Chapter 5 5. Forcibly withdraw the troops with Wei Jun's head

Zeng Guofan, Zhao Liewen, and Peng Shouyi didn't know what to say after hearing Xiao Bendao's narration.After a while, Peng Shouyi angrily uttered a sentence: "Seng Gelinqin and Shen Baozhen are too deceitful!" Zhao Liewen rested his cheeks and said, "It seems that Guanwen came to Jiangning City to investigate the so-called Gelaohui, Xiao Junmen's boat was seized for no reason, and Seng Gelinqin's southward travel. The three things are connected. Aim at the Hunan Army, especially at the Jizi Battalion." "Hui Fu thinks deeply." Peng Shouyi said, "However, Guan Wen and Shen Baozhen are both high officials in the frontier. Even though Seng Gelinqin is the prince, he has no right to command them!"

"Yes." Zhao Liewen nodded and said, "There must be someone behind them directing them." Xiao Bendao stared at Zhao and Peng with wide eyes, hesitant to speak. "Huifu, don't make wild guesses." Zeng Guofan already understood what Zhao Liewen was referring to, but he was here with Xiao Bendao, so it was inconvenient to discuss further, so he waved his hands, "You all go out, let me be quiet." "Old Zhongtang." Xiao Bendao said anxiously, "My third uncle is still in Nanchang, where Shen Baozhen is, and I beg you to always say hello to him."

The trouble Xiao Fusi caused not only put him in a difficult situation, but also brought disaster to the Hunan Army.The whole country is saying that Jiziying ransacked Jinling and set it on fire to destroy the evidence of the crime. He gave the empress dowager and the emperor a performance to defend them.But now?Fifty boxes of gold and silver were captured on the spot in the new baron's ship. Even though you said a hundred or a thousand times that it was the property of everyone in Jieziying, who would believe it?Even if it is everyone's property, didn't you say that there is no gold or silver in Jinling City?How does this justify itself?What's more, during the period of heavy filial piety, can you explain clearly what happened in the middle of bringing Jiangnan women on the same boat?Xiao Fusi, Xiao Fusi, you are so confused!Fortunately, Xiao Bendao came here to provide Seng Gelinqin's military deployment. If it weren't for this point, Zeng Guofan would really be reprimanded severely.He said coldly to Xiao Bendao: "You are doing this on your own, what can I do!"

Xiao Bendao said with a sad face: "Old Zhongtang, if you don't care about it, Shen Baozhen will take all the things on the boat!" Zhao Liewen comforted: "Forgive Shen Baozhen for not daring. Don't worry, Lao Zhongtang will find a solution." "Is the draft still going on?" Peng Shouyi asked. After thinking for a moment, Zeng Guofan said, "Don't draw any more." After Zhao, Peng, and Xiao quit, Zeng Guofan picked up a pen, dipped it in cinnabar, walked to the wall chart, drew a red circle in each of the four places of Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Hezhou, and Chuzhou, and then stared intently. .As he watched, his eyes gradually blurred. Four bloody mouths appeared in front of his eyes, revealing ferocious fangs, and they rushed towards Jiangning from four directions: Wuchang, Nanchang, and Hangzhou. In the dark green light, it seemed as if the sound of grinding teeth could be heard.He felt his head was dizzy, so he reluctantly moved to the desk and leaned against the back of the chair, the cinnabar pen fell to the ground, and he was unable to pick it up.There was a circle of red marks around the tip of the pen. He looked at it like a puddle of blood he had vomited.It was a long time before he woke up.

The series of events that happened one after another these days are obviously not isolated, Zhao Liewen can see it, can Zeng Guofan not see it?He would rather believe that this is not the case, but the reality has fully proved that Zhao Liewen's deduction is correct.Yes, Seng Gelinqin could not command Guan Wen and Shen Baozhen, and his own southward travel was not entirely up to him.So, who can command Guan Wen, Shen Baozhen and Seng Gelinqin?The answer doesn't have to be obvious.At this time, Zeng Guofan was no longer as frightened as he was a few months ago.He thought carefully: the methods they used were different, the official document was framing, Shen Baozhen was exposing faults, Seng Gelinqin was deterrent, all three prongs, what is the intention?There are two possibilities.One is to use this to knock down his brother and the entire Hunan Army, and the tragedy of being successful and killing heroes is repeated in history; the other is to knock him on the head and make him realize that the environment he is in is not favorable , Be sensible, and withdraw the Hunan Army as soon as possible.There are two possibilities, which is bigger and which is smaller?Zeng Guofan fell into deep thought.

