1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 8

"The Qing Dynasty suffered a defeat and had to pay foreigners 400 million taels of silver. Every Chinese person had to pay one tael of silver, and the payment was still not finished."

Who will pay for this? Of course, it's you, and it's almost your turn. Each of you must pay one tael of silver to those foreigners you've never seen before. Are you willing to do that?

The tens of thousands of villagers around the platform were all speechless with shock. No one had ever calculated this for them before, and no one had ever told them that they would have to pay for it themselves.

These farmers have been cultivating the land and paying taxes for thousands of years, generation after generation, and have come to regard this as a matter of course.

Just as you have to defecate to eat, you have to pay taxes to farm.

But if the government uses this money to resist foreign aggression, provide disaster relief and poverty alleviation, and strengthen the country and raise an army, then that's fine.

But no one ever told them that the taxes they paid with every drop of sweat and blood were exchanged for a tile worth ten taels of silver, a meal worth thousands of taels of silver, and indemnities paid to foreigners, but they were never given a share!

"Therefore, I and my students must stand up and start a revolution, just like Zhang Jiao, and shout for the Qing Dynasty to die!"

"The revolution is about stopping people from carving stones, ensuring everyone has rice and meat in their bowls, and enabling everyone to eat three meals a day!"

"This is revolution! This is our Revival Party!"

Zhao Yan's speeches are always targeted. He talks about lofty ideals when speaking to young people, about investment and profits when speaking to capitalists, and about food and livelihood when speaking to farmers!

Talk about capitalism with the rich, proletarianism with the poor, and nationalism with the young. Never try to do great things from only one perspective. At least before you have complete power, you must give everyone hope and make every class believe that you can represent their interests.

Once we're in power, hehehe

Zhao Yan's naked and undisguised revolutionary theories have ignited the passion of tens of thousands of people in Luxi Village, with immediate and remarkable results. The crowd is now roaring with excitement, stirred up by his rhetoric.

Zhao Yan greatly admires a quote from Socrates, which is very fitting for this moment: "Revolution is not the indoctrination of ideas, but the ignition of flames!"

Wu Zifu, Liu Shangsheng, Zhao Hao, and more than ten others were also shocked. They realized that these were true revolutionaries, and that the power of language was terrifying, even more powerful than a thousand troops.

Wu Zifu and the others looked at Zhao Yan, who was waving to the crowd, as if they were worshipping a god, their eyes filled with admiration.

How could one not admire them? They themselves almost got drowned or thrown into a pig cage before they could even finish three sentences, but Zhao Yan arrived, told just one or two stories, and the crowd was ignited. The difference was just too great.

However, a big problem arose, and everyone looked at each other in bewilderment: what should they do next?

When Zhao Yan came to his senses, he was also a little confused. The crowd's emotions seemed to have gone a bit too far, and many people had already gone home to get kitchen knives and hoes to prepare for a revolution.

Wu Zifu and the others looked at Zhao Yan, believing that the president must have a solution.

Zhao Yan was numb. He only cared about setting the fire and didn't care how it burned. Zhao Yan only wanted to make money. He didn't want to lead these farmers to fight the Qing army head-on.

"President, things have come to this point, let's do it! Just tell us what to do next, and we'll go through fire and water for you!" Wu Zifu and his group were now completely fired up.

Zhao Yan was taken aback, then immediately began brainstorming. Three seconds later, he was ready to start his bluff.

"Children, revolution proceeds gradually, and revolutionaries also need more growth. You cannot rely on my protection forever; it is time to face the storm."

If I am no longer here someday, I hope that you will grow up and transform into truly strong and independent revolutionaries.

And this is the test I've set for you!

Wu Zifu bowed respectfully and said, "Teacher, what should we do? Please enlighten us!"

Zhao Yan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the bustling crowd with a mysterious and profound expression.

"The flame has been lit, and all you have to do is protect this weak flame until the moment it spreads completely."

Now is not the time. You must be careful and not let them sacrifice in vain. I will be watching over you from somewhere else.

Remember, keep the fire going!

Pass on the torch, young man!

Chapter 14: The matter is over and I leave

A seemingly profound but ultimately meaningless remark left the young lads completely bewildered. Before they could process what he'd said, Zhao Yan quickly led the chubby Liu Shangsheng away.

If he doesn't leave now, this group will just drag him up there, raise their banner, and go attack the county town. A wise man doesn't stand under a dangerous wall.

Sun Yat-sen knew that he would not participate in actual armed revolutionary actions. He would wait until others succeeded, then return and remotely command the entire process, without taking any risks himself.

