Chapter 13 Red Top Merchant (8-2)

So Hu Xueyan bid farewell to Zhang's family, and before leaving, he confessed that he would definitely come back the next morning.Then he went with He Dusi, first changed horses in the stable of the feudal commander Xingtai, left the Wulin Gate, and galloped to Gongchen Bridge; He Dusi found a familiar military camp, changed horses, and then marched northwest. Of course, there were inspections, obstacles, and thrills along the way, but they all returned safely.Arrived at Pingyao at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and began to take a break at the top, while inquiring about Zuo Zongtang's whereabouts: he was at Anxi Pass, eighteen miles to the north.

"This is a mountain road, it's very difficult to walk." He Dusi persuaded earnestly. "Master Hu, to be honest, you are always from the south, 'southerners ride boats, northerners ride horses'. Your horse is not very good at riding. To be safe, you should rest overnight before leaving. What do you think?" Hu Xueyan thought to himself that the people and the place were unfamiliar, so he could not force it; even if he rushed to Anxi, he would not be able to meet Zuo Zongtang that night, so he nodded in agreement, but made a request: "I will leave at dawn tomorrow."

"Of course. It won't delay your old age." That being the case, might as well rest calmly.Because Pingyao has been stationed by the army for a long time, the market is quite prosperous, and there are more food stalls; Hu Xueyan never puts on official airs, so he personally invited four horses to drink together.But the four brothers felt very cramped, and finally asked them to sit at another table.He himself had a drink with He Dusi and listened to him talk about Zuo Zongtang. "Our handsome man is good at everything, but he has a bad temper. However, when he loses his temper, you can't be afraid; the more you are afraid, the worse it will be."

"This is a temper that can be hard but not soft." Hu Xueyan said, "Such people are easy to get along with." "Yes. But you can't be tough on him! It's best to ignore him, listen to him scolding, finish speaking, and then talk about your own reasons, and he will look at him differently." Hu Xueyan felt that these two sentences had benefited a lot, so he toasted each other and asked, "Brother, how long have you been with Jiang Fangbo?" "We are close relatives, and I have been with him." "I have a presumptuous question to ask. How does Marshal Zuo treat Jiang Fangbo? Do you think he is your substitute?"

"Not necessarily!" He Dusi replied, "What kind of man is Zuo Dashuai?"Be Zhuge Liang yourself; who can replace him? " These two small talk, to others, are insignificant; but to Hu Xueyan, they made a very important decision.He has been lingering on his future origins, as well as relying on Aoyuan to rebuild his career and rebuild his career. He thought that Jiang Yili was a simple and honest person. If he made friends deeply, he would be the second Wang Youling. That would be much more enjoyable than serving Zuo Zongtang, who is famous for his temper. Listening to what He Dusi said now, he is enlightened, Zuo Zongtang's treatment of Jiang Yili is impossible like He Guiqing's treatment of Wang Youling, and he is afraid of not doing enough.After all, the governor of a province is a very important position, unless Zeng Guoquan makes other appropriate arrangements; Jiang Yili himself is qualified;

That being the case, he had no choice but to go down the path of Zuo Zongtang.Get up in the middle of the night and hit the road at dawn.The eighteen-mile mountain road took three hours to arrive.Zuo Zongtang's Xingyuan is located in a temple of Emperor Guan.Although it was a time when the army was in a hurry, he still had the airs of a governor. There was a big green cloth sedan chair in front of the temple; One is "imperially ordered to supervise the military affairs of Zhejiang;" the other is "concurrently with the governor of Zhejiang"; "; another one is not very honorable, and it is Zuo Zongtang's lifelong hatred. The name of the subject is just "Chinese style of Renduochenke Hunan Provincial Examination in the 12th year of Daoguang", but it is only a candidate.

Looking into the temple, two lines of soldiers with knives stood from the gate to the statues of Guan Ping and Zhou Cang in the main hall; there were also several military officers in Landingzi.Seeing this scene, Hu Xueyan did not want to offend Zuo Zongtang's prestige; he led the horse by the side, took out the "handbook", and asked He Dusi to hand it in for him. After a long time, I saw a "Wu Xunbu" with Hu Xueyan's manuscript in his hand; he had already seen him, but he still asked in an official voice, "Which one is Hu Daotai from Hangzhou?" Hu Xueyan nodded, and also put on an official style, pacing in all directions, stepped forward and replied: "I am."

"See you, Commander." "Yes. Please lead the way." If you don't enter the hall, you enter through the west corner door. There is a small courtyard, which is also full of soldiers. There is also a page in gray cloth robes, who is polite, lifts the curtain, and motions for Hu Xueyan to enter. When I entered the door, I saw a fat old man with a pipe in his left hand and a pen in his right hand, waving like flying on a square table in front of the window.Hearing footsteps, he didn't seem to notice it; Hu Xueyan had to wait, waited for him to put down his pen, then picked up his skirt to say hello, and signed up at the same time. "Hu Guangyong, alternate road of Zhejiang Province, please refer to my lord."

"Oh, you are Hu Guangyong!" Zuo Zongtang's eyes looked majestic and radiant, looking at him from the beginning to the end, "I have been famous for a long time." This is not a good word, and Hu Xueyan feels that there is no need to be modest; just say : "My lord has built an inexhaustible merit, and I'm here to congratulate you!" "Oh, you are the first to get the style! No wonder you were known as a capable person during Wang Zhongcheng's lifetime." There was sarcasm in the words, Hu Xueyan could hear it naturally, and he didn't need to be careful for a while; the first thing in front of him was to be able to sit down - Zuo Zongtang would not understand the rules of the officialdom, civil servants see the governor, no matter how low the rank , I have to have a seat; I deliberately didn't say "please sit" at this moment, it was intentional to embarrass others, so I had to find a way to deal with it.

When the thought changed, there was a solution; picked up the skirt, and asked for another greeting; at the same time, he said: "Not only to congratulate the lord, but also to thank the lord. The spirits of the two Zhejiang masters are hanging upside down, thanks to the lord who rescued them." It is said that Zuo Zongtang has the temper of a "Hunan mule"; after all the courtesies, he turned his mule temper over. ; but finally treated each other with courtesy, "Your honor, please sit down!" The servant had been waiting there with a tea tray early on, just because the guests had not sat down and it was difficult to serve tea; at this time, he placed a bowl of tea on the coffee table beside him.Hu Xueyan bowed his body and breathed a sigh of relief; he was thinking in his heart: as long as he doesn't look ugly, it will be easy to talk.

