In the long history of the mainland, there are many personal fates intertwined with the changes of the times, among which there are many moving stories, the story of the Empress Dowager Cixi and Qiao Zhiyong is one of them.
Empress Dowager Cixi, as the actual ruler of the late Qing Dynasty, and Qiao Zhiyong as a leader in local commerce, would not have too much intertwining between the two, but because of the factors of the times, there were entanglements and origins.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, in order to avoid the artillery fire of the imperialist powers, Cixi fled to Qiao's house in Shanxi and borrowed 100,000 taels.
At first glance, it seems that the Qiao family is losing blood, but in fact, this is a contest of power and wisdom...... Today, let's talk about the story.
Empress Dowager Cixi fled westward
In the middle of summer in 1900, the city of Beijing was scorched with flames, and the air was filled with tension and unease. With the approach of the Eight-Nation Alliance, the silence and solemnity in the Forbidden City were broken, and the Empress Dowager Cixi faced an unprecedented challenge.
In the end, he made the difficult decision to leave the centuries-old palace and flee westward with the members of the royal family and important officials of the court.
Soon the Empress Dowager Cixi began her flight, and the convoy slowly drove out of the north gate of the Forbidden City, the sound of horses' hooves and wheels rolling echoing through the empty streets.
The convoy travelled along a winding mountain road, lined with deserted villages and abandoned fields, and the imperial relatives had to face the dilemma of complaining.
The Empress Dowager Cixi crumbled in a bumpy carriage, endured the scorching heat and exhaustion, and barely slept at night in a corner of shelter from the cold wind, a lifestyle that contrasted with the luxuries of the Forbidden City.
Soon the team came to the city of Changping, the guards asked to open the city gate to welcome the driver, unfortunately Pei Minzhong, the governor of Changping, was on leave due to illness, and Fengchang, who acted for state affairs, did not know Cixi and Emperor Guangxu, and had never received a notice that the emperor was on patrol.
In addition, the Boxer Rebellion was in a uproar at that time, and the city of Changping was not stable, so out of security considerations, the group outside the city was treated as a homeless person, and refused to open the city gate, and the Empress Dowager Cixi was angry and anxious but had nothing to do.
The footsteps of the Eight-Nation Alliance were getting closer and closer, and in order to save her life, Cixi had to continue walking westward with her team.
The Empress Dowager Cixi no longer had the pomp and elegance of the past, holding corn and cakes, and simply filling her stomach with cold water. The farther west we went, the more difficult it became, and not only did we have no bread to eat, but we also had no water to drink.
Just when they were about to despair, there was a turning point, and the group arrived in Huailai County, Hebei Province.
He was not only Li Hongzhang's staff, but also Zeng Guofan's grandson-in-law, and when the Empress Dowager Cixi arrived, he immediately led his subordinates to a place far outside the city to greet him.
Huailai County's finances were not rich, and it frequently encountered banditry, but Wu Yong still tried his best to mobilize the local squires to contribute to this matter, and while preparing for the driving matter, he organized people to collect food and water sources.
The prefectural magistrates and squires collect usable food from their homes, which may not be much in normal times, but they are especially precious in this special time.
The chef of the Yamen also carefully prepared several dishes with local characteristics, and each one was prepared very carefully, and Cixi, who had been sleeping in the open for many days, finally ate a good meal with a satisfied and relieved smile on her face.
After the meal, the county ordered Wu Yong to personally arrange the best accommodation conditions in the county for the Empress Dowager Cixi, although it was only a few ordinary rooms, but it was much better than the previous accommodation conditions, lying on the soft bed Empress Dowager Cixi felt the comfort and tranquility that had not been seen for a long time.
The Qiao family only needs four words to break the siege
After staying in Huailai County for three days, the Empress Dowager Cixi and her entourage decided to continue their journey westward and soon came to Shanxi.
Originally, their destination was Taiyuan, but the local area was suffering from natural disasters, and the people were living in hardship and could not provide the Empress Dowager Cixi with conditions for pleasure.
After thinking about it, they turned their attention to Qi County, Shanxi, because there was the Qiao family, the richest family in Shanxi. Along the way, many merchant families regarded the Empress Dowager Cixi and her party as "bloodsuckers", but the Qiao family did not think so.
Qiao Zhiyong, the head of the Qiao family, is a businessman who is rigorous in governing the family and employing people in an eclectic manner, relying on his wisdom and courage to develop the Qiao family into a dominant family today.
When she learned that the Empress Dowager Cixi was going to pass through Qi County, she was keenly aware that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as the so-called emaciated camel was bigger than a horse, and this was a good opportunity to get in touch with Cixi, or to establish contact with the royal family.
Under the operation of Qiao Zhiyong, the head of the Qiao family, the Empress Dowager Cixi did not stay in the mansion of the local magistrate, but lived in the Qiao family compound, although the specifications and standards are not as magnificent as the palace, but it is also magnificent.
He also specially purchased a lot of rich materials for the Empress Dowager Cixi to ensure that she could enjoy the best treatment during her days in Qi County, and the Empress Dowager Cixi was very satisfied, as if she had found the feeling of being in the Forbidden City again.
Whenever she thinks of the dejected situation of the past few days, she can't help but feel worried, knowing that she can't stay in Shanxi for a long time, and how to solve the extravagant use on the road after leaving Shanxi?
