Chapter 23 Six visits to the Jiaxiang Zongsheng Ancestral Temple

After the strategic deployment of river defense, Zeng Guofan moved the imperial envoy's camp from Xuzhou to Jining.On the way to Jining, he inspected Liguoyi Coal Mine, Canal and Weishan Lake.In Zou County, he paid homage to the Temple of Mencius, the sub-sage, and received Meng Guangjun, the eldest son of the Meng family.In Qufu, pay homage to the Temple of the Most Holy Teacher, and meet Kong Xiangke, Duke of Yansheng. Kong Xiangke accompanied Zeng Guofan to visit the various ancient musical instruments in the Jinsi Hall, and then led him into a sturdy house next to the Jinsi Hall, where the treasures of the Confucian Mansion are preserved.Those were the ten Zhou Dynasty bronze wares that Emperor Qianlong gave to Confucius when he came to Qufu to worship Confucius: wooden tripod, Yazun, Xizun, Boyi, Ceyou, Pankuidun, Baoyu, Kuifengdou, Taotie甗, four-legged 鬲.When Zeng Guofan was an official in the capital, he could only peek at these things from a distance during the great sacrificial ceremony. Today, he can touch these things in his own hands. As a former Minister of Rites who respects ancient rituals very much, Zeng Guofan is very happy.He happily responded to Yan Shenggong's invitation, and presented a couplet with a pen: "Learn from Shao Ernan, the suzerain of the group; the Taoism has been passed on, and the family has been connected for generations."

In order to repay the kindness of the imperial envoy, Kong Xiangke also collected the most holy statues painted by Wu Daozi and Zhao Ziang, the treasures of the Confucian Mansion, as well as a collection of portraits of emperors and ministers of the former Ming Dynasty. Portraits of Shizong, Xianzong, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Tang He, Liu Ji, Song Lian, Fang Xiaoru, Yang Shiqi, Yu Qian, Wang Shouren, Li Dongyang, etc., and two large axis portraits of Yuan Shizu and Ming Taizu, as well as Yuan and Ming The crowns, belts, clothes and shoes left behind by Duke Chaoyan and senior officials of the Confucian family were brought out for Zeng Guofan to see.These things are all preserved in a new color.Zeng Guofan opened his eyes.He also paid homage to Fusheng Yanzi Temple in Qufu City.Then reluctantly left Qufu and lived in Jining City.

Zeng Guofan planned to live in Jining Prefecture for two or three months before going to Guide Mansion in Henan. It is estimated that the river defense fortifications will be almost completed by then.Later, from Guide Mansion to Zhoujiakou, a victory ceremony for the success of the river defense will be held there to reward meritorious civil and military personnel. This morning, Zeng Guofan was busy reviewing documents in the camp.The documents of the past few days have made him very unhappy.In the imperial edict sent by the imperial court, Yang Yuebin failed to return to Shaanxi-Gansu Pingping, so he asked himself to be punished, and other words of virtuousness.He was worried about Yang Yuebin's situation.Liu Songshan sent a letter, reporting that the Nian Army had recently defeated the Guo Songlin Department of the New Hunan Army in Nanyang. Two battalions of the Henan Army also participated in the battle, and fled to Xuzhou without their helmets and armor.However, Song Qing, the commander-in-chief, sent another letter, saying that the Yu army had recently won a victory in Nanyang and had asked the emperor for a reward.Comparing the two letters, Zeng Guofan felt very uneasy. He was not only anxious about the failure of his ninth younger brother to be a teacher, but also angry because Song Qing pretended to be rewarded.He wanted to sternly criticize Song Qing's letter and send it back, but he was afraid that Song Qing would resent him and miss the important task of river defense, so when he wrote, his tone became gentle again, and the criticism turned into an inquiry.

At this moment, the soldiers came to report: "My lord, there is a poor scholar outside the door, who claims to be your lord's family, and asks to see him." He felt strange, where did the family come from here?Could it be that someone from Xiangxiang traveled a long distance to Shandong to look for it?Tell the soldiers: "You tell him to sit in the gatehouse and come to see me later." The soldiers agreed and went out, and Zeng Guofan continued to review the documents.Halfway through the approval, he suddenly thought: "Is it someone from Jiaxiang County? If it is true, then I will neglect it." He hurriedly stopped writing, got up and walked to the porter.

