Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Jinan's landscape is not beautiful

Jinan, the spring city in early summer, is still full of spring. The weeping willows in one street and two alleys seem to spit out new leaves just yesterday, and the spring water flowing in front of each house almost still shows the shyness of winter; the wind passes through the alleys coldly Crossing the street, people are still in full spring makeup; the lotus pond in Daming Lake only secretly reveals a few sharp leaves, and Ganfo Mountain is still sleeping. Duan Qirui bid farewell to Shen Qingzhu and walked into the military camp of his clan uncle Duan Congde——At this moment, he suddenly felt terrified: "Ah! What do you say when you see this uncle? What can you do if you want to plan things? Speaking of earning a living, he is considered a dignified man of seven feet. Could it be that he can’t even make a living at home? Isn’t this clearly being looked down upon by the clan uncle!” Duan Qirui frowned, wandered outside the barracks for a while, and then went in.

Duan Congde, the uncle of the clan who was in charge of the military camp, was a rather bold person. When he saw his nephew walking thousands of miles to the front, he was very happy. He personally accompanied his nephew for the first meeting meal. "Qirui, I'm glad you're here! Is everything okay at home? Duan Qirui hurriedly stood up and said: "Okay, okay. Everything is okay. My mother asked me to say hello to uncle. "Okay!" Duan Congde said: "It's rare that your mother still misses me, I thank you." Then he said: "It's not easy for your mother. It's hard enough for a woman to drag you two."Has the harvest in my hometown been good in recent years?"

"Okay, good harvest." Duan Qirui replied.He also said: "Uncle, my mother said...he wanted to show his intentions. Duan Congde hurriedly waved his hand to stop him. "I've come all the way. I've worked hard all the way. Let's rest first. Rest well, and then play in Jinan. You haven't been to Jinan, but Jinan is still very good. Quancheng is very famous." Duan Qirui had no choice but to take back the words and obey the arrangement of his uncle. Duan Congde, who was nearly 40 years old, was a military officer, but his chest was hidden. Seeing this nephew traveling thousands of miles to look for him, he was quite touched.He knew that his elder brother Congwen was an ambitious scholar, but his physique was too poor, otherwise, he must be a famous person on the imperial list; if he was a martial artist, he would definitely not be inferior to himself.It is a pity that he died young.This nephew Qirui, although not in close contact with him, knows a little about him.Now that they came to the door, they naturally wanted to rely on "Shadow of the Tree" to find a place to stay.Duan Congde felt that he should help this nephew, "I'm tall and thick, and I have read a lot of books, so I can't find a place to eat!" With his influence, he can do it.He pondered in his mind, where should he go?

In all fairness, Duan Congde still has a good impression of this nephew, thinking that he is not only eager to learn, but also seeking solutions.A young man who reads with his head—he remembered a past event: On those two occasions, when Duan Congde went back to his hometown to visit relatives, he invited a few classmates to have a friendly gathering. During the chat, the topic turned to the review of landscape poems in the past dynasties.Naturally, they all talked about the schools of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, saying that there is no one before or after.Standing behind the clan uncle, Duan Qirui only smiled slightly and did not speak.Duan Congde knew a little about this nephew, but he didn't fully understand his skills in this area, so he didn't intend to ask: "Qirui, what do you think of your comments?"

Although Duan Qirui is young and vigorous, he still dare not be presumptuous in front of his uncles.Just say softly: "Very good, very good." Uncle Clan seemed to want to test him, so he said, "Don't go along with the crowd, I want you to explain your point of view." "They are all elders, my nephew dare not take the liberty." Duan Qirui did not forget the strict family education, and his attitude was very serious. Although Duan Congde nodded several times, he still said: "There is no need to be formal, this is a melon shed, just be happy. You can express your views."

