1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 10

"Our goal in reviving the revolutionary cause of the Party is not simply to raise an army to rebel, disrupt social order, or kill innocent people, nor is it for personal gain or wealth."

It is for you, for you who have suffered injustice. In the eyes of those high-ranking officials and nobles, you are all lowly people who are not worthy of uttering your own names.

But in the eyes of us revolutionaries, you are equal compatriots, people just like us, the same Chinese!

"What we are pursuing is equality among all people, dignity for all people, and freedom for all people!"

The jailer asked, "Then what is equality?"

Zhao Yan said, "Equality is simple: people can have different classes, but they must have the same personality. You can be richer than me, have more rights than me, and be happier than me, but you cannot be more noble than me."

To put it bluntly, it means you can make me work, but you can't order me to kneel, because we are equals.

"And dignity is the same. If I do something wrong, you can scold me and criticize me, but you can't insult me. Everyone can only discuss the matter at hand. Just because we are different in status, you can't bully me for no reason."

Freedom is something everyone needs. Freedom doesn't mean we can do whatever we want, but rather that we can choose not to do what we want, and no one can force us to.

Zhao Yan spoke eloquently in prison, and Li An and Liu Gensheng inside the cell, as well as many more Green Standard Army soldiers outside, listened attentively.

As everyone listened, they suddenly realized what revolution was all about. They realized that these revolutionaries were not traitors; they did not want to kill or destroy, but only wanted to help everyone regain their dignity and the freedom that seemed so unattainable.

"Gentlemen, you are born no different from those high-ranking nobles. Those nobles were also born of parents, they also have two arms and two legs, and their blood is also red."

They also need to eat, drink, and, most importantly, sleep and rest.

But why can they make you kneel? Why can they do whatever they want, do nothing, yet enjoy all the world's luxuries?

“And you are diligent and conscientious every day. From the moment you were born, if your father was a jailer, you could only be a jailer; if your father was a Green Standard Army soldier, you could only be a Green Standard Army soldier.”

But what makes you all lack compared to those important people? Why are you so different?

"That's because we have no equality, no dignity, and no freedom! Just think about it, decades from now, your son and your grandson will still be Green Standard Army soldiers and prison guards, generation after generation, endlessly, only able to keep their backs bent, not even daring to stand up straight and say their own names."

"Can you accept this kind of life?"

Zhao Yan also had countless complaints about the working class at the bottom of society. They had long harbored resentment because they did the most work but received the least, and were even subjected to insults and humiliation.

These kinds of people are so easy to incite. Don't be fooled by the fact that they also receive a share of the Qing Dynasty's imperial salary; whether that salary is even enough to make a living is another matter entirely!

Chapter 17 The Boiling Prison

Less than two hours after being imprisoned, Zhao Yan ate a meal, took a nap, and then dealt with the guards and Green Standard Army soldiers in just over ten minutes.

Ang Lee personally helped Zhao Yan remove his shackles and even opened the door to bring in tables, chairs, and benches.

If they weren't afraid of losing their heads, Li An, the Green Standard Army soldiers, and the jailers would have wanted to release Zhao Yan immediately.

The Green Standard Army guards who were watching over the others also came to Zhao Yan to listen to his stories. There was no way around it; Zhao Yan's stories were just too captivating.

Zhao Yan sat at the table and, like a storyteller, recounted the story he had told that day in Luxi Village.

Everyone else was getting excited listening to him, but Zhao Yan did the opposite.

"Don't do anything dangerous just because of what I said. After all, I'm a cautionary tale. I might be beheaded in a few days, or even beheading would be the best outcome."

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor of Beijing probably want to drag me to the capital and have me torn to pieces in front of everyone.

Finally, let me tell you, this is the consequence of resistance. You were born slaves and lackeys; you shouldn't have any other thoughts!

Ang Lee slammed his fist on the table in anger: "What utter nonsense! These Manchus only became nobles after they entered the Central Plains!"

"Mr. Zhao, you said before that before the Manchus entered the pass, they were actually slaves to us Han people. Their ancestor Nurhaci's backside was even played with by our Han generals."

