Chapter 23 fearless

In 1899, Chen Duxiu, who was at the place of his stepfather in Shenyang, learned that his mother was seriously ill, and hurried home with his elder brother.On the way, he encountered a "red beard" and was about to rob his fortune and kill him.When the robbers learned that Chen Duxiu was the son of Chen Yanshu, they immediately returned their belongings and escorted them into the customs.It is said that when Chen Yanshu was the magistrate of Xinmin Prefecture in Fengtian Province, Zhang Zuolin with a red beard was arrested and sentenced to death. Chen Yanshu rescued him and recruited him to safety.

Chen Duxiu witnessed the invasion of our country by the Eight-Power Allied Forces in the Northeast, and later recalled: "The year before last in Jinzhou, Russian soldiers raped women and killed them. The Russian officials set up an epidemic inspection center in Niuzhuang, and those who received more gold were exempted, otherwise even those who were healthy would be sent to black prisons, and bribery would not be effective. It is often heard that people who have no money are imprisoned to death.” In the winter of 1902, Chen Duxiu, who was studying in Japan, joined the "Youth Association", the earliest revolutionary organization among students studying in Japan.On March 31 of the following year, because the superintendent Yao Yu prevented the students from studying military affairs and seduced the concubine of his colleague Qian Wu, which aroused public outrage among the students, five people, Chen Duxiu, Zou Rong, Zhang Ji, Weng Hao, and Wang Xiaozhen, broke into the school at night. Yao Zhai declared that he would cut off his head.Yao begged for clemency, but Zou Rong said, "Let your head be spared, but not your hair." So Zhang Ji hugged his waist, Zou Rong held his head, and Chen Duxiu swiped the scissors to cut off the hair on behalf of the head. Afterwards, Yao's braid was hung in the overseas students' hall , the side book "Nanyang Superintendent, Public Enemy of Overseas Students Yao Moumou Braid".Later, Yao colluded with the Qing government's minister in Japan to arrest Chen and others. Chen Duxiu, Zou Rong, and Zhang Ji were forced to return to China in April.

On May 17, Chen Duxiu and others launched the first Russian rejection meeting in Anqing "Zangshulou".Although it was raining heavily that day, there were still about 300 people present. Because the library was very narrow, most of the participants stood outside the door to listen to the lecture.Chen Duxiu also delivered a speech, talking about all the tragedies that Tsarist Russia bullied and even killed Northeast folks in the Northeast, and everyone in the audience booed.Chen also scolded some people for "talking about loyalty and filial piety on weekdays, denouncing people as rebels, and in case of national crisis, they ignore it, never want to start public welfare, only want to save money in foreign banks, and have obedience to the people's flag in their hearts." The enemy's great strategy to protect himself is to act as a traitor to the country and to rebel against the party. If the country's traitors and rebels are not killed, the country will eventually perish."Chen's remarks shocked the authorities, Duan Fang, governor of Liangjiang, ordered his arrest, and Chen Duxiu fled to Shanghai.

In 1904, Chen Duxiu was invited by Zhang Shizhao, went to Shanghai to be supervised by Yang Dusheng, and joined the assassination group of the Military and National Education Association.In the next month or so, Chen "tested explosives from Yang Dusheng and Zhong Xianchang every day" and got acquainted with Cai Yuanpei.Later, due to Huang Xing's failure in Changsha and Wan Fuhua's attempt to assassinate Wang Zhichun, the assassination agency in Shanghai was implicated. The revolutionaries in Shanghai were forced to disperse and flee, and Chen also returned to Wuhu. The Qing court planned to send five ministers to go abroad for investigation, and Yang Dusheng accompanied him as an interpreter, so he took the opportunity to arrange for Wu Yue to wait for the opportunity to assassinate.Beforehand, Wu Yue went back to his place of origin to arrange family affairs, passed by Wuhu, and once "planned secretly with Chen Duxiu and Zhao Sheng in the small building of Wuhu Science (Book) Club".Then it was decided to set up wine in the face of differences, and make a generous elegy with each other, so as to strengthen his actions.Wu Yue went to Beijing to ambush the train on which the five ministers were traveling. Due to the crowding, the body vibrated, bullets were fired in his arms, Zai Ze and Shao Ying were injured, and the overseas inspection had to be postponed.And Wu Yue also died heroically at the age of 26.When the news came, Chen Duxiu wrote to Zhang Xiaocen in code words: "I think Brother Wu presided over the opening of the store in Beijing. Please tell me everything about Brother Wu in detail as soon as possible."

