Chapter Thirty-Eight: Catastrophe

Hu Baiwan had always been at odds with Military Governor Jin Shaohua. With today’s pressure from the foreign envoys in China, Hu Baiwan seized the opportunity to make things difficult for Jin Shaohua. Even though he didn’t yet know what connection this Xiao Fei had with Jin Shaohua, Hu Baiwan was determined to pin this incident on him, regardless of whether there was any real link.

“Commander Hu, that’s the one! That boy injured the sons of the families of envoys from five countries, and he spoke with great insolence. We demand that you arrest him at once and bring him to justice,” the Russian ambassador to China said to Hu Baiwan.

At these words, the other envoys immediately voiced their agreement.

“So you are Xiao Fei? Hmph, such arrogance at your young age. You must have someone powerful backing you—otherwise, where would you get such nerve?” Hu Baiwan declared loudly.

“Commander Hu, what do you mean by that? Are you insinuating something about my father?” Jin Zhengri caught the implication in Hu Baiwan’s words.

“Heh, my dear nephew, you misunderstand me. I merely suspect that someone is inciting Xiao Fei behind the scenes, with no other intention, and certainly not referring to anyone in particular,” Hu Baiwan replied.

“My dear, what should we do now?” Qin Tianxiang, usually fearless, felt daunted by such a grand scene—something she had never faced before. It’s often said that a woman’s transformation begins when she falls in love, and for Qin Tianxiang, this was true: her deep love for Xiao Fei made her worry all the more, fearing to lose him.

But Xiao Fei remained calm and collected; this band of petty characters could not frighten him.

“Men, seize Xiao Fei!” Hu Baiwan ordered.

“No one moves! Commander Hu, if you want to get to my elder brother, you’ll have to go through me first!” Jin Zhengri shielded Xiao Fei behind him.

“Little brother, step aside. They wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me,” Xiao Fei said, gently moving Jin Zhengri aside.

“Elder brother, you are my honored guest. I must take responsibility for you,” Jin Zhengri insisted.

“My dear nephew, that’s a responsibility I fear you cannot bear. Men, advance! Anyone who dares interfere—bind them as well!” Hu Baiwan barked a second command.

Damn it, you’re really pushing your luck, Xiao Fei thought, ready to activate his Thunder Wings, Golden Silk Armor, and Browning pistol. He intended to take out this pig-headed Hu Baiwan first.

Just then, a thunderous shout rang from outside: “I’d like to see who dares!”

Everyone turned to look. Military Governor Jin Shaohua strode in, clad in civilian attire and accompanied by his personal guard. In fact, he had been upstairs all along, watching the entire scene unfold below. He had especially admired Xiao Fei’s recent remarks.

“Haha, so the Military Governor is at home! Excellent. I was just about to send for you. Now that you are here, all the better. Your son is obstructing my official business; perhaps you can persuade him to step aside,” Hu Baiwan said.

During the early years of the Republic, the political system was far from perfect. Military and civil authority were often indistinguishable, and some individuals held both powers simultaneously. Even within the military, factions abounded. Though Hu Baiwan was the Commander-in-Chief, Jin Shaohua, as Military Governor, had his own established forces. The Military Governor’s duty was to oversee and supervise political development within the military, and during the Republic, he became the highest military authority in a region. Yet in those chaotic days, real power often rested with the Commander-in-Chief, leading to mutual restraint between the two—though both remained answerable to the central government.

Jin Shaohua and Hu Baiwan, though always at odds and embroiled in conflict, had never openly clashed. Today, however, the Xiao Fei affair became the spark that set their rivalry ablaze.

“Commander Hu, I find your words disagreeable. Today is my son’s birthday. Xiao Fei and the families of the foreign envoys were all invited here as guests. From what I gather, the martial arts contest was organized by the envoys’ families for entertainment, and all rules were set by them. As with any contest, there are winners and losers, and injuries—even death—are possible. Fortunately, this young hero Xiao Fei showed restraint and spared their lives. So, Commander Hu, where is the insult to the foreign envoys?” Jin Shaohua replied righteously.

“You—!” Hu Baiwan was left speechless.

“Father-in-law, as I understand it, Xiao Fei just now, in public, made inflammatory statements, openly advocating revolutionary ideas. For that alone, he deserves death!” Li Tiande quickly interjected.

“It’s you who deserves death! Hmph, Li Tiande, you beast, don’t think I don’t know about your misdeeds. I shouldn’t have agreed to let you marry Wanyu in the first place! Every word young hero Xiao Fei spoke just now, I heard clearly, and not a single one was wrong. You dare accuse him of revolutionary talk? What of it? If our great China had not undergone revolution, how would we have overthrown two thousand years of imperial rule? How would we have the Republic today?” Jin Shaohua said furiously. He was well aware of Li Tiande’s recent attempt to drug Qin Tianxiang, and he wished nothing more than to shoot this beast on the spot.

