Chapter Thirty-Two: Transfer of Post

  "The children think that these enterprises adopt the method of distributing dividends in shares, and big brothers absolutely cannot enter these enterprises. At the end of each year, they will receive a share of the dividend, which also preserves our brotherly affection..." Tan Yanqing said.

  Tan Zhonglin smiled and waved his hand, saying: "Zu An, it's great that you can think this way. Although your father is old, he's not muddled. You're right, I understand what you said in my heart. It's not your fault, but your older brother Baozhen's mistake! In our family, there are talented people like you, and also foolish ones like your older brother Baozhen. Although he is older, he doesn't have your vision, can't see the situation clearly... As long as I can keep the family safe, I'm satisfied... After I pass away, this family will still need you to take charge in the future. Otherwise, I won't be at peace! Just like you said, it's hard to find peace in a chaotic world. If your older brother were to guard the family in a peaceful era, that would be enough, but in this turbulent and chaotic world, we need someone like you to steer the ship for our family to prosper. Your father is not muddled yet! Your mother came here crying and complaining, but she doesn't know that in a chaotic world, survival depends on being ruthless. Your older brother's ears are too soft, he listens to others' words and does such foolish things. You did the right thing!"

  After listening to the old man's words, Tan Yanqing finally calmed down in his heart. He had originally wanted to sacrifice some benefits in exchange for the old man's full support. After all, Jianmin Pharmaceutical was only his first step, and he would have more lucrative industries to launch in the future. His memories from past lives told him that bringing family members into business only led to a dead end together. At this time, giving up some benefits in exchange for absolute control was absolutely worth it.

  Tan Zhonglin stood up and said, "This time you know why I took the risk of breaking with Weng Shuping to send you that telegram and let you make your own decision?!"

  Tan Yanqian quickly walked to the old man's side, supporting him and saying: "I think Father is testing his son. If his son doesn't inform Zhang Zhidong, he will surely disappoint Father. Just like in the past when Father was able to lend a helping hand during the Six Bandits' calamity, today's situation is similar, it's just not as perilous as back then!"

  Tan Zhonglin looked at Tan Yanqing with a flicker of unknown light in his eyes, and suddenly laughed loudly: "Zu'an, it's really not in vain for me to teach you this time. At such a young age, you can actually see this point! It's true that I was testing you. Weng Shuping and our Tan family have a close relationship, otherwise he wouldn't come to our house every day to play chess when I was the Minister of War. He also taught you literature and knowledge, so you should be clear about his relationship with our family..."

  "My father once mentioned that Weng Tonghe and he were in the same year..."

  "Yes, in the officialdom, this same-year association is also very important. Especially when Father became a second-grade governor-general, this Weng Zhongtang would only take Father seriously!" Tan Zhonglin said here and turned his head to look at Tan Yanqing: "If I were still an insignificant county magistrate until now, would this world-renowned emperor's teacher still come to our house to play chess and drink wine?!"

  Tan Yanqian shook his head: "Absolutely impossible, Weng Shuping is not that kind of person with high integrity and moral character. He was able to turn against Zeng Guofan who had once helped him, so he's definitely not as upright as he appears on the surface."

  Tan Zhonglin smiled and nodded, saying: "Not bad, you have vision! Just watch, Weng Shuping won't jump around for a few more years. The reputation of this generation's imperial teacher is good, but unfortunately the current emperor is not Emperor Wu of Han!"

  Tan Yanxin was shocked after hearing this, and he stared at Tan Zhonglin for half a day without saying a word. He had memories of his past life, so he naturally knew that anyone who stood close to Emperor Guangxu would not have a good ending. However, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu were still in their honeymoon period, and at most, they only had some conflicts due to the high cost of building the Yiheyuan Garden. How could the old man be so certain that Weng Tonghe would follow Emperor Guangxu and be dealt with by Empress Dowager Cixi?!

