Chapter 12 Zuo Shuai takes office

Zuo Zongtang waited for Empress Dowager Cixi's longevity before leaving Beijing. He was allowed to go back to his hometown to visit the grave. On November 25th, he went to Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province. The first thing he did was to visit Guo Songtao. Guo Songtao and Zuo Zongtang had a entangled grievance.When Zuo Zongtang was in the Hunan governor Luo Bingzhang's shogunate in the eighth year of Xianfeng, he acted arbitrarily. One day, Luo Bingzhang was reading in the signing room when he suddenly heard a gun being fired at the gate. Seeing that the light of the day was not the "noon cannon" at noon every day, he asked what was going on. ?The servant told him: "Master Zuo pays homage to the memorial." He didn't even know that the memorial was submitted, but the governor of Hunan was Zuo Zongtang's doing it, so he got the nickname "Zuodu Censor".As usual, the governor was given the title of "Censor of the Right Deputy Capital" and called Zuo Zongtang the Censor of the Left Capital, which meant that he had more power than the governor of the "Censor of the Right Deputy Capital".

At that time, there was Fan Xie, the commander-in-chief of Yongzhou Town, Hunan Province, from Enshi, Hubei Province, with a bad reputation.Once when I went to see Zuo Zongtang, when talking about the defense situation in Yongzhou, Fan Xie asked three questions, and he was not very polite. Zuo Zongtang was very annoyed. , Fan Xie was impeached for being "greedy and lawless, with a bad reputation", and there was a comment about "illiteracy", which was sent out without telling Luo Bingzhang.Whether Fan Xie was "greedy and illegal" remains to be ascertained, but how can an "illiterate" be a general officer?Immediate dismissal first, investigation later.In Fan Xie's heart, the word "illiteracy" is deeper than that of a hot iron. After "disarmed and returned to the field", fortunately, a lot of military pay was deducted. He hired a famous teacher to teach his only son to read. In the study, "Mr. Tiandi" Next to the wooden sign of "Professor and Teacher", there is a piece of plum red paper with the words "illiterate" written on it.He told his son: "Zuo Zongtang is just a juren, with such an air, if you don't win the Jinshi in the future, you are not my son." Hanlin was a celebrity in his early years, and this person is Fan Zengxiang.

On the one hand he taught his son, on the other hand he wanted revenge. Fan Xie went out of his way to report to Luo Bingzhang's superior, Guan Wen, the governor of Huguang, and sent people to Beijing to file a complaint at the Metropolitan Procuratorate.In the official document for this case, there is a very powerful saying called "one official, two seals", which means that there are two people who are governors of Hunan.Famous utensils cannot be fake people, let alone a big official in the frontier, this matter is very serious. At that time, Guo Songtao was in the South Study Hall, and he and Zuo Zongtang’s brother Zuo Zongzhi were relatives of his sons and daughters. Of course, he knew Zuo Zongtang very well. If Zuo Jigao is not in Hunan, he will definitely lose it. The overall situation in the southeast is irrelevant. I am from the same hometown as him, and we are relatives by marriage, so it is inconvenient for me to speak, brother, why not make a note."

Pan Zuyin listened to his words, and sure enough, he made a note. After describing his achievements, he made a conclusion: "The country cannot live without Hunan for a day, that is, Hunan cannot live without Zuo Zongtang for a day." Xianfeng was moved by it when he saw it. The decree asked Zeng Guofan, should Zuo Zongtang still be in Hunan?Or transferred to Zeng Guofan's camp in order to do his best.Zeng Guofan played back, and Zuo Zongtang "has a clear mind and endures hardships, and knows how to fight."So he was ordered to accompany Zeng Guofan to assist in military affairs.

Zuo Zongtang got a blessing in disguise, thanks to Pan Zuyin and Guo Songtao, but his attitude towards Pan and Guo is quite different.In addition to Pan Zuyin's "three festivals and two birthdays", Pan Zuyin knew that Pan Zuyin liked to collect gold and stone steles. Even the original stele was sent to the Pan family. Guo Songtao was ordered to serve as governor of Guangdong after Hong Yangping.The governor of Guangdong and Guangxi was named Ruilin, and he was stationed in Guangzhou with the governor. "The governor is in the same city", and he was often at odds. Ruilin was greedy and incompetent. Its restraint is painful and helpless.

