Chapter Fifty-Four Changshu
When Zhang was young, he was not as good as Tan Yanqing. He and Pan Zumu both tried to win over the successors of their own factions. Not to mention Tan Yanqing, who had conditions several times better than Zhang's. However, Weng Tonghe also felt embarrassed in his heart. In order to let Zhang pass the exam smoothly and become the top scholar in the imperial examination, he even asked Tan Zhonglin to postpone Tan Yanqing's exam period for one year. This favor was truly owed too much.
Weng Tonghe warmly grasped Tan Yankai's hand and personally introduced him to the people in the living room - Zhi Rui, Wen Tingshi, Wang Mingluan, Sheng, Huang Siyong... Of course, there was also that smiling Zhang.
"It seems that this kid has finally made it!" When Weng Tonghe introduced Tan Yanxin to a middle-aged man in his forties, saying he was Zhang, Tan Yanxin took a good look at Zhang and thought to himself with a sneer.
"My elder brother's great name, I've long heard my father mention it. The 'Six Articles of Good Faith' and other works are all from your brush, I admire you!" Tan Yanqian said with a smile, bowing his hands.
Zhang Ke's path had always been a bit of a misstep, and facing Tan Yanqian, who was half his age, he even felt like crawling into a crack in the ground. However, Tan Yanqian knew how to speak and didn't mention Zhang Ke's past mistakes, instead praising the articles he wrote during the Sino-French War. This made Zhang feel somewhat better - it was precisely because of these articles that he received more recognition from people like Weng Tonghe, and even had the opportunity to go to Korea and join Wu Changqing's ranks. Although Wu Changqing was a military man by origin, he had always been known for respecting scholars, so Zhang felt very comfortable there. It wasn't until after Wu Changqing's death that he returned to his hometown.
"Brother, you're a young man with a great reputation in the academic world. As soon as 'On Encouraging Learning' came out, we all retreated and yielded to your brilliance. We really admire you!" Zhang said with a smile.
"The imperial examination has taken thirty people, and in a few days it will be the palace examination. You should all get along with each other!" Weng Tonghe saw that Tan Yanqing was not worried about delaying the exam for a year. He had no ill intentions towards Zhang, and his heart felt even more delighted."
Tan Yanqian hesitated for a moment after hearing this - "With the great help of Weng Tonghe, he only managed to get 30th place? Is there something wrong?"
Tan Yanxian knew that the imperial examination and later exams were very different. Later exams had a large proportion of objective questions, where one was either right or wrong with no third possibility. Subjective questions like essays did not dominate the scoring. The imperial examination included eight-legged essays, poetry, and policy discussions, all of which were subjective questions without any measurable standards for answers. As long as you didn't openly challenge the authority of the ruling class, your paper was basically considered qualified. As for becoming a jinshi, huiyuan or even zhuangyuan, there were also big differences in opinions among examiners. For example, Tan Yanxian encountered an examiner named Jiang Biao with a background in foreign affairs during the provincial examination. Naturally, he had to be more positive in his essays related to foreign affairs. If he had encountered a more conservative and stubborn examiner from the Qing court, even if his essay was beautifully written, there would have been no chance of winning first prize if it touched on topics like reform and opening up.
This time, the examiner was Weng Tonghe, who had an unparalleled advantage in grading papers. In any case, being ranked 30th is unacceptable; if it were among the top five, it would be barely acceptable.
"Could it be that old Weng Tonghe's eyes are dim and he misread the scroll again? This one is also too unlucky!" Tan Yanke thought to himself.
Tan Yanqing did not know that Weng Tonghe was not the chief examiner of the provincial examination, but the chief examiner of the palace examination. The chief examiner of the provincial examination was Li Hongzao, but Li Hongzao had become more and more decadent in recent years, and he didn't take care of things much, it was all done by the deputy chief examiner Wang Mingluan. All the examiners knew that Wang Mingluan was Weng Tonghe's man, and with the Guangxu Emperor taking power, everyone followed Wang Mingluan. Unfortunately, when Wang Mingluan and Weng Binshun were reviewing the papers, they misread the papers again, and no one raised any objections to the paper ranked first by Wang Mingluan, who was quite pleased with himself. He hastily opened the sealed envelope and took a look, only to find that the paper ranked first was actually Tao Shifeng's, and he had made another mistake!