  The old man waved his hand coldly and said, "The emperor is not young anymore, and he has been in power for several years, but the power is still in the hands of the empress dowager. The empress dowager will not let anyone control her so easily! If Shu Ping wants to be a true imperial teacher, he must help the young emperor gain power. Given that he is no match for the empress dowager, it's only a matter of time before he is demoted. If he doesn't have ulterior motives, he might still end up well, but if he acts recklessly, then just wait for his funeral!"

  "The child didn't think much of Weng Shuping, but felt that since this matter could be sold to Zhang Zhidong as a favor, it would be better to make friends with Zhang Zhidong. Hunan is after all the foundation of my Tan family, and in the future, I will still need to take root there, so making friends with Zhang Zhidong has extraordinary significance... In official circles, this kind of personal favor is far less important than actual benefits. To put it another way, Weng Shuping may not even know about such a secret matter, and even if he did, what could he do? If he had the ability to control everything or was exceptionally capable, Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong would be able to rise higher and higher in their official positions, becoming more and more carefree?"

  "Li Heifei and Zhang Nanpi's official positions are indeed getting bigger, but this carefree life is not necessarily true! During this time, I also read that "Strong Learning Digest", it's not bad, but I feel that this publication seems to be pointing more and more towards Japan. Zuan An, do you think something will happen? Anyway, after reading it, I feel that this eastern neighbor is getting more and more unfriendly. If things develop like this, Li Heifei's carefree days are probably coming to an end soon. As for Zhang Nanpi, there's no need to mention him, the recent big trial was a narrow escape for him, but who can guarantee he'll have peaceful days from now on?" Tan Zhonglin said with a faint smile.

  "Father, I really felt the intense and pressing situation in Japan from foreign newspapers. Japan is now desperately expanding its military, if not for war, the country would not use 60% of its funds to expand its navy, from the Emperor to the ministers, they all donated their salaries to develop the army, at this rate, Japan will surely perish in five or six years, that is to say, a war between China and Japan will definitely break out in the next few years, five or six years are too long, there must be great changes within two or three years..."

  The old man frowned and said, "Hmmm, this inference is indeed reasonable. My views are similar to yours. Now the whole country is celebrating the Empress Dowager's 60th birthday, while the Japanese Emperor has already started eating one meal a day...the difference between high and low is clear...I also saw Li Hongzhang's crisis from this perspective, his Huai Army is too close to the capital, having a strong army is not a good thing!"

  "Let's not mention the fact that Li Hongzhang has a strong army for now. Just this war between China and Japan, if we win, it's fine, but if we lose, I'm afraid our country will be in a very precarious situation with all the major powers watching! Of course, I hope the Beiyang Fleet can win, but from a rational perspective, the possibility is extremely small. Japan's chances of winning are probably much higher - China may be able to rely on its vast territory and resources to recover from defeat, but Japan absolutely will not allow itself to fail. Once they fail, they will be doomed, for the sake of both their reputation and survival. Father said which one would be more determined, and besides, the Beiyang Fleet has been rotten to the core with Li Hongzhang's nepotism, so I think that even if the Beiyang Fleet doesn't get completely wiped out in this war, the imperial court will still see Li Hongzhang as a threat due to his control of the army and try to find ways to deal with him."

  "Hmph, win or lose, this is what they call 'a fate worse than death' for Li Hongzhang!" The old man coldly smiled and said: "This matter isn't something that I, as your father, can intervene in. However, once your 'Strong Learning Digest' comes out, there will definitely be far-sighted individuals under Li Hongzhang who will take notice, and they will likely make more plans. As for winning or not, it's all up to fate!"

  Tan Yanqing shook his head and sighed, "After the Beiyang Fleet was formed, there have been different changes at home and abroad. The imperial court has finally breathed a sigh of relief, while foreign powers are also wary of this fleet's existence and dare not underestimate China lightly. If the Sino-Japanese War really breaks out and China loses, the consequences will be even more dire than the Taiping Rebellion, so I want to make some preparations by developing some industries..."

