Chapter 70 2. The noble son who is unruly and sad

After reading Zhang Zhidong's letter and hearing Xu Jianyin's report, Tan Jixun was shocked and had mixed feelings.He hated the brutality of the villagers in Ma'anshan: beating the miners and smashing the machines was unjustifiable anyway.He also complained about the ineffectiveness of the prefect of Wuchang and the magistrate of Jiangxia County: They must have failed to convey his meaning in the original form, and they did not know which link was out of order, which aroused the resentment of the villagers.At the same time, I was very displeased with the impoliteness in Zhang Zhidong's letter: In terms of age and subject name, you are above Zhang Zhidong. What about arrogant words?

After sending Xu Jianyin away, Tan Jixun was extremely annoyed by this incident. He didn't sleep well all night, and felt a little top-heavy the next morning.He cheered up and called the prefect of Wuchang into the governor's office again.With a gloomy face, Tan Jixun said to Tu Bingchang in a rare stern tone: "Please read Master Zhang's letter!" After Tu Bingchang read the letter, he found out that there was a major incident in Ma'anshan, and Zhang Zhidong became angry about it.He has dealt with Tan Futai for more than three years, and he has always been amiable. Today is the first time seeing him like this, knowing that Master Futai is also very angry.With trembling hands, he returned the letter to Futai: "I really don't know that the unruly people in Ma'anshan actually beat the miner. I really don't know what happened in Jiangxia County. I am responsible for this kind of thing. My lord sees how to deal with this matter, and I will definitely do it."

"Ah!" Tan Jixun stomped his feet and sighed heavily. "It's all your fault for your incompetence, for failing to live up to my good intentions!" "Yes, yes, incompetent in humble positions, incompetent in humble positions!" Tu Zhifu continued to criticize. "I originally wanted to knead them together, and both sides would benefit. I didn't expect that the people on the coal mine would use force to injure people, especially foreigners. This matter will be troublesome. Although Zhang Zhitai's letter said It's hard to hear, but he's right in principle. When things have come to this point, there is no room for cooperation. Go tell Lu Wenkui and tell him to go to Hankou to visit the two injured miners. Lu Wenkui must not think that this is the case. I have been punished on behalf of others and refused to go to Hankou. Governor Tu, you need to make him understand. Apart from the fact that he is duty-bound as a county magistrate, he must know that the wounded were British foreigners. If he angered the British embassy, ​​he should report to the imperial court. It’s terrible. It’s natural that Lu Wenkui’s county magistrate can’t do it, and I’m afraid you and I won’t be at peace either.”

Tu Zhifu suddenly felt a sense of fear in his heart.In the past few decades, have there been fewer conflicts with foreigners?What was supposed to be a trivial matter suddenly turned into a major event.Originally it was the foreigners who were at fault, but in the end it was all the fault of the Chinese.The imperial court didn't care about the three sevens and twenty-ones, and dealt with its own officials and people first.Foreigners can't afford to offend them, not to mention that it's obviously the villagers of Ma'anshan who are wrong.Tu Zhifu hurriedly said: "My lord's advice is that I not only asked Lu Wenkui to go, but also accompanied me to visit the injured foreign miner."

"You don't want to go, the matter happened in Jiangxia, Jiangxia county magistrate can just go and make an apology." Tan Jixun continued, "Also, I want Lu Wenkui to notify the Ma'anshan coal mine to dismantle as soon as possible, and don't say anything else. Give it to the Coal Mine Bureau, so that big things can be turned into small things, and small things can be turned into small things." "Yes, yes, the humble job will do everything!" Lu Wenkui, the magistrate of Jiangxia County, was unwilling to cross the river to visit the beaten miner of the Coal Mining Bureau, thinking that this would lower his status as a magistrate, but when Tu Bingchang pointed out that this matter might lead to a new foreign case, Lu Wenkui was also afraid Yes, I quickly agreed.The next day, I crossed the river to Hankou in person and found the hospital run by the British. When I visited Henry and Liang Pu, I said a lot of things to make amends on behalf of the Jiangxia County Yamen.He also told Xu Jianyin who was waiting by the side that the Ma'anshan coal mine must be dismantled within three days, and the perpetrators would be investigated and dealt with.

At this time, Qian Naichang, the prime minister of Jiangxia County, sent a secret letter to the governor's yamen, reporting to Zhang Zhidong that Lu Wenkui had collected tax money from the Ma'anshan coal kiln as a small treasury.Qian Naichang's exposure of Lu Wenkui was not out of justice, but purely out of personal grievances due to disagreements.He knew that the Ma'anshan incident must have made Zhang Zhidong extremely dissatisfied with Lu Wenkui, so he took this opportunity to add insult to injury, not only to vent his personal anger, but also to please the governor. It's what I wish for.

