Chapter 28 Six palaces in flames

Summer has passed and autumn has come, and in a blink of an eye, it is the mid-July Mid-Autumn Festival.On the 14th day, the green battalion soldiers received a gift of 500 yuan each, and they were notified to have a day off on the 15th.The Foreign Affairs Committee received an invitation card for each of the military officers above the general level: on the afternoon of the 15th, the soldiers who died in the defense of the city last year were mourned at the Tianxin Pavilion. After the mourning ceremony, Admiral Bao hosted a banquet.However, the treasury did not send a letter of courtesy to the members of the third battalion of the Datuan, and none of the officials, including Zeng Guofan, received the invitation.This is blatant discrimination against team training!Wang Chi, Li Xubin, Zeng Guobao and others were extremely angry at this blatant unfair treatment.Zeng Guofan suppressed his anger, dissuaded Wang Chi and others, and tried every means to collect some money, which was sent to the regiment in a hurry on the evening of the 14th, and finally calmed everyone's grievances temporarily.

The members of the regiment each received five hundred Wen.The daily food expenses of each battalion and sentry also have a little surplus, some are five or six hundred cash, and some are three or four hundred cash. The end of the food is also distributed to everyone.Most of the members of the regiment are honest farmers from the countryside, and they are reluctant to use the thousands of pennies they get, so they ask their acquaintances to take them back to subsidize their families; Bring it back by yourself.Among the regiments from Chenzhou, Baoqing, and Xinning, there are also relatively well-to-do families.These people don't care about the little money, and it's hard to come to the provincial capital to live, so they go shopping in the streets and restaurants in groups, trying to have a good time.There is a boy named Teng Raoshu in the regiment of Chenzhou. He is very envious of Bao Chao's martial arts. He tries every means to get close to Bao Chao, and wants to ask Bao Chao to teach him more martial arts.He got some money today, and he made an appointment with five fellow villagers who got along with him on weekdays, and agreed to invite Bao Chao to the Fire Palace to have fun, and everyone agreed.

In the past few months, in order to repay Zeng Guofan's kindness, Bao Chao has devoted himself to coaching the group, and has never been anywhere.Hearing that the Fire Palace is a fun place, when Teng Raoshu invited him, Bao Chao readily agreed.On the way, he met Tazibu again. Bao Chao said he hadn't seen him for a long time, so he dragged Tazibu to the Fire Palace together.Tazibu couldn't resist, so he had to obey.A group of eight people chatted and laughed, and came to the Fire Palace on Pozi Street. The Fire Palace was really lively.In the middle is an ancient temple covered with yellow glazed tiles, bucket arches and cornices, with many birds and animals carved on it.A statue of the god of fire is enshrined in the temple.The God of Fire has a golden helmet and armor, red face and red beard, eyes like copper bells, and tongue like red charcoal. It is really a burning fire, and it is daunting to look at.There are seven or eight monks living in the temple all the year round.These temples are not mainly serving the god of fire and receiving pilgrims who come to ask for blessings, but managing the bustling market in front of the temple gate.

The fire palace is surrounded by a large empty area surrounded by red walls. Because it is located in the downtown area of ​​Changsha, over time, this empty area has been used by doctors, entertainers, monkey players, dog skin plaster sellers, fortune tellers, and miscellaneous gadgets. The concentrated area also aroused the interest of those idlers in Changsha City. Vendors selling all kinds of snacks also came here to do business, so Miaozhu came to manage this place of fortune.Every night, after people leave, they clean up the venue; at dawn, they open the door to welcome all kinds of people.Some business is better, and the hawkers who want to communicate with Miaozhu often send some money to them, and Miaozhu gradually becomes rich.Later, Miaozhu set up four large open sheds on the empty ping, covered with bark, and named them Dongcheng, Xijiu, Nantong and Beida respectively.The open canopy provides shelter from rain and sun, bringing convenience to both sellers and buyers.When it comes to the Chinese New Year and the festival, there are also big opera singers who come here to perform.The Fire Palace became more and more prosperous and lively, almost comparable to the Daxiangguo Temple in Kaifeng and the Confucius Temple in Nanjing.

