Chapter 68 Railroad Line

  On the way back, the small steamer stopped at Fuzhou again. Shen Baozhen brought a letter from Beijing, saying that Zuo Zongtang had returned from Diwopu and was appointed as the Minister of War, asking Hu Xueyan to go to Beijing for a trip. Therefore, Deng Ziwei decided that Hu Xueyan would take the small steamer directly to Tianjin, while he himself took the opportunity to disembark at Fuzhou and return to Shanghai by land, just in time to inspect the construction of the railway line along the way.

  "Husband, look at Fuzhou Railway Station, it seems to have become bigger. The station outside the city is being utilized properly." Yuanyu couldn't help but sigh as she looked at the beautiful railway station. Originally, Deng Zixuan had personally selected a site outside Fuzhou City and built a railway station from Mawei to outside Fuzhou City, which was now being used as the starting point for trains from Fuzhou to Shanghai. Seeing the steel tracks extending forward, Deng Zixuan's heart surged with excitement.

  "Husband, I've been wanting to ask you?" "What's the question? Go ahead and ask. I don't have anything to hide from you now." "You're making a fortune with all your might, spending lavishly. I discovered that Shanghai's Yu Ren Academy is actually a military school, and Huangpu's academy is also a military school. Now I understand, in fact, from the very beginning, you were planning to rebel?"

  "Madam, what you said is not wrong. I am always preparing to overthrow this reactionary and incompetent dynasty. I will no longer hide it from you, my wings are already full, just waiting for an opportunity!" "But I don't understand, if you want to overthrow the dynasty, why do you still deal with the government so enthusiastically? Why do you still build railways for the imperial court? Not to mention whether your rebellion can succeed or not, but everything in front of us will be destroyed once the war starts, and the ones who will suffer in the end are the common people. What about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom back then? They shouted slogans that sounded so good, but what was the result? It was all a deceitful trick." Yuanni spoke out her mind boldly.

  This time in Guangzhou, Wanyu finally understood that her husband was not joking and really wanted to rebel. They had been married for many years, and her husband was very frugal, never extravagant or wasteful. She originally thought her husband was generous and kind, but it wasn't the case. "Wanyu, I want to rebel to save the common people of the world, I don't want them to live in a life of suffering. Of course, when war begins, the common people will inevitably be affected, but it's better to endure short-term pain than long-term pain. If we don't destroy this corrupt and decadent dynasty, we can't establish a new country."

  Deng Zixuan exclaimed: "Wan'er, if this new country is equal and free, without cruel tyranny, without the slaughter of nine clans, without a dull and tyrannical monarch, everyone lives in happiness. This is the kind of country I want to establish. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, although it was forced to rebel. I do not deny that their ideals and slogans were so moving and enticing at first. But what about in the end? What's the difference between Hong Xiuquan and the Manchu emperor? He's not even as good as the Manchu emperor. His eyes no longer see the people of the world, which means failure. It is inevitable that a group of mobs will be abandoned by the people."

  "Are you rebelling and not wanting to be an emperor?" Wan'er was puzzled. "In the future new country, there is no emperor and no inheritance of the throne, the big affairs of the state are decided by the people. Have you heard of the United States of America?" "I've heard of it!" "Which country doesn't have an emperor, their highest leader is called the president, and a new president is elected every 4 years through national elections." "Are you going to create that kind of country?" "Yes, once I overthrow the Qing dynasty, I will establish a republican country." Wan'er looked at her husband's determined face, her heart surged with emotion: "Husband, I'll follow you, even if it means going to the execution ground with you."

  The couple hired a covered wagon and left Fuzhou City, heading north along the railway line. The road construction along the railway had been completed, and the scene of laying tracks was in full swing, with small stations appearing from time to time along the way. May in Jiangnan had entered the rainy season, with dark clouds often gathering in the sky, but after a brief rain shower, the sun would reappear with a smile, and the temperature would suddenly rise.

  Due to the laying of the railway, a post road appeared on one side of the railway line. On the post road, merchant teams and material vehicles loaded with railway construction could be seen from time to time. Not far from Hangzhou, a small station appeared in front, and outside the station, two soldiers blocked the passing merchant teams. Deng Zi-xuan and his wife came to the temporary checkpoint to ask, and one of the soldiers said arrogantly that Mr. Sheng was inspecting the train station, and merchants could not pass through for the time being. Deng Zi-xuan knew that Sheng Huai-xuan had arrived, but he did not expect such a big show.

  "Isn't Sheng Huai Xuan just Li Hongzhang's favorite, what's so great about him?" Deng Zixuan shouted loudly. "How dare you insult Master Sheng! Take this insolent commoner away!" A small leader with a waist knife shouted sternly, and two soldiers immediately came up and held down Deng Zixuan's arms. "Under the bright sky, you dare to insult an official appointed by the imperial court, what crime should you be punished for?"

