Chapter 26 In Yilinggu Temple, Zeng Guofan taught the secrets of ancient prose

Zeng Guofan returned to Jiangning gloomy, and felt that his energy was even weaker. His original grand plan to rectify the two rivers was cut by more than half by the defeat in the Nian Zhan.The aides have reported that Ding Richang, the governor of Jiangsu who was single-handedly recommended by Li Hongzhang, took bribes seriously and even asked for bribes openly.Last year, when Su Song was vacant, Ding Richang revealed the news through his servants that whoever gave him two Duan inkstones would be able to make up for it.There was an alternate Taoist priest who had bought two good inkstones from Duanzhou for many years and delivered them to his door.Ding Richang looked at it, and said with a smile: "It's better to get the Duan inkstone from Fukeshan, but you are not good enough." When the man really got two more inkstones from Fukeshan, Su Song Taidao had let him go.The lucky man has a flexible mind, and he knows that the so-called "two sides of Duan and inkstone" are actually "20,000 yuan in silver".The aides were very angry: such a person who openly sells his officials can still be a governor?

Zeng Guofan knew that Ding Richang was most appreciated by Li Hongzhang, and what Li Hongzhang appreciated was his ability to make money.Participating in the impeachment of Ding Richang is tantamount to attacking Li Hongzhang.At this time, Li Hongzhang is about to stick to the strategy of river defense, win the battle, and wash away the humiliation for himself. Can he still offend him? There are many rich and powerful gentry in southern Jiangsu, and they often refuse to pay rent.In the past two years, Zeng Guofan imposed some restrictions on the wealthy and wealthy gentry under the prestige of reducing the power of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and his anti-rent arrogance was somewhat restrained.After returning this time, I found that everything was still the same.

The governor who sells officials cannot participate in the impeachment, so what about punishing corrupt states and counties?Wealthy families can't be suppressed, so what's the talk of reducing grain and equalizing taxes?If you can't do these things, why talk about rectifying the two rivers?Zeng Guofan was really disheartened.Then, Liu Rong, Guo Songtao, and Zeng Guoquan resigned successively, and Liu Changyou's governor of Zhili was replaced by official documents. There were rumors in the country that the heyday of Hunan figures in power had passed, and Zeng Guofan became even more frustrated.The governors of the three provinces could have been blamed for the two rivers incidents. Therefore, apart from supervising food and salaries and supporting the frontlines of the Nian War, he spent most of his time reading and composing, and seldom asked about political affairs.What made him somewhat gratified was that beside him were a group of talented scholars who were diligent in learning and progressing well in ancient prose, among which Zhang Yuzhao, Li Shuchang, Wu Rulun and Xue Fucheng were the most prominent.Except for Zhang Yuzhao, who is a little older, the other three are only in their twenties, and they are just like rough jade and gold.Mencius said that it is a great joy in life to be taught by the best talents in the world. Zeng Guofan also called it the three joys of life together with reading aloud, working and resting.He thought that it would be a great achievement to turn these few pieces of rough jade into beautiful utensils.

Zeng Guofan guided them carefully and passed on his experience in writing ancient prose to them.He once felt the decline of Tongcheng's ancient prose and wanted to revitalize it. Later, he was in the army and had no time to do anything. Now he is getting old and haggard physically and mentally. It seems that he cannot take on this important task on his own.Just as the victory of Nian Zhan depends on his disciple Li Hongzhang, the revival of Tongcheng's ancient prose also depends on his disciples.Yesterday, he gladly read Zhang Yuzhao's work "A Solo Travels in Beishan", and his spirit was lifted.

Unmoved by the steepness of the mountain, Zhang Yuzhao climbed Beishan alone, proclaiming that "the world is far away and unique, and it is not to restrain one's will but to be determined alone, and those who are not tired and confused and stop in fear are capable. Is it the extreme?" Exclaimed.After Zeng Guofan read it, he thought of his mental state of not seeking to forge ahead in the past six months, and felt ashamed. "Young people are awesome!" he thought to himself. It is the early summer weather, and the scenery in the outskirts of Jiangning is pleasant.The Xiaoling Mausoleum has not yet been inspected after its preliminary restoration. Zeng Guofan decided to take Zhang Yuzhao, Li Shuchang and others to inspect the Xiaoling Mausoleum tomorrow, and at the same time, take the opportunity of visiting the mountains and rivers to talk to them about the way of writing.