Unexpectedly, Guo Songtao, who was already in a difficult situation, never imagined that Zuo Zongtang, who had been a friend for many years and had helped him, would still make things difficult for him. .There are various legends about the reasons for Guo and Zuo's estrangement. The most popular one is that when Guo Songtao was released as the governor of Guangdong, Ganoderma lucidum was suddenly produced in Xiangyin Confucian Temple.Zuo Zongtang was very displeased when he heard about it, and said, "If Ganoderma lucidum is produced in the Confucian Temple, if it is a good omen, it should also be on my knighthood. What has it to do with the Guo family?"

In fact, it is common for Xiangyin Confucian Temple to produce Ganoderma lucidum, and Zuo Zongtang is not so stingy that he even has to fight for this kind of thing.The real reason is that after Hong Yang's army flourished, he led troops and raised salaries on the spot.Li Hongzhang understands this truth best, so he always dominates Jiangsu, especially Shanghai, but Zuo Zongtang only has Zhejiang province. Every time he suffers, he sees that Guangdong is a place for growth, so he is cruel and disregards friendship and friendship. , Repeatedly criticized Guo Songtao.Finally got his wish, and his general Jiang Yili took over Guo Songtao's hand.However, Jiang Yili's governor of Guangdong was transferred away after a short time.

Guo Songtao was depressed because of this.In Guangxu Jianyuan, he was recruited to Beijing together with Zeng Guoquan. Zeng Guoquan released the governor of Shaanxi, because he did not want to work with Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and was changed to the governor of Hedong River. Guo Songtao was appointed as the governor of Fujian. , This is very wronged for someone who has been a governor, but he still accepted the job.Soon, the imperial edict opened up a vacancy, and he was replaced by a servant to act as the imperial envoy to the United Kingdom. At that time, Margaret, the British minister interpreter, went to the Yunnan-Myanmar border to meet the expedition team from India in Yunnan. Unexpectedly, he was murdered by officers and soldiers, which caused serious negotiations.British Minister Wade said that if Guo Songtao went to the UK as an envoy, if he stated in his credentials that China had misunderstood the words, he could take up his post immediately; otherwise, he should wait for the conclusion of the Yunnan case before going to the UK.All the ministers of the General Administration believed that China could not admit its mistakes, and Guo Songtao could not go abroad. He was ordered to act as the Minister of the Ministry of War and walked in the General Administration.

Guo Songtao, on the one hand, advocated fairness and reasonableness in handling foreign affairs, and believed that it would not be enough to subdue foreigners.He believed that the governor of Yunnan, Cen Yuying, was not responsible for Ma Jiali's murder. When the case happened, he tried to cover it up, but did not find out the reason for the killing.However, because the officers and soldiers killed foreigners, the gentry officers of the DPRK came together to protect Cen Yuying, so that the British felt even more aggrieved, and their attitude became more and more tough.This dispute was entrenched and indissoluble, all due to lack of fairness and reason, so on the day when he was ordered to enter the General Administration, he played a single title and asked for an order to "bring Cen Yuying into trouble successively, and send it to the Ministry for strict discussion." Those who think that they are relying on vanity and arrogance, instead of calmly observing the reason and investigating the details, so as to bring trouble to the country are warned."

Guo Songtao usually talked about foreign affairs, and he was already dissatisfied with the conservative "gentlemen of righteousness". Now he actually participated in the impeachment of Cen Yuying, who killed foreigners. From their point of view, it was obvious that he had liaison with foreign countries, which aroused public outrage, even his close friends and disciples. , also very unforgiving of him, and many people in Hunan do not recognize him as a fellow villager.In addition, someone in the capital made a couplet and scolded him: "Out of its kind, out of its best, it cannot be tolerated in the age of Yao and Shun; if you can't serve people, how can you serve ghosts, why go to the country of your parents?"

