Novel: Beacon Fires (Part II)
It was said that the local people of Qi County were descendants of immigrants from Shandong during the late Ming Dynasty. They had a simple and honest folkway, being generous and highly valuing brotherhood. When the three big families in the county heard that the county team leader of the Eighth Route Army, Liu Dazhu, and political commissar Huang Meng had quietly returned to their hometown to form an army team, the patriarchs of each family—Mr. Zhang, Mr. Huo, and Mr. Qi—decided to visit Dazhu's home. Some brought fine wine, others brought delicacies, along with their families and guards to visit the Liu family. The Liu family was quite poor, with a thatched roof and no walls, so it wasn't a good place for discussion. They had to borrow the living room of Mr. Hong to hold a meeting.
The men discussed serious matters in the living room while the four wives stood aside wiping tears, lamenting the cruelty of the Japanese invaders, the negligence of Heaven, and the unpredictability of the war situation. Meanwhile, the children of the families were having a great time, making a lot of noise in the backyard. These children were all around ten years old, not very experienced but skilled in martial arts. Qi County had always been a place where people practiced martial arts, and even children knew some basic moves. When they met, they naturally used the most common methods known throughout history to test their skills. Although their movements were somewhat immature, they still fought with rhythm and discipline. They didn’t realize that in a few years, they would use real weapons to discuss military strategies and tactics. By then, the world would have changed greatly, becoming something even the four families couldn’t comprehend.
In fact, misunderstanding is the rule of the world’s development. If the elders still understood everything, the world would develop slowly. What the young need is for their predecessors to be confused, and in this confusion, the world gradually shifts into the hands of the younger generation.
While the children were playing in the back, in the front courtyard living room, the four family heads were discussing major issues with Captain Liu and Commissar Huang regarding the formation of the county team.
Mr. Hong, upon learning that his daughter was in the Eighth Route Army, was extremely unhappy but dared not express it openly. He muttered softly, "Brothers, currently, the Japanese have occupied half of our country. These devils are not ordinary. You see, they managed to occupy half of our territory out of millions of troops. How powerful must they be? We don’t have enough people or guns. How can we fight against them?"
Mr. Qi also had his own insights, "If we don’t rise up to resist, we will definitely die. If we want to act, we can only do it secretly. I can inform my friends at the bank to support us with some weapon costs."
Mr. Zhang, being a man of culture, often considered problems from a cultural perspective, "It is said that the Japanese intend to forcibly implement Japanese language teaching. There are detailed articles about this in the Beijing newspapers. We absolutely cannot sit idly by."
Chamber of Commerce President Huo also thought this made sense, saying, "Dazhu and the commissioner decided to gather forces in this county, but Qi County is still a distance away from the Eighth Route Army base in the Taihang Mountains. Even if we have ideas, where can we find so many weapons in such a short time? Moreover, the Japanese have traitors leading them, and they often conduct surprise attacks. What should we do?"
Commissar Huang laughed, "We are native to this land, while the Japanese are unfamiliar with it. As long as we are not afraid of sacrifice and resolutely resist, we can become the righteous army and continue to grow stronger."
Everyone nodded.
Dazhu said, "We already have dozens of people. We hope that the elders can contribute money if you have money, people if you have people, and effort if you have effort. Then, with the support of the Eighth Route Army, we can surely establish ourselves and raise our banner!"
Except for Mr. Hong, the other elders all agreed to provide guns and funds for the county team. A few days later, Mr. Jin came to negotiate. Mr. Jin originally ran an orthopedic clinic in the county town. Given his expertise in martial arts and treatment of injuries, he was knowledgeable in both orthopedics and traumatology, and his medical skills were excellent. His family had secret recipes passed down through generations, and there were often patients coming for treatment, giving him a decent income. Mr. Jin, having been a doctor for a long time, lived a peaceful life, managing his clinic and teaching martial arts to his relatives' children in his spare time. Under his careful guidance, the children's martial arts improved significantly, mastering the essence of the Jin family boxing style, making them formidable fighters.
However, after the Japanese arrived and committed atrocities, a bomb fell on the Jin family during one raid, killing Mrs. Jin instantly. From then on, whenever Mr. Jin had free time, he would call the children to the living room, pointing to the large portrait of his wife hanging on the wall, and told them, "Never forget this grudge. Whenever you have the opportunity, you must find a way to avenge your aunt!"
