Chapter 22: Plundering the Wealthy

  In May, the weather in Tianjin was not as warm as Changsha where Tan Yankai lived, but it became warmer day by day. People started to change their winter clothes which they had worn for several months and enjoyed the sunshine on this spring day.

  The Governor-General's Office of Zhili - According to the Qing Dynasty's official language, the number one governor-general in the world is none other than the Governor-General of Zhili. The Governor-General of Zhili is the first among all governors-general! This is also reflected in the fact that his title is half a level higher than those of other governors-general. However, just like during the Xianfeng period, not everyone who sits as the Governor-General of Zhili is necessarily the number one governor-general in the world. At that time, Zeng Guofan was stationed as the Governor-General of Liangjiang, and the number one governor-general in the world was absolutely not Liu Changyou, the then-Governor-General of Zhili - what they were doing at their posts determined their ranking, Zeng Guofan was the backbone of the Qing Dynasty at that time, shouldering the heavy responsibility of suppressing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, his power and duties were far beyond those of Liu Changyou.

  The current governor is Li Hongzhang, the first student of Zeng Guofan. However, he ruined Zhang Zhidong's career during the Sino-French War, and now Zhang Zhidong serves as the Governor-General of Huguang, gaining more influence every day, posing a threat to Li's position as the nominal number one governor-general. Although they share a common enemy in Weng Tonghe, their contradictions have become increasingly publicized. Today was supposed to be a sunny day, but the brilliant sunlight failed to dispel the dark clouds hanging over the Governor-General's office in Zhili. Li Hongzhang's face is brewing a storm that only summer can bring.

  "That person has been brought over!" A staff member walked up to Li Hongzhang and said in a low voice, but with a complex expression, he added another sentence: "Your Excellency, it's still possible to let him go now! If they really meet, I'm afraid the one in the palace will lose face..."

  "Hmph!" Li Hongzhang sneered: "It's one thing to remove the tiles from the roof, but to demolish the house and dig up its foundation is simply outrageous!" Having said that, he straightened his official hat and strode towards the public hall, leaving the aide standing there in a daze.

  "Kneel down!" Li Hongzhang slapped his hand on the desk and shouted loudly.

  With Li Hongzhang's sudden and inexplicable loud shout, the people below were so frightened that they involuntarily knelt down.

  "Who comes?!" Li Hongzhang asked in a solemn voice.

  The person who was originally scared by Li Hongzhang's shout and had a pale face, after hearing this question, suddenly straightened his back again: "Reporting to Lord Zhongtang, I am a small person sent by the Imperial Household Department to purchase wood materials needed for Sanhai!" The comer obviously knew Li Hongzhang, although he knew that the other was a noble Zhongtang, but surprisingly did not show fear, it seemed that the three words "Imperial Household Department" gave him this courage.

  Li Hongzhang looked at him and said in a deep voice, "Do you know why I personally preside over the court?!" He saw that the person wanted to answer, so he shook his hand and slapped the shock wood again: "Daring and cunning people, who lent you the courage? Impersonating the imperial household's purchasing officer?!" After finishing speaking, he threw a sheet of paper on the table in front of the person: "The Tianjin local gentry and merchants jointly signed the complaint, accusing you of extortion, selling cheaply, and disturbing the market. Do you know what kind of consequences it will be if you ruin the Empress Dowager's reputation?!"

  The newcomer's waist straightened up instantly after hearing this, and even his tone of voice swept away the humility of just now, loudly saying: "It seems that today, Lord Zhongtang is intentionally not getting along with a small person?! It's true that you can't pretend not to know a small person, but... if there's one less person by the empress dowager's side, I'd like to see how Lord Zhongtang explains it to the empress dowager!"

  Li Hongzhang's icy expression slightly thawed, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. However, this smile seemed to hold deep meaning and was filled with a cold, cruel feeling. He suddenly burst into loud laughter, carefully placing the official hat on his head, and then ignored the person who had come in. As he walked away, he turned back at the door and asked in a cold voice: "You fool! Do you know what kind of silver this is?"

  Li Hongzhang didn't wait for the person's response and turned around to leave. In the main hall, Li Hongzhang's aide waved his hand, and the yamen runners on both sides immediately pounced on the prisoner, pinning him to the ground: "Since the 15th year of Guangxu, this prisoner has been using the name of buying wood materials for the garden as a cover, colluding with the owner of Maolin Wood Company, spending 200,000 taels of silver to buy 30,000 taels of wood, and then sharing the spoils after washing it through the wood company... The person was immediately beheaded at Caishi Street, and the area was put under martial law!