Although Jiangning is under control, there are still about 200,000 Taiping troops remaining. The Nianzi in Anhui and Henan are very powerful. The Hui people in the northwest have been rioting for many years, and the country is not yet peaceful. Under such circumstances, if all the Hunan troops who have made great achievements but have no fact of rebellion are defeated, won't other generals everywhere feel sad?The imperial court probably wouldn't do such a stupid thing at present.This is one of them.Second, since Fu Ming'a left, the imperial court has never sent anyone to Jiangning to seriously investigate the whereabouts of the gold and silver treasures left by the Taiping Army.Third, just a few days before Xiao Fusi left, Zeng Guoquan's boat also sailed through Jiujiang. His boat was bigger than Xiao's, and it contained more things than Xiao's. Shen Baozhen had no excuse to check his boat. How about saving some face for the Zeng family?After analyzing these three items, Zeng Guofan believes that the possibility of killing is unlikely, and the main thing is to force him to disarm.

Thinking of this, a great sense of grievance rose in his heart. Zeng Guofan had made it clear for a long time that he wanted to disarm the army, but it was only a temporary delay. Why was the court so eager to see the Hunan Army as a thorn in its side and a thorn in its flesh, and wanted to get rid of it quickly?Even if you want to do this, isn't it good to go under the imperial edict in a grand manner? Why do you want to do this despicable and insidious trick?He was frustrated by the ungentlemanly behavior of the top decision-maker in the DPRK and China.Then he thought, among all the kings in history who claimed to have made achievements, which one didn't have a yin and a yang, a gentleman's side, and a villain's side?Contrasting myself, since I left the Imperial Academy and entered the six yamen, especially in these years of leading troops to fight, in the dealings with the governors of various provinces and the generals of the various troops, have the shady side and the villain's side done less? ?What's more, since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, the army has always been in the hands of the imperial court. Now there are hundreds of thousands of troops recruited by private individuals. They are accustomed to fighting, arrogant and domineering. The ancient capitals of the six dynasties, such as brocades, can be burned and abandoned. Such an army is in the hands of the Han people. Can the court not worry?If it is not removed, can the empress dowager and the emperor be able to eat and sleep peacefully?Thinking of this, Zeng Guofan was relieved, and the sense of grievance in his heart was greatly weakened.He decided to take no action against Guan Wen and Shen Baozhen with an unusually calm attitude, and quietly waited in Jiangning City for the handling of the case of Xiao Fusi by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.He speculated that he would not embarrass Mrs. Xiao.In case something goes wrong, for the reputation of Zeng Guoquan and Ji Ziying, as well as for his own reputation, he will defend Xiao Fusi!

Xiao Bendao knew nothing about Zeng Guofan's attitude.Thinking of his third uncle detained in Nanchang and the boatload of property, he was in a state of panic all day long, and came to the supervisor's office every few days to ask Zeng Guofan to meet him.Every time, as usual, he was blocked by the porter and returned disgruntled.It's been like this for ten days.On this day, Xiao Bendao came to the gate of the Superintendent's Office again, and when he was lingering and afraid to move forward, the concierge saw him, "Xiao Dusi, the Governor-General took care of you yesterday and said that you can go in today."

Xiao Bendao was overjoyed and went straight to the signing room.Zeng Guofan said with a smile on his face: "The edict came yesterday, your third uncle is fine, you can take a look!" As he spoke, he handed over a large envelope.Xiao Bendao pulled out the upper edict, unfolded it hastily, and read it several lines at a glance. The more he read it, the happier he became.It turned out that the Shangyu wrote: The former Fujian land admiral baron Xiao Fusi was the first person to conquer Jiangning. This time, because of his father's death, he returned to his hometown for the funeral. By the way, the trophies won by Yingguanyong in the past are from the friendship of robes; since he married a concubine in Jiangning, he should bring It is also reasonable to go back to the place of origin for the funeral.There is no need to pursue it, and it will be a ceremony for the premise to supervise the party to return home.Shen Baozhen, the governor of Jiangxi Province, acted impartially, enforced the law rigorously, and was honest and honest. He was praised by the Ministry of Communications.And this was told from Wubaili to the imperial envoy to co-organize the university scholar, the first-class governor of Liangjiang, Zeng Guofan.This is it.

Xiao Bendao thought: This must be the effect of Mr. Zeng's intercession for the third uncle, so he got up and respectfully kowtowed to Zeng Guofan: "Thank you for your kindness and virtue!" "You don't have to thank me." Zeng Guofan said flatly, "When I go back, I will tell your third uncle that I told you to keep the rules at home, and don't bother with everything in the local area. If you cause trouble again, I won't care gone." "Yes!" Xiao Bendao stood upright, "I must pass on Lao Zhongtang's teachings to my third uncle."

