Guangzhou City is still the same Guangzhou City, the streets are still bustling, but Chen Mu walks on the streets, the bright sun, the golden sunlight sprinkles on his body, he always feels that the world is wide, as if the surrounding high-rise buildings have disappeared, and he is in the middle of a plain, maybe this is the preciousness of freedom.

In view of the fact that Qingchang specially reminded him, Chen Mu didn't dare to be too high, and this time he just let Honglian follow, and the four guys followed him, and it was the local Tangkou people in Guangzhou who led the way.

Lung Kee's business is all over Lingnan, and important places like Guangzhou are naturally focused on development, so there are many industries, especially pawnshops and docks, which are like a cornucopia, and the silver money village is also thriving.

After doing this big thing, Chen Mu also had the confidence, and he was in a happy mood along the way, his steps were light, and he soon walked out of the lively neighborhood.

At the front, there are fewer pedestrians, the air seems to be cooler, and many elegant courtyards begin to appear around, and occasionally the sound of silk and bamboo can be faintly heard, which should be an elegant residential area.

"Second master, the preparations ahead have arrived, and I will ask you to go a little longer......"

This guide is also sincerely afraid, he is ready for the sedan chair, but Chen Mu insists on walking, he sees Chen Mu's fine skin and tender meat, and he is also worried that Chen Mu will not be able to bear it.

Chen Mu didn't matter, waved his hand at him, and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter." ”

After walking like this for a while, a large group of people suddenly rushed out in front of them, bustling, and they actually threw debris and dirt at a house, and some people even threw dung in front of the door!

The guide also became nervous, protected Chen Mu behind him, and said to Chen Mu: "Second master, let's take a detour!" ”

Chen Mu didn't want to make any extraneous branches, but after taking a closer look, he found that there were many people in student costumes inside, and he was also curious, so he raised his hand to stop him: "Let's take a look first." ”

"Who is this? Why did you provoke the anger of the people? Chen Mu asked casually, and the guide hesitated for a moment, but said to Chen Mu.

"That'...... It was the private residence of the outgoing Governor Tam Chung Lun......"

"Is that so......" Chen Mu finally understood why the guide hesitated.

In their opinion, it was Chen Mu who forced Tan Zhonglin away, if Tan Zhonglin didn't step down, who would dare to throw feces at the door of the governor's house?

Although this made Chen Mu's reputation in Longji unparalleled, Chen Mu was unwilling to admit it, because it was not he who forced Tan Zhonglin away, at least he thought so.

The group of people were indignant and scolded loudly, Chen Mu listened for a while, and finally made it clear.

These people were all supporters of the Restoration, and Tam Zhonglin was a recognized conservative inside and outside the court, and he had always opposed the reform of the law, while Guangdong was a treaty port and the people were open, and it was one of the most active places in the Westernization Movement.

But Bisheng is such a place, since Tan Zhonglin became the governor, he did not support the Westernization Movement, and even spared no effort to oppose the Westernization Movement.

Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao and other major figures of the reform faction are all from Guangdong, Kang Youwei is from the South China Sea, and Liang Qichao is from Xinhui.

It is said that this should be the birthplace of the Restoration, and it is the hottest place, but because of Tan Zhonglin's suppression, it is difficult to move an inch of the Restoration.

Liang Qichao, Liu Xuehai and others often scolded Tan Zhonglin for this, and Pi Xirui even scolded Tan Zhonglin for being blind and having to be helped when he walked, but he scolded the Westernization Movement for being the most powerful, and even scolded Tan Zhonglin for burying the crippled people in Guangdong.

With this kind of premise, what happened to Tan Zhonglin after he stepped down can be imagined.

Looking at the scene in front of him, Chen Mu was also full of emotion, and opened his mouth, he wanted the guide to find a way to disperse these people, but at this time, the door of the Tan family was actually opened!

These people kept clamoring for Tan Zhonglin to come out, but they didn't expect this old stubborn to really come out!

He was silent and didn't speak, but these people in front of the door were angry, and I don't know who it was, they threw a rotten vegetable leaf at him, as if triggering a switch, and Tan Zhonglin was soon covered in filth!

He didn't argue, he didn't dodge, as if he was being judged, Chen Mu finally couldn't help it, and said to the guide: "Can you drive away?" ”

The guide puffed up his chest, nodded vigorously at Chen Mu, and walked towards the group of people, I don't know what to say, Chen Mu only heard a sentence like "Long Ji does things", and those people immediately dispersed.

Chen Mu walked to the door, Tan Zhonglin was still standing in place, and the servants beside him wanted to tidy up his face and clothes for him, but he stretched out his hand to block it.

"Wen Shuai...... Why are you doing this......" Chen Mu walked up the steps and handed a handkerchief to Tan Zhonglin.

Tan Zhonglin didn't reach out to take it, but just sat down slowly, leaning on the threshold, as if he had no strength anymore.

"I, Tan Zhonglin Xianfeng, was a jinshi in the sixth year of Xianfeng, and I was the prefect of Hangzhou in the beautiful paradise, and I served as the superintendent of Jiangnan Province, Hangjiahu Road, and I also went to the bitter cold northwest."

"I don't dare to say that I love the people like children, but when Shaanxi reduced taxes, set up a bookstore, promoted Yixue, taught the people to plant mulberry and silkworm textiles, dredged Zhengbai Canal, and patrolled Zhejiang, he built a sea pond, changed the tax rate, and rectified the military ......."

"Later, he was promoted to the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and set up an official car bureau to ease transit, and to abolish excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes to relieve the people's hardship......"