Duan Qirui looked at the clan uncle and nodded, and then said: "This junior is a bit presumptuous, and he is presumptuous in front of all uncles. According to my little nephew's ignorance, I think your views are a bit biased and unfair." Everyone was in high spirits when they suddenly heard a young boy throw a gun so coldly, they were very surprised.So, with cold faces, they cast their gazes over. Seeing this situation, Duan Congde hurriedly said: "This is my nephew Qirui, who has studied hard. But generally speaking, he is really ignorant." He turned his face to Duan Qirui, and said, "Qirui Rui, speak out your opinions boldly, everyone is famous today, if you make a mistake, you can listen to your advice."

Everyone said: "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it! I'd better ask my nephew to express his opinion." Duan Qirui was not polite, and said: "The Tang and Song Dynasties, the poetic style flourished, and excellent works emerged one after another. If you talk about the taste of landscape poetry, since this dynasty, it has far surpassed them in terms of the wide range of materials used." Duan Congde was afraid that this nephew would speak wild words and be rude.He hurriedly said: "Don't say attributives first, but show the basis." Duan Qirui nodded and smiled. "From the beginning of this dynasty, there were many masters. Qian Qianyi's depictions of Huangshan's sea of ​​clouds, waterfalls, strange rocks, and strange pines; Li'e's depictions of the beautiful scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou; The miraculous changes of Yangshuo on the Lijiang River in his works; Wu Zhaoqian's description of the momentum of Changbai Mountain's "white snow across the dry peaks, and the blue sky rushing down the second stream" are unprecedented. In the evening of autumn, Denglun is like stepping on a purple golden snake's colorful weaving, etc., all of which add splendor to the mountains and rivers of the motherland."

du8.com copyright "It's reasonable, it's reasonable!" Everyone nodded in praise. Duan Congde said with a smile: "All the families of this dynasty have made extraordinary achievements, but the influence of the great masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties on the poetry world must not be underestimated." "Yes," Duan Qirui said: "Uncle's words are reasonable. Whether it is Du Fu in Tang Dynasty or Lu You in Song Dynasty, they all combine landscape notes with the expression of contemporary atmosphere. Since the Qing Dynasty, many poets have inherited this tradition, but with some Development. For example, Guizhuang's "Tianping Mountain" poem: "Stones are like people standing in hundreds of groups, and everywhere are green cliffs and white clouds. The mountain is majestic and produces outstanding people. The deserted temple worships Fan Xiwen, which highlights the majesty of the strange peaks and rocks of Tianping Mountain. Vigorousness, in order to sustenance..."

Duan Congde is a person who is familiar with poetry. When he heard that his nephew was going to combine landscape poetry with Fan Zhongyan, who fought against foreign invasion, his heart skipped a beat. Far-fetched. Go, go!" Duan Qirui left knowingly.But the clan uncle began to speculate in his heart: "This young man has an extraordinary chest!" Now, this extraordinary nephew came to him and wanted him to find a way to make a living for him, Duan Congde thought about it. Duan Congde has read books, but he is not good at writing, and he has never even become a scholar.Abandon literature and join martial arts, and mix into Guandai.I feel that I have reached the top of the official, and it will be difficult to climb again.He didn't underestimate his nephew Duan Qirui, he thought he was capable and talented, and he was willing to help him.With his status and influence in the army, Duan Congde found a meal job for his nephew in the army, and it was only a matter of one word.With his stature, his cleverness, and his ability to read and write, he must be a good soldier.However, Duan Congde didn't want to arrange this nephew's future so easily, "Ann will be buried in the army. Besides, the army is mixed with fish and dragons, and he might go on the wrong path. If one step is wrong, it will be difficult to turn it around. It's like being in a small army. A cut was made on the tree, and even if the incision can heal, the scar will never be erased." Duan Congde also thought that although this nephew lost his father when he was young, life at home is relatively comfortable.A child who grows up in a comfortable life often lacks great ambitions. He must be given a chance to exercise, let him go on his own, and understand what life is like before he can be successful. "Let him suffer for a while, and benefit him for a lifetime."

