Chapter 98 Section 98 Unannounced visits to the public

The sedan chair finally rested at "Ke Laishun", the largest inn in Datong Prefecture. Seeing more than a dozen people surrounding the sedan chair, Xiao Er knew that they were some important customers, so she greeted and ran back and forth, busy serving water and meals. Li Bao first ordered food for the guards and bearers, and then ordered a bowl of Datong-flavored "knife-sliced ​​noodles" for Zeng Guofan. Shanxi's "knife-sliced ​​noodles" are full of old vinegar, and eating them piping hot is not only appetizing, but also quite refreshing.It was the first time Zeng Guofan ate this noodle. Not only was it so sour that he grinned, but it was also so hot that he was sweating all over.The fatigue of the whole day was driven away by this bowl of hot noodles, and the whole body was relaxed.

Putting down the bowl, Zeng Guofan praised and praised again and again, saying yes again and again, took out a sweat towel and wiped his sweat over and over again.Seeing that Zeng Guofan was eating so well, Liu Heng and Li Bao also ordered a bowl each, and followed Zeng Guofan's example, not only adding more vinegar, but also spicy peppers. After the two bowls of noodles were served, Li Bao yelled, "Tongue is so hot" before finishing a mouthful of noodles, and Liu Heng even muttered "Cheeks are sore" over and over again. Xiao Er secretly covered his mouth and smiled, and the serious Zeng Guofan also laughed at their embarrassment.The coachman had finished his meal and was smoking a cigarette and chatting with the guards.

There are more than a dozen guests staying in the hotel eating in the lobby, and the little Erjiao goes back and forth to deliver water and food, looking happy and carefree. Zeng Guofan thought to himself: It would be great if all the land in the Qing Dynasty could be as rich as Datong!How can the common people let the good people do nothing and become bandits and thieves? The number of people in the dining hall gradually increased, and some newcomers asked for food to use first, but most of them were those who had already stayed and wandered back, either to eat or to find a room. Zeng Guofan asked Li Bao to call Xiaoer to open a room in order to make room for the guests who came to eat.

Xiao Er happily opened a room for the bearers with a large bunch of keys, and opened two rooms for the guards.When opening a room for Zeng Guofan, another master, two servants and three people walked into the dining hall. As soon as these three people entered the dining hall, one helped the master to sit down, and the other shouted loudly: "Shopkeeper, my master has arrived. No, the servant made a mistake. It is my master who has arrived. Come and serve me!" He hurriedly agreed, but continued to look for the room key for Zeng Guofan. The three master and servant began to get a little impatient.

The master stood up from the stool and said: "Little San, quickly take the official's film and go to the county yamen, and lock up the store that neglected you and go to jail!" Zeng Guofan hurriedly said: "Xiao Er, hurry up and serve the guests before it's too late." Xiaoer muttered in a low voice: "Don't listen to them scaring people. This must be another official bought from Zhao Dashan with money! Since the establishment of the disaster relief bureau that beat Zhao Dashan, my small shop has never stopped. I'm too lazy Take care of him." As he spoke, he finally opened the door, and Xiao Er put on a smiling face and ran towards the three master and servant.

Zeng Guofan heard Xiao Er ask clearly: "Master, are you always a top student or live in a hotel?" Zeng Guofan stood up out of curiosity, and looked back to see how the master and servant answered correctly. The person who looked like the owner patted the table and said: "Go and call your shopkeeper!" Xiao Er said with a smile on his face: "I'm sorry, guest officer, the shopkeeper has been very busy recently, so the small shop is entrusted to take care of the small shop. Are the three of you going to be top-notch or staying in the shop?" A servant stood up, pointed to Xiaoer's nose and said: "You heard clearly, my master is no better than before, he is a dignified fourth-rank candidate! After the official uniform is ready, put it on, it may scare you." Pee your pants!"

Xiaoer still smiled and said: "Young one has been serving the master alternate these days. Do you want to ask this master alternate whether he is a top student or staying in the hotel? The younger one still has to answer other guests, so I can't afford to delay it." .” The master finally waved his hand and said: "Okay, okay, I don't have the same knowledge as you. The best beef and mutton, quickly cut out three catties each, and 'Nv Nu Hong' will bring a jar. , don’t be careless.” Xiaoer said: "The beef and mutton in this shop are all top-quality, and 'Nuerhong' is also the most famous in Datong. But the meat and wine must be paid first. This is a new rule set by my shopkeeper last night. Three catties Three catties of beef and one pot of 'Naughty Red' mutton, a total of five pens and three. The guest officer is a member of the officialdom, and the shop will give you a 10% discount, so give it five pens."

