The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

It’s a good idea to give out the good guy card.

Now that he has been given the good guy card, Jiang Xianyun’s family affairs should be able to return to normal, right?

It is now January 1924. According to the original historical line, Jiang Xianyun returned to Hunan before going to the Whampoa Military Academy.

Married to Li Zhixin.

Chen Tianheng: "It's almost time. Don't you want to go back to Hunan and say goodbye to your parents?"

Jiang Xianyun: "I guess your suggestion is that I should go back to Hunan Third Normal School. The female students there are more honest and simple than those in Shanghai."

Chen Tianheng spread his hands and nodded, indicating "You guessed right."

Jiang Xianyun: "I am going back to Hunan, but this was decided when I was still in Guangzhou. I asked Secretary Chen Duxiu for leave. I am mainly going back to my hometown in Xintian to visit my parents. Studying in a military academy is not like now, and I may not be able to go home for a long time in the future."

……

Chen Tianheng stayed in Shanghai for the last two months before taking the entrance exam for the Whampoa Military Academy.

My mother passed away a long time ago, and my father passed away last year. It doesn’t make sense whether I go back to Changsha or not.

Chen Wangdao helped him pick up his job as a library administrator at Fudan University. However, during the months when he was involved in the peasant movement last year, Fudan University had already hired a part-time library administrator, so now he only needs to go there once a week.

However, this way Chen Tianheng would have more time to spend in places like United Reading, Commercial Press, Mao Runmin's Chulianhang, etc.

"This is the ultimate pragmatist's reading list."

The Oriental Library of the Commercial Press. Chen Tianheng, who was reading a book, looked up and saw that a middle-aged man sitting at a nearby seat was speaking to him.

Chen Tianheng looked at the six or seven books he had taken down from the bookshelf. They were all recent statistical yearbooks, economic and financial trends, international politics in Europe and Asia after 1919, and so on.

The middle-aged man also had six or seven books at hand. After a quick glance, they seemed to be all philosophy books.

Chen Tianheng smiled and said, "This is a list of books for those who aspire to become spiritual mentors for mankind."

"Philosophy studies the most universal and fundamental problems of mankind: existence, knowledge, value, reason, mind, and so on. We think from the root and seek a fundamental solution. Only when the fundamental problem is solved can we solve the specific problems of mankind."

Chen Tianheng: "You're right about that. Philosophy is about finding methods from a fundamental perspective. But for me, what I lack most is the acquisition of what you call pragmatic knowledge, mainly large amounts of information and data. So I'm very busy right now. As for delving into philosophical systems, I really don't have time."

Chen Tianheng deliberately spoke in simple terms, making the middle-aged man laugh. "No, no. Every adult has his or her own philosophical system. I can only say that you've already established your own system and believe it doesn't need to be changed now. But I'm different. The practical problems I need to solve are too huge, so I have to return to the field of philosophy to seek answers."

"A huge practical problem? How big is it?"

Chen Tianheng is interested. How big is the actual problem you want to solve? Is it as big as mine?

The problem I need to solve concerns the future of a country with a population of 450 million.

"My actual question is how to transform Japan, how to influence and transform China, and how to ultimately achieve the self-liberation of the East Asian nations."

……

Chen Tianheng looked up and looked carefully at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him.

He wore a well-tailored, though inexpensive, suit, and spoke politely. His Chinese, with no regional accent, made him look like a Japanese. Then there were his thick glasses and his slightly dimmed, lifeless right eye...

"Excuse me, your Excellency?"

"I'm Kita Ikki. I'm from Niigata, Japan."

"I, Chen Tianheng, am from Changsha, Hunan."

Chen Tianheng sat up straight and nodded slightly. "Mr. Bei, it's a pleasant surprise to see you. I've read your 'Outline of the Principles of National Transformation'."

Now it was Kita Ikki's turn to be surprised: "Really? Then I was surprised too."

Chen Tianheng: "Every country has people exploring ways to change the status quo. You are one of them, and many in China are doing the same. However, many of the theories they explore and propose are castles in the air."

"So, Mr. Chen, what do you think of the outline of the transformation principles I wrote? Does it feel a bit like a castle in the air?"

Chen Tianheng didn't answer, but just smiled politely. Bei Yihui was startled and smiled too.

"Mr. Bei, no matter what, exploration is always a good thing. As long as there are people in a country who are constantly searching for new paths, then no matter how dire the current situation, there is still hope."

Kita Ikki: "That's right. I'm actually working on a new book, and what I'm trying to do now is make it less childish. No matter what, my only goal is to free Japan and the people of Asia from their suffering."

