Chapter 36 Eleven foreign ashamed, guilty gods

After Zeng Guofan decided to hand over the Tianjin local officials to the Ministry of Punishment for strict discussion and the memorial of the number of people who had agreed with foreigners to be killed by Tang Bao, there was an uproar in the capital and the capitals of Dayi. The passionate young man rushed to the Hufangqiao Changjun Guild Hall angrily, and scraped off Zeng Guofan's autographed couplet on the pillars of the hall: "Ten scholars in the same discipline, three yuan in the celebration list", and scraped it off with a knife. This couplet was inscribed by Zeng Guofan in the 25th year of Daoguang.In the previous year, Shuntian Township Examination, Zhou Shouchang High School Nanyuan.In the next year's examination, Xiao Jinzhong won the first prize, and Sun Dingchen was the first in the imperial examination.The Eight Scholars of Hunan Province in this subject are all from Changsha Prefecture, and the Guizhou Scholars Huang Fuxiang and Huang Pengnian's uncle and nephew also belong to Changsha Prefecture.Now, the Hunan people in Beijing are boiling.Congratulations to Changsha Mansion for its gathering of talents and brilliant stars, especially Xiao Jinzhong's No. 1 Scholar, which is even more enviable.Most of the top scholars in the Qing Dynasty came from Liangjiang. Before that in Hunan, only one Hengshan native, Peng Jun, had won this honor.Xiao Jinzhong won the top spot, which actually earned him a lot of face for Hunan Province and Changsha Mansion.So officials from Changsha in Beijing set up a joint venture to celebrate with wine and performances in the Changjun Guild Hall.Zeng Guofan, who had just been promoted to Youchunfang You Shuzi of Zhan Shifu, was recognized as a handsome young man in Changsha Mansion, and everyone recommended him to write a couplet as a commemoration.At that time, Zeng Guofan was at a time when he was talented and proud of his official career. He was inspired and swiped a pen: "Ten Scholars in the same discipline, three yuan in the celebration list."Zeng Guofan was also very satisfied with this couplet throughout his life.This impromptu couplet was later engraved by craftsmen on the pillars of the Changjun Guild Hall, and it will be permanently preserved as the best record of the glorious history of Changsha Prefecture.Over the years, as Zeng Guofan's reputation has grown, so has its reputation.

The old man guarding the guild hall couldn't stop him, he could only fall down and sigh.After scraping off the couplet, someone shouted again: "The plaque in the Hunan Guild Hall was also written by that old traitor." "Smash it!" Everyone immediately made a decision, and the supervisors rushed to the Hunan Guild Hall in Jiaozi Hutong again.After a while of scolding, he took down the large golden plaque on the blue ground hanging high at the gate, stomped on it with his feet, and smashed it with stones, until the plaque was smashed to pieces, and Fang Yang walked away.

Even Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, who commanded the Chu army to fight against the Hui people in Lanzhou, was also indignant.In the three years since Tongzhi, Zuo Zongtang has not corresponded with Zeng Guofan.That year Zeng Guofan took the initiative to revise the book to make peace with him, but because there was no apology and admission of mistakes in the letter, Zuo Zongtang lost his anger.Zeng Guofan did not write to him again.Later he realized that his anger was wrong, but he has always been very strong, even if he was wrong, he would not admit his mistakes, so they broke up private letters with each other like this.However, official business contacts are still frequent, and both sides are not sloppy. Every time there is a visit, the manuscript is recorded and sent for consultation.Zuo Zongtang supported Zeng Guofan's plan to change the Yangtze River Navy into a division of economics and systems.Zuo Zongtang fought in Shaanxi-Gansu, and Zeng Guofan always transported the food and salaries allocated to Liangjiang according to the amount and on schedule, and he also took the initiative to recommend Liu Songshan, a famous general with both political integrity and ability in the Hunan Army in the later period, to Zuo Zongtang.Liu Songshan and the old Hunan camp under his command became the elite of Zuo Zongtang.In the first month of this year, Liu Songshan died in battle, and his nephew Liu Jintang took over his army. Zhiyong was not under Naishu.Zuo Zongtang was very grateful for Zeng Guofan's virtue.At a meeting of the Yamen of the Governor of Liangjiang, someone praised Zuo Zongtang as the number one person in the Northwest. Zeng Guofan answered: "Is it just the Northwest, he is actually the number one person in the world today." Ashamed again.The joy is that his achievements have attracted the attention of the whole country, but the shame is that his mind is far less broad than that of Zeng Guofan.In this mood, Zuo Zongtang sincerely praised Zeng Guofan when he reported Liu Songshan's death in battle.However, this time he was very dissatisfied.Although he had no grudges against his old friend in his heart, he couldn't save face. Instead of directly writing to Zeng Guofan, he asked the Prime Minister's Office to convey his attitude: "The incident in Jin County was aroused by abductees, and it was shaped by righteous indignation. It can be accommodated, but it is not easy to accept life, and it is not wise to punish local officials. It is appropriate to raise the sharpness of the people, repair our spears, and show an awe-inspiring and inviolable attitude. !"

