All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

"What a coincidence! I didn't expect to see you in Shanghai!"

Mr. Huang, who was standing to the side, was also somewhat surprised when he saw the young man and asked him a question.

"Prince Jin, you know Mr. Chen too?"

Tianjin was taken aback by what Boss Huang said, then smiled and replied.

"Yes, Mr. Chen is a friend I greatly admire!"

As Tianjin spoke, he winked at Bai Jiaxuan. Bai Jiaxuan was also curious about him and knew what the wink meant, so he nodded in agreement.

At this moment, everyone's attention turned to the disheveled woman next to them, and Tianjin asked her about it.

Seeing everyone's curiosity, Bai Jiaxuan explained with a playful smile.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just playing a little joke on Miss Fang Jing! Miss Fang Jing, right?"

Fang Jing finally came to her senses and realized that the man in front of her had just been playing a trick on her. Seeing Boss Huang and Prince Jin, the representative of the Manchu royal family, she was even more certain of her previous guess: the man in front of her was definitely not an ordinary person!

Fang Jing instantly recovered from her disheveled and pitiful state, and then changed her expression again. She smiled charmingly and explained to Boss Huang and Prince Jin.

"Yes, I was playing a game with Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen is so naughty!"

Her words, coupled with her alluring expression, made the men instantly understand. Boss Huang also cleared his throat awkwardly and said...

"Mr. Chen, Miss Fang Jing is our top courtesan. Her singing voice is exceptional. Let her keep you company tonight!"

Fang Jing immediately seized the opportunity and quickly echoed.

"Okay, I'd also like to get to know Mr. Chen better!"

Bai Jiaxuan smiled and shook his head.

"Never mind, Miss Fang is a bit tired today. We'll take her to see the stars next time we have the chance!"

As Bai Jiaxuan spoke, he winked at Fang Jing, whose charming expression froze instantly. Recalling the scene just now, she smiled awkwardly and replied.

"Alright, Mr. Chen, you can come to see me anytime. I won't bother you any longer!"

Fang Jing didn't pester him. She understood men well, and this man in front of her didn't seem as easy to handle as she had imagined. She would find out about his background first before making any plans.

Bai Jiaxuan was not surprised when Fang Jing left, and then spoke to Tian Jin, whom he had met on the train.

"Your Highness, let's have a chat!"

Tianjin quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly said...

"I had the same idea. Let's go upstairs!"

Chapter 25

Bai Jiaxuan and Tianjin walked up to the second floor. This time, they attracted even more attention, with many people even focusing their gaze on Bai Jiaxuan.

Bai Jiaxuan could feel the gazes directed at him; the way people looked at him was much more intense than when he came down with Boss Huang.

This confirmed for Bai Jiaxuan that the lone wolf he met on the train was no ordinary person.

The Qing Dynasty was essentially destroyed. To foreigners, even a prince, let alone a prince, was no different from a man carrying manure.

The fact that this young prince is so highly regarded by these people only indicates one thing: this young man has another identity.

The second floor has semi-open booths on the east side, while the west side has enclosed private rooms. Tian Jin did not take Bai Jiaxuan to the enclosed private rooms, but instead took him to the semi-open booths on the east side. From here, one can look down at the hall, and people below can look up and see half of the two of their heads.

Seeing the two sit down in the semi-open booth, many people in the lobby seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

After the two were seated, the waiter asked them what they would like. Bai Jiaxuan smiled and asked if they had tea. The waiter was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied.

"Ok!"

Tianjin smiled and said.

"Then I'll be the same as him!"

The two first talked about how long they had been in Shanghai.

After the waiter served tea, the two finally got down to business, with Tianjin asking the first question.

"I just heard Boss Huang call you Mr. Chen. May I ask what your real name is?"

Bai Jiaxuan blew on the hot air and said.

"Don't call me 'hero, hero,' just call me Chen Zhen. By the way, how's your wound?"

Tianjin said with a smile.