The imperial court's tolerant attitude towards Xiao Fusi's case surprised Zeng Guofan. Originally, I thought that it would not be too embarrassing, but it would be somewhat punishing, but there was nothing, not even a word about the Gelaohui, Qian Xiang's grievances suddenly turned into gratitude. The so-called investigation of the Gelaohui in the official document is naturally a farce, but since there is a Gelaohui in the Ting Army, and its power is enough to incite trouble, it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no Jiziying and other military camps.Once they become the climate, the Hunan Army will really become a rebel army.Although Xiao Fusi did not deal with it, the scandal of Jiziying plundering a large number of Jiangning City's treasures has undoubtedly been announced to the world.The situation has pushed Zeng Guofan to the brink, and he has no other choice.Disband the Hunan Army, and it must be done as soon as possible!Only in this way can the hearts of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor be reassured, and the mouth of the world can be filled; only in this way can the foundation of the Gelaohui be eliminated, accidents can be prevented, and the integrity of the Hunan Army can be preserved; at the same time, only in this way can he be preserved The wealth and safety of myself, the entire Zeng family and all the "gong dogs". Zeng Guofan ordered Peng Shouyi to quickly re-draft the manuscript, and told the queen mother and the emperor with a clear attitude and a firm tone: the two troops of the Hunan Army, the water and the land, will withdraw 100% and 90% within three months, and will be stationed in the Jizi camp outside the city of Jiangning No one will stay, and all will be sent back to their original places. "Old Zhongtang, will all the 50,000 soldiers of the Jizi Camp be removed?" Peng Shouyi asked. "All withdraw." "Old Zhongtang, it is said that Liu Songshan and Zhang Shiri ruled the army strictly, and the military discipline of Songzi Camp and Shizi Camp is better than other battalions. The war has not completely subsided, and the subordinates of the Nine Commanders have to stay." Zeng Guofan glanced at Peng Shouyi approvingly, and said slowly: "The Zhezi is still according to what I said just now. As for how to withdraw from Jiziying in the future, I have other arrangements." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he immediately thought, isn't this another matter of disagreement?However, this was just a thought for a moment, and he forgot it in a moment. On the second day after paying homage, Zeng Guofan called together the staff in the supervisory office who participated in the military aircraft praise painting, and announced to them the decision to immediately abolish the Hunan Army on a large scale.The staff all agreed in unison, saying that this is an extremely important and wise move.Some said that Guan Yong in the Jiangning City barracks became more and more outrageous, and if they were not dismissed, there would be big trouble sooner or later.Some even took the previous incidents of the disbandment of the regiments after the pacification of the White Lotus Sect in Sichuan and Chu as an example, explaining that after the pacification of the chaos, only the non-systematic teachers can be automatically eliminated, so that the government and the public can live in peace and peace.It is also said that the regiment training of the Pingchuan Chubailian Sect was scattered in the hands of the governors of the provinces, and there was no large army of more than 10,000 people. Now the main force of the Hunan Army has more than 100,000 people, all of whom are dispatched by Zeng Zhongtang alone. The abolition is even more urgent, and it also proves that Zeng Zhongtang's sincere heart to the world will always be admired by future generations and feared by rebellious officials and thieves.The compliments from his staff made Zeng Guofan gratified and made his confidence more firm.However, the aides also talked about the lack of money to pay off the arrears, which will be the number one problem facing disarmament. Since the establishment of the Hunan Army in the third year of Xianfeng, for more than ten years, the Ministry of Households has hardly allocated any payment directly. Except for a small part of the Xieji in a few provinces, the rest has been borne by Hunan Province.Hunan's merchants have always been underdeveloped, and the annual income of the province is less than that of a large county in Susong. How can it afford a huge army of more than 100,000 to deal with the protracted war for more than ten years? As a result, the Hunan Army's military pay was often not paid in full in time, and it was common for three to five months in arrears.In order to stabilize the morale of the army and boost morale, the bad commander openly incited his subordinates to plunder the people's money and goods, and to loot the destroyed warehouses and warehouses. Although the commander with a little brain did not instigate, he did not stop these atrocities committed by his subordinates. This is also an important reason for the increasing corruption of the Hunan Army.Even Jiziying, although they have received a lot of ill-gotten gains from top to bottom, their wage arrears in