Chapter 139: The Old Woman with Dual Pistols

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Wang Kaiyun was a great master of classical studies, an authority on the Confucian canon. Chen Hao had hoped to ask him for guidance, but was turned down. Pointing at the annotated edition of Mencius prepared by Li Pisen, Wang said, “Everyone interprets the classics differently. Your teacher was already a great Confucian of our time, and you inherited his school of thought. My instruction would offer you no real benefit.”

Ever since deciding that he had to make a name for himself as quickly as possible, Chen Hao had been constantly occupied. Thus, while Thief Three was away, he had planned to study under Wang Kaiyun. Wang could not teach him the Four Books and Five Classics, and constantly admiring Qi Baishi’s paintings had grown tiresome, so he began considering whether he might find something else to do.

Chen Hao took a carriage to the old He Ye residence in Shenchong, Shuangfeng County. This was the home of Qiu Jin’s husband’s family. In 1896, she had married Wang Tingjun, the son of a wealthy gentleman.

When Chen Hao arrived at the Wang family compound, he knocked on the door. A middle-aged woman opened it, and he smiled faintly.

“Madam, I am Chen Baxian, a relative of the young mistress. Please inform her that I have come to pay my respects.”

The middle-aged woman glanced at Chen Hao, then closed the gate and walked toward the rear courtyard. In the lotus pavilion there, two women were drinking. One of them was Qiu Jin.

When Qiu Jin saw the middle-aged woman approaching, she frowned. “Aunt Cao, are those vulgar people here to pay another visit? Tell them that Master Wang is away. As a woman of the household, I am not in a position to receive guests. Ask them to leave.”

Beside Qiu Jin sat a spirited woman with short hair reaching her shoulders. She spoke with evident displeasure. “These people truly have thick skins. You have already told them that you cannot help, yet plenty still come every day.”

Qiu Jin smiled indifferently. “Most people in this world are ignorant and foolish. They do not realize how rotten the imperial court has become. Because my husband is a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, they think they can benefit from our connections. They do not know that even in the capital, my husband must tread as carefully as if he were walking on thin ice.”

The short-haired woman shook her head and said nothing more. Only then did Aunt Cao find an opportunity to speak.

“Young Mistress, the person seeking an audience this time is not a nearby relative. He is a young man named Chen Baxian. Judging from his accent, he seems to have come from far away.”

“Chen Baxian?” Qiu Jin smiled. “My niece in Fragrant Harbor wrote me a letter and praised him as though he were a rare flower. I am rather curious about him myself. Aunt Cao, go and bring him in.”

The short-haired woman asked in surprise, “Do you mean your niece, Wang Ying, the deputy editor of the China Daily? Anyone she holds in such high esteem must have something exceptional about him, surely?”

Qiu Jin shook her head. “Most people in this world are nothing but frauds who seek fame by deceiving others. Your cousin is still inexperienced in worldly affairs and may simply have misjudged him. This Chen Baxian is only seventeen years old, yet her letter says that he has lofty ambitions, worries for the nation and its people, and is willing to sacrifice himself for the revolution...”

The short-haired woman could not help laughing. “Sister Wang Ying is surely exaggerating. I suspect the person she recommended is her own sweetheart, so she embellished the letter a little. A seventeen-year-old boy may indeed possess lofty ambitions, but I cannot believe that he truly worries for the nation and its people or would sacrifice himself for the revolution. He is probably just a braggart.”

Qiu Jin saw a young man approaching behind Aunt Cao and said quietly, “Whether he is a braggart or not, Sister, you need only test him to find out.”

The short-haired woman shook her head. “Once again, I am the villain. Do I really look that fierce?”

Chen Hao entered the lotus pavilion and bowed to Qiu Jin, who was dressed in a lotus-patterned qipao.

“This junior, Chen Baxian, pays his respects to the Heroine of Jianhu.”

Qiu Jin smiled faintly. “So you are Yingying’s friend! Yingying said that you possess lofty ambitions and have always supported the revolutionary cause. I have long admired young heroes such as yourself.”

