谭延是20世纪初期中国政坛上一位集士子、政客、官僚于一身的风云人物，在万马纷争的政治格斗之中，他能左右逢源，一路混官，从清末立宪人物至湖南都督，乃至国民政府主席、行政院长，如滚雪球，越滚越大。他自称处世有“混”“滚”妙诀，胡汉民称赞他有“八面玲珑”的作风， Tan Yan was one of the most influential figures in the political arena in China in the early twentieth century. He was a man of various gentries, politicians and bureaucrats. He was able to go all the way and stay with both sides. From constitutional figures in the late Qing dynasty to captains of Hunan, And even the KMT chairman, chief executive, such as snowball, getting bigger and bigger. He claims to have “mixed” and “rolling” tactics in his life. Hu Hanmin praised him for his “smooth and elegant” style,