Chapter 29 The 29th Festival Meets at Baoguo Temple

Zeng Guofan numbly followed Eunuch Cao into the Imperial Study Room, and heard a shout from inside, "Xuan Zeng Guofan is coming." Zeng Guofan stepped in and knelt down on the ground, and numbly shouted: "Minister Zeng Guofan bows to the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live long live!" Emperor Daoguang glanced at Zeng Guofan, but shouted, "Eunuch Cao." Eunuch Cao outside the door hastily came in and knelt down, and said loudly, "The servant is here." Emperor Daoguang said: "Come here, send Zeng Guofan back to the mansion. Pass the imperial dining room and enjoy Zeng Guofan's breakfast. It's time for me to go to court."

Eunuch Cao hurriedly got up to help Emperor Daoguang up, and shouted to the eunuchs standing beside him: "Send Zeng Guofan back to the mansion. Pass it to the imperial dining room, and enjoy Zeng Guofan's breakfast!" Supporting Emperor Daoguang, he walked out as if no one was around. The eunuch on duty walked up to Zeng Guofan at this moment and said, "Lord Zeng, I will send you home. The breakfast in the imperial dining room will be here in a while." Zeng Guofan hummed, and was about to stand up, but his eyes went dark. Passed out again. When Zeng Guofan was carried back to the mansion in a sedan chair by the eunuch on duty, Zhou Sheng was frightened to death.Not a moment later, before Zeng Guofan woke up, the eunuch delivering breakfast arrived again.Zhou Sheng hurriedly knelt down to pick him up, saying that the master is still awake, please take care of his father-in-law, and rewarded each of them ten taels of silver before sending the two eunuchs away.

Just as Zhou Sheng stopped to give Zeng Guofan hot water, an eunuch led Li Weiqing from the Imperial Hospital into the room, and shouted loudly: "The Emperor has an order to reward the Imperial Physician Li Weiqing to see Zeng Guofan." Zhou Sheng thanked his master in a hurry, took out ten taels of silver and handed it to the eunuch, saying repeatedly: "Father-in-law has worked hard! Father-in-law has worked hard!" until the eunuch smiled and picked up the money. Doctor Li checked Zeng Guofan's pulse, and prescribed another prescription, instructing Zhou Sheng to go to Tongrentang to get the medicine according to the prescription, and to cook as soon as possible.Then he left with the eunuch.Zhou Sheng sent the eunuch all the way to the gate, and when he came back to look, Zeng Guofan had already opened his eyes.

Zhou Sheng hurriedly helped him up, calling "Master", with tears in his eyes. Zeng Guofan gasped for a while before he could speak: "Zhou Sheng, help me out of bed, and kneel with me to thank the emperor for breakfast." After kneeling and worshiping, Zeng Guofan panted and sat on the chair, while Zhou Sheng stood behind and gently patted his back.After a while, Zeng Guofan sent him to Tongrentang to get the medicine with the prescription. Suddenly, Zeng Guofan felt itchy all over his body. He unbuttoned his clothes and looked at it. He couldn't help being surprised. He saw that the whole body was covered with spots, and the ringworm was more severe than before; .

After Zhou Sheng came back, he put plaster on Zeng Guofan's chest and back, and then hurriedly boiled the medicine. After Zeng Guofan finished taking the medicine, he and Zhou Sheng had some royal reward breakfast, which consisted of four meat and four vegetables plus a pot of lotus seed porridge with rock sugar.It was Zeng Guofan's first time to drink lotus seed porridge. Apart from feeling sweet, he didn't appreciate the preciousness.Zhou Sheng knelt down once after taking a sip of porridge, knelt down nine times in a row after drinking nine mouthfuls of porridge, knelt once and said once, "Thank you for your grace, and also drank the porridge that Long Live God often eats. It’s not over yet!” Thinking about it, what Zhou Sheng said was true.Ordinary people at that time, not to mention drinking lotus seed porridge, how many people could know the name of lotus seed porridge?Don't say that Zhou Sheng knelt down nine times in a row, and if he changed anyone, wouldn't he be proud of it all his life!

