Chapter 72 4. Gu Hongming, who had an affair, was taken to the consulate by a British businessman

After getting along for a long time, Mrs. Fei told the truth that she was not Feigetai's wife, but his lover.She was originally a prostitute in a kiln in Suzhou, and was redeemed by Fei Getai.As for Feigetai, he was not a serious businessman either.More than 20 years ago, he came to China from England as a jobless vagrant to join Gordon and joined Gordon's foreign gun team.Later, when Gordon returned to China, the foreign gun team was disbanded, and Feigetai stayed in China.At that time, several big figures in Chinese official circles were eager to use foreign affairs to strengthen themselves. Feigetai seized this opportunity and took advantage of his ability to speak Chinese and familiarity with Chinese officialdom to travel between Britain, the United States and China to start an arms business.He made huge profits from it, and soon made a windfall.Fei Getai has a wife in the UK, who has two homes in Shanghai and Guangzhou, including a woman. This small western-style building, together with Su Qiaoqiao, is his third home in China.Su Qiaoqiao said that she didn't actually love Feigetai, he was old and ugly and not cute at all.Su Qiaoqiao also told Gu Hongming that in the past two years, Fei Getai has been doing business with the Hubei Iron and Steel Bureau, and all the important machines needed by the iron factory have been handled by him and ordered in England.At this time, Gu Yangwu was no longer interested in the machinery of the iron factory. His only interest was in Su Qiaoqiao. Long enjoy the joy of having an affair with Su Qiaoqiao.

As the saying goes, extreme joy begets sorrow, half a month before Su Qiaoqiao told him the date of Feigetai's return to China, one late night, when Gu Hongming and Su Qiaoqiao were in bed, Feigetai came back suddenly.Gu Hongming was caught on the spot naked, and he was so ashamed that he couldn't bear it.Su Qiaoqiao was severely beaten by Fei Getai, crying.Fei Getai tied up Gu Hongming and sent him to the British Consulate in Hankou early the next morning.Gu Hongming talked with the consul of the consulate in proficient English, admitted that he was sorry for Mr. Feigetai and was willing to be punished, and said that he had studied in the UK and worked in the Western Affairs Office of the Governor of Huguang, so he could help Mr. Feigetai in the future .

The British consul and Feigetai were quite surprised when they heard this.Instinctively, they realized that this was a rare figure, so they immediately recruited a photographer and took many photos of Gu Hongming in order to leave undeniable evidence. Then they untied the ropes tied to him and treated him with courtesy .After discussing for a long time in another room, the British Consul and Fei Getai said to Gu Hongming: "We are going to release you, but if the governor's office sends someone with status to come to collect it, who do you think?" Gu Hongming thought for a while , I think it is most appropriate to call Liang Dunyan.First, he is the assistant chief copywriter, the translation department is under his jurisdiction and he knows English, and second, he is tolerant and kind, and easy to talk to.

In this way, a short letter sent to Huguang Governor's Yamen Assistant Chief Copywriter reached Liang Dunyan's hands.He felt that this was a difficult matter, so he came to ask Zhang Zhidong for instructions. When he learned that Gu Hongming was caught having an affair with someone and was taken to the British Consulate, and that the woman's husband was British, Zhang Zhidong was very annoyed, and cursed fiercely: "You bastard!" "Xiang Shuai, the British Consulate will probably do something about Gu Hongming, and they will release him only if we promise something." Liang Dunyan looked worried.

"Oh, it's very possible." Zhang Zhidong thought for a while and said, "Gu Hongming did something unreasonable, and the consequences should be borne by him alone, which has nothing to do with us. It's rare for people to think about Gu Hongming. If he can’t come up with it, we can pay it for him within 10,000 taels and deduct it from his salary in the future; if it exceeds 10,000 taels, we can’t agree.” Liang Dunyan received Zhang Zhidong's order and hurried across the river to the British Consulate in Hankou, where Vice Consul Lyme came forward to receive him.Liang Dunyan asked to see Gu Hongming first.Rhyme led him to another room, and saw Gu Hongming leisurely reading an English magazine with a coffee cup in one hand and an English magazine in the other.Liang Dunyan was both angry and funny, scolded: "Tang Sheng, you seem to be fine, Xiangshuai is very angry about this!"

