Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Tears Farewell

On the sixth day of October in the sixth year of Guangxu (AD 1880), Liu Jintang traveled day and night to Hami.Zuo Zongtang was sleeping on the couch at this time. Liu Jintang came to the gate, got off his horse, and signaled the guards guarding the gate not to go in to report, but to walk in quickly alone.He wanted to give Zuo Zongtang an unexpected surprise. Liu Jintang pushed open the door of the bedroom, and saw Zuo Zongtang, with white beard and hair, haggard and high on the couch, snoring.Immediately, the image of his uncle Liu Songshan flashed in Liu Jintang's mind, not only his heart tightened, but tears came from his eyes.He knelt down in front of the couch, gently grasped Zuo Zongtang's hand, and said in a choked voice: "Uncle Shi, Wansheng saw you coming! You are so old and sick, why are you still leaving the customs! You should always Cherish it for the country!"

Zuo Zongtang trembled all over, quickly opened his eyes to watch, and said involuntarily, "But Yi Zhai? Is it Yi Zhai?" Liu Jintang held Zuo Zongtang's hand tightly, nodded with tears in his eyes and replied: "Uncle Shi, since the late birth, I have met you in my dream every day since I left the customs. I miss you very much!" Zuo Zongtang was trembling, and while struggling to get up, he said with a smile: "Don't cry, Guizi, if I don't take Yili back, I won't go to see the King of Hades!" Zuo Zongtang spoke relaxed words, but two lines of hot tears flowed from his eyes.

Liu Jintang hurriedly got up to help Zuo Zongtang, and took advantage of the opportunity to sit on a wooden chair in front of the couch, and said, "Uncle Shi, how can you kill a chicken with a bull's knife? Vsky? Are you not afraid of frightening the Russians when you move to Hami all the time?" Zuo Zongtang wiped his tears and said with a smile: "You son of a bitch can talk. This time, the old man came out of customs just to scare the Russian bear! Li Shaoquan is recognized as the prime minister for negotiating peace, and this old man wants to fight for a lifetime Veteran! A weak country has no diplomacy. The weaker you are, the more you have to dare to fight, so that foreigners can’t look down on you. Only in this way can you gain the upper hand in diplomacy. Russia ordered the remnants of Burke Houri to commit repeated crimes On the other side, not only are there more people than before, but they also have excellent guns! Why is Russia willing to put so much effort into them? In fact, they just want to try the real combat capabilities of our Western Expeditionary Army! After the old man notified him, he went out in person and gave him a storm to wipe out everything! Otherwise, do you think that the Russian black bear would easily agree to hold negotiations again? How difficult it is!"

Liu Jintang got up and stood at the head of the bed, caressingly combed Zuo Zongtang's somewhat messy hair, and said in a low voice: "Uncle Shi, why don't you say a few words, the court is still waiting for you to come to Beijing to ask advice!" Zuo Zongtang laughed and said: "You son of a bitch, you don't let the old man talk too much, you are afraid that the old man will be tired! But when the old man sees you, he is happy, and when he is happy, he wants to talk. Yizhai, are you really Fighting for the old man! You are really fighting for my Qing! If you hadn’t fought well, how could Russia agree to sit down with Zeng Jiegang to negotiate again? They dare not provoke easily, mainly because they are afraid of you! Since customs clearance, our country I have gone through countless wars with Western countries, but the one that makes me most proud is the battle to regain Xinjiang! Come on, give me a hand, we two will have a bite to eat, and then sit outside to talk The old man has a lot to say to you!"

Liu Jintang said: "Uncle Shi, you should just lie down and rest. Wouldn't it be better for Wansheng to have the food placed in front of your old bed and wait for you?" Zuo Zongtang stood up and said, "When I saw you, the son of a bitch, the old man recovered from his illness. The old man is only sixty-eight years old this year, and he has not yet reached the age of Lian Po. Let's go, help the old man Eat!" After the meal, Zuo Zongtang's condition was greatly reduced, as if he had returned to the days when he was free from illness and illness. In the signing room of the imperial envoy, Zuo Zongtang said to Liu Jintang: "Yizhai, the marching arrangement has been properly arranged. If Russia is willing to return Ili, it will be fine. If the negotiation fails, we will not only recover Ili by force, but also the land occupied by Kangxi. , and take it back together! You will only lead the imperial envoy to customs in the morning. The old man will take care of the matter of entering the customs while he is still in good spirits. Everything here will be entrusted to you. Yizhai , before the trip to Suzhou, the old man sent another discount to the imperial court. The old man thought that after the establishment of a province in Xinjiang, it would not be enough to have a governor. It should also imitate the Sichuan system and add a governor, so as to completely break away from the Shaanxi-Gansu Governor-General’s Yamen. To achieve both military and civilian governance. Judging from the intention of the court, after Yili is coming back, Xinjiang will set up a province. The old man has already made a plan. The post of the governor, the old man will recommend you to take up the post. Yizhai, do you think that the post of governor Who should be recommended?"

