Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 451: Yiktang'a Dies

Those who went to study in Japan with Xiaozhi will all become big men in the future. Moreover, many of them are revolutionary figures.

It was during their study in Japan that these people came into contact with Sun Dapao and others, and were influenced by them and became core members of the revolutionary faction.

However, the endings of these people were not very good. Some were assassinated for their revolution.

Some people became provincial governors, held military power, and enjoyed a glorious period, but during Yuan Shikai's reign, they were transferred to the general's mansion.

In name, it is a high position with generous salary, but in reality it is equivalent to confinement with no freedom, and in the end few people can have a good ending.

Qu Shaoyang felt that there was no need for Xiaozhi to get involved with these revolutionaries.

As long as he studies peacefully in Japan for three years, it would be good for him to teach at the Military Academy or serve in the new army after returning.

If it doesn't work out, I can go back to Dingbian Army and serve as an instructor.

With Qu Shaoyang around and Zhang Xiulan as his backer, Xiaozhi's future will not be bad.

"Okay, I'll follow your instructions, brother. I won't get involved in other matters."

Xiaozhi always listened to Qu Shaoyang, and this time was no exception. As soon as Qu Shaoyang said it, he immediately agreed.

Xiaozhi is going to study abroad next year and won't be able to come back for three years.

Lin Ruolan and Liu Dongshan were naturally reluctant, but for the sake of their children's future, they had no choice but to agree.

So, Lin Ruolan led the maids and wives in the family to quickly prepare clothes, luggage and other supplies for Xiaozhi to go abroad.

You're going so far away, and to such a small country, I'm afraid there won't be many good things. How can you not prepare at home?
We were already busy before the New Year, and with this incident, everyone is even busier.

Time flies so fast in the busy life, and in the blink of an eye, it is a new year again.

Chen Xiuyun sent people to Shuangdianzi early to pick up her parents-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephews to reunite in Linjiang City for the New Year.

Just then, Qu Jiang also came back from Fengtian, and the whole family was reunited and celebrated the New Year happily.

Qu Fu has done a good job in Shuangdianzi in the past two years. The ginseng garden has developed steadily, and now there are more than ten thousand feet of ginseng. The annual ginseng production alone is worth a lot of silver.

As for the deer farm, it is still in the early investment stage and it is estimated that it will take several years to see a return.

This time he came back not only for the New Year reunion, but also for an important matter: Qu Fu was going to get married.

The person he wanted to marry was not someone else, but a maid named Feicui who served Qu Laokouer.

Qu Fu has been busy with the affairs of the ginseng garden and the deer farm in the past two years, and he originally had no plans to remarry too soon.

The main worry is that I can't find the right one. What if I marry someone who is difficult to get along with, has a vicious mind, and is not good to Zhenqing and Zhenyi?
It would be better to wait a few more years. The two children will grow up and Qu Fu will feel more at ease.

Qu Fu was not in a hurry, but he could not help but feel anxious like others.

Nowadays, the Qu family compound is one of the largest families in Shuangdianzi. Many people know that Qu Fu is Qu Shaoyang's younger brother. Who wouldn't want to find an opportunity to get in touch with Qu Shaoyang?

Even though Qu Fu is married and has two children, there are still many people who want to marry their daughters to Qu Fu.

Therefore, those who came to propose marriage and act as matchmakers almost broke down the door of the Qu family.

Qu Laokouer and Chen have always been worried about Laowu. They can't let their son be a bachelor forever, right? He needs someone who understands his feelings and is considerate.

However, although the old couple was anxious, they did not dare to make a decision easily.

I'm afraid that if I don't handle it right, I might marry someone who will cause trouble for the family and ruin their good life, so the marriage has not been finalized.

Qu Fu was busy working outside, so the two children lived with their grandparents.

At the beginning, Chen Xiuyun specially selected four honest and obedient maids to serve the children.

Among them, a girl named Feicui was not very good-looking, but she was very patient and kind to the children. Zhenqing, Zhenyi and Feicui were especially close.

After Qu Fu finished his work outside, he would go home to see his children. As a result, he fell in love with Feicui.

This time, the purpose is not only to reunite during the New Year, but also to propose marriage to Feicui's family and arrange the marriage.

So, on the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Qu family hired a matchmaker, and Qu Jiang and his wife accompanied Qu Fu to Feicui's home to propose marriage.

This jadeite's maiden name is Wu, and she was a refugee who came from Guandong a few years ago.

There were many children in the family and they could not afford to raise them all, so they sent Feicui to work for the Qu family, so that at least she could earn some money to supplement the family income.

Of course, Feicui’s original name was not this, but Danier, which was the name given to her by Chen Xiuyun after she entered the Qu family.

When the Wu family learned that their daughter was favored by the Fifth Master of the Qu family and wanted to marry her as a successor, they were extremely happy and agreed to the marriage without saying a word.

