Chapter 66 Jade Seat Bead Curtain (21-1)

Therefore, in the middle of the night, Meng Huiji, the chief eunuch of the internal affairs office, came to knock on the gate of the Changchun Palace, but the eunuch who was sitting on watch refused to open it, and said through the door: "The door will open in one hour, and the yellow box will be delivered later." Come." "This is Jiang Ning's '600 Li speed up' note, who is to blame for the delay?" Meng Huiji replied loudly outside the door: "You talk to someone who is worthy of you, and I will leave." This time, the eunuch sitting watch had to open the door.After receiving the yellow box, I didn't dare to look at it, and I didn't dare to ask, so I sent it directly to the bedroom, so the maids there were embarrassed.

"I just fell asleep for a while, and I didn't dare to call." "You can figure it out! I'll leave it to you." The eunuch said, "I advise you to call for it! At worst, you will be scolded, and the business will be delayed, so it will be more than just a scolding." Thinking about it right, the maid held the yellow box, knelt down in front of the bed, and softly called out: "Master, master!" The voice became louder and louder, and Empress Dowager Cixi woke up after shouting seven or eight times, and asked in the tent, "What are you doing?"

"There is an urgent memorial." "Is it from Gansu?" In the opinion of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the memorial sent by the internal affairs office at this time must be the most important military newspaper. I don't know whether Zuo Zongtang won the battle or lost the battle. That city fell?So ask it this way. "They said it was from Jiang Ning." Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager Cixi woke up suddenly, sat up abruptly, and shouted again and again: "Hurry up and get the lamp, hurry up and get the lamp!" Opening the tent door and opening the yellow box, the Empress Dowager Cixi hurriedly looked at the title on the "stamp" of the seal under the light. Seeing that it was General Jiang Ning, she gasped and said to herself: "It's broken! Zeng Guofan There is a vacancy!"

For memorials outside Beijing, only when the city is restored or lost, or if the governor, general, admiral, academic and political officer is absent, or Ding You is allowed to use the "six hundred miles to speed up" to play.Jiangnan is safe and sound, but if someone else is vacant, Zeng Guofan must play. Now that Jiang Ning is holding the title, it can be seen that the governor of Liangjiang must be vacant. Wouldn't it be the same as Ma Xinyi?The Empress Dowager Cixi murmured in her heart like this, and at the same time opened the package with an ivory paper knife, and it turned out that Zeng Guofan was dead. Of course, he was not stabbed, but died of illness—a stroke in the afternoon on the fourth day of February. passed away.

"Alas!" The Empress Dowager Cixi sighed, and two lines of hot tears rolled down her face. The court ladies turned pale, but no one dared to speak out to persuade her. They just wrung out a hot towel to wipe her face, and squeezed their eyes as hard as they could, hoping to squeeze out two tears, so as to accompany the "master" in grief. Empress Dowager Cixi asked someone to send the zhezi to Zhongcui Palace.The Empress Dowager Ci'an thought of Zeng Guofan's many benefits. He had done so much and became such a great official, but he never enjoyed a single day of blessing.For the sake of the Tianjin teaching case, he took the overall situation into consideration, refused to start a quarrel, and was scolded countless times. Thinking about how wronged he was, he couldn't help crying.

At this time, the outside also got the news, the news came from the difference between the two rivers, the Titang officer in Jiangning stationed in Beijing sent a letter to Shen Guifen, Minister of the Ministry of War, so the Minister of Military Aircraft knew all about it.This was a pillar that broke the imperial court and was enough to affect the overall situation. Knowing that King Gong was anxious to discuss the "contingency" with everyone, they all rushed into the palace. "I didn't expect such a mess!" Prince Gong said with a sad face, "Where can we find such a man with high expectations, sitting in the southeast?"

"My lord," Shen Guifen was the calmest person, reminding him: "We'll 'meet' later, and we have to come up with a whole set of methods. At this moment, we have to prioritize and discuss each one." "Let's talk!" Prince Gong nodded, "My heart is a little confused. What to talk about first, you guys say!" "Let's talk about the Shi Code first." Wen Xiang said, "The first is of course the posthumous code." The posthumous posthumous title is the responsibility of the cabinet, and Wen Xiang is the only person present here who is the co-organizer of the university, so Prince Gong replied: "Of course you should speak."

Needless to say, the first one is the word "Wen"; the second "must be the words Zhong, Xiang, Gong, and Duan. However," Wen Xiang turned his gaze around, and said slowly: "There is a word that the cabinet dare not draw up, it depends on Liu Ye's intention." Everyone understands what he said, Wen Xiang refers to the word "positive".The posthumous posthumous title of "Wenzheng" must be based on a special purpose, and the cabinet drafted it, but the word "loyalty" is the highest.Wen Xiang suggested that King Gong should play in person, and the posthumous posthumous title is "Wen Zheng".

