Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 467 Zhang Tianzhi's Marriage
Long before the Russo-Japanese negotiations began, the Qing government wanted to issue a formal statement to Russia, Japan and other powers, pointing out that the current discord between the two countries was due to the use of force on Qing territory.

If there are any events involving the Qing Dynasty in the peace negotiation terms, anything that has not been agreed upon with the Qing court will not be recognized.

However, after the treaty was signed, Japan forced the Qing government to recognize it based on the relevant terms of the contract.

In the winter of the 31st year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the "Contract on Meeting Affairs of the Three Northeastern Provinces" was signed in the capital, with three main clauses and twelve supplementary clauses.

The Qing government had to recognize the agreements regarding China in the Russo-Japanese peace talks, but at the same time, Japan seized many of its rights and interests.

Sixteen cities in Northeast China were forced to open ports for trade, and the right to cut down trees on the right bank of the Yalu River was ceded to Japan, which established concessions in Yingkou, Andong and Fengtian.

At the same time, Japan also wanted to build a railway from Andong to Fengtian.

Because the construction of Anji Railway had already started, and Qu Shaoyang and Harriman Company had already agreed that after the construction of Anji Railway was completed, a branch line would be built from Andong to Fengtian.

Therefore, Japan's request was not met due to strong opposition from the United States.

In order to open up the three northeastern provinces, the Qing government ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce to work with Beiyang Minister Yuan Datou and Fengtian General Zhao Erxun to discuss the charter for opening ports and conducting trade and developing industries in the three northeastern provinces.

At the same time, he ordered the generals of Fengtian, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces to each count the losses caused by the war and claim compensation from Japan and Russia.

Fengtian Province suffered the greatest losses. Tsarist Russia conscripted laborers on a large scale in various places, demolished houses, destroyed crops, occupied arable land, dug trenches and built fortifications.

At the same time, Tsarist Russia also stole a large number of cattle, soybeans, timber, grain, etc.

Shops and homes across the country were looted by the Japanese and Russians in turn, countless civilians died in the artillery fire, and some were even executed as spies.

The Japanese army successively arrested many Qing officials, including the general manager of the Fengtian Negotiation Bureau, the general manager of the Patrol Police Bureau, the prefect of Changtu, the prefect of Liaoyang, and the magistrate of Haicheng, and tortured them or even killed them.

In comparison, Jilin Province suffered relatively small losses, mainly in some towns and villages along the railway, which were invaded by the Tsarist Russian army.

Fortunately, Qu Shaoyang and others had properly resettled the people and evacuated the surrounding people to a safe area in advance.

In addition, the Dingbian Army had strict defenses and did not tolerate the Tsarist Russian soldiers at all, and resolutely did not allow them to harass the people in the villages and towns everywhere, so the situation was much better.

On August 24, Zhao Erxun telegraphed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding compensation from the two warring countries.

Qu Shaoyang petitioned the court to establish a county seat in Niangniangku and other places, and named it Antu because it was located in the upper reaches of the Tumen River.

In addition, because Linjiang County was too large and inconvenient to govern, Linjiang County was divided into Qingsheng and Changsheng, and a prefecture was established, named Changbai Prefecture, with its seat in Tadian.

Changbai Prefecture administered Fusong and Antu counties, and was under the jurisdiction of Dongbian Dao.

Anguang County was established on the reclaimed land of Keyouqian Banner on the south bank of Taoer River, with its seat in Jiejiawobao.

The Binjiang Dao was established in Harbin, and He Houqi was appointed as the interim director, specifically responsible for handling negotiations and customs collection between Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.

After leaving Linjiang County, He Houqi served as the magistrate of Jinzhou Hall.

Zhang Xiulan was the General of Fengtian, and was He Houqi's father-in-law and son-in-law. They also lived in the same province, so according to the rules he should have avoided the issue.

Zhang Xiulan mentioned this to Qu Shaoyang several times, hoping that Qu Shaoyang could find a suitable position for him in Jilin Province.

