Chapter 44 3. In the deserted village of Haiyu, Zhang Zhidong respectfully invites Feng Zicai to come out of the mountain

In the early morning of the next day, Zhang Zhidong, Sang Zhiping, County Magistrate Liu, Zhang Biao and two servants from the county government office, a total of six people formed a moderate procession and walked towards Lizhiwan. The weather was cool in the morning, and the dewy morning breeze blew his face moist and cool. Looking at the surrounding green mountains and green waters, green leaves and yellow ears, Zhang Zhidong felt very comfortable, and kept asking County Magistrate Liu about the customs and customs of Qinzhou.County magistrate Liu made full preparations last night to show a good image in front of the governor, so he was in good condition after walking ten miles.Right now it is the end of July, and if you are in Shanxi, the weather is obviously cooler in autumn.However, the weather in Guangdong is hot and the rainfall is abundant, so it is still midsummer.After nine o'clock, the sun was uncomfortably hot.Zhang Zhidong also gradually felt tired. Looking at the fields beside him, they were far worse than those in the suburbs, and looked a bit barren and desolate. His mood was affected and he felt even more tired.Looking back at County Magistrate Liu, he also began to sweat, panting heavily, and staggered.He patted County Magistrate Liu on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother, take a break, you are too fat, and you have a heavy burden. If you travel a long distance, you will be exposed to thin people."

Saying "brother", magistrate Liu's eyes widened.He never expected that the Taiwan producer would be so easy-going and easy-going!He smiled bitterly with a bit of shame: "To tell you the truth, my lord is indeed tired. But my lord doesn't talk about hard work, how dare I say I'm tired, and I can't walk well. It's all because of this stupid body. Make up your mind to starve it thin!" Zhang Zhidong laughed and said: "Brother is lucky, I can't get fat even if I want to. I have been like this for decades, and I don't gain weight by eating anything!"

Everyone followed the Governor and laughed happily. After a short rest, County Magistrate Liu endured the pain of falling apart and followed Zhang Zhidong and the others step by step.Finally, the servant told him that Lizhiwan had arrived, and he hurriedly told Zhang Zhidong the good news. Zhang Zhidong looked at Lizhi Bay in front of him, there were continuous hills on the left and right, and a vast ocean in front of him.Under the sunshine, the blue waves are rippling, and the white gulls are undulating, obviously it is the South China Sea.There are large and small paddy fields nearby, and large black stones can be seen everywhere in the fields.The rice leaves are green and yellow, and most of the grain ears are drooping, but the seedlings are sparse, and the grain ears are not long. It doesn't look like a bumper harvest.There is a small valley on the left, and houses and villages can be vaguely seen in the valley.A servant of the Qinzhou County Yamen said to the crowd, "Old General Feng lives in that valley."

"Then let's go over there!" After Zhang Zhidong finished speaking, he took a step first, and everyone followed. A few men were working in the field, and they raised their heads to look at the strange guests in this line with rather surprised eyes. When he was about to reach the mouth of the small valley, he saw a man leading a big buffalo up the field in a nearby small field.The man was wearing a bamboo hat, a white sleeveless short jacket, and a pair of half-length black cloth pants that reached the knees. His bare feet were covered with muddy water. boy. The servant stepped forward and pointed to the valley and asked, "Is Feng's residence here?"

The man turned around and took off his bamboo hat, only then did everyone realize that it was not a child, but an old man.The old man had gray hair, but no beard.While smoothing his hair with his hands, he asked, "What are you doing in Feng's residence?" As the old man spoke, he tugged on the rope, and the big buffalo followed behind with four heavy hooves. "Let's go to Feng Mansion to find Old General Feng." The old man walked slowly ahead leading the buffalo, and asked again: "What can I do with Old General Feng?" The servant suddenly became proud, and said with a bit of pride: "Master Zhang came to Qinzhou from Guangzhou. Master Sang from the supervisory office and our county magistrate Master Liu accompanied him to meet Old General Feng."

"Master Tai Zhang?" The old man stopped suddenly, stared at the servant's face and asked, "You mean he came to see Old General Feng with Mr. Liu?" "Yes!" The servant puffed out his chest. The old man quickly sized everyone up and asked, "Where is he?" Zhang Zhidong saw a very unusual look in this gaze, and suddenly an inspiration flashed: Could this person be Feng Zicai?He hurriedly took a step forward and walked to the old man's side: "Old man, I am Zhang Zhidong, and I came to Lizhiwan from Guangzhou to visit Old General Feng."

