Chapter 66 Chapter sixty-sixth, there must always be a way out

Hong Cai strode in, and when he saw Zeng Guofan, he still humbly bowed to the ground, addressing him as your lord.Zeng Guofan pointed to the account book and said: "Hong Zhoujia, when he was in Wenshang, the main hall had some doubts about this account book. Zhou Jia, do you know how many times the relief food has been distributed?" Hong Cai stood up and replied: "Respond to your lord's words. The lower officials are in charge of the overall situation, and Zhang Dianshi and Master Qian Guai will take care of all the specific matters." "Did Zhang Dianshi and Ai Shiye come here with the state?"

"Return to your lord's words. Zhang Dianshi had suffered a heart attack and passed away a month ago. Mr. Ai went to Fengtian to attend his father's funeral on the second day after he left office. Mr. Ai had already told the lower official when he left. Weakness does not come back. Please be aware, my lord." Zeng Guofan sneered and said, "According to Zhoujia's point of view, this dead man is dead, and he can walk away. The headquarters can't find out about this relief food!" Hong Cai said: "I don't dare, it's just that it takes a lot of trouble to check."

Zeng Guofan pondered for a while, and said: "Although the main hall has been in the capital for a long time, some local affairs are known. You go down first, let the main hall think about it. You are temporarily staying in Xingyuankuan for a few days, and the main hall is unknown. It is also convenient to ask for advice. The state affairs are postponed for a few days, and the headquarters will send a letter to ask for leave for you. You can go to the next place to rest!" Hong Cai had no choice but to bow and leave. Zeng Guofan passed on Li Yanshen again, saying: "Li Observer, in an extraordinary period, local parents are directly related to the survival of the people, so the headquarters will not let you stay overnight. You should take the account records back first, and please continue to check them in detail. Seriously, Li Jian can't just focus on checking the amount of relief, he should also think of a way out for the people. There are ten rooms and nine empties in Wenshang, how will the spring plowing be carried out next year? The Ministry hall discussed with Mr. Wen to find a way from other provinces Seconding some sweet potatoes and mulberry leaves for the people in Wenshang, trying to recruit back the desolate people living in other provinces, and retain the people who are about to flee the famine. The outflow of the desolate people will inevitably increase the burden on the provinces. If things go on like this, there will be more bandits and fewer people. How about it! Li Jian, the people in Wenshang are all up to you. If you leave overnight to return to the office, the headquarters will not see you off."

Li Tingshen agreed with a "yes", took the account book with both hands and was about to resign, when Zeng Guofan suddenly said: "By the way, Hong Zhoujia said that the former master, surnamed Ai, has left the province to go to Fengtian for a funeral. You have to find a way." , Be sure to find this person. This person has no whereabouts, and the amount of relief on Wenshang will always be a mess! Go down." "As long as your lord speaks, I will do it when I get back!" Li Yanshen bowed and withdrew. Looking at the back of Li Yanshen going away, Zeng Guofan was filled with emotion for a moment.It's really hard to be a candidate at this age for this Li Yanshen!Thanks to He Chun, who gave him a seventh-rank acting role, otherwise, wouldn't he be waiting for death?I really don't know what the previous governors of Shandong were doing all day long!

According to the Daqing official system, there is no salary for alternate officials.To put it bluntly, he only has the qualifications to be an official, and he can only be considered an official if he is let go of acting appointments or is actually lacking.These disadvantages were exposed more and more in the later development.But it's rare to see someone as miserable as Li Yanshen. After dinner, Zeng Guofan and Wen Qing discussed that they wanted Wen Qing to go to Henan to borrow tens of thousands of dans of sweet potatoes for Wenshang County, and then he would send some mulberry leaves and mulberry bark to the Hunan Governor's Yamen to send letters to merchants.Because the governor of Henan was in the same year as Wenqing, he had a close relationship, and Hunan was Zeng Guofan's hometown, so I believe there would be no problem.

Wen Qing agreed without hesitation, wrote an eight-line essay that night, and sent people around him to Kaifeng, Henan.Zeng Guofan appointed a guard and went to Changsha, Hunan with his own letter. Zeng Guofan didn't go back to his room to rest until midnight.As soon as he entered the bedroom, he saw Hong Cai dozing off on a few stools against the wall. Hearing the sound of the door, he stood up hastily, rubbed his eyes, saw that it was Zeng Guofan, he bowed to the ground, and said, "Your Majesty is already here." I have been waiting for you for a long time. Your Excellency has worked so hard, I am really touched by the officials!"

