Tan Zhonglin is very old.

Dressed in civilian clothes, with a sparse silver-white long beard, there are many age spots on the temples, and the wrinkled backs of the hands are also age spots.

He wears a melon skin hat, like an old man who comes out to walk in the sun, only occasionally when he raises his head, and on the big bags under his eyes, a pair of eyes will exude a majesty that seems to be nothing.

He sat on the Taishi chair, his eyes slightly closed, Zhang Zhidong sat in the guest seat, Fu Qingyin carefully accompanied him, and Chen Mu stood beside Zhang Zhidong with the red lotus.

Tan Zhonglin finally opened his eyes and asked Chen Mu, "Who are you?" ”

Chen Mu was puzzled, because Fu Qingyin and Zhang Zhidong had already introduced his name, why did he forget it after taking a nap, could it be that he was already confused?

When Chen Mu was puzzled, Tan Zhonglin nodded at the red lotus behind Chen Mu, and said to Chen Mu: "You are neither an official nor as big as me, why do you have to take this woman in red clothes, do you look down on the old man and put up a fight in front of the old man?" ”

Chen Mu was also embarrassed, he also knew that on such an occasion, it was extremely inappropriate to take the red lotus, but this woman couldn't get rid of it, and she was helpless.

Moreover, Chen Mu has always carried the red lotus, which is actually a temptation.

Whether it is Huang Feihong, Zhang Zhidong, or Tan Zhonglin, if even Chen Mu can't accept a woman by his side, how can he trust each other?

Of course, perhaps in the eyes of others, this is just Chen Mu's extremely lame excuse, and even Chen Mu can't convince himself.

Chen Mu didn't know how to answer for a while, but it was the Red Lotus, who had always been silent, who spoke at this time.

"Since you are shepherding one side, you should abide by the etiquette law, although I show my head, but you face it and reprimand, is it considered disrespectful?"

Chen Mu was also bitter in his heart, he had already agreed with Honglian earlier that if he wanted to follow Chen Mu, he couldn't just speak, but he didn't expect that she couldn't help it in the end.

Tan Zhonglin already had a political disagreement with Zhang Zhidong, and this time, he didn't even give Zhang Zhidong face, and Honglian dared to speak out, which simply added fuel to the fire!

However, Tan Zhonglin's eyes widened, and then he closed his eyes slightly and stopped talking, it seemed that he was no longer pursuing this issue!

Chen Mu gradually figured it out.

In this era, talking about etiquette is as pedantic as digging an old pedant out of an ancient tomb.

At the moment, I even dare to cut off my braids, and what kind of poetry and book etiquette are still talked about in this world, it is simply out of place.

But Tan Zhonglin is an out-and-out "old pedant", he is like an old man who does not want to be changed by the times, and clings to the dying etiquette.

He is disgusted with the reform of the law, he rejects all foreign things, his eyes are actually old, Fu Qingyin once gave him a pair of Western glasses earlier, and he was snubbed by the old governor for more than half a month.

He thinks that people should miss the old, and the new can only bring about the collapse of etiquette and music, and he has been talking about the era when the road is not left behind, the night is not closed, everyone talks about etiquette, and everyone keeps promises.

Although hundreds of thousands of years have passed by such an era, as a literati, he stubbornly believes that even if such an era has passed and will not return, he will not dare to forget it.

And the literati should take on such a responsibility, if the literati forget the passing of an era, it is a real death.

This is something that has been inherited by our ancestors for thousands of years, and it is the soul of the entire Chinese nation, and it cannot be discarded.

So he hates to see women show up, and even more rejects women from going to the academy to study, like Honglian, who has no serious reputation with Chen Mu, so he follows Chen Mu in and out of pairs, which is really inappropriate.

But what Honglian said is not bad, although he is old, he is a man after all, and it is not appropriate to reprimand her so face-to-face.

Maybe Tan Zhonglin just lost his temper for a while, Chen Mu was thinking too much, but no matter what, he could still see that Tan Zhonglin was a person, and what Zhang Zhidong said, was not much different.

Thinking like this in Chen Mu's heart, Tan Zhonglin opened his eyes again and asked Zhang Zhidong, "So, are you seeking my promise to build a factory in Guangdong?" ”

Zhang Zhidong had raised more than 800,000 taels of funds earlier, planning to build a factory in Shimen, Guangzhou, and it could be said that everything was ready, but in the end he moved to Hubei because he was transferred to the governor of Huguang.

Although Hubei has both land and water, and coal and iron, it is also a good choice, but if he can really insist, Zhang Zhidong still hopes to build a factory in Guangdong.

Not to mention, it is only said that Guangdong was the most important foreign port at that time, and in the event of a war, Guangzhou Bay could not be escaped, and heavy troops must be deployed.

Although the arsenal was built in the Hanyang Mountains of Hubei Province, which could strengthen the defense and prevent the invaders from going deep inland to destroy it, it was not as convenient as Guangdong to transport the manufactured guns and cannons to all parts of the country.

At that time, he once questioned that some people didn't want him to build a factory in Guangdong, so he tried every means to transfer him from Guangdong.

Failed once in Guangdong, and now such a thought appears again, but Zhang Zhidong is still full of passion, as if he can fulfill his wish in his lifetime.

"That's right, I just want to build a factory in Guangdong." Zhang Zhidong suppressed his gradually rapid breathing, but he still couldn't avoid excitement and excitement.