Sure enough, Zhang Zhidong was very angry after receiving this secret letter, and immediately sent a government servant to Jiangxia County to deliver an order, ordering Lu Wenkui to come to the supervisor's office early tomorrow morning to wait for his lecture. Lu Wenkui was terrified after receiving the order.He knew that beating a foreigner could be big or small.As far as malfeasance and dereliction of duty lead to local foreign cases, only one memorial is needed, and the seventh-rank crown on the head will be thrown away immediately; if it is not reported to the court, nothing will happen.Whether to sue or not to sue is entirely in the hands of Governor Zhang Zhidong.Now there is no other way but to ask Zhang Zhitai for forgiveness.Early the next morning, County Magistrate Lu came to the governor's office in fear.The concierge knew him, so he politely took him to the waiting room, sat down and said goodbye.There was only Lu Wenkui sitting in the large waiting room, and his heart was beating up and down like a drumstick: What would Zhang Zhitai say?How should I answer?

Before I knew it, I sat for an hour, but the yamen servant on duty came to greet me, and County Magistrate Lu became a little anxious.He kept his eyes on the door, hoping to catch someone to carry the message for him.After another half an hour, I finally saw a yamen servant, walked up to him immediately, and said to the yamen servant, "I am the magistrate of Lv County, Jiangxia County. I have been waiting for an hour and a half to trouble you. Let me know." Although the yamen servant didn't know Lu Wenkui, seeing that he was wearing a seventh-rank official uniform, he knew it wasn't a fake, so he said with a smile on his face, "Master Lu, please sit down, I'll go and tell the story."

After a while, the yamen servant came out and said, "Grandpa Lu, Zhang Zhitai is talking to the commander-in-chief of Xiangyang Town, please wait a moment." County magistrate Lu was upset, but he didn't dare to attack, so he had to sit down again and wait patiently.This sitting for more than an hour, still no movement.Pitiful for a county magistrate who usually flaunts his power in Jiangxia County, he sat alone in the waiting room of the governor's yamen for three hours, no one answered him, and he didn't even have a sip of water to drink.When he was full of anger, he saw an imposing military officer, surrounded by several Goshhas, bustling past the entrance of the waiting hall.Lu Wenkui thought to himself, this military officer is probably the commander-in-chief of Xiangyang Town. It seems that the conversation between Zhang Zhitai and him has ended, and now it's my turn.He straightened his clothes and sat up straight, waiting for the yamen servant to come and guide him.After a while, the yamen servant just now came, carrying a bamboo basket in his hand.

"Grandpa Lu, Zhang Zhitai has gone back to the backyard for lunch, you should eat some here!" As if he had been reminded, upon hearing the word "eat", Lu Wenkui's stomach immediately gurgled, and a strong sense of hunger came out of his mouth.The bamboo basket was opened, a large bowl of rice, a small dish of tofu, a small dish of radish, and a small bowl of vegetable soup.Obviously, this is not a meal for entertaining guests, but a light meal for the yamen laborers.County magistrate Lu was unhappy again, but he was so hungry that he had to suffer.Quietly asked the yamen servant: "What does Zhang Zhitai usually do after lunch?"

The yamen servant replied: "Not sure. Sometimes he will take a walk in the backyard, sometimes he will lie down and take a nap, sometimes he will meet guests, and sometimes he will go to the signing room to do business as soon as the bowl is thrown away." Lu Wenkui thought, maybe Zhang Zhitai would summon him after lunch.He ate in a hurry and didn't dare to walk outside the waiting hall, so he suppressed his temper and sat and waited. After sitting for a long time, there was still no movement.He couldn't figure out what Zhang Zhidong was doing at this time, and he might have taken a nap after thinking about it, so he simply leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes to rest his mind.Although his eyes were closed tightly, his mind was still restless, so he took out his small pocket watch, opened his eyes and saw that it was pointing to a quarter past two.He thought, even if he takes a nap, he should get up, why is there no movement?In the past, there were constant guests in the waiting room, but today there was no second person. In the huge waiting room, only the county magistrate Lu was alone.Thinking of this, Lu Wenkui couldn't help but feel resentment in his heart.At this moment, there was a loud sound of leather shoes outside the hall. Magistrate Lu took a closer look and saw three stout foreigners walking past the door arrogantly.He was subconsciously startled, could it be that someone from a foreign consulate came to meet Zhang Zhitai?If it's someone from the embassy, ​​it's probably related to the Ma'anshan incident?That is to say, a foreign case really happened, and the foreign ministers came to the governor's office to negotiate!It seems that things are serious!When County Magistrate