Chapter 53 Section 53 night inspection brothel

According to the Daqing official system, the top wear of the fourth and fifth rank officials is dark blue, the pattern of eight pythons and five claws is embroidered on the official uniform, and the snow goose is embroidered on the supplementary suit; while the top wear of the third rank official is bright blue. The luminous ones are embroidered with nine pythons and five claws on official clothes, and peacocks on supplementary clothes.Zeng Guofan went to Wang's tailor to order official uniforms and make-up uniforms on the day he got the order, and he didn't delay for a moment.Even though it is issued by the officials, it will take a few days.Du Shoutian asked Zeng Guofan to change his hat and official uniform, how could it be possible!

This is actually a vent of Du Shoutian's dissatisfaction caused by jealousy when he saw Zeng Guofan's promotion too fast.Zeng Guofan never took this kind of dissatisfaction to his heart, and Zeng Guofan just laughed it off when venting this kind of dissatisfaction.He is very clear that there are three ways for scholars not to fight: "Don't fight for fame with a gentleman, don't fight for profit with a villain, and don't fight for skill with heaven and earth." However, Zeng Guofan's promotion was too fast.Among the Jinshi in the same discipline as him, some are editors of the Imperial Academy, and the highest official position is only a fifth-rank doctor.Jealousy, jealousy, is there more than one Du Shoutian?

Five days later, Zeng Guofan wore a third-rank official uniform and replaced the bright sapphire crown. Naturally, the scene was different again. Although the sedan chair was still the old blue woolen sedan chair, there were no officials on horseback leading the way and attendants supporting the sedan chair. It's just that there is one more guard, but the mood of the person sitting in the sedan chair is quite different from before.According to the system, officials below the fourth grade must give way when they encounter a large green baize sedan chair, otherwise the guards in front of the green baize sedan chair can rush forward to pull the official off the sedan chair, or take the official photo and hand it over The Ministry of Officials will punish it as a violation of the system.The officials who were punished definitely did not dare to resist in the slightest.It was because of this regulation that Zeng Guofan insisted on not changing the sedan chair.In this way, no matter whether officials below the fourth grade give way to his sedan chair, it is not considered a violation of the system, because he is riding a blue woolen sedan chair.

Taichang Siqing is Zeng Guofan's official seal, so he should come here every day for business.Although the left deputy capital censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate is Zeng Guofan's part-time job, he does not have to report to work every day, but he must be present when he is on duty.There is no need for officials to remember this, the duty officer of the Metropolitan Procuratorate will notify you in time on the first day of duty.Zeng Guofan was on duty at the Metropolitan Procuratorate on the twelfth, and as usual, he had received a notice on the eleventh. On the twelfth day, his sedan chair arrived at the Metropolitan Procuratorate early.During the event, the palm prints of the six subjects led the censors out of the gate to meet the master Du who came to inspect the matter on the first day.On this day, Zeng Guofan was the highest official in the Metropolitan Procuratorate.As usual, Zuodu Yushi didn't have to come to see things. Only when major events happened, Zuodu Yushi would be willing to sit down.

Zeng Guofan has been busy here for a whole day. After the meal, he has to take the censors, big and small, to the Eight Great Alleys of the capital as usual, before the day's work is over. In fact, the night patrol of the Metropolitan Procuratorate followed the usual practice.It was really effective at the beginning, and it did play a role in rectifying the official mind in rectifying the administration of officials.But after a long time, the censor's night patrol became something in name only.After the meal, before the lights were lit in the Bada Hutong, Master Du’s big sedan chair was carried over, and he walked around like this. Naturally, he didn’t see anything, but the information that Emperor Daoguang got was “No matter how hard you see the Bada Hutong. Officials", so all the officials of the Qing Dynasty were in peace!

However, it is always useless to shout and comment on the affairs of the world from outside the game. Only by entering the game can there be hope for change.Zeng Guofan had seen this drawback a long time ago, and he also knew that the masters did this because they didn't want to make too much trouble, especially most of the masters were part-time jobs. If they were serious, it would be neither good for themselves nor others.But because the position is too low, and there is no evidence, so I forbear it.But his idea of ​​rectifying the Metropolitan Procuratorate has long been in his mind.