Zhao Yan would be even less likely to do so; he's always been a proponent of revolution in words, but his real purpose is still to swindle money.

Zhao Yan has never forgotten his original intentions. If you ask him to stand up and start a riot to attack the county town, then forget it.

After leaving Luxi Village with Fatty Liu Shangsheng, the two wanted to return to Shanghai, but they were almost caught by the officials on the way.

Because legends about Zhao Yan had already begun to circulate in Shanghai, a new and resounding name suddenly appeared in all circles of Shanghai: "Revolutionary: Zhao Yan." This name spread like wildfire, especially in the business world, where many wealthy businessmen had heard of Zhao Yan's name.

Moreover, his Revival Party and its revolutionary propositions against the capitalist class spread widely, almost overnight throughout Shanghai.

The political and business worlds are intertwined. What the business world knows, the political world knows 100%. The Qing government has already posted notices offering a reward for Zhao Yan, but the yamen runners and soldiers dispatched urgently have searched all over Shanghai but have not found Zhao Yan.

The government was preparing to launch a nationwide manhunt, but thankfully there was no photo or portrait of Zhao Yan.

Even a fool could figure out what was going on; it must have been those salt merchants causing trouble.

They must have realized what was going on. After a passionate outburst at the teahouse, the group went home and took a nap. They probably realized something was wrong. They had been tricked out of more than 800,000 taels of silver with just a few words. What if the other party took the money and did nothing, or even tried to hide the money under an assumed name?

This group simply spread Zhao Yan's name to force you to do it, because the die was cast and things had already reached this point, and the salt merchants couldn't possibly get their money back.

As a result of the salt merchants' actions, many wealthy Chinese businessmen in Shanghai and Songjiang began to pay attention to the Revival Party and Zhao Yan, because the revolutionary ideas spread by the Revival Party were very much in line with the tastes of their business class.

In particular, much of the content of Zhao Yan's speech at the teahouse has been leaked. The idyllic life of capitalists that Zhao Yan described is all real and there is no deception involved.

Ask a few foreign businessmen, or take a look at some foreign newspapers in the leased premises; everything will be crystal clear.

The rumors about Zhao Yan in the Shanghai business community became increasingly bizarre, and soon the political circles followed suit. The Qing government couldn't sit still anymore, thinking that this guy's ideas were too dangerous!

Arrest warrants were immediately issued everywhere, and the general of Hangzhou, who was closest to the city, even sent troops to search for him.

Zhao Yan sensed something was wrong on the way. With his intuition honed from years of playing hide-and-seek with the police, he immediately realized something was amiss. He then quickly took Liu Shangsheng and fled far away from Shanghai, not even daring to return to the foreign concessions.

The movies portray that once you enter the foreign concessions, you're safe and sound, and the Qing government officials and soldiers can't do anything to you. That's just a movie.

Do you really think that foreigners will protect you in their territory? You're not their dog, why should they protect you like that? With just a word from the government and some bribes, foreigners are happy to give them face, and they're even willing to help arrest people, since the Qing dynasty is just too much to their liking.

After hiding in Jiaxing for seven or eight days, Zhao Yan kept sending people out to inquire about the situation, while he himself was always ready to escape. He carried his belongings with him at all times, slept without taking off his shoes at night, and kept the windows open at all times, ready to climb out.

"President, your wanted poster has been posted in Jiaxing. The authorities know what we did in Luxi Village!"

Zhao Hao, who had gone out to inquire about the situation, returned. He entered the door with a face full of excitement, just like a gangster who had just killed someone yesterday and became famous in the underworld today.

Zhao Yan cursed, "Do you think this is a good thing? How many times have I told you to keep a low profile! Revolutionaries don't need fame, they just need to quietly do their work!"

Zhao Hao grinned and said, "Understood, understood!"

Zhao Yan continued to ask other questions, and Zhao Hao answered them one by one. He had already contacted Qiu Xingxun of the intelligence department.

Qiu Xingxun has been released by Zhao Yan for about ten days. This guy is really good at intelligence gathering. He can collect any news, no matter what it is. There isn't much classified information, but it is all very useful information.

After the Qing government learned of the Luxi Village incident, a large number of officials and soldiers immediately entered the area to search for and arrest people. Fortunately, Zhao Yan was not stubborn and allowed Wu Zifu and others to preserve the flame of revolution.

The people in Luxi Village did not stage a large-scale riot, but conflicts continued to occur during the Qing government's suppression campaign.

