In May of the eighteenth year of Daoguang (AD 1838), the Qing Empire was in the midst of internal and external troubles. The Opium War was imminent, the treasury was short of money, and the people were in dire straits. Emperor Daoguang, the supreme ruler of the Qing Dynasty, saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart. At this time, Zeng Guofan, who had completed his internship in the Imperial Academy, was already cash-strapped and was anxiously waiting for the final interview with Emperor Daoguang.His colleagues, Chen Qimai, Bai Dianyi, Hong Yang, and Liu Xiangdong, the Shuji scholars of the Imperial Academy, also have their own concerns.

The Hanlin Academy is mainly responsible for compiling the history of the country, explaining the classics and history for the emperor, and drafting documents related to ceremonies.All Xinke Scholars, after being the number one scholar, the second place in the list, and Tanhua, can be awarded official positions at that time, and the rest of the outstanding people will enter the Imperial Academy to study, and they are called Shujishi.Zeng Guofan is one of them. Although Shu Jishi is not an official official, he can enjoy the treatment of a seventh-rank official. After the three-year study period is over, he will be interviewed by the emperor himself. Work locally.

The concubine of the Imperial Academy is the real disciple of the emperor, but it is these disciples of the emperor who do not arrange their joints before the end of their studies, and cannot be introduced as scheduled (accepting an interview with the emperor, which is equivalent to a graduation exam).According to the regulations, if no one takes you to see the emperor, you can only spend time in the guild hall.What is even more frustrating is that not only will there be no salary during this period, but you will also have to pay for board and lodging out of your own pocket. Chen Qimai and Hong Yang's family background is relatively well-to-do, the two of them originally spent a lot of money, half a year before the end of their studies, they started to move around.One day I invited the officials of the Ministry of Rites, and the next day I invited the officials of the Ministry of Officials. Even an eunuch in the palace who worked in the imperial dining room got fifty taels of silver from the two of them in a daze: "It's a small thing, don't think it's too little!"

Bai Dianyi and Liu Xiangdong were no match for Chen and Hong, but on the first day after their studies, they each gave two hundred taels of gift money to their mentor Mu Zhang'a, and begged their mentor to speak to the people from the Li and Li departments. Try to schedule the introductions as early as possible.Mu Zhang'a was also happy to do favors, and said with a smile: "Don't worry! This old man knows it well." Among the five, 30-year-old Zeng Guofan was the poorest. One is that he was born in a farming family, and he has not yet paid off the money he borrowed when he went to Beijing to rush for the exam.Secondly, he is usually dull and not good at communication, and the bank and club would not lend him more than a hundred taels of silver.What's more, borrowing money from auspicious scholars is originally a taboo in the bank.The on-duty Beijing officials still need to examine their repayment ability to borrow money. People who do not receive salaries borrow money and have no guarantee from ministers. The bank will definitely not take this risk.Although ten taels and twenty taels are not in this case, nothing can be done.

Chen Qimai and Hong Yang, who were moving around, were soon notified by the cabinet to issue their resumes, and they were introduced at noon the next day. On the day of the introduction, news came out from the inner court that Chen Qimai distributed Jiangxi and Hong Yang distributed Guangxi.Both of them were downcast after they came back. The money was spent, but the result was not ideal. Jiangxi and Guangxi are both poor provinces, and they were discounted in the first place to make a fortune by becoming an official.One month later, Bai Dianyi and Liu Xiangdong, also guided by the Minister of the Ministry of Officials respectfully, entered the palace to meet your Majesty.

After the introduction, Bai Dianyi was sent to Hubei as an alternate county magistrate, and Liu Xiangdong was sent to Hunan as an alternate county magistrate. The province was better than Jiangxi and Guangxi.The two of them had a good meal, and after three days of drinking and drinking, they packed their bags and left Beijing to take up their posts. Within a few days, Zeng Guofan was the only one who should be introduced to the class after the deadline.Although Zeng Guofan went to the Imperial Academy on duty every day as usual, he was looking forward to the introduction notice from the Ministry of Officials, but after waiting, there was no sign of the notice.Zeng Guofan knew in his heart that this was the result of not giving gifts.The official department did not report, and the emperor took care of everything, how could he know that there was still a good person who should be introduced but had not been introduced?To put it bluntly, the official department delayed the introduction of the day, and it was to waste the money of the concubine Zeng Guofan.

With a slight delay by the officials, six months passed leisurely, and there was no money left for Zeng Guofan to eat.Fortunately, the head accountant of the guild hall did not press the debt, otherwise it would be very embarrassing. At this time, Zeng Guofan's greatest pastime was reading history, writing, and memorizing the laws and regulations of the Qing Dynasty.His habit of reading is that he does not read other books until he has finished reading one.He recorded every experience he had, and he wrote in his reading notes: "Reading history can understand the causes and conditions of the rise and fall of the world, learn from it and learn from it, and grasp the essence of being an official." A few days later, Zeng Guofan received a letter from Liu Xiangdong In the letter, he said that he had already visited Hunan Fuyuan, and that he would take a leave of absence to go to Xiangxiang in the near future to visit his family on his behalf.

