In the 11th year of the Republic of China, January 1, 1922, Shanghai Racecourse.

"Qin Beiyang!"

This sentence is in Japanese, Saga-Hikari, separated from him by countless heads, through the sound barrier of the sound of firecrackers. When she changed to the Chinese "Qin Beiyang", Qin Beiyang had followed a young general, got into a black Mercedes-Benz car, and left on Nanjing Road.

As the sun sets at dusk, the dead branches of the sycamore are like golden bones.

"Is this a passing by?"

Light, looking at the neon lights lit up early in the Sincere Department Store, I was stunned. The cold wind on New Year's Day swept in, and two clear water snots were frozen.

There was a man in a suit beside her, about thirty years old, lean and well-mannered, with his hair combed back, revealing a full forehead, and the corners of his mouth were especially stylish. He handed Hikaru Saga's handkerchief and asked in Japanese, "Who is he?" ”

"My brother."

"Do you have a Chinese brother?"

The Japanese girl took the handkerchief and wiped her nose while wiping her tears: "Yes, Mr. Akutagawa." ”

There was also a Chinese beside them, in his thirties, wrapped in a cotton caftan and a black scarf on his chest, who stammered in Japanese: "I know this person, his name is Qin Beiyang." More than four years ago, in Shanghai, we had some dealings. In a way, I'm still his benefactor. ”

"Mr. Chen!" Hikari anxiously grabbed the Chinese's arm, "Can you help me find him?" ”

Qin Beiyang got into the young marshal's car. I heard that the young marshal has made heroes all over the world, and he likes to invite friends to watch the play. He arrived in Shanghai for less than seven days, and he had to watch Peking Opera every night. Tonight, there is a big play "Fish Intestine Sword" on the Tianchan Stage, maybe he will go there! After saying the stumbling Japanese, he said to himself in Chinese, "Shibetsu three days, you should be impressed to see it!" After four years, I can't imagine that this kid will come out! ”

His name is Chen Gongzhe, the backbone of the Shanghai Jingwu Sports Association. Over the years, he has opened the Jingwu Gate to all parts of the country, and even went abroad, declaring Huo Yuanjia's spirit and martial arts in Nanyang and even North America.

Mr. Akutagawa was interested: "Mr. Chen, let's go to the Tianchan Stage!" ”

The light followed the two men through Nanjing Road, the dusk of New Year's Day, it was dark early, the lights were on, rubbing shoulders, Chinese and foreign miscellaneous, and Tokyo did not see such prosperity.

Seven days ago, on Christmas Day, the steamer on which Mitsuri Saga was riding sailed into the Huangpu River. This is her first time in China, gazing at the misty Bund and the whimpering giant ships on the river, as if peeking into a fairy tale world. Hikari's father, the Marquis of Saga, happened to be in Shanghai on an errand, and he didn't worry about leaving his rebellious daughter alone in Tokyo, just like he had taken her to Paris last time, so he brought her to Shanghai this time.

And Guang's impression of Shanghai mainly comes from Qin Beiyang's remarks when she accompanied her on her wanderings in the early spring three years ago.

She lives with her father in one of the best British hotels in Shanghai, behind the Bund. This was arranged by the Japanese Consul General in Shanghai, because the Marquis was related to Emperor Meiji and was definitely the object of sycophancy.

For the next few days, she followed her father from place to place, all of which were boring official duties, helping with French and English translations. On New Year's Day, I just thought about going to the Shanghai Racecourse - this was a Western scenery that Japan could not see at that time. The father had another business trip and could not go with him, so he had to ask Mr. Akutagawa, who lived in the same hotel, to take care of his daughter.

Speaking of Mr. Akutagawa, despite his young age, he is already one of Japan's first-class writers. He had come to China as an inspector for the Osaka Mainichi Shimbun, had traveled from south to north for several months, had just returned to Shanghai two days earlier, and was preparing to return to Japan in a few days.

Today, Akutagawa was asked by the Marquis of Saga to go out early with the sixteen-year-old Marquis Princess. He first went to the Jingwu Sports Association in Hongkou, of course, not to send the "Sick Man of East Asia" plaque, but to visit the famous Chen Gongzhe.

On New Year's Day, the "Lunar New Year Cup", Shanghai Tang was empty, and it happened that Chen Gongzhe booked a box in the Shanghai Racecourse, and knew a few words of Japanese, so he took Mr. Akutagawa and Hikaru Saga to go with him, and let the two Japanese guests open a foreign meat, which is a Western scenery that cannot be seen in Tokyo. Chen Gongzhe had heard of Mr. Akutagawa's name for a long time, so he put aside the suspicions between China and Japan for the time being, and took the lead in hospitality.

In the box on the upper floor of the stands, the fifteen-year-old Hikari shouted uncontrollably, and kept popping out of "Si Guy" and "Gang Eight Generations", which was like a noble lady at the beginning, you must know that she had grown up in a brothel disguise.

In the end, Saga-Hikaru recognized a Chinese who crossed the finish line, rode a black sweaty horse, and was taller than all European riders, and it was actually the "elder brother" Qin Beiyang!

The last time I said goodbye, it was at the Paris Peace Conference, and my brother crossed the Paris sewers to save himself. After returning to Japan, she asked Haneda Taiki to inquire about Qin Beiyang, but it turned out that her brother died in a volcanic eruption on an isolated island in the Arctic Ice Sea. Hikaru Saga couldn't believe that his brother was dead, and every time he saw Mt. Fuji, a dormant active volcano, he would think of Qin Beiyang's voice and smile, as if he had been sleeping in the ice and snow of the cone.

At seven o'clock in the evening, Hikaru Saga, Mr. Akutagawa, and Chen Gongzhe ate Soviet-style eel noodles on Erma Road, and then came to the Tianchan stage opposite. The exterior is a Western-style building, with two large bells hanging on both sides of the stage, and there are even "Three Forts" cigarette advertisements below. In the middle of the stage railing is written "Born to Speak to the Human".

Chen Gongzhe turned out to be a fan of the theater, so he knew that the young marshal came here every night to watch the play. I wanted to buy the box upstairs, but I realized that it was all reserved by the young marshal's people.

The three of them could only sit downstairs, and immediately a cousin brought hot towels. Mr. Wasagawa was just about to pick up a towel to wipe his face, but he saw a Chinese next to him, after rubbing his face with a hot towel, he actually blew a thick snot in the towel. So, Akutagawa firmly refused the towel.

After a while, the lights on the stage lit up, first the gongs and drums, then the huqin, and then the thunderous applause of the audience......

Tonight's performance is "Fish Intestine Sword", which is the story of the assassin - "Tang Sui does not disgrace the mission" has "The Assassin of the Husband Zhuan Zhu, the comet hits the moon", Zhuan Zhu was originally a Wu Guoshi, in order to repay Gongzi Guang, he hid the sword in the belly of the fish, stabbed Wu Wang Gong to death, killed himself, sacrificed his life for righteousness, and Gongzi Guang ascended the throne as Wu Wang Lu. This is earlier than Jing Ke's assassination of King Qin, "the death of a confidant is a confidant". This story was also recorded by Sima Qian in the Chronicles of the Assassins.

But the protagonist of the Peking Opera "Fish Intestine Sword" is another person - Wu Zixu.

The protagonist appeared on the stage and applauded thunderously again. Akutagawa and Hikari were surprised to find that Wu Zixu on the stage was played by a young woman. Although she is wearing a man's costume, a large fake beard, and thick makeup, she still can't hide the eyebrows, eyes and aura of a young and beautiful girl.

"Her name is Meng Xiaodong, and she is only fifteen years old."