He set up a tent to give lectures in Xiangtan, and had many disciples. Wang Kaiyun, who is known as a master of a generation, also sent a long and earnest letter to Zeng Guofan through the Hunan governor's office: Guantai Baojue Zhongtang is the hope of the contemporary mountain struggle, the Jiuzhong relies on it, and the surnames look up to it. It also has more than ten years of military exploits and more than ten years of benevolent governance.Moreover, the surname of the Jin people is strong and prey. If the barbarians add Gu Yu to Jin's order because of the barbarians, it will surely offend Lu Yan, and their suffering is beyond words.Don't you say "Gu Wei Minyan"? Doesn't the "Biography" say "the public anger is hard to offend"?Be thoughtful and considerate.The national system must not be lost, the hearts of the people must not be lost, the hatred of the former emperors must not be forgotten, and the prestige of our Zhongtang must not be thwarted!The establishment of the clan society, the consolidation of the emperor's plan, the awe and submission of the Huayi, and the joy of the subjects, all in one fell swoop.The former king Yucheng said: "The government of a country and the fate of all people depend on the prime minister." Don't be careful!If the Zhongtang cannot maintain the prestige of the past and establish the Mo of today, how can it repay the great kindness to the former emperor, how can it assist the emperor, how can it set an example for the ministers, and how can it punish the backward people in the world!

Dozens of letters like Wang Kaiyun’s were sent to Tianjin continuously from the capital, from Jiangning, from Wuchang, from Anqing, from Changsha, from Guangdong, and from Sichuan and Guizhou. His heart shot out, wanting to pierce the failing heart and turn it into meat paste. In Tianjin City, at the gates of Zhou Jiaxun, Zhang Guangzao, and Liu Jie.Over the past few days, there has been an endless stream of condolences, and tears of pity are endless.Originally, the official voice was mediocre, but suddenly they all became honest and upright officials who are diligent in governing and caring for the people.In the streets and alleys, a nursery rhyme made up by someone is being sung everywhere: "Shengping dances and dances and the game is over, and the prime minister will be on the stage. Do you know the Jueyu Road in the west, the sky is full of wind and snow, chasing ministers."

At this time, Zeng Guofan realized that it was a huge mistake to listen to Chonghou's words lightly, and to submit Zhou Jiaxun and others to the Ministry of Punishment for strict discussion.He was in great pain and remorse.He hated himself for not being able to stick to his own opinions, and even more hated Chonghou doing everything he could to please foreigners, pushing him into a miserable situation where the people of the country would scold him and kill him.The memorandum has been sent out, like pouring water that cannot be recovered, he silently prays to the gods every night, begging the queen mother and the emperor to forgive these poor local officials, not to let his own faults cause facts, so that his conscience can be at peace.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, the imperial edict was issued, and the local officials in Tianjin were quickly brought to the Ministry of Criminal Justice. They reiterated that killing 15 people was not enough to complain to the Pingyang people. The reference to "execute as much as it is" was refuted: "Conviction based on the circumstances should be based on the evidence, and the expectation is not in vain. How can it be pre-empted and forced to settle the case?" Zeng Guofan couldn't tell what he was suffering from, and he really reached the point of accusing everyone from top to bottom, being in a dilemma, criticizing everyone, and being unable to argue with anyone.The vertigo relapsed again, and the left eye became more and more dizzy, and the people and things in front of him seemed to be in the fog in broad daylight.Knowing that he will die soon and wishing to die quickly, he wrote to his son, asking them to make the coffin as soon as possible, so as not to be caught off guard.

