Chapter Fifty-Three: Power

  Weng Tonghe and Tan's father-son transaction is a small transaction, but this edict is a big transaction that affects the country's honor. From the perspective of the state, such a transaction is foolish, but in Weng Tonghe's view, it is very worthwhile - after Empress Dowager Cixi finishes her birthday, she will completely hand over power, and as the emperor's teacher, he can rise to the top and become the first person in the Qing court. Whether it is Li Hongzhang or Zhang Zhidong, isn't it just a matter of how he wants to control them? Isn't his whole life just about being a real imperial teacher?! What's the point of being an imperial teacher for a puppet emperor?!

  "Foolish!" was Tan Zhonglin's comment on Weng Tonghe, and Tan Yankai gave a thumbs up to the old master's judgment - Weng Tonghe had underestimated Empress Dowager Cixi's desire for power!

  Thirty-four years ago, the Anglo-French coalition army approached Beijing. At that time, Empress Dowager Cixi was still a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng and advised him to stay in Beijing to gather national strength to fight against Western powers. As a result, she almost got killed by Emperor Xianfeng. My father estimated that from then on, the empress dowager developed a character that would never give up power at any time. Later, eight trusted officials were either killed or exiled, and even Prince Gong, her right-hand man, was deposed! The old lady valued power above all else; without it, what is a woman? Weng Tonghe was extremely foolish to openly wish for the empress dowager's retirement, wasn't he asking for trouble?! Within five years, Weng Tonghe will inevitably end up losing his official position and returning home!" Tan Yankai echoed in his mind with the old man's disdainful evaluation.

  "Old comrade, this time you've really made a mess of things! Not only have you ruined yourself, but you've also brought shame to the country!" Tan Yankei thought to himself, shifting his gaze from the lively celebration at the city gate. He knew that even if Weng Tonghe didn't come up with this idea, there were plenty of others waiting in line to flatter him, and as long as someone took the lead, a puppet emperor like him wouldn't be able to say no. But Weng Tonghe had jumped out and proposed this plan, unaware that his own future and reputation would be buried along with it.

  As for the old master's judgment, Tan Yanqing had long been impressed with his five-body casting. In this era and in the next decade or so, unless something unexpected happens, Empress Dowager Cixi is undoubtedly the most powerful person. Whoever dares to provoke her will be dead - she can ruthlessly kill Prince Gong, the father of Emperor Guangxu, for the sake of consolidating her own power. What else would she dare not do? Apart from Prince Gong, the first person closest to the young emperor was Weng Tonghe. Tan Yanqing could foresee that Weng's fate would be extremely inglorious. In his past life memories, Weng had been dismissed and sent home, but with this "accident", the outcome of Old Weng's classmate is unknown. With Empress Dowager Cixi's methods, it's possible that he might even lose his life.

  Facing such a powerful old lady, Tan Yankai naturally had his own thoughts - opposing Cixi was a dead end, and he wouldn't do something that wasn't worth it. However, from another perspective, with Cixi's firm support, there was nothing that couldn't be done in today's China! Although such thinking made even Tan Yankai himself feel ashamed, there was no way around it - the other person had a bigger fist, unless he could "rob" Yuan Dahead successfully. However, this was just what Tan Yankai thought to himself, and with Li Hongzhang's nature of only trusting his own people, it was purely a dream for someone from outside his hometown to enter the Beiyang system.

  "In this damn chaotic world, if you want to achieve great things, you can't care about saving face. However, even if you don't care about saving face, you still can't be as stupid as Old Man Liang; otherwise, you'll really become infamous for eternity!" Tan Yanqian thought to himself with a heavy heart.

  Just as Tang Yan was pondering the next move in the carriage, the moving carriage suddenly stopped, and his body also leaned forward suddenly, waking him up. It wasn't until then that he heard the cries from outside the carriage: "The horse is startled..."