Qu Shaoyang felt that Ho Hau-kei was quite talented and should be able to serve as the governor of Binjiang Road, so he suggested that Ho Hau-kei take over temporarily.

In addition, Qu Shaoyang also requested the court to send students from the surveying and mapping school to survey Changbai Mountain and Tumen River and determine the border to avoid future troubles.

On September 14, Japanese Prime Minister Katsura Taro and American railroad tycoon Harriman signed a contract for the joint operation of the South Manchuria Railway between the United States and Japan, stipulating that the two countries would each enjoy half of the railway operation rights.

Although Harriman Company had jointly established the Ji'an Railway with Jilin Province, the area covered by the Ji'an Railway was ultimately inferior to that of the South Manchuria Railway.

Harriman & Co. was unwilling to give up this opportunity, so they tried their best to get the draft contract.

On September 17, the Japanese government decided to withdraw all Japanese troops from the three northeastern provinces within six months, and the first batch of Japanese troops began to withdraw on that day.

In October, the imperial court approved all the requests of the Jilin general.

Zhang Tianzhi, a staff officer of the Beiyang Army General Staff and the academic affairs officer of the Beiyang Army Surveying and Mapping School, was appointed as the assistant director of Yanji border affairs, leading the students of the surveying and mapping school to survey Changbai Mountain, Tumen River and other places.

At the end of October, Zhang Tianzhi led the students of the Surveying and Mapping School to Jilin City.

After two years, the brothers were extremely happy to meet again.

Qu Shaoyang hosted a banquet to entertain all the students from the Surveying and Mapping School.

During the meal, Qu Shaoyang had to ask about Zhang Tianzhi's situation in the past two years.

Zhang Tianzhi went home to visit his relatives in the winter of the year before last, and returned to Tianjin after the New Year. He was assigned to Xiaozhan, where he assisted Feng and Duan, two of the three Beiyang heroes, in handling military training and education affairs and running a series of military academies.

For example, the Beiyang Camp Generals School, the Beiyang Army Speed ​​​​Training School, the Beiyang Army Staff School, the Beiyang Army Surveying and Mapping School, etc.

It just so happened that Qu Shaoyang had submitted a memorial to the court a while ago, requesting a survey of Changbai Mountain and the Tumen River Basin, so the superiors arranged for Zhang Tianzhi to come here with the students of the Surveying and Mapping School to carry out the task.

"Xiaozhi, you are already 27 years old this year, and you haven't talked about marriage yet?"

At the banquet, Qu Shaoyang sat next to Zhang Tianzhi. As they chatted, Qu Shaoyang asked Zhang Tianzhi about his personal issues.

"Brother, I am either in the military camp or in the school all day long. I am surrounded by a bunch of men. Where can I find a wife?" Zhang Tianzhi laughed when he heard this.

"That won't work. If you don't tell me about my wife, my master and his wife will be very worried.
It's a good thing that you're back this time. I'll tell your sister-in-law and let her arrange it for you.

When I was your age, I had already given birth to several children."

Qu Shaoyang glared at Zhang Tianzhi. This boy was not in a hurry for his lifelong event. It was really infuriating.

The eldest brother had spoken, and Zhang Tianzhi could not refute it. He just smiled and nodded, "It's up to you, brother and sister-in-law. I trust your judgment."

Zhang Tianzhi was lonely when he was young, but fortunately he met Liu Dongshan and Lin Ruolan, a couple, who adopted him as their son and raised him wholeheartedly, leading to his current status.

Over the years, he devoted himself to studying and practicing martial arts, and later joined the army. He was not interested in matters of love between men and women.

Now that he is old, his adoptive parents often write to him to urge him, and Qu Shaoyang also asks him when he meets them. So he simply follows everyone's wishes and gets married and lives his life with him.

Seeing Zhang Tianzhi nod, Qu Shaoyang became happy, and the two brothers drank a lot of wine.

After the banquet, Qu Shaoyang ordered people to settle the students of the surveying and mapping school in other courtyards, while Zhang Tianzhi stayed in the general's mansion.

