Hu Xueyan was a famous businessman at the end of the Qing Dynasty, and his life was full of ups and downs and legends. He developed from a destitute to a "red-top businessman" with no difference, but in his later years he was forced to raid his home and died in misery and poverty.
It is rumored that when Hu Xueyan died, he once told his family to tear off a corner of his birthday coat and give it to a mysterious person. Who is this mysterious person, and what is Hu Xueyan's intention in doing so?
01 Red Top Merchant's History
Hu Xueyan was born in Anhui Province to a very poor family. From an early age, he worked hard for others and exchanged money to subsidize their families.
During the part-time work, Hu Xueyan accidentally went to Xinhe Qianzhuang as a buddy, where he was diligent and flexible, and won the favor of the owner of Qianzhuang.
The owner of the money house intends to cultivate him, but still wants to test his character. Once, the owner of the money house deliberately threw some silver on the ground to see how he responded.
Despite the embarrassment of life, the young Hu Xueyan did not swallow the silver after seeing it, but put it completely on the counter.
After this incident, the boss trusted Hu Xueyan very much, and felt that he was firm in heart and a talent that could be created.
The owner of the money house had no son, and since then, he has been trained as a successor. Teach him the way of doing business and guide him in the operation of the money house.
When the owner of Qianzhuang was leaving, he took Hu Xueyan's hand and said: "Shunguan, after I go, the business of Qianzhuang will be handed over to you, you must operate sincerely, and you must not fall into the reputation of our Huishang merchants." ”
After saying that, the owner of the money house gave up and left. Hu Xueyan cried bitterly at the bedside, and promised that he would run the qianzhuang with his heart.
Hu Xueyan was quite familiar with the way of doing business, and Qianzhuang grew stronger and stronger in his hands. Hu Xueyan not only runs a money house, but also is good at making friends with nobles, exquisite and transparent.
In 1881, Zuo Zongtang was ordered to go to the frontier to recover the lost land. After Hu Xueyan listened, he moved his mind. He asked someone to introduce him and met Zuo Zongtang. Zuo Zongtang was not polite when he first saw him, and at that time, Zuo Zongtang was very busy.
At that time, the Qing government was poor and weak, Zuo Zongtang went out to Xinjiang, and the military supplies were seriously insufficient, and he was already anxious. In the process of raising money everywhere, being able to find time to meet a businessman has already given the heavens a lot of face.
Hu Xueyan was well aware of Zuo Zongtang's fiery and straight-forward nature. After meeting, he did not humble himself and bow his knees, but directly stated his intentions: "Hearing that the adult is about to go to Xinjiang, Xueyan is impressed, and is willing to offer 100,000 stones of grain and 10 million silver tickets to help the adult triumph." ”
After Zuo Zongtang listened, his heart was greatly moved. Hu Xueyan's move can be described as solving his urgent need.
Zuo Zongtang was an upright man and did not embezzle Hu Xueyan's money, and he immediately said to Hu Xueyan: "I will ask for credit for you." ”
Zuo Zongtang, who went out on the frontier, was ambushed, but his sharpness did not diminish that year. In one year, a large area of territory was recovered. After the triumph, Zuo Zongtang reported the merits of the generals to Empress Dowager Cixi, including Hu Xueyan.
When Empress Dowager Cixi learned of this, she rewarded Hu Xueyan with a yellow coat, sealed the official position of Erpin, and awarded him a two-pin red top. Since then, Hu Xueyan's business career has reached its peak, becoming one of the rare "red-top businessmen" in Chinese history.
02 Founded Qingyu Hall to save the people from water and fire
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, China was in turmoil, and in and around Hangzhou, dead bodies caused by infectious diseases were everywhere. When Hu Xueyan saw this scene, he thought of himself when he was young, and he suddenly felt compassion.
He contacted several famous doctors, carefully developed prescriptions, and prepared the Qingyu Hall, hoping to save the people of the Qing Dynasty from water and fire.
Qingyutang is located in Qinghefang, a modern historical and cultural district of Hangzhou, and is now the best-preserved ancient building complex of the late Qing Dynasty in mainland China.
In the Qingyu Hall, Hu Xueyan invited many famous doctors to develop prescriptions, and many famous recipes such as "Bureau Purple Snow Dan" have been passed down to the world today, which is a good medicine for curing diseases and saving people.
In Qingyu Hall, Hu Xueyan promoted the business philosophy of "abstaining from cheating" and "true non-two prices", that is, the real price, the child is not deceived, making the Qingyu Hall famous. In the folk, there is "Tongrentang in the north and Hu Qingyu in the south".
In the turmoil of the late Qing Dynasty, the emergence of QingyuTang gave the people a trustworthy medical center, and some incurable diseases had the possibility of being cured. Today, Qingyu Hall has become one of the most important places of chinese culture and is a landmark building in Hangzhou.
03 Business Empires collapse
Hu Xueyan's business empire continued to grow, and money houses, medical centers, and silk blossomed everywhere, and there was no difference for a while. As the business grew, his inner greed began to be exposed.