  Tan Yanqun lifted the thick curtain of the horse-drawn carriage and saw a dozen or so people surrounding a horse, running back and forth on the street ahead. Judging from their uniforms, they were likely servants of that wealthy family. The horse in the middle had shiny black fur, was tall and sturdy, and although it was wearing a very elegant set of harnesses, its high-hoofed front legs intimidated the strong men around it, not daring to move forward. Meanwhile, dozens of people stood on the periphery, quietly enjoying the commotion, blocking the entire street.

  Tan Yanqun had also seen many horses, and he had ridden them too, but they were all very tame. Compared to this black horse on the verge of madness, the horses he had seen before seemed like children. Such a sturdy and majestic horse was truly rare. For a moment, the neighing of the black horse and the shouting of the strong men around him merged into one sound. The coachman shook his head and laughed, saying: "This wide street is still not wide enough to walk!"

  Tan Yan stood on the chariot, watching these big men surround and capture the fierce horse. It was quite an interesting thing to see, as more than a dozen people didn't dare get close. To be honest, he had a good impression of this horse in his heart. As long as he didn't go far away from home, Tan Yan would ride horses every day - this was also his daily compulsory course. The old man hoped that his son would be an all-around talent who could both write and fight, and he had never been stingy when it came to hiring martial arts instructors and teachers. Both the instructor and the teacher were famous figures in their field, and the place where he rode horses was also directly adjacent to a nearby barracks.

  After watching for a while, he felt that these big men were really useless. Moreover, his own time was limited. Although it would be possible to arrive at Weng Tonghe's mansion before lunch, the old man was not an ordinary person. The title of Emperor's Teacher must be respected. Tan Yankei had enough of watching the "acrobats" and jumped off the carriage to walk over. The coachman started to call out to him but stopped as soon as he raised his hand - such excitement is not often seen! Can this delicate scholar handle that fierce horse? The coachman thought about waiting to see Tan Yankei return in embarrassment, making a joke out of it, otherwise life would be too dull.

  Tan Yanqun easily made his way through the onlookers and was about to enter the inner circle when one of the servants stretched out a hand to block him, saying: "This young fellow mustn't get any closer, or he'll get trampled. This fierce horse has already knocked down several people!"

  Tan Yanqian thought this person looked quite familiar, so he smiled and said: "I've been riding horses since I was young, maybe I can help you tame this fierce horse..."

  "Little brother, the horses you ride can't compare to this one. This horse is a fine steed from the Uzhumqin grasslands of Mongolia, one in ten thousand!" said a nearby servant proudly.

  Tan Yanqin smiled slightly and didn't mind, but suddenly jumped into the arena. The big black horse reacted quickly, "whooshing" as it turned around, its four hooves stomping anxiously on the ground, filled with vigilance towards this stranger in front of it. Seeing that Tan Yanqin was not like the people around him who feared it, the provoked black horse immediately raised its front hooves to scare away this guy who dared to approach it.

  Tan Yanqun saw the black horse's hooves lifted high, and with a flash of his body, he was already on the right side of the black horse. With a loud "hei", he jumped up and grabbed the reins of the black horse with both hands, pulling it down fiercely. The tall and sturdy black horse had its head pulled to one side, unable to maintain its original posture of having both hooves in the air, and could only land on the ground. However, this horse was still not willing to calm down, constantly shaking its large horsehead and kicking its front hooves wildly. Tan Yanqun tightly grasped the reins in his hands, while using his other hand to gently pull the horse's head, muttering something under his breath.

  Under the encouragement of Tan Zhonglin, Tan Yankai began to ride horses when he was in Lanzhou. As the son of a governor-general, he was naturally well taken care of in the military camp, and fierce horses were not allowed to be ridden by him. However, this did not hinder Tan Yankai's vision. There were many skilled horsemen in the military camp who had high skills in taming horses. At a young age, Tan Yankai learned the skill of taming horses from these people. Later, he followed his father to various places and never stopped riding horses. He also got along well with cavalrymen who taught him various secrets of horse riding and taming.