The idea was made up like this, and my heart was calm. On the one hand, I asked people to arrange my nephew's life, and on the other hand, I led my nephew to travel in Jinan.As long as he is willing to go, the mountains and rivers of Quancheng allow him to swim enough. Duan Qirui is a child who grew up in the countryside. Although he has been outside with his grandfather for a while, he spends most of his time studying. His grandfather expects him to be named on the gold list and honor his ancestors.Therefore, he was strictly controlled, and he was not given too much time to go sightseeing.Now, he came from the countryside of Hefei between the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers to Jinan Prefecture, where there are beautiful mountains and rivers, springs in every family, and poplars in every household.So, first there are Daming Lake and Baotu Spring in the city, then Qianfo Mountain outside the city, Baima Mountain, and the Old Yellow River.After a few days, he felt something was wrong. "I came to find my uncle to find something to do. I didn't say anything, and the job was not completed. What is it called?" Duan Qirui is a person who has read a lot and has ambitions. I'm in a mess, I'm afraid I'll miss my future.

One night, when his uncle was not on official business, Duan Qirui walked up to him, called "Uncle" softly, and said, "I've been in Jinan for quite a while, so I can't just wander around like this every day. At that time, mother said..." Duan Congde still shook his hand, not letting him continue. "I know, I know." "Then..." Duan Qirui was a little surprised. "Qirui, I understand why you're here. You just want to find a place where you can have a bowl of rice. Don't you think so?" Duan Qirui nodded. "It's just for eating, so you don't necessarily have to find a job." Duan Congde said, "I can totally afford to eat with me." "uncle--" Duan Congde shook his hand again: "Listen to me. If you want to find something, I'm not going to help you. As the saying goes, it's up to people to find things. This 'person' is yourself. It’s not enough to be backed by people. I’ll say it again: If you’re looking for food, I’ll have it here; When Duan Congde said these words, he was very serious.His serious face seemed to be covered with bitter frost.Duan Qirui's heart skipped a beat: "What kind of uncle is this? How can he be so cold?" He sat in front of his uncle, speechless. Duan Congde looked at the paralyzed nephew, knowing that he was not feeling well.Yes, a young child doesn't know what the world looks like when he first leaves the house, so it is really difficult for him to venture into it.He wanted to explain his painstaking efforts to his nephew so that he could understand him.However, I feel that this matter is not clear for a while.Even if it was made clear, it wouldn't necessarily do him any good.So, he changed the subject and said to him: "Qirui, since you are here, don't leave, stay in Jinan, live with me, and study hard if you have nothing to do. If there is a chance, I will do it for you." You can build a bridge and give you some pointers. I won’t let you go blindly and without a door. I heard that the establishment of an armed forces school is being planned in the north. I hope you can take the exam. If you pass the exam, it’s a waste of time. In the future I will stand tall and be a man..." du8.com copyright Duan Qirui thought about it calmly, and felt that what his uncle said made sense. "Young people have to be a little bit ambitious, to be an upright person, and to make their own way." He originally wanted to return to his home in Hefei to find opportunities for himself.Then I thought again: I left home, came to Jinan after a lot of hard work, and returned in a hurry, how can I tell my mother? I can’t tell, won’t my mother be sad. "Okay, let's not go, wait for the opportunity in Jinan. If there is a chance, I will go for it. The north is close to the heart of heaven, at the foot of the emperor, the land is wide and the road is wide, and it is easy to go out." Duan Qirui settled down in Jinan and got up to study and practice essays when he had nothing to do. Since the 1840s, Western imperialist countries have set their eyes on China like wolves. British merchants first imported a large amount of opium into China.According to official statistics, the amount of Chinese silver looted by British opium alone in 1838 was 10 million taels.The Chinese were angry! Lin Zexu destroyed all the 20,283 boxes (about 2.3 million catties) of opium brought in by the British in Humen, Guangdong in 23 days. In June 1840, the British invaders sent a fleet of 31 warships into the sea of ​​Guangdong, China, and soon began