Chapter 75 7. Jianghu Langzhong brought nine pieces of rare jiaotong piano materials from Wudang Mountain

Not long after the Russian Crown Prince Nicholas and the Greek Duke Vanner left Wuhan, the Chinese version of "Zi Linxi News" run by the British reported on the visit of the Russian Crown Prince and his party to the three towns of Wuhan in an important position for two consecutive days, emphasizing Introduced the Hanyang Iron Works and the Gun Factory, praised the Hanyang Iron Works as the largest steel company in Asia, and said that the Hanyang Arsenal produces 300,000 new-style rifles a year, and these praises are all the words of the Russian crown prince.Along with the article, several live photos of the factory's production were published, and the feast at Qingchuan Pavilion was reported in detail, and a poem presented by Zhang Zhidong to the two distinguished guests was published.

"Zi Lin Xi Bao" is a very authoritative newspaper. Western ministers generally don't believe the Beijing News issued from Beijing when it comes to China's affairs, thinking that it is purely a tool for the imperial court. Western News, saying that it is fair and free from political bias.Because foreigners can afford it, the imperial court will follow suit.Therefore, the newspaper run by this outsider has more weight than the newspaper run by the Chinese themselves, and what they say is more meaningful, which really embarrasses the Chinese.Unfortunately, this phenomenon has continued for many years and has become one of the many tragedies in modern China.

This report by "Zi Lin Xi Bao", especially its praise of Hanyang Iron Works, Gun Works and Huguang Governor Zhang Zhidong, immediately caused a sensation at home and abroad.Some people in the court used to accuse Zhang Zhidong of being extravagant and extravagant, but now they are silent.Those who supported him took the opportunity to praise Zhang Zhidong for doing practical things to strengthen the country and enrich the people, and he won face for the country, so they should support him vigorously.These people obviously gained the upper hand, and the Ministry of Household issued a letter, allowing Zhang Zhidong to intercept 800,000 taels of silver from the salt class handed in, and use it for the construction of iron factories and gun factories.The British, French, and German consulates in Hankou all sent people to the governor's office to discuss how to sell their machines to Hubei.The British Consulate clearly had an advantage by relying on Gu Hongming's past events.They also offered to borrow 2 million Hong Kong dollars at a low interest rate, with Jianghan Customs tariffs as collateral.

With 800,000 salt and 2 million foreign money, Zhang Zhidong is really like a tiger with wings added, and he is dancing with his long sleeves.The first step is to build the weaving factory that has been raised for many years. As early as the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Zhang Zhidong planned to build the Guangdong weaving layout while preparing for the iron factory, and planned to raise funds by donating to the gambling merchants. Donate five hundred and sixty thousand taels.Before the money was collected, Zhang Zhidong was transferred to Wuchang.Li Hanzhang did not want to set up an iron factory, nor did he want to set up a weaving layout, so Zhang Zhidong moved the weaving layout to Wuchang together with the iron factory.

Because Hubei was short of funds and had to rely on Guangdong's silver, Zhang Zhidong discussed with Li Hanzhang that Guangdong and Hubei would jointly organize the weaving layout, and Guangdong Province would donate 960,000 taels of silver as a joint stock bureau.However, Li Hanzhang had no confidence in whether the weaving layout could make a profit, and after repeated discussions, he agreed to contribute 500,000 taels of silver to become a shareholder.Zhang Zhidong had no choice but to move around Hubei to borrow money, and collected another 300,000 yuan before he paid off the purchase price for the British machine. The machine had already been shipped to Wuchang last year.But one was short of funds, and the other was busy with iron and gun factories, so these machines had to be locked in warehouses.This is all right, Zhang Zhidong took out 500,000 taels of silver and immediately built a factory outside Wenchang Gate in Wuchang City.

Next, Zhang Zhidong set out to create a spinning mill.The Tianmen and Qianjiang areas in Hubei have always been famous cotton-producing areas, and the cotton produced is of high quality.People ask that the spinning process is rough and time-consuming, but the good cotton cannot be used well.That year Zhang Jian and Zheng Guanying suggested to Zhang Zhidong that cotton was a great wealth in Hubei, and it would be a pity not to use it.Now that the weaving layout has been set up, cotton yarn has a fixed market.Hubei cotton is used to spin Hubei yarn, Hubei yarn is used to weave Hubei cloth, and the cloth is sold to other provinces.Both spinning and weaving are profitable, and you can subsidize the iron factory and gun factory, and you can do other things. This is a serious way to make money and get rich.So next to the weaving layout, the construction of a large-scale factory building started again.