Just a few steps away, I saw a person coming out of the gatehouse and hurriedly walking towards him.Kneeling down more than ten steps away from him, he said in his mouth: "Jiaxiang County Zongsheng Zongzi Wujing Doctor Zeng Guangpu pays homage to Master Zhongtang." Sure enough, he is a descendant of Zongsheng, offend, offend!Thinking to himself, Zeng Guofan took a few steps forward, supported the man with both hands, and said, "Guofan has long wanted to visit the ancestor's holy temple in Jiaxiang County, but he couldn't get away for a while because he was too busy with military affairs. Mr. Jin does not blame me for disrespecting the ancestors." Guofan is ashamed to come to the city to see each other personally, so please go to the study to talk."

Zeng Guangpu raised his head, and Zeng Guofan took a closer look, only to see that this person was in his fifties, with a yellow and thin face and a lack of energy, not at all like the empress Zongsheng, which disappointed him.He took Zeng Guangpu's hand and walked into the study together.The soldiers offered tea, Zeng Guangpu took it rigidly, and stood still, not knowing where to sit.Zeng Guofan pointed to a carved jujube chair with a pleasant smile on the opposite side and said, "Please sit here." After Zeng Guangpu thanked him and sat down carefully, he said, "Mr. Guangpu, come to my place." , that is, in our own home, we are called family members, so don't be cautious."

Hearing this, Zeng Guangpu felt a lot more relaxed, and asked respectfully: "Your Excellency, it is taboo not to assign numbers, but I don't know how to address them." "Guofan belongs to the generation of Chuanzi, and the school name is Chuanyu." Zeng Guofan said with a smile. "Uncle is above, grandson doesn't know, he deserves to die!" Zeng Guangpu said, hurriedly left the seat, stood upright in front of Zeng Guofan, straightened his clothes and hats, and then knelt down and kowtowed three times. Zeng Guofan sat still and let him bow down.After Zeng Guangpu finished his worship, Zeng Guofan still smiled and said: "In terms of seniority, I am your grandfather's generation. You have to pay attention to family law and bow down, and I will accept it. In terms of age, you and I are about the same, so you don't need to be too polite." , may I ask your name?"

"Even though my uncle said that, how dare my grandson break the family rules." Zeng Guangpu said with trepidation, "Back to my uncle, my grandson is called Boshi." "Boshi, you are of the Guangzi generation. From Zongsheng to your generation, it should be seventy-two generations." "Yes, yes." Zeng Guangpu nodded repeatedly. "In Jiaxiang, which generation do you see now?" "The grandson set off from Jiaxiang yesterday. Ji Lin, the eighth master of the camel, said that his granddaughter-in-law gave birth to a son, and asked me to ask the adults to name him. Ji, Guang, Zhao, Xian," Zeng Guangpu counted with his fingers, " Now it's the generation of Xianzi. Baba Tuo is so lucky, just happened to meet my uncle stationed in Jining Prefecture, please be kind to my uncle and give him a name!"

"Wow!" Zeng Guofan said happily, "We were ordered to go north to suppress Nian in order to bring peace to the world. This child's name should be Xianning!" "The grandson thanked the uncle on behalf of Ba Ye Tuoba. In a few years, the grandson will personally admonish Xianning, telling him that this name was given to him by his ancestor Gongbao, and that he should study hard, so that he will honor his ancestors in the future, and never let him down. Guaranteed your expectations." "You speak well." Zeng Guofan was very happy. "The eldest son of the Meng family in Zou County also belongs to the Guangzi school, and Yan Shenggong of the Kong family in Qufu has joined the Xiangzi school. I wonder which school the Yan family's eldest son has joined?"

"The eldest son of the Yan family belongs to the Jizi School, and the name of the eldest son is Yan Jiqing." Zeng Guangpu replied. Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "It is the descendants of Confucius who developed faster!" "Yes." Zeng Guangpu said, "There is something my grandson doesn't understand, and today I came to Jining Prefecture to ask the adults, and ask the adults to enlighten me." "What's the matter, tell me!" "My Zeng family tree has not been compiled for three generations. Everyone said that now our Zeng family has produced a great man who stands up to heaven and earth. Not only is there no second person after Zongsheng, but also the sixty-six generations from Zongsheng Shangshuo to Xuanyuan Huangdi. Among them, only a few ancestors such as the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu, and Dayu can compare. How can such a hero who has greatly added glory to the ancestors of my Zeng family not be included in the genealogy? Meeting of several prominent figures of the Zeng family in Jiaxiang , to rebuild the genealogy. People said that the past genealogy only recorded that the fifteenth generation after Ming Zongsheng was born at the end of the Western Han Dynasty and was named Guan Nei Hou. One day, the family moved to Jiyang Township in Luling, and the Zeng family moved southward. The uncle must have moved south this time, but the faction after the southward move is unclear. When the grandson came this time, he wanted to Ask about it."