Taqibu, Bao Chao, Teng Raoshu and others went into the temple to pay their respects to the god of fire, and then chatted with Miao Zhu.Teng Raoshu and those regiments from Chenzhou were hosts, and invited Ta and Bao to eat the famous products of the Fire Palace.Although this Fire Palace is an indeterminate place for gathering and distribution, there are also many hawkers who sell food. Generation after generation, they do business here all the year round, and some food has become a traditional specialty of Fire Palace.These famous products are: sister dumplings from the Wang family, stinky dried tofu from the Xiao family, braised pork knuckles from the Xie family, and fairy bowl rice from the He family.People who visit the Fire Palace don't count as visiting the Fire Palace if they don't eat these few things.

Ta, Bao and his party came to Nantong Shed first.Here is a storyteller talking about Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng's "Jin Ping Mei Ci Hua", and when Ximen Qing died of greed, the audience was so crowded that they couldn't even find a place to stand. .Reluctantly, I had to go to the opposite Beida shed.A monkey in the shed shouted with a Hebei accent: "Disciples, let Sai Wukong perform the play of being promoted to three levels in a row for all uncles, uncles, brothers and men. Please give us your advice and praise us!" field." A fine gong sounded, and a disciple walked onto the stage holding three official hats from unknown dynasties.Of the three hats, one was all black, one was half red and half black, and the other was all red. On both sides of the hat were two enlarged paper-pasted yellow copper coins, connected to the hat with two bamboo sticks.The copper coin of the all-red official hat is the largest, and the copper coin of the all-black official hat is the smallest.Another disciple came out leading a skinny monkey.The monkey's eyes were flickering and flickering, and it was wandering around here and there.With the sound of the gong, Tu'er led it with a rope and limped around to smooth things over.Teng Raoshu thought to himself: This monkey's name is really beautiful, Sai Wukong, but it is better than the dustpan - it's too self-satisfied, don't say it can't beat Monkey King, even if it is a monkey blown out by Sun Dasheng's root hair A hundred times stronger than it.

Taqibu, Bao Chao and others stood and watched for a while, but when they couldn't find a seat, they came out again and turned to Dongchengpeng. In Dongcheng Shed, a big man from Guanzhong who was selling dog skin plaster was naked from the upper body.The big man bent down and cupped his fists, and shouted in a Guanzhong accent with a strong nasal sound: "The secret recipe handed down from the ancestors, the preparation of famous medicines, is well-known all over the world, and is well-known all over the world. My surname is Shen, from Mizhi, Shaanxi, and it has been passed down for ten generations to make dog skin plasters. Hey! The man patted his bare chest and raised his voice, "Dizziness, sore limbs, low back pain and leg pain, headache and foot pain, nocturnal emission in men, premature ejaculation, weak erection, irregular menstruation in women, perennial infertility, I put on my Shen family's ancestral plaster and saw the effect immediately. After two plasters, the pain disappeared. After three plasters and four plasters, the roots will be cut off forever. One plaster for one hundred texts, one hundred and fifty texts, buy one and get one free, those who want it Hurry up, don’t wait for the time.” Tazib most despises those who use boxing and stick dancing to attract customers and sell plasters.He thought that these swindlers were desecrating Chinese martial arts, so he paused for a while, then left Dongchengpeng, followed by Bao Chao, Teng Raoshu and others.

As soon as he came out, Taqibu saw a man in his thirties in a remote place in the east corner of Dongchengpeng, who was relaxing.He stopped and watched carefully.I saw the man touching the ground with his toes, holding his hands empty, one front, one back, one left and one right, and the toes kept circling on the ground, his legs were slightly bent, and his whole body looked light.Look at the man's face, but his expression is solemn, his lips are tightly closed, and his cheeks are flushed.Taqibu stared at it for a while, then strode forward and arched his hands: "Brother, please!"