Lu thought of this, his heart was beating wildly, and he was sweating profusely on his back. The resentment just now had already flown outside Java, and his whole body was completely surrounded by fear. Lv Wenkui forgot the time in his fear, but he didn't have to wait for it anymore. He didn't know it was evening until the yamen servant came to the waiting hall again.The yamen servant said: "Grandpa Lu, Zhang Zhitai wants to invite foreigners to dinner in the flower hall tonight, so he can't see you. Zhang Zhitai sent a message: He will leave the yamen to inspect the iron factory tomorrow morning, but there is half a person before he leaves." During the hour gap, County Magistrate Lu will either go back to the county government office and come back tomorrow morning to wait, or sleep in the guest room overnight and see you tomorrow morning. It is up to you to decide whether to return or not." It is of course comfortable to go back to my own house, but I don't know when Zhang Zhitai will leave the yamen tomorrow. He came early.Living here is a little bit bitter, but tomorrow morning will never be late.Magistrate Lu, who had been sitting coldly in the waiting room all day, seemed to have a sudden insight at this moment: Zhang Zhitai intentionally punished me today, and also tested me. He was looking at my attitude. "Please tell Zhang Zhitai that in order to be summoned tomorrow, I will sleep in the guest room of the governor's office tonight." "Okay, then I'll take Master Lu to the guest room!" Early the next morning, before dawn, Lu Wenkui got up to wash, and then sat alone in the waiting hall to wait.Just after seven o'clock, the yamen servant brought him to Zhang Zhidong. Zhang Zhidong stared at Lu Wenkui coldly, and did not speak for a long time, which made Lu Wenkui's legs tremble. "Magistrate Lu, some people say that you are the behind-the-scenes supporter of the Ma'anshan incident." Lu Wenkui was taken aback, and hurriedly argued: "A humble job is not a supporter, a humble job is not doing things well." "Don't rush to defend yourself." Zhang Zhidong interrupted Lu Wenkui. "Let me ask you, is it true that the three coal mines in Ma'anshan pay the county government 3,000 taels of tax each year?" Lu Wenkui hesitated for a moment, then replied, "There is such a thing." "Where did the money go?" "Most of them are used for repairing roads and bridges, disaster relief and helping the poor." Lu Wenkui answered quickly, as if he really did. "Hmph!" Zhang Zhidong sneered. "Since you are doing good deeds, why didn't you report to the government and the governor?" Lu Wenkui remained silent. Zhang Zhidong said sharply: "As far as I know, this tax money is not used for the people, but for the officialdom. It is because of this benefit that you protect the coal mines of the three major families and obstruct the coal mining bureau. The Benbutang originally wanted to You are dismissed as the county magistrate. Since you have a good attitude, you will not be dismissed as an official. After you return to Jiangxia, you will report a detailed statement of the Ma'anshan taxes you have earned over the years, waiting for verification. In addition, you will be fined 15,000 silver for the three major coal mines. , a family of 5,000 taels must be paid within ten days. The headquarter does not want one tael of the 15,000 taels of silver. It will be completely handed over to the Coal Mine Bureau for the development of the Ma’anshan coal mine. If this matter cannot be completed within ten days, you will take Xialingding, come to see me! You go!" Lu Wenkui walked out of the governor's office dejectedly after listening to this lecture. In the evening, Zhang Zhidong returned to the yamen, where Xu Jianyin had been waiting for a long time.He told the governor that he went to the governor's yamen in the morning to express his gratitude to Tan Futai for handling the Ma'anshan incident, and learned that Tan Futai was so angry that he was sick and bedridden.Zhang Zhidong was very dissatisfied with Tan Jixun, but when he heard that the old man fell ill because of this, he immediately forgave him a lot.After pondering for a moment, he called his son Renbing in. Twenty-two-year-old Zhang Renbing looks slightly more handsome than his father. Under the years of guidance from his master Sang Zhiping, he not only has a solid foundation in knowledge, but also has a broad mind and a broad vision.Zhang Zhidong is very satisfied with this son, and thinks he is much stronger than his elder brother Renquan. Zhang Zhidong said to his son: "Go and prepare some melons and fruit cakes. Go to the governor's office tomorrow morning and visit Tan Futai on my behalf. Tan Futai is old and sick. Don't sit there too much." It's been a long time. Take a look, convey my greetings, and come back after saying a few words of comfort. Let Dagen accompany you." It was the first time that Zhang Zhidong sent his son to visit people on his behalf, fearing that he was young and ignorant, so he gave the instructions carefully. Ren Ping felt his father's trust in him, and suddenly felt a grown-up feeling, and excitedly took this father's order. Early the next morning, Dagen accompanied Ren Bing to the