Under such circumstances, the Empress Dowager Cixi thought of a way to borrow money, and borrowing money from ordinary people would damage her dignity and face, so she spread the news to the local big businessmen under the banner of fundraising, but in fact, there were only two goals.
In addition to the Qiao family in Qi County, there is also the Cao family in Taigu, a neighboring county, both of which are extremely rich in Shanxi. Both the Qiao family and the Cao family knew the thoughts of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and knew that the so-called fundraising for the restoration of the country was actually a squander on their way.
There has always been controversy about how many taels of silver each borrowed from Cixi from each family, but according to reliable sources, the Qiao family borrowed at least 100,000 taels of silver from the Empress Dowager Cixi, and the Cao family borrowed only a lot more.
As the saying goes, "eat people with soft mouths and take people with short hands", the great help of the two families made the Empress Dowager Cixi grateful, and at the end of a banquet, she wanted to express her heart and offered to give the two heads of the family and their families rich rewards.
Although Cixi was a fugitive, she also brought out a lot of good things from the Forbidden City, and the Cao family received a lot of such rewards, many of which are said to have been passed from the West, but the Qiao family didn't care about these rewards, or they had a higher vision than the Cao family.
Qiao Zhiyong's request was beyond the expectations of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and he respectfully said that it was an honor for the Qiao family to be able to help you in this turbulent period, and he did not expect any form of return in this way, but only hoped that the Empress Dowager would be able to write the four characters to the Qiao family by hand.
These four words are "Fu Chong Lang Huan", from a sentence in "Zhou Yi", which means that the blessing is long and the descendants are prosperous, which not only reflects the good wishes of the head of the Qiao family for the future of the family, but also reflects his high emotional intelligence.
Why? The Empress Dowager Cixi has already said that she will give a reward, if you don't look too pretentious, if you open your mouth, you will not be respectful enough, asking for a piece of ink treasure can not only elevate the identity of the other party, but also make Cixi remember this favor.
The Empress Dowager Cixi was deeply moved by the noble character of the head of the Qiao family, and decided to write these four characters for the Qiao family herself, and then she carefully selected paper and brushes to prepare to write this precious gift.
I have to say that although the Empress Dowager Cixi has been extravagant and not highly evaluated in her life, her calligraphy is very neat and beautiful, every stroke is strong through the back of the paper, and the entire Qiao family compound is immersed in joy when the four characters of "Fu Chong Langhuan" are completed.
The Empress Dowager Cixi personally gave this character to the head of the Qiao family to express her gratitude to the deep friendship of the Qiao family, and then said goodbye to each other, but the relationship between the two parties did not end there.
Long-term business vision
During the feudal dynasty, anything related to the royal family seemed to carry a kind of magic, and these four words were not only a gift from the Empress Dowager Cixi, but also a great enhancement of the Qiao family's business reputation and fame.
Qiao's courtyard hangs a plaque with four big characters of "Fu Chong Lang Huan", which has become a symbol of the family, and whenever a guest visits, he will proudly introduce the origin of this plaque and tell the story of the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Qiao family.
Over time, the plaque not only made the Qiao family famous, but also brought a huge boost to the Qiao family's business.
The Qiao family wanted to open their own money bank, and the Empress Dowager Cixi gave a lot of help, and the people deposited their savings in Qiao's bank, and the money bank business became bigger and bigger, and gradually became an important financial institution in the local area and even the whole country.
With this plaque as a backing, Qiao Zhiyong also established a good relationship with the local government. With the support of the government, the Qiao family's business is smooth, whether it is buying and selling cooperation with the government or business competition with peers, the Qiao family can easily deal with it.
Perhaps in order to thank the Qiao family for their help, the Anglo-French forces retreated the Empress Dowager Cixi back to the Forbidden City, and then most of the Qing Dynasty's financial revenue was settled through the Qiao family's money banks across the country, which was a large amount.
The Qiao family's business is getting better and better, and the family's wealth is also increasing, and Qiao Zhiyong is well aware of the importance of running a family, attaches great importance to the inheritance and development of the family, and pays attention to cultivating the ability and quality of family members.
He encouraged family members to pay attention to current affairs, capture people's hearts, and win more honor and respect for the family with integrity and diligence. Under the leadership of Qiao Zhiyong, the Qiao family gradually became a local and even national business giant, and many patriotic children also appeared.
In general, the Empress Dowager Cixi personally inscribed the words "Blessing Langhuan" for the Qiao family, which did provide a certain boost for the Qiao family's future path, but the main factor was because Qiao Zhiyong had a long-term vision.
The Empress Dowager Cixi asked for help in the predicament, and Qiao Zhiyong keenly seized the opportunity to provide the demand for free, as the so-called "icing on the cake" is not as good as "sending charcoal in the snow", and it is precisely because of this mentality that the Qiao family became strong in the later period.
What do you think differently about this?
Reference: "Qiao's Courtyard" in and out of the play - CNKI (cnki.net)
https://chn.oversea.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CJFD&dbname=CJFDLAST2021&filename=TZGJ202108018&uniplatform=OVERSEA&v=lYOtxZWiEWI7a-7euKe79EYNcDc9EhFesHHUiZ_e7QxgEKSlNobX3tew4PgKuXLb