"Oh, I can answer your question." Zeng Guangpu's praise just now made Zeng Guofan full of excitement. Jiaxiang's people even compared him with Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Dayu, and Zeng Canlai, and regarded him as a descendant of the Zeng family. , what else can compare to this kind of glory! "In the 19th year of Daoguang, when I returned home from the capital, the Zeng family in Xiangxiang was rebuilding their family tree. The family members recommended me as the host, so I have a clearer understanding of the ins and outs of the Zeng family in Xiangxiang. The ancestor of the Zeng family who moved south is Zeng Shi. According to the public, there were two sons, and the name of the second room was Chan. The twenty-seventh generation of Chan Gong passed on to Meng Lu Gong. The branch of Meng Lu Gong moved from Ji'an, Jiangxi Province to Chaling, Hunan Province during the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty. It was passed down for four generations to the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty, from Chaling was moved to Tang Fu in Hengyang, and then handed down to Meng Xuegong for 18 generations. First, it was moved from Hengyang to Hengshan Ginkgo, and then to Heyetang in Xiangxiang. The fourth generation after Meng Xuegong, Yuan Jigong, settled in Heyetang. The Zeng clan of Yetang worshiped Duke Yuanji as their ancestor and built a special temple. Duke Yuanji was followed by Duke Fuchen, Duke Fuchen was succeeded by Duke Jingxi, Duke Jingxi was succeeded by Duke Xinggang, and Duke Xinggang was succeeded by Duke Zhuting. Mr. Zhuting gave birth to five brothers of mine." "Through my uncle's detailed account, we have a rough idea of ​​the history that has been passed down from generation to generation for more than 1,800 years after the Zeng family moved south. come down." "Boshi, I'm also going to ask you about the situation of the Jiaxiang Zongsheng Temple." Zeng Guofan looked at the shabby Zongsheng Zongzi and said kindly, "I came to Jining from Xuzhou this time, and I paid homage to the most holy and inferior saints along the way." Rehabilitation of the Three Holy Temples fulfilled one of the great wishes of my life. The most holy temple is so magnificent that people dare not look up at it. Although the Yasheng Temple is not as impressive as the most holy temple, the temple is clean and dense, and the relationship between Yasheng and his parents The tombs are well protected, and the descendants of the Meng family built a room next to the tomb to study. The sound of books is loud, and the family tradition of passing poems and rituals is also admirable. The scale of Fusheng Temple is slightly smaller than that of Sheng Temple, quiet and quiet. The big juniper is still verdant, and the statues of Yan Xin, Yan Zitui, and Yan Zhenqing, which are shared by the two verandahs, are also intact. During the war years, the Sansheng Temple can be kept in this state, which is enough for the scholars of the world to be gratified. Yesterday Yan Futai and Dingfantai came, and I really praised them. I have been thinking about the Zongsheng Temple in Jiaxiang. I don’t know how it is preserved now. Come on, Bo Shi, tell me first!" Zeng Guangpu came to Jining City to meet Zeng Guofan. He clearly said that he was asking about the faction of the Zeng clan after it moved south. In essence, they came for the ancestors’ temple. It looks like, will it arouse the anger of this big man?For a moment, Zeng Guangpu's mind came to the repeated advice of the Jiaxiang Zeng clan: "You must take this God of Wealth Bodhisattva to Jiaxiang County for two days!" "If you can ask him to donate tens of thousands of taels of silver, Repair the Zongsheng Temple magnificently, surpassing the Fusheng Temple of the Yasheng Temple, you are the great hero of our Zeng family!" Zeng Guangpu calmed down and said: "Reporting to my uncle, Jiaxiang's Zongsheng Temple is also well protected. The grandson's visit this time is entrusted by all the descendants of Jiaxiang's Zongsheng. I respectfully invite my uncle to go back to his hometown for two days, and have a chat with the Zeng clan. My respect to my uncle, and at the same time, I would like to invite my uncle to look at the Zongsheng Temple." "Guofan is deeply grateful for the generosity of the members of the Zeng clan in Jiaxiang." Zeng Guofan thought for a while and said, "However, we are too busy now. How about going back later when the military affairs are a little off?" Zeng Guangpu was in a hurry, and quickly said: "My uncle shouldered the heavy responsibility of suppressing twisters, and was relied on by the emperor as the Great Wall. If you want to talk about empty troubles, grandson thinks