Chapter 31: Abandoning the Chariot to Save the General

  Li Dingfen cursed himself inwardly, thinking that if even his son was so clever, then he must be even more formidable. He was truly worried for nothing. He asked with some concern: "Xiang Shuai, since there are people in the imperial court who want to secretly investigate us, I'm afraid we still need to make more preparations. Although a good man is not afraid of gossip, which governor or commander can withstand the imperial court's scrutiny? To do great things, it's inevitable that one must be flexible and adapt to circumstances. In recent years, Xiang Shuai has not embezzled much while handling foreign affairs, but this has already led to impeachment. Xiang Shuai is upright and honest, but what if those petty men take advantage of the situation to retaliate? As for Wang Furong and Zhao Wen'an, they themselves cannot withstand scrutiny, so we need to make arrangements early on!"

  Zhang Zhidong collected his thoughts and said, "There are not many people who can secretly investigate me and have a say in the imperial court. It must be a local governor-general who can receive the imperial edict. I think it's either Li Xiangjun, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, or Shen Zhenhuai, the Governor-General of Jiangsu and Jiangxi. As for Shen Zhenhuai, that's easy to handle. We have a good relationship, and as fellow governor-generals, he knows how difficult it is for me to manage foreign affairs. When I was impeached for embezzling local funds to manage foreign affairs, Shen Zhenhuai spoke up for me. If the imperial edict reaches him, there won't be any trouble. What I'm worried about is Li Xiangjun!"

  Li Xiangjun was Li Hongzhang's older brother, Li Han Zhang, who is currently the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Li Han Zhang's father was Li Wen An, and he was a classmate of Zeng Guofan. His younger brother, Li Hongzhang, was also Zeng Guofan's only disciple. Zeng Guofan valued relationships based on blood ties, teacher-student relationships, and hometown connections, which Li Hongzhang had inherited and developed. Due to these relationships, Li Han Zhang's career path was much smoother than that of ordinary people. He never achieved any notable accomplishments or military victories but still managed to rise through the ranks under Zeng Guofan's care, eventually becoming a county magistrate responsible for procuring grain for the Xiang Army. This man completed his journey from seventh-rank county magistrate to second-rank governor in just thirteen or fourteen years without achieving any remarkable policies or encountering any setbacks in his career. He can be said to be one of the luckiest people in the Qing dynasty's officialdom, with no one else having such a smooth and unobstructed path to success.

  Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang were sworn enemies, and anyone who followed Zhang would know this. The Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Li Hanzhang, was Li Hongzhang's older brother, and it could be said that the two brothers were as thick as thieves. If something fell into Li Hanzhang's hands, it was no different from falling into Li Hongzhang's hands.

  Liang Dingfen thought for a moment, realizing that what he had just said about Wang Zichun and Zhao Maohang was actually quite mild. He knew exactly what kind of people they were, but unfortunately, Zhang Zhidong held them in high esteem. The provincial governor, Wang Zichun, didn't need to be mentioned, but even the low-ranking official Zhao Maohang had gained Zhang's trust by presenting him with a plan to open up the gambling industry and fully supporting it.

  Others might not know, but Liang knew that Zhao Maohang had embezzled at least 300,000 taels of silver from the gambling industry. The owners of the gambling dens in Guangdong and Guangxi were furious with him. With Li Hanzhang as the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, all he needed to do was send someone to investigate the gambling dens on the streets, and Zhao Maohang's misdeeds would be exposed. It would be impossible to cover it up!

  "Li Xiaquan himself has no particular talent, but as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, he has taken advantage of his geographical location. It's easy to find fault with him if one wants to, but it would be troublesome if there is no good strategy to deal with him. The only advantage now is that Li Xiaquan may not have received the secret edict yet. Otherwise, General Xiang could summon Zhao Maochang and ask him what mistakes he made in Guangzhou, so as to specifically address the issue. As for Wang Zichun, someone can be sent to deliver a letter to him, asking him to handle the matter locally using his position as the provincial treasurer..." said Liang Dingfen.

