Yan Xishan in Hometown Series No. 6
Yan Xishan is in the old city of Xinzhou
Liu Junxi
The old city of Xinzhou was built at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, known as “Xiurong” in ancient times, the key of the north of Jin, the general point of the three passes, the combination of shuangliu, the nine peaks and the heroes, the base camp of the Jin merchants on the north road, the pavilion is good, and the people of Wufu are healthy. Qing Yongzheng set up a directly subordinate prefecture, leading Jingle and Dingxiang counties, in the autumn of the first year of the Republic of China (1912) abolished the prefecture and reorganized as Xin County, belonging to Yanmen Road, and in March 1930, the abolished road directly belonged to Shanxi Province, until 1983 restored the title of Xinzhou. Wutai and Lao counties belonged to the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the Republic of China belonged to Yanmen Road.
Yan Xishan, character Baichuan, number Longchi, born on October 8, 1883, his father Yan Shutang, character Ziming, hall number Qingchuntang.
1. Debt dodging into a Yutun medicine shop
In 1900, the Year of Gengzi, destined to be a year that cannot be forgotten, the eight-nation coalition army captured Beijing, and the payment of money from Jingzhuang was blocked. Yan Shutang opened the Jiqingchang Money Village in Wutai, “fighting tigers” greedily bet too fiercely, collapsed the sky and famine, Yan family father and son everywhere to hide from debts, hit walls everywhere. I really couldn’t stay, and once the New Year was over, I decided to go to Taiyuan to make a living. Fortunately, the clan uncle Yan Shukang poured out his money and his father-in-law’s help, and quietly took his stepmother’s silver bracelet, made up some entanglements, and fled overnight.
Dawn walked to Nanzuokou, just in time for Bo Jifu to catch a carriage to Taiyuan to pull waste paper, Yan Shutang told him to take a ride, because the empty car Bo Jifu readily agreed.
On the way, Yan Shutang pondered that the two of them spent a lot in Taiyuan, and remembered that the treasurer of Xinzhou Chengyudun Medicine Shop was a Wutai person, a fellow countryman, and had some friendships in the past. When he arrived in Xinzhou, he thanked Bo Jifu for his kindness, so he entered the city gate, did not care about the magnificent Lingyunlou, went straight to Chengyudun Medicine Shop with his head down, entrusted Yan Xishan to the treasurer first, and hurried down to Taiyuan alone.
Yan Xishan has studied private school and spent time in Qianzhuang, and the impression left here is that he is flexible, diligent, and silent. For a rural boy, people don’t pay much attention, and he doesn’t open his heart.
About half a year later, Yan Shutang’s life was settled, so he called Yan Xishan to Taiyuan.
How could Cheng Yudun’s guys know that he was born in Taiyuan, entered the Wubei School, studied in Japan, and the Taiyuan Uprising, and became the governor of Shanxi ten years later.
Chengyu Dun Medicine Shop, located slightly south of the west of T-jiekou Road, sitting west of the East University three rooms, in the middle is the gate tower, enter the door, is a typical front shop back square courtyard.
Yan Xishan worked very hard here, he had no way back, from the collection, drying, grinding, and boiling of Chinese medicine, to grasping, yāo, and packing medicine.
In the modern trend of thought of denying and abolishing Chinese medicine, Yan Te stood alone, established the Chinese Medicine Research Association, ran Chinese medicine, promoted and developed Chinese medicine, and later the formation of “Chinese philosophy”, all of which we cannot deny have nothing to do with this experience.
After Yan Fa traced, he and Cheng Yudun should still have words, I didn’t find this. However, everyone knows that later Yan sent people to Nanzuo Village, found Bo Jifu, who was driving a carriage, and bought him several acres of good land. Another well was drilled, and everyone benefited, saying that Bo Jifu was blessed.
Second, he returned to Jin in the Xinzhou Gongyuan for a month and a half
Xinzhou Gongyuan is located on the east side of the old city, (now in the Xinzhou Seventh Middle School) sitting south facing north and four courtyards, magnificent. In the Qing Dynasty, the children of Xinzhou, Dingxiang, and Jingle took the exam in this academy, and they showed their talents in the exam and had a reputation. Don’t underestimate Xiucai, at least there are many privileges such as exemption from errands, seeing that the county does not kneel, and cannot be used casually.
It was not only a yearning for readers, but also received emperors. After the abolition of the imperial examination, it was opened as a higher school in 1907.
Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, it has received three emperor-level figures: Li Zicheng, Cixi and Yan Xishan.
