Chapter 24 Food and pay duty

Consolidating Ping Hongyang's military affairs, but there is still a rather arduous task of fighting chaos that needs to be deployed. According to Prince Gong and Wen Xiang's plan, there are still three rebellions that must be subdued in order to achieve peace and prosperity.These three rebellions are: first, the remnants of Hong Yang who ran south; second, the Nian bandits who disturbed the Central Plains; Fortunately, the abundance of talents surpassed that of the previous dynasty. King Gong and Wen Xiang decided to entrust four people to quell the rebellions in these three places.

The first one is still Zeng Guofan.On the first day of October, when Zeng Guoquan successfully retired and led the abolished Hunan army back to Hunan, there was a post from the imperial court to Jiangning, saying that "Jiangning has reached the bottom level, and the military affairs are in business. Go to the junction of Anhui and Hubei, supervise the troops to suppress the bandits, and advance quickly, don't delay." The so-called "thieves" are the Nian bandits. The Nian bandits originally used northern Anhui as their old nest, and since they were attacked and suppressed by the monk king with all their strength, they have fled to Hubei and Henan.Although Zhang Luoxing died, his nephew Zhang Zongyu was not a weakling. In addition, Chen Yucheng's former subordinate Lai Wenguang fled back from Guanzhong.The imperial court knew well that the Monk King's cavalry, chasing northwards and driving the Nian Bandits back and forth, was not a good strategy.At the same time, because of the honorable status of the Monk King, even the Empress Dowager of the West Palace had to be extraordinarily gracious. She was an extremely difficult prince to serve. If he instructed the strategy, he would "not accept the orders of the emperor outside." He simply acted arbitrarily.Therefore, it is better to try to let him hand over his military power and return to Beijing to enjoy the blessings, which is the best way for both public and private interests.

There is only one Zeng Guofan who can command several provinces on behalf of the monk king.Not only is the prestige sufficient, but his style of "seeking stability first, seeking change second", braking with silence, and fighting steadily can also save the monk king from his mistakes.As for the responsibility of raising wages, the court also thought of an indispensable person. This person is Li Hongzhang.The Shangyu appointed him to replace Zeng Guofan as the governor of Liangjiang temporarily, while the governor of Jiangsu transferred Wu Tang, the benefactor of Empress Dowager Cixi, to act as the acting governor.Although it was not clearly stated in the last edict that Zeng Guofan led troops to station at the junction of Anhui and Hubei, and Li Hongzhang was fully responsible for the back road grain platform, but the intention of such deployment is very clear. First, Zeng and Li teachers and students, "if something happens, the disciples will do their best." Second, Li Hongzhang led the army, and Zeng Guofan raised his salary for him. Now that Zeng Guofan leads the army, it is natural for Li Hongzhang to raise the salary; third, Liangjiang is the richest and the most important source of salary in the country, so who will be the governor of Liangjiang? , have the responsibility to raise wages.

Such an arrangement, in terms of the overall situation, cannot be wrongly calculated. It just wronged Zeng Guofan and made Li Hongzhang and Wu Tang cheaper, but he didn't care about so much. Another one is Yang Yuebin.He is a famous naval officer as famous as Peng Yulin. His real name is Yang Zaifu. Because the Tongzhi Emperor's generation, the first word in the jade pedigree is "Zai", which is inconvenient to violate taboos, so he changed his name to Yue Bin.Before Jiangning recovered, he had already been promoted to the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, intending to entrust him with the important task of suppressing the rebellion.Hui Luan was not only born in Shaanxi and Gansu, but also in Yunnan and Xinjiang.Yunnan will be subdued for the second time, while Xinjiang is in the ascendant. The imperial court is pinning its hopes on Bao Chao, the newly appointed viscount, to lower the temperature. He believes that Xinjiang will be calmed down. Therefore, Zeng Guofan was ordered to deliver an edict to Bao Chao, and at the end of the two-month holiday when he returned home to bury his relatives, "I will set off from Sichuan immediately and go out of the customs to suppress the rebellion." King Gong and Wen Xiang knew Bao Chao's good name, so they specially took Qian Jia Famous general Yang Yuchun, compared with him, drank a lot of rice soup.

The upper edict said: "In the past when he returned to Xinjiang to use troops, Yang Yuchun was a native of Sichuan Province. The admiral is loyal and courageous, and he will obey this decree immediately, and he will be appointed by the deputy imperial court." The words were very sincere, and ordering Zeng Guofan to deliver the decree also implied that he was helping to persuade him.Reluctantly, Zeng Guofan retreated bravely against the rapids of the Hunan Army, wisely and wisely protecting himself, and had already made up his mind. Bao Chao was his favorite general, so of course he had to take extra precautions to protect him, so he just delivered the decree as usual and did not persuade him.

Zuo Zongtang is another one that the imperial court puts high hopes on.He is the current governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. He was defeated by Bao Chao in Ruijin, Jiangxi Province, and Li Shixian and Wang Haiyang, who fled into Fujian, should logically be responsible for the suppression of them. Zuo Zongtang is not a person who is afraid of getting into trouble, and he also feels that he is obliged to do his part, but the series of punishments by the court made him angry, anxious and resentful. First of all, the disappointment was that the governor of Zhejiang sent Ma Xinyi, and Jiang Yili was left empty, which meant that he lost the territory of Zhejiang; secondly, Li Hongzhang dispatched Liangjiang, whose reputation was already higher than his own, which made him very uncomfortable; It was Yang Yuebin, the governor of Shaanxi-Gansu in Jiangxi, who was ordered to take office immediately. The court ordered Zhejiang to allocate 100,000 taels of salary to the Shaanxi-Gansu Association every month, and first raised 80,000 taels of silver as the starting fee for Yang Jun.

For this reason, Zuo Zongtang was very angry. He met with his bureaucrats every day and scolded Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Guo Songtao.After scolding like this for a few days, my anger subsided a little, and I thought that if I refused to resign and return to the farm, I would have to work hard.The military affairs are sure, but the salary source is getting scarcer, so we need to find a resourceful person to plan well before Ma Xinyi takes office. This person is naturally Hu Xueyan. "Xue Weng," he said, "look, it's so crowded that I have nowhere to go! Do the math, where should I go to raise money? It's hard anywhere!"

