Chapter 15
Xi'an, June 1932.
Led by Provincial Governor Fu Yangshan, a group of Xi'an's elites stood on the platform of Xi'an Railway Station. The midday sun shone brightly, so bright it was blinding. An adjutant jogged over with chilled soda. Fu Yangshan grabbed a bottle first, gulped down more than half of it in one go, then paused for a moment with his mouth wide open, before letting out a loud burp.
Behind him, Police Chief Zhao Lingjun wiped the grease and sweat from his face with a handkerchief and muttered under his breath, "Why aren't we there yet? What time is it?"
The young orderly fanning him whispered, "They said they'd arrive at twelve, soon."
Xi'an Mayor Chen Jingfu tugged at his collar, turned, and sat down in the shade of the platform. He was impatient; it was his birthday, and his eight wives at his small mansion were waiting for him to return so they could celebrate together. He was impatient, but he absolutely couldn't show it. Because the guest he was to welcome today was quite different from the other down-on-their-luck politicians. Although he was also a Manchurian warlord driven out by the Japanese, he still had over 30,000 troops. The situation in Xi'an was like the Three Kingdoms period, with Fu Yangshan, Commander Li, and the Hui Muslim armies forming a three-way power struggle. Therefore, this Manchurian guest, who had fled here in disarray, had become a highly sought-after prize.
After resting for a while, Chen Jingfu felt that his legs were not so sore anymore, so he got up, rubbed his lower back, and walked back into the crowd on the platform.
A car horn sounded in the distance. Everyone craned their necks: "It's here!" "We can see the car!" "My God, it's finally here!"
Everyone sighed and complained, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fu Yangshan glanced sideways at Chen Jingfu, deliberately distancing himself to show that he was currently in the highest position and disdained to associate with Chen.
Seeing the train approaching made the time pass more easily. As the train drew closer, the military band behind the group began to play with a hum. Normally, when important guests arrived at Xi'an Railway Station, a military band would play a welcoming tune. But today, due to the special circumstances, several factions within Xi'an were eager to participate, resulting in four military bands on both sides of the platform, belonging to different organizations and with different conductors. The music, each playing its own tune, created a truly disorienting atmosphere for the listeners. Fortunately, the train arrived at the station, blasting its whistle a few times, temporarily drowning out the cacophony.
Fu Yangshan straightened his military uniform collar. He was wearing a Grand Marshal's uniform, and the collar was touching his chin, making him ticklish and causing him to keep turning his head. Chen Jingfu and Zhao Lingjun also stepped forward and cleared their throats.
The car door slammed open from the inside. Several young men in adjutant uniforms stepped out first. They stood on either side of the door, and then a tall, slender man in military uniform bent down and got out.
Manchurian military uniforms were like this: uniform yellow woolen coats with a small white shirt collar peeking out from the neckline, and knee-high riding boots. Such attire required a tall person to look dashing and handsome. This Manchurian visitor clearly possessed that stature.
The intense sunlight beat down on him, and he seemed unable to bear it, pulling his hat brim down to temporarily shade his eyes. Then, Fu Yangshan's hand reached out in front of him—
"General Rong, welcome, welcome. I am Fu Yangshan. You must be tired from your journey. I have prepared lodgings. If you don't mind, would you like to rest for a while?"
Rong Xiang saw a large group of people waiting on the platform from the car. Now, without saying a word, he left, which seemed a bit impolite. However, Fu Yangshan did not intend to give him time to speak. Like a gust of wind, he took the bewildered guest into the car while talking and laughing.
Chen Jingfu didn't manage to say a word, and was quite angry with Fu Yangshan. But there was nothing he could do for the time being, so he could only return to his car and go to Fu Yangshan's garden mansion for the welcome banquet. Just as he closed the car door and was about to leave, Zhao Lingjun suddenly knocked on his car window, then opened the door and got in.
"I'll be hitching a ride with you this time, is that alright?"
"Of course. What's wrong? Where's your old car?"
Zhao Lingjun frowned: "I'll give it to Elder Yan."
Chen Jingfu became curious: "What kind of flattery are you giving him this time?"
Zhao Lingjun chuckled, "Never mind that, it's all good news anyway. Let's get down to business! Recently, Xiao Yanhong has gotten a few more young women, all beauties. How about I give them to that Rong guy to do him a favor first?"
Chen Jingfu scoffed, "It's amazing you even thought of that. But I heard that guy surnamed Rong likes rabbits. I wonder if it's true or not. If it is, even if you send him some young ladies, he won't appreciate it, will he?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Lingjun chuckled for a long time before saying, "A rabbit? I think he does look quite like a rabbit."
Chen Jingfu turned his face to the car window: "Just you wait and see, Fu Yangshan has definitely flattered him to the skies. Look at the way he was just now, really—" He hesitated for a moment, unable to find the right words to describe it.
"We'll see!" Zhao Lingjun rolled his eyes, ending the private conversation in the car.