Gu Hongming said to the assistant chief copywriter nonchalantly: "Su Qiaoqiao, Feigetai's woman, volunteered to befriend me. According to British law, I can't be punished. I won't go to prison. At worst, I need to pay some money, just pay it. , I think I am unlucky; besides, Su Qiaoqiao is not his wife, but just a lover. The reason why I invited you here may be that they don't believe that I am the supervisor. I want you to verify it. Please prove my identity I will pay for it myself, I don't think I will cause Xiangshuai too much trouble!" "Okay, read your magazine, I'll go negotiate with them." Seeing that Gu Hongming was not abused and he was in a good mood, Liang Dunyan was more than half relieved. Since he was willing to take all the responsibilities, the matter would be much easier .

Seeing Liang Dunyan's imposing appearance and fluent English, Lyme was quite polite to him, asking him to sit down, and the waiter brought him coffee again.Liang Dunyan said: "This is a regrettable thing. Mr. Gu Hongming is a foreign affairs staff member of the governor's office in Huguang. Mr. Gu is my subordinate, and I am responsible for lax discipline. Today, as his superior, I apologize to Mr. Feigetai, and I ask your vice-consul to convey it on your behalf." Rhyme smiled and said: "Mr. Liang's attitude is very good, I appreciate it, and I will pass on your words to Mr. Feigetai. But Feigetai is very angry about this, and the consulate also believes that the people of our British Empire Insulted in your country, we have a duty to call the shots for him."

Although Lime had a smile on his face, it was clear from his words that his attitude was tough and he was not easy to deal with.Liang Dunyan studied engineering and construction in the United States. He neither knew law nor had diplomatic experience. Yes, the sign of Huguang Governor's Yamen also gave him some courage.He tried to calm himself down and said calmly: "We can understand Mr. Feigetai's mood. I met Mr. Gu just now, and the two points he said to me are very important. Please pay attention to your vice-consul: 1. That The woman fell in love with Mr. Gu voluntarily; second, that woman is not Feigetai's wife, but his lover."

"No." The smile on Rhyme's face disappeared. "Mr. Feigetai insisted that Su Qiaoqiao is his wife. Another purpose of his return to China this time is to handle the divorce with his former wife. Once completed, he will formally register his marriage with Ms. Su Qiaoqiao. According to the situation , Ms. Su should be regarded as Mr. Feigetai's wife. In addition, I also want to tell Mr. Liang that according to Ms. Su's own words, your Mr. Gu seduced her many times, but she was not willing, that is to say, she did not Love you Mr. Gu, Ms. Su was forced." Lime's remarks are obviously untenable.Since Su Qiaoqiao has no engagement with Fei Getai, she cannot be regarded as his wife.She is an adult and has the ability to handle things independently. Words such as seduction and coercion cannot be justified.But Liang Dunyan stepped into the British Consulate with a sense of injustice from the very beginning. Hearing what Lime said, he thought it was reasonable to regard Su Qiaoqiao as Feigetai's wife, but he just refuted the "forced" theory .

Lyme said: "It is a bit reluctant to say that it is forced, but it is true that Ms. Su expressed remorse for her husband crying bitterly. At least it shows that she does not love Mr. Koo. Because of this, the British Empire Consulate will not bring Mr. Koo to court. For the sake of the friendly relations between the two countries, we are willing to handle this matter carefully." When the honest Liang Dunyan heard this, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly said: "We appreciate the kindness of your country's consulate, and I don't know how you plan to handle this matter."