The man stopped, looked at Taqibu's uniform, and replied politely: "The general invites you!" Taqibu said: "I just saw my brother's walking and boxing stance, and I would like to ask: Is my brother's Wujia boxing?" The man showed joy, and said: "The general has good eyesight, what I just punched was the Wu family boxing." "Big brother's boxing is rigorous and compact, soft on the outside and strong on the inside, which is deeply rooted in the essence of the Wu family's boxing. Big brother's boxing attainments are rare today."

"The general has won the prize." "Brother, forgive me for being so abrupt. Wouldn't it be a pity that such a skill of my brother is buried among the tiles? Why don't you use it to serve the country and promote Wu family's boxing skills." "I don't live here forever." The man said, "Because I was too busy a few days ago and didn't practice martial arts, I passed by here occasionally today, so I have some free time, so I stretched my muscles a little bit. The general persuaded me to serve the country. Do you want me to join the army?"

"Exactly," Tazib said. The man laughed and said, "Can the current green battalion be called serving the country's army?" Taqibu blushed, and immediately said, "I'm not trying to persuade my elder brother to go to the green camp. There is another team in Changsha that urgently needs talents like you. Are you willing to go?" "Which team?" "Master Zeng, Zeng Guofan's team training, currently has more than 1,000 troops in the third battalion." The man smiled again and said, "General, this is the first time we met, I can see that you are a capable and bloody man, so I would like to talk to you a few more words. In my opinion, I am not the only one who should not vote. The green battalion joins the regiment for training. I also advise the general to disarm and return to the farmland as soon as possible. The real Nanhua has seen through all this two thousand years ago. What kind of country and society are actually just snails. You said that the regiment is run by Mr. Zheng? Hey! The badness of the world lies in the word "competition". Throughout the ages, the word "competition" has caused the world to hate each other and kill each other endlessly. It is still the real person of Nanhua who said: "When honor and disgrace are established, then see what is wrong, and goods and wealth gather together." Then look at what you are fighting for.' Look down on honor and disgrace, don't envy wealth, only when there is no disease and no dispute, the world can be peaceful! It's not too early, the general loves himself, and there will be a period later." After saying that, he walked away.Tazib shook his head, and walked into the west shed. This is the last shed.It was quieter in the shed.At a table, a traveling doctor was checking the pulse of an old woman.A blind man sat in the gap between the tables.The blind man was dumbfounded, and spread out a large piece of paper in front of him. In the middle of the paper was drawn a picture of Tai Chi. On the right side of the picture was written "Point out the lost gentleman", and on the left side it was written "Guide the hero who has been in trouble for a long time".Surrounding the tree looked amused, and said: "I don't know black and white, I don't know day and night, and I have to guide others. It's really ridiculous!" Tazib said: "Of course there are people who are willing to listen to his nonsense, otherwise, he wouldn't be setting up stalls every day." The blind man heard the voice, and hurriedly shouted: "Fortune-telling is a waste of money! Only tell the truth, not lie." Everyone laughed.There happened to be a table of people who had settled accounts, so Teng Raoshu hurriedly occupied this table.After greeting Ta, Bao and others to sit down, he and the other two Chenzhou Yong were busy making arrangements. After a while, they brought a jar of Baiheye old wine, a large plate of stinky dried tofu, and four-cage sister dumplings. A large bowl of braised pork knuckles, and a few stir-fried vegetables.Everyone ate with relish.Teng Raoshu asked Taqibu: "Master Ta, why were you so polite to that boxer just now? I think that person's boxing skills are also mediocre, far worse than Officer Bao's." Before Taqibu could answer, Bao Chao rushed to say: "This man's boxing skills are good, you don't understand, don't underestimate him, but I didn't see his way for a while. Brother Ta, please tell