"What?" the host stood up and cursed, "Master, I have been traveling both black and white for decades, and I have never heard of an inn that pays the bill first without eating meat or drinking! You should also let the people who stay here first Account failed? Xiaosan, take my film to see the magistrate of the county, and send him to the official. If I donate four hundred taels of silver, I won’t be able to cure him, little man!” The servant called Xiaosan immediately stood up and said: "Master, hurry up and write a film, and this servant will go to the county yamen. But, you always have to tell this servant whether it is a seventh-rank university or a fourth-rank university? All the officials in the yamen You look like a wolf like a tiger, this servant is really scared!"

When the master heard this, he was so angry that he slapped him across the face, cursing: "Slap you, you bastard who can't stand on the stage!" The servant who was speaking stepped aside for a moment, but the master stepped forward to beat him. Zeng Guofan saw that the master and servant were messing around too badly, and the voice seemed to be related to the disaster relief bureau, so he walked over slowly; when Liu Heng and Li Bao saw it, they hurried to follow. Zeng Guofan smiled and clasped his fists at the master and said, "Greetings to Mr. Observer! I am in the cloth business, and I would like to ask Mr. Observer some questions."

People are used to honoring Daotai or Alternate Dao as observation. The master chased his servants after him and couldn't get out of the way. When he suddenly saw Zeng Guofan coming in, he stopped, turned his head and said: "This dog slave is not as good as a cloth seller. Cloth seller, you have to ask What does the officer say?" Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "From the observation, it seems that the observation came from the Disaster Relief Bureau. But I haven't heard that the imperial court has launched a donation?" The person called the observer suddenly laughed, and said: "If you ask other things, the cloth seller, I really don't understand. If you want to ask this matter, you are asking. The court did not open donations, but you only need to Get in touch with Mr. Zhao from the Disaster Relief Bureau. As long as you are willing to pay, you can even get the red cap. However, Mr. Zhao will not do it for people who don’t know the basics, even if you give money. This matter is not negotiable , even I bought this candidate through a real lack of observation."