Liu Jintang replied while thinking: "Uncle Shi, do you always think that after Xinjiang is reorganized into a province, is it appropriate to add a governor? Xinjiang has a large area, but the population is too small, and it cannot prosper without a large number of immigrants from the provinces in the pass. After the province, we can’t just rely on borrowing foreign money and the salaries of the provinces to live like we are doing now! We must find a way to be self-sufficient!” Zuo Zongtang said decisively: "Yizhai's theory is certainly good, but Xinjiang is different from Guannei. Xinjiang is the border of our Qing Dynasty, and it is the west gate of our Qing Dynasty. Only when the soldiers and the people rule together can we be safe. No matter what others say Said, the old man insists that Xinjiang cannot be stable unless there is another governor. Yizhai, after the old man enters the customs, you should think about the candidate for the governor. Jin Shun is definitely not good, and Xu Zhanbiao is not literate. Zhang Langzhai is quite suitable, but the court treats him otherwise. There is an appointment. Wei Guangtao is now the procurator of Gansu. If Yang Shiquan is promoted to the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, Wei Guangtao will naturally be promoted to the governor. After thinking about it, I really can’t do it. The governor of Xinjiang has to recommend him.”

After hearing Zuo Zongtang's words, Liu Jintang was speechless.The next day, Liu Jintang officially led the imperial envoy Guan Fang. In the few days after the printing, Zuo Zongtang and Liu Jintang talked about the Aksu Manufacturing Bureau and the Kuqa Gunpowder Bureau, and the two made a more detailed plan for the Xinjiang Iron Works, which was attracting investment.After everything was in place, Zuo Zongtang led the fifth battalion of his own soldiers with confidence, carried his coffin, and left Hami to enter the pass with his stick. Liu Jintang led two battalions of personal soldiers, escorting them from station to station.

Escorted to the third station, got up early and was about to leave. Before boarding the car, Zuo Zongtang suddenly held Liu Jintang's hand, and said with tears: "Yizhai, there is an old saying: 'Send you a thousand miles, and there will be a farewell.' You can't send him away again." Alright, let's break up between the two of us." Liu Jintang saw Zuo Zongtang's white hair fluttering in the wind, and his face was sickly. Thinking of this farewell, each side of the world, it is very likely that they will never see each other again, his nose was sore, and tears fell like rain.

Liu Jintang choked up and said, "Uncle Shi, when you get old in the capital, you have to take care of your health. Wansheng will go to Beijing to see you after taking care of the affairs in Xinjiang. As long as you promise Wansheng one thing, Wansheng will not stop. deliver." Zuo Zongtang said with trembling hands, "Yi Zhai, don't cry. The wind outside the customs is hard, don't hurt your eyes, just say what you want." Liu Jintang wiped away his tears and said, "Wansheng begs Uncle Shi to take good care of his health, and let him go to Beijing after his birthday, so that he can tell you his heartfelt heart again. You must promise Wansheng, and you can't let Wansheng go to Beijing after his birthday. moon."

Zuo Zongtang looked back at the mountains, trees, farmland and rivers behind him. He was silent for a while, and said slowly: "Ili is still in Russian hands, Xinjiang has not yet been fully recovered, and the frontier is not stable. I will definitely not go to see the King of Hades at this time! Zhai, let’s break up here. The future of Yili is unpredictable, and Xinjiang is waiting to be rebuilt, but it’s up to you! You should also take care.” After Zuo Zongtang finished speaking, he motioned to the guards around him to help him into the car.Watching the car drive away, Liu Jintang suddenly fell to his knees; all the soldiers behind him were stunned, and then they all knelt down.

