Chapter 6, Three Encounters with the Mirror at Dawn

Su Xue replied: "Then I will go... please inform Xiao Xue for me!"

The empty corridor is sparsely populated, lending an air of elegance and tranquility to the Memorial Hall of Female Heroes. This is because, apart from Shandong and Shanghai, female soldiers remain a rare presence in most military units. Even when some female soldiers are able to hold command positions, it is often due to inheriting the legacies of their husbands or fathers, with Su Xue being a typical example.

Logically, both Su Bai and the other person should have approached to pay their respects to Chen Yunjie, as they are his subordinates. However, given the irreconcilable conflict between the two factions, these old E faction soldiers harbored a strong aversion towards Chen Yunjie. Even when compared to Yang Linyi, whom they disliked the most, it was merely a difference of fifty steps versus a hundred steps. Therefore, when Chen and Yang hurriedly took their leave, both of them actually felt a sense of relief.

After a long time, Su Xue finally opened her eyes and walked into the Memorial Hall for Female Heroes. Four female guards saluted in unison: "Hello, Commander Su!" Su Xue returned the greeting with a smile

Chen Yunjie’s outburst took Liu Jingxiao by surprise, causing him to feel a sudden shock and a hint of fear. However, he reacted quickly and soon understood the reason behind it. Just as he was about to explain, he heard a loud bang from behind as Yan Aoshuang slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed: "Good! Good! Good! Chen Yunjie, my Jingxiao is simply not worthy of your daughter. Jingxiao! Let’s leave!"

However, it is also worth considering that our predecessors, the heroic spirits, are watching over us... Xiaoxue, this afternoon you should visit the Martyrs' Shrine to pay your respects to the various martyrs...

Bai Ling solemnly said: "I will notify the library's Xiao Qing about this. You go and pay your respects to the martyrs, so that they may bless us to overcome our adversities..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Yunjie suddenly stood up, slammed the table fiercely, and his piercing gaze shot towards Liu Jingxiao like frost, causing Liu Jingxiao to dare not meet his eyes, still angrily exclaiming: "Hah!"

Liu Jingxiao did not turn around, still fixated on the painting. The painting depicted the evening glow reflecting on a battlefield strewn with corpses, where a female officer raised the battle flag, poised to charge forward. Her expression was resolute yet tinged with a hint of tenderness. In her right hand, the multicolored battle flag fluttered against the wind, and in the distance, countless soldiers could be seen surging forward alongside her, reminiscent of the scene during Lin Ziyin's counterattack in the Haihe Campaign.

In contrast to the traditional Chinese exterior, the interior of the Memorial Hall for Female Heroes is designed with a labyrinthine layout consisting of five spacious corridors arranged from the outside in, exuding a Western style. The semi-circular roof is meticulously adorned, while the granite columns between the corridors showcase the grandeur of the memorial. Atop the columns are Greek-style reliefs, interspersed with numerous colossal sculptures of female soldiers, some clad in military attire, exuding an imposing presence, others with resolute expressions, calm and unhurried, or graceful and serene, with gentle smiles that leave a lasting impression.

This robbery was a great success, and after witnessing such a splendid performance earlier, Su Xue was quite pleased. She instructed Bai Ling to return to the Su Mansion first. Meanwhile, she and Chen Yuanqing strolled through the streets, slowly savoring the joys of shopping. They continued their outing until just before noon, when they finally parted ways. Su Xue then called for a carriage to return to the Su Mansion for a meal.

The entire Female Hero Memorial is composed of five concentric circular corridors. As Su Xue finished visiting the outermost corridor and turned into the second corridor, she immediately spotted a rather familiar silhouette. Upon approaching for a closer look, she could see half of a charming face from the side, adorned with a smile reminiscent of the first snow, gazing at the large oil painting on the wall in the spacious hall. She was still dressed in a khaki military uniform, but this time she held a book in her hand. It was Liu Jingxiao, who appeared more refined and cultured than in the morning.

Although Liu and Guo had graduated for many years and had experienced the ups and downs of life, having become quite astute, they held great respect for their former teacher. Upon hearing these words, they hurriedly positioned themselves beside Yan Aoshang.

Although it is unclear why Liu Jingxiao is here, given Liu Jingxiao's striking appearance, the guards likely mistook him for a female officer and allowed him entry. Out of courtesy, Su Xue stepped forward to greet him, saying, "Commander Liu, hello"

Riding a strong horse, the handsome female officer attracted countless gazes from passersby. However, when Su Xue looked at the towering seven spires, she always felt a twinge of sadness in her heart. She did not loosen her grip; with a slight pull of the reins, she urged her warhorse to move towards the left side of the English Memorial.

However, Liu Jingxiao maintained a calm demeanor and smiled, saying: "Shanghai has an annual income of over 70 million; how could Commander Yun forsake the greater for the lesser? Discussing these political matters is rather dull. I have heard that your daughter is a stunning beauty, a true goddess of grace..."