In February 1644, Li Zicheng crossed the dragon gate and broke through Taiyuan. Arrived in Xinzhou on the 10th, Xinzhou loess mat road, clear water sprinkling street, opened the city gate to welcome the king. Lingyunlou was renovated, and a link hung high: “Fengyun intends to welcome the new lord, the sun and the moon have no light to cover the Daming”, the horizontal link is “Dashun Yongchang”, Li Zicheng is very happy, and he sleeps in the Gongyuan Public Hall overnight.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival of August 15, 1900, Cixi and his entourage arrived in Xinzhou with “Western Hunting”, and suddenly felt that they had stepped into a new world, “richly furnished, crowning the prefectures”.
Guangxu lived in the main room of the fourth courtyard of the Gongyuan, and Cixi lived in the main room of the East Cross Courtyard, next door to Guangxu.
On October 29, 1911, Taiyuan rebelled in advance, elected Yan Xishan as the governor, the Qing court entered and suppressed it, and the new governor of Shanxi arrived in the day. Yan divided his troops from north to south and withdrew from Taiyuan, and Yan led his troops to flee north, passing through Jingle, Wuzhai, Baode, and Hequ, and occupied Baotou on January 12, 1912, and then took the city of Tocto and attacked Guisui (Hushi City).
Although there is a place to settle outside the mouth, Yan Xin is concerned with the three Jins, and the north and south are discussing peace, and the situation is slightly eased. Then he turned around and returned to Xinzhou City via Hequ, Shenchi, Ningwu, and on February 18 (the first day of the first lunar month).
Before Yan Xishan left, he sent a special letter to Taiyuan Zhou Ding, and Zhou Ji immediately left for Xinzhou after receiving the letter.
Zhu Shanyuan, the governor of Xinzhou, was very happy when he learned that the governor Yan Xishan was coming, and made all-out plans and careful arrangements, and did not let the servants rest during the New Year.
On the first day of the first lunar month, the weather was clear, the wind was beautiful, and the five-color flags fluttered in the Louge Street of Xinzhou City, and the welcoming team went five miles away from the north gate. In the afternoon, I saw the team approaching from afar, about 1,000 people.
Except for the No. 100 guards who were armed with live ammunition and were neatly dressed, most of the rest were dressed casually, wearing leather hats, leather jackets, leather trousers, and leather boots, some on horseback, some on foot, some on foot, some on pistols, some with sabers, and some empty-handed. The welcome whispered: “This is not the Mongol army.” ”
Yan Xishan was dressed in civilian clothes, riding a horse, and walking in front of the team.
Zhu Zhizhou rushed to command the welcoming team to salute, Yan was full of spring breeze, smiled and saluted the welcoming team, and waved frequently, which was particularly cordial.
When people saw Dudu so young, someone asked, “Who is Yan Xishan?” Someone replied: “Wutaijia.”
Zhu Zhizhou took Yan to the Gongyuan to take a break, and that night, he set up a banquet to catch the wind. It happened to be the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Zhu Zhizhou and other officials collectively gave Yan Bai Nian and offered 200,000 taels of silver.
After that, the nearby Wutai County, Lao County, and Dingxiang County also sent a lot of silver and two grains, and Zhu Zhizhou also contacted many clothing shops to rush to subdue military uniforms.
He was deeply touched by the friendship between Sang Zi and the people, and he had been traveling for several months and exhausted.
There was also a connection between the online banquets:
“Dragon and Phoenix Chengxiang Machine”
“Heavy Fanfare”
The horizontal batch is “immortal pine”
Yan Xishan was only 29 years old at the time, and when he saw the three words “Immortal Pine”, he laughed and happily accepted it. Hey, even if you stammer, you won’t take out such couplets.
Niu Baochen, the governor of Wutai County, rushed to pay his respects, and when Yan Xishan ordered him for a long time, he nodded again and again, saying that he must remember to do so.
Yan Xishan originally wanted to stop in Xinzhou City and then return to Taiyuan. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly received a strict order from Yuan Shikai to “wait” in place, and Yan was afraid of Yuan’s big head, which was tantamount to drinking it head-on.
Yan sent people to lobby everywhere, Sun Yat-sen argued with reason, some Shanxi business and political circles said that he was wronged, and Yan was aggrieved to “show goodwill” to Yuan, and finally with Yuan’s permission, Yan immediately packed his bags, and on April 4, 1912, Zema led his troops to leave Xinzhou and return to Taiyuan.
Yan stayed in Xinzhou for a month and a half, during which he also executed Ding Huaiqi, the governor of Dingxiang, quite dramatically.
Ding Huaiqi, the governor of Dingxiang County, colluded with Fan Chenglong to corrupt the law during his term of office, and also secretly listed the members of the county’s alliance, wanting to catch them all. Yan Xishan returned, he had a bad premonition and tried to escape. He was coerced by League members He Binghuang and Qi Baoxi to Xinzhou, and Yan ordered Zhu Zhizhou to take custody. Who knew that Zhu and Ding were good friends, so Zhu Zhizhou secretly instructed people to release him on the grounds of “negligence in guarding”. He thought that He Binghuang knew the relationship between Zhu and Ding, and he had already taken precautions, but he was captured again, which frightened Zhu Zhizhou. Yan Zhen was furious, and immediately pushed Governor Ding out of the city and shot him, hanging his head on the south gate of Dingxiang City for public display.