Liu Jintang kowtowed as he rushed to the car, and said loudly: "Uncle Shi, no matter what the future of Yili is, you can never break the contract! Wansheng will come to Beijing to see you after finishing the business here. You must wait for Wansheng what!" When Liu Jintang said this, he didn't know that Zuo Zongtang, who was sitting in the car, was looking at him affectionately from the gap in the car curtain. With tears in his eyes, Zuo Zongtang murmured: "Yi Zhai, this old man is not a person who breaks the contract, and this old man can't bear to part with you either! But the old man's time is coming, we say goodbye, I'm afraid there will be no time to see you again!" On the day Zuo Zongtang arrived in Suzhou, he suddenly received a telegram sent by Zeng Jize, the envoy to Russia, from St. Petersburg, the capital of Russia.Zeng Jize revealed to Zuo Zongtang in the telegram: After several discussions, Zeng Jize insisted on abandoning Chonghou's original contract and re-contracting the contract, while the Russian side insisted on following the Chonghou's treaty. The two sides have been at loggerheads for many days. Zeng Jize concluded by saying: Russia has unilaterally suspended negotiations for several days, and it is unknown when a new round of talks will be held and what the prospects for negotiations will be.Zuo Zongtang judged from the telegram that Zeng Jize's negotiations in Russia were extremely difficult and might break down at any time. Zuo Zongtang first wrote a letter to Prince Gong, saying: "I see that it is difficult to be sure about Jie Gang's trip. If the border officials can uphold the integrity, the envoys may still have a basis to say a few more tough words; , it is unavoidable, and then there will be a lot of discussion, and it will be annoying, especially worthless." Zuo Zongtang also said: "My humble opinion is that self-improvement is the most urgent thing in the main battle. Even if the main battle is peaceful, you should not show weakness to take insult. For example, in Go, there is no winner in a losing game. If you have fear in your heart, you will be indecisive and invincible. .” Zuo Zongtang then wrote an official letter to the Prime Minister's Yamen, saying: "Jie just called, and it seems that the peace agreement will not come to fruition... Looking at the situation, it is really a decisive battle. After all, war of words is a whip method. The peace talks are mixed in, and the reflex is more sure." Zuo Zongtang insisted that putting aside negotiations and recovering Yili by force alone, although it is a whip method, the more sure it feels. Zuo Zongtang finally wrote to Liu Jintang, saying: "Gather together for a few days, bid farewell to the journey, think about the deep friendship and deep affection, and feel boundless. The current situation is so difficult, and only thinking about working hard to serve the country will have a day of rest. Dare not to be reluctant. The subordinates are the wonders of the world, and the Chinese and foreign leaders have been leading for a long time, but when they first take on a huge task, they often feel that they are not self-sufficient. In the future, they will make great achievements, and there must be those who are beyond the reach of the predecessors. I hope that I will be more diligent in cultivating orders and virtues, so that I can hope to open up the eternity. The Russian affair must be a decisive battle. After days of overall planning, no matter what the outcome is, it is necessary to take back the area occupied by the Kangxi Dynasty. The Sino-Russian quarrel really started from this .” Zuo Zongtang's letter was actually to tell Liu Jintang: "The Russian affair must be a decisive battle." He asserted: "The quarrel between China and Russia actually started from this." Zuo Zongtang asked Liu Jintang to put aside the fantasy of successful negotiations and make full preparations for the recovery of Ili by force.Not long after the three letters were sent out one by one, Yang Changjun, the governor of Gansu Province, sent his staff to Suzhou to welcome Zuo Zongtang to Lanzhou for discussion. Zuo Zongtang then decided to leave Suzhou and rush to Lanzhou. After Liu Jintang received Zuo Zongtang's letter, he was naturally gearing up, and decided to live up to the high expectations of Zuo Zongtang and the court, and fight the battle to regain Yili. In order to show the determination of the Qing Dynasty to recover Ili, Liu Jintang ordered people from all walks of life in northern Xinjiang to move closer to Ili, and at the same time led the pro-military camp to Jinshun Camp with great fanfare. After a short rest, Liu Jintang, accompanied by Jinshun, led various generals to survey the terrain and dangerous mountains and rivers around Ili on horseback. Kolpakovsky, who was standing in the watchtower of Ili City, saw the thick smoke billowing around Ili for several days, and couldn't help feeling