Why do the Manchus treat us like slaves? Before, when I saw those lowly people bowing and kowtowing, calling themselves slaves, I thought I wasn't. I never imagined all Han Chinese were slaves of the Aisin Gioro family! Outrageous! Did they ask me? Did I agree to anything?!

Everyone else was furious. No one had ever told them the truth before. In those days, only close officials or servants in Manchu households would refer to themselves as slaves.

But they didn't expect that, theoretically, all Han Chinese in the world were bondservants of the Manchus. How could anyone tolerate that?

"Mr. Zhao, is it true that you're carving stones? One word is worth a thousand lives. If you're carving a thousand stones, how many people would die?" someone asked, mustering their courage.

"Please tell me your name. I've said before that everyone is equal and there's no need to hide."

"No, my name is Yang Gou Gou, also known as Yang Er Gou. My family died early, so no one named me. It's just a name that other people call me."

Zhao Yan laughed and said, "Then can I give you a proper and respectable name? It would be my honor!"

Yang Gougou quickly knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, sir. I really can't stand this dog name!"

Zhao Yan quickly helped the other person up: "Don't kneel anymore. Chinese people kneel to heaven, earth, parents, and ancestors. No one else is worthy of your kneeling, because we are equal."

"If you want to be a truly upright man, why not name yourself Yang Dingtian?"

"Yang Dingtian? Good, from now on I will be called Yang Dingtian. I will stand tall and upright, I don't want to be a slave!" Yang Dingtian stood up, his eyes filled with fire. Everyone around him was very envious of him for having such a new name.

Zhao Yan continued, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yang Dingtian. Now I'll answer your question."

"The practice of carving stones is not limited to the Eastern Han Dynasty; it continues even today, right here in everyone's lives!"

Have any of you ever thought about how much tax you need to pay each year?

Whether the Qing Dynasty had tax-exempt groups is unclear, but Zhao Yan is very clear that every animal around him is subject to taxation.

Everyone gave their own different numbers, and Zhao Yan quickly put the numbers together.

“There are about two hundred of you inside the cell and outside the prison. You will have to pay at least five hundred taels of silver a year. In fact, the Qing Dynasty can collect more than twenty million taels of silver in taxes every year through various means of extortion.”

Everyone was in an uproar. Two hundred million taels of silver—a number no one could even dream of.

Zhao Yan continued, "But does everyone know where all this silver ended up?"

"Of these two hundred million taels of silver, most of it was spent by those high-ranking nobles. They spend hundreds of taels of silver on a single meal, tens of thousands of taels of silver on the repair of a single house, and at least tens of millions of taels of silver on the Summer Palace."

"If this money were taken from the people and used for the people, everyone could have enough to eat, eat white rice at every meal, and even have meat every few days!"

"Your children can go to school, grow up to be literate and read, take exams and become officials, and live the life they want freely."

"Your parents can afford medical treatment and medicine!"

"But there's nothing we can do. We have neither fairness nor dignity now, so all this money can only be used by the wealthy to build gardens, eat Manchu Han Imperial Feasts, and live a life of luxury and extravagance."

Ang Lee's eyes turned red: "So, Mr. Zhao, as long as the revolution you mentioned succeeds, all that money can be spent on us, right?"

Zhao Yan nodded: "That's right, that's the purpose of our revolution!"

“We handed over all the money, so why are they the only ones who can spend it, while we have to continue living a hard life? I can’t understand it, so I stood up and started a revolution!”

Ang Lee drew his long sword from his waist: "Mr. Zhao, I can't understand it either! My son is so smart, but just because I am a Green Standard Army soldier, he can only wait for me to die and continue to be a Green Standard Army soldier."

When my father was critically ill, I was already a lieutenant commander, but I couldn't afford the medicine, so I could only watch helplessly as my father breathed his last!

“I always thought it was because my official rank was too low and my salary was insufficient, but I never imagined that a single meal from those nobles in the Forbidden City could save the lives of a hundred of my fathers. I can’t stand it!”

The others empathized and all started yelling.

"Me too. I don't understand why I'm so tired every day, but I can only eat two meals a day, and they're all sweet potato rice. I've never eaten white rice in my entire life! But that Manchu family on our street, they do nothing and they still get several taels of silver every month. Promotions and wealth all go to them!"

