Chapter 2 Writing poems in the second section draws attention

Afterwards, Zeng Guofan gradually learned some inside stories introduced by Chen Qimai, Bai Dianyi and others from others. When Emperor Daoguang summoned Chen Qimai and Hong Yang, he asked, "Since I ascended the throne, disasters and famines have continued one after another, and the treasury has become increasingly depleted. Do you have any good solutions?" Hong Yang rushed to answer: "Return to the emperor, the students have already figured out a way." When Emperor Daoguang saw that Hong Yang spoke loudly and without any cowardice, he was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Speak boldly."

Hong Yang said: "Thank you, Your Majesty! If your Majesty lets the students become local officials, the students will increase the amount of grain and land. If the current regulations are to receive one liang of silver per mu, after the students take office, they will receive three or four liang of silver per mu. until the Emperor is satisfied." After hearing this, Emperor Daoguang was stunned for a long time, then turned his head and said to Chen Qimai: "Tell me." Chen Qimai immediately replied: "Returning to the emperor, if the emperor asks the students to be local officials, the students will first clear all the money and grain receivable in the territory to the masters, and then consider raising taxes and donations. Of course, the things that students have to do If the emperor does not agree to do it, the students will not do it. Whatever the emperor says, the students will do it!"

Emperor Daoguang commented on Hong Yang's resume at that time: "The answer is not stage fright, one point is clear, nine points is confused." Emperor Daoguang's evaluation of Chen Qimai was: "The speech is a bit confusing, but the person is quite honest." So, Hong Yang was sent to the barren land of Guangxi, and Chen Qimai was sent to the slightly stronger Jiangxi.Being an official in these two provinces, no one can get rich. When Emperor Daoguang summoned Bai Dianyi and Liu Xiangdong, he asked: "I let you choose the two provinces of Guangxi and Guangdong. Which province do you want to go to?"

The two replied together: "But according to the appointment of the emperor, students have no right to choose." When Emperor Daoguang picked up a pen, he wrote the words "people are honest" on the resumes of the two people. At the end of the introduction, good provinces were distributed. The imperial garden of the Forbidden City is where the emperor enjoys the flowers, and outside the walls are only the pro-army and the guards. Ordinary people dare not stop.But the fragrance of the flowers swims with the wind, especially in the season of colorful flowers, the whole capital is filled with fragrance.

Before Emperor Kangxi, there were not many buildings in the garden, and the emperor was rarely seen here. The concubines and elder brothers often came here to visit.If the emperor wanted to see flowers, the eunuchs in the greenhouse would pick fresh ones and send them to them sooner or later.By the time of Emperor Qianlong, there were more buildings here, the most conspicuous ones being the front study room, south study room and back study room. It is said to be a study room, but in fact there are not many books, but there are hurried figures of ministers and the numb expressions of eunuchs standing outside the door.One-third of the official affairs of Lord Qianlong in his later years were handled here.

This year was extremely hot, and Emperor Daoguang lived in the back study of the Imperial Garden. Among the three study rooms, the back study room is the coolest one. Several golden persimmon trees block the sunlight from the front window, and the air vents on the back wall are larger than the front study room.When the living rooms of the great scholars were filled with ice cubes, Emperor Daoguang in the back study relied on a big cattail fan to cool off the heat.Of course, this is the duty of the former imperial eunuch, and there is no need for Emperor Daoguang to do it himself.But this is also enough to show the frugality of Emperor Daoguang.

When Emperor Daoguang was young, he already had doubts about the extravagance and extravagance of his grandfather Qianlong. He once said to his teacher Pan Shien that "too much money will eventually be a disaster".By the time of Jiaqing, the situation of the country was indeed declining. Thanks to the victory of Heshen, Emperor Jiaqing would not be hungry.At that time, Emperor Daoguang knew that when it was his turn, he would never have a good life, because the good days were taken by Grandpa Qianlong and Huang Ama in advance.Lord Qianlong put on the feast of thousands of seniors who consumed a huge amount of silver. During this time, there are countless palaces, post stations, and attics built all over the country; The culture has gained a good reputation, and the common people have lingering fears because of the mobilization of teachers and the waste of money in the treasury.

