Chapter 32 Section thirty-two

When I went to the door, there were seven or eight people scrambling to ask, Chen Jiaxin had a guest with a provincial accent, but "Master Zhang, the minister who knows how to handle affairs"?The host dared not make mistakes, so he had to find out first, what is the purpose of inquiring about this guest? "The governor's yamen offered a reward to Mr. Zhang. We got it right, so we can report to receive the reward." "Is it the truth?" "It's the truth! If you don't believe me, ask the Dibao." The land protection is also coming.When the master of the Chen family asked, if there was such a thing as offering a reward to find Mr. Zhang, he admitted that there was such a distinguished guest.Within two hours, one of the superintendents sent an official document, which turned out to be a "court post" specially addressed to Zhang Peilun, delivered by the governor's yamen.He couldn't find him all over the place, so he specially offered a reward.The official sent the official document and brought He Jing's words. If he wants to meet Zhang Peilun, will he go to the city, or the governor come to see him?

Zhang Peilun didn't answer immediately, but first looked at the court post, which was a reply to the "Secret Chen Daifang Arrangement Situation" issued by him on June 14th. According to the decree: "Looking at the performance shows that you are brave, and the arrangement is also appropriate. Zhang Peilun still adds his thoughts. Be cautious and keep a tight defense. And check the news at any time to check the cunning." Zhang Peilun put Ting Ji aside with a wry smile, and asked about the situation in the city.The messenger only knew that Governor Zhang Zhaodong did not see any visitors due to his illness, but He Jing was still calm because of the guns guarding the Governor's Yamen.

"Where is Mr. Shipyard?" Zhang Peilun asked, "Do you know his whereabouts?" "I know." The officer's expression is very strange, some want to laugh but dare not laugh, but also want to speak but dare not speak. "Where are you now?" "have no idea." He said he knew and said he didn't know, and the tone of his words was almost insulting.Like in the past, Zhang Peilun would definitely reprimand him severely, but now it was as if his body had been wounded secretly, as soon as he got angry, he would grab the wounded place, and he seemed to be half shorter.

"What's going on?" He could only blame slightly, "Your words don't match your words." The officer also found that his language was contradictory and needed some explanation, but it was a long story, and he was afraid of derogating the official authority and making Zhang Xilun displeased, so he made a statement first: "I also heard about the whereabouts of Mr. He. , I don’t know if it’s true or not? Don’t dare to talk nonsense.” "It doesn't matter, what's wrong with talking about it!" He Ruzhang also ran away as soon as he heard the gunfire.It's just that the direction of escape is different, from Gushan to the west.

One fled to Kuai'an Township.The Shi family there is a big family with an ancestral hall and many attached houses.He Ruzhang thought this was a safe place to live, so he immediately sent his soldiers to tell the person in charge of the ancestral hall that he would stay for a few days.The person in charge of the ancestral hall heard that it was Mr. He from the Ship Administration Bureau, and seeing that the soldiers had a fierce attitude, he had to agree if he refused.So while taking him in, he sent someone to inform the head of the Shi family. The old patriarch of the Shi family was jealous of evil, and he was very dissatisfied when he heard that He Ruzhang was not in Jiangshang to supervise his teachers, so he abandoned his post and absconded.I rushed to the ancestral hall in person and told the administrator of the ancestral hall to tell He Ruzhang that the ancestral hall is inconvenient to accommodate outsiders, please leave immediately!

This hurt the custodian.As soon as He Ruzhang said what he wanted, He Ruzhang's soldiers turned their faces and hit Guan Ci on the back with the back of a knife. After being beaten, he didn't dare to defend himself, but when he came back to complain, the head of the Shi family was furious and decided to expel He Ruzhang.But if a gong is played to gather the clansmen, it may arouse public anger and cause a catastrophe of "killing officials". After thinking about it, I finally came up with a trick. "Set fire to the house!" he said, "to the point where he can't live in it."

