Chapter 57 Section fifty-seven

Unexpectedly, at the time of the holiday, there was an uproar in Tianjin. On the middle of the night on May 25th, a piece of court mail was delivered. Zeng Guofan got up and listened to the chanting: "Chonghou Zuo: The people of Jinjun and the Catholic Church started a quarrel." , Now there is no way to suppress it, please send officials to Tianjin to investigate and deal with it. Zeng Guofan has not recovered from his illness, and today he will be rewarded for another month. It is an inexcusable crime for the bandits to abduct people, gouging out their eyes and dismembering their hearts. According to the confession, if anyone involved in the church has evidence, they should testify with foreigners and punish the criminals according to the law, so as to eliminate them. Local harm. When the people gather together, beat the consul to death, burn churches, demolish the Hall of Mercy and other places, this trend cannot continue. The first troublemaker will be investigated and punished, so as to be fair.

If there is any uncoordinated handling by the local officials, they should also be investigated together and not defended.Zeng Guofan's affairs should be aware of the situation, and handle it quickly and equally, so as to conform to public opinion and maintain the overall situation.Copy the original copy for reading.This! " After reading Chonghou's original book, it happened that Zhou Jiaxun of Tianjin Dao also made a special trip to report the matter, only to find out that Liu Jie, the magistrate of Tianjin County, had caught two kidnappers, and at the same time, Tianjin Tuanlian had also caught two kidnappers, named Wu Lanzhen. , Ansan.An San was a Christian, but Wu Lanzhen was not a Christian, but in his confession he said that his "drug" was taken from Wang San, a minister of the Catholic Church.At this time, several orphans in Cirentang died of the plague, and the burial was not deep enough, and they were dragged out by wild dogs.The people of Tianjin believed that this was a clear evidence of foreigners gouging their eyes and hearts, so many people gathered outside the Catholic Church, and they were aggressive, and there was a conflict.

So Chong Hou, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Three Ports, made representations to Feng Daye, the French consul in Tianjin, to investigate Ci Ren Tang and interrogate Wang San.In the Charity Hall, although there were no signs of gouging out eyes and hearts, the result of Wang San's confrontation with Wu Lanzhen also proved that Wu Lanzhen was just talking nonsense.But the common people didn't believe it, and always thought that Chonghou was protecting foreigners, so they still gathered near the church, insulting and harassing them.The Catholic Church is not far from the yamen of the three Ministers of Commerce and Commerce. Chong Hou was about to send officers and soldiers to suppress it.

Feng Daye was very reckless, hung two pistols, cursed as soon as he entered the living room, and then fired indiscriminately, Chonghou was so frightened that he hurriedly hid in the signing room, Feng Daye threw tea bowls and slapped the table in the living room, roaring non-stop. At this time, the Tianjin militia group named "Water and Fire Society" had gathered thousands of people, making a lot of noise, cursing priests and foreigners.He also told him that the situation outside is not good, it is best to hide and not go out, otherwise he may be in danger. Tongshi interpreted the words, and Feng Daye replied angrily: "I am not afraid of the Chinese people!" After speaking, he took his secretary Simon, turned around and left.

Chong Hou was worried and sent Ma Bian to escort him.The common people outside the yamen were all glaring, and they were about to explode, but the enemy's road was narrow, and they met Liu Jie, the magistrate of Tianjin County, who was being suppressed from the Catholic Church, and was going to see Chonghou for an answer.When Feng Daye saw him, he drew his gun and fired without asking any questions. The shot missed Liu Jie and wounded one of his family members. "Fight!" Someone yelled sharply, and the crowd surged, submerging Feng Daye and Simon. When they dispersed, they saw two corpses lying on the ground.

The turmoil was just at the beginning, and the water and fire would sound the gongs to gather tens of thousands of people. First, they went to the Catholic Church to the east of the Commercial Yamen, killed two priests, set fire to the house, and then to the east was the French Consulate, where Feng Daye was killed. Another secretary, Thomson and his wife.Finally, he went out of the east gate, entered the Hall of Mercy, killed ten "virgin maidens", and released more than a hundred orphans raised by the virgin maidens, followed by another fire. So Chonghou and Tianjin provinces, prefectures, and counties suppressed the fire and put out fires, but there were too many people to help. The whole city of Tianjin was like a boiling oil pan, and it didn't calm down until dark.After the investigation, another two Frenchmen were killed, a couple doing business in Tianjin, and three Russians, who were mistaken for Frenchmen and suffered disaster.Similarly, six churches in the United Kingdom and the United States were also destroyed because the common people could not distinguish between Christianity and Catholicism.As for the number of religious people who died more, it was always over 30.

Zeng Guofan closed his eyes and listened quietly, without saying a word. His daily self-cultivation focused on "not being moved", thinking that only in this way can he maintain his azure god and deal with any crisis, suspicion and shock.But Tianjin people have encountered such a catastrophe, and seeing that the disaster committed by foreign soldiers in the ten years of Xianfeng is likely to repeat itself, how can they not be tempted?So even though he didn't speak, his expression has changed, his right eye is convulsing continuously, the veins on his forehead are throbbing, and he has been lying still for many days, seven or eight out of ten of his dizziness has healed, and then he started to attack again.However, he persisted, and only called to his second son, "Ji Hong, move the lamp away!"

Zeng Jihong hurriedly moved away a foreign lamp in front of him, and at the same time advised him to lie down, saying that there was something to discuss tomorrow. "It doesn't matter!" Zeng Guofan said lovingly, "I still have a few questions to ask." He asked Zhou Jiaxun: "The admiral of the French navy is stationed at Dagukou, has he ever gone ashore? What is your attitude? " "Going ashore naturally." Zhou Jiaxun replied: "Of course the attitude is also very bad, but no troops have ever been sent ashore." "What about foreigners from other countries? What did the consuls of each country say?"