"I don't know who has disclosed the matter of Mr. Gu. This morning, reporters from several Western and Japanese newspapers have come to the consulate to interview and want to take some photos for Mr. Gu. Because Mr. Gu has been studying in Europe for many years, Now he is Zhang Zhitai’s highly valued friend of Westernization, and he can be regarded as a dignified person in your country. When this kind of romantic case comes out, it is the news that reporters can’t wait for. If it is published, the reporter will become famous, and the newspaper will also become famous.” While talking, Lime took out a cigar from the humidor on the table and handed it to Liang Dunyan. "Thank you!" Liang Dunyan shook his hand and said, "Mr. Vice Consul, before the matter is settled, please don't receive those reporters who cause trouble." Rhyme struck a match, lit the cigar, and smoked it himself. "Mr. Gu has studied at the University of Edinburgh in our country for four years. He can also be regarded as a talent cultivated by our British Empire. Besides, Zhang Zhitai is also very friendly to us. For Mr. Gu's face and for the friendship between the two countries, we I didn’t receive those reporters, and I didn’t want to spread this matter.” Liang Dunyan was busy thanking again. "We have cooperated with Zhang Zhitai for two or three years, and we really want to continue the friendly cooperation with Zhang Zhitai. Zhang Zhitai runs an iron factory, a gun factory, and a coal mine, and we are very supportive. In the past two years, Feige Mr. Tai and several other British businessmen have bought back a lot of machinery from the UK for Hubei. We would like to ask the governor of Huguang to ensure that all large-scale machinery will be purchased from the UK in the future and not from other countries; of course, we will ensure that quality and offer great prices.” Liang Dunyan thought: The Tiezheng Bureau has been doing business with the UK for the past two years, and has never heard of any major problems. As long as the machine is good, it is the same thing to buy it from the United States, Germany, and the UK. They just want to do business with us. The conditions are not too harsh for the business to continue.So he nodded and said, "I think it is possible." "This one is the idea of ​​our British Consulate, and the other one is proposed by Mr. Feigetai himself." Lime flicked the cigar ash and said unhurriedly, "This time Feigetai brought 200,000 taels. The silver ticket went back to London to buy a steel rolling machine, but found that the quality of the machine produced by the manufacturer was not up to the requirements, and the factory remanufactured it, and it would take half a year to leave the factory. This is a violation of the contract signed with the Railway Bureau. Fei Getai hopes that the Railway Bureau will look after him In order to save face, he did not punish the factory for breach of contract, and agreed to buy the machine and ship it back half a year later, and he has already handed over the two hundred thousand taels to the factory in advance." Liang Dunyan thought: Feigetai can’t be blamed for this matter. Feigetai’s insistence that the machine must meet the design requirements is also a manifestation of his responsibility to the iron political situation; , is also plausible.So he said, "I can see that too." "Okay." Rhyme cheered up. "We have drafted a document, please take it back and ask Zhang Zhitai to sign it, and we will release Mr. Gu immediately." Lime took out a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to Liang Dunyan.Liang Dunyan took it, and saw that there were two passages in Chinese and English on it, which said the same meaning. As for the arrest of Gu Hongming for cheating, he did not mention it.Liang Dunyan felt that it was something proposed by the British Consulate after all, and it was quite decent.He didn't say anything more, and brought it back to the supervisor's office. In the afternoon, Liang Dunyan sent this document to Zhang Zhidong.After Zhang Zhidong looked at it, his two thick and short thick eyebrows frowned immediately. "These two are very powerful. The first one is to bind us to the British. From now on, other countries will not be able to buy machines that are better than theirs, and the price is cheaper than his. All the money to buy machines will come from They earn." "Xiang Shuai said yes, but now in order to redeem Gu Hongming, he had to sign. I think, in the past two years, most of our machines have been bought from the UK, and British products are okay. Besides, the UK operates several machines along the Yangtze River. It has been ten years, and we will inevitably have to deal with them in our future work. It is very important to maintain friendship. Besides, in the future, there will be machines from other countries that are better than the United Kingdom. We can still buy them from that country with some flexibility. Just this It is impossible for paper to lock us up." "Well, let him follow this one!" Zhang Zhidong pointed to the second paragraph of the Chinese part and said, "Do you know the tricks that Fei Getai played in the middle, he guessed that Tang Sheng would not have much money, so Instead of making Tang Sheng lose money, transfer the money to the Tiezheng Bureau." Liang Dunyan said: "I didn't think