Chapter 16 5. On his first day in Shanxi, what Zhang Zhidong saw were large expanses of poppy seedlings

The next day, Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping agreed to meet in the capital half a month later. Back in the capital, Zhang Zhidong was immediately surrounded by complicated entertainments: the feast of Qingliu party members, the sincere talks of Zhang Peilun, Chen Baochen, Baoting and other closest friends, the invitation of his colleagues in Hanyuan, and the drama of Shanxi officials from Beijing. Alcohol made him confused and exhausted every day.He was extremely reluctant to deal with this kind of situation, but it was a great thing to be the governor, and these people who invited the banquet were old friends for many years, how could he refuse?

The bosses of Shanxi's several big-ticket shops in the city of Beijing jointly set up ten banquets at Nanhengshun, the most famous mutton restaurant on Qianmenwai Street, where Emperor Qianlong visited, and delivered them to Zhang's mansion three days ago. The gold-plated red invitation card was more than a foot long, and invited a group of wealthy businessmen and celebrities to accompany them.Zhang Zhidong was very embarrassed after receiving this invitation.Although those banquets in the past few days also contained obvious utilitarian purposes, after all, there was still a warm old friendship in it.The bosses of these ticket offices had no contact with him in the past. Can they be called "love" and "friendship"?If they hadn't been released to the governor of Shanxi, would they have given this strong hospitality?This is not blatant flattery, what can you say?The Qingliu celebrity who had just put on the coral red top threw this scarlet invitation on the ground in disgust.

At this time, Sang Zhiping, who came from Gubeikou, just stepped into Zhang Zhidong's house, and said with a smile, "Who's angry? Throw this good bronzing post on the ground." "Brother Zhongzi, you are here!" Seeing that Sang Zhiping arrived in the capital two days earlier, Zhang Zhidong was very happy, and hurriedly took his luggage and said, "I am a guest jointly invited by the bosses of a group of ticket companies in Shanxi. I don't want them to curry favor!" Sang Zhiping bent down to pick up the post, glanced at the list above, and said, "This is a group of Gods of Wealth and Bodhisattvas. If you go to Shanxi to be the governor, you can't do without their support."

One sentence reminded Zhang Zhidong: Yes, when I go to Shanxi, I have to deal with money and food every day. How can I be as lofty as before and ignore the world?But Zhang Zhidong really didn't want to deal with these mercenary and cunning bank bosses.He looked at Sang Zhiping and said, "I really don't want to eat this meal, what do you think should I do?" Sang Zhiping said: "It's okay not to eat, but you can't ruin their face. You will need them a lot in the future!" He thought for a while and said: "Taiyu Bank is the most powerful bank. His boss, Kong Fangang, is a good businessman and the leader of the Shanxi bank bosses. His name is ranked first. Obviously, he initiated this banquet." You must buy his face. You might as well write him a euphemistic letter, saying that you are very grateful for your kindness, because you have to address the Queen Mother and the Emperor within a few days, so you can't be distracted. Guixiang, I hope you will patronize me a lot, let's have another drink together in Taiyuan next year!"

Zhang Zhidong smiled and said, "It's better for you to do this. You didn't eat the food, and you didn't offend anyone." The next day, the big treasurer of Taiyu Bank came to Zhang's mansion in person, and presented a ten thousand tael banknote, and a letter written by Kong Fangang with the utmost humility and politeness saying "the right is Chengyi, and Wanwang accepts it with a smile". Before leaving Beijing, the bribery had already started, and Zhang Zhidong had to admire Sang Zhiping's foresight.According to his temperament, he really wanted to tear up the bank notes in person and kick out the person who came.However, what Sang Zhiping said yesterday is very reasonable. It is true that these God of Wealth Bodhisattvas should not be treated like that. It seems that Sang Zhiping has the ability to deal with things like a square inside and a circle outside.Zhang Zhidong entrusted this matter to him and asked him to handle it on his behalf.

About half an hour later, Sang Zhiping walked into the study with a smile on his face, and said to Zhang Zhidong, "The matter is settled." "How did you send them away?" Sang Zhiping said: "I told Taiyu's shopkeeper that Boss Kong's kindness was accepted, but Cheng Yi could not accept it. Because the imperial court had already sent it, and if I accepted Cheng Yi from others, I thought the imperial court's Cheng Yi had not sent too much. Disrespectful. Please return the ten thousand taels of silver to Boss Kong. Maybe there will be an unexpected shortage in the future, and then I will ask Boss Kong to ask for it. Taiyu’s big treasurer heard what I said, and he took back the silver note with satisfaction. He also said that in the future, if there is any place that can be used for Taiyu Bank, Zhang Futai can order it."

