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on the Left side. Allied to such a family nothing really serious would happen to him, should he find himself at the mercy of the Leftists one day. Hence this
marriage which was more political than romantic.
13.
Tang has never ceased regretting the fact that he
He was driven to that course by
had to fight Wu Pei-fu.
Wu.
Wu is a good man, but unfortunately he had at the time advisers near him who were either stupid or self- seeking. His chief secretary Cheung Ki-wang was for war against Tang with the object, probably, of securing the
tuchunship of Hunan for himself. Wu's deputy chief
secretary was a mere scholar Tang Tin-yu who, while in
favour of peace with Tang Seng-chi, had not the strength
of character to make his advice followed. Chan Yau-ka
was sent by Tang Sang-chi to Wu Pei-fu to beg for peace
when the opposing forces were facing each other at Yochow.
Wu Pei-fu received Chan courteously, and signified his
willingness to forgive and forget on four conditions.
They were (1) that the two forces should immediately
withdraw so many li from the fighting line at Yochow; (2) that the Russian Consul at Changsha should be expelled from Hunan; (3) that Pei Chung-hsi and Chan Ming-shu who
were then emissaries from the Kwongtung Government for
the purpose of enlisting; the support of Tang sang-chi, were to be executed; and (4) that the military officers detained by Tang on suspicion of being in sympathy with
Wu Pei-fu were to be released. Chan Yau-ka on his own
responsibility accepted conditions (1), (2) and (4), but
declined to accede to (3) on the ground that in civilised
countries the person of an official emissary from an enemy state is inviolate. Wu Pei-fu being an honourable
man did not press this point, and said that he would order
the
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