Not only did he live a luxurious life, he also coveted women and specially collected the "Twelve Golden Nobiles" for pleasure. When doing business, it is no longer rigorous.
In 1882, Hu Xueyan took a fancy to the business of raw silk and wanted to monopolize this business. He sent people everywhere to collect raw silk, hoping to take down all the raw silk, so that the price of raw silk would be decided by him.
Under Hu Xueyan's instructions, the shopkeepers under his jurisdiction searched everywhere and spent nearly 20 million taels of silver to buy all the raw silk on the market.
However, what Hu Xueyan did not expect was that this year, the production of raw silk was particularly good, and the supply of raw silk in Europe was abundant.
After Hu Xueyan's search for raw silk was known to his rival Sheng Xuanhuai, Sheng Xuanhuai had a plan and wanted to rectify Hu Xueyan.
Sheng Xuanhuai first contacted the merchants who had raw silk in their hands, coerced and lured, and ordered the merchants to sell the raw silk at a very low price, and the price of raw silk plummeted.
Because Hu Xueyan spent a lot of money in the early hoarding, and the flow of funds in his hand was insufficient, at this time, he could only sell raw silk at a price lower than the cost, which made Hu Xueyan lose a lot.
At this time, Sheng Xuanhuai had a plan of regeneration. He ordered people to release the news, claiming: "Hu Xueyan was greatly affected by the raw silk incident, and his money bank had run out of money and could not withdraw it." ”
This news was not released through official channels, but ordered to come out in taverns, tea houses, and restaurants, and for a time, people were panicked.
raw silk
The people all thought that Hu Xueyan's money house really ran out of money, and they rushed to tell each other. People who did not save money just listened to a hilarity, and those who saved money were worried that their money was adrift, and hurried to the money bank to withdraw money.
For a time, in Hu Xueyan's money house, all the people in Wuyang were taking money.
Where the money house has so much cash, people can't get the money, and they firmly believe in the rumor that Hu Xueyan has no money, and make trouble in Hu Xueyan's money house. The treasurer took a look and quickly let people report Hu Xueyan.
After Hu Xueyan raised funds from all sides and settled the matter of Qianzhuang, he was seriously injured. Business has plummeted, and the former business empire has long ceased to be the glory of the past.
In 1885, Zuo Zongtang died, and Hu Xueyan lost the protection of Zuo Zongtang, and his life was extremely difficult.
After Zuo Zongtang's death, some people took the opportunity to accuse Hu Xueyan of colluding with foreign businessmen because he had overstated interest to the imperial court when he borrowed money from foreign banks on behalf of the Qing government.
Because of the yellow coat given by the emperor, Hu Xueyan saved his life, but the family wealth was confiscated. The former "Twelve Golden Nobles" also fled one after another, leaving only Madame Hu Si and Aunt Jiu who were still willing to accompany him.
Several escaped to a thatched hut where Hu Xueyan spent the last days of his life.
04 Last words, tearing a corner of the life jacket, to the mysterious person
In November 1885, it was raining all day in Fuzhou, and the wooden luan trees bloomed with red flowers, and they could not see clearly in the rain curtain. Passers-by holding oil-paper umbrellas hurriedly, cursing the bad weather as they walked.
Aunt Jiu came out of the pharmacy wearing a coarse cloth gown and carrying a bag of medicine. The silk silk of the past has long been destroyed when raiding the house, and it is also absent from her delicate face.
In the past, the beauty in exile has long been lost, the face is sallow, the face is haggard, and it is more vicissitudes than the average woman. The Ninth Aunt looked up at the sky and thought desolately: In the world, whether it is money or fate, what is unchanged.
Back to the dilapidated thatched hut, which is where Hu Xueyan now lives. The house was dilapidated, full of dirt, and a few cups of water were mottled with paint.
Suddenly, Hu Xueyan coughed, and a heavy gasp made a hissing sound as it passed through his lungs.
Aunt Jiu was too busy to help Hu Xueyan up and give him a smooth breath: "Lord, the concubine bought medicine and came back, and you will be comfortable after drinking it." Hu Xueyan glanced at her sideways, gasping for breath and not speaking.
From the time he was raided, Hu Xueyan was depressed all day long, did not like to talk, and had chest tightness and shortness of breath. The Doctor's Tao is too persistent to look away.
Aunt Nine was too hurried to boil the medicine, the firewood emitted a little light, and the bitter smell of the medicine filled the whole grass house. Hu Xueyan was stimulated by the bitter taste to wake up a little, and shouted in a rough voice.
The Ninth Aunt watched the fire in front of the fire, and Mrs. Luo Si approached to take care of Hu Xueyan. Looking at his pale and bloodless face, Mrs. Luo Si was heartbroken: "Lord, you will rest." ”
Hu Xueyan waved her hand impatiently to interrupt her: "You go, get the pen." ”
Mrs. Luo Si was puzzled, but still obediently took the pen and ink, which was the only thing of value that she had brought out when she raided the house.