"That's fine. But the cabinet procedure has to be done first. I'll make a statement and send it right away." Therefore, on the one hand, Zhang Jing, the military aircraft, prepared the cabinet of Wenzhi, and asked to draw up the posthumous memorial report, while continuing to discuss the sympathy code.The main thing is the method of posthumous posthumous title, since the posthumous posthumous title is "Wenzheng", naturally everything is favored, and it is decided to posthumously present the Tai Tuo, give a shirt according to the university scholar's rule, and reward three thousand taels of silver for funerals.Give an altar for sacrifices, and please send imperial guards to offer sacrifices.In addition, entering the Zhaozhong Temple and Xianliang Temple of the capital, establishing special temples in the original place and meritorious status, biography of the historical relics, publicizing and paying the history museum, and all punishments during the lifetime, all of which are completely restored, are all graces that must be given as usual.As for the descendants of Jia En Zeng Guofan, that is the second step.

When it comes to successor candidates, there is a lot of hesitation.The governor of Liangjiang is the first thing that needs to be lacking. Prestige, integrity, and talent are indispensable.Wen Xiang was afraid that some people would be active in Beijing and cause some trouble in vain, so first of all, he said that the situation in Liangjiang is different, and those who have been foreign officials for a long time and are familiar with local government affairs are not competent. King Gong agreed with him.All major moves, after these two people decide, are considered to be decided.So starting from the governors, Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, was first proposed. This is certainly a suitable candidate, but what about the absence of the governor of Zhili?Moreover, Li Hongzhang, as a "Minister Plenipotentiary", was negotiating with Japanese Foreign Minister Maemitsu Yanagihara in Tianjin to sign the "Repair Regulations" and "Commercial Regulations", and in fact he could not withdraw.Similarly, Shaanxi and Gansu are using troops, and Zuo Zongtang is definitely not considering transfer.In addition, the conduct of Zi Wang Enough is not good, and people are also depressed.Wu Tang, governor of Sichuan, and Rui Lin, governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, must not be transferred to Liangjiang. Besides, the governors of Sichuan and Guangdong are also vacancies, and it is better to be quiet than to move.

So the topic moved to the governor.People have the same heart and the same reason, they always think of Ding Baozhen, Governor of Shandong Province first, but the first thought is like this, and then they don't want to speak easily. While looking at each other and pondering, I saw the former imperial minister Boyan Namoqian appearing at the gate of the Military Aircraft Office, because he is also a prince, so even Prince Gong stood up, he had no time to exchange greetings, and hurriedly bowed , Then he said to Prince Gong: "The higher-ups asked: Zeng Guofan died in office, should he withdraw the introduction? How many days?" "Ah!" Prince Gong was reminded, looked at Wen Xiang and asked, "Should we stop court? And one day seems not enough." "It should be three days." "Since it's three days," Shen Guifen said, "the case that should be closed must be rushed today!" "That's right." Boyan Nemo said, "The higher-ups are about to wake up, everyone, go in!" This caused everyone to be in a hurry. While conveying the decree, the "introduction" was withdrawn, and the officials who were waiting to be summoned in each yamen went back to wait for the decree. At the same time, they urged Zhang Jing, the military aircraft, to sort out all the cases that had to be concluded.On the contrary, they forgot about the major event that they were discussing, the successor of the governor of Liangjiang. Before the work here is over, the Hall of Mental Cultivation has issued an order to "call up" and is about to leave the military plane. Prince Gong waved his hand and said, "Wait a minute, who is going to Liangjiang? We still have to talk first." "It's too late now. Follow the rules first, and then we'll talk about the next step." Wen Xiang added, "We have to discuss it carefully, and it's not appropriate to settle the matter easily today." Prince Gong stood still, pondered for a while, then suddenly raised his head and said : "Okay! Let's go!" When I arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, I saw that the empress dowagers of the two palaces and the emperor had red eye circles, and the monarchs and ministers looked at each other, feeling infinitely sad. Empress Dowager Cixi sighed and said, "Oh! The fate of the country is not good!" This sentence had a lot of meaning behind it, and King Gong didn't dare to say anything. He just played Chen Zeng Guofan's sympathy code and mentioned the law of posthumous posthumous title. The meritorious service in the country should be posthumous; the respect for righteous learning and pure conduct should be posthumous; but the ministers and others felt that these three words, which one is not enough to describe Zengmou's life. Would you like to invite the two empress dowagers and The emperor's kindness is exceptional, and the ministers dare not act rashly." In fact, this is the special posthumous title of "Wenzheng", but the wording must be so insidious. The empress dowagers of the two palaces understood what he meant, but the emperor didn't quite understand, so he asked: "Does it mean that the posthumous posthumous name is 'Wenzheng'?" "The emperor is holy." "I thought of it too!" The Empress