"This," said the ancestral temple official, "isn't this inappropriate?" "There's nothing wrong with it! It's just burning two side rooms, and I'll pay for the repairs. It doesn't matter if the fire doesn't reach the main hall." So some people from the tribe were recruited, and they first prepared firefighting tools such as bucket crowbars, guarded the main hall, and then set fire to it.When He Ruzhang saw the thick smoke, he hurried out of the house to escape, but seeing Shi's family members turned to each other with cold faces, they did not put out the fire.Immediately understood in my heart, I lowered my head and said to the soldiers: "People don't want to keep us, don't force us. Let's go!"

So I hurried along the river, wondering where is the place to stay tonight?Fortunately, in the darkness, the sound of the guns faded away, He Ruzhang calmed down a bit, thinking of a foreign company that often does business with shipping bureaus, there is always a sense of incense.When they were sent there, as expected, the people in the foreign trade were very different from the Shi family. They not only took them in, but also received them very attentively. After a while of panic, I had to ask about the situation of the battle. I only knew that the ship's division suffered a crushing defeat, but the damage to the ship's bureau was not too heavy.When I arrived at the watch, I suddenly heard the rumbling of the guns, which continued continuously. I sent people to inquire, and found out that the ship's administration bureau was firing "watching guns" as usual, but the French warships mistook them for the guns of the fort. Strong, bombarded the camp under Fang Xun's jurisdiction on Mawei Road, and did not stop until four o'clock in the morning.

He Ruzhang pounded the bed and beat the pillow thousands of times, stayed up all night, thinking about things messily, not knowing what to do with himself?The shipping bureau can't go back, and the foreign firms along the river can't be protected from the artillery fire. In any case, they have to go to the provincial capital, and the Governor's Council will handle it. They get together and have a discussion. He made up his mind to leave early in the morning. Every time he went to the city, he would stay at the Guangdong Guild Hall, and this time it was the same.As soon as I arrived at the hall, I got the news that three French warships sailed straight to the front of the dock on the morning tide. There was a big bang. The foreign buildings and machine rooms in the shipyard collapsed, the chimney fell down, and many people were injured.The officers and soldiers guarding the shipyard escaped without a trace. The only exception was Lu Guishan, the capital, who pulled a small Krupp cannon up the mountain and fought bravely.Reluctantly, the power was insufficient, and it was quickly suppressed by the artillery fire of the French warships, powerless.

"Master He!" The secretary of the Liangguang Guild Hall warned, "I think it's better to leave the city." He Ruzhang was shocked and asked, "Why?" "The wind outside is not very good." The secretary said hesitantly, "If you know that Mr. He lives here, I'm afraid, I'm afraid he will come to harass you." Hearing this, He Ruzhang's hands and feet became weak, "How could anyone know?" He said, "I'm not going out." "There are so many people coming and going in and out of the guild hall, how can we hide it?"