about it carefully, please explain to Xiangshuai." "At the beginning, the contract stated that if the delay was three months, the factory would compensate 5% of the loss, and if the delay was half a year, the compensation would be 10% of the loss, and 10% would be 20,000. Fang Chu, just put it in his pocket, this is one. Second, he may have deposited the two hundred thousand silver in the bank, or he may have privately lent usury, or he may have taken it for short-term trading. In short, this The 200,000 yuan will be used by him for half a year. He can make as much as 10,000 to 20,000, and as little as 7,000 to 8,000. In order to redeem Gu Hongming, we lost 20,000 to 30,000 silver. Hey, this disappointing Gu Tangsheng! " Liang Dunyan admired Zhang Zhidong's shrewdness very much, but he had already expressed his position in front of Lime, and he was afraid that Zhang Zhidong would disagree, so he said: "Tang Sheng is not up to date, but the matter has come to this point, and there is no other way to think about it." Yes. If they don’t agree, they will spread the matter through foreign newspapers. It’s not good for the Huguang Governor’s Yamen or the iron political situation. Besides, Tang Sheng is indeed a rare talent. I will be more grateful to Xiang Shuai. From now on, I will punish him to work twice as hard to make up for his mistakes.” Zhang Zhilou kept a straight face, and it took him a long time to say: "I don't sign such documents!" Liang Dunyan was in a hurry: "Xiang Shuai will forgive him this time, I beg you for him." "I don't sign, not that I don't forgive him." Zhang Zhidong's face was still tense. "You can put an official seal of Huguang Governor's Yamen on it. You can go to the British Consulate and tell the British Consulate that one day Mr. Zhang will be transferred to another place by order and will not be the Governor of Huguang. What's the use of signing it? Even better, no matter who will be the governor of Huguang in the future, whoever will run the iron factory or foreign affairs, he will do the same thing and buy his British machines, wouldn't it be better?" Liang Dunyan didn't dare to argue with Zhang Zhidong, so he had to stamp the purple flower seal of the governor's office in Huguang, and cross the river to the British consulate.Fortunately, Lime didn't care about this, and after accepting the stamped document, he asked him to take Gu Hongming back.Along the way, Liang Dunyan told Gu Hongming what had happened.Gu Hongming felt guilty for causing this disaster, but also deeply thanked Zhang Zhidong for his forgiveness. As soon as he returned to the supervisory office, Gu Hongming came to the signing room, confessed his fault to Zhang Zhidong, and expressed his gratitude to him. Zhang Zhidong stared at Gu Hongming coldly for a long time without making a sound, which made Gu Hongming feel cold and uneasy all over. "You don't need to thank me, if you want to thank you, go thank Liang Songsheng!" This sentence is like pouring cold water on Gu Hongming's head.He knew that the governor was already very angry with him, and if he stayed any longer, both of them would feel uncomfortable. "Then I will take my leave." After Gu Hongchrome said this, he turned around and left. "Go slowly." Gu Hongming turned around, came back to Zhang Zhidong's side, and stood with his arms down. "A few years ago, I heard that you have a habit of narrow and evil behavior, and your wife has suffered a lot of grievances because of it. This time, you not only lose face, but also shame our Huguang Superintendent's Office. You know all this, I I won't blame you any more." Zhang Zhidong felt a little tired, he picked up the snuff bottle and moved it back and forth under the nostrils a few times, feeling much better than before. "Tang Sheng, you are a very talented and intelligent person, but since ancient times, very talented people often fail to do great things, and their cleverness is misunderstood by their cleverness. There are many reasons for this, and I will tell you in a moment I don’t know. You once asked me whether there is one book among the vast amount of Chinese books that people can understand after reading it. I didn’t tell you in the past, because I was afraid that you would only read one book and abolish the other books in the future. High The spire of the tower depends on the wide base of the tower, and the towering trees can only grow on the rich land. The arrival of the realm of knowing everything, not just relying on a book, it must be based on the foundation of being well-read. On. Today, I want to tell you about this book. One is that you have laid the foundation of Chinese learning, and the other is that you really haven’t mastered it. You are far from a good person in this important matter of standing in the world, so you are indulging in it. In the joy of poisoned wine." I heard that there is indeed a treasure book that can make people understand everything, and knowing it at this moment, Gu Hongming is overjoyed.Yesterday's humiliation seemed to have passed for decades, and he said with a humble attitude that was rarely seen in the past: "My lord, please enlighten me! I will always remember the kindness of my lord's teaching." Zhang Zhidong sneered, and said, "This book is not a secretary, but Zhouyi, the first of the six classics that