The Qing army's discipline was so poor that even if they searched the civilians who hadn't been set on fire, let alone the civilians who had already been set on fire, there would still be constant conflicts.

After listening to Zhao Yan's speech that day, tens of thousands of people were persuaded to go home by Wu Zifu in the name of preserving the flame of revolution, saying that now was not the time for revolution and that they should not sacrifice themselves in vain.

The hot-blooded people were indeed very excited at the time, but after Zhao Yan left, they went home and slept for a while, and when they woke up the next day, they were much calmer.

Then, the Qing army's passage through the area, which ravaged the land, reignited the flames of resentment that they had barely managed to suppress, leading to large-scale uprisings in several villages and towns. Wu Zifu also led his men to participate in these uprisings.

After several conflicts, the civil officials within the Qing government, fearing that it would incite a large-scale popular uprising, ordered the army to withdraw. In these turbulent times, the Qing officials also thought it was better to avoid trouble.

Although the large-scale search and arrest had ended, the even more frantic and meticulous pursuit continued behind the scenes, especially targeting Zhao Yan, the number one revolutionary. Although the Qing government did not understand what revolution meant, it still classified the Restoration Party as a rebel organization like the White Lotus Society and the Heaven and Earth Society.

Wu Zifu left two or three party members behind to continue developing the revolutionary cause in the Jiaxing area, following the model set by Zhao Yan. The others were led by him to continue to the Huguang area.

The teahouse speech and the Luxi Village incident were the two events that made the revolutionary Zhao Yan a household name in the Jiangnan region. After a little inquiry, the content of Zhao Yan's speeches became widely known.

Although Zhao Yan's speech targeting the capitalist class and the oppressed peasant proletariat was a rebellious statement, people who listened to it and thought about it carefully found that his reasoning was correct.

Zhao Yan, a revolutionary, spoke very clearly and directly, explaining the issue in its entirety and pointing straight to the core. The Party's mission also aligns perfectly with the interests of the vast oppressed Han Chinese community.

Their theories are not like those of the Heaven and Earth Society, which have a dark nature, nor are they like those of the White Lotus Sect, which are purely rebellious and religious. Instead, they are very reasonable and fair.

Many people have developed a strong interest in the Revival Party, and even a large number of disillusioned groups and young people have begun to actively seek out traces of the Revival Party, wanting to join them.

"You wouldn't believe it, but right now in the Jiangnan region, our Fuxing Party and your name are both very well-known. Many people are looking for us to join, but we don't know whether they're genuine or not, so we haven't dared to accept them. Qiu Xingxun is secretly observing a few reliable ones!"

"Furthermore, as per your instructions, Wu Zifu and the people from the Organization Department have all evacuated, except for a few who remain in Jiangnan. Currently, the Jiangnan area is mainly occupied by Qiu Xingxun's people from the Intelligence Department, and two or three people from the Ministry of Finance in Shanghai."

Zhao Yan continued, "What about the Organization Department's files? Those are top secrets; absolutely nothing can go wrong. Otherwise, if the Manchus get their hands on them, they'll be able to trace their activities based on those files!"

Zhao Hao explained, "Don't worry, all the data has been transferred to the salt merchants' bank for safekeeping. The intelligence department handled the specifics, and only Qiu Xingxun knows how to deposit and retrieve the data. No one else, including you and me, knows anything about it."

Zhao Yan nodded: "People are afraid of becoming famous, just like pigs are afraid of getting fat. I don't think I did anything special, I just said a few things, so how did I become the number one criminal in Jiangnan of the Qing Dynasty?"

Zhao Yan was completely puzzled. "I'm just a troll, is this really necessary? I didn't raise an army, I didn't declare myself king or establish a regime. I just said a few words and swindled a little money. Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?"

Before long, Liu Shangsheng, who had gone out, returned, and the remaining members of the action team also returned to the base.

Once everyone had arrived, Zhao Yan began making his own arrangements.

“Zhao Hao, you reckless brute, I don’t trust you to handle things. You should come with me. Two people from the action team will also come with me.”

Zhao Hao nodded somewhat aggrievedly, not daring to object.

Zhao Yan continued, "The other two members of the action team will escort Minister Liu Shangsheng back to Shanghai. We must make sure he is safely delivered to Mr. Liu Yongfu!"

"Yes, President!"

"After you've delivered the people, you'll follow Qiu Xingxun of the Intelligence Department and obey his orders. Tell Minister Qiu that the Intelligence Department can collect intelligence while contacting progressive individuals who are favorable to the revolution. If necessary, reliable people can be recruited into the party, but safety must come first!"

