Chapter 61 2. Dr. You Fang poured a ladle of cold water on Zhang Zhitai: Tangerines in Huainan will become trifoliate oranges

When the Yuexiu ship was slowly approaching the Simenkou Wharf, the governor of Hubei, Kui Bin, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately went to the riverside with officials from the three towns of Wuhan to warmly receive them, and then held a grand welcome reception in the Governor's Yamen and handover ceremony.All the officials from the ninth rank and above all participated in these activities with great enthusiasm and enthusiasm, and did not care about the tediousness, time-consuming and nerve-wracking at all. There were a few low-level officials who did not receive the invitation due to accidents, because they did not attend this grand event. Worried, suspicious and restless, he lost the qualification for some reason, and was very careful about whether the little black gauze hat on his head could be worn, and he didn't calm down until he saw nothing in a month or two.Even Huang Pengnian, who was seriously ill in his late twenties, struggled with his illness. After the two-day ceremony was over, he lay down on the bed again.

Walking into the luxurious and grand signing room arranged by Kui Bin, the first thing Zhang Zhidong did was to hang the "Great Wall Map of Gubeikou" high on the north front wall.This majestic painting traveled from Taiyuan to Guangzhou, and now came to Wuchang Yamen with the master.Zhang Zhidong watched intently, feeling that he resembled both the winding Great Wall and the towering Guanlou, and he was very proud.He glanced at the large desk in the middle of the room.A foot-high pile of documents and books has been stacked on the desk.He casually picked up the one on top, which was an urgent four-hundred-mile dispatch from the military plane.Looking at the receipt list, it was already ten days ago that I arrived at the Wuchang Supervision Office.What's the emergency, let the military plane send such a courier?Zhang Zhidong opened it while thinking, and a few lines of words jumped into his eyes:

Recently, when the governor took office, he often brought his relatives along with him in the barracks, which was too expensive and inconsistent with the system.It is rumored that when Zhang Zhidong went to the post this time, he brought with him 200 soldiers, which was a shockingly large number.Zhang Zhidong sent all the soldiers back to Guangdong except for ten or twenty of them as appropriate. There must be no mistakes. Zhang Zhidong never expected that the first edict he received as governor of Huguang would make him so angry.He was so angry that he pushed the letter from the General Aircraft Office, left the desk, and walked back and forth quickly on the long-haired red carpet from the Western Regions.

After walking a bag of cigarettes in a hurry, he calmed down a little, and asked the yamen servant outside the door to invite Sang Zhiping. After a while, Sang Zhiping walked into the signing room, saw Zhang Zhidong's face was dark gray, and knew that he was unhappy: "What happened to make you feel uncomfortable?" Zhang Zhidong pointed to the letter on the table and said, "You can see it after reading it." Sang Zhiping picked up the letter from the Military Aircraft Department, quickly browsed through it, and said softly: "I have harmed you." It turned out that it was Sang Zhiping who proposed to select a group of officers from the Guangwu Army and bring them to Hubei.In order to show the prestige of the army and to protect the safety along the way, the governor often brought a large number of soldiers with him when he moved.In recent decades, it has become the norm.After receiving the Lake Governor’s order, Sang Zhiping said to Zhang Zhidong: “The Guangwu Army has been established for three or four years, and it has hired German instructors. The German Army is the strongest army today. Under the training, it looks very good. If you select a group of outstanding officers from the middle and lower ranks of the Guangwu Army, organize them into a personal army, bring them to Hubei, and then use these people as the backbone to recruit a new Hubei army. Army, the Hubei new army can be trained quickly." Zhang Zhidong agreed with Sang Zhiping's suggestion, and then appointed Sang Zhiping, Dagen, and Zhang Biao, who had been promoted to the commander of the pro-barracks, to secretly select and dispatch personnel to the Guangwu Army.So Sang Zhiping and Dagen selected 150 middle- and lower-level officers from the 3,000 Guangwu Army, and Zhang Biao selected 50 of his buddies from the personal camp, making a total of 200 people to form a new personal camp. , took another ship and escorted all the way to Wuchang.It was a good idea, but it was suddenly disrupted. Who brought this matter to the court?

well!Zhang Zhidong sighed in his heart and thought, Brother Ziqing had only been on leave for a few days due to illness, and the Military Aircraft Department issued such an order! He walked up to Sang Zhiping and said: "If you hurt me, where do you start! I still think your idea is very good. I am angry because someone is secretly messing with me." "As long as you don't regret it." Sang Zhiping frowned and said, "Troublemaking is inevitable. You have been in Guangdong these years, how can you not offend others? Fortunately, the Shangyu did not punish you, but ordered the accompanying The soldiers were sent back to Guangdong. Let me ask you now, are you going to send these soldiers back or not?"

Zhang Zhidong asked, "What about sending them back, and what if they don't?" "If you want to repatriate, it's very simple. Follow the order, send these people back to Guangdong, and still go to the Guangwu military camp. I have nothing to say. If you don't want to be repatriated, we will discuss it next step. " Zhang Zhidong gritted his teeth and tensed his face. After thinking for a long time, two words came out of his mouth: "No!" "Yes, it should not be sent!" Sang Qiaping showed a look of relief on his face. "What do you see next?"

"We have to find a way to deal with the imperial court." General Sang Zhiping looked at the urgent letter from the aircraft department, and an idea came to his mind. "Is it okay to see this?" "How to deal with it?" "Just tell the court that these soldiers are originally Huaiyong. They are not used to the water and soil of Guangdong, and would rather go back to their hometown of Anhui to work in agriculture than to return to the military camp. Now they will be dismissed on the spot according to the order, and they will be given travel expenses. Go back to your hometown to work in agriculture. The reason why the imperial court did this was not because there were 200 fewer soldiers in Guangdong, but because they were afraid that you would place soldiers who had followed you for a long time in Hubei. As long as these people left Hubei, the imperial court would not bother."

"Few of the Huaiyong who came to Guangdong can adapt to the hot and humid climate there, and they all want to go home. This statement is acceptable. Please tell Uncle Qiao and ask him to draw up an account based on this idea." The edict sent by the Military Aircraft Department reminded Zhang Zhidong that besides the railway, mining, and iron works, the formation of the new army in Hubei should not be delayed for too long.If the time is not ripe, an army school can be established first to train a group of new officers as soon as possible. Zhang Zhidong put aside the unhappiness at the beginning of his tenure, and devoted himself to his career with greater enthusiasm than he had in Shanxi, Guangdong and Guangxi.But he didn't expect that the top priority of the court's transfer from Guangdong to Hunan would be aborted before he was caught off guard.