"Congratulations, brother! Yan Kuan is here to borrow Uncle Shi's good fortune to wish you a golden list of names!" Tan Yan Kuan reacted quickly. Zhang's imperial examination experience had long been spread out. If he hesitated slightly at this time, Zhang's face would not look good.
It's impossible for such a gathering to take place, as the imperial examination is about to be held, and Zhang, as an examinee, should not be visiting Weng Tonghe. Wang Minglun, Sheng, Zhirui, and others are all examiners or collectors of papers in this imperial examination. If word gets out, it will surely cause a huge stir. However, Tan Yankai also saw that Weng Tonghe didn't care; as the revered emperor's teacher, who would dare to impeach him?
At the party, Weng Tonghe was even more pleased than Zhang, it seems that Old Weng's tail has already risen to the sky. At this moment when Weng Tonghe is most pleased with himself, it is often also his most dangerous time. There have been many such examples in history. If this old guy were to be dismissed from office and return home tomorrow, Tan Yankai would not suspect a thing. Now he is thinking that it's not right to warn Weng Tonghe - someone like him, if he doesn't have great tolerance, might bite back when others come to advise him at this time.
It's just as the old man said, Weng Tonghe was just a bookworm after all. He was proud of being a young champion and later...
Emperor Guangxu was even personally brought up by him. Weng Tonghe's career had been too smooth and simple, with hardly anyone plotting against him, unlike the old man who had offended Empress Dowager Cixi and other high-ranking officials in the court many times when he was young, walking on thin ice every day, reflecting on his actions and being cautious at every step. This several decades of being an emperor's teacher didn't even reach half of the old man's level, and yet he had managed to live until today, which was already a rare feat! As Tan Yankai watched Weng Tonghe, with a flushed face, continuously accepting toasts from Wen Tingshi and others, his complacent attitude was beyond words. The thought of warning Weng Tonghe was suppressed in his heart.
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Weng Tonghe also knew that Tan Zhonglin had entrusted a secret mission to his son, Tan Yanqing. Although Wen Tingshi and Zhirui were both trusted advisors, Tan Zhonglin was the most powerful governor after Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang, even surpassing Liu Kunyi, the Governor-General of the Two Jiangs and Minister of the Southern Ocean. The reason for this lay in his having a good son.
The provincial officials and the central government officials are both top-level existences in national political life, with different divisions of labor. However, since Zeng Guofan took control of the power to suppress the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the power of the provincial officials has been greatly expanded. The powers of local finance, military affairs, etc. are all held by the provincial officials. The balance between the provincial officials and the central government officials was finally broken. Although it has been decades since the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the struggle between the central and local governments has never stopped. After Zeng Guofan's death, Li Hongzhang became the leader of the provincial officials and continued to play this endless game with the central government.
The nickname "Little Governor" had long been circulating in the capital, and everyone knew that what Tan Yanqian said was equivalent to what Tan Zhonglin, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, said. From the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang to the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Tan Zhonglin did not ask about worldly affairs, letting his son handle all the official duties of the governor's office, even writing letters on his behalf - Tan Yanqian's status was in some way equal to that of Weng Tonghe. As for Wen Tingshi and others, they were not qualified enough. Moreover, although Weng Tonghe was now basking in the glory of success, at the banquet earlier, he had carefully observed Tan Yanqian sitting below him, and his demeanor was truly unbelievable for an eighteen-year-old boy. Although he did not say much, except for making the atmosphere more lively, Weng Tonghe thought that Tan Yanqian's words were all flattering nonsense, and it was amazing that he could speak such empty words with such skill.