Chen Tianheng calculated the time and thought that the book he was brewing should be "On Reform and Revolution".

"Helping Japan escape suffering is a glorious, great, and arduous mission, and I admire you for it. Helping the Asian people escape suffering is the goal that the people of all Asian countries strive for. You and I can offer support, and perhaps even personal financial support, but it's best not to personally intervene on a nation-to-nation basis."

What Chen Tianheng said was a comment on the second half of Kita Ikki's previous remarks.

"Oh? Mr. Chen means that he doesn't approve of Asianism?"

Chen Tianheng: "Why are all the scholars advocating Asianism from Japan? Why are there so few people advocating Asianism in China? Why do no Koreans agree with Asianism at all? Mr. Bei, if you lived in Korea, then when you were 11 years old, the Japanese army invaded, and everyone became miners and serfs under the Japanese whip; when you were 24 years old, Japan and Korea merged, and the Korean royal family was forcibly relocated to Japan, forbidden to meet with Korean citizens... In the eyes of Japanese Asianists, this is actually just part of practicing this doctrine, isn't it?"

Kita Ikki: "Those Asianists do have overly aggressive tendencies, and I don't agree with them. But Mr. Chen, since you've read the Principles of National Reform, you should know that the first chapter of this outline is about reforming the emperor system and dethroning him. In fact, my views were even more radical in my youth. I advocated abolishing the emperor back then."

Chen Tianheng: "Five months after your view was published, the book was confiscated. Perhaps you still retain the ideals of your youth, but you have simplified them into steps, proposing the first step of reforming the emperor. But, Mr. Bei, this is not the key issue. I remember a few years ago, you said in a speech that the future leader of Asia would be Japan. Of course, it would be a democratic Japan after revolution, but ultimately, you intended for Japan to lead all the peoples and countries in Asia."

Kita Ikki: “Yeah.”

Chen Tianheng: "Then there is essentially no difference."

Kita Ikki: "My ideas do not include aggression. I do not advocate, or I firmly oppose, Japan's invasion of any Asian country. The idea I put forward is that Japan has successfully modernized, but China is still a backward place, so we should find ways to improve China, otherwise the backward China will implicate Japan..."

"So when China didn't improve according to Japan's proposed methods, Japan had to resort to extraordinary means to get China to accept these improvements in order to prevent China's backwardness from dragging Japan into harm's way," Chen Tianheng seamlessly continued Kita Ikki's explanation. "This certainly wasn't aggression. From the perspective of the Japanese decision-makers, it was a matter of cooperation and mutual support, for the benefit of both peoples and East Asian civilization."

Kita Ikki was choked by Chen Tianheng's words: "You are actually talking about Fukuzawa Yukichi's 'On Leaving Asia,' which is the view advocated by early Asianists. It is not mine, although there are some superficial similarities between them."

"The similarities lie in essence, not appearance. Japan is the big brother, and the other less developed Asian countries are the younger brothers. Fukuzawa Yukichi advocated that younger brothers should be punished when they don't make progress. You believe they shouldn't be punished, but should be reformed. Yet, you both agree on the concepts of 'big brother' and 'young brother', and that 'big brother should take care of younger brothers.'"

Kita Ikki: "Abolish the emperor's divinity, promote democracy; implement land reform; and impose restrictions on private property. This is my platform. I will appeal to the Japanese people and tell them that their current suffering is caused by the emperor, the zaibatsu, and the warlords. I will tell them that foreign aggression cannot alleviate their poverty; only revolution can."

Chen Tianheng: "Then how do you prove to the public that what you say is right?"

“History, especially the history of mankind since the modern Enlightenment, has clearly told us the answer.”

Chen Tianheng: "The only lesson mankind has learned from history is that mankind never learns any lessons from history."

In response to this bickering remark, Kita Ikki shook his head and smiled helplessly, not wanting to argue.

Chen Tianheng: "Only when something happens to oneself will one learn the most profound lesson. This is true for individuals, as well as for nations and countries. The Japanese people have never learned such a historical lesson since the Meiji Restoration, so I am pessimistic about the future."

"Unless one day in the future, Japan suffers a complete defeat in the war, all its factories are reduced to ruins, cities are reduced to flames, countless old and young women and children are killed and injured, young and strong men die in battle, their remains left on the road and no one cares for them. And the emperor, with his eyes rolled back, hangs on the gallows. A breeze blows, and he turns half a circle to the left, half a circle to the right, and his handcuffs and shackles jingle, jingle, jingle."