us in detail Listen." Taqibu said: "You don't know, but that man's kung fu is very deep. He fights a very famous family of southern boxing—Wujia boxing." "What is the history of Wu Family Boxing?" A Chenzhou Yong asked. "At the end of Qianlong's reign, there was a boxer named Wu Bida in Tingzhou, Fujian Province. He traveled all over the rivers and lakes when he was young, and worshiped martial arts masters as his teachers. The characteristics of the bones are combined with the secrets of storing essence, accumulating energy, cultivating the spirit, and consolidating the roots of Wudang inner boxing in Hubei to form a kind of Wujia boxing that has the softness of flowing clouds and flowing water on the outside, and the rigidity of the five mountains and three rivers inside. Wu Bida later in Xiangtan taught Li Dakui, and later passed it on to Feng Nanshan and Feng Lianshan brothers. After his death, he was buried in Xiangtan. Li and Feng's family erected a monument. Wujia boxing is widely spread in the south, but it is Li and Feng's two families who really get its mystery , It’s a pity that I forgot to ask the man’s name just now.” "I've heard of this Wu family boxing, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes. Which way of the Wu family boxing did that person fight just now?" Bao Chao asked. "The plum blossom boxing he just played is the first unique move in the Wu family's boxing. Look at his toes circling on the ground. Don't think it's just circling around casually. The circles drawn are plum blossoms." Teng Raoshu said in surprise: "We are laymen, but we can't see it at all." "Wu Family Boxing also includes Prince's Golden Boxing, Qilin, Four Characters, Zhengping, Swinging Door, Single Hanging, Pinching Hanging, and Three Stakes, all of which are very powerful." After hearing this, everyone admired Tazibu's rich knowledge of Wu family boxing. Teng Raoshu asked Bao Chao and Taqibu for advice on the similarities and differences between Fujian Shaolin Outer Boxing and Hubei Wudang Internal Boxing.Everyone was talking happily while eating, when suddenly they heard a loud noise from the people at the next table. These are four township soldiers drinking and gambling.Unconvinced, the loser first swears and swears, and then scuffles with the winner.The other two did not persuade the fight, but added fuel to the fire.Tazib saw the shame, went over and sang: "Don't fight here! It's shameful, go back to the barracks and fight!" Zhendui soldiers have been famous for their fierceness since the Ming Dynasty.Although the township soldiers in the Xianfeng period could not be compared with the past, they were still considered the most powerful among the sixty-six towns in the green battalion across the country.All of them are experts in private fights, group fights, and nosy affairs. They usually get along with each other and often fight internally.With a whistle, a confrontation between the two armies was immediately formed.The beating is so jealous, the white knife goes in, the red knife goes out, and I don't care.General soldiers are afraid of being transferred to Zhendang Town.If soldiers from Zhendui Town quarreled with soldiers from other towns, the Zhendui soldiers would automatically unite and fight against each other with knives and sticks. They would never give up until they defeated each other.At that moment, these township soldiers heard Tazibu's yelling, and let go of their wrestling. They all tilted their heads and looked at Tazibu. One of them said, "I'm playing here, what are you doing? You Call a fart!" Bao Chao came over and said loudly: "You don't listen to what a general said. Is there any law on military discipline?" A township soldier squinted, breathed out alcohol, and said with a sneer: "What are you? You are full and bloated, and you go to the hut to shit! You haven't become a man yet, how dare you teach your uncle a lesson? Already!" Teng Raoshu looked at these townsmen who were so arrogant and rude and scolded Bao Chao with such ugly words. Sentinel, you are so rude!" The man laughed loudly: "What are you talking about, Officer Baoshao? I only know about Shanhaiguan Pass and Hangu Pass, and I have never heard of Baoshao Pass. Is he considered an official?" Another township soldier said sarcastically, "Isn't Officer Bao the same ruffian who is so poor that he wants to sell his wife? When did he become an official?" The four township