name is as long as four months, with a total of nearly one million taels.As for other military camps, there are four or five months, and some six or seven months, all of which are more serious than the Jizi camp.The staff all asked: How to solve this problem?Zeng Guofan asked them to offer suggestions to help solve this problem.At the same time, he also stated that regardless of whether this difficult problem can be solved, disarmament must be carried out unswervingly. He issued disarmament orders to the leaders of Jizi Daying, Laoxiang, Guozi, Tingjun, Zhengziying, and the leaders of the Yangtze River Navy, Ningguo Navy, Taihu Navy, and Huaiyang Navy respectively, and they were limited to 15 days. Within a day, I went to Jiangning City to report the dismantling steps of the headquarters.He also sent a message to Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang to inform him of this important situation. A few days later, the 50,000 troops of the Jizi Camp inside and outside the city and the 20,000 sailors on the Yangtze River from Dashengguan to Caoxie Gorge, almost everyone, whether generals or Yongding, were talking about disarmament.In terms of mood, many people are willing to take off their military uniforms as soon as possible and return home to reunite with their families.Some of these people are old and tired of military life; Thinking about the endless war gradually deepened, especially the unheard-of self-immolation tragedy in front of the Golden Dragon Palace, which stimulated them even more strongly: They are all brothers and sisters, why should they kill each other like this?It is impossible for them to come up with any clear answers and reasonable explanations. Only by leaving the matter, can the mind be more balanced. But there are also quite a few people who don't want to leave the Hunan Army and return to their hometowns.Years of life in the military camp has formed their habits of wandering, taking risks, gambling, fighting, eating ready-made meals, and spending a lot of money. They disdain to be monotonous, poor, thrifty, and well-behaved country folks.Most of these people are ordinary brave men who have not grabbed a lot of money.As for the generals, almost no one was in favor of withdrawing troops.The prestige of a general comes from the hundreds of brave men under him.Once I left the military camp and returned to my hometown, most of the former prestige was lost. Even a small chief was in charge of ten obedient brothers in the military camp. After returning home, where did these people listen to his tribe? ?For these reasons, the order to withdraw troops has been issued for more than ten days, and there are hundreds of battalion posts inside and outside Jiangning City, and there is no sign of carrying out the order.The social order got worse instead.Vicious incidents such as robbery, group fighting, murder, arson, rape, and excessive gambling occurred everywhere, all of which were committed by Ji Ziying Yongding.Officers at all levels not only ignored the restraint, but participated in it. Zeng Guoquan, the commander of Jiziying, originally disapproved of the elder brother's self-cutting.This stubborn Jiuye, who has been famous in Heyetang since he was a child, has always believed that the world is a world for the strong, and the strong in troubled times are those who hold the knife, and with the knife, everything is possible.At that time, he actively recruited brave people to build a battalion based on this belief, and went to the front line to fight against the Taiping Army, and he also used this belief to educate his batch of battalion officers and sentries.Over the years, he has tasted the sweetness of holding a knife in his hand, how would he want to throw it away so easily?What's more, the eldest brother's self-cut wings, the first cut is to cut off Ji Ziying.At present, the long hair is not clean, and Fang Chi is in a mess. He can use this as an excuse to strengthen the strength of the Hunan Army and support his own self-respect. Even if he doesn't want to rebel, he can't let others bully him! Zeng Guoquan's point of view has a deep ideological foundation in the Jizi camp, and it represents the ideas of the upstarts in each camp.Now, although the commander-in-chief has left the barracks to return home, the subordinates still pursue this concept.Dead or dead, let's go, Jizi Daying stayed in Jiangning City, and the highest-ranked officer was Zhu Hongzhang, the captain of the cavalry.So Peng Yuju, Liu Lianjie and others recommended Zhu Hongzhang to the Superintendent's Office and brought up the arrears of payment to show off with Zeng Guofan: It is okay to withdraw the troops, but first they have to take out one million silver and pay the arrears, otherwise, I am sorry to raise the money. Brothers who have fought bloody battles with their heads for many years.Zeng Guofan knew that Jiziying Guanyong had plenty of money, so he didn't care about the salary owed, but he couldn't point it out.Facing Zhu Hongzhang's seemingly sufficient reasoning, Zeng Guofan was at a loss for words for a while, because he simply couldn't raise this huge sum of money. Zhu Hongzhang gained the upper hand, and as soon as he went back to encourage him, the officers and warriors of Jizi Daying became more