In this way, Qu Fu's marriage was settled. The two sides discussed and decided to get engaged on February 6th and get married on February 26th.

Qu Fu's marriage was settled, and Qu Laokouer and Chen finally put their minds to rest.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Xiaozhi was going to leave home for Tianjin. Their group would meet in Tianjin and take a ship to Japan together.

It just so happened that Qu Shaoyang was also going to Phoenix City with his wife and children, so they could go together and take care of each other.

On the morning of the eighth day of the first lunar month, Liu Dongshan and Lin Ruolan brought their children out to see them off.

Xinyuan and Wanyu held Xiaozhi tightly and refused to let go, crying and shouting, not wanting their brother to leave.

"You two just be good and study hard, and your brother will be back in three years.

Remember to write to me frequently and tell me how your studies are going and whether you have made any progress. Got it?"

Xiaozhi touched his younger brother and sister's heads and coaxed them patiently.

On this side, Lin Ruolan also hurried forward and struggled to pull the two children apart.

"Xiaozhi, when you go out, you must be careful and take care of yourself.

If you need anything, just send a telegram. If you need money, just tell us and we will definitely find a way to send the money to you."

Lin Ruolan was also reluctant to let Xiaozhi leave, and she shed tears as she spoke.

"Mom, don't worry, I will take good care of myself.

Dad, Mom, you are getting older, so you should take more care of your health.

Especially Dad, you had a lot of illnesses when you were young, and now that you’re older, they’ve all come back to haunt you, so don’t be stubborn.

You should listen more to my mother and the doctor, take medicine when necessary, and drink less alcohol in the future."

Xiaozhi also couldn't bear to leave his parents, so he had to give them a few more instructions.

Seeing that it was getting late, if they didn't set off now, it would be difficult to find a place to stay at night. So Qu Shaoyang urged them to leave, and Xiao Zhi left, looking back every few steps.

Behind them, Xinyuan, Wanyu and others kept waving, and after watching Xiaozhi and others walk a long way away, they wiped their tears and went home.

Everyone got up early and traveled late, and finally arrived in Phoenix on the 16th day of the first lunar month.

After meeting the Chen family, Qu Shaoyang took Xiao Zhi to Zhang Xiluan's residence.

In the 23rd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Zhang Xiluan was falsely accused and dismissed from his post. Jing Gui temporarily took over the post of governor of the Eastern Circuit. Qu Shaoyang, He Houqi, Chen Yunzhe and others worked hard and spent a lot of money to finally find out the truth. Zhang Xiluan was reinstated.

Therefore, Zhang Xiulan is still the governor of the Eastern Circuit.

Moreover, after this incident, Zhang Xiulan treated Qu Shaoyang even better and really treated him like his own son.

Qu Shaoyang brought Xiao Zhi to meet Zhang Xiluan. When Zhang Xiluan learned that Xiao Zhi was going to study in Japan for three years, he kept praising Xiao Zhi for his promising future, saying that he had done well in his studies at the Military Academy and was deeply loved by his superiors.

That evening, Zhang Xiluan ordered people to prepare a banquet to entertain the two.

During the meal, Zhang Xiulan asked Xiaozhi many questions, and Xiaozhi answered them one by one, which made Zhang Xiulan very happy.

When Zhang Xiulan learned that Xiaozhi's biological parents had passed away long ago and that he was raised by Qu Shaoyang's master and his mistress, he couldn't help but sigh at how difficult it was for this child.

He also told Xiaozhi that he must be good to his adoptive parents and be filial to them in the future.

No matter what Zhang Xiulan said, Xiao Zhi nodded obediently. This attitude made Zhang Xiulan like him more and more.

After the banquet, before Qu Shaoyang and Xiaozhi said goodbye and left, Zhang Xiulan called Qu Shaoyang aside.

He told Qu Shaoyang not to arrange a marriage for Xiaozhi for the time being, and that he would take care of the marriage when Xiaozhi returned from studying abroad.

"Unfortunately, your sworn brother also has the surname Zhang, and people with the same surname are not allowed to marry.

Otherwise, I will pick a girl from my family and marry her to him.

Don't worry, my daughter is not good enough, but my sworn brothers all have daughters, I will definitely arrange a good marriage for this child." Zhang Xiluan said.

Qu Shaoyang was overjoyed when he heard this. You know, among Zhang Xiulan’s sworn brothers, there was Yuan Datou.

The identities of the other people are also extraordinary. No matter which one Xiaozhi gets close to, he will achieve great success in the future.

"Don't worry, foster father. I'll take care of this matter. I'll tell Master and his wife later.

I also told Xiaozhi not to have affairs with other girls during the three years he was away." Qu Shaoyang quickly agreed.

"Okay, with a sworn brother like you to guide him, he will definitely be right in the future." Zhang Xiulan patted Qu Shaoyang on the shoulder and said with a smile.