It turned out that Li Hongzhang had always been very dissatisfied with the imperial court's rejection of the Jintong railway plan and his approval of the Luhan railway plan.In his opinion, the Lu-Han railway project is a typical great success. Not only is the route too long, it costs too much money, but also the road conditions are complicated. There are many mountains and rivers in Henan and Hubei, and there is a natural moat of the Yellow River to be built. Such a large railway Easier said than done!What's more, at present, the railway is not for the benefit of the people first, but for the benefit of the war.The enemies of the Qing Dynasty are foreigners, and foreigners all have the desire to plunder me, and plundering can be divided into plundering property and plundering territory, and plundering territory is the most hated enemy. One with such ambitions is Japan, and the other is Russia. Therefore, the preferred location of the railway is in the northeast of North China, not in the heartland provinces.It is a pity that the court was bewitched by Zhang Zhidong, who loves to show off and is good at debating!For the construction of Jintong Railway, Li Hongzhang has borrowed 2 million taels from foreign banks, and 130,000 taels have been used in the preliminary preparations. Now that the railway is not built, the 130,000 taels of silver will be wasted in vain. Li Hongzhang told Zhang Zhidong was very annoyed.

At this moment, an opportunity gave Li Hongzhang an excuse for revenge.Just when Zhang Zhidong arrived in Hubei, Russia sent an army to North Korea.The serious threat posed by the Russian army to the Northeast aroused the uneasiness of the Manchu ministers.Li Hongzhang seized this opportunity, and together with Prime Minister Yi Kuang, Minister of State Affairs, made a petition, requesting that the construction of the Lu-Han Railway be postponed and that all efforts be made to build the Kanto Railway first.The imperial court immediately accepted this suggestion and decreed to suspend the operation of the Luhan Railway, and hand over the construction of the Kanto Railway to Li Hongzhang.

After Zhang Zhidong received this decree, although he was deeply dissatisfied with the court's reckless handling of state affairs, there was nothing he could do.It happened that some of the machines originally ordered in Guangdong had already been shipped from the United States to Wuhan, and the handling of the iron works was imminent, so Zhang Zhidong abandoned all trivial matters and devoted all his heart and soul to this important matter. Soon, a signboard of "Hubei Railway Political Bureau" inscribed by Zhang Zhidong was hung on the tall pillars outside the Daping of the Governor's Yamen. This incident attracted the attention of the citizens of the three towns in Wuhan.This place has been a governor's office for more than two hundred years, and the owners of the office have changed dozens of times. No governor has ever hung the signboard of another office on the gate.Which yamen in the Lianghu area is eligible for this honor? The young people found it very novel, pointing at the signboard of the Bureau of Mines, discussing its title and authority.Many people think that this "bureau" full of foreign flavor must be of a high grade, and it can be hung on the gate of the governor's office, probably not lower than the governor's office.Some people say that it would be nice to get a job here.Immediately, someone nearby sneered: You come here to seek employment, do you understand foreign language?Do you understand foreign culture?The man stopped talking, and a bit of frustration appeared on his face. Older people passing by here are all taken aback by this strange phenomenon.Among them, those who were literate and had some contact with the officialdom shook their heads and sighed: How decent is this!How can a signboard of a temporary "bureau" be hung on the gate of Yipin Yamen? Isn't this detrimental to the dignity of the court?What's more, this bureau is not the usual "relief bureau" or "aftermath bureau", but an "iron political bureau". Neither "Shuowen Jiezi" nor "Kangxi Dictionary" contains the word "Tiezheng". What does Tiezheng do?Some even scolded fiercely: "This Zhang Zhidong worships foreigners, is unconventional, and has no trace of cleanliness!"What kind of nondescript iron political situation is actually hanging on the gate of the General Administration, it must be taken down and smashed! Scolding is cursing, hate is hating, but in the end, no one dares to pretend to be a Taiwan tiger, take off the signboard of the Iron Political Bureau and smash it.The signboard of the Hubei Railway Political Bureau is hung on the tall gate every day in a dignified manner.In several large houses on the west side of the second entrance of the yamen, led by supervisor Cai Xiyong and co-organizer Chen Nianfeng, including a dozen or so bureau members who were recruited from Guangdong that year and were full of western knowledge, they were busy every day. In the late spring and early summer of the 16th year of Guangxu, Zhang Zhidong, accompanied by Cai Xiyong and Chen Niantuo, spent a whole month visiting Daye, Guangji, Jingmen, Dangyang and other places to inspect these iron mining and coal mining.Hubei's rich coal reserves further strengthened Zhang Zhidong's confidence in preparing for the ironworks. The machine had already been shipped to Wuchang, but the site of the iron factory had not been decided yet.Opinion from the Bureau of Mines: The two main raw materials of the iron factory are iron ore and coal, so there is no doubt that the address should be determined according to these two major raw materials, either