“I, Yang Dingtian, have never been looked at properly in my entire life, except for today, Mr. Zhao, who gave me a name and treated me like a human being!”

"So much silver, all of it was handed over by us. Why is it that only those nobles can use it, while we don't see a single penny? This is not fair!"

"Yes, they used our money and still expect us to be their slaves. My father was beaten to death while working as a farmhand. I never want to be a slave in my life!"

At that moment, Li An grabbed Zhao Yan's sleeve, his eyes blazing with anger, and said, "Mr. Zhao, why don't you lead us to do it? I want my son to be able to study and become an official in the future. I don't want my ancestors to be slaves for generations!"

Zhao Yan was dumbfounded. This reaction was wrong. Shouldn't you have said I was a good person and then quietly let me go? Why are you suddenly trying to drag me into the revolution again? When will this ever end?!

Zhao Yan quickly and kindly advised, "Everyone, calm down!"

"I'm a prime example. I've been involved in the revolution, and now I'm almost facing the death by a thousand cuts. Do you want to be subjected to that fate too?"

"I, Zhao, take full responsibility for my actions and have no intention of harming any of you. I am a friend to all of you. Although you are soldiers and I am a thief, at least in my eyes, we are equals and friends."

Even if you chop off my head tomorrow, I will still consider you my friends and compatriots, because we are all Chinese!

"Precisely because we're friends, I don't want to harm you. It's better to live a wretched life than to die. Revolution is no easy task! You could easily lose your head!"

Ang Lee retorted loudly, "We've been slaves for so long in our lives, and we have no hope left anyway, so we might as well take a gamble. We also want fairness, and we also want dignity!"

“Mr. Zhao, you treat us like human beings, like friends, but those Manchus don’t treat us like human beings at all. Last year, one of my brothers was slit open and bled to death by the Manchus just because he talked back a couple of times! Just because he talked back!”

"If we don't resist today, and instead help the Manchus kill you, Mr. Zhao, are we even human? We deserve to be slaves!"

Zhao Yan was dumbfounded: "No, you're a Green Standard Army officer, I'm the revolutionary, and you're using my words!"

Zhao Yan just wanted to be released quietly, not to be dragged into another riot; it was too dangerous.

Zhao Yan continued to persuade him, "Don't go, you're not as strong as them!"

Ang Lee raised his long sword: "I'm not as strong as him?"

"Those pampered Manchu sons, if it were a real fight, I could take on ten of them!"

Helpless, Zhao Yan pleaded, "Think of your families, think of your parents, wives, and children. Don't take any risks."

As soon as Zhao Yan said this, the crowd became even more agitated. It was fine before they thought about it, but thinking about it made them even angrier.

They work themselves to the bone all year round, but can't even get a full meal. Their parents are sick and they have no money to treat them, so they have to tough it out. Their wives have to beg for jobs by currying favor with influential people. And no matter how smart their children are, they can't afford to go to school.

There's no hope for this life, revolution is the only option!

With a knife in one hand and grabbing Zhao Yan's sleeve with the other, Li An glared at him and asked, "Mr. Zhao, I know you're a good person, and you're doing this for our own good."

"But we're not heartless. We made a mistake by arresting you. Let's make amends now."

"We Hunanese are not afraid of death, but we are afraid of living a miserable life. Lead us in revolution. We are just roughnecks and don't understand these things. We will do whatever you say!"

Yang Dingtian stepped forward and echoed, "Mr. Zhao, you said we are all equal. Why is it that it's your duty to do revolution, but not ours?"

The jailer Liu Gensheng even grabbed a baton: "That's right, Mr. Zhao, so much silver! Twenty million taels of silver! We should start a revolution too!"

This completely baffled Zhao Yan. This was Changsha Prefecture, the heart of Hunan, with countless new troops stationed nearby. To start a riot here was suicidal!

Just as Zhao Yan was wondering what had happened, a minor official entered the prison cell: "The prefect has ordered that the criminal be brought to court for interrogation. Bring the prisoner to the court immediately!"