The sun went down completely.As the glow dissipated, the breeze brought a little coolness.There are also more people on the street.People are quietly talking about the pox epidemic in Guangxi.Emperor Daoguang in the study at the back of the imperial garden is also the one who bothers him the most in recent days. Smallpox, commonly known as smallpox, is a traditional terminal disease in the Central Plains.From Jin to Tang, from Tang to Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, almost every dynasty was rampant, and the common people suffered greatly from it.Later, the folk doctor invented the smallpox vaccination method, and people stopped talking about the color change of acne.But this method is limited to dignitaries and the upper class.It was not until the Kangxi Dynasty that the imperial court invested a lot of manpower and material resources, and began to vigorously promote the vaccination method of smallpox in various provinces, striving to eliminate the smallpox plague fundamentally.

However, the people of Guangxi with complex ethnic groups did not buy into the court's account, let you talk nonsense, and resolutely refused to vaccinate.At first, Emperor Kangxi thought it was the result of the governor's ineffective guidance, so he withdrew two governors in a row.But the result is still not satisfactory, Guangxi people still believe in witches and gods and do not vaccinate.From Yongzheng and below, they had to let it go; Guangxi alone could not receive the pox vaccine distributed every year, and it was futile. Now, pox plague is finally widespread in Guangxi, and it is fierce, which is quite different from the two lakes. The outbreak of pox plague in the two lakes last year was caused by floods, but the outbreak of pox plague in Guangxi is natural.

Emperor Daoguang strictly ordered the Guangxi Governor's Yamen to send heavy troops to guard the border to prevent the people of Guangxi from running around.The neighboring provinces of Guangxi are also patrolling day and night, and their governors and governors are more nervous than the governors of Guangxi, and they all treat acne like a tiger. With the pox plague and the blockade of the surrounding areas, there is a growing market for witch doctors and gods in Guangxi, and robbers and road hogs have also started to form gangs. Emperor Daoguang's dinner was placed in the study room behind the imperial garden; as the mouthwash tea was withdrawn, four plates of fresh fruit were served.Emperor Daoguang glanced at it, and said softly: "Let's have a piece of watermelon with rock sugar!" A little eunuch withdrew swiftly, holding a plate of watermelon in the blink of an eye.Emperor Daoguang put down the memorial, took a piece of watermelon casually, looked at it, put it down absent-mindedly, and returned his eyes to the notebook on the desk.

This is a note sent by the Guangxi Governor's Yamen on a fast horse eight hundred miles away. Guangxi is severely plagued by bandits and bandits. Relief and suppression of bandits are urgent.As we all know, Guangxi has many mountains, dense forests, thin land, sparsely populated, and many ethnic groups, which have always been difficult for the royal administration.Paichong's previous governors all left and returned in a hurry, like a revolving door.Frequently changing borders, the common people are annoyed, and the emperor is also annoyed. At this time, an old eunuch in Chinese clothes and steady steps came in hurriedly, crossed his horseshoe sleeves, knelt before the desk with his knees down, lowered his head, raised a piece of paper above his head with both hands and said: "Qi Report to the emperor, this is the poem that has been spread all over the capital, I begged the Ministry of Internal Affairs to transcribe a copy, and asked the emperor to read it." The old eunuch's surname is Cao and his name is Jinxi. He is the head of the palace and the most proud father-in-law around Emperor Daoguang.The little eunuch on duty in front of the imperial court hurriedly took the paper over. Emperor Daoguang said: "Go down." "Hey!" Eunuch Cao said loudly, and then slowly exited the door. Emperor Daoguang picked up the Guangxi book again, looked at it for a long time before putting it down, and then picked up the pen again, as if he wanted to write something on this book. "Alas!" Emperor Daoguang sighed, put down the pen again, and picked up the dragon pattern paper that the little eunuch had just put on the desk, and chanted softly: Emperor Daoguang put the poem back on the desk, and picked up a piece of watermelon to eat. The night wind is getting stronger, and the flowers and plants are already rubbing against each other. It is really cool to see a bright moon hanging in the sky.Emperor Daoguang in the back study had leaned back on his chair to rest slightly.Taking advantage of this moment, the eunuchs on duty in front of the imperial court hurriedly removed the watermelon and replaced it with several plates of fresh fruit. "This Zeng Guofan..." Emperor Daoguang muttered suddenly. The eunuchs who were waiting nearby were all shocked.Look at Emperor Daoguang, he is still leaning on his back, half-opening his eyes and meditating.The eunuchs looked at each other, but no one dared to speak.