iron ore or coal.Chen Nianfeng believed that the ironworks could be located near the Guanyin Temple in Jingmen and Dangyang. The coal here is excellent, and good coke can be smelted for the ironworks.Ironworks consume a large amount of coke, and in order to save transportation costs, it is advisable for ironworks to be close to coal-producing areas.Other bureau members advocated that the ironworks should be located near Daye.The reason is that Daye produces iron ore and is close to the Yangtze River, so the iron produced in the future can be easily transported out.Both opinions are reasonable. Cai Xiyong believes that this is a very big matter, and the final decision should be made by the governor himself. "Yiruo, tell me your opinion?" After Cai Xiyong reported the site selection situation to Zhang Zhidong, Zhang Zhidong wanted to hear the supervisor's opinion first. "I am more inclined to build a factory in Daye. Daye iron ore has a high iron content and a long history of iron smelting. We have tested the iron produced by the previous generation in Daye, and the quality is good. In the past, it was smelted by local methods, and it can still be produced. Good iron is smelted, and now we use new foreign methods to smelt it, and it will definitely be better. As for the coal in Jingzhou and Dangyang, it is very good in terms of coal quality, which is good, but it has not been smelted, and the quality of the coke is unknown how." "You are saying that it is certain that the iron ore in Daye can produce good iron, but it is not sure whether the coal in Jing and Dang can produce good coke." "That's right." Cai Xiyong continued, "Besides, the transportation between Jing and Dang is too inconvenient. It is difficult to transport the iron ore in, and it will be difficult to transport the smelted iron in the future. If the factory is located in Daye, the only way to transport it is coal." It was difficult to get in once. Besides, there is a lot of coal in the Guangji area. If good coke can be smelted from the coal in Guangji, the coal problem may be solved, so I think it is better to build the iron factory in Daye." After Zhang Zhidong heard Cai Xiyong's words, he stroked his bearded face and said for a long time: "In my opinion, it is better to build the ironworks in the three towns of Wuhan." "Wuhan?" Cai Xiyong's opinion of the governor Could not agree. "Wuhan has neither iron mine nor coal, is it appropriate?" "Wuhan has no coal or iron, but it has one of the biggest advantages, which is convenient transportation." Zhang Zhidong had actually been thinking about this for a long time. Cai Xiyong's opinion made him reflect on his own thinking, but he still Stick to your opinions. "There is no need to talk about the benefits of boats and boats in Jianghan, there is also the benefit of railways. Don't look at the Luhan Railway that has been replaced by Li Shaoquan's Kanto Railway, but it will always be built in a few years. This railway must be built, Li Shaoquan Scaring the court with Russia, the court had to change its mind; after the Kanto Railway was built, the court would definitely build the Luhan again. After the Luhan was built, we would build the Yuehan. After the construction of the Han and Guangdong-Han railways, the railways in Wuhan can be transported in all directions.” Cai Xiyong felt that the governor's words made sense.However, when will Lu Han and Yue Han be built?According to the practice of foreigners running factories, an iron factory should be profitable three years after it is put into operation. Can you still hold on?After he expressed his concern, Zhang Zhidong laughed and said, "You are too worried. I supervised the iron factory. It is not the first priority to make profits or not. The first priority is to use the iron ore and coal of our Qing Dynasty. , to refine our own high-quality iron in the Qing Dynasty. This high-quality iron is better than Yangtie, at least not inferior to Yangtie. This is for our Qing Dynasty. After the iron is produced from our iron factory, China will not import Yangtie. Everyone uses the iron from our Hubei Iron Works. Have you calculated this account? How can the face won by the Qing Dynasty and Hubei be calculated by money?" Seeing the governor's radiant pride, Cai Xiyong couldn't help being infected, thinking: It's true, China has been bullied by foreigners for too long, it is not only the imperial court but also the people of the whole country who want to grow their own prestige and destroy the aspirations of foreigners. common desire.He did not hesitate to set up an iron factory, even if he lost money, he won in terms of ambition.In the end, it is the governor, you have to look higher than yourself!Then he nodded and said, "My lord is right!" "Also, as the governor of Huguang, how can I let an iron factory stop production because it can't make a profit? Find someone who can fully guarantee its expenses. If the treasury has no money, it must also guarantee the iron factory's money. Profit is not profit, no It's something your Bureau of Mines considers." Cai Xiyong was right when he thought about it: the Bureau of Mines is full of technical personnel, and they should be responsible for the specific production processes such as mining and ironmaking. "Another point is that the establishment of an iron factory is another important matter for me. We must always pay attention to it and manage it to the end. It will be managed during the construction period and after it is put into operation. I will go to see it every now and then. If the iron factory is located in Daye, How can I go to see it often? If I don’t go to see it often, how can I talk about