The Metropolitan Procuratorate on this day was the same as usual. The officials first went to the dining room for dinner, and then put on their big hats early and waited to set off.Unexpectedly, Mr. Zeng was addicted to tea at this time, and he drank a pot of tea for two hours before summoning the censors. Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "I kept you waiting for a long time. You should change into casual clothes now, and don't wear official clothes and top clothes. Don't you have regular clothes around you?" This is the same as not asking, all officials wear casual clothes under their official uniforms, as long as they take off their official uniforms, the rest will naturally be casual clothes.Zeng Guofan took off his official uniform first, and took off his top hat.None of the officials said a word, and they all took off their official uniforms one after another, and waited for Zeng Guofan to show them off before they got up in sedan chairs and went to watch the night together.

But Zeng Guofan said: "Tonight I have to work on everyone's precious feet. Let's walk to watch the night tonight. Since I have this title, I can't take this salary empty-handed. This is a duty. There is no other way. Let's go." .” Big and small censors, you look at me, I look at you, no one has the courage to refute. The five censors on duty would naturally go, and Zeng Guofan called ten more bodyguards, plus Zeng Guofan's original five entourages, twenty-one people, all dressed in ordinary clothes, marched towards the Eight Great Hutongs in the dark night. The Metropolitan Procuratorate is not too far from Bada Hutong, only two or three miles away, and it took half an hour for Zeng Guofan and others to arrive.The Bada Hutong has long been a season of bright lights.

It seems that all the excitement of the capital is gathered here. The red lanterns above the lintel are hung more dignifiedly than one another, and the sound of singing and laughing hits people's eardrums.It seems like a family is booming. When Zeng Guofan came to Beijing to rush for the Hanlin examination site, he came here for a drink with a few high school Jinshi. In the next few years, he was busy with academic studies and politics, and because of repeated bouts of ringworm, his appearance was neither suave nor coquettish. Never came again.Compared with those at that time, the current Bada Hutong is obviously much larger in scale.

In front of the largest brothel named "Dongtianyuan", Zeng Guofan asked the censors and guards to guard the front and rear doors, while he brought three followers and walked in through the door first. At that time, it was the rule of the Beijing Normal University that people had to drink, call games, or play tea circles in the first half of the night, and then stay overnight in the second half of the night, so naturally they had to pay extra money. As soon as Zeng Guofan and the other four showed up in the lobby, girls greeted them with smiles. "My lords, why are you here now?" The girls were ordinary-looking but all smiled sweetly, and spoke like silver bells.

