she couldn’t understand and stayed silent, letting Wu Tianbai handle it. Xie Shuhong greatly admired Wu Tianbai for his fluency in both Japanese and English and learned a phrase in Japanese from him.

There were now three officially enrolled female students at the girls’ school, and they shared a dormitory with Xie Shuhong. Yang Yifan asked Xie Shuhong to look after them and to go to General Manager Xu if she needed anything. But Xie Shuhong was clearly distracted, and Yang Yifan looked at her with deep concern in his eyes. Liang Xiang was tasked with passing on a message to Prince Chun, asking him to attend a banquet hosted by Song Baoquan.

Unable to decline, Liang Xiang agreed. Prince Chun did meet with him, but when he learned Liang Xiang was there for the banquet, he interrupted before Liang Xiang could speak, telling him not to mention that wretched banquet again. Prince Chun had never left his residence since childhood. Ever since his elder brother became Emperor Guangxu, he had lived with extreme caution. On this trip to Germany, people flattered him endlessly simply because of his identity as Prince Chun.

But Zai Feng said he was himself, and Emperor Guangxu was Emperor Guangxu. He would never attend the lavish and wasteful banquet hosted by Song Baoquan. He warned Liang Xiang not to tell Song Baoquan that he wouldn’t be coming—he’d rather watch Song Baoquan drain his own silver reserves throwing that extravagant banquet.

When Song Baoquan heard that Prince Chun would be attending, he was so pleased that he immediately had Da Ren from the Chamber of Commerce start making arrangements—the more extravagant, the better. Wu Tianbai had finished preparing the explosives. He planned to sneak into the banquet held by the Shanghai circuit official at Yipinxiang for Prince Chun, then detonate the bomb and assassinate the visiting prince. He needed an accomplice.

Upon hearing that Wu Tianbai intended to recruit Xie Shuhong, Yang Yifan was the first to object. Wu Tianbai was unfazed and suggested that Yang Yifan ask Xie Shuhong for her own opinion. Yang Yifan went to question Xie Shuhong. From her reaction, he could tell she was already involved with Wu Tianbai. Furious, Yang Yifan, knowing full well that Wu Tianbai was a reckless man, immediately told Xie Shuhong to buy a ticket and return to Anqing, Anhui.

Before leaving, Xie Shuhong went to Cheng Zhaofang’s place to get some books, but Cheng Zhaofang wasn’t there—Wu Tianbai was. He stopped her and began a persuasive ideological pitch, convincing her to stay and join them. Naive and blinded by love, Xie Shuhong foolishly agreed. Yang Yifan later learned from General Manager Xu that Wu Tianbai had booked two ship tickets to Tokyo, Japan. Possibly fearing the consequences would implicate the school, he planned to escape.

But one ticket would’ve been enough—why two? Yang Yifan assumed Xie Shuhong had already left Shanghai, so he didn’t think much of it. Even though Prince Chun would not attend the banquet, the show had to go on. Wu Tianbai mistakenly believed Prince Chun would be present and showed up with Xie Shuhong as planned. At the banquet, Xie Shuhong saw Song Baoquan’s concubine. The two recognized each other, and Song’s concubine looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Wu Tianbai greeted Song Baoquan and his wife with Xie Shuhong by his side. Xie Shuhong stood stiffly—she knew the concubine had recognized her, so much so that she didn’t dare lift her head when greeting them. Soon after, Song's concubine told Song Baoquan about Xie Shuhong's identity. The banquet was packed with people. Wu Tianbai tried to calm Xie Shuhong, telling her not to be nervous.

He had placed explosives in her bag, waiting for Prince Chun to appear so he could detonate it. But Prince Chun never showed—his former superior, the Governor of Jiangsu, appeared instead. Wu Tianbai told Xie Shuhong to go wait by the carriage, then went up to the Jiangsu Governor himself, striking up a conversation. He learned that Prince Chun looked down on such banquets and would not show up at all.

With nothing left to lose, Wu Tianbai, under the guise of a hug, strapped the explosive-laden bag to the Governor and pulled the safety pin. The area was instantly filled with thick smoke and chaos. Wu Tianbai escaped, got into the carriage, and took Xie Shuhong to the Sixteenth Wharf. What Wu Tianbai didn’t know was that the bomb he had meticulously prepared never went off.

Song’s concubine was stunned by what happened and realized Xie Shuhong had to be involved. Wu Tianbai and Xie Shuhong rushed to the wharf, where Yang Yifan, on behalf of General Manager Xu, brought them two ship tickets. Just as Yang Yifan had suspected, Xie Shuhong hadn’t left Shanghai but had instead gotten involved with Wu Tianbai again. At the moment, escaping was most important, so Yang Yifan urged Wu Tianbai to take good care of Xie Shuhong.

If Xie Shuhong encountered trouble in Tokyo, she could write to the address on the note. With tears in her eyes, Xie Shuhong looked just like a little sister who had done something wrong. Because of a single bed, Liang Xiang and Yang Kaizhi got into an argument. Li Renjun's arrival helped ease the tense atmosphere. Wu Tianbai believed what he was doing was to awaken the people.

Now that Xie Shuhong was on the ship, they had no choice but to share the same fate. Meals were provided on board. After settling in, the three of them went to the dining hall. Although the waiters were Japanese, they spoke fluent Chinese, which made the trio—struggling with broken Japanese—look quite foolish. At the dining hall, Liang Xiang noticed Xie Shuhong and gave her several glances.

Wu Tianbai was seasick, so Xie Shuhong went to the dining hall to fetch him some miso soup. Then he asked for bread. When Xie Shuhong went out to wash clothes, she happened to run into Yang Kaizhi, who had bread in his hand. She asked him a few questions, and Yang Kaizhi readily gave her the bread and even offered to deliver it to her room.

But when he entered and saw a man there, assuming it was Xie Shuhong’s husband, his face fell, completely crestfallen. Liang Xiang was unaware of Wu Tianbai’s presence. In the laundry room, he voluntarily helped Xie Shuhong with her clothes. After drying them, he brought them back to her room, where Wu Tianbai called him out. Wu Tianbai claimed to know Takagi Sakuzō, the principal of the Japanese Army Military Academy.

Although Liang Xiang had never heard of Takagi Sakuzō, he was immediately full of respect for Wu Tianbai’s knowledge. When Wu Tianbai asked for Liang Xiang’s name, he instantly realized Liang Xiang was a bannerman. The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward, and Liang Xiang quickly excused himself. He didn’t understand why people cared so much about his imperial background. Li Renjun said that the reason the nation had reached its current state was largely because of the imperial clan.

To avoid airing family scandals in public, Song Baoquan told his concubine that Xie Shuhong had nothing to do with the Song family and that this matter should never be mentioned again. After several days at sea, they arrived in Tokyo, Japan. Before disembarking, Wu Tianbai said something that made Xie Shuhong cry—so loudly that the military students in the hallway heard her. Because of this, after disembarking, Liang Xiang began to pay more attention to Xie Shuhong.

There are many Chinese students studying abroad in Tokyo, with the highest concentration in the Kanda area. Wu Tianbai was clearly very familiar with Tokyo—it was obvious this wasn’t his first time fleeing there. He took Xie Shuhong directly to a place called Songzhu and chatted warmly with the proprietress, settling into one of the rooms. Tokyo was not like Shanghai, and Wu Tianbai told Xie Shuhong she would have to learn to cook for herself.

The money he brought could cover three months’ rent, but beyond that, he had no idea what would happen. After saying this, Wu Tianbai left, claiming he had to meet some old friends in Tokyo, leaving Xie Shuhong alone. Xie Shuhong was the second daughter of the Kaiwentang pen shop, someone who had never done any chores in her life—cooking was out of the question. She couldn’t speak Japanese either, and everything in Japan felt unfamiliar and overwhelming.

She crouched down and burst into tears, frightening the proprietress who had come to deliver some books. The proprietress didn’t understand Chinese and quickly called over a Chinese student to interpret. Wu Tianbai returned very late. In Tokyo, he was the only person Xie Shuhong could talk to. But all Wu Tianbai cared about were his so-called revolution and ideals—he had no regard for her feelings. At this moment, Xie Shuhong was full of guilt.

Not only had she failed to bring honor to her parents in the eyes of the neighbors, but now she had also gotten involved with a rebel like Wu Tianbai, dragging her parents and siblings into trouble. At Seijo Preparatory School in Tokyo, all the military students underwent basic physical examinations and each received a uniform. Their supervising officer was Hirata Ichiro, who was in charge of the Chinese military students studying in Japan.

Over the next six months, these students would undertake preparatory training here, cutting all ties with their past lives. From now on, they had only one identity—recruits. While Wu Tianbai was passionately discussing ideas with his friends, Xie Shuhong returned from grocery shopping and had to figure out how to cook. The whole courtyard filled with thick smoke. After some guests complained, the proprietress gently brought it up with Wu Tianbai, who then told Xie Shuhong to stop cooking.

From then on, they would continue eating meals prepared by the proprietress. Three months later, at the camp of the internship regiment on the outskirts of Tokyo, Yang Kaizhi and Li Renjun came to find Liang Xiang. In the first three months, they hadn’t learned anything. Liang Xiang had been in charge of feeding pigs, while Yang Kaizhi washed dishes in the cafeteria and Li Renjun stoked the fires at the bathhouse.

The two wanted Liang Xiang to join them in meeting the regiment commander, but Liang Xiang refused. Knowing full well that drinking was forbidden in the regiment, Li Renjun still brought alcohol, putting Liang Xiang on high alert. Just then, Sergeant Yamashita arrived. Liang Xiang quickly told them to escape through the window. Smelling the alcohol, Sergeant Yamashita attacked Liang Xiang without hesitation. Fortunately, Li Renjun and Yang Kaizhi hadn’t actually left.

They stepped in to help Liang Xiang, and Li Renjun, who knew martial arts, defeated Sergeant Yamashita. The regiment commander stormed in with armed soldiers, pointing their guns at the three of them. He ordered them to be tied up and locked in the confinement room. Sergeant Yamashita got a slap in the face, and the commander angrily scolded him for disgracing the Emperor of Japan.

The commander didn’t want to keep these three students, but Hirata Ichiro pleaded on their behalf, and the commander reluctantly agreed. However, he warned that if they violated the rules again, they would be expelled immediately. Liang Xiang came up with a solution—he requested that news of his misconduct be reported to his guardian in Japan, Duke Ayakura of the Japanese imperial family. Hearing the name, the regiment commander was stunned. Duke Ayakura took Liang Xiang back to his residence and, during dinner, began teaching him the rules of the Japanese military—especially the absolute obedience required toward a superior’s orders.

Liang Xiang returned to the regiment in the duke’s car and happened to see Xie Shuhong walking down the street. She had just pawned some jewelry and was on her way back. Wu Tianbai had said he would be away for three to five days and had taken most of the money Xie Shuhong got from pawning the jewelry. As for rent and food, Wu Tianbai told her to delay payment for a few days until he returned.

Xie Shuhong learned from the proprietress that this wasn’t the first or second time Wu Tianbai had skipped out on rent and meals—this time was likely no different. Troubled by the proprietress’s words, Xie Shuhong couldn’t sleep. Later that evening, the proprietress brought wine and sat with her to chat about Wu Tianbai.

The proprietress said she had liked Wu Tianbai and was drawn to his charisma, so she never charged him when he used to stay there—but Wu Tianbai never liked her in return. For several days, there was no news of Wu Tianbai. Xie Shuhong went out looking for work, but the wages offered were always too low. As a fellow woman, the proprietress sympathized with her and said she wouldn’t kick her out.

If Xie Shuhong felt uncomfortable about staying for free, she could help clean guest rooms or assist in the kitchen. The proprietress left food for Xie Shuhong in her room. As she ate, tears streamed down her face. At the regiment, the sow Liang Xiang had been raising successfully gave birth to eleven piglets. Sergeant Yamashita announced that starting tomorrow, Liang Xiang would officially join infantry squad training and no longer have to feed pigs.

The infantry training was far more intense than he had expected. After a 24-kilometer march, Liang Xiang was utterly exhausted and had no strength left during field exercises, while the other Japanese soldiers had already finished digging their trenches. Sergeant Yamashita told Liang Xiang to go ask Yang Kaizhi for advice and figure out what went wrong.

Liang Xiang approached Yang Kaizhi, who explained that the spots assigned by their sergeant were much easier to dig, while the area assigned by Sergeant Yamashita to Liang Xiang might have been rocky terrain. Liang Xiang received a letter from his mother in China, which he read with great care. Though life was hard for Xie Shuhong, she didn’t give up.

Day after day, she continued searching for work until she finally met a benefactor—Cai Guangqi—who helped her secure a job at Songyuntang Stationery Shop with a daily wage of thirty-five yuan. That evening, Wu Tianbai returned. When he found out Xie Shuhong had gotten a high-paying job, he suspected she was being deceived and refused to let her go to work.

But Xie Shuhong no longer listened to him—she had been deceived by him too many times and had developed immunity. Wu Tianbai tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Knowing Xie Shuhong was also awake, he spoke to her through the door. Wu Tianbai was an idealist, passionate about revolution, believing that China was undergoing an unprecedented upheaval. There was nothing wrong with that, but his revolution had no footing in China’s current reality.

Xie Shuhong, on the other hand, was more grounded. She needed to first solve her immediate struggles to survive before she could find the time and energy to understand the revolution Wu Tianbai so often talked about. After some time of training, Sergeant Yamashita and Sergeant Kawashima discussed and decided to select three Chinese military students to compete with three soldiers from the Inukai regiment in a shooting contest.

Liang Xiang was responsible for picking the other two, and as expected, he chose Li Renjun and Yang Kaizhi. In the end, Liang Xiang’s team won the contest, and the three of them stood taller with pride. During their evening break, while bathing, Yang Kaizhi suggested they go out and relax. A few court officials who had just returned from the Osaka Industrial Exposition wanted to meet Liang Xiang. That Yang Kaizhi actually knew officials surprised Liang Xiang.

Leading the group was Prince Qing's son, Beile Zai Zhen, followed by the Chinese minister to Japan. Although Liang Xiang had come to Japan as a military student by taking over the quota originally assigned to Prince Qing's family, he didn’t know Beile Zai Zhen at all and had no intention of getting close to him. He went to a small restaurant to eat by himself. Li Renjun didn’t go either; he went with Liang Xiang to the restaurant.

Yang Kaizhi had made his own bed, so he could lie in it himself. Liang Xiang truly didn’t understand why Yang Kaizhi wanted to get involved in court affairs. Li Renjun told him that Yang Kaizhi was not only connected with court officials, but also had dealings with Liang Qichao. Just last month, Yang Kaizhi had tried to take Li Renjun to meet Liang Qichao, but since Li Renjun was aligned with Yuan Shikai, he naturally refused.

Even back in Shanghai, Yang Kaizhi had already been blacklisted by the court. Somehow, he had managed to get close to the Governor-General of Liangjiang and had the backing of Song Baoquan, the Vice President of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. Without that support, Yang Kaizhi wouldn’t have been able to qualify as a military student in Japan.

Liang Xiang didn’t want to meet Beile Zai Zhen, but to his surprise, Yang Kaizhi brought Zai Zhen to the small restaurant to find him and even brought the funds his father had entrusted him to give Liang Xiang as a means to win him over as a military talent. Beile Zai Zhen told Liang Xiang that from now on, he should consider himself a future military leader of the court.

The court needed fresh military talent, and Prince Qing needed him. —On her first day, Xie Shuhong reported to the Wan Shan Toy Store and then began her work. The first person she looked for was Mr. Zhu Wentong, an elderly man with graying beard and sideburns. He was initially unwilling to draw anymore, but Xie Shuhong had a sweet tongue and some background in painting and calligraphy. She praised Mr.

Zhu’s crane painting endlessly, and he agreed with a smile to paint another one. Liang Xiang was performing well in the Inukai Regiment, but his brow was clouded with worry. When Duke Ayakura asked about it, Liang Xiang said his mother’s asthma had flared up again. Duke Ayakura thought for a moment and said that Liang Xiang’s mother could come stay in Tokyo for a month or two—he happened to know a doctor who specialized in treating asthma.

Liang Xiang then asked Zhu Laixi to buy a ship ticket for his mother. He arranged for her to stay at Songlin, in a room diagonally across from Wu Tianbai and Xie Shuhong. Soon after, Liang Xiang’s mother arrived in Tokyo, and Liang Xiang settled her into Songlin before returning to the regiment that night—he had to go on a training exercise the next day.

There were many Japanese people living in Songlin, which would make things easier for his mother in the future. The next day, Liang Xiang’s mother saw that Xie Shuhong was Chinese and asked her to help bring over breakfast. She also looked for a small stool, but the proprietress Daizi said it couldn’t be used. So Liang Xiang’s mother quietly asked Xie Shuhong in Chinese whether she could sit on it after Daizi left. Xie Shuhong couldn’t help but laugh.

—Wu Tianbai wanted to counterfeit money and tried to persuade Xie Shuhong, who worked at the stationery shop, to find a top-notch fine-line painter to recreate the figure designs on the banknotes. Xie Shuhong was swayed by his words and began to waver. During the holidays, Liang Xiang took his mother to the hospital. Just as he was about to pay the bill, he learned that Duke Ayakura had already paid for everything.

Liang Xiang’s mother had no problems with her lungs, but smoking could trigger asthma attacks, so the doctor advised her to quit smoking. Liang Xiang’s mother asked Xie Shuhong to buy meat for her. As she was helping stoke the fire to cook the meat, Liang Xiang arrived, and Xie Shuhong left when she saw him. Liang Xiang explained to his mother that he had met Xie Shuhong on the ship.

He said Xie Shuhong and Wu Tianbai were quite sensitive about his imperial family background, but his mother didn’t mind. The military students gathered at Songlin, creating a lively atmosphere. Xie Shuhong delivered the payment for Mr. Zhu Wentong from Wan Shan Stationery. Following up on his painting, she asked if he could paint the portrait for a banknote. When Mr. Zhu learned that she was asking on behalf of revolutionaries, he repeatedly said it was a pity. Then he returned the payment to Xie Shuhong, saying it was a donation to the revolutionary party.