The old man didn't make a sound, and looked at Zhang Zhidong from head to toe. At the same time, Zhang Zhidong also took a serious look at the little old man in front of him: his face was not big, his complexion was dark and rosy, there were few wrinkles, and his eyebrows were not too big. Too thick, with a few particularly obvious longevity eyebrows growing on the tip of the eyebrows, the body is short but well-proportioned, and he is nearly seventy years old but full of energy. "Ah, you are Marshal Zhang, you are truly a rare visitor from afar." The old man showed a bright smile on his face. "This old man is Feng Zicai. Marshal Zhang has come so far to Lizhiwan, so I dare not be that old man."

"You are Old General Feng!" Zhang Zhidong was so excited that he subconsciously stretched out his hand to grab the rope in Feng Zicai's hand, "I'll lead the cow for you." "No, no!" Feng Zicai hastily gripped the rope in his hand tightly. Seeing this, County Magistrate Liu hurried up and said, "I am Liu Mianqin, the County Magistrate of Qinzhou, come here to lead the cow for Old General Feng!" "I can't do it, I can't do it." Feng Zicai hid his hand aside, at this moment, a well-dressed man in his thirties walked out from the mouth of the small valley.

Feng Zicai said happily: "My second son, Xianghua, is here, let him take care of you." After talking and asking, Feng Xianghua came to his father.Feng Zicai pointed to Zhang Zhidong and Liu Mianqin and said, "Come and pay homage to your lords." Then he said to his son, "Take the ox and go home quickly, get ready, and I'll come." Feng Xianghua bowed to Zhang and Liu respectively. Zhang Zhidong saw Feng Xianghua's strength and agility, and thought to himself: Sure enough, the tiger father has no dogs. Feng Zicai handed the rope to his son. Zhang Zhidong said sincerely to Feng Zicai: "The old general has made many great contributions to the country, but this year's work is already high, and he should enjoy the blessings at home, why bother to pull the oxen and help the plow himself, and do such hard work. "

Feng Zicai smiled heartily and said: "The children, grandchildren and fellow villagers also told me the same. It should be like this. The family is neither short of labor nor money. What do you want me, an old man, to do in the fields? Let me tell you the truth, Commander-in-Chief." , I am used to working all my life. In my early years, I was doing physical work. I have been in the army for 20 or 30 years. I was either fighting or practicing. I never had a day of leisure. I got used to it. Swelling. I went to the fields, saying that I was doing farm work, but in fact I was exercising my muscles and bones to make myself comfortable." After speaking, they laughed again, and everyone laughed happily with Feng Zicai.Sang Zhiping recalled that year when he visited Yan Jingming in Xiezhou, he had done a great career in the same way, he was in a high position in the same way, he also left power and retired to live in seclusion, but the way he spent his days was completely different.He immediately felt close to the cheerful and cheerful little old man in front of him.