Mr. Jin, upon meeting Liu Dazhu, began to vaguely realize that his future career would have a special connection with this team. He always kept his wife's final words in mind: revenge, avenge!
As the county team continued to grow, Mr. Hong was also busy. It should be noted that Hong Mei's father was not an ordinary person. At the age of twenty, he had successfully passed the last imperial examination of the late Qing Dynasty. Later, when the imperial examination system was abolished, he returned to his hometown to be a landlord but was very knowledgeable about governance. He often told the city elders, "When I was studying in the official school of the county, I once received a couplet written personally by the old magistrate. It was quite profound, saying: 'If one can win the hearts, then rebellion will naturally subside; knowing military affairs does not mean loving war. If one does not understand the situation, then even leniency or severity will lead to mistakes; those who govern Sichuan in the future must deeply consider this.'"
Everyone nodded, "A timeless masterpiece, full of meaning!"
Mr. Hong smiled faintly, "Actually, whether one wants to be an official or gather an army, the key lies in 'winning the hearts' and 'understanding the situation.' Grasping these two points ensures victory!"
"The elder's words are indeed wise!"
The elders exchanged glances, truly admiring Mr. Hong's insight. But what impressed them most was a month later. When the Eighth Route Army in Qi County was officially formed, Mr. Hong had already secretly contacted members of the Nationalist Military Intelligence Bureau and raised the flag of rebellion in Qi County, announcing the establishment of the 'Qi County Salvation Army.'
Commander Hong declared at the swearing-in ceremony of the Qi County Salvation Army, "From now on, I will change my name to 'Hong Dajun' and lead a thousand soldiers to fight the Japanese until death!"
When Mr. Hong's speech was reprinted in inland newspapers, Liu Dazhu swore that "a Han traitor cannot coexist," read it twice, became extremely angry, and cursed loudly, "You audacious rich man, disloyal to others and unfilial to your son, utterly shameless!"
Someone relayed Captain Liu's words to him, and Commander Hong of the Salvation Army coldly laughed, "To be a person means to punish the Japanese, which is true loyalty! To be a son means to adapt to circumstances and follow the trend, which is true filial piety!"
Commander Hong's uprising earned him high praise from the leaders of the Republic of China. It was said that the leaders of the National Government all rewarded him heavily and provided a large number of guns and ammunition.
Although both teams were fighting the Japanese, the Eighth Route Army county team and Commander Hong's Salvation Army naturally had different approaches, and friction was inevitable. Let me give the readers a preview, and the details will unfold as you continue reading.
Speaking of Liu Dazhu's team, they were severely lacking in weapons and ammunition, causing him immense anxiety. A few days ago, he had sent urgent letters to friends across the land asking for help in providing equipment. One would think that in the Yan Zhao region, his connections were numerous, but after sending the urgent letters, he did not receive any valuable leads, which was strange.
"Who could possibly be against me? Judging by the methods, they must be experts, but I haven’t offended any divine beings. Clearly, someone wants to show me their power! But who?"
Liu Dazhu did not expect that the person behind the scenes was none other than Lieutenant Colonel Tanaka of the 13th Regiment of the Japanese Imperial Army stationed in Qi County, known as the "Dragon Heavenly Respector."
What kind of person is Tanaka? How could he be so powerful? He had long heard that a county team of the Eighth Route Army had been officially established in the mountains and immediately ordered all suspicious letters at post offices to be seized and used as intelligence materials. Therefore, none of Liu Dazhu's letters were sent out.
Tanaka's regiment also began forming special units specifically targeting the Eighth Route Army. One might wonder how Tanaka, a commander of a field army, could know about special tactics?
First, we need to introduce the East Asia College located in Shanghai. Established by Japanese officials in the early twentieth century in Shanghai, students came from various prefectures in Japan. During their studies, students primarily learned methods to understand and investigate Chinese politics, economics, and military intelligence. Important intelligence gathered by the students in various parts of China was quickly delivered to the Japanese Foreign Ministry and Army General Staff.
Graduating senior Tanaka Mahiro was an outstanding student and also a spy genius sent by the Japanese military department to study. His espionage talents were widely recognized. For his background, it seems necessary to briefly introduce him here. Tanaka Mahiro was from the Iga region in northwest Mie Prefecture, born into a samurai family, with ancestors known as famous "ninja."