At this time, Huang Zuoqing, a tycoon in the silk industry in Shanghai, took a fancy to Zhang Zhidong as a courageous and practical official. He wanted very much to use Zhang Zhidong's power to develop the silk business in Hubei, which had already started in the south of the Yangtze River and achieved good results. , So he came to Wuchang from Shanghai, and proposed to jointly set up a silk reeling bureau with Hubei: the Hubei official gave 80,000 taels of silver, and he gave 20,000 taels of silver, and the profits were also divided into 82%.Zhang Zhidong readily agreed.As a result, the factory building of Hubei Silk Reeling Bureau was also under construction next to Wuchang Fruit Lake.Huang Zuoqing also suggested to Zhang Zhidong that Hubei has a wide range of ramie plantations, and it is also a good thing to benefit the country and the people to develop this resource.Zhang Zhidong also adopted his suggestion and entrusted him to send people to Japan to purchase hemp-making machines and find technicians. Once the Silk Reeling Bureau was completed and put into operation, he would make every effort to build the Hubei Hemp-making Bureau.

Zhang Zhidong has great ambitions. He hopes that through the establishment of the four bureaus of cloth, yarn, silk and hemp, a textile industry system produced by foreign machines will be formed in Hubei, which will directly benefit the farmers in Hubei and facilitate the people of the whole country, and will also open up a new type of textile industry in China. Before the weaving trend, hand-loomed cloth, which has been inherited for thousands of years, came out of farmers' homes and became a mass-produced social commodity. With the vigorous development of Westernization, Zhang Zhidong felt more and more the shortage of Westernization talents.He discussed with Cai Xiyong and others to build a Westernization School next to the Iron Political Bureau, named Ziqiang School.Cai Xiyong was hired as the general manager of the school, with Chen Niantou as the supervisor and Liang Dunyan as the chief teacher, and all the returning students from the United States were hired as teachers.Ziqiang Academy has four subjects: Dialect, Gezhi, Mathematics, and Business.The dialect is the basic course, and the dialect course is mainly Western, divided into English, French, Russian, and German.

Because the raw materials of the cloth, yarn, silk, and hemp bureaus all come from the countryside, agronomy has become a university subject that must be studied, and because the ironworks and gun factories are in urgent need of a group of operators, Zhang Zhidong successively set up agricultural affairs in Hubei. School and Hubei Technology School. During this period, the steelmaking furnace was installed, and all the machines of the gun factory were shipped from the United States, Germany and other countries. The iron factory and the gun factory were truly put into operation. In just over a year, Hubei's heavy and light industries sprung up from scratch, and new schools were established in an all-round way. Jingchu official circles, scholars, towns and villages caused shocks from all walks of life, which caused great changes in the atmosphere of the two lakes.It is also like a rainbow, shining with colorful light, hanging high in the Jianghan sky, attracting the attention of the government and the public, east, west, north, south, and becoming a hot topic of current public opinion and a topic of discussion in government offices and cities. It may be praised or destroyed, admired or admired Jealousy.In short, it cannot be underestimated, let alone ignore its existence.

Seeing all this, Zhang Zhidong, who has been in the difficult job for more than ten years, felt a sense of self-comfort, and at this moment, he suddenly felt a sense of fatigue. Peiyu said to her husband: "It's time to rest. Even an arhat will suffer from illness after working so hard. Take advantage of these leisure days and take care of the children's important affairs. I see you, Put it all behind your head!" How is this possible?Renbing and Zhun'er's mothers are gone, and the important matter of marrying a wife should be handled by him, the father.Long before Xu Zhixiang participated in the impeachment case, he and Peiyu had discussed the marriage of their youngest son and daughter.After the impeachment turmoil subsided, Zhang Zhidong brought up the matter seriously, and discussed it with Sang Zhiping, Zhun'er, and Nian Reng separately. He was relieved that no one had any objections.