soldiers laughed wildly.Bao Chao was angry and ashamed, his face was flushed, the tendons in his neck were swollen, and he wished he could smash these soldiers into pieces.Teng Raoshu stepped forward, wanting to reason with them.A township soldier shouted: "Are you going to hit someone!?" When he said that, he raised his hand, and Teng Raoshu was slapped on the face.Teng Raoshu was on fire, and he punched him. The man's teeth touched his tongue, and blood flowed out immediately. He yelled in anger, and bumped his head, and several other soldiers rushed towards him.Relying on the presence of Bao Chao, the members of the Chenzhou regiment greatly increased their courage, they all went forward and fought.The people inside and outside the shed, seeing the soldiers fighting bravely, fled in fright, and the blind man rolled up the Tai Chi diagram and hurried away.Bao Chao wanted to fight several times, but was hugged by Tazibu.There were few soldiers in the town, and after suffering a loss, they escaped from the fire palace in embarrassment.Taqibu, Bao Chao, Teng Raoshu and others continued to drink and eat, and did not return to camp until the sun was westward. Before they sat down in the barracks, more than a hundred townspeople, each holding knives and guns, ran aggressively outside the door of the barracks of the third battalion, shouting: "Hand over the murderer who beat people in the Huogong Palace!" !” The rest of the Chenzhou, Xinning, Baoqing and other regiments in the barracks did not understand what happened.The battalion officer Zou Shouzhang hurried out of the barracks: "Brothers, if you have something to say, please speak up, and Zou will be responsible for handling it." A few soldiers who were beaten in the Fire Palace gave a rough idea.Zou Shouzhang was afraid that something serious would happen, so he said with a smile on his face, "Brothers, go back first. After I report to Master Zeng, I will deal with it strictly." After the Zhendun soldiers left, Zou Shouzhang called Teng Raoshu and others to interrogate them in detail.Teng Raoshu told the truth about the situation.Zou Shouzhang and Bao Chao came to Zeng Guofan's residence next to the governor's yamen Shepu.Zou Shouzhang explained the situation again.Zeng Guofan's face was livid with anger, his broom eyebrows hung upside down, and his triangular eyes were full of murderous intent.Bao Chao was so frightened that his legs trembled, he knelt down and said, "Bao Chao should be damned! Today in the Fire Palace, it is because the township soldiers scolded Bao Chao. They scolded Bao Chao and looked down on Tuan Lian. General Ta stopped, Bao Chao will kill those beasts today. Mr. Zeng, Bao Chao has failed your old love, you keep beating Bao Chao with a hundred army sticks, drive Bao Chao out of the regiment training!Bao Chao is a dignified man, and he doesn't want to be subjected to such birdishness in group training anymore.I still went to Jiangning to find the admiral. " Zeng Guofan walked up and down the room quickly, his teeth were clenching, his cheeks moved up and down, and he didn't say a word.Luo Zenan said: "Officer Bao sentry is not at fault, but thanks to Bao sentry officer's magnanimity, no bigger accident happened. The fault of today's incident lies with the township soldiers, but Teng Raoshu is also responsible. Discord, in order to take care of the overall situation, it is better to hold back this tone, beat Teng Raoshu and others with dozens of army sticks, and calm down this storm." Zeng Guofan looked at Luo Zenan and said: "The green camp bullied someone Zeng and made an inch of it, and even the brothers were wronged by me. From the overall situation, it is natural to endure as you said, so as not to expand the situation. But the green camp is timid in the battle, brave Private fighting, this kind of long-standing habit, is very harmful. Today I am going to use this matter to rectify this unhealthy trend." Luo Zenan was a little worried: "How to rectify the law? Maybe something bigger will happen." Zeng Guofan said: "Presumably Bao Qibao would not intentionally expand the situation!" Zeng Guofan called Bao Chao to get up, and wrote a letter to Bao Qibao, saying that the soldiers in Huo Palace fought privately, which had a very bad influence. In order to strictly enforce military discipline and punish the past and the future, Teng Raoshu and others were beaten with fifty army sticks, and arrows