Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Official reputation is more important than life

On a public holiday one day, Zeng Guofan had eaten his breakfast and was about to sort out his daily diary and fill in the missing parts of "Guo Gap".Zhou Sheng came in to report, and the accountant of the Huguang Guild Hall asked to see him.Zeng Guofan couldn't remember any accounts between Huguang Guild Hall and himself, so he had to let him in to talk. After the accountant came in, he first gave a big gift, and then invited a big security, and then said: "Master Zeng, the Huguang Guild Hall is the main place where my son from Lianghu went to Beijing for the exam. Your old reputation is at the top of the sky, and my son from Lianghu is on the list. The number of people is increasing, and the renovation of the guild hall is an urgent matter. You are always the leader of my Hunanese Beijing officials, and I came today to discuss the renovation of the guild hall."

Zeng Guofan thought for a while and said, "The Changsha Guild Hall was just renovated last year, and the Huguang Guild Hall should also be renovated as usual." The accountant hurriedly interjected: "Master Zeng agreed to repair the guild hall, and this matter is considered to be implemented. My lord, in the eyes of Huguang Juzi, you are a man of great merit!" Zeng Guofan picked up his teacup and said: "Master, if you have nothing else to do, I will take care of your own business." The popular way of seeing off guests at that time was to serve tea. But the accountant's neck turned red all of a sudden, and said: "My lord, I haven't finished my small talk. Since we need to renovate the guild hall, we need a large sum of money. Where does this money come from? You need to be instructed by your lord to handle it. "

"What's going on here?" Zeng Guofan was taken aback by the commotion, "Isn't the guild hall's savings and donations over the years not enough?" The accountant said with a bitter face: "Huguang Guild Hall has always been operated with small profits. Although the donations over the years have made some money, it is only 20,000 to 30,000 taels of silver. Isn't five to sixty thousand taels of silver enough to renovate the guild hall? Huguang is an official in the capital. There are hundreds of people, as long as adults take the lead, three to five thousand taels of silver can still be donated." Then he opened the donation book and asked Zeng Guofan to pledge a number.

Zeng Guofan thought for a while and said, "Although I have a great reputation, I'm short of money. For the pledge, I hope my master can find someone else." He picked up the tea bowl again. But the accountant said: "My lord, you are always the deacon and supervisor recognized by the Huguang Guild Hall. You only need to write a number, and you don't need to pay for it, just take the lead. Is this difficult?" Zeng Guofan smiled wryly and said, "Master, I'm afraid I remember wrongly, right? The deacon and supervisor of the Huguang Guild Hall is Mr. Tang Jian Tang Jinghai. I'm just the deacon and supervisor of the Changsha Guild Hall."

The accountant hurriedly said: "My lord, Mr. Tang has already retired. Before Mr. Tang left, the post nominating you as the deacon of the old guild hall was sent to the mansion a long time ago. Why, didn't your lord see it?" Zeng Guofan hurriedly rummaged through the official document basket at the head of the desk, and sure enough, he found a post from the Huguang Guild Hall.Looking at the date, it was the time when I was looking for relief in Shandong. Zeng Guofan smiled apologetically, and said, "You see, I'm so busy, don't I? Becoming the deacon and supervisor of the Huguang Guild Hall seems irrelevant. How about this, you go back first, and wait for the official to finish his work for a while." , make an appointment with all the deacons and supervisors, and discuss the renovation of the guild hall together. When you go back, you should sort out the old accounts of the guild hall, and I have to take a look with all the deacons. I have to explain to everyone .”

Hearing this, the accountant's face changed slightly.He gave a deep salute and hurriedly withdrew. Zeng Guofan hurriedly called Zhou Sheng over, and asked Zhou Sheng to tell Li Bao and Liu Heng to stay with Mr. Accountant, and if he found anything unusual, he would bring it back immediately.Zhou Sheng hurriedly went out to make arrangements. Tang Xuan walked in holding the account book at this moment, and said, "My lord, I want you to keep looking at the account book." Zeng Guofan asked Tang Xuan to sit down, and then said: "Isn't it enough?" Tang Xuan smiled wryly: "Last month, twenty taels of silver were wasted on paper and ink, but the words written by adults have not been returned. My lord, our current food money is only twelve taels of silver. Tang Xuan is a little flustered!" Tang Xuan handed over the bill.