Weng Tonghe may seem quite immature compared to Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong, but after spending several decades in the imperial capital, he has also gained a deep understanding of officialdom. He can see that this young man, who has been absent for four or five years, is still very proud - he looks down on Zhang, and he has the qualifications to do so. Zhang is inferior to Tang Shaoyi in every aspect; he looks down on Zhi Rui, Wen Tingshi... These people may write some elegant poems, but they are just beautiful vases with nothing real inside.
Weng Tonghe saw it very accurately, and in his heart, Tan Yankei really looked down on them. He was even more puzzled, wondering if Old Weng's students had been operating in Beijing for so many years and only found a few "useless" people who could only recite poetry and talk big? Just from this point of view, not to mention Li Hongzhang, even Zhang Zhidong was much more capable than Weng Tonghe. If the hatred of the previous generation continued, if the Qing court would not close its doors in a decade or so, then Old Weng's students would definitely be cleaned up by Zhang Zhidong or Li Hongzhang's disciples!
Although Weng Tonghe had seen through Tan Yanqing's mind, he appreciated Tan Yanqing even more - thinking that he himself was not like this young man when he was young, famous at a young age and vigorous. Thinking of his father Tan Zhonglin, who was just a small Hanlin in the Hanlin Academy back then, dared to oppose the prominent Wenyuan Pavilion academician Ruan Yuan, and rescued Prince Gong from danger, doing things that ordinary people did not dare to think about - "These two father and son are really cut from the same mold!" Weng Tonghe thought with joy.
Don't think that only the Western Affairs Group attaches importance to the cultivation of follow-up talents. The Qingliu Group, led by the chief minister, also attaches great importance to talent cultivation. Otherwise, people like Weng Tonghe, Pan Zuyin and Tong Hua would not have started promoting Zhang ten years ago. Zhang Zhidong's approach to cultivating talents is different from Li Hongzhang's, who requires a hometown or kinship relationship. Although the source of talents is broader, it lacks Li Hongzhang's innate advantages and long-term operation. In comparison, the Qingliu Group's talent cultivation is even more dire than that of the Western Affairs Group. Otherwise, Zhang, who was still in his 40s and had not completed the imperial examination, would not have become a sought-after figure - it's really because talents are scarce and hard to come by!
"Uncle, please come and take a look, I've brought many good things for you from afar!" After the banquet ended, everyone dispersed after getting drunk and full. Weng Tonghe invited Tang Jiyao to his study for a chat, while Tang Jiyao had someone bring in a large package, which made Weng Tonghe feel very curious. As soon as they sat down in the study, Tang Jiyao placed the package on a tea table, slowly opened it and asked Weng Tonghe to come over and take a look together.
"Oh? Smoked clothes, duck pouches? And cured chicken too?" Weng Tonggu saw the few Jiangnan specialties in the package and immediately felt a warm current in his heart - it was still Tan Wenqing who knew him best!
These few things
Tan Zhonglin deliberately let Tan Yanqing purchase it when passing through Shanghai. It's a high-level academic question, especially since the gift recipient is Weng Tonghe, a leader of the Qing government. Those yellow and white objects, no matter how many, would be considered inferior in Weng Tonghe's eyes. Tan Zhonglin, who was familiar with Weng Tonghe's character, wouldn't do such a foolish thing, which would only result in Weng Tonghe's contempt.
Tan Yanqing was also very satisfied with these gifts - as the emperor's teacher, Weng Tonghe was often resident in Beijing and was said to be extremely dependent on him, almost treating him like a father. This not only solidified Weng Tonghe's political position but also made it rare for him to return home, where his ancestral tomb had fallen into disrepair. He had finally managed to get a two-month leave from the emperor to return to Changshu and renovate his ancestral tomb.
For someone who has been away from his hometown since he became an official, the things that can move him most are some very simple local specialties. It's a thoughtful gift from his hometown and family, which can easily break through his psychological defenses. Tan Yanqian was impressed by Lao Touzi's move, and now seeing Weng Tonghe take out a bottle of Shaoxing yellow wine from the package, although it hasn't been opened yet, but Lao Touzi's intoxicated expression has already made Tan Yanqian know that this gift is very considerate and successful!