"I have been in Zhejiang for the past two years, and I have heard people talking about noble ways." Zuo Zongtang said without a smile, "I heard that you are very rich!" "Don't dare!" Hu Xueyan leaned forward and asked, "Please tell me what the so-called 'wide' refers to?" "It may be an exaggeration to say that you live and enjoy yourself like a prince; but it is conceivable." "Yes! To tell you the truth, my lord, I am quite comfortable compared to the impoverished candidates." He admitted frankly, instead of saying the reason for his comfort, he seemed to gag Zuo Zongtang's mouth; after a pause, he said bluntly: "I have also received many reports about you! People's words may not be completely false. , I want to investigate and deal with it; if it is true, in order to rectify the administration of officials, I have to name Yan Shen!" "Yes! If there is anything wrong with Guangyong, my lord will name Yan Shen, and Guangyong is also willing to accept the crime. However, I dare not do evil or commit crimes. If you don't avoid hard work and complaints in dealing with things, you will offend people." "Whether you committed crimes or committed malpractice for personal gain remains to be investigated. As for your statement that you swore to live and die with Wang Zhongcheng, this is unbelievable. Wang Zhongcheng has been martyred, aren't you still doing well now?" "If your lord reprimands Guangyong for not following Wang Zhongcheng underground, I have nothing to say; if you think that martyrdom and martyrdom both have names, and the death of a friend is as light as a feather and is not taken by a gentleman, then Guangyong has a few words. Justify." "you say." "Your Excellency, what you mean is that Guangyong and Wang Zhongcheng shared weal and woe in a dangerous city; at a critical moment, I left alone. The so-called 'swear to live and die together' has become a lie?" "Yes!" Zuo Zongtang asked, looking closely : "What's the word to explain? I want to ask!" "I'll ask your lord first. At that time, Hangzhou was besieged, and Wang Zhongcheng was struggling to support him. What was flowing from his eyes was not tears, but blood. What was he looking forward to?" "Naturally, reinforcements." "Yes!" Hu Xueyan said in a deep voice, "At that time, Li Yuandu's army was in Yazhou, and he tried everything possible to urge him to come, but he never came. Now that he has come, he has to make a plan to stick to it; my lord, what does the dangerous city rely on? " "Nature depends on food. 'Food is the first thing for the people'." "'Food is the most important thing for the people' is certainly true; if you are poor, you can just change your son to eat. However, if the soldiers have no food, what will happen? I don't need to say; my lord knows much better than me. At that time, Wang Zhongcheng told me Discuss and ask me to go to Shanghai to handle rice." Hu Xueyan suddenly raised his voice and said: "Although Wang Zhongcheng was born in a donated class, he has also studied; he told me the story of Zhao's orphan in Shiji. It's easy to live, it's just a death, it's easy; it's as difficult as "Ligu" to do rice in Shanghai. He wants me to be Cheng Ying who protects Zhao's orphan. Of course, he thinks highly of me; but, please think about it, my lord. It is the governor, and he has the responsibility to keep the land. Even if he has a way to get rice, he can't leave Hangzhou. Therefore, only I can do the rice in Shanghai; I am not allowed to do it." "Hmm, um!" Zuo Zongtang asked: "What happened later? Did you manage it?" "Of course it did. But——" Hu Xueyan whispered sadly: "It doesn't help!" Then, how he brought the rice to the Qiantang River outside the city of Hangzhou, how he tried his best, but couldn't get through the grain road, how he paid homage to the city, and returned crying bitterly; how he sent the batch of rice to Ningbo.It’s just not to say that he suffered a serious illness in Ningbo and almost died; because the smell of showing merit is almost like a snake’s foot.Zuo Zongtang listened very carefully; he looked up and thought for a long time, and suddenly a word came out, but Hu Xueyan could never think of it again. "You've read some books too!" Hu Xueyan was startled, but then thought of it; the conversation with Zuo Zongtang for a long time seemed to be very elegant, and when he talked about the story in the historical records, he must have consulted an expert in advance and thought of a set of words. This is more or less the truth; seeing what Zuo Zongtang should say, he has repeatedly typed out the draft.But if he said that he intentionally told good-sounding lies, he couldn't admit it, so he replied: "How dare you say that you have read books? Guangyong just knows to respect scholars!" "This is also rare." Zuo Zongtang said, "I want to check what people told you. If it is really what you said, it is a different matter." There must be an explanation from the superior. Although the public funds are not received from the adults; but the adults are currently the governor of the province, and Guangyong's official affairs can only be explained to the adults." "Oh, you come to explain the business. Is it the public money?" Zuo Zongtang asked, "How much did you get at that time?" "I received 20,000 taels of silver. Now I will pay you in person." As he spoke, he took out a red envelope from his body and presented it in person. Zuo Zongtang refused to accept the red envelope, "This is public money, so it is inconvenient to give or receive it