  Deng Zixuan smiled at the fierce face of the little head: "This official, do you have the guts to let me see Sheng Huai Xuan? Do you believe it? In front of Sheng Huai Xuan, I dare to scold him!" "Don't talk nonsense. You look like an assassin?" "Joke, I'm waiting for Sheng Huai Xuan to entertain me, killing people is something that Young Master has never done!" At this time, Yuanner also got out of the car, and the little head looked at Yuanner's stunning appearance and elegant demeanor, and then carefully looked at Deng Zixuan's calm expression, and his heart was a bit suspicious. Just as he was hesitating, a soldier whispered a few words in his ear.

  "Take this bold and cunning commoner away!" The soldiers surrounded Deng Zixuan and his wife, bringing them to the station platform. At this time, Sheng Huai Xuan was wearing official attire and listening to a subordinate report on the engineering situation. "Sheng Huai Xuan! You're so arrogant!" Hearing the familiar shout, Sheng Huai Xuan turned around and was shocked, hastily running over. "Zixuan, my younger brother and sister-in-law, what are you doing here?" "Elder brother Sheng! It's a long story, but your subordinate has brought me to see you under arrest, suspecting I'm an assassin?" The little officer was frightened out of his wits, kneeling on the ground and saying: "Your Excellency! Your humble servant didn't know any better, please forgive me for my disrespect!"

  "You scoundrel, this is my brother! How many heads have you grown?!" "Yes, yes, yes! I know my fault!" "Alright, stop showing off, your subordinates are doing their job without error, but your arrogance has grown too big. Is it that now that you've risen in status, you don't even know your own surname?" Sheng Huai Xuan felt embarrassed and chased the little rascal away: "Younger brother, what did I do wrong?" "Isn't it just inspecting the station? Do you need to seal off the roads like you're facing a great enemy? Look at how many people are blocked on the postal road! Are you afraid someone will assassinate you?"

  Sheng Huaxuan hastily pulled Deng Zixuan and Wanyi into the station's rest room, where an attendant came to serve tea. Sheng Huaxuan explained: "Younger brother! You don't know, it's not that I'm being arrogant, but often there are people coming to cry injustice, it's really annoying." "It's easy to figure out, it must be the government using strong-arm tactics during land requisition, possibly embezzling land for personal gain. Otherwise, why would there be so many petitioners? I'll tell you, if the resentment runs too deep and leads to a peasant uprising, it will affect your railroad. Even if your railroad is completed, it's likely that trains won't be able to run."

  "Is it that serious?" "You have to think things through, you have to nip this unfavorable factor in the bud, otherwise if something really happens, you won't be able to get away with it. Once a riot breaks out, the imperial court may order your railway line to be shut down." Sheng Huaxuan realized the severity of the problem and said: "Younger brother, are these just rumors from the local government? I don't dare ask?" "The railway line is under your management, if corruption occurs during land acquisition, even if it happens within the local government, you also have an inescapable responsibility. Who knows, maybe the imperial court will think that you're corrupt too."

  "I'll send someone to investigate right away, little brother. I have a temporary residence in Hangzhou, let's head there immediately. But little brother, you didn't tell me why you and your wife are here?"

  "Big Brother Sheng! I went to Guangzhou to check on my business. On the way back, I thought of your railway line, so I got off at Fuzhou. I followed the railway line northward, never expecting to run into you in Hangzhou."

  "So that's what happened, you gave me quite a scare!"

  Back in Hangzhou, Sheng Huai Xuan hastily arranged for someone to investigate the land acquisition situation. Deng Zi Xuan had never been to Hangzhou, and Wan Er had also never been to Hangzhou, so naturally, the couple wanted to take a tour of the city. Sheng Hua Xuan was perhaps intimidated by Deng Zi Xuan's "fright", he had promised Li Hong Zhang that by the end of the year, the railway from Fuzhou to Shanghai would definitely be open to traffic, if something unexpected happened and a civil disturbance occurred, it wouldn't be a trivial matter. Li Hong Zhang had said before that the conservative faction in the imperial court had repeatedly mentioned that land acquisition harmed the interests of the people, and had instructed Sheng Huai Xuan to absolutely not make any mistakes.

  Standing by the West Lake, Deng Zixuan said: "Hangzhou city was once glorious, during the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an was so rich, it represented the highest level of development of ancient dynasties. But look at Hangzhou now, its past glory can only be seen in historical records." "Husband, I feel that Hangzhou still retains many ancient relics and local customs, the scenery here is very beautiful. The West Lake in front of us makes people think of the sad story of the White Snake Spirit, and also the disappeared Leifeng Pagoda!"

  "The touching love story of Bai Niangzi and Xu Xian has captivated many romantic men and women. If you hadn't mentioned this beautiful legend, I really wouldn't have thought of it."

  "Do you suspect that Bai Niangzi is fake?" Yu'er's eyes widened.

  "Of course she's fake, it's just people's longing for a better life."

  "Why do they say it with such vivid details?"

  "Yu'er, no one has ever seen a snake turn into a person, and there are no ghosts in the world. In reality, after a person dies, they become dust, and so-called souls are all man-made."

