Zhang Xueliang announced his retirement from politics, left Beiping for Shanghai in preparation to go abroad, and was hosted by Yuesheng, staying at No. 181 Fuxi Road. One evening, a bomb-throwing incident occurred. This reflected poorly on Yuesheng’s reputation, and more importantly, posed a serious safety threat to Xueliang.
Yuesheng had his own unique philosophy on life, which he often shared. He believed that there were three types of “difficult noodles” to swallow: The first was “face” — when a friend was in an awkward situation, no matter how big the issue, you had to step in and help. This kind of “face” was hard to swallow, but you couldn’t refuse. The second was “dignity” — even if you couldn’t dress the part or pretend to be refined, you should still act and speak honorably. This kind of “face” wasn’t easy to maintain, but you had to uphold it. The third was “appearances” — once you had a courtyard, you wanted a garden; once you had a wife, you wanted a concubine. It was a bottomless pit that could never be filled. If you insisted on keeping up with such appearances, the demands would only grow larger, and your principles would drift further away. First, you’d lose yourself, then offend your friends, and eventually, you’d meet your downfall. So this kind of “face” was best avoided. But if you had to engage with it, you had to do so carefully.
Speak what others dare not say
In addition, one must realize that everyone wants to save face. Sometimes, you should humble yourself a bit to preserve someone else’s dignity. At the very least, you shouldn’t hurt another person’s face. “Face” and “noodles” sound similar, so he used this homophone to half-jokingly develop his theory on “face” through the topic of “eating noodles.”
Yuesheng also often categorized talent into four levels: those with ability but no temper are the highest class; those with both ability and temper are the middle class; those with neither ability nor temper are the lower class; and those with no ability and a terrible temper are fools, belonging to the lowest class. However, in his eyes, “ability” did not refer to being a learned scholar who could compose poetry in seven steps. What he admired was someone who could use quick thinking and resourceful methods to carve out a new path from a difficult environment. This new path didn’t necessarily have to be bright and sunny — if someone could create a dark and terrifying situation through their influence, that was also commendable.
Similarly, in his view, “temper” did not refer to those overly cautious, rule-abiding gentlemen. What he praised were those who could endure hardship, withstand setbacks, and endure humiliation when the odds were against them. These kinds of resilient individuals weren’t limited to those taking on great responsibilities. Even if someone was of a petty thief nature, if they endured great suffering after being caught but still kept their mouths shut, they were still teachable. He himself belonged to this category, and many of his close friends who stood firm and spoke with authority were also typical examples of this type.
In the 23rd year of the Republic of China, Zhang Xueliang announced his retirement from politics, left Beiping for Shanghai in preparation to go abroad, and was hosted by Yuesheng, staying at No. 181 Fuxi Road. One evening, a bomb-throwing incident occurred. This reflected poorly on Yuesheng’s reputation, and more importantly, posed a serious safety threat to Xueliang. Meanwhile, in Rehe, the Japanese army was attacking, and the military situation was tense. Shanghai Mayor Wu Tiecheng used this as an excuse to plan a public rally, demanding that Xueliang donate 80 million yuan for military expenses. The escalating controversy would make Xueliang even more embarrassed. At that time, Liu Zhenhuan came south from Zhangjiakou, showing great concern for Xueliang’s future. Upon hearing these rumors, he visited Yuesheng to inquire about the situation.
Yuesheng told him, “This trouble is of my own making, but I’m willing to deal with it. Ever since the bomb incident, I haven’t slept for three days and nights. Now I’ve finally found out that this has nothing to do with outsiders, let alone the people of Shanghai. I’ve warned those involved: this time, I’ve made up my mind. As long as he (Zhang Xueliang) is in Shanghai, I will protect him. The day he leaves Shanghai is the day I’ll be relieved of this responsibility. But I have to personally see him board the ship before I let go. If you take any further action, you’re not just going after Zhang Xueliang — you’re making trouble with me, Du Yuesheng. For the sake of friendship, don’t blame me for turning hostile.” Upon hearing this, Liu Zhenhuan quickly stood up and shook hands warmly with Yuesheng.
Yuesheng continued, “I’ve spoken to Mayor Wu. Given the urgency in Rehe and the military’s need for funds, I said I, Du Yuesheng, could take the lead in fundraising. But how could one ask such a huge sum from someone about to go abroad? Although I’m friends with Zhang Xueliang, I never took advantage of him when he was in power. Even now, in his time of difficulty, I still believe this young marshal deserves respect. We don’t need to discuss whether he resisted or not — the fact that he commanded hundreds of thousands of troops is undeniable. Because of a single government order, he obediently stepped down. That’s probably something unprecedented since the founding of the Republic of China. If all military leaders were like him, there wouldn’t have been so many years of civil war. So whether we talk publicly or privately, he deserves special consideration. Besides, in this world, when you can forgive, you should. Why create unnecessary trouble? After hearing my words, Mayor Wu dropped the idea of the donation.”
Upon hearing this, Zhenhuan quickly stood up again and shook hands with Yuesheng. Zhenhuan had never known Yuesheng well before — this was their first meeting. After their conversation, he deeply admired Yuesheng not only for being willing to help in times of need but also for speaking what others dared not say. From then on, they became close friends.
Not Competing with Friends for Position
In the autumn of the 27th year of the Republic of China, Hu Bijiang, Xu Xinliu, and others were flying from Hong Kong to Chongqing when their plane was shot down by the Japanese near the Guangdong border and crashed into the sea. Except for one survivor, all others perished. Bijiang, who was the chairman of the Bank of Communications, left behind the issue of selecting a successor. General Manager Tang Shoumin discussed the matter with Yuesheng, hoping he would take on the role. Given the circumstances at the time, if Yuesheng had been willing, Chongqing would certainly not have opposed it. But after consideration, Yuesheng felt that while he could take on the chairmanship of any bank, he should not take that of the Bank of Communications.
Because Qian Xinshu had long-standing ties with the Bank of Communications and was also in Hong Kong at the time. Rather than having him take over, it would be more natural for Xinshu to do so. At the very least, Xinshu’s opinion should be sought first as a guideline. Only if Xinshu firmly refused would Yuesheng consider stepping in. Otherwise, it would be awkward between friends. So instead, he turned to Shoumin and Mr. Ye Zhuotang to persuade Xinshu. Xinshu neither firmly refused nor agreed. Zhuotang and Yuesheng sensed that he might not be uninterested, so they jointly sent a telegram to Minister Kong Xiangxi recommending Xinshu. Soon after, the recommendation was accepted, and the appointment was announced. (To be continued)