privately." He said, "Please deal with the Liangtai." At that time, they called the committee member in charge of the cashier on the food table to come, collected Hu Xueyan's food coupons, issued a receipt, and stamped it with a big seal. "My lord, I have to explain. What I was ordered to buy was rice. If it can't be done with rice, it can't be regarded as a business transaction." "This—?" Zuo Zongtang was quite troubled; he felt quite incomprehensible to his words, so he couldn't express anything. "To be honest, this batch of rice can't be done. I'm sorry for Wang Zhongcheng's spirit in heaven. Now, I can finally have a real explanation!" Hu Xueyan said calmly, "I have 10,000 shi rice, which is on the river outside Hangzhou. Sir, please send someone to check and accept it." Zuo Zongtang became more and more confused when he said this, "What are you talking about?" He asked, "There are ten thousand shimi here?" "yes!" "On the river outside Hangzhou?" "Yes!" Hu Xueyan replied, "There are hundreds of stones, and they were first allocated to Jiang Fangbo as army rations." Hearing this, Zuo Zongtang asked left and right: "Who is escorting Mr. Hu?" "It's He Dusi." So he went to He Dusi, and Zuo Zongtang's first sentence was: "Do you know that there are hundreds of shi of military rations transported from the Qiantang River to the city?" "Return to the Commander-in-Chief, yes." He Du pointed with his fingers, "Master Hu transported it from Shanghai." "Okay! You go down first." Zuo Zongtang told the servant: "Please Mr. Hu to be promoted to the kang!" The etiquette suddenly changed!From not being seated to sitting opposite each other on the kang, in a moment, there was a big difference between prosperity and decline; Hu Xueyan was both emotional and proud, and of course he was more sure of dealing with Zuo Zongtang. After the servant moved the bowl of tea to the kang table, Hu Xueyan thanked him and sat down; Zuo Zongtang said slowly: "With this ten thousand shi rice, not only the people in Hangzhou will be saved; I will also be sure to clean up the whole territory of Zhejiang. With this move, brother, Unexpectedly, the merit is immeasurable. I am not only grateful to someone." "My lord is too serious." "This is the truth. But I also want to tell the truth." Zuo Zongtang said, "The current price of 10,000 shi rice is 50,000 to 60,000 silver; I can't afford that much at the grain stage. Because I just hit a big one." If you win a battle, reward your brothers with cash. I think you should take back the money you paid first; we can discuss the rest, how do you pay?" "My lord, don't worry about it. The ten thousand shimi will be repaid by Guangyong." "Repay?" Zuo Zongtang was afraid that he had heard it wrong. "Yes! Guangyong repays the favor." "This is too expensive." Zuo Zongtang asked: "What's your plan, brother, you might as well tell the truth." "No intention. First, for Wang Zhongcheng; second, for the people of Hangzhou; third, for the adults." "Thank you so much!" Zuo Zongtang cupped his hands and said, "I will play right away, and I ask the imperial court to reward me." "My lord, Guangyong is naturally grateful for the cultivation, but if there is a sentence that doesn't know how to praise, it's like a bone stuck in the throat; spit it out, please don't get angry, my lord." "Heavy words, serious words!" Zuo Zongtang said repeatedly, "Just say it." "My service to this batch of rice is by no means a compliment for the court. Guangyong is a businessman, he can only do things, he can't be an official. " "What a good one can only do things, but can't be an official!" This sentence touched Zuo Zongtang's heart, he patted the Kang table, and said loudly; the appreciation was really beyond words. "I'm thinking, adults are also people who only know how to do things, and never care about fame and wealth." Hu Xueyan said, "In my opinion, he has the opposite temperament of a big man now." In the first half of the sentence, the compliment was just right; for the latter sentence, Zuo Zongtang was naturally very concerned, and he leaned forward and said, "Please advise!" "My lord is just the opposite of Jiangsu Li Zhongcheng. Li Zhongcheng knows how to be an official; my lord knows how to do things." Hu Xueyan added: "It's not that my lord doesn't know how to be an official, but I just don't bother to be an official." "Ah, happy, happy!" Zuo Zongtang raised his face and shook his head and said; it was a look of meeting a bosom friend. Hu Xueyan accepted it as soon as he saw it, and no longer gave him a high hat; instead, he said modestly: "I am talking nonsense. I want to be presumptuous in front of adults." "Brother," Zuo Zongtang said sternly, "don't underestimate yourself. In my opinion, there are many nobles and nobles who can be seen by my brother. There are really not many. What are your big names?" "Caozi Xueyan. The snow in the wind and snow, the rock in the rocky gully." "Brother Xueyan," Zuo Zongtang said, "you must have been in Shanghai for the past few years, and you must be well aware of Li Shaoquan's actions; you can compare me with him." "Well," Hu Xueyan asked, " Compared with which aspect?" "Compare our achievements." "Yes!" Hu Xueyan thought for a while and replied: "Li Zhongcheng's victory over Susuzhou is of course a great achievement; however, it is because of people; it is not as good as an adult fighting alone. It is commendable." "This is finally a fair word." Zuo Zongtang said, "There are two kinds of disadvantages