Chapter 46 Section 46: Going home to be filial piety without disturbing officials

"Old ancestor, the man who is not filial to his grandson is late!" As the door opened, there was a hysterical cry, and Zeng Guofan threw himself down at his grandfather's feet in all his filial piety. Zhou Sheng and his two companions also knelt down together, and said in their mouths: "Slaves pay respects to our ancestors!" Zeng Xinggang was taken aback for a moment, but when he bent down and saw that the person who came was Changsun Zicheng, his whole body trembled violently, no matter how difficult he was to hold, he stretched out his hands and hugged his grandson's head. Tears that I haven't seen for many years.

"Kuan Yi, it's Kan Yi!" Zeng Xinggang was too excited, so he could only say this sentence. "The slaves kowtow to the young master!" More than a dozen servants ran out of the mourning hall and knelt down on the ground together.The young master who they had longed for and longed for to be a Beijing official has finally returned! Zeng Guohuang, Zeng Guohua, Zeng Guoquan, and Zeng Guobao, all dressed in plain clothes, also walked out of the golden hall upon hearing the sound.When they found out that it was the eldest brother, they all shouted "Brother is back", and ran over with tears in their eyes.

Zeng Guofan took one step at a time and kept knocking into the Golden Hall.Everyone supported Zeng Xinggang and walked in.The Golden Hall cried out in an instant and moved the ground.The four characters of "virtuous and eternal life" bestowed by Emperor Daoguang and stamped with the imperial seal rose above the golden hall, and below were elegiac scrolls and couplets sent by the great scholar Mu Zhang'a and more than a dozen officials of all sizes in Beijing. Looking at this extraordinary grace, even the always reserved old man Xinggang couldn't hold back, and the atmosphere in the Golden Hall suddenly became solemn.

Mr. Xinggang murmured to himself tremblingly: "Old man, what kind of virtues have my Zeng family accumulated to have such brilliance. God's grace! God's grace!" After speaking, he was so happy that he shed tears. That night, Zeng Guofan had someone put his bed in the Golden Hall to keep a vigil for his grandmother.As soon as the words came out, not only the parents forbade it, but Guohuang brothers also resolutely blocked it. Zeng Linshu said: "Kuanyi, it's not that your father doesn't want you to be filial, but your father also knows that your grandmother loves you. It's really your body that doesn't allow it. The Golden Hall is damp and dirty, no way!"

Eldest sister Zeng Guolan also said: "Brother, you are only on vacation for a few days, and something went wrong, how can you explain to the emperor?" Zeng Guofan said while weeping: "To be an official in Beijing is to be loyal, but to go home is to be filial! Grandma loves me once, and if I don't guard her old man for a few days, how will you let me be a man again!" Zeng Guohuang, Zeng Guohua, Zeng Guoquan, and Zeng Guobao saw that their eldest brother was like this, so they had to ask someone to move the bed over quickly.Brothers Zeng Linshu and Zeng Jiyun had been guarding here for a long time, so they moved back to the inner room together to make room.

In the first half of the night, Zeng Linshu and his wife sat with their son for a while, especially the mother, Jiang Taigong, who clung to her son under the banner of bad eyesight, holding his son's hand with both hands, and did not let go for a moment. Zeng Linshu Feeling that speaking like this was awkward, I pulled it twice but failed to pull it away, so I had to give up. Mr. Xinggang also visited the Golden Hall one after another that night.After a while, I asked the servants: "Is the young master's mattress thick enough? If not, why don't you add an extra blanket. The Jinjintang is so tide!" The servants rushed to deliver the blankets to the Jinjintang.

Before the servants could reach the Golden Hall with their blankets in their arms, Mr. Xinggang walked over tremblingly, and asked a few steps away: "Is the young master's quilt thick enough? Why don't you add another quilt. Blanket Bo, the golden hall tide!" The servants answered every question, and they were not bored.Everyone knows that the ancestors usually don't talk much, but now they are so chattering, they are very happy. Zeng Guoquan and Zeng Guobao, with their elder brothers behind their backs, begged Zhou Sheng to enter the study room, bowed and bowed, and used various means to coerce Zhou Sheng to open the bag and take out Zeng Guofan's fourth-grade court clothes. Wearing a blue top, squeeze to see.