  Tan Zhonglin said: "You go and do the foreign affairs industry, as long as you don't violate the imperial laws, I can help you from behind. However, you must pay attention to your studies and not slack off. As for the dividends, don't mention it again, your elder brothers won't interfere with you! Besides, two months ago, the Fang family sent a letter requesting that we settle the marriage between you and Rongqing next March, so that next year you can go to Beijing to take the imperial examination with peace of mind!"

  "Ah?!" Tan Yanqin was shocked when he heard this news, and he didn't expect it to be such a result.

  "As a father, I think it's most suitable for you to get married next year. The empress dowager will be sixty years old then, and since you're the top scorer in this year's provincial exam, someone might try to create a 'auspicious sign' of 'three consecutive top scorers' to curry favor with her... Hmph, I've been an official for many years and can see through such tricks. But if it helps you finish your imperial exams quickly, then so be it. In any case, the big exam next year might take a long time, so getting married this year would avoid chaos at that time. Your father has already agreed in his reply!"

  "But... Father, I'm only seventeen! (According to the virtual age, Tan Yanqin is actually 16 years old now) Isn't this a bit too hasty?!" Getting married so early was naturally not what Tan Yanqin wanted.

  "It can be seen from your letter that you have won the favor of my father-in-law. The Tan and Fang families have been acquainted for generations, and in the early years when your grandfather was in a difficult situation, he had provided assistance... Fang Ruyu is also anxious to get married as soon as possible because he is afraid I will change my mind. Your path to becoming an official has been so smooth that it's inevitable that those who propose marriage will trample on the threshold of the Governor's mansion. In order to put the Fang family at ease, we must get married next year!" Tan Zhonglin said.

  Tan Yanqing heard an unmistakable tone in his father's gentle voice, and he was extremely attentive to every word and action of the old man. If he provoked the old man, he would have no choice but to flee to Sun Yat-sen, which was the last thing he wanted to do.

  "Father, I have no opinion on getting married next year, it's all up to you. However, which month do you plan for me to get married?" Tan Yanqi said respectfully.

  "The Fang family proposed that it be in March, so both families can make preparations. Your father is also very pleased, because he will soon be appointed as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi!" The old man said with a smile.

  "What? Appointed as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi?! This is somewhat against the imperial court's conventions!!" Tan Yanqing's attention was immediately drawn to this news.

  "This is the imperial edict I received just three days ago. It's likely that this impeachment of Zhang Xiangtai has provoked Li Hanxiang, and there are some opinions within the court about the Li brothers. As a result, we two will swap positions - I'll take over as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, while Li Dazhao becomes Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang. According to news from Beijing, this was decided by the Empress Dowager after meeting with Shaanxi Governor Liu Chuanlin. You may not know that Liu Chuanlin is Zhang Xiangtai's brother-in-law. Because Zhang Xiangtai was impeached by Xu Zhixiang, he had the idea of seeking help from the Empress Dowager and asked Liu Chuanlin to convey a message to her. Otherwise, this matter wouldn't have been settled so easily! I reckon the Empress Dowager remembered something and made these arrangements. However, with this arrangement, it can be foreseen that Li Dazhao's official career has reached its peak, and in the future, he may be transferred to areas like Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, or Gansu. Unless his family member Li Hepeng can suddenly become another Zeng Jize, it would be better for him to retire." Tan Zhonglin said coldly.

  "These two Guangdong governor positions are so prominent, it can be said that they are on an equal footing with the governors of Huguang and Liangjiang. Congratulations to Father on his promotion!" Tan Yanqing said with a smile.

  "You're already at such an old age, what's the point of being promoted or not!" The old man chuckled and said: "A few years ago when my eyes were ill, I thought I was going to retire. Thinking that I'm already 70 years old, I couldn't be an official until death, it's time to go home and enjoy my old age. However, the Empress Dowager took care of me, and the court needed me, so I had no choice but to reluctantly take on this governor position."