Governor's Yamen.The concierge saw that it was the governor's second young master who came to greet Futai, and he was very hospitable.The chief copywriter of the Fuzhou Office came out to receive him, and accompanied him to Tan Jixun's bedroom.After Tan Jixun learned about it, he struggled to get up to meet him in person.He was very happy to see that Ren Ping was a good-looking man, and his manners were decent, and he felt very warm about Zhang Zhidong's actions. In order to thank the governor for his kindness, after Ren Bing left, he called his youngest son over and told him to go to the governor's office tomorrow to thank Zhang Zhitai on his behalf.This youngest son of Tan Jixun is none other than Tan Sitong, the outstanding generation who will move the heavens and weep ghosts and gods in the future. Although Tan Sitong is the governor's son, he has experienced many misfortunes at a young age.When it comes to happiness in life, he is far inferior to a child from an ordinary family. Tan Sitong was born in Beijing in the fourth year of Tongzhi. At that time, his father was working as a member of Shanxi Division in the Ministry of Household Affairs.Tan Sitong has two older brothers and two older sisters, and his mother Xu is his father's first wife.The year he was born, his father took Lu Shi as a concubine, and Lu Shi was twenty-three years younger than her husband.In Tan Jixun's eyes, an eighteen-year-old concubine is far more attractive than a forty-year-old wife, and his love is almost entirely transferred to Lu Shi, who is a narrow-minded and selfish woman.Since then, troubled seeds have been planted in the originally harmonious family. When Sitong was seven years old, his elder brother went back to Liuyang to get married. Because of the discord between his father and concubine, Xu intended to take advantage of his son's marriage to leave Beijing.Sitong and his second elder brother stayed with their father to study.After Mrs. Xu left, Mrs. Lu vented the resentment accumulated in her heart to Sitong brothers.When Sitong was young, he became the target of Lu's frequent beating and scolding, and Lu's bad words about him in front of Tan Jixun made him lose his father's love. At a young age, he began to know how to speak little, hate and endure pain to deal with the world.A year later, when Mrs. Xu came back from Liuyang, she cried bitterly when she saw her youngest son, who was skinny and dull.Seven or eight years old is an important period for the formation of a person's personality. The trauma of this year laid the foundation for Tan Sitong's maverick personality. In the spring of the second year of Guangxu, diphtheria was prevalent in Beijing.The second sister, who was married not long ago, contracted the disease, and then her mother Xu and elder brother also contracted it. Within five days, the three died one after another.Twelve-year-old Tan Sitong was also infected.He passed out on the bed for three days and three nights, and then he woke up with a life, so his father named him "Resurrection".This family tragedy dealt a great blow to Tan Sitong. After many years, every time this matter was mentioned, he would cry.Soon, the second brother escorted the coffins of his mother and eldest brother back to Liuyang for burial, and stayed in his hometown to take care of the housework.Sitong still lives in the capital to study.From then on, her stepmother, Mrs. Lu, regarded Tan Sitong as a thorn in her side and tried every means to abuse him.Tan Jixun is busy with official duties and ignores family affairs. Under Lu's instigation, he doesn't like this son who escaped death. Tan Sitong lost his mother and lacked the love of his father. Only books accompanied his lonely, sad and melancholy heart.Such an environment prompted Tan Sitong to gradually develop a rebellious character, rebellious, cynical, disgusted with the old order, and eager to break through the trap. He angrily criticized the four characters "how unreasonable" on the "Qimo Daquan" that his father sent him to read, but he devoted a lot of energy to reading various miscellaneous books that are not on the table.At this time, he got acquainted with Wang Wu, the bodyguard master of the Beijing Bodyguard Bureau.Da Dao Wang Wu is a Muslim, separated from his parents since he was a child, and grew up wandering in the rivers and lakes.He is proficient in martial arts, especially known for being good at using big swords.When Tan Sitong associates with him, he not only learns martial arts and loyalty from him, but also learns about the hardships of life and the complexity of society. Soon, Tan Jixun was sent to Gongqin Road in Gansu.Tan Jixun lived in Gansu for twelve years, during which Tan Sitong kept going back and forth between Liuyang and Gansu.He studied from a famous teacher, delved into the relationship between heaven and man, and liked to communicate with frontier soldiers and hunt with horses.In the process of traveling from south to north many times, he deeply realized the poverty of the country, political corruption and the hardships of the people. His strong desire to save the world and the people was born in these days of trekking and eating. Zhang Zhidong was overjoyed