In just one letter, Zeng Guofan's tears rolled in his eyes, and his mouth was filled with all kinds of feelings. On April 16, the documents introduced by the Ministry of Officials finally came to the Imperial Academy.The introduction time was the afternoon of the next day, and the ministers who were introduced were Thuan Xuan, the right servant of the Ministry of Rites, and Ying Moshou, the right servant of the Ministry of Officials. Seeing the documents from the Ministry of Officials, Zeng Guofan changed his usual sad expression and rushed back to the guild hall, which aroused curiosity in the waiter, and he couldn't help asking: "Mr. Hanlin is smiling today. Could it be that there is some great joy?"

"I will introduce you after class tomorrow afternoon." Zeng Guofan smiled. "Hey!" The waiter also became happy, "This is a happy event! You should inform the kitchen to add something to Hanlin Gong for dinner!" On the dinner table, the guild hall really added pork offal to Zeng Guofan for free.Zeng Guofan knew that this was an old practice in the guild hall, so he was not polite, and took advantage of his good appetite to eat everything like a storm. In the afternoon of the second day, Zeng Guofan followed behind the two hall officials and walked cautiously into the Palace of Qinzheng in the Old Summer Palace.

Emperor Daoguang had been enthroned for a long time, when the two servants entered the hall and knelt down first, Zeng Guofan also hurriedly knelt down.Ying Shilang of the Ministry of Officials submitted Zeng Guofan's resume with both hands, and Cao Jinxi, the chief eunuch, took the resume and handed it to Emperor Daoguang. According to the usual practice, Emperor Daoguang first looked at Zeng Guofan's resume, and then said casually: "Zeng Guofan, raise your head, I have something to ask you." This is the interview. Zeng Guofan raised his head hastily, but his heart was beating wildly.Emperor Daoguang glanced at Zeng Guofan, and his first impression was that this person had an indecent appearance and was hardly a master.

Although Zeng Guofan has pretty features, he has a pair of triangular eyes.Emperor Daoguang had always been disgusted with people with Yangtze River Delta eyes, thinking that such people were either greedy or ruthless, and it was difficult to become a master.In Emperor Daoguang's impression, it seems that the anti-kings of all dynasties all had triangular eyes. "Zeng Guofan," Emperor Daoguang asked suddenly, "tell me, what is the most important thing to be an official?" After thinking for a while, Zeng Guofan replied cautiously: "If you go back to the emperor, the students think that the most important thing to be an official is nothing more than the word 'integrity'." "Huh?" Emperor Daoguang was stunned, and then asked, "Is it not important to be fair? For example, if you settle a lawsuit, if it is not fair or fair, how can you convince others? How can you handle the things I entrusted to you well?" Zeng Guofan bowed his head and said: "Returning to the emperor's words, the emperor's lesson is true. But the students think that being an official is based on not having money, and that officials who are not honest cannot be fair, and it is even more difficult to talk about fairness. Please learn from the emperor." Emperor Daoguang thought for a while, and then asked: "Zeng Guofan, what is the first thing you do when you go to the local magistrate?" Zeng Guofan said loudly: "Returning to the emperor's words, opening the people's wisdom and clearing up the lawsuit should be the top priority." "This is new!" Emperor Daoguang smiled, pointed at Zeng Guofan and said, "It doesn't matter if you put money and food, but you want to open up the people's wisdom. Tell me, how to open up the people's wisdom first?" Zeng Guofan hurriedly said: "The emperor is wise. Encouraging the people's wisdom is to make the people understand the law and abide by the law. If the people's wisdom is not developed, the people will be ignorant, and the local law and order will never be good. And the money and valleys are all things with records and numbers. Clean up sooner or later. The effect should be Same." "According to what you said, the people can abide by the law only when they know the law. Let me ask you, from the Qianlong Dynasty, He Shen was a general and participated in the formulation of many laws and regulations, but in the end he still broke the law. How should this be explained?" Hearing this, Zeng Guofan's whole body trembled, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He forced himself to calm down, thought for a while and said: "The emperor is wise. The criminal He Shen knows the law but has nothing in his eyes. He only has money in his eyes. The officials are dishonest. He violated the law of the king, and he should be responsible for destroying the nine clans. From ancient times to the present, officials have been depraved and corrupt!" Emperor Daoguang stopped talking, picked up a pen and wrote a line on Zeng Guofan's resume, saying: "Go down and wait for the order." Zeng Guofan hurriedly kowtowed and withdrew. The two hall officials knelt and did not dare to move, they were waiting for the oracle to be delivered.Emperor Daoguang commented on Zeng Guofan's resume: "The face is ugly, but the answer is clear, and it can be used greatly." Zeng Guofan waited outside the hall for a quarter of an hour, hesitating, and then the two officials withdrew from the hall, and conveyed the oracle to Zeng Guofan with joy on their faces: "The sage Zeng Guofan will be sent to the Imperial Academy for review from now on." Zeng Guofan was stunned, he never imagined that when he was 30 years old, he became a seventh-rank official of the Qing Dynasty.