were pierced into the camp. Three days later, Admiral Bao was also asked to treat the soldiers who caused disturbances in Zhendui Town to the same treatment. After reading the letter, Bao Qibao sneered, and said in his heart: "If I have to deal with it, I will not do such a stupid thing. I want you, Zeng Guofan, to not step down." He also asked someone to write a letter.The letter said: The soldiers who made trouble in the Fire Palace have been bundled and sent, please Master Zeng deal with it according to military law.Bao Qibao sent a few soldiers to the town of Zhenyu, claiming that Zeng Guofan would tie up the four soldiers who were fighting with Tuan Ding in Huo Palace this afternoon.The soldiers tied up the four soldiers and sent them to Zeng Guofan together with the letter. The soldiers of the township originally thought that the regiment would come to apologize to them, but now they unexpectedly tied up their brothers, and the military law was used.The soldiers in the town felt that they had suffered a great humiliation.The leader of the army, Deng Shaoliang, deputy general of the Yunnan Chuxiong Association, personally commanded and blew the trumpet to gather.He incited and said: "Zeng Guofan's regiment tied up our four brothers and wanted to kill them. This is a shame that our township soldiers have never experienced in hundreds of years. It is tolerable, which is unbearable! What should we do?" Someone in the team shouted: "Rush to the trial bureau and snatch the brothers out!" Someone shouted: "Zeng Guofan dares to kill our people, we will kill Zeng Guofan!" Someone also shouted: "Taqibu is a member of the green camp. The general, instead, speaks for the regiment, he is a spy of the green battalion. Today’s incident was caused by him.” Someone raised a knife and shouted: “Destroy Tazibu’s lair!” The township soldiers unanimously supported it. Deng Shaoliang led more than 300 township soldiers and rushed into Tazibu's house aggressively, beating everything in Tazibu's room to pieces.Fortunately, Tazib hid in the grass behind the house in advance, and was saved from death.After destroying Taqibu's house, the township soldiers roared towards the trial bureau again, surrounded the trial bureau, and shouted loudly: "Zeng Guofan let our brother go!" "Don't let him go!" We're going to rush!" The soldiers entered the house and told Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan is playing against Luo Zenan.He called Bao Chao to him and gave instructions in his ear.Bao Chao went out immediately.Zeng Guofan said to Luo Zenan calmly, "Luo Shan, it's your turn." "Let's go out and talk to them!" Luo Zenan put down the chess pieces in his hand, and cast an uneasy gaze from behind the lenses of his short-sighted glasses. "Ignore them and watch how they make trouble." Zeng Guofan never took his eyes off the chessboard. There was a rush of footsteps coming in from the outside accompanied by the clash of swords and guns. When Zeng Guofan turned his face to look, Deng Shaoliang led dozens of soldiers into the door like a whirlwind, and they were already beside him.Seeing that the situation was not good, Luo Zenan hurriedly dispatched his own soldiers to tell Wang Chi to climb over the wall and go to the Governor's Yamen to invite Luo Bingzhang to come over.A township soldier had drawn out his knife, pointing the tip at Zeng Guofan's forehead.Deng Shaoliang pulled the knife away with his hand, and said to Zeng Guofan unceremoniously: "Master Zeng, please let him go!" Zeng Guofan sat by the chessboard, motionless, playing with the chess pieces in one hand, and said slowly: "Admiral Bao sent someone to send the troubled soldiers to me, and he also wrote a letter asking us to deal with the military law. After the disposal, they will be released naturally." Why, Deputy General Deng, you mobilize the crowd and come aggressively to ask for it?" Deng Shaoliang narrowed his eyes and glared angrily: "I want you to release him now!" The veins on Zeng Guofan's temples were bulging one by one. The chess piece had stopped turning and was tightly pinched by two fingers. Although he was still sitting on the edge of the chessboard, his tone was much stiffer: "It's too late for the head of the Ministry." Dispose of it, how can it be released now!" Deng Shaoliang held the scabbard tightly with his left hand and the handle of the knife with his right. He took a step forward and