Chapter 10 The April 26th Massacre in Peiping

  The Black Dragon Society's North China branch, which had close ties with the Japanese military and right-wing forces in Japan, was slaughtered, leaving 26 people dead. The news of this "North China 4/26 Massacre" quickly spread back to Japan, immediately sparking outrage among both the government and opposition parties. In cities like Tokyo, large-scale demonstrations broke out one after another, with protesters surrounding the families of the victims and loudly demanding that the authorities send troops to North China as soon as possible to capture and severely punish the "Chinese culprits".

  Japanese right-wing bigwigs and the military laughed, thinking that the 26 deaths were a super bargain. Some even thought: Why didn't those two "Blue Shirts" heroes kill a few more people to make things bigger? This way, international public opinion would definitely lean towards Japan, and Japan's occupation of Northeast China and the establishment of Manchukuo would be even more justified - protecting Japanese expatriates from Chinese persecution! Under the indication of Tojo Hideki, Lieutenant General Toshizō Nishio, commander of the North China Garrison, immediately lodged a strong protest with China, saying: Recently, in the North China region, under government guidance, there has been intense anti-Japanese sentiment among Chinese civilians and organized crimes against Japanese citizens. The Japanese military will decide whether to dispatch troops to protect its citizens' lives and property in this area based on the attitude of the Chinese government.

  Some people laugh, and some people cry. The Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, didn't cry, but he was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table and smashed a teacup, cursing loudly. The Chairman has been working hard recently - the Red Army was finally surrounded in Guizhou Province, and he was busy deploying troops to block the two directions where the Red Army might break through, namely Guiyang and Yunnan, with the intention of annihilating them in one fell swoop. But just as he thought he had everything under control, news suddenly came from the front line that the Red Army had turned towards Jinsha River and was advancing.

  The chairman is indeed the last winner of the warlord melee, and his military quality is still good. He immediately made a judgment after the fact, that the Red Army wanted to force a crossing of the Jinsha River, and thus concluded that if the Red Army succeeded in crossing the river, then this duck would be cooked. Therefore, he urgently ordered on April 28 to control the crossing points, destroy ships and seal off the river.

  However, before he could even catch his breath after giving the order, Chen Bulei, the head of the guards, brought in a protest statement from the Japanese. He thought it was just another one of their usual tricks, but when he took a look, he found out that the Blue Shirts Society had actually destroyed a branch of the Black Dragon Society. He couldn't help but get angry: "This is naked intimidation!" The words were powerful and resonant, and Chen Bulei's mood was lifted as he thought the old man was preparing to resist Japan. But when he heard more, the tone of the words didn't seem right - "Ouyang Yun, Chu Tiange? Bulei, call He Zhonghan later and ask about their situation. If they don't have any background, then sacrifice them if necessary." A casual sentence had already sold out two anti-Japanese heroes.

  Chen Bu Lai nodded.

  Chiang Kai-shek glanced at him with a seemingly unintentional intention and said: "Now the domestic situation is complicated, we must first stabilize the country..."

  It has been four years since he became the chairman in 1931 and implemented the policy of "settling internal affairs before dealing with external threats". However, this "internal" has not been able to settle down; while this "external" has grown fatter and its appetite has become bigger.

  As the highest authority of the Republic of China, no one dared to point out his mistakes face-to-face. Even occasional democratic writings in newspapers were carefully collected by attendants. However, he knew the truth in his heart. Among 400 million compatriots across China, about half would secretly curse him as a "traitor" behind his back. Every morning when standing on the balcony to "cultivate energy", he thought that ordinary people wouldn't understand the true thoughts of this "revolutionary": Why was China so weak? Wasn't it because of the warlords' infighting? Therefore, I must first unify the country and establish a leader's absolute authority. Only then can I command and prohibit, mobilize national strength to defeat those Japanese dogs! Now, just as this internal affair is about to be settled, he can clear his name. But at this critical moment, such an incident occurred - that damned He Yingqin, who couldn't even take care of a small Beiping, created such a huge mess! Never mind, let him clean up the shit he made, I don't care.

  The highest authorities gradually calmed down and regained some of the "heroic spirit" from their Shanghai days: "Send a telegram to He Yingqin, letting him take full responsibility for this matter, and must quickly catch the murderer; also, in the name of the National Government, send a telegram to the Japanese Cabinet, saying that we express deep regret over the occurrence of such an incident, hoping it will not affect Sino-Japanese friendship."

  "Mr. Chairman, General Chiang has sent a telegram saying that a large amount of our army's top-secret documents were found on the Japanese who were killed, and now people in Peiping and throughout the country are all applauding..."

  The highest authorities frowned and then laughed: "Niangxiepi, won't Xiaojian and others participate in this matter? So to speak, those Japanese are spies?"

  Chen Bulei and Jiang Xiaoxian had a good private relationship, and cautiously said: "It shouldn't be, Xiaoxian and the people from the Blue Shirts Society have never gotten along."