for me. The first is that the place is not as good as him; the second is that there are not as many talents as him." "Yes." Hu Xueyan nodded deeply , "Li Zhongcheng is also good at employing people." "Then, I have a very presumptuous question to ask. Given your great talent and your performance with Wang Zhongcheng, he has no intention of recruiting you?" "I have. I can't go!" "why?" "First, Li Zhongcheng has a prejudice against the prince, and I'm too unambitious to be used by him." "Okay!" Zuo Zongtang then asked, "What about the second one?" "Second, I'm from Zhejiang, and I want to contribute to Zhejiang; besides, I have an unfinished business entrusted to me by Wang Zhongcheng, which is the money to buy rice. There must be an explanation." "Rare, rare, Xue Yan Brother, you are really trustworthy." Zuo Zongtang yelled: "Come on! Keep a beard and have a light meal." According to the rules in the officialdom, if the chief makes such a statement to his subordinates, the servant has to do two things. The first is to ask the guest to change into plain clothes; the second is to prepare to move the guest to the flower hall or even the "upper room". Under normal circumstances, when Hu Xueyan went to pay a visit, he naturally brought his attendant with him; the attendant held the bag in his hand and waited for the master to change it as needed.But at this time there was only Hu Xueyan alone, and of course there would be no plainclothes; Zuo Zongtang ordered the servant to fetch his own thin cotton robe to replace "Master Hu".Zuo Zongtang was short and fat; Hu Xueyan was slender. This padded gown was worn on the upper body, with big sleeves and a large part of the hem hanging up, revealing a large part of the boots covered with yellow mud. The description is not only indecent, but also a bit ridiculous.But this affection is palpable.So Hu Xueyan felt comfortable wearing it. As for moving to the flower hall, of course it is impossible.In a small Guandi temple, where did the spare house come from, the official hall of the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, the signing room and bedrooms are all there.However, there is an earthen mountain behind the temple, and there is a thatched pavilion on the hill, which can be regarded as a sight to be seen from the top. Zuo Zongtang ordered wine to be placed in the thatched pavilion in order to avoid the disturbance of the generals. Wine is of course good wine.Shaoxing was restored early, and the food that was supplied to the governors of the province was of course aged wine in kilns that had survived the war; the dishes were of Hunan taste, and although only two people drank together, there were still large plates and long chopsticks. In the end, the cook wore a red tasseled hat and came to serve the dishes himself , Open the food box, just a small plate of Hunan bacon.I don't know why it is so solemn? "This is prepared by my wife. It took thousands of miles to send it here from Hunan. It's no longer good. It's just that I remind myself, don't forget the painstaking efforts of my wife." Hu Xueyan has also heard that Zuo Zongtang's Mrs. Zhou is the daughter of a wealthy family;But Mrs. Zhou knew very well that Zuo Zongtang, who "has no half an acre in his body and is worried about the world", is full of talents.In the future, Zuo Zongtang moved to Yue's family, and the big Zhou family would not look down on this poor young man with a bad temper.On the one hand, Mrs. Zhou was afraid that her husband and son-in-law would leave in a fit of anger, on the other hand, she had to make a face for her husband's family, mediate from left to right, and work hard. This is another inspiration for Hu Xueyan.Zuo Zongtang now respects Mrs. Zhou, and repays favor more than anything else, which shows that he is a person who will not betray others, and who is unwilling to betray others, and has a deep temperament. Compared with Li Hongzhang who came down to control his subordinates with profit and wealth, he would rather befriend this person. . Therefore, when Zuo Zongtang asked something, he became even more unreserved. From the aftermath of Hangzhou to raising wages, he had a set of methods, and he talked endlessly.Between the guest and the host, it was soon close to the situation where everything was talked about. It takes two hours to drink a meal.Zuo Zongtang suddenly sighed and said: "Brother Xueyan, I'm a little worried. I don't know where I should borrow your help? The most urgent thing is to deal with the aftermath of the local area. I have to rely on great strength. I only hate that I have no ability to separate myself! Brother Xueyan, please tell me yourself, what are you willing to do?" "Raising wages is a big matter, but as long as there is a way, anyone with reliable integrity can do it." Hu Xueyan said apologetically, "Guangyong has a little selfishness and wants to do his best for the local people." "This is not selfish! It just shows your chivalrous heart. Since the rise of the army, Hangzhou has suffered the worst disaster, and the aftermath has been complicated. It’s very kind of someone who works for Sangzi to help me.” Zuo Zongtang said this, and asked, “Want to meet Jiang Xiangquan?” "yes!" "What do you think of him?" "Very straightforward guy. We talked very speculatively." "Excellent, excellent!" Zuo Zongtang asked happily: "Have you talked about all the aftermath in the local area?" "I haven't discussed it in depth yet. But Jiang Fangbo thinks highly of it, and entrusts a