Zeng Guofan said: "According to my lord, if you don't have close people, even if you spend money, it doesn't mean that you can buy an official?" The observer suddenly said impatiently: "I won't tell you, cloth seller, that you don't understand. I want to find a good restaurant to eat!" Then he turned to Xiaoer and said, "I will come tomorrow !” With a wave of his hand, he staggered out with two servants. After Daotai left the inn, Zeng Guofan said to Xiao Er: "Xiao Er, how can you let him settle the account first?" Xiaoer said angrily: "Master, a person like him who buys a substitute and becomes so crazy, really makes him eat, do you still expect him to pay for it? I don't dare to make fun of my job. Yesterday Here comes a candidate magistrate, wearing an official uniform and hat, which seems to be a defect that was bought from Master Zhao of the Disaster Relief Bureau for several hundred silver. The little one's legs are tired and bent. How about it? Wipe your mouth, throw a piece of paper to the little one, and ask the little one to take the piece to the county government office to reconcile accounts! The little one bows and bows, he's still gone! The little one only earns a few big ones a month Zi'er?" After finishing speaking, he was busy greeting the people who just came in. Li Bao whispered to Zeng Guofan: "My lord, why don't you go and rest?" Zeng Guofan returned to the guest room, and suddenly said to Liu Heng: "Liu Heng, you take two guards, take my film to the Datong government office, and let the magistrate come to see me, keep quiet. Go." He took out a ready-made film and handed it to Liu Heng. Seeing Liu Heng go out, Zeng Guofan said to Li Bao again: "Let Xiaoer make a pot of tea, make it strong." Li Bao just walked out, and then came in the father and daughter who were playing strings and singing. The old man bowed when he came in, and the woman said "Wan Fu ①" when he came in. The two guards wandering outside the door hurried in and pulled the father and daughter out. Zeng Guofan waved his hand, asked the guards to put a stool for the old man, sat down himself, and asked, "Listen to the old man's accent, are you from Shandong?" The old man smiled and replied: "The guest officer has good ears, the little old man is from Dongping Prefecture in Shandong Province, and he has been playing strings in Datong for half a year. "Thank you, Mr. Meng, for your face! Did you listen to "Splashing Water Before the Horse"?" Zeng Guofan pondered and was about to answer when Xiao Er came in with tea, followed by Li Bao. Xiao Er put down the tray and said with a smile on his face: "Guest officer, please drink slowly." Then he withdrew. Zeng Guofan asked Li Bao to give the old man two copper coins, and said, "Let's ask the eldest sister to sing a section." The old man skillfully put the erhu on his lap, and got up without thinking, and the little girl began to sing along with the melody tenderly. Before the end of the song, Mu Guiying didn't seem to have seen the handsome seal yet, so Liu Heng strode in and saluted Zeng Guofan: "My lord, the person you always invited has arrived, waiting outside the door!" Zeng Guofan winked at Li Bao, and Li Bao understood, and whispered to the old man playing the erhu: "My master has business to do, so you can go to another guest room." The father and daughter hurriedly saluted Zeng Guofan and others and withdrew in a hurry. Zeng Guofan coughed and said "please". Liu Heng walked out in response, and soon led in an official wearing an official uniform and a blue hat.As soon as the official entered the door, he would give a big gift first, saying that "the next official is late", and his attitude was extremely humble. Zeng Guofan said in his mouth, "The main hall does not dare to accept this great gift, please get up quickly from the old mansion", stretched out his hands to help the official up, and turned back to let Li Bao sit down.Then he sat down and looked at the magistrate intently, and couldn't help blurting out: "The Futai is Zhang Tonglin, a Jinshi of the 1898 Division?" The official was taken aback, stood up hastily and replied, "It's the lower official. How did Mr. Zeng know?" Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "Zhang Tonglin, the main department is in the same subject as you. You were sent to Shanxi, and the main department entered the Imperial Academy. It is the first examination of the subject, you are the seventh, and the main department is the thirty-eighth." When Zhang Tonglin heard this, he bowed deeply again and said, "Tonglin is blind, please forgive me, my lord." Zeng Guofan helped Zhang Tonglin up and sat down again, and suddenly asked: "Old Tongnian, how have you been these past few years? Have you been in Datong?" Zhang Tonglin sighed and said: "I am ashamed to say it! Old Tongnian was already a well-known official of the second rank in the country, and the lower official was only a senior official of the fifth rank. Datong prefect half a year ago Ding Fu was worried, and the Ministry looked at the official. After suffering so much, I was extra merciful, and let my subordinates come to Datong Mansion to protect their seals. Recently, I heard that the ministry is about to expire and return to Beijing. Tong Lin really doesn’t know what it will be like in the future? Sigh! Why can’t Mr. Zeng come to Datong Wen Yamen? Could it be a private visit?" Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Don't worry about Laotongnian. The head office was just ordered to donate to Shanxi. I haven't seen the Fuyuan before. How can I disturb the local people? I heard that Datong's Disaster Relief Bureau is doing very well. Laotongnian is for Shandong, Henan has done a great thing!" Zhang Tonglin said: "The lower officials don't know anything about the Disaster Relief Bureau. It's always good to do good deeds. Shandong and Henan are miserable!" Zeng Guofan changed the subject: "This department wants to know who set up this disaster relief bureau? Why does the old Tongnian not know at all?" Zhang Tonglin said: "It was started by a general merchandise merchant in Datong. People call him Zhao Dashan. How can Mr. Zeng ask this? The Disaster Relief Bureau is a non-governmental organization, and it is not under the control of the government! Let alone doing good deeds." Zeng Guofan asked again: "People in Datong in the headquarters call Zhao Dashan Mr. Zhao. Is this Zhao person still a member of the government?" Zhang Tonglin said: "Because Mr. Zhao Dashan made the fundraising very popular, the Ministry issued an insurance policy to ask for a reward for him. This is also in accordance with the usual practice. The emperor rewarded Mr. Zhao Dashan with a fourth-rank title, so the people changed their name to Zhao Dashan." My lord, even the lower officials should call me your lord when they see you! Good deeds are rewarded with good deeds! I heard that the Disaster Relief Bureau has collected millions of taels of silver, how many people can be saved!" "It's really rare!" Zeng Guofan couldn't help but praise, but then asked, "However, there is something doubtful about the Ministry. Mr. Zhao is recommended by the Ministry, and he is a fourth-rank title. How can he recommend the donator? What about the rank? Just now, there was an alternate Daotai recommended by him in the dining room!" "This..." Zhang Tonglin pondered for a while, "I have heard about it, but I have never seen it with my own eyes. However, according to my opinion, in a time of rampant robbers and turmoil like now, it is very helpful for the imperial court to make donations because of the tight budget. It is possible. Mr. Zeng, Zhao Dashan is very lucky! Thinking about half a year ago, when the next official was appointed to act in Datong, Zhao Dashan was just a small peddler in Datong Street, not to mention seeing the prefecture. Even when he saw the handyman, he was in a hurry to greet him, bending his waist like something!——It was only a few months since he got a letter from the governor's yamen approving donations, and the official was also promoted. The waist is also thick, and he has become the richest man in Datong! Who wouldn't be flattered to see it! Cough!" On the one hand, Zhang Tonglin praised Zhao Dashan, and on the other hand, he was deeply saddened by his own fate. Zeng Guofan was half sympathetic and half grievance towards Zhang Tonglin. Zhang Tonglin was the seventh Jinshi in the 1898 National Examination, but he was dismissed by Emperor Daoguang as "disorderly" because he did not answer correctly in the imperial examination.Although he is in the tiger class, he has always been lacking in points, and he is not hungry, but the talent who is nearly fifty years old is only a fifth-rank title, and the future can be imagined.