It's no surprise that the Sang family likes Ren Bing, even Zhun'er likes Nian Tiao's character and talent, he doesn't think he is twelve years older than himself, Zhang Zhidong is very satisfied with his daughter's vision in choosing people. So Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping discussed it and decided to get engaged first and then get married two years later. One is that three of the four young people are still young, and two years will be just right; It will take two years before there is any news. It turned out that one year before the children got engaged, on the eve of Wu Qiuyi's departure from Wuhan to continue to roam the world, Zhang Zhidong asked his old friend to find some good piano materials for him.Wu Qiuyi asked him what to do with it.He said he would prepare a few zithers. From now on, when a son marries a wife and a daughter marries a man, each person will get a qin instead of money.Wu Qiuyi clapped his hands and said with a smile: "What an elegant governor, this gift couldn't be better." The two made an appointment to meet again in Wuhan before the Mid-Autumn Festival three years later, and Wu Qiuyi must try to bring some good pianos materials come. Now there are only more than two months before the three-year contract. Does that wandering doctor still remember this incident?Regardless of whether Wu Qiuyi returns to Wuhan or not, whether or not the piano materials are found, this autumn must be a major event for the children. Just a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the young novice monk of Guiyuan Temple sent a letter from the governor himself to the gate of the governor's yamen.Zhang Zhidong opened the letter and saw that it was Wu Qiuyi's own handwriting. He said that he had returned to Wuhan three days ago and was still living in Guiyuan Temple. a time. Zhang Zhidong thought that it would not be appropriate for a quack doctor to come to the yamen to look for him, so he wrote a few words: We are scheduled to meet at Guiyuan Temple tomorrow evening.After sealing it, hand it over to the little monk of Guiyuan Temple to take it back. In the evening of the next day, Zhang Zhidong, Sang Zhiping, and Dagen, who were dressed in casual clothes, quietly came to Guiyuan Temple.At this time, the gate of the mountain has been closed, the pilgrims and tourists have dispersed, and the hustle and bustle has been replaced by tranquility.In the twilight, the drums were beating heavily, and the lingering smoke in the incense burner was still faintly visible.The golden statues of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and Arhats are more sacred and solemn than in the daytime in the twilight and mist of cigarettes. The Guiyuan Temple in the downtown area, probably only at this time, really looks like a jungle Buddhist temple.Four years ago, the prison court sued the abbot and Zhike monk for conspiring to privately sell the properties of Guishan Temple. Later, because Zhao Maochang and Zhang Zhidong were mixed up, no one in the Huguang Yamen came to investigate. After the abbot heard the news, he hurried Break ground to build Arhat Hall. As soon as the Arhat Hall started construction, one explained that the money was used on the right path, and the other said that the interest of the monks turned to the project. The third said that as soon as Wang Cheng started construction, hundreds of people ate a day, good wine and good food came in, and the kitchen was hot. It was hot, and all the monks were also stained with oil and water.In this way, the abbot and the Zhike monk were supported, but the prison was isolated.It didn't take long for him to go out to wander alone in despair, and he hasn't returned yet.Three years later, the Arhat Hall was completed, but there was no money for the statues of the five hundred Arhats, so we had to leave the hall empty until we had money.The monks looked at the empty hall, and no longer had any opinions. Some people suggested that the hall should be tidied up. If it rains or snows, everyone might as well come here for activities, chatting and practicing boxing together, so Everyone supports it.The Arhat Hall became the monk hall, and the clay bodhisattva temporarily gave way to the living bodhisattva to be happy. Zhang Zhidong and his party entered the monastery from the west gate, passed the empty Arhat hall, and came to a large meditation room on the east side of Yunshui hall. Wu Qiuyi had already cleaned it up, and hot tea was waiting for them. "Brother Qiuyi, you are much darker and thinner, you have traveled a lot in the past three years!" After everyone sat down, Zhang Zhidong asked with a smile. "I travel through mountains and rivers to eat and sleep in dew, so my face is naturally dark and thin. You have become an official and a master, why have you become much darker and thinner in the past few years!" Wu Qiuyi looked at Zhang Zhidong and laughed heartily. Zhang Zhidong said: "I, an official, can never do it more easily than you, a doctor. I have to worry about it, and I have to inspect various bureaus and factories. Why am I not black and thin?" Sang Zhiping said: "Being an official is much more difficult than being a traveler. Although Brother Qiuyi is dark and thin, his hair is not white. Look at Mr. Zhang, his beard and hair are like silver." "Hey!" Wu Qiuyi sighed. "It's