energetic in resisting the withdrawal.They took advantage of wine to go wild, some yelled at the court for being ungrateful, crossing rivers and demolishing bridges, and some even publicly threatened to raise flags to rebel.Faced with this chaotic situation, Zeng Guofan hated and feared, and felt restless.A few days later, he received a letter from Li Hongzhang and an official letter from the Fujian-Zhejiang Supervision Office. In Li Hongzhang's letter, he tried his best to compliment his teacher's move as an anecdote in the past, which is in harmony with the heart of heaven and the hope of everyone. He must overcome all difficulties and proceed resolutely to achieve the expected goal.He also said that the Huai army should follow the example of the Hunan army and abolish it in large numbers, but at present, all the battalions are chasing and killing the rest of the long-haired troops, and it is not time to withdraw. Moreover, the teacher said in the past that the Huai people should be used to counter the Huai Nian. Tuanyong, he can't forget his mission for a moment. When the world is in Nghe'an, when the war turns into jade, he must remove all the Huai army without leaving. The student of the commander-in-chief of the Hunan Army has both similarities and differences with his mentor.He is not afraid of people's words, and he doesn't have too many worries when doing things.The Huai army he created with his own hands must not be dismantled by himself, nor will others be allowed to intervene.In his eyes, the Huai army is just at the height of the sun, extremely prosperous, and when it still has time to show its talents, how can it withdraw?As for the removal of Yunyun in the future, it was just a few beautiful words to echo the teacher's thoughts, and it was not his original intention.Behind the flattery withdrawal lies his own wishful thinking: With the withdrawal of the Hunan Army, the Huai Army will dominate the world in the future, and there will be no force to contend with; Many generals are attracted to the Huai army. Thousands of troops are easy to get, but one general is hard to find. This is really a good opportunity for the Huai army to grow! The official letter from the Yamen of the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang is full of Zuo Zongtang's words: the Chu army is not an army, it is controlled by the imperial court, and has nothing to do with the Hunan army. If it is not withdrawn, it should be judged by the imperial decree issued by the imperial court. When Zeng Guofan withdrew the Hunan Army, he did not expect the Huai Army and the Chu Army to follow suit. These two letters did not affect him, but the opposition of the generals of Jiziying and the misconduct of Yongding in the city caused his serious anxiety. .Zhang Yunlan and Xiao Qijiang came to Jiangning and told about the difficulties of withdrawing troops.The arrears of salary in Laoxiangying and Guoziying were even more serious. The officials and brave men threatened that if the court did not make up the payment, they would not leave the barracks. Bao Chao flew to Jiangning from the border of Fujian and Jiangxi.He told Zeng Guofan that not long ago, Zhao Liewen was ordered to say that the Ting army would not withdraw for the time being, but now he was about to withdraw again suddenly. Huang Yisheng, the commander of the Huaiyang Navy, and Li Chaobin, the commander of the Ningguo Navy, also came to report by speedboat: Guan Yong of the Navy has always been poor.Living on the water for a long time, most of them contracted rheumatism, and now they are going to resign and return home. The brothers put forward two requirements: one is to make up for the salary owed over the years, and the other is to pay a little injury and sickness fee so that they can no longer farm when they are old. I can have a bite to eat.Zeng Guofan sneered in his heart when he heard this: You can't even make up the owed wages, so why talk about injury expenses!The navy has injuries, but the army has no injuries? The abolition of the Hunan Army was so difficult that the governor of Liangjiang was in trouble again.But no matter from which point of view, the abolition is imperative, and there must be no wavering in the slightest, and it can no longer be postponed as it was in the previous period.Zeng Guofan analyzed various factors that hindered disarmament, and believed that the lack of money to make up for the arrears was a very important factor, but it was not a decisive factor.It is a fact that every barracks of the Hunan Army owes wages.However, he knew in his heart: Over the years, there are a few Yong Ding who did not make a fortune!Not to mention generals.The source of income comes from looting and the spoils of victorious battles. A monthly salary of a few taels of silver is really of little importance to them.The decisive factor lies in the emotional resistance of the generals at all levels, and their unwillingness to withdraw.Withdrawal, they lost both their authority and the opportunity to continue to make a fortune.For this group of simple-minded warriors, no matter how much reason is said, it will be empty, and the only thing that can work is severe punishment and severe law. How serious is it?Zeng Guofan frowned, pacing and thinking in the