Seeing his father-in-law so angry, Li Tiande realized his hopes of marrying into the family were nearly dashed. With nothing left to lose, he replied, “Governor, if you heard all of Xiao Fei’s words, then you must have heard him say that thieves stole the fruits of the Xinhai Revolution. Is he not clearly referring to President Yuan Shikai?”

“Hmph! Whether Xiao Fei said such a thing, I do not know, but you certainly did just now. Everyone here heard you. So, Li Tiande, you dare openly accuse the President of stealing the fruits of revolution? For that alone, I have the right to execute you!” Jin Shaohua thundered.

“No, no, it wasn’t me—it was Xiao Fei!” Li Tiande stammered, falling to his knees. “Uncle, uncle, that wasn’t what I meant!”

With a kick, Hu Baiwan sent Li Tiande sprawling. “You beast! Even I can’t protect you today.”

Hu Baiwan was furious as well. Everyone knew the truth about Yuan Shikai, whether he was a traitor to the nation, whether he had stolen the revolution’s achievements, but no one dared say it aloud. Li Tiande had recklessly voiced what should have remained unsaid—a clear path to ruin.

Hu Baiwan realized he had acted rashly today—he should not have allowed himself to be manipulated by Li Tiande and the foreign envoys. With no solid evidence to bring down Jin Shaohua, it was too late for regret. All he could do now was vent his anger on Li Tiande. Still, since Li Tiande was his nephew, family ties could not be ignored. He had to keep him alive.

Forcing a smile, Hu Baiwan turned to Jin Shaohua, “Governor Jin, a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. There’s no need for hard feelings; we can sit down and talk things out. You and I are colleagues and in-laws—why let this harm our families’ harmony?”

“Hmph, I may treat you as family, but I doubt you see me that way. Since that’s the case, I think we should call off my daughter’s marriage to Li Tiande,” Jin Shaohua seized the opportunity.

Hearing this, Hu Baiwan realized Jin Shaohua intended to break off the engagement—something he absolutely could not allow. He quickly replied, “No, that won’t do. The marriage between our families was arranged by our parents and matchmakers—how could I not honor it? Come on, you wretch, pour tea for your father-in-law and apologize!”

“Yes, yes, Father-in-law, please have some tea,” Li Tiande said, adapting to the situation.

The foreign envoys felt aggrieved, but seeing the two military leaders reconcile, they had nothing more to say—especially since they had no legitimate grounds in the first place.

They each cast a hard look at Xiao Fei, committing his face to memory and vowing to find a way to teach this impudent boy a lesson. Then, one after another, they slunk away.

Hu Baiwan too, taking Li Tiande with him, retreated in defeat.

Thus, without a word from him, Xiao Fei saw a crisis dissipate as if it had never been.

After the others had left, Xiao Fei turned to Governor Jin and said, “Thank you, Governor, for your assistance.”

“Haha, my young friend, at your age to face such a crisis without flinching—that takes real courage. Even if I had not intervened, I suspect you’d have managed just fine. My son is fortunate to have a friend like you—it brings me great comfort. Come, let’s share a drink!”

It was clear that Jin Shaohua, like Jin Zhengri, was forthright and upright. Unlike the other warlords, he exuded an air of righteousness, which Xiao Fei deeply admired.

...

“Slap!”

Back at his residence, Hu Baiwan struck Li Tiande to the ground in a rage—today had been a humiliating disaster.

“Uncle, it’s all my fault, but I just can’t swallow this humiliation,” Li Tiande said, still not giving up.

“Hmph! You have the nerve to speak?” Hu Baiwan was beside himself with anger.

Just then, a subordinate reported that someone wished to see the Commander.

When the visitor was admitted, it turned out to be a familiar face—none other than Cai Ejun’s adjutant, Cai Junjun, long since bribed by Hu Baiwan. Every movement Cai Ejun made was reported to Hu Baiwan.

“Adjutant Cai, any news on your end?” Hu Baiwan asked.

“Commander, I have some big news—one you’ll definitely be interested in.”

“Oh? Tell me quickly.”

“Today, Cai Ejun asked me to investigate the relationship between Xiao Fei, Li Shishi, and Qinglong Mountain. I also connected this to the case of the murdered Japanese major. Though I lack direct evidence, I believe there must be a link between the two.”

“Is that so? This is valuable information! Haha, Xiao Fei is very likely the true killer of the Japanese major, and with his connection to Jin Shaohua, I can use this to bring down Jin Shaohua in one fell swoop,” Hu Baiwan said excitedly.

Perhaps, even Cai Ejun never imagined that his casual probing would bring about catastrophe for Xiao Fei.

[Brothers, the passionate, blood-boiling drama is about to unfold. If you haven’t bookmarked this, do so now! If you give your support, there will be extra chapters today and tomorrow.]