roared aggressively, "Are you going to let it go or not?!" With a "bang", Zeng Guofan kicked the chessboard down, stood up fiercely, raised his broom eyebrows, puffed up his triangular eyes, his face was blue and white, and a murderous look burst out, and he shouted sharply: "Deng Shaoliang, you It's too deceiving!" Deng Shaoliang was caught off guard by Zeng Guofan's move, he took a step back unconsciously, and let go of the handle of the knife with his right hand.Zeng Guofan pointed at him and cursed: "Deng Shaoliang, I forgive you for being just a reckless warrior who kills people with knives. How dare you act so presumptuously in front of the ministers I ordered to help you. Do you still have the imperial court in your eyes? National law!" After this scolding, Deng Shaoliang's arrogance lost half of his arrogance, and his mouth was still firm: "Master Zeng, it's not that I'm presumptuous. The case bureau won't let you go, brothers don't agree!" Zeng Guofan glared at Deng Shaoliang like fire: "Deputy General Deng, if the brothers don't agree, do you agree? None of the soldiers under him can suppress it. What's the use of the court wanting you as a lieutenant general? Besides, you have to understand that you are leading the troops today." Breaking into my yamen, you are the leader of the trouble!" Deng Shaoliang felt that things were not going well, so he couldn't help being a little discouraged.The soldiers beside him were shouting: "Let me go, let me go! If you don't let me go, we will search!" "Don't be rude!" Luo Bingzhang came in at the moment when he was in a hurry.He smiled at Zeng Guofan, "Master Zeng, what's going on?" "Luo Zhongcheng, Mr. Zeng tied up our four brothers." Deng Shaoliang hurriedly said.In fact, Luo Bingzhang already knew the whole story.How could he not know that the town's soldiers were besieging the case bureau so noisyly, and the governor's office was only separated by a wall?But this old bureaucrat was very cunning, if Wang Chi hadn't climbed over the wall to invite him, he wouldn't have come here.Let Zeng Guofan suffer a little bit of grievance, who told him to stretch his hand too long!Wang Chi came to invite him, but he had to let him go. "Deputy General Deng, it's too wrong to treat Mr. Zeng like this. Hurry up and get out!" After hitting Deng Shaoliang, Luo Bingzhang turned his face to Zeng Guofan and said, "Master Zeng, the soldiers who caused trouble in the Huo Palace must be dealt with severely. I will handle this matter. The current situation is raging, and accidents are inevitable. In the future, the court will After further questioning, you and I will not be able to explain. I think these people are temporarily released to calm down the public anger, and then deal with it calmly. What do you think?" Zeng Guofan thought to himself: What a slippery and eccentric Luo Bingzhang!What is "to appease public anger"? Could it be that I did something wrong and aroused their "public anger"?You, Luo Bingzhang, are afraid of the public wrath of the township soldiers, but are you not afraid of the public wrath of the regiment?it is good!Now that this is the case, I want you to see my methods, Zeng Guofan! "Luo Zhongcheng, please sit down. I will follow Admiral Bao's request to deal with the troublemakers in the Fire Palace. Mr. Zeng has a flat bowl of water and will never take sides. Tuan Ding Teng Raoshu and other six people have beaten five people each yesterday. Ten army sticks, pierced the ears and toured the camp for three days. The township soldiers will also be dealt with in the same way." Before Luo Bingzhang could speak, Zeng Guofan yelled, "Come on! Bring up the four rioters who were tied up by Admiral Bao!" Kang Fu agreed, walked out the door and shouted: "Bring someone up!" I saw Bao Chao, Liu Songshan, Peng Yuju, Li Chendian, Wang Kuishan, Yi Liangqian and others all dressed up, leading a hundred regiments armed with swords and guns, and escorting four troublesome township soldiers.The one hundred regiments came in and stood around the guards in the house.Holding a gleaming broadsword, Bao Chao approached Deng Shaoliang fiercely.Liu Songshan, Peng Yuju and others stood on both sides of Zeng Guofan. When Luo Bingzhang saw this scene, his face turned pale with fright, as if he was sitting on pins and needles.Deng Shaoliang and his soldiers also had a fear of impending disaster.The four township soldiers with their hands tied