mtl008 Chapter 54 The Performing Arts of the Era (Including the War of Resistance) 3
Chapter 54 The Performing Arts of the Era (Including the War of Resistance) 3
Liu Yuxi had no other choice but to tell the people in the opera troupe about the atrocities committed by the "little devils" in Northeast China after each performance, in order to give them the impression that if they encountered a "little devil," death would be the easiest outcome.
As May of 1937 approached, Liu Yuxi began to share rumors that they were about to attack Beiping. Since Liu Yuxi was not one to gossip, the news that came from her was generally quite credible.
She had been talking about it for months, and the troupe leader was getting a little uneasy. He called Liu Yuxi into the room and talked to her in detail for a long time. He decided to follow Liu Yuxi's advice, put away the things that were not in use, and continue to operate as usual. However, if Xiao Rizi really wanted to come to Beiping, then their troupe might have to disband. After all, they had met too many people who had fled from Northeast China before they came to Beiping, and they knew a lot about Xiao Rizi's behavior. If Xiao Rizi really took over Beiping, they would not have a good life.
As time passed, the members of the opera troupe gradually became indifferent to the initial anxiety. After all, it had been almost two months, and they had not heard any news of fighting around Beiping. They thought that since this was the place where the emperor used to live, it would not fall easily.
Just as the opera troupe members were relieved, on the night of July 7, 1937, a unit of the Japanese China Garrison was conducting military exercises in Wanping County near Beiping, the capital of the Republic of China. That night, the Japanese army, using the pretext of missing soldiers (some Japanese civilians falsely claimed that the Chinese had fired live ammunition into Japanese positions), demanded entry into Wanping County for investigation. After being refused by the Chinese, the Japanese army launched an attack on Wanping County and Lugou Bridge in the early morning of July 8, which was resisted by the National Revolutionary Army.
The "July 7th Incident at Lugou Bridge" arrived, and Liu Yuxi knew he could not wait any longer. On July 8th, the two sides would enter a stalemate. Until 2:00 AM on July 9th, the two sides reached an agreement that "the Japanese army would occupy the east bank of the Yongding River, the Chinese side would occupy the west bank of the Yongding River, and the Japanese side would withdraw its troops." The withdrawal began and was completed at 12:20 PM that day.
After July 9th, the two sides began negotiations, mainly focusing on the withdrawal of troops from the relevant areas, China's apology for provoking the incident and the suppression of local anti-Japanese activities. Meanwhile, the Japanese army intensified its troop deployment to North China to increase pressure on the Nanjing Nationalist government. This troop deployment objectively increased anti-Japanese sentiment in North China, foreshadowing a large-scale conflict to come.
时任国民的政府军事委员会委员长的蒋介石7月17日在庐山上宣布准备应战和必要时守土抗战到底的决心。7月19日，蒋同志发表了《最后的关头》的演说，正式宣布开始全面抗战。随后，7月25日发生廊坊事件，7月26日发生广安门的事件，7月29日、7月30日，日军相继占领北平、天津。中国抗日战争正式爆发。
Wanping City is only about 20 kilometers away from Beiping. The sound of cannons was especially clear at night, and people who were not yet asleep were all awakened. At this time, everyone in the opera troupe thought of Liu Yuxi's previous remarks. Who could sleep at this time? Everyone gathered in the performance hall, waiting for the cannon fire to stop and for the troupe leader to make a decision.
The sound of gunfire didn't stop until around 5 a.m. on the 8th. Everyone looked at the troupe leader, who in turn looked at Liu Yuxi, since Liu Yuxi was the most well-informed. He wanted to know what Liu Yuxi was thinking and whether their troupe could continue to stay in Beiping.
Liu Yuxi said in a low voice: "I know what everyone is thinking, and I also hope that this is just a small friction between China and Japan, but it's not. Japan has wolfish ambitions. Its goal is to gradually erode us. We also know what kind of government the Nanjing government is. They are good at enjoying themselves, but what about fighting? Although they are willing to fight against Japan, many of the National Revolutionary Army soldiers are just there to collect their paychecks. When it comes to real fighting, they will be afraid of death. They will probably run away faster than us."
I don't need to elaborate on how cruel the "little devils" are; even if you haven't experienced it, you've heard about it. I fled from Northeast China, and to be honest, if we had fallen into their hands, it would have been worse than death. I've already decided that if I ever run into one, and I can't escape, either I'll kill him, or he'll kill me.
"If the 'little devils' come to Beiping, our opera troupe will never be able to continue operating. We don't have a star like Mr. Mei in our troupe, and look at the women in our troupe—which one of them can possibly get away with anything? You've probably all heard how the 'little devils' treat the women of our country."
Hearing Liu Yuxi say this, the women in the opera troupe all shrank back, some of the more timid ones even sobbing softly. Liu Yuxi continued, "Without women, our opera troupe can't continue. Everyone will have to find another way to make money. So, it's better to make plans now, whether to stay or leave. But no matter whether you stay or leave, there probably won't be any peace and quiet in the future. Everyone will probably have to find other ways to make money, because it will be hard to earn money in this world in the future."
Hearing Liu Yuxi say this, everyone felt very down. To put it bluntly, they were like stray dogs. The country was so big, but they couldn't find a place to stay. Why was it so difficult to live a peaceful life?
After discussing it, the troupe leader gave travel expenses and severance pay to those who still had relatives back in their hometowns and were willing to return to find them, urging them to go home as soon as possible. Even though the troupe members weren't short of money, the leader still provided them with travel expenses. Some decided to settle down in Beiping, while others decided to return to their hometowns. The remaining members, some of whom the leader bought back and who didn't want to go back, or whose children had no relatives in their hometowns and were almost adults, lived together in groups. The younger members were divided among the troupe members and the leader, and were presented to outsiders as his nephews and nieces. After everything was settled, everyone went back to pack their things, waiting for confirmation before going their separate ways.
When Liu Yuxi returned to her room, Wang Juan called her back to her own room. Wang Juan was planning to return to her hometown in Sichuan, and she asked Liu Yuxi if she wanted to come with her. Liu Yuxi knelt down before Wang Juan and kowtowed three times: "Master, your disciple is unfilial and may not be able to continue following you. Your disciple is preparing to go to the battlefield to kill the Japanese devils. Your disciple possesses martial prowess, and in this chaotic world, it is impossible to stand idly by while the Japanese devils wreak havoc in our country. Before, your disciple was young, but now your disciple has the ability. Your disciple wants to do something for this country! It's just that I will no longer be able to serve you, Master. It is your disciple's fault for being unfilial!"