management? It is built in Wuhan, and I can see whether there is smoke in the iron factory in the supervisory office. From now on, every bit of the factory can escape my eyes?" Cai Xiyong was finally moved by the governor's high sense of responsibility, nodded and said, "Okay, according to your opinion, the iron factory will be built in Wuhan. It's just that the three towns of Wuhan are so big, where exactly is the factory located?" Zhang Zhidong said: "When I have some free time in a few days, let's take a look around the three towns and choose a suitable location; or you can go and have a look in the past few days, propose a few places, and then I’ll look at it with purpose.” "Okay." Cai Xiyong paused for a moment, then raised another matter. "We haven't bought the most important equipment in the iron factory. Now that everything is ready, we should start ordering this equipment." "What device?" "Iron smelting furnace." Cai Xiyong said, "The most important equipment in the iron factory is the iron smelting furnace." "Hurry up and order!" Zhang Zhidong immediately made a decision. "Which country do you want to order from, the United States, Germany or the United Kingdom?" "The UK is good. The machine I ordered last time was also from the UK. The iron-smelting furnace was also ordered in the UK. The British are serious about their work, so you can rest assured." "Okay! I'll leave this to you, and you can do it. Order two first, the bigger the better. There are other machines that need to be considered. If you need anything, make a book quickly, and I will write a letter." I sent a letter to Liu Ruifen, the ambassador to the UK, and asked him to order for us in the UK. My goal is to build the world's largest iron factory in China, surpassing foreigners, at least surpassing Japan, and being the number one in Asia." Cai Xiyong was very excited by the governor's majestic spirit and decisive determination.This forty-three-year-old Lin Zexu fellow from his hometown has spared no effort in promoting Western learning and skills since he left Guangzhou Tongwen Hall 20 years ago.He wholeheartedly hopes that China, which is backward and poor, can become prosperous and strong by learning from the West.But he didn't have any merit in the imperial examinations. Although he had a sincere patriotism and a full stomach of real talents, the door to officialdom was always closed to him, and he couldn't be an official.In the Qing Dynasty, without an official, there is no power, and without power, one cannot do things.For many years, he has been just wandering in the positions of translation and teaching, with a passion for blood, but no place to spill it.Looking at those high officials who hold the real power one by one, drinking and drinking, not caring about the national affairs and people's livelihood, seeing the country's situation weakening year by year, and the people struggling with hunger and cold, Cai Xiyong can only sigh with resentment! After arriving in Guangdong, Cai Xiyong saw with his own eyes that Zhang Zhidong was a different official. He was sincere in doing foreign affairs and doing things in a down-to-earth manner.Cai Xiyong felt that the knowledge he had accumulated over the years could be put to use, and his ambition to serve the country could be put to good use. He worked desperately in the Western Affairs Department of Guangdong Governor with great enthusiasm.Now, seeing that the governor actually has the idea of ​​making the Hubei Iron Works No. 1 in the world, how can Cai Xiyong not be very excited about it!In order to save time for Zhang Zhidong and to contribute more to the preparation of the ironworks, Cai Xiyong led a group of members of the Bureau of Mines to survey the factory site in the three towns of Wuhan.A month later, he asked Zhang Zhidong to look at the places they had initially decided on before making a final decision. Mid-June is the hottest time of the year.The three towns of Wuhan are located at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Han River. During the day, the sun like a fireball burns the two rivers so hot that they are like boiling water about to boil.At night, residual heat continues to radiate from the river surface, squeezing streams of hot air into thousands of households.Coupled with the large population and bustling carriages and horses, Wuchang and Hanyang are already cities with more than 100,000 households, and Hankou Town has been known as one of the four major towns in the world since the Song Dynasty, along with Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, Foshan Town in Guangdong, and Zhuxian Town in Henan.In the Qing Dynasty, the population increased dramatically. Hankou Town gathered merchants from all over the world, and was surrounded by homeless people. The number of residents was so large that it was rarely seen in cities and towns across the country.The three towns of Wuhan have more than one geothermal people, so they become the most large and small stoves along the Yangtze River. As soon as summer comes, the temperature increases day by day. Not only do people hold fans, but many also need to add a towel to wipe off the stinky sweat on their bodies at any time.Everywhere is hot.The stones on the side of the road are hot to the feet, but even the tables, chairs and benches at home are too hot to touch.Other places are hot during the day and cooler at night, but in Wuhan, the heat at night is no less than during the day.Every day at three or four o'clock in the morning, accompanied by a little cool breeze at dawn, I can barely sleep for an hour or two.Because of heat, the heart is troubled; because of trouble, people's temper becomes