"The foreigners in Tianjin are naturally afraid. I heard that British Consul Li wants to organize a group to protect himself." Zeng Guofan remained silent.It took a long time before he said: "Go back and tell Chong Shilang that I will come to Tianjin to cook. As long as I can save the country from disaster, I will honor or disgrace myself, and I will not dare to plan. Now it is only me and him who are in the same situation. Definitely share the slander for him, ask him to set a purpose and deal with it calmly." Zhou Jiaxun understands that the implication is that he still has to compromise, but Zeng Guofan is willing to share the slander, but it is doubtful whether Chonghou is willing to be slandered.Of course, this is just a thought in his heart, and it is not necessary to say it if it is inconvenient, just pass on what Zeng Guofan said.

When Zhou Jiaxun resigned from the Superintendent's Office, Qian Dingming, the Zhili Inspectorate, had already received the letter and arrived.This person was born in Taicang, Jiangsu Province, and he was a Juren. During the Xianfeng period, Li Hongzhang was famous for organizing a group training. Li Hongzhang "used many Wus in Shanghai" because of his initiative and running around.At this time, I will not be in charge of the criminal name for him, and I should also share the worries and labors for Zeng Guofan out of personal affection, so I have to report before the next morning, one is to show concern, and the other is to prepare consultant.

In Zeng Guofan's shogunate, there were also foreign affairs masters, one was Li Shuchang, whose name was Shuzhai, from Zunyi, Guizhou, and the other was Xue Fucheng.When Qian Dingming came to meet with Zeng Guofan, they were presenting what they had seen, but they had not come to any conclusions. When Qian Dingming arrived, they had to start from the beginning. After reading the court letter, Qian Dingming pointed to Chonghou's fold, and said angrily: "Chongdi Mountain is blindly flattering foreigners and inciting civil uprisings. Jing place', is it unreasonable to lightly push the responsibility to the place?" "Tiaofu!" Zeng Guofan persuaded him instead, "Now is not the time to pursue responsibility, let alone be angry. Just now I was talking with Chun Zhai and Shu Yun. It is inevitable to arrest the murderer and pay the money. Chongdi and I It is inevitable that Shan will be scolded. However, although the disaster has been so serious, I am afraid that the people's anger is still unresolved. It is really difficult to deal with both internal and external aspects. What do you think should be done?" "This case is unprecedented in the past 20 years of trade. If we can arrest the murderer and pay the money, it will be settled, and it will be a blessing. As for the internal and external relations, how to explain them face-to-face depends on the circumstances of the case. If the problem lies with me, it will be stricter, and the people will have nothing to say.If it was the foreigners who were at fault, the negotiation would naturally be easier. " "However, right and wrong, how to tell the difference?" "The truth about Wu Lanzhen's confession." Qian Dingming replied, "Whether Wu Lanzhen was instructed by Wang San or whether Wang San was hired by the church? Is the theory of gouging eyes and heart cutting a rumor or the truth? If you listen to the information, if you seek carefully, the truth will come to light, and the truth will be self-evident.” "It's clear!" Zeng Guofan kept nodding his head, "I went to Tianjin to investigate and deal with it, and I will start from this key point." "Zhongtang," said Li Shuchang, who had a good understanding of the rules by which foreigners handle affairs. "The focus of the negotiation on this case is still in Beijing. For such a big case, the imperial court should have instructed the purpose. Should it be compromised, or should it be argued? , the relationship between entry and exit is very important. Tingji only said "observe the situation and handle it fairly", but also "follow the public opinion" and "maintain the overall situation". These are all flexible words. Not to mention that the future responsibilities will fall on the shoulders of the middle hall. Without a decision, the case will go nowhere.” "I also have the same opinion." Xue Fucheng interjected, "Suppose or Zhongtang is handled equally in Tianjin, but the General Administration blindly accommodates the French envoy Luo Shuya and disagrees with each other. This negotiation must not be able to go well. Now that Prince Gong is on leave, Wen Shangshu Ding You went back to the flag to wear filial piety, the 100th day was over, and he took two months of sick leave. He was in Fengtian. In the General Administration, it was said that "Dong Taishi" was arrested, and the military aircraft became Bao Zhongtang as the leader, so he was so irresponsible It’s a decree. The stone mortar on the top of the middle hall is thankless, so it’s okay, but the play must be done well!” So Li Shuchang and Qian Dingming also persuaded Zeng Guofan, saying that he was not fully recovered from his illness and was still on leave, and there were words in the court letter that "if the spirit can be supported", it can be seen that it is not forced.Even if you want to manage it, you only care about the local area, and don't care about foreign negotiations.Qian Dingming volunteered and was willing to go to Tianjin to uncover the truth behind the "abducted child".As for the