everyone knows well." "Book of Changes!" Gu Hongming repeated it involuntarily. "Yes, "Book of Changes." Zhang Zhidong said seriously, "You must have read "Book of Changes" many times. I don't know whether you have read it through or not. I will tell you today. , This is the first of the Chinese books and the most classic. If you read it for another ten or eight years with this understanding, you may have made great progress. Confucius read "Yi" fifty times, so that Wei compiled three masterpieces and lied about me In a few years, you can be very gentle in "Yi". As a sage, I read this book at the age of fifty, and said that it takes a few years to understand the mystery of it. Eight years is not much." Gu Hongming listened quietly. "Based on my experience in reading "Book of Changes", read "Xi Ci" first. "Xi Ci" is not long, but the words are very important. Every sentence is enough for you to chew carefully and understand. For example, the opening few sentences:' When heaven is respected and earth is humble, the universe is fixed; when high and low, high and low positions are established; movement and stillness are permanent, rigidity and softness are broken; squares gather like like, things are divided into groups, and good and bad are born. Images are formed in the sky, formed in the earth, and changes can be seen. Hey." These few short sentences describe the most essential things of all things, universe, high and low, hardness and softness, good and bad, and change. If you think about it carefully, there is nothing in the world that can leave these ranges, so that Once these things are cleared up, won’t things go smoothly?” Gu Hongming listened engrossed. "Only "Xi Ci" is an inexhaustible treasure. Let me just say a few more words. You have been in the West for many years, and you should know that Western Christians talk about joy and fraternity every day, but how can they be true to their hearts? Joy, sincerity, and love? I think their "Bible" doesn't make it clear, but our "Xi Ci" makes it clear. Let us know our fate so we don't worry, and we can love when we are peaceful. , fraternity." Gu Hongming has already read the "Bible" thoroughly, and he has also read "Xi Ci", but he has not compared it in this way.Indeed, as the governor said, the "Bible" tells a lot of stories, and it doesn't make people understand how to be joyful and fraternal, but these two sentences in "Xi Ci" dug out the spring water with a shovel!Gu Hongming seemed to be enlightened by a magic wand, and his heart became much brighter.This "Book of Changes" is indeed the pinnacle of Chinese learning, and it must be studied seriously. "You read the book slowly and comprehend it carefully in the future, so I won't say much. I just remind you to pay attention to a sentence in "Xi Ci": "Who wrote "Yi", did he have any worries?" Xu Many people who read "Book of Changes" often ignore this sentence. In fact, this sentence is the most critical. Why did this "Book of Changes" come out, why did this "Book of Changes" attract great attention from sages, and why did "Zhouyi" say so much? All the subtle and hidden truths in the world, all the mysteries are in the word "worry". Tang Sheng, I hope you can have a new realm after reading the "Book of Changes". .” Gu Hongming was very moved by Zhang Zhidong's words.He realized Zhang Zhidong's painstaking efforts to fulfill him, so he felt even more guilty.With a feeling of redemption, Gu Hongming decided to tell a long-hidden secret. "Master Zhang, let me tell you something." "What's the matter, sit down and talk!" Zhang Zhidong thought that what he was going to say at this time must be extraordinary. "That Su Qiaoqiao once told me such a thing. She said that Fei Getai once told her very proudly that the officials in the financial department of Hanyang Iron Works were all jerks, greedy and ignorant. In the process of dealing with them for two years, the amount of money just entertaining him for dinner was not less than a thousand taels. In fact, he ate very little. Twenty or thirty taels, all reimbursed by the accounting office. And everyone asked for bribes, and they smiled when they saw foreign goods, and the business went smoothly. Fei Getai often bought some cheap small gifts from England for them. He said they were bait. One bait can catch a hundred times as big a fish. The worst thing is Monceau, the head of the income and expenditure department. In the past two years, he has taken at least one hundred thousand taels of silver in kickbacks. But Feigetai He earns more. Fei Getai often raises the price in front of the financial department and lowers the price in front of the factory. He has made at least three to four hundred thousand taels of silver from it. According to this calculation, one million taels of silver is used to buy machines In fact, it is only about 500,000 taels. In the UK, this is not the case at all. One million taels of silver, at least 900,000 taels are used in machines. Fei Getai once sneered that China’s Westernization is absolutely impossible. .Chinese officials are not doing foreign affairs, but making foreign fortunes.” "It's not doing foreign affairs but making money in foreign affairs", these words made Zhang Zhidong startled.Zhang Zhidong has heard more than once criticisms of the iron bureau and the iron works.The