At the end of July of the following year, China and Britain signed the "Yantai Treaty", the "Dian case" was resolved, and Guo Songtao could leave for the UK. . There is a Cantonese named Liu Xihong, who was formerly a member of the Ministry of Criminal Justice Wailang. This person is Guo Songtao's old acquaintance in Guangdong. When talking about foreign affairs, he is quite speculative.But it is one thing to talk about Westernization, and another thing to do it. Guo Songtao thinks that Liu Xihong's temper is too rigid, and he is too impulsive, but it is not appropriate to do Westernization as "a waste of time".Unexpectedly, Liu Xihong didn't give up, so he entrusted Zhu Sunyi, a good friend of Guo Songtao, to come and talk about it.Zhu Sunyi said to Guo Songtao: "I told him everything you criticized that he was not suitable for foreign affairs. He was also very self-aware and said that he would not ask anything. You should just bring a friend who can talk to him to relieve the loneliness of a foreign country. " Hearing this, Guo Songtao felt sorry for Liu Xihong's poverty and dissatisfaction, so he went up to protect him as a counselor.Liu Xihong is a secretary, and he is only a member of the sixth grade, so he can only be a counselor in terms of qualifications. However, according to the imperial edict, "Wailang Liu Xihong, a member of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs, opened the vacancy immediately. He was appointed as the fifth-rank Jingtang as a substitute, and added a third-rank title to serve as the deputy envoy to Britain." Such examples are rare, and there is an inside story. Li Hongzao, Minister of Military Aircraft, was somewhat skeptical of Guo Songtao's attitude, fearing that he would speak for the British everywhere after he went on a mission, so he promoted Liu Xihong to restrain the chief envoy as a deputy envoy. This Liu Xihong is an unreasonable person, thinking that Li Hongzao sent him to be a "thug", so after thanking him, he went to see Guo Songtao and asked him why he didn't guarantee him to be a deputy envoy but a counselor?To say that he is not enough friends, and to say something ugly, is to scold Guo Songtao. Guo Songtao was so angry that he always met this kind of person who would repay his kindness with revenge, so he could only blame himself for being doomed.Later, Liu Xihong really made things difficult for him everywhere, and made a lot of noise, disregarding decency, Guo Songtao wrote to Li Hongzhang, describing his colleagues as "ghosts howl in the room, foxes howl in the beam", and the unrest in the legation can be imagined. At that time, Liu Xihong had been transferred to Germany as the minister, and he could play a single title and impeach each other, but because Liu Xihong had the support of Li Hongzao, he gained the upper hand.Under Li Hongzao's sect, Zhang Peilun, one of the famous "Four Admonitions from the Imperial Academy", played "Please withdraw the envoys stationed in Britain".Guo Songtao was very discouraged and begged again and again, and finally sent Zeng Jize, the eldest son of Zeng Guofan, to succeed Guo Songtao in July of the fifth year of Guangxu.This is the result of Li Hongzhang's efforts. Guo Songtao has won an excellent reputation in the UK, so it is a pity to leave Guo.Guo Songtao's first wife died early, and his stepmother was resigned. He only brought his concubine surnamed Liang to England. According to her status, she was not allowed to meet Queen Victoria, and she even made an exception to grant permission.But this is the case in the UK. After returning to China, Guo Songtao knew that Li Hongzao and his group would not let him go, and he was already sixty-two years old, so he decided to retire. As soon as he arrived in Shanghai, he claimed to be sick and did not return to Beijing. He asked for a vacancy, and finally got his wish. , lived in Changsha after returning to Hunan.Although he was in the field, he was not negative. He often exchanged letters with Li Hongzhang and Zeng Guoquan about current affairs, especially foreign affairs, and discussed them in detail.The days are still leisurely. This year—the seventh year of Guangxu, Guo Songtao had two happy events at the beginning of the year and the end of the year. One was in February, Liu Xihong, who was transferred back to the country to serve as the counselor of the General Political Department, because Li Hongzhang knocked off his "foreign job" Keeping the grudge in mind, he impeached Li Hongzhang for being domineering and disobedient, just like a monarchy.When Li Hongzhang was in the limelight, Liu Xihong overestimated his own strength and made such a move. Naturally, he was making fun of himself.As a result, he was dismissed from his post. Another thing is that Zuo Zongtang came to visit.The ostentation is extremely grand, with horses on top, horses on the back, high-footed cards, and a green woolen sedan chair behind the front and back. The person sitting in the middle is wearing a jewel top, double-eyed feathers, wearing a yellow mandarin