foreign-related teaching plan in this case, either ask another senior official Jian to handle it, or ask Chonghou to be ordered to settle it by himself.This is both public and private, and it is beneficial to both. When Zeng Guofan talked about literature and affairs with his friends, he always asked people to express their opinions as much as possible, and he would not speak until he had run out of words. So when the three of them tried their best to persuade him to be wise and protect his life, he just stroked his gray beard and closed his eyes. , He opened his eyes and opened his mouth when the voice fell silent. "You guys love me too much, it's insincere. If I can let go of my hands, it will benefit me if I do it privately, but it may not be true if I do it for the public. If I want to teach Chong Dishan to settle this matter by himself, it is even more hopeless. If he can be kind If it is done, it will not cause this accident.” The three of them were disappointed but not surprised when they heard what he said. If he could do nothing, he wouldn't be Zeng Guofan anymore!So they looked at each other in blank dismay, not knowing what else to say? Then, the second eldest Ji Hong, who was standing beside Zeng Guofan, said: "Three old uncles, after analyzing the gains and losses, they have already understood very well that if the General Administration's opinion is at odds with my father's, it will be better to ignore it! " "I have already promised Zhou Jiaxun that I will come to Tianjin in a few days, why not?" Zeng Guofan replied, "As for the opinion of the General Administration, it is conceivable that it is nothing more than calming down the matter. Of course, I also want to state the purpose of the negotiation and ask the court for permission. Or tell the General Administration, then it will be consistent." "But please ask Zhongtang," Qian Dingming asked, "What purpose does Zhongtang have in mind?" "I always made up my mind not to start a quarrel with him." "The French are going to provoke?" Asked about this, Zeng Guofan kept nodding his head and replied slowly, "One word: very good!" "There are eighteen scriptures in the Zhongtang," Qian Dingming said with a slightly teasing tone, "Which one should I use this time?" It's a bit of a joke, but it's actually a serious matter.When Zeng Guofan encountered difficulties, he was famous for being tough. How should he stand up now?First of all, Zeng Jihong was very concerned, so he and Li Shuchang and Xue Fucheng looked at him without saying a word, what did they say? "Is this one?" Zeng Guofan's voice seemed very desolate, "It is the most useful one. I won't say it now, but you will know it in the future." When others start a quarrel, they will use the "Breech Screw Blossom" cannon on the warship to bombard the shore. How is this stiff body? It is also said that "top top works", it is really unpredictable!Therefore, his friends and son must force him to say what you say and what I say, insinuating. "Then let me say it!" Zeng Guofan finally replied slowly, "This article is called: I die and the country lives. It is also called: put it to death and live later. Several people died, and several churches were burned down. He became reasonable even if he was unreasonable. Find out the murderer, pay the money, pay the compensation, I will comply with everything. If there is still a quarrel, I have to stand up , the French wanted to shoot, and I stood where his guns were aiming at. I think the French are also reasonable. Did they really shoot me to death? If so, countries must not blame France for what they did. It's easy to handle!" Zeng Guofan's demeanor and mood are the same as those of a man of lofty ideals who died calmly.But the sixty-year-old man, debilitated and sick, said such words, the first son couldn't help it, his eyes were red, he turned his back quietly, and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. His bureaucrats have a deeper idea, the pillars of the imperial court who have made great achievements, and are appointed as princes and ministers. Now, for the dominance of foreigners, they are so wronged that they are willing to be beaten and not fight back. sad!If the top and bottom do not work hard to improve themselves and fight for the country, they will be too sorry for Zeng Guofan's painstaking efforts. "Then ask Zhongtang for instructions." Qian Dingming stopped persuading Zeng Guofan to shirk his responsibility, and asked him the date of departure: "How should I prepare for my departure that day? I wonder if Zhongtang has made up his mind?" "Then don't be in a hurry. Make a decision and move. I have no regrets. I have to take care of the food, and I can only leave at the beginning of the month. Tiaofu," Zeng Guofan said again: "Look at the alternate way, is there a clear-headed, well-spoken person? The person who gave it to me, pick these two people, issue a letter in my name, and appoint them to Tianjin, and together with the government, first handle the matter of arresting the murderer." "Yes!" Qian Dingming looked at Li Shuchang and Xue Fucheng and asked: "There are still manuscripts, should I do it here, or the office?" "I'll do it here." Zeng Guofan replied, "It's too late today, let's talk about it tomorrow. I think there will always be an edict tomorrow. It's not too late to make a move after clarifying the intention of the court." Sure enough, the next day, the imperial edict was issued, Chonghou asked himself to be punished, and suggested that