study.Suddenly, he remembered the ancient sword inscription given to him by his old father-in-law at Wang Yaping's banquet where he received the sword from the descendants of Chuanshan ten years ago: "Use the light lightly, and it will hurt you when you move it. It is a murder weapon; hide it deeply. Ruozhuo, it is a sharp weapon to make a decision on the fly." Suddenly he had an idea in his heart. At the beginning of the establishment of the Hunan Army, in order to cultivate strict military discipline, Zeng Guofan killed Jin Songling reluctantly, and resolutely cut the first knife on his own head.This incident caused an extremely strong shock in the Hunan Army, and played an important role in maintaining the military discipline of the early Hunan Army. But at the same time, Zeng Guofan himself was deeply disturbed for a long time, regretting that he had blamed himself many times, and made a secret decision that this kind of killing should not be used more often.From then on, in front of his own people, he hid the sword of commanding power deeply.Now it seems that the disarmament will not be carried out without killing a few senior generals. He has to make a decision on the fly and use it a second time. Whose head will be used as an order?He lined up one by one in his mind.Those who opposed the most and caused the most trouble were Zhu Hongzhang, Peng Yuju, and Liu Lianjie from Jiziying. They were the first batch of people who made great achievements in storming Jinling City. The reason to kill them!Ting's military exploits shook the world, and the knife could not be placed on Bao Chao's neck.Both Zhang Yunlan and Xiao Qijiang were the pillars of the sky in the early days of their comeback, and they have always been loyal, there is only credit and no fault.Killing them is equivalent to cutting off one's own hands and feet.After queuing up and down in this way, one person came out, and this person was Wei Jun, the commander of Zhengzi Battalion who was stationed in Luzhou Mansion and had not yet come to report.He felt that Wei Jun's head was most suitable for borrowing.Zeng Guofan was not entirely out of immediate need. To be honest, his suspicion and guard against Wei Jun had never been eliminated over the years. After Wei Junxian Chizhou Prefecture surrendered to the Hunan Army, Zeng Guofan sent him to the front line of Anqing and secretly asked Zeng Guoquan to put him at the forefront of fighting the Taiping Army.Zeng Guoquan was suspicious and afraid of Wei Jun, so he arranged him in the northern part of the Anqing battlefield, dedicated to fighting the Taiping Army to rescue Anqing's troops.A month ago, he was the general of the left army in the kingdom of heaven, but now he raised the butcher knife to his brothers who had shared life and death with him. Wei Jun's conscience was severely condemned.The curses of "traitor" and "anti-grass evil ghost" continued to come from the other side's camp, disturbing Wei Jun and his group of confidants, and they were ashamed and ashamed.Finally, Wei Yide, who was full of blood, couldn't bear it anymore. He carried Wei Jun on his back, contacted several brothers, took off the Hunan Army's coat and hat angrily, and rode a fast horse, whipped and left the barracks in a dark night. He tried to go west to Hubei, and then turned back to his hometown in Guangxi, but was discovered by sentries from Jiziying.Zeng Guoquan sent a team of hundreds of light cavalry to arrest Wei Yide and others.Wei Yide and his brothers did not hide their actions, and Zeng Guoquan was so angry that he wanted to behead him for the crime of running away.In a panic, Wei Jun hurriedly sent someone to Dongliu to plead with Zeng Guofan.Zeng Guoquan reluctantly let him go after seeing the elder brother's handwritten letter. Zeng Guofan understood the reason.At that time, Miao Peilin, the training chief of Shouzhou, had a feud with Sun Jiatai, a member of the local regiment, and besieged Shouzhou City. He transferred the Zhengzi battalion to Shouzhou to conquer Miao Peilin.In the past four years, Wei Jun first fought the seedlings, and later fought the twists. Although he has not suffered a big defeat, his military achievements are only mediocre.Wei Yide's escape, as well as the fighting vigor of the entire Zhengzi camp in the past few years, made Zeng Guofan even more suspicious of Wei Jun.Wei Jun, who did not get the attention he deserved, was always in a depressed mood; Zhengziying became the stepmother with the worst equipment and the most arrears in the Hunan Army.Wei Jun was dissatisfied with Zeng Guofan because of this.Ten days after receiving the disarmament order, he still stood still and did not report to Jiangning. On this day, an urgent letter from Jiangning was delivered to the military camp of Luzhou Prefecture.When Wei Jun took it apart to look at it, it was Zeng Guofan who urged him to report it, and told him to take the pair of clouds sent by Kang Fu, and to play a few rounds with him at night; With that kindness, seeing it is like seeing Kang Fu.Zeng Guofan's affection for his old friend reminded Wei Jun of Kang Fu who persuaded him to surrender. For these years, Wei Jun had not been happy in the Hunan Army. He could see that Zeng Guofan had never treated him sincerely. He was polite on the surface, but