Wu Tianbai’s revolutionary reasoning and emotions didn’t work on everyone. He kept going on by himself, so Xie Shuhong simply went to fetch water to wash his feet. Liang Xiang’s mother brought some plain boiled pork for Xie Shuhong to eat. The next day, when Xie Shuhong went to return the plate, she didn’t see Liang Xiang’s mother but instead ran into a well-dressed Liang Xiang.

She learned that he had just completed his enlistment training and bid farewell to the Inukai Regiment, ending his half-year period as a new recruit. Liang Xiang’s mother was quite fond of Xie Shuhong. Plus, the landlady mentioned that Xie Shuhong and Wu Tianbai were teacher and student—they lived together but each had their own room—so she thought it might be possible between her son and Xie Shuhong. Liang Xiang hurriedly told his mother not to play matchmaker.

Nine out of ten people in Tokyo were revolutionaries, and who knew—maybe one day he would change too. Hearing this, his mother’s expression changed immediately, and Liang Xiang quickly tried to smooth things over. As soon as enlistment training ended, Yang Kaizhi cut off his braid. Liang Xiang and Li Renjun refused to cut theirs. Instructor Hirata Ichiro said that their upcoming studies had nothing to do with hair length—it was just a joke, and everyone laughed.

Hirata Ichiro was in charge of teaching horseback riding to all the military students. Yang Kaizhi had never learned to ride before and didn’t know how to handle the reins. Once he got on the horse, he fell off, injuring both himself and the horse. —Liang Xiang used a traditional Bannerman healing method to treat him—treating the person first and then the horse. Both treatments involved ritual prayer.

Li Renjun watched in astonishment as the injured horse, during Liang Xiang’s ritual, voluntarily walked out of the stable—clearly already healed. Yang Kaizhi’s leg also recovered for the most part, with only a slight lingering pain. When Hirata Ichiro learned that it was Liang Xiang who had helped both the man and the horse recover quickly, he admitted that Liang Xiang’s ancestors were quite extraordinary—but said such things didn’t work anymore. Liang Xiang was upset and troubled by this.

His mother comforted him, saying that while such words sounded harsh from others, he shouldn’t mind being scolded a little. Liang Xiang needed the determination to endure hardship and persevere. Before going to Duke Ayakura’s residence, Liang Xiang went to Songyuntang to commission a large painting by Cai Guangqi. He had just left when Xie Shuhong returned after picking up a landscape painting.

The boss of Wanshan told her about Liang Xiang’s request and even showed her the sketch Liang Xiang had drawn to convey his requirements. The painting wasn’t cheap, so Xie Shuhong asked for a raise. The boss of Wanshan happily agreed. —At Duke Ayakura’s residence, mother and son had a meal. The duchess took off the jade bracelet on her wrist and asked Liang Xiang’s mother whether it was from the palace.

One glance, and Liang Xiang’s mother said it wasn’t. The duchess looked embarrassed and quietly slipped the bracelet under the cushion. On the way back, Liang Xiang’s mother didn’t say a word. The truth was, that jade bracelet was from the palace. Japan had taken many things from China and still claimed cultural kinship—there was no way she could acknowledge it. Wu Tianbai had a Japanese technician draw the ten-yuan note issued by the China Commercial Bank.

His counterfeiting plan was about to be set in motion. The only state-run Chinese-capital bank was losing money. A Japanese bank offered to invest, but Sheng Xuanhuai refused. Da Ren wanted to persuade Song Baoquan to talk Sheng Xuanhuai into agreeing, but Song Baoquan believed Sheng Xuanhuai was right. Someone from the Yokohama Specie Bank found Wanshan and specifically asked for counterfeit Chinese banknotes. Wanshan claimed that another customer had the same idea.

The other party cut straight to the point, saying there was no such customer—Wanshan just wanted to raise the price. As long as the price wasn’t outrageously high, the Yokohama Specie Bank could accept it.

Liang Xiang received a notice to report to the military academy's kendo dojo. He changed into a kendo uniform and sparred with Hirata Ichiro. Hirata Ichiro believed that traditional Chinese soldiers neither had exaggerated masculine traits nor a culture of dueling. Their ideal was the Confucian general. He told Liang Xiang to abandon this notion, as the First Sino-Japanese War had already proven that the Confucian general was useless. From now on, Hirata Ichiro would teach Liang Xiang Japanese swordsmanship.

Yang Kaizhi said he would take Liang Xiang to Tokyo Imperial University the next day, where a group of interesting people wanted to meet him. At first, Liang Xiang wasn’t interested—until Yang Kaizhi mentioned a wealthy young lady from Korea. At that, Liang Xiang immediately perked up and agreed to go to Tokyo Imperial University with him the next day.

But when he sat in the classroom and listened to the professor's lecture for a while, Liang Xiang considered it reactionary and left without saying a word to Yang Kaizhi. Yang Kaizhi told the professor about Liang Xiang’s aversion to revolutionary propaganda. The professor asked him to continue working on Liang Xiang’s thinking, as recruiting a young noble from the Qing imperial family to the revolution would be extremely valuable.

The wealthy Korean girl Yang Kaizhi mentioned did exist—her name was Lee Joo-hee. Some students saw Liang Xiang being picked up by a Japanese duke’s carriage and suspected the duke had ulterior motives for getting close to a Qing noble. Yang Kaizhi believed that if someone like Liang Xiang were to become a key figure in the Qing government, then China under Qing rule would surely bow to Japan.

He proposed that the student association publish a revolutionary journal to clearly express their stance, highlight their cause, and unify their ideology. Everyone unanimously agreed. Liang Xiang went to the Wanshan stationery store to pick up the painting and unexpectedly saw Xie Shuhong working there. Both were surprised. Liang Xiang was generous and paid 1,700 yen in full. When she got home, Xie Shuhong told Wu Tianbai that it was Liang Xiang who had bought the large painting.

Wu Tianbai told her to find a chance to invite Liang Xiang over—he wanted to rally all the military students to the revolutionary cause. Liang Xiang delivered the painting to Duke Ayakura’s residence. The duke’s daughter seemed to like him. Realizing this, Liang Xiang quickly made up an excuse and left. At the officer school, there was a clear distinction between Japanese and Chinese military students.

Liang Xiang questioned and challenged this treatment, but Instructor Hirata said that in the Japanese army, there were no explanations. In the heat of the moment, Liang Xiang blurted out a comment that angered Hirata, who ordered him to report to the kendo dojo in one hour. Liang Xiang was a Bannerman, raised as a soldier from birth, and had a foundation in martial arts—so naturally, he was also skilled in swordsmanship.

Hirata Ichiro allowed him to use any technique he could to win, but a coach is still a coach—Hirata defeated Liang Xiang. Afterward, he explained Liang Xiang’s doubts: the Japanese would never teach others all their winning techniques. In other words, they would never give their all when teaching Chinese military students. Back in the dorm, everyone worried that Liang Xiang had been badly beaten by Hirata. Just then, Liang Xiang stormed in, furious—but still rational.

The military was not like school—petitions and strikes were absolutely unacceptable. Since that was the case, they would have to learn whatever the officer school was willing to teach, and learn it better than the Japanese students. Xie Shuhong had a meal at Liang Xiang’s home. Liang Xiang’s mother treated her very well, subtly asking about her background and why she came to Tokyo. Aside from the last question, which Xie Shuhong avoided answering, she responded to all the others.

Counterfeit banknotes suddenly appeared in Shanghai. Da Ren rushed to report the matter to Song Baoquan. What had happened in the morning was already known to all the money houses in Shanghai by the afternoon, throwing the public into panic. They brought all the China Commercial Bank’s notes and demanded immediate redemption in silver. Song Baoquan hurriedly told Da Ren to notify Sheng Xuanhuai. Then his concubine also came in, flustered, and told him that not only had ten-yuan counterfeits appeared, but there were now five-yuan fakes as well.

A large group gathered in front of the Tongshang Bank, demanding silver redemption. Da Ren finally brought good news: Chairman Sheng Xuanhuai had sent a telegram from Beijing. He had already contacted several Western banks such as HSBC and Citibank, and these banks would help Tongshang Bank through the crisis. If the bank’s cash reserves were insufficient, they could borrow from the Western banks.

The counterfeit currency wave in Shanghai was executed by Wu Tianbai in collaboration with the Japanese underworld group Black Tiger Society and Wanshan. However, Wanshan later violated the agreement, unilaterally printing and distributing the fake notes, making a fortune in the process. It wasn’t until this morning that Wanshan found out Xie Shuhong was living with Wu Tianbai. He asked Xie Shuhong to take the first share of the profits back to Wu Tianbai.

Wu Tianbai felt extremely proud of his counterfeit currency plan. Since Tongshang Bank was the only state-run bank under the Qing government, he believed that striking it was equivalent to striking the Qing government itself. However, he was furious with Wanshan’s actions, feeling as though his original idea had been plagiarized and stolen. Through analysis, it was determined that the domestic market was incapable of producing counterfeit bills of such quality.

The biggest beneficiary of the counterfeit currency wave was Japan, so it was certain that the culprits in Shanghai were Japanese. These fake bills were most likely from Toyo in Japan. With help from British staff at HSBC, the foreign settlement police quickly apprehended four Japanese ronin, who confessed that they had smuggled the counterfeit bills from Tokyo to Shanghai.

Subsequently, the police also seized a warehouse stocked with large amounts of counterfeit bills and firearms, which led them to trace the source back to Japan. When Wu Tianbai saw the news in the morning paper, he immediately dragged Xie Shuhong to move out. Madam Liang saw them leaving in a rush, unable to say a word, and her suspicions grew even deeper.

Not long after Wu Tianbai and Xie Shuhong left, Japanese soldiers came to the Matsubayashi residence to arrest someone. Finding no one, they confiscated all the items Wu Tianbai had left behind. Duke Ayakura intended to cultivate a Chinese military leader who would be friendly toward Japan, so his care for Liang Xiang far exceeded what a guardian should do. He even introduced many important figures to Liang Xiang. Duke Ayakura invited Mr. Cai Guangqi to attend a dinner party.

Liang Xiang took the initiative to greet Mr. Cai and asked about Xie Shuhong’s whereabouts. Wu Tianbai took Xie Shuhong and fled to Osaka, Japan, where they lived in poverty. Wu Tianbai traded his leather shoes for ten yen, but local thugs robbed him and beat him severely. Xie Shuhong came to his aid and drove the thugs away. She then found work at a tailor shop and began learning how to make clothes.

When Wu Tianbai heard the boss was an old man, he immediately suspected him of having bad intentions, just like last time, and flatly refused to let Xie Shuhong go learn tailoring. But Xie Shuhong made a reasonable argument, and since Wu Tianbai wasn’t unreasonable, he fell silent and quietly helped her repair the old sewing machine. Xie Shuhong started working at the tailor shop. Wu Tianbai was uneasy and secretly went to check on her several times.

That evening, Xie Shuhong returned home and told him that she had successfully helped the boss sell four sets of clothing. Yoshino, the shop owner, was pleased and officially hired her, even giving her a half-month salary in advance. Yoshino had started teaching her how to cut fabric and told her to replicate a piece exactly. Wu Tianbai, being skilled with his hands, helped her cut the fabric into all the necessary parts of the clothing in just one night. The boss was very impressed with her skills and praised her, saying she would be able to take on jobs independently in less than half a month.

Xie Shuhong had a beautiful face and figure, which caught the eye of Boss Yoshino. He made her a model for trying on new clothes and photographing them for a housewives’ fashion magazine. Yang Yifan arrived in Tokyo, Japan, bringing with him a sum of money from businessmen to support the revolutionary group in Tokyo. A member of the group mentioned that the recent counterfeit currency turmoil in Shanghai was related to Wu Tianbai.

Yang Yifan had also heard that Wu Tianbai was hiding in Osaka, but he had no one to help him find Wu Tianbai, so he went to the Army Officer Academy to seek help from Yang Kaizhi, who turned out to be his cousin. Boss Yoshino, though an old man, coveted Xie Shuhong’s beauty. However, he still maintained some decency and didn’t take any inappropriate actions.

He simply spoke bluntly, stating that he was a widower and wanted to find a woman to help him run the shop and become his wife. Yoshino said he could dress Xie Shuhong in the trendiest clothes from the shop, feature her in fashion magazines, and easily make big money. Yoshino wasn’t in a hurry for an answer—Xie Shuhong could take the night to think it over and give him a reply the next day.

Back at their place, Xie Shuhong looked distressed. Wu Tianbai sensed something was wrong and pressed her for the reason. Xie Shuhong told him that Yoshino wanted her to marry him. Wu Tianbai naturally objected and immediately threw the cut fabric aside. The next day, Xie Shuhong simply didn’t go to work.

A week later, Yang Kaizhi went to Yoshino’s clothing shop to inquire about Xie Shuhong’s whereabouts, but not only did he fail to get any information, he was also threatened by the boss into handing over 200 yen. Later, Yang Kaizhi finally found Xie Shuhong, who was selling flowers, and through her, he met with Wu Tianbai, conveyed Yang Yifan’s message, and gave Wu Tianbai some money.

On this trip, Yang Kaizhi was also to take Xie Shuhong back to Tokyo. After the incident in Shanghai, the Shanghai authorities had gone to Anqing in Anhui. Xie Shuhong’s sister, Xie Xueqing, had a miscarriage from the fright. Because their father had good connections in Anqing, the investigation by the Shanghai authorities was brushed off and not pursued further. The Xie family’s stationery shop was still operating, but business was no longer as good as before.

Xie’s father entrusted Yang Yifan with a sum of money, hoping that Xie Shuhong would not return to China and instead stay in Tokyo to study. Yang Yifan had already arranged for her to enroll at Aoyama Practical Women’s School, and the principal had agreed to admit her. Soon, Xie Shuhong ended her wandering life with Wu Tianbai and took a train with Yang Kaizhi to Tokyo, Japan.

Officer Gu Maichen came from a farming family and had always felt inferior. Hirata Ichiro mercilessly reprimanded and humiliated him in front of everyone, which stirred strong resentment in Gu Maichen’s heart. Liang Xiang comforted him, and then Li Renjun took Gu Maichen to the red-light district to restore his confidence. Hirata found out Liang Xiang was trying to win people over and issued a reprimand about the matter.

Unexpectedly, Gu Maichen, after drinking heavily, rushed at Hirata Ichiro with a gun, intending to kill him. Liang Xiang held him down tightly. The bullet missed Hirata, but Liang Xiang’s hand was cut by the blade on the gun. The school expelled Gu Maichen, reducing the number of Chinese military students from 52 to 51.

Wu Tianbai secretly came to Tokyo with the intent of meeting a few people, but he had no money, so he went to the girls’ school to find Xie Shuhong. Xie Shuhong gave him some money. Their whispering exchange had already been noticed from a distance by Principal Shimoda Utako. Yang Kaizhi introduced Lee Ju-hee, daughter of a wealthy Korean merchant, to Liang Xiang and Li Renjun. Not only Lee Ju-hee but also his cousin Yang Yifan were present. However, they were unaware that they were already being watched.

The five of them chatted and drank in a private room. Yang Yifan expressed his disapproval of China’s imperial examination system. Afraid that Liang Xiang might detect Yang Kaizhi’s political stance, Yang Kaizhi quickly changed the subject. After the gathering ended, as they walked to the entrance to take a carriage, a few men suddenly rushed out and pinned them down without warning. Liang Xiang turned around and questioned who they were, and the other party claimed to be from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Liang Xiang immediately fell silent.

The four of them were detained at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, held in the same room, where they discussed reform. Yang Yifan advocated for shifting from the mandate of heaven to following the will of the people. Liang Xiang steered the topic toward cultural and military reforms: the former referring to legal reforms and the latter to revolution. So, which one did Yang Yifan support? Yang Yifan didn’t answer directly and tossed the question back to Liang Xiang. As for Liang Xiang, he believed military reform was not viable and that China could only undergo gradual reform.

The Tokyo police required them to find guarantors for bail before they could be released. Yang Yifan asked Xie Shuhong to be his guarantor. Since the others were from the military academy, their guarantor was naturally Instructor Hirata Ichiro. Hirata Ichiro and Xie Shuhong arrived at the police station almost at the same time. When Liang Xiang saw Xie Shuhong again, he was extremely surprised, and his own predicament made him feel ashamed. After meeting Xie Shuhong’s gaze, he quickly looked away.

Hirata Ichiro returned and scolded the three of them, then kept Liang Xiang behind alone. He knew Liang Xiang was taking the blame for someone else and was willing to hear his explanation. Liang Xiang was puzzled as to why the Tokyo police, clearly knowing that only one Chinese man had dealings with a Korean woman, still implicated his classmates. Hirata Ichiro explained it was because they weren’t wearing uniforms at the time and were still sporting ridiculous queues. Liang Xiang said no more, stormed back to the dormitory, and, ignoring Yang Kaizhi and Li Renjun’s attempts to stop him, resolutely cut off his braid.

Hirata didn’t fully understand the effort needed to reshape the Chinese spirit, so he went to visit Duke Ayakura. After a conversation, Hirata took the duke’s teachings to heart. Lee Ju-hee transferred from the University of Tokyo to Aoyama Practical Women’s School, where she met Xie Shuhong, who was also studying there.

Wu Tianbai was tricked into coming by the owner of the Yokohama Specie Bank, who discovered that the check Wu had pledged to the bank was forged. Wu Tianbai was severely beaten and almost lost his life. Only then did he confess that the forged check was made by Wanshan from the Black Tiger Society. The bank owner let him go and even expressed willingness to invest in revolutionaries like Wu Tianbai.