In the evening, Qu Shaoyang returned to Chen Xiuyun's residence and told her about Zhang Tianzhi's marriage.

When Chen Xiuyun heard that Zhang Tianzhi still had no lover, she became anxious and immediately agreed to help Xiaozhi find a wife who was both talented and beautiful.

The next morning, Zhang Tianzhi had breakfast with everyone in the Qu family.

Xinyuan, Wanyu and others only then realized that their brother had returned to Jilin City yesterday.

When the brother and sister saw Tianzhi, they were so close to him that they surrounded Zhang Tianzhi and asked him questions.

The same went for Zhenbang and the others. They didn't even eat properly and all surrounded Zhang Tianzhi.

"Okay, okay, come over and eat first.

Xinyuan, Wanyu, your brother will be able to stay for a longer time this time. I estimate that he will stay for at least a year. He will live in the mansion, and you will have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. "Qu Shaoyang looked at the two siblings and smiled.

"I will arrange for someone to go to Linjiang to pick up Master and his wife to celebrate the New Year together. We will also discuss Tianzhi's marriage."

Tianzhi is the adopted son of Liu Dongshan and his wife. If he wants to marry a wife, he must seek the opinions of Liu Dongshan and his wife.

"Wife, remember, hurry up and find a matchmaker today.

When the master and his wife come, ask them to help screen and pick a gentle, virtuous girl from a suitable family background.

While there is nothing to do in winter, we should hurry up and arrange their wedding."

Qu Shaoyang was obsessed with his brother's marriage, and only hoped that Tianzhi would get married and have children as soon as possible, and start a family. This way, they would be worthy of Zhang Pao and his son.

"Okay, don't worry, I will arrange people to find the best matchmakers in Jilin City later." Chen Xiuyun responded with a smile when she heard it.

"Oh, yes, my brother is already in his twenties and still hasn't married. We have to hurry up, my father is still waiting to have a grandson."

On the other end, Liu Xinyuan had a look of sudden enlightenment on his face. He nodded and looked at Zhang Tianzhi with a smile.

On the contrary, when Wanyu heard that Tianzhi wanted to propose marriage, her face turned pale, her eyes felt inexplicably sore, and her heart ached with discomfort.

"Sister-in-law, I have no appetite and don't want to eat." Wanyu put down her chopsticks, said something to Chen Xiuyun and the others, turned around and walked out.

Everyone was excitedly talking about arranging a marriage for Tianzhi, and they were a little surprised to see Wanyu looking unhappy.

Chen Xiuyun quickly stood up and followed Wanyu out, "Wanyu, what's wrong with you? Why do you suddenly have no appetite?"

Chen Xiuyun felt strange. Wasn't she fine just now? Why did she feel uncomfortable and have no appetite in the blink of an eye?

"It's okay. Maybe it's because I've been busy at the Shi Hospital recently. I'm a little tired."

When Wanyu saw her sister-in-law chasing her out, she felt aggrieved, but she didn't know what to say, so she just said that she might be tired recently.

“If you are too tired, take a few days off, rest at home, and go again another day.

Your eldest brother said that in the early spring of next year he plans to follow the example of Fengtian and set up a government-run health center.

Then you can go back to work at our own clinic." Chen Xiuyun comforted Wanyu.

After Zhao Erxun arrived in Fengtian and took charge of government affairs, he carried out a series of reforms, one of which was the establishment of a government-run health center, which marked the beginning of the establishment of government-run hospitals in the three northeastern provinces.

It is said that three departments will be set up: internal medicine, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology, and smallpox vaccination will be carried out every spring and autumn.

Qu Shaoyang had always wanted to do it, but in the two years since he came to Jilin, various new policies have been implemented and Jilin Province's finances are tight, so he has never been able to do it.

Since Feng Province has set a precedent, Qu Shaoyang plans to follow suit so that others will not say anything.

Wanyu learned medicine from Chen Xiuyun since she was a child, and later received instruction from Doctor Chen and Li, so her foundation is very solid.