cold in his heart.As for the other generals of the Hunan Army, they were not even superficially polite.When they met at councils of war, they all looked at him with a look of contempt that often embarrassed him.The only exception is Kangfu.Kang Fu is always very enthusiastic towards him and Yide, this enthusiasm comes from the heart, not artificial.Kang Fu even made a special trip to Shouzhou to see him.Wei Jun talked about his distress to Kang Fu, and said that Cheng Xueqi had a good time with Li Hongzhang.Kang Fu said: "If you really don't want to stay in the Hunan Army, I can tell Li Hongzhang that Zhengzi Battalion might as well go to the Huai Army." Wei Jun thanked Kang Fu for being a friend.Later, when he heard that Kang Fu died in battle in front of the Golden Dragon Hall, he was very sad.After the order to abolish the Hunan Army was issued, he was not willing to disarm the army.His mood was different from that of other battalion officers of the Hunan Army.Except for the Ting Army, the other camps of the Hunan Army are composed of Hunanese, and they return to Hunan when they return home.Hunan is the hometown of the Hunan Army, and they will be treated as heroes in triumph when they return home.His origin is in Guangxi.Guangxi is the hometown of the Taiping Army. The folks there love the Taiping Army and have a sworn hatred against the Hunan Army.He, a traitor of the Taiping Army and a running dog of the Hunan Army, how could he have the face to go back to Guangxi?In the towns and countryside of Guangxi, where is his safe place?Thinking of this, Wei Jun felt very depressed, and secretly made a decision: Once the Zhengzi camp was disbanded, he would take his wife, son, daughter and nephew away to another country, and from then on, he would remain anonymous and end his life.With a complicated mood, Wei Jun hurried to Jiangning City with Yunzi, the ancestor of the Kang family. "General Wei, how is the disarmament going?" After a few pleasantries, Zeng Guofan got to the point. "Reporting to my lord, this matter has not been done yet." Wei Jun replied. "Why?" Zeng Guofan's tone became severe. Wei Jun felt that the atmosphere was not good, and said, "Brothers, there are some things that they can't figure out, and they don't want to leave the barracks and go back to their hometowns like this." "General Wei, you may not understand that the Hunan Army is a regiment, not a division of the imperial court, and there is no reason for it to exist for a long time. After the battle is over, it should be disbanded and returned to the homeland. How can you think about it?" Zeng Guofan said His face visibly turned cold, "You should carry out my order and make arrangements for the withdrawal of the entire battalion immediately." Wei Jun was silent and didn't make a sound. "You said there are some things you can't figure out, what are they?" Zeng Guofan seemed to be a little impatient and asked. "My lord." Wei Jun cheered up and said, "Brothers all say that in the past four or five years, the Zhengzi camp has restored Shouzhou and defeated the Nian Bandits. They have made a lot of military exploits, but not many have been recommended. Everyone please Your Excellency will submit a note to the imperial court, and apply for a title for those old brothers who have fought hard for many years, so that they will have a better face when they go home." What Wei Jun said is true.Half of the 5,000 people in the Zhengzi Camp surrendered with Wei Jun. After each battle, Wei Jun submitted a recommendation form with a long list of names, and the ones who were guaranteed were those who came from Guangxi. The old brothers, Wei Jun wanted to win over them.But every time the list came into Zeng Guofan's hands, it got stuck.Zeng Guofan reported to the imperial court intact the recommendation sheets from other military camps, except for the orthographic camp.Zeng Guofan was extremely reluctant to let these elders be promoted and rewarded. He only selected 20-30% of them to report, and he also wanted to demote Wei Jun's original titles by one or two ranks.Compared with other battalions, the generals of Zhengzi battalion were not convinced and complained loudly.Over time, Wei Jun finally saw Zeng Guofan's thoughts, and a sense of humiliation weighed heavily on him.He did not give up, trying to fight for his subordinates one last time. "What a joke!" Zeng Guofan snorted through his nose and said with a sneer, "Zhengziying has not made military achievements recently, how can it submit a recommendation letter? , without any rules!" Hearing this, Wei Jun felt as if he had been hit by a stick, buzzing on the top of his head. It took him a long time to wake up, and he said, "It's okay if you don't make the recommendation list. The brothers said that three hundred people died in the Zhengzi camp. Many people, more than a thousand people were injured, 30% of the compensation money was less than 10% of the money, and no salary has been paid since this spring, and it has been owed for seven months. Adding up the two items, at least 200,000 taels of silver are owed The brethren said, withdraw the army after making up the money, otherwise—" "Otherwise what?" The veins on Zeng Guofan's neck were already bulging. "Otherwise they don't hand over their military