jacket with four open robes, and a nose bridge. Ke Jinghou, a scholar of Dongge University who is the vice-big dark mirror.The prefect of Changsha, the capital, and Changsha County, the first county, have long been waiting near Guo Songtao's house in Qingdao.Fans of Hunan Province, the two divisions of standardization, alternate roads, etc., also came to stand on duty.But the doors of the Guo family were closed and they refused to accept, so Zuo Zongtang had no choice but to get out of the sedan chair at the gate, and the "material officer" wearing a red crown came to post a post. "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it!" Guo's family went up to Zuo Zongtang and said, "Please drive back, my lord." Zuo Zongtang had expected this for a long time, so he was not angry at all, and replied with a pleasant face: "Go back with your master and say that I am an old friend who has come to see me for fifty years. I am disrespectful in plain clothes, so I wear an official uniform." here." As soon as he entered the door, there was no news for a long time. Shouxian saw that the "juexiang" could not get off the stage, so he forced his way in and bowed to Guo Songtao, saying, "If you don't see him, the whole city's civil and military forces will be frozen there. Please be sympathetic to him. "Finally, he convinced Guo Songtao and opened the front door to welcome him, but he himself just stood in the hall and waited. "Brother!" Zuo Zongtang said when they met, "Zongtang has nothing to do, and I'm here to make an apology." Then, he flicked his horseshoe sleeves, picked up the hem of the open robe, and knelt down. "Don't dare, dare not!" Guo Songtao had no choice but to kneel down and reply. The entourage officials helped both the host and the guest up, and Zuo Zongtang blamed himself for what he did back then, and did not explain that it was because of the military salary, "there is land and wealth", and he only said repeatedly: "I deserve to die, I am ridiculous!" .” Zuo Zongtang has always been talkative, talking about the Western Expedition, border defense, news in Beijing, and the past from Zeng Guofan. He didn't mean to say goodbye until noon. So I had to stay for dinner. The entourage was on a mission from Shou County, and he went east from Yulou, the first big restaurant in Changsha, to call for a banquet, and received him at the nearby Guandi Temple.Fortunately, the high-ranking officials from the Hunan Army, except for Hu Linyi, are not very particular about food. Zuo Zongtang likes to eat dog meat, which is called "diyang". , for him it is a feast. At the end of the meal, Zuo Zongtang began to say goodbye.Before leaving, he made a gesture, and the material officer handed over a red envelope. Zuo Zongtang offered it with both hands, and said in his mouth: "It's not shy, let's talk about the age of death, please accept it." Guo Songtao refused to accept it, so Zuo Zongtang had to give it away.In front of many civil and military officials in Hunan, Guo Songtao felt that there was a dispute and it was unseemly, so he accepted it. However, he had already made up his mind. When he opened the envelope, he found that it was a ten thousand taels of silver note issued by Fukang Bank. , Immediately picked up a pen to write the word "cancel", sealed it in an envelope, and sent it to Zuo Zongtang's office.It is reasonable to pay homage, and Guo Songtao is also exempted from this custom.In the end, Zuo Zongtang still got bored. When I arrived in Xiangyin on the second day of December, in the evening, I received a "court post" from the Military Aircraft Department sent by a special envoy sent by the governor's office in Hunan. According to the court letter, someone participated in the impeachment of Li Hanzhang, the governor of Huguang, who "appointed private individuals and indulged inferior personnel. The province's defense force was short of money, wasted money, and harmed the local area. Li Hanzhang himself was never tired of goods, and the people's grievances were deepening." The original play listed Li Hanzhang has many misdeeds, among which four are serious: First, the annual income of lijin in Hubei Province is three to four million, while the newspaper department only earns forty thousand. Second, the bamboo and wood tax collects millions of dollars a year, but the tax bill is only 30,000.The governor's yamen of Huguang spends 750 taels of silver every day, which is spent on it, and the annual consumption of more than 270,000 taels of silver. Third, use public ships to carry private goods and openly sell them. Fourth, Li Hanzhang has pawn shops in Yangzhou and Wuhu. According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty, whenever the governor was involved, different treatments were given depending on the severity of the case.If the circumstances are more serious, Beijing Li often sends senior officials, at least ministers, who must be more qualified than those who have been inspected and governors, to investigate and deal with them.In order to prevent the evidence