Xiaoling Mausoleum is the mausoleum of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma, at the south foot of Zhongshan Mountain outside Chaoyang Gate.When the city was besieged a few years ago, it was a fierce battlefield, and the buildings around the mausoleum were severely damaged.The Aixinjueluo clan seized the throne from the Zhu clan, and on the surface treated the Zhu clan with courtesy.After entering Beijing, Shunzhi held a state funeral for Chongzhen.During Kangxi and Qianlong's southern tours, they all went to pay homage to the Xiaoling Mausoleum in person, and specially appointed two mausoleum supervisors, 40 mausoleum households, and allocated 100 mu of Sixiangtian.Kangxi also handwritten the four characters "Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasties", handed over to weaving Cao Yin made a plaque and hung it on the tribute hall.As soon as Jiangning City was regained, the imperial court ordered Zeng Guoquan to go to Xiaoling to pay homage and to restore the original appearance as soon as possible.At that time, due to the shortage of funds, the restoration project of Xiaoling Mausoleum had to be moved back.On the eve of being ordered to go north, Zeng Guofan handed over the matter to Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang is really capable.For more than a year, Xiaoling has recovered quite well.Because the governor came to inspect in person, today's tourists were far away.Zeng Guofan brought Zhang, Li, Wu, Xue and others to the entrance of Xiaoling Mausoleum, and he was greeted by a tall stone square with six characters "Officials of various departments dismounted" engraved on it.This is commonly known as Xiamafang.It had been broken into seven or eight pieces, but it was repaired skillfully by masonry, and now it has been erected again.At a rough glance, it looks almost the same as the original.Zeng Guofan got out of the sedan chair, and Zhang, Li, Wu, Xue and others also got off their horses and walked on the Shinto path leading to the mausoleum.

The stone beasts and Weng Zhong on both sides of the Shinto have been found and restored.The stone lions, stone Xiezhi, stone camels, stone unicorns, stone horses, stone generals, and stone wenchens stretch for two or three miles on this road, and the momentum is extremely spectacular. Coupled with the shade of pines and cypresses, the road is clean and tidy, full of the majestic and majestic style of the founding emperor. between heaven and earth.Zeng Guofan and his entourage were also infected invisibly, giving rise to a feeling of reverence and fear. The end of Shinto is Xiangdian.This was originally one of the main buildings of Xiaoling.There are nine couplets with double eaves, and dozens of verandahs on both sides of the front of the hall.There are also Jingujian and Fudian, Zaishu Pavilion, Liaolu, Bird Pond, Water Well, etc. There are forty-five houses in the main hall, enshrining the gods of Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Shi.It's a pity that this magnificent building was completely destroyed by war, and only fifty-six stone pillar foundations remained.Now a lot of wood, stone and dust have accumulated around it.The official who accompanied the mausoleum restoration told Zeng Guofan that it was prepared for the reconstruction of Xiangdian, and that it was planned to be rebuilt in the shape of the Changling Mausoleum, and people have been sent to Beijing to imitate it.The biggest difficulty is not the lack of money, but the lack of talents. No one dares to undertake this task.Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "There are many talents in my shogunate, but there is no Luban. You can make a recruitment list and recruit talents from all over the world. There will always be Luban today." The official nodded in agreement.

Standing on the ruins of Xiangdian for a while, Zeng Guofan and his party passed through the Fangcheng tunnel and arrived at Dulongfu in Zhongshan.This is where Ming Taizu's underground palace is located.Although the flames of war raged and many ancient trees around were burned down, Dulongfu was still lush with lush vegetation and lush vegetation. Zeng Guofan stood there for a long time and sighed: "After all, it is the burial place of the Holy Son of Heaven, and it is blessed by the gods!" Zhang, Li and others also deeply agree. Zeng Guofan stood on Dulongfu, looking into the distance.But seeing Zhongshan soaring, the purple mist steaming, the surrounding terrain is open and magnificent, the countryside is lush and green, the water is shining, and you can have a panoramic view of the scenery.The governor of Liangjiang, who had been depressed for a long time, suddenly had an air of looking down on the world, and once again sighed in his heart: "Such a good cemetery is unparalleled in the world, Zhu Hongwu has good eyesight!"

Zeng Guofan was basically satisfied with the restoration of Xiaoling Mausoleum, and he praised the officials who supervised the repair.The official was very happy, and flattered Zeng Guofan and said, "My lord, the Linggu Temple has basically been repaired. Please go there and inspect it, and you can take a rest in the temple. I will immediately notify the abbot of Linggu Temple and ask him to arrange it." Tea is served." After inspecting Xiaoling for half a day, Zeng Guofan felt tired and wanted to talk about literature. Linggu Temple is indeed a good place, so he agreed. When Zeng Guofan and his party arrived at the gate of the temple in sedan chairs and horses, Master Yuantong, the abbot of Linggu Temple, had led more than 50 monks from the whole temple to greet him outside the third gate.After a short rest, Master Yuantong accompanied Zeng Guofan to inspect the restored temple, and introduced it to the Governor-General all the way.