Dowager Cixi did not allow the emperor to ask any more questions, and immediately followed Prince Gong's words, "Zeng Guofan is worthy of a "Zhengzi", just give him 'Wenzheng'." "Yes!" Prince Gong said again, "How to bestow kindness on Zeng's descendants, we will ask for an order after checking the report." "Okay!" The Empress Dowager Cixi thought for a while and asked again: "Did Zeng Guofan have any unfulfilled wishes before his death? Just ask, if the imperial court can replace him, let's do it for him!" "The two empress dowagers are so considerate. Zeng must be grateful to God when he is under the Nine Springs." Prince Gong added, "The governor of Henan, Qian Dingming, is in Beijing. He has worked for Zeng Guofan for many years. He must know what Zeng Guofan's wish is. Is it? Wait for the minister to come to him to ask for clarification, and then ask for another order." "Zeng Guofan's leave, I'm afraid it will take two days to arrive." Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "I don't know who he protected to take over the two rivers?" This question, since the time of King Gong, everyone admires in their hearts that the Empress Dowager Cixi is really skilled in political affairs, so she can think of neglecting and promoting virtuous people.However, "Zeng Guofan suffered from apoplexy," said Prince Gong, "I can't have the time to calmly make a will. The bequest must have been drawn up by his shogunate. Besides, according to Zeng Guofan's character, he has always been unwilling to interfere with the power of the court to employ people. Therefore, my minister It is asserted that he will not guarantee anyone to pick up Liangjiang." "Then, who will pick him up? This is a first-class important place, and we must find a first-class talent." "Yes! The two rivers are the lifeblood of the country. People who are not prestige and talented can't do it. I just discussed for a long time, but I couldn't find a suitable person among the current governors. I want to slowly find one among the governors." "How is Ding Baozhen?" Unexpectedly, it was the Empress Dowager Cixi who mentioned this person first!Even the Empress Dowager Ci'an was surprised.Ever since An Dehai fell in love, when she mentioned Ding Baozhen, she always said that he knew the general idea and was willing to do things with sincerity. Everyone always thought that she was deliberately pretentious, and never took her words seriously.Looking at it now, it was a real appreciation!This generosity is really rare. Because of this, it is unavoidable to be slightly surprised.When Prince Gong was meditating, he saw Bao Jun on the opposite side shaking his hands under the sleeves of the horseshoe, which meant to express his opposition, but he didn't know the reason for his opposition?It became even more impossible to answer. "Bao Yun!" The Empress Dowager Cixi noticed his movements, "Do you have something to say?" "Yes!" Bao Jun got Prince Gong's permission from the wink, and was about to make a speech, but just said: "The big wedding ceremony, there is an incident in Liangjiang..." He immediately interrupted for Empress Dowager Cixi. "Ah! This won't work!" This means that Ding Baozhen is not suitable to be the governor of Liangjiang.The expenses for the wedding ceremony are called one million taels of silver allocated by the Ministry of Household Affairs. In fact, under the big hat of "the emperor is rich all over the world", all provinces have contributed, or it is Le Pai. Liangjiang and Liangguang are rich places. The most dispatched is not to send cash, but to purchase items to help the wedding, which is called "passing events".In Liangguang, what was "revealed" was woodware and foreign goods, while in Liangjiang, what was "rewarded" was "satin for reward". "Satin Horses for Reward" has opened three orders in total, worth two million taels of silver, and they are negotiating at this time.And Ding Baozhen has always been known for his vigor and honesty. If he is transferred to Liangjiang, he will not be able to do his best in the "passing" incident, and he will evade it, and he will not be careful.Therefore, Bao Yun, who is the Minister of the Household Department, had to worry about it in advance, and the Empress Dowager Cixi also had to change her mind. "Where's Shen Baozhen?" Empress Dowager Ci'an said, "Isn't Ding You about to expire?" Of course, this is also a qualified candidate, but, "Shen Baozhen and Zeng Guofan are at odds." Prince Gong said hesitantly, "It seems not suitable." "It's inappropriate." The Empress Dowager Ci'an retracted her opinion: "I didn't think of it." Only Anhui Governor Yinghan came down.Among the bannermen, he was considered the best, and the empress dowagers of the two palaces also valued him very much.However, he has been an official in Anhui. Although he is very familiar with Liangjiang, he has no deep connection with the Hunan Army. He may become Ma Xinyi's second, so he is not an ideal candidate. This doesn't work, and that doesn't work either. He Jing, the governor of Jiangsu, is the only thing in front of him, which is a matter of course.The empress dowagers of the two palaces accepted Prince Gong's suggestion, and then issued an order. There are two edicts, one is to mourn Zeng Guofan's death; the other is to send He Jing, the governor of Jiangsu, to act as the governor of Liangjiang.After the ruling by the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces, it was immediately sent to the cabinet for Mingfa, which immediately shocked the government and the public, and was too busy for those officials who were good at making money.If it's a short game, then who is going to take over the two rivers?If you can report the good news before the edict is issued, it