The two counted the fifteen provinces one by one.Except for the barren provinces, the wealthy lands that can be paid have already been taken the lead by others. Jiangsu and Anhui are the jurisdictions of Liangjiang. The influence of Zeng and Li's junior brother is deeply rooted. They are discouraged, Shandong and Shanxi supply the Beijing salary, and the governors of the two provinces, Yan Jingming and Shen Guifen, are strong and shrewd, and they are not easy to deal with. Hubei eats Sichuan salt, and set up a bureau in Shashi to collect salt. The income is quite considerable, but the official document is the governor The only bannerman, for reasons or not, was protected by the imperial court, and it was not easy to get in. As for Sichuan, the land of abundance, there was Luo Bingzhang there, thinking of the old friendship between host and guest, he was naturally embarrassed to sing "Take Chengdu".

"Fujian is very poor. The only places where I can raise wages are Guizhou Province and Guangdong Province. Guangdong does not pay me what I should be paid. I hate Guo Yunxian. I only know Zeng Disheng and Li Shaoquan in my heart. This hatred is hard to get rid of!" Zuo Zong Tang paused for a while and then said, "As for Ma Gushan, I heard it's reasonable, but since Zeng Disheng was insured and Li Shaoquan was in the same year, he might not be willing to help me. Xue Weng, what do you think I should do?" Hu Xueyan was silent.Because he felt that his situation was difficult, and Zuo Zongtang had to repay his knowledge, and Zhejiang was his hometown, so he could not be scolded by the local elders for making suggestions for Zuo Zongtang.

Hu Xueyan has always spoken frankly, and no matter how big or difficult it is, he will never say anything. Such a situation of hesitating and not answering can be said to be unique.Zuo Zongtang was slightly surprised and couldn't help asking why. "To tell you the truth, my lord, I'm in a dilemma. My lord now only has one territory in Zhejiang, and of course the food and wages come from Zhejiang. If we raise too little, it's not enough. If we raise too much, it's hard for the place. Speaking of it, I, Hu, came up with the idea. I’m not a good person in my hometown.” Hu Xueyan added, “If my lord is also the governor of Zhejiang, I can still come up with ideas, make up for one’s strengths and make up for one’s weaknesses, and play by ear. My lord said that I am on duty in Zhejiang, once my lord leaves Zhejiang, of course I can no longer ask about Zhejiang's official affairs, and I have to hand over the post of the aftermath bureau, let alone other things?"

He talked all the way, and Zuo Zongtang nodded all the way. When he finished speaking, he made a gesture of "be calm and don't be rash" and replied: "I am fully aware of what you just said. We need to talk about it. Never change The purpose is: Xue Weng, you still have to help me. How to help me, we will discuss it later, and now let’s talk about your difficulties. As I said, I only have a territory in Zhejiang, and my food and salary can only be settled in Zhejiang. To set a definite amount, the remittance must be made every month, and the date cannot be missed by even one day. Xue Weng, if you reason first and then reason, reason can stand, and if you can't compete with others, of course I have my own means." Hu Xueyan didn't know what his last few words meant, so he could only discuss the matter and asked, "What amount is your lord going to set?" "What do you think?" Zuo Zongtang lowered his voice and said, "We are my own people, let me tell you the truth: my soldiers actually number 18,000, but the salary needs to be generous, so it is calculated as 23,000. " Hu Xueyan's mental arithmetic is extremely fast.Each soldier's monthly salary, military rations, equipment, ammunition, plus camp tents, pots and bowls and other miscellaneous expenses cost an average of five taels of silver, and 23,000 men are 115,000 taels.In addition, the personal use of the commander, the copywriting, the salary and food of the committee members, and the entertainment expenses sent to welcome, must be 150,000 silver per month. This huge sum was borne by Zhejiang alone, and it was too heavy. Hu Xueyan said tactfully: "The Fujian and Zhejiang family. The total amount of salary allocated by Fujian to Zhejiang is no less than three million taels. Now that there is something going on in Fujian, of course You need to help. Besides, your lord is leading soldiers from Zhejiang, so it should be paid by Zhejiang. However, your lord understands the situation in Zhejiang very well. If you can live within your means, things will be easy." The idiom is to live within one's means, but Hu Xueyan said it the other way around, which is quite new. Zuo Zongtang twirled his mustache and asked with a smile, "Why do you live within your means? I'd like to ask for advice." "For example, if you scoop up a bowl of soup, he scoops it up too, so the mouth is limited." "Ah!" Zuo Zongtang hurriedly said, "I understand! I also had this intention. First, the joint payment from Shaanxi and Gansu must not be agreed; second, the joint payment from Guangdong to Zhejiang is in name only, and I want it Please stop dialing." At this point, he rolled his eyes and smiled slowly, very secretly. This smile has a lot to say.Hu Xueyan felt that he had to figure it out, so he intentionally asked a question: "Guangdong's co-payment is just a picture. Although it can't