Zhang Zhidong said: "This is the best way. You are thoughtful. There will be many public welfare activities in the future, and the God of Wealth will pay for it." Sang Zhiping said: "These things are too annoying, let me give you a free card!" Sang Zhiping picked up a pen and paper and wrote a few words: Packing is important, and all entertainment and entertainment are declined.He asked Zhang Zhidong, "How about sticking it at the gate?" Zhang Zhidong said: "Okay. We have to think about many matters related to departure quietly." According to the usual rules, on the first day a new governor enters the territory of the province, a grand welcome scene will be held. A priest-level official is entrusted by the current governor to greet him, and then sits on a large sedan chair and walks slowly , Staying in official post stations along the way.Every time a county passes by, the magistrate of that county must come to the junction to greet him.Everything along the way is arranged by the officials who came to greet him. The new governor doesn't have to worry about it. He can sit in the big sedan chair with his eyes closed and rest, or enjoy the scenery along the way.In order to please the officials, some reception officials even quietly let a young and beautiful woman enter the sedan chair halfway, and chatted with the governor to relieve boredom.Almost all new governors came to the provincial capital comfortably all the way in this way, and then took over the big seal and king's banner handed over by their predecessors in the governor's office, and began to formally inspect the affairs.

Sang Zhiping suggested that Zhang Zhidong should not do this, but to come to a private visit on Weibo.this is a good idea!Zhang Zhidong had heard many stories about private visits by micro-services in his childhood.In the minds of ordinary people, officials who can conduct private visits in undercover are all good officials.Now it's my turn to be a big official, and it's just a good time to taste the taste of private visits in micro-services, especially before taking office.In the entire Shanxi Province, no one knows you right now, so I just took this opportunity to visit you more often.After taking office, it is somewhat difficult to conduct micro-service visits.

He handed over his Beijing home, Renbing and Zhun'er to his eldest son Renquan and his wife Chunlan and others to take care of them, and he will take over after everything is settled in Shanxi.Braving the cold wind and heavy snow in late winter, Zhang Zhidong left Beijing with Sang Zhiping and Dagen on the road. Both Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping wore green cotton robes and a thick sheepskin mandarin jacket. They looked like two school teachers who were about to go home for the new year.Dagen wore short clothes and tied trousers, and dressed like a servant.To prevent accidents, he tied a chain around his waist.This chain was left by his father. It was made of refined steel. It was thin and eight feet long, and it just wrapped around his waist three times.In a crisis, it is an excellent self-defense weapon. When it is waved, three or five men can't get close.Usually, it can be used as a rope.When going out for a long time, Dagen always wears it around his waist and wears it under a jacket, so no one knows about it.

The three of them hired a mule cart and headed south along Zhili Guanma Avenue.Along the way, I talked about poetry, books and anecdotes, or talked about the folk customs I saw in my eyes, talking and laughing, Xiaoxing stayed overnight, but I didn't feel tired.After walking for about half a month, the three of them arrived at Niangziguan at the junction of Zhili and Shanxi in the evening. Niangziguan belongs to Pingding County, Shanxi.The terrain in this area is high and steep, with continuous mountains, but here is a low-lying area, forming a relatively flat road for vehicles and horses to pass, like a throat, controlling the communication between Shanxi and Zhili provinces.Since ancient times, barriers have been built here, and it has become a battleground for military strategists.Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty rebelled against the Sui Dynasty in Taiyuan Mansion, and appointed his daughter Princess Pingyang to station a female soldier here.This is where the name of Niangziguan comes from.

Zhang Zhidong has heard about Niangziguan's name for a long time, but he has never been there.He said to Sang Zhiping: "Last time at Gubeikou, you said you entered Shanxi from here more than ten years ago." Sang Zhiping said: "Yes, there is only one road from the capital to Taiyuan. I also entered Shanxi from this way." "Then you have revisited the old place, and be our guide tomorrow!" Early the next morning, the three of them passed through Niangzi Pass and entered Pingding County.Sang Zhiping smiled and said to Zhang Zhidong: "From now on, we have entered your territory and become your people." Zhang Zhidong also smiled and said, "I haven't taken over Dayin and Wangqi yet, so I can't manage this piece of land yet." Dagen said: "Since you haven't received the seal for a few days, fourth uncle, you should go around