Upon learning that Xie Shuhong knew Yang Kaizhi, and that Yang Kaizhi’s cousin was Xie Shuhong’s brother-in-law Yang Yifan, Lee Ju-hee was delighted and took Xie Shuhong to sneak out of school for a meal. Wu Tianbai arranged to meet Wanshan, but Wanshan didn’t trust him and specifically requested to speak with Xie Shuhong, and no money was to change hands between them.

When Xie Shuhong and Lee Ju-hee returned, Principal Shimoda Utako had already been waiting for them for two hours. Shimoda Utako spoke to Xie Shuhong privately and said that the security police had come, and there was nothing she could do—Xie Shuhong had to be expelled. Just then, Wu Tianbai came to find her, waiting at the school gate. Carrying her luggage, Xie Shuhong followed Wu Tianbai back, dejected.

Xie Shuhong moved back in with Wu Tianbai, and both of them were secretly happy. With Xie Shuhong acting as a go-between, Wanshan readily agreed to cooperate with Wu Tianbai and decided to take over the pastry shop below Wu Tianbai’s place and turn it into a stationery store to distribute for him. Wanshan had already drawn up the agreement and was just waiting for Xie Shuhong to sign it.

The agreement drafted by Wanshan was ready; as long as Xie Shuhong was willing, she could sign it immediately. After the incident at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, although Lee Ju-hee had been transferred to Aoyama Practical Women’s School, Yang Kaizhi had not cut off contact with her and continued writing letters. Yang Kaizhi warned Li Renjun not to tell Liang Xiang about this, or Liang Xiang would give him another long-winded lecture.

Yang Yifan met with Yang Kaizhi and asked if he was still entangled with Lee Ju-hee. Yang Kaizhi lied and denied it. Yang Yifan believed Liang Xiang was a talent worth winning over. Yang Kaizhi candidly said that the Qing Dynasty was grooming Liang Xiang to become a military leader for the court. Judging by this, it wasn’t Yang Kaizhi who needed to win over Liang Xiang—it was the other way around.

Not just for him; anyone short on money would receive financial aid from Liang Xiang. Previously, Liang Xiang had cut off his queue, something unheard of among the imperial clan descendants. Yang Yifan told Yang Kaizhi that if Liang Xiang wanted to recruit him, he should follow Liang Xiang—this was the best opportunity to infiltrate from within. At the library, Liang Xiang was reading, often observed by Hirata Ichiro, who advised him to learn from his mistakes.

Yang Yifan went to the shop and went upstairs to meet Wu Tianbai. Wu Tianbai remained a steadfast revolutionary, committed to overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and sabotaging its rule. But Yang Yifan took a broader view, believing that what kind of country should be built after the fall of the Qing was even more important. Due to her concealed identity, Wu Tianbai suggested to Yang Yifan that Xie Shuhong could help smuggle weapons.

At dinner, Wu Tianbai brought up the matter to Xie Shuhong. After just a few words, she agreed. But she had one condition: Wu Tianbai had to work as her assistant. On the 23rd day of the twelfth month of the 29th year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign—February 8, 1904—the Japanese navy, without a declaration of war, suddenly attacked the Russian fleet stationed at Lushun in China. The Russo-Japanese War broke out. Liang Xiang was summoned to Duke Ayakura’s residence.

The Duke asked him a question: if Liang Xiang were Yuan Shikai now, holding all the military elite in his hands, what stance would he take on the war that broke out yesterday? The news was published in the newspapers, and Liang Xiang flew into a rage, venting his anger on the noisy Li Renjun. Yang Kaizhi remained calm, believing this was a good opportunity to study how the Japanese army conducted real combat.

Wu Tianbai handled detailed negotiations with Wanshan. Familiar with firearms, Wu couldn’t be fooled, and Wanshan was willing to cut the price by another five yuan. When Xie Shuhong learned of this, she firmly disagreed. She believed the discount should be at least ten yuan. Since a war had broken out, armament factories would increase production, and with more soldiers dying, more guns would become available, leading to oversupply.

As the Russo-Japanese War escalated, the Qing government’s neutrality deeply pained every Chinese person. Liang Xiang decided to study military strategy diligently and to help the court recruit talent. He finally realized that his stance was irreconcilable with those who supported the revolution, and a fierce struggle was bound to come. The Tokyo security police assigned a fiancé to Lee Ju-hee.

She was unwilling to comply and went to Yang Kaizhi, proposing that they escape Japan together and go to China. However, Yang Kaizhi didn’t want to leave Tokyo just yet and tactfully declined her. When the security police arrived, Lee Ju-hee lost her chance to escape. Liang Xiang walked into Xie Shuhong’s stationery store. He didn’t buy anything—he simply wanted to invite her to dinner. Xie Shuhong agreed, saying she would go change her clothes and be right over.

Xie Shuhong knew the proprietress of a seafood restaurant, where she could get a discount on meals, so she and Liang Xiang went there to eat. During their conversation, Xie Shuhong remarked that if Liang Xiang weren’t a descendant of the imperial clan, he’d actually be a handsome young man. Liang Xiang was immediately displeased—he didn’t think of himself as merely a boy and was even more unwilling for Xie Shuhong to see him as an immature youth.

Xie Shuhong was deeply influenced by Yang Yifan and Wu Tianbai, but she held firmly to one belief of her own: no matter when a war breaks out, business must go on—one must survive. Outside the seafood restaurant, there was a bustling crowd. Xie Shuhong went to ask the proprietress and learned that a Chinese exchange student named Zhang Yanmin had committed suicide by jumping into the sea.

On the white clothes he wore was a protest against the Japanese government. Liang Xiang fell silent, not knowing what to say for a moment. Xie Shuhong returned and told Wu Tianbai about it. Wu Tianbai was stunned for several seconds—he knew Zhang Yanmin. Without saying a word, Wu Tianbai put on his pants and rushed out to find Yang Yifan. Yang Kaizhi was upset and sorrowful over Lee Ju-hee.

Liang Xiang comforted him, urging him to let go of romantic entanglements and focus on his military studies. As future military leaders, there was much work waiting for them upon returning to China. Yang Kaizhi came to his senses and decided to focus on his studies and earn his diploma from the military academy. Liang Xiang worried that the Tokyo police might harm Yang Kaizhi because of Lee Ju-hee, so he sought help from Hirata Ichiro.

Hirata Ichiro agreed to try contacting some acquaintances but also warned Liang Xiang to be cautious when dealing with people like Yang Kaizhi. The Shanghai Dao’s informants in Tokyo discovered a secret channel for smuggling military weapons to China. They ordered Li Renjun to find the channel and determine how these weapons were being transported from Tokyo to Shanghai. But this time, Li Renjun refused to do it and declined to accept any more intelligence funds from the Shanghai Dao.

Yang Kaizhi took a delivery receipt to notify Xie Shuhong of the pickup location. He instructed her to board a ship with the receipt and find the second officer—an Irishman. The ship was the American Princess Marguerite, docked at Tokyo Port’s Pier 3. That night, Xie Shuhong, Wu Tianbai, Zunian, and Linjiang went to Pier 3. When Xie Shuhong entered the port with the receipt, Wu Tianbai and Linjiang took a sampan to receive the goods.

Japanese guards at the dock spotted the sampan and opened fire. Wu Tianbai was shot in the waist but managed to survive. Because of the incident during the pickup, the supplier refused to ship more goods. Although the money was in the bank, they couldn’t touch it. Xie Shuhong told Wu Tianbai to stop worrying—she would figure something out.

Yang Kaizhi learned from Li Renjun that someone had been caught smuggling weapons via an American cruise ship at the dock the previous night. He rushed to find Xie Shuhong. Given the current tight security, Xie Shuhong told him to stop coming by so often. The bullet had damaged the main nerve in Wu Tianbai’s lower body. From then on, he could only move with a wheelchair. Xie Shuhong went to see Wanshan.

She was willing to take on Wu Tianbai’s debt, but she asked whether the supplier could unfreeze the money deposited in the Citibank account. But Wanshan said the shipment didn’t belong to him, so there was nothing he could do. Xie Shuhong went to Citibank and learned that without a unified second-party company, the funds in her account could not be unfrozen. Since she couldn’t unfreeze them, she decided to use the funds as a loan guarantee.

The bank clerk said she could borrow $1,500. Just then, Shimoda Utako happened to be at the bank handling some matters, and Xie Shuhong chatted with her briefly.

Xie Shuhong completed the loan application, but the bank clerk said there was a problem with her guarantor. Just then, a foreign manager passed by. Xie Shuhong asked him about it and learned that Shimoda Utako could serve as her guarantor. As the principal of the Practical Women’s School, she was a reputable figure. With Shimoda Utako’s guarantee, Xie Shuhong successfully secured a \$1,500 loan from Citibank. She brought the money home, and Wu Tianbai was overjoyed.

Xie Shuhong planned to use the money to recoup their losses. She noticed that cured meats like sausages were in high demand on the market, with the military purchasing them in bulk. She took the money to the countryside to buy large quantities and then sold them to the military. Hirata Ichiro used the morning exercise session as a chance to bid farewell to all the military students—he was about to head to the battlefield.

That evening, he spent some leisure time at an entertainment venue and invited only Liang Xiang to join him. When Liang Xiang saw him flirting with many women, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Miss Yoshiko of the Ayakura family. The military cadet graduation ceremony was approaching. When everyone learned the date in the cafeteria, they clapped and cheered—it meant the end of their military academy life was near.

Hirata Ichiro wrote a letter from Lushun, which one of the cadets read aloud to the group. Yang Yifan showed Wu Tianbai the photos of the cadets he was currently contacting and those he had already drawn in. Wu Tianbai emphasized that those already contacted must be kept completely confidential to ensure control over military power upon returning to China. Yang Yifan agreed.

The next day, representatives of Zhang Zhidong and Duan Fang were hosting a reception in Tokyo to recruit these talents. Yang Yifan told Wu Tianbai to attend and asked Xie Shuhong to accompany him. Xie Shuhong had become quite formidable—she was now doing business with the Japanese military supply department. First, she exchanged U. S.

dollars for yen, then converted yen into military scrip, then used that to obtain surplus military supplies from the military department, and finally resold those supplies on the civilian market. In less than three months, she patched up the financial hole left by the Q purchase and even made a solid profit. At the reception, Xie Shuhong chatted with Liang Xiang. Wu Tianbai grew jealous, upset that Xie Shuhong didn’t tell Liang Xiang that he was her man.

Li Renjun could see that Liang Xiang liked Xie Shuhong. Judging from Xie Shuhong’s tone and expression when she spoke to Liang Xiang, Li Renjun was sure she liked him too. Whether or not Li Renjun’s guess was right, Liang Xiang felt happy when he heard it. Beile Zai Zhen, while attending the reception, told Liang Xiang that he would return directly to Beijing, where the Empress Dowager would decide his future.

Therefore, Liang Xiang didn’t need to look for new connections at the reception like the other cadets. Li Renjun’s words lingered in Liang Xiang’s mind, and he wanted to consult Yang Kaizhi on how to interact with women. But Yang Kaizhi wouldn’t tell him. That night, unable to suppress his emotions, Liang Xiang ran to Xie Shuhong’s shop.

He drank the entire bottle of liquor in his hand and smashed it on the ground with a “crack,” then walked into the shop with a do-or-die resolve and forcibly had his way with Xie Shuhong. Upstairs, Wu Tianbai was awakened by the noise. He witnessed the scene but did nothing to stop it. When Liang Xiang returned to the dormitory, he realized that something from his neck was missing—likely left behind at Xie Shuhong’s shop.

Xie Shuhong didn’t see herself as any man’s plaything, yet she had been bullied by men like Wu Tianbai and Liang Xiang, who appeared to be gentlemen. Wu Tianbai, her first man, had become disabled. For the sake of the revolution, he didn’t dare lay a hand on Liang Xiang, a nobleman of the Qing court. The most pitiable person was, in fact, Xie Shuhong.

At the graduation ceremony for the Chinese military students studying in Japan, Crown Prince Yoshihito conducted an inspection of them. With the founding of the Tongmenghui imminent, Yang Yifan came to bid farewell to Xie Shuhong. Wu Tianbai had recently been sulking because his opinions were not being taken seriously and would lash out at Xie Shuhong at any time. Yang Yifan hoped Xie Shuhong could be more understanding of Wu Tianbai and take good care of him.

For someone like Wu Tianbai, having Xie Shuhong by his side was an immense blessing. After the ceremony, there was also a celebration. At the celebration, Miss Yoshiko took the initiative to talk with Liang Xiang. Yang Kaizhi thought Yoshiko was the "golden straw" Liang Xiang had mentioned earlier, but Liang Xiang didn’t explain much. He simply introduced Miss Yoshiko to Li Renjun and Yang Kaizhi, saying she was Instructor Hirata’s fiancée.

The Russo-Japanese War was not going well, with heavy Japanese casualties. Yoshiko felt sad about Liang Xiang’s decision to return to China at such a time. Liang Xiang decided to return to China, while Li Renjun and Yang Kaizhi would remain in Tokyo for a while longer.

Duke Ayakura summoned Liang Xiang and spoke at length, telling him that if a person never has the opportunity to view their country, land, and civilization from beyond its borders, they will never gain a more precise perspective on the world and on life. The underlying message was that Liang Xiang should reassess his view of China and work to revitalize the country after returning home.

Before returning, Liang Xiang wanted to visit Xie Shuhong, but as soon as he stepped out of the carriage, an angry Xie Shuhong started throwing sausages at him and called him a beast. Liang Xiang couldn’t understand why Xie Shuhong was treating him this way. On January 2, 1905, the Russian army occupying Lushun surrendered, and the Japanese army took the city. Yang Kaizhi, still in Tokyo, met with Wu Tianbai and brought up Liang Xiang.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Xie Shuhong paused during cleaning and found the copper coin pendant that Liang Xiang had left behind under the cabinet. Beijing. Liang Xiang returned in glory. The imperial court arranged a residence for the Liang family in Guangmingdian Hutong. Liang’s mother brought Duo Mei, the prefect of Jingzhou, with her to Beijing. Everyone was busy preparing for Liang Xiang’s return.

When Liang Xiang came back, he bowed before his mother and mentioned Duo Mei beside him, saying that their marriage had already been arranged. Liang Xiang quickly explained that King Qing had helped him negotiate a marriage with the daughter of the Imperial Bodyguard Minister from the Fuca family. His mother told him to find a way to refuse the Fuca marriage, and if he couldn’t, then marry both women.

Liang Xiang met Prince Chun in the armory of the Imperial Guards' Jianrui Battalion. When Liang Xiang asked if he would serve under him, Prince Chun said nothing. Liang Xiang was puzzled, but his mother hit the nail on the head—Zai Feng clearly couldn’t manage Liang Xiang’s affairs. After returning from Germany, the first thing the Empress Dowager did for Zai Feng was to arrange his marriage to the daughter of Ronglu.

A prince of the highest rank marrying such a fiery woman left many unsure whether that connection was a blessing or a burden. This made Liang Xiang think about himself. Not wanting to be bound by King Qing’s matchmaking either, he decided to find an excuse to refuse. Later, Liang Xiang indeed declined the marriage with the Fuca family.

King Qing may have been displeased and only assigned Liang Xiang an empty title as an officer in the Military Training Division. It wasn’t just about the marriage—Liang Xiang had also cut off his queue. Beile Zai Zhen reminded Liang Xiang that the imperial court was nothing like Japan; even the gutters here held hidden dangers. Liang Xiang reported to the Military Training Division.

The deputy commissioner, Li Shousheng, was a very elderly man who asked him to start by familiarizing himself with the documents. The archive room was filled with files, cobwebs, and dust—Liang Xiang could only sigh. Not long after, Yang Kaizhi also returned to Shanghai. The first person he went to see was Song Baoquan.

Song Baoquan believed in playing both sides. Without someone like Yang Kaizhi to oppose the court, who knew how arrogant the court might become. He deliberately asked Yang Kaizhi to stay and see just how overbearing Eunuch Zhang could be. Through Song Baoquan’s introduction, Eunuch Zhang offered Yang Kaizhi a position.

Not long ago, the Empress Dowager wanted to provide compensation to the family of a recently fallen assistant in Yanji, who had been killed by Japanese border troops stationed in Korea. With the Japanese army acting increasingly arrogant and provoking incidents along the border, three assistants had already died—this would be the fourth. If Yang Kaizhi dared to take the job, Eunuch Zhang could put in a word for him. Yang Kaizhi considered for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Thus, Yang Kaizhi became the court-appointed assistant stationed in Yanji. In the summer of 1905, Xie Shuhong was six months pregnant. Wu Tianbai still asked her to carry a bomb back to Shanghai and hand it to Yang Kaizhi, who would then pass it to comrades from the North waiting there. Regardless of who the father of the child in Xie Shuhong’s belly was, Wu Tianbai insisted he would always be the child’s father.

Wu Tianbai believed this bomb would shake the world. Precisely because of its importance, he needed Xie Shuhong’s help to get it back into the country. Given her pregnancy, it would help her avoid sudden searches. Xie Shuhong never expected to run into Li Renjun on the ship. When he mentioned Liang Xiang, she was suddenly overcome with a wave of nausea and rushed to the restroom.

Seeing that she was seasick, Li Renjun took good care of her, arranged for her to disembark with the inspection group, and even used a carriage to escort her to Yang Kaizhi. Because of this, Xie Shuhong's luggage was not searched. When Xie Shuhong knocked on the door, it wasn’t Yang Kaizhi who answered, but rather Song Chen, the long-absent son of the vice chairman of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce.

Song Chen didn’t say how long he had been in this line of work, and even his father Song Baoquan didn’t know. Xie Shuhong still needed to visit her sister Xie Xueqing, so Song Chen arranged for his father’s carriage to take the heavily pregnant woman there. Four years later, Xie Shuhong finally saw her sister again and broke down crying in her arms.

Xie Xueqing was frightened and scolded Yang Yifan for not taking proper care of her younger sister. She also demanded to know who had gotten Xie Shuhong pregnant. Yang Yifan was helpless and explained that the man was a good person, a chemistry expert within the organization—a rare talent. As for the item Wu Tianbai asked Xie Shuhong to deliver, Yang Yifan had no knowledge.