satisfy your hunger, it's good to have a look." "No! Please stop dialing, just to let the court know that this is a painted cake. Xue Weng," Zuo Zongtang suddenly became excited, "Look at the old man's tricks! The painted cake should be made big and thick, A large bread that is enough to fill you up. Do you believe it?" "Why don't you believe it?" Hu Xueyan asked immediately, "My lord wants me to do this trick?" "Of course! Without you, my trick of picking cakes from the ground and sawing living people outside can't be changed." The word "saw a living person" was a joke, but it was harsh, so Hu Xueyan asked in a half-joking tone: "My lord, which one do you want to saw?" "Which one?" Zuo Zongtang had a smirk on his face, "I saw my in-law." Hu Xueyan was shocked.He already knew that Zuo Zongtang and Guo Songtao had a heart disease, and this heart disease not only failed to be diluted by time, but also deepened day by day, but why did he say such words as "saw a living man"?So for a moment I stood there dumbfounded. On Zuo Zongtang's face, he also stopped laughing and became quite serious. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was tightly closed, but his eyes flickered and his lips moved, as if there were huge waves in the lake of his heart. of.This made Hu Xueyan more focused, and wanted to hear how he "sawed a living man". "Xueyan!" Zuo Zongtang changed his words for the first time, calling each other with different characters, expressing that he regarded Hu Xueyan as a close friend, "I know that you don't read much, but 'everything is knowledgeable', according to this On the first level, I admire you." "Don't dare to do it." Hu Xueyan was a little embarrassed, but also very straightforward, "My lord has something to say, just tell me to put a 'high hat' on my head, it's a bit too much." "Between you and me, why use any means of giving high hats? What I mean is, only you can understand my personality and my way of life, and there are five points. Not only do you not understand, but you may also disagree This is because you read less, if you also read a little more, you will understand my other five points, and understand that I have to, it is inevitable!" It turned out that Hu Xueyan was a little flattered, "My lord," he said, "You always talk to me about 'the way of university, in Mingmingde', I don't understand." "I don't talk about scriptures with you, I talk about history with you. Xueyan, let me ask you two idioms first, how do you say 'righteousness destroys relatives' and 'public affairs forget selfishness'?" Hu Xueyan had no idea to answer, and felt that there was no need to answer, so he replied honestly: "Your Excellency, don't test me. Let's talk about your old plans from these two idioms." "I'm not trying to test you. What I mean is that my behavior, according to the world's views, may scold me greatly. However, my behavior is not against my relatives, not against my righteousness, ashamed of my private interests, and not ashamed of my public. This is beyond the understanding of the worldly view, but only those who have read the book will say in their hearts: Zuo is a hero in the world, it has to be." There are a few sentences missing in this passage, but Hu Xueyan can still understand it roughly, and he can understand the meaning, he is going to play tricks on Guo Songtao!What I can't figure out is, what tricks can he have against Guo Songtao? His question was immediately answered. Zuo Zongtang got up and sat in front of the desk, stretched out a piece of paper, and quickly drew a map. Among the curves and dots, wrote the place names. Hu Xueyan saw that it was a map. The situation map of the border between Fujian and Guangdong. "Li Shixian is in Zhangzhou. Zhangzhou fell on September 14th. Lukui, the general soldier, was killed in battle, and Xu Xiaofeng was martyred in Tingzhang Longdao. Li Shixian has more than 8,000 people, so the enemy should not be underestimated." Zuo Zongtang pointed at Changting, Liancheng, The triangle area of ​​Shanghang said, "Wang Haiyang is in this area. According to my opinion, he is more fierce than Li Shixian. However, there is nothing to worry about, and the thief is not good enough! Xueyan, you have learned a little bit about the art of war in recent years! You Where is the way out for the two thieves Li and Wang?" This time it seemed that Hu Xueyan was defeated.He looked carefully for a long time before he replied: "They escaped from Jiangxi in the west. To the east they go to sea. It's a long way. Besides, they can't go to sea without a boat. In the north, your lord led troops to suppress them. Ah," Hu Xueyan suddenly realized, and said with confidence, "The only way out for these two long-haired people is Guangdong in the south, and Jiaying Prefecture will bear the brunt of it!" Zuo Zongtang nodded deeply, and smiled with his mustache. "Yes," he said, "Jiaying Prefecture will bear the brunt of it! At that time, it will not be the cakes that will satisfy hunger!" There is a deep meaning in the words.Zuo Zongtang didn't go on, Hu Xueyan was inconvenient to ask - he was afraid that he would guess wrong, so it would be a big slip of the tongue to ask. Unexpectedly, Zuo Zongtang did not hesitate, and really treated Hu Xueyan as an extremely confidential confidant, "Guo Yunxian was always worried that Zeng Disheng would 'drive the bandits into Guangdong', but he didn't think that it was his in-laws who 'drove the bandits