Chapter 45 Jade Seat Bead Curtain (10-2)

At that time, there was no rain in March, and the drought had already occurred. The empress dowagers of the two palaces and Prince Gong were in a very bad mood. Because of this drought, not only was there no hope for a good harvest this year, but the next year was also sad. Fleeing back in Macheng, Huangzhou, Hubei, Nanyang, Xinyang, and Luoshan in Henan, Dongnien broke through the long encirclement, and drove into Lu from Yexian, Xiangcheng, Xuchang, Lanfeng, and Kaocheng. They changed the situation at the time when Seng Gelinqin was killed in battle, and thus pushed into Tai'an and other places, and even Jinan was threatened.

The drought in Gyeonggi has already happened, and an altar has been set up to pray for rain. It has been many days, but every day the sun is scorching hot, occasionally there is a light thunder, and a few light rains can't even moisten the red dust of Jiumo, and naturally it will not help the farmland in Guicha.So when they summoned Prince Gong to talk about the weather, the empress dowagers of the two palaces were all worried. "The Slight Heat is over," said the Empress Dowager Ci'an, "There will be no more rain." "Crops probably don't help. However, when it rains, people's hearts can be at ease." The Empress Dowager Cixi sighed and said, "Gods of Heaven, Earth, Tai Sui, and Dragon King have all sent people to burn incense. If it doesn't rain, it won't rain! What should I do?" ?”

"I think it's time to ask for a card?" asked the Empress Dowager Ci'an. "It's not time to 'ask for a card' yet." "why?" This made Prince Gong unable to answer.There is no evidence of wind and rain, and prayers do not come, which will hurt the prestige of the emperor. Therefore, based on years of experience, a set of procedures for preserving Tianwei's power has been formulated, and "requesting a card" is the last resort.The iron plate of the Dragon God Temple in Handan County was invited to Beijing by decree, and it was enshrined in the City God Temple in the capital, saying that it would definitely rain.If the invitation card is not effective, it means that the Dragon God does not give the emperor face. rain.Empress Dowager Ci'an didn't understand the magical effect, and Prince Gong couldn't expose it.When I have no answer, I think of something that can replace it.

"Wang Yuanfang came up with a fresh idea, you might as well give it a try." "What new idea?" Empress Dowager Ci'an asked with great interest. Prince Gong really disapproved of this idea, but at this time, in order to prevaricate, he had to say it out: "Wang Yuanfang said, find a tiger head and throw it in the Black Dragon Pond to make it rain." "This idea is really fresh!" The Empress Dowager Cixi, because of Liu Mingchuan's case of impersonating meritorious service, made Bao Chao suffer from recurrence of old injuries, and his illnesses and illnesses were all Wang Yuanfang's fault, so she had a bad impression of him. She believed it, so she asked again: "How did he come up with this idea, why can it rain?"

"Probably there is such a saying in that book." Prince Gong replied, "I am thinking about it. There is a saying 'Don't use the hidden dragon'. Throw the tiger's head down and startle it for a while. Maybe it will startle the dive and sting it. It's raining." "Ah, I understand!" Empress Dowager Ci'an suddenly realized, "Isn't that 'Dragon and Tiger Fight'?" To put it bluntly, it is really good!However, the dragon is the symbol of the emperor, and the tiger "corrects and corrects the tiger's ministers". Therefore, it is said that the dragon and the tiger fight can be regarded as the image of the general's rebellion.Prince Gong was afraid that the empress dowagers of the two palaces would be overwhelmed, so he replied vaguely: "There is a little meaning."

"Ah!" Sure enough, the Empress Dowager Cixi said, "It's better not to fight! You have to work together to prosper!" The Empress Dowager Ci'an completely ignored her and Prince Gong's obscurity, and deeply appreciated Wang Yuanfang's fresh idea, and said very enthusiastically: "Dragon, there used to be idiotic dragons and lazy dragons, so they must have fallen asleep." , Forgot to make clouds and rain. Throwing a tiger head down now is like tying a monkey to a manger, so that if it gets mischievous, it will not be lazy! You can try this idea. Just one thing, go there Looking for a tiger head?"

Both Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong remained silent. This was to express their dissent in silence, but it might as well be seen as embarrassment because they couldn't find the tiger's head. "I heard from the first emperor that Lord Kangxi and Lord Qianlong shot tigers with shotguns when they were in Mulan Siege." Empress Dowager Ci'an looked at Prince Gong and said, "Let the Ministry of Internal Affairs look for it in the treasury immediately!" It is rare for Empress Dowager Ci'an to give instructions, so no matter how embarrassing things are, Prince Gong has to agree, and Empress Dowager Cixi is of course too embarrassed to object.So Wang Yuanfang, Minister of Military Aircraft recommended by Li Hongzao, finally had another offer.