that there may be no seasons all year round. Why don't you just put aside your official duties for a while and go to Zongsheng Temple to burn incense. I hope that the spirit of Zongsheng in heaven will bless my uncle to put an end to the chaos and bring peace to the country, my grandson thought that it would be much more effective than doing official business for two days." These words reached Zeng Guofan's heart.As early as in Anqing, Zeng Guoquan besieged Jinling, and Zeng Guofan was always concerned about the Jinling war.Every evening, he would kneel alone in the small room on the third floor of the yamen, silently praying to the sky, calling out to his most admired hero—grandfather Xinggang Gong, and telling his grandfather's spirit in heaven about his sorrow.It's really good to say that Zeng Guofan felt much more at ease when he walked downstairs after praying and talking.He seems to have received instructions from his grandfather in the dark, his confidence has increased, and his ideas have increased.Zeng Guoquan surrounded Jinling for two full years. During those days of fear, Zeng Guofan relied on this method to maintain his spiritual balance.From this, Zeng Guofan believes that as long as he is sincere, he can communicate with his ancestors and get their protection.He thought that this is probably the reason why people have worshiped their ancestors devoutly for thousands of years. "Okay, you will spend a day in Jining Prefecture tomorrow, and I will take care of the matter at hand. In the morning of the day after tomorrow, you will take me to pay homage to the Zongsheng Temple." It is only forty-eight miles from Jining Prefecture to Jiaxiang County.At noon, Zeng Guangpu and the accompanying guards stopped at Jiaxiang Academy surrounded by a simple cloth sedan chair.Zeng Guofan walked out of the sedan chair in green clothes and cloth shoes, and entered the academy.In order to receive Zeng Guofan, Jiaxiang Academy had a special holiday for a few days. The academy was deserted, with only one old man standing at the door.Zeng Guangpu introduced: "This is the old Mr. Zeng who teaches in the academy, and he is also a descendant of Zongsheng. He is of the Xing generation." "The old man is my uncle." Zeng Guofan said kindly. "How dare you, how dare you!" Mr. Zeng saluted hurriedly in a panic. Zeng Guofan saw that the old man was about sixty or seventy years old, and the top of his head was basically bald. A few slender white hairs were loosely twisted together and tied with an old black cloth. The non-white gown has seven or eight patches, the cloth shoes on the feet are worn out, the soles of the shoes are replaced by straw ropes, and a thin black toe is exposed on the left foot.He sighed inwardly, looked up and looked around.Known as Jiaxiang Academy, it is the only place to study in the county. In fact, there is only one main room for students to attend classes.There is another low side room, which is Mr. Zeng's bedroom and kitchen.A piece of vegetable soil two feet long and one foot wide was dug out at the foot of the wall, and some vegetables, melons and beans were planted. Zeng Guofan had just sat down when Cheng Shengwu, magistrate of Jiaxiang County, brought the officials of the county yamen and dignified figures of the Zeng family to come.The county magistrate Cheng repeatedly apologized for not being able to welcome him far away. Zeng Guofan said that he was returning to Jiaxiang to visit the ancestral temple, not on official business, and he was not to blame for not notifying him in advance.After a while, two tables of wine and food were brought from the county government office.The county magistrate Cheng and Zeng Guangpu accompanied him on the left and right, and persuaded each other attentively.After eating and resting for a while, the crowd surrounded Zeng Guofan and went to the Zongsheng Temple. As soon as he arrived in Jiaxiang County, after seeing Jiaxiang Academy and the teachers in the academy, Zeng Guofan began to worry about Zongsheng Temple.After walking for a while, Zeng Guangpu pointed to a hut in front of him and said, "This is the Zongsheng Temple." Zeng Guofan was stunned at first, unable to believe it, and then a wave of desolation and sadness poured out.This is a common farmer's house in Southwest Shandong.There is a wooden door with low eaves on the front, surrounded by a human-high earth wall, and the top of the wall is pasted with sorghum stalks to keep out the rain, and there are large and small holes in the wall everywhere.Pushing open the door, an old tile-roofed house in disrepair appeared.There are tall and low thatch growing in the gaps between the tiles, and birds are flying around in the grass.There are two windows on