small bank of mine to act as his agent for the treasury; I always try my best to maintain the urgently needed expenses." "That's better. Everything is urgent; now there are 10,000 Shi Mi, in the military supply and food for the people, can last for a month or two, and the backup will be received. Besides, Baohao will support all the expenses of the treasury on his behalf, and he will not worry about having no money to pay for the wounded. However, the people in Hangzhou Relief matters should be started immediately. I think, how about setting up an aftermath bureau, brother Xueyan, please be the general manager?" "Yes!" Hu Xueyan replied solemnly: "It is duty-bound for public and private purposes." "I will express my thanks on behalf of the people of Hangzhou." Zuo Zongtang cupped his hands and said, "I will ask them to prepare for the official business and hand it over to Jiang Xiangquan." This treatment is in line with Hu Xueyan's hope.Because he is a man, he has always followed the motto of "Don't be jealous"; his status is similar to that of Jiang Yili, but under Zuo Zongtang, he is only a guest official. Yu Zuo Zongtang, if he put himself in the shoes of others, he would feel uncomfortable.Now that I am here in person, the appointed letter has to be forwarded by Jiang Yili, which is to respect the authority of the feudal secretary; it is also to win Jiang Yili for him invisibly, it is just a small official procedure, but there are many things to pay attention to; It can be seen that being an official and employing people is not an easy task. Thinking of this, he added a little more admiration to Zuo Zongtang; therefore, he kindly did a little more for him, at least he had to plan a few more good ideas for him.As soon as his thoughts moved, Zuo Zongtang happened to talk about raising wages again, so he decided to present a clever plan.He is already familiar with this strategy; the original plan is to "sell the goods to know the family", so it may as well "sell them for a price".That is to say, if there is no considerable reward, he is not willing to confide easily; at this moment, he feels more or less familiar with Zuo Zongtang, so he poured out all his money. "There are many ways to raise wages, and there are basically two ways. The first is to pay lijin, which depends on the prosperity of the market and cannot be forced; the second is to persuade donations. In recent years, all those who can afford to donate have donated. 'Persuade' It’s also very difficult. Now I think of a group of people who can afford to donate and are willing to donate; let’s make an idea on this group of people.” “Isn’t it wonderful that they can afford to donate and are willing to donate?” Zuo Zongtang hurriedly asked: "Which way are you from?" "It's Changmao!" Hu Xueyan said, "Shangmao has been entrenched in the southeast for more than ten years, and they have searched a lot; now it's not justified to ask them to donate a few pennies?" After saying this, Zuo Zongtang suddenly realized, and nodded again and again: "Yes, yes, please continue." So Hu Xueyan pointed out to him that in the past ten years or so, there have been quite a few long-haired people who have made their fortunes by chance and retreated to hide in the secrets;However, although the crime of rebellion is unforgivable, there are so many people who are coerced into rebellion that it is impossible to deal with it.Too many entanglements and turmoil are not the way to recuperate after the chaos; so the best way to deal with it is to open the net and give people a new way. It's just that it's too cheap for this generation to ignore the past; it should be punished slightly.Willing to fight and punish, each at his own discretion. "My lord knows that it is human nature to be willing to be punished and not to be beaten unless one cannot afford to be punished." Hu Xueyan said, "As far as I know, there are many people who can afford to be punished. Most of them hide in the barbarians and rely on the influence of foreigners. , the government is helpless for a while, but after all, he is a "black man" who can't get ahead. If he uses profit and loss, he will know righteousness; "That's right." Zuo Zongtang smiled, "This generation is unwilling to be lonely, not only has to stand up to be a man, but also stand up to be an official." "That's exactly what you said." Hu Xueyan held up two fingers and stretched out, "For a person like this, I have to donate two sums to him." "how?" "One is for being a man; the other is for being an official. Don't you need to donate to be an official?" Zuo Zongtang laughed, "I'm confused!" He said, "From this point of view, I have to get the money from the Ministry quickly. Thousands of blank photos were donated." "Yes! My lord, go get it with official business." "I got it. Brother Xueyan," Zuo Zongtang deliberately asked, "Who will I give it to?" Hu Xueyan was silent, and after a pause, he said, "Let me take my time to find out, and recommend it to your lord." .” "I don't think you need to look for it anymore, you just make it difficult for yourself!" "I'm afraid——." "No, no!" Zuo Zongtang waved his hand and interrupted him, "You don't have to refuse! Brother Xueyan, if you meet me, you won't be allowed to make any further claims. These words seem unreasonable; no! One step Talent is as big as the sea, I already know it well. Don’t just mention these two things, you can handle Yuru if you take on a few more errands. I think you always have a group of capable people