"Marshal, you came to visit me from Guangzhou to the remote seaside of Lizhiwan, how can I afford it!" Feng Zicai's words were not superficially polite, but sincere emotion. Sixty-eight years ago, Feng Zicai was born in a half-farming, half-fishing family here.The family is poor, and he has never read a book since he was a child, but he is naturally smart and clever, he can learn anything, and he does it better than others.He is a good farmer in farming, and a capable fisherman in fishing.In his twenties, he joined the army and became a green battalion soldier.With bravery and wit, he rose step by step from the lowest military officer, and his position forced him to be illiterate.After learning how to read and read, he realized that there is a lot of wisdom in the book. Those insights gained through years of exploration, blood and sweat, have already been recorded in books by predecessors.Feng Zicai regretted studying too late, so he respected learned people very much. Three years ago, he resigned from his important position as admiral in Guizhou and returned to Lizhiwan to spend his old age in peace.On the surface, he doesn't care much about world affairs, but many years of being a senior military officer has formed the habit of caring about world affairs.He knew about the war in Vietnam, and also knew that the new governor of Guangdong and Guangxi was the well-known celebrity Zhang Zhidong.Feng Zicai respected Zhang Zhidong very much.One respects his background.In the Jinshi examination held every three years, Feng Zicai couldn't help admiring how many talents and talents there are in the eighteen provinces of the country.The second is to respect his clear reputation.For more than ten years, Zhang Zhidong's series of memorials have been famous all over the world. How can Feng Zicai, who is in an important position in the military, not know?He often read Zhang Zhidong's memorials published in the residence newspaper, and asked his copywriters and his children and grandchildren to read them carefully, and regarded them as model articles. Wouldn't he be grateful and excited that such a governor who had been in Weike's eyes and respected him for a long time came to visit him in this desolate and almost unknown seaside valley! "Should, should." Zhang Zhidong said happily, "You are a great hero. I have heard of your name and admired your achievements more than 20 years ago when I was a young student, but I didn't have the chance to visit you. You, coming to Guangdong and Guangxi this time is a good opportunity given to me by the imperial court, how can I give up!" "Marshal, you are serious." Feng Zicai grinned.Sang Zhiping watched from the side, thinking to himself: This man is nearly seventy years old, but he smiles like a child. He seems to be an old man with a bright mind and a restrained age. Liu Mianqin, who was born in the two rankings, also thought about it all the way: such a short, small, thin old man is actually a general who has made outstanding military achievements throughout his life, what a strange thing!The old man with the lotus hat in front of him and the imaginary admiral of the green camp couldn't match up, and couldn't fit together.He was even a little skeptical, is this an impostor? Feng Zicai led everyone to his door soon.Compared with the residences of wealthy merchants in Guangzhou, the Feng family's mansion is simple and simple, but in the mountains in the countryside, it is a veritable grand mansion.Passing through a three-story wooden and stone archway, it is considered to have officially entered Feng's residence.There are ten or twenty houses, large and small, high and low, all of which are houses where Feng Zicai, his children and grandchildren, and the family's male workers and female servants live.Under Feng Zicai's guidance, everyone stepped into a hall.The hall is spacious and bright, with all the mahogany furniture imitating the Ming Dynasty. In the center is a ceramic full-body statue of Guandi, with his son Guan Xing and the sword general Zhou Cang standing on both sides.Cigarettes linger in front of the three pottery statues, and the dishes are full of fresh fruits, adding a strong military atmosphere to the hall. As soon as he was seated, several servants came up to make tea and set out pastries. Feng Zicai bid farewell to everyone.After a while, the old general came out of the hall again, wearing a set of black and bright Xiangyun shirt, and a pair of Taixi black leather slippers, with a tall and straight waist and full of energy.The white hair on the head is in sharp contrast with the black clothes all over the body, which makes the old hero and martyr look more ambitious in his old age.Both Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping applauded secretly in their hearts, adding some confidence to the success of the trip. "Old general, your body is really good!" Zhang Zhidong blurted out praise. "Thanks to the commander-in-chief." Feng Zicai said energetically, "Although this old man is sixty-eight years old, he can still eat, sleep and drink. After a while, I will drink three hundred cups with the commander-in-chief. Fang Xiu!" Feng Zicai's military pride made everyone respect him. Zhang Zhidong smiled quickly and said, "I don't drink much, don't say three hundred drinks, I'm