violent.Quarreling and fighting can be seen everywhere, punching and kicking at every turn, drawing knives at each other, so outsiders are afraid to provoke them.There are two folk proverbs that vividly express the customs and customs of this place: "A bird with nine heads in the sky, and a man from Hubei on the ground." However, the strange thing is that Hubei people, especially Wuhan people, don't think this is scolding them. Bird felt a sense of daunting inexplicable pride in being himself. In such a hot and scorching heat, the 54-year-old governor of Huguang, wearing a straw hat and silk clothes and hemp shoes, accompanied by Cai Xiyong, Chen Niandou, Yang Rui, Dagen and others, personally inspected the mines identified by the Mining Bureau. Several factory sites.In the past few days, he has seen Wushengmen Tangjiao outside the city, Tangsheng Lake in the southeast of Wuchang City, and the Black Dragon Temple, Qingshi Bridge, Zaolin and other places outside Hankou City.Zhang Zhidong was not very satisfied with these places.Seeing her husband's exhausted expression when he came back every day, and changing out of his clothes that were wet and dry, dry and wet, Peiyu always advised him distressedly: "At this age, You can’t cook in the fire every day like young people, you can either wait until the autumn cools to see it, or simply hand it over to Supervisor Cai and they will make a decision.” Zhang Zhidong always said that choosing the site of the factory was the first big thing, and he didn't feel at ease if he didn't go to see it in person.Knowing his stubborn temper, Peiyu stopped talking.After Zhang Zhidong took a bath and had a meal, he asked him to lie down on the bamboo bed and asked Chunlan to fan him.I play a few soft ancient tunes myself, let him have a good rest. Early this morning, he said to Cai Xiyong: "The places you have seen in Wuchang and Hankou are not very good. Today we will go to Hanyang to have a look." As a result, the officials of the supervisory office, all dressed casually, quietly crossed the Yangtze River.When we arrived at Hanyang City, it was already past three o'clock in the afternoon, and everyone entered the city through Linjiang Gate.In the eighth year of Xianfeng, when Zhang Zhidong came to Wuchang to visit Hu Linyi, he once visited Hanyang.Thirty-one years have passed, and the ancient city of Hanyang in my eyes is still the same as before, with short shops and narrow stone streets. Except for more people coming and going, the city appearance has not changed much.While Zhang Zhidong was sighing, he suddenly felt a cool wind blowing from the northwest, making him feel comfortable all over his body.When I looked up, I realized that the sun had already been covered by black clouds, and the sky was much darker than before.Dagen said: "The sun here in Wuhan is more poisonous than anywhere else. Unexpectedly, there will be times when it will be engulfed by dark clouds. Don't let it come out again!" Yang Rui said, "It would be nice if it rained." Before the words were finished, a gust of wind blew in, and immediately there were bean-sized raindrops hitting everyone's faces.Dagen clapped his hands excitedly: "Okay, okay, it's raining, God, let it last longer, so that we can sleep peacefully tonight." Cai Xiyong said: "It is better to find a place to hide from the rain." Everyone looked around, and Chen Nianfeng found a good place, pointed to the left side and said loudly: "There is a big courtyard over there, let's all go there." Everyone surrounded Zhang Zhidong and walked quickly to the left.When he got closer, Zhang Zhidong said happily: "So this is Guiyuan Temple. I was thinking a while ago, this time I have to go to Guiyuan Temple to have a good look." Except for Zhang Zhidong, the others were visiting Hanyang for the first time, so they said enthusiastically, "It's raining, so we can't do a survey anyway. Let's take a good look at this famous Jiangxia temple today." Guiyuan Temple is indeed a famous temple.It was built in the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. Compared with those ancient temples in the Han and Tang Dynasties, its history is not long, but its reputation is great.This is the large scale of Guiyuan Temple, with many halls and pavilions, including Daxiong Hall, Weituo Hall, Tianwang Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Tibetan Scripture Pavilion, Dashi Pavilion and other dozens of buildings, all of which are yellow and green glazed tiles. , with vermilion columns and window lattices, it looks extraordinarily solemn and majestic.Second, Guiyuan Temple carefully designed many exquisite and subtle small courtyards and small scenes in the grand layout.Such as Cuiwei Peak, Cuiwei Well, Meihuatan, Fengzhu Pavilion and so on.The trails and winding corridors in these places are quiet and elegant, and are excellent places for cultivation, reading, healing illnesses, and trysts.Guiyuan Temple integrates the Buddhist art of Tianzhu Kingdom and the garden scenery of Jiangnan in China, forming a unique architectural system.It is unique among thousands of Chinese monasteries, and thus famous across the country.In addition, Guiyuan Temple is located in Hanyang City, and Hankou and Wuchang are within easy reach, making it a large number of pilgrims.Especially those merchants, because the risks in the business world are unpredictable, the wind of praying to gods and Buddhas is very strong.If a bodhisattva blesses you and makes you rich, you will not hesitate to spend a lot of money on fulfilling your vows.Needless to say, burning incense and presenting gifts, some even repaired temples and reshaped golden bodies.Therefore, this Guiyuan