In the subsequent Tongzhi and Guangxu eras, Gu Pingyuan rarely appeared in public, traveling to various places to sow the seeds of merchant governance, peacefully conducting his “great business.” Though his deeds were not spectacular and his person had faded into obscurity, half a century later when the Qing Dynasty fell and local national capital enterprises sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain, this was not without Gu Pingyuan’s painstaking efforts.

In the twentieth year of Guangxu, Zhang Jian of Nantong achieved the highest imperial examination rank of Number One Scholar. Soon after, he resigned from his position at the Hanlin Academy and returned home to establish the “Commercial Affairs Bureau” and “Dasheng Cotton Mill,” beginning his path of industrial national salvation. When some questioned whether it was too self-deprecating for a Number One Scholar to engage in merchant activities, Zhang Jian laughed and replied: “I have a prior agreement with someone.”

In the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu, when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China and Empress Dowager Cixi fled with the emperor to Xi’an, all of Shaanxi Province suffered severe drought with people barely surviving. Wang Chi’s “Tianshunxiang” bank from Yunnan contributed enormous funds, providing disaster relief for the people while covering all the court’s expenses. For an entire year, it replaced the national treasury, enabling both court and common people to survive this great calamity. Afterward, Wang Chi was unprecedentedly granted first-rank insignia, thereby surpassing Hu Xueyan to become the Qing Dynasty’s unique “First-Rank Red-Capped Merchant.” However, according to inadvertent revelations by Tianshunxiang’s chief manager, this astounding wealth was actually provided by a mysterious magnate who had always been on good terms with Wang Chi.

In the thirty-third year of Guangxu, Qiao Zhiyong died of illness at the Qiao Family Compound in Qixian County, Shanxi. Merchant guilds from various regions sent representatives to pay their respects. Among the guests was an elderly man in simple clothing whom no one recognized, except for the Huizhou merchant representatives who immediately left their seats to approach him with respectful greetings and inquiries, their manner extremely deferential.

In the first year of Xuantong, there was a hero surnamed Chen in the Tongmenghui, sworn brother to Chiang Kai-shek. Together they assisted Sun Yat-sen in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and establishing the Republic. This man was brave and skilled in battle, viewed as a thorn in Yuan Shikai’s side. After the Second Revolution, Yuan found an opportunity to have him assassinated. Some said he was a descendant of the Brave King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, while others claimed this was merely propaganda spread by revolutionaries.

Time rewinds to the eighth year of Tongzhi. On the distant shores across the great ocean, in South America, Chile erupted into the “War of the Pacific” with neighboring countries Peru and Bolivia. Facing the Peruvian-Bolivian alliance, Chile was initially at a disadvantage. However, over ten thousand Chinese laborers then in Chile voluntarily joined the fighting. After these men assembled, local military officers were amazed to discover they seemed well-trained and battle-hardened. The Chinese laborers’ participation changed the course of this war. In the battles of Tacna and Arica, they cooperated with Chilean forces to thoroughly defeat the Peruvian-Bolivian alliance. The labor leader was therefore awarded a medal by the Chilean Congress, and the Chilean government decided to grant a vast tract of land to the Chinese, supporting them in establishing an autonomous territory. However, this proposal was ultimately rejected by the laborers, who said they only sought peaceful lives henceforth and didn’t wish to become entangled in further disputes.

Complete – All Seven Volumes