  "I know this - the overall situation is important, currently the most important thing is to comfort the Japanese people, let Old He handle it, and when you call He Zhenhan, mention that his two subordinates are too arrogant and should be fired."

  As soon as the highest authority opened its mouth, two heroes were abandoned, but no one dared to say that this was a traitorous act. The overall situation is important, and there really isn't anyone who wouldn't dare to be sold out...

  At the same time, in the Beiping Public Security Command on Xianmen Inner Street, He Yingqin, deputy chairman of the North China Branch of the Military Commission, Zeng Kuoqing, director of the Political Training Department of the Beiping Military Branch, Shao Wenkai, commander of the garrison, and Jiang Xiaoxian, deputy commander of the garrison, were "pooling their wisdom" to cope with the current situation.

  "He Yingqin: 'The murderer must be handed over, otherwise the Japanese will definitely not let it go!'"

  Shao Wenkai sneered: "Murderer? Those Japanese are all spies! Hmph, I think they're heroes."

  Zeng nodded in agreement: "The two young men are indeed good."

  "He Xiangqin was furious: 'Hero! You're just a shortsighted plebeian. The situation in North China had finally stabilized, and now you've gone and ruined it. The Japanese will definitely use this as an excuse to launch a war.'"

  "Just fight, they have that much military strength in North China. We have the 29th Army in Chahar, the 51st Army and the 25th Division in Hebei, and the elite Third Regiment led by Colonel Jiang in Beiping. I'd like to see how the little Japanese can attack!"

  "What Commander Shao said is quite right."

  "You! The Chairman has entrusted me with full authority over this matter."

  Chiang Xiaoxian saw that the three of them were getting more and more heated, so he hastily stood up and said: "Director He, there's something you may not know yet - the murderer is from the Blue Shirts Society."

  He Yingqin furrowed his brow and said, "I know that too. The Blue Shirts Society is also serving the party-state, isn't it? Now that the party-state needs them, they should naturally make sacrifices." Indeed, as a close partner of the highest authorities, he spoke in one tone.

  Shao Wenkai sat down in a rage and said angrily: "Sacrifices, haven't they sacrificed enough? Huang, you special envoy, speak up."

  Huang, the special envoy of the Blue Shirts Society, a man in his thirties with a refined demeanor, had remained silent until now. Seeing that he was being pushed forward by Shao Wen-kai, he thought for a moment before speaking: "Gentlemen, you are all aware of the principles upon which our Blue Shirts Society was founded. When it comes to Japanese spies, we will not back down -" He paused, glancing at Ho Ying-chin's expression, and seeing that his face looked unyielding, he changed his tone and continued: "Of course, our code of conduct prioritizes the interests of the party and the nation above all else. If it is truly necessary to make sacrifices, our comrades will not shrink back."

  His words were smooth, and He Yingqin's face immediately eased up. In a soft voice, he said: "Director Huang is indeed well-versed in righteousness. Alright, this matter is settled then. Xiao Xian, I heard that the murderer has already been caught by you?"

  Chiang Kai-shek was somewhat contemptuous of He Yingqin and Huang Dajiang in his heart, but he remained calm on the surface and said: "The person has indeed been found, but not caught."

  "Escaped?!" This time, even Shao Wenkai's face changed color. If these two people escaped, it would be really hard to explain to the Japanese side. In this case, negotiations seemed unnecessary; either accept the Japanese side's unreasonable demands or directly start fighting.

  "No, no, but it's hard to catch."

  "Isn't it easy to catch?" He Yingqin was confused, while Shao Wenkai couldn't understand: In Beiping, wasn't there anyone else that Jiang Xiaoxian couldn't catch? Those students who were demonstrating and protesting, he could grab a whole bunch of them at once, without any worries.

  Jiang Xiaoxian's face turned red, and he said with a bit of helplessness: "The social elite in Beiping are like mother hens protecting their chicks, my men can't even get close."

  "Hah!" Shao Wenkai was delighted and thought to himself that this Ouyang Yun was no ordinary person.

  He Yingqin furrowed his brow, and after a moment said decisively: "I don't care about any virtuous or talented individuals, but the person must be apprehended. Xiao Xian, you know that the Chairman has given me full authority to handle this matter, precisely because he doesn't want to give the Japanese an excuse to stir up trouble. So, take charge of this matter."

  Jiang Xiaoxian was a member of the Chiang family, and He Yingqin had brought out Chairman Chiang, which meant he had grasped his vital point. Shortly afterwards, several cars were dispatched from the Garrison Command, followed by a platoon of soldiers with live ammunition, and they once again headed to the Concord Hospital in grand style.

  Ouyang Yun didn't pay much attention to this matter at first, but the development of the situation was far beyond his expectations. As statements came out one after another from both China and Japan, he realized that he had touched a tiger's butt this time.

  Tigers' buttocks are not good to touch, but fortunately he left a backhand. So, after throwing the few top-secret intelligence in his hand to the newspaper company, Ouyang Yun and Chu Tian Ge suddenly became hot-blooded patriotic youth, starting to enjoy national treasure treatment. Under the protection of many social sages, they evaded the first capture by the gendarmerie.