the left and right, and the window lattices are incomplete.The pillars on both sides of the gate seem to have been painted, but they have almost peeled off, revealing the black and cracked pillars.If it weren't for the plaque of "Zongsheng Temple" hanging on the top of the door, it would be impossible to remind people that this is the holy temple built in Zeng Can's hometown.Don't say it is far inferior to the Confucian Temple, even compared to the Mencius Temple and the Yan Temple.But after all, this is a temple for sacrificing ancestors. Zeng Guofan still cleaned up his clothes and bowed three times and kowtowed respectfully in front of the colorful and disproportionate clay statue of Zeng Can.Zeng Guangpu and his clan followed behind and knelt down a large area. The desolate Zeng Guofan wanted to say to Zongsheng: "The descendants of the Zeng family have declined, so that the ancestors have been dusted. Compared with the Confucius, Mencius, and Yan families, they are ashamed and intolerable. The Zeng family." On second thought, where did the twenty thousand taels of silver come from?Most of my maintenance expenses were sent to the orphans of those generals who died in battle, and the rest was also donated to academies in various places for the tuition and fees of scholars from poor and small households.The savings for most of my life are no more than 20,000 taels of silver at most, and there are many essential expenses that cannot be used here.Although the military salary is high, it must not be used to build the ancestral temple of the Zeng clan.Besides, the place where Zong Christmas was born is so impoverished, and the descendants of Zong Sheng are so decrepit, it is only a few days, and it is beyond the power of manpower.Zeng Guofan pondered for a long time in front of Zeng Can's statue, and finally wished: "Zongsheng's spirit is safe in heaven, and the 70 generations of unworthy Sun Guofan prayed devoutly. May my holy ancestor bless the war against the Nian and the Nian. , When Haiyan River is clean and the country is prosperous and the people are safe, the unworthy grandson will come to pay homage to our holy ancestor again, and lead the tribe to rebuild the temple and expand the academy, so that the ancestor's moral writings will be passed on from generation to generation without interruption." Standing up after praying, Zeng Guangpu opened the back door.There is another room at the back, called Qisheng Temple.It is said that he once participated in this place to "examine myself three times in a day" and named it Yangzhilou.Zeng Guofan saw that the Qisheng Temple was not as good as the Zongsheng Temple. Half of the wall had collapsed, and the part that hadn't collapsed was also decayed and dilapidated.He stood in the courtyard and came out.Zeng Guangpu said: "The grandson's house is not far from the temple, and we have prepared herbal tea. Please come and sit in the grandson's house." Zeng Guofan also wanted to see the situation of the eldest son's family, so he nodded in agreement. Go out of the Zongsheng Temple and turn left, walk a hundred steps, and you will arrive at the home of the Doctor of the Five Classics.The residential area is not small, but there are only two old houses. From the traces preserved on the ground, we can see the general appearance of the heyday: the tall front door, the second door, the wide main room, the corridor, and about a hundred feet. long fence.But now it's all ruined.Zeng Guangpu set up two tables on the empty ground, with some tea and fruit on them.Zeng Guofan sat down for a while, stood at the door and glanced at the inner room of the eldest son. The inner room is narrow and dark, and the furnishings are shabby. Even the plaque of "Saving oneself and remembering ancestors" bestowed by Emperor Yongzheng has no place to hang, but is only placed on an old table.Zeng Guofan sighed in his heart: If the Zongzi's family is like this, one can imagine the situation of Zongsheng's descendants.He didn't want to stay in Jiaxiang County any longer, and planned to return to Jining Prefecture tomorrow morning. He couldn't stand the persuasion of Zeng Guangpu and several other Zeng elders, so he had to go to Zengsan, Nanwu Mountain, 40 miles outside Jiaxiang City, the next day. cemetery. There is also a Zongsheng Temple here, which is much stronger than the one in the county.The temple is at the foot of Nanwu Mountain, and the surrounding area is full of stubborn rocks and no vegetation. Therefore, the more than 200 cypress trees planted in the Jiaqing period inside and outside the temple are particularly precious. I feel relieved.The temple is still well preserved, the statue of Zeng Shen is not damaged, there are statues