the local officials should be dismissed separately, and the court ordered Chonghou and Tianjin Dao, Fu, County Zhou Jiaxun, Zhang Guangzao, Liu Jie, etc. "Let's hand over to the Ministry first, and discuss with each other." When Zeng Guofan arrived in Tianjin, "Find out exactly, and strictly participate in the performance." The aides of the supervisory office were very satisfied with this edict, and believed that the court refused to accept Chonghou's request to dismiss the Tianjin magistrate, but had to wait for Zeng Guofan to find out "Strict Participation", which was a sign of relying heavily on authorization.Looking at it this way, Zeng Guofan can let go of things in the future without worrying about constraints. Zeng Guoji also held the same opinion, but he felt that the more specialized the imperial court's appointment, the heavier his own responsibilities.So I personally dictated and wrote the first replay. In addition to pointing out that the truth of the eye-gouging statement is the key to the case, I decided to start from this point, "study it carefully and strive for fairness", and said: "The decree Ordered the minister to go, but still inquired about the eye disease of the minister Bochen, which is a fundamental disease. In the future, a vacancy must be opened for recuperation. If you can support me a little, I will go immediately." When the memorial arrived in Beijing, Bao Yun was relieved. He was always worried about his old man, fearing that he would be too ill and powerless, and would not take on the difficult task.But when Zeng Guofan arrived in Tianjin, he could only keep the place safe. Under his comfort, the French "soldiers" would not be reckless and make other complications, and the entire negotiation had to be handled by the General Administration and French Minister Luo Shuya. This negotiation is often a time of asking for advice.Luo Shuya's temper is very irritable. Usually, when encountering teaching cases in various provinces, he is always violent. He has some severe accusations. This time, he is not in a hurry. He always says that the case is serious and he must wait for instructions from his country. Don't dare to intervene.This seemed unexpected, and Bao Yun was deeply worried.Ask Luo Shuya not to move, please invite his translator De Velia to the General Administration, treat him as a guest of honor, and ask him about the attitude of the French side.De Velia didn't put on airs, and told Bao Yun all of Luo Shuya's views. Luo Shuya believed that this case was no small matter. The most serious thing was tearing up the French flag, followed by killing Feng Daye and his secretary, thirdly killing many of his expatriates, and finally burning the church.So he didn't dare to be the master, he asked the emperor for instructions, and at the same time he wanted to see how China would handle it? "Then," Bao Jun asked, "May I ask your translator, what should my country do so that your country can be satisfied?" "I can't answer." De Wilia said quickly, and then got up to leave, leaving him no matter what. There are more dangers than fortunes, and it seems inevitable that force will be used. "Zeng Disheng said, stick to the purpose and don't start a quarrel with him. I think it is inevitable to start a war." Bao Jun said, "Whether you can stand a fight or not, let alone military expenses alone. Hu Guangyong's 'Xijiao' is still the substitute." The foreign debt Zuo Jigao borrowed, even if there is any tax as a guarantee, if he starts a war with foreigners, he will not be able to borrow the foreign debt. How much money will be spent on the wedding soon. Really, alas!" He sighed deeply, " Makes people want to hang themselves!" "Pei Weng!" Shen Guifen was still calm, "Luckily the urgent matter can be postponed, didn't Luo Shi say that he would ask his country for instructions? Every time he came and went, it would take a month at the earliest, so there was room for him to deal with it calmly. " Thinking about it well, Bao Jun no longer wanted to hang himself so much, "Go! Go!" He held the big hat in his hand, "Go to Xiangfeng Alley." When they arrived at Jianyuan in Daxiangfeng Hutong, Prince Gong met him at the sick bed.After discussing for a long time, they still had to use the old-fashioned "use barbarians to control barbarians", but this "system" is not a uniform, but temperance. I want to persuade the ministers of various countries to restrain France and not ask him to use force.Of course, there is a set of sayings, the main point of which is to play such a meaning: if there is a break, it will be a big obstacle to trade with other countries.In other words, if you want to do business with China, you cannot let France go to war with China. So "Dong Taishi" tried his best to lobby the ministers of various countries in a low voice. After two days of running around, finally there was a result.When Bao Yun met with Dong Xun as usual in the Daily Mental Cultivation Hall, he invited Dong Xun to listen to the negotiations. "The envoys from various countries have the same intentions. They also know that if France goes to war, it will affect the business affairs of all countries. However, if China does not have a proper way, it seems that it will mediate in the middle, and it is difficult to speak. Luo Shuya has a very violent temper. The French one The admiral of the navy has a bad temper, and if there is a rift, it will be difficult for the countries to stop it. So after all, China still needs to make sense first." "What do you mean by trying to understand the truth first?" Empress Dowager Cixi was a little impatient, "Say it straight up!" "The envoys from all over the world think that it is best to invite the special letter to send the letter of credence in person to meet the French emperor in Paris, and first to do China's friendly principles." "There is nothing wrong with that." Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "However, what does the letter of credence say?" Naturally, the letter of credence should express an apology.Dong Xun didn't dare to say this, but only looked at Bao Jun. "Naturally, it's the words of harmony and friendship." Bao Jun said again, "If the holy will is feasible, please send someone!" "What do you think?" "The ministers discussed with Prince Gong, and if they think it's better to ask Chonghou to go, that would be appropriate." The Empress Dowager Cixi knew in her heart that it was their favor to help Chonghou, let him jump out of the pit of fire in Tianjin, and asked Zeng Guofan to suffer. Think it's a little unfair.However, Chonghou has been in charge of foreign affairs for many years, he is skilled in etiquette, knows many foreigners, and he is in his prime, traveling far and wide, so he doesn't care, he is indeed a very suitable person. "Then let him go!" The Empress Dowager Cixi asked again, "What about the gap left by Chonghou?" "Several servants have a public discussion, and want to ask Chenglin, Zhengqing of Dali Temple, to act as an agent." "Chenglin?" Empress Dowager Cixi was surprised, "Didn't you say that you are dying of illness?" "I've recovered from my illness." Bao Jun replied, "Fortunately, Zeng Guofan is there in front of me. It doesn't matter if Cheng Lin takes up his post after this lesson case is over." The Empress Dowager Cixi was a little hesitant. She also knew that the "three ministers of commerce" in charge of the customs was a fat job. Bao Yun wanted to install a private person, but if he couldn't take up the post at the moment, he couldn't help Zeng Guofan, which seemed inappropriate. She said what she meant, and Bao Yun replied unhurriedly: "Tianjin teaching case, entrusting Zeng Guofan to handle it alone, is easy to receive credit. There are many people and different opinions, and it is easy to do bad things. Think like a slave, Even if Cheng Lin takes office, he can’t be taught to intervene in teaching plans, he can just take care of his three-port trade affairs.” It seemed reasonable, Empress Dowager Cixi reluctantly nodded.Then he asked about the illnesses of Prince Gong and Wen Xiang. Wen Xiang was weak, and Prince Gong was suffering from Sha, which was mistaken by a quack doctor.But at present, the crisis has finally turned to safety, and it only needs to be recuperated. "Oh! They are all sick." The Empress Dowager Cixi herself has been ill since An Dehai's death. At this time, she raised her hand and rubbed her temples twice, then turned to ask the Empress Dowager Ci'an, "What do you want to say?" ask?" The Empress Dowager Ci'an only had one sentence to say: "The common people in Tianjin were also aroused by the unreasonableness of foreigners and shooting at random. That's why they are righteous people. They have to forgive and forgive others!" Bao Jun was thinking in his heart that the Empress Dowager Ci'an didn't understand the situation outside at all, even if the murderer was arrested and killed, the French were not willing to let it go, and said, "Let's be forgiving and forgiving!" I have nothing to say to her , I can only perfunctory, "Yes!" He replied, "I will wait for my sacred heart and try my best to do it." After withdrawing from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he immediately drafted an order to send Chong Houchong as "Minister of Envoy to Great France", and at the same time announced the appointment of Cheng Lin.On the one hand, he also sent a court letter, praising Xu Zeng Guofan's claim that "the most important words in the case are to the point, and not annoying", urging him to leave for Tianjin early. When the decree arrived, Zeng Guofan had already planned to leave on the sixth day of June, and he had been taking care of his own "funeral affairs" for the past few days.He had thought about it over and over again, thinking that Feng Daye could shoot Chonghou and Liu Jie. Now that things are so unimaginable, and the French navy admiral is notoriously bad-tempered, it is more likely to draw his guns at each other. If there was such a breakup, he refused to avoid it like Chonghou did, and decided to bear it with his chest out.Or the negotiations with the foreigners were settled, but the people in Tianjin wanted to make trouble again. He also decided to stand up and take the disaster for the foreigners first, so as not to cause another disturbance. For this reason, he wanted to leave a will, conceal it from his relatives, and wrote it alone under the lamp: "Words to Jize and Ji Hong: Yu will go to Tianjin to investigate the case of beating foreigners to death and burning churches. Outsiders' temperament Fierce, the people of Tianjin are accustomed to arrogance, and it is difficult to make peace. In the future, building resentment and raising troops may lead to great changes. I have repeatedly thought about this trip, but there is no good strategy. Since the third year of Xianfeng, I have sworn to serve the battlefield , I am old and sick, and when I am in danger, I will never be stingy with death, so as to be proud of