Linggu Temple was built in the thirteenth year of Liang Tianjian. It was originally named Kaishan Temple.At that time, Jiangshan Temple in Jiangning, Yongzuo Temple in Zhongtianzhu, Hangzhou, Wanshou Temple in Huzhou, Baoen Guangxiao Temple in Suzhou, Xuedou Zisheng Temple in Fenghua, Longxiang Temple in Wenzhou, Xuefeng Chongsheng Temple in Fuzhou, Baolin Temple in Jinhua, Suzhou Huqiu Lingyan Temple and Tiantai Guoqing Temple are also known as the top ten famous temples in the south of the Yangtze River.In the fourteenth year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty came to Zhongshan to choose the imperial mausoleum. He saw Dulongfu as a treasure land of geomantic omen, and ordered Jiangshan Temple to move eastward.Dinglin Temple, Songxi Temple, Zhuyuan Temple, and Wuzhen Temple in the circle of imperial mausoleums were all moved here and merged into Linggu Temple. Yuantong told Zeng Guofan with relish, like a broken-down ancestor boasting of wealth, that the merged Linggu Temple is so large that there is no other temple in the south of the Yangtze River that can compare with it.The halls and verandahs in the temple are built in the same way as Da Nei, and they are five miles long from the Sanmen to the Brahma Palace.The main road in the middle, pedestrians walking on it, can make a sound similar to playing a pipa, and people can faintly hear the vibrating strings of the pipa by applauding, so the monks call it Pipa Street. Zhang Yuzhao was very surprised.Wu Rulun quietly said to Xue Fucheng: "This old guy is bragging." Li Shuchang asked Yuantong: "Master, is what you said true?" Yuantong put his palms together immediately, and said: "Amitabha, I will be 60 years old next year, can I still lie like I did when I was young?" Wu Rulun couldn't help laughing when he heard this, and thought: This old monk is quite straightforward, and a single sentence revealed his tendency to tell lies when he was young, so he asked: "Old Master, does this Pipa Street still play pipa now? " "It's long gone." "Why doesn't it play again?" "As early as the Tianqi period, a woman in labor came to Linggu Temple to burn incense and prayed to the Bodhisattva to bless her for a smooth delivery. After praying, she walked out of the temple along Pipa Street. Unexpectedly, she had an attack halfway, and the pain was so severe that she was on Pipa Street. Rolling on the street. After three rolls, the woman gave birth to a white and fat boy on the street. The Bodhisattva blessed her to give birth smoothly, but it polluted Pipa Street. Since then, Pipa Street has been I can't hear the pipa anymore." When everyone heard this, they all burst into laughter.Zeng Guofan also smiled, and said in his heart: "Sure enough, he is an old monk who can lie, but he is also cute." Seeing everyone's high interest, Yuantong became more and more energetic as he talked.He also said that Linggu Temple used to have a vast and boundless release pond, which was dug by 10,000 migrant workers for a whole month in the early Ming Dynasty, so it was also called Wangong pond.There are also sceneries of Wuliang Hall, Plum Blossom Pier, and Bagongde Water.At that time, the temple was like a cloud, and the pagoda stood upright. At its peak, there were a thousand monks.The temple is full of towering pines and a deep path, so it is also known as the deep pine in Linggu. Yuantong said very proudly that after Lord Kangxi and Lord Qianlong visited the Xiaoling Mausoleum, they all stayed in Linggu Temple and left Chenhan behind. "Old mage, what kind of water did you mention the eight merit water?" Li Shuchang asked. "There is a reason for the eight merit waters." Yuantong counted Jiazhen with vigor, "In the seventeenth year of Liang Tianjian, a monk from the Western Regions came to practice in Zixia Cave in Zhongshan. Zixia Cave lacked water, so monk Hu had to Relying on the rain to quench thirst. One day, an old man with long beards came to the cave and asked monk Hu for water. Monk Hu handed him the water jar. The half of the water in the jar was still received by monk Hu in spring. Yes, I have to rely on it to survive the hot weather. The old man drank half a jar of water in one breath, and asked Monk Hu if he felt sorry for him. Monk Hu said: "There is a destiny for receiving water, and a destiny for drinking water. Today, if you are destined, you must meet a mountain fairy." The old man The old man asked in amazement, "How do you know that I am a mountain fairy?" Monk Hu said, "There is a vicious tiger and a poisonous snake at the entrance of Zixia Cave. How can mortals come here?" I will pay you for water." After the old man said, he drilled a small hole with his fingers against the wall of the cave. Suddenly, a thin stream of water flowed out of the small hole. Monk Hu asked: "The mountain fairy , What are the benefits of your water?' The old man said: 'My spring water has eight virtues: one is clear, two is cold, three is fragrant, four is soft, five is sweet, six is ​​pure, seven is not filthy, and eight is acrid.' It turned into a stream of clear smoke. When the monks of Linggu Temple heard about it, they split open the bamboo, paved it into a bamboo pipe, and led the water into the temple." "Wow, master, there is such good water in your temple, why don't you boil a pot of good tea for us!" Wu Rulun shouted happily. "My old man has already prepared it." Yuan Tong smiled and pointed to the front and said, "It's placed in the Wuliang Hall." The Wuliang Hall got its name because it enshrines the Buddha of Infinite Life, but most people call it the Wuliang Hall. Because this hall, built in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, is fifteen feet long and nine feet wide, has no beams, no pillars, no size of