into Guangdong' " He said, "Xueyan, by then, it will be a different situation." Hu Xueyan shivered unconsciously, feeling that Zuo Zongtang's method was too hot!Although, this is exactly what he guessed, but a measurement is a measurement, and it feels different to hear it confirmed by others. "Xueyan," Zuo Zongtang asked, "tell me what it was like at that time?" "Yes." Hu Xueyan thought for a while and said, "At that time, the imperial court will of course take advantage of the prestige of important people to pay homage to the imperial envoys and control the military affairs of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong. Under Zongtang's "big sawing of the living", he had to suffer a lot. "Yes, this is also inevitable. At that time, Xueyan, I won't be tired of Zhejiang anymore. I'm not afraid that Guo Yunxian will not obediently raise my salary for me. However," Zuo Zongtang pondered for a while, "Maybe! Guo Yun is stupid and easy to use for himself, I'm afraid he will still be obsessed with it." "As expected, what should my lord do?" "Then you can't blame me! What a pity!" The two sentences before and after were inconsistent, no matter how clever Hu Xueyan was, he would not be able to guess what he meant. He only used this matter to lighten Zhejiang's burden, and it had a great relationship, so he had to ask: "My lord, what's the pity?" "Unfortunately, I don't have anyone in my pocket who can be a governor." This means that if Guo Songtao cannot raise enough salary for Zuo Zongtang in the future, he will not hesitate to overthrow him and send someone to replace him.This approach is really "public and selfish", "righteousness destroys relatives". "Let's see when the time comes! It's too early to say." Zuo Zongtang stared at his hand-drawn map for a long time, and then suddenly jumped up, "Yes, that's how it is done!" Then, Zuo Zongtang talked about his sudden inspiration.Pointing to the map, he explained to Hu Xueyan that his own strength is not enough, if he wants to use the method of encirclement on three sides to squeeze Changmao to the Guangdong side, it will be very difficult.If there is a loophole that cannot be filled, and the long hair goes out to sea, no matter whether it is in the sea of ​​Fujian or Zhejiang, he will not be able to get rid of it. Isn't it self-defeating? Therefore, Zuo Zongtang wanted to ask Li Hongzhang's Huai army to help.In the battle of overcoming Huzhou, the cooperation between the two parties was satisfactory. Now that we apply for the previous application, I think Li Hongzhang will not refuse it. "However, it is inconvenient for me to say that." Zuo Zongtang said, "If I invite you, I will have to pay for the guest army. For example, if he sends 10,000 people, he will get at least 50,000 to 60,000 silver a month, plus The first tranche has to be 100,000 taels of silver. If there is a decree from the imperial court, let the Huai army prepare their own food and salaries, and come to Fujian to help the suppression, we will prepare at most 50,000 taels of silver as a reward. It’s also pretty good. Xueyan, tell me, what’s my wishful thinking?” "It's a good idea. However, the Huai army prepares their own food and pay, and I'm afraid Li Zhongcheng will not agree. If he pays, we will pay, Li Zhongcheng has nothing to say, because his army is idle there, and it also needs to be paid. As for please The imperial court issued a decree, only to invite Beijing officials from Fujian to be active in Beijing." "I'm afraid it won't work." Zuo Zongtang shook his head, "There are no high-ranking officials in the capital of Fujian, and they don't have much power to speak. Fujian and Zhejiang are closely related. The elders of Zhejiang in Beijing, Xueyan, think about it, what is there?" Trustworthy?" "Zhejiang's elders in Beijing are naturally Mr. Xu Liu. However, his official secretary has handed over his hand. It is his young master who is very popular in the South Study Room, and his nephew and young master. He is a small military aircraft and specializes in military affairs—" "Yes! Yes!" Before Hu Xueyan finished speaking, Zuo Zongtang rushed to say, "There is no better way, please carry it out for me. Xu's family is a famous family in Hangzhou, do you have acquaintances?" "There are a lot of people in his family, and I know a few of them, but it's not easy to trust people casually for such a big event." Hu Xueyan thought for a while and said, "My lord, I want to go to Shanghai to see Mr. Xu Qi On the one hand, he entrusted him with the tasks entrusted by the adults, and on the other hand, he wanted to move to Hangzhou with the adults, so that he could come forward to deal with the aftermath." Zuo Zongtang thought about it for a while, and felt that Hu Xueyan's method was very good-the so-called "Master Xu Qi" was Xu Naizhao, the governor of Jiangsu at the time of Liu Lichuan's uprising in the Small Knife Society, and now he was fleeing in Shanghai. "Xu Six Masters" Xu Naipu, who became an official in the Ministry of Officials, was unable to return to the south because of his long hair. He was the "parent" of his hometown in Zhejiang in Beijing.Moreover, he is a senior with a family name, has been in charge of Wenheng for a long time, and is an elder in Beijing, so he is quite respectful.Xu Naipu's eldest son, Xu Pengshou, was the same year as Li Hongzhang, and he was also the leader of Ding Wei's list in the 27th year of Daoguang. "Small military