With the efforts of Chen Duxiu, the Wuhu Anhui Public School where he taught became the center of the Anhui Revolutionary Movement.In this school, apart from Chen Duxiu, there were Liu Shipei, Tao Chengzhang, Bai Wenwei, Su Manshu, Xie Wuliang, etc., which attracted a large number of young people and caused a sensation in the entire Wuhu society.In the summer vacation of the same year, in order to contact the revolutionaries in Anhui Province, Chen Duxiu traveled all over the north and south of the Jianghuai River with Bai Wenwei, carrying luggage, an umbrella, etc., and successively arrived in Huaiyuan, Bengbu, Mengcheng, Guoyang, Bozhou, Taihe, Fuyang, Zhengyang Guan, Shouzhou and other places visited all corners of the country, looking for like-minded revolutionaries.

In 1905, Chen Duxiu, Bai Wenwei and others established the Yue Wang Hui in Wuhu, with Chen serving as the president. The Yue Wang Hui was named after Yue Fei's spirit of serving the country faithfully.In addition to the outstanding students from Anhui Public School, some soldiers from the Armed Forces Academy participated in the event. There are about 30 people in the whole organization.At the first meeting of the Yuewanghui, the members burned incense and read the oath together. While in Japan, although Chen Duxiu had a close relationship with Zhang Taiyan, Zhang Ji, and Liu Shipei, members of the Tongmenghui, and also joined the assassination group of the Revolutionary Party, he never joined the Tongmenghui.Fu Sinian recalled that Chen once said that apart from Sun Yat-sen, Liao Zhongkai, and Zhu Zhixin, most of the Tongmenghui were mediocre talents who were not good at planning or speaking.

After the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising, Chen Duxiu, who taught at Zhejiang Army Primary School, drafted many revolutionary essays and posted them everywhere.One of them was posted by Zhou Yawei, the captain of the Army Elementary School of the Restoration Association, and Gao Wenwei, the platoon leader, by the gate of the Drum Tower in the city. "Officials in the provincial capital heard it with horror." After the "Second Revolution" broke out, Hu Wantai, a favorite subordinate of Anhui governor Bai Wenwei, rebelled and led troops to attack the governor's mansion. Bai was forced to leave Anhui and fled to Nanjing. Chen Duxiu, who was the secretary-general of the governor's mansion, fled to Wuhu.Gong Zhenpeng, the Wuhu garrison, shot people every day in Wuhu, killing people without measure. Chen Duxiu was very angry. He and his division commander Yuan Jiasheng broke into Gong's headquarters and denounced him.Gong Zhenpeng ordered Chen Duxiu and Yuan Jiasheng to be tied up, and threatened to kill Chen Duxiu.Chen Congrong urged: "If you want to be shot, hurry up!" After the brigade commander Zhang Zigang heard the news, he hurriedly led the pistol guards to the rescue.Liu Wendian and others quickly sent a letter to Bai Wenwei in Nanjing, asking him to come to the rescue as soon as possible.Bo hurried to Wuhu, shook hands with Gong and made peace, and Chen Duxiu was rescued.

After the failure of the "Second Revolution", Ni Sichong, the governor of Anhui, appointed the commander Ma Lianjia to lead people to search Chen's house.At that time, Chen Yanshu, Chen Duxiu's stepfather, passed away only a hundred days ago, and the coffin was still at home temporarily. His stepmother, Xie Shi, was ill at that time.Chen Duxiu's eldest son Yannian and second son Qiao Nian escaped by jumping over the wall.Ma Lianjia robbed Chen Xifan's antique calligraphy and painting, and took away Chen Duxiu's nephew Chen Yongnian.Later, it was discovered that Chen Yongnian was indeed Chen Duxiu's nephew, so Chen Yongnian was released.On October 21 of that year, Ni Sichong issued a notice to arrest important revolutionaries in Anhui Province for the "Second Revolution", and Chen Duxiu topped the list.Chen Duxiu, who was avoiding disaster in Shanghai, heard about it, and said angrily: "With my anger, I wish I could eat him."