  In Tan Yanqin's mysterious humming voice, the originally extremely violent black horse gradually calmed down, and before long, it even began to nuzzle Tan Yanqin with its head. The man and the horse stood in the middle of the wide street, looking very intimate, leaving dozens of onlookers stunned, their jaws almost dropping to the ground. No one had expected that this black horse, which had left more than a dozen strong men helpless, would be so obedient to a young scholar. However, seeing Tan Yanqin gently stroking the horse's head while muttering some incomprehensible words, a sudden feeling emerged in their hearts - this young man understands horse language; otherwise, such a fierce horse would not be so obedient in his hands?!

  After a while, Tan Yanjin felt that the black horse had completely calmed down, so he led the reins to the front of the house slaves and handed over the reins to the other party with a smile. "It's best to ride this fierce horse less often, ask a good horse trainer to tame it for a period of time before letting people ride it, otherwise it's easy to provoke this big guy!" After finishing speaking, he gently patted the horse's head and said enviously: "What a great horse! I've never seen such a tall and majestic horse before!"

  The house servant who had just blocked Tan Yanqing from taming the horse walked over, holding the reins and smiling: "This young man is really skilled! So many of us couldn't control it, but as soon as he took action, the horse became obedient!"

  "What good kung fu? It's just some tricks, take good care of this horse, it's really a good horse! We'll meet again!" Tan Yanqian said with a smile, waving his hand. After finishing speaking, Tan Yanqian jumped onto the carriage in three strides, the coachman cracked his whip and shouted, the carriage passed through the narrow path left by the crowd and went away, leaving behind a group of people discussing and gossiping.

  To be honest, Tan Yanqin really wanted to spend money to buy that black horse, but when he saw those servants wearing the same uniform, he knew that the household he had just passed by on the wide street was absolutely extraordinary. Such servants were not something ordinary people could afford. In the capital, high officials were as common as grass, and there were even more Manchu nobles, but to like such a fine horse and have it specially transported from Mongolia, Tan Yanqin guessed that they were probably a Manchu noble family, and with such a master who didn't care about money, wouldn't he be asking for trouble if he tried to buy the horse himself?

  Because of the horse, Tan Yanqin arrived at Weng Tonghe's mansion later than expected, but that didn't matter. Today, Weng Tonghe was not on duty at the Military Machinery Bureau and was free to stay home. Weng Tonghe's mansion is also famous in later generations - Wangfujing Street. In his previous life, Feng Wenyu had lived in Beijing for so long, and the United Hospital was nearby, so he was naturally familiar with this place. However, when he saw the completely changed streets, Tan Yanqin seemed to be stunned. This place had held too many memories of his past life, but now everything was different, and he felt a bit sad in his heart.

  At this time, Weng Tonghe was already having a say in the court, to the point where there was a saying that "major events in the court are decided by Weng's words". Tan Yankai had naturally heard of this saying, although he didn't take it seriously in his heart, but had to admit that since Emperor Guangxu took power, the emperor still gained some power. Although "officials above the second rank were appointed and dismissed by the Empress Dowager", outsiders far from the core of the court and the internal struggles, as well as the people of the Qing dynasty, did not know about these things.

  "For so many years, the only ones who have not been swayed by external influences are the King of Zhong and Li Hongzhang. As for Weng Shuping, he is simply a scholar after all. With his passionate heart and indignation, he is just like Zhang Youzhao in his younger days." The old man said disdainfully, pointing at the ranking on the memorial to the throne.

  Tan Zhonglin's heart is as fine as a hair, although he is far away from the capital and the heavy land, but he has a clear understanding of the changes in politics. In addition to having ears and eyes in the capital, the old man can even see some ominous signs from the ranking of ministers in some official reports - Weng Tonghe's name is always at the top of various reports, in the military machine before leading the military machine minister Wang Shidu, Wu Yingdian University scholar E Le and Bu, Dongge University scholar Zhang Zhiwan; In the General Administration, it was ahead of Qingqinwang and Tirenge University Scholar Fuku.