from being annihilated in advance by the governor, the edict only said to send someone to a certain place on business. The so-called "certain place" is definitely not a province under the jurisdiction of the governor. For example, if you are sent to Sichuan on business, you must go to Hubei As soon as he arrived in Wuchang, the decree was delivered immediately, and the staff with him immediately started to seal the warehouse and check the accounts. He was caught off guard. If the circumstances are minor, or the case is deliberately taken lightly, a person with a higher official rank will be sent nearby to investigate or review.Zuo Zongtang received the imperial edict: "Find out exactly what you played, and play it according to the facts." This is an investigation, not an investigation, but Zuo Zongtang ignored this. When he arrived in Wuchang on December 13, Li Hanzhang had already received a notification from Li Hongzhang that Zuo Zongtang was coming to investigate the case.It is necessary to signal Yang Zonglian, the candidate for the position of chief minister, to return home on leave.In the last years of Xianfeng, this person, as a member of the household department Wailang, organized a group training in Jintan, Jiangsu, where he was originally from.In the first year of Tongzhi, Jiangsu gentry collected 180,000 silver, hired British ships to Anqing, and took the Huai army to Shanghai to hunt long hair. During the two years of suppressing the Nian Army, Yang Zonglian managed the camp affairs office for him.Since then, he has been a Taoist in Hubei, and the Li brothers successively supervised Hubei. Yang Zonglian changed from the subordinate of "Mr. Li Er" to the subordinate of "Mr. Li Da", and managed the "Xinguan" in Hankou. "Guancha" has always been a good mission. Hankou is the first large wharf on the Yangtze River, and the main income is bamboo and wood tax.Timber from the deep mountains in the southwestern part of the country is collected and distributed in Chenzhou, western Hunan, and they are tied into "wooden rafts". They flow from the Yuanjiang River into Dongting Lake, pass through Yueyang into the Yangtze River, and are traded in Hankou.Zuo Zongtang had long heard the "Pai Ke" from Xiangxi talk about the various disadvantages of collecting bamboo and wood taxes at "Xinguan" in Hankou, so when he arrived in Wuchang, he wanted to find Yang Zonglian. Since Zuo Zongtang and Li Hanzhang did not have personal contacts because they were investigating the case by order, they consulted the governor of Huguang with a corner of the office in Xingyuan. There is no way to tell the order." This time Zuo Zongtang was furious, and sent "Zhazi" to Han Huang Dedao and Wuchang Mansion, "urging Yang Zonglian" to go to Jiangning for questioning.On the one hand, he played: "The minister returned to Hunan last time and passed Xinguan. Yang Zonglian avoided seeing him. This time he asked for leave and returned home. Whether there was evasion, although it is not known. However, if Yang Zonglian has a normal reputation and a fluctuating temperament, there are many opinions. It’s the same, and there is no one who can explain it on his behalf.” As for whether there are any disadvantages in collecting bamboo and wood taxes, “should wait to check and get the invoice book, and send Yang Zonglian to the case for questioning, and Fang Zhao will verify it.” Then he declared: Because he has to go to Liangjiang to take over, so pass it on. Yang Zonglian went to Jiangning to prepare for inquiries. At the same time, with the test language of "greedy and cunning", he asked for an order to "dismiss Yang Zonglian first and wait for investigation". In addition, He Weijian of Huang Dedao of the Han Dynasty and Li Qian, the alternate magistrate, are all personal of Li Hanzhang. Zuo Zongtang is also not polite. The Empress Dowager Cixi personally inspected Li Qian, saying that Li Qian was "good-natured and tactful, cheering up in difficult times", and asked Peng Zuxian, the governor of Hubei, to "inspect". In the memorial, Li Hanzhang was also reprimanded. He said that Li Hanzhang's family, when they met the saints, achieved great fame, pro-party friends, and there are quite a few people who can stand on their own.However, there are also many dependents. At that time, those who followed the meritorious deeds and became rich and noble had their own relatives and friends. Over time, they relied on their power and acted recklessly. .Because "the sages refuse to make the rules right, the cowards are afraid of their jealousy, rumors and incidents are endless, and it is not a blessing for the family. It is advisable to lead by example, not to compete with the people of the country and the state for profit, and to restrain yourself when things happen. Don’t be a resentment to the government. Li Hongzhang and Li Hanzhang can’t say enough, and the ministers and others should also do their best to teach them, so that they know that righteousness is profit, such as thinking about protecting the family, and serving the