Later, Yan promoted Zhu Zhizhou to be the director of the Shanxi Finance Department, and Yan’s way of being and employing people can be seen.
3. Jufeng Tai Qianzhuang
Jufeng Tai Qianzhuang is located in the northwest of the old city Zhoujia Alley, the name of Zhoujia Alley may come from the old city Wang family – Zhou family, the ancestors of the Zhou family have accumulated wealth outside the export, bought land and houses in the old city to buy property, and turned Zhoujia Alley and Grinding Alley in the northwest of the old city into a prosperous street market, creating loud brands such as Qingchunhou and Jufengtai. The Zhou family was deeply respected, and the official government also built the archway “Zhou’s Style” at the entrance of Zhoujia Alley.
Later, Yan Xishan was optimistic about this place, took the Jufeng Tai plate in hand, and expanded it into the most magnificent building around the lane, and the clues can be vaguely seen from the existing photos of the west wing of Jufeng Taiyuan. In 1919, Yan took out 20,000 oceans and set up Jufeng Tai Qianzhuang in the name of his father Yan Shutang.
In the past, copper coins were different in weight and color, and the price difference between money, private money, and white money was large, and there were many changes, as well as silver dollars and silver tickets, and the exchange business was very large, which required a powerful money house to exchange it.
Money banks are very different from banks, and roughly focus on exchange before and then on deposits and loans.
Yan Xishan, who escaped from the collapse of Wutai Qianzhuang, knows the importance of money too well. After seizing the military and political power in Shanxi in 1917, in order to improve the people’s livelihood, deal with financial difficulties and increase military expenditures, vigorously implement the “six policies and three affairs”, and soon set up banks in Shanxi Province, but still did not let go of other finance.
As a result, Jufeng Tai Qianzhuang became the boss of Xinzhou, and Jin merchants were expected.
It is said that during the Japanese occupation, the ocean was dug out of the Jufeng Tai Kang Cave.
In the early days after liberation, there were also “Xinpu” and other businesses stationed in Jufeng Tai to ensure military supplies and people’s lives for the troops, and to support the liberation of Taiyuan. Later, it was changed to “Xin County Trading Company”, “Regional Grain Bureau”, and then became a special hospital and a dormitory of the Wei School, and finally changed hands several times into a private house, and the business disappeared, gradually forgotten.
Yan Xishan, the king of Shanxi, ruled Shanxi for 38 years, and when he returns to his hometown by the river, he must pass through Xinzhou, which is very close to Taiyuan, and it can be said that he passes through countless ways. Its traces of the old city of Xinzhou should be far more than these three, but unfortunately these three places have been gradually demolished in the midst of successive high-sounding reasons, and in recent years they have completely disappeared, along with most other ancient buildings, and now seem to be intended to be restored.
Local old residents still remember that in the sixties, there were many shops, tall signs, temple chessboard, ancient temple bells, a Ming and Qing dynasty style, although shabby, but still exuding the spirit of the old city.
Looking at the high post, the old city of Xinzhou has Yunzhong Mountain in the northwest, Jiulonggang in the southwest, Yunzhong River in the north, and Muma River in the south. A tree, a person, a whom, like a water grass, has roots, and grows endlessly.
In 2017, when I was young, my classmates gathered in Xinzhou Hot Spring Village, and Guo Dengyun and his wife accompanied me to visit the ruins of Yan Xishan, but I didn’t find it, but I found the Yuanhaowen Cemetery, I didn’t expect it to be so big and broad, and everyone with this gold yuan has it.
I stayed for a long time, and we didn’t see anyone.
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postscript
】Mr. Chengliang Xingguo and Mr. Xu Xinwei, a lot of help, I am deeply grateful.
This article should be a literary and historical essay, although there are days to consult the visiting letters, but the mountains are dangerous, the road is not smooth, and the land is wide and can be traveled? History is long and life is short. If you still have doubts, you may not be true, if you see it, please leave a message to leave an address, in order to be true and thank you in advance.
I have been to Xinzhou six or seven times, and I have passed by in a hurry, and I always feel that I know very little, and there are deviations and fallacies in my language.
About the author
】Liu Junxi, a native of Tongchuan, Jinbei, has long lived in Datong, senior lecturer, member of Datong City writers, member of Kouquan History and Culture Research Association, mainly engaged in thermal power generation construction and teaching, likes to explore the stars of literature and history, and sometimes has fun outside things. For the text, see Shanxi Workers’ Daily, Datong Daily, Electric Power Construction, Taiyuan Road and other media.
Source: Taiyuan Dao, by Liu Junxi
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