Wen Xiang and Bao Yun were still there when they returned to Zhilu of the Military Aircraft. When it came to Wang Yuanfang's place to pray for rain, Wen Xiang didn't take it seriously. laughed at.But he had complied with the order, so he had to find a way to perfunctory, so he decided to ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to find a tiger head and send two guards to the Black Dragon Pool to throw the matter away, without saying anything, let alone issuing an order. This time, the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were busy again. Fortunately, the fur storehouse was turning over the leather quilts, so they took this opportunity to search through them. There were many tiger skin quilts, but they couldn't find a complete tiger head.

If you can't find the tiger head, you can't ask the Empress Dowager Ci'an. Ming Shan and Chong Lun, the ministers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, were very anxious and went to the respect room to find the old eunuch to ask.There was an old eunuch who had entered the palace as a errand in the last years of Jiaqing. He had seen a lot and thought about it for a long time. He remembered that the imperial pharmacy used tiger bones as wound medicine and soaked them in medicinal wine. head. So the eunuch, the head of the imperial pharmacy, was sent to order him to check the files carefully. After a whole day's work, he finally found a tiger's head. .If the minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs found a treasure, he specially took it to the military plane to ask Wang Yuanfang to look at it, and then asked the minister of the bodyguard "six foreheads", Jing Shou, to send two guards from the Qianqing Gate to throw it into the Black Dragon Pool deep in the West Mountain.

Who knows that dragons and tigers don't fight, and Yun Ni is unhappy, but those who know about it don't take it as a joke, and they really don't have the mood to tell a joke.There was no rain for a long time, not to mention the hopeless autumn harvest, and the soaring food prices in front of us made life very difficult. In the southeast of Baoding, it was found that the salt owls murdered and set fire to more than 30 villages, threatening more than 2,000 people. Eight hundred horses and more than two hundred carts made people's hearts more and more fluctuating. The next time the weather is falling, the weather is slowly changing. Originally, the sun was scorching like fire every day, but at this time there are often cloudy days. In the future, there will be rain outside the city or inside the city. Although it is not heavy, it is enough to comfort.Officials from the Ministry of Rites, Taichang Temple, and Qintianjian saw that the time for rain was coming, so they invited Fang Ze to sacrifice.This is a great sacrifice, sacrificed at the Temple of Heaven in the southern suburbs of the winter solstice, and sacrificed at the Temple of Earth in the northern suburbs of the summer solstice, which is Fangze.Before that, in order to pray for rain and offer sacrifices to the Altar of Sheji, King Gong Gong was sent to offer sacrifices on his behalf. The ceremony of offering sacrifices to Fangze was one level higher than that of offering sacrifices to Sheji, so King Dun was specially appointed to salute instead of the emperor.

During the three days of fasting before the period, the Nine Cities will be massacred. In the palace, starting from the empress dowager, all will be vegetarians. There is a jade plaque on their bodies, engraved with the word "fasting" in both Manchu and Chinese.But after offering sacrifices to Fang Ze, two days in a row, the heat was unbearable, and the empress dowagers of the two palaces were greatly disappointed. Empress Dowager Cixi had always had a bad impression of King Dun, so she complained: "The old five must be dishonest!" then what should we do?Just after the grand ceremony in the northern suburbs, we can't continue to worship the heavens in the southern suburbs, so the Empress Dowager Ci'an reiterated the saying of "requesting a card". The officials of Qin Tianjian discussed carefully and thought that the weather was sultry and there must be heavy rain soon, so it might as well "ask for a card".This iron plate is hanging in a well of the Dragon Temple in Handan. Handan is a thousand miles away from the capital. If you drive fast in the starry night, you can get there in three days. It's best not to be invited to Beijing, and the rain will fall, so that it can be regarded as the help of the gods, and it will be full of face.Therefore, this iron plate took eight days on the road to Liangxiang. It's also a coincidence that the iron plate really brought rain, but although it was big, it didn't last for a while.It rained in the middle of the night, and the empress dowagers of the two palaces woke up from their pillows, all of them were overjoyed and got up early.The weather was as cool as autumn, and the Empress Dowager Cixi ordered Wu Tang to bring the Suzhou embroidered cheongsam, picked out a moon-white satin embroidered with red peonies, and put it on in front of the full-length mirror. An Dehai held another large mirror and stood behind her. From the left to the right, the Empress Dowager Cixi is holding a handkerchief of the same color and pattern, twisting it around, looking around, extremely proud. When she had seen enough of herself, she thought about the weather, "Go and see!" She said, "How is Tian'er?" "Cha!" An