Fu Yangshan's garden mansion in the north of the city is his new residence, which was completed last year. It is a Spanish-style building with flowers, grass, hills, and water. Although there are traces of artificiality everywhere, it is indeed a complete landscape. In addition, it is summer, and the bright flowers and green willows are vibrant as soon as you enter the gate, which is very pleasant to the mood.
Although the residence was so pleasing to the eye, Fu Yangshan rarely stayed there. It was located at opposite ends of the city from the provincial government, making travel inconvenient even with a car. Therefore, after its completion, Fu Yangshan only occasionally stayed for a few days, leaving the mansion vacant and unused. Now, hearing that Rong Xiang was coming, he immediately thought of this place—respectable and grand, perfect for entertaining distinguished guests.
The cars of the Xi'an dignitaries wound their way up the asphalt road. Fu Yangshan shared a car with Rong Xiang, and throughout the journey, he talked incessantly, doing his best to show his hospitality. While he was busy talking, he was secretly puzzled. It was strange that Rong, dressed so warmly and conservatively, didn't have a single drop of sweat on his brow. In fact, his first impression of Rong Xiang was that he was cold. Not that he was aloof—he was polite and courteous throughout, and his smile was particularly charming—but rather that Rong Xiang seemed to be constantly chilled; his pale face was devoid of any color.
"Chairman Fu, how much longer until we arrive?" Rong Xiang suddenly asked.
Fu Yangshan casually replied, "It'll definitely be there in twenty minutes! My place is a bit far from the train station, but it's close to other places. Plus, it's a quiet spot in the middle of the city. I guarantee you'll like it when you get there!"
Rongxiang responded softly, "Oh, we'll be there soon."
Fu Yangshan noticed something was off about Rong Xiang's tone and couldn't help but turn to look at him. This glance made him uneasy. Just moments ago, Rong Xiang had been chatting and laughing with him with an upright posture, but in such a short time, he seemed to have lost all his strength, his upper body leaning against the car door and seat. A pale hand rested on his knee, trembling noticeably.
"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Fu Yangshan asked, but he knew in his heart that this Manchu general must have some kind of hobby, and was probably having an addiction right now. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Rong Xiang: such a handsome and promising young man, why did he have to go and do this?
Rongxiang forced himself to sit up, shook his head and smiled, "It's nothing. I'm just tired from sitting on the train for so long."
"Oh...that's right." Fu Yangshan immediately pretended to realize something, then reached out and patted the driver in front: "Hurry up, hurry up!" He then turned back to Rong Xiang and smiled: "Let's hurry back so that the brother can get a good rest. I've prepared some light drinks for you tonight to welcome you back."
Rong Xiang coughed and said, "Sigh... I'm sorry to have troubled Chairman Fu..."
“Brother, your words are rather unorthodox…” Fu Yangshan stopped speaking when he noticed that Rong Xiang’s gaze was becoming unfocused and his expression was blank. He then continued to urge the driver to drive faster.
The car convoy finally stopped in front of the garden mansion at one o'clock in the afternoon.
The carriage doors slammed open and shut, and it was remarkable that all the distinguished guests, despite their age, were remarkably agile as they alighted from the carriage. Thus, they all had the privilege of witnessing General Rong slumped inside due to a drug withdrawal episode. Fortunately, Fu Yangshan promptly summoned Rong Xiang's subordinate—the very same Xiao Meng who was always by his side.
Two minutes after receiving the morphine injection, Rong Xiang got out of the car. Knowing he had just embarrassed himself, he made a point of appearing nonchalant. He nodded to those around him as usual, while Fu Yangshan, leading the way, casually asked the gatekeeper, "How are the preparations going, Second Master?"
The gatekeeper, an old man, replied respectfully, "Second Master and several electricians are in the back garden lawn, saying they're going to install electric lights there to illuminate the dance party tonight."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yangshan inwardly cursed his younger brother, calling him utterly useless. He had indeed asked him to stay home and make arrangements, but now that everyone had arrived, his brother was stuck at the back, fiddling with the lights. How was he supposed to introduce Rongxiang to him now? Rongxiang was like a freshly steamed bun; if they didn't go and enjoy it while it was hot, someone else would snatch it away.
"Go and call him over quickly!" He ordered the gatekeeper to go to the back garden, then turned to Rongxiang and explained, "My second brother has always admired you, my brother, for your talent and wanted to get to know you. So, when he heard there was a banquet tonight, he went to personally oversee the arrangements, afraid that things might not go well."
Rong Xiang smiled broadly and said, "Chairman Fu's younger brother is indeed as hospitable as Chairman Fu. However, I feel really bad for bothering you and your whole family with this visit!"
"No, no, I'm overjoyed that you're willing to stay here!" Fu Yangshan said, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he pointed to a man walking briskly towards the building and said, "This is my younger brother."
Rong Xiang turned around leisurely, his face initially beaming with a warm smile, but upon seeing the person's face, the smile immediately froze on his face.
"Fu Jingyuan?"
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