  The aide walked up to the prisoner, looked at him being pressed tightly to the ground by the soldiers, with half his face sideways, and couldn't help but get furious. He lifted his foot and kicked the man's face: "You dog! That silver is all the military pay of my Beiyang Navy! Brothers, first stuff a lump of silver into his mouth, drag him outside and give him a good beating, don't knock him out, then send him to the execution ground! He likes silver so much? I'll fulfill his wish!"

  After finishing, the staff took out a silver ingot from his bosom and threw it to the soldiers on the side. He walked a few steps before turning back and viciously instructed: "Take it back and drink tea as my gift! As for him... beat him hard, when sending him to the execution ground, make sure he can't speak nonsense, don't forget to leave him some breath!"

  "Alright, alright! You're the first to make Mr. Tang swear, but since you've taken our Beiyang silver, it's like taking it from my own pocket. I haven't been so foolish yet, just wait till we get downstairs, don't blame me for being ruthless! Haha......" Amidst the soldiers' punching and kicking sounds, the prisoner who was still arrogant and blowing smoke in Li Hongzhang's face earlier had already lost his voice......

  Li Hongzhang stood in the rear garden of the Governor's Mansion, still seething with anger. The silver was too heavy, every single piece of it was tainted, every single piece was the result of meticulous planning, and yet every single piece was tied to the fate of this declining empire, weighing heavily on his heart, making him feel suffocated. Although the garden was beautifully decorated, Li Hongzhang stood there for half a day, unable to shake off the feeling of oppression in his heart. Just then, his aide from earlier appeared behind him, wanting to speak but hesitating.

  "Ji Meng, I know what you want to say!" Li Hongzhang said in a deep voice.

  Young man heard Li Hongzhang call him Ji Meng, his heart trembled, and he clenched his fists, saying: "Uncle, this head will not be buried in the ground again. The water of the Imperial Household Department is too deep, and the master of the Cixi Palace is not a good one either. I think the teacher should consider it carefully and make arrangements!"

  The only staff member in the Zhili Governor's Office who could call Li Hongzhang "Uncle" was Tang Bowen. His father, Tang Ke, and Li Hongzhang were from the same hometown, and when Li Hongzhang had not yet made a name for himself, Tang Ke had provided financial assistance to him. Later, Li Hongzhang followed Zeng Guofan to rise to prominence, while Tang Ke's official career was difficult. Tang Ke was a man of strong character who refused to accept favors from Li Hongzhang, so he resigned and returned home to pursue scholarship. Only after his death two years ago did he leave a letter entrusting Li Hongzhang to take care of his son, Tang Bowen. This stubborn old man had asked for help from his good friend only once before his death, and Li Hongzhang felt guilty in his conscience, so he arranged for Tang Bowen to be by his side and personally taught him.

  Tang Baowen, also known as Tang San, is only twenty-five years old this year. As the third child in his family, he was called "Tang San" by those who knew him well. He studied classical literature and history with his father at a young age and later learned English. After spending two years in the United States, he returned to China immediately after his father, Tang Ke, fell ill. Following his father's arrangements, he joined Li Hongzhang's staff. Among Li's subordinates, Tang Baowen was one of the few who were proficient in both Chinese and Western languages. He handled matters efficiently, thought deeply, and gained Li's trust. Due to his father's relationship with Li, he was particularly valued by Li, who kept him by his side for further training before assigning him to a practical position, thus doing justice to his late friend Tang Ke.

  "Ji Meng, today I originally didn't want to kill him, but when I think of this silver, my heart is... " Li Hongzhang's heart was extremely heavy, and his eyes were even a little red. Tang Bowen had never seen this strong old man so flustered before, and he quickly came forward to support Li Hongzhang.