my original intention. I am afraid that encounters will be difficult, and you have nothing to uphold in everything, here is a little bit." The first article below writes about his own "coffin", which was transported back to Hunan by water. "Everything will be declined along the way, and no gifts will be accepted." Next, he said that his memorials and manuscripts over the years should not be "sent away immediately", because "there are very few surviving memorials", and the ancient prose is "high-minded and not enough to complement it".After dealing with these affairs, it is a long-winded "legacy", teaching children and grandchildren to be diligent and thrifty. , Determined not to take money from the military camp in order to enrich himself, and today he was lucky enough to live up to his original wish.” Finally, he taught his children and grandchildren to be filial friends. He wrote this: “Filial friends are the auspiciousness of the family. If you don't try it all, you will get auspiciousness if you are a filial friend alone, and if you don't, you will get disaster. There is no one who doesn't. I was a teacher in the capital for a long time in my early years, and I didn't care much about the way of filial piety. I have no benefit to my younger brothers. The rest of my brothers and sisters have fields and houses in each family, and most of them are supported by the ninth brother. After my death, you will treat your two uncles as your father, your aunt as your mother, and your cousins ​​as your cousins. Siblings. Be stingy in everything, treat your uncle’s family alone, be generous in everything, treat your cousins ​​with virtue and deeds, make mistakes, and expect each other to succeed, which is the most important thing.” After reading it, I found that there is more to say, but where can I finish it?I just felt that it was necessary to explain more clearly the meaning of not asking for nothing, so I wrote two five-character poems and attached them together, and I felt that I could let go of family affairs after death. What I can't let go of is official business.Sitting alone and meditating, he really died for each other. The governor of Zhili was vacant. He had to negotiate with foreigners and appease the local area. After thinking about it, there was really only one Li Hongzhang who could take over.Of course, at that time, whether there was enough time to provide a "legacy" sponsorship, Dacheng doubts.But judging the situation, the imperial court will also take the route of transferring Li Hongzhang to succeed him as the direct governor. His junior and junior have shared misfortunes and blessings for many years. At this time, he must tell his heart clearly, so that he can know what he knows first. So he found Li Hongzhang's letter and wrote a reply letter, expressing that "we will not escape in the face of difficulties". In addition to his oath, he also had the implication that he hoped that Li Hongzhang would not back down.After writing it and sealing it, the courier delivered it to Li Hongzhang, who was leading Guo Songlin's troops and stationed in Tongguan. When we set off from Baoding on the sixth day of June, we carried eight sedan chairs and walked slowly. It took four days to arrive in Tianjin.The people of Tianjin looked at him like a drought, and outside the west gate, far away, there were elders kneeling down to welcome him. These scenes made Zeng Guofan's heart heavy.He has a thorough understanding of the situation in Tianjin, and he is overly advocating the thick and flattering the foreign. Everyone thinks he is "defending the religion".At this moment, what Tianjin people expect of him is to change his style of admiration from "protecting education" to "protecting the people", which is why he has such love and respect. However, how to explain to the people of Tianjin in the future?Zeng Guofan thought to himself that life and death can be ignored, but it is difficult to remain indifferent during the occasion of honor and disgrace.Not only is it difficult to arrange internally and externally, but it is also very difficult to restrain yourself first. Received three ministers of trade and commerce stationed in Yamen, officials of all sizes in Tianjin, all with handbooks to meet.Zeng Guofan blocked them all, the only exception being Chonghou. "Di Weng!" Zeng Guofan said at the first sight, "You and I share in misfortune and slander." "Yes! It all depends on Zhongtang's virtue." Chonghou was very excited, "It's because local officials can't take precautions and prevent such disasters!" Then he continued to blame the Tianjin prefect Zhang Guangzao and county magistrate Liu Jie naturally did not like Zhou Jiaxun of Tianjin Province either. Chonghou spit and counted all the faults in the prefecture and county of Tianjin, and then asked to replace Zhang Guangzao and Liu Jie, but Zeng Guofan flatly refused. "It's not yet clear what is right and what is wrong, and the extent to which the prefecture and county have neglected their duties remains to be investigated." He said, "And Zhang Guangzao has always followed his voice and is a good official." "It is Zhang Guangzao who is stubborn and unrepentant. He usually handles disputes between the people and the religion, and his prejudice is very deep, so that there are endless incidents of hatred of religion." "Since this is the case, it is even more inappropriate to replace it lightly, otherwise, wouldn't the resentment of Tianjin people be even deeper?" Chonghou was at