Chaling Ancient City
Tan Yankai (1880-1930), with the courtesy name Zuan, nicknames Wuwei and Qezhai, was born in Chaling, Hunan, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He ranked first in the last imperial examination in the late Qing Dynasty and ranked second and 35th in the palace examination, giving him a Jinshi background. He was born into an official family, and together with Chen Sanli and Tan Sitong, he was known as the "Three Young Masters of Hunan and Xiang". He is good at calligraphy. Together with Yu Youren, Wu Zhihui, and Hu Hanmin, he is known as the four major calligraphers of the Republic of China. He is also known as the "Master of Modern Yan Calligraphy". He once served as the military governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and served three times as the governor of Hunan, governor and commander-in-chief of the Hunan Army. He was awarded the rank of general and army marshal. Later he served as Chairman of the Nanjing National Government and President of the Executive Yuan. He was a famous politician, calligrapher and gourmet during the Republic of China. On September 22, 1930, he died of illness in Nanjing and was buried in the Linggu Scenic Area next to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing.
Tan Yankai's image
1. The son of an official, a commoner was bullied
Tan Yankai's fatherTan Zhonglin was the tenth Jinshi of Bingchenke in the sixth year of Xianfeng (1856). He was promoted to the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and was a dignitary in the late Qing Dynasty. His mother, Mrs. Li, was a maid from the first marriage and was born into a poor family. When he first entered the Tan family, he was arranged to take care of the master's wife. Before Mrs. Li was taken in, Tan Zhonglin already had several wives and concubines. Because Mrs. Li is beautiful and takes care of Tan Zhonglin's mother, they naturally meet more often than an ordinary girl. After being attracted by Tan Zhonglin, she took her as his concubine. As a concubine, Mrs. Li suffered a lot in the Tan family because of her identity as the maid. She had to wait beside Tan Zhonglin and his wife when they were having dinner. After they said "Okay," she could retreat to the dining room to eat.
Tongfang Girl——Beautiful appearance
When Tan Zhonglin was the governor of Zhejiang, Mrs. Li became pregnant. After becoming pregnant, she longed day and night to give birth to a boy and change her destiny. On January 25, 1880, Tan Yankai was born in Hangzhou. That night, Tan Zhonglin, who had just fallen asleep, dreamed that He Linghan, a minister of the late Qing Dynasty, came to visit him. After waking up, Yankai was born. The auspicious omen made him believe that the child must be the reincarnation of Tanhua He Linghan, so he was overjoyed and named his son "Zu'an", which is homophonic with He Ling's Chinese character "Zu'an". With Tan Yankai, Mrs. Li finally no longer has to do the menial work of servants. Her main tasks are the same as those of ordinary concubines: taking care of her husband and wife, and raising her son. Later, although Mrs. Li gave birth to two more children, her status in the Tan family still did not improve much.
The birth of a nobleman - West Lake Flooding
On weekdays, not only the main wife often shouted at her, but even the concubines at home, Mrs. Yan, often bossed her around. Although Mrs. Li was born into a poor family, she had a very good character. She had too many grievances in her heart but had nowhere to express them. Her husband's attitude towards her was always not as gentle as towards other wives and concubines. Once, she accidentally bumped into her husband chatting with his wife, Mrs. Chen. The two were chatting, and Tan Zhonglin affectionately touched Mrs. Chen's face with his hand. His expression and movements were full of doting. Only then did she remember: When her husband expressed his love for her before, he always liked to pinch her face. What's the difference between pinching and stroking? Stroking is more about equality, while pinching is more like an owner treating a pet. The day she understood this meaning, Mrs. Li was alone in her room, covering her mouth and crying silently.