aircraft" - one of the foremen of the military aircraft Zhangjing, who is familiar with military affairs, good at strategy, and has a great say in military deployment.Therefore, if you take this route, all roads are accessible, and if necessary, you can ask Xu Pengshou to write a practical letter to Li Hongzhang with the friendship of the same year, and there is no reason why you cannot do what you want. As for inviting Xu Naizhao back to Hangzhou to preside over the aftermath, this is also a good move that must be played.Because as soon as Ma Xinyi took office, Hu Xueyan had no choice but to leave, and Xu Naizhao was the most suitable candidate for a replacement.First, he was a great official in Xinjiang, and his family name was from Hanlin. He was a veritable "Mr. Jinshen"; When looking at Ma Xinyi's status, as usual, he should be treated with "hard entry and hard exit"-opening the middle door to welcome him off, so that speaking for the local area will be much more powerful; Therefore, Zuo Zongtang readily accepted Hu Xueyan's suggestion, and said that he would write a very sincere letter in his own hand to pay tribute to Xu Naizhao. After talking about official affairs, talk about "private affairs", and private affairs are also official affairs: Hu Xueyan's source.Zuo Zongtang intends to transfer him to Fujian, but he doesn't have to act with him. He is stationed in Shanghai and manages everything for him.Hu Xueyan agreed without hesitation. From the next day, Zuo Zongtang actively started to deploy according to the agreed steps. In addition to the battle report, he issued several memorials in succession.The first is that Zhejiang's military and military supplies are very difficult, and they can't take care of themselves. They should be allocated to Shaanxi-Gansu cooperative salaries. Please ask the Ministry of Households to make another arrangement; the second is to ask Ma Xinyi, the new governor of Zhejiang, to take office as soon as possible. Before Ma Xinyi took office, the governor of Zhejiang asked Jiang Yili, the feudal official, to "nurse" him; the third way was to allocate 80,000 taels of Yang Yuebin's "payment" according to the order, and he barely managed to raise half of it. The fourth memorial has nothing to do with Zhejiang—at the turn of summer and autumn, the Ministry of Household Affairs urges the provinces to report the "Beijing Salary" as usual. The office expenses of the yamen, the sacrificial expenses of the ancestral temple mausoleum, and the "handover silver" that is dedicated to the empress dowagers of the two palaces and the emperor's private flowers, and submitted in three sections every year, are all included in the Beijing rate, so the co-pay can be owed, and the Beijing rate Cannot be owed.Fujian owes 100,000 taels of customs tax silver and 20,000 taels of tea tax, and the edict said: "The work will be settled within twelve months. If there are still pretexts and delays, which cause mistakes, the Ministry of Households will check and report. Set up the charter and appoint strict participants." Despite such a strict decree, Zuo Zongtang still owes a debt, because otherwise, it is not enough to show the poverty of Fujian, and Zhejiang must help it.Of course, the method of owed and owed is not a hard top. Zuo Zongtang’s method is to remit the 10,000 taels of "nourishing silver" that the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang deserves to the Ministry of Households from the ticket number in addition to crying for poverty , as a solution for the Beijing rate. The fifth way is to stop Guangdong and Zhejiang's co-payment.The main function is to take this opportunity to let the court know that Guangdong's co-payment is a "picture cake" for Zhejiang.Therefore, the reason for the cessation is nothing more than the sentence "now that the military affairs in Zhejiang Province are cleared up, all the previous co-payments should be stopped", but the accounts before the "stop" are very clear. From the first month of the first year of Tongzhi to the eighth In the month and month, a total of 33 months, Guangdong should pay 3.3 million taels to Zhejiang Association, but the actual income is only 280,000.Among them, 220,000 taels were allocated by Lijin. Zeng Guofan said that from the opening of Lijin in Guangdong to the end of August of this year, a total of 1.2 million was collected. The sixth is the personnel affairs after deployment to Fujian.The reason for the memorial is "all staff are required to handle the payment, please request rewards", with a request to call.Of course there is Hu Xueyan, who was originally a "Jiangxi Probationary Taoist" with the title of "Salt Transport Envoy". It seems that it is not as lively and eye-catching as the military officer's "Please reward Dai Hualing" and "Please reward the title of Ba Tulu", but it actually helped Hu Xueyan a lot, because it changed from "Trial Dao" to "Replenishment with Daoist" , as long as it is approved, any real vacancies can be filled immediately, and "rewards plus the rank of inspector" can act as a supervisor and become a "supervisor" who can improve the real vacancies.For Zuo Zongtang, this guarantee is at least equal to three years of hard work. But Hu Xueyan didn't know when Zuo Zongtang sent out this memorial, because he had already arrived in Shanghai.He took Zuo Zongtang's autographed letter to meet "Master Xu Qi", and they talked very harmoniously.Completed all the tasks