complaints are more concentrated on money, such as kickbacks, bribery, extortion, waste, etc., and the gossip of Monceau is the most.Some people say that he is Li Dianxian's sworn brother.Others said that he had a close relationship with the dismissed Zhao Maochang.Zhao Maochang matched him and opened an account for him in a bank in Shanghai.All the public funds of the iron factory are stored in the bank, and the interest is privately owned by the two of them.Not long ago, there was one incident that was still fresh in Zhang Zhidong's memory. One day, Zheng Guanying suddenly came to the governor's yamen, saying that he had just come from Xiajiang, and asked him to see the governor.After the concierge reported, Zhang Zhidong invited him in, and Zheng Guanying also brought a young man in his thirties.He introduced to Zhang Zhidong that his name was Zhang Jian and he was from Nantong, Jiangsu Province. When I came to Wuchang, I wanted to visit the iron factory, and I planned to do some foreign affairs in my hometown in the future.Zhang Zhidong had long heard that there was a learned teacher in Wu Changqing's family, and seeing Zhang Jian's elegance and grandeur, his demeanor really matched the rumors, and Zhang Zhidong was very happy to meet him.After talking for a while, knowing that he was really knowledgeable, he asked Liang Dunyan to accompany Zheng Guanying and Zhang Jian to see the Iron Political Bureau and Iron Works.In the evening, I invited the two of them to a banquet at the supervisory office, and asked them to talk about their experience of the visit, and especially hoped that they could point out some deficiencies frankly. Zheng Guanying said many compliments to Zhang Jian, and Zhang Zhidong was very happy to hear that.Zhang Jian also made a suggestion, saying that Hubei's cotton and ramie are famous all over the world, and this favorable condition should be used to build yarn mills, textile mills and hemp mills in Wuhan.The yarn weaving industry has a simple process and less cost, but it makes a quick profit, which can be used to make up for the loss of the iron factory.Zhang Jian's suggestion gave Zhang Zhidong a lot of inspiration: yes, the textile industry should be developed as soon as possible.Under Zhang Zhidong's repeated requests, two sensible people who had never been in the dyeing vat of officialdom put forward an opinion to the Iron Political Bureau and the Iron Factory.Zheng Guanying said that the iron bureau and the iron factory are overstaffed and overstaffed, and they are too ostentatious.There were only two visitors, accompanied by nearly forty people, all of whom were not low in rank, and there were a dozen or so alternate paths alone, all of whom were entourages and bags, waiting by the side, completely like the yamen.Zheng Guanying suggested that 30% of the non-technical management personnel of the Iron and Steel Bureau and the iron factory could be laid off. This would not only save money, but also reduce disputes in handling affairs.He has been to many Western countries and seen their factories and mining areas. They have fewer people and more efficient management.Zhang Jian said that during the visit, he casually asked the people around him, and found that there was a problem in the Iron Political Bureau and the iron factory that could not be ignored, that is, serious nepotism.The people who were asked came here because of their kinship. In some families, six or seven cousins ​​all worked here.It can be seen that there is a disadvantage of nepotism here.Appointing others on merit rather than relatives has always been the fundamental principle for achieving success in doing things. Please, the Governor-General, please stop this trend. Zhang Zhidong was also moved when he heard the opinions of Zheng Guanying and Zhang Jian: It seems that the iron political bureau and the iron factory need to be cleaned up.But when I was busy afterwards, I forgot about it again.Now, what Gu Hongming said about the British businessman also exposed the serious hidden dangers in the iron political situation, which must be solved by hands.But at present, the construction of the iron factory is in a tense period. The Jiangxia Coal Mine is successfully started, and the ore of the Daye Iron Mine is also being mined in large quantities. It is eagerly hoped that the iron factory will be completed and put into production as soon as possible.In particular, there is another major event that makes the ironworks must not be disturbed in the slightest.Thinking of this, Zhang Zhidong said to Gu Hongming: "I know what you said, and you should never tell others about it. I will free up my hands to deal with it. You calmly think about this matter these few days, Review and review, I hope I can accept this lesson and make amends. In a few days, I want to talk to you about a big event. The storyteller in the teahouse has a saying that it is difficult to wash away the water from the three rivers and five lakes. Today, I am ashamed. You are also full of shame today, there are three rivers and five lakes in this big event, it depends on whether you can clean it up and wash away your shame." Gu Hongming, who was so smart, was confused by the governor's words: Where did the water from the three rivers and five lakes come from, and how did I wash away my shame?