  Ouyang Yun, who had a certain understanding of Chinese history, the highest authorities and He Yingqin's character, naturally knew what awaited them, so after entrusting Bai Liusu to Chen Jiayao, he took Chu Tiange with him and played hide-and-seek.

  When Jiang Xiaoxian led his men to the Heping Hospital for the second time, they naturally returned empty-handed once again.

  The murderer "got away with it", He Yingqin was terrified, the Japanese army openly expressed outrage but secretly rejoiced, the Chinese and Japanese governments began to engage in a war of words, the sensitive Chahar region was on high alert, the two armies had small skirmishes today and accidental gunfire tomorrow, making a big fuss. Poor 29th Army Commander and Chahar Governor Song Zheyuan was caught in the middle, not pleasing anyone inside or out, yet didn't dare offend either side. Despite this, he still became the first scapegoat.

  This matter traced back, still has to fall on Ouyang Yun this little butterfly's body.

  He drove the Ford car seized from the Black Dragon Society to the Ford dealership, changed the license plate, and took Chu Tian Ge to Tianjin. Chu Tian Ge's younger brother, Chu Kuo-chi, was then serving as deputy officer under General Yu Hsueh-chung of the 51st Army of the National Revolutionary Army. The two had originally planned to take refuge with him, but fate did not permit it. They arrived in Tianjin on April 29th and were forced to "kill or be killed" the next morning before taking refuge in the student training class of the 25th Division under Chu Kuo-chi's help.

  Tianjin was still in the hands of the National Army at that time, but because the Japanese North China Garrison Command was also located in Tianjin, and there were Japanese concessions in the city, the Japanese were quite arrogant, and even those traitors who collaborated with them were also very domineering.

  Ouyang Yun was completely unaware of this and entered the city of Tianjin, looking at the Japanese ronin wandering all over the streets, very puzzled, "Have we arrived in Japan?"

  "The Tianjin Song: 'Tianjin is like this, the Japanese even moved their North China Garrison Headquarters to Tianjin, what else are they not daring to do?'"

  "My god, it's outrageous!"

  Chu Tian Ge touched the warrior's knife under his seat and said: "Big brother, want to go down and make a fortune?"

  Ouyang Yun looked at him, rolled her eyes, and thought to herself: "This kid, does he think the Japanese are nothing? Can he just kill someone whenever he wants? Good heavens, will he actually create a murderer?"

  Chu Tian Ge is also a college student, although he's a bit silly, he's not stupid, and he doesn't have any abnormal tendencies like Ouyang Yun worried about. He quickly realized it wasn't right either, and smiled foolishly: "Seems not right, broad daylight."

  "You little stinker, you still know that!" Ouyang Yun affectionately gave him a loud slap on the head and said: "There are so many Japanese people, can you kill them all? We have more important things to do than killing a few Japanese."

  All the way, Chu Tiangong didn't hesitate to accept his indoctrination, rubbing his head and saying: "That's right, if we want to be the best of the best, we must first have the strength to rise up, science and technology empower the military, a strong military empowers the country, I understand."

  "Let's go buy a newspaper and take a look, it seems like something interesting has happened!" Seeing an old man in the roadside teahouse suddenly tearing his newspaper in half with a huff, Ouyang Yun became interested.

  Chu Tian Ge got off the bus and bought a few newspapers. He casually scanned them, then suddenly shouted: "My day!" Scaring several passersby to jump.

  Near vermilion one is reddened, near ink one is blackened, this "daily" naturally learns from Ouyang Yun's tone.

  "What's wrong?" He snatched a newspaper from his hand and took a glance, Ou Yang Yun was so angry that he couldn't help but laugh, and the original "I day" slipped out of his mouth.

  The newspaper, named "National Rights Daily", carried a front-page editorial titled "All Asian people unite to condemn the murderous devil 'Ouyang Yun and Chu Tian Ge' who brutally harmed peaceful envoys". The author was signed as Hu Enyu.

  "Guoquan Daily"? Whose national rights? Japan's national rights? Isn't this obviously Tianjin?!

  "Also," Chutian Ge handed over a copy of the "Zhenbao", also on the front page, with the title "Deeply mourn the victims of the 'Beiping 4.26 tragedy', strongly demanding that the National Government severely punish the perpetrators and restore the blue sky and white sun of North China". The author's name was Bai Yuhe.

  Ouyang Yunle said: "'The 426 Tragedy of Beiping', this name is well-chosen, we Chinese have finally created a tragedy for the Japanese as well." Then, his tone changed and he couldn't help but ask Chu Tiange: "Hu Enyu, Bai Yuhe, these two people won't be Japanese, will they?"

  "Traitor! Big traitor!"

  "Traitor! No wonder!"

  Chu Tian Ge flipped through the two articles back and forth, unable to bear scolding: "Shameless! Shameless!"

  "He deserves to die!"

  Two people exchanged a glance and then simultaneously made a throat-slitting gesture with great tacit understanding.