The short-haired woman beside Qiu Jin snorted. “Many people shout their slogans loudly enough. But when the time comes to risk their heads and spill their blood, their knees turn to water. They may even become traitors.”

Chen Hao did not know who the woman beside Qiu Jin was, but he dared not offend her. Though she had belittled him, he merely replied in a flat voice, “I may be young, but I understand that every man bears responsibility for the fate of his country. When the nation is in danger, what does it matter if I must give up my life?”

“Young fool, you do not know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth, yet you speak so recklessly here. Anyone can say pleasant things. You claim that you are willing to sacrifice your life, but what have you actually done for this country?” The short-haired woman wore a mocking smile.

Chen Hao immediately grew angry. He had come to visit Qiu Jin, not her. She knew nothing about him, so what right did she have to ridicule him?

With a cold laugh, he said, “I have not yet had to risk my head and spill my blood, that is true. But I heard that the Russians intend to invade and slaughter the people of China, so I used my entire fortune to send friends to the Northeast to recruit men willing to resist them. I came to southern Hunan this time primarily to seek men of wisdom who can assist me. Before long, I will head to the Northeast myself. The Russians are savage, and their firearms are formidable. This journey may well end in death, but I will never retreat. May I ask, then, what have you done for your country, elder sister?”

The short-haired woman was rendered speechless. Like Qiu Jin, she possessed a passionate love for her country, but given their circumstances, all they could do was read progressive newspapers and periodicals, comment on current affairs, or write poetry to express their aspirations. Though their hearts burned with patriotic fervor, the limitations of their era meant that they truly had accomplished little of consequence.

After a moment of silence, the short-haired woman asked solemnly, “Are you telling the truth?”

Chen Hao replied proudly, “There is not a single false word in what I have said. The men I sent to the Northeast have already recruited three thousand warriors, and they are still recruiting. Before long, they will be able to gather more than ten thousand men and fight the Russians to the death.”

The short-haired woman rose and bowed to Chen Hao.

“I spoke too harshly just now. I hope you will forgive me, little brother. The Qing court is rotten to the core, and resentment is boiling throughout the land. If you can gather ten thousand warriors and march on the capital, the whole country will surely rally to your banner. The day of a democratic republic may then be within reach.”

Qiu Jin also nodded in agreement. “Sister Tang speaks wisely. If Baxian marches on the capital, we too should contact revolutionaries throughout the country and assist him.”

“Hahahahaha!”

Chen Hao suddenly threw back his head and laughed. Then he said coldly, “I thought the two of you were heroines among women, which is why I came especially to pay my respects. I never expected you to possess such shallow understanding. One cannot discuss ice with an insect that lives only through summer. Let us pretend I never came. Farewell.”

With that, Chen Hao turned and walked away.

The short-haired woman, like Yang Du, had called him a braggart. Against Yang Du, he could boast about suppressing the Boxer uprising, but he could not do the same before Qiu Jin. She loathed the court’s corruption and decline; in her eyes, suppressing the Boxers would make him appear to be nothing more than a lackey of the imperial government. Thus, he had chosen to speak of the situation in the Northeast to enhance his reputation.

What Chen Hao had not expected was that Qiu Jin and the short-haired woman would actually suggest that he march on the capital and launch a rebellion. He was utterly speechless.

Historically, the revolutionaries had risen in revolt again and again, yet they had never succeeded. Even the Wuchang Uprising had not been led by the revolutionary party. It was launched by junior officers after the revolutionaries had already failed, which eventually allowed Li Yuanhong to steal the fruits of the revolution.

Chen Hao had chosen to support constitutional monarchy precisely because he did not want to be suppressed by the Qing court during the early stages. It was only 1900; no player could alter the main storyline and overthrow the Qing court. Making Qiu Jin’s acquaintance in the game was certainly worthwhile, but he could not allow it to jeopardize his larger plans. That was why he had deliberately mocked the two women and pretended to leave, hoping to dispel their frightening idea.

After hearing Chen Hao’s ridicule, Qiu Jin and the short-haired woman looked extremely unhappy. Qiu Jin said coolly, “In what way are Sister Tang and I lacking in understanding? I would appreciate an explanation, little brother.”

