Chapter 41

  Autumn is a beautiful season, Chen Ke likes the sky in 1905, which has not been polluted by industry, and the blue sky is truly "deep and blue". Looking up, you can see the azure sky dotted with a few wispy white clouds, making it even more deep and clear. September 13th, 1905 was Mid-Autumn Festival.

  Yesterday, after the expansion training, Huangpu Academy announced a one-day holiday. The People's Party branch paid for it, and Wu Xingchen, who is also the owner of the Tiandihui Hall, contacted and easily bought over a dozen baskets of crabs. A few baskets were sent to the construction site, and several comrades who live in Shanghai, as well as students from Huangpu Book Society, each received a few kilograms. The rest were steamed in the workshop with some other dishes, and a lively Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was held.

  I don't know who brought over a few branches of osmanthus, placing them in every corner, the fragrance that intoxicates people's hearts mixed with the smell of crabs, it really has a somewhat elegant and popular appreciation. Many people from Huangpu Academy are also away from home, on this traditional holiday, everyone doesn't have anywhere to go either. The number of patients at the affiliated hospital is not many, Chen Ke invited Wang Qiniang and several other doctors together again. After all, it's a holiday, might as well make some noise here. Just when everyone was busy arranging tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks preparing for the banquet, someone arrived at the door. It turned out to be the housekeeper from Qi Huishen's home.

  "Mr. Chen, this is what the young master of our house asked me to deliver," said the butler. After finishing speaking, Chen Ke took a closer look and saw that on the large cart at the door was an object that seemed like a piano. He walked up excitedly to take a closer look and indeed it was an upright piano.

  Mid-Autumn Festival, Qi Hui Shen wanted to stay in the workshop, but Chen Ke forced him back home, "Going home and reuniting with your parents is the right thing to do. It hasn't started yet, after it starts, you'll find it difficult to go home."

  "What else does this cultured youth need?"

  "It would be great if there were a piano." Chen Ke sighed as he looked at his lively classmates in the courtyard.

  "What?" Zhi Hui asked deeply.

  "Nothing. Hurry back home."

  "Hmm...alright." Qi Hui Shen replied. Chen Ke Ben thought Qi Hui Shen hadn't heard clearly, but unexpectedly he really found the piano.

  "This is quite troublesome......" Chen Ke felt extremely embarrassed. Even in the 21st century, not every household had a piano, let alone in 1905.

  "Mr. Chen, my master sometimes holds banquets at home to entertain British guests, and there is a piano in the house. Today, the young master said that Mr. Chen wanted to use it, so our master immediately told us to send it over. He said that he didn't know Mr. Chen was so skilled in music, if he had known earlier, he would have sent him a new one. Since time is tight today, Mr. Chen will have to make do with this old one."

  "This is really too much." Chen Ke was at a loss for words.

  "This piano is at home and no one can play it. Foreigners can't come several times a year. Mr. Chen will use it first." The butler finished speaking, and let the people who came with him move the piano into the yard, and put it in the position specified by Chen Ke.

  After sending off the housekeeper, he returned to the courtyard and saw many classmates gathered around the piano staring at it. The vast majority of people had never seen a piano before. Chen Ke didn't hesitate, lifted the lid, pulled up a stool of suitable height, and played a tune of "Two Tigers". This lively music immediately attracted everyone. In the 21st century, only the most basic introductory music would play this, and Chen Ke's peers would only occasionally think of this song when teasing each other. However, facing these peers, Chen Ke really couldn't think of any better introductory music.

  The lively music quickly lifted everyone's spirits, but the tune was simple and only served as an accompaniment. Watching his classmates being moved by the piano melody without becoming too engrossed, Chen Ke felt satisfied. If it were in the past, Chen Ke would never have thought so much about things like this. Back then, whenever he took the stage to perform, he wouldn't consider the occasion and would always choose pieces that showcased his technical skills, resulting in many unpleasant memories. The principle of doing things according to the circumstances is easy to understand, and Chen Ke himself thought he understood it, but every time he had a chance to take the stage, he couldn't resist showing off, throwing reason out the window. He was really immature back then, Chen Ke thought.

  A small tune was played, and the atmosphere also became more lively. Just as dinner was about to begin, new guests arrived again. This time it was Yan Fu leading the way, with several students from Fudan Public School entering together. Although I didn't know what Yan Fu came for, today was a banquet, and whoever came was a guest, so I invited everyone to take their seats, and arranged the snacks brought by Yan Fu on plates and placed them on the table.