The words are good, but I really have a problem, the guild hall in this province can't take shelter, where else can I get a foothold?Thinking about it this way, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and stomp my feet and said, "I'm not leaving! Stay here first and then we'll talk." Seeing that he insisted on refusing, the secretary had to let him go free.After He Ruzhang settled down in his own courtyard, the first thing he did was to send his own soldiers to the governor's office to inquire about news and get in touch. Not long after I left, the secretary came to report, and many people gathered at the gate of the guild hall, with unexpected intentions.He also said that there were more people gathered at the east and west gates of the governor's office, and it was rumored that the gate of the governor's office would be demolished. "There is such a thing, isn't it going to rebel?" He Ruzhang said angrily, "Why didn't Shou County send people to suppress it?" "Lord He!" The secretary replied coldly, "When is this? The authority has been swept away!" "Ah!" the discouraged He Ruzhang said depressedly, "Teach me where to go?" The secretary was speechless.He retreated silently, leaving He Ruzhang wandering around the room alone, his heart fluttered and he couldn't calm down for a moment. The words "official prestige sweeping the floor" are shocking to the ears.He Ruzhang knew that no one could guarantee that he would not be humiliated unless he was guarded by heavy soldiers.It is said that the gates of the governor's office have been dismantled, so He Jing is a "mud bodhisattva crossing the river, and he can't protect himself", so he doesn't have to plan to take refuge in the governor's office. "Oh!" He paused, "Let's go!" "This is it! Twenty-six strategies, the best strategy is to go." Where to go?After much deliberation, He Ruzhang could only wait for the soldiers who had inquired about the news to come back, to find out what happened, and then decide what to do. The secretary of the guild hall couldn't bear to push too hard, so he had to let nature take its course. The people outside the gate gathered more and more, and they gradually became clamorous.The secretary of the guild hall was deeply afraid that the mob would tear down the guild hall indiscriminately. In order to protect the birth, he had to come forward to appease the public. "Master He is here, it's true, but he's about to leave. He's going into the city to discuss with the governor and governor how to get rid of the enemy. As soon as the soldiers he sent to deliver the letter come back, he'll leave the city immediately and go back to Mawei. Shipyard." "He shouldn't have come to the city in the first place." Someone said loudly, "The factory is still alive, but the factory is dead. He thinks about it, how can he be worthy of Shen Wensu, and how can he be worthy of the Fujianese?" So you say what I say, scold He Ruzhang, Zhang Peilun, He Jing and Zhang Zhaodong.At the moment of this commotion, He Ruzhang's personal soldiers came back. He confirmed the rumors obtained by the secretary of the guild hall that the gate of the governor's office was really torn down by the common people. I don't know if the superintendent's soldiers followed He Jing's order and did not stop it, so there was no conflict. It is unfortunate. The great fortune in. He Ruzhang didn't think so, just sighed again and again: "Lawless, lawless!" "Master Zhang has disappeared." The soldier said again, "It's at the place of a gentleman in Pengtian Township." "Oh," He Ruzhang asked, "Where did you inquire?" "I was told by Mr. Qian from the superintendent. He went to deliver the official documents and met Mr. Zhang." "That's good!" He Ruzhang turned sad, "I'll see him. Do you know the place?" "It doesn't matter if you don't know. Go to Pengtian Township and find the dibao and ask." "Then let's go!" He Ruzhang got up and left without hesitation. "My lord, my lord!" The secretary of the guild hall grabbed him and said, "Please go this way." Seeing He Ruzhang, he couldn't bear it for a while, and would act recklessly because of the people gathering at the gate, so he was indignant, so the secretary of the guild hall quietly sent him out through a secluded door. It was already dusk when we arrived in Pengtian Township, and Zhang Peilun was having dinner. He stopped to greet him, and the meeting seemed like a world away, both kind and strange, but full of endless emotions, grievances and shame. After being stunned for a while, Zhang Peilun thought of an indifferent sentence: "Have you eaten yet?" "I'm not hungry!" "I'm not hungry either." Zhang Peilun said, "Sit inside!" The two rejected the servants, although they were not "weeping eyes to each other", but they looked at each other sadly, their throats were blocked, and they shook their heads and sighed in unison. "How's the situation in town?" "The gates of the Supervision Office were demolished by the common people, and He Xiaosong lived in seclusion." He Ruzhang replied: "Zhang Youshan is sick and sees no one. It seems that we have the responsibility to guard the land." Zhang