when he heard that Tan Jixun had sent his son Tan Sitong over to thank him. He had long wanted to meet this unusual junior.Zhang Zhidong knew about Tan Sitong from Yang Rui.Yang Rui heard from his group of young friends that there are four famous sons in the world today.The four famous princes in the Warring States Period: Lord Mengchang, Lord Xinling, Lord Pingyuan, and Lord Chunshen have always been well-known in history.There are such young men today?Yang Rui asked with great interest who the four sons were, so his friend told him that the four sons were Ding Huikang, son of Ding Richang, Wu Baochu, son of Wu Changqing, Chen Sanli, son of Chen Baozhen, and Tan Sitong, son of Tan Jixun.Although Chen Baozhen is in Wuchang, Chen Sanli is in the capital, and Tan Sitong is close at hand, how can he miss him?Yang Rui, who likes to make friends, must get acquainted.Introduced by someone, Yang Rui met Tan Sitong and fell in love at first sight.Tan Sitong also liked Yang Rui, and they became close friends.Once while chatting, Yang Rui talked about Tan Sitong to his teacher, saying how well the son of Tan Futai read books, how well he did poems and essays, and what is especially valuable is his heroism and excellent martial arts skills, which can be called both civil and military.Zhang Zhidong's heart was moved when he heard this, it is not strange to read and write poetry, but it is rare to have martial arts by caressing a young master.Martial arts was originally the specialty of the Eight Banners' disciples, even today, even the Eight Banners' disciples don't practice riding and shooting, it's really rare that a son of a senior official of the Han family is good at this.Unexpectedly, the mediocre and cowardly Tan Jixun would have such an extraordinary son!Zhang Zhidong really wanted to meet him, but there was no chance, unexpectedly he came by himself today. Zhang Zhidong ordered to arrange an interview in the small study.Zhang Zhidong usually arranges meetings with people in the living room or tea hall. If he likes or wants to have a deep talk with someone, he arranges them in the small study room. As for the people who are particularly close to him, such as Sang Zhiping, Yang Rui, Gu Hongming Waiting for others, he sometimes talks directly in the signing room. At that moment, Zhang Zhidong left the signing room and went to the small study.I saw a person was already waiting here, and when he saw him coming, he immediately got up and stood with his hands down.Zhang Zhidong noticed that this man was about twenty-seven or eighty-eight years old, with a thin figure of medium to slightly short, with two slightly sunken eyes on his clear face, and those eyes showed a melancholy look.Zhang Zhidong knew that this was Tan Sitong, he threw away his usual arrogance, and greeted him: "It's Mr. Tan, please sit down, please sit down." "Master Zhang, the younger generation greets you." Tan Sitong said in a pure Beijing accent, and at the same time bowed deeply to Zhang Zhidong, and then sat down gracefully. "Oh, your Mandarin is really good. How many years have you lived in Beijing?" Zhang Zhidong grew up in Guizhou, and his father spoke Nanpi dialect, so his official Mandarin was actually not very good.People who often deal with him can’t speak official Chinese well, especially Wang Zhichun from Hengyang and Chen Baozhen from Yining. The official dialect with a strong hometown accent is both unpleasant and difficult to understand. Suddenly, I heard such pure official dialect in Wuchang. , It's like drinking muddy water for a long time, and suddenly drinking a clear spring is as comfortable. "I was born in Beijing, and I didn't return to my hometown in Liuyang for the first time until I was thirteen years old." "Oh, no wonder." Zhang Zhidong nodded, looking at this well-known young man with the love of his father. "Who are you, how old are you this year, and have you got married?" "I have two older brothers and a first cousin, so my family calls me the fourth. I am twenty-eight this year, and I have already married a wife. My father-in-law is called Li Shourong. He used to act as Han Huang Dedao. He was transferred a few years ago. Anhui." "Oh, you are still Li Daotai's son-in-law." Zhang Zhidong asked casually, "Is Lingtang in good health?" "My late mother has been dead for more than ten years." When Tan Sitong mentioned his mother, he recalled the tragic scene where the coffin was placed at home for three days at the same time, and his voice choked up. This child is pure in nature!Zhang Zhidong thought to himself, and stopped asking about his family affairs. "Is your father's illness better?" "It's much better!" Tan Sitong said sincerely, "My father is very grateful for your kindness in sending the son to greet you, and specially asked me to thank you and tell your lord that he is much better today, and he can get up and do business tomorrow." "Don't be so anxious, your father is old, you should rest for a few more days, and it won't be too late to go back to work after you recover." "My father said that he was disrespectful and ashamed of receiving the generous gift from the young master yesterday. I was ordered to give you an antler in return. This