afraid that after five or six drinks, I'll pass out here in Lizhiwan and never go back." "Wow! If you are really drunk, you can stay with me for a few more days, and I will treat you to the grouper and big lobster that have just come out of the sea." After that, he laughed again, that air current seemed to have the power to shake the roof tiles. Zhang Zhidong took advantage of the situation and said, "Now is not the time to get drunk and eat seafood, old general. The situation in the country is very serious, and the French have already bullied us. A few days ago, the Mawei Shipyard was completely annihilated by the French bombardment." The old general must have heard about it." "I know." The smile on Feng Zicai's face disappeared immediately. "The Fujian Navy, which Zuo Xiang and Mr. Shen Wensu worked hard for decades, was destroyed in a short while. It is so sad and distressing." "The imperial court has publicly declared war on France for this reason, and all important ports along the coast and along the river must be on strict guard." "Guangdong's defense is in Guangzhou, Guangzhou's defense is in Huangpu, and Huangpu's defense is in Humen." Feng Zicai said in the tone of a military expert, "I wonder how the defense strength of Huangpu Port and Humen Haikou is?" Zhang Zhidong replied: "I went to Huangpu and Humen within a few days after I came to Guangzhou, and checked it out. Zhang Xuan is in Huangpu, and Peng Da Sima is in Humen, and the weapons and equipment are quite strong." Feng Zicai pondered for a moment and said: "The discipline of the Huai army is not very good, but they can work together in battle. The weapons and equipment are considered good in Guangdong. The discipline of the Hunan army is worse than that of the Huai army, but the equipment is not as good as that of the Huai army. Army, but with Peng Da Sima personally in charge, I can rest assured." Thinking of the catastrophe at the Mawei Shipyard and Peng Yulin’s words when he was in Humen, Zhang Zhidong said worriedly: “Our ship guns are not as good as others. If the French go crazy and try their best, Humen and Huangpu may not be able to hold on.” "Then let him in, let's close the door and beat the dog!" Feng Zicai rolled up the sleeves of Xiangyun shirt and waved his arms.Although the arm was thin, it was as hard and powerful as an iron rod. "The French are guests, and we are the masters. He broke into our house, can't we deal with it? He has ten people, and I will use a hundred or a thousand people to deal with it, block the Pearl River, and besiege him for three to five months. If we are hungry, we will starve them to death. When we Chinese fight against foreigners, we mainly lose in weapons, but in momentum. Before the battle is fought, we are frightened by his ship guns, and panic in our hearts. Can you win the battle? According to the Art of War, the commander of the three armies is angry, and if he is not discouraged, the army will not be defeated." Although these sonorous and forceful words were a bit like accusing Zhang Zhidong of being inferior to the ship guns he said just now, it made him a little unhappy. As for blocking the Pearl River, it was impossible in fact, but Zhang Zhidong, who was born in Qingliu, was still the same as Feng Zicai. Moved and excited by the momentum and bloodiness.Yes, weapons are not as good as others, but they are already coming to the door with murderous intent, so is it because of this that they bow their knees and raise their hands in surrender?When the weapons are not as good as they are, it is even more important to advocate momentum and bloodiness. Zhang Zhidong said emotionally: "The old general said it very well. If the French really break into the river in Guangdong, we will close the door and beat the dogs as you said. Ten or hundreds of them will beat them one by one. Bricks and stones will be thrown together." !" "That's right, that's right!" Feng Zicai smiled comfortably, revealing a mouthful of big, unbroken teeth. At this time, a servant came in and whispered a few words into Feng Zicai's ear. Feng Zicai got up and said, "The commander must be hungry after walking for a long time. Let's go to eat now. There is no one to entertain in a hurry. One of my old subordinates gave me two pairs of northeastern bear paws, and they are now being boiled on the fire. In the evening, the commander-in-chief and all of you are invited to taste the taste of the northeast black blind." Everyone was very happy when they heard this, especially County Magistrate Liu. In the past, he had only read about stewed bear paws in books as a rare and rare delicacy. Today, following Zhang Zhitai, he really reaped the blessings. Feng Zicai led everyone to the restaurant, where a large round table for ten people was already filled with various seafood delicacies.Cantonese people always pay attention to food, and everyone in the Feng family paid more attention to food. Although it was done in a hurry, Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping were greatly surprised by the quantity of dishes and the cooking skills.Feng Zicai kept giving Zhang Zhidong food and persuading him to drink. He ate a lot of meat and drank heavily, chatting and laughing happily, without restraint.For the first time, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, who