more. Once you receive the seal, you will not be free." Zhang Zhidong sighed: "Dagen's words are right. Once he enters the government office, he can't help himself." Sang Zhiping said: "So I have never been an official in my life, and I have no control, but I am free and happy." The three of them came to the inner city while talking. Sang Zhiping said: "The only way to go to Niangziguan is through the inner city gate, not the outer city gate." Dagen laughed and said: "Shanxi people are selfish, they built a closed building, and only people from this province can go there." Zhang Zhidong said: "Dagen's words are wrong. Since ancient times, gates have been set up to guard against others. Of course, you can't get in from the outside, you can only get in from the inside." The lady's building is not high, and everyone quickly boarded the building.There are a few soldiers guarding the gate on the tower.Usually, the Guanlou allows visitors to walk up and down, and the soldiers don't ask. Zhang Zhidong strolled on the balcony, watching the situation inside and outside Niangzi Pass.This is indeed the natural boundary between Shanxi and Hebei provinces.The north and south of Guanlou are winding mountains that can't be seen at a glance, dividing the land of North China into two parts like a barrier.The Taohe River on the north side of Guanlou is fast-flowing and unrestrained, adding infinite scenery to Niangziguan. Zhang Zhidong said to Sang Zhiping who was standing aside and looking into the distance: "The situation here is extremely dangerous. One man guards the gate, and ten thousand men cannot open it. It is not wrong at all." "Yes." Sang Zhiping said, "So when Li Yuan rebelled and sent a group of female soldiers to guard this place, the tens of thousands of Sui soldiers outside the pass couldn't get in." "During the Warring States Period, Han, Zhao, and Wei were all powerful states. I went to Niangziguan today and looked at the mountains and rivers in Guanxi. It is indeed majestic. But why has Shanxi been barren for decades?" Zhang Zhi Dong looked at Sang Zhiping and asked. "This is the question for you, Master Futai, to answer!" Because Zhang Zhidong mentioned the Three Kingdoms of Han, Zhao, and Wei, Sang Zhiping suddenly thought of a more interesting place than Niangziguan. "Brother Xiang Tao, do you know where the Zhao family orphan was hidden?" At that time, before the separation of the three Jin Dynasties, Zhao Shuo, a doctor of Jin State, was killed by Jin Jinggong.Before his death, Zhao Shuo entrusted his posthumous son to Cheng Ying, a disciple. Cheng Ying exchanged his own son's life for the life of Zhao Wu, the orphan of the Zhao family.Later generations brought this story to the stage, which became the famous "Search the Orphan and Rescue the Orphan". Zhang Zhidong said: "I heard that Cheng Ying took Zhao Wu and lived in seclusion in a big mountain. However, I don't know which mountain in Shanxi." "It's in the nearby mountains!" Sang Zhiping said proudly. "Really?" Zhang Zhidong asked excitedly, "What is the name of this mountain?" "It was originally called Mount Yu, but because it hid the orphan of the Zhao family, it was renamed Cangshan. It is only thirty or forty miles away from here." "Is there anything to see on the mountain?" Zhang Zhidong liked the famous mountains and rivers the most, especially those connected with historical allusions. If he passed by not far away, he had to take a detour to see them. "Yes, I went to see it that year." Sang Zhiping said with great interest, "There are pavilions and temples, there are two pines with dragons and phoenixes, there is also the Shrine of Repayment for Cheng Ying, Gongsun Chujiu and others, and there is a hidden cave. , and Fu Shan's inscription." "Do you remember a few lines of Fu Qingzhu's poem?" Zhang Zhidong asked happily. Fu Shan, courtesy name Qingzhu, was a great scholar, great calligrapher and painter, and great medical scientist from Shanxi in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. He refused to accept the high officials given to him by Emperor Kangxi, and lived a poor life in his hometown. high reputation. "I can roughly recite it." Sang Zhi calmed down and started to recite, "The Tibetan mountain is hidden in the east of Jiuyuan, and the sacred road is double pine and the wind. There are several layers of palaces in the mist, and the three colors of green, yellow and red on the frost platform. Back then, it was difficult for people to say that the paintings on the walls are not empty. Loyalty is also respected in Jinjiashan, and there is a wat face building in the south peak." "Then let's go and have a look!" Zhang Zhidong's nostalgia for the past was immediately inspired by Fu Shan's poems. "Brother Zhongzi, lead the way!" The three of them walked west by north along the Peach River Valley.A gust of northwest wind blows head-on, the wind is dry, cold and strong, bringing a bleak and murderous atmosphere to the land of Sanjin.The people hid in the mud huts, and the cats and cats went through the winter. The soil and creatures on the wasteland were frozen hard, and it seemed that they were the only three of them walking