Temple is full of believers throughout the year, the incense is prosperous, and the Buddha statues in the halls and pavilions are resplendent.As a result, the monastery has a lot of income, and the monks are also very rich. The monks, big and small, all have brilliant robes and fat bodies, which make the poor monks and nuns in ordinary nunneries envy. As soon as he entered the door, a monk who knew the guest came forward.The Zhike monk welcomed a lot of visitors from all over the world, and seeing that although this group of people did not have a large cart or fat horse to follow, they had fair skin and gentle manners, they knew that they were not ordinary people.The Zhike monk hurriedly called a few young monks, brought washbasin cloth towels, washed Zhang Zhidong's face and hands, and said courteously: "There are clean monk clothes in the temple. If the clothes get wet, you can change them." Chen Nianfeng felt that it would be very interesting to wear monk robes, so he said: "It is best to have clean clothes. Our clothes are all wet and we are about to change. Please bring us five pieces!" Zhang Zhidong thought to himself, what does a governor look like in a monk's robe, and was about to stop him, but found that his clothes were wet and sticking to his back, which was very uncomfortable. It would be even worse if he got sick, so he had to let them go get it.After a while, the little monk brought five monk robes, and everyone changed into them.Chen Nianfeng asked the Zhike monk, "Is there a mirror?" The Zhike monk shook his head and said, "These things are never used in the monastery." "Don't look in the mirror, I'll show you." Yang Rui came over, looked up and down and said, "Not bad, it's quite neat. If you wear a monk hat, you'll look more like a suave and beautiful monk." Chen Nianfeng smiled and said to Dagen: "You are even better. If you shave off your braids and leave your side whiskers, you will be a full-fledged flower monk, Lu Zhishen." Everyone laughed. The Zhike monk brought everyone into the reception room, and immediately a young novice brought fragrant tea.The outside has already been covered with thick clouds, heavy rain is pouring, and the cool wind blows in from the window, making everyone feel comfortable. The Zhike monk smiled and said: "Amitabha, Bodhisattva bless you, this heavy rain will fall in time, and all things will be blessed by it." Zhang Zhidong said: "The hot weather in Wuhan is really difficult. When will it be so hot that it will be cool!" "It doesn't cool down until around the great heat." The Zhike monk looked at Zhang Zhidong and said, "I don't sound like a local from the donor's accent. Are you doing business in Hankou, come to the temple to ask for blessings from the Bodhisattva, or are you just passing by?" Here, come to the temple to take a look?" Zhang Zhidong thought for a while and said: "We are not doing business, nor are we tourists. We are ordered to come to Hubei to collect folk songs, and we will live in Wuchang for a few years." What is "collecting wind"?The well-informed Zhike monk couldn't figure out the identities of these people for a while, and it was inconvenient to ask carefully, so he said: "It seems that the rain will not stop for a while, I will ask the kitchen to prepare it, and please have a fast meal here tonight." Our temple also has clean guest rooms, so we invite all benefactors to stay here tonight." Zhang Zhidong saw that although the rain was a little lighter than before, it seemed that it would not stop for a while, and everyone's faces were happy, obviously interested in the new thing of eating vegetarian food and living in a monastery, so he nodded in agreement. Seeing that there was money to be made, the Zhike monk immediately became interested, and ordered the little novice to inform the kitchen, and at the same time hurriedly ordered melon seeds and cakes to treat him well. Suddenly, there was a burst of energetic reciting along with the wind, and everyone listened attentively: "Good article!" Zhang Zhidong couldn't help but blurted out praise, "Who is reading this? Are there still scholars studying poetry and books living in Baocha?" Yang Rui smiled and said, "Could it be that Zhang Xiucai is waiting to leak the West Wing!" The Zhike monk said angrily: "The benefactor made fun of it. Where is Zhang Xiucai? He is a traveling doctor who is nearly sixty years old, and a friend of Master Xuzhou, the abbot of our temple." Zhang Zhidong got up and said: "Master You Fang is so elegant, let's go and see!" Everyone followed the governor and got up.The heavy rain has stopped, and the courtyard is full of muddy water that will not flow away for a while. In a small courtyard opposite, there is a short man standing, holding a long piece of paper in both hands, with his back to the courtyard, admiring it intently. .Apparently, it was this person who just couldn't help reading the article on the note. "Wu Langzhong!" Zhike monk called out to the man. "What's the matter!" the man spoke Sichuan dialect, turning around while talking. oops!Isn't this Wu Qiuyi?How can he live here?Zhang Zhidong rubbed his eyes, and stared carefully again.Yes, it was Wu Qiuyi who treated him that year!He stepped forward quickly and shouted in surprise: "Brother Qiuyi, when did you come to Hanyang!" The man was taken aback for a moment, and then shouted loudly: "It's you, Brother Xiangtao, by coincidence!" Wu Qiuyi came up to meet him, let go of the hand holding the note, and patted Zhang Zhidong's shoulder heavily.Zhang Zhidong hugged Wu Qiuyi tightly. "Brother Qiuyi, I have been thinking of you since I left the capital, but unexpectedly it has been eight