Zeng Guofan didn't take the account book, but asked instead: "Tang Xuan, how long can we use twelve taels of silver?" Tang Xuan replied: "If there are no other expenses, eat tofu once every two days, and usually buy cheap vegetables, and ask the cook to go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables later. With such careful planning, twelve taels of silver our family eats twenty God is fine." Zeng Guofan suddenly became happy: "Okay! Tang Xuan, I will do as you say. As long as I can last for more than 20 days, the salary will be paid. Tang Xuan, I want you to do something for me. I want to cut off two more bearers. I am now a fourth-ranker, and four bearers are enough for the blue sedan chair. Why use the sedan chair and the follower? Li Bao and Liu Heng are enough. That's it. First of all, wouldn’t it be better to squeeze out a few pieces of paper money as much as possible?”

Tang Xuan hesitated and said: "My lord, what Tang Xuan said is not pleasant, we people grow up with you, how much money can we earn you? Ask in the capital, which minister's bearer's annual commission is not four Ten taels of silver! But in our family, the four bearers are only fifty taels a year, and you can’t afford more! You are always promoted and demoted, and everyone refuses to leave. Everyone respects your old man. ! My lord, don't make things difficult for Tang Xuan!" His tone was obviously anxious. Master Zeng Guofan sighed, and said: "Why do you all suffer with me! Tang Xuan, do you know? From the day I became an official, I have no intention of getting rich. Why should I be an official if I want to get rich? Zuo Xiaolian, running a few shops, in which year is not tens of thousands of income! An official, the reputation of the official is more important than his life, he can neither discredit the ancestors, nor do evil to the descendants! Okay, you go back to your room and rest Go ahead, patronize the chat, but forget the business, I haven't sorted out my diary for a while!"

Tang Xuan hesitated for a moment, and said hesitantly: "My lord, there is one more thing that I have always wanted to ask, but..." Zeng Guofan lowered his head and sorted out the scattered diaries and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it." Tang Xuandao: "On the day I took over the account, I saw a sum of two thousand taels of idle money in the account. My lord marked the word 'Mo Dong' beside it for some reason, and the money has not been moved so far. What about this money? , Tang Xuan has been asking questions for a long time. My lord, what Tang Xuan doesn’t understand is, why do you agree to borrow money from Zuo Xiaolian and not allow it to be used?”

Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "Tang Xuan, it's not our money and we can't move it! This is Cheng Yi, which was given by the Baozhi Army according to the usual practice when I came back from Sichuan Dianshi. I originally planned to hand over this money to the emperor. , but considering that this matter involves too many people and may offend all the officials in the capital, I had to deposit it in the bank first. I plan to wait for the day when I leave the capital and return to Xiangxiang to save the extra money. We hand over all the capital and interest to the emperor. We can’t use the money that we shouldn’t use. After using it once, we want to use it a second time.