in the wild in the whole world.But there is no chill in the heart of the newly appointed governor of Shanxi. He is enthusiastically conceiving a grand plan to renovate this land. Braving the biting cold wind, Zhang Zhidong said to Sang Zhiping as he walked: "Shanxi was also a rich place in ancient times, but now it has become so poor. I think one is that the officials have not managed it well, and the other is that the people are not hardworking. Look at the weather now." Although it is cold, there are still many things to do outdoors, but everyone stays at home and no one comes out. This habit must be changed in the future.” Da Gen said with a smile: "In such a cold day, the ground is as frozen as a rock. What do you want them to do?" Zhang Zhidong said: "Why don't you have anything to do? It's a matter of manpower! You can go hunting in the mountains to dig medicinal herbs, go out to run orders, and you can also herd cattle. There are so many things to do." Sang Zhiping said: "I have traveled to many places and found that each place has its own customs. Different customs have different weather. For example, people on the beach believe in luck, so there are many people who dare to take risks. The strong people in Huaibei are respected, So there are many salt owls and horse thieves there. The villagers in Shanxi are indeed relatively lazy, which may be one of the main reasons for poverty." Zhang Zhidong pointed to the banks of the Tao River and said, "The land in this area is flat and the river can irrigate it. It should be fertile land, but it is a pity that it has not been cultivated well." Dagen suddenly discovered something.He pointed to the front and said to Zhang Zhidong: "Look, fourth uncle, there are many crops growing over there. It seems that this place is really a good field!" Following Dagen's gesture, Zhang Zhidong saw that there were indeed many small sapling-like plants growing on the flat land ahead.Looking again, this kind of thing grows far and near; looking around the banks of the Tao River, there are also such small saplings.Zhang Zhidong said strangely: "What are these things? I don't think I've seen them before. Let's take a closer look." Everyone walked forward quickly. These are dark brown stalks one or two feet high and the thickness of a thumb. There were no leaves, they were all shivering in the cold wind.If it is not planted in patches, this kind of thing will not attract people's attention no matter where it grows. "What kind of crop is this?" Zhang Zhidong bent down, stared at these bare stalks carefully, and asked Sang Zhiping and Dagen beside him suspiciously.Zhang Zhidong grew up in a government family, and he studied and practiced calligraphy in his study since he was a child. He also worked as a school official and a Beijing official these years, so he is not very familiar with the crops in the countryside. Dagen stared at it for a long time, then shook his head and said, "I haven't seen it either. Shanxi is similar to Zhili, and they eat wheat, sorghum, corn, sweet potatoes, etc. I haven't heard of any other food they eat. Ah! Mr. Sang is well-informed, what do you think?" Sang Zhiping has already pulled out a thin stalk from the soil and inspected it carefully from head to root.He remembered that he also went to Tibet Mountain on this road more than ten years ago.It was summer at that time, and at a glance, the banks of the Tao River were like a world of flowers.Far and near, red, purple, white, and light yellow flowers of various colors are blooming densely, radiant and fragrant, and swarms of bees and butterflies are busy flying among the flowers. The world is full of vigor and vitality.Sang Zhiping has traveled to most of China, but he has never seen such a gorgeous beauty.He suspected that he had gone the wrong way, just like Wuling people strayed into the Peach Blossom Land, stepped into the fairyland on earth.After climbing up the Tibetan mountain, he looked at the surrounding fields and found that the vast land at the foot of the Tibetan mountain was covered with such dazzling flowers as far as the eye could see.He asked the local people with envy, and replied: "This is the poppy flower, and the opium comes from here." When Sang Zhiping heard the word "opium", the joy he was full of just now disappeared, and his mood suddenly became sad: How could this harmful drug be grown in such a large amount in broad daylight?Why didn't the government ban it?Later, Sang Zhiping saw such large expanses of bright and gorgeous world of flowers in many places in Shanxi, and he couldn't be happier anymore. He knew from the florist that poppies are biennials.Sow seeds in September of the first year, germinate in autumn, grow over winter, bloom in summer of the second year, and bear fruit in autumn.Now is the time for those poppy seedlings that sprouted in the fall to grow.From this point of view, this must be poppy.He told Zhang Zhidong of this judgment with a solemn face. Zhang Zhidong was taken aback when he heard this: "How can such a good river valley grow opium? Isn't this taking food from the people?" He looked around again with angry eyes, and his mood became heavy.He