Chapter 45 Section 45 Zeng Guofan's students are all on the list

When Zeng Guofan's leave was over, he and Zuo Zongtang went out of the temple and returned to his residence. That night, there were officials below the lecturer and bachelor degree of the Imperial Academy to see Zeng Guofan.Zhao Ji also sent a greeting to the housekeeper. Zeng Guofan solemnly introduced Zuo Zongtang to everyone.Zuo Zongtang didn't know until now that Zeng Guofan was already a fourth-rank Jingtang.In my heart, I admire this person's noble feelings and broad mind more and more.He began to be proud of having such a fellow countryman. Zhou Sheng offered tea, and everyone returned to their seats to talk.

Zuo Zongtang was still a little cautious at first, but after talking, his thoughts gradually cleared up, and he began to talk.Those Hanlin people were fascinated by what they heard, and they left very late. Zeng Guofan asked Jize to call Zuo Zongtang Uncle Shi, and asked his servants to call him Master Zuo. Li Hongzhang and Guo Songtao also met each other with junior etiquette. Zeng Guofan asked Zhou Shengdan to clean a house for Zuo Zongtang to live in.Knowing that Li Hongzhang and Guo Songtao were candidates for the exam, Zuo Zongtang insisted on living with Li Hongzhang, saying it was convenient for them to discuss stereotypes.Zeng Guofan was afraid that the third son of the left would be slow to abduct Li Hongzhang's pen, so he insisted on separating the two.

In the first few days, Li Hongzhang could still listen to Zuo Zongtang's arguments about how to employ troops and employ people, but later on, the more he listened to them, the more he didn't care about fame and stereotypes, so he simply didn't even accompany him. Ze a few words "the person who is almost". Seeing that the new year was approaching, the capital began to get busy. Zeng Guofan was so busy that sometimes he couldn't come back for a few days, so he entrusted the whole family to Zuo Zongtang to take care of it. The New Year's Eve is not only a season for officials to talk to each other, but also a gateway for Beijing officials.Some officials have been living on debt for many years, and when the year comes, those who want to pay will come to their door, and there is no time to hide.

Zeng Guofan's life was not well-off at first. He relied on his salary, his disciples' training, and his debts, and had no other income.At the end of the new year, naturally there will be a few money collectors who are in charge of collecting the bills and will come to collect the bills. Zuo Zongtang was startled when he saw the loan from the bank.What he never expected was that Zeng Guofan had to rely on debts to survive in order to become a fourth-rank Jingtang! Zuo Zongtang was deeply moved, so he hurriedly wrote a letter to his family, and sent a servant of Zeng's mansion to ride a fast horse back to Zuo's mansion in Xiangyin, Hunan to fetch five thousand taels of silver. The silver was used to repay Zeng Guofan's old debts. Although it was not a lot, it was four to five hundred taels.

Zeng Guofan was already so busy that he was dizzy and had no time to take care of these things. He never asked Zuo Zongtang what to do in the mansion.Until then, Li Hongzhang had no choice but to look at Zuo Zongtang differently, and he also kept the idea of ​​"Zeng Zuo was a good friend" in his heart. After the New Year's Eve, the housekeeper Tang Xuan sent Zeng Guofan the annual income and expenditure account as usual.Only then did Zeng Guofan know that Zuo Zongtang not only blocked the old hole for him, but also took five thousand taels of silver from his own house, and he couldn't bear it.

He called Zuo Zongtang into the study and said emotionally: "Jigao, no matter how much money you take, you should discuss it with me. You must know that Zuo Jigao's money was also accumulated by you, not by the wind." here." Zuo Zongtang laughed loudly and said, "Okay, Zeng Disheng, you have to be reasonable if you get it cheap! Your brother thinks that I gave you the five thousand taels of silver for nothing? I lent it to you. When will I use it?" , When do you have to pay me back. Disheng, to be honest, what I admire most in my life is the word "clean" in the officialdom. Only when officials have this word can they take the sufferings of the people to heart. You can’t do it. Your elder brother has been in the Sipin Jingtang for a few years and lives on debts, so you know what kind of official you are. Although this has something to do with your timidity and cowardice, it does include The word "Lian" was added. If you don't lend this money, who will you lend it to! As the saying goes, as many officials are as bold as you are, but you don't have the courage to be a senior official, and you really can't learn it!"

What Zuo Zongtang said left Zeng Guofan dumbfounded. In this year's examination, Daoguang ordered Zeng Guofan to be the Minister of Examination and Examination, the foreman of the examination minister was Mu Zhang'a, a university scholar, and the deputy foreman was Bai Ling. When Zuo Zongtang got the news, he was speechless for a while.A man stayed alone in Zeng Guofan's study for a long time, and finally heaved a long sigh: "Come on, let's check the papers, there is no hope of entering this year!" The day before the exam, while Li Hongzhang was packing up the exam basket, Zuo Zongtang packed his luggage and supplies by himself, called a car, and quietly left Beijing for Xiangyin.