wood, and is all made of huge bricks.Master Yuantong led Zeng Guofan and his party to Wuliang Hall, where a table of refreshments had already been set up.On the nanmu tabletop is an exquisite tea set.According to Yuantong, this is a tribute made by the Jingdezhen official kiln in the previous generation. Although it has been more than 400 years old, it is still as white as snow and as green as grass.Everyone holds it in their hands and observes it carefully.Zeng Guofan thought: This old monk who claims to stop lying has been lying for half a day, and only this sentence is true. This is indeed a rare and good tea set. There are several dishes of seasonal fruits on the table.Yuantong said that these are the local products of the temple, especially the green skin red radish, which is even rarer to eat.While talking, Yuantong cut open one with a knife, and sure enough, the heart of the radish was bright red.Yuantong said with a smile: "Jinling's red radish ranks first in the south of the Yangtze River, and Linggu Temple's red radish ranks first in Jinling. This dish is the best among the radishes in Linggu Temple." "That's really number one in the world!" Wu Rulun joked with a smile. "I think I should be considered number one in the world." Yuantong laughed happily, a green brilliance appeared on his bald scalp.Zeng Guofan suddenly discovered that this sorcerer was actually a good-looking man. If he were to wear a first-rank official uniform, he would look more like a bachelor than himself! There is a small stove beside the table, and wisps of water steam from an antique Yixing purple sand pot.Yuantong poured a cup of tea for each person himself.When pouring tea for Wu Rulun, he specially said to him solemnly: "Sir, this is made from the real water of the eight merits." Then he turned around and smiled and said to Zeng Guofan: "My lord sits here, and the poor monk is called the chef. Prepare a good fast meal, please taste it." Everyone took a sip of tea, and seemed to feel that it was indeed better than the tea in the city. "What a monk who can enjoy the blessings!" Looking at the abbot of Linggu Temple who had gone away, Zeng Guofan expressed envy from the bottom of his heart. "You said, why did I bring you out to inspect the Xiaoling Mausoleum today?" I haven't left the supervisor's office for a long time, and I went to the countryside today to see the newly renovated Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and met the likable but likable monk , Sitting in such a quiet temple and drinking tea, Zeng Guofan felt a sense of comfort that he hadn't seen in many years. He smiled and asked the young staff who were concentrating on drinking tea. Xue Wei and his disciples. The four sons looked at each other for a while, not knowing how to answer.Wu Rulun was always active, so he couldn't help but replied: "My lord told us to rest for a day and come to Zhongshan to have fun." Zeng Guofan smiled and shook his head.Li Shuchang thought for a while and said: "I see, the topic of the essay that your lord assigned us in the second half of the year is Ming Xiaoling." "No, it should be based on filial piety to rule the world." Xue Fucheng hastily corrected. Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Forget it, you all can't guess right. I invited you out today. I originally wanted to have a chat with Zhong Shan, but now I have become a guest of Monk Yuantong, and it has become a chat with Linggu Temple." Wu Rulun clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Your Excellency's move is too elegant, it must be a good story in the literary world from now on." The other three sons were also very excited. "Yesterday, Lianqing sent an article "A Travel Notes of the North Mountain". After reading it, the old man found it very inspiring. Not only is the writing skillful, but also the intention is lofty. It is really a good article." Zeng Guofan took out Zhang Yuzhao's composition from his sleeve and handed it to Li Shuchang. "Every one of you read it first, and then we'll start with Lian Qing's article." When Li Shuchang and others were reading, Zeng Guofan said to Zhang Yuzhao: "I once said that the articles under my feet are close to soft. I hope to read more of Yang and Han's articles, and use the ancient Fu of the Han Dynasty to save it. This travel note is no longer available. In the past, I was weak and weak, but recently I have grown a lot." "It's all the result of adults' advice." Zhang Yuzhao replied respectfully.He was born with a thick and prudent appearance, and with gray hair, at the age of forty-three or four-year-old, he looked like a person who was over fifty.What Zeng Guofan valued most was his sincerity, and he knew that even if he deliberately praised him like this, he would not be proud. If it was Wu Rulun and Xue Fucheng, he would not be able to praise him like this. Zhang Yuzhao's article was less than 300 words, and within a short while, all three of them read it.Li Shuchang sincerely praised him for his good writing, and Wu and Xue also agreed, but they were not very convinced. "The composition should be based on the meaning, the words should not match the meaning, and the words should be exaggerated. The good thing about Lianqing's travel notes is that through the narration of climbing mountains and ridges, it expounds that the acquisition of the world's far-reaching realm is only a matter of tireless effort. Those who are confused and fearful. This is exactly what Cheng Zhu said by studying things and acquiring knowledge.” Zeng Guofan combed his long beard habitually, and said meaningfully, “It’s not just mountain climbing, knowledge, articles, career, what is not the case!” Not only Zhang Yuzhao and Li Shuchang, but also Wu Rulun and Xue Fucheng, who