A Prophet - Chapter 12 (Part 4)
Chapter 4 - The Plum Blossom Society's Visit
Before long, the day of the banquet arrived, and Mei Xuanzi hosted a feast at the Xiya Hotel to entertain Grandfather.
Jiang Feiyan said with deep concern, "It is a Feast at Hongmen. Grandfather must exercise caution."
Grandfather was also turning the matter over in his mind. The Xiya Hotel was located in the Luwan District, which fell within the French Concession. Why on earth had Mei Xuanzi chosen this particular spot? Given that Mei Xuanzi had repeatedly played tricks behind the scenes lately, why this sudden invitation to apologize with a banquet? Should he go, or should he stay away?
Mei Xuanzi had explicitly stated in his letter that to guarantee Grandfather's absolute safety, he would leave his five-year-old son at Grandfather's sect headquarters as a hostage, bringing only two attendants with himself. Once the banquet concluded and Grandfather safely returned to the headquarters, Grandfather was requested to send the young boy back.
Mei Xuanzi had one wife and two concubines. His wife had helped him found the Plum Blossom Society back in the day and remained a core pillar of the organization, while the two concubines were early disciples whom he later took into his chambers. The five-year-old son was born of his primary wife. Even a fierce tiger does not eat its own cubs; with the life of his own flesh and blood put down as collateral, Mei Xuanzi appeared to be entirely sincere this time.
Grandfather decided to attend.
Grandfather knew that having long been cultivated under the venerable elder Mei Fuzu, Mei Xuanzi had transformed from a common gambler into a man of refinement. Refinement called for refinement, so for this outing, Grandfather chose not to bring the battle-thirsty First Boss Ba, nor the loose-lipped Second Boss Ba, but instead brought along the debonair Third Boss Ba and the honest, steadfast Fifth Boss Ba.
The next day at theå·³ (si) hour, after tidying himself up neatly, Grandfather took Xue Jiaoren and Liang Wenqiu and headed straight for the Xiya Hotel.
By the time Grandfather's party arrived, Mei Xuanzi had already been waiting respectfully in a second-floor private room for quite some time.
Grandfather took his seat, and Mei Xuanzi instructed the staff to serve the dishes.
Mei Xuanzi filled a cup of wine for Grandfather and said, "I am deeply gratified that Grandfather was able to come."
Grandfather smiled faintly. "When an immortal plays host, this minor ghost dares not refuse to show up."
Mei Xuanzi burst into hearty laughter. "The French Concession offers an elegant environment and a relaxed political atmosphere. The choice of the French Concession as the site for the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was precisely due to its political climate. That is why I chose to host Grandfather here."
Grandfather withdrew his smile and said, "The Jiangxiang School has never harbored grievances with anyone in the circle. Since the establishment of the Plum Blossom Society, we have never committed any overstepping acts. I wonder where we could have possibly fallen short, causing Grandfather Mei to plot behind our backs and create unprovoked trouble?"
Mei Xuanzi smiled and replied, "Grandfather is wonderful in every respect, except for one thing: you lack patriotism."
Grandfather was startled, then immediately retorted, "Patriotism? Those two words carry true blood and national righteousness only when spoken from the lips of revolutionary martyrs and righteous men. Hearing them spoken from Grandfather Mei's mouth—is that not a joke?"
Mei Xuanzi shook his head. "Since ancient times, the Jiangxiang School has claimed to rob the rich and aid the poor, yet after all this tossing and turning, aren't you just preying on your own people? Whether you swindle good people or bad people, everyone you swindle is Chinese. When your founding ancestors originally established the Jiangxiang School, it was to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming. The Han people's rivers and mountains had been seized by the Manchus, and the Han refused to submit, which is why the slogan 'Overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming' was raised. Over the past several centuries, Han and Manchu have blended together, and China has achieved unity; ethnic barriers have long since ceased to exist. If we speak of nationality, there is now only one Chinese nation across the entire land. Yet the Jiangxiang School still drapes itself in the cloak of acting on behalf of Heaven to execute justice while engaging in rampant scams. Which heaven are you acting on behalf of, and what justice are you executing? What is the meaning of it? What is the purpose?"