  There's wine, meat, mooncakes and crabs. After going through the expansion training, the distance between young people has also been shortened. Yan Fu and Chen Ke sat together, but they were drinking slowly. Most of the young people came from wealthy families, although it was lively, but still polite. However, when they started drinking, this mood became difficult to control. Some who had a low tolerance for alcohol, after two cups, their voices grew louder. Chen Ke hurriedly stood up, "Fellow students, today is Mid-Autumn Festival, as the saying goes, every time we encounter a good festival, we think of our relatives more. Let's get together. But I have a request, don't drink too much, absolutely do not get drunk with me. Is that okay?"

  "Good!" someone responded loudly, judging from the sound, this person had already had a bit too much. Chen Ke reluctantly sat down, he didn't like drinking too much, the feeling of being slightly drunk was the most comfortable. But that didn't mean his other classmates would be the same. In college, what Chen Ke disliked the most was going to dinner gatherings and drinking, every time he hadn't had much to drink but had to clean up after those who had had too much. The feeling was really terrible.

  "Wen Qing doesn't like drinking." Yan Fu said with a smile.

  Chen Ke nodded, "A small cup or two is fine, but more than that won't do."

  "Me too."

  As they spoke, the crabs were served, and everyone's atmosphere became even more lively. Many students from Fudan University who came from Shaanxi had never eaten crab before. The Jiangnan classmates taught them how to eat it. Some quick-eaters carefully cut off the thin membrane inside the female crab shell along the bottom of the cone, took it out, flipped it over, and made it into what Lu Xun called "Crab Monk". The northern classmates held it up and looked at it with admiration. Seeing everyone having a great time, Chen Ke felt happy too.

  Chen Ke stopped eating after having a pair of crabs.

  At this time, the full moon has risen to the sky, and the August 15th moon is not the roundest, but it's very bright. There are several lanterns hung in the courtyard, plus the bright moonlight, making the courtyard feel bright and spacious. The atmosphere has become lively, and Chen Ke feels a strong sense of street food stalls. It's just as noisy and lively, and this atmosphere is quite comfortable.

  Masaharu and Yan Fu were chatting when they saw two students with flushed faces approaching. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Kōichirō Kuroshima and another Japanese overseas student.

  "Mr. Chen, let me toast you a glass." Hei Dao said with some intoxication.

  Chen Ke had heard that Japanese people can't hold their liquor. Just now, he saw Hei Dao hadn't drunk much but was already in this state. It seems what everyone said is true.

  "Just have a sip, don't get drunk." Chen Ke raised his cup and took a small sip with Kuroshima and the Japanese student next to him. Kuroshima put down his cup and sat down beside Chen Ke with respect, speaking in stiff Mandarin with a Shandong accent: "I've learned a lot of revolutionary principles from Mr. Chen here, I'm very grateful. But there are some things I'd like to ask Mr. Chen."

  Chen Ke glanced at Yan Fu beside him, but saw that he was just listening and didn't have any adverse reaction to the word "revolution". Before Chen Ke could pay more attention, Kuroshima continued: "Mr. Chen, I followed Mr. Chen Tianhua to China. After the Meiji Restoration, the shogunate was overthrown. Japan only has more rich people now. But the lives of ordinary people have become even worse. After listening to your lectures, I feel that I understand many things. However, I would like to ask you, Mr. Chen, how will Japan's future revolution develop?"

  This topic shouldn't be sensitive, but with Yan Fu by my side, it's not easy to say. Before Chen Ke could speak, Yan Fu smiled and said: "Wen Qing also knows the affairs of the world, can you tell me about this matter?"

  Yan Fu urged him, and Chen Ke was ready to speak. Kuroshima hastily called over the other Japanese students. They sat around Chen Ke. The others saw this and also gathered around, turning the lively banquet into a new classroom. Chen Ke had someone close the door and insert the door bolt before he began his lecture.

  When Chen Ke talked about Japan, the surrounding classmates became even more interested. Japan's miraculous rise, combined with its victory in the First Sino-Japanese War over China, made many Chinese young people very interested in things related to Japan.

  Chen Ke roughly explained the historical and economic development characteristics of Japan. The traditional feudal system, the rise of modern Choshu and Satsuma domains, and the development of the Meiji Restoration. From the causes of the First Sino-Japanese War, where did Japan get the money to fight the war, and the role of foreign loans in Japan. Each point was clearly explained.