under you; Take care of Jiang Xiangquan, and take care of all committees. You travel between Shanghai and Hangzhou, just come up with ideas." With such a high regard, Hu Xueyan couldn't help but think of two words Wang Youling often said during the siege: "Bow to death, and die." He replied generously: "Since your lord thinks I can do it, I will give it a try." "You don't have to try, I guarantee you success!" Zuo Zongtang said, "I hope you will take care of both things. Zhejiang's military affairs are at a critical juncture, and there must be no tricks of 'paying'." "Yes. I will do my best." Hu Xueyan said, "What I need to ask for now is the name of this donation. I want to call it 'penalty donation'." "Punishment is worthy of the name. But—" He pondered for a long time. Of course, there are scruples; Hu Xueyan can also imagine that the establishment of "penalty donations" may cause controversy, referring to it as "protecting against the party."This is a serious crime.However, whether to "cover up" or not depends on the circumstances; it is two different things from giving people the road to self-rehabilitation. He was thinking like this in his heart, but kept silent verbally; and he paid great attention to Zuo Zongtang's expression, to see if he was responsible? Zuo Zongtang is naturally responsible; and this is exactly what he usually prides himself on.He was considering changing the title; after thinking for a while, he couldn't find an appropriate word, so he decided to use it temporarily first. Then, there was another question: "Do you want to play this penalty?" He asked, "What do you think?" "I'm afraid that someone will object to it, and it won't be successful. If I don't play it? I'm afraid that the ministry will use an official accent, or the 'Master Du' will read a book." Hu Xueyan said, "See the pros and cons, and it's all up to the adults." "It must be done; but although I'm not afraid of trouble, I can't take the blame for no reason. Think about it again. Is there any way to not be afraid of being hindered by others, but also to leave yourself a step back." "As long as everything is done impartially, there will definitely be setbacks. I think that there is no need to make a report before the start of the operation; after the operation has achieved results, the amount of donations received will be announced, and then it will be directly consulted with the Ministry for record, as the basis for future reimbursement." "Okay! It must be done like this." Zuo Zongtang greatly appreciated: "'As long as everything is done impartially, there will be setbacks.' This is a very good statement. However, the 'effect' you mentioned is also very important; There are tens of millions of silver, which are often sealed up in the inner treasury, just for the purpose of large-scale conquests. This huge sum of money was squandered by the bosses like Sai Shang'a; so the "emperor does not send hungry soldiers" A common saying doesn't apply anymore! Now the imperial court not only lacks hungry soldiers, but also asks the provinces to raise their own salaries; it also needs to coordinate the settlement of "Beijing salaries". If it is said that we are not allowed to do taxes that have been effective; that's good , I ask the imperial court to allocate a sum of money according to the number." These words came to an end; Hu Xueyan gained a deeper understanding of Zuo Zongtang's situation, thoughts, and coping methods from these words.As long as it doesn't hurt the sky, any method of raising wages can get his consent. Hu Xueyan lingered in Zuo Zongtang's residence for two days before returning to Hangzhou.The scenery on his return was quite different from the one he had gone there; Zuo Zongtang sent a small team of personal soldiers to escort him, it was easy to say, what surprised him the most was that when he arrived outside the Wulin Gate, he found a group of very respectable people welcoming him. Most of them were gentry from Hangzhou, including Zhang Xiucai; the rest were all in official uniforms, but Hu Xueyan didn't know any of them.In addition, there is a big green sedan chair, which is placed in the city gate; let alone what it is used for? Hu Xueyan was rather confused, "Did you pick me up?" He asked He Dusi. No need for He Dusi to answer, seeing Liu Bucai and Xiao Zhang; Hu Xueyan knew that it would be good to pick him up.Sure enough, Xiao Zhang ran up with a smile on his face.Grabbing the bit on the horse's head, he said loudly, "I got the news the night before yesterday! Looking forward to the great ride is like looking forward to Yunni in the fire and drought!" What's the news?Why are you looking forward to his return so earnestly?Hu Xueyan was about to ask, but he didn't wait for him to speak; first, a military inspector bowed in front of the horse, and said at the same time: "Master Hu, please get off the horse and change to a big sedan chair!" "It's like this," Xiao Zhang hurriedly explained, "This is an official sent by Jiang Fangbo; the green woolen sedan chair is used by Jiang Fangbo himself, and he is here to serve you." "Yes!" The military inspector opened the worship box, He handed over Jiang Yili's name card and an invitation, "My lord sent me to wait on Mr. Hu; just to explain, I originally wanted to come to greet him in person, but because I have a few urgent business matters, waiting for the results, we can't separate them My superior said again: "Master Hu will meet you as soon as you arrive, there are many things