"Then I'll call you Brother Chen. My injury isn't serious; no bones were broken. I have to thank Brother Chen for that medicinal powder. By the way, I was just about to ask if you still sell that medicinal powder? I'm willing to buy some at a high price!"

Upon hearing the other party inquire about the medicinal powder, Bai Jiaxuan smiled, but he did not agree to Tian Jin's request for the time being. Instead, he asked a question.

"Tianjin isn't your real name, is it?"

Tianjin shook his head and said casually.

"This is my real name. I have three names. Tianjing is my Han name!"

Bai Jiaxuan glanced at the other person with some surprise. Tian Jin obviously noticed that Bai Jiaxuan had a sense of distance from him, and then said.

“Brother Chen, then I won’t hide it from you anymore. I am now representing the Manchu royal family. I’m here in Shanghai to purchase a batch of weapons. I haven’t kept my presence here a secret. Most of the people below me are here because of me.”

Upon hearing Tian Jin's answer, Bai Jiaxuan was somewhat taken aback. He then smiled and joked.

"Your royal family is buying weapons, are you planning to restore your kingdom?!"

Tianjin smiled bitterly and said.

"It's just that we have no choice. The demise of the Qing Dynasty was inevitable, but some people just wouldn't give up. However, I'm not optimistic about the newly established Republic of China government either. But chaos in China was foreseeable. For people like us, it's more about self-preservation than restoring the country!"

Bai Jiaxuan somewhat agreed with these words. For a dynasty that had just collapsed, the imperial relatives and nobles were now in the most panicked and helpless state.

Throughout China's millennia-long history, after the old regimes were replaced, the princes and grandsons of the emperors often met with particularly tragic ends. Take the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, for example: whether it was the rebel armies or the Manchus, the policy they adopted towards the Ming dynasty's imperial descendants was basically one of humane extermination.

The wheel of karma turns, and now it's the Qing Dynasty's turn. Although their young emperor is still living in the Forbidden City, other imperial relatives are not receiving such good treatment. For ordinary Manchus, life is getting worse day by day.

Many people are planning to return to their hometown in Northeast China, but now the Russians and Japanese are still there, and even the newly risen Northeast Army is present.

China is so vast, yet there was nowhere for the Manchu imperial family to settle down; they could only survive in the cracks.

Against this backdrop, a new generation of Manchu imperial relatives were selected to assume responsibilities, and Prince Jin, whom we are looking at now, is one of them.

In reality, although the Qing dynasty has already announced its abdication, its power is still very strong. If it weren't for the defection of the Beiyang Army, the Qing dynasty could have persisted for another twenty years without any problem.

The most crucial point is that many high-ranking members of the Qing Dynasty's royal family are wealthy, extremely wealthy. The fall of the Qing Dynasty did not involve a particularly large bloodbath, and many high-ranking members had accumulated wealth over hundreds of years. It is understandable that they wanted to buy some weapons to protect themselves.

Against this backdrop, this Prince Jin was considered a fat sheep. For the arms dealers below, this kind of person who had no powerful connections but was rich was the real high-quality customer.

Foolish people with lots of money, come quick!

However, Bai Jiaxuan clearly saw that the person in front of him was not so simple. The assassination on the train last time had already explained everything. The other party dared to kill even the high-ranking military representative of the Japanese. You think they are easy targets?

However, none of this had anything to do with Bai Jiaxuan, and he didn't want to find out the truth. He nodded and said.

"Your idea is correct. The demise of the Qing Dynasty is an inevitable trend. In the future, there will be no fertile ground for the Qing Dynasty to be restored in China. There is no possibility of even establishing a small court. In the current era, even if you were to establish a small court, you would only be a puppet of those foreign powers!"

After Bai Jiaxuan finished speaking in one breath, Tian Jin stared intently at him.

Bai Jiaxuan took a sip of tea, smiling without saying a word as he looked at the other person.

After a long while, Tianjin shook his head helplessly and said...

“If even Brother Chen can guess what we’re thinking, then I think others can probably guess what we’re thinking too. Brother Chen, can you give us some advice?”