is a step forward. If you have no origin, you can also get a letter from an adult "Eight Elements" early, and you will be able to get there first. As a result of inquiring, Prince Gong did nothing but look for one person, and this person was Qian Dingming, Governor of Henan.With his prestige, it is absolutely impossible to be promoted to Governor of Liangjiang, but he is a well-known capable person, and has always been appreciated by Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang, so some people speculate that he will be transferred from Henan to Jiangsu.Needless to say, the current governor of Jiangsu, He Jing, acting as Governor Jiang is a long-term bureau.He Jing, whose name is Xiaosong, is from Xiangshan, Guangdong, and he has to find his way from his fellow villagers in Guangdong.Of course, Qian Dingming was right in front of him, and seeking distance was better than seeking proximity, so the Jiangsu Guild Hall where he stayed suddenly became lively. Qian Dingming himself didn't know anything about it, this day was "Hua Dynasty", he accepted the invitation of the Beijing official from his hometown, and drove his donkey out of Xibianmen early in the morning to visit Xinghua at the "Badachu of Xishan".The servant who stayed in the guild hall heard that Prince Gong was waiting to meet him at the military plane, so he immediately rushed to Xishan with his clothes bag, and found Qian Dingming. After telling the story, he knew that Zeng Guofan died in office. The kindness made him have to face the wind and snow.After finally being persuaded by the fellow travelers to stop crying, he rushed into the city and stopped at a hotel in Xihuamen for a while, and asked people to go in to inquire, saying that Prince Gong had not returned to his residence, so he immediately changed his official uniform , to meet at the military plane. There was a lot of sorrow when we met each other. Qian Dingming heard that he had been out of court for three days and was given the posthumous title of "Wenzheng". "Tiaofu," Prince Gong finally got to the point: "The two empress dowagers still have kindness to Marquis Zeng. You also came out of his shogunate. Do you know what unfulfilled wishes Marquis Zeng had during his lifetime? If it can be fulfilled, I would like to ask for grace. " This level of relationship is very important, Qian Dingming first agreed: "Yes!" Then after thinking about it for a while, Fang Shi replied: "Zeng Wenzheng didn't admire glory and profit, and he took fullness as a precept during his lifetime, so he was named 'Qiu Que'. If you say that he has shortcomings, it is Ji Hong, the second son, who has not been elected yet." "Have you ever been in school? How old is this year?" "It's an epiphyte who just entered school." Qian Dingming thought for a while and said, "Ji Hong is twenty-five this year." "It's easy." Prince Gong nodded and replied, "But I can only give him one Juren, and I will try it all. If it is not enough, give him another one. How many grandchildren does Zeng Wenzheng have?" "Three. They are all from Ji Hong." Qian Dingming said, "The eldest grandson is called Guangjun." "It's all waiting for He Xiaosong to investigate and report." Prince Gong looked at the other military ministers and asked, "What do you want to ask Tiaofu?" "Zeng Wenzheng has passed, we can talk about something." Wen Xiang asked, "How about Huang Changqi?" Huang Changqi is Huang Yisheng, the admiral of the Yangtze River Navy. He has a different relationship with the Zeng family. Huang Yisheng's wife regards Mrs. Zeng as her adoptive mother, which is considered a good family relationship.If Zeng Guofan had a "private person", it was Huang Yisheng.So when Qian Dingming heard Wen Xiang's question, he knew that there was a lot to be said for it, and he didn't dare to answer rashly. "Please Wen Zhongtang's instructions, are you referring to Huang Changqi's side?" "Of course it's about his army." Wen Xiang added, "Tiaofu, there's nothing to defend here, and there's no need to be afraid of taking any responsibility." These two sentences made Qian Dingming alarmed with horror, and realized that the military plane is a place where great government comes out, so every word must be true.And his own name is to invite, which is actually equivalent to subpoena to testify. If he tells the truth, he has no responsibility. Therefore, his answer was very cautious, "Huang Changqi's lack of tolerance in governing the army is well known to everyone." He said, "However, Wen Zhongtang knew that the Navy was first established to install meritorious generals." He felt that the following wording It's not easy, so I just stopped talking. "Contributors belong to meritorious service, and generals are generals after all." Wen Xiang's words fully revealed his dissatisfaction with the generals of the Yangtze River Navy: "For meritorious service, the court has long been rewarded, but generals have to abide by discipline. Zeng Hou was in Japan, If you can still restrain this generation, I’m afraid it will be very difficult in the future.” Qian Dingming heard the wind, Huang Yisheng's admiral is unreliable!However, it is not easy to move him. If you act too hastily, maybe someone will become Ma Xinyi's second.However, I had to keep this thought in my heart, to see if there was nothing else to say, and when Prince Gong brought the tea bowl, he got up and kowtowed to say goodbye.The prince has a dignified etiquette, just like the prime ministers in Tang and Song Dynasties, "excellent etiquette". Prince Gong sat down and received his head, but otherwise was very modest, and sent him to the gate of the military plane before he turned around and entered. "Let's go home first." Prince Gong yawned, "Fortunately, I