Chen Hao turned around and spoke word by word.

“The nation is facing disaster. The Russians will soon march south to seize our territory and slaughter our people. Yet instead of thinking about how to resist foreign enemies, the two of you are contemplating an internal struggle. Do you wish to become slaves in a conquered nation? If I march on the capital, the Russians may seize the entire Northeast and then advance through the passes into the heartland. Who will bear responsibility for that? How would I differ from Wu Sangui at the end of the Ming dynasty?”

Qiu Jin and the short-haired woman were both heroines among women, but the limitations of their era had led them to become obsessed with rebellion under the influence of revolutionary thought. After hearing Chen Hao’s words, both fell silent.

After a long while, the short-haired woman cupped her hands and said, “Listening to you has been worth ten years of reading. Though you are young, your insight is extraordinary. If there is a campaign against the Russians, I am willing to serve as one of its foremost soldiers.”

“Thank you, Sister Tang.”

Chen Hao already knew the short-haired woman’s identity. While living in Shuangfeng, Qiu Jin had often associated with Tang Qunying and Ge Jianhao. The three women frequently gathered to drink wine and compose poetry, and were known as the Three Heroines of Xiaoxiang.

Few people were familiar with the name Tang Qunying, but mention the “Old Lady of the Twin Pistols” and almost everyone would know whom one meant. Tang Qunying was the historical model for that legendary female commander, famed for wielding two pistols.

In May 1902, she joined the Huaxing Society. In July of the same year, it merged with other organizations to form the China Revolutionary Alliance. Sun Wen, the alliance’s prime minister, praised her as “the first woman compatriot to join the revolutionary ranks, and the leader of two hundred million women compatriots.”

In 1910, following Huang Keqiang’s arrangements, she went to Japan and enrolled in the Tokyo Music Academy as a cover, while actively organizing the movement among Chinese women students studying abroad.

In the autumn of 1911, she returned to China on orders and began organizing the Women’s Northern Expedition Army in Shanghai. In early November, Jiangsu and Zhejiang organized a joint army to march north. Tang Qunying incorporated her four-hundred-member Women’s Northern Expedition Army into the Jiang-Zhejiang Allied Forces.

Toward the end of that month, they reached the outskirts of Jinling. The main allied forces were responsible for the principal assault on the city, while the Women’s Northern Expedition Army was ordered to provide support at Xuanwu Gate.

Beforehand, Tang Qunying selected eight elite soldiers and formed a small unit to infiltrate the city. They waited for an opportunity to kill the Qing soldiers guarding the gate, then led the entire women’s force in a frontal assault. The Qing governor-general of the Two Jiang Provinces fled in panic, and Jinling was successfully recovered.

From that moment onward, the Women’s Northern Expedition Army became famous, and the reputation of the “Twin-Pistol Female Commander” resounded throughout the land.

Tang Qunying was a heroine of her generation. In the game, she possessed two special abilities, both of tremendous value. Chen Hao’s riding skill had already reached the grandmaster level, so visiting Qiu Jin would in fact allow him to learn only fencing. Since he had already mastered the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber, learning sword fighting would provide little additional combat improvement.

Tang Qunying’s B-rank special ability, however, the Twin-Pistol Commander, would be useful to him.

Some players drew the C-rank individual-combat ability Dual Pistols when they first entered the game. Situ Feng was one of them. Players with this ability could fire pistols with both hands, but their accuracy would be reduced.

Twin-Pistol Commander was an enhanced version of Dual Pistols. Not only did it allow the user to fire with both hands, it also prevented any reduction in accuracy and increased firing speed.

Each player could possess no more than three military abilities. Chen Hao already had one command ability, Galloping Into Battle, and one individual-combat ability, Bloodbath. Once he learned Twin-Pistol Commander from Tang Qunying, his military abilities would be full.

After he began commanding troops, command abilities would become even more valuable. In the future, he would retain only one individual-combat ability. Even so, he still had to learn Twin-Pistol Commander, because the B-rank ability was far more valuable than the close-combat ability Bloodbath.

To be continued.

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