has always dealt with scholars and scholars, felt a strong sense of boldness and roughness.I was also infected unconsciously, and my mood became excited. Zhang Zhidong has always held a prejudice against Wufu, thinking that they are vulgar and humble, but today he discovered that being with Wufu actually brings a lot of joy and excitement.Between eating, drinking, talking and laughing, life is full of the true fun of human nature, many unnecessary worries and worries will naturally leave you far away, what's wrong with that! After dinner, Feng Zicai accompanied Zhang Zhidong and others to visit his armory.There are also Western-made quick cannons and shell guns in the arsenal, but there are more swords, spears, swords and sticks. Eighteen kinds of ancient Chinese weapons are all available.After seeing the armory, Feng Zicai took them to see Xiwuping behind the house.This is a large soil flat with a radius of more than ten acres. There are many horse-holding posts and arrow stacks erected on the soil flat, and various stone locks and mortars are piled up. In the other corner, there are more than a dozen people practicing sticks.Feng Zicai pointed to the leading man and introduced: "That's my eldest son, Xiang Rong. He has hundreds of disciples, and now he is more arrogant than me." Following Feng Zicai's gestures, Zhang Zhidong saw a middle-aged man of short stature who was waving a stick as a demonstration, so he asked, "How many sons does the old general have?" "Only two." Feng Zicai replied with a smile, "There are quite a few grandsons, seven in total, big and small, and three granddaughters." "What a blessing!" Zhang Zhidong praised casually. "I also fed more than ten good horses." Feng Zicai said proudly, "Do you want to go and have a look?" Zhang Zhidong's heart moved, this old general is really not waiting for nothing, there are people with guns and horses, if the world is in chaos, he can really occupy the mountain and become king, and become a powerful one!Which literati can do this kind of situation? After watching the stables, Feng Zicai asked Zhang Zhidong to go back to the living room to rest and drink tea. After a long time of communication, Zhang Zhidong became more determined to invite Feng Zicai out of the mountain.This is indeed a rare general, and he is the commander in chief of the Vietnam battlefield.However, after all, he was nearly seventy years old, would he still be willing to put on his battle armor again and go to a dangerous place in person? After Zhang Zhidong thought for a while, he decided to cut to the chase. "Old General, I would like to ask you. The French were fighting against me in the Beiqi area of ​​Vietnam. This time, they suddenly invaded our sea area. In mid-June, they attacked the Keelung Fort, and in early July, they attacked our Mawei shipyard. These two acts of piracy What is it for? The veteran general has been in the army for decades, and he knows how to use troops. Please advise." From the moment he saw Zhang Zhidong, Feng Zicai kept thinking in his mind: what did he come to Lizhiwan for, did he visit Lianzhou to see me, an old man, or did he come for a special purpose?After hearing this, he understood that he came to ask for advice face-to-face because he first took over the military power and did not understand military affairs.Feng Zicai was quite moved.In the past few years, the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi, from Zeng Guoquan to Zhang Shusheng, relying on their past military exploits, have never paid attention to him, a veteran general of the green camp.Now Zhang Zhidong personally came to Lizhiwan to ask for advice, and gave him a big face.Like all officials who have served in important positions for a long time, Feng Zicai also attaches great importance to the attitude of the incumbent towards him.He thought about it for a while, and replied solemnly: "In my opinion, this is knocking a mountain and shaking a tiger." The four words "knock the mountain and shake the tiger" shook the hearts of Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping at the same time, and they all fixed their eyes on this old and vigorous former admiral of the green camp. "Four years ago, I led troops to live outside Zhennan Pass for three months, and I had a better understanding of the relationship between France and Vietnam. Vietnam's monarchs and subjects are both fatuous and cowardly, and France does not need much effort to control it. We China does not want to hand over Beiqi to France, nor do we want France to enter Yunnan through the Red River, so there have been military camps stationed there in recent years. On land, although the French have better bullets than us, But we can still fight with them. There are victories and losses between China and France. But at sea, France has an absolute advantage. The last time they fought against Lang Son, they wanted to use their strengths to force the court Concession, so there is the battle of Keelung and Horsetail. France's goal is still in Vietnam." Feng Zicai's words greatly inspired Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping.Yes, hitting Keelung and hitting ponytails are just means to force the Chinese army to withdraw from Vietnam.As expected of a general who is seasoned in the