After she came to Jilin City, she studied in Shi Hospital for two years and performed very well, especially in the obstetrics and gynecology department. Even the foreign doctors in Shi Hospital praised her highly.

Originally, Qu Shaoyang wanted to send Wanyu abroad to study medicine, but it was really inconvenient for her, a girl, to travel across the ocean alone.

Furthermore, Liu Dongshan and Lin Ruolan only have this one precious daughter, so it is impossible for her to agree.

That's why Qu Shaoyang said that once the Jilin Provincial Government Health Center is built, he will arrange for Wanyu to go there.

If it were an ordinary day, Wanyu would definitely jump for joy when she heard her elder brother assign her this task.

But at this time, Wanyu was full of things on her mind, and even when she heard such good news, she did not show much happiness.

"Sister-in-law, thank you for your concern. I'm fine. I'll just go back to my room and rest for a while. It's very busy at the Shi Hospital, so it's not easy to ask for leave."

Wanyu didn't know what was wrong with her, she just felt uncomfortable. She chatted with Chen Xiuyun for a few words and turned back to her own yard.

Chen Xiuyun stared at Wanyu's back for a long time, thinking over and over again, but still couldn't figure out what was wrong with Wanyu.

After breakfast, Qu Shaoyang took Zhang Tianzhi to the general's office to familiarize themselves with the situation. The children who should go to the academy went to the academy, and those who should go to the school went to the school.

Chen Xiuyun sent someone to find several matchmakers in the city.

He told them that his brother-in-law was 27 years old this year and wanted to find a suitable marriage. He asked for their help. If successful, he would definitely reward them handsomely.

When the matchmakers heard that it was the general's brother who wanted to get married, they all became excited and patted their chests to promise that they would find a girl who was both talented and beautiful, gentle and elegant, and had a good family background.

Therefore, in the following days, the general's mansion became bustling with people proposing marriages and matchmaking almost breaking down the threshold.

I received a thick stack of portraits of the girl alone.

Not only does Chen Xiuyun take care of all the big and small things in the mansion every day, she also has to screen Tianzhi and find a girl suitable for Zhang Tianzhi from among the candidates sent there.

"Wanyu, come quickly, help me pick one.

These are the portraits sent by the matchmaker. I am overwhelmed by the choices. Come and help me to see which one is more suitable for your brother?"

Anyone who could be presented to Chen Xiuyun must have good conditions in all aspects. Chen Xiuyun really found it difficult to choose, so she called Meng Lanxin, Yang Chunhong and others to help her choose together.

It happened that Wanyu came back from Shi Hospital in the evening and was caught by Chen Xiuyun, who insisted on dragging Wanyu into helping with the selection.

Wanyu has been feeling listless these days and can't muster the energy to do anything.

When I saw so many portraits and booklets on the table, I felt even more annoyed.

"Sister-in-law, I'm an unmarried girl, how can I understand these things?
Let the sisters-in-law help you choose. I'm a little tired today and want to go back and rest." Wanyu said, then turned and left.

"Sister, what happened to Wanyu these days? She doesn't look well."

Meng Lanxin glanced at Wanyu's back and asked in confusion.

"Yes, Wanyu doesn't seem to eat much recently, and she looks thinner.

Is she worried about something? She is 19 years old, maybe she has someone she likes but is reluctant to speak up, right?" Lin Yuhuan echoed.

"No way? I told her a long time ago that if she met someone she liked, she should tell me. She is not young anymore, so she should consider these things.

She always said that she didn't want to get married and have children, she just wanted to learn medicine to cure diseases and save lives.

Besides, it's normal to have someone you like, it shouldn't be like this, right?"

Chen Xiuyun also felt strange. What happened to Wanyu recently?
“Girls have more worries when they grow up, which is different from when they were little.

Didn’t you see that after Xiaozhi came back, Wanyu and Xiaozhi are not that close anymore.”

Chen Xiuyun shook her head and sighed. After all, she was not her biological sister-in-law, so it was normal for her to keep her worries to herself.

(End of this chapter)