Why didn't Zuo Zongtang stop when he heard the news that Zeng Guofan was appointed as the minister of examination?Because Zuo Zongtang knew Zeng Guofan's character too well.In private affairs, no matter how sloppy he is, he will never pursue it, but in official affairs and articles, he will not let it go wrong.If other ministers were to read the examination papers, his Zuo Lao San's article might still be able to muddle through. In Zeng Guofan's eyes, he would definitely not be able to muddle through. The so-called "confidant" originally meant the same reasoning. The meeting passed in the blink of an eye, and the day when the emperor's list was revealed, Zeng Guofan's top ten disciples were all on the list.Li Hongzhang ranked fifth, Guo Songtao ranked 12th, and Li Zongyi ranked 27th.Then there is the imperial examination.According to the usual practice, Emperor Daoguang hand-picked Li Hongzhang and other top five scholars on the spot to be Shuji scholars of the Imperial Academy.The rest of the Jinshi stayed in Beijing, stayed in Beijing, and released outside, and everyone was happy.

The general examination is a major event for the students of the Qing Dynasty. Not only the people value it, but the court also pays special attention to it. There are twelve ministers appointed to examine the papers alone, plus the foreman and deputy foreman. Sometimes there are as many as 20 people. .The examination papers for entering the arena must be read by more than 20 ministers before they can be decided, so it is difficult to cheat.Zeng Guofan's ten disciples not only passed the exam, but also ranked higher. This situation has not only never happened before, but it will never happen again in the future.It was widely spread all over the country for a while.

Zeng Guofan's literary name was shocked again.With the assistance of his ten disciples, the "Four Books and Five Classics" that he personally corrected, titled, and interpreted, were engraved and published nationwide.Zeng Guofan can be said to be proud of the spring breeze at this time, and everything goes smoothly. Not long after the trial, Ouyang Ningzhi from Hengzhou sent someone to Zeng's mansion, saying that the old lady missed her daughter and grandson very much, and came to pick up the young lady and come home for a short stay. Zeng Guofan didn't dare to neglect, he hurriedly packed Yuying's luggage, hired a sedan chair, and personally escorted her to Chengguan the next day, saying goodbye to Yuying.