When Zhao Yan heard that the officials were going to interrogate him, he immediately felt relieved. He thought he should just fool the officials instead; these guys were too hot-tempered and he couldn't handle them!

Chapter 18 The Turmoil at the Prefectural Government Office

"Everyone calm down, I'm about to be interrogated. You're officers and soldiers, you have to follow the rules!" Zhao Yan broke free from Li An's hand and turned to follow the minor official to be interrogated.

Ang Lee followed immediately: “Mr. Zhao, don’t be afraid. We’ll go to court with you. I want to see what those officials have to say!”

Yang Dingtian puffed out his chest: "That's right, Mr. Zhao, we'll back you up!"

Liu Gensheng gripped his baton tightly: "If Mr. Zhao doesn't lead me in the revolution, then you're hoarding all the wealth—two hundred million taels of silver! Mr. Zhao, please help us out, okay?"

The minor official who came to fetch the prisoner was dumbfounded by the scene. What revolution? What two hundred million taels of silver? What was all this about? Why was the atmosphere so tense?

The clerk immediately shouted, "What are you all doing? Didn't you hear the prefect's order? Arrest the criminal immediately!"

But what the clerk received in response were pairs of bloodshot eyes, sharp long knives, and dark gun barrels.

"Calm down! Don't make pointless sacrifices. I, Zhao Yan, am not afraid to die today, but I have no regrets if I can make friends with you brothers!" Zhao Yan picked up the shackles from the ground and put them on his hands with deft movements.

Then he grabbed the fleeing official and shouted, "Gentlemen, my mind is made up! Throughout history, how has revolution and reform ever been achieved without sacrifice and bloodshed? You should uphold the revolutionary will and continue the flame of revolution, not make pointless sacrifices!"

"I, Zhao Yan, am willing to die alone. I beg my brothers to spare my comrades. I, Zhao Yan, thank you in gratitude!"

Zhao Yan bowed deeply with his shackled hands.

Li An and his group, their eyes brimming with tears, quickly turned to release Zhao Yan's accomplices.

Zhao Yan quickly pulled the clerk away from the cell, saying, "Take me to the court quickly! This cell is unbearable to stay in, let's get out of here!"

Zhao Yan just wanted Li An and his gang of simpletons to quickly release the other group of simpletons who were being held in prison, and then for both groups of simpletons to go back to their own homes and find their own mothers, and for everyone to go their separate ways and never see each other again!

The clerk in charge of taking the prisoners was also terrified, his face turning ashen. He had never seen anything so outrageous in his life; the soldiers didn't act like soldiers, and the prisoners didn't act like prisoners either.

"Get me to court right now! What the hell are you dawdling for? Get me out of here after the trial, this place is about to turn into a powder keg!"

"What... what exactly happened?"

"Don't ask, it's just a speech mishap, you wouldn't understand!"

The clerk kept looking back, but the more he looked, the more alarmed he became. The Green Standard Army soldiers and jailers had actually opened the prison gates and released the criminal, and then followed him. The soldiers and the criminal were mixed together!

Zhao Yan and the minor official ran ahead, while a large number of government soldiers and rebels chased after them.

The scrambling clerk led the group to the main hall of the prefectural government office, much like Wang Erxiao leading the Japanese into an ambush. Along the way, Li An and Liu Gensheng had also brought along a large number of prison guards and Green Standard Army soldiers, all of whom crowded together in front of the main hall of the prefectural government office.

The constables responsible for maintaining order were all stunned. Terrified by the murderous aura of the crowd, they quickly surrendered and joined Li An's group. At this point, who would dare to oppose them?

The prefectural government office was completely undefended, and when Zhao Hao and his men saw this, they immediately understood that the president must have used his powers again.

The dozen or so people who were arrested had already become familiar with this routine along the way, and they immediately began to organize themselves.

Prefect Lu Zhaoxuan was dumbfounded in the courtroom. He had been leisurely waiting to interrogate the criminals while holding a cup of tea, but he did not expect so many people to come. When he saw those pairs of red eyes and that murderous aura, with his many years of experience as an official, how could he not understand that his subordinates were about to rebel!