will not go to court for three days, and I won't have to enter the palace tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will eat at my place at noon. With these two days, let's settle the situation between the two rivers." took it." Having said that, Wen Xiang was worried about state affairs and did not dare to take time off. That night, he went to Jianyuan again to have a detailed talk with Prince Gong.He has wanted to rectify the Yangtze River Navy for a long time.It has been two years since Ma Xinyi was assassinated, and the truth is gradually revealed, although we still don't know who the real mastermind is?But it can be determined that it must be those "meritorious generals", and there are also those who surrendered to the Nian army, such as the collusion of Li Shizhong and others.At the same time, because of repeated grievances and concessions due to the Tianjin teaching case, in the end, they are inferior to others. Those who understand military affairs have such a view that they can still deal with foreigners on land, but when it comes to sea, they are not sure at all.Now we are focusing on Westernization with all our strength, building our own ships and guns, and gradually achieving success. However, if the Yangtze River Navy is still so corrupt, even though it has a strong armor, its soldiers are still at a disadvantage.In the past, it was only because Zeng Guofan was in the southeast, and Huang Yisheng was invisible to protect Huang Yisheng, and it was inconvenient to change the situation. Now it is a good opportunity to rectify, and it happens to be discussed with the candidate for Governor of Liangjiang, so as to save "hands and feet and double actions". "That's true." Prince Gong thought deeply, "But who do we ask to rectify it?" "Of course it's Peng Xueqin." The only seniors in the navy are Yang Yuebin and Peng Yulin.Yang Yuebin disarmed and returned to the fields, he had long since given up the idea of ​​coming back.Peng Yulin was allowed to return to his hometown of Hengyang by order in the eighth year of Wenzhi, and made up for his dead mother to wear filial piety clothes for three years. He has never been vacant as a servant of the military department.Moreover, he and Zeng Guofan jointly formulated the regulations for the Yangtze River Navy. He knew the purpose clearly, and only he could talk about the word "rectification". "That's good!" Prince Gong readily agreed, "This time Governor Jiang's responsibilities are lightened, and it's easy to find people. Why don't we just let He Xiaosong do the work." "That's what I mean too. At least it's not too late to discuss it after the wedding ceremony." When it came to the big wedding, Wen Xiang couldn't help frowning, and sighed, expressing that after ten years of hard work, Fang was a bit advocating simplicity and working hard to govern. The atmosphere of extravagance, the ups and downs, the country's affairs are getting worse day by day. When it comes to the insatiable greed of the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wen Xiang is very indignant, panting out of breath, showing signs of decline.When Prince Gong saw it, his heart sank. Zeng Guofan outside Beijing and Wen Xiang in the court seemed to him to be the two pillars supporting the overall situation. If one pillar was broken, how could another one be broken?So I tried my best to persuade him, anger hurts the liver, don't take everything too seriously, loyal ministers serve the country, and cherish this body first.He also said that Zeng Guofan was too frugal, and he had to do everything himself, so that he could not enjoy the old age. Although he did his best, he died without regret, but the deceased would regret it later. Wen Xiang felt the same way, but he couldn't heed Prince Gong's advice.He still talked a lot that night, from foreign affairs to military training, he didn't care about anything, and he didn't take anything seriously.Prince Gong didn't want him to be too tiring, he urged him to go home again and again, and finally left at the fourth watch. At noon the next day, the Minister of Military Aircraft was invited to attend the luncheon held by Prince Gong.It is rare for him not to enter the palace for a few days a year. Prince Gong deliberately wants to be at ease, so he takes out his collection of calligraphy and painting inscriptions, ancient inkstones and famous inkstones, and appreciates them together.Reluctantly, even though the Chang Dynasty stopped, all the yamen were doing business as usual, and the ministers of military affairs all had their own duties in the department. My eyes were full of surprises. After a lot of difficulty, a large group of officials were sent away, and Su Ke sat at the table, drinking wine and talking about business.Prince Gong explained the method agreed with Wen Xiang. Shen Guifen, Minister of the Ministry of War, first expressed his approval, but thought that there was no need to embarrass Huang Yisheng too much. Everything should be made after Peng Yulin's on-site inspection. "Then let Peng Xueqin go to Beijing after finishing the matter, and discuss everything face to face." So two days later, according to King Gong's wishes, he drew up a draft of the decree, made a judgment in person, and sent it to the court separately: "The establishment of a naval division on the Yangtze River was negotiated by Zeng Guofan and others. The battalion system was quite thorough. However, it is a pioneering work. It is thousands of miles along the river and the land is dense. If you don't pay attention to it, you may fear that the campers will follow the story and gradually relax. Huang Yisheng Responsibility is undeniable, and there is nothing to shrug it off. We must pay more