"My father said that Uncle Shifu rarely returned to his hometown after leaving home at a young age, and whenever he did, he would always think of his hometown with great nostalgia. Therefore, he specially instructed me to buy some local specialties from Jiangnan on the way, although salted chicken is also available in Beijing, but my father specifically told me to purchase everything from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, as the ones produced in Beijing do not have the right flavor and may not suit Uncle Shifu's taste..." Tan Yanjin said respectfully.
"Good! Good! Good! It's Tan Wenqing who knows me! Why is my nephew standing? Quickly sit down, how's your father?" Weng Tonghe asked with a smile as he pulled Tan Yanqing to sit down together.
"My father is in good health. Every day, he still practices calligraphy and boxing, and when he has free time, he goes to the factory to take a look around and see if there's anything new and interesting. Unfortunately, Guangdong and Fujian are not like Beijing, and the things available in society are not refined. For such a long time, I haven't received any good things..." Tan Yanqing said with a smile.
"Haha, that's natural. It's not easy for you to come to the capital once, so when you have time, go to Liu Zhenqing's shop in Liulichang, he is an old friend of mine, and the things they collect are not bad either. You must go there and won't return empty-handed!" said Weng Tonghe with a smile.
The high-ranking officials of the Qing dynasty all had a hobby of collecting antiques, just like Sheng's courtyard "Yiyuan", which was famous in Beijing for its rich collection. In Yiyuan, there were three treasures: the Song edition of "Liji", Su Shi and Huang Tingjian's joint work "Hanshi Tie" and Xiang Yuanbian's "Peony Picture", collectively known as the "Three Treasures of Yiyuan". Students are like this, let alone teachers? Weng Tonghe's collection was even more abundant, and as a respected imperial teacher, his annual salary and the "ice gifts" from his subordinates were not small amounts. He could afford to buy things he liked generously, and Emperor Guangxu also knew that his teacher loved collecting, so there were many precious items bestowed upon him from the palace. After decades of accumulation, although few people had seen Weng Tonghe's collection, it was obvious that they were not something ordinary people could match.
Like Weng Tonghe, Tan Zhonglin also liked collecting. As the son closest to Tan Zhonglin, he had seen all of his father's collections. Although he didn't specialize in these things himself, through exposure and influence, he developed a good eye for collecting. With extensive knowledge and broad vision, Tan Yanke's ability to distinguish between ancient objects was also an aspect that his father appreciated. However, his father spent relatively little time in the capital, and in his early years as an unknown Hanlin scholar, he lived very frugally, with his salary barely covering family expenses - where would he get the money to indulge his hobbies? It wasn't until he became a local official that Tan Zhonglin's collections began to flourish, thanks to his own efforts and the tributes from his subordinates. However, compared to a family like Weng Tonghe's with its deep cultural heritage, Tan Zhonglin's collection was still relatively thin.
However, Tang Yanke was indeed very enthusiastic about collecting these antiques - in his memory, the loss of cultural relics at the end of the Qing dynasty was extremely severe, and many national treasure-level cultural relics were lost overseas during this period. After the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, Beijing would suffer a second disastrous looting, and even the Summer Palace, which Empress Dowager Cixi had built by embezzling naval funds, was looted empty. This cannot be said to be ironic.
Tan Yankai, although occasionally collecting some antiques, this hobby is inseparable from huge funds to support it. He certainly cannot divert the funds in his hands that are used for major events to purchase antiques. In his eyes, antiques may be good, but they are ultimately inanimate objects. Using useful money to enhance national strength and cultivate talent is the most useful thing to do. As long as one's own strength is strong enough, strong enough to conquer England and America, it would be perfectly fine to openly and fairly retrieve the cultural relics that were lost in the past. However, Tan Yankai will not have such a wild dream. At present, what he can do is only within his ability to protect some cultural relics as much as possible. Of course, for key cultural relic areas like the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, which suffered looting more than a decade later, Tan Yankai estimates that by then he should have the ability to avoid such disasters from happening.
