Loved Ones

My beloved YiYing:

I am writing this letter to bid you farewell. While writing this letter, I am still alive, but by the time you read it, I am afraid I am no longer belonging to this world. When I write this letter, my tears drops mixing with the ink, I can barely continue. I worry you would not understand my heart, thinking that I abandoned you and our unborn child needlessly.

I love you so much, because of this love; I now have the courage to face a certain death. Ever since we met, I have so often wished like all lovers would, to live and grow old together with you happily. Yet, we live in a time when the air is filled with the smell of blood, and vicious criminals flooded the streets. How many families can in fact live happily? The imperial officials hardly care about us while leading their own families to prosperity. I cannot fake my compassion and assume no action to be done.

The ancients say: “kind and compassionate” respect their elders, and a respect is extended to the elders of others; they cherish their own young ones, and thereby cherish everybody’s young ones. With my love for you, I now wish to sacrifice myself to give "everyone" a chance to love whom they love. Because of this, I dare to give up my life and go before you.

I much prefer a life of you and I will die at old age. However, judging by today’s terrible situation of our home country, we have so many ways to die with an unexpected death: by natural disasters, from robbers, at the hands of foreign powers, or from the oppression of corrupt rulers.

Death strikes anytime, anywhere. When such a time come, would we each have to watch the other's life taken away before our very eyes? We are both alive today with good health; but who can count the numbers of those in our home country who do not wish to die but still perish under starvation, torture, and oppression of corrupt rulers. There are also those who are not part of those tragic but yet are taken away from their loved ones? How can lovers as loyal as you and I bear the thought of such an end?

My tears shall meet yours, when I hear your cry from the other side of the world dividing between the living and dead. I do not believe in ghosts, but on this day I wish there is life after death.

Lin JueMin

***

27th of April 1911

A young Chinese girl named Zhuo Guoxing dressed in a traditional red wedding dress were putting makeup on preparing for her special day. A group of young men were waiting in the courtyard of a small residence named Xiaodongying number five in Yuehua Street of Canton. They were not rejoiced neither patience. Some were walking up and down the courtyard, worried and afraid.

Zhuo, who should be excited about the wedding, was crying. She was sitting in a room next to the dressing desk, looking into a small mirror.

“Don’t cry” said one of the three women who were helping Zhuo putting her makeup on. “This is your special day.”

“Sister Zonghan, you do know this isn’t a wedding, all the men out there will die today? How can I not cry?” Zhuo weeped.

“You shouldn’t call me sister,” said Xu Zonghan, who was pretending to be the bride’s mother during the revolution operation in Canton.

The two other younger women paused, their eyes were soaking.

“Don’t stop” said a deep voice. A man with a moustache named Huang Xing sitting on the end of room was staring at his pocket watch as it ticked every second. “We only got an hour left.”

They continued helping Zhuo to put her makeup on.

Huang Xing finally stood up from his chair, after a while sitting there staring at his watch. He went outside to see the young men who were preparing the equipment. The rifles and pistols were packed in boxes pretending to be wedding gifts. Bullets and grenades were packed like food in several lunchboxes.

One of the young men named Lin Shishuang of the Fujian province walked by Huang Xing and asked, “Commander Huang, do you think we are going to win today?”

Huang Xing was afraid to answer. Originally the revolution operation was planned to proceed earlier on in April, however it was postponed due to lack of money. With the delay, the operation was leaked resulted with a decrease of several columns of revolutionaries; from originally ten columns, now decreased to four. One of the four columns was led by Huang to take the Canton’s Viceroy’s Residence.

Lin Shishuang tried to asked again, but Lin Juemin, a young man from again the Fujian province snapped in, “Shishuang, don’t ask again, from the day we chose to join, we knew that the day will come for us to go.”

“Yes” Yu Peilun of the Sichuan province agreed. He was wrapping grenades around his belt. “When all my grenades run out I will still fight til death. If my death is worthy enough to gain a free country of China, I will offer it for the next generation.”

Huang Xing kept silent. He remembered the day they were still in Penang, Malaysia, in the humid climate. Sun Yatsen was with them planning the revolt. Sun and Huang had an argument.

“It is an oath that I must keep. I must go to Canton with you,” said Sun.

Huang replied angrily, “you cannot go! We can’t loss you. You’re the hope of Chinese revolution!”

“No” said Sun, a humble man. “Revolution belongs to everyone who believes it and supports it. Every person like them is the hope of Chinese revolution” said Sun looking out the window seeing the young men who will be going to Canton. There were Lin Juemin, Lin Shishuang, Yu Peilun and more. “Many of them have a possible great future; some are students, teachers, journalists and overseas Chinese. I cannot bear to see them go into battle without me joining.”

“Yatsen,” roared Huang with great concern. “You must not go. We all have voted in Tongmenhui for me to lead the operation in Canton and you to plan for it overseas.” Huang grabbed the letter that they signed agreeing with the statement of Canton’s Revolt and showed it to Sun.