Grandfather had not expected Mei Xuanzi to utter such a speech, and for a moment he was at a loss for how to reply. After a brief pause, Grandfather countered, "Since you know you are swindling your own people, why did Grandfather Mei go and establish the Plum Blossom Society in the first place? At the very least, our Jiangxiang School still understands the principle of robbing the rich and aiding the poor, whereas all the money you swindle goes straight into your own pockets!"
Mei Xuanzi laughed out loud. "How does Grandfather know the money went into my pockets? Over the twelve years since the Plum Blossom Society was founded, every single account has been recorded with absolute clarity. Aside from covering the normal operating expenses of the sect, all income has been stored away in the ledgers. When the time is ripe, this money will naturally find its proper use!"
Grandfather also smiled. "Grandfather Mei may say it as he pleases, and I will listen to it as I please."
Mei Xuanzi looked at Grandfather and said, "Let me ask you this: for secret societies like yours and mine today, what is our most primary mission?"
Grandfather said, "I would like to hear your detailed explanation!"
Mei Xuanzi stroked his beard, let out a sigh, and said, "To look no further than right here in the foreign adventures of the Shanghai Bund—ten miles of foreign markets and countless alleys—has Grandfather noticed how many foreign churches line the roads? Catholic and Christian churches are everywhere! Where is our national religion? Ever since the Opium War, foreign religions have invaded while our national religion has withered away. To this day, the believers developed by foreign churches are scattered all across the country, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Those priests and fathers buy up land and property in China, and even worse, they bewitch the common people into donating their assets. Over the years, how many temples and Daoist sanctuaries have been donated away to foreign churches? Can the number even be counted? Even the Temple of Lord Guan has been donated away! The single lineage of China converges in the Three Teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Confucianism and Daoism were both founded by the sages of our Chinese civilization, while Buddhism planted its roots in our country during the Han dynasty, flourishing for thousands of years to become one of our national religions. Now, with foreign religions flooding in, our national religion is suffering unprecedented shocks! Land that has been ceded can be reclaimed; people who have died can be succeeded by those who follow. But if our faith is uprooted by others, are we still Chinese? With the nation facing a crisis, the secret societies across the entire country continue to amuse themselves and sweep the snow only from their own doorsteps. Is that not sheer ignorance? Since this spring, my Plum Blossom Society has been building grand momentum, and the common people of Jianghuai have flocked to join. I preach Daoist philosophy and principles to them, and they deeply realize that our Chinese Daoist studies are no whit inferior to the doctrines of foreign religions. If a Catholic priest can converse with God, why can't I converse with immortals? When the common people believe in me, their souls attain liberation, they cultivate their moral character and give rise to their innate goodness, continuing the learning of the sages to open up the future—what fault have I committed?"
These words left Grandfather entirely speechless. What he said made sense, yet Grandfather had no way of knowing whether these were his heartfelt thoughts or merely a pretense put on for show.
After a long silence, Grandfather said, "You bewitch the common people with fraudulent tricks; that is certainly not passing on the Dao of the sages!"
"Fraud is merely a means, not the end. Today, with the nation in crisis and popular sentiment restless, if one doesn't pull off a few stunts like immortals descending to earth, who is going to believe you?" Mei Xuanzi said, cupping his hands in a salute toward the sky. "I am well aware that my sins are heavy, but Heaven can bear witness to the purity of my bitter intentions!"
Grandfather said, "Since Grandfather Mei wishes to propagate Daoist studies, you could simply propagate them on your own. Why did you have to stab my Muzi Lotus in the back?"
"That is precisely the reason I invited Grandfather here today..."
Before his voice had even faded, the door was slammed open with a loud crash. Grandfather turned his head to look and saw Zeng Jingwu of the Jingwumen leading First Boss Ba, Second Boss Ba, and a whole crowd of men as they charged into the room.
"Grandfather, run!" Zeng Jingwu shouted at the top of his lungs.
Before the echo died away, several men in black carrying firearms came rushing down the corridor. Flashing past the doorway, they raised their weapons and opened fire straight at Grandfather.
