Chapter 15 Section 15 Best Chance

At this time, Zuo Zongtang had already been granted the title of governor of Zhejiang due to his meritorious service, and he became one of the few great officials in the Qing Dynasty; Jinling didn't go to Zhejiang to take office, but he was always a dignified third-rank official.At this time, Li Hongzhang was still a Taoist with the rank of inspector of the third rank. One day after dinner, Li Hongzhang was reading a book in the study in Daying outside the city. Zhang Shusheng hurried in and said, "Master Li, I just saw that Master Qian Dingming left Anqing by boat. I felt that something was wrong, so I was busy People went to the boat to inquire. I heard from the people on the boat that Mr. Qian returned to Shanghai on business at the order of Mr. Zeng.”

Li Hongzhang was stunned for a moment, and said after a long time: "I understand, you can go down and rest." Zhang Shusheng walked out.Li Hongzhang ordered someone to prepare a sedan chair, and he was going to the city to pay his respects to his teacher.Before leaving, Li Hongzhang took out the whole map of Jiangsu Province that had been captured by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and put it in his arms. As soon as he entered the signing room, Li Hongzhang saw Zeng Guofan lying on a picture with a lamp in his hand and looking at it.Li Hongzhang took a peek and saw that it was Jiang Ning's map.

After greetings, Zeng Guofan pulled Li Hongzhang to the Jiangning sub-map and said, "Yuanfu's encirclement of Jiangning is extremely difficult, and Shanghai is in an emergency. It is the end of the battle, how long will it take to conquer Jiangning?" Li Hongzhang looked at the map and said: "If you return to your mentor, according to the students, the victory over Jiangning lies in the favorable location rather than the large number of soldiers." As Li Hongzhang said, he took out the complete map of Jiangsu from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom from his pocket and put it on the table. He said, "Teacher, please take a look. This is the complete map of Jiangsu that my disciples just intercepted outside the city. After reading it, the disciples knew it was important and did not dare to delay. So it was delivered overnight."

Zeng Guofan put the two pictures together, looked at them and compared them, then suddenly raised his head and said: "Shaoquan, what you said just now is right. The victory over Jiangning lies in the favorable location, not the large number of soldiers. I have seen this picture a long time ago, and it has been a long time since we defeated Jiangning! Shaoquan, you have made great contributions to the Hunan Army! Come! Let's sit down, and I will tell you a secret." Li Hongzhang helped Zeng Guofan to sit down, and sat down on the empty chair next to him.Zeng Guofan caressed his beard and said: "Before you come, I have made a plan. I am going to transfer Zuo Jigao to support Shanghai, and I want you to assist Jiangning."

Li Hongzhang's heart skipped a beat, and Zeng Guofan continued: "Shanghai is in danger, and heavy troops can't solve the problem. Zuo Jigao supported more than 10,000 troops, and he was newly appointed governor of Zhejiang. Although the transfer of Zhejiang to help Shanghai is not justified, but it is also a last resort." .And you have few soldiers, and you can't resist in Shanghai, but if you help Jiangning, you will be more than enough." Li Hongzhang had no choice but to say: "What the teacher said is very true." But he thought sadly in his heart: "If I knew this before, why should I come to Anqing in such a hurry?"

Zeng Guofan picked up the whole picture of Jiangsu drawn by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and said slowly: "I saw this picture, and suddenly changed my mind. I thought that as long as Yuanfu saw this picture, he could conquer Jiangning even without the help of soldiers. I decided Transfer you to Shanghai." Li Hongzhang asked carefully: "Student would like to ask, does the mentor want the disciple to go to Shanghai with Zuo Shuai?" Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "Zuo Jigao has always been empty-eyed, can you Li Shaoquan bear his temper? If I really let you, a Tai Shigong who came from the second list, go with him, I'm afraid Zuo Jigao might not agree. Shaoquan, There is an old saying in our country, which is to compare your heart with your heart.

"Now that you have given Jiangning to Yuanfu, I decided to give you Shanghai as a reward. You only have the fifth battalion in Huaiyong, which is smaller. I decided to give you another eighth battalion, and I will treat it as your natal home when your daughter gets married. The dowry to accompany it. Shanghai is a rich place with great potential, you should seize the opportunity well. "Long Mao's defeat is set, and it will be a matter of time before they are all killed. Xue Huan is a notoriously treacherous villain. When you arrive in Shanghai, you must be careful when working with him. If there is anything wrong, you can send a special letter to me. I will send someone tomorrow to inform Xue Huan of the news of your assistance to Shanghai, and we will not be able to decide until Xue Huan's letter arrives when we leave."