Xie Shuhong whispered to him that Wu Tianbai wanted her to bring a bomb to Shanghai and hand it to someone named Wu Yue. The deed was already done, so Yang Yifan couldn’t say much. Though he had long-standing differences with Wu Tianbai and Wu Yue, the only thing he could do now was ask Xie Shuhong to pass a message to Wu Tianbai—tell him to focus on Russia.

When the Five Ministers were sent abroad, everyone in the Ministry of Education had to go to Zhengyangmen Station to see them off. Wu Tianbai’s bomb was prepared specifically for them. The revolutionary Wu Yue, carrying a bomb fitted with a detonator, disguised himself as a yamen servant and boarded the train with the inspecting ministers. However, before Wu Yue could throw the bomb, the baggage car coupled with the passenger car, and the sudden jolt set off the bomb.

Minister Zai Ze sustained minor injuries, Shao Ying was more seriously wounded, and Wu Yue was killed instantly. The bomb failed to deter the court from sending the ministers abroad. Xie Shuhong went for a prenatal checkup. She didn’t want the child, but the doctor wasn’t a killer and refused to perform an abortion. Carrying a bag of apples home, she slipped while going up the stairs and nearly fell. Her survival instinct made her grab the handrail.

But since she never wanted to give birth in the first place, she hesitated for a moment and then let go, tumbling down the stairs as blood slowly spread beneath her. Xie Shuhong was rushed to the hospital and safely gave birth to a baby boy. Both mother and son were healthy. Wu Tianbai named the child Wu Bugu.

Liang Xiang was full of talent, yet was assigned to stand night watch at the government office. Originally, he could have become a Xietong of the Imperial Guard, but because Liang Xiang’s mother had designated Duo Mei, he had to turn down King Qing’s recommendation, and naturally, he would not be favored. Liang Xiang was complaining about this to Duo Mei when suddenly a carriage from the palace arrived.

According to the eunuch who came, the Empress Dowager had specifically summoned Liang Xiang for an audience. Even though a curtain separated Liang Xiang from the Empress Dowager Cixi, he could still feel the awe-inspiring presence of the Holy Mother Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty. The Empress Dowager asked when he had cut off his queue, and Liang Xiang truthfully replied that he had done so in his second year studying in Tokyo.

Among the imperial clan, Liang Xiang was the only one who had cut his queue. Prince Chun confirmed that there was no second case. Cixi then asked Liang Xiang about his views on the statement that “the capital is about to fall into chaos. ” Liang Xiang did not believe that. His answer struck a chord with Cixi.

When she learned that the clan school Prince Chun had proposed years ago had yet to start due to a lack of teachers, the Empress Dowager believed Liang Xiang could teach there. She then instructed Prince Chun to tell King Qing to start the classes immediately. Prince Chun had proposed the establishment of a clan school early on, hoping that the royal clan could gain control over military power, but due to various reasons, it had been shelved.

Now that someone had brought it up again, the matter became sensitive, pointing directly at Yuan Shikai, who controlled the Six Divisions of the New Army. Thus, the Imperial Military Academy for the Nobles was established in name, but since King Qing was Yuan Shikai’s backer in the palace, Yuan wouldn’t sabotage his own supporter. Now with the edict in hand, King Qing likely wouldn’t dare neglect it again.

Liang Xiang became an instructor at the clan school, and the princes and lords all became his students. Although Prince Chun was the top-ranking student, he knew very well that he couldn’t attend classes, as the court would assume he was trying to seize military control—he could only show up for roll call. Liang Xiang didn’t understand. Prince Chun said, this is the way of the court. None of the royal students attended the first class.

Liang Xiang was unwilling to back down and insisted on challenging these clan scions. Led by the Second Beile, the royal clan’s sons openly defied Liang Xiang in the cafeteria, overturning the food on the table. As expected, the incident reached King Qing’s ears. He had no choice but to promote Liang Xiang to Deputy Commissioner of Military Education, giving him charge of the academy's affairs.

King Qing knew very well that if he didn’t support Liang Xiang now, Liang Xiang might not appreciate his favor in the future. At the Third Division of the Beiyang New Army in Baoding, Zhili, Li Renjun reported to Yuan Shikai, then in command of the Third Division. Yuan Shikai immediately promoted him seven ranks, appointing him as adjutant of the Eighth Battalion of the Ninth Regiment of the Third Division.

From then on, the Third Division was to be responsible for coordinating between Yuan Shikai and the nobility. The commander ordered Li Renjun to make good use of his relationship with Liang Xiang, which would prove valuable in the future. Liang Xiang knew very well that once these princes were pushed too far, they could resort to any malicious tactic.

For his own safety, he transferred his two childhood friends, Rongge and Loge, and gave each of them a gun to take turns guarding him. Half a year later, due to Yang Kaizhi’s arrival, the situation in Yanji greatly improved, and several princes became aware of it. The Second Beile fired a gun at the academy and shot down a bird, boasting about his marksmanship.

Liang Xiang was furious and sternly scolded him, only to be cursed at by the Second Beile. Liang Xiang cursed him back and slapped him across the face. Unexpectedly, the gunshot echoed across the imperial forbidden grounds, startling the Empress Dowager who was admiring the lotus flowers. She sent a eunuch to inquire about the situation. Liang Xiang covered up the truth for the Second Beile, made up an excuse, and politely sent the eunuch away, then sternly announced the end of class.

Regarding the matter of his youngest son being slapped by Liang Xiang, King Qing felt it was well deserved. He and Beile Zai Zhen shared the same view: this group of cadets, including Liang Xiang and Yang Kaizhi, must be won over. The slap to the second Beile had been quite forceful—Liang Xiang even injured his own arm in the process.

That evening, his mother applied medicine to his injury and once again brought up the matter of marrying Duo Mei. This time, Liang Xiang did not decline and followed his mother’s wishes. King Qing proposed that Liang Xiang be given full authority over school affairs. Prince Chun dared not raise any objections, and so the appointment decree was passed to the Empress Dowager.

Although Liang Xiang kept quiet about it, both the second Beile and the entire capital knew he was about to get married. The second Beile sent him a goldfish, symbolizing marital bliss. Soon, the Liang household was abuzz with music and festivities. With a grand procession, Liang Xiang married Duo Mei. On their wedding night, Liang Xiang spoke frankly with Duo Mei, and she made it clear that she was devoted to him.

Liang Xiang had never met a woman like her before, and involuntarily stepped back. With the birth of Yu Bugu, the peaceful life of Xie Shuhong and Wu Tianbai in Tokyo was disrupted, filled with various trivialities. Wu Tianbai spent his days upstairs tinkering with his chemical reagents, while Xie Shuhong was busy running the shop downstairs. Neither had much time for Yu Bugu.

While bathing the child, Xie Shuhong added hot water to the tub, not expecting the child to reach out, which resulted in a scalded arm. Wu Tianbai flew into a rage once again. Song Chen, entrusted by Yang Yifan, traveled from Shanghai to Tokyo, bringing photographs of members of local secret societies from the Zhejiang and Anhui regions. Yang Yifan hoped Wu Tianbai would contact Wan Shan to rally friends willing to donate funds and organize a fundraiser.

At an art exhibition, Wu Tianbai gave a passionate speech criticizing the Qing government's incompetence and praising the revolutionaries’ sacrifices, attempting to persuade attendees to donate to the Restoration Society. Before Wu Tianbai could finish, Wan Shan signaled his men to push him away. Afterwards, Wan Shan lashed out at Xie Shuhong, reminding her that the Minister of Finance was also at the exhibition. If the Chinese legation were to find out, it would spark a major diplomatic incident.

Duke Ayakura conversed with Xie Shuhong and, upon learning that Wu Tianbai held a Ph. D. in chemistry, commented that today’s Chinese revolutionaries all had political ambitions—just like Wu Tianbai. Wu Tianbai suggested buying a camera and converting the stationery shop downstairs into a photography studio. He believed photographs were alive and worth capturing. Liang Xiang continued teaching the imperial clan’s children, but every one of them was cunning and unruly.

Beile Zai Xun came to Liang Xiang and informed him that the audience meeting had been held. Yuan Shikai had accurately guessed the Empress Dowager’s intentions and proposed that constitutional reform be delayed by twelve years. As for the new governmental structure led by Yuan Shikai, the Empress Dowager didn’t even look at it and directly handed it over to Yuan’s political rival, Qu Hongji, ordering him to revise it.

Beile Zai Xun conveyed a message from Prince Chun to Liang Xiang: he should be prepared to assist Tie Liang and take control of military power. Li Renjun asked Gu Maichen to rent a siheyuan in the capital. After the rental was secured, Li Renjun’s woman, Xiao Fenglan, arrived by carriage. She was very pleased with the house and didn’t mind that the price was forty more.

Li Renjun ordered a carriage full of goods to be sent to the Liang residence at the Guangming Hall. He wasn’t the only one—many others followed, each with a cart full of gifts, crowding the entrance of the Liang home. Liang Xiang had instructed that none of the gifts be brought inside, but he would personally meet with every guest. Duo Mei saw the house brightly lit and had no idea how long Liang Xiang would be occupied.

These people who came to see Liang Xiang were all hoping to ask him for a job change or to arrange a position. Li Renjun was more clever—he didn’t foolishly line up with the others, but specifically asked to see the old madam, smoothly entering the Liang household and chatting with Liang’s mother for quite a while before managing to come over to see Liang Xiang.

Li Renjun took out a silver note, saying it was a wedding gift from the Commander. Liang Xiang returned the money, stating bluntly that the lineage stemming from Prince Rui of the First Rank, to which he belonged, never accepted bribes—they relied solely on their own capabilities. After returning to his residence, Li Renjun didn’t know how to explain the situation to Yuan Shikai.

He simply decided to keep the silver note for now and would report to the Commander that Liang Xiang had accepted it. Liang Xiang spent his days thinking about how to restructure the military. Ideally, he needed a capable and trusted assistant, and the well-acquainted Li Renjun would have been a good choice. But the fact that today Li Renjun attempted to bribe him with five thousand silver taels deeply disappointed Liang Xiang.

Naturally, he no longer held any hope for him. In 1906, the Ministry of War was renamed the Ministry of the Army. The Training Bureau and the Court of the Imperial Stud were merged into it. The Ministry was now responsible for all national army administrative affairs, overseeing the capital and provincial military units, including the Banner and Green Standard forces.

It also examined military regulations and pay systems and handled all major matters concerning the army to strengthen national defense. The Ministry of the Army had recently purchased twenty-four German-made mountain guns. The Commander hoped to persuade Liang Xiang to allocate the mountain guns to the Third Garrison. Previously, he had sent Li Renjun to deliver money to Liang Xiang in an attempt to secure these guns.

Since Li Renjun failed to deliver the message, the Commander approached Liang Xiang directly. But Liang Xiang had already decided to allocate the guns to the Eighth Garrison under Lord Tieliang. Furious, the Commander returned to Baoding and summoned Li Renjun, firing five shots behind him. Li Renjun dodged the issue, and the Commander was indeed distracted. However, Li Renjun still didn’t understand how the bureaucracy worked, and this move ultimately affected the Commander’s judgment of Liang Xiang.

Unexpectedly, Liang Xiang brought Duo Mei along to pay a visit. He spoke frankly to Li Renjun, saying that the court had ordered autumn military exercises in Zhangde—Northern and Southern forces would be in opposition, with the Third Garrison against the Eighth. Liang Xiang had been appointed chief referee and was caught in a difficult position.

Li Renjun suggested that if Liang Xiang didn’t want to handle such dirty work, he might as well summon Yang Kaizhi back from Yanji to assist him. Yang Kaizhi, now serving as an assistant official in Yanji, had become a well-deserved frontier hero of the court, and no one dared question the legitimacy of his background. Yang Kaizhi returned to China by boat and first went to Shanghai to meet Song Baoquan.

After hearing Song Baoquan’s concubine mention Song Chen and Xie Shuhong, Yang Kaizhi revealed that Xie Shuhong already had a child. Xie Shuhong went to photograph the graduation class of Qingshan Practical Girls' School. Principal Shitada Utako was surprised to find that the female photographer was none other than Xie Shuhong. She also knew Xie Shuhong had a child and recognized how difficult her life had been.

From then on, whenever the school needed photography, they would reach out to Xie Shuhong. Song Chen came to Xie Shuhong’s shop to take a photo but was called upstairs by Wu Tianbai. When Wu Tianbai heard from Xie Shuhong that Song Chen was Song Baoquan’s son, he began to eye him, launching into a session of “ideological education” about the importance of money for the revolution. Song Chen was so frightened that he ran off immediately.

Wu Tianbai’s studio caught fire, and Xie Shuhong struggled to drag him downstairs. Wu Tianbai kept urging Xie Shuhong to take the child and leave first. But Xie Shuhong couldn’t worry about the child—she desperately pulled the disabled Wu Tianbai down the stairs. Just as they made it down, there was a loud “boom” from upstairs as an explosion erupted.

The powerful explosion triggered a fire, leaving both the first and second floors in ruins. Xie Shuhong escaped with Wu Tianbai and Yu Bugu but was unable to save the business she had worked so hard to build. After the Tokyo police extinguished the fire, they took Xie Shuhong in for questioning regarding the explosives.

The law strictly prohibited the manufacture and use of explosives, and the Tokyo police drafted an indictment, intending to prosecute Xie Shuhong as the owner of the photography studio. Wu Tianbai took Yu Bugu to find Wanshan and stayed temporarily at his place, while Xie Shuhong was detained at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

With Wanshan’s mediation, a policeman accepted a bribe and agreed to re-sample and re-test the site of the explosion, but he advised that Wu Tianbai and the others be sent back to China as soon as possible. Soon, the three of them bought tickets for their return to China.

Before leaving Tokyo, Xie Shuhong went to the bank to withdraw her savings and handed over all the account books from the past two years of business transactions between the two households to Wanshan. As she said, the home was gone, but the accounts must not be forgotten. Wanshan admired Xie Shuhong even more for this.

Even though she returned to China, he was still willing to continue doing business with her—especially now that Xue Qing had opened an electronics store in Shanghai. Xie Shuhong and Wu Tianbai returned to Shanghai by ship with the child. Yang Yifan and his wife came to Wharf No. 16 to pick them up. Wu Tianbai was deeply concerned about the progress of their plan, while Yang Yifan thought it was too risky and still hadn’t made up his mind.

The two had a disagreement, and Wu Tianbai felt it necessary to correct Yang Yifan’s thinking. The court intended to hold autumn military exercises. These exercises were particularly significant—Yuan Shikai had voluntarily resigned his command over the Beiyang Army’s Four Garrisons, with Fengshan taking over leadership. A Manchu general commanding Han soldiers posed a serious challenge for Fengshan.

Because Yuan’s foundation within the Beiyang Army remained strong, Fengshan had to break protocol and promote Liang Xiang to be the chief referee. From the autumn exercises onward, the aim was to gradually eliminate Yuan Shikai’s influence over the Beiyang Army. Liang Xiang went to great lengths to bring Yang Kaizhi to the capital, but Yang Kaizhi avoided seeing Liang Xiang for several days and instead made rounds to curry favor with various people.

He paid visits to King Qing and Prince Zai Zhen, then went drinking at Li Renjun’s place. He claimed he wouldn’t flatter Liang Xiang just because of a transfer order. As for the autumn exercises, Yang Kaizhi advised Li Renjun not to take them too seriously. In his eyes, the outcome of the exercise had already been predetermined in secret—it was all for show.

The Northern and Southern armies had a serious dispute over the distribution of tents, prompting Yang Kaizhi to finally seek out Liang Xiang. Liang Xiang assigned him to handle the coordination. True to form, Yang Kaizhi quickly and efficiently persuaded the parties involved to sign the agreement.

When Wu Tianbai saw the newspaper article about Liang Xiang becoming a rising star among the Manchu generals, he told Xie Shuhong to bring Wang Han over and silently resolved to have Wang Han assassinate Liang Xiang. He already had the bomb prepared. On the autumn exercise command train, Yang Kaizhi was having a pleasant conversation with the others, but as soon as Liang Xiang arrived, everyone left.

Yang Kaizhi reminded Liang Xiang that the exercise was modeled after the Japanese army’s Battle of Mukden, but the real target was the former commander of the Beiyang Army. The autumn exercise was nothing more than a performance, with both sides competing in terms of financial power. Even for someone like Fengshan, who held overall command, as long as the money was in place, both Manchu generals and Han soldiers would obediently sit in rows and eat their fruit.

Wang Han brought the bomb to Zhangde, Henan—the site of the autumn exercise command. However, the hotel he intended to stay at had already been reserved by the command office, so he had to get a room at a small hotel across the street. When Liang Xiang and his group arrived at the hotel, Wang Han used a photo to confirm Liang Xiang’s identity.

The commanders and officers of both the northern and southern armies sat at the same table eating Western food. Commander Zhang deliberately made things difficult for Liang Xiang, asking why the train track gauge was 4. 85. Liang Xiang couldn’t answer, but Yang Kaizhi, being knowledgeable and well-traveled, easily explained it in a few words, enlightening everyone present. Though the two armies had yet to clash, the atmosphere was already tense.

Fengshan reminded Liang Xiang that if Manchu generals wanted to command Han troops effectively, they needed to absorb more of Han culture. Han culture emphasized flexibility, not rigidity. Liang Xiang’s calligraphy was exactly the latter. Fengshan's words carried a clear implication, which Liang Xiang understood. Following Wu Tianbai’s instructions, Xie Shuhong withdrew overseas donations in batches and split them into multiple parts.

Wu Tianbai told her not to touch the portion intended for Zhangde for now—it was meant as compensation for Wang Han’s family. Xie Shuhong was quite surprised to hear this. Wu Tianbai, however, was indifferent; to him, dying for the revolution was a worthy cause. On the day Wang Han made his move, it was pouring rain. He had expected Liang Xiang and Yang Kaizhi to take a carriage, but they rode on horseback instead. The assassination plan failed.

