Xianliang Temple, located in the Bingzhan Hutong outside Dong'an Gate, is one of the many temples in the capital, I don't know when this Xianliang Temple has become a place for local officials at all levels to enter Beijing to rest and rectify, because there is no real estate in the capital, Li Hongzhang will live in Xianliang Temple every time he comes to the capital. So much so that now this virtuous temple has gradually become the line of Li Hongzhang's visit to Beijing.

Even if Li Hongzhang, who is an important minister, has nothing important to do, he will put it on hold for a few days, but for Li Hongzhang, who is usually entangled in official business in Tianjin, every time he comes to Xianliang Temple, it is almost equivalent to a "holiday", and it is a time to relax.

Although he was waiting to see him at Xianliang Temple, Li Hongzhang still did not change the living habits he had cultivated in the barracks for many years, and he got up early every morning and began to review official documents and handle official business after some morning. In his spare time, he often reads "Zhuangzi" in order to pursue the spiritual realm of "heaven and earth coexist with me, and all things are one with me"; Or read the "General Guide to Governance" to learn from the rise and fall of chaos in the past dynasties. Occasionally, Li Hongzhang also practiced calligraphy. He once learned from Zeng Guofan, not only admired Wang Xizhi's style, but also copied Tang Huairen's "Collection of Wang Shu Shengjiao Order" inscription every day, striving to be godlike.

Military life has enabled Li Hongzhang to have a strong physique. He had a large amount of lunch at lunch, and most of the dishes were delicacies from the mountains and seas, and after the meal, in addition to drinking a bowl of thick porridge, he also had to drink a glass of clear chicken juice. After drinking another cup of molten iron prepared with ginseng, astragalus and other medicines, he took off his long shirt and went for a walk under the porch. Except on days of snow and ice, he will never wear long clothes. As he walked, a servant counted the numbers, and when he had walked back and forth in the porch dozens of times, the servant had made a loud announcement, and then he opened the curtain and entered, sat down in a leather chair, drank another cup of iron wine, and closed his eyes to recuperate. Then the servant massaged his legs, and after the massage he went to bed for an hour or two. After the lunch break, when the servant reported that "the middle hall has risen", the staff hurriedly entered the room and told him about the past and the present. He ate as little as he could at dinner, and after the meal he read a book for an hour or wrote a letter, and then went to bed. This rhythm of life has not changed over the years.

Today is no exception, after the lunch break, after a little washing, Li Hongzhang sat in the study, and after a while, Zhang Peilun and Zhang Shiheng walked in, and after the two met the ceremony, they sat down.

As in the past, talking about the past and the present, after talking about the affairs of the DPRK and China, the three of them talked about the central part of Beijing again, chatting and chatting, Zhang Peilun suddenly spoke.

"I don't know Zhongtang can know the "honeycomb coal" that has been popular in Beijing recently. ”

Seemingly casually asked, Zhang Peilun noticed the complexity in his father-in-law's expression, and sure enough, as he expected before, Tang Haoran has now become a piece of heart in Zhongtang's heart, and it is a pity to use it at the wrong time, not to use it, and it is a pity to be idle.

"Youqiao is talking about Huayang's Fengwo coal?"

Zhang Shiheng echoed on the side, and after Zhang Peilun nodded, he said again.

"Zhongtang, I heard that the owner of the Huayang is Tang Haoran,"

"Hey!"

Li Hongzhang sighed and said with a complicated expression.

"Originally, I thought that he would study Chinese culture in the Tongwen Museum to benefit himself, but he never thought that he not only did not study Chinese studies, but ran business, which was really ......"

Li Hongzhang seems to sigh, but with a strong pity, Tongwen Hall is a "grinding" place, like Zeng Jize, are depressed in the Tongwen Museum, and finally depressed into a disease, originally he thought that Tang Haoran was in the Tongwen Museum, only a few months to figure it out, and then he would naturally go to Tianjin or Xianliang Temple to visit himself, into the curtain to lead him, but who would have thought that he regarded the idleness of the Tongwen Museum as a good or bad, not to mention the daily class lectures, but also started a business by the way.

It's not that he doesn't look down on people who do business, and after so many years of doing foreign affairs, how could he not know that this rich country is the first to value business, if it weren't for the prejudice of the Chinese people, I'm afraid that he would have mentioned heavy business, but what he didn't expect was that a seemingly great coal company not only became a "cash cow" in Tang Haoran's hands, but even the sales of Kaiping coal in Tianjin were affected.

"I've heard people say that now Huayangyang sells no less than 100,000 quintals of coal in Beijing and Tianjin every month, and earns no less than 50,000 or 60,000 taels a month!" Zhang Shiheng's words made Zhang Peilun gasp.

"50,000 or 60,000 taels a month, isn't that as much as 6,700,000 taels a year!"

This will make Zhang Peilun really admire Tang Haoran, if so, even Kaiping Coal Mine cannot be compared.

"From this point of view, Tang Haoran's talent in the world is far beyond the reach of others!"

Zhang Peilun's praise was heard in Li Hongzhang's ears, but it made him feel even more pity.

"Fortunately, it was transferred to the capital, if it was allowed to be used by Zhang Nanpi, wouldn't it be a big deal in the middle hall!"

"It's not possible to boil the eagle!"

In front of two henchmen, Li Hongzhang did not hide his thoughts.

"Now that his business is in full swing, he has no intention of joining the company!"