a loss for words.Pausing and asking: "But Zhongtang has already set a goal when he came here. May see? " "Of course, of course!" Zeng Guofan bent his fingers and said, "First, the theory of gouging eyes and cutting one's heart must be cleared up, so that the confusion can be solved. It also has something to do with it. Second, to accidentally injure the Russians and destroy the British and American churches, we must try to deal with them separately. The French naturally have to contact Russia, Britain, and the United States to strengthen their momentum. I'm alone." "Brilliant!" Chonghou took the opportunity to ask for an easy job, "For the negotiations between Russia, Britain, and the United States, please let me know. Shall I handle it right away?" "Very good, I'm overworked!" Zeng Guofan cupped his hands and said, "Tomorrow I'll 'let go'." It means to imply to him that there is no need to ask about local affairs. But there is no need to release a report. There have been countless complaints delivered to Xingyuan. In addition, many registered officials, as gentry, have sent a report.Zeng Guofan didn't dare to ignore it, so he asked his friends to read it to him one by one. Some suggested that they should rely on the righteous indignation of the people in Tianjin to drive foreigners out of Dagu; Some denounced Chonghou, and asked Zeng Guofan to play a severe impeachment to appeal to the public; others shouted loudly, and quickly deployed troops to enter the defense, thinking that they should be the enemy's division.All in all, one sentence: we must start a war with foreigners. "The sentiment of the people is so worrying." Zeng Guofan said worriedly, "I think an announcement will be made." All the friends were reluctant to speak easily, because they all felt that the wording of this announcement was difficult, neither rewarding their loyalty nor blaming them for wrongdoing. "Zhongtang!" Qian Dingming reminded him, "Jun Wang wrote a note on the first day of June, Chen Zou's four articles of 'Thinking about the prevention of troubles, cultivating the country', and the first article said at the beginning: "Jinmin should work harder." Xun, don't kill them, so as to encourage them to work hard', I have also received a letter from Beijing in the past few days, referring to the person who caused the trouble, 'defending the officials, they can be regarded as righteous people', this is the case of the Qing Dynasty, Zhongtang must not ignore it." "I'd rather offend Qing Yi than worry about my father!" Zeng Guofan's voice was calm, but his will seemed extremely firm, "Now the situation is about to come! Foreigners only care about interests and don't talk about right and wrong. The more troops there are , the threat is even worse. Today he is in Dagukou, and he only has two warships, and he can talk about everything. If he transfers a few more from other places, he has nothing to worry about, and the existing agreement must be overthrown with an excuse, and there will be no side effects. Therefore, negotiations The sooner it ends, the better. If you want to end it early, you have to suppress it yourself first, so that you can calm down. I don’t ask for forgiveness for my painstaking efforts, but I hope to save the country from disaster. Just, alas! "He shook his head and refused to say any more. "I see it this way," Qian Dingming made a compromise suggestion, "Please appoint a few more judges from Zhongtang, and try our best in three or two days. We must first find out the truth about the abduction of children and the gouging of eyes and hearts." , let’s talk about other things.” Everyone also believed that asking about the case first, and then issuing an announcement, was more confident in the importance of wording, and urged Zeng Guofan to accept Qian Dingming's suggestion, and he agreed. Under the auspices of Qian Dingming, an alternate state and county magistrate was sent to serve as a trial committee member, and the truth quickly became clear.The theory of gouging eyes and cutting hearts is purely a misunderstanding caused by ignorance of the situation inside the church.For example, there is a cellar where sundries are piled up in the church. Tianjin people don’t know that there are such regulations in western-style houses. They only compare the situation of black shops described in "Water Margin", thinking that it is the place where the belly is disembowelled.As for the more than 150 children released by the "righteous people", their relatives were interrogated, and they all confessed that they voluntarily sent them to the church for adoption, and they were not abducted. On the contrary, Wang San, the secretary of the Ciren Hall, and Ansan, the teacher, were indeed suspicious, but the confessions were repeated and inconsistent.Zeng Guofan, in order to fear that the French would suspect that the Chinese government would become a prison, decided to imprison him first. At the same time, he personally drew up a notice and engraved dozens of copies. The title of "Yonghou Zeng" is covered with Zini Guanfang, which is actually attached to the inside and outside of the city, and connects to the downtown area. The proclamation announced the imperial court's original intention of being gentle with foreign countries and calming down the affairs of the people. Not only did they not have a word of praise for the "righteous people" in Tianjin, but it seemed to be full of bureaucracy: "Strictly refrain from causing trouble!" This time, the