Li Hongzhang fell to his knees and kowtowed again and again, tears streaming down his face. Li Hezhang, who returned to Daying, saw his second elder brother's face full of joy, and couldn't help asking: "Brother, did something good happen to us?" Li Hongzhang suppressed the joy in his heart, and said in a low voice: "Master decided temporarily, let us go to help Shanghai." Hearing this, Li Hezhang was also quite surprised: "Brother, I heard that Master Zhi is planning to send Zuo Futai to help Shanghai?" Li Hongzhang took a sip of tea and said quietly: "Brother gave the whole map of Jiangsu drawn by Changmao to his teacher. Ji Quan, you take what you said to your heart: the world is bustling, everyone is Lier, I am not good for others, Who is willing to help me? This is a magic weapon that people of fame and fame must keep in mind!"

The next day, Li Hongzhang continued to drill his five battalions.He knew that rescuing Shanghai was his best chance to become an independent army. Zeng Guofan flew to call on Xue Huan, and at the same time began to transfer troops from various armies to supplement Huai Yong. The eight battalions of Xiangyong came to Anqing from all directions one after another. At the end of the year, Zaichun's biological mother, Empress Dowager Cixi, instigated the Empress Dowager Ci'an of the East Palace to contact Prince Gong Yixin, who was in charge of the capital, and launched a palace coup that shocked the world, known as the Qixiang coup in history.

The Eight Ministers of Zanxiang, who were ordered by Emperor Xianfeng, were arrested and interrogated overnight. Yishi was appointed as the king of the government, and the empress dowagers of the two palaces were appointed to listen to the government behind a curtain. At this time, Shanghai was already in danger, and it would be too late to march there by land, and the Yangtze River waterway was under the control of the Taiping Army. How could Li Hongzhang's Huai army reach Shanghai quickly? In the middle of March in the first year of Tongzhi (AD 1862), seven foreign ships berthed slowly at Anqing Wharf, belching smoke and honking their horns.While the soldiers were in amazement, Qian Dingming happily stepped off the boat.It turned out that after discussing with the British consuls and officials stationed in Shanghai, the officials and gentry in Shanghai decided to hire foreign steamers to transport the Huai army from Anqing to Shanghai.

