Sheng Xuanhuai and Hu Xueyan are both businessmen, so there is no conflict of interest. However, once business and politics are linked, things are not so simple. Hu Xueyan's patron is Zuo, and Sheng Xuanhuai's patron is Li Hongzhang, a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty. Li Hongzhang and Zuo are political enemies, and they are incompatible. As a result, the officialdom struggle between Li Hongzhang and Zuo spread to Sheng Xuanhuai and Hu Xueyan. In business, Hu Xueyan and Sheng Xuanhuai are first-class masters, while in tactics, Sheng Xuanhuai is even better.
1882 (eighth year of Guangxu), Hu Xueyan opened a silk factory in Shanghai. He spent a lot of money to prepare for a big fight, and then borrowed a lot of foreign debts in his own name. Sheng Xuanhuai seized this opportunity and broke Hu Xueyan's capital chain by means, which made him fall short and led to bankruptcy. Hu Xueyan, who owed a huge foreign debt, was seized by the Qing court, and the red-topped businessman who had enjoyed the scenery for a while finally died in poverty and hatred.
Extended data:
Hu Xueyan, formerly known as Hu, an Anhui native, was a representative of Huizhou merchants. 1836, Hu Xueyan, who was only 13 years old, wandered outside, worked as a waiter and an apprentice, and finally stayed in a bank as a formal apprentice. Later, the shopkeeper of the bank died, and because there were no descendants, he gave the bank to Hu Xueyan, which can be said to be the first bucket of gold in Hu Xueyan.
At the age of 26, Hu Xueyan met the first nobleman in his life-Wang Youling, the governor of Wang Youling, and Hu Xueyan had Wang Youling as his patron. Soon his business broke out and he soon became a famous businessman in the Qing Dynasty. During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, Wang Youling committed suicide and Hangzhou was captured. Soon, Zuo came to Hangzhou and recovered Hangzhou. Hu Xueyan knew that Zuo was going to recover Hangzhou, and began to provide information about recovering Hangzhou to the left. Since then, Hu Xueyan has been standing on the left side, and his business has become more and more prosperous, and his official position has become bigger and bigger.
Hu Xueyan and Zuo have a good relationship. When Zuo regained Xinjiang, Hu Xueyan helped him a lot. Since Li Hongzhang opposed sending troops to Xinjiang and Zuo firmly supported the recovery of Xinjiang, Cixi finally agreed to the decision to recover Xinjiang. However, due to the lack of adequate military expenditure, this problem has always been a headache for the left. At this time, Hu Xueyan stood out, and Hu Xueyan paid the military expenses of the Western Expedition Army. But Hu Xueyan never imagined that this move would hurt himself. Li Hongzhang and Zuo are opposites, and Hu Xueyan is undoubtedly the opposite of Li Hongzhang.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Hu Xueyan