or nine years. How have you been all these years?" "Well, I'm very happy!" Wu Qiuyi said heartily, "Have you been okay all these years?" "Okay, okay, let's talk slowly tonight!" Yang Rui, Da Gen, and Wu Qiuyi are also old acquaintances, and they were very excited to meet again in a foreign land. Zhang Zhidong introduced to Cai Xiyong and Chen Niantuo: "This Mr. Wu Qiuyi is a real moral and learned scholar. Sixteen years ago, I once had heat stroke on the road. Fortunately, I met him at that time, otherwise I would have died. .” It turned out to be the former savior of the governor. Cai and Chen were in awe of the thin, half-old man in front of them. Zhang Zhidong smiled and asked, "Brother Qiuyi, where is the article you just read?" "Here, here!" Wu Qiuyi immediately became excited and raised the note in his hand. "White characters on a black background, it turned out to be a rubbing!" "I rubbed it from Yuwangji in the morning. I don't know who wrote the composition, and who didn't know the book Dan, but it's really a good thing." Wu Qiuyi didn't ask Zhang Zhidong why he came here, and Zhang Zhidong didn't ask Wu Qiuyi's current situation. The two gold and stone lovers got together and carefully appreciated the width and length of this painting. The rubbings come.Yang Rui and others also gathered around to appreciate it. "This article is really well done. Especially these two sentences: Looking at the Chibi beacon fire last night, I saw Xiao Qiao feasting on Zhou Lang tonight. Excellent article!" "Good writing, good writing, a combination of heroism and beauty!" "Look at this word, learning from the second king is to learn the bone marrow." "Even the engraving is good, there is no distortion at all!" "It seems that this text and characters are all written by ordinary people, but they are much better than those of many famous masters!" "That's right! Many masterpieces in the world are produced by unknown people. They don't want to gain fame and gain, so they can get the essence of physics instead. And those people who want to gain fame can't wait to show off to the world and seek fame and wealth. , but missed the right business. Laozi said that the sage does not rely on what he does, and does not fight for what he does, and this is what he is talking about." Cai Xiyong and Chen Nianfeng listened to the casual conversation between Zhang Zhidong and Wu Qiuyi, and found it very interesting. After talking about the rubbings for a long time, Wu Qiuyi asked, "Why did you come to Hanyang, did you transfer from Shanxi to Hubei to be the governor?" Before Zhang Zhidong could answer, Dagen said loudly from the side: "Mr. Wu, you are wrong. My lord was the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi six years ago. This time he came from Guangzhou to Wuchang to be the governor of Huguang." The Zhike monk was stunned: Is it really the governor of Huguang who came to the temple?Could it be that the living Bodhisattva entered the mountain gate!He pulled the corner of Yang Rui's clothes and asked quietly: "Is this really the master of Taiwan?" "It's not real, can't it be a fake?" Yang Rui proudly lifted up the monk's robe, and lit up the bronze medal hanging on his belt.Knowing that the guest monk was sure that the Bodhisattva was coming, he hurriedly parted the crowd and bowed to Zhang Zhidong repeatedly: "Your monk does not recognize the Golden Buddha with your naked eyes, so you should be negligent." Then he ordered the little novice next to him: "Quickly ask the abbot to come out and greet him." VIP!" After a while, I saw a short, fat old monk in a dark red cassock walking hurriedly, and the Zhike monk hurriedly brought him to Zhang Zhidong.The old monk clasped his hands together, bent down deeply and said: "The poor monk Xuzhou didn't know that Master Zhitai was coming, but he couldn't welcome him. I hope you forgive me. Please, Master Zhitai, please come and sit in the abbot's room." Zhang Zhidong said with a smile: "Temporarily borrow the treasure temple to shelter from the wind and rain. I am very disturbed by the disturbance." The head chef came over and said to the abbot, "The feast is ready, let's invite the guests to the table!" Xu Zhou said: "Take out the Hericium erinaceus that I brought from Jigong Mountain that year and the black fungus from Wudang Mountain that Master Yunguang sent, and make two delicious dishes to entertain Master Taiwan." The head chef learned that today's guest turned out to be the master of Taiwan, so he was ordered to go back to the kitchen to make arrangements. As soon as Zhang Zhidong took his seat in the abbot's room, he was called to be seated outside.I saw that the Yunshui Hall was brightly lit, and a sumptuous banquet had already been set.Xu Zhou served Zhang Zhidong at the table, then asked Wu Qiuyi to accompany him on the right, and himself to sit with him on the left.又叫知客僧请蔡锡勇、陈念礽、杨锐、大根在客位上坐下。一张八仙桌，恰好坐得满满的。上座虚舟亲自把盏，下座知客僧把盏，频频劝着素酒素菜，殷勤备至。酒过三巡，虚舟问：“制台大人酷暑过江来到汉阳，想必有要事。” 张之洞说：“总督衙门打算筹办一个铁厂，在武昌、汉口看了几处厂址，不很满意，今天特为到汉阳来再次寻找。” 虚舟问：“铁厂大吗？” 张之洞说：“大概要十多二十顷地的范围。” 虚舟的心动了下，又问：“请问制台大人，这衙门要地给钱不给钱？” “给钱。”张之洞应声答道，“如果真是好地，宁可高于市价我们也买。另外，住在这里的老百姓的损失，比如庄稼、果树、房屋，我们也要考虑到。” “善哉善哉！”虚舟左手五指并拢，在心口上移动几下。“官府不与民争利，真正的青天大老爷。” 张之洞想，这归元寺每天接待南北香客、十方商旅，最是消息集散之处，方丈和知客僧无疑是民间的头面人物，可以借他的口来传扬传扬本督以洋务强国富民的施政大计。于是放下碗筷，正经八百地说：“法师是出家人，不管俗世之事，现在的俗世是又贫又弱，国势不振。但大海之外却有一批洋人，比如离我们最近的东洋日本人，离我们很远的英国洋人、美国洋人、法国洋人、德国洋人，他们都又富又强，老是欺负我们，凭借着手中的船炮从我们国家取走千千万万两银子。” 虚舟说：“贫僧虽是出家之人，但吃的稻粱，穿的衣服，无一不来自俗世，且天天与四面八方香客打交道，眼中所见，耳中所闻尽是世俗之事，贫僧何能离得了世俗？众生贫苦、洋人欺负这些事，贫僧心里也知道，不知大帅有何妙法解除众生之穷苦，抑洋人之强梁？” 张之洞说：“此事鄙人已思之甚久，最重要的一条路子便是把洋人那一套富强之术搬过来。我手下有好些个幕友都在海外生活很多年，他们都说洋人并不比我们聪明。他们的那一套只要我们肯学，很快就可以学好。鄙人要充分利用两湖的财富大办洋务，铁厂是第一步，以后还要修铁路，建枪炮厂，建织布局、纺纱局，还要办新式军队，办洋学堂，把这一切都办好以后，我们就跟洋人差不多了。