suddenly felt that the burden of "Shanxi governor" on his shoulders would be extremely heavy!The literati who climbed famous mountains and paid homage to historical sites were immediately driven away by their sense of responsibility as family members.He turned around resolutely: "We won't go to Tibet, let's ask some villagers!" On both sides of the Guanma Avenue leading back to Taiyuan Mansion, Zhang Zhidong found many continuous poppy seedlings, but did not see many overwintering wheat seedlings.He kept sighing: "If you don't grow crops and poisonous plants, what's going on!" There are more and more crowded houses in front of it, and there is a stone pillar on the left side of the road, with three big characters "Yinying Town" engraved on it. Zhang Zhidong said to Dagen: "You go ahead and find a clean small hotel in the town. Let's go there to have lunch and chat with the store owner by the way." After a while, Dagen came back and said, "There is only one small hotel in Yinying Town, which is small and not clean. What should I do?" Zhang Zhidong said: "Do as the locals do, clean or not, don't worry about it, as long as there are people to talk to." The three came to the door of the restaurant.There is no signboard or store name. The only sign is a wooden pole more than ten feet high in front of the door, and a cloth curtain with the word "wine" written on it hangs on it.A middle-aged man in a shabby sheepskin robe greeted at the door. Zhang Zhidong said to Sang Zhiping, "This corresponds to a poem written by Lu Fangweng." "The clothes are simple and ancient." Sang Zhiping replied with a smile. "Exactly, exactly." The three of them walked into the hotel, and there were four dilapidated and blackened white wooden tables, some with stools and some without stools.The middle-aged man took out a dirty rag, put it on a relatively complete table, and greeted with a smile on his face while wiping: "Guest officer, please sit here." At the same time, he pulled a long stool at the adjacent table Come here and add three stools to this table. Zhang Zhidong and his party came to this table. Dagen asked: "What delicious food do you have here?" "My shop is small, but it has everything." The middle-aged man said with a smile, "There are beef, mutton, chicken, steamed buns, cakes, and good wine: Xinghuacun, Fenhechun, Niangzijiu Have." "What kind of wine is Niangzi wine?" Dagen asked curiously. "This lady's wine was handed down from the Tang Dynasty. It is said that it was brewed by Princess Pingyang, who guarded the Niangziguan. The wine is not strong, and it is most suitable for women and people who are not good at drinking. Would you like to come and taste it?" The middle-aged man spoke in a thick nasal voice.Seeing that he was eloquent, Zhang Zhidong thought to himself: This person seems to understand in his heart, so he has to find such a person for investigation.He smiled and said, "Are you the shopkeeper?" "I opened the store." "What's your last name?" "My surname is Xue." Zhang Zhidong said with a smile: "Xue Rengui's descendant." "I don't dare to be. Although Marshal Xue is our great hero in Shanxi, my family has been poor for generations, so I may not be a descendant of Marshal Xue, so I dare not climb high." Boss Xue said with a smile that although he denied being Xue Rengui's descendants, he could see that he still liked hearing Zhang Zhidong's words. Zhang Zhidong said: "Take two catties of Niangzi wine, stir-fry four vegetables, and bake a catty and a half of cakes." Boss Xue agreed and walked into the kitchen.Before long, the wine, vegetables, and cakes were all on the table. Zhang Zhidong said: "Boss Xue, sit with us and talk, I'll buy you a drink." Boss Xue hastily declined. Sang Zhiping said: "This Mr. Zhang went to work in a ticket office in Taiyuan City. He came to Shanxi for the first time and was very interested in things here. He invited you to drink for no other purpose. He just wanted to hear some local stories from you. Customs, chat casually, don't be polite." Boss Xue heard that he was a man who worked at a ticket office, and he thought to himself: Maybe this is a person who makes a lot of money. Chatting with this kind of person and telling the villagers is also a matter of honor.He stopped being polite, and pulled a stool from the side table.Square table, just one person sitting on one side. Dagen poured wine for everyone.Zhang Zhidong tasted the food.Four dishes, each dish is sour, except for the sour taste, almost no other taste can be discerned.He thought, people in Shanxi love vinegar, it's true. Zhang Zhidong and Boss Xue chatted endlessly. As the highest official in the province, he is very interested in everything in Shanxi. "Which county does your Yinying town belong to?" "It belongs to Pingding County." "Master, have you seen him?" "You made fun of me, how could we meet the county magistrate? The county magistrate has been the county magistrate in Pingding for six years, and he has only been to our Yinying town once." Boss Xue recalled, "That afternoon, I was in the store Cleaning up the table, I suddenly heard the sound of "哐, 哐" gongs. Some people said that the magistrate is coming. I