Chapter 108 Chapter One Hundred and Eight

There was an accident in the township examination, and Zeng Guofan decided to enter the palace to ask for an order, but before he could sit in the sedan chair, a loud voice suddenly sounded in the township examination office, "Master Zeng, I have to apologize to you!" Zeng Guofan was startled, turned around suddenly, and shouted majesticly: "You raise your head!" The kneeling person had no choice but to raise his head, but it turned out to be Shutao, the official man in charge of order in the school grounds. Zeng Guofan walked back to the office, sat down, and asked, "Master Uncle, you are a person from the Jiuli Township Examination. How can you be so bold? Are you not afraid of beheading?"

Shu Tao bowed his head and replied: "Your Excellency, I know that Xiaguan and Rongfa are family friends, and Xiaguan didn't intend to send a message to Rong. It was just when the scene was cleared..., please forgive me!" It turned out that the ancestors of the uncle's family and the Rong family had already had a close relationship.Before entering the customs, Rongfa's grandfather saved the life of Shu Tao's grandfather; during the Ping San Francisco, in front of the two armies, Shu Tao's grandfather saved Rong Fa's grandfather's life again.When Shu Tao was in Wanping, Rongfa was a frequent visitor to Shu Tao's residence.Whatever happened to the Rong family, Shu Tao was always the one who couldn't be left behind.

After Shu Tao was transferred to the capital, every holiday, he would rush back to Wanping to meet with Rongfa. Rongfa lived in Shu Tao's mansion before the exam.Rongfa won the first place, Shutao was so happy that he seemed to win the prize. When clearing the venue, he saw Rongfa stretching his neck in the crowd to join in the fun, as if he was very anxious, he waved his hand when he saw him, without thinking about it, turned around and entered the room, and wrote the word "one" on the palm of his hand , eager to make Rongfa happy one day sooner. After coming out for the second time, he saw the opportunity and focused his eyes on Rongfa's station.Rongfa understood, so he tiptoed to see him.He opened his hand and flaunted it at Rongfa, Rongfa saw it clearly.

To Shutao's surprise, the extremely happy Rongfa, whose mouth was faster than a feathered arrow, actually passed on a message that you know me. Shu Tao knew that if the chief examiner was replaced by someone else, this kind of thing might not be a big deal, but in the hands of Zeng, it was not only a big deal, but a big deal. Zeng Guofan is not only meticulous in his work, but also recognized as a strong minister by the Manchu Dynasty. He is not only strict with his subordinates, but also strict with himself, sometimes so strict that even his superiors cannot judge.Shu Tao knew very well that people like Zeng Guofan could do what they said.Once Zeng Guofan enters the palace to ask for an order, the emperor will investigate carefully. Even if someone stands up to persuade the emperor with a word or two, if the emperor wants to let go, I am afraid that the surname Zeng will not let go.Jia Ren Jia Cundao is the best example.If it is really found out, not only will he lose his life, but he may also bring disaster to the nine clans.The ink on the words he wrote on his hand hadn't dried completely, and it was too late to wash this dark evidence!

Zeng Guofan looked at Shu Tao who was trembling, and said to himself: "Master Shu, you are a smart person recognized by the court, you shouldn't do such a foolish thing! You can only resign yourself to fate. Somebody, take Shu Tao off!" Go to Dingdai, and temporarily take care of the barracks. Wait for the emperor to play in the hall, and then issue it." Zeng Guofan ordered Li Bao and Liu Heng to go to Wanping County, where Rongfa was originally from, to secretly check his conduct.If Rongfa is really a student with a bad record, there are many people involved. According to the trial system of the Qing Dynasty, before the provincial examination of a student, the local yamen must issue a report stating that the student is of good character and has no bad deeds, and report it to the Xuezheng Yamen for review.If it is true, it can be reported to the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of War will issue a letter of admission to the exam.During the township examination, the students who took the examination had to form a knot of five to guarantee each other's innocence before they could enter the examination hall.

The Qing Dynasty attached great importance to the conduct of students.People with bad conduct, don't say that they can't get into the township examination, even the qualifications of scholars will be removed. After Shu Tao was escorted away, Zeng Guofan asked the scribe to continue transcribing the list; the list must be delivered to the palace before midnight, without delay. After the list was written, it was handed over to Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan had no choice but to draw a dot under the hair of the first one, and attached a letter from outside the venue, writing a slip, stating that he had appointed a bodyguard to go to the hair. Unannounced visits to the original place.Once the results are available, report them immediately.

