Chapter 7 Chapter Seven

In the early morning of this day, after breakfast, Li Hongzhang was about to go to the fields with his third brother Hezhang, when the concierge suddenly came in and reported that a military master had come to see him on a flying horse from Hezhou. Li Hongzhang took a look at the post and saw the words Anhui Governor's Yamen written on it. He knew that it was someone sent by Fuji, so he said please, and the porter walked out quickly. After a while, a military lord came in, who turned out to be a guard from the Fubiao Battalion. When he saw Li Hongzhang, he saluted Li Hongzhang first, and said: "I am ordered by Master Futai, and I am here to respectfully invite you to return to Hezhou to discuss matters. Li Hongzhang asked the guard to sit down and said, "Could it be that something serious happened to Hezhou?"

"Returning to my lord, I didn't see anything happened to Hezhou in the humble position." "Could it be that something happened to Mr. Futai? Did Gao Sheng go to Beijing or was it transferred to him?" "Returning to my lord, I go in and out of the governor's yamen every day in a humble position. I have never heard that Master Futai wants to be promoted to Beijing, and I have never heard that I will go to other provinces to take up the post. I just heard rumors in private. A book from the University of Taiwan. I heard that they also brought several elders with them at the same time. I don’t know the specific reason for it. Before the departure, Master Futai repeatedly told Master Li to go back to Hezhou no matter what. "

In desperation, Li Hongzhang had no choice but to bid farewell to his parents, and specifically told his sixth younger brother Zhaoqing a few words, then went back to his room to look after the family, and then mounted his horse and left with the guard. As soon as I entered the gate of Hezhou City, I saw countless soldiers picking up lanterns on the tower, all in a hurry.Li Hongzhang was curious, so he couldn't help asking the guards in the same company: "When I returned to Modian Township, so many lanterns were not hung on the city tower. Now that they are hung, why do you want to take them off?"

The guard winked and whispered: "Your Excellency is so forgetful! Aren't these hanging lanterns all made by the Yamen of the Hezhou Prefect to celebrate the Seventeenth Aunt in Futai Master's Mansion? It's hanging high, but I don't know if it's been a night, but it's going to be picked again. Probably it's an act of worrying about seeing Futai with the prefect's yamen again? There is an official addiction, tsk tsk!" When Li Hongzhang was talking to the guard, Fuji's eyes sparkled with anxiety in the governor's yamen's signing room.For a while he scolded Li Hongzhang for being ungrateful, for a while he scolded the garrison for not being able to do his job, and for a while he scolded Zhou Tianjue for being a bastard who was about to be punished and would not die well.

He was restless, yelling for people outside to make tea quickly; when the tea was brought in, he said that the water was not hot, and it was not counted if he threw the tea bowl to the ground, and even kicked the guards who brought the tea.If the guard who came in to report the letter hadn't come in time, the guard who delivered the tea would have been kicked down. The guard who reported the letter said: "Master Futai, Mr. Li Hongzhang is here, and he is waiting outside to hear you!" When Fu Ji heard this, Sairu, like a drowning man, grabbed a life-saving straw, and hurriedly invited Li Hongzhang to come in.

Li Hongzhang greeted Li Hongzhang as usual, but Fu Ji grabbed his hand and said repeatedly: "My brother has been away for a few days, but I don't want to spoil the headquarters! Come on, quickly bring that generous chair in the official hall to Mr. Li." Sit!" After a promise from outside, he said enthusiastically again: "Go quickly and make a cup of the good tea that Prince Chun gave to the headquarters three years ago, and give it to Master Li to drink!" Li Hongzhang couldn't help being a little puzzled, and hurriedly said: "Master Futai loves you so wrongly, and this official is flattered. On Seventeenth Aunt's auspicious day, it is disrespectful for the official not to serve you! Now..."