Peilun also has such complaints.What made him most dissatisfied was that when he got the real news, He Jingtun didn't inquire about the real situation, but played hastily, saying that the shipyard had fallen.I don't know what is the intention?I should discuss it with He Ruzhang. So he gathered himself together, picked up a piece of paper with his own hands, and handed it to He Ruzhang. It was a draft telegram to the Prime Minister's Office, which read: "I got a letter from Paris and attacked my ship suddenly. Eleven wooden mines, big and small, were attacked by the tide. I defended for a long time and my soldiers were exhausted, and the small boats were exhausted. I fought hard for two hours. All the boats and boats were destroyed, all the generals swore to die, and none of them went ashore, which was extremely tragic. Facheng won the attack and attacked the factory, but Huang Chaoqun still guarded the dew factory, and killed the French soldier officer. Without cover and guns, he must not be able to support him. No crime Ke Yi, please report and apprehend immediately." Although the telegram is concise, it is very difficult to read this manuscript, which seems to be the handwriting of Zhang Peilun in chaos. There are also some inexplicable points, so I can't figure it out, so I have to ask. "What is 'Tiemulei'?" "It refers to three types of ships, ironclad ships, wooden warships, and torpedo boats. There are eleven ships in total." "Oh! That's how it was explained." He Ruzhang thought for a while and said, "Since the young man has asked for punishment, of course I will also handle it." "No! I Weng," Zhang Peilun said, "discipline is another matter. The most urgent thing now is to deal with the aftermath. You should go back to the shipping bureau to take care of it." He Ruzhang looked troubled.It's not bad to think about what he said. I am the Minister of Shipping, and the Shipping Bureau is my "territory" and I should stick to it.Zhang Peilun is a minister who knows how to deal with war affairs. The main thing is that he knows how to defend the war. The battle has been fought and defeated, and he has asked himself to be arrested and punished. Of course, he can ignore everything. At this moment of hesitation, Zhang Peilun warned again: "My old man, the guilt is too deep, and the crime is inevitable. If you can make up for it now, you can say something more in the future. Don't make mistakes!" This is advice.When He Ruzhang thought that Zhang Peilun had the support of Li Hongzhang and that the Prime Minister's Office also said that "a small setback can be repeated by Xu Tu", he suddenly let go of his worries and lifted his spirits. "Young man sees that the teaching is correct." He Ruzhang said, "I will go back to the bureau early tomorrow morning." Hearing his expression, Zhang Peilun felt a little comforted, "The French soldiers will never dare to go ashore, so you can go back to the game at ease." He said bitterly: "It's a shame that there are so many soldiers in various countries. Why come to watch the battle, otherwise I will It can cause the enemy to die, and it is a shame." "What trick does the young man have?" "I used a few boats to scuttle the river and block the river. The French warships couldn't get out. If we don't kill them, they won't come back? It's just a slap in the face and hinders the British and American warships. I really hate it!" There is more than one end to the hatred. If the court can accept the first proposal, it will definitely not be a complete failure.Thinking about fighting a lot on weekdays, speaking sharply, leaving no room for others, now that I have become a boastful, useless Ma Di, what is my face, goodbye to my old partner in Jinghua?The most worrying thing is that there has been a mountain of grievances for many years. Now that the family is in love with each other, those enemies will naturally add insult to injury, and they are unwilling to put them to death.When I think of this, I feel more like a thorn in my back, restless. He Ruzhang's mood was slightly better than his, but he couldn't help being discouraged when he thought of the heavy burden of cleaning up the mess.Although he wanted to find a few comforting words to say, but he was too lazy to speak, he sighed and dragged his feet slowly towards the bedroom that Ju Ting had prepared for him. One night passed, a good news came from the Nagato Fort. Two French warships were imported, and Mutushan injured one of them.He was originally stationed in Lianjiang County, twenty miles away from Nagato, but since the afternoon of the day before yesterday, he has moved to Nagato.Although the French warships came in and out frequently, but the muzzle could not move, and the French warships had already seen the details, measured the range, changed the course, and could easily avoid the artillery fire. However, the other forts along the coast were almost wiped out by the French warships.The officers and soldiers guarding the platform ran away watching the wind, so the French army could send troops ashore to pour a strong corrosive agent into the muzzle and destroy the cannon body. However, one