After dinner, the official on duty of Zhan Shifu came to deliver an edict: "Zeng Guofan's test in Sichuan took a lot of physical energy, and he was prepared for hard work. He became sick from overwork. I will reward a ginseng tree in Changbai Mountain and leave it for one month. I respect it." As soon as the official on duty of Zhan Shifu left, several colleagues from the Hanlin Academy, Shao Yichen, Liu Chuanying and others came to see him, except that Hu Linyi was missing.After inquiring, I found out that Hu Linyi's mother died of illness during Zeng Guofan's Sichuan test, and Hu Yuding returned to his hometown with difficulty, and he had been away from Beijing for more than two months.Zhou Sheng hurriedly served tea, and everyone started chatting in a hurry.

Chen Gongyuan spoke first: "The official newspaper of the Military Aircraft Department said that he was born in a local yamen that was blackmailed on the way to Sichuan, and that the fish and meat local yamen frightened us to death." Mei Zengliang said: "I didn't believe it at all! I, Mei Zengliang One day as an imperial envoy, it is possible to do this a few times! What kind of person is Disheng! Not to flatter him face to face, not to mention the Imperial Academy, but the entire capital, which official can surpass him in integrity?" Shao Yichen opened his pocket at this time A Fangbao came and said: "This is a manuscript left by the old master Tang Jianjinghai before he left. Let me pass it on to you, and I will trouble you to revise it in your spare time."

Zeng Guofan said: "Don't embarrass me soon! No one in China dares to revise Mr. Tang's masterpiece, unless you Shao Hanlin is not ashamed, others don't have your talent." Shao Yichen was blushed by Zeng Guofan's words and laughed at himself A few times: "Anyway, what I said is the original words of the old master Tang. It's up to you to correct or not. If you pass the words to me, the task will be considered complete." Mei Zengliang said: "I saw a big blue sedan chair in the yard, it must have been made by Disheng?" Zeng Guofan said: "The etiquette system is like this, so I can't be sloppy. Fortunately, there is not much money. It was used by others for a few years, and I only changed the cloth of the sedan chair. Mu Zhongtang promised to recommend four bearers, and it took only a year. Fifty taels of silver. As for the sedan chair officer, there is no need. In the Qing Dynasty, it is not allowed to raise the guard of honor indiscriminately. It is counted as a violation. If you automatically lower the standard, it is not considered a violation, and no one will pursue it." Mei Zeng Liang said: "Tisheng should have been like this long ago. Manchu's domestic slaves are running around in sedan chairs, showing off their power. Are we Han people with two backgrounds considered cheap?"

At this moment, Zeng Guofan asked suddenly: "The emperor just gave me a vacation for the next month. I wonder if there is a good place to go in this capital? One is recuperating, and the other is sorting out my diary along the way." Chen Gongyuan thought for a while and said: "There is a Baoguo Temple 40 miles south of the city. The abbot is from Hunan. I suffered from heat stroke last year, so I lived with him for two months. It is clean and the environment is good. It is really refreshing. How many Wouldn't it be nice to pay some incense money, just a few taels a month, and take care of three vegetarian meals?"

Zeng Guofan was about to speak, but Liu Chuanying grabbed the topic and said, "Why don't you tell me about such a good place! Xinning's good friend Jiang Zhongyuan lives in my place now, it's crowded! Disheng, tomorrow we will go to Baoguo Temple to live with him for a month, anyway The three-month vacation that my superiors rewarded me is still one month short, wouldn't it be a pleasure to take it off for a month!" Shao Yichen said: "Haha, I will go as well. Anyway, I have been paying attention to the acne outbreak in Guangxi recently, and I can't get to the official business No one paid attention to the room."

Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "It seems that Zhou Sheng has to go too, let him carry the plaque of the Imperial Academy." Everyone laughed together.At night, Zeng Guofan ordered some meat and vegetable dishes from a restaurant not far away, and several Hanlin Gongs had a lively time. Zeng Guofan hired two people to carry the sedan chair, and brought Shao Yichen's "Study Cases" by Tang Jinghai old master, scattered diaries and miscellaneous banknotes on the way to Sichuan, and an extra bamboo box for books to be read at any time , and took eight plasters from Yixingtang in Sichuan, and then went out of the city gate to Baoguo Temple. Zeng Guofan went to Baoguo Temple on the front foot, and Liu Chuanying and Jiang Zhongyuan's two small sedan chairs also entered Baoguo Temple on the back foot, and Guo Songtao, a son of Xiangyin, came with him.Jiang Zhongyuan's name Zeng Guofan has long been heard, but this is the first time he has met.Guo Songtao was a frequent visitor to Zengfu. Zeng Guofan saw that Jiang Zhongyuan, although weak in stature, had a thunderous voice and bold demeanor, he didn't look like a scholar, but had the spirit of a hero, he didn't think it was funny.After talking, I learned that Jiang Zhongyuan, whose name is Changru, and whose name is Minqiao, is from Xinning, Hunan, and was born in a martial arts examination.During the first examination, his son Hu Zhen, who came with him, suffered a sudden illness and died suddenly in the guild hall. In order to escort Hu Zhen's coffin back to his hometown, Jiang Zhongyuan resolutely gave up the examination. Back home.Soon, Zou Liuxi, a native of Xinhua, died of illness in the capital, and Jiang Zhongyuan escorted his coffin back to Hunan from Beijing. Later, Deng Tiesong, a native of Xiangxiang, suffered from lung disease in Beijing and died in Xian County, Hebei on his way back to Hunan. Jiang Zhongyuan was in charge of the funeral and escorted his coffin back home.Jiang Zhongyuan became famous from then on.So people have rumors: send the coffin to Jiang Minqiao, and write elegiac couplets for Zeng Disheng.People juxtapose a rural martial arts exercise with Zeng Guofan, which shows what status Jiang Zhongyuan has in people's minds.Zeng Guofan had long wanted to get acquainted with this fellow from Hunan, but he had no chance. This time I had the honor to meet, and naturally we had a very happy chat.That night, the four of them had another long talk.Afterwards, Zeng Guofan called Jiang Zhongyuan a first-class character in "Guo Gap Shadow", and his ending was third-class and third-class. According to the continued comment, he said: "This person must make a name for himself in the world, but he should die with righteousness." Serve the country The abbot of the temple, Elder Yizhen, is also a master of Fangwai who is full of knowledge and profound Buddhist principles. Yizhen, surnamed Zhao and named Guangcai, is a native of Xiangtan, Hunan. He has been farming for generations. He had already saved a little in his father's generation. When Guangcai was seven years old, he was able to prepare a gift and carry the " It's the same as that."Guangcai's father died at the age of eight, and his mother died at the age of nine. Afterwards, his clan partner took over a few acres of Susukida from his family, and sent him to the temple as a young disciple.After Guangcai became an adult, he traveled all over the world to visit famous monks and Buddhas. Wutai Mountain, Shaolin Temple, Huashan Mountain, and White Horse Temple all left his footprints, and finally settled in Baoguo Temple. Elder Yizhen and Zeng Guofan met soon, and the two became close friends who talked about everything. They often enjoyed tea and chess together, and talked about scriptures and Taoism.From Elder Yizhen, Zeng Guofan learned a lot of Taoist and Buddhist health-preserving skills, such as daily hot water to wash feet, meditation and breathing adjustment, all of which he started to learn at this time. Guo Songtao and Jiang Zhongyuan studied martial arts every day, as if they wanted to become masters of martial arts, while Zeng Guofan did not forget to review Tang Jian's "Study Cases" and sort out diaries and miscellaneous banknotes, and supplemented "Guo Gap Shadow".The time of the four passed quickly.One month later, Zeng Guofan and Liu Chuanying had no choice but to go back home by sedan chair when their leave was over. Jiang Zhongyuan also left the mountain gate and reported to Baylor Mansion. Guo Songtao was the only one left in Baoguo Temple.