两湖百姓的日子就好过了，我们的军队强大，洋人也不敢欺负我们了。” 对于张之洞勾画的这一幅美好的富强蓝图，六十多岁的归元寺方丈一点兴趣都没有，他在心里盘算的是另一回事：龟山靠汉水边有一块三十顷的荒地，是相沿已久的寺产，只是这里濒临汉水，每年都要遭受大水的淹没，低洼处甚至一年遭水淹达两三个月之久。因为这个缘故，那块地便荒芜下来，地虽大，并不能给寺里带来收益。前一任方丈是个精明人，他想与其荒芜下去，不如租给农人。于是他把这块荒地分成十多块，租给了十多户附近少田无田的农人，规定他们每年向寺里交十多二十担谷，其余的收成都归农人自己。寺里的要求并不高，租地农人乐于接受。从那以后，寺里每年可以坐收二三百担谷子，十多户农人又有了安身立命之处，荒地得到了充分的利用。虚舟心里想，归元寺的众僧吃饭不成问题，每年二三百担谷子对于归元寺来说不是太重要的事。那年虚舟在京师西山碧云寺挂单，看到碧云寺的五百罗汉堂，赞叹不已，心里起了一个念头：要是在归元寺也建一个这样的罗汉堂的话，不仅为佛门做了一桩大善事，同时也大为提高归元寺在天下丛林中的地位，作为办理此事的方丈，自然功德无量。但建一个五百罗汉堂，没有三五万两银子不行，归元寺哪里拿得出这笔巨款！此事在虚舟心里存着十余年，突然他看到了希望。 “大帅，当年白光法师建好归元寺后，还剩下一笔钱，大家都劝他到天竺国去买几尊玉佛和几百册贝叶经来供奉。白光法师没有同意，却拿这笔钱在龟山脚下买了一块三十顷的荒地。众僧都不理解白光法师如何要办这样的傻事。白光法师对大家说，诸位不知，这是武汉三镇一块最好的风水宝地，二百年后，有一位能人会在这里炼出乌金来，给归元寺带来百倍的好处。”说到这里，虚舟脸上流露出抑制不住的喜悦，“大帅今日来此寻找铁厂，正好从三个方面印证了白光法师当年的话。” 张之洞来了兴趣，笑着问：“哪三个方面？” “第一，白光法师说的是二百年后的事，归元寺最后完工是在康熙二十二年。”虚舟左手指头弯了几弯后说，“到今年恰好二百零六年，这是第一个印证。第二，大帅是今日海内数一数二的能人，这是举世公认。”张之洞微笑着没有做声，大根自豪地说：“谁还比得上咱们家大人，连洋人都得举白旗投降。” 一句话说得众人都快乐地笑起来。“白光法师说的是炼乌金，铁是黑的，不正是乌金吗？” 蔡锡勇说：“洋人是把铁煤称作乌金的。” 虚舟高兴地说：“这位老爷帮我证实了白光法师的话，如此看来，三个方面都应验了。这块风水宝地的确是专为大帅买的。” 虚舟的话说得大家都心痒痒的，张之洞也被他说动了，于是说：“明天一早，烦法师陪我们去看看！” 吴秋衣一直没有说话，这时也笑着说：“真有这么好的风水宝地，明天我也跟你们去瞧瞧！” 吃完饭，虚舟要将寺里最好的客房安排给张之洞。张之洞说：“好客房让我的幕友们去住吧，我今夜要跟我的老朋友住在一起，好好地聊聊。” 接着，他把那年因中暑偶遇吴秋衣的事说了一遍。虚舟很兴奋：自己的朋友竟然是总督大人的恩人，这真是一座通向两湖最高权力的桥梁。忙叫小沙弥好好打扫吴秋衣的房间，送上香茶糕点，临时又移来一张宽大的凉床。 夜里，在明亮的灯烛下，一对分别八九年的老朋友促膝细谈，互相叙述别后这些年来的情况。 “老弟。”游方郎中不客气地沿用着十多年的旧称，仿佛今日对面坐着的并不是建立过赫赫战功权倾一方的总督，依旧只是一个无实权的学官。 “席上，你对虚舟谈了一套富强之术。我问你一句话，你要对我说实在的，你就真的相信那会给中国带来富强吗？” “老朋友，你是怎么看我的，”张之洞颇感意外地说，“我不相信，我为什么会努力去做？这样热的天，普通百姓能躲凉的都躲凉，我一个五十多岁的总督，在火毒的太阳下，一连走了几天寻访厂址。我若不相信，我为何要这样做？再说，虚舟法师乃归元寺的方丈，佛门之人，我若不信，我跟他瞎说什么，我也用不着以此博取他的几句赞扬之词。” “老弟，你不要因我这句话而不高兴。”吴秋衣笑起来了，说，“我不是说你有哗众取宠的意思，我是想你颖悟过人，精通经史，这些年又出任封疆大吏，头脑应很明白，你没有想到洋人的那套在中国是行不通的吗？” “我不是要把洋人的一切都搬到中国来，我只想学他们建厂修铁路办学堂练兵这些东西，有什么行不通的？你有何高见，我倒要好好听你说说。” 吴秋农连连摇头说：“老弟，不是我说你，你是书生气太重了，你其实不懂今日情势。今日中国，处处都显露出末世的景象，就跟前明崇祯朝相差无几，朝廷能多保几年的命就是好事了，何暇来谈富国强兵！还不如安心做你的太平总督为好，不要存什么励精图治之志。” 国家弊病很多，这点，张之洞岂能不知，但决不是末世，怎么能拿大清跟前明崇祯朝相比呢？崇祯被李自成给翻掉了，洪秀全闹腾十多年，到头来还不是让朝廷给平定了吗？太后圣明，比无术多疑刚愎自用的崇祯强多了。张之洞素来对太后怀着感恩情怀，倘若说这话的不是一个老朋友，他早就要将他抓起来当反叛者处置了。这时，他压下心中的不快说：“秋衣兄，你这话说得过头了，我受太后皇上恩泽深厚，自当与朝廷休戚与共。太后皇上为国家宵衣旰食，我怎能不励精图治？” 吴秋衣敛容说：“你受皇家恩德，愿尽忠报效，此心诚然可贵，但可悲也在于此。你是一叶障目，不见泰山。” “此话怎讲？”张之洞神情肃然起来。 “老弟，你想过没有，你办洋务，都靠什么人来办？还不是靠官场的这批人。今天中国的官场，已经烂得差不多了，清廉的官，实心办事的官，十个之中难得一个。这些年来，四川也新办了不少局厂，每办一个局厂，就增加一个衙门，培植一批官吏，徒为百姓增添负担，办成了什么事？老弟，你是官场上的人，不怕你见怪的话，我冷眼观察中国官场几十年，是越看越失望，越看越心寒。我的看法与你不同，今日中国的积贫积弱，不是没有洋务，而是中国有这样一个腐败贪婪懒散推诿又盘根错节官官相护的官场，这是中国的万恶之源，贫弱之本。古人早就知道橘迁淮北而为枳。好端端的橘，为什么变为枳了呢？就是因为水土不好的缘故。今日中国就好比淮北的水土，外国好比淮南的水土，洋务这东西在外国是可口的橘，一到中国来就变成酸涩的枳了。腐败的官场，就是中国成为淮北水土的根本原因。而这，你一个张香涛是无力改变的。所以，你纵有天大的才干，也成不了事。” 吴秋衣的话，不是没有道理，但他太夸大其辞了。官场虽不好，但一则还是有好官，二来也可以整顿，其它省且不管，两湖是掌握在自己的手里的，我难道就不能凭借朝廷付予我的权力，整顿出一个清廉的官场来？难道就不能利用这官场办一番轰轰烈烈的洋务事业来？他冷笑着说：“事在人为，两湖就不能是淮南水土吗？何以就料定他必为枳呢？” 吴秋衣哈哈大笑，说：“好，老弟，我不和你争辩了。我们可以在这归元寺，在佛祖的面前打个赌，十年二十年后我们再见分晓吧！时间不早了，明天还得去龟山看地，吹灯睡觉吧！” 第二天一早，趁着气温还不太高的时候，虚舟带着张之洞一行连同知客僧、吴秋衣等来到龟山。 龟山古称翼际山，又名大别山，坐落在汉水与长江的会合之处。山不高，形状方方圆圆的，从高处看来，犹如一只巨大的石鼋伏在江汉两水之间，因此俗称龟山。 知客僧是归元寺里的才子，能说会道，登上龟山顶，便兴致勃勃地一一指点远近风光，把它介绍给即将与归元寺做成一桩绝大买卖的贵宾们。 “诸位大人老爷们，站在龟山上，武汉三镇风物尽收眼底。就在龟山前后左右，便有大家所熟知的名胜。诸位向东看，那一座直冲长江形如船头的大石块，就是有名的禹功矶。” 大家的眼睛都顺着知客僧的手势望去，果然在前面三四十丈远的江边，一块庞大的嶙峋怪石兀然矗立在水中，像一根拴船的石础，又像一段阻水的石堤，滚滚的江水在这里被激成飞溅的浪花。使人不由得想起苏东坡“乱石穿空，惊涛拍岸，卷起千堆雪”的名句来。 吴秋衣对张之洞说：“昨天我得的碑文就出自那里。湖北百姓为纪念大禹治水，在这禹功矶上建了一座禹王祠。还有一棵千年古柏，相传是大禹亲手种植的，另有元代建的禹王庙。此外还有一块很好的碑，名叫岣嵝碑，据说是大名士毛会建将衡阳岣嵝峰上的碑文，拓后再刻碑立于此处。” 张之洞问：“岣嵝碑文你拓下没有。” “拓了。回归元寺后我拿给你看。” “诸位请看，禹功矶上有一座亭阁。这座亭阁叫什么名字，贫僧一说出来，诸位大人老爷一定早已知道。”知客僧就像一个训练有素的导游似的，吊起大家的胃口。“它就是大名鼎鼎的晴川阁。” “晴川阁！”众人不约而同地惊叫起来。有人已轻轻地背诵崔灏的诗来：“晴川历历汉阳树，芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲”。 “对，它就是唐才子崔灏诗中所说的晴川阁。”知客僧很懂得游客的心理，补充说，“鹦鹉洲在晴川阁的下游，已被水淹了。” 如同故友重逢似的，张之洞将那座童年时代便记于心中的亭阁，伫看了很久。 “诸位再向南看，有一片竹林，竹林里有一座墓，墓主就是那位帮孔明草船借箭的东吴谋士鲁肃。” 鲁肃墓！众人又是一声惊叹，一齐向南看去。只见临近山脚边，果然有一片清清幽幽的竹林，团团围在一起，墓冢、墓碑都看不见。 张之洞心想：鲁肃在世并未为东吴建立大功，只是以忠厚诚信出名，死了一千多年，人们还记得他，墓旁能长年有这一片翠竹陪伴，也足以自慰了。 “诸位再向左边看，那里有一座三层六面石塔，名叫石榴花塔，为何叫这个名字，这里有个来由。”知客僧面对着大家关注的目光，说出一个悲恸的故事来：“宋代时，汉阳有一个年轻的寡妇，虽丈夫死去多年，一直谨守妇道，对婆婆尽心尽孝。有一天，寡妇杀鸡给婆婆吃，婆婆吃后第二天便死了。各种谣言纷起，都说寡妇有意毒死婆母，婆婆的女儿向官府告状。官府判寡妇死刑。寡妇受此天大的冤屈不能表明心迹，临刑前，她摘石榴花一支，插于石缝中。对着石头说，若婆婆真是我害死的，石榴花枯萎于死；若是冤枉，则石榴花开放茂盛。行刑的刽子手冷笑说，花插在石缝里，必死无疑，哪有茂盛的，你莫不是疯了！谁知寡妇死后，插在石缝里的石榴花果然开得茂盛灿烂，第二年春天还在石缝边的土里生出一棵小石榴树来。这棵小石榴树长大后，年年满树花果。大家怜悯这位蒙受奇冤的寡妇，于是为她建了这座塔，取名为石榴花塔。八百年来，一直香火不断。” 众人听了，都感叹唏嘘。 虚舟法师说：“寡妇的冤枉，是龟山的石头给她洗刷的，可见龟山是一座神山，一座灵山。在龟山办事，是会得到神灵保佑的。” 大根一向信神信菩萨，听了虚舟的话忙说：“法师说得有道理，若不是神灵保佑，石头缝里的石榴花哪有不枯死的道理！龟山这地方确实通灵性。” “龟山灵杰之处还多哩！”仿佛龟山是知客僧的家园似的，带着自豪的神气，他又指着远远的地方说：“那里就是古琴台，俞伯牙摔琴谢知音的地方。” 高山流水，人世间美好的相知相遇的象征，竟然就源于龟山，出于脚下的这块土地。突然问，湖广督署的幕友们对这座并不高大的山岭顿生又敬又亲的情感来。这是一座多么逗人喜爱的小山啊！ 张之洞的心也激动起来。大禹、鲁肃、伯牙、子期、晴川阁、石榴花塔，这一切在他的心里已构筑一幅动人心扉的图画。不用具体去踏勘那块荒地了，他已经在心里做出决定：铁厂就建在这里，有这么多圣贤神灵聚集，龟山当然是风水宝地，铁厂借着它的雄魂精魄，今后必将兴旺发达，震撼中外！ “大人。”虚舟见知客僧将龟山四周的名胜介绍得差不多了，适时地建议，“我们下山去看那块地吧。” "Okay, you lead the way." 众人跟着虚舟，顺着一条窄窄的山道从山顶下来，朝着汉水走去。没有多久，就来到属于归元寺所有的那块土地上。 “这一片都是。”虚舟用手臂在空中画了一个圆圈，把众人眼帘中所见的一大块河滩全部包进去了。“此处襟江带河，气象壮阔，地势平坦，一马平川，白光法师真正的好眼力。” 虚舟以自己的高度评价，再次为这块荒地预定基调。 张之洞极目远眺，但见这块三千余亩的大平川，约有一半属于河滩，上面布满沙砾，几乎不能种植树木庄稼，另一半虽是黑黄色的泥，却也大部分长着蒿草杂木，约有五六百亩地被辟为田土，上面正生长着庄稼和蔬菜。也有数百上千株果木。在田土与果木中可见稀稀落落的农舍，间或传来犬吠鸡鸣。张之洞虽看不出它的风水佳妙之处，但可以肯定其水路极为方便，且地势辽阔坦平，为今后建世界一流的铁厂提供了足够的条件。他已经默许了，不过还想听听幕友们的看法。 “毅若，你看呢？” “大致尚不错。”蔡锡勇的眼光四处扫视一遍后说，“涨水时，工厂有一半会被淹。” “筑一道堤，将汉水和长江的大水拦在堤外。”张之洞早已想到这一点。 陈念初说：“河滩一带地势低洼，容易积水。” 张之洞：“可以把它填高。” 杨锐说：“筑堤、填土这两项工程，将会耗资不小。” 张之洞胸有成竹：“要建一座铁厂，当然花费会很大。银钱一事，由我来设法筹集。” 显然，总督的主意已拿定，大家不再提出异议了。大根却有新的发现：“四叔，河滩填高以后，可以做一个很好的跑马场，今后骑兵可拉到这里来训练。” 受大根这话的启发，张之洞突然间又冒出一个想法来：“花这大的成本来做跑马场太浪费了，不如在这旁边再建一座枪炮厂，就用铁厂出的铁来造枪炮，省得再外运！” 大家鼓起掌来，齐声赞扬这个好主意。 虚舟知张之洞已是看定了，心里高兴至极，忙恭维道：“大帅办事气魄宏阔，真不愧为让洋人举白旗投降的大英雄。富国强兵，扶正压邪，也是我们佛门的宗旨。这块荒地上能兴建铁厂、枪炮厂，真是一桩大慈大悲救苦救难的无量善事。阿弥陀佛，归元寺要为大帅此举办一场三天三夜水陆道场，祈求菩萨神灵保佑，诸事顺遂，功德圆满。” 虚舟这番话引起众人好一阵大笑。张之洞对方丈说：“行，就这样定了，过几天，我派人到宝刹来具体商谈。” “善哉，善哉！”法师合十作揖，欢喜无尽。 吴秋衣眼看着这一切，一句话都没有说。 五天后，从广州跟随张之洞来武昌、任职督署总文案的赵茂昌奉命来到归元寺，就这块荒地的交割与寺方代理人知客僧清心洽谈。 清心将这块荒地上所包括的水田、果木