Entering the office, of course, this is not what Li Hongzhang wants, he needs a "wealthy person" like Tang Haoran around him, and he needs money to do foreign affairs, and he is different from Zhang Nanpi, Zhang Nanpi can ask for silver from the imperial court, but he can only raise money in Hebei, and he is afraid that only he knows about the difficulties.

"It's a pity that Zhang Nanpi is short-sighted, if he is left in Hubei and allowed to preside over the anti-smoking bureau, how can he ...... in Hubei?"

With a cold smile, Li Hongzhang said with a smile.

"It is estimated that Zhang Zhidong has already remorseful now!"

"Regrets?"

Zhang Shiheng said with a smile.

"I'm afraid that I can't release my heart because of the word regret, but it's a pity that it's too late!"

It's not just regret, if Zhang Zhidong, who is in Hubei, hears Zhang Shiheng's words, he will suddenly feel a sense of confidant, almost after receiving the student's letter, after learning that Tang Haoran monopolized the coal industry in Beijing and made a profit of tens of thousands of taels a month, it can be said that his heart is a mixed bag, which is not a taste.

"Zhongzi, my husband has been an official for decades, and I am afraid that there is only one thing I regret!"

Putting down the letter in his hand, in front of Sang Nanping, Zhang Zhidong spit out his thoughts for the first time.

"Xiangtao, I'm afraid that the situation on that day can only be like that, so that can the whole Weng Bin's affection ......"

Sang Nanping still stood on Zhang Zhidong's position to exonerate him, although he knew that in that matter, he was responsible for Tang Haoran, but Zhang Zhidong was his master after all.

"Okay, Zhongzi, there are only you and my brother here, and I don't know what I did that day, it can be said that it hurt Ziran's heart, Ziran intends to serve the court, and I'......"

Shaking his head and sighing, Zhang Zhidong held the teacup tightly in his right hand, all looking like he wanted to smash the cup.

When Tang Ziran didn't leave, the anti-smoking bureau was a piece of his heart disease, and now it is also a heart disease, the reason why it will become a heart disease, the reason is simple, Zhao Fengchang and others presided over the anti-smoking bureau, although it seems to be implemented quickly, but a few months, the smoking ban will be pushed to the whole province, but after the implementation of the smoking ban in the province, the monthly income is only more than 600,000 taels, deducting the expenditure of the anti-smoking bureau, the monthly release of the treasury is only 200,000 taels, the disadvantages of employing people are undoubted, if it was the original use of Tang Ziran, how could it be ......

Some words, even if they are said in front of Sang Zhiping, it is difficult to say, even if they regret it now, it is already extremely rare.

"Xiangtao, the capital is at the foot of the Son of Heaven, when you let Ziran enter the capital, it was also for Ziran's future, how could Ziran not know your hard work! Just ......"

Sang Zhiping said with a smile.

"Xiangtao, you Yu Ziran has the grace of knowing your life, Ziran has no relatives and no reason in the country, you should also go to the letter to dial one or two, so as not to make a mistake!"

"Well, that's true, although it has gained a lot from its initial entry into the coal industry, but this is how the official can compete with the people for profit, if the government speaks of the official, someone speaks, I am afraid it will only mislead its future, this matter, Ziran is not appropriate!"

Stroking his beard with his right hand, Zhang Zhidong, who knew that it was impossible to summon him into the curtain again, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, and then looked at Sang Zhiping with an unwilling look and asked.

"Zhongzi, you say, if I ask the imperial court for it, how about appointing him as the prefect of Wuchang?"

Since Tang Ziran left, looking at the chaos of the anti-smoking bureau, although he turned a blind eye, Zhang Zhidong knew it very well in his heart, and it was precisely because of this that he had the idea of inviting him back to Hubei again, although he knew that the opportunity was slim, but he couldn't help but mention it.

With a long sigh in his heart, Sang Zhiping did not refute directly, but said with a smile.

"Xiangtao, now that Ziran is worthy of attention in the business world, I am afraid that he will take the position of political envoy of a province, and he may not be willing to go out of the place,"

After euphemistically pointing out that Zhang Zhidong's idea was impossible, Sang Zhiping went on to explain.

"Moreover, Ziran buys the coal industry, if it is not bad, it is now at a critical time, why will he abandon his family business? Perhaps, after two years, after the business stabilizes, maybe at that time, Xiangtao will be able to renew the friendship with Weng Bin! ”

Renewing the friendship of Weng Bin, although Sang Zhiping said it well, but he is as shrewd as Zhang Zhidong and does not know the comfort in these words, since he violated the original agreement, maybe Ziran will not be resentful of himself, but this Weng Bin's friendship, I am afraid it will be limited to this!

Thinking of this, I can't help but think of Zhao Fengchang and others, if they hadn't blindly lobbied themselves, how would they abandon their talents and ignore them? The hatred in his heart for a lifetime, the dissatisfaction suddenly became stronger, and when he was about to order the investigation, Zhang Zhidong's brows furrowed again, after investigating them, what could he do?

Suddenly, he smiled bitterly as if he had figured something out.

"Zhongzi, you say, when Ziran left Hubei one day, would he have expected today's smoking ban?"

"Xiangtao, it's not that when he left Hubei, he already expected today, but when he mentioned the ban on smoking, he had expected today, otherwise how could he have made an agreement with Xiangtao about three chapters?"

Sang Zhiping's words made Zhang Zhidong's heart feel remorseful, he stood up and walked to the door silently, looking towards the north, thinking that it was only a few months, so that the wind in Beijing was blowing, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh in his throat.

"Zhongzi, God gave me a talent, but I...... Alas, it's too late to regret it! This coal company in Beijing, touching Ziran! It's their ......."