Liang Wenqiu, who was sitting right beside Grandfather, violently shoved Grandfather out of the way, taking a bullet straight into his left shoulder.
Zeng Jingwu, First Boss Ba, and Second Boss Ba immediately drew their weapons and returned fire. The two sides exchanged blows, bullets flying wildly as doors, windows, and tableware were smashed to pieces.
Terrified, Mei Xuanzi cowered behind a sofa, yelling, "What is the meaning of this?!"
Second Boss Ba strode over and planted a kick right into him. "Go to hell!" Then, with a fierce kick, he shattered a window pane. "Grandfather, let's go!"
Grandfather glanced at Mei Xuanzi and instructed Second Boss Ba, "Do not harm him!"
Instantly, Grandfather grabbed Liang Wenqiu and vaulted out through the window. A car sped over immediately.
"Grandfather, get in the car!"
Grandfather supported Liang Wenqiu as they scrambled into the vehicle, which sped off like the wind and vanished into the depths of the alley.
The driver was a young man whom Grandfather did not recognize. Glancing at Grandfather, who was still shaken from the shock, through the rearview mirror, the man said, "I am a disciple of Instructor Zeng. He arranged for me to wait here."
"Instructor Zeng and the others..." Grandfather turned to look out the rear window of the car.
"Rest assured, my master possesses supreme martial arts and is intimately familiar with the terrain here."
Grandfather drew a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down while frantically piecing together everything that had just occurred.
The car raced all the way back to the sect headquarters, where Grandfather immediately arranged for a doctor to treat Liang Wenqiu's gunshot wound.
The gunfire at the Xiya Restaurant gradually subsided, returning to peace a few minutes later, leaving only a few corpses lying inside the private dining room. By midday, Zeng Jingwu and his men had also retreated back to the headquarters.
Seeing that everyone had returned alive, Grandfather felt a slight weight lift from his chest and hurriedly asked Zeng Jingwu what was going on.
Zeng Jingwu gulped down several mouthfuls of tea and recounted the entire origin and course of the affair.
It turned out that shortly after Grandfather's party departed that morning, Zeng Jingwu had arrived at Grandfather's residence to look for him. Finding Grandfather absent, he eagerly inquired where he had gone.
Jiang Feiyan replied, "At Mei Xuanzi's invitation, Grandfather went to the Xiya Restaurant."
Zeng Jingwu let out a cry of alarm. "Not good!" Without a moment's hesitation, he gathered First Boss Ba, Second Boss Ba, and the others and rushed over to the Xiya Restaurant.
Why was Zeng Jingwu in such a state of panic? Because an informant he had planted in Wusong had just intercepted a confidential Japanese telegram containing an assassination hit list:
Blue Shirt Dai
Axe King
Jingwu Zeng
Jiangxiang Grandfather
...
Blue Shirt Dai referred to Dai Li of the Blue Shirts Society; Axe King referred to Wang Yaqiao of the Axe Gang; Jingwu Zeng referred to Zeng Jingwu of the Jingwumen; Jiangxiang Grandfather referred to Grandfather of the Jiangxiang School.
Zeng Jingwu had secretly established an anti-Japanese organization within the Jingwumen named the "Zhengjia Alliance"—standing for righteousness and upright spirit, with the "jia" character borrowed from Huo Yuanjia, the founder of the Jingwumen.
This organization specialized in eavesdropping on Japanese intelligence and assassinating Japanese operatives and treasonous Chinese traitors. Ever since the signing of the Shanghai Armistice Agreement, the Japanese had firmly planted their footing in Shanghai, turning it into a major base for their invasion of China. Zeng Jingwu had accordingly planted informants in places where the Japanese frequented, such as Wusong and Zhabei, to scout for targets and strike whenever the opportunity arose.
That very morning, the undercover operative stationed in Wusong had acquired this confidential dispatch. When Zeng Jingwu read it, he was utterly shocked. What startled him wasn't the fact that he himself was on the hit list—having spent all these years following Wang Yaqiao to oppose the Japanese, it was only natural that the Japanese wanted him dead—but the fact that the Japanese wanted to assassinate Grandfather. That was completely incomprehensible.