hurried out to watch the excitement. I saw a group of soldiers holding bright knives and guns walking in front, followed by eight A government servant knocking on a gong. Behind them are four big men holding signs. Behind the big men is a big sedan chair, which is tightly covered by a curtain. Others say that the magistrate of the county sits in it. Behind the sedan chair is another group of soldiers. A group of people went straight to the Han family, the richest man in the town. It is said that the Han family has been preparing for five days and five nights to pick up the county magistrate." After Zhang Zhidong heard this speech, he was secretly surprised: an official with a rank of seventh rank is really a little big in the capital, but it is terrible to be a county magistrate in a local area, so extravagant and ostentatious, let alone Shanxi Such a barren place! Zhang Zhidong asked again: "Can the common people live well?" "Alas!" Before he could answer, Boss Xue let out a long sigh, "Master Zhang, you don't know, the people here are miserable!" Boss Xue picked up the wine glass and took a sip of the Niangzi wine slowly, but did not move the chopsticks in his hand.Putting down his glass, he sighed again. "There was a severe drought in the third year of Guangxu, and there was no harvest for dozens of miles around here. For four years, God helped a little. Five or six years, two consecutive years of drought, and it has not recovered yet. I have no clothes to wear in winter, and I can't go out. There are five or six families out of ten. During the spring famine, there are two or three out of ten families who go out to beg for food. Only one or two out of ten families are barely able to survive with grains and wild vegetables. As for food and clothing Well, there is hardly one family in a hundred families. In our Yinying Town, only the Han family is rich. Someone from his family was an official and left two or three hundred acres of good land, and now someone is working in the Taiyuan Yamen. He is the only one Life is good at home." After hearing this, Sang Zhiping and Dagen felt sullen. Zhang Zhidong asked solemnly: "The people's life is hard, besides the drought, is there any other reason?" "In addition to the drought, the government's extortion is also a big reason. There are corvees and apportionments all year round, and the common people have no time to stretch their waists. For example, the meat and cakes in the small shop are not available to the nearby common people all year round. To tell you the truth, my family can't afford it, it's all prepared for the past guest officials. I rely on this small shop, and my family of five barely survives." "Boss Xue, we have seen a large area of ​​black seedling stalks in Yinying Town, what kind of crop are those?" Zhang Zhidong didn't name the poppy, he hoped to get confirmation from the shopkeeper. "Master Zhang, those are not crops, they are poppy seedlings." Boss Xue answered without thinking, thinking to himself: This master probably never goes out, and he doesn't even know poppy seedlings!Thinking of this, he felt it necessary to add a few more words, "This poppy is used to make opium paste. You are a rich man, so you must have smoked opium." "I have never smoked opium." Zhang Zhidong said coldly. When Boss Xue saw that Mr. Zhang's face suddenly darkened, he felt a little uneasy. He didn't know what he said just now. He was about to leave the dining table when he caught a glimpse of two people walking towards the hotel outside the door, so he said quietly: " The two people outside the door are regular customers in my store. The short and fat man is specialized in the opium business, and the other is the tall and thin man who is a teacher in Yangqu County. They are together today. I will invite them to sit at a table with you later. You happened to be chatting with them." While talking, the short fat man and the tall thin man entered the door.Boss Xue went forward with a smile on his face, led the two of them to Zhang Zhidong's table, and introduced them very warmly: "This is Mr. Zhang from the ticket office in Taiyuan Prefecture." The short fat man and the skinny eldest son clasped their fists together: "Long-awaited, long-awaited!" Zhang Zhidong hated opium deeply. Normally, he would never pay attention to this short and fat man in the opium business, but now he had to change his attitude in order to find out the truth.So I stood up, stretched out a hand, and put on a heroic spirit, and said with a smile: "It is also fate that we can meet here. I am the host, please do me a favor, and have a few drinks with me." .” Turning to Boss Xue, he said, "You can buy another catty of Fenhechun, and add two plates of beef and mutton." The short fat man and the thin eldest son hurriedly said: "Master Zhang is too polite, how can this be done!" Dagen sat next to Sang Zhiping and gave up his own seat.After some politeness, the opium dealer and master sat down.Boss Xue also brought up the wine and meat. The opium dealer introduced himself: "My surname is Chen. I am a businessman. As long as I can make money, I will do any business." The master also introduced himself: "My surname is Du, and I eat at the yamen of Yangqu County. May I ask which ticket office Mr. Zhang is in Taiyuan Prefecture, and I will go to Taiyuan in the future, so I can pay a visit." Master Du's words choked Zhang Zhidong.He has never been to Taiyuan, so how does he know which ticket numbers are there in Taiyuan?Sang Zhiping remembered the gold-plated invitation card, and hurriedly answered: "Master Zhang is helping out at the Taiyu bank. When Master Du arrives in Taiyuan, please do me a favor." "Oh! Taiyu Bank, that is the largest bank in Taiyuan City!" Master Du smiled with countless wrinkles on his face. "I haven't been to Taiyuan City for several years. Boss Kong of Taiyu knows me very well, we are old friends." In fact, this master Du and Kong Fangang, the owner of Taiyu Bank, have never even met face to face, they just heard of his name, and bringing this rich man as a friend is nothing more than raising his status in front of strangers. "I have always worked in the capital, and this time I was entrusted by a friend to go to the Taiyu Bank. This is the first time I even come to Shanxi." Zhang Zhidong was afraid that Master Du would ask him about Boss Kong and the Taiyu Bank, so he sent him to the bank first. The situation is clear. Hearing that Zhang Zhidong had never been to Taiyuan, Mr. Du boasted boldly: "Boss Kong is a good man who generously donates money, and I hit it off the most. Every time I go to Taiyuan, he will come to the inn to see me in person. Invite me to the best restaurant in the city. From now on, you will work under Boss Kong, and he will not treat you badly." Master Du took a full sip of Fenhechun, then took a large piece of beef and chewed it vigorously.Da Gen saw it and thought to himself: This is probably not a master, maybe it is a hungry ghost from a master's family who eats for free. Zhang Zhidong asked Chen Merchant: "I heard from the restaurant that you have been in the opium cream business in Shanxi for the past few years. May I ask you, how is the opium cultivation in Shanxi?" After opium was imported into China in the Ming Dynasty, it has experienced a tortuous process in China for two or three hundred years.Originally, opium was imported as a miraculous pain reliever.Later, a method of smoking opium mixed with tobacco came in.After smoking this mixture, it is far more enjoyable than smoking tobacco alone.It can make people excited and emotional. Once addicted, they have to smoke, but if they take it for a long time, people will gradually become dry, dark and thin, and their minds will be depressed.Later, the method of smoking opium was accidentally invented in Guangdong.This opium bubble is more potent than the mixture, it makes the smoke more pleasurable, more addictive, and more poisonous.The opium smokers were all skinny and stunned.Seeing that opium was profitable, British merchants transported large quantities of opium into China by sea. China's silver continues to flow out, and the Chinese people are weak and decadent day by day. This situation has attracted the attention of people of insight.They foresaw that in the long run, China would surely perish.Since the Jiaqing Dynasty, the imperial court has repeatedly issued edicts to ban smoking, but local governments have ignored them, and the ban on smoking has become a dead letter. It was the famous Lin Zexu who really implemented the ban on smoking and carried out the anti-smoking campaign vigorously and resolutely.As an imperial envoy, he went south to Guangzhou, took the front line of smoking ban, fought resolutely with British merchants, and burned more than two million catties of opium in Humen. The ban on smoking in Humen boosted the aspirations of the Chinese nation and destroyed the prestige of British profiteers. It was a great patriotic feat of Chinese people's self-respect, self-respect, self-reliance and self-reliance.However, this move provoked wild revenge from the United Kingdom.They forced Emperor Daoguang to succumb with their iron cannons, not only severely punished Lin Zexu, the anti-smoking hero, but also signed the humiliating Nanjing Treaty.Since then, British opium has been dumped to China in large quantities. Foreign opium cannot be banned, so some people propose to simply relax the ban, impose high taxes on imported opium, and allow Chinese people to grow opium poppy.One is to resist the massive dumping of foreign opium and prevent the outflow of silver, and the other is to impose heavy taxes on the country to increase the revenue of the treasury.At that time, the imperial court was fighting fiercely with the Taiping Army in the south of the Yangtze River, and the army's salary was extremely short. As long as it could convert money, they could do anything.This suggestion was immediately adopted.The imperial court openly collected taxes on both "foreign medicine" (opium imported from abroad) and "local medicine" (domestic self-produced opium).Thus, the opium trade became a legal business.A large number of opium poppies began to be planted in China, and opium was produced openly, especially in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Shanxi, Shaanxi and other provinces. At