Su Xue tied her warhorse by the pool, walked to the edge of the water, pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and quietly enjoyed the harmonious blend of the gentle breeze and the sound of bells

Yan Aoshuang settled the accounts and left in a hurry, carrying a few traces of anger. Although Yang Linyi wanted to speak up and offer kind advice, he refrained from doing so as Chen Yunjie was there with a stern expression. After a while, Chen Yunjie also went downstairs in a huff, and as soon as he left, Yang Linyi followed suit.

However, there are certainly not a few people in Huai Bei who are envious of the salt trade, and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai alliance is particularly demanding the return of Huai Bei at the earliest opportunity. If it were not for Jiangsu's military governor Li Dingyuan being part of the remnants of the E Army, he might have immediately dispatched troops to attack. Even so, Li Dingyuan still occasionally sends people with messages, requesting the immediate return of Huai Bei, and at the very least, the return of the salt trade from Huai Bei to Jiangsu.

Though she was slightly angry, there was a unique charm in her words. Chen Yunjie’s remark was originally made out of a father’s love, but unexpectedly, it greatly offended Yan Aoshuang. She was already known for being protective of her students, and Guo Liu was among the two most outstanding students she had. Even if they made a significant mistake, in Yan Aoshuang's eyes, it would still be a minor fault, especially since Liu Jingxiao had merely spoken carelessly

Uncle Er, I truly have to thank the two of them this time

Before me lies a vast square, at the center of which stands a monument over two people high, inscribed with the words "Martyrs' Shrine for Women Heroes". The calligraphy is delicate and ethereal, yet subtly imbued with a sense of grandeur, unmistakably the work of Lin Ziyin. Behind two seemingly bottomless large water pools is a building styled in traditional Buddhist temple architecture, which also prominently displays Lin Ziyin's calligraphy. Looking further up, the yellow-tiled eaves are resplendent, and wind chimes hang between the eaves; whenever a gentle breeze passes, the melodious sound of the chimes resonates in the air.

Between the cylinders, there are enormous oil paintings depicting the courage and sacrifice of countless female soldiers in their efforts to establish the Republic. During the so-called "War of Independence for the Creation of the Republic," more than 3,700 female soldiers dedicated their lives.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jingxiao felt a sudden jolt in his heart, and his expression changed slightly. The thing he feared the most was losing the salt revenue from Huai Bei. The territory governed by the Seventeenth Division was not limited to Shandong Province; the area north of the Huai River in Jiangsu also fell under Liu Jingxiao's jurisdiction. Although Huai Bei was not as wealthy as Su Nan, the quality of the Huai salt produced in Haizhou was quite good, reputed to be equivalent to several pounds of refined salt from other regions for every pound. Therefore, the annual salt revenue from Huai Bei amounted to no less than six to seven million yuan, which could be considered Liu Jingxiao's lifeline.

Su Xue replied: "That might not be good... I have an appointment with Xiao Qing in the afternoon"

It turned out that Chen Yunjie had no sons, only a daughter who was still in her boudoir, and he was famously devoted to her. Liu Jingxiao's words struck a nerve with him; although he regarded Liu Jingxiao as a person of significance, he always believed Liu Jingxiao to be frivolous and unprincipled. Compared to his daughter's character and appearance, they were worlds apart. Such a person, let alone harboring any inappropriate thoughts towards his daughter, would be greatly disrespectful even to glance at her from a distance. In an instant, his emotions surged, and he felt an urge to confront the situation on the spot.

However, the establishment of a memorial for female heroes was not Lin Ziyin's intention. Lin Ziyin has consistently expressed that female heroes should be included in the memorial for heroes, but conservative forces firmly reject the entry of any women into the memorial, regardless of whether the woman is living or deceased. Even Lin Ziyin, who was the Minister of the Army at the time, was directly denied access to the memorial on several occasions when she requested to visit. Additionally, there is a significant disparity in the treatment of the families of martyrs between genders.

Is it Commander Su? What a coincidence!

As Su Xue stepped out of the room, Bai Ling let out a long sigh, her emotions unreadable. After a while, she murmured to herself, "Sending Xiao Xue into the arms of that flower boy... Xu Jie, is your idea really feasible?"

Chen Yunjie finally said: "Liu, my dear brother, that’s fine, that’s fine! Shandong's revenue to the central government remains unchanged, but the salt from the two Huai regions brings in nearly ten million yuan each year. The military governor Li from Jiangsu is also pressing very hard; my dear brother, you must at least show some goodwill here."

The Martyrs' Shrine is located a considerable distance from the Su Mansion, requiring more than half an hour of walking to reach. However, Su Xue is not qualified to enter there

After several failures, Lin Ziyin had no choice but to take a step back and established a memorial specifically for female heroes next to the Martyrs' Shrine. Of course, in some respects, Lin Ziyin adopted a tit-for-tat approach, as the memorial for female heroes prohibited male visitors.

After Su Xue finished her lunch and was cleaning her pistol, Bai Ling suddenly said: "Xiao Xue, this time the arms robbery was successful, firstly due to Aunt Xu's brilliant strategy, and secondly because of Colonel Liu's understanding and reasonableness. Do not forget this!"