difficult to be an official like him. But then again, how many Zhang Xiangtao are there in the world? Look at the big and small characters in the officialdom, who doesn't raise fat for nothing, people in their fifties and sixties, The braids under the black gauze hat are slick and smooth, Xiangtao, you are asking for trouble!" "Let's not talk about that." Zhang Zhidong was a stubborn person, and he was not happy to hear such discouraging words. "Brother Qiuyi, tell me about your experience in the past few years. Where did you find the high-quality piano materials?" "Let me show you the piano material first!" "Let's do it later!" Zhang Zhidong didn't want Wu Qiuyi to think that he came to Guiyuan Temple just for the piano materials; he came here mainly to see and listen to old friends. "Let's have a good chat and see later." "Ok!" In the quiet meditation room of Yunshui Hall of Guiyuan Temple, under the dimly flickering soybean oil lamp, Wu Qiuyi narrated the experience of the past three years to his old friend.He omits many details of searching for mountains and asking questions, and focuses on the process of visiting ancient Tuobei to find piano materials. After Wu Qiuyi left Wuhan that year, he traveled eastward along the Yangtze River. The famous mountains and rivers, cultural relics and historic sites along the way took him half a year.In the early spring of the following year, he went ashore from Jiangning, headed north, and came to the capital.He lived in Baiyunguan in Guang'anmen for four or five months, and then left the capital to go south.At the beginning of this year, he walked out of Wollongong in Nanyang, passed through Mengjialou at the junction of Henan and Hubei in Dengzhou, returned to Hubei, and came to Wudang Mountain, a famous Taoist holy place he had longed for. Wudang Mountain, with a radius of eight hundred miles, is one of the famous mountains in China.It is famous all over the world for its seventy-two peaks, twenty-four streams, eleven caves, ten pools, nine wells, and three pools. Taoists are especially fascinated by the fact that there are relics of the activities of Taoist celebrities in the past dynasties and many magnificent Taoist temples.According to legend, Yang Changsheng of the Han Dynasty, Lu Dongbin of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Tuan of the Five Dynasties, Ji Ranzi of the Song Dynasty, and Zhang Sanfeng of the Ming Dynasty all practiced here. What is particularly interesting is that there is also the world-famous Wudang boxing here.Practitioners mainly focus on sitting quietly. However, sitting for a long time will not smooth the blood vessels, which is not good for the body. It must be supplemented by fisting and kicking activities. Because they live in the mountains and wilderness, they have to rely on themselves to guard against theft and animals. The main purpose of martial arts training was carried out in the major Buddhist temples and Taoist temples.Monks have peace of mind, and they don't have the burden of a family. They are easier to specialize in doing things than secular people, so there are often masters.After hundreds of years of hard work, Buddhism and Taoism each have a peak in boxing, which is the Shaolin School of Buddhism and the Wudang School of Taoism. Shaolin boxing is masculine and vigorous, representing the heroic spirit of northerners, while Wudang boxing is characterized by flexibility and softness, reflecting the aura of southerners.Shaolin and Wudang not only lead the fashion in Fangwai, but also overwhelm all heroes in the secular martial arts, and become the holy places for martial arts practitioners. But Wu Qiuyi does not practice boxing. He came to Wudang Mountain not to learn Wudang boxing, but to feel the sacred atmosphere of this Taoist holy land.When he was sitting in Jianfu Palace in Qingcheng Mountain, a middle-aged Taoist named Huanhuazi came to Sichuan from Wudang Mountain and lived in Jianfu Palace for two months. He traveled to Mount Emei together, and it is said that he has become the head of the Zixiao Palace now.Visiting Huanhuazi and talking about his farewell feelings are also important purposes of Wu Qiuyi's trip to Wudang Mountain. Zixiao Palace is located at the foot of Zhanqi Peak in the northeast of Tianzhu Peak, and it is the largest among the temples in Wudang Mountain.It is built close to the mountain, and there are more than 20 or 30 halls and buildings of different sizes built on the platforms.The central building, Zixiao Hall, is five rooms wide, with double eaves and nine ridges, Cuiwadan walls, beams and columns, and painted paintings all over.The algae well on the top of the hall is impressively embossed with two dragons playing with pearls.The platform in front of the hall is wide and the pillars are tall.The Jade Emperor and the gods of Zhenwu and Lingguan are enshrined in the hall.The entire palace is magnificent and magnificent.Wu Qiuyi did not expect such a palace to exist in such a deep valley, and it is not an exaggeration to compare it to a fairyland on earth. Huanhuazi, who is in charge of Zixiao Palace, was overjoyed to see his old friend coming all the way to see him, and received him very warmly.The two of them narrated the situation of the past ten years, talked about all kinds of troubles in the world, and talked about the endless mysteries