attention to inspections at any time, so that all battalions under them will abide by the rules, practice more frequently, and focus on Jiangjiang defense. Peng Yulin, the former Minister of the Ministry of War, is the first-hand manager of the Yangtze River Navy. He is well organized and the situation is the worst. Familiar with me, the servant returned to his hometown for treatment due to illness, and according to reports, when he got home, there was an emergency, or he went to Jiangwan to take care of it together. , The sickness has been cured, Wang Wenshao, governor of Hunan Province, informs Peng Yulin, and immediately goes to the Jiangwan area, inspects the battalions of the navy along the river, and makes arrangements with Huang Yisheng. Report everything face to face. And the date of departure, first report." In this edict, I intentionally did not say that Peng Yulin would go back to Hengyang to follow the rules, because Prince Gong attached so much importance to the three-year mourning to the Han people that there was no room for negotiation. Mancai was willing to come out of the mountain, so he simply ignored it. When the imperial edict arrived in Jiangning, it was at the time when he was doing the funeral for Zeng Guofan vigorously. When the tree fell, he immediately saw the color, thinking of the grace of the shade, the old Hunan Army, and became more and more sad. Ai Rong behind Zeng Guofan was unprecedented before the Qing Dynasty.The high position of salary and the prosperity of meritorious deeds are still second. The main reason is that his old officials and disciples are all over the world.One of the governors is Ruilin from Guangdong and Guangxi, and one of the governors is Cen Yuying from Yunnan. , and traveled to Jiangning to express condolences. The governor's special envoy, the first to arrive in Jiangning was Shi Jiyuan, the deputy general of the Supervising Biaozhong Army sent by Zhili Governor Li Hongzhang, who sent a pair of elegiac couplets and a gift of two thousand taels of silver.According to his will, Zeng Jize accepted the elegiac couplet and was not subject to arrogance.That pair of elegiac couplets, the upper couplet is "Thirty years of teacher, passed on the fire, built a house and grew up as a family", openly pretending to be the successor of Zeng Guofan's mantle, but the second couplet is not in the tone of a disciple, "The power is ninety thousand miles, the inner It's rare to find a talent in the world when you are in peace outside." He cherishes the people for the sake of the common people and takes up the position of prime minister. However, what made Zeng Guofan's family and staff feel most gratified was the elegiac couplet written by Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu: "Knowing people's wisdom and seeking loyalty to the country, I am ashamed to be inferior to Yuanfu; one heart is like gold, attacking mistakes is like stone, and there is no failure to meet each other." In the first two sentences, Zeng Guofan sent Liu Songshan to help Zuo Zongtang because of his military service in Shaanxi and Gansu. Not as good as Yuanfu" six characters, which shows the meaning of admiration.The second line explains that discord in the past is nothing more than a dispute between gentlemen and does not hinder personal friendship.Everyone thinks that Zuo Zongtang paid tribute like this, Zeng Guofan is dead and alive, and under the nine springs, he should also be careful. The date of opening the crane has been discussed for a long time.Because the hanging is a "funeral", the filial son carries the coffin back to his hometown, he has to go by water, towed by the navy's gunboat, and can only start when the spring water is in full bloom. At the same time, the whole family returns to Hunan, and there are many trivial housework to take care of. So set it on April 16th.The elegiac couplets hung from the mourning hall to the east and west gates, only one pair was never hung, and that was the pair sent by Wang Kaiyun of Xiangtan. Wang Kaiyun was a great writer of his generation, but he was unwilling to be included in "Biography of the Scholars" or "Biography of Wenyuan" after his death. He is a man who is full of power and pride, and he thinks he can help others become kings and hegemons.This character is very suitable for Sushun's appetite, so he is regarded as a guest of honor, but Zeng Guofan, who is cautious and self-reliant, will never dare to use him.Zeng Guofan recruited talents, fearing that he would not be able to catch up. He was the only one who felt that Wang Kai was a poor man, and he had always been a commoner and proud prince. Therefore, others praised Zeng Guofan, and only he expressed deep regret. It is a pity for Zeng Guofan's career and academics: "In my life, I have expected Huo Zimeng and Zhang Shuda to have different achievements in different generations, and I will only pass on the aspect; the study of classics is in Ji Hejian, and Ruan Yizheng is above. Why is it too early to die? Long Long The snake regrets the auditorium book!" This is to say that although Zeng Guofan wanted to learn from Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty and Zhang Juzheng of the Ming Dynasty, it is a pity that the times are different and the circumstances are different. However, there is no chance to carry on the past and open up the future like Huo Guang and Zhang Juzheng, who can cover the whole situation. The second couplet uses Zheng Kangcheng's allusion, saying that Zeng Guofan's attainments in Confucian classics surpassed that of Ji Yun in the Qianlong period and Ruan Yuan in the Jiaqing period. Unfortunately, like Zheng Kangcheng, because "the age of the dragon and the snake is a sage", he is destined to