Chapter 90 Section 90 Reinstatement of Officials after Release from Prison

Entering the main hall, I saw two groups of civil and military princes and ministers standing on both sides. Emperor Xianfeng sat on the dragon chair; "Zeng Guofan, come here, I have something to ask you." Emperor Xianfeng said. Zeng Guofan had no choice but to climb to the place where the princes and ministers used to perform their affairs, and said straight to the tunnel: "My minister Zeng Guofan pays his respects to the emperor!" Zeng Guofan deliberately yelled the word "Chen" loudly, hoping to test the emperor's attitude towards him. Emperor Xianfeng ignored him, but nodded to the eunuch on duty standing next to him.

The eunuch on duty took a step forward, holding the imperial decree in his hand, and announced: "Pan Shien, a scholar of the Hall of Martial Arts, listen to the decree!" Pan Shien took two steps forward, and happened to be kneeling with Zeng Guofan, also reaching down to the ground, and said: "My minister, Pan Shien, send your respects to the emperor! " The eunuch read one word at a time: "Pan Shi'en, the great scholar of Wuyingdian, has a dignified character and a mellow knowledge. Jia Taifu, rewarded with wearing flower feathers, rewarded with purple reins, and rewarded with yellow mandarin jackets, favored Yilong. He has served as an official for more than 50 years, and he has been cautious.

Pan Shi'en was so moved that tears filled his eyes, and he repeatedly kowtowed to thank him. The eunuch on duty continued to proclaim: "Chen Fu'en, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, co-organizer, listens to the decree!" Chen Fuen was taken aback, and hurriedly knelt in front of him, listening to the eunuch read word by word: "Chen Fuen, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment when he co-organized the university, his mother was over ninety years old, and she begged to return home to take care of her. I think of her filial piety and allow her Please, from the date of receiving the order, I will open a vacancy and return to my hometown. This is your honor."

After hearing the imperial decree, Chen Fu'en trembled first, and then said loudly: "My Majesty, I have something to say." Emperor Xianfeng waved his hand and said, "Chen Fuen, tell me." Chen Fu'en said "Thank you for your kindness", and then said: "Your Majesty, the imperial decree just confused me. My mother passed away ten years ago, and I didn't ask for a discount to return home to support my mother! The emperor probably made a mistake. right?" Emperor Xianfeng's expression was dull, and he said after a long time: "My mother is dead, so my father should have it?"

Chen Fuen said loudly: "The slave's old father also passed away five years ago. Please look into it clearly." Emperor Xianfeng was stunned, and asked: "What elders are there in the original place?" Chen Fuen thought for a while and said: "Returning to the emperor, there is only one uncle who has passed the fifth service in his hometown, and he is exactly seventy years old this year." Emperor Xianfeng immediately said with a smile on his face: "That's right! Please take the decree and thank you." Chen Fuen wanted to say something else, but the eunuch on duty began to announce the decree: "Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zeng Guofan listened to the decree: the Minister of Rites, Zeng Guofan, is outspoken and admonishing, loyal and brave, and he will also be the right servant of the Ministry of War from now on. I hope that the servant will continue to be loyal and seek the country . This is it.”

Zeng Guofan stayed for a while before kowtowing to thank him. Zeng Guofan was thrown into the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs by Emperor Xianfeng in a muddleheaded manner, and Shangshu Chen Fuen was muddleheaded to give him 30 slaps. There is an extra title of right servant of the Ministry of War.This series of events not only made Zeng Guofan himself confused, but also the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.As the head of a country, how can the emperor behave like a child playing house? Zeng Guofan was wearing dirty patched clothes, and on his head was the second-rank topband returned by the Ministry of Officials (the official clothes had not been returned because they were taken away by the Ministry of Punishment), and he walked back to the mansion step by step like this.The subordinate officials scrambled to give him the sedan chair, but he refused them one by one.Everyone was stunned, but they didn't dare to ask, and let him go step by step.

There was no sound in the mansion. When Zeng Guofan knocked on the door, he was still thinking: "Could it be that the servants have dispersed like birds and beasts?" Such things happen from time to time in the capital, especially in the mansions of officials below the fourth rank. Even if a wrong sentence was passed on from inside the palace or outside the gate, it was originally "the master was demoted" to "the master was arrested".People in Beijing have such thin eyelids. Zeng Guofan knocked on the door knocker twice, and a hoarse voice came from inside: "Guests, please go home. My master is on a business trip and is not at the residence." This was clearly Zhou Sheng's voice.

Zeng Guofan suppressed his emotion, and replied calmly: "Master's imperial errand has been completed! Zhou Sheng, please open the door." The big iron gate was opened, and Zhou Sheng who appeared in front of Zeng Guofan was even more haggard than Zeng Guofan who had been in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice. Zeng Guofan was taken aback, and asked in a low voice, "Zhou Sheng, what's wrong? Why do you look like this?" "Master, I'm looking forward to you coming back!" Zhou Sheng had forgotten to greet him because of his excitement, and tears were streaming from his eyes.

Zhou Sheng let Zeng Guofan in, closed the door in a panic, and then said: "Master, people from the Ministry of Rites said that you have violated the laws of the country and were thrown into the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice! Brother Gou also said it was true when he came back. Everyone knows that you are always innocent, and you will come back sooner or later, but the people from the bank are watching you; the previous person wanted to move your old "Twenty-Four Histories", but the younger ones finally persuaded you, and came yesterday He also said that the sedan chair was going to be taken away to cover the bill. It wasn’t that Fourth Brother Gou took the sedan chair off ahead of time, so it’s no wonder that the sedan chair wasn’t carried away! Just now you kept knocking on the door, and the little one thought it was the money house coming to steal the house. My lord Where! Where is your old official uniform?" After speaking, he remembered to wipe his tears.

Zeng Guofan gave a wry smile without answering, and walked into the study. As soon as he sat down, the person from the Ministry of Punishment to send the official uniform arrived, but it turned out to be He Guiqing, the servant of the Ministry of Punishment. Zeng Guofan was greatly surprised that He Shilang personally came to Zeng's mansion to deliver the official uniform.However, He Guiqing had his own reasons: on the one hand, he made an apology, and on the other hand, he also wanted to take this opportunity to get acquainted with Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan met as a colleague, Zhou Sheng made a pot of tea and served it, and the two sat down.

Just as He Guiqing said, "Lord Zeng has suffered", Li Hongzhang and a group of Hanlin had strode in; seeing He Guiqing was present, everyone rushed to pay their respects. He Guiqing knew that Zeng Guofan had an unusual relationship with this group of imperial officials, so he had no choice but to leave, saying "I'll come to the house to disturb you some other day", leaving behind his official uniform and leaving in a big green sedan chair. Only then did the Hanlin greet Zeng Guofan again, and the atmosphere became more active.