Zeng Guofan knew that this was a common method used by prostitutes to solicit customers, so he said, "I have an appointment with a friend. I don't know if there was a banquet? Please lead the way, girl." The girl was dazed, but the bustard came over and said with a smile, "I guess, this master is the honored guest invited by the official of the household department. Xinghua, quickly lead the master to find the official, and have a banquet in Taohua's room." Zeng Guofan shook his head and said, "Are there any seats?" Bustard hurriedly said: "Yes! Mr. Li from the Ministry of Punishment and Mr. Ji from the Ministry of Industry have seats! Didn't you go to Mr. Li's banquet?" Seeing Zeng Guofan's silence, she immediately changed her words: "That must be Master Ji did it! Xinghua quickly took Master to find Master Ji, and Master Ji’s banquet is set in Chrysanthemum’s room." Zeng Guofan decided to attack the person surnamed Ji first, and replied: "That's right. Girl, please lead the way." The girl Xinghua walked in front of the road very happily, and she acted like a baby with Zeng Guofan while walking, and said sweetly: "Master, please lead the way." Let’s call it the game of the slave family. The slave family has liked people like you, master since birth!” Seeing that Zeng Guofan had no words, Xinghua stopped and refused to go any further. She just pointed to a room with a chrysanthemum hanging inside and said, "Master Ji will hold a banquet in that room." Pouting his mouth, he turned and left, with an unhappy expression on his face. Zeng Guofan let out a dry cough, and involuntarily slowed down his pace. When he reached the door, he opened the curtain and walked in. Looking up, it turned out that Jiqiao, a fifth-rank official from the Ministry of Industry, was hosting a banquet here.There were a total of six people sitting during the banquet, and there was a girl serving wine and vegetables next to each of them, as if the banquet had just started. Zeng Guofan looked and looked again and again, and only recognized one member of the season, the other five were very strange, and they were all dressed in casual clothes, so I don't know if they were officials or civilians. Zeng Guofan didn't dare to be abrupt, he just nodded to Ji Qiao, and a guard stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Master Ji, please hand over the official photo. When the little ones make a move, things will get serious." Ji Qiao looked at Zeng Guofan, without saying a word, he took out the official photo from his closet, and handed it to the guard, without giving a single salute. Zeng Guofan knew that this was a consistent habit of the Manchus, so he didn't care about it, so he took his guards and went straight to the room marked with peach blossoms, to see which official from the Ministry of Households was here to have fun.He lifted the curtain and walked in, but it turned out to be a Hubu doctor, Zhongman, official and civil official who rewarded the third rank. Zeng Guofan was taken aback for a moment, he didn't expect that people close to the royal family would also come to this kind of place, especially those who are like official documents, hereditary military merits, promoted as bodyguards, they can make fun in the mansion, how can he... Looking at the few people at the banquet, they all recognized them, in order: Zhu Quantai, a doctor of the Ministry of War, Biaozhong, a member of the Ministry of War, Jiang Yi, Jijiu of the Imperial College, and Gong Sheng, a servant of the Imperial Academy. Guanwen and the others were having a good time talking, when they suddenly looked up and saw Zeng Guofan walking in, Guanwen first pushed the girl who was sitting on his lap and was flirting, stood up and hurriedly saluted, and said in his mouth: "Master Zeng is here to watch the night, Mr. My brother greets the adults first." Zeng Guofan hurriedly said: "I don't wear official uniforms, so I don't dare to accept the big gifts from my lord. But it's true to be sent to watch the night. My lord, if you keep sitting here, I will be in trouble!" Several other officials also stood up at this time, blushing and silent, full of embarrassment. The official said again and again: "Damn my brother, damn my brother! My brother is willing to hand over his official photo and wait for his hair to fall." As he spoke, he took out his official photo and handed it over. Zeng Guofan took the official photo and handed it to the guard, saying: "I thank you, sir. You come from a famous family, and your future is beyond the comparison of ordinary officials. I hope you can do it yourself." The official document was spoken incessantly, with sweat streaming down his face.At this time, the guard said to the others: "Sir, should you also hand over the official photos to the younger ones?" Zeng Guofan confiscated a total of 17 official photos that night, and he gained a lot. After returning to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, he recorded the seventeen officials overnight.As for how to punish these officials, that is a matter for the Ministry of Officials.Back at the mansion, it was already midnight, and Zhou Sheng, who was dozing off, was startled by Zeng Guofan's knock on the door. The next day, when he arrived at Taichang Temple, he gave Daoguang a discount of "The Metropolitan Procuratorate is on duty at night and in name only".Pointing out the abuses of the Metropolitan Procuratorate over the years with reasonable evidence, he wrote in a compromise: "My ancestors first set up the Metropolitan Procuratorate for the purpose of cleaning up official discipline. It was a waste of all the painstaking efforts of my ancestors." Compromise put forward his own ideas on changing the current status quo of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.This was Zeng Guofan's first single-title performance since he entered Beijing, and he felt an indescribable joy in his heart. Three days later, the