country. Li’s The blessings of relatives and friends are also the blessings of Li Hongzhang and Li Hanzhang." The words were very blunt, but Zuo Zongtang thought he had excused Li Hanzhang a lot, which helped him a lot.After the memorial was issued on December 19, he took the Yangtze River ship and went eastward with drums and drums to Jiangning to pay his respects to the seal. Because of this, Hu Xueyan was left blank.It turned out that Zuo Zongtang's original plan was to go south from Guangdong to Fujian after returning to his hometown in Hunan to pay respects to his ancestors, and from Xiamen to Shanghai on a specially dispatched Nanyang warship, and then transfer to Jiangning to take over.This is to honor the old place where hundreds of battles have been made, and at the same time, it also means "Minister of Nanyang" patrolling the sea.Unexpectedly, as soon as I arrived in Xiangyin, I was ordered to investigate the case of Li Hanzhang's connivance with inferior officials. It was delayed for eleven days, so I had to take a shortcut and rushed to Jiangning to take over a year ago. "Since that's the case, my uncle, you should go back to Hangzhou for the New Year." Gu Yingchun said, "After the New Year, I will accompany my uncle to Nanjing on a special trip." "It has to be like this. However, I am really worried about Seventh Sister's illness." "It doesn't matter. People have woken up. As long as they recuperate slowly, they will gradually recover. The doctor said that stroke is a disease that depends entirely on recuperation. In the future, you will always be sick and prolong your life." Hu Xueyan and Grandma Qigu are like brothers and sisters. Although she is awake, she can't speak, but she can recognize her. When she sees the tears exchanged, her lips move, and there is some suffering. Hu Xueyan can't help crying too. "Uncle, Uncle, please don't do this." Gu Yingchun persuaded, "This will make the patient feel sad." Hu Xueyan nodded, wiped away tears, forced a smile on his face, and sat in front of the sick bed and said to Grandma Qigu: "Sister Qi, there are too many things at the end of the year, so I have to go. Take it easy, I remember your horoscope, say you There is a test at the age of forty-four. Although the onset is fierce, it is fierce but not dangerous. After passing this test, the life expectancy will reach 78. In the spring of this year, counting the year of Renwu, you are exactly forty-four. You should pass this test , next autumn, the old lady is waiting for you to come and have birthday wine." Grandma Qigu couldn't speak, but she could understand. She just shook her head on the pillow to show her understanding. "There is another sentence, Seventh Sister, that kind of ridiculous thing happens once in a while, and I will never do it again in the future." Grandma Qigu became ill because she was angry at Hu Xueyan's absurdity, so this sentence was the best comfort for her, and she actually smiled with tears in her eyes. Leaving the sickbed, he went back to his hometown. That night, Gu Yingchun had a farewell party for Hu Xueyan, just because Qigu's grandma was ill, so the cook prepared a few delicate delicacies at home, and no guests were invited, just the two of them had a drink. At the dining table, the director of the Mining and Transportation Bureau sent a letter from Zuo Zongtang from Xiangyin, telling Hu Xueyan that because he was ordered to go to Wuchang to handle the case, the original itinerary was cancelled. After the Hu Xueyan Lantern Festival, we will meet in Jiangning. In addition, I asked Hu Xueyan to investigate one matter, saying that "Jiangsu Siguanli Bureau and Hubei, Hunan and Anhui West are Supervision and Sales Bureaus. They have a special monthly salary. What is the detailed number, I beg for secret visits." After reading the letter, Hu Xueyan pondered for a while and said, "I see, Mr. Zuo is going to do something to Li Hefei." "Oh, my uncle has seen the signs?" Gu Yingchun asked, "How do you do it?" "It's too early to say. And it depends on the opportunity to do it, but Mr. Zuo already has this intention now." It turned out that Li Hongzhang's Huai army had many troops stationed in Jiangsu. The Xianghuai army was all subordinate soldiers. They ordered the generals first and then recruited them to form a battalion. They were named after the commanding officers. Wu Changqing's department was named "Qingziying". There is a battalion in Jiangsu. Although "Liu Mazi" Liu Mingchuan has taken his eunuch to build a "Daqianshanfang" in his hometown of Hefei, drinking wine and composing poems is more addictive than Confucian generals, but the name of "Mingzi Camp" remains the same, but They were divided into two by Li Hongzhang, one part was led by named admiral Liu Shengxiu, and was stationed in Zhangqiu area of ​​Shandong Province, defending the key points of the canal, and the other part was led by Fujian admiral Tang Dingkui, who was stationed in Jiangsu and Jingjiang counties. , stationed in Suqian, Jiangsu, the main task is also to prevent the