entrusted by Zuo Zongtang, but only delayed for two nights. He talked with his mother about the West Lake after the catastrophe, and lingered with Gu Yingchun for a long time before returning to Hangzhou on the original ship. Back in Hangzhou, the first person who wanted to see him was not Zuo Zongtang, but Jiang Yili, the "nursing Fuzhuan" of the vassal. He had already sent someone to leave a message at the Fukang Bank, and when Hu Xueyan arrived, he would notify him immediately so that meet. "Xue Weng," Jiang Yili said with a sad face after meeting Hu Xueyan, "You must help me! The commander-in-chief has explained that Zhejiang pays 200,000 taels of Fujian Association's salary every month, and remits it on the twelfth of every month. It’s not allowed to come out even one day later. Isn’t this difficult for the strong?” Hearing this, Hu Xueyan was also startled.During the Hongyang Rebellion, Zhejiang was severely robbed, devastated everywhere, and a lot of waste was waiting to be raised. How could 200,000 taels of silver be used to support the teachers who came to Fujian?At that time, it was estimated that one hundred thousand taels of silver could be collected every month, and it was exhausted. If Zuo Zongtang opened his mouth and doubled it, and the days were not allowed to be delayed, it would be too much. "Xue Weng," Jiang Yili said again, "both public and private, you have to keep talking. Privately, dude obeys the commanding officer. Publicly, as the saying goes, 'the wool grows on the sheep', it is really hard to understand this number. No, it will only affect the local area. Xue Weng, you can't bear it! Besides, I'm just a feudal official after all." The last sentence is Jiang Yili's real difficulty.At present, the governor's big seal is held in his hand, and it is easy to do things as soon as the order is issued. When Ma Xinyi takes office, he thinks that the salary of the association is too large to be reduced.On the other hand, Zuo Zongtang was the benefactor who single-handedly promoted him, and he had a promise first, so he had to maintain the original number.Could it be that he squeezed into the crack and flattened his head? After thinking for a while, Hu Xueyan felt that this trouble must be taken care of, so he nodded and said, "Okay. I'll find a solution." "I'm saved now!" Jiang Yili felt relieved, cupped his hands and asked, "Xue Weng, I'm sure I have a plan in mind. What can I do, can I hear it first?" "Of course, of course! I wanted to ask for advice." Hu Xueyan replied, "First, I would like to ask Mr. Zuo to reduce the number accordingly." "Reduction?" Jiang Yili asked, "How much?" "There must be a 30% discount." "With a 30% discount, you still have to pay 140,000 taels per month." Jiang Yili said, "Now that the military affairs are cleared up, I don't have to lead troops to fight as a feudal commander, but I have to do something on my duty. Look——" Jiang Yili counted in detail what he should do, the most important thing related to the national economy and the people's livelihood is to build water conservancy.The whole territory of Zhejiang is full of soil fields, those near the mountains are barren, and those near the water are rich.Taking advantage of the benefits of silk, the first priority is to plant mulberries, and the cultivation and irrigation of mulberry trees is no different from the requirements of paddy fields.Therefore, since ancient times, being an official in Zhejiang, but leaving love to the people, and staying in thinking for a long time, it is all because of great achievements in water conservancy. Zhejiang's water conservancy focuses on west Zhejiang, and west Zhejiang's water conservancy focuses on seawalls.Qianlong's six southern tours were all in the name of inspecting the seawalls of Zhejiang. It is conceivable that their relationship is important.If the seawall is to be complete and strong enough to withstand the tide, stone ponds must be used. Since Hong Yang's rebellion, the stone ponds in the Haining area have not been repaired, and they are gradually collapsing. Now they need to be repaired in time. Tang, for the time being. "It costs 300,000 silver to build an earthen pond. Earthen pond materials are not expensive, but manpower is expensive. After the chaos, there are fewer strong men, so manpower is expensive." Jiang Yili said, "Xue Weng, I want to talk to you about this matter too. Discuss, why do we need to raise a sum of money to use the seawall to repair it? If the seawall collapses, it is a terrible thing. When I think about it, I can't even sleep." Hearing Jiang Yili say this, even if it is a pretentious word, Hu Xueyan feels very respectable. "Below three generations, I'm afraid I won't be well-known", he doesn't need to ask his original intention.Just listen to his tone that he wants to be a good official, so he might as well be kind to others, take this opportunity to praise him, help him, and force him to be a good official, it is also a blessing for the locality. Thinking of this, he replied without hesitation: "Please don't worry. I will plan it. It is not difficult for everyone to donate according to their ability." "That would be the best." Jiang Yili said very relievedly, "There is also the dredging of the West Lake, which can no longer be delayed. The water conservancy of the West Lake is related to the irrigation of paddy fields in Hangzhou and Haining. It must be sorted out before next spring, which is also