As Wang Han turned to leave, he was spotted by soldiers. He pulled the pin, threw the bomb, and took the chance to flee back to his hotel. Soldiers chased him all the way to the inn. When the innkeeper opened the door, Wang Han had already jumped into the well. The lead soldier fired several shots into the well, and before long, the water turned red with blood.

Liang Xiang went to inspect the northern army and found that the soldiers all had their leather shoes hanging around their necks. Puzzled, he asked Li Renjun. Li Renjun explained that the new quartermaster, the Commander-in-Chief’s brother-in-law named Qide, had likely embezzled a significant sum, issuing the soldiers shoes that were all too narrow. Liang Xiang was furious and remarked that Qide’s name should be “Qude” (which sounds like “lack of virtue”).

Three hours later, Commander Zhang of the southern army finally arrived. Two artillery units reached their designated positions, and the Commander-in-Chief gave the order to begin. Commander Zhang, originally an artilleryman, had trained the southern army’s artillery well, while the northern army’s performance was much worse. Liang Xiang noticed discontent among the northern troops. The results of two artillery rounds seemed suspicious, but Fengshan did not share that view.

As the Chief Referee, Liang Xiang believed he couldn’t condone the northern army’s dismissive attitude toward the court’s autumn exercises. He wanted to curb the arrogance of the Beiyang Army. Yang Kaizhi advised him to turn a blind eye, but Liang Xiang didn’t listen. Fengshan informed Liang Xiang that a bomber had set off an explosion in Zhangde the previous day, and the intended target was Liang Xiang.

The attacker came from Shanghai, and the police had already contacted the Shanghai Dao for assistance in the investigation. After Wang Han’s incident, the police in the foreign concessions traced him to the Nanyang Hotel. The hotel staff recognized Xie Shuhong, who immediately went to inform Wu Tianbai. Wu Tianbai decided to have Xie Shuhong convert all the money into cash at the bank, then go with him to Hangzhou.

As for the child, he would be left in Xue Qing’s care. When Xie Shuhong withdrew the money, she lied and said it was for buying stocks. Coincidentally, Song Baoquan was passing by and recommended two stocks to her. Before she could decline, Song Baoquan had already instructed the teller to make the transactions for her.

Additionally, he had the teller take out 200 in cash for Xie Shuhong because Song Chen had written him a letter complaining about being broke and mentioned he still owed Xie Shuhong for some photos. Xie Shuhong smiled and silently accepted the money. On West Lake in Hangzhou, Xie Shuhong inadvertently overheard Wu Tianbai talking with Gu Hongming and learned that Liang Xiang was the target of Wang Han’s assassination attempt.

That night, she argued with Wu Tianbai, and they parted on bad terms. Wu Tianbai planned to meet a strange figure named Sun Jingchao and was willing to pay bribes to get into the prison. Duanfang came to see Liang Xiang to act as a mediator for Yuan Xiancheng. Liang Xiang didn’t know whose side to take.

His mother told him to focus on his own path, saying many people weren’t content being supporting roles—she could tell Yang Kaizhi was one of them. Wu Tianbai finally secured a visit to Sun Jingchao, the leader of the White Cloth Party, in the Hangzhou prison. Before leaving, he told Xie Shuhong to wait there. If anything happened to him, she was to return to Shanghai. If everything went smoothly and he walked out alive, she was not to be surprised.

Wu Tianbai had suffered a gunshot wound back then. Had he come earlier, Master Sun Jingchao could have fully restored his meridians and energy points. But now, Master Sun could only help him recover to fifty percent. As soon as Master Sun inserted the needle, Wu Tianbai cried out in pain, cursing aloud. The burning sensation spread from his waist to his buttocks, then down to his calves and toes.

For the first time in five years, Wu Tianbai could feel his toes again. Illness comes like a landslide but goes away like spinning silk—one needle wouldn't have an immediate effect. Master Sun said Wu Tianbai would likely need to come several more times. He also knew Wu Tianbai didn’t come only for treatment, there must be other intentions.

Wu Tianbai admitted frankly that while top physicians treat the ailments of the world, he had come to seek Master Sun’s ancestral secret remedy—to heal the suffering of all under heaven. Master Sun didn’t answer. Once the time was up, he pulled out the needle and asked Wu Tianbai to try walking with a crutch. Wu Tianbai struggled, but finally managed to stand up and walk again.

Although he fell after just a few steps, he got back up and staggered forward. After this experience, Wu Tianbai finally understood how Master Sun had gathered tens of thousands of followers. On the way back, Wu Tianbai realized someone was following him. He ordered the bearers to go directly to the dock, skipping his lodging. Soon, Xie Shuhong at the residence was also informed and left with their belongings.

Wu Tianbai had the two men knock out the tailing spy. He then decided to go to Fuyang, where Master Sun’s military advisor was located, hoping to persuade all twenty thousand of Master Sun’s followers to join the Zhejiang-Anhui uprising. Liang Xiang bypassed Fengshan and directly submitted a memorial to the Empress Dowager, which she took seriously. She instructed the Grand Council to discuss the feasibility of establishing an independent royal imperial guard.

This indirectly suggested the Empress Dowager was questioning the loyalty of the Beiyang Army stationed in the capital. Duan Fang felt that such memorials were best written less often. An urgent telegram arrived from Jiangning: the Anhui Governor Enming had been publicly shot by Xu Xilin, assistant director of the Police Academy. The entire city of Anqing had descended into a rebellion by revolutionaries. Duan Fang immediately rushed to handle the situation. Revolutionary Chen Boping died in the gunfight.

Xu Xilin retreated to the arsenal and was captured alive after being defeated during the Yin hour. The Grand Council’s overseer instructed Duan Fang to swiftly execute Xu Xilin to quickly quell the unrest in the south. Duan Fang ordered that there be no further interrogation—Xu Xilin was to be executed on the spot. Liang Xiang believed proper legal procedures should be followed, but Duan Fang didn’t want the situation to escalate further and insisted on taking extraordinary measures.

Thus, revolutionary Xu Xilin led the student army in an uprising, seized the arsenal, and after four hours of intense battle, was captured and killed. When Qiu Jin heard the news of Xu Xilin’s failure, she dismissed everyone and resolutely stayed behind at the Datong School. On the 13th, Qing troops surrounded the school and captured her. In the early morning of the 15th, Qiu Jin died a heroic death.

Wu Tianbai stayed in Fuyang for seven days before managing to bring out Master Sun Jingchao’s adviser. Wu Tianbai exchanged several code phrases with him until his identity was finally confirmed. Soon, they received word at Xiangtang that the uprising had failed. In Shanghai, all ships from Anqing and Shaoxing were being strictly inspected, and all suspects arrested. Xie Shuhong came from Hangzhou with no contraband in her luggage and was quickly allowed to pass.

Left with no other option, Xie Shuhong stayed temporarily at Song Baoquan’s villa. She was well-versed in flower arranging and tea ceremony, which delighted Madam Song. Xie Shuhong also took two portraits, one for Madam Song and one for Song Baoquan. Though she appeared calm, her heart was filled with concern for her elder sister and her son, Wu Bugu. There was, however, one piece of good news—among the three arrested, there were no women or children, and Yang Yifan was not among them.

Song Baoquan greatly admired Xie Shuhong for her boldness. In her, he saw something that his son Song Chen lacked—though what exactly it was, Song Baoquan had yet to determine. Take the concubine, for example—she was a picky woman, yet when it came to Xie Shuhong, every word she spoke was praise. Song Baoquan wanted to take Xie Shuhong as his disciple.

To avoid any misunderstandings from either his concubine or Xie Shuhong, he specifically invited the concubine to serve as a witness to this arrangement. Fortunately, before taking action, Wu Tianbai and Qiu Jin had already removed Yang Yifan from his position. Otherwise, Yang Yifan and his entire family would have been arrested and imprisoned. Yang Yifan now believed that only education could change the public. Blind sacrifice would not awaken the people; saving their hearts was of the utmost importance.

Late at night, Liang Xiang went to visit Yang Kaizhi but didn’t find him. Instead, he saw Xue Qing and Xie Shuhong’s son, Yu Bugu. At this point, he didn’t yet know that Yu Bugu was his own flesh and blood—he only felt the child was unusually endearing and familiar. Yu Bugu asked for the beads on Liang Xiang’s clothes, and Liang Xiang cheerfully took them off and gave them to him.

Before leaving, Liang Xiang asked Xue Qing to tell Yang Kaizhi to come find him immediately upon his return, as he had urgent matters to discuss. Liang Xiang’s memorial convinced the Empress Dowager to make a firm decision—to establish a new Imperial Guard composed entirely of Bannermen, replacing the previous system in which the First and Sixth Beiyang Divisions alternated in guarding the capital. The position of Commander of the Imperial Guard suddenly became highly coveted.

Prince Zai Feng also came to attend Liang Xiang’s lectures, hoping to compete for this crucial role. Before officially appointing the commander, an acting official was needed. Zai Feng recommended Liang Xiang for the role, and to his surprise, Yuan Xiangcheng supported the proposal. A letter from Wu Tianbai arrived, saying his life was no longer in danger. Xie Shuhong missed her child deeply.

Song Baoquan told her that Yang Kaizhi had written, saying Yang Yifan was staying at his home with Xue Qing and Yu Bugu. Knowing Yu Bugu was safe, Xie Shuhong felt at ease. Song Baoquan and Zhang Jizhi from Nantong agreed to launch a low-profile newspaper in Shanghai, aiming to turn it into a nationally influential publication in a short time.

Xie Shuhong was needed to help with the effort—she sent some issues to Wanshan in Japan, asking him to help with reprints. Soon after, news from the Shanghai Bulletin became front-page headlines in major Tokyo newspapers. Song Baoquan was delighted and immediately gave Xie Shuhong twenty thousand yuan. He suggested that Xie Shuhong could use the money to reclaim the electronics store Xue Qing once had in Shanghai, giving them a base to grow in the city.

Wanshan also needed a favor from Xie Shuhong—Japanese military attaché Hirata Ichiro wanted to meet Zhang Jian. When Xie Shuhong relayed this, Song Baoquan said it would be no problem. Hirata Ichiro brought Yoshiko with him to Beijing and temporarily stayed at Liang Xiang’s residence. Hirata Ichiro told Liang Xiang that China was at a critical juncture. According to Japanese intelligence experts, if the current ruler were to die, the one residing in the Yingtai would certainly die first.

Liang Xiang’s mother couldn’t believe it and thought Hirata was spouting nonsense, suspecting ulterior motives from the Japanese. Liang Xiang said he would judge for himself. He went to see Yang Kaizhi and brought up the child. Yang Kaizhi said the boy had already moved to the Imperial University with relatives. Liang Xiang didn’t press further and moved on to the main topic, asking Yang Kaizhi if he would be willing to join his Imperial Guard. Yang Kaizhi considered himself a low-born man and thought he was unfit to join a force composed entirely of royal clan members.

Yang Kaizhi told Liang Xiang the truth—it was precisely because of his experience in Yanji that he preferred to lead real troops rather than merely stand behind Liang Xiang waving a feather fan. Liang Xiang reached an agreement with him: he would put in a good word for Yang Kaizhi, but until a real vacancy came up, Yang Kaizhi would need to report to the Imperial Guard training office. Yang Kaizhi gladly accepted.

At the Foreign Ministry’s birthday banquet, Liang Xiang picked up on the implication in Prince Zai Feng’s words and introduced Hirata Ichiro to him. At the banquet, King Qing chatted with Liang Xiang and hoped that he wouldn’t neglect his school duties because of the Imperial Guard. Liang Xiang nodded and replied that he could bring the Second Young Prince into the Imperial Guard, combining teaching with practical use. King Qing was overjoyed.

Seeing Liang Xiang talking with King Qing, Zai Feng’s expression darkened, prompting Liang Xiang to approach him. Zai Feng reminded him that in establishing the Imperial Guard, he must not allow outsiders to interfere and that the Guard’s external telegraph communications must be arranged as soon as possible. Liang Xiang was already searching for suppliers. One option was through the Japanese side, via the Japanese military attaché in China, purchasing from Japan.

The other option involved connections in Shanghai through Prince Zai Zhu, who could import directly from German merchants. Prince Chun preferred not to involve the Japanese and insisted on purchasing from Germany. Liang Xiang decided to travel to Shanghai to resolve the telegraph equipment issue. When Song Baoquan heard that Prince Zai Zhu had arrived in Shanghai carrying a major business deal, he was eager to get involved.

Song Baoquan had high hopes for Xie Shuhong and partnered with her to open a Dutch electronics store. He then learned that what Prince Zai Zhu wanted to purchase was the latest German telegraph machine. However, neither he nor Xie Shuhong had access to such machines. Song Baoquan suggested turning to Wanshan, who had extensive connections and could surely handle it. After considerable effort, Wanshan finally secured four of the latest German telegraph machines.

Xie Shuhong asked Song Chen to help transport them back to Shanghai by ship. Once the machines were successfully offloaded, Song Chen ordered someone to deliver them to the Dutch electronics store, but he noticed he was being followed. He changed plans midway and had the driver head to the Qinghe Qinlou villa instead. The informant who was following saw Song Chen’s carriage enter the villa and realized it was the residence of Vice Chairman Song.

Song Chen didn’t care much for Song Baoquan or his concubine and treated both coldly. When Song Baoquan tried to speak to him kindly, it wasn’t long before Song Chen drove him away in anger. The next day, Xie Shuhong paid for the boat tickets and rushed to the villa to retrieve the goods, as the royals were scheduled to collect them that evening.

Song Chen was curious about the buyer’s identity, and when he heard Xie Shuhong mention the word “royal,” he secretly followed her and saw her enter a Japanese restaurant. Liang Xiang arrived in Shanghai and was met at the dock by Zhu Laixi. Liang Xiang instructed him to arrange for people to keep watch on the Japanese restaurant and station men accordingly. He then personally entered the restaurant to meet the seller.

Neither he nor Xie Shuhong had expected that their next meeting would occur under such circumstances. Liang Xiang couldn’t help but suspect it was a trap—after all, too many revolutionaries wanted him dead, and it was possible they were using his past relationship with Xie Shuhong to lure him in.

When Song Chen saw a large number of rifles around the restaurant, he feared Xie Shuhong was being tricked and rushed in without hesitation, only to be stopped by Liang Xiang’s men. He demanded to see Xie Shuhong. When the two met, Song Chen warned her to be cautious. Shortly afterward, Song Baoquan personally delivered the four newest telegraph machines. While the technicians were inspecting them, the concession’s police station surrounded them. As vice chairman of the chamber of commerce, Song Baoquan was released, but Xie Shuhong and Liang Xiang were still detained.

Xie Shuhong and Liang Xiang were locked in the same cell, sitting face to face. Both initially suspected the other of alerting the concession police, but after a deeper conversation, they realized it hadn’t been a trap set by either of them. Xie Shuhong sighed, remarking on how the naive young man who once tried every trick to strike up conversations on the ship had now become like this.

Perhaps due to their past, Liang Xiang didn’t want to see Xie Shuhong’s name appear on the imperial investigation list in the future—that would be too cruel. Xie Shuhong didn’t take it seriously and retorted that he should first worry about how he would get out of there himself. Liang Xiang replied frankly that she hadn’t changed—she’d just gained a bit more maternal instinct. The camp commander summoned Liang Xiang outside.

Unaware of Liang Xiang’s background, he tried to extort money from him to avoid trouble. Liang Xiang calmly said he could call the Jiangnan Governor’s residence in Shanghai. The police chief then changed his tune, claiming that even with guarantees, heavy taxes would still have to be paid. Liang Xiang stopped playing along and brought up the Sino-British Port Treaty.

Realizing Liang Xiang was no ordinary man, the police chief then received a call confirming that this man was none other than General Liang Xiang. Zhu Laixi arrived with troops from the patrol battalion and surrounded the concession police station, even setting up machine guns. Not understanding English, Zhu Laixi shouted for them to release Liang Xiang. Liang Xiang came out and told Zhu Laixi to return to the battalion.

The commander had no choice but to release Liang Xiang and the goods, not daring to demand money again. The transaction with Song Baoquan and Xie Shuhong, though bumpy, was ultimately completed successfully—a case of good things coming after hardship. Upon learning that Xie Shuhong had known Liang Xiang since Tokyo, Song Baoquan admitted she had surprised him once again. Just after boarding the ship, Liang Xiang was informed by Duan Fang’s men to remain behind.

Duan Fang had a general idea that Liang Xiang was working on behalf of Prince Chun, but he told Liang Xiang that the Prince’s household was currently overwhelmed and couldn’t handle more because the Empress Dowager had already consulted with the Grand Council ministers and decided to appoint Zai Feng’s son, Puyi, as heir. Liang Xiang was stunned. Emperor Guangxu was barely in his thirties, and they were naming a three-year-old as heir—truly astonishing.

Duan Fang also told Liang Xiang that the Empress Dowager was on the brink of death, clinging to a final burst of energy, believing she could still manipulate politics with her old prowess. Knowing Liang Xiang was close to the Prince and could speak candidly with him, Duan Fang asked him to influence Prince Chun to ensure the nation’s policies stayed aligned with the course of reform.

Liang Xiang returned to the Prince Chun’s residence in Beijing and found out that the Prince was currently waiting outside the Yiluan Hall in the Western Garden, along with many of the Empress Dowager’s ministers—it was likely the final hour. The Prince needed Liang Xiang by his side, so Liang Xiang entered the Forbidden City with two inner guards. That night, many ministers waited outside the hall.

The Prince instructed Liang Xiang to stay as well, so he could respond promptly if anything happened. The Empress Dowager had dysentery and had dragged it out too long; her time was nearly up. Liang Xiang asked another minister nearby and learned that the Emperor was only mildly ill and not seriously affected. Two palace maids brought a cup of tea to the Emperor, but soon after, shocking news came—His Majesty had passed away.