waiting to be discussed. Hu Xueyan understands this statement. The "news" Xiao Zhang mentioned refers to him being appointed as the general manager of the Rehabilitation Bureau; everyone is looking forward to it so much, and the meeting with Jiang Yili and others is of course because "everything is urgent." All the aftermath matters can only be set up after he comes to make a decision. After understanding this, he felt that it was inappropriate to meet Jiang Yili first.But Jiang Yili at this moment. "It's like a governor of a province. If you don't accept his favor, it's very rude to treat each other like this. You have to find a good excuse to get by. His mind is very fast, and he has already thought about it the moment he got off the horse. A set of sayings, "Please reply to your sire," he said: "I am also eager to come in for an interview, and I have a lot of business to ask for instructions.However, I have been running back and forth for the past few days, and my body is extremely dirty; it is too disrespectful to go to see the officer like this.I'll go right away after I wash myself off and change into a clean set of clothes.The green baize sedan chair of your honor is not for me; but it is disrespectful, please take care of the sedan chair team, and the empty sedan chair will follow me. " So he first went to Zhang's house to take a rest, and wrote an outline of the important things that should be done in the aftermath, as well as the things that Jiang Yili's support was required, and then he went to the banquet at the appointment. Happy to meet each other, Jiang Yili handed the commission letter in person; Hu Xueyan took out a piece of paper from his body and handed it over. It said: "Important matters for the aftermath", a total of seven items: First, the burial of the corpse is limited to half a month.The great epidemic after the soldiers is not only for the comfort of the dead, but also for the prevention of epidemics. Second, handle porridge with a period of half a year.The public allocates rice and grain, and it is handed over to the local fair gentleman for supervision and management. Third, all food, clothing, bricks, wood, and other necessities for the people's livelihood are invited to be trafficked and exempted from tax, so as to attract more people. Fourth, investigate martyrs, interview deeds, and ask for the establishment of Zhaozhong Shrine. Fifth, the bandit camp pulls out women, visits their homes, and sends appropriate personnel back. Sixth, spring plowing is related to the livelihood in autumn and winter this year, so we should do our best to prepare for it.Seventh, restore the academy and give preferential treatment to scholars. "Should, should!" Jiang Yili said, "I agree with all of them. As for important people, or to issue commissions or initiate official business, please tell me, Xue Weng, as long as you do what you can, you will definitely do what you want." "Thank you Xiang Weng for helping the people of Zhejiang. But there is something right now, and we must ask Xiang Weng for extra support anyway." Hu Xueyan said bluntly: "Brothers' discipline must be maintained." Jiang Yili blushed, he also knew that his subordinates' discipline was not good; however, he also had some excuses: "To be honest, the brothers have been hungry for a long time—" "Xiang Weng," Hu Xueyan interrupted him , "Salary, I am responsible; military discipline, please Xiang Weng is responsible." Jiang Yili thought to himself, Hu Xueyan can see Zuo Zongtang directly now, and it is said that he will obey his advice; if he talks about this matter to his superiors and then hand it over, it will lose face.That being the case, it is better to make up your mind to do it yourself. So he decided on two methods: one is to issue a notice to reaffirm military discipline, and those who violate it will be punished on the spot; the other is to sit in the official alley in the center of Hangzhou from the next day to personally enforce the military law. This way, the discipline is much better.It's easier to deal with the aftermath; it's just that Hu Xueyan can't sleep for three hours a day, and has lost several catties of flesh, but he is always energetic and never tired. Zuo Zongtang arrived in the provincial capital on the second day of March; when he got out of the sedan chair, the first person he met was Hu Xueyan. "It's miserable!" Zuo Zongtang seldom had such a depressed expression on his face, "I have been to many places since the rise of the army; I have never seen Hangzhou being robbed like this! How many people were there in Hangzhou before?" "Eight hundred and one hundred thousand." Hu Xueyan replied. "What now?" "More than seventy thousand." "More than 70,000?" Zuo Zongtang sighed; suddenly raised his eyes and asked: "Xue Weng, don't say 80,000, don't say 60,000, just say more than 70,000; what is the basis for this?"大概的估计。不过，亦不是空口瞎说。”胡雪岩答道：“是从各处施粥厂、平粜处发出的'筹子'算出来的。”“好极！”左示棠大为嘉许， “雪翁真正才大心细。照你看，现在办善后，当务之急是哪几样？” “当务之急，自然是振兴市面；市面要兴旺，全靠有人肯来做生意；做生意的人胆子小，如果大人有办法让他们放心大胆地到杭州来，市面就会浴量，百姓有了生路，公家的厘金税收，亦会增加。于公于私，都有莫大的好处。”“这无非在整饬纪律四个字，格外下功夫，你叫商人不要怕，尽管到杭州来做生意。如果吃了亏，准他们直接到我衙门来投诉；我一定严办。” “有大人这句话，他们就敢来了。”胡雪岩又问，“善后事宜，千头万绪，包罗太广；目前以赈抚为主，善后局是否可以改为赈抚局。” “不错！这个意见很好。”左宗棠随即下条子照办；一切如旧，只是换了个名字。 赈抚局的公事，麻烦而琐碎，占去了胡雪岩许多的功夫；以致想见一次左宗棠，一直找不到适当的时间。 这样迁延了半个月，专折奏报克复杭州的折差，已由京里回到杭州，为左宗棠个人带来一个好消息，“内阁奉口谕：闽浙总督左宗棠自督办浙江军务以来，连克各府州县城池。兹复将杭州省城、余杭县城攻拔，实属调度有方。着加恩赏太子少保衔；并赏穿黄马褂。”此外，蒋益澧亦赏穿黄马褂；“所有在事出力将士，着左宗棠查明，择优保奉。” 消息一传，全城文武官员，够得上资格见总督的无不肃具衣冠，到总督行辕去叩圆。