“It’s an oath” said Sun. “So many overseas Chinese had donated their money for the revolution; I must not let them down. I must go to Canton personally to fulfil my oath to lead the operation.”

“Didn’t you also make an oath in Tongmenhui that you will listen to whatever decision the party makes. The party had made a decision that you shouldn’t go into the frontline and hold a gun.”

“I can hold a pen and a surgery knife with my right hand, why can’t I join to hold a gun with the same hand?”

“Don’t you understand, you were voted to plan for the operation? If you go and throw your life at such ease, then you are breaking a greater oath. You will be a terrible lose for China and the Revolution. You only got one task, and that is to lead the thoughts of Revolution, while I shall lead the young men into battle to fulfil it.”

“Commander Huang” said Fang Shengtong of Fujian province trying to wake Huang Xing, who was daydreaming. “They’re ready.”

Huang stared at his pocket watch and commanded, “load your first pistols and keep it safe with you, making sure you don’t pull it out of your pocket before you reach the Canton’s Viceroy’s Residence.” Huang paused and looked around seeing many fearing face, “Don’t be afraid, I will lead you to victory. Bring the bride.”

It was 5:30 in the afternoon, the trumpets, drums and gongs sounded. Everyone exited the residence like a normal group of people who having a wedding ceremony. People in the street congratulated them. Huang Xing who was walking in the front acting like the bride’s relative and laughed, “Thankyou, Thankyou.”’

They walked towards the main street heading towards the Canton’s Viceroy’s Residence which was 450 metres away from residence Xiaodongying number five. People stared at them as they walked along the street; some of the young men who were carrying the wedding gifts filled with guns were shaking. Many of them were sweating; their hearts were beating faster as they approach the Canton’s Viceroy’s Residence.

Soon they stopped at the entrance and the trumpets, drums and gongs stop playing. There was an odd silent. The pedestrian stared at them and there were two guards looking confused standing outside the Canton’s Viceroy’s Residence.

Two men pulled out their pistol, they were two overseas Chinese named Yu Dongxiong and Guo Jimei originated from the Guangdong province. They both shot the two guards at the same time through their hearts without a second shot. The pedestrian screamed and ran in all directions. The bride was escorted away in the crowd, and the battle began.

Huang Xing raised his loud voice and commanded, “Attack!”

The young men were shaken, they know they are outnumbered and they have only one chance to take hold of Canton by killing all the officials of Canton. All the young men took out a white cloth from their pocket and tied it on their arm. The rifles were unpacked from the boxes and they charge into the Viceroy’s Residence.

The first group of revolutionaries climbed over the wall shotting the Qing government officials who were stunned by the surprise attack. “Rebels!” shouted the officials as they ran for their lives. The garden was covered by dust and smoke caused by the explosion of grenades. Yu Peilun, the grenadier, charged in with a large bundle of grenades. He threw them in every direction, clearing the way for others.

The second group of revolutionaries rammed into the residence through the main door, and began shotting the Qing officials who were unarmed. Lin Juemin charged into the garden leading one group of men towards the left and did not stop shotting. Lin Shishuang who led another group of men went toward the right.

The revolutionaries took hold of the advantage of achieved surprise stomped into the main hall and shot down the remaining officials. The revolutionaries did not panic much at the moment they seized control of the main hall. They searched the entire residence for Zhang Mingqi, Canton’s viceroy, but could not find him.

“Where’s Zhang Mingqi” asked Huang Xing who have captured an official.

The official panicked, “I don’t know.”

The battle continued for hours. Explosion and gunfire was heard from the surrounding residence.

One group of men of the Guangdong province made a turn into another courtyard and suddenly they were all shot down with a machine gun armed by the Qing officials inside a redoubt.

“Mei” Yu Dongxiong called out, but it was too late. Guo Jimei was rapidly shot through the body. He was only 20 when he died. Yu leaned back on the wall and he tried to glimpse how many Qing officials were around the corner. When his head was only a few cm outside the wall, he was shot through the head. Blood flow out his forehead and ran down his nose. He died instantly at the age of 18.

Seeing a heavy loss, Huang Xing leaned back on the wall and shouted, “hold! Stop charging. Pass me some grenades, Yu Peilun!”

Yu pasted Huang Xing a bundle of grenades. Huang threw one of the grenades straight towards the Qing’s machine gun. Seeing that the machine gun was heavily damaged he ordered everyone to charge again.

The city of canton was storming with the gun firing of the battle between the revolutionaries and Qing officials. The revolutionaries manage to take hold of a redoubt of a Qing defensive position to try to hold on the battle until more reinforcement comes. It was night already, the city was lighten up by the fire of the surrounding residence.

“What happen to the second, third and fourth columns?” asked Huang Xing who was very impatience now after a few hours of terrifying battle.

“We haven’t heard anything from them yet,” said Lin Juemin who face was covered with dust.

“What!” Huang raged. “I doubt those cowards have come out from their residence to fight.”

