In the late Qing Dynasty, there were many rich merchants, such as Wu Bingjian, Zhang Qian, Sheng Xuanhuai, etc., who were very famous merchants at that time, but when it comes to the richest richest man at that time, it should be Hu Xueyan. According to statistics at that time, Hu Xueyan's net worth had reached 20 million taels of silver.
At the age of 60, with a net worth of at least 20 million taels of silver, as the only red-topped businessman in the three hundred years since the Qing Dynasty, wearing a red top and a yellow coat, Hu Xueyan's fortune trajectory is still talked about today. He started as a young man in a money bank, and through making friends with dignitaries, he single-handedly created a financial empire based on money houses and pawnshops. At that time, "Caoyun, raw silk, tea", etc., many industries will have his presence, and the shares occupied in it are many.
Hu Xueyan opened the famous Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Store; he once entered Zhejiang to patrol the curtain and prepare salaries and equipment for the Qing army; in 1866, he assisted Zuo Zongtang in founding the Fuzhou Shipping Bureau; presided over the affairs of the Shanghai Mining and Transportation Bureau, raising military salaries and ordering arms; set up more than 20 Fukang Silver No. 20 in various provinces, and operated traditional Chinese medicine and silk tea business.
In 1885 AD, Hu Xueyan called out to his descendants: Don't go near the white tiger, speak bi, and die in disgrace! There is also a saying that arrangements were made for Hu Xueyan when he was dying: first, the funeral could not be rushed, and Zuo Zongtang should be notified first; second, the affairs of the family were left to the grand lady to be the master, and the family business was taken care of by Hu Chuyuan. So, what does "don't go near the White Tiger" mean?
According to the speculation of later generations, there are two theories about this "white tiger". Theory 1: The white tiger is a foreigner, do not do business with foreigners; the second is that the white tiger is the silver of the white flower, and doing business is the most risky thing.
We know that Hu Xueyan, who had only studied in private schools for two years, was intelligent but not wise; he had close contacts with the officialdom, but he did not understand official reasoning--he became a political struggle between Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang, and he was even more a victim of Li Hongzhang's "left" first row "Hu" and "left" first "Hu". In the end, Hu Xueyan suffered a great blow to his career, and Li Hongzhang also continued to attack Hu Xueyan, and finally Hu Xueyan still failed and declared bankruptcy.
From this point of view, the second statement is more reliable. Money is good, but it is also harmful, what do you think?