In this way, the two brothers left Zhang's house. As soon as they went out, Qu Shaoyang told Xiaozhi what Zhang Xiulan had said.

After hearing this, Xiaozhi did not disagree.

He has been studying abroad in recent years and is not very sensitive to matters of love between men and women, so naturally he doesn't have a lover.

Therefore, he did not care much about this marriage and just said that he would discuss it after returning from studying abroad.

On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, Qu Shaoyang sent someone to escort Xiao Zhi to Tianjin.

After Xiaozhi arrived in Tianjin, he joined other classmates and boarded a ship to Japan.

After arriving in Japan, he entered the Army Officer School and became a student in the first class of the artillery department of the Chinese Team of the school.

On the other hand, Qu Shaoyang and his wife and children rarely return to the Chen family, so naturally they want to have a good reunion.

In the past few years, Chen Yunzhe had another son and a daughter, and Chen Yunhan also had a son.

The Chen family is now considered to be a prominent family with many descendants. Doctor Chen and his wife are always smiling from ear to ear.

Chen Xiuyun wanted to go to Fengtian Shi Hospital to visit the children studying there and discuss some medical and pharmacy knowledge with the doctors there.

Qu Shaoyang also wanted to go to Fengtian to visit some officials and friends.

So, after staying in Phoenix City for a few days, the two went to Fengtian City together.

On the evening of the first day of February, Qu Shaoyang and his party arrived in Fengtian City.

Unexpectedly, just after entering the city, I heard the news that General Fengtian Yiktang'a had died of illness.

Upon hearing this, Qu Shaoyang immediately changed into plain clothes, prepared gifts, and went to the general's mansion to express his condolences.

The General's Mansion had already taken down the New Year items, and everything was covered in white.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard bursts of crying from inside, as well as the sound of monks chanting and wooden fish performing rituals.

Qu Shaoyang led his men into the general's mansion, and the receptionist came forward to receive them and passed the message inside according to the invitation Qu Shaoyang handed over.

Then, someone from the mansion led Qu Shaoyang inside. When they arrived in front of the mourning hall, they saw a large group of people kneeling inside and outside.

Yiktang'a was considered one of the more capable officials among the Eight Banners.

When he was in charge of Fengtian, he did a lot of practical things and had good relations with officials from all walks of life. Therefore, many people came to pay their respects.

When Qu Shaoyang served as assistant director of the Fengtian Machinery Bureau, he was very familiar with the officials in Fengtian City and had very close contacts with the General's Mansion.

At this time, he came to the mourning hall and met many colleagues. However, in such an occasion, it was difficult for everyone to say anything. They could only nod to each other as a greeting.

Qu Shaoyang came to the coffin and saluted respectfully, and the people in the general's mansion hurriedly returned the salute.

After the kowtow, someone came up and said a few words to Qu Shaoyang, who had to persuade the other person to accept his condolences.

The two sides chatted for a few words, and then someone came over and led Qu Shaoyang and the others to the side.

In such an occasion, no one was in a position to discuss anything. They just stood there quietly, as a token of farewell to this brave old general.

Yiktang'a was a person who made great contributions in the struggle against Japanese pirates and the invasion of Tsarist Russia and in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He was also highly appreciated by Empress Dowager Cixi, who considered him her adopted son and allowed him to enter and leave the palace freely.

For such a noble, the funeral must be grand, and afterwards his descendants must carry the coffin back to his hometown for burial.

There is no need to go into detail about the various ceremonies during the period. Qu Shaoyang and others all had official duties and naturally could not stay for long. After paying their respects, they might have stayed for a few days, which was considered as their best efforts.

Yiktang'a died of illness due to overwork while serving as the General of Fengtian. However, the military and civilian affairs of Fengtian Province had to be handled by someone, so Wenxing, the Minister of Rites of Shengjing, had to take over temporarily.

Qu Shaoyang took some time out to visit Lord Wenxing. No matter how long he could serve as the acting leader, it would always be beneficial to make him familiar to the emperor.

On the other hand, Chen Xiuyun went to Shi Hospital, met the children who were studying there, and brought them gifts from their families.

The children were very happy to see Chen Xiuyun. They rushed to talk to her and tell her what they had learned here.

Chen Xiuyun encouraged the children to study hard. For those with outstanding academic performance, she would find a way to fund their study abroad.

When the children heard this, they were very happy and said that they would study hard and would never let Chen Xiuyun down.

Afterwards, Chen Xiuyun went to see several doctors at Shi Hospital and discussed some medical issues with them.

Chen Xiuyun is a woman and cannot go abroad to study foreign medical skills systematically.

But she was very smart. She asked someone to get some Western medical books for her and studied them at home.

Whenever I have time, I will go to hospitals in various places to discuss things with the doctors there, and through these foreign doctors, I learn more about medical achievements abroad.

All of these are of great help to her research on various types of drugs.

(End of this chapter)