The next day, Empress Dowager Cixi died, and Aisin Gioro Puyi, son of Prince Chun Zai Feng, was named Emperor, with Zai Feng serving as Prince Regent. Wu Tianbai appeared before Xie Shuhong again. Leaning on a cane, he was now able to walk. Wu Tianbai was ecstatic—the iron-fisted woman had fallen, but he, Wu Tianbai, was still standing tall and determined to carry out the assassination mission for the Restoration Society to the end.

He also brought back a woman named A-Xia, completely disregarding Xie Shuhong’s feelings. Xie Shuhong, unwilling to show even a hint of jealousy, gave up her spot at the shop and left with Song Chen to stay at his place. The commander of the Third Division ordered Li Renjun to immediately go to Beijing and stay close to Liang Xiang, using him to gauge the Regent’s intentions—to see whether the Regent would ultimately move against Yuan Xiangcheng.

Li Renjun was gambling with his life this time—if he won, he’d gain wealth and status; if he lost, it’d be the end of him. He asked Xiao Fenglan whether she was willing to take the risk with him. The Prince Regent appointed his own seventh younger brother, Zai Tao, to take charge of training the Imperial Guards. Zai Tao had been Liang Xiang’s student, and Liang Xiang knew exactly what he was capable of.

Yang Kaizhi was also furious and simply threw in the towel. Zai Feng was just that kind of temperament, and Liang Xiang’s mother consoled him not to take it to heart. Liang Xiang learned from Duo Mei that many people had recently come to their home. Among the familiar ones was Li Renjun, who had sent a lot of gifts to the Liang residence, clearly wanting to ask Liang Xiang for help with something.

Liang Xiang saw through it immediately—other than that Master Yuan of his, Li Renjun had nothing else to ask. As for Yang Kaizhi, Liang Xiang wanted to tie him down through a marriage connection, so he had long instructed Duo Mei to find a suitable candidate—not within their circle, but through Duo Mei’s mother in Wanping City. Li Renjun was too naive to see the current situation clearly.

Yang Kaizhi reminded him that after the deaths of both Empress Dowagers, the Prince Regent and Yuan Shikai were bound to clash. While Empress Dowager Cixi was alive, Master Yuan still had her protection, but now that the old lady was gone, Master Yuan’s future was as obvious as lice on a bald man’s head. Whether he sticks his neck out or not, it’s a knife either way.

Li Renjun never imagined the matter was this serious, and he deeply regretted his actions. In the twelfth lunar month of the 34th year of the Guangxu reign, the Imperial Guards Training Office was officially established. Zai Feng consulted Liang Xiang about Yuan Shikai’s issue.

Liang Xiang said that, on the surface, Yuan Shikai’s post in the Beiyang Army had already been removed, but the Yuan faction had already spread its wings within the army and held elite units in key positions, making it extremely difficult to weaken them. Therefore, Liang Xiang believed the problem must be resolved at the root. The most direct and simple solution was to execute one as a warning to the others.

Liang Xiang suggested executing Yuan Shikai for having offended the late emperor during the Hundred Days’ Reform. But Zai Feng, considering the wide implications, decided instead to remove Yuan Shikai using the least justified excuse. On January 2, 1909, the Prince Regent issued an imperial decree: Grand Councilor Yuan Shikai was now suffering from a foot ailment, finding it hard to walk, and was unfit for his duties.

He was to be dismissed and sent home to recuperate, as a show of imperial compassion. Wu Tianbai wished to meet Zhang Jian of the Constitutionalists. Knowing Zhang Jian was not inclined to meet him at the moment, Song Baoquan met with Wu Tianbai on Zhang Jian’s behalf. Wu Tianbai tried to persuade Song Baoquan to side with the revolutionaries, but Song Baoquan, from Zhang Jian’s standpoint, declined.

Song Chen, worried that the court might take action against Song Baoquan because of this, warned his father to be careful. Huang Fusheng came to Wu Tianbai and brought up two matters: one was a new type of remote-controlled bomb, and the other was the need to find someone to run a photography studio in Beijing. Coincidentally, Wu Tianbai could solve both. Xie Shuhong knew photography and had experience running a studio.

Wu Tianbai gave her plenty of time to consider whether to go to Beijing. Yang Yifan decided to go to Germany to pursue a career in education and had no choice but to temporarily leave Yu Bugu with Yang Kaizhi. Yang Kaizhi neither understood nor agreed with Yang Yifan’s decision. It was Yang Yifan who had roped him into the revolution in the first place, yet now Yang Yifan was choosing to abandon it.

However, Yang Kaizhi came to terms with it quickly. He took Yu Bugu to the Liang residence to meet Liang Xiang and left Yu Bugu in Duo Mei’s care for the time being. The Second Prince was also at the Liang residence. Upon seeing Yang Kaizhi, he made a pointed remark, saying Yang Kaizhi was a renowned frontier hero who had fought the Japanese with real weapons on the battlefield, yet his position wasn’t as high as the Second Prince’s.

\------------------28----------------- Second Prince was dissatisfied with his current position. Liang Xiang promised that once things settled down, he would speak to the Regent about promoting the Second Prince. Only then did the Second Prince leave. After he left, Yang Kaizhi spoke with Liang Xiang. Like the Second Prince, he was not content with his current post and wanted to move up.

Liang Xiang pointed out a path for him: the key position of commander of the Sixth Division was about to become vacant. With his credentials as a frontier hero, Yang Kaizhi was fully qualified, but he needed someone to support him. That person would be Xiao Erzi's father, King Qing. But to get King Qing to act, money would be necessary.

Yang Kaizhi temporarily left Yu Bugu at the Liang residence and asked Duo Mei to help take care of him. Liang’s mother took one look at the child and immediately adored him. Duo Mei quietly said to Liang Xiang that it was time to give his mother a grandchild. Yang Kaizhi wrote a letter to Shanghai asking Song Baoquan to lend him thirty thousand.

Since Xie Shuhong was heading to Beijing, Song Baoquan went to Song Chen and asked him to have Xie Shuhong deliver the message and the money to Yang Kaizhi. Song Baoquan had only one request for Yang Kaizhi: spend less, accomplish more. As for Song Chen, he could no longer idle away his days—Song Baoquan told him to go join the commercial militia and train as a squad officer.

Wu Tianbai had finished making the bombs and had Xie Shuhong take them to Beijing. Once again, Wu Tianbai and Xie Shuhong had to part. Wu Tianbai didn’t know how to say anything poetic—he only said he missed Yu Bugu, and that he hoped Xie Shuhong could bring the boy back with her from Beijing. Although Yu Bugu was not his biological son, Wu Tianbai had always treated him as his own. Xie Shuhong understood that well.

Besides that, Wu Tianbai had nothing more to say. Xie Shuhong also knew that a man like Wu Tianbai was never truly hers. Carrying the luggage that held the bombs, she wiped her tears and left the electrical shop to return to her residence. No one expected what would happen the next day. A-Xia didn’t take Wu Tianbai’s warnings seriously and placed a boiling kettle, just taken off the stove, directly onto the detonators.

The detonators exploded, killing both A-Xia and Wu Tianbai. Living not far away, Xie Shuhong rushed over when she heard the noise and her eyes reddened as she looked at the scorched building. Yang Kaizhi went to the Liang residence to pick up Yu Bugu and took the child to Zhengyang Gate to meet Xie Shuhong.

Xie Shuhong handed the money to Yang Kaizhi without saying a word about Wu Tianbai, but as soon as Yang Kaizhi stepped out of the room, she held Yu Bugu tightly and cried. Zai Tao had no interest in martial drills and even less in training the Imperial Guards. His passion was solely in horse riding.

So he let Liang Xiang handle the actual responsibilities while he provided assistance from the sidelines, as long as it didn’t require him to use his brain. That evening, Yang Kaizhi finally noticed something was off with Xie Shuhong. Ever since returning from Zhengyang Gate, she had been distracted. Even during the hot pot dinner, she looked downcast, clearly burdened with something. Later that night, Yang Kaizhi called Xie Shuhong out to the courtyard and asked what was wrong.

Xie Shuhong remained silent for a long time before finally revealing that Wu Tianbai had died. Yang Kaizhi stood up in shock—he hadn’t heard a word about it. Xie Shuhong explained that their comrades in Shanghai didn’t want the news to spread, so very few people knew. Her trip to Beijing this time was to fulfill Wu Tianbai’s final wish. Now that her tasks in Beijing were nearly done, she didn’t know what else she could do.

Back when Wu Tianbai gave her missions, she always had a clear direction to work toward. Now that Wu Tianbai was gone, her heart felt empty and her future was full of uncertainty.

Yang Kaizhi could understand Xie Shuhong’s confusion and helplessness after losing Wu Tianbai, but what Xie Shuhong did in Tokyo was something no other woman could have done. Xie Shuhong, however, found it quite simple—after all, she needed to survive in Tokyo. Yang Kaizhi immediately responded, saying that this was faith. Losing a loved one causes sorrow, but still being able to grow and thrive—that is human faith.

When Liang Xiang returned home, he saw his mother idly playing with the softshell turtles and goldfish in the tank. She made a remark with hidden meaning, and Liang Xiang asked Duo Mei to fetch the young boy staying with Yang Kaizhi. Yang Kaizhi invited Second Beile to a meal and got straight to the point by presenting silver notes, expressing his desire for Second Beile to deliver the money to King Qing. Yang Kaizhi's words were elegant and pleasant.

Second Beile went from initial refusal to sitting down with a smile to converse with Yang Kaizhi in the blink of an eye. That evening, Yang Kaizhi told Xie Shuhong about it. Xie Shuhong believed it was a business deal, and therefore involved profit margins—she worried King Qing might find the amount insufficient. But Yang Kaizhi believed there should be no way out left.

Xie Shuhong advised him to put aside his pride and ask Liang Xiang for help, since in the end, this was a transaction—never clean to begin with. Earlier that day, Xie Shuhong had aired out the bedding for Yang Kaizhi, which pleased him. Hearing that she was doing laundry for the child next door, he took the laundry soap over to her himself. The Military Advisory Bureau had officially been established, and Beile Zai Tao sat proudly in his seat.

But when the topic turned to King Qing appointing Yang Kaizhi as the commander of the Sixth Town, Zai Tao was visibly displeased. He had heard that back in Tokyo, Yang Kaizhi had many dealings with revolutionaries and feared Liang Xiang might have a personal stake in this. Liang Xiang handled the situation with ease, and Zai Tao quickly changed the subject.

At the alumni gathering for Japanese-trained military cadets, Liang Xiang was openly recruiting talent but deliberately avoided Yang Kaizhi, afraid that Yang Kaizhi would ask about the Sixth Town command. Instructor Hirata showed up with Miss Yoshiko, and Liang Xiang brought them to meet Yang Kaizhi. Instructor Hirata even bowed deeply to Yang Kaizhi, out of admiration for his actions in Yanji.

Someone from Liang Mansion came to ask whether Wu Bugu and his mother could come over the next day. Yang Kaizhi thought it was a minor matter and, not knowing the child’s connection to Liang Xiang, readily agreed. Xie Shuhong was speechless and turned back into the house. As the inspector general, Zai Tao took a train to the Third Town.

Liang Xiang reminded him to observe more and speak less when he got there, so as not to show his inexperience. But to truly win people over, Zai Tao needed genuine ability. Before the inspector even arrived, the Third Town under Beiyang’s new army in Baoding was lit up all night, busy forging financial records.

Li Renjun commented that it was no wonder the commander insisted on sending him to Tianjin to buy Western-style porcelain toilets, premium cigars, and an endless supply of shark fins and sea cucumbers. During the inspection, Liang Xiang did not enter but waited in a carriage outside the camp. After the inspection, Second Beile and others audited the accounts and found them falsified. The people of the Third Town were sharp and quickly offered Second Beile a cigar.

Second Beile took a puff, then immediately turned stern. When the commander learned of this, he sent Li Renjun to handle the situation. Li Renjun, far more experienced, led Second Beile and his fellow playboys to the red-light district and instructed the madam to keep them there until noon the next day. Zai Tao entered a room to rest but found it filled with pearls and antiques, each of great value. The Third Town’s intentions were crystal clear to him.

Regarding the inspection, Li Renjun was deeply dissatisfied with Liang Xiang. In Li Renjun’s view, one good thing about Mr. Yuan was that he never audited the price of firewood or horse feed. Liang Xiang took the opportunity to mention that he was recruiting Japanese-trained talent and needed to completely overhaul the Beiyang Army. Xie Shuhong accepted the invitation to bring Wu Bugu to Liang Mansion.

Liang’s mother was delighted to see the familiar Xie Shuhong and didn’t care much for the child, instead chatting with Xie Shuhong for quite some time. As night fell, Xie Shuhong returned with Wu Bugu in a carriage and mentioned to Yang Kaizhi that Liang’s mother had seen the Tokyo police raid a home during her time in Tokyo. Only then did Yang Kaizhi realize the implications.

Both worried that Liang’s mother might overthink the matter and influence Liang Xiang, possibly causing him to hesitate in supporting Yang Kaizhi’s appointment as commander of the Sixth Town with the Prince Regent. Xie Shuhong told Yang Kaizhi that Liang’s mother suspected Wu Bugu was her grandson and had been trying to find out the truth from the moment she entered the mansion.

At this point, Yang Kaizhi still didn’t know that Xie Shuhong had been involved with Liang Xiang and naturally didn’t suspect the child might be Liang Xiang’s. He insisted that the next time Liang’s mother sent someone to fetch them, Xie Shuhong must not take the child. Xie Shuhong paused but ultimately chose not to reveal the truth. Wang Zhaoming had arrived in Beijing. Xie Shuhong recognized the name of the studio as his doing.

The camera would be delivered the next day, and they would take a few test shots. Liang Xiang returned from official duties, and Duo Mei mentioned something about Xie Shuhong. Only then did Liang Xiang realize that Xie Shuhong was Wu Bugu’s mother. On their wedding night, Liang Xiang had confessed to Duo Mei that he had once been involved with a fellow Han woman in Tokyo. Duo Mei’s instincts told her that the woman was none other than Shuhong.

Liang’s mother called Liang Xiang over, asked a few detailed questions, and then shared her suspicions: Wu Bugu resembled Liang Xiang’s maternal grandfather, with the same oily ears and even the same scent. Upon seeing that the child’s mother was Xie Shuhong, she became convinced the boy was Liang Xiang’s biological son.

The next day, Xie Shuhong took Wu Bugu to the photo studio and made a point of putting a copper coin pendant on him—a pendant Liang Xiang had left in the shop, which she had picked up and kept. Liang Xiang spoke up for Yang Kaizhi before the Prince Regent. Whether it would help or not was unknown, but it was an effort nonetheless.

Afterwards, Liang Xiang knocked on Yang Kaizhi’s door, asking straightaway whether Xie Shuhong and the child were home. Yang Kaizhi mentioned what had happened that day, still believing the child to be Wu Tianbai and Xie Shuhong’s. But Liang Xiang told him that “Golden Straw” in Tokyo was actually Xie Shuhong.

In the end, it was Yang Kaizhi who had inspired Liang Xiang; if not for Yang’s words back then—“While the sun is shining, quickly dry the straw”—Liang Xiang wouldn’t have forced himself on Xie Shuhong. Upon hearing this, Yang Kaizhi realized there was no need to ask who the child’s biological father was. Considering how Xie Shuhong had reacted after returning from Liang Mansion, Yang Kaizhi was certain that Liang Xiang was Wu Bugu’s father.

When Xie Shuhong returned, Yang Kaizhi confronted her with the truth, but he hadn’t expected Xie Shuhong to harbor such deep hostility toward Liang Xiang. Zai Tao, upset after a quarrel with his brother Zai Xun, vented to Liang Xiang. Liang Xiang’s words made Zai Tao feel ashamed. They talked about Yuan Xiangcheng—Zai Tao said he was holed up in his hometown in Henan, playing the fisherman, and this had already been reported.

Liang Xiang commented that just like Jiang Taigong fishing, those who conceal their talents are not to be underestimated. Two suspicious individuals at the photo studio had been following the Prince Regent—this came to Liang Xiang’s attention. The next day, a bomb was discovered on the small stone bridge that the Prince Regent crossed daily. This was no trivial matter.

Under the small stone bridge the Prince Regent passed by every day, someone had buried a black cylindrical object resembling a bomb. A wire connected it to a telephone set and the black cylinder. If this object truly was a bomb, then the telephone was likely the detonator switch. Liang Xiang ordered everyone not to touch it and went to fetch Hirata Ichiro. Hirata Ichiro was well-versed in bomb structure and disarmament.

After his inspection, he removed the fuse, defusing the danger. He told Liang Xiang that this was Japanese-made yellow gunpowder with a highly advanced electric ignition device and massive explosive power, but it was not an industrial product—likely homemade. The metal casing around the yellow gunpowder, intended to enhance the blast effect, appeared handcrafted rather than welded. Liang Xiang ordered an immediate investigation of all blacksmith shops in the capital and the arrest of the two suspicious photo studio staff.

In the crowd, Xie Shuhong saw Wang Zhaoming being taken away. Yang Kaizhi then pulled Xie Shuhong aside, warning that Huang Fusheng knew his address, so she could no longer stay there. Yang Kaizhi advised her to retrieve her child from Master Fan’s house and temporarily stay with Li Renjun and Xiao Fenglan. In 1910, Wang Zhaoming and others opened the “Shouzhen Photo Studio” in Beijing as an assassination base.

On the seventh day of the third lunar month, they attempted but failed to assassinate the Prince Regent and were arrested. There were many items in the studio, indicating the group likely consisted of more than three people. In the darkroom, Liang Xiang discovered a developed photo hanging to dry—a photo of Xie Shuhong and Wu Bugu together.