were proud and arrogant, were moved when they watched the governor utter such a solemn sigh of life from a small article.The temple suddenly fell silent. "When I first entered the capital, I was lucky enough to enter the Golden Horse Gate, but I didn't know about the academic articles. I heard that the capital had a worker who wrote ancient prose poems, so I tried it. It was the introduction of Yao Nai, a doctor in Tongcheng. His words are sincere Then exhibited the works of Sima Qian, Ban Gu, Du Fu, Han Yu, Ouyang Xiu, Zeng Gong, Wang Anshi and Fang Bao, and read them carefully. The other six generations of poets and prose writers and disciples of Li Bai, Su Shi, and Huang Tingjian also studied them extensively It’s back, and then I started writing ancient poems. I’ve been here for thirty years.” Zeng Guofan’s Xiangxiang mandarin echoed in the Wuliang Temple, and Zhang Yuzhao and others seemed to have never heard it before. "In the past thirty years, as long as I have a little spare time in military affairs and government affairs, the old man has studied the ways of ancient prose. It was not until the age of destiny that I learned a lot about the ways of ancient prose. Recently, I often have the intention to write down my experience, but when I hold it, I can't Ke puts all his effort into thinking, but he is always dissatisfied when he finishes it. An Deshi puts everything away, sleeps soundly for ten days, feels refreshed, and then composes an essay for the pleasure in his chest. Today, I will steal a day of leisure with you all, and gather together In a quiet and inactive place, the old man wants to learn the style of the ancient Confucius, Mencius, Mo Xun, and his disciples, how about talking with you freely about the way of writing?" This is so good!Zhang Yuzhao and others thought: I have been learning ancient Chinese from Mr. Zeng for many years, and there are many questions piled up in my mind. I have never had a chance to ask the truth. It is rare that he has such an elegant mood today. "Excuse me, my lord, what is the first thing to do in the article?" When everyone was thinking nervously, Wu Rulun took the lead in asking the first question. "The first thing in the article is to move qi." Zeng Guofan replied in an affirmative tone, "Han Changli said that when qi is strong, it is suitable for both short and long words and high or low voice. My favorite article in my life has a majestic and magnificent aura. Among the ancients who had this kind of qi, Changli was the first, followed by Ziyun. Er Gong’s movement of qi was originally given by heaven, and it is difficult for future generations to match, but it can be imitated and learned.” "Excuse me, my lord, what is the best way to use words to make sentences?" Li Shuchang asked. "No matter ancient or modern people, when they write sentences, they always use the four characters of pearl, round and jade as the main characters." Zeng Guofan answered in response, and after a little thought, he added, "The people in the world say that calligraphy is round and beautiful like Xu Ling and Yu Xin, but I don't know that Jiang Yan and Bao Zhao are even more round. Ren Fang is also round, and Pan Yue and Lu Ji are also round, and then traced back to Ban Gu, Zhang Heng, Cui Yi, and Cai Yong in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and then traced back to Jia Yi, Chao Cuo, Kuang Heng, and Liu in the Western Han Dynasty. Xiang Ze is also round, as for Sima Zichang, Sima Xiangru, and Yang Ziyun, it can be said that they strive for danger and do not seek roundness, but after careful reading, they are not round at the beginning. As for Han Changli, his will directly wants to surpass Chang On top of Qing and Ziyun, Jiajia created it alone, and tried his best to avoid mellowness. After reading it for a long time, there is no word that is not mellow, and there is no sentence that is not mellow. As for the prose of the ancients, if you can learn from the mellowness of Bao, Jiang, Xu, and Geng Going back step by step, looking directly at Qing, Yun, Ma, and Han, there is no ancient prose that cannot be read, and there is no classic history that cannot be understood." The four sons were greatly inspired, and they all nodded in agreement. "What I just talked about was the roundness of the sentence, and the accuracy and expressiveness of the words. The ancients paid great attention to refining the characters, and there are many stories about masters of one character. For example, Qi Jizaomei's poem 'In the deep snow in the former village, several branches bloomed last night', Zheng Gu changed 'number' to 'one'. Zhang Yong' hated nothing in Taiping alone, Jiangnan killed the old Shangshu idlely', Xiao Chucai changed 'hate' to 'lucky'. Cheng Fengyi's gray hair came early, and gold went away Zhou Baimin changed "to" to "make" letters. These are famous one-character masters. In addition, in Fan Wenzhenggong's "Mr. Yan's Ancestral Hall Records", "Mr. Virtue, the mountains are high and the rivers are long", Li Taibo changed "De" to 'wind'. Su Dongpo's "Fu Hangong Shendao Monument" "Gong Zhixun is in the historian, virtue is in the life of the people, the emperor emptied himself and listened to the public, Xirong and Beidi regarded the public's advance and retreat as important, but Zhao Ji can shake it." Zhang Wenqian changed "neng" to "dare" .Zhang Yushan's south tower is farther away from Chu Yu three times, spring water in Wujiang increases overnight', Chen Xiangquan's slanting sun is on the river's water, autumn peaks are ten thousand points to the west of Yimen', Wang Yuyang changed 'increase' to 'sheng' and 'peak' respectively ' for 'mountain'.All the characters that were changed were famous ones, and they were all changed