  Li Dingfen had great admiration for Zhang Zhidong, but he was extremely frustrated with Zhang's personnel strategy. Wang Zichun could still be protected to some extent, as he was the Guangzhou governor and would have many uses in the future. However, Zhao Maosheng was a purely money-grabbing individual who had no other redeeming qualities besides sycophancy. What made matters worse was that Li Dingfen couldn't speak out against him - Zhao had given Zhang Zhidong a well-educated woman as a gift and even fathered a four-year-old son with her. Although Zhao and the woman were not related by blood, Zhang Zhidong had become his "brother-in-law" in all but name. Therefore, Li decided to discreetly warn Zhang about Zhao's misdeeds in Guangzhou. If Zhao tried to cover them up, he would be waiting for Zhang to lose his official position. At this critical juncture, Li was willing to be ruthless - Zhang was his hope for achieving great things, and to protect him, even if it meant getting rid of Zhao, who was essentially Zhang's father-in-law.

  Zhang Zhidong waved his hand and said, "Let them fill this hole by themselves. This is a debt that will be carried on one's back for life once it is done, and temporarily holding onto Buddha's feet won't work. On the contrary, it will give Li Xiaohuan a handle to grasp."

  Liáng Dǐngfēn also felt helpless after hearing this, Wang Zhichun was indeed a bit harsh towards others, and although he wasn't extremely greedy for money, this account was still a good one to settle. Zhao Maochang's hands were only good for grabbing money, and they should be chopped off. Just the 300,000 taels of silver lost from gambling, if Zhang Zhidong had to make up for it now, where would he even start?

  "Xiang Shuai, I have a plan that might work!" said Liang Dingfen.

  "Jie An, it's just you and me here, so speak freely!"

  "Li Xiangjun had been in charge of Hubei for nearly fifteen years, during which he was briefly transferred to be the governor-general of Liangjiang twice, but his brother Li Shaohu took over as governor during those periods. As a result, Mrs. Li lived in Wuchang city for fifteen years without ever moving..."

  "This thing I also know, I'm afraid Mrs. Li is the happiest mother in the world just because of this..." Zhang Zhidong said with a faint smile.

  "Li Xiangjun was the governor of Hubei for 15 years, and there wasn't a single problem? At least I've heard that during his tenure, the corruption in Hubei's salt administration was notorious throughout the country. I don't believe that the provincial officials would dare to openly smuggle without his permission. Can it be that the Li brothers were completely clean for 15 years? I haven't met Li Xiangjun, but I know about Li Shaohuan's skill in making money. It seems that the two brothers are of the same kind..."

  "Jie An, you mean..."

  "Xiang Shuai, Li Xiangjun is investigating us in the two Guangs, so we might as well counterattack and investigate his background here in Huguang. Although Xiang Shuai has a grudge against Li Xiangjun, it's not a life-or-death feud, and there's no need for Li Xiangjun to choose mutual destruction when both sides are already at odds with each other. From what I've observed of Li Xiangjun's career as an official, he knows the key to being a good official is to avoid situations where both sides lose. He would never do something like this!" said Liang Dingfen.

  "This is indeed a good idea, you go and do it yourself, but don't disturb Tang Jingfu." Zhang Zhidong said with a smile.

  Liāng Dǐngfēn smiled slightly and said: "General Xiang, please rest assured, I know that Tan Jingfu is not capable of doing anything. This person is like a lifetime of being a mediocre official, a complete mediocrity! However, the second strategy may be good, but it can only deceive Wang Fentai's affairs. The case of Zhao Wen in Guangzhou has caused too much resentment, and any boss of a gambling den on the street knows about it, so the case of Zhao Wen..."

  "It's impossible that nothing can be found after investigating by imperial order, and it would not be good to report back to the top either. If Zhao Wen's case is indeed true, then it would be hard to say anything, and we could only get rid of him..." Zhang Zhidong said with some regret.

  Liáng Dǐngfēn knew that Zhào Màochāng was someone who couldn't be saved no matter what, and even if he could be saved, he wouldn't open his mouth. This person's heart is too black, thinking about how they had all gone gray from worrying about raising funds for this steel factory, and yet Zhào Màochāng still managed to make a profit from it - how could the people in the Governor's Office not be furious? It's just that this guy was good at flattering people, so the officials didn't have any way to deal with him. So even if he were sold out, Liáng Dǐngfēn wouldn't feel any guilt in his heart. Moreover, even if something were discovered, it would only result in Zhào Wén being dismissed from office and never rehired again - it wouldn't cost him his head.

