Elder Xiang

Elder Xiang (simplified: 项长老, traditional: 項長老, pinyin: Xiàng Zhǎnglǎo, jyutping: hong6 zoeng2 lou5) was a five-bag elder of the Beggars’ Guild who played a minor but significant role in the conspiracy against Qiao Feng during the guild’s internal crisis.

Biography

Elder Xiang was a respected elder of the Beggars’ Guild, holding the rank of a five-bag disciple. This rank indicated his seniority and importance within the guild’s hierarchy. As an elder, he was responsible for leading and guiding other guild members and participating in important guild decisions.

Role in the conspiracy against Qiao Feng

During the events surrounding Qiao Feng’s investigation, Elder Xiang became a victim of deception orchestrated by Quan Guanqing and his conspirators. A five-bag disciple named Liu Zhuzhuang, who was working against the guild, fabricated orders and tricked Elder Xiang into boarding a boat, effectively removing him from the scene and preventing him from participating in the guild’s critical decision-making process.

This deception was part of a larger conspiracy to isolate Qiao Feng and manipulate the guild’s leadership into believing that their leader was a Khitan spy. By removing Elder Xiang from the proceedings, the conspirators were able to present a one-sided case against Qiao Feng without opposition from loyal guild members.

Discovery of the deception

The deception was eventually discovered when Liu Zhuzhuang attempted to flee after the conspiracy was exposed. Elder Wu intercepted the fleeing disciple and confronted him about his actions. Liu Zhuzhuang’s guilt was evident from his panicked behavior and inability to provide a coherent explanation for his actions.

The revelation that Elder Xiang had been deceived highlighted the extent of the conspiracy’s manipulation and demonstrated how even respected guild members could be manipulated through false orders and deception.

Personality and traits

As a five-bag elder, Elder Xiang was a respected and experienced member of the Beggars’ Guild. His willingness to follow orders suggested he was loyal to the guild’s leadership and followed proper protocol. However, his trust in the chain of command made him vulnerable to deception by those who abused their authority within the guild.

Elder Xiang’s character demonstrated the traditional values of loyalty and obedience that were fundamental to the Beggars’ Guild’s organisational structure. His trust in the established hierarchy, while admirable in normal circumstances, became a weakness when exploited by conspirators who used the guild’s own systems against it.

Martial arts abilities

As a five-bag elder of the Beggars’ Guild, Elder Xiang possessed solid martial arts skills. The bag system in the Beggars’ Guild indicated martial arts proficiency, with higher bag counts representing greater skill levels. His rank suggested he was a competent fighter, though his specific abilities were not described in detail in the source material.

The five-bag rank placed Elder Xiang in the middle tier of the guild’s martial arts hierarchy, indicating he had achieved a respectable level of proficiency in the guild’s traditional fighting techniques. This rank would have required years of training and demonstrated skill to achieve, suggesting Elder Xiang was a dedicated and capable martial artist.

Relationships

Elder Xiang served as a senior member of the Beggars’ Guild, working alongside other elders and leaders. His relationship with the guild’s leadership was one of loyalty and obedience, which unfortunately made him susceptible to manipulation by those who abused their authority within the guild.

Liu Zhuzhuang

Elder Xiang’s relationship with Liu Zhuzhuang, the five-bag disciple who deceived him, demonstrated the complex dynamics of trust and betrayal within the guild. As a fellow five-bag disciple, Liu Zhuzhuang would have appeared to be a trusted colleague, making his betrayal all the more devastating. This relationship highlighted how internal conspiracies could exploit the bonds of trust that normally held the guild together.

Position within guild hierarchy

As a five-bag elder, Elder Xiang occupied an important middle management position within the guild’s structure. He would have reported to higher-ranking officials while supervising lower-ranking members, making him a crucial link in the guild’s chain of command. His removal from the scene through deception was strategically significant, as it disrupted the normal flow of information and decision-making within the guild.

Significance and legacy

Role in the conspiracy narrative

Elder Xiang’s role in the conspiracy against Qiao Feng, though minor, was strategically important. His removal from the scene through deception demonstrated how the conspirators used the guild’s own organisational structure and trust systems to manipulate events. This tactic revealed the sophisticated nature of the conspiracy and showed how even loyal guild members could be unwittingly used against their own organisation.

Impact on guild operations

Elder Xiang’s absence from the critical decision-making process had a significant impact on the guild’s ability to respond effectively to the crisis. As a five-bag elder, he would have been expected to provide input and potentially oppose the conspiracy against Qiao Feng. His removal through deception deprived the guild of a voice that might have helped prevent the crisis from escalating.

Lessons for the guild

Elder Xiang’s experience with deception served as a cautionary tale for the Beggars’ Guild about the importance of verifying orders and maintaining vigilance against internal manipulation. His story highlighted the need for the guild to develop better systems for authenticating communications and protecting against abuse of authority by trusted members.