good. Tens of thousands of silver. Xue Weng, think about it, is it difficult for me to be a feudal official? Is there any way to open source, I really want to ask you for advice." "Now I can only use my brain on salt." Hu Xueyan replied, "If I can follow my method, I can save the emergency. After a year or so, Fujian's military affairs will come to an end. Zhejiang will no longer have to pay the co-payment. At that time It's easy." "I think so too. However, I don't know much about the salt method, but the commander-in-chief is an expert." "Master Zuo is an expert?" Hu Xueyan asked in surprise. "It's not surprising. Xue Weng, don't you know? The Marshal is Tao Wenyi's son and daughter." "Ah! Ah! So it is!" Hu Xueyan suddenly realized that Zuo Zongtang was an expert in the salt method and had his own origins.When he was 26 years old, Tao Shu, governor of Liangjiang, finished his military parade in Jiangxi, and asked for leave to go back to his hometown of Anhua, Hunan, to visit the tomb. After passing through Liling, the county magistrate "run business" as usual. , made a pair of couplets, and when Tao Shu saw it, he was very grateful, and asked the county magistrate that it was written by Zuo Zongtang, so he invited him to meet him at that time. Sure enough, when it came to the salt affairs in Zhejiang, Zuo Zongtang immediately said that before he handed over his part-time job as governor of Zhejiang, there were several things that must be done. One of them was to rectify the salt affairs in Zhejiang and change the lead ticket. Starting from the first month of the new year, try it out for one year. "My method consists of four items: the first is anti-smuggling, the second is leather floating fees, the third is price reduction, and the fourth is checking the households who cook salt. There is at least one hundred thousand silver per month, which is enough for half of my amount." That is to say, Zuo Zongtang's teacher who aided Fujian had to pay 200,000 taels of salary in Zhejiang every month.It is completely consistent with Jiang Yili's words.Hu Xueyan is very calm, let's put it on his mind for the time being, let's talk about salt affairs first. "Your Excellency, of the four methods, the last three are feasible, but anti-smuggling is somewhat difficult. Zhejiang Salt is sold in Songjiang, and Songjiang is the ground of Jiangsu. It is beyond reach. Have you ever thought about this?" "Of course I have thought about it." Zuo Zongtang replied, "I was just about to discuss with you. Didn't you mention to me that there is a leader of the Songjiang Cao Gang who is honest and capable? Would he be willing to help Zhejiang? ?” "This person's surname is You. As long as the adults order, he will be willing to help." Hu Xueyan asked, "I don't know how to help with this favor?" "Naturally lead a team to fight against smuggling." Hu Xueyan asked knowingly, and when Zuo Zongtang had an answer, he deliberately shook his head and said: "I'm afraid it can't be done. He is a 'lucky man', not an official. When it comes to rules, he will be the boss when he meets him." Everyone should be honored as 'General Master'. My lord, please think, how does he lead the team? Even if he is willing to lead the team, the officers and soldiers assigned to the past will not obey his command." "That's true." Zuo Zongtang hesitated, "However, if he didn't lead a team to fight against smuggling, what can we rely on?" "My lord has always been well aware of the background of the Cao Gang. You's subordinates all listened to him. If there is a name, the anti-smuggling in the Songjiang area will definitely be effective." "Oh, I understand." Zuo Zongtang thought for a while and said, "There is nothing wrong with doing this. Let You recruit people by himself. Of course, it can't be too many. If you recruit two or three hundred people, Bao You Let him be in charge of an official position. I will entrust the Salt Transport Envoy to handle this matter, and please go to Youmou to discuss it. As for the salaries and public expenses, they will all be spent from the salt affairs funds according to the rules of my camp." Hu Xueyan was very happy, this not only found a way out for You Wu, but also benefited his business affairs, so he readily agreed.Then he talked about what Jiang Yili entrusted, that is, the amount of Zhejiang's monthly settlement of Fujian's salary. "In the past, Zhejiang relied on Fujian to pay as much as three million yuan. Now that the Zhejiang division is helping Fujian, the salary and silver should naturally be provided by Zhejiang. What is your idea, please explain it, so that you can plan as soon as possible." "I've already negotiated with Xiang Quan that Zhejiang will give me 200,000 yuan a month." "It's not more than 200,000. I only hate that Zhejiang's vitality is too low!" Hu Xueyan deliberately pondered for a while, and then asked suddenly, "Is your lord planning to go to Fujian and ask Jiang and Yang to help?" Zuo Zongtang was puzzled by this question, and immediately replied: "I have no such plan. Moreover, Jiang Yang and the two have also fawned on the supervisor. One is that there is no position in Fujian; the other is that the court has not seen it Yes. Besides, why would I bother to pave the way for Ma Gushan and make room for these two critical gaps so that he can quote private individuals?" This answer was originally expected by Hu Xueyan, especially the last point, which is more relevant-Jiang