Zeng Jingwu had no idea how Grandfather could have offended the Japanese, so he had rushed over to find Grandfather and understand the situation. Hearing from Jiang Feiyan that Grandfather had gone into the French Concession, Zeng Jingwu's instincts as a professional assassin told him something was terribly wrong, prompting him to rush his men there ahead of time and rescue Grandfather just in the nick of time.
Upon hearing this, Grandfather fell into deep contemplation. "Two years ago in Southern Guangdong, I did cross paths with a female agent named Nishida Misako, though I had no idea she was an operative at the time. She repeatedly probed me for information regarding Ninth Master, all of which I managed to brush off."
Hearing this, Jiang Feiyan interjected, "Grandfather only went to see Nishida Misako back then out of absolute necessity, to pull my Crossing Sea Begonias out of a desperate crisis."
It was only then that Zeng Jingwu noticed Jiang Feiyan's presence; the situation upon arriving at the headquarters that morning had been too urgent for him to exchange pleasantries with her.
"And this is?" Zeng Jingwu looked over at Jiang Feiyan.
Grandfather hurriedly made introductions. "This is the person I frequently mention—Jiang Feiyan, leader of the Southern Sect's Crossing Sea Begonias, who shares our lineage in the Jiangxiang School." He then gestured toward Zeng Jingwu. "And this is Ninth Master's prized disciple, Instructor Zeng Jingwu of the Jingwumen."
Zeng Jingwu cupped his fists in a salute. "An honor to meet you."
Jiang Feiyan returned the gesture. "I have long admired Instructor Zeng's great name. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
At that moment, Second Boss Ba, who had been sitting quietly to the side, suddenly spoke up. "Grandfather, Mei Xuanzi's son is still right here. Shall we finish him off?"
Grandfather pondered for a moment and said, "Mei Xuanzi seemed completely unaware of this assassination attempt..."
Second Boss Ba argued, "Unaware? He had just lured Grandfather out when the assassins arrived. How could it be such a coincidence?"
Grandfather replied, "It cannot be. Who would use their own son as a gamble?"
Second Boss Ba shook his head and loudly protested, "Sons are a dime a dozen, what's wrong with losing one? Besides, with Mei Xuanzi's three wives and concubines, he can always make more!"
Grandfather glanced at him sideways. "You ought to find a woman and get married. Once you have children of your own, you'll know this is utterly impossible." With that, Grandfather dismissed all the Boss Ba figures.
Grandfather then recounted Mei Xuanzi's words from that morning to Zeng Jingwu and Jiang Feiyan.
After listening, Zeng Jingwu remarked, "Mei Xuanzi is actually capable of uttering such words?"
Grandfather nodded.
Jiang Feiyan said, "Could it be that Mei Xuanzi's massive uproar over the past few months is backed by the Nationalist high command? Are the Nationalists looking to crack down on foreign religions?"
Grandfather looked at Jiang Feiyan and said, "This matter requires Sister Yan to investigate further."
Jiang Feiyan nodded. "Very well. Recently, I've managed to establish a line within the Nationalist secret investigation unit. A man named Feng Siyuan has already become our pawn."
Zeng Jingwu's eyes lit up. "Sister Yan has connections inside the secret investigation unit?"
Jiang Feiyan smiled. "It is all thanks to the extensive groundwork laid by Qiao Wuniang before her passing."
Zeng Jingwu said, "Lately, both the Japanese and the Nationalists have been searching for Ninth Master, leaving him in a precarious situation. If Sister Yan has any developments from the Nationalist side, I earnestly hope you won't hesitate to share them so Ninth Master can take precautions early."
Jiang Feiyan said, "Ninth Master is a pillar of our nation, admired by everyone in the underworld. To protect Ninth Master is my bounden duty."
Just as they were speaking, the housekeeper came sprinting into the room in a panicked rush, shouting as he ran, "Grandfather! Grandfather! This is terrible! Men from the police station have arrived!"
Before his voice had even faded, several patrol officers burst into the room. After sweeping their gazes around the interior, one of them demanded, "Which one of you is Grandfather?"