Fuji interrupted Li Hongzhang's words and said repeatedly: "Shaoquan, don't mention this little fairy, she has caused the headquarters to suffer! Zhou Tianjue, the long-eared old bastard, somehow knew the news and caught the headquarters. The hospital made a big fuss about Aunt Shiqi’s birthday!" After speaking, he got up and rummaged through the table, and finally found a few pages. He handed the paper to Li Hongzhang and said, "This is the manuscript that the informant spent three hundred taels of silver and asked a teacher to copy. This old bastard, he wants to kill the headquarters!"

Li Hongzhang took it over and looked at it, and found that it was not a reference, but some flirtatious poems that Fuji and Mrs. Shiqiru sang indiscriminately on weekdays. The higher-ups won't care about things. Maybe they have to warn him a few words." Fuji took the poem manuscript and said: "Old Wang Zhou's skill is not inferior to yours and mine." He lowered his head subconsciously, only to realize that he had picked up the wrong poem, his face flushed, and he turned it over in a hurry. At this time, two guards brought in a wooden chair and put it on, and the guard who brought the tea also brought in the tea.After the three guards withdrew, Fuji finally turned over Zhou Tianjue's manuscript.

Holding the folded manuscript in his hand, Fu Ji laughed at himself and said: "Zhou Tianjue doesn't eat good fodder, he has competed with the Headquarters. The head of the Headquarters is rewarded by the superiors, and it is not taken from him! Is he full?" Fuji said, and handed the folded manuscript to Li Hongzhang. Li Hongzhang took the folded manuscript and looked at it at a glance. Zhou Tianjue first participated in Fuji's "lawless eyes, deducting military pay. The army kept prostitutes, and the department played pets", and then said: "This member was confiscated in frontiers, and he didn't want to serve the country. Instead, he connived at the servants to blackmail the local gentry and rob the people." Daughter, the people are very angry. Hezhou's recovery is only five days away, and everything is waiting to be done, but this member has a large banquet to celebrate the birthday of his seventeen concubines. The governor's yamen belongs to only seven or eight prefectures and counties, and the official can collect hundreds of thousands of taels of silver for his concubine's birthday. It is conceivable that the people have suffered a lot. Hezhou's capital Yuanxiang is an old prefecture and county, and should have been advised However, it is wrong to hang thousands of lanterns in the city of Hezhou overnight. There is also a general named Zhang, who is in charge of the bid, and forced congratulations from his officials. This officer was only appointed governor for more than a month. The territory has already been rioted by him."

Zhou Tianjue deserves to be born in the two rankings, and the manuscript was written with high spirits and details. Li Hongzhang couldn't help admiring in his heart: "What a literary talent!" But he said in his mouth: "Mr. Zhou is just hearsay. Even if the book is handed in to the palace, the higher-ups may not take it seriously. Mr. Futai is an important minister of the court. Your name is pure. It's not something anyone can get dirty if they want to. You don't have to take it too seriously." After speaking, he handed the folded manuscript to Fuji. Fuji took the folded manuscript and said with a bitter face: "Shaoquan, you are planning and planning for this department. Look at Zhou Laowangba, shouldn't this department also make a paper to justify it? Really wait for the superior to blame it. , isn’t it too late? Shaoquan, you are a well-known talent in my Qing Dynasty, but you can’t watch your headquarters being framed by others, but just stand by and laugh haha. You have to stand up for this excuse This department is drafting!"