die. It's too late to put him in the auditorium, reorganize the incomplete books, and benefit the future students.In other words, if Zeng Guofan could die a few years later, there must be some works on Confucian classics left behind.As far as the matter is concerned, this is the real elegiac couplet, but the Zeng family and their close relatives and friends don't think so, thinking that Wang Kaiyun's words are thorny. The majority view is that Wang Kaiyun's arguments are too harsh, almost ridiculed, and Zeng Guofan has neither professional career nor classic skills, so the meritorious service and speech of the "three immortals" have already come to nothing.How is this fair?There are also a few people who think that this elegiac couplet is so majestic and sincere that it is really a masterpiece, but the quality of the wording does not match the current scene, so it is inconvenient to say more. So we talked about the disposal of this pair of elegiac couplets. Of course they cannot be returned, but they must not be hung either. The only option is to put them on hold, and after the hanging is over, they will be incinerated together with thousands of other elegiac couplets. It was more than two months after the death of Zeng Guofan when the hanging was carried out. Brothers Zeng Jize and Ji Hong, after a little grief, were able to study and do business as usual.But Huang Yisheng was very sad, one was feeling the grace of Zeng Guofan's promotion and protection; the other was worried that Peng Yulin would act resolutely and resolutely if he came back, which was embarrassing!So what Rixi hopes is that Peng Yulin, who has always disliked being an official, "can't afford to lie down", that is the best luck. ※ ※ ※ Huang Yisheng was disappointed in the end. Wang Wenshao, governor of Hunan Province, received the imperial edict, immediately cleaned up his clothes, and sent a sedan chair to the countryside to pay homage to Peng Yulin.As an official, this person is famous for his smoothness, and he is even better at trying to figure out the world's sophistication.If it was someone else, he would have said "Congratulations" when he opened his mouth, but it was different for Peng Yulin, he would stamp his feet as soon as he met and said, "Xue Weng, I don't know who is more talkative, I won't let you stay with Meihua, you can be at ease." "Old Grandpa," Peng Yulin asked, "Where did you say that?" "Look!" He handed over the "Ting Ji" from the Military Aircraft Department. "So that's it! It's an unavoidable trouble." Hearing this, Wang Wenshao was relieved, but he still didn't dare to urge him, "It's cold in the spring, and it's not too late to start the journey when the weather gets warmer." He said, "The top is leaning on the ground, so I have to ask a strict order, and it's mine. Come to prevaricate Yun Weng." "Thank you for your kindness!" Peng Yulin clasped his hands and replied, "Leaving today, of course it is not necessary, but it should not be too late. We always leave in the middle of March, so please ask the old grandpa to repeat it." "Yes, yes! I will bow down tomorrow." "I want to ask my old grandfather about it." Peng Yulin pointed to "Ting Ji" and asked, "What is my identity as Jianyue Navy Master?" "That goes without saying, of course it is an imperial envoy!" Wang Wenshao said, "After the brief reading, 'Come to Beijing to see you quickly, and tell you everything', this is the imperial envoy returning to Beijing to return to his order. So in a few days, Xue Weng Rong will go, and I will serve the imperial envoy Follow the rules." "Don't dare, dare not, never dare to disturb the old grandfather." Peng Yulin said again, "I was ordered by the court to 'check the weekly calendar'. I started from Jingzhou and looked at each battalion after battalion. , then you can’t see anything.” "Having said that, the court system cannot be ignored." "No, no!" Peng Yulin hurriedly said, "Don't bother! There's absolutely no need for farewell or farewell. How about this, old grandpa, just say I'm going to leave on March 16th, or It doesn’t matter whether it’s sooner or later, it’s a day or two away. I won’t come to the office to bid farewell then.” Hearing this, Wang Wenshao was relieved, but he still said a lot of kind words.After leaving and returning to the city, I sent out another invitation card to invite Peng Yulin to dinner. Only one copy of the post was sent out, and there was no accompanying guest.When the cook heard the news, he came to the upper room to ask for instructions, how many guests to invite and what dishes to prepare?Wang Wenshao replied, absolutely not.Sure enough, Peng Yulin wrote back his sincere resignation, so there was no need to invite this table guest. On March 16th, Peng Yulin set off as scheduled, with a small boat, a Xi Tong, and two other trusted guards who had been following him all the way to the capital. A light boat, going north along the Xiangjiang River, just in time for the early arrival of the Xunfeng, the wind is full and the sails are full, crossing the vast expanse of turbulent Dongting Lake, and smoothly arriving at Yueyang, where "the morning sun is overcast and the evening is overcast". Yueyang is the place where the Hunan Army's naval division started. The Jinjiang River leads the lake, and the situation is critical. Chenglingji, eight miles north of the city, is the place where the Dongting Lake joins the four rivers of Hunan, Zi, Yuan, and Li, and flows into the Yangtze River. Although the town is small, Very lively.Peng Yulin came here quietly, took a little book boy ashore, found a teahouse, picked a table by the door, and sat down to drink tea.Seeing that he was wearing a half-new old gray cloth jacket and holding a Xiangfei bamboo