Mrs. Luo Si gently unfolded, Hu Xueyan shook her hand and stroked it one by one, drawing hard, as if to vent his anger over the years, she looked down, and the paper was impressively written: "The Hu clan is not allowed to engage in politics, business, and marriage to a woman surnamed Li in the future." ”
Hu Xueyan finished writing, lost his pen, lay down and gasped for breath: "After I go, you tell Xuan San (Hu Xueyan's son) them!" Hu Xueyan pointed to the handwriting he had just written, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
Mrs. Luo Si cried and put away her pen and ink, nodded her head and said yes.
While frying the medicine, The Ninth Aunt looked out the dark window, and before long, the raindrops became bigger, like beans, smashing on the ground and banging. The rain was too heavy, and when she entered the house, Mrs. Luo Si hurried to deal with it.
Inside the house, listening to Hu Xueyan's increasingly heavy wheezing sounds, the ninth aunt was too uneasy, returned to the house, supported Hu Xueyan, and patted him on the back.
Hu Xueyan did not get better, and he was getting weaker and weaker. He stretched out his hand and pulled on the coarse cloth hem of The Ninth Aunt, gasping and saying, "After I die, there may be a mysterious person wearing an iron hat, and when the time comes, you will tear off the corner of my birthday robe and give it to him." ”
The Ninth Aunt was too confused to hear it, and did not know whether this was someone the old man had met or whether there was something unfinished. But Hu Xueyan was already angry and couldn't say anything, so Aunt Jiu had to nod her head in agreement.
After Hu Xueyan finished speaking, his strength became less and less, and the whole person could not move, but his eyes were still open, and the Ninth Aunt was crying while inviting his wife to come over.
By the time The Fourth Lady of Deluo arrived, Hu Xueyan had already closed his eyes, only slightly breathing, and after another quarter of an hour, he didn't even breathe.
Outside the window, the rain fell even heavier, the crackling rain hit the ground, Mrs. Luo Si and Aunt Jiu cried bitterly at the bedside, and in the cold rain late at night, a generation of famous merchants went like this.
05 The Secret of the Mysterious Man and Shou Yi
After Hu Xueyan's death, Mrs. Luo Si and Aunt Jiu took care of the aftermath and gave him a simple funeral.
A thin-skinned coffin, a coarse cloth robe, hastily sent him away. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, before entering the coffin, the Ninth Aunt secretly tore off a corner of the shou robe and hid it in the sleeve.
On the day of the funeral, very few people came to mourn. The people who had met Hu Xueyan when he was brilliant had long since disappeared.
Among the people who came, The Ninth Aunt really saw a person wearing an iron hat, and she was shocked in her heart, and she had the courage to go over, handed him a corner of the shou robe, and quickly walked away.
The mysterious man was stunned when he touched the corner of his clothes, and then walked into the coffin in disbelief and looked at it, and finally shook his head and left. Later, after listening to experienced people, The Ninth Aunt knew that this mysterious person was a spy sent by a tomb robber.
Whenever a large family dies, the tomb robbers will send spies to inquire whether there are precious funerary items.
Hu Xueyan asked the Ninth Aunt to give him a corner of the shouyi, and as soon as he touched the material of the shouyi, he could know that the Hu family had nothing of value, and there was no need to rob the tomb again.
I have to say that Hu Xueyan is extremely clever, and he will calculate all the things after death before he dies, so as not to be disturbed after his death.
It is precisely because of this cleverness that Hu Xueyan's tomb was well preserved, and it was not until more than 100 years later that it was discovered by Zhao Yucheng, an old pharmacist in QingyuTang.
Hu Xueyan's tomb, located in Lululing Ridge, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is an important historical site. On Heron Ridge, surrounded by green trees, stands a simple tombstone, without too many ornate decorations, simple and solemn.
Perhaps this is not as gorgeous as one might think of the tombstone of a prominent businessman, but this simple appearance seems to be the last annotation of his life.
Hu Xueyan's biography has been written by many people. There can also be many interpretations of Hu Xueyan's life. He is lively and clever, and it is not simple for him to get rid of poverty and get rich by relying on his own hard work.
He founded Qingyu Hall, the concept of "true non-two prices" and "avoiding deception", which has an enlightening effect on business operations to this day.
However, he created a huge business empire without guarding against risks, so that he was slightly calculated by his opponents and had no ability to fight back. He made his fortune in the situation at the end of the Qing Dynasty and died out in the chaotic world, which can be said to be xiao he and defeat xiao he.
But no matter what, Hu Xueyan's life and his business wisdom have many points worth learning, I believe that many people have seen the story of Hu Xueyan's ups and downs, not only leave a lot of feelings, but also will have a lot of thinking and inspiration.
bibliography:
1. "Red Top Merchant Hu Xueyan: Three Days of Wealth of Wanguan Family"; Han Xianzhou; Folk Tales, No. 11, 2020
2. "Comment on the Reasons for the Success or Failure of Hu Xueyan, a "Red Top Businessman"; Ma Feifei, Long Jin; Journal of Liaoning Economic Management Cadre College, No. 4, 2019
3. "Merchants or Officials: The Truth About Hu Xueyan"; Liu Xuyi; Shuwu, No. 8, 2019