equipment." "Bastard!" Zeng Guofan slapped the desk, startling Wei Jun. "If you don't hand over your military equipment, isn't it a plot to rebel! Wei Jun, how do you deal with these bastards?" Wei Jun is not a coward after all, Zeng Guofan's aggressive attitude has greatly hurt his self-esteem, coupled with his long-term dissatisfaction, he retorted heavily: "The humble official didn't deal with them, and the humble official thought what they said was reasonable!" "What did you say?" Zeng Guofan was furious, staring at his red triangular eyes, and shouted: "Is there any reason to plan a rebellion?" This is a blatant misrepresentation!Wei Jun didn't realize for a moment that Zeng Guofan's words were intended to lure him into the bait, and he was really furious. He stood up abruptly, and his voice changed: "They didn't rebel, this is a crime imposed on them. Zhengziying is discriminated against, brothers and sisters. I can't bear it anymore!" This sentence pushed back the moment when Zeng Guofan deliberately killed Wei Jun.He thought in his heart: 'I can't bear it any longer', these words are clearly a sign of a big trouble, and they are indeed determined to do so.Without further ado, start today! " Zeng Guofan put his hands on his waist and stared at Wei Jun.Wei Jun was not afraid, he stood there calmly, without lowering his head.The more Zeng Guofan looked at it, the more he felt that the former general of the Kingdom of Heaven, who was seeking courage and wealth, was covered with rebellious bones all over his body.Yes, this person cannot be left behind. Not only is his head deterred by the abolishment of the Hunan Army, but more importantly, the long-term stability of the Qing Dynasty also requires his head to be removed. "Someone is here!" Following Zeng Guofan's shout, four Wubians in military uniforms and sabers came up immediately. "Take down this rebellious official who sabotages disarmament and deliberately plots rebellion!" Until now, Wei Jun finally saw Zeng Guofan's true face clearly.He deeply regrets his original choice.But the matter has come to this point, and it is too late to regret. He only hopes that his nephew Yide can escape Zeng's clutches. Wei Jun's hopes were dashed.The next day, Zhao Liewen led a hundred fully armed cavalry from Jiangning to Luzhou, tricked Wei Yide to the post house, took him down immediately, and told all the officers and men of the Zhengzi Battalion that this matter had nothing to do with any of them. It doesn't matter, don't be in danger. On the second day after Wei Yide was escorted to Jiangning City, the whole city was covered with notices in purple strips with the words "Co-organizer of the Grand Scholar Liangjiang Governor, First-Class Marquis", on which it was impressively written: "Wei Jun, the former commander of Zhengzi Battalion, , The division commander Wei Yide resisted disarmament and conspired to rebel, and he has been reported to the Ming court to punish him." On the notice wall of Liangjiang Governor's Yamen, not only was a large notice posted, but a tall one was also erected next to it. On the flagpole hangs the two heads of Uncle Webster's nephew with wide eyes.As for the box of ancestral Yunzi brought by Wei Jun, Zeng Guofan treasured it. Zeng Guofan's trick really worked.From that day onwards, the generals of the Jizi Camp, Laoxiang Camp, Guozi Camp, Tingzi Camp, and the Yangtze River Navy, Huaiyang Navy, Ningguo Navy, and Taihu Navy did not dare to openly oppose the disarmament. The wild behavior of the Dingmen has also been restrained, and the military battalions have begun to formulate specific deployments for dismantling in batches.The staff also proposed many solutions to the problem of payment arrears.Zeng Guofan adopted two of them.One is to pay the bills.Please ask the Ministry of Household Affairs to agree to issue bank notes cashed in installments. Those who hold this bank note can get back all the arrears in the county within 20 years, and interest will be charged annually.In this way, not only the hearts of the brave Dings were reassured, but also the difficulty that the country could not afford a large amount of money was solved for a while.The second is to pay the salary with salt.At that time, Hunan did not produce salt, and the common people ate salt. The authentic source was Huai salt, and the smuggled one was Guangdong salt.Whether it is Huai salt or Guangdong salt, the selling price in Hunan is very expensive, generally more than ten times that in salt-producing areas, and even as high as twenty times in remote valleys.With one tael of salt in exchange for seven or eight taels of silver in arrears, the Yong Ding transported the salt back, and they could make a little money, and they were also happy.This also alleviated the difficulty of silver shortage. The bloody method of killing chickens to show monkeys, supplemented by specific and feasible solutions to solve the arrears of wages, finally made the disbandment of the Hunan Army payable to action.The various barracks of the Jizi Camp inside and outside Jiangning City began to move.On the river at Xiaguan Wharf, there was a large increase in boats, and many officials and brave men who were eager to go home to become rich and live a happy life were already lifting anchor and sailing.