In the island nation's long-standing martial culture, ninjas were undoubtedly the most important faction. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Japan's Warring States period, dozens of feudal lords emerged, dividing the land and engaging in constant warfare. In this context, ninjas, as spies gathering military intelligence, expanded rapidly. Iga became the main base for the development of ninjutsu. Ninjutsu has a complete system including tracking, reconnaissance, intelligence, assassination, etc. Ninjas were skilled in various weapons and concealed weapons, able to move swiftly over rooftops and walls. To conceal themselves, they traditionally wore black clothing, exposing only their eyes.
Tanaka's grandfather, Tanaka Wuqi, participated in the rebellion organized by Saigo Takamori in Kagoshima early in his life, was captured after defeat, and later preached "East Asian Prosperity" after release. Old Tanaka Minfu decided to send his eldest son, Tanaka Wufu, to the Shanghai Oriental Academy to learn Chinese, aiming for him to thoroughly understand the conditions of China. This Tanaka was indeed a natural for espionage. Besides studying, he traveled extensively across ten provinces in China, enduring hardships, gaining much knowledge, and rising to become an expert on China within the Japanese army and the director of the Beijing branch of the Japanese spy network "Rakuzan-do." However, his most glorious achievement in Japanese espionage history was his performance during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.
In the summer of 1894, following instructions from the Japanese army headquarters, Tanaka Wufu infiltrated Yantai and Weihai, risking his life to investigate the military bases of the Beiyang Fleet and successfully obtained information about the departure time of the Beiyang Fleet, allowing the Japanese Combined Fleet to gain a significant advantage in the naval battle. After the war, he received honors and was summoned to meet the Japanese emperor, achieving the extraordinary feat of visiting the emperor despite being a commoner. Tanaka Wufu died in Shanghai in the early 1920s, and the emperor bestowed a noble title, showing great respect.
Growing up in a family of spies, Tanaka Mahiro felt both the honor and silent pressure of his family. Fortunately, he was not a failure; he was smart and ambitious, seeking to surpass his predecessors, achieve success, and leave his mark in history. Tanaka's grand ambition was to become the greatest ninja of his time, fully grasp the military intelligence of China, and, amidst the stormy changes of the century, protect the emperor with the strength of a commoner and promote national prestige worldwide.
As a devout believer in ninjutsu, Tanaka Mahiro was well-versed in the classic works of ninjutsu, "Manchuan Haiji." He hoped to become a "Jonin," or a strategist responsible for planning covert operations, but he was also proficient in "Chunin," or operational commanders, sometimes personally undertaking "Genin" tasks as a daredevil in covert actions.
Later, Tanaka Mahiro studied at the Japanese Army University. His graduation thesis was titled "The Military Value of Special Forces in the War Against China." It was said that this thesis was read by some of the senior officers of the Japanese Army General Staff. An army predecessor commented on the thesis, "Surprising the enemy unexpectedly and defeating them without fighting is the essence of military strategy; Tanaka's thesis is original and insightful, with unique perspectives and strategic value!"
Another army general was amazed and ordered, "This person is a military genius! In the future, when the Imperial Army attacks North China, this person should lead the vanguard."
Tanaka originally thought that after graduating from the Army University, he would soon come to China. However, the fate of soldiers was not arranged by themselves. He only appeared in Qi County after the "July 7th Incident." However, that's another story. Here, we'll pause for now, and when we mention him again, Tanaka will take center stage.
One day, the intelligence officer of Tanaka's special unit reported that the Eighth Route Army county team was about to receive a batch of weapons from Tianjin. Upon hearing this news, Lieutenant Tanaka immediately pursued specific details. After obtaining relatively accurate intelligence, the battalion commander immediately conceived a plan to intercept the weapons of the Eighth Route Army.
He selected eight top performers from the personnel of his special unit, disguised them as Chinese tea merchants, and quietly infiltrated Jiang County near Qi County. This was the necessary route from Tianjin to Qi County.
At the start of the secret operation, Tanaka said to the eight special unit soldiers, "We are loyal warriors of the Emperor, willing to sacrifice our lives, wealth, and fame, all for the day when the cherry blossoms of Yamato and the Rising Sun Flag fly proudly on the peak of Hushan Mountain in Qi County!"