  The students listened to such a clear explanation and admired Mr. Chen Ke's profound knowledge and deep understanding of the world even more.

  Chen Ke said that if China could hold out for a few months without surrendering, Japan would collapse economically due to the expiration of its loans. Many people heard this for the first time. Connecting it with the previous Japanese loan affair, many people were already clenching their fists and cursing the imperial court as being full of idiots.

  As a participant in the First Sino-Japanese War, Yan Fu found Chen Ke's account to be remarkably clear and detailed, with many aspects of the war, including troop deployments, battles, and situations, matching his own experiences. It was as if he had witnessed it all himself. Upon hearing Chen Ke's explanation, Yan Fu immediately knew that this was an accurate description of the situation at the time. Moreover, the analysis was objective and truthful, not based on hearsay or speculation. Yan Fu was extremely surprised by how clearly Chen Ke understood the situation, including Japan's war funding sources, which he had never heard before. Although Yan Fu was well-versed in the First Sino-Japanese War, he had always found it strange that Japan suddenly possessed such a strong naval force. After hearing Chen Ke's explanation of the economic aspects, Yan Fu suddenly felt enlightened, and the entire course of the war became crystal clear. Japan was also gambling with its national fate. If the Qing dynasty could just hold on a bit longer until Japan's debt repayment deadline, the war would still be far from over, leaving Japan with no choice but bankruptcy.

  If only they could hold on for a few more months, the outcome would be completely different. And his fellow students wouldn't have to sacrifice in vain. Thinking of this, Yan Fu felt a sharp pain in his heart.

  At this moment, Yan Fu suddenly found that the courtyard was silent. Everyone was staring at him, and he was immersed in his own thoughts, his face turning pale and white, his expression becoming gloomy, even terrifying. Now it's already autumn, plus everyone sitting in the courtyard, the night wind blows, it's quite cool, but Yan Fu's forehead is covered with sweat. Matching his demeanor, it looks even more frightening.

  "It's nothing, Wen Qing continues to speak." Yan Fu said reluctantly. But saw Chen Ke handing over a handkerchief. Yan Fu only then felt his own sweat, took the handkerchief and wiped it away. Yan Fu felt that the entire handkerchief was already soaked.

  Yan Fu was a military man, and he knew the importance of strategy. If Chen Ke had been in power at court back then, the outcome of the Jiawu War would not have been so disastrous. This thought burst forth from Yan Fu's fervent mind. After the Jiawu War, those above and below the imperial court were all attacking each other, shirking responsibility. Some said that Japan's modernized institutions had some advantages, or that Japan's big guns and quick-firing cannons were formidable. Each of these views seemed reasonable, but compared to Chen Ke's analysis, they were extremely superficial. If only there had been someone like Chen Ke in charge when the war began... Even with Yan Fu's high level of self-cultivation, his mind was now preoccupied with reflections on the Jiawu War.

  However, Yan Fu was still Yan Fu. After a moment of confusion, he calmed down. He had to discuss this matter with Chen Ke in detail, but what was more important today was to listen to what Chen Ke had to say next. Forcing out a smile, "Wen Qing, please continue."

  Chen Ke nodded and led his men in carrying out a blackboard and hanging a lamp beside it.

  "I have roughly explained the basic situation in Japan. Now what I want to say is, the revolution in Japan. You few fellow students from Japan, have you heard of Seki-gun?"

  Kuroshima and others shook their heads.

  Chen Ke narrated the history of Japan's "Red Report Team". The leader of the Red Report Team, Soga no Sanzo, was the son of Soga no Shiro, a samurai from Shimosa Province. After the Boshin War broke out, he led his comrades from the "Rōnin Corps" to regroup in Kyoto and formed the "Red Report Team" with the support of servants such as Nishikawa Jirō and Shibata Katsuie. Sanzo changed his name to Soga no Sanzō and became the captain of the first unit of the Red Report Team. What was the main task assigned to the Red Report Team by the new government? It was to serve as the vanguard of the Eastern Mountain Road Army, entering Shinano and Kōzuke Provinces, proclaiming the benevolent rule of the new government, calling on nearby daimyos to surrender, and joining forces to overthrow the shogunate. The so-called "benevolent rule" of the new government referred mainly to the slogan "halving annual tribute", which was proposed by Sanzō and agreed upon by Saigō Takamori and others.