Ding Qirui, Ma Shengwu, Xiao Shiben, Zhao Liewen, Wu Rulun, Xue Fucheng and others stayed by the bed all day, serving and comforting them.Zeng Guofan was completely emaciated physically and mentally, so he couldn't talk much, he just repeated the eight words over and over again: "I am ashamed to talk about it, and I feel guilty to the gods!" Today, there is no other way. The only feasible way is to make up for it with silver, but Zeng Guofan is in trouble again.He has always regarded property very lightly, and he does not intend to leave a large sum of money to his children.Grandfather Hoshioka had a saying that he believed in all his life: "If you have food in your life, you will not go hungry if you have no money; if you are hungry in your life, you will have nothing to eat no matter how much money your ancestors leave behind." Over the years, he Only 20,000 taels of silver were saved in the maintenance fee for the elderly.You can take some of it out, but you can't take all of it, you have to keep some.After careful consideration of the part that must be spent, he decided to take out seven thousand taels.Three people share, and each person only gets more than 2,000, which is less.When he couldn't think about it, he revealed his intention to Zhao Liewen.When Zhao Liewen heard this, he immediately expressed generously: "Your Excellency's move shocked the world and wept ghosts and gods. There is no precedent in ancient and modern China and abroad. Liewen has been cultivated by adults for many years, and he has a rough understanding of righteousness. Wouldn't he be moved? Although it cannot be said that everyone in the supervisory office Hold on to the idea of ​​Liwen, but it is also very likely, I will return to Baoding tomorrow, and I will return to Tianjin in three days."

Three days later, Zhao Liewen brought back 13,000 taels of silver bills, which were all collected by the staff of Zhili Governor's Yamen, and no local officials were alarmed.Zeng Guofan was very grateful.Zhao Liewen persuaded Zeng Guofan not to take any more money.How can he agree!In this way, together with his seven thousand, there are twenty thousand taels of silver.Zhou Dao, Zhang Shou, and Liu Ling each had five thousand taels, and after thinking about the remaining five thousand taels, he decided to give Xu Hanlong, Liu Aizi, and Feng Laizi five hundred taels each, and each of the seven people in Hongliu Village one One hundred taels, Tian Laoer and other five people also gave sixty taels each.

This kind of thing, not to mention the past, even Zeng Guofan would not have done it a few days ago.Those who hurt others will pay money; those who kill will be killed. This is the most basic law since ancient times, not to mention killing foreigners, which will almost cause a huge disaster.Now, the public opinion across the country has finally made him sober: after all, this is a conflict caused by long-standing grievances. Fundamentally speaking, it is the foreigners who are at fault, not the citizens, and we cannot simply discuss the facts as they are.Especially Xu Hanlong, Liu Aizi, and Feng Laizi. They were out of righteous indignation of patriotism and respect for the officials. It is indeed a bit wrong to kill their heads; It also indirectly stabbed the patriotism of the people, let's use this little money as compensation!

I heard that the murderers in Hongliuzhuang were given one hundred taels of silver each just because they admitted that they died for killing foreigners. Several poor murderers in the prison expressed their willingness to kill foreigners under the persuasion of their relatives. As a repayment to the family, he got a hundred taels of silver before he died.So, Zeng Guofan hooked up five murderers and gave him one hundred taels of silver each.The remaining 2,000 taels of silver were used to donate to the orphans who escaped from the Yuyingtang, the Chinese who were accidentally injured that day, and the houses of ordinary people who were injured nearby.After such an arrangement, Zeng Guofan seemed to feel better in his heart.