Chapter 10 Section ten

It was the beginning of July to order Li Hongzhang to see you.The decree said that he "complied with the matters of coastal defense, and the words were too brief. But the matter is of great importance. At the beginning of the establishment, the supervisor must come to Beijing, and the ministers in charge should carefully consider the audit and plan all the grand outlines and details. Only then can it be implemented in sequence, and the actual effect will be gradually achieved." There is no need to praise, but the meaning of relying on it is beyond words.In contrast, Zuo Zongtang was "delivered an edict" ten days ago, and his prosperity and decline were completely different, which made him feel even more embarrassed.

Zuo and Li have always been enemies.After so many years of fighting openly and secretly, in May of this year, China and France established a peace agreement, the foreign aggression was suspended, and the internal strife began. Finally, it came to the day of reckoning. It was Liu Mingchuan who made the attack.After defending Keelung for a year, Liu Mingchuan had had enough of Taiwan Taoist Liu Ao's filth.Liu Ao is a direct descendant of Zuo Zongtang, who was stationed in Tainan, withdrew his troops and deducted his salary, and was in trouble with Liu Mingchuan, who was his former enemy.Since Zuo Zongtang supervised the military affairs of Fujian and Yang Changjun was the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Liu Mingchuan had no choice.However, his grievances were conveyed by Li Hongzhang, and the government fully understood that they only regarded a strong enemy in front of them. After all, Zuo Zongtang had to rely on Zuo Zongtang to protect Minhai.Now that the foreign enemies have retreated, it is natural to attack.

Of course, Liu Ao was also to blame for being too ignorant, so he asked Zuo Zongtang to allocate one million taels of the foreign money he borrowed to deal with the aftermath of Taiwan, and sent a committee member to Fuzhou to sit on the case.When Liu Mingchuan got the news, a telegram was sent to Beiyang, and then transferred to Beijing.Alcohol King was furious.The navy needs money, the construction of Sanhai needs money, Nancao is preparing to restore the river transport, and the canal needs money. However, all parts of Tainan have not been military, and Liu Ao directly collects lijin, and rarely supports Liu Mingchuan. There should be a large sum of money in the treasury. It is simply heartless to withdraw millions of dollars from the foreign money borrowed.

Therefore, a telegram was issued, strictly urging Zuo Zongtang not to send it without authorization.That's all, the bad thing is that there is a warning text: "When Zuo Zongtang arrived in Fujian, every time he transferred people to the commission, he sent them without a statement. Matters should be reported first, and the order must be followed; no more rashness will cause you to be blamed for doing good deeds!" Then there was another telegram ordering Zuo Zongtang and Yang Changjun to find out how much foreign money they borrowed, and how much is left? "Play and wait for the order quickly, and don't use it rashly." When a leaf falls, you know the autumn in the world, and you can clearly see that Zuo Zongtang's family has declined.

So Liu Mingchuan acted unceremoniously, using the power of the governor of Fujian to remove Liu Ao from the post of investigation, and at the same time, Feizhang entered the memorial on the grounds that "profiteers stole the gold and the Taoists cheated". Although the method was ruthless, it was still a test, so Liu Ao was just "removed".The imperial court's reply to the decree: "Remove the post as soon as it is issued, and wait for the investigation" is an expression of full support, so it can be more assured and bold to pursue and slash.Immediately afterwards, Liu Mingchuan read Liu Ao's book vigorously, accusing him of "corruption and cunning, unrestrained, and many misdeeds. Bill and pay, please dismiss him and investigate."

As a result, it was not only "dismissal and investigation", but also "dismissal and investigation".The Military Aircraft Department accepted the decree and sent two "court mails" in succession, one to Liu Mingchuan: "Liu Ao was dismissed and questioned, and Liu Mingchuan sent someone to guard him properly, waiting for the ministers sent by the imperial court to investigate and deal with it in Fujian." Liu Ao's assets in office, Instruct Liu Mingchuan to send an honest and responsible committee member to conduct strict inspections.One was for Bian Baodi, the governor of Hunan and Zhang Peilun's second father-in-law, to copy Liu Ao's home in his hometown.

In addition, there is another invention: "Minister Xizhen of the Ministry of Punishment, Chiyi, went to Jiangsu to investigate and handle the incident with Wei Rongguang." The imperial envoys have always investigated and handled important cases, and they often use fake place names to cover up. They are obviously going to Sichuan, but they are talking about Hubei, like this His deceptive tricks cannot be concealed from others. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance that Liu Ao is being investigated. Of course, Zuo Zongtang wanted to launch a counterattack, attacking Liu Mingchuan's detailed circumstances of abandoning Keelung, pointing out that he was more guilty of bereavement and humiliation than Xu Yanxu and Tang Jiong.I didn't want to hit a big nail, so the reply was: "Liu Mingchuan went to Taiwan in a hurry, and the soldiers were short of food. Although he lost Keelung, he was still able to survive the crisis. His merits and demerits cannot be concealed. The minister often called him a 'crime' It is far more than Xu Yanxu and Tang Jiong'. It is really intended to be stored in Zhou Nei, but it is not planned. Zuo Zongtang wrote a decree to admonish it, and the original folded and returned."