Zeng Guoquan said: "Being like big brother is worth the whole world!" The envy in his eyes, no matter how skilled the painter is, he can't draw it. Zeng Guobao also said: "My eldest brother is only in his thirties, and he has become a fourth-rank official. There are not many in Hunan!" !" Knowing that Zeng Guofan had returned to his hometown for the funeral, the county government immediately dispatched more than a dozen government servants to guard the gate of Zeng's family.Zeng Linshu saw that Guofan never left the Golden Hall and ate three meals a day here, so he didn't tell him about the yamen guard guarding the gate.He believed that the local yamen should do something to help his son return home for the funeral as a fourth-rank Jingtang next to the emperor, not to mention that the Zeng family always handed over the most grain and land in the county every year.If one person attains the Tao, chickens and dogs can ascend to heaven, let alone become a Beijing official!

But Zhou Sheng immediately reported the matter to Zeng Guofan.At the end of the day, Zhou Sheng added: "I think Uehara had good intentions in that place. According to this servant, I have the right to pretend that I don't know. Even if the Emperor knows, because I don't know, what can I do?" Zeng Guofan pondered for a while, and said: "Zhou Sheng, take my post, go to see their leaders, and tell them that this official is not on a business trip, but is returning home for the funeral. Forgive me for not being able to meet them because of my filial piety. Tell them, according to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, funerals are not allowed to disturb officials, there is no such precedent in the Qing Dynasty. Tell Zhang Ming's mansion, wait for the official to pay a filial piety, and then visit him, go."

On the third day after Zeng Guofan arrived home, the famous Hunan Fengshui master "Zhao Tieyan" took Zeng Guofan and his son around for a whole day in Badouchong in Ershisi Township before finally choosing an auspicious place and pointing it out according to the compass. A bamboo stick was inserted in the direction.The next day, the Zeng family started digging graves. Zeng Guofan was originally skeptical about Di Xianyi's statement, but the local customs cannot be violated, and he had nothing to say, so he agreed on the date of burial that day.There are more than 500 relatives from the Zeng family, and more than 20 people from Wang Taigong's natal family.The whole lotus leaf pond is full.