Ministry of Officials came to the case: the official document was demoted to one level and stayed in the Ministry of Households, and Gong Sheng, the same chair, was demoted to a second level and fined three months' salary.The remaining fifteen people, who were fined one month's salary and those who were fined two months' salary, were all punished.Among the seventeen people who violated the discipline, the official title was the brightest, but the punishment was the lightest. One reason was that he was an official of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the other was because he was a member of the royal family, and the third was because he occupied the rank The advantages of big gaps and small points (the third-rank official holds the fifth-rank official position), and the official official voice is really good at ordinary times. But Gong Sheng was given the heaviest punishment. Not only was he demoted to a second level, but he was also fined three months' salary.Although Gong Sheng was a Han official, he devoted himself to making friends with Manchu nobles, and he despised Han officials anyway. The Han officials in the Ministry of Officials had long looked down on him and had been looking for opportunities to punish him.The Han Hanlins of the Hanlin Academy all sneered at him.This time, he received this punishment out of thin air, and Huang Zishou couldn't be happier. Zeng Guofan took a day off and took two guards to Baoguo Temple. Elder Yizhen had been back for several days, and when he saw Zeng Guofan and the accompanying guards, Elder Yizhen knew that Zeng Guofan had been promoted again, so he couldn't help exchanging pleasantries, and set up a plain table at noon to congratulate Zeng Guofan. During the banquet, Yizhen first talked about the scenery along the way and the changes in Wenshu Monastery in Mount Wutai, but Zeng Guofan came prepared.The topic soon turned to the matter of Jia Ren calling the bureau to stay overnight at Baoguo Temple. Yizhen knew that he couldn't avoid it, so he said: "I think that Jia Ren is a Taoist master recognized by the whole capital, and scholars all over the world follow him as an example to learn from him. Who would have thought that he would be so confused that he would get into trouble." Came to my Baoguo Temple to mess around behind my own wife's back! This old man can't afford to offend him, so I can only turn a blind eye." Zeng Guofan said: "Wansheng also knows that he has some holy grace, and the officials in Beijing are also a little afraid of him. But Wansheng just doesn't understand that an important court official like him can call the bureau to drink in his own mansion, how dare he control it?" !" Yizhen said: "Your Excellency is confused. Mr. Jia is a tiger in the eyes of Beijing officials. Do you know what his wife is? It's Wu Song! You can see that he looks so dignified outside, but when he comes home, he doesn't even dare to be a maid. Look at it squarely, he still dares to call the game! Unless he doesn't want to live." With a few words, Zeng Guofan sprayed a mouthful of tea onto the ground. Yizhen talked for a while about the grand meeting of Mount Wutai, and Zeng Guofan suddenly said: "Master, Wansheng is here for one thing, not for vacation or for recuperation. There is one thing to ask for. Then Master Jia, if you come to offer incense, can someone inform Wansheng? Wansheng wants to meet face-to-face A few words of advice to Mr. Jia." Yizhen said again and again: "Your Excellency, you must not do this! Jia Ren's incident is very unusual, and the victim may be the old monk. Besides, Jia Ren is not an ordinary official. If you get angry, how will your lord end?" Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Master, you are too worried. Wan Sheng was an official in the same dynasty as Mr. Jia, and Wan Sheng persuaded him with righteous words. How can he be annoyed? Besides, Wan Sheng also knows that he has too much to do with Master. Wan Sheng thinks of a way to get Master Just clear it up." In the evening, Zeng Guofan's sedan chair left Baoguo Temple and returned to the mountain gate. After returning to the mansion, Zeng Guofan saw several people talking loudly in the hall, so he asked Zhou Sheng, "Who's here?" Zhou Sheng lowered his hands and replied: "It's Zuo Xiaolian. It's been a day. Some Hanlin masters have come to visit your lord. If your lord is not here, they will accompany Mr. Zuo to talk." Zeng Guofan hurried into the hall and saw Zuo Zongtang in a brand-new robe, discussing military tactics with Huang Zishou, Li Hongzhang, and Guo Chongtao in a grand manner. Zuo Zongtang was full of saliva, obviously in high spirits. "Oh, Ji Gao!" Zeng Guofan went to pull Zuo Zongtang's hand before changing his clothes, "Why don't you let Zhou Sheng go to Baoguo Temple to inform you, I'm tired of waiting!" Zuo Zongtang first looked at Zeng Guofan's top hat, and then at the nine-python five-claw official uniform on his body, and then said: "No wonder I don't ask about my hometown anymore, so I was promoted! I am no longer the old Zeng Disheng !" Seeing Zuo Zongtang's abrupt speech, the Hanlin people all stood up and said goodbye embarrassingly. Zeng Guofan knew Zuo Zongtang's explosive temper, and he didn't blame him, he just smiled mockingly.The guard came in to change his clothes, made another pot of first-class Xiangfei tea, and then left. Zeng Guofan sat down and said with a smile: "Ji Gao, who has offended you again?" Zuo Zongtang widened his eyes and said: "It's all your fault!" Eye circles turned red: "The good-natured magistrate has been ruined! Then Liu Xiangdong is the same year as your Jinshi! No injustice, no enmity, why did you harm him? !" Zeng Guofan was taken aback: "What's wrong with Liu Xiangdong?" Zuo Zongtang paused and said, "Let that dog officer be killed!" "What?" Zeng Guofan was taken aback, "Okay, how did you kill him!" Zuo Zongtang heaved a long sigh and spoke in detail.