左宗棠穿上簇新的黄马褂，分班接见，慰勉有加；看到胡雪岩随着候补道员同班磕头，特为嘱咐戈什哈等在二堂门口，将他留了下来。 等宾僚散尽，左宗棠在花厅与胡雪岩以便服相见。一见少不得再次致贺；左宗棠自道受恩深重，对朝廷益难报称，紧接着又向胡雪岩致歉，总克复杭州有功人员报奖，奏稿已经办好，即将拜发；其中并无胡雪岩的名字，因为第一次保案，只限于破城将士，以后奏保办理地方善后人员，一定将他列为首位。 胡雪岩自然要道谢，同时简单扼要地报告办理善后的进展，奉“以工代赈，振兴市面”八个字为宗旨，这样一方面办了赈济；一方面做了复旧的工作。左宗棠不断点头，表示满意。然后问起胡雪岩有何困难？ “困难当然很多，言不胜言，也不敢麻烦大人；只要力所能及，我自会料理，请大人放心。不过，人无远虑，必有近忧；如今已经三月下旬了，转眼'五荒六月”；家家要应付眼前。青黄不接的当口，能够过得过去，都因为有个指望；指望秋天的收成，还了债好过年，大人，今年只怕难了！ ”一句话提醒了左宗棠，悚然而惊，搓着手说：“是啊！秋收全靠春耕。目前正是插秧的时候，如果耽误了，可是件不得了的事！ " “大人说这话，两浙的百姓有救了。” “你不要看得太容易，这件事着实要好好商量。雪翁，你看，劝农这件事，该怎么样做法？” “大人古书读得多，历朝历代，都有大乱；大乱之后，怎么帮乡下人下田生产，想来总记得明明白白？”“啊，啊，言之有理。”左宗棠说，“我有，这方面是汉初办得好，薄太后的黄老之学，清静无为，才是真是与民休息。 就不知道当今两宫太后，能否象薄太后那样？ " 胡雪岩不懂黄老之学，用于政务，便是无为而治；也不知道薄太后就是汉文帝的生母。不过清静无为、与民休息这两句成语是听得懂，便紧接着他的话说：“真正再明白不过是大人！要荒了的田地有生气，办法也很简单。三个字：不骚扰！大人威望如山，令出必行，只要下一道命令，百姓受惠无穷。” “当然，这道命令是一定要下的。雪翁，你且说一说，命令中要禁止些什么？” “是！”胡雪岩想了一下答说：“第一、军饷的来源是厘金、是殷实大户的捐献，与种田的老百姓无干。今年的钱粮，想来大人总要奏请豁免的；就怕各县的'户书'假名追征旧欠。那一来，老百姓就吓得不敢下田了！” “那怎么行？”左宗棠神色凛然地，“若有此事，简直毫无心肝了，杀无赦！” “第二、怕弟兄们抓差拉夫。” “这也不会。我早就下令严禁；征差要给价。如今我可以重申前令，农忙季节，一律不准骚扰，而且还要保护。”左宗棠问道：“还有呢？” “还有就是怕弟兄们杀耕牛！” “那也不会，谁杀耕牛，我就杀他。” “大人肯这样卫护百姓，今年秋收有望了。至于种籽、农具，我去备办；将来是由公家贷放，还是平价现卖，请大人定章程。好在不管怎么样，东西早预备在那里，总是不错的！”“不错，不错。请你去预备，也要请你垫款。”左宗棠说道，“除了钱以外，我这里什么都好商量。” “是！”胡雪岩答道：“我是除了钱以外，什么事都要跟大人商量，请大人做我的靠山。” “那还用说，要人要公事，你尽管开口。” “有件事要跟大人商量。湖州府属的丝，是浙北的命脉；养蚕又是件极麻烦的事，以蚕叫'蚕宝宝'，娇嫩得很，家家关门闭户，轮流守夜，按时喂食，生客上门都不接待的。如今蒋方伯正带兵攻打湖州，大军到处，可能连茶水饭食都不预备；可是这一来，蚕就不能养了。还有，养蚕全靠桑叶，倘或弟兄们砍了桑树当柴烧，蚕宝宝岂不是要活活饿死？”“噢！”左宗棠很注意他，“我平日对经济实用之学，亦颇肯留意；倒不知道养蚕有这么多讲究。照你所说，关系极重；我得赶紧通知蒋芗泉，格外保护。除了不准弟兄骚扰以外，最要防备湖州城里的长毛突围乱窜，扰害养蚕人家。”“大人这么下令，事情就不要紧了！”胡雪岩欣慰地说，“江南是四月里一个月最吃重，唱山歌的话：'做天难做四月天'，因为插秧、养蚕都在四月里，一个要雨，一个要晴。托朝廷的鸿福，大人的威望，下个月风调雨顺，军务顺手，让这一个月平平安安过去，浙江就可以苦出头了！”“我知道了，总想法子如大家的愿就是。”说到这里，左宗棠眉心打了个结，“倒是有件事，雪翁，我要跟你商量；看看你有没有高招，治那一班蠹吏！” “蠹吏”二字，胡雪岩没有听懂，瞠然不知所答。及至左宗棠作了进一步的解释，才知道指的是京里户部与兵部的书办。 “户部与兵部的书办，盼望肃清长毛之心，比谁都殷切；在他们看，平了洪杨，就是他们发财的机会到了。正月廿一，曾老九克了天保城，金陵合围，洪秀全已如釜底游魂。李少荃的淮军，攻克常州，亦是指顾间事；常州一下，淮军长驱西进，会合苦守镇江的冯子材，经丹阳驰援曾九，看起来可以在江宁吃粽子了。” “没有那么快！”胡雪岩接口便答。 这一答，使得左宗棠错愕而不悦：“何以见得？”他问。 胡雪岩知道自己答得大率直了。左宗棠有句没有说出来的话：“莫非论兵我还不如你？因而很见机地改口：“大人用兵，妙算如神，我何敢瞎议论。不过，我在上海那两年，听到看到，关于李中丞的性情，自以为摸得很透。常州如果攻了下来，他未必肯带兵西进；因为，他不会那么傻，去分曾九帅一心想独得的大功。 " “啊！”左宗棠重重一掌，拍在自己大腿上，“你也是这么想？” “只怕我想得不对。” “不会错！”左宗棠叹口气，“我一直也是这么在想，不过不肯承认我自己的想法；我总觉得李少荃总算也是个翰林，肚子里的货色，虽只不过温熟了一部诗经，忠君爱国的道理总也懂的，而况受恩深重，又何忍辜负君父灭此大盗，以安四海的至意？如今你跟我的看法不约而同，就见得彼此的想法都不错。论少荃的为人，倒还不致巴结曾九；只为他老师节制五省军务，圣眷正隆，不免功名心热，屈己从人。至于他对曾九，虽不便明助，睹底下却要帮忙，助饷助械，尽力而为；所以金陵克复的日子，仍旧不会远。” “是的。这是明摆在那里的事；江宁合围，外援断绝，城里的存粮一完，长毛也就完了。照我看，总在夏秋之交，一定可以成功。” “那时候就有麻烦了。你先看着这个——。” 说着左宗棠从怀中掏出一封信来，厚甸甸地，总有十来张信笺；他检视了一下，抽出其中的两张，递了给胡雪岩。这两张信笺中，谈的是一件事；也就是报告一个消息。说兵部与户部的书办，眼看洪杨肃清在即；军务告峻，要办军费报销，无不额手相庆。但以湘淮两军，起自田间，将领不谙规制，必不知军费应如何报销？因而有人出头，邀约户兵两部的书办，商定了包揽的办法，多雇书手，备办笔墨纸张；专程南下，就地为湘淮两军代办报销。一切不用费心，只照例奉送“部费”即可。在他们看，这是利人利己的两全之计，必为湘淮两军乐予接纳，所以不但已有成议，而且已经筹集了两万银子，作为“本钱”，光是办购置造报销的连史纸，就将琉璃几家纸店的存货都搜空了。 “这个花样倒不错！”胡雪岩有意出以轻松的姿态，“不过这笔'部费'可观。我替殉节的王中丞经手过，至少要百分之二。” “就是这话罗！”左宗棠说，“我要跟你商量的就是这件事。我前后用过七千万的银子，如果照例致送，就得二十万银子。哪里来这笔闲钱，且不去说它；就有这笔闲钱，我也不愿意塞狗洞。你倒想个法子看，怎么样打消了它！”“打消是容易，放句话出去挡驾就是。可是以后呢？恐怕不胜其烦了！军费报销是最噜苏的事，一案核销，有几年不结的。大人倒仔细想一想，宝贵的精神，犯得着犯不着花在跟这些人打交道上头？” “不！”左宗棠大不以为然，“我的意思是，根本不要办报销。军费报销，在乾隆年间最认真；部里书办的花样也最多。不过此一时，彼一时，那时是'在人檐下过，不敢不低头'；如今我又何必低头？户部也没有资格跟我要帐！” 这话说得太霸道了些。诚然，湘军和淮军的军费，都是在地方自筹，户部并没有支付过；但在地方自筹，不管是厘金、捐募，总是公款，何致于户部连要个帐都没有资格？胡雪岩不以左宗棠的话为然，因而沉默未答。 “雪翁，”左宗棠催问着，“有何高见，请指教！”这就不能不回答了，胡雪岩想了一下答道：“那不是大人一个人的事。” “是啊！不过事情来了，我可是脱不了麻烦。”“就有麻烦，也不致于比两江来得大。” 这一说，左宗棠明白了，“你的意思是，策动曾相去顶？”他问。 这是指曾国藩，他以协办大学士兼领两江总督，也算入阁拜相，所以称之为“曾相”；胡雪岩正是此意，点点头答说：“似乎以曾相出面去争，比较容易见效。” “我也想到过，没有用。曾相忧谗畏讥，胆小如鼠；最近还有密折，请朝廷另简亲信大臣，分任重责。你想，他怎么肯不避嫌疑，奏请免办报销？何况时机亦还未到可以上折的时候？” “难处就在这里。”胡雪岩说，“军务究竟尚未告竣，贸然奏请免办报销，反会节外生枝，惹起无谓的麻烦。”“可是消弭隐患，此刻就得着手。倘或部里书办勾结司员；然后说动堂官；再进而由军机奏闻两宫，一经定案，要打消就难了。” 胡雪岩觉得这番顾虑，决不能说是多余；而且由他的“书办勾结司员”这句话，触机而有灵感，不暇思索地答说：“既然如此，不妨在第一关上就拿书办挡了回去。”“喂，喂！”左宗棠一面想，一面说，“你这话很有意味。然而，是如何个挡法呢？” “这等大事，书办不能做主；就如大人所说的，得要勾结司官。司官给他们来盆冷水，迎头一浇；或者表面上敷衍，到紧要关头，挺身出来讲话，只要有理，户部堂官亦不能不听。”“话是有理。难在哪里去找这么一位明大体、有胆识的户部司官？” “不一定要明大体、有胆识。”胡雪岩答说，“只要这位司官，觉得这么做于他有利；自然就会挺身而出。”“着！”左宗棠又是猛拍自己的大腿，“雪翁，你的看法，确是高人一筹，足以破惑。”略停一下，他又说道：“听你的口气，似乎胸有成竹；已经想到有这么一个人了。”“是的。就是杭州人。” “杭州人，”左宗棠偏着头想，“在户部当司官的是谁？我倒想不起来了。” “这个人是咸丰二年的进士，分发户部，由主事做起，现在是掌印郎中了。他叫王文韶；大人听说过此人没有？”左宗棠凝神了一会，想起来了：“似乎听人提起过。”他问，“他的号，是叫夔石吗？” “正是。王夔石。” “此人怎么样？很能干吧？” “很能干，也很圆滑；人缘不错。加以户部左侍郎沈桂芬是他乡试的座师，很照应这个门生，所以王夔石在户部很红。”“既然人很圆滑，只怕不肯出头去争！”左宗棠说，“这种事，只有性情比较耿直的人才肯做。” “大人见得是。不过，我的意思不是鼓动王夔石出头去力争，是托他暗底下疏通。我想，为了他自己的前程，他是肯效劳的。” “何以见得？雷翁，请道其详。” 照胡雪岩的看法，做京官若说不靠关系靠自己，所可凭借者，不是学问，便是才干。当翰林靠学问；当司官就要靠才干。这才干是干济之才，不在乎腹有经纶，而是在政务上遇到难题，能有切切实实的办法拿出来。至少也要能搪塞得过去。王文韶之所长，正就是在此。 可是，做京官凭才干，实在不如凭学问。因为凭学问做京官，循资推转，处处得以显其所长；翰林做到兼日讲起注官，进而“开坊”升任京堂，都可以专折言事，更是卖弄学问的时候。也许一道奏疏，上结天知，就此飞黄腾达，三数年间便能戴上红顶子。而凭才干做官。就没有这样便宜了！“为啥呢？因为英雄要有用武之地。做部里司官，每天公事经手，该准该驳，权柄很大；准有准的道理，驳有驳的缘故，只要说得对，自然显的的才干。可是司官不能做一辈子；象王夔石，郎中做了好多年了，如果升做四品京堂，那些鸿胪寺、通政司，都是'聋子的耳朵'，没有它不象样子，有了它毫无用处。王夔石就有天大的本事，无奈冷衙门无事可做，也是枉然。”胡雪岩略停一下又说：“司官推转，还有一条出路就是考御史；当御史更是只要做文章的差使，王夔石搞不来。而且他也不是什么铁面无情的人；平时惟恐跟人结怨，哪里好当什么都老爷？” “我懂了！”左宗棠说，“王夔石是不愿做京官，只想外放？”“是的。外放做知府；做得好，三两年就可以升道员。”胡雪岩笑笑说道：“做外官，就要靠督抚了！”这一下，左宗棠一心领神会，彻底明了。因为做外官靠督抚，没有比他更清楚的。清朝的督抚权重，京官外转府道；督抚如果不喜此人，从前可以“才不胜任”的理由，奏请“请京任用”，等于推翻朝旨。乾隆初年，虽曾下诏切责，不准再有这样的事例；可是督抚仍旧有办法可以不使此人到任，或者奏请调职。至于未经指明缺分，只分省候补任用的，补缺的迟早；缺分的优瘠，其权更操之督抚。 因此可以想象得到，王文韶如果志在外官，就必得与督抚结缘；而能够设法搞成免办平洪杨的军费报销，正是可遇而不可求的良机。因为这一条，湘港将领，无不感戴；而天下督抚，就眼前来说，两江曾国藩、闽浙是左宗棠自己、江苏李鸿章、直隶刘长佑、四川路秉章、湖广官文、河南张之万、江西沈荷桢、湖北严树森、广东郭嵩焘，哪一个都花过大把银子的军费；能够免办报销，个人要见王文韶的情，等他分发到省，岂有不格外照应之理？ 想到这里，左宗棠心头的一个疙瘩，消减了一半，“王夔石果然是能干的，就得好好抓住这个机会，普结天下督抚之缘。”他又回想了一下胡雪岩的话，发现有件事令人惊异，便即问道：“雪翁，你到京里去过没有？” “还不曾过去。” “那就怪了！你没有上过京，又是半官半商，何以倒对京官的推迁升转，如此熟悉？” “我本来也不懂。前年跟王夔石在上海见面，长谈了好几夜；都是听他说的。” “原来如此！不过能说得清源流，也很难得的了。”左宗棠又问：“你跟王夔石很熟？” “是的。”胡雪岩又说，“不过并无深交。” “看你们谈得倒很深。” “有利害关系，谈得就深了；交情又另是一回事。王夔石没有什么才气，也没有什么大志，做人太圆滑，未免欠诚恳。我不喜欢这个人。” 左宗棠觉得胡雪岩这几句话，颇对自己的胃口；同时对他的本性，也更为了解，确是个可