Dehai put down the mirror and went outside the hall to watch the sky. The rain stopped long ago, but the sky was as dark as ink, and the crescent moon was hooked up, so that the shadows could not be seen, and there was wind, so it seemed that there was still rain. So An De Haixing came back in a hurry and repeated: "The sky is as dark as ink, the clouds are thick, and the wind is also strong. There will be heavy rain, and it must." "Get down!" Empress Dowager Cixi raised her face and smiled lightly, as if she was ten years younger, "Get down quickly!" "Master's sincerity, to inspire the gods, can you not let it go? It must be enough to count." "Look! Look at the iron plate in Handan, how effective is it?" Empress Dowager Cixi ordered: "Go and see that side, have you woken up?" "That side" refers to the Empress Dowager Ci'an.The empress dowagers of the two palaces lived together in the Changchun Palace at this time, Ci'an lived in the Suili Palace in the east, and Cixi lived in the Ping'an Room in the west.Eunuchs and maids of honor privately use the terms "East" and "West" to distinguish them.But Empress Dowager Cixi didn't want to say the word "East", so An Dehai and the others followed her and used "the other side" to refer to Empress Dowager Ci'an. The Empress Dowager Ci'an had already left the palace, she was also wearing a cheongsam, still bright yellow, standing in front of the eaves watching, when she saw An Dehai, she asked, "Has your master gotten up yet?" An Dehai greeted her good morning first, and then replied: "I woke up early. I specially asked my servant to come and take a look." "Just ask her to come!" "Cha!" An Dehai hurried back to report. So the Empress Dowager Cixi came from the safety room to the back hall of Changchun Palace gracefully. When she saw the Empress Dowager Ci'an, she smiled and said, "My sister is very happy!" "Isn't it a happy event?" The Empress Dowager Ci'an was as happy as she was, "I still have a good news now, the iron plate is still in Liangxiang, and when I invite you to Beijing to burn incense, then there will be real heavy rain." "That's right." The Empress Dowager Cixi said in a special tone this day, "I will invite him to Beijing today." "Who will you send to burn incense?" "Both the fifth and sixth sons have sent errands to salute on their behalf, and the seventh son is not in Beijing. Send Lao Ba to go! " "Okay, I'll tell them later. Pass it on!" At this time, it was almost Maozheng—six o'clock in the morning, according to summer, it should have been dawn long ago, but there was only a faint light coming through the thick clouds, so the hall was brightly lit, and the empress dowagers of the two palaces were in a good mood. Cool, more appetizing.After eating, the Empress Dowager Cixi had to take a detour to digest food as usual, walking from the front hall to the back hall, thinking about what to say about the military plane summoned that day? Walking to the apse, the grand chiming clock was striking seven o'clock. Suddenly, lightning flashed like a golden snake, and then there was a thunderbolt, and raindrops as big as small coins fell densely.In order to please her, An Dehai was not afraid of making noise and losing his manners, and took the lead in cheering: "Get off, get off!" His yelling was an order, the eunuchs and maids cheered after him, the two empress dowagers found it lively and interesting, they were extremely happy, they both sat in front of the hall and watched the misty rain, feeling unspeakable joy in their hearts. Unfortunately, it still didn't rain enough.The iron plate still needs to be invited to Beijing as soon as possible, enshrined in the City God Temple in the capital, and sent Dingzhong Wang to burn incense and pray for rain.He also knew that this was a major event that was expected by the two palaces and the people, so he went to offer incense three times a day.Although it hasn't rained yet, the clouds are gloomy and the weather is extremely hot, which is still a good sign. After two days like this, the weather finally changed drastically. In the morning, there was a gloomy light rain, which continued throughout the morning. In the afternoon, the wind picked up, the black clouds piled up and thickened, mixed with rumbling thunder, and finally fell down the river. It rained like a sea.It fell into the night in one fell swoop, and the people of Nine Cities all stared joyfully, fascinated by the white rain. This quick rain relieved the drought, and also removed the stones that weighed on Prince Gong's heart. With the reports from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other provinces, since the beginning of summer, the rain has stopped evenly and the harvest is expected, so he feels more at ease.Of course, the queen mothers of the two palaces were also overjoyed, and repeatedly expressed to the ministers that the gods bless them, so they sent the kings to various altars and temples to offer their thanks. ※ ※ ※ That is, this quick rain seems to have extinguished everyone's anger. Woren has already sold his leave and entered Hongde Hall, and he rarely hears criticisms of Tongwenguan.This is a kind of comfort and encouragement to Prince Gong. He made an appointment with Wenxiang, hoping that Wenxiang would pay more attention to military affairs in various places, and he would devote all his energy to foreign affairs. The matter of Tongwenguan is all right, but another "shipping administration" is still in trouble.At the