Bai Jiaxuan also sighed and glanced at Tian Jin. He didn't have a good impression of the Manchus, but based on the attitude of the young man in front of him when he killed the Japanese last time, Bai Jiaxuan had some goodwill towards him.

If you put yourself in their shoes, what if you were transported to their position and suddenly learned that your country was destroyed, your family had nothing but money, everyone was eyeing you with hostility, and your people went from being high and mighty to being rats that everyone wanted to kill overnight? In this situation, how would you save yourself?

Their first thought was probably to buy a batch of weapons, find a way to carve out a territory, establish a small court first, and then slowly work their way up.

Throughout history, many dynasties have been replaced by smaller courts after their fall. Some of these smaller courts survived for more than a decade or even several decades, and some, like the Southern Song Dynasty, lasted for more than 170 years.

The recently destroyed Qing dynasty might have had similar thoughts; they also wanted to replicate the glory of the Southern Song dynasty.

Moreover, they had money and the support of foreign powers, so their chances of success were not low. In fact, they did succeed in the end, just like the later puppet state of Manchukuo.

After all, the foundation of the Manchu Qing dynasty was still intact, and they had money. However, as Bai Jiaxuan just said, it was almost impossible for the Manchu Qing to truly restore their country on this land.

Even if they were to restore their country, it would be nothing more than a puppet regime supported by foreign powers. In fact, Tianjin and the people behind him were not fools; they had already foreseen their future.

But when people are in despair, they always feel a sense of relief. And this young man, Tianjin, was clearly still clear-headed, which is why he hoped that Bai Jiaxuan would give him some advice.

Bai Jiaxuan pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Tianjin, actually I don't have much affection for the Manchus, but since we've known each other for a while, I consider you a friend. Let me give you some advice!"

Tianjin's eyes lit up as she looked at Bai Jiaxuan with longing.

Bai Jiaxuan glanced casually down and spotted Huo Ting'en standing by the stage. Huo was holding a glass of wine and getting very close to a dancer. Both of them were smiling. Bai Jiaxuan smiled as well before turning back to his seat and speaking seriously.

"Instead of blindly thinking about restoring your country and throwing huge sums of money at those powers, you would be better off strategically advancing by converting your assets and treasures into cash, hiding them away, and preserving your strength."

In these chaotic times, don't believe any promises from any power. You are truly a fat sheep right now, freshly roasted and steaming hot. I advise you to take advantage of the fact that you still have some say and find a way to secure a future for your families. For you, the future can only get worse!

Bai Jiaxuan's words made Tian Jin's face turn pale. His hand, which was holding the teacup, trembled slightly. He took a difficult sip of tea before speaking in a trembling voice.

"Brother Chen, do you have such a negative view of the Manchu imperial family?"

Bai Jiaxuan nodded and said.

"Yes, I don't have a good outlook on the Qing Dynasty, nor on the current Republic of China, and I don't even have a good outlook on the Beiyang clique. The next few decades are destined to be a period of chaos and great upheaval in China. The future masters of China may not be any of you."

In this chaotic world, your Manchu Qing dynasty is the weakest; your elimination is only a matter of time. Since you know you will be eliminated sooner or later, why not choose another path?

Bai Jiaxuan's words finally brought Tian Jin back to his senses. He picked up his teacup and spoke to Bai Jiaxuan.

"Brother Chen, thank you for your advice. I will seriously consider your suggestion today. Here, let's toast you with tea instead of wine!"

Bai Jiaxuan nodded and bumped into the other person!

Tianjin sipped his tea and slowly fell into deep thought, having already made up his mind.

Destruction and reconstruction, death and rebirth!

There were some things he hadn't told Bai Jiaxuan. Besides being a representative of the Manchu royal family, he had another identity, which was quite interesting: he was part of an organization whose purpose was to sabotage the restoration of the Manchu dynasty.

This organization is small in number but powerful because its members are all members of the Manchu imperial family. Their existence has greatly affected the Manchu restoration plan.

Yes, it's that strange. Within the Manchu imperial family, some advocated for the restoration of the country and the establishment of a small court, while others resolutely opposed it.