of the outside world, and they were very happy.Huanhuazi accompanied his old friend to travel through the mountains and caves of Wudang, appreciating the uncanny craftsmanship bestowed on this place by good fortune, and two months passed without knowing it. Wu Qiuyi remembered Zhang Zhidong's entrustment, and traveled north and south for more than two years, until now he has not found a good piano material.In three months, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival. How can I explain to my old friend?Wu Qiuyi couldn't help feeling a little anxious. He thought that Wudang Mountain is a sacred mountain, and there must be high-quality talents growing here. If you can't find it here, what better place in the world is there?Therefore, from the second day onwards, when Wu Qiuyi visited Wudang, he no longer focused on appreciating landscapes and Taoist temples, but instead aimed to find good wood. Although there are countless trees in Wudang Mountain, after more than 20 days, Wu Qiuyi did not find any particularly strange trees suitable for making Guqin.Wu Qiuyi had no choice but to turn to an old friend for help.After hearing what he said, Palace Master Zixiao's complexion suddenly turned solemn. He accused his old friend of not interfering in political affairs, especially not being close friends with such high-ranking officials.There is an insurmountable gap between the officials and the people, and it is impossible for high-ranking officials and civilians to have true friendship.He will not regard you as a true friend, and you will never regard him as a confidant.As for the rivers and lakes, it is a world of its own, and it is actually incompatible with the officialdom.Wu Qiuyi understood Huan Huazi's thoughts, and only said that Zhang Zhidong was different from ordinary vulgar officials, and then did not explain further.He said that Chongranuo's faith is the foundation of our generation, and since the words have been spoken, we have to work hard. Huan Huazi agreed with his words, thought for a while and told him that at the northern foot of Tianzhu Peak, there is a flat slope between Jinsuo Peak and Mozhen Stream.During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, Yao Jian, the prefect of Junzhou, prayed for rain on Wudang Mountain.After the prayer was over, five black dragons descended from the sky, and it rained heavily for a full hour. The drought within a hundred miles of Junzhou disappeared, and this year there was a good harvest and people cheered.Yao Taishou was grateful for the kindness of the Dragon King, and he cared to build a ancestral hall on the slope, named Wulong Temple.And planted more than a dozen sycamore trees in the backyard of the ancestral hall. In the reign of Song Zhenzong Dazhong Xiangfu, this place suffered a severe drought once in a hundred years.Shangyi Zhenren, who is in charge of the temple, responded to the request of the villagers from all over the world, burned his watch and begged the heavens, praying for the reappearance of the five dragons, and benefiting the people.Just after the burning of the yellow watch, five black dragons descended on the place again, making wind and rain to eliminate the drought. The crowd cheered and were amazed at the god's effectiveness.But what was even more surprising was that in the early morning of the next day, just as the sun was rising, five colorful phoenixes flew from the sky and landed on the plane tree in the backyard. They stopped for about half an hour before flying away.Shangyi Zhenren was grateful for the auspiciousness of the dragon and the phoenix, so he changed the name of the Wulong Temple to the Wulong Lingying Temple. In the tenth year from Yuan to Zhengzheng, a colorful phoenix landed in Wulin again.The Daoist priest of the Three Qing Dynasty gave a report to the imperial court, and Emperor Huizong named the temple as the Longevity Palace of the Dawulong Lingying.In the eleventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, the colorful phoenix landed for the third time, and Cheng Zu personally congratulated and bestowed the Xingsheng Wulong Palace for this purpose.More than 400 years have passed since then, and the spectacle of the five dragons descending and the colorful wind resting on the Wuwu has never been seen again.Wu Qiuyi was very surprised, did such a thing really happen?Huanhuazi took out an old volume of "Wudang Mountain Records", and it sure enough recorded everything clearly.Wu Qiuyi believed it.Indus is a good wood for making qin, but sycamore trees are everywhere. If it is not exceptionally strange, it may not be possible to make extraordinary and beautiful qin.The phoenix tree in the Five Dragon Palace once attracted a phoenix, so it must not be a mortal species. Early the next morning, Hua Huazi accompanied Wu Qiuyi to the northern foot of Tianzhu Peak.After the Five Dragon Palace, I saw a piece of phoenix trees.It was midsummer, but I saw sycamore trees with tall trunks and beautiful branches. The leaves were huge and green, and the tall ones were more than three feet straight into the blue sky. The sound adds a lot of life interest to the silent Wudang Mountains.But in such a huge sycamore forest, where did He Mu once live in colorful phoenixes?Where is the foothold of the previous generation of phoenixes?Facing Liangmu who was full of