foot of Mawei Mountain in Fuzhou, it was originally Zuo Zongtang's idea to set up a shipbuilding factory along the river. Zuo Zongtang transferred the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu to recommend talents, saying that Shen Baozhen, who was not Ding You, was not competent. Shen Baozhen is indeed a talent, but It is Zuo Zongtang's private intention to say that he must do it.Both Zuo and Shen were at odds with Zeng Guofan, and Shen Baozhen captured Hong Fuzhen alive during his tenure as governor of Jiangxi, which gave Zuo Zongtang an excuse to attack Zeng Guofan. Bao Shen Baozhen became the "Prime Minister of Shipping". However, although Shen Baozhen used public funds to make friends with the censor and fellow officials in Beijing, he himself, like Ding Baozhen who succeeded Yan Jingming as governor of Shandong, was known as Qing Cao, so he did not agree with Wu Tang, the new governor of Fujian and Zhejiang.The Yamen of the Minister of Shipping has a monthly fund of 50,000 taels of silver, and it is designated to be allocated by customs duties. It is the most reliable source.All shipbuilding equipment, even coal, are purchased from abroad. If the price is floated, there is nowhere to check it.Wu Tang saw that this was a "profit", but Shen Baozhen didn't let him get involved, and the shipyard's promotion was the Fujian feudal official, who was Wu Tang's subordinate. Go there and go fast.Shen Baozhen naturally refused to let him go, and he could also concentrate on his own affairs, so he went to Shushu to fight hard.In this way, the signs of conflict between Wu and Shen are very obvious. Empress Dowager Cixi was troubled by this.Of course she wanted to defend Wu Tang, but she definitely couldn't say that Shen Baozhen was wrong. She just took over the job, so what merits and demerits are there?Therefore, the imperial court can only use the position of mediating people to persuade them to "do business in harmony." At this time, Wu Tang had other plans. He thought that Fujian was too miserable, and he would be angry with Shen Baozhen, so he might as well be the governor of water transportation.Therefore, Andehai was asked to speak, and the activity was transferred.What he never forgot was the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and it happened that Ruilin, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, impeached Jiang Yili, the governor of Guangdong protected by Zuo Zongtang. The queen mother took this opportunity to transfer Wu Tang away from Fujian and ordered him to "go to Guangdong to investigate and deal with it impartially". Governors and governors in the same city are often at odds. If there is a case of mutual involvement, the special minister of Jingli will always be sent to investigate and deal with it, and another minister will be sent to deal with it. This is a rare case.But Wu Tang's relationship was different. Those who knew the inside story were all worried for Ruilin, fearing that both sides would suffer, and the imperial envoy who investigated the case would be cheaper. But this "insider story" is ridiculous in the eyes of very few people who really understand the origins of the eight nobles of Manchuria.Rui Lin's situation is similar to Wu Tang's. If Wu Tang can survive, Rui Lin will not collapse either. He is of the same family as the Empress Dowager Cixi, both surnamed Yehenala, and he was born in a pen post style, and he is a "reading Zhuzan Lilang" in Taichang Temple, which is in charge of all ceremonies.In the twenty-seventh year of Daoguang, during the Taimiao Yuji Festival—the great sacrifice to ancestors at the end of the year, Ruilin read the Manchurian Zhu Wen, with a loud voice and full of energy. Xuanzong paid the most attention to these details, and out of joy, he awarded him the top five Dai and Hua Ling.Soon, he was promoted to Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, and then promoted to cabinet bachelor and minister of rites in the spring of the next year.It took only fifteen months to jump from a ninth-rank official to a second-rank official, and all I gained was a voice suitable for singing blackheads. Ruilin's wealth in the second half of his life is due to his generosity and honesty.When the Empress Dowager Cixi was in Qingjiangpu, she received Wu Tang's unintentional favor and carried her coffin back to Beijing. Mother, daughter, sister and brother, widows and orphans, no one paid any attention to her.Ruilin is concerned about the friendship of the same clan, and often gives alms.From the perspective of Empress Dowager Cixi, although this is no better than Wu Tang's helping hand in a desperate situation, it is also a kindness of giving charcoal in a timely manner.At that time, Empress Dowager Cixi's natal family had only two people to take care of her, one was Ruilin, and the other was the clan Yikuang, but Yikuang himself was also poor, so he could only help her natal family with ghostwriting and letter writing. Ruilin is so touching. Therefore, when Wen Zong came to the throne, Empress Dowager Cixi, the concubine Yi at that time, was favored in the Yuanmingyuan "Heaven, Earth, and Family Spring", Ruilin's official career skyrocketed, and she joined the military plane and was directly supervised. Wenyuange University Bachelor. At that time, it was the invasion of the British and French allied forces. Later, Haidao invaded from the north and occupied Tianjin, and the capital was shaken.Ruilin was ordered to lead 