were so frightened that their legs became weak, and they knelt down in front of Zeng Guofan with a "thud".Zeng Guofan shouted: "You are soldiers who protect the environment and the people, but you take the lead in rioting and committing crimes in public. It is extremely bad! Our hall follows the eighth paragraph of Article 123 of the Qing military law, and at the request of Admiral Bao. Respond to fifty army sticks, piercing the ears and wandering the camp for three days." After speaking, he slammed the tea stick on the desk and shouted: "Come here!" "Here!" There was a thunderous roar from both sides. Eight big men came forward like wolves like wolves and tigers, holding eight water and fire sticks. Just hit with a stick. Zeng Guofan sat on the grand teacher's chair, thinking of the cowardice he had suffered from Bao Qibao and Qingde in the past few months, and the bullying of the green battalion soldiers that his younger brother and regiment had suffered, the hatred in his stomach was vented with the sound of sticks.He wanted to order the executioner many times: "Beat me to death!" But seeing Luo Bingzhang sitting beside him sweating profusely, he swallowed these words again.Why didn't the eight members of the execution squad feel the same as Zeng Guofan, and they all beat with all their strength without his order.Twenty, forty, one stick down, the harder the beating, the more fierce the beating.Poor those four unlucky township soldiers first called their parents and mothers, howled ghosts and wolves, and then they couldn't even cry out.After hitting fifty military sticks, they were arrested again, and an arrow was stuck in each of their left ears.I saw fresh blood flowing out, but I couldn't hear the sound of pain—the person was already numb. Zeng Guofan said coldly to the four Zhendang soldiers: "Because the brothers from Zhendang Town came to pick them up, the camp will be visited for three days, and the punishment will be carried out in the main camp. You can go now." Several township soldiers came up, carried them on their backs and went out.Deng Shaoliang's underwear was already soaked through.Just as he was about to leave, Zeng Guofan stopped him: "Deng Shaoliang, as a lieutenant general, you have been lax in running the army on weekdays, and the responsibilities have been heavy. Today, you led troops into the office of the trial bureau and threatened the hall with knives. It is tantamount to treason. Execution. Because the main hall does not directly control you, it will temporarily let you go back. The Japanese Ministry will negotiate with Luo Zhongcheng and Admiral Bao, and report to the imperial court. You should go back to the camp for trial!" Deng Shaoliang went out with his head drooping, and saw that the guards outside the yamen were surrounded by soldiers in full military uniform with fierce faces.Deng Shaoliang couldn't do anything, so he waved his hands and walked away with the Zhendao soldiers.In the room, Zeng Guofan said to Luo Bingzhang, who was sitting in a daze, "Luo Zhongcheng, you are shocked. Guofan's move was really a last resort, and I hope Zhongcheng will understand." Luo Bingzhang saw that all the troops had withdrawn, and slowly recovered his vitality.He was very angry at Zeng Guofan's disobedience and being so tough in front of him, and blamed him, "Disheng, you are too strong. The enmity between Luying and Tuanding cannot be resolved in this life." Zeng Guofan said unhappily, "What was wrong with my handling just now?" Luo Bingzhang was annoyed: "Brother Disheng, I'm not talking about you. As the governor of Hunan, I am responsible for Hunan. Maybe one day Changmao will make a comeback. Can your regiments resist? They are only worthy of arresting the king. Bandits, you can't get on the big stage. To fight long hair, you have to rely on the green battalion and the town's soldiers. You are good now, beat their people in front of me, and threatened to kill Deng Shaoliang. Three Do you want more soldiers from Qianzhen? How do you ask me to be a governor?" Zeng Guofan was furious when he saw that Luo Bingzhang looked down on the regiment training and favored the township soldiers so much.He suppressed his anger, and said with a sneer, "Don't worry Zhongcheng, Changmao is here, I have my own way." Luo Bingzhang retorted: "What can you do? There is really a way, and there will be no disturbances in the Fire Palace!" After all, walk away.