This not only surprised Li Hongzhang, but also Zeng Guofan himself. Qian Dingming rushed into the city to meet with Zeng Guofan to discuss the specific time for the departure of the reinforcements.After seeing Qian Dingming, Zeng Guofan called Li Hongzhang into the signing room that night. After saluting, Zeng Guofan asked Li Hongzhang to sit down, and asked someone to make a new pot of tea and put it on the table. Then he said slowly, "Shaoquan, it seems that Shanghai is very urgent. When do you plan to leave?" Li Hongzhang replied: "The students are ready to stop, just wait for the teacher's order!" Zeng Guofan smiled and said, "I checked the calendar for you. April 5th is an auspicious day for traveling. I predict that this day will be sunny and sunny, so let's make it on this day. However, I still have a few days left." I want to ask you a few words. Shanghai is different from here, and also different from Huguang. The governor’s office of Jiangsu is crowded in Shanghai. Besides Xue Huan, there are also foreign merchants and foreign gun teams. What do you want to do after you arrive in Shanghai?" Li Hongzhang thought for a while and replied: "Men, my disciples boldly think that the disciples' rush to Shanghai this time is just to help the suppression, it is a guest army. Whether it is the governor's office or the foreign gun team, if they want to make things difficult for the disciples, the disciples only give They just ignore it, what can they do to the student? Teacher, do you always think that the student can do this?" Zeng Guofan smiled wryly and replied: "I haven't dealt with foreigners for a short time, so I don't know if what you just said will work. "But I think that after you arrive in Shanghai, no matter what kind of power you have, you should make good use of it. I know you are powerful, and I have already transferred Liu Bingzhang, editor of the Imperial Academy, to help you with military affairs. What I hope is your cooperation Xue Huan and the foreign gun team, as soon as possible, recover Susui, Song and other lost counties, and play your prestige, Li Shaoquan. Only in this way, I can speak up. In fact, Xue Huan is not a concern, but foreigners are worth your time. Foreigners have always Uncertainty of mind, often incongruity. Use it well, it is a sharp weapon; use it badly, it will be his harm. Regarding this point, you must not be sloppy." Li Hongzhang hurriedly replied: "My teacher's words, the disciples have already remembered them in their hearts." Zeng Guofan got up and opened the bamboo box beside him, took out an oiled paper bag from it, and carefully opened the paper bag, but it turned out to be the book "Jiangyuan" written by Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty. Zeng Guofan pointed to the book and said: "Shaoquan, this Song version of "Jiangyuan" was obtained in Nanyang when I tried Sichuan, and I have kept it until now. You are going to Shanghai now. What a good thing to give, I can only use it to make up for it." Li Hongzhang hurriedly left his seat, held up the book in both hands and said: "The teacher gave the beloved things to the students, which shows the teacher's care for the students. The students still have a request, and I hope the teacher will agree!" Zeng Guofan was taken aback, and asked with a smile, "Shaoquan, what else is there?" Li Hongzhang said: "My teacher is very generous. My disciple has followed my teacher for a long time, and loves him like a father and son. Now, my teacher sends my student to help Shanghai. The student dare not refuse to follow. I beg the teacher to send me another few words. The student is far away from the teacher. When you are a teacher, you can also take it out and talk about it for masturbation! Please allow me, teacher." Zeng Guofan laughed, pondered for a while, and then wrote the four characters "Impermanence of the Great Dao" on a piece of eight-line paper. On the day of departure, the sky over Anqing suddenly became gloomy. It had been sunny for many days, but it turned out to be foggy this morning.Zeng Guofan has read a lot of poetry and books, and he claims to know astronomy from above and geography from below, but when the sky fails to meet people's wishes, he slaps his own mouth, and feels a little unhappy in his heart. He wants to change the date, but is afraid of being ridiculed.In desperation, Zeng Guofan had no choice but to cheer up, put on a smile, and came to the pier in a sedan chair wearing an official uniform to see Li Hongzhang and his party off. Zeng Guofan invited Li Hongzhang and the battalion officers to sit down in a teahouse in Linjiang, cleared his throat, and said: "Everyone knows, Mr. Qian went to Anqing twice, Shanghai is at stake, and now it's finally time for the expedition. One day. The whole area of ​​Shanghai is entrusted to you. What I want to tell you here is that the Hunan and Huai families are all fighting to wipe out Changmao. When you arrive in Shanghai, you must fight the enemy bravely and give the green camp and Foreigners, set an example! Our hall is always waiting to ask for credit for you.” After Zeng Guofan finished speaking, he ordered his attendants to toast three bowls of wine to each of the battalion officers present, and then he took the lead and walked down the teahouse.The first time Huai Yong quickly boarded the ship. Zeng Guofan stood facing the river, and standing beside him was Li Hongzhang, who was wearing a three-rank top hat. Zeng Guofan suddenly whispered to Li Hongzhang: "Shaoquan, there is one thing I forgot to tell you. I heard from Qian Dingming that when Feng Rikun, the deputy general of Jiangsu Fubiao Camp, was guarding Songjiang Mansion, he deliberately sent troops to plunder the people's property, and even practiced with Tuan Liu. There was an armed fight in Xunjiao, and the local people suffered greatly from it. When you arrive in Shanghai, check for me whether what Qian Dingming said is true." Li Hongzhang asked in a low voice: "Men, have you always asked Xue Zhongcheng what he said?" Zeng Guofan whispered: "Xue Zhongcheng and Feng Rikun are relatives, what else can I say besides protecting him?" Li Hongzhang nodded.Zeng Guofan instructed in a low voice: "When you arrive in Shanghai, you must be careful. Xue Huan relies on the influence of foreigners, and is very tough in the top. Even Prince Gong defends him. You'd better handle Feng Rikun yourself!" Li Hongzhang nodded slightly. Early the next morning, Li Hongzhang took his entourage and led the second group of people to board the ship and leave Anqing, and sailed to Shanghai with great ambition.At this time, Li Hongzhang was about to enter his forties.