was given by a friend when my father was the governor of Gansu. It's better than the antlers he bought." After Tan Sitong said, he lifted a large cloth bag from the back of the chair.He opened the cloth bag, revealing a two-foot-long black-brown sika antler covered with fluff, he got up and offered it with both hands. Facing this precious gift, Zhang Zhidong felt rather embarrassed.All his life, he didn't like others to give gifts, especially he was afraid of giving heavy gifts, and he politely refused most of the gifts.But in the current situation, it is really inconvenient for him to refuse this important gift, which means rejecting the governor's kindness, and it will be even more difficult for the governor to work with him in the future.Thinking of this, he smiled and said: "Okay! I can't go against your father's generous gift, I accept it, and I will thank you for your descendants when you go back." "Thank you, my lord, for your face!" "Yang Rui mentioned you many times in front of me, saying that you are both civil and military, heroic and righteous. I am very happy that Tan Futai has you as a beautiful child." Zhang Zhidong looked at Tan Sitong kindly with caressing eyes. From the heart.I wanted to say another sentence, "It's a pity that I don't have this blessing", but I choked on the words again. "Your Excellency, praise. Yang Shuqiao is a sincere gentleman. I also received a letter from him two days ago from the capital, saying that it is boring to be a secretary in the cabinet. It is better to be in Wuchang. Although Wuchang is busy, it is full of life. Much more. Working in the cabinet, I feel bored, and I don’t even have the mood to read.” When it comes to reading, Zhang Zhidong heard from Yang Rui that Tan Sitong had finished studying the "Chuanshan Posthumous Letters" under the guidance of the famous scholar Ouyang Zhonggu, so he asked: "I heard that you spent a whole year reading Wang Fuzhi's book. , Do you have any special experience?" "Mr. Chuanshan's writing style is big and thoughtful. Wansheng thinks that he has not yet entered the threshold, but he also has some experience. Wansheng thinks that Mr. Chuanshan has been writing in seclusion for forty years. It is nothing more than to explain to the world his belief that people should Go with the times." In addition to classics and history, Zhang Zhidong's reading focuses on poetry and prose, and he doesn't like Zishu very much.The "Chuanshan Posthumous Letters" engraved by the Zeng brothers in Jiangning was given to him by Jinling Book Company as a scholar in Hubei at that time, but he only read a small part of it.It is often heard that the most exciting part of Chuanshan's books lies in the analysis of "Qi", "Li", "Tao", "Apparatus", "Knowledge" and "Action". The purpose of the book was to promote national righteousness; some people even privately said that after the Zeng brothers captured Nanjing, they were eager to engrave Chuanshan's works, in fact, they wanted to use this to wash away their crimes of helping the Manchus suppress the Han.Of course, Zhang Zhidong never believed in such private speculations. As for the statement that the purpose of the Chuanshan Theory is to explain that people should walk with the times, this is the first time I have heard it.Is this Chuanshan's original intention, or is it the self-view of this extraordinary son?There is a couplet in the name of Chuanshan: the six classics charge me to open the face, seven feet from the sky begging to be buried alive.Chuanshan can make a difference in the Six Classics, and young people can also make a difference in Chuanshan's theory, let's listen to his explanation.Zhang Zhidong smiled and said, "Your ability to comprehend is really extraordinary. Chuanshan has written millions of words with painstaking thought, and you can sum it up in just one sentence." Tan Sitong smiled embarrassedly and said: "Late students follow the example of Mr. Wuliu in reading. They like to read without seeking deep understanding. It is very likely that what Gou mentioned is not the profound essence of Chuanshan, but I think we should understand Chuanshan's theory in this way." Zhang Zhidong thought: This method of studying Chuanshan may not be advisable, but if it is applied in the world, it may not be the knowledge of a master.Zhang Zhidong's reading has always attached the most importance to the word "communication", but thousands of scholars just don't understand this point, and become pedantic and unreasonable; if pedantic and unreasonable, no amount of reading is useless.This is what Mencius said, it is better to have no books than to believe in books. "Fourth young master, please tell the old man what you know about walking with the times!" "Master Zhang, in his late life, he believed that walking with the times is not only the purpose of the Chuanshan Theory, but also the fundamental way for all heroes to achieve their careers. A person, no matter how capable you are, if you are against the sky and against the times, Otherwise, they will inevitably end up with bloodshed and nothing will be achieved. There are countless such people in Heng’s previous dynasties, but they didn’t see this.” Zhang Zhidong has