"Historical books and foreign examples are usually useless. Only what you see and hear firsthand is useful. Only this method can make Japan, from the upper class to the people, truly realize that war and aggression are bad. In the decades to come, whenever a Japanese politician or scholar dares to mention the word war, all Japanese will remember the days of boiling dandelions in the open air among the burning ruins, and high-ranking officials and nobles will remember the emperor hanging on the gallows, his eyes rolled back, a breeze blowing, half a circle to the left, half a circle to the right, and the handcuffs and shackles clanging. Look, Mr. Bei, you are angry now."

When talking about the emperor being hanged on the gallows, Kita Ikki's eyes did flash with anger.

After noticing the change in his expression, Chen Tianheng said something directly, and Kita Ikki immediately came back to his senses from his trance.

"Hmm...yes," Kita Ikki's intelligence allowed him to understand the hidden meaning of Chen Tianheng's warning, "yes. Even a so-called revolutionary like me who calls on the people to revolutionize and fight for their own liberation can fall into the trap unconsciously."

Chen Tianheng: "I'm sorry that we ended up using this format for our discussion and debate. Actually, my team and I are facing a similar problem right now... Some people only realize they've taken the wrong path when something happens to them. This is a common human flaw. I'm going to return the book."

Chen Tianheng stood up and put the book he had finished reading back on the bookshelf.

"Mr. Chen, although you are reading books on finance and economics, you are actually a Chinese revolutionary and you are engaged in revolutionary work, right?"

"I'm working on..."

Chen Tianheng put the book into the bookshelf, smiled at Bei Yihui, and shook the keychain in his hand:

"I'm in charge of 'Ding-a-ling, Ding-a-ling.'"

Chapter 26

Kita Ikki felt that his heart had been "deeply excavated" today, digging through his superego and ego and digging out his subconscious.

He was a man who wrote "The Theory of National System and Pure Socialism" in his youth and was determined to deny the emperor's transformation of Japanese society; he was a deep participant in the Chinese revolution who joined the Tongmenghui, went to Shanghai to participate in the revolution after the Wuchang Uprising, organized a murder-hunting team at his own expense to investigate the case after Song Jiaoren was assassinated, and was even repatriated by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ordered not to leave the country for three years.

Even so, he became angry when he heard someone talking about hanging the emperor.

There is some truth to that Austrian psychoanalysis theory.

"If someone like you, a veteran who can be called an 'old friend of the Chinese people,' can act this way, what about ordinary people in Japan?"

Chen Tianheng calmly expanded the topic.

Kita Ikki: "To change people's minds, to change the minds of the nation, is so difficult."

Chen Tianheng: "I don't have personal experience with Japan, so there's not much I can say. I can only say that I hope we can all achieve our respective goals in the future."

……

After walking out of the Commercial Press, Chen Tianheng looked back at the five-story "Hanfen Building".

This library, recently renamed the "Oriental Library" from the "Commercial Press Library," is the largest library in Asia. Its scale, richness, and number of rare books surpass any library in Tokyo, Delhi, or Mumbai, making it a true treasure trove of Asian culture.

That's why Chen Tianheng met Kita Ikki here.

However, during the January 28 Incident in 1932, the Japanese army dispatched carrier-based aircraft to bomb Shanghai. Except for 5,000 rare ancient books that were transferred to the bank's safe depository, the rest of the Oriental Library were reduced to ashes along with the Hanfen Building.

"This is the newly established China National Geographic magazine."

"The editorial office has been established, but the first issue of the magazine probably won't be available for another six months. There's a lot of preliminary work to be done."

Luo Zhanglong and Mao Dun led the way, pushing open the door of the editorial office. Chen Tianheng walked in, and the first person he saw was——

Guo Moruo.

"Lao Guo? Did they bring you here to be the editor-in-chief?"

Guo Moruo raised his chin: "Why, am I unqualified?"

When setting up the staff team of "National Geographic China", United Reading Group took stock and found that Guo Moruo was the most suitable candidate.

First, he was available at any time, second, his major was somewhat related to geography, and finally, Guo Moruo was a left-wing writer with communist leanings, which made his work easier.

"Well, since it's Lao Guo, the people here are no longer outsiders."

Chen Tianheng, Luo Zhanglong (General Manager of United Reading), Mao Dun (from the magazine next door), and Guo Moruo held a meeting.

"Right now, we don't require China National Geographic to be highly profitable. As long as it can make a profit, it's fine. Even if it loses money in the short term, it's fine."