On the day of the funeral, Luo Zenan, Liu Rong and other old friends of Zeng Guofan rushed to Zeng's house early to help Zhang Luo.Naturally, the Zeng family was screaming again.Both the government office and the county office sent people to participate. Hundreds of people were lively and noisy, and they sent Wang Taigong to the auspicious place all the time. Zeng Guofan was crying so hard because he was helping the coffin to move forward, so naturally he didn't take this into consideration. When he found out, the people from the yamen had already sat on the table and exchanged glasses. Zeng Guofan complained about Zeng Guohuang and Zeng Guohua in private, and he didn't stop until Zeng Linshu took the fault to himself. After sending off relatives and neighbors, Zeng Guofan decided to thank the guests behind closed doors for three days, and have a good talk with his family. On the fourth day, he went to visit his relatives and friends and the local gentry as a thank you. However, Zhang, the county magistrate of the main hall of Xiangxiang County, also came to visit the next day with a film. "The next official kowtows to Mr. Zeng." County magistrate Zhang bowed to the ground, respectful. Zeng Guofan hurriedly returned the salute, then helped him up, and said: "Zhang Ming's mansion is very polite. I am deeply sorry for disturbing the local parents after receiving the emperor's favor. Thank you Ya, the county magistrate took the first step, I am really ashamed! Zhou Sheng quickly offer tea to Zhang's parents." After returning to his seat, County Magistrate Zhang said: "Master Zeng, you are always at home. The next official should never miss a step to wait on your left and right sides. However, he has been entangled in official duties and has been unable to get away. The next official has come to plead guilty to your lord." Zeng Guofan said: "Your Majesty of the Ming Palace, don't say that. My grandmother's funeral has disturbed the government. I deeply apologize. It is a great fortune for the Zengmen not to have Zhang Mingfu go to the court. How dare you think otherwise!" Zhang Ye said with a smile: "My lord has not yet entered the mansion, but Mu Zhongtang's 800-mile fast rider has already arrived at the Yamen. Mu Zhongtang has repeatedly told his subordinates that he must serve your lord well. Is Mu Zhongtang's body still in good shape?" Zeng Guofan said: "Although my teacher has many things to do, he is still in good health. I thank you for my teacher." Zhang Ye said: "As long as Mr. Zhongtang is in good health, the lower official will feel at ease! I think of ten years ago, when the lower official was introduced to Beijing by the Dianshi Ren Shangmeng Fuyuan, Mu Zhongtang only said a word, and dismissed the lower official from entering the ranks." And the county magistrate, who made up for the eighth rank, entered the fourth rank. After returning, not only the colleagues were stunned, but the Fuyuan was also surprised. Without Mu Zhongtang, there would be no official position today!" Zhang Ye, whose name is Hezhen, was born in the first class, and once served as the historian of Qiangu in the capital of Hengzhou, he made some money and made Fuyuan look up to him extremely.First, he was given a job title from the Ministry of Officials, and then he was recommended to go to Beijing for a class introduction, and he would reuse it when he came back.After Zhang Ye arrived in Beijing, he was not busy going to the Ministry of Officials, but was busy looking for connections and apprentices everywhere, which was more busy than making introductions.After bowing and bowing, he bowed to Mu Zhang'a's head.Mu Zhang'a was not the chief at that time, but he was already very powerful, and he was in charge of the official department as a scholar.Zhang also found out clearly that what Mu Zhang'a loves most is antiques, and what he loves to play with are women, so for the first time when he entered Mu's mansion, he gave Mu Zhang'a a pair that cost him 100,000 taels of silver. The ancient bottles overwhelm Mu Zhang's collection. After the introduction, Zhang was soon released by the Fuyuan as the acting magistrate of Xiangxiang County. After a year, he was released from the real position. He has served as the county magistrate for two terms in Xiangxiang County as steadily as Mount Tai, and is now serving the third term. on the post.Hunan has changed governors, chief envoys, and procuratorial envoys like a revolving lantern, and never served two terms, but Zhang Ye can't do anything to him.Although the Baili people in Xiangxiang called Zhang Ye "Zhang Sanchi", which meant to scrape off the land by three feet, he always had a way to make the governor dare not dismiss him.Xiangxiang County was under the jurisdiction of Changsha Prefecture, and the prefect came and went in exchange, but Zhang Ye sat still.The current acting magistrate is Liu Xiangdong, who was born in the two rankings, and Zeng Guofan was in the same year, so Zhang can't do anything. Zhang Zhang is not only shrewd, but also courageous. No matter how bad the harvest is, he has only seen him increase rents, but he has never seen him cut interest rates.Cao Liang Di Ding is the most careful, no one dares to fool him.Especially in famine years, no matter how much relief money the treasury allocates for disaster relief, he will accept it all; in years when people starve to death, he only spends one-tenth or less of the money to symbolically build a few porridge pots, However, the porridge was boiled once every ten days and a half months, and the porridge was so rare that each person still had less than half a bowl.The more severe the disaster, the more the people suffer, and he is the only one who is very happy.Zeng Guofan had heard about this a long time ago, and his father and younger brothers also mentioned many times in the letters that the government had increased taxes and taxes for the Zeng family.In the famine years, there was never a tael of silver given to the people. It is said that Zhang also took a lot of care of the Zeng family.Some squires were beaten up for resisting donations, and there was nowhere to sue them. County students Liu Rong and Luo Zenan also wrote to Zeng Guofan many times about Zhang Ye's scandal.Zeng Guofan already had a deep dislike for Zhang, but he couldn't do anything about it.After chatting for a few more words, seeing Zeng Guofan's embarrassing face, Zhang Ye had no choice but to get up and leave, as if he had nothing to say. Zeng Guofan bowed his hands politely, but didn't see him off, watching Zhang Ye go out and board the sedan chair. At this moment, Zeng Guohuang led Liu Rong and Luo Zenan in.