been an official for decades, and there are very few young people who dare to speak so loudly in front of him.Is it because as the governor's son, he has always been arrogant?Or is it that a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers, but is prone to speak out without knowing the depth?Or is it really different from the popular customs, and it is only others who are surprised, but it is a natural expression in himself?Zhang Zhidong thought silently while listening. "For now, we are facing a huge change. Although Hefei Xiangguo has done some things unsatisfactorily, he is still clear-headed. He has a sentence that is the best. He said that China is In the midst of great changes in the past three thousand years, the word "change" most profoundly summarizes the situation of the country today. Since the situation has changed, everything should change accordingly. There is a sentence that should not be said by the younger generation, but it has been kept in mind for a long time , I don’t usually have the opportunity to vomit, but today in front of adults, even though I may be ridiculed by arrogance, I still can’t help but say it.” "Say what you want." Zhang Zhidong kindly encouraged. "My lord, from the perspective of the younger generation, the biggest problem in China today is to follow the old ways and not know how to reform and reform." "Change and Restoration"! "Reform" and "restoration" are two ancient words, but now they are combined and spit out by the young Tan Sitong, which shocked the enterprising fifty-five-year-old governor of Huguang.He began to look differently at the famous young man in front of him. "This is the most prominent in the officialdom, and it is especially typical in Hubei. To be honest, my father is a conservative person. This sentence, the younger generation also said this to my father, and my father also admitted this, saying that like him For people with experience and age, it is safest to stick to the old ways.” Zhang Zhidong couldn't help laughing, and said: "It's really not easy for a father and son to have such a heart-to-heart conversation." "This kind of conversation is very rare, and he can only talk occasionally when he is in a very comfortable mood. My father is rarely happy in his life, he is always busy and worried. It's not that the younger generation protects people like my father. There are too many, and the most common ones are the prefect of Wuchang and the magistrate of Jiangxia County. They are really officials of the evasive and evasive style that Zeng Wenzheng said fifty years ago. If adults want to do major Westernization affairs in Hubei, according to the younger generation In my humble opinion, the most important thing is not the lack of funds, but how to deal with a large number of such unconscious officials." These words shocked Zhang Zhidong again.He was quite dissatisfied with Tan Sitong's wild attitude at first.The most important thing is not what but what. Only people like Ziqing and Yan Dan can say such things. As a nephew in his twenties, how can he say such things in front of me?How could Tan Jingfu, who was so rigid and respectful of etiquette, give birth to such a son who didn't know the heights of heaven and earth.What a queer thing!However, after thinking about it, what the young man said made sense.The two things that have made him depressed, angry, and even frustrated recently are indeed caused by the stupidity of the officials, not because of the lack of money.Zhang Zhidong had to admire Tan Sitong's sharp eyes.From the bottom of his heart, Zhang Zhidong likes this kind of people: Although roses have thorns, they have beautiful flowers; although vines are soft and lovely, they are useless at all! He put down his airs and asked with an almost equal attitude: "You are right. From your point of view, the old man came to Hubei to set up an iron factory and a mining bureau. Whether there are many supporters in Hubei's official circles and the people, or not How many people are there?" Tan Sitong did not answer right away. He thought for a while and said, "If your lord wants to listen to me telling the truth, there are only a small number of people who understand and support what Hubei Province does to you, regardless of the officialdom or the people. Most people are waiting and watching. Of course, There are not many people on the Yellow Crane Tower watching the capsized ship." Zhang Zhidong stroked his beard intently, looked at Tan Sitong without saying a word, but carefully weighed these few words in his heart. "However, adults don't have to worry about this. Since ancient times, great achievements have been made by a few foresights, and then with the help of the majority, finally there is a response from the whole world. For example, Confucius founded Confucianism, and Sakyamuni founded Buddhism in Tianzhu Kingdom. The younger generation fully agrees with the cause of the adult, just because my father repeatedly asked the younger generation to take the Enke Township Examination this autumn, otherwise, The younger generation has long since returned to their hometown of Liuyang, imitating the adults in doing two important things." Zhang Zhidong asked with great