Liang Xiang presented his suggestions to Prince Su, Zai Feng, who decided to take a step back—not to sentence Wang Zhaoming and the other two to death, avoiding further tensions with the revolutionaries. Zai Feng planned to approve Yang Kaizhi’s appointment as commander of the Sixth Town and was about to give his endorsement when Liang Xiang interjected. If the goal was solely to counterbalance the Beiyang faction led by Yuan, no one was more suitable than Yang Kaizhi.

But in terms of loyalty to the Qing Dynasty, Yang Kaizhi might not be the best choice. Zai Feng understood this, but still signed off on the appointment edict. He asked Liang Xiang to congratulate Yang Kaizhi and deliver 42 sealed reports exposing him as a revolutionary.

The Prince Regent asked Liang Xiang to tell Yang Kaizhi that he believed he would uphold the same loyalty to the nation as during the Yanji Sino-Japanese incident, defending the capital and safeguarding the court. After the court adopted a conciliatory policy toward the three suspects, Yang Kaizhi felt the danger had passed and brought Xie Shuhong and her son back from Li Renjun’s place. Liang Xiang asked his mother to make an appearance in support.

With the appointment edict for Yang Kaizhi issued, Liang Xiang planned to use the occasion to host a dinner gathering with old classmates—there were some things he had to say. Xie Shuhong and Wu Bugu were also invited. Yang Kaizhi accompanied them by carriage to the Liang residence. Once Madam Liang and the guests were seated, Liang Xiang brought in Hirata Ichiro and Miss Yoshiko.

With everyone present, after a few rounds of drinks, Xie Shuhong got up to take her child to the restroom, but Duo Mei insisted on going instead, leaving Xie Shuhong to return to her seat. This gave Liang Xiang a chance to speak privately with Xie Shuhong, praising her for still being as beautiful as before.

He then reminded her not to assume the court’s leniency toward Wang Zhaoming and the others meant detectives in the capital would stop pursuing other leads. As Yang Kaizhi was about to assume command of the Sixth Town, Hirata Ichiro advised him that what the Beiyang Army lacked most was strategic thinking—armed strength would become the ultimate authority in the future.

Madam Liang pulled Xie Shuhong aside, asking her to consider leaving Wu Bugu at the Liang home, where she and Duo Mei would care for him and send him to school. Xie Shuhong said nothing, sensing Madam Liang’s words were a veiled threat. Yang Kaizhi, seeing the box of denunciation letters against him, also took it as a threat.

Wu Bugu ate too many cold, raw foods at the Liang house and developed acute gastroenteritis late at night. At first, Yang Kaizhi heard the commotion and wanted to help but hesitated and held back. Only when Xie Shuhong pleaded for help did he rush over. He had medicine for acute gastroenteritis by the bed and gave it to the child, then reassured Xie Shuhong that he would surely recover by tomorrow.

The court needed a frontier hero like Yang Kaizhi to counter the Yuan faction, and Yang Kaizhi needed military power to truly gain control over the Sixth Town. He understood he couldn’t do this without the support of Liang Xiang and Zai Tao. Though dangerous, Yang Kaizhi had already made up his mind—everything was dangerous in these times, just like how he had always loved Xie Shuhong. That night, overwhelmed by emotion, Yang Kaizhi and Xie Shuhong became intimate.

He told her that he and Liang Xiang were fundamentally different people—at seventeen, he had personally witnessed his comrades beheaded by Liang Xiang’s uncles and knew then they could never walk the same path. Xie Shuhong agreed to stay in Beijing with Wu Bugu and maintain contact with the northern faction for him. Once Yang Kaizhi gained a foothold in the Sixth Town, he would send someone to bring them over.

The next day, Xie Shuhong and Wu Bugu were sent to Yang Kaizhi. Someone from the Six Nations Hotel came to inform her that Song Baoquan had arrived from Shanghai and especially wanted to meet her. Song Baoquan came to Beijing to convene the Provincial Self-Government Assembly, hoping to push through the bill to establish a national assembly and draft a new petition.

Knowing Xie Shuhong was acquainted with Liang Xiang, Song Baoquan hoped she could inquire about the Prince Regent’s stance on this constitutional move. At the Bureau of Detection of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, someone identified the woman and child in the photo but, noticing their close ties to Generals Liang Xiang and Yang Kaizhi, chose not to report it formally. Instead, they informed Liang Xiang privately, hoping he would handle the matter in advance.

Initially, Liang Xiang took a businesslike approach, having someone "invite" Xie Shuhong and her child to the bureau for questioning. Upon seeing Liang Xiang, Xie Shuhong instantly bristled like a defensive hedgehog, full of caution. All suspects in the Wang case were vetted by the Bureau of Detection—except for Xie Shuhong, who was vetted directly by Liang Xiang. Because of a single photo, danger loomed over Xie Shuhong.

Liang Xiang thus advised her to return to Shanghai alone; the child would be in danger if she stayed with her and should remain in Beijing. Moreover, Liang Xiang believed his child deserved a better life—one untouched by politics. He bought her a train ticket to Shanghai. Since he would be going abroad the day after tomorrow, if someone else were to handle the matter, the outcome would be worse, and the child would suffer more.

This was the only option he had. After the court expelled the provincial petition representatives, Song Baoquan and Xie Shuhong returned to Shanghai on the same train. He criticized the court’s actions as harming the nation and the people, forcing them down the path of revolution. Yang Kaizhi arrived at the Sixth Town. Before his arrival, people had already heard of him as a military student in Japan, with rumored ties to the revolutionaries.

Of course, some believed this was just slander—opinions varied. On his first day at the Sixth Town, Yang Kaizhi visited the cavalry camp. On the second day, he formally met everyone. He recited a British poem about cavalry. The audience murmured, doubting it was a real poem. Yang Kaizhi didn’t mind. At the end of his speech, he encouraged everyone to strive for strength. Gu Maichen led the applause, and everyone joined in clapping for Yang Kaizhi.

Yang Kaizhi’s speech at the symposium received applause, but when it was time for others to offer critiques, no one stepped forward. One after another, people left the venue. That evening, Yang Kaizhi analyzed the situation with Gu Maichen, and they both suspected that there might still be an underground commander operating within the Sixth Town.

Gu Maichen also sensed that during the symposium, a few people flattered with clichés, while the majority remained silent, watching for cues from Zhou, the commander of the Twelfth Detachment. Even Wu, the commander of the Eleventh Detachment, deferred to Zhou. Gu Maichen added that some even referred to Commander Zhou as the uncrowned king of the Sixth Town. The next day, Yang Kaizhi went to inspect the troops personally, without any escort.

In private, Commander Zhou instructed someone to keep a close watch on Fang Quanlin, Xu Liqun, and especially Feng Hanhai, the commander of the 24th Battalion. As long as these individuals did not side with Yang Kaizhi, Zhou felt secure in his hold over the Sixth Town. The first unit Yang Kaizhi visited was Feng Hanhai’s. He found Feng to be straightforward.

Feng admitted that they had only done one round of target shooting so far and had never practiced building fortifications; all the tools—shovels and picks—were brand new and merely stored in the armory for show. The food in the soldiers' mess was all bland broth. Though there was meat, the quantity was insufficient. Twenty-one jin and four liang of meat weighed only fourteen jin on the scale.

At the subsequent meeting, Yang Kaizhi demanded that all supply and mess units in the town standardize their scales. Commander Zhou and Commander Wu colluded, one playing the stern role and the other the conciliatory one. Yang Kaizhi remained unfazed and immediately had the town office’s scale brought in to enforce discipline on himself first. Yang Kaizhi selected Ma Buzhou of the cavalry battalion to serve as head of his guard.

Ma Buzhou had been nurtured by Commander Wu, and Zhou instructed Wu to maintain a good relationship with him. Yang Kaizhi read a report by Feng Hanhai, which highlighted several key problems currently plaguing the Sixth Town. Feng also told Yang that Zhou was a tyrant—anyone under Zhou’s protection, no matter how corrupt or indulgent, was given important positions. If things went on this way, the town’s morale would completely deteriorate.

Feng Hanhai was merely reporting the situation, and it was up to Yang Kaizhi to decide on reforms. Without hesitation, Yang planned to dismiss Commander Zhou and appoint Feng Hanhai in his place to rectify the town’s culture. Yang sent a report to the Military Advisory Bureau, but since Liang Xiang was absent, the bureau forwarded the message to Minister Yin Chang at the Ministry of the Army.

Yin Chang, who was closely aligned with Commander Zhou, secretly alerted him that night. Yang Kaizhi soon learned of this. To prevent Zhou from retaliating in desperation, he instructed Ma Buzhou to remain vigilant but not to openly break with Zhou’s men. Zhou gathered his followers and tried to get them to sign a joint petition to Yang Kaizhi in his defense, but they were all opportunists unwilling to sacrifice their future for him. This greatly infuriated Zhou.

The next day, Zhou directly confronted Yang Kaizhi and brazenly challenged his authority. Soon after, the Ministry of the Army sent a telegram stating that Minister Yin Chang had decided to recall Zhou and appoint Li Renjun as the new commander of the Twelfth Detachment. Xie Shuhong had not yet replied to Yang’s letter, as Shanghai was undergoing an unprecedented stock market crash. Song Baoquan’s bank had been severely impacted, and Xie Shuhong had been busy assisting in the aftermath.

Everyone bore some responsibility for the first wave of the crash, but the second wave was entirely man-made. The Daotai of Shanghai, to spite the Ministry of Revenue, withdrew two million taels from Yuanfengrun Bank at a critical moment, causing China’s largest bank to collapse and dragging down dozens of its branches. The merchant corps faced dissolution, and Mr. Yu called Song Baoquan to discuss the matter.

Prince Regent Zai Feng was dining with Duke Ayakura and his wife, along with Hirata Ichiro. Liang Xiang was also present. Regarding the stock market crash, Zai Feng sought the Duke’s opinion. Ayakura responded that there was no good solution, only preventative measures. Hirata Ichiro saw that the crash had accelerated the collapse of the Qing economy, and the country was becoming increasingly unstable. The Qing government had completely lost credibility.

Ayakura instructed Hirata never to forget: Japan must not lose a single bit of its interest in Manchuria. Liang Xiang accompanied the Duke on a boat tour of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. When asked whether a revolution might erupt in China, the Duke did not answer directly. His silence only confirmed Liang Xiang’s suspicions. For China, a revolution might be inevitable—it was only waiting for the right moment to ignite.

Xie Shuhong’s account had suddenly received a remittance of 70,000 taels, identified as a donation from the Chinese Educational Association from Nanyang. Song Baoquan then explained that someone wanted to use her account to transfer the money to Guangzhou. He instructed Xie Shuhong to have the money withdrawn, converted into small-denomination notes, and urgently delivered to a man named Huang Xing. Duanfang believed that the gradual reform policies of the past decade might have actually led to revolution.

The new, more relaxed policies had drawn students, scholars, gentry, merchants, and lower-level officers of the New Army to the cities, where they were now better positioned than ever to take collective action against the court. A single spark could ignite a prairie fire. Duanfang felt they could no longer afford to sleep on this pile of firewood and asked Liang Xiang to relay these words to Zai Feng. The situation in Guangzhou had recently become volatile.

Revolutionaries had infiltrated the city and planned to seize all government offices. On the tenth day of the third month in the third year of Xuantong’s reign, during an aviation performance by Belgians outside Guangzhou’s East Gate, a revolutionary named Wen Shengtai attempted to assassinate the Navy Admiral Li Zhun. Unexpectedly, it was General Fu Qi of the Guangzhou garrison who was killed.

On the 29th of March, revolutionary Huang Xing led a suicide squad in a direct assault on the Governor's Office of Liangguang, launching the Tenth Armed Uprising of the Tongmenghui. Governor Zhang Mingqi fled in panic. Navy Admiral Li Zhun’s forces clashed with the revolutionaries at the East Gate. Outnumbered, the uprising failed and became known in history as the "Huanghuagang Uprising.

" After reading the interrogation records, Zai Feng couldn’t understand why the rebels were all young students returned from overseas. These were people full of vigor and with promising futures. Why would they sacrifice themselves for the revolution? Liang Xiang, who had also studied in Japan, was asked for his opinion. He admitted that none of the current cabinet members could compare to the revolutionaries in terms of idealism and noble spirit.

However, Zai Feng found it very difficult to make personnel decisions. The chaos in Guangzhou might inspire similar actions across the country. Zai Feng instructed Liang Xiang to have the main Beiyang Army draft a plan and hold a military review in Yongping soon to demonstrate the court’s strength and resolve. Li Renjun had commanded the Twelfth Detachment for over three months.

When Yang Kaizhi accused him of falsifying accounts, Li Renjun defended himself, claiming that this was standard practice across the entire Beiyang Army. Seeing that they couldn’t agree, Yang Kaizhi stopped arguing. Li Renjun, in turn, lectured him that as a regional commander, he needed to be more tolerant. Yang Kaizhi then understood why Li Renjun had been sent to the Twelfth Detachment.

Li Renjun himself was well aware—Master Yuan feared that the Sixth Town would fall completely under revolutionary control, hence he dispatched Li Renjun. As his closest buddy, Li Renjun worried that one day he and Yang Kaizhi might go their separate ways—or even come to blows. That day would eventually come; he just didn’t know when.

In the autumn of the third year of the Xuantong reign, the imperial court planned to conduct autumn military exercises. Liang Xiang addressed the attendees, hoping they could understand that this military action, under such a special context, was more than just an exercise—it was a strategic deployment. For the exercise, Liang Xiang selected Yang Kaizhi to depart with him. Seeing that Yang Kaizhi was still alone, he asked if he had found a woman.

Yang Kaizhi said she would arrive the next day. Liang Xiang probably didn't expect that the woman Yang Kaizhi was referring to was someone he knew. At Zhen’tou Railway Station in Shijiazhuang, Yang Kaizhi received Xie Shuhong. On the way back, he asked her to be prepared to meet someone—not Li Renjun, but Liang Xiang, the chief inspector of the autumn exercises. Xie Shuhong brought a letter from Huang Xing to Yang Kaizhi.

Huang Xing wanted to use the autumn exercises as an opportunity to launch an uprising, but Yang Kaizhi thought it was overly simplistic. The imperial court had strict precautions for this exercise, with separate assignments for arms and ammunition, and the First Guard Corps accompanying the troops. Liang Xiang accompanied the Sixth Town, aiming to supervise Yang Kaizhi. Yang Kaizhi arranged for Xie Shuhong to stay at Xiao Fenglan’s place.

From Fenglan, Xie Shuhong learned that her son was doing well in Beijing—not only attending school but also learning painting from Mr. Duan Fang. After the morning duties, Liang Xiang and Yang Kaizhi went to have a meal at Li Renjun’s place, intending to see who Yang Kaizhi’s companion was. Unable to keep it from Liang Xiang, Li Renjun told him in the carriage that the woman was Xie Shuhong.

Liang Xiang was surprised but still joined the meal, watching as Yang Kaizhi introduced Xie Shuhong as his military dependent. Liang Xiang changed the subject, talking about his experiences in France. The group joked and laughed cheerfully. After the meal, Yang Kaizhi led Xie Shuhong to the commander's residence to rest, while Liang Xiang returned to the command post. Li Renjun went to see Liang Xiang, passing through strict security checks to ensure he wasn’t armed before being allowed inside.

Li Renjun wasn’t sure where Yang Kaizhi’s Sixth Town stood politically, but he personally believed Yang Kaizhi was a revolutionary. To strengthen control over the Twelfth Division, Yang Kaizhi assigned Gu Maichen there—something Li Renjun was well aware of. Even so, Liang Xiang still couldn’t draw a definite conclusion about Yang Kaizhi. So far, Yang Kaizhi had done nothing that indicated he was a revolutionary.

The next day, Liang Xiang went to visit Yang Kaizhi, but he had gone to observe the morning drill. Only Xie Shuhong was in the courtyard, watering flowers. She couldn’t help but ask about Yu Bugu. Liang Xiang had been waiting for her to bring it up during dinner the night before, but she never did. Perhaps it was better that way; their relationship was already complicated, and there was no need to complicate it further.

Liang Xiang’s words angered Xie Shuhong, and she shot back with sarcasm, mocking how he held a high position yet had let the country fall into such a state, saying he ought to feel ashamed. Liang Xiang reminded her that as the wife of the Sixth Town’s commander, her words represented Yang Kaizhi’s stance and position. Xie Shuhong brushed it off, asserting she made a clear distinction between herself and Yang Kaizhi. At that moment, Yang Kaizhi returned.

Liang Xiang, fuming, informed him that at 3 PM, the entire town was to board the train and head for Yongping. After Liang Xiang left, Yang Kaizhi asked what had happened. Xie Shuhong downplayed it, saying she had only asked Liang Xiang about the child. Xie Shuhong still had matters in Shanghai and left on the 5 PM train, accompanied by Xiao Fenglan, who saw her off.

Although Liang Xiang acted indifferent about Yang Kaizhi and Xie Shuhong’s relationship, he couldn't help bringing it up during the military train ride. Once the strategic directives approved by the imperial edict were delivered, the conversation shifted to official matters. News of the Wuchang New Army's mutiny reached Beijing. Zhang Biao, the commander of the Eighth Town, sent a telegram seeking instructions on suppressing the rebellion.

Zai Tao was awakened from his sleep with news of armed unrest in Wuchang and hurriedly informed Zai Feng. On the 19th day of the eighth month in the third year of Xuantong, Xiong Bingkun and others from the Eighth Engineering Battalion of the Hubei New Army fired the first shots, seizing the Chuwangtai Armory and the Governor’s Office in Huguang, marking the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution—historically known as the Wuchang Uprising.

The Wuchang New Army stormed into the deputy commander’s residence with torches, dragged Li Yuanhong from under his bed, and forced him to be the governor of the revolutionary army. Amid flames, the revolutionaries occupied the provincial treasury, seizing all the silver reserves for the revolution. Before the Yongping autumn exercises began, Liang Xiang received an imperial edict to cancel them. All participating units were to return to their original stations immediately and await further orders.