flustered, especially when he learned that Liu Jintang had come to northern Xinjiang and was inspecting the surrounding terrain of Ili At that time, he was trembling all over, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. On the one hand, he sent people to send letters to the country on fast horses, and on the other hand, he sent orders for emergency preparations; he himself was thinking over and over again about various convenient routes for escape.At this time, Kaufman was participating in the negotiations with the Qing Dynasty in China. As soon as he received Kolpakovsky's letter, he immediately forwarded it to Tsar Alexander II. After the tsar read the letter, Kaufman said to the tsar worriedly: "Your Majesty, I secretly think that if we stop the negotiation, China will definitely use force to recover Ili. If that happens, we will not only lose Ili, but may even The land obtained in Xinjiang will also be lost. According to Kolpakovsky, when Zuo Zongtang left Xinjiang, he repeatedly explained to Liu Jintang, the new imperial envoy, that if the negotiations broke down, China would not only take back Ili by force, but even their previous The lost land must also be recovered. Zuo Zongtang, a militant, is the nemesis of our Great Russian Empire!" When the Tsar heard this, he jumped up and shouted, "Isn't Zuo Zongtang warlike? Let's fight him!" Seeing that the Tsar lost his mind, Kaufman hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, it is not worthwhile to launch a war with no hope of victory! Your Majesty must think twice!" The Tsar sat down and said with great reluctance: "Zeng Jize is not easy to deal with!" Kaufman said without losing the opportunity: "Your Majesty, I secretly think that compared with a war with no chance of winning, the benefits we will gain in the negotiation will be relatively greater." Alexander II closed his eyes in pain. On the way to Lanzhou, Zuo Zongtang received an imperial decree: Zhang Yao was ordered to act as an assistant in military affairs; Zeng Guoquan was actually appointed as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu.When Zuo Zongtang returned to Lanzhou, Yang Changjun led officials of all sizes from Lanzhou out of Guosanli to meet him. After seeing the ceremony, Yang Changjun took Zuo Zongtang's hands that were trembling with excitement, and recited a song he wrote himself in a low voice: "The general has not yet returned the money, and the children of Huxiang are all over the Tianshan Mountains. Three thousand willows are newly planted." Here, it attracts the spring breeze to pass through Yuguan." After Yang Changjun chanted the last word, Zuo Zongtang burst into tears and couldn't make a sound. It took a long time for Zuo Zongtang's mood to stabilize. He patted Yang Changjun's hand and said, "Shi Quan, your poem is good, but it's not very appropriate. 'The general has not yet returned', so you shouldn't say it now. Now it should be changed to 'The General's edge has been returned'." Yang Changjun said with a tearful smile: "Ji Gao, when I wrote this poem, the eight cities in southern Xinjiang had just been recovered, and you were still in Suzhou, and there was no return date yet." After Yang Changjun finished speaking, he helped Zuo Zongtang into the sedan chair again. . After arriving in Lanzhou, Zuo Zongtang handed over the affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu to Yang Changjun, and then arranged for the matter of going to Beijing.In the meantime, I received a letter from the Fujian Shipping Bureau to promote Wu Dating.Wu Dating mainly asked for poems from Zuo Zongtang. Wu Dating, styled Tongyun, was from Yuanling, Hunan, and he and Zuo Zongtang were old acquaintances.An old acquaintance sent a letter asking for a poem, but Zuo Zongtang could not refuse, so he composed two quatrains.The first poem said: "Beside the mighty wind and dust envoys, the enemy's nest looks back at a loss. Once every five years, I have a cool dream, and the tea is half-scented and the first sea is the sky." Body. Let’s kick the Kunlun order to fall to the west, and then practice poetry and wine in the old Xiangbin.” In the meantime, knowing that Zuo Zongtang was about to leave Gansu, Gu Chao, a calligrapher and painter from Gansu Province, wrote a picture of "Endless Autumn Mountains", and asked Zuo Zongtang to write a poem to commemorate it.Taking advantage of his illness, Zuo Zongtang wrote a poem: "How heavy is the autumn mountain road after walking? The old mountain looks back with white clouds. Ah Chao knows that I am anxious to return, so I want to paint thousands of peaks in the south of the Yangtze River." Meanwhile, Gansu Weaving Bureau, the first mechanized wool spinning factory since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, officially started production in Lanzhou.After hearing the news, Zuo Zongtang attended the groundbreaking ceremony while sick and wrote a plaque.