Tan Yankai's calligraphy
From that time on, she understood: no matter how many sons she gave birth to, it would not be possible for the mother to be more valuable than her son. To truly "the mother is more valuable than her son", the son must be promising. After that, Mrs. Li focused more on educating her son, and she especially had high hopes for Tan Yankai, who was extremely intelligent. Tan Yankai entered a private school at the age of 5. Tan Zhonglin stipulated that he must write an article in three days, a poem in five days, and practice writing several pages of large and small regular calligraphy. Tan Yankai's calligraphy was appreciated by the number one scholar in the sixth year of Xianfeng and Guangxu Emperor Weng Tong and . He once said to Tan Zhonglin, a Jinshi in the same field: "The third son is a great weapon! His writing power can almost carry a cauldron." Tan Yankai's excellence is naturally inseparable from his mother's careful teaching.After attending private school, he began to have his own ideas. Once, he came back to complain to his mother because he was dissatisfied with others calling him "little old man". He said: "Why do they always call me 'Little Lao San'? It's so unpleasant. I'm a little boy, but I don't like to be called like that!"
Emperor Guangxu's Master - Weng Tonghe is like
Mrs. Li looked at her son with a puzzled face , there was a stabbing pain in her heart. She wanted to put the matter away with a few words of comfort, but she failed to control her emotions and shed tears. Tan Yankai saw this and said hurriedly: "Don't cry, don't cry. I'm just wondering why they always call me 'Little Lao San'. Mom was not happy, so she just pretended I didn't ask." Mrs. Li hugged her son and said while crying: "I am your father's concubine. They call you 'Little Lao San' because they are mocking you for being the son of a concubine. It means 'concubine'. Your brother must work hard." Study well, be a good person, do something big in the future, and become a big shot. Only then can you win glory. Then I will feel relieved to endure hardships in the Tan family." Although the young Tan Yankai did not fully understand the meaning of "concubine", he learned it through his mother. With these words, he vaguely understood the reason why his mother always had a droopy face and often cried alone.
Weng Tonghe’s calligraphy
That day, Tan Yankai, who was nestling in his mother’s arms, suddenly had a picture of himself being named on the gold medal list. He secretly vowed to "study hard, be a good person, do something big, and become a big shot" as his mother said. Mrs. Li found that after that mother-son conversation, her son seemed to have grown up a lot overnight. He, who was usually naughty and mischievous, actually became much calmer. When his friends asked him to go out to play, he always said, "There is still homework to do." When he was 11 years old, Tan Yankai began to learn eight-part essay . In ancient times, the age for learning eight-part essay was usually 12 to 15 years old, but Tan Yankai was earlier than most people. Tan Zhonglin was very pleased with Yankai's outstanding performance, and his eyes looked at Mrs. Li with a little more tenderness.
The House of Officials - Groups of Wives and Concubines
2. Adolescence as a young man, filial piety to his mother
In 1893, Tan Yankai went to Changsha to take part in the boy's examination, and was admitted as a scholar in one fell swoop. This year, he was only 13 years old. When the news came, everyone in the Tan family was excited. Mrs. Li's voice was two decibels louder in the Tan family, but because she was a concubine born as a maid, she still looked down upon Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Yan, the main wife. On weekdays, she still didn't dare to neglect anything they told her to do. Because of long-term overwork, Mrs. Li often suffers from low back pain. Tan Yankai felt very uncomfortable when his mother, who suffered from low back pain, always stood and waited on his father and Mrs. Chen to eat. Who wants to let his mother serve others? Especially after reading " Filial Piety ", he felt even more ashamed of his "powerlessness".
Famous place in Hunan - Yuelu Academy
While studying, he always thought about "how to make his mother's life in the Tan family less miserable"? After thinking about it, he became more certain: what his mother said back then was right. Only when he makes a difference can she make a difference. People say: Blessings lie where misfortunes lie, and misfortunes lie where blessings rely. Under Mrs. Li's guidance, the fact that she was a concubine had a positive effect, and even became the motivation for Tan Yankai's struggle. Tan Yankai also kept in mind his mother's teachings in his behavior. He almost never competed with any of his brothers. Sometimes, he would take the initiative to give in. When he met several other mothers, he was always respectful, lest there be a trace of neglect. When there was a quarrel at home, he always stood up to smooth things over. At all times, he adheres to the principle of "do not offend anyone". This kind of character developed since childhood is also the reason why he can become a "roly-poly" when he enters officialdom in the future.