of disciples Yangfu, Lezheng, Zichun and others in the two verandahs, there is Zongshengmen in the middle, three stone squares in front, and two stele pavilions .One is "The Story of Rebuilding the Zongsheng Temple" written by Liu Buxiu, a servant of the imperial court during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and the other is "Zongsheng Praise" written by Emperor Qianlong himself.Walking out of the temple, Zeng Guofan went to see Zeng Shen's tomb again. There are several stone horses and Weng Zhong erected on both sides of the tomb passage, but there is no tile left in the Xiangtang. In front of the round tomb with tangled grass, there is a stone tablet engraved with the nine characters "Tomb of Sheng Zengzi, Duke Zong of the Kingdom of Yi".Zeng Guofan bowed three times and kowtowed nine times before the tombstone.Zeng Guangpu led a group of people to place offerings beside the tomb and burn money papers.After the ceremony, Zeng Guofan walked around the tomb. Zeng Guangpu said to him: "Because of the long history, Zongsheng's tomb has long been lost, and I don't know where it is buried. In the early Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, there was an old man fishing in Nanwu Mountain. He accidentally walked and fell into a thousand-year-old cave. , accidentally found a hanging coffin in the ancient cave. The stone wall beside the hanging coffin was engraved with the words "Tomb of Zeng Shen". After climbing out of the cave, the fisherman immediately told the descendants of the Zeng family about this discovery, and the Shandong The guards went to the imperial court. The descendants of the Zeng family took out the hanging coffin and built a tomb for Zong Shenggong beside the ancient cave. At the same time, they filled the ancient cave. In the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, Jin Hongzuo, governor of Shandong, asked to build Xiangtang The workshop was well preserved until the Daoguang period. Over the years, it has gradually deteriorated and no one has repaired it." After all, he sighed again and again. Zeng Guofan asked: "How many descendants of Zongsheng live in Nanwu Mountain?" "Three hundred households." Zeng Guangpu replied. "What do you do?" "In the past, crops were grown. From the end of Daoguang period, crops were not grown, and opium was replaced." "Growing opium?" Zeng Guofan shook his head, "Is it profitable?" "Although there are some benefits, the officials in the county extort too much, which is not much better than growing crops." Zeng Guangpu said, "But we need to be more relaxed." Zeng Guofan stopped asking questions.He climbed up a small hill, looked around, and saw the surrounding rocks are rough, the terrain is scattered, there is no sign of reunion surrounded by mountains and rivers, and he doubts whether the tomb is the real remains of the Zongsheng, but he Did not say it. Back at Jiaxiang Academy, Zeng Guofan only talked with the county magistrate Cheng Shengwu about Jiaxiang's economy and people's livelihood and the activities of the Nian Army here in the past two years, and did not ask about Zongsheng. Zeng Guangpu was in a hurry, he discussed with his tribe.After finally getting the county magistrate to leave, Zeng Changpu hurried in and said to Zeng Guofan: "The whole family of Zeng's family is very honored that my uncle has returned home these two days. Uncle can't come forward." Zeng Guofan said: "Although I am a descendant of the Zongsheng, my family has been moved to the south for nearly two thousand years. It is not suitable for me to come forward to repair the Zeng family tree in Jiaxiang. Besides, I have military affairs and I have no time to do it." This matter." There was a setback at the beginning, and Zeng Guangpu was very disappointed, but he was still not reconciled: "Although the uncle's family has already moved south, after all, we are descended from the lineage of the ancestors, and blood and blood kinship cannot be changed. I'm busy, why don't you ask one of the two uncles to take over!" Zeng Guofan laughed and said, "They are young, what do they know?" Zeng Guangpu was originally a dull and uninitiated person, but after being blocked by Zeng Guofan these two times, he didn't know what to say, and he muttered for a long time without saying anything.Zeng Guofan was angry and sympathetic at the same time, and said: "Boshi, the Zeng family in Jiaxiang County will rebuild the genealogy, and our Zeng family in Xiangxiang will not participate. You should take the lead to repair the genealogy. In the future, the country will be peaceful, and I have not yet done it." If I die, I have a wish to find out where the descendants of Zong Shenggong live besides Jiaxiang, Ji'an, and