  In this era, Shanghai has nothing to see. Tan Yanqian had been to Shanghai in his previous life, and of course he went to the Bund when he was in Shanghai. However, in this era, Tan Yanqian couldn't find the old buildings on the Bund that he remembered from his past life. But this era's Shanghai has begun to show off its style as China's most open city - unfortunately, these "styles" are mostly shameful in Tan Yanqian's eyes.

  Tan Yanxian stayed in Shanghai for ten days, and without a doubt, the true masters of this beautiful city were not Chinese people, but foreigners strolling on the streets. Here, Tan Yanxian also began to see the competition between Chinese and foreign businessmen in this city - Chinese and foreign firms were set up in opposition to each other, which reminded him of another city - Tianjin, where national capitalism had already begun to flourish at that time. In his impression, several well-known national business names were most deeply imprinted on Tianjin's "Quanye Square" and "Diyang", but these famous brands had not yet been established in this era.

  The awakening of national capitalism will inevitably enter a stage where it competes with foreign businessmen... Tan Yankai stood at the bow of the ship, watching Shanghai gradually disappear into the distance. He did not deny that some unscrupulous merchants would sell out their nation and country in pursuit of wealth, but this was only a tiny minority, otherwise there wouldn't be brands like "Resist Sheep" appearing.

  Tan Yanqing currently has no other business entity besides Jianmin Pharmaceutical, but he still wants to compete in Shanghai. After all, in the next few decades, Shanghai will be China's commercial center city. Compared to Tianjin, the northern commercial center, at least before Japan's full-scale invasion of China, this Oriental Pearl did not experience the baptism of war. He cannot do great things without money, and Tianjin will only calm down after experiencing the war fire of the Boxer Rebellion. He certainly won't put his family's home in Tianjin. It can be predicted that Shanghai will be his most important goal in the next decade.

  "Zu An, take a look at this newspaper first!" Tan Yanqian returned to Fuzhou, and Tan Zhonglin invited him into the study as usual. The two sat facing each other, and without asking about anything else, the old man handed over a newspaper for him to read.

  "Wuchang Hu Guang Governor's Office Document Zhao Maochang, illegal dereliction of duty, now verified to have extorted and accepted bribes, hereby dismissed from office forever...". Tan Yanke read out the contents of the imperial edict in a low voice.

  "It's not even a month yet, and there's already a result?! Tan Yanqing asked in surprise. After handing over the telegram from Tan Zhonglin to Liang Dingfen for review, he burned the original draft of the telegram. Along the way, except for staying in Shanghai for ten days, they also lingered in other places, wasting a lot of time, and it took almost a month to return to Fuzhou. He didn't expect Zhang Zhidong to act so quickly."

  "It's almost certain! I heard that recently, the Governor of Liangjiang Liu Kunyi and the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi Li Han Zhang simultaneously submitted a memorial to the imperial court in Beijing, with many praises for Zhang Zhidong in their words. However, the document was troublesome, it seems that Zhang Zhidong is sacrificing Zhao Maochang as a scapegoat, leaving behind Wang Zichun, the governor of Guangzhou, and abandoning Zhao Maochang!" Tan Zhonglin said slowly, leaning on his armchair.

  "Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang were sworn enemies, so why did Li Han Zhang still speak well of Zhang Zhidong?"

  "Hmph! Li Da's being an official doesn't mean his hands are clean, Zhang Zhidong has been investigating the salt administration accounts of Li Hanlin's 15 years as Governor-General of Huguang and found that three million taels of silver have gone missing. Even if Li had eight hundred heads, it wouldn't be enough to chop off!" Tan Zhonglin said coldly.

  "Three million taels?! How can it be so much?! This guy's got a big nerve!" Tan Yanqing asked in surprise. From his understanding of Li Hongzhang, it was certain that Li Hanlin would embezzle money as an official, but this three million taels of silver was not a small number, and it was only the deficit from the salt administration. If he were to turn over other accounts, Tan Yanqing believed that Li Hanlin's embezzlement could reach ten million taels.