"Others always say that I am stubborn and cowardly, yes, I don't have the martial arts like Zhang Zhidong Zuo Zongtang Zeng Guofan, but when I was in Shaanxi, the Hui people rebelled, and it was I who lifted the ban on the Hui people not being allowed to go out of the city, alleviated the Hui and Han contradictions, cleaned up the mess, and when I left office, the Hui people came to see me off......"

"I set up the ancient academy in Lanzhou, in Ganzhou to create the Hexi Jingshe, fourteen years, the Yellow River burst, the old man raised 600,000 taels of silver for Henan disaster relief and embankment, as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu for six and a half years, more than 100,000 taels of silver in stock, millions of stones of grain in various states and counties, more than ten times more than when I took office......

Tan Zhonglin counted it in one breath, as if he was looking back on most of his life, and this big and small political achievement was really shocking.

"I've done what a civil servant, even most good officials, should do, and now? Just because I abide by the way of civil officials, I will be splashed with feces? ”

"Say, what's wrong with this world?"

The old minister raised his head, his face was full of dirt, and his eyes were full of tears of grievance, and Chen Mu couldn't help but moisten his eyes.

He finally understood why Zhang Zhidong suddenly wanted to study.

Tan Zhonglin's private house is very simple, he is not greedy or corrupt, he has outstanding political achievements, he is a pure civil official, he is from a clear stream, he serves as a supervisor of the imperial history, and he has always maintained the simple and classic temperament of a scholar.

Zhang Zhidong is also from Qingliu, perhaps, he saw in Tan Zhonglin what he should have become.

The reason why he suddenly asked Chen Mu to accompany him to study was not to miss the past, but to cut off the past and say goodbye to the identity of the Qingliu civil official completely!

My God, even if he has the foresight to be as brilliant as Zhang Zhidong, it still took most of his life, and it was not until Tan Zhonglin stepped down that he decided to say goodbye to the identity of a pure scholar completely.

He, like Tan Zhonglin, never picked out the well in his life, he just climbed to the mouth of the well and looked at the world outside, he never thought that he would go so far.

Now Chen Mu finally understands that there is not much difference between Zhang Zhidong and Tan Zhonglin, spiritually, it's just that Zhang Zhidong uses his own way to protect the country and makes certain compromises to this world.

And Tan Zhonglin did not give an inch, and still adhered to the way of civil officials.

Chen Mu once thought that he had awakened Tan Zhonglin, but Tan Zhonglin used his resignation to tell Chen Mu that he did not succeed.

Chen Mu thought that he had awakened Zhang Zhidong again, but it turned out that it was also unsuccessful.

He finally understands now that whether it is Zhang Zhidong, Tan Zhonglin, or those people in the court, they don't need to wake up.

Because they're all awake, but they're all pretending to be asleep!

Thinking of this, Chen Mu had no interest in court politics at all.

He appreciates and admires Tan Zhonglin, not because of his pedantry, but because of his purity!

As if he met Master Gong for the first time when he was a child, he tidied up his clothes, tied his hair, and then solemnly waved at Tan Zhonglin.

Tan Zhonglin burst into tears, and he asked Chen Mu, "What was the first article you read?" Do you remember? ”

Children are enlightened, nothing more than three hundred thousand, three-character scriptures, hundred family names, thousand-character texts, and things like augmenting virtuous texts.

Chen Mu didn't think much about it, so he said: "At the beginning of human beings, nature is good......

Tan Zhonglin looked at the mess on the ground in front of the door, and muttered: "At the beginning of people, nature is good...... Hehe......"

"I'm not wrong, am I?" Tan Zhonglin was like a nervous child, and asked Chen Mu with hopeful eyes.

Chen Mu's lips moved, but he didn't know how to answer after all, he helped Tan Zhonglin up, wiped his face for him, and said to him.

"Wen Shuai, after reaching the world, there is also a sentence that the poor are good alone, if you can't help the world, then you can be good alone......"

Tan Zhonglin looked at Chen Mu and persuaded him hopefully: "I know that you are not an ordinary man, you are very good at reasoning, and people who understand reasoning are better than unreasonable people, but not only to be reasonable, but also to be reasonable, and the old man doesn't dare to teach you anything, how about sending you four words?" ”

Chen Mu respectfully bowed his hand: "I am willing to listen to Mr.'s teachings." ”

Tan Zhonglin dipped his fingers in the water on the ground and wrote four characters on the steps.

Although the water trail was quickly sucked dry, and the handwriting did not stay for too long, Chen Mu saw it in the end.

"Unity of knowledge and action".

Chen Mu raised his head and said to Tan Zhonglin, "The student remembers." ”

Tan Zhonglin also nodded with satisfaction, looked at the Longji guide next to him, and inevitably raised his mouth to Chen Mu.

"This path is not for you......"

Chen Mu didn't explain, he also knew that he was not suitable, but this was the fastest way to take revenge, and it was also his best choice at the moment.

He just said to Tan Zhonglin: "Isn't Wen Shuai also unsuitable to be an official?" ”

Tan Zhonglin also smiled bitterly: "Then what do you think the old man is suitable for?" ”

"Sir, you are suitable to be a teacher, if you were a gentleman, you should be a peach and plum all over the world now......"

Tan Zhonglin laughed: "This world is ...... In the future, it's all machines, where are the peaches and plums? ”

Chen Mu pointed to Tan Zhonglin's chest and said: "As long as the backbone and soul of this scholar are still there, it is full of high-rise buildings and machines all over the world, and the integrity of the scholar is still there!" ”

When the sun shines down, Tan Zhonglin, who is lying on his back, is like the last old tree in the steel world, and Chen Mu next to him is like a green shoot growing on an old tree.