extraordinary rumors, Wu Qiuyi was at a loss again. Huanhuazi said, stay for another month and wait for the will of the patriarch!Wu Qiuyi stared at his old friend with wide eyes, puzzled, but he still settled down with peace of mind.In the middle of the night, there was sudden thunder and lightning around Tianzhu Peak, and strong winds blew up.Both Huanhuazi and Wu Qiuyi were awakened. They walked out of the room and stood under the eaves to watch the sky.After a while, they saw flames bursting into the sky near the Five Dragon Palace at the northern foot, and with the help of occasional lightning, they could also see thick smoke rising in groups.Huanhuazi said, the old tree must have been struck by lightning, and maybe the thunder and fire burned on the phoenix forest, and your piano material can be determined.Although Wu Qiuyi thought it was a bit mysterious, he really liked this kind of material selection experience associated with the thunder in the middle of the night. At dawn, the rain stopped, and Wu Qiuyi and Huan Huazi hurried to the edge of the phoenix trees in the Five Dragon Palace.Sure enough, the sky fire burned here last night, and several particularly tall and outstanding sycamores suffered such a tragic disaster, and were burned black all over, which is heartbreaking.Huanhuazi looked around the woods.After a while, he took Wu Qiuyi's hand and said, come with me.Wu Qiuyi followed him for dozens of steps, and a very thick and strong phoenix tree appeared in front of him.It was only then that Wu Qiuyi discovered that this tree seemed to be the most stalwart of the Tonglin Manpo.Huanhuazi pointed to the top of the tree and said, look at it.When Wu Qiuyi looked up, he saw that the top of the sycamore tree was down, about one-third of the trunk was scorched, and there was a trace of green smoke, but the lower two-thirds of the trunk were intact .Huanhuazi said excitedly that the piano material he was looking for was this one. This is really a wonderful tree, which can be met but not sought after. This is the will of the patriarch. Wu Qiuyi looked at the burnt phoenix tree, suddenly realized, and said in surprise, isn't this the phoenix tree?It is truly a gift from the ancestors!The Jiao Tong mentioned by Wu Qiuyi originated from an interesting allusion in "Book of the Later Han Dynasty".At that time, Cai Yong, a famous official of the Eastern Han Dynasty who had a good understanding of Qin theory, was visiting Wu and stayed overnight at a farmer's house.Cai Yong hurriedly pulled out the firewood from the stove, it turned out to be an old paulownia wood, he hurriedly extinguished the burning fire at the other end, and asked someone to make a guqin from this paulownia wood, the sound was surprisingly wonderful.However, there are still scorched grains on the tail of this qin, so Cai Yong named this qin the Jiaowei Qin. Huan Huazi said that this tree was born on Wudang Mountain, and got the aura of the ancestors of the past generations. It used to live in Phoenix, but now it has been partially scorched by the sky fire.Huanhuazi called several Taoists of pyrotechnics to saw off the tree from the root and carry it to Zixiao Hall.Huanhuazi stared at it for a long time and said, "This tree is so tall that it can be cut into nine pieces to make nine pianos."I wanted to keep a few, but it seems that this was specially arranged by the heavens for Zhang Zhidong, so I can't pretend to claim it.The whole wood is not easy to move, so it is cut here.I sent an apprentice to Gucheng with my back on my back.After arriving in Gucheng, hire another boat to go south along the Han River, and you can reach Hanyang in half a month. "Oh, brother Qiuyi, you actually brought me such scorched paulownia wood, take it out and let us open our eyes." Zhang Zhidong couldn't hold back his curiosity when he heard this, and interrupted the quack doctor. long narrative. "Okay, okay." Wu Qiuyi agreed with a smile, and moved out nine pieces of planks about four feet long, eight inches wide, and three inches thick from the back room. Zhang Zhidong, Sang Zhiping, and Dagen all surrounded each other, each of them picked up a piece and looked at it carefully.The paulownia block is slightly brownish-yellow, with fine wood and clear lines.Although Sang Zhiping is not a master at playing the qin, he also likes the qin and the orchestra. He tapped the wooden board with his fingers, and immediately made a deep and faint sound.He smelled it again, and besides a faint tung fragrance, there was indeed a slight burnt smell. It seemed that Mr. Wu was not lying.He said to Zhang Zhidong: "This is indeed the best paulownia wood for making pianos, which is not easy to get." Zhang Zhidong was also very satisfied with these pieces of wood, and said to Wu Qiuyi with a smile: "Your Taoist friend also knows the allusion of Cai Yong's Jiaoweiqin, so it can be seen that he has read "Book of the Later Han Dynasty". It is indeed rare to enjoy reading history books." Wu Qiuyi said: "Although Huanhuazi is a Taoist leader, he loves reading. In addition to Taoist classics, he loves to read history books, poetry and essays. Every three years, he goes out to travel for half a year. , The sufferings of the people's livelihood are well known." Sang Zhiping sighed and said: "This is the real Taoist. On the surface, Lao Dan and Zhuang