9,000 Beijing soldiers to guard Tongzhou. The court and the war were inconclusive, but Seng Gelinqin had already retreated all the way. The forward of the coalition army arrived in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou. The battle was defeated, he retreated to the capital, and fought another battle outside Andingmen, but was still defeated, so Ruilin was dismissed from his post and fled to Rehe with Wenzong. After the agreement was reached, the dismissed officials were employed one after another. Ruilin was sent to serve in Seng Gelinqin's army with the title of servant. Moreover, the horse stumbled and was injured and fled to Jining.This time he was fired again. Wen Zong died in the second year, followed by the "Xinyou Coup". Thanks to the support of Empress Dowager Cixi, Ruilin was transferred to be the capital of the Han army in the Xianghuang Banner, and then transferred to the capital of Rehe, and soon the general of Guangzhou.Mao Hongbin downgraded, and Ruilin also served as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. He had no scruples about selling goods and accepting bribes in Guangzhou.All official duties were entrusted to a close friend, Xu Hao, who hid in the yamen by himself. Apart from paying attention to food and admiring the talent of Shunde maids, he kept making jokes, adding "one cup and two dishes" to Guangzhou people when they went to teahouses. Many interesting topics. Most of the banner people's jokes are about recognizing white characters. Ruilin's official reputation is great, so the joke about recognizing white characters is even more famous.Once when the price of rice in Guangzhou skyrocketed, he asked his subordinates what was the reason?The man answered four words: "Businessman Ju Qi." Ju Qi understood, but he didn't understand the word "marketian". He asked in surprise, "Who are the 'Four Monsters'?" " However, he is simple and honest, and quite self-aware, so a fellow acquaintance surnamed Mi was distributed to the province. When he first met the governor, he took the "handbook" and said honestly: "My brother's surname is too remote, I don't know what it is. Please tell me yourself!" Everyone who heard it wanted to laugh but did not dare to laugh. Of course, the court has heard about Ruilin's jokes, and his "official voice" in Guangzhou has even been heard by the court.But he was able to stand still because he was "a good official and himself", not only because of the favor of the Empress Dowager Cixi, but also from Prince Gong, all the princes and ministers of Manchuria were willing to maintain Ruilin.This is of course due to his generosity and excellent popularity, but the most important reason is that since the founding of the country, the power of the Han people has never been greater in the two hundred years since the founding of the country. Among the governors of fifteen provinces, only one governor of Anhui, Ying Han, is a Manchurian, including " Of the ten governors including Water Transport and River Road, only Huguang Governor Guanwen and Guangdong and Guangxi Governor Ruilin are Manchurians.When the official document was Zeng Guoquan's reckless impeachment, and Tan Tingxiang, who investigated the case, took over, Ruilin became the only remaining governor.If Wu Tang succeeds again, the governor of the world, who are all Han people and Manchu subjects, will naturally not accept it, so no matter how greedy Rui Lin is, he still has to remain in office.It is true that Ruilin is not qualified for this position, but the Manchurian officials are almost all of the same breed, so it is better to obey the Empress Dowager Cixi and keep him in office. This is the inside story of the inside story, and only a very small number of people know about it, and this "very few" people do not even include An Dehai, and of course Prince Gong is included. After receiving the order to go to Guangzhou to investigate the case, Wu Tang knew that he would never return to his post, so when he left Fuzhou, he took all the belongings of his family with him as if he was being transferred, and personally dispatched two hundred soldiers escort.From Fuzhou to Shanghai by ship, people were sent to send the family members back to their hometown in Xuyi, Anhui, and then from Shanghai to Hong Kong by ship, and transferred to Guangzhou to investigate the case. When he was in Shanghai, Wu Tang realized that the reason why Rui Lin got the attention of the Empress Dowager Cixi was the same as his own, and that he was a bannerman, so he had more advantages than himself, so he no longer wanted to replace him.Because of this, he regards the investigation of Guangzhou as a Pearl River Rover, and walks slowly and leisurely. When he arrives in Guangzhou, he does not talk about the "customs and defense" that the imperial envoy should have. , happy talk and drink every day. Both Ruilin and Wu Tang are born blessed and good at drinking and eating. The shark fin cooked by Ruilin's kitchen is even inferior to the wealthy families who "eat in Guangzhou". Quite a feeling of seeing each other late. Of course, the case needs to be investigated. The reason for the investigation is that Jiang Yili, with Zuo Zongtang's backing, used the bad rules to fight for power with the governor. Asked, so Wu Tang replied: "Jiang Yili has been in the army for a long time, and he was sent to Xinjiang for the first time. After he arrived in the east of Guangdong, he thought very hard about rectifying the