  However, in late January 1868 (Keio 4), rumors began to circulate in Kyoto that the "Red Brigade" was "terrorizing civilians and plundering their property". Upon hearing these rumors, the second and third units of the Red Brigade, which had already entered Shinshu Province, immediately turned back to Kyoto under the leadership of two nobles. Totomi Fujimaro was left bewildered and alone, and he went to the East Mountain Road General Government Office to clear up the rumors.

  Taking advantage of Sōsuke's departure, the various domains of Shinshū launched a surprise attack on the "Red Report Troop", killing half and capturing the other half. When Sōsuke returned to Shinshū after successfully pleading his case at the Tōsandō General Government Office, he was shocked by the scene before him. After repeated persuasion and urging, the domains finally agreed to release all captured members of the "Red Report Troop" - but this was only a temporary measure, as the complete destruction of the "Red Report Troop" was imminent.

  Originally, the rumors about "Red Report Team" intimidating civilians and looting property were actually spread by the new government. The reason was that the new government's finances were strained and it could not afford the huge military expenses, so it had to borrow money from large financial groups such as Mitsui, which opposed the policy of reducing annual tribute in order to accumulate wealth. Based on this factor, the new government did not hesitate to break its promise and lose credibility among the people, making "Red Report Team" a tragic political sacrifice.

  In March 1868, the Tōsandō General Government suddenly arrested Soraemon and the remaining members of the "Red Flag Unit" who had come to plead their case again. Immediately afterwards, under the name of "pseudo-official army", Soraemon and eight of his confidants were beheaded in Shinshu - Soraemon was only thirty years old. The Meiji government was telling the peasants that it had never made a promise to "reduce annual tribute by half". This was all a rumor spread by the pseudo-official army, the "Red Flag Unit", confusing people's ears and eyes! We thought that with the fall of the shogunate, the new government would bring good days for the peasants, but this was just an unrealistic fantasy!

  "Now everyone knows why, after the Japanese revolution, the people's lives are still the same as before? Even if they plundered land, and after the First Sino-Japanese War, they plundered China's money, this money only fell into the pockets of European and American capitalists and Japanese financiers. The Japanese commoners didn't get any benefits."

  "I see. Thank you, Mr. Chen, for your guidance." Kuroshima stood up and bowed respectfully to Chen. The other Japanese students also rose to their feet and bowed.

  "Sit down. I'll tell you about Japan's future." Chen Ke waved his hand.

  In Chen Ke's view, Japan wants to become an independent industrial country by its own power, but limited by raw materials and market, this idea is doomed to be a bubble. This is the historical evidence that Chen Ke has seen. Chen Ke also bluntly expressed his own views, as long as China can become strong, Japan will inevitably be tragic.

  Japan is now mainly relying on textiles and prostitution. Japan may be the only country in the world that has organized the promotion of the flesh trade. After the Meiji Restoration, countless villages without girls appeared in Japan, and the girls either entered textile factories to work to death or went abroad to brothels to die. Chen Ke's medicine, one of its major buyers is now Japanese brothels. Once China rises, Japan's textile industry will suffer a heavy blow. Having lost this pillar and also lost the Chinese market, Japan cannot sustain itself on its own.

  However, as a Japanese, Kuroshima did not have any adverse reactions to Chen Ke's comments. Excitedly, he said: "In Japan, there are also many young people who are dissatisfied with the current state of Japan and hope that China will take the lead in carrying out a revolution, which can then spread to Japan and drive a comprehensive revolution."

  After hearing this, Chen Ke was really confused. How did he encounter Japan's "guide party"? Was Kuroshima fooling him? However, it is true that in the 1920s, Japan set up a "contract labor" textile factory in China. As a result, after Xia Yan reported it, the government at that time immediately conducted an investigation and sealed off the factory. This article triggered a strong response at that time. If this was still happening in China, the degree of cruel exploitation in Japan would only be more intense. Japanese young people facing such social reality, they will not refuse revolution.

  "The revolution in Japan is not a people's revolution. But that doesn't mean Japan won't have a revolution in the future. The main force of Japan's revolution will be the petty bourgeoisie." Chen Ke wrote down several class names on the left side of the blackboard as he spoke: Big bourgeoisie, petty bourgeoisie, proletariat.

  "Japan's domestic resources are scarce, so a large middle class will not emerge domestically. In this country with intense class contradictions, the main contradiction lies between the big bourgeoisie and the small bourgeoisie. Now Japan is expanding, so it has strengthened its military power. Japan's land area is small, and these military forces are more than enough to suppress people's uprisings within Japan. Therefore, if the people cannot fully rise up in revolution, they will have no chance of gaining liberation through their own uprisings. So, Japan's future trend will be built on this group." After finishing speaking, Chen Ke wrote two big characters on the blackboard with a piece of chalk, "Military". Moreover, he drew a frame around these two characters with the chalk to emphasize them.