Zhou hide their strengths and bide their time, hiding in the mountains and forests, but in their hearts they never forget the life, old age, sickness, death, sorrow and suffering in the world. Lao Dan said that the people The hunger is due to the high food tax. How pertinent are these words! The Lord of Zixiao Palace has learned the true meaning of Taoism." Wu Qiuyi smiled and said: "Mr. Sang is really Huanhuazi's bosom friend. To tell the truth, although he practiced Taoism in Wudang, he was also under the rule of Brother Xiangtao, and he is also very clear about the situation of Brother Xiangtao's Governor Huguang in recent years. In addition to sending brother Xiangtao the nine-cut different tree this time, he also named your future nine pianos." "Is there such a thing?" Zhang Zhidong was obviously very happy. "You tell me all these names." Wu Qiuyi said: "Huanhuazi named the nine qins in turn: Chenghuai Guandao, Shanshui Qingyin, Lanxin Huichang, Yaotiao Shenmiao, Xianlu Mingzhu, Huifeng Hechang, Heming Jiugao, Danbo Mingzhi, Tianxia Peace." Every time Wu Qiuyi said a name, Zhang Zhidong nodded, remembering the name in his heart.After reading the names of the nine pianos, Sang Zhihu smiled and said, "Interesting, the Master of Zixiao Palace is very knowledgeable!" Wu Qiuyi said: "Huanhuazi told me that Zhang Zhitai is a scholar, and naming his qin is suspected of being a gangster. Huanhuazi is just for fun, and he doesn't want to adopt it just because Brother Xiangtao wants it. " "I accept all of them." Zhang Zhidong said, "How well this name was obtained. It is deeply rooted in music theory and has a fairy-like flavor. I can't think of it! It's just that I have to change the order of it." "What kind of exchange?" Wu Qiuyi asked. "Your friend is a member of the Taoist family. It is understandable that he regards Chenghuai Taoism as his top priority. But I will keep the first piano and pass it on to Zhang's eldest house. I, Zhang, have received the grace of the country, When sharing weal and woe with the country and the fate of the people, I have to swap the peace of the world with the concept of Chenghuai, which was originally ranked ninth. If you have a chance, you can pass my thoughts on to your old friends, and look forward to him understanding." "Huanhuazi is a joke! You are so serious, I think he will not only understand, but also be grateful." Sang Zhiping also said: "It is best to change it in this way. In fact, whether it is Taoism, Buddhism or Confucianism, the ultimate goal is for the common people in the world, and peace in the world is the greatest wish of the common people. The frontier officials who take herdsmen as their responsibilities, You should always keep this in mind. Brother Xiangtao's exchange shows the true qualities of a minister of the country." Zhang Zhidong said with a smile: "Your Wudang Mountain chief is not a mediocre monk. He knows everything about the world and life, and has he told you something from the bottom of his heart? Pick a few and tell us ordinary people." Say it, listen to it, and get some enlightenment.” Sang Zhiping remembered that as an outsider in the past, he often had many opinions. After being in the inside of the matter for the past ten years, he seemed dull instead, so he said: "The authorities are obsessed, and the bystanders are clear. Brother Qiuyi, you and the master of Zixiao Palace are both outsiders, there must be differences. Less insightful, talk about it!" Wu Qiuyi thought for a while and said: "There are few serious things that are recognized in the world. Huan Huazi and I talked more about Taoism and landscapes, and occasionally chatted a few words. What impressed me deeply was that he said something like this talk." Both Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping listened carefully. "He once said that in the past few decades, the country's vitality has suffered a great loss. One is due to the invasion of foreigners, and the other is due to the rebellion of Changmao and Nianzi. This is not the main thing. The main thing is the corruption of officials. The government and the opposition Nine out of ten officials, big and small, inside and outside are doing it for their own self-interest, and less than one tenth of it is for the sake of the common people. All levels of power in the country are in the hands of these people. Isn't the country's vitality still lacking?" Zhang Zhidong nodded involuntarily.Although this is not pleasant to hear, it is telling the truth.He had to admire the stern and sharp eyes of this outsider. "I also said some things, but I don't think you can listen to those words, so I won't say any more." What can't you hear?On the contrary, this sentence stimulated the always strong governor, he wanted to listen: "Say it, there is nothing I can't listen to." "Okay, then I'll say it. I have something to say first, so you can't blame me." Wu Qiuyi said after a moment's pause, "Huanhuazi said that the Qing court may not last long." Zhang Zhidong shuddered subconsciously, this was really a treasonous remark, no wonder he refused to say it, but since he had already opened his mouth, let him explain it clearly. Zhang Zhidong said calmly, "What basis does he have? Is he watching the sky?" "It's not about the sky, it's about people." Wu Qiuyi said calmly, "Huqi Pingling, frequent civil strife, corrupt officials, people's livelihood, these are not mentioned, he only said two things." In the middle of the night, the Zen room of Yunshuitang in Guiyuan Temple was deadly silent. "The first thing is that the British and French troops invaded Beijing in the year of Xinyou, and Emperor Xianfeng fled from Beijing and died in the Rehe Palace. Since ancient times, kings have fled from the capital, which is a great ominous situation for the country, let alone dying outside. This is not a sign of national subjugation. what?" Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhihu looked at each other, but couldn't say anything.Yes, what can they say?This is something that Sanchi Boy knows, but no one thinks about it in conjunction with "subjugation". "The second thing is that Emperor Tongzhi collapsed before reaching the weak crown, leaving no male and half female. Today, after four or five years of marriage, he has not given birth to a male and half female. From the founding of the country to Emperor Daoguang, which dynasty Doesn’t the master already have a lot of children at this time? The decline of the emperor’s heir is a symbol of the decline of the country.” This is also an obvious thing, but people don't think about it from this aspect. In fact, many things in the world will be very different if you think about it a little bit deeper.Jewelry is probably only covered by a light layer of dust, and with a little effort, you may be able to get it; but people are used to common sense, and they just don't want to remove this layer of dust.Is it really God bless Daqing?Zhang Zhidong suddenly felt a trace of fear. Sang Zhiping asked, "What else did he say?" Wu Qiuyi looked at Zhang Zhidong and said: "He also talked about you. He also has some criticisms about the big business we have done in Hubei these years. Do you want to hear it?" "Why don't you want to hear it?" Zhang Zhidong cheered up and said, "If you listen to it, you will understand. Listen to everything that pleases your ears." "Huanhuazi said that Zhang Zhitai has really worked hard in Hubei in the past few years. He has run bureaus, factories and schools, and has attracted many new schools from foreigners. Of course Zhang Zhitai is good at heart. He wants China to be like foreigners. If the land becomes rich and strong, I am afraid it will be nothing but fetching water from a bamboo basket.” Wu Qiuyi glanced at Zhang Zhidong, saw that his brows were tightly frowned, and knew that he was unhappy, but Wu Qiuyi still felt that he should be woken up, so as not to let his head get dizzy from the heat. "Huan Huazi said that Zhang Zhitai may think that what he attracted was foreign medicine, which can cure diseases in China, but in my opinion, it may not be foreign medicine, but just a western suit. Wearing this suit, it looks similar to He is as decent as a foreigner, and he is beautiful, but he can't bear to look closely; when he looks closely, he turns out to be a sick and skinny person inside the foreign clothes. If the chronic disease is not cured, no matter how beautiful the foreign clothes are, he will not be able to refresh himself. So the illusion Zi said that the most important thing for China to pin its hopes on Zhang Zhitai is not to work hard to run bureaus, factories and schools, but to find ways to eradicate China's long-standing chronic diseases. Huanhuazi thought that the cure for China's diseases was reform. If Zhang Zhitai can use his lofty prestige and status to assist the emperor to carry out a major reform, China may have a glimmer of hope. In this way, Zhang Zhitai's contribution to China will be far greater than the foreign affairs." Huan Huazi compared the bureau factory school to western clothes, which made Zhang Zhidong uncomfortable, but after listening to it, he also felt that the words of the Taoist priest of Wudang Mountain were not unreasonable.Whether it is an iron factory or a self-improvement school, after all, it is a branch and a leaf. Laws and regulations are the foundation of the country.The fundamentals remain the same, no matter how good the branches and leaves are, it is not enough to change the overall situation, but how important the reform is, how can it be said lightly!In the annals of Chinese history, reforms are always associated with suffering and misery such as beheading and bloodshed, exile, and ruin.The Taoist priests in Zixiao Palace can talk about curing diseases and reforms, but how can the officials in Wuchang city talk about such things casually? However, these few words of Huanhuazi also opened Zhang Zhidong's heart: China has long accumulated evils, its vitality has been exhausted, and if it wants to become prosperous and strong, it is true that it cannot rely solely on Westernization, but must consider the fundamental plan.However, it is easier said than done! He got up and said to Wu Qiuyi: "It's late at night, I have to go back. Thank you and Huanhuazi for finding such a good charred wood for me, and I have to thank Huanhuazi for his words from the sidelines. You are here this time. I will stay in Guiyuan Temple for a while, and next month my son and daughter will get married, if you don't mind, I will invite you to have a glass of light wine." Wu Qiuyi hurriedly said: "This is a major event for the family, I will go to congratulate it later."