Xiangxiang, and then invite them to jointly compile a complete genealogy of the Zeng family. If at that time The tribe thinks highly of me, and I would be happy to push me out to host this matter. What do you think?" Zeng Guangpu felt dispirited, and could only say, "Of course it's our Zeng family's Daqing." Zeng Guofan said: "I have seen the two Zongsheng temples and cemeteries in Jiaxiang and Nanwushan in the past two days, and I am deeply saddened by the decline of Zongsheng's descendants. This is certainly caused by the country's instability and Jiaxiang's poverty, but also because the Zeng clan has forgotten the Zongsheng. The teachings of the Shenggong have also forgotten the sacred edict of Lord Yongzheng's "sacrificing oneself and remembering one's ancestors". If the ancestral temple is not repaired, and the ancestors are not worshipped, what is there to say about the Zeng family? Let alone expect it to prosper and produce a large number of talents. If the matter is not handled well, Ji Ji Huanghuang will go to repair the family tree, no matter how complete the family tree is, what is the use of it?" When Zeng Guangpu heard this, he suddenly realized that this was the reason why Zeng Guofan did not preside over the revision of the genealogy, and regretted that he should not have been invited to Jiaxiang.At first, I thought that he would be tempted to donate a huge sum of money when he saw the decline of the ancestral temple, but he didn't give any money, and he was taught a lesson.At this point, Zeng Guangpu had no choice but to say: "What my uncle taught me is that my grandson, as the eldest son, failed to unite the whole clan well, and he is ashamed to be a descendant of the ancestor." "Of course, you can't be blamed for this alone." Zeng Guofan sighed and said, "everyone with the surname Zeng in Jiaxiang is responsible. It is true that the Confucian Temple in Qufu should not be climbed, but the scale of Meng Temple in Zou County can be achieved. Zou County is not richer than Jiaxiang, but the descendants of the Meng family have far more respect for their ancestors than our Zeng family. Don't we feel ashamed?" Zeng Guangpu's face was flushed red, he lowered his head, speechless.After a long time, Zeng Guofan said: "Although I have been a naturalist for more than 20 years, I have lived in a first-class official and led the army. It is common for me to have millions of taels of silver on hand. You may not believe it. The silver is only 20,000 taels. If you want to help you rebuild the Zongsheng Temple and the Academy, you can’t do it. I can only donate a thousand taels of sacrificial silver. You can use it to buy some land and support a few people who manage the temple. Serve a few sacrificial dishes to Zong Shenggong in the four seasons. If there is any leftover, it will be subsidized to Jiaxiang Academy to train a few candidates and Jinshi, so as to make Jiaxiang Zeng's family rich. Bo Shi, as the eldest son of Jiaxiang Zeng's family, you live in the same place. It's too simple, and even the plaque given by Lord Yongzheng can't be hung, which makes people feel too sad. I'll give you another forty taels of silver, and you can repair the house, add a new set of clothes, and meet foreign guests in a dignified way. " At first I thought that there was no hope at all, but now I got another thousand and forty taels of silver. After the great disappointment, Dr. Wujing got a little satisfaction. That night, Zeng Guofan thought a lot in Jiaxiang Academy: The descendants of the Zeng family in Jiaxiang County are so declining, how can Zong Shenggong feel at ease in the spirit of heaven!Although the Zeng family in Xiangxiang is now known as the first family of subjects in the world, how do the world know that this "first family" is actually empty.Not to mention the bitterness and bitterness of it, let's say that the current situation of the war against twisters is uncertain. If the strategy of river defense can no longer win, this first company will be defeated immediately.The glory gained by murder and siege is short-lived after all, there are many accidents in it, and the long-term prosperity passed down by the family depends on etiquette and poetry! As Zeng Guofan thought about it, he missed his ninth brother in Wuchang even more.The success or failure of the river defense depends to a large extent on the New Hunan Army's operations against the Nian Army in northern Hubei and western Henan. However, at this time, Zeng Guofan never dreamed that it was this ninth younger brother who had brought him great glory, and now he had a complete falling out with the official document of the governor of Huguang, which finally led to the victory of Hefang as a picture.