Tan Yankai's calligraphy
After Tan Yankai was admitted as a scholar at a young age, Tan Zhonglin became even more convinced: This child was undoubtedly the reincarnation of a prostitute, and there was a successor to the Tan family. At this time, he paid more attention to his son's study. In addition to teaching him personally, he also spent a lot of money to hire famous teachers for him. Tan Yankai once studied under the famous Confucian Wang Kaiyun in Changsha, and his poetry level improved rapidly. Tan Yankai regarded reading as "the only way out". Every time he listened to a lecture, he kept his ears open and took notes carefully.His learning attitude made the teacher "full of praise". Every time she hears people praise Tan Yankai, Mrs. Li feels very happy. In 1904, Tan Yankai participated in the last imperial examination in the late Qing Dynasty and ranked first among the tribute scholars, that is, Huiyuan, filling the gap of no Huiyuan in Hunan for more than 200 years in the Qing Dynasty.
A famous Confucian in Changsha - Wang Kaiyun's portrait
In the palace examination in April of that year, he ranked second and thirty-fifth, and was granted a Jinshi background. Tan Yankai not only writes well, but his handwriting is also extremely beautiful, and he is very likely to be selected as the number one scholar. According to legend, just when Empress Lafayette was about to write down her name, she discovered that Tan Yankai was a Hunanese and had a surname of Tan. She suddenly remembered the Hunanese "rebellious minister and traitor" Tan Sitong who she hated most, so she changed her name to Liu Chunlin For the number one scholar. First, Liu Chunlin's calligraphy was also excellent. Second, there was a severe drought in the world at that time, so Chunlin's name was very auspicious. Yankai Yunjian was demoted to Jinshi. But despite this, before that, Hunan in the late Qing Dynasty had produced a number of big figures such as Hu Linji, Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, but none of them had high grades in the examination room. Therefore, Tan Yankai is still quite popular in Hunan, his hometown. The day the news came back to the Tan family, everyone in the Tan family was delighted, Tan Zhonglin was even more happy, and Mrs. Li was so excited that she burst into tears!
Wang Kaiyun calligraphy
During the meal that day, as soon as Tan Zhonglin sat down, he said to Mrs. Li who was standing by: "You can sit down and eat with us from now on!" After hearing this, Mrs. Li suddenly felt a little dizzy. During that meal, when she swallowed the food, she thought several times that there were tears in the food. After Tan Yankai returned home in fine clothes, he was overjoyed to see his mother already having dinner in the main hall. Every time he ate, he took the initiative to sit next to his mother and kept picking up food for her. On weekdays, he is very filial to his mother. He thought to himself: If he doesn't value and respect his mother, others in the family will despise her even more. In the feudal era, large families had strict hierarchies. Even though Tan Yankai respected her mother very much and protected her at all times, her status as a concubine meant that she would always be "low-brow and submissive" in the Tan family. In addition, she was born as a maid, so her status was naturally one level lower than that of an ordinary concubine. Even with the birth of a "noble son", her status has not been significantly improved. Soon, Tan Yankai's father passed away. The days to come for Mrs. Li will be even more difficult.
Low eyebrows are pleasing to the eye - the heart is as high as the sky
3. Governor of Hunan, fighting for the name of his mother
Tan Yankai Jinshi and later, he first entered the Imperial Academy, taught editing and editing, and later returned to Hunan to run a school. Empress Dowager Cixi In her later years, she personally presided over reforms, the so-called "Ding Wei New Deal". Tan Yankai actively echoed this. He was the leader of the Hunan constitutionalists and served as the chairman of the provincial "Consultative Bureau". In 1911, after the Wuchang Uprising, he served as the Senate President and Minister of Civil Affairs of the Hunan Military Government. At the end of October, after the constitutionalists killed the chief and deputy governors, Jiao Dafeng and Chen Zuoxin, he was elected as the governor of Hunan Province by the Council. In July 1912, he was officially appointed as the Governor of Hunan by the Beijing government. In September, he also served as the Civil Affairs Minister of Hunan Province, joined the Kuomintang and served as the head of the Hunan branch. In 1913, he participated in the second revolution, declared the independence of Hunan, and published a "Chapter of Discussing Yuan" in "Changsha Daily", and was subsequently removed from the post of governor by Yuan Shikai. After leaving his job, he took refuge in Qingdao and Shanghai. In 1915, Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor, and Tan Yankai participated in the national defense movement. After August 1916, he was reinstated as governor and military governor of Hunan Province and president of the Hunan Senate.