He has been in the court for most of his life, which can be regarded as a martial arts strategy, or "cultural and martial arts", and he has long been accustomed to seeing those tricks in the court, but in the face of Tan Zhonglin, he has no clue, and he does not think about the metaphors behind his words, but is eager to get his approval.

He unabashedly put himself in a relatively low position, as if Tan Zhonglin was his superior, and there was a sense that the county officials were not as good as the current management.

"Even if you know that I have always hated these things, even if you know that I have never been against it for so many years in the court, and I have never once approved it, you still have to tell me that you want to build a factory on my site?"

Zhang Zhidong continued to nod and said, "Yes." ”

Tan Zhonglin opened his eyes: "Why do you think I will agree?" ”

Zhang Zhidong pondered for a moment, and then spoke: "I have one thing, I originally planned to bring it to the capital to persuade those old stubborns, but now, let's use it to convince you, the old stubborn." ”

Saying this, Zhang Zhidong took the lead in walking to the courtyard, Tan Zhonglin was reluctant to move his buttocks, but Fu Qingyin had already stepped forward to help, so he could only go out.

Zhang Zhidong only took Chen Mu and Fu Qingyin with him this time, but Shen Changzhou and the others, like his guards, have been with him, and they are already in the courtyard at this time.

"Give me a gun." Zhang Zhidong stretched out his hand, and Shen Changzhou immediately untied the pistol on his waist, turned the head of the gun, and handed the handle to Zhang Zhidong.

Zhang Zhidong unloaded the magazine with a click, and handed the empty gun to Tan Zhonglin.

"Touch."

Tan Zhonglin looked disgusted, don't look over, just like two angry children.

Zhang Zhidong stretched forward again, almost not forcing it into his hand.

"Touch it, touch it!" Zhang Zhidong knew that Tan Zhonglin never touched imported products, and the windows at home didn't even use glass, and the electric lights were even more diffuse.

Zhang Zhidong has never forgotten that when he touched these guns for the first time, the cold metallic texture, the danger of death, and the sense of power to control life and death made his heart beat like the first time he saw his beloved, throbbing uncontrollably.

He hopes that Tan Zhonglin can feel it for himself, he hopes that Tan Zhonglin is like an old bachelor who has fallen in love in the twilight, and he can experience that feeling when he comes.

However, Tan Zhonglin didn't convince himself in the end, he couldn't take this step.

Looking at the stubborn Tan Zhonglin, Zhang Zhidong also sighed and said: "Wen Qing, it's been decades, you are still like this, when you look up, you only see the big sky of the manhole cover, but you don't want to jump out, open your eyes, and take a good look at ......"

Tan Zhonglin said angrily: "Are you talking about the frog at the bottom of my well? What is so good about the foreigner's set! ”

"If everyone sticks to their duty, won't this world be peaceful!"

Zhang Zhidong laughed and said bitterly: "We are everyone who sticks to our duty, but foreigners don't keep our duty, even if we are all reasonable, but foreigners are barbarians, they can't read the Four Books and Five Classics, when will you be enlightened!" ”

Tan Zhonglin also did not admit defeat: "What if the foreigners come, if we learn from them, wouldn't it be the same as them, lose benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, wisdom and faith, and become a barbarian!" ”

"My Huaxia Sect is full of talents, so I have to use such radical means!"

Zhang Zhidong shook his head as if he saw a ridiculous and pitiful person: "Wen Qing, I am also a scholar, why wasn't I like you earlier?" ”

"Self-cultivation and Qi family rule the country and the world, it is easy to say, who doesn't have such a vision? But if the law is not changed, the country will not be a country, and what kind of governance can we talk about? With a hoe in hand, how to fight against foreigners and how to level the world? ”

Tan Zhonglin was also stubborn, and said to Zhang Zhidong: "Isn't it ridiculous that you don't insist on it yourself and lose your morality, but you come to blame people who abide by the Tao and the Tao!" ”

Zhang Zhidong shook his head, and finally gave up.

Fu Qingyin said to Tan Zhonglin at this time: "Tan Shuai, foreigners' firearms do have their own uniqueness, let's not talk about it for the time being, this Guangdong boundary is based on commerce and trade, if you build a factory and drive the locality, it will be of great help in terms ......of money and food."

Fu Qingyin has always regarded himself as the chief think tank, and in his opinion, it should be no problem to convince Tan Zhonglin.

It's just that the timing is not right at the moment, and he doesn't plan to persuade him, just to start and bury a hidden line.

Tan Zhonglin said: "Qingyin, I have always valued you, why are you confused!" ”

Saying this, Tan Zhonglin walked into the room, and said without looking back: "Lord Zhang, I will not send it far!" ”

Zhang Zhidong sighed heavily, but Fu Qingyin glanced at him and motioned for them to leave temporarily.

Zhang Zhidong had no choice but to put down the pistol, and was about to return it to Shen Changzhou, but Chen Mu, who had been silent, stood up at this time, took Zhang Zhidong's pistol from it, pointed at the bullet in Zhang Zhidong's hand, and spread out his palm.

Zhang Zhidong hesitated for a moment, but in the end he still handed the bullet to Chen Mu.

However, the next moment, Chen Mu's actions suddenly made Zhang Zhidong's scalp numb, and his fingers trembled!

Chen Mu quickly reloaded, clicked on the load, and then aimed at Tan Zhonglin and Fu Qingyin, who were about to leave!