On the 22nd day of the eighth month in the third year of Xuantong, the court dispatched part of the exercise troops to march south at once to attack the Wuchang revolutionary army. Hanyang housed the largest arsenal, and the Wuchang armory had ample weapons and ammunition—enough for the rebels to expand into five divisions within three days. To quell the Wuchang rebellion, the only viable solution was to send the Beiyang Army’s main force—there was no alternative.

At that time, the cabinet ministers were discussing who should lead the southern expedition. King Qing nominated Yuan Shikai for reinstatement. Liang Xiang had already sent a telegram, volunteering to lead the army south himself, though the chance of being appointed was slim. Therefore, he urged Zai Tao to relay a message to the Prince Regent that Yuan Shikai must not be reinstated.

For the Sixth Town, Liang Xiang and Prince Zai Tao could only rely on Yang Kaizhi—no one else was trustworthy. If Yuan Shikai returned, Wu the deputy commander and Li Renjun would surely side with him, making the situation uncontrollable for Yang Kaizhi. Even so, Yang Kaizhi’s heart was already with the revolution. Privately, he had Gu Maichen reach out to Wuhan, ready to ally the Sixth Town with the revolutionary army at any moment.

Yang Kaizhi wired a request to personally lead the Eleventh Division to the Wuchang front. Master Yinchang replied: the Eleventh Division should load up on-site and head to Kaifeng, Henan, to report to the Second Army. As for Yang Kaizhi’s request—it was denied. If he insisted on going to the Wuchang front, he could report to the command post. Yang Kaizhi expressed dissatisfaction to Li Renjun, questioning why the higher-ups always tried to separate a town’s commander from his troops.

Yinchang still did not trust Yang Kaizhi and reminded Liang Xiang to be wary of him. Sending Yang Kaizhi to Wuchang with troops would be like letting a turtle back into the sea. Xie Shuhong returned to the Qin Pavilion of Vice President Song in Shanghai. From Song Chen, she learned that the Chamber of Commerce had decided to arm themselves in response to the plan to restore Shanghai.

The Twentieth Town and the Second Mixed Division, participants in the autumn exercises, refused the court’s orders and jointly rose in rebellion in Luan County, Hebei. As they hadn’t yet resorted to violence, Liang Xiang, on behalf of Zai Tao, ordered that the relatives of Zhang Shaozeng and Lan Tianwei in Beijing be treated well—otherwise, they might truly rebel.

Zai Tao failed to grasp the situation, but Liang Xiang sternly analyzed that the Beiyang Army’s main force had shown a level of passivity inconsistent with their strength. This could only mean they were waiting for Yuan Shikai to become the new commander-in-chief. The next moment, Zai Tao received a phone call. The court had issued a decree reinstating Yuan Shikai as Governor of Huguang. Liang Xiang rushed to see Zai Feng, but even the prince was helpless.

Liang Xiang shifted the topic to the Wuchang rebellion. At this point, the three towns of Wuhan were the largest leverage between the Qing court and the revolutionaries.

There were things Liang Xiang didn’t say, but Zai Feng understood well. Releasing the tiger Yuan Gongbao would inevitably lead to disaster, but he couldn’t stop it. Even the foreign envoys had aligned with Yuan and maintained a neutral stance toward China’s armed unrest. Yuan had also set six conditions for his return—all ideas influenced by Western powers. At its core, it was a power grab. The Qing court was truly running out of time.

Back home, Liang Xiang saw Yu Bugu playing happily with Duo Mei and smiled for the first time in days. From his mother, he learned that the rebellion had spread like wildfire across multiple provinces. Yuan’s six conditions for reinstatement looked very much like a plan to reorganize the nation and seize power. Zai Feng couldn’t refuse—even if he wanted to. Liang Xiang heard Zai Feng was already working on a self-criticism edict. Liang Xiang was in a difficult position.

Because Zhang Shaozeng and Lan Tianwei were his classmates in Japan and refused to follow the court’s orders, people began to question Liang Xiang’s personnel decisions. As a precaution, Zai Feng was considering stripping Yang Kaizhi of his military command. Liang Xiang feared that this would truly push Yang Kaizhi into open rebellion. A supply train bound for Wuhan had just pulled into the station. Feng Hanhai asked whether to let it proceed.

Yang Kaizhi ordered it detained, with all arms and ammunition sent to storage for military use. Li Renjun tried to stop him, warning that seizing supplies meant for suppressing the Wuchang uprising might be unwise—but Yang Kaizhi ignored him. Upon learning of Yuan Shikai’s reinstatement, Yang Kaizhi secretly instructed Gu Maichen to urgently contact Zhang Shaozeng and Lan Tianwei. It was time for the three of them to unite.

Zai Tao was furious upon hearing that the supply train had been detained by Yang Kaizhi and scolded him for his audacity. Liang Xiang was helpless—it seemed Yang Kaizhi was truly ready to break away. In desperation, Zai Tao came up with a plan: have Liang Xiang draft an order sending Yang Kaizhi to Luan County, under the pretense of pacifying Zhang Shaozeng and Lan Tianwei.

This would not only stabilize Luan County but also separate Yang Kaizhi from the Sixth Town. Liang Xiang went to draft the order. Meanwhile, Zai Tao received a call from Zai Feng with more news: the imperial cabinet had been dissolved, and Zai Xun and Zai Tao had been dismissed. Zai Tao was temporarily assigned to train the Imperial Guards until the new Prime Minister arrived in Beijing—none other than Yuan Shikai.

Liang Xiang had long expected this day to come, just not so soon. Li Renjun received a telegram from the Ministry of the Army, appointing him as interim commander of the Sixth Town. The original commander, Yang Kaizhi, was to go to Luan County to pacify Zhang and Lan, with no room for refusal.

Song Baoquan sent Xie Shuhong to visit all major military units in Shanghai, officially to deliver invitations for a meal, but in reality to quietly prepare for the restoration of Shanghai—so that Song Chen’s merchant militia wouldn’t have to resort to bloodshed. During the meal, Song Baoquan learned that the Nanjing governor’s office had sent a secret memo to all military units in Shanghai that day, labeling the merchant militia as rebels to be executed upon capture.

He urgently instructed Xie Shuhong to notify them to advance their operations. Gunfire echoed through the night in Shanghai. Song Baoquan brought ammunition for support. Song Chen became the new death squad captain, launching another fierce attack. On the 14th day of the ninth month in the third year of Xuantong, Shanghai was restored. Yang Kaizhi arrived at the Twelfth Town to pacify them. When confronted by the impatient You Min with a bomb equipped with a fuse, Yang Kaizhi responded calmly.

Yang Kaizhi showed signs of advocating for revolution. Youmin immediately wanted to detonate a bomb, but Ma Buzhou struck his wrist holding the hammer first, then restrained and took him away. Yang Kaizhi stated that the main force of the Beiyang Army was concentrated in Wuchang, leaving the capital defenseless. Now was the time to surprise attack the capital and take it without bloodshed. Yang Kaizhi decided to divide into three routes to directly strike the capital.

Zhang Shaoceng and Lan Tianwei were both willing to risk their lives to follow him. But just then, the Ministry of the Army in the capital sent a telegram ordering Yang Kaizhi to return to Zhenkou immediately and lead the Sixth Town to suppress the Shanxi rebels. It was clear that the capital feared Yang Kaizhi leading the Sixth Town the most, so why suddenly grant him control of the Sixth Town? Yang Kaizhi knew something was amiss.

Then someone reported that all train cars had been taken away, and without trains, their advance on the capital would surely be delayed. Yang Kaizhi suspected someone had leaked information. He decided to go all the way—once the bow was drawn, there was no turning back. If he couldn't take the city with strategy, then he would do so with blood.

He had just arrived at the Twelfth Town and had to bid farewell to Zhang Shaoceng and Lan Tianwei again. The new Prime Minister, Yuan Shikai, arrived in the capital for his post, with a grander procession than the emperor. Liang Xiang returned home and unexpectedly saw Zhu Laixi crying at his house. Overnight, Shanghai had switched flags and turned against the Qing. Zhu Laixi's patrol camp was swayed towards revolution by two deputy leaders.

Zhu Laixi did not want to revolt, so the two helped tidy him up and sent him to Pier 16 to catch a boat home. But Zhu Laixi no longer had a home, so he came to the capital to seek refuge with Liang Xiang. The current situation was more severe than imagined. Liang Xiang had already learned that Yang Kaizhi intended to unite with Zhang Shaoceng and Lan Tianwei to launch a surprise attack on the capital.

Yuan Shikai was now the new Prime Minister. If the sky were to fall, he would be the one to hold it up. Deputy Commander Zhou appeared at the Sixth Town, holding a confidential order from Yuan Gongbao, claiming he was sent by Yuan to "rescue" the Sixth Town. When Yang Kaizhi returned to the Sixth Town, Li Renjun presented his appointment—Yang Kaizhi had been appointed by the court as the Governor of Shanxi, responsible for suppressing the Shanxi rebels.

Before heading to Shanxi, Yang Kaizhi summoned all officers above company level for a meeting. Before the meeting, Yang Kaizhi and Li Renjun had a private conversation. Yang Kaizhi urged Li Renjun to go with the flow, while Li Renjun advised him not to act recklessly, warning that Yang Kaizhi's every move was under higher surveillance. Even so, Yang Kaizhi was determined to stir up the officers of the Sixth Town to launch a revolution.

Yuan Gongbao had already ordered Li Renjun back to the capital. Knowing he couldn't persuade Yang Kaizhi, Li Renjun simply returned to accompany Xiao Fenglan. From then on, all responsibilities fell to Deputy Commander Zhou. Zhou ordered that after Yang Kaizhi’s speech, all company commanders were to meet him at the station. But almost no one reacted to Yang Kaizhi’s speech. After it ended, Ma Buzhou entered the room and shot Yang Kaizhi dead.

Yang Kaizhi didn't even get to finish reading the letter Xie Shuhong had written to him. By the time Gu Maichen returned, Yang Kaizhi was already lying in a pool of blood. Li Renjun and Xiao Fenglan returned to Beijing. Instead of reporting to the Ministry of the Army immediately, Li Renjun first went to the Liang household to inform Liang Xiang of Yang Kaizhi’s death.

The three of them had once gone to Tokyo together, but now they were one short. Duo Mei served tea to Li Renjun and Liang Xiang. When she learned that Yang Kaizhi was dead, her face turned pale in an instant. A living person, gone just like that—anyone would be shaken. In such turbulent times, even knowing it was a road to death, Yang Kaizhi still chose the path of revolution without hesitation. Few were as fearless as him.

From the moment Liang Xiang met Yang Kaizhi, Yang Kaizhi had been living on the edge. All these years had passed, and he still hadn't changed his ideals. Liang Xiang had long anticipated this day and had tried countless times to persuade Yang Kaizhi to give up his ideals, but Yang Kaizhi never listened. Li Renjun told Liang Xiang, "Geniuses attract jealousy, and pride clashes with the world.

Be flexible—after all, I’ve already lost one brother, and I don’t want to lose you too. " On October 16th, Year 3 of the Xuantong era, the Prince Regent Zai Feng abdicated at the age of 29. Zai Feng resigned from his duties and ignored the worsening situation. Liang Xiang was furious. Lady Liang understood—once a tree has been hollowed out by rot, even the slightest breeze can topple it.

Zai Feng sensed the nation's doom approaching and took the chance to escape, avoiding the stigma of being the one who lost the country. Lady Liang advised Liang Xiang to do the same and let it go. Empress Dowager Longyu had already granted Yuan Shikai full authority to negotiate with the southern revolutionaries. Yuan Shikai reorganized his personal guard into the capital’s garrison army, which was now responsible for the city’s security.

Once the transition was completed, the imperial guard would be moved to the outskirts of Beijing. Li Renjun, upon returning, had to pack and leave again. Yuan Gongbao had appointed him Deputy Commander of the garrison army, tasking him to coordinate with Liang Xiang and stabilize the morale of the imperial guard to prevent any accidents.

Liang Xiang went to see Zai Feng and was shocked to learn that Lord Duan Fang had been killed by the rebels half a month ago in a gruesome manner, decapitated. Zai Feng was filled with guilt—if he hadn't summoned Duan Fang out of retirement, Duan wouldn't have ended up like that.

The next day, amidst a field of white snow, the handover between the imperial guard, led by Liang Xiang, and the garrison army, led by Li Renjun, was completed. Li Renjun watched Liang Xiang leave, knowing that such a fragile figure could no longer uphold the crumbling regime alone. The fall of the Qing dynasty's feudal rule was the unstoppable wheel of history.

Nobles like Liang Xiang who attempted to preserve feudal power were destined to fail, like an insect trying to stop a chariot—utterly in vain. Liang Xiang and Li Renjun finally had time to sit down and discuss the details of Yang Kaizhi’s death. It was almost the moment Li Renjun left Zhenkou that he heard the gunshot. Li Renjun believed he had a clear conscience—until the very last minute, he had tried to pull Yang Kaizhi back.

When the shot rang out, Li Renjun realized this was history at work, not anyone’s individual scheme. Everyone bore responsibility—Liang Xiang, Yang Kaizhi, and himself. Song Baoquan was in finance, but he deeply understood the revolution—it required enormous funding. From managing an entire division to supplying meals and lodging, every part was a bottomless pit. Song Baoquan was busy negotiating with the Belgian consul over a bankbook issue, and Xie Shuhong didn’t disturb him.

Song Baoquan remembered a letter from Zhenkou and gave it to Xie Shuhong. It was from Gu Maichen, bearing the devastating news that Yang Kaizhi had been killed by reactionary forces. Enclosed was the letter Xie Shuhong had written to Yang Kaizhi—he hadn’t finished reading it before he died, and it was stained with his blood. Xie Shuhong was struck by dizziness and fainted. Song Baoquan rushed over. When he saw the letter, he too was in disbelief.

Yang Yifan soon learned of Yang Kaizhi’s death as well. Worried that Shuhong would be crushed by grief, he encouraged her not to stop moving forward—to be a witness to their generation’s pursuit of a new light. As Song Baoquan arranged behind-the-scenes negotiations between the North and South, Song Chen told Xie Shuhong that Zhang Jian was the main figure in the talks, attending with the goal of ending the turmoil quickly. No one could predict the future course of history, but at least for now, China could no longer afford the cost of a protracted revolution.

Zhu Laixi was now in charge of trimming the flowers and tending the garden at the Liang residence. Yu Bugu curiously asked what he was doing, and Zhu Laixi explained the basics of pruning and honeysuckle. Zhu Laixi talked with Liang Xiang about the child, saying Yu Bugu was exactly like Liang Xiang when he was young—always doing the opposite of what he was told. Zhu Laixi recognized the person meeting with Liang Xiang as Lord Tieliang.

Liang Xiang warned him not to say anything, as Tieliang didn’t want others to know he and Liang Xiang were organizing the Royalist Party. On November 13th, Year 3 of the Xuantong era, Sun Yat-sen took office as the Provisional President and declared the country as the Republic of China. On November 15th, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established in Nanjing. On November 28th, Yuan Shikai formally coerced Empress Dowager Longyu into abdicating.

On the way back from court, he was attacked by an assassin at Donghua Gate, resulting in over twenty casualties. Yuan Shikai survived and used the incident as an excuse to stop attending court sessions. This morning, Yuan Shikai was stabbed at Donghua Gate. He threatened the court that he would no longer attend court. The Empress Dowager urgently convened a royal meeting to discuss countermeasures and specifically requested Liang Xiang’s presence.

The Prime Minister conveyed Yuan Shikai’s suggestion: to resolve the current deadlock, both Northern and Southern governments should be dissolved, and a new provisional government established with privileges granted to the royal family. If the royal meeting could not make a decision, the cabinet would resign. Yuan Shikai’s threat was clear to all the royals present.

Liang Xiang was deeply humiliated and proposed accepting Yuan Shikai’s resignation, reorganizing the cabinet, and sending new generals south to negotiate with the revolutionaries, free from Yuan’s Beiyang Army. It was easier said than done. Among the current group, not one could lead the Beiyang Army to fight the revolutionaries on the front lines in Wuchang. Even the former military advisor Zai Tao had only trained troops and never commanded in actual battle.

At the Beiyang front, Duan Qirui and forty-six army generals jointly submitted a telegram demanding the emperor’s immediate abdication and the establishment of a republican system. Empress Dowager Longyu didn’t even look at it and ordered it to be discussed the next day. Afterwards, Zai Feng advised Liang Xiang to be cautious, warning that Yuan Gongbao always struck with advance troops, backup support, and internal collusion.

Some officers in the Royalist Party even got tattoos to show their loyalty to the court. Liang Xiang stopped these irrational and somewhat extreme actions. The revolutionaries rose, the constitutionalists supported them, and the Beiyang faction pushed the court to the brink. Revolutionaries approached Gu Maichen, asking him to use his schoolmate ties with Liang Xiang to get close and assassinate him.

But Gu Maichen, grateful for how Liang Xiang had cared for him in Tokyo, didn’t want to be that heartless. Still, if he didn’t do it, someone else would. So the revolutionaries found a man named Chong Gong, who hid outside the Liang residence late at night, waiting for Liang Xiang’s return. Chong Gong called out to Liang Xiang. Liang Xiang didn’t recognize him, but when he saw the man reaching into his coat, he stepped back cautiously.

The bomb’s power was immense. After a loud explosion, both Liang Xiang and the assassin fell. Liang Xiang was seriously injured and hospitalized. With only a breath left, Li Renjun came to see him. While unconscious, Liang Xiang had many dreams—but none of Yang Kaizhi or Li Renjun, only vague illusions. Li Renjun took the opportunity to make a double-edged remark, telling him to stop dreaming. Liang Xiang died. The monarchists were crushed by the wheels of history.

The revolutionaries failed to complete the task of national independence and people’s liberation. The fruit of the Xinhai Revolution fell into the hands of old warlords and bureaucrats like Yuan Shikai. China’s history entered a new era. In 1921, the Communist Party of China was founded, finally bringing light to the Chinese people who had long struggled in darkness.