place, making advantages and eliminating disadvantages; but he was young and bloody, brave to do things, and he took everything for granted. , Approval and distribution of brave food and discussion with governors have failed to find a case, please submit it to the Ministry for discussion." The Ministry of Officials replied, please demote Jiang Yili to four ranks. The Empress Dowager Cixi knew that Jiang Yili had been wronged in this case, so she changed her rank to two ranks, changed from governor to alternate inspector, and sent it to Zuo Zongtang, governor of Shaanxi and Gansu. Committee. Soon, Luo Bingzhang, governor of Sichuan, died of illness. Needless to say, Wu Tang was of course transferred to make up.The governor of Fujian and Zhejiang was vacated, and Ma Xinyi, the governor of Zhejiang, was promoted to the post. He was from Heze in Shandong and was the same year as Li Hongzhang.At the time when there were great disputes among the Muslims in Shanxi-Gansu, Ma Xinyi's new appointment attracted people's attention because he was Muslim. Regarding this transfer, everyone's opinion is that Wu Tang's life is fixed, but the people in Sichuan will suffer.In terms of Wu Tang's background, talent, and ambition, it is impossible to make him a prime minister, and it is impossible to transfer the governors of Liangjiang or Guangdong. In this way, the governor of Sichuan, who is far away from the sky and the emperor, will die as soon as possible. The people will suffer. But for Li Hongzhang, what surprised him secretly was the news of the transfer of another frontier official at the same time. Come on, save face for him.Liu Changyou, governor of Zhili, was not so cheap, and he was dismissed.The reason why Zeng and Liu ended up like this is because they failed to suppress the bandits.Li Hongzhang, currently stationed in Jining, Shandong, who is in charge of suppressing Dongnien, knows that if he doesn't fight another big victory to comfort the imperial court, he will probably become Liu Changyou's second. ※ ※ ※ The Nian army encountered an unprecedented predicament. They were concentrated in Wanghucheng, north of Shouguang. The sea was to the north, the heavily fortified Yellow River was to the west, and the Yi and Meng mountains were to the south. It was blocked by a Mishui River originating from the west foot of Yishan Mountain in Linqu County. If they refused to surrender, they would have to fight to the death, and they were heavily surrounded on all sides. The result of the battle was mostly death. In the official army, people from all walks of life have gathered together.The Ming Army and the Wu Yi Army joined forces on both sides of the Mi River, with Pan Dingxin, Yang Dingxun and the "Eastern Army" forming a line of defense from the east to the west as a support.If Dong Nian was allowed to break through again this time, not only would there be no need to talk about suppressing Nian, but also no need to talk about military achievements, and wait for the "dismissal and investigation". For both sides, the situation has come to the end of life and death, the last moment of this battle.The decisive battle must be decided before the action, so Liu Mingchuan and Guo Songlin are not in a hurry, they dispatch troops to ensure stability.When the deployment was about to be completed, Li Hongzhang sent his younger brother Li Zhaoqing, who was also the general manager of his "Battle Office", to rush to the front.There are two tasks here, one is to proclaim the "Wen Yu", to reward Liu Mingchuan for "loyalty, bravery and hard work, and quick pursuit of thieves. Jia En rewards a small knife with a white jade handle, a scythe, a pair of large purses, and two small purses." .” Shanqing and Wendluck, the two deputy capital commanders who were unlucky because of Seng Gelinqin’s death in battle, also came and went, except for the “rehabilitation officer”, there was another kind of grace. Li Hongzhang has his own rewards, one bag per person, or rare curios, or cash, depending on each person's needs and hobbies. some effort. "Brother originally expected to be able to complete all his achievements next year, but he didn't expect that everyone would use their lives. It seems that he will be able to triumph within the year." Li Zhaoqing paused and said: "Brother is going to follow in the footsteps of Marquis Zeng by abolishing the Huai army and let everyone Let’s live a comfortable life for two years first.” Hearing this, everyone except Guo Songlin was very excited.Disarmament is the disarmament of troops and not the disarmament of generals. The admiral is still the admiral, and the commander-in-chief is still the commander-in-chief. Fill in the gaps and return to the establishment. Look at the fuck, eat and eat, go in and out of the green sedan chair, and don't have to wear stars and moons. What is a comfortable day if you are not on the horse all year round? "However, my brother has a saying that I specifically asked me to pass on: the comfortable life in the future will depend on the hardships in front of us in exchange for it. This battle in front of us is no small matter, so I specially ordered me to ask you for advice." "At this moment, Dong Nian has become a situation of catching a turtle in an urn. Please report to the young commander. Don't worry about it." Liu Mingchuan patted his chest and said, "'The end of a strong crossbow is not enough to pierce Lu Jin'. Now is not the time for empty talk, please wait! " "Yes, we