gentlemen and common people in Tianjin were greatly disappointed.They didn't believe that there was no such thing as gouging eyes and hearts and abducting children. They thought that Wang San and An San's detention awaiting interrogation was a sign of protecting the French. After reading this notice, they became more angry and surprised. They all said that they didn't expect that there was no difference between Marquis Zeng and Chonghou! When the news spread to Beijing, it was not tolerated by the Qing Dynasty, and they went up and down one after another. They all took "the support of the people" as the basis of their arguments. It is believed that coastal defense should be deployed so as not to be overwhelmed in case of a rupture. At this time, the envoys of France, Britain, the United States, Russia, Belgium, Spain, and Prussia to China had jointly issued a note of protest to the Prime Minister's Office. The situation is extremely tense.However, the Zongli Yamen was caught between the foreigners and Qing Yi, and the left and right dared not offend, so they had to resort to perfunctory measures.Seeing that there was no way out, Luo Shuya went to Tianjin to negotiate directly with Zeng Guofan.The air in Beijing was not conducive to peace talks, and it was even more unfavorable in Tianjin. Everywhere I saw Shuya, I was full of hatred.On the contrary, there are some religious people who are fawning on foreigners, who go to him to accuse him secretly and cry, this time, Luo Shuya's attitude is even more different. He went to see Zeng Guofan and put forward four demands: to repair the church, to bury Feng Daye, to investigate the magistrate, and to punish the murderer.Zeng Guofan agreed to the first two conditions. He could also agree to the punishment of the murderer. As for the investigation of the magistrate, it is necessary to find out whether the magistrate has neglected his duties before he can negotiate. Not long after Luo Shuya resigned, Chonghou hurried over, and when he saw Zeng Guofan, he said angrily, "It's broken, it's broken! The foreigners are going to make waves!" Zeng Guofan and his friends were all surprised, and even more surprised when Chonghou relayed Luo Shuya's words.Luo Shuya believed that the teaching plan this time was instigated by Zhang Guangzao, the prefect of Tianjin, Liu Jie, the county magistrate, and Chen Guorui, the registered admiral who passed by Tianjin, so he demanded that these three people be killed. “这成什么话？”一向喜怒不现于形色的曾国藩，使劲摆头，“万万不可！” 崇厚也知道罗叔亚的要求，过分无礼，是再也办不到的事，但他也决不能因为曾国藩的峻拒，便偃旗息鼓。好在他原是打了主意来的，只是本来想用个“晴天霹雳”把曾国藩吓倒，然后迂回曲折，水到渠成地引出最后的一句话，此刻看看吓不倒曾国藩，就唯有开门见山，直抉本题了。 “崇大人！”在座的钱鼎铭，有意要让他心烦，“你可别忘了，陈国瑞现在神机营当差，是醇王的爱将，无凭无据的事，得罪醇王犯不着！” “我又何尝愿意得罪亲贵。实在是事出有因。” 事出有因是不错的，大家都听说当丰大业毙命时，路过天津的陈国瑞，不无煽动的情事。民间又纷纷谣言，说法国人迷拐小孩挖下来的眼睛有一坛之多，已经让陈国瑞带进京去了。照罗叔亚的调查，这就是陈国瑞自己传播的谣言，以诬陷为煽惑，所以要他抵命。 “抵命的话，罗叔亚不是说说的，真有那么个想法。中堂，我看，我们得先站稳脚步，好封他的嘴。” “喔！”曾国藩说：“站稳脚步这话我要听。我们的脚步是如何站法，他的嘴是如何封法？” “不必等他提出正式照会，我们自己先办。地方酿成如此巨案，到底是因为地方官不能化导于平时，防患于未然。拿道、府、县先撤任，听候查办，亦是情真罪当的事。” 曾国藩不断摇头：“我虽不惜得罪清议，这样的事也还不敢做。” “中堂……。” “地翁！”曾国藩打断他的话说，“这件事难商量。” 口风中水都泼不进去，崇厚不得要领而去。到了第二天，罗叔亚又来见曾国藩，叽哩呱啦说了一大套，通事怕他生气，于病体不宜，当场不敢照译。但罗叔亚词气神色的凶悍，却是有目共睹的。而且走后不久，接着就送来一件正式照会，另附中文译本，居然真的就提出要张光藻、刘杰和陈国瑞抵命，以及严拿凶犯，立即正法的要求。 “战机一触即发。”黎庶昌压低了声音对薛福成说，“我们先想个保护中堂的办法出来，再把照会送上去。” “没有别的办法，只有把铭军飞调到津再说。” 铭军大部驻扎在山东与直隶交界的张秋一带，另有三千人由刘铭传的部将，记名臬司丁寿昌统带，驻扎保定，要调就只有调这三千人。 等商量停当，才把照会拿了上去，曾国藩有些沉不住气了！对于黎、薛所建议的调丁寿昌所部，移驻天津附近的静海，他亦认为有此必要。不过他不是为他自己着想，主要的是拱卫京师，免得洋人长驱直入。挡不挡得住是另一回事，挡总得要挡，不然对任何一方面都无法交代了。 “你们让我静下来想一想。”等幕友退出，曾国藩一个人绕室徬徨，通前彻后考虑大计，口中不断在自问：“拿什么来打？” 其实这已经考虑过不止一次，早已拿定主意，无论如何不与法国人开衅。但事到如今，有难以控制之势，他不能不重新估量后果。 很自然地，曾国藩想到了十年前的英法联军，那时有僧王和胜保当前敌，恭王和桂良主持抚局，文祥办理军需供应以及京师城防，犹不免一败涂地。如今只得丁寿昌三千人马，挡一挡也不过为两宫太后和皇帝腾出一两天工夫，便于再一次“逃难”而已。 若是打到京城，还是要和。英法联军入京，一把火烧掉了圆明园，先帝虽为此急怒攻心，病势加重而“弃天下”，但圆明园毕竟是离宫别苑，英法联军不曾毁伤宗庙社稷，还可以和得下来。而这一次果然让法国兵打到京里，为了报复起见，在大内放起一把火，连太庙一起烧掉，那时再要说谈和的话，无异辱及先人而默然忍受，不但为清议所不容，而且对后世亦难交代。这样和不下来，就只有明知不可为而为之，一直打下去，打到天下大乱，盗贼蜂起，内忧外患，交相煎迫，终于亡国为止。 转念到此，曾国藩眩晕的毛病又发作了，只觉得天旋地转，头重脚轻，赶紧扶着桌子，摸索到床上躺下。 于是多少年来的感触，又梗塞在他心头了，一切不如人，说什么都是空话，唯有忍辱负重，奋发图强。接着便想起洪杨平定以来的诸般新政，沈葆桢所经理的福建船政，规模庞大的上海制造局，京师的同文馆等等，总算是可以安慰的一些成就。 就因为有这些成就，曾国藩越觉得非和不可，此时忍辱，将来才有报仇雪耻的机会，否则刚创下的一点基础，浪掷在战火之中，不知何年何月，才得重起炉灶？于此可知，自己立意不与法国开衅的宗旨，真正是万不可移。如今只要挺得下来，任何牺牲，在所不惜。 因此，当第二天崇厚又来谈天津道、府、县一概撤任，听候查办这件事，他居然同意了。决定委记名臬司丁寿昌署理天津道，府、县两缺，由崇厚保举一个姓马、一个姓萧的署理，据说这两个人对天津地方，极其熟悉，办理缉凶，非此两人不可，曾国藩也同意了。 他和崇厚会衔的奏折尚未到京，总理衙门已经接到法国公使提出强硬照会，以及罗叔亚在天津与他们的水师提督频频会商的消息，看样子战端随时可起。宝鋆急得食不下咽，只怨自己运气不好，偏偏恭王和文祥都在病假的当儿，出现了这么棘手的局势，而且军机上三个人还不能协力同心。李鸿藻力主“民心不可失”之说，他后面有醇王和清议的支持，发言颇有力量。看来抚局难成，战火要起，这副千斤重担，怎么挑得下来？ “我也知道，这副担子你挑不下来。”慈禧太后听得宝鋆的陈奏，断然作了处置：“现在只有一面催文祥赶快销假，一面让恭王进宫来看折子，国家到了这个地步，他不能不力疾从公。” 以私人的交谊，宝鋆不忍把这副重担放在病骨支离的恭王肩上，但情势所迫，无可奈何，只得遵旨传谕。 “闹教案不想闹成这个样子！”慈禧太后神色抑郁地说：“这一阵子，我们姊妹愁得都睡不着觉，打是不能打，民心也要紧，都不知道该怎么办了？总得有人切切实实出个主意才好。不知道各省是什么个意思？” “丁日昌给奴才来信说，总宜保全和局为是。” 宝鋆的话一完，李鸿藻接口便说：“丁宝桢也给臣来信，其中有两句话，臣请上达圣听。”接着，他用极清朗的读书的调子念道：“倘或其曲在彼，衅非我开，则用兵亦意中之事。” 这江苏、山东的两丁，是巡抚中顶尖儿的人物，宝鋆和李鸿藻针锋相对，各引以为重，于是第三者的沈桂芬说话了。 “现在就是先要辨个是非曲直。曾国藩的头一个折子，已经说得很明白。以臣愚见，局中人见闻较切，这一案既已责成曾国藩查办，不能不多听听他的意见。” 这番话看来平淡无奇，其实是放了李鸿藻一枝冷箭。李鸿藻也跟倭仁一样，虽受命在总理衙门行走，却从未视过事，“局中人见闻较切”就是指他身在局外，不足与言洋务。总理衙门的大臣都跟李鸿藻格格不入，只是沈桂芬秉性以阴柔出名，不似董恂那样近乎粗鄙，所以他跟李鸿藻的暗斗，不为人所注意。 三个军机大臣，宝鋆、沈桂芬站在一边，自然占了上风。同时李鸿藻也不是不了解局势的人，他并不主战，只是觉得有责任为“义民”说话而已，话说过了，责任就尽过了，所以明知沈桂芬话中有刺，隐忍不言。 只要不抬杠，两宫太后都乐意他们多说话，于是慈禧太后便又问起朝中和民间对此事的看法，大致慷慨激昂的居多，敢替洋人说话的甚少。这对两宫太后来说，多少是一种安慰。 但等曾国藩和崇厚会衔的奏折一到京，这份安慰便变成极沉重的负担了。奏折中为洋人雪冤，指出“教民挖眼剖心，戕害生民之说，多属虚诬”，列陈所以“致疑”的原因五点，奏请“布告天下，咸使闻知，一以雪洋人之冤，一以解士民之惑”，这已经是要从长计议的事，又要将天津道、府、县三员撤任查办，以及派兵弹压，并俟“民气稍定，即行缉凶”，那就决不能轻许了。 不许怎么样？宝鋆和董恂不知说过多少遍了，不依洋人，就会开仗。是和是战，两宫太后无法作任何决定，慈禧太后还觉得这事也不能只听少数人的意见，于是召见病起第一天进宫看折的恭王和军机大臣，面谕召集御前会议。