police along the canal, so that they can quickly go to the rescue. In Li Hongzhang's Huai Army, there is also a general who was originally a Hunan Army. His name is Guo Songlin, and his old department is called "Wuyi Army". Ten battalions are Jiangfang Army, also stationed in Jiangyin and Jingjiang, and five battalions are Coastal Defense Army. , stationed in Shanghai and Baoshan counties. These troops are all paid by Jiangsu.The so-called "Si Guan Li Bureau" refers to the vassal department, Guan refers to the customs, Li refers to the lijin, and the bureau refers to the donation bureau, the tax bureau and the Huaiyan Supervision and Sales Bureau. Lianghuai produces salt, and the income from the salt class is a major source of income for Liangjiang.However, people in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces in the upper Jiangjiang River can't finish the salt of the Huaihe River and the Huaihe River, so Huaiyan salt has a designated sales area called "Yinju", which is distributed in the four provinces of Hubei, Hunan, West, and Anhui. Shanxi is Jiangxi.These four provinces have Huaiyan Supervision and Sales Bureau, and the income also belongs to Liangjiang. "I don't go back to Hangzhou to check, and I don't ask the Mining and Transportation Bureau to do it. I have a very convenient way. I ask Lao Mi to write to various places to ask, and it's almost done." The "Old Mi" in Hu Xueyan's mouth is named Mi Benchang, a native of Ningbo.He is the assistant of Fufeng Xueji Huzhuang, and Huzhuang is the general number of Fufeng, and he will send letters to Fufeng joint numbers in various places to check the "Siguanli Bureau" who has remitted money to the Huaijun Houlu Liangtai in recent months The number, the monthly burden, can be roughly calculated, which is indeed a very convenient method. "However," Gu Yingchun said, "Since Mr. Zuo wants to attack Li Hefei, this matter must be kept secret. Will there be rumors about this way?" "Is there any news about it?" Hu Xueyan said, "For example, you are a salesman of Fufeng in Nanchang. I would like to ask you how much money Jiangxi Huaiyan Supervision and Marketing Bureau remits to Jiangning Huaijun Houlu Liangtai every month. How did you think that Master Zuo wanted to investigate and it would be useful?" "That's right, that's right. I'm only worried when I know there is such a thing. I don't know, I never dreamed of it. But, uncle, since the remittances are everywhere in Jiangning, why bother, as long as Jiangning Fu If Feng checks, the ledger will come out, right?" "Ah! Ah!" Hu Xueyan patted himself on the forehead, "I'm out of my mind! 'Take off your pants and fart', it's really superfluous." So before boarding the ship the next day, Hu Xueyan finished the matter. He just wrote two letters, one to Zuo Zongtang, saying that various places in Jiangsu released the payment to the Huai Army's back road grain platform. Apart from entrusting Fufeng, there is no simpler way to exchange money. Therefore, a letter has been sent to Jiangning Fufeng to open the bill and submit it to Yuanmen. If there are any omissions, we will try to find out.In addition, it is stated that after the Lantern Festival next year, I will go to Jiangning to kowtow.One is written to Jiangning Fufeng's assistant, follow suit. "Uncle," Gu Yingchun asked, "When will the new year come?" "Always before and after lighting." "Okay! At that time, I will accompany my uncle to Nanjing." "Of course I wish you could accompany me, but it depends on Seventh Sister's situation." "At that time, it must not matter." Gu Yingchun said again, "Ah Qi is sick, so there is no need to mention it when the uncle goes back. It is Chinese New Year, why should the old lady worry about it." Hu Xueyan didn't answer, but pondered for a while, then sighed and said, "I never thought that Seventh Sister would care so much for me." Gu Yingchun hesitated to speak, thought for a while, and finally said: "Uncle, since you can see it, I'll just say it! Ah Qi is worried about my uncle, and it's not just a matter of a day or two. Yes. She often said that the big tree attracts the wind. There are probably a lot of enemies that my uncle has unintentionally formed. This is the second. In recent years, the people my uncle has used are not as good as before. Bad character. She said, she really doesn't know the vision of the young uncle, why is he not very clever. Is it because there are too many things and too complicated, or is he mentally ill, unable to take care of him, or is there some other reason?" Hu Xueyan blushed, knowing in his heart that the word "for another reason" was said implicitly by Gu Yingchun, and this "reason" was always caused by the dog skin plaster. "Seventh sister is good for me, I know. However, she is really worried a little too much." Hu Xueyan said again, "When Seventh sister gets better, you tell her. She talks about my problems. I have to be careful. Think about it, and get rid of it firmly." "Young uncle said so, Ah Qi must be much more generous." Gu Yingchun replied happily.