  "Six years ago, before the Emperor took power, Prince Gong came to Tianjin to see me and discussed the construction of the Summer Palace. What else could I have moved? Only the naval military expenses were left! The two of us talked until midnight, but I still couldn't agree, and after Prince Gong sighed and went to rest, I lay in bed thinking deeply and didn't sleep all night! The next day when we met again, the two of us sat silently for a whole day without saying a word. In the end, both of us knelt down together, holding our heads and crying bitterly! It's hard, really hard!!!......" Li Hongzhang let out a long sigh, completely disregarding his own governor identity, and plopped down onto the edge of the nearby flowerbed, closing his eyes as tears slowly trickled out from the corners.

  Li Hongzhang's loss of composure shocked Tang Bowen, who was afraid that the old man in front of him would be too heartbroken and cause some problems, so he supported Li Hongzhang to walk into the house and personally brewed a cup of tea on the table.

  The Minister of Revenue, Yan Jingming, was one of the last surviving elders of the Xiang Army. However, Empress Dowager Cixi repeatedly wanted to use the 8 million taels of silver that had accumulated in the Ministry of Revenue over the years. Yan Jingming saw that this was unacceptable and did not want to be a sinner, so he resigned on the grounds of illness. This matter almost shook the officialdom of the Qing dynasty. Although Emperor Guangxu was still young, he also saw through Empress Dowager Cixi's intentions from this incident and proposed to build a garden for her as a way to thank the "Holy Mother for worrying about the world for many years" and to show filial piety to the dynasty. Empress Dowager Cixi wanted both power and a garden, saying "I fear that starting construction will harm the root" - she wanted to have it both ways!

  The Guangxu Emperor saw this and said that the large courtyard at the foot of Wanshoushan would be renamed Yiheyuan and renovated, which would not only take advantage of the natural scenery but also save money. He wanted to let his father "enjoy his old age" there, otherwise he would "really feel uneasy in his sleep and appetite". This conversation between mother and son hid infinite political implications - the garden and power could no longer be separated, once the garden was renovated, Cixi would retire!

  "Empress Dowager Cixi has actually agreed!" The root of Yi Huan's plan lay here, he thought that Empress Dowager Cixi would also grow old just like him, and his son Guangxu would grow up day by day, time was on his side, using a garden to exchange for power, then he could seize back power and restore the country. However, Yi Huan was wrong, he did not think that Empress Dowager Cixi's appetite would be so big, the remaining 8 million taels of silver in the Ministry of Revenue were like a basin of water spilled on the ground and dried up instantly, without leaving any wet spot, there was no way out, he could only turn to his old partner Li Hongzhang for help, and only Li Hongzhang could come up with so much silver to build the garden. After the garden is built, he would have the power to expand the navy greatly! The Summer Palace, power, and the navy, these two things that were originally unrelated, became connected in this way.

  "When all else fails, I, Li Hongzhang, am drinking poison to quench my thirst!" Li Hongzhang's thoughts finally returned to normal, and with a bitter face, he let out a long sigh, picked up the tea that Tang Bowen had brewed earlier from the edge of the table and drank it in one gulp!

  Tang Bowen's heart was also filled with darkness after hearing this. He had not expected that the Summer Palace, which had swallowed up so much of the navy's funds, would have such a deep origin. The political interests involved in this matter would affect the direction of an entire country! He had followed Li Hongzhang for many years and before following him, he had heard some evaluations about Li Hongzhang. However, it was not until today that he realized that the old man in front of him had been exhausted to the point of collapse.

  "Ji Meng, I know what you're thinking. Are you afraid that I won't be able to get past the Empress Dowager?" Li Hongzhang said, looking at Tang Bowen's expression after he regained his composure.

  "The students thought that using this guy's dog head to offset the rotten accounts of the Neiwufu was worth it. Uncle Tang said, 'When my father was young, he could exile Old Weng's brother to Xinjiang with just one memorial to the throne, so he must have a way to get past the Empress Dowager!'"

  Li Hongzhang's most proud achievement was to write a memorial on behalf of Zeng Guofan, which left the entire Manchu court speechless, including the Emperor and Empress Dowager. He successfully had Weng Tonghe, the brother of Weng Tongshu (the teacher of Guangxu Emperor), banished to Xinjiang as a soldier. Although Li Hongzhang was proud of this achievement, after Weng Tonghe became the top scorer in the imperial examination, he rose through the ranks smoothly and eventually became the emperor's teacher, taking control of the Ministry of Revenue. Only then did Li Hongzhang begin to taste the bitter fruit he had sown decades ago - the military expenses of the Beiyang Army became even more difficult to manage.

