I. Jianghu "Bright Big Brother"
If Hu Xueyan, a merchant at the end of the Qing Dynasty, can be called a legend of his life, then Qiao Zhiyong should be called "magical".
Born in Jiaqing for 23 years, the Jin merchant was brought up by his elder brother Qiao Zhiguang after his parents died at an early age. Unexpectedly, his brother died of illness again, and Qiao Zhiyong had no choice but to abandon his studies and engage in business. This created the peak legend of Jin Shang, and even influenced the Qing court.
For example, when Zuo Zongtang became the minister of military aircraft, all expenses were managed by Qiao Zhiyong. To this end, Zuo Zongtang specially visited Qiao Zhiyong, and the first sentence of the meeting was: "Big Brother Liang, I have been looking up for a long time." ”
Big Brother Liang is Qiao Zhiyong's "jianghu nickname". Because of his ticket number, it was all over the commercial ports and docks in China at that time. Therefore, it has long become a "big brother". Nowadays, even Zuo Zongtang, who is as fierce as a tiger, salutes three points and writes a couplet for Qiao Zhiyong, the upper link is: damage to others to restore heavenly reason, and the lower link is: moral and capable article.
As for Li Hongzhang, another late Qing dynasty minister, he still respected this "bright big brother". When he formed the Beiyang Fleet, it was difficult to raise funds, and Qiao Zhiyong did not say a word after hearing it, so he donated 100,000 taels of silver. From this, Li Hongzhang also knew Qiao Zhiyong.
This is also one of the reasons why Li Hongzhang, who later forced Hu Xueyan to die, did not move at all to Qiao Zhiyong. "Big Brother Bright" is not only rich, but also talented – of course, it is not wrong to say that emotional intelligence is high. However, high emotional intelligence is only a superficial phenomenon, and what really supports emotional intelligence is actually talent.
Second, talent and virtue are the roots
The most different thing between Qiao Zhiyong and ordinary businessmen is actually talent! He has shaken off the embarrassment of a businessman who is "no adulterer and no businessman" and has risen to the height of talent and morality. For example, one of his most famous sentences is: Only selflessness can be a grand duke, and only a grand duke can be a great instrument.
If you don't tell you that Qiao Zhiyong said this, it is estimated that no one will think that a businessman can have such a realm. So-called, in the business of business (profit), mostly selfish and greedy. But Qiao Zhiyong talked about selflessness, grand dukes, and great instruments! And not just talk, but do it seriously and steadily.
In the third year of Guangxu, there was a natural disaster and man-made disaster in the Great Qing Dynasty, so that the folk proverb said: In the third year of Guangxu, half of the people died! In order to save the people, Qiao Zhiyong opened a warehouse to provide relief, regardless of the blood cost. So much so that the Qing court publicly commended, "raising the brother plus the fifth level", and rewarding the reward of wearing hua ling!
As for Qiao Zhiyong's talent, it is also very good. Because Qiao Zhiyong originally wanted to take the road of "learning and excelling", after doing business, he introduced some Confucian ideas into the concept of doing business. For example, his "Sixteen Character Classic of Doing Business": people abandon me, sell small profits, maintain credibility, and do not engage in hypocrisy.
Among them, except for the fact that "small profits and high sales" are commercial behaviors, the rest, rather than talking about business, are saying: how to behave and do things. What is reflected is a kind of responsibility as a person and the thickness of doing things.
Therefore, it is no wonder that Qiao Zhiyong's business can be so big, and it ended in the late Qing Dynasty, that era of change. Be human, he is right. Do things, he is stable! Talent is the root, and the performance is vivid.
Third, shade the descendants
After the death of Qiao Zhiyong, although the Qiao family passed its heyday, it could still be called rich and invincible, and stood firm, even during the War of Resistance. It must be known that the Japanese soldiers burned and looted, did no evil, but did not dare to move the Qiao family, why is this? Only because Qiao Zhiyong "shaded his descendants".
It was after the Eight-Power Alliance invaded China that the people hated these "foreigners." On one occasion, seven Italian nuns were hunted down and killed, and in a panic they fled into joe's compound and asked for protection.
At this moment, Qiao Zhiyong has reached the end of his life. Many people have suggested: Give these seven foreign women away, so as not to cause trouble. Qiao Zhiyong resolutely opposed, believing that to be a man or to do more good deeds should be saved. So he ordered the seven nuns to hide them in their homes and escaped this fate.
Later, after the seven nuns returned to China, the matter was also known to Italy, and they sent a national flag to express their gratitude to Qiao Zhiyong. It was this Italian flag that saved Joe's family. It should be known that during World War II, Japan and Italy belonged to the Allies, but now the Japanese soldiers look up and see that there is an Italian flag above the Qiao family compound.
Therefore, in his later years, Qiao Zhiyong saved seven Italian nuns and saved his descendants from being looted and ravaged by Japanese soldiers.
This really echoes the old saying: The house of good deeds will have a surplus celebration! Being a human being, or being good is the most reliable, in order to create amazing "magic".