the end of Tongzhi, the Taiping Army and the Nian Army were wiped out one after another, the large-scale war in the interior gradually ended, and the tension in military pay eased slightly.As a result, the serious harm that opium smoking brought to society has aroused the worries of insightful people in the government and the public, and memorials calling for the ban on smoking have been submitted to the Ouchi.The court banned smoking again. No matter what matter in the world, if it is repeatedly tossed and tossed several times, it will definitely not be done well; no matter how big a person is, if he changes his order again and again, this person will definitely not have prestige. Smoking ban, such a major national event that includes intricate interests, is so banned and relaxed, how can it be done well!As the Ninth Five-Year Lord, how can he build up his prestige by contradicting his promise and not keeping his word!Therefore, poppy growers, opium ointment brewers, and smokers and sellers in various places don't pay attention to the ban on smoking at all, and treat those emperor's orders like waste paper. Chen Shangzi is one of the opponents.He told Zhang Zhidong without any scruples: "Poppies are grown all over Shanxi Province. Yu County and Pingding area are not the most numerous, and the largest planting areas are in Quwo, Yuanqu, and Yuncheng in southern Shanxi." Sang Zhiping asked: "According to your opinion, how much land in Shanxi grows opium poppies?" Chen Merchant touched the melon cap and said, "I can't say how many acres of land there are. In my opinion, half of the good fields and soil in Shanxi are planted with poppy seedlings." Zhang Zhidong was greatly surprised by this sentence, and his heavy heart became even more serious.He asked suspiciously: "How profitable is it to grow this thing?" "It's a huge profit!" As soon as the word "profit" was mentioned, the opium dealer suddenly came to his senses. "I have purchased opium paste in Shanxi in the past few years. According to the fineness, it is divided into three grades. The top grade is one or two coins a catty, the middle one is one or two, and the bottom is seven dollars. The harvest is good, and one mu of land can receive five pieces of opium paste. From ten catties to sixty catties, the worst is about thirty catties, and usually more than forty catties can be harvested, that is to say, it can be sold for more than forty taels of silver. If you grow crops instead of poppies, even if you grow wheat, And the harvest is good, and after one year, you can only get three or four taels of silver. If you grow corn, sorghum and other miscellaneous grains, you can only earn one or two taels of silver. Poppy seedlings are planted in the first autumn and harvested in the second autumn In two years, you can earn more than 20 taels of silver a year, which is six or seven times that of growing crops." "No wonder everyone grows this kind of thing and no longer grows crops." Dagen suddenly realized.He raised the jug, poured wine for the dealer, and asked, "How did this thing turn into opium paste?" "It's very simple." Chen Merchant said with a smile, "every July and August, half a month after the poppies wither, small green bags come out one by one. These are the poppy fruit. Every day after noon, we use a big iron needle to squeeze There are three or five small holes in the poppy fruit, and immediately something like goat's milk flows out of the fruit and condenses on the outside of the fruit skin. After overnight, scrape it off with a bamboo knife in the next morning, put it in a pottery pot, and then dry it in the shade.于，变成一块块的。成色好的是黄黑黄黑的，不好的是乌黑乌黑的。这主要与气候土地有关。这就是鸦片了，但是生的。” “有生的，就有熟的了。”大根好奇地问，“熟的鸦片又是怎么制出来的呢？” “有几种办法。”鸦片贩子以一种行家的口气说，“一种是煎熬。将生鸦片用木炭文火轻轻地煎，慢慢地熬。一种是发醇，像发面一样的，加一点酵母进去，让生鸦片发开，再放到风口里风干。第三种是将生鸦片放进陶罐子里，加进上好的山泉水，用火来煮。煮干后，再加水接着煮，一连煮干三次，就行了。这三种办法，手法不同，目的一个，都是用来去掉生鸦片中的杂质和那一股不大好闻的生气。熟鸦片是棕色的，顶好的熟鸦片有一种亮光光的感觉。熟鸦片烧成烟泡，吸起来，又醇又香，效力又大。” 大根从来没有尝过鸦片烟的味道，听鸦片贩子这么说，禁不住问：“鸦片烟吸起来是个什么味道？” “我来说给你听。”杜师爷在一旁，如同闻到鸦片烟香，早就喉咙痒痒的了，眼下没有鸦片吸，说一说也可以解解渴，过过瘾。“小兄弟，你听我说。先点起小小的亮亮的烟灯，罩上透明的没顶的灯罩，再将一小块熟鸦片往瓷盆上一放，把一根长长的细细的烟匙往瓷盆上一搁，然后再懒懒地松松地往烟床上一躺，斜斜地弯弯地用烟匙挑起一粒黄豆大的鸦片膏，慢慢地耐烦地在灯罩边烤。等鸦片膏渐渐地膨胀扩大，成了一个小泡的时候，再抱过一杆两尺多长的烟筒来，将烟泡往烟锅里一放，再对着没顶的灯罩上点燃，这就可以抽吸了。” 杜师爷的唾沫满嘴涌出，他喝了一口酒，狠狠地将这些馋水压进肚里，继续侃道：“吸一口，满嘴喷香，浑身来劲。吸两口，通体舒服，神清气爽。吸三口，胸怀畅适，心境豁然。吸四口，眼前一片光明灿烂，景星庆云。吸五口，灵魂出窍，升入天堂。那时天地间光彩辉煌，心臆间祥云奔涌，一切烦恼都飞到爪哇国外，顷刻间便有飘飘然羽化登仙之感。世上一切乐趣，此时都不算乐趣了，惟有这吸食鸦片之乐，才是人间至乐。” 杜师爷嘴停了，但眼并没有睁开。他这一番对人世间至乐的描绘，已让他自己先出神入化，不能自拔了。 大根也听得有点入迷了。他想：此刻若有可能的话，他一定会照着杜师爷所讲的程序一步步去做，连续吸它五大口，亲身领略飘飘然羽化登仙的乐趣。 张之洞鄙夷地望着黑瘦干枯的阳曲县师爷，心里骂道：你们这批上瘾入魔的鸦片鬼，看本抚台如何来收拾你们！ 他强压心中的恼怒，问：“杜师爷，鸦片烟如此之好，那你一定是常常吸了。阳曲县衙门里别的人吸吗？听说鸦片烟是夜晚吸，影响白天的公事吗？” 杜师爷嘿嘿笑道：“不瞒张老爷说，鄙人只要手头有点钱，便会送给那个烟灯去烧掉。阳曲县从县令到衙役，无人不吸。咱们的徐太爷，更是天天都要过过这个瘾。他老人家舒服，吸烟的银子自有人送上门来，不像我们这些人还要为此发愁。徐太爷每天上半夜喝酒打牌，下半夜吸烟听曲，天亮时才上床睡觉，日上三竿还在梦中。午饭时才醒过来，每天也只有午后两个时辰才办点公事。也不知哪辈子积的德，不到四十岁的人便享福如此。我杜某人这一生，哪怕能过上一年这样的日子，死了也心甘。” 阳曲县师爷这几句发自肺腑的赞叹，令张之洞的心冷到冰点。全省一半的好田土不种庄稼而种毒卉，已令他心痛气闷，但那是愚民为了谋生而走的邪道，虽令人伤心，却尚情有可原，而堂堂的阳曲县官府，竟是让这样一批贪吸鸦片、贻误公事、挥霍民脂、纵情享受的昏官混吏把持着，这怎么不令人心摧胆裂、悲愤填膺！阳曲乃太原府首县，在全省百余个州县中处于领袖地位。阳曲如此，偏远之县必更甚之。这样一个破烂不堪的山西省，张之洞呀，看你这个巡抚如何当下去？你筹谋的宏图大愿能实现吗？ 张之洞这样思来想去，眼前的酒肉再也无心吃了。杜师爷、陈贩子还在兴致十足地与大根、桑治平高声谈笑着，他却一句也没听进去。 “我倒要去会一会这位徐太爷！”张之洞在心里寻思着。