  Since the establishment of the Beiyang Fleet in Guangxu 14, the Qing court has been relieved, but Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, has been paying out of his own pocket every year. Only three or four tenths of the naval funds allocated by the Ministry of Revenue have arrived each year, and the remaining accounts are recognized by the Ministry of Revenue, hanging on to give you a picture to fill your hunger, what can you do?

  It's just that the grudge between Weng Tonghe and Li Hongzhang is not over yet. As Weng Tonghe's power grows, Li Hongzhang's days become increasingly difficult. With Empress Dowager Cixi starting to suspect him of holding too much military power, the life of this Governor-General of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang becomes even more unbearable. However, Li Hongzhang still grits his teeth and persists, not for anything else, but because the power and the legacy left by his teacher Zeng Guofan make it impossible for him to retreat! From the Xiang Army to the Huai Army, everything is tied up with too many interests, tens of thousands of people from top to bottom are pointing at Li Hongzhang to make a living, can he let go?

  Li Hongzhang threw these annoying things to the back of his mind and said with a cold smile: "Cut off this dog's head, and the Imperial Household Department will pat its buttocks and not recognize this bad account. To say that I have helped them a great deal; as for the Empress Dowager, she will ask the Emperor to issue an edict, listing the crimes of this dog, and also reward me!"

  For this kind of thing, Tang Bowen has long been used to it. In a word, if you want to live more comfortably in this world, the necessary means are still essential. This is the lifelong motto taught by his old father, Tang Ke!

  Tang Bohu said: "The Mu Linmu line has been copied, according to the original plan, it is estimated that there will be a lot of harvests, and all the miscellaneous things that should be sold will be sold out. There will be more than 500,000 taels of silver, including the family property of that dog in Tianjin, which is also worth 70 or 80,000 taels..."

  "This month, we gave the Ministry of Revenue ten million taels of silver to send to Weng Tonghe. Yan Jingming has left and he came to take his place. Is this pot so easy to replace?! Others, like Tan Wenqing, know how to be a good person, five million taels of silver can buy the Empress Dowager's favor, but we use ten million taels to buy her favor and still can't get it?! Now, the last bit of resentment in the old Buddha's heart should be gone, right?!" Li Hongzhang said with a faint smile.

  "The student thought that the wealth left behind by Gou Zei would be handed over to some of the leaders in the Imperial Household Department, so they could shut their mouths and also serve as a warning to them not to come to Tianjin to show off their power!" Tang Bowei said.

  Li Hongzhang nodded and smiled, saying: "Ji Meng, you've made great progress! Put the remaining 100,000 taels into the account, I have other uses for it. You take care of supplementing the navy with the rest!"

  Tang Bowen nodded in agreement, just about to leave, when he suddenly remembered something and turned back to Li Hongzhang: "Uncle, the equipment for producing smokeless gunpowder that was transported from Germany yesterday has arrived in Tianjin and is estimated to have been unloaded by now. Eight German technicians also came with it. Tan's third son had mentioned in his previous letter that Japan has already used smokeless gunpowder in its navy. If a ship is hit by such a shell, even if it's made of steel, it will still catch fire and even melt the steel! This equipment for producing smokeless gunpowder was paid for by Tan Gongzi, who said he would give it to us as a gift, but requested that we use it in naval shells first, so that our Beiyang Navy won't be at a disadvantage if war breaks out between the two countries. He also promised to send some funds later to subsidize the production of gunpowder!"

  Li Hongzhang nodded and said, "It's a pity to give so much money to those corrupt officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Let's deduct 30,000 to 40,000 taels of silver from it, and then make up for 100,000 taels with Maolin. First, let's build this smokeless gunpowder factory and produce cannonballs!"

  Tang Bowen said, "Uncle and nephew have come to an agreement. Yesterday, I was worried about where to get the silver from to build the factory, but now it's all settled. Although Third Master said he was willing to spend money on this, it also makes us Beiyang seem too stingy..."

  "Tan Wenqing's third son is really not simple! At least in terms of being a person, he has inherited his father's skills. If I'm not mistaken, didn't he also get Zhang Shangtai to do the same thing? The Beiyang Navy is the pillar of the country, and sending it to Beiyang first is also a sign of his understanding of things... Zhang Shangtai can naturally be dragged along..." Li Hongzhang said with a slight smile.