After another three months of stable life, an obituary came from my hometown unexpectedly: Grandmother Wang Taigong died of edema on the 18th of last month, at the age of eighty.Zeng Guofan happened to be in the mansion that day, and when he got this letter, he immediately fainted to the ground.The family panicked. After waking up, Zeng Guofan burst into tears again, and then asked his servants to decorate the mourning hall, bought filial cloth, and the whole house wore filial obedience; he also drafted the "Leave of Leave" overnight, which was submitted by Wen Qing .According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty and the Ding Jian system, the death of grandparents of officials does not require Ding worry, but they can ask for leave to observe filial piety at home, and the time varies. But this time, Emperor Daoguang was unconventional. He not only rewarded Zeng Guofan with a four-month leave, but also allowed him to return to his hometown for the funeral. , Eunuch Cao sent it to Zeng Mansion in person. Zeng Guofan was greatly moved, and led the whole family to kowtow nine times before being supported by Eunuch Cao. Not daring to delay, he hastily greeted Wen Qing, took Zhou Sheng and two guards, and set foot on the way back home. The elegiac couplets and elegiac curtains of the colleagues of the Imperial Academy were delivered as early as the same day, and Wen Qing also wrote the four characters "Becoming a Immortal and Obtaining the Tao". These were packed in a big package. Zeng Guofan's credo in his life: only accept ink, not cash.Even the five hundred taels of silver sent by his mentor Mu Zhongtang was sent back by his family, without exception.Mu Zhang'a had no choice but to rewrite a large scroll before Zeng Guofan accepted it. Zeng Guofan and his party didn't dare to delay on the road, and Zeng Guofan was eager to return home, so he really could drive ten miles, not just five miles, and within half a moon, he had already entered the ground of Hunan. As soon as he entered Hunan, Zeng Guofan was taken aback: Is this still his haunted hometown? Although he knew in his heart that the drought in Hunan was extremely severe in the first year, and locusts appeared again in late autumn.I heard from the candidates from my hometown who went to Beijing for the test that a large number of locusts covered the sky and the sun, and wherever they landed, the crops there disappeared instantly.In some counties, even private houses were collapsed.The state treasury issued disaster relief silver three times a year, and a large amount of food was transferred from Sichuan to relieve the difficulties. Only then did the Fuyuan's emergency documents slow down.Most of the commercial firms and shops in the states and counties I passed were also closed, obviously because there were goods and no one bought them.Anxiety and uneasiness appeared on people's faces, and they were in a hurry, not knowing whether they were busy visiting relatives or relying on friends, all of which lost the prosperity and tranquility of his hometown. In the eyes of middle-aged Zeng Guofan, the beauty of Hunan is greatly reduced.Could this be Hunan?Is this really Hunan?People who asked passers-by said that it was Hunan, and they were told that Changsha was eighty miles ahead.Zeng Guofan's heart became heavier and heavier. Baiyangping, a remote, desolate and poor village with only about 200 households in the north corner of Heyetang Capital, Xiangxiang County, is located at the junction of Xiangxiang, Hengyang, and Hengshan counties; Large tracts of thatched cottages are scattered here and there, streets and roads are nowhere to be seen, and fields of crops where locusts have gnawed out the stems and leaves can be seen everywhere.In the southwest corner of Baiyangping, there are three magnificent tall archways standing in the middle of the clouds, giving people a feeling of being a standout, which is extremely inconsistent with the surrounding environment; but the lintels of the three tall archways are inlaid with the words "Xiaolian" First", "Jinshi first", "Hanlin first".Nine large gold-painted characters shine brightly in the sun.The houses behind the three archways are still in order. There are two large wooden doors with nail drums and red lacquer and iron rings in the middle. Two white gauze lanterns are hung on the left and right sides, and a long string of year-old papers is blown. The sound is truly desolate. Needless to say, the first family in Xiangxiang County who can have such a glorious momentum must be the first family in Xiangxiang County. The Zeng family was holding a big funeral, and mourning could be heard within a hundred miles.Zeng Xinggang with a white beard—the old man of the Zeng family, leaning on a snake-headed birthday stick, standing straight in the middle of his courtyard, with the branches of a dead old pagoda tree like an umbrella covering his head, his eyes Staring fixedly at the half-opened door, motionless.Ever since he received the letter from his eldest grandson Zicheng asking for leave to go to the funeral, he has been like this every day, never missing a single day. Several servants followed from a distance, not daring to persuade, not asking, not approaching.Master Zeng Linshu has already ordered, don't care what the old man does. Zeng Guofan's father, Zeng Linshu, was very filial. He brought his nephews and several women from the big house, and he waited day and night in front of the spirit of King Taigong of Huangjintang.Zeng Guofan's uncle, Ji Yun, was also Su Bai, and brought a housekeeper with him to meet relatives and friends who were going to the funeral.Zeng Linshu and Zeng Jiyun's heads were covered with dark clouds, and they were in a trance.Fifth Uncle Nan led a few maids and women, making spirit banners, folding paper money, and tying cows and horses for Wang Taigong, so busy that he couldn't pick up his feet. The Golden Hall is solemnly arranged, with the coffin in the middle and the longevity head facing the door.On the top of the longevity tree hangs the imperial axe that Changsun Zicheng earned for her, and on the bottom there is a big "Dian" character.On the left side of Shoumu are the elegiac scrolls and elegiac couplets sent by the local magistrate's yamen, and the ink marks of Liu Xiangdong, the acting prefect of the prefect, are on the first place.On the right side of Shoumu are the plaques and mourning banners presented by the Xiangxiang County Government and the county school, with the ink of Zhang Ye, the county magistrate, at the beginning.Large candles as thick as arms were lit all around the coffin, and the wicks were crackling and crackling, causing wax tears to flow on the chopping board.The worshipers walked in uninterruptedly, knelt together, and turned the ever-burning lamp in front of the spirit on and off. Wang Taigong stayed in the world for eighty springs and autumns. After marrying into the Zeng family, she suffered for a few days and enjoyed a few days of blessings. She was thinking about living to be a hundred and one years old, but suddenly she got edema.The disease came on violently, and the old lady Gong was weak, but within a few days, the water and rice stopped flowing.It took a few more days, and the doctors also invited from Xiangxiang to Changsha, but they all shook their heads, saying that the medicine prescribed was no longer edible.Fortunately, he was still not confused, and only looked at the eldest son Linshu with his eyes open.Everyone knows that Tai Gong wants to see Sun Zicheng, but how can he do it?It took another whole day, and Wang Taigong went away unwillingly with his dull eyes open like this. Zeng Xinggang was relaxing in the rattan chair at that time.Hearing the news, he was neither surprised nor sad nor happy, just said lightly "she should go", then closed his eyes to rest his mind, and refused to step out of the house, let the outside howl, how to save, right When you have nothing to do with yourself.However, when the grandson Zicheng, who was an official in Beijing, wrote back to say that the emperor had allowed him to go to the funeral and was rushing back, the ancestors refused to stay in the house anymore, and every day they guarded the dead tree and looked at the gate to look forward to their grandchildren. return. He will be the first person in the Zeng family to see Zicheng's grandson walk through the gate. In the dark, it seemed that someone from Wang Taigong was speaking, and it seemed that an irrelevant voice told him that he could realize this wish.He has suffered all his life, and insisted on confessing that a Hanlin public official became a Beijing official. Such a wish has been fulfilled, what other wish can't be fulfilled? !