military, he saw through the ghost tricks of the French at a glance. "The old general's words are very good, which made us suddenly enlightened." Zhang Zhidong looked at Feng Zicai and said, "The old general has been the admiral of Guangxi for many years, and he was stationed in Vietnam. In your opinion, if we work together and fight against the enemy, can we win the battle against the enemy?" Vietnam won a big battle and killed the prestige of the French?" "Of course." Feng Zicai insisted without thinking. "To tell you the truth, when I was at Zhennanguan, I thought that all our Chinese troops in Vietnam would unite to fight a big battle and ruthlessly kill those foreign devils. But at the time The imperial court did not declare war on France, and secondly, I do not have the status to unite with other troops, so it is just a fantasy." Zhang Zhidong was very happy when he heard this, and he answered immediately: "Old General, the imperial court has declared war on France openly, and the time is ready. If you are given a status, you will have the power to command all the armies in Vietnam. Are you still willing to turn your vision into reality?" "Well." Only then did Feng Zicai really understand: So Zhang Zhidong wanted to invite me out of the mountain!He was pleasantly surprised.It is often said that an old man has his ambitions for a thousand miles, and Feng Zicai is such an old man with his ambitions for a thousand miles.The glory of the past is not only the light in his life, but also the pillar of his life.When looking back on the past, he often has an irresistible ambition to create greater glories again, but time has passed, the present is not as good as it used to be, and many conditions that should be met are not met.Facing the eagerness of the new governor and facing this important question, Feng Zicai hesitated.He touched his thin pointed chin vigorously with one hand, and he pondered for a long time before opening his mouth, "To tell you the truth, Commander Xuan also sent people to Lizhiwan in the seventh year of Guangxu, and asked me to go out and bring a team into Vietnam." , I declined on the grounds of being old and weak. In fact, I am not old and weak, but I don’t want to take this life.” "Why?" Unexpectedly, at the critical moment, Feng Zicai flinched, and Zhang Zhidong was slightly disappointed.He was eager to know the reason why the old general rejected Zhang Shusheng. "The main reason for this is what I just said. When Shuai Xuan came to me that year, the conditions were still not met. One was that the court did not declare war, and the other was that Shuai Xuan just asked me to bring a team into Vietnam and not The power of full command is not given. In addition, I am very different from Xuan Shuai in my attitude towards foreigners. I am a stubborn old man, and I would rather bend than bend. Foreigners oppress us. I would rather die than follow suit. They fight. Shuai Xuan is not like this, he and Li Shaoquan vent their anger, just endure and endure, and I don't want to work under him." Zhang Zhidong breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "These worries are all over now. Does the old general have any other difficulties?" "Although Xuan Shuai is no longer the governor, the army in Vietnam is mainly from the Huai army. Pan Dingxin, the governor of Guangxi, is in Beiqi. Pan is not as good as Zhang, and he is not easy to get along with. If I go to Vietnam, how can I work with him? How do you position each other?" This is really a big problem!As the governor of Guangxi, Pan Dingxin is not a subordinate of Zhang Zhidong according to the imperial court system. Zhang Zhidong has no right to transfer him back from Beiqi, let alone dismiss him as governor; General, the qualifications are much older than Zhang Zhidong.With Pan in Beiqi, it was impossible for Feng to be the commander-in-chief, which was also obvious.Zhang Zhidong gently rubbed his hands back and forth, his palms were sweating, he couldn't think of a way to get the best of both worlds.Sang Zhiping was also thinking about this, and he also couldn't come up with a good idea. Seeing that Zhang Zhidong was quite embarrassed, he had to interject a sentence to help the governor: "Old general, let Zhang build the platform and the court to discuss this matter again." Discuss, are there any other difficulties besides this?" Feng Zicai glanced at Sang Zhiping and said: "Apart from the Huai Army, the most important army in Beiqi is the Black Banner Army. Liu Yongfu is Chinese, but he took the post of admiral in Vietnam. This man is a hero, he will not obey the rules." , No one is in his eyes. I have been in Beiqi for three months, but I have not met this person. I heard people say that I cast long hair in my early years and fought with my army. If I am asked to command him, I am afraid no." Hearing this, Zhang Zhidong felt very relieved, and hurriedly said: "Old General, do you know who is responsible for recommending you this time? Zhongzi, tell the old general." Sang Zhiping smiled, and after briefly talking about the meeting between Qian Xiangzai Xuanguang and Liu Yongfu, he emphasized: "Liu Yongfu has repeatedly said that the Vietnam War can only be suppressed if you come out, the old general. Pan Dingxin After all, he is not a material for leading