  Tan Zhonglin's arrival as the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi is very beneficial for Tan Yankai's future modern industry endeavors. Although Shanghai is the economic hub of southern China, Guangdong was the first place to face Western countries, and the famous Thirteen Factories were located in Guangdong. Unfortunately, Tan Yankai did not know what had become of the Thirteen Factories today, but it would be easier to purchase machinery equipment in Guangdong, and there are more foreign affairs talents in Guangdong, making it more convenient to start a business.

  "When does Father plan to set off for Guangdong to take up his post?"

  "Now, Zhang Sihe has been escorted to the capital, and Father still needs to hand over to Li Han Zhang here before he can go south to Guangzhou. It should be enough for a month."

  "Father didn't mention He Yao, and the child had really forgotten about him. The child still has several letters here that He Yao exchanged with local bandits, trying to make this case airtight so that He Yao will never be able to turn things around!" Tan Yanqi said, pulling out several letters from his own pocket, which were important physical evidence of He Yao's illegal activities.

  "Fang Ruyu has already sent those three people's evidence to Fuzhou, and on the day they arrived, I will send He Yin to Beijing under escort. The evidence is enough to prove He Yin's guilt in communicating with bandits. Your letters have also arrived, and tomorrow I will send someone to deliver them to Beijing. This case will not be overturned again, He Yin's crime is clear and conclusive, no one can save him. He was just an ordinary scholar from a humble background, and there are no prominent people among his relatives. I have already informed the relevant people in Beijing, and this case will be made into an ironclad case. Even if we can spare his life, he will still be exiled to Xinjiang. This troublemaker cannot be left behind!" Tan Zhonglin said coldly.

  Tan Yanqin knew that He Jiong would never make it to Xinjiang in this lifetime. With the old man's tactics, even if he couldn't cut off He Jiong's head, he would still give him a big gift on the way to being exiled to Xinjiang. However, for someone like He Jiong, there was no room for sympathy, and when it came to opponents in the officialdom, the best solution was to make them completely disappear. Although He Jiong hadn't ordered those bandits to kill him, if he fell into their hands, losing money and suffering a disaster would be inevitable, and it was also possible that he would lose an arm or leg. This time, both sides had taken their dispute to the court, and this feud could be considered a matter of life and death; unless one side backed down, it would never be settled.

  "The best enemy is a dead one!" Tan Yanqian thought to himself.

  Tan Zhonglin was transferred to the post of Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, which was not a simple matter for Tan Yanqing. Originally, it was expected that the old man would sit in the position of Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang for at least three or four years, but he did not expect to be transferred to Guangdong and Guangxi so soon, which was really too sudden. Tan Yanqing had already laid out a considerable business here - Qiangxue Book Society and Detox Pill production workshop.

  Qiangxue Book Society is easier to handle, the translation department has expanded to eleven people, and under the favorable treatment, all eleven people are willing to follow Tan Yanqing to Guangzhou. Moreover, Guangzhou itself is one of the earliest regions in China to have relations with the West - although this open attitude was a helpless move under the threat of Western powers, it cannot be denied that the two provinces, especially Guangzhou, had more foreign language talents than other regions due to their early opening up to the outside world. Therefore, Qiangxue Book Society's move to Guangzhou will not hurt its strength and can even be said to have gained a good opportunity to strengthen itself.

  What's most worrying for Tan Yankai is that the relocation of the detox pill production workshop is the most critical, as the production of detox pills cannot be stopped due to market demand. Orders are piling up until next year and expanding production is inevitable. The loss caused by relocating at this time is too great. In this era, there was no "patent protection law" like in later generations, Tan Yankai knew that the detox pill would only provide him with huge profits for a few years, after which it would be useless.

  Originally, I thought the old man would still be in the position of Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang for a few more years. Under this realistic pressure, no one dared to reveal the formula of the detoxification pill outside the pharmaceutical factory. However, now that he's gone, it's hard to say what will happen next. The possibility of the formula being leaked has been greatly advanced due to Tan Zhonglin's transfer. Of course, Tan Yanxin still occupies the mainstream of this official market, and because the most important purpose of the detoxification pill is not to make money, Tan Yanxin doesn't care much about it, it's just a pity.