Zeng Guofan was taken aback, stood still, and asked: "Hong Zhoujia, you have something to do, why don't you go to the small official hall to find the main hall?" Hong Cai said: "Actually, it's nothing. I heard that adults don't like water and wine, and usually only smoke cigarettes. This is the same as Xiaguan's preference. Xiaguan's hometown is rich in tobacco leaves, and Xiaguan specially prepared a pack. I want to invite adults to try it. Taking a sip when you are sleepy is quite refreshing.” As Hong Cai spoke, he took out a small paper bag from his sleeve, held it flat with his hands, and presented it to Zeng Guofan.

When Zeng Guofan saw the flat paper bag, he concluded that it was definitely not tobacco leaves, and said: "Hongzhou, it's really hard for you! You can put it on the desk for the Ministry!" Hong Cai was respectful, put the paper bag on the desk with both hands, and then returned to the original place with a happy face, saying: "I won't disturb my lord's rest, I will leave." After saying that, he was about to walk away from Zeng Guofan Pass. Zeng Guofan grabbed Hong Cai's hand and said, "Wait a minute! Someone!" Two guards waiting outside the door came in at the sound.

Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Hongzhou Jia sent a pack of tobacco leaves to the Benbutang. How can the Benbutang accept such kindness alone. Go and invite Mr. Wen to come and try something new." Then he grabbed Hong Cai's hand and said to another The guard said: "Show Hongzhou the seat." Then he walked to the square stool next to the desk and sat down.Hong Cai's face changed drastically, he couldn't sit or stand, his face flushed with embarrassment. Zeng Guofan was even more convinced that there was a ghost in the paper bag. After a while, Wen Qing came in with a smile, accompanied by others, and said as he walked, "It's rare to see Hong Zhoujia's kindness. Mr. Zeng, this old smoker must have a taste."

Zeng Guofan raised the paper bag and said to Wen Qing with a smile: "Master Wen, this is the tobacco leaf that Hongzhoujia let you and me taste. Please open it and use it!" Then he picked up the paper bag and handed it to Wen Qing. After Wen Qing sat down, he slowly opened the paper bag and couldn't help being taken aback: there was no tobacco leaf in it, but a silver note of five thousand taels was neatly wrapped! Wen Qing stared at this colorful banknote and remained silent for a long time. When Hong Cai saw that something was wrong, he fell to his knees with a plop and said, "The lower official should die", trembling all over.

