A Life of Attributes Starting as a Nobleman in the Republic of China Era

The fog hadn't completely dissipated, and most of the shops along the street were closed, with only a few breakfast stalls steaming. The aroma of fried dough sticks wafted over, mingling with the dampness of the morning breeze.

The car was quiet.

I leaned against the car wall, closing my eyes to rest.

Chen Che didn't say anything, but simply lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked at the street scene outside.

As the car passed through a low-rise shantytown, you could see early risers already busy at work—fetching water, washing clothes, and cooking, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

Chen Che suddenly remembered the shantytown in Zhabei and the children running barefoot in the mud.

"Since it was bestowed by Heaven, it should be equally enjoyed by the people."

Cangming's words still echoed in my ears.

The car stopped at the Shiliupu Wharf.

As dawn approached, the docks came alive with activity. Porters carried their cargo back and forth, while vendors hawked their breakfast.

Yu Ban got off the car and walked towards a small ferry.

The boat wasn't big, it could only seat about ten people. A boatman wearing a straw hat was squatting at the bow, smoking.

"Cross the river," Yu Ban said.

The boatman nodded, extinguished his cigarette, and got up to untie the mooring rope.

Chen Che boarded the boat. As expected, the remaining half of his men did not appear. People came and went at the dock, and no one noticed the inconspicuous little ferry.

The boat left the shore and rowed towards the opposite bank.

The river wind was strong, causing the boat to rock gently and the waves to roll.

The boat reached the other side and docked at a simple pier.

Yu Ban jumped ashore, with Chen Che following behind.

Pudong is indeed much quieter. As far as the eye can see, there are vast fields of farmland, a few scattered villages, and occasionally a few farmers busy in the fields.

The two walked along the ridge for a while and came to an abandoned shed.

It was built with bamboo poles and straw, originally used by farmers to watch over their crops. Now it's mostly broken, but at least it can still provide shelter from the wind and rain.

Yu Ban winked at the farmers working in front of the shed, then went into the shed, and Chen Che followed him in.

"What does the message you left me, 'It is bestowed by Heaven and shared equally among the people,' mean?" Yu Ban asked, sitting on a bench against the wall, and then pulled another bench out and placed it in front of Chen Che.

"That's what someone else told me, but I always felt you would know," Chen Che said.

He couldn't very well say that Cangming told him...

"Where did you hear that?" Yu Ban asked again.

Chen Che didn't answer, but just looked at him quietly.

Yu Ban stood up, walked to the dilapidated shed entrance, and looked out at the gray farmland.

A river breeze blew in, carrying a damp, fishy smell.

"The Qianqing Emperor of the previous dynasty," he began slowly, "was only twenty years old when he ascended the throne."

Chen Che listened quietly.

"Before he ascended the throne, there was a struggle for succession among the nine princes. He had no desire to fight among his own family, so he went to Jingming Temple to become a monk and stayed there for three years."

"By some strange twist of fate, he eventually ascended the throne. But less than a year into his reign, the south of the Yangtze River was flooded and the north was drought-stricken, with countless people starving to death. Yet the court continued to collect taxes, landlords continued to demand rent, and officials continued to line their own pockets."

Yu Ban turned around and looked at Chen Che.

"When the young emperor heard about the terrible scene outside, he locked himself in the imperial study for three days and three nights. On the fourth day, he issued an edict."

"Since it has been bestowed by Heaven, it should be shared equally among the people."

Yu Ban's voice was very low, as if he were reciting an ancient scripture.

"Abolish all corvée labor and taxes throughout the land, conduct a thorough investigation of all arable land in each prefecture and county, and distribute it equally according to the population. All those who have encroached upon the people's land, regardless of whether they are officials or gentry, shall have it returned. Granaries in all regions shall be opened to distribute grain and provide relief to disaster victims."

"The prime minister and other high-ranking officials are equal to the common people; if the emperor breaks the law, he is punished the same as the common people."

Chen Che's breath hitched for a moment.

"But this imperial edict," Yu Ban smiled bitterly, "didn't even leave the capital."

"Would those feudal forces allow this edict to be issued?"

He walked back and sat down on the bench again.

Three days later, the young emperor died suddenly from an illness.

Chen Che clenched his fists.

"The emperor is dead, but the edict is still here." Yu Ban looked at him. "We have a copy, but the original is still missing."

"Every word in that edict is something we want to do now. Tax exemption, land redistribution, and relief for the people—that was a promise made by a true emperor to the people."

"You? Who are you?"

Chen Che asked very softly.

Yu Ban did not answer immediately. The river breeze slipped in through the gaps in the tattered straw curtain, causing the hem of his clothes to sway gently.

"Eleven years ago, we had a name." Yu Ban turned to look at Chen Che, "It was called 'Xinghua Society'. To restore China and revitalize the Chinese nation."

Chen Che listened quietly.

"Your sister Yanqing is one of us too."

A few birds chirped outside the shed, and in the distance, one could hear farmers calling to their oxen.

"Later, more and more people joined, and the name was changed several times. Our group spread from Beijing to Shanghai, and from Shanghai to all parts of the country. Some went to Beijing, some to Guangzhou, and some to Japan and Southeast Asia. But no matter where we went, one thing remained unchanged..."

"What is bestowed by Heaven should be shared with the people."

A strong river breeze rushed in, making the straw on the roof rustle.

"The new dynasty is corrupt and incompetent, the north is constantly at war, and foreign powers are constantly encroaching on our power. Our strength is still too small."

At this point, Yu paused for a moment: "Thanks to your ten thousand foreign guns, we now have our own armed forces in Guangdong."

"If we could obtain the original copy of the young emperor's edict, it would allow us to unite more martial arts forces and remnants of the previous dynasty."

Chen Che fell silent.

"So we've been searching for the original copy of the imperial edict," Yu Ban said.

Footsteps suddenly came from outside the shed.

The two fell silent at the same time, and Yu Ban's hand silently reached towards his waist.

The straw curtain was lifted, and a farmer wearing a straw hat poked his head in. He saw Yu Ban and nodded.

"Mr. Yu, there are police patrol boats on the river; they've passed by two or three times already."

Yu Ban's expression remained unchanged; he simply nodded slightly.

The straw curtain fell, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Yu Ban turned to Chen Che and suddenly smiled.

"You still haven't told me who said that to you."

Chen Che looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

"An...acquaintance," he said. "Someone who is no longer here."

Yu Ban looked at him for a while, but didn't ask any further questions.

"You can go now," he said, standing up and brushing the dust off his clothes.

After walking for a while, Chen Che suddenly stopped.

“Mr. Yu,” he turned around, “according to you, that edict was a flag.”

Yu Ban also stopped and turned around.

"What about the flagpole?" Chen Che asked. "We have the flag, but who's going to carry it?"

"It could be me, or it could be you," Yu Ban smiled.

There was a sense of satisfaction in that smile.

As Chen Che walked to the entrance of the shed, he suddenly heard Yu Ban say something.

"Chen Che, remember that saying: 'What is bestowed by Heaven shall be equally enjoyed by the people.' Keep it in your heart, but don't just say it."

The river wind howled past, and the distant sound of a riverboat's whistle drifted over, deep and lingering.

Chen Che stood up and walked towards the Pudong Wharf.