After arriving in Jiang County, they stayed at an inn in the city. Tanaka immediately went to a nearby teahouse, where he overheard customers at a neighboring table chatting about how the boss of Sun Family Escort Service would soon set off to escort an important shipment to Qi County. Tanaka immediately returned to the inn, gathered his men, and began to arrange the secret operation plan.
A lieutenant asked, "Tanaka-san, what is the significance of intercepting these weapons?"
Tanaka smiled and first asked, "What are weapons?"
The lieutenant replied, "They are tools for combat."
Tanaka said, "Exactly! Weapons are the heavy artillery of the army! Seizing weapons means seizing control over the opponent. If we can successfully intercept this batch of firearms and ammunition, Qi County will quickly become an important military stronghold in the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere!"
The eight soldiers all said in unison, "Yes, we will not disgrace our mission!"
Tanaka then detailed the specifics of the secret operation, and the action group members accepted their orders and split up to carry out their tasks.
Lieutenant Sanben Yuhe immediately disguised himself as a Chinese businessman, took a window seat on the second floor of the "Shanyun" teahouse opposite the Sun Family Escort Service, and ordered a pot of Longjing tea, slowly sipping it, but his eyes never left the door of the Sun Family Escort Service opposite.
For Boss Sun of the Escort Service, since he had taken on Liu Dazhu's business to deliver the batch of arms to Qi County, entrusted by the Eighth Route Army parents-officials, how could he be careless? He visited the president of the local Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Mei, who was also one of the four major families in Jiang County, and the two naturally spoke freely.
Mr. Mei said, "Brother, this delivery must not be taken lightly!"
"That's right. I've selected eight martial arts experts from the escort service and am preparing to personally lead the team to escort the goods."
"If it were regular goods, you could order to take the main road, with continuous traffic along the way, there's nothing to fear. However, this matter is significant, so you cannot be careless."
Boss Sun replied, "After careful consideration, I've decided to take the water route, quietly hire a large ship, and set off at midnight tonight, heading south."
"Good idea, no time to waste!"
Lieutenant Sanben sat in the teahouse for half a day, noticing no unusual movements on the street, except that the entrance of the Sun Family Escort Service was unusually quiet, which aroused his suspicion. However, as a special forces expert, to complete the mission, he could stay submerged in water for three days without food or drink. With food and drink available in the teahouse, how could he not endure? Sanben remained calm, holding a magazine pretending to read, but actually paying attention to the dynamics at the entrance of the escort service. In the afternoon, a burly man dressed as an escort walked out of the service, crossed the street, and entered the teahouse downstairs.
The escort greeted the boss, "Boss Wang, how's business?"
Boss Wang bitterly smiled, "Getting by. Master Li, would you like a pot of tea?"
"No need, I'm busy! Just wanted to say that I won't be able to play cards tonight."
Boss Wang was surprised, "I don't see many customers at your escort service today, what are you busy with?"
"Brother Wang, you're not an outsider, so I can tell you. Our boss has accepted a delivery from a customer in Qi County, but we're tight-lipped about it, working hard. We set off at midnight, taking a boat down the Grand Canal."
"You rarely take the water route."
"That's true. Our boss said this deal is too conspicuous on the river, probably not peaceful, so we're extra cautious."
Boss Wang dismissed it, "I think your boss is overly cautious like Zhuge Liang. Who would dare to rob your Sun Family Escort Service in broad daylight? Do they want to die?"
The escort laughed, "Anyway, we just follow the boss's orders, why should we worry?"
"That's true."
The escort finished speaking and turned back. Their conversation was casual, but upstairs, Sanben was listening intently and heard every word clearly. After a while, Sanben called the waiter, settled the bill, and left, his face glowing as he left ten copper coins as a tip. Back at the inn, Sanben reported the message verbatim to Tanaka.
Tanaka coldly laughed, "Mr. Sun is indeed a thoughtful person."
Sanben asked, "Tanaka-san, what's your plan?"
Tanaka replied, "No rush, I'm waiting for Marui's report. This intelligence must be verified twice before final confirmation."
Sanben admired, "Tanaka-san, you're truly impressive!"
During dinner, Marui returned. He had obtained reliable information from the dock that the Sun Family Escort Service had hired a large