to attack the Qing army.Although they failed to succeed in the coastal areas of Fujian and Zhejiang, the invaders turned to go north. After occupying Dinghai, they quickly invaded the north and approached the mouth of Baihe River in Tianjin. The Qing court was corrupt and dared not resist.While bowing his knees and surrendering to the invaders, he dismissed Lin Zexu, the anti-British hero.In the end, unequal treaties such as the "Guangzhou Peace Treaty", "Nanjing Treaty", "Wangxia Treaty" and "Whampoa Treaty" were signed with Britain and France, and a large amount of compensation was paid. The French saw that the British invaded China to benefit greatly, and in December 1883 sent 4,000 troops to attack the Qing army stationed on the Sino-Vietnamese border. In less than five months, they occupied the Red River Delta.The ruling Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to avoid the danger of war, so she sent Li Hongzhang to Tianjin and signed the "Sino-French Concise Clause" with the French, not only giving Vietnam to France, but also almost losing China's Taiwan Strait. The French signed the "Sino-French Treaty", recognized the validity of the "Sino-French Concise Clause", agreed to open ports for trade on the Sino-Vietnamese borders in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, and stipulated that the future construction of railways in China must pass through the French.After years of premeditated planning, in 1885 the Japanese invaders also launched a war of aggression against China on the pretext of protecting the safety of the embassy and overseas Chinese in North Korea... Seeing that China is about to be divided up by imperialism, the Chinese are all heartbroken.The government and the public were naturally uneasy about food and lodging. Even Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang who had always been keen on Westernization, also told the court that he wanted to open a military training school in Tianjin. They train a powerful Chinese army to strengthen national defense. The army of the Qing Dynasty was a relatively backward army in the world.Now it is time to learn Western military training methods to organize the army, and the people of the country are excited about it. When they hear that the Armed Forces Academy is to train officers for the organization of the modern army, everyone wants to send promising young people there.Duan Congde, who is in charge, is naturally concerned and enthusiastic about this matter.On the day when he got the news, he approached his nephew Duan Qirui, and said to him earnestly, "Qirui, you have a good chance to make your mark. It just depends on your ability and luck?" Duan Qirui: "Uncle, what chance?" Ou Congde talked about Li Hongzhang's invitation to establish a military training school, and said: "The imperial court has approved this matter and decided to set up a military training school in Tianjin, and all provinces will select outstanding students to apply for the exam. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. .I want to recommend you to take the exam, I hope you can pass the exam.” Duan Qirui was flustered with boredom, and he was very happy when he heard that there was a military training school to take the exam.He hurriedly said: "Uncle, please don't worry, I will definitely be able to pass the exam." Then asked: "When will I take the exam? In Tianjin or in Jinan?" Duan Congde said: "Don't worry, these things are not yet specific. Notice, I think it will be decided soon. Just prepare well, and I will arrange for you when the time comes." Duan Congde is still an enthusiastic person. In addition to preparing some Chinese military materials for his nephew, he also invited several instructors who studied the situation of the Chinese army to transfer his nephew, so that he could understand and acquire some military knowledge. , the other is to take care of the nephew's luggage and travel expenses.After everything was ready, he called his nephew in front of him and said seriously: "Qi Rui, I know you were blaming uncle for being so indifferent to you and not finding a place to eat for you in Jinan. Ordinarily, I should and can find a place for you. Why didn't I find it for you? I was afraid that I would miss your future. I still say the same old saying, I think you are not a person who only wants to eat bowls, you have The key is whether you have the mind to do great things?" He also said: "People can't just follow the way. Especially young people. In the world, no matter ancient or modern, Chinese or foreign, there is no Who does not become a master through hardships. Do you understand? 