"The content mainly focuses on two aspects. The first aspect is to meet readers' reading needs by introducing the local customs, ethnic cultures, folk customs, historical books, legends and myths of various parts of China. In short, people who read this magazine may not have the time or money to travel to so many places in their lifetime, but with a copy of the magazine in hand, they can feel as if they have visited these places."

"The second aspect is to collect and organize geographic information data. I'll just give you a brief request. I hope that two years from now, in 1926, the magazine can publish a high-precision map of China, at least of eastern China."

At this point, Chen Tianheng looked at Luo Zhanglong, the general manager and a member of the Central Committee of the three major parties: "We need it."

Guo Moruo: "The first aspect is indeed my area of ​​expertise. Secondly, we have already contacted the Geological Society of China in Tianjin. They have scholars and experts, and many geographers have been engaged in this field for a long time."

Chen Tianheng: "There's also the Department of Earth Sciences at National Southeast University in Nanjing. I remember the department head was Zhu Kezhen. However, I'm afraid neither of these two institutions can provide sufficient cartographic resources. They haven't even published high-precision maps themselves. The Geological Society of China is short of funds, and the grants from the direct lineage aren't enough to sustain them. I heard that the Journal of the Geological Society of China is about to be discontinued. Oh, and by the way, why don't you have Manager Yang talk to the Geological Society of China? If the Journal of the Geological Society of China can't continue, National Geographic China can serve as their journal, and they can just contribute a little bit of the co-sponsorship fee."

Luo Zhanglong: "Tianheng, so you said before that this China National Geographic might need the help of Chulianxing to be successful. Are you using Chulianxing's network of distributors and suppliers to create topographic maps of mountains and rivers across the country?"

"Everyone, I also know a place that has a lot of information about Chinese maps."

Guo Moruo interjected: "Japan, the Black Dragon Society."

……

In 1901, Toyama Mitsuru, Uchida Ryohei and others founded the Black Dragon Society, declaring that its goal was to drive Russia out of Northeast China. The name of the Black Dragon Society came from Heilongjiang in Northeast China.

When it was first established, the Black Dragon Society had a strong atmosphere of Asianism. They believed that Asia belonged to the yellow race and that the yellow race should work together to drive the white race out of Asia, hence the name Black Dragon Society. During the Russo-Japanese War, a large number of Black Dragon Society members brought their own dry food to the Northeast to assist the Japanese army.

If a pro-Western government came to power in Japan, the Black Dragon Society would fiercely denounce it as a "devilish agent of the British and Americans." The Black Dragon Society treated the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republican Beiyang regime equally, seeking to eliminate these Chinese regimes. Sun Yat-sen received assistance from the Black Dragon Society in the early stages of his revolution for this very reason.

However, Sun Yat-sen never told the Black Dragon Society that they would "cede Manchuria and Mongolia after the revolution succeeds." This statement was fabricated by the Black Dragon Society's leader, Uchida Ryohei. Uchida Ryohei's subsequent fabrication of Sun Yat-sen's remarks also shows that while the Black Dragon Society advocated for the destruction of white people and that Asia belonged to Asians, they actually coveted China.

The Black Dragon Society is also involved in collecting and mapping maps of China, and so is Source Power.

Every year, the Black Dragon Society allocates a significant portion of its funds to this endeavor. Japanese ronin operating in China are aware that the Black Dragon Society buys maps, so they draw maps or memorize geographic information as they travel around China, later selling them to the Black Dragon Society for a small profit.

The maps and geographical information collected by the Black Dragon Society also had a buyer, the Japanese military.

The maps used by the Japanese invaders were incredibly detailed, surpassing even those produced by the British and Americans in China, and even surpassing those drawn by the Republic of China itself. Every natural village and every road was accurately depicted on the maps. Villages even listed the locations of all their wells, and some even indicated how many people each well could supply.

Later, during the War of Liberation, both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were fighting using maps left by the invading Japanese army.

"Will the Black Dragon Society sell these maps?"

This is the issue that Chen Tianheng is most concerned about.

Guo Moruo: "If an official organization like the Geological Society of China were to buy it, the Black Dragon Society would definitely not sell it. But if a private company like us were to negotiate, there's a certain chance we'd sell it."

Chen Tianheng: "If we set up a Japanese company and said we wanted to publish maps, wouldn't that be easier to negotiate?"

……

"Chen Tianheng."

"I find that you actually have a complete set of ideas in your mind, and what you are showing now is only a part of this set of ideas."

"So I want to know, what's your whole idea?"

Huangpu River Wharf.