well.It can be seen that even if it is a big hand, there is still a process of continuous improvement, let alone ordinary people?In addition to one-character masters, there are also stories about half-character masters. Have you heard of them? " "No." The four sons shook their heads together. "Gong Wei in the former Qianlong period changed a poem about chrysanthemums for a lady in the East China Sea. The poem said: 'For the love of Nanshan's verdant color, don't dye a single flower in the east fence. Calligrapher." "My lord, when Mr. Jingyi died of illness, Tang Hejiu sent the elegiac couplet. My lord changed two places for him. Everyone said that the changes were very good." Zhang Yuzhao interjected. "It's not unusual for me to change it. In fact, Tang Hejiu's joint language is well written." Zeng Guofan said flatly. "Brother Lianqing, please tell us this anecdote!" Xue Fucheng was the last to enter the scene and didn't know about it. Zhang Yuzhao looked at Zeng Guofan and asked for instructions: "My lord, can I say that I have a humble job?" "Say it!" Zeng Guofan nodded slightly. "In November of the first year of Tongzhi, Lord Jingyi was infected with the epidemic and died for the country at the foot of Jinling City. At that time, there were many elegiac couplets, and there were many good ones. Mr. Tang Hejiu wrote a couplet like this: 'A scholar should shoulder half of the southeast, Fangqi will fight in the first battle Success saves the catastrophe; the world is full of loyalty, but Sanhe shed tears and fell to the stars.' After reading it, the adult said that it is good to write, but it is just a fly in the ointment. The adult picked up the pen and changed the word 'success' to B, And changed 'spreading tears' to 'painful decision'. Immediately, everyone applauded softly." "A scholar shoulders half a wall in the southeast, Fang Qi succeeded in the first battle and saved his fate; he was full of loyalty in the world, but Sanhe suffered a painful death and fell to the stars." Xue Fucheng repeated slowly, saying, "It's really a great change! " Zeng Guofan listened calmly without saying anything. Xue Fucheng continued: "My lord, please talk about the layout of the article." Zeng Guofan drank two sips of tea, brushed his beard up and down a few times, and said slowly: "The layout of the essay is the most important effort in a composition. In "Book of Books" and "Zuo Zhuan", each article has more empty spaces and less practical points. There are more sides and less front. For example, if you focus on the eyebrows and eyes, you can't have eyebrows all over your body and eyes everywhere. The clues in the text are like clues. The threads should not be too thick, and the traces should not be too dense. This is a kind. Ancient writing has clouds and waves Committees, officials stop and gods move, and its layout has the concept of thousands of rocks and ravines, repeated mountains and mountains. I think these articles are the best, and I will read them twenty or thirty times carefully, and I will naturally become familiar with them.” Hearing this, Xue Fucheng felt a sense of enlightenment, enlightenment, and wisdom. He deeply admired the vast knowledge of the governor. "Excuse me, my lord." After serious thinking, Zhang Yuzhao asked respectfully: "It is common for ancient poets to talk about the atmosphere of poetry. I think that ancient prose should also have atmosphere, but what kind of atmosphere is better?" "This question is well raised, which shows that Lian Qing's study of ancient prose has entered a higher level during this period, that is, from the thinking of words, sentences, and paragraphs to the thinking of the whole text." Zeng Guofan's increasingly dizzy triangular eyes He shot an appreciative look. "The ancients used the word 'weather' to comment on poems, which can be seen earlier in "Zhupo Poetry Talk" written by Zhou Zizhi in the early Southern Song Dynasty. Zhupo layman said that Zheng Gu's "On the river in the evening, the place where the painting can be painted, the fisherman wears a cape The sentence of "return". Others think it is amazing, but he thinks its weather is simple and vulgar. Later, "Canglang Poetry Talk" mentioned "weather" many times, saying that Tang poetry and Song poetry, let alone the poor workmanship, are really different. He also said that Jian'an's works are all about weather, and you can't find branches and leaves. In fact, it is not just poetry, but also literature, calligraphy, and painting. The most precious, like a long rain and clear, climbing a high mountain to look at the wilderness, like climbing a tall building to look down on the river, sitting alone under a clear window and looking into the distance. It is also like a hero and a knight coming in brown fur, without any dirty and despicable attitude These three are all bright and handsome. Those who have this kind of appearance in the article are probably bestowed by heaven, and they are not all related to academics. Apart from Mencius, Zhuangzi, and Hanzi, only Jia Sheng, Lu Jingyu, and Su Zizhan have them. This kind of atmosphere is the most, such as Wang Yangming in modern times is also very good, but the diction is not as ups and downs as Meng, Zhuang, and Han. The old man thinks that to achieve this level of writing is the highest level, it is not easy to achieve, but it should be my generation to strive to achieve The goal." This long passage made the four sons bow their heads and remain silent, feeling ashamed in their hearts.After a long time, Li Shuchang remembered that Wu Minshu was going to sue Zeng Guofan that year. He didn't know what Zeng Guofan thought about this matter, and whether he had any grudges. I usually don't have the opportunity to ask, but today is a good