troops to fight. His Black Banner Army must cooperate with the old general and fight for the Chinese people." Feng Zicai laughed happily, and said: "I didn't expect that Liu Er has a good eye for people, he doesn't care about the past, and he has a good temperament. However, I am not satisfied with his team. People, robbers, drug dealers, turtle bastards, everything in the Black Banner Army led by him, you can't expect those people to do great things." Zhang Zhidong hurriedly said, "Does the old general know that he has an assistant Tang Jingsong?" "I've heard that he is also a Jinshi from Guangxi. He did a good job as a court official, but he volunteered to come to Vietnam to join the army for Liu Er." Sang Zhiping said: "I spent three days with Tang Jingsong in Xuanguang. This man is talented and knowledgeable. Zhang Zhitai has promised that Tang Jingsong will go back to Guangxi to recruit soldiers from the fourth battalion. These four battalions can be used as a force to cooperate with the old general. .” Feng Zicai nodded without making a sound. Zhang Zhidong took Feng Zicai's every word and every action into his eyes.He saw that although Feng Zicai had concerns, the possibility of leading his troops out of the customs existed.He decided to show affection and reason to this old general who was all-powerful back then, so that he must put aside his worries and return to the battlefield. "Old General Feng," Zhang Zhidong stared at Feng Zicai, with a thick and heavy voice, "Although I didn't say it clearly, you probably heard it. I came to Lizhiwan this time to invite you out of the mountain. Please lead your troops. Going outside the customs again. What prompted me to make this decision was firstly your military exploits over the past few decades, and secondly, Mr. Sang and Lei Qiongdao Wang Daotai, who came to Lizhiwan on the recommendation of Liu Yongfu after they went to Vietnam this time. , seeing with my own eyes that you are full of energy, and your spirit is still the same as before, it makes me even more gratified." "Time is not forgiving, and the energy and spirit are not as good as before." Feng Zicai couldn't help but interjected.Sang Zhiping found that it had been a long time since he met Feng Zicai, and this seemed to be the first sentence he said to lament the old man. Zhang Zhidong said with a smile: "The King of Zhao asked Lian Po if he was old and could still eat. I like the lunch table. You eat a lot of meat and drink a lot of wine. You know that Lian Po is not old!" Feng Zicai laughed heartily again, his face still full of brilliance. "Since we fought against foreigners in the South China Sea in the 20th year of Daoguang, for more than 40 years, until the recent battle of Keelung and Mawei, we have fought many big battles with foreigners, but we suffered every time, especially The French are even more hateful, not only using force, but also using missionaries to bully us. This irritating France has formed a deep hatred with us. This time, the battle of Keelung and Horsetail is even more rampant.” "These two naval battles have really disgraced the Chinese soldiers." Feng Zicai interrupted harshly. "Yes." Zhang Zhidong quickly grasped the topic. "Any bloody Chinese soldier will be heartbroken by these two failures. Therefore, we want to take advantage of the opportunity of the imperial court and the legal person to declare war, and invite the old general to go out. With everyone's full support and careful planning, we will fight a big battle in Beiqi, Vietnam , to kill the prestige of the French, to fight for the Chinese people, and even the Chinese soldiers." These few words made the blood in Feng Zicai's chest start to flow faster, he nodded frequently in his heart, fixed his eyes on the bookish Master Zhijun, and listened attentively to what he said. "Before I came to Lizhiwan, I had a careful discussion with Peng Da Sima, Zhang Xuanshuai and Mr. Sang. In naval battles, our ship guns are indeed not as good as the French, and we are not very sure of winning; but in land battles, our weapons are not much different. In terms of geography, people's sentiments, military supplies, etc., we are even more superior to France. Therefore, as long as General Feng comes out, we are very confident in winning a big victory in Vietnam." "The commander-in-chief's analysis is good. The naval battle may not be as good as others, but the land battle is not too weak." Feng Zicai, who has been an army general for decades, deeply praised Zhang Zhidong's pertinent words. Sang Zhiping interjected: "The old general used to be a long-haired and twisted man. Although he has made a lot of military achievements, he is only a loyal minister of the court. If he wins against France in Vietnam this time, he will be our hero in China." Behind these two sentences, there are actually many words hidden, such as defeating Long Mao and Nianzi, after all, they are still working hard for the Manchus. It is hard to say how the history will evaluate this matter; but if they win against France, That is the achievements of Yue Fei and Qi Jiguang built, which will be respected and worshiped for a long time for generations to come.But this kind of words, if you are not a close relative or close friend, how can you say it casually, you can only point to