“Does this mean we are the only column struggling now? How can we manage to hold on?” panicked Li Yannan of Guangdong province age 31. Before he could say another word a bullet hit his head. His mouth was wide opened.

“We must retreat!” cried Lin Juemin. “Run commander.”

“No! I will not go” shouted Huang Xing resisting from being pulled away. “I must hold on for everyone to flee.”

Huang kept throwing grenades into the advancing Qing musketeers, while other revolutionaries were hiding behind sandbags trying to reload their guns. Soon Huang Xing was left with one grenade, and he was about to throw his last one into the second wave of the Qing musketeers. Suddenly his middle finger was shot off by a bullet on the very second he let go his last grenade.

Blood was everywhere. Lin Shishuang and Lin Juemin tried to pull Huang Xing back, but he resisted. Huang Xing held in the pain and yelled out to Yu Peilun to give him more grenades. Yu Peilun resisted. He wrapped a large bomb to his hand and shouted, “Run everyone!” He tried to hold back the Qing musketeers by running into them as a suicide bomber. Yu Peilun sacrificed himself at the age of 24.

A large group of Qing’s musketeers was killed. But more was coming, soon a cannon was positioned facing the revolutionaries. Without hope the revolutionaries fired back. Lin Shishuang pulled Huang Xing back. “Flee commander!” he shouted.

The Qing commander shouted “fire” on the other side of the battlefield, and the cannon fired towards the redoubt were the revolutionaries was positioned. A massive explosion blew up half the remaining revolutionaries. Hands and foot were blown off. The sandbags were set on fire. The lucky ones that survived were deafened by the massive explosion. Lin Juemin and Lin Shishuang lied on the ground covering their ears with great pain.

Huang Xing was dragged away by two revolutionaries fleeing the battlefield; one of them was Fang Shengtong who got shot suddenly while pulling Huang Xing back. He fell to the ground and said the same thing he wrote in his letter to his father and wife. “Sorry father, sorry my beloved wife, for the sake of our 40 000 companions of China, I sacrifice myself for them.” He died at the age 25.

As Lin Shishuang tried to stand back up he saw a group of Qing musketeers already advancing towards them. A second later he was shot through the heart, age 24. The last thing he saw was his wife.

Lin Juemin was still lying on the ground covering his ears. Everything around him became blurry, image of pass memories began to flashback. He remembered the wonderful times he spent with his wife, Chen Yiying, the first time he saw her and wanted to ask her out when his heart was beating faster than usual. The first time he held her hand was the first thing he was ever brave enough to do.

He remembered their first kiss was tender and soft. He remembered the remarkable day they got married when both families came to join the celebration. Then he saw a little boy playing in the courtyard of their house. The little boy came up to him and called, “father”.

When another image was about to flash, a voice called, “get up you rebel!” shouted a Qing musketeer. The redoubt was taken; Lin Juemin was captured along with some other revolutionaries.

The noise of gunfire in Canton stopped at dawn. On the other side of the world, in United State, Sun Yatsen the leader of Tongmenhui, a secret society developed in 1905 to reform China, was heartbroken. The news of the terrible lost in Canton reached Sun through the telegraph.

86 bodies of those brave revolutionaries were secretly collected by a revolutionary journalist named Pan Dawei, 72 were identified, and one of them was Lin Juemin who was executed after capture. He was age 24. Hundreds of revolutionaries fell during the Yellow Flower Mound Revolt, but only few were recognised. The second Canton uprise breaks the hearts of hundreds of loved ones who waits at home for their husbands, boyfriends and sons to come home. It had shaken both the dying Qing Empire and the rising Republic of China.

Not many people remember this story, when those brave young revolutionaries such as Lin Juemin, Yu Peilun, Lin Shishuang and more scarificed themselves to fight for the freedom of China, for the freedom of next generation, for the first democracy nation in Asia. They fight not for themselves, but for us today to see a different China, for us today to see a chance where Chinese woman having the same rights as Chinese man, for us today to see no more cruel foot binding tradition for young Chinese girls, for us today to see no queue for any Chinese man. It was for a better morning for us.

72 young men with a possible glory future all sacrificed themselves during the historical Yellow Flower Mound Revolt; some were teachers, students, journalists and overseas Chinese who all well-educated. Many of those had wives, girlfriends and loved ones who wait at home endlessly. Some who live today and in the past may think they are foolish people who gave their lives for nothing, but all of them sacrificed their lives for the sake of the next generation, for the sake of freedom, for the sake of a new China, to end the 2000 years of Chinese monarchy, to bring a new republic nation to the history page. This is the beginning of Xinhai Revolution 1911.

I write this for the 100 years anniversary of Xinhai Revolution.
This is story is written as historically accurate as possible.
The names of the young men who involved in the revolt are all real people; the 72 martyrs of Huanghuagang Uprising.
And the letter written by Lin Juemin was the most touching letter of all letters written by the 72 martyrs.