"Furthermore, all future party expenses can be applied for directly from Minister Liu Shangsheng; there is no need to consult me!"

"Yes, President!"

"President, why won't you let me stay with you? I still want to learn more from you!" the chubby Liu Shangsheng said reluctantly.

Upon seeing the chubby boy, Zhao Yan felt a surge of anger. He had always suspected that the boy was a spy for the Qing government, since he was always the one stirring things up behind the scenes whenever something went wrong.

If Liu Shangsheng hadn't been so clever and made such a big scene, how could I have become the Qing Dynasty's number one criminal in Jiangnan? Ask him to buy an egg, and he'll bring you thousands of gunpowder barrels.

Zhao Yan really didn't dare keep this kind of idiot, who always had a sudden burst of inspiration, by his side.

If it weren't for him, I probably would have already gotten my hands on those hundreds of thousands of taels of silver and was ready to book a ship ticket to go abroad!

"Sigh, Shangsheng, your task is also very heavy. You are the party's money bag. How can you keep following me around taking risks? You should stay in Shanghai and continue raising funds."

"I've already shown you how to raise the money; just follow my example. The revolutionary cause needs you to stay in Shanghai, understand?"

Zhao Yan forced a concerned expression and earnestly advised him.

Liu Shangsheng said, "But what if the president encounters danger? I don't trust Zhao Hao, that reckless man, to protect him without my protection."

"You're the most dangerous one!" Zhao Yan thought to himself, but said meaningfully, "Every revolutionary needs to grow. We can't discriminate against any comrade-in-arms; we must give them opportunities."

These words warmed the hearts of the young men, and Zhao Hao was so eager to give his heart to Zhao Yan that he wanted to give it to him immediately.

"Alright, enough chit-chat, I have to go now. I'll get back in touch with you once I get there."

"Remember, if I completely lose contact with you, don't waste your time looking for me. You all meet up and hold a meeting to elect another president!"

Chapter 15 Desperate Situation

"Damn it, a bunch of mad dogs, they're insane!"

In a rural village on the outskirts of Changsha, Hunan, Zhao Yan, who had been on the run for more than a month, had nowhere else to go and hid in a dilapidated temple.

At this moment, almost everyone in Zhao Yan's group was injured and in a sorry state. They were being chased by Qing soldiers and spies all the way, and were pursued wherever they fled.

When Zhao Yan and his group of four set off from Jiaxing, only a dozen or so remained after they escaped to Changsha. Yesterday, many members of the action team in Liuyang were captured by Qing soldiers while trying to cover Zhao Yan's escape.

Zhao Yan himself was shot in the arm, but fortunately it grazed him, only injuring the skin and flesh, not the bone.

It wouldn't have been this embarrassing situation originally. The cause was Zhao Hao, that reckless young man, who had too little experience in the ways of the world.

When passing through Jiangxi, Zhao Hao's luggage was stolen; all of everyone's money was in the suitcase.

Zhao Yan repeatedly told Zhao Hao to keep the box with him at all times, even when taking a shower. He did keep it with him, but the methods of those martial arts practitioners were simply too sophisticated.

Zhao Yan randomly picked two orphans and widows to evoke the group's sympathy. It was obviously a prank, but the three young men were overflowing with compassion and insisted on helping. As a result, their suitcases were stolen by their accomplices, and they were even extorted for several dollars by the mother and daughter.

The four were penniless and had no choice but to rely on Zhao Yan, so they went back to their old ways and raised funds by giving speeches.

Zhao Yan was already quite famous in the coastal areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The Qing government had been searching for him extensively but couldn't find him, so everyone thought that Zhao Yan had gone abroad by ship.

But unexpectedly, news of Zhao Yan's activities came from the mainland. This guy actually started a series of lectures, swindling money along the way and spreading revolutionary ideas everywhere.

The Qing court was in an uproar upon receiving the news, and even the Governor-General of Liangjiang personally ordered the capture of Zhao Yan.

Meanwhile, news of Zhao Yan also reached Beijing. Empress Dowager Cixi received a secret report and learned about the content of Zhao Yan's speech. Subsequently, the Qing court's central government became aware of Zhao Yan's revolutionary identity, revolutionary ideas, and various statements.

The Qing court was furious. Empress Dowager Cixi personally ordered a nationwide manhunt for Zhao Yan and his accomplices, to be executed or killed, and to suppress the revolutionaries at all costs.