  "When I was young, I really saw ghost fire in the tomb, my mother said it was a ghost wandering!" Yuanyuan said nervously. "I'll tell you, that's a firefly, a kind of insect that glows, not some ghost fire. As science advances, many things will be revealed, and when you understand a lot of scientific knowledge, you'll understand!" The two strolled along the West Lake shore, from Bai Niangzi talking about ghosts to a wide range of knowledge. Yuanyuan was like a loyal listener, deeply attracted by Deng Zixuan's talkative words.

  The husband and wife were in the midst of a lively conversation when one of Sheng Huaxuan's subordinates rushed in to inform them that Sheng Huaixuan had been summoned. Deng Zixuan suspected that it was because a serious case of corruption had been discovered in the government's land acquisition process. As he grew older, his understanding of the darkness within the official circles deepened, and through Sheng Huaixuan's mention of "刁民sāo扰" (a term referring to the harassment of officials by local bullies), he keenly sensed that there might be problems lurking beneath the surface. He then connected this to the construction of the railway line, knowing that any mistake in any link would jeopardize the entire project.

  As expected, as soon as they met, Sheng Hua Xuan hastily said: "Zi Xuan younger brother, your analysis was correct. After two days of investigation, the Hangzhou prefect has been embezzling during the land acquisition process, this guy has taken 1000 mu of good land in the name of the railway company and put it into his own pocket. I will report to Lord Ding immediately and deal with the Hangzhou prefect according to law." "Sheng brother! Now is not the time to be late. Reporting to Lord Ding takes time, sending people from above to investigate takes time, if a civil unrest occurs during this period, how can you handle it? Even if we deal with the Hangzhou prefect according to law, how can we recover from the impact?" "Zi Xuan younger brother, what's going on is not good. I recently heard that the Hangzhou prefect has arrested many troublemaking commoners, no wonder I came to inspect and there were constantly people causing disturbances, it turns out to be like this!"

  "We must take decisive action and nip the danger in the bud!" "Zixuan, my younger brother, do you have any ideas?" "Sheng, your official rank is above that of the provincial governor. Although you don't have the authority to deal with him, there's ironclad evidence. You can first strip him of his official position on grounds of corruption, then write a letter and have him escorted to Nanjing to be dealt with by Lord Ding. If the Hangzhou provincial governor is dismissed from office, it will boost morale among the people. The land he has embezzled will immediately be returned to the hands of the common folk, which will serve to placate public opinion."

  The next day, Sheng Huai Xuan led his troops to surround the Hangzhou Prefecture Government Office and removed the official hat and feather from the prefect. Then, Sheng Huai Xuan publicly announced the prefect's crimes and paraded him through the streets to Nanjing. This move caused a sensation in Hangzhou City, and at the same time, Sheng Huai Xuan declared that all excessively requisitioned land would be returned, and all requisitioned land would be re-measured to ensure the interests of those who had lost their land.

  Half a month later, Sheng Huai Xuan accompanied Deng Zi Xuan and his wife back to Shanghai. On the way, Sheng Huai Xuan was in high spirits. "Zi Xuan, my brother, I have some good news for you. That know-it-all official has been exiled, and Ding Da Ren sent a letter to inform me that it was he who instructed them to handle the Hangzhou governor, so don't worry." "Sheng brother, I heard that the Hangzhou governor is one of Ding Da Ren's people, won't he report you?" "Ding Da Ren said so clearly in his letter and even took responsibility for himself. I think he wouldn't do such a thing."

  "I say, Brother Sheng, you're too naive. Now that you're so successful, it's inevitable that he'll be jealous. From my observation, Ding Rìchāng isn't a straightforward person, and I've also heard rumors that he's even more greedy. I think you should immediately go to Tianjin to meet with Lord Li, tell him the truth, especially emphasizing the negative consequences of any potential chaos, as well as the unfavorable factors for Lord Zhōngtáng. Additionally, inform Lord Li that the railway from Fuzhou to Shanghai will be completed smoothly by the end of the year, and the next step is to request the construction of a railway from Shanghai to Nanjing. I can reveal some information: Hu Xueyan has gone to Beijing."

  Zuo Zongtang was appointed as the Minister of War, and Hu Xueyan went to Beijing unexpectedly. What does this have to do with building railways?! Shi Huaixuan disagreed. "I guess that Zuo Zongtang summoned Hu Xueyan to Beijing, it must be related to building railways!" "How did you come to this conclusion?" Shi Huaixuan was surprised. "Think about it, Minister Zuo is now in charge of the Ministry of War, from a military perspective, he will also strongly advocate for building railways. If Minister Zuo advocates for building railways, he won't give Minister Li a hard time. Both high-ranking officials are advocating for building railways, what do you think Empress Cixi will do?"

  "Brother! You're really something, you want to get Mr. Zuo and Mr. Li to resolve their differences and form a united force." "The contradictions may not be resolved, but in the construction of the railway, the two will definitely reach an agreement. In this way, your construction of the Shanghai-Nanjing railway is naturally justified. Your road-building company cannot stop. Next, on the basis of the shareholding system, you can use the profits from the Fuzhou-Shanghai railway line to support the later stages of road-building. It should be said that there's no problem!" "Younger brother Zixuan, is your brain made of ordinary human stuff? I really want to crack it open and take a look inside!" The two people couldn't help but burst out laughing.