Li Hongzhang stood up and said, "Your Majesty Futai is serious. If you have anything to do, you can just order it. However, according to my opinion, even if you don't defend yourself, there is another way to go. If you walk this way well, Not only will the higher-ups not blame you, but I am afraid that you will be promoted to the rank of the old man, and the overall situation in Anhui may also be reversed." Hearing this, Fu Ji's expression immediately cheered up, and he hurriedly said: "This department already knows that you, Li Shaoquan, are my savior, brother, tell me about your big plan!" Li Hongzhang said with a smile: "Your Excellency, according to my bold speculation, peace with the state is not what Wang Chief wanted, but because Anqing has too much to do with it. Master Sheng and Master Zhou have stationed troops in Yuexi, and they can attack Anqing at any time, but Anqing is partial It is also the gateway to the pseudo-Tianjing. Hong Chief is a fun-loving rat, but he also knows the importance of Anqing. Even if he abandons the whole of Anhui, he must stick to Anqing, so as to keep him safe in the pseudo-Tianwang's mansion. Xiaguan You can be sure that at this time, Hanshan and Chao County will not be guarded by heavy troops, and I will be able to overcome them in one battle! This day let you accomplish such a great feat. What do you think?" Fuji pondered for a while, and asked back: "Changmao and Zhouxin are defeated, so they must be very wary. Although Chief Hong is afraid that I will take back Anqing, he can transfer troops from other places, not necessarily from Anhui. If I send troops at this time In Hanshan and Chao County, Hezhou will be empty. If Changmao besieged me in Hanshan and took advantage of the situation to destroy our Hezhou, not only Hanshan would not be recovered, but Hezhou might also be lost, and our army would be in danger. Shaoquan, your brother The plan offered is really a dangerous move, and the headquarters dare not use it!" "My lord, let me tell you that you don't need heavy troops to recover Hanshan. Three thousand men are enough! Our army can claim to join Shengshuai, but if we suddenly turn around halfway, Changmao will be defenseless. Hanshan and Chaoxian will definitely be able to recover. But the news must not be leaked, otherwise it will be a failure.” "Shaoquan, this department is not suspicious of your brother's scheme, but really worried about Changmao's deceit. Since your brother is so sure, I will not hesitate anymore. How about this, the three thousand regiments will be at your disposal Mo Qingyun and Jishun Second Battalion of the Jilin Cavalry Team will be transferred to help you. Your brother will take a trip to Hanshan for my brother. Shaoquan, my brother’s life is in your hands. My brother All the good opportunities to make meritorious deeds are given to you brother, you can't waste all my painstaking efforts!" Li Hongzhang got up from his side to salute and said, "I thank you for your trust. I only ask you for one thing. If you agree, I will arrange it immediately." Fuji was a little confused: "What else is there for Shaoquan?" "Your Excellency, the recovery of Hanshan and Chao County this time is related to the future of Your Excellency, and also related to the future situation of Anhui. This matter is known to adults and officials, and no third person knows. Before the officers and soldiers arrive at Hanshan, I implore my lord not to talk about this matter to any third person, but only to say that my lord has received an imperial order to order my subordinates to lead the brave officials to join Sheng Shuai to restore Anqing." Fu Ji pulled Li Hongzhang up and said with a laugh: "My brother is too worried. My brother is working hard for my brother. No matter how confused I am, I can't tell the difference! Besides, the mouth of this department is not an old woman's old lady. How can a leaky urinal be leaked? Hahaha!" Fuji's last sentence made Li Hongzhang laugh too. He subconsciously looked at Fuji's mouth, seeing that it didn't matter, he burst out laughing.He found that Foji's mouth really looked like a urinal.In the afternoon of that day, Fuji summoned the battalion officers of the regiment training battalions into the city to announce: "The head office has just received the imperial edict, and I asked the Biaojun and regiments to train the battalions, and then went to Yuexi to join Sheng Shuai in stages, hoping to restore Anqing. The head office plans to stop, and the special committee Mr. Li led the regiment to train the battalions in advance. Headquarters The academy led the Fubiao battalion to fill the second road, and Jiang Zhongyi led the headquarters to defend Hezhou." Fuji added at the end: "For matters concerning the advance and retreat of each battalion in the regiment training, please listen to Master Li's instructions. No battalion shall disobey orders, and those who disobey orders shall be strictly See." Fuji's last sentence put the battalion officers in a cloud of confusion.