interest: "What are the two important things to do when you return to Liuyang?" "Follow the example of the adults in setting up Western culture in the Lianghu Academy, and set up a Western Academy in Liuyang, focusing on arithmetic, astronomy, surveying, etc., recruiting dozens of bright children to train them." "Okay." Zhang Zhidong replied immediately, "Your idea is great, I will make an appointment with you first, and I will receive as many as you train. I just need such talents here." Tan Sitong said happily: "With the support of adults, I am more excited about running the Western Academy, and I don't have to worry about no one coming to study." "What about the second one?" "Liuyang, my hometown, is a mountainous area with less fields and more mountains. People in Liuyang have a hard life. For generations, people in Liuyang have believed that poverty is fate and cannot be changed. Ever since the adults decided to mine coal in Jiangxia and iron in Daye, I remembered ten years ago. According to the records in Liuyang County Chronicles, the monks of Puji Temple have been digging a kind of black stone at the foot of the back mountain since the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty as firewood for cooking water and rice. .Now I think, aren't the rocks there just coal?" "That's right, it must be coal." Zhang Zhidong was very happy, "The foreign miner of the Iron Political Bureau said: Some coal is on the surface, called open-pit coal, and the black stones in Puji Temple are probably open-pit coal; They don’t know how to dig deep after the open-pit coal has been burned. Your idea is very good, it seems that you will have a lot of coal in Liuyang.” "That's what I think." Tan Sitong's face glowed with sincerity, "So, I would like to invite experts to investigate in Liuyang. There may be iron, copper and other ores in addition to coal. We will collect these underground treasures. If it is dug out, won’t it bring wealth to the people of Liuyang?” "Okay, I support you. When do you go, I will ask the Iron Political Bureau to send two British miners to accompany you and help you investigate. If there is, we will build another coal mining bureau in Liuyang in the future, and the governor's office in Hunan will be in charge. If they are not enthusiastic, you can come to me again, and I will do it. The coal dug out will be transported to Wuchang to make iron, it’s just a little bit farther and more freight.” These words immediately tied the hearts of the two generations together.Tan Sitong felt a joy rarely seen in many years. He opened his heart and said to Zhang Zhidong: "My lord, I will tell you something from the bottom of my heart. I think running a mathematics school and opening a mine are secondary things. To make the common people rich and the country strong, the first thing is to reform and reform. The models of reform and reform are Western countries. Mining, iron making, machinery and guns are specific skills. Of course, we must learn, and what we need to learn is Their decrees and laws mean that we will come to a new reform to reform our ancestors. In this way, China may have hope. Otherwise, any good skill will change its taste when it comes to China, just like an orange has become a trifoliate." "Reform", as soon as Zhang Zhidong heard this word, he immediately thought of Shang Yang who was cracked by the car, Wang Anshi who was exiled, and Zhang Juzheng who whipped the corpse. This is not a topic to talk about casually!Tan Sitong, a young man in civilian clothes, he can speak without restraint. As a feudal official, he can't talk about such important matters casually. He decided to change the topic: "Oranges that cross Huaibei will turn into trifoliate oranges. This is a very interesting story. We will Besides, the old man heard from Yang Rui that you are quick in writing and thinking, you can write a thousand words for a text, and you can write a poem in seven steps." "Uncle Qiao praised me." Tan Sitong smiled and said, "However, if you don't set too high a standard, you can chant a song or two casually." "Okay. How about I try you, old man?" Zhang Zhidong pointed to the western clock on the opposite bookshelf, "Just in front of me, recite a poem called Qilu for a quarter of an hour." “请大人赐题。”谭嗣同毫不含糊地说。 张之洞略思片刻：“就以眼前之景为题，吟一首《登黄鹤楼览武汉形势》吧！” “晚辈领题了。”谭嗣同说完这句话后便不再吭声，呆坐在木靠椅上，面无表情，两只略为下陷的眼睛死死地盯着那座鎏金发亮的洋钟。张之洞望着瘦小的谭公子，觉得他眼下这个神态决不像达官贵公子的模样，那木讷的面容，像是内心愁苦的入定僧；瘦小的身材，像是终年饥饿的放牛娃；那微凹的双眼，像是荒山坡上的两只小洞穴。张之洞越看心里越不好受：这孩子要么是心灵上蒙有常人所没有的极大创痛，要么是体内藏有未察觉的暗疾隐病，或许难保永年…… “大人，晚辈借你的纸笔用用。”正在张之洞胡思乱想的时候，谭嗣同已起身了。 “好，好。”张之洞也跟着起身，指着书桌上的文房四宝说，“你写吧！” 谭嗣同来到书案边，提起笔来，蘸了墨后，在一张空白信笺上龙飞凤舞地写起来。张之洞跟在他的身后看，一边轻轻地念着：黄沙卷日堕荒荒，一鸟随云度莽苍。山入空城盘地起，江横旷野竟天长。东南形胜雄吴楚，今古人才感栋梁。远略未因愁病减，角声吹彻满林霜。 谭嗣同放下笔，拿起诗笺，双手递给张之洞：“大人是诗界巨眼，晚辈献丑了。” “不错，不错。”张之洞接过诗笺说，“这首七律通篇都不错，尤其首联两句最好。前人说陈思王最攻起调，看来你写诗学的是曹植一路。接下三联略嫌伤感了点。年轻人嘛，虽有点坎坷挫折，毕竟年富力盛，前途远大，宜乐观激扬为好。这种忧思重重的风格，大概也是受曹植的影响吧！” 谭嗣同说：“大人所论极是。我在吟诗的时候，仿佛觉得自己就是一只孤单失群孤立无援的小鸟，随着浮云在莽苍苍的天际上吃力地飞呀飞呀，不知何处是归宿。” “喔！”张之洞敛容望着谭嗣同，一时无语。他做学政多年，学生数以千计，像这等身处富贵之家而忧心忡忡的年轻人还是第一次遇到。他原本想叫仁梃与嗣同交个朋友，以便仁梃有一个文武兼资的同龄榜样，但此刻打消了这个念头。他怕这个思想不羁而心绪愁苦的抚台公子给儿子带来不利的影响。 这时，梁敦彦急匆匆地走进来，附着张之洞的耳边悄悄说了几句话。只见张之洞脸色陡然阴沉下来，对谭嗣同说：“四少爷，老夫有急事要办，对不起了。回去后转达对令尊大人的谢意，请他多休息几天，待病完全好后再办公事不迟。”又对大根说，“你送送谭公子。”