  "Small and medium-sized enterprises cannot compete with large enterprises at all. Isn't this what I've been saying in class? No matter whether it's manpower or efficiency, they can't keep up. We can believe that small and medium-sized enterprises will inevitably go bankrupt one by one, and these petty bourgeoisie will become the proletariat. Now let's take a look at the composition of the Japanese army. The high-ranking officers are closely related to the big bourgeoisie, basically all from the big bourgeoisie. And after many internal wars, those mid-to-high-level officers who stood on the side of the petty bourgeoisie were also eliminated. Most low-to-mid-level officers come from the petty bourgeoisie because their parents didn't have that much money to give to their children, but they had some money to let their children go to school and attend military academies. So, company-grade officers, field-grade officers, and some junior officers are all from the petty bourgeoisie. Ah, in Japan, company-grade officers are called 'sōkan'."

  On one hand, Chen Ke wrote down the various Japanese military ranks on the blackboard.

  "These low-ranking officers, after fighting in the war launched by Japan's financial clique, returned home to find their families bankrupt. The life that was barely getting by before is now completely finished. So they have no other thoughts except for wanting a revolution. This group of people are the main force driving the future direction of Japanese politics."

  Here is the translation:

  As Chen Ke spoke, his understanding of a series of military coups in Japanese history also became clearer. The 226 coup, young officers demanded the punishment of national traitors. In the eyes of these young people, those high-ranking officials who were in power represented the interests of the wealthy and powerful families. Of course, these young people were exploited by those who were more eager to implement their own aggressive expansion policies, and after sweeping away some relatively "rational" high-ranking officials, the pro-aggression faction quickly took control of Japan's politics, pushing Japan onto the path of aggression and expansion. The biggest victim of this policy was undoubtedly China.

  "The Japanese petty bourgeoisie, no matter how hard they try, cannot change the fact that Japan lacks resources. Therefore, the road these people have chosen in the end is one of aggression and expansion. The current war between Japan and Russia is a war aimed at seizing privileges in China. Japan wants to expand its market for raw materials in China and expand its sales market in China. Later, it will even launch military invasions against China, attempting to destroy China." Chen Ke spoke with an irrefutable prophecy.

  The people below fell silent, and many were staring at Kuroshima and the other foreign students with unkind eyes.

  "Our Japanese classmates here are not the vanguard of Japan's aggressive policies, but rather comrades who hope to prevent Japan from sliding into that state. So, I hope everyone will not look at them with that kind of gaze." Chen Ke waved his hand and smiled.

  "Mr. Chen, China has reached this point, can you still smile?" A student in the front row asked with a face full of sadness and indignation in Sichuan dialect. His name was Xiong Mingyang. Born into an official family in Sichuan, he went to Nanyang Public School in Xi'an in 1902, but that year witnessed the "Ink Bottle Incident", and as a result, he dropped out of school with his classmates, then transferred to Aurora University in Shanghai, only to encounter the school being forced by the British to change its rules. He dropped out again, and then transferred to Fudan Public School. After listening to Chen Ke's lecture, he joined the Huangpu Book Society that day and became a core member of the society. This person was extremely resentful of China's inability to escape its fate of repeated defeats and being carved up by invaders. He was an extremely radical young man.

  Seeing Chen Ke not speaking, Xiong Mingyang stood up and said, "Mr. Chen, you only taught us how to look at the world and China. But what's the use of understanding this fact? As long as Mr. Chen points out a way to save the country, I'll follow you to rebel. If you want me to fight, I'll definitely charge forward first. This life of mine is nothing. As long as it can save China, wherever Mr. Chen says, I'll do it!"

  "Right! Isn't it just rebellion? This world should have rebelled long ago."

  "That's right! Die for China and die with honor, twenty years later, still a good fellow!"

  The students shouted in unison.

  Chen Ke's face grew colder and colder, but suddenly he burst out laughing, "You're not allowed to drink too much, yet you insist on drinking more. Look, look, now you're drunk. That's enough for today. Disperse."

  After finishing speaking, Chen Ke returned to the dormitory with a confused expression. Closing the door, Chen Ke fell onto his bed, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Soon, he sank into deep thought, and that faint smile also disappeared without a trace.

  The 41st