Zeng Guofan's intention could not be more obvious: the emperor's approval of the word "Zhun" is best delayed for a day or two. He thought to himself: Shuntianfu Township Examination is a once-in-three-year event in Shuntianfu, so it is impossible for the court to be careless. The next morning, before Zeng Guofan got up, Li Bao and Liu Heng rushed back with tired faces. Zeng Guofan got up in a hurry and passed Li Bao and Liu Heng into the study for questioning; the ten big characters that must be written before breakfast also stopped.The two of them walked into the study room, greeted Zeng Guofan, and began to talk eloquently.

Rongfa, from Shiliqiao, Wanping County, Shuntian Prefecture.The ancestors once accompanied Kangxi to the San Francisco, wore the Yanque Sword, and were rewarded with the Batulu Yonghao. They are one of the most wealthy families in Wanping County.Rongfa has done several such things, including slavery and murder, monopoly of lawsuits, forced buying and selling of land.Zhengyin in Wanping County was a Han released by the Hanlin Academy. He was 70% afraid of the Manchus, but he dared not offend a Manchu with Rongfa's background.When Rongfa went to the county government, he always went on a rampage. He didn't pay attention to the magistrate at all, and he could do whatever he wanted, which was better than Zhengyin.

It's not an exaggeration to say that Rongfa is a bully in Wanping County. With his strong martial arts skills, Rongfa has gathered a few friends who are good at dancing with guns, and his power is indeed overwhelming the magistrate. In the early morning, Zeng Guofan was the first to hand over the brochures he had drawn up before breakfast. The title of the booklet is: "The True Facts of the Hidden Students in Shenwan Pingzhi County and the Misdeeds of the Students in Wanping County".The excerpts were approved that night: Rongfa, a student with bad records, was not only cut off from the position of Xie Yuan in the Kewu Township Examination, but was also expelled from the student qualification for misconduct.Not only Wanping county magistrate was dismissed, but Shuntian Prefecture's Xuezheng and Shuntian Prefecture's Chancellor were also demoted to stay in office.Shu Tao was fined to serve in the Xinjiang military station for three years.

Shu Tao was fined so lightly, it is said that Wen Qing said something in front of the emperor.Shu Tao and Wen Qing are a little close. Just like that, a Xie Yuanqian who got his hands was lost by the extremely insolent Rongfa. Just imagine, if Shu Tao didn't report the results to Rongfa in advance, and no one reported the results after the notification, Rongfa really became the Qing Dynasty's Jie Yuan, what would happen? Zeng Guofan was depressed about this for many days. While having dinner at the mansion, Zeng Guofan was still thinking, why are the township examinations in other provinces going smoothly, but there are always some accidents when he arrives in the Shun and Fenger mansions?

After dinner, he came to the study, wanting to read the manuscript of "Selected Poems and Proses of Eighteen Masters" that had just been formed.Shuntian Ke Bookstore has sent people to remind him twice, but he has been delaying the delivery of the manuscript; some words in the annotation of a manuscript still need to be deliberated, and the printing fee has not yet been paid.Although the bookstore has repeatedly emphasized that it can be engraved on credit, and the fee will be paid after the book is completed, he has always had no confidence in his re-edited collection of ancient poems and essays. At the end of the Daoist period and the beginning of the Xian Dynasty, books were more popular in various places, and school reviews of ancient poems were the best way to become famous.On Zeng Guofan's desk, there are several collections of commentaries on the ancients by modern people. Not only are the annotations absurd, but they are also full of mistakes.This is also the original intention of Zeng Guofan's annotated "Selected Records of Eighteen Poems and Proses", in order to provide scholars all over the world with a standard model of translation and annotation of ancient poems and proses. As soon as Zeng Guofan sat down in the study, Li Bao walked in with Zhang Baike's post. "My lord," Li Bao handed the post to Zeng Guofan with both hands, "I want to see my lord, should I pass it on or not?" Zeng Guofan glanced at the post, and saw that it read: Dai Li, the magistrate of Wanping County in Shuntian Prefecture, kowtowed. Zeng Guofan couldn't figure out the purpose of the newly dismissed county magistrate coming to worship him, so he could only say: "Let him come in." Soon, Li Bao led a tall man with a stooped back into the room. As soon as the man entered the study, he greeted Zeng Guofan first, and then stood aside humbly.Zeng Guofan returned the salute, then let him sit down, and then took a closer look at the dismissed sixth-rank magistrate.