After listening to Zeng Guofan's words, Tang Xuan suddenly smiled, and he took a step forward and said: "So that's what happened, my lord is too careful. Since this money was given by the Baozhi Army according to the usual practice, I believe that all lords who have been the chief examiner We all have to live. This is not extra money!" Zeng Guofan said patiently: "Tang Xuan, you don't know the truth. The state treasury has already paid two thousand taels to Cheng Yi for the test in Sichuan. The two thousand taels given by the Baozhi Army are not extra money. Is robbing, corrupting, and blackmailing considered extra money? Tang Xuan, I have a copy here, you can read it carefully in your free time. Sometimes, the cheap and greedy are only separated by a layer of tulle. Closer than a brother!" Tang Xuan still couldn't understand, and muttered in a low voice: "Whether it's necessary or not, who knows! Everyone in the world acts so carefully like an adult, who is still an official?" Zeng Guofan said sternly: "Tang Xuan, you are wrong again. Do you really think that no one knows? God knows! People can be deceived, but gods can't be deceived!" At this point, Zeng Guofan's expression suddenly changed: "Sheng Dada Calling me a dog of the Manchus, he underestimates me too much, how can I be a dog of the Manchus? I want to be a dog of the Qing Dynasty!" Tang Xuan quietly withdrew from the study, Zeng Guofan stayed in the room alone and continued to sort out his diary, immersing himself in writing his "Gap Shadow". In the afternoon, Li Bao came back and reported to Zeng Guofan that the accountant of the Huguang Guild Hall left Zeng's mansion and went to the mansion of Li Yan'an, the Shaoqing of Guanglu Temple, and has not come out so far.Li Yan'an was originally from Hubei and was also one of the deacons of the guild hall. Li Bao came back and asked whether he should continue to monitor. Zeng Guofan thought about it, and knew that he was worrying too much, so he asked Li Bao to call Liu Heng back to have lunch together. Not long after the meal, Li Wen'an, the doctor of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, came to visit.Zeng Guofan said "please", and Li Wen'an strode in.When he came in, he gave a deep salute first, and then greeted the lord. Zeng Guofan took his sleeve with one hand, and then pulled him to sit on the kang.Li Bao brewed a pot of tea and brought it up, poured it for Li Wen'an and Zeng Guofan respectively, and then left. Zeng Guofan called "Brother Nian" affectionately, and then continued: "Let's change our clothes and talk casually." After speaking, he took off his coat first. Li Wen'an was reserved by nature. Although he had practiced in the capital for many years, he was not as relaxed as his son Li Hongzhang; when Zeng Guofan called him "Brother Nian", he felt cramped instantly. While taking off his coat, he said, "Your Excellency calling Xiaguan Nian brother really flatters Wen An. How many people are there in this country with such a status and prestige as Your Excellency!" Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "Brother Nian said that, he is really a brother. Brother Nian, this is at home, don't call me an adult, it's better to call me more kind." Li Wen'an took his seat again, and said, "Disheng, I am here this time to ask for something, and I hope you will be considerate." Hearing this, Zeng Guofan was stunned: Li Wen'an is an old Beijing official, and his career path is much wider than Zeng Guofan's, and Han Chinese and Manchus can play well. Zeng Guofan asked suspiciously: "Brother, with your old age, is there any difficulty? Brother Nian is an old Beijing teacher!" Li Wen'an smiled wryly and said: "Brother, I have been in Beijing until now, but I have relied on the little money from my ancestors? Cough, in Beijing, with my little ability, I am satisfied with being a doctor for ten years! Copying documents for the Ministry, what else can I do! If I am capable, why should Quanzi insist on making trouble for you! Quanzi has been following you since he fought, and he has been working hard every day. Now he looks at you better than me How heavy is it?" Zeng Guofan said with a smile, "Shaoquan is naturally intelligent, and he is competitive. Brother Nian, what's the matter with you?" Li Wen'an said: "Shuntianfu Township Examination is just around the corner. As you know, there are two subjects in the Shuntianfu Township Examination, Literature and Military Affairs, and the main examiners are also selected from the Imperial Academy and the Ministry of War. What I want to talk about is the candidate doctor of the Ministry of War, my hometown song. Liang. Ziliang was born in martial arts. He has been a candidate for Guanglang in the Ministry of War for eight years. Although there are a few deficiencies in this period, they are all short. If there is no shortage and he has never let go of foreign positions, he I also love saving face the most, so the cost is naturally not small, and I am almost desperate. Qu Ziliang knew that the dog was obtained from your old man, and begged me many times. I really can't refuse it, so I had to give up this one The old face came to look for my brother. Disheng, it's not easy for us Han officials in the capital!" Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Brother Nian said that the song Liang was the one who was reprimanded by the emperor for fighting injustice at the Flower Fair last year? This song is bright, and my younger brother recognizes it. He is really a bloody member of the Han Dynasty." Li Wen'an said with joy on his face, "Di Sheng also knows about Qu Ziliang?" Zeng Guofan nodded and said: "I don't know! It's been a long time since the Manchu children bullied the Han people who came to the capital to perform art. Who dares to take care of it! But Qu Ziliang dares! Such a thing makes people happy to talk about it! Like Qu Ziliang It would be nice to have more Han officials who dare to act like this!"