'Meixiang comes from the bitter cold!' You have to temper yourself first, go through the wind and rain, and then... maybe the wind and rain destroy you, then you are not a talent. If the wind and rain do not destroy you, you are successful, understand?" For many days, Duan Qirui felt that this uncle was too "cold"; because of his uncle's coldness, he even felt that the mountains and rivers in Jinan were not so beautiful, and even blamed his mother for letting him come to this uncle.Now, Uncle Wu Wu’s words seem to be the most reasonable words, “you have to go out of your own world, others can only help you for a while, but not for a lifetime. Even if they help you up for a while, if you can’t walk the road by yourself, it still won’t work. He said to his uncle: "My uncle's ten sentences are the truth, my nephew remembers them. I don't blame my uncle, I have to thank my uncle! What my uncle gave me is not a stick, but will and ambition. No matter how strong the stick is, I won't stick to it for a lifetime, only with will and ambition will I be undefeated for a lifetime. Uncle, don't worry, Qirui is not a fool, and will never return to our Dataogang Village, and will never come to see you, uncle! "As he said, he knelt down on the ground and kowtowed to Duan Congde. du8.com copyright Duan Congde hurriedly pulled him up and said, "Okay, okay, with your heart, I can rest assured. However, I have to remind you: the world is not easy to mess with, and there are more dangers in the officialdom." Don't think that people with high official positions are all gentlemen, no, there are many despicable people, and there are many men who are thieves and women who are prostitutes. You must be clean and self-respecting; there is one more thing, you have to know some tricks in the officialdom. Do you know what it means?" Duan Qirui's heart was shocked: "Uncle talked a lot about the principles of life, and now he's asking me about the routines in the officialdom. What routines? I haven't even entered the officialdom, so how do I know what the routines are?" Then he thought: "Routines, is that what Mr. Shen said, that is, the 'official talisman' in the book." Duan Qirui panicked. "I've been busy these days, and I haven't had time to look for it yet." So he said to his uncle, "Uncle, I'm still a child, and this is the first time I've traveled far away when I come to Jinan except for a while with my grandfather." , I don’t know anything about official affairs, I hope my uncle can teach me a lot.” "So, I have to tell you a few important things." Duan Congde took a sip of tea, picked up his cigarette pipe again, and then said slowly: "The officialdom is complicated! It's cloudy and unpredictable, and I want to get along. , You have to be able to adapt. To adapt, understand? For example, you can walk on the bright road on a sunny day, and you must be able to walk on the winding trails on a cloudy day, and you must be able to walk on the wilderness with no roads. For another example, when you should be a human, you should stand up and be a human; when you should be a dog, you should tuck your tail and be a dog. This is stretching and bending, understand?" He asked again: "Know Zhang Liang of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Zifang?" "I know." Duan Qirui said: "He is an important minister of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. He suggested that Liu Bang not establish descendants of the six countries, but unite with Yingbu and Pengyue, reuse Han Xin, and advocate chasing Xiang Yu and annihilating the Chu army. He has made great contributions to the establishment of Han Dynasty. , was sealed as a waiter." Duan Congde nodded slightly and said, "This is one of them. And..." "What else?" Duan Qirui was a little puzzled. "Zhang Liang, the father of the city, his ancestors and fathers successively served as the prime ministers of Han Zhaohou, King Xuanhui and so on. After Qin destroyed Han, he attempted to restore Han. He failed to attack Qin Shihuang in Bolangsha, so he fled to Xiapi. Know What is Zhang Liang doing in Xiapi?" Duan Qirui suddenly realized. "Uncle, I understand. Please don't worry. Sure enough, when that day comes, I will endure the humiliation in my crotch. I will also jump into the water to pick up the teacher's shoes." Duan Congde looked up and smiled. Duan Qirui went to Tianjin and was admitted to Tianjin Armed Forces Academy, the first army academy in modern China, with good grades.Under the strict guidance of German instructors, after two years of indignant study, he graduated with the highest grades in 1887, and was sent to Lushun Port on the Liaodong Peninsula to supervise the repair of the fort. Duan Qirui entered the military and started his official career.