Famous attractions in Hunan - Nanyue Hengshan
In the early days of the Republic of China, although Tan Yankai was busy with official duties, he always sent regular letters to express greetings to his mother. He repeatedly told his brother Tan Zekai : When my brother is away, he must serve his mother well. After Tan Yankai got married, in order to better take care of his mother, he deliberately left his wife Fang Rongqing at home to take care of her. In order for his wife to take good care of his mother, he always behaved extremely respectfully to his mother in front of his wife. He always remembers one thing: only if he respects his mother, others will respect her more. Tan Yankai obeyed his mother's advice. Even for important matters such as being appointed governor of Hunan, he had to obtain her mother's approval before agreeing.When she was in charge of Hunan for the second time, Mrs. Li was already in poor health, but in order not to cause trouble to her son, she always said, "It's okay, it's okay." In 1916, Mrs. Li fell seriously ill and the political situation was turbulent at that time. Fang Rongqing never told him about her mother-in-law's true illness. When Mrs. Li passed away, her favorite eldest son Tan Yankai was not by her side.
Tan Yankai's calligraphy
Tan Yankai regretted not being able to die in person for his mother. He wanted to go home to hold a funeral for his mother. People around him reminded him: "If you go home at this time, the 'throne' of the Governor of Hunan may not be guaranteed!" Tan Yankai understood the power of this, but in his heart: his mother was the most important, and he could not give her death. , is already unfilial. If he cannot attend the funeral, wouldn’t it be “great unfilial piety”? In 1917, Tan Yankai helped his mother, Mrs. Li's coffin to be buried in Changsha, where she stayed temporarily in the lotus pond. Tan House is located behind the Tan Clan Ancestral Hall, and the coffin must pass through the Clan Ancestral Hall for funerals. According to clan rules, a concubine cannot be buried from the clan ancestral gate after her death. On the day Mrs. Li was officially buried, Tan Yankai asked that his mother's coffin be allowed to go out from the gate of the clan temple. But the tribesmen believed that Mrs. Li was just a concubine, and it was not in line with the ancestral customs to have a funeral through the main gate. For this reason, the tribesmen came to advise Tan Yankai one after another: "If you violate the ancestral system, you may suffer disaster for the family!"
Tan Clan Ancestral Hall
Tan Yankai refused, and he ordered the poleman: "Go out of the gate today!" The elder tribesman blocked the door and made a gesture of refusing to let him go even if he lived or died. They all shouted: "How can it be reasonable for a concubine to want to go out through the gate!" Tan Yankai was so angry that he simply lay down on his mother's coffin lid, ordered the bearer to wake up, and shouted: "I, Tan Yankai, He's dead, carry me to the funeral!" Seeing this scene, the tribesmen looked at each other, and the whole place fell into silence. After a long time, the tribesmen blocking the gate had no choice but to give way. Tan Yankai and his mother finally walked out of the gate! The moment Tan Yankai was lying on the coffin lid and being carried through the main entrance, tears fell down. He didn't care at all about the curse he had just cast on himself. All he thought about was his mother. He murmured: "Mother, you have gone through the gate, we have gone through the gate!" In this way, Tan Yankai restored the status of his mother, who had always been inferior to others. Because he knew the pain of being a concubine, he secretly swore that he would never take a concubine in his life. Yes, he couldn't bear to let any woman suffer the same pain his mother suffered.
Follow Sun Wen - Support the Republic
4. Get to know Sun Wen and join the revolution
In November 1920, Tan Yankai was expelled by his subordinate Zhao Hengti and went to live in an apartment in Shanghai. He took "Magu Xiantan Ji" as his daily lesson, during which he read a total of 203 passages. The "Magu Immortal Altar" written by Tan has a clear front and strong style, which is very similar to Qian Nanyuan , but the strokes are thicker and more vigorous than Qian's, and the upright spirit is vivid on the paper. Its structure is solemn and exquisite, just like a sage with his lapels upright and arched in a temple. It captures its essence and is admirable. That year, Tan Yankai's wife Fang Rongqing died of illness. At this time, although he was only 40 years old, he never remarried in his life. When others asked him why, he always said: "I am an old friend with great kindness and righteousness, and I can't bear to fly together again." People who are familiar with Tan Yankai know that the "great kindness" in his sentence mainly refers to the sacrifices made by his wife to take care of his mother for him. He once promised his wife: As long as you help me take care of my mother, I will agree to any request you make.