  Such a ranking may be inconspicuous, and perhaps no one has ever noticed it, but Tan Zhonglin saw the crisis hidden in it when he was in Fujian - for more than 200 years of the Qing dynasty, such a ranking can be considered unprecedented! Weng Tonghe, although he is the emperor's teacher, Empress Dowager Cixi is not dead yet. Perhaps Weng Tonghe was unintentional, but he gave people a kind of scorching and pressing momentum. In the struggle for power, it has always been a matter of life and death, and it is better to believe that there is than to believe that there is none. Empress Dowager Cixi's attack on Prince Gong in those years was also a case of grasping at straws.

  Tan Yanqing stood at the gate of Weng's mansion, considering whether to sound the alarm for Weng Tonghe. The old man would only make his own judgment and wouldn't interfere with Tan's decision-making. This was similar to the previous incident involving Zhang Zhidong, where Tan had to take charge himself. Weng Tonghe held a high position, which could be beneficial for Tan Zhonglin, but offending Empress Dowager Cixi would not be worth it, especially since Weng belonged to her faction. This resource was not crucial for him; what mattered most was his son Tan Yanqing's future prospects. Currently, Tan Yanqing was closer to Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong, who were both rivals of Weng Tonghe. Keeping Weng around would not be beneficial for the Tan family, so it was best to leave the decision in Tan Yanqing's hands and observe how things developed.

  When Tan Yanqing walked into the reception hall under the guidance of the housekeeper, he saw that there were already many people seated here, with a lively atmosphere of laughter and conversation. Tan Yanqing watched with his eyes, but in his heart, he couldn't help but sigh - these people must be Weng's followers, also known as the "Emperor's Party". Little did they know that being labeled as an "Emperor's Party" would absolutely make them truly distant from the imperial court, offending Empress Dowager Cixi. Their good days were numbered, and now they were just enjoying a brief moment of pleasure.

  "Long time no see, Uncle Sheng!" Yan Yongjing walked into the living room and saw an old man with white hair and beard sitting in the main seat. He had an impression of Weng Tonghe's image, so when he saw Weng Tonghe, he took two more steps forward and bowed deeply to pay his respects.

  Weng Tonghe quickly got up and rushed forward to support Tan Yanke, smiling and saying: "Young nephew, don't be too polite. In the blink of an eye, four or five years have passed, and now Zuan is already a successful candidate. Here, it's just like being in your own home. How has your father been lately?"

  For Tan Yanxian, Weng Tonghe truly had heartfelt praise. Four years ago, when Tan Zhonglin briefly served as Minister of Personnel in the capital, he saw Tan Zhonglin proudly show him Tan Yanxian's calligraphy at the Tan residence. In his opinion, both the writing style and the calligraphy were extremely rare and precious, especially since Tan Yanxian had started to focus on Yan-style calligraphy from a young age. Unfortunately, Weng Tonghe held a high position with many students, but none of them could make any achievements in Yan-style calligraphy, not even as good as a child.

  These years, Tan Zhonglin's letters were all written by Tan Yanqing. That one hand of Yan-style characters has made rapid progress, and Weng Tonghe can see that Tan Yanqing has put in a lot of effort on this. Thinking back to his own youth, he didn't have this level of skill. His students thought that Weng Tonghe and Li Hongzhang were leaders of the Qing Dynasty's literary circle, although they also knew that their teacher was skilled in Yan-style calligraphy. However, they all yearned for the "style of famous scholars" and had become obsessed with it, each one diligently practicing cursive script to the point where even Sheng Yu's ghostly brushstrokes were almost unrecognizable, and instead became a laughingstock among outsiders.

  Seeing the child he once called "prodigy" grow into a handsome and talented young man in less than four or five years, not only passing the imperial examination to become a jinshi, but also writing articles like "On Encouraging Learning" that earned him widespread acclaim from the entire court. Weng Tonghe was deeply moved. Unlike Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang, Tan Yanqing had always been "one of his own people" in Weng Tonghe's heart. Putting aside his relationship with Tan Zhonglin, Tan Yanqing's youthful fame in the imperial examination was enough to make Weng Tonghe want to recruit him.