Yili stayed in the post of Zhejiang feudal commander, and guaranteed Yang Changjun as Zhejiang governor. It was Zuo Zongtang's "preemptive move". It is used to restrain Ma Xinyi and protect his salary source in Zhejiang. How can he give in to himself?And the reason why Hu Xueyan asked questions knowingly, was also a way of answering because of the words, so as to introduce the topic. "That's it! I hope that the Second Duke Jiang and Yang will settle down in his position, just like my lord is still taking charge of Zhejiang Fuzhuan. However, my lord, I have something to say, I'm afraid it will hurt my ears." "It doesn't matter, you and I have nothing to talk about. Besides, you must have good words for me." "Yes, I am planning for the adults, and the water will flow long and steadily." Hu Xueyan replied calmly, "Zhejiang's income is not only limited, but there is no definite estimate. The land, money and food have been exempted by decree, and the income from the salt tax, the total要明年春末夏初，才有起色，米捐要看邻省肯不肯帮忙。靠得住的，只有厘金，市面越来越兴旺，收数自然越来越多，但也要看经手人的操守。至于支出，第一是善后，第二是海塘，都要大把花银子。大小衙门，文武官员的经费俸禄，更不能不筹，地方上总也还要养些兵。大人倒想一想看，倘或每个月先凑二十万银子解粮台，藩库一清如洗，什么事都动不了，蒋芗泉这个藩司，怎么还当得下去？” “这，”左宗棠呆了半晌，方始说下去，“这也不至于如你所说的那样子艰窘吧？” “当然。我是说得过分了一点。不过，大人，请你也要替马中丞想一想，人家刚刚巴结到方面大员，自然也想做番事业。如果处处捉襟见肘，动弹不得，那时候怎么办？只有逼蒋芗泉，逼蒋芗泉就是逼大人。”胡雪岩停了一下又说，“从前江西沈中丞是曾中堂一手提拔的，本省的厘金说截留就截留，朝廷也不曾责备他耽误了曾家弟兄的'东征'。马中丞为人虽不如沈中丞那样子刚烈，然而也不是肯得过且过的人。” 提到沈葆桢与曾国藩交恶的往事，左宗棠不能不起警惕之心。他最讲究利害关系，冷静思量，马新贻的脚步站得很稳，亦无弱点可攻，果然为此有所争执，自己不见得能占上风。而且一闹开来，蒋益澧首当其冲，他一调离了浙江，每月又何有二十万银子可得？ 转念到此，便心平气和地问道：“那么，雪岩，你说呢？我该怎么办？” 胡雪岩率直答道：“只有减个数目。” “减多少呢？”左宗棠问。 “这我就不敢说了。”胡雪岩答道，“唯有请大人交代下去，官兵弟兄先委屈些，只要局面一好转，必然补报。” “好！”左宗棠点点头，“我也不忍太累浙江，就照你的意思，让粮台重新核算，减到减无可减为止。不过，雪岩，我的处境你是知道的，一直孤立无援，总要打开一条出路才好。” “是！”胡雪岩毫无表情地应声。 “你要大大地帮我的忙！”左宗棠问道，“你看，我的出路该怎么打？” “大人不是已有成算了吗？” 那是指谋取广东而言。左宗棠微微皱着眉说：“驱郭不难，难在孰可取代？芗泉的资望，当方面之任，总嫌不足。万一碰个钉子，我以后就难说话了。这一层关系很大，没有把握以前，我不便贸然动手。然而，这话又不能向芗泉透露。” 胡雪岩很用心地听着，细细体会，辨出味外之味，蒋益澧如果想当广东巡抚，还得另外去找一份助力。这也就是说，只要朝中有奥援，保证左宗棠将来举荐时不会驳回，他是乐于出奏的。 想到这里，便又自问：是不是该帮帮蒋益澧的忙？这个忙帮得上帮不上？前者无须多作考虑，能让蒋益澧调升广东巡抚，于公于私都大有好处。至于帮得上忙、帮不上忙？此时言之过早，反正事在人为，只要尽力，就有希望。 想停当随即说道：“大人是朝廷柱石，圣眷一直优隆。我在上海听京里的人说起，恭王很看重大人，醇王尤其佩服。想当初，曾中堂可以保他督办军务有关省份的巡抚，如今大人又为什么不可以？至于说到芗泉的资望，由浙藩升粤抚，亦不算躐等，马中丞不就是个现成的例子？当然，广东因为粤海关的收入与内务府很有关系，情形与他省不同，但是，只要京里有人照应，亦不是没有希望的事。” “就是这话啰，要京里有人照应！芗泉在这一层上头，比较吃亏。” “就眼前烧起冷灶来，也还不晚。” 左宗棠深深看了他一眼，沉吟又沉吟，终于说了句：“你不妨与芗泉谈谈！” "yes!" “他的事要靠你。”左宗棠又说，“我更少你不得。你在我这里，既不带兵，又不管粮台，可是比带兵管粮台更要紧。雪岩，等我一走，你也要赶紧动身，长驻上海，粮台接济不上，要饷要粮要军装，我就只靠你一个人了！” 这份责任太重，胡雪岩顿感双肩吃力，可是说什么也不能有所犹豫，便硬着头皮答一声：“是！大人请放心！” “有你这句话，我真的可以放心了。”左宗棠舒了口气，然后问道，“你有什么事，要我替你办的？我预备月底动身，还有半个月的工夫。有话你趁早说。” 胡雪岩早就想过了，左宗棠一走，虽是蒋益澧护理巡抚的大印，有事仍旧可以商量得通，然而究竟不如托左宗棠来得简捷有力。这半年的相处，自己从无一事求他，如今却不能再错过机会了。更何况是他先开口相问，倘再不言，反显得矫饰虚伪，未免太不聪明。 有此了解，便决定“畅所欲言”，先使个以退为进的手法，“想求大人的事情很多，”他说，“又怕大人厌烦，不敢多说。” “不要紧，不要紧！”左宗棠连连摆手，“一向都是我托你，欠你的情很多，你尽管说。” “是！”胡雪岩说，“第一件，从前的王中丞，死得太惨。当时蒙大人主持公道，查明经过，据实参奏。不过这一案还没有了，想请大人始终成全。” “喔，”左宗棠有些茫然，因为事隔两年有余，记忆不清，只好问说，“这一案怎么没有了？” “就是同治元年四月里，大人所奏的'讯明王履谦贻误情形'那一案——” “啊，”左宗棠被提醒了，“你等一下。” 他掀开马褂，从腰带上去取钥匙——钥匙表示权威，大而至于“神机营”、“内务府”，被指定为“掌钥”，即表示赋予首脑之任，小而至于一家大户人家的管家——或者像中的王熙凤，都以掌管钥匙为实权在握的鲜明表示。只是钥匙甚小，不足以显示其权威的地位，所以多加上些附丽之物，通常都是“以多取胜”，弄些根本无用的钥匙拴在一起，甚至弄个大铁环串连，拎在手里“锵朗锵朗”地响，仿佛“牢头禁子”的用心，只要拎着那串钥匙一抖动，就足以慑服群囚。 可是，真正能见钥匙之重的，却往往只有一枚，左宗棠亦是如此，他只有一枚钥匙，用根丝绳子穿起，挂在腰带上，此时往外一拉，以身相就，凑近一个书箱，打开来取出一大叠红簿册，胡雪岩遥遥望去，只见上面写着四个大字：“奏稿留底”。 检到同治元年四月的那一本，左宗棠戴上墨晶老花眼镜细看了一遍，方始发问：“雪岩，你说此案未了，未了的是什么？” “请大人再检当时的批回，就知道了。” 批回一时无从检取，左宗棠答说：“想来你总清楚，说给我听吧！” “是！”胡雪岩倒有些为难了。 因为当王有龄苦守杭州时，主要的饷源是在绍兴，而在籍团练大臣王履谦，却不甚合作。同时绍兴有些擅于刀笔的劣绅，包围王履谦，视王有龄以一省大吏征饷为不恤民困，勒索自肥，无形中官民之间竟成了敌对的局面。 因此，绍兴府知府廖宗元的处境极其困难，当长毛由萧山往绍兴进攻时，官军的炮船与团练竟发生了冲突。兵力悬殊，寡不敌众，廖宗元的亲兵被杀了十二个，廖宗元本人亦被打破了头。这本来是应该由王履谦去弹压排解的，而居然袖手旁观。不久，绍兴沦陷，廖宗元殉难，而王履谦则先期逃到宁波，出海避难在福建。绍兴不该失而失，以及王履谦的处处掣肘，不顾大局，使王有龄深恶痛绝，在危城中寄出来的血书，表示“死不瞑目”。胡雪岩亦就因为如此，耿耿于怀，一直想为王有龄报仇雪恨。 当然，就是胡雪岩不作此想，朝廷亦会追究杭州沦陷的责任，不容王履谦逍遥法外。第二年——同治元年春天，闽浙总督庆瑞奉旨逮捕王履谦，解送衢州的新任浙江巡抚左宗棠审问，复奏定拟了充军新疆的罪名。朝旨准如所讲，算是为王有龄出了一口气。 可是这一案中，首恶是绍兴的富绅张存浩，诬赖廖宗元所带的炮船通贼，以及杀亲兵、打知府，都是他带的头。左宗棠在复奏中说：“张存浩等因廖宗元催捐严紧，挟忿怀私，胆敢做出那些不法之事，罪不容赦。应俟复绍兴府后，严拿到案，尽法惩处。” 如今不但绍兴早已光复，而且全浙亦已肃清。可是严拿张存浩到案一节，却无下文。胡雪岩所说的“这一案未了”，即是指此而言。 而此刻他的为难，却是一念不忍。论到乱世中人与人的关系，谁负了谁，谁怎么亏欠谁？本就是难说的一件事。事隔数年，而彼此又都是大劫余生，似乎应该心平气和，看开一步了。 他这临时改变的心意，左宗棠当然不会猜得到，便催问着说：“既然你托我的事很多，就一件一件快说吧！不要耽误工夫。” 这一下他不能不说实话了。口中谈着，心中又涌现了新的主意，所以在谈完原来的想法以后，接着又说：“张存浩虽可以请大人宽恩饶他，可也不能太便宜他。我在想，他也应该将功赎罪，罚他为地方上做些公益。大人看，是不是可行？” “当然可行。”左宗棠问道，“此人家道如何？” “从前是富绅，现在的情况，听说也不坏。” “那好！我来告诉芗泉，转知绍兴府，传他到案，责令他量力捐输，为地方上做件功德之事。” “能这样，于公于私都过得去了。至于两次殉难的忠臣义士，善后局采访事迹，陆续禀报，亦要请大人早日出奏，安慰死者。” “当然。这件事我在动身以前，亦是要做好的。”左宗棠又说，“你再讲第二件。” 第二件是公私牵连，彼此有关的大事，胡雪岩从马新贻的新命下达，浙江政局开始变动之初，就希望不再代理藩库，无奈蒋益澧不肯放他，略一提到，便连连拱手，要求“继续帮忙”。胡雪岩最重情面，不能不勉为其难。 “如今不同了。”胡雪岩谈过前半段的衷曲，接着又说，“大人命我长驻上海，要粮要饷要军械，缓急之际，唯我是问，这个责任太重，没有余力再为浙江藩库效劳了。” 所谓“效劳”，就是青黄不接之际，得要设法垫款。左宗棠当然明白他的意思，但却有不同的看法，“雪岩，浙江藩库每个月要拨我十四万协饷，由你的钱庄转汇粮台。照这样子，你代理浙江藩库，等于左手交付右手，并不费事，何必坚拒呢？”他停了一下又说，“依我看，你代理浙江藩库，对我有利无害，有款子收入，随时可以拨解。如果前方有急用，你调度也方便。” “不！”胡雪岩说，“第一，我既蒙大人奏调，归福建任用，就不便再代理浙江的藩库；其次，唯其管了大人这方面的供应，我要跟浙江划分得清清楚楚。万一将来有人说闲话，也不至于牵涉到大人的名誉。” “承情之至！你真是处处为我打算。既然你一定坚持，我关照芗泉就是。” 得此一诺，胡雪岩如释重负。因为整个情况，只有他看得最清楚，援闽之师的协饷虽已减去六万，对浙江来说，仍是极重的负担。新任巡抚莅任后，自必有一番新猷展布，纵不能百废俱举，光是整修海塘，便需一笔极大的经费。眼前霜降已过，河工是“报安澜”的时候，一开了年，可就要立刻动手了！不然从“桃花泛”开始，春夏之交，洪水大涨，可能招致巨祸。那时的藩库，岂是容易代理的？ 当然，海塘经费他可以表示无力代垫，但如马新贻说一句：“那么福建的协饷请胡道台的钱庄垫一垫”，不论于公于私，他总是义不容辞的吧？事实确是如此，而且即使不代理浙江藩库，他亦仍得为左宗棠垫款。只是同为一垫，说法不同。 在浙江来说，既是代理藩库，理当设法代垫，在左宗棠来说，胡雪岩是为浙江垫款，他不必见情。这一来落得两头不讨好。倘或浙江解不出协饷，跟他情商代垫，那是私人急公好义，马新贻会感激，左宗棠亦会说他够朋友。而最要紧的是，浙江藩库向他的钱庄借款，有担保、有利息，不会担什么风险。 “还有什么事？你索性此刻都说了吧？” “不敢再麻烦大人了。”胡雪岩笑嘻嘻地说，“其余都是些小事，我自己料理得下来。” 话虽如此，胡雪岩经管的公事太多，自己的生意，除钱庄以外，还有丝茶，加上受人之托，有许多闲事不能不管。如今政局变动，又受左宗棠的重托，要长驻上海，在浙江的公私事务，必得趁左宗棠离浙，马新贻未到任这段期间内，作个妥善的安排。因而忙得饮食不时，起居失常，恨不得多生一张口，多长一双手，才能应付得下来。