opportunity.He smiled and asked, "About the Tongcheng School of Literature, did Wu Nanping donate money to ask your lord to remove him?" "You don't know about that man in Nanping!" Zeng Guofan laughed heartily, "He won't admit defeat even when beaten to death. In his later letters, he simply compared Yao Nai to Lu Juren. This is his character, and I agree with him. Don't worry about it. Nanping doesn't want to beg for food under the stoves of the gentlemen in Tongcheng, so he can be called a hero among us Hunan people. However, comparing the Yao family to Lu Juren, it is too much. The old man's rough interpretation of the article is true Inspired by Mr. Yao. Mr. Yao is a gentleman who knows what to say, but his talent is too weak to be heard. Although his book "Ancient Chinese Ci Lei Compilation" is included in Liu Haifeng's essays, it is slightly personal, but generally It is tenable. Its preface and postscript are derived from "Yi Xici", and its words and prose are imitated from Liu Xin's "Qilue", so it is not a classic. In view of Mr. Yao's compilation, I do not choose Liujing, Zhuzi, For historical biography, although the "Jing Shi Bai Jia Miscellaneous Notes" is compiled separately, but in all fairness, Mr. Yao's "Lei Zhuan" has been handed down longer than the old man's "Miscellaneous Notes." Li Shuchang took this as a fair argument, and he saw Zeng Guofan's tolerance more clearly.He was about to ask Zeng Guofan to talk about his views on the Three Patriarchs of Tongcheng, when Wu Rulun asked again: "My lord, I heard that you are going to write an article, proposing the eight-character formula and the four-image theory in ancient Chinese, can you let us know a thing or two? " "The four of you, most of you are restless, and you have pryed out the old man's secrets from somewhere." Just like an old father accusing his clever and clever young son, he is actually very happy in his heart, and he is willing to reveal to his disciples Lizhu of the ancient prose found. "I'm still immature in thinking, so let's talk about it roughly. Bazijue, that is, masculinity, straightness, strangeness, and beauty are the characteristics of masculinity in ancient prose, and the characteristics of feminine beauty in ancient prose are Ru, distance, cleanliness, and fitness. I also Follow the method of Sikong Biaosheng, and give it a detailed description of eight characters under each word. The four images, that is, the sun is the momentum, and the momentum is divided into gushing momentum and ups and downs momentum; Shaoyang is the fun, and the fun is in it There is also humorous and leisurely fun; Taiyin is the degree of knowledge, and the degree of knowledge has a wide degree and a degree of implicitness; Shaoyin is the charm of emotion; the rhyme of emotion has the rhyme of Shen Xiong and the rhyme of sadness. I will finish this article a month ago, and then I will listen to your opinions." Zhang Yuzhao said: "My lord's discovery of ancient prose can be compared with Shen Xiuwen's four-tone theory!" "Look, there is a guy on the opposite side who is eavesdropping on your lord's secret!" Wu Rulun pointed mysteriously at the small pine forest outside the Wuliang Hall. "Who? You're so gutsy. I'll go and have a look." Xue Fucheng immediately stood up, rushed out of the hall and took a few steps, only to see a two-foot-long golden-haired squirrel jumping away from a pine branch. "So it's it!" Li Shuchang and Zhang Yuzhao laughed loudly.On the spur of the moment, Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Who among you has the ability to catch it, the old man will let him have a year off and not make a fuss!" Seeing that Zeng Guofan was so interested, Zhang Yuzhao and others all rushed towards the small pine forest, knowing that they would not be able to catch him. With his hands behind his back, Zeng Guofan watched them running in the pine forest with great interest, and said in his mouth: "The wren has already soared to Jiurenxi, and the raven is still leaning on Zesou." "My lord." A humble voice suddenly sounded in my ear.When Zeng Guofan looked back, Master Yuantong was already standing aside, followed by a thirteen or fourteen-year-old young monk.The young monk looked timidly at the number one person in Jiangning City, and held a shiny black wooden tray with both hands. . "My lord is very knowledgeable, especially the exquisite couplets. I have long been admired by the poor monk. I have long wanted to ask you to write a couplet for the Han Temple, but I have no chance. Fortunately, today, the poor monk respectfully asks you to give me a treasure." After Yuantong said, he put his hands together Put palms together on the chest and bow deeply. Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Today, I am entertained by the master, so I won't let me stop writing. But I don't know anything about Buddhism, so what should I ask?" Zeng Guofan paced slowly in the Beamless Hall.The hall was extremely quiet, and the water vapor was bouncing up and down gently against the lid of the purple sand pot. He stared at the teapot and had it in an instant.Then he picked up the pen and told the little monk to unfold the paper.After a while, bold words appeared on the watermarked paper: Thousands of miles of supernatural powers, across the sea and far away to share merit water, The city of the Six Dynasties is surrounded by mountains and protects auspicious clouds. "Just kidding, just kidding." Zeng Guofan put the pen back on the wooden tray and said humbly. "Thank you very much, poor monk!" Yuan Tong clasped his hands together and bowed again. "Lord Zeng, a master came to the governor's yamen and said that he has something urgent to report." The Zhike monk of Linggu Temple hurried over and said