pipe, he looked like an old pedant from Sanjia Village, and no one took him seriously. This is what Peng Yulin hoped for. He learned from his family, the story of the private visit of Peng Peng, the magistrate of Sanhe County, in the "Peng Gong case".Huang Yisheng's jurisdiction stretched from Jingzhou, Hubei to Chongming, Jiangsu, with a total length of more than 5,000 miles. It was divided into six areas and had five generals. It would take a long time to "review the weekly calendar".Peng Yulin was thinking in his heart that if he went west from Yueyang and inspected from Jingzhou from the beginning, he would be delayed again and again, so he couldn't arrive at Jiangning early.Therefore, I made such a plan to make a private visit to Yueyang Weifu to inquire about the situation of the Jingzhou navy. If the word of mouth is not bad, then I will let it go and sail east.Otherwise, it will be useless to spend time. Sitting in the middle of the day, I haven't heard anything yet, and just about to get up and go back to the boat, I saw pedestrians running away one after another, and then I heard the sound of horses' hoofs and footsteps, as if spring was eating leaves.Peng Yulin raised his head and saw that there were eight large sedan chairs, with horses in front of the sedan chair, and a small team behind the sedan chair. Four military officers with red and blue tops supported the sedan chair bars, and came slowly. The appearance was so impressive! Could it be that Li Hanzhang, governor of Huguang, went on a tour to Yueyang?Peng Yulin was hesitating, should he avoid it for a while, so as not to be inconvenient for Li Hanzhang to see his whereabouts in the sedan chair, but he had not finished thinking about it, and he had already seen through the details. So, besides Huang Yisheng, who else has such awe and prestige? He expected it right, he sat upright in the big sedan chair with eight lifts, and it was Huang Yisheng who looked at him with joy.Since he got the news of Peng Yulin's comeback, he immediately set off from Jiangning and went back to the west of the river. First, he wanted to warn the officers and soldiers of the water flooding divisions along the river that the broken ships should be repaired; , a little restraint; those who are not trained enough, hug the buddha's feet temporarily.The second is Zeng Guofan's coffin, which was towed back to Hunan by gunboats, escorted along the way, and happened to be deployed by himself.In this way, taking advantage of the east wind, he arrived in Yueyang three days ago, and sent a special messenger to the south to inquire about Peng Yulin's whereabouts. I didn't return from my special mission, I didn't expect to meet by chance.Huang Yisheng quickly ordered to stop, got out of the sedan chair, and rushed forward.The tea drinkers in the tea shop and the passers-by outside the tea shop were all surprised, wondering what this first-rank official with a red crown and flower feathers was going to do? "Gongbao! When did you arrive?" Huang Yisheng said while following the rules of his subordinates, greeting Peng Yulin on the street. This time, the idlers around were even more astonished!Can't figure out who this country old man is?Peng Yulin was very dissatisfied with Huang Yisheng's ostentation, but seeing what a thousand eyes saw, he would not save face for Huang Yisheng, but also save dignity for the court, so he said politely: "Please get up, please get up!" "Yes!" Huang Yisheng stood up and shouted to the four military officers: "Come on! Help Mr. Peng get on the sedan chair!" "No need!" Peng Yulin took out twenty Wen coins from his sleeve, set up the tea tent, got up and left. Huang Yisheng knew Peng Yulin's temper, so he didn't dare to persuade him, so he said in a consulting tone: "Gongbao wants to come and live on the boat? Please come to my place to rest first, and I will send someone to the boat to pick up the luggage." "Where is your mansion?" Peng Yulin stopped and asked. "A gentleman named Wu." Hearing this sound, Peng Yulin hurried away, saying as he walked, "You are already a guest, so it doesn't make sense to find another guest to disturb him! I'll stay on my boat and give the servant a reward." It can all be saved.” Huang Yisheng didn't expect that renting a residence would make him dissatisfied!However, it is inappropriate to argue at this time and place, and it is even more inappropriate to sit in a sedan chair with eight carriages, so I have to follow on foot.Peng Yulin's spring robes and cloth shoes are light on his feet. Huang Yisheng suffers from just a pair of thick-soled court boots.Passers-by saw a high-ranking official with a red crown and flower feathers, panting as if he was chasing an old man, and they were all surprised. Fortunately, it was not too far from the pier, and Huang Yisheng's material officer arrived first with Peng Yulin's little book boy, drove the idlers away, set up the gangway, and let them board the boat without delay. "Changqi!" Peng Yulin pointed to Yiwei who occupied the pier and said: "Yang Hou'an is the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, wearing a straw hat and riding a donkey. I don't want you to be so ostentatious." To be an official, to perform this ceremony, to restrain five generals, and to be an admiral in charge of five thousand miles of waterways, the authority is no less powerful than that of a governor. Such ostentation is not necessarily excessive!Huang Yisheng was thinking like this in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it directly, he could only express his shame: "Gong Bao taught you well!" "Before Zeng Wenzheng passed away, did you have any last words?" "No." Huang Yisheng replied, "When you get sick, you can't talk."