Zeng Guofan suddenly shouted: "Come here! Come to the governor's office and speak with Zhongcheng!" There was a promise from outside, and someone went with a torch. Hong Cai shouted louder and louder: "Please be merciful, my lords! I will never dare again!" Zeng Guofan and Wen Qing ignored him.After holding back for a while, Wen Qingcai said: "Hongcai, you are too courageous! Bribing the Minister of Investigation and Relief, you should be executed according to the law!" Hong Cai kowtowed like garlic, and said again and again: "I see that the two adults have worked so hard to check the relief, and I didn't mean to bribe you! I don't dare to do it anymore. I ask the two adults to be merciful and let the next official go. , Don’t you still win the reward of being an ox and a horse to repay the two adults?" Tears streamed down, as if there were thousands of grievances and regrets, all pouring out of his eyes. Zeng Guofan was only pale-faced, with double triangular eyes, looking up and down at Hong Cai.Hong Cai was stunned by Zeng Guofan's triangular eyes. At this time, the person who asked for the governor came back and came in and said loudly: "He Zhongcheng has rested, come tomorrow morning to pay your respects to the two adults." Zeng Guofan glanced at Wen Qing, and said to Hong Cai: "Hongzhoujia, the Ministry Hall has to ask Mr. Zhoujia to go to the small official hall for a night of grievances. We will make a decision when Mr. Zhongcheng comes tomorrow. Come here, wait for Hongzhou to come to the small government office. The official hall is resting, there is nothing wrong with it! Hongzhou driver, you please. It is time for the main hall and Mr. Wen to rest." Hong Cai's face turned pale, he collapsed on the ground in fright, and was carried away by two guards. Looking at Hong Cai's back, Wen Qing frowned and said, "Di Sheng, what should I do with this ticket?" Zeng Guofan said: "My lord, this ticket has to be kept by Xingyuan Guan first, and it is inconvenient for you and me to keep it. Five thousand taels of silver can buy hundreds of carts of mulberry leaves!" After breakfast, Hechun's eight-carrying sedan chair arrived at Xingyuan, and with the voice of the sedan chair official, "The governor and your lord have arrived", Hechun got off the sedan chair and strode into the Xingyuan lobby. Zeng Guofan and Wen Qing had just had breakfast, and they were sitting side by side in the lobby, sipping morning tea.When they saw Hechun coming in, they all stood up, and when they saw each other with a parallel ceremony, they invited them to sit down beside them. Zeng Guofan shouted: "Offer tea to Mr. Zhong Cheng." Wen Qing had already started to tell He Chun what happened last night, and called Xingyuan Guan to present the five thousand taels of silver note. He Chun listened quietly to Wen Qing's speech, looked at the bank note again and again, and then shouted loudly: "Come here, pass on the words of the Ministry, and take off Hong Cai who dared to bribe the Minister of Relief." , sent to the governor's prison to await trial!" Then he turned to Zeng Guofan and Wen Qing and said: "This department has neglected supervision and owed the emperor's favor, this department should ask the emperor for guilt! My lords, this department will retire first." Stand up We are about to open the way. Zeng Guofan suddenly said: "Wait a minute!" He Chun stopped his feet, and heard Zeng Guofan say: "He Zhongcheng took off Hongcai's top hat first, such a vigorous and resolute style of handling affairs, I really admire you! However, He Zhongcheng Cheng can't take Hongcai away yet." "Huh?" He Chun snorted, and then asked back, "The subordinates of this department, this department will take them away and imprison them. How to participate in the performance, this department will refer to my Daqing Law. Master Zeng, this is still a matter of course." Any doubts?" Wen Qing said: "No matter what crime the magistrate has committed, the Fuyuan should participate in the performance. He Zhongcheng took Hongcai away without any reason." Zeng Guofan sneered and said: "Master Wen is right, the Fu Yuan should be involved in the hearing of magistrates breaking the law, but Mr. Wen overlooked one thing, that is, it depends on what the person committed the crime! For example, Xiang Zhayan For things like bribery by ministers, we have to wait for the minister of investigation and relief to investigate the account details of the person who committed the crime! How to deal with it, the minister of investigation and relief must report to the court before it is the turn of the local governor to handle it. He Zhongcheng, is the procedure correct? ?” "You!" He Chun's face turned pale with anger, "Zeng Disheng, don't be unforgiving! Don't rely on some holy grace to ignore local officials! Don't bully people too much!" Zeng Guofan stood up abruptly, pointed at Hechun and said, "He Zhongcheng, please show some respect! There is only the emperor here in the main hall, and there is no place or place! He Zhongcheng, listen to the advice of the main hall, the Ministry will protect yourself Subordinates can, of course, but you have to keep your eyes open to see who you are! People like Hong Cai, aren’t you afraid of getting involved? Don’t forget, you and I are not wearing iron hats that were rewarded by the holy ancestors!” He Chun was so angry that he turned around and walked to the door, but stopped abruptly, turned around, and said to Zeng Guofan: "This department also advises Mr. Zeng, you have to leave a way for yourself in everything!" After finishing speaking, push He walked out the door bitterly. Zeng Guofan replied coldly from behind: "Lord Zhongcheng, go slowly, the main hall will not see you off!" With a snort, Hechun got on the big green woolen sedan and swaggered away.Zeng Guofan ordered Hong Caiguan, who had been removed from his top hat, to be taken to the prison cell, and then he and Wen Qing sat in the small official hall to rest and drink tea. Wen Qing suddenly said: "Disheng, I just calculated with my heart, the imperial decree should come to Xingyuan. Why is there still no movement?" Zeng Guofan thought for a while and said: "Master Wen is too impatient. It only took six days. How could the imperial decree arrive so quickly? It takes at least four days to go to Beijing, two days to delay in Beijing, and four days to return. In this way, ten days is considered fast." Wen Qing recalculated, and suddenly smiled: "Look at my head, I'm not too confused! But Di Sheng, there is Mu Zhang standing behind He Chun! Now more than a dozen provinces have closed their borders. But half of them were recommended by him. According to the old man, Hongcai will be left to Hechun! Otherwise, if we really follow the vine of Hongcai to investigate, if Hechun is involved, we will not end well. !" Zeng Guofan took a sip of tea and replied, "My lord guessed it right this time, I just want to get Hechun out." Wen Qing was puzzled: "Disheng, do you think I can bring down Hechun with you? Then you underestimate Hechun too much. Hechun's ancestors are people with military exploits! What's more, there is Mu Zhongtang?" Zeng Guofan pondered: "My lord, do you think that a man like He Chun is a blessing to the common people?" Wen Qing was taken aback: "You mean..." Zeng Guofan said: "I also know that he can't be brought down. But I am sure that he will be removed from the position of a feudal official. By removing him alone, the whole province of Shandong will be saved. What do you think, my lord?" Wen Qing stared at Zeng Guofan, and suddenly clapped his hands and said: "Disheng, I really admire you!" Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "Hechun, he can run the army with a horse, but it is not his specialty to run the people with a horse. Yes. Remember how neat the barracks were when he was training in Shuntian!"