Tan Yankai's calligraphy
Mrs. Fang has always remembered her husband's promise. The last words she left before her death were exactly her request: not to remarry, and to raise her children to be talents. For this promise, he declined numerous matchmakers, including his old friend Sun Yat-sen. Tan Yankai met Sun Yat-sen in Shanghai. In 1922, after Chen Jiongming rebelled, Sun Yat-sen left Guangzhou for Shanghai. Tan Yankai went to the dock to greet him personally, and Tan Yankai has been following Sun Yat-sen ever since. As the two people interacted more and more, he got to know Sun Yat-sen better and better, and he told everyone he met that the revolutionary leader was none other than Sun Gong. He gave Sun Yat-sen 50,000 guangyang with the money from selling his land for military pay. Sun Yat-sen also reused Tan Yankai, and successively appointed him as Minister of the Interior and Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expeditionary Army.When the Whampoa Military Academy was being built, Sun Yat-sen originally wanted Tan Yankai to preside over it, but he gave up the position of principal to Chiang Kai-shek. However, the name of the Whampoa Military Academy " Army Officer School " was inscribed by Tan Yankai.
Preparation for the establishment of Huangpu - a famous military academy
In January 1924, Tan Yankai was elected as a member of the first Central Executive Committee, a member of the Central Political Committee and the Secretary-General of the Base Camp of the Kuomintang. In order to strengthen his relationship with Tan Yankai, Sun Yat-sen deliberately introduced Song Meiling to Tan, and asked Tan Yankai to recognize Song's mother as his godmother. At that time, Soong Meiling had just returned from studying in the United States and had outstanding appearance, but Tan Yankai bluntly stated that he had promised to his wife "not to remarry". In order not to hurt Soong Meiling's self-esteem, he simply prepared generous gifts and came to the Song family , and solemnly kowtowed to the old lady and worshiped his godmother. In this way, Song Meiling became his god sister. Tan Yankai's behavior greatly moved Song Meiling. Later, they always called themselves brother and sister and had a good relationship.
Song Meiling looks like
After Sun Yat-sen passed away in March 1925, the relationship between Tan Yankai and Chiang Kai-shek became increasingly close. In July 1925, he served as member and standing committee member of the National Government of Guangzhou, member and standing committee member of the Military Commission, and commander of the Second Army of the National Revolutionary Army. In September, he acted as the Minister of Military Affairs of the Guangzhou National Government. In January 1926, he was elected as a member of the Second Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang. In March, he was acting chairman of the Guangzhou National Government. In April, he was appointed chairman of the Central Political Committee. In July, he also acted as the chairman of the Central Party Committee of the Kuomintang Party Committee. After March 1927, he served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang, a member of the Presidium of the Political Council of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, a member of the Presidium of the Central Military Commission, a member of the National Government, a member of the Standing Committee, and a member of the Wuhan National Government's Wartime Economic Committee. In September, Ningxia, Shanghai and Ningbo established a special committee of the Kuomintang Central Committee in Shanghai and served as chairman of the conference.
Famous attractions in Nanjing - Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
Five, Three No's Principles, Hunan Cuisine Master
In December 1927, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling got married, and Tan Yankai was the introducer. Soong Meiling's elder brother Song Ziwen objected to the marriage between Jiang and Song , so Soong Meiling asked Tan Yankai to mediate and help facilitate the marriage. In February 1928, Tan Yankai was re-elected as Chairman of the Nanjing National Government. After the victory of the Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek ascended to the throne of supreme power. Tan Yankai was very wise and gave up his position as chairman of the National Government and became president of the Executive Yuan. He also served as a member of the Capital Construction Committee, a member and chairman of the Finance Committee, and a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang. Member of the Standing Committee, Member of the Prime Minister’s Cemetery Management Committee. Chiang Kai-shek and Tan Yankai often interacted at work and in private. His youngest daughter Tan Xiang graduated from Shanghai Women's School. She was Soong Meiling's classmate when she studied in the United States and worked as a teacher at the Nanjing Army Children's School. Tan Xiang, nicknamed Manyi, had dignified appearance, outstanding intelligence, and a sweet mouth. Therefore, he was very popular with Chiang Kai-shek and his wife. Tan Yankai "often went to Chiang Kai-shek's mansion to chat, and he had to take Manyi with him every time he came."
Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling's wedding photos
Facing Chiang Kai-shek's dictatorship, Tan Yankai had a complete set of strategies to deal with it, that is, he adhered to the "three no's" doctrine: first, not to be responsible; second, not to give advice; third, not to offend others. Every time there is a meeting, he closes his eyes and meditates, holding on to the boring gourd without opening the ladle. He is often "in a hurry to kill the emperor, but the eunuch is not in a hurry". He has become a rubber stamp, just a gangster. Anyway, the country and the country have nothing to do with him. He knew that it was not easy to do things under Chiang Kai-shek, so he was willing to do nothing, be happy and be a prime minister who only eats and drinks. His only hobby is eating out. He ate at all the famous restaurants in Nanjing. He ate so well that he was no longer regarded as a "thorn in Chiang Kai-shek's side" and became a famous gourmet. The prestigious "Zu'an Hunan Cuisine" created by Tan Yankai and his chef is a famous series of Hunan cuisine and an important part of official cuisine. Zu'an Hunan cuisine has won people's favor with the food concept of "excellent selection of raw materials, fine knife processing, exquisite cooking skills, and precise taste blending" and is known as the "source of Hunan cuisine".
Tan Yankai's calligraphy
Tan Yankai likes shark's fin and must eat it with every meal.Once, I went to a banquet hosted by a certain gentleman. During the banquet, the host talked about the inadequacy of shark's fin, saying that it tasted like chewing wax, and the Tan family was only good at it. The wine was half full, but no shark fin was served. The host asked the guests to order whatever they wanted. When asked about Tan, Tan Wan'er replied: "If you don't want to give up, how about some chewing wax?" In September 1930, Tan Yankai suffered from cerebral hemorrhage. During his illness, he asked the Chiangs and his wife to choose a husband for Tan Xiang among the young officers, and asked Chiang to take care of the soldiers of the Second Army for him after his death. Tan Yankai died in the same year, and the Nationalist Government ordered a state burial. His tomb was built a few kilometers east of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum. With the help of the Chiangs and his wife, Tan Yankai's daughter Tan Xiang married Chen Cheng, who later became the deputy leader of Taiwan. Tan Yankai's harmonious behavior is inseparable from his mother's influence on him. This kind of harmony made him a "roly-poly" in the officialdom, and also allowed him to develop the "three no's principles" that he abides by in politics.
In his later years, Tan Yankai was like
Tan Yankai spent his whole life in confusion. Not only did he get the nickname "Licorice in Medicine", he also got the nicknames "Devil King" and "Crystal Ball". Licorice is not expensive, but it is known as the "king of a hundred medicines" and has the function of harmonizing a hundred medicines. Some people also summed up his life as "mixed", which he publicly acknowledged and claimed that "mixed things are very useful." After Tan Yankai's death, his old friend Hu Hanmin was deeply saddened by him and wrote an elegiac couplet saying: "The stars and the bright moon have returned to the sky, and the gentle spring breeze is in my eyes." This is to praise Tan Yankai's way of neutralization. However, a Shanghai tabloid published a couplet outlining this characteristic of his. The couplet said: "It's great to mess around with it! Eating and drinking, swaggering, fortune and fortune, as big as the dean; it's just the instinct to roll the ball!" Rolling around, rolling in and out, rolling around, rolling into the coffin." Sadly, Tan Yankai, who abides by the "three no's" and "does not fight" throughout his life, has become a special case when it comes to fighting for his motherhood. Tan Yankai is so pitiful!
Beside Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum——Linggu Deep Pine