must wait for good news. Just ask the provincial commander, what is the best way to defeat the enemy?" Liu Mingchuan knew in his heart that this was a question Li Hongzhang wanted to ask because he was worried.The meaning of this sentence is not to ask about the strategy of defeating the enemy, but about the attitude towards the enemy. Do you try your best to fight wherever you can, or make up your mind to wipe out the stubborn enemy? Therefore, he thought for a while, and replied: "In terms of geographical advantages and harmonious people, this is the first good opportunity I have encountered in the three years since I suppressed Niu. , fight hard, fight hard, no matter whether he goes to heaven or earth, the Ming army will fight to the end!" "Ming Jun will fight to the end, and Wu Yi Jun will accompany him to the end!" Guo Songlin followed up his words. Hearing that these two top-ranking generals have such determination, Li Zhaoqing's expression of joy appeared on his brows, "With the words of the two gentlemen, there is no doubt that Dong Nian will be flattened!" Thank you for God's blessing. "San San!" Guo Songlin looked very serious, "I have something to say beforehand, officers and soldiers are often unable to outrun the Nian bandits, most of them are burdened by the baggage, this time since we want to chase to the end, we must first make up our minds, I can't plan to ask for luggage!" Liu Mingchuan nodded again and again: "This is what hit the nail on the head." As he spoke, he looked up at Li Zhaoqing. Of course Li Zhaoqing understood what they meant, thinking in his heart, as long as the battle is won, everything will be easy to deal with, but what do you do with the luggage?However, it is very difficult to replenish the baggage and lose the battle.It seems that this should also be said earlier, but it is very difficult to word. It was too much to think about, so he braced himself and replied: "As long as the two princes are in charge, how can I say it. I will just convey the meaning of the two princes." Both Liu and Guo were satisfied with his answer.After Li Zhaoqing was sent to the hotel to rest, they talked about the detailed plan of Liliang's attack.Liu Mingchuan has traveled thousands of miles in the past three years, and he has a very deep impression that he must rely on the help of the common people in battle. The common people are willing to help, well-informed, and caught off guard everywhere, otherwise they will always fall behind the Nian army.In fact, the common people were not helping the Nian army, they just stood by and watched, and the officers and soldiers became isolated.Therefore, during this period of time, he has strictly enforced military discipline and prohibited harassment. Now that he is planning to abandon the luggage, it is better to give it to the common people. "That's a good idea!" Guo Songlin strongly agreed, "But it has to be done practically, so that no one can be satisfied." "The one who dared to be satisfied, I shot him dead." They kept talking like this late into the night, the two had a harmonious relationship, and both felt that the success of the Nine-Turn Pill was right in front of them.The conversation was speculative, and the time was forgotten, until the cold rooster sang, Guo Songlin stood up and said goodbye. "Zimei!" Liu Mingchuan grabbed him, pointed to the treasures on the table and said, "These things are not easy to come by. I want to share them with everyone to show my heart. Two pairs of purses, Pan, Yang, Shan , Wen, one each, and the remaining two, let you choose first." The rest was a small knife with a white jade handle for eating meat, and a suede scythe bag for lighting fire. Guo Songlin felt disrespectful, so he reached out and took a scythe bag, "I want this thing!" He said, "My dry pipe , it is a rare square bamboo, a jade mouth, cost me two hundred taels, and it is even more exquisite when paired with this thing." "Okay, you want it." Seeing his red eyes, Liu Mingchuan said again: "But I advise you to smoke less, you are too angry!" "What does it have to do with smoking?" Guo Songlin said with a wry smile. So what's the deal?Looking at Guo Songlin's strong body, Liu Mingchuan suddenly understood.The generals of the Hunan Army have a bit of Zeng Guofan's morality, and their lives are relatively simple and self-contained. .This time he came back to lead the army, aiming to avenge his humiliation, so he is quite willing to work hard, but his talent is extraordinary, and he may be like the legendary Ji Xiaolan, who sleeps alone overnight and feels uncomfortable, so he has to find a way for him. There is such a thought in the heart, but there is no need to say it.After sending Guo Songlin away, Liu Mingchuan drank alone under the lamp, thinking over Li Zhaoqing's intention for coming and the plan for the Liliang decisive battle, and found that something was wrong. This thing is to give up luggage to show the benefit of the people.If the poor were scattered on the spot with surplus food and extra military uniforms, it would indeed win some applause in these cold days, but the people in the nearby counties would definitely come upon hearing the news, and it would cause chaos.Moreover, the Nian army was full of cunning, and they might mix in with the common people and take the opportunity to make a surprise attack. The situation at that time would be unimaginable. He decided to change a method, and immediately found a material officer, ordered