while saluting. "What's the matter? Call him in." The one who came was the inspector and police officer.He walked up to Zeng Guofan and said quietly, "Li Zhijun sent his younger brother Zhaoqing to Jiangning to report to your lord..." "Prepare the sedan chair!" Zeng Guofan gave the order before the policeman finished speaking. "My lord, the vegetarian meal is ready, let's leave after eating!" Yuantong hurriedly asked to stay. "Excuse me, let's eat again next time!" Zeng Guofan said as he hurried out of the Beamless Hall.He knew that Li Hongzhang must have encountered major and difficult events that he could not decide on his own. It turned out that since Li Hongzhang supervised the division, he adopted the strategy of luring the enemy into a desperate situation and encircling them, which greatly dampened the vitality of the Nian army and lured Lai Wenguang and Ren Huabang's Eastern Nian army to Yantai, Shandong.Li Hongzhang believed that the East Nian had reached the point where mountains and rivers had recovered, and planned to use the Jiaolai River as a line of defense to trap them to death on the Denglai Peninsula.Li Zhaoqing was ordered to come to Jiangning, first to ask whether this method is feasible, and second to ask for 200,000 salaries. All the way from Linggu Temple to the city, Zeng Guofan had been thinking about what Li Zhaoqing wanted to talk about.The battle ahead was repeated from time to time, which made Zeng Guofan fearful. Only Li Hongzhang used the strategy of river defense to finally calm down the Nian army, could he wash away the shame of his futility in fighting against the Nian.If Li Hongzhang also failed, the consequences would be disastrous.His mood is the same as when he was in Anqing remembering Lao Jiu's fight against Jinling.After listening to Li Zhaoqing's report, Zeng Guofan let out a long sigh of relief.He didn't express his attitude immediately, but left his seat and walked to the wall chart, tightened his broom eyebrows, and fixed his eyes on Shandong Province. About two quarters of an hour later, Zeng Guofan returned to his seat and said to Li Zhaoqing: "Youquan, go back and tell your second brother that I fully agree with his idea, but I just want to remind him of one thing: Ding Baozhen is the governor of Shandong. His duty is to defend Shandong, and it is not his business to destroy the Nian bandits. To defend Jiaolai, try to use Liu Sheng's three departments instead of the Lu army. The year before last, Lai Wenguang broke through the defense line of the Henan army's Zhuxian Town. Ding Baozhen and Li Henian are the same Thought. Therefore, just in case, a second line of defense should be set up on the canal, defended by Pan Dingxin, and a third line of defense should be set up on the Liutang River in Jiangsu, and Bao Chao and Chen Guorui's troops should be transferred to the nearest defense. Take a rest today and tomorrow Go back early in the morning and tell Shaoquan that although the turtle has been put into the urn, but has not been captured, it may escape, so don't be arrogant. As for the 200,000 salary, I have a lot of money." Things went exactly as Zeng Guofan estimated.On August 19th in the sixth year of Tongzhi, the Eastern Nien Army, led by Lai Wenguang and Ren Huabang, broke through the Lu army's defense line at a beach a dozen miles north of Haimiaokou, crossed the Weihe River, Weixian County, and Changle, and planned to cross again. The canal, entering Henan and Shaanxi, joined forces with Zhang Zongyu's West Nian.But in the canal, Pan Dingxin's department stubbornly blocked him, coupled with the continuous heavy rain, the river swelled, and Dong Nian's army was in turmoil. The traitor Pan Guisheng took the opportunity to kill Lu Wang Ren Huabang.Lai Wenguang led the remnant troops back to Shandong, but was defeated once by Weixian and then by Shouguang. Twenty thousand soldiers died in battle, and the first king Fan Ruzeng died heroically.Lai Wenguang led 6,000 people to escape after a hard fight, and was about to go to Jiangsu, but encountered Bao Chao's resistance at the Liutang River.Lai Wenguang was arrested and died, and the entire Eastern Nien Army was wiped out. The good news spread to Jiangning, washing Zeng Guofan's humiliation for more than two years.The imperial court rewarded the meritorious service, Li Hongzhang conferred the co-organizing bachelor degree, Liu Mingchuan initiated the strategy of river defense, he was named a first-class baron, and remembering Zeng Guofan's decision-making achievements and hard work for more than a year, he rewarded Yiyun Qiwei as a world-class officer , Then he was transferred from Tirenge University to Wuyingdian University.Soon, Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, Liu Songshan and others succeeded in suppressing Xinian, and Zhang Zongyu, king of Liang, died in battle by the river.The Nian Army uprising that had lasted for more than ten years was completely suppressed.Zeng Guofan regained his spirits and was about to continue the work of rectifying the two rivers. However, Guan Wen was removed from the post of governor of Zhili for the crime of failing to block Xi Nian. See, the post of governor of Liangjiang will be promoted by Ma Xinyi, governor of Zhejiang. Zeng Guofan accepted the order gladly this time.The reason is not only because the rebellion subsided and the imperial court did not forget his contribution, but also because his friends and secret enemies for many years have completely collapsed, and there is no stumbling block in his future official career. Zeng Guoquan, Guo Songtao, Liu Rong, Liu Changyou and others There is also one less obstacle in the comeback.Looking at today's domain, it is the Xianghuai Army's world again!Can he not be excited?