the end, whether you can understand it depends on the understanding of this old soldier. Unexpectedly, Feng Zicai's eyes suddenly shone brightly, and he looked at Sang Zhiping excitedly. After a long time, he uttered a long sentence: "Mr. In the past ten years, I have often regretted this matter. Mr. Sang’s words have pointed out a bright road for me. Feng Mou is willing to go to Vietnam, but he has no soldiers and no pay, how can he fight?" "How many soldiers do you need?" Zhang Zhidong asked. "About six or seven thousand people." Feng Zicai was confident. "The green camps in the towns of Guangdong and Guangxi are up to you to choose." "Hmph." Feng Zicai sneered twice, "I'm not afraid that you will laugh at me too much, Commander. In Feng's opinion, there is no one in the green battalion in Guangdong and Guangxi." Zhang Zhidong was still in astonishment, Sang Zhiping interjected: "So, how about asking the old general to recruit his own soldiers?" "This is the only way to win the battle." Feng Zicai replied decisively. "In just three months, my soldiers from the Feng family can leave the customs, but what about the military salary?" Zhang Zhidong touched the thick long beard on his chin, thought for a while and said, "After I return to Guangzhou, I will immediately allocate 50,000 silver to you for your recruitment and training in the country. If you leave the customs in three months, According to the rules of the Hunan Army in the past, each Lu Yong will be paid four taels of money a month, which is full monthly. What do you think?" Of course Feng Zicai knew that when Zeng Guofan gave Lu Yong of the Hunan Army four taels of silver per month, it was a bit like recruiting brave men under heavy rewards, which was far higher than the treatment of the green camp.This is an important reason for the strong combat effectiveness of the Hunan Army.From this, he saw Zhang Zhidong's sincerity, and hurriedly said: "Of course this is very good. The key is not to owe any salary in the future." "Don't worry about it. As long as I, Zhang Zhidong, are the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, I won't owe old General Feng any salary. Would you like me to make a written statement for you?" "That's not necessary." Feng Zicai laughed a little embarrassedly. "Then it's settled." Zhang Zhidong got up and walked to Feng Zicai's side, holding Feng Zicai's hands. "Then I will immediately report to the imperial court, and ask the imperial court to appoint the old general to assist in the military affairs of Guangdong. After the old general receives the order, he can recruit soldiers in Guangdong and leave the customs in three months. We will communicate with each other at any time about how to fight in the future, and act according to the camera. " Feng Zicai also stood up, and said a little excitedly: "Feng didn't want to meddle in state affairs anymore, but because the commander-in-chief's visit to Lizhiwan was unbearable, so he agreed to the commander-in-chief's request to form Feng's army and then enter Zhennanguan. But , Feng has one last request." "Just say it, the old general." Although Zhang Zhidong spoke frankly, there was a chill in Zhang Zhidong's heart. He didn't know what special request the elderly martyr had when he came out of the mountain. What if he couldn't agree to it?You can't let your previous efforts go to waste! "Pan Dingxin is currently assisting the military affairs outside the customs as the governor of Guangxi. According to the routine, he should control all the troops stationed in Beiqi, Vietnam. However, although he has been the leader of the Huai Army for more than 20 years, he actually doesn't know how to fight. I only hope that the general will give Let me give you a simple answer: Feng is in Vietnam and will not be under the command of Pan Dingxin. If something happens, he will directly discuss it with the commander-in-chief; in an emergency, he must be given the power to dispatch and command other troops in Vietnam. If he does not have this right, he may even go out Back without success." Feng Zicai's last request actually goes back to the issue of his status in Vietnam mentioned earlier.Zhang Zhidong couldn't help admiring Feng Zicai's sophistication, so he turned around and turned to this important matter.It seems that the soldiers recruited by Feng Zicai cannot be spent from the treasury.If it is self-raised, it belongs to the army of Tuanyong. It can follow the example of Xiangyong and not be treated as a division of the imperial court; It works.As for the emergency, command the Qing army all over Vietnam, and we will talk about it at that time.Thinking of this, Zhang Zhidong said decisively: "Yes, the old general's soldiers only obey the orders of the old general you alone. Not only can Pan Fu not restrain them, even the governor can't control them remotely. I believe the old general will put the country first. The imperial court is the most important thing, and the old general's achievements over the past few decades are the most important, and he handles it well." Feng Zicai felt a sense of complete trust.He held Zhang Zhidong's hand tightly and said, "Then it's settled, let's go, let's eat bear's paws together." 第二天上午，冯子材正要陪同张之洞一行到荔枝湾四处走走的时候，廉州府快马赶来的衙役报告一个不幸的消息：张树声已于三天前病逝广州。张之洞大吃一惊，急忙告别冯子材，匆匆回奔五羊城。