  "When Li Hangzhang was the Governor of Hubei, the smuggling of salt in the provincial government was an open secret. It's just that no one dared to ask about it because Zeng Guofan and Li were too powerful. Now if Li wants to take out Zhang Zhidong, Zhang will definitely fight back with his life, and at worst, they'll both be ruined together. It would be best if the two brothers of the Li family could be taken down together. Li is a skilled official and wouldn't do something so foolish. Taking down Zhao Maosheng would be enough to make a point!"

  "It's said that Li Han-zhang and his brother are different, this one is not enthusiastic about foreign affairs. Thinking of Li Hong-zhang dealing with foreign affairs for decades, the money he gets from above will absolutely not be less than his elder brother. This official circle is really..." Tan Yan-kei said with a bitter smile.

  "Isn't this the case with all officials nationwide? Even if it's for one's father, one can't help but turn a blind eye and let things slide. As long as one's own hands are clean, that's enough to be free from guilt!" Tan Zhonglin said with some bitterness.

  "Father, looking at the current situation, things are getting worse and worse. This court from top to bottom is almost rotten, it's inevitable that we'll suffer both internal and external troubles. In this turbulent situation, we must make thorough preparations!" Tan Yanqian said after a moment of thought.

  Tan Zhonglin was moved by what he heard, but soon calmed down and said lightly: "Zu An, you are young but have a mind of your own. What ideas do you have? If they make sense, I'll take advantage of my current position to plan carefully!"

  "Father, as the saying goes, 'A man without long-term plans will have near worries.' Although you are an honest official and I may have a smooth path to success in my studies, living in a chaotic world is not a long-term plan. Therefore, I think we should make early arrangements. In any case, this economic matter is the foundation of our family. You are ashamed to be associated with those corrupt officials, so we should do something practical to establish the foundation of our family..." Tan Yanke said.

  "Zu An, you mean Western affairs?" Tan Zhonglin said calmly.

  "Father, nowadays in China, apart from opium, only foreign affairs are the most profitable. I have been investigating and feeling deeply on my way back to Fuzhou from Hubei, passing through Wuchang, Shanghai, and Jinling. Running a foreign affair enterprise can not only strengthen the country and enrich the people, but also bring stable economic benefits to oneself. Therefore, I think running a foreign affair is a very desirable path. I also know that you have been working for the country for many years and are different from Zhang Zhidong, who doesn't care about foreign affairs. However, for the stability of our family in the future, we still need to get involved in this..."

  "Zu An, since you brought it up, you must have some idea now!"

  "Father, I have been carefully observing the foreign enterprises managed by Zhang Zhidong in Wuchang for some time now. In my heart, I have gained a certain foundation of knowledge. Since Zhang Zhidong is using national funds to manage these enterprises, he can naturally expand his operations on a large scale without worrying about profits or losses. However, if our Tan family were to engage in foreign enterprises, we should start from small beginnings and proceed step by step. Large-scale industrial enterprises like steel factories are not feasible for us, but industries such as silk reeling, weaving, spinning, and hemp production require relatively small initial investments, have lower technical difficulties, and have a large market demand. With proper management, it is possible to recover costs and start making profits within three or four years..."

  Tan Zhonglin smiled and waved his hand, saying: "Zu'an, your father is old now. If these foreign affairs were placed twenty years ago, I would have wanted to do them myself, but now my brain can't keep up. As long as you don't neglect your studies, you can go ahead and do these things. If the funds are not enough, I still have some silver here, which should be sufficient..."

  "Father, there is still one more thing that requires your careful consideration!"

  "Is the thing that's been bothering you about you and your older brother Bao Zhen? I've already written to him, and he won't bother you again!" Tan Zhonglin said with a smile.

  "This was a momentary rashness on my part, but later as the Tan family's industries grew more and more numerous, I thought it over carefully and still felt that having some rules would be best, so as not to make things difficult for those handling affairs below. It seems that Zhang Zhidong ran many of his industries at a loss, not because he was careless, but only because he had turned industry into an official bureau; later on, when members of the family wanted to go into these enterprises, they would be unable to succeed unless they had the necessary ability, and would end up causing trouble instead..."