Zuo Zongtang, who was lying ill, was humiliated by this, and his condition changed drastically, so he had to ask for a vacancy again.Of course, a gentle decree is indispensable, allowing him to hand over the duties of the imperial envoy, and there is no need to set a holiday, just go back to Hunan to rest with peace of mind.He also complimented him for "being a long-standing Xunqin, working in the government of officials, and having a long history of experience. If you see something, you can hear it at any time, and you can choose it." At the same time, he told him: If he recovers from his illness, he will return to Beijing immediately to become his bachelor.

When this gentle edict from an old official was sent to Fuzhou, Zuo Zongtang's deity had declined, and he could no longer appreciate the grace of the saint.When it was extended to the 27th day of the seventh month, it was ignored. At that time, General Mu Tushan of Fuzhou and Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang Yang Changjun would perform the performance.The memorial was slow, but the telegram was fast. The Fujian Camp Office telegraphed the Beiyang Yamen, and by noon the next day, Beijing got the news. This is an accident, but it is not an accident.When Zuo Zongtang arrived in Fujian, things didn't go smoothly. Although he claimed to be Zhuge Wuhou, he only had the ambition of "dedicate himself to death and die later", or the same, but his cultivation of tranquility and Zhiyuan was much worse.As he had no choice but to "look at the ocean and sigh" against the French army, his depression was difficult to express, so his anger was very high, and he finally lost his mind. He often shouted: "Boys, get out of the team!"These situations were also heard in Beijing, and it is known that he died not long ago.

But no matter what, he is always the hero of the country, and the Empress Dowager Cixi always treats veterans well, so she is naturally sad.King Chun recalled that when Zuo Zongtang first came to Beijing, he was like-minded. When talking about public affairs, he ensured that he managed the Shenji Camp as a bachelor;Who knew that such a friendship would never end!Looking back on the past, it is true that the so-called "feeling is endless in my heart", and at the same time, I also feel that I am ashamed of my old friend by helping Li Gongzuo. Therefore, Zuo Zongtang's canon of decoration is excellent.Although not as good as Zeng Guofan, it is far better than Guan Wen and Shen Baozhen.The official documents were given to the Taibao, and Zuo Zongtang was given to the Taifu; the official documents were enshrined in the Xianliang Temple, Zuo Zongtang was enshrined in the Zhaozhong Temple and the Xianliang Temple, and special temples were allowed to be established in the provinces of origin and meritorious service.The posthumous posthumous method is even more different. The official posthumous posthumous posthumous name is Wengong, which is only used by courteous and obedient ministers, and it is not considered a beautiful posthumous posthumous title, and it is not suitable for Zuo Zongtang's personality.

Therefore, it will take a lot of work to plan a posthumous posthumous title.After the posthumous canon was approved by the Ministry of Rites as usual, it was drafted by the executive cabinet, and two attendants and readers were in charge of it.According to the rules, if the first character can be posthumous, only eight characters need to be drafted, and the four characters will be selected by the university scholar. Please delineate it.Senior officials of the first and second ranks, if they were born in the Imperial Academy, would receive posthumous titles as usual, but when they become university scholars, they would also receive posthumous titles even though they did not come from Hanyuan. The second word is very particular.The most noble is the word "Zheng", which was custom-made by T'en, and was not dared to be requested by the ministers.The second is the word "loyalty", which is not too easy.Of course, Zuo Zongtang can't stand shoulder to shoulder with Zeng Guofan, and his posthumous posthumous composition is correct, but like Lin Zexu and Wen Xiang, his posthumous posthumous title of "Wen Zhong" should not be regarded as an indiscriminate invitation to grace.Therefore, the word "loyalty" is included in the four characters selected by the academicians Erlehebu, co-organizers Yan Jingming, and Encheng Huitong. Before presenting to the imperial court, Empress Dowager Cixi felt that the word "loyalty" was not enough to describe Zuo Zongtang's life, so she inquired about military plans. Besides, what other good words could praise Zuo Zongtang's contribution to pacifying the Western Frontier? Li Wang Shiduo was stunned and didn't know what to say, so he looked back and said: "Please ask the empress dowager to ask Xu Geng, I remember a lot about him." "Xu Geng's body!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "What do you think?" "According to the posthumous posthumous law, Zuo Zongtang can be posthumously given the word 'Xiang', which is Xiangzan's Xiang. During the Qianlong period, Fukang'an posthumously named Wenxiang with martial arts. However, in the third year of Xianfeng, Zhuo Bingtian, a university scholar, once gave an order to the late emperor: Civil and military ministers who died in battle, or those who died of overwork and illness in the military camp and failed to achieve martial arts, were not allowed to use the character Xiang. Therefore, the cabinet did not dare to draft it lightly. Did Zuo Zongtang bestow the posthumous title of Wenxiang? Please ask the empress dowager to judge. Who are they?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "I only remember Hong Chengchou and Jin Fu, does Jin Fu have martial arts?" "After the pro-government of the Holy Patriarch, San Francisco, Hefu, and Water Transport were the three major events. They were specially written down and pasted on the pillars of the Qianqing Palace. They were always vigilant and forgotten. Jin Fu was a famous river governor. He served as the governor of the river for sixteen years, and died of illness in the forty-six year. He devoted himself to the work of the river for thirty years, and praised the sacred merits, which is no different from opening up the territory, so he is specially posthumous as Wenxiang." "If you want to talk about opening up territories, Zuo Zongtang can also be called. Let's posthumously Wenxiang!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked again: "Did Zuo Zongtang ask for an order to handle any important things that were not done before his death?" This is echoed by Shi Duo: "Last month, Zuo Zongtang had two proposals. One was to invite the Minister of Coastal Defense to recommend Zeng Jize as the important task of coastal defense. The other was to ask the governor of Fujian to be stationed in Taiwan. Zeng Jize has already According to Yi's decree, he was called back to the country by telegram, and there are a lot of matters involved in the Fujian Fu's stationing in Taiwan, so we can't discuss and request the decree for a while." The Empress Dowager Cixi had a well-thought-out plan for Haiphong, and quickly replied: "Of course Zeng Jize is useful in other ways, but you must not hand over all Haiphong to him. The governor of Fujian is stationed in Taiwan. You can ask Prince Chun and Li Hongzhang about this matter. It’s better to do as Zuo Zongtang wants!” "Yes!" Shi Duo replied, "Li Hongzhang will be arriving in Beijing soon, and Prince Jin will be invited to preside over the meeting at that time, and we will discuss the method before requesting an order." Li Hongzhang arrived in Beijing on August 23rd. Since the founding of the country, no frontier official has ever been in the audience. It is as important as his visit to Beijing this time. Many military plans can only be decided after he comes to discuss face to face. Some of these many military and national plans came from the imperial court, and his opinions were sought; some were requested by Li Hongzhang, and he must come to explain them face to face.Of course, the big plan from the imperial court is mainly based on the opinions of King Chun. The first one is to discuss the establishment of the navy; the second is to increase the salary of the flag camp.His lifelong wish is to develop into a powerful army of the Eight Banners, and if the Eight Banners are to serve their lives, they must first increase their military pay.Therefore, Xue Yunsheng, the left servant of the Ministry of Punishment, had long been instructed to write a paper on "training Chinese and foreign banner battalions with increased wages" as the basis for "negotiation". Where does the salary increase come from?According to Xue Yunsheng's method, it is to cut down the brave camps in all provinces.According to the calculations of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the military salaries of the brave camps in each province cost 14 to 5 million yuan per year. In addition, the so-called "number of bravery" such as food, weapons, tents, and clothing, etc., cost more than 34 million yuan a year. .Including the more than 10 million yuan in salaries for the Jingli Banner Camp and the garrison banner camps in various provinces, the total is nearly 60 million.And the total annual income is only 70 to 80 million. It is naturally not a long-term way to spend 10% of the world's material resources and raise troops with 80%. According to King Chun's intention, the rate increase for Qiying should be increased by at least 40%.Based on this calculation, only the flag salary in Beijing would cost an extra three million taels of silver every year, which was beyond the burden of the ministry treasury.Therefore, in the meeting presided over by King Chun, a conclusion was reached: the provinces will be brave and cut down the superfluous. Due to the large amount of military use, Beijing official salaries are distributed with a reduction, and the original amount must also be restored. As soon as this news spread, officials of all sizes in Beijing, Chinese and military were cheering, but the governors of all provinces, including Li Hongzhang, panicked. Because the provinces recruit soldiers and set up camps to pay salaries, there are many tricks. The first is to eat vacancies; The recommendation of the "Eight Elements" of Zhongda Lao; the fourth is to use various utensils and food to appease the local "heroes" from all walks of life.Once the business is done, it will be a lot of inconvenience. Of course, Yan Jingming is well aware of these situations. Although he does not approve of raising the salary of the banner soldiers, he is in favor of cutting off bravery. He expects that it will definitely attract opposition from the governors of various provinces. In order to get ahead of others, he specially requested an order the day before Li Hongzhang, the leader of the border ministers, arrived in Beijing. A decree was issued, in addition to citing Xue Yunsheng's original performance, all the accumulated malpractices of the military supplies in various provinces were revealed, and they were strictly rectified and decided within a deadline of November this year.At this time, the decree was issued in the hope of breaking through Li Hongzhang's level first, which is quite obvious.