two tables of wine to be prepared the next night, and then prepared a post to invite all the gentlemen who were holding group exercises from nearby villages.At the same time, he also explained that the committee members sent by Liangtai to the front line had urgent business to do. The committee member sent by Liangtai to the Ming Army Camp is an alternate magistrate from a miscellaneous background. His surname is Wu, and he is extremely capable. Come and see. Seeing him shivering from the cold, Liu Mingchuan asked him to have a drink together, and Wu Zhifu only said, "Don't dare, dare not, please use it yourself, Commander." "You're welcome! We're all brothers in the camp, so sit down and talk." "Yes!" Magistrate Wu sat down first, and poured a glass of wine for Liu Mingchuan with the pot first. "This trip must kill Lai Wenguang and his gang. I have already discussed with Guo Junmen, and I don't plan to ask for luggage. Don't worry, it's not your responsibility." "Yes! With the commander in charge, what am I afraid of?" Wu Zhifu thought to himself that it would be good to not have to worry about luggage. He was happy and poured another glass of wine for Liu Mingchuan. "However, don't be too happy!" Liu Mingchuan said with a smile, "You don't need to have luggage, but you have to eat.You have to find a way to drive out 50,000 catties of dry food within three days! " Prefect Wu was in a dilemma, but he didn't show it on the surface. After some calculations, he replied with a smile: "I want to ask the commander-in-chief for one more day." "Okay, it's just four days," Liu Mingchuan said again, "One more thing, Guo Junmen didn't bring his aunt this time, seeing that his eyes are red these two days, you have to find a way to defeat him!" "That's easy, leave it to me, and make sure it's done." "Okay. Please do it early tomorrow morning!" "Yes! I'm asking the commander-in-chief for leave." Prefect Wu got up to say hello, and retreated. The next morning, the prefect of Wu brought people into the city to buy dry food. Liu Mingchuan invited Guo Songlin to inspect the defense all the way. By the way, he told him the purpose of inviting a nearby gentleman to dinner that night, and invited him to be the host together. "No need! It's the same if you come out alone." "Come on, come on! Listen to what they have to say." In order to inquire about the gangsters, Guo Songlin, who has always been unrestrained and afraid of socializing, went to the banquet after all.When the lights were on, guests came in an endless stream. They were called "gentlemen", and naturally they all had fame, but most of them were bought with money. After the township examination, it is only for the sake of going to the hall. When you meet the county magistrate, you don't have to kneel and kowtow.The two most respectable gentlemen among them were a civil servant and a martial artist. The literary one was a juren who had been an academic officer in Zhejiang, and his surname was Zhao;In terms of official position, the surname is Li Gao, but that one is a Juren, with a different background, so even the two masters of the first-rank official look at him differently, calling him "Mr. Zhao" and regard him as the head. The guests who went to the banquet were all on their minds, "There is no good banquet, no good meeting", and the two "admirals" posted a post to invite you to eat. Is this meal easy to swallow? So everyone discussed at Li Tongzhi's house for a long time beforehand, pooled two thousand silver as a "charcoal respect", and recommended Mr. Zhao to give it away. After three rounds of drinking, he coughed, took out the two red envelopes, got up and left the table, to present. Liu Mingchuan was very calm. Although he knew what was going on, he had to wait until he opened his mouth to speak, but Guo Songlin, who was the host at the other table, couldn't help it, and asked loudly, "Hey, Mr. Zhao, what are you doing? " "Returning to the two adults, the nearby desolate and cold villages are fortunately sheltered, and they have prepared a little respect for them. Please accept them." “哎呀，真窝囊死了！”郭松林把眉毛眼睛都邹在一起，“省三！你快跟大家说了吧！” “赵老师请坐！”又好笑，又好气的刘铭传，叫戈什哈把愕然不知所措的赵老师扶回席上，说明了以辎重相赠的本意，接着又声明：“不过目前还不能散发，等我们把这一仗打下来，留着那些粮秣被服，请各位为地方办善后。今天备一杯水酒，先向各位说一下，心里有个数，好早早筹划。我再拍胸向各位说一句：“要不了十天工夫，寿光就看不见一个捻匪了。 " 这番话出口，被邀的客人，无不大感意外，那李同知人极能干，随即高声说道：“两位大人真正是爱民如子，忧民如伤。赵老师，我们得要为地方叩谢两位大人的恩德。” "Should, should!" 客人都站了起来，赵老师和李同知走到下方替两位主人磕头，刘、郭二人逊谢不遑。乱过一阵，各回席次，刘铭传乘机提出要求，不得收留捻军，不得供给捻军粮食，不得把官军的情形泄漏给捻军！各人守住自己的圩子，不与捻军打交道，如果发现大股捻军，随时来报告，以便出队攻剿。 他说一句，大家答应一声，看得出是各人真心愿意听从。郭松林十分高兴，也十分佩服刘铭传，这一手干得很漂亮。 宾主尽欢而散，只有李同知一个人留了下来，说有机密奉陈。刘铭传便把他和郭松林邀入卧室，关起门来密谈。 “有句话，本来我怕惹麻烦不敢说，两位大人局量如此宽宏，我想说了也不要紧。”李同知说到这里停了下来，要看他们两人的意思再作道理。 “不妨！”刘铭传鼓励着他：“你尽管实说。” “是这样，有人传来一句话——这个人也不必说了，反正决非通匪，说李允有意投降。我不知他这话真假，而且也不敢干预戎机，所以没有理他。如果两位大人觉得不妨一谈，那条线我还可以接得上。” “李允？”刘铭传看着郭松林沉吟，似乎不知道怎么说才好。 郭松林是恨极了捻军，也极不相信捻军，但这里凡事到底要听刘铭传作主，所以虽不赞成，也不开口。 “李允跟赖汶光是曾九帅下金陵以后，一起投捻的，这两个什么'王爷'都快五十岁的人了，跑也跑不动，是也该投降了。不过，”刘铭传问道，“赖汶光怎么样呢？” 这句话，前几天“接线”的人来，李同知就曾问过。据说赖汶光决不投降，尤其不肯投降李鸿章，因为李鸿章克复苏州，用程学启的计谋，招降伪纳王郜云官，杀了伪慕王谭绍光，开齐门迎降。结果那些“王爷”、“天将”，为程学启关闭营门，杀得光光，有此一段往事，赖汶光宁死不降。但程学启杀降，李鸿章纵非指使，亦是默成，所以淮军颇讳言其事。李同知知道这个忌讳，当然不肯说实话。 “赖汶光如何，倒未听见说起。” 如果赖汶光肯投降，刘铭传倒愿作考虑。李允虽也是东捻中的一个头目，却无甚作用，垂成之功，刘铭传不愿多生枝节，而且也知道郭松林决不赞成。不过官军总应该予匪贼以自新之路，有人投诚，拒而不纳，这话传出去不好听，所以他便用了一条“缓兵之计”。 “这样，拜托你老兄跟前途联络一下看，赖汶光怎么说法？ 最好一起过来。 " “是！”李同知也看出来了，刘铭传并无诚意，便站起身预备告辞。 “老兄等一等！”刘铭传很郑重地告诫他说，“这件事就我们三个人知道。同时，传话过去的时候，请你也不必说得太肯定。” 李同知一番热心，至此消失无余，根本不会再去传什么话，接什么线。所以连声答应：“遵命，遵命！” 他是走了，郭松林却有些担心，怕李同知跟捻军有什么勾结。刘铭传说他不敢，安慰了几句，一个劲催他早早回去休息。