thing is certain, the French army has never dared to land.Therefore, both Zhang Peilun and He Jing dared to show up. The two met in the devastated shipyard to discuss the performance. The manuscript was brought by He Jing, to the effect that the French army once landed and fled after being defeated, but it was a pity that the navy was defeated.This means meritorious service on land and defeat on water. In other words: He Jing, as the governor, is in charge of the province's soldiers and horses, and he does not disgrace his orders. "I can't be ranked." Although Zhang Peilun is a defeated general, he still looks like an imperial envoy in front of He Jing. How can the crime of deceiving others be punished again?" "Then, young man," He Jing asked, "How do you repay him?" "According to the facts." Zhang Peilun replied, "In any case, this paragraph must be deleted." He Jing thought for a while and said, "Alright. I'll prepare the manuscript." The memorial of this title should be reported by the general, the governor, the governor, and the ministers of the council, and it will take some days to discuss it.Zhang Peilun thought to himself, anyway, the responsibility cannot be shirked, so it is better to be more open and aboveboard, and after the telegram asking for arrest, go further and make a statement of guilt first. So he worked hard, wrote by himself, and drew up a note of "Mawei Navy failed, please ask for strict discussion and arrest".Of course, this excerpt will never be reported according to the facts. Generally speaking, when talking about military strength, the enemy is strong and we are weak, and when talking about the situation, the enemy is free and we are doing our best. But especially emphasizing that although there is a way to win, it will be counterproductive. This way of winning is the "first move" he repeatedly suggested.Of course, he also had to repeat his painstaking efforts to do what he knew he couldn't do: "Roughly before June 20, the boats were roughly equal, but I was small and big, and I was strong. Twelve or three ships are easy to move in and out, but our army is limited to seven warships and two gunboats. The minister was worried, and secretly summoned the generals, so that the soldiers will not be tired of deceit, especially in water battles, and they still want to go ahead. , and all the generals waited for the first time, the most forty days, and the few for twenty or thirty days. If you are defeated, there is no way to ask for help, and there is no way to retreat, but you can only motivate your generals with loyalty." Zhang Peilun pondered this article for an entire hour before he felt comfortable.There is regress in the words, and there is more sorrow in the words. The "secret strategy" of "starting first" is obviously forbidden by the court, but it is never blamed on the court. "Come to the boat" became a constraint again, invisibly justifying the imperial court's mistake of not allowing the first move, and of course it was also an excuse for Li Hongzhang, who was trying to preserve the tie.But everything is tacitly understood. Here's what happened before the war: "In late June, Admiral Ying met with He Ruzhang to mediate the complaint. Taxation Secretary Jia Yage wrote to the governor repeatedly, and there were also reports that Admiral Ying and the British consul wanted to mediate. His words were very willing, but the matter was delayed. I also know that it is treacherous and deceitful, so what is it like to be tied to the country?" This is another reminder that the first move must be the first to win, but the British and American warships have become the weapon of the mouse.As for the mediation between the United Kingdom and the United States, He Ruzhang and the "supervisor" He Jing were specifically mentioned, secretly stating that he had never had any contacts with foreigners, and he was not responsible for delaying the peace. Then we will talk about the situation on the day of the war.This paragraph is the most difficult to write. He can only say vaguely: "On the first and second days of the first day, it rained heavily and the wind was fierce. At midnight on the second day and dawn on the third day, I repeatedly wrote handwritten instructions to all the officers. It’s fixed, the law must move rashly’. It’s even lower than the tide, but the cannons of the legal people are ringing! While ordering the army to form a team, and climbing the mountain with small cannons, corresponding with the navy, while climbing the mountain to watch the battle.” This paragraph speaks out of conscience, he has never "climbed to the top of the mountain to watch the battle", so the battle situation he narrates is mostly deaf.But I won't explain how I went up to the top of the mountain and how I went down the mountain.After explaining the loss, he immediately expressed his feelings: "This time, the legal person is full of treachery and deceit, and the war is impermanent. He can run rampant, and I worry a lot. He can make appointments, but I rarely help. For a month, he knows me well. The frontier officials are divided, the soldiers are lonely and tired, and the tide is rushing after the rain, the other ship gains power, and violations of laws and regulations suddenly occur, what is the name of the day?" This is to show that the sound is forbidden, and it is neither that the imperial court was incapable of dispatching, nor that the soldiers were incapable of using their lives. From top to bottom, no one should be responsible for the defeat, and of course he did not take the blame.But this level of meaning can only be implied. On the surface, he must be self-confident. Even if he confesses his crimes, he must have a sense of resentment to occupy his identity. He said: "The soldiers of each ship fought fiercely for two hours. The dead were ashes and the survivors were scorched. The minister witnessed the situation and was really sore. The minister arrived in Fujian. , Lonely follow one after another, Ming is not enough to predict the enemy, not enough talent to run the army, delusional thinking to win more with less, revealing a small boat, trying to be a big enemy, until the reinforcements of the bandits are cut off, and the soldiers are exhausted for a long time. The military situation is changing rapidly. If you are caught by foreign laws, you can't be the first to practice your words, and you can't make mistakes in Luju. You can't be in the same boat and share your fate. There is no excuse for harming prestige and causing disaster. You can only judge by Yang Zhenchen, dismiss the minister immediately, and hand over the crime to the Ministry of Punishment. The humiliation of the humble ministers of the Ming Dynasty is to thank the soldiers for their tragic death." "Mistakes in Luju" is his ingenious way of avoiding the important, because his duties are equivalent to the coexistence and death of the local officials and the city. "Missing to live on land" means that he wants to die with the ship, and there is no chance. Furthermore, if he lived on the ship, faced the enemy in front of him, and commanded it himself, he might not have suffered such a crushing defeat.The mistakes come and go because of "Lu Ju", the word "mistakes", he himself feels that the writing is powerful and cannot be changed. The article has come to an end here, but there is still a passage from a strange peak: "The legends of foreign merchants and our army in Japan say that Yunfa damaged six ships; or Yun Guba was injured and died; or Yun Wubo Guanjia died. ; or Yunfa burned and drowned nearly 300 people. To put it simply, since our army has suffered a major setback, there should be some casualties. But this memorial is what I saw with my own eyes, and I participated in the reports of various armies. I dare not ambiguous a word, whitewash it, and repeat the crime of false reporting. " That is to say, although the navy was defeated and the French army suffered considerable damage, it could have been offset by meritorious service, but he blamed himself too much. The sentence "Even if it is true, it is not enough to relieve hatred" is even more triumphant, swaying and charming. After writing this note, it will not be distributed for the time being. On the third day, I will add an attached sheet, which is dedicated to "the situation of the army taking over the battle".Huang Chaoqun and Fang Xun were too frightened to show up at the time, but Zhang Peilun narrated their military exploits and praised them greatly: "The Fucha Shipping Administration Dew Factory is next to the river. There are no giant cannons for protection, twists and turns and no barriers. It is really not a place that can be fought or defended Land. This time, the legal person attacked with large ships and cannons for three days. Our army lacked a single weapon and was unable to support it. However, Huang Chaoqun and others persevered in the rain of artillery and bombs. , intercepted and killed many French soldiers, and killed the entire shipyard, which was not what I expected. The French ship retreated, and the minister checked the materials and parts of the machine factory. Occasionally, the chimney was also damaged. But the big machinery is still there, and the shipping department is still standing alone. Huang Chaoqun and others said that they did not say anything about the failure of the warship, but the failure of the navy is the fault of the ministers, and the shipyard is all. The credit goes to the generals." He hides defeat into victory, one is to show that he and "the generals are motivated by loyalty" have meritorious service, and the other is to buy people's hearts so that he can cover up the embarrassment of abandoning his teacher and absconding.Of course, he can say whatever he likes about this single-title